Manchester City have been fined £3 million by the Premier League over the last two seasons for delaying kick-offs to 30 matches after half-time. The club were forced to pay £2m at the end of the 2023-24 campaign and £1m last term for taking too long to emerge after the break following Pep Guardiola's lengthy team talks. The coach has also been warned about holding press conferences too late in the day.
Liverpool's nightmare defence of their Premier League title took a turn for the worse on Saturday as Nottingham Forest ripped the Reds apart at Anfield. In a game that saw more than one moment of VAR controversy, Forest struck three times, courtesy of efforts from Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White, to leave a shellshocked Arne Slot potentially fearing for his job.
Wrexham earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw as an inspired Arthur Okonkwo helped his side withstand an Ipswich Town onslaught at Portman Road. Phil Parkinson's men mustered just two shots to the home team's 18 and were greatly indebted to Okonkwo's brilliance in goal. While many will be concerned about their attack, their defence held steadfast once more in the Championship.
Two contentious first half refereeing decisions made headlines at Anfield on Saturday. The VAR first saw no reason to chalk off Murillo's opener, despite Liverpool's players protesting that an offside player interfered with Alisson's line of sight. Moments later, Igor Jesus' effort was disallowed for handball, despite replays showing the ball did not touch the striker's arm.
Michael Olise stole the show with a brace and three assists while Harry Kane continued his incredible scoring record as Vincent Kompany's men pumped six goals past Freiburg. The French international was simply sensational as he turbocharged Bayern's comeback after the defending champions fell behind by two goals within 17 minutes.
Enzo Maresca has revealed Reece James' half-time substitution during Chelsea's 2-0 win away at Burnley was a planned switch. The Blues' skipper was replaced by fellow right back Malo Gusto, as the west London club prepare for a crucial week in their season. Maresca's men square off against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting rivals Arsenal next Sunday.
Marcus Rashford will have to wait a little longer to play in Barcelona's newly reopened Camp Nou after being ruled out of their clash with Athletic Club. The Manchester United loanee has enjoyed an excellent start to life with the Catalan outfit, contributing a hatful of goals and assists. But the Blaugrana say he will not feature in Saturday's La Liga encounter as they try to close in on rivals Real Madrid.
Arsenal are not expected to enter the race to sign Antoine Semenyo this January. The Gunners will instead prioritise a summer spending spree, leaving Premier League rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United to battle it out for the Ghanian international's signature. Semenyo's £65m release clause will come into effect at the start of 2026, prompting a likely bidding war.
Masandawana managed to outclass their first group stage opponents by securing a win in an end-to-end encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday. Considered a group of death, Downs have collected their first three points after dispatching the Sea Robbers' tormentors. The home win is a morale boost for the Tshwane giants, who will face their former head coach, Rhulani Mokwena, in their next continental game.
Premier League manager responds to talk of £60m move for Napoli star Scott McTominay after rumours surfaced that the Scotland star could head back to England soon after completing a move from Manchester United to the Italian side in the summer of 2024. McTominay enjoyed great success in his maiden season in Italy as he helped Napoli win the league title and was declared Serie A's Player of the Season.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored in either half as Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Enzo Maresca’s Blues moved up to second in the table with a performance which saw Andrey Santos shine in place of Moises Caicedo, who was rested ahead of Tuesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Barcelona.
Mikel Arteta has provided a window into the ongoing contract negotiations between Arsenal and star winger Bukayo Saka. The Gunners boss said he is confident the 24-year-old will "leave a legacy" at his boyhood club. Saka is under contract with Arsenal until 2027, but is expected to sign a new deal as the club looks to lock down the core of its title-challenging squad.
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane explained exactly why he's blown away by 'incredible' Al-Nassr team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. Mane has shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for more than two years and has built a formidable partnership with the Portuguese legend in the Al-Nassr attack. Mane moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023, just six months after Ronaldo arrived at the club.
Enzo Maresca has revealed that star midfielder Moises Caicedo was forced to start from the bench for Saturday's Premier League tie against Burnley due to the player's late arrival in London after the international break. The Ecuadorian played every minute of his country's two friendlies against New Zealand and Canada, reporting back to the west London club on Thursday evening.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns star has missed only two matches for Amakhosi this season. At 34, he stands out as one of the most experienced figures in the Soweto giants’ dressing room. His wealth of knowledge, especially in continental football, places him among the key players expected to guide the squad through the CAF Confederation Cup this season.
