Ahead of the highly anticipated return of the Wear-Tyne derby on Sunday, December 14, between bitter rivals Sunderland and Newcastle, we look at the latest team and injury news for both teams as they, as many of their fans will agree, head into their most important game of the season.
Real Madrid are already dealing with several injury problems, and another impending absence has now been confirmed in the last 24 hours. Later this month, the 2025-26 Africa Cup of Nations gets underway, with the tournament being hosted in Morocco.
Arsenal are keeping tabs on the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Diant Ramaj. According to Sport.de, Arsenal have been scouting the player recently, and they have watched him multiple times.
Manchester City have moved to within just two points of Arsenal in the Premier League table, signalling that the Citizens have found their rhythm at a crucial moment in the season.
When talking to anyone who loves football and asking them who their favourite defender is, sometimes you can expect them to pick someone from their own team or the same nationality.
Marcus Rashford has now spent four months at Barcelona, and it is safe to say that he is loving life at the La Liga leaders. He started in very impressive fashion on the pitch, and although he has fallen out of the starting line-up in recent weeks, he remains upbeat about his situation in Catalonia.
While their activity in the transfer market may have slowed in recent years, at least with regard to major signings, Barcelona have arguably increased their movements when it comes to bringing in younger talent.
Erling Haaland proved to be the matchwinner for Manchester City in their Champions Leaguer victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday, with his first half penalty ensuring a 2-1 success for the Premier League side.
Lazio are hellbent on returning to winning ways in Serie A, but they will have to overcome a determined Parma side away from home. The Serie A clash between Parma and Lazio kicks off at 18:00 local time on Saturday, December 13, at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Duván Zapata is back at the centre of Torino’s plans. He started against Milan, produced a strong performance and scored, a goal that didn’t change the result but confirmed his condition is finally where it needs to be.
Ryan Mason’s long-term association with Tottenham Hotspur – first as an academy product, then a senior squad member, an academy coach, and finally as a first-team coach – came to an end in the summer on a high, as the north Londoners beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been linked with a move away from the club in recent months. The South American has developed into a key player for Chelsea, and he’s an important player for his country as well.
Gabriel Jesus has returned from injury, and it is clear that he is delighted to be back in contention for game time at Arsenal. The Brazilian had spent almost a full year on the treatment table after suffering a serious injury at the start of this year.
Despite beating Pafos on Wednesday evening, Italian journalist Fabio Ravezzani slammed Juventus for their ‘disastrous’ performance in the first half. The Bianconeri hosted the Cypriot champions in a must-win Champions League contest.
Sheffield United travel to the Midlands on Friday evening to take on mid-table West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, with both sides arriving in noticeably different runs of form.
Liverpool have been linked with the move for Michael Olise in recent months. The 23-year-old is one of the finest young attacking talents in Europe and football right now, and Liverpool were reportedly keeping tabs on him.
MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF announced a new contract with defender Ian Fray on Thursday. The 23-year-old homegrown player is signed through the 2028-29 season.
Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the injury suffered by Cristhian Mosquera and outlined his expected timeline for recovery. Arsenal, who had already lost William Saliba and Gabriel to injury, received further setbacks as Mosquera was forced off, leaving the club without a reserve centre-back.
The Philadelphia Union announced a new contract with goalkeeper George Marks on Thursday. Marks, 26, is signed through 2026 with two club options: the first through June 2027, the second through 2027-28.
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Guler has been linked with a move away from the club in recent months. Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly in the front row to secure his signature.
Prior to his Manchester United move in 2022, Antony was being strongly considered as a potential addition at Barcelona, according to ex-Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff.
Chelsea are approaching the halfway mark in their season making now a nice time to look at their stats and work out how the season is going. We always like to look at the non-penalty expected goals and expected assists per 90 minutes to get a sense of which our most dangerous attackers are.
The current Real Madrid form is worrying, as they lost to Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu in a UEFA Champions League match, adding to the pressure already on their manager, Xabi Alonso.
Bayern Munich boosted their bid to finish in the top eight of the UCL league phase table on Tuesday, December 9, by beating Sporting Lisbon 3-1. Here we look at three takeaways from Bayern Munich vs Sporting.