Liverpool have a deal in place for their first signing of the January transfer window.

The Reds enjoyed a solid summer improving their options in attack and defence, with nine-figure Bradley Barcola leading the charge, and Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo and Victor Munoz also signing.

But with Liverpool still somewhat lacking in the centre of the park, manager Andoni Iraola's next buy will address fans' concerns about the lack of bite in midfield.

Liverpool look to have beaten Chelsea to their first January signing

After Chelsea's electric start suggested new manager Xabi Alonso could muster a title challenge, the Blues have encountered a few stumbling blocks, with slow-starting Liverpool now above them in the table.

Iraola and Alonso both know each other from growing up in the Basque Country, and the former may now pip the latter to a signing that could transform either club's season.

According to Anfield Index, journalist Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail claimed that Lamine Camara is a name that “won't go away”.

“Chelsea sources I’ve spoken to believe Liverpool may have a deal in place with the player,” Steele mentioned, adding, “Trey Nyoni being brilliant but only 19, you do wonder if this is one [sporting director Julian] Ward could bring forward.”

Last month, TEAMtalk revealed that Liverpool had stepped up efforts to land the Monaco midfielder when they were knocked back in a move for controversial Borussia Dortmund man, Felix Nmecha.

Chelsea had a deal in place for Camara towards the end of the transfer window, but the move was called off when Monaco pulled the plug.

The principality outfit were in the process of selling Folarin Balogun to Everton, too, when the United States international pulled out of his medical and refused to travel to Merseyside – with both players remaining in Ligue 1.

Liverpool began the campaign with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in a double-pivot, though they lacked defensive awareness, with better form coming since the teenage Nyoni was drafted into the centre.

FourFourTwo understands that the Reds are on the hunt for full-backs and another right-winger, too, in the upcoming window.

Camara is worth €55 million, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool face Manchester United when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

Mauricio Pochettino has never shied away from the scale of the jobs he undertakes, which perhaps explains why he's willing to take the reins at Manchester United.

With Michael Carrick’s tenure set to end following a return of just one win from ten Premier League matches, the Argentine is in the frame to replace him in the Old Trafford dugout, setting up a head-to-head with former employers Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Reflecting on his summer 2023 arrival in west London, Pochettino offered FourFourTwo an uncompromising assessment of the environment he inherited under co-owner Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Pochettino: 'Chelsea were broken when I arrived'

"Chelsea were broken when I arrived," Pochettino revealed. "There were young players making their debuts that season, and there had been many defeats at Stamford Bridge. The momentum was negative. The aim was to stop the slide, start building again, restore belief and give the players the chance to perform.

Despite the friction of a bloated dressing room, Pochettino engineered a late turnaround, ultimately steering Chelsea back into Europe.

"We ended that season by winning five straight league games and finished in sixth – if we’d had one more month, we would have qualified for the Champions League," he added.

On-pitch progress aside, Pochettino's departure was confirmed days after the season concluded. He insists the decision to walk was entirely driven from his side of the table.

"I didn’t want to continue. That was my decision. I spoke with Chelsea, but my staff and I were clear about our position. We felt we didn’t belong to the club’s way of doing things. We helped stabilise Chelsea, but had no interest in staying."

The reflections arrive at a critical time for Manchester United with chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox holding summit talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco to discuss the club's future.

Pochettino has emerged as the clear frontrunner to stop the rot during the November international break.

Prising him away from the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) carries a steep price tag, with his release clause understood to sit around $10m.

But, Pochettino's proven track record of restoring order to dysfunctional dressing rooms makes him a top candidate for Old Trafford.

His Chelsea post-mortem also sends an implicit message to Man United minority owners INEOS: he is capable of halting a freefall, but will not tolerate working under an ownership model at odds with his sporting philosophy.

Since Mauricio Pochettino arrived in English football with Southampton in January 2013, Manchester United have cycled through a dozen interim, caretaker or permanent managers, from Sir Alex Ferguson to Michael Carrick.

Even more coaches have been linked with the post, with the same names seemingly popping up every time the Old Trafford dugout is vacant.

Former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is one such manager and, according to the man himself, this was not just gossip column speculation.

Pochettino: ‘Manchester United have always shown interest in me, but the ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised’

The Argentine was first linked with Manchester United a decade ago, speculation that gathered pace when he met Sir Alex Ferguson for lunch in 2016, during which time he was in charge of Spurs.

“United have always shown interest,” Pochettino revealed to FourFourTwo in an interview earlier this year. “But the ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised.

“In any case, that lunch with Sir Alex had absolutely nothing to do with it,” he continues before explaining how the meeting came about.

“In his final season as a manager, we played a great game against United with Southampton. In the press conference after, he said we’d been the most complete opponent that United had faced.

“Through the secretary of the League Managers Association, he asked for my phone number so that we could have lunch. It was a meeting in London between colleagues – between a genius and an apprentice.

“My English wasn’t great, but Jesus Perez helped. When we asked for the bill, I wanted to take it, and so did he. We started arguing over who’d pay! “He said, “Stop Mauricio, I’m going to ask you a question. If you answer correctly, you pay. If not, I’ll pay.” I had no idea what he was going to ask.

“He said, “Name an Argentine player who scored in the 1930 World Cup final.” I replied, “Stabile.” He couldn’t believe it. The name came to me out of nowhere! In the end, I paid the bill.”

Speculation mounted again six years later in 2022, when the Red Devils would eventually go on to appoint Erik ten Hag.

“I was under contract at PSG,” Pochettino continues. “After our Champions League elimination against Real Madrid, we had no option but to make sure we secured the Ligue 1 title at least.

“United were in a hurry to announce their new manager before the end of that season because the situation had become unsustainable. I couldn’t negotiate, whereas Ajax gave Ten Hag the flexibility to do so.”

Pochettino is widely expected to replace Carrick in the dugout at Old Trafford ahead of Man United's derby with Liverpool later this month.

The Argentine coach is reported to have a $10 million break clause in his USMNT contract, which was extended over the summer following the United States' World Cup campaign.

Man United chiefs are meeting in Monaco this week to discuss the club's next steps.

Even as the children of German emigrants, Mark Schwarzer found life in Germany in the mid-1990s difficult.

A 21-year-old Schwarzer moved halfway across the world to join Dynamo Dresden from the Sydney-based Marconi Stallions in 1994, but played just twice before making the move west to Kaiserslautern the following season.

That gave Schwarzer a glimpse of life in both sides of what was then still a newly-reunified country - and he admits it was an eye-opening experience for a young man.

Schwarzer told FourFourTwo: "I loved parts of it, I hated others.

"It was 1994, only four years after unification between East and West Germany. Dresden was a beautiful city but very run down, with a huge period of rebuilding going on.

"There was still a real divide between East and West, and it could be difficult to fit in.

"I was a foreigner – I was German, but I wasn’t, because I was born in Australia. I was kind of in no man’s land.

"I spoke a little German, but the local dialect was really difficult to understand.

"Australians weren’t regarded that highly as footballers either. We had the odd good player, but we weren’t really respected.

"I only played two games that season, but in hindsight the experiences I gained were invaluable.

"Kaiserslautern was similar and there was still a lack of acceptance because of where I came from.

"I played four games, did well in two, but my last was definitely my worst performance.

"Then Otto Rehhagel came in. He wasn’t a fan of young players and didn’t rate me. After two-and-a-half years in Germany, I knew I needed to find a club where the manager wanted me.

"I’d always wanted to play in England, and my wife could work there more easily, so when Bradford came along in November 1996, it was a no-brainer."

Manchester United are finalising a deal to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.

The Red Devils have endured a poor start to the season, finding themselves 18th in the Premier League with just three wins in all competitions, after climbing to third last term.

With Michael Carrick now hanging by a thread, the club have made the decision to replace the former midfielder – and United States men's national team coach Pochettino is now “the chosen candidate”.

Manchester United finalising Mauricio Pochettino move, with Michael Carrick to be sacked

After a successful interim spell in the second half of last season, Manchester United hired Michael Carrick on a two-year deal.

Following the poor start to the season, however, the club have decided to part with the former midfielder, with David Ornstein delivering an exclusive on the situation at Carrington.

The prolific journalist revealed in The Athletic that United are finalising a deal for the Argentine coach, terms ongoing with with his camp.

Yesterday, it emerged that Pochettino would “jump at the chance” to depart the USMNT for Old Trafford, with United CEO Omar Berrada favouring the move.

Ornstein has added that United are “yet to contact US, but straightforward should plan proceed”.

Pochettino has been in charge of the United States side since 2024, when he and Emma Hayes left the men's and women's Chelsea teams, respectively, to head Stateside.

The 54-year-old has been linked with the United job for as long as a decade, too, with his good work at Tottenham Hotspur seeing him in the running the Old Trafford hot seat a number of times over the years.

United are still yet to sack Carrick.

Manchester United face Liverpool when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

In the latest FourFourTwo quiz, we're putting the spotlight on international football with the November break just around the corner. Many of the players who will be involved this month also represented their countries at the World Cup in the summer, but a handful of noteworthy stars play for teams other than their birth nations.

That's really all there is to this new quiz. The players we'll be asking about were all called up for their national teams for World Cup 2026 but were actually born in other places. All you need to do is identify which countries they were born in and tap it into the answer box.

There are 20 players to name in total and we're feeling generous, so there's no time limit to worry about.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has a huge collection of football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Fancy trying some more? Here's one: There have been 18 World Cups since the creation of the Ballon d'Or. Can you name the Ballon d'Or winner in each of those World Cup years including 2026?

The Ballon d'Or is done and dusted for the year but the European club competitions are just hitting the mid-point of the league phase. Have you been paying attention? Let's find out. Can you name every team competing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season?

There's a rich seam of Premier League trivia just waiting for your attention and the freshest of all is our Premier League Picture Quiz. We've selected some photographs of our favourite and most famous moments from the top division in the last 35 years and we want you to tell us which season they were taken in.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 77 features clues on tricks, trequartistas and Trents. Remember 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.

Deep down, Jack Grealish will know that his fate extends beyond Everton's season.

English football’s first £100m player has won multiple Premier League titles and a Champions League yet still faces a fight to stave off the death knell to an increasingly lost generation as much as his own elite-level career.

Grealish again finds himself out in the cold after a ‘breach of club discipline’ in the run-up to Everton’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle and was subsequently deemed unfit for the league rematch at St James’ Park on Monday night. On both occasions, David Moyes’s side were hardly poorer without the winger’s presence.

Jack Grealish’s Everton travails follow a familiar pattern

The Toffees are yet to decide on a definitive course of action over Grealish’s reported unauthorised absence from training, but patience is now in increasingly short supply from the club and its supporters alike. At a time when Moyes is dealing with crippling squad dearth - just 18 senior players were left after a disastrous summer window - the England international's latest misdemeanour threw him another needless curveball.

There was always a risk that Grealish's propensity to hit the headlines for the wrong reasons would again rear its head on Merseyside, where he claimed that feeling ‘loved’ in his initial loan spell was a driving factor in embarking on a second. Such was a fondness for his current surroundings that he undertook the bulk of his rehabilitation from a season-ending foot injury sustained in January at their Finch Farm training ground instead of returning to parent club Manchester City.

But even then, indiscretion was still lurking round the corner. When Everton slipped to a late April defeat at relegation candidates West Ham, Grealish was being snapped slumped against the arm of a chair in a Manchester rooftop bar surrounded by bottles and glasses. Now 31, he is in danger of completing an unholy trinity that was once touted for greatness as successors to Paul Gascoigne’s throne but allowed their careers to crash and burn.

Just 16 months separate the respective birth dates of the Birmingham-born talent, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling. All three were alive when English football’s flawed genius enjoyed one last hurrah at Euro 96 but none will have any memories of it. That has still done little to stop their affection for ‘Gazzamania’ running deep.

Upon his return to Everton this summer, Grealish revealed he was partly inspired to take the No.18 shirt worn by Gascoigne during a forgettable and fleeting spell in the blue half of Merseyside while Sterling also cited the man that personified the 1990 World Cup as his all-time favourite Three Lions player. Even Dele, who himself previously sought redemption at Everton, made an embarrassing attempt at recreating the infamous ‘dentist’s chair’ celebration during a training session at Euro 2016.

They also appeared destined to follow in his footsteps by earning moves to high-profile leagues overseas with Real Madrid heavily touted as a future destination for each player. Beyond personal homages, Gascoigne has become intertwined with the trio as a quickfire buzzword for their respective rises to prominence. Individual billings as the ‘new Gazza’ also proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for a penchant for self-destruction mirroring the downfall of the former Rangers and Lazio playmaker. Dele is now 14 months into unofficial retirement and resorting to calling up former teammates live on Twitch streams in a desperate ploy to stay in the public consciousness. An awkward attempted catch-up with Harry Kane, just weeks before his old Tottenham sparring partner claimed the Ballon d’Or, lasted barely 60 seconds.

The depth of Dele's continental ambitions was short-lived spells with Besiktas and Como, making a solitary appearance for the latter before being released barely midway through an 18-month contract. Free agent Sterling fared far worse with a three-month spell at Feyenoord which was terminated last season. Grealish's former City teammate and fellow Euro 2020 standout faces the real prospect of ending this month behind bars as well as without a club after pleading guilty to dangerous driving while inhaling nitrous oxide and crashing his Lamborghini on the A327 in May.

Without sufficient intervention on his own part, Grealish may soon follow his former contemporaries in falling by the footballing wayside. More than most, he has been the poster boy for Gascoigne's heirs, as the man himself confirmed to FourFourTwo last year by singling out the former Aston Villa graduate as his closest embodiment in the current crop of players. His exploits in City’s 2023 treble-winning campaign hinted that England’s first Ballon d’Or winner since Michael Owen was closer than Kane’s recent triumph but never came to pass. What happens next will be era-defining.

Grealish is still capable of technical excellency, as demonstrated in a truncated first loan spell with Everton, if he can stave off personal indiscipline issues. He would not be the first homegrown talent to do so. Ross Barkley, another ex-teammate born in the mid-90s, was also festooned with the Gascoigne moniker yet managed to overcome his own off-field issues to earn a second chance at Villa. Persistent injuries prevented the playmaker from scaling even a fraction of the heights he was originally tipped to reach but used stints at Nice and Luton Town to rebuild his reputation and earn a bit-part role with Unai Emery’s side.

By personal admission, Grealish has been his own worst enemy when it comes to a sense of timing off the pitch which is at odds with an often impeccable nature on it. Unless he can conquer those social demons which ultimately brought down his idol as well as those in the same talent pool, the epitaph of the 'Gazza generation' will be one of frustratingly unfulfilled potential.

Another day, another FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz to have a crack at. There are 10 football trivia questions to answer and a time limit of just 90 seconds.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes, they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Here, we'll point you in the direction of a few of our recent favourites to keep those quiz muscles pumping after today's quickfire burst of trivia fun.

Let's begin in the managerial realm. Trophies are the name of the game and it's possible to identify a gaffer from the honours they've won since their days in the dugout began. Can you identify these managers from their honours lists?

There might be one or two of those in our Premier League Years picture quiz. It couldn't be simpler. We've grabbed photographs of a selection of noteworthy Premier League moments and memories. All you need to do is tell us which seasons those photographs were taken in.

Here's a free answer for the next quiz. Harry Kane became the 18th player to win the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year, a sequence that began all the way back in 1958. Can you name all of the others?

Finally, we have a new one for experts in football club branding. If you know your club and country crests, the typical badge quiz might not be much of a test. This should be a bit tougher: Can you identify these football team badges from just a tiny square of each one?

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!

Arsenal are on the cusp of losing a major star this January.

The Gunners enjoyed a solid if not spectacular summer transfer window, bringing in Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis to add quality and depth to a title-winning side.

But with competition fierce for places, it appears that one Arsenal player is set to leave to seek game time elsewhere.

Arsenal are flying at the top of the table - but not everyone is content

Mikel Arteta's side are top of the Premier League table, five points clear, unbeaten in the Champions League, and have only lost twice in all competitions this season.

But not everyone is happy with their role in N5, and now, RNE Deportes originally broke the news of a departure, with further updated relayed in a report by Sport Witness.

Martin Zubimendi is on the cusp of leaving for Atletico Madrid, as per Relevo, with his relationship with Arteta said to be “cold”, following “friction towards the end of last season”.

Another Spanish outlet, AS, adds that Arsenal need to sell, and would like to recoup the £50 million they spent on the Basque midfielder.

Zubimendi only moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2025, with the Gunners beating a host of rivals for his signature after a star turn in the Euro 2024 final.

The 27-year-old became an instant hit alongside Declan Rice in Arteta's engine room, providing the progression and anticipation that the side had missed in that area of the pitch, becoming almost ever-present in the first half of Arsenal's title-winning season.

But as the season neared the run-in, Zubimendi found himself dropped in favour of Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and didn't start the Champions League final – with Arsenal upgrading in the summer to sign Bruno Guimaraes.

