Roberto Firmino played along well with a joke when a handful of lookalike footballers approached him. The former Liverpool forward laughed and embraced a number of people posing as his former team-mates, including Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. The Brazilian even shook hands with two men appearing to resemble Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Jordan Henderson dedicated his first Brentford goal to "good friend" Diogo Jota after the Bees' 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday afternoon. Henderson broke the deadlock in the 70th minute as his low effort deflected past Lucas Perri. However, 12 minutes later, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for the fourth game running to ensure a share of the spoils in west London.
Jobe Bellingham's miserable start to life in Germany continued on Sunday as the England U21 international was shown a straight red card in Borussia Dortmund's disappointing 1-1 draw with Freiburg. The younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude joined the Bundesliga giants from Sunderland over the summer after playing a starring role in the Black Cats' promotion, but has struggled to find his feet at Signal Iduna Park.
Sunderland rubbed salt in rivals Newcastle United's wounds with a savage team photo after they picked up a hard-fought derby victory on Sunday at the Stadium of Light. Taking all three points at home, the Black Cats extended their unbeaten run against their fiercest rivals to 10 Premier League matches, with their last encounter happening nine years ago in 2016.
Rock bottom Mainz were mightily close to shocking Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena before a late Harry Kane penalty rescued a fortunate point for the Bavarian giants. Vincent Kompany’s side were unimpressive at home and struggled to break down a stubborn Mainz defence, but battled back to draw 2-2 and maintain their unbeaten record in the Bundesliga this season.
Celtic fans are calling for "absolute clown" Wilfried Nancy to be sacked after Sunday's surprise Scottish League Cup final defeat to St. Mirren. The Frenchman has only overseen three matches since taking over as Brendan Rodgers' permanent replacement earlier this month, but supporters have already seen enough of the former Columbus Crew boss to demand his exit.
Tottenham fans are tonight calling on the club to sack Thomas Frank following another shambolic display in Sunday's 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest. The defeat leaves the north London side in the bottom half of the table with supporters angry after yet another sub-par display that means Spurs have now won only one of their last seven league matches to leave their top-four hopes in tatters.
Phil Foden helped fire Manchester City past Crystal Palace but that did not prevent Pep Guardiola from speaking his mind and berating his player for his overall disappointing performance in the 3-0 win. Foden buried the ball in the net in the second half to score his sixth goal in four Premier League matches but his coach was not happy with how he played.
Tottenham Hotspur fans are running out of patience with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after the Italian produced another error-strewn performance in his side's 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest. Vicario was booed by his own supporters in last month's loss to Fulham and is unlikely to win back the trust of the Spurs faithful after yet another disappointing display at the City Ground.
Manchester United staged a remarkable second half comeback on Sunday, securing what could prove to be a valuable point in a 3-3 draw at home to Tottenham, having been 3-0 down with 17 minutes of normal time to play. However, in truth, it does little to salvage the Red Devils' Women's Super League title charge. Marc Skinner's side are now nine points off table-topping Manchester City after these dropped points, but it does help in the race for Champions League football, as a win for Spurs would've taken them above United and level on points with Arsenal in third.
Vincent Kompany has explained why it's a "luxury" for Bayern Munich to have Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson at their disposal. The Belgian coach is pleased with how Jackson is contributing to Bayern's assault on three trophy fronts, but has also confirmed he will be heading to the AFCON with Senegal.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting a sensational move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios and are looking to secure a cut-price move for the young midfielder. The 22-year-old has made 16 La Liga appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season and Spurs have identified him as a potential option to offer some variation to their lethargic midfield options.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden raised their game as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 despite producing an underwhelming performance in south London. The Eagles hit the woodwork in either half, but Haaland gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead late in the first with a towering header before Foden slammed the ball into the net with his favoured left foot to put the game out of Palace's sight.
Curtis Jones has shed light on how the Liverpool squad feel about Mohamed Salah following last week's outburst at Elland Road. Salah dropped a bombshell in his post-match interview following the 3-3 draw and claimed he had been "thrown under the bus", having started from the bench for the third successive match. The Egypt international is now being linked with a January exit from Anfield.
After months of speculation about their long-term future in Vancouver, the Whitecaps appear to have found a path forward in the Canadian city. Fresh off their first MLS Cup final appearance, the club announced plans with the City of Vancouver for a new stadium. After more than a decade at BC Place, Vancouver are preparing to negotiate the construction of a purpose-built venue at Hastings Park.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma has apologised after he was spotted using nitrous oxide for a second time during his spell with the north London club. The Mali international explained that he has been suffering mentally following a number of thefts at his home in which countless items were stolen, leaving him feeling broken, paranoid, and depressed.
