League

Alexander Isak scored his maiden goal for Liverpool as the Reds ended their two-game EPL losing streak at West Ham.

Liverpool’s record signing Alexander Isak scored his first English Premier League goal for the Reds as the under-pressure football champions snapped a woeful run of form with a much-needed 2-0 win at West Ham United on Sunday.

Liverpool had endured their worst spell in over 70 years, losing nine of their previous 12 games, and manager Arne Slot took drastic measures, leaving Mohamed Salah out of his starting lineup for the first time in the Premier League.

Salah’s replacement Florian Wirtz looked sharp, though he squandered Liverpool’s best chance of the first half with his tame effort from close range, allowing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to save.

Isak, who had looked short of form and fitness, spurned two opportunities before the break, drawing a fine reaction stop from Areola midway through the half.

But the Sweden striker slotted home a Cody Gakpo pullback on the hour mark to give the Reds the lead they marginally deserved and rarely looked like giving up.

Liverpool’s cause was helped by Lucas Paqueta, who was bizarrely booked twice for dissent within 60 seconds with less than 10 minutes to play, before Gakpo added a second goal in the 92nd minute to seal the three points.

Liverpool’s victory, only their second in eight league games, moved them up to eighth place with 21 points from 13 matches, while West Ham are 17th with 11 points, level with 18th-placed Leeds United.

Liverpool’s losing run ended by Isak

West Ham – whose players and fans paid tribute to former captain, coach and manager Billy Bonds, who died aged 79 on Sunday – came into the match after back-to-back home victories and had seemingly turned the corner.

But Liverpool ultimately had too much quality and, crucially for Slot, managed to keep their fifth clean sheet of the season after shipping 10 goals in their last three games.

Isak could have put Liverpool in front inside four minutes, but spooned his effort well over the bar, with his protracted move from Newcastle United still seemingly affecting him.

West Ham looked sharper after the break, with Paqueta sending an audacious half-volley from 30 yards narrowly wide as the home fans believed Liverpool were there for the taking.

In the 60th minute, however, Isak was left unmarked in the box as Liverpool recycled possession from a throw-in and the striker coolly side-footed into the bottom corner.

Paqueta saw red in the 83rd minute to make West Ham’s task all the harder before Gakpo sent the home fans streaming for the exits with a clinical finish.

Spurs have scored seven goals in six home league games this season, while only Burnley have had fewer shots on target than their 18.

Frank’s midfield selections have come under fire for being too defensive. Remarkably, Spurs have made four throughballs this season. Leaders Arsenal have made 43.

“When you look at the make-up of their team, the midfield isn’t particularly creative,” Murphy told BBC Sport.

“It feels like none of their frontline are playing with any confidence. They look a bit lightweight in the front area of the pitch.

“Away from home, that doesn’t matter as much, because they can be more pragmatic – look for the set-plays, play on the counter and be hard to beat – and they don’t have the expectation of the 60,000 home supporters to go after teams and really try to win games.

“That makes a difference to players. Away from home, you can kind of do it at your own pace and it is OK for you to be without the ball.

“The games we’ve seen Tottenham do well in away from home have actually been comfortable at times for them – their win at Everton was a good example of that.

“But that lack of cohesion and rhythm in the front three, where things have changed so much – and even that little tweak in midfield where sometimes it’s a 10, sometimes it’s three midfielders – it all looks a little bit higgledy-piggledy.

“It means Spurs can look a bit too safe at home, with no-one playing with any belief or confidence to get on the ball.”

Cole Palmer is fit to play for Chelsea against London rivals Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old forward fractured his toe when stubbing it on a door last week and subsequently missed the wins over Burnley and Barcelona.

The England international has struggled with injury this season and featured only five times across all competitions.

“He is available to start,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.

“Everyone is happy, the team-mates are happy, we are all happy and the most important thing is Cole is happy because a footballer wants to play games and make the sessions every day.

“He is our best player, we are happy he is back. We need to give him time to be 100% fit. He has done fantastic in the past and no doubt he is going to do very good for this club in the future.”

Treble winners Hull KR will start the defence of their Super League title with a visit to newly promoted York Knights in the opening game of the 2026 season.

Rovers will travel to York’s LNER Community Stadium on Thursday, 12 February (20:00 GMT).

Hull KR won the Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final last season, sealing the title by beating previous champions Wigan Warriors 24-6 at Old Trafford in October.

York are one of three new clubs in Super League for next season as part of an expanded 14-team competition.

The Knights and Toulouse Olympique were selected to join the top flight by an independent panel, while Bradford Bulls were promoted in place of financially troubled Salford Red Devils after climbing to 10th in this year’s grading system.

York will play in Super League for the first time while Toulouse return to the top tier after their one-season stint in 2022.

Both the Bulls, who return to Super League after an 11-year absence, and Toulouse start the campaign with away games on Saturday, 14 February.

Bradford will make the journey east to face Hull FC, while Toulouse travel to Wakefield Trinity.

Liverpool’s stellar start was followed by a run of six defeats in seven matches that sparked concern and talk of a crisis.

Things started to look up earlier in November, with victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid lifting morale and offering hope of a return to form.

But they ultimately proved not to provide a permanent change in their fortunes, but a momentary respite.

A 3-0 defeat by Manchester City just before the international break was tough, but can happen against Pep Guardiola’s side.

But a setback by the same scoreline to Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest left them 12th in the Premier League and now followed by this embarrassing loss against PSV – only their second at Anfield in their past 26 pre-knockout stage games in this competition.

It has left Slot with a massive task on his hands to return his side to the top half of the Premier League and remain in the hunt for a top-eight place in the Champions League league phase, having slipped down to 13th.

