Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig may miss back-to-back seasons after his injured knee required a second surgery, a significant blow for his team.
Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Bournemouth take on leaders Arsenal on Saturday while Manchester City host Chelsea in Sunday’s big game
Saturday 12.30pm Sky Sports Premier League Venue Villa Park
Continue reading...Crystal Palace seal club-record £35m Brennan Johnson transfer from Spurs
Manager Glasner pleased club got deal done swiftly
Johnson says he is ‘super excited’ to make move
Oliver Glasner credited Crystal Palace’s hierarchy for completing the signing of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for a club record £35m on the second day of the transfer window.
The Wales forward has a four-and-a-half-year deal and is expected to be part of Palace’s squad that will face Newcastle on Sunday. Glasner has made no secret of his desire to bolster the FA Cup winners after a demanding debut campaign in Europe and has criticised Palace’s lack of preparedness in previous transfer windows. But the Austrian manager said he was delighted with the signing of the 24-year-old after Palace saw off competition from Bournemouth.
Continue reading...Sunderland 0-0 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened
Pep Guardiola’s team could find no way past Sunderland at a rowdy Stadium of Light
Regis Le Bris also spoke to Sky: “A few weeks ago we struggled because they were really good and efficient through their counter pressing. I hope we learnt the lesson but it will be another experience at home with another energy so we’ll see.”
Pep Guardiola has been speaking to Sky: “Tough place and it means that anyone could win here. Hopefully we can perform. Josko [Gvardiol] had a few niggles, an incredible run of playing every three days and Savinho has speed and is fresh.
Continue reading...Tom Cairney earns Fulham a point at Crystal Palace with late leveller
It’s a strange quirk of this fixture that the away side hasn’t lost for the last 10 Premier League meetings between Crystal Palace and Fulham, with substitute Tom Cairney’s late equaliser ensuring that streak goes on.
Only a brilliant save in added time from Dean Henderson and a glaring miss from former Palace player Joachim Andersen denied Marco Silva’s side all the points after falling behind to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first goal from open play since 1 November. But Oliver Glasner was still bitterly disappointed that his team couldn’t end a sequence of six games without a victory in all competitions after running out of steam again in their 31st match of the season. “We are a little bit in survival mode,” admitted the Palace manager, whose team now faces three games in the space of seven days.
Continue reading...Ipswich rise into Championship’s top two as rivals Coventry and Boro slip up
Philogene and Akpom goals secure 2-1 win over Oxford
Charlton hold Coventry 1-1; Derby upset Middlesbrough
Ipswich climbed into the automatic promotion places in the Championship following a 2-1 victory over struggling Oxford.
Their success came via first-half goals from leading scorer Jaden Philogene and Chuba Akpom, while Will Lankshear replied for the visitors. Ipswich moved a point above Middlesbrough after they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Derby, while Oxford remain three points from safety.
Continue reading...What I have learned from watching all 20 Premier League teams this season | John Brewin
Set pieces on the rise, fans transformed to customers and conspiracies seen in every decision – is football losing its fun?
English football has always mirrored the passions, conflicts, identities and inequalities of the age. After the golden 1960s, the decay of the 1970s and ensuing disasters of the 1980s came the cap-sleeved, rebounding self-confidence of the 1990s. The 21st century so far has taken in globalisation and wanton commercialism. After that rabid, often reckless push for continued growth, society and the game alight on the uncertainties that encapsulated 2025.
To catch the 20 Premier League clubs in live action this season, and this writer completed the full set on Tuesday witnessing Arsenal’s second-half demolition of Aston Villa, has been a study in that uncertainty. From the grumbling of fans, to the ever-fragile egos of managers, to players slugging through the gristle of 90 minutes of hard-pressing slog, a leading question comes to mind: is anyone actually still enjoying this?
Continue reading...Police step in at Roar v Mariners after half-time clash in A-League Men game
Brisbane coach’s red card ignites drama on New Year’s Eve
Central Coast coach Warren Moon calls opposition disgraceful
Central Coast interim coach Warren Moon has labelled the conduct of Brisbane’s staff an embarrassment and a disgrace, revealing even police had to get involved at half-time of the Roar’s drama-filled 2-1 win.
