Watch Aston Villa vs Fulham for free as both sides bid to bounce back from their Carabao Cup exits in midweek.

FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Aston Villa crashed out of the Carabao Cup at Bournemouth on Wednesday and will be hoping for a response in tonight's clash with Fulham.

As for Fulham, the Cottagers also were dumped out of the cup at home to Palace, meaning both have something to prove in this one.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Aston Villa vs Fulham online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Saturday evening Premier League clash.

Watch Aston Villa vs Fulham from anywhere

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How to watch Aston Villa vs Fulham in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Aston Villa vs Fulham live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 8:00pm GMT.

How to watch Aston Villa vs Fulham in the US

The Aston Villa vs Fulham match is live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform.

Kick-off is at 4:00pm ET.

How to watch Aston Villa vs Fulham in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Aston Villa vs Fulham on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 7:00am AEDT on Sunday.

Aston Villa vs Fulham: Preview

Aston Villa's win at home against Manchester City last weekend was arguably one of the biggest talking points of the season so far.

Jackson's double, one in each half, sunk Enzo Maresca's men to a first defeat of the campaign, all whilst bolstering Villa's position up the table after a shaky start.

Unai Emery then chose to shuffle his pack in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, with Bournemouth battering the Villans to reach the quarter-finals, winning 4-0.

It's been an up-and-down week for the Midlanders, and Fulham's visit brings an ample opportunity to bounce back once more.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide, Streams & Fixtures

Fulham's dreadful start to the season has been somewhat mitigated in recent weeks, with Alvaro Arbeloa picking up back-to-back league wins against Hull and Coventry.

Their record now reads W2, D2, L4 in the Premier League, but they crashed out of the cup earlier this week as Palace secured a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.

“I think they were waiting for a mistake,” explained the Spaniard after Fulham's latest defeat. “They took their chance, and I think we can do better. Even when we have possession, we have to move the ball quicker against a very low-block team. We need to make more runs and do better with the final pass.”

They'll need to produce a better performance going forward against Aston Villa, but must also be wary defensively, with the dangerous Jackson and Johan Manzambi leading Villa's attack.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Aston Villa 2-0 Fulham

Fulham haven't won at Villa Park since 2018, and that says it all. Emery's side cruises to a 2-0 success.

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 AC Milan vs Inter Milan as the Rossoneri look to close the gap on their city rivals, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

City rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan clash at San Siro in the latest Derby della Madonnina this Saturday evening and the Rossoneri need a result to prevent the seven-point gap from growing.

Champions Inter sit at the top of the Serie A table after nine matches and are one of three unbeaten teams in the division along with Lazio and Roma.

Milan were the fourth. They're not anymore after Bologna came back from 2-1 down to win 4-2 on Wednesday evening. They'll be desperate to hit back against Cristian Chivu's side today.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan online and from anywhere, in Serie A.

Watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan for FREE

UK viewers can watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan live and free on BBC Two, with coverage also available on BBC iPlayer.

Those away from the UK can access their free stream with a VPN such as NordVPN.

Watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss AC Milan vs Inter Milan.

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 AC Milan vs Inter Milan in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan live on BBC Two. The channel is free-to-air and can be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer.

The match is also available on DAZN UK for free.

Kick-off is at 7:45pm GMT today.

How to watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan in the US

AC Milan vs Inter Milan will be available as part of the Paramount+ coverage of Serie A.

It is one of a select number of Serie A fixtures shown live on the Paramount+ Essential package, which costs $8.99 a month or $89.99 a year.

Kick-off will be at 3:45pm ET / 12:45pm PT.

How to watch AC Milan vs Inter Milan in Australia

beIN Sports Connect is broadcasting live coverage of AC Milan vs Inter Milan in Australia. Kick-off will be at 6:45am AEDT on Sunday.

beIN Sports Connect prices start at AU$16.99/month or AU$169.99/year after a 7-day free trial for new users.

AC Milan vs Inter Milan: Preview

Ruben Amorim's team came from behind to lead in their game against Bologna on Thursday but ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 scoreline courtesy of Samuel Mbangula's hat-trick for the Rossoblu.

They've conceded six goals in their last two home league matches and now take on Serie A's most prolific team.

Inter are averaging more than 2.5 goals per match in the league in 2026/27, enabling them to rattle off the wins they need to fight off the challenge of an in-form Lazio.

Cristian Chivu's team have won their last four league matches and all of their Serie A matches at home. Or, to put it another way, they have a perfect league record at the stadium where they face their rivals this evening.

The Nerazzurri's recent record against Milan isn't nearly so impressive. In all competitions, AC Milan have won the last three meetings between these teams. Inter haven't won in the last seven – their last Derby della Madonnina win was two-and-a-half years ago.

FourFourTwo's prediction

AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan

FourFourTwo sees Inter Milan coming out on top for the first time in two and a half years.

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.

As players, Ian Wright and Roy Keane spent much of their careers on opposite sides of one of English football’s fiercest rivalries.

The Arsenal great and former Manchester United captain both possessed the competitive spirit that meant exchanging pleasantries and forging friendships was never high on their to-do list when league titles were on the line.

Football, though, has that habit of bringing together different characters and the pair have now developed a genuine bond away from the pitch. This is clear to anyone who watches The Overlap, where the two rivals have had a chance to show off a different side to their personalities.

Wright on his friendship with Keane

““I remember when Gary first got in touch and said who he was going to get involved,” Wright tells FourFourTwo when asked about how his link-up with Gary Neville on The Overlap came about.

“I said ‘If you could get that crew together, that’d be brilliant’. We met up, and when we spoke, it just felt natural. The way we speak on camera is the way we are with each other off camera, too.

"I’m with people I genuinely like, and we’ve got a friendship and a bond now that is real. Nobody is afraid to pull anyone else up if they get something wrong or say something we don’t agree with, but it’s everyone’s love for the game that really comes across.”

During Wright and Keane's pomp in the 1990s, Arsenal and Manchester United's title battles set up a number of era-defining bitter Premier League clashes, making it hard for anyone to believe that two of the main protagonists would end up as such good friends.

“Mine and Roy’s relationship on the pitch was fractious,” Wright admits. “If I came in his vicinity, it was never going to be nice.

“But that was because of the teams we were playing for and what was expected of us, especially trying to deal with that Man United side. It was so dominant and so great.

"If you’d said to me back then that we would be friends now, would I have believed it? No, never. I never would have thought we’d be this close."

However, as the duo embarked on successful media careers, they soon found that they were kindred spirits.

“But it started when we were both doing punditry," former England man Wright adds. "We met up a few times and it was just fine, because people don’t understand Roy, he’s not an ogre! He’s not some guy that’s just in your face.

"He’ll respect you if you’re respectful, you’d never go into a studio with Roy and find he’d be rude or disrespectful. I love the fact you never know what he might say.”

Watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace for FREE as the two sides meet in today's 5:30pm kick-off in the Premier League.

FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Tottenham continued their upward trajectory with a spirited 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

On the other hand, it's been a miserable start for Crystal Palace, who are currently just outside of the bottom three after only two wins from ten games so far this term.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Saturday-evening Premier League clash.

Can I watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace for free?

Tottenham vs Crystal Palace isn't technically available to watch for free, but there is a way that viewers in the US can stream the game at no cost.

NBC has live coverage in the States and is available on YouTube TV, which currently comes with a 5-day free trial for new customers.

Outside the US? Use a VPN to access your free Tottenham vs Crystal Palace stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Tottenham vs Crystal Palace.

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How to watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 5:30pm GMT.

How to watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Tottenham vs Crystal Palace in the US.

That means the game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform.

Kick-off is at 12:30pm ET.

How to watch Tottenham vs Crystal Palace in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Tottenham vs Crystal Palace on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 4:30am AEDT on Sunday.

Tottenham vs Crystal Palace: Preview

Tottenham sent eyebrows around the division after beating Chelsea 2-0 in their own backyard in a surprise result last weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi's side finally looks to be clicking in all the right areas, as Mike Penders put through his own goal before Mathys Tel struck the second to ensure a famous win for the Lilywhites.

With no midweek cup action to contend with, Spurs have had a solid week to prepare and are bidding to make it three wins from three this weekend.

James Maddison was forced off against the Blues and is likely to miss out, with Savio, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert, Mykhailo Mudryk and Xavi Simons all also currently sidelined.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide, Streams & Fixtures

Pressure continues to mount on Palace boss Pierre Sage, who has found it difficult to fill the shoes of popular former manager Oliver Glasner.

The Eagles have managed just two Premier League wins so far this season, with Newcastle United claiming a 2-0 victory at Selhurst Park last weekend.

There was a more positive result in midweek, however, as Palace secured a 1-0 win in the Carabao Cup against Fulham. The match also marked the return of club captain Dean Henderson, who has been sorely missed since picking up an injury in September.

Jean-Philippe Mateta is likely to return to the starting attack, while Sage is hopeful that Jørgen Strand Larsen and Quinten Timber could also return to the squad on Saturday.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham 3-0 Crystal Palace

Spurs won and kept a clean sheet at Chelsea last time out and we think De Zerbi's men win against this week.

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.

Following his retirement as a player in 2011, it didn't take Gary Neville long to get the ball rolling on his next career, as he quickly became one of English football's most popular pundits.

After a decade of analysing the game for Sky Sports, the former Manchester United and England man diversified further, setting up The Overlap YouTube Channel in 2021.

