European football will resume this week, with fans of various Premier League clubs travelling far and wide in search of two things: three points, and a cheap pint.

Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth faithfuls will embark across the continent to witness their sides play Europa League football, while others will prepare for Champions and Conference League clashes.

LiveScore, using their ‘European Away Day Pint Index,’ analysed 31 trips for Premier League fans travelling across the continent, to find pint prices in the likes of Jablonec and Lillestrom.

Which European away day offers the cheapest pint for travelling Premier League fans?

To begin with, the average European away-day pint sits at £4.34, across all clubs and destinations analysed in the Index.

By looking at each club’s European fixtures as a complete schedule, the fans of two clubs emerge as ready to face, on average, the cheapest and most expensive pints in Europe, respectively.

The lucky fanbase, that of Aston Villa, will purchase pints at an average price of £3.59 across their many European excursions in the Champions League league phase, with their next trip being to Barcelona in early November.

Elsewhere, the wallets of Liverpool supporters will suffer the direst time of any travelling Premier League fanbase, paying, on average, £4.91 per pint. Their next trip will be to Fenerbahce in November.

The Index analysed 31 European away trips for all nine Premier League clubs competing in Europe this season, pricing pints at three fan-friendly bars in each away day destination. As a result, it was able to decipher the average cost of a pint for travelling Premier League supporters.

But what is the cheapest pint available to a supporter travelling across Europe to see their side play? That trophy belongs to Brighton, who can purchase a pint for just £1.22 in Jablonec.

They will be able to enjoy that cheap, tasty beverage when they travel to Jablonec on Thursday for the Seagulls’ next Conference League clash.

Unfortunately for Bournemouth, their supporters will endure a torrid time financially when they land in Lillestrom, with the price of a pint rising to £8.66.

Returning to each club’s full away day schedule, Arsenal fans are the second luckiest bunch after Aston Villa, with the average pint across their European trips costing £3.70.

In third are Brighton, with an average pint purchase being £3.93, then Sunderland at £4.18. Manchester City are next at £4.44, edging out their Manchester rivals on £4.52.

Bournemouth at £4.68, Crystal Palace at £4.80 and, as mentioned earlier, Liverpool at £4.91 complete the bottom three.

Manchester United are in danger of missing out on an Antonio Conte-shaped managerial switch-up, with Juventus now interested in the Italian.

The Red Devils are enduring a tough 2026-27 Premier League campaign, positioned 13th in the English top-flight standings. In Europe, things aren’t much better.

Pressure is now being piled upon Michael Carrick, who led Manchester United to a third-placed finish last season; and if they persist with the Englishman, they could lose out on Conte.

Time is running out for Manchester United in potential Antonio Conte managerial switch-up

Manchester United made unfortunate headlines after suffering a thorough beat-down at the hands of Atletico Madrid last week, after which Lisandro Martinez, whose future at Old Trafford is more uncertain than ever, made incendiary comments about the Red Devils hierarchy.

After a 1-1 draw versus an in-form Leeds United at the weekend, Carrick’s job remains under significant threat, with The Athletic writing that his place in Manchester is “beginning to feel precarious.”

According to reports, Conte, former manager of both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, is linked heavily to take on Carrick’s position at Old Trafford, but time is running out for the Red Devils to see through this potential managerial switch-up.

Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb revealed that Juventus have been ‘alerted’ to his availability, amid a turbulent period for Conte at Napoli.

His side were defeated 1-0 by newly-promoted side Venezia over the weekend, and are positioned ninth in the Serie A standings with 10 points from seven matches.

Elsewhere, at Juventus, Luciano Spalletti’s job is under imminent threat having suffered a 3-0 loss to Lazio at home on Sunday. The club are seventh in the Serie A table, with 11 points.

The publication noted that Conte’s move to Manchester ‘never materialised,’ with the Red Devils’ hesitancy now set to bite them amid interest in the Italian from Juventus.

“The coach is complicating his life with constant experimentation, offering no certainty. He’s playing a complicated game with obscure language, when simplicity is needed,” concluded Tuttomercatoweb.

Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in September, falling in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford, despite leading 2-0 after nine minutes.

The Red Devils return to Champions League action away at Como on Tuesday, then host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, with Carrick’s job under increasing threat, and likely no Conte to step in and steady the Manchester United ship.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City for free from anywhere as Roberto De Zerbi's men hunt their first win of the Premier League season at the seventh time of asking. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Still without a victory to their name, De Zerbi has made some big changes with Tosin Adarabioyo entering the starting line-up alongside Omar Marmoush and Micky van de Ven. Dejan Kulusevski is also fit enough to appear in a matchday squad for the first time since May 2025.

Coventry searching for a third win on the spin have made just the one change with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto starting in place of Ephron Mason-Clark.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City online and from anywhere, including for free, in the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City for FREE

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Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City from anywhere

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How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 8:00pm BST.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in the US

As mentioned above, Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City is live on USA Network in the US, with kick-off at 3:00pm ET.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City on USA Network.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 6:00am AEDT on Tuesday.

Tickets

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City: Preview

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City is the most iconic fixture in Sky Blues history. Spurs were the opponents when the West Midlands club won their only major trophy, triumphing 3-2 after extra-time in the 1987 FA Cup final.

If Coventry were to repeat that result here it would be nigh-on disastrous for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who will see a home game against a promoted club as a huge opportunity to claim their first Premier League victory of the season amd move off the bottom of the table.

To do so, they will need to improve on a frankly abysmal return of three goals in six league games, which makes them the lowest scorers in the top flight.

Spurs did at least show some fight in battling back to claim a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last Saturday, despite being down to 10 men. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended after being sent off at Old Trafford, but Pedro Porro could return and James Maddison looks set to face his boyhood club.

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

Like Tottenham, Coventry failed to score in their first four Premier League games, but Frank Lampard's side have put their slow start behind them.

After claiming a crucial 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest before the international break, the Sky Blues returned to action with an emphatic 4-1 home victory over Newcastle United that sees them head into this game in 16th after Saturday and Sunday's fixtures.

Manager Lampard knows how tough it is to put a winning run together in the Premier League so he will be telling his side to keep the hammer down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a good start could unsettle the home crowd.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden is available for Coventry after returning from injury, while Taiwo Awoniyi is back from a three-match suspension.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City: Team News

Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Robertson, Adarabioyo, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Gray, Tonali, Kudus, Maddison, Marmoush, Solanke.

Subs: Dubravka, Senesi, Davies, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett, Fernandes, Gallagher, Kulusevski, Tel.

Coventry XI: Rushworth, Dasilva, Thomas, Pinnock, Van Ewijk, Grimes, Yirenkyi, Sakamoto, Rudoni, Thomas-Asante, Cherif.

Subs: Bentley, Kesler-Hayden, Mfuni, Onyeka, Torp, Hamer, Mason-Clark, Simms, Awoniyi.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Coventry City

We think the Sky Blues could snatch a point in a low-scoring contest.

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According to reports, Barcelona are pushing strongly to sign club captain and Manchester United record-breaker Bruno Fernandes in the winter transfer window.

The Portuguese superstar, who broke the Premier League assist record in 2025-26 under Michael Carrick, is reportedly frustrated with Man United's current direction and open to a January departure.

Galatasaray are also in the picture, as they gun for an unprecedented fifth successive Super Lig title; however, Barcelona’s emergence could spell trouble for Carrick’s side.

Barcelona emerge as strong contenders in hunt for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ signature

Should Fernandes make the move, he would trade in life at Old Trafford for the chance to win major silverware in Spain, and possibly the Champions League.

Aged 32, the Portuguese star’s hopes of winning football’s biggest prizes appears likely to die in Manchester, and his time to secure such trophies elsewhere in Europe is running out.

According to Fanatik, the 32-year-old has become unhappy at Manchester United, who are currently placed 13th in the Premier League standings, and is pushing to leave Old Trafford in January.

Galatasaray, long-time admirers of Fernandes who previously tried to sign him, are pushing again for the 32-year-old, but will face serious competition from reigning La Liga champions Barcelona.

The Super Lig side, pursuing a fifth consecutive Turkish top-flight title, were beaten 4-0 by Trabzonspor in September, after their rivals secured the services of Mohamed Salah following the World Cup.

The Egyptian, who won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year trophy a year prior to Fernandes’ victory in 2025-26, bagged a hat-trick and notched an assist in that clash. Now, Galatasaray are aiming to bring a PFA victor of their own to Turkey.

However, should Barcelona’s interest remain, it is likely that the 32-year-old will instead opt for a La Liga move, with Hansi Flick’s men displaying clear Champions League-winning potential.

For now, Manchester United face a crucial decision, with Fernandes’ contract expiring next summer ahead of the 2027-28 Premier League season.

The Red Devils do hold an option for another year; however, should their captain wish to depart, it is unlikely that Manchester United will be able to prevent Fernandes from departing to Barcelona in January.

After Lisandro Martinez’s flame-stoking post-match comments, directed at unnamed executives in the Red Devils’ hierarchy, tensions at Old Trafford are boiling over, and things could soon go from bad to worse for Manchester United.

Manchester City are to face a record fine in the Premier League, with relegation to the Championship all but confirmed as a result

That's according to a bombshell new report, following the Citizens being charged with over 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-year period.

Manchester City deny any wrongdoing, not only insisting on their innocence but claiming to have “irrefutable evidence” that will overturn the league's decision following an appeal from the six-time champions.

Manchester City to be slapped with record punishment

Between 2009 and 2018, it has been claimed by the Premier League that not only did City arrange ‘sham’ contracts with commercial partners – “which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties” – and conceal their true financies from auditors and regulators, but the club “committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith”.

The club remain top of the Premier League this season having won all seven of their fixtures in the competition this season, but with a cloud handing over Enzo Maresca's side, Oliver Holt of The Mail has just dropped a report that this season will essentially be for nothing.

“It is unlikely, sources close to the process have told me, that City will face a doomsday scenario of being expelled from the Premier League and forced to start again in League Two at the beginning of next season,” Holt claims.

“It is thought that the Premier League are pressing for City’s punishment to be announced before the result of their appeal, which is unlikely to be decided before the end of January.

“Soundings from insiders suggest the most likely punishment is a swingeing points deduction which will ensure City’s relegation to the Championship, plus a huge fine.

“It is also possible that the punishment would include a further points deduction that would effectively confine City to the Championship for at least one more season.

“The EFL would not be obliged to accept that sanction for one of their clubs, but it is probable that they would.”

With the Premier League title race shaping up as a fight between the likes of City and Arsenal, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Liverpool following, this report is good news for the chasing pack.

City host AEK Athens as Champions League action returns tomorrow night.

Arsenal star Mikel Merino has opened up about the moment that he believed the Gunners would win their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Spaniard picked up a serious injury in January that looked to rule him out of the season, but miraculously fought to play in Arsenal's final league game of the season and earn a place in Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad.

Speaking now to The Player's Tribune, Merino has reflected on his 2026 and cited a reaction after the disappointing draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers as the moment he truly realised that his side would become champions in May.

“In my view, that was the day we won the title” Arsenal's Mikel Merino on Wolves reaction

After going two goals up against Wolves in February, Arsenal conceded a late equaliser, courtesy of a mix-up between David Raya and Gabriel – with Merino claiming that the players sought to repair the damage among themselves to take the strain off manager Mikel Arteta.

“One slip, and all we heard was ‘same old Arsenal,’” Merino said. “To be honest, there were doubts inside the team too. Giving away a 2–0 lead should never happen.

“But the day after the game, the players had a meeting inside the dressing room, without the boss. Everyone spoke up. Nobody talked about tactics. This was about how a group of human beings handle adversity together.

“I spoke about how I saw the team from the outside, and I said that this was something we as players had to handle, because the boss couldn’t do everything for us. When one person has so many tasks at one club, you need leaders who can figure things out on their own.

“Well, at this club, we do. In my view, that was the day we won the title. Even when we lost to Bournemouth and City, that meeting kept us together.”

With social media permeating the inner sanctum of the Gunners' London Colney base, Merino also revealed that his team-mates used the criticism towards them as fuel to end the club's long title drought – including one Manchester City fan who was pictured with an Arsenal bottle.

“We were bottlers. Runners-up. Second, second, second. Boring. Set-piece team. Couldn’t score from open play. Couldn’t handle the pressure. When they questioned our professionalism, we grew even closer,” Merino continued.

“The guy with the bottle on TV? We just laughed. ‘Bantah,’ like the English say.

“The boss was on fire. Every team talk, he reached into our hearts. He spoke about looking out for one another, like a family. The culture we have is thanks to him. Even when the world expected us to collapse, I felt confident that the title would be ours.”

Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, as Champions League action continues at the Allianz Arena.

The FA Cup first round draw is tonight, as League One and League Two sides enter the tournament.

We're back and we're ready to do it all over again, with the greatest cup competition on Earth welcoming 80 teams into the first round proper, including 32 non-league sides daring to dream of a giant-killing run.

So when's it on?

When is the FA Cup first-round draw?

The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 FA Cup takes place on Monday October 19, at around 6:35pm.

The television coverage starts at 6:30pm BST, with the draw itself expected to begin at approximately five minutes later.

How can I watch the FA Cup first-round draw?

The FA Cup first-round draw is live on TNT Sports 1, available to watch on HBO Max, hosted by Matt Smith.

If you don't have TNT Sports, you can always watch the draw live on the TNT Sports YouTube channel.

What are the balls for the FA Cup first-round draw?

1. Accrington Stanley
2. AFC Wimbledon
3. Barnet
4. Barnsley
5. Blackpool
6. Bradford City
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Bromley
9. Burton Albion
10. Cambridge United
11. Cheltenham Town
12. Chesterfield
13. Colchester United
14. Crawley Town
15. Crewe Alexandra
16. Doncaster Rovers
17. Exeter City
18. Fleetwood Town
19. Gillingham
20. Grimsby Town
21. Huddersfield Town
22. Leicester City
23. Leyton Orient
24. Luton Town
25. Mansfield Town
26. Milton Keynes Dons
27. Newport County
28. Northampton Town
29. Notts County
30. Oldham Athletic
31. Oxford United
32. Peterborough United
33. Plymouth Argyle
34. Port Vale
35. Reading
36. Rochdale
37. Rotherham United
38. Salford City
39. Sheffield Wednesday
40. Shrewsbury Town
41. Stevenage
42. Stockport County
43. Swindon Town
44. Tranmere Rovers
45. Walsall
46. Wigan Athletic
47. Wycombe Wanderers
48. York City
49. Harborough Town
50. Chorley or Worcester City
51. Gateshead or Stafford Rangers
52. FC Halifax Town
53. Guiseley
54. Barrow or Gloucester City
55. Marine
56. Scunthorpe United
57. Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads
58. Altrincham or FC United Of Manchester
59. Bury or Harrogate Town
60. Spalding United or Alvechurch
61. AFC Rushden & Diamonds
62. Kidderminster Harriers
63. Carlisle United
64. AFC Fylde
65. Salisbury
66. Sutton United
67. Chesham United or Forest Green Rovers
68. Leatherhead or Yeovil Town
69. Bedford Town or Cray Wanderers
70. Hornchurch
71. Aldershot Town or Tadley Calleva
72. Oxford City
73. Wimborne Town
74. Wealdstone
75. Boreham Wood
76. Eastleigh
77. Berkhamsted FC
78. Sholing
79. Plymouth Parkway
80. Dover Athletic

Lisandro Martinez’s long-term future at Manchester United appears to be dead in the water, with the Argentine planning a swift exit from Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old made headlines for incendiary comments made after the club’s defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, in which he aimed harsh words at the Manchester United hierarchy.

Martinez’s contract with the club expires at the end of the 2026-27 Premier League season; however, the Red Devils do hold an option to extend for a further 12 months.

