Jurgen Klopp has taken a swipe at midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for choosing Chelsea over Liverpool.

Reflecting on his midfield rebuild at a test event for the grand opening of the Anfield Road on Monday, the Liverpool boss said, "a few strange things happened in the transfer market."

"My god were we lucky," The German then went on to add, saying, "we didn’t know that in the moment. Obviously we realised other central defensive midfielders didn’t want to join… then you see what happens!”

Liverpool were out-gunned by Chelsea during the summer in bidding wars for both Caicedo and Lavia. Ecuadorian star Caicedo, who signed from Brighton for £100m, has struggled for form, whilst Lavia who signed for £58m, is yet to make a single appearance for the 12th-placed Blues due to injury.

Liverpool, meanwhile added Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch to their midfield and currently sit one point clear at the top of the table.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Halil Umut Meler has been a referee for around 10 years. He has been Fifa listed since 2017 and been a member of the Uefa elite since 2022.

Meler, 37, has officiated in the top four levels of football in Turkey and regularly is a referee in the Super Lig.

After being punched and hit last night he required hospital treatment, although the injuries are not life threatening.

The chief physician at the hospital where he is being treated, Dr Mehmet Yorubulut, said: "There is no life threat for the moment. He only has bleeding around his left eye and a small fracture.

"We will [monitor] our referee until the morning [Tuesday] due to head trauma. We will discharge him from hospital after the necessary examinations in the morning."

Image source, Getty Images

On Monday MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face during a Turkish Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor.

The incident made the Turkish FA suspend all football across all leagues in the country. But what has happened since? Here is a break down of events:

• Meler was taken to hospital for treatment
• Fifa president Gianni Infantino has called the incident totally unacceptable.
• Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also condemned the scenes.
• MKE Ankaragucu has apologised for its president's actions
• A Turkish court ordered the arrest of Koca
• Koca and two others were arrested for injuring a public official. A decision was made to impose judicial controls on three further suspects.

Read the full story.

Former Premier League striker Jermian Defoe spoke to the Football Firsts podcast about Jadon Sancho's ongoing exile at Manchester United: "With the Sancho situation, I just feel like like you have to set those standards as a manager. He [Erik ten Hag] did it with Ronaldo and Rashford.

"Jadon Sancho is a young player. I understand he doesn't help himself sometimes, but I think, as a manager, what else are you going to bring to the party? It's dragged on too long and he's a good player and he needs help.

"Manchester United haven't been great - and you don't become a bad player overnight - so surely you can have that conversation and get him back in the squad?

"Sancho is probably thinking: 'I'll sit back and wait because I'll probably be here longer than you.'"

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney added: "At most other clubs I'd say yeah, but Manchester United are trying to build something now and they've got to a point where they have to keep him, they have to back the manager now.

"As a coach, you have to look at these younger players and forget everything that we were raised upon and explain what you expect. If you're going to do the social media thing, no problem. That can't come before this, and it has to be in line with the Manchester United way. It can't be Sancho being bigger than Manchester United."

Listen to the full episode here

AFC Hackleton, a Sunday league team, have gone viral after completing a creative corner.

A player subtly took the corner without their opponents noticing, creating a chance for Calvin Green to score and he did.

Have a watch of the goal here:

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The rumour mill may have started churning for West Ham boss David Moyes' sacking but that isn't the case, according to latest reports.

The Telegraph, external reports the Hammers remain "100%" behind Moyes, 60, despite the crushing 5-0 defeat away at Fulham.

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Gabriel Jesus has scored in all four of his Champions League games for Arsenal and could become the first Gunners player to score in five in a row.

Image source, BBC Sport

Oli Price-Bates, The Fresh Arsenal podcast, external

Both Arsenal’s league defeats this season have come in the form of controversial narrow 1-0 losses. While the Gunners can be rightly frustrated at borderline decisions going against them in those fixtures, they could have scored goals in both games had their attack been more productive.

Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli make up an excellent front three, but in the five-sub era and when the team are playing twice a week, Arsenal require other forwards who can make a difference - either from the start or off the bench.

Leandro Trossard performs better from a central position, but he is Martinelli’s deputy on the left and was ineffective there against Aston Villa. Eddie Nketiah has improved, but he is not the level you would like from a league-winning forward. On the right, Reiss Nelson is barely trusted.

Arsenal need another option in the mould of Saka and Martinelli. If the club are serious about winning a major trophy this season, they cannot pin their hopes purely on the young duo staying fit and performing every single game for 90 minutes.

Rather, they need another wide option with the pace and ability to make the difference in these tight games.

• Get all the latest Arsenal news on their dedicated page

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta spoke to the media on Monday before Arsenal's final Champions League group match against PSV Eindhoven.

Here are some of the key lines:

• Arteta has included three academy prospect in his Champions League squad and said of Lino Sousa, Reuell Walters, Ethan Nwaneri's inclusion: "Three big prospects. We want to bring a lot of players from a system and they deserve to be here."
• On bringing young players into the team at this level: "It gets harder and harder, so the talent has to be really good and and you have to find and build the space in the squad to give that talent an opportunity."
• He feels the youngsters have earned their places: "First of all we have certain needs in certain positions. Some others we decided because of the necessities we have and how we might use those players tomorrow, so they were the best ones to bring."

BBC Radio 5 Live

More from Chris Sutton on referee abuse and how fans have a responsibility to help stop it.

"The pressure on referees now is so, so great and everyone has a responsibility," said Sutton on the Monday Night Club.

"Further down the chain this has an effect too. The Norfolk FA put out a statement over the weekend, as there was physical abuse from a spectator towards a referee, which is horrendous.

"Everyone has a responsibility. So while there is this pile on to referees, they are also under enormous pressure and scrutiny."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca for punching a referee in the face at the end of a Super Lig match, and also remanded in custody two other suspects over the violence, the justice minister said.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said it had suspended all leagues after the "shameful" incident when Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler, who was in charge of Ankaragucu's home match against Rizespor on Monday.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Koca and two others were formally arrested for "injuring a public official" after prosecutors took statements from them.

"The investigation is continuing meticulously," Tunc said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. A decision was made to impose judicial controls on three further suspects.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

There are three all-Women's Super League ties with Chelsea v West Ham, Aston Villa v Everton and Bristol City v Liverpool.

Outside of the top-flight ties there are some interesting fixtures. There will be a London derby between Arsenal and Watford, Durham will host Manchester City with a lot of tickets expected to be sold for that one and fourth tier Moneyfields will travel to London City Lionesses.

But the most intriguing could be Manchester United hosting Newcastle United. A rivalry between two clubs who have an avid following, a great match in the making!

Here are the fourth round FA Cup ties in full, they will all be played on 14 January:

• Derby County v Leicester City
• Sunderland v Southampton
• Burnley v Birmingham City
• London City Lionesses v Moneyfields
• Tottenham v Sheffield United
• Defending champions Chelsea v West Ham
• Crystal Palace v Blackburn Rovers
• Reading v Hull City or Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Arsenal v Watford
• Luton Town or Keynsham Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
• Plymouth Argyle v Nottingham Forest
• Ipswich town or Lewes v Charlton Athletic
• Bristol City v Liverpool
• Durham v Manchester City
• Manchester United v Newcastle United
• Aston Villa v Everton

Aston Villa v Everton

Manchester United v Newcastle United