Arsenal, Chelsea Aim to avoid FA Cup upsets

 Chelsea's Joao Pedro, center, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Chelsea in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro, center, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Chelsea in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP)
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Arsenal, Chelsea Aim to avoid FA Cup upsets

 Chelsea's Joao Pedro, center, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Chelsea in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro, center, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Chelsea in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP)

Arsenal head to Mansfield and Chelsea face Wrexham in the FA Cup fifth round, with the Premier League clubs aiming to avoid embarrassing giant-killings, while Liverpool bid to avenge a painful defeat at Wolves.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of this weekend's fifth round action:

Wrexham get taste of big time

Owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Wrexham are no strangers to star power these days, but the Championship club will get a taste of what they hope their future looks like when Chelsea visit the Racecourse Ground on Saturday.

Wrexham are fighting to win promotion to the Premier League to cap an incredible rise since Reynolds and Mac bought the team in 2020.

Currently sixth in the second tier, Wrexham are aiming to make it four successive promotions this term, which would ensure the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are among the glamourous visitors to the modest north Wales town next season.

With that lofty goal in mind, Phil Parkinson's side can measure themselves against elite opposition in the shape of eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea.

Wrexham have already beaten Nottingham Forest in the third round this season.

And Parkinson hopes they can rekindle the spirit that inspired the club, then in the fourth tier, to a famous FA Cup win over Arsenal in 1992.

"I think you've got to go into every game believing and if not, you may as well not turn up," Parkinson said.

"We've got to go in with belief but also an understanding of the underdog mentality and what boxes we've got to tick to make it as difficult as possible for Chelsea."

Mansfield

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough has a rich heritage as the son of one of football's most iconic managers, but FA Cup success has been elusive for his family.

Clough's father Brian led Derby and Nottingham Forest to one English title each and won the European Cup twice with the latter, but was never able to get his hands on the FA Cup.

The closest he came was a 1991 final defeat against Tottenham when his son Nigel was in the Forest attack.

Clough senior died in 2004, but Nigel has kept searching for FA Cup glory and the 59-year-old has a chance to spring a stunning upset when Premier League leaders Arsenal visit Field Mill on Saturday.

Clough has guided Mansfield to the FA Cup last 16 for the first time in 51 years after beating Burnley in the fourth round.

Currently 16th in the third tier, it would be an even more remarkable achievement to knock out Arsenal.

"We actually drew them in the Youth Cup here earlier on this season and they won 4-0. There were two or three players playing that night that would cause us problems in our first team, such is the quality that they have," Clough said.

Liverpool must bite back at Wolves

Branded "slow and predictable" by furious captain Virgil van Dijk after their shock 2-1 loss at Wolves in the Premier League on Tuesday, Liverpool return to Molineux on Friday looking to set the record straight.

Arne Slot's side produced one of their worst performances in a dismal campaign as bottom-of-the-table Wolves snatched only their third league win this season thanks to Andre's late strike.

Despite spending £450 million ($599 million) on new signings in the close-season, Liverpool have mounted a woeful title defense, leaving the FA Cup and the Champions League as their last chances for silverware.

Languishing in sixth place, the Reds have been hampered by injuries and the under-fire Slot said: "It's the model that we don't have 25 players over here.

"Then it hurts even more if you have three or four long-term injuries at the moment."



Arteta Urges Arsenal to Focus on Premier League Title Push Ahead of Fulham Clash

 Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during a Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during a Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP)
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Arteta Urges Arsenal to Focus on Premier League Title Push Ahead of Fulham Clash

 Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during a Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during a Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his players to refocus on their Premier League title push as they prepare to host Fulham on Saturday, days after being held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Arsenal's pursuit of a first Premier League title in more than two decades has entered a tense final stretch, with Arteta's side attempting to end a drought that dates back to their unbeaten "Invincibles" campaign of 2003-04.

