England striker Ivan Toney will miss the home-based European Championship in 2028 because his trial for assault will clash with the tournament.

Toney is set to face trial on a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to an incident in London in December 2025. He is accused of punching and headbutting a man in a Soho nightclub.

The Al-Ahli star appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday to plead not guilty. His trial date was set for June 12, 2028, nearly two years away and during the group stage of EURO 2028.

Ivan Toney's trial date has ruled him out of EURO 2028

Toney, 30, has only played for England 10 times, but he was included in the Three Lions squad for the World Cup in 2026. Thomas Tuchel, who revealed at the time of his squad announcement that Toney's inclusion was in part down to his abilities as a penalty specialist, is set to take charge for the European Championship too.

Question marks over Toney's ongoing international prospects while playing in the Saudi Pro League are now a non-issue. The former Brentford frontman will not be included in Tuchel's squad and could even find that Thursday's ruling has effectively ended his international career.

Judge Hehir apologised to Toney for the date, explaining that the court system is too busy for it to be any sooner. According to The Guardian, Toney was released on unconditional bail but instructed to remain in regular contact with his legal team over the next two years.

"When Toney appeared at Westminster magistrates court to enter his plea at the start of October, the court was told by the prosecutor, Tom Heslop, that Toney and [the alleged victim Saber] Da Silva exchanged words that resulted in them 'squaring up' to one another before Toney 'lunged forward and head-butted the complainant, followed by a few punches'," reports Sam Cunningham.

"Da Silva injuries to his nose and fingers, it was alleged. After pleading not guilty, Toney requested that his trial be heard at a crown court.

"Judge Hehir told Toney that the law obliged him to give the footballer a formal warning, as with any defendant on bail awaiting trial, about the consequences of failing to attend court."

Toney left Brentford to join the Saudi Pro League in 2024, becoming one of the first and most high-profile players to make the move with potentially years of top-level football still ahead of them.

The 30-year-old has found goals easy to come by in Saudi Arabia, where he helped fire Al-Ahli to back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite honours in 2024/25 and 2025/26.

One-time Newcastle United striker Toney played the whole of both finals, notwithstanding a substitution in stoppage time in extra time against Machida Zelvia this year, both under new Magpies manager Matthias Jaissle.

He has not been selected by England since the World Cup.

Kieran Gibbs believes Arsene Wenger deserves more credit in hindsight than he often got in his final years at Arsenal.

In recent years, we have seem a number of big clubs finishing in mid-table obscurity - or even worse.

Chelsea finished 12th in 2023 and 8th in 2026. Manchester United finished 15th in 2025. Tottenham finished 17th in both of the past two seasons and were at serious threat of relegation last season.

There's a number of reasons that has happened, including a huge hike in the money the Premier League's middle-class are making out of TV rights relative to their equivalents in other countries.

But whatever the cause, former Arsenal left-back Gibbs feels Wenger did a better job than people necessarily realised to keep the Gunners consistently in the top four.

Although Wenger's last Premier League title came in the Invincibles season in 2003/04, they did not finish lower than 4th until his final two seasons in charge, in 2016/17 (5th) and 2017/18 (6th).

Things initially got worse following Wenger's departure before improving again.

Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta took Arsenal to back-to-back 8th-place finished before the latter gradually got to them back on top of the English game again last year.

And Gibbs told FourFourTwo: "During my time there, I always felt that we were only two or three signings away from winning the league.

"But the club was in a cycle, after moving into the new stadium, where the board were only willing to spend so much and we were losing players in key moments.

"f you compare it to other big clubs who are struggling now, it wasn’t as bad as it might have been perceived at the time.

"We never fell out of the Champions League places.

"I think he did an incredible job and I’m very fortunate to have played for [Arsene Wenger]. All of his stories and lessons have stuck with me

It's... The FourFourTwo Friday Football Quiz!

Friday again! Unbelievable stuff. Before getting your teeth into the weekend, have a bite of the latest Friday Football Quiz. Can you answer all of these questions and become a legend in your own lifetime?

It's dead simple. There are 20 questions in all and the Friday Football Quiz doesn't have a time limit. Off you go.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has more football quizzes than you can shake a stick at and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Once you've nailed this week's Friday Football Quiz, tuck into these hand-picked football quizzes to usher in the weekend in style.

We've been building up a big bank of Premier League quizzes for you to enjoy, so let's get right to it. Our new Premier League Years Picture Quiz will test your memory of some of the most famous images of the last 35 years. If you can get all those, you might also remember some of the league's historic bad lads. But can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season?

Away from the Premier League, we can turn our attention and yours to football's foremost individual accolade. Harry Kane won it in 2026, but can you name all the other players who have collected the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year?

For European club football experts, we have the ultimate tests. First, can you name every team ever to have played in the Champions League since 1992-93 excluding play-offs and qualifiers? Next, can you name every team playing in the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season?

We've got plenty of crosswords too. The latest is FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 76, which has clues on journeymen, Wembley and absolute screamers. Subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To complete your transfer to terrace legend status, lock in your spot in The Club – our free membership hub where you can unlock secret hints for our hardest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest topics directly in the comments section.

Let's test your quizzing skills with the new FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz. You have just 90 seconds to answer all 10 of our tricky football trivia questions.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. First up, how about having a crack at our biggest ever quiz. It has a huge 30-minute time limit but that's nowhere near enough. Can you name every team ever to have competed in the Champions League?

This is another big boy, and its focus is on the individual achievements of players in England's top division. Can you name every player ever to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League? There are more correct answers for this one than you might imagine.

Next, our Big Quiz of English Football Grounds will give you a chance to show off your knowledge of the great and not-so-great cathedrals of the beautiful game in the nation where it was first codified.

We also have a quiz that will take you as far away from that country as possible. The new Australian season is well underway. Can you name every team competing in the A-League Men in 2026-27?

Last but not least, here's our Premier League Years Picture Quiz. Can you identify the seasons in which our selected iconic Premier League photographs were taken?

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is a target for Premier League rivals Everton ahead of the January transfer window, according to report.

Rashford has been in Man United limbo since the deterioration of his relationship with former head coach Ruben Amorim. The 28-year-old joined Aston Villa on loan in January 2025 after Amorim's public criticism of his work ethic, and was then loaned to Barcelona for the entirety of last season.

Amorim was sacked in January and replaced by Michael Carrick, offering some hope of a positive outcome for Rashford at United, but the forward's playing time has again become diminished in recent weeks.

Everton reportedly want Marcus Rashford on loan but a deal could be difficult

Rashford has made just one extremely brief appearance in the Premier League since the extended international break, coming off the bench in the fifth minute of stoppage time against Tottenham Hotspur.

He was an unused substitute against Leeds United and was not included in the squad for last weekend's defeat to Bournemouth because of a poorly timed injury that's not expected to keep him out of contention for much longer.

The England international's situation will have interested clubs on alert, with Everton understood to be keen to take him to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the second half of the Premier League season. United appear to be open to the idea.

"[Rashford] has struggled for form and minutes since returning from his successful loan at Barcelona, prompting the Old Trafford hierarchy to explore opportunities to potentially move him on again this winter and help him regain fitness after injury," reports TEAMtalk.

"However, significant hurdles remain. His substantial wages – including a base salary of around £325,000 per week – would represent a major commitment for a club currently up for sale. Even if United were willing to cover a portion of his wages as part of a loan.

"Rashford’s own preference has long been to continue playing at one of Europe’s biggest sides rather than drop into a mid-table Premier League environment, so whether he’d be willing to join Everton is unclear."

The 28-year-old hasn't been able to recapture his best form but left Villa and Barcelona with positive reviews.

Villa stabilised in the Premier League after Emery turned to the loan market to sign Rashford and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Asensio. They reached the FA Cup semi-final and Champions League quarter-final, with Rashford instrumental in both.

He won La Liga with Barcelona to become a league champion for the first time in his career.

The Man United man made 32 appearances in Spain's top flight in 2025/26, scoring eight goals in the league and another five in the Champions League for Hansi Flick's team.

Vitor Pereira says he's ready to return to the Premier League after leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2025/26 season.

The 58-year-old departed the City Ground in July after steering Forest well clear of relegation and leading them to the semi-finals of the Europa League despite being the club's fourth permanent manager of the season.

Pereira followed Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche in the hottest of hotseats and made a decent fist of it before Oliver Glasner was brought in from top Forest friends Crystal Palace to replace him.

Vitor Pereira is ready to return to Premier League management

The Portuguese was 20 years into his managerial career when he arrived in England to succeed Gary O'Neil in charge of a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers team. They cruised to safety under their new manager, who quickly connected with the Molineux faithful.

It was a short-lived partnership. Pereira was given a new deal in September 2025 but was sacked in November with Wolves striding unwaveringly along the miserable road back to the Championship. He joined Forest in February and is currently out of work.

"I want to reach a level where I can compete for titles in the Premier League," Pereira told A BOLA TV via Sport Witness.

"Throughout my career, I’ve set goals for myself. I wanted to become a coach, and I did, I wanted to reach the top flight, and I did. I wanted to become a national champion, and I did. Then I wanted to win titles abroad, and I did. I wanted to reach the Premier League, and I did.

"My next objective is to reach a competitive level that allows me to fight for titles in the Premier League."

Pereira's previous jobs took him from Portugal to Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Germany, China and even Brazil, where he managed two legendary clubs in the form of Corinthians and Flamengo.

His vast and eclectic experience saw him become a league champion in Portugal with Porto, in Greece with Olympiacos, and in China with Shanghai Port.

He was succeeded as Wolves boss by Molineux favourite Rob Edwards, who managed to get his team performing in moments but was ultimately powerless to halt one of the Premier League's bleakest relegations.

The former Welsh international was controversially sacked at the end of last season and replaced with another Portuguese manager as Wolves continued to try to get things right behind the scenes as well as in the dugout.

Peixoto looks a suitable fit for Wolves, whose target is a Premier League return of their own, but getting them playing in the Championship is a very different task than keeping them in the top flight.

Pereira has that on his CV along with plenty of other achievements besides. Whether he can achieve his bullish next target is another matter.

Liverpool's home fixture against Arsenal will be the only Premier League match played on the afternoon of Sunday, November 1.

Newcastle United and Everton will meet at St James' Park in an 8:00pm kick-off but the rest of a full weekend slate of Premier League fixtures will be played on the same day, creating a rare eight-match Saturday split between four different kick-off times.

Half of the Premier League will play in the traditional 3:00pm Saturday time slot. There were only four Saturday matches in total last weekend and the same will be true on Saturday, November 7.

Why is Liverpool vs Arsenal the only Premier League match on Sunday?

The intriguing prospect of Liverpool vs Arsenal has Sunday all to itself this week and will be played in the 4:30pm time slot as the weekend's top Sky Sports television broadcast selection.

There will not be a 2:00pm kick-off because Aston Villa vs Fulham was the Sky Sports pick for the earlier Sunday slot and the lack of Thursday night Europa League and Conference League fixtures this week means no other matches were moved by necessity.

Villa and Fulham have had their game at Villa Park moved to Saturday because Villa play in the league phase of the Champions League against Barcelona on Tuesday night.

Premier League clubs are required to have two clear days between matches, meaning that Thursday night fixtures in Europe rule out games on the following Saturday. Those games are typically pushed back to Sunday afternoon.

Teams playing away in the Champions League on Wednesday nights are also exempted from the 12:30pm Saturday slot in the Premier League, during which Villa played against Manchester City after their home game against Viking last week.

Premier League fixtures are also affected by Champions League matches in the following week. Villa playing at the Camp Nou on Tuesday means they can't play on Sunday.

Their late kick-off against Fulham is a matter of live broadcast slots. Sky Sports will still show the match, which therefore can't be played at 3:00pm or in the 12:30pm slot that belongs to TNT Sport.

Chelsea vs Manchester United will play in that game this Saturday.

The 5:30pm Sky Sports slot is also out because Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace will be shown live at that time, leaving only the lesser-deployed 8:00pm kick-off time available for Villa's visit from the Cottagers.

Monday's game on Tyneside will also be live on Sky Sports under the Monday Night Football banner.

Former Manchester United captain was in line for a shock assignment at Old Trafford before Michael Carrick's second spell as interim head coach, which became permanent in May.

Man United finished third in the Premier League last season to secure a Champions League return thanks to Carrick's ability to harness the strengths of his squad after the sacking of former manager Ruben Amorim.

Carrick was appointed head coach at the end of the season but there were other candidates in the frame at the time of his installation as interim boss and Keane, so often an outspoken critic of the failings at his former club, was reportedly attached to one of the possibilities.

Roy Keane could have rejoined Man United on the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ticket

Darren Fletcher took charge on a caretaker business after Amorim was dismissed, but it was beloved ex-United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was Carrick's competition when it came to interviewing for the interim job.

According to Charlie Wyett of The Sun, Solskjaer planned to bring 55-year-old Keane back to Man United with him if he'd been entrusted with the challenge of turning their fortunes around.

"It can now be revealed the Norwegian’s potential choice for his No2 was former United captain Keane," claims Wyett.

"We will never know what would have happened had Solskjaer and Keane been at the helm. But the prospect of the Irishman being back at the club would have been box office."

Solskjaer knows well the road Carrick has followed. The former Molde and Cardiff City manager was handed the reins as caretaker boss at the end of 2018 after the exit of Jose Mourinho. Four months later, the Solskjaer signed a three-year contract.

