World Cup draw buildup, Slot wants ‘top four’ return for Liverpool, and more – football live

6m ago 12.49 GMT Back to the World Cup and some VAR news. Chair of Fifa’s referees, Pierluigi Collina, has said he would be in favour of the use of the video assistant referee system to determine whether corners have been correctly awarded at the World Cup next summer. A smart move or the next step on the road to a bloody robot reffing the, erm, 2050 World Cup on, erm, bloody Mars or somewhere? Collina: “The main criteria is no delay. With corners, there is a physiological delay because when a corner is given, normally you wait until the two centre-backs come up. It normally takes 10-15 seconds to get the attackers ready. In these 10-15 seconds, if the corner kick is wrongly given … everybody has the evidence that the start of play is wrong and to me it’s difficult to understand if they have the possibility to see that [the decision is wrong] … why we have to hide our heads under the sand and hope that nothing happens on the corner kick which is taken?” Collina in favour of VAR rulings on corners at World Cup as long as there is ‘no delay’ Read more Share

17m ago 12.39 GMT After the Jesse Lingard derby ended in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last night, an update from the man himself. His adventure in South Korea is over, he revealed on Instagram. “After positive discussions with FC Seoul, we have mutually agreed that I will be leaving the club at the end of the 2025 season, with my final game on December 10th.

”This wasn’t an easy decision. My time in South Korea has been unbelievable - the football, the atmosphere, and the passion around this club have been top-class. The love, support and the appreciation you have shown towards me for these last 2 years has been truly amazing.

”Playing football here has been an unforgettable experience and one I will always value.

”I want to thank FC Seoul, my teammates, the staff, and everyone associated at the club for trusting me and welcoming me from day one. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to play for such a massive club.” The former England international scored 18 goals in his 66 appearances for the K League club after joining on a free transfer in February 2024. Share

26m ago 12.29 GMT Arsenal have several players to assess ahead of the trip to Aston Villa. Mikel Arteta is hoping Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera will all be available but won’t make any decisions just yet. Trossard and Saliba have missed the last two matches through injury while Rice (calf) and Mosquera (ankle) were taken off in the win over Brentford. Arteta said: “Well, let’s see.