Unai Emery has explained why he did not shake Mikel Arteta's hand following Aston Villa's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal on Tuesday night. Villa made the trip to the Emirates on an 11-game winning run following their 2-1 victory at Chelsea on Saturday evening as the Villans sought to go level with the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, but ended up being blown away by the hosts.
Manchester City are reportedly in talks over the £30 million ($40m) loan-to-buy sale of Oscar Bobb as Pep Guardiola gears up to welcome Antoine Semenyo to the Etihad. City and Bournemouth have held constructive negotiations over the structure of Semenyo’s £65m transfer, with all sides confident that the framework of the deal is now in place. The Ghana international has already given verbal approval to the switch, with formal steps set to begin once the January window opens on New Year’s Day.
Victor Osimhen has sent his condolences to heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua after he was involved in a car crash that killed two people in Nigeria this week. Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, friends and trainers of Joshua, both tragically lost their lives in the accident after the car struck a stationary vehicle.
January is often described as the grimmest month of the year, but it can also be a time of renewal, a moment to make a fresh start. And for football clubs, the opening of the January transfer window provides an opportunity for clubs to breathe new life into their disappointing campaigns and invest for the future.
Liverpool host Leeds United on Thursday, less than a month since their last meeting at Elland Road. An awful lot has changed in the interim, though. Back on December 6, it appeared as if the wheels had well and truly come off Liverpool's season, with Mohamed Salah sensationally accusing Arne Slot of throwing him under the boss by once again benching him for a 3-3 draw that saw the Reds twice throw away the lead with more woeful defending from Ibrahima Konate & Co.
Ruben Amorim admitted that Manchester United played with a different kind of energy during their dreadful 1-1 draw at home to Wolves. The visitors arrived at Old Trafford having lost their last 12 matches and without picking up a point since early October but they were well worth the point they left with and would have taken all three had it not been for a great save by Senne Lammens.
Fulham have seen an initial $33 million (£26 million) bid for United States international striker Ricardo Pepi rejected by PSV Eindhoven, according to The Athletic. The Premier League club is expected to return with an improved offer as it looks to bolster its attack during the January transfer window, though competition remains for the 22-year-old’s signature.
Enzo Maresca was conspicuous by his absence from Chelsea's post-match press conference after Tuesday's 2-2 Premier League draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Assistant manager Willy Caballero took over media duties after the game against Andoni Iraola's side and explained why Maresca was not available while also reflecting on another disappointing result for the Blues.
Fans labelled Danny Welbeck as 'embarrassing' on social media after the former Arsenal and Manchester United forward's Panenka penalty hit the crossbar during Brighton's trip to West Ham on Tuesday. Welbeck failed to complete his brace in a span of three minutes in the first half as the Seagulls were held to a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.
Gabriel Magalhaes breathed fresh life into Arsenal's Premier League title challenge by opening the scoring in an emphatic win over Aston Villa on Tuesday. The defender's goal at the start of the second half sparked the Gunners into life, with Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus also on target to hand Unai Emery's side a first defeat since November 1st.
Manchester United became just the third team to fail to beat Wolves this season as they could only draw 1-1 at home to one of the worst teams in Premier League history. Ruben Amorim paid the price for an ill-advised return to a back three, stripping his team of all the excitement and unpredictability which had helped them beat Newcastle in their previous game.
Argentina forward Lucas Ocampos has been left paralysed in the face after suffering from a virus. Before the illness, the ex-Sevilla star had suffered a freak skateboarding injury. The 31-year-old attacker left Sevilla after five years in 2024 to head to Mexico and join Liga MX giants Monterrey. Ocampos has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his 14-year-long professional career.
Chelsea's disappointing recent run of results continued on Tuesday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth in the Premier League. All four goals came during a madcap opening half-hour, with Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez on target for the Blues as they were made to pay for their failure to deal with the Cherries' long throws.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has come in for criticism after picking up his fifth booking of the season just minutes into Tuesday's Premier League encounter with Bournemouth. The yellow card brings an automatic one-match ban, ruling Caicedo out of Chelsea's next game against title-chasing Manchester City and leaving Blues fans frustrated with their midfield star.