“I don’t think there should be a knee-jerk reaction, I think this is a very tough moment at Liverpool for one reason or another, but the one thing I’d say is that things weren’t right at the start of the season either, when they were winning,” added Warnock.

Sacking managers at the first sign of trouble is not a tactic Liverpool have frequently deployed. Let’s not forget too that last year Slot oversaw the best ever start – eight wins in his first 10 top-flight games – by a Reds boss, having just replaced Jurgen Klopp.

But his summer signings have not worked, putting him under pressure.

Record transfer Alexander Isak is still yet to get off the mark, German playmaker Florian Wirtz is currently injured and left-back Milos Kerkez continues to struggle.

Yet on Wednesday, Slot made just two substitutions as his side trailed. One was Isak for fellow new signing Hugo Ekitike, who looked to have picked up an injury, while the other was Italy forward Federico Chiesa for Ibrahima Konate during another tough evening for the French defender.

“This run is a shock for everyone,” admitted Slot.

“For the players, for me. I don’t easily shock and it’s very unexpected. We can all do better individually, but that goes for everyone including myself.”

The brightest spark has perhaps been Dominik Szoboszlai.

Reinstated in his role in central midfield against PSV, he provided not only a goal, but energy and an attacking threat, while going some way to proving there are significantly better uses for him than as a stand-in right-back.

“With each defeat it gets closer to being a crisis,” former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told TNT Sports. “I don’t think Liverpool are at that [yet] – crisis is too strong.

“There are no excuses for a performance like that at this football club

“You cannot deny the team is struggling massively, they are on a terrible run, their confidence is at an all-time low, they are wide open.

“Unless the manager can find answers and stability in his team, then this situation is going to continue.”

PSV, though, was never going to be an easy fixture for Slot to try to get his players back on track.

The former Feyenoord boss has only won one of his past eight games against the Eredivisie outfit in all competitions (D3 L4), and against no side has he suffered more defeats in his managerial career.

Slot says he is not worrying about his future at the club and is instead focused on turning things around.

“I need to do better, that’s what I’m trying to do every single day to improve the team and that is where my main focus is,” added the 47-year-old.

Who: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
What: Matchday 5, League Phase, UEFA Champions League
Where: Emirates Stadium, North London, England, UK
When: Wednesday at 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

English Premier League leaders Arsenal host the German Bundesliga’s top-ranked team Bayern Munich in a heavyweight UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchup of the two frontrunning European mega clubs on Wednesday.

The sides are also ranked No 1 and No 2 in the current UCL standings, with both clubs protecting perfect records in the League Phase of the competition.

Here is all to know ahead of their top of the table clash at Emirates Stadium:

Who have Arsenal and Bayern Munich beaten so far in the UCL League Phase?

After four matchdays in the League Phase, Bayern Munich sits top of the standings with four wins and a maximum 12 points against Chelsea (3-0), Pafos (5-1), Club Brugge (4-0) and most recently, a victory over reigning UCL champions Paris Saint-Germain (2-1) away in France on November 4.

Arsenal is second on the table, equal with their German rival on points (12) and goal difference (+11). Their four wins have come against Athletic Bilbao (2-0), Olympiacos (2-0), Atletico Madrid (4-0) and Slavia Praha (3-0).

The only other team remaining in the competition with a perfect 4-0 record is Inter Milan.

Will Odegaard play against Bayern Munich?

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is a strong possibility to play against Bayern Munich in what would be his first match since injuring his knee in early October.

The Norwegian midfielder participated in training on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be in the squad.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Odegaard is under consideration for Wednesday’s fixture.

“He [Odegaard] was very close for the previous game. We are hopeful that tomorrow [Wednesday] he can be in the squad as well.”

Where did Arsenal and Bayern Munich finish in last season’s Champions League?

The Gunners reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2008–09, upsetting Real Madrid in the quarterfinals (5-1 on aggregate) before losing to eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern Munich’s UCL campaign came to an end at the quarterfinal stage with a closely contested defeat to Inter Milan (4-3 on aggregate).

Form guide: last five matches

Arsenal: W-W-W-D-W (Premier League, most recent result last)

Bayern Munich: W-W-W-D-W (Bundesliga, most recent result last)

Head-to-head: Arsenal-Bayern Munich

The sides last played on April 17, 2024, with Joshua Kimmich’s 63rd-minute header handing Bayern Munich a 1-0 quarterfinal victory (3-2 on aggregate) over Arsenal in the Champions League, sending the Germans through to the last-four of the 2023-24 competition.

In total, the sides have played against each other 14 times, with Bayern dominating the historical matchup:

• Bayern Munich – 8 wins
• Arsenal – 3 wins
• Draws – 3

Arsenal’s team news

Arsenal will line up against Bayern without a recognised striker, with Kai Havertz (knee) and Viktor Gyokeres (hamstring) still rehabbing injuries.

Gabriel Jesus will also be held back from the Champions League fixture, although the Brazilian forward is back in full training after undergoing knee surgery.

“He is quite close, to be fair, and earlier than we expected,” Arteta said.

“In the next few days, he is going to have another step to make with a game that we are going to organise for him. After that, he is just going to be knocking on the door.

Arsenal’s possible starting XI

Raya (goalkeeper); Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Merino, Trossard

Bayern Munich’s team news

Kimmich, the player who buried Arsenal the last time they played back in 2024, was a question mark at the beginning of the week after sustaining a knock picked up during the FIFA international break, but is believed to be ready to play on Wednesday.

Explosive winger Luis Diaz is suspended for the Arsenal clash. The Colombian might be replaced by rising 17-year-old star Lennart Karl, who became Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer when he started against Brugge on October 22.

Injured duo Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies will be unavailable for selection.

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany will again lead the line with English international Harry Kane, who returns to his home city of London for this fixture.