This saw Neville shift his focus to in-depth conversations with some of the biggest names in sport, from Harry Kane and Anthony Joshua to Dina Asher-Smith. Over the past five years, the channel has become a huge success, with Neville admitting that its origins were more personal than commercial.

Neville on what influenced him to start The Overlap

Neville insists that rather than spotting a gap in the market, it was his own desire to improve his own interviewing skills and move away from short-form, bite-sized social media content to something more meaningful that was his initial motivation.

“There was no gap in the market,” Neville tells FourFourTwo. “There was just a gap in my head of something that I was missing. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but there’d be times at Sky when managers would come into the studio, there’d be Dave or Kelly, Carra and me, we’d ask them questions and I thought ‘I’m really bad at this’.

In a world where TikTok clips, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels often dominate the social media landscape, Neville did not want to follow the crowd.

“Lots of people were pushing me to do more bitesize content, 60 to 90 seconds, to fit TikTok and Instagram," he continues. "I didn’t want to do that, but I thought there was an opportunity to do two things – get better at interviewing people and keep traditional long-form interviews. So I just started walking with people. On a beach, on a golf course, and I just talked to them – a good conversation about football, boxing or whatever.

“It was never about podcasts. I don’t listen to podcasts, it was about becoming a better interviewer and creating an interesting television programme. That’s how I see it – it’s a television programme we put on YouTube.

"We do sometimes get described as a podcast, but to me it’s a visual thing. I’ve done podcasts where you do them remotely – you can be at home, the other people can be in their homes, and I don’t get it. I don’t feel it. I’ve got to be sat there with people to bounce off them, to feel their energy, to feel their enthusiasm.

“What has happened since then has been a great journey – it’s a team I love working with and I’m incredibly proud to be a part of. We never thought of it as a business, we just wanted to create something that people loved and would come back to watch every week.”

The team he mentions is led by co-founder Scott Melvin, who worked as a senior producer at Sky Sports on Super Sunday and Monday Night Football for 17 years, and is backed up by a staff with a background in television, working for Sky and BBC.

“It’s always a risk when you start something from scratch,” Melvin says. “We started the production company first, Buzz 16, then The Overlap grew out of that. What started off as a side hustle has become this thing we never expected it to be. We’ve all learned as we’ve gone along, but we didn’t start it as a business, it started off as Gary just having some fun on YouTube.

“Sky Bet came on board very early, were brilliant with us and are still a really important partner for us now. Then we started Stick to Football, which was the turning point. Again it was a bit of a punt because let’s be honest, it wasn’t a particularly revolutionary idea – let’s get five people around a table and talk about football. But the difference was the people.”

Watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere, as Harry Kane gets set to make his first appearance since winning the Ballon d'Or this week. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The first Der Klassiker of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season is the perfect game for Kane to return to Bayern's starting lineup, five days after being crowned Ballon d'Or 2026 winner.

The striker will be desperate to cap a dream week by firing his side to victory against title rivals Dortmund, with the two sides level on 17 points at the top of the table.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga online and from anywhere, including for FREE.

Watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund for FREE

In the US, you can stream Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund for free on Fandango.

Outside the US? Use NordVPN to unblock Fandango so you can stream Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund from anywhere in the world.

Watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Der Klassiker.

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.

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How to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in the UK

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

Sky Sports Football will have live coverage of the Bundesliga clash, which kicks-off at 5:30pm GMT.

Outside the UK? Unlock your Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund stream on Sky Sports via NordVPN.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in the US

Bayern vs Dortmund will be shown live and free on Fandango in the US.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund as if you were at home.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund live on beIN SPORTS.

The Bundesliga clash will be shown on beIN SPORTS 3 and the beIN SPORTS CONNECT streaming service, with kick-off is at 4:30am AEDT on Sunday.

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview

It has been quite the week at Bayern Munich, for very different reasons. The news that Harry Kane had been crowned Ballon d'Or 2026 winner on Monday night was cause for celebration, while relief will have been the overriding emotion after head coach Vincent Kompany was discharged from hospital following his collapse at the training ground last Friday.

The cause has been diagnosed as meningeal irritation and the former Manchester City defender is not expected in the dugout against Dortmund as he continues his recovery.

Bayern's players and assistant coach Aaron Danks - who is leading the team in Kompany's absence - must now concentrate on the biggest domestic game of their season so far, with Die Roten and Borussia Dortmund separated only by goal difference ahead of the first league Der Klassiker of the campaign.

Kane will surely return after sitting out Wednesday's 6-1 win over FC Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal, but winger Luis Diaz and Jamal Musiala are among the big names who are sidelined due to injury.

SEE ALSO How to watch Bundesliga 2026/27: TV Guide and Free Streams

Dortmund led the Bundesliga until a fortnight ago but they have been solid rather than spectacular this season, scoring just 12 goals in seven games and conceding only four.

Niko Kovac's side have claimed single-goal victories across three competitions in each of their past three matches, against Sabah in the Champions League, Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga and Werder Bremen in the Pokal, but they will need to be at their best to continue that run at the Allianz Arena.

Die Schwarzgelben have already lost once to Bayern this season, in the German Super Cup back in August, and another defeat would see them lose ground to Bayern's winning machine - not a position you want to be in.

Kovac will hope to have attacking midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas available, while English youngster Jobe Bellingham could start in the centre of the park after claiming assists in each of his past two games.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Bayern are unbeaten in the past five meetings and we are backing them to have the edge over their rivals again.

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 Hull City vs Ipswich Town from anywhere as two clubs who were playing Championship football last season meet in a Premier League fixture for the first time ever. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Despite being among the pre-season favourites for relegation, both teams have made positive starts to the campaign and begin the day in mid-table, separated only by goal difference.

They each played out 1-1 home draws last weekend, with Hull held by Brentford and Ipswich battling back to take a point against Nottingham Forest.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Hull City vs Ipswich Town online and from anywhere in the world in the 2026/27 Premier League.

Is Hull City vs Ipswich Town on TV in the UK?

Hull City vs Ipswich Town is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

If you're visiting the UK from a country with live coverage of Hull City vs Ipswich Town, you can use Proton VPN to access your usual broadcast.

Watch Hull City vs Ipswich Town from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Hull City vs Ipswich Town is on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that makes your devices 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 Proton VPN as one of the best for unlocking streams...

How to watch Hull City vs Ipswich Town in the US

Peacock has live coverage of Hull City vs Ipswich Town in the US, with kick-off at 11:00am ET.

Outside of the US? Use Proton VPN to watch the Premier League clash on Peacock.

How to watch Hull City vs Ipswich Town in Australia

Hull City vs Ipswich Town is live on Stan Sport in Australia. Kick-off is at 2:00am AEDT on Sunday morning.

Visiting the UK from Australia? Proton VPN can unblock your Stan Sport stream of the game.

Tickets

Hull City vs Ipswich Town: Preview

Hull City and Ipswich Town have faced each other 43 times over the years, but never in English football's top division - until now.

Both clubs won promotion from the Championship last season and made promising starts to the 2026/27 campaign, but the hosts have begun to find the going a little tougher since winning their opening two games.

The Tigers have the joint fourth-best defence in the league - with just eight goals conceded in eight matches - and this explains why they have been able to continue picking up points despite their six-game winless run, drawing four of those fixtures.

Sergej Jakirovic's side remain unbeaten at home but they will feel this is a great opportunity to claim their first victory at the MKM Stadium since the opening day of the season. Defender Nobel Mendy returns from injury to bolster the manager's options.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Ipswich start the weekend level on points with Hull, albeit with an inferior goal difference, and the Tractor Boys will also see this as a big chance to claim three points.

Gary O'Neil's side have been inconsistent and are yet to put together even a two-game unbeaten run since returning to the top flight, but they have also amassed a steady stream of points, adding one more to the total in last Friday's 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest.

The Ipswich boss could hand a start to Jack Clarke after the winger's lively cameo off the bench against Forest, with Jaden Philogene potentially making way.

O'Neil has a full squad to pick from after Sasa Lukic recovered from a groin injury to join the squad for the trip to East Yorkshire.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Hull City 1-1 Ipswich Town

We're backing the Tigers to continue their unbeaten start at home, but will they be satisfied with that?

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 Brentford vs Nottingham Forest for free in the Premier League as Oliver Glasner's struggling side visit a team who have hit a tricky patch of their own. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Just five points separate Brentford, in sixth, and 18th-place Forest, with the Bees looking to end a four-match winless run in all competitions.

Glasner's men had lost three successive matches before their 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town last weekend, so they will be targeting more points on the road to climb out of the relegation zone.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest online and from anywhere, including for free, on matchweek nine of the 2026/27 Premier League.

Is Brentford vs Nottingham Forest on TV in the UK?

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

Outside the UK, the game is available in virtually every country across the globe. If you're visiting the UK, you can use Proton VPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Brentford vs Nottingham Forest.

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 Proton VPN as one of the best for unlocking streams...

How to watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest in the US

As mentioned above, Brentford vs Nottingham Forest is live on USA Network in the US. Kick-off is at 11:00am ET.

Outside of the US? Use Proton VPN to access your Brentford vs Nottingham Forest stream.

How to watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest in Australia

Viewers in Australia can watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest live on Stan Sport. The game kicks-off at 2:00am AEDT on Sunday.

Travelling outside Australia? Watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest on Stan Sport with Proton VPN.

