13/01/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | JAN 13, 2026

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Farke targets FA Cup run for Leeds

Mansfield Town too sharp for Blades FO R ME R Sheffield United mid fielder Louis Reed scored twice against his boyhood club as League One Mansfield Town stunned the Blades in a thrilling seven-goal FA Cup third-round tie. in the final stages as they searched for an equaliser but the visitors saw out the match to claim a famous win and clinch a fourth victory on the bounce in all competitions.

Ű BY MARK WALKER

would have sent a different team out today. We wanted to travel with the strongest possible squad without tak ing any risks.” Farke made eight changes after his side’s cruel 4-3 defeat at Newcastle five days earlier, but only briefly did Leeds look like succumbing to an upset. “Of course we’re not the favourites to win this competition. We know this,” Farke added. “But if cup competitions are made for fairy tales, and if there is a chance, then we want to be involved. “I want to stay humble. I don’t want to speak about Wembley right now, but it would be great to write another chap ter of big history for this amazing club.” Derby boss John Eustace, who handed debuts to Danish midfielder Oscar Fraulo and teenager Owen Eames, had no complaints after making six changes following last week’s home defeat to Wrexham.

Eustace said: “I thought we were really good value for money and we got some vital minutes into so many players that needed it today. “We were really competitive and I was pleased with the effort. I just wanted the team to be competitive today. I wanted us to win, of course I did. “But the bigger picture is that there’s five or six players who desperately need minutes under their belt because they haven’t played at all for much of the sea son.” Eustace has backed Leeds, who sit 16th in the Premier League, eight points clear of the bottom three, to maintain their climb away from relegation trou ble. He added: “I think there’s a good chance. There’s already a big points mar gin. They’ve got an awesome squad and a very good manager. So yes, I’m sure they will do.” – The Independent

LEED S boss Daniel Farke said he wants to go “as far as possible” in this season’s FA Cup after his side’s comfortable 3-1 third-round win at Derby. Quickfire second-half goals from Willy Gnonto and Ao Tanaka turned the tie in Leeds’ favour after they had trailed at half-time to Beb Brereton Diaz’s opener for Derby. Brereton Diaz struck against the run of play soon after Leeds striker Joel Piroe had seen his penalty saved, while sub stitute James Justin rubberstamped the visitors’ progression with his first goal for the club in added time. Farke said: “I’m a big believer in cup competitions. I know some people see them as a distraction from the League, but I love cup competitions. “We want to try to come as far as possible in the FA Cup, otherwise we Gabriel Martinelli (center, top) scores Arsenal’s second goal during yesterday’s English FA Cup third round match against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. – AFPPIC

“Back where it all began, bit of a bitter-sweet moment obviously because it’s against the team I sup port but what a result for all those fans behind the goal, and the team,” Reed told BBC Radio Nottingham . “I just said to (Rhys) Oatesy then, in the warm-up, I think it’s one of the worst performances I’ve had in the shooting drill before but I suppose if you use them up there, they don’t come out in the game. “I’ve not come up with many goals while I’ve been here so two is just brilliant. “I think the first one is better, the second one took a bit of a deflec tion, but I’m still claiming it.” – Agencies

Two excellent strikes from Reed before halftime, either side of Gus Hamer’s beautiful dipping strike from 20 yards, gave the Stags a deserved 2-1 lead at the break against their Championship oppo nents. Buoyed on by approximately 5,000 visiting supporters, Mansfield raced into a three-goal lead soon after the interval through Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates. But a goal from Blades substitute Patrick Bamford, as well as an own goal from Mansfield’s Nathan Moriah-Welsh, meant the Stags had a nervy final 25 minutes to see out. United heaped on the pressure