Lisandro Martinez planning swift exit from Manchester United after incendiary post-match Champions League comments

Following his public criticism of unnamed members of the Manchester United hierarchy, Martinez’s long-term future at Old Trafford is in serious doubt.

As a result, questions have been raised as to whether both the Argentine and Manchester United want their relationship to continue beyond 2027.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Martinez has suggested that he does not see a long-term future at Manchester United beyond the expiration of his contract.

The defender criticised recruitment from the Red Devils this summer, implicitly questioning the work of technical director Jason Wilcox, after a strong first season under Michael Carrick in 2025-26.

The Red Devils finished third under their former player, and secured their return to the Champions League. In Europe, they were played off the park at the Wanda, provoking Martinez’s words.

The Argentine later took to Instagram to clarify that his comments were made out of frustration, and that unity must be achieved at Manchester United going forward.

Elsewhere, Carrick suggested that the matter between the club and Martinez had been handled internally, and that the conflict wouldn’t affect the Red Devils going forward.

Despite this, uncertainty still remains regarding Martinez’s future at Old Trafford - in fact, the possibility of Manchester United extending the Argentine by an additional 12 months is more unlikely than ever.

If the 28-year-old is set in his ways, and does not want to remain a Red Devil, then it is likely he will depart from Old Trafford next summer.

In terms of player options, it is rumoured that Martinez would prefer a move to Spain, with, ironically, Atletico Madrid closely linked to the Argentine.

Sarina Wiegman has signed an extension to remain England women's manager for another two years.

The Dutch head coach was set to leave the Lionesses after next year's World Cup – but after this new deal, she will lead them to a third European Championship in Germany in 2029.

In leading England to the Euros in 2029, Wiegman will be looking to win the tournament for the fourth time in a row, having done it twice with England and once with her native Netherlands.

Sarina Wiegman looking to make history with next two England women's tournaments

“I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football,” Wiegman said after the announcement of the deal.

“Working for a world-class organisation like The FA, and alongside so many people dedicated to winning England teams and the growth of our game, excites me every day.”

England have next year's World Cup in Brazil to look forward to before they turn attentions to another Euros, as runners-up in Australia to Spain three years ago.

The Lionesses recently qualified for the second round of the play-offs to get to the competition next summer, beating Greece 8-1 on aggregate last week to set up a tie with Ukraine.

“My main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup, and helping this squad realise their potential in the years to come,” Wiegman said, adding, “We have an important job to do to confirm our place in Brazil, and hopefully we can do that and give the country another special summer to remember next year.”

Wiegman has overseen a golden era in English women's football since taking over the reins from Phil Neville in September 2021.

The national team triumphed at Wembley Stadium to beat Germany in the final of Euro 2022 to lift the Lionesses' first-ever trophy, before beating the Spanish last summer, as Wiegman became the manager in history – men's or women's – to reach five consecutive major international finals.

Should England reach the World Cup next summer, they will go into the tournament as one of the favourites alongside the likes of Spain and the United States, but with the Lionesses still in transition, it could be the final tournament for a number of familiar faces who have enjoyed recent success under Wiegman.

The draw for the World Cup takes place on December 11 at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the Dutchwoman is looking to become the first coach to win four successive European Championships in 2029, after equalling Christina Theune's record of three with Germany last summer.

Wiegman has a 70 per cent win record as England manager, with 58 victories from 82 fixtures and just 11 losses in her five years in charge.

Liverpool are hoping to plug their centre-of-the-park holes by securing the services of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, setting up a potential reunion with new Reds boss Andoni Iraola.

Currently positioned fifth in the Premier League standings, Liverpool’s midfield, which contains the likes of chronic under-performers in Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister, remains an issue.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, fans of the Reds should “save the name" ahead of the winter transfer window, claiming: "I'm maintaining Alex Scott for 2027."

Liverpool’s pursuit of Alex Scott intensifies ahead of winter transfer window: report

Elsewhere in the Reds’ midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai, the club’s best-performing player in Arne Slot’s dismal last season at Liverpool, is at risk of breaking down, having missed clashes with LASK in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.

Ryan Gravenberch, once a guaranteed starter in Liverpool’s title-winning 2024-25 unit, is also experiencing reduced minutes, with Trey Nyoni stepping in for the Dutchman.

As relayed and added to by TEAMtalk, various clubs are in pursuit of Scott, with Chelsea believing they are in pole position to sign the Englishman.

According to transfer expert Romano, the 23-year-old’s club are open to selling in January, with his departure being a “genuine and serious possibility.”

“After a number of meetings between his agents and Bournemouth, the decision of the club is to change their stance in the January transfer window,” began Romano.

“In the summer, Chelsea tried twice to sign Alex Scott. Arsenal called before signing Bruno Guimaraes. Liverpool called to understand the situation without sending any bid. All the English top clubs [were] trying to understand the situation.

“Chelsea were the more aggressive and Bournemouth told all these clubs that the player is not for sale. The player is going nowhere. Then they wanted Alex Scott to sign a new contract but there was no agreement. Now Bournemouth are open to selling Alex Scott already in the January window.

“So, Scott leaving in January is a genuine and serious possibility, [but] this depends on the proposal. Sources close to Bournemouth believe it has to be, at minimum, £100 million.

“It has to be big money in order to open doors. Let me clarify, Bournemouth could be open to selling if the bid is a good bid, an important bid, and if the player wants to go. So these have to be the conditions.”

It appears that Scott’s exit in January is now a firm possibility, with the Bournemouth table having been reset ahead of approaches from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea this winter.

Should Iraola’s men look to march on in the Champions League, or alert their rivals to a future Premier League title charge, then the Reds’ activity in relation to Scott will be one to monitor.

“They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space,” Danny Murphy said on BBC Match of the Day just hours after Wirtz created nine open-play chances, the most by a single player in a Premier League game since January 2021.

“Instead of a No.10, where Wirtz is struggling to impact games, put three midfielders in.”

It speaks to the hysteria that hangs like smog around Florian Wirtz that he cannot escape criticism even when his creativity sets a five-year Premier League record and inspires Liverpool to a gritty win at Brentford.

Does Wirtz hold the key to a post-Klopp utopia?

It isn’t just the price tag that makes Wirtz a lightning rod. Slight and silky – ‘twinkle-toed’, is the word they would spit back in the day – Wirtz can be guilty of an apologetically light touch, playing with all the charisma of a man excuse-me-ing his way through a mosh pit to get to the toilets.

More than that, Wirtz is the grand symbol of the post-Klopp world that Liverpool are struggling to birth. If only they could tap into his talent, if only his hesitancy fell away, then Liverpool’s identity would emerge.

That might turn out to be true, just not quite how anyone had planned.

In the second half on Saturday, when searching for a plan to break down ten-man Brentford, Andoni Iraola stumbled upon a tactical solution to the Wirtz problem – and it’s disarmingly simple.

When Wirtz rose to prominence at Bayer Leverkusen by contributing 22 goals and assists in consecutive Bundesliga seasons, 2023/24 and 2024/25, he was almost exclusively deployed in a 3-4-3 system as one of two number tens. Just as Xabi Alonso now (usually) deploys Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer together in the middle, it was Alonso who started playing Wirtz with a partner, Jonas Hoffman.

In other words, Wirtz is being played out of position. Perhaps his problems in England have nothing to do with physicality or speed, but formation and positioning. My message to Murphy: they don’t need one less No.10, they need one more.

Liverpool switched to an unusually lopsided 4-2-3-1 after Rio Ngumoha came on, with Rio, nominally on the right, effectively playing as a second number ten alongside Wirtz, a move that overwhelmed Brentford centrally.

It might seem like a minor shift for Wirtz, but the difference between operating alone or as one of two is enormous. That it led directly to both Liverpool goals is all the evidence we need of that.

The equaliser, when Wirtz took a brilliant touch before playing the through-ball to assist Victor Munoz’s goal, was thanks to that more Leverkusen-y shape; Wirtz only had space for the pass because Rio – starting in the middle – was tracked out wide by Mamadou Sangare, pulling the Brentford midfielder out of position:

Liverpool began to create chances at will from within that box-shaped midfield, leading to the winner, too, where space was found to cross into the penalty area only because Brentford had two No.10s to keep track of:

The obvious caveat is that Liverpool were playing against ten men. Other Wirtz critics might point to the fact that he lost possession 19 times, the second-most of any Liverpool player, and won just one of his nine duels.

But we can forget the details. By playing two number tens in the second half, Iraola mimicked the only system in which Wirtz has previously excelled. If unlocking Wirtz really is the key to discovering a new Liverpool, then a formation change is surely worth a try.

Sergio Ramos is exploring the possibility of a return to Europe, journeying back to La Liga with Getafe keen to sign the Spaniard.

If he does so, the 40-year-old would reunite with recent Getafe signing Dani Carvajal, whose time at Real Madrid overlapped with that of Ramos.

The club’s president, Angel Torres, has confirmed that the Spaniard’s name remains on the table, having held talks with the 40-year-old’s brother and representative, Rene Ramos.

Sergio Ramos set to make surprise La Liga return and reunite with Real Madrid team-mate

Ramos’ time with Mexican side Monterrey ended in December 2025. His final match, in which he struck a penalty versus Toluca, arrived in the Apertura Playoffs semi-final, which the Spaniard’s side lost 3-2.

The 40-year-old has been without a club since; now, according to Sport, Ramos is in contention to make a La Liga return, with Getafe interested and a reunion with Carvajal possible.

President Torres insisted that the club’s interest in Ramos is not new, then stressed that a move from Getafe would require manager Jose Bordalas’ sign-off.

“It's a topic that we've been chasing for a long time,” revealed Torres. “But it was not the priority. Now, we have that position well covered.

"It's not a position that, right now, needs [reinforcement]. The manager wanted [reinforcement in other positions]. But it's not too late yet. I mean, it's on the list for the future,” concluded Getafe’s president.

His comments explain Carvajal’s signing, with positions on Getafe’s flanks being high transfer priorities. The ex-Real Madrid man has signed for the La Liga side until June 2027, and could soon be joined by Ramos.

Torres clarified that, should the needs of Getafe and Bordalas change, then the 40-year-old would be considered for a transfer in 2027.

The La Liga side’s president confirmed that talks have been held with Rene Ramos, and that Getafe would be ‘willing to study the signing, if circumstances were favourable.’

Getafe are currently placed 15th in the La Liga table, having taken just eight points from eight matches in the Spanish top-flight.

Should the club’s dire form continue, Torres’ comments suggest that Ramos would be viewed as a solution making his potential La Liga return a reality.

Arsenal are champions and favourites to retain the title. They are guided by an exceptional, single-minded manager in Mikel Arteta and armed with a deep squad crammed with talent.

But they are also the club of Ted Drake, John Radford and Charlie George, of Frank Stapleton and Alan Smith, of Ian Wright, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and of Robin van Persie, so the live debate about their continued issue at No.9 carries the weight of history. Viktor Gyokeres scored 14 times as Arsenal won the title but is now second choice to Kai Havertz and has yet to start a Premier League game for the champions this season.

The question at Arsenal about whether the centre-forward role should be filled by Havertz or Gyokeres is met by some fans who say the answer is actually Mikel Merino. It highlights Arsenal’s failure to address the No.9 hole that the debate remains so intense, even with 10 wins and one defeat this season.

The debate intensifies this week when Arsenal run into Harry Kane at the Allianz Arena. The centre-forward has scored 15 goals in 22 games against Arsenal: 14 in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and one in the Champions League for Bayern Munich. Imagine if Arsenal had held on to Kane, and not released him when he was briefly there as an eight-year-old.

Arsenal's struggles to find a suitable No.9 have gone on a while. They seemed to put all their hopes into luring Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid when his heart was set on Barcelona.

In fairness to Arsenal, there is a general dearth of viable, elite-level strikers out there. Manchester City do have Erling Haaland, Liverpool have Alexander Isak and Chelsea have Joao Pedro, but otherwise not many No.9s are at work in the Premier League. Leeds United have Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the general level is almost embodied by Liam Delap, who worked hard against Arsenal’s defence at the City Ground on Sunday without scoring.

Arteta sounded confident of going into the season with goals provided from a range of sources. 10 different players have shared 22 goals this season. Starting with the Community Shield, the sequence of scorers runs: Calafiori, Havertz, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Odegaard, Odegaard, Bruno, Saka, Dowman, Madueke, Dowman, Merino, Calafiori, Bruno, Timber, Eze, Saka and Madueke.

Arteta can also take encouragement from the number of goals scored by subs: Madueke’s winner at Nottingham Forest was the 26th coming from subs in the 45 games since the start of last season. That reflects opponents tiring as well as the quality of options Arteta has to call upon.

Life would clearly be easier with a prolific front man. Havertz fits better with what Arteta wants, holding the ball up well, linking play well, but is hardly free-scoring and has a troubling injury record. Havertz’s most productive Premier League season for Arsenal was his first there, 2023/24, when he scored 13 times in 30 starts and seven subs. The following year, the German attacker contributed nine goals and three assists in 21 starts and two sub appearances. His return in the title season was a modest two goals and three assists in seven starts and five subs.

Even with that record, Havertz is Arteta’s first-choice No.9. It seems tough on Gyokeres, a different type of forward, more focused on running behind a defence hoping for a through ball, which rarely comes. Gyokeres has a decent goal return with Sweden (25 in 41), even better than Isak’s 19 in 63.

Part of his problem at Arsenal flows from a lack of service. It would help if Arsenal unleashed counter-attacks quicker, rather than rotate the ball, and occasionally go through the middle rather than their fixation with wide. Forest’s compact block confounded Arsenal for so long. Bruno Guimaraes’ passing ability over range should be utilised more, releasing players through the middle.

It’s hard not to feel some sympathy for Gyokeres. Any understandable frustration he may feel is well-hidden. He came on against Forest and delivered his usual tireless running, pressing and showing for a ball which too rarely came. He needs to shoot more. He also deserves praise for constantly running into promising positions. When Madueke cut in from the left, Gyokeres moved into Forest’s six-yard box, gambling on a loose ball. He lurked close to Matz Sels in case the keeper got to Madueke’s shot, fumbled or parried it. As Madueke’s deflected strike hit the back of the net, and rebounded out, Gyokeres slammed it back in. Instinct, celebration or wishful thinking? At least he was there.

Is Merino the answer? The midfielder and occasional No.9 has 16 goals in 88 games for Arsenal. Arteta is likely to continue with Havertz as his first choice. The conundrum continues, placing pressure on others for goals and on that vaunted defence to keep staying defiant.

After his side’s 2-1 victory at the Gtech on Saturday, Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has reached a decision regarding his future on Merseyside.

The 23-year-old has started in all nine Premier League and Champions League matches played by Liverpool this term, notching three assists in a total of 739 minutes.

Amid relentless transfer speculation, the German midfielder is, according to reports, determined to remain at Anfield, despite suggestions of an exit to Chelsea or Bayern Munich in 2027.

Florian Wirtz wants to stay at Liverpool, but can he turn a corner?

According to TEAMtalk, Wirtz, who arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million in 2025, has attracted interest from former boss Xabi Alonso in London.

The report relayed a tweet from German football-centric X (formerly Twitter) account ‘Space,’ who wrote: “Despite Bayern representatives seemingly being unable to go a single day without entertaining the fantasy of bringing Florian Wirtz to Munich, neither the player nor his father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, have the slightest intention of indulging their delusions.

“Both remain unequivocally committed to [Liverpool] and the mystique of Anfield, where Florian intends to carve his name into the history of football’s greatest institution. Any hopes of a potential move are firmly misplaced, with neither the player nor his representatives entertaining the possibility of a departure.

“Florian remains fully committed to [Liverpool] and a move to Stamford Bridge is simply not on the agenda,” concluded ‘Space.’