The Norwegian remained at Old Trafford until November 2021, when his sacking launched Carrick's first temporary spell in charge. Solskjaer took Man United to the final of the Europa League but left after a run of one win in seven matches and with his team outside the European spots.

Solskjaer brought United stalwart Mike Phelan back to Old Trafford as his assistant manager soon after his appointment but it's understood that Keane would have been his right-hand man in 2026.

Keane has management experience at Sunderland and Ipswich Town, and has been a number two at Aston Villa, former club Nottingham Forest and the Republic of Ireland national team.

The seven-time Premier League champion became one of the best midfield players in the world under the guidance of legendary United boss Alex Ferguson, but is now recognisable as a leading football pundit.

He is a notoriously keen analyst of the standards expected of Man United players but will not get his chance to have a direct input on setting them right.

Manchester City full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is heading for the Etihad Stadium exit door and could make the unlikeliest move of all in January, according to reports.

Man City are extremely well-stocked in all departments and are harbouring a number of players who are capable of improving other teams but are unlikely to ever establish themselves with the current Premier League leaders.

Manchester United won't be the destination for many of those players when their time at City comes to an end, but Ait-Nouri's future could take him to Old Trafford in a rare cross-city transfer.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is reportedly 'holding discussions' with Man United

The Algeria defender is a target for several clubs and TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey has reported that Man United are among them. The Red Devils were interested at the end of the last transfer window and a January switch could be on the cards.

"Rayan Ait-Nouri is set to leave Manchester City in January, with intermediaries already holding discussions with a host of clubs, including Manchester United," reports Bailey.

"Ait-Nouri is yet to feature in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca, who has now delivered his verdict on the full-back to City sporting director Hugo Viana.

"We understand that Viana is working on an exit plan, with the club keen to resolve the defender’s future before the January transfer window opens."

25-year-old Ait-Nouri joined Man City from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2025. He signed a five-year contract but has been unable to establish himself at his new club, playing in less than half of City's Premier League matches in 2025/26.

His appearances this season have been limited to the Carabao Cup and the league phase of the Champions League. The left-back played a handful of minutes in wins against Porto and AEK Athens but was an unused substitute when City lost to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Algerian international featured on Wednesday night, when Man City knocked Brighton & Hove Albion out of the Carabao Cup on penalties. He played the full 90 minutes against Norwich City in the previous round.

That's the sum total of Ait-Nouri's involvement this season and it's obvious that a parting of ways is best for the player at this stage of what's still a promising career.

"Lines of communication between the clubs have reopened, with intermediaries working to establish whether a move can be agreed in the New Year," reports Bailey.

"We understand Ait-Nouri would be open to a switch across Manchester, which would make him the first player to move directly from City to United since Owen Hargreaves made the switch in 2011."

Liverpool's interest in 19-year-old Valencia winger David Otorbi could cool after the Spanish club elected to upgrade his contract ahead of schedule, according to reports.

The Reds were understood to be keen to pay Otorbi's €30 million release clause to take him to Anfield, but the young Spaniard's circumstances have changed significantly.

In addition to sustaining an injury that will disrupt his progress on the pitch, Valencia-born Otorbi has had a renewal option in his contract activated early by the club. It's believed the deal, which has not yet been formally announced, includes an increased €60 million release clause.

Valencia have doubled David Otorbi's release clause to deter Liverpool interest

"Valencia CF has responded by exercising the renewal option included in Otorbi's contract," reports Fichajes. "His contract, initially set to run until 2028, has been extended for another three seasons, until June 2031 .

"This modification increases his release clause from €30 million to €60 million. Furthermore, the club has improved the player's salary terms and is considering a future review of his contract.

"The contract extension was initially contingent on Otorbi playing ten matches with a minimum of 45 minutes in each. However, Valencia decided to expedite this process due to interest from England."

Otorbi, a Spanish under-18 international, made his senior debut as far back as August 2024, but has been cautiously integrated into the first team. The 19-year-old didn't play a single minute in La Liga last season but has been given three league starts by head coach Javier Aguirre in 2026/27.

He scored his first La Liga goal against Racing Santander in a 2-2 draw earlier this month but was withdrawn through injury within 15 minutes of kick-off in Saturday's loss to Villarreal.

"The player will focus on his recovery while Valencia finalises the official announcement of his new contract," according to Fichajes.

"Looking ahead to the January 2027 transfer window, the next move will depend on whether English clubs are willing to negotiate for less than €60 million or ultimately rule out signing David Otorbi."

Liverpool in particular are unlikely to be inclined to break the bank, having signed 23-year-old Victor Munoz and 24-year-old Bradley Barcola during the summer transfer window.

Cody Gakpo is enjoying a positive start to the season and can operate to varying degrees in different attacking positions, while the need to keep a path to more regular football open for Rio Ngumoha, 18, becomes more and more obvious every time he plays.

The Reds will have a chance to close the gap on second-placed Arsenal to just three points when they meet in Sunday's only fixture in the Premier League.

Arsenal are looking to a bargain move for a new midfielder – with could spell the end for Martin Zubimendi at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners beat a whole host of European giants to the signing of the Basque controller in midfield, who enjoyed a fantastic start to his first season in English football, before losing his place in the Arsenal midfield to Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The Hale End graduate played in the run-in, as the Premier League title came back to North London for the first time in 22 years – and Zubimendi hasn't reassumed his place next to Declan Rice since.

Martin Zubimendi could be

The signing of Bruno Guimaraes has pushed Zubimendi down to fourth in the pecking order in the midfield, as the World Cup winner made his first start of the season in the engine room in a Fourth Round Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town midweek.

Zubimendi looked a frustrated figure in Munich last week, too – and even Mikel Merino started in the middle of the park against Everton at the weekend, with his compatriot limited to a late cameo in which his broke his nose.

Now, Sport Witness have relayed reports from ESPN Brasil that the Gunners are in for one of the “greatest talents and rising stars” of Brazilian football in midfield.

17-year-old Cruzeiro youngster Eduardo Pape has been compared to Rodri, with the South American outfit fishing for a record sale for the young midfielder – who could be groomed to replace Guimaraes for club and country.

Intriguingly, Guimaraes' former club Newcastle United are also interested in the starlet, with Cruzeiro's director of youth development, Adilson Batista, telling UmDois Esportes about his assessment.

“He’s intelligent; he anticipates plays. He’s clear-headed and facilitates the entire build-up,” Batista explained.

“He reminds me of Rodri and Falcao, players who really know how to play. He’s been impressing me; I like him a lot. I see a very bright future for his career. He’s a simple, humble, hardworking, and responsible young man.”

With manager Mikel Arteta having recently extended his contract until 2029, the Gunners boss may well have an eye on the future as to how to rejuvenate his midfield.

A move for Pape, however, will have to wait until the star turns 18, either way.

Arsenal travel to Liverpool this weekend as Premier League action continues.

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro is reportedly a priority transfer target for Serie A giants AC Milan.

Man United's defensive options have been criticised after heavy defeats against Como in the Champions League and Bournemouth in the Premier League, with former Red Devils right-back Gary Neville pointing out that Yoro playing at right-back is evidence of negligence in the transfer market.

Yoro made a big mistake that led directly to United conceding a goal in the home loss against Bournemouth, thrusting the patchwork nature of their defence back under the microscope, but the Rossoneri could be set to offer him a fresh opportunity.

Ruben Amorim reportedly wants a Leny Yoro reunion at San Siro

Calcio Mercato reports that Milan's recruitment officials are planning a defensive rebuild in the January transfer window, with a central defender prioritised. Milan have some inexperienced options at the back, but injuries to Matteo Gabbia and Mario Gila have left Amorim with limited flexibility.

Roma's Daniele Ghilardi, Lecce's Thiago Gabriel and Goncalo Inacio of Sporting CP are also under consideration for January, but the longer-term plan is understood to include Yoro too.

"A player AC Milan are particularly interested in for next season is the talented 2005-born French defender Yoro from Manchester United," reports Calcio Mercato.

"The Rossoneri are hoping for the work of his agent, [Jorge] Mendes, to help them finalise a deal this summer. The deal is expected to cost between €40 and €50 million."

20-year-old Yoro joined the Red Devils from Lille in the summer of 2024, when they paid a reported initial fee of around £52 million, but had to wait for his competitive debut after suffering a foot injury in pre-season.

By the time he made his first competitive appearance for United in December, both manager Erik ten Hag and caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy had left Old Trafford. Amorim was appointed in November, integrated Yoro, and oversaw his most settled spell in a United shirt.

Yoro has started three times in the Premier League under Michael Carrick this season, all of them at right-back, and his cause hasn't been helped by his presence in the Red Devils' 3-2 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup or his red card in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.

Carrick has selected Harry Maguire in every starting line-up in the Premier League this season, with Lisandro Martinez also starting regularly before his criticism of technical director Jason Wilcox.

Yoro's opportunities at centre-back have been limited in 2026/27 and his suitability on the right is not ideal.

As his stock deteriorates in what is a troubled environment in general, it's not hard to imagine that Mendes and Yoro, who played more than 50 times for Amorim at United, would see the potential benefits of a move.

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has been discharged from hospital after collapsing at the club's training ground on Friday.

Kompany was taken to hospital but reports in Germany claim that doctors ruled out a heart attack or stroke before sending him home to recuperate. He is not expected to return to the Bayern dugout for some weeks.

The Belgian is believed to have experienced seizures during the incident, with medical professionals subsequently looking into meningeal irritation as the cause.

Vincent Kompany dislocated his shoulder in training ground collapse

Meningeal irritation is an inflammation of the meninges, the layers of a protective membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. Kompany had reportedly missed some training sessions because of a virus.

German newspaper BILD reported that the 40-year-old dislocated a shoulder when he collapsed, and his job will be covered by assistant Aaron Danks, who previously reassured fans that he is 'getting better every day' while Kompany recovers.

Bayern director Max Eberl gave an update on Kompany's condition on Wednesday, confirming that the head coach is back at home and on the mend.

"Given the circumstances, he's doing well," Eberl told ARD. "He was discharged from the hospital today. That is the biggest and best news for all of us. It's a meningeal irritation that caused this incident on Friday. He will now rest and take medication

"I am very confident that he will be back on the touchline, operating at 100% very soon."

It's been an eventful period for Bayern. They drew with Arsenal in their third league phase match in the Champions League two days before the former Manchester City defend was taken ill. On Sunday, they beat Freiburg 3-1 to stay top of Germany's Bundesliga.

The league champions then had a midweek DFB-Pokal tie against Magdeburg, winning 6-1 to continue their cup defence without Kompany and Harry Kane, who remained on the bench after winning the Ballon d'Or on Monday night.

Kompany is chasing a third consecutive Bundesliga title, having led Bayern back to the top in 2024/25 and again, as part of the double, last season. He was appointed after a spell in charge of Burnley, who were promoted from the Championship and then relegated from the Premier League on his watch.

Bayern will be without their head coach for their biggest Bundesliga fixture of the season so far when they take on Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Bayern and Dortmund are both unbeaten and level on points at the top of the division.

Arsenal are targeting Eli Junior Kroupi to strengthen their attack, with Bournemouth having made a decision on the striker's future.

The Gunners sold three attacking players in the summer in the form of Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, but only signed Christos Tzolis as a replacement.

Kroupi missed the start of the season with a foot injury – and with Arsenal lacking firepower up front, Bournemouth could well face interest in the January transfer window.

Bournemouth looking to block Eli Junior Kroupi to Arsenal

Kroupi scored 13 goals in 33 games in his first season in English football – the most a teenager has ever netted in a season in the Premier League – as the Cherries achieved a record position in the table of sixth.

The Frenchman's 13th goal even made him an Arsenal cult hero, as it came against Manchester City to secure a first title for the North Londoners in 22 years.

While Bournemouth have endured a tough start to the season, however, TEAMtalk sources are reporting that Bournemouth are adamant that they won't be selling Kroupi midseason.

Last season's push for Europe could have been derailed by the January sale of Antoine Semenyo to City, with the seasiders powerless to prevent the Ghanaian winger from leaving Dean Court for Eastlands, due to a release clause in his contract.

The Guardian have reported that Kroupi has a release clause of £87 million in his contract – though the Premier League champions would likely look to negotiate that down, should they firm their interest.

Kai Havertz has led the line for Arsenal for much of the season with Viktor Gyokeres playing more of a backup role for manager Mikel Arteta – but with neither player particularly impressing in recent weeks, there have been calls from fans to strengthen in the winter market.

Tzolis's recent injury on international duty with Greece has complicated matters in the front three, as Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have both looked to step into that role – while Bukayo Saka has also picked up an injury lately.

Arsenal could well use Kroupi from the left flank, should they make the move, though FourFourTwo understands that they face heavy competition from the likes of Manchester United for the 20-year-old's signature.

Kroupi is valued at £70 million by Transfermarkt. Arsenal travel to Liverpool this weekend as Premier League action continues.

Aston Villa are not a normal football club. After what felt like an eternity of matches against teams that somehow seemed to be playing a more advanced sport altogether, Villa have become competitive by doing things differently.

Manager Unai Emery maintained his poker face throughout pre-season. It's too simplistic to say that Villa lost Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins – the transfer fees those players attracted were vital – but the turnover meant that their recruitment had to be all but perfect just for the club to stand still.

