The Bundesliga may still be on a winter break, but there was plenty of other action across Europe as 2026 got off to a cracking start for some of the continent's elite teams. In England, Arsenal took another big step towards a first Premier League title since 2004 by moving six points clear thanks to a 3-2 win at Bournemouth, while reigning champions Barcelona continue to lead the way in Spain after beating city rivals Espanyol thanks to late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski.

We reached the midway point of the Premier League season on Thursday night, with Arsenal holding a very promising four-point advantage at the top of the table as the Gunners look to end an agonising, 22-year title drought, and their chances of doing so have only increased after Saturday's hard-fought win at Bournemouth. Of course, Manchester City are very dangerous chasers - as Arsenal know to their considerable cost - and Aston Villa will obviously be hoping to stay in touch even after their chastening 4-1 defeat at the Emirates on Tuesday.

West Ham were beaten 3-0 by Wolves on Saturday in a result that has left the club in dire relegation trouble and piled more pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Alan Shearer has called out the "pathetic" performance of the Hammers, as they were beaten by a Wolves team rooted to the bottom of the table and without a single win prior to kick-off at Molineux.

Struggling West Ham United should vacate the London Stadium if they are relegated from the Premier League this season, according to former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara. The Hammers are currently 18th in the table and four points adrift of safety following a poor run of form which has seen them fail to win any of their last eight games.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was left fuming after Brighton's controversial late equaliser cost the Hammers crucial two points in the Premier League on Sunday. Georginio Rutter restored parity late in the match after Jarrod Bowen had handed West Ham the lead in the 73rd minute. Rutter had accidentally handled the ball before finding the back of the net.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo insists that Lucas Paqueta is still affected by the spot-fixing investigation the Football Association (FA) opened against him last season. The midfielder was sent off at the weekend against Liverpool, and later hit out at the governing body for their conduct and their lack of support while the case was being looked into.