Tickets

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest: Preview

The Premier League table looks healthy for sixth-place Brentford but that will change quickly if they don't halt their winless run, with just two points separating them and Tottenham Hotspur, in 14th.

Keith Andrews' side have had a strange start to the season, with just two wins but also only one defeat from their eight league games, while they have not tasted victory since beating Chelsea 3-0 on September 18.

The Bees suffered a disappointing Carabao Cup loss at Sunderland in midweek, so the visit of struggling Nottingham Forest looks like the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

Yehor Yarmolyuk serves the final game of his three-match suspension following his red card against Liverpool earlier this month, while Josh Dasilva, Antoni Milambo, Rico Henry and Kaye Furo remain sidelined due to injury.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide, Streams & Fixtures

Forest start the weekend in the relegation zone after taking just six points from their first eight fixtures, yet boss Oliver Glasner remains confident they are on the right track.

He is justified in thinking that, with his side performing better than their results suggest, but they need to start converting their chances after scoring only six times so far this season.

It is therefore worrying that Forest could be without striker Dan Ndoye, who is doubtful due to a hamstring issue, while the trip to Brentford may come too early for midfielder Nicolas Dominguez.

There is better news surrounding Neco Williams, who is available despite suffering a knock during last Friday's 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, where he scored the opener to help end Forest's three-match losing run.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brentford 2-0 Nottingham Forest

The Bees will be confident of taking all three points against a Forest side who are struggling in front of goal.

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 Coventry City vs Sunderland from anywhere as the Premier League's bottom two teams meet in a huge clash at the foot of the table. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Sky Blues host a fellow struggler for the second week running, after losing 1-0 at home to Fulham last Saturday.

Sunderland are on a six-game winless run in the Premier League but they tasted victory in the Carabao Cup in midweek, beating Brentford 3-2 at the Stadium of Light to reach the quarter-finals.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Coventry City vs Sunderland online and from anywhere in the world in the 2026/27 Premier League.

Is Coventry City vs Sunderland on TV in the UK?

Coventry City vs Sunderland is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

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Watch Coventry City vs Sunderland from anywhere

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How to watch Coventry City vs Sunderland in Australia

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Coventry City vs Sunderland: Preview

Coventry City missed a great opportunity to get one over a relegation rival when they lost 1-0 at home to Fulham last Saturday, but they have the chance to put that right this weekend.

The Sky Blues host Sunderland, the only team below them in the Premier League, and another defeat would leave fans fearing the worst after the brief high of back-to-back wins either side of the international break.

Defender Bobby Thomas has been troubled by a calf issue, with 18-year-old Manchester City loanee Stephen Mfuni poised to step in if needed.

Manager Frank Lampard is already without injured quartet Aurele Amenda, Josh Eccles, Luke Woolfenden and Haji Wright.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris will hope Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Brentford can act as a catalyst for an upturn in their Premier League form.

The Black Cats scored half as many goals in 10 minutes as they have in the league all season, striking three times in quick succession before the break in a 3-2 victory.

Ivory Coast winger Jocelin Ta Bi was involved in all three goals against Brentford and could be in contention for just his third league appearance, while Wilson Isidor should join fellow forward Brian Brobbey in returning from injury after the latter was involved in last Sunday's 0-0 draw with Leeds United.

Sunderland have fond memories of playing Coventry, with Dan Ballard's last-gasp goal sending them to Wembley in the 2024/25 Championship play-offs when the sides last met, and they will be hoping this is the day they end their six-match winless run in the Premier League.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Coventry City 1-1 Sunderland

Both teams will be desperate not to lose, so it could be a cagey contest.

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 Bournemouth vs Leeds United from anywhere as the Cherries look to claim a third successive win in the Premier League - and their sixth in a row in all competitions. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

After a slow start to the season, Marco Rose's side have well and truly hit their stride, scoring 14 goals without reply during their five-match winning streak.

Leeds will be a tough nut to crack, though, with Daniel Farke's side boasting the second-meanest defence in the league this season, conceding just six goals.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Bournemouth vs Leeds United online and from anywhere in the world in this 2026/27 Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium.

Is Bournemouth vs Leeds United on TV in the UK?

Bournemouth vs Leeds United is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

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Bournemouth vs Leeds United: Preview

Two weeks is a long time in football. Before Bournemouth faced Sturm Graz in the Europa League 16 days ago, they had yet to taste victory in the Premier League this season and were coming off the back of a 5-1 defeat at Chelsea.

Suddenly, things appear very sweet indeed for the Cherries. They welcome Leeds United looking to extend a run of five successive wins, in which they have scored 14 goals and conceded none. AC Milan, Manchester United and Aston Villa have each been dispatched 3-0 in Bournemouth's past three games, the latter to send Marco Rose's side into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The German manager has well and truly found a winning formula following a slow start to the campaign, and they will surely climb into the top half of the table before too long.

Last season's top scorer Junior Kroupi returned from injury in the 3-0 win over United last Sunday but is not yet ready to start, while midfielder Alex Scott also misses out despite nearing the end of his recovery from a thigh issue.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Leeds have shown plenty of resilience this season, so it will be fascinating to see how they fare against the free-scoring Cherries.

Daniel Farke's men have drawn five of their eight Premier League games, including three of the last four, with the 2-1 loss against champions Arsenal earlier this month their only defeat of the campaign.

The Whites have had some positive team news since drawing 0-0 at Sunderland last Sunday, with Nico Elvedi available after recovering from illness and both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor in contention after shrugging off fitness issues.

Dan James could return to the squad following a back problem, but Anton Stach is doubtful after suffering a foot injury.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bournemouth 2-0 Leeds United

The Cherries are in the groove, so we reckon they will breach Leeds' mean defence and claim a sixth straight win.

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Watch Man City vs Brighton as both sides meet again following their Carabao Cup contest on Wednesday, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Manchester City booked their spot in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup after beating the Seagulls on penalties on Wednesday.

Now it's time for revenge, perhaps, as Brighton look to avenge that defeat in the Premier League this afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Manchester City vs Brighton online and from anywhere in the world as the 2026/27 Premier League season continues.

Is Man City vs Brighton on TV in the UK?

Man City vs Brighton is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

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How to watch Man City vs Brighton in the US

Man City vs Brighton is live on Peacock in the US, with kick-off at 10:00am ET.

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Man City vs Brighton: Preview

Manchester City booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a penalty shootout success over Brighton on Wednesday, as Enzo Maresca chose to rotate his squad on home soil.

It was goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli who stole the headlines, saving Lewis Dunk's penalty to send his side through, earning him a rare memory to remember.

City will be bidding to bounce back from Saturday's loss against Aston Villa in the Premier League as Brighton come back for round two, with a Nicolas Jackson brace sinking them to a 2-1 defeat.

The Blues are still having to cope without injured Antoine Semenyo (knee), while Matheus Nunes missed the defeat to Villa and Wednesday's cup win and remains a doubt due to a minor muscle issue.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Brighton pushed City all the way just a few days ago and Fabian Hurzeler will want to hit them where it hurts most in this 3pm kick-off.

The Seagulls have never won at the Etihad Stadium and this game would present a huge marker for their hopes to make it into Europe again come May next year.

In terms of injuries, both Ferdi Kadioglu and midfielder Chema Andres missed out earlier this week as they continued to be assessed.

Kaoru Mitoma, Femi Azeez, Pascal Struijk (all thigh), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) also are all still out, with Georginio Rutter perhaps favourite to start again in attack.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Man City 3-1 Brighton

City will have fire in their bellies after Wednesday's morale-boosting win and we expect a home win.

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.

For any young footballer looking to make it in the professional ranks, sacrifices have to be made.

For Alex Scott, attempting to break into the game as a young player in Guernsey, it meant juggling school, friendships and making regular flights to England in pursuit of his dream career.

After being handed early opportunities to develop at Southampton and Bournemouth, the demands of travelling back and forth from the Channel Islands would eventually take their toll, with the midfielder stepping away from the grind after being released by Saints, as he looked to enjoy his football and life with his friends again.

Scott on the challenges of playing in Guernsey

This saw Scott turn out for Guernsey FC, who were part of the English football period, which again meant regular trips across the Channel. But despite these demands, Scott was proud to represent his birthplace.

"Immensely," he tells FourFourTwo. "It’s where I grew up and was all I’d ever known – I lived there until I was 16 and there are so many people back home who always support me. All my family are still there – I’m proud to come from Guernsey and make it in the Premier League."

But Scott admits that during his younger days, the challenge of travelling to train at Southampton and then Bournemouth was significant.

"It was enjoyable but tough, especially on my parents," he continues. "Flying over every single weekend was financially difficult, and it got to a point where I wasn’t seeing my friends and didn’t really have a life at home. It was almost just school, fly over, play football and fly back.

"When I was released from Southampton, I lost a bit of interest in football and flying over, so it was probably the best decision I made to stop, and to just enjoy football and growing up with my friends."

As a Channel Island club in the English pyramid, Guernsey has an unusual place in the game, meaning the team had to travel to the mainland for every away game, something that took some getting used to for Scott.

"For maybe the first eight or nine games, Guernsey’s stand or the track was being redone, so all of the games were away," He recalls.

"Every weekend we were flying to an away game, but it was an experience I enjoyed, travelling with these older lads as a 16-year-old. They were teaching you all sorts of stuff – probably stuff you shouldn’t be taught at that age!" But, ultimately, this travel would go on to benefit Scott.