"Focus on Fulham. And hunger. ‌Hunger to play, ‌hunger to compete, hunger to win, hunger ‌to ⁠be closer to ⁠achieve our dream," the Spanish coach told reporters on Friday.

"We are playing to win the Premier League. It's exactly where we wanted to be. Four games to go. It's game two. Ready to go."

Having led the standings for much of the campaign, Arsenal's occasional dropped points have allowed Manchester City ⁠to close the gap, with Pep Guardiola's ‌side applying pressure by stringing ‌together a sequence of late-season victories.

The gap between leaders Arsenal and second-placed ‌Man City is three points, with City having a ‌game in hand.

"We have only four games to play now and everything is at stake, so it doesn't get better than that," Arteta said.

The Spaniard confirmed attacker Kai Havertz and center back Jurrien ‌Timber will miss the Fulham clash. Havertz has been sidelined since picking up an injury ⁠against Newcastle ⁠United last weekend, while Timber has been out since March.

Arteta added that Havertz could be back for the second leg fixture against Atletico.

"He's (Havertz) been a huge miss. We're talking about one of the most important attacking players that we have and he's been out for seven or eight months," Arteta said.

"He cannot do this game but hopefully for Atletico he will be available. He is pushing every boundary to achieve that."

Fulham sit 10th with 48 points, two behind sixth-placed Brighton, one behind Bournemouth, and level with Chelsea and Brentford as the battle for European competition intensifies.


Salah ‘Deserves Big Send-Off’, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
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Salah ‘Deserves Big Send-Off’, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)

Arne Slot said Mohamed Salah "deserves a big send-off" as he confirmed he expected the departing superstar to return from injury before the end of the season.

The Egypt forward, who will leave Anfield at the end of the campaign, was forced off in last weekend's 3-1 win at home to Crystal Palace, prompting fears he may have played his final game for the Reds.

Salah applauded the fans and was given a standing ovation as he made his way off the pitch.

Liverpool confirmed on Wednesday that Salah, 33, had suffered a "minor muscle injury" and was expected to be able to return to action before the campaign comes to an end.

The club travel to face Manchester United on Sunday after three straight wins put them firmly on course for a place in next season's Champions League.

"We expect him to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday," Liverpool boss Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"It's a big relief that his injury is minor, so that he's able to play for us, that he's able to play at the World Cup.

"And if there's ever a player who deserves to get a big send-off, it's definitely Mo."

Salah has scored 257 goals in 440 appearances since his arrival at Anfield in 2017, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in Liverpool's list of leading goalscorers.

He had a public spat with Slot in December, declaring he had "no relationship" with the Dutchman after being dropped for three consecutive games.

But the Liverpool manager later said he had "no issue to resolve" with the forward returning to the fold.

Liverpool, whose Premier League title defense collapsed dramatically from late September, have four games remaining, starting with their trip to face United.


Japanese Trailblazer Nishikori to Retire at End of Season

Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
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Japanese Trailblazer Nishikori to Retire at End of Season

Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)

Kei Nishikori will hang ‌up his racquet at the end of the 2026 season, the 36-year-old said on Friday, bringing down the curtain on a professional career that saw him break new ground for Japanese tennis.

Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 US Open and was the second Asian man after Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan to make it into the top 10.

He ‌reached a career-high ‌ranking of number four in ‌2015 ⁠and won 12 ⁠titles on the ATP Tour, but has been plagued by injuries for years and has fallen to 464 in the world rankings.

The last time he was ranked in the top 10 was in October 2019 and last month he admitted he ⁠was "barely hanging on" in terms of physical ‌fitness.

"Reaching the ATP Tour, ‌playing at the highest level of competition and maintaining ‌a presence in the top 10 is something ‌I am extremely proud of," Nishikori wrote in a post on social media.

"Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable ... ‌To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even ⁠so, looking ⁠back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all.

"I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end."

Nishikori's most recent appearance in a tour-level event came at last year’s Cincinnati Open, though he has played in five Challenger events this year.

He also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Spain's Rafael Nadal in three sets.