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A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and clubs will once again be scrambling to strengthen for the second half of the season. In the 2025 winter market, £1.2 billion ($1.4bn) was spent across Europe's top leagues and the English Championship, the highest mark in seven years, with Manchester City accounting for £191 million ($256m) of that amount alone.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including big goals in Italy and England.

Chelsea threw away a commanding position as Aston Villa stretched their winning run to 11 games, thanks to an Ollie Watkins brace in a 2-1 comeback win. Joao Pedro put the Blues into a deserved first-half lead but a wretched second half from Enzo Maresca's side put paid to their faint Premier League title ambitions as Watkins stole the show on Saturday night.

Liverpool moved into the top four with a nervy 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have set the record for the longest winless start to a Premier League season following their latest defeat. Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for the Reds, while Ryan Gravenberch found the back of the net for the first time since November, as Arne Slot's side earned all three points at Anfield.

Martin Odegaard's first goal of the season helped a fortuitous Arsenal side secure a nervy 2-1 win over Brighton to stay top of the Premier League table. The Gunners captain lashed in a superb effort early on before a Georginio Rutter own goal looked to set them on their way. Diego Gomez's shot set up a nervy finish but Mikel Arteta's men held on for a crucial three points on Saturday.

Rayan Cherki underlined his status as the Premier League's signing of the season by rescuing all three points for Manchester City after they were put to the test by a stubborn and dangerous Nottingham Forest but eventually left with a crucial 2-1 victory. Cherki set up the opening goal for Tijjani Reijnders to make it seven assists for the season, the joint-highest along with Bruno Fernandes.

The Christmas period is upon us, which means we are somehow already more or less at the midway point of the 2025-26 football season. As many of Europe's leading leagues pause for the winter break, it's time to take stock and reflect on four scintillating months of action. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed transfers across the continent in the summer, now that they have a decent sample size of games under their belts.

No Bruno Fernandes? No problem. Manchester United picked up their first home win in two months as they edged out a 1-0 win over Newcastle without their inspirational captain. Lisandro Martinez made a thunderous return to action - taking the armband in Fernandes' absence - while Patrick Dorgu was an even bigger revelation, dazzling in attack and winning the game with a tremendous volley.

GOAL ranks the five best players across CONCACAF after a standout 2025.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including some big matches in England and Italy

McKennie wants to stay at Juventus as his contract winds down - but after years of uncertainty, it’s fair to ask whether that’s the right move.

As we head into Christmas, it's time to review the Premier League season so far. Each side has played 17 games out of 38 and we've got a good idea of who will be fighting for what this year. Arsenal boast a two-point lead at the top from Manchester City and a further one from Aston Villa, while Wolves already seem destined for relegation at a Derby-esque pace.

Tottenham sat 14th in the Premier League on Christmas Day. They finished 17th at the end of 2024-25 and have placed inside the top four only once in the 2020s altogether. Yet they are still regarded as one of the Premier League's 'big six' clubs alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.

With the halfway stage of the season upon us, the time has come to shine a spotlight on the players who have made the biggest impact across Europe's major leagues. But first, let's run through the lay of the land.

GOAL takes a look at the big gifts the two national teams will want this holiday season

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.