Enzo Maresca has reiterated the impact of injuries to Chelsea's season so far, especially Cole Palmer's, whom he described as the club's "best player".
A second-half brace in the West Ham vs Aston Villa game from the ever-brilliant Morgan Rogers saw the visitors record their sixth successive Premier League victory and keep within touching distance of leaders Arsenal and second-placed Manchester City in the early-season title race.
Two summers ago, Arsenal faced AC Milan in a pre-season fixture, and one player caught the attention of the Gunners. Lorenzo Torriani, a 20-year-old goalkeeper, impressed during that match, and since then, Arsenal have reportedly been monitoring his progress closely.
Joao Mario has only been at Juventus for a few months, having joined the Bianconeri in the summer. The defender arrived from FC Porto in a deal reportedly worth €12 million, following a promising spell in Portugal that suggested he could make an immediate impact.
A Hugo Ekitike brace in the Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion game was decisive in the Reds’ 2-0 win at Anfield on Saturday, December 13. Ekitike scored a goal in each half to carry his team towards victory.
Italy national team captain Gianluigi Donnarumma has officially been handed The Best Men’s Goalkeeper at FIFA’s The Best awards on Tuesday. This is the first time that Donnarumma has won the goalkeeping prize at FIFA’s The Best awards, having finished second behind Chelsea’s Champions League-winning Edouard Mendy in 2021.
Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte may have lost his way at Carrington, but he has a suitor in the shape of OGC Nice. The Red Devils spent circa £44 million to sign the Uruguayan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024.
Paul Doyle has today been jailed for 21 years and six months for driving his car into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League title parade last May.
With Manchester United’s thrilling draw against Bournemouth concluded, the Premier League’s 16th gameweek draws to a close, and we can take a look back at the stars of the week.
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham have struggled to produce consistent results, the recent one being a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Pressure has stuck to Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur because early promise gave way to patchy weeks, and while the season opened with energy and clarity, results soon dipped as old doubts crept back in.
Following the draw for the 2026 World Cup group stage fixtures, Scotland, amongst others, will be readily researching their opponents in order to give themselves suitable preparation before the competition gets underway.
Only a handful of African football eras are spoken of with as much admiration and respect as Côte d’Ivoire’s Golden Generation. A nation blessed with exceptional talent in all positions across the pitch, elite European experience, and unforgettable personalities, this period produced some of the greatest Ivorian players the game has ever seen.
Chelsea are taking on Cardiff in the EFL Cup tonight, and the Blues are doing all they can to make sure they win. It is our final game against lower league opposition for some time, and a final chance to rotate the team a little, but Enzo Maresca and Chelsea are still hoping desperately to win.
Mikel Arteta has been at the helm of Arsenal since the end of 2019, with a clear objective of guiding the team to trophy success. The manager achieved an early milestone in the summer of 2020 when he led the Gunners to FA Cup victory, demonstrating his capacity to deliver solutions to long-standing challenges at the Emirates.
Milan will likely bring in a new center-forward in January, but their moves might be influenced by their future plans, as they are in pole position to sign Dusan Vlahovic on a Bosman transfer, Sport reports (via Fantacalcio).
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has been fighting to survive in his position, but his issues have been greatly exacerbated by injury issues. Los Blancos were missing eight players for their trip to face Alaves this past weekend, and Alonso will be desperate to get players back after the winter break.
One former scout says that it’s inevitable that one Chelsea player will depart the club very soon, as things heat up for January. Leeds United are among a number of Premier League clubs weighing up a move to sign Raheem Sterling.
Manchester City are preparing to step up their pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi as Pep Guardiola looks to reshape his defensive unit with elite Premier League talent.
This is a Chelsea predicted lineup for their Carabao Cup clash with League 1 leaders Cardiff City. The minnows have already knocked out Championship opposition and will be aiming to take a step up and beat on a rotated Premier League squad.
Manchester United are said to be ‘firmly in the race’ for Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo. That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas this morning, who adds that the Red Devils and arch-rivals Manchester City are the ‘strongest rivals’ to Tottenham Hotspur as things stand.
AS Roma are exploring the possibility of signing Tottenham Hotspur forward Mathys Tel as part of their January plans to reinforce their attacking options, according to a report from Calciomercato.
For all of Liverpool’s struggles this season, Michael Owen has still proclaimed them to be ‘the best team in the world’ when playing at their ‘absolute peak’.
Ben White has been added to Arsenal’s growing list of injured players, with the defender set to miss several weeks of action. The setback is another frustrating moment for both the club and the player, as Arsenal continue to battle fitness issues within a large and competitive squad.
Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing the Mali International midfielder Mamadou Sangare from RC Lens. According to TEAMtalk, they will face competition from Chelsea and Manchester United as well.
While Manchester United and Bournemouth descended into chaos, the young Ayden Heaven struggled to keep up with the action. The Red Devils took a one-goal lead on three occasions, but lost it thrice, as the contest ended in a 4-4 draw.
Conor Gallagher has struggled for regular opportunities at Atletico Madrid, and he is being linked with a return to the Premier League. Multiple clubs are showing interest in the England International, including Tottenham.