Zubimendi has not started a single league game in midfield for Arsenal this term, finding himself fourth in the pecking order in midfield.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal would rather not sell the World Cup winner this January and would prefer to wait until the summer to assess the situation further.

Zubimendi is worth €65m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal travel away to Newcastle United when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox are scheduled to sit down with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco this week.

Head coach Michael Carrick’s future is expected to dominate the agenda at the pre-planned meeting in the principality where Ratcliffe is based. There is every chance a far more unpalatable subject will also be confronted given Man United's start to the 2026/27 season: drafting a contingency plan for relegation.

Ten games into the Premier League campaign, Man United find themselves in the bottom three with just a solitary victory. Minority owners INEOS arrived at Old Trafford boasting elite operating standards and a clear structure but on the pitch, the team has been dragged into a survival scrap for the second year running.

Acknowledging the drop remains something of a taboo for a club of Man United's size and commercial footprint, but a recent warning from north London shows why ignoring it would constitute negligence.

Speaking on The Sports Agents podcast, Tottenham Hotspur chief executive Vinai Venkatesham revealed how the club were planning for the future after Spurs flirted with disaster last season.

“It's really tough, because you form a relationship with people. Obviously, Igor [Tudor] wasn't the coach for long, but Thomas [Frank], we worked together really, really, really closely, went through some really difficult times," Venkatesham explained.

“I want to respect the privacy of that conversation with Thomas. But what I can say is that he was the complete gentleman that you would think he would be.”

Spurs ultimately secured survival on the final day, but Venkatesham admitted the club had quietly mapped out a blueprint for the Championship.

“It was really challenging. A really, really, really challenging period for the club,” he said. “You have to [prepare for relegation]. I mean, you can't not. To not make that plan would have been irresponsible… Sometimes going through something as traumatic as what we went through last season bonds people a little bit and also puts even more fire in everybody's belly to make sure that something like that can never happen again.”

That brush with the drop motivated Spurs to spend £300 million on summer transfer targets, including £100m on Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali and £85m on West Ham United midfielder Matheus Fernandes.

“Everybody was aligned we wanted to strengthen this position, and then everybody was aligned that Matheus [Fernandes] was absolutely the number one target,” Venkatesham said. “If I'm honest, we achieved more than we thought we might do, and that was really because so many of our number one targets we were able to land. Because if we weren't going to get our number one targets, we weren't going to settle.”

Even with morale lifted by recent wins, Venkatesham reflected honestly on their sluggish start: “I wasn't worried [by the start to the 2026/27 season], but I was definitely frustrated… Did we think we were going to make this many changes and everything would gel straight away? Of course we didn't. But did we think we'd be hovering around the position of the league that we were in the international break? Of course we didn't either.”

For Ratcliffe, Berrada, and Wilcox, Venkatesham’s transparency should rid them of any lingering delusions of grandeur. Precedent proves that stature, revenue, and history offer little insulation once a club slips into the bottom three.

Whether Man United decide to back Carrick through the November break or sack him, the decision-making trio at the Monaco summit cannot afford to treat the drop as an unthinkable scenario.

That might mean re-thinking squad wage-reduction clauses or auditing broadcast revenue drop-offs, because after all, responsible governance demands preparing for the worst.

If Man United pretend they are simply too big to go down, that is the quickest way to end up there.

England players aired “strong views” in the wake of the World Cup 2026 collapse at the hands of Argentina.

That's according to a report that states says that arguably the Three Lions' two best players, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, have been particularly strong in expressing their opinions over the defeat.

With plenty blaming manager Thomas Tuchel for negative tactics, “All players were afforded an opportunity to air their personal views during the meeting”, with “some of the squad” holding “grievances” after the game.

England stars 'held misgivings at Thomas Tuchel's instructions'

England were in a strong position to make their first World Cup final in 60 years when they came up against an Argentina side in Atlanta that had been dragged to the final four by Lionel Messi.

Despite the struggles of the reigning champions, however, the Albiceleste managed to get the job done late in the semi, overturning Anthony Gordon's opening strike to set up a showpiece against Spain in New Jersey – which they in turn lost.

According to the BBC's Sami Mokbel, a September meeting allowed for the squad to express how they felt about the collapse, which was blamed on Tuchel sitting back to protect the slender advantage against the brilliance of Messi.

As noted, “a number of senior England players held misgivings at Tuchel's instructions for the closing stages of the Argentina loss, believing the approach was too negative and defensive,” with “captain Harry Kane… strong and forthright with his views.”

Bellingham was mentioned by name, too, as being “particularly candid” in expressing that he felt his side were superior man-for-man to the opposition.

Mokbel continues to mention that Bellingham's contribution in the meeting has “underlined his growing influence” with his national team, as many believe he could assume the captain's armband from Harry Kane, once the Ballon d'Or winner retires from international duty.

Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham re-established himself as one of his country's most important players in North America over the summer, despite heading into the tournament with question marks over how much of a role he would play under Tuchel.

The 23-year-old was in and out of the German's plans during qualification, with Morgan Rogers preferred at times in the No.10 role.

Bellingham has played 60 times for his country and scored 14 times. England host Croatia this Thursday night.

Forget the notion of glorified friendlies, this month quarter-final berths, relegation peril, and major tournament seeding is all on the line in the UEFA Nations League.

The final round of group fixtures is anything but an international break distraction.

Here, we break down what it all means for the home nations.

Securing League A quarter-final berths and silverware paths

The top two finishers in each League A group advance to a two-legged quarter-final stage, rather than just the group winners qualifying directly for a final-four tournament, as has previously been the case.

This week’s fixtures decide which nations book their place in the knockout bracket to compete for the trophy, while also dictating important top-seed status for the subsequent knockout draw.

Automatic promotion, relegation, and play-off matchups

The margins between tiers carry significant weight. Finishing top of the group in Leagues B, C, and D earns automatic promotion to the tier above, while finishing bottom of Leagues A, B, and C results in automatic relegation.

Crucially, the introduction of two-legged promotion/relegation play-offs - which will pit third-placed teams in League A against runners-up from League B, and third-placed teams in League B against runners-up from League C - means almost every matchday result directly determines either immediate survival, a climb up the ladder, or a drop into lower-tier fixtures.

Major tournament seeding and play-off safety nets

Nations League standings double as an insurance policy for future European Championship and FIFA World Cup cycles.

Overall tournament rankings determine the seeding pots for upcoming European qualifying draws, directly affecting the difficulty of qualification paths. The highest-ranked Nations League group winners who fail to secure qualification through standard qualifying groups are handed secondary lifelines via tournament play-off berths.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ENGLAND (League A)

Why the Nations League matters to England

England currently sit second in their group with nine points, trailing Spain (12 points) but comfortably ahead of Croatia (3 points) and Czechia (0 points).

Because the top two teams in League A advance, Thomas Tuchel's side have already effectively secured their quarter-final berth. The focus now shifts to whether they can overtake Spain for the group's top seed.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Thursday, Nov 12: vs Croatia (H – Wembley Stadium, London) - 19:45 GMT

Sunday, Nov 15: vs Spain (A – Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid) - 19:45 GMT

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 WALES (League A)

Wales are third in their top-tier group, trailing Portugal and Denmark, but sitting just above Norway. To avoid a relegation play-off against a League B runner-up or automatic relegation if they drop to fourth, they need results this week to either secure their safety or mount a late push into the top two for a quarter-final spot.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Saturday, Nov 14: vs Norway (A – Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo) - 17:00 GMT

Tuesday, Nov 17: vs Portugal (H – Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff) - 19:45 GMT

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SCOTLAND (League B)

Scotland find themselves in third place behind Switzerland and Slovenia, with North Macedonia rooted to the bottom. Finishing third in League B leads to a relegation play-off against a League C side, so the Tartan Army will be keen to pick up points and push for second place (promotion play-off) or even top spot (automatic promotion).

Upcoming Fixtures:

Friday, Nov 13: vs North Macedonia (H – Hampden Park, Glasgow) - 19:45 GMT

Monday, Nov 16: vs Switzerland (A – Kybunpark, St. Gallen) - 19:45 GMT

🇬🇧 NORTHERN IRELAND (League B)

Michael O'Neill's side are in an excellent position, currently top of their group ahead of Hungary, Ukraine, and Georgia. If they maintain their first-place standing over the next two games, they will earn automatic promotion to League A.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Saturday, Nov 14: vs Ukraine (H – Windsor Park, Belfast) - 19:45 GMT

Tuesday, Nov 17: vs Hungary (A – Puskas Arena, Budapest) - 19:45 GMT

🇮🇪 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (League B)

The Republic of Ireland sit in third on five points, trailing group leaders Austria and second-placed Kosovo. They will need strong performances in this window to climb into the top two for a shot at promotion, or risk facing a relegation play-off to retain their League B status.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Saturday, Nov 14: vs Austria (A – Raiffeisen Arena, Linz) - 19:45 GMT

Tuesday, Nov 17: vs Kosovo (H – Aviva Stadium, Dublin) - 19:45 GMT

Everton have launched a shock bid for former Manchester City man, Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian is a legend of the Premier League, having won six titles and racked up an in while racking up almost 200 goal involvements in 288 appearances in the English top flight – but since leaving the Etihad, things haven't been as rosy for him in Italian football.

Now, Everton are prepared to offer the 35-year-old a return to the northwest of England in one of the biggest-name moves of the Toffees' recent history.

Everton launching bid for Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne spent 10 years at Manchester City before swapping one blue shirt for another and signing for Napoli last summer.

The playmaker has struggled to make a difference in Serie A, however, with Calciomercato reporting that he “appears to be in a decline mentally and could sensationally return to the Premier League in January.”

The report notes that Everton are making a sensational swoop to bring De Bruyne back to England and have already made contact with the player's entourage.

The Merseysiders are up to sixth in the Premier League at the moment and enjoying a good season, despite leaving themselves short over the summer in terms of transfer business.

Fans were disappointed when the club sold striker Beto without a replacement – leaving Thierno Barry as the only recognised No.9 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium – while a failure to replace long-serving right-back Seamus Coleman after his retirement has meant that midfielder Merlin Rohl has taken the role on this term.

There has been recent uncertainty regarding the loan spell of Jack Grealish, too, with the England international dropped by manager David Moyes after breaching the club's disciplinary rules when he reportedly skipped training.

Grealish – who is on loan from Man City, incidentally – has very little chance of joining the Toffees permanently now, with some suggesting that his loan spell could be curtailed in January.

De Bruyne's contract runs until 2027, with the Partenopei holding an option for another year.

Whether club president Aurelio De Laurentiis decides to release the player midseason remains another matter.

The 35-year-old is worth €8 million, as per Transfermarkt. Everton travel away to Brentford when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

Manchester United look ready to appoint Mauricio Pochettino, with the former Tottenham Hotspur coach happy to accept.

Pochettino is currently enjoying life as manager of the United States men's national team manager, overseeing the 2026 World Cup hosts' journey to the quarter-finals on home soil over the summer.

With Manchester United lingering in the bottom three of the Premier League and Michael Carrick expected to be sacked now, the Argentine has emerged as the frontrunner for the job at Old Trafford.

Manchester United to sack Michael Carrick - with Mauricio Pochettino to 'jump at the chance' to replace him

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, United are to sack Michael Carrick, despite the recent upturn in form.

United have picked up four points from the last two games, against Roma in the Champions League and Aston Villa in the Premier League – but in both fixtures, Carrick watched his side go two goals down before fighting back to salvage a result.

With Pochettino emerging as the favourite for the role now, TEAMtalk have revealed that he would “jump at the chance” to return to club football with the fallen giant.

The report adds that “there has been no direct contact between United and Pochettino, or his representatives, at this stage.”

The Athletic have revealed that it would cost $10 million to relieve Pochettino from his contract with the USMNT – though free agent Eddie Howe also has a fee, with Newcastle United holding a compensation clause in his exit.

Pochettino has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford – as far back as his Tottenham days – with his name touted for the job regularly over the years.

The 54-year-old last managed in the English top flight with Chelsea in 2023/24, taking the Blues to a respectable sixth in the table, after the club had finished 12th and burned through three managers in BlueCo's first season in charge.

Carrick signed a contract in May to continue as United's head coach through to 2028, but has overseen an appalling start to the season, with the club 18th in the league and 17th in the league phase of the Champions League.

The Red Devils have one a single league game all season, the fewest in the English top tier.

Manchester United travel away to Liverpool when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

In a revealing sit-down with FourFourTwo last year, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has finally lifted the lid on a legendary encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson, a meeting that has fuelled a decade of what-ifs at Old Trafford.

The Argentine, who took the reigns of the US national side on a contract running through until 2030, recounted how the most successful manager in British history once sought him out.

“Through the secretary of the League Managers Association, Sir Alex asked for my phone number so that we could have lunch," Pochettino told FourFourTwo.

Pochettino: 'I met with genius Sir Alex'

"It was a meeting in London between colleagues, between a genius and an apprentice.”

The lunch, which took place some years ago during Pochettino’s tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, has long been cited as the moment Manchester United first identified him as their long-term successor.

Despite those historic links which persisted through his stints at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, the stars never quite aligned for Pochettino to take the hot seat in Manchester.

The USMNT boss shared a charming anecdote from the afternoon that proved it's not just his footballing tactics that are up to scratch, it's trivia, too.

“When we asked for the bill, I wanted to take it, and so did he. We started arguing over who’d pay!

"He said, ‘Stop Mauricio, I’m going to ask you a question. If you answer correctly, you pay. If not, I’ll pay.’

"He said, ‘Name an Argentine player who scored in the 1930 World Cup final.’ I replied, ‘Stabile.’ He couldn’t believe it. The name came to me out of nowhere! In the end, I paid the bill.”

Despite his current focus, having led the USMNT at their home World Cup earlier this year, Pochettino has freely admitted he would like a return to the Premier League some day.

"Right now it’s about enjoying the World Cup," he said. "After that, I’ve always said I came so close to winning the Premier League and Champions League, and want to try again. I’d like to be part of a project with the ambition of winning both."

Pochettino’s comments are especially relevant as Man United face what looks to be another period of transition.

Michael Carrick is expected to be relieved of his duties at Old Trafford during November's international break. For now, the self-proclaimed 'apprentice' remains on the international stage, but the pull of a Premier League return is unmistakable.

Pochettino's USMNT take on Haiti in a Concacaf Nations League double header this month.

Mauricio Pochettino's full interview with FourFourTwo is available in print issue 391.

Where do you want to live? Cultured Amsterdam? The beautiful old city of Udine, near Venice? Or Sunderland?

We sincerely don't mean that as a slam on the north-east town, either.

After all, that's the decision young Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen faced when deciding his next career move back in 1998 - and he picked the move to Wearside.

Sorensen told FourFourTwo: "I have my parents to thank for that.

"I was talking to a few clubs, like Ajax and Udinese, who had a long history of Danish players.

"Then this left-field offer came in from Sunderland. I hadn’t heard a lot about them and I sort of dismissed it.

"My mum and dad told me to go over and have a look. I was blown away.

"I knew that this was the right thing for me. I would get an opportunity to play, I loved the feel of the northeast and their passion for football.

"It was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. "

Sorensen does admit that he had to adapt a little bit to Peter Reid's unique management style, however.

He said: "I had to get used to all the swearing!

"He was a great manager. One of the old school. He was probably the last manager I had who would allow the players to go out and have a few drinks.

"He cherished that camaraderie. He really encouraged the players to spend a lot of time together and that was probably part of our success.

"He said things as they were. He could be quite tough, but he was fair."

The new FourFourTwo quiz is a celebration of the players who've reached the top of two mountains, the club and country champions who can look back on their careers knowing that there really wasn't anywhere else they could have gone. We're talking World Cup and Champions League winners.

Here are the parameters. The players eligible have won both the World Cup and the Champions League, meaning any World Cup and the Champions League since 1992. We'll give you the teams for both, so you can concentrate on remembering the individuals.

There are 73 players to name in all, and we're applying a time limit of 12 minutes. Let us know below how you get on.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Let's stay with the Champions League, add in the Europa League and Conference League, and ask you to name every team competing in Europe this season.

We're sticking in the double honours realm for the next one. There have been 18 World Cups since the creation of the Ballon d'Or. Can you name the Ballon d'Or winner in each of those World Cup years including 2026?

We've been building a huge bank of Premier League quizzes and this one is designed specifically for fans with a keen sense of historical moments. We've selected some of our favourite Premier League pictures and all you need to do is pick the seasons in which they were taken.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 77 features clues on tricks, trequartistas and Trents. Remember 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.

It's FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz time. We've put 90 seconds on the clock and loaded up 10 trivia questions to take a swing at.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Here are some of our favourites, starting with a trio of quizzes about promoted trio Ipswich Town, Hull City and Coventry City in the Premier League.

If you know your stuff when it comes to the history of the Premier League, you'll be able to handle these without much trouble. Can you name every team to have conceded eight or more goals in a Premier League match and every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season?

