Watch Liverpool vs Villarreal for free as the Reds aim to make it three wins out of three in the Champions League 2026/27 league phase, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Andoni Iraola's men will be looking to follow up their excellent 6-3 win over Austrian side LASK last Wednesday, in which summer signing Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick - his first goals for the club.

Villarreal claimed their first points of the league phase 24 hours earlier, fighting back from 1-0 down to beat Napoli 3-1.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Liverpool vs Villarreal online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch Liverpool vs Villarreal for free?

Fans in the UK can watch Liverpool vs Villarreal on Prime Video, which has a 30-day free trial for new customers, allowing them to stream the game at no cost.

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Watch Liverpool vs Villarreal from anywhere

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How to watch Liverpool vs Villarreal in the UK

As mentioned above, Liverpool vs Villarreal is live on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Kick-off is at 8:00pm BST.

Not in the UK? Watch Liverpool vs Villarreal on Prime Video with NordVPN.

How to watch Liverpool vs Villarreal in the US

Paramount+ is the place for US viewers to watch Liverpool vs Villarreal, with kick-off at 3:00pm ET.

Outside of the US? Access your usual Paramount+ stream with NordVPN.

How to watch Liverpool vs Villarreal in Australia

Viewers in Australia can watch Liverpool vs Villarreal live on Stan Sport, with the game kicking-off at 6:00am AEDT on Wednesday.

Not in Australia right now? You can still access your usual Stan Sport stream via NordVPN.

Liverpool vs Villarreal: Preview

Liverpool host Spanish opposition at Anfield for the second time this season after back-to-back away trips brought two very different wins.

Six days ago, the Reds cruised to a 6-3 victory at LASK in which they were 4-0 up after just 51 minutes and summer signing Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick. They then had to do it the hard way in the Premier League on Saturday, fighting back from 1-0 down to beat Brentford 2-1 as the hosts ended the game with nine men.

Andoni Iraola's side now return home looking to extend their perfect start to the league phase of the Champions League, having beaten Atletico Madrid at Anfield before that win over LASK.

They remain without influential midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who has a hamstring issue, while Jeremie Frimpong will also be absent having suffered an injury just six minutes after coming off the bench at Brentford.

SEE ALSO Should I use a VPN to watch football?

Last week's 3-1 win over Napoli was an important result for Villarreal, who lost to Borussia Dortmund in their league phase opener and have had an underwhelming start to the La Liga season.

The Yellow Submarine were held 0-0 at home by struggling Elche on Saturday and have taken just nine points from their first nine league games under Inigo Perez, who replaced Marcelino as manager this summer.

Villarreal are without former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, who recently had eye surgery, and Canada midfielder Tajon Buchanan.

It means they will be relying on Georges Mikautadze and Alberto Moleiro for much of their attacking threat, with both players already registering five goal involvements this season. Former Newcastle United and Leicester City striker Ayoze Perez could also feature.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 2-0 Villarreal

The Reds should beat an out-of-form Villarreal side fairly comfortably.

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Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, whose reign at Old Trafford ended in October 2024, has opened up about the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour on “toxic culture” at the club.

The Dutchman described issuing sanctions in matters related to player discipline, to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, then confessed that a similar situation emerged with the Portuguese #7.

In an interview with The Athletic, the ex-Manchester United manager claimed: “[Ronaldo] let me down… I respected him a lot,” before revealing the Red Devils icon’s behavioural issues.

Erik ten Hag claims he “respected” Cristiano Ronaldo but was “let down… he let the team down” at Manchester United

On “toxic culture” at Manchester United, the Dutchman claimed that power is given to the players who enact such behaviour, ‘fuelling the cycle.’

“They are continuing the toxic culture, they fuel it. They give power to the players… sometimes, you have to make corrections,” claimed Ten Hag.

The Dutchman then explained how he felt he had to play ‘bad cop’ with players to raise standards, while grappling with the reality of having to pick certain personnel to win Premier League matches.

Ten Hag claimed that Ronaldo’s poor work ethic led to sub-par fitness levels, leaving the No.7 unable to press or play as hard as the Dutchman required him to.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” claimed Ten Hag. “I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.”

According to the Dutchman, the now 41-year-old pulled out of training sessions, didn’t get his heart rate raised to sufficient levels during training, and completed just two of the three scheduled laps that Ten Hag infamously made players do after a torrid 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in.

“I confronted him with this. Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score.’

“He was not capable of this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself,” revealed Ten Hag.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team. He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at the training.’”

“I understand it when you are top fit - you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”

Ten Hag hasn’t returned to management since his brief stint post-Manchester United with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Cristiano Ronaldo, whose return date, fine and suspension period for Portugal has now been revealed, is enjoying time in the Saudi Pro League, as he chases 1000 career goals.

Watch PSG vs Barcelona for free as the holders meet European football's form side in one of the standout fixtures of the Champions League 2026/27 league phase. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

PSG have begun their bid for a third successive Champions League title in impressive fashion, winning their opening two league-phase matches and scoring 10 goals in the process.

However, they will need to be at their best to contain Hansi Flick’s free-scoring Barcelona, who have started the season with 11 consecutive victories across all competitions. Expect goals galore in Paris!

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch PSG vs Barcelona in this mouth-watering Champions League clash online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch PSG vs Barcelona for free?

Yes. PSG vs Barcelona will be shown live on free-to-air Virgin Media Two in Ireland, complete with English commentary, while you can stream the game via Virgin Media Play.

Watch PSG vs Barcelona from anywhere

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How to watch PSG vs Barcelona in the UK

PSG vs Barcelona will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK.

The game will be shown on TNT Sports 2, with kick-off at 8:00pm BST.

Visiting the UK from Ireland? Watch PSG vs Barcelona on Virgin Media Play thanks to NordVPN.

How to watch PSG vs Barcelona in the US

Fans in the US can watch PSG vs Barcelona on Paramount+, with kick-off at 3:00pm ET.

Travelling outside of the US? Use NordVPN to access your usual Paramount+ stream.

How to watch PSG vs Barcelona in Australia

Australian viewers can watch PSG vs Barcelona on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 6:00am AEDT on Wednesday.

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PSG vs Barcelona: Preview

PSG are purring once again, after putting a slow start to the domestic season behind them to win six successive matches in all competitions.

Having won the Champions League in each of the past two campaigns, Luis Enrique's men showed why they remain the team to beat on the continent in their 4-2 victory at Manchester City last Wednesday, when they went 3-0 up inside 32 minutes at the Etihad Stadium.

The visit of Barcelona is arguably an even bigger test, with Hansi Flick's men tipped by many as the strongest challengers to PSG's throne this season, and they will be looking to repeat their 2-1 win over these opponents in the league phase last term.

Enrique made eight changes for Saturday's 3-1 comeback win at Strasbourg in Ligue 1, although two of the players he rested - Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue - had to come off the bench to secure the points with late goals. Expect them to return to the starting XI, but left-back Nuno Mendes will not be involved after suffering a thigh injury.

SEE ALSO How to watch Champions League 2026/27

Barcelona will rightly head to Paris full of confidence, after Saturday's 5-2 win at Real Betis extended their perfect start to the campaign.

The Catalans look unstoppable in La Liga, where their nine straight victories is the joint-best start to a season in the division's history, while they have eased to 5-1 and 4-1 triumphs over Feyenoord and Galatasaray respectively.

Hansi Flick made only four changes to his lineup between last Tuesday's win over Gala and the thrashing of Betis, which could see Eric Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Anthony Gordon and Dani Olmo return to the starting XI for the trip to Paris.

The Barca manager also received a huge boost with the return from injury of top goalscorer Raphinha, although it remains to be seen if the Brazilian forward is fit enough to start after coming off the bench on Saturday.

FourFourTwo's prediction

PSG 2-2 Barcelona

This has all the makings of a classic, but both teams are so good that it's hard to pick a winner.

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.

Bayern Munich host Arsenal this week in the Champions League, but Die Roten have been dealt a major blow.

Both teams are among the favourites for the trophy this season, as Arsenal were beaten in last season's final, and Bayern Munich reached the final four last time out – with both suffering defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

But while plenty will suggest that this week's battle between the two sides is essentially meaningless given that they will both likely qualify for the knockout stage, there's a huge incentive to get a result at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich struggling with a virus outbreak ahead of Arsenal clash

As Arsenal proved last season by finishing top of the league phase with eight straight wins in the first stage of the competition, racking up 24 points from 24 can help pave the way for a preferable route to the final.

Mikel Arteta's men faced Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting and Atletico Madrid on their side of the draw, with each of their home ties coming second in the knockout stage – so Bayern will want to replicate that and look to avoid the likes of PSG, Barcelona and Arsenal themselves until the latter stages of the competition.

The Bavarians have a problem, however, with Sport Witness relaying reports of a virus that Vincent Kompany is suffering from.

“According to BILD, the Belgian underwent another thorough examination on Monday by the team doctors,” the report states, adding, “Internally, the illness is not being taken lightly, as Kompany was clearly feeling unwell around the time of the resounding victory against Leipzig.

“Although he delivered the team talks in the locker room, he had to lie down briefly on his sofa in his coach’s room at the Allianz Arena both at halftime and after the win.”

Sport Witness notes that his “close proximity to the players and other coaches is a cause for concern,” as the Bundesliga champions look to avoid a crisis ahead of Wednesday's clash – in which they are already missing Michael Olise.

The French international was dismissed against Viking for two yellow cards in quick succession: the first for tugging at Zlatko Tripic to stop a transition on the right flank, before immediately throwing the ball into the Norway international's face to receive his marching orders from referee Georgi Kabakov.

The moment of madness came back to haunt Olise's side, as Bayern were leading 3-2 in Stavanger – after going 2-0 down in the first half – before Kompany's 10 men were pegged back to 3-3 for a shock draw by the minnows.

Arsenal have been given a boost of their own, with defender Piero Hincapie having returned to training on grass following an injury picked up before the international break.

The champions of England against the champions of Germany is one of 18 clashes as Champions League action resumes this week.

Rio Ngumoha has downplayed the strength of transfer links to Arsenal, amid a series of dominant individual performances being delivered by the 18-year-old at Liverpool.

Arsenal, Bayern Munich and even RB Leipzig have all emerged as contenders to try and lure the English wonderkid away from Anfield; however, Ngumoha has now insisted that such transfer talk is “all with my agent now.”

The 18-year-old appeared off the bench in Liverpool’s comeback 2-1 win versus Brentford at the Gtech on Saturday, then discussed his future on Merseyside post-match.

Rio Ngumoha tells Liverpool fans transfer talk is “in the back of my mind” amid Arsenal and Bayern Munich links

Ngumoha has appeared in five of Liverpool’s first seven Premier League outings this term, looking to turn a corner with new boss Andoni Iraola after a torrid final season under Arne Slot.

The 18-year-old has also appeared in two Champions League matches versus Atletico Madrid and LASK, and started in Liverpool’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win against Spurs.

Ngumoha is yet to open his account for the season, after two three goals and notching an assist under Slot in 2025-26, playing 19 Premier League games for a total 582 minutes.

Links to Arsenal arrived through David Ornstein, who claimed in an article for The Athletic last month that the 18-year-old is “well-liked” at the Emirates.

After his 38-minute cameo versus Brentford, during which both of Liverpool’s comeback strikes arrived, the England international said: ‘To be fair, that is all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let my football do the talking at the end of the day.

Ngumoha further downplayed the possibility of an Arsenal transfer, claiming: “‘I enjoy playing, and all of that stuff is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, and hopefully I can carry on doing well.

‘I am enjoying the challenge and to be able to play off both sides is important,” continued the 18-year-old, who has appeared on both the right and left flanks at Liverpool after the club lost Mohamed Salah last summer to Super Lig contenders Trabzonspor.

“Do I have a favourite position? No, not anymore. I am getting to grips with the right wing now, and I am liking it. It gives me a bit more unpredictability. I have been working hard on the training pitch.

‘I went away with England and I was playing on the right, so I learned a lot there as well. Watching the likes of Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka. I took on board some of the stuff they told me, and it’s really helpful.

Ngumoha then sung the praises of new manager Iraola, revealing that his received directive has been to take on players more frequently in one-v-one duels.

“I am enjoying working with him and enjoying improving,” said the England international. Whether I start or come off the bench, I have the same mentality. I know the club is just trying to look after me. We have some of the best attackers in the world, so competing for places is not easy.

"It is all about healthy competition and we all just want to make the team win at the end of the day. So whatever minutes we get, we can’t be sulking, we just have to go out and show what we can do."

Ngumoha’s current Liverpool contract runs through until 2028; for now, talk of transfers elsewhere appear to be out of sight and out of mind for the 18-year-old.

Former Manchester United boss, and current AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim has confessed that he blocked Pervis Estupinan’s move to Aston Villa after the Unai Emery-led side made a summer swoop for the Ecuadorian.

Estupinan joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2025, after spending five years at Brighton in the English top-flight.

The left-back was largely overlooked by then-manager Massimiliano Allegri in Italy; however, his new boss, Amorim, has revealed why he never had any intention of letting the Ecuadorian leave amid concrete interest from Aston Villa.

Ruben Amorim explains blocking of Pervis Estipinan from attempted Aston Villa swoop

Aston Villa made serious efforts to attempt to bring Estupinan back to England, in need of a new left-back after Lucas Digne’s exit to PSG this summer.

Sport Witness reported in July that the Ecuadorian had agreed on certain terms to set up a Villa Park move; however, Amorim never wanted Estupinan to leave.

The Serie A side coughed up nearly £17 million to secure the left-back’s services from Brighton, and Amorim was far from happy when he heard of Aston Villa’s approach.

Under Allegri, the 28-year-old averaged under 60 minutes per game during the 2025/26 Serie A term. With Amorim as his leader, Estupinan has played 340 minutes in seven Italian top-flight matches, averaging even fewer minutes played at just 48 per match.

Despite using the left-back even less than his predecessor did, Amorim has explained why letting Estupinan depart was never on his mind.

“At the end of the transfer window, we had a list of clubs that wanted Estupinan. But I said no. So, I want the fans to know that it was my responsibility,” claimed the Portuguese coach, who then acknowledged that a section of AC Milan fans aren’t overly keen on the Ecuadorian.

“Even at other clubs, sometimes the fans don’t like certain players too much. We have to help Estupinan, we have to help the fans understand who Estupinan is: and I can assure you that Estupinan works really hard.

“So, I want the fans to know that it was my responsibility. He’s playing because I chose Estupinan, because I believe in him and I’m convinced he'll be truly important for our team.”

“But I understood that feeling from the first game. We simply have to help Estupinan, because we are a team: if one of our teammates suffers because of this, the whole team suffers with him and stands by him,” Amorim concluded.

Unai Emery’s men instead welcomed Aaron Wan-Bissaka to their line-up; however, an injury against Newcastle on Saturday has left the Villans shortchanged at left-back. They return to action against Viking in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Liverpool travelled to Brentford last Saturday and left with a 2-1 victory, fighting back from a goal down courtesy of strikes from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak.

Since the clash, in which Brentford were reduced to 10 men against Andoni Iraola’s side, footage began circulating online of a rugby ball being kicked into the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford have now confirmed that the police have been made aware of and launched an investigation into the matter, with the offence’s nature being “dangerous and potentially harmful.”

Investigation opened into rugby ball-kicking individual during Liverpool vs Brentford clash

The footage appeared to capture a man kicking a rugby ball, from a balcony that overlooked the Gtech, onto the pitch.

Another clip shows a member of staff carrying the rugby ball away from the pitch, captioned: “Wrong sport, mate.”

Brentford have now referred the incident to the police, describing the individual’s actions as “dangerous and potentially very harmful.”

