Watch Southampton vs Portsmouth for free as two south coast rivals resume hostilities in their first meeting of the 2026/27 Championship season. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Saints received a boost this week with the news that manager Tonda Eckert will be on the touchline against Pompey, after the German was handed a suspended six-week ban for his role in the Spygate saga last season.

John Mousinho's side head to St Mary's aiming to extend a five-match unbeaten league run against their arch-rivals, which stretches back to 2004.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Southampton vs Portsmouth in the Championship online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for FREE.

Can I watch Southampton vs Portsmouth for free?

Yes! Southampton vs Portsmouth is one of a select group of Championship matches that will be shared between Sky Sports and ITV this season, meaning UK viewers can watch it for free on ITV1 or stream it on ITVX.

Fans in the US can also stream the game at no cost via the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Not in the UK or US? Use NordVPN to unlock your Southampton vs Portsmouth stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Southampton vs Portsmouth from anywhere

What if you're away from home when Southampton vs Portsmouth 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 colleagues TechRadar are experts in this field, and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider on the market.

How to watch Southampton vs Portsmouth in the UK

Southampton vs Portsmouth will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, as well as on ITV1 and the ITVX streaming service.

The Championship clash is being shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with kick-off at 12:00pm BST.

How to watch Southampton vs Portsmouth in the US

In addition to CBS Sports Golazo Network, Southampton vs Portsmouth is being shown on Paramount+ in the US. Kick-off is at 7:00am ET.

How to watch Southampton vs Portsmouth in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Southampton vs Portsmouth on beIN SPORTS.

The game kicks-off at 9:00pm AEST and will be live on beIN SPORTS 3, as well as the beIN SPORTS CONNECT streaming platform.

Southampton vs Portsmouth: Preview

The South Coast derby hardly needs any extra spice, but this week's verdict into Tonda Eckert's role in the Spygate scandal may just take the atmosphere up a notch or two at St Mary's this lunchtime.

The Southampton manager escaped with a suspended six-week ban for the saga that saw his club kicked out of the play-offs last season, which means he will be on the touchline against Portsmouth. Expect the German to receive a hero's welcome from the home fans, and a fair bit of stick from the visiting contingent.

On the pitch, Saints are aiming to claim a first league win over their arch-rivals since 2004, although that run encompasses only five games with the two clubs often in different divisions during the past two decades.

Southampton have been further boosted by the news that Championship top goalscorer Cyle Larin and goalkeeper Daniel Peretz are available after picking up minor injuries on international duty, while midfielder Caspar Jander could make his first appearance of the season after recovering from a quad issue.

SEE ALSO Interactive football calendar 2026/27: Every game in every competition

Portsmouth start the day just two points behind their rivals, although the gap would be six if Saints hadn't been docked four points following Spygate.

John Mousinho's men have had a mixed start to the campaign, with two wins and three defeats in seven matches, and their hopes of a first league victory at St Mary's since 1988 have been hampered by an injury crisis.

Pompey could be without up to nine players against Southampton, with key centre-back Conor Shaughnessy and talismanic winger Josh Murphy the most high-profile absentees.

That being said, Mousinho has worked wonders in steering Portsmouth to safety on a limited budget in each of the past two seasons, so he is used to being up against it. Beating Southampton is arguably the only thing missing from his Pompey CV.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Southampton 2-1 Portsmouth

Derbies are all about which team handles the occasion better, but we expect Saints' quality to get them over the line.

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

Watch Hull City vs Everton in the Premier League as the Tigers play host to the Toffees at the MKM Stadium.

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

Hull City lost their unbeaten start to the Premier League season at Newcastle United just before the international break hit us and the Tigers will be looking for a response on home soil today.

Everton are unbeaten are five games played, boasting a record of two wins and three draws, with Jack Grealish back amongst their ranks and ready to go again - so who will come out on top in this one?

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Hull City vs Everton online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Sunday afternoon Premier League 2026/27 fixture.

Watch Hull City vs Everton from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Hull City vs Everton.

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Hull City vs Everton in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Hull City vs Everton live on Sky Sports.

The Premier League clash is being shown on Sky Sports Premier League, with kick-off at 2:00pm BST.

How to watch Hull City vs Everton in the US

NBCSN is showing Hull City vs Everton in the US, but the easiest way to watch the action is via Peacock.

How to watch Hull City vs Everton in Australia

Viewers tuning in from Australia can stream Hull City vs Everton on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 11:00pm AEST.

Tickets

Hull City vs Everton: Preview

Hull City will look to continue their impressive start to life back in the Premier League when they welcome Everton to the MKM Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers have already shown they are capable of competing at the top level after an encouraging opening to the campaign. Wins over Manchester United and Coventry City, coupled with draws against Aston Villa and Chelsea, have given the newly promoted side plenty of confidence.

Their unbeaten league run eventually came to an end against Newcastle United last time out, although a narrow 2-1 defeat at St James’ Park did little to diminish the optimism surrounding their strong start back in the big time.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide for Matchweek 6

Everton, meanwhile, arrive in Yorkshire still unbeaten in the Premier League. The Toffees have collected draws against Bournemouth, Manchester United and Tottenham before recording their second league victory against Ipswich Town in their most recent outing. David Moyes’ side will therefore be hoping to maintain that consistency and return from Hull with another positive result.

Team news could play an important role. Hull are expected to be without Hidemasa Morita, while Matt Targett is also a doubt. Jack Butland remains sidelined, although the Tigers have plenty of attacking options available, including Oliver McBurnie, Mohamed Belloumi and Sorba Thomas.

Everton could also have selection issues, with Merlin Röhl ruled out and Christian Nørgaard and Vitalii Mykolenko doubts.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Hull City 1-2 Everton

This could be a bridge too far; now Hull's stiff rearguard has been breached. Everton look good in attack and Barry is coming into form again. We think Moyes' men edge 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.

During his 17 year playing career, Michael Owen broke a litany of records, lifted a host of major trophies and was crowned as the Ballon d’Or winner in 2001.

But now, more than a decade after hanging up his boots, the former Liverpool and England striker gets his kicks out of another sporting pursuit.

Owen’s Manor House Stables is a sprawling 170-acre racing operation, south of Chester, where he houses almost 150 racehorses. Among the famous owners are former England team-mates and Premier League stars, but for Owen, the real fascination lies in the horses themselves.

Owen on his Manor House Stables

“I could name them all – every owner, every mother and father, every racing record,” he tells FourFourTwo during a guided tour of the site. “I’m a geek.”

The horse in the swimming pool, he informs us, is called Box To Box – so named because it’s owned by Owen’s former BT Sport colleagues Steve McManaman, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves and Andy Townsend. Not only did they work as pundits on the box, but they were also largely box-to-box midfielders. “He’s seven years old and he’s won six races,” Owen says of the animal.

The former Real Madrid man also shows us horses owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Anthony Gordon and James Milner. “He’s the luckiest owner,” Owen jokes of the latter. “Every horse he buys turns into a superstar, and sells for a lot of money. He’s had six horses here – I think the most he’s paid for one is about £80,000, and the least he’s sold one for is £360,000.”

In a nod to his highest individual honour, another of Owen’s horses is called Balon d’Or, with Owen reserving that name for a thoroughbred with particular potential, although self-deprecatingly admits that, yes, he’s since realised he spelt the name wrong.

Owen believes he has put around £13million into the facility since he purchased the land at the age of 23 when he was still terrorising defences in a Liverpool shirt. Even then, he knew his love for horse racing was so strong that he knew what he wanted to do once his playing days were over.

What was originally a farm was converted into stables, which have grown and grown ever since, and are now among the best in the country. Owen employs around 50 staff, many of whom work here every day and train the horses – we see some of them being taken for a gallop by riders on an all-weather track.

He doesn’t actually own most of the animals, though – the business model sees him purchase them at auctions (he estimates he’ll spend £2m to £3m to buy around 40 in the next few weeks), then sell to people who come in as owners and pay a monthly training fee. Darts duo Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting also have a horse here called Bunting Mental, but not every owner is from the sporting world.

The costs of operating the facility are not small – Owen has made huge progress over the past two decades, but needs additional outside investment to achieve his ambitions of kicking on even further and becoming one of the most successful stables in the country.

With that in mind, as well as welcoming FourFourTwo, he recently allowed the cameras in for a six-part Amazon Prime Video documentary called Meet The Owens, made by the Whisper production company that was co-founded by ex-Formula 1 racer David Coulthard.

For Owen, his post-football life is every bit as ambitious as his playing career.

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

This afternoon, two clubs with a fierce rivalry will do battle against the backdrop of one of English football’s most shocking cases of cheating in recent memory.

One set of fans will relish the opportunity to remind their opponents that they are morally corrupt - perhaps in slightly different words - while the other will stand in defiance behind their club, despite their shattered reputation.

But this isn’t about Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City, who play their first game since they were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. This is about Southampton’s derby against Portsmouth and one man in particular: Saints manager Tonda Eckert.

Tonda Eckert's Spygate ruling comes at the perfect time for Southampton

Clearly, the Spygate scandal that saw Southampton expelled from last season’s Championship play-offs is nowhere near the same level of severity as the case involving City, who continue to deny any wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict.

But the strength of feeling between the two sets of fans at St Mary’s today will certainly match - and probably exceed - the hostility at Anfield.

The South Coast derby comes four days after Eckert escaped serious punishment for his role in Spygate, following an FA hearing last month.

An independent commission handed the Saints manager a six-week ban from all football and football-related activity, suspended until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, as well as a £28,000 fine and a reprimand, after he admitted that he ‘directed and/or authorised the observation of training sessions’ of three Championship opponents - Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough - last season.

The Boro incident occurred 48 hours before the sides met in the first leg of their play-off semi-final in May, when Southampton intern Will Salt was caught filming Kim Hellberg’s team and the story quickly became headline news.

Having beaten Middlesbrough over two legs, Saints were then expelled from the play-offs by the EFL and received a four-point deduction that came into effect this season. The club were denied a play-off final against Hull City and the potential £200m windfall that comes with promotion to the Premier League, but the strong punishment sent a clear message: spying on opponents is not worth the risk.

Everyone at Southampton, including players and fans, paid for the actions of a few members of staff. Eckert also suffered considerable reputational damage, but it seems inexplicable that the man who took ultimate responsibility for Spygate will not miss a single game considering that managers receive touchline bans for back-chatting to referees.

The 33-year-old was described as an “exceptionally impressive” witness by the independent commission and expressed “genuine contrition” for his actions. That may be true, but it doesn’t absolve him of blame.

The independent commission initially recommended a four-month ban from football, while the FA requested three months. But after applying various mitigations, including Eckert’s remorse, the impact on his career prospects and the knock-on effect for the club and the fans, it was reduced to this pathetic suspended sentence that he will ultimately never serve, as he will surely not make the same mistake again.

The verdict dilutes the message sent in May by the EFL, opening the door for managers to escape serious punishment in the event of another Spygate if they plead their case well. It also emboldens Southampton in their belief that they were harshly treated when they were kicked out of the play-offs.

That attitude was clear in the club’s statement responding to the verdict, in which owner Dragan Solak said: “The FA process has been a positive experience…the same cannot be said for the EFL process, and the way they have subsequently treated us is not something we will forget.”

Eight minutes after the statement was published, Saints posted a video on social media of Eckert celebrating with fans after a game, captioned “Just don’t think you understand” - lyrics from the terrace chant sung up and down the country. It felt unnecessarily triumphalist on the back of an embarrassing episode for the club.

In many ways, the verdict could not have come at a better time for Southampton. The South Coast derby is the biggest game of the two clubs’ respective seasons and Saints are aiming to end a winless league run against Portsmouth that stretches back to 2004.

The atmosphere will be highly-charged regardless, but it will go up another couple of notches when Eckert walks out of the tunnel and receives a hero’s welcome. Southampton fans would have feared the impact of the German being banned days before facing their arch-rivals, so his presence on the touchline will feel like a victory.

They now know they have one of the brightest young managers in the country leading them for the rest of this season, which not only brings obvious benefits on the pitch but also a psychological boost, as they would have feared months of uncertainty if Eckert was banned.

Similarly, do not be surprised if the siege mentality demonstrated in Solak’s statement lasts beyond this weekend. Southampton clearly believe they were unfairly denied their shot at promotion last season and many - but not all - supporters will feel the same way. It is not hard to imagine Saints framing this season’s bid to reach the Premier League as two fingers up to the EFL.

Southampton do not need any extra help in their promotion push. Eckert is a talented manager and has some of the best players in the league at his disposal, including Daniel Peretz, Leo Scienza and Cyle Larin.

They were strong favourites to win last season’s play-offs before the Spygate saga and would start this weekend fourth in the Championship without the points deduction. Even accounting for those lost points, Saints should finish comfortably inside the top eight and are likely to challenge for the top two.

Now, thanks to the failure to sufficiently punish Eckert, they have another edge in the promotion battle - and that feels wrong.

During his quarter-of-a-century career as a footballer, Tony Adams won a string of trophies, capained his country and has even seen himself immortalised with a statue outside of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

After hanging up his boots in 2002, the former centre-back saw his future as a manager, but he quickly discovered that success on the pitch does not necessarily translate to success off it.

One man who was quick to point this out to Adams was Jose Mourinho, whose managerial success came after he spent years studying the profession, with the Portuguese handing the former Gunners skipper a blunt assessment that has remained with him to this day.

Adams on Mourinho’s managerial lessons

Mourinho’s message to Adams was a simple one: being a world-class footballer does not automatically make you a world-class coach.

“He always called me Simon,” Adams somewhat bizarrely recalls to FourFourTwo. “He said ‘Simon, you’ve been a footballer for 25 years, I’ve been studying for 25 years, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do’.

“I thought ‘Yeah, he’s right’. I had to learn coaching, I had to learn management.”

Adams would soon take this advice on board when it came to his managerial career. While most would look at a manager’s CV and remember the clubs, Adams would rather remember the lessons.

“Holland, Spain, China, Azerbaijan – they all taught me something,” he continues before recalling what went down during his spell in charge of Azerbaijan Premier League side Gabala.

“In Azerbaijan, the owner said to me, ‘I want the best academy in Azerbaijan, I want the best facilities in the former Soviet Union, if we qualify for Europe that’ll be unbelievable’. I said ‘Well, you need an international airport’.”

While the owner laughed at this suggestion, Adams’ wider vision would soon be realised.

“He laughed too, but he built one. We laid seven top-grade grass pitches, the very best facilities.

“We brought Dutch coaches over because, for me, they were the best youth developers in Europe. We wanted to build something that would still be there years later – 85 per cent of the Azerbaijan national team now come through that academy.”

For Adams, that early lesson from Mourinho hit home, as he would quickly realise that being a great footballer was only the beginning of the journey to becoming a coach.

Adams’ book 1996: Reflections On The Year That Changed My Life is available now

Dimitar Berbatov seemed to be running harmlessly towards the Old Trafford corner flag, when he unleashed the skill he’d been working on in his living room at home.

Sprinting to stop Anderson’s pass going out for a goal kick, Berbatov stopped the ball with his right foot, spun 180 degrees, then flicked it past James Collins, all in a split second. The West Ham defender didn’t know what had just happened, but Berbatov was suddenly sauntering into the penalty area unattended, expertly squaring for Cristiano Ronaldo to tap home.

The Bulgarian had been a Manchester United player for just a month – already he’d delivered a moment that fans would remember, performing his spin on near enough the same blade of grass where Fernando Redondo had backheeled his way past Henning Berg for a famous Real Madrid goal eight years earlier.

Berbatov’s piece of skill became the subject for a song, Berbatov Spin by Broke Boy Fly – one of at least three tracks that have been written about him, including another by Thessaloniki rapper Richi, after the striker spent time in the city playing for PAOK towards the end of his career.

His spin assist was typical of the style and swagger he displayed throughout a career that took him from Blagoevgrad, his home town at the foot of the Rila mountains, and onwards to CSKA Sofia, Bayer Leverkusen and Spurs, before his 2008 move to Manchester, where he also scored a hat-trick against Liverpool and five in one game against Blackburn. In total, he found the net 329 times during his career.

Previously, the two-time Premier League winner has spoken of how his languid style of play was based on kung fu. “You have someone who’s going crazy, and someone doing slow movements – the one with the correct movements destroys the other guy,” he once explained.

Like a true rock’n’roll footballer, Berbatov might have sometimes given off the vibe that he didn’t really care, but that was always an act – today, chatting to FFT, he reveals it was an act that was actually inspired by a character in a little-known Italian spaghetti western movie.

Now 45, having retired in 2019, he’s European brand ambassador for LiveScore and LiveScore Bet, and speaking to us after taking his two daughters on the slightly less rock’n’roll school run in his homeland. In this interview, in keeping with the theme of this issue of the magazine, Berbatov is ready to intelligently articulate what it was like to be a much-loved maverick, and what was really going on underneath that nonchalant facade.

Looking back at your career, how would you describe your style of play?

Well honestly, without any modesty right now, I’d say that long before there was a striker dropping deep, it was me and Robbie Keane at Spurs, dropping deep from the central attacking position to receive the ball and play people in behind – playing almost like a number nine and a number 10, all in one. I always enjoyed doing that because I was technically gifted and I had my touch, so it was easier for me to read the game. I felt great satisfaction dropping deep, trying to feed my team-mates so they could score – sometimes when I assisted, I felt more joy than when I scored. Now there are false nines, but let’s not forget that back in the day, even before my time, there were strikers who’d come and get the ball, then feed others. Football is like a cycle.

Your style inspired people – three songs have even been written about you, including one called Berbatov Spin.

[Laughs] I didn’t know about this! That’s actually what I was talking about, because the Berba Spin was an assist – it was so good and the moment was so right, everything happened so perfectly, that I can agree that a song is a good thing to have to describe it! Those types of movement and improvisations, they brought me so much joy. When I did the Berba Spin, I could hear the crowd go ‘Whoaaa!’ That made my day even more, and when I passed to Ronaldo to score, it was complete.

Do you still watch that clip a lot, and did that goal sum you up more than any other, even though you didn’t score it yourself?

I had good assists that aren’t mentioned regularly, that one pops up all the time, and I scored beautiful goals as well, but that was me, how I saw football and how I thought it should be played. Improvisation, of course with an end result, because if you have improvisation without the end result, you need to go to the circus. In my case, I wanted to have improvisation with great assists and great goals – sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but that’s how football is. You need to enjoy and entertain the fans, but with an end result. That was me, and for me it worked.

You’ve spoken previously about how you tried to look cool and unbothered after that assist for Ronaldo?

[Laughs] From time to time I do go back and watch it, because we miss the old days, we miss when we used to play football, and you just want to see what you did back in the day. If you watch it, after that goal, you’re right, I was walking and just pretending that ‘Nothing happened guys, I do this all the time, what is all the fuss?!’ But inside of me, I knew I’d done something special, because of the noise of the crowd. I knew straight away that they loved it.

That unbothered look was a trademark of yours during your career, even after you did exceptional things. Where did that come from?

Well, it’s going to sound funny now, what I’m going to tell you. It’s connected in a way to how I see football, as kung fu. That’s how I used to move, like floating. And to answer your question about why I was like that, it’s because growing up, there was one movie called They Call Me Trinity with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, I don’t know if you know those types of actors? There were two movies actually, They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name – the guy in the movie, he was always a bit laidback, a bit like he didn’t care, but he was the fastest draw in the west and everybody knew that, so everybody respected him. Even if you underestimate him, then you’ll be surprised by all the things that he can do.

When I was a boy growing up watching that movie, I thought ‘I like that guy, he’s so laidback and cool – he knows he’s good, but he doesn’t need to show it because he’s confident he’s good, he doesn’t care what everybody thinks’. In a way, probably in my conscience without even realising it, I was putting that into my game and maybe even my life. I’m a big movie buff, I love watching a lot of movies, so that was probably inserted into my life and my way of playing football.

Do you think individuality is being lost a bit now, that players are coached to be more robotic, within a tactical system?

I’ve never been one to compare myself to someone else or compare different periods, but now football has changed – it’s more athletic, more tactical. I understand that, because at the end of the day, results are the most important. If you’re first place, you’re champions, you get more money, you play Champions League football, you get even more money, so let’s not forget that football is also business. But football is also art – football was the love of my life. During the time when I played, it was the right moment for me because it was more artistic, more poetry – taking the ball, thinking, outsmarting the opponents, entertaining. I’m not saying we don’t have players like that now – Lionel Messi is still playing, Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne, even though he’s left Manchester City. We still have artists on the pitch, but maybe it’s a bit more physical right now, with more athleticism.

You had quite a journey to reach the top, growing up in the final years of communism in Blagoevgrad. You sometimes had to play football with a pig’s bladder?

Yeah, we did. That’s why it’s good to look back sometimes and reminisce, to remember how it was and how it is now. I also try to teach my kids what I went through, my story. Everyone has their own story. In my family, we grew up with a bit of difficulty, we didn’t have much for football, so we needed to improvise, right? Back then, you didn’t understand that those were challenges, you took it as a game. There were no phones, no social media, so what do you do? You try to find something, you go on to the streets. You run into some problem with someone maybe, or you just try to excite yourself in some way.

With us, it was kicking the ball. We didn’t have a ball? OK. We had a custom back in the day to slaughter a pig on a special holiday – the women would cook it, and out of that you’d get the bladder of the pig. You blow it up, it’s a bit disgusting, but it looks like a ball, you wrap a towel around it and now you have a football. You try to kick it as much as you can, then when you grow up, things start to change and you get a football. Later in life, if you’re lucky, patient and work hard, you become a professional.

Was playing with a pig’s bladder part of why you were so brilliant at controlling a football, which was presumably easier?

I think it was just because I started very early – I knew at a very early age what I wanted to do. I found my purpose really early in my life and that prevented me from making a lot of mistakes that a lot of young people were making. Of course I made my share of mistakes, but they were small mistakes, not big ones that you couldn’t reverse. I knew I wanted to be a football player, I was really concentrated and dedicated in my mind to try to achieve something. That saved me, and paved my way to reach my personal top.

Interestingly, you’ve said that when fans sang about you during matches, even positively, you sometimes felt uncomfortable?

Yeah, because the first time I think I experienced that was with Spurs, when I came to England. When I used to play in Germany, there were a couple of things like that, but not so big as in England, where you have a song and they chant your name. The first time I heard it, I was like ‘What is happening?’ It put me in the spotlight and I wasn’t ready for that, I just wanted to play football, even though we’re in the spotlight on the pitch anyway. In that moment, I was like ‘Guys, what is going on? I want it to stop’. I felt embarrassed and to be honest, yes, it’s nice, it’s a great gesture of course and I appreciate it, but at times it made me uncomfortable.

That’s surprising for a star player – someone like Ronaldo probably would have loved it?

It depends who you are of course, how you see life and how you see gestures like that. Sometimes when I’d scored four or five goals, when I was feeling confident and in the mood and they sang my song, then I sang myself as well in my mind and I felt good! It’s different depending on the moment.

When you weren’t as confident, could your unbothered look be a mask for how you were feeling?

Of course. Everybody has their difficulties in their career and in my situation when I played as a striker, when you don’t score goals, that’s the moment where you’re in the spotlight in a negative way. The position of a striker automatically says that you need to score goals, and if you don’t, you’re not doing your job. There’s so much to the position of a striker – how he plays, how he moves, how he frees the space, holds the ball and brings everybody into the play. But of course number one is goals.

So when I didn’t score goals, it was tough for me – I’d be sitting in my apartment or house, or wherever I was, replaying the game in my mind. What did I do that wasn’t good enough, what do I need to do next time so that I can correct myself? Sometimes that can be a dangerous place to be, because if you don’t know how to get out of that vicious circle of negative thinking, you’re going to stay there for a long period of time. That’s why sometimes football is not so much about what you can do with your legs, but in your head. If you’re not good there, your legs are going to be suffering and the whole thing is not going to be good for you.

That’s something I speak about with young players, especially here in Bulgaria. Yes, everybody has problems if you’re a striker and you don’t score, I’ve been there. But the only thing to do is to be strong in your head. It’s difficult, and if you have the right people around you, the right environment – your wife, your kids, your girlfriend, your agent, your team-mates, your coach – they will help you. If you can help yourself, even better – it’s going to make you even stronger. But don’t stay too much in that zone of negative thinking.

What have you been doing since retirement? Have you ever been tempted to become a manager?

Every ex-player thinks he’s going to be great as a manager. If you ask anyone, he’ll say ‘Of course, I will be the best!’ Even if he doesn’t admit it, he’ll be thinking it, because that’s how we are – especially strikers, big egos, we know everything! Of course that’s far away from the truth. I have been tempted, I’ve been thinking about it, I have my A Licence, but I have my foundation back home here, we’re supporting talented kids in arts, sports and science, we try to encourage them as much as we can, and help them to go into their teens in a better position with the choices they make, how they see life, what they want to do. I try to inspire them with my own story. I also work with Manchester United as an ambassador, I have other business ventures as well. When someone here in Bulgaria asks me how I am, I don’t have the right to complain because I’ve done my part, I achieved my personal top. So compared to other people and how they live here, I don’t need to complain at all.

How proud are you of your career?

Very proud because I came from a small country in Bulgaria, so to reach England and reach Manchester United, it was a great honour for me. I know the way I needed to work to get there, and my personal top was Manchester United. Some of my colleagues that I played with reached higher than me, some reached lower, but I was happy that I was part of the history of that big club – and all of my clubs of course, that helped me to get there. I also had some missed opportunities to win trophies, but that’s how football is sometimes – it can be cruel, but you take it on the chin and continue.

How do you hope people remember Dimitar Berbatov the footballer?

I hope I entertained them – I know I entertained them, to be honest. I did my best to do that every time, even if I didn’t show it, and even if sometimes it didn’t work. But if it didn’t work, I was ready to try the next time, of course with an end result. When someone watches my clips, my goals and assists, I want them to see poetry in motion, how you improvise, how you dance with the ball, how you touch the ball, how you read the game. If I can inspire some young boys or girls to try to copy what I did, great.

Berbatov was speaking on behalf of LiveScore and LiveScore Bet. LiveScore’s mission is to fuel fans’ passion for sport – download the LiveScore app for real-time updates, and visit livescore.com for more info

Watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest for free as Oliver Glasner returns to face his former employers at Selhurst Park. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest will both be bidding to get their seasons properly underway as the two sides meet in the Premier League today.

Both the Eagles and the Tricky Trees have only one win apiece so far in 2026/27, which could make for an interesting contest at Selhurst Park.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest online and from anywhere, including for free, in a tasty clash in the Premier League.

Watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest for FREE

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

Abroad? Use a VPN to access your Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest from anywhere

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

The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

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

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest in the UK

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and kick-off is at 2:00pm.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest in the US

As mentioned above, fans in the US can watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest on USA Network.

Kick-off is at 9:00am ET.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest in Australia

Stan Sport has live coverage of Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest in Australia.

Kick-off is at 11:00pm AEST.

Tickets

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest: Preview

Crystal Palace's start to the 2026/27 season has been less than convincing, but given they again lost some of their standout stars in the summer, it really is no surprise.

Managing to keep hold of future England star Adam Wharton seemed like a big plus, to say the very least, but Maxence Lacroix moving to Chelsea and Daniel Munoz moving to Sunday's opponents, Nottingham Forest, means their new-look side is still looking to gel.

Only one win in five is the tune so far, with that success coming against Fulham at the start of September.

They did progress in the Carabao Cup, beating Middlesbrough 3-0, as the Eagles again have European football to contend with this term, this time in the Europa League.

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

Nottingham Forest are now headed up by ex-Palace boss Glasner, with the reception he will receive at his old stomping ground yet to be determined.

Forest have also struggled at the start of the new campaign, winning just once so far, but did perform well, albeit in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool before the international break took over all of our lives.

They come into this game off the back off of a dissapointing loss at Premier League new-boys Coventry City, but weirdly had held their own beforehand against Spurs.

There are no new injuries to report, with Nikola Milenkovic and Nicolo Savona both still sidelined at present.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Both teams have been slow at the start of the new campaign and we expect no different in a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.

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.

European nights under the floodlights have a habit of hitting harder than your usual run-of-the-mill domestic encounter.

For former Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, the 2019 Champions League semi-final against his old side Ajax certainly falls under that category.

Spurs arrived in Amsterdam on the back of a 1-0 defeat in the first leg and soon found themselves with a mountain to climb after shipping in another two goals before half-time.

Alderweireld on Spurs’ Ajax comeback

Goals from Donny van Beek and Matthijs de Ligt meant that Spurs were staring down the barrel going into the final quarter of the tie, and even Alderweireld doubted that this would be Tottenham’s night.

“We lost the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 at home, then were 2-0 down at half-time in Amsterdam,” he recalls to FourFourTwo.

“We needed to score three, and we weren’t playing well – I thought ‘I want to go home, this is not going to happen’.”

Tottenham came out of the half-time period needing an immediate response, with boss Mauricio Pochettino turning to striker Fernando Llorente as Spurs changed their approach, swapping intricate football for a more bruising style of play.

“Then Fernando Llorente came on and we played some power football with long balls, because we were a physically strong team,” says Alderweireld. This tactical shift put Spurs on the front foot and gave them a puncher’s chance of forcing a remarkable comeback.

“Lucas Moura scored the first, and the second,” Alderweireld adds. That left Spurs with 30 minutes to find a third, which would give them the advantage on away goals.

Time was almost up when Moura completed his hat-trick to vault Spurs into their first-ever Champions League final and complete one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history.

“When he got the third in the last minute, it was unbelievable,” the Belgian adds before admitting that the victory was somewhat bittersweet, given the nature of the opponents.

“To kill the dream of my former club was a strange feeling,” he admits. “They gave me my education and made me a pro, so I’ll always be grateful.

“But football is like that, and I was happy – I was going to a Champions League final.”

Alderweireld was speaking in association with BOYLE Sports 2 Goals Ahead

Watch Liverpool vs Man City in the Premier League for FREE, in the showpiece Super Sunday fixture of Gameweek 6.

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

Anfield will no doubt be a cauldron of noise as Liverpool host Manchester City in the Premier League today.

It's the first time City will take to the pitch, following the news of their guilty verdict from the Premier League for 114 out of 115 financial breaches.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Liverpool vs Manchester City online and from anywhere, in the biggest game of the weekend in the 2026/27 Premier League.

Watch Liverpool vs Man City from anywhere

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

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 Liverpool vs Man City in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Liverpool vs Man City live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 4:30pm BST.

How to watch Liverpool vs Man City in the US

In the US, live coverage of Liverpool vs Man City is available on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform. Kick-off is at 11:30am ET / 8:30am ET.

How to watch Liverpool vs Man City in Australia

Viewers in Australia can stream Liverpool vs Man City on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 1:30am AEST on Monday.

Tickets

Liverpool vs Man City: Preview

This could prove to be the game of the season so far as Liverpool host Manchester City, with hostility expected to be at 10.

The Reds now know how City have allegedly used 'sham' contracts to hide their finances from 2009-2018, helping to bring in superstar after superstar, at the cost of Liverpool's hopes of glory.

Of course, every team will feel aggrieved, but none more so than Liverpool, who have narrowly missed out on a few Premier League titles along the way.

Andoni Iraola has had a slow start at Anfield, but could this be the game to really ignite the blue touch paper of his tenure? We can't wait to see...