Wirtz assisted Victor Munoz for the club’s equalising strike versus a 10-man Brentford; he has no intention of departing from Liverpool, during a prolonged period of English top-flight woes.

That contribution marked the German’s second assist of the 2026-27 Premier League term, and was complimented by an additional eight chances created at the Gtech.

Many have claimed this performance as a corner turned for the 23-year-old; however, those key passes arrived against a 10, then nine-man Brentford, and were largely devoid of quality.

In the Premier League, the German midfielder is yet to create a single Opta-defined big chance, and his nine created chances combined for a total 0.19 xA.

While the xA metric isn’t always the fairest judge of pass quality, the bulk of Wirtz’s chance creation came through back passes to fellow Liverpool midfielders launching edge-of-box rockets.

If the 23-year-old is to improve, his ‘Big Chances Created’ tally must increase. In 2025-26, the German created five such chances, behind Cody Gakpo’s 10, Mohamed Salah’s 11, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s 14.

For now, Wirtz’s career appears set to continue at Anfield, despite interest from Alonso in London, and Vincent Kompany in Germany.

It was the low point in a huge summer for Newcastle United and a moment which always felt consequential. Johan Manzambi rejected a move to St James’ Park in favour of Aston Villa, and the Magpies were haunted by that failure on Saturday.

The Swiss midfielder scored the winning goal on another difficult and damaging evening for Matthias Jaissle, but the upshot was much more than that. He completely ran the show, drifting into spaces left very deliberately by tactics becoming increasingly controversial among Newcastle fans, who greeted both the half-time and full-time whistles with a chorus of boos.

In many ways, losing out on Manzambi could be seen as the catalyst for the issues Newcastle are currently facing.

Perhaps that is hyperbole, but he was their top target to reinvent a midfield which would be gutted by the departures of both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes and, crucially, a player former manager Eddie Howe wanted before resigning at the end of July.

His goal was a first-half header, but it was patently clear throughout with his overall play that his profile would have elevated Newcastle, particularly as Jaissle deploys a No.10 despite not having a specialist in his squad.

Where both Yoane Wissa and Joe Willock have struggled to stake a claim, Manzambi would surely have knitted everything together.

Rebuilding the squad with a more youthful outlook was always the plan for sporting director Ross Wilson. But Manzambi felt like the perfect balance; while only 21, he helped Freiburg to the Europa League final, where they were beaten by Aston Villa and then became the breakout star at the World Cup. He was ready to make an instant impact in the Premier League.

Newcastle spent north of £200m on eight new players, four of whom were on the bench. Amar Dedic has recently been injured, Sean Steur has impressed but, at 18, is not able to play every minute, while Aladji Bamba has barely featured at all. Jaissle does not seem yet convinced by him or Bazoumana Toure, a £50m winger. Only Toure made it onto the pitch in this game.

The balance in the squad is not quite right, and that uncertainty is causing problems.

After the game, Jaissle reinforced that such a big summer of change in the dugout and within the squad was always going to result in teething issues at the start of the season. Having gone unbeaten in their opening three Premier League games, Newcastle have suffered defeat in three of their last four.

“You need a reality check after a couple of months during a transitional phase,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“We have all thought about it. There will be ups and downs, at the moment, this is a down, that is not for discussion. It is clear.

“It was a step in the right direction between the boxes. There is huge potential but we need to learn fast. We need to be more efficient in the final third and be more clinical.

“We were all aware when we arrived. Big names left the club before and after. We knew that with the brave approach to sign young talents, it will be even more challenging. That is not an excuse.”

Jaissle is right, this new Newcastle needs time, and given what happened in the summer, this sort of form is not entirely unexpected. But there are also real concerns about how long it will take and whether the manager is willing to adapt his principles.

He spoke in the summer about ‘intense, front-foot football’ and it has been clear since the start of the season that he encourages risk for the sake of reward. But they have conceded 14 goals in the league this season, the most at the time of writing, while having the second-worst xG only behind Coventry City, who scored four past them last week.

Right now, that is all risk for no reward.

It is up to Jaissle to show that progress because every game feels the same, chaotic and not in a good way. There have been good results, but even they have been caveated by concerning underlying metrics.

He will get time and support, but the Coventry game was supposed to start a run of winnable fixtures before the next international break, with Crystal Palace, Everton twice, in league and cup, and Fulham set to follow.

Arsenal, Brighton, Manchester United and Sunderland await soon after. There is pressure to deliver as soon as possible.

2006-07 delivered Alex Ferguson's ninth Premier League title at Manchester United. It was the Red Devils' 16th English championship overall and set them on the path to a famous Champions League win the following season.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal made up the all-important top four. Watford, a post-Curbishley Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United were all relegated from the top division.

This quiz challenges you to name all 20 top scorers in 6 minutes. One per club, mostly, and we're only counting goals in the Premier League.

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FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Let's move straight on to our latest career paths quiz, which provides pictures of 15 footballers and asks you to name the final club of their illustrious careers.

We also want you to name every title sponsor that's ever been slapped on the Football League Cup over the course of its 66-year history as the third-most important football trophy in the English game.

Lastly for now, how's your knowledge of the biggest Spanish transfers? They don't come much bigger than these: Can you name the 50 most expensive players ever signed by Barcelona or Real Madrid?

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Most footballers would give an arm and a leg to score their first professional goal. Diego Demme only had to give a tooth.

Demme made his senior debut on December 4, 2010, playing in the German second and third divisions for Arminia Bielefeld and Paderborn before helping RB Leipzig achieve two promotions in three years to reach the Bundesliga in 2016.

Leipzig enjoyed a sensational start to life in the top-flight and topped the table early on before being knocked off the leaderboard by Bayern Munich. They nevertheless secured Champions League football thanks to Demme, who, after bagging three assists in the Hinrunde, finally broke his scoring duck on April 15, 2017.

Diego Demme sacrificed a tooth for his first professional goal

Demme wore the captain's armband for just the second time in his Leipzig career as second-placed Leipzig hosted sixth-placed Freiburg at the Red Bull Arena. Yussuf Poulsen and Timo Werner scored early on whilst Naby Keita extended Leipzig's lead to three after the interval.

With Leipzig cruising towards their fourth straight victory, Demme sensed that he had a golden opportunity to score his first goal in 189 senior appearances. And when Werner headed down Dominik Kaiser's cross in the 90th minute, Demme rose to the occasion.

As Nicolas Hofler attempted to clear the ball, Demme stole in from behind and headed home Leipzig's fourth. But Hofler connected with Demme's face instead of the ball, leaving the midfielder writhing in agony as his teammates celebrated.

"It was funny because I was one of the players who needed the most time to score his first goal in Germany's top three divisions," stated Demme in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview. "I had never scored in the 3. Liga or 2. Bundesliga, but against Freiburg, I got a cross and then went up for a header, and the defender tried to clear the ball and kicked me in the face."

"I heard the entire stadium celebrating my goal to make it 4-0, but I was in pain. Marcel Halstenberg came around and said, ‘Oh f**k, you’ve lost your tooth.' It was funny because I had waited so long to score, only to end up losing my tooth…it was a crazy story."

Demme saw the funny side, placing the tooth in his trophy cabinet, and so did referee Manuel Grafe, who opted against cautioning Hofler. He would have to wait 934 days before scoring his second goal vs. Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League. This time, Demme was able to celebrate with a well-deserved fist pump and team hug.

For whatever reason, Demme found it far easier to score in Italian football than in German football. It took him just five appearances to get off the mark for Napoli in February 2020, before scoring three goals in the following season.

After finding the back of the net on the last day of the 2021/22 season, Demme failed to score in his final four seasons. He watched from the bench as Napoli won the Scudetto before departing for Hertha Berlin in 2024. Initially a starter and captain at Hertha, Demme's playing time waned after two concussions, prompting him to retire in September.

Nearly a decade after losing his front tooth for his first professional goal, Demme's career came to an end after two more blows to the head, a cruel twist of fate for a player who had already learned that footballing glory can come at a painful price.

Whilst Demme spent the majority of his 16-year playing career toothless in front of goal, when it came to putting his body on the line for his team, he was anything but.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Season 5, Episode 7. The Gang Wrestles for the Troops. Frank “The Trashman” Reynolds wins by accidentally taking out his opponent, Rickety Cricket, with a sharp-edged trash can. He stands in the middle of the ring, sheepishly raises his arms to the air in celebration as the crowd goes wild.

It was an unintentional success. Danny DeVito’s character looked almost embarrassed by the victory. It was impossible not to draw similarities with Dominic Solanke, who headed in a stoppage-time equaliser at Old Trafford last weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi took his Tottenham Hotspur squad to Manchester United, and they dominated from the outset. Solanke himself should have put the north London side ahead with just two minutes on the clock. He fluffed his lines one-on-one with Senne Lammens. He missed a second guilt-edged chance shortly after the restart. Two ideal opportunities to put Spurs in front in a Premier League match for the first time this season.

Maybe it was a lack of confidence on Solanke’s part. Maybe the pressure from Lisandro Martinez was enough to put the 29-year-old off when Savio played the ball across goal. Not that it mattered when Solanke headed Sandro Tonali’s late cross into the bottom corner to silence the United crowd.

Either way, it was a performance that, again, wasn’t good enough from Solanke. It’s become a running theme this season. That De Zerbi named him captain was also incredibly disrespectful to the supporters who paid their hard-earned money to make the trip to Manchester for a Saturday evening kick-off.

You might say it’s one of the worst decisions that De Zerbi has made during his six months in the capital.

This, after all, is the same Solanke who missed a home North London Derby earlier this year due to a sore throat. One who has scored four league goals across 19 league appearances in 2026. A forward who has been trusted to lead the line while last season’s top scorer has been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League squad.

The issue really is that Solanke hasn’t shown enough to warrant the chance to lead out the team. De Zerbi did reveal that he entrusted the former Bournemouth man with the responsibility that comes with captaining a Premier League side. The duty of skippering one of England’s biggest clubs at one of the country’s most recognisable stadiums.

“After the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him captain to show my confidence and the confidence of the team,” De Zerbi revealed in the week. Had none of the squad’s leadership group been available, then fair enough.

Archie Gray started at right-back. Micky van de Ven was in the matchday squad. The decision was one that left fans scratching their heads. For a team that needs a striker firing on all cylinders, there isn’t much faith in Solanke to carry out the duty. After all, he’s a forward who has scored in back-to-back games just once since his 2024 arrival from Bournemouth.

And a player of his stature who should offer plenty, doesn’t really offer much of anything on the frontline. Solanke has managed just nine shots in the Premier League this season. Just three have been on target. He’s made as many unsuccessful touches resulting in a turnover of possession. Fire the ball into him and, chances are, it’ll bounce away like a trampoline.

In addition, the former Cherries man has won only two of 12 contested aerial duels. Spurs’ No.19 has created just two chances and completed zero dribbles.

This isn’t what Spurs need right now. They require consistency in the final third. A striker to tuck away the goalscoring opportunities they are creating. A player to hold up the ball if required to bring teammates into play. Not one who is desperately out of form and has shown few signs he is capable of turning his fortunes around.

Maybe the goal against United will – finally – kick Solanke into gear. The late header could be a catalyst for better things to come. Lord knows Spurs could do with a fit and firing frontman to haul them away from danger.

Either way, the decision to name Solanke captain at United was a gamble by De Zerbi. He hasn’t shown the requisite consistency, both in terms of availability and performances, to warrant the armband. If he fails to build upon the late equaliser at United, then it will have been a failed experiment by the Spurs boss.

The pressure is now on for Solanke to justify his manager’s decision. More expect him to crumble under the responsibility rather than shoulder the burden.

Here we are then. A new week, and a new FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz to tickle your trivia tastebuds. You know the deal: 10 football questions to answer in just 90 seconds.

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FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. Australian's A-League returned at the end of last week, and a lot of fun it is too. But do you know who played? We want you to name every team competing in A-League Men in 2026-27.

Next, let's pick at the scab of World Cup misery. You won't have much trouble remembering who knocked England out of the World Cup this year, but can you name every nation ever to beat the Three Lions in a World Cup match?

Back in England itself, how's your memory? Let's go back a decade and find out how you get on when we ask you to name the top goalscorer of every Premier League team in the 2016-17 season.

If you fancy going back even further, we've got a nasty little teaser for you. Can you name every player ever to have been sent off three times in a single Premier League season? There aren't many of them, but don't think for a second that it's any easier for that fact.

More familiar with the stands and streets than what happens between the white lines? Our fanzines quiz will challenge you to connect 20 football fanzines with the English clubs they serve or served.

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!

With five league titles, two Champions Leagues and a host of domestic cup winners' medals in her collection, Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh has won just about everything there is to win in women's football.

This success also extends to the international scene, where the 29-year-old was part of England's two European Championship successes in 2022 and 2025.

However, there is one notable trophy missing from her CV - the World Cup.

Walsh on her World Cup dream

Walsh played both legs of England's 8-1 aggregate win over Greece, which secured their place in the two-legged World Cup play-off against Ukraine in November, the winner of which will seal their place in Brazil for next summer's tournament.

This play-off run has come after Spain pipped the Lionesses to top spot in their qualifying group on goal difference, underlining just had challenging even making the finals is.

"The same way we'd approach any game," Walsh told FourFourTwo about the team's play-off test.

"It’s difficult to qualify now in the initial stages because there’s two or three top teams in each group, so it's really, really difficult."

This is a point emphasised by the fact that England were paired with world champions Spain, who defeated them 1-0 in the World Cup final back in 2023, as Walsh came agonisingly close to completing her set of major honours.

But rather than dwell on the past, the former Barcelona midfielder is fixated on her side's next match.

"For us in the next stage, it's the same as any game," she continues.

"We want to win, we want to go to the World Cup and we know what we need to do to get there. We know what we need to improve as a group and as individuals. So I'm excited to meet back up and hit the ground running."

And what about adding that elusive final trophy to her collection?

"Yeah, literally! And that definitely gives me motivation. I'm getting on a little bit as well so I'm aware that it could be my last World Cup. So it's a big year."

Watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal from anywhere as the Premier League champions travel to the City Ground, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Oliver Glasner's men are aiming to avoid three successive defeats, after their 1-0 home loss to Coventry City before the international break was followed by last weekend's 3-1 reverse at Crystal Palace.

The Gunners returned to action with back-to-back wins, against Leeds United in the Premier League and Lille in the Champions League, and they will be hunting another three points to maintain the pressure on leaders Manchester City.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal in the Premier League, online and from anywhere.

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Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Preview

Nottingham Forest have not found the net in their past four fixtures against Arsenal and there's no guarantee that run will end here, with Oliver Glasner's side the joint second-lowest scorers in the Premier League.

The Austrian has endured a difficult start to life as Forest boss and although the warm reception he received from fans of former club Crystal Palace last Sunday will have warmed the heart, it won't have masked the pain of a 3-1 defeat.

Forest are yet to win or indeed score at the City Ground under Glasner and another defeat without finding the net could leave the manager under pressure just two months into his debut season.

In more bad news, playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White has not trained with the squad all week after picking up a minor muscle issue at Selhurst Park, while defender Nikola Milenkovic is also doubtful.

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

Forest aren't the only team to struggle for goals at the City Ground, with Arsenal failing to score on each of their past two visits to the banks of the River Trent, both of which ended 0-0.

That statistic is unlikely to worry manager Mikel Arteta after five different players found the net across last Saturday's 2-1 win over Leeds United and the 3-0 Champions League victory against Lille on Tuesday.

Arsenal's 3-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break appears to have been nothing more than a blip in an otherwise faultless season, and they will be confident of another victory here.