The youngster is proving his quality for both the Buccaneers and the South African national team with excellent and consistent displays, regardless of the opponent he is facing. The bulky centre-back has been tipped to ply trade overseas, which might see the Sea Robbers coach Abdeslam Ouaddou find a solution at the heart of his club's defence.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has sent out a strong message on talk of a potential blockbuster £100m Spurs transfer. Since the Lewis family took full control of the Premier League side from former chairman Daniel Levy, they have pumped in funds of £100 million to demonstrate that they are aiming to achieve sustained success at the north London club.
Jose Mourinho was far from happy with his Benfica side, as they scraped through the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal with a 2-0 win over minnows Atletico CP. The Special One unleashed an explosive post-match rant against his starting eleven, claiming he would have made nine substitutions at half time, if allowed. He went on to call some of his players' attitudes "unacceptable".
Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed how Erling Haaland convinced him to move from Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City in the summer transfer window. The Italian goalkeeper left the European champions on deadline day to sign for the Premier League giants after falling out of favour under Luis Enrique, who had already signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille.
Serie A giants Inter Milan are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the January transfer window. The Argentina shot-stopper continues to be linked with a big-money move away from Villa Park after missing out on a deadline-day switch to fellow Premier League side Manchester United in the summer.
The 38-year-old tactician did not have a good start to the CAF Inter-Club Group D assignment after falling against a Sudanese outfit on Friday. It was a massive blow to the former Masandawana coach, who is desperate to win the prestigious continental annual club competition after reaching the quarter-final and semi-final in the initial editions with the South African heavyweights.
Chelsea legend and former England star John Terry revealed why he turned down a big-money move to the Blues' Premier League title rivals during his playing days. A bona fide Stamford Bridge legend, Terry was associated with the Blues for 19 years from his academy days in 1998 up until 2017. In his senior professional career, Terry has won multiple honours, including five Premier League titles.
Manager Enzo Maresca believes Chelsea’s loss of injured talisman Cole Palmer is equivalent to Manchester City and Liverpool facing life without star forwards Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah. The Blues have not been able to call upon their main man since September, with his return from injury having now been delayed following a freak accident at home.
The Democratic Republic of Congo outfit will be at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, hoping to cause an upset against the defending Premier Soccer League champions in the CAF Inter-Club competition. This is the first-ever meeting between the teams across all tournaments, which makes the game even more entertaining.
Head coach Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will attempt to delay the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the Africa Cup of Nations. The Portuguese is keen to keep hold of the trio for as long as possible as the Red Devils prepare for a hectic festive schedule which will see them play six Premier League games in December.
Former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood has been told he is 'becoming a complete player' after starring with a brace in Marseille's 5-1 demolition of Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Timothy Weah and Igor Paixao were also on target as Robert De Zerbi's side registered a thumping victory and climbed up to the top of the table, overtaking Paris Saint-Germain.
Cristiano Ronaldo's sisters have hit back at the Portugal icon's critics following his meeting with US president Donald Trump at the White House earlier this week. Ronaldo was invited to a formal dinner party organised by the US president in honour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Al-Nassr star's White House visit divided opinion which saw plenty of criticism aimed at Ronaldo online.
Bayern Munich have suffered a major blow ahead of their table-topping Champions League clash with Arsenal after Luis Diaz was handed a three-game ban for his red card against Paris Saint-Germain. The Colombia international will subsequently miss his side’s trip to the Emirates Stadium after committing a dangerous challenge on defender Achraf Hakimi.
The defending Premier Soccer League champions Masandawana are set for another massive challenge in the continental outing when they host the Chaminots at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday. A win for the Brazilians will be needed for them to avoid the pressure of making it out of the pool in their bid to go all the way and win the elusive second star.
Mason Greenwood sparked a mass brawl after scoring his opening goal in Marseille’s feisty 5-1 win over Riviera rivals Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday evening. The former Manchester United forward is now the leading goalscorer in France's top flight after netting a brace in a victory which saw Roberto De Zerbi’s side leapfrog Paris Saint-Germain at the summit.