"It was huge – to go over and play, you never knew who was watching. If I was just playing back home in Guernsey, it’s so tough to get over to the mainland and get an opportunity. Playing on the mainland, there are more eyes on you, even in those leagues."

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

Watch Chelsea vs Manchester United for free from anywhere, in what looks like a must-win Premier League clash for Red Devils boss Michael Carrick. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Many people thought last Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth would spell the end of Carrick's tenure at Old Trafford, but the United manager remains in charge for this trip to the Blues.

It is also a big game for Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso after a disappointing week for his side, who lost 2-0 at home to rivals Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday before exiting the Carabao Cup on penalties to Liverpool on Wednesday.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United online and from anywhere, including for free, in a huge Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

Watch Chelsea vs Manchester United for FREE

Chelsea vs Manchester United is this week's selected game on CazéTV's YouTube channel in Brazil. The channel is showing several Premier League matches live and for free across the 2026/27 season.

Fans in the US can also stream the game for free thanks to YouTube TV's 5-day free trial, which carries USA Network — the US broadcaster of this game.

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How to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United in the UK

TNT Sports has live coverage of Chelsea vs Manchester United in the UK.

The Premier League clash is being shown on TNT Sports 1 and its streaming platform HBO Max, with kick-off at 12:30pm GMT.

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How to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network will show Chelsea vs Manchester United live in the US. Kick-off is at 8:30am ET.

Remember: Use Proton VPN to unlock your Chelsea vs Manchester United stream on USA Network if you're away from home.

How to watch Chelsea vs Manchester United in Australia

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Chelsea vs Manchester United: Preview

Chelsea's roller-coaster season has taken another turn in the last seven days - and not for the better.

After chalking up back-to-back wins over Bournemouth and Everton, Xabi Alonso's inconsistent side fell to a 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur before seeing one of their three chances of silverware disappear as they lost to Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

The Blues suffered their latest injury blow at Anfield as Maxence Lacroix was forced off with a hamstring injury, the centre back joining captain Reece James and striker Joao Pedro on the sidelines.

However, they will be boosted by the return of Cole Palmer after the England international served a one-match suspension following his red card against Spurs.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide for Matchweek 9

While Alonso could do with a victory after a tough week, his counterpart Michael Carrick surely has to win to keep his job as Manchester United manager.

The Old Trafford hierarchy decided to stick with the 45-year-old after Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth, which extended the Red Devils' winless run to eight matches in all competitions and left them just a point above the relegation zone.

Captain Bruno Fernandes was benched for that game as a result of his public criticism of Carrick's tactics after the 4-1 defeat by Como 10 days ago, but he could return after it was confirmed he would remain skipper following clear-the-air talks with the United boss.

Striker Benjamin Sesko will remain out for some time, though, while midfielder Kobbie Mainoo's involvement is in doubt.

Chelsea vs Manchester United: Team News

Chelsea XI: Penders, Acheampong, Colwill, Fofana, Neto, Caicedo, Lavia, Palestra, Palmer, Rogers, Estêvão.

Manchester Utd XI: Lammens, Yoro, Martínez, Maguire, Dalot, Santos, Baleba, Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United

It is a huge game for United, but their performances in recent weeks don't suggest they will turn it around here.

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.

During the summer of 1986, babies named after Diego Armando Maradona were nothing unusual in Naples. In his first two years living below Mount Vesuvius, El Pibe de Oro had transformed Napoli from a mid-table side into Serie A title challengers – oh, and he’d just single-handedly won the World Cup for Argentina, too.

The best footballer on the planet, he was worshipped by millions. In the week after the World Cup Final, 5.5 per cent of all babies born in Argentina were named Diego, a fourfold increase from previously. One suspects the figure in southern Italy wasn’t altogether dissimilar.

“Diego represented so much for us – he was one of us, he was the God of Football here in Naples,” explains Antonio ‘Bostik’ Esposito, the head of Napoli’s ultras back then, speaking with a hoarse voice shaped by a thousand cigarettes. “He’s the greatest footballer in history. He was superhuman.”

Today, Bostik runs a bar in the Largo Maradona, a spot in Napoli’s Quartieri Spagnoli district that’s home to a giant mural of Diego, plus a shrine to the great man with shirts and flowers, as well as stalls selling a whole host of paraphernalia. Before the mural was painted in 1990, this place was a drug den, frequented only by young people eager to forget their complicated life. Now, it’s visited by tourists and pilgrims from far and wide, every single day.

Five years since his passing, Maradona remains omnipresent in this city. A sticker bearing his image smiles from a gutter, then not long afterwards, a man walks past and Diego’s face, tattooed on his bare arm, suddenly appears.

In another bar, there’s a more curious relic. “In 1986, I was in Milan for the match against AC,” explains the establishment’s owner, Bruno Alcidi. “When I boarded the plane, I realised Diego was travelling on it, too. As he stood up after landing, a tuft of his hair was lying on his seat. I took it, just to have a joke with friends at home.” He’s since used the hair as the centrepoint of his own tiny shrine, complete with photos of Maradona and a statue of the Virgin Mary.

As Alcidi speaks, the son of God is closer than he realises. On September 20, 1986, a baby by the name of Diego Armando Sinaglia was born in Naples. Today, that boy, now 38 years old, is back in the area for a brief visit.

He’s Maradona’s eldest child, born to Cristiana Sinagra, after a fling during a difficult period of the football great’s relationship with future wife Claudia Villafane. A long legal battle followed between Sinagra and Maradona – in 1993, little Diego was recognised by the court of Naples as Maradona’s son, his name officially changed to Diego Armando Maradona Jr.

As he peers out of the window of his black Mercedes outside his nearby residence – a series of terraced houses, with a guard at the entrance – the likeness to his dad is unmistakable. Same size, same facial expression. “Same tendency to put on weight, too,” he tells us. “Drive in and park your car, then we’ll take mine. I’d like to stop by the hairdressers to get a shave, then we’ll see where to eat.”

Married to wife Nunzia, with two children, Diego Matias and India Nicole, he may be descended from a deity, but he doesn’t act like it. “I’m a common guy – I’d like people to understand that,” he says. “I don’t have any kind of superpower. I don’t have anything more or less than other guys like me. I’m introverted by character, and I have a hard time relating to people I don’t know.”

No such worries at Costantino’s hairdressers in Quarto, a few miles west of the city, where he’s greeted warmly and immediately offered coffee. He’s long been a regular visitor here, just like some of Napoli’s finest players of the modern era. “Costantino is history in Naples, he invented Marek Hamsik’s mohawk,” Diego Jr explains. “Marek came here for eight years – so did many others like Piotr Zielinski and Allan.”

“I love Diego for his simplicity – I love him because he’s Diego, not because of his famous name,” Costantino says of his pal. “We got on from the first day we met.” Other customers have tattoos of Maradona Snr – on their shoulders, their thighs or their backs – and proudly show them to us.

In front of the shop, another Maradona mural has been painted by a local artist. “I think about my father a lot,” Diego Jr admits. “After he died, it hurt me to see his face in every corner of the city. Now I’ve got used to it, and it’s also comforting to know that people board a plane to Naples to bring him a flower. People’s affection has eased my pain a little.”

Dunfermline and Beethoven

It wasn’t until 2003 that he was able to meet his father for the first time. Diego Sr finally recognised him as his son in 2007, after many years denying it. “For the person I am today, I owe it all to my mum, I grew up with her and my grandparents, but my father’s influence was also important at some points of my life,” he says.

“I was born Diego Armando Sinagra, but a few years later I was given the right to bear my father’s surname. I was six or seven. Bearing the name Maradona is peculiar, and I’ve often left Vodafone operators speechless when they call me. ‘What do you mean?’ they say. ‘Are you really Mr Maradona, or are you pulling my leg?’

“My childhood was good. We were not rich, but my grandparents and mum gave me everything I needed. I grew up in a common, working class family. My grandfather was a hairdresser and my grandmother was a beautician in his shop.

“My uncles loved me a lot – when I was born, my mother was 21, my aunt Francesca was 19, uncle Sasi was 17 and uncle Fabio was 15. They were like brothers to me, it was beautiful. My grandfather was like a father. In fact, he was more than that.”

Diego Jr agrees to drive into Naples for lunch – we choose a restaurant with a sea view near Castel Dell’Ovo. His family home is outside of the city these days, in Licola, and we quickly understand why – when he sits down, curious glances come from most tables around us. People have noticed him.

As soon as he stands up to make a phone call, a boy sitting at a nearby table asks him for a photo. When he wanders over to get some water, another approaches, too. “I told you I preferred to stay out of town,” Diego Jr tells us, when he sits back down with a smile.

He orders a hamburger with roast potatoes, and our chat quietly continues.

“The first clear memory I have of my father dates back to USA 94,” he explains. He was seven back then. “At that point, I really understood who he was, how important he was in football, and in general. I remember very well how he screamed into the camera after scoring against Greece. Although I have no personal recollection of it, I also know well about the two girls who escorted him off the pitch to doping control. USA 94 saw the greatest injustice in the history of football – both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups were basically stolen from him. I don’t have fond memories of that.”

Even though he wouldn’t meet his father for the first time until years later, Diego Jr had to live with the enormous expectations generated by his famous surname. He progressed as far as an appearance for Italy’s under 17 team in 2001, after several years in Napoli’s youth ranks, but the club went bankrupt in 2004.

