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Today — 18 March 2026Main stream

“Absolute madness” – Senegal to appeal AFCON final verdict in more pre-World Cup drama

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
18 March 2026 at 12:55

As if there weren’t already enough subplots heading into the 2026 World Cup this summer, Senegal and Morocco are now battling over the AFCON title months after the final actually took place!

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Although Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the AFCON final back in January, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) have overturned the result and handed Morocco a 3-0 victory.

The final was marred by a brief period of interruption when Senegal’s players refused to play in response to a penalty decision.

However, the game did end up continuing, with Senegal taking the trophy, only there has now been a decision two months later to strip them of the title as they’re judged to have forfeited the match.

Senegal to appeal decision to overturn AFCON final

Still, Sky Sports are now reporting that Senegal will appeal this verdict, as per the video below…

BREAKING: Senegal say they will file an appeal over the decision to strip them of the AFCON title and award it to Morocco ? pic.twitter.com/QIaCxVXaPO

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 18, 2026

It will certainly be intriguing to see how this saga develops, and if it’s resolved by the time the World Cup kicks off in North America this summer.

Both Senegal and Morocco have qualified for the tournament, and although they’ve been drawn in different groups, there’s always a chance they could meet later in the competition.

This could be a major distraction for both teams, however, and it’s far from ideal to have another story like this dominating after so many other issues involving this year’s World Cup.

AFCON decision is “absolute madness” says Henry Winter

See below as journalist Henry Winter described it as “absolute madness” and questioned how it took them so long to come to this decision…

"It's absolute madness" ?

Henry Winter and David Ornstein react to the news that Morocco have been awarded the 2025 AFCON following a 'crazy decision' to overturn Senegal's victory ? pic.twitter.com/3K12jhogaE

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 18, 2026

“How come it’s taken two months to decide something like that? It should’ve taken them about two minutes,” Winter said.

“It’s absolute madness, and it’s damaging to African football, and it was damaged on the night as a lot of people were saying.

“I feel for Sadio Mane, who I thought was one of the few Senegalese who came out with credibility intact having urged his teammates to come back onto the pitch.

“The referee could very easily have made Senegal forfeit on the night.”

He added: “It’s one of the most extraordinary decisions in tournament history. For the hosts to be crowned the winners two months afterwards, it’s ridiculous.

“What are they going to do with these players who’ve got their medals? Are they going to have to give them back, drive around Morocco handing these medals over?

“It’s a crazy decision. If you’re going to do something like this you have to act more quickly.”

The post “Absolute madness” – Senegal to appeal AFCON final verdict in more pre-World Cup drama appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“Couldn’t make this stuff up” – Former Chelsea player reacts to bizarre Liam Rosenior moment vs PSG

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
18 March 2026 at 12:27

Former Chelsea player Craig Burley was clearly far from impressed with Blues manager Liam Rosenior in last night’s heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

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Rosenior was seen passing notes to his players late on in the game when the tie was already well and truly over, and Burley posted his disbelief about it on X, formerly Twitter.

See below as the ESPN pundit hit out at Rosenior for his antics, with the clear implication being that the Chelsea manager must have been doing this stuff for the cameras as there seemed so little point in handing out such sophisticated tactical instructions when six goals behind on aggregate…

Six goals behind with 5 mins left and Rosenior is sending on instructional notes to his players. Couldn’t make this stuff up ????

— Craig Burley (@craigburley) March 17, 2026

“Six goals behind with 5 mins left and Rosenior is sending on instructional notes to his players. Couldn’t make this stuff up,” Burley posted.

Chelsea lost 5-2 away to PSG and 3-0 at home last night as they were dumped out of the Champions League in rather humiliating fashion in the end.

Is Liam Rosenior doing a good enough job as Chelsea manager?

Rosenior impressed at former club Strasbourg before being appointed as Enzo Maresca’s replacement as Chelsea manager in January.

The 41-year-old is relatively inexperienced at the highest level of management, but looked like a good fit due to having already worked with the BlueCo group.

