Mohamed Salah's hopes of winning the Africa Cup of Nations slipped away once again after Egypt's semi-final defeat to Senegal, led by his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane. Egypt struggled to create chances, and Senegal's disciplined performance secured their place in the final, where they will face hosts Morocco, who edged past Nigeria in a tense penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid's new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa endured a rough start with a surprising Copa del Rey loss to second-division Albacete, raising questions about deeper issues at the club. Chelsea's new coach Liam Rosenior also faced challenges, as his side fell to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Off the pitch, controversy surrounds West Midlands Police after an intelligence error led to the exclusion of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from a Europa League match at Aston Villa. The mistake, partly attributed to artificial intelligence, has prompted criticism from the UK home secretary and may result in further action against the police chief.