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Enzo Maresca has conceded he is struggling to put his finger on why Chelsea keep throwing away leads this season following their latest collapse against Aston Villa on Saturday. The Blues head coach admits he is at a loss to explain why his side are failing to maintain “control” in the Premier League - a worrying trend which he says is "not random".

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed the key behind the Cityzens' revival as he sent out a Premier League title race warning to Arsenal. The Gunners were momentarily replaced at the summit following City’s late victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, before the north Londoners reclaimed top spot following their win over Brighton later in the day.

Florian Wirtz has been placed on a ‘special bulk programme’ as Liverpool's summer signing continues to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League. After enduring a tough start to his journey in England following his £116million ($156.5m) summer arrival, the Germany international finally opened his account in the Premier League last weekend as he scored the winning goal against Wolves.

Manchester United Women have completed the signing of Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. In a major statement of intent from the club, the Germany international striker has joined the Red Devils on a contract until June 2029, becoming their second new addition in the January transfer window following the earlier arrival of Sweden defender Hanna Lundkvist.

Liverpool icon Ian Rush has revealed he thought he was going to die after collapsing at home. The legendary Reds and Wales forward was rushed to Countess of Chester hospital on December 11 after contracting 'superflu'. Rush, who is now an ambassador for the Merseyside club, suffered from breathing difficulties and spent the first two days in intensive care.

The Buccaneers have made themselves favourites to win the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League title. They currently lead the standings, enjoying a two-point lead at the top with two points ahead of second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns. That could see Abdeslam Ouaddou's men breaking Sundowns' stranglehold on the PSL after winning eight straight titles.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has labelled former club Arsenal as Premier League title “favourites” ahead of Tuesday’s crunch clash between the two teams. The Spaniard has taken the opportunity to add plenty of extra spice to a mouth-watering fixture which will see Mikel Arteta’s leaders play host to the high-flying Villans at the Emirates Stadium.

The MTN8-winning South Africa international defender has been playing in the Middle East after failing to get a team back at home, but it seems he might soon be heading out to Zimbabwe, where some top names from the Mzansi Premier Soccer League are playing. At 32 years old, the player, who can play any position at the back four, has a couple of seasons at the top.

The Brazilians have been dominating the South African top-flight for a decade, winning nine out of the possible 10 top-tier crowns, with a now-defunct Bidvest Wits the only team to have stopped them from achieving the feat. As a matter of fact, they have won the last eight crowns consecutively, but it seems the Soweto giants are determined to stop them.

Barcelona are eyeing a move for Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic on a free transfer as the Catalan giants see the striker as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Polish forward, who will soon enter the final six months of his current contract, has yet to decide on his future at Barcelona and has not penned a fresh extension yet.

Manager Ruben Amorim has stressed Manchester United will not make any new signings in January unless there is “common ground” between himself and director of football Jason Wilcox over which players will improve the squad. The Red Devils continue to be linked with a host of names - including several midfielders - ahead of the winter transfer window opening on New Year's Day.

Ahead of the winter transfer window, GOAL reevaluates its grades for the biggest summer moves involving USMNT stars.

Amad Diallo hailed Manchester United team-mate Bryan Mbeumo as a "good lad" after the pair swapped shirts following their Africa Cup of Nations clash between Ivory Coast and Cameroon. The former scored a brilliant goal as the two African heavyweights played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday as both nations inched closer to the knockout stages of the competition.

Kylian Mbappe’s ownership era at Caen has taken a bold new turn after the French club appointed former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gael Clichy as head coach. The 40-year-old steps into his first senior managerial role amid supporter unrest, with the club banking on his elite pedigree to spark a revival as they struggle in the third tier of French football.

The two Amakhosi players have been under stern scrutiny for struggling to show up for some games in big moments when it matters the most for the Soweto giants. But they appear to have little backing from their representative who, however, has been seen fighting in the corner of a Buccaneers star who has been finding it difficult at the ongoing AFCON tournament.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal are "actively looking" to make signings in the January transfer window as they continue to struggle with injuries. The Gunners spent £267 million ($360m) on players this summer, but they may dip back into the market next month as Ben White, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, and more, are all currently sidelined.