The success rate of the busiest summer Villa have ever had will only truly be known in May, but there's no doubting the sheer amount of potential they invested in. Emery and Roberto Olabe, Villa's president of football operations, seem to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

Victor Lindelof has become an Unai Emery case study

But one name in particular jumps out from the typical Villa teamsheet in 2026/27. Konsa has been replaced not by new signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but by 32-year-old Victor Lindelof.

He joined the club on a free transfer on deadline day last summer after leaving Manchester United but his acquisition was not a stroke of genius on the part of Emery, previous recruitment head Monchi, or anyone else. Lindelof was a punt and joined a club in what might euphemistically be described as a spot of bother.

Villa's Iceman is not a triumph of an unorthodox recruitment strategy but of management, coaching and everything that happens at clubs in between the pandemonium of transfer windows.

All six players Villa sold in the summer who they'd have preferred to keep, at least in a football sense, can thank Emery for making them better when they left than they were when they signed.

There are vanishingly few Villa players for whom that isn't the case now. The most infamous example joined on loan on the same day as Lindelof's signing.

Harvey Elliott's experience is evidence that recruitment at the time of Lindelof's arrival wasn't Villa's strength. The fact that he left with a smile on his face against the odds reveals what Emery's Villa really have become good at.

Lindelof won the admiration of Villa's supporters last season by filling in when he was needed as defensive cover and pulling a handful of immense shifts in midfield when injuries demanded it at the end of the season.

The Sweden captain started the Europa League final in Istanbul as Tielemans' partner in midfield. Amadou Onana, back from injury, was fit enough to come on for him as the first substitute. That's the level Lindelof reached when push came to shove in Villa's best season for decades.

Konsa's sale left Villa in desperate need of a right-sided central defender. Harwood-Bellis or Modou Keba Cisse, it's hoped, will be that player in the long-term. Lindelof has locked that position down for the time being and has been among Villa's better players in their most assured performances.

Lindelof has a new lease of life at Aston Villa

Lindelof is benefiting from his immersion in a more suitable environment.

Emery is an accomplished and hands-on coach who is obsessively detailed and clear about what players need to be in order to make his tactical structure work. He improves players directly and as a function of his approach.

The Villa boss also demands the highest standards from his senior players, preferring where possible to give his squad the space to be self-sustaining away from his supervision.

The Iceman immediately became part of that group, a group that's been through a fair amount of churn as a consequence of the summer sales, and the responsibility looks good on him.

The example of Lindelof demonstrates that transfers aren't the be all and end all for Premier League clubs, and that signings are just the first step in constructing an effective squad.

Manchester United didn't recruit as well as Villa in the most transfer window but Villa themselves did a miserable job in the summer of 2025. The most potent difference between the clubs is the one exemplified by Lindelof.

Where once he was brought in for big money and quickly cast in the role of a decent player at a club that demands excellence without being set up to empower it, Lindelof is now a fortuitous free transfer who keeps improving in his thirties because Villa have the tools to bring out his best as a player and as a leader.

Villa will visit Man United in November with their poor record at Old Trafford bobbing along above the team coach like a cartoon cloud. Lindelof will start that game, all being well, and he couldn't be further from the perception of the player who left 18 months ago.

In some misguided and particularly cruel circles, his name was almost becoming a punchline. His recent performances in a Villa shirt prove that he's anything but.

The new Football Manager game will be available to try for free from Thursday. The preview version will be playable in every game mode, meaning players can check out all the new features before making a decision on a longer-term commitment to football's most immersive franchise.

FM27 has a ton of updates, many of them laser-focused on enabling the most detailed-orientated virtual gaffers to bring their tactical understanding from the real world into the game and get results by applying it.

Before the free preview launches, FourFourTwo spoke to Sports Interactive and Football Manager developer Antony Farley about the new tactical effectiveness and training features, and a streamlined 'tactical tweaks' suite that should appeal to masters of game management.

'There are some really fun options' in FM27's tactical tweaks features

"We've introduced something called tactical tweaks, which is the ability to set multiple team instructions at once, but from the touchline rather than having to go through those complex tactics, menus, and navigate those menus and make your kind of decisions individually," Farley tells FourFourTwo.

"What we've done is given an option – it's a dropdown on the screen – that just says to play with more urgency, for example. And you press that, and what it will do is under the hood, it will set two or three different team instructions that give you that outcome.

"The benefit of that is that you kind of feel a lot more active in the match and when you hover over those tweaks, it'll tell you explicitly what is happening when you press the button. That’s a really nice way of kind of almost translating the complex tactical instructions into something, maybe a little bit more digestible."

Football Manager has become the standard bearer for the video games industry's pursuit of realistic simulation, but the fact that making the game truly real is impossible does mean that it has to be fun to play.

Striking a balance between the two is a challenge. Giving players immediate access to tactical options that are born of the real world but equip them to experiment and take a gamble or two is the natural result.

"There are some really fun options there as well: we've just got a button now to send your goalkeeper up for set pieces," Farley continues. "Like, that is going to be a very tempting button for people to press: quite high risk, high reward, theoretically, but that's, that's one that I'm really excited about seeing.

"It's one of those things that feels like it's been there forever once you get used to it: you kind of get that muscle memory to go over there and make some tweaks."

That acknowledgement that there are different stripes of Football Manager player and that some want control in depth while others prefer to rattle through fixtures underpins several of the new game's updates.

It's also the reason behind the full free trial, which gives prospective purchasers of the game a meaningful chance to explore FM27 warts and all over several days before deciding whether they want to throw countless hours into it.

Farley told FourFourTwo that the team realises not everyone will be suited to the FM27 experience. The trial is designed to enable people to make an informed choice without any proof of purchase.

Can you remember the Liverpool team who lined up against Arsenal in this classic Premier League draw?

There's something particularly satisfying about a 4-4 draw. It's more than symmetry; it feels somehow complete, as if the chaos is truly in balance. Anyway, Andrey Arshavin scored four times for Arsenal against Liverpool in the Premier League in April 2009 and it was kind of weird. But we're not interested in the Gunners.

As the Reds and Arsenal prepare to meet once more this weekend, we're looking back to the Liverpool line-up that started in opposition to Arshavin's Arsenal. Can you name all 11 players? There's no time limit!

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Do you fancy taking on even more of our football quizzes? We've got loads of them and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. We'll stick with the Premier League for now, shall we? Let's find out whether you can sweep the board in our Premier League Years Picture Quiz.

For fans of disciplinary measures, we have three-and-a-half decades worth of red card history to get stuck into. Can you name every player ever to be sent off three times in a single Premier League season? More positively, can you remember every Premier League player to have won the World Cup while they were employed in England's top division?

Away from the Premier League, why not give this little lot a crack? Can you name every nation ever to have beaten England in a World Cup match? There might be a few more than you think. The 2026 Ballon d'Or winner didn't win the World Cup, but then that's not a prerequisite for football's top individual accolade. Can you name the winner of the Ballon d'Or in every World Cup year since 1958?

Love your football puzzles? Us too. Here's FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 76, featuring clues on journeymen, Wembley and absolute screamers.

Don't forget you can stay one step ahead of the game by subscribing to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To truly secure your legacy, make sure you've joined The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, fight for the top of the global leaderboards, and join the debate in the comments section.

There are football matches so boring that you really don't envy the commentators having to come up with something to say about the lack of action unfolding in front of them.

Cricket commentators have long had to find ways to fill in the long pauses in entertaining fashion...and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy went viral after he found himself needing to do the same at the World Cup this summer.

A break in play during Norway's 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast in the round of 32 prompted Murphy to tell colleague Steve Bower all about the day his cat Bob ran away, before later explaining that it came back feral, attacked its sister Mary, then was packed off to a friend’s parents in Preston.

Murphy told FourFourTwo: "The trigger was the substitution of Oscar Bobb.

“It was a dour spell in the game where there were very few good things to talk about.

"Steve Bower was having a quiet moment – it just came to me.

"Normally when you do co-comms, the thinking is ‘Don’t make a headline by saying something so outrageous, ridiculous or contentious that it creates problems for yourself. Don’t be sensationalist, be realistic with what we’re watching'.

“We sat in the car after the game and I’m not particularly on X.

"But I am on Instagram, and I saw a few things starting to come through.

"Steve Bower was sat next to me and was like ‘My god, what’s going on here?’

“It took off on a journey of its own and became good fun.

"You’ve got to understand the fun element of accidentally becoming a meme.

"I ended up doing an advert after it, so some good came out of it."

The trouble with the streets is they don’t know what they’re talking about.

The streets are a poor judge. The streets forget better players than they remember. Football needs entertainers but there’s a difference between a show pony and a true star. The real ones don’t need apologetic social media validation because their impact speaks for itself.

The streets remember players because nobody would remember them if they didn’t. The streets will forget Alex Iwobi because the streets are coated with the cast-off chewing gum of fools.

Alex Iwobi isn’t flash but stability is a superpower

In a season of change at Fulham, Iwobi’s re-emergence could prove an important development. The Cottagers were a steady proposition for almost five years under the leadership of manager Marco Silva, an eternity in the modern game, and are navigating the aftermath of his departure to Benfica.

Replacing Silva with Alvaro Arbeloa was a gamble. Even if it plays out in Fulham’s favour the early days were bound to be rocky, but after two draws and four defeats in the Premier League, there it was: Iwobi scored the only goal in a 1-0 Fulham win, their first of 2026/27.

Consecutive 1-0 wins over promoted opponents do not a smoother path make, but it’s better to beat Hull City and then Coventry City than not. Iwobi was at the heart of those victories, leading by example as he has since he joined Fulham from Everton three years ago.

Fulham’s slow start is masking Iwobi’s consistent ability to show his teammates how it’s done. In terms of an understated positive influence on his team, the 30-year-old is one of the most overlooked players in the Premier League.

He was a big part of the reliable outfit Silva’s Fulham became and the same traits are starting to emerge on Arbeloa’s watch too.

Iwobi is a player of experience and assuredness, and his value is best understood over months and seasons than match by match.

He’s not a highlights player, nor social media fodder, nor the kind of unsung conductor who eventually gets his recognition. He exists somewhere in between.

Iwobi leads Fulham by example year after year

The Nigerian international is averaging more key passes per match in the Premier League than any other Fulham player so far this season. Only Oscar Bobb is creating more chances per 90 minutes than Iwobi, and the difference is wafer-thin at most.

Iwobi leads his team for both crosses (with the second-highest success rate) and through balls and has the same expected assists (xA) value per 90 minutes as Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki. Only Phil Foden is above them.

He has Fulham’s highest number of successful passes in the attacking third and sits 12th in the Premier League. He’s one of a handful of Fulham players with a pass success rate above 90 per cent.

Shea Charles can outrank him on a few measures. Josh King can outrank him here and there. Bobb, too. But Iwobi’s immutable superpower is that he shows up at or near the top of ranking after ranking after ranking, and he does it every year.

In May, when Iwobi returned from a hamstring injury that had kept him out for a month and was therefore the longest absence he’s ever had as a Fulham player, his manager explained his importance.

“He's a big player for us, definitely,” said Silva in one of his final press conferences as the Fulham boss. “He's a player who's very versatile, who can play in many different positions. He's also a player that can add extra quality in the decision making.

“In all aspects of the game he's a key player for us and he's shown it again this season.”

Silva’s appointment as Jose Mourinho’s successor at the Estadio da Luz was already in the post by the time those words of praise tumbled from his lips in West London. Football can sometimes be guilty of underestimating the tumult such a change can create when a manager has been in place for such a long time.

Fulham need Iwobi’s stable input this season more than they have at any other time since he followed Silva to Craven Cottage.

Arbeloa needs him to lead the way along with the likes of Harrison Reed, Kenny Tete, Sander Berge, Timothy Castagne, Antonee Robinson and captain Tom Cairney to set the example for Bobb, King, Charles, Kevin and the manager’s trio of young Spanish prospects to follow this season and in the seasons to come.

Crank up your quizzing mind and get ready to take on another FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz. You'll have just 90 seconds to answer 10 football trivia questions.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has loads more football quizzes courtesy of Kwizly. First up, can you crack this quiz about Coventry City in the Premier League? There's a 25-year hole in the middle so you'll need to know your stuff from the distant past and the present but nothing in between.

There's not a lot of Sky Blues action in this next little batch of top-flight history quizzes. In fact, they'll only come up once. Can you remember the top goalscorer of all 20 Premier League teams in 1996-97, in 2006-07, and in 2016-17?

Our Big Quiz of English Football Grounds is one for true experts and has questions about the stadiums, stands and streets that make up the cathedrals of the game up and down the nation. Can you answer them all?

Next, we want you to name every title sponsor of the EFL Trophy in its history and also to name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season.

Finally, we're heading off to the more exotic climes of major international football tournaments to ask you to name every nation ever to have beaten England in a World Cup match. That includes both knocking them out and beating them in the group stage, so there are a few more than you might expect.

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

Manchester United have bigger problems to solve than getting ahead of the game when it comes to identifying an upgrade on striker Benjamin Sesko.

Winning their next match will be high on the Man United agenda, certainly. Deciding whether their captain should be allowed to play will be top-of-mind. Praying that head coach Michael Carrick can justify the patience of the higher-ups will take up some time too.

Nevertheless, goals are goals and the Red Devils are scoring too few as well as conceding too many. One of Europe's most in-form frontmen has been tipped as an unlikely candidate to put that right.

