Key events
West Ham host Wolves in what some cruel online wags are dubbing ‘el Sackico’. The Hammers manager, Julen Lopetegui, has been under near-constant pressure this season but is taking things game by game. “Our main aim to be ready, to compete in the next challenge we have on Monday,” he has told the press this afternoon.
Mikel Arteta speaks to the media
A soft-soap opener: how does he feel about his team being labelled ‘the corner kings’? “We want to be the kings of everything, best attack, defence, pressing, best academy, best players, best coaches.” On Fulham: “We lost five points against them last season, it’s a big challenge. Always a tough place to go.”
Arteta is unsure whether Gabriel or Riccardo Calafiori will be fit in time to feature at Craven Cottage. He’s also been impressed with Jurrien Timber, who is filling in for injured colleagues: “He’s come in from a long-term injury, ACL, we knew the talent that he has. He gives us something very different and his impact has been huge.”
Fulham host Arsenal on Sunday, having beaten Brighton 3-1 and lost 4-1 to Wolves in their last two home league games. Marco Silva will run the rule over his players’ fitness this afternoon after last night’s win, but Reiss Nelson – who is ineligible for Sunday’s game anyway – will miss the next couple of games with a hamstring injury.
If you’re on your lunch break, why not have a go at our sports quiz of the week?
I’m curious about this expanded Club World Cup – it seems a ludicrous extravagance to me, but am aware the previous iteration meant a lot more to clubs outside Europe. Is anyone out there excited for it? There are some intriguing fixtures (Bayern v Boca Juniors sounds fun) but I fear it’ll have a seriously pre-season vibe with the calendar so packed already.
Coming up soon: Julen Lopetegui, Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola. The latter two managers have found out their Club World Cup opponents for next summer; we’ll see if either has anything to say about player burnout today.
Here’s an insight into Premier League managers’ hot beverage habits. Twenty cups of tea, Gary? Twenty? That’s insane.
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Staying with England internationals at struggling second-tier sides, here’s Wayne Rooney, under pressure at Plymouth: “I’m a fighter, I’m going to lead us and be an example to players,” he said before Argyle host Oxford tomorrow. “I’m loving the job, we’ve had good days, bad days. Hoping to lead the team to some better days.”
Frank Lampard is settling in as the new Coventry manager, and will take his team to Millwall on Saturday afternoon. “I still have the same belief in the squad after a week, it’s a good group, we’ve had a good week’s work, I’m starting to get to know them. It’s a talented group, not really reflected [in results] so I want to see progression.”
“I wonder how many goals Ian Rush might tuck away if he played in the current Liverpool team,” writes Tim Woods. “I’ll go out on a limb and wager it might be a couple more than our current number nine.”
Everton host Liverpool for what may well be the final time at Goodison Park on Saturday. The club are due to move into their new waterfront stadium next season, but worrying clips emerged of water running down steps and concourses amid heavy rain on Merseyside. Everton have played down concerns, telling the Liverpool Echo that a new drainage system, yet to be installed, will prevent repeat incidents.
Here are this weekend’s Premier League fixtures as the match weeks pile up, reducing fantasy football teams to dust.
Saturday (3pm unless stated)
Everton v Liverpool (12.30pm)
Aston Villa v Southampton
Brentford v Newcastle
Crystal Palace v Manchester City
Manchester United v Nottingham Forest (5.30pm)
Sunday (2pm unless stated)
Fulham v Arsenal
Ipswich v Bournemouth
Leicester v Brighton
Tottenham v Chelsea (4.30pm)
Monday
West Ham v Wolves (8pm)
In the WSL, more Chelsea injury news: Sonia Bompastor has confirmed striker Sam Kerr will remain sidelined until at least February. The Australia forward sustained an ACL injury in training last January. “We are looking to maybe have her back with us February, March, not before that,” said the Chelsea manager, who is also without Lauren James until the new year.
I’ve been enjoying this series – and would love to hear your club’s best five-a-side team, whether Italian or otherwise. You can email me here.
‘I won fairly’, Mourinho tells Guardiola
Earlier this week, Pep Guardiola mentioned José Mourinho in his pre-game press conference, and to nobody’s surprise, Mourinho has hit back after Guardiola pointed out he has won twice as many Premier League titles as his former rival.
“He won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly,” said Mourinho, now in charge at Fenerbahce. “If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent because he was better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 lawsuits.”