A club statement issued by the Bees on Monday read: “Brentford Football Club is aware of an incident involving an item being kicked from a height towards the field of play during Saturday’s match against Liverpool.

“Such behaviour is dangerous and potentially very harmful. The matter has been referred to the police and the club is supporting the relevant authorities in their investigation to help identify those responsible and take appropriate action.”

Brentford stated that the individual’s actions may result in criminal prosecution, then affirmed the importance of safety for all fans, staff, players and officials visiting the Gtech.

Others can be heard in the video laughing and cheering as the rugby ball was kicked onto the pitch at Brentford’s stadium. Liverpool Football Club are yet to comment publicly.

The Reds are now positioned fifth in the Premier League standings, having taken 12 points from seven matches.

Following their defeat, the Bees are placed sixth, claiming 10 points from their first seven outings. Prior to their clash with Liverpool, Keith Andrews’ men were undefeated in the Premier League.

Liverpool, whose supporters face the highest average pint prices on their European away days this term, will next play Villarreal at home, while Brentford are set to clash with Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Sunday.

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has claimed that Scott McTominay, who Manchester United sold to Napoli in 2024, was forced out of the club against his wishes.

The Scotsman went on to lift the Serie A title with Napoli, and win the Italian top-flight’s ‘Player of the Season’ award, as the league’s MVP.

For Manchester United, he bagged 37 goal contributions in 255 games; now, in light of ten Hag’s words and according to reports, INEOS want the Scot back.

INEOS want Scott McTominay back after Erik ten Hag reveals uncomfortable Manchester United truth

McTominay was sold in the summer of 2024 for a total of just over £25 million, including add-ons, with Manuel Ugarte being signed in his place.

Ten Hag has now claimed that the club broke their promise with the Scotsman, selling him to Napoli against his wishes and ousting him from Manchester.

In an interview with The Athletic, the former Red Devils coach said: “ “That’s why I got disappointed. In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay.’ We would go aligned in the transfer window. I [made] an argument, a reason - we don’t have scoring abilities.

“Scott brings scoring abilities and a great mentality. He has [Manchester] United in all his veins. So, when they bring up the subject: ‘No’. And in the end they sold him.

“I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed,” admitted Ten Hag, who left the club in October 2024, just months after McTominay’s exit.

The Scot has thrived in Italy, bagging 37 goal contributions, the same figure he recorded for Manchester United, in 85 games, not the 255 matches it took him as a Red Devil.

In early October, Sky Sports Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed, as relayed by TEAMtalk, that Manchester United co-owners, INEOS, want to transfer McTominay back to Old Trafford.

“The player’s agent, according to our sources, maintains close relationships with several Premier League clubs and has already held preliminary discussions regarding McTominay’s future,” stated Tavolieri’s report.

It claimed that Aston Villa also approached the Scot in April, adding that the midfielder is “nostalgic… and open to the idea of ​​returning to the Premier League.”

Manchester United, placed 13th, are in dire form, with Michael Carrick’s job in serious peril. The Red Devils return to Champions League action against Como on Wednesday, as they travel to Italy.

Plenty of Arsenal players haven't gone on to better things after leaving the club.

Nicolas Anelka became the Gunners' record sale when he departed for big things in the 1990s, but despite his journeyman career, perhaps never reached the heights that some thought he would during his Arsenal days – while Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Marc Overmars can all safely claim to have given their best form in North London after big moves to Europe.

Now, one Gunner from that era has admitted as much.

Former Arsenal star admits, “I would pay good money to go back to those days”

While the likes of Ashley Cole, Serge Gnabry and Robin van Persie have all enjoyed silverware post-N5, Emmanuel Petit has now reminisced with FourFourTwo about his time as an Arsenal player.

The Frenchman is still the only Gunner to have scored in a World Cup final, and after signing for mentor Arsene Wenger in 1997, enjoyed phenomenal success at Highbury, winning a league and FA Cup Double in his first full season.

“I have some very good memories. When I first came to England, I really loved the tradition over there,” Petit tells us now, courtesy of Betfred.

“I loved it. Back in the day I loved everything. The football, the speed, the total football at times. You never give up and that’s something I learned in England. Never give up until the end.”

The midfielder ended up leaving in 2000 for Barcelona – moving back to the Premier League just a year later to return to London with Arsenal's rivals, Chelsea.

Reflecting on that time now, Petit says that the connection he had with the English supporters was stronger than that at Camp Nou – and that he regrets even moving to Barça in the first place.

“I loved the link with the fans in England and I would pay good money to go back to those days because I miss that sometimes,” he says, adding, “I do believe that my biggest mistake was leaving Arsenal to move to Barcelona.”

Petit failed to win anything in Catalonia, appearing 31 times under manager Lorenzo Serra Ferrer's failed tenure as manager after Louis van Gaal left in 2000.

The World Cup winner retired in 2004 after three years at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal take on Bayern Munich as Champions League action returns this week.

The 2026-27 Premier League season is now well underway, and some teams, and their managers, are struggling more than others.

Michael Carrick has seized headlines recently for his dire start to the term with Manchester United - and persisting with him could, says the noise from Italy, cost the Red Devils their chance to bag Antonio Conte.

Here, as per Sky Bet, are the favourites for the next manager to get the Premier League sack, from ‘Big 6’ to mid-table to possibly relegation-battling clubs.

Michael Carrick (2/1)

While many Manchester United pessimists might have seen something like this coming, with the club’s return to Europe introducing a balancing act that Carrick didn’t have to deal with in 2025-26, going from a third-place finish to 12th and out of the Carabao Cup by October is stark.

When a manager reaches the point where a draw, as the Red Devils claimed last weekend against rivals Leeds United, is seen as enough to just about keep them in a job, they’re clearly walking on a tightrope. Manchester United have Como in the Champions League up next, where they will travel to Italy, and another dire result against an at times brilliant Cesc Fabregas-led side could be the final nail in the coffin.

After that, it’s Bournemouth at home in the Premier League, followed by Chelsea away. A nasty three-game swing, and even more motivation for Sky Bet to have him in first as their likeliest manager to exit their Premier League club.

Pierre Sage (13/8)

In the seasons prior, Crystal Palace were flying. No, not flying in the way of a bottom-half Premier League side venturing into the European qualification spots, flying in an actual trophy-winning manner, beating Manchester City to the FA Cup, Liverpool to the Community Shield, and lifting the Conference League trophy, all in two seasons.

When the architect behind that success left, Oliver Glasner, there remained an expectation that the Eagles would continue to soar. Perhaps another trophy would prove difficult, but performances that put them in contention are now the baseline.

Instead, Crystal Palace have taken just seven points from seven games, landing them at 14th in the Premier League standings. Sky Bet have new boss Pierre Sage at second in their rankings, with odds of 13/8.

Alvaro Arbeloa (9/2)

It’s slightly surprising that the former Real Madrid boss, now Fulham manager, was unable to leapfrog Sage in this list. After all, Fulham are positioned 18th in the Premier League table, with five points from seven games.

A strong 1-0 win versus Hull City last weekend, after falling 2-1 away from home to Ipswich Town the week prior, could be the reason. Instead, Sage is a few inches closer to the guillotine, and Alvaro Arbeloa has bought himself a little more time with the Cottagers.

That and, naturally, expectations at Fulham being less high than they are elsewhere in London. One thing is for certain, the longer that Arbeloa battles relegation, the higher he will move up Sky Bet’s odds list. A slight improvement defensively in recent weeks bodes relatively well for Fulham, but there is a long, long road ahead for the Spaniard to push his side to mid-table.

Roberto De Zerbi (9/1)

Hundreds of millions of British pounds spent, off the back of a season spent battling relegation, and a new manager in Roberto De Zerbi, whose previous reign with Marseille in Ligue 1 was mostly solid.

All of this, and Tottenham Hotspur still limped to the finish line against Coventry City on Monday night, to secure their first win of the Premier League season.

Spurs are now positioned 16th in the standings, with six points from seven outings, but De Zerbi’s job is by no means safe. Battling from a goal down at Old Trafford with just 10 men on the pitch was a more impressive result from the North London unit, but anything less than total abstinence from the relegation spots will be the Italian’s downfall, as the 2026-27 term rages on.

Oliver Glasner (9/1)

Crystal Palace, Glasner, what a match made in harmony. Instead, Sage is second on this list, and the former Eagles man has also managed to make an appearance shortly into his new gig with Nottingham Forest.

Glasner’s new team are 19th in the Premier League, with just five points from seven games; barring an impressive 2-1 away win at Villa Park, the highlights have mostly been lowlights from Forest in England this term.

Still, Glasner arrived with the expectation that he’d work magic - this Forest side, that finished 16th last season, was anything but a superteam before him. Sky Bet has his odds of leaving the club at 9/1, but the City Ground will surely keep the Austrian for long enough to accurately gauge whether he can replicate his London-based success in Nottingham.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended by the Portuguese FA and fined less than £250 after the Portuguese maestro walked out on the national team following a row with Jorge Jesus.

That occurred during the last round of international games, during which Ronaldo exited the Portugal camp in Copenhagen prior to their Nations League clash versus Denmark.

Jesus, new boss in Portugal and former manager to Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, was accused of breaking his word twice to Ronaldo; now, the #7 will serve a 30-day suspension.

Cristiano Ronaldo issued under £250 fine and 30-day suspension period with Portugal

When receiving his punishment from the disciplinary council, it was not specified whether time already served under a provisional suspension would be removed from Ronaldo’s 30-day period.

As a result, it is unclear as to whether the 41-year-old’s punishment will extend to Portugal’s upcoming Nations League clashes in November; however, further information has since emerged.

According to Sky Sports News, the suspension began on the day of Ronaldo’s walk-out, September 30, making him eligible to face Denmark on November 14.

The news arrives after the #7 took to Instagram and asked the Portuguese FA to spare him any leniency, while revealing the details of his row with Jesus.

The 41-year-old also published a bullet-pointed list of ‘validated’ claims he signed off on Jesus saying in a post-match Nations League presser, which Jesus never read.

“I made the mistake in having someone of the stature of Pele or [Diego] Maradona warm up today and then not putting him in the game. If it were today, I would not do it,” read one point.

The Al-Nassr forward then clarified that Jesus broke two promises made with him, before offering an apology to his Portugal team-mates.

“The consequence of this act of mine must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation… Regardless of each person’s status, the rules are the same.

“The Federation wants to give me [a dignified farewell]... I can promise all my fans, naturally and especially the Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches,” concluded the 41-year-old.

It appears that Ronaldo is set to return versus both Denmark and Wales next month; whether that will be the 41-year-old’s farewell with Portugal is still unclear.

Across his 16-year playing career, Diego Demme faced some of the world's biggest clubs like Juventus, Barcelona, Inter, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan. However, one of his most daunting challenges came on August 20, 2016, in a DFB-Pokal match between RB Leipzig and Dynamo Dresden.

Demme was 17 when Red Bull acquired the playing rights of fifth-tier SSV Markranstadt and established RB Leipzig. He was 22 when he left Paderborn, who were closing in on a maiden promotion to the Bundesliga, and joined Leipzig, who were already viewed as pariahs by millions of German fans.

These supporters accused Leipzig of using their corporate backing to undermine Germany's 50+1 rule and outspend traditional eastern German clubs like Hansa Rostock, 1. FC Magdeburg, and Dresden, whose supporters had endured years of financial instability.

RB Leipzig's rise has been met with aggressive opposition

It didn't take long for rival fans to voice their discontent. Leipzig's team bus was attacked with bottles during their first away fixture, and players were spat at and pelted with beer cups. Five years later, as they celebrated promotion, a prominent Leipzig supporter known as 'Mocke' was beaten by four assailants.

They suffered more hostility in 2015: Erzgebirge Aue fans displayed banners comparing Leipzig fans to Nazis, and Heidenheim fans threw fake banknotes at the team bus. After warning Leipzig fans against attending, Karlsruher hooligans entered Leipzig's hotel, forcing them to hire private security for away matches.

In Leipzig's opening match of the 2016/17 season, Dynamo Dresden ultras smuggled a severed bull's head into the stadium and hurled it towards the pitch, in protest against Red Bull, whose logo features two charging bulls. Dresden were fined €60,000 and sanctioned with a partial stadium closure order.

Some fans unfurled banners stating that 'tradition cannot be bought.' Another threw a coin that struck Leipzig captain Dominik Kaiser's shoulder, who, after squandering a two-goal lead, missed Leipzig's fourth penalty in a 5-4 shootout defeat.

"We always had fans against us and our project with Red Bull, particularly in the second and third division, and we wanted to give our best to shut them up," stated Diego Demme to FourFourTwo. "Sometimes, there was a little bit of overacting, like when Dynamo Dresden fans threw a severed bull’s head onto the pitch. There were some crazy people, but that gave us a little extra motivation."

If Leipzig thought they would be given a reprieve against Bundesliga fanbases, they were soon proven wrong. In September, 100 Koln supporters staged a sit-in blocking Leipzig's bus and delaying the match. In February, 400 Dortmund ultras gathered before the match and attacked Leipzig supporters with stones and bottles, leaving six Leipzig fans and four police officers injured.

It was Leipzig who had the last laugh, finishing three points clear of BVB in second. Leipzig have finished in the top four in seven of the last eight seasons, and after losing in the 2019 and 2021 DFB-Pokal Final, they hoisted the cup in 2022 and 2023.

Just as Leipzig were gearing up for a run to the Champions League semi-final, Demme left in January 2020. Alongside Yussuf Poulsen, he was the last remnant of a team that had gone from playing in Germany's third tier to sitting atop the Bundesliga.

Six years after swapping Paderborn for Leipzig, Demme departed as a German international and a Champions League footballer. He would go on to win the Coppa Italia and Scudetto with Napoli before enjoying a swansong with second-tier Hertha Berlin.

Leipzig might never win over the hearts of rival Bundesliga supporters, but they did give Demme the platform to win something far more important: his place amongst Europe's footballing elite.

Thomas Hitzlsperger has urged journalists to take a respectful approach if they want to help gay footballers feel comfortable coming out.

The former Aston Villa and Germany midfielder came out himself in 2014, just a few months after announcing his retirement from playing professional football.

But there have been very few openly gay male footballers since then - and Hitzlsperger hopes that the media can learn to be genuinely supportive rather than prioritising their own interests.

Hitzlsperger told FourFourTwo: "The example of a group of 125 employees of the German Catholic Church coming out in 2022 was a powerful statement and, within the world of football, there are many possibilities.

"I’d assume in some way that would be easier, but because every story is different, some players may want to tell their own personal story, and not be one of 10, 20 or however many footballers to come out.

"I just hope that footballers who are gay find a way to live happy lives.

"Nowadays, there’s a strong desire from a number of journalists to break stories and it’s become almost obsessive.

"It’s very annoying, because it would be best to leave closeted players alone and let them find a way. It feels more about breaking the story of the next gay footballer and less about helping to really make a change.

"That’s something I don’t like – we have to be as supportive as we can, but don’t give the impression that we want to force people to come out because it’s for the greater good.

"While I embraced my identity as a gay man after my playing career, I had to discover what I wanted to do after retiring in 2013 at the age of 31.

"That transition applies to every single player and is about finding a new passion. For all of your life, you’ve been focused on your football career.

"Suddenly that’s over and you have to really think about what you want to do, – what you want to be in life, other than a former footballer.

"It’s about finding your own structure, because for so long you’re being told when to show up for training, what to wear and what to do.

"It’s also about dealing with being on your own, no longer in the spotlight. You have to be able to live another successful career."

Football v Homophobia is a year-round initiative tackling anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, building inclusive communities at all levels of the game around the world. For more info and support, visit footballvhomophobia.com

Can you remember who was on the wrong end of this extraordinary demolition job?