A long-standing Lionel Messi record at Barcelona has finally fallen after Pedri etched his name into Blaugrana history during a La Liga win over Osasuna. The 23-year-old became the youngest player ever to reach 150 La Liga appearances for the Catalan side, surpassing Messi, while once again pulling the strings in midfield under Hansi Flick in a 2-0 win.
Landon Donovan took issue with Australia manager Tony Popovic’s reaction to the 2026 World Cup draw, calling the confidence he projected “unusual.” The USMNT legend said Popovic’s response suggested Australia view Group D as winnable, with the Americans joined by Paraguay and a UEFA playoff winner. Donovan added that Popovic’s comments made him wish he could return to face the Socceroos.
Carlos Baleba has addressed talk that speculation over a summer move to Manchester United has impacted his form. The Cameroon international was heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford over the summer as Ruben Amorim pushed to strengthen his side in the middle of the park. However, United failed to agree a fee with Brighton, and the transfer ultimately failed to materialise.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac witnessed pure drama at the Racecourse Ground as late hero Ollie Rathbone smashed home a spectacular stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw for Wrexham against Watford. The Hollywood owners were left stunned as the midfielder’s long-range strike capped a chaotic Championship contest and reignited the club’s festive momentum.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that he wants Mohamed Salah to stay at the club despite speculation linking the Egyptian away from Anfield. Salah claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" by the club following last week's 3-3 draw at Leeds United, during which the forward was an unused substitute. The 33-year-old was then dropped from the squad for the midweek win at Inter Milan.
Khadija Shaw surpassed a century of goals for Manchester City as she scored four times to inspire her side to their 10th successive Women’s Super League victory in a thumping 6-1 win over Aston Villa. The Jamaica international took her tally to 103 goals in just 120 appearances in all competitions for the Cityzens, who are now six points clear at the top of the league table.
Sandy Baltimore's sublime strike set Chelsea on their way to an important victory in the Women's Super League on Sunday, as the Blues bounced back from last week's shock defeat to Everton with a 3-0 success at Brighton. It was vital that Sonia Bompastor's side got the win here, to prevent Manchester City from further extending their lead at the top of the table, and they did exactly that, to stay six points behind the Cityzens as the WSL hits its winter break.
Barcelona are keen to 'tempt' Kobbie Mainoo away from Manchester United but face stiff competition in the race for the midfielder. The England international had pushed to leave Old Trafford over the summer but was rebuffed in his efforts to leave the Manchester powerhouse. A January transfer has been mooted, though United need reinforcements before sanctioning his exit.
Speculation around Real Madrid’s search for a potential successor to the under-pressure Xabi Alonso has intensified, but Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff has shut down hopes of luring Jurgen Klopp back to the dugout. With Los Blancos enduring a turbulent run and Klopp named as a dream candidate, Mintzlaff insists the former Liverpool boss is not returning to coaching "at the moment".
Chelsea hero John Terry has declared Cole Palmer the "best No.10 in the world" following his role in Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton. The Blues earned a first league victory since their 2-0 victory at Burnley last month to move back into the Champions League spots. And former centre-back Terry lavished praise upon Palmer after his first home league start since the opening weekend of the season.
Everton manager David Moyes has aimed a cheeky dig at Chelsea’s spending power, saying there was a billion pounds worth of difference between the two sides in Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge. The Scot made the remark after watching his spirited side fail to make the most of their chances en route to suffering a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League.
Barcelona’s long-running financial crisis has taken a dramatic twist after reports claimed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is weighing up a staggering €10 billion offer to buy the club. The proposal, which would theoretically wipe out Barca’s massive debt and reshape their future, has sparked huge intrigue - even though such a takeover remains a difficult hurdle to overcome.
Sunderland have paid tribute to Gary Rowell after the club legend passed away at the age of 68. The Black Cats have announced they will honour their legendary goalscorer, who died following a long battle with leukaemia, when they host Newcastle United in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light. Both clubs have sent heartfelt messages to Rowell's family ahead of the Premier League game.
Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour stop in Kolkata descended into chaos as overcrowding, security breaches, and pitch invasions left the Argentina icon "visibly uncomfortable" before he exited the Salt Lake Stadium after barely 20 minutes. Fans who had paid hefty prices were left furious as mismanagement plunged the event into disorder and forced authorities to launch an urgent inquiry.