Ruben Amorim has praised Bruno Fernandes for his exemplary attitude while he is out injured. The Manchester United captain suffered a soft tissue injury against Aston Villa, ruling him out for the busy festive period. He still attended United's 1-0 win over Newcastle and Amorim said he continues to take a deep interest in the team, watching training sessions after doing his recovery work.

Paul Pogba has thanked former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo while accepting his Best Comeback Award at a special ceremony. The French midfielder was banned for four years after testing positive for high testosterone levels while playing for Juventus in September 2023 but after his suspension was reduced to 18 months, he made his return to football at Monaco after 811 days out of the sport.

Rasmus Hojlund’s revival in Italy has gathered pace after another decisive display for Napoli, prompting Antonio Conte to explain why the striker is now thriving following his Manchester United exit. The Napoli boss praised the Dane’s growing understanding of the role, while stressing that his side are still chasing the elite standard set by Serie A’s top contenders.

A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

In an attempt to end Young Africans SC's dominance, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi appointed the experienced South African tactician. Barker made his name with the Winelands club, a team he mentored from a second-tier side into the Premier Soccer League. In order to boost their technical bench, the Tanzanian heavyweights are reported to be in talks with the football analyst who is expected to be incorporated into Barker's technical bench.

Gary Lineker believes that struggling Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres needs to take a leaf out of in-form Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin's book. The Gunners hoped the Sweden international would be the final piece of the jigsaw in their bid to end their decades-long Premier League title drought. But as the former Sporting CP star underwhelms, ex-England international Lineker has pinpointed a way the forward can improve in front of goal.

Nicolas Jackson’s future is once again under the spotlight after his agent dropped a telling hint about the striker’s next move, with doubts growing over a permanent stay at Bayern Munich. The Senegal international’s loan spell in Germany appears to be nearing its natural end, opening the door to a new destination as interest builds elsewhere in Europe.

With South Africa up for what is a do-or-die clash against Zimbabwe, Broos has revealed the chances of two stars in the squad playing are incredibly limited. South Africa need at least a draw in order to keep their AFCON dream alive, and that means the usual tried and tested will likely get deployed. With eyes keen to see who Broos will line up for the Warriors game, the Belgian has already pointed out the players that are unlikely to play.

Liverpool have been told to plough ahead with a bold move for Arsenal star Jurrien Timber as Arne Slot seeks to address his side's issues in defence. The Reds won the Premier League title last season but this term they are finding their defence much more difficult. The Merseyside outfit have shipped 26 goals in just 18 league games and now they're being urged to strengthen their backline.

The Buccaneers playmaker arrived in Morocco with expectations high on him to step in for Themba Zwane who did not make it to the continental football showpiece. But he is yet to reproduce the form that earned him a place in the national team squad doing duty in North Africa. This comes after the coach’s attempts to identify Zwane’s replacement in Patrick Maswanganyi have so far failed.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi is refusing to let a brutal injury spell derail his biggest ambitions, with the teenager targeting a February return and keeping his World Cup 2026 dream firmly alive. Recovering step by step from knee surgery, the Barca No.6 insists everything is on track as he watches a flying team from the sidelines and vows to come back stronger.

Everton are reportedly eyeing a double January swoop for out-of-favour Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. While a move for the pair will be difficult and potentially expensive, the Toffees are hoping that Manchester City loanee Jack Grealish could be part of the club's sales pitch to bring them to Hill Dickinson Stadium next month.

The regional rivals are clashing in a high-stakes encounter, each hoping to win and seal a place in the Round of 16. The stakes are even higher for the Warriors, as they need a straight victory to reach the knockout stage, while for Bafana, at least a draw will be enough for them to progress. With just a point needed for the 1996 Champions, coach Hugo Broos is confident his charges will get the job done despite the pressure on their shoulders.