There are football matches, and then there are moments that feel like chapters pulled straight from the soul of the game. The 2026 FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Liverpool belonged firmly to the latter category—a spectacle layered with intensity, tactical nuance, emotional swings, and the kind of drama that reminds us why the FA Cup continues to hold a special place in football’s heart. This was not merely a contest between two elite teams; it was a collision of philosophies, identities, and legacies. It was the relentless precision of a modern machine versus the raw, emotional surge of a club built on passion and belief. It was control against chaos, patience against urgency, structure against spontaneity. And for ninety minutes—and beyond—it delivered everything one could hope for from a cup tie of this magnitude. The Weight of Expectation By the time the quarter-final arrived, both teams had already navigated demanding schedules and high expectations. For Mancheste...
On Sunday, the Three Lions will take on La Roja in Berlin.
Gareth Southgate feels Spain are the rightful favourites for Sunday's Euro 2024 final, warning his England squad that they must be "perfect" to end the country's 58-year drought.
Southgate's team is on their way to Berlin for their first major event final away from home, having defeated the Netherlands on Wednesday night thanks to Ollie Watkins' dramatic late winner in the semi-final.
While England has been reluctant to warm up to the tournament, saving their finest performance for the Dutch following a sluggish group stage, Spain has looked like the summer's strongest squad since the first round of matches.
Luis de la Fuente's men defeated pre-Euros favourites France in the last four on Tuesday after defeating Croatia and holders Italy in the group stage, as well as hosts Germany in the quarter-finals.
With La Roja also benefiting from an extra day's rest before the final, Southgate insists England has no margin for mistake if they are to improve on their final defeat to Italy at Euro 2020.
"They would be rightly favourites for what they have done this tournament," Southgate told the BBC. "They've been the best team." They have an extra day, and that has been pretty significant in the last three finals, if not more, so we must get our recovery in order. We'll have to be tactically perfect because they're such a strong team.
"They are a bloody good team. Let's pitch it correctly. To win this game, we must be perfect, and we must draw on everything we have within us."
Southgate's replacements were perfectly timed, with Watkins and Cole Palmer coming off the bench to combine for a 90th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over Holland.
The 53-year-old has been heavily criticised at times this summer, and was even targeted with plastic cups thrown by fans after the drab 0-0 draw with Slovenia last month, but when asked about any sense of personal vindication, he shifted focus to squad players such as Watkins, who had made just one 20-minute cameo appearance in the previous five games.
"We're in our first ever overseas final," Southgate continued. "I am happier for the players who have come in and had their moments. That's the key.
"When someone trains as consistently as Ollie does, the entire group benefits. Despite the fact that when you pick a team, you leave 15 people out, none of them have dropped their heads. It is difficult to continue, but we have a tremendous amount of strength."
At full-time, Southgate shared a moment of joy in front of England's fans, recalling his impassioned salute after the 2018 World Cup penalty shootout win over Colombia.
"I am delighted for the supporters here," he told reporters. "They were magnificent, but they appeared to be massively outnumbered based on the colours. But, when we have the supporters with us, like they are right now, the enthusiasm and boost it provides to everything is enormous."
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