Liam Rosenior Wins Draws Losses Win %
Strasbourg 31 15 17 49.2%
Chelsea 10 2 6 55.6%

So far, however, Rosenior has not had the most convincing start to life at Stamford Bridge, with CFC particularly poor in the Champions League.

They’ve also lost big games against Arsenal in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final and in a Premier League trip to the Emirates Stadium.

For now, Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League table and not out of the running for Champions League qualification just yet, but Rosenior will surely know he needs to improve.

? One Chelsea fan has found something to distract them from tonight's awful performance ? pic.twitter.com/f86VJX8wYr

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) March 17, 2026

The post “Couldn’t make this stuff up” – Former Chelsea player reacts to bizarre Liam Rosenior moment vs PSG appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Report: Manchester City ready to sell star depending on other transfer targets

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
18 March 2026 at 11:50

Manchester City are reportedly ready to consider letting Savinho go this summer as they potentially make further changes to their attack.

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City brought in Rayan Cherki last summer and then Antoine Semenyo in January, which has only made it harder for Savinho to see much playing time.

We recently reported our information that Savinho was viewed as untouchable at the Etihad Stadium, but things could change.

According to Football Insider, although City manager Pep Guardiola has backed Savinho, there is some chance of an exit if further signings come in in that area of the squad.

Could Savinho to Tottenham transfer be back on?

Savinho was a target for Tottenham last summer, but City blocked the move and got the Brazilian to sign a new contract.

Football Insider now suggest Spurs could still look at Savinho, though one imagines that will obviously depend on how the club fares in their relegation battle.

The north Londoners could still go down this season, and that would surely prevent them signing a big name like Savinho.

Is Savinho good enough for Spurs?

We’ve also previously reported on Spurs still being keen on Savinho, but is he actually a good target for them even if they stay in the Premier League?

Signing him from a rival would likely make him quite expensive, and he’s not shown much during his time in the Premier League, even if he looked like a top talent during his time with La Liga outfit Girona…

Savinho TOTAL SCORE: 12/25
Transfer fee *
Performance **
Achievements **
Career phase ****
Squad need ***

Using our Transfer Fit rating, we judge Savinho to be a 12/15 signing, which is the lower end of medium. Would you say that’s about right, too harsh, or even too kind? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Report: Manchester City ready to sell star depending on other transfer targets appeared first on CaughtOffside.

From Italy: Arsenal & Man United handed significant transfer boost after surprise development

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
18 March 2026 at 10:56

Arsenal and Manchester United may have been given some very promising transfer news as Juventus have reportedly cooled their interest in Sandro Tonali.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Newcastle United and Italy midfielder had been a top target for Juve manager Luciano Spalletti, but the deal now looks less likely.

Instead, it seems that the Serie A giants could instead go for Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, who looks a more realistic target as he’ll be a free agent this summer.

This could mean Arsenal and Man Utd will find it easier to land Tonali, who may well have been tempted by the opportunity to return to Italy, but with that opportunity now gone.

That said, we’ve looked at Tonali as an option for Arsenal and United with our Transfer Fit rating system and he scored pretty low for both.

Sandro Tonali transfer doesn’t look like value for money for Arsenal or Man United

Ultimately, Tonali is probably just going to be too expensive compared to other similar players out there, with neither his overall form or age making him a sensible enough investment.

For United, we scored his suitability at 11/23, as per our table below…

Sandro Tonali TOTAL SCORE: 11/25
Transfer fee –
Performance **
Achievements **
Career phase ***
Squad need ****

That’s the lower end of medium, with the former AC Milan man potentially useful for the Red Devils considering their needs in midfield, but we wouldn’t advise making him a priority.

While Tonali has shone during his time at St James’ Park, he doesn’t have particularly outstanding qualities compared to other in-form midfielders like Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, who are also younger so could keep on improving, whereas Tonali turns 26 in just over a month, so has probably just about peaked.