It was one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of European club football. After losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie in 2016-17, Barcelona won the second leg 6-1. The Parisians learned from the experience and went on to win the competition back-to-back with a very different approach.

As the teams meet again, we're looking back not to the winning team, but the opponents they conquered. Can you name all 11 players? There's no time limit!

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Are you keen to take on more of our football quizzes? We've got plenty of them and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. For starters, we're sticking with the same season but switching focus to England. We want to know whether you can name the top goalscorer of every Premier League team in the 2016-17 season.

After that, join us for some quizzes that really dive into the social and cultural fabric of football. If you're a trivia master with knowledge of the details, this is the batch of quizzes for you. How about trying to name every sponsor of the EFL trophy or identifying which English clubs were or are served by these fanzines? Here's one for experts only: Show us what you're made of by tackling the Big Quiz of English Football Grounds.

We have countless quizzes for Premier League aficionados. Can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season and every player to have won the World Cup while playing for a Premier League club? If that combination of club and international football tickled your fancy, try to name every player with 100 or more international caps and at least one appearance in the Premier League.

More puzzler than quizzer? We get it. Here's FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 75, featuring clues on ultras, underdogs and upsets.

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.

As many West Ham, Oxford, Spurs or Arsenal fans will tell you, once that history-filled ground is gone, it really is gone. The new edifices might have shiny new seats, better sightlines, even beers filled from the bottom up… but just what’s been lost in the modernisation process?

It’s the stories and rituals, that favourite seat and neighbour, the sense of history and hallowed turf, the feeling of being a fan and not a customer. To quote Bruce Springsteen’s defiant Wrecking Ball, a stadium demolition is where: ‘all our little victories and glories have turned into parking lots’. And the Spurs fans didn’t even get that cheese room…

So, while many of us reminisce about the lost loves of Upton Park, White Hart Lane or even Wembley (conveniently forgetting the toilets and pillars), here are 10 other stadiums you need to savour before the demolition crew move in and it transforms into a shiny if soulless dome (or a shiny and soulless supermarket).

San Siro, Milan, Italy

Opened in 1926 but beamed into British homes by the 1990 World Cup and by James Richardson’s Gazzetta Football Italia, San Siro (or Stadio Giuseppe Meazza) is a stadium that manages to be at once futuristic and decaying, raucous and romantic, and unlike any on Planet Earth.

Exit the underground stadium at San Siro Stadio metro stop and your first glimpse of the 75,000-capacity arena will stop you in your tracks. It looks like it could have been created in another dimension. You can hear the hum from a kilometre away, and that noise becomes near-deafening if you sit just above AC Milan’s flare-waving ultras in the Curva Sud, as I was lucky to do during a thumping of Juventus in 2022.

Yes, look a little closer and it’s seen better days, but those towers, that roofing, the steep terraces and the views over Milan itself are incomparable. And then there are the memories of Baresi, Maldini, Gullit, Van Basten, Shevchenko for AC; Bergomi, Matthäus, Zanetti, Ronaldo and Sneijder for Inter when Serie A was at the pinnacle of football.

And yet, San Siro looks set to be replaced in the early 2030s by a Sir Norman Foster and David Manica-designed arena, meaning time could be ticking to visit this true football cathedral. You won’t regret it.

Mestalla, Valencia, Spain

Boasting what are widely thought to be the steepest stands of any major ground in Europe, Valencia’s Mestalla has been hosting football since 1923 and is now the oldest stadium in La Liga. It’s been graced by peak Mendieta and Aimar, Ayala and Villa, with Valencia briefly breaking the Real/Barca duopoly in Spanish football during the early 2000s.

Valencia have been planning to move from the (Viejo) Mestalla to Nou Mestalla since 2007, with the unbuilt shell of the new stadium acting as a concrete reminder of the club’s turbulent fall from the pinnacle of Spanish football.

But now the Mestalla move is back on again, with the club set to move in the 2027/28 season. Which means you have just months to experience the Mestalla’s 50,000-capacity, 35-degree stands before Valencia do one to the €250-300m Nou Mestalla. The local paella is pretty good, too.

St. James' Park, Newcastle, England

Another genuine football cathedral on this list is Newcastle’s St James’ Park, where the Toon have played since 1892.

Whether it’s the brutalist East Stand, the vertigo-inducing Leazes End or the sheer noise of the Gallowgate, this has long been one of Britain’s (and Europe’s) great football grounds for home and away fans alike.

But now the club are considering building a new stadium behind the existing ground at Leazes Park, meaning the hallowed turf where Keegan, Gazza, Waddle, Ginola and Shearer once shone so brightly could eventually be replaced.

Old Trafford, Manchester, England

Okay, the roof can be leaky and the shiny new edifices at Arsenal, Spurs and across the city make it seem outdated, but you should visit Old Trafford at least once before United move to their proposed 100,000-capacity big top, currently targeted for the early 2030s.

It’s the ground of the Busby Babes and Charlton, Law and Best. Giggs and Cantona, Rooney and Ronnie. Of the Stretford End singing ‘Take Me Home’ and of Fergie time and Brian Kidd on his knees, after all.

Kenilworth Road, Luton, England

Kenilworth Road has been Luton Town’s home since 1905 and, despite its 12,000 capacity, was hosting Premier League football as recently as 2023/24.

Understandably, given its 12,000-capacity, Luton are targeting a move to the new 25,000-capacity Power Court Stadium for the 2028/29 season, with the existing Kenilworth Road stadium expected to be demolished and redeveloped into residential housing.

So enjoy one of England’s most atmospheric old grounds while you can, including the famous entrance into the Oak Road away end through the row of terraced housing.

Millmoor, Rotherham, England

Okay, you won’t be able to watch actual live football here, but Rotherham United’s spiritual home of Millmoor is still just about standing, despite having been abandoned since 2008.

After years of decay and failed attempts to revamp the stadium, demolition plans have been submitted for large sections of the ground. The long goodbye could finally end.

Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy

The Stadio Artemio Franchi, home of Fiorentina since 1931, is about to undergo a major reconstruction project.

Major sections of Pier Luigi Nervi’s original design are set to face the demolition squad, making much of it unrecognisable from the seasons when Batistuta, Rui Costa and the famous La Viola shirts graced the pinnacle of Italian football. The facelift will include a restoration but not full demolition of the famous Torre di Maratona (Tower of Marathon).

Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, England

Stamford Bridge’s proximity to London’s King’s Road is one of the joys of a visit to the 40,000-capacity home of Chelsea FC. And the reason why they’ve fallen far beyond London rivals Arsenal and Spurs in match day revenue.

Being surrounded by some of the capital’s most expensive real estate and transport infrastructure has meant expansion at the current site is decidedly tricky, meaning Chelsea’s owners have long explored possible moves to new London homes, including Battersea and Earl’s Court, or a complete rebuild. Either way, the costs are expected to run into the billions.

So, while we’re not expecting any move or rebuild to happen until next decade, tick-off the ground once graced by Zola, Drogba and Super Frank before it becomes unrecognisable… or some rather pricey apartments.

Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England

If ever a Premier League club needed a new stadium, it’s Bournemouth. Restricted by Dean Court’s capacity of 12,000, the club have remarkably become a top-flight mainstay despite falling way behind their rivals (see Brighton and Brentford) in match day revenue.

That could soon be about to change, with plans announced for a complete rebuild of the existing stadium instead of a move. Capacity would be 20,000, potentially rising to 23,000. Time then to visit the Premier League anomaly – and one of the league’s great away days – before the renovation begins.

The New Lawn, Forest Green Rovers, England

Perched on top of a hill in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, The New Lawn has only been Forest Green Rovers’ home since 2006, but the club have long explored building a new stadium near the M5.

Plans for the Eco Park, purported to have the lowest carbon footprint of any football stadium in the world, are currently on hold, but, until then, The New Lawn has plenty of quirks to make a trip worthwhile. It hosted what’s believed to be the world’s first vegan football match in 2014, its pitch is made of organic materials and, in contrast to the mechanically recovered burgers seen elsewhere, there’s an environmentally sustainable menu.

You know by now how the FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz works. There are 10 questions to answer and a time limit of just 90 seconds. Here's a new one to put you through your paces.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. If you know you're Premier League history, here are a couple you'll enjoy. First, can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season?

Next, we're taking you back 10 seasons to find out whether you can get all 20 when we ask you to name the top goalscorer of every Premier League team in the 2016-17 season.

World Cup experts will make light of this quiz about England's dreaming, and not the good kind. Can you name every nation ever to beat the Three Lions in a World Cup match?

We also have this fanzines quiz, which will challenge you to name 20 English football clubs based on the titles of some of their most popular, most historic and most revered fan publications.

Over on the other side of the world, the always entertaining A-League is back. If you want to see early goals, Australia is the place to be. But can you name every team competing in A-League Men in 2026-27?

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!

European football will resume this week, with fans of various Premier League clubs travelling far and wide in search of two things: three points, and a cheap pint.

Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth faithfuls will embark across the continent to witness their sides play Europa League football, while others will prepare for Champions and Conference League clashes.

LiveScore, using their ‘European Away Day Pint Index,’ analysed 31 trips for Premier League fans travelling across the continent, to find pint prices in the likes of Jablonec and Lillestrom.

Which European away day offers the cheapest pint for travelling Premier League fans?

To begin with, the average European away-day pint sits at £4.34, across all clubs and destinations analysed in the Index.

By looking at each club’s European fixtures as a complete schedule, the fans of two clubs emerge as ready to face, on average, the cheapest and most expensive pints in Europe, respectively.

The lucky fanbase, that of Aston Villa, will purchase pints at an average price of £3.59 across their many European excursions in the Champions League league phase, with their next trip being to Barcelona in early November.

Elsewhere, the wallets of Liverpool supporters will suffer the direst time of any travelling Premier League fanbase, paying, on average, £4.91 per pint. Their next trip will be to Fenerbahce in November.

The Index analysed 31 European away trips for all nine Premier League clubs competing in Europe this season, pricing pints at three fan-friendly bars in each away day destination. As a result, it was able to decipher the average cost of a pint for travelling Premier League supporters.

But what is the cheapest pint available to a supporter travelling across Europe to see their side play? That trophy belongs to Brighton, who can purchase a pint for just £1.22 in Jablonec.

They will be able to enjoy that cheap, tasty beverage when they travel to Jablonec on Thursday for the Seagulls’ next Conference League clash.

Unfortunately for Bournemouth, their supporters will endure a torrid time financially when they land in Lillestrom, with the price of a pint rising to £8.66.

Returning to each club’s full away day schedule, Arsenal fans are the second luckiest bunch after Aston Villa, with the average pint across their European trips costing £3.70.

In third are Brighton, with an average pint purchase being £3.93, then Sunderland at £4.18. Manchester City are next at £4.44, edging out their Manchester rivals on £4.52.

Bournemouth at £4.68, Crystal Palace at £4.80 and, as mentioned earlier, Liverpool at £4.91 complete the bottom three.

Manchester United are in danger of missing out on an Antonio Conte-shaped managerial switch-up, with Juventus now interested in the Italian.

The Red Devils are enduring a tough 2026-27 Premier League campaign, positioned 13th in the English top-flight standings. In Europe, things aren’t much better.

Pressure is now being piled upon Michael Carrick, who led Manchester United to a third-placed finish last season; and if they persist with the Englishman, they could lose out on Conte.

Time is running out for Manchester United in potential Antonio Conte managerial switch-up

Manchester United made unfortunate headlines after suffering a thorough beat-down at the hands of Atletico Madrid last week, after which Lisandro Martinez, whose future at Old Trafford is more uncertain than ever, made incendiary comments about the Red Devils hierarchy.

After a 1-1 draw versus an in-form Leeds United at the weekend, Carrick’s job remains under significant threat, with The Athletic writing that his place in Manchester is “beginning to feel precarious.”

According to reports, Conte, former manager of both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, is linked heavily to take on Carrick’s position at Old Trafford, but time is running out for the Red Devils to see through this potential managerial switch-up.

Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb revealed that Juventus have been ‘alerted’ to his availability, amid a turbulent period for Conte at Napoli.

His side were defeated 1-0 by newly-promoted side Venezia over the weekend, and are positioned ninth in the Serie A standings with 10 points from seven matches.

Elsewhere, at Juventus, Luciano Spalletti’s job is under imminent threat having suffered a 3-0 loss to Lazio at home on Sunday. The club are seventh in the Serie A table, with 11 points.

The publication noted that Conte’s move to Manchester ‘never materialised,’ with the Red Devils’ hesitancy now set to bite them amid interest in the Italian from Juventus.

“The coach is complicating his life with constant experimentation, offering no certainty. He’s playing a complicated game with obscure language, when simplicity is needed,” concluded Tuttomercatoweb.

Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in September, falling in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford, despite leading 2-0 after nine minutes.

The Red Devils return to Champions League action away at Como on Tuesday, then host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, with Carrick’s job under increasing threat, and likely no Conte to step in and steady the Manchester United ship.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City for free from anywhere as Roberto De Zerbi's men hunt their first win of the Premier League season at the seventh time of asking. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Still without a victory to their name, De Zerbi has made some big changes with Tosin Adarabioyo entering the starting line-up alongside Omar Marmoush and Micky van de Ven. Dejan Kulusevski is also fit enough to appear in a matchday squad for the first time since May 2025.

Coventry searching for a third win on the spin have made just the one change with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto starting in place of Ephron Mason-Clark.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City online and from anywhere, including for free, in the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City for FREE

Fans in the US can stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City for free thanks to YouTube TV's 10-day free trial, which carries USA Network — the US broadcaster of this game.

Outside the US? Use Proton VPN to unblock your free Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City from anywhere

A good VPN is your ticket to the game, even when you’re abroad.

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 Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City 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 BST.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in the US

As mentioned above, Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City is live on USA Network in the US, with kick-off at 3:00pm ET.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City on USA Network.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 6:00am AEDT on Tuesday.

Tickets

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City: Preview

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City is the most iconic fixture in Sky Blues history. Spurs were the opponents when the West Midlands club won their only major trophy, triumphing 3-2 after extra-time in the 1987 FA Cup final.

If Coventry were to repeat that result here it would be nigh-on disastrous for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who will see a home game against a promoted club as a huge opportunity to claim their first Premier League victory of the season amd move off the bottom of the table.

To do so, they will need to improve on a frankly abysmal return of three goals in six league games, which makes them the lowest scorers in the top flight.

Spurs did at least show some fight in battling back to claim a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last Saturday, despite being down to 10 men. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended after being sent off at Old Trafford, but Pedro Porro could return and James Maddison looks set to face his boyhood club.

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

Like Tottenham, Coventry failed to score in their first four Premier League games, but Frank Lampard's side have put their slow start behind them.

After claiming a crucial 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest before the international break, the Sky Blues returned to action with an emphatic 4-1 home victory over Newcastle United that sees them head into this game in 16th after Saturday and Sunday's fixtures.

Manager Lampard knows how tough it is to put a winning run together in the Premier League so he will be telling his side to keep the hammer down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a good start could unsettle the home crowd.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden is available for Coventry after returning from injury, while Taiwo Awoniyi is back from a three-match suspension.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City: Team News

Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Robertson, Adarabioyo, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Gray, Tonali, Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush, Solanke.

Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Davies, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett, Fernandes, Gallagher, Kulusevski, Tel.

Coventry XI: Rushworth, Dasilva, Thomas, Pinnock, Van Ewijk, Grimes, Yirenkyi, Sakamoto, Rudoni, Thomas-Asante, Cherif.

