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Liverpool were dealt an injury blow just minutes before kick-off against Nottingham Forest on Sunday in the Premier League. Summer signing Florian Wirtz was named in the starting XI but was forced out of the game after sustaining an injury in the warm-up. Curtis Jones was subsequently called into the team to take over from the Germany international.

Kalvin Phillips was shown a straight red card on Sunday for a shocking challenge in the Steel City Derby. The Manchester City midfielder, who moved on loan to Championship side Sheffield United at the end of the January transfer window, was handed his marching orders early in the second half following a poor challenge on midfielder Svante Ingelsson.

The 29-year-old has been with the Buccaneers since July 2019, when he joined the Soweto giants from Bloemfontein Celtic. However, this season has arguably been the toughest of his time at the club, with increased competition in midfield and limited opportunities. The difficult spell has fuelled speculation about his future under the current coach and whether he still features in the long-term plans.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi was spotted being restrained by team-mate Luis Suarez after the team's 3-0 defeat to LAFC on Saturday in their MLS season opener. Goals from David Martinez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz secured an emphatic win and made it a miserable start to the season for The Herons. Messi appeared furious after the final whistle and Suarez was seen seemingly attempting to calm him down as they both made their way down the tunnel.

When the Rockets revealed that their match against the Tshwane giants will be hosted at a ground situated about 73 km from Pretoria, there were murmurs. In a packed Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, the Mpumalanga-based outfit knocked out Masandawana. Consequently, Miguel Cardoso's side saw their dream of claiming a domestic Cup this season end after earlier setbacks in the Carling Knockout and MTN8.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has been quizzed on Nicolas Jackson's future at the club amid speculation he will return to Chelsea at the end of the season. Jackson moved to the Bavarian giants on a season-long loan in the summer but his contract includes a buy option. However, it has been reported that Bayern do not plan to sign Jackson permanently and that he will head back to the Blues at the end of the season.

The PSL big three have all exited the Nedbank Cup, shifting full focus onto the league title race. While Mamelodi Sundowns still have continental commitments, the spotlight now turns to the Soweto teams. A retired footballer believed the Glamour Boys still have a chance and that this is their opportunity to fight and be among Africa’s elite clubs.

Even as the Masandawana coach rotates his squad to keep the team fresh, the former Stellenbosch FC star still struggles for regular game time. Despite the Brazilians blowing hot and cold, competition for places remains fierce, limiting his match opportunities. Having travelled to the United States with the Tshwane giants last June, he now hopes to make the trip again, but this time with the South Africa national soccer team.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has sent out a warning to his players ahead of Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham. The Gunners head into the match after throwing away a two-goal lead to Wolves in midweek and having see their lead at the top over Manchester City cut to just two points. As the pressure grows on Arsenal, Arteta has urged his players to stand up and be counted.

Masandawana's inconsistency this season was exposed again after falling to the Rockets in a domestic knockout competition. After two consecutive morale-boosting wins against Orlando Pirates and MC Alger, many expected the Tshwane giants to sweep their cup rivals aside, but that was not the case. The elimination is set to add more pressure on the coach at a time the season is heading towards a vital period.

Jesse Lingard has been warned that life in Brazilian football is a “hard slog”, with the former Manchester United playmaker seeing a shock switch to South America speculated on. The ex-England international has been a free agent since severing ties with K-League outfit FC Seoul in December 2025. Lingard is waiting on enticing offers, with it being suggested that one has been tabled by Remo.

The goal-scoring struggles continue to haunt the Mayfair side, who, within the space of a week, suffered another defeat. Saturday’s loss ended their hopes of adding another cup, forcing them to refocus solely on the league; however, Ouaddou noted that such upsets are expected in cup competitions.

England are blessed with right-back options heading towards the 2026 World Cup, with a history-making former Three Lions star that once filled that position telling GOAL who he would favour in a bid for global glory. Viv Anderson has also explained who he would “discard”, with Thomas Tuchel facing some tough selection decisions ahead of major tournament action.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany has explained how his own experiences as a player have helped him when it comes to coaching Harry Kane at the club. Kane has thrived since making the switch from Tottenham and scored a double on Saturday to take his tally to the season to 28 in the Bundesliga. Yet Kompany says his defensive efforts are also important to the team.