Victor Osimhen 'has the profile' to inspire Man United revival

Galatasaray's Nigerian international striker, Victor Osimhen, is on a goalscoring tear. The 27-year-old has scored nine goals in his last nine matches in all competitions for the Istanbul giants, including both in their derby win over Fenerbahce on Monday night.

He's scored eight league goals in fewer than 500 minutes. In Europe's top five leagues, only Barcelona's Raphinha is more prolific per 90 minutes in league football this season.

According to former Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers centre-forward Djibril Cisse, Man United should have Osimhen at the top of their transfer window shopping list.

"Victor Osimhen has the profile to play in England," the former French international told Mr Gamble. "I think Manchester United could suit him, and I believe there was already some interest at the start of the year or last year.

"He loves the Premier League. He’s unpredictable, he scores goals, he’s complete, he has the profile for English football, and I think that’s what United are missing right now."

Sesko might disagree. At 23 years old and with a considerable scoring record before his own move to Old Trafford, the Slovenian striker has struggled to stay injury-free and leave the desired impression.

'Profile' isn't really what's missing for Sesko and United's goals have been coming from Bryan Mbeumo, whose Premier League suitability is beyond doubt. Osimhen or any other striker following in the footsteps of Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund would need genuine steel to rise above the circumstances.

Osimhen joined Galatasaray from Napoli last year after spending the 2024/25 season on loan at the Istanbul club. The masked man's relationship with Napoli deteriorated in the months after the club posted a video on TikTok that was interpreted as racially offensive.

There was significant interest in signing him from Napoli in the summer of 2024 but his options gradually fell away as teams turned their attentions elsewhere.

Galatasaray was seen as a premature sidestep out of the spotlight but Osimhen has thrived in Turkey's Super Lig, which he has won twice to add to his Serie A title in Naples.

Manchester United are working to clear the air before embarking on a difficult run of fixtures in the Premier League and Champions League, according to a report.

Michael Carrick has been under pressure after a sequence of disappointing results but it emerged on Tuesday that the head coach will have an opportunity to turn Man United's fortunes around.

Carrick avoiding the sack means that there are dressing room situations to resolve, not least with United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Man United 'players and staff' met for talks after a frantic fortnight of chaos

Fernandes was an unused substitute in the Red Devils' Premier League loss to Bournemouth on Sunday after he criticised Carrick's tactics in last week's defeat against Como in the Champions League.

The captain was criticised by a series of former players and received a frosty response at Old Trafford, where Carrick was offered the respect, if not the endorsement, of the United support.

"Sources say Carrick held a meeting of players and staff – not directors – to clear the air at Carrington and attempt to get people on the same page," report Laurie Whitwell and Chris McKenna for The Athletic.

"The idea was to galvanise everyone to the common cause of winning matches, whatever grievances they might have. The summit was said to be productive, but of course the proof will be seen on the pitch at Chelsea on Saturday."

United's fixture list is sure to provide a true test of their mettle with Carrick in charge. After their next Premier League match against the Blues, they will meet Roma, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Sporting CP and Brentford before the end of November.

The decision to leave Carrick in the dugout for that run was met with surprise this week. Man United have won two of their 12 matches in all competitions this season, a far cry from the positive form that saw his interim role commuted to the job proper in May.

"Carrick has his own decision on Fernandes: whether to back him or bench him. Those who know both men feel they will address the matter head-on," according to The Athletic.

"Sources say the mood as things stand is that a line will be drawn after Carrick dropped his captain on Sunday, which would make Fernandes available to start the trip to Stamford Bridge."

The United skipper was sidelined on Sunday as United slumped to their second three-goal defeat in a matter of days. They have now played eight matches without a win since beating Sabah in the Champions League at Old Trafford in December.

Yet to win away from home this season, the Red Devils have slipped back into the bottom five in the Premier League, face a tough challenge to avoid a play-off in the Champions League, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking despite leading against Brighton.

Watch Arsenal Women vs Benfica Women, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

Arsenal host Benfica on matchday three of the UEFA Women's Champions League league stage.

After a narrow 1-0 victory over HB Koge, Arsenal let a two goal lead slip away to draw 2-2 against Paris FC in their previous match, after a bizarre Leah Williamson handball led to a penalty.

The Gunners must now bounce back against the Portuguese side.

FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Arsenal vs Benfica in the UWCL online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Can I watch Arsenal vs Benfica for free?

Yes. Arsenal vs Benfica is broadcast for free in Portugal on RTP2 and via RTP Play.

Outside Portugal? Use NordVPN to stream the game for free.

Watch Arsenal vs Benfica from anywhere

Away from home for the game? That doesn't mean you have to miss out on watching Arsenal vs Benfica. All you need is a VPN, a handy a piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and unblock your usual streaming services when abroad. It's also brilliant for your general internet security.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPNs, and they say NordVPN is the best VPN you can get.

How to watch Arsenal vs Benfica the UK

Arsenal vs Benfica will be broadcast live in the UK on Disney+.

Watch Arsenal vs Benfica in the US

Fans in the USA can watch Arsenal vs Benfica via Paramount+.

Arsenal vs Benfica: Women's Champions League preview

Arsenal will be looking to get their Champions League campaign back on track as they return to Meadow Park, where they have home advantage against Benfica.

The Gunners have struggled for form this season but will be keen to secure a positive result as they look to climb the league-phase table, with Barcelona and Lyon among the difficult fixtures still to come.

Meanwhile, Benfica opened their campaign with a win away to Juventus. The Portuguese side will be hoping to put their defeat to Bayern behind them and take advantage of any uncertainty in the Arsenal camp.

Arsenal won the most recent meeting between the sides 2-0 in October 2025, giving them reason to believe they can secure another important result on home soil.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch Liverpool vs Chelsea for free in the Carabao Cup 4th round, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea meet in this re-run of the 2005, 2022 and 2024 League Cup finals.

Chelsea won the first of those, Liverpool the next two, and the Reds stand alone as the League Cup’s most successful club, with 10 wins.

This time, though, they face each other in the fourth round, and the big story revolves around Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, who returns to Anfield for the first time since his appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round online and from anywhere, including for free.

Watch Liverpool vs Chelsea for FREE

Residents of the UK can watch Liverpool vs Chelsea for free in the UK on ITV1 and the ITVX streaming platform.

Watch Liverpool vs Chelsea from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Liverpool vs Chelsea.

The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

FourFourTwo’s tech-obsessed office-mates over at Tom's Guide know everything there is to know about VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea in the UK

As well as being covered by ITV, Liverpool vs Chelsea will be shown live on Sky Sports, with coverage on Sky Sports Main Event.

How to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea in the US

Paramount+ will broadcast Liverpool vs Chelsea in the US. Kick-off is at 4:00pm ET.

How to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea in Australia

Liverpool vs Chelsea will be live on beIN SPORTS 3 and the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform. Kick-off is at 7:00am AEST on Thursday.

Liverpool vs Chelsea: Preview

Matches between Liverpool and Chelsea always pack a punch and they come into this fourth round tie on the back of very different fortunes over the weekend.

The Blues were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, with stand-in goalkeeper Mike Penders credited with an own goal just a few minutes before Cole Palmer received a second yellow card. Mathys Tel added insult to injury.

Liverpool were a little vulnerable defensively, but blistering in attack as Ronald Araujo put in a sparkling performance to drive them past an in-form Brighton & Hove Albion. They leapfrogged Chelsea as a result.

SEE ALSO How to watch Carabao Cup 2026/27: TV Guide, Free Streams & Fixtures — Round 4

Without European football this season, Xabi Alonso's Chelsea have played twice in the Carabao Cup. They beat Luton Town and came back from the dead against Leeds United to reach the fourth round and are now within touching distance of the last eight. Liverpool knocked Spurs out comfortably in the last round.

Chelsea's last win at Anfield was behind closed doors in March 2021, when Mason Mount scored the only goal of the game in the Premier League. Emerson and Eden Hazard scored the goals in their last win there in front of a crowd, also in the League Cup, eight years ago.

Xabi Alonso's return to Merseyside is a chance to end that wait for the travelling Chelsea supporters a few weeks before Liverpool make the reverse journey to West London for the first league meeting of the season.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea

So much depends on team selection, but Andoni Iraola's Reds have responded well to their loss against Manchester City.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The new Football Manager game is here and players everywhere are eagerly awaiting their next foray into the thrills of the virtual transfer market.

FM27 has some powerful new tactical and training features but millions of fans around the world play Football Manager to get stuck into transfers and discover the latest cult signings to give their teams a boost.

Prior to Thursday's launch of the full free preview of the new edition, FourFourTwo caught up with Sports Interactive developer Antony Farley to talk transfers.

Ajax academy 'always good' for Football Manager wonderkids

The developer prefers to keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to naming names but one young player in particular was identified as a possible candidate to be the next FM wonderkid.

"There's a kid at Ajax, a 17-year-old left winger, Abdellah Ouazane, who looks like he's going to be a very strong player this year," Farley tells FourFourTwo.

"Those absolute gems playing somewhere a little bit more far-flung are a lot harder to find, anecdotally. But certainly, at the Ajax Academy, there are always good players coming through. The fun of discovery is part of it, so I don't want to ruin too many surprises.

"I don't know that we've got to worry about the future of wonderkids already being at the top teams because we're a simulation. Ultimately, our job is to simulate the real football world: what the real football world does, FM does, and very often we're maybe influencing the real football world in some sense when it comes to wonderkids.

The Football Manager wonderkid has become a beloved phenomenon. Cherno Samba, Carlo Fierro, Kim Kallstrom and Ibrahima Bakayoko are names that will trigger memories for hordes of virtual gaffers.

Farley also likes to find other games within the game, painting himself into corners to help unleash the creative artillery of constraint.

"I don't think the wonderkid appeal will ever go away; that's always an extremely exciting part of the game," he adds. "But I really like the self-imposed constraints you can put on yourself in FM at times. I've got a rule for myself that I won't sign a player with a work rate under 15, for example.

"That very often starts me looking in the Championship for gems who are going to run through walls for me: players who might not have the technical ability of that elite level, but have the mentality bang on.

"That's where I'm going to put my effort into getting them up to that elite level. It just introduces new choices, rather than us being too concerned about the removal of existing ones."

FM27 will be launched as a free preview on PC, Mac, Steam and Xbox from October 29 to November 3. Every game mode will be playable, offering players a chance to make an informed purchase decision.

Erling Haaland is planning his next transfer move and has put La Liga titans Real Madrid and Barcelona on alert, according to reporting in Spain.

Haaland is committed to Manchester City until 2034 after signing a blockbuster new contract early last year but is sure to be a target for any club that gets a realistic sniff of signing him in the meantime.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are no exception to that rather obvious fact, and a transfer reporter has claimed that the Norwegian striker wants to head for Spain when his time in the Premier League comes to and end.

Erling Haaland 'undecided' between Real Madrid and Barcelona

"According to journalist Matteo Moretto, the striker plans to make the move to Spanish football in the future, although he has not yet chosen a team nor is there a set date for his departure," reports Fichajes.

"Moretto revealed during MARCA's 'Los 100' special that Erling Haaland considers the Spanish championship the next step in his career."

Haaland's contract and commitment to Man City do not paint the full picture. City were found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules and are awaiting both the outcome of their appeal and confirmation of the potentially catastrophic punishment heading their way.

Football is a short career and City players, Haaland included, are sure to be reviewing their options if multiple seasons outside the Premier League became definite or likely as a result of the charges.

Most of them wouldn't be short of lusty suitors if the Man City situation were to evolve into a fire sale of their expensively assembled squad of top talents and household names.

"[Premier League] regulations stipulate that fines, point deductions, and other sporting measures could be among the consequences," reports Fichajes.

"A sanction that significantly impacts the team's competitive standing could alter the plans of some players. In Haaland's case, any departure would still depend on the financial terms demanded by his current club."

Haaland is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. He has scored 121 goals in just 140 Premier League appearances and helped Pep Guardiola's City team to their last two Premier League titles and a historic treble.

Having fired Man City to a Champions Legue win in 2022/23, Haaland came second in the Ballon d'Or voting behind Lionel Messi. England's Harry Kane went one better in 2026 and the pair, along with Kylian Mbappe, are widely considered to be the world's most lethal marksmen.

Whether Haaland's departure is expedited by sanctions or forms part of his twilight adventure many years from now, he can be sure the top teams in his preferred league will be on the phone.

The new edition of the legendary Football Manager series packs a powerful new tactical effectiveness system that will really put top players through their paces and offers big reward for taking a successful risk.

FM27 will be available to try before you buy from Thursday, including the tactical effectiveness features that will govern the complexity of tactical innovations that can be trained into squads and the individual players within.

Prior to the launch of the free preview, FourFourTwo spoke to Sports Interactive and Football Manager developer Antony Farley about the new system.

'It's a measure of how well your players understand what you're asking them to do'

"It is quite a deep system, I would say, and one that the real hardcore – the people who really engage, think about FM, and leave no stone unturned – are going to have a lot of fun with," Farley tells FourFourTwo.

"To be really simple about it, it's a measure of how well your players understand what you're asking them to do and how well they're able to execute it.

"There are a lot of gauges in the experience to measure your progress in these areas. The two really important gauges we've added to your tactic give you a sense of its intensity (how physically demanding it is) and its complexity (more how mentally demanding it is). Then, a new gauge shows how effective you are at that tactic overall.