For Arsenal, he gets an even lower score as there’s simply nothing there that suggests he’d start over either Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi.

Sandro Tonali TOTAL SCORE: 7/25
Transfer fee –
Performance **
Achievements **
Career phase ***
Squad need –

Arsenal already have Christian Norgaard as a solid and reliable backup, and that’s surely not a role Tonali would be happy with, so there’s just very little chance that this deal would make any side particularly happy.

The links won’t die down, though, so perhaps we’ll be proven wrong as these clubs seem like they may be really determined to land Tonali, who might also be seen as a tempting opportunity due to the fact that he wants out of St James’ Park to further his career.

The post From Italy: Arsenal & Man United handed significant transfer boost after surprise development appeared first on CaughtOffside.

£245m spending spree: Liverpool targeting big-name trio to join Xabi Alonso revolution

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
18 March 2026 at 10:37

Liverpool could reportedly hire Xabi Alonso to replace Arne Slot as manager, and target Adam Wharton, Alessandro Bastoni, and Bradley Barcola in this summer’s transfer window.

The Reds are being linked with this stunning £245m triple swoop in a report from TEAMtalk, which cites claims coming from Spain.

It seems that Slot’s position as Liverpool manager could be in real danger after a disappointing second season at Anfield for the Dutch tactician.

And despite spending so much on new signings like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz last summer, they could do so again if they appoint Alonso as the man to take charge of this new-look squad.

This Liverpool transfer story would be sensational, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves

While it’s perfectly possible that we’ll see Liverpool doing crazy things in the market again this year, there’s a lot that needs to happen first before we can really treat these claims as super reliable.

Firstly, there’s still a long way to go between now and the end of the season, with Slot potentially still able to win silverware and guide the club into the top four.

Given that the former Feyenoord boss did so well in his first campaign, even some disappointment this year would surely mean he has credit in the bank, so to speak.

Alonso’s availability might make LFC tempted to make a change while they can, but it definitely seems too early to think of this as concrete.

On top of that, agreeing deals for such top players won’t be easy, with PSG unlikely to be keen on selling Barcola, and under little financial pressure to do so.

Wharton and Bastoni might be more realistic targets, but it’s also not clear how easy it would be for Liverpool to have two summers in a row of such big spending.

Liverpool should resist the urge to splash the cash

There’s also surely an argument that Liverpool need to slow down a bit when it comes to this squad overhaul they’re embarking on.

The Merseyside giants barely made any changes to their squad when Slot first replaced Jurgen Klopp and won the Premier League title.

Bedding in the likes of Isak, Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez hasn’t really gone to plan, with the team perhaps changing too much too quickly.

There’s now surely a case to be made for keeping this squad together and allowing Slot to help them grow as a team, rather than simply rushing into the market for even more new players who’d need time to adjust and settle.

One signing in defence would probably be sensible as Ibrahima Konate is close to the end of his contract, but the rest of the side arguably isn’t in need of wholesale changes anyway.

The post £245m spending spree: Liverpool targeting big-name trio to join Xabi Alonso revolution appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Yesterday — 17 March 2026Main stream

Arsenal’s next four games will make or break their season – here’s how

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
17 March 2026 at 17:25

It’s no exaggeration to say that the fate of Arsenal’s season probably rests on the club’s next four games, one in each competition they’re still challenging for.

It’s been an exciting season for the Gunners, but there do still seem to be some signs of nerves in Mikel Arteta’s side, who haven’t enjoyed too many moments of playing their best or most stylish football.

Still, this is an Arsenal side that knows how to grind out results and nick goals on well-worked set-pieces, and that’s served them well so far, with the north Londoners seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table and preparing for a Carabao Cup final.

They’re also still in the Champions League and FA Cup, having lost only three games in all competitions all season, but things could change very quickly in just the next four games. Here’s how…

Saturday: Arsenal vs Everton (Premier League)

Arsenal may be seven points ahead of Man City, but Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand. After some recent slip-ups with draws away to Brentford and Everton, it’s absolutely vital that Arsenal get three points.