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

Manchester City have been shamed and shamed over the past few weeks, and without any football to distract them amid an appeal of the Premier League's 114 of 115 financial charges, all eyes will be on them this weekend.

How will it affect the players, the manager, the fans, and, more importantly, the team as a whole, with the outcome and punishment yet to be fully determined?

City, along with Brentford, Leeds, Liverpool and Everton, are the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League left after five games, with Maresca's men the only side to have won all five.

Could the likes of Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and their other huge names soon be shunned off as part of the consequences? Time will tell, but this game promises fireworks from the off.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 2-0 Man City

Anfield will be electric and City have often struggled with the noise. We think this one is set for a Liverpool succes.

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.

Manchester City took all three points here at Anfield but could it all be pointless? Does this victory actually mean anything?

“Going down” chorused the Kop towards the City players as they celebrated with their fans. They’re going top - for now. This is the Premier League season that will be decided by lawyers. The season fast turns into a farce.

As Liverpool fans bayed “cheats, cheats, cheats”, Enzo Maresca grinned. He had plenty to smile about at Anfield. City head coach’s introduction of Jeremy Doku in the second half changed the game. Ryan Gravenberch couldn’t live with Doku, fouled him, stopping a breakaway, departing for a second yellow. The life went out of Liverpool. Already missing Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool had no cutting edge. City had plenty of it and showed their attacking skills with goals from Erling Haaland, Doku himself and a gem from Rayan Cherki.

At the final whistle, Anfield’s DJ put on “Little Lies” by Fleetwood Mac, a small gesture of defiance. But the real defiance came from City. This is Anfield. But it wasn’t the old Ali Sami Yen in Istanbul. It wasn’t La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. It was loud, raucous, an assault on the ears, but hardly physically intimidating. Enzo Fernandez will have witnessed worse at River Plate against Boca Juniors. Little fazes Elliot Anderson either. The Englishman, tough physically and mentally, tore into challenges on Lewis Koumas, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister and stared them down whenever anyone reacted.

The away section of the Anfield Road end seethed with defiance. City fans waved their inflatable bananas, an echo of the craze in the late 80s. It was a stroll down memory lane, back to the Maine Road era, a reminder of an era before the Abu Dhabi riches. The bananas were a surreal gesture of defiance, almost a statement that they would back their team in whatever division.

City were represented in the smart seats. Ferran Soriano, the club’s chief executive, and director of football Hugo Viana sat there like statues at times, giving nothing away. Like their defence. Their owners’ accounting can be questioned but not the character of their players.

They certainly got an earful. If anyone had a grievance against City for missing out on trophies it was Liverpool heading the list. City maintain their innocence, but they were left in no doubt at the anger towards them following the publication of the independent commission’s guilty verdicts on their breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Throughout the game, Liverpool fans targeted every City touch with jeers and chants of “cheats”, “going down” and “you cheating b*stards, you know what you are”. Showing an impressive grasp of history, especially of the League Cup, Liverpool fans chanted, “1976, 1976, you haven’t won a trophy, since 1976”.

It was all words, though. It’s all down to the lawyers not lyricists. Liverpool fans had been busy with the banners. Signs adorned the Kop: “114FC”, “a generation of supporters cheated” and a 20-yard “cheats” with the vowels replaced by £ signs. When Cherki walked towards the corner between Kop and Sir Kenny Dalglish stand, a Liverpool fan in a dark jacket took a step towards the hoardings, gesturing over them towards the City No.10. Two stewards hurried across.

City dealt with the brief storm from Liverpool at the start of the second half. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved from Koumas and Gravenberch, whose red card just after the hour changed the game. The Dutch midfielder, Liverpool’s best player, had already been booked, slightly harshly, for a challenge on Anderson. So he was playing a risky game when impeding the breaking Doku, who had just come on for Iliman Ndiaye. Chris Kavanagh reached for yellow then red.

City reached for the exposed Liverpool jugular. Doku was unstoppable on the left. Within two minutes of going down to 10 men, Liverpool went a goal down. Doku crossed from the left, the ball deflected off Mac Allister and was met with brutal force by Haaland.

Three minutes on, Doku cut in from the left, and curled a beauty past Alisson. Ten minutes further on, and City conjured up the goal of the game, a goal that celebrated all that is good about Cherki. He linked with Anderson, then Josko Gvardiol, sat Jeremie Frimpong down and stroked City’s third past Alisson. City returned three points clear at the top. But what does it mean?

If this game showed the sort of noise that will follow City around, it also highlighted they have the character to deal with it. The farce continues.

Watch Manchester United vs Brighton for free in the Carabao Cup 3rd round, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Michael Carrick's side will be desperate to hit back from their derby-day defeat to Manchester City on Sunday and secure a spot in the last 16.

For Brighton, the Carabao Cup will offer a great opportunity for silverware, and they have looked in scintillating form in the attacking third of the pitch so far this season, with 13 goals to their name in the Premier League.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Manchester United vs Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round online and from anywhere, including for free.

Watch Manchester United vs Brighton for FREE

Manchester United vs Brighton will be broadcast for free in the UK on ITV1 and ITVX.

Coverage of the fixture will begin at 7:30pm BST with kick-off arriving at 8:00pm.

Abroad for this game? Use NordVPN to unlock your free United vs Brighton stream online from anywhere in the world.

Watch Manchester United vs Brighton from anywhere

Away from home for today's game? You don't have to miss Manchester United vs Brighton because of geo-restrictions.

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 Manchester United vs Brighton in the UK

As alluded to earlier, Manchester United vs Brighton is free-to-air on ITV1 and ITVX.

The game is also live on Sky Sports, with coverage on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

How to watch Manchester United vs Brighton in the US

Paramount+ will broadcast Manchester United vs Brighton in the US. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

How to watch Manchester United vs Brighton in Australia

Manchester United vs Brighton will be live on beIN SPORTS 2 and the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Thursday.

Manchester United vs Brighton: Preview

Derby day couldn't have been much more embarrassing for Manchester United on Sunday as, despite Man City's Phil Foden getting a red card, they fell to a 1-0 defeat. Albeit, that goal was awarded in strange offside circumstances, the Red Devils failed to create much, with Bruno Fernandes spending more time trying to stop Erling Haaland rather than dictating play.

Creating shouldn't be an issue against a Brighton side which has a tendency to concede chances, but at the other end of the pitch United will need to tighten it up.

They have looked susceptible to conceding at any time and, with Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt still out, they have little option to change personnel at the back.

SEE ALSO How to watch Carabao Cup 2026/27: TV Guide, Free Streams & Fixtures — Round 3

For Brighton, the Carabao Cup may not be a huge priority with Europe on the calendar and a strong start to the 2026/27 Premier League. But they appear a team who could make a deep run, all things considered.

Going forward, they have been nothing short of magical so far this term and have already hit 17 goals in all competitions, including four against Aston Villa and five against Coventry on the weekend.

But the Seagulls do have a stacked injury list and may not be able to afford many changes today if they envisage a place in the fourth round.

Femi Azeez is a possibility to make his debut after signing from Millwall, while Georginio Rutter is expected to take some part following his injury.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Manchester United 2-4 Brighton

Brighton have won four of their last five visits to Old Trafford, and United's defence will leak plenty of goals again this Wednesday.

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 AZ Alkmaar as the Black Cats begin a historic Europa League campaign at the Stadium of Light, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

It promises to be a special night on Wearside, as Sunderland play their first European game for 53 years - and the first-ever continental clash at the Stadium of Light.

They face an Alkmaar side who sit second in the Eredivisie, the Netherlands' top flight, following an unbeaten start to the domestic campaign.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar online and from anywhere, in the Europa League 2026/27.

Can I watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar for free?

Yes, Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar will be broadcast for free in Brazil on CazeTV's YouTube Channel.

The YouTube Channel requires no account or subscription, just click the link above and stream.

Those outside Brazil can use NordVPN to unlock the stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar.

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 Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar on TNT Sports and its streaming partner HBO Max.

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

How to watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar in the US

US viewers can watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar on Paramount+. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

How to watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar in Australia

Stan Sport is the home of the Europa League in Australia and is the place to go to watch Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Thursday.

Tickets

Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar: Preview

Sunderland's Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar is more than half a century in the making.

It is 53 years since the Black Cats embarked on their only previous European campaign, which ended in an aggregate defeat against Portuguese giants Sporting in the second round of the 1973/74 European Cup Winners' Cup.

The club have spent more seasons in League One than the Premier League over the past decade, but their remarkable rise under manager Regis Le Bris will reach another milestone when they entertain the Dutch side in the first-ever continental clash at the Stadium of Light.

This is the first of eight league phase fixtures Sunderland will play between now and January, which includes facing AC Milan at the San Siro in December, and you can bet that the Black Cats' fans will savour every minute.

SEE ALSO How to watch Europa League live streams from anywhere

Le Bris will be determined to ensure Sunderland progress beyond the league phase, but they have been handed a tough test in their opening game.

Alkmaar are experienced campaigners at European level and have reached both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals of the Conference League in the past four years, while they have made a terrific start to the Eredivisie season.

The Dutch side are second in the table after winning their opening five top-flight matches, before their perfect start came to an end against Willem II last Friday.

Alkmaar are captained by former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie, who scored against Willem, while winger Ro-Zangelo Daal and striker Mexx Meerdink have been in great form this season, each finding the net four times in the league.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Sunderland 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

This is a tough game for Sunderland but they are capable of taking at least a point, on what will be an emotional night.

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 Europa League is back for 2026/27 and it is set to be a fascinating watch. This guide has all the details on TV coverage and free live streams, ensuring you won't miss a minute of action.

This week marks the start of the 36-team league phase, where European heavyweights such as AC Milan, Benfica and Juventus begin their quest for glory alongside relative minnows, including Bournemouth, Celje and Torreense.

The Cherries are making their European debut and are joined by two more Premier League teams: Sunderland, competing in continental football for the first time since 1973, and Crystal Palace, last season's Conference League winners. Meanwhile, Celtic are Scotland's sole representative in the league phase.

Gameweek one takes place over Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September, which features eye-catching fixtures including Milan vs Benfica, Besiktas vs Marseille and Real Sociedad vs Bournemouth. Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Celtic all begin their campaign at home, against Lech Poznan, AZ Alkmaar and Ferencvaros respectively.

If you’re going to be abroad for any of the action, don’t forget that you can use a VPN to watch your usual Europa League live stream from overseas – find out more below.

Can I watch the Europa League for free?

Yes, selected Europa League games are free-to-air in specific countries across the world.

In the US, CBS Sports Golazo Network will show some games for free. You don't even need an account to stream the matches live.

Elsewhere, RTBF in Belgium, TRT in Turkey, CazeTV in Brazil and TV8 in Italy will show selected matches for free.

Abroad? Use NordVPN to unlock your free Europa League stream if you're travelling during the 2026/27 season.

Use a VPN to watch the Europa League from anywhere

Geo-restrictions apply to all major streaming services these days, but that doesn't mean you can't get your usual Europa League coverage if you're overseas.

All you need is a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a handy piece of internet security software that can make it look like your device is still back at home. Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock your usual streaming services and enjoy the football wherever you are in the world.

There are plenty of good-value options out there, but FourFourTwo’s brainy office mates TechRadar are big fans of NordVPN.

Where to watch Europa League in the UK

TNT Sports and its streaming partner HBO Max is the home of the Europa League in the UK, with every game live across the 2026/27 season either on linear TV or via the HBO Max app.

How to watch the Europa League in the US

Broadcasting giant CBS holds the exclusive Europa League rights in the US.

The Paramount+ streaming platform has every single game live, with selected matches on CBS Sports Network and the free-to-air CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Watch Europa League live streams in Canada

Watch Europa League live streams in Australia

Watch Europa League live streams in New Zealand

Europa League fixtures this week

Wednesday, September 16

Thursday, September 17

Europa League format

The Europa League follows the same format as the Champions League, with 36 teams competing in the league phase. Each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away, with games taking place solely on Thursday nights from matchweek two onwards. The league phase runs from September 16 to January 28.

The top eight teams in the 36-team table progress straight through to the last 16, while the clubs who finish 9th-24th go into a play-off round. The eight teams who win their play-off round ties reach the last 16.

From then on, it's the traditional two-leg home-and-away ties to get to the quarter-finals and semi-finals, up to the final in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 26, 2027.

Europa League dates

Matchday 1: 16-17 September 2026

Matchday 2: 15 October 2026

Matchday 3: 22 October 2026

Matchday 4: 5 November 2026

Matchday 5: 26 November 2026

Matchday 6: 10 December 2026

Matchday 7: 21 January 2027

Matchday 8: 28 January 2027

Knockout phase play-offs: 18 & 25 February 2027

Last 16: 11 & 18 March 2027

Quarter-finals: 8 & 15 April 2027

Semi-finals: 29 April & 6 May 2027

Final: 26 May 2027 (Frankfurt)

Europa League teams

• AC Milan
• Anderlecht
• Ararat-Armenia
• AZ Alkmaar
• Bayer Leverkusen
• Benfica
• Besiktas
• Bournemouth
• Celje
• Celta Vigo
• Celtic
• Crystal Palace
• Dinamo Zagreb
• Ferencvaros
• Hapoel Be'er Sheva
• Hoffenheim
• Jagiellonia
• Juventus
• Lech Poznan
• Levski Sofia
• Lillestrøm
• Lyon
• Marseille
• NEC Nijmegen
• OFI Crete
• Olympiacos
• Omonia
• RB Salzburg
• Real Sociedad
• Rennes
• Sparta Prague
• Sturm Graz
• Sunderland
• Torreense
• Union Saint-Gilloise
• Viktoria Plzen

We recommend 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.

This FourFourTwo quiz is all about the biggest transfer fees ever forked out by one of the biggest and most powerful football clubs on the planet. There was a time when Manchester United had such clout in the transfer market that it seemed they could simply have their pick of the players. But which of them cost United the most?

The Red Devils face competition for players from multiple rivals nowadays but they remain committed to spending huge fees when the opportunity presents itself. They even spend some of it well occasionally.

We want you to name Manchester United's 50 biggest signings ever and we're giving you a time limit of 10 minutes in which to do it.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. If you want to take on one of the biggest we've ever done, this one's for you: Can you name every player to have ever scored a Premier League hat-trick?

Something snappier? You got it. Can you answer these questions about the Premier League in 2016-17 and name every team in the top two tiers of women's football in England?

If it's another chunky one you're after, how about attempting to name the first goalscorer of every Premier League season from the inaugural 1992-93 season right up to 2026-27?

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 67 features clues on shirt sponsors, EFL counties, and relegations. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

Football used to be a simple game.

Win the league? Well done, you’ve qualified for the European Cup. Finish among the best of the rest? Into the UEFA Cup you go. Win your domestic cup? Congratulations, you’re off to the Cup Winners’ Cup.

Everyone knew where they stood.

UEFA maths

Today, European football requires a flowchart, a calculator and a working knowledge of UEFA coefficients to understand exactly what is going on.

The Champions League now has 36 teams playing in one enormous league table. The Europa League does likewise.

And sorry Crystal Palace fans, but the Conference League is the continental equivalent of the Papa John’s Trophy (or whatever it’s called this week).

It’s a competition with zero cachet. It’s also the byproduct of the over-complication of European football.

It just shoves in more teams into ever-more-complicated formats, creating yet more games.

What European football could really do with is something wonderfully simple.

Yes, it’s time to bring back the Cup Winners’ Cup.

The clue was always in the name. Win your country's domestic cup, and you qualified for a European competition populated by other teams who had done exactly the same thing.

First held in 1960/61, the Cup Winners’ Cup went on to provide some of European football’s most iconic moments.

Nayim from the halfway line. Ronaldo powering Barcelona to victory under Bobby Robson. Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen defeating Real Madrid in the final.

But the real beauty of the competition wasn't found only in its finals or its famous winners – it was in the very makeup of the tournament.

There was none of this league-phase nonsense. No finishing 23rd and still having a chance of lifting the trophy. It was straight knockout football from the get-go, with ties played over two legs.

And there was jeopardy at every turn.

Modern European football has become obsessed with guaranteeing its biggest clubs more matches. The Cup Winners’ Cup guaranteed you nothing.

Draw a giant in the first round and your European adventure could be finished by October.

Where else would you see Shamrock Rovers take on Bayern Munich? The two met in 1966/67 and the eventual champions required a late Gerd Müller goal to squeeze through 4-3 on aggregate.

Or how about Merthyr Tydfil against Atalanta? The Welsh minnows stunned their Serie A opponents by winning the first leg before eventually going out in Italy.

Then there was Bangor City against Atlético Madrid, another pairing that looked as though somebody had picked two teams from opposite ends of a European football atlas.

That unpredictability wasn't restricted to individual ties, either.

The Cup Winners’ Cup captured teams at particular moments in their history. Sometimes it provided a glimpse of what was coming next.

Manchester United won it in 1991, shortly before Alex Ferguson's side began their era of domestic dominance.

Sampdoria lifted it in 1990, won Serie A the following year and reached the European Cup final in 1992.

The final edition was won by Lazio in 1999. Twelve months later, they were champions of Italy.

It was often a trophy for teams on the rise. And because qualification depended on winning a cup rather than finishing in roughly the same league positions every season, the cast constantly changed.

Real Madrid never won it, despite reaching two finals. Dinamo Tbilisi won it. So did Slovan Bratislava. And KV Mechelen. Even Spurs won it.

That isn't to suggest it was some sort of European competition for minnows.

Barcelona lifted the trophy four times. Ajax, Arsenal, Milan and Anderlecht all won it. Bayern Munich and Manchester United did too.

That was precisely what made it so appealing.

One season you could have Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The next you might have Carl Zeiss Jena (finalists in 1981), Antwerp (1993 runners-up) or FC Magdeburg (winners in 1974).

Domestic cups provided different qualifiers every year and therefore European football got different stories.

Another consequence was that nobody ever retained the Cup Winners’ Cup. Across almost four decades of competition, not one defending champion came back and won it again the following year.

Eventually, however, the Cup Winners’ Cup became a victim of European football's changing landscape.

The Champions League expanded and qualification became increasingly complicated. Domestic cup winners were often also qualifying for UEFA's premier competition through their league position.

By 1999, the Cup Winners’ Cup was gone, but at least it received a fitting send-off.

A Lazio side containing Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedvěd, Christian Vieri and Roberto Mancini defeated Mallorca 2-1 at Villa Park.

It has been consigned to history ever since. But 27 years on from its demise, perhaps European football needs the Cup Winners’ Cup more than ever.

If you've been paying attention to any of this, you'll know the answer to whether it should return.

Yes. Yes, it should.

Bring back a competition for Europe's domestic cup winners. Straight knockout football, home and away, populated entirely by teams who actually won something to get there.

And while we're at it, give the winners of the Carabao Cup a route into it too.

Suddenly, a domestic trophy that now sits only just above the Community Shield in terms of prestige comes with the promise of a proper European adventure.

No endless league phase. No competition that seemingly starts the second the previous season ends. Cup winners playing cup winners in every single tie.

It’s time to restore some semblance of order to the European footballing calendar.

Let’s get the Cup Winners’ Cup back – and then we can have a serious conversation about the Anglo-Italian Cup.

Chris Kamara has opened up about how his 'pride and bravado' stopped him from seeking medical help for his apraxia and dyspraxia.

The beloved former Soccer Saturday stalwart received his diagnosis for the rare neurological condition in 2022 - but says the signs had been there for much longer.

Though the illness has not gone away, Kamara is now in a much better place physically and mentally, and he recently completed the Great North Run.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Kammy: 'Some people thought I was drunk'

However, Kamara told FourFourTwo just how tough it was to get the diagnosis that effectively ended his broadcasting career, saying: "I thought I was imagining it at first. I tried to speak and the words wouldn’t come out, or they came out wrong.

"I was slurring so much that some people thought I was drunk.

"It was maddening. The worst thing is, I felt like it was all my fault. The signs had been there and I’d chosen to ignore them until it was too late.

"It was while we were filming Cash in the Attic that I started to notice my speech slowing.

"The show was really good with me about it and wanted me to continue, but I was worried.

"But I brushed it aside, like I did so often throughout my playing career. As a player, I wasn't really interested in going to the doctor or seeing anybody. I was like, ‘Man up, Chris! What can be so bad?’

"I went through life as a dinosaur, basically. I don’t know whether it's pride, bravado, or whatever. I just kept thinking, ‘One day I’ll wake up and it’ll be gone’."

When it didn't go away, Kamara finally sought help.

He explained: "I went to see my GP and the blood test revealed I had an underactive thyroid - but another doctor told me that he’d never come across a person suffering with thyroid issues whose speech had been affected. He told me to look elsewhere for the root of that issue.

"So I saw another specialist and was eventually diagnosed with apraxia of speech and dyspraxia of my motor skills.

"I was absolutely devastated. I shut myself away and became totally depressed. I cancelled all appearances and TV work. I didn’t want to talk to a soul."

As the Premier League campaign gathers pace, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are hunting high and low for early-season form, and value, to gain a competitive edge.

While goalscoring runs, favourable fixtures and underlying numbers dominate FPL transfer forums, we mustn't forget about the disciplinary tightrope that poses a hidden trap for unsuspecting fantasy managers.

Premier League rules state any player who accumulates five yellow cards within their team's opening 19 league matches receives an automatic one-game suspension.

Premier League players already at risk of one-game suspension

For FPL managers planning several gameweeks in advance, bringing in players already picking up cautions at an unsustainable rate represents a bit of a risk.

At the very top of the warning list is Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The forward has hit the ground running at Elland Road since signing on a free transfer last summer.

He leads the line impressively, highlighted by his goalscoring performance in Leeds' recent 4-1 win over Newcastle United, and last season was recalled to the England setup.

But, behind those impressive fantasy returns lies a disciplinary concern: Calvert-Lewin has already picked up three yellow cards in his first four league appearances of the season.

Sitting just two bookings away from a one-match ban, bringing in the in-form frontman could easily backfire if he picks up cautions in quick succession, which given his brash centre-forward style, is always a possibility.

Joining Calvert-Lewin on three early yellow cards is Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt.

Frequently targeted by fantasy managers as a cheap, budget-enabling midfield asset to sit on the bench or fill in for rotation, Janelt's combative style in the middle of the park has seen him land in the referee's notebook three times already this term.

For FPL managers looking for stability in their squads, Janelt's suspension risk makes him a far less appealing bargain option.

Completing the trio is AFC Bournemouth defender Adam Smith, who is no stranger to physical battles, but his quick accumulation of bookings early in the campaign has put him on the verge of suspension.

Defenders in fantasy football are primarily picked for consistent minutes, defensive contributions and clean sheet potential. Therefore, using a transfer on a player facing what is likely to be an impending suspension restricts squad flexibility.

Savvy FPL bosses must keep a close eye on disciplinary records, then. Investing in players approaching a ban risks burning valuable transfers later, making Calvert-Lewin, Janelt, and Smith three names to avoid for the time being.

Florian Wirtz is not actively being pursued by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, however, Vincent Kompany’s men remain interested in the German, according to reports on the continent.

Wirtz has been decidedly average during his first 54 games for Liverpool, failing to live up to the expectations that arrived with his £116.5 million price tag.

Rumours recently circulated that Bayern Munich — who Liverpool pipped to his signature last summer — were preparing an offer for the German. While that is untrue, their interest in Wirtz is said to remain.

Bayern Munich retain interest in Liverpool's Wirtz

According to a report from Christian Falk and CF Bayern, Kompany is content with his current squad and the Bundesliga champions are not actively pursuing Wirtz.

However, if the German were to appear on the market, Bayern Munich would be 'the first team he’d talk to.'

Falk said: “Of course, if Florian Wirtz were, at some point in future, interested in making a return to the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich would be the first team he’d talk to.

“However, there is nothing planned. Bayern have a big squad and everyone’s feeling really confident. [Jamal] Musiala has a long contract, and don’t forget that Vincent Kompany is trying a new system.

“[That’s] with Michael Olise as the fulcrum in the centre – the same position he currently plays in for the French national team. So, Bayern have a lot of options.”

Falk then noted that Liverpool’s staggering investment in Wirtz makes it unlikely that he will appear on the market. “Don’t forget, either, that it was a lot of money Liverpool paid for Wirtz."

First and foremost, rumours of the German returning to the Bundesliga were always rendered unbelievable because of the Reds’ clear unwillingness to sell.

Should Liverpool deem it in their best interests for Wirtz to exit so soon into his Merseyside contract, the club would undoubtedly lose millions.

However, a return of just nine Premier League contributions in 38 games, for a £116 million attacking midfielder playing behind the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, and last term Mohamed Salah, will have surely caused worry.

FourFourTwo have previously written about Wirtz's difficulties in adapting to Premier League life early last term, and not much has changed since.

Regardless, it appears the German is set to remain, as has always been expected, but Bayern Munich will be the first in line should Liverpool look to sell — and they’d be the first club approached by Wirtz himself.

Liverpool secured a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday evening, with an added-time Dominik Szoboszlai screamer securing victory amid late Spurs pressure.

Goals arrived through the Hungarian, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister — who scored in similar style to his thumper versus Atletico Madrid last week — as Andoni Iraola fielded a rotated side.

Four Liverpool youngsters in Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni took to the pitch; a particularly fine outing from the latter appears to have saved the Reds millions.

Trey Nyoni’s performance against Spurs could have saved Liverpool millions

Nyoni was in good form against Liverpool’s Carabao Cup opposition, boasting 95 per cent pass accuracy in his 65-minute appearance.

In the opponent’s half, Nyoni recorded 22 successful passes from 24 attempts — with 100 per cent long ball accuracy — won four duels, and recorded six defensive contributions.

In comparison, Mac Allister recorded 22 successful passes from 27 attempts in Spurs’ half — with 67% long ball accuracy — won five duels, and recorded five defensive contributions. The Argentine also played an additional half-hour.

While Nyoni lacked the goal-scoring output of his Anfield partner on Tuesday evening, he delivered an all-round display that could end up saving Liverpool millions.

The Reds' recent transfer activity saw their midfield personnel remain identical, except for the departures of Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic. And for Iraola, the faith he placed in Nyoni to spare the Reds’ blushes could hardly have been quicker repaid.

His start also served as a reminder to supporters that they never truly know the full story. Did Nyoni perform well enough at the AXA Training Centre this summer for Liverpool not to look elsewhere in the window?

Or was his performance the kind of lucky, perfectly-timed intervention that Iraola had merely prayed for? Whatever the answer, the showing was undeniable.

The 19-year-old appears set to be an unexpectedly critical player for the Basque boss this term, and serve as the midfield reinforcement Liverpool so desperately craved.

Nyoni being ‘like a new signing’ will provoke eye rolls from the Reds faithful — they’ve heard it one too many times before — but it is a possibility.

Whether Liverpool truly had it all planned out from the beginning is irrelevant. This young man will be watched closely, and he’ll have all of Anfield behind him.

Arsenal are reportedly in talks with the camp of Real Madrid superstar Rodryo. The 25-year-old is back running after enduring an ACL tear in March.

Prior to his sidelining, the Brazilian was among the Gunners’ firmest targets for left-sided attackers. His return date has been tentatively pencilled in for January 2027.

Mikel Arteta’s side also entered talks with the 25-year-old’s fellow countryman and team-mate, Vinicius Junior, in the summer. Now, Arsenal appear to have been brought full-circle — back to Rodrygo.

Arsenal in talks with Rodrygo’s camp ahead of injury return and January window

If pursuing two of Real Madrid’s attacking Brazilians wasn’t enough, the Gunners also enquired previously about blossoming youngster Endrick. Now, it appears that only Rodrygo remains a realistic Arsenal target.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Gunners are in talks with the 25-year-old's camp ahead of his projected January 2027 return date; however, the Brazilian believes he can return sooner.

Real Madrid’s medical staff are behaving cautiously in their treatment of Rodrygo, with a ‘New Year’ return being targeted, but the 25-year-old is determined to beat that timeframe.

The Brazilian aims to be back on the pitch before Christmas, with Arsenal retaining strong interest in the La Liga star for his quality and versatility.

Merely two seasons ago, the 25-year-old recorded 13 goals and nine assists in 50 appearances for the Spanish club. Two terms prior, he bagged 30 contributions in 51.

Rodrygo is under contract until 2028, however, should the Real Madrid man return from injury prior to Christmas, Arsenal are set to make a move for the Brazilian as early as January.

The Gunners reinforced their left flank this summer by securing Christos Tzolis’ services, who has since recorded four assists in seven Arsenal appearances.

Elsewhere, the club allowed Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli — both left-sided attacking options — to depart from London, for the Super Lig and Saudi Pro League respectively.

Only Tzolis and Eberechi Eze stand out as clear options for Arsenal on the flank, as Mikel Arteta’s men pursue an unprecedented Premier League title defence.

Should they move in January, which appears likely, Rodrygo stands tall on the list of transfer options. Arsenal return to English top-flight action against Brighton on Saturday.

Manchester United youngster Shea Lacey has taken to social media and posted what appears to be a jab at fellow wonderkid JJ Gabriel.

The 19-year-old uploaded an image to X (formerly Twitter) of him arriving with the squad at Old Trafford, in Manchester United attire.

The photo was accompanied by a heart emoji as its caption. It arrived shortly after news broke of Gabriel attempting to exit Manchester United.

Shea Lacey makes timely Manchester United social media post

Lacey’s post was immediately flooded with support from the Red Devils faithful, with many interpreting it as being in response to Gabriel’s attempted departure.

The image has amassed over 100,000 likes on X, with Manchester United fans describing Lacey as “the future” and a “proper Red” in the comments beneath.

Gabriel, who scored over 20 goals for Manchester United’s development squad last term, informed the club earlier this week of his intention to depart as a free agent. Due to his age, the actual request is for his schoolboy forms to be cancelled and allowed to leave as he cannot be signed to a professional contract until his 17th birthday.

Reports also circulated that portrayed Gabriel as being frustrated by Lacey and Harry Amass receiving Champions League appearances versus Sabah last Thursday, while he didn’t get the Michael Carrick nod.

The Red Devils won that clash 4-0, with both Lacey and Amass being substituted on for Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu respectively in the 72nd minute.

Gabriel, who received his unofficial senior debut during pre-season versus Atletico Madrid, was not part of the squad to face the Azeri champions.

For Gabriel’s youth player registration to be cancelled, the player, club and parent/carer must all agree on the departure. In the event of this failing to be reached, the Premier League are able to intervene.

‘Kid Messi’ is Gabriel’s unofficial nickname, and the Manchester United boss attested to his staggering quality back in August.

“JJ is one of the boys. He's obviously got a really big talent. He's trained with us quite a bit and is getting experience all the time. He's physically adapting to each step that he makes, and we're just continuing his development,” Carrick said.

Under-21s boss Adam Lawrence has also chimed in, stating that his primary goal was to “not ruin” the Manchester United youngster, who now appears set to leave.

“Well, I think the first thing in my job is not to ruin him. When you have a talented player like JJ and the other lads, of course, you obviously don't want to stifle their freedom and their creativity,” he said.

Gabriel is being courted by the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain according to reports.

Former Ballon d'Or winner Ruud Gullit has claimed Manchester United will not win major silverware this term, having 'missed the boat' years ago to be in Premier League title contention.

Michael Carrick’s men endured a potentially damaging derby loss at Old Trafford last weekend, to a 10-man Manchester City side that scored and kept a clean sheet after Phil Foden saw red.