"Training has been reworked to be a little bit more about match preparation and working towards winning football matches. You'll see that breakdown of tactical effectiveness, and you may see that our pressing intensity is something we're a bit behind on at the moment: something the players aren't necessarily clicking with.

"You can then go in and cater your training sessions to work on that specifically, hopefully building their understanding of what you're asking them to do and becoming more effective at it."

Such detail isn't going to be for every FM27 player, but those who love to get down and dirty with the details should find that the time they invest in preparing their teams tactically can be time well spent.

"This is about risk-reward and new choices," says Farley.

"You might want to go into a club and ask them to do something really simple and straightforward, and you're probably going to get those players performing that tactic quite quickly, depending on the squad available to you.

"But it may be that that tactic has a bit of a ceiling to it: it's only going to be so good. Whereas you might go in and say, 'I've got something really complicated that I'm asking my team to do here.' It's going to take a while for your players to get up to speed with that.

"That's the balance of risk-reward and those new choices."

FM27 will be available to play as a free preview from October 29 to November 3. All game modes will be available within the preview, which can be accessed without proof of purchase for PC, Mac, Steam and Xbox.

A non-league football club in Scotland is set to field two teams at the same time after a failure to resolve a fixture clash.

Renfrewshire side Johnstone Burgh were promoted to the the Lowland League West last season and now compete with illustrious names like Clydebank, Gretna and Albion Rovers, as well as a Celtic B team.

Johnstone, who count Frank McAvennie among their former players, are holding their own in mid-table in the fifth tier but face a near-insurmountable challenge because of the scheduling of two of their cup ties.

Johnstone Burgh will play two matches at the same time

The Burgh are competing in the Scottish Communities Cup and the Lowland League Cup this autumn and both of their fixtures are slated for Saturday, November 21.

They are scheduled to play Tayport in the Communities Cup and Dunipace in the League Cup, both away from home, and in a bizarre turn of events that's exactly what's going to happen.

"We have explored every possible option to find a suitable solution that would allow us to play the tie outwith a Saturday afternoon as our schedule is already full," Johnstone said in a club statement as reported by the Daily Record.

"This has included attempting to rearrange league fixtures and South Challenge Cup ties, travelling to Tayport midweek, playing Tayport on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, and, most recently, offering to play the Communities Cup tie immediately before or after our upcoming Lowland League Cup fixture.

"In addition, we offered to forfeit our share of the gate money to help cover any inconvenience caused by rearranging the fixture.

"Despite exhausting every option available to us, we have been unable to reach a solution that allows us to play outwith a Saturday afternoon.

"Regrettably, we now find ourselves in a position where our Communities Cup tie and Lowland League Cup tie must be played on the same day, at the same time, on Saturday 21st November."

Burgh manager Stevie Farrell, a former St Mirren and Stenhousemuir defender with a couple of Second Division matches in England to his name, will be required to split his squad.

One Johnstone team will make the long trip to the east coast to take on Tayport while another heads to Stirlingshire for their Lowland League Cup tie on the same afternoon.

The first round ushers in a new era for the competition after the league's expansion to form two geographical divisions, responsible for Johnstone's promotion in sixth place last term.

Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman received a red card against Fleetwood Town – and an apparent earful from manager Mikel Arteta.

The 16-year-old was sent off after retaliating to a hefty challenge towards the end of the Carabao Cup tie, in what was widely condemned by pundits and on social media as a very harsh decision from referee Michael Salisbury.

In leaving the pitch, Dowman was approached by Arteta, who appeared to say something to the Arsenal youngster as he trudged down the tunnel.

Arsenal defeat clouded by Mikel Arteta reaction to Max Dowman

Speaking after the game, Arteta told his post-match press conference that he hadn't had a chance to rewatch the incident – but refused to blame the officiating for his side's exit from the Fourth Round of the competition.

“I haven’t seen it back, and with the camera you can’t really see what happens,” the Basque boss said.

“The decision was made by the referee, and that’s it. Even with 10 men, we had three big chances to score.”

When asked what he said to the teenager, Arteta replied, “It’s something that we discussed before the game,” but refused to go into further detail – though did say just before that “we’re very clear on what to expect” from Fleetwood and “emotionally, we have to dominate”.

“We’re not going to discuss that here and now,” he said, when asked about prior conversations with Dowman about being fouled regularly.

This is the second dismissal that the winger has had this month, after getting sent off for England's under-19s recently following a reckless challenge after being targeted.

“This didn’t look good to me at all,” former Gunner and pundit Paul Merson said on Sky Sports following the incident at Highbury.

“If that’s [Viktor] Gyokeres, who’s an experienced international, [Arteta] isn’t doing that – but he does that to a 16-year-old kid?”

The red card leaves Dowman with a likely one-game ban for the weekend's trip to Anfield, leaving Arsenal with a selection crisis at right-wing.

Bukayo Saka is facing a two-month layoff after a muscle injury picked up against Bayern Munich, with Noni Madueke left out of last night's cup trip after a knock himself.

Arsenal comfortably won their Premier League fixture at home against Everton on Saturday but exited the Carabao Cup in shambolic fashion on Tuesday evening.

The Gunners needed an equaliser from Viktor Gyokeres to take League Two side Fleetwood Town to penalties in their fourth round tie, losing 5-3 on spot kicks after Bruno Guimaraes failed to score.

Teenager Max Dowman was sent off for retaliating to a poor challenge and appeared to be scolded by manager Mikel Arteta as he left the field and headed down the tunnel.

Arsenal injury update ahead of Premier League clash with Liverpool

Dowman's suspension means he will join fellow wide players Bukayo Saka and potentially Christos Tzolis on the sidelines when Arsenal take on Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend.

Both players missed Tuesday's trip to the Fylde coast along with three others, whose absence at Highbury Stadium wasn't necessarily planned.

Arteta's wide options were further limited without England winger Noni Madueke, while midfielder Declan Rice and full-back Riccardo Calafiori both also missed the Fleetwood game.

The Arsenal boss told reporters after Arsenal's exit from the Carabao Cup that Rice, who played against Everton on Saturday and trained on Monday, was unavailable because of a minor injury.

According to The Standard, Rice should be fit and available to face Liverpool but a further update is expected from his manager when he meets the media again for his pre-match press conference.

"Madueke was not spotted in training on Monday and Arteta has revealed the winger picked up an ankle issue against Everton which prevented him from making the trip to Fleetwood," reports The Standard.

"As Arsenal have key injuries in wide areas and now Dowman’s suspension has been added to the mix, supporters will be desperate for a positive update on Madueke before the Liverpool game."

Meanwhile, Calafiori featured in the Champions League prior to Arsenal's league fixture against Everton but was not named in the starting line-up against the Toffees and didn't feature in the Fleetwood match.

The Italian left-back was evidently struggling with a knock at the end of the Everton game after coming off the bench, but Arteta revealed afterwards that any injury was 'slight'.

Arsenal will hope Calafiori is available on Sunday, when they and Liverpool play the second part of the weekend's top-four bonanza after Saturday's match between third-placed Brighton and leaders Manchester City.

The new edition of the legendary Football Manager game franchise will be unleashed on the world this week and FourFourTwo has been kept informed about what to expect.

FM27 will launch as a free preview at 6:00pm on Thursday, October 29, enabling prospective players to try before they buy on PC or Mac with no proof of purchase required.

Prior to the release of the new game and its free preview, Sports Interactive developer Antony Farley has revealed his best piece of advice for rookie Football Manager players looking to dip a toe into the vast waters of management simulation.

'Patience is a big part of it' for new FM27 players

"When it comes to new players, players who may be curious about FM but haven't given it a go before… advice I always give to new players is patience is a big part of it!" Farley tells FourFourTwo.

"FM is a game where the appeal reveals itself the more you spend time with it. You’re creating your own world, you're living out your own alternative reality, and very often the kind of hook be a moment that comes you eight, nine or 10 matches into a season – maybe that second transfer window.

"So spend time with it, be patient with it, and particularly for new players, I always recommend they make use of our delegation features. We’ve got a little bit more front and centre this year in the new user experience. It's the ability to kind of directly delegate to your staff members some of the key areas of responsibility.

"If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, then you've got a backroom team that can help you out and take care of contract negotiations, training or what-have-you. You can have experience that you want to have!"

FM27 has a little something for everyone, from newcomers to obsessive Football Manager veterans who want total control over every aspect of their play.

Sports Interactive took the unusual decision to offer it all in a free-to-play preview, which will also be available via Steam and Xbox Game Pass. The trial will make every game mode playable, meaning players can take the whole thing for a spin.

Farley says that the trial is designed to give players a true and candid experience of the new game, and a chance to make an informed choice.

"Ultimately, we've done this free period so people can kind of try before they buy and make their own judgment call, on whether or not they want to commit to a purchase of FM27," he explains to FourFourTwo.

"That goes for new players to the game, people that maybe are still playing FM26, people that might still be playing FM24, our previous title, and we want to give people the opportunity to really get their hands on for quite a significant period, to make the decision as to whether or not it's resonating with them and whether they want to continue with it."

The FM27 trial period will end on Tuesday, November 3.

You can barely avoid Stick To Football if you're at all interested in football these days.

The YouTube show, fronted by Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott - sometimes with guests filling in or joining the studio - has become the go-to source of punditry wisdom and football banter.

But as the show's founder, Neville admits he was not certain it would work before a proof of concept episode proved to be a hit.

Neville told FourFourTwo: "Initially [The Overlap] was just me for two years. I was interviewing people and got to a point where I thought ‘I’m a bit of a busy fool here, I’m just wandering around talking to people’.

"I thought I’d run out of guests and I’d get bored. I get bored easily.

"But we did something before one of the tournaments, with a few of us round a table – I thought it worked well and it grew from there.

“There are times you have to do things remotely, but generally I always think you’re better off being in the room with people, then you can see their faces and their excitement.

“I want five people sat around the bar, as if it’s almost like a pub after a match, and I just want us to have a chat.

“Five people shouldn’t really work, people would say it’s too many, but the one thing I was insistent upon was it would be five people and who they’d be.

“Getting them all together and to agree was difficult. It took time, but we did it.

"I was so nervous before the first recording, thinking ‘How’s this going to go?’ It was a massive gamble for us, but within the first couple of weeks I could see it was working.

"After we did the David Beckham episode, the first guest episode, I thought ‘This works’.

“It’s informal, it’s authentic, we’re just having a conversation, there’s no real order to it, which is what I wanted. I just want to Stick to Football to be free – you press record, press stop, and everything in between is fair game.

"If someone walks in with a pot of tea, if someone walks in to do someone’s makeup or the sound engineer walks in, we just keep going.

"We don’t stop; everything’s filmed. There’s a team in this room delivering this programme, and we just went for it from day one.”

Since 1992-93, the Premier League – under its various names – has been the top division of men's football in England. It's delivered countless iconic moments, all captured on television cameras and by an army of talented pitchside photographers. This FourFourTwo quiz will test your memory of those moments.

We've picked some of our favourite recognisable incidents and matches from the history of the Premier League and we simply want you to select the correct season from the four options provided.

There are 10 photographs in all and we're giving you a time limit of just 4 minutes to see how many of them you can pin down to a particular Premier League year.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. First up, can you take these 15 career paths and tell us which club is missing from the end of each one? We've supplied a picture of each player, but not their names. Good luck!

Next, we have a new club and country badge quiz. You simply need to name the team to which each badge is associated. We've switched up some colours and removed the team names - obviously - to make it a bit trickier.

Finally, let's find out if you're as hot on obscure-ish football trivia as you are Premier League history. You know the footballers the streets won't forget. But what about the streets football won't forget?

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 72 features clues on Buccaneers, pirates and Vikings. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

In February 2015, Tottenham Hotspur signed Dele Alli for £5m. The midfielder penned a five-and-a-half year deal with the north London side, and was immediately loaned back to MK Dons.

At 18 years of age for a player plying his trade for a League One side, it was a hefty outlay. Tottenham were taking a risk on the teenager. At the time, he’d struck 12 times in 25 appearances. He ended his final season for the Dons with 16 goals across 39 league outings. However, the step up from the third tier of English football to the Premier League was a big one to take. It was one he made with ease.

Dele scored 10 and provided nine assists in his debut season at the club. He added 18 goals and registered a further seven assists in his second campaign in the capital. Successive PFA Young Player of the Year awards served to highlight a player with the world at his feet. Nine goals and 10 assists across the 2017/18 season was another superb haul.

‘We’ve got Alli! Dele Alli!’ would reverberate around the old White Hart Lane. He forged a fine attacking partnership with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen in Mauricio Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.

The attacking performances attracted interest from Real Madrid at one stage. However, the showings began to deteriorate in the 2018/19 season. The quality of his displays slipped, owing largely to a series of hamstring complaints during Pochettino’s final full season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium helm.

The Argentine’s Spurs exit in November 2019 was ultimately the beginning of the end for Dele. Jose Mourinho succeeded Pochettino in north London, and the Portuguese warned the midfielder that an unprofessional attitude could negatively impact his career. In the widely shared scene from the All or Nothing documentary focussed on the 2019/20 season, Dele didn’t necessarily adopt a relaxed attitude, nor did he look particularly receptive to Mourinho’s comments.

