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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted he is ready to offer Gabriel Jesus his first start in almost 12 months. The Brazilian striker has endured a testing 2025 on the fitness front, with knee ligament damage being suffered, but he could have a prominent role to play for the Gunners in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with London rivals Crystal Palace.

Wayne Rooney has delivered a timely warning to Arsenal and Manchester City by insisting Liverpool cannot yet be ruled out of the Premier League title race. Despite sitting ten points off the summit at Christmas after a stuttering title defence, the former Manchester United striker believes the defending champions’ recent revival means they could still have a major say.

Mason Greenwood has been applauded for the “against all odds” impact that he has made in French football. World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf, who is a Marseille native, has told GOAL why the former Manchester United forward deserves immense credit for what he has achieved at Stade Velodrome. He has also addressed the transfer talk that Greenwood continues to generate.

Manchester United are a better footballing side under Ruben Amorim, that is undeniable. They move the ball far quicker and with a purpose that was largely lacking under the Portuguese manager's bumbling predecessor Erik ten Hag, whose poor decision-making set the club back years. Fans are getting proper entertainment in exchange for their money and time again, which means Amorim has hit the minimum requirement 13 months into his reign.

Arsenal are reported to have stepped up their interest in Borussia Dortmund-owned goalkeeper Diant Ramaj - who is currently on loan at Heidenheim. It is claimed that the Gunners have sent several scouting missions to Germany. David Raya remains No.1 at Emirates Stadium, with Kepa Arrizabalaga filling back-up duties, but further additions between the sticks are being considered.

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of former Juventus boss Rita Guarino as their new women’s head coach, handing the highly decorated Italian an 18-month contract. The 54-year-old arrives in east London with a glittering trophy haul and will take charge of her first match in the Women's Super League against Chelsea in January after the end of the winter break.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have sold another stake in Wrexham, but the Red Dragons - and their new investors - are expected to have Hollywood co-owners locked in “golden handcuffs”. Their value to the collective cause is not lost on anybody connected with the Welsh club, with a meteoric rise to prominence being enjoyed under A-list chairmen.

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.

Gary Neville has delivered a pointed verdict on Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes as the race with Manchester City reaches a decisive phase, insisting the Gunners will not “bottle it this time”. While acknowledging the pressure Pep Guardiola’s side apply every spring, the former Manchester United defender believes Arsenal’s biggest danger lies elsewhere.

It's that time of year where leagues around Europe begin to wind down for their winter breaks. Some countries allow their top-flight teams an extended period off around Christmas, while others will only be missing from the schedules for a week or so. All the while, the Premier League will continue throughout the festive period as the title race continues to hot up.

Real Madrid have been advised to do "everything possible” to sell Vinicius Junior if he demands a contract similar to Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. The Brazilian forward is not considered to be deserving of such terms, with the Blancos needing to move him on - amid interest from the Saudi Pro League - as no player is bigger than the Liga heavyweights.

Premier League teams have been warned off a move for Neymar, as he prepares to hit free agency, with clubs in England being told that any approach for the Brazil international would be “about how many shirts they sell”. Despite being a modern day great, Neymar is now 33 years old and has struggled with injury of late - leading to questions of what he has to offer in a sporting sense.

Ruben Amorim fears Manchester United are going to “struggle” after club captain Bruno Fernandes was added to their list of absentees, but the Portuguese will not be demanding that club bosses make funds available in the January transfer window. Instead, in a bleak warning to supporters, the Red Devils are planning to battle through with what they have.

Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City squad that they cannot indulge over Christmas, with the “controlling” Catalan coach vowing to weigh his players on December 25 in a bid to ensure that none of them get “fatty” during the festive period. Premier League title hopefuls City are back in action on Saturday with a trip to Nottingham Forest.

Leny Yoro saw his performance for Manchester United in their 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa torn apart by Red Devils legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville. The French defender had to shoulder much of the blame for both of Morgan Rogers’ goals in the West Midlands, with United accused of being “one of the worst teams in the league” when out of possession.