Now, the Dutchman has stated that Manchester United are 'in a hole' and will not beat their competitors to the Premier League trophy, or any silverware for that matter.

Ruud Gullit slams Manchester United claiming Sir Alex Ferguson 'saw it coming'

Speaking with ComeOn, Gullit slammed the Red Devils’ lack of quality claiming that Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all possess better players.

The Dutchman then added that Manchester United “missed the boat” years ago, and that the club has fallen dramatically since their days of Premier League and Champions League success under Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Manchester United? They cannot compete this year,” Gullit claimed. “Not yet. I think they still lack a little bit of quality, as we can see they cannot control a game.

“That is not something that is going to be easy to fix. Because it does depend on a lot of individual quality, not just the team quality. If they want to achieve things again, it will take some time.

“The most important thing that Manchester United can show this season is patience. They don’t have the best players in the Premier League anymore. They are having to deal with the fact that the players they really need all play for the other clubs. They missed the boat about five or six years ago.

“It will take some time for them to get back to a level where they can [compete for] the Premier League title. There are too many stronger contenders with a lot more quality this season,” Gullit continued.

The Dutchman then suggested that Ferguson saw the club’s downfall coming, retiring 'just in time' during a period in which Manchester United’s rivals were going from strength-to-strength.

“Sir Alex Ferguson himself said it will take 10 years and that could be it. They are in a hole. They have been in a hole since Ferguson left and I think he knew what he was doing,” confessed Gullit.

“That’s why he retired at that time. He is clever. He saw this all coming and retired just in time. He knew at that moment that it was the end. Things were changing because more and more teams had money to spend.

“[Those teams] were bringing in these top coaches, and the top players only want to play for top coaches. That’s not Manchester United anymore. It will take them some time to come again,” the Dutchman concluded.

Leeds United's first match back in the Premier League was against Everton on a Monday night last August. They won 1-0, and would eventually crack the code to their comfortable top-flight survival.

In their first Monday night fixture of 2026/27, Leeds looked every bit the established and currently unbeaten Premier League team in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United.

Some teams in the division are experiencing transition in one form or another, not least Newcastle themselves, but Leeds are as sturdy a proposition as they come and it's showing in their results.

Elland Road under the lights is a fearsome prospect

Quantifying the impact of passionate and vocal support on a football team is impossible. One of the great joys of attending football matches is knowing, feeling, when a stadium has lift-off.

It can't be measured, but it's there. It makes a difference and the players acknowledge that a noisy atmosphere can help to energise them. That can't be comprehended through a television screen.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

It's easy to lapse into cliches when considering the intangible relationship between decibels and motivation; we know how it feels when that symbiosis fires but that doesn't make it powerful.

That doesn't take away from the fact that Leeds, Farke and Elland Road have built something beautiful beside the M621.

Since the manager was appointed in the summer of 2023, Leeds have played 24 matches at home that have kicked off at 7:45pm or 8:00pm. In two seasons in the Championship and one full campaign in the Premier League, they haven't lost any of them.

Leeds played eight of those evening games in each of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, and seven in the top flight in 2025/26. They did lose a 7:30pm kick-off and have won a ton of other home games under Farke, but along such arbitrary lines are patterns drawn.

The West Yorkshire club's floodlit fortunes stand up to a degree of scrutiny. Only Farke knows whether he'd switch all their home games until after dark given the choice. He certainly knows how to make the most of them.

Leeds are unbeaten in 16 home games in all competitions that kicked off at 7:45pm or later, a run that dates back to August 2024 and a Carabao Cup first round exit at the hands of Middlesbrough.

It's likely to change in the meantime but Leeds' next evening kick-off at Elland Road is scheduled to take place on New Year's Day, when the Toffees return to Leeds. Their next game, against Manchester City the following week, will also be played under the lights.

The midweek visit of Hull City in early March is currently set to be the last evening kick-off at Leeds in the Premier League this season - but we'll see about that.

Premier League referees are in the spotlight after a number of high-profile incidents during the weekend fixtures. When are they not?

Refereeing decisions come and go. Mistakes are made because that's what humans do. Whether or not there's sufficient and suitable accountability in those instances is a matter of opinion, but there's probably more than most of us realise.

Football as a highly professionalised industry has developed an addiction to solving problems with problems. Interpretation is part of referees' responsibility in applying the Laws of the Game but technical language is the primary tool used in their defence.

The referee's countdown is final, and not only in Europe

The natural consequence of a sport that's played in grey but craves black and white is a constantly growing rule book that inadvertently ties itself in knots.

That's what football has now. VAR, causes celebre, FIFA interference and persistent misreading of public opinion have all played their part in a version of football that doesn't understand its own Laws.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

They are simple and open to interpretation while the sport thunders towards officiousness in a great global game of busybody Whack-A-Mole. Of course it's causing issues.

Far beyond the purview of the increasingly maligned and caricatured Pro Ref, football's attempt to whack the mole of time-wasting has created the unedifying spectacle of referees counting down various time limits with their fingers while bellowing numbers across the pitch.

Take a moment, step back, and think about that. About how it looks, and what it symbolises. Set aside the use of the whistle for now – that's a level of technical zealotry for another day.

Referees are now being asked to manually provide a count not only for the goalkeeper to release the ball from their hands in-play but for throw-ins and goal kicks too.

It's noble in intent but chaotic in practice, and it's hard to feign surprise at that outcome. Where a referee's interpretation collides with fans, players and managers thinking they're getting precision, it's always going to become just another thing to moan about.

Time-wasting is annoying. That's as close to a consensus view as football really has, and even then it's different when it's our own team doing it. That some of the delays have been baked in by VAR shouldn't go unacknowledged, but delaying tactics are frustrating to watch and detrimental to the game.

The current answer to that isn't just undignified. It's as inexact and just as prone to exactly the same flaws as the time-wasting toolkit referees already had.

It wouldn't be uncharitable to suggest that referees counting variations of five, eight and ten seconds on their fingers was rushed into football as an overreaction to time-wasting and was poorly considered as a result.

What tends to get lost in the furore of Premier League discourse is that football is a vast, deep, global game. These new gestures look a bit silly at the top; in non-league, they're embarrassing.

Lower down the pyramid, Saturday afternoons are now dragged through the same rigmarole time and again.

Fans and managers flap their arms around and tap their wrists, inherently partisan but also oblivious that the countdowns are triggered by the referee's interpretation of necessity.

Players choose not to pick the ball up to take throw-ins and then lose their tempers when a count begins before they have it in their hands. Long throw-ins are exempted to a degree, treated as any other set piece where the taker and some hefty centre-backs need to get into position.

Over. And over. And over.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, these measures do little to address the scourge of time-wasting, creating instead a mess of ignorance and fury and fussiness that solves nothing that couldn't already have been dealt with by clamping down on time-wasting.

Referees are still directed to judge when a countdown begins on that basis. One might argue that a serious sport would simply have embarked upon a crackdown using its existing laws.

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur for free as the Premier League heavyweights meet at Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Both sides were held to frustrating 0-0 draws on Saturday, as Liverpool failed to find a way past Fulham and Spurs played out a stalemate with Everton to continue their goalless start to the league campaign.

This competition represents a great opportunity for Reds manager Andoni Iraola and Tottenham counterpart Roberto De Zerbi to claim their first piece of silverware with their respective clubs, as tonight's winners will need to navigate only three further rounds to reach the Wembley final.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup third round online and from anywhere, including for free.

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur for FREE

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur is available to watch for free in the UK, with the Carabao Cup clash live on ITV4 and streaming service ITVX.

ITV has free-to-air coverage of at least one match per round during this season's competition, including the final. You just need to register to watch on ITVX.

Outside the UK? Use a VPN to access your free Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur from anywhere

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

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 Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the UK

As mentioned above, fans in the UK can watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur for free on ITV4 and ITVX. Kick-off is at 8:00pm BST.

The game is also live on Sky Sports, with coverage on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the US

US viewers can watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur on Paramount+. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in Australia

beIN SPORTS is the home of the Carabao Cup in Australia and has live coverage of Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur.

The third-round clash will be live on beIN SPORTS 2 and the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Wednesday.

Tickets

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview

Andoni Iraola has made an unbeaten but uninspiring start to his Liverpool tenure, summed up by Saturday's flat 0-0 draw at home to a Fulham side who had yet to gain a point in the Premier League this season.

That performance and result was hugely frustrating for Reds fans after their side's 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last Wednesday, while it leaves Iraola with a difficult balance to strike when he picks his team for the Carabao Cup visit of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spaniard will likely be tempted to rest players as Liverpool play their third game in less than a week, but he will also be aware that a defeat would end arguably his best chance of silverware this season, with just three more rounds between this stage and the Wembley final.

Iraola may use this match as an opportunity to give some minutes to defender Joe Gomez, who is back in training after suffering an injury in pre-season.

SEE ALSO How to watch Carabao Cup 2026/27: TV Guide, Free Streams & Fixtures — Round 3

If Liverpool's start to the campaign has been uninspiring, Spurs' has been unacceptable.

Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Everton on Saturday meant they failed to score in the opening four games of a league season for the first time in the club's history, despite spending well over £300m on signings over the summer.

Fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst after consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, but the Carabao Cup could bring out the best in Spurs after they thrashed Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the previous round.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi is missing several players through injury, although there is a chance that full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie could be in the squad after missing Saturday's game.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

The Reds are favourites to progress, although the result could well depend on how many changes each manager makes.

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.

Manchester United have been rocked by a major off-field setback after 15-year-old prodigy JJ Gabriel submitted a formal request to leave the club, according to a report by the Telegraph.

Carrington’s standout academy talent has reportedly left the Old Trafford hierarchy in shock by seeking to cut short his development at one of English football's best youth setups.

The news follows a strong start to the 2026/27 campaign for Gabriel, who recently netted a debut hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League against Sabah FK's Under-19 side.

Manchester United set to lose star academy prospect

The teenage forward has built on an excellent season with Man United's U18s - in which he scored 28 goals in 35 matches - before making the transition to the U21s this term.

He has already pitched in with two goals and two assists in his first two outings in Premier League 2.

Gabriel's progress had put him on the cusp of first-team history, until this latest bombshell.

Having met Premier League age requirements by turning 15 prior to August 31, he is officially eligible for senior squad selection this season.

First-team manager Michael Carrick has routinely integrated him into senior training sessions, leading some fans to speculate on the possibility of a record-breaking senior bow before his 16th birthday in October.

However, that no longer looks as though it will be the case with Gabriel reportedly seeking an exit from the club.

The forward will not be short of suitors and there have in the past been rumours that Barcelona made overtures towards the player's family.

Under FA regulations, players cannot sign professional contracts until they turn 17, making Gabriel's connection to Manchester United one which is founded upon schoolboy academy registration terms.

Gabriel's camp has formally requested the cancellation of his registration, bypassing the usual procedures involved with football transfers.

It leaves Man United at risk of losing him for tribunal-set compensation rather than a lucrative fee.

Manchester United have been recruiting aggressively at youth level lately but what could be their next capture has a first-team feel to it.

The Red Devils are in initial talks for boyhood Man United supporter Louis Page, who currently represents Leicester City in League One, FourFourTwo understands.

Page, 18, has registered three assists in four league matches so far this term, including two in the Foxes' recent 4-3 win over Stockport County.

Man United eye Leicester wonderkid

The teenager has been one of the more redeemable aspects of Leicester's poor start to the 2026/27 campaign in the third tier, producing a series of standout performances for Russell Martin's ailing side.

Leicester climbed to 13th with victory at Edgeley Park last weekend but their record of two wins from six matches has them five points off the pace of league leaders Sheffield Wednesday.

Page is an England Under-19 international and has started four of Leicester's six league matches this term.

A creative, holding midfield player, Page signed a contract extension with the Foxes last September tying him to the club until June 2029, however, Leicester's financial situation may necessitate a sale in the near future, particularly if he continues his early season form.

It was rumoured that Page and family were guests of Manchester United for the recent 5-2 win over Ipswich Town, although that has not been confirmed by either club.

The left-footer has links to Manchester with father Don having spent much of his lower and non-league career representing clubs in the area.

Should Man United be successful with a formal approach in the coming months, it is likely Page will be loaned back to Leicester where he will continue his development in a familiar environment at the Foxes' state-of-the-art Seagrave training facility.

Only two teams are still without a goal after four matches of the new Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City are 360 minutes plus stoppage time without a goal.

As a newly promoted team, Coventry have their own issues to resolve. Spurs have invested heavily in improving on the last two seasons of dreadful Premier League results and a goalless start hasn't exactly been sweetened by a couple of points from 0-0 draws.

Is this Spurs' worst-ever start?

Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs have achieved an unwanted piece of history by failing to register a goal in their first four matches.

2026/27 is the first time in their history that Spurs have started the season with four goalless league matches, and the last time they scored as late as their fourth game was in 1974/75, when a goal against Manchester City followed blanks against the same opposition as well as Ipswich Town and Carlisle United.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Remarkably, that season was the last time they didn't score in their first match of the season until the inaugural Premier League campaign fully 18 years later.

Spurs were goalless in the first two games of that 1992/93 campaign. That was the last time, until now, they had to wait for game three to open their goalscoring account for a new season.

2026/27 is the 13th season of the Premier League era in which Spurs have been unable to get off the mark within 90 minutes of the first whistle, but the historical comparison is insignificant by comparison with matters of the here and now.

Spurs do have those two points. Of the five Premier League teams without a win, only Bournemouth have managed more draws. De Zerbi will fancy their chances of picking up their first win on Saturday, when they have a home fixture against Aston Villa.

After all, these are early days.

The Spurs boss can look forward to having more of his most incisive players available regularly. Even at this early stage, only three players have started all four matches: Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali are the only outfielders.

Spurs and Coventry, among others, can take solace in the fact that time is a great healer in the modern Premier League.

Transfer deadline day arriving weeks into the season is particularly unhelpful for teams making more than cosmetic changes over the summer. For some, not quite being ready at the start of the season is becoming part of the market calculation.

Spurs don't necessarily fall into that category but so much about this first month or so is transient that it's increasingly possible to cut under-performing sides some slack. Whether a historically poor start in terms of goalscoring disqualifies Spurs from that leeway is a matter for the fans.

Watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United for free as both teams aim to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season in this week's Monday Night Football clash. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Daniel Farke's men ended last season strongly and have begun this campaign in the same vein, taking five points from their first three matches.

The Magpies have an identical record to their opponents and are yet to taste defeat in any competition under Matthias Jaissle since the head coach's arrival last month.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United online and from anywhere, including for free, in a tasty Monday Night Football clash in the Premier League.

Watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United for FREE

Although Leeds United vs Newcastle United isn't technically available to watch for free, there is a way that viewers in the US can stream the game at no cost.

Live coverage in the States is on USA Network and this is available on YouTube TV, which currently comes with a 10-day free trial for new customers.

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

Watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Leeds United 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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United in the UK

Leeds United vs Newcastle United is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

The game is this week's Monday Night Football clash and will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage starts at 6:30pm BST, with kick-off at 8:00pm.

How to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United in the US

As mentioned above, fans in the US can watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United on USA Network. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

How to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United in Australia

Stan Sport has live coverage of Leeds United vs Newcastle United in Australia. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Tuesday.

Tickets

Leeds United vs Newcastle United: Preview

Leeds United have proved a tough nut to crack over the past six months, although their defensive solidity deserted them in a chaotic 6-3 Carabao Cup defeat at Chelsea last Wednesday, in which they conceded all six goals in the second half.

Daniel Farke made eight changes to his starting lineup for the trip to Stamford Bridge and the Leeds manager will expect his side to be much less open for the visit of Newcastle United, as they aim to go unbeaten in their opening four matches of a Premier League season for just the fourth time.

The Whites have conceded just twice in their first three league games and may feel they should have more than five points, after spurning several good opportunities in their 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion nine days ago.

Their trip to the south coast was also marred by Joe Rodon's hamstring injury, which looks set to keep the defender out for at least a couple of months, but midfielder Ilia Gruev is closing in on his return from a knee problem.

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

Newcastle may have the same number of points as Leeds over their first three games, but their matches have produced twice as many goals.

The Magpies drew 2-2 at home against Liverpool and Bournemouth, sandwiching a 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, while they have progressed to the Carabao Cup fourth round after victories against Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Millwall.

It means head coach Matthias Jaissle remains unbeaten in an impressive start to his tenure at St James' Park since succeeding Eddie Howe last month.

The German has various injury concerns ahead of the trip to Elland Road, though, with summer signings Amar Dedic (hamstring) and Ewan Jaouen (knee) both doubtful, while Joelinton, Dan Burn and Will Osula are sidelined.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Leeds United 1-1 Newcastle United

Both teams will feel they can take three points, but a draw wouldn't be a bad result for either side.

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.

There wasn't a player at Old Trafford on Sunday with a more acute sense of the Manchester derby than Phil Foden.

The 26-year-old has been on the books at Manchester City for 18 years. He's from Stockport and he was light blue through and through by the time he joined the club's junior ranks.

Foden gets it. But, while clashing with the captain of Manchester United at Old Trafford might carry a certain cultural cache in the locality, getting sent off for it in the first half of a tight derby match isn't the smartest move.

Foden's derby red card could cost him in the long run

Bruno Fernandes might have been credited with getting the attacking midfielder dismissed on Sunday, but the United skipper made a stupid decision of his own. In the age of VAR – and there was plenty of that about at Old Trafford – getting away with kicking Foden was a matter of luck rather than skill.

In the end, Foden can count himself on the winning side even in his absence. Man City went on to win 1-0 in highly contentious circumstances and Fernandes lost a Manchester derby in the Premier League for the seventh time.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Man City manager Enzo Maresca suffered no ill effects from Foden's red card and will have little problem navigating his impending three-match ban, but the possible consequences for Foden himself are just beginning.

Observing his naive reaction to Fernandes' kick was England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has been in charge since the start of 2025 but has given Foden just six of his 49 senior caps.

Tuchel clearly doesn't need an excuse to leave Foden out of his England plans but the task of convincing him can only be made harder by a close-up view of this understandable but unhelpful lapse of discipline in a big game.

Foden missed out on the World Cup squad earlier this year and competition in his position is as fierce as ever.

Arsenal trio Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke all went to the World Cup ahead of him. Marcus Rashford made the cut; Cole Palmer did not. Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham all featured heavily.

The problem for Foden isn't so much that he's on the outside and missed a great opportunity to grab Tuchel's attention as the fact that the players on the inside are raising the standard while he's chasing it.

Gordon has made a positive start at Barcelona and Rogers appears to be settling nicely after his move from Aston Villa to Chelsea.

Unfortunately for Foden, they're the players in possession of the England shirts most likely to come his way, while the next group includes Saka as a proven alternative and a selection of attacking players who perform a variety of roles Foden has yet to deliver upon consistently at international level.

In that scenario, the Man City man needs to seize his chances to impress Tuchel and take steps in the right direction. Extra reasons for doubt will not do him any favours.

Manchester United are undoubtedly one of the biggest football clubs in the world and may just be the most famous. Their fanbase stretches all over the globe, but outside of the North-West of England, their greatest stronghold is situated across the Irish Sea.

Ireland – both north and south of the border – has contributed as much to the club as any country outside of England. Four of the top 15 appearance makers. The joint-fifth all-time goalscorer. Three club captains. The most successful skipper, the incomparable Roy Keane. And to many, the greatest player to ever wear the United shirt, George Best.

So, what is the genesis of the connection between the green of Ireland and the red of Manchester United?

Manchester Celtic

The troubled and tumultuous history between Great Britain and Ireland is well-known at surface level, but 800 years of occupation can’t be covered in 800 or so words.

Migration to Britain was commonplace over the centuries, but particularly during the Great Famine and dawn of the Industrial Revolution, with Manchester becoming one of the most represented areas.

Irish immigrants helped build the city, and several railway workers were among those who formed the original Newton Heath in 1878. When the club faced closure 24 years later, it was saved by a group of investors and renamed Manchester United, although “Manchester Celtic” was also suggested.

While Irish players played for Heath, the first-ever Manchester United player from the island was Mickey Hamill, who joined from the now-defunct Belfast Celtic. Patrick O’Connell followed soon after, a football icon who should be far more well known.

Other players came and went either side of the World Wars, but the club we know today was truly born the day Sir Matt Busby walked through the doors of Old Trafford. His first captain was from Ireland. Dubliner Johnny Carey had played for United before and during World War II, when he remarkably served in the British Army.

Busby’s impact and United’s growth as a powerhouse in the English game was reflected in an FA Cup win in 1948, Carey lifting the famous trophy at Wembley.

Carey retired soon after as a youth movement took over at the club in the shape of the iconic Busby Babes. Back-to-back league titles came with United being the first English side to play in the European Cup.

The 1957-58 season will always be the saddest and most significant in the club’s storied history, but their continental campaign started in Dublin. Shamrock Rovers were the first Irish side to play in the competition, losing 6-0 to United at Dalymount Park.

Liam “Billy” Whelan was one of the true stars of the side of the decade, and fittingly scored twice on his return to his native city.

A life and career on the cusp of greatness was tragically cut short in Munich, where he passed alongside seven of his teammates and 15 other passengers. The outpouring of grief was worldwide, and Dublin stood still as Whelan’s funeral took place. It was the moment United became “Ireland’s team”.

It was helped further by the heroic Harry Gregg of Derry, who survived the crash and pulled people from the wreckage.

From the ashes of Munich, United somehow rose. Busby built his third great side which, of course, included players north and south of the border.

Another FA Cup was won in 1963, Cork’s Noel Cantwell this time walking up those hallowed steps. The legendary Johnny Giles started in what was his final game for the club, as well as fellow Dubliner Tony Dunne, who played an Irish record 535 games for the club.

All three, as well as goalkeeper Pat Dunne, were spotted by the legendary Billy Behan, a former goalkeeper turned scout. He was joined by Bob Bishop, who spotted talent north of the border, most notably the one and only George Best.

As United’s near-fictional European odyssey concluded with their first European Cup in ‘68, Best became the sole Irishman to win the Ballon D’or. The starting lineup in the final included the Belfast Boy as well as Irish full-backs Dunne and Shay Brennan.

Busby’s retirement a year later kickstarted a sharp decline. His successor was Cork’s Frank O’Farrell and the likes of Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath, Gerry Daly, Ashley Grimes, Jimmy Nicholl and others were all features of the cup-winning sides in the years to come.

The 1985 FA Cup final win over league champions Everton is famous for several reasons. Dubliner Kevin Moran became both the first man to be sent off in the final and the only to win the cup and the All-Ireland Gaelic championship. Belfast’s Norman Whiteside scored the stunning winner in extra time.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s arrival a year later changed the course of football history with two of his very best players, Corkmen Denis Irwin and Roy Keane, crucial to so much of his success.

Irwin is in the top 10 appearance makers, while Keane was the on-field driving force behind the glory of the 1990s and early-2000s, lifting by far the most trophies for the club. His display in the 1999 semi-final second leg at Juventus rivals Best’s in Benfica ‘66 as the best in United’s European history.

The 1990s also saw English football utterly transform with the dawn of the Premier League and the Bosman ruling, which reflected world changes as capitalism and globalisation took charge. It saw United eventually look elsewhere rather than Ireland for talent, as well as for pre-season games.

John O’Shea and Jonny Evans are the last Irish players to significantly contribute to the club’s success, with O’Shea continuing the trend of an Irish player in all three of United’s European Cup-winning squads. Darron Gibson and Paddy McNair played smaller roles.

Evans' unlikely return to the club in 2023 ended an unwanted seven-year wait for an Irish player either side of the border, although it has not stemmed the flow of fans making the weekly pilgrimage across the sea to support the team.

A report this year by Mancunian Matters revealed Ireland is the overseas country with the most season ticket holders at Old Trafford (1,616). Ireland has nearly twice as many holders as the next country on the list (Norway with 837). That means at least 2% of the 74,000+ crowd are Irish on any given matchday.

United were the obvious choice for the first club football game at Croke Park, just as they were to open the newly-developed Aviva Stadium in 2010.

If the prophecy of United needing an Irish player to be truly successful is true - all of Busby and Ferguson’s combined 18 titles had a shade of green - Troy Parrott may be the best bet as his career continues to go from strength to strength.

That is unless the hugely promising JJ Gabriel decides to play for Ireland. Unknown to many, his father Joe O’Cearuill made two appearances for the national team on the ill-fated tour of the US in 2007, playing at the Giants Stadium like Keane and McGrath 13 years prior.

With both United and Ireland hopefully coming out of their self-inflicted down years, the off-field connection will hopefully be mirrored again on the pitch. Until then, United will continue to be the most followed English club in Ireland.

Newcastle's 4-1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday night has triggered something of a knock-on effect, leaving head coach Matthias Jaissle facing a selection crisis ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Hull City.

Aside from the pain of a comprehensive beating in West Yorkshire, Jaissle now has fewer options available to him than when the game began.

The Magpies lost key wing option Anthony Elanga before kick-off, while midfielder Jacob Ramsey remained an unused substitute on the night.

Newcastle facing injury crisis

Addressing the worsening injury situation post-match, Jaissle offered an unwelcome assessment of Elanga's condition.

"The injury doesn't look good. We need to investigate how serious it is. Elanga is struggling with injury but at the moment it does not look that good."

The manager was equally pessimistic about Ramsey, who was unable to take to the field despite being named among the substitutes.

"The simple way to explain that is he felt his thigh in the warm-up so he was not able to play tonight.

"That was the next challenge. Tonight the story was many things came together. It does not look good for the weekend at the moment."

The less-than-ideal injury scenario continued during the match itself when midfielder Nico Gonzalez was forced off in the first half following a blow to the head.

Jaissle emphasised that the club prioritised player welfare over match circumstances in enforcing mandatory concussion protocols: "With Nico, as a manager and we as a club, we have the responsibility if he has that knock out feeling as we all saw. We have to be responsible to take him off the pitch even though he looked fine then. But there are rules for that occasion. Independent of how important it is to win a match, we are all human beings, and we take that seriously to take him off the pitch."

The potential absence of Elanga, Ramsey, and Nico compounds an already busy medical room at St James' Park.

First-team stalwarts Joelinton and Dan Burn remain sidelined with ongoing injuries, while right-back Amar Dedic is seemingly not 100% after being withdrawn in the second half against Leeds, having entered the contest carrying a knock from last week's tie against Millwall. Furthermore, FourFourTwo understands Will Osula has been wearing a protective boot since sustaining a foot injury on the opening weekend against Liverpool. He is expected to be out of action until after the international break.

With half a dozen key first-team figures potentially unavailable, what should have been an opportunity to bounce back against newly-promoted Hull City has morphed into a tactical headache.

Liverpool and Tottenham have had tricky starts to the 2026/27 campaign but should both be eyeing silverware this season, and the Carabao Cup is a great opportunity to secure some.

ITV are showing this fixture in the UK and have rolled out their broadcasting A team to bring you all the build-up, in-game analysis and post-game talking points.

Here's a full breakdown of the ITV squad calling this midweek match-up.

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for Liverpool vs Spurs?

The Third Round clash is being broadcast on ITV4 at 8pm BST, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm BST.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for the event has been revealed, with the game taking place at Anfield.

Mark Pougatch leads the coverage, as he did throughout the World Cup for ITV.

Joining him as pundits at Anfield are Robbie Fowler and Les Ferdinand, supported by Sam Matterface and Lucy Ward on commentary duties.

Seasoned journalist Gabriel Clarke is ITV's reporter for this one.

The latest FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz covers the length, breadth and depth of the beautiful game. Let's find out what you know with 10 questions in 90 seconds.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Your Premier League knowledge is next in line to be tested. Can you name the first goalscorer in every single Premier League season and arrange these players in order of their Premier League appearances from most to least?

Here's a question for you. A question with many, many answers. Can you name every player ever to have scored a Premier League hat-trick?

If your women's football expertise is up to date, we want you to list out every team currently competing in the top two divisions of women's football in England, namely the WSL and WSL2.

But if you know the past better than the present, this one's for you. We want you to name every club to have played in England's top flight, either the First Division or the Premier League, since 1945.

We also have 15 questions each on the Premier League in the 2016-17 season, the 2006-07 season and the 1996-97 season. How much do you remember about the top flight 10, 20 and 30 years ago?

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!

Hull City and Newcastle United both have a free week to recuperate after the latest round of Premier League fixtures, and will meet at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon.

Newcastle have already booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup but were given a harsh reminder that evolving on the hoof can be difficult when they were thrashed by Leeds United on Monday.

The Magpies next opponents will be unbeaten Hull, who also played their third round Carabao Cup tie last week but ended up on the wrong side of a 1-0 result against Sunderland.

Newcastle United injury news reveals triple blow

The Tigers have drawn their last two league matches against Aston Villa and Chelsea but head into the weekend fixtures still undefeated in the Premier League.

It's clear that they're going to take some beating and Newcastle's latest injury update could make it even more challenging as Matthias Jaissle plots a first league win in three games.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez was substituted in the middle of the first half at Elland Road but the new Newcastle boss appears to be hopeful that it will prove a precautionary measure after a blow to the head.

"With Nico, as a manager and we as a club, we have the responsibility if he has that knock out feeling as we all saw," Jaissle said.

"We have to be responsible to take him off the pitch even though he looked fine then. But there are rules for that occasion. Independent of how important it is to win a match, we are all human beings, and we take that seriously to take him off the pitch."

Winger Anthony Elanga's prognosis is less positive. The Sweden international suffered an injury in between matches and there are fears he could be out of action for some time.

"The injury doesn't look good. We need to investigate how serious it is. Elanga is struggling with injury but at the moment it does not look that good," said Jaissle.

Newcastle are also expecting to be without Jacob Ramsey on Saturday after the 25-year-old sustained a thigh injury before Monday's match.

"The simple way to explain that is he felt his thigh in the warm-up so he was not able to play tonight," Jaissle added. "It does not look good for the weekend at the moment."

Gonzalez, Elanga and Ramsey are new additions to an injury list that also includes long-term absentees Joelinton, Dan Burn and William Osula.

Liverpool have many decades of success behind them, usually built around a solid core of local players and a rich seam of Scottish stars. This FourFourTwo quiz is more interested in the biggest transfers that have played their part (or not) in the Reds' history.

Liverpool have been outspent in the Premier League era by most of the clubs they tend to compete with, but there's not a top-flight team in England without a load of big-money buys under their belt.

Your mission is to name Liverpool's 50 biggest signings ever. We're giving you 10 minutes to catch 'em all.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. First up, can you name the first goalscorer of every Premier League season since 1992-93 and answer some questions about the Premier League 30 years ago?

Next, we want you to sort these players by their numbers of Premier League appearances and these teams by the number of domestic championship titles they've won in their histories.

If you've got half an hour to spare, we've got an absolute monster of a quiz for you to sink your teeth into. Can you name every player to have ever scored a Premier League hat-trick? 400+ answers there, so best of luck!

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 67 features clues on shirt sponsors, EFL counties, and relegations. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

All is not well at Old Trafford following their Manchester derby defeat last weekend, but Michael Carrick still has the opportunity to turn things around. Brighton, meanwhile, travel north as one of the Premier League's form sides.

ITV are broadcasting this game on free-to-air television in the UK on Wednesday night and. Bringing you all the build-up, in-game analysis and post-game talking points is their broadcasting A team.

