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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was left furious after his side were denied what he claims was a certain penalty during the entertaining two-all clash with Chelsea, calling it a "stonewall penalty" and a "clear error" that should have been overturned by VAR. The incident occurred when Anthony Gordon was challenged in the box by Trevoh Chalobah, sending the Toon forward crashing to the ground, but the appeals were waved away.

Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard sparked a Championship melee after celebrating Coventry City's hard-fought draw against Southampton on Saturday. The Sky Blues were reduced to 10 men at the start of the second half, but they managed to hold Southampton to a draw to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches, with their last loss coming in November against Wrexham.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak both scored in a crazy clash at Tottenham which ended 2-1 to Liverpool and with the hosts playing with just nine men. There were worrying signs for the Reds after Isak had to be substituted straight after scoring the opener and Thomas Frank’s side saw Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off.

Alexander Isak limped out of Liverpool's clash with Tottenham just seconds after scoring the opening goal of the game, after appearing to injure his ankle. The Sweden international came off the bench at half-time but was withdrawn shortly after a lunge from Micky van de Ven left him writhing in agony on the turf.

Aston Villa are considering a move for Barcelona and Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez, whose future at the club remains uncertain. Martinez, a World Cup winner and key figure in Villa's recent success, has been linked with moves to various European clubs, creating a pressing need for a top-tier successor should he depart.

Serie A side Fiorentina are eyeing a shock deal to appoint Spurs' director of football Fabio Paratici. Following a change in their ownership, Tottenham announced the arrival of Italian transfer guru Paratici, who formed part of a new leadership group alongside Johan Lange. Since then, the pair has been working together across the club's transfer strategy, with Paratici's 30-month ban coming to an end.

Brazil international Thiago Silva is a free agent again at the age of 41, with the defender agreeing to the early termination of his contract at Fluminense. Having spent 18 months back at his boyhood club, the centre-half is reportedly eyeing a return to Europe - where he has previously represented AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Another sensational performance from Erling Haaland sent Manchester City to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a dominant 3-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland bagged two goals to take his tally to 19 in the league this season and also laid on the assist for Tijjani Reijnders in a comfortable win which moves them a point ahead of the Gunners.

Unhappy Hansi Flick spoke out after losing key Barcelona star Pedri to injury ahead of their crucial La Liga clash with Villarreal on Sunday. The Spain international has had fitness issues since suffering a left hamstring injury in El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26. He had earlier remained sidelined for five matches across all competitions last month and had missed the November international break.

There was high drama in the dying seconds of the thrilling match between Newcastle and Chelsea as Harvey Barnes appeared to be pulled down by Reece James, but VAR denied the Magpies' desperate pleas for a penalty at the end of the pulsating clash which ended two-all. And James has spoken after the match, claiming the contact was “too soft” for a spot-kick to be awarded.

Newcastle United were left feeling deeply aggrieved after being denied what many believed was a clear penalty in a pulsating Premier League encounter that ultimately slipped from their grasp against Chelsea. A breathless contest at St. James’ Park swung dramatically on a controversial second-half moment, with Anthony Gordon sent sprawling inside the area after contact from Trevoh Chalobah, only for referee and VAR to wave play on.

Kylian Mbappe has received a birthday message from an unlikely source after winning a court case against Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid wages and bonuses. The Real Madrid star sought £231.5 million (€264m/$310m) from his former club, while the French giants counter-sued the France captain for £211m (€243m/$282m). Not long after the forward came out on top in this long-running dispute, PSG appear to be taking the high road.

Reece James's world-class free-kick paved the way to an unlikely 2-2 comeback draw for Chelsea after a horror first half at Newcastle United. A brace inside the opening 20 minutes from Nick Woltemade put the Magpies in control but a much-improved second half salvaged the Blues a point. Captain James led by example with his stunner before Joao Pedro ensured a thrilling game ended in a stalemate on Saturday.

A raging Hansi Flick labelled FIFA's The Best XI a "joke" after Raphinha was left out of the team. The Barcelona forward's exclusion cut particularly deep, given the scale of his output after helping Barcelona win three trophies last term. He had been shortlisted among the final 26-man list, yet failed to secure a place in the ultimate team at FIFA’s annual awards.

