The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or honors has officially heated up with the unveiling of the nominees for the prestigious Club of the Year awards. Back-to-back European champions Paris Saint-Germain are looking to defend their men's crown against a resurgent Arsenal and a dominant Bayern Munich side, while a treble-winning Barcelona enter the women's category on a fierce mission to reclaim their throne.
The road to Madrid begins this week as the league phase gets under way - but which teams are currently looking in the best shape to go on and lift the European Cup?
Graeme Souness has once again voiced his concerns over Declan Rice’s credentials as an elite midfielder, delivering a scathing review of the Arsenal star's tactical approach. Despite Rice’s instrumental role in the Gunners' recent successes, the Liverpool legend remains entirely unconvinced by the England international’s positioning on the pitch.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has hit out at Declan Rice, accusing the Arsenal midfielder of committing the "most annoying offence in the world" to spark a confrontation with Morgan Rogers. The England internationals were involved in a heated altercation during the final stages of Arsenal’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.
Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix insisted that his side were unfortunate to leave the Emirates Stadium empty-handed following their 2-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. Despite a spirited performance from the visitors, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners managed to overturn an early deficit to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.
Bruno Guimaraes has offered a fascinating insight into the mentality of Mikel Arteta, describing the Arsenal manager as "very obsessed" with continuous improvement. The Brazilian midfielder, who arrived in North London this summer, believes the Spaniard's relentless drive is the primary catalyst behind the Gunners' perfect start to their Premier League title defence.
Al Anwar
