THE HEADLINES

The Sun: 'HOU'S TOLD PORKIES?' Daily Mirror: 'BATTLE FOR SVEN' Daily Star: 'PALACE POWER HITS KOP' Daily Mail: 'ANFIELD AGONY' Daily Express: 'GRAY DAY FOR OWEN' The Guardian: 'PALACE COUP AT LIVERPOOL' The Times: 'MANDELA URGES ENGLAND TO PLAY IN ZIMBABWE' The Daily Telegraph: 'DE VILLIERS FACES LIFE BAN AFTER FAILING DRUGS TEST' The Independent: 'DE VILLIERS CRIES INNOCENCE OVER FAILED DRUGS TEST'

In an already disappointing season there is no hiding the fact that defeat to a lower division club at Anfield in the FA Cup is something of a disaster for Liverpool.

Crystal Palace's 2-0 win is described as a "Gray day for Owen" in the Daily Express after the England striker missed a succession of chances.

And the Daily Star refers to "Palace Power" and heaps further praise on star man Julian Gray.

More bad news for Liverpool fans is splashed across the back of the Express: "�1bn - valuation gives Fergie power to sign any player he wants".

Elsewhere, the tabloids do a good job between them of starting and finishing a story about Eriksson leaving England for Barcelona.

The Daily Mirror claims the FA are angry as the "Battle for Sven" puts the England manager's future in doubt.

However, fears are calmed in the Sun, which quotes Eriksson's personal manager Athol Still saying they have heard "absolutely nothing" from Barca.

And the rumour is finally put to bed in the Daily Mail, which claims that the debt-ridden Spanish giants could never have afforded the �9m pay-off to the FA anyway.

The on-going saga of the cricket World Cup matches in Zimbabwe takes a new turn in the Times, which reports Nelson Mandela calling on England to play in Harare.

The former president of South Africa's comments give "moral weight" to the ICC, according to the newspaper.

And an apparently more clear-cut moral issue gets plenty of coverage as French prop Pieter de Villiers tests positive for cocaine and ecstasy.

De Villiers is described by the Independent as "weeping openly" in a press conference, and the Guardian quotes French coach Bernard Laporte as being "angry" with the player.