Subs: Bentley, Kesler-Hayden, Mfuni, Onyeka, Torp, Hamer, Mason-Clark, Simms, Awoniyi.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Coventry City

We think the Sky Blues could snatch a point in a low-scoring contest.

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According to reports, Barcelona are pushing strongly to sign club captain and Manchester United record-breaker Bruno Fernandes in the winter transfer window.

The Portuguese superstar, who broke the Premier League assist record in 2025-26 under Michael Carrick, is reportedly frustrated with Man United's current direction and open to a January departure.

Galatasaray are also in the picture, as they gun for an unprecedented fifth successive Super Lig title; however, Barcelona’s emergence could spell trouble for Carrick’s side.

Barcelona emerge as strong contenders in hunt for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ signature

Should Fernandes make the move, he would trade in life at Old Trafford for the chance to win major silverware in Spain, and possibly the Champions League.

Aged 32, the Portuguese star’s hopes of winning football’s biggest prizes appears likely to die in Manchester, and his time to secure such trophies elsewhere in Europe is running out.

According to Fanatik, the 32-year-old has become unhappy at Manchester United, who are currently placed 13th in the Premier League standings, and is pushing to leave Old Trafford in January.

Galatasaray, long-time admirers of Fernandes who previously tried to sign him, are pushing again for the 32-year-old, but will face serious competition from reigning La Liga champions Barcelona.

The Super Lig side, pursuing a fifth consecutive Turkish top-flight title, were beaten 4-0 by Trabzonspor in September, after their rivals secured the services of Mohamed Salah following the World Cup.

The Egyptian, who won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year trophy a year prior to Fernandes’ victory in 2025-26, bagged a hat-trick and notched an assist in that clash. Now, Galatasaray are aiming to bring a PFA victor of their own to Turkey.

However, should Barcelona’s interest remain, it is likely that the 32-year-old will instead opt for a La Liga move, with Hansi Flick’s men displaying clear Champions League-winning potential.

For now, Manchester United face a crucial decision, with Fernandes’ contract expiring next summer ahead of the 2027-28 Premier League season.

The Red Devils do hold an option for another year; however, should their captain wish to depart, it is unlikely that Manchester United will be able to prevent Fernandes from departing to Barcelona in January.

After Lisandro Martinez’s flame-stoking post-match comments, directed at unnamed executives in the Red Devils’ hierarchy, tensions at Old Trafford are boiling over, and things could soon go from bad to worse for Manchester United.

Manchester City are to face a record fine in the Premier League, with relegation to the Championship all but confirmed as a result

That's according to a bombshell new report, following the Citizens being charged with over 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-year period.

Manchester City deny any wrongdoing, not only insisting on their innocence but claiming to have “irrefutable evidence” that will overturn the league's decision following an appeal from the six-time champions.

Manchester City to be slapped with record punishment

Between 2009 and 2018, it has been claimed by the Premier League that not only did City arrange ‘sham’ contracts with commercial partners – “which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties” – and conceal their true financies from auditors and regulators, but the club “committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith”.

The club remain top of the Premier League this season having won all seven of their fixtures in the competition this season, but with a cloud handing over Enzo Maresca's side, Oliver Holt of The Mail has just dropped a report that this season will essentially be for nothing.

“It is unlikely, sources close to the process have told me, that City will face a doomsday scenario of being expelled from the Premier League and forced to start again in League Two at the beginning of next season,” Holt claims.

“It is thought that the Premier League are pressing for City’s punishment to be announced before the result of their appeal, which is unlikely to be decided before the end of January.

“Soundings from insiders suggest the most likely punishment is a swingeing points deduction which will ensure City’s relegation to the Championship, plus a huge fine.

“It is also possible that the punishment would include a further points deduction that would effectively confine City to the Championship for at least one more season.

“The EFL would not be obliged to accept that sanction for one of their clubs, but it is probable that they would.”

With the Premier League title race shaping up as a fight between the likes of City and Arsenal, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Liverpool following, this report is good news for the chasing pack.

City host AEK Athens as Champions League action returns tomorrow night.

Arsenal star Mikel Merino has opened up about the moment that he believed the Gunners would win their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Spaniard picked up a serious injury in January that looked to rule him out of the season, but miraculously fought to play in Arsenal's final league game of the season and earn a place in Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad.

Speaking now to The Player's Tribune, Merino has reflected on his 2026 and cited a reaction after the disappointing draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers as the moment he truly realised that his side would become champions in May.

“In my view, that was the day we won the title” Arsenal's Mikel Merino on Wolves reaction

After going two goals up against Wolves in February, Arsenal conceded a late equaliser, courtesy of a mix-up between David Raya and Gabriel – with Merino claiming that the players sought to repair the damage among themselves to take the strain off manager Mikel Arteta.

“One slip, and all we heard was ‘same old Arsenal,’” Merino said. “To be honest, there were doubts inside the team too. Giving away a 2–0 lead should never happen.

“But the day after the game, the players had a meeting inside the dressing room, without the boss. Everyone spoke up. Nobody talked about tactics. This was about how a group of human beings handle adversity together.

“I spoke about how I saw the team from the outside, and I said that this was something we as players had to handle, because the boss couldn’t do everything for us. When one person has so many tasks at one club, you need leaders who can figure things out on their own.

“Well, at this club, we do. In my view, that was the day we won the title. Even when we lost to Bournemouth and City, that meeting kept us together.”

With social media permeating the inner sanctum of the Gunners' London Colney base, Merino also revealed that his team-mates used the criticism towards them as fuel to end the club's long title drought – including one Manchester City fan who was pictured with an Arsenal bottle.

“We were bottlers. Runners-up. Second, second, second. Boring. Set-piece team. Couldn’t score from open play. Couldn’t handle the pressure. When they questioned our professionalism, we grew even closer,” Merino continued.

“The guy with the bottle on TV? We just laughed. ‘Bantah,’ like the English say.

“The boss was on fire. Every team talk, he reached into our hearts. He spoke about looking out for one another, like a family. The culture we have is thanks to him. Even when the world expected us to collapse, I felt confident that the title would be ours.”

Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, as Champions League action continues at the Allianz Arena.

The FA Cup first round draw is tonight, as League One and League Two sides enter the tournament.

We're back and we're ready to do it all over again, with the greatest cup competition on Earth welcoming 80 teams into the first round proper, including 32 non-league sides daring to dream of a giant-killing run.

So when's it on?

When is the FA Cup first-round draw?

The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 FA Cup takes place on Monday October 19, at around 6:35pm.

The television coverage starts at 6:30pm BST, with the draw itself expected to begin at approximately five minutes later.

How can I watch the FA Cup first-round draw?

The FA Cup first-round draw is live on TNT Sports 1, available to watch on HBO Max, hosted by Matt Smith.

If you don't have TNT Sports, you can always watch the draw live on the TNT Sports YouTube channel.

What are the balls for the FA Cup first-round draw?

1. Accrington Stanley
2. AFC Wimbledon
3. Barnet
4. Barnsley
5. Blackpool
6. Bradford City
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Bromley
9. Burton Albion
10. Cambridge United
11. Cheltenham Town
12. Chesterfield
13. Colchester United
14. Crawley Town
15. Crewe Alexandra
16. Doncaster Rovers
17. Exeter City
18. Fleetwood Town
19. Gillingham
20. Grimsby Town
21. Huddersfield Town
22. Leicester City
23. Leyton Orient
24. Luton Town
25. Mansfield Town
26. Milton Keynes Dons
27. Newport County
28. Northampton Town
29. Notts County
30. Oldham Athletic
31. Oxford United
32. Peterborough United
33. Plymouth Argyle
34. Port Vale
35. Reading
36. Rochdale
37. Rotherham United
38. Salford City
39. Sheffield Wednesday
40. Shrewsbury Town
41. Stevenage
42. Stockport County
43. Swindon Town
44. Tranmere Rovers
45. Walsall
46. Wigan Athletic
47. Wycombe Wanderers
48. York City
49. Harborough Town
50. Chorley or Worcester City
51. Gateshead or Stafford Rangers
52. FC Halifax Town
53. Guiseley
54. Barrow or Gloucester City
55. Marine
56. Scunthorpe United
57. Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads
58. Altrincham or FC United Of Manchester
59. Bury or Harrogate Town
60. Spalding United or Alvechurch
61. AFC Rushden & Diamonds
62. Kidderminster Harriers
63. Carlisle United
64. AFC Fylde
65. Salisbury
66. Sutton United
67. Chesham United or Forest Green Rovers
68. Leatherhead or Yeovil Town
69. Bedford Town or Cray Wanderers
70. Hornchurch
71. Aldershot Town or Tadley Calleva
72. Oxford City
73. Wimborne Town
74. Wealdstone
75. Boreham Wood
76. Eastleigh
77. Berkhamsted FC
78. Sholing
79. Plymouth Parkway
80. Dover Athletic

Lisandro Martinez’s long-term future at Manchester United appears to be dead in the water, with the Argentine planning a swift exit from Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old made headlines for incendiary comments made after the club’s defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, in which he aimed harsh words at the Manchester United hierarchy.

Martinez’s contract with the club expires at the end of the 2026-27 Premier League season; however, the Red Devils do hold an option to extend for a further 12 months.

Lisandro Martinez planning swift exit from Manchester United after incendiary post-match Champions League comments

Following his public criticism of unnamed members of the Manchester United hierarchy, Martinez’s long-term future at Old Trafford is in serious doubt.

As a result, questions have been raised as to whether both the Argentine and Manchester United want their relationship to continue beyond 2027.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Martinez has suggested that he does not see a long-term future at Manchester United beyond the expiration of his contract.

The defender criticised recruitment from the Red Devils this summer, implicitly questioning the work of technical director Jason Wilcox, after a strong first season under Michael Carrick in 2025-26.

The Red Devils finished third under their former player, and secured their return to the Champions League. In Europe, they were played off the park at the Wanda, provoking Martinez’s words.

The Argentine later took to Instagram to clarify that his comments were made out of frustration, and that unity must be achieved at Manchester United going forward.

Elsewhere, Carrick suggested that the matter between the club and Martinez had been handled internally, and that the conflict wouldn’t affect the Red Devils going forward.

Despite this, uncertainty still remains regarding Martinez’s future at Old Trafford - in fact, the possibility of Manchester United extending the Argentine by an additional 12 months is more unlikely than ever.

If the 28-year-old is set in his ways, and does not want to remain a Red Devil, then it is likely he will depart from Old Trafford next summer.

In terms of player options, it is rumoured that Martinez would prefer a move to Spain, with, ironically, Atletico Madrid closely linked to the Argentine.

Sarina Wiegman has signed an extension to remain England women's manager for another two years.

The Dutch head coach was set to leave the Lionesses after next year's World Cup – but after this new deal, she will lead them to a third European Championship in Germany in 2029.

In leading England to the Euros in 2029, Wiegman will be looking to win the tournament for the fourth time in a row, having done it twice with England and once with her native Netherlands.

Sarina Wiegman looking to make history with next two England women's tournaments

“I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football,” Wiegman said after the announcement of the deal.

“Working for a world-class organisation like The FA, and alongside so many people dedicated to winning England teams and the growth of our game, excites me every day.”

England have next year's World Cup in Brazil to look forward to before they turn attentions to another Euros, as runners-up in Australia to Spain three years ago.

The Lionesses recently qualified for the second round of the play-offs to get to the competition next summer, beating Greece 8-1 on aggregate last week to set up a tie with Ukraine.

“My main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup, and helping this squad realise their potential in the years to come,” Wiegman said, adding, “We have an important job to do to confirm our place in Brazil, and hopefully we can do that and give the country another special summer to remember next year.”

Wiegman has overseen a golden era in English women's football since taking over the reins from Phil Neville in September 2021.

The national team triumphed at Wembley Stadium to beat Germany in the final of Euro 2022 to lift the Lionesses' first-ever trophy, before beating the Spanish last summer, as Wiegman became the manager in history – men's or women's – to reach five consecutive major international finals.

Should England reach the World Cup next summer, they will go into the tournament as one of the favourites alongside the likes of Spain and the United States, but with the Lionesses still in transition, it could be the final tournament for a number of familiar faces who have enjoyed recent success under Wiegman.

The draw for the World Cup takes place on December 11 at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the Dutchwoman is looking to become the first coach to win four successive European Championships in 2029, after equalling Christina Theune's record of three with Germany last summer.

Wiegman has a 70 per cent win record as England manager, with 58 victories from 82 fixtures and just 11 losses in her five years in charge.

Liverpool are hoping to plug their centre-of-the-park holes by securing the services of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, setting up a potential reunion with new Reds boss Andoni Iraola.

Currently positioned fifth in the Premier League standings, Liverpool’s midfield, which contains the likes of chronic under-performers in Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister, remains an issue.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, fans of the Reds should “save the name" ahead of the winter transfer window, claiming: "I'm maintaining Alex Scott for 2027."

Liverpool’s pursuit of Alex Scott intensifies ahead of winter transfer window: report

Elsewhere in the Reds’ midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai, the club’s best-performing player in Arne Slot’s dismal last season at Liverpool, is at risk of breaking down, having missed clashes with LASK in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.

Ryan Gravenberch, once a guaranteed starter in Liverpool’s title-winning 2024-25 unit, is also experiencing reduced minutes, with Trey Nyoni stepping in for the Dutchman.

As relayed and added to by TEAMtalk, various clubs are in pursuit of Scott, with Chelsea believing they are in pole position to sign the Englishman.

According to transfer expert Romano, the 23-year-old’s club are open to selling in January, with his departure being a “genuine and serious possibility.”

“After a number of meetings between his agents and Bournemouth, the decision of the club is to change their stance in the January transfer window,” began Romano.

“In the summer, Chelsea tried twice to sign Alex Scott. Arsenal called before signing Bruno Guimaraes. Liverpool called to understand the situation without sending any bid. All the English top clubs [were] trying to understand the situation.

“Chelsea were the more aggressive and Bournemouth told all these clubs that the player is not for sale. The player is going nowhere. Then they wanted Alex Scott to sign a new contract but there was no agreement. Now Bournemouth are open to selling Alex Scott already in the January window.

“So, Scott leaving in January is a genuine and serious possibility, [but] this depends on the proposal. Sources close to Bournemouth believe it has to be, at minimum, £100 million.

“It has to be big money in order to open doors. Let me clarify, Bournemouth could be open to selling if the bid is a good bid, an important bid, and if the player wants to go. So these have to be the conditions.”

It appears that Scott’s exit in January is now a firm possibility, with the Bournemouth table having been reset ahead of approaches from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea this winter.

Should Iraola’s men look to march on in the Champions League, or alert their rivals to a future Premier League title charge, then the Reds’ activity in relation to Scott will be one to monitor.

“They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space,” Danny Murphy said on BBC Match of the Day just hours after Wirtz created nine open-play chances, the most by a single player in a Premier League game since January 2021.

“Instead of a No.10, where Wirtz is struggling to impact games, put three midfielders in.”

It speaks to the hysteria that hangs like smog around Florian Wirtz that he cannot escape criticism even when his creativity sets a five-year Premier League record and inspires Liverpool to a gritty win at Brentford.

Does Wirtz hold the key to a post-Klopp utopia?

It isn’t just the price tag that makes Wirtz a lightning rod. Slight and silky – ‘twinkle-toed’, is the word they would spit back in the day – Wirtz can be guilty of an apologetically light touch, playing with all the charisma of a man excuse-me-ing his way through a mosh pit to get to the toilets.

More than that, Wirtz is the grand symbol of the post-Klopp world that Liverpool are struggling to birth. If only they could tap into his talent, if only his hesitancy fell away, then Liverpool’s identity would emerge.

That might turn out to be true, just not quite how anyone had planned.