Here's a more visual quiz for Premier League nuts. We've picked out some photographs of major historical moments in the top division. All we want you to do in our Premier League Years picture quiz is tell us which seasons those photos were taken in.

Next, we're celebrating Harry Kane's coronation as the best footballer in the world with a quiz about every fourth golden ball. Can you identify the winner of the Ballon d'Or in every World Cup year since 1958? There are 18 players to name.

Lastly for now, how about a line-up quiz? Back in 2017, Paris Saint-Germain took a big lead into the second leg of a Champions League tie against Barcelona and went on to lose 6-1 on the night. Can you remember PSG's starting line-up from that famous turnaround?

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!

Following the retirement of long-time talisman Edin Dzeko, Bosnia-Herzegovina is undergoing a generational shift. Largely, and somewhat uniquely, it is being powered by the emotional pull of a vast global diaspora.

With the domestic league severely underfunded and ill-equipped to serve as a reliable talent conveyor belt for the national team, looking beyond its borders has become a necessity. A series of gifted foreign-born prospects, eligible for their countries of birth yet choosing instead to represent their heritage, is reshaping the team's identity.

At the heart of this recruitment drive is former captain turned sporting director Emir Spahic, who framed the philosophy in late 2024 with a simple declaration: “We’re just bringing our children home.” Having already fielded the third-youngest squad at the 2026 World Cup, this borderless strategy is no longer a temporary stopgap but the blueprint for the nation's footballing future.

Bosnia-Herzegovina sporting director: "We're bringing our children home"

Kerim Alajbegovic

A product of Bayer Leverkusen’s academy, Kerim Alajbegovic had a tremendously successful season at Red Bull Salzburg in 2025/2026, registering 14 goals and four assists in 44 competitive appearances in his first season of senior football.

Largely operating on the left flank, Alajbegovic is exceptional in 1-v-1 situations, and is comfortable with both feet. He has begun to hone his game in dead ball situations, developing a signature in-swinging technique on corners from the left, too.

What is striking for a player who only turned 19 in September is that Alajbegovic exudes the confidence of someone who has spent many years playing at the top level, and does not seem phased by the challenges that lie ahead.

His spectacular solo goal against Qatar in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s final group game made him the eighth youngest goalscorer at a World Cup, and the youngest-ever to score from outside the box.

Though Bayer Leverkusen had activated a buy-back clause from Red Bull Salzburg before the tournament, he garnered interest from several top European clubs, before signing for Juventus.

Alajbegovic told Tuttosport that speaking to Miralem Pjanic, a national team legend who spent four trophy-laden seasons in Turin, was an influential factor in his decision.

Alajbegovic’s accomplishments this year were recognised with a place at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he was voted 7th in the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award.

Esmir Bajraktarevic

Born in Wisconsin in 2005, Esmir Bajraktarevic grew up in a Bosnian household but moved up through the ranks of the game in the USA, establishing himself at New England Revolution in MLS.

After representing the USA at youth level, and gaining one cap at senior level, Bajraktarevic switched to Bosnia-Herzegovina. As a child, he idolised Edin Dzeko, and earlier this year a video of a five-year-old Bajraktarevic wearing a Dzeko top kicking a ball in his back garden went viral. On his international debut against the Netherlands in September 2024, Bajraktarevic set up his boyhood hero with a signature lofted through-ball, and his cinematic rise in the national team was capped off by scoring the deciding penalty kick against Italy to secure Bosnia-Herzegovina’s World Cup qualification.

Bajraktarevic is a left-footed winger operating on the right, who possesses excellent close control and the ability to carve open defences with pinpoint crosses. On his day, he is an electrifying player to watch, whose body feints and mesmerising dinks bring fans out of their seats. Since his move to PSV Eindhoven in January 2025, game-time has sometimes been hard to come by, but this season he has seven goal contributions to his name despite only having 384 Eredivisie minutes under his belt.

Ermin Mahmic

Mahmic’s inclusion in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s World Cup squad came as a surprise, given that his impressive performances at Slovan Liberec had gone under the radar in the national media, and he was yet to be capped at senior level.

But the 21-year-old rose to the occasion, scoring a thunderous volley two minutes into his competitive debut versus Switzerland in Los Angeles, before scoring the goal against Qatar that confirmed Bosnia-Herzegovina’s place in the knockout stages of the World Cup. Most frequently deployed in a traditional No. 10 role, Mahmic’s best attributes include his ability to shoot from range and his passing vision, but he also has a knack for popping up in the box to score goals. At six feet tall, Mahmic’s frame enables him to protect the ball effectively when trying to pick out his teammates, too.

On the back of his eye-catching World Cup performances, Mahmic was signed by Corum, an ambitious, newly-promoted club in the Turkish Super Lig, for the second-highest transfer fee in the club’s history. He then scored on his debut against Besiktas and contributed regularly in the final third despite limited time on the pitch.

Liverpool are looking to Bart Verbruggen of Brighton & Hove Albion as their successor in goal to Alisson.

Verbruggen has been in spectacular form for the high-flying Seagulls this season, keeping seven clean sheets in 10 Premier League appearances, with the Sussex outfit finding themselves second in the table – four points ahead of Liverpool.

Such good form means increased interest in some of Brighton's top performers, however, with the Reds turning attentions to the Amex.

Liverpool monitoring Bart Verbruggen of Brighton & Hove Albion

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is out of contract at the end of the season, with his imperiously high level having perhaps dropped this season with age.

The Brazilian is now 34 and has made a couple of high-profile errors this season – while his comments admitting that he missed Liverpool matches last season “to prepare for the World Cup” have not gone down well with fans.

Now, TEAMtalk have revealed in a report that the Merseysiders have begun to look to the future between the sticks and have identified Verbruggen as a “credible candidate who could provide stability and quality” in taking the No.1 shirt at Anfield.

Alisson was a transformational signing for previous manager Jurgen Klopp in the wake of Loris Karius' two mistakes in the 2018 Champions League final, establishing himself as arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League since joining the Reds from Roma on what was an all-time record for a keeper at the time.

Liverpool looked to future-proof the position in 2025 when they swooped for highly-rated Georgian, Giorgi Mamardashvili, but the 26-year-old has struggled to command the same kind of aura as Alisson.

Next summer, manager Andoni Iraola will welcome 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans from Belgian side Genk in a move that could rise to an impressive £30 million – but a need remains for a senior figure to replace their current first-choice in goal.

Verbruggen is said to be happy at Brighton, though there is interest in his services from Real Madrid, too, who are looking to life beyond Thibaut Courtois themselves.

Manager Fabian Hurzeler will not entertain offers for the Dutchman in January, according to the report, with the player himself reiterating that he is fully focused on life on the south coast.

“I don’t know what will happen in the future: no one knows,” Verbruggen stated recently, adding, “All I know is that, at the moment, I’m very happy in Brighton.”

The Seagulls stopper is worth €40 million, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool face Manchester United when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

Manchester United could be about to land Jobe Bellingham as their long-term replacement for Bruno Fernandes.

The Red Devils' poor start to the season has been punctuated by the uncertainty surrounding their captain, with Fernandes having fallen out with manager Michael Carrick earlier this season.

Looking to a future beyond the 32-year-old, recent England call-up Bellingham has now emerged as a potential option in the middle for Manchester United.

Bruno Fernandes out, Jobe Bellingham in for Manchester United?

Fernandes was dropped by Carrick for the match against Bournemouth, following comments made after the Red Devils' 4-1 humbling by Como in the Champions League.

United fans sang Carrick's name after the loss to the Cherries, however, and booed the players – with Fernandes making up with the manager and returning to the starting line-up ever since.

Yet according to Fichajes, the Portuguese is still a target for Atletico Madrid, as they look to take advantage of the situation.

The report names Bellingham as a “gamble” that the club could well take to replace their talismanic playmaker, with the 21-year-old thriving at Borussia Dortmund, just as brother Jude did previously.

Jobe has recently been named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the November internationals alongside his elder sibling, who he shares a similar profile with.

Despite Fichajes noting that “there is no evidence of an offer from United” just yet, however, the Red Devils were heavily invested in Jude Bellingham when he was on the move and could well take a similar interest in Jobe.

United offered £30 million for Jude when he was a Birmingham City youngster, as per Sky Sports, only for the player himself to choose the Bundesliga for his own development.

Jobe has had a similar path, moving from Birmingham to Sunderland before making the switch to Signal Iduna Park at the start of last season.

Bellingham is worth €40 million, according to Transfermarkt. Manchester United travel away to Liverpool when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

If there is ever a moment to enact a mid-season managerial change, the November international break is it.

Manchester United do not kick a ball again until November 22, presenting the Old Trafford hierarchy with an uninterrupted fortnight to recalibrate, install fresh ideas, and arrest what has been an alarmingly concerning start to the season.

But, by all accounts, they're not going to take the opportunity.

Mauricio Pochettino still interested in Manchester United job

On the pitch, the case for change has long ceased to be a debate. A return of just one win from ten Premier League matches under Michael Carrick is relegation form and the bottom three is where Man United find themselves.

The team looks passive, confidence is shot, and the trajectory is pointing downwards, even in the face of two improbable Old Trafford comebacks in the space of a week. Despite having a long-admired, elite manager reportedly receptive to an approach, Man United appear set to soldier on with Carrick. The reason, as is so often the case in modern football, may very well come down to money.

According to talkSPORT, Mauricio Pochettino remains open to the prospect of taking over at Old Trafford. The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss has been near the top of Man United’s wish list for nearly a decade, repeatedly identified as an ideal fit throughout the club's post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise.

The obstacle, however, lies in the United States as Pochettino is contracted to the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), having recently committed to an extension following their 2026 home World Cup.

Poaching him would require Man United to buy him out of that deal. In 2025, reports claimed that Pochettino’s USMNT contract contained a £20m break clause, a valuation corroborated by ESPN’s reporting that any release fee would sit comfortably in the "tens of millions."

Compounding that outlay is the compensation package that would be due to Carrick and his staff if the club chose to make a change. Less than 12 months ago, Manchester United dismissed Ruben Amorim, whose severance package cost the club an estimated £10m.

Under the scrutiny of the Premier League's Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules, and with INEOS tasked with trimming the operational budget, Man United’s hesitation is understandable. However, dressing up Carrick’s stay as an executive structure exercising patience with a long-term project is disingenuous. Sticking with the current coaching setup could easily be seen as a cost-saving exercise.

The danger is that short-term financial caution risks baking in long-term sporting problems. Ducking a payout today protects the club's bottom line, but missing out on European qualification or sliding into a genuine relegation dogfight will end up costing tenfold in lost prize money, reduced commercial clout and squad devaluation.

Pochettino has the authority and Premier League nous to reset Man United, and the November calendar gives them the cleanest possible runway to embed him, at least until the next international break in March, but that is too long into the season to salvage an ailing campaign.

Letting this window pass without making a change in the dugout has the potential to define Manchester United's 2026/27.

Manchester City, what is going on? If you block out the noise, it’s pretty straightforward. They sold Rodri, and they didn’t sign any full-backs.

That’s not the consensus. Sloppy defensive mistakes have critics suggesting players are losing focus, while Enzo Maresca’s post-game comments after City’s third straight Premier League defeat did nothing to quieten the murmurs that the guilty verdict is beginning to gnaw away at his team.

“Today I think [the problem] has been general,” Maresca said. “You need desire and intensity to win second balls and duels; you require intensity, or you struggle - and we didn’t match their intensity.”

Why Enzo Maresca is wrong

But Maresca is wrong - and so are the pundits claiming psychology is the root of City’s drop-off.

Yes, it’s still all about Rodri. We might be tired of saying it but that doesn’t make it any less true.

During his seven years at the club, Manchester City’s win ratio was 71.5% with Rodri and 62.3% without, losing 12.1% of games he played and 26.2% of games he didn’t.

His absence remains keenly felt and never more obviously than on Saturday, because he would have prevented all three Nottingham Forest goals.

City lack control in possession and are therefore vulnerable to clumsily giving the ball away and conceding high-quality chances, because they don’t have Rodri’s immaculate positioning or smart press-releasing passing around the corner. The way Forest pressed high from the outset tells us Oliver Glasner was well aware of this flaw.

It led to Aston Villa’s opener in the 2-1 defeat, when the ball was spread out to Marc Guehi – who miscontrolled a tough ball – because there was no Rodri-pass in the middle; then it happened again for the opener on Saturday, this time far more egregiously as Elliot Anderson quite literally turned his back on the play.

Anderson was unavailable for the first pass, which would have drawn in the Forest players and opened up a pass out wide, and was unavailable for the second pass, when Josko Gvardiol needed help:

The second and third Forest goals both resulted from missed interceptions by Anderson, who misjudged the move and anticipated the counter too slowly. It is difficult to imagine Rodri making either mistake:

Maresca’s possession football would look more controlled if he had Rodri (or, as at Chelsea, Moises Caicedo) offering a metronomic presence on and off the ball, helping build slowly out from the back while screening against counter-attacks.

And Maresca would have more control with actual full-backs on the pitch. The Rodri Problem is well documented, but rarely have Manchester City been called out for bizarrely deprioritising full-backs, a position Maresca has developed more than any other Premier League manager in recent times.

The way he deployed Marc Cucurella, Reece James, and Malo Gusto – often in multiple positions at once, switching seamlessly depending on the phase of play – was truly innovative, yet he arrived at City without specialists at left-back or right-back.

Gvardiol’s mistake for Forest’s opener probably would not have been made by Cucurella, while Gusto or James would have connected where Matheus Nunes swiped at the air ahead of Brighton’s winner. Moreover, in Maresca’s system proper full-backs would drift neatly into central midfield, covering the very gaps Anderson failed to control on Saturday.

It’s worth noting that City haven’t won the title since Pep Guardiola stopped playing at least one traditional full-back; Kyle Walker or Joao Cancelo (or both) were prominent in each of City’s four in a row.

Losing Rodri and failing to replace him has undermined Maresca. Failing to sign any full-backs has made a difficult task almost impossible.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been given a massive boost of three agreements all set to be signed.

The Gunners entered the season somewhat uncertainly with a squad that had lost the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus in attack – but after 10 Premier League fixtures, the champions are at the top of the table, five points clear, with nine of their 10 matches won.

With Arsenal looking to strengthen in attack in January, Arteta's side may well only be getting started, with more good news coming off the pitch.

Arsenal are nearing three huge agreements to be signed before the window opens

Perhaps the biggest signing that Arsenal have made throughout 2026 has been Arteta himself signing a new extension to remain in N5 until 2029.

And now, there are three more agreements in the works that the club are looking to get signed.

According to TEAMtalk, the contract extensions of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber are all “on course to be finalised” before 2027.

While there have been rumours of the Norwegian being a target for Bayern Munich, Odegaard has been integral to the rise and consistency of Arteta's side since assuming the captaincy in 2022/23, and this season has a renaissance in terms of his performances for the Gunners after returning from injury woes.

Odegaard scored the goal that won Arsenal the match against Hull City at the weekend, while Rice won Player of the Match last week against Liverpool, with an assist for Kai Havertz' winner.

Rice is still Arsenal's all-time record signing and has emerged as arguably the club's most important player in the last year or so, with Bukayo Saka playing less due to injury – even taking the captaincy in Odegaard's absence on occasion, too.

Timber, meanwhile, remains Arteta's first-choice right-back – despite the return to form of Ben White – and is still only 25 years old.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal are assessing the transfer market for a possible move in attack this winter, with Antonio Nusa high on the list of targets.

Arsenal travel away to Newcastle United when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

For the past 40 years, the tragedy of the 1985 European Cup final has often been reduced in mainstream British discourse to a single, monolithic headline: football hooliganism.

In Heysel ’85, director Teodora Mihai bypasses the familiar cliches of terrace culture to produce something which seeks to change the conversation surrounding the disaster. Coming from a documentary background, Mihai approaches the disaster not as a reflection of senseless violence, but as a study into institutional breakdown and the callous, self-preserving instincts of political power.

The film anchors its narrative through two parallel viewpoints. The principal perspective belongs to Marie Dumont (Violet Braeckman), the fictional press attaché and daughter to the Mayor of Brussels.

Heysel '85 offers a hard-hitting cinematic perspective on the stadium disaster

Braeckman, a polyglot who learned Italian specifically for the production, delivers a performance of quiet, escalating dread as she watches the veneer of civic competence crumble from within.

Operating on the other side of the crisis is Luca Rossi (Matteo Simoni), an Italian broadcast journalist reporting live from the ground while desperately trying to locate his father, uncle, and brother, all attending the match as Juventus supporters.

Early on, Mihai builds tension through procedural unease. Disorienting, fluid tracking shots wind through subterranean corridors, establishing a sense of foreboding long before the tragic events unfold. Shot in an empty hospital in Antwerp, the oppressive concrete hallways reflect the popular view that the Heysel Stadium, built in 1930, was run-down and unfit for a fixture of such magnitude by the mid-1980s, something which is referenced in the film.