Harry Kane's incredible season continued on Sunday as the Bayern Munich striker made more history with a goal in their 4-0 win over Heidenheim in the Bundesliga, captaining the club for the first time. This was the England captain's 100th Bundesliga goal contribution. The 32-year-old has also been named German Footballing Personality of the Year by kicker for a phenomenal 12 months.

Morocco kicked off the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday with a 2-0 win against Comoros, with Ayoub El Kaabi's overhead kick to clinch the victory likely to be remembered as one of the goals of the tournament. The Atlas Lions are tournament hosts and hoping to become the kings of the continent for the first time in their history having never won AFCON before.

Barcelona have been rocked by a significant injury setback after Andreas Christensen suffered a partial Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear during training, dealing a blow to Hansi Flick’s defensive plans. The Danish defender’s recovery timeline remains uncertain, adding fresh concern to a season already disrupted by fitness issues for the experienced centre-back.

Mohamed Salah continues to generate transfer talk on the back of a sparking a storm at Liverpool, but Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has refuted any suggestion that the superstar forward is in "crisis". Salah was benched for five consecutive Premier League fixtures prior to linking up with his country for Africa Cup of Nations duty, leading to uncertainty being cast over his future.

Real Madrid’s stance on a sensational transfer swoop for Erling Haaland has been revealed. The Blancos have been heavily linked with the prolific Norwegian for some time, as he is considered to fit the ‘Galactico’ mould at the Bernabeu, but no imminent raid on Manchester City is being lined up as Kylian Mbappe is delivering the goods in Spain.

London City Lionesses have confirmed they have sacked manager Jocelyn Precheur despite making a promising start to life to the Women's Super League season in their maiden campaign. London City, who were formed back in 2019, made their debut in the top division of women's football in England for 2025-26 after gaining promotion from the Women's Championship.

Morgan Rogers has insisted he is doing all he can to keep his England place, with Thomas Tuchel's squad boasting a 'heap of quality'. The attacking midfielder continued his fine 2025-26 season on Sunday with a superb match-winning brace in Aston Villa's 2-1 triumph at home to Manchester United, taking his tally of Premier League goals to seven for the campaign.

Aston Villa mocked viral Manchester United fan 'The United Strand' after beating the Red Devils 2-1 and extending their winning run to 10 games across all competitions. The viral sensation, whose real name is Frank Ilett, has vowed not to cut his hair until United win five matches in a row. The closest Ruben Amorim's side have come to that feat since his appointment was three games, a run which ended in November.

GOAL reviews the weekend’s top Americans Abroad performances as Pepi keeps scoring and McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Brenden Aaronson impress.

Ruben Amorim has revealed Bruno Fernandes suffered 'soft tissue' damage during Manchester United's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa. The battling Red Devils were undone by two fine strikes from Morgan Rogers, which came either side of Matheus Cunha's equaliser. But ultimately, the visitors' afternoon was overshadowed by the injury picked up by their near-ever present captain.

Former Manchester United favourite Nemanja Matic came in support of the club, ex-head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as the midfielder claimed that the Norwegian 'deserved more time' as Man Utd boss. Solskjaer lasted almost three years at Old Trafford before being sacked by his former club due to a poor start to their campaign in the 2021-22 season.

Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli has addressed growing concern around Paul Pogba’s stuttering comeback after again opting to rest the midfielder, insisting patience is required following his long absence from football. The Frenchman’s limited minutes since returning from a doping ban have sparked debate, but the Belgian coach remains calm about his situation.

Daryl Dike has explained to the ‘Beast Mode On’ podcast what makes USMNT star Christian Pulisic special. The AC Milan forward is fondly known as ‘Captain America’ in his homeland and does take on skipper duties at times. He is a source of inspiration to many of those around him, with an unassuming character taking to leading through action rather than words.

Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal delivered a second-half goal after surviving a horror challenge from Renato Veiga as the defending champions comfortably beat Villarreal 2-0 to restore their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Raphinha had handed the visitors the lead from the penalty spot before Yamal scored the clincher.