Here's a full breakdown of the ITV squad calling this midweek match-up.

Who are the pundits, commentators and presenters for Man United vs Brighton?

The Third Round clash is being broadcast on ITV1 at 8pm BST, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm BST.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for the match has been revealed, with the game taking place at Old Trafford.

Mark Pougatch leads the coverage, as he did throughout the World Cup for ITV.

Joining him as pundits are ex-Man United defender John O'Shea and former Brighton striker Glenn Murray, supported by Sam Matterface and Michael Brown on commentary duties.

Experienced journalist Gabriel Clarke is ITV's reporter for this one.

Last month’s publication of the 2025/26 PFA Team of the Year generated ample debate, but certain positions were beyond doubt. The likes of David Raya, Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes were shoo-ins in their respective roles, and so too was Jurrien Timber at right-back.

The Dutchman enjoyed a magnificent campaign last time out. He was a key part of the Arsenal rearguard that underpinned the club's first title triumph in 22 years. The good news for the Gunners is that Timber is nearing a return to first-team action following a groin injury. Having returned to full training, he could be in the matchday squad to face Brighton this weekend.

It’s hard to find any major weaknesses in Timber’s game. Quick, strong and athletic, he is also technically sound and positionally smart. Seldom beaten one-on-one by an opposition winger, Timber frequently locked down his flank last term. And although he is not the most buccaneering of full-backs, he contributes plenty in the final third too.

"A big example for the rest of his team-mates.”

“Extraordinary… for me, he’s been phenomenal in every department,” Mikel Arteta said of Timber last year. “I think he’s taken his level and the team’s level to a different dimension, against his opponents, the way he penetrates, the way he wins duels, the way he understands the game, the way he wants to make things happen. A big example for the rest of his team-mates.”

In short, Timber is the best player in the Premier League in his position - but he should not start for Arsenal right now.

Ben White has deputised for Timber in the opening weeks of the season, and he has done it well. There had been nothing wrong with his displays at right-back before Arsenal signed Timber in 2023, but White has had to play second fiddle to the former Ajax man over the last couple of campaigns.

Timber edges a head-to-head comparison between the pair, but football is more complicated than that. White is in form and in a confident mood. Timber is still working his way back up to full fitness having missed the World Cup with the groin issue that also kept him out of much of the run-in last term.

On top of that, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have both enjoyed fine starts to the season. White, Saka and Odegaard have long shared a special chemistry on the right, forming passing triangles in an area of the pitch where Arsenal have tended to concentrate their attacks during Arteta’s tenure.

White and Saka in particular seem to have an intuitive understanding. White overlaps more readily than Timber, opening up space inside for Saka to attack. The two England internationals have a canny ability to anticipate each other’s movement, linking up at high speed even when seemingly surrounded. When that wavelength is perfectly tuned, they are very difficult to stop.

Perhaps White’s presence in the XI has had little bearing on Saka and Odegaard’s recent output. Both players already showed signs of getting back to their best at the World Cup. Yet given how well they are playing together, Arteta should think twice before breaking up that trio. After three wins from three in the Premier League, there is no real need to rush Timber back into the team.

None of which is to say White should get the nod indefinitely. There will be a time when Timber’s superior defensive abilities will come in handy, particularly as Arsenal are attempting not only to retain the title but to win the Champions League too. The free-flowing football Arsenal have produced so far has been encouraging, yet it would be more of a surprise if Arteta did not batten down the hatches at some point this season than if he did.

Timber’s time will come. For now, the Arsenal right-back spot is White’s to lose.

Roberto De Zerbi has seemingly begun pointing fingers at his Tottenham Hotspur squad, citing their sub-par fitness as a reason for their drab start to the season, following last weekend's 0-0 draw against Everton.

The Toffees played their part, operating an effective man-to-man marking structure that helped extended Spurs' barren, goalless start to the new Premier League season.

Despite overseeing a £350 million summer spending spree designed to fire Spurs back into the Champions League, De Zerbi watched his side draw yet another blank this past weekend.

Spurs players 'not fit enough' despite full De Zerbi pre-season

Tottenham have now failed to find the back of the net in their opening four league fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign. Rather than taking tactical responsibility for his team's lack of a cutting edge, some may take the view that De Zerbi has opted to pass the buck.

Speaking to Sky Sports following the final whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Spurs boss shifted the focus away from his own setup and directly onto the application of his players.

"The physical condition of the team is not the best," De Zerbi claimed when pressed on his side's attacking struggles.

It is something of a deflection from the manager keen to explain away an unexpected start to the season.

De Zerbi did suggest he felt the team played well on Merseyside, referencing the number of times they entered the Everton penalty area, but was frustrated his players did not take enough shots. Choosing to cast blame onto the physical state of the dressing room, as well as individuals' decision-making, is certainly a choice when this is a dressing room he spent an entire pre-season preparing physically and tactically.

What makes De Zerbi’s comments particularly concerning for Spurs fans is how familiar they sound.

Just seven months ago, back in February, former boss Igor Tudor made similar comments. The Croatian accused a fatigued Tottenham squad of lacking basic fitness and desire during a torrid run of form. Tudor’s public assessment subsequently alienated key players, ultimately accelerating his exit, leaving a toxic atmosphere in north London.

De Zerbi was brought in to lift that gloom, and achieved that during the latter part of last season by rebuilding player confidence, none more so than Dutch defender-turned-skipper Micky van de Ven.

But as the pressure mounts, he appears to be pulling from the same playbook of excuses as his predecessor.

Leaning on fitness issues after just four games is something of a red flag. If the Italian cannot figure out how to integrate £350m worth of new talent and get Tottenham firing in front of goal, the blame game will do little to save him from difficult conversations with his superiors, and crucially, maintaining the good will of fans.

Enzo Fernandez sauntered off the pitch with a wry smile, blood trickling from his nose, a job well done. He was, of course, the villain, the catalyst, encapsulating the grit and steel behind Manchester City’s battling victory at Old Trafford.

But that telling of Sunday’s game is flawed, the smirk largely unearned.

In order to beat Manchester United, Enzo Maresca had to plan around Fernandez, not with him. The adaptation to Phil Foden’s red card – flipping the tactical pattern of the match – benefitted Manchester City only because it tamed Fernandez, whose presence was proving more disruptive to City than Foden’s absence.

Release the hound

To play Fernandez is to release the dogs of war. He pulls at the chain until it snaps, which can be extremely useful in a Manchester derby but also, to be frank, a liability. The tactical story of City’s win is one of how Maresca reined him in.

In the first half, before Foden’s red card and after it, Manchester City’s new midfield was a mess. Elliot Anderson (magnificent throughout, but overworked) was stationed alone at the base with Rayan Cherki and Fernandez nominally deployed as eights in front of him, a bold attacking move from Maresca that backfired when Fernandez moved wildly out to the left flank or into the forward line, leaving Anderson isolated.

Fernandez’s strange positioning emptied the middle for City, limited their passing options and, in turn, forcing slow and hesitant sideways possession. Below, he is too far wide (image 1) or too high (image 2), allowing Manchester United to surround Anderson and/or dominate empty space:

Maresca told Sky Sports after the game that his initial plan with Cherki and Fernandez as eights had been to “attack a little bit [more] to create an overload in the middle against the extra midfielder”, ruling out the possibility Fernandez’s positioning – so wide, so high, so weird – was a tactical instruction from the dugout.

It allowed Manchester United to grow into the contest, pinch possession in that vacated middle, and transition quickly, just as Michael Carrick would have hoped. It was the exact tactical battle everyone had predicted (City possession, United counters) and clearly United were on top, harassing and frustrating the visitors until Foden snapped, and the tactics were reversed.

Well, eventually. At first, Fernandez kept making the same bizarre decisions despite being part of a two-man midfield. City remained all at sea:

Here is a typical example of how Fernandez’s positioning left City overly stretched and, therefore, vulnerable to being caught in transition when the ball was lost:

It wasn’t until half-time that Maresca found a way to pull on the leash. He brought on Illiman Ndiaye for Cherki and instructed his players to sit back, therefore compressing space between the lines with a simplified defensive structure in a 4-4-1 formation, conceding the ball to United but, counter-intuitively, regaining the initiative.

Gianluigi Donnarumma started playing long balls up the pitch, punting it into the United half to prevent Manchester City from even attempting to build out from the back. The idea was to cut out midfield, win the second balls that fell around Erling Haaland, and get Ndiaye weaving through the lines.

The passing football – which had lured Fernandez into his ultra-expansive mindset – disappeared, and as a consequence the spaces shrank. City were now compact off the ball (falling back instead of pressing) and on it (pushing up to receive long balls, rather than spreading out in their own half to play through United).

The long balls up for Haaland were played again and again until one of them – Haaland challenging, Ndiaye picking up the pieces – led directly to the controversial winner:

Before kick-off, Maresca said his team needed to “embrace the noise, embrace the chaos,” a call to lean into the atmosphere and ride out the madness of derby day. Nobody embodied that mentality better than Fernandez and, in that respect, his role was important.

But ultimately, what defined this match was a tactical rewrite enforced by Foden’s red card yet designed to tame Fernandez’s excesses.

Fernandez embraced the chaos. Maresca contained it.

Coventry City couldn't have asked for a worse start to their first season back in the Premier League.

The Sky Blues have played four, lost four. New signing Taiwo Awoniyi was sent off against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, leaving his teammates to see out a match that took the number of goals they've conceded to 10.

Frank Lampard's team are yet to add a single goal to the other side of the ledger. Only Tottenham Hotspur can say the same, and their defensive record is only half as bad.

Frank Lampard has earned the backing of Coventry owner Doug King

There's no shortage of doom and gloom on Coventry's behalf, and justifiably so. History shows that promoted teams who start with four losses tend to end the season in the Premier League's relegation places.

Lampard is under external scrutiny on the basis of results alone, but a sizeable proportion of Coventry supporters are aware of the harsh reality of Premier League promotion and appreciative of Lampard's work away from the mainstream spotlight.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Sure, times are tough. The results aren't where they need to be. The Brighton game was a brutal reminder that some afternoons are going to be hard to stomach. Nobody is sugarcoating any of that, least of all Lampard himself.

But the supporters are largely keeping their heads and the same should be true of Sky Blues owner Doug King. Nothing in football is forever, but Lampard can operate freely in the knowledge that his chairman is his biggest advocate in the game.

There was no hiding from the difficult season ahead when King and Coventry committed to a new three-year contract for Lampard.

King has been crystal clear that he'll stand behind his manager, explaining during the summer that he's more concerned about his club doing the right things in the right way than surface-level results.

It's a self-assured outlook and shows a surprisingly enlightened understanding of the sheer size of the challenge for new Premier League clubs.

There are 19 other teams that want to beat Coventry and King appears to be reluctant to risk cutting off his nose to spite his face.

That's the element that's likely to be missing from the wider discussion in the weeks and months ahead. King should be tapping into the beginnings of his patience reserves, not the end, because Lampard has earned that faith.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, now is not the time for flapping. Coventry are in a miserable spot but King and the Sky Blues supporters seem largely aware that avoiding that is no guarantee. Failing to avoid it doesn't undo the positive evolution of Lampard as a manager in the last two years.

When Coventry kick off against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, it'll be the bottom two teams in the Premier League on the pitch at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Emery has a broad base of support at Villa because of his achievements. It shouldn't be any different for Lampard.

Over the past couple of years, Loris Karius has been engineering one of European football’s most satisfying career revivals.

Lately, the German goalkeeper has produced a string of spectacular performances for newly-promoted Bundesliga side Schalke 04.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper has earned Man of the Match accolades in recent weeks, establishing himself as Schalke's backstop in their first top-flight campaign since 2022/23.

Loris Karius is enjoying a career renaissance in Germany

Karius was reportedly excellent in a 3-1 victory against Union Berlin last weekend, racking up seven crucial saves - including a magnificent point-blank reaction stop in second-half stoppage time - to seal all three points.

That performance built on a heroic display against champions Bayern Munich, where Karius produced three fine stops to secure a 0-0 draw and a clean sheet.

It marks a triumphant return to the highest level for a player whose career seemed permanently shadowed by his exit from Liverpool.

Following two high-profile errors in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid, which were later revealed to have occurred while Karius was suffering from a concussion, the German 'keeper faced intense media scrutiny.

Karius recently opened up about the mental health toll of that period, admitting he hit 'rock bottom' and considered walking away from the sport altogether.

"I thought about ending my career: I was only 25," Karius revealed in a candid interview. "I no longer wanted to train, no longer wanted to play."

After his departure from Anfield, loan stints at Besiktas and Union Berlin, and a peripheral period as a backup 'keeper at Newcastle United, Karius joined Schalke to fight his way back into regular action.

His perseverance is paying dividends, having gone from forgotten figure to one of Germany's most in-form shot-stoppers.

Karius’s form has even led to suggestions of a potential international call-up. With legend Manuel Neuer retired from international football and Germany facing a noticeable dearth of elite, in-form options, Karius playing his way back into national team contention is no longer beyond the realm of possibility.

If he maintains this trajectory at Schalke, one of football’s great redemption arcs could reach the international stage.

No current top-flight team has hit the same heights and depths as Manchester City in the Premier League era. After dropping to the third tier, City became a dominant force thanks to a takeover and the leadership of Pep Guardiola. A hefty transfer budget certainly helped their cause and that's the subject of this FourFourTwo quiz.

Manchester City have spent extensively and often on their way to an avalanche of trophies. They've broken their club record many times and have spent £100 million or more on a couple of players to emphasise the point.

That's the tip of the iceberg. You need to name Manchester City's 50 biggest signings ever and we're giving you 10 minutes to do it.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has loads more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. If this one got your motor running, we also want you to sort these players by their numbers of Premier League appearances and these teams by the number of domestic championship titles they've won in their histories.

Next, can you name the first goalscorer of every Premier League season since 1992-93 and answer some questions about the Premier League 30 years ago?

Do you fancy tackling a true colossus of a Premier League quiz? Of course you do. We've got just what you're looking for. Can you name every player to have ever scored a Premier League hat-trick?

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 67 features clues on shirt sponsors, EFL counties, and relegations. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

Michael Carrick has wanted to be Manchester United head coach ever since he played his 464th and final game for them aged 36 in 2018 and moved into coaching.

Aware of Carrick’s desire to become a coach, Man United’s then-manager Jose Mourinho presented him with a whistle and a role in training. Now, actually being in charge is more than a job to Carrick.

He cares deeply about the responsibility, which is why defeat in the Manchester Derby, the manner of the loss and the result itself will hurt deeply.

HENRY WINTER: 'Michael Carrick is hurting after Manchester Derby defeat'

Carrick is a composed character, a very measured individual, reflecting his thoughtful playing style. But it was easy to detect his hurt in all the interviews he conducted afterwards. It was in his eyes, in his tone and in the words themselves. It was easy to sense his frustration and anger at VAR’s failure to consider that Enzo Fernandez was impacting on Lisandro Martinez and Senne Lammens and therefore offside.

“If that's the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that's really worrying for me,” Carrick told the BBC. “It's a staggering explanation.” Man United received an apology from Pro Ref that the officials got it wrong. He was let down by VAR.

It’s what Carrick said next that needs scrutiny. “The decision isn't going to change the season, but it's had a major impact on the game,” he said. Two things: firstly, on it “could change the season”. It does. It whips up more doubt around Carrick so early in this season. He deserved the job after steering the club back into the Champions League. Owners will always consider that the first priority in a season because of the £100m attraction.

Carrick also got the job because of the absence of heavyweight alternatives. Potential candidates such as Julian Nagelsmann hardly enhanced their reputations at the World Cup.

Some perspective is required, patience too. Of the new managers at the bigger Premier League clubs: Enzo Maresca was given a vastly superior squad to Carrick, so life was always going to be smoother for the new City leader; Xabi Alonso has a defence to sort out at Chelsea; and Andoni Iraola is taking time to impose his ideas on Liverpool.

Roberto De Zerbi did well to keep Tottenham Hotspur up last season, but they are struggling in 17th despite spending £344m. Unai Emery is having to do a rebuild at 19th-placed Aston Villa, who have one point from four; there is increased scrutiny on Emery as these are, by and large, all his recruits.

All of these are good managers and deserve time. The ever-quickening news agenda and hunger for headline content doesn’t help.

There should be a desire to support a home-grown coach like Carrick (and full transparency, I helped him write his 2018 book). I know how much he genuinely cares about his club, the staff, players and fans. But Carrick does deserve scrutiny. He mentions, secondly, the goal having a “major impact” on the game, but the bigger impact was United’s failure to exploit their numerical advantage when Phil Foden was sent off after 23 minutes.

There has to be sympathy for Carrick over the City goal and the club’s failure to give him the defenders, especially full-backs, that he needs. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu are simply not good enough. Their flaws, such as failing to clear properly, had a “major impact” on the game. But Carrick’s in-game management wasn’t good enough. He’s not to blame for Bryan Mbeumo wasting an inviting chance late on, but Carrick was outwitted by Maresca, whose changes were far more intelligent and productive. Iliman Ndiaye came on for Rayan Cherki at the break and, along with Antoine Semenyo, stayed high and stretched United. Maresca’s boldness paid off.

Carrick, bafflingly, waited for 45 minutes after Foden’s exit to sharpen his attack with Benjamin Sesko. Until then, Carrick preferred the false 9 approach of Matheus Cunha. Sesko replaced Youri Tielemans, with the No. 10 space becoming crowded with Cunha and Bruno Fernandes (who did drop slightly deeper). Why not keep the balance and withdraw Cunha, not Tielemans?

If Carrick has concerns about Sesko’s match sharpness or his quality, then he could simply have switched Marcus Rashford and Cunha. Set City another challenge. Unleash Rashford’s pace through the middle. Cunha also enjoys that left-sided No. 10 role, albeit tucked in more than Rashford.

The sight of Foden going off so early at Old Trafford should have been the signal to go for the jugular. Seize the moment. Go for victory even more. Attack, attack, attack. Get a psychologically important win, not only vital for local pride but also to disperse some of the clouds gathering during United’s unconvincing start to the season. Only Kobbie Mainoo rose to the challenge. Carrick didn’t do enough. He can reflect and learn. But also, it’s far too early in the season for knee-jerk reactions. As with other managers, Carrick deserves time.

It's time for another FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz! Can you answer 10 football questions in just 90 seconds?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes courtesy of Kwizly. Let's start with a top-flight behemoth. Can you name every player ever to have scored a Premier League hat-trick?

For the Premier League experts, we also have 15 questions each on English football's top men's division in the 2016-17 season, the 2006-07 season and the 1996-97 season.

We also want you to name the first goalscorer in every single Premier League season and try to arrange these players in order of their Premier League appearances from most to least.

Do you know your women's football too? There's only one way to find out. Can you list out every team currently competing in the WSL or WSL2, the top two divisions of the women's game in England?

Last up, we've got a great quiz for fans of just listing football teams for fun. Can you name every club to have played in England's top flight, either the First Division or the Premier League, since 1945?

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!

Chelsea drew 2-2 with promoted Hull City on Saturday. On the back of a loss, albeit against Arsenal, it was an unwelcome development in these early weeks of Xabi Alonso's management.

It's important not to overlook Hull's own influence on the outcome. The Tigers have enjoyed an impressive start and remain unbeaten. Before heading south to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, they hadn't conceded a Premier League goal.

Yet the result was undeniably a disappointing one for the Blues for one reason above all others: it must be a rarity that Chelsea, with punchy aspirations and huge investment in them, score twice at home without winning.

Chelsea need to close the back door to step up Premier League fortunes

Only one team in the division has scored more goals than Chelsea in the first four league games of the season, and they're an outlier.

Brighton & Hove Albion have netted 13 goals to Chelsea's 10, but nine of them were against an Aston Villa side that might as well have been meeting for the first time, and Coventry City, who've started badly and were ripe for the same treatment.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Unfortunately for Alonso, it's a similar story at the other end. Chelsea, in fifth, have the worst goal difference and highest number of goals conceded in the top eight. It's important to recognise that it's early days and Chelsea have only been beaten by Arsenal, but Alonso will be looking for ways to tighten up.

Only three teams have conceded more than Chelsea.

Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth has had to pick the ball out of his net 10 times in four games. That's not an ideal start but it's only one goal worse than Chelsea.

Crystal Palace are conceding regularly and it's a problem for Pierre Sage just as it is for Alonso, but four of those goals were scored by Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland for Manchester City.

Ipswich Town, in ninth, have also conceded 10 times. Bruno Fernandes was responsible for three of those and Manchester United for five in total.

Chelsea's vulnerability is playing out differently. The West Londoners have conceded at least twice in all four of their matches, including their two wins out of the gate. They needed to score three times to beat Fulham and four times to beat Brighton.

That's only a problem if it becomes a problem. Chelsea's results have mostly overcome it up to this point and they've scored more than they've conceded. With attacking firepower like that, it would take a disaster to make it any other way.

But this is Chelsea. Saturday's goals were scored in the space of seven minutes against a defence that cost £140 million, was made up of players who were all at Stamford Bridge last season, and was backstopped by the self-proclaimed best goalkeeper in the world.

For now, these are teething issues at worst. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez can be a little patchy at times but tends to come good in the meat of the season, and fellow new signing Maxence Lacroix is just one of the options available to Alonso who wasn't on the pitch when Hull scored their goals.

As the margins get finer, though, there's no doubt Alonso will see defensive improvements as a way to give Chelsea the best possible chance of success.

'Soft' defending won't be good enough and the new boss has been clear that the short trip to Brentford is where he expects that process to kick in.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder understood what his team were up against when Wolverhampton Wanderers came to town.

Speaking after Wolves beat the Blades with a last-minute goal, whose constituent parts all started the match on the away bench at Bramall Lane, Wilder’s comments to reporters referenced more than once that his opposite number from the Black Country has quality in both depth and abundance.

He’s right on both counts. On this occasion, it was the depth that made the difference.

Wolves manager Peixoto is shaping a creative attacking unit

Wolves let a few opportunities pass them by but the intervention of substitutes Kieran Trippier, Tommy Doyle – inadvertently – and Raul Jimenez gave them that little bit extra when it mattered most.

Having that additional sharp edge is useful but Cesar Peixoto’s set-up before he deployed his substitutes was more indicative of Wolves’ tactical point of difference in the Championship.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Jimenez’s age is a determining factor in Peixoto’s choice of striker; Wolves are playing between two and three times a week. Adam Armstrong moved off his moonlighting shift on the left flank to play at centre-forward and youngster Mateus Mane started in the Mexican striker’s place.

The rest of the Wolves midfield unit is becoming increasingly familiar in the second tier, both with each other in the aftermath of the sale of Joao Gomes and to observers seeing the connections that make Peixoto’s Wolves tick.

Wolves play with three attacking midfielders off a striker, and a pair of central midfielders behind them.

Mane and Armstrong approach the left-wing role differently than one another but the remaining rhomboid, the Peixoto Parallelogram, is at the heart of Wolves’ play wherever Jimenez, Armstrong or Mane slot in beside it.

22-year-old Fer Lopez operates in the middle of the three, Rodrigo Gomes outside him. Between them, they’ve been stockpiling goal contributions like they’re going out of fashion. Lopez was ticking along at a goal or assist per match prior to Wolves’ visit to South Yorkshire.

Midfielders Andre and Marshall Munetsi played together 25 times in the Premier League. Given their fortunes last season, that’s not automatically a good thing.

Working as a first-choice partnership in a team expected to win is a new test and it generally looks good on them.

Added attacking impetus from the heart of the team

But the secret sauce, the flavour-packed additional topping that keeps central defenders honest, is a result of the way Lopez and Munetsi interact.

Lopez drops into the middle of the pitch, often far enough to take the ball off Wolves’ defenders. Where other teams might use this extra man to boost their midfield numbers, Peixoto has a midfielder who will add sharpness to the shape by making the run of a forward and causing mayhem.

There aren’t many central midfielders in the Championship who’d be described as playing on the shoulder, but Munetsi does exactly that, time and time again, springing upfield thanks to the withdrawal of Lopez.

He’s available for passes in behind and also to play with Mane, Lopez and a striker at close quarters, with left-back Hugo Bueno joining in for good measure.

It meant that Japhet Tanganga and Mark McGuinness had to have their wits about them to prevent the Zimbabwean from causing problems on their side of Wilder’s back three. They managed it on Sunday, and Wolves had to find another way.

Munetsi’s trademark run produced the first Championship goal of the season, albeit Blackburn Rovers left enough space in their half at Molineux that you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for an opportunistic decision more than a planned tactic.

The Wolves boss has more ideas bubbling away as the season stretches out on the other side of the international break. Peixoto spoke after the win against Sheffield United about substitute Jordan James, the former Birmingham City midfielder on loan from Rennes, who he sees as serious competition for Munetsi in the most positive sense.

Peixoto is focused on Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Everton but the Wolves fans behind the goal where Jimenez tucked in the winner at Bramall Lane made it clear at full time that the win meant more than a jump back up the Championship table.

Seven days after the win in Sheffield, Molineux will host the Black Country derby against West Bromwich Albion. Forget one point turning into three. The supporters have already set their sights on a different Sunday entirely.

Can you tell us the answer to this quiz question?

Which Russian club is in an elite group with Blackburn Rovers, Celtic, Manchester City, Newcastle United and West Ham United?

We'll reveal the answer this time next week in the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – stay tuned for that – but for now, here's the answer to last week's conundrum…

Q. Which is the odd one out of Joe Hart, Harry Maguire, Kevin Keegan and Marc Guehi?

A. It’s Harry Maguire, who is the only one to be known by his first name during his England career. Charles Joseph John Hart, Joseph Kevin Keegan and Addji Keaninkin Marc-Israel Guehi are the full names of the other three: Maguire was born Jacob Harry Maguire, but legally changed it to Harry Jacob Maguire when he was 18, prior to his first Three Lions appearance.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

Now that you'll be mulling that one over all week, here's more for you: much more. If you can span the distance between the modern women's game, short-lived top-flight icons, and tactical visual puzzles, take on these quizzes, courtesy of Kwizly.

We're kicking off with a double-header auditing domestic growth and fleeting individual brilliance. First, we want you to test your knowledge of the domestic structure by naming every team in the top two tiers of women's football in England, a comprehensive examination of the WSL and Women's Championship landscape. Once you’ve mapped out the professional women's pyramid, shift your focus to the men's top flight and take on our Big Quiz of One-Season Wonders, celebrating those unforgettable stars who produced one sensational campaign before fading from the headline act.

If your scouting network relies on off-pitch stories and visual lineup deduction, we have two unique challenges waiting in the tunnel. You can trade the dugout for the library by attempting to name the authors of these footballer autobiographies, proving you know the candid minds behind the game’s most famous memoirs. After closing the books, put your international awareness to the ultimate test: can you guess the team from the line-ups' nationalities? It’s a clever, deceptive examination of iconic starting XIs and transfer footprints that will stretch your tactical intuition to its limits.

With a brilliantly balanced mix of international folklore, trapdoor drama, and breakout prodigies, strip in for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 67, with clues on nations, relegations and teen sensations. To ensure you stay top of the table every single day, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily briefing of hand-picked trivia and tactical analysis. To complete your transfer to terrace legend status, 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.

Watch Rangers vs Celtic for free as the Old Firm meet for the first time this season, with a place in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals at stake. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Derek McInnes is starting to find his feet as Rangers manager after a tough start at Ibrox, with the Gers heading into the clash with Celtic on a four-match winning run.

Martin O'Neill's side have also claimed victory in each of their past four games, as they look to beat their old rivals in this competition for the third successive season.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Rangers vs Celtic in the Scottish League Cup online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch Rangers vs Celtic for free?

Yes! Fans in the US can watch Rangers vs Celtic for free via CBS Sports Golazo Network.

There is also a way for viewers in Australia to stream the game at no cost. Rangers vs Celtic is being broadcast live on beIN SPORTS, which has a 7-day free trial for new customers Down Under.

Not in the US or Australia? Use NordVPN to unlock your Rangers vs Celtic stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Rangers vs Celtic from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Rangers vs Celtic. 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 Rangers vs Celtic in the UK

Rangers vs Celtic will be broadcast live on Premier Sports in the UK.

The Scottish League Cup quarter-final is being shown on Premier Sports 1 and online on the Premier Sports Player, with kick-off at 12:00pm BST.

How to watch Rangers vs Celtic in the US

As mentioned above, US viewers can watch Rangers vs Celtic for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Kick-off is at 7:00am ET.

The Scottish League Cup quarter-final is also being shown on Paramount+.

How to watch Rangers vs Celtic in Australia

Rangers vs Celtic is live on beIN SPORTS in Australia, as detailed above.

The game kicks-off at 9pm AEST and will be live on beIN SPORTS 1 and the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform.

Rangers vs Celtic: Preview

The first Old Firm derby of the 2026/27 season is a battle between two teams who have started to get their seasons back on track after humiliating defeats in Europe.

Rangers' hopes of playing continental football this term were ended by embarrassing losses to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok and Czech outfit Jablonec in the Europa League and Conference League qualifiers respectively.

They had also failed to win their first two Scottish Premiership games under Derek McInnes, who arrived in the summer, but the former Hearts manager has steadied the ship with four successive victories, most recently Wednesday's 1-0 triumph over St Mirren.

McInnes faces Celtic for the first time since his Hearts team lost their Premiership title decider at Parkhead on the final day of last season, but he will do so without several of his injured stars, including captain Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti, Daisuke Yokota, Tuur Rommens and Kosta Nedeljkovic all sidelined through injury.

SEE ALSO Should I use a VPN to watch football?

Celtic's own European horror show came in the Champions League qualifying play-off, when they surrendered a 3-0 first-leg lead to lose 5-4 on aggregate to Austrian side LASK.

Martin O'Neill's men will compete in the Europa League as a result, but their domestic form has remained flawless with six wins in their first six Scottish Premiership games.

Celtic are aiming to regain their Scottish League Cup title after losing last season's final to St Mirren, while they are also aiming to knock their old rivals out of the competition for the third successive campaign, having done so in the semi-finals last term and in the 2024/25 final.

They are missing injured trio Alistair Johnson, Hyun-jun Yang and Callum Osmand, but Jordan Lotomba could make his debut following his deadline-day signing from Feyenoord. Celtic will also be without their fans at Ibrox, with away supporters banned from all Premiership and League Cup Old Firm games this season.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Rangers 1-2 Celtic

The Ibrox crowd will give Rangers an advantage, but Celtic look stronger at the moment.

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 Manchester United vs Manchester City in the Premier League as the rivals meet for the 199th time, with both teams aiming to follow-up comfortable wins in Europe in midweek. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Michael Carrick's side face a quick turnaround after beating Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League on Thursday night, as they aim to record back-to-back wins over City.

Enzo Maresca's men have had an extra 48 hours to prepare following their 2-0 victory at Porto in their Champions League opener and are looking to extend their perfect start to the Premier League campaign.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City online and from anywhere, in the biggest game of the weekend in the 2026/27 Premier League.

Can I watch Manchester United vs Manchester City for free?

Unfortunately, Manchester United vs Manchester City is not being shown live for free on any broadcaster.

Read on to find out how to watch the Premier League clash from anywhere in the world.

Watch Manchester United vs Manchester City from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Manchester United vs Manchester City.

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 Manchester United vs Manchester City in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Manchester United vs Manchester City live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 4:30pm BST.

