Chris Burton

Neymar was less than impressed with the artificial pitch used by rivals Atletico Mineiro following his latest appearance for Santos. The Brazil international has spoken out against such surfaces in the past and, after suffering another injury that forced him to play through the pain, the veteran forward claims to have delivered more proof that synthetic pitches are "sh*t".

Wayne Rooney has shown that you never lose it, with the Manchester United and England legend rolling back the years in an exhibition game. The Red Devils’ all-time leading goal-scorer lined up alongside and against a collection of international superstars in the Nexon Icons Match, with the target found with a spectacular strike.

Erling Haaland helped Manchester City to cook arch-rivals Manchester United on derby day at the Etihad Stadium, with the Norwegian striker celebrating that success in style. The prolific frontman has revealed that he toasted picking up three precious points with a barbecue that included steak and his Man of the Match award, with Haaland apparently enjoying a "nice evening".

Marc Skinner has explained why Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier is the “same ilk of a player” as fellow Lionesses hero Lucy Bronze. The Red Devils’ no-nonsense skipper was unaware that she reached a notable personal landmark in a WSL clash with the London City Lionesses that saw her find the target from the penalty spot in a crushing 5-1 victory.

Maya Jama led the Ruben Dias fan club when soaking up the atmosphere in Manchester City’s derby date with arch-rivals United. The Love Island host is dating the Blues’ Portuguese defender, with there plenty for the happy couple to celebrate following another epic Premier League fixture that saw City claim a comfortable 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe has been criticised for having “no private life”, with the Real Madrid superstar being urged to accept the “price of fame”. It has been revealed that the France international, who recently claimed that the world of football is “disgusting”, does not have a driver’s licence. A fellow countryman has questioned the decision to become so reclusive.

Arne Slot has hinted at the timetable Liverpool have lined up for Alexander Isak, with the most expensive player in British football seeing his Reds debut delayed. The decision was taken not to include the Swedish striker in plans for a trip to Burnley, with the £125 million ($169m) frontman being eased into long-term plans by the reigning Premier League champions.

Alisha Lehmann has scored her first goal for Como Women, allowing her iconic fishing celebration to be broken out. The Swiss took on a new challenge in Italy over the summer after severing ties with Serie A champions Juventus. She is up and running with her new employers, with the tricky forward all smiles after opening her account with a slightly fortuitous strike.

Christian Pulisic has been urged to take as many lessons as possible from legendary AC Milan team-mate Luka Modric. USMNT star Pulisic is now working alongside a Ballon d’Or winner at San Siro. That is considered to be a good thing for his ongoing development, both as a football player and one of the most marketable performers in the global game.

Liverpool made Premier League history with another late show at Burnley. Mohamed Salah converted a 95th-minute penalty to earn the reigning champions three points at Turf Moor. No top-flight team has ever won four games in a row in such dramatic circumstances, with Arne Slot’s side making a habit of securing vital victories as the clock ticks down.

Phil Parkinson is reportedly seeing questions asked of his future at Wrexham, with talks being held behind the scenes. The Red Dragons, on the back of three successive promotions that saw the EFL history books rewritten, have endured a tough start to the 2025-26 Championship season - leading to their long-serving manager becoming the subject of sack rumours.

Milos Kerkez has been branded a “muppet” and told he has “mashed potato for brains” following a calamitous outing for Liverpool at Burnley. The energetic left-back, who joined the Reds from Bournemouth in the summer transfer window of 2025, was hooked after just 38 minutes at Turf Moor as he found himself walking an unnecessary disciplinary tightrope.

Mohammed Kudus has been reunited with the wooden elephant that he used as part of goal celebrations during his time in the Premier League with West Ham. The Hammers have returned said item to the Ghana international winger after seeing him complete a controversial £55 million ($75m) switch to London rivals Tottenham in the summer transfer window of 2025.

Sam Kerr returned with a bang for Chelsea as the Australia international made her long-awaited comeback from a serious injury. After spending 20 months stuck on the sidelines, with it proving difficult to overcome an ACL setback, the Blues superstar was back among the goals when finding the target late on in a WSL clash with Aston Villa in the West Midlands.

The Red Devils may have work to do in Europe, but they have been full of goals during a faultless start to the new WSL season.

Harry Kane has spoken out in defence of new Bayern Munich team-mate Nicolas Jackson, with the odd question being asked of why the Senegalese striker has been drafted in by the Bundesliga giants. Kane has pointed out that the lively frontman put in plenty of encouraging Premier League performances for Chelsea when leading the line for an often inconsistent outfit.

Kylian Mbappe has sent an "I score a lot of goals against Marseille" to Mason Greenwood and Co ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener. World Cup winner Mbappe will be lining up against opposition from his native France at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday as Los Blancos get their European campaign for 2025-26 up and running in front of their own supporters.

Nicolas Jackson’s shock switch from Chelsea to Bayern Munich - which was agreed a year out from signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge - has been branded a "bit harsh" despite the Senegal international striker not being a "natural goal-scorer". Blues legend Roberto Di Matteo has offered his take on a surprising switch agreed late in the summer window.