In the second half on Saturday, when searching for a plan to break down ten-man Brentford, Andoni Iraola stumbled upon a tactical solution to the Wirtz problem – and it’s disarmingly simple.

When Wirtz rose to prominence at Bayer Leverkusen by contributing 22 goals and assists in consecutive Bundesliga seasons, 2023/24 and 2024/25, he was almost exclusively deployed in a 3-4-3 system as one of two number tens. Just as Xabi Alonso now (usually) deploys Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer together in the middle, it was Alonso who started playing Wirtz with a partner, Jonas Hoffman.

In other words, Wirtz is being played out of position. Perhaps his problems in England have nothing to do with physicality or speed, but formation and positioning. My message to Murphy: they don’t need one less No.10, they need one more.

Liverpool switched to an unusually lopsided 4-2-3-1 after Rio Ngumoha came on, with Rio, nominally on the right, effectively playing as a second number ten alongside Wirtz, a move that overwhelmed Brentford centrally.

It might seem like a minor shift for Wirtz, but the difference between operating alone or as one of two is enormous. That it led directly to both Liverpool goals is all the evidence we need of that.

The equaliser, when Wirtz took a brilliant touch before playing the through-ball to assist Victor Munoz’s goal, was thanks to that more Leverkusen-y shape; Wirtz only had space for the pass because Rio – starting in the middle – was tracked out wide by Mamadou Sangare, pulling the Brentford midfielder out of position:

Liverpool began to create chances at will from within that box-shaped midfield, leading to the winner, too, where space was found to cross into the penalty area only because Brentford had two No.10s to keep track of:

The obvious caveat is that Liverpool were playing against ten men. Other Wirtz critics might point to the fact that he lost possession 19 times, the second-most of any Liverpool player, and won just one of his nine duels.

But we can forget the details. By playing two number tens in the second half, Iraola mimicked the only system in which Wirtz has previously excelled. If unlocking Wirtz really is the key to discovering a new Liverpool, then a formation change is surely worth a try.

Sergio Ramos is exploring the possibility of a return to Europe, journeying back to La Liga with Getafe keen to sign the Spaniard.

If he does so, the 40-year-old would reunite with recent Getafe signing Dani Carvajal, whose time at Real Madrid overlapped with that of Ramos.

The club’s president, Angel Torres, has confirmed that the Spaniard’s name remains on the table, having held talks with the 40-year-old’s brother and representative, Rene Ramos.

Sergio Ramos set to make surprise La Liga return and reunite with Real Madrid team-mate

Ramos’ time with Mexican side Monterrey ended in December 2025. His final match, in which he struck a penalty versus Toluca, arrived in the Apertura Playoffs semi-final, which the Spaniard’s side lost 3-2.

The 40-year-old has been without a club since; now, according to Sport, Ramos is in contention to make a La Liga return, with Getafe interested and a reunion with Carvajal possible.

President Torres insisted that the club’s interest in Ramos is not new, then stressed that a move from Getafe would require manager Jose Bordalas’ sign-off.

“It's a topic that we've been chasing for a long time,” revealed Torres. “But it was not the priority. Now, we have that position well covered.

"It's not a position that, right now, needs [reinforcement]. The manager wanted [reinforcement in other positions]. But it's not too late yet. I mean, it's on the list for the future,” concluded Getafe’s president.

His comments explain Carvajal’s signing, with positions on Getafe’s flanks being high transfer priorities. The ex-Real Madrid man has signed for the La Liga side until June 2027, and could soon be joined by Ramos.

Torres clarified that, should the needs of Getafe and Bordalas change, then the 40-year-old would be considered for a transfer in 2027.

The La Liga side’s president confirmed that talks have been held with Rene Ramos, and that Getafe would be ‘willing to study the signing, if circumstances were favourable.’

Getafe are currently placed 15th in the La Liga table, having taken just eight points from eight matches in the Spanish top-flight.

Should the club’s dire form continue, Torres’ comments suggest that Ramos would be viewed as a solution making his potential La Liga return a reality.

Arsenal are champions and favourites to retain the title. They are guided by an exceptional, single-minded manager in Mikel Arteta and armed with a deep squad crammed with talent.

But they are also the club of Ted Drake, John Radford and Charlie George, of Frank Stapleton and Alan Smith, of Ian Wright, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and of Robin van Persie, so the live debate about their continued issue at No.9 carries the weight of history. Viktor Gyokeres scored 14 times as Arsenal won the title but is now second choice to Kai Havertz and has yet to start a Premier League game for the champions this season.

The question at Arsenal about whether the centre-forward role should be filled by Havertz or Gyokeres is met by some fans who say the answer is actually Mikel Merino. It highlights Arsenal’s failure to address the No.9 hole that the debate remains so intense, even with 10 wins and one defeat this season.

The debate intensifies this week when Arsenal run into Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena. The centre-forward has scored 15 goals in 22 games against Arsenal: 14 in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and one in the Champions League for Bayern Munich. Imagine if Arsenal had held on to Kane, and not released him when he was briefly there as an eight-year-old.

Arsenal's struggles to find a suitable No.9 have gone on a while. They seemed to put all their hopes into luring Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid when his heart was set on Barcelona.

In fairness to Arsenal, there is a general dearth of viable, elite-level strikers out there. Manchester City do have Erling Haaland, Liverpool have Alexander Isak and Chelsea have Joao Pedro, but otherwise not many No.9s are at work in the Premier League. Leeds United have Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the general level is almost embodied by Liam Delap, who worked hard against Arsenal’s defence at the City Ground on Sunday without scoring.

Arteta sounded confident of going into the season with goals provided from a range of sources. 10 different players have shared 22 goals this season. Starting with the Community Shield, the sequence of scorers runs: Calafiori, Havertz, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Odegaard, Odegaard, Bruno, Saka, Dowman, Madueke, Dowman, Merino, Calafiori, Bruno, Timber, Eze, Saka and Madueke.

Arteta can also take encouragement from the number of goals scored by subs: Madueke’s winner at Nottingham Forest was the 26th coming from subs in the 45 games since the start of last season. That reflects opponents tiring as well as the quality of options Arteta has to call upon.

Life would clearly be easier with a prolific front man. Havertz fits better with what Arteta wants, holding the ball up well, linking play well, but is hardly free-scoring and has a troubling injury record. Havertz’s most productive Premier League season for Arsenal was his first there, 2023/24, when he scored 13 times in 30 starts and seven subs. The following year, the German attacker contributed nine goals and three assists in 21 starts and two sub appearances. His return in the title season was a modest two goals and three assists in seven starts and five subs.

Even with that record, Havertz is Arteta’s first-choice No.9. It seems tough on Gyokeres, a different type of forward, more focused on running behind a defence hoping for a through ball, which rarely comes. Gyokeres has a decent goal return with Sweden (25 in 41), even better than Isak’s 19 in 63.

Part of his problem at Arsenal flows from a lack of service. It would help if Arsenal unleashed counter-attacks quicker, rather than rotate the ball, and occasionally go through the middle rather than their fixation with wide. Forest’s compact block confounded Arsenal for so long. Bruno Guimaraes’ passing ability over range should be utilised more, releasing players through the middle.

It’s hard not to feel some sympathy for Gyokeres. Any understandable frustration he may feel is well-hidden. He came on against Forest and delivered his usual tireless running, pressing and showing for a ball which too rarely came. He needs to shoot more. He also deserves praise for constantly running into promising positions. When Madueke cut in from the left, Gyokeres moved into Forest’s six-yard box, gambling on a loose ball. He lurked close to Matz Sels in case the keeper got to Madueke’s shot, fumbled or parried it. As Madueke’s deflected strike hit the back of the net, and rebounded out, Gyokeres slammed it back in. Instinct, celebration or wishful thinking? At least he was there.

Is Merino the answer? The midfielder and occasional No.9 has 16 goals in 88 games for Arsenal. Arteta is likely to continue with Havertz as his first choice. The conundrum continues, placing pressure on others for goals and on that vaunted defence to keep staying defiant.

After his side’s 2-1 victory at the Gtech on Saturday, Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has reached a decision regarding his future on Merseyside.

The 23-year-old has started in all nine Premier League and Champions League matches played by Liverpool this term, notching three assists in a total of 739 minutes.

Amid relentless transfer speculation, the German midfielder is, according to reports, determined to remain at Anfield, despite suggestions of an exit to Chelsea or Bayern Munich in 2027.

Florian Wirtz wants to stay at Liverpool, but can he turn a corner?

According to TEAMtalk, Wirtz, who arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million in 2025, has attracted interest from former boss Xabi Alonso in London.

The report relayed a tweet from German football-centric X (formerly Twitter) account ‘Space,’ who wrote: “Despite Bayern representatives seemingly being unable to go a single day without entertaining the fantasy of bringing Florian Wirtz to Munich, neither the player nor his father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, have the slightest intention of indulging their delusions.

“Both remain unequivocally committed to [Liverpool] and the mystique of Anfield, where Florian intends to carve his name into the history of football’s greatest institution. Any hopes of a potential move are firmly misplaced, with neither the player nor his representatives entertaining the possibility of a departure.

“Florian remains fully committed to [Liverpool] and a move to Stamford Bridge is simply not on the agenda,” concluded ‘Space.’

Wirtz assisted Victor Munoz for the club’s equalising strike versus a 10-man Brentford; he has no intention of departing from Liverpool, during a prolonged period of English top-flight woes.

That contribution marked the German’s second assist of the 2026-27 Premier League term, and was complimented by an additional eight chances created at the Gtech.

Many have claimed this performance as a corner turned for the 23-year-old; however, those key passes arrived against a 10, then nine-man Brentford, and were largely devoid of quality.

In the Premier League, the German midfielder is yet to create a single Opta-defined big chance, and his nine created chances combined for a total 0.19 xA.

While the xA metric isn’t always the fairest judge of pass quality, the bulk of Wirtz’s chance creation came through back passes to fellow Liverpool midfielders launching edge-of-box rockets.

If the 23-year-old is to improve, his ‘Big Chances Created’ tally must increase. In 2025-26, the German created five such chances, behind Cody Gakpo’s 10, Mohamed Salah’s 11, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s 14.

For now, Wirtz’s career appears set to continue at Anfield, despite interest from Alonso in London, and Vincent Kompany in Germany.

It was the low point in a huge summer for Newcastle United and a moment which always felt consequential. Johan Manzambi rejected a move to St James’ Park in favour of Aston Villa, and the Magpies were haunted by that failure on Saturday.

The Swiss midfielder scored the winning goal on another difficult and damaging evening for Matthias Jaissle, but the upshot was much more than that. He completely ran the show, drifting into spaces left very deliberately by tactics becoming increasingly controversial among Newcastle fans, who greeted both the half-time and full-time whistles with a chorus of boos.

In many ways, losing out on Manzambi could be seen as the catalyst for the issues Newcastle are currently facing.

Perhaps that is hyperbole, but he was their top target to reinvent a midfield which would be gutted by the departures of both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes and, crucially, a player former manager Eddie Howe wanted before resigning at the end of July.

His goal was a first-half header, but it was patently clear throughout with his overall play that his profile would have elevated Newcastle, particularly as Jaissle deploys a No.10 despite not having a specialist in his squad.

Where both Yoane Wissa and Joe Willock have struggled to stake a claim, Manzambi would surely have knitted everything together.

Rebuilding the squad with a more youthful outlook was always the plan for sporting director Ross Wilson. But Manzambi felt like the perfect balance; while only 21, he helped Freiburg to the Europa League final, where they were beaten by Aston Villa and then became the breakout star at the World Cup. He was ready to make an instant impact in the Premier League.

Newcastle spent north of £200m on eight new players, four of whom were on the bench. Amar Dedic has recently been injured, Sean Steur has impressed but, at 18, is not able to play every minute, while Aladji Bamba has barely featured at all. Jaissle does not seem yet convinced by him or Bazoumana Toure, a £50m winger. Only Toure made it onto the pitch in this game.

The balance in the squad is not quite right, and that uncertainty is causing problems.

After the game, Jaissle reinforced that such a big summer of change in the dugout and within the squad was always going to result in teething issues at the start of the season. Having gone unbeaten in their opening three Premier League games, Newcastle have suffered defeat in three of their last four.

“You need a reality check after a couple of months during a transitional phase,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“We have all thought about it. There will be ups and downs, at the moment, this is a down, that is not for discussion. It is clear.

“It was a step in the right direction between the boxes. There is huge potential but we need to learn fast. We need to be more efficient in the final third and be more clinical.

“We were all aware when we arrived. Big names left the club before and after. We knew that with the brave approach to sign young talents, it will be even more challenging. That is not an excuse.”

Jaissle is right, this new Newcastle needs time, and given what happened in the summer, this sort of form is not entirely unexpected. But there are also real concerns about how long it will take and whether the manager is willing to adapt his principles.

He spoke in the summer about ‘intense, front-foot football’ and it has been clear since the start of the season that he encourages risk for the sake of reward. But they have conceded 14 goals in the league this season, the most at the time of writing, while having the second-worst xG only behind Coventry City, who scored four past them last week.

Right now, that is all risk for no reward.

It is up to Jaissle to show that progress because every game feels the same, chaotic and not in a good way. There have been good results, but even they have been caveated by concerning underlying metrics.

He will get time and support, but the Coventry game was supposed to start a run of winnable fixtures before the next international break, with Crystal Palace, Everton twice, in league and cup, and Fulham set to follow.

Arsenal, Brighton, Manchester United and Sunderland await soon after. There is pressure to deliver as soon as possible.

2006-07 delivered Alex Ferguson's ninth Premier League title at Manchester United. It was the Red Devils' 16th English championship overall and set them on the path to a famous Champions League win the following season.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal made up the all-important top four. Watford, a post-Curbishley Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United were all relegated from the top division.

This quiz challenges you to name all 20 top scorers in 6 minutes. One per club, mostly, and we're only counting goals in the Premier League.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Let's move straight on to our latest career paths quiz, which provides pictures of 15 footballers and asks you to name the final club of their illustrious careers.

We also want you to name every title sponsor that's ever been slapped on the Football League Cup over the course of its 66-year history as the third-most important football trophy in the English game.

Lastly for now, how's your knowledge of the biggest Spanish transfers? They don't come much bigger than these: Can you name the 50 most expensive players ever signed by Barcelona or Real Madrid?

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

Most footballers would give an arm and a leg to score their first professional goal. Diego Demme only had to give a tooth.

Demme made his senior debut on December 4, 2010, playing in the German second and third divisions for Arminia Bielefeld and Paderborn before helping RB Leipzig achieve two promotions in three years to reach the Bundesliga in 2016.

Leipzig enjoyed a sensational start to life in the top-flight and topped the table early on before being knocked off the leaderboard by Bayern Munich. They nevertheless secured Champions League football thanks to Demme, who, after bagging three assists in the Hinrunde, finally broke his scoring duck on April 15, 2017.

Diego Demme sacrificed a tooth for his first professional goal

Demme wore the captain's armband for just the second time in his Leipzig career as second-placed Leipzig hosted sixth-placed Freiburg at the Red Bull Arena. Yussuf Poulsen and Timo Werner scored early on whilst Naby Keita extended Leipzig's lead to three after the interval.

With Leipzig cruising towards their fourth straight victory, Demme sensed that he had a golden opportunity to score his first goal in 189 senior appearances. And when Werner headed down Dominik Kaiser's cross in the 90th minute, Demme rose to the occasion.

As Nicolas Hofler attempted to clear the ball, Demme stole in from behind and headed home Leipzig's fourth. But Hofler connected with Demme's face instead of the ball, leaving the midfielder writhing in agony as his teammates celebrated.