How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in the US

In the US, live coverage of Manchester United vs Manchester City is available on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform. Kick-off is at 11:30am ET.

How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in Australia

Viewers in Australia can stream Manchester United vs Manchester City on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:30am AEST on Monday.

Tickets

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Preview

It is less than eight months since Michael Carrick kick-started an excellent second spell as Manchester United's interim head coach with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Fast forward to the present day, and the 45-year-old is now in the role permanently as he looks to guide the Red Devils to consecutive victories against their rivals for the first time since 2020.

United could do with a result after taking only four points from their first three matches of the Premier League season, which included a shock defeat at Hull City and conceding a last-minute equaliser at Everton seven days ago.

Carrick made four changes for the 4-0 rout of Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday and he could well rotate again due to the quick turnaround between fixtures, although Luke Shaw (an ever-present in the Premier League last season) is an injury doubt after missing the game in midweek.

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

City have had an extra two days to prepare for the clash at Old Trafford, although they did spend some of that time travelling back from Portugal after beating Porto 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Erling Haaland scored both goals to take his tally to five in the past three matches, as head coach Enzo Maresca claimed his fourth straight win.

City boast a 100 per cent record in the Premier League after three games, although they have so far been handed a relatively kind fixture list – so this derby is arguably the first big test of the Maresca era.

Nico O'Reilly could return to the squad after missing the past two matches with a back issue, but winger Jeremy Doku may have to wait a little longer to make his return from a calf problem.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City

This Manchester derby is a tough one to call, but it should be a fascinating watch.

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.

Growing up in Glasgow during the 1950s, just a few square feet of grass could feel like Hampden Park. Not far from his family home in the impoverished neighbourhood of Milton, a young Kenny Dalglish would spend countless hours kicking a football around one such tiny patch with his father Bill.

An engineer by trade, Bill would take his son to his two places of worship at weekends – the Protestant church and Ibrox. When Kenny was 14, his family moved home, to his great delight, into the shadow of the latter. “My dad took me to Rangers from an early age – that never caused me any bother later on, you have to support someone when you’re a kid,” Dalglish tells FourFourTwo, looking back on his childhood. This year a documentary about his life was released, created by Asif Kapadia, the maker of documentary films Senna, Amy and Diego Maradona.

Dalglish’s kickabouts as a youngster paid off. By the time he’d left school to work as an apprentice joiner, he was being touted as a rising talent in Scottish football. Turning out at weekends for Glasgow United, scouts from West Ham and Liverpool visited. His next stop lay in his home city – but not at the stadium he could see from his bedroom window.

“One day we played Celtic’s young boys,” Dalglish remembers. “Among those watching was their first-team manager, Jock Stein. He liked the wee No.4 – thankfully, that was me.”

Stein’s assistant, Sean Fallon, paid a visit to the Dalglish family home and, surrounded by Rangers memorabilia all over the walls, asked Bill and wife Cathy if their son would be interested in joining the Catholic juggernauts. “I told my dad, ‘I thought you’d have wanted me to play for Rangers,” Kenny would later recall. “He said, ‘Son, the best place for you right now is at Celtic.’”

It wasn’t hard to see why. Only a few weeks later, Stein’s side were crowned European champions in Lisbon. “I can remember watching that game,” says Dalglish. “Jock became the first British manager to win the European Cup, and he did it all with a group of players that came from a 25-mile radius around the city. Those scenes and the celebrations in Glasgow sparked a lifelong ambition to get my hands on a European Cup. This was the club I was joining.”

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Dalglish soon emerged as part of a talented crop of youngsters at Celtic – which also included Lou Macari, George Connelly and Danny McGrain – dubbed The Quality Street Gang. “Jock had the desire to come over regularly and coach some of the younger players, myself included,” Dalglish recalls. “What he did for us was fantastic. The education he gave us, the desire to get us through and make us better footballers, it just spoke volumes for the man.”

Soon, Dalglish and the other young prodigies began training with the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill and the rest of the Lisbon Lions. “Those heroes of mine were who we went to train with,” says Dalglish. “They were so humble and helpful. It was a fantastic team, and I mean as people as well as a brilliant group of footballers.”

Dalglish – moulded from a midfielder into a deep-lying forward by Stein – made his first-team debut aged 17 in 1968, but it wasn’t until the 1971-72 season that he became a regular. His first competitive goal came at the start of that season – a penalty that secured a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox, the club he’d grown up supporting. That was the first of his 29 goals in 53 first-team appearances that season, as Stein’s side won their seventh straight league title. After being handed his first Scotland caps by boss Tommy Docherty in 1971, Dalglish showed his breakout campaign had been no fluke by hitting 39 goals in the following season. He’d quickly become the star of Scottish football, dazzling crowds with his footwork and vision, despite rough treatment from opposition players on muddy pitches.

“You learn to look after yourself,” says Dalglish, when asked if rivals ever tried to kick him off the park. “I don’t know how a team-mate is supposed to look after you, you’ll have to do that yourself. It was a more physical game than it is now, but I still feel fortunate to have played when things were slightly better. “I played after George Best’s era – you see the treatment that he used to get. Football has moved on a lot now, but it’s always been a competitive sport. You’re going to get challenged – sometimes people mistime things.”

Dalglish soon won his third league title, although Stein’s team lost out to Atletico Madrid in a European Cup semi in 1974, following a first-leg stalemate at Celtic Park that saw three Spaniards sent off for violent challenges. “They were a disgrace that night, an absolute disgrace,” recalls Dalglish. “The most brutal game I ever played in. Their manager believed that style could take them to the final. He’d pick two different teams – a more defensive one for away games and a more attacking one for home games. They went on to lose the final 4-0 [against Bayern Munich] after a replay. Seeing that was satisfying.” Despite being named Celtic captain in 1975, their increasing struggles in Europe meant Dalglish grew restless. “I was desperate to get my hands on a European Cup and felt I needed a new challenge,” he says. “After winning a league and cup double in 1977, I told the manager that I wanted to leave. He reluctantly accepted that.

“I’m still hugely grateful to Celtic. People may say, ‘Well, Kenny wanted to move away’, but that’s where it all began for me. I’ll forever be indebted to them. Especially to Jock, who did so much for me, but also for Celtic. He said, ‘Have it your way, you wee bastard, I might know somebody that would be happy to meet you.’”

That man was Bob Paisley. After hitting 173 goals in 338 appearances, Dalglish was heading to Liverpool.

Bah Hamburg!

On Merseyside, the Reds were dealing with the loss of their own talismanic forward – Kevin Keegan had departed Anfield for Hamburg immediately after lifting the 1977 European Cup. Again, Dalglish was joining the kings of Europe. “I’ve been told to go out and get the best, and Kenny is what I see as the best,” Paisley said of his £440,000 British record signing.

For Liverpool’s new No.7, the feeling was mutual. “He was a great man, Bob,” Dalglish recalls. “He’d been right through the club, from player, to physio, to coach, to manager. He reminded me of Jock in that he was very close to his players and very knowledgeable about the game. He was brilliant and so humble, he never gave himself enough credit. People often wondered if Liverpool had some kind of secret to success, even before I joined them. Well, if there was a secret, nobody was going to be told it.”

In November, Liverpool came up against Hamburg, the winners of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, in the first leg of the Super Cup. That tie meant a head-to-head with Keegan. “I spoke to Kevin before that game – he and his family were staying in the same hotel,” the Scot recalls. “It was very amiable. He’d made a similar decision to me – he wanted to go off and play in Europe, and I wanted to play in England. I knew I was replacing an absolute superstar and he had that aura. But the only thing that I had to do was be myself – not try to replace or emulate Kevin, but be me.”

After a 1-1 draw in Germany, Dalglish rounded off the scoring as Liverpool smashed their guests 6-0 in the return leg at Anfield, on a night that midfielder Terry McDermott hit a hat-trick. “We had a good chat after that game as well,” Dalglish recalls. “He wished me luck and I did the same with him. We were always friendly, Kevin and I. He’s a great man.” Despite that resounding win, Paisley knew more was needed if Liverpool were to secure further silverware in the latter half of the season. Another young Scot, centre-back Alan Hansen, had been signed from Partick Thistle at the end of the previous campaign, with Graeme Souness brought in from Middlesbrough midway through Dalglish’s first season at the club. The trifecta of recruits would affectionately come to be known as the Scottish Mafia around the club, as they spent endless time socialising with one another away from the pitch.

“Alan signed first, then I arrived in August and Graeme joined us in the January,” Dalglish remembers. “The dressing room was a fantastic place for us to be, in terms of camaraderie and our relationship, and that would play a huge role in the success we’d go on to have at Liverpool together.”

The trio wouldn’t be the last Scots signed by Paisley, either. “Stevie Nicol joined in 1981 – I think the intelligence of the dressing room fell back a wee bit!” laughs Dalglish affectionately. “His brain matter was a bit different from the rest of us. But it was no coincidence we were so successful with that dressing room.” Dalglish’s first term at Anfield finished without domestic pots – Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest pipping them to the First Division title – but his move down south would be immediately justified in European competition. Liverpool ousted Dynamo Dresden, Benfica and Borussia Monchengladbach to tee up a Wembley showpiece against Club Brugge in the 1978 European Cup Final.

During the match, Dalglish noted that opposition goalkeeper Birger Jensen had a habit of going to ground early to smother shots. “I knew what I had to do,” he’d later recall. “No point hitting it along the floor. I’d need to chip it.” His chance came in the 64th minute, when Souness chested down a ball on the edge of a crowded Brugge box and slipped a pass through to Dalglish, who gently dinked a finish over Jensen into the far corner from a tight angle. There was no reply from their rivals. At the age of 27, he’d finally emulated the Lisbon Lions. “Every time you win a trophy, it’s a great achievement,” he reflects now. “But to win European trophies is even more special. Celtic had done it back in 1967, but I’d never achieved it. Going to Liverpool had given me the best possible chance of doing that.”

The Scot got his hands on an English crown the following season – with his 21 league goals essential in delivering the title and earning him the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year award. “He had the perfect touch and control to find a team-mate,” Souness later said of Dalglish. “Kenny was just the perfect player.”

Liverpool successfully defended their title in 1980, before beating Real Madrid to win another European Cup a year later. “A magical night,” recalls Dalglish of the Paris celebrations. The following campaign marked the breakthrough of a player who’d take Dalglish’s game to the next level – a young Welsh striker called Ian Rush. “Rushie was the one I found most compatible with myself, and he brought the best out in me,” Dalglish looks back. “I used to say to him, ‘You get in a position – don’t get anxious, I’ll find you.’”

Dalglish’s instructions worked a treat, as Rush would score 30 goals across all competitions, delivering another league title. When they teamed up to make Liverpool champions once more the following season, Dalglish won another Football Writers’ Association award – only Tom Finney, Danny Blanchflower and Stanley Matthews had previously claimed the honour twice. The Scot finished second in the Ballon d’Or too, behind only Michel Platini.

By that stage, Kennymania was at its peak, as superstars from all walks of life lined up to offer him praise. “I don’t have any idols in music, but I do in football,” the former Beatle Paul McCartney said. “Kenny Dalglish is pretty good.”

For Liverpool’s reluctant hero, the adulation and the awards belonged to those around him. “Well, that just goes to show you that even great men like Paul don’t know what they’re talking about sometimes,” laughs Dalglish. “I’ve always said I wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for the two brilliant football clubs that I was lucky enough to play for. Any of the praise I received really belongs to the brilliant team-mates, managers, coaches, supporters and everyone else around me or behind me. I never got carried away with any of that.”

The 1983-84 campaign would be Dalglish’s first without Paisley at the Liverpool helm, as he retired after winning 20 trophies in nine years as manager. “Bob and Big Jock were similar in terms of the number of trophies they won,” Dalglish says. “I was very lucky in that my career spanned across two of the most successful managers in the history of British football. Bob won six league titles in nine years. If you throw in three European Cups as well, what he achieved is enormously impressive.” Paisley’s assistant Joe Fagan kept up the success, as Liverpool claimed the First Division and another European Cup crown, toppling Roma on penalties in their own Stadio Olimpico backyard. “I think the best European Cup win was that one,” Dalglish reflects. “Scoring the winner in the first one was special, but it didn’t really matter to me who scored those goals. Success is the most demanding thing, but also the most enjoyable. Those European trophies mean an awful lot to me, but so does every trophy we won together.”

A Roy of the Rovers moment

For Fagan, the success wouldn’t last. The 1984-85 campaign ended without silverware, as an ageing team finished second to neighbours Everton, before the European Cup final with Juventus ended in tragedy – a crush killed 39 spectators, amid fan violence at the crumbling Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Both teams wanted the game to be postponed, only for officials to order it go ahead. Juventus won in a subdued affair. “They should have called it off, but they never did,” lamented Dalglish years later. “You’re never the same after witnessing something like that. We were asked to play and we played. We lost, but not as much as some people.” Fagan stepped down, with Liverpool again looking to promote internally. This time it wasn’t an assistant who would get the job, but the 34-year-old Dalglish named player-manager. “Well, it was a surprise,” he says. “The way that I saw it, I was just going to give my best, and if my best transpired not to be good enough, then I’d hold my hands up and say, ‘This isn’t for me – it’s not fair on the club, so get somebody else in.’”

Reluctant to field himself, Dalglish started just two of his side’s opening eight league games and found it tough to adapt. “My biggest challenge, I found, was coming out of that dressing room dynamic I’d been a part of for so long and picking a team,” he says. “That meant leaving players out that you’d befriended. I hated making decisions that affected them adversely.”

Dalglish felt forced to create clearer boundaries with his players. “One of my favourite things about being a footballer was that camaraderie in the dressing room,” he explains. “But suddenly, you become the manager and feel things clam up when you enter the room. If they were in there having a laugh and a joke when I walked in, I’d show them some respect and let them know that I’d be back in five minutes, because I knew how important it was for the lads to have that time together – sharing some jokes without the manager being about. But it was very tough not to feel a part of that any more.”

The new boss began to rely on the advice and influence of an old mentor. “Bob Paisley still held a position upstairs,” Dalglish says. “He was a great help to me. He’d sometimes ask me if he could have a word with so-and-so, before the game or whatever. I didn’t mind that, because he was 100 per cent behind me. He was doing things that were useful. He was helpful.”

Things on the field weren’t yet clicking, though – Liverpool were sat eight points behind Everton with 11 games left to go. Ahead of a home clash with QPR in March, Dalglish made a crucial decision.

“We were struggling with injuries and form,” he says. “So I thought it was time I start picking myself. I didn’t have much choice in the matter, to be honest.”

He set up two as the Reds triumphed 4-1, before assisting three times in a 6-0 victory over Oxford. With Dalglish playing regularly, Liverpool went unbeaten for the remainder of the season – drawing only once, when Dalglish didn’t play – to reel in Everton. It all came down to the last match of the campaign – victory away at Chelsea would see Liverpool crowned champions once again.

Some stories feel too outlandish to be real – too far-fetched even for a Roy of the Rovers comic strip – but Dalglish’s 23rd-minute winner at Stamford Bridge is one of those fantastical moments. “I know that I made a contribution and I’m proud of that, but there were so many other people who were doing their bit, too,” he says, modest as ever. “Everyone played their part and that was how we were so successful.” A week on, Dalglish started himself again as Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup final.

The following months would mark the last of Dalglish’s 102 appearances for Scotland, during which he netted 30 times. No player has ever surpassed either number – he shares the scoring record with Denis Law. “We made four World Cups in a row, which isn’t bad for a country of five million people,” recalls Dalglish, who appeared at the 1974, 1978 and 1982 editions, all group-stage exits, before helping his country qualify for the 1986 World Cup, only to miss the tournament through injury. “We’d have wanted to have done even better, but we were a really good team.”

Back at club level, when Liverpool went without a trophy in 1987 and Rush left for Juventus, Dalglish knew that he’d have to rebuild. “We needed some new faces,” he remembers. “I had to get a replacement centre-forward and we needed a few more as well.”

That year saw the arrival of John Aldridge in January, followed by John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and finally Ray Houghton. “Aldridge proved brilliant for us,” says Dalglish of a player who struck 29 times in his first full Anfield season. “You talk about me coming in to replace Kevin Keegan. Well, John replaced Ian Rush – that was no easy task. But what a season he had. He was fantastic when he came in. But if you’ve got somebody up there, you have to feed him – you need the creative players to make their contribution. John Barnes was nothing short of a pleasure to watch and wee Peter was fantastic as well. So creative and hard-working.” The new-look side won the 1987-88 title at a canter.

The day everything changed

What happened at Hillsborough in April 1989 would affect Dalglish deeply, when a total of 97 people would eventually lose their lives as a result of the crush that occurred at the start of Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. As the awful events unfolded and panic spread, cameras repeatedly turned on Dalglish, frantically awaiting news of his son Paul, who was among the crowd. The youngster would return safely to his parents. Other mothers and fathers weren’t as fortunate.

In the days that followed, Dalglish, still just 38 at the time, was thrust into the spotlight of a grieving community. He led his players through hospitals and homes, meeting with mourning families and coma-bound patients, personally attending funerals and offering his unwavering support. “All of a sudden Kenny wasn’t a football manager or player any more, he became a social worker for the families,” said Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James during the tragedy. “It must have been so difficult to have the bereaved families coming in to talk to him, but he gave them all a great deal of comfort, which shows the calibre of the man. If I need something I can still phone him now and he’ll do anything to help the families, even to this day.”

“There was no way we were going to step back and not be as helpful as we possibly could be,” said Dalglish. “For me, as a person, that was simply what I needed to do.”

Five weeks after the tragedy, Liverpool defeated Everton 3-2 to win the FA Cup, but Heysel and Hillsborough had taken a huge toll on the Scot. He led Liverpool to a final title in 1990, before resigning in February 1991. “It’s a decision many people will find difficult to understand, a decision that only I could have made,” Dalglish said at the time. “It would have been wrong to mislead people that everything was fine with me.”

Many thought his time in football had ended, but eight months later, he was ready for a new challenge, returning to the dugout as manager of second-tier Blackburn, just taken over by wealthy supporter Jack Walker. “I wasn’t trying to prove myself, but I was very fortunate that I was asked to become manager at a time when Jack was throwing his heart into the job, as well as his finances,” says Dalglish. “His finances and his support were both 100 per cent genuine. He was born and bred Blackburn.”

Dalglish guided Rovers to the play-offs, where they overcame Leicester 1-0 at Wembley. The spending immediately went up a notch – Blackburn broke the British transfer record to sign a young Alan Shearer from Southampton for £3.6 million that summer. “We spent Jack’s money quite well, if you gauge it in terms of success,” Dalglish reflects. “We got promoted in that first season, then we finished fourth in our first year back in the top flight.”

Rovers improved again in 1993-94, finishing second behind Manchester United. The following summer, they broke the British transfer record for a second time, signing Chris Sutton from Norwich for £5m. Forming the famous ‘SAS’ strike partnership with Shearer, the duo scored 49 Premier League goals that season to put Blackburn in control of the title race going into the final day.

Fittingly for Dalglish, his side would face Liverpool at Anfield. Blackburn lost 2-1, but Manchester United’s failure to win against West Ham meant they were champions. With the triumph, Dalglish had become just the fourth manager to win the English title with two different clubs, after Brian Clough (Derby and Nottingham Forest), Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield and Arsenal), and Tom Watson (Sunderland and Liverpool).

“Jack was the person most responsible for everything that Blackburn achieved,” Dalglish insists. “We hardly blinked our eyes in the second tier, then suddenly we were champions of England. It was all done over a period of just a few years. It was done because Jack was 100 per cent genuine and very generous. All of the players that came in were a credit to themselves. They could have just taken the money, taken it easy and we would have achieved nothing. But fortunately, they were a credit to themselves and the town of Blackburn.”

That was arguably Dalglish’s last great hurrah in British football. After Blackburn, he had a mixed spell as Newcastle boss, then returned to Celtic as director of football operations and had a stint as interim manager. He was parachuted back in as Liverpool boss in 2011 and led the club to a League Cup triumph the following year, although the Reds were in a much different place to his first spell at the wheel.

Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish was knighted in 2018 for his services to football, charity and the city of Liverpool, particularly his work in the aftermath of Hillsborough. Dalglish believes he owes a far greater debt to Liverpudlians than they owe to him. “The more we get to know the people of the city, the stronger our connection becomes, even still,” he smiles. “It’s nearly 50 years we’ve been here now. We’ve always been made to feel welcome. Our children grew up here and loved it – they’ll always appreciate the way they were looked after by the people of Liverpool. It’s a great city and it’s just got even better.”

Looking back over his unparalleled career, King Kenny remains his humble self. “No individual brilliance has ever won a trophy on its own,” he muses. “Football is a team game and I’d rather have been a small part of a great team than a great player myself. I’m just very proud to have represented two of the most successful clubs in history.” Then you catch that unmistakable twinkle in his eye. “I didn’t half enjoy myself, though,” he adds. “And that’s the most important thing.”

When Sergio Aguero arrived at Manchester City in 2011, he came with a £35 million pricetag and a reputation as one of the planet’s best strikers and the perfect player for the ambitious oil-rich club to kick on with.

While City had not yet begun hoovering up Premier League titles, their FA Cup win at the end of the 2010/11 season would prove to be a harbinger of things to come.

Aguero would hit the ground running and go on to net 30 goals in his debut Premier League season, as Roberto Mancini’s side went toe-to-toe with their cross-town rivals Manchester United and mounted a title challenge.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Aguero on beating Manchester United

For a generation, City had lived in the shadow of their rivals United, with Aguero only too aware of the mentality shift that was needed if they were to knock their neighbours off their perch.

“Of course, it became a very, very correct decision to join the club, when we finished my first season as champions,” Aguero recalls to FourFourTwo. “That was a very important title for Manchester City.”

That title came at the end of a remarkable season for both club and player, with Aguero ending the campaign in the most dramatic fashion possible, when he netted his iconic title-sealing injury-time winner against QPR.

While this is the kind of moment that defines a whole career, Aguero also has another source of satisfaction when he looks back at the season - a remarkable Premier League double against Manchester United.

The former Atletico Madrid man netted in City’s 6-1 trashing of their bitter rivals at Old Trafford in October, before a vital 1-0 win at the Etihad at the end of April which proved to be a pivotal match in the title race.

“I have the best memories of the games against Manchester United that season,” he continues. “Really importantly, we won them both. At that time, City were used to the idea that United were always better than them, and City could never beat them.”

For Aguero, getting out of this mindset was crucial.

“When I started to face United, my mindset was ‘This has to change – we have to think that we can beat them, that we can win the Manchester derby’.

“And well, that’s how it was. The team and I ended up doing well. In those games against United, I was able to fully concentrate. In my mind I always thought ‘I have to score a goal against United, because we need to win this game’.

“I was really focused, and luckily the matches often went pretty well.”

Watch Arsenal Women vs Crystal Palace Women as the Gunners look to continue their winning start in the WSL, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

After a victory in their opening WSL fixture, Renee Slegers' Arsenal will want to continue their winning form in north London.

As they face newly-promoted Crystal Palace, they will be hoping for three points in their first home game of the season to continue their title charge.

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

Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for FREE

Women's Super League fans in both the UK and the US can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free.

In the UK, the game will be live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, with this fixture the second of 19 WSL matches shown by the free-to-air broadcaster across the 2026/27 season.

Meanwhile, US viewers can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace at no cost on CBS Sports Golazo Network, which will show selected WSL fixtures throughout the campaign.

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

Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace from anywhere

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

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 Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in the UK

As mentioned above, Arsenal vs Crystal Palace is live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK. You just need a TV Licence and a BBC iPlayer registration to watch online, with kick-off at 2:45pm BST.

Outside the UK? Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free on BBC iPlayer via NordVPN.

How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in the US

As mentioned above, US viewers can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Kick-off is at 9:45am ET.

Paramount+ also has live coverage of the WSL clash.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Arsenal vs Crystal Palace on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 11:45pm AEST.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace on Stan Sport.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Women's Super League preview

Arsenal finished second in the WSL last season and will be aiming to go one better this year.

The Gunners face Crystal Palace in their first home game of the season and will be looking forward to playing in front of their fans at a packed Emirates.

Crystal Palace come into this match on the back of a 1-0 victory over Everton. The newly promoted side only achieved just two wins across their whole campaign two years ago when they were last in this league.

Will Jo Potter's team be able to cause an upset early on in the season or will Renee Slegers' Arsenal continue their winning start?

FourFourTwo's prediction

Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace

Arsenal's new signings to shine at the Emirates and get their first big win of the season.

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

For many, the prospect of moving to a new country to join the richest football club at the world at the age of just 23 would be a daunting one, with the pressure of a £35million price tag adding to the levels of hype and expectation that only the game’s elite players have ever had to endure.

But when Sergio Aguero arrived at the Etihad to sign for Manchester City, he quickly showed no signs of the pressure getting to him, as he immediately went about carving out a decade-long stay that saw him become one of the Premier League’s all-time greatest strikers.

A 30-goal haul across all competitions climaxed in City’s first title for 44 years, as the Argentine’s decision to join the club was quickly vindicated.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Aguero on settling in at City

“I’d been very young when I left Argentina,” Aguero recalls to FourFourTwo. “I was 17 years old, about to turn 18, when Atlético signed me from Independiente in 2006. “The hardest thing was making the decision to go to another country, because of my age.”

Aguero believes that the move was more challenging due to the technology available at the time.

“You have to remember that in 2006, there wasn’t nearly as much technology as there is today, so it was much harder to have conversations with family and friends. These days, you turn 17 or 18 and there are 1,000 ways to connect with your family via technology – you can use your phone to make video calls in 10 seconds.

“Back then, you had to organise things to see how you could talk to everyone. It was more difficult, and for me, that was what made it so complicated.”

Despite these challenges, Aguero insists that his move to Madrid set him on a path that enabled him to succeed and enjoy his peak years in England.

“But to go to play in a league like Spain’s, and being able to start my career in Europe with Atletico, it was definitely the right decision,” he continues. “When the City offer came in, it was about the opportunity to play in the Premier League, and also that the club was building something, with new players.

“They were assembling a team for the future, one that would be able to win titles. Also, my Argentina team-mate Pablo Zabaleta was there, and Carlos Tevez was there at that moment, which made it much easier for me to make the decision.”

“You can make a decision and it can backfire, but luckily that decision was also the right one, just like when I joined Atletico. In my first year at Manchester City, I had a good season and scored 24 Premier League goals.

“Why did I adapt to English football so quickly? Firstly, because of the desire I had. I always had a desire to compete, I always wanted to give a little bit more. I wanted to make a great history at Manchester City, and also because of the fee that they paid Atletico, I wanted to leave them satisfied with the money they’d spent. I wanted to perform well for them, so they realised it was a good investment.

“There were many other reasons why I adapted so well – also, the players that were in that Manchester City team. It was very easy to play with David Silva, with Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, Gareth Barry, Vincent Kompany, James Milner… they were leaders, too.”

Watch Coventry City vs Brighton for free this weekend as the Sky Blues look for their first points since returning to the Premier League. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Frank Lampard's side have endured a tough start to their first top-flight season for 25 years, but they will take heart from their performance in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Seagulls' opening three games have produced a win, a draw and a defeat, with Fabian Hurzeler's men hunting their first points on the road.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Coventry City vs Brighton online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Sunday afternoon Premier League 2026/27 fixture.

Watch Coventry City vs Brighton for FREE

Coventry City vs Brighton 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.

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

Outside the US? Use a VPN to access your free Coventry City vs Brighton stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Coventry City vs Brighton from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Coventry City vs Brighton.

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 Coventry City vs Brighton in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Coventry City vs Brighton live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will broadcast the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 2:00pm BST.

How to watch Coventry City vs Brighton in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network is showing Coventry City vs Brighton in the US. Kick-off is at 9:00am ET.

How to watch Coventry City vs Brighton in Australia

Viewers tuning in from Australia can stream Coventry City vs Brighton on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 11:00pm AEST.

Tickets

Coventry City vs Brighton: Preview

Coventry City host Brighton aiming to achieve something they haven't done since May 19, 2001: earn a point in the Premier League.

The Sky Blues are yet to avoid defeat, or indeed score, in their first campaign back in the top flight in 25 years, although they were arguably unlucky not to get something from consecutive 1-0 defeats against Hull City and Manchester City.

Caleb Yirenkyi and Loum Tchaouna dropped out of the starting XI for the game at the Etihad Stadium, with Ethan Pinnock and Frank Onyeka replacing them, but the duo could return for a contest that offers a more realistic opportunity of picking up points.

Manager Frank Lampard is experienced enough to know Coventry must get off the mark as soon as possible to avoid playing catch-up for the rest of the season.

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

Brighton's first two Premier League games of the campaign featured 11 goals, so fans may have felt short-changed by a relatively routine 1-1 draw with Leeds United last weekend.

The Seagulls were perhaps fortunate to claim a point after their opponents missed several chances, with manager Fabian Hurzeler criticising his side for a lack of intensity in the first half.

The German will expect more at the Coventry Building Society Arena, where he is set to be boosted by the return of Georginio Rutter after the forward missed the past two games with a foot injury.

Meanwhile, deadline-day signing Femi Azeez could be in line for his debut after sitting out of last weekend's visit of Leeds with a hamstring issue.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Coventry City 1-1 Brighton

The Sky Blues will feel they can pick up points from this one, with the Seagulls not particularly watertight over the past two games.

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 Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton as Roberto De Zerbi's side target their first win of the Premier League 2026/27 season. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Pre-season optimism has given way to the all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment among Spurs fans, after a poor start to the campaign left them at the wrong end of the table heading into the weekend.

Everton supporters were similarly gloomy after a chaotic end to the transfer window but their league position is much healthier, after taking five points from their first three games.

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

Can I watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton for free?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton 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.

Live coverage in the States is on NBC, which is available on YouTube TV that currently comes with a 21-day free trial for new customers.

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

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton from anywhere

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

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 Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 5:30pm BST.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the US. The game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform. Kick-off is at 12:30pm ET.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 2:30am AEST on Sunday.

Tickets

Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton: Preview

There is nowhere near as much at stake for Tottenham Hotspur as the last time they hosted Everton, but Roberto De Zerbi's side could really do with a win on Saturday evening.

Spurs welcomed the Toffees to North London on the final day of last season knowing anything but a victory could see them relegated to the Championship. A 1-0 win got them over the line, saving the club from the most humiliating demotion of the Premier League era.

De Zerbi will be desperate for the same result this time around after picking up a single point from their first three games, although they'll need to score to do that – something they haven't managed in the league so far this season. Another failure to find the net would make it the first time ever that Spurs have not scored a single goal in any of their opening four league matches.

They will be without winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who could miss up to eight weeks with an ankle injury, although James Maddison could return from a shoulder issue.

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

Everton fans' frustration around the club's haphazard end to the transfer window was lifted somewhat by Ainsley Maitland-Niles' incredible last-gasp equaliser against Manchester United last weekend.

That strike by the full-back - who was one of the players the Toffees did manage to sign on deadline day - ensured David Moyes' side remain unbeaten ahead of their trip to North London, after they also scored a late equaliser at Bournemouth the weekend before.

Maitland-Niles' heroics could earn him a start at Tottenham, while Jack Grealish is also in contention for a place in the XI after featuring as a substitute against United following his return on loan from Manchester City.

Elsewhere, midfielder James Garner went off injured late on last Sunday, which could see summer signing Hayden Hackney step in.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton

Spurs have improved over their three league matches, so they could pick up their first win if they continue on that trajectory.