That summer, he headed to Scotland for a trial with Dunfermline, but a deal couldn’t be agreed with his advisors. “We made an offer that we thought was fair for a laddie who hasn’t played for the first team,” Dunfermline’s director of football Jim Leishman said at the time. “But they thought it derisory, so we’re not going to pursue it.”

Instead he joined Genoa in Serie B, but didn’t feature for their first team as they were relegated to the third tier following a match-fixing scandal, despite 21 league goals from Diego Milito.

Soon, he was playing semi-professional football at regional level, with Servia, Internapoli, Quarto and Venafro. “People have often compared me to my father, but that’s superficial,” Diego Jr says. “He was unique, nothing compares to him. Why should I have compared myself? Just because I was his son? But Ludwig van Beethoven’s son didn’t play like his father, did he? They were two different people.”

Life’s a beach

His phone rings as we drink coffee. It’s Nunzia, who asks if we want to join her at Lido Varca d’Oro, a beach resort just a few minutes from their home, where she’d like to spend a sunny afternoon with their children. We decide to return to Licola, passing Napoli’s famous Stadio San Paolo, renamed the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in December 2020. “I always dreamed of playing with the Napoli jersey at the San Paolo,” Diego Jr says. “Today children dream of Real Madrid or Manchester City, but I was only in love with my club.”

He headed to the beach during his playing career, too: becoming an accomplished beach soccer star, scoring in the 2008 World Cup final against Brazil, then fittingly helping Napoli to their first ever Serie A title on the sand, just like his dad did on grass.

“My surname was a handicap for me, no doubt,” he says. “Sometimes I was told ‘If you wanted to avoid all this attention, all you had to do was not play football…’ But I wanted to because I loved it!

“I had my share of success too, in my small way. I made more than 100 appearances for the beach soccer national team, I played in two World Cups and two European Championships. It didn’t happen because of my name, or because of my father. I’m one of the 10 most prolific Italian beach soccer players of all time, and I also played football for Italy at youth level. It’s true, I wasn’t like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, nor did I get to play in Serie A, but that was partly because of my name.”

Happily, his relationship with his father grew closer – in 2016, the pair took to the field together in a charity match in Rome. “I’m very happy that I’ve been reunited with my son,” Maradona Sr said months earlier. “I love him a lot – he’s very like me.”

Even that brought challenges for Diego Jr, though. “It’s not easy for me to open up with people I’m not familiar with,” he admits. “That’s due to my story and also to the fact that, with a surname like mine, some people approach me with ulterior motives. I lost some of my childhood friends because I wouldn’t help them to take a picture with my father.”

Since his dad’s passing, he’s moved into coaching with lower league clubs Napoli United, Pompei and Montecalcio, spending much of this season managing Ibarra in Tenerife. “Today I very much love my life as a coach,” he says. “When I played myself, I thought that a manager had to be strict. I’m not like that now. It's difficult for me to define myself as a coach, but if I had to, I’d say that I’m honest with my boys.

“I hope that coaching is my future, but you must be able to reinvent yourself in life. I hope it doesn’t happen to me, but if I have to change path, I will. I don’t know how, but I will. Football has always been my life and I hope it continues to be so. My goal is to grow further.”

Approaching 40, he’s a man who’s increasingly at peace with himself, as the offspring of Diego Maradona. “Being his son is a source of pride for me – he made so many people happy,” Diego Jr says. “He was and still is an inspiration to so many people. He was a living legend, and in the years I was around him, he taught me so many things.

“For more than 25 years, he was a slave to cocaine. He didn’t always behave correctly, but who’s perfect in the end? I know he also said bad things about me over the years, but you have to put them into context. They have no value. At that time, my father was neither well nor clear-headed. I only judge him by what he said to me directly.”

The sun is sinking low behind the beach umbrellas to our left. A breeze has picked up and the late afternoon coolness begins to make itself felt. “Even with my mother, I’ve never talked this much,” he says.

Despite the perfect vista, it’s time for us to depart. As we do, Nunzia is lying on a sunbed with India Nicole, while Diego Jr sits on the sand, playing with Diego Matias. A normal family, and a normal dad, who just so happens to be the son of a footballing great.

There was a buzz on the south coast of England as a Premier League underdog playing in Europe for the first time prepared to welcome the mighty AC Milan.

On a night that was already a pinch-me moment for the home fans, excitement turned to disbelief as their side went 2-0 up against the seven-time European champions - only for the Italian giants to burst the bubble with two late goals in a 2-2 draw.

Because that Milan team that faced Portsmouth 18 years ago was very different to the one that lost 3-0 to Bournemouth in the Europa League last week. In fact, those two trips to the south coast serve as a barometer of the decline of the Rossoneri.

Why AC Milan have lost their aura

Looking back now, it is incredible to see how many superstars graced the Fratton Park turf during that UEFA Cup tie in November 2008.

Dida, Gennaro Gattuso, Kaka, Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko all started the game, with Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato coming off the bench. Ronaldinho scored a brilliant free-kick to halve the deficit, before Inzaghi snaffled an equaliser in stoppage time. Oh, and Carlo Ancelotti was their manager.

Milan had reached three of the previous six Champions League finals, and eight across the previous two decades. When it came to European royalty, they were on a par with anyone.

While the visit of the Serie A giants would have created a similar buzz in Bournemouth as it did in Portsmouth 18 years earlier, the side that played at the Vitality Stadium was a pale imitation of the one that lined up at Fratton Park.

Whereas the team that drew with Pompey was full of superstars, the only genuinely world-class player in Milan's squad last Thursday was Luka Modric, an unused substitute who turned 41 in September. The starting line-up included English trio Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Omari Hutchinson, who all left the Premier League - two permanently and the latter on loan from Nottingham Forest - in search of more game-time.

The truth is that Milan cannot attract world-class players at their peak anymore. They haven’t been a force in Europe for nearly two decades, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals just twice since they last lifted the trophy in 2007.

The iconic badge and red-and-black shirt are their only link with the great Milan teams of yesteryear. Even the San Siro, one of world football's most prestigious stadiums, will soon be demolished, severing another connection with the past.

European football is poorer for it, because for many years Milan had an aura that few clubs could match.

This is the club of Arrigo Sacchi, the 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League final, George Weah’s solo goal against Verona, the imperious defensive partnership of Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi (and the long-standing myth about their goals-against record), plus many more iconic moments, matches and individuals.

This is the club who were front and centre of Serie A in its 1990s heyday, when millions of British football fans fell in love with the league through the cult TV show Football Italia.

So, what went wrong? As with many things, the answer comes down to money.

Two days before Ancelotti’s side faced Portsmouth in 2008, Bournemouth drew 0-0 at home to Morecambe in League Two in front of 3,068 fans. The Cherries began that season on -17 points and at one point were reportedly five minutes from liquidation, before eventually escaping relegation under Eddie Howe.

It is in that context that Bournemouth beating Milan is a fairy-tale, but only in that context. Because when you compare the two clubs in 2026, there is no reason why the Cherries should not beat Milan.

The Rossoneri are flying high in Serie A while Bournemouth are in the bottom half of the Premier League, but that is largely irrelevant due to the financial muscle of the English top flight, which boasts a domestic TV rights deal that dwarfs its rivals.

According to Transfermarkt, the market value of Bournemouth’s squad is €624m (roughly £522m), whereas Milan’s is €503.2m (£421m). The Rossoneri have the fourth-most valuable squad in Serie A but would be 14th in the Premier League, three places below the Cherries.

The financial advantage is laid bare in the 2026 Deloitte Football Money League, which ranks the highest revenue-generating clubs in the world. Milan placed 15th with an annual revenue of €410.4m (£344m), below seven Premier League clubs - the ‘Big Six’ of Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, as well as Aston Villa.

Bournemouth were 26th with a revenue of €218.5m (£183m), but the fact they were only the 13th-highest Premier League club shows the financial power of the English top flight. In terms of Serie A teams, only Inter Milan (11th), the Rossoneri and Juventus (16th) placed higher than the Cherries.

The top four sides in the Money League were Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, followed by the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’. This encapsulates the balance of power in European football: you have those four superclubs, then the Premier League, then everyone else.

The Champions League is a case in point, with Real, Barca, Bayern and PSG sharing 12 of the past 16 titles and ‘Big Six’ clubs winning the other four. In the past two seasons, Premier League sides have won both the Europa League and Conference League, too.

That is why Milan’s defeat by Bournemouth should not have shocked anyone. Some will see it as a positive that historically ‘small’ clubs like the Cherries can beat giants like Milan, but in reality this only applies to Premier League teams. Barring the odd exception, a club of Bournemouth’s size in any other league would not be able to assemble the same quality of squad.

One of those exceptions is Como, who were on the other side of an Anglo-Italian giant-killing when they thumped Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League 24 hours earlier. United are a mess, but they have the financial clout to become a force once again. You cannot confidently say the same about Milan.

The Rossoneri are not the only multiple European champions who are a shadow of their former selves - just ask Ajax, Benfica and Juventus. However, the financial landscape has changed so much that there may be no way back.

Football trivia comes in many forms. Your final slice of quizzing as October gives way to November is the new FourFourTwo Weekend Crossword. Stick the kettle on and get stuck in.

There are 25 clues in this week's FourFourTwo Weekend Crossword. We've included some tap-ins and some toughies, so you'll need to be methodical as you go about your crosswording business.

Don't forget to let us know how you get on in the comments.

Love football crosswords? Here are some handpicked football quizzes we know you'll enjoy

Did you enjoy that? Great! We've got a bunch of football quizzes just waiting for your attention. Some are straightforward and snappy, others demand both brains and time, but we can vouch for them all and they're powered by Kwizly.