The Spurs manager adds that Ben Davies won’t feature against Chelsea after a hamstring injury last night. Cristian Romero, out since November, is back in training. “We’ve done well against the teams at the top of the table,” Postecoglou says. “It’s always a tough game against them but we are at home, and we need to produce a performance like those games [against top teams].”
On the bigger picture: “I’m here, I’m going to fight to bring success to this football club, nothing changes. Where there’s doubt, internally or externally, that just makes my resolve stronger to get things right. The supporters will feel what they feel, whether they see what we’re trying to do or not, I can’t change that without evidence on the pitch. It’s up to me that they do see that.”
Postecoglou: “The disappointment last night is a repeat of the cycle of us going into games, starting well but letting the opposition get into it by conceding sloppy goals, or not taking chances. There’s not a lot of opportunity to rest and rotate players … [but] we’ve repeatedly shot ourselves in the foot in games this season.”
Postecoglou ‘taking feedback on board’
“We got back at 2am, not much time for reflection. A disappointing night, and we’ve got work to do,” says Postecoglou. On fans expressing their discontent after the 1-0 loss at Bournemouth, he says: “They aren’t behind me, they are behind the club. I have got no interest in who is behind me.”
“Last night you have to figure the fans who travel to Bournemouth are fairly hardcore supporters. They weren’t happy with what they saw and they felt like they needed to give some feedback. I took the feedback on board and we move on.”
Thanks, Dave. We’ll start off with Ange Postecoglou, who’s back in front of the press around 14 hours after rowing with away fans down at the Vitality Stadium.
And on that, I’ll hand over to Niall McVeigh to take you through the afternoon.
And for balance, here’s Ian Rush’s hat-trick in Liverpool’s 5-0 win at Goodison in 1982. Note the similar kit to this year’s. A good omen?
It’s the Merseyside derby this weekend, the 245th if you’ve been counting.
A little surprisingly given Liverpool’s recent dominance of the fixture, the win count is 41 each at Goodison, the Blues drawing level with a 2-0 win last season, their first at home since 2010.
Here’s a famous Everton win from the vaults, along with the famous aftermath. Pick that out Ray Clemence.
First Trent Alexander-Arnold said it and now Cole Palmer has his eyes on the ultimate individual prize – winning the Ballon d’Or.
This was TAA a few weeks ago: “I want to be the first full-back to ever do it.”
This is Palmer talking on the recent Men In Blazers podcast: “Ballon d’Or, that’s what everyone wants to win. I wish.”
Was this always the case? Is it a sign of ambition or slightly skewed priorities?
Or is it just a way of securing a future move to Real Madrid?
Palmer finished 25th in the race to be named the best player in the world for 2024, with Manchester City’s Rodri claiming the prize.
Lauren James has missed Chelsea’s last eight games due to a calf problem and boss Sonia Bompastor expects her to remain out of action until the new year.
Bompastor told a press conference on Friday: “LJ is progressing really well with her rehab.
“I think it will be difficult to see her before the end of the year. We still have a small hope on that, so we’ll see. But I’m more expecting her being able to play with us in January.
“She’s in a good position mentally, physically progressing. I saw her on the pitch, she is starting to run, she has started to touch the ball. So it’s a good signal and she will be fresh in January for sure.”
Chelsea have certainly coped well without her, winning all eight games in the WSL this season and 12 out of 12 in total.
And that dominance has prompted this…
A bit more from Eddie Howe, this time concerning team news for Newcastle’s trip to play Brentford at Fortress Gtech on Saturday.
“There were some tired bodies in the team,” admitted Howe after the Magpies played out a blood-and-thunder 3-3 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday.
“Anthony Gordon was fatigued at the end of his performance and naturally when you empty like that and you give so much to the game, there’s going to be a hit.
“Alex[ander Isak] worked extremely hard and he was tired at the end of the game, so our job is to refuel the group and go again in what is a great opportunity for us.”
Kieran Trippier, who missed the Liverpool game due to illness, is likely to be included in the travelling squad.
Eddie Howe has admitted he “can’t guarantee” that Newcastle will not sell more players in the January transfer window in order to comply with Premier League spending rules.
The Magpies were forced to offload Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in the summer to ensure they did not fall foul of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and face a possible points deduction.
And speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brentford, Howe hinted that more movement is likely next month as the club continue to work within the parameters of a system he recently criticised as “not right”.
Howe said: “The days when teams don’t sell players, unless your revenue streams are so big, are gone. So I think our revenue streams aren’t where we want them to be.