Ex-Arsenal star Jack Wilshere had to be dragged away from a confrontation with agitated Luton fans by his own players following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burton Albion at Kenilworth Road. The Hatters allowed two points to slip through their grasp late on in that contest, leading to some supporters venting their frustration in Wilshere’s direction as he made his way down the tunnel.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged his players to "enjoy life" and go out and enjoy some cocktails after securing a 2-1 win over Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday. The result has put more pressure on table-toppers Arsenal ahead of their date with Tottenham, as Manchester City are now just two points behind the Gunners in the race for the title.

Abafana Bes’thende were meant to be celebrating their progression to the quarter-finals, but their victory was clouded by controversy and lingering “what if” questions over a contentious incident. Despite his side being on the favourable end of the decision, the former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor maintained that the league urgently needs VAR to keep pace with the speed of the modern game.

Harry Kane has reacted to a surprising transfer claim from Barcelona presidential candidate Xavi Vilajoana, with the prolific Bayern Munich striker seeing a shock move to Camp Nou speculated on. The England international is maintaining remarkable individual standards in German football, with contract extension talks being lined up at the Allianz Arena.

The 20-year-old started his first competitive match for his new club, but it did not go as planned. Despite taking the lead in the first half through Hugo Cuypers, Chicago succumbed to two second half goals to slump to their first defeat of the Eastern Conference season. Puso Dithejane also made his debut when he replaced his fellow countryman in the 88th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo has addressed the speculation surrounding his future in the Saudi Pro League. The Portuguese GOAT recently went on strike, amid frustration at how transfer funds are distributed in the Middle East, but has returned to action and is back among the goals. He claims to be happy with Al-Nassr and offered no indication that he will be breaking the most lucrative contract in world football.

Chelsea have issued a statement to condemn the racist abuse aimed at defender Wesley Fofana in the wake of Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge. Fofana revealed the abuse he received after the game in several posts on social media which drew a swift and strong response from the Blues who said they were "appalled and disgusted."

Pep Guardiola has showered Manchester City starlet Nico O’Reilly with praise, claiming that the versatile 20-year-old is so complete. The youngster, who had just nine senior career goals to his name prior to facing Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, bagged a brace in his latest Premier League experience to fire City to within two points of table-topping Arsenal.

The Premier Soccer League takes a break this weekend as clubs chase a slot in the last eight of the annual domestic competition. After holders Amakhosi were knocked out by the Cape Winelands side, it is interesting to see who takes over. Top dogs Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have also both been eliminated.

The Soweto giants have shown some improvements in other departments this season, but their attack remains a huge concern. This is despite Amakhosi having eight forwards in their squad, but they are still unconvincing upfront. That has forced the technical team to formulate means to get the goals in, as Amakhosi still have chances of winning the Premier Soccer League title.

'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.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami came into the 2026 season with a ton of new shiny toys, but it was a familiar LAFC who dominated in their season opener - crushing the Herons in a 3-0 rout in front of an MLS-record opening day crowd of 75,673 at LA Memorial Coliseum. Denis Bouanga sparked an impressive performance for the Black and Gold, with an impressive goal and assist in the second half.

Lionel Messi was unable to make an impact and Inter Miami were poor defensively as they dropped the first game of the season to LAFC, 3-0. The Herons never really got into the game, and were undone by three clinical counterattacks by the home side - who showed that they just might be serious challengers for MLS Cup this year.

Burnley have condemned the racial abuse suffered by Hannibal Mejbri following his side's 1-1 draw at Chelsea, with the Tunisia midfielder sharing a harmful message he had been sent after full-time at Stamford Bridge. Burnley issued a club statement which emphasised their stance that there is no place for racism in society and that anyone guilty of racist abuse should be investigated and punished.

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior was left enraged as his side conceded a stoppage-time equaliser against Burnley on Saturday to drop points at home for the second successive game. The 41-year-old told reporters that it is "not good enough" for his side to simply play well and they must do more to see out victories - after dropping four points from winning positions against newly-promoted Leeds United and Burnley in consecutive Premier League games.