Category Sports News

Crystal Palace ended a horrendous January in fitting fashion – with Dwight McNeil’s switch from Everton breaking down at the 11th hour.

Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen arrived from Wolves in a deal worth up to £48m but, seeing a loan agreement for McNeil with a £20m obligation to buy in the summer failing due to late paperwork, transfer deadline day would have done little to ease the fans’ mood.

In signing Strand Larsen, Palace broke their club record for the second time in the same window, having acquired forward Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for £35m early last month.

But with their captain Marc Guehi gone without a replacement found, striker Jean Philippe-Mateta wanting away but failing a deadline-day medical, manager Oliver Glasner already on his way out and a deal for McNeil breaking down, have the struggling Palace addressed the faults running through the spine or their team?

Less than eight months ago, Palace fans were living a dream as their side won the FA Cup and qualified for a first-ever European campaign.

They would have hoped for that triumph to be a springboard for further success – a platform to grow and continue their upward trajectory under Glasner.

But it has proved anything but that.

Eberechi Eze, their match winner against Manchester City at Wembley, was the first to depart for Arsenal in a deal worth up to £68m in the summer.

Eze scored 40 goals in 169 games for Palace and claimed 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season.

Without their star forward, Palace were already developing cracks on the field when the January window laid the turmoil at the club bare.

On 16 January during a routine news conference, Glasner, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024 and guided the club to their first major titles, announced he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The news came with centre-back Guehi on the verge of completing his move to City.

Guehi has since left and top scorer Mateta almost followed him through the exit doors this window, only for his move to AC Milan to be called off because of issues with his medical.

Amid all the drama unfolding in the background, Palace have suffered on the pitch.

They are only three points ahead of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and are 12 games without a win all competitions, including nine in the league.

Crystal Palace are the biggest expected goals (xG) underperformers in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Based on the number and quality of chances they have had, a team would have scored 13 more goals than Palace have in their 24 league games (25 goals versus an xG of 38).

And Mateta has been the chief culprit for their struggles in front of goal, scoring four fewer than expected – though seven other Palace players are also underperforming their xG by one goal or more.

While only six players have scored more than his eight goals in the league this season, only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have a higher xG than Mateta (12).

The biggest xG underperformer in the league, only three players have been more wasteful than Mateta across Europe’s top five leagues.

Mateta, however, has been nursing a knee issue – the reason why Milan ordered additional tests for the France forward during his medical.

And the silver lining for the Eagles is that in order for teams and players to massively underperform their xG, they have to be good enough to get a lot of quality chances in the first place.

While you want players to take their chances, it shows that Palace and their attackers are getting a lot of things right.

Palace will also want the Strand Larsen from 2024-25 at Selhurst Park rather than the one this season, a shadow of his former self.

Rarely has a club-record signing been met with such scepticism.

Palace have spent £48million on Strand Larsen yet the jury is out. The Norway international has scored just once in the Premier League season after all.

Of course, Palace are banking on last season’s Strand Larsen arriving, his 14 goals last season pushed Champions League Newcastle into trying to sign him last summer.

But there are supporters who still need to be convinced. Palace are in malaise.

Michael Olise is gone. Eze is gone. Guehi is gone. Glasner, their manage, is leaving at the end of the season – if not before. The team is disassembling at a rate fans are apprehensive about.

Last season’s euphoric FA Cup triumph seems a distant memory; the club’s spiral towards the relegation zone is in stark contrast to the jubilation of nine months ago.

Whether Strand Larsen is the man to inject some positivity back into Selhurst Park remains to be seen.

The addition of Johnson will provide further options for an attack that has misfired in recent weeks, but the late saga around McNeil will have done little to ease concern.

Crystal Palace ended a horrendous January in fitting fashion – with Dwight McNeil’s switch from Everton breaking down at the 11th hour.

Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen arrived from Wolves in a deal worth up to £48m but, seeing a loan agreement for McNeil with a £20m obligation to buy in the summer failing due to late paperwork, transfer deadline day would have done little to ease the fans’ mood.

In signing Strand Larsen, Palace broke their club record for the second time in the same window, having acquired forward Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for £35m early last month.