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 19-season career as a professional footballer, Clarke Carlise established himself as an imposing centre-back and set-piece threat for the likes of QPR, Leeds United and Burnley.

But the Preston-born defender wasn’t just defined by what he did on the football pitch, as he soon became known for his academic interests off it.

This included a 2002 quiz show victory where he was declared ‘Britain’s Brainiest Footballer’, which was followed eight years later by a three-episode run on Channel 4’s Countdown.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Calrke Carlisle on his Countdown appearance

Carlisle’s first appearance as a TV quiz star came about during an otherwise frustrating spell on the sidelines, which saw him appear pip Alan Brazil to the title of ‘Britain’s Brainiest Footballer’.

“So I did when I was in that two year lay-off with my knee injury,” Carlisle recalls to FourFourTwo. “I went back to college, did some A-levels, and then this flyer came round to the training ground.

“I thought, ‘Yeah, I'll have a bit of that – could be a bit of fun’. And I ended up winning it.”

Carlisle’s quizzing toook something of a back seat after his recovery from injury, as he established himself in QPR’s team, before moves to Leeds United, Watford, Luton Town and Burnley, before the bright lights of the TV studio came calling again as he looked to scratch an itch that had remained with him since that original lay-off.

“It was also in that period that I was off for two years that I applied to go on Countdown,” he continues. “I did the audition at King's Cross, and I failed miserably. It was so different from what I’d expected.

“It's like a boring classroom in an office and someone at the front just reads out the letters. I'm like, ‘This isn't Countdown, guys! Where’s the big clock?’

“I relayed that story on TalkSport when we got promoted with Burnley and Damien Eadie was there. He was a producer on TalkSport and he also did Countdown. After the show he said, ‘Clarke, are you serious? Do you really want to go on Countdown?’

“I was like, ‘Yeah, please, dead serious!’ So – talk about privilege – I bypassed the audition, and he just put me straight in as a contestant.

“This was me fulfilling a lifelong dream. I remember being a kid coming home from school, sitting on my dad's knee and watching Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman and trying to impress my dad by making the biggest words and getting these sums right.

“So when I won an episode and I got the teapot, that was like my Champions League. Seriously, it's a cherished memory.”

Steve Fletcher is a bona fide Bournemouth legend, having been around the club for almost three-and-a-half decades, witnessing the Cherries go from the brink of extinction to European football.

Few people, therefore, can quite appreciate just how close the club came to disappearing altogether.

One of Fletcher’s key contributions in this story was the goal he scored against Grimsby Town in 2009 which helped ensure that Bournemouth avoided relegation out of the Football League at a time when the club faced a deeply uncertain future.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Fletcher on Bournemouth’s journey

“I’m going into my 34th season at AFC Bournemouth,” Fletcher tells FourFourTwo. “I came down here from Hartlepool when I was 19, and I’m 54 now, with only one campaign away during my playing career. I love this place.

“During my first spell at the club as a player in 1997, the receivers were called in, but we got together as a squad and decided to play the game, even though we weren’t getting paid. If we’d said no on that day, the club would have folded.”

That would not prove to be the only time that Fletcher had to endure such an experience.

“When we went into administration during my second spell in 2008, I was the only player who’d experienced what happened previously,” he continues. “But there were moments in that following season where I thought ‘If we go down to the Conference, we’re in trouble’.

“We didn’t have an owner, and Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall were doing every job available – the jobs of 20 or 30 people. People said that if we got relegated from League Two, the club would probably have to start again from many leagues below – we’d have gone into liquidation and that would have been the end of AFC Bournemouth for the foreseeable future.”

Fletcher’s experience and standing at the club meant that he felt the gravity of the situation more than some of his team-mates.

“I felt it more because I was 36 – some of the younger lads probably didn’t understand the magnitude of what was at stake,” he admits.

“It’s still a great honour to have been the person who scored the goal that meant we avoided relegation – when you think of Europe, if I hadn’t scored that goal, none of this would have been possible.

“But it could have been any player on that day against Grimsby in 2009 – the whole team pulled together after we got deducted 17 points that season. When the cross came in, it could have fallen to anyone, or I could have smashed the volley into row Z as usual, but that time I smashed it into the roof of the net.

“That was my moment, one I’d waited 36 years for.”

Fletcher was speaking in association with MrQ, the new official sleeve partner of AFC Bournemouth

During Jan Molby’s seven-year spell at Liverpool, the Dane was a key part of one of the most successful sides in English football history.

The midfielder joined from Ajax in 1984 and quickly established himself in the Reds side, going on to win three First Division titles and two FA Cups on Merseyside.

As Molby looks back at his time at Anfield, he has particular praise for a defensive trio, who were able to combine technical quality, intelligence and drive to the side.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Jan Molby on his defensive Liverpool teammates

Right-back Phil Neal played more 650 times for the Reds, winning eight league titles, four FA Cups and four European Cups to cement his place as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players, and one which Molby immediately respected.

“I thought he was a terrific footballer,” Molby tells FourFourTwo. “A great defender, a very good one-touch passer, and could follow up with both feet.

“I only played with him for 18 months, but was one of those guys when I walked into Liverpool, I was instantly impressed with his ability.”

At the centre of defence during Molby’s time at the club was another of Liverpool’s most respected and decorated players.

“Alan Hansen is one of those rare players that wouldn’t have looked out of place in today’s football because of the way he played the game,” Molby reflects.

“He was an exceptional reader of the game, very quick and very comfortable with the high line that’s often played nowadays.”

Left-back Steve Nichol was also established at the club when Molby joined, with the Dane quick to recognise the contribution of a player who would sometimes get overlooked before winning a key individual honour at the end of the 1980s.

“In 1989, Steve was the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year,” Molby continues.

“A terrific all-round footballer and one of those guys that generally didn’t know how well liked he was and how good he was.

“He was a real unsung hero, but so appreciated by the backroom staff and his team-mates.”

Jan Molby was speaking to FourFourTwo via Free Bets

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal for free as the Premier League champions travel to the Stadium of Light in a mouth-watering Saturday night clash. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Regis Le Bris' men will believe they can be the first side this season to take points off the Gunners, after they followed an important win against Fulham with an impressive draw at Brentford.

Arsenal are one of just two teams to boast a 100 per cent record in the Premier League after three games, with Mikel Arteta's men in ominous form.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal online and from anywhere, including for free, as the 2026/27 Premier League season continues.

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal for FREE

You can stream Sunderland vs Arsenal for free in the US thanks to YouTube TV's 21-day free trial, which carries USA Network.

Outside the US? You need a VPN to access your free Sunderland vs Arsenal stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Sunderland vs Arsenal.

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 Sunderland vs Arsenal in the UK

Sunderland vs Arsenal is live on TNT Sports in the UK.

Live coverage is on TNT Sports 1 and its streaming platform HBO Max, with kick-off at 8:00pm BST.

Outside the UK? Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal on TNT Sports via NordVPN.

How to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network has live coverage of Sunderland vs Arsenal in the US. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

Remember: Use NordVPN to unlock your Sunderland vs Arsenal stream on USA Network.

How to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Sunderland vs Arsenal on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Sunday.

Not in Australia? NordVPN will unblock your Stan Sport stream of Sunderland vs Arsenal.

Tickets

Sunderland vs Arsenal: Preview

The visit of Premier League champions Arsenal is the first of two huge home games in four days for Sunderland, who welcome Dutch side AZ Alkmaar to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday in their first European match for 53 years.

However, manager Regis Le Bris and his players are unlikely to be distracted by next week's Europa League opener as they look to continue a promising run of form.

The Black Cats responded to their last-gasp defeat at Ipswich Town on the opening day by beating Fulham 1-0 and earning a 1-1 draw at Brentford, before Le Bris made 11 changes to his starting XI for the Carabao Cup third-round victory over Hull City on Tuesday.

The Sunderland boss is likely to revert to his first-choice Premier League lineup as his side eye another memorable result at home to Arsenal, after Brian Brobbey's stoppage-time equaliser secured a 2-2 draw in this fixture last season.

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

The Gunners appear to have gone up a level from the team that won the title last term, winning five games out of five in all competitions in the early weeks of the season.

Arsenal's miserly defence has once again been key to their success, conceding just once so far this term, while captain Martin Odegaard is in the form of his life after scoring four times in five matches – including the winning goal against Chelsea last Sunday and at Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's men will walk out at the Stadium of Light just 72 hours after they kicked-off in Naples, so the Gunners manager could make changes to his lineup to reduce the impact of the tight turnaround.

Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Christos Tzolis all dropped to the bench in midweek and may feature from the start against Sunderland.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

It's hard to bet against the Gunners in this form, but the Black Cats won't make it easy for them.

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

Watch Bournemouth vs Brentford today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Bournemouth are yet another side awaiting their first Premier League victory of the season. Marco Rose's side so far have two draws and one loss on their record.

Brentford have had much better fortunes so far, with Keith Andrews' side unbeaten as they head to the south coast.

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

Is Bournemouth vs Brentford available to watch in the UK?

Bournemouth vs Brentford is not being televised in the UK. The game starts 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 NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Bournemouth vs Brentford from anywhere

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

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Bournemouth vs Brentford on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford on Peacock.

How to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford in Australia

In Australia, Bournemouth vs Brentford is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford on Stan.

Tickets

Bournemouth vs Brentford: Preview

The Cherries' new head coach Rose is still in search of his win as Bournemouth boss, after draws with Everton and Newcastle and a loss against Manchester City so far this season.

What makes it more disappointing is the fact that his side have led in all three games, yet cannot seem to hold onto points. With European football to come too, things will have to tighten up for a side predicted to do well in the Europa League.

Their current absentees include Eli Junior Kroupi (foot), as well as Amine Adli (calf), Veljko Milosavljevic (knee) and Julian Araujo (thigh).

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

Brentford have been one of the brighter starters so far, with the Bees winning twice and drawing only once in 2026/27 to this point.

Into the next round of the Carabao Cup too, after a 6-1 hammering v Birmingham City, Andrews' men will be hoping for another solid display against struggling Bournemouth.

Nathan Collins could miss out with a calf problem, which would be a big blow, with Mathias Jensen (unspecified), Sepp van den Berg (groin), Antoni Milambo (knee) and Josh Dasilva (thigh) all also sidelined with injuries.

Jannik Schuster could come in to partner Kristoffer Ajer if Collins isn't fit, but we expect Andrews to pretty much stick as he is elsewhere.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bournemouth 1-3 Brentford

Brentford have looked solid in all areas so far and the jury is still out on Rose. We say away win.

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

Watch Chelsea vs Hull City for free as the Blues look to end the Tigers' unbeaten start so far in the Premier League. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the new season away to Arsenal last weekend, but the Blues did bounce back by hammering Leeds United 6-3 to progress in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Hull City were beaten for the first time this term in midweek as they bowed out of the same competition to Sunderland, but the Tigers still have their unbeaten record intact ahead of today's trip to Stamford Bridge.

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

Watch Chelsea vs Hull City for FREE

You can stream Chelsea vs Hull City for free in the US thanks to YouTube TV's 21-day free trial, which carries USA Network.

Outside the US? You need a VPN to access your free Chelsea vs Hull City stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Chelsea vs Hull City from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Chelsea vs Hull City.

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Chelsea vs Hull City in the UK

Chelsea's clash with Hull City is not being televised in the UK. The game is being played on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

The irony is that you can watch the game in pretty much every country other than the one in which it's being played. For example, the game is being broadcast on USA Network in the US, which is available for free via YouTube TV's 21-day trial.

If you're visiting the UK, you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Chelsea vs Hull City in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network has live coverage of Chelsea vs Hull City in the US.

Remember: Use NordVPN to unlock Chelsea vs Hull City on USA Network.

How to watch Chelsea vs Hull City in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Chelsea vs Hull City on Stan Sport.

Not in Australia? NordVPN will unblock your Stan Sport stream of Chelsea vs Hull City.

Chelsea vs Hull City: Preview

Alonso's side have probably been the most exciting team to watch so far in 26/27, with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto all impressing in his new-look three-at-the-back system.

Rogers registered three goal contributions from the bench in the 6-3 win over Leeds United in the Carabao Cup and is expected to be rewarded with a starting place against the Tigers this weekend.

The only problem remains at the back for the Blues, as they are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, with Hull posing the best defensive record in the league to this point, 0 conceded in 3 games.

Chelsea remain without Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha, while Moisés Caicedo and Marco Palestra face late fitness checks.

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

Hull City have been brilliant so far and with most fans writing them off before a ball has been kicked, even a point at Stamford Bridge this weekend would no doubt be celebrated wildly.

Wins over Man Utd and Coventry preceded last weekend's draw against Aston Villa and Sergej Jakirović is continuing to receive plenty of credit, so much so that the Tigers board recently opted to extend his contract at the MKM Stadium.

Hull will be without several players, including Joe Gelhardt, Óscar Zambrano, Charlie Hughes, Darko Gyabi and Eliot Matazo, while goalkeeper Jack Butland is facing a longer-term absence.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Chelsea 3-0 Hull City

Chelsea's attacking threat will prove too much for Hull and we expect a comfortable home win.

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

Heads bowed, the Bournemouth players were visibly distraught. Trudging back to the Goodison Park dressing room, they knew their 3-1 victory over Everton wouldn't be enough to save them.

Aston Villa's draw with West Ham had consigned the Cherries to relegation, after five campaigns punching above their weight in the top flight. Six days later, Eddie Howe stepped down, ending a 26-year association with the club as player and manager. In the dugout, he had overseen a remarkable escape from relegation out of the Football League, a trio of promotions and a record-high Premier League finish of ninth. It felt like the fairy tale was falling in on itself, the death knell ready to toll at the end of Bournemouth's golden era.

Six years on, those painful memories of July 2020 were merely the end of the first act. A return to the Premier League, a sought-after recruitment model, a sixth-placed finish and Europa League qualification have more than calmed the distress of relegation.

Anfield and out

There was no guarantee it would reach this point. In their first campaign back in the second tier, a play-off semi-final defeat to Brentford had left the club at a significant sliding doors moment – fail to win promotion again and the story could easily have been about their fall from grace rather than the upward trajectory they have since enjoyed.

“The second season was really big for us as a club,” vice-captain Lewis Cook says, having joined the Cherries in 2016. “The pressure behind the scenes was significant. The players probably didn't realise at the time, but if we hadn't gone up that year, it would have been tough.”

That summer, after Jason Tindall and Jonathan Woodgate had both had spells in charge during the previous campaign, Scott Parker arrived to take over a squad that still included several players who had featured in the top flight, including Jefferson Lerma, Dominic Solanke and Philip Billing. The new boss made them harder to beat – Parker didn't lose a league match until November and, propelled by Solanke's 29 league goals, his side finished as runners-up behind champions Fulham.

Regaining Premier League status not only provided a financial boon, but made them a more investable prospect. Owner Maxim Demin had been exploring his options to sell, with talks of a takeover between him and long-term admirer Bill Foley running throughout the summer after promotion. Demin had been involved since 2011 and overseen the rise from League One to the top tier, but felt the time was right to step aside.

A rocky start to the top-flight return might have scuppered those discussions. An opening day 2-0 win against Aston Villa was a great way to kick things off, although heavy defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal followed, before a 9-0 thumping by Liverpool at Anfield. Cue an ill-advised post-match interview from Parker, as he declared the team “underequipped at this level” and admitted that throughout pre-season there was a “fear of where we are as a squad” without “help” from above.

“That season was hard,” admits Cook. “We just needed to settle the ship after a few big defeats. It goes back to the lads not having any fear and being able to bounce back from bad situations. Ever since I came to Bournemouth, everyone has always written us off as a small club, but we showed fight.”

Parker exited, replaced by first-team coach Gary O'Neil, charged with saving a team that most pundits had already decided were heading straight back down. His influence had the desired effect and an undefeated six-match run – including a 2-1 home win against Leicester with Foley watching from the stands – provided hope. By the time the Premier League took a mid-season break for the World Cup, the Cherries were clear of the relegation zone.

As the world turned its attention to Qatar, Demin and Foley struck a deal – with the American's investment group, Black Knight Football Club, completing a takeover of more than £100m. With it came a mission statement from Foley – to “move forward with an ‘always advance, never retreat' approach”. The new ownership's initial aim was to invest in a state-of-the-art training centre, enhance player development and bolster the first team, while also pledging more money to the Cherries' women's side. Black Knight also bought into the strong family feel that had worked so well previously.

“The club has to be run properly from top to bottom,” says record appearance maker Steve Fletcher, who scored the crucial goal that retained Bournemouth's Football League place in 2009. He now works as a club ambassador. “Everyone has to buy into what we're all about. It doesn't matter how big or small your department is, or how significant or insignificant you think your role might be, everyone is made to feel like they have a big part to play.

“Whether you're a chef, groundsman, accountant, in media or marketing, part of the first team or a masseur, everybody is pulling in the same direction – for the club to do well and for the players to be at their best. The players performing on the grass is the most important thing, but the feeling of unity right across the club is incredible.”

While that may be true, one thing that has undoubtedly changed since the takeover is the ambition to kick on beyond merely treading water in the Premier League. “Different owners have tried to elevate the club in certain areas that you can see – the hospitality, the stadium and the training ground,” says Cook. “But the club has kept its identity of buying really good people and really good players. That's helped us climb the table and grow. Previously, me and the older lads who've been here for quite a while would say it was always about staying in the league. There were a few times we finished higher, but staying in the league was always the ambition.”

The Black Knight triumphs

Staying up was still the priority in the remaining months of Black Knight's first season – achieved relatively comfortably as O'Neil's men won six out of nine matches in the spring.

There was already evidence of a crucial recruitment strategy too, with Dango Ouattara, Antoine Semenyo and Illia Zabarnyi all arriving in the January transfer window. The trio would go on to make a combined profit of more than £105m when they were sold last term.

That approach has become a theme in the Cherries' more recent development – purchasing raw, talented players from around the globe and selling them on for big money. While it wasn't a reset in transfer policy, the takeover provided an existing scouting network with a larger reach and greater spending power to land their targets.

Unlike Brighton and Brentford, who Bournemouth are regularly bundled in with as examples of smart recruitment, theirs isn't run on the same data-led model. They sit within Foley's multi-club group that includes French side Lorient, Portugal's Moreirense and New Zealand's Auckland FC, sharing intelligence and analytics among them to identify players ready to be part of the first team immediately.

That meant former chief executive Neill Blake and technical director Richard Hughes remained key following the takeover, only departing later down the line – Blake taking a job overseeing Black Knight's entire estate, with Hughes exiting for Liverpool in 2024. Tiago Pinto, formerly of Roma and Benfica, joined Bournemouth as president of football operations that same summer.

Since the takeover, the likes of Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen have come and gone from the Vitality Stadium after brief spells, while Solanke joined Spurs in 2024 in a £65m deal. It's all added to Bournemouth's reputation, making them an attractive club to join.

“When I first came to the club and even now, I can see how it's constantly progressing,” defender James Hill tells FFT. “It's an incredible place for players to come and develop their game – look at the players who've come and gone, how they've developed and pushed on to greater heights.

“For some players, this might not be the end point, it could be the beginning of their journey towards bigger things. The talent that has come through the door has been frightening.”

Hill joined the club from Fleetwood in 2022 as a 19-year-old. He enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2025-26, becoming a regular fixture in the team following loan spells away at Hearts and Blackburn, and being around the first-team squad in recent years.

His journey is a prime example of how the club's conveyor belt of talent keeps on producing replacements for departed teammates. When Zabarnyi, Huijsen and Kerkez all left, it opened the door for Hill to stake his claim to become part of a remodelled backline.

“There was no-one saying, ‘Yes, it's your spot now, go and play', but there were opportunities for me to play during the season – I was at right-back at the start, before slowly building my way up,” Hill explains, having later established himself in the centre of defence.

“We're such a good group. Whoever has the shirt and starts is supported by everyone else. Even if you're left at home and not in the squad – and I've been there plenty of times – it's about being ready to support the team and take your opportunity, because it may come. When players leave, there's an opportunity for others to step in.”

The forever-evolving nature of the Bournemouth squad has also extended to the bench. When O'Neil was replaced by Andoni Iraola in the summer of 2023, weeks after keeping them up, eyebrows were raised – even more so when the Spaniard had failed to win any of his first nine league games in charge.

But after winning 2-1 against Burnley in match number 10, the new manager never looked back, finishing 12th with a club record Premier League points tally. That total was beaten again as they came ninth the following season, with a brand of modern, high-pressing football that impressed many onlookers and realigned aims within the squad.

“Europe was what we were pushing for last season, that was the main goal at the start of the year,” says Hill. “We'd missed out the season before, so we knew what the target was and where we could get to.”

Semenyo's parting gift

A 4-2 opening night loss to champions Liverpool showed flashes of brilliance at the start of last term, before eight games without defeat pushed Bournemouth into the higher reaches of the table. But just as fans began to dream, a run of 11 without a win had the doubters chirping.

“I can remember us drawing a lot of games and everyone having opinions about us not winning,” Cook recalls. “But if you draw five or six games in the Premier League, it's not the worst thing at all. I felt we were in a great spot.”

For all the optimism within the camp, that run was paired with the impending departure of Semenyo, who had scored nine goals by the start of January and was the main attacking thrust. Despite the Ghanaian's move to Manchester City being in the final throes, he continued to play, turning out for the Cherries in a critical home match with Tottenham that would be his south coast swansong.

What followed was Roy of the Rovers stuff. With the game lurching towards a 2-2 draw and another winless match, the forward received the ball on the left flank with a crowded penalty area in front of him. With seconds left to play, Semenyo let the ball run onto his right foot, before firing a low, 25-yard drive across goal and into the far corner of the net. It would be his last kick in the red and black of Bournemouth, and gave his teammates the perfect gift to remember him by.

“It was an incredible night,” says Hill. “You couldn't write it for him to score that goal as well. It was such a relief to win, because we hadn't won a game for a while. But even before that, despite not winning, our performances had been improving.

“The boys were incredible when that moment came and Antoine left us. We were so happy because he deserved his big move – the lads understood that we needed to step up and you could already see it happening in the performances.”

Semenyo's goal had more than just personal significance. As well as ending the winless run, it was the spark for another unbeaten streak. Bournemouth didn't lose again all season – 18 games in total – while clocking up impressive victories at home to Liverpool, and away at Arsenal and Newcastle en route.

As the end of the campaign neared, the prospect of European qualification loomed ever larger – with Champions League football even remaining a genuine possibility until the final week.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Getting over the line is so often more difficult than fighting into contention, although there was very little sign of a wobble. “We went into every game thinking that we could get three points because we were full of confidence,” adds Hill. “We did very well at keeping the noise out of the camp and just concentrating on our performances. Over the last three games, we knew what we needed to do. We actually performed better under pressure.”

Victory at Fulham all but guaranteed European qualification, but it wasn't until the penultimate match, against Manchester City, that it was sealed. Pep Guardiola's men needed to win to keep their title hopes alive, but another stirring Bournemouth performance stifled them. Eli Junior Kroupi's strike appeared to be sending them on the way to all three points, until Erling Haaland poached a 95th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

While the draw meant reaching a top-five spot was highly unlikely going into the final day, there was no sense of bittersweetness at the final whistle, as players, fans and staff celebrated reaching Europe for the very first time in the club's history.

“To finish in a Europa League place and celebrate on the pitch with the staff, players, everyone associated with the club and all the fans was incredible,” says Cherries legend Fletcher, who had the North Stand at the Vitality Stadium named in his honour in 2010. “I don't think it properly sank in until a couple of days later when I started going out on the streets, and into supermarkets and restaurants, and people came to talk to me about it. The magnitude of what the club and that team achieved will live on forever.”

The size of that feat will be clear for all to see when Bournemouth kick off their debut Europa League campaign alongside fellow Premier League sides Sunderland and Crystal Palace on Thursday, with the first of eight games in the league stage, which runs until late January. Four of the Cherries' continental outings will be played at their 12,000-capacity stadium, thought to be the smallest home ground of any English club ever to play in a major European competition.

It's part of the story's charm and an important reminder of their past, even if things continue to change at pace. Iraola has since left to become the new Liverpool manager and been replaced by former Borussia Dortmund boss Marco Rose, while centre-back Marcos Senesi joined Spurs this summer.

The challenge of regularly playing two matches a week will also place a new strain on the squad, but the players are used to change by now. “It's similar to what happened last season – players have left, others come in, and you have to adapt and be ready to go,” Hill says. “With the new gaffer as well, the rate we're learning has been really good.

“We don't need to worry about the challenge of playing more games, either. We need to enjoy every moment – the excitement of playing in Europe and having those fixtures is an incredible problem to have, because the success of last season brought us to this point.”

Those who go even further back will see those European nights as more than just a celebration of last season. For Fletcher, whose association with the club dates all the way to 1992, it's a continuation of a fairy tale that refuses to end. “There will be a lot of emotion when we play that first European game,” he says. “Personally, I'll probably shed a tear and try to capture the moment as much as I can.”

On Thursday, in Sociedad, everyone connected with Bournemouth will be able to watch on with their heads held high.

I’ll start this week by talking about the Ballon d’Or nominees’ announcement, and I see that Harry Kane is the bookies’ favourite to win. Lamine Yamal is up there too after winning the World Cup with Spain, and I feel Michael Olise would’ve had a great chance if France had won the tournament.

I’d have to say that my pick would be for Kane due to the number of goals he’s scored, and after winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

Clinton was speaking courtesy of Free Bets, home of the best betting sites in the UK.

'Erling Haaland is one of the best number nines we'll ever see'

There will also be people staking a claim for Erling Haaland too, due to his goalscoring exploits, and I do feel he will win it one day, but this could be Kane’s last chance with all the youngsters coming through now. So with that in mind, I’m definitely Team Harry!

I have to say that Haaland is a joke though, and he scored twice against FC Porto on Tuesday night. His record is phenomenal and he’s just not normal! He scores goals at a ridiculous rate and is one of the best number nines we’ll ever see.

You have players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that will go down as two of the greatest players of all time, but Haaland is someone who just wants to score goals and isn’t bothered about anything else.

I also like him for how he deals with social media, because he's a funny guy and has laughs with people. Everyone loves him, he's a down-to-earth footballer, as well as a brilliant striker. What a special talent, and long may it continue.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on being nominated, but I think that’s a fair call. He’s won this award too many times already and doesn’t need to win it again.

Raphinha was another big-name omission, and he has been brilliant for Barcelona recently. He can feel hard done by not to be nominated, but Brazil had a disappointing World Cup, and that has to be taken into account.

It’s certainly good that the award is more competitive now after Ronaldo and Messi kept sharing it between them for many years.

Staying with the theme of attacking players, and I have to say that Nicolas Jackson looked good against Club Brugge. I’ve always said he’s a talented player, and I thought he was outstanding for Aston Villa in that game.

He led the line well and took his goal very well. The composure he showed after going around the goalkeeper and putting the ball into an empty net was outstanding. If they can keep him fit and firing, then Villa have got a fine player on their hands.

This is also a player who knows Unai Emery and he’ll know what makes Jackson tick to get the best out of him. With all that being said, I think it’s a good signing for Villa.

That’s especially after losing someone like Ollie Watkins, and getting his first goal for the club can only give him confidence.

They’ve got a big game coming up this afternoon against Nottingham Forest, with both teams only managing a point from their first three games. A result for either team will be massive, and I’m expecting an entertaining game.

The stand-out game this weekend will undoubtedly be at Old Trafford for the Manchester derby tomorrow.

I love it when the derby games are hectic and played at a frantic pace. We’ve seen it previously when Manchester City are the favourites, but Manchester United have got a surprise result.

I’m expecting an open game because Man United look good going forward, and I think they can cause Man City problems.

But at the same time, defensively, they've not been looking as good. We saw that last weekend in the 2-2 draw with Everton.

They'll have a game plan to try and stop Man City and Haaland, so I think it’ll be a fascinating contest.

I’ll end this week by talking about Hull City and their fantastic start to the season. To get seven points from their first three games is a huge achievement, and they can afford to have a few games where they don’t pick up any points.

They're hard to play against, and Sergej Jakirovic has done an unbelievable job. That’s after they were many people’s tip to go down from the Championship last season.

Everyone's tipped Hull to go down again this summer, which you expect, but they laid down a real statement of intent after bringing in six players on deadline day.

The chairman's brilliant, he backs his manager, and they’ve given themselves a real fighting chance of staying in the division.

There'll be times during the season where they will suffer, but they've had such a good start that everyone else behind them is playing catch up. And it's difficult when you're playing catch up, because you're thinking, ‘Where's the next win and where are the next points going to come from?’

It has certainly been a very impressive start from the Tigers though, and I’m expecting them to perform well in what is essentially a free hit of a game away at Chelsea this afternoon.

Watch Liverpool v Fulham in one of five games kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Liverpool are finally underway for the season, after two wins in as many days: the first against Ipswich Town and then another against Atletico Madrid at Anfield in their first UEFA Champions League game.

Fulham are 0-3, and it looks bleak for Alvaro Arbeloa, who is already the bookmakers' favourite to be the first managerial sacking of the season. Having played for the Reds from 2007-2009, the Spaniard should receive a warm welcome.

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

Watch Liverpool vs Fulham from anywhere

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

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

Is Liverpool vs Fulham on TV in the UK?

Liverpool vs Fulham is not being televised in the UK. The game starts 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 NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Liverpool vs Fulham on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Liverpool vs Fulham on Peacock.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham in Australia

In Australia, Liverpool vs Fulham is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Liverpool vs Fulham on Stan Sport.

Tickets

Liverpool vs Fulham: Preview

Liverpool came from behind to win 2-1 against Atletico Madrid in midweek, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

Andoni Iraola swapped out Cody Gakpo for Bradley Barcola, who looked bright on his Liverpool debut, and it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman keeps his place for the visit of Fulham.

The ex-PSG man did come off with what looked to be only cramp, as did Milos Kerkez, with the hope that both will be fit for Saturday.

Gakpo is more of a doubt due to the adductor problem that kept him out, while Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Joe Gomez (muscle) and Federico Chiesa (back) are all currently missing.

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

Fulham have suffered a dismal start to the season, with losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Sunderland already on their record.

Boos could be heard following last weekend's loss against Crystal Palace, and you do feel a heavy defeat against Liverpool could spell even more trouble for their new Spanish head coach.

Only newly-promoted Coventry City are also still waiting for their first Premier League point of the campaign, and there isn't a much tougher place to go than Anfield for the Cottagers.

There is no change in terms of fitness for Fulham, with just Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney both still missing with long-term knee injuries.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Liverpool will win with ease based on what we have seen so far of Fulham, with Alexander Isak grabbing a couple.

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.

When a football manager has little or no budget to work with, their other skills are brought to the fore.

That was certainly the case for Steve Coppell during his first spell as Crystal Palace boss, when his tenure was built on necessity, ingenuity and the ability to spot talent where others weren’t looking.

With little money available, Coppell was able to sign and transform a collection of relative unknown players into household names, and would come agonisingly close to landing the club’s first major honour and to playing European football.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Coppell on losing Ian Wright

The likes of Ian Wright, Alan Pardew and Gareth Southgate all made a name for themselves under Coppell, who admits that he had to think outside of the box.