The film avoids the trap of laying blame at the feet of ticket touts, generic mobs, or rowdy Liverpool supporters. It is deeply sympathetic to the ordinary fans caught up in the events of May 29, 1985, casting a forensic eye upward at the organisers.

UEFA executives, the local municipal government, and a fractured security apparatus are all painted in an unflattering light. The territorial friction between the municipal police and the Belgian Gendarmerie is laid bare; their reluctance and inability to share intelligence or coordinate chain-of-command turns an already combustible situation into an avoidable tragedy.

Nowhere is this administrative failure more grotesque than in the depiction of the Mayor of Brussels (played by Josse De Pauw). Portrayed as a sozzled, cowardly executive, his characterisation is rooted in historical reality. According to Braeckman, De Pauw knew the real-life mayor Hervé Brouhon, a figure regarding whom it was openly joked in local political circles that any serious decisions had to be made before 11am.

The film captures the hollow facade of authority dissipating in direct proportion to his alcohol intake. In one particularly telling sequence early on, Marie is dispatched to fetch the key to the stadium’s liquor cabinet so the mayor and his dignitaries can enjoy a proper drink. It is a bitterly ironic snapshot of municipal priorities just hours before 39 people would lose their lives.

When catastrophe strikes, the narrative strips away any remaining shred of civil propriety. Mihai’s documentary sensibilities ensure the integration of genuine, unaltered archive footage feels seamless rather than exploitative, anchoring the fictional protagonists in historical reality. While the Italian delegation emerges with a degree of grace and anguish, UEFA and local authorities retreat into corporate damage control, consumed entirely by liability, protocol, and the insistence that the match must still be played.

By refusing to take the easy narrative route of sensationalising terrace thuggery, Heysel ’85 delivers an important, unsettling reassessment of the catastrophe. It is an indictment of systemic cowardice that proves human lives were not lost merely to crowd surges, but to the arrogance of an establishment that abdicated responsibility long before kick-off - and, tellingly, never resigned in its wake.

Following its UK premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, Heysel ’85 will be released in UK cinemas on 20 November 2026, distributed by Icon Film Distribution.

Hansi Flick is a demanding, successful coach who doesn't often lose his cool, but his fury on Sunday evening was difficult to miss.

As Barcelona saw out a hard-fought 2-1 win against a characteristically stubborn Atletico Madrid side, Flick decided to freshen up his attack late on. Anthony Gordon’s number went up on the fourth official's board towards the end of the second half and the Englishman was spared the final few minutes.

Rather than sprinting off, the 25-year-old ambled towards the sideline at a leisurely pace. Flick, visibly enraged, began gesticulating frantically, shouting at the former Newcastle United winger to get off the pitch.

Anthony Gordon feels Hansi Flick's wrath

Flick’s anger was justified, though, both in terms of the individual match situation and the rulebook. In LaLiga, the Spanish federation (RFEF) strictly enforces IFAB’s Law 3, requiring substituted players to leave the pitch at the nearest exit point as quickly as possible.

Spanish officials have clamped down hard on dead time this season, meaning dawdling runs the needless risk of a booking for unsporting conduct.

But with Flick keen to see out the result, Gordon’s stroll ran the risk of Barcelona playing a man down at a crucial point in the game. Another of IFAB's rules states that if a player takes longer than 10 seconds to leave the field, the incoming substitute must wait.

Gordon did not take kindly to his manager's frustration, cutting a frustrated figure once he had eventually left the pitch.

The exchange captured the mood surrounding his start to life in Spain. Initial excitement has worn off, and been replaced by growing scepticism among supporters.

Catalan dailies Sport and Mundo Deportivo have both published critical assessments in recent weeks, openly questioning whether the former Everton man has the technical subtlety required for Spanish football. The recurring criticism in the local media is that Gordon is overly reliant on straight-line pace, struggling for solutions when confronted by opponents who sit deep and deny him space behind.

Supporters on social media have been similarly blunt. Compared to Lamine Yamal and Raphinha who regularly create danger in tight pockets, Gordon has on occasion looked isolated out wide, leading many Culers to question why the club spent heavily on an attacker whose skillset seems at odds with Barcelona's possession-heavy approach.

This will come with a sense of deja vu for Newcastle fans, who will recall the manner in which Gordon departed St James’ Park last season.

After his head was turned by interest from abroad in the spring, his sharpness and overall impact visibly dipped during the run-in. With his desire to leave made clear to the hierarchy, Eddie Howe ultimately took him out of the firing line, leaving him on the bench for the final weeks of the season. Newcastle and their supporters largely accepted the inevitability of the player's exit, and recouping £70 million for Gordon means there is an argument that the Tyneside club got the better end of the deal.

At Newcastle, Gordon had a tactical structure built around his relentless vertical running and pressing triggers, but at Spotify Camp Nou, the blueprint isn't being tailored to suit him. While Sunday’s flare-up with Flick was probably little more than a storm in a tea cup, it is a warning. Even though he has three goals and four assists in 15 outings for Barcelona so far, there is already a feeling - or perhaps even expectation - that he should be doing more.

There's an argument to be made that Steve McClaren is the most successful manager Middlesbrough have ever had.

McClaren led Middlesbrough to their first major trophy in the shape of the 2004 League Cup, before then leading them to the UEFA Cup final two years later - albeit they were ultimately thumped 4-0 by Sevilla.

But his departure to take the England job in 2006 was mourned by few fans - and his former goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, did not come away from his time working under McClaren with a positive impression either.

Schwarzer told FourFourTwo: "For the first two years, he did a lot of really good things.

"His ideas, his coaching and the change in professionalism were exactly what Middlesbrough needed.

"After that, it became more difficult. As he grew in confidence, his expectations changed.

"At times as a player, I felt I was blamed as the reason things weren’t going well, with very little self-reflection from the manager.

"The bigger his profile became and the more he was talked about as the next England boss, the harder it became.

"We won our first major trophy and got to a European final, but there were some very challenging times working under him.

"It was a combination of things. There was a lot of finger-pointing from the manager (McClaren) during games, but when I confronted him about it, he would deny it.

"That led to a complete breakdown of our relationship because I have a problem with people not telling the truth. If you’re not honest with me, then there’s no respect.

"I just felt that I couldn’t work with someone who was so disingenuous, dishonest and not man enough to have that conversation with me.

"There was a World Cup that year, so I needed to play football, and I felt my best opportunity to do that was away from the club.

"I don’t think the manager thought I would hand in a transfer request, so I called his bluff and showed him how serious I was.

"I eventually changed my mind because Steve Gibson became involved and was incredibly reluctant to sell me."

Fabian Hurzeler has Brighton & Hove Albion second in the Premier League with a starting XI that cost only £150 million against Brentford.

He’s inevitably being linked with wealthier clubs, even the theatre of chaos that is Manchester United, but Hurzeler is far too smart to jump ship yet. He’s only 33, building something special at Brighton, enhancing his reputation with every game, and knowing that other managers – like Graham Potter - have moved on and not always found the grass greener. Sussex by the Sea makes the perfect home for Hurzeler for now.

So he focuses on winning the Europa Conference League and qualifying for the Champions League. This will make Hurzeler in even more demand – and also aware that many of his ambitions can be met at Brighton. It’s certainly understandable why he will be on the lists of other clubs.

I’ve only had 10 minutes in his company once, a coffee and a chat on the balcony of the training ground restaurant (the food’s too good to call it a canteen) but it made a distinct impression. Hurzeler’s most striking quality, apart from looking even younger than 33, is his humility and willingness to listen while exuding total belief in his own convictions. He has a curiosity in people which adds to his man-management strengths.

Hurzeler’s slightness of frame belies a substantial aura. You quickly appreciate you are in the presence of somebody with powerful emotional intelligence as well as tactical nous easily expressed. Again, it is easy to see why players respond to him. The German had no playing background of note, basically Bayern Munich II and some Germany age-group games, but the players love his enthusiasm, clear thinking and decisiveness. His game plans are built around positivity, and players relish that. And there’s no way Manchester United players, some of them masters of the half-hearted press, could cope with his pressing demands.

It’s remarkable what his team are doing this season, doing great things without even Kaoru Mitoma, who hopes to return from a long-term hamstring issue after the international break. They’ve already played some of the toughest-looking fixtures: Chelsea and Liverpool away (their only losses of the season), Manchester City away (1-0 win) and Arsenal at home (3-0 win). The fixture computer must have sensed something when churning out Arsenal vs Brighton on the last weekend of the season. Brighton for the title might be a thought too far, given respective squad depths, but a Champions League place is certainly up for grabs.

Hurzeler is the right man in the right place at the right time. Everything at Brighton is set up for the head coach to succeed. The leadership of the club under Tony Bloom and Paul Barber is the best in the Premier League. If he went to any other club, Hurzeler would face a rebuild, residual issues, squad problems, tensions between assorted parts of the club, even a mutiny at United.

Bloom and Barber are steadfast in support. When Hurzeler came under pressure from a few fans during a run of only one win in 13 Premier League games last season, including a painful home loss to Crystal Palace, the board stood fully behind him.

Kudos goes to Bloom and his Jamestown Analytics talent-finders for their consistently high level of recruitment hits. “Nobody Does Data Better”, their website says. Bart Verbruggen has 12 clean sheets in 15 games this season. No wonder they let Carl Rushworth go to Coventry City. Verbruggen, who’s only 24, cost £16m from Anderlecht in 2023.

Pascal Gross is running games at 35. He cost only £1.5m when returning to Brighton in January. Luka Vuskovic is only 19 and fast maturing into one of the best, all-round centre-backs in the league. The Croatian cost what appeared a chunky £46m from Spurs this summer, but now looks great value.

On it goes, the successful Bloomers. Look at midfield. The Paraguayan Diego Gomez is scoring worldies, only 23, and only £11m from Inter Miami in January 2025. Yasin Ayari, the Swede who embodies Brighton’s press, cost only £3.5m from AIK in January 2023. The 21-year-old Spaniard Chema Andres cost only £15.5m from Stuttgart this September. He’s settled in quickly.

Ease of assimilation is helped by Brighton’s family feel, the thought that goes into the player’s arrival, looking after his family too, and the welcoming nature of homegrown players like Lewis Dunk and Jack Hinshelwood. The friendly Barber plays a vital role, too, in ensuring new signings settle.

Hove is a good area to live, the training facilities are impressive, and the ground is full of atmosphere. Newcomers also know that Brighton is a perfect launchpad for their ambitions, so they seize the opportunity. Everything is set up for players – and head coach – to succeed, and Hurzeler knows that.

For 16 years, football was Diego Demme's way of life. It took him from the lower leagues of German football to the heights of the Bundesliga and Serie A, where he helped RB Leipzig establish themselves among Europe's elite, and Napoli end a 33-year wait for the Scudetto.

But after suffering two serious head injuries in the space of four months, Demme faced a difficult choice: continue playing the sport he loved or risk jeopardising his health and his family's future. On September 23, the former Germany international announced his retirement from professional football.

"I retired because of the two head injuries I had in the last two years. That was a difficult time for me, and that’s why I decided to finish my career," Demme admitted to FourFourTwo. "I wanted to stop while I was healthy, and after the problems I had with my head injuries, I decided to not take any risk again on the field."

Diego Demme opens up on his decision to retire from professional football

After developing at Arminia Bielefeld and Paderborn, Demme helped Leipzig achieve two promotions, reach the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final and become Champions League regulars, before swapping the Bundesliga leaders for a Napoli side in crisis.

Demme helped Napoli win their first trophy in six years with the 2019/20 Coppa Italia before winning the 2022/23 Scudetto. After four and a half years in Italy, he returned to Germany in 2024, initially taking on the captaincy at Hertha Berlin. However, his homecoming soon turned into a nightmare.

On September 15, 2024, Demme took a knee to the chin during Hertha's 2–0 defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf. Although he initially continued playing, he subsequently experienced headaches, dizziness, and problems with his right eye.

Four months later, Demme was struck in the temple by a ball from close range during training, causing him to lose consciousness. The consequences lingered, with recurring headaches, dizziness, and psychological difficulties contributing to 27 missed matches across his final two seasons.

"It was a difficult situation. I felt very bad due to the concussions, and that was the first time I felt, ‘What the f**k is going on?' I couldn’t drive the car. I needed to be there for my kids, and I couldn’t. I have a wife and family, and the most important thing was to be there for them, so I felt it was better to stop football."

Despite attracting interest from Italian clubs including Empoli, Cesena, Catania and Sorrento, Demme decided against extending his playing career. Retirement, however, has hardly meant slowing down.

The 34-year-old is now running two Neapolitan pizzerias in Berlin, overseeing the construction of his house in Kleinmachnow and pursuing qualifications in padel coaching and sports massage. Above all, he is enjoying more time with his daughters, six-year-old Gia and three-year-old Ellie.

Nor has he abandoned competitive sport. Alongside training in boxing, grappling and mixed martial arts, Demme is returning to football with Plyrs United in the Icon League, the indoor small-sided competition founded by Toni Kroos and Elias Nerlich.

"I didn't want to join another club where I'd move due to the fact that my eldest daughter started school this summer, so I decided to stop. But now, I feel good again, and I feel like the old Diego before my injuries. I will play the Icon League because the physical risk isn't as much as a regular Bundesliga match."

From the Coppa Italia to the Scudetto, Demme has spent his career chasing football's greatest prizes. Now, he's found a reward that no trophy can match: the chance to grow old in good health and watch his daughters grow up.

As we approach the end of 2026, we're looking back to the World Cup with the usual mix of fondness and regret that tends to follow major summer tournaments. The new FourFourTwo quiz is all about the stadiums where the 104 matches of World Cup 2026 were played.

You might remember that these stadiums were rebadged under the auspices of FIFA for the duration of the tournament in June and July, but we know you know the cities so we're after their official names, sponsors and all.

There are 16 stadiums to list in total and we're giving you 30 seconds on average for each one. That's a total time limit of 8 minutes to catch 'em all.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. You can start with these questions about the streets football won't forget and these ones about the famous and historic football grounds of England.

Next, we want you to name every title sponsor in the history of the Football League Cup and every team competing in Europe this season. There are plenty of them and the Conference League, frankly, is borderline impossible.

If this season's 108 European clubs aren't enough, how about trying for 1,000+ in the all-time version. We'll keep it to the top competition: Can you name every team ever to participate in the league phase, group stage or first round of the Champions League?

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 77 features clues on tricks, trequartistas and Trents. Remember 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.

It's FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz time. We've put 90 seconds on the clock and loaded up 10 trivia questions to take a swing at.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Let's begin in the Premier League and ask you to name every team to have conceded eight goals or more in a Premier League match. That's a three-minute job and it's very manageable.

Still in England's top division and in the realm of famous historical matches and moments, we've selected some of our favourites and we want you to recognise each one from a photograph. Our Premier League Years picture quiz challenges you to tell us which season the shots were taken in.

Here's a fun one. We've chosen some legendary football managers from around the world and grabbed their managerial honours lists. That's all the information we're giving you in order to correctly identify each one.

Next, we're celebrating the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner by asking you to name every player who's matched his achievement by winning the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year.

Finally, can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season? There might be fewer than you think but most of them will get gettable.

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!

Watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona for free as La Liga's top two meet in a mouth-watering clash in the Spanish capital, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Atleti are on a seven-match winning run in La Liga and know another victory would see them leapfrog the champions at the summit.

Barcelona have been almost flawless in the league this season, with the defeat by Real Madrid in El Clasico a fortnight ago the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona online and from anywhere, including for FREE, in La Liga 2026/27.

Can I watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona for free?

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona will be shown for free in Brazil on CazeTV's YouTube Channel. You don't need an account or a subscription, just click the link above and start streaming.

Outside of Brazil? Use NordVPN to unblock your free stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona 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 NordVPN as the best service around...

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona on Premier Sports.

The game is live on Premier Sports 1, with kick-off at 8:00pm GMT.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona in the US

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona is live on ESPN in the US. Those looking for Spanish-language coverage should head to ESPN Deportes.

Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona in Australia

Viewers in Australia can stream Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona on beIN SPORTS. The game kicks-off at 7:00am AEDT on Monday, with coverage on beIN SPORTS 2.

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Preview

It should be quite an atmosphere at the Metropolitano as Atletico Madrid take on champions Barcelona, who are two points ahead of them at the top of La Liga.

Atleti have been in scintillating form in the league, winning seven successive games to start the weekend sandwiched between Barca and their city rivals Real Madrid. They have already beaten one of the El Clasico heavyweights here this season, seeing off Real 2-1 in September, and will believe they can repeat the trick tonight.

Diego Simeone will want a reaction from his team after they lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich at the Metropolitano in the Champions League in midweek, a result that ended their unbeaten home record this term.