But with their captain Marc Guehi gone without a replacement found, striker Jean Philippe-Mateta wanting away but failing a deadline-day medical, manager Oliver Glasner already on his way out and a deal for McNeil breaking down, have the struggling Palace addressed the faults running through the spine or their team?

Less than eight months ago, Palace fans were living a dream as their side won the FA Cup and qualified for a first-ever European campaign.

They would have hoped for that triumph to be a springboard for further success – a platform to grow and continue their upward trajectory under Glasner.

But it has proved anything but that.

Eberechi Eze, their match winner against Manchester City at Wembley, was the first to depart for Arsenal in a deal worth up to £68m in the summer.

Eze scored 40 goals in 169 games for Palace and claimed 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season.

Without their star forward, Palace were already developing cracks on the field when the January window laid the turmoil at the club bare.

On 16 January during a routine news conference, Glasner, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024 and guided the club to their first major titles, announced he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The news came with centre-back Guehi on the verge of completing his move to City.

Guehi has since left and top scorer Mateta almost followed him through the exit doors this window, only for his move to AC Milan to be called off because of issues with his medical.

Amid all the drama unfolding in the background, Palace have suffered on the pitch.

They are only three points ahead of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and are 12 games without a win all competitions, including nine in the league.

Crystal Palace are the biggest expected goals (xG) underperformers in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Based on the number and quality of chances they have had, a team would have scored 13 more goals than Palace have in their 24 league games (25 goals versus an xG of 38).

And Mateta has been the chief culprit for their struggles in front of goal, scoring four fewer than expected – though seven other Palace players are also underperforming their xG by one goal or more.

While only six players have scored more than his eight goals in the league this season, only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have a higher xG than Mateta (12).

The biggest xG underperformer in the league, only three players have been more wasteful than Mateta across Europe’s top five leagues.

Mateta, however, has been nursing a knee issue – the reason why Milan ordered additional tests for the France forward during his medical.

And the silver lining for the Eagles is that in order for teams and players to massively underperform their xG, they have to be good enough to get a lot of quality chances in the first place.

While you want players to take their chances, it shows that Palace and their attackers are getting a lot of things right.

Palace will also want the Strand Larsen from 2024-25 at Selhurst Park rather than the one this season, a shadow of his former self.

Rarely has a club-record signing been met with such scepticism.

Palace have spent £48million on Strand Larsen yet the jury is out. The Norway international has scored just once in the Premier League season after all.

Of course, Palace are banking on last season’s Strand Larsen arriving, his 14 goals last season pushed Champions League Newcastle into trying to sign him last summer.

But there are supporters who still need to be convinced. Palace are in malaise.

Michael Olise is gone. Eze is gone. Guehi is gone. Glasner, their manager, is leaving at the end of the season – if not before. The team is disassembling at a rate fans are apprehensive about.

Last season’s euphoric FA Cup triumph seems a distant memory; the club’s spiral towards the relegation zone is in stark contrast to the jubilation of nine months ago.

Whether Strand Larsen is the man to inject some positivity back into Selhurst Park remains to be seen.

The addition of Johnson will provide further options for an attack that has misfired in recent weeks, but the late saga around McNeil will have done little to ease concern.

Captain Cristian Romero says it was “disgraceful” Tottenham had just 11 senior players available for Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City.

Spurs have lost nine players to injury in 2026, sold last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace and only brought in two senior signings in the January window.

It is the second time in recent weeks Romero has spoken out on social media, writing in a now-altered post in January that members of the club’s hierarchy “only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies”.

He previously criticised the club’s transfer policy in December 2024, telling Spanish broadcaster Telemundo Deportes that their lack of spending was causing them to fall behind their rivals.

“Great effort from all my team-mates yesterday, they were incredible,” Romero, who had to withdraw with an illness during the 2-2 stalemate, wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday.

“I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn’t feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available – unbelievable but true and disgraceful.

“We’ll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together. All that’s left is to thank all of you for being there and for always supporting us, the fans.”

Spurs signed Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and 19-year-old Brazilian defender Souza from Santos in the January window.

They added 18-year-old Hearts forward James Wilson on loan on transfer deadline day, but he will be part of their under-21s squad.

In response to Romero’s post last month, manager Thomas Frank said the 27-year-old Argentina centre-back should keep some things “internal”.