Zero to hero Arteta hails Martinelli’s mentality after Bradley controversy

Ű BY EDWARD ELLIOT

the matter ends there.” Premier League leaders Arsenal began four successive away games in four different competi tions by reaching round four of the cup for the first time in three seasons after Arteta made 10 changes for the visit to Hampshire. “When we make that many changes, there is an element of cohesion that is not going to be as per fect as we want,” said Arteta, who brought on injury-plagued forward Kai Havertz as a substitute for his first appearance since the opening week end of the season. “We started the game exactly how we didn’t want to: giving them momentum and an early goal and hope. “The more we started to do the simple things right and be a little bit more dominant, the quality took over and the margins were bigger.” – The Independent

back Bradley was set to undergo knee surgery which will rule him out of the rest of the season. Martinelli apologised to the Northern Ireland international following the high-profile flashpoint, having not initially realised the severity of the injury. Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino said of Martinelli: “We are really happy for him, he’s a great guy. “Everyone that knows him knows he’s a really kind kid. He’s always smiling, he’s always kind with everyone. We are very pleased that he’s per forming this well. “Sometimes when you’re on the pitch you don’t have all the information and you can react in a certain way but obviously everyone knows how good of a kid he is and he never tries to make someone feel bad. “It’s just a small mistake and he said sorry, and

Martinelli, who also missed an open goal at 2 1, completed his treble in the 72nd minute, having received a hostile reception from the raucous home support. “That’s personality, come in and talk on the pitch,” said Arteta. “To play for a big club you need a big personal ity because it can be that (being at the centre of a controversial incident), it can be an action that you miss, it can be something that costs you a game, and three days later there is a game, so you need to lift yourself up and make it count. “Today he scored three goals, tomorrow he’s going to train a hundred miles an hour, for sure. He’s not going to change that, that’s Gabi. “It’s part of football and then it’s how you take it. But he knew inside the reason why he did what he did.” On Sunday it was announced Liverpool right

A RSENAL boss Mikel Arteta praised the mentality of Gabriel Martinelli after he hit the headlines for the right reasons by scoring a hattrick in a 4-1 FA Cup third round win at Championship strugglers Portsmouth. Martinelli was widely criticised for throwing the ball at injured Liverpool defender Conor Bradley and then attempting to push him off the pitch during last week’s goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium. The Brazil forward struck either side of Noni Madueke’s penalty miss to put the Gunners in control at rain-soaked Fratton Park after Andre Dozzell’s own goal cancelled out a shock third minute opener from Pompey captain Colby Bishop.

Nuno boosted by Castellanos strike as Hammers down QPR

Ű BY ANDY SIMS

22 matches at this stage, but Rangers boss Julien Stephan was full of pride at his side’s efforts. “I think it was an opportunity to show the value and quality of QPR’s players and what they showed today, and what the fans showed today, I am very proud of,” said the Frenchman. “The players gave everything to push a Premier League team. I think they did very well. It was difficult to concede a goal like this, but they showed great character in the second half.” – The Independent

on the neck. His neck is very sore, he’s in pain. We need to assess him for a couple of days but hopefully he’s going to be OK.” Summerville had fired West Ham into the lead with his first goal of the season, deep into first-half stoppage time, after being set up by Soungoutou Magassa. But Rangers, who have the worst FA Cup third-round record of any club in the country, threatened a surprise when Richard Kone hauled them level. They eventually fell to their 53rd third-round defeat, and 17th in their last

back, I think we can make a step, an improvement. Everything is going to be better this week. “Overall in terms of fighting, in terms of desire, in terms of character, I’m very pleased, especially in the situation that we are in. It was so important for us today.” The one downside for West Ham was the sight of defender Konstaninos Mavropanos being carried off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly in the penalty area at a corner. Nuno added: “It was a nasty one. It’s

Hammers boss Nuno will now be praying his new striker can start finding the net in the Premier League to boost their increasingly desperate bid to avoid relegation – starting at fellow crisis club Tottenham this weekend. “I think goals breed confidence,” he said. “Our front players did really well but goals change everything, not only for them personally but for us. “It’s going to change our week. We’re going to feel better during the week. The players are going to recover better. “Instead of recovering and bouncing

N U N O E S PI R ITO Santo hopes Taty Castellanos’ first goal for West Ham can finally kick-start their season. Castellanos scored an extra-time win ner as the Hammers avoided an FA Cup upset with a 2-1 win over Championship QPR. The Argentinian, a £26 million (RM150m) signing from Lazio earlier this month, powerfully headed home Crycensio Summerville’s cross to sink plucky Rangers.