The return of midfielder Johnny Cardoso means centre back Cristian Romero is Atleti's only absentee, as they hunt a first home league victory over Barca since October 2021.

SEE ALSO How to watch La Liga live streams from anywhere

Barcelona have been in imperious form this season and beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the Champions League in midweek, but Hansi Flick's side still have a point to prove.

Their only two defeats of the campaign came against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga, so despite racking up 13 wins and 60 goals in all competitions, they are yet to claim a statement victory.

That would change if they take all three points at the Metropolitano and Barca know what it takes to achieve that, having already beaten Atleti twice in Madrid in 2026.

However, they have already suffered a setback after influential midfielder Rodri injured his hamstring against Villa, ruling him out of the visit to his former club. Of the other injured players, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde appear to be closest to returning, with Dani Olmo, Roony Bardghji and Xavi Espart longer-term absentees.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

We expect Barca to edge a closely-fought contest thanks to their extra attacking quality.

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.

After being dubbed the ‘new Pele’ at the tender age of 14, Freddy Adu’s career would end up taking him to some unexpected places.

After becoming the youngest-ever player to appear in United States professional sports when he made his D.C. United debut in 2004, Adu had stints playing in Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey and Brazil over the next decade.

After a stint with Salvador-based Brazilian side Bahia ended, Adu’s next opportunity came at Blackpool, with the then-Championship side taking the American on trial in February 2014.

Adu on his Blackpool move

And while moving from the Brazilian summer to a Blackpool winter would be a culture shock to most, Adu looks back at his time with the Seasiders fondly.

“I had a good time there, it was great!” he tells FourFourTwo. “I was a free agent after Brazil, and Blackpool was cool!”

“I liked it there, I remember I really did enjoy my time there, being around those guys, but the football was really different, compared to what I was used to.”

Adu’s nomadic career to this point had seen him adapt to plenty of new surroundings, but he admits that the rough-and-tumble style of a second-tier English side was something new to him.

“It was more direct and very physically demanding, so my style of play didn’t exactly mesh with the team,” he admits.

Blackpool would decide against offering Adu a contract, but would allow him to continue training with the club as Adu looked for his next opportunity.

After stints training in Norway and the Netherlands, he would sign with Serbian side FK Jagodina in July 2014, in a move that again didn’t work out for him.

“I went to Serbia and just played the one game, I was only there for about six months,” Adu continues. “At that point in my career, I just needed to try to get somewhere, get some playing time and get my love for soccer back again. It didn’t end up happening over there, I wasn’t happy there.

“They sell you this story but you get there and things are completely different, so I was just trying to bide my time and get out of there.

"Hindsight isn’t 20/20, but there are a lot of decisions I would have made differently, as far as teams go, if I had that opportunity.”

Watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa for FREE and from anywhere as this week's Super Sunday clash takes us to Old Trafford

Want to watch the game live from anywhere? FourFourTwo provides you with all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Manchester United host Aston Villa in a mouthwatering clash at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils came from two goals down in midweek to end their nine-match streak without a win, as Michael Carrick buys himself some more time in the dugout.

Unai Emery's Villa have been hot and cold of late, beating Manchester City, before drawing with Fulham and losing in Barcelona.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa in the Premier League, online and from anywhere.

Watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa for FREE

Live coverage in the States is on USA Network and this is available for free thanks to YouTube TV, which currently comes with a 21-day free trial for new customers.

Fubo and DirecTV Stream also carry the service and offer 5-day free trials.

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

Watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa 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 Man Utd vs Aston Villa in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Man Utd 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 4:30pm GMT.

How to watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa in the US

Man Utd vs Aston Villa is live on USA Network in the US.

Can't access your USA Network stream? Use Proton VPN to watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa on the service from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Man Utd vs Aston Villa in Australia

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

Tickets

Man Utd vs Aston Villa: Preview

Manchester United earned a morale-boosting victory after coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Red Devils had the impetus of youngster Shea Lacey and the goals of Matheus Cunha to thank, although the latter was sent off in the win.

Harry Maguire paired Ayden Heaven at the back again as injuries continue to plague United's backline.

Benjamin Sesko is out until the new year, so we expected Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo to lead the line.

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

Villa didn't recreate the same success as United as they went down 3-0 to European powerhouse Barcelona.

Lamine Yamal and a brace from former Leeds man Raphinha means Unai Emery must once again galvanise his players in the north-west.

The Villans went down 3-1 in an end-of-season contest last year at the Theatre of Dreams, and they haven't won at the home of United since 2021.

Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri, Matty Cash and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all set to miss out.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Man Utd 1-2 Aston Villa

FourFourTwo thinks Villa will win this one, with Nicolas Jackson getting in on the act.

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.

After spending more than a decade in the English game, former Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs decided he was up for a new challenge in 2021.

This saw the 10-time England international head across the Atlantic, where he signed for Inter Miami, in a move that saw him experience and embrace an entirely different footballing culture.

For Gibbs, the opportunity to work with David Beckham and Phil Neville would prove to be a key factor in his decision to up sticks, as was the chance to play a part in a league that was clearly growing.

Gibbs on his MLS move

After spending his whole career in English football, Gibbs was keen to try something new, as he recalls the circumstances that lead to his decision to move across the Atlantic.

“I felt like I wanted to try something new and different,” Gibbs tells FourFourTwo. “Once I spoke to David Beckham and Phil Neville, the game in the US and how much it’s growing appealed to me. There’s a lot of opportunities here. I’d always wanted to play in a different country.”

Gibbs would enjoy two seasons playing in Miami before hanging up his boots in 2022, but remains settled in Florida to this day.

“I’m glad that I picked here because it feels like home now,” he continues. “I go back to the UK when I can, but I’m very settled here. “I’m very grateful that I got to play football in another country and experience a different league.”

And while Gibbs clearly has no regrets over this move, he concedes there were initial challenges when he made the move.

“I knew it was going to be a physical game,” he admits. “People mentioned the travel, but I didn’t think that was going to be quite so difficult.

“The heat in Miami is tough as well, when you’re playing through the summer. When I moved here in July, I struggled to adapt to that.”

Gibbs also remains excited about the future of the MLS, believing that last summer’s World Cup will help the sport to continue to grow in the United States.

“It’s a growing league and there’s a lot more to come from MLS over the coming years. The World Cup this year could be a springboard for the future.

“The game has come a long way since the last World Cup here in 1994, when MLS hadn’t even been founded, so it’s still a very young sport. That’s why I’m excited to be here. I want to see how we can keep transforming the game.”

Watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth from anywhere as the Cherries look to continue their good run of form at Portman Road.

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

Ipswich Town and Bournemouth meet in East Anglia today in the Premier League in one of four 2pm kick-offs.

The Tractor Boys have lost just once at home this season, but face a Bournemouth side who have won their last seven in all competitions.

FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth.

Watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth.

The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can make 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 Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth in the UK

Sky Sports is showing Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth in the UK, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket.

Plans start at £35/month for new customers, with existing subscribers able to add Sky Sports to their package for £22/month.

Kick-off is at 2:00pm GMT.

How to watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth on Peacock, with kick-off at 9:00am ET.

Peacock Premium plans start at $12.99 a month and will get you a multitude of Premier League games across the season.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to unblock your stream of Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth on Peacock.

How to watch Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth in Australia

Australia-based fans can stream Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth on Stan Sport.

Stan Sport comes in at just $29.99/month and includes every Premier League and Champions League game.

Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Monday morning.

Tickets

Ipswich Town vs Bournemouth: Preview

Ipswich Town come into this one 14th in the Premier League table and off the back of a spirited 2-2 draw with Hull City last weekend.

That's now two draws on the spin for the Tractor Boys, who are hoping above all to do enough to remain in England's top flight once again this season.

Four players currently lead the scoring charts: Leif Davis, Julio Enciso, Emersonn and Zian Flemming, who all boast two goals apiece.

Gary O'Neil will need to see much more from his side if they are to beat Bournemouth, but they do boast a fresher spell since their last game, given the Cherries' European travel in midweek.

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

Bournemouth are four from four in the Europa League and are continuing their upward trajectory after a slow start to the new season.

Marco Rose's men are on a run of seven consecutive wins after sweeping aside Czech outfit Sparta Prague 3-1 in midweek.

Currently eighth in the Premier League, they could climb as high as fifth with a win, should results elsewhere go their way this weekend.

Alex Scott, Juanlu Sanchez, Julian Araujo and Alex Toth all remain sidelined for the Cherries.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Ipswich Town 1-3 Bournemouth

Bournemouth's attacking trio of Evanilson, Rayan and Justin Kluivert have all been fantastic of late, and we think a goal from each in a resounding win at Portman Road.

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

During his 22-year playing career, Javier Zanetti turned out more than 1,000 times for club and country.

The Argentina and Inter Milan great shared a dressing room with some of the greatest players of his generation and played under some of the game’s most influential coaches.

Few, however, left quite the same impression as Marcelo Bielsa, who handed Zanetti 52 international caps during his six-year spell in charge of Argentina.

Zanetti on Bielsa's impact

Bielsa’s reputation for demanding the highest level of commitment from his players is well-documented, but for Zanetti, the former Leeds United manager’s eccentric methods went way beyond mere tactics and training sessions.

"He is a manager who knows how to get the absolute best out of his players,” Zanetti tells FourFourTwo. That was true for me, and it has been true for so many others.”

For Zanetti, what sets Bielsa apart from other elite coaches is his ability to connect on a much deeper, more meaningful level.

“He has a way of reaching something deep inside you, of reigniting that pure love of the game you had as a kid,” he continues.

“It was a wonderful six years working with him with the national team."

During that time, Zanetti’s international career began to flourish, with the defender able to benefit from playing under Bielsa for a sustained period.

A year after Bielsa left the Argentina job, a new era was ushered in when Lionel Messi made his debut in a 2005 friendly against Hungary.

Over the next seven years, Zanetti and Messi would share a pitch for Argentina 37 times, giving the Inter Milan star the opportunity to get a front-row seat for the accession of one of the game’s all-time greats.

“I was lucky enough to play alongside him for six or seven years with Argentina, right at his peak, and when he was just breaking into the national team,” Zanetti adds.

“He could, and still can, produce something that nobody sees coming. Quite simply, the greatest player who ever lived.”

Watch Brighton vs Brentford from anywhere as the Seagulls look to continue their excellent start to the Premier League season against another in-form side. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Third-place Brighton reasserted their credentials as a contender for Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win at Manchester City last weekend.

Brentford have also made an impressive start to the campaign and cemented their position in the top half with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest eight days ago.

FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brighton vs Brentford in the Premier League, online from anywhere.

Watch Brighton vs Brentford from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Brighton vs Brentford is on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that sets 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. Plus they have a MEGA Black Friday deal right now:

How to watch Brighton vs Brentford in the UK

Brighton vs Brentford is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

You can watch the Premier League game on Sky Sports+, with kick-off at 2:00pm GMT.

Outside the UK? Unlock your Brighton vs Brentford stream on Sky Sports via Proton VPN.

How to watch Brighton vs Brentford in the US

Peacock is the US broadcaster for Brighton vs Brentford, which kicks-off at 9:00am ET.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to unblock your stream of Brighton vs Brentford on Peacock.

How to watch Brighton vs Brentford in Australia

Australia-based fans can stream Brighton vs Brentford on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Monday.

Not in Australia? Proton VPN will unblock your Stan Sport stream of Brighton vs Brentford.

Tickets

Brighton vs Brentford: Preview

Brighton have arguably been the story of the Premier League season — and they added a glorious chapter to that passage with last Saturday's 1-0 win at Manchester City.

It means the Seagulls have now beaten the two title favourites without conceding a goal, having crushed champions Arsenal 3-0 in September, while they started the weekend as the league's highest scorers (24 goals) and boasting its' second-meanest defence (just seven conceded).

Fabian Hurzeler's men take on Brentford less than 72 hours after a 1-0 away win over Spanish side Getafe in the Conference League, so the German manager could rotate his side.

He may also have Ferdi Kadioglu back from injury, with Femi Azeez and Pascal Struijk also closing in on their return to action.

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

No team has tasted defeat fewer times in the Premier League than Brentford this season, with the Bees beaten just once in the top flight this term.

The Bees start the weekend five points behind Brighton and they would be even closer had they turned some of their five draws into wins, with last Saturday's 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest just their third triumph of the campaign.

That may change now last season's top goalscorer Igor Thiago appears to have rediscovered his form, with the Brazilian finding the net in each of the past two games.

Brentford have no fresh injury concerns, but Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva are not expected to be available until after the international break.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brighton 2-1 Brentford

This should be a fantastic game to watch, with the Seagulls just shading it.

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

Watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool for FREE from anywhere as the Eagles look to repeat last season's feat against the Reds with a home win.

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

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage looks increasingly likely to become the first Premier League manager to be sacked in 2026/27. Their tally of seven points is generous given the performances we've seen, and things could get even worse on Sunday against Liverpool.

The Reds haven't had an ideal week, suffering two defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbahçe, but will face a team that couldn't be more out of form. Andoni Iraola will be keen to see his side secure a comfortable win.

Both sides will be looking to climb the Premier League table in this one, as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool online today.

Can I watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool for free?

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool is being broadcast for free in Brazil on CazeTV's YouTube channel.

You don't need an account, just find the live stream and watch away.

Away from Brazil? Get a VPN to access the stream and boom — free access to the encounter at Selhurst Park.

Watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool from anywhere

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

The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can make 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 Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in the UK

Sky Sports is showing Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in the UK, with live coverage on Sky Sports Main Event.

Kick-off is at 2:00pm GMT.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool on Peacock, with kick-off at 9:00am ET.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to unblock your stream of Crystal Palace vs Liverpool on Peacock.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Liverpool in Australia

Australia-based fans can stream Crystal Palace vs Liverpool on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Monday morning.

Tickets

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool: Preview

Crystal Palace's dull start to the season continued with yet another defeat last weekend, this time going down 2-0 at Tottenham on Halloween weekend.

Jean-Phillippe Mateta was also sent off in North London and will miss Liverpool's visit.

Adam Wharton was then dismissed against Hoffenheim in midweek, but the England international will be available to face the Reds in this one with that card only applying to European fixtures.

Eddie Nketiah is likely to lead the attack, while Ismaila Sarr will miss out again with his groin injury.

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

Liverpool were poor value in their 3-2 loss in Turkey in Tuesday's early kick-off and will have been disappointed to have come away empty-handed.

Late strikes from Archie Brown and Vedat Muriqi meant it was Dirk Kuyt's men who claimed a vital Champions League victory.

That loss for Liverpool followed the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal, and Iraola must now galvanise his side to go again at Selhurst Park.

Ryan Gravenberch remains 50/50, with Jeremie Frimpong also still expected to be out until after the November international break.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool

Liverpool's star man Alexander Isak found the net in midweek and we feel he will do so again in a win for the Reds.

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

Watch Sunderland vs Chelsea for free as the Blues head north to face the Premier League's current basement boys. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Sunderland and Chelsea meet in one of four 2pm Premier League kick-offs today in the Premier League.

A bumper Sunday selection, Xabi Alonso's side will be hoping to continue the current misery the Black Cats are facing, having posted just one win in nine thus far.

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

Watch Sunderland vs Chelsea for FREE

Live coverage in the States is on USA Network, and this is available for free thanks to YouTube TV, which currently comes with a 21-day free trial for new customers.

Outside the US? Use Proton VPN to access your free Sunderland vs Chelsea stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Sunderland vs Chelsea from anywhere

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

The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can make 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 Sunderland vs Chelsea in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Sunderland vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports. The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League.

Sky packages including the Sports channels start at £35/month while existing subscribers can add the channels from £22/month.

How to watch Sunderland vs Chelsea in the US

As mentioned above, Sunderland vs Chelsea is live on USA Network in the US.

This is a linear channel, so you will need a cord-cutting package. YouTube TV (21-day free trial), DirecTV Stream (5-day free trial), Hulu+Live TV (3-day free trial) and Sling Blue all carry the channel.

How to watch Sunderland vs Chelsea in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Sunderland vs Chelsea live on Stan Sport.

Stan Sport comes in at just AU$29.99 and arrives with access to every Premier League and Champions League game.

Tickets

Sunderland vs Chelsea: Preview

Sunderland will be looking to end their worrying run of form when they welcome Chelsea to the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon, with Régis Le Bris' side facing a difficult challenge.

The Black Cats have endured a difficult few weeks domestically and currently sit bottom of the table with just five points from their opening nine matches. Their latest outing saw them suffer a disappointing 3-1 defeat away at Coventry City.

Thursday's 2-0 home defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League will have done little to improve the mood around Wearside either.

There is, however, reason for optimism. Sunderland completed a league double over Chelsea last season, winning 2-1 both at Stamford Bridge and the Stadium of Light. They will need to rediscover that level of performance if they are to take anything from Sunday's encounter.