Lamine Yamal has been advised to get a girlfriend, as the Barcelona wonderkid is tipped to become the best in the world. The teenage winger had been linked with influencer Alex Padilla and, more prominently, Argentine pop star Nicki Nicole. What initially looked like a blooming love story, especially with the latter, has now fizzled out, with Yamal confirming that the pair are no longer together.

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira says he has a "positive expectation" that Neymar will extend his contract despite reported interest from Flamengo. The 33-year-old played a crucial role in keeping his boyhood club in the Brazilian top-flight and despite having a huge amount of affection for the Vila Belmiro side, the forward is unsure about his future as his contract ticks down.

Alexander Isak has spoken out on his Liverpool struggles after a controversial £125 million ($167m) transfer from Newcastle in the summer. The forward has so far failed to find his form at Merseyside and hence failed to meet expectations, which rose to unprecedented levels as the Reds paid a record sum to the Tyneside club to bring their talismanic forward to Anfield.

Arne Slot has revealed how Liverpool are helping Florian Wirtz amid an upturn in form following a slow start to life at Anfield. The German playmaker swapped Bayer Leverkusen for Merseyside this summer but he has not lived up to his huge £116 million ($156m) transfer fee. But a change in approach from the Reds may be helping the 22-year-old heading into Christmas.

Liverpool legend John Barnes has told his old club not to sign Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. The Premier League champions have been linked with the 25-year-old but Barnes thinks they have enough strength in depth at present. The former England winger also believes that Reds forward Mohamed Salah isn't going anywhere despite his outspoken outburst against Arne Slot and the Merseyside outfit.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not preparing to enter the January transfer market in search of a new goalkeeper, despite a testing run of form for Guglielmo Vicario and growing scrutiny from sections of the fanbase. Internally, there remains confidence in the Italian international, even after a season in which individual mistakes have been magnified amid mixed results.

Mikel Arteta has revealed what he tells his Arsenal players about his long-term future at the club. Saturday's trip to Everton marks six years in the job for Arteta but in that time, the Gunners have only won the FA Cup. The Spaniard's contract expires in the summer of 2027 but if he is to stay on, he suggested he needs to "earn the right" at the north London team.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' executive chairman Jeff Shi stepped down from his operational role, bringing an end to nearly a decade at the helm during which fortunes have swung dramatically. The 48-year-old departs with the club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, winless and stranded on just two points, while the spectre of relegation looms large.

Luis Diaz has described Bayern Munich team-mate Harry Kane as a "spectacular" player, while revealing how the England captain has surprised him. The winger swapped Liverpool for the German giants over the summer and has made a strong impression so far this season. Now, he has spoken about settling in at Bayern and what it is like having Kane as an ally.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have been slapped with a transfer ban by FIFA ahead of the January window. The governing body updated its official register on Friday, listing the Saudi Pro League side among clubs prohibited from registering new players. December 19 has been cited as the start date of the sanction, though no conclusion has been provided.

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Matvey Safonov fractured his hand during the Intercontinental Cup final penalty shootout but played through the pain to guide his side to victory. After ending extra-time with the game at 1-1, the French giants emerged victorious with a 2-1 shootout win as Safonov saved a remarkable four spot-kicks. Days on from that result, it appears he pulled off his heroics despite being injured.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson offered an emphatic defence of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo after a late mistake proved decisive in a pulsating 2-1 Championship defeat away to Swansea City. In a fixture loaded with history and emotion, Wrexham’s hopes of claiming a valuable derby point were undone in the closing stages, leaving Parkinson’s side ruing what might have been.

In Europe, much of the build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has unfortunately - but inevitably - focused on which clubs will be most affected by the tournament's scheduling slap-bang in the middle of the season. As an incredibly prestigious tournament that rarely fails to deliver a barely-believable amount of drama, the AFCON deserves so much better.

Jadon Sancho might be more of a basketball man than baseball but ever since he joined Aston Villa he has been on his third strike. He flopped terribly at Manchester United even before blowing his career up over a petty dispute with Erik ten Hag. He then failed to convince on loan at Chelsea, who backed out of an agreed deal to sign him. Now he is a periphery squad member for Villa.

Bethany England remembers vividly the first time she won the League Cup. There were just five minutes remaining when Leah Williamson levelled the scores for Arsenal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, putting the 2020 final on the brink of extra time. But then, basically on the goal line at the other end, England popped up with the stoppage time winner for Chelsea, as Emma Hayes’ Blues filled a frustrating gap in an otherwise bulging trophy cabinet.