It will be interesting to see how many of Arteta's stars start at the City Ground, with the Gunners going to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Bukayo Saka is among those set to feature in the XI after overcoming a minor illness in the week, with Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard also primed to come in.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal

The Gunners should be too strong for Glasner's faltering Forest side.

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Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Britt Assombalonga made his name as one of the Championship's most prolific strikers.

After making his senior debut at Watford, he would work his way through the divisions, scoring goals on loan at Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Southend United before making a permanent move to Peterborough, where a 33-goal season earned him a move to Nottingham Forest.

When he made this 2014 switch, the Congolese forward was returning to the club that had rejected him as a teenager.

Assombalonga on his Forest return

Assombalonga had a trial at the City Ground when he was just 14, but was not able to earn himself a permanent deal. The experience, however, left a lasting impression on the youngster, meaning his change to finally pull on the famous Garibaldi red shirt meant even more to him.

From the colour and noise of the City Ground to the bitter rivalry with Derby County, Assombalonga's spell back at Forest was a career-defining stint for him.

"I’d actually been on trial at Forest when I was 14 and, while it didn’t work out, the club left a massive impression on me," he admits to FourFourTwo.

While this trial did not work out for him, the 10-time DR Congo international refused to bear a grudge.

"I’d always dreamt of going back and proving them wrong," he continues. "Not that I ever held it against them – these things happen – but I felt I had unfinished business there."

When Assombalonga joined Forest for a £5million fee from Peterborough in 2014, he immediately fell for the team, the fans and their famous stadium.

"The City Ground is amazing, honestly," he adds. "When the crowd is behind the team and the place is rocking, there are few atmospheres like it."

Never is this atmosphere so raw as when Forest play their most bitter rivals.

"Especially when we played Derby – I can always remember how fierce the atmosphere was in those games due to the history between the clubs and the fact they’re so close.

"I really felt like I was playing for a massive club that had historical importance to English football. I loved my time at Forest and I’m really proud to have scored the goals I did there."

Watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace as the two rivals resume hostilities in the first M23 derby of the Premier League season, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Seagulls have made a flying start to the campaign, taking 13 points from their opening six fixtures and thrashing Lithuanian outfit Kauno Zalgiris 4-0 on Thursday in their first league phase match in the Conference League.

Palace had a less successful night on the continent, losing 3-2 at French giants Lyon in the Europa League, but Pierre Sage's men have started to find form on the domestic front, picking up seven points from their past four games.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace online and from anywhere, including for free, as two rivals meet in the Premier League.

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How to watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace in the UK

Sky Sports is showing Brighton vs Crystal Palace in the UK, with live coverage on Sky Sports Premier League. Kick-off is at 2:00pm BST.

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It is exactly 50 years since the fires of the M23 derby were stoked by a series of bad-tempered clashes between Terry Venables' Crystal Palace and Alan Mullery's Brighton, but time has not been a healer in this rivalry.

The two clubs meet at the Amex Stadium for a contest that has only grown in importance since the Eagles' recent run of silverware, which has drawn jealous glances from the south coast.

It will make Brighton even more desperate to beat Palace as they look to continue a fantastic start to the season, which had them third in the Premier League heading into the weekend.

Midfielder Jack Hinshelwood - grandson of Palace legend Paul - scored on his return from injury in Thursday's Conference League victory over Kauno Zalgiris and could make his first league appearance for two months. Defender Pascal Struijk should also be available after his red card in the 2-0 win at Sunderland last Saturday was overturned.

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

Palace are looking to extend a four-match unbeaten run against their rivals, which included a 1-0 victory at the Amex Stadium in February.

While a glance at the table may suggest that could be a tall order, with the Eagles starting the weekend 12th, they are in decent form after a difficult start under Pierre Sage, losing just one out of six matches in all competitions before their 3-2 defeat in Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Frenchman may rotate his side as a result of the quick turnaround between the two away trips, but he could remain without striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and goalkeeper Dean Henderson after they missed the midweek game due to injury.

Palace took 3,000 fans to Lyon on Thursday and they will be backed in numbers again here, as they look to claim their second win at the Amex in 2026.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brighton 3-1 Crystal Palace

The Seagulls have to be favourites after their excellent start to the season, so we expect them to end their winless run in this fixture.

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Watch Leeds United vs Manchester United for free from anywhere as the Whites eye their first home Premier League win over their rivals for 24 years. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Harry Kewell was the hero the last time Leeds beat the Red Devils at Elland Road back in September 2002, so it is time for someone new to write their name in Whites folklore.

The home crowd will certainly create a hostile atmosphere for Michael Carrick's men, whose five-game winless run in all competitions has piled pressure on their manager.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Leeds United vs Manchester United online and from anywhere, including for free, in a mouth-watering Premier League clash at Elland Road.

Watch Leeds United vs Manchester United for FREE

Leeds United vs Manchester United is this week's selected game on CazéTV's YouTube channel in Brazil, which is showing several Premier League matches live and for free across the 2026/27 season.

Fans in the US can also stream the game at no cost thanks to YouTube TV's 10-day free trial, which carries USA Network — the US broadcaster of this game.

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Watch Leeds United vs Manchester United from anywhere

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How to watch Leeds United vs Manchester United in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Leeds United vs Manchester United live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 2:00pm BST.

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Leeds United haven't often been above Manchester United in the football pyramid over the last few decades, but they go into this clash at Elland Road in far better shape than their rivals.

Daniel Farke's side sit eighth in the Premier League following Saturday's fixtures and took the lead at champions Arsenal in their 2-1 defeat last Saturday, which ended their unbeaten start to the campaign.

There were plenty of positives to take from the performance at the Emirates Stadium and Leeds fans will be relishing the chance to claim back-to-back wins over their rivals for the first time since 1971/72, as well as a first home league victory in this fixture since 2002.

The Whites welcomed Harry Wilson and Jean-Matteo Bahoya back from injury against Arsenal, while Dan James could also return today after rejoining training on Friday.

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

There can't be many worse places for a beleaguered Manchester United manager to visit than Elland Road and Michael Carrick's travails in the Old Trafford hotseat won't garner much sympathy in this part of the country.

The Red Devils boss has this week had to deal with the fallout of defender Lisandro Martinez's public criticism of the club's hierarchy following Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid.

It was a distraction Carrick certainly didn't need after United's winless run stretched to five games in midweek, with just one victory in the Premier League so far this season.

It will be interesting to see if Martinez retains his place and whether Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw are fit enough to feature after missing the defeat by Atletico.

Leeds United vs Manchester United: Team News

Leeds United XI: Trafford, Bogle, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin.

Man Utd XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Yoro, Diallo, Tielemans, Santos, Baleba, Fernandes, Mbeumo.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Leeds United 1-0 Manchester United

Daniel Farke's side are in far better form and the Elland Road crowd should help them get 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 Bournemouth vs Sunderland as two teams who enjoyed memorable European wins in midweek return to Premier League action. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

It has already been an historic week for the Cherries, who beat Austrian side Sturm Graz 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday night in their first-ever European home game. Now they must use that momentum to end their winless start to the Premier League campaign.

While Bournemouth celebrated on the south coast, Sunderland fans were savouring a last-gasp 2-1 victory at second-tier ›Portuguese side Torreense as they also made it two wins out of two in the Europa League.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Bournemouth vs Sunderland online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium.

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Watch Bournemouth vs Sunderland from anywhere

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Viewers in the UK can watch Bournemouth vs Sunderland live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports+ will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 2:00pm BST.

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Bournemouth vs Sunderland: Preview

It will be interesting to see if Bournemouth can harness the high of Thursday night's Europa League victory over Sturm Graz against Sunderland, or whether this Sunday 2pm clash will feel a little flat in comparison.

Less than 72 hours after they stormed to a 3-0 triumph in their first-ever European game on home soil, the Cherries are back at the Vitality Stadium for a Premier League match that is arguably even more important.

Bournemouth are in the relegation zone after failing to win any of their first six league fixtures under Marco Rose, which included a 5-1 shellacking at Chelsea last Saturday - but will they be fully focused on the job in hand, with European royalty AC Milan visiting the south coast this coming Thursday?

The Cherries remain without injured duo Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, but Justin Kluivert and Amine Adli returned from their respective absences against Sturm Graz.

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

Sunderland's Europa League outing was no less dramatic than Bournemouth's, as Noah Sadiki's stoppage-time winner snatched a 2-1 victory at Torreense in the club's first European away game for 53 years.

The Black Cats now face another long road trip - in domestic terms, at least - as they travel the length of the country to take on a Cherries side just a point behind them in the Premier League table.

Sunderland have had a similarly difficult start to the campaign and sit on four points from six games, with Regis Le Bris' men on a three-match losing run following last Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, they have been boosted by the return from injury of striker Brian Brobbey and midfielder Habib Diarra, who were both on the bench against Torreense. Thomas Meunier and Wilson Isidor are doubts, though, while Dan Ballard remains sidelined.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bournemouth 2-1 Sunderland

It is a quick turnaround for both teams but the Black Cats have done all the travelling, so we're backing Rose to bag his first Premier League 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.

Over the past five decades, Barry Hearn has made a habit out of turning sporting outsiders into major attractions.

But for all his success in darts, snooker and boxing, the former Leyton Orient chairman has never been one to settle for past glories.

The former Matchroom supremo is now back in football, having bought a stake in non-league Brentwood Town, relishing the challenge of building something special.

Why Barry Hearn is back in football

“I’m not the type to sit on his arse all day, you know?" Hearn tells FourFourTwo as he opens up on his latest venture.

"We staged 700 sporting events in the past year alone,” he adds proudly. “I followed them all religiously.

"After every single darts and snooker event, I update my world rankings by hand. I’m a sad, sad bastard. My wife likes to remind me of that.”

Hearn can also be found at Matchroom’s other sporting ventures, from ten-pin bowling to carp fishing.

“If the world was ending in an hour, Geoffrey Boycott would have a turn in the nets, Steve Davis would play one last frame, and Barry Hearn would have a quick glance at his latest spreadsheet,” he adds. “That’s what people like us do.”

Was there a family vote when it came to buying a stake in Brentwood? “No, I just said ‘Bollocks to the lot of you’,” Hearn laughs. “They all think I’m mad, but it’s not a lot of money. It’s a commitment in time that’s much more important than how much money you put in.”

Hearn will be using his time in the short term to drum up interest in the club, but insists that Brentwood will not be getting their own version of Club For A Fiver.

“There’ll be no Netflix series here,” he says. “Wrexham have done that and good luck to them. We need to make our own noise. I shall use what influence I have. I will fight the good cause to my last breath, and I will, in some way, win. I can promise you that.”

It’s hard to imagine otherwise, given the extraordinary energy that Hearn throws at every project he takes on. “I could be drinking champagne on a beach all day, with staff topping my glass up every five minutes,” he winks.

“But where’s the buzz in that? I’ll make a success of Brentwood Town or I’ll die trying.”

This time next week, two sons of Merseyside could be about to go head-to-head in the biggest club fixture in world football.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon were born barely a couple of miles apart, in West Derby and Norris Green respectively, and both joined Liverpool’s academy when they were in primary school.

Of course, Gordon was released by the Reds and ended up coming through at Everton, with the pair facing each other in a Merseyside Derby for the first time in June 2020. They are now on opposite sides of another rivalry, but as Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid prepare to face Gordon’s Barcelona in El Clasico, their careers are on different trajectories.

Why this is a huge season for Anthony Gordon and Trent Alexander-Arnold - but for different reasons

Next Sunday’s meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid happens to fall on the 10-year anniversary of Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool debut, which came against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup fourth round in October 2016.

He scored his first Reds goal on his Champions League bow 10 months later, curling home a classy free-kick against Hoffenheim that served notice of his outstanding dead-ball ability.

Alexander-Arnold was picked for England’s 2018 World Cup squad when he was just 19 and became a key figure in Jurgen Klopp’s great Liverpool sides, redefining the right-back role with his vision, passing range and technical ability.

As well as winning six major trophies at Anfield, the defender posted some incredible individual numbers, including claiming double figures for assists across all competitions in all but one season between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

When Alexander-Arnold left his boyhood club for Madrid in summer 2025 - a decision that saw him booed by sections of the Liverpool fanbase during a draw with Arsenal - he was expected to thrive at arguably the biggest club on the planet. But it hasn’t worked out that way.

The England international’s debut season was hampered by injuries, as separate hamstring and thigh issues ruled him out for a total of four months. When he was fit, he struggled to make his mark in an underachieving side that ended the campaign trophyless, not helped by the change of manager from Xabi Alonso to Alvaro Arbeloa in January.

Alexander-Arnold failed to make England’s World Cup 2026 squad and he has been similarly overlooked in two of Madrid’s biggest games this season. He was an unused substitute in last month’s derby defeat by Atletico Madrid in La Liga and Wednesday’s victory over Roma in the Champions League, with head coach Jose Mourinho selecting summer signing Denzel Dumfries instead.

It means there is no guarantee Alexander-Arnold gets on the pitch at the Nou Camp next Sunday, when he could be up against Barcelona left-winger Gordon. In contrast, the former Everton man looks increasingly likely to start after beginning the season in promising form.

Despite starring for Newcastle United in a three-and-a-half year spell after leaving the Toffees in January 2023, eyebrows were raised over the £69.3m fee Barcelona paid for Gordon earlier this summer.

The 25-year-old has responded with an excellent few months individually, starting five of England’s World Cup games and scoring in the semi-final defeat by Argentina. He claimed two assists off the bench on his Barcelona debut, against Elche, and notched his first goals for the club in the wins over Getafe and Galatasaray in the past eight days.

Gordon has become a regular starter for European football’s form team and has risen to the challenge of playing alongside the likes of Lamine Yamal and Rodri every week. Ultimately, he has already kicked on following his move to one of Spain’s superclubs, whereas Alexander-Arnold’s career has stalled.

This is also evident in their international prospects. While Gareth Southgate failed to get the best out of Alexander-Arnold when he was England manager, he did at least continue to select him. Thomas Tuchel has largely ignored the right-back completely.

The defender was recalled for the first time since his Madrid debut for the recent batch of Nations League fixtures, although even that was hardly a ringing endorsement from Tuchel. It is unlikely he would have made the cut if Reece James or Tino Livramento had been fit, while Jarell Quansah started the Three Lions’ biggest game of the international window, against Spain.

Essentially, Alexander-Arnold is further down the pecking order with England now than when he was at Liverpool, which seems crazy for a player of his ability and age, having just turned 28.

The ex-Red did start both matches against Czechia and provided the assist for Gordon’s opener in Prague, one of three goals in as many games scored by the winger in the international window. Gordon appears to have more of a swagger now he is a Barcelona player and looks a certain starter for England when fit.

It is already shaping up to be a hugely important season for both players, but for different reasons. Gordon has made an excellent start to his Barca career and if he maintains that level over a whole campaign, he will establish himself as one of the best wingers in world football.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold is at a crossroads. He certainly has the talent to turn his Madrid career around, but another inconsistent season would amplify the nagging doubts that his move to the Spanish capital may have been a mistake.

His inability to nail down a place with England was arguably a red flag ahead of joining Madrid, who tend to appoint head coaches that take an approach to management often seen in international football. Just look at Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, who would trust the club’s superstars to win them games, rather than leaning on complex tactical plans.

Alexander-Arnold may even have been better suited to Barca, where he could now be linking up with Gordon in the same way that they did for England against Czechia. Instead, they will be El Clasico foes next Sunday - and that night at the Nou Camp will offer a clue as to what is in store for both players, this season and beyond.

You don’t have to be over 60 to know about Alfie Conn, but one look at any picture of the Scotsman in action will carbon date his heyday firmly to the 1970s.