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

Chelsea, meanwhile, arrive in considerably better shape and will be looking to build on their impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester United last weekend. Xabi Alonso's side have collected 16 points from their opening nine league fixtures and currently sit fourth in the table.

The Blues have demonstrated plenty of attacking quality this season, scoring 19 goals in the league so far, thanks in no small part to the performances of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers.

Alonso will nevertheless be encouraged by his side's response against United, with a clean sheet and two goals providing a timely boost ahead of their trip to the North East.

Reece James, João Pedro, Maxence Lacroix and Jamie Gittens are expected to be unavailable. Emiliano Martínez has returned to training following a fractured jaw, while Estevao could be inline for some more minutes following a scintilating display last weekend.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Sunderland 0-3 Chelsea

An easy success for the Blues on Wearside.

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

Watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County for free in an FA Cup 2026/27 First Round tie featuring two teams separated by four divisions. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Wanderers are aiming to continue their FA Cup fairy-tale after reaching the First Round Proper for the first time in their 166-year history.

The Isthmian League Premier Division outfit could hardly have asked for a better draw, as League One high-fliers Stockport County - who start the weekend 112 places above the Wands in the pyramid - visit Flamingo Park.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County in the FA Cup 2026/27 First Round online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County for free?

Yes! UK viewers can watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County live and for free on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

You must be a UK resident and have a valid TV licence to access BBC iPlayer. If you do, just sign up online and you're good to go!

Outside the UK? You need a VPN to access your free Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

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

How to watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County in the UK

As mentioned above, Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County will be shown live and for free on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

TNT Sports and streaming partner HBO Max will also broadcast the game, with coverage on TNT Sports 3. Kick-off is at 2:15pm GMT.

Travelling outside the UK? You need a VPN to access your TNT Sports stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County in the US

Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County is live on ESPN Select in the US, with kick-off at 9:15am ET.

Not in the US? Access your usual ESPN Select stream with a VPN.

Can I watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County in Australia?

Stan Sport holds the rights for the FA Cup Down Under, but won't show Cray Wanderers vs Stockport.

UK resident in Australia? Watch Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County on BBC iPlayer with a VPN.

Cray Wanderers vs Stockport County: Preview

Cray Wanderers' First Round tie against Stockport County is what the FA Cup is all about, as the seventh-tier side host a team who start the weekend 112 places above them in the English pyramid.

The South East London club have already played seven games in this season's competition, having needed replays to progress through three of their four qualifying round ties. They beat Bedford Town on penalties in the previous round to reach the First Round Proper for the first time in their 166-year history.

It has already been an unforgettable campaign for the Wands, who sit 18th in the Isthmian League Premier Division - although their cup run means they have as many as seven games in hand on some of the teams above them.

Their 2,500-capacity Flamingo Park home will be in high spirits for the visit of Stockport, as they eye what would surely be the greatest result in their history.

SEE ALSO How to watch FA Cup 2026/27

County play the role of villains in this cup fairy-tale and if they are at their best they should progress with little fuss. The Hatters are second in League One, having finished third in each of the past two seasons, and look set to challenge for promotion again.

Stockport manager Jimmy McNulty is unlikely to underestimate Cray, having spent the last three seasons managing Rochdale in the National League before moving on in the summer.

Similarly, Hatters fans will know not to be complacent after a six-year spell in National League North - just one league above their opponents - between 2013 and 2019.

Stockport boast several top League One players, including Oliver Norwood, Lewis Bate and Kyle Wootton, although it remains to be seen if McNulty rests his stars with promotion the priority this season.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Cray Wanderers 0-3 Stockport County

This promises to be a great occasion for Wanderers, but County should have more than enough quality to progress.

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

The tug of war between supporters and football's power brokers has never felt more strained than it does at this very moment. Club owners, commercial interests, TV companies and even the man that runs FIFA seem to be pulling the sport away from the people who make it truly matter. It's time to tug back, then, as we unveil FourFourTwo's plan to reclaim the beautiful game for the fans...

Tickets

1. Lower ticket prices

FFT editor James Andrew explains why something must be done about the cost of entry to football:

Back in 2001, you could go to the supermarket and buy a loaf of bread for 51p, plus a pint of milk for 37p, then stop off and have a pint in the pub for £1.90. You could also take a family of four to watch my team Fulham play a Premier League game at Craven Cottage for £80. That's £80 in total, not each.

Fast forward 25 years and that bread has risen by 175 per cent to £1.40, a pint of milk is now 65p, up 76 per cent, and a pint is £5.50 – an increase of 189 per cent. Inflation has hit everyone, but still nothing comes close to the way the cost of going to football has risen. This season, sitting in the Johnny Haynes Stand for a Fulham match would cost £332 for those same four tickets, an increase of 315 per cent.

Across the Premier League, prices have risen exponentially, squeezing a lot of fans out of the game – even though those rises are a choice for clubs, not a necessity. Typically, matchday income generates seven to 15 per cent of total club revenue, depending on stadium size and pricing. Higher ticket prices yield only £2m or £3m in extra income for the top clubs. In an era dominated by exorbitant transfer fees and colossal wage bills, that's loose change.

Some fans also feel clubs favour one-time ‘tourist' visitors over local, loyal supporters. From the club's perspective, there's a higher chance they'll spend money in the club shop, and buy food and drink in the ground. A regular fan might stay in the pub until just before kick-off. But that outlook is short-termism.

The Covid pandemic and football being played behind closed doors resulted in us being told “football without fans is nothing”, but have clubs learned that lesson? If you price out fans who've been going for years, you lose the atmosphere that the ‘tourists' have travelled to experience – it's lose-lose.

Added to that, any of the bottom 10 clubs could be relegated during a bad season, then they could find themselves in a situation where long-term fans have been priced out and pissed off, but the ‘tourists' don't want to go to a Championship game on a Tuesday night.

So what's the solution? One success story in the Premier League in recent years has been the £30 cap on ticket prices for away fans. If that was replicated in the home stands – even at, say, £40 for adults – it could keep ticket prices affordable.

Another idea is to take the lead from Whitney Houston, who sang: “I believe the children are our future.” If you want to ensure young fans are experiencing football from the stands rather than on TV, you need to protect family areas inside the grounds and keep tickets both affordable and accessible.

Every fan will have their own personal breaking point. If the cost of football continues to rise like it has done over the past quarter of a century, it's scary to think what the stands may look like in 2051.

Kick-off times

2. Less messing about with kick-off times

Opinions on whether to scrap the Saturday 3pm TV blackout remain divided – when we polled supporters, around a quarter wanted it to stay, fearing the impact that lifting it could have on attendances and finances below the Premier League. While it remains in place, inevitably some kick-off times will move, but choices could be more considerate, particularly for away fans travelling long distances.

Do we really need games at 8pm on a Saturday? Was it fair on Cardiff supporters for their game at Middlesbrough to be moved to 12.30pm? And how many TV viewers was Crawley vs Cheltenham really pulling in on the red button, as one of seven EFL games played at lunchtime recently, to make it worth inconveniencing fans who actually wanted to go? Arguably, the 3pm blackout rule could be tweaked so it only applies to the top two divisions.

Mascots

3. Stop clubs charging kids to be mascots

Last term, Peter Crouch accompanied his heroes onto the pitch as one of the pre-game mascots at non-league Farnham Town. OK, he was 44, and the whole thing was a fantasy football forfeit, but did Farnham charge him? No, they did not.

Being a mascot is a day a kid never forgets, but some clubs have decided there's money to be made from it. At Crystal Palace, silver and gold packages range from £255 to £520, making it difficult for less privileged families. At all clubs, it should be free.

Social media

4. Halt social media abuse

The online world is increasingly becoming the wild west – made-up quotes, made-up transfer rumours from faceless accounts, it's hard to tell what's real and what isn't. Even more serious is the vitriol aimed at footballers online – time and again, players are complaining of the most awful comments being directed at them, with racism worryingly prevalent.

Social media companies must do more to deal with it, and create an environment where it's harder for these things to happen in the first place.

The FA Cup

5. Move FA Cup semi-finals from Wembley

An FFT poll previously showed that fans were overwhelmingly in favour of switching the FA Cup semi-finals to different venues – it's one of several factors that has devalued the final itself and affected the competition's historic reputation.

While we're at it, the final should be after the end of the Premier League season, and replays should be reintroduced – at least for the first and second rounds, given it was top-flight teams who wanted the change. Force everyone in hospitality at Wembley to get back to their seats for the start of the second half, too…

Agents

6. Reduce agent fees

Between February 2025 and February 2026, FA data suggested clubs in the top five divisions of English football shelled out a huge £548m in fees to agents.

Transfer fees are equally obscene, but at least that money is helping other clubs and circulates around the pyramid – that's not the case when money goes to agents.

Commentators

7. No prepared commentary

How did Sam Matterface respond to Marcus Rashford's goal against Croatia at the World Cup? By quoting lyrics from Ella Langley song Choosin' Texas, that he absolutely in no way had written down beforehand and intended to use no matter who scored and how the goal went in. The game was in Dallas, get it?

He's not the only one who does it – commentators have to prepare for games, of course, but give us facts, not cringy pre-rehearsed lines.

VAR

8. Abolish VAR

Chris Nee outlines why enough is enough and video technology must go:

This October, Brighton's Pascal Struijk was sent off for the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity against Sunderland. Four days later, the defender's red card and suspension were overturned.

Struijk's collision with Wilson Isidor wasn't even given as a foul by the referee until he was called over for a VAR review, and a red card followed. The details of the incident don't matter as much as the implications. Not for the first time, a referee made a decision that was later determined adequate, yet overturned it in a VAR intervention. That VAR is undoing correct decisions proves it is getting involved when it was never meant to.

A decade into football's doomed video review experiment, it's easy to forget that almost every decision made by referees is subjective and any pursuit of fact in a game of interpretation is utterly futile. The major miscarriages of justice VAR was supposed to prevent are rare.

But the best reason to scrap VAR outright isn't to do with accuracy or margins, nor lines or toenails offside, but the ruinous effect that it's having on the sport. Even if the process could be deployed perfectly and quickly – it can't – the imperative to review every goal for an unnoticed infringement is detrimental to the way supporters experience football.

VAR has stripped the moments that matter of their elation, torn asunder the fabric of the offside law and turned handball into a farce. That such law tweaks have been allowed to leak into competitions that don't even use VAR is a practical result of a philosophical blunder; football was designed to be simple and universal.

Video reviews created a different code and it's time the authorities recognised that it's an inferior one. Football is a distorted game under the VAR regime – a game in which a goal might not be a goal, a yellow card might be a red card, offside might be ignored for 30 yards of play before being ruled by millimetres.

This damage was inflicted for the wrong reasons and VAR has been clamped onto the game with total disregard for what makes it special. There's no upside, and no solution.

Forget improvements. This isn't going to be fixed because it can't be fixed. Its flaws are inherent and they're fundamentally anathema to football. There's only one decision that needs to be overturned, and it's the biggest VAR decision of all.

Owners

9. Crack down on rogue owners

Football's fit and proper person test is a thorny business. When owners go rogue, authorities are criticised for allowing them to buy the club in the first place, although sometimes when you look back to the time of purchase, there was no legal reason to disqualify them, and the same fans were urging the authorities to approve the takeover quickly – either to get rid of the previous owner, or get hold of cash for transfers.

Things often go wrong after the purchase instead – the club doesn't succeed on the field, the owner is criticised, falls out with fans, petulantly takes his or her ball home, then a financial crisis ensues. What's needed is a better solution when that happens – often, such crises drag on for far too long, causing untold damage to the club and the people who work there. Greater mechanisms are required so authorities can quickly remove an owner when they don't pay wages or meet responsibilities to their club.

EFL Trophy

10. Remove U21 teams from the EFL Trophy

It's a decade since the competition was revamped to include underage teams, largely from Premier League clubs – that inclusion remains as unpopular as ever among EFL fans, who feel disrespected that their own senior team must play an under-21 side.

This September, just 278 people watched Bromley face Brentford's U21s – last month, Richarlison scored for Spurs' U21s at Cheltenham, which we're not sure was entirely the idea of the whole thing. At least an U21 team has never reached the final – one end of Wembley being almost entirely empty would be a bad look.

Half and half scarves

11. Ban half and half scarves

Presumably someone, somewhere, is buying them, otherwise people wouldn't keep making them, but the entire industry is a mystery. Why would you want to hold up a scarf during a game bearing the name of the opposition? You might as well sing their club anthem and cheer for their goals while you're at it – come on, people, we're better than this.

Football isn't a gentle day out at the tennis, and even then no-one ever sold Federer and Nadal half and half scarves – largely because it was summer and 30 degrees, but that's beside the point. When we polled fans, 91.6 per cent said there was no situation in which half and half scarves were ever acceptable.

Replica shirts

12. Reduce the cost of replica shirts

If you wanted to buy an England shirt for the World Cup this summer, it would have set you back £90 for a replica, or £135 if you wanted one “with the same fit and performance as your favourite national team player”. For the 2010 tournament, a replica cost £45; even that felt a lot at the time. Prices have become silly – instead of charging so much just for a shirt, maybe add an extra fee for anyone who buys a full adult replica kit and wears it out and about, to really deter the full-kit wankers.

Franchise clubs

13. Refuse more franchise clubs

More than two decades on, has Wimbledon's move to Milton Keynes ever been forgiven by fans around the country? No, and it never will be – not least because MK Dons still play in a stadium that's half-full at best, with among the EFL's worst atmospheres. In Scotland, there was controversy when Clydebank were bought out and moved to Airdrie in 2002, after the original Airdrieonians went out of business.

There has been talk recently that Vancouver Whitecaps, who made last year's MLS Cup final, could move to Las Vegas – no community should ever lose their club in such fashion.

Financial rules

14. Sort out the mess of financial rules

Chris Flanagan analyses the Manchester City scandal – and how to stop it being repeated:

When new regulations are released in sport, esteemed Formula 1 pundit Martin Brundle often says that people read them once to understand them, then a second time to figure out how they can get around them.

Once football's Financial Fair Play and Profit & Sustainability rules were introduced in the early 2010s, it was inevitable that some clubs would try to find workarounds by bending or breaking the rules. The same has happened in other sports.

Manchester City's guilty verdict in September plunged English football into arguably the biggest crisis of its long history – never before had the legitimacy of several league titles been thrown into question. Clearly, their case merits stern sanctions – as punishment for the unfair advantage gained, and as a deterrent. A plea sometimes made in these situations is ‘Won't you think of the fans? They don't deserve to be punished.' It's true to an extent, but did supporters of other clubs not suffer because of City's rule-breaking?

Once their situation has been resolved, English football needs to think seriously about the best way forward. City's has been the most extreme case, but they're far from the only club to have broken financial rules over the past 15 years. Of the Premier League champions during that period, Chelsea also did so – even Leicester, who exceeded the permitted loss en route to promotion from the Championship two seasons before their shock 2016 triumph.

The list of other clubs to have broken the rules is long: Nottingham Forest, Everton, Bournemouth when they were promoted to the top flight for the first time, and plenty more across the English leagues. Did some gain a lasting advantage over others who obeyed the rules – an advantage that outweighed the punishments they were handed?

Only three teams have won the Premier League title in that period without breaking domestic financial rules at some stage – Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United – hence why the solution is complex.

Arguably, the punishment for any club that breaches financial rules should be so draconian that no-one ever does it again. Otherwise, in any given season, how do we know who's cheating and who isn't? Are we all living a lie?

On the other hand, do the Premier League's rules mean only the three biggest clubs can actually win the title without eyebrows being raised? Would Blackburn have been able to win it today? Should smaller teams be prevented from ‘buying' success, or does that take away a dream for 95 per cent of clubs? That's before we consider other side effects we've seen because of the rules, like clubs effectively being encouraged to sell popular homegrown stars, as they count as ‘pure profit'.

Whatever your view on financial regulations – and it may depend on the size of the club you support – the City situation has been awful for football. Sorry, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Brendan Rodgers, the team you managed didn't win the title – or maybe it did, who really knows any more? Either way, it's really not a whole lot of use to them now. Those seasons are long gone.

If financial rules are to stay, we can't have more cases where we're investigating things that happened a decade ago, where it takes years to reach a verdict. Clubs who are cheating must be caught in real time, in the season it happens, so we can be totally sure the right teams are celebrating in May, or the regulations will forever doom the domestic game to an array of asterisks.

As it is, we've ended up with the biggest mess English football has ever seen. If clubs start suing over it, where does it end? In a situation like this, ultimately, nobody wins.

TV

15. Fewer TV subscriptions

If you like watching a variety of football, you'll need a subscription to Sky (Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership, WSL), TNT (Premier League, European games, FA Cup), Amazon Prime (Champions League, some internationals), Premier Sports (Scottish Premiership, La Liga), Disney+ (Women's Champions League, La Liga), DAZN (National League), Apple (MLS) and others too.

