Liverpool's star forward Hugo Ekitike insisted that he did not foul Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero before scoring the winner for Liverpool in a crazy Spurs clash in the Premier League on Saturday. Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the champions before Ekitike doubled the team's lead. Towards the end of the game, Richarlison pulled one back for the hosts but the Reds eventually walked away with a win.
Arsenal regained top spot in the Premier League courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickson Stadium. The slender win was decided in the first-half after Viktor Gyokeres fired home from the penalty spot after Jake OâBrien handled in the box. Everton had two massive penalty appeals turned away in the second-half, but the Gunners held on for the three points.
Jude Bellingham scored the opener and Kylian Mbappe added a second from the spot as Real Madrid cruised to a 2-0 win over 10-man Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos weren't always spellbinding, but they turned in a composed performance to pick up another league win and put pressure on Barcelona at the top of the table.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was left furious after his side were denied what he claims was a certain penalty during the entertaining two-all clash with Chelsea, calling it a "stonewall penalty" and a "clear error" that should have been overturned by VAR. The incident occurred when Anthony Gordon was challenged in the box by Trevoh Chalobah, sending the Toon forward crashing to the ground, but the appeals were waved away.
Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard sparked a Championship melee after celebrating Coventry City's hard-fought draw against Southampton on Saturday. The Sky Blues were reduced to 10 men at the start of the second half, but they managed to hold Southampton to a draw to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches, with their last loss coming in November against Wrexham.
Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak both scored in a crazy clash at Tottenham which ended 2-1 to Liverpool and with the hosts playing with just nine men. There were worrying signs for the Reds after Isak had to be substituted straight after scoring the opener and Thomas Frankâs side saw Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off.
After making only four signings at the start of the 2025/26 season, Fawaaz Basadien, Tsiki Ntsabeleng on loan from FC Dallas, Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho, one feels Masandawana are still searching for the perfect balance to sustain their dominance. The Brazilians remain strong contenders, but the Premier Soccer League CAF Champions League demands more depth and fresh energy.
Alexander Isak limped out of Liverpool's clash with Tottenham just seconds after scoring the opening goal of the game, after appearing to injure his ankle. The Sweden international came off the bench at half-time but was withdrawn shortly after a lunge from Micky van de Ven left him writhing in agony on the turf.
Aston Villa are considering a move for Barcelona and Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez, whose future at the club remains uncertain. Martinez, a World Cup winner and key figure in Villa's recent success, has been linked with moves to various European clubs, creating a pressing need for a top-tier successor should he depart.
Serie A side Fiorentina are eyeing a shock deal to appoint Spurs' director of football Fabio Paratici. Following a change in their ownership, Tottenham announced the arrival of Italian transfer guru Paratici, who formed part of a new leadership group alongside Johan Lange. Since then, the pair has been working together across the club's transfer strategy, with Paratici's 30-month ban coming to an end.
Brazil international Thiago Silva is a free agent again at the age of 41, with the defender agreeing to the early termination of his contract at Fluminense. Having spent 18 months back at his boyhood club, the centre-half is reportedly eyeing a return to Europe - where he has previously represented AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Another sensational performance from Erling Haaland sent Manchester City to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a dominant 3-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland bagged two goals to take his tally to 19 in the league this season and also laid on the assist for Tijjani Reijnders in a comfortable win which moves them a point ahead of the Gunners.
Unhappy Hansi Flick spoke out after losing key Barcelona star Pedri to injury ahead of their crucial La Liga clash with Villarreal on Sunday. The Spain international has had fitness issues since suffering a left hamstring injury in El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 26. He had earlier remained sidelined for five matches across all competitions last month and had missed the November international break.
The Glamour Boys have started the season quite well, having managed to stay in touch with the Premier Soccer League favourites, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. Despite their impressive run in the South African top-flight football, Amakhosi have been accused of not showing the needed hunger that will push them to titles.
There was high drama in the dying seconds of the thrilling match between Newcastle and Chelsea as Harvey Barnes appeared to be pulled down by Reece James, but VAR denied the Magpies' desperate pleas for a penalty at the end of the pulsating clash which ended two-all. And James has spoken after the match, claiming the contact was âtoo softâ for a spot-kick to be awarded.
The former Moroka Swallows coach has thrown his hat into the ring, insisting he is best suited to lead the Soweto giants and could be the solution to their problems. His comments come at a time when Amakhosi are being led by co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who stepped in following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi. The current situation could pave the way for the Glamour Boys to appoint a substantive head coach at the end of the season.