Bayern Munich’s possible starting XI:

Neuer (goalkeeper); Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Guerreiro; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Olise, Karl, Gnabry; Kane

FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea of the English Premier League beat Spain’s Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League.

Defensive lapses cost Barcelona and Manchester City dearly as both teams slumped to notable losses in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Chelsea comfortably beat 10-man Barcelona 3-0 to earn its third league-phase win and move closer to the top.

It was the second loss for Barcelona, which went down a man after defender Ronald Araujo was shown a second yellow card just before half-time.

The hosts scored with an own-goal by Jules Kounde in the 27th, a nice strike by Estevao in the 55th and a close-range shot by Liam Delap in the 73rd.

Leverkusen continue Man City woes

In Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City coach, his team struggled to cope with Bayer Leverkusen’s quick transitions in a 2-0 defeat, while Barcelona had an own goal and a red card in its 3-0 loss at Chelsea.

Guardiola made 10 changes to his starting lineup following Saturday’s loss to Newcastle in the Premier League, with Erling Haaland among those on the bench, but it didn’t have the desired effect.

Alejandro Grimaldo fired home Leverkusen’s first goal with a low shot into the far corner in the 23rd, and Patrik Schick headed in a second in the 54th.

City could have moved atop the table with a win, but the night ended with the top three unchanged. Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan all play on Wednesday.

Benfica and Napoli also record wins

Jose Mourinho picked up his first Champions League win with his new club Benfica as Samuel Dahl’s early goal set the stage for a 2-0 win over troubled Ajax. It was No 36 vs No 35 in the pre-game standings as the two winless teams met in the Netherlands.

Left back Dahl scored an unstoppable volley on the rebound after Ajax goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros had saved a header from Benfica’s experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi. Leandro Barreiro added a second goal in the 90th.

Ajax has lost all five of its Champions League games and won only one of its last 10 games in all competitions.

Canadian forward Promise David scored the only goal as Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise won 1-0 at injury-depleted Galatasaray. The Turkish club was without injured Champions League top scorer Victor Osimhen, and finished with 10 men after 18-year-old defender Arda Unyay picked up two yellow cards.

Scott McTominay scored the opening goal as Napoli won 2-0 against Azerbaijan’s Qarabag. Napoli fans commemorated the fifth anniversary of club legend Diego Maradona’s death.

“With memories still fresh of an unforgettable occasion for the Ashes Test, we’re delighted to be able to confirm a return to Hill Dickinson Stadium for the 2026 Super League Magic Weekend,” Rhodri Jones, Rugby League Commercial managing director, said.

“This will be the seventh venue to stage Magic since it was introduced as a new concept for sport in 2007 and our clubs, players and supporters are in for a treat.

“It’s a stunning stadium with outstanding facilities at all levels and also superbly located for summer on the waterfront, and with the many and varied attractions of Liverpool within easy reach.

“We continue to work with the Dragons and Toulouse on the feasibility of delivering a very special event in France too and we hope to be able to announce something in the near future on this.”

Two months ago Liverpool’s huge summer transfer spend looked like it had made the Premier League title a formality.

Arne Slot’s side were five points clear at the top of the table after only five games, having strengthened their squad with £415m worth of talent.

Florian Wirtz was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100m, rising to a possible £116m. Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak joined on deadline day for a new record transfer fee of £125m, which could be £130m with add-ons.

Nothing could go wrong, could it?

Both signings have struggled and Liverpool’s form has nosedived, leaving them 12th in the league.

Wirtz has no goals or assists in 11 Premier League outings. Isak has yet to score a goal and has one assist.

It is way too early to write off two of the most expensive Premier League signings of all time.

After all, Thierry Henry scored only two goals in his first 17 appearances for Arsenal. By the end of that season he had netted 17 times in the Premier League, 26 in all competitions and went on to be one of the league’s greatest-ever players.

But curiously, when you look down the list of the Premier League’s biggest incomings, there are not too many ‘huge’ successes.

How do you judge this? I’ve looked at each deal and given my verdict relative to their own achievements and that of their clubs. Fees shown are without add-ons.

Of course this is very subjective and you are free to disagree (or agree) in the comments below!

Who: Chelsea vs Barcelona
What: League Phase, UEFA Champions League
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, UK
When: Tuesday at 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Chelsea will host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in a hugely consequential Matchday 5 League Phase clash in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

Chelsea and Barcelona, both former Champions League winners, head into this highly anticipated showdown with an identical seven points from their opening four fixtures, making this match pivotal as both sides aim to climb the standings in search of automatic top-eight qualification into the last-16 of the competition.

The star-studded clubs are riding recent hot streaks with Chelsea, bolstered by a trio of recent wins against Tottenham, Wolves and Burnley, closing in on the Premier League’s top spot behind table-topping Arsenal, while reigning La Liga champions Barcelona are again competing with archrival Real Madrid for the domestic title.

Here is all to know before their epic clash at Stamford Bridge:

What happened in Chelsea’s last Premier League match?

Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez earned Chelsea a 2-0 victory at lowly Burnley on Saturday.

The result moved the Blues past Manchester City and into outright second on the English Premier League (EPL) table behind leaders Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca’s side will clash with the Gunners next Sunday in a top-of-the-table premiership showdown at Stamford Bridge.

What happened in Barcelona’s last La Liga match?

Barcelona secured a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their first match back at their home venue Nou Camp since May 2023.

Ferran Torres had two goals for Barca with Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez also adding to the scoresheet.

Athletic lost midfielder Oihan Sancet to a red card in the 54th minute after he was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez.

Lewandowski, who scored the opener, said he will remember kicking the first goal at the team’s rebuilt Nou Camp stadium “forever”.

