Sean Walsh

Theo Walcott couldn't bring himself to put friend and former team-mate Gareth Bale on top of a five-player list of Premier League legends, even when afforded the chance to amend his blind ranking. The two ex-wingers, both known for their blistering pace and energy, shared a flat during their youth days at Southampton but are now retired from playing.

Every month, GOAL brings you the top stories involving teenage wonderkids and the world's best young footballers. During September, there was plenty to be said about the likes of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono, but there were also plenty of other headlines made by the planet's emerging stars in both the men's and women's games.

Eberechi Eze used to be referred to as ‘Snake Hips’ by his former team-mates due to his incredible dribbling ability and agility, according to ex-Queens Park Rangers colleague Nedum Onuoha. The playmaker, who has been capped 13 times by England, is now lighting up the Premier League and Champions League with Arsenal after completing a summer transfer from Crystal Palace.

Manchester United suffered another dismal result against Brentford, losing 3-1 to leave fans and pundits alike questioning Ruben Amorim's approach. Gary Neville singled out the decision to play Mason Mount at left-back as particularly baffling and symptomatic of a deeper malaise at the club. The Red Devils are struggling to find any consistency in their performances and results.

Arsenal snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory late on against Newcastle at St James' Park, with Gary Neville describing it as a "monumental win" and a significant statement of intent. The Gunners' performance, particularly Mikel Arteta's bold substitutions and attacking approach, impressed Neville who believes it signifies a shift from a more pragmatic approach.

Tottenham have made no secret of their desire to become a top-tier destination for the world's best young talent. "You can try to sell a vision to someone, but if there's tangible physical evidence of it… Anyone who has watched us since I've joined will have seen the aspirations we have to be the kind of team we want to be. That's not just me saying it, we're actually doing it," said former head coach Ange Postecoglou when he was calling the shots in N17.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has described the relentless pressure that Manchester United players under Sir Alex Ferguson would put on match officials. He explained how they would consistently challenge decisions in order to influence future calls. Clattenburg reveals that he started saying to the United players to 'tell Ferguson to f*ck off' and that he knew what was happening.

Much of the aftermath of Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium focused on the cautious tactics of the hosts, somehow ignoring that it was the visitors who resorted to park-the-bus mechanisms in order to try and grind out a win. In the end, neither side truly deserved the victory and a point apiece seemed fair, but the performance from Pep Guardiola's men was strange in several ways.

It is the year 2025 and Ousmane Dembele is a Ballon d'Or winner. It's a reality that might require a little getting used to, as the Paris Saint-Germain superstar's path to this point has been far from smooth, but it is a fitting end point nonetheless.

Arsenal and Manchester City played out a dramatic 1-1 draw on Sunday, with the two Premier League rivals unable to be separated through 98 or so minutes. Erling Haaland had given the visitors an early lead, before Pep Guardiola remarkably decided to park the bus to try and sneak the win. Those efforts went up in smoke in added time as Gabriel Martinelli scored to clinch a point for the Gunners.

Arsenal left it late to secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, with Gabriel Martinelli coming off the bench to equalise in added time. The result leaves the Gunners five points adrift of early table-toppers and reigning champions Liverpool having won three, drawn one and lost one of their opening five matches this season.

Liverpool have named Alexander Isak in their starting lineup to take on Atletico Madrid in their first Champions League game of the season on Wednesday night. This will mark the Sweden international's debut for the Reds following his £125m move from Newcastle United over the summer. He was notably left out of the squad to face Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

The most tantalising fixture on matchday one of the new Champions League season comes from the Allianz Arena, where kings of Germany Bayern Munich play host to Club World Cup winners Chelsea. These two teams have history - this will be the Blues' first trip back to Bavaria since lifting their first European Cup there in 2012 - but there is an extremely contemporary entity now linking them.

Tottenham opened their 2025-26 Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory at home to Villarreal, but they didn't have things their own way as they edged to a narrow opening-night win. Thomas Frank made his debut as a coach in Europe's top club competition and will be relieved that his side took the three points, but he will know there is work to do if they are to progress from the league phase.

Heading into the summer, Arsenal fans were told to expect an 'unprecedented' window by transfer reporters. The club held up that end of the bargain, splashing out roughly £250 million ($340m) on new players to bolster Mikel Arteta's squad as they look to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title. Through four games of the season, their recruits look right at home.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's ambitions of winning the Ballon d'Or have been brandished 'realistic' by a former Real Madrid star. Steve McManaman, who also left Liverpool to join the Spanish giants, believes the England star has what it takes to become the best player in the world, as long as he can overcome some major hurdles standing in his way.

Harry Kane's claim that Bayern Munich's squad is thin has been backed up by a former Champions League winner.

Manchester United have been told by a former rival that it 'wouldn't be a PR disaster' if Marcus Rashford shines on loan at Barcelona.