Long curly hair flowing over his collar, huge sideburns plus a ’tache to die for, shirt hanging outside his shorts – Conn was the epitome of a rock’n’roll footballer in an age when the Bay City Rollers and the Faces were riding high in the charts, and fashion trends on Top of the Pops translated to the terraces.

At Tottenham back then, one fan was seen wearing a white butcher’s coat with “Gilzean is King of White Hart Lane” written in blood, a unique tribute to the club’s Scottish forward Alan Gilzean. In 1974 though, Gilzean was replaced in the affections of Spurs supporters by his compatriot, when Conn arrived from Rangers for £140,000, a huge sum at the time.

“We’ve got our own George Best,” was the sentiment on the Shelf and the Park Lane end at White Hart Lane, and there could be no higher praise. Best was football’s first bad-boy superstar, long before Paul Gascoigne, Eric Cantona and Mario Balotelli.

Conn looked the part too, played in a similar devil-may-care way, and quickly won over Spurs fans who’d grown up during the Bill Nicholson era, when the club won eight major trophies in 12 years playing stylish, attacking football. Nicholson’s final signing before stepping down fitted the bill in terms of what fans loved in a player, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

Now 72, polite, softly spoken and mostly bald, it’s hard to marry the Conn of today to the image of a player who infamously taunted Billy Bremner and Norman Hunter by sitting on the ball during a game against Leeds, and prompted graffiti that proclaimed “Alfie Conn is God”, still seen in parts of north London long after he’d left Spurs.

“George Best was my idol, although I was never going to reach those heights – if I had an ounce of his ability, I’d have been quite happy,” he tells FFT now. As a youngster, he’d seen the Northern Irishman up close when Best played in a charity match to raise funds for victims of the 1971 Ibrox disaster. Best and Manchester United team-mate Bobby Charlton were guests in a combined Celtic/Rangers team against a Scotland XI, and Conn trained with them. “Just to see him up close was unbelievable,” he says.

At the time, Conn was still traumatised by the events of January 1971, when 66 Rangers fans died and more than 200 were injured in a crush at the end of an Old Firm game. “I’d just turned 18, played in the game and had no idea what had happened until later that evening, when my mum phoned to check if I was alright,” he explains.

Rangers officials and players spent days and weeks visiting survivors in hospital and attending funerals. “Sometimes we went to three a day – one was for five young brothers, who lived down the road,” Conn says. “It turned out to be one of the worst events in my life. I lost over a stone in weight.”

Conn started his career at Rangers, even though his father Alfie Conn Sr had played more than 400 games for Hearts and once for Scotland. “I was a fan from the first time I went to Ibrox as a kid, seeing the big red brick facade,” Alfie Jr explains.

He was thrown into his Rangers debut in a Fairs Cup game against Dundalk at the age of 16. “I had no nerves, no fear,” he admits. “You don’t at that age.” Conn went on as a substitute for Alex Ferguson, then the Rangers centre-forward. “I had no idea he’d go on to be one of the best managers ever, but you knew he’d succeed in whatever he did because of his nature,” Conn says now. “He was always up for a battle.”

A year after the low of the Ibrox disaster, Conn experienced the club’s greatest success, winning the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup at Camp Nou. The Barcelona Bears, as they became known, beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in front of 35,000 fans. “It was over 34,000 Scots and two Russians,” Conn quips.

Crowd trouble in the city centre and two pitch invasions led to headlines around the world and a chaotic final. “We'd gone 3-0 up soon after half-time, but whether it was the heat or the occasion getting to us, we were shattered, out on our feet,” he says. “Dynamo got two goals back and to be honest the second pitch invasion did us a favour, it gave us a breather.”

The pitch was cleared in time to allow the players back for the final minute, before another invasion. “We were hit by police batons as we tried to get down the tunnel,” he says. “It was chaos.”

UEFA decided not to risk having a trophy presentation on the pitch, so the cup was presented in a small room inside the stadium. “John Greig, our captain, was taken to a wee room by UEFA officials, given the cup and told to get the hell out of there,” Conn says. “That was a real disappointment not to be able to celebrate with our fans, but it was one of the greatest nights of my career.”

The following year, Conn scored as Rangers beat Celtic 3-2 in the Scottish Cup final in front of 122,000, the last time Hampden reached that capacity before being downsized.

A year later he was off to England, having fallen out with manager Jock Wallace, but he was surprised to be joining Tottenham.

“I’d spoken to Tommy Docherty the week before and it was agreed that I’d join Manchester United,” Conn explains. “But then I was told to meet at the airport for a flight south, and thought I was going to meet him again in London. So imagine my surprise when I heard the Cockney voice of Eddie Baily, Bill Nicholson’s assistant, saying ‘Welcome to Tottenham’.

“As soon as I met Bill and he told me what was on offer, I said ‘Where do I sign?’ He was a great manager, one of the few who had that special aura which commanded respect, like Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Don Revie.”

Conn’s wages more than trebled from £60 to £200 per week, plus a ‘crowd bonus’ for cup games – £3 per thousand fans, once the crowd reached more than 29,000. It was a huge incentive to pull in the punters, and Conn certainly did that once he’d established himself, which took six months.

He had injuries as Spurs struggled at the start of the season, before Nicholson quit and was surprisingly replaced by Terry Neill. The former Arsenal defender lasted less than two years at Spurs, before leaving to manage the Gunners. “The fans all thought he was using Spurs as a springboard to manage Arsenal, and we didn’t see eye to eye, but at least he gave me my chance,” Conn says.

His full debut, in January 1975, couldn’t have gone better. Away to Newcastle and needing a win, Spurs were 4-0 up by half-time and ended up winning 5-2, with Conn scoring a hat-trick. “My dad and grandad came down from Glasgow, and I went back up with them afterwards,” he remembers. “We all had a few drinks on the train back and when the ticket inspector came round, my grandad said we were celebrating my hat-trick, then ended up taking over his duties!”

Conn quickly became a fans’ favourite at Tottenham, taking over the King of White Hart Lane title from Gilzean. “I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it – that sort of thing makes your chest stick out,” he says. “I got on great with the fans, and to this day I still think of Tottenham as my club.”

But that result was an outlier as Spurs went on a run of eight defeats in nine games, and in their final game of the season, needed a win to avoid relegation. They were up against Leeds, a club he’d almost signed for as a teenager, now preparing to face Bayern Munich in the European Cup final.

Inspired by one Conn goal and two assists, Spurs raced into a 3-0 lead. He then, however, decided to sit on the ball and taunt Bremner, Hunter and Co. What was going through his mind? “Nothing!” he laughs now. “I don't know why I did it, but as soon as I looked round and saw big Pat Jennings shaking his head, I thought ‘What have I done?’ The Leeds players suddenly turned it on and within 15 minutes it had gone from 3-0 to 3-2. It was a relegation battle for us and I could have been the villain rather than hero. Fortunately we got a penalty, won 4-2 and stayed up.”

“I thought I'd better apologise to the Leeds players,” he adds. How was it received? “I don’t know – I popped my head round the dressing room door, said ‘Sorry lads’ and got out as quick as I could!”

The incident cemented Conn’s place in Tottenham folklore, but he still couldn’t nail down a regular place. Keith Burkinshaw replaced Neill but also had little time for the maverick Scot. Spurs continued to struggle and by the time they were relegated in 1977, Conn was gone.

“I was playing the reserves and got a call to say someone wanted to see me,” he explains. “It was Jock Stein. It’s fair to say that no-one else could have tempted me away, but he was different. I needed no persuasion, even though it meant going to Celtic, which I knew would be difficult.”

Stein had just one special condition. “He told me all the best players wore their hair short and were clean shaven, so would I mind a haircut?” Conn says. “It wasn’t a problem and he said ‘Good, I’ve got you booked in at the barber’s tomorrow!”

The newly clean-cut Conn went on to experience success at Celtic, winning two titles and the Scottish Cup, but as the first man to cross the Old Firm divide since World War Two, his move was not without trouble. “An old friend, the best man at my wedding, was a diehard Rangers fan and never spoke to me again,” he says. “People would come up to me in pubs and at social occasions, and give me grief. On rare occasions they still do, unfortunately.”

Conn’s career took him from Celtic to America, playing professionally in an indoor seven-a-side league and then for San Jose Earthquakes, before a brief return to British football. He retired to run a bar in Scotland, with his former Rangers team-mate Willie Henderson. On the opening night they promised a special guest, and the locals were stunned when the great Stanley Matthews walked in. “Everyone wanted his autograph, including me,” laughs Conn.

There’s great sadness in his eyes when he talks about losing his wife Sue to motor neurone disease in 2021, and he now raises funds for MND charities through events and royalties from his recent autobiography.

He has few regrets from a colourful career that was blighted by injuries and some managers' mistrust of mavericks like him. He won just two caps for Scotland and wishes he could have featured more for Spurs. “If Bill Nicholson had stayed on, I would have played a lot more and stayed longer,” he says.

Conn appeared just 49 times for Tottenham, scoring 10 goals, yet his impact was about more than just pure statistics. With his swagger, sideburns and long curly hair, for many of the Spurs supporters who watched him play, he’s still the King of White Hart Lane.

Conn’s book What’s It All About? The Alfie Conn Story is available now

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

After the international break, Chelsea host Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues sit second in the table, while Spurs' impressive start to the campaign sees them fourth, just three points behind their London rivals.

With these two teams closer than ever in form, this is set to be an exciting clash in the Women's Super League.

FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs for free

US viewers can watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the WSL at no cost on CBS Sports Golazo Network, which will show selected WSL fixtures throughout the campaign.

Outside the US today? Use a VPN to access your free stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Chelsea vs Spurs from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Chelsea vs Spurs

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 Chelsea vs Spurs in the UK

Chelsea vs Spurs is live on Sky Sports in the UK, with kick-off at 12:00pm BST.

Outside the UK? Unlock your Chelsea vs Spurs stream with NordVPN.

How to watch Chelsea vs Spurs in the US

As mentioned above, US viewers can watch Chelsea vs Spurs for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Kick-off is at 11:30am ET.

Paramount+ also has live coverage of the WSL clash.

How to watch Chelsea vs Spurs in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Chelsea vs Spurs on Stan Sport.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch the game.

Chelsea vs Spurs: Women's Super League preview

Tottenham head to Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the WSL resumes after the international break.

After five games, Chelsea sit second in the table, two points behind reigning champions Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are just three points behind the Blues after a promising start to their season.

However, Spurs will be keen to put their most recent result behind them after being thrashed 6-1 by London City Lionesses. They must now bounce back against the eight-time champions.

Of their 19 meetings, Chelsea have come out on top in all of them.

However, this Spurs side feels different. Despite their latest heavy defeat, Martin Ho’s side had made an impressive start to the campaign and will be determined to show that the result was a one-off.

They will head to Stamford Bridge looking to challenge Chelsea and hoping to take points off one of the league’s best contenders.

For Chelsea, the aim will be to maintain their strong form. Their only dropped points came on the opening day of the season, and they

FourFourTwo's prediction

Chelsea 3-1 Tottenham

Chelsea will be too strong for Spurs at home

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Can you tell us the answer to this quiz question?

Give us a club that could come next in the sequence: Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, Bournemouth, Dagenham & Redbridge, Crystal Palace, Leicester City…

We'll reveal the answer this time next week when we reach the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – for now, here's the answer to last week's poser…

Q. Miroslav Klose is the obvious answer – but Stern John, Angelos Charisteas, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Xherdan Shaqiri are all other examples. What is it?

A. They all scored more goals for their country than they did for any club they played for. Klose netted a whopping 71 international goals, including a bunch at the World Cup that you might have heard about.

John, who counts a number of English clubs among his former employers, scored 70 times for Trinidad & Tobago, while Charisteas scored 25 times for Greece and never managed to match that total elsewhere.

Ukraine's Zinchenko isn't a scorer but does have 12 international goals to his name, eight more than the total number of league goals he's scored in his entire club career.

But Shaqiri will drop off this list imminently when he scores a couple more goals for Basel. Indeed, there's an argument his two spells at FCB combined exclude him anyway.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

While you're chewing on this week's pre-match poser, we have many more quizzes to keep the trivia juices flowing, courtesy of Kwizly?

Can you name every team competing in the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season before getting your teeth into our Big Quiz of English Football Grounds?

Elsewhere we have a quiz that's all about matching 20 football fanzines with the English clubs whose supporters they serve or served over the decades of fanzine culture right up to the modern day.

We also want you to name some competition sponsors. Firstly, can you name every sponsor ever to have had its name on the League Cup? Secondly, can you name every title sponsor of the EFL Trophy?

We're keen on crosswords too. If you are in the same boat, try your luck with FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 74, where you'll find clues on bridesmaids, play-offs viral memes and much more.

Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily briefing of hand-picked trivia and tactical analysis and then 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.

Like many retired footballers, the competitive itch remains for Michael Owen.

But rather than drop down the leagues or enter the dugout, the former Ballon d'Or winner has turned away from football to indulge his post-playing competitive instinct.

At Manor House Stables, his training operation in Cheshire, Owen has built a business that combines his love of horse racing with the same drive that saw him become one of English football's most prolific goalscorers.

Owen on his drive to make Manor House the best

"I don’t really like just taking part – I want to be at the very top table," Owen tells FourFourTwo when asked about the scale of his ambition for the stables.

"We’re mixing it now but there’s a long way to go to be one of the best. Being the best is possibly an impossible thing when you think of the superpowers, but we’ve definitely got room for improvement.

"What do we need to do? We need more horses, better quality horses. How do you get more horses? You need more owners, wealthier owners I suppose if you want to be brutally honest about it. How do we do that? We need results and a facility to look after people that want to have a good time. And how do we do that? We have to be at the cutting edge of science and get out there when there’s a big event on and there might be potential owners there.

"You’ve got to get your arse off your comfy chair and start pressing flesh. You have to have drive and ambition, you have to be here at the crack of dawn, learning your business, getting the best out of your staff, motivating them. It all starts with a target, which is to be the best in the business.

"If you’d seen us 20 years ago, when I set this place up, and at any stage in between, it’s been constant progress. That can’t stop and won’t stop while I’m here – and I’m going to be here for a very long time hopefully."

Owen's focus at Manor House is on flat racing, which precludes a crack at the Grand National, but does he dream of winning one of the other big races one day?

"The Derby, absolutely, although people ask me what’s the dream, and having this business, employing all these people, in many ways I’m living the dream now," he continues. "And it’s like saying ‘If you win the league or the Ballon d’Or as a footballer, is that the dream, is that it then, you’ve achieved it?’ No it’s bloody not, I want to do it again and again. Who the hell wants to do something that’s so good once and doesn’t want to do it again?

"If I won the Derby, I wouldn’t put ‘For Sale’ signs up. So yes, it is a dream to win it, but this place isn’t stopping regardless of what we achieve. I will die doing this, whereas I had to stop at football at 33. I can continue running this place forever, trying to be successful, and the beauty is you really enjoy it along the way.

"It’s a constant joy – following horses, going to Royal Ascot for a week, Glorious Goodwood, I might go to the Breeders Cup in Kentucky or the Melbourne Cup in Australia, travelling the world seeing your horses running. It’s just the most incredible business.

"I don’t have to run around for 90 minutes any more – blood, sweat and tears. I can just enjoy it."

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

Watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa for free as two sides in the bottom half of the table meet at St James' Park. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Newcastle United suffered yet another chastening 4-1 defeat away from home last time out, this time at Coventry City in their last Premier League outing, with a response needed.

Aston Villa come into this game off the back of their biggest ever UEFA Champions League win, having beaten Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park on Wednesday. A repeat of that wouldn't go a miss at St James' Park.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa online and from anywhere, including for free, in this Saturday-evening Premier League clash.

Can I watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa for free?

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa 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.

NBC has live coverage in the States and 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 Newcastle United vs Aston Villa stream from anywhere in the world.