“Today was a special day, not only for me but for everyone. Because of this I’m very happy that I could score the first goal, coming back to the Nou Camp,” Lewandowski told Barca One.

“I have so much experience playing in different stadiums, but here is something special. I’m very proud of myself and also of the team because we did a great job today and we won.”

What happened in the last UCL League Phase match for both clubs?

Chelsea were held to a shock 2-2 draw by Azerbaijan side Qarabag in their last outing on November 5, while Barcelona had to rally from a goal down and split the points in a 3-3 result against Club Brugge in Belgium.

Where do Chelsea and Barcelona sit on the UCL League Phase standings?

Barcelona are currently 11th on the UEFA League Phase standings with Chelsea right behind in 12th position. Both sides have two wins, one draw and one loss from their four fixtures.

Teams need to finish the League Phase standings in a top-eight position to secure direct qualification into the round of 16. Those clubs that finish in ladder positions 9-to-24 will enter into a home and away playoffs to reach the last-16.

Where did Barcelona finish in last season’s Champions League?

The Catalan club were widely expected to reach the Champions League final but were eliminated by Inter, who staged a late comeback in the second leg of their record-equalling semifinal.

Palmer out of Barca clash

Chelsea star Cole Palmer is close to returning but will miss the UCL clash with Barcelona before the top-of-the-table Premier League showdown against Arsenal, Maresca said on Monday.

Palmer, who suffered a groin injury in August before returning with back-to-back goals against Brentford and Bayern Munich, was nearing his comeback, but an accident at home delayed his return.

The 23-year-old England international stubbed his toe on a door during the night, resulting in a fracture.

“Cole is wearing a (protective) boot,” Maresca told reporters.

“We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball and the feeling (for him) is good.

“I don’t think he will be available for these two games (Barca and Arsenal), but he is doing well.”

Barca’s Lopez showing summer suitors Chelsea what they missed

Fermin Lopez, 22, is establishing himself as a regular starter for manager Hansi Flick’s side, even though outside of Spain he is not yet a household name.

Chelsea know plenty about Lopez, though, having had a 40-million-euro ($46m) bid rebuffed by Barcelona in the summer. In Tuesday’s Champions League fixture, the attacking midfielder will be one of their main goal threats.

Flick was eager to keep Lopez, while Barca were open to selling him at the right price, which Chelsea did not reach.

“I’m convinced that he will stay, but in the end I don’t know what happens. We have to wait. I am really happy when the market is closed,” said Flick in August, eventually getting his wish.

Despite his improvement and obvious utility for Barca – or maybe even because of it – he is an asset the Catalan giants could cash in.

If he shines at Stamford Bridge, it would be no surprise to see Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder reawaken and his price tag rise further.

Form guide: last five matches

Chelsea: W-L-W-W-W (Premier League, most recent result last)

Barcelona: W-L-W-W-W (La Liga, most recent result last)

Head-to-head: Chelsea-Barcelona

The two clubs have faced each other 14 times, with both teams winning four times while six ended as draws.

The sides last met at the round of 16 in the 2017-2018 Champions League with Barcelona progressing to the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate. Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi was the standout in the second leg with two goals – including his 100th UEFA Champions League goal – on the night.

Chelsea’s team news

Oft-injured Reece James was taken off at halftime of Saturday’s EPL fixture at Burnley, but the Chelsea captain’s early finish was preplanned and not the result of a new injury, according to Maresca, so he is expected to be available for team selection.

“The idea was to manage Reece,” said Maresca. “This is the reason why he played 45 minutes [only]. It was planned.

“It’s not easy, because me personally, I would like Reece to continue, but we need to protect Reece.”

French centre-back Wesley Fofana, who was omitted from the matchday squad against Burnley, is believed to be match fit ahead of the Barca clash.

Levi Colwill (knee), Dario Essugo (thigh) and Romeo Lavia (thigh) all remain sidelined for the Blues.

Chelsea’s possible starting XI

Sanchez (Goalkeeper); James, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap

Barcelona’s team news

On-loan Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford missed Barca’s 4-0 victory over Bilbao on Saturday with illness but was back on the training pitch the following day, prompting rumours that he might suit up against Chelsea on Tuesday.

First-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the fixture as he continues to recover from a back issue. Joan Garcia will stand in for the German.

Pedri (hamstring) and Gavi (knee) are unavailable for the La Liga champions.

Dynamic winger Raphinha, who returned on the weekend from a hamstring injury, is a strong possibility to regain his starting role against the Blues.

Barcelona’s possible starting XI

J. Garcia (goalkeeper); Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Yamal, Lopez, Torres; Lewandowski

Who: Manchester United vs Everton
What: English Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Monday at 8pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 5pm (17:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Manchester United host Everton and are looking to extend a five-game unbeaten run under Ruben Amorim although they have drawn their past two against Nottingham Forest and Spurs.

A win could see them move into the top four with Bryan Mbeumo’s scoring streak a key factor in their recent resurgence.

But Everton are just three points below Man United in a congested table, and David Moyes will be extra motivated to get a result at his former club.

Happyish anniversary for Amorim

Monday’s fixture at Old Trafford marks a year to the day since Amorim’s first match in charge.

Amorim’s reign as United manager started with a 1-1 draw away to Ipswich, and since then, the Portuguese boss has experienced plenty of lows in charge of the English football giants, including finishing 15th in the table and failing to qualify for Europe.

But recent results have been encouraging, and Amorim said consistency is key.

“Right away, I knew we would struggle in some things, but the feeling was it is the best league in the world, maybe the best club,” he said.

“[Now] I think we are showing [consistency], but the important thing is that it doesn’t matter what we did in the recent games,” he said. “We cannot forget we suffered a lot in those games and play every game like it is the last one.

