By his own admission, Cole Palmer still isn't fully fit as he grapples with a niggling groin issue that has plagued him all season long. The scary thing is, we're starting to see the Chelsea talisman at something close to his best despite his ongoing injury troubles, and the timing of his recent uptick in form could be perfect as he eyes a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The official confirmation of Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille departure arrived at 2:35 on Tuesday morning. In that sense - and that sense alone - the timing of the news was odd. But there was nothing else remotely surprising about De Zerbi's exit. It had been coming for some time, and Sunday's humiliating 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes was obviously the final nail in De Zerbi's coffin.

If it wasn't already clear, Jude Bellingham is the new face of adidas in men's football - taking on the mantle from Lionel Messi as he follows the path trodden by the likes of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane to become a true icon of the Three Stripes. Like those former greats, his relationship with the German sportswear giant looks certain to stretch well beyond his playing days.

Robinho Jr only turned 18 in December, but he has already broken into the senior team at Santos, where he is now rubbing shoulders with Brazil's all-time record goal-scorer, Neymar. The teenager is already attracting transfer interest from a host of top European clubs, partly because of his ability, but also due to the footballing legacy of his father.

Only four teams in Women's Super League history have ever endured a longer wait for a first win of the season than Liverpool did this term. Winless through 12 matches, only Yeovil Town, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton and Reading had ever experienced more barren streaks in the competition than the Reds, whose status as the former two-time WSL champions made their case stand apart as the most shocking and surprising of the five.

Arsenal missed out on the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after being held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday. Mikel Arteta's side, who were way off their best throughout a frustrating evening in west London, looked to have found a way to win when Noni Madueke headed home superbly just after the hour mark. But Keane Lewis-Potter produced his own exceptional header 19 minutes from time to earn the hosts a point they thoroughly deserved and put a dent in the Gunners' title hopes

Barcelona were thumped 4-0 by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, as Diego Simeone's side ran riot against a truly dismal Blaugrana side. Hansi Flick's high line was exposed routinely and ruthlessly throughout a night that the Metropolitano faithful could barely believe.

Managers often say that the one positive thing about modern football's relentless schedule is you never have too long to stew on a disappointing result. The opposite, however, is now true for Michael Carrick, who has all the time in the world to dissect Manchester United's 1-1 draw at West Ham before his side are in action again.