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How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will have live coverage of the Premier League clash, which kicks-off at 5:30pm BST.

How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in the US. The game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform.

Kick-off is at 12:30pm ET.

How to watch Newcastle United vs Aston Villa in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Newcastle United vs Aston Villa on Stan Sport.

Kick-off is at 3:30am AEDT on Sunday.

Tickets

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa: Preview

Newcastle United have an immediate opportunity to put a difficult week behind them when Aston Villa visit St James’ Park on Saturday evening. After consecutive 4-1 defeats away from home, Matthias Jaissle needs a response from his players, but Unai Emery’s visitors arrive with renewed confidence following an emphatic European victory.

The Magpies were beaten 4-1 by Coventry City on Monday, extending their disappointing run after an identical defeat against Leeds United. Defensive mistakes have proved costly, and Jaissle has challenged his young squad to learn quickly from their recent setbacks. A return to Tyneside could provide the ideal setting for Newcastle to rediscover their intensity and give the home supporters something to celebrate.

Newcastle’s current attacking options include Yoane Wissa, Harvey Barnes and William Osula, while Anthony Elanga remains sidelined as he works towards a return. Bazoumana Touré is hopeful of being available after picking up a knock against Coventry, although Tino Livramento and Jacob Ramsey are also working their way back from injuries. Joelinton could feature and will have to do more after making his first competitive appearance of the season.

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

Villa, meanwhile, travel north after dismantling Fenerbahçe 6-0 in the Champions League. Nicolas Jackson scored twice in that victory, further strengthening his case to lead the line, while Ross Barkley also impressed with a brace. Emery will want his side to translate that attacking momentum into improved domestic results, having experienced a mixed start to their Premier League campaign.

There are still selection concerns for the visitors, with Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen and Matteo Ruggeri among those expected to miss out. Leon Goretzka did recover from injury to make his first appearance for the club as a substitute in midweek.

A start in this game seems unlikely, though, as Emery is set to recall Joao Gomes to link up with Boubacar Kamara in midfield. Playmaker Emiliano Buendia may also start at the expense of Barkley, while John McGinn and Johan Manzambi are the most likely duo to operate out wide and provide support for hotshot striker Jackson, who has scored four goals in his last three appearances.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Newcastle United 0-0 Aston Villa

Both sides have been inconsistent so far this term, and we think a dull 0-0 draw will transpire.

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Thomas Hitzlsperger enjoyed a distinguished career, turning out for Germany at the highest level and playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Stuttgart and West Ham.

But in January 2014, several months after hanging up his boots, his decision to publicly come out as gay had a profound impact far beyond the football pitch.

The former midfielder became one of the most high-profile former footballers to come out, speaking candidly about his sexuality in an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, at a time when male homosexuality remained a largely taboo subject in professional football.

Hitzlsperger on his experience of coming out

More than a decade has passed since then, with Hitzlsperger reflecting on the response he received and his message, and his advice for those still struggling with their identity.

"My estimation is that 95 per cent of the reactions were positive," he tells FourFourTwo. "The overall sentiment from people was that it was great that someone had spoken up. They said to me it was powerful that someone who’d played at the highest level could share his experiences.

"When I was contemplating the idea of going public, there was fear involved," he admits. "You’re thinking ‘What are people going to say? They may not like it and will criticise me’. I was dealing with my perception of what the world was like at the time, and my own fear of rejection.

"But having gone public, I realised that all my worries were unjustified and it felt like the world wasn’t such a bad place. At times, the media painted the picture of a hostile world, but then you speak up and think to yourself ‘Why is this not happening, why is the world so much better and why are there so many lovely people?’

"That’s why I say we have to tell more positive stories and not focus on a narrative that’s so sad and tragic. We have to talk about everything, but in general my ambition is to be positive and say “Life can be pretty amazing – if you don’t think you fit in, wait until you tell people and you’ll find many who will support you.” You can’t see what’s in front of you until you tell your story and live your truth.

"I spoke about a real sense of community during my childhood from a familial sense, and now I’m part of another community – the gay one. Meeting new people has expanded my horizons. Instead of focusing on people you might lose because of rejection, rather look at all the new and wonderful people who you wouldn’t have met before, if you’d kept quiet. The best part of coming out is not having to worry any more. I now focus on my job – as a shareholder, a CEO and a TV pundit – and my personal life, and nothing else.

"Whatever I do in life I want to be successful, but if you constantly live with fear, then you can’t be your best self. I knew that not living my truth couldn’t go on and I had to make a statement for my own benefit. If it helped others, even better."

Hitzlsperger adds that his experience can help others who are struggling with their identity.

"What would I say now to those who may be struggling with their sexuality and think the world is a bad place?" he asks. "I’ve been supported by so many people and live my life now without any fears, when it comes to my personality. I was delighted to get that affirmation as well from people I worked with in the game and those that just followed my footballing journey. I was very grateful and appreciative to everyone who said something positive publicly.

"After the newspaper interview I did with Die Zeit was published in 2014, my former team-mate Lukas Podolski described my coming out as “brave” and “an important sign of our time”. My former national team boss Joachim Low said I “deserved respect from every side.”"

Football v Homophobia is a year-round initiative tackling anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, building inclusive communities at all levels of the game around the world. For more info and support, visit footballvhomophobia.com

Watch Fulham vs Hull City as Alvaro Arbeloa still goes in search of his first Premier League win as Cottagers manager, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Fulham have just two points on the board after six games played, and after a poor summer of recruitment, it is looking bleak for the Cottagers.

Hull City, on the other hand, were one of the big spenders as they brought 18 players to the club, and have lost just once so far this term.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Fulham vs Hull City online and from anywhere in the world as the 2026/27 Premier League season continues.

Is Fulham vs Hull City on TV in the UK?

Fulham vs Hull City is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

You can access the game in multiple countries, including the US and Australia, where you will find great deals for watching EPL football.

If you're visiting the UK from a country with live coverage, you can use Proton VPN to access your usual broadcast.

Watch Fulham vs Hull City from anywhere

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How to watch Fulham vs Hull City in the US

Fulham vs Hull City is live on Peacock in the US, with kick-off at 10:00am ET.

How to watch Fulham vs Hull City in Australia

Viewers in Australia can watch Fulham vs Hull City live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? Proton VPN is your ticket to watch Fulham vs Hull City on Stan Sport.

Tickets

Fulham vs Hull City: Preview

Fulham host Hull City at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, with the pressure mounting on the home side as they search for their first Premier League victory of the season. However, the visitors arrive in west London with confidence after an encouraging start to life back in the top flight.

Arbeloa’s Fulham have endured a difficult opening six league matches, collecting just two points to sit bottom of the table. Their latest setback came against Ipswich Town, where they suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat after conceding twice in the closing stages. The result increased scrutiny on Arbeloa, who urgently needs to turn promising spells of football into victories.

Fulham have shown attacking potential, with young forward Josh King among the players to make an impression. However, defensive lapses and an inability to manage matches late on have repeatedly undermined their performances.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Hull, meanwhile, have made a promising return to the Premier League under Sergej Jakirovic. The Tigers have collected nine points from their opening six matches, losing just once and establishing themselves in the top half of the table.

Their most recent outing ended in a 2-2 draw against Everton, with Joe Gelhardt and Mohamed Belloumi both finding the net. Belloumi has been particularly influential in attack, and his goalscoring form could prove crucial against a Fulham defence that has struggled.

Team news could also influence the outcome, with Fulham monitoring the fitness of Antonee Robinson and Tom Cairney. Hull face several injury concerns of their own, potentially limiting Jakirovic’s options as his side looks to maintain its impressive start.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Fulham 0-1 Hull City

Fulham look like a sorry side and Arboala is already facing pressure. Hull City are like a team with freedom, and we think the Tigers will win this one.

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 City vs Ipswich Town for free as the Premier League leaders look to continue their 100% start to the new season. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Manchester City responded to their financial charges with a powerful 3-0 win at Anfield last weekend, but were beaten badly by PSG in the UEFA Champions League in midweek. Back on domestic turf, they'll hope to make it seven from seven in the Premier League.

Ipswich Town have made a happy return to England's top flight, but will arrive at the Etihad with little expectation.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Man City vs Ipswich Town online and from anywhere, including for free, in the 2026/27 Premier League.

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Is Man City vs Ipswich Town on TV in the UK?

Man City vs Ipswich Town is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off 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 Proton VPN to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Man City vs Ipswich Town in the US

As mentioned above, Man City vs Ipswich Town is live on USA Network in the US.

Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

How to watch Man City vs Ipswich Town in Australia

Viewers in Australia can watch Man City vs Ipswich Town live on Stan Sport.

The game kicks-off at 1:00am AEDT on Sunday.

Tickets

Man City vs Ipswich Town: Preview

Manchester City have little time to dwell on their European disappointment as Ipswich Town arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, offering Enzo Maresca’s side an immediate opportunity to reassert their authority in the Premier League.

City’s domestic form has been formidable. Six consecutive league victories have lifted them to the top of the table on 18 points, with last weekend’s emphatic 3-0 win away to Liverpool providing further evidence of their title credentials. However, Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain exposed vulnerabilities that the Tractor Boys will hope to exploit. We will see how that goes.

Erling Haaland remains central to City’s attacking threat, with the Norwegian continuing to deliver consistently in front of goal. His ability to punish even small defensive mistakes could prove decisive against an Ipswich side that has conceded regularly during the opening weeks of the campaign.

There is little room for complacency, though. City must balance the demands of a busy schedule with the need to maintain their winning momentum, and Maresca could consider changes to his starting line-up following the midweek exertions. Phil Foden has now completed his three-game suspension after being sent off in the win against Manchester United.

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

Ipswich, meanwhile, travel to Manchester sitting tenth with nine points from six matches. Gary O’Neil’s side have made a respectable return to the top flight, collecting three victories so far, although inconsistency remains a concern. Their 2-1 success over Fulham last weekend offered encouragement after defeats against Everton and Liverpool.

They also have no real injury or fitness concerns, while Abdul Fatawu is pushing for a recall on the right flank after serving his one-game suspension. Daizen Maeda and Jaden Philogene are both at risk of losing their spots out wide.

Florentino Luis and Sasa Lukic started in midfield against the Cottagers, but the former could be replaced by Exequiel Palacios, while goalkeeper Christian Walton is hoping to start his third consecutive league game ahead of summer addition Kjell Scherpen. O’Neil may be tempted to deploy a five-man defence for the first time this season, but he may instead stick with a back four including Ouattara, O’Shea, Issa Diop and Leif Davis.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Manchester City 3-0 Ipswich Town

City have a pretty formiddable record at home against newly-promoted sides and that should continue here.

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 Brentford vs Liverpool for free and from anywhere as Liverpool travel to the Gtech Community Stadium for a clash with the Bees.

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

Brentford have made a solid start to the new Premier League campaign, boasting an unbeaten record so far under Keith Andrews.

Liverpool's start has been a little bit more up and down, but Wednesday's evenings thrashing of LASK gave a glimpse of what Andoni Iraola's side can do. Brentford won't be as soft a touch as the Austrian side though, with wins against Chelsea and Tottenham already this season.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Brentford vs Liverpool online and from anywhere, including for FREE, as the 2026/27 Premier League season resumes after the international break.

Watch Brentford vs Liverpool for FREE

Brentford vs Liverpool has been selected for free TV and online broadcast via SportyTV in Ghana.

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Is Brentford vs Liverpool on TV in the UK?

Brentford vs Liverpool is not being televised in the UK. The game kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

You can access the game in multiple countries, including Ghana, the US and Australia, where you will find great deals for watching EPL football.

If you're visiting the UK, you can use Proton VPN to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Brentford vs Liverpool in the US

Peacock will broadcast Brentford vs Liverpool live in the US.

Not in the US right now? Use Proton VPN to watch Brentford vs Liverpool on Peacock.

How to watch Brentford vs Liverpool in Australia

In Australia, Brentford vs Liverpool is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:00am AEDT on Sunday morning.

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Tickets

Brentford vs Liverpool: Preview

Brentford welcome Liverpool to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with the hosts looking to extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season against a side seeking an immediate response to their first league defeat of the campaign.

Keith Andrews’ Brentford have taken 10 points from their opening six matches, establishing themselves as one of the early surprises in the division. The Bees remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and demonstrated their resilience last weekend, recovering to secure a 2-2 draw away at Aston Villa thanks to goals from Kristoffer Ajer and Yehor Yarmoliuk.

Brentford’s attacking variety has been a big strength, with nine different players scoring in the Premier League this term. They have also proved difficult to break down, conceding just six goals from an xG conceded of 8.4.

SEE ALSO Football fixture calendar for the 2026/27 season

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool, meanwhile, are looking to rediscover their domestic form after suffering a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City last weekend. The Reds have won just two of their opening six league fixtures, leaving them with ground to make up in the race for the top four.

However, Wednesday’s 6-3 Champions League victory against LASK provided a timely confidence boost. Former PSG man Barcola was the standout performer, scoring a maiden professional hat-trick, while Liverpool’s attacking quality was evident despite further defensive concerns.

Team news could prove decisive, with Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai among the players whose availability requires assessment. Ryan Gravenberch is also suspended, while Giovanni Leoni’s return from a serious knee injury has been delayed.

Brentford will hope to exploit Liverpool’s demanding schedule and defensive vulnerabilities, although the visitors possess enough attacking firepower to threaten the hosts throughout.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Brentford 2-2 Liverpool

Lots of the big teams struggle to break down the Bees, and with Liverpool having played only on Wednesday, we think a draw in West London.

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 18-year career, Toby Alderweireld would clock up more than 600 appearances, winning league titles in three countries and racking up 127 appearances for the Belgium national side.

But everyone has to start somewhere, and for Alderweireld it was something of a baptism of fire when he was handed a brutal introduction to the professional game.

The centre-back had come through Ajax's famed academy and was used to mixing with the best players in his age group, but that did little to prepare him for the test of going up against two of his generation's best and most physical strikers in his first senior match.

Alderweireld on face Adriano and Ibrahimovic

The future Spurs man's first taste of the men's game came in a pre-season match against Inter Milan, who featured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano in attack, with both strikers at the peak of their powers.

Alderweireld learned a valuable lesson that day - even if his first reaction was to wonder whether he would be able to mix it at the highest level.

“My first game for Ajax, in the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament," the Belgian tells FourFourTwo.

"There were two games in two days – our first team played against Arsenal, then our second team played against Inter," with the teenage defender being given the opportunity to impress against the Italian side.

"I was young and played at centre-back against big guys, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano."

At that time, Ibrahimovic was in his pomp, combining physicality and a 6ft 5in frame with technical brilliance, while Adriano was renowned for his explosive power and fearsome left foot. It soon became clear that a test like this was nothing his time in the Ajax academy could prepare him for.

Alderweireld initially attempted to take this levelling up in his stride, but was soon handed a reality check.

"I thought ‘OK, this is professional football, this is a different level’," he continues. "After 20 minutes, I was like ‘This is not for me’, but sometimes you need to have your head against the wall to become better.

"It gave me a lot of insight – I thought ‘I need to get stronger’. I played a good game and it wasn’t like we lost 5-0, but physically against those two in their prime, it was a good reality check.”

And while the young Alderweireld endured a testing afternoon, those first 20 minutes would prove to be vital in helping him become the defender he wanted to be.

Alderweireld was speaking in association with BOYLE Sports 2 Goals Ahead

Watch Everton vs Chelsea for free as Matchweek 7 begins in the Premier League.

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

Both Everton and Chelsea have made impressive starts to the new Premier League season, as they sit on 10 points each, with only goal difference separating them at this juncture.