“[We are] more dominant, playing better football, and more competitive in every way.”

Cunha credits United resurgence for Brazil call-ups

Man United forward Matheus Cunha has credited the club’s resurgence under Amorim with helping him cement a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad before next year’s World Cup in North America.

Cunha, 26, has seamlessly adapted to playing in Amorim’s system as a hybrid attacking midfielder and forward, a trait he believes has strengthened his case for World Cup inclusion.

“Knowing that the manager [Amorim] trusts me to play in multiple positions is important,” Cunha said.

“Manchester United is a club that should always be at the top,” he said. “I’m grateful to be playing in a side that’s delivering and competing well. To earn a spot in the national team, you have to consistently show your worth at club level.”

Moyes says Everton in midst of a rebuild

Everton received a significant boost after appointing Moyes as manager for the second time in January with his side steadily rising up the table.

Speaking before the game against Man United, Moyes said his team were continuing to work towards finding “solid ground” but it would take time.

“We’ve said many times about us trying to get on solid ground again. We’ve done that with the new owners, new stadium and staying up last year. So we have to try and make sure that we go steady,” he said.

“If anybody thought that we were going to completely switch everything around, then they’re completely off their head.”

Moyes continued: “I used to always look at the real managers from eras before me who I look up to now – Bobby Robson, Brian Clough, Don Revie – all those ones who’d been given long periods at their clubs, and if you look at the success, it tended to work better that way.”

What happened in Man United’s last EPL match?

Matthijs de Ligt equalised in the sixth minute of a dramatic period of stoppage time to earn Manchester United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on November 8.

Tottenham had looked like they would claim all three points when Richarlison glanced in a header in the first minute of added time, completing a Spurs comeback from a goal down.

There was still time for de Ligt to find space at the back post at a corner to direct a header goalwards and over the line before Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario clawed the ball away.

Trailing after Mbeumo’s 32nd-minute header, Tottenham dominated the second half and grabbed an equaliser in the 84th through substitute Mathys Tel’s shot that deflected in off de Ligt.

What happened in Everton’s last EPL match?

Everton defeated Fulham 2-0 at home on November 8 just before FIFA’s international window, ending a three-match EPL winless streak going back to October 5.

Idrissa Gueye gave Everton the lead in the first half, and Michael Keane made it 2-0 in the second as Moyes’s side also had a number of goals chalked off for offside in what was a dominant victory.

Head-to-head: Last six matches

United are unbeaten against Everton in their last six fixtures with four wins and two draws.

The teams last played in a preseason friendly two weeks before the start of the 2025-2026 English Premier League season:

• Manchester United 2-2 Everton (August 4)
• Everton 2-2 Manchester United (February 2)
• Manchester United 4-0 Everton (December 1)
• Manchester United 2-0 Everton (March 9, 2024)
• Everton 0-3 Manchester United (November 26, 2023)
• Manchester United 2-0 Everton (April 8, 2023)

Form guide: last five Premier League matches

Manchester United: W-W-W-D-D (most recent result last)

Everton: W-L-L-D-W

United’s team news

Benjamin Sesko will be out of action “for a few weeks” after hurting his knee before the international break, Amorim said on Friday.

The forward, who joined United from RB Leipzig for 74 million pounds ($97m) in August, was injured during the 2-2 draw at Tottenham and missed Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers.

United will also be without Harry Maguire against Everton after the defender picked up an injury in the Spurs draw.

Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo could be available to face Everton, and Lisandro Martinez is getting closer to a return after being involved in the Argentina camp over the break.

Meanwhile, Cunha missed a Christmas lights switch-on event in Altrincham after organisers revealed the forward suffered “an accident in training” on Saturday, raising doubts over his availability on Monday.

United’s predicted starting lineup

Lammens; Yoro, de Ligt, Shaw; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Diallo; Zirkzee

Everton’s team news

Moyes said on Friday that central midfielder Merlin Rohl has had an operation to treat a hernia and is not expected to return for a few weeks.

Everton are also missing Nathan Patterson and Jarrad Branthwaite due to groin and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Otherwise, Moyes appears to have a fully fit squad to choose from.

Everton’s predicted starting lineup

Pickford; O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

There is some fierce competition for that crown but, statistically, the Gunners are right up there.

Nearly a third of the way through the campaign, they are conceding 0.45 goals per game. If they maintain that rate they will concede 17 goals over the 38 games.

Chelsea’s 2004-05 title-winning side hold the record at 15, with Arsenal’s vintage in 1998-99 conceding 17, but finishing trophyless.

The next tightest defence is the 2007-08 Manchester United side and Liverpool in 2018-19, who both conceded 22 goals.

There is a long way still to go for Arsenal, but if the backline of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori – with keeper David Raya behind them – stay fit and solid, then they’ve got every chance of being talked about among this quartet.

That is a big if though, with fears Gabriel could be sidelined until January after being injured on Brazil duty, while Italy international Calafiori also has a problem that needs to be assessed.

The Gunners also have the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues this term, with the fewest goals conceded, fewest shots on target faced and most clean sheets.

They have allowed only 21 shots on target in the Premier League this season, including three across their last five matches. Their average of 1.9 shots on target faced per game is the lowest since Opta’s records began in 2003-04.

You have to go back to September and October 1987 for the last time Arsenal bettered this season’s record of four successive league games without letting in a goal.

That came under manager George Graham in an era that inspired the famous “1-0 to the Arsenal” chant to serenade a team with the kind of defensive resilience that Arteta’s men are replicating.