Tottenham wanted to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo in January but he joined Manchester City instead, with Frank saying on Friday the club “did everything” they could.

“The fans just want the best for the club, just like I, the owners, the staff, the players. Everyone wants the best for the club,” added the Dane.

“But the transfer window is not Football Manager, unfortunately. It is not. It would be a lot easier, but also a little bit more boring.”

Romero has frequently attracted attention with his outspoken social media posts and interviews.

In September 2024, he reposted a social media message from an Argentine journalist that criticised Tottenham for not arranging private travel to bring players back from international duty.

In June 2025, he posted a cryptic message in support of outgoing manager Ange Postecoglou, referencing the “many obstacles” the Australian faced during his tenure.

Last summer, he was heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and told Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports he would “love” to play in La Liga.

But after signing a new four-year contract with Tottenham and being named club captain by Frank, he said he was “very happy” at the club and had “never said I wanted to leave”.

Captain Cristian Romero says it was “disgraceful” Tottenham had just 11 senior players available for Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City.

Spurs have lost nine players to injury in 2026, sold last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace and only brought in two senior signings in the January window.

It is the second time in recent weeks Romero has spoken out on social media, writing in a now-altered post in January that members of the club’s hierarchy “only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies”.

“Great effort from all my team-mates yesterday, they were incredible,” Romero, who had to withdraw with an illness during the 2-2 stalemate, wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday.

“I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn’t feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available – unbelievable but true and disgraceful.

“We’ll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together. All that’s left is to thank all of you for being there and for always supporting us, the fans.”

Spurs signed Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and 19-year-old Brazilian defender Souza from Santos in the January window.

They added 18-year-old Hearts forward James Wilson on loan on transfer deadline day, but he will be part of their under-21s squad.

In response to Romero’s post last month, manager Thomas Frank said the 27-year-old Argentina centre-back should keep some things “internal”.

Tottenham wanted to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo in January but he joined Manchester City instead, with Frank saying on Friday the club “did everything” they could.

“The fans just want the best for the club, just like I, the owners, the staff, the players. Everyone wants the best for the club,” added the Dane.

“But the transfer window is not Football Manager, unfortunately. It is not. It would be a lot easier, but also a little bit more boring.”

Everton have signed Chelsea winger Tyrique George on loan for the rest of the season, with the option to make the move permanent in the summer.

George was understood to have attracted interest from another Premier League club and one in Europe.

The 19-year-old is a graduate of Chelsea’s academy and has scored six goals in 37 appearances for the senior side.

“The fans here are exceptional. I know Evertonians are really passionate. They like hard work – and that’s what I’m going to show,” George said.

“The gaffer, David Moyes, was another reason [I wanted to join]. He’s an amazing manager who has coached so many players, like Wayne Rooney, and players like that. I’ve had a brief conversation with him and he’s an amazing person as well.

“I just want to enjoy it, learn under him and improve.”

George joins after Moyes said Manchester City loanee Jack Grealish “probably” needs surgery on a fractured foot and is set to be “out for the season”.

Skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender will miss out on her sixth Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport said it does not have jurisdiction to change the result of a race that could have helped her qualify for the Milan-Cortina Games.

The American slider asked Cas to award her ranking points from a race last month after Canada withdrew four athletes from the North American Cup at Lake Placid.

Uhlaender claimed it cost her a spot at the Games as it cut the field to fewer than 21, reducing the number of ranking points available for her to qualify.

She appealed to Cas against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canadian coach Joe Cecchini and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).

Uhlaender, 41, a double world champion in 2012, requested full ranking points be awarded for the race and asked if the decision to withdraw the Canadian athletes was “in violation of the Olympic Movement Code on the prevention of the manipulation of competitions”.

It means that the race on the 11 January, and the subsequent judgement by the IBSF on 23 January that cleared Canada of wrongdoing, took place before the 27 January cut-off.

“Consequently, the application fell outside the jurisdiction of the Cas”, it said in a statement.

In their arguments, the IBSF and Canadian Bobsleigh also said that even if Uhlaender was given the extra points, the US officials would have to decide whether to include her or not.

The IBSF had cleared Canada of manipulating qualification but “reminded” they should “act within the spirit” of the sport’s code of ethics.