Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll scored a brilliant hat-trick for Dagenham & Redbridge. The 36-year-old forward, who once broke the British transfer record when moving to Anfield from Newcastle United, has made a fresh start in the sixth tier of English football after leaving French side Bordeaux in the summer. He joined the club both as a player and a shareholder.
This time last year, the narrative around Chelsea's meeting with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge focused on whether Cole Palmer had reached Bukayo Saka-levels of stardom. He had taken west London by storm during his first year with the Blues and was spearheading an unlikely title charge through the autumn. Now, though, the debate between the two rivals has shifted to midfielders Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
Shaun Wright-Phillips has urged Chelsea to break the bank for Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw in the upcoming January transfer window. Thiaw, who cost Newcastle just £30 million ($40m) when he arrived from AC Milan in August, has been one of Eddie Howe’s standout performers this season. And now, the former Chelsea star wants the Blues to go all-in for the defender to bolster their backline.
Newcastle United have claimed their fans were "indiscriminately assaulted by the police" and are set to launch a complaint over how they were treated in Marseille. Following the 2-1 Champions League defeat on Tuesday at Stade Velodrome, the Magpies say officers utilised "unnecessary and disproportionate force" against their supporters, as well as using pepper spray, batons, and shields.
A number of Premier League sides face the daunting prospect of having to squeeze an enormous amount of games into the next four months, placing huge pressure on their squads and pushing players' bodies to the limit in the pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts. The staggering number of matches has now been revealed which will cause worry for Champions League clubs and fans alike.
Newcastle squandered a wonderful opportunity to all-but seal their route to the Champions League knockout stages after a quick-fire double from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sunk the Magpies 2-1 in Marseille. In-form Harvey Barnes opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but a dreadful error from Nick Pope just seconds into the second-half allowed Aubameyang to turn the game in the hosts' favour.
Everton secured their first victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford for 12 years on Monday night despite a first-half red card, but the game will be best remembered for the bizarre manner in which the Toffees were reduced to 10 men. In a rare example of the lesser-seen on-pitch team-mate bust-up, midfielder Idrissa Gueye and defender Michael Keane completely lost it with one another under the eyes of 74,000 fans and plenty more watching on at home.
Newcastle United are reportedly still keen on Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, as talk of a January exit continues to gain pace. The Magpies were keen on recruiting the Italian international this summer but the exit of Inter manager Simone Inzaghi led to him staying put. But as his minutes continue to dry up under current boss Cristian Chivu, a Toon switch could be on the cards.
Marseille’s injury crisis has deepened ahead of their must-win Champions League clash with Newcastle, as defender Nayef Aguerd has been ruled out with a persistent pubalgia issue and Facundo Medina has suffered a fresh ankle relapse. With Amine Gouiri and Hamed Traore also long-term absentees, Roberto De Zerbi faces a mounting selection puzzle at the worst possible moment.
Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has come to Mason Greenwood's defence, calling him “a good person” and expressing sadness over the player's controversial past. The forward, who faced charges of attempted rape in England before they were subsequently dropped, has faced criticism and protests ever since the controversy, but he has managed to excel on the field since joining Marseille from Manchester United, much to De Zerbi's delight.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued an apology after he clashed with a television cameraman in the wake of Saturday's disappointing Premier League defeat to Newcastle at St James' Park. Guardiola exchanged words with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes after the final whistle and was also spotted confronting a camera operator in a bizarre exchange.
Harvey Barnes has poured cold water on the chance of switching international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle winger is able to make the change as he has Scottish grandparents, even after making an appearance for the Three Lions. Barnes' sole Three Lions cap came in a friendly, meaning he is still able to turn out for the Tartan Army.
Pep Guardiola cut an irate figure after Manchester City's 2-1 loss to Newcastle United at St James' Park. The former Barcelona manager got into an intense discussion with Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, the match officials, and even a cameraman on Saturday night. The result also somewhat took the wind out of City's Premier League title bid in a day to forget for the visitors.
Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City side "have to score more goals" after a frustrating 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday. Although City are the Premier League's top scorers, Guardiola's players were wasteful in front of goal at St James' Park. Now, the former Barcelona boss wants his players to be more clinical in the final third of the pitch.
Ruben Dias vented his anger at Premier League officials after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United. Pep Guardiola's side had two penalty appeals turned down during the game but Dias was left most confused as to why Harvey Barnes' winning goal was allowed to stand after pushing in the penalty area on City's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Eddie Howe says he takes "no pride" in ending his wretched record against Manchester City in the Premier League following Newcastle United's 2-1 win. A Harvey Barnes brace, either side of Ruben Dias' goal, ensured the Magpies boss beat City at the 19th attempt in the English top-flight. Despite getting that monkey off his back, the 47-year-old focused more on his team's positive performance.
Phil Foden and Erling Haaland each missed a pair of sitters as Manchester City fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United which threatens to derail their Premier League title charge. City's two big-game players froze at St James' Park and Harvey Barnes grabbed the headlines instead, giving Newcastle the lead and then snatching the winner after Ruben Dias' deflected equaliser.
Liverpool's star forward Alexander Isak has reportedly splashed out a whopping £30,000 on a guard dog to protect his family after receiving death threats online in the wake of Sweden's dismal World Cup qualifying campaign and his controversial transfer from Newcastle United in the summer. Isak went on strike and forced a move away from St James' Park during the last transfer window after the Reds broke the British transfer record to secure the move.
The Premier League has confirmed that the 2026/27 campaign will begin a week later than usual, marking the latest season start in the competition’s history. The decision, announced after a shareholders’ meeting on Friday morning, is designed to counter the growing strain on players created by an "increasingly congested global football calendar".
Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.
Manchester United are tracking the progress of Elliot Anderson, as they weigh up a move for Nottingham Forest's £100m-rated midfielder in the summer. The Red Devils are unlikely to push for a deal in January, as they look to replace Casemiro, who is out of contract at the end of the season. The 23-year-old has also been linked with his former club Newcastle and reigning champions Liverpool.
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Premier League as a product. Is modern football actually boring? Are teams now too reliant on set pieces to score goals? Are the mavericks and the willing protagonists being silenced just to preserve their manager's tactics? Have we gone too far in pursuit of sporting perfection?