Sunderland’s strikes, from Dan Ballard and an injury-time Brian Brobbey equaliser, denied them the chance to beat Manchester United’s Premier League record of 14 consecutive clean sheets, achieved back in 2008-09.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are the record holders for clean sheets in the Premier League era across all competitions, having gone 11 straight games without conceding under Rafael Benitez in 2005-06.

Former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown, who was part of the club’s 1998-99 side, wrote in his BBC Sport column: “We can see with our own eyes how good the defence is.

“The only thing missing from their CV is trophies.

“If they could be champions, they reach that elite level alongside these past title-winning teams.”

After walking away from its TV rights deal with Major League Baseball earlier this year, ESPN has a new package that will provide additional games for its streaming customers.

The deal announced Wednesday by the league will also return baseball to NBC and bring three MLB events — an opening night game, the Home Run Derby and the Field of Dreams game — to Netflix for the first time.

As part of the deal, ESPN will integrate the league’s streaming platform MLB.TV into its recently launched direct-to-consumer service that provides the sports channels to consumers with or without a cable subscription.

MLB.TV provides local telecasts of out-of-market games to consumers. In the 2026 season, new customers will now be able to purchase the service as part of an ESPN subscription. Pricing has not yet been set for the combined services.

ESPN Unlimited subscribers will get an additional 150 out-of-market games over the course of the season at no additional cost. ESPN will offer local games in the six MLB markets that no longer have regional sports networks — San Diego, Cleveland, Seattle, Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado. The games, which are produced by MLB, will be available to purchase for streaming in those markets through ESPN.

ESPN will no longer carry “Sunday Night Baseball,” a staple of the network for decades, but will have a package of 30 weeknight games. It will also retain its coverage of the MLB Little League Classic and carry a game on Memorial Day.

ESPN is paying $550 million for the new three-year package, the same as the last contract, according to people familiar with talks who were not authorized to comment publicly.

While ESPN and MLB exchanged harsh words when their longtime arrangement broke up earlier this year, both sides praised the eventual outcome, which puts a greater emphasis on streaming.

“Bringing MLB.TV to ESPN’s new app while maintaining a presence on linear television reflects a balanced approach to the shifts taking place in the way that fans watch baseball and gives MLB a meaningful presence on an important destination for fans of all sports,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the deal “a fan-friendly agreement” that prioritizes the Walt Disney Co. unit’s “streaming future.”

“Sunday Night Baseball” will move to NBC, with 25 prime-time games on the broadcast network or NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock. Already the home of “Sunday Night Football,” and “Sunday Night Basketball,” the addition of the MLB — at $200 million a season — means NBC will have live sports in prime time on every Sunday throughout the year.

The network is also picking up the wild card round of the MLB postseason that had been carried on ESPN.

In 2027 and 2028, NBC will carry the most consequential game played on the final Sunday of the season.

NBC Sports also gains the rights to the late Sunday morning game, which will be carried on Peacock and followed by a “whip-around” show presenting action from contests around the league that day. Peacock carried the morning game in 2023 and 2024 before it went to Roku this past season.

MLB games exclusive to Peacock will also be shown on the newly launched NBC Sports Network, which is being offered to cable and satellite TV providers.

Netflix is paying around $50 million per year to carry the 2026 opening night game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees on March 25. The annual Home Run Derby, previously on ESPN, also moves to the streamer, as does the Field of Dreams game, which will be played in Dyersville, Iowa, where the set for “Field of Dreams” is located.

The deal continues Netflix’s approach of offering appointment sporting events to its subscribers rather than investing in a full season package.

The new MLB deals only run for three years. The league wants them to align with its major TV rights package that includes the playoffs, the World Series and the All-Star Game. Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TBS carry those packages until 2028.

Watch the best goals from the latest round of fixtures from the Women’s Champions League, including Olga Carmona’s screamer for Paris St-Germain against Manchester United and Bayern Munich’s Pernille Harder’s equaliser against Arsenal.

READ MORE: Arsenal blow two-goal lead as Bayern stun holders

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Manchester United’s Maya Le Tissier talks to BBC Sport’s Simon Stone before their Champions League match against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday.

It will be the first time the women’s side has played a European game at Old Trafford.

READ MORE: Man Utd want to use Old Trafford match to ‘push team forward’

Manchester City celebrated Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game in management with a statement 3-0 win over Liverpool to close to within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Erling Haaland shrugged off missing an early penalty on Sunday to head in his 99th Premier League goal before Nico Gonzalez’s deflected effort and a wonder strike from Jeremy Doku confirmed City’s status as Arsenal’s major title rivals.

Liverpool have now lost four of their last five league games to leave the defending champions down in eighth, eight points off the top.

Arsenal’s 10-game winning run came to an end in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland on Saturday and Guardiola’s men took full advantage in the battle of the two sides that have dominated English football’s Premier League over the past decade.

Even if decisions went against Arne Slot’s men, this was another display of how far they have fallen since cruising to a 2-0 win at the Etihad in February.

The Reds showed signs of a revival in beating Aston Villa and Real Madrid in the past eight days, but had no answer to the slickness of a rejuvenated City, who have won 11 of their last 14 games in all competitions.

Conor Bradley shut down the threat of Madrid’s Vinicius Junior on Tuesday, but was given a torrid time by the pace and trickery of Doku down City’s left.

Early in the first half, Doku made the most of Ibrahima Konate’s clearance off Bradley to round Giorgi Mamardashvili before his trailing leg was clipped by the Georgian goalkeeper.

Referee Chris Kavanagh was initially unmoved, but pointed to the spot after a VAR review.

Haaland has struck 28 times already this season for club and country, but has yet to score for City from the penalty spot in 2025-26.

Mamardashvili redeemed himself by getting down low to his left to turn the Norwegian’s penalty to safety to briefly lift the mood among the Liverpool players and travelling support.