Rather, he sat in the manager’s office, arms crossed, and didn’t appear to be taking Mourinho’s advice on board. Things hardly improved for Dele during his time under the former Chelsea and Inter Milan head coach, though he refused to blame Mourinho for a lack of game time during his short stint at Spurs. “The only person I blame is myself,” he said back in 2021.

At one stage, he opened up on personal problems during an episode of The Overlap with Gary Neville, revealing he was sexually abused by a friend of his mother at just six years of age. Dele also admitted that, at one point, he suffered from an addiction to sleeping pills and alcohol. That said, the player himself never used his off-field issues as an excuse for a dip in on-field performances, though such trauma would have impacted anybody regardless of their mental fortitude.

Ultimately, a Spurs career that started with a bang ended with a whimper, and in January 2022, he completed a move to Everton. A fresh start with a change of scenery was seemingly the best course of action for the player. It failed to have the desired effect. Dele managed just one league start in the second half of the 2021/22 season before moving to Turkish side Besiktas later that year.

Everything seemed to be going well for him in Istanbul, though it took a turn for the worse when Senol Gunel took over the reins in October 2022. “Let’s not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency,” Gunel said of Dele shortly after his appointment. He didn’t play for Besiktas again after February having scored two goals across 13 league outings. Just as things looked to be falling into place for Dele, everything came tumbling down once more.

The 2023/24 campaign was a write-off due to injury, and while his Everton contract expired in June 2024, the club allowed Dele to use the training facilities as he continued his rehabilitation. A switch to Como followed in January 2025, and another opportunity for a new beginning.

Head coach Cesc Fabregas warned against Dele making an immediate impact, which is to be expected following an 18-month spell away from the game, but in March 2025; the midfielder made his first appearance in over two years as he took to the field in a Serie A clash with Milan. He lasted just nine minutes after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card for a foul on Lucas Da Cunha to a red. Dele was released in September 2025. He hasn’t played competitively since.

It’s not to say Dele hasn’t been trying to remain on top of his fitness in order to secure a move. He was training at Hotspur Way earlier this year. Some fans would even love to see Dele return to the squad to provide a confidence boost. He was reportedly set to move to West Ham United over the summer, while League Two contenders Barnet had been credited with an interest.

On potentially signing Dele, who had been using the club’s training facilities, head coach Dean Brennan said: “You’d be mad not to. Everyone deserves a second chance in life.” While a move to the Bees is yet to come to fruition, it’s an offer that remains on the table for Dele.

In the meantime, however, he has taken to live streaming on Twitch, attracting thousands of viewers as he calls former teammates on air, including James Maddison, Tammy Abraham and Harry Kane, though some, including Eric Dier, opted against answering the phone. It was the call with Kane, however, that really brought to light the fall from grace. “Working hard, I hope?” the Bayern Munich hitman asked, with genuine concern in his voice.

“Always bro. Come on, you know me,” Dele replied. He said so with a fragile smile.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? The player himself confirmed as such on a live stream, stating that “developments are happening behind the scenes”. It’s not yet confirmed where his next destination will be, but fans everywhere are hoping the possible move comes to fruition, be it with Barnet or elsewhere.

It’s truly a sorry state of affairs for a player who, briefly, had the world at his feet. He played with the arrogance and flamboyance of an attacker who looked destined for the very top. The world-class strike against Crystal Palace in January 2016 feels like a lifetime ago. “It makes your heart smile, that sort of goal,” Ian Wright said on Match of the Day.

Ask any Spurs fan now, and all they’ll want to see is a happy Dele playing football again. At just 30 years of age, there is ample time to return to the game. He may not hit the same heights supporters witnessed in the opening years of his Spurs career, but just watching him back in action would make even the most apathetic of hearts smile.

It's another day, so it's another FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz. It couldn't be simpler: 10 football trivia questions to answer and just 90 seconds to answer them.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes courtesy of Kwizly. Let's start in the Premier League, where we'd like to ask you politely to identify the nationalities of 20 players of varying levels of memorability value.

More visually minded? Our twisted badge quiz takes some famous club and country crests and strips them of what marketing graduates might call their distinctive brand assets. Can you still identify them?

We're a few games into the European continental club season and we have a beat of a quiz that asks you to name every club competing in the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season.

Next, a diversion from an old favourite. Forget the footballers the streets won't forget. Yes, you ready that correctly. We're not bothered by them for the purposes of this quiz. Instead, we want to know whether can answer questions about the streets football won't forget.

Our last quiz recommendation only applies for trivia brains with practical experience, because you're not going to get far with this one without it. If you know your stuff, take on our Big Quiz of English Football Grounds.

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

2026 Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane made light work of his competition as a young player at Tottenham Hotspur, a former teammate at the North London club has admitted.

Spurs legend Kane scored 213 goals for the club in the Premier League, leaving in 2023 as the league's second-highest goalscorer. His move to Bayern Munich laid the foundations for back-to-back Bundesliga titles, to 61 goals in 51 matches in 2025/26 and, ultimately, to the Ballon d'Or.

Kane played for Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City before establishing himself as an all-time Spurs great and England great.

'He overtook us like a rocket'

According to Spanish striker Roberto Soldado, who played for Spurs between 2013 and 2015 just as Kane was emerging from his proving expedition around other clubs, the signs were there from the start.

Soldado told Deportes COPE Valencia via Sport Witness: "He’d come up to train with us, and in training you’d see him finish and you’d say, 'Damn, this kid.’

"We played in the Premier League, the Europa League, and the FA Cup and Carling Cup. The kid would come on, get minutes, and score goals, and score goals, and score goals.

"It crushed me, it crushed me. He kept earning more and more minutes in every competition, and well, he overtook us, like a rocket.

"Those of you who knew he was something special weren’t wrong, because look, even now, and it’s been quite a while, he’s still a world-class striker."

Soldado, now 41, is as good a judge as any. The Valencia-born frontman was seldom truly prolific but offered enough presence to build an impressive career that took him from Real Madrid, Getafe and Valencia to Spurs, and on to Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Granada and Levante.

He scored more than 200 league goals in his career and scored seven times in 12 appearances for the Spanish national team, albeit in a period spanning six years. Soldado had stiff competition at international level too.

Kane was voted the best footballer in the world and collected the Ballon d'Or trophy at the end of a glittering ceremony on Monday night.

The 33-year-old England captain scored six times on the way to the World Cup semi-finals, adding some international credibility to a phenomenal season in front of goal for Bayern.

Since leaving Spurs, Kane has scored 156 times in 159 appearances in all competitions and has won Germany's Bundesliga twice. Bayern also won the DFB-Pokal last season. Kane scored all three goals in the final against Stuttgart in May.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and manager Jose Mourinho have turned their attentions to the Premier League in the hunt for a marquee midfield signing, according to reports.

Los Blancos closed the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 2-1 El Clasico win on Sunday, but they have not won the title or Champions League since 2023/24. That's only a couple of years for any other club, but Real Madrid seldom suffer droughts without a throaty reaction in the transfer market.

Perez is a man of big promises and Liverpool could be the next club who can expect to have to resist Real Madrid's overtures for one of their most important players.

Real Madrid reportedly want Alexis Mac Allister to bolster their midfield

According to reports in Spain, Perez and Mourinho have 'once again' identified Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister as their top target for the summer of 2027. The Argentinian international's contract status is a factor in their temptation.

"Perez wants to take advantage of the fact that the player has yet to renew his contract to try and convince him to join in January 2027, although his contract expires in June 2028 and any early signing would require negotiating a transfer fee," reports Fichajes.

"The Argentine has rediscovered his form since Andoni Iraola took over at Anfield, but his contract situation remains uncertain. The English club has yet to initiate talks to extend his contract, a circumstance that Real Madrid could capitalise on.

"Mourinho would welcome the addition of a player capable of winning back possession and contributing to the team's attacking play.

"His profile fits the need for a midfielder who provides balance without sacrificing creativity. Mac Allister can play in front of the defence, press opposing midfielders, and link up with attackers through through balls."

Mac Allister, a World Cup winner, signed for Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023 and added the Premier League title to his personal honours list under Arne Slot in his second season at Anfield.

Now 27, the midfielder joined the Seagulls from Argentinos Juniors in 2019 and starred in the Premier League after loan spells with both his former club and Boca Juniors between 2019 and 2020.

Liverpool parted with an eventual fee in the region of £55 million to take him to Merseyside and he has lived up to his promise, albeit without being a perfect tactical fit at times under both Slot and his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.

Mac Allister signed a five-year contract when he moved to Anfield and is now in the last two years of that deal, alerting potential suitors to the opportunity to test Liverpool's need to bring in a transfer fee if and when he leaves.

The looming interest from Spain could play a part in any contract negotiations that do take place, but Real Madrid can expect to spend big if they want to make their move before Mac Allister's deal runs out.

Harry Kane is the Ballon d'Or winner. He has been crowned the best player on Earth. He is the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to be awarded the Ballon d'Or. Life is good right now.

And perhaps in the last 25 years, we haven't been able to say that: the best footballer in the world right now is English. Yamal has a case to call himself the best right now; Haaland, too, at a push. But Kane's case is strongest based on the year he's had – and for all the tears for heroes, fake sheikhs, Iceland meltdowns and golden generations, the last quarter-century has produced plenty of solid footballers on Blighty – but never one who could rightfully claim to be in a league of their own.

Until now. The Ballon d'Or has served its purpose – if that's what you believe the purpose of the Ballon d'Or to be. And what do you believe? Because perhaps not even France Football really understand anymore what their baby really is or who it's supposed to represent.

“The Ballon d'Or rewards the best male and female player in the world, regardless of league or nationality,” France Football claims – and surely that should be enough. But no. There are three criteria: individual performances, decisive and impressive character; collective performances and titles won; and class and fair play. It feels, a little, like the criteria are at odds with the idea of simply voting for… “the best”.

If you were to vote for the best footballer in the world in 2009, it would have been Lionel Messi. It would have been Messi in 2010. It would have been Messi in 2011. In fact, Lionel Messi only really stopped playing like unanimously the best footballer on Earth around 2020, 2021, when Robert Lewandowski's ever-maddening goal haul started to ramp up a gear, and the GOAT started his long wind-down in club football at a dysfunctional Paris Saint-Germain. Yet it's cruel irony that Lewy missed out on a Ballon d'Or to Messi after the Argentine ended his international drought by winning a Copa America.

Somehow, Messi was also robbed along the way, missing out on five Ballons d'Or between his God-level peak of 2009 and 2020: four times to Cristiano Ronaldo, and once to Luka Modric. Ronaldo engineered himself into conversations of being the best on Earth through his sheer mentality, hard work and output. Was he ever a better footballer than Messi? No. Messi even outscored him twice out of his five BDO-winning seasons.

Haters gonna hate, but Ronaldo was simply a beneficiary of the voters wanting a different name on the trophy and the criteria considering team achievements. “The Ballon d'Or rewards the best male and female player in the world, regardless of league or nationality,” remember.

Modric, too, was one of the greatest midfielders on Earth at his absolute peak: but the best player on Earth in 2018? No. Certainly not better than, for example, Kevin De Bruyne that 12 months (not that De Bruyne was ever a better footballer than Messi over that time, either). Modric simply fulfilled the criteria of “collective performances and titles”, too, having won a Champions League and reached a World Cup final.

Because that's how it works. If you're by far and away the best player on Earth – Messi, Kane this year, Ronaldo Nazario, even, back in the day – then you get the award. If not, then is there a player who won multiple major trophies? If so, it's an Owen year. There's a very good case that had France made the World Cup final, Ousmane Dembele wins the 2026 gong once again. If Desire Doue gets the winning goal, it's him. If we're talking about 90 minutes deciding an entire season in a knockout competition, fair enough – but should it decide an award given to a player's entire calendar year?

The Ballon d'Or vote is an absolute mish-mash across categories: a competition where, in 2026, Julian Quinones is in the top 30 players on Earth. Because, of course, Siphiwe Tshabalala was one of the best players in the world in 2010.

Fabian Ruiz is not a better player than Jude Bellingham, and no, that's not English bias to say. But he's placed higher in the 2026 Ballon d'Or because he was the only player to have won both big competitions this year. Rodri has won two domestic cup competitions, plus the World Cup and the World Cup Golden Ball – yet he's somehow below Kylian Mbappe, who won a World Cup Golden Boot and absolutely nothing else with a Real Madrid side he hindered as much as helped, according to some.

So what are we voting for, here? Maybe Alessia Russo would like to know after she beat Aitana Bonmati in a Champions League final and a European Championship final last year, scoring in the latter… and still finished second to the Spaniard in the BDO, while images of Bonmati missing a penalty – no, really – were plastered on the big screen behind her.

Perhaps the strangest moment of the 2026 ceremony saw Unai Simon beat David Raya to the Yashin Trophy. While Raya picked up a third Golden Glove in a row in the Premier League, reached a Champions League final and has been the best keeper in the world over the past 12 months, Simon was picked ahead of him for Spain at the World Cup after finishing 12th with Athletic Club and bombing out of the league phase of the Champions League. Simon wasn't a hugely influential member of Spain's World Cup-winning squad, with a handful of saves after the quarter-finals and the highest line of any team in the tournament. But he got the award – and don't worry: if you think eight games is too small a sample size to receive such a nod, viral Cape Verde custodian Vozinha got a nomination, too.