The Blues though have a poor recent history away to the Toffees and will be hoping to right wrongs of previous years on Saturday lunchtime.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Everton vs Chelsea online and from anywhere, including for free, in the first Premier League game after the international break.

Watch Everton vs Chelsea for FREE

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How to watch Everton vs Chelsea in the UK

Everton vs Chelsea is live on TNT Sports in the UK.

TNT Sports 1 and its streaming platform HBO Max will have coverage of the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 12:30pm BST.

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How to watch Everton vs Chelsea in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network has live coverage of Everton vs Chelsea in the US. Kick-off is at 7:30am ET.

Remember: Use Proton VPN to unlock your Everton vs Chelsea stream on USA Network.

How to watch Everton vs Chelsea in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Everton vs Chelsea on Stan Sport, with kick-off at 10:30pm AEDT.

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Everton vs Chelsea: Preview

Everton will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season when they welcome Chelsea to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, with both sides aiming to strengthen their early claims for European qualification.

David Moyes’ Everton have collected 10 points from their opening six matches, placing them fifth in the table ahead of the weekend. Chelsea sit sixth on the same points total, setting up an intriguing contest between two teams who have made promising starts.

Everton were held to a 2-2 draw by Hull City in their previous outing, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry finding the net. Barry has scored in consecutive league appearances and will be hoping to continue his improving form against a Chelsea defence that has struggled to keep opponents out.

The Toffees will also take confidence from their recent record against the London side, having won their first meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium 3-0 in March. Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League away matches against Everton, highlighting the challenge facing the visitors.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide for Matchweek 7

Chelsea, meanwhile, arrive on Merseyside buoyed by a commanding 5-1 victory over Bournemouth. João Pedro and Jordan Henderson both scored twice, while Morgan Rogers also got on the scoresheet. Cole Palmer contributed two assists, and the return of Moisés Caicedo strengthened a midfield that has looked vulnerable at times this season.

However, defensive concerns remain for Xabi Alonso. Chelsea have conceded in each of their last 22 Premier League matches, leaving Everton with a clear opportunity to exploit any weaknesses. Reece James is out after minor knee surgery, while Jamie Gittens is expected to miss out.

Everton could welcome back Vitalii Mykolenko, although his availability will need to be confirmed before kick-off.

Everton vs Chelsea: Team News

Everton XI: Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; Röhl, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.

Chelsea XI: Dibu Martínez; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Pedro Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Hato; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Everton 1-2 Chelsea

Everton are yet to be beaten this season but Chelsea's attacking prowess is a lot. We think a narrow win for the Blues.

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.

Football has always had its mavericks, but some players couldn't help but take things to another level.

From wild nights out and outrageous antics to long hair, leather jackets and a love of loud guitars, these were the footballers who brought a genuine rock ’n’ roll spirit to the beautiful game.

FourFourTwo runs down some of the players who proved that football and rock ’n’ roll were a match made in heaven...

Frank Worthington

At Baileys nightclub in Leicester in 1975, Frank Worthington dressed up as Elvis Presley and belted out the hits of the King of Rock’n’Roll.

The iconic forward worshipped Elvis and did his best to emulate that rock’n’roll lifestyle throughout a career in which he netted more than 250 goals and was idolised pretty much everywhere he went.

Hailing from Halifax, Worthington defied the stereotype of the no-nonsense northerner, displaying sublime skills on the field for Huddersfield Town, and living a flamboyant life off it, turning up for an England under 23s match in cowboy boots.

A 1972 move to Liverpool collapsed after he was found to have high blood pressure, with Bill Shankly initially sending him off to Majorca for a week to sort himself out. How did he use the time? He consorted with five different women, including a former Miss Great Britain, before returning to Merseyside with even higher blood pressure, and failing the medical again.

A notorious womaniser, he later named his autobiography [i]One Hump Or Two?[/i] “I was living a bit too much in the fast lane,” he admitted. Not always heading in the right direction, either: once, he had four court appearances in a year because of his driving – one was for doing a U-turn on the motorway in his Ford Mustang.

Defenders had no more of a clue which way he was going – after starring for Leicester, he scored a memorable goal for Bolton against Ipswich when he picked up the ball with his back to goal outside the area, juggled it, flicked it over both his own head and the head of a bamboozled Terry Butcher, then volleyed it into the net, all in one motion. Trotters boss Ian Greaves labelled him ‘the working man’s George Best’.

Greaves had also been his manager at Huddersfield – once growing tired of Worthington playing Elvis tapes on the team bus, ejecting the cassette and throwing it out of the window. It didn’t curtail the forward’s love of the King – when he moved to Sunderland, he’d turn up at training dressed as Elvis.

Despite his talent, Worthington earned only eight England caps – the cowboy boots at the under 23 game didn’t endear him to Alf Ramsey, and he irritated future Three Lions boss Don Revie with some showboating against Leeds, amid a perception that he wasn’t committed enough. “I admit that I used to get about a bit, but I’m quieter these days,” he insisted in 1978. “Instead of going out seven nights a week, I keep it to six."

Eric Cantona

Liam Gallagher claimed that Cantona “ruined my life in the ’90s”, so brilliant was he for Manchester United, the big rivals of Gallagher’s Manchester City.

Yet the singer’s respect for him was so great that he later invited King Eric to star in the video for his 2020 single Once, dressed in full regal attire.

Cantona always created magic on the pitch, but he was banned for a kung-fu tackle on an opponent during his time at Auxerre, then infamously repeated it on a fan at Selhurst Park. This led to the

Frenchman’s lengthy ban and enigmatic musings about seagulls and trawlers.

In true rock-star style, he abruptly quit in his prime, at the age of 30. “Cantona was the last rock ’n’ roll footballer,” declared Gallagher, still going at 52.

Leighton Baines

The left-back may not have been a flair player like Worthington, but he became something of an indie icon during 15 years in the Premier League.

Baines became known for taking a guitar with him on England away trips and even penned a regular music blog for Everton’s official website, hailing the likes of Tame Impala, The xx, Can, Lana Del Rey and The Black Keys, some before they became bonafide superstars.

Like former Evertonian Pat Nevin before him, Baines had his finger on the pulse, and also adopted the sideburns of a mod for some of his career. “He’s a quiet lad, but as I got to know him, it became clear he was a massive music fan,” explained singer Miles Kane, having become pals with the defender. “We started talking music, listening and swapping tracks. He put me on to Tame Impala before they hit it off.”

Now assistant manager at Everton, the full-back even inspired Irish band The Baines to name themselves after him. There can be no greater rock’n’roll credential.

Gunter Netzer

In an era when most German footballers were still listening to banal schlager music, Netzer was paying closer attention to The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.

A rebel from the start, Netzer’s long flowing locks were unheard of in the Bundesliga in the late 1960s – no-one could match his passing ability either, as the playmaker spearheaded Borussia Monchengladbach’s rise from the second tier to two German titles, earning the nickname Karajan, after a famous Austrian conductor. Netzer was also the star as West Germany took England apart at Wembley during qualifying for Euro 1972, before helping his country win the tournament that summer.

An aversion to authority meant he didn’t always see eye to eye with club boss Hennes Weisweiler: keen to conserve his energy for the key moments during games, rather than worrying about things like running around or tackling, he’d also worried his manager by opening a nightclub. “This is the end,” Weisweiler groaned, concerned about the distractions it would lead to. Previously, Netzer had nearly killed himself after crashing his yellow Ferrari, ruling himself out of the 1970 World Cup.

When the midfielder agreed to join Real Madrid in 1973, an irked Weisweiler dropped him for the DFB Pokal final – Netzer refused to come on as a half-time sub, then told the exhausted Christian Kulik to go off ahead of extra-time. “Now I’m playing,” he told Weisweiler, having subbed himself on, before scoring the winner.

Unwilling to cut his hair when he moved to Madrid, he twice won La Liga during three years in Spain but once took advantage of a two-week injury lay-off to covertly fly to Las Vegas without permission, after being invited to the wedding of Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina. Obtaining a second passport and sneaking through Madrid airport in disguise, he was sat alongside Sammy Davis Jr and Neil Diamond at a Sinatra concert on the night before the wedding, while his team-mates were playing a game against Real Murcia that weekend.

Back in Madrid days later, oblivious team-mate Ignacio Zoco asked Netzer if he’d watched any TV that weekend. The German said no. “Sinatra’s comeback show was on TV,” said Zoco, who was engaged to singer Maria Ostiz. “Maria swears there was a guy in the audience who looked just like you – you must have a doppelganger.” It would be decades before Zoco found out the truth.

Petr Cech

The legendary goalkeeper didn’t just use his hands to keep out some of the world’s best strikers – he also developed a talent for drumming.

The Czech Republic star launched his own YouTube channel, featuring videos of himself drumming along to System Of A Down, Coldplay, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Rammstein and others. Asked by FFT which band he’d join if he had the chance, past or present, he said: “Nirvana or Foo Fighters – I was always a fan of Dave Grohl.”

Cech did join folk rock band Wills & The Willing for their song Iceberg, and even released a charity single with Queen’s Roger Taylor. He’s got rhythm.

Slaven Bilic

After eschewing an umbrella at Wembley to defeat The Wally With The Brolly and guide Croatia to Euro 2008, Bilic promptly recorded his own song for the tournament, too.

The former centre-back was a guitarist in the rock band Rawbau, having fallen in love with the genre as a child. “I couldn’t imagine my life without music,” he once told FFT. “For my birthday when I was 10 or 11, my father took me to a shop and bought me my first record: Highway to Hell by AC/DC. For me it was Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, then Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Guns N’ Roses.

“My brother is three years older, and you get everything from your brother. The guitar was in the corner of our room, and I’d pretend to play it like I was Angus Young of AC/DC.”

In 1996, by then a Croatia international defender, Bilic joined West Ham from German side Karlsruher. “I knew every word of every Iron Maiden song, and they’re big West Ham fans,” he explained. “After I signed, I went to the players lounge one day and thought ‘My god, is that Steve Harris?’ Ian Bishop had invited him because they were friends. We spoke and I was almost shaking.

“The first time I saw them live was in Manchester, and they invited me backstage after the gig. I thought ‘Oh, it’s going to be like what you read about in those autobiographies, with the parties and everything’. But when I opened the door, one of the band members was blow-drying his daughter’s hair! We’re still friends and text each other.”

Music helped him cope with life after playing, too. “When I had to retire early, I wasn’t in a good place,” he said. “I was into the guitar, though, and wrote some songs, lyrics, riffs – then I felt good again. I had some friends in music and we started jamming, then recorded some songs. Then Hajduk Split asked me to take over and the rest is history.”

Seven years later, Bilic had guided Croatia to the Euros when his band released the song Vatreno Ludilo (Fiery Madness). The title summed up their tournament: they thought they’d scored a 119th-minute winner in the quarters against Turkey, only to dramatically concede in the 122nd minute, then lose a penalty shoot-out.

Bilic has since had spells as manager of West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Watford – sacked by the trigger-happy Hornets after less than six months. Fire-y madness, in that instance.

German Burgos

Burgos wasn’t content to be a guitarist – the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper wanted to sing.

A huge bloke with long unkempt hair, who sometimes took to the stage topless, it’s perhaps no surprise that his vocals were a little rough and ready at times. He wasn’t about to challenge Adele for any awards, but the shot-stopper looked the part on stage, releasing five singles with his bands The Garb and the Burgos Simpatia (‘Burgos Sympathy’), drawing on influences from AC/DC to Guns N’ Roses.

Nicknamed Mono (‘Monkey’), he even performed songs on TV shows during a playing career that saw him represent Argentina 35 times, before becoming Diego Simeone’s long-serving assistant manager at Atleti. Bad cop and even badder cop – scary stuff.

Stan Bowles

When FourFourTwo asked Pete Doherty which former QPR player he’d bring back to play for the Loftus Road club’s current team, he didn’t have to think for long.

“Stan Bowles,” explained the Libertines wild child. “I always wonder how someone like him would fit in today’s game. I’d love to see him drifting around scratching his leg on the halfway line, give him the ball and see what the 24-year-old Stan Bowles could do. They thought it was funny back then when he’d take a programme off a fan and read it halfway through the game, but now he’d probably get fined and banned for two matches.”

Bowles left QPR in the year that Doherty was born, but his legend lived on – he was later voted the club’s greatest ever player.

Born in the north west, he started his career at Manchester City before a nightclub row with boss Malcolm Allison, then a spell at Bury, where manager Ernie Tagg remarked that “if he could pass a bookies as well as he passes a football, he’d be a very rich man”. The gambling addict was said to sometimes pause during games and ask fans with transistor radios whether they knew the latest horse racing results.

He possessed supreme ability, though – as a Carlisle player, he remarkably helped them beat Roma in the Anglo-Italian Cup at the Stadio Olimpico, angering the home crowd by doing keepy-uppies mid-match. The replacement for Rodney Marsh at QPR, he won five England caps and claimed to have deliberately sent the FA Cup trophy flying during a match at Sunderland. Days after the Wearsiders had won the cup, it had been placed pitchside by the halfway line for a Second Division fixture.

“There were a couple of us who had a bet on who could knock it off the table with the ball,” he said. “With the ball at my feet, I tore off straight across the park. The whole ground knew I’d done it on purpose.”

A spell at Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest wasn’t successful – he walked out on the 1980 European Cup final after the manager left him out of John Robertson’s testimonial match, but his rock’n’roll lifestyle resulted in a song that reached number 36 in the charts.

"It was about Stan and my mate Peter Doherty,” explained Dominic Masters of The Others, after releasing the song [i]Stan Bowles[/i] in 2004. “Pete Doherty is the Stan Bowles of the music world, and Stan Bowles was the Pete Doherty of the football world.”

Gaizka Mendieta

The Spaniard met FFT in central London in 2019 – immediately grabbing a guitar, leaping into the air and demanding that we took his photo.

OK, that might not be quite how it happened – we’d actually hired the Gibson LP Gold Top from a nearby guitar store for the photoshoot, after hearing he was a huge rock fan. He’d even played guitar on stage alongside band Los Planetas at the Benicassim Festival in his homeland.

“I like Wolf Alice at the moment,” he explained, after spending a good minute just admiring the guitar we’d brought along. “British music is so rich. When I played in Spain, no one had the same taste in music as me. They’d put on rap in the dressing room and I’d think ‘OK, come on, that’s enough now!’”

Dani Osvaldo

Long before Osvaldo quit football to take up music, he was displaying true rock’n’roll credentials – just by generally acting like a nutter.

The Argentina-born Italy international was suspended by Roma in 2011 for punching team-mate Erik Lamela in the face during an argument – well, he did have one of those faces – then was sold after rowing with caretaker boss Aurelio Andreazzoli and refusing to attend an awards ceremony.

It led to a £12.8m move to Southampton, where he turned Vincent Kompany inside out then chipped the goalkeeper against Manchester City, but was soon banned for three matches for a touchline fracas, then headbutted team-mate Jose Fonte during a training ground incident and never played for the club again.

At Inter, he fell out with Mauro Icardi (not exactly a stranger to falling out with team-mates himself), and was suspended for not turning up for training. At Boca Juniors, he had a contretemps with the manager for smoking in the dressing room, and was fired.

His response? To quit football at 30 and focus on music. “People look at me like ‘You're crazy, you played in some of the best teams in the world and you decided just to quit to do this?’” he admitted. “They don’t understand – it’s my passion.”

Months later, Jorge Sampaoli tried to persuade him to change his mind and sign for Sevilla, but was unsuccessful. “He told me ‘Dani, I’m not asking anything of you, you can do what you want on the pitch and off it, but I need a striker’,” Osvaldo explained. “I said ‘But boss, there’s the Cosquin Rock festival!’”