Harry Kane is the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner but there are two active players with 13 awards between them and a rivalry that can still excite the imagination if you're so inclined. These questions have just two possible answers each: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Speaking of the big golden ball, the England captain became the latest player to collect the award in a World Cup year. We have a new Ballon d'Or quiz that challenges you to name all 18 of them, starting in 1958 and ending literally days ago with the triumph of Captain Kane.

Here's a visual test for fans of the English top flight where Kane used to ply his trade. Our Premier League Years Picture Quiz is your chance to put a date to a series of photographs of famous moments.

Lastly for now, how about dipping a toe or two into the waters of Antipodean football? Australia and New Zealand's top division is really cranking into gear in the new season, but can you name every team currently competing in the A-League?

For all the matchday knowledge you need, subscribe to our newsletters for regular briefings and hand-picked trivia. And, 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 toughest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest topics directly in the comments.

Bayern Munich striker and England captain Harry Kane has addressed talk of further individual accolades after scooping the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

Kane became the first English winner of football's biggest individual award since Michael Owen in 2001 when he was given the Ballon d'Or at the end of a glitzy ceremony on Monday evening. The last Bayern player to be recognised as the world's best was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.

The 33-year-old was voted top of the football pops after scoring 61 times in 51 appearances in all competitions last season. He led England to the semi-finals of the World Cup and collected his second consecutive Bundesliga title.

'I'd feel weird' being called Sir Harry Kane, says Sir Harry Kane

Speaking after the first time he laced up his boots as the official best footballer on the planet, Kane gave a typically measured response to suggestions he could be in line to become a knight of the realm as England's fifth Ballon d'Or winner.

"I wouldn't say no to it [a knighthood,] that's for sure," Kane told reporters after he watched Bayern's thumping DFB-Pokal win over Magdeburg from the bench on Wednesday.

"If it happens it'll be incredible, and something I'll be massively proud of. But I don't want to get too carried away. It would sound good, but I'd feel weird everyone calling me Sir. So we'll just keep it as Harry for now."

The England captain is bound to be the subject of political and royal attention whether he wants it or not.

Football-loving Prime Minister Andy Burnham has had his say and Prince William, patron of the FA and a keen supporter of Aston Villa and the England team, beamed at the news that Kane was the Ballon d'Or winner.

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

Kane is the kind of professional who will be more openly focused on winning matches and league titles than picking up individual pots, but being rewarded for scoring goals is surely a dream come true for a striker obsessed with goals.

Kane has scored plenty of them. He left Tottenham Hotspur as the second-highest scorer in the Premier League. Only Alan Shearer scored more than Kane's 213 Premier League goals and it took him many more goals to do it.

England's captain is also their record scorer and will become their most-capped player next month when he picks up his 126th cap to go with a shiny pair of European golden shoes.

Kane will have both feet back on terra firm when Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The teams are locked together on points at the top of the Bundesliga.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick was given a stay of execution after a dramatic week ended with a 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth.

Carrick dropped Man United captain Bruno Fernandes for their meeting with the Cherries, leaving him on the bench as an unused substitute in the wake of Fernandes' public criticism of his tactics in the Champions League defeat at Como.

A calamitous performance at Old Trafford sent speculation about Carrick's future into overdrive. He was given the job on a permanent basis after steering United back into the Champions League in his interim role last season but two wins in 12 matches in all competitions cast his suitability into doubt.

Youri Tielemans backs his head coach: 'We just need stability'

The United hierarchy haven't backed Carrick publicly but it was reported this week that a clear decision was made to give him time to turn the team's fortunes around despite the obvious disgruntlement of Fernandes and defender Lisandro Martinez, who spoke out against technical director Jason Wilcox.

Midfielder Youri Tielemans, signed from Aston Villa in the summer and already a lightning rod for criticism this season, has offered his unequivocal support in an interview with TNT Sports.

"I came here partly because of him, because he wanted me here," said Tielemans. "So I’m very happy for him to stay, and the whole group, we don't want a sudden change.

"We don't want a big change that is going to disrupt things more than they are. We just need stability, we need to keep working hard, and it’s going to turn at some point.

"Since I’ve come in, he’s always done his work. He’s tried to put a system in place that we all feel comfortable in. I joined this summer, because he convinced me to come over and help the team out.

"I can only speak positively about him, and everyone in the changing room would do the same. We all just need to stick together and turn this situation around.

"We want to win games. We’re all winners, and when frustration builds up, you might have different words and different opinions, which is totally normal. As long as it stays in the group, that’s the best part."

Actions speak louder than words in that regard and those differences of opinion have done anything but stay within the group.

Similarly, desire and good intentions only go so far and Carrick has never been accused of not trying.

Man United face a big test of their character when they face Chelsea in the early Premier League kick-off on Saturday.

Liverpool climbed into the top four in the Premier League with back-to-back wins against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, beating LASK and Villarreal in the Champions League for good measure.

The Reds have made a broadly positive start to the season under new manager Andoni Iraola, and the form of loan signing Ronald Araujo has been integral to their best moments.

Araujo joined Liverpool from La Liga giants Barcelona in August on a loan deal with an option to buy, and the Uruguayan has quickly become an Anfield favourite because of his all-out style.

Barcelona have reportedly approached Liverpool about signing Ronald Araujo

According to TEAMtalk reporter Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have an opportunity to sign the 27-year-old permanently, and on their terms, ahead of schedule.

"Barcelona have approached Liverpool about turning Ronald Araujo’s loan move into a permanent transfer in January, with the Spanish giants keen to secure his departure and raise funds for their own defensive recruitment," Bailey reports.

"Liverpool are delighted with the Uruguay international’s impact and, crucially, sources confirm they are open to making his move permanent.

"An agreement was included in the original loan deal that values Araujo at €55 million (£47 million). Barcelona are now looking to bring that arrangement forward, having made the first moves towards a permanent transfer in the January window.

"We understand initial talks between the clubs have already taken place, while Araujo himself has indicated that he is open to making the move permanent."

It would be an opportunist move on the part of the Blaugrana, who are perhaps seeing the Uruguayan defenders excellent individual performances at right-back and seeing a chance to commit Liverpool to an early move that fills the coffers for their own transfer business in January.

According to Bailey, the Spanish champions want to bring in a left-sided central defender and could free up the funds by expediting an Araujo move that already looks like the desired outcome for all parties.

Araujo has been playing a starring role for Liverpool, starting six of their Premier League fixtures so far and featuring in all of their league and Champions League matches.

He's been used primarily at right-back, where he's been able to thrive in the absence of injured alternatives Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.

After a midweek win on penalties to knock Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup, Iraola's Liverpool welcome second-placed Arsenal to Anfield for Sunday's only fixture in the Premier League.

Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas both had an incredible Monday evening as they picked up the Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Féminin respectively.

But it’s back to their day jobs this weekend, with both players having massive fixtures on the horizon. Kane and Bayern Munich welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Allianz Arena, for Der Klassiker while Putellas’ London City Lionesses take on Man City as they look to keep pressure on those at the top of the WSL.

Neither player has rested on their laurels in 2026/27, either. Kane has already racked up 24 goal contributions in 16 appearances for club and country this season and is set to overtake Peter Shilton as England’s record appearance-maker in the next international window.

Putellas has been nothing short of brilliant since her move to England. The 32-year-old already has three goals and one assist to her name, but faces her first major test against one of the WSL’s strongest sides this Sunday.

Want to know how to watch Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas in action this weekend? Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the details.

How to watch Harry Kane's Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund

Der Klassiker might not have quite the same appeal as it did in the early 2010s, but Bayern Munich vs Dortmund is finely poised after seven games of the Bundesliga season.

Both sides have won five and drawn two, but you feel Dortmund’s hopes of winning the title could hinge on setting the tone with a victory on Saturday.

Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane also loves facing Bayern’s biggest rivals, having scored 10 goals in 11 games against Dortmund. We expect him to add to that tally on Saturday.

Kick-off arrives at 5:30pm GMT / 1:30pm ET on Saturday, October 31.

Watch: Sky Sports (UK) | Fandango (US, FREE) | beIN Sports (AUS)

SEE MORE Harry Kane has restored some much-needed credibility to Ballon d'Or

How to watch Alexia Putellas' London City Lionesses vs Man City

London City Lionesses' high-spending summer raised expectations, and after seven games, they sit just three points shy of Sunday's opponents Manchester City and table-toppers Chelsea.

Alexia Putellas has been a key reason behind that start to the season, with four goal contributions and a level of control from midfield that teams lower in the WSL haven't been able to live with. She has created an average of two big chances every three games and ranks in the top 20% for recoveries and possession won in the final third per 90.

City represent the toughest test yet, though, and Putellas will be up against a midfield trio of Julia Olme, Hinata Miyazawa and the slightly more offensive Ella Toone. Can Putellas and her Lionesses live with Andrée Jeglertz's side, or will it be a return to normality after five wins in their last six?

Watch: Sky Sports (UK) | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo (US, FREE) | Stan Sport (AUS)

SEE MORE 'Alexia Putellas coming over here shows where women's football is at in England' Keira Walsh on why she wants her friend and rival to succeed in WSL

Watch from anywhere

If you're abroad this weekend you're going to find your usual football streaming services geo-restricted.

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.

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.

In May 2019, Jack Grealish climbed the steps at Wembley in a pair of tatty and worn-out football boots to rubberstamp his team's return to the Premier League.