“First and foremost it was a necessity,” Coppell recalls to FourFourTwo. “When I first went to Palace we had no money. My first year in management was the blind leading the blind. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

“We made our training ground open to non-league managers and they became our scouts. Ian Wright was a no-brainer. All the non-league players had an ‘I’ll-show-them’ mentality and that’s what we were looking for.”

Ian Wright was the figurehead for how Coppell was able to create a new culture around the club. But after finishing third in 1991, the striker would depart in what Coppell sees as a defining moment for Palace.

“Almost immediately Ian Wright went to Arsenal,” Coppell continues. “We had a great relationship with Ian and he could have left a couple of years before but agreed to sign a new deal. He’d done well by us but we both knew the situation and we weren’t going to stand in his way.

“To a certain extent that was a real body blow – I really do think we could have been one of the big boys for a couple of years.

“For your best player to leave to fulfil his ambitions sends a message to the other players. It became a difficult couple of years.”

As a player, Coppell earned 42 England caps and, following his success in the Palace dugout, his name was soon bandied around as a potential successor to Three Lions boss Graham Taylor in 1993, following England’s failure to qualify for the following summer’s World Cup.

“On occasion I was mentioned, but never approached,” Coppell recalls. ”It never really interested me that much.

“The Palace job was massive and so intense that I think I would have been unfulfilled as a national team manager.”

Watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Aston Villa began their European campaign with a hard-fought victory in Belgium on Tuesday, seeing off Club Brugge by 3-2 thanks to a Player of the Match display from John McGinn.

Nottingham Forest come into this game winless so far this season, after two draws and one defeat from their opening three games of the new campaign.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest online and from anywhere in the world as the Premier League 2026/27 season continues.

Is Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest available to watch in the UK?

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest is not being televised in the UK. The game starts 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 NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest from anywhere

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

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on Peacock.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in Australia

In Australia, Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Stan Sport.

Tickets

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Preview

Despite winning in the Champions League earlier this week, Aston Villa are yet to win or score in the 2026/27 Premier League, which Unai Emery is more than hopeful will change this weekend.

The Villans are now seeking to avoid becoming the first team in England’s top-four divisions to not score in any of their opening four matches of a league campaign in successive seasons, after doing so previously in 2025/26.

Villa have won each of their last six Premier League home encounters with Nottingham Forest, and off the back of Tuesday's success, everything points towards the correct step forward on the pitch for the Midlands outfit.

They will be without an injured quartet of Leon Goretzka, Johan Manzambi, Amadou Onana (all knee) and Brian Madjo (ankle), while Joao Gomes will serve the final match of his suspension.

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

New Forest boss Oliver Glasner is still hoping for his first win of the season and his first win as manager after replacing Vítor Pereira back in July.

Back-to-back home defeats to Leeds United in both the league and EFL Cup were followed by their 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. Their last outing was a dull 0-0 affair with Tottenham at the City Ground last weekend.

Only Bournemouth (12), Brentford (11) and Leeds (11) have drawn more Premier League matches in 2026 than Forest (10) and their recent form with Villa isn't the most pleasing on the eye.

The Tricky Trees have won just three, drawn six and lost nine of their previous 18 Premier League meetings with Aston Villa, a record they will hope can change in today's 3pm kick-off at Villa Park.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Aston Villa 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Two teams struggling for form at the start of the season. We saw draw.

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 Ipswich Town today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Crystal Palace finally got off the mark in the Premier League on their third attempt last weekend, beating London rivals Fulham 3-2. Pierre Sage's side then followed up that success with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.

For Ipswich Town its been a tough start to life back in England's top flight. Despite beating Sunderland 2-1 on the opening day of the season, losses against Manchester United and Liverpool have since followed.

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

Is Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in the UK?

Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is not being televised in the UK. The game starts 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 NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town from anywhere

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

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 NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Peacock.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in Australia

In Australia, Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Stan Sport.

Tickets

Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town: Preview

Palace arrive on the back of two consecutive victories in all competitions, with Jorgen Strand Larsen netting twice in midweek during their 3-0 Carabao Cup success against Middlesbrough.

Manager Sage has had to adapt quickly to changes in his squad over the last few months. Palace strengthened with players including Dwight McNeil, Evann Guessand, Dario Osorio, Ben Chilwell and Quinten Timber, while the departures of key figures – most notably Maxence Lacroix – have left questions over the balance of his defence.

There are also still concerns in attack, with Jean-Philippe Mateta recovering from a hamstring injury and Ismaïla Sarr having recently been sidelined with a groin problem. Sage indicated that Sarr could return for this game, although his fitness will need to be assessed carefully.

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

Ipswich, meanwhile, arrive in south London with three points from their opening three matches. Their return to the Premier League began impressively, as Jack Clarke's late goal secured a 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

The subsequent fixtures have been considerably tougher. Ipswich were beaten 5-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford before suffering a 2-0 home defeat against Liverpool, bringing a sense of reality to their hopes of retaining Premier League status come May.

The major challenge for the Tractor Boys will be tightening up defensively. They were punished by Liverpool for two early lapses, while United's attacking quality eventually overwhelmed them after they had taken the lead.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Crystal Palace 2-1 Ipswich Town

After two wins from two of late, we fancy Palace to win narrowly in this one, despite Ipswich taking a lead.

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.

Back again? Let's crack on.

We have 25 clues for this week's FourFourTwo Weekend Crossword, and it couldn't be simpler: get the first one right and you'll have solved a correct letter for another clue, and so on and so forth until you complete the grid.

So let us know how you got on in the comments.

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

To keep your ball knowledge operating at maximum capacity, we've got a brand-new lineup of quizzes designed to test whether your footballing IQ can span every era, dugout, and penalty box in modern history – powered, as ever, by Kwizly.

We’re launching straight into tactical masterminds from north of the border and elite top-flight productivity. First, step into the technical area to see if you can name 15 of the Premier League's Scottish managers from one clue each, honouring the legendary gaffers who shaped English top-flight history. Once you’ve sorted the touchline icons, pivot to pure goalscoring firepower: can you name the first goalscorer of every Premier League season since 1992-93, before taking on the ultimate trial of longevity by attempting to name the top 100 scorers in Premier League history?

If your scouting network thrives on visual deduction and high-intensity matchday tests, we have a relentless triple-header waiting in the tunnel. Put your international awareness to work by seeing if you can guess the team from the line-ups' nationalities, decoding iconic starting XIs purely through flags and geographical footprints. Wrap up your session by aiming for a flawless 20/20 in Friday Football Quiz, episode 132, before taking on the elite-level logic of Pre-Match Poser no.43.

To keep your analytical edge razor-sharp for every matchday, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To complete your transfer to terrace legend status, lock in your spot in The Club, our free membership hub where you can unlock secret hints for our toughest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest topics directly in the comments.

Lewis Hall has signed a contract extension at Newcastle United, with the Englishman, who has made 107 appearances for the Magpies since arriving in 2023, tied down until 2031.

Manchester United attempted to secure the left-back’s services this summer, having achieved Champions League football under Michael Carrick, and looking to go from strength-to-strength.

But as Hall’s message to Newcastle supporters inferred: “There’s never been a moment where I doubted how much I love being here,” — the Red Devils never stood a chance.

Hall tied down to Newcastle until 2031, after summer Manchester United pursuit

The Magpies released a video to X (formerly Twitter) this morning, in which Hall described his connection to Newcastle. In doing so, his rejection of Manchester United’s pursuits revealed its motivation.

“So, my Dad was born up here,” began Hall. “It just sort of embedded it into - that’s who we supported. I didn’t have a choice, really.

“There’s never been a moment where I doubted how much I love being here, and how much I love playing for Newcastle,” the Englishman continued.

“It means so much to play at St. James [Park] every week, it’s obviously a massive thing for me. Every time I step on the pitch I want to do my best…. I never really take it for granted.

“I want to do well for the football club, for the city,” concluded the 22-year-old. In his own words, Hall is a born-and-bred Toon fan, albeit having grown up in the South, and his future with Newcastle was never in doubt.

Shortly after his opening performance of the Premier League season versus Liverpool, in which Hall delivered a typically strong performance but also gave away an added-time penalty to Dominik Szoboszlai, new boss Matthias Jaissle was quizzed about Manchester United’s pursuits.

Speaking to Viaplay after the match, Jaissle was fast and firm in his response. “No chance, no chance,” repeated the Newcastle boss.

Now, with Hall tied down until 2031, it appears clearer than ever, hearing his extension interview with the Magpies, why Manchester United never stood a chance in bagging their £35 million transfer target.

“I obviously have a family connection with the club… [and] one of the main reasons I play is to make my family proud. I know how much it means to them to watch me playing for Newcastle,” revealed Hall.

“The fanbase and the support… it’s the best in the league. To be able to bring joy to their faces, it’s a big thing for me.

“I think we can go on to achieve really big things,” concluded the Englishman. Newcastle are currently placed seventh in the Premier League table, four points above the Red Devils. And so, while Carrick’s men have failed to get their target, they’ve also failed to show him what he’s missing out on.

Watch West Ham United vs Wrexham as the Hammers seek the win that would see them return to the top of the Championship table. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men appear to be clicking into gear after a slow start to life in the Championship, winning each of their past three matches and scoring 10 goals in the process.

They face a Wrexham side targeting another statement result in the capital, after triumphing 3-0 at the Hammers' arch-rivals, Millwall, just nine days ago.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch West Ham United vs Wrexham in the Championship online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Can I watch West Ham United vs Wrexham for free?

Although West Ham United vs Wrexham is not technically being shown for free anywhere, viewers in Australia can take advantage of a 7-day free trial for beIN SPORTS, which is broadcasting the Championship clash Down Under.

Not in Australia? Use NordVPN to unlock your beIN SPORTS stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch West Ham United vs Wrexham from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss West Ham United vs Wrexham. 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 West Ham United vs Wrexham in the UK

West Ham United vs Wrexham will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK.

The Championship clash is being shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with kick-off at 8:00pm BST.

How to watch West Ham United vs Wrexham in the US

In the US, West Ham United vs Wrexham is being shown on Paramount+. Kick-off is at 3pm ET.

How to watch West Ham United vs Wrexham in Australia

As mentioned above, fans in Australia can watch West Ham United vs Wrexham on beIN SPORTS.

The game kicks-off at 5am AEST (Sat) and will be live on beIN SPORTS 2, as well as the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform.

West Ham United vs Wrexham: Preview

West Ham United took a little bit of time to adjust to the Championship after 14 years away, but they appear to have found their groove.

Tuesday's 3-2 comeback win at Bolton Wanderers was their third victory in a row, and while manager Nuno Espirito Santo will have been pleased to see his side score 10 goals across those games, he will be less happy about the four goals they conceded.

The Hammers were leapfrogged by West Bromwich Albion at the summit on Wednesday but three points against Wrexham would see them return to the top of the table ahead of the weekend's other games.

West Ham could be without Taty Castellanos, who hurt his tendon against Derby County last Saturday and missed the victory at Bolton.

SEE ALSO Should I use a VPN to watch football?

Wrexham's season so far has been a story of draws with four of their six games ending level, although they claimed their sole victory on their previous visit to the capital – an eye-catching 3-0 win a few miles down the road at Millwall last Wednesday.

Since then, the Red Dragons have played out a stalemate at early-season surprise package Swansea City and then drawn 1-1 with Burnley, in which summer signing Jacques Ekomie scored his second goal in three matches.

Phil Parkinson may rotate his side for Wrexham's first-ever visit to the London Stadium – and the first league meeting between the teams since 1981 – with Ollie Rathbone, Danny Imray and Sam Smith among those who could return to the starting XI after dropping to the bench against Burnley on Tuesday.

Defender Max Cleworth and forward Josh Windass are injury doubts after both players sustained knocks against the Clarets.

FourFourTwo's prediction

West Ham United 3-1 Wrexham

The Hammers appear to have found their groove, so we're backing them to make it four wins in a row.

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.

Enzo Maresca has revealed that Nico O’Reilly is “100% available” for the Manchester derby, after being withdrawn from Premier League action last weekend versus Coventry.

The Cityzens won that clash 1-0, but O’Reilly was rendered absent in their following fixture, away at Porto in the Champions League, on Tuesday.

Ahead of the Manchester derby this weekend, Maresca’s men will see O’Reilly return to action, with Maresca confirming the Englishman’s fitness.

Enzo Maresca provides injury update ahead of Manchester United clash: Jeremy Doku, Nico O'Reilly

New signing Iliman Ndiaye was also withdrawn against Coventry, but made it back in time for Manchester City’s 2-0 mid-week victory in Europe.

Jeremy Doku remains sidelined after picking up an injury against Arsenal in pre-season, when the Cityzens were defeated 3-0 in the Community Shield.

The Belgian, who stood out as one of City’s best players during the Premier League run-in last term, endured a calf injury versus the Gunners, and won’t be available for selection against Manchester United.

“Jeremy, I think he needs some more days,” confirmed Maresca, who then lifted Cityzen spirits by revealing O’Reilly’s return.

“Nico’s 100% available,” stated the City boss, plainly. With the majority of his squad cleared to play, he turned his attention to the Manchester derby.

"It is very important for different reasons. We know how important a derby is, especially here," he said.

"A special game. The most important thing we can do is try to be ourselves, and then we see the final result."

Manchester City will travel to Old Trafford this weekend — commentators, pundits and presenters for this weekend’s Super Sunday battle can be found here.

The English top-flight has scheduled seven festive fixtures to be played on Boxing Day, the Premier League announced on Thursday.

Last term, the sole Boxing Day fixture played in the Premier League was between Manchester United and Newcastle, with the former prevailing 1-0; seven games were scheduled for December 27.

That appears to have flipped for the 2026-27 Premier League season, with Aston Villa versus Leeds, Hull hosting Liverpool, Newcastle against Manchester City, and more, having been scheduled for December 26.

Premier League release statement confirming seven Boxing Day events

The English top-flight have released the scheduling earlier than in previous terms, with the Premier League and its broadcasting partners having “agreed to bring the selection process [forward].”

A statement on the official League website read: “This fixture announcement gives supporters more than three months’ notice to plan and make travel arrangements for a particularly busy time of the year.

“It follows consultation with the Football Supporters' Association and representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards… [and] after the League and our broadcast partners agreed to bring forward the selection process for live UK matches."

The English top-flight’s early scheduling agreement pertains to match-weeks 17 to 20, which run from 26 December to 7 January.

The Premier League confirmed that clubs will have at least a 60-hour break between fixtures held over the Christmas and New Year period, to address backlash from congested scheduling.

“This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested festive schedule - in the context of an expanding European and international fixture calendar,” said the League.

Broadcast selections in November will be announced by week commencing September 21, and by w/c October 19 for December fixtures.

On Boxing Day, TNT Sports will host Aston Villa v Leeds for the 12:30pm BST kick-off, while Sky Sports have taken Hull vs Liverpool and Newcastle vs Manchester City in the evening.

On December 27, Sky Sports will broadcast all three of Coventry vs Chelsea, Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace vs Arsenal.

The seven festive fixtures set to be played on Boxing Day are:

Aston Villa v Leeds (TNT Sports, 12:30pm BST)

Everton v Sunderland

Fulham v Brighton

Ipswich v Brentford

Spurs v AFC Bournemouth

Hull v Liverpool (Sky Sports, 5:30pm BST)

Newcastle v Man City (Sky Sports, 8pm BST)

Cody Gakpo is a doubt to face Fulham this Saturday, as the Reds look to build on their first Premier League win since April, which arrived in their recent clash versus Ipswich Town.

The Dutch forward assisted both of Alexander Isak’s goals — the game’s only strikes — as Liverpool secured three points in a 2-0 victory at Portman Road.

Gakpo was subsequently ruled out of Liverpool’s mid-week battle versus Atletico Madrid, which his side won 2-1, with adductor issues on both sides, and the Dutch star is uncertain to return for Fulham.

Cody Gakpo injury latest, as Liverpool prepare for Fulham

The 27-year-old was also stellar in his two Premier League matches prior to Ipswich, having scored a long-range screamer in Liverpool’s 2-2 opening day draw at St. James Park.

In the following game, his nifty movement opened space for an inch-perfect cross to Isak against Nottingham Forest, in another 2-2 draw.

Gakpo recorded four goal involvements in his first three Premier League matches; only Mohamed Salah has bagged more whilst opening a league campaign (six contributions, in 2024-25) for Liverpool this century.

Bradley Barcola, who started in the Dutchman’s absence on Wednesday, also caused concern, after exiting the pitch during the Reds’ Champions League victory.

Andoni Iraola has since confirmed the status of both players in a pre-Fulham presser, with Barcola’s issues considered insignificant, but Gakpo’s sidelining potentially being prolonged.

The Basque manager said: “Barcola was just cramps. We have to evaluate how he is today, but there is no injury. I think he should be available if everything goes normal.

"Cody, we will see,” he continued. “We will try today and see if he is ready for tomorrow, or if we need to wait until the next one."

Iraola’s side, having lost star forward Salah last term, have fared well as an attacking unit, scoring at least two goals in each of their Premier League and Champions League fixtures.

On the defensive side, his men have conceded five goals in four. In their sole Premier League clean sheet this term, versus Ipswich last Friday, the newly-promoted club recorded a higher xG than the Reds.

Liverpool return to English top-flight action against Fulham this weekend, with Gakpo potentially set to remain absent.

Turkish media are reporting that Super Lig side Trabzonspor have held talks with Pep Guardiola, as the club look to go from strength-to-strength after signing Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.

The pair faced off for almost 10 years in the Premier League, with Salah taking the English top-flight title from Guardiola’s Manchester City twice in that period.

Now, it appears that the Egyptian and the Spaniard could join forces in the Super Lig, with Turkish media reporting that Guardiola has been offered a €13 million salary to manage Trabzonspor.

Pep Guardiola could join forces with Mohamed Salah in shock Super Lig move

Despite a productive start to the season from Salah — striking four goals, and claiming an assist, in three Super Lig starts — Trabzonspor endured a devastating Europa League crash-out.

That arrived through Ferencvaros, who decimated Salah’s side 5-0 (agg.) in their Europa League two-leg qualifier. In the aftermath, then-manager, and former Trabzonspor player, Faith Tekke resigned on the spot.

The board rejected Tekke’s resignation, who lost 2-1 in his following fixture versus newly-promoted side Amed, away from home. He was then allowed to leave; now, according to Turkish news bulletin Gusholder Haber Bulteni, the Super Lig side has held talks with Guardiola.

In Trabzonspor’s first match since Tekke’s departure, they dismantled Genclerbirligi in a 5-0 romp at Papara Park. Goals came through Paul Onuachu, Ernest Muci, Salah, and new signing Franculino Dju.

In their pursuit of the Super Lig trophy — which Trabzonspor have additional motivation to achieve this term, with Galatasaray gunning for an unprecedented fifth successive Turkish top-flight title — Salah’s men appear to have turned, stunningly, to Guardiola.

The report from Gusholder Haber Bulteni has since been relayed online by Trabzonspor media, and other Turkish outlets.

In FourFourTwo’s view, the Spaniard is exceedingly unlikely to make the Super Lig move; however, it could be one to keep an eye peeled for. Having won virtually everything there is to win, and Trabzonspor emerging as a serious economic power in Turkey that could, under the right guidance, dominate the Super Lig in coming years, their project might appeal to Guardiola.

In 2022, Trabzonspor won their first top-flight title since 1984. A total of 78 clubs have competed in the competition, with only six winning it, and Salah’s side have claimed the fourth-most, with seven.

Galatasaray have 26, Fenerbahce hold 19, and Besiktas have lifted 16 Super Lig trophies. If any club is capable of disturbing this Istanbul-based dominance, it is likely to be Trabzonspor, and they are currently well-positioned to do so.

With Guardiola having taken Manchester City from relative Premier League minnows, to winning the second-most titles in the competition’s history, he could be enticed by a similar story playing out in Turkey, under his leadership.

The salary offered could pose issues, with the Spaniard reportedly having earned over £20 million annually in England. In contrast, €13 million to manage in Turkey appears drastically less appealing.

While this remains a vastly distant possibility, who wouldn’t like to see Guardiola and Salah work together, if just for a season, with their footballing legacies already stamped?

Another post-match interview featuring Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise has gone viral across social media for all the wrong reasons.

Once again, football fans have been treated to the painful spectacle of awkward silences, and a player doing everything he can to make life harder for the person holding the microphone.

What started as a quirky, meme-worthy gimmick as a young player has officially crossed the line into something far more grating. Olise’s nonchalant media routine isn’t clever or cool - it is rude, tiresome, and paints young footballers in a really poor light.

Michael Olise's interview gimmick is a bad look - and it's getting old

For a long time, I was willing to afford the Frenchman the benefit of the doubt. I even defended him.

'Does he suffer from social anxiety? Is he just painfully shy?' It's not easy being a teenager thrust into the limelight, so it was a fair question to ask.

However, recent refcam footage shatters that narrative. On the pitch, Olise is the antithesis of stage-fright, his apparent communication issues deserting him when arguing the toss over a decision with a match official. He is vocal, animated, and - compared to his post-game media debriefs - uninhibited.

This sullen, disengaged persona reserved exclusively for post-match broadcasters is a choice. The cold one-word responses and the air of casual arrogance suggest he knows precisely what he’s doing with his non-answers.

Watch these viral clips closely and you will see broadcast journalists - often asking questions in a second or third language with commendable poise - maintaining total professionalism while receiving complete apathy in return.

This isn’t merely a case of one journalist instinctively standing up for another; it is a matter of fundamental workplace decency. Does Olise offer up the silent treatment to the staff at Bayern's training ground? To those who serve his meals, those on the security desk and reception?

The golden rule ought to apply even in elite football: treat people as you would wish to be treated yourself.

In an era where access to players is restricted to the absolute extreme, reporters are given minutes to glean something meaningful. Questions can admittedly feel repetitive or like lip-service to the interviewee, but that is the reality of heavily sanitised media zones. The least a player can do in return is show basic courtesy.

Most professionals understand the implicit contract between sport and media - they remain cordial, polite, and cooperative, even if their answers are steeped in generic PR drivel and we, the journalists, go back to our editors with the currency: quotes.

Olise, by contrast, treats the microphone like a burden and the person holding it with visible disdain, at least he does in this most recent clip.

It also begs the question: why do Bayern Munich’s press officers keep putting him in front of the cameras?

How it works is, after a match, broadcasters, journalists and rights-holders will request to speak to specific players based on how the 90 minutes have unfolded. Ultimately though, it is the club’s communications department that decides whether to grant those requests or put forward someone else.

Continuing to parade Olise in front of rights-holders when everyone knows he will deliberately stonewall the interviewer benefits nobody. It produces a deeply uncomfortable watch, disrespects broadcast partners, and damages the club's image.

To be clear, the sports media landscape is hardly a saintly entity. Invasive headlines and unfair coverage in the past may well have left Olise feeling distrustful of reporters.

If that is the case, then his cynicism towards the press is entirely understandable - Sir Alex Ferguson refused to engage with the BBC for years after deeming their questioning of fellow manager and son, Darren, not to his liking.

But taking out those grievances on an innocent broadcast journalist who is simply doing their job after a match is misplaced anger. Being a world-class footballer comes with immense privilege, but talent, status and riches don't make you exempt from basic manners.

Fulham are facing the prospect of losing their opening four Premier League games of the new season this weekend, which would spell bad news for Alvaro Arbeloa.

The Spaniard is fast emerging as the frontrunner to become the Premier League's first managerial casualty of the new season.

A winless start to the campaign has plunged Fulham into crisis, leaving the former Real Madrid interim boss fighting to salvage both his authority and his job ahead of a weekend trip to face Liverpool.

Alvaro Arbeloa on the brink at Fulham

Having replaced Marco Silva over the summer, Arbeloa was heavily backed by the club's board during the transfer window.

The 43-year-old tapped directly into his former employer to reshape the squad, securing moves for Real Madrid trio Cesar Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia, and Manuel Angel.

However, due to Arbeloa’s tactical tweaks and, on the surface at least, a clear preference for his ex-Bernabeu recruits, he has alienated established figures within the squad.

Alex Iwobi has found himself displaced from his natural wide role and redeployed into central midfield, a move widely understood to accommodate Palacios on the wing.

Meanwhile, £34 million midfielder Emile Smith Rowe has seemingly been marginalised, featuring off the bench for a combined total of just 25 Premier League minutes across Fulham's three opening defeats.

Internal friction is growing with Brazilian winger Kevin, too. As reported by Saturday White Fever, Fulham find themselves with an ultimatum just four weeks in to the new season.

Kevin, the club's record signing, and Arbeloa are believed to have fallen out over the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man's playing time. He has accumulated a mere 24 league minutes this term, and was left as an unused substitute during last weekend’s loss to Crystal Palace.

The immediate aftermath of that Palace defeat saw Kevin take to social media to post a cryptic message which read: ‘no speak, no hear, no see’. This post has been universally interpreted as a protest against Arbeloa’s team selection and possibly his management style, too.

It is now understood that Kevin is expected to seek an exit from Craven Cottage during the January transfer window unless the board opts to dismiss Arbeloa before then.

Alarmingly, the discontent is not isolated to one individual, either. In what appears to be a coordinated effort, both Iwobi and Smith Rowe have scrubbed their official Instagram accounts clean, wiping all historical posts depicting them in Fulham colours.

With a dismal record heading to Anfield, Arbeloa's gamble and squad management has backed him into a corner.

Should Fulham suffer another damaging defeat against Liverpool, or if the team produces another lifeless display, the board may be forced to act.

The manner of performance on Merseyside could well prove terminal for the manager's brief tenure in West London.

Rangers needed a stoppage-time goal to break the deadlock in Wednesday’s rearranged Scottish Premiership fixture against St Mirren at Ibrox.

Bojan Miovski’s goal in the first minute of time added on earned Rangers a fourth league win in a row, just as a win by the same scoreline against the same opponents kicked off a four-match winning run to end last season.

It’s been all change in the west of Glasgow since then. Danny Rohl’s management kept the Gers in the title race for longer than they might otherwise have been involved but was tempted away to Red Bull Salzburg and succeeded by Derek McInnes.

Shankland injury will test the ex-Hearts revolution at Ibrox

The new Rangers manager pushed Celtic even further in 2025/26, when he was in charge of Heart of Midlothian and took them to the cusp of a fifth league title to earn his dream job.

McInnes was able to take international striker Lawrence Shankland – his talismanic Hearts captain and another Rangers man at heart – across the central belt to Glasgow. That’s just how Scottish football works; Rangers have won the title 55 times.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

This season is only six matches old and Hearts have a game in hand on their old gaffer, but Celtic are first and Rangers are second. Four wins on the bounce have reinforced McInnes’ credentials at the helm of a team comparatively short of raw quality.

More than a few of their points can be credited to character over straightforward ability. Just as they started to feel a little more convincing, McInnes lost his general.

His team beat St Mirren without Shankland, who was substituted eight minutes of last weekend’s win over Motherwell before a hamstring injury forced him off.

“It's a 2C tear and similar to the one he did previously at Hearts in January,” McInnes told reporters before Rangers played the Buddies.

“He's actually in London now, he's getting an ultrasound scan, a follow-up scan, which is just to determine whether, with the specialist, he has surgery or whether he'll just let it heal naturally like he did the last time.

“My little knowledge I have of it is that if he has the surgery then he might be an extra three or four weeks.

“I think best-case scenario, three months, probably worst-case scenario in terms of time about four months.”

Rangers’ captain was starting to suit the armband before his setback

It’s a brutal blow, not only for the 31-year-old Glaswegian but for a manager who must now hold steady without a player he knows well and had been starting to show his worth in the Rangers shirt he’d wanted for a lifetime. Their four-match winning run started with a 1-0 win against Aberdeen and a 2-1 victory at Falkirk in the space of four days.

Shankland, suddenly puffing out his chest in a shirt that finally seemed to fit, scored all three goals. He’d only scored once in the Europa League qualifiers, Conference League qualifiers, Premier Sports Cup tie and two Premiership matches that preceded them.

Indeed, it’s what came before those wins that points to the extent of the challenge now facing McInnes. If first impressions matter, his did little to reassure Rangers fans that McInnes – by no means an unfamiliar figure to anyone involved in Scottish football – has what it takes to achieve the one thing that really matters in Glasgow.

The Gers were knocked out of Europe before it started. Twice. Their Europa League campaign began and ended against Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland in the third qualifying round.

They dropped into the play-off round of the Conference League. Shankland, Miovski and Thelo Aasgaard scored their first three penalties, but Czech side Jablonec ended up on the right end of the shoot-out.

All that’s left, on three fronts, is to attempt to better Celtic. They’ll get their chance on Sunday in the first Old Firm derby of the season, a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie at Ibrox that Shankland will have to watch from the sidelines.

Rangers’ recent burst was a big step forward in the early part of McInnes’ return as manager, but Shankland was the man putting the ball in the net.

They made a positive start without him, beating Motherwell and St Mirren in 1-0 matches that couldn’t have been much more different in terms of their comfort levels for the Ibrox club.

23-year-old Ryan Naderi, who joined Rangers in February, came off the bench to replace Shankland against the Steelmen and scored through sheer tenacity within four minutes.

His smart flick-on set up Miovski’s looping winner against St Mirren too but they really had to work for it against the determined defence and pointed threat of a team led by August’s Manager of the Month.

But Rangers are already operating with fine margins game-by-game and Shankland is a born difference-maker. The question for McInnes and Rangers is where they can find that difference on consistent basis over the next 16 weeks and more.

In 2013, Tottenham Hotspur were targeting the joint-purchase of Croatian duo Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj, negotiating with then-Dinamo Zagreb director Zdravko Mamic.

Daniel Levy and Mamic shared history — in 2008, they ironed out a joint-club record deal for eventual Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric — and their latest negotiations were set to cost Spurs €25 million.

Levy’s financial ruthlessness had previously emerged in negotiations for Modric, but Mamic confessed in a 2019 interview, exclusively with FourFourTwo, that their boardroom exchange was far testier for Halilovic and Jedvaj.

‘I told them go f*** yourself’

At the time, a teenage Halilovic was touted as the next Modric, while Jedvaj was believed to be a defensive game-changer.

The latter sealed a move to Roma in 2013, while Halilovic attracted Barcelona — although, after their transfers,neither enjoyed top-level careers in Europe — and Mamic confirmed how close Spurs came to bagging the duo.

The ex-Zagreb director revealed: "I negotiated with [Levy] over the transfers of Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj to Tottenham. My son was their agent and translator, and I represented the interests of Dinamo.

Mamic then revealed how Spurs’ lowball offer provoked fury: “We sat in Levy’s office with the sporting director, Franco Baldini, and Levy offered us around €10m as his secretary served us tea. After hearing their offer, I told my son to thank Levy,” Mamic continued.

"[I also told him] to ask if ‘I should drink my tea, or just go straight home?’ My son did not want to translate that!

"Levy and Baldini realised that I had become a little more aggressive, then I told them ‘Idite vi svi u picku materinu’ [the Croatian equivalent of ‘go f*** yourself’].

"They stood up and asked me to stay, because €10m was not their final offer for the players. After that we continued the negotiations and agreed a fee of €25m,” Mamic told FFT.

On why the deal later collapsed, the ex-Zagreb director revealed that demands from one player’s side of the table scuppered the agreement.

“Unfortunately, the deal eventually fell through, partly because of crazy new demands from Halilovic’s side,” claimed Mamic. The midfielder would eventually play in England nearly a decade later — for Birmingham City, then Reading, in the Championship.