"It was funny because I was one of the players who needed the most time to score his first goal in Germany's top three divisions," stated Demme in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview. "I had never scored in the 3. Liga or 2. Bundesliga, but against Freiburg, I got a cross and then went up for a header, and the defender tried to clear the ball and kicked me in the face."

"I heard the entire stadium celebrating my goal to make it 4-0, but I was in pain. Marcel Halstenberg came around and said, ‘Oh f**k, you’ve lost your tooth.' It was funny because I had waited so long to score, only to end up losing my tooth…it was a crazy story."

Demme saw the funny side, placing the tooth in his trophy cabinet, and so did referee Manuel Grafe, who opted against cautioning Hofler. He would have to wait 934 days before scoring his second goal vs. Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League. This time, Demme was able to celebrate with a well-deserved fist pump and team hug.

For whatever reason, Demme found it far easier to score in Italian football than in German football. It took him just five appearances to get off the mark for Napoli in February 2020, before scoring three goals in the following season.

After finding the back of the net on the last day of the 2021/22 season, Demme failed to score in his final four seasons. He watched from the bench as Napoli won the Scudetto before departing for Hertha Berlin in 2024. Initially a starter and captain at Hertha, Demme's playing time waned after two concussions, prompting him to retire in September.

Nearly a decade after losing his front tooth for his first professional goal, Demme's career came to an end after two more blows to the head, a cruel twist of fate for a player who had already learned that footballing glory can come at a painful price.

Whilst Demme spent the majority of his 16-year playing career toothless in front of goal, when it came to putting his body on the line for his team, he was anything but.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Season 5, Episode 7. The Gang Wrestles for the Troops. Frank “The Trashman” Reynolds wins by accidentally taking out his opponent, Rickety Cricket, with a sharp-edged trash can. He stands in the middle of the ring, sheepishly raises his arms to the air in celebration as the crowd goes wild.

It was an unintentional success. Danny DeVito’s character looked almost embarrassed by the victory. It was impossible not to draw similarities with Dominic Solanke, who headed in a stoppage-time equaliser at Old Trafford last weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi took his Tottenham Hotspur squad to Manchester United, and they dominated from the outset. Solanke himself should have put the north London side ahead with just two minutes on the clock. He fluffed his lines one-on-one with Senne Lammens. He missed a second guilt-edged chance shortly after the restart. Two ideal opportunities to put Spurs in front in a Premier League match for the first time this season.

Maybe it was a lack of confidence on Solanke’s part. Maybe the pressure from Lisandro Martinez was enough to put the 29-year-old off when Savio played the ball across goal. Not that it mattered when Solanke headed Sandro Tonali’s late cross into the bottom corner to silence the United crowd.

Either way, it was a performance that, again, wasn’t good enough from Solanke. It’s become a running theme this season. That De Zerbi named him captain was also incredibly disrespectful to the supporters who paid their hard-earned money to make the trip to Manchester for a Saturday evening kick-off.

You might say it’s one of the worst decisions that De Zerbi has made during his six months in the capital.

This, after all, is the same Solanke who missed a home North London Derby earlier this year due to a sore throat. One who has scored four league goals across 19 league appearances in 2026. A forward who has been trusted to lead the line while last season’s top scorer has been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League squad.

The issue really is that Solanke hasn’t shown enough to warrant the chance to lead out the team. De Zerbi did reveal that he entrusted the former Bournemouth man with the responsibility that comes with captaining a Premier League side. The duty of skippering one of England’s biggest clubs at one of the country’s most recognisable stadiums.

“After the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him captain to show my confidence and the confidence of the team,” De Zerbi revealed in the week. Had none of the squad’s leadership group been available, then fair enough.

Archie Gray started at right-back. Micky van de Ven was in the matchday squad. The decision was one that left fans scratching their heads. For a team that needs a striker firing on all cylinders, there isn’t much faith in Solanke to carry out the duty. After all, he’s a forward who has scored in back-to-back games just once since his 2024 arrival from Bournemouth.

And a player of his stature who should offer plenty, doesn’t really offer much of anything on the frontline. Solanke has managed just nine shots in the Premier League this season. Just three have been on target. He’s made as many unsuccessful touches resulting in a turnover of possession. Fire the ball into him and, chances are, it’ll bounce away like a trampoline.

In addition, the former Cherries man has won only two of 12 contested aerial duels. Spurs’ No.19 has created just two chances and completed zero dribbles.

This isn’t what Spurs need right now. They require consistency in the final third. A striker to tuck away the goalscoring opportunities they are creating. A player to hold up the ball if required to bring teammates into play. Not one who is desperately out of form and has shown few signs he is capable of turning his fortunes around.

Maybe the goal against United will – finally – kick Solanke into gear. The late header could be a catalyst for better things to come. Lord knows Spurs could do with a fit and firing frontman to haul them away from danger.

Either way, the decision to name Solanke captain at United was a gamble by De Zerbi. He hasn’t shown the requisite consistency, both in terms of availability and performances, to warrant the armband. If he fails to build upon the late equaliser at United, then it will have been a failed experiment by the Spurs boss.

The pressure is now on for Solanke to justify his manager’s decision. More expect him to crumble under the responsibility rather than shoulder the burden.

Here we are then. A new week, and a new FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz to tickle your trivia tastebuds. You know the deal: 10 football questions to answer in just 90 seconds.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. Australian's A-League returned at the end of last week, and a lot of fun it is too. But do you know who played? We want you to name every team competing in A-League Men in 2026-27.

Next, let's pick at the scab of World Cup misery. You won't have much trouble remembering who knocked England out of the World Cup this year, but can you name every nation ever to beat the Three Lions in a World Cup match?

Back in England itself, how's your memory? Let's go back a decade and find out how you get on when we ask you to name the top goalscorer of every Premier League team in the 2016-17 season.

If you fancy going back even further, we've got a nasty little teaser for you. Can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season? There aren't many of them, but don't think for a second that it's any easier for that fact.

More familiar with the stands and streets than what happens between the white lines? Our fanzines quiz will challenge you to connect 20 football fanzines with the English clubs they serve or served.

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!

With five league titles, two Champions Leagues and a host of domestic cup winners' medals in her collection, Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh has won just about everything there is to win in women's football.

This success also extends to the international scene, where the 29-year-old was part of England's two European Championship successes in 2022 and 2025.

However, there is one notable trophy missing from her CV - the World Cup.

Walsh on her World Cup dream

Walsh played both legs of England's 8-1 aggregate win over Greece, which secured their place in the two-legged World Cup play-off against Ukraine in November, the winner of which will seal their place in Brazil for next summer's tournament.

This play-off run has come after Spain pipped the Lionesses to top spot in their qualifying group on goal difference, underlining just had challenging even making the finals is.

"The same way we'd approach any game," Walsh told FourFourTwo about the team's play-off test.

"It’s difficult to qualify now in the initial stages because there’s two or three top teams in each group, so it's really, really difficult."

This is a point emphasised by the fact that England were paired with world champions Spain, who defeated them 1-0 in the World Cup final back in 2023, as Walsh came agonisingly close to completing her set of major honours.

But rather than dwell on the past, the former Barcelona midfielder is fixated on her side's next match.

"For us in the next stage, it's the same as any game," she continues.

"We want to win, we want to go to the World Cup and we know what we need to do to get there. We know what we need to improve as a group and as individuals. So I'm excited to meet back up and hit the ground running."

And what about adding that elusive final trophy to her collection?

"Yeah, literally! And that definitely gives me motivation. I'm getting on a little bit as well so I'm aware that it could be my last World Cup. So it's a big year."

Watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal from anywhere as the Premier League champions travel to the City Ground, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Oliver Glasner's men are aiming to avoid three successive defeats, after their 1-0 home loss to Coventry City before the international break was followed by last weekend's 3-1 reverse at Crystal Palace.

The Gunners returned to action with back-to-back wins, against Leeds United in the Premier League and Lille in the Champions League, and they will be hunting another three points to maintain the pressure on leaders Manchester City.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal in the Premier League, online and from anywhere.

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Nottingham Forest have not found the net in their past four fixtures against Arsenal and there's no guarantee that run will end here, with Oliver Glasner's side the joint second-lowest scorers in the Premier League.

The Austrian has endured a difficult start to life as Forest boss and although the warm reception he received from fans of former club Crystal Palace last Sunday will have warmed the heart, it won't have masked the pain of a 3-1 defeat.

Forest are yet to win or indeed score at the City Ground under Glasner and another defeat without finding the net could leave the manager under pressure just two months into his debut season.

In more bad news, playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White has not trained with the squad all week after picking up a minor muscle issue at Selhurst Park, while defender Nikola Milenkovic is also doubtful.

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

Forest aren't the only team to struggle for goals at the City Ground, with Arsenal failing to score on each of their past two visits to the banks of the River Trent, both of which ended 0-0.

That statistic is unlikely to worry manager Mikel Arteta after five different players found the net across last Saturday's 2-1 win over Leeds United and the 3-0 Champions League victory against Lille on Tuesday.

Arsenal's 3-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break appears to have been nothing more than a blip in an otherwise faultless season, and they will be confident of another victory here.

It will be interesting to see how many of Arteta's stars start at the City Ground, with the Gunners going to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Bukayo Saka is among those set to feature in the XI after overcoming a minor illness in the week, with Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard also primed to come in.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal

The Gunners should be too strong for Glasner's faltering Forest side.

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Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Britt Assombalonga made his name as one of the Championship's most prolific strikers.

After making his senior debut at Watford, he would work his way through the divisions, scoring goals on loan at Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Southend United before making a permanent move to Peterborough, where a 33-goal season earned him a move to Nottingham Forest.

When he made this 2014 switch, the Congolese forward was returning to the club that had rejected him as a teenager.

Assombalonga on his Forest return

Assombalonga had a trial at the City Ground when he was just 14, but was not able to earn himself a permanent deal. The experience, however, left a lasting impression on the youngster, meaning his change to finally pull on the famous Garibaldi red shirt meant even more to him.

From the colour and noise of the City Ground to the bitter rivalry with Derby County, Assombalonga's spell back at Forest was a career-defining stint for him.

"I’d actually been on trial at Forest when I was 14 and, while it didn’t work out, the club left a massive impression on me," he admits to FourFourTwo.

While this trial did not work out for him, the 10-time DR Congo international refused to bear a grudge.

"I’d always dreamt of going back and proving them wrong," he continues. "Not that I ever held it against them – these things happen – but I felt I had unfinished business there."

When Assombalonga joined Forest for a £5million fee from Peterborough in 2014, he immediately fell for the team, the fans and their famous stadium.

"The City Ground is amazing, honestly," he adds. "When the crowd is behind the team and the place is rocking, there are few atmospheres like it."

Never is this atmosphere so raw as when Forest play their most bitter rivals.

"Especially when we played Derby – I can always remember how fierce the atmosphere was in those games due to the history between the clubs and the fact they’re so close.

"I really felt like I was playing for a massive club that had historical importance to English football. I loved my time at Forest and I’m really proud to have scored the goals I did there."

Watch Leeds United vs Manchester United for free from anywhere as the Whites eye their first home Premier League win over their rivals for 24 years. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Harry Kewell was the hero the last time Leeds beat the Red Devils at Elland Road back in September 2002, so it is time for someone new to write their name in Whites folklore.

The home crowd will certainly create a hostile atmosphere for Michael Carrick's men, whose five-game winless run in all competitions has piled pressure on their manager.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Leeds United vs Manchester United online and from anywhere, including for free, in a mouth-watering Premier League clash at Elland Road.

Watch Leeds United vs Manchester United for FREE

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

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Sky Sports Main Event will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 2:00pm BST.

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Leeds United haven't often been above Manchester United in the football pyramid over the last few decades, but they go into this clash at Elland Road in far better shape than their rivals.

Daniel Farke's side sit eighth in the Premier League following Saturday's fixtures and took the lead at champions Arsenal in their 2-1 defeat last Saturday, which ended their unbeaten start to the campaign.

There were plenty of positives to take from the performance at the Emirates Stadium and Leeds fans will be relishing the chance to claim back-to-back wins over their rivals for the first time since 1971/72, as well as a first home league victory in this fixture since 2002.

The Whites welcomed Harry Wilson and Jean-Matteo Bahoya back from injury against Arsenal, while Dan James could also return today after rejoining training on Friday.

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

There can't be many worse places for a beleaguered Manchester United manager to visit than Elland Road and Michael Carrick's travails in the Old Trafford hotseat won't garner much sympathy in this part of the country.

The Red Devils boss has this week had to deal with the fallout of defender Lisandro Martinez's public criticism of the club's hierarchy following Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid.

It was a distraction Carrick certainly didn't need after United's winless run stretched to five games in midweek, with just one victory in the Premier League so far this season.

It will be interesting to see if Martinez retains his place and whether Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw are fit enough to feature after missing the defeat by Atletico.

Leeds United vs Manchester United: Team News

Leeds United XI: Trafford, Bogle, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin.

Man Utd XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Yoro, Diallo, Tielemans, Santos, Baleba, Fernandes, Mbeumo.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Leeds United 1-0 Manchester United

Daniel Farke's side are in far better form and the Elland Road crowd should help them get over the line.

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Watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace as the two rivals resume hostilities in the first M23 derby of the Premier League season, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Seagulls have made a flying start to the campaign, taking 13 points from their opening six fixtures and thrashing Lithuanian outfit Kauno Zalgiris 4-0 on Thursday in their first league phase match in the Conference League.

Palace had a less successful night on the continent, losing 3-2 at French giants Lyon in the Europa League, but Pierre Sage's men have started to find form on the domestic front, picking up seven points from their past four games.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace online and from anywhere, including for free, as two rivals meet in the Premier League.

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It is exactly 50 years since the fires of the M23 derby were stoked by a series of bad-tempered clashes between Terry Venables' Crystal Palace and Alan Mullery's Brighton, but time has not been a healer in this rivalry.

The two clubs meet at the Amex Stadium for a contest that has only grown in importance since the Eagles' recent run of silverware, which has drawn jealous glances from the south coast.

It will make Brighton even more desperate to beat Palace as they look to continue a fantastic start to the season, which had them third in the Premier League heading into the weekend.

Midfielder Jack Hinshelwood - grandson of Palace legend Paul - scored on his return from injury in Thursday's Conference League victory over Kauno Zalgiris and could make his first league appearance for two months. Defender Pascal Struijk should also be available after his red card in the 2-0 win at Sunderland last Saturday was overturned.

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

Palace are looking to extend a four-match unbeaten run against their rivals, which included a 1-0 victory at the Amex Stadium in February.

While a glance at the table may suggest that could be a tall order, with the Eagles starting the weekend 12th, they are in decent form after a difficult start under Pierre Sage, losing just one out of six matches in all competitions before their 3-2 defeat in Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Frenchman may rotate his side as a result of the quick turnaround between the two away trips, but he could remain without striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and goalkeeper Dean Henderson after they missed the midweek game due to injury.

Palace took 3,000 fans to Lyon on Thursday and they will be backed in numbers again here, as they look to claim their second win at the Amex in 2026.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brighton 3-1 Crystal Palace

The Seagulls have to be favourites after their excellent start to the season, so we expect them to end their winless run in this fixture.

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Watch Bournemouth vs Sunderland as two teams who enjoyed memorable European wins in midweek return to Premier League action. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

It has already been an historic week for the Cherries, who beat Austrian side Sturm Graz 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday night in their first-ever European home game. Now they must use that momentum to end their winless start to the Premier League campaign.

While Bournemouth celebrated on the south coast, Sunderland fans were savouring a last-gasp 2-1 victory at second-tier ›Portuguese side Torreense as they also made it two wins out of two in the Europa League.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Bournemouth vs Sunderland online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium.