Newcastle United were left feeling deeply aggrieved after being denied what many believed was a clear penalty in a pulsating Premier League encounter that ultimately slipped from their grasp against Chelsea. A breathless contest at St. Jamesâ Park swung dramatically on a controversial second-half moment, with Anthony Gordon sent sprawling inside the area after contact from Trevoh Chalobah, only for referee and VAR to wave play on.
Kylian Mbappe has received a birthday message from an unlikely source after winning a court case against Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid wages and bonuses. The Real Madrid star sought ÂŁ231.5 million (âŹ264m/$310m) from his former club, while the French giants counter-sued the France captain for ÂŁ211m (âŹ243m/$282m). Not long after the forward came out on top in this long-running dispute, PSG appear to be taking the high road.
Reece James's world-class free-kick paved the way to an unlikely 2-2 comeback draw for Chelsea after a horror first half at Newcastle United. A brace inside the opening 20 minutes from Nick Woltemade put the Magpies in control but a much-improved second half salvaged the Blues a point. Captain James led by example with his stunner before Joao Pedro ensured a thrilling game ended in a stalemate on Saturday.
A raging Hansi Flick labelled FIFA's The Best XI a "joke" after Raphinha was left out of the team. The Barcelona forward's exclusion cut particularly deep, given the scale of his output after helping Barcelona win three trophies last term. He had been shortlisted among the final 26-man list, yet failed to secure a place in the ultimate team at FIFAâs annual awards.
South Africa are set for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting on Sunday with the hosts Morocco tackling Comoros. However, the 1996 winners will have to wait until Monday before playing Angola in Group B game that will be staged in Marrakesh. Hugo Broos' men have been placed in the pool alongside Egypt and Zimbabwe as well.
In 2017, the Belgian lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with Cameroonâs Indomitable Lions. Years later, he inherited a struggling South African side and reshaped it into a force that secured consecutive AFCON berths, including the 2025 edition in Morocco, while also steering Bafana Bafana onto the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lamine Yamal has been advised to get a girlfriend, as the Barcelona wonderkid is tipped to become the best in the world. The teenage winger had been linked with influencer Alex Padilla and, more prominently, Argentine pop star Nicki Nicole. What initially looked like a blooming love story, especially with the latter, has now fizzled out, with Yamal confirming that the pair are no longer together.
Santos president Marcelo Teixeira says he has a "positive expectation" that Neymar will extend his contract despite reported interest from Flamengo. The 33-year-old played a crucial role in keeping his boyhood club in the Brazilian top-flight and despite having a huge amount of affection for the Vila Belmiro side, the forward is unsure about his future as his contract ticks down.
Alexander Isak has spoken out on his Liverpool struggles after a controversial ÂŁ125 million ($167m) transfer from Newcastle in the summer. The forward has so far failed to find his form at Merseyside and hence failed to meet expectations, which rose to unprecedented levels as the Reds paid a record sum to the Tyneside club to bring their talismanic forward to Anfield.
Arne Slot has revealed how Liverpool are helping Florian Wirtz amid an upturn in form following a slow start to life at Anfield. The German playmaker swapped Bayer Leverkusen for Merseyside this summer but he has not lived up to his huge ÂŁ116 million ($156m) transfer fee. But a change in approach from the Reds may be helping the 22-year-old heading into Christmas.
The current AFCON break has seen exciting development in the technical set-up of the Cape Winelands side. The incoming coach is expected to use this pause in action to drill players in his philosophy and demands before competitive football resumes in January. Adding intrigue, a former Amakhosi tactician is already being strongly linked with the Western Cape outfit.
Under the Belgian tactician, South Africa have reclaimed their rightful place in continental football, where they are set to not only battle for the title in the biennial competition but also be part of the nine nations that acquired an automatic ticket to represent Africa in the FIFA World Cup that will be held next year.
Liverpool legend John Barnes has told his old club not to sign Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. The Premier League champions have been linked with the 25-year-old but Barnes thinks they have enough strength in depth at present. The former England winger also believes that Reds forward Mohamed Salah isn't going anywhere despite his outspoken outburst against Arne Slot and the Merseyside outfit.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not preparing to enter the January transfer market in search of a new goalkeeper, despite a testing run of form for Guglielmo Vicario and growing scrutiny from sections of the fanbase. Internally, there remains confidence in the Italian international, even after a season in which individual mistakes have been magnified amid mixed results.