Aston Villa had beaten Derby County in the Championship play-off final, their second attempt in as many years, and their promotion was regarded as a do-or-die moment for a club that had lost its way.

Grealish captained Villa through a record-breaking run of wins to qualify for the play-offs. Like his manager, Dean Smith, he is a Villa supporter to his core. He was on top of the world, tipped for a distinguished England career and set to be every bit the phenom in the Premier League that he was in the second tier.

Everton were right to stand their ground and Grealish owes them a penance

As Grealish and his teammates lifted the trophy in Wembley's royal box, its rim nicked his eyebrow. This is Jack Grealish: Already beloved by his people for years, as naturally talented as any English footballer since Paul Gascoigne, a scintillating player and emerging leader, and a self-saboteur.

After steering Villa to the Premier League after three years away, Grealish flourished in the top flight and kept them there. He became a £100 million player when he left for Manchester City, where he played his part in winning the treble in 2022/23 but had to sacrifice the individual style that made him extraordinary.

And he was extraordinary. As humdrum as he was at City by comparison, as unremarkable as his two loan spells at Everton have been, Villa supporters can look back on his performances and lament a player who could have been an all-time great at the club he loved but chose a different path.

Sadly, that road gave Grealish the trophies and international recognition he craved but left him vulnerable to the self-destructive streak that occasionally made him headline news in his years at Villa.

Outside that cocoon he seems to have lost his way. Everton supporters will find it difficult to forgive his most recent transgression. Grealish was left out of the Toffees' squad for this week's Carabao Cup fixture against Newcastle United because of a 'breach of club discipline' that's widely reported to have been an unauthorised absence from training.

David Moyes' team selection when the same teams meet again in the Premier League on Monday night will reveal the depth of feeling about the matter within the club; for some supporters, failings of professionalism cross a line.

Grealish, at 31, faces a fight to win back a place in the team and the backing of supporters at a club with no vested interest in his future beyond May, and he only has himself to blame.

Everton and Moyes have to protect their interests and ensuring that disciplinary matters are dealt with is key to keeping a dressing room functioning properly. Premier League footballers are extremely wealthy young men and Grealish, considered too expensive for Villa to take on loan last summer, has made a fortune.

The minimum standard expected in exchange for that is rather higher than simply showing up for work. Falling short of that level isn't acceptable for any player and Everton were forced to take action, but it can also be indicative of a player's need for support.

No footballer is exempt from the trials of life and the game has a duty of care

The reasons for Grealish's breach of club discipline will never be made public by Everton, nor should they.

Nobody but Grealish and those closest to him will know the details behind the tall tales and photographs that have followed him throughout his career. Only Grealish will know his own mind; speculation about his life is unfair and irresponsible.

Whatever Grealish's reasons for doing what he did to trigger such a clear reaction from Everton this week, the act itself confirms that his story has become a cautionary one.

He has all the ability in the world and enough style and confidence to shine on the biggest stages football has to offer. He became the cornerstone of his own club and delivered tangible success beyond anything any other local boy had achieved for generations.

As players of that ilk make their way in the game, it's easy to forget that they're people too. Some will have struggles and battles to fight away from football, and some will ultimately let their professionalism slip no matter how capable they are on the pitch.

Supporters can view that in any way they wish. Many will simply look at the wages a player receives and have very little sympathy.

Football clubs, and football as a whole, must take a more serious approach. Fans don't owe players anything but football certainly does. If nothing else, the game's duty of care to its players should help them make the right decisions to fulfil their promise.

Manchester United's majority owners are angry about Jim Ratcliffe's running of the club, according to reports.

Man United are owned primarily by the Glazer family, with brothers Joel and Avram holding the position of co-chairmen despite the extremely hands-off nature of their involvement.

The Glazers handed the running of the football side of United to INEOS when Ratcliffe and his company secured a shareholding of more than a quarter of the club, an agreement that has failed to get the Red Devils out of a rut.

Glazers not getting 'what they were promised' from Ratcliffe at Man United

Ratcliffe initially bought a 25 percent share in December 2023 and INEOS assumed control of United's football operations. Since then, enormous investment in the playing side has led to continued underperformance.

United finished third in the Premier League last season but have been subject to constant doubts over coaching and behind-the-scenes battles about technical directors and managers.

The Glazers, who own the remainder of the Old Trafford club, are understood to be less than satisfied about Ratcliffe's leadership and running of United's football business, according to the Daily Mail.

"It’s a travesty and not what they expected or were promised," a source told Ian Herbert. They have never run the club this way."

The Mail reports that a decision to sell Manchester United could be on the cards for the Glazers in the long run, with their interest in the club as low as ever and United fans' opinion of them rarely improving above outright contempt.

"The $6bn (£4.5bn) valuation which the Glazers put on the club when seeking a buyer, four years ago, is looking more unrealistic than ever," reports Herbert.

"The Glazers control any sale. A clause in their deal with Ratcliffe, completed in 2024, lets them force him out of his 28 percent stake – and out of the entire landscape – if they sell the club to a third party, without him having any say, unless he can match that offer and buy the entire club himself.

"Whatever displeasure they might feel, they can’t buy back Ratcliffe’s piece of the United pie. But from next February, Ratcliffe will be powerless to stop them selling the entire club for a price lower than the $33 (£25) a share he paid for his chunk."

United's fortunes on the pitch are no more serene than developments behind closed doors. Having appointed interim head coach Michael Carrick on a permanent basis at the end of last season, the Red Devils have won just two of their 12 fixtures in all competitions this season.

Carrick's team have dropped into the bottom five in the Premier League table and two senior players have broken ranks in recent weeks to criticise either technical director Jason Wilcox or the tactics of the head coach.

United face Chelsea in the early Premier League match on Saturday.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is at risk of leaving Arsenal for Bayern Munich.

This year, the Norwegian became the first Gunners skipper to lift a Premier League title since Patrick Vieira in 2004, when Arsenal brought the trophy back to N5 in May, cementing himself in the minds of many fans as a genuine legend of the club.

But Odegaard now 27 and approaching the final year of his current contract next summer, manager Mikel Arteta has a decision to make over whether he builds his next team around a playmaker who has been so influential for him over the past five years.

Martin Odegaard's Arsenal career could be about to come to an end

Odegaard has been one of Arteta's greatest signings, joining the Gunners initially on loan from Real Madrid before Arsenal triggered a deal worth around £30 million and build a midfield around the former wonderkid.

While the 27-year-old has been back to his best this season, however, the last 18-24 months have been difficult for Odegaard, with injury and poor form opening the door to Eberechi Eze to stake a claim in the first team – and some suggesting that the Norway captain is less of a No.10 and more of a No.8 that the Gunners don't need alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Declan Rice in the engine room.

Sky Deutschland have reported via Sport Witness that Odegaard can “envision a future move” to Bayern Munich, with the Bavarians having already discussed a move for the star.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are working on a contract extension for a player who is still key to Arteta's side both in and out of possession, as shown in the early stages of this season.

While the champions have held informal talks with the star over remaining at the club, it's now being reported that Arsenal “would be open to selling” their skipper for the first time, should they fail to tie him down before the end of the summer.

This marks the first time in Odegaard's Arsenal career that it's been reported that the club are genuinely looking to cash in on the player – even throughout the injury troubles and more fervent criticism online of the player's role within Arteta's system.

The Basque boss has built around the midfielder since his first full season, with Odegaard almost untouchable, despite options such as Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Ethan Nwaneri and the signing of Eze all challenging for a spot in Arteta's midfield.

For now, Sport Witness claims that “It looks like his camp are using Bayern Munich’s timid interest to put pressure on Arsenal to secure an improved deal for the renewal.”

The Drammen native will be 30 years old when Arteta's current deal at the Emirates Stadium comes to an end.

Odegaard is valued at €80 million by Transfermarkt. Arsenal travel to Liverpool this weekend as Premier League action continues.

Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of midfield general Declan Rice as they prepare for Sunday's Premier League fixture against Liverpool at Anfield.

Rice missed the Gunners' shock elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Fleetwood Town in midweek. The only other match he's been absent from this season was against Ipswich Town in the previous round.

The Arsenal midfielder has started every Premier League match this season but fans are awaiting an update on his status for the trip to Liverpool.

Is Declan Rice available to play for Arsenal against Liverpool?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will provide a full update when he meets with reports for his pre-match press conference but Rice is ahead of the team's other injury doubts, having been involved in training this week.

But his manager revealed after of the Carabao Cup fourth round match that his absence was due to an injury, albeit a minor one, rather than a matter of managing the England star's workload.

Rice is unlikely to sit out a league match if he can avoid it. The 27-year-old played 36 times in the Premier League and 13 times in the Champions League last season despite later admitting to experiencing pain in his lower back and hamstring for much of the season.

He was seen holding the back of his thigh during Arsenal's win against Everton at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps indicating that the minor issue that ruled him out against Fleetwood might be a known one that won't stop him playing at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal have a longer build-up than most to get their players fit and firing. Theirs is the only fixture in the Premier League on Sunday, with Everton and Newcastle United meeting again on Monday night and the other 16 teams all playing on Saturday.

Winger Noni Madueke and left-back Riccardo Calafiori also missed the Fleetwood match and are injury doubts, while Christos Tzolis, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are all longer-term absentees.

Arteta's conundrum in wide areas were deepened by Max Dowman's red card at Fleetwood. The teenager will miss the Liverpool game as he begins his suspension.