“We are trying to grow them, so I think trading in and out is going to be essential. Hopefully it’s not going to be players that we are forced to sell like we were in that situation (in the summer) with a couple of days of deadlines approaching.
“Hopefully it’s a more stable setting but you can’t guarantee anything. Nothing is absolutely fixed and there will be lots of twists and turns.”
(PA Media)
In our latest Moving the Goalposts newsletter, Esther Appiah-Fei looks at how a luxury tax on foreign sanitary pads is tainting the experience of some players and harming their progress in Ghana’s Premier League.
Tom Garry
Lauren Hemp’s knee surgery was a success but it remains too early to say when she will return to full fitness, although the Manchester City head coach, Gareth Taylor, has sought to ease concerns on the injury’s severity.
Taylor confirmed it was Hemp’s meniscus (knee cartilage) that had required treatment in November, rather than a longer-term recovery timeframe such as an ACL, when asked whether Hemp’s injury was likely to be season-ending.
“It was a meniscus injury,” he said. “Straight away when you hear ‘knee surgery’, I think everyone thinks of the worst which is ACL, so no, she did it in the game against Crystal Palace and played in the Spurs game [after that], which probably tells you it wasn’t anything significant but it is obviously significant enough for her to miss this run of games.
“The surgery was really successful, that’s the positive news. It was just an issue she had that needed taking care of, similar in a way to Viv’s [Vivianne Miedema’s].
“It’ll [Hemp’s return] be the new year, there’s no doubt; there’s no way we’re going to see her in this next run of four games. Hopefully the closer that is to new year, the better for us.
“Of course, with someone like Lauren, they have hugely quick recovery powers. She’s aligned with what she needs to do to get strong and ready and having her back would be amazing.”
Taylor also confirmed that Hemp’s fellow England winger, Chloe Kelly, would miss Sunday’s visit of Leicester City while she concludes concussion protocols.
Justin Kluivert scored a hat-trick of penalties for Bournemouth at Wolves last weekend – a first for the Premier League. But who was the last player to do it in the English top flight? The Knowledge knows.
Measuring how much pressure a manager is under can often be detected by subtle changes in the English language. Elongating to full, formal titles and third person-speak are the usual giveaways, such as this from an ex-Leicester boss: “Micky Adams needs to get back into the habit of winning football matches.”
I fear Wolves boss Gary O’Neill is going the same way. Here he is talking ahead of Monday’s clash with West Ham.
“Wolverhampton Wanderers needs to stay in the Premier League regardless of whether there are seven managers in this season or whether it’s me that takes it the whole way through. We need to find a way to keep this football club in the Premier League, that’s all that matters.”
West Ham United’s manager, Mr Julen Lopetegui, is also vulnerable of course. Monday night is a big one for these two Premier League clubs – West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Brentford’s home form is one of the great things of the 2024/25 season. The Bees have played seven times at the Gtech, won six, drawn one and lost none. Their tally of home points, 19, is the best in the Premier League as is their tally of home goals, 22. The next visitors are Newcastle and the Brentford boss, Thomas Frank, has heaped praise on his oppositie number.
Frank said: “This season I think they are back to the high level of two years ago. I don’t think they’ve been rewarded enough with points and results.
“If I see their games, they were brilliant at home to Arsenal, brilliant at home to Liverpool, very good away to Chelsea – unlucky not to get something out of the game. Home to West Ham, they absolutely dominated them.
“So, I think it’s an Eddie Howe team that is up to its best and so it is going to be a big test for us. This will be the biggest test that we’ve faced at home so far this season.”
Both teams have 20 points so far, Brentford (11th) just nudging ahead of Newcastle (12th) on goal difference.
Exciting 2025 Club World Cup news as Messi’s Inter Miami are doing something or other and Man City have been drawn with Wydad AC and Al Ain. In the group stage. Next summer. Read all about it or read Philippe Auclair’s piece on all this shenanigans.
The 100 best female footballers in the world 2024. Here’s the third instalment of our annual ranking. Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor and Lauren James all feature as we move up to 11th.
Tom Garry
The England midfielder Ella Toone will remain sidelined with a calf injury until at least the start of 2025, the Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner has said.
Toone has been absent since sustaining the injury in mid-November and missed England’s recent friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
Manchester United have two more league fixtures before the Women’s Super League enters its winter break and Skinner said of Toone: “We’re hoping she’s back and ready for selection for the early games in January, to face Man City [19 Jan] and so on.