Who can afford all that? Laws stop one TV company from holding a monopoly, but it's cheaper for fans if fewer channels hold the rights. More free-to-air football would help – the return of occasional EFL games to ITV has been good, but last season was the first time TNT didn't offer the Champions League final for free on their YouTube channel. Gabriel Magalhaes was probably grateful…

Parachute payments

16. Solve parachute payment issues

The intention was to prevent clubs from immediately being in financial trouble when they're relegated from the Premier League, but it's created another problem. As top-flight TV money has risen and risen, so have parachute payments, which has handed relegated clubs an even bigger advantage over the rest of the Championship.

As a result, clubs without parachute payments feel they have no choice but to spend beyond their means to compete – some end up in financial trouble. Talks have been held for some time between the Premier League and EFL as they've sought a better solution.

Yellow cards

17. No yellow cards for celebrations

If you ever stick the ball in the onion bag during a professional game, having worked all your life to get to that point, don't get too excited or, heaven forbid, show any indication you're enjoying yourself. Instead, pull this checklist out of your socks. Don't: take your shirt off. Don't: hug the fans. Don't: run the length of the field and celebrate in front of the away fans at the Etihad, particularly if your name's Emmanuel Adebayor, even though it was funny to everyone apart from Arsenal supporters.

In all three cases, the decision is yellow card. Or how about we all just live in the moment, eh? Ian Wright agrees with us.

Players

18. Prevent clubs stockpiling players

The big clubs now have such a huge financial advantage that they can sign player after player and keep them on their books when they're nowhere near the first team – either because they can't get rid of them, or just on the off chance they might need them.

At Chelsea, they ran out of space in the dressing room at the training ground – players had to get changed in the corridor and some later went into a ‘bomb squad', forced to train separately because the number of players on their books was simply too big for everyone to train together. The Blues typically have more than 20 players on loan too – while players are no doubt paid well by such clubs, it's not always beneficial for their career.

Shinpads

19. Ban gloves and tiny shinpads

OK, we'll give goalkeepers a free pass on the gloves, even if it would add an extra level of chaos to the game, as they try to catch a slippery wet ball during the winter. Everyone else, absolutely not. If you're feeling cold, how about running around a bit? As for players who go for the gloves-and-short-sleeves combo, instant red.

Snoods were thankfully banned in 2011 – now, low socks and tiny shinpads are the epidemic. Players might as well just write, “I'm a maverick, me” on the back of their shirt – you're impressing nobody, mate, and don't blame anyone else if you get injured. Now do us a favour and put some tackles in…

FIFA

20. Reform FIFA

Henry Winter argues that while Gianni Infantino looks set to remain as president, the governing body must make changes:

The governing body of the world game, FIFA, is not only at a crossroads, it has lost its way. Damaging events before, during and after the World Cup confirmed that. FIFA could be a force for good if it found the right way again.

That requires extensive work to restore lost trust, beginning with openness and greater accountability. That requires independent lawyers in place throughout the organisation, ensuring correct governance. That requires representatives from fan and player organisations embedded in the building, providing oversight on decision-making. To improve FIFA, this early-warning system requires installation, starting with ensuring that commercial operations are kept separate from the president's office.

In any debate about FIFA, it's important to distinguish between the organisation and the presidency. Unfortunately, they have become blurred and, for many onlookers, FIFA is Gianni Infantino. That says everything about the flawed culture at FIFA, that allows one man too much power, and the flawed nature of Infantino, who so obviously has a weakness for people with power, as shown by his smitten courtier's behaviour with Donald Trump.

Football is the world's game – billions are transfixed by it and the men's World Cup is the pinnacle of sport and TV viewing (even bigger than the Olympics) – so it is perhaps inevitable that FIFA officials can feel masters of the universe. People say yes to them a lot.

That's why independent oversight is necessary. The summer was embarrassing. Good games, bad governance. Fan discontent towards Infantino was very apparent at the World Cup. Spanish supporters at the final in New Jersey had a particularly offensive chant about Infantino, which a Spanish reporter willingly, and happily, translated for me. It was partly tribal, and a belief that Infantino favoured Lionel Messi. For many of Infantino's critics at the World Cup, his list of transgressions did start with Messi, and parachuting Inter Miami into the 2025 Club World Cup. And plenty more. This is why FIFA needs reform.

The errors of judgement continued with the creation of the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump; the failure to fight dynamic pricing on tickets, which meant that some loyal fans couldn't afford to travel; and the decision to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo's two-match group stage ban following his red card against the Republic of Ireland in qualifying.

More? Sadly, yes: the clearly commercially driven hydration breaks; the cancelling of Folarin Balogun's ban so the USA striker could face Belgium in the last 16, following a call from Trump; and then, the particularly putrid fly in the ointment, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to investors. Infantino. Just no.

Good people work at FIFA and they were let down badly by their president. What was an enjoyable, well-organised World Cup was overshadowed by sustained controversy. Infantino failing to put himself up for scrutiny at traditional tournament press conferences intensified the feeling of a lack of accountability and transparency.

It strengthened the perception that FIFA and Infantino were serving themselves and not the game, or the lifeblood of the game: the fans. As the major European leagues noted in a stinging open letter to Infantino on September 25, “FIFA's governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual – the wider question is whether FIFA's president should simultaneously wield such regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances, including the agreement of affected stakeholders.”

The outrage at Infantino's swiftly abandoned FFE plan has led to legal complaints from UEFA, which has remained steadfastly determined to stop him gaining a fourth and final term of office at the presidential election on March 18 in Morocco. Initially, amid all the FFE furore, it looked as though Infantino's days as president were numbered.

It was back on August 10 that three of the six confederations – representing Europe, Asia and North America – published an open letter in which they heaped more pressure on Infantino. They accused him of “a profound failure of judgement” in pursuing the FFE project. They gave him “the opportunity to resign and leave his position with dignity”, according to one source.

That came after a blizzard of brutal headlines for Infantino professionally and personally. The window for the angry associations to engage in his defenestration was that month. The heat was at its most ferocious. The fury over Infantino's FFE was at its strongest. It was a key moment in which reformers could have forced him out and brought the craved improvements needed at FIFA.

The threat of a UEFA boycott of FIFA events felt very real, such was European wrath. Infantino was on the brink. But UEFA blinked first. It didn't withdraw teams from the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup. It didn't instruct Poland not to host the championship.

That felt crucial. Infantino was emboldened and continued to shore up support. The promise of a 64-team World Cup was tempting. So was the prospect for many of the 211 national associations of lashings of largesse – £2.6bn now earmarked by Infantino from the FIFA coffers to spend on infrastructure projects and more.

It's important to note when writing from a European perspective that many members of FIFA don't boast the wealth of major UEFA nations. Infantino seems good to them. I've done interviews with African TV and been called out for not being more aware of their appreciation for him. There are even European national associations who talk privately about how windfalls from Infantino's plans are vital for their sustainability. The personal nature of some criticism levelled at Infantino also offended some people. It was crude.

Infantino is a survivor, as well as a cunning politician. Now, he looks set for a fourth term. On October 23, he gained the hugely significant backing of the Asian confederation at its Tokyo congress. One of UEFA's main allies against Infantino had turned. Those 46 votes could be key.

Infantino already has the 54 votes from Africa, 10 from CONMEBOL and probably 10 of the 11 Oceania votes (New Zealand is anti-Infantino). If any of the smaller members of CONCACAF now consider Infantino worth backing, he will pick up some of its 35 votes. Rabat would then host a coronation rather than an election. Infantino will know before the vote – president again. UEFA will seethe, the prospect of real reform will be distant, and FIFA's world will keep on turning.

If Infantino sees off UEFA, there remains one final hope for controlling him: the players. Without them, FIFA has no show. Without them, FIFA's expansionism under Infantino slows or shrinks. The players' unions, most notably the Professional Footballers' Association and the global players' union FIFPRO, watch closely and with growing concern about FIFA's increasing of the workload on players, particularly with the Club World Cup and enlarging World Cup.

Both players' organisations have done extensive research into the cramming of the calendar with additional fixtures and heightened risk of injury. Where the suits couldn't stop Infantino, perhaps the boots might. I addressed a FIFPRO meeting in London in 2024 and suggested that the only way to decelerate the speeding treadmill of fixtures was for players to strike. Some agreed, so the threat is there.

Infantino wouldn't take on the players, especially those at the PFA so ably led by chief executive Maheta Molango. So one area of FIFA will be in check: adding to the calendar. But there are other areas that urgently need improving. Maybe if Infantino has realised how close he was to losing power, he might listen to the wiser voices within FIFA. Because football deserves a governing body that's fit for purpose, and that puts players and fans first.

Womens football

21. Greater investment to improve the women's game

Ayisha Gulati outlines four key points to help female football continue the superb progress made over recent years:

While women's football has experienced huge commercial growth, investment remains uneven and doesn't always translate into sustainable progress. Though the leading clubs in the Women's Super League benefit from better resources, high-profile sponsors and growing audiences, smaller clubs and leagues continue to operate with tighter budgets. That affects everything from player salaries and facilities to staffing, marketing and the ability to attract supporters.

The FIFPRO Global Employment Report released this year highlights the gap that exists between the sport's commercial ambitions and the reality for many players. Average club salaries have quadrupled since 2017, yet 59 per cent of surveyed players who were considering an early retirement cited finances.

Investment must also extend beyond signing players and securing sponsorships. Clubs need consistent marketing, compelling matchday experiences, engagement with their communities and creative fan activations to build loyal audiences. Without long-term investment right across the pyramid, growth risks benefiting only the biggest clubs, rather than strengthening the women's game as a whole.

Crowds

22. Grow crowds further

Increasing attendances are essential to commercial sustainability, but attracting fans remains a challenge. Kick-off times, fixture changes, transport links and affordability all influence whether supporters can attend regularly. Last term, the WSL experimented with a large number of Sunday lunchtime kick-offs, but many fans – especially families and away support – found a noon start difficult. TV selections can also move games at short notice.

The challenge is compounded by the cost of living, with the rising prices of ticket, travel, food and drink adding to matchday expense. Some clubs are moving games to their main stadium, but the atmosphere can feel flat when it isn't full, and isn't something people are drawn to when they watch on TV. For teams not playing at a club's main stadium, grounds are often less accessible by public transport.

Injuries

23. Better healthcare

Women's football needs healthcare and sports science that reflect the needs of female athletes. For too long, research and training methods have relied heavily on male athletes, leaving gaps in the understanding of female physiology, menstrual health, pregnancy and postpartum recovery, pelvic health and individual health factors. FIFA estimates that only six per cent of sports science research focuses exclusively on women.

ACL injuries are a major concern – female footballers experience them at more than twice the rate of male players, with the reasons why still not fully understood. Such injuries bring potential long-term consequences, with clubs lower down the pyramid sometimes unable to offer sufficient support. Better injury-prevention programmes, tailored strength and conditioning, specialist medical support and further female-specific research are essential.

Scheduling

24. Don't overdo the schedule

As women's football grows, the calendar is getting crowded, raising player welfare concerns. Domestic leagues, European club competitions and international tournaments must all fit into an increasingly limited number of available weeks. Research conducted by FIFPRO has highlighted the emergence of a two-speed game: some players face excessive match and travel demands, while others lack sufficient competitive football.

Its 2025 workload report found that the 15 most-used women's players had each played at least 50 matches in a season for the first time since its data collection began in 2020. The inaugural Women's Club World Cup, which is scheduled for January 2028 in the USA, will disrupt the WSL season – Arsenal have already qualified. It also sits between the 2027 Women's World Cup and 2028 Olympics – without coordination between governing bodies, leagues and clubs, players risk insufficient recovery time and more injuries.

Owners

25. No more leveraged buyouts

When the Glazers purchased Manchester United in 2005, they borrowed huge sums from hedge funds, loading the club with debts of £604m, and haven't exactly got the fans back on their side ever since.

Concerns were also raised when fellow American Alan Pace became Burnley's new owner in another leveraged buyout in 2020 – concerns fans voiced again when the Clarets slid out of the Premier League and into the Championship relegation zone at the start of this term. More must be done to stop a repeat from happening anywhere else – no takeover should be funded by loans the club must repay itself.

Corners

26. Ban short corners

If there's an easy way to wind up football fans, it's at a corner. First, the taker places the ball three millimetres outside the quadrant, prompting several seconds of furious pointing from opposition fans. Then, the referee spots two players pushing and shoving in the box, and decides what we all want is for him to pull them aside for an earnest chat while we sit around waiting.

Then after all that, the corner taker shapes to whip it in, only to play it short, and the set-piece passes by without the ball ever entering the penalty area at all. Resultant anger level among fans: absolute incandescent rage.

Away allocations

27. Proper away allocations for Old Firm games

Once again this season, there are no away fans at league games between Celtic and Rangers, following trouble at their Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox last term. It's the greatest rivalry in British football, but sectarianism continues to cast a shadow, prompting a level of toxicity that often gets out of control. FFT have been to Old Firm games when huge away followings have been present, and it's created an atmosphere unmatched pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Without them, it's not the same – a solution must be found to let them back in without it spiralling into violence. It may even help increase the value of Scottish football's TV deal, aiding everyone financially – the Old Firm duo included.

World Cups

28. A men's World Cup in the UK

The United Kingdom will host both Euro 2028 (alongside the Republic of Ireland) and the 2035 Women's World Cup, but it's 60 years since the last men's World Cup in England, with no sign of another any time soon.

True, new countries deserve a chance, but the selection of Qatar and Saudi Arabia was controversial to say the least – also soon, the USA, Germany, Spain and Argentina will have had it twice since 1966, while Mexico has had it three times. Come on FIFA, it's the UK's turn!

Influencers

29. Outlaw Piers Morgan talking about Ronaldo

Every time Cristiano Ronaldo gets involved in his latest controversy – because his manager has dared to leave him on the bench, or because his plan to bring walking football to the Nations League isn't proving as popular as intended – up pops Piers to defend him. We get it, Morgan isn't stupid, and staying onside with Ronaldo has had its benefits – explosive exclusive interviews have come his way, including the one that effectively ended the forward's second spell at Manchester United.

Come on though, Piers, Ronaldo is 41 now, but has been behaving as if he's 12 – when you're debating the subject with Jason Cundy and making the mask-wearing Ange Postecoglou imitator look like the sensible one (heartbreaking: the biggest wind-up merchant you know just made a great point), is it possible you're taking all of this a bit too far?

50+1

30. Learn from the Bundesliga

Ed McCambridge explains how British fans could be given a bigger say – as is the case in Germany:

From Gulf states using our beloved game for blatant sportswashing to sky-rocketing season ticket prices, it's hard not to wonder, like Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol, whether British football might have lost its way.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where unscrupulous owners could be kept in check by a greater power? Where normal, hard-working fans could easily afford season tickets? Where there's still time to buy the prize turkey hanging in the butcher's window? Sorry, ignore that last one.

What if I were to tell you that this place already exists? In Germany, those dreams are largely a reality thanks to its sacrosanct 50+1 rule, stipulating that a club's paying members – the fans themselves – possess half of every club's voting rights, plus one deciding vote. That gives members – Bayern Munich have more than 450,000 – the ultimate say in major decisions, rather than investors. Financial backers are free to pump their hard-earned cash into clubs – crucially though, they cannot simply do as they please.

The 50+1 rule is the reason none of Germany's clubs were involved in the failed European Super League power grab in 2021. It's why the cheapest season ticket costs, on average, only €200 in Germany's top flight. It's also the reason German fan culture enjoys such an esteemed global reputation.

Stadiums are packed to the rafters every week with local diehards who genuinely feel connected to their club. Thanks to ticket price caps, they're just as often tradesmen, bus drivers and nurses as daytrippers or rich folk. If fans aren't happy about something at their club or the wider spectrum of German football, you'd better believe that they'll make their voices heard. They'll bring banners, fire flares, disrupt games and chant until their voices give out. They know their fuss can make a difference. Imagine if English fans could wield such power; if we truly believed that we could influence those at the top.

There are downsides to the way Germany operates. Many will point to Bayern's utter dominance as a result of other clubs being unable to organically bridge the financial gap – it turns out oligarchs and Gulf l states are less interested in throwing their money at something if absolute power doesn't come with it. The Premier League is more competitive and home to better players. It's also worth noting that a few German clubs, notably RB Leipzig, have found creative ways to circumvent the rules.

I'd be loath to suggest that English football considers adopting its own 50+1 rule. The legal wranglings alone would make it impossible. But adopting some of German football's common sense is worthwhile.

One example, thanks to the new independent regulator, has been to provide fans with a legally binding ‘golden share' over heritage decisions such as badge alterations, kit colour changes or joining unauthorised competitions (European Super League, we're looking at you again).

Mandating fan representation on club boards would also ensure supporter interests are integrated into executive decision-making. On top of that, Premier League clubs must expand safe standing sections, prioritising atmosphere over profits and outdated laws.