Sadly, this isn't new. The Messi-Ronaldo era truly warped the award into becoming a ‘prom king’-style popularity contest – Michael Owen revealed last night that he learned he'd been given the award via a phone call in 2001 – but the list of Ballon d'Or winners is a weird mix of some of the best footballers who have ever lived (Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo) and those who were simply in the right place at the right time (Pavel Nedved, Matthias Sammer, Fabio Cannavaro). Scroll through the Wikipedia entry for the award, which lists every year's podium-placed players, and notice the glaring omissions of the greatest players of the 21st Century – Wayne Rooney, Sergio Ramos, Luis Suarez (who surely missed out on a nod due to the “class and fair play” criteria), Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Nesta – then work out which years the likes of Jorginho and Deco were bumped up in, and how it aligns with them being influential cogs in successful machines.

It's unfortunately how voting panels operate. Colin Firth movie The King's Speech perfected a formula in cinema: if you do something so obviously 8/10, manage to steer away from controversy and offence and ride a good narrative, you may not be anyone's favourite – but on a voter's top 10, you can probably scoop a win from being everyone's second- or third-favourite.

The same goes in football. Erling Haaland finished second in the Ballon d'Or when he moved to Manchester City and climbed another level in everyone's perspective of him. He likely has to repeat that trick again – and win the Champions League in a non-tournament year, to boot – should he look to actually win the award. We've normalised his greatness far too much now to vote him the greatest player on Earth for simply what looks like “yet another very good Erling Haaland season”. The same maybe goes for Lamine Yamal, who will have to win a Champions League, maybe that and the Euros in 2028 to finally escape being the Golden Boy, and not the Golden Man.

That Kane's goalscoring momentum managed to carry him through to the prize without a Champions League or World Cup, despite Mbappe conducting a shameless, ‘Emperor's new clothes’-style PR tour, is a win for football. In years to come, the Ballon d'Or honours list should read as a who's who of GOATs: the best player in the world given the gong to honour everything they were and achieved that year.

Giving Kane the prize goes some way to restoring the Ballon d'Or to what it should be. A prize based on what happened on the pitch, not the campaign that followed. A prize for the footballer, not the team they played for. An award for the best player in the world.

Watch Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal for free in the Carabao Cup 4th round, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Arsenal are going back to Highbury. The Carabao Cup fourth round draw lined up a visit to the Lancashire coast for the Gunners, who face Fleetwood Town for a place in the last eight.

Matt Lawlor's Fishermen, 18th in League Two having lost their last two league fixtures, could do with the distraction.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal in the Carabao Cup fourth round online and from anywhere, including for free.

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Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal: Preview

Fleetwood’s defeats to Cheltenham Town and Exeter City both came away from home. Only fellow fourth-tier newcomers Rochdale have beaten the Fylde Coast club on their own turf in the league this season.

Lawlor is a rookie manager but an experienced coach. Like Manchester United’s head coach, for whom he previously worked, he took charge on an interim basis before being appointed permanently after making a positive impression.

This is the first meeting between Arsenal and Fleetwood. The latter’s Highbury Stadium is a coincidental namesake rather than a homage, but the visitors will wear red shirts with white sleeves this evening.

SEE ALSO How to watch Carabao Cup 2026/27: TV Guide, Free Streams & Fixtures — Round of 16

Arsenal’s record in the League Cup is surprisingly modest. They won the Littlewoods Challenge Cup in 1986/87 and the Coca-Cola Cup in 1992/93, completing a remarkable cup-final double against Sheffield Wednesday.

Last season brought a seventh League Cup final defeat for Mikel Arteta’s men, their fourth since the turn of the century. Given the relative experience of the side they fielded in the last round, compared with some of their line-ups in previous seasons, Arsenal appear determined to put that record right.

Max Dowman scored twice in the 4-2 win over Ipswich Town. He was born more than three years after Arsenal last played at Highbury.

Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal: Team News

Fleetwood XI: Lynch, Rooney, Bennett, Potter, Haughey, McLean, Neal, Helm, Batty, Evans, Loupalo-Bi.

Subs: Pradic, Andrew, Cannon, Davies, Thomas, Murphy, Coughlan, Robertson, Cirino.

Arsenal XI: Meslier, Timber, Salmon, Mosquera, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, O'Neill, Havertz, Gyokeres.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Odegaard, Eze, Konsa, Guimaraes, Harriman-Annous, Washington, Hashi.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Fleetwood Town 0-3 Arsenal

Arteta went with a strong line-up in the third round. If he does the same again, Fleetwood could be in for a long night.

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Liverpool should be open to a shock return for former right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, according to Reds legend Jamie Carragher.

Alexander-Arnold moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer after winning the Premier League under Arne Slot in 2024/25, ending a lengthy contract saga in a way that many Liverpool supporters were less than thrilled about.

After spending 20 years on Liverpool's books, the England full-back headed off to La Liga with some fairly fruity criticism ringing in his ears. He is reportedly reluctant to entertain a return to Anfield but his status at the Bernabeu could tempt him into a move.

Alexander-Arnold has dropped down the Real Madrid pecking order under Jose Mourinho

Returning Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has turned to other options at right-back in recent weeks, leaving Alexander-Arnold in the cold and sparking speculation about what would be a shocking and divisive return to Merseyside.

"I’d have him back anyway," Carragher revealed on The Overlap in association with Sky Bet. "I think he made a mistake, I do. I think he made a big mistake."

Carragher is broadly in favour but it's difficult to imagine Alexander-Arnold being warmly welcomed back to Anfield. The Sky Sports pundit suggested that bygones should be bygones in the case of a player who would serve a purpose.

"If something benefits Liverpool Football Club going forward… and we do have, when you think of the problems Liverpool have in terms of the right-back. Ronnie [Ronald Araujo] has been fantastic... but we do have a problem in terms of full-backs passing," said Carragher.

"At the moment, he’s actually third choice right-back for Real Madrid. They’re playing a midfield player at right-back, so even [on Sunday] night in El Clasico, Denzel Dumfries, the first-choice right-back, if you like, comes on as a sub.

"So when you’re third choice at a club, they’re obviously wanting you to… move on."

Alexander-Arnold was a beloved figure at Anfield for years. As a proud Merseysider and Liverpool youth product, he was a key player in two Premier League title wins and a Champions League triumph.

His relationship with the fans went south last year, and he's as likely as not to be inclined to continue fighting for his place in the Spanish capital. At 28, and with fully five years remaining on his contract, there's plenty of time for him to do so.

Alexander-Arnold has started just three times in La Liga this season, playing fewer than 270 minutes, and has played only once in the Champions League under Mourinho.

Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde was deployed at right-back against Barcelona on Sunday, with new signing Dumfries introduced to replace him on the hour while Alexander-Arnold was not in the matchday squad.

Arsenal have been handed a potential boost in their protracted transfer pursuit of Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr.

The 26-year-old, who finished second in the voting for the Ballon d'Or in 2024, has been an influential player for Real Madrid since joining from Flamengo in 2018. His standing at the Bernabeu has become diminished, however, and interested parties will be watching closely.

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been told to consider selling Vinicius Jr in the January transfer window or next summer.

Vinicius Jr sale 'recommended' by Real Madrid board members

The Brazil international was sent off against Villarreal and slapped with a four-match ban, leaving the door open for 19-year-old new signing Yan Diomande to stake a claim on a starting spot.

Diomande has seized the opportunity with both hands, reportedly leading to conversations about Vinicius Jr's future behind the scenes at the Bernabeu.

"Diomande's rise has reportedly led several board members to recommend that Florentino Perez consider selling Vinicius. The asking price to initiate negotiations would be approximately €150 million," claims Fichajes.

"The deal would bring in a significant sum for a player who recently extended his contract until June 30, 2032. The club officially announced the renewal in August, guaranteeing his continued presence for another six seasons.

"This contract puts Real Madrid in a favorable position to negotiate. There is no immediate contractual obligation to sell, and any suitor would have to submit an offer that compensates for the loss of the Brazilian."

Vinicius Jr was suspended for Sunday's El Clasico win over Barcelona, which allowed Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico to close the gap on the La Liga leaders. Kylian Mbappe scored both Real Madrid goals and Diomande has been applauded for another encouraging display.

The Brazilian has scored once and laid on three assists in his eight La Liga appearances this season but Diomande's impact could present Arsenal and other suitors with another chance to sign a proven star with his prime possibly yet to come.

The Gunners were persistently linked with a move for Vinicius Jr in the last summer transfer window but ultimately pointed their focus elsewhere.

Mikel Arteta has no shortage of talented wide players at his disposal, with Max Dowman able to play on the right and joining Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis as winger options for the Premier League champions.

But medium-term injuries for Saka and Tzolis have left Arsenal with limited immediate options on the right and left in a busy part of the season. Adding strength, depth and proven quality is always on the agenda for the top clubs and the Gunners could go after their man in Madrid after all.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick will have more time to rectify his team's miserable early-season form, according to reports.

Carrick has appeared to be on the brink of getting the sack after a shocking week for Man United, who lost back-to-back matches against Como and Bournemouth amid public dissent from senior players.

Lisandro Martinez and captain Bruno Fernandes have both spoken out this month. Martinez primarily targeted technical director Jason Wilcox and United's recruitment, but Fernandes went straight for the throat by criticising Carrick's tactics in the Champions League last week.

Michael Carrick gets a stay of execution at Manchester United

Neither Martinez nor Fernandez started the loss against Bournemouth and the captain ended the afternoon as an unused substitute at Old Trafford, where the United supporters appeared to be in agreement with the former professionals whose ire was reserved for the players breaking ranks more than the struggling boss.

Persistent speculation about the Red Devils nearing a decision between ex-Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has proved unfounded for the time being. Carrick, for now, is to remain in charge.

"Michael Carrick will be given more time to turn Manchester United’s fortunes around after a meeting of the club’s hierarchy on Monday," reports The Athletic.

"Following talks on Monday between the club’s senior leadership figures, including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, the decision has been made to give Carrick and the players more time.

"Despite the [Bournemouth] result, Carrick’s name was sung by the home crowd at full time as he walked a lap around the pitch applauding them. The fans then turned to boo the players once he had walked down the tunnel."

The United hierarchy's decision is a surprise in the short-term but represents a stay of execution for a head coach who has been given the opportunity to improve results but has been unable to deliver them in the early part of the 2026/27.

Carrick was appointed as the club's head coach after a successful period as interim head coach in the second half of last season. The former United midfielder's players appeared more relaxed and assured after the sacking of Ruben Amorim, and battled their way to a third-placed finish in the Premier League and a Champions League return.

Rewarding Carrick's immediate results hasn't worked in United's favour up to this point. They have played 12 times in all competitions, winning just once each in the Premier League and Champions League.

The Red Devils have dropped back into the bottom five of the league table – a status to which they've become far too accustomed in the last few years – and face an uphill battle to finish in the top eight in the league phase of the Champions League.

If Carrick can breathe a sigh of relief this week, the fixtures from which he must achieve those improved results are a daunting prospect. United's remaining October and November fixtures pit them against Chelsea, Roma, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Sporting CP and Brentford.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick's future at Old Trafford remains up in the air in the wake of the Red Devils' loss to Bournemouth, but the question of who might replace him appears to be close to a resolution.

Man United are understood to have a liking for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and Brighton & Hove Albion's Fabian Hurzeler, but both are considered beyond their reach. Consequently, the club's discussions have reportedly crystallised around former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and ex-Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Howe is believed to be the preferred option of under-fire technical director Jason Wilcox. Having resigned from the Newcastle job in the summer, he's seen as both an achievable target and an appropriately steady hand.

Manchester United might have to dig deep to secure Eddie Howe as their new manager

Howe isn't currently in a job but appointing him won't come cheap for Man United, who are understood to face a hefty compensation bill should they elect to bring in the former Bournemouth gaffer.

"The Magpies did not want Howe to leave back in July when he informed the board of his decision to go but accepted he wanted to quit after five years in charge," reports Chronicle Live, which claims that Newcastle would be due 'significant' compensation because of the years left on Howe's contract when he left the club.

"Howe was on around £6m a year at Newcastle and serving a multi-year deal that was extended in summer 2024.

"It is a payout that could lead to millions coming the way of Newcastle given [they] agreed to allow staff members such as Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone to leave with him, amid rumours of them going back into management with Howe."

Howe performed well under the weight of expectation at St James' Park, steering the Magpies back into the Champions League and delivering the Carabao Cup, their first major trophy for 70 years.

His Newcastle team was built on capable players working hard and getting on the front foot, characteristics Wilcox and Man United would surely love to see as they attempt to rescue the 2026/27 season at Old Trafford.

Carrick took the Red Devils into the Champions League as interim head coach last season and was appointed on a permanent basis on the back of the team's positive form in the second half of the season.

The new season isn't going to plan. Carrick's team have won twice in 12 matches in all competitions, beating Sabah in the Champions League and Ipswich Town in the Premier League but succumbing to a succession of miserable results.

Captain Bruno Fernandes was left on the bench for Sunday's loss against Bournemouth after publicly criticising Carrick's tactics in the wake of a humbling at the hands of Como in midweek.

Defender Lisandro Martinez has also broken ranks to air his grievances in recent weeks. While many Man United fans and former players have been quick to condemn the players for speaking out in such a manner, Carrick's days appear to be numbered.

Aston Villa are reportedly in the market for another winger, casting further doubt on Alejandro Garnacho's future at the West Midlands club.

