Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League table has extended to seven points 📈

Every team in the top four failed to win for the second consecutive matchweek ❌ pic.twitter.com/vVwRDzzGqG

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 18, 2026

Following a dominant Manchester derby victory, Paul Scholes lightheartedly accepted Lisandro Martinez’s challenge to confront him face-to-face by jokingly requesting tea with no sugar at the defender’s home.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has delivered a witty response to Lisandro Martinez after the defender challenged him to a face-to-face confrontation following United’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

The friction began when Scholes and former teammate Nicky Butt questioned Martinez’s ability to handle Erling Haaland on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, with Butt suggesting Haaland would “pick Martinez up and run with him” like a “toddler.”

Martinez, who helped secure a clean sheet in Michael Carrick’s first match back as manager, hit back at the criticism during his post-match comments, stating,

“Honestly, he [Scholes] can say whatever he wants. I told him already, if he wants to say something to me, he can come to wherever he wants… To my house, wherever. I don’t care.”

The Argentine defender emphasized that while pundits talk on television, “when you sit here face-to-face, no one says anything in your face,” adding that his true motivation remains his family rather than outside noise.

Scholes appeared to take the invitation in stride, posting a screenshot of the news to his Instagram story with the caption: “Someone’s had a good game, was really happy for you… Tea, no sugar pls @lisandromartinezzz.”

Despite the pre-match skepticism from club greats, Martinez remained focused on the team’s defensive standards and the revitalized atmosphere at Old Trafford, noting that “today is the standard for this club” after limiting City to just one shot on goal.

Sunderland icon Asamoah Gyan has successfully rebuilt a multi-million pound business empire in Ghana after losing his entire footballing fortune and nearly quitting the game early due to intense fan hostility.

Former Sunderland striker and Ghana’s all-time leading goalscorer, Asamoah Gyan, has undergone a remarkable financial and personal transformation after once plummeting from Premier League stardom to near-bankruptcy.

Despite earning millions during a prolific career that included high-paying stints at Al-Ain and Shanghai SIPG, Gyan revealed in 2018 that his bank account had dwindled to just £600 following a period of extravagant spending and a costly legal annulment.

This financial rock bottom stood in stark contrast to his early career, which was defined by both immense talent and extreme pressure, including a moment during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations where he nearly quit the national team due to vitriolic fan abuse.

Reflecting on that period, Gyan noted, “I felt like the criticism was unfair to me because they criticised me—and I think it was personal—in a game that we won.”

His mother, Cecilia Love Amoaka, defended him at the time, stating, “Ghanaians are ungrateful. My son is only young but has done something good for the nation, so he should not be treated this way.”

Now 40 and retired from professional football, Gyan has successfully rebuilt a £17 million empire through a diversified business portfolio in Accra, which includes a fleet of petrol stations, a bus company with over 30 vehicles, and various branded commodities.

Despite his business success, his legacy remains inextricably linked to the “Baby Jet” persona that made him a fan favorite on Wearside and a national icon who netted 51 goals for the Black Stars.

CAF President Motsepe on why AFCON will be held every four years.#3Sports pic.twitter.com/8curg3Xsyu

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) January 17, 2026