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It will be interesting to see if Bournemouth can harness the high of Thursday night's Europa League victory over Sturm Graz against Sunderland, or whether this Sunday 2pm clash will feel a little flat in comparison.

Less than 72 hours after they stormed to a 3-0 triumph in their first-ever European game on home soil, the Cherries are back at the Vitality Stadium for a Premier League match that is arguably even more important.

Bournemouth are in the relegation zone after failing to win any of their first six league fixtures under Marco Rose, which included a 5-1 shellacking at Chelsea last Saturday - but will they be fully focused on the job in hand, with European royalty AC Milan visiting the south coast this coming Thursday?

The Cherries remain without injured duo Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, but Justin Kluivert and Amine Adli returned from their respective absences against Sturm Graz.

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

Sunderland's Europa League outing was no less dramatic than Bournemouth's, as Noah Sadiki's stoppage-time winner snatched a 2-1 victory at Torreense in the club's first European away game for 53 years.

The Black Cats now face another long road trip - in domestic terms, at least - as they travel the length of the country to take on a Cherries side just a point behind them in the Premier League table.

Sunderland have had a similarly difficult start to the campaign and sit on four points from six games, with Regis Le Bris' men on a three-match losing run following last Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, they have been boosted by the return from injury of striker Brian Brobbey and midfielder Habib Diarra, who were both on the bench against Torreense. Thomas Meunier and Wilson Isidor are doubts, though, while Dan Ballard remains sidelined.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bournemouth 2-1 Sunderland

It is a quick turnaround for both teams but the Black Cats have done all the travelling, so we're backing Rose to bag his first Premier League win.

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Over the past five decades, Barry Hearn has made a habit out of turning sporting outsiders into major attractions.

But for all his success in darts, snooker and boxing, the former Leyton Orient chairman has never been one to settle for past glories.

The former Matchroom supremo is now back in football, having bought a stake in non-league Brentwood Town, relishing the challenge of building something special.

Why Barry Hearn is back in football

“I’m not the type to sit on his arse all day, you know?" Hearn tells FourFourTwo as he opens up on his latest venture.

"We staged 700 sporting events in the past year alone,” he adds proudly. “I followed them all religiously.

"After every single darts and snooker event, I update my world rankings by hand. I’m a sad, sad bastard. My wife likes to remind me of that.”

Hearn can also be found at Matchroom’s other sporting ventures, from ten-pin bowling to carp fishing.

“If the world was ending in an hour, Geoffrey Boycott would have a turn in the nets, Steve Davis would play one last frame, and Barry Hearn would have a quick glance at his latest spreadsheet,” he adds. “That’s what people like us do.”

Was there a family vote when it came to buying a stake in Brentwood? “No, I just said ‘Bollocks to the lot of you’,” Hearn laughs. “They all think I’m mad, but it’s not a lot of money. It’s a commitment in time that’s much more important than how much money you put in.”

Hearn will be using his time in the short term to drum up interest in the club, but insists that Brentwood will not be getting their own version of Club For A Fiver.

“There’ll be no Netflix series here,” he says. “Wrexham have done that and good luck to them. We need to make our own noise. I shall use what influence I have. I will fight the good cause to my last breath, and I will, in some way, win. I can promise you that.”

It’s hard to imagine otherwise, given the extraordinary energy that Hearn throws at every project he takes on. “I could be drinking champagne on a beach all day, with staff topping my glass up every five minutes,” he winks.

“But where’s the buzz in that? I’ll make a success of Brentwood Town or I’ll die trying.”

This time next week, two sons of Merseyside could be about to go head-to-head in the biggest club fixture in world football.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon were born barely a couple of miles apart, in West Derby and Norris Green respectively, and both joined Liverpool’s academy when they were in primary school.

Of course, Gordon was released by the Reds and ended up coming through at Everton, with the pair facing each other in a Merseyside Derby for the first time in June 2020. They are now on opposite sides of another rivalry, but as Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid prepare to face Gordon’s Barcelona in El Clasico, their careers are on different trajectories.

Why this is a huge season for Anthony Gordon and Trent Alexander-Arnold - but for different reasons

Next Sunday’s meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid happens to fall on the 10-year anniversary of Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool debut, which came against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup fourth round in October 2016.

He scored his first Reds goal on his Champions League bow 10 months later, curling home a classy free-kick against Hoffenheim that served notice of his outstanding dead-ball ability.

Alexander-Arnold was picked for England’s 2018 World Cup squad when he was just 19 and became a key figure in Jurgen Klopp’s great Liverpool sides, redefining the right-back role with his vision, passing range and technical ability.

As well as winning six major trophies at Anfield, the defender posted some incredible individual numbers, including claiming double figures for assists across all competitions in all but one season between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

When Alexander-Arnold left his boyhood club for Madrid in summer 2025 - a decision that saw him booed by sections of the Liverpool fanbase during a draw with Arsenal - he was expected to thrive at arguably the biggest club on the planet. But it hasn’t worked out that way.

The England international’s debut season was hampered by injuries, as separate hamstring and thigh issues ruled him out for a total of four months. When he was fit, he struggled to make his mark in an underachieving side that ended the campaign trophyless, not helped by the change of manager from Xabi Alonso to Alvaro Arbeloa in January.

Alexander-Arnold failed to make England’s World Cup 2026 squad and he has been similarly overlooked in two of Madrid’s biggest games this season. He was an unused substitute in last month’s derby defeat by Atletico Madrid in La Liga and Wednesday’s victory over Roma in the Champions League, with head coach Jose Mourinho selecting summer signing Denzel Dumfries instead.

It means there is no guarantee Alexander-Arnold gets on the pitch at the Nou Camp next Sunday, when he could be up against Barcelona left-winger Gordon. In contrast, the former Everton man looks increasingly likely to start after beginning the season in promising form.

Despite starring for Newcastle United in a three-and-a-half year spell after leaving the Toffees in January 2023, eyebrows were raised over the £69.3m fee Barcelona paid for Gordon earlier this summer.

The 25-year-old has responded with an excellent few months individually, starting five of England’s World Cup games and scoring in the semi-final defeat by Argentina. He claimed two assists off the bench on his Barcelona debut, against Elche, and notched his first goals for the club in the wins over Getafe and Galatasaray in the past eight days.

Gordon has become a regular starter for European football’s form team and has risen to the challenge of playing alongside the likes of Lamine Yamal and Rodri every week. Ultimately, he has already kicked on following his move to one of Spain’s superclubs, whereas Alexander-Arnold’s career has stalled.

This is also evident in their international prospects. While Gareth Southgate failed to get the best out of Alexander-Arnold when he was England manager, he did at least continue to select him. Thomas Tuchel has largely ignored the right-back completely.

The defender was recalled for the first time since his Madrid debut for the recent batch of Nations League fixtures, although even that was hardly a ringing endorsement from Tuchel. It is unlikely he would have made the cut if Reece James or Tino Livramento had been fit, while Jarell Quansah started the Three Lions’ biggest game of the international window, against Spain.

Essentially, Alexander-Arnold is further down the pecking order with England now than when he was at Liverpool, which seems crazy for a player of his ability and age, having just turned 28.

The ex-Red did start both matches against Czechia and provided the assist for Gordon’s opener in Prague, one of three goals in as many games scored by the winger in the international window. Gordon appears to have more of a swagger now he is a Barcelona player and looks a certain starter for England when fit.

It is already shaping up to be a hugely important season for both players, but for different reasons. Gordon has made an excellent start to his Barca career and if he maintains that level over a whole campaign, he will establish himself as one of the best wingers in world football.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold is at a crossroads. He certainly has the talent to turn his Madrid career around, but another inconsistent season would amplify the nagging doubts that his move to the Spanish capital may have been a mistake.

His inability to nail down a place with England was arguably a red flag ahead of joining Madrid, who tend to appoint head coaches that take an approach to management often seen in international football. Just look at Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, who would trust the club’s superstars to win them games, rather than leaning on complex tactical plans.

Alexander-Arnold may even have been better suited to Barca, where he could now be linking up with Gordon in the same way that they did for England against Czechia. Instead, they will be El Clasico foes next Sunday - and that night at the Nou Camp will offer a clue as to what is in store for both players, this season and beyond.

You don’t have to be over 60 to know about Alfie Conn, but one look at any picture of the Scotsman in action will carbon date his heyday firmly to the 1970s.

Long curly hair flowing over his collar, huge sideburns plus a ’tache to die for, shirt hanging outside his shorts – Conn was the epitome of a rock’n’roll footballer in an age when the Bay City Rollers and the Faces were riding high in the charts, and fashion trends on Top of the Pops translated to the terraces.

At Tottenham back then, one fan was seen wearing a white butcher’s coat with “Gilzean is King of White Hart Lane” written in blood, a unique tribute to the club’s Scottish forward Alan Gilzean. In 1974 though, Gilzean was replaced in the affections of Spurs supporters by his compatriot, when Conn arrived from Rangers for £140,000, a huge sum at the time.

“We’ve got our own George Best,” was the sentiment on the Shelf and the Park Lane end at White Hart Lane, and there could be no higher praise. Best was football’s first bad-boy superstar, long before Paul Gascoigne, Eric Cantona and Mario Balotelli.

Conn looked the part too, played in a similar devil-may-care way, and quickly won over Spurs fans who’d grown up during the Bill Nicholson era, when the club won eight major trophies in 12 years playing stylish, attacking football. Nicholson’s final signing before stepping down fitted the bill in terms of what fans loved in a player, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

Now 72, polite, softly spoken and mostly bald, it’s hard to marry the Conn of today to the image of a player who infamously taunted Billy Bremner and Norman Hunter by sitting on the ball during a game against Leeds, and prompted graffiti that proclaimed “Alfie Conn is God”, still seen in parts of north London long after he’d left Spurs.

“George Best was my idol, although I was never going to reach those heights – if I had an ounce of his ability, I’d have been quite happy,” he tells FFT now. As a youngster, he’d seen the Northern Irishman up close when Best played in a charity match to raise funds for victims of the 1971 Ibrox disaster. Best and Manchester United team-mate Bobby Charlton were guests in a combined Celtic/Rangers team against a Scotland XI, and Conn trained with them. “Just to see him up close was unbelievable,” he says.

At the time, Conn was still traumatised by the events of January 1971, when 66 Rangers fans died and more than 200 were injured in a crush at the end of an Old Firm game. “I’d just turned 18, played in the game and had no idea what had happened until later that evening, when my mum phoned to check if I was alright,” he explains.

Rangers officials and players spent days and weeks visiting survivors in hospital and attending funerals. “Sometimes we went to three a day – one was for five young brothers, who lived down the road,” Conn says. “It turned out to be one of the worst events in my life. I lost over a stone in weight.”

Conn started his career at Rangers, even though his father Alfie Conn Sr had played more than 400 games for Hearts and once for Scotland. “I was a fan from the first time I went to Ibrox as a kid, seeing the big red brick facade,” Alfie Jr explains.

He was thrown into his Rangers debut in a Fairs Cup game against Dundalk at the age of 16. “I had no nerves, no fear,” he admits. “You don’t at that age.” Conn went on as a substitute for Alex Ferguson, then the Rangers centre-forward. “I had no idea he’d go on to be one of the best managers ever, but you knew he’d succeed in whatever he did because of his nature,” Conn says now. “He was always up for a battle.”

A year after the low of the Ibrox disaster, Conn experienced the club’s greatest success, winning the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup at Camp Nou. The Barcelona Bears, as they became known, beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in front of 35,000 fans. “It was over 34,000 Scots and two Russians,” Conn quips.

Crowd trouble in the city centre and two pitch invasions led to headlines around the world and a chaotic final. “We'd gone 3-0 up soon after half-time, but whether it was the heat or the occasion getting to us, we were shattered, out on our feet,” he says. “Dynamo got two goals back and to be honest the second pitch invasion did us a favour, it gave us a breather.”

The pitch was cleared in time to allow the players back for the final minute, before another invasion. “We were hit by police batons as we tried to get down the tunnel,” he says. “It was chaos.”

UEFA decided not to risk having a trophy presentation on the pitch, so the cup was presented in a small room inside the stadium. “John Greig, our captain, was taken to a wee room by UEFA officials, given the cup and told to get the hell out of there,” Conn says. “That was a real disappointment not to be able to celebrate with our fans, but it was one of the greatest nights of my career.”

The following year, Conn scored as Rangers beat Celtic 3-2 in the Scottish Cup final in front of 122,000, the last time Hampden reached that capacity before being downsized.

A year later he was off to England, having fallen out with manager Jock Wallace, but he was surprised to be joining Tottenham.

“I’d spoken to Tommy Docherty the week before and it was agreed that I’d join Manchester United,” Conn explains. “But then I was told to meet at the airport for a flight south, and thought I was going to meet him again in London. So imagine my surprise when I heard the Cockney voice of Eddie Baily, Bill Nicholson’s assistant, saying ‘Welcome to Tottenham’.

“As soon as I met Bill and he told me what was on offer, I said ‘Where do I sign?’ He was a great manager, one of the few who had that special aura which commanded respect, like Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Don Revie.”

Conn’s wages more than trebled from £60 to £200 per week, plus a ‘crowd bonus’ for cup games – £3 per thousand fans, once the crowd reached more than 29,000. It was a huge incentive to pull in the punters, and Conn certainly did that once he’d established himself, which took six months.

He had injuries as Spurs struggled at the start of the season, before Nicholson quit and was surprisingly replaced by Terry Neill. The former Arsenal defender lasted less than two years at Spurs, before leaving to manage the Gunners. “The fans all thought he was using Spurs as a springboard to manage Arsenal, and we didn’t see eye to eye, but at least he gave me my chance,” Conn says.

His full debut, in January 1975, couldn’t have gone better. Away to Newcastle and needing a win, Spurs were 4-0 up by half-time and ended up winning 5-2, with Conn scoring a hat-trick. “My dad and grandad came down from Glasgow, and I went back up with them afterwards,” he remembers. “We all had a few drinks on the train back and when the ticket inspector came round, my grandad said we were celebrating my hat-trick, then ended up taking over his duties!”

Conn quickly became a fans’ favourite at Tottenham, taking over the King of White Hart Lane title from Gilzean. “I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it – that sort of thing makes your chest stick out,” he says. “I got on great with the fans, and to this day I still think of Tottenham as my club.”

But that result was an outlier as Spurs went on a run of eight defeats in nine games, and in their final game of the season, needed a win to avoid relegation. They were up against Leeds, a club he’d almost signed for as a teenager, now preparing to face Bayern Munich in the European Cup final.

Inspired by one Conn goal and two assists, Spurs raced into a 3-0 lead. He then, however, decided to sit on the ball and taunt Bremner, Hunter and Co. What was going through his mind? “Nothing!” he laughs now. “I don't know why I did it, but as soon as I looked round and saw big Pat Jennings shaking his head, I thought ‘What have I done?’ The Leeds players suddenly turned it on and within 15 minutes it had gone from 3-0 to 3-2. It was a relegation battle for us and I could have been the villain rather than hero. Fortunately we got a penalty, won 4-2 and stayed up.”

“I thought I'd better apologise to the Leeds players,” he adds. How was it received? “I don’t know – I popped my head round the dressing room door, said ‘Sorry lads’ and got out as quick as I could!”

The incident cemented Conn’s place in Tottenham folklore, but he still couldn’t nail down a regular place. Keith Burkinshaw replaced Neill but also had little time for the maverick Scot. Spurs continued to struggle and by the time they were relegated in 1977, Conn was gone.

“I was playing the reserves and got a call to say someone wanted to see me,” he explains. “It was Jock Stein. It’s fair to say that no-one else could have tempted me away, but he was different. I needed no persuasion, even though it meant going to Celtic, which I knew would be difficult.”