City remained in control of the game, though, as Rayan Cherki’s effort was deflected wide before Mamardashvili turned Doku’s strike after another mazy run into the side netting.

Haaland has only failed to score in two of his 18 appearances this season, and duly delivered with a looping header to meet Matheus Nunes’s wicked delivery at 29 minutes.

Liverpool thought they were level nine minutes later, when van Dijk’s header from a corner arrowed into the far corner.

However, Andrew Robertson ducked out of the way of his captain’s effort and was deemed to have interfered with Gianluigi Donnarumma from an offside position.

Instead of going in all square, City rubbed salt in the wounds of Liverpool’s perceived injustice.

The visitors were slow to get out from a corner, and Gonzalez had time to take aim before his shot deflected off van Dijk to wrong-foot Mamardashvili.

Liverpool only had themselves to blame for not getting back in the game early in the second period as Cody Gakpo blazed over with the goal gaping at the end of a fine move involving Mohamed Salah and Bradley.

But Doku fittingly rounded off arguably his best performance in three seasons at City to seal a statement victory.

The Belgian jinked inside the leaden-footed Konate before curling into the top corner from outside the box.

Salah summed up Liverpool’s day and season so far when he dinked wide a glorious chance 10 minutes from time.

Despite the visitors’ need for goals, Slot left 125-million-pound ($165m) striker Alexander Isak on the bench for the entire match due to his lack of match fitness.

The decision to tear up the squad that coasted to the title with a near 450-million-pound ($692m) spend in the transfer window looks more misguided by the game as Liverpool find themselves in a battle just to make the top four rather than the title race.

After the game, Doku told Sky Sports that he was very happy with the team’s performance.

“It is always good for the confidence [to dominate a match], but I have great players around me. That gives me the feeling that I have to do more in every game and every day I want to improve,” he said.

Van Dijk said Liverpool struggled to recover from a difficult first half.

“Our pressing just wasn’t good enough; it should have been better. We need to find more consistency. Losing hurts, always, but 3-0 especially,” he said.

“There were some good moments in the game, but you play Man City at home, who can make it very difficult. The focus should be on reflecting on this when we come back and then fight again.”

Earlier on Sunday, Aston Villa thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move into seventh place in the Premier League. But Newcastle United’s poor domestic form continued as they slumped to defeat at Brentford.

Nottingham Forest ended a winless Premier League run stretching back to the first weekend of the season as they came from behind to beat Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground.

Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion shared the spoils in a dour 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park.

Aston Villa put in a dominant team performance, with four different goalscorers, to secure their biggest Premier League win of the season by beating Bournemouth 4-0 at Villa Park.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Aston Villa 4-0 Bournemouth

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NEW YORK — Paul Tagliabue, who helped bring labor peace and riches to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions, died Sunday from heart failure. He was 84.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of his death in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Tagliabue, who had developed Parkinson’s disease, was commissioner after Pete Rozelle from 1989 to 2006. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of a special centennial class in 2020. Current Commissioner Roger Goodell succeeded Tagliabue.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL,” Goodell said in a statement. “I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor. I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father.”

Tagliabue oversaw a myriad of new stadiums and negotiated television contracts that added billions of dollars to the league’s bank account. Under him, there were no labor stoppages.

During his time, Los Angeles lost two teams and Cleveland another, migrating to Baltimore before being replaced by an expansion franchise.

Tagliabue implemented a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. He also established the “Rooney Rule,” in which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-office and league executive positions.

When he took office in 1989, the NFL had just gotten its first Black head coach of the modern era. By the time Tagliabue stepped down in 2006, there were seven minority head coaches in the league.

In one of his pivotal moments, Tagliabue called off NFL games the weekend after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It was one of the few times the public compared him favorably to Rozelle, who proceeded with the games the Sunday after John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. A key presidential aide had advised Rozelle that the NFL should play, a decision that was one of the commissioner’s great regrets.

Tagliabue certainly had his detractors, notably over concussions. The issue has plagued the NFL for decades, though team owners had a major role in the lack of progress in dealing with head trauma.

In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades ago about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994. He called concussions “one of those pack-journalism issues” and contended the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

“Obviously,” he said on Talk of Fame Network, “I do regret those remarks. Looking back, it was not sensible language to use to express my thoughts at the time. My language was intemperate, and it led to serious misunderstanding.

“My intention at the time was to make a point which could have been made fairly simply: that there was a need for better data. There was a need for more reliable information about concussions and uniformity in terms of how they were being defined in terms of severity.”

While concussion recognition, research and treatment lagged for much of Tagliabue’s tenure, his work on the labor front was exemplary.

As one of his first decisions, Tagliabue reached out to the players’ union, then run by Gene Upshaw, a Hall of Fame player and former star for Al Davis’ Raiders. Tagliabue had insisted he be directly involved in all labor negotiations, basically rendering useless the Management Council of club executives that had handled such duties for nearly two decades.

It was a wise decision.

“When Paul was named commissioner after that seven-month search in 1989, that’s when the league got back on track,” said Joe Browne, who spent 50 years as an NFL executive and was a confidant of Rozelle and Tagliabue.

“Paul had insisted during his negotiations for the position that final control over matters such as labor and all commercial business dealings had to rest in the commissioner’s office. The owners agreed and that was a large step forward toward the tremendous rebound we had as a league — an expanded league — in the ’90s and beyond.”

Tagliabue forged a solid relationship with Upshaw. In breaking with the contentious dealings between the league and the NFL Players Association, Tagliabue and Upshaw kept negotiations respectful and centered on what would benefit both sides. Compromise was key, Upshaw always said — although the union often was criticized for being too accommodating.

