Soham Mukherjee

Wayne Rooney has delivered his verdict on Harry Kane, hailing him as the finest striker ever to pull on an England shirt but also warning that the Bayern Munich hitman is missing one vital ingredient. Rooney, who once held the nation’s all-time goalscoring record, believes Kane’s unmatched finishing ability makes him the definitive No. 9. Yet the former Manchester United legend also suggested that the 31-year-old lacks a certain streak of nastiness that defined Rooney’s own career.

Lionel Messi's former team-mate, Diego Gomez, scored a contender for the Puskas Award with an insane 35-yard goal for Brighton in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. The Paraguayan midfielder ripped the Tykes to shreds in the Carabao Cup, smashing home four goals in a performance that will find a place in the Seagulls' folklore.

Mikel Arteta joked that Arsenal players reacted angrily to being nutmegged by Max Dowman. The prospect, who made his Premier League debut in August at 15 years and 235 days, has been training with the first team since last season and even joined the squad on their mid-season Dubai trip. He has emerged as a key figure in the squad and is primed to feature in the Carabao Cup against Port Vale.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is crossing his fingers that Erling Haaland will bounce back in time for the weekend after the striker hobbled out of Sunday’s bruising 1-1 draw with Arsenal due to injury. The Norwegian powerhouse shocked fans at the Emirates when he signalled to the bench after 76 minutes, complaining of sharp pain in his back. Guardiola had little choice but to hook off his star man, raising alarm bells just days before another relentless run of fixtures.

Kyle Walker went out for an expensive dinner with Phil Foden and his other former team-mates ahead of Burnley's trip to Manchester City. The full-back joined a table of City stars at Fenix, a high-end Greek restaurant. Walker, who left City for Turf Moor this summer, is back in Manchester to face his former team on the pitch in the Premier League on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix stole the show with braces as Al-Nassr put five past Al-Riyadh in a thumping Saudi Pro League win. The hosts barely needed to break sweat before tearing Al-Riyadh apart on Saturday night at Al-Awwal Park. Jorge Jesus' men fresh from thrashing Istiklol 5-0 in the AFC Champions League, carried that ruthless edge into the Saudi Pro League, and Felix set the tone within minutes.

Chelsea have been rocked by Cole Palmer's injury as the England star had to be subbed against Manchester United within 20 minutes after appearing to aggravate his groin problem. The forward was replaced by Andrey Santos as Enzo Maresca also hooked Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian in a brave tactical tweak.

Barcelona have been dealt a brutal blow with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal set to miss at least three matches through injury, sparking a war of words between manager Hansi Flick and the Spanish FA. The 18-year-old winger, already one of Europe’s most dazzling prospects, is sidelined by a stubborn groin problem that has been aggravated during international duty.

Trent Alexander-Arnold pulled up injured just three minutes into Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Marseille on Tuesday evening at the Santiago Bernabeu. The English full-back, handed his Champions League debut in the white jersey by head coach Xabi Alonso, lasted just three minutes before pulling up in pain.

David Datro Fofana’s rollercoaster Chelsea career has taken another wild turn after the forgotten striker was shipped out on loan yet again, this time to Turkish outfit Fatih Karagumruk S.K. The Ivorian, who cost the Blues £11 million when he arrived from Molde in January 2023, has failed to nail down a place at Stamford Bridge and has been passed around Europe like unwanted baggage.

Birmingham City are ripping up the transfer rulebook as they reportedly target Champions League players with the Blues chasing a Premier League return. Backed by the deep pockets of Knighthead Capital and the star power of NFL icon Tom Brady, the Blues are no longer thinking like a club fresh out of League One. Instead, they are daring to dream of mixing it with Europe’s elite within the next two to three seasons, and they’re building a plan to make it happen.

Manchester City have secured the future of one of their brightest young stars, with Rico Lewis committing his long-term future to the Premier League giants. The 20-year-old defender has signed a fresh two-year extension to his existing agreement, ensuring he remains at the Etihad until 2030. Reports suggest there is also an option that could stretch his stay through to 2031.

Enzo Maresca admitted that he's in the dark after Chelsea received 74 charges of alleged rule breaches by the FA. The charges focus on agents, intermediaries, and third-party involvement in player deals, with the timeline running from 2009 to 2022, the bulk of Roman Abramovich’s controversial ownership. The revelations were made public this week, piling yet more scrutiny onto the club, which has spent the past two years trying to redefine itself under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Harry Kane is closing in on more England history as the Bayern Munich star eclipsed the great Bobby Moore during the Three Lions' victory over Serbia. Kane’s appearance was his 109th in an England shirt, nudging him past World Cup-winning skipper Moore (108) and into fifth place on the list of all-time most-capped players.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has joined Trabzonspor on a season-long loan, drawing a temporary line under his turbulent spell in England.

Newcastle United have sensationally pulled the plug on 45 tickets allocated to pupils from the High School of Dundee for their blockbuster Champions League showdown against Barcelona, sparking a storm of controversy. But just days after news of their planned adventure broke, the Magpies confirmed the seats were being stripped away, bowing to mounting fury from their own loyal supporters.

Jadon Sancho could reportedly end up in MLS as the former Manchester United player is interested in a stateside switch in the future after sealing his loan to Aston Villa. When United splashed £73 million ($99m) to prise him away from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, the winger was hailed as the missing piece of their attacking puzzle. Sancho himself called it “a dream come true.” Fast forward three years, and that dream has dissolved into a prolonged nightmare.

Kylian Mbappe has climbed another rung on French football’s ladder of greatness as the Real Madrid sensation etched his name above Thierry Henry by netting his 52nd international goal, becoming France’s second-highest scorer of all time. Only Olivier Giroud now stands between him and the ultimate record.