Analysis

Manchester City hoped, and may even have expected that a midfielder called Nico would transform their fortunes during the second half of last season. The man that has become key to Pep Guardiola’s side’s mid-season surge and made them contenders to pull off the quadruple is not, however, the gangly Nico Gonzalez, who was recruited from Porto for £50 million last January, but rather academy graduate Nico O’Reilly, who cost nothing at all.

GOAL’s writers analyze LAFC’s battering of Inter Miami, the New York Red Bulls’ fast start, and whether Nashville is the contender everyone forgot in the latest Rondo.

MLS’s opening weekend delivered surprise results and standout performances - but also plenty of drama and controversy, even from its biggest star, Lionel Messi.

If they didn't know it beforehand, then Sunday's north London derby seemingly confirmed one thing for those watching on as Tottenham succumbed to Arsenal: Spurs are in a relegation battle. Igor Tudor was supposed to deliver a new-manager bounce after replacing Thomas Frank, but his side looked severely lacking in quality and, perhaps more importantly, belief as they went down 4-1 to the Gunners to leave themselves just four points above the drop zone with 11 matches to play.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, as two major names returned from injury

'Bottle jobs' is a slur that has often been thrown in Arsenal's direction in recent years, after Mikel Arteta's side finished second, second and second in each of the past three Premier League seasons. While they have grounds to argue against that being the case in those instances, even the most ardent Gunners fan would admit they had 'bottled it' if they fail to claim the title this time around.

GOAL breaks down the big storylines involving American stars ahead of MLS' kickoff this weekend.

For most of their shared existence as rivals, Arsenal have had the upper hand over Tottenham. Be that from 1913 when Woolwich Arsenal moved into Spurs territory north of the River Thames, from 1919 when the Gunners beat Tottenham into being voted into the Football League or by winning the title twice at White Hart Lane, the red half of this conflict has so often been superior.

Christian Pulisic is hunting for fitness for Milan, and Folarin Balogun could deliver a big three points for his team if he continues his current form.

On the eve of his first senior head coaching match, Michael Bradley spoke with GOAL about his Red Bulls vision and modern football.

There were so many big names to watch at last year's Copa America Femenina. Marta's emergence out of international retirement was the major storyline going into the tournament, where stars such as Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo, Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez and Manchester City's Kerolin were also primed to shine. But these events also provide the platform for new names to rise to the fore, and that is exactly what happened with a 17-year-old sensation from Paraguay by the name of Claudia Martinez.

After winning all of the last six Women's Super League titles in succession, it's not been an easy season so far for Chelsea. The Blues are set to surrender their crown for the first time in seven years, with Manchester City sat eight points clear at the top of the table, and the negative noise around the club has only grown since the unpopular departure of Paul Green, the long-time head of women's football, was announced last week. But on Sunday, it felt like a boost of hope was injected into their season, by none other than Lauren James.

If Manchester City want to stand the very best chance of beating Newcastle on Saturday, there is a very simple step Pep Guardiola can take: Start Omar Marmoush. The Egypt forward has scored five times in his two starts against the Magpies, with his goals against Eddie Howe's side accounting for 41 percent of his total output since he arrived at the Etihad Stadium last January.

On February 8, Ousmane Dembele proudly proclaimed Paris Saint-Germain were back to their treble-winning best. Luis Enrique's men hadn't played particularly impressively during the first half of the 2025-26 campaign, so they wanted to send a warning to all of their domestic and European rivals in La Classique - and they realised that objective in emphatic fashion, inflicting a brutal 5-0 beating upon Marseille at Parc des Princes.

It was a busy offseason for MLS clubs with some of the league's well-known stars moving on to new cities. GOAL looks at the biggest moves ahead of the 2026 season.

GOAL breaks down where the USMNT strikers sit after a big week for Balogun, Wright and Agyemang.

After watching Premier League leaders Arsenal be held to a 2-2 draw by basement boys Wolves on Wednesday, former Gunner Alan Smith admitted, "That word 'bottle' will be used quite a bit in the next few days." And with good cause. Having blown a two-goal lead at Molineux against one of the weakest teams England's top-flight has ever seen, the obvious question now is whether Mikel Arteta's men are also going to throw away the title.

"To become co-owner of Manchester United is a great honour and comes with great responsibility." Those the words of Sir Jim Ratcliffe upon purchasing his 27.7 percent stake in the Red Devils in February 2024. "This marks the completion of the transaction, but just the beginning of our journey to take Manchester United back to the top of English, European and world football, with world-class facilities for our fans."

Back in the summer of 2006, a few nights transformed Fabio Grosso from an outsider to an Italian national hero. From his decisive left-footed strike against Germany to his perfect penalty in Berlin, Grosso’s is an incredible story of humility, courage, and destiny that took him from the fields of Serie C2 to the World Cup final. This is ICONS - a GOAL podcast and feature series that revisits the last 10 World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament back to life.

GOAL caught up with the 22-year-old midfielder to discuss his adjustment to life in Colorado and why he's relishing the opportunity to be important

GOAL spoke to GMs and chief soccer officers across MLS about the league’s 3.0 vision: the calendar change is progress, but executives say the next steps must come faster.

Eberechi Eze was meant to be Arsenal's X-factor this season, a player who could break the mould and deliver moments of magic for a regimented team in need of that extra attacking spark. The Gunners sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table, but they are still missing that fluidity in the final third, and Eze has seldom proven the answer to the questions over their potency from open play.

Cesc Fabregas was one of the finest midfielders of his generation. He made his Arsenal debut at 16 and, by the age of 23, he'd already won a European Championship and a World Cup with Spain. So, when Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi says that Fabregas is "even better as a coach" than he was as a player, it's quite the claim.

Coming into the 2025-26 season, few - if any - were carrying the kind of momentum that Chloe Kelly was. She was the Lionesses' hero in the summer, scoring the penalty that delivered the 2025 European Championship title after also enjoying huge moments in the quarter-and-semi-finals to get England into that title-deciding clash with Spain. With a permanent move to Arsenal secured after all that, having helped the Gunners win the Champions League in May while on loan, Kelly felt primed for a huge season.

The North Londoner, who worked under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Scott Parker, is hoping to bring an aggressive style of football to a young Rapids side

GOAL sat down with the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder to discuss his not-so-meteoric rise and what it means for his World Cup hopes

This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series that counts down to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we travel through the most emotional legacy in football history: Argentina’s journey from wounds to glory. From the heartbreak of lost finals to the joy of Qatar, this is the story of a team that turned suffering into strength, and passion into destiny. A nation that doesn’t just play the World Cup - it feels it.

Pep Guardiola has told Phil Foden to just relax amid his latest slump in form, but that is easier said than done, given his place in the Manchester City lineup is less certain than ever while his status in the England squad also at risk. Foden appeared to have put last season's struggles behind him towards the end of 2025, but he now appears to be suffering another dip at the worst possible time.