Arsenal have been dealt with a fresh injury blow with star players William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli ruled out of action for their upcoming game with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. The duo, along with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, picked up problems in their last Premier League encounter against Crystal Palace, which the Gunners won 1-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
England delivered the homecoming performance the fans wanted on Tuesday night, bouncing back from Saturday's disappointing defeat to Brazil in a much more convincing 3-0 win over Australia as their parading of the European Championship trophy continued around the country. This was the second installment of the Lionesses' 'homecoming series' which will see this summer's silverware hit four different locations before the end of the year, and it produced a performance much more fitting of their status of European champions as goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway downed a Matildas team that was reduced to 10 players inside the first 20 minutes.
James Trafford found himself in the bizarre situation where he was both bought and replaced by Manchester City during the same transfer window this past summer, starting the 2025-26 season as the main man between the sticks but promptly dropped. Pep Guardiola is still an admirer, though, ultimately tipping the goalkeeper for a big role with England in the future.
Karim Benzema starred with a goal as reigning champions Al-Ittihad reached the quarter-final of the Saudi King's Cup of Champions after edging out Pro League leaders Al-Nassr 2-1 on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix had a night to forget as they failed to deliver in front of the goal despite dominating proceedings for the majority of the game with an extra player on the pitch.
Former Manchester United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has relived a frightening ordeal from the very early days of his career back home in Bulgaria, when he believed he was being kidnapped by a rival club and might be threatened with violence if he refused to join them. The situation was eventually resolved without that happening, but it made him realise he needed to grow up fast.
Former Manchester City star Kyle Walker's wife Annie Kilner is set for a court trial after she was caught speeding in a luxury car worth £100,000, only months after being penalised for holding her phone while behind the wheel. Kilner's trial is scheduled to take place in March 2026, and if found guilty of the charges, she could be banned from driving.
Saudi Arabia's efforts to make waves in the sporting world look set to continue when the wealthy Gulf nation hosts the 2034 World Cup. But a football stadium 350 metres off the ground seems ambitious even for them following the viral emergence of concept designs for a brand new venue dubbed the NEOM Stadium. A list of 15 host stadia complete with concept art was first revealed in the summer of 2024.
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips won't feature in his starting lineup for their upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Swansea City, despite the midfielder returning to action in the same competition against Huddersfield Town in September. Phillips is hoping to get more game time after featuring for just seven minutes for the Cityzens in the 2025-26 campaign.
Bayern Munich have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani, one of the Bundesliga’s breakout stars this season. The 23-year-old’s rise has attracted widespread interest across Europe, with both Bayern and Barca viewing him as a long-term successor to their current No.9s, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.
Neymar and Eduardo Camavinga both teased Vinicius Junior in the comments of his Instagram post featuring his girlfriend Virginia Fonseca. The Real Madrid winger posed with his partner while hugging her from behind in a decorated room with teddy bears, balloons and rose petals. His team-mates left cheeky remarks on the social media upload, which was also liked by Brazilian Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to fitness could not have come at a more important time for Real Madrid, following the loss of Dani Carvajal to injury. It comes just a week before Los Blancos are due to face Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield, only five months after Alexander-Arnold decided to end a 20-year association with his boyhood team.
Marcus Rashford has been accused of lacking accountability for the problems he and Manchester United faced last season. The forward fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim as results fell off a cliff, failing to apply himself in training according to the head coach, but has since joined Barcelona on loan and is enjoying his best run of form in more than 18 months.
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Liam Delap has recovered from his injury and could be in Chelsea's matchday squad for their Carabao Cup fixture against Wolves on Wednesday. The Blues boss also jokingly expressed doubt over whether the English striker could take long throw-ins like his father and former Premier League star, Rory.
Nicklas Bendtner has backed Rasmus Hojlund to thrive under Antonio Conte at Napoli, praising the Italian’s "killer mentality and relentless desire to win". The former Juventus forward believes Conte can unlock his compatriot’s full potential as the young striker rebuilds confidence following a mixed spell at Manchester United.
