**Football Daily | Mings the Merciful and a Tale of Two Handballs** In the world of football, mistakes can happen to anyone, and they often do in the most public of ways. Take Tyrone Mings, for instance. During Aston Villa's match against Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadion, Mings made a critical blunder by picking up the ball after a short goal kick from Villa's goalkeeper, Emi Martínez. With 23,466 fans watching, the moment was both bewildering and costly, as the referee awarded a penalty for handball. Unai Emery, Villa's manager, went through a range of emotions, from confusion to sheer frustration. In a different context, a fan threw a pig's head onto the pitch during the Corinthians vs. Palmeiras match, a clear indication of the intense rivalry, as away fans are not permitted at these derbies. In an era where football is highly professionalized, with managers surrounded by large coaching teams and players adhering to strict diets and training regimens, it’s refreshing to see moments of human error. Mikel Arteta's lapse in judgment when he picked up the ball before it had gone out of play, alongside Mings' oversight, serves as a nostalgic reminder of simpler times in the sport. Perhaps we could also bring back the days of £5 admission and no waiting lists for season tickets. Meanwhile, Celtic delivered what many consider their best European performance in two decades, defeating Leipzig 3-1 at home. Yet, this impressive feat received a mere 22 words of coverage in a popular football newsletter, prompting a fan to express their disappointment in haiku form: Celtic roars at home, Leipzig silenced, three to one, Press turns a blind eye. In a lighter vein, a reader reminisced about a clever headline they crafted while working as a sports reporter. After Windsor and Eton FC were knocked out of the FA Cup by the Met Police, they titled the piece: "They fought the law … and the law won." Years later, they admitted they were secretly hoping for that outcome just to use the headline. This is just a glimpse into the daily happenings in football. For more insights and stories, be sure to check out our full daily football email, Football Daily.

**Football Daily: Brentford Stun Wolves with Late Fast Start** In a thrilling encounter, Brentford caught Wolves off guard with a lightning-fast start, showcasing their maverick style of play. Meanwhile, Manchester City and the Premier League are both declaring victory after the champions contested the league's regulations regarding commercial deals. The ongoing correspondence about various topics in football has become overwhelming. It’s clear that we are in a lengthy process, and the evaluation of letters and their selection can only be truly assessed in hindsight. The letter-writing and judging processes require time, and it’s likely that many involved are feeling the strain. On a lighter note, I enjoyed the Belfast derby this weekend, though I found the tendency to label it the ‘Bel Clasico’ rather annoying. Not everything needs to be a play on ‘El Clásico’. If this continues, we might soon see the Manchester derby dubbed the ‘Arndale Clasico’. Given one team is filled with overpriced but subpar players while the other has simply bought their way to success, this might not be far off the mark. I’d like to join the chorus of pedants pointing out that the phrase ‘making [food item]’ is typically an American way of saying they are preparing food. The more intriguing question is why Karim Adeyemi, a German footballer with no known ties to America, is being taught American culinary expressions in his English lessons. It’s almost as if there’s a belief that Americans are superior cooks. An interesting piece on Arsenal’s Paul Davis caught my attention recently. I was surprised to learn that Bobby Robson had considered calling up the talented midfielder, despite him never earning an England cap. During my time at Lloyd’s of London, I often discussed squad selections with Robson’s son. For years, I advocated for Davis, only to be told that Robson thought he was too slow. I argued that he was akin to Tigana of France, but to no avail. Regardless, Davis was a remarkable player and deserved a chance with the national team. Initially, I intended to write a critical letter about how Football Daily has never met my expectations, but then I realized I’ve never hit ‘unsubscribe’, so you must be doing something right. Instead, I’ll express my gratitude for reminding me of A Certain Trigger and their fantastic penultimate song, as well as the amusing image of Football Daily attempting acrobatics. This is just a glimpse of our daily football email, Football Daily. For the complete version, be sure to check out our subscription page.