Jedvaj, whose top-flight career played out predominantly with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is currently at Al-Shabab, while Halilovic, just 30-years-old, is club-less after leaving Fortuna Sittard.

Still, it appears that Mamic nearly manufactured the perfect heist in shipping them to Spurs, even with Levy’s testy boardroom antics… and he would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for that meddlin’ Halilovic.

If Gameweek 3 was the week of the Wildcard, Gameweek 4 is the natural follow up window for those who held off.

The transfer window is firmly shut, minutes are becoming clearer by the week and the fixture picture is sharp enough to build a squad with genuine long term conviction.

Without further ado, here is the team worth constructing right now.

GOALKEEPER

In goal, Bart Verbruggen is the standout budget option. He's reliable, consistent for save points and probably the best of the cheaper goalkeeper options available this season.

The backup slot can honestly be filled by any £4.0m goalkeeper from a team you are unlikely to triple up on, as there are no truly nailed-on options at that price point right now.

DEFENCE

The defensive unit leans into three teams with strong fixture runs and players who bring more than just clean sheet potential.

Riccardo Calafiori and Ezri Konsa give double Arsenal coverage in the best defensive unit in the league, with Konsa remaining an absolute steal following the Mosquera injury situation.

Tarik Muharemovic has been a defensive contributions machine for Leeds United, brings aerial threat from set pieces and represents reasonable value for his price.

Luka Vuskovic is probably the most secure Brighton defender for the long term, offering similar set piece threat and a solid record for defensive returns.

Finally, Jan Paul van Hecke rotates really well with the rest of the defence, is particularly strong in home fixtures and carries good aerial ability from dead ball situations.

MIDFIELD

The midfield is where this squad truly shines. Bukayo Saka looks sharp, his minutes appear very secure and with penalty duties and a run of strong fixtures ahead, he is the standout Arsenal attacking option to own right now.

Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers give strong Chelsea representation from a side that has looked genuinely dangerous under Xabi Alonso, with neither carrying any European fixture concerns to threaten their minutes.

Palmer at home to Hull this week is the optimal captaincy choice on paper, particularly in a gameweek where Manchester United host Manchester City. Dominik Szoboszlai is the set-and-forget Liverpool hold, confirmed on penalties and guaranteed minutes for the foreseeable future. Regan Slater rounds out the midfield as a budget filler who enables the rest of the squad through his low price point and will rarely if ever need to come off the bench.

ATTACK

Up front, Erling Haaland is essential cover for the captaincy in Gameweeks 5 and 7, where he looks comfortably the best armband option on paper.

Joao Pedro has been in the top three FPL point scorers among forwards across the opening three gameweeks, carries no European football and looks like one of the most stable and consistent picks in the game right now. Thierno Barry is the interesting differential of the forward line at just £5.5m. With Ndiaye gone, he looks set to inherit penalty duties at Everton, and the budget he frees up across the rest of the squad makes him a very attractive inclusion at a price that enables genuine quality elsewhere.

The beauty of this squad is the balance it strikes between premium quality at the top end and serious value throughout the supporting cast. The front three is locked in, the midfield offers multiple captaincy options over the coming weeks and the defensive setup is built for long term accumulation rather than short term speculation. If you are Wildcarding this week, this is the blueprint worth following.

The Homes Under the Hammer presenter, who since hanging up his boots has transitioned from Premier League goalscoring to real estate expertise and punditry, is using his industry knowledge to help fellow players secure their financial futures.

Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo, Dublin disclosed how older players regularly approach him with substantial sums, relying on his team to locate and manage brick-and-mortar investments.

"Where there’s some bad, there’s also good too, but come and speak to Dion! I’ll hook you up," Dublin said.

Dion Dublin will 'hook you up' with a new-build in the Wrexham area, apparently

"I’m already doing it for some of the older players, without mentioning any names. They come straight to me and my estate agent. 'Dion, I’ve got a couple of hundred grand, can you do something for me?'"

Dublin has focused much of his property enterprise in North Wales, specifically around the Wrexham area, where attention surrounding the now-Championship level football club has fuelled a market boom.

"I’ve got a few of them houses in Wrexham now, which is a bit of a hot spot with all the attention around the football club. What we then do is manage and maintain the properties and [the players] get a bit of passive income."

Having spent years in the game, Dublin is familiar with traditional footballer enclaves like Knutsford, Wilmslow, and Alderley Edge, noting they are 'all beautiful areas to live in but very expensive.' However, he advises buyers to look at adjacent locations for better value.

"Cheshire can be expensive but if you look at places on the outskirts like Congleton and other places just off the M6 they can be incredible as well, so you don’t have to go for the top end."

Dublin's regular travels across the country to carry out television duties takes him to locations like Stoke, Walsall, Lincoln, and Grimsby, but all that has done is reinforced his belief that hidden gems exist everywhere.

"My advice is to try and find those places but most importantly find the place that works for you.

"I think if you're investing in property then you need to look anywhere north of London and Watford and you might have a chance to get a bit of value for your money.

"That said, if you've got a load of money, then you could afford to do it down in London. It's just very expensive. The south's very expensive. We know that. The further north you go, the more bargains you're going to get, but you won’t be living in London."

Dublin was speaking to FourFourTwo on behalf of Reviant.

Happy Friday, one and all.

Do you know who replaced Antonio Conte as Chelsea manager, who won the Best Goalkeeper gong at the 2002 World Cup, what West Ham United removed from their badge 10 years ago and where Osasuna are based?

Course you do: and now's your time to prove it with another Friday Football Quiz, back for a 132nd edition with 20 questions ready whenever you are. Let's dig in, shall we?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Moving from Friday teasers to big-money transfers, opening-day history, and international immortality, we've got a fresh line-up of Kwizly-powered quizzes to carry on with, if you'd like?

We’re launching straight into big-money Anfield blockbusters and opening-weekend folklore. First, test your knowledge of Merseyside transfer strategy by naming Liverpool's 50 most expensive signings ever, tracing the record-breaking fees that brought world-class talent to Anfield across the modern era. Once you've audited Liverpool's spending history, travel back through over three decades of kickoff drama to name the first goalscorer of every Premier League season since 1992-93, a ruthless trial of opening-day trivia that separates casual observers from deep-cut archival scholars.

Next, name every England player with over 50 caps, honouring the half-century mainstays who anchored the national team across generations. After celebrating those Three Lions icons, scale the ultimate heights of the global game to identify every Ballon d'Or winner to have won the World Cup, celebrating the exclusive pantheon of legends who achieved both individual perfection and ultimate international glory.

Finally, we've got another crossword, as FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 69 takes on the theme of boxers, badges and Barclaysmen, as we stretch you from club emblems to cult 2000s top-flight heroes. To ensure you stay top of the table every single day, subscribe to our newsletter for your daily briefing of hand-picked trivia and tactical analysis. To complete your transfer to terrace legend status, lock in your spot in The Club, our free membership hub where you can claim secret hints for our hardest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest football topics directly in the comments section.

The Championship is often branded as the most competitive and unpredictable league in world football. Except that’s not always the case.

Parachute payments have skewed the odds in favour of the clubs relegated from the Premier League - in each of the past six seasons, at least one of the automatic promotion places have been filled by a team who spent the previous campaign in the top flight.

That trend could continue this term but it doesn’t feel like a foregone conclusion, while the play-off and relegation pictures are equally exciting. Ladies and gentlemen, this could be the most on-brand Championship season for some time.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Goals, shocks and wild scorelines: This could be a Championship season for the ages

Last season’s Championship was a tough act to follow. Coventry City lifted the title to return to the Premier League after 25 years away, Hull City won the play-offs despite starting the campaign as one of the favourites to go down, and Leicester City suffered a shock second relegation in a row.

Furthermore, the teams who came down from the Premier League were not as dominant as in previous years. Ipswich Town were the only member of that trio to gain promotion, finishing second behind Coventry, and their total of 84 points ended a run of five seasons where one of the three relegated clubs reached 90 points or more in their first campaign back in the Championship.

Meanwhile, the three teams promoted from League One - Birmingham City, Wrexham and Charlton Athletic - all stayed up, the third year in a row in which that has happened. Despite all of that, this season is shaping up to be even better.

If it’s goals you want, there have already been lots of them. The league average of 2.89 goals per game ahead of Wednesday night’s fixtures is higher than the average across a 46-match campaign in any of the past 20 years, on account of there being several teams who are great at scoring goals but not so good at keeping them out. More on that later.

Meanwhile, the old adage that anyone can beat anyone in the Championship appears truer than ever. Some teams’ results have fluctuated wildly, including Charlton winning at West Ham United but losing 4-0 at Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers stunning Middlesbrough only to fall to defeat at previously pointless Preston North End, and Millwall beating Bristol City, Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers by a combined score of 9-0, but losing to Southampton and Wrexham 8-1 on aggregate.

The league is unpredictable wherever you look. Starting from the top, none of the front-runners have stood out above the rest in the first four weeks of the campaign.

That includes the trio who were relegated from the Premier League last season. West Ham and Wolves will surely compete for automatic promotion, but they don’t yet look like they will run away with the title in the way that Coventry did last term.

The Hammers failed to win any of their first three games before scoring 10 goals in successive victories over Wolves, Derby County and Bolton, but they had to fight back from 2-1 down to beat one of the supposed weaker sides in the division in the latter fixture. Wolves’ first five matches featured 23 goals, 10 of them going in at the wrong end.

Then there is Burnley. The Clarets reached 100 points in their previous two campaigns at this level but sit second-bottom of the table after failing to win any of their first six matches. They will surely improve, and the signing of Jamie Vardy adds intrigue, but they are currently way off the level required to win promotion.

That has opened the door to other teams. Of the three clubs who lost in the play-offs last term, Middlesbrough look best-placed to challenge. After letting so many points slip through their grasp last season due to poor finishing, they have found a goalscorer in Will Lankshear, while their strong underlying numbers had them top of the Expected Points table (calculated by measuring Expected Goals for and against) after five games. If xG/xPTS isn’t your thing, they were also second in the real table.

Last term’s play-off semi-finalists, Millwall and Southampton, have also made strong starts and should compete for promotion again, despite the Lions’ chaotic set of scorelines.

Several dark horses are also emerging. Swansea City topped the table after five matches, and it was no fluke: since head coach Vitor Matos arrived last November, they have picked up 1.61 points per game - play-off form over a 46-match season.

Queens Park Rangers, Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion and Charlton are among the other early pace-setters and it is the ideal time for an outsider to mount a promotion bid, thanks to one of the most controversial talking points of the Championship in 2026/27.

This season, the play-offs have been expanded from four to six teams, which means the club finishing eighth will qualify for the end-of-term shoot-out. The change has not been universally popular, but it means more teams will have a chance of reaching the play-offs in the final weeks of the campaign, reducing the number of dead rubbers.

With the way the Championship table often concertinas as the season goes on, it is possible that the team in 15th with five games remaining could realistically still go up or down. That brings us to the battle at the bottom.

Lincoln City were widely tipped to go straight back down after their shock League One title triumph but have adapted well to the level, taking five points from their past three games and running Middlesbrough close on the opening day.

There is arguably greater concern about the teams they came up with, Cardiff City and Bolton, but while all three are likely to be in a relegation battle, they have shown enough so far to suggest they won’t be cut adrift.

Of course, everything can change, but if the season continues in this vein we’ll be treated to a proper title race, surprise promotion candidates, a congested play-off battle and a nail-biting survival fight.

If that all comes to pass, it really will be one of the greatest Championship seasons of all time.

It's FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz number 200. Imagine! Two whole thousands of football trivia questions, and we're not stopping here either. Help us blow out the candles by answering today's questions!

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has a vast vault of football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. First up, can you name the three most expensive Premier League signings of every summer since 1992 and every team in the top two tiers of women's football in England?

While you're in transfer mode, we also want you to show off your knowledge of the 50 most expensive signings ever made by Barcelona or Real Madrid.

We have some questions about the Premier League's most celebrated one-season wonders, the players who came and went in the blink of an eye but made a big impression while they were in the spotlight.

There are a couple of quizzes that ask you to put some groups of four into the correct order – one about players and their Premier League appearances, the other about teams and their titles.

Can you name every team in the Football League right now? There's only one way to find out. Lastly, if you're a players expert rather than a teams nut, our latest career paths quiz is for you. How many of those 100 career paths can you identify?

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!

Fifteen-year-old prodigy JJ Gabriel arrived on the continental stage with a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah FK U19, who were beaten 5-0 at Leigh Sports Village.

The forward delivered a three-goal performance to spearhead Manchester United’s youth side to victory, underlining yet again why he is considered one of the brightest talents in Carrington's academy.

Gabriel’s ascent has fuelled speculation over whether he can feature for Manchester United’s senior squad in the Premier League this season.

JJ Gabriel hits Euro hat-trick for Manchester United

Top-flight regulations dictate that a player must turn 15 on or before August 31 of a given season to be eligible for league selection.

Having met the league's academic year age requirement prior to the start of the 2026/27 campaign, Gabriel is legally eligible to make his Premier League debut this term, which was not the case last season.

Should manager Michael Carrick hand him a senior bow before he turns 16 in October, Gabriel would become Manchester United’s youngest-ever first-team player.

Carrick has been keeping a close eye on the teenager, regularly drafting him into first-team training sessions. Addressing Gabriel’s trajectory, the Red Devils boss commented last season: "JJ is a big talent, it's pretty obvious to know that and he's had a really good season for the Under-18s.

"We obviously think an awful lot of him, but patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and working with him in development as we do with all the different younger players and picking the right moment to step up."

Gabriel’s latest goalscoring heroics build on exceptional numbers at youth level. The attacker bagged 28 goals across 35 appearances for Man United’s U18 side last season.

Moving up to the U21s in Premier League 2 this term, Gabriel hit the ground running with two goals and two assists in his first two outings before taking his goalscoring form into Europe.

When Como beat Hellas Verona in May to clinch a top-four finish ahead of illustrious Serie A rivals AC Milan and Juventus, the clock was already ticking on a summer project that had more to do with what's around the pitch than what happens on it.

Como have added the likes of Moise Kean, Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sanchez and former loanee Alvaro Morata to their playing ranks but UEFA stadium requirements meant that a lightning renovations turnaround would be required to ensure that their Champions League home matches could be played at home.

Manager Cesc Fabregas will lead Como out for their first-ever match in Europe's premier club competition on Thursday. Thanks to an impressive effort off the pitch, he will do so at Stadio Sinigaglia.

Como's Champions League matches would have been moved to Sassuolo

Como get their league phase campaign underway against RB Leipzig and will also face Manchester United, AEK Athens and back-to-back European champions Paris Saint-Germain at home.

At the end of last season, their ground was not compliant with Champions League requirements and extensive work has been carried out over the last three months. Without the upgrades, Como would have played those four matches 200km away at the home of Sassuolo.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

"To meet UEFA requirements, renovation work on the stadium has been completed, including the construction of a new stand and the enhancement of infrastructure, security systems and operational facilities," Como said in a statement in advance of Leipzig's visit and the start of the league phase.

"Sinigaglia has been the home of Como 1907 for almost a century. Its role in the city and in the life of the club makes the opportunity to play these matches here particularly special.

"Como 1907 would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible, as well as our fans for their patience and constant support throughout the entire process."

Como's stadium has achieved UEFA Category 4 status as a result of the work. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the renovations included a near-miraculous rebuild of the Curva Ovest, upgraded floodlights, improvements to the media facilities, better toilets and enhanced security systems.

"The pitch was also completely relaid, widened by an additional two metres, and re-turfed with a new-generation hybrid grass, a specific request from Fabregas to facilitate ball possession," reports Giulio Saetta.

Como have been on a tear under the ownership of the Indonesian tobacco giants Djarum Group, which took over in 2019.

The Lariani, recently promoted back to the third tier, spent two seasons in Serie C and three in Serie B before securing promotion to the top tier in 2023/24.

Djarum appointed Fabregas, a former player and interim head coach at the club, to take them into Serie A. They've finished tenth and fourth in the last two seasons and are showing few signs of slowing down.

Sabah manager Valdas Dambrauskas has an unusual curriculum vitae.

Manchester United's first opponents after securing a return to the Champions League are one of four teams playing in the competition for the first time, and Dambrauskas will go head-to-head with United boss Michael Carrick at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Sabah are first-time champions of Azerbaijan and the route Dambrauskas took to get them there was circuitous to say the least. The Lithuanian, 49, even counts Man United themselves among his former employers.

'To come from Lithuania and be given that opportunity was a huge step for me'

Dambrauskas and his girlfriend, later his wife, moved to England after he won the equivalent of £725 on a Lithuanian television game show based on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

He enrolled on a sports science and coaching course at London Metropolitan University and soon found he needed to top up the funds if his coaching education was to continue. He secured an interview for a job with Man United's soccer schools programme.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

"After we’d paid for our flights and accommodation, we had money left to cover our expenses for just one month, so I needed to get a part-time job urgently," Dambrauskas told FourFourTwo.

"At the time I still couldn’t speak English properly, but they liked me because of my personality and I got the job. To come from Lithuania and be given that opportunity was a huge step for me."

Dambrauskas went on to work with Brentford's Centre of Excellence and as the manager of Kingsbury London Tigers, now London Tigers, who were then competing in the Spartan South Midlands League.

"That was a fantastic experience – all of my jobs were part of a great learning process, up to 2014 when I got my first chance as a head coach back in Lithuania," he said.

It was the doomed Ekranas who gave him that opportunity. They went bust the next year, only reforming in 2020. Dambrauskas has since managed in Latvia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary and Croatia. He's a league champion in three countries.

True to form, Dambrauskas' Sabah needed to take the long way round in the Champions League.

Starting in July, with the World Cup still rumbling on, the Azeri champions beat Welsh side The New Saints in the first qualifying round before seeing off KuPS and AGF to set up a play-off against Israel's Hapoel Be'er Sheva. They scored three goals in extra time at the end of the second leg.

After their Champions League trip to Old Trafford, Sabah will face league phase fixtures against Slavia Prague, Borussia Dortmund, Viking, Barcelona, Villarreal, Napoli and Arsenal.

Dreaming a Premier League dream is a noble aim for players succeeding in the academies of its clubs, but simply carving out a career in the game is difficult enough in its own right.

In that context, taking a step back to line up a step forward is standard procedure in the actuality of a good football career.

Developing players capable of standing out in the Championship and pushing towards the top division is just another way for Premier League-level academies to prove their mettle. Whether or not there’s any prospect of players reaching the first team, managing their progress is part of the academy job.

Six goal contributions in six Championship appearances

In June, West Bromwich Albion signed 20-year-old attacking midfielder Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Chelsea.

Born in the ‘P’ part of the sprawling BCP conurbation that comprises Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Morgan joined Chelsea at the age of eight but spent six years in the middle of his junior football back on the south coast at Southampton before returning to Surrey.

As Chelsea plotted his future away from Stamford Bridge, he was loaned to Gillingham in League Two in January 2025 and again to League One side Peterborough United for the majority of last season.

He scored at a rate better than once every three matches in the third tier. He’s been even more dangerous in his first month or so in the second, where he is in the early weeks of a four-year contract with the West Midlands club.

Morgan was fortunate to be on the pitch on the night Albion went top of the Championship with a remarkable 1-0 win at Derby County. The young forward kicked out at Watford’s Albert Eames in the previous match but was on hand do a different side of his job after his team went down to 10 men in the first half at Pride Park.

He’s out-scoring his xG and making chances for his teammates, and Morgan’s early-season numbers make for encouraging reading. After six second-tier games, he has three goals and three assists. He’s Albion’s leader on both measures.

It’s easy to see where the productivity comes from. Morgan focuses on doing the right things and being in the right places when he can’t be directly involved. If he sees a run, he runs it. He’s not shy about demanding the ball either.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Albion’s goal at Pride Park came out of nowhere. Callum Styles carried the ball outside the left flank of the Derby box and was fouled.

It was in the back of the net in the blink of an eye, and it was Morgan who took up the baton to fire a pass in for Aune Heggebo to prod home.

But with Albion a man down and Heggebo withdrawn at the break, Morgan had to show the effects of the toughening up provided by the bottom two tiers over the past 18 months.

The England Under-20 international played up front on his own in the second half, a thankless task at the best of times.

In his first interview with West Brom’s media team, Morgan acknowledged that his time at Gillingham and Peterborough had taught him how to be robust and relentless, characteristics that overtook goals and assists when debutant Brayann Pereira was sent off after 34 minutes.

‘Just keep using your body, be stronger’

Morgan’s performance might have gone unheralded at the front of a rearguard action but the three free kicks he won while protecting the ball earned him the adulation of the travelling Baggies in the corner.

While the former Chelsea player’s ability to lead the line in difficult circumstances is surely a product of his practised robustness, Morgan’s manager is keen that his more recent work is recognised too.

“I think it’s the work he’s done in pre-season as well, and the confidence he’s getting from his performances,” Albion boss James Morrison tells FourFourTwo.

“We said at half time, he’s going to have to try to buy fouls by really using his body. We said, ‘Just keep using your body. Be stronger.’

“I felt like with [Morgan] up there, with his trickery, we might get ourselves up the pitch.”

The new signing certainly made his presence felt. In the first six games with his new club, Morgan is not only making Albion’s recruitment look good, but Chelsea’s decisions about his development too.

At 20, he has both a strong academy background and progress through the divisions already under his belt. That he’s taken the Championship in stride bodes well.

Yes, you're reading that correctly.

Footballers are known for rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of the celebrity world, but these connections usually come about after they've made it big on the pitch.

In Dion Dublin's case, the former Aston Villa marksman has a Hollywood claim to fame from back when when he was merely a teenager and youth team player.

Dion Dublin reveals historic Jason Statham friendship

The 'Homes Under The Hammer' star tells FourFourTwo: "Jason Statham was best friends with my brother, who was a DJ in Great Yarmouth when I was a young player at Norwich City, so I lived with him. Jason played the drums. My brother played bass, too, so they played in a band together.

"I was a 17-year-old boy who would go and watch their band then I’d go watch my brother’s DJ sets with Jason, then me and J would go out after. It was good fun. Very chilled out."

Statham is, of course, known for his roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Transporter and Mean Machine and has developed a reputation as an on-screen hard-man over the past 25 years.

But, Dublin says that wasn't always his old flatmate's persona.

"I’ve not spoken to him for years but the Jason I knew back then was a very nice, very fun guy. He used to be a high board diver for Great Britain, too, and there was a big leisure complex on the sea front at Great Yarmouth so J used to go down sometimes and do his practice on the high board in the pool down there.

"His dad was a singer too. His brother Lee used to work on the markets as well. Jason used to work on the markets with him too so he’s done everything. I think he's deserved everything he’s achieved."

While Dublin, two years Statham's junior, saw his career take him to Cambridge United in 1988 and then the Premier League with Manchester United a few years later, it was another 10 years before Statham's acting really took off, eventually taking him Stateside.

"Would I fancy moving to Hollywood to follow in Jason Statham’s footsteps?" Dublin says. "The property is too expensive!

"I’d love to go out there and give it a go though. Imagine that. Dion Dublin, action hero! I suppose I’ve tried everything else, haven't I? I’d throw my hat in the ring for that if they’d give us a job."

Dublin was speaking to FourFourTwo on behalf of Reviant.

Watch Manchester United vs Sabah for free as the Red Devils return to the Champions League after two seasons away with this league phase opener against the Azerbaijani minnows. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Michael Carrick led United back into Europe's elite club competition with a brilliant end to last term, but they have endured a mixed start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Sabah are the great unknowns of this season's Champions League and will play at Old Trafford just nine years and two days after they were founded, marking a historic night in the Azerbaijani outfit's history.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Manchester United vs Sabah in the Champions League online, on TV, and from anywhere, including for free.

Can I watch Manchester United vs Sabah for free?

Manchester United vs Sabah is free to watch in Ireland on RTE Player with linear coverage available on RTE2.

Not in Ireland? You need a VPN to access your free Manchester United vs Sabah stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Manchester United vs Sabah from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Manchester United vs Sabah. 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 Manchester United vs Sabah in the UK

Manchester United vs Sabah will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK.

The game will be shown on TNT Sports 1, with kick-off at 8pm BST.

Outside of the UK? Watch Manchester United vs Sabah on TNT Sports with NordVPN.

How to watch Manchester United vs Sabah in the US

US viewers can watch Manchester United vs Sabah on Paramount+, with kick-off at 3pm ET.

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

How to watch Manchester United vs Sabah in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Manchester United vs Sabah on Stan Sport.

Not in Australia? You need NordVPN to watch Manchester United vs Sabah on Stan Sport.

Manchester United vs Sabah: Preview

Manchester United fans will savour the moment when the iconic Champions League music rings out at Old Trafford before their league phase opener against Sabah.

It will be the first time in nearly three years that the Red Devils have played in the competition, but they are not the continental force they once were.

That has been evident in the opening few weeks of the Premier League season, in which United have lost 2-0 at promoted Hull City and drawn 2-2 against Everton, putting manager Michael Carrick under a hint of pressure despite his sensational impact after arriving midway through last term.

The Red Devils will be expected to beat Sabah comfortably, but it's the sort of night where even a convincing win is seen as par for the course - and anything less raises serious questions.

SEE ALSO How to watch Champions League 2026/27

Sabah didn't even exist when United last won a European trophy - and that was only nine years ago.

The Red Devils' Europa League triumph in May 2017 arrived four months before the Azerbaijani club were formed, so their journey over the past decade has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Sabah won their country's top flight for the first time last season, as well as lifting the Azerbaijan Cup for the second campaign in a row, before fighting through four rounds of qualifiers to reach the league phase of the Champions League.

Their fixtures also include games against Arsenal, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in what will be a fairy-tale for the club and their Lithuanian manager, Valdas Dambrauskas, who took his first steps in coaching at Manchester United's Soccer Schools. Tonight, he will coach against the Red Devils as their equal.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Manchester United 3-0 Sabah

This should be about as straightforward as it gets for United on their return to Europe's top table.

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.

Liverpool winger Bradley Barcola started for the first time in the Reds' 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcola was on the pitch for all three goals as Liverpool came back from a goal down to win their opening match in the league phase of this season's Champions League.

After an hour, the France international received treatment and had to be substituted. He was replaced by fellow new signing Victor Munoz as part of a double change, and Andoni Iraola's men went on to bank the three points.

Is Bradley Barcola available to play against Fulham?

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, when former Reds man Alvaro Arbeloa takes his Fulham team to Anfield in search of their first points of the season.

Asked about Barcola's status after the comeback victory over Atleti on Wednesday, Iraola shared the prognosis with reporters.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

"It is just cramp, there is no injury," confirmed the new Reds boss.

"With Bradley, it's about building his physical condition. We don't really know - or we didn't know until now, probably - how much he can play because he hasn't had any minutes in pre-season for PSG.

"He played 30 the other day [and] today we had some question marks, how many minutes he can give us and probably now we know."

Left-back Milos Kerkez was also substituted at the end of the Champions League opener. Iraola revealed that he was also suffering from cramp.

"I think I always want to do subs because of this, because you've given everything, you don't have any more, perfect," he said.

Liverpool now have a better understanding of Barcola's levels of match fitness but both he and Kerkez are expected to be available to play a part in Saturday's Premier League fixture against Fulham.

The Merseyside team are one of eight yet to be beaten in the Premier League in the first three games of the season. They beat Ipswich Town at Portman Road in their last league outing after back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

Fulham have lost all three, including a pair of 3-2 losses against Chelsea and Crystal Palace. They led twice in their last match against the Eagles.

The league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League started on Tuesday, September 8 with wins for AEK Athens and Aston Villa in the early time slot.

Villa qualified for European football's premier club competition twice over, backing up a top-four finish in the Premier League with victory in the Europa League final in May.

But with a staggered schedule now customary in the league phase era of the three big continental tournaments, when do this season's Europa League and Conference League matches begin?

When does the Europa League start?

The league phase of the Europa League will kick off on Tuesday, September 16 and concludes with 18 fixtures at once on Monday, January 28 – a Bank Holiday in the UK.

Sunderland will be the first English team to play in the Europa League proper this season. Their league phase campaign begins with the visit of AZ on opening night.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

Bournemouth get started the next day, when they face Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, and it's also a Wednesday start for Crystal Palace at home against Lech Poznan.

Scottish champions Celtic welcome Ferencvaros to Glasgow for their first league phase fixture on Wednesday, September 17.

The Europa League will have eight rounds of league phase fixtures. The first six will be played before Christmas, while matchdays seven and eight will again be played in the last two weeks of January.

A play-off round will add eight teams to the top eight from the league phase, populating a round of 16 to be played in March.

The final will be played in Frankfurt on Wednesday, May 26.

When does the Conference League start?

The 36 teams competing in this season's Conference League must wait another month before their first matchday.

All 18 matchday one fixtures will be played on Thursday, October 15 – the same night as the second round of Europa League matches after a full slate in the Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Brighton & Hove Albion will play at home against Kauno Zalgiris of Lithuania in their first match, while Hearts host Denmark's Nordsjaelland.

Conference League participants only play six league phase matches, the last of which will take place on Thursday, December 17. The finalists will meet in Istanbul in early June.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi gathered the few points needed to keep the team in the Premier League after he was appointed near the end of last season, but 2026/27 has got off to a miserable start.

Spurs are winless and goalless after their first three Premier League matches. Losses against Brentford and Newcastle United preceded a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

After spending a reported £313 million on new signings in the summer transfer window, albeit offset by some big sales, it's been an alarming return to the kind of results that put Spurs in relegation trouble last season.

Mykhailo Mudryk's training ground injury gives Spurs a problem

The North London club made a number of eye-catching acquisitions over the summer but one of the most surprising moves of all was a season-long loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk.

De Zerbi has long been an advocate of the Ukraine international, a player he tipped for a Ballon d'Or-worthy future when they were together at Shakhtar Donetsk. He certainly saw the best of Mudryk, who was genuinely exciting in the Champions League group stage in 2021/22.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

The 25-year-old signed for Chelsea in January 2023 but struggled to live up to the expectations set by the previous season, and there was worse to come.

Mudryk was provisionally banned in December 2024 after failing a drugs test. Eventually, he was formally issued with a four-year ban that would have seen him out of action until the end of 2028. He appealed, and the charge was dropped in July.

The Forest match was Mudryk's first competitive appearance for nearly two years. Clearly, there's an element of risk that comes with that – De Zerbi and Spurs absorbed that risk from Chelsea and now find themselves paying an injured player.

Mudryk could miss the next two months after sustaining an ankle injury in training this week.

"The 25-year-old is understood to have sustained the injury on Monday and is currently believed to be in protective boot," reports BBC Sport.

"The injury coincides with a three-week international break and a return in October is considered a realistic prospect."

Mudryk's injury leaves Spurs paying for a player who is missing not only for a couple of months but at a time when he needed to be working his way back to match fitness and getting up to speed with De Zerbi's methods as he aims to turn Spurs around.

It's one of the most important seasons of Mudryk's career, too. His injury is a bitter blow at a crucial juncture.

As recently as 2019, the lakeside club were playing in Serie D. Tonight, they make their debut in Europe's leading club competition at home to RB Leipzig.

Led by Cesc Fabregas, Como were underdogs when they entered Serie A in 2024 – Dennis Wise had been CEO, but left that summer.