Jamie Spencer

Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to fitness could not have come at a more important time for Real Madrid, following the loss of Dani Carvajal to injury. It comes just a week before Los Blancos are due to face Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield, only five months after Alexander-Arnold decided to end a 20-year association with his boyhood team.

Marcus Rashford has been accused of lacking accountability for the problems he and Manchester United faced last season. The forward fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim as results fell off a cliff, failing to apply himself in training according to the head coach, but has since joined Barcelona on loan and is enjoying his best run of form in more than 18 months.

Vinicius Junior's petulant reaction to be taken off during Real Madrid's 2-1 win over fierce rivals Barcelona on Sunday reportedly didn't go unnoticed by his colleagues. The Brazilian winger made straight for the dressing room when Xabi Alonso wanted to swap him with Rodrygo, briefly refusing to watch the remaining minutes of the match because he was too angry to sit on the bench.

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has accused senior Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk of lacking leadership and displaying different body language since both signed lucrative new contracts with the club earlier this year. The Premier League champions lost for a fifth time in their last six outings across all competitions over the weekend.

Marcus Rashford is reported to have made his mind up where he wants to play next season, albeit he is still only in the early stages of a loan with Barcelona and his long-term future is far from certain due to the Catalan club's delicate financial situation. The England international fell out of favour with Ruben Amorim last season at Manchester United and any sort of reunion there seems unlikely.

Vinicius Junior told Xabi Alonso he would 'leave' Real Madrid in his furious reaction to his substitution during the Clasico win over Barcelona on Sunday evening. The Brazilian winger was visibly frustrated at being withdrawn when there was potentially still plenty still to play for and made his feelings known by storming straight down the tunnel to the dressing rooms.

Vinicius Junior has addressed the events of an intense El Clasico on Sunday, which saw Real Madrid beat Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. But the Brazilian himself stormed off when substituted, and was involved in a post-match brawl that was sparked by Los Blancos players Dani Carvajal and Thibaut Courtois angrily confronting Lamine Yamal.

Lamine Yamal was the subject of Dani Carvajal's angry attention following Sunday’s Clasico encounter between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Los Blancos won the fiercely contested game at the Santiago Bernabeu to inflict Barca's second La Liga defeat of the season, after which Carvajal had the last laugh by making clear his opinion on Yamal's pre-match behaviour.

Even at 18 years of age, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is one of football’s biggest stars and, accordingly, also one of the sport's best-paid and most marketable assets. The teenager is reportedly expected to throw down millions to buy a new house that was formerly the home of Blaugrana legend Gerard Pique and his ex-wife, Shakira, who listed the complex for sale shortly after separating.

Cameras picked up Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as Arsenal hosted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The American entertainer is known to be a huge sports fan and his presence at the game, given his alter ego's place within modern football culture, was an amusing side-note for fans of the world famous show.

Newcastle made it successive Champions League wins on Tuesday with what was ultimately a routine 3-0 win over Jose Mourinho's Benfica at St James' Park. Anthony Gordon scored in Europe for the fourth time this season, before Harvey Barnes came off the bench to wrap up maximum points with a brace for Eddie Howe's side. There was even a remarkable assist for Toon goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Manchester United could surprise everyone by mounting a Premier League title challenge this season, according to Rene Meulensteen, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's staff during six dominant years between 2007 and 2013. Ruben Amorim's side have put together back-to-back league wins for the first time under the Portuguese and have enjoyed statement victories over Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.

Speaking to GOAL, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has revealed the player he idolised growing up. In a game of 'Winner Stays On', the 32-year-old makes some difficult choices as he picks between some legendary current and former players, before eventually ending up with his champion, a forward he admits he "loved" watching as a boy.

Portugal failed to wrap up 2026 World Cup qualification after conceding a late Hungary equaliser to draw 2-2 in Lisbon. Roberto Martinez's side had initially come from behind to get in front, courtesy of two Cristiano Ronaldo goals that set a new all-time World Cup qualifying record, and were on the brink of booking their ticket to North America thanks to Armenia's defeat to Ireland providing the extra nudge required. But Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai intervened at the death and it means Ronaldo and co. must now wait until November for their next chance instead.

Yeremy Pino's glowing comments about Adam Wharton will do little to ease concerns among Crystal Palace fans that the midfielder won't be at Selhurst Park for the long-term. Since making the step up from Blackburn Rovers less than two years ago, Wharton has been heavily linked with a high profile move away in recent months, with Real Madrid a rumoured suitor.

The Champions League has only just undergone a major shakeup with the introduction of the 'league phase' in 2024, but UEFA wants to keep evolving the competition and the next set of format changes coming into force the season after next are expected to make even more of the action accessible to fans. A big part of that is copying a season-opening tradition used in American sports.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi saw a proposed summer transfer to Liverpool fall through at the 11th hour last month. But rather than simply resurrect a deal that would see him switch to Anfield by next summer at the latest, the England international looks set to have a number of other high profile clubs to choose from – including Bayern Munich as they make their own move.

Ex-West Ham United centre-back Nayef Aguerd has spoken about the ordeal he was put through by what is thought to have been an overzealous fan. The defender was at the airport in Marseille, waiting to fly to Morocco to link up with his national team for upcoming games, when he was attacked out of nowhere.