When Mikel Merino joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad in August 2024, few thought they would ever ask if he could be their number nine. He arrived at Emirates Stadium as a 28-year-old Spain international midfielder with more than 200 La Liga appearances and a Euros title to his name. Not once had he played as a striker. But little more than a year on, Merino is a serious contender to be Arsenal's main frontman
The Egypt World Cup 2026 squad is shaping up. Led by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, two of the Premier League's brightest stars, they may spring a surprise or two in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer. November saw them take on two fellow sides who qualified for the tournament next summer but now they have a break, with two more competitions available to win before heading off to North America.
"She was really enjoying it and the step up. Unfortunately she picked up this small injury so that's disappointing, mainly for her," said Wiegman. "That's the way it is and it's good she had that opportunity to train at least. That's the good thing about it - but I just hope she gets fit again really quickly and is available for Liverpool soon."
Next, we look at the immense club power across the continent: see if you can recall the 10 most successful clubs from each of Europe's top five leagues. Get the FourFourTwo Ultimate Quiz Book Now for a detailed look at Champions League dedication. Can you accurately sort these 30 players by the number of Champions League appearances they made? This quiz rewards knowledge of elite longevity.
So, you flew through that Quickfire Quiz like it was an open goal in the six-yard box. You thought you could have a breather, put the kettle on, and relax, didn't you? Think again, because we have a new batch of brain-benders, courtesy of Kwizly, that will test the limits of your dedication. We've got history, geography, and a dash of rivalry to ensure your mind stays firmly in the beautiful game.
The mood was really negative. It's not just that they changed the coach. We also had this election at the very beginning, so everybody was nervous about that. With the election, it can also influence the staff and players, so, for me, it was a completely new experience. The election day was also a game for us, so it was pretty hard to be honest. But now everything has settled down, we have a good team, and we have found our rhythm.
A burst down the right from Omar Haktab Traore and a cross to the front post was met by fellow substitute Stefan Schimmer, and a wobbling Union had stumbled. The away side sensed the moment and a corner from Arijon Ibrahimovic, swung in just after the announced four minutes of stoppage time in moments added by Schimmer's goal and its aftermath, was headed in by another sub, Jan Schoppner, to spark pandemonium.
Say what you will about New York City FC missing key pieces in Saturday's Eastern Conference Final, but one thing is certain: past versions of Inter Miami still would've crumbled under the weight of Pascal Jansen's understaffed attack. Even without star Costa Rica striker Alonso Martínez bearing down on them, it's easy to picture Inter Miami from, say, the spring when they lost four games in five across all competitions, giving up a sloppy goal and falling short of MLS Cup. Only seven teams allowed more non-penalty xG in the regular season than Miami, according to FBref.
Kenny Dalglish's 1977 move from Celtic to Liverpool was a momentous deal, as the Reds broke the British transfer record by spending 440,000 on the Scotsman as their replacement for Hamburg-bound Kevin Keegan. During his time with the Bhoys, Dalglish had won four Scottish titles and four Scottish Cups, as he netted 173 goals for club during his nine years at Celtic Park.
Marking their return from November's international break with a collapse at Elland Road as they suffered a 2-1 loss at the hands of Aston Villa, Leeds have now lost all of their previous four consecutive Premier League appearances by an aggregate score of 11-4. Facing what looks set to be another heavyweight challenge here, it should also be noted that the relegation scrappers have lost six of their last seven top-flight showdowns.
Roma's manager has no connection to any of this, yet one Argentinian broadcaster included an old photo of him in their coverage. The segment for Telefe Noticias showed Gasperini's face between those of the accused and the deceased. A silly meme, circulated by football fans on social media to imply some (dubious) resemblance, confused as being authentic. The online version of the video was quickly taken down from YouTube, but not before it created a fresh set of headlines back in Italy.
It was Tadeo Allende, the 26-year-old Argentine only at Inter Miami for one year, on a loan from Spanish club Celta de Vigo, who scored a hat trick in the 5-1 win over New York City FC to send Inter Miami to its first MLS Cup Final. In 31 games during the regular season, Allende scored 11 goals. In the playoffs, he has scored eight.
Luis Enrique called it their worst match of the season and a very bad night. His players created very little, although it might have been a very different story had the Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara been sent off for his lunge on Lucas Chevalier early in the first half. The France international said his career could have taken a turn and that he considered himself lucky to continue after the tackle that was sanctioned with a yellow, rather than a red.
Germany now have an indication of who they might play at next year's FIFA World Cup. FIFA have confirmed the official draw pots ahead of next week's draw on December 5th. Luckily for Germany, their last November window's string of wins was enough to put Germany up to 9th in the FIFA World Rankings, which was just enough to seal the last spot in Pot 1.
A change of formation, from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1, by manager Jimmy Thelin has led to a run of five clean sheets in seven domestic games and a rise from bottom spot to seventh place, three points off the top six. Their newly found steel at the back means only Celtic and Rangers have taken more points over the past eight league matches.
Not featuring since the end of September, Japanese international Kaoru Mitoma remains on the sidelines with an ankle issue. Likewise, still waiting to make a maiden appearance of the season, Solly March is still dealing with a long-term knee injury. Coming off the bench and getting on the scoresheet away at Nottingham Forest over the weekend, 19-year-old Stefanos Tzimas will get some more minutes under his belt. Already notching seven Premier League goals so far this season, veteran striker Danny Welbeck will lead the line
We have to maintain the unity we have, with the necessary self-criticism. We're eager to win away from home, something that has affected us a lot in this schedule. A season has different phases. There were times, especially at the beginning, when we were consistent.
All the teams chasing Arsenal have got things they need to work on - for Chelsea, their lack of discipline is something that has to change if they are going to challenge for the title. Moises Caicedo's dismissal in Sunday's 1-1 draw against the Gunners was the fourth time in 13 Premier League games that a Chelsea player has been sent off this season.
While Bolton might have marked their return from November's international break with consecutive League One stalemates against Luton and Tuesday's guests, Steven Schumacher's men are widely regarded as a standout play-off candidate this season. Extending on their FA Cup adventure last month as they clinched a 2-1 victory against Huddersfield, the Trotters are unbeaten in all of their previous seven appearances across all competitions.
"I would have said over the last few years Alisson," Friedel tells FourFourTwo on behalf of BetVictor. "His one-versus-one goalkeeping has been outstanding. That ability has allowed his coaches, whether that be Jurgen Klopp before or Arne Slot now, to play a high line and be very aggressive in their defending. He is not only a fantastic shot stopper but he's also very good with his feet."
Two sides stuck together in the Premier League standings meet on Tuesday night as Newcastle host Tottenham at St James' Park. Both clubs sit mid-table only separated by goal difference, though their momentum could not be more different. Newcastle arrive buoyed by a commanding 4-1 win over Everton, while Spurs continue to drift after a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham. The win on Merseyside snapped a six-match away drought for Eddie Howe's side, with Malick Thiaw scoring inside one minute and later adding another.
Getting November underway with consecutive 4-0 romps against Millwall and Portsmouth, Monday's hosts will be desperate to lay down another marker. Likewise, last seen in front of their own supporters storming their way to a 4-1 victory against Norwich, Davies' side have remarkably won all of their previous three Championship showdowns at St. Andrew's by an aggregate score of 12-1. In fact, the Blues have recorded a quartet of strikes in all of those four consecutive home wins.
He asked me about Moi's red card. It's a red card, but why was Bentancur's against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? As a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in different way. Moi's is red card, yes. Bentancur's is a red card, yes. Why they don't give him a red card? We struggle to understand.