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Arsenal missed the chance to move nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the Premier League as they played out an underwhelming goalless draw at lowly Nottingham Forest. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli wasted excellent chances for Mikel Arteta's side as Forest more than matched the leaders, and while the Gunners widened the gap over their title rivals, they failed to take full advantage of City's earlier loss to Manchester United.

Liverpool were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Burnley after Dominik Szoboszlai missed a penalty in a match where Arne Slot’s side squandered numerous opportunities to win at Anfield. Florian Wirtz fired the Reds in front, but it was a brilliantly-taken strike from Marcus Edwards which earned the second-bottom side a precious point.

Liam Rosenior's first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea ended in victory against Brentford, largely thanks to the heroics of the club's much-maligned Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The 28-year-old made a massive save to deny Kevin Schade what looked a certain equaliser in the second half, with Cole Palmer adding to Joao Pedro's first-half thunderbolt to secure a somewhat unconvincing 2-0 win for the Blues.

Long-time U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Rose Lavelle has been voted U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after a year packed with adversity.

Real Madrid turned an unconvincing first half into a clinical second, with Kylian Mbappe leading the charge as they saw off Levante, 2-0. Los Blancos were initially languid under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, but clicked into gear once the deadlock was broken, and were ultimately good value for the victory - even if some questions about individuals remain.

Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes starred as Manchester United pulled off a wholly unexpected 2-0 win over Manchester City in a euphoric return to the Red Devils' dugout for Michael Carrick. United made a blistering start and scored two offside goals in a convincing first half. After the break, they continued where they left off and deservedly won the game thanks to strikes from Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

Manchester City ceded more ground in the Premier League title race as they went down with a whimper in Saturday's 2-0 defeat to local rivals Manchester United. Erling Haaland failed to lay a glove on the home side's defence, while an inspired Gianluigi Donnarumma kept the scoreline respectable. This was one of City's worst performances of the season, with Pep Guardiola's side left hoping that leaders Arsenal will slip up at Nottingham Forest later in the day.

Before heading off to represent Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, Brahim Diaz thanked Real Madrid fans for all of their support in 2025 before adding, "See you all next year, full of excitement." However, the player and his club's supporters could not be experiencing more contrasting starts to 2026. While Brahim was bursting with joy after Morocco beat Nigeria on penalties on Wednesday to move just one win away from ending the nation's 50-year wait for a second AFCON title, Madridistas were exploding with rage after watching their team suffer a second demoralising defeat in five days.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including Pulisic looking to get back on track against Lecce.

The German playmaker has done his part for St. Louis, but hopes that a new head coach and solid preseason will help the MLS strugglers turn their fortunes around.

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

Darren Fletcher played alongside twin brothers Rafael and Fabio da Silva while at Manchester United, but little did he know that many years later, his own twin sons would be vying for a place in the Red Devils' first team. Fletcher opted against playing either of his sons, Jack or Tyler, during his brief spell as interim coach, perhaps out of fear of accusations of nepotism.

Manchester City fans sure have enjoyed watching Manchester United’s demise over the past 13 years, with each new coach that has failed at Old Trafford giving the Blues plenty of fresh material to sing about on the terraces.

Every summer, Brentford seem to dance with death. They almost always sell off at least one of their best players and don't usually replace them, at least in a like-for-like sense. Yet since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2021, the Bees have never really faced the threat of relegation back to the Championship. It was, however, only this past summer that they were widely tipped to battle the drop.

Barcelona avoided a Copa del Rey upset thanks to second-half goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal in a 2-0 win. A day after bitter rivals Real Madrid were dumped out of the competition by second division side Albacete, Hansi Flick's men overcame a stern examination against similar opposition on Thursday. The cup holders were indebted to substitute Fermin Lopez as they reached the quarter-finals in battling fashion.

After a frustrating year in Liga MX, Cade Cowell told GOAL why a Red Bulls move could reignite his career and put his USMNT World Cup ambitions back on track.

GOAL sat down with the centerback to discuss why he left Nashville SC to join Toronto FC and his ambition to play in another World Cup.

Back in the summer of 2023, Victor Osimhen was the most in-demand striker in world football. He'd just spearheaded Napoli's run to their first Scudetto in 33 years, netting 26 goals in 32 games to become the first African player ever to finish as Serie A top scorer, and had pretty much every elite club in Europe knocking on his door. For a 24-year-old with talent and drive, it seemed like the start of something truly special.

Arne Slot can't catch a break right now. Barnsley at home in the FA Cup should have made for a comfortable Monday evening for the under-pressure Liverpool boss. Dominik Szoboszlai had other ideas, though. Having earlier broken the deadlock with a thumping strike from distance before Jeremie Frimpong netted his first goal at Anfield with an equally emphatic finish, the Hungarian gifted Liverpool's third-tier opponents a goal just before the break with one of the most inexplicable errors you'll ever see on a football field.

While effectively ruling himself out of the running to take over at Real Madrid, Jurgen Klopp pointed out that "the coaching market is being reshuffled" right now - because Xabi Alonso isn't the only manager to lose his job at an elite European club since the turn of the year. On January 1, less than six months after lifting the Club World Cup, Enzo Maresca was fired by Chelsea after publicly criticising his employers. Just four days later, Manchester United also got rid of Ruben Amorim for speaking out of turn.

Arsenal took a big step towards the Carabao Cup final by edging past Chelsea 3-2 in this dramatic, all-London semi-final first leg, but Mikel Arteta's side will be left feeling they probably should have put the tie to bed having twice seen a two-goal lead pegged back at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi had the Gunners in control throughout this topsy-turvy contest, but a second-half brace from substitute Alejandro Garnacho ensured Chelsea have something still to play for at the Emirates in three weeks' time.

Real Madrid were woeful defensively, and despite goals from Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia, succumbed to second division Albacete in the Copa Del Rey, losing 3-2 on Wednesday to get Alvaro Arbeloa's reign off to a forgettable start. Los Blancos had most of the ball throughout, but created few clear cut chances. The home side, meanwhile, were clinical - and good value for the win.

Chelsea face a tall order to reach the Carabao Cup final after a shocking performance from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez handed Arsenal a 3-2 victory in the first leg of their semi-final. The Spaniard made two avoidable mistakes which allowed Ben White and Viktor Gyokeres to score, though Alejandro Garnacho bagged twice ether side of a Martin Zubimendi effort to ensure the Blues take some hope into the return leg at the Emirates Stadium.

EXCLUSIVE: Yan Diomande tells GOAL how his unlikely American journey - from UPSL fields to RB Leipzig - shaped one of Europe’s fastest-rising stars.

GOAL breaks down the five big reasons the central defender was American soccer's standout in 2025.

GOAL continues its Meet the USMNT series by examining Folarin Balogun’s path to the USMNT and the expectations that follow him into a World Cup year.

From Alex Morgan to Tobin Heath, Sam Mewis to Christen Press and Tobin Heath to Carli Lloyd, GOAL judges the Americans to have played in England

Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as their caretaker manager from now until the end of the season to clean up the mess caused by Ruben Amorim’s sudden departure. And now the real work begins: searching for a long–term successor who can bring lasting success. Of all the available candidates out there, Thomas Tuchel is by far the most convincing.

Some 13 months on from a devastating provisional doping suspension and close to 14 months since his last appearance for the club, Mykhailo Mudryk is Chelsea's forgotten man. An upcoming anniversary, however, brings his troubles back into sharp focus; January 15 will mark three years to the day since Chelsea completed the signing of the then-coveted young winger from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he will find little reason for celebration.