Tagliabue had been the NFL’s Washington lawyer, a partner in the prestigious firm of Covington and Burling. He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a bitter fight highlighting the differences between the NFL’s old guard and newer owners.

Yet during his reign as commissioner, which ended in the spring of 2006 after pushing through a highly contested labor agreement, he managed to unite those divided owners and, in fact, relied more on the old-timers who supported him than on Jerry Jones and many of the younger owners.

Tagliabue was born on Nov. 24, 1940, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was the 6-foot-5 captain of the basketball team at Georgetown and graduated in 1962 as one of the school’s leading rebounders at the time — his career average later listed just below that of Patrick Ewing. He was president of his class and a Rhodes scholar finalist. Three years later, he graduated from NYU Law School and subsequently worked as a lawyer in the Defense Department before joining Covington & Burling.

He eventually took over the NFL account, establishing a close relationship with Rozelle and other NFL officials during a series of legal actions in the 1970s and 1980s.

Tagliabue was reserved by nature and it sometimes led to coolness with the media, which had embraced Rozelle, an affable former public relations man. Even after he left office, Tagliabue did not measure up in that regard with Goodell, who began his NFL career in the public relations department.

But after 9/11, Tagliabue showed a different side, particularly toward league employees who had lost loved ones in the attacks. He accompanied Ed Tighe, an NFL Management Council lawyer whose wife died that day, to Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a few blocks from the NFL office.

Art Shell, a Hall of Fame player, became the NFL’s first modern-day Black head coach with the Raiders. He got to see Tagliabue up close and thought him utterly suited for his job.

“After my coaching career was over, I had the privilege of working directly with Paul in the league office,” Shell said, “His philosophy on almost every issue was, ‘If it’s broke, fix it. And if it’s not broke, fix it anyway.’

“He always challenged us to find better ways of doing things. Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

Tagliabue is survived by his wife Chandler, son Drew, and daughter Emily.

Wilner and Maaddi write for the Associated Press.

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the match as City host rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.

If you think Trinity League football is the best in the country, then the Mission League might be its equivalent in boys’ basketball this season.

“It’s off the charts,” Harvard-Wesltake coach David Rebibo said in describing the talent of the eight Mission League teams.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Chaminade coach Bryan Cantwell said. “We could have all eight teams potentially in the top 30 in Southern California.”

Transfers, promising freshmen and the development of young players has set the stage for a league schedule in January that will allow fans to see players who might be soon appearing on weekend TV for college basketball teams or on NBA rosters.

Harvard-Westlake has won seven consecutive league titles and remains in the title mix. The coaching is so good in the league and the talent so plentiful that it would be no surprise if multiple teams win Southern Section titles depending on what divisions in which they are placed.

It’s not as if the league didn’t have talent before this season, but Cantwell pointed out, “There’s just more on all of the teams.”

Every team except Harvard-Westlake added transfer students this season. The biggest were St. John Bosco senior Brandon McCoy going to Sierra Canyon, 7-foot-3 Cherif Millogo arriving at St. Francis from Boston and 6-9 Sam Mbingazo returning to Bishop Alemany after playing at Iowa Prep last season.

One big loss, though, has been suffered at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, where 6-7 Tyran Stokes, ranked No. 1 by many in the class of 2026, won’t be playing for the Knights. He withdrew from school last week. There are others ready to help replace him.

Zachary White has committed to San Diego State and NaVorro Bowman has gotten so good that he’s become one of the best prospects from the class of 2027.

Sierra Canyon could start a lineup solely of transfers, with Maximo Adams in his second season with the Trailblazers and one of the best players in the class of 2026. Brannon Martinsen, a 6-6 senior, arrived from JSerra.

Sierra Canyon’s Maximo Adams hugs coach Andre Chevalier.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Harvard-Westlake isn’t going anywhere, with the return of standout senior guard Joe Sterling, a Texas commit, senior center Dominique Bentho and guards Pierce Thompson, Amir Jones and Cole Holden. Crespi returns the Barnes twins, Isaiah and Carter.

“There are anywhere between three and five Division 1 players on every team with D1 potential between the sophomores and juniors,” Rebibo said. “The senior class in this league is unreal. It makes the league as competitive as it’s been in a very long time.”

As if talent weren’t enough of a draw, there’s the coaching. Former Lakers star Derek Fisher, who used to coach the New York Knicks, is in his third season at Crespi and no one is intimidated coaching against him. Chaminade’s Bryan Cantwell, St. Francis’ Todd Wolfson and Sierra Canyon’s Andre Chevalier are veteran coaches who’ve all won section championships. Loyola has a first-year coach, Cam Joyce, from Ohio, and Mike DuLaney guided Bishop Alemany to a Division III state title in 2024.

“It’s going to be really competitive and really fun,” Cantwell said.

Throughout Southern California, there are plenty of elite prospects. There’s Missouri-bound Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood; Kansas-bound Luke Barnett of Mater Dei; high-scoring junior guard Gene Roebuck of La Mirada; Georgia Tech commit Kaiden Bailey of Santa Margarita; top sophomore transfers Evan Willis and Shalen Sheppard of Crossroads; heavily recruited Christian Collins of St. John Bosco; dynamic senior guard Josiah Johnson of Mayfair; standout senior guard Isaiah Rogers of Corona Centennial; 6-11 Josh Irving of Pasadena, who has committed to Texas A&M; 6-6 rising junior Kevin Keshishyan of Los Altos.

As far as teams, Sierra Canyon, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco, Redondo Union, Rolling Hills Prep, Harvard-Westlake, Corona Centennial and Damien all appear headed to top teams status.

Unfortunately, the City Section has seen most of its top players transfer or graduate. Palisades is the preseason favorite with the arrival of the 6-6 Popoola twins, Elijah and Olujimi, juniors from Las Vegas.