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy has claimed that he'd be willing to "chop a hand off" to bring Harry Kane to Old Trafford. The Red Devils were linked with the prolific striker throughout his record-breaking spell at Tottenham, but each summer ended with disappointment. Kane stayed loyal to Spurs until 2023, when he finally took the plunge and joined Bayern Munich in search of the silverware that had eluded him in England.
It's fair to say England's homecoming didn't go to plan on Saturday. Returning to action for the first time since winning the European Championship this past summer, the Lionesses were 2-0 down just 18 minutes into their meeting with Brazil, and despite the visitors going down to 10 players not long after scoring that second, England could not make their numerical advantage count in a disappointing 2-1 defeat. What will have made the loss even more frustrating for some, though, was that it came amid a lack of experimentation from Sarina Wiegman.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their home comforts 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.
We're two months into the season now, and it feels like things are starting to take shape around Europe. Some title races are looking like they will be closer than others, with some surprise contenders in the mix, while other presumed challengers are beginning to struggle, casting doubt on the futures of their managers and star players.
It's been a few months, but Jude Bellingham is back. After a delayed start to his season and an international break packed full of questions regarding where - and remarkably, if - he fits into England's World Cup plans, the Real Madrid man has showed in Sunday's Clasico that he remains the man for the biggest of occasions.
From confronting Patrick Vieira in the Highbury tunnel to spurring his team on to victory in the 1998-99 Champions League semi-final, there is no shortage of examples of Roy Keane's aura - here, GOAL remembers the famous Ronaldo handshake snub.
Jude Bellingham had a hand in both goals, and Kylian Mbappe continued his excellent run of form as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first Clasico of the season. It was hardly a legendary iteration of this famous fixture, but two first-half goals from Los Blancos were enough to see off the short-handed Blaugrana.
Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Chemsdine Talbi, with the Blues throwing away the chance to move into the Premier League's top four on Saturday. Alejandro Garnacho scored his first goal for the club since joining from Manchester United, but it mattered very little as the spirited Black Cats fought tooth and nail to claim a precious three points.
Real Madrid are among the teams looking at Moises Caicedo, with the midfielder's recent change of agents adding intrigue to his future at Chelsea. However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has insisted that the Blues remain calm and fully in control of the situation, with the club planning to reward their star midfielder with an improved contract in the coming months.
Estevao Willian has been informed of the Premier League challenges that he must "adapt" to in order to become the superstar Chelsea believe he is. Former Blues defender Marcel Desailly has been assessing the Brazilian wonderkid's early showings in English football, with there clearly still more to come from the exciting teenager as he adjusts to the demands of a testing division.
Ruben Amorim has sought to explain why Manchester United have not yet opened talks with Harry Maguire about a new contract. Maguire scored the goal which gave United their first away win at Liverpool for nine years but his future with the Red Devils is in doubt as he is into the last year of his contract. From January, he will be allowed to speak to foreign clubs about joining as a free agent.
Liverpool supporters have erupted online after Federico Chiesa was named the club’s Player of the Month for September, despite the Italian not starting a single Premier League game during that stretch. Chiesa’s recognition has reignited anger towards head coach Arne Slot, with fans questioning his team selections and labelling the forward "Liverpool’s best player" who continues to be unfairly benched.
Teenage wonderkid JJ Gabriel has been promoted to first-team training at Manchester United, with Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim eager to take a look at the exciting 15-year-old. The hottest of prospects, who has been dubbed 'Kid Messi', is being tipped to enjoy a bright future. United do, however, have a fight on their hands when it comes to retaining his services.
Harry Kane has been given two reasons why he should snub an imminent transfer away from Bayern Munich, with Danny Murphy telling GOAL in an exclusive interview why the England captain remains in the best place at this stage of his career. A fresh start for the prolific frontman is being speculated on as clauses in his contract can be triggered in 2026.
West Ham United are facing the grim prospect of Premier League relegation and the financial fallout could be catastrophic. An expert has warned that dropping to the Championship would cost the club up to £120 million ($160m) in lost revenue from television rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships, compounding growing unrest among fans amid the club's worst league start in decades.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed that record signing Alexander Isak faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brentford after sustaining a groin problem in midweek. The Dutchman also confirmed that Jeremie Frimpong is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Alisson Becker remains unavailable and Ryan Gravenberch faces a late fitness check.