Rice has never won at Anfield. His two wins against Liverpool were for West Ham United at the London Stadium and Arsenal at the Emirates.

Arsenal start the weekend in second place behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, with Liverpool six points behind them in fourth and keen to close the gap.

Saturday's fixture list includes Man City's home game against third-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal left-back Riccardo Calafiori was struggling at the end of the Gunners' Premier League game against Everton last weekend after coming on as a substitute.

Calafiori had played in the previous Champions League fixture but started on the bench for the visit of Everton and was subsequently left out of the squad for Arsenal's Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Fleetwood Town.

The Gunners will play Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday and Calafiori's availability will be one of the big question marks ahead of the game.

Is Riccardo Calafiori available to play for Arsenal against Liverpool?

The Italian full-back had started all seven Premier League matches before being named as a substitute for the Everton game. He came on in the second half at the Emirates Stadium but was unable to get back and defend towards the end.

Explaining the situation before the cup tie at Fleetwood, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: "It was because he had a slight issue, we don't know what it is, it seems to be something very small, but he was cautious about it."

The 24-year-old appeared to be favouring his hip or the side of his body at the end of the Everton match, heading straight down the tunnel at full time to receive treatment on the minor injury.

Despite Arteta's reassurance that it's a small issue, Calafiori is understood to be a doubt for Sunday's meeting with Liverpool and faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

If the injury is as minor as it's believed to be, he could be helped in that regard by the fact that Arsenal and Liverpool will play on Sunday rather than Saturday, in a rare example of a single-match Sunday in the Premier League.

Midfielder Declan Rice and winger Noni Madueke are also being monitored after sitting out the Fleetwood trip in midweek, while Max Dowman's suspension after his red card at Highbury Stadium has added to Arteta's injury concerns.

Fellow wingers Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka are both sidelined by injury along with centre-back William Saliba.

Calafiori is sure to be desperate to return to action, not least because of the opportunity to put right a poor record against the Reds.

He missed both home league games against Liverpool in 2024/25 and 2025/26 with injury but featured in both fixtures at Anfield.

Arsenal were beaten there last term with Calafiori in the starting line-up. In May 2025, he came off the bench with 12 minutes remaining in a 2-2 draw on Merseyside.

Nothing derails a gameweek plan quite like a injury to a key forward. Joao Pedro (£7.8m) is out for a few weeks, so it is time to find a new route into the front line. Here is how I would handle it.

The latest on Joao Pedro is that he missed the weekend game against Spurs, and Xabi Alonso did not offer much hope afterwards. “He has an injury on his thigh," explained the Chelsea manager, "and he is going to be a few weeks out. Let’s see how many. We don’t want to predict on that, but not ready for the next games.”

That is about as clear as it gets without a firm return date. Two weeks looks like the minimum, and nobody at Chelsea is willing to put a number on it.

Keep or sell?

For most managers, this is a sell. Two weeks out is the minimum, and when he does come back, Chelsea will be playing midweek Premier League games, which makes his minutes hard to trust.

With strong alternatives sitting at lower prices, there is little reason to wait. The one case for keeping him is if you only have a single free transfer and more urgent problems elsewhere in the squad, but that is rare. Here are my recommendations for his replacements...

Thierno Barry (£5.6m)

He is my number one, and I am buying him myself this week. Only Haaland has registered more expected goals (xG) and big chances in the league this season, and at £5.6m he frees up money for other areas of the team while being easy to rotate as an eighth attacker. People say he cannot finish, yet he scored eight goals from roughly 8.5 expected goals last season, which is hardly poor. Penalties could come his way, though the price is the real selling point. Newcastle and Coventry are next, and he scored and assisted against Newcastle in the EFL Cup last night. With no European football to worry about, his minutes should stay steady.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.1m)

If you already have Barry, Calvert-Lewin is the next best move. He takes penalties, rarely gets taken off early and has no doubts over his place. Bournemouth, Spurs, Coventry and Ipswich make up four of Leeds’ next six, and he is a possible captain option in Gameweek 12. No European games, again, is a big plus.

Nicolas Jackson (£6.8m)

Jackson is the template move, with more than a million managers bringing him in this week. Fulham, Manchester United, Sunderland and Ipswich is a strong run, and he arrives in form after scoring twice against Manchester City. European commitments are not ideal, but there are few worries over whether he will play.

Evanilson (£6.2m)

Three league goals in a row show he is in a rich vein of form. Leeds, Ipswich, Forest, Fulham and Hull in five of Bournemouth’s next six is a decent schedule, and unlike last year, his minutes have been surprisingly solid. The worry is later on. Kroupi Jr is available again, midweek league games will come into play soon, and there’s also European football to juggle with. That may cause his minutes to become murkier after the international break.

Alexander Isak (£9.1m)

He is fifth purely because of the price tag, not because he is a bad pick. His minutes should be safe, and with Dominik Szoboszlai still out, he is probably on penalties, though that is likely short-lived, as Szoboszlai is due back soon. Arsenal this week is not the friendliest entry point. A reasonable pick, but not one I would choose at that cost.

Final thoughts

The order above is how I rank them. Barry offers the best value, Calvert-Lewin is the safest alternative and Jackson is the popular choice. Evanilson is a decent mid-price option with some risk later on and Isak is a quality player who is expensive. Whoever you go for, ideally sell Pedro rather than wait.

Chelsea striker Joao Pedro missed the Blues' matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool with a thigh injury.

Pedro was unavailable as Chelsea slipped to a 2-0 loss against Spurs at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League last weekend. He was also absent for the midweek trip to Anfield, where Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Xabi Alonso's Blues play in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League this weekend, welcoming Manchester United and starting the game as firm favourites in light of the Red Devils' chaotic preparations.

Is Joao Pedro available to play for Chelsea against Manchester United?

Alonso revealed before Chelsea's visit to Merseyside that his top striker would be out of action for a 'few weeks' as a result of the injury, which occurred in training. He will not be available to face Man United on Saturday.

"He has an injury to his thigh and he is going to be out for a few weeks," the Chelsea manager told reporters. "Let’s see how many. We don’t want to predict on that, but he is not ready for the next games."

The exact timeline of Pedro's recuperation and return is unknown but he has already missed two matches and Saturday's home fixture against Man United will be the third. Chelsea will then face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light before the November international break.

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has not selected Pedro for the Selecao's matches against Japan and Singapore next month, so Chelsea's home game against Leeds United on November 21 could be the likeliest return for the striker.

Blues fans will certainly be hoping so. Pedro has scored five times in his six appearances in the Premier League so far in 2026/27, with three assists thrown in for good measure in a team that scores goals for fun.

Only Arsenal have beaten Chelsea with the Brazilian in the team but Alonso's team have lost both league matches he's missed. Worse still, they were goalless against both Brentford and Spurs in those games.

Veteran striker Danny Welbeck started against Brentford but Alonso opted to go without a natural striker for the shambolic Spurs game. Welbeck came on as a late substitute.

Pedro has consistently justified Chelsea's investment since joining the club in the summer of 2025.

They failed to qualify for Europe at the conclusion of their tumultuous 2025/26 season but the big-money striker scored 15 goals in the Premier League, his best return in England's top division.

Having only hit double figures in the Premier League once before that, he is very much on track to do it again and much more. Alonso and Chelsea will be desperate to get him back.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro has revealed a 'big dream' to return to Spain's La Liga despite signing a new Spurs contract in the summer.

Spurs offered new terms to Porro before he left for the World Cup, where he helped Spain to lift the trophy for the second time in their history. They conceded just one goal in the tournament.

Porro had already committed to a new deal that runs to the summer of 2031 and has the option for another year, but he has spoken about his wish to play in Spain for one of La Liga's top clubs.

'Tottenham probably asked for a lot of money for me'

Porro, who joined Manchester City from Girona and had a loan spell at Valladolid, was interviewed by Cadena Ser and explained that he feels happy and loved at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I finalised my renewal before the World Cup to be at ease during the tournament, because that greatly influences performance," said the 27-year-old.

"Afterwards, they gave me a great tribute; I feel very loved, and that’s very important to me. They’ve given me a good contract, although if I had waited until after the World Cup, I would have gotten more.

"There were rumours, but I was focused on doing well for my country. If there’s real interest, they call you directly, and that didn’t happen. There were clubs that enquired about my situation, but there wasn’t any real interest.

"I didn’t want to listen too much. Tottenham probably asked for a lot of money for me because they value me as one of the best."

Like most players of his age, Porro is beginning to cast an eye towards the end of his career and considering where he might like to spend his footballing twilight. Returning to Spain is an obvious choice and he told Cadena Ser that he's keen.

"Obviously, I’d love to return to Spain someday. It’s my country, and I like the league," he said. "Right now, it would be very unfair to talk about anything other than my club because I’m under contract, but obviously, I’d love to go back to Spain; it’s a big dream of mine."

The right-back was sure not to indicate any preference between Real Madrid and Barcelona, smartly keeping his options open for a 'dream' swansong back home.

Porro left Man City to make permanent his long loan spell at Sporting CP without making an appearance for the Premier League club. He joined Spurs three years ago with a Portuguese league title to his name.

He's been a reliable performer in a turbulent period for the North London club. Porro played 90 minutes in the Europa League final in 2025, helping Spurs to a clean sheet and 1-0 win over Manchester United.

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?

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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?

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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.

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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 about to leave Arsenal

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.