Brisbane forward Justin Vidic headed home a 92nd-minute winner to spark wild celebrations, but it was the drama earlier in the A-League Men match that stole all the headlines.
Continue reading...From Matildas magic to Winter Olympic wonders: Australia’s sporting highlights for 2026
Football captures the imagination, Formula One and tennis hopes rise – our writers pick the Australian sport moments to watch this year
Whether you want sun or snow, football or tennis, home-soil heroes or intrepid contenders – there is something for every Australian on the 2026 sporting calendar. Guardian Australia’s sport team have selected the events they are most looking forward to in 2026, at home and abroad.
Continue reading...January transfer window 2026: what every Premier League club needs
Aston Villa have a decision to make about Harvey Elliott, Brentford have money to spend and Burnley and Everton need goalscorers
A busy summer with the arrival of more than £250m in reinforcements has proved to be invaluable given the number of injuries that have hit Arsenal, particularly in defence. But that also makes any more expensive incomings unlikely in January, especially after the timely return of the influential Gabriel Magalhães this week. A loan signing or two could be on the cards, however, with Arsenal not having filled either slot so far after bringing in Neto from Bournemouth and Raheem Sterling from Chelsea last season. Mikel Arteta could do with more cover at right-back and must also decide whether to allow Ethan Nwaneri to go on loan with the 18-year-old having made only three starts in all competitions. Ed Aarons
Continue reading...Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa: Premier League – as it happened
Arsenal swatted third-placed Villa aside with a swashbuckling second-half display
3 min: Odegaard tries to release Trossard into the Villa box down the inside-left channel. Clank. Goal kick, so another chance for the home fans to indulge their love of interactive festive theatre.
1 min: Villa work the ball back to their keeper Martinez, formerly of Arsenal. The Argentinian World Cup winner cops the expected abuse. It is pantomime season, to be fair.
Continue reading...Krejci grabs point for Wolves as Manchester United continue to flounder
Manchester United missed eight frontline players so Wolves, who arrived as the Premier League’s bottom team with only two points, seemed ideal opponents. Yet Ruben Amorim’s side struggled – badly – and while Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire headed those unavailable, the display still provokes questions regarding United’s cohesion.
In the contest’s closing phase they were potent only sporadically – as throughout. Their opening-half strike was a fortunate Joshua Zirkzee finish – it rebounded in off Ladislav Krejci.
Continue reading...Ipswich stun leaders Coventry to breathe life into Championship promotion race
Ipswich narrowed the gap on the Championship’s top two with an impressive 2-0 win at Coventry, ending the leaders’ unbeaten home record this season. Jack Clarke opened the scoring after 72 minutes and Wes Burns’ first goal since April 2024 doubled the visitors’ lead 11 minutes later.
The Tractor Boys had started the day 13 points behind Frank Lampard’s team and five behind second-placed Middlesbrough after a run of four away matches without a win.
Continue reading...Lautaro Martínez continues to do the most difficult thing in firing Inter back on top | Nicky Bandini
The Argentinian captain has his critics but is the leader and inspiration behind a team finding their feet again
Leave it to a 20-year-old, with three Serie A starts under his belt, to provide a most perceptive analysis of the Italian top flight as we head into a new year. “The most difficult thing to do in this game,” said Francesco Pio Esposito on Sunday night, “is to stick the ball in the net.”
He was speaking in praise of his Inter teammate, Lautaro Martínez, whom he set up for the decisive goal in a 1-0 win away to Atalanta. Pio Esposito had barely entered as a second-half substitute when he was gifted possession by an opponent, Berat Djimsiti. Instead of taking the chance on himself, he froze the last defender and released Lautaro to score with a side-footed through-ball.
Continue reading...Are Aston Villa genuine title contenders? – Football Weekly podcast
Max Rushden is joined by Jacob Steinberg, Sam Dalling and John Brewin as Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa all win at the top of the Premier League
Continue reading...