Route One's Daily Football News Round-Up - 24/9/2012

We find the latest football news stories making the headlines, so you don’t have to. 

Picture courtesy of Mobbly.com

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was left “bitterly disappointed” by referee Mark Halsey’s performance in his side’s 2-1 loss against rivals Manchester United.

Jonjo Shelvey was sent off for a naughty lunge at Jonny Evans, and this misery was compounded by the decision to award a penalty to the Red Devils late in the game, following a trip from Glen Johnson on Antonio Valencia.

"We could control our players' performance but what we can't control is decisions by the referee," Rodgers later said.

Defeat leaves Liverpool in the bottom three, and without a win to their name in this campaign. The Red Devils meanwhile climb ominously up to second.

Jonjo Shelvey has publicly apologised for his sending off, and also for the confrontation with Sir Alex Ferguson as he left the field of play.

The England Under-21 international was seen pointing his finger and mouthing angrily at the United boss, and had to be led down the tunnel by a police officer.

“I have apologised to Sir Alex...where I come from people don’t grass people up to get someone sent off,” Shelvey was quoted as saying.

Elsewhere yesterday, Laurent Koscielny’s late equaliser secured Arsenal a point in a classy encounter at Manchester City, Demba Ba continued his hot streak with Newcastle’s winner against old boy Chris Hughton’s Norwich, and Tottenham came from behind to beat a tidy QPR outfit at White Hart Lane.

The FA’s investigation into John Terry’s alleged racially-motivated abusing of Anton Ferdinand begins today.

Back in July the Chelsea skipper was cleared in court of a criminal inquiry into the matter, but he was charged by the FA a fortnight later.

On a seemingly related note, Terry has recently announced he is to retire from international football. He believes the FA’s decision to seek further action has made his position with the national side ‘untenable’.