DERBY (United Kingdom): Leeds came back brilliantly in the second half to beat Derby County 3-1, thus confirming their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Premier League side looked set to be relegated after falling 0-1 behind at half-time after Chilean international striker Ben Brereton Diaz scored Derby’s opening goal with a powerful shot into the corner of the net.

Joel Piroe had previously had a chance to equalise, but his penalty kick was saved by Derby goalkeeper Jacob Zetterstrom, leaving Leeds in a depressed state.

However, Piroe made up for the disappointment when he played a key role in his team’s revival.

Jaka Bijol made a pass into the penalty box followed by a neat move from Piroe before Willy Gnonto fired a powerful shot to equalize the score in the 55th minute.

Four minutes later, Piroe’s low shot was saved by Zetterstrom, but Ao Tanaka quickly grabbed the rebound to put Leeds ahead.

Leeds secured their victory in injury time when James Justin completed a quick counterattack for the third goal.

MANCHESTER, England: Bruno Fernandes has revealed where he wants to play if he leaves Manchester United after sparking controversy by claiming the club wanted to sell him to Saudi Arabia this summer.

The 31-year-old midfielder said some club officials did not want to keep him and accused United of not having the “courage” to sell him, something that left him “deeply hurt”.

Part of the interview with Portuguese media that aired yesterday saw Fernandes express his desire to play in Spain or Italy, if he leaves Old Trafford.

Fernandes said: “I want to stay at Manchester United as long as I feel valued.

“I want to experience the Spanish league and fight for big titles in Italy. I have a lot of connections with Italy… my daughter was born there.”

Fernandes began his career in Italy, playing for Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria before returning to Portugal.

“I’ve thought about returning to Portugal and the first choice is Sporting. To be happy, like I was at Sporting. But I don’t want to ruin the image I’ve left behind.

“But I don’t want to force myself there, I want to add value. I even try to play in the district league, even at an older age.”

“Playing in the county league for love, it feels different. I have friends there.”

Fernandes left Sporting Lisbon to join United in a deal worth up to £68 million in January 2020.

United sources insist they do not want to sell Fernandes because he is central to the club’s long-term plans.

But the possibility of a midfield reshuffle – with Fernandes, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo leaving the club – is not impossible.

Although Fernandes has mentioned Spain, Italy and a possible return to Portugal, Bundesliga side Bayern Munich have also been linked with the player recently.

Speculation over Fernandes’ future is currently running high with interest from Saudi Arabia expected to return in January.

WASHINGTON: France coach Didier Deschamps is excited about a high-profile showdown between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland after the two stars were drawn in the same group for the 2026 World Cup.

France are placed in Group I with Norway and Senegal, with another slot to be filled by the winner of a playoff between Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.

“It will be a great battle. Both teams have a lot of quality players, but Mbappe and Haaland are names recognised all over the world and they are among the top scorers,” said Deschamps.

Mbappe is currently showing exceptional form with 30 goals in 24 matches with Real Madrid and France this season, while Haaland has collected 33 goals in 24 matches with Manchester City and Norway.

Haaland led Norway’s comeback to win their qualifying group, qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

France, meanwhile, is chasing a third world title after losing to Argentina in the 2022 final in Qatar.

The meeting with Senegal also brings back memories of the bitter episode in 2002 when they arrived as defending champions but lost in the opening match and were eliminated in the group stage.

Deschamps, who will end his 14-year tenure as manager after the tournament, reminded the players to stay focused.

“Every World Cup has its own story. We want to make sure this edition is as beautiful as possible.

“As France, we bring great status and high expectations. But we need to show respect and humility from the beginning,” he said.

If France emerge as group winners, they will face one of the best third-placed teams in the round of 32, before facing a tough road that is expected to find them with Germany in the round of 16.

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is concerned that the increase in injuries in his squad could jeopardize his bid to win the Premier League title this season.

Most recently, Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera joined Arsenal’s long list of injuries during the 2-0 win over Brentford this morning.

Arsenal strengthened their position as league leaders with a five-point lead over Manchester City thanks to goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka at the Emirates Stadium.

The victory extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 18 matches in all competitions and secured their eighth consecutive home win.

Mosquera had to be taken off before half-time, joining a list of injured defenders, including Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

The situation became even more worrying when Rice was seen suffering from a calf problem and had to be substituted 10 minutes before the end.

“Of course it’s not good news. Declan has to go out. We don’t know yet, we’ll have to see tomorrow what the problem is.

“Declan can walk, but he can’t play. He’s played a lot of minutes and now we play on Wednesday night and have to go back on Saturday morning,” said Arteta, who is also missing Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard.

After a busy week with matches against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, Arteta tried to rest Saka, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze against Brentford.

However, all three were still forced to be included to ensure victory, causing Arteta’s dissatisfaction with the match schedule.

“Rest? That’s a pretty positive word. We had to make some changes.

“We had a very challenging week at every level. We were asked to play three days later, with one less recovery day than our opponents.

“We can play extra minutes, but if we can give ourselves a little extra time to recover and look after the players’ welfare, that would be very helpful,” he said.

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool are preparing for a crucial winter period when Mohamed Salah will be helping his country Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 to January 18 in Morocco.

Salah’s absence could potentially cause the striker to miss a month of action in a phase that often determines the English Premier League (EPL) championship.

The situation sparked a debate about Arne Slot’s management selection strategy.

Slot previously used Federico Chiesa’s services cautiously.

The Italian striker has scored two goals in the EPL but is still a rotation option.

Chiesa is expected to be given more opportunities in Salah’s absence, providing a natural replacement with his quick and aggressive movements in the opposition area.

Slot also uses Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo on the left side, thus increasing competition for playing minutes and emphasizing technical safety in high-stakes matches.

The focus is now on how many minutes Rio Ngumoha will get.

The 17-year-old has only played 30 minutes in the EPL this season, but Slot appreciates his greatness and feels he is ready to be used.

Ngumoha’s debut may not be until the new year, when Liverpool face this season’s FA Cup, but the AFCON window opens up an opportunity for the young player to shine.

Ngumoha, who left Chelsea at the age of 15 before signing his first professional contract earlier this season, is considered the club’s most exciting long-term project.

Slots are not in a hurry but recognize the opportunity to shape the player’s development.

Fan support for Ngumoha is high and many see Salah’s absence as the best opportunity for him to shine, even if it’s just a brief appearance.

Attention is also being drawn to Chiesa, who has rarely been given full appearances before, with some supporters believing he could impress if given a consistent chance.

Liverpool now have a deeper and more versatile squad under Slot and if Ngumoha can shine throughout this period, it could be one of the main stories of the season.