Stein had just one special condition. “He told me all the best players wore their hair short and were clean shaven, so would I mind a haircut?” Conn says. “It wasn’t a problem and he said ‘Good, I’ve got you booked in at the barber’s tomorrow!”

The newly clean-cut Conn went on to experience success at Celtic, winning two titles and the Scottish Cup, but as the first man to cross the Old Firm divide since World War Two, his move was not without trouble. “An old friend, the best man at my wedding, was a diehard Rangers fan and never spoke to me again,” he says. “People would come up to me in pubs and at social occasions, and give me grief. On rare occasions they still do, unfortunately.”

Conn’s career took him from Celtic to America, playing professionally in an indoor seven-a-side league and then for San Jose Earthquakes, before a brief return to British football. He retired to run a bar in Scotland, with his former Rangers team-mate Willie Henderson. On the opening night they promised a special guest, and the locals were stunned when the great Stanley Matthews walked in. “Everyone wanted his autograph, including me,” laughs Conn.

There’s great sadness in his eyes when he talks about losing his wife Sue to motor neurone disease in 2021, and he now raises funds for MND charities through events and royalties from his recent autobiography.

He has few regrets from a colourful career that was blighted by injuries and some managers' mistrust of mavericks like him. He won just two caps for Scotland and wishes he could have featured more for Spurs. “If Bill Nicholson had stayed on, I would have played a lot more and stayed longer,” he says.

Conn appeared just 49 times for Tottenham, scoring 10 goals, yet his impact was about more than just pure statistics. With his swagger, sideburns and long curly hair, for many of the Spurs supporters who watched him play, he’s still the King of White Hart Lane.

Conn’s book What’s It All About? The Alfie Conn Story is available now

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

After the international break, Chelsea host Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues sit second in the table, while Spurs' impressive start to the campaign sees them fourth, just three points behind their London rivals.

With these two teams closer than ever in form, this is set to be an exciting clash in the Women's Super League.

FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs for free

US viewers can watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL at no cost on CBS Sports Golazo Network, which will show selected WSL fixtures throughout the campaign.

Outside the US today? Use a VPN to access your free stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs from anywhere

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How to watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the UK

Chelsea vs Spurs is live on Sky Sports in the UK, with kick-off at 12:00pm BST.

Outside the UK? Unlock your Chelsea vs Spurs stream with NordVPN.

How to watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the US

As mentioned above, US viewers can watch Chelsea vs Spurs for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Kick-off is at 11:30am ET.

Paramount+ also has live coverage of the WSL clash.

How to watch Chelsea vs Spurs in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Chelsea vs Spurs on Stan Sport.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch the game.

Chelsea vs Spurs: Women's Super League preview

Tottenham head to Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the WSL resumes after the international break.

After five games, Chelsea sit second in the table, two points behind reigning champions Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are just three points behind the Blues after a promising start to their season.

However, Spurs will be keen to put their most recent result behind them after being thrashed 6-1 by London City Lionesses. They must now bounce back against the eight-time champions.

Of their 19 meetings, Chelsea have come out on top in all of them.

However, this Spurs side feels different. Despite their latest heavy defeat, Martin Ho’s side had made an impressive start to the campaign and will be determined to show that the result was a one-off.

They will head to Stamford Bridge looking to challenge Chelsea and hoping to take points off one of the league’s best contenders.

For Chelsea, the aim will be to maintain their strong form. Their only dropped points came on the opening day of the season, and they

FourFourTwo's prediction

Chelsea 3-1 Tottenham

Chelsea will be too strong for Spurs at home

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Can you tell us the answer to this quiz question?

Give us a club that could come next in the sequence: Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, Bournemouth, Dagenham & Redbridge, Crystal Palace, Leicester City…

We'll reveal the answer this time next week when we reach the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – for now, here's the answer to last week's poser…

Q. Miroslav Klose is the obvious answer – but Stern John, Angelos Charisteas, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Xherdan Shaqiri are all other examples. What is it?

A. They all scored more goals for their country than they did for any club they played for. Klose netted a whopping 71 international goals, including a bunch at the World Cup that you might have heard about.

John, who counts a number of English clubs among his former employers, scored 70 times for Trinidad & Tobago, while Charisteas scored 25 times for Greece and never managed to match that total elsewhere.

Ukraine's Zinchenko isn't a scorer but does have 12 international goals to his name, eight more than the total number of league goals he's scored in his entire club career.

But Shaqiri will drop off this list imminently when he scores a couple more goals for Basel. Indeed, there's an argument his two spells at FCB combined exclude him anyway.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

While you're chewing on this week's pre-match poser, we have many more quizzes to keep the trivia juices flowing, courtesy of Kwizly?

Can you name every team competing in the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season before getting your teeth into our Big Quiz of English Football Grounds?

Elsewhere we have a quiz that's all about matching 20 football fanzines with the English clubs whose supporters they serve or served over the decades of fanzine culture right up to the modern day.

We also want you to name some competition sponsors. Firstly, can you name every sponsor ever to have had its name on the League Cup? Secondly, can you name every title sponsor of the EFL Trophy?

We're keen on crosswords too. If you are in the same boat, try your luck with FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 74, where you'll find clues on bridesmaids, play-offs viral memes and much more.

Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily briefing of hand-picked trivia and tactical analysis and then join The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for our hardest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest topics directly in the comments section.

Like many retired footballers, the competitive itch remains for Michael Owen.

But rather than drop down the leagues or enter the dugout, the former Ballon d'Or winner has turned away from football to indulge his post-playing competitive instinct.

At Manor House Stables, his training operation in Cheshire, Owen has built a business that combines his love of horse racing with the same drive that saw him become one of English football's most prolific goalscorers.

Owen on his drive to make Manor House the best

"I don’t really like just taking part – I want to be at the very top table," Owen tells FourFourTwo when asked about the scale of his ambition for the stables.

"We’re mixing it now but there’s a long way to go to be one of the best. Being the best is possibly an impossible thing when you think of the superpowers, but we’ve definitely got room for improvement.

"What do we need to do? We need more horses, better quality horses. How do you get more horses? You need more owners, wealthier owners I suppose if you want to be brutally honest about it. How do we do that? We need results and a facility to look after people that want to have a good time. And how do we do that? We have to be at the cutting edge of science and get out there when there’s a big event on and there might be potential owners there.

"You’ve got to get your arse off your comfy chair and start pressing flesh. You have to have drive and ambition, you have to be here at the crack of dawn, learning your business, getting the best out of your staff, motivating them. It all starts with a target, which is to be the best in the business.

"If you’d seen us 20 years ago, when I set this place up, and at any stage in between, it’s been constant progress. That can’t stop and won’t stop while I’m here – and I’m going to be here for a very long time hopefully."

Owen's focus at Manor House is on flat racing, which precludes a crack at the Grand National, but does he dream of winning one of the other big races one day?

"The Derby, absolutely, although people ask me what’s the dream, and having this business, employing all these people, in many ways I’m living the dream now," he continues. "And it’s like saying ‘If you win the league or the Ballon d’Or as a footballer, is that the dream, is that it then, you’ve achieved it?’ No it’s bloody not, I want to do it again and again. Who the hell wants to do something that’s so good once and doesn’t want to do it again?

"If I won the Derby, I wouldn’t put ‘For Sale’ signs up. So yes, it is a dream to win it, but this place isn’t stopping regardless of what we achieve. I will die doing this, whereas I had to stop at football at 33. I can continue running this place forever, trying to be successful, and the beauty is you really enjoy it along the way.

"It’s a constant joy – following horses, going to Royal Ascot for a week, Glorious Goodwood, I might go to the Breeders Cup in Kentucky or the Melbourne Cup in Australia, travelling the world seeing your horses running. It’s just the most incredible business.

"I don’t have to run around for 90 minutes any more – blood, sweat and tears. I can just enjoy it."

All six episodes of Meet the Owens are available now to stream on Amazon Prime Video

Watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa for free as two sides in the bottom half of the table meet at St James' Park. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Newcastle United suffered yet another chastening 4-1 defeat away from home last time out, this time at Coventry City in their last Premier League outing, with a response needed.

Aston Villa come into this game off the back of their biggest ever UEFA Champions League win, having beaten Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park on Wednesday. A repeat of that wouldn't go a miss at St James' Park.

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

Can I watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa for free?

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa 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 10-day free trial for new customers.

Outside the US? Use a VPN to access your free Newcastle United vs Aston Villa stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Newcastle United vs Aston Villa.

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How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa 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 BST.

How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the US. The game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform.

Kick-off is at 12:30pm ET.

How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in Australia

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

Kick-off is at 3:30am AEDT on Sunday.

Tickets

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Preview

Newcastle United have an immediate opportunity to put a difficult week behind them when Aston Villa visit St James’ Park on Saturday evening. After consecutive 4-1 defeats away from home, Matthias Jaissle needs a response from his players, but Unai Emery’s visitors arrive with renewed confidence following an emphatic European victory.

The Magpies were beaten 4-1 by Coventry City on Monday, extending their disappointing run after an identical defeat against Leeds United. Defensive mistakes have proved costly, and Jaissle has challenged his young squad to learn quickly from their recent setbacks. A return to Tyneside could provide the ideal setting for Newcastle to rediscover their intensity and give the home supporters something to celebrate.

Newcastle’s current attacking options include Yoane Wissa, Harvey Barnes and William Osula, while Anthony Elanga remains sidelined as he works towards a return. Bazoumana Touré is hopeful of being available after picking up a knock against Coventry, although Tino Livramento and Jacob Ramsey are also working their way back from injuries. Joelinton could feature and will have to do more after making his first competitive appearance of the season.

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

Villa, meanwhile, travel north after dismantling Fenerbahçe 6-0 in the Champions League. Nicolas Jackson scored twice in that victory, further strengthening his case to lead the line, while Ross Barkley also impressed with a brace. Emery will want his side to translate that attacking momentum into improved domestic results, having experienced a mixed start to their Premier League campaign.

There are still selection concerns for the visitors, with Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen and Matteo Ruggeri among those expected to miss out. Leon Goretzka did recover from injury to make his first appearance for the club as a substitute in midweek.

A start in this game seems unlikely, though, as Emery is set to recall Joao Gomes to link up with Boubacar Kamara in midfield. Playmaker Emiliano Buendia may also start at the expense of Barkley, while John McGinn and Johan Manzambi are the most likely duo to operate out wide and provide support for hotshot striker Jackson, who has scored four goals in his last three appearances.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Newcastle United 0-0 Aston Villa

Both sides have been inconsistent so far this term, and we think a dull 0-0 draw will transpire.

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Thomas Hitzlsperger enjoyed a distinguished career, turning out for Germany at the highest level and playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Stuttgart and West Ham.

But in January 2014, several months after hanging up his boots, his decision to publicly come out as gay had a profound impact far beyond the football pitch.

The former midfielder became one of the most high-profile former footballers to come out, speaking candidly about his sexuality in an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, at a time when male homosexuality remained a largely taboo subject in professional football.

Hitzlsperger on his experience of coming out

More than a decade has passed since then, with Hitzlsperger reflecting on the response he received and his message, and his advice for those still struggling with their identity.

"My estimation is that 95 per cent of the reactions were positive," he tells FourFourTwo. "The overall sentiment from people was that it was great that someone had spoken up. They said to me it was powerful that someone who’d played at the highest level could share his experiences.

"When I was contemplating the idea of going public, there was fear involved," he admits. "You’re thinking ‘What are people going to say? They may not like it and will criticise me’. I was dealing with my perception of what the world was like at the time, and my own fear of rejection.

"But having gone public, I realised that all my worries were unjustified and it felt like the world wasn’t such a bad place. At times, the media painted the picture of a hostile world, but then you speak up and think to yourself ‘Why is this not happening, why is the world so much better and why are there so many lovely people?’

"That’s why I say we have to tell more positive stories and not focus on a narrative that’s so sad and tragic. We have to talk about everything, but in general my ambition is to be positive and say “Life can be pretty amazing – if you don’t think you fit in, wait until you tell people and you’ll find many who will support you.” You can’t see what’s in front of you until you tell your story and live your truth.

"I spoke about a real sense of community during my childhood from a familial sense, and now I’m part of another community – the gay one. Meeting new people has expanded my horizons. Instead of focusing on people you might lose because of rejection, rather look at all the new and wonderful people who you wouldn’t have met before, if you’d kept quiet. The best part of coming out is not having to worry any more. I now focus on my job – as a shareholder, a CEO and a TV pundit – and my personal life, and nothing else.

"Whatever I do in life I want to be successful, but if you constantly live with fear, then you can’t be your best self. I knew that not living my truth couldn’t go on and I had to make a statement for my own benefit. If it helped others, even better."

Hitzlsperger adds that his experience can help others who are struggling with their identity.

"What would I say now to those who may be struggling with their sexuality and think the world is a bad place?" he asks. "I’ve been supported by so many people and live my life now without any fears, when it comes to my personality. I was delighted to get that affirmation as well from people I worked with in the game and those that just followed my footballing journey. I was very grateful and appreciative to everyone who said something positive publicly.

"After the newspaper interview I did with Die Zeit was published in 2014, my former team-mate Lukas Podolski described my coming out as “brave” and “an important sign of our time”. My former national team boss Joachim Low said I “deserved respect from every side.”"

Football v Homophobia is a year-round initiative tackling anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, building inclusive communities at all levels of the game around the world. For more info and support, visit footballvhomophobia.com

Watch Fulham vs Hull City as Alvaro Arbeloa still goes in search of his first Premier League win as Cottagers manager, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Fulham have just two points on the board after six games played, and after a poor summer of recruitment, it is looking bleak for the Cottagers.

Hull City, on the other hand, were one of the big spenders as they brought 18 players to the club, and have lost just once so far this term.

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

Is Fulham vs Hull City on TV in the UK?

Fulham vs Hull City 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'.

You can access the game in multiple countries, including the US and Australia, where you will find great deals for watching EPL football.

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

Watch Fulham vs Hull City from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Fulham vs Hull City 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 Fulham vs Hull City in the US

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

How to watch Fulham vs Hull City in Australia

Viewers in Australia can watch Fulham vs Hull City live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? Proton VPN is your ticket to watch Fulham vs Hull City on Stan Sport.

Tickets

Fulham vs Hull City: Preview

Fulham host Hull City at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, with the pressure mounting on the home side as they search for their first Premier League victory of the season. However, the visitors arrive in west London with confidence after an encouraging start to life back in the top flight.

Arbeloa’s Fulham have endured a difficult opening six league matches, collecting just two points to sit bottom of the table. Their latest setback came against Ipswich Town, where they suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat after conceding twice in the closing stages. The result increased scrutiny on Arbeloa, who urgently needs to turn promising spells of football into victories.

Fulham have shown attacking potential, with young forward Josh King among the players to make an impression. However, defensive lapses and an inability to manage matches late on have repeatedly undermined their performances.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Hull, meanwhile, have made a promising return to the Premier League under Sergej Jakirovic. The Tigers have collected nine points from their opening six matches, losing just once and establishing themselves in the top half of the table.

Their most recent outing ended in a 2-2 draw against Everton, with Joe Gelhardt and Mohamed Belloumi both finding the net. Belloumi has been particularly influential in attack, and his goalscoring form could prove crucial against a Fulham defence that has struggled.

Team news could also influence the outcome, with Fulham monitoring the fitness of Antonee Robinson and Tom Cairney. Hull face several injury concerns of their own, potentially limiting Jakirovic’s options as his side looks to maintain its impressive start.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Fulham 0-1 Hull City

Fulham look like a sorry side and Arboala is already facing pressure. Hull City are like a team with freedom, and we think the Tigers will win this one.

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