Sean Walsh

Brazil and Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has denied he is planning on sitting out the 2026 World Cup amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Iran has recently come under attack from the United States - one of three co-hosts for this summer's tournament - and Israel, leading to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has been blamed for 'ruining football' by a Swiss newspaper following a rise in goals from dead-ball situations this season. The Gunners sit top of the Premier League table and are on course to win their first title since 2004 so long as they hold off the advances of Manchester City, though their style of play under manager Mikel Arteta has been criticised.

Arsenal icon Martin Keown has hailed the impact of William Saliba this season as the Gunners go in search of their first Premier League title since 2004. Saliba broke into the Arsenal first-team squad in 2022 following a series of loans back in his native France, and has since announced himself as one of the world's best centre-backs.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

Manchester City moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal thanks to a 1-0 win away at Leeds United on Saturday. Leeds were unbeaten in their previous 25 evening games at Elland Road but they saw that run snapped by a City side who were without Erling Haaland, who pulled out of the fixture with a minor injury.

Erling Haaland was a surprise absentee from Manchester City's squad to face Leeds United in the Premier League at Elland Road on Saturday, with the superstar striker missing out through a minor injury. Haaland leads the Golden Boot standings but will have to wait until midweek at the earliest to get back on the goals trail after missing out on the trip to Yorkshire.

Arsenal couldn't really afford to lose or draw Sunday's north London derby with Tottenham. Their collapse at Wolves four days prior meant that the Premier League title race was now split evenly between themselves and Manchester City - if either side won all of their remaining fixtures, including their crunch meeting at the Etihad Stadium in April, they would be crowned champions.

Bodo/Glimt are into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history after causing another European upset, eliminating last season's finalists Inter at the knockout round play-off stage 5-2 on aggregate. The Norwegian side led 3-1 from the first leg last week but still had to plenty of work to do at San Siro. However, a gift from Inter defender Manuel Akanji, on loan from Manchester City, helped Bodo into the next phase of the competition with a 2-1 win in Italy.

Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League play-off with Benfica after succumbing to a knee injury in training. Los Blancos host the Portuguese giants at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Alvaro Arbeloa's men leading 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon.

Anthony Gordon's 2025-26 Champions League campaign is the greatest by any English scorer for an English club in the competition's history. That's a fact. With his four-goal haul for Newcastle in last week's 6-1 hammering of Qarabag, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Englishman for a Premier League side in a single Champions League season, taking his tally to 10 from nine games. Not even Alan Shearer managed such a number in those famous black-and-white stripes.

It was the most hotly-anticipated north London derby since their Champions League showdown of 2022. Arsenal, off the back of two hugely disappointing draws at Brentford and Wolves, suddenly had reason to fear entering the den of rivals Tottenham. Spurs, in theory, were about to be buoyed by a 'new manager bounce' brought about by the appointment of Igor Tudor as head coach, who replaced the unpopular Thomas Frank.

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-battling Burnley on Saturday afternoon, with the 10-man Blues conceding an equaliser in the 93rd minute at Stamford Bridge. Liam Rosenior's men moved back into the Premier League's top four ahead of Manchester United on goal difference, though will feel they missed the chance to steal a march on their rivals for Champions League qualification.

For most of their shared existence as rivals, Arsenal have had the upper hand over Tottenham. Be that from 1913 when Woolwich Arsenal moved into Spurs territory north of the River Thames, from 1919 when the Gunners beat Tottenham into being voted into the Football League or by winning the title twice at White Hart Lane, the red half of this conflict has so often been superior.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called on his players to 'stand up' after they threw away a two-goal lead away at Wolves on Tuesday. The Gunners conceded deep into added time and were held to a 2-2 draw by the team sitting bottom of the table - the first time a side top of the Premier League has ever blown such an advantage against opposition in the relegation zone.

Marseille have announced the appointment of Habib Beye as their new manager, replacing the fiery Roberto De Zerbi. Beye returns to OM having spent two years at the club during his playing days. He has put pen to paper on a contract running until the summer of 2027 and has been tasked with saving Marseille's season from free-fall.

Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier have explained why they argued on the pitch during Newcastle United's 6-1 win at Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. Gordon scored four times as the Magpies all but secured their place in the last 16, but there was a notable incident just before the half-time break between the forward and Trippier.

Axel Disasi has admitted he need to lean on the support of his family after being exiled to Chelsea's 'bomb squad' during his time at Stamford Bridge. The French defender secured a move to West Ham United on loan for the rest of the 2025-26 season at the end of the winter transfer window, giving himself the opportunity to play Premier League football again after being frozen out in west London.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany has claimed his 'toughest opponent' during his playing days was not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, despite recognising the iconic duo as the 'best players' he came up against. Kompany made 621 senior appearances as a player between 2003 and 2020, most notably captaining Manchester City and the Belgium national team.