This will be seen as a winnable fixture just as City travel to take on a resurgent West Ham, so expect football betting sites to start leaning even more heavily towards the Gunners if results go their way today.

A win for Arsenal and either a draw or defeat for City will feel very much like too far for the Sky Blues to come back from. At the same time, if AFC slip up again, there could be enough of a swing to majorly put things back in MCFC’s favour.

17th March: Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen (Champions League)

Just a few days before the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal will have to focus hard to avoid an upset against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Arteta’s side were not too convincing in that first leg tie, but escaped with a 1-1 draw thanks to a late Kai Havertz penalty. If they don’t play much better at the Emirates Stadium, then this Leverkusen side is more than good enough to cause a surprise.

This Arsenal side is surely good enough to end the club’s hoodoo in the European Cup, but it’s fine margins at this level and they’ll need to be on their game even if they do have one eye on potentially picking up silverware just a few days later.

22nd March: Arsenal vs Manchester City (Carabao Cup final)

Needless to say, this is a huge game that not only represents the chance for some early-season silverware, but it brings together the two title contenders and will likely tell us a lot about who is in a stronger position to go on and finish as champions.

Arsenal could really do with that psychological boost against City, even if their record against them has improved in recent times, with the club still chasing a first trophy since all the way back in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020.

If City come out on top, it could really spur them on to go on the kind of run that has previously seen them overpower Arsenal in the closing stages of the campaign.

4th April: Southampton vs Arsenal (FA Cup)

On paper, this is a pretty favourable tie in the next round of the FA Cup for Arsenal, but they can take nothing for granted.

If the Gunners end up out of the title race, the Champions League, and on the losing side of the Carabao Cup final by the time this match comes around, it will be hugely important to salvage the season by winning the FA Cup.

Southampton looks like a decent opportunity, but this is a club that have a surprisingly good record against Arsenal when they’ve been in the Premier League, so there can be no room for any complacency at the St Mary’s Stadium.

The post Arsenal’s next four games will make or break their season – here’s how appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Before yesterdayMain stream

Igor Tudor aims subtle dig at major Tottenham summer signing

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus
15 March 2026 at 02:30

Tottenham’s interim manager Igor Tudor has aimed a subtle dig at Xavi Simons as he attempted to explain why he’s not starting him.

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The Netherlands international looked like an exciting signing when he joined Spurs from RB Leipzig last summer, but he’s had a fairly underwhelming first season in the Premier League.

Simons has just two goals and five assists for Tottenham so far, so it’s perhaps not too surprising that he’s no longer guaranteed a starting spot.

Still, the north London outfit spent a lot of money on the 22-year-old last summer, with BBC Sport reporting his fee as being £52m at the time.

Igor Tudor on his decision not to use Xavi Simons

When asked about Simons in his press conference, Tudor made it clear that even if the former Leipzig man was a major signing for the club, he currently felt he couldn’t start him as he was simply doing his best for the team.

Watch below for Tudor’s answer, with the Croatian tactician still offering Simons something of a lifeline, however, by suggesting that he could still get into the team at a later date even if he hasn’t been so far…

? Igor Tudor has explained why he's not giving playing time to big summer signing Xavi Simons…? pic.twitter.com/GQJE4GywMZ

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) March 14, 2026

Can Xavi Simons bounce back for Tottenham?

Simons surely has it in him to turn his Spurs career around, but it will be interesting to see what happens with him this summer.

For one thing, if THFC do end up getting relegated, it’s perhaps hard to imagine him sticking around to play in the Championship.

There could also be some sense in the club selling him or sending him out on loan so he can improve certain aspects of his game.

For all his natural talent and ability, Simons looks like he still needs to mature with his decision-making, while he’s perhaps also struggled with the physicality of English football, which is something he can work on and which could happen with age anyway.

The post Igor Tudor aims subtle dig at major Tottenham summer signing appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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