Garnacho joined Villa on loan from Chelsea with a conditional obligation to buy but has struggled for playing time in a team well stocked in his position.

Manager Unai Emery has commented that the Argentinian winger is progressing well with regards to the tactical demands he places on his players, but the weight of a reported £42 million price tag is significant in light of his lack of immediate impact.

Villa 'sent a delegation' to watch transfer target in Turkey

Emery is happy to bide his time with players he feels are short of what he needs but are moving in the right direction behind the scenes, and his vision for Garnacho is very different than last season's Harvey Elliott debacle.

Yet the 22-year-old faces a tough climb up a competitive pecking order, with Villa having quickly rectified a position that was occasionally a problem for them in 2025/26.

Emery plays with three men behind striker Nicolas Jackson and now has an embarrassment of riches in those positions. John McGinn and Emi Buendia were regulars along with former teammate Morgan Rogers last season, and Johan Manzambi is the long-term plan for the central spot.

But Villa now also have Ibrahim Mbaye, signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, and in-form Alysson competing for those wide spots. George Hemmings has been moved from central midfield and has played in all three positions this season.

Garnacho faces a battle and it could get even tougher in January, according to reports in Turkey.

"Aston Villa have sent a delegation to Turkey to take a closer look at Oguz Aydin, after contacting Fenerbahce and his agent," reports Sport Witness, which claims that Villa representatives have met with Fenerbahce officials to discuss a potential move.

"Having held talks with the Istanbul club for Aydin, the Premier League side may make an offer for him in January. There’s no mention of the fee they may propose or Fenerbahce’s stance."

In FourFourTwo's opinion, it's extremely unlikely that Villa will look to sign another winger or attacking wide player during the January transfer window.

Garnacho, at 22, is the oldest of the players competing for places with McGinn and Buendia. Blocking Alysson, Hemmings and Mbaye will not be part of the club's strategy.

Villa's 'delegation' watched Monday night's Istanbul derby between Aydin's Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, which Fenerbahce lost 2-1 thanks to two goals from Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen.

Emery's team will play Galatasaray in the league phase of the Champions League, in the same stadium, in less than a month.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is edging closer to a move to Atletico Madrid.

The reigning PFA Player of the Year found himself on the bench at Old Trafford this Sunday for criticising Manchester United manager Michael Carrick after last week's defeat to Como in the Champions League, claiming the tactical decisions that lost the Red Devils the game were “on the manager and staff to see”.

With United losing 3-0 to Bournemouth at the weekend and Carrick opting not to bring his skipper on in the second half, the home crowd cheered the manager's name before booing the players – suggesting a relationship with the beloved Bruno had taken a hit.

Manchester United looking like selling Bruno Fernandes to Atletico Madrid in January

Fernandes has come under significant criticism in recent days, with United legends vocal in their disapproval of how things have unfolded at the club this season.

After United crashed to a sixth defeat in all competitions on Sunday, Gary Neville stated that the Portuguese had “conned” Michael Carrick, following Roy Keane tearing into “the mindset of a Manchester United player” last week.

Spanish outlet Fichajes reports that the 32-year-old is “considering leaving”, and has been for some time, with Atletico Madrid monitoring the situation and “accelerating” a move this January.

Although Pablo Barrios is having a good season, Los Colchoneros have lacked a little creativity in advanced areas of the pitch since the departure of Antoine Griezmann to Major League Soccer, with Fernandes one of the most expressive players in Europe on his day.

The biggest obstacle remains negotiating with United over signing their captain and talisman at a time when fan opinion of the ownership and directors is at a record low.

Despite the plummeting public opinion of the Red Devils captain, selling a player midseason who contributed 20 assists last term, while the club are struggling this season, would be a monumentally unpopular decision.

Though Carrick has a contract at Old Trafford that runs until 2028, it is increasingly unlikely that the former midfielder is relieved of his services sooner rather than later, with a replacement boss beginning with a fresh slate and a better relationship with Fernandes.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the 2026/27 season, but the 20-time English champions have the option to extend his deal for another year, should they wish to exercise it.

In 338 fixtures for United, Fernandes has contributed 111 goals and 109 assists.

Fernandes is worth €35 million, according to Transfermarkt. United take on Chelsea this weekend when Premier League action continues.

2026 Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane has been congratulated by Prince William, the Football Association patron and heir to the British throne.

Kane is the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001, finishing clear of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi in the 2026 voting to be crowned the best men's footballer in the world.

He is the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since 1981, when the great Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won the Ballon d'Or for the second consecutive year to complete half a decade of honours for players representing German Bundesliga clubs.

Prince William hails Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane

Kane scored 61 goals in 51 matches in all competitions for Bayern last season, earning him a second European golden boot in advance of the World Cup. There, he led England to the semi-finals and scored another six goals.

When the 33-year-old parades the Ballon d'Or ahead of his record 126th cap against Croatia at Wembley next month, he'll be nine goals short of his international century.

On Monday evening William, Prince of Wales posted on Instagram: "What a fantastic achievement and so deserved. A brilliant captain, a remarkable player and someone who has given football fans across the world so many unforgettable moments."

William counts himself among those football fans and regularly attends Aston Villa matches in an unofficial capacity as well as England fixtures in his role as patron of the FA.

He has been watching on as Kane carved out a phenomenal career in the game. The Londoner is renowned for his intense focus on hitting the highest standards he can reach and his immutable thirst for goals.

Kane joined Tottenham Hotspur as a boy in 2004 and went on to become a legend in North London after cutting his teeth on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City.

He left the Premier League as its second-highest goalscorer behind Alan Shearer and one of only three players to have scored more than 200 goals in the competition. At Bayern Munich, he has been able to collect the silverware and winners' medals he craved.

Kane is now a two-time Bundesliga champion and a DFB-Pokal winner, and the biggest individual accolade in football will be associated with him forever.

Mbappe scored 10 times at the World Cup but France were also eliminated at the semi-final stage and were beaten by England in the third-place play-off in July. Kopa Trophy winner Lamine Yamal was a World Cup winner in a Spain side that was almost the definition of a team effort.

Most footballers would take trophies over individual awards but Kane's claim to the Ballon d'Or was obvious. As he chases down the last few records and achievements of a stellar career, England's skipper now stands at the top of the world.

Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win over Kylian Mbappe was closer than anyone thinks.

The England captain was crowned the best player on Earth last night at a glitzy ceremony at the London Palladium, to become the first Three Lions player in 25 years to lift the Ballon d'Or.

In doing so, he fended off heavy competition – with Kylian Mbappe a very close second indeed.

Harry Kane only just beat Kylian Mbappe to Ballon d'Or

Fichajes in Spain are reporting that according to Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of the Ballon d'Or's organisers, France Football, Mbappe led the rankings for much of the voting process.

The vote was decided by fewer than 41 points, making it one of the closest contests in modern history, after the voting process was revamped in 2024.

While Kane's 73 goals made the difference – a whole 15 greater than Mbappe's 58 – the Bayern Munich striker's team performances are said to have played a bigger part in his win.

While Bayern scooped yet another Bundesliga title and reached the final four of the Champions League, Mbappe's Real Madrid were dumped out of the competition by the Bavarians in the quarter-finals, and finished trophyliess for the second successive season since signing Mbappe.

Both Kane and Mbappe reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, with the Frenchman picking up the Golden Boot.

Mbappe and Spaniard Lamine Yamal campaigned harder for the Ballon d'Or than Kane, who even noted last week in an interview with FourFourTwo columnist Jules Breach on TNT Sports that he “doesn't like to talk about [himself]”.

Mbappe, however, declared that he would dedicate the award to Africa, while Yamal dismissed Kane's claim for the award, stating, “For me, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world”.

The World Cup-winning teenager finished third at the ceremony, winning a third Kopa Trophy on the bounce.

International team-mate Rodri came fourth, with eight-time winner Lionel Messi fifth.

Kane is the fifth Englishman to lift the prize, following Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Michael Owen (2001).

If winning the World Cup is the pinnacle of football as a team sport, picking up the Ballon d'Or is the ultimate individual accolade. Doing both in the same year is the kind of thing dreams are made of - even for the best in the world, it doesn't always work like that.

There were a handful of World Cups before the Ballon d'Or era. The first time they both happened was in 1958, when a teenage Pele starred in Brazil's triumph. But watch out! The Ballon d'Or hasn't always been a global award.

In this quiz, we want you to name the Ballon d'Or winner in every World Cup year. There are 18 players to name and we're giving you a tough time limit of just 4 minutes.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. First up, we want you to name every team competing in the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season and every team playing in Australia's A-League Men in 2026-27.

We also have a Big Quiz of English Football Grounds. It'll test your knowledge of the stadiums, stands and streets that make up the architectural fabric of the national game. You'll probably need to have been to a few of them to hit the high notes.

If your expertise is based more in what happens inside those stadiums, try this one on for size. Can you name every player ever to have received three red cards in a single Premier League season?

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 76 features clues on journeymen, Wembley and absolute screamers. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

England international Alex Scott is proud to have followed in the footsteps of his step-sister after making his international bow in September.

The Bournemouth midfielder grew up alongside Le Tissier on Guernsey, with the latter earning her first Lionesses cap in 2022 and playing her part in the Euros-winning side of 2025.

Scott has meanwhile made the step up from regular Premier League football to making his England debut in September.

Scott told FourFourTwo: "She’s my stepsister, my dad’s with her mum, so we grew up playing football together.

"She’d travel over at the same time as me when I was at Southampton and she was always an unbelievable player.

"We knew she was going to go on to do what she’s doing now and I’m super proud of her.

"We keep in touch all the time – it’s nice to have someone close to you who’s in the same boots.

"I’ve seen how hard Maya has worked from a young age to get where she is now and I’ve been on that same sort of journey.

"She’s made it – playing for the Lionesses, captaining Manchester United.

"They’re big footsteps to follow in.

"But she’s an inspiration because I can see the work she’s put in, and it’s paying off."

Scott was speaking at PUMA’s store on Oxford Street in London, the brand’s first European flagship store.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have become accustomed to the nervous wait for injury news. There aren’t many places in football where the words ‘scan this week’ are more feared.

Spurs are crossed their fingers and thumbs that attacking midfielder James Maddison will be back from his latest injury setback rather faster than usual. In these Kaneless, Son-free years, they need a spark more than ever.

Before Maddison’s early withdrawal against Chelsea, he starred in his first Premier League start for more than 500 days. The 29-year-old scored a brilliant opening goal in Spurs’ 3-1 win over boyhood club Coventry City. It was liquid Maddison.

James Maddison has a swagger Tottenham Hotspur can’t match without him

Spurs’ fresh start after dodging the drop under Roberto De Zerbi took some time to get going but they’re gradually finding their feet.

First came the goals, then the wins. Dejan Kulusevski’s return against Coventry is no coincidence but Maddison’s availability, brief though it was, gave Spurs a major boost. He’s a difference-maker and a wildcard, a player with that extra something special.

Maddison’s fabulous strike against the Sky Blues was a reminder of just one of the strings to his bow. He’s blessed with a natural charisma, a swagger, that courses through his game.

Attitude is the basis for Maddison’s creativity and impact. He’s a player for blockbuster moments and big matches, a talented damage-doer with an eye for the spectacular and an appetite for the attention and adulation that come with it.

It’s easy to forget that Maddison, fit and in full flow, is one of England’s foremost maverick midfielders. Football needs players like Maddison, like Jack Grealish, who play the game their way and on their terms without shunning their tactical responsibilities.

Maddison is into his leadership years. He’s a senior player for De Zerbi by any definition. Crucially, these are all characteristics Spurs at their worst have been lacking too. They need Maddison not only for what he can do, but for what he can mean.

Football is supposed to be fun. Players who deliver on that at the same time as being effective are worth their weight in gold to their teams and to the game as a whole. They are football’s great entertainers.

Rare is the team that thrives in unrepentant functionalism. For most, a little magic is a must. That’s what Spurs miss when Maddison is sidelined and injuries are affecting his prime.

Injuries are threatening to spike Maddison’s prime

Coventry-born Maddison has had star quality from the beginning, first with the Sky Blues and then with Norwich City. Loan spells back at Coventry and with Aberdeen were followed by a move to the Premier League and Leicester City, where he won the FA Cup and began what has, until now, proved a sadly meagre England career.

Injuries have been a sad reality of his career since he joined Spurs. His first season was interrupted when he missed the whole of December and most of November and January. In 2024/25, he sat out for a couple of weeks in the winter and then suffered a knee injury that knocked his pre-season off kilter.

Last season was a write-off because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament and Maddison’s 2026/27 has already been tripped up by two different injuries.

Spurs and their spark are back in scan purgatory. De Zerbi will be asked about Maddison in pre-match press conferences again. Supporters will see his name when team news is updated, and the player faces yet more days on the outside looking in while his teammates labour without the very skills he provides.

He went off early in the second half at Stamford Bridge, replaced by Conor Gallagher.

On that occasion it was the Blues who imploded. Stand-in goalkeeper Mike Penders punched the ball into his own net to give Spurs the lead before Cole Palmer, in some ways the inheritor of the unpredictable England artist role that might have been Maddison’s, finally got himself sent off.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, those three points don’t detract from the fact that Spurs are a better, more potent, more entertaining team for Maddison’s involvement.

They’re in a nice groove after two wins in a row but getting Maddison back – again – would give them another lift as they strive to put the last two Premier League seasons behind them once and for all.