Those solutions take the best of both worlds – keeping the Premier League as powerful, glamorous and entertaining as it's been for the past 25 years, while lighting a fire under fanbases and giving English football some of its soul back.

The Premier League needn't go overboard and start dancing down the street like Michael Caine in his bedgown, but we could try to be a bit more caring. A bit more German.

Can you tell us the answer to this quiz question?

Tell us a player who could appear on this list and why: Jens Lehmann, Rogerio Ceni, Antonios Nikopolidis and David Seaman.

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. What do Erling Haaland, Robert Pires, Jamie Vardy – and actually, Roque Santa Cruz – all have in common?

A. They all scored Premier League hat-tricks in the same game as someone else.

Haaland netted three in the same Manchester derby as Phil Foden; Pires scored his treble alongside Jermaine Pennant for the first game of Arsenal’s invincible run; Vardy and team-mate Ayoze Perez both scored hat-tricks in the infamous 9-0 rout of Southampton; and Santa Cruz scored three for Blackburn Rovers against Wigan Athletic – though opponent Marcus Bent also scored three goals that day.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

While you're mulling over this week's pre-match poser, we have many more quizzes to keep those quizzy muscles working, courtesy of Kwizly.

Let's start with our new Premier League Years Picture Quiz. We've selected some of our favourite iconic Premier League moments and we want you to identify which season they occurred in. We've picked out some famous photographs to help grease the wheels.

We had a major international tournament in the summer and a very newsworthy Ballon d'Or winner crowned in the autumn. Those two things have only happened together 18 times. Can you name every player to have won the Ballon d'Or in a World Cup year?

That's the good. Now for the bad and the ugly. We've had three and a half decades of Premier League action now so there are lots of answers to find in this one. Can you name every player to have been sent off three times in England's top division since 1992-93?

We do love a crossword too. Et toi? Bon! Try your luck with FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 77, where you'll find clues on tricks, trequartistas, Trents and much more.

Be 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.

Chelsea bounced back from their disappointing home defeat to rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a solid 2-0 home triumph over Manchester United last weekend. Xabi Alonso has now overseen five wins and three defeats in his opening nine league matches. It’s been a topsy-turvy start to life in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

It perhaps is no coincidence, then, that three of their five wins have come with Romeo Lavia in the starting XI. The Belgian started his fifth league match of the season in the victory last weekend. It marked the first time the 22-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in the Premier League game since his 2023 arrival from Southampton.

“It was a top-class performance. His performance was very complete from a midfielder’s point of view,” the Chelsea head coach said. From an individual as talented as Alonso was in his playing days, it was high praise indeed.

Romeo Lavia must stay in Xabi Alonso's Chelsea XI

The issue for Lavia, though, has so often been the inability to remain fit for prolonged periods of time. Saturday marked just his 20th top-flight start since making the move to the capital. He’s already bettered last season’s haul of four league starts. Yet when fit, the former Saints man showcased just why he has had the faith of managers, both past and present.

Operating at the base of the 4-2-3-1 setup, Alonso needs a player who is able to both retain possession and advance play effectively. As he proved against Man United, Lavia does so to a very good standard. An 88.9% pass success rate was the fifth highest of all Chelsea starters in that game, while only Wesley Fofana (76) made more passes (72).

Only Morgan Rogers, Estevao and Cole Palmer (3 each) created more chances than Lavia's two, who was credited with the assist for the former’s opener. Admittedly, Rogers did all the hard work as he slalomed through the Man United midfield and finished with aplomb. Nevertheless, it was a commendable haul from Lavia, who prior to the win had created just two chances in the previous six league outings combined.

Admittedly, Lisandro Martinez’s dismissal midway through the second half helped the Blues' cause. That they were able to maximise their numerical advantage is testament to Chelsea’s in-game management under Alonso.

It proved Lavia is more than just a tempo-setter in the middle of the park. After all, he finished top for tackles (5) and second for interceptions (4) of all Chelsea players last weekend. The youngster maintained a 100% tackle success rate in the home triumph.

Some might assume that Lavia and Moises Caicedo will compete for the same position in the team, but that would be a common misconception. Both carried out their own individual roles in the win over Michael Carrick’s men, as Caicedo fared slightly better in possession, which in turn enabled Chelsea to dominate proceedings.

Either way, it was a partnership that worked well together, and one that supporters surely hope provides the midfield foundation for the west London side going forward. That will only come to fruition, however, should Lavia completely overcome his injury issues. A lack of European action will aid the player, with lower demands on his body to play once every three days.

In the end, it was a stroke of luck that brought Lavia back into the fold. Read misfortune, if you’re Chelsea or summer transfer target Lamine Camara. The Blues agreed a fee with Monaco for the Senegal international, only for the French side to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute as striker Folarin Balogun closed in a switch to Everton. The American’s move fell through, and it meant Monaco were stuck with the pair, which, due to financial issues, was far from ideal.

Chelsea’s loss has since proven to be Lavia’s gain. Keeping him fit in the long-run is now the priority. Yet, with Alonso seemingly managing his workload accordingly, and praising him following the standout display against Man United, Chelsea’s failure to get the Camara deal over the line could, ultimately, prove their gain, too.

Lavia had become something of a forgotten man in Cobham, as he spent ample time in the physio room. Saturday proved a timely reminder of his quality and showed why, when available, he should be Caicedo’s midfield partner in Alonso’s favoured setup.

For two decades, Danny Murphy enjoyed a hugely successful playing career, winning a host of major honours with Liverpool and earning nine England caps.

Since hanging up his boots in 2013, the former Crewe Alexandra academy graduate has become a familiar face in the media, making regular appearances for the BBC on television and radio.

And while Murphy has found his groove as a pundit, there are some broadcasting avenues that he has no desire to go down.

Why you won’t see Danny Murphy in sequins

Ratings-behemoth Strictly Come Dancing is one of the BBC’s most popular shows and has seen plenty of sports stars swap the playing field for the ballroom in recent years.

Former Lionesses star Karen Carney became the first ex-footballer to claim the glitterball last year, while Shaun Wright-Phillips bowed out five weeks into the current series.

But any fans wanting to see Murphy swap the commentary box for the sequins and become the latest ex-player to strut his stuff on the dancefloor will be left disappointed.

“I’ve turned Strictly down twice,” Murphy tells FourFourTwo. “I enjoy a good dance, but I’m not into sequins and I’ve got a busy life – it had nothing to do with money.”

For some sporting personalities, appearing on Strictly has been a way to show off a different side of themselves, but Murphy is content to leave this particular challenge to others.

Instead, the ex-Fulham and Tottenham man simply knows where his interests lie and does not feel the need to step out of his comfort zone and into the Strictly limelight.

“For me, the less limelight, the better,” he continues. “I love talking about football, it’s the one area in life that I feel I know something about.”

This preference for sticking to his strengths is why Murphy rejects the idea of taking on an entirely new challenge in front of millions of viewers.

“Crossing over to do something that isn’t my strong point? It’s not for me,” he concludes.

Watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City for FREE as Enzo Maresca's side look to bounce back after suffering consecutive defeats in the Premier League. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Forest manager Oliver Glasner admitted "change" was needed after last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Brentford, which left the club 19th in the Premier League and winless in five matches.

City head coach Maresca would also have been looking at what he could do differently following their home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion seven days ago, a result that saw them surrender top spot to Arsenal.

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

Can I watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City for free?

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City 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 21-day free trial for new customers.

Outside the US? Use a VPN to access your free Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City is on, and find access to your usual streaming service geo-blocked? The solution is a VPN, a piece of software that sets 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. Plus they have a MEGA Black Friday deal right now:

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in the UK

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

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

Outside the UK? Unlock your Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City stream on Sky Sports via Proton VPN.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in the US.

The game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, with kick-off at 12:30pm ET.

Remember: Use Proton VPN to unlock your Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City stream on NBC if you're away from home.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 4:30am AEDT on Sunday.

Not in Australia? Proton VPN will unblock your Stan Sport stream of Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City.

Tickets

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City: Preview

Oliver Glasner admitted this week that he has "failed" as Nottingham Forest manager so far, with his side second-bottom of the Premier League and on a five-match winless run.

The Austrian head coach has fronted up since last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Brentford and he will hope it sparks a reaction from his players in this Saturday-evening clash with Manchester City.

If Forest get a result, they will go into the international break with renewed belief that they can get out of trouble, but another loss would only increase the pressure on Glasner.

Striker Igor Jesus could return from injury, but this game comes too soon for Nicolo Savona as he works his way back to fitness. Meanwhile, Nicolas Dominguez will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

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

City were made to work hard for their 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League in midweek, with Enzo Maresca's side twice pegged back before Erling Haaland scored the winner 12 minutes from time.

They will need to be similarly resilient against Forest as they look to bounce back from consecutive league defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, which followed seven successive wins to start the season.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is under the microscope after making several errors that led to goals, but the Italian is expected to retain the No.1 shirt. Elliot Anderson is also set to return to the City Ground for the first time since his £116m move from Forest in July.

Elsewhere, Maresca has revealed that left-back Nico O'Reilly is "not 100 per cent" so could be a fitness doubt.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester City

Neither team is in great form, so we are predicting a closely-fought contest that falls in City's favour.

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

Watch Altrincham vs Notts County for free as the National League side welcome League One opponents in the FA Cup 2026/27 First Round. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Robins are flying high in the National League and reached the First Round in style, thumping FC United of Manchester 6-2 in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

Notts County are 17th in League One, two levels above their hosts in the pyramid, and have recently claimed eye-catching wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Mansfield Town.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Altrincham vs Notts County in the FA Cup 2026/27 First Round online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch Altrincham vs Notts County for free?

Yes! Altrincham vs Notts County will be shown live on free-to-air BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

You must be a UK resident and have a valid TV licence to access BBC iPlayer. If you do, just sign up online and you're good to go!

Outside the UK? You need a VPN to access your free Altrincham vs Notts County stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Altrincham vs Notts County from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Altrincham vs Notts County. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

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

How to watch Altrincham vs Notts County in the UK

As mentioned above, Altrincham vs Notts County will be broadcast live and for free on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK.

TNT Sports and streaming partner HBO Max will also show the game, with coverage on TNT Sports 1. Kick-off is at 5:30pm GMT.

Travelling outside the UK? You need a VPN to access your TNT Sports stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Altrincham vs Notts County in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Altrincham vs Notts County on ESPN Select, with kick-off at 12:30pm ET.

Not in the US? Access your usual ESPN Select stream with a VPN.

How to watch Altrincham vs Notts County in Australia

Altrincham vs Notts County is being shown live in Australia on Stan Sport.

UK resident in Australia? Watch Altrincham vs Notts County on BBC iPlayer with a VPN.

Altrincham vs Notts County: Preview

FA Cup fever has taken hold at Altrincham as the Robins prepare to welcome League One side Notts County to the J. Davidson Stadium in the First Round.

The National League team will be confident they can spring a shock against a club who sit 38 places above them in the pyramid, with their strong home form underpinning a promising start to the season that has Neil Gibson's men seventh in the table.

The Robins are looking for their first win over an EFL side since 2015, when they dumped out Barnsley, while they have not reached the Second Round since 2019.

Altrincham boast several former County players, including Tom Crawford, Kristian Dennis, Kane Hemmings, Jack Hinchy and Jimmy Knowles. Meanwhile, Gibson has added former Hull City forward Pharrell Brown to his squad ahead of the cup clash.

SEE ALSO How to watch FA Cup 2026/27

The Magpies are part of a small collection of former winners to enter at this stage of the competition, having lifted the FA Cup way back in 1894.

As the oldest professional club in the world, County have a proud history but the days of battling at the business end of this competition are long gone, having not progressed beyond the Fifth Round since 1991.

Martin Paterson's current crop are looking to consolidate in League One after winning promotion via the play-offs last term, and they have stabilised after a bad patch, most recently beating local rivals Mansfield Town last Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how much Paterson rotates his squad, with goalkeeper James Belshaw and defenders Jacob Bedeau and Lucas Ness ever-presents in the third tier this season. Ollie Cooper has proved a useful source of goals from midfield, with four in 10 appearances this term.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Altrincham 1-2 Notts County

The Magpies are in good form, so we are predicting them to edge a tight game.

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

During her playing career, Jill Scott was never one to back out of a challenge.

The Euro 2022 winner won a slew of major honours with Everton and Manchester City, but can now be found getting stuck in with the likes of Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher in front of the camera for The Overlap.

The Lionesses legend quickly became a staple of the successful YouTube channel, giving as good as she gets with the gaggle of former Premier League stars.

Scott on giving it back on The Overlap

Scott admits that the atmosphere around the table can get so relaxed that she can sometimes forget she’s appearing in front of an audience. Rather than feeling like another television commitment, getting together with her co-presenters is more like a catch-up with old friends.

“I actually forget that people are watching and listening – I’m just excited because I haven’t seen the guys for a couple of weeks,” she tells FourFourTwo.

“I’m like, ‘Let’s have your opinions on football’, but it’s just like chatting with your mates. I love it.”

Scott believes that this chemistry between the team, and the panel’s different backgrounds, have been key to the show’s success.

“All of our relationships are different,” she continues. “I’d describe it as like siblings in a way. I like that they’ve got big personalities, because that’s when they get into arguments.

“But what I love, and I think it’s their generation, is that you can say something that someone doesn’t agree with, but then walk away and still be the best of mates. That’s how football should be.

“When I played, you could be playing against your best mate in an FA Cup final and one of you would win, then the next day you’d go back to being best friends.”

And while Scott is quick to embrace the friendly arguments and differences of opinion in the studio, she can’t help but think back to her playing days, and believes that the women’s game’s reputation for being less confrontational than its male counterparts is wide of the mark.

“People think that in women’s football we didn’t have banter, but I actually think it’s more ruthless than in men’s football,” she insists. “I could tell you plenty of stories from my playing days, but they wouldn’t make it into the magazine! If you don’t know someone and they’re saying things to try to bring you down, then it crosses into bullying.

“But we’re friends, and I give it back to them just as much. I actually feel like I get more leeway sometimes, being female. I love that they feel relaxed and anything that’s said, I always know it’s in jest.”

Watch Fulham vs Newcastle United for free as under-pressure Magpies manager Matthias Jaissle takes his side to Craven Cottage in the Premier League. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Cottagers have picked up form after a slow start under Alvaro Arbeloa, taking seven points from their past three Premier League games.

They are two points and two places below the Magpies but their opponents are not on a good run, with Jaissle's men losing four of their past five matches in all competitions.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Fulham vs Newcastle United online and from anywhere, including for free, on matchweek 10 of the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Watch Fulham vs Newcastle United for FREE

Fans in the US can stream Fulham vs Newcastle United for free thanks to YouTube TV's 21-day free trial, which carries USA Network — the US broadcaster of this game.

Outside the US? Use Proton VPN to unblock your free Fulham vs Newcastle United stream from anywhere in the world.

Is Fulham vs Newcastle United on TV in the UK?

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

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

Watch Fulham vs Newcastle United from anywhere

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

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 Fulham vs Newcastle United in the US

As mentioned above, Fulham vs Newcastle United is live on USA Network in the US. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Outside of the US? Use Proton VPN to access your Fulham vs Newcastle United stream.

How to watch Fulham vs Newcastle United in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Fulham vs Newcastle United live on Stan Sport. The game kicks-off at 2:00am AEDT on Sunday.

Travelling outside Australia? Watch Fulham vs Newcastle United on Stan Sport with Proton VPN.

Tickets

Fulham vs Newcastle United: Preview

This time last month, it looked possible that Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa might not still be in charge come the November international break. However, some big results in the past three weeks have put the Spaniard on steadier ground.

Back-to-back wins over Hull City and Coventry City were followed by an impressive draw at Aston Villa last Saturday, in which the Cottagers came from behind to take a point against one of the Premier League's form sides.

The visit of out-of-form Newcastle United is a great opportunity to continue their good run and Arbeloa has nearly a full squad to pick from, with Tom Cairney the only injury absentee.

Ryan Sessegnon returns after serving a three-match suspension for his red card against Hull, while forward Josh King will hope to celebrate his first call-up to England's senior squad with a match-winning performance.

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

It has already been a week to forget for Newcastle, with Monday's 1-0 limp home defeat by Everton followed by the bizarre news that defender Amar Dedic had been stopped by police after being spotted carrying a bow and arrows at a beauty spot in the North East.

There was no ill intention from the full-back, but it was hardly the sort of story that boss Matthias Jaissle would have wanted ahead of a big game at the weekend.

Despite a run of four defeats in the past six Premier League matches, Newcastle could head into the international break into the top half of the table if they beat Fulham. However, a defeat would see them leapfrogged by their opponents and increase the pressure on Jaissle.

Newcastle are missing Joelinton through injury, while Matias Fernandez-Pardo is doubtful and Jacob Ramsey is suspended.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Fulham 1-0 Newcastle United

The Cottagers have improved of late and could edge a tight game.

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.