Marc Guehi has become a 'top target' for Real Madrid as the La Liga giants make contact with the Crystal Palace captain. The Palace centre-back will run down his contract until the summer of 2026. The England international has already informed the Premier League side that he will not sign an extension, effectively guaranteeing a summer exit and triggering a battle among Europe's elite.
Athletic Club captain Inaki Williams has slammed the decision to play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The tournament will once again take place in the Middle East in January with Athletic facing defending La Liga champions Barcelona in the semi-finals. The winners of the match will go on to face either Real Madrid or Atletico in the final for the chance to claim the first Spanish trophy of the current season.
Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas said he expects Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. Speaking on his podcast, Lalas downplayed concerns about McKennie’s place in the team, acknowledging some challenges but saying his positives generally outweigh any negatives as preparations continue for the home tournament.
Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson is top of the list of players Manchester United would like to sign in January as they look set to lose out to Manchester City in the race to sign Antoine Semenyo. Anderson is one of eight holding midfielders United are interested in due amid the uncertainty around Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte's struggles.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix were on target for Al-Nassr but ex-Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum stole the limelight with an incredible brace as Al-Ettifaq held Al-Nassr to a thrilling 2-2 draw to ended their 10-game winning streak in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo took his career goals tally to 957 with an unusual effort as Felix's shot deflected off his back and went in.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's new 'offside revolution' plans are set to take a step closer to reality as FIFA and president Gianni Infantino are preparing a presentation of the proposed rule change to the IFAB. Wenger has pushed for a radical change to the offside law for some time, advocating for a change that would see an offside offence only occur if the attacker is completely in front of the last defender.
The Super Eagles showed their class with a near-perfect display against the East African nation on Tuesday night in the final pool outing to make three wins in a row. However, it was not a good outing for Paul Put's men, who were eliminated without tasting a win. They lost two games and drew once from the three fixtures.
Manchester United and Newcastle transfer target Kees Smith has been spotted at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace after taking a trip to the capital with friends. The AZ star made the most of the occasion by going undercover and donning a Shaun the Sheep outfit as he joined fellow darts fans to watch the likes of Luke Littler and Co. in action.
Manchester City have set a low price tag for Nathan Ake, though the Dutch defender has rejected a chance to join Premier League strugglers West Ham United. Ake has experienced limited game time at Etihad Stadium in 2025-26 as he has fallen down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola's backline. The Netherlands international has started in just five matches, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund has revealed why Cristiano Ronaldo is his biggest idol. The Dane has followed in Ronaldo's famous footsteps by playing for the Red Devils but is currently shining with Napoli after moving to the Serie A side on a season-long loan. Hojlund says that he has always been a big admirer of Ronaldo's mentality, rock solid confidence and hunger for goals.
Chris Richards, Lily Yohannes, and more headline GOAL’s 2025 USMNT and USWNT Awards, breaking down the players, moments and transfers that defined American soccer’s year.
Rasmus Hojlund has opened up on his time at Manchester United and says he felt he did well, particularly during his first campaign at Old Trafford. The Denmark international has since moved on a season-long loan to Serie A side Napoli and is currently thriving with Antonio Conte's side, meaning he could well end up making his stay with I Partenopei permanent.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is edging towards a Barcelona exit as fellow La Liga side Girona have revealed a public interest in signing Germany goalkeeper. Ter Stegen, who has been a pillar of the Barca defence for over a decade, has found himself in an unfamiliar position this season following the ascent of summer signing Joan Garcia and his own struggles with fitness.
Tottenham are eyeing an ambitious move for €100 million-rated Bundesliga winger Yan Diomande as fan favourite Brennan Johnson is set to exit the club in the January transfer window. Johnson, who scored Spurs' historic winning goal against Manchester United in the Europa League final last season, has fallen out of favour under Thomas Frank and is now likely to leave the north London outfit.
Arsenal have been dealt another devastating injury blow as midfielder Declan Rice is expected to miss Tuesday's Premier League title showdown with Aston Villa at the Emirates. The England international had been hopeful of playing in the crunch clash against Unai Emery's high-flying side but is set to miss out after sustaining a knee problem against Brighton last time out.