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It was always going to be interesting to see which way Frank Lampard would turn when his ill-advised, ill-fated second spell in interim charge of Chelsea came to a sorry end in May 2023. With his managerial reputation in tatters following his January sacking by Everton, would he throw himself at the next Premier League vacancy that cropped up, or would he take stock and aim to come back stronger? Two years on, he will be overjoyed that he pipped for the latter.

The USMNT may struggle without Adams, but Pochettino has plenty of options to consider in a pair of winnable friendlies

Just six months after Arsenal stunned Lyon on their own patch in the Champions League semi-finals on their way to a second European triumph, the French giants got some revenge on Tuesday night as they spoiled the start of the Gunners' title defence with a 2-1 victory that, in truth, flattered the holders. Alessia Russo gave the hosts the lead with seven minutes on the clock but once Melchie Dumornay had quickly cancelled that out, it was all Lyon as two goals from the Haitian star secured all three points for the eight-time winners.

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 14 teams across the National Women's Soccer League

GOAL US writers discuss USMNT expectations for October camp as Pochettino continues to refine his squad ahead of the World Cup

GOAL looks at what's required from Reyna, Musah, Josh Sargent, Joe Scally and Damion Downs to secure USMNT roles

GOAL ranks the top three soccer players produced by every state in the South, including Dempsey, Richards and Graham Zusi

There was an air of resignation in Ruben Amorim's voice when he addressed reports of Manchester United's potential plans to jet off to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the season to play friendly games. The Portuguese is a coach that talks of the importance of focus, on having lots of training sessions, of being fully committed to the cause of reviving the club's fortunes. And exhibition tours fly in the face of all that.

In 2021, a graphic designer working for Sky Sport Germany was going to change the footballing world forever. After Jadon Sancho went his first seven matches for Manchester United following his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund without a direct goal contribution, his face was edited onto a picture of James Bond, also known as '007'. In this instance, the two zeroes represented his goals and assists, with the seven the amount of matches he had played.

Jack Grealish's omission from Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad was not just a surprise, but also completely ridiculous. Only a handful of Premier League players have made better starts to the season than Grealish, who has quickly rediscovered the form that once saw him touted as one of the brightest talents of his generation, since joining Everton on loan from Manchester City in the summer transfer window.

The German forward has found his goalscoring touch in MLS, as the Canadian champs are playing their best soccer at the right time

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including San Diego FC setting a pair of MLS expansion records

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

GOAL ranks the top three soccer players produced by every state in the Northeast, including Pulisic, Howard and Geoff Cameron

If we have learned one thing above anything else so far in the Premier League this season, it is to not turn off your television or leave your seat early. There was yet more late drama but this time champions Liverpool were the victims and not the beneficiaries of the added time as they were dealt a late sucker punch by Chelsea's Brazilian wonderkid Estevao.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of the United Kingdom 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.

Are Bayern Munich the strongest side in Europe right now? They're certainly not far off it. The Germans maintained their flawless start to the 2025-26 season with a 3-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend. Unsurprisingly, Harry Kane was among the goals again, as the free-scoring striker maintained his record-breaking start to the campaign.

Just over four months after Arsenal stunned Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final to win their second European crown, the most prestigious club competition in the women's game is back this week, with the Gunners partaking in perhaps the most eye-catching fixture of matchday one as they prepare for a clash with eight-time winners Lyon, in a rematch of last season's semi-final.

Seven games into the new Premier League season, this already represents a breakout campaign for Fulham academy graduate Josh King. The 18-year-old midfielder has swiftly surpassed the total number of senior minutes he managed last term, and he has been one of the standout young players in the division in the opening weeks - catching the eye with his dynamism, fearlessness and composure.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including several big goals and a bigger penalty miss

A first-half strike from Erling Haaland was all that settled the two sides as Manchester City ran out 1-0 winners at Brentford on Sunday evening. The Norwegian continued his freakish scoring form with an extremely well-taken goal to move his side up to fifth in the Premier League table heading into the October international break, sitting three points behind early leaders Arsenal.

Bilal El Khannouss is talking to Belgian reporters in the press area of the Cegeka Arena, home of KRC Genk. While the attacking midfielder is discussing the details of a 0-0 draw with Ferencvaros, a journalist from Sporza can no longer contain himself.

Marcus Rashford's stunning volley proved to be a consolation goal for Barcelona, who were hammered 4-1 in Seville. The defeat was compounded after Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty, but Sevilla were well worth the scoreline and it was only a fine performance from Wojciech Szczesny which kept the scoreline down.

Liverpool have now lost three matches in a row for the first time under Arne Slot after they succumbed to a 2-1 loss at Chelsea on Saturday evening, ensuring they will go into the October international break only second in the Premier League table. The reigning champions of England can't have many complaints about the result either, with the Club World Cup winners outlasting them and striking at the death to settle the contest.

Lamine Yamal went out of his way to hype up his return to the Barcelona line-up for Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The 18-year-old posted a clip on his Instagram account from the movie 'The Devil's Advocate' in which Al Pacino's character, John Milton, discusses the effects of pressure: "Some people, you squeeze 'em, they focus; others fold. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on a deadline? Can you sleep at night?"

Inter Miami conceded five goals in a humbling defeat to the Chicago Fire on Tuesday, putting manager Javier Mascherano’s tactics under scrutiny. But the Herons made sure there wouldn’t be a repeat, allowing just one goal while Lionel Messi proved the catalyst with three assists in a convincing 4-1 win over the struggling New England Revolution on Saturday night.

Vinicius Jr scored twice and Kylian Mbappe was on target yet again as Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid saw off Villarreal to avoid consecutive league defeats and secure a convincing 3-1 win over the 10 men at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday evening. The visitors were reduced 10 men in the second half when Santiago Mourino was sent off, while Mbappe was forced off late on through injury.

Liverpool fell to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that means Arne Slot is now on his worst run as Liverpool manager. The result ensures Arsenal will head into the international break leading the way in the Premier League table, a point clear of the Reds, with Mohamed Salah's wayward shooting proving a decisive factor in the dismal loss in the capital.

Chelsea struck deep into stoppage time at the end of the second half to beat Liverpool 2-1 and continue the Premier League champions' miserable run. Goals at either end of the match proved decisive for Enzo Maresca's men, who have put the pity and woe of an injury crisis behind them to come away with three massive points at the very last.