“Her return to play will be scheduled. That’s when we’re looking to get her back. She’s missed it, she loves playing football to her core.”
Skinner also revealed that his team’s Norway midfielder Lisa Naalsund will similarly be out until the winter break, but that the Norway striker Elisabeth Terland is available for Sunday’s WSL meeting with Liverpool.
Anyway, forget the top four, let’s take a moment to pay tribute to Fulham and Alex Iwobi.
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Fulham are sixth in the table after beating Brighton 3-1 last night.
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Alex Iwobi (4) has now scored twice as many goals as Erling Haaland (2) in the last six Premier League games.
A report here on how Iwobi’s double lifted the Cottagers into the top six.
So to this weekend’s Premier League fixtures. Fun fact: the top four all face away trips.
Saturday
12.30 Everton v Liverpool
15.00 Aston Villa v Southampton
15.00 Brentford v Newcastle
15.00 Crystal Palace v Man City
17.30 Man Utd v Nottingham Forest
Sunday
14.00 Fulham v Arsenal
14.00 Ipswich v Bournemouth
14.00 Leicester v Brighton
16.30 Spurs v Chelsea
Monday
20.00 West Ham v Wolves
The Premier League table is starting to take shape now with a very clear and obvious top four.
And to complete a good midweek for the chasing pack, even Manchester City managed to win. After fever dream form of LLLLLDL, Pep finally got a W thanks to a 3-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest. They’re now nine off the pace after a game that saw them double their season’s goal difference to +6.
Arsenal also pulled to within seven of Liverpool after scoring twice from corners in their 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday night. That ended Ruben Amorim’s three-game unbeaten start as Old Trafford boss. The Portuguese had said prior to the Emirates clash: “The storm will come. We are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games.” This was one of them.
Are Chelsea in the title race or not really? Their 5-1 win at Southampton says yes and while you read the report of that one and ponder if they have it in them to win the Premier League, enjoy a picture of the week contender: the lovely blue tones of Christopher Nkunku blowing up a balloon after he scored Chelsea’s second.
Liverpool’s lead at the top was cut to seven points after their thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday night. Conceding a 90th-minute equaliser is always going to hurt – just punch it Caoimhin! – but at least Arne Slot made some promising noises about Mo Salah signing a new contract after the Egyptian continued his ridiculously good form with two goals and an assist.
And now for Coleen, who has made quite a mark during her time on I’m A Celeb. She’s second favourite with the bookies by the way. Feature here:
Let’s take you into Rooney world and we’ll start with Wayne, who is coming to terms with recent 6-1 (Norwich) and 4-0 (Bristol City) losses which left Plymouth 21st place in the Championship. Their away form shows two points from a possible 30; the Pilgrims’ goal difference on the road is -24.
However, Plymouth owner Simon Hallet told a fans forum this week that “there are no conversations going on about replacing Wayne” and, to be fair, Rooney’s side have been pretty decent at Home Park with just one defeat in eight matches. A good time then for Plymouth to have back-to-back home matches. The first is against Oxford, who are also winless on the road.
Ange is sucking it up after Tottenham’s miserable defeat at Bournemouth. It ended 1-0 but could have easily been three of four. “You’ve got to cop it,” he growled later. Here’s the reaction as Spurs’ highly miffed fans let him know what they thought.
Preamble
A midweek round of Premier League games is a great opportunity for teams to make a decisive move up the table or, alternatively, for fans to get even more narked and the narkiest of the lot after MD 14 are Tottenham’s after their side served up a heap of piling dung, mate in a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth. That’s one point from six in games against Fulham and the Cherries for Spurs since they mistakenly raised expectation levels with the 4-0 gubbing of Manchester City at the Etihad. What does Ange have to say? We’ll bring you reaction to that and all the manager press conferences and team news as the day goes on.
Leaders Liverpool face another tough away test following their 3-3 draw at Newcastle when they take on Everton in the last ever Merseyside derby at Goodison before the Blues move to their new stadium. Another slip and the hooves of chasers Arsenal and Chelsea might just start to rattle that bit louder.
The Premier League fixture list is rounded off on Monday night with a cracking edition of ‘managers under pressure’ featuring Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham take on Gary O’Neil’s Wolves. You wouldn’t want to be the loser in that one. And staying on the theme of reality TV, how’s Coleen getting on in the jungle (yes, we have a feature!) while hubby Wayne is compiling one of the worst away records a football league team has ever seen. Will Plymouth decide to get him out of there?
All will be revealed. Let’s get this thing on.