The Rolling Stones fan played gigs in Barcelona as the frontman of his own band, Barrio Viejo – with a beard, tattoos and often a look of Johnny Depp, he also later appeared on Italy’s version of Dancing With The Stars. "There are so many rules in football, and I’m not good with the rules, I like to be free,” he added. “I was going crazy and decided to live the musician’s life instead.”

Osvaldo did return to football to join Banfield on a one-year contract in 2020, but lasted only six months. At least he got out of there without headbutting anyone…

Alexi Lalas

The ginger-haired goatee king was the stand-out character of the USA team that played the 1994 World Cup on home soil, and has also released not one but eight solo albums over the past three decades.

An avid fan of glam metal band Ratt, Lalas shot to fame thanks to his unusual look and his goal in the USA’s shock win over Graham Taylor’s hapless England in 1993 – everything about the centre-back absolutely screamed ‘early Premier League years transfer to Coventry City’, but sadly a move to Highfield Road fell through after the World Cup, and they had to settle for Cobi Jones instead.

Lalas meanwhile concentrated on opening for Hootie & The Blowfish during their 1998 European tour, with his band The Gypsies, and releasing a never-ending list of albums – Far from Close, Ginger, So It Goes, Infinity Spaces, Shots, Sunshine, Look at You and Melt Away

Gareth Ainsworth

Few managers celebrate promotion by posing for photos at the training ground, using a corner flag as a microphone. But Ainsworth has always been a little bit different.

When the long-haired former Preston, Lincoln and Wimbledon winger moved into management with Wycombe, he wasn’t about to don a tracksuit on the touchline – instead, he favoured an open-necked shirt and even red cowboy boots during the Chairboys’ successful League One play-off campaign in 2020. “I don’t want to copy anyone else,” he insisted, of his managerial style. “If I did, it would probably be Jim Morrison or Michael Hutchence.”

Ainsworth has always been a rocker at heart, continuing as the lead singer of a band while managing in the EFL. “We’re keeping the Cold Blooded Hearts going and recording our own stuff,” he told FFT in 2020. “It’s been difficult because football takes over – it was much easier when I was playing and in the band Dog Chewed The Handle. Monday night is rehearsal night these days – although if we get a Monday night game on Sky, I may have to change that.”

He’s now manager of Gillingham, via a spell at Shrewsbury and a stint at QPR, where he went left-field in a different way, bringing in a Maori performer to do a performance for the squad at the training ground, in full traditional costume. Many of them were baffled.

Later asked by FFT for his opinion on the greatest rock album of all time, Ainsworth thought carefully. “I have an all-time favourite band, which needs mentioning before we get to the album – I’m such a massive fan of The Doors,” he explained. “I was a teenager when the 1991 documentary about the Doors came out and I was blown away, so anything by them is basically my idea of heaven.

“But if I’m just picking a single album, and I’m in a real rock‘n’roll mood, I’d actually have to pick a different band. In 1987, I went down to my local record shop in Blackburn and I picked up a vinyl copy of Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and it’s still one I reach for to get the blood pumping. I have to put that down as my number one all-time album.”

Did the album title inspire his use of 16-stone human wrecking ball Adebayo Akinfenwa at Wycombe? We may never know.

Fausitino Asprilla

Colombia’s early 90s side was one of the most rock’n’roll teams in history – take your pick from afro-meister Carlos Valderrama, rampaging goalkeeper Rene Higuita or Asprilla, who was 50 per cent genius, 50 per cent madman.

Having earned himself a move to Serie A with Parma, Asprilla then conspired to miss out on playing in a single minute of the 1993 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, after injuring himself kicking a bus door during a trip back to Colombia. “A bus driver smashed into my car – when I got out to get onto the bus, he shut the door on me, so I kicked it,” he later told FFT.

“I was furious. If I’d got into the bus, I would have hit him, but he escaped. I’m a bit calmer nowadays.”

Mere months after that 2008 interview, the former Newcastle striker displayed his new zen state, by being arrested for allegedly firing a machine gun at security forces near his farm. He’s been involved in rather less controversy in recent times, instead focusing his time on teaching his horse how to play football, by riding it while wearing a Tyrannosaurus Rex costume – there’s video footage and everything. Never change, Tino.

Watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City in the WSL, with FourFourTwo bringing you all broadcast details you need in this guide.

Arsenal haven't won in the league since the opening day of the season.

Their most recent league results - losses to Chelsea and Man City - have raised lots of questions about the Gunners' season early on.

As the pressure mounts on Arsenal, can they turn their fortunes around as they face a winless Birmingham City at the Emirates?

FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City in the WSL online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Arsenal vs Birmingham City

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How to watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City in the UK

Arsenal vs Birmingham City is live on Sky Sports in the UK, with kick-off at 12:45pm BST.

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How to watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City in the US

US viewers can watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City on Paramount+.

How to watch Arsenal vs Birmingham City in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Arsenal vs Birmingham City on Stan Sport.

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Arsenal vs Birmingham City: Women's Super League preview

Arsenal have had a shaky start to their Women's Super League season, sitting 10th after five games.

After finishing second last season and adding to their squad over summer, hopes were high for this campaign.

However, since a 1-0 victory over Brighton on their opening day, they have failed to win a match in the league - and questions have been raised about their season, and Renee Slegers' future in charge.

They now face newly-promoted Birmingham City who sit second bottom of the table, with just two points.

This is a must-win match for Slegers as they come back from the international break and into a new block. In front of a home crowd, there is no room for error for the Gunners.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Arsenal 2-0 Birmingham City

Arsenal must bounce back from the break with a victory

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FourFourTwo likes one thing better than riffling through a book of crossword puzzles picked up from a train station or hospital shop, and that's making crosswords ourselves. Here's the new Weekend Crossword.

There are 24 clues in this week's FourFourTwo Weekend Crossword. Some are trickier than others, so work your way through the easiest and give yourself some additional clues to go on.

Don't forget to let us know how you got on in the comments.

Love football crosswords? Here are some handpicked football quizzes we know you'll enjoy

If your appetite hasn't been satisfied by the crossword, we've got plenty of football quizzes to take on too. They cover a full range of difficulty levels and time investment, and they're all powered by Kwizly.

We can recommend getting started by naming the top goalscorer of every Premier League team in 2016-17 or by trying to identify every title sponsor the EFL Trophy has ever had. There are some very tasty names to get in that one, that's for sure.

Premier League history enthusiasts are particularly well served by our quiz vault, but let's start with a couple of the quicker ones. Can you name every player ever to have been shown three red cards in a single Premier League season and every player to have won the World Cup as a Premier League player?

England fans should have no trouble listing every nation ever to have beaten England in a World Cup match but naming the top international appearance makers among World Cup veterans is an altogether different matter.

Finally, here's one for fans of Ballon d'Or winners loathing one another. We've come up with a selection of questions and we want you to answer the same straightforward multiple choice question for all of them: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

For all the matchday knowledge you need, subscribe to our newsletters for regular briefings and hand-picked trivia. And, 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.

A week can be a long time in football.

Just last Friday, Watford chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury claimed on the club’s official podcast that not many Championship clubs could compete with the Hornets’ quality if their starting eleven was fully fit.

Duxbury has a long list of sensational claims that have come back to bite him and one week on, his confidence looks completely misguided.

What's going on at Watford?

Watford are a club with no plan, no strategy and no hope, with heavy defeats to Burnley and Cardiff City leaving the Hornets staring down the barrel of relegation to League One.

Those on the outside may think this is nothing unusual, given Watford have lurched from one crisis to another, sacked countless head coaches and never finished in the Championship’s top 10 since relegation from the Premier League in 2022.

But Watford are a club with a mutiny on their hands. In a rare move, Elton John voiced concerns over the club’s direction on social media last Saturday and since then, former players including Troy Deeney, Tom Ince and Paul Robinson have all criticised how Watford is run by Gino Pozzo.

Fans have had enough, too, after years of false promises from Pozzo and Duxbury, with supporters rallying together to call for ‘Pozzo Out’ online. Roy Moore from the leading supporters group the 1881 Movement has since been invited for a meeting with Pozzo, in a bid to quell fan pressure.

So, how did we get here? In truth, it’s been a long time coming.

Alessio Dionisi is the latest in a series of Watford head coaches who have failed to be backed in the transfer market. The Italian has sounded exasperated at the club’s squad depth since pre-season.

Who can blame him when going into the opening game of the season against Southampton, he was left with just two centre-backs on the club’s books and two fit central midfielders?

A late scramble in the transfer market saw Stephy Mavididi, Soumaila Coulibaly and Branimir Mlacic arrive on loan, while Myron Boadu and Michail Antonio also arrived on free transfers. But by that point, transfer business had already come too late and the Italian has been left with a squad unfit and low on quality.

The Hornets never replaced Imran Louza in midfield - meaning Dionisi has only one natural defensive midfielder in the squad in Hector Kyprianou - and didn’t reinvest a single penny after Nestory Irankunda was sold to Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Injuries also quickly decimated the limited options Dionisi had at his disposal, with the Italian struggling to fill the matchday squad throughout August and September.

However, he’s not the first Watford manager to have been hung out to dry. Javi Gracia quit in January and decided it wasn’t worth leaving his family behind in Spain, having grown frustrated at player’s attitudes and the ownership’s failure to land key targets.

Tom Cleverley, Slaven Bilic, Valerien Ismael and Rob Edwards – who Duxbury famously said Watford would back come hell or high water – also struggled after the squad wasn’t strengthened in key areas.

That continued reluctance to support the head coach and a failure to commit to any sort of plan or strategy has created a toxic environment around Vicarage Road.

The club have tried so many different head coaches, with so many different playing styles that players know that they can down tools after a couple of defeats and it won’t take long for Pozzo to pull the trigger.

Recruitment has been an issue for some time and can be traced back to the summer of 2019, where Watford blew most of their budget on Ismaila Sarr rather than addressing issues in defence or up front.

Duxbury promised this May that the Hornets would look to sign experienced Championship players ahead of the new season; hardly any walked through the door.

The Hornets have prioritised signing young players from abroad in recent years - given they have higher resale value - or players that have lost their way in their careers, but that has left a squad with a number of questionable attitudes and without leaders or character.

The days where Watford would have a solid core of senior pros like Deeney, Heurelho Gomes, Etienne Capoue and Ben Watson to run the dressing room are long gone, meaning they have consistently rolled over against teams when the going has got tough.

Speaking of Deeney, the club have also never found a proven goalscorer since his departure in 2021, with most strikers they’ve signed looking unsuited to Championship football.

The constant churn of head coaches and players has left the club with little in the way of identity, strategy or leadership, both on and off the pitch.

Pozzo and Duxbury rarely make public appearances, but are prone to saying one thing and doing the complete opposite. No one can really work out what Watford are trying to achieve. The owners have also tightened the purse strings, with not much explanation.

Watford didn’t spend a single penny on transfers in the summer, sold off the women’s team and shut down the club’s under-21 side, while the academy was downgraded to Category Three.

Watford’s academy was a source of real pride for fans, with the Hornets having a rich history of bringing through young players. Not anymore.

There now needs to be change at Vicarage Road. The Hornets need fresh ideas at senior management level, fresh impetus, a clear strategy and identity. But most importantly, fans need some hope again. Without serious change, things will only get far worse.

Merlin Röhl, Everton’s super-bright midfielder and occasional full-back, talks so passionately and intelligently about the importance of footballers training the eye to improve their game that it was no complete surprise to discover his mother is a doctor specialising in the eye. It is also no complete surprise that Röhl’s finely-tuned eye helps him develop as a photographer with a newly-published book of his work.

Röhl was walking back into the dressing-room at Finch Farm on Thursday morning when he noted two of David Moyes’ assistant managers, Leighton Baines and Billy McKinlay, chatting with a couple of players. The tableau immediately appealed to Röhl on two levels: the obvious camaraderie amongst Moyes’ squad and also the image attracted his photographer’s eye. So he got his Leica M6 out and snapped away. Staff and players are used to this now, not least because Baines himself is a talented photographer.

“We were coming in from training,” Röhl recalls, “and just sitting in front of the dressing room, a few lads, and Leighton and Billy were telling a story. They were laughing the whole time, pointing at each other. This situation meant so much to me. The connections between people. I took 20, 30 photos.”

Finch Farm has a family feel and Baines is almost a mentor to Röhl, who joined Everton on loan from Freiburg last year, impressed, and has now signed permanently. “When we talk about the mental side, and I was saying, ‘my mind works a lot’, it's sometimes the same for Leighton. We can be quite similar in certain thoughts, we share them, and then we help each other to find a balance in our life.

Röhl has a very active brain. “I would say so. There are certain days where I come home from training and think about so many things, my past and the lives of other people. Something needs to help me to live a life where I can help my brain to calm down a little bit – so I pick up a camera, do some photos.

“Leighton was talking the other day about ‘something has a significance, and sometimes the same thing has an insignificance’. When you’re injured, of course, the significance of your injury is so high, but also it's maybe just a small adductor injury and compared to some real health problems is nothing. That helps to put something into perspective, to just enjoy life. That helps me a lot.”

Baines and Seamus Coleman encouraged Röhl’s lens work. While providing opportunity for photography, injury has impeded some of his impact but Röhl is clearly a well-regarded team-mate. It’s why the players have accommodated his picture-taking. Rohl certainly gets close-ups. In his new photo-book, “Life with Everton”, one picture of Michael Keane and Vitaliy Mikolenko playing chess in the dressing-room captures the defenders utterly absorbed in their game and utterly unaware of the camera.

It’s in black and white, which Rohl loves, also reflecting his admiration for a photographer famed for his black-and-white work. “The most famous one is Henri Cartier-Bresson! Legend! In the beginning, I looked at his photos and was like, ‘nice photos’. As soon as you know more about photography, you know more how brilliant he was. When I look at his photographs, step by step, I find something I was never thinking about, see how much detail you can put into a photo from composition, and how perfect his photos are.

Röhl mentions one in particular. “There’s a picture where it was really about the background - a really small reflection of a bicycle.” Taken by Cartier-Bresson in 1932, the photo is titled “Hyeres, France” but also known as “The Cyclist”. “He was completely aware of how to put those little things in. That’s what fascinated me about his pictures.”

Should it be so strange? Footballer as photographer? Eric Dier has a passion for photography as does Baines. Alfie Whiteman, the former Tottenham Hotspur keeper, has already had an exhibition of his photos. Players often talk about having “pictures” in their head, snap-shots of where team-mates are on the pitch.

Röhl nods when I mention he’s used to framing images on the field, scanning where everyone is, especially when he plays in midfield. “As a footballer, you need to do that framing. I'm a player who is visualising a lot, thinking, dreaming, about certain patterns, images and situations. And if there's another connection to being a photographer, you also need to have imagination.”

Which is why Röhl’s favourite player is a Brazilian legend. “Kaka is the most famous player that I really loved to watch. He had a joy of playing, the speed and technical ability. That's something I'm still dreaming about getting on the pitch.” Starting out, Röhl played as a 10 at times in Germany. “A lot of players have a technical ability. But when your physical output is so high, when you're running so much, you're pressing, then it's so hard to be very good technically in those very important moments. It was there that Kaka was one of the best.”

Of the current generation, Röhl name-checks a player he encountered in the DFB-Pokal. “When I was in Germany, I played against Jude Bellingham,” Röhl recalls of when his first club, Ingolstadt, visited Borussia Dortmund in 2021. “Oh, wow, I really enjoyed that.” Rohl played more of a no.10 role in that game and saw Bellingham close up. “The ability to keep the ball in difficult situations is something where he's incredible. He's rarely losing the ball. That puts him, really, as a stand-out player from a lot of the players at the top. He can play every position, is just so versatile, just keeps the ball - and then he scores.”

Röhl was only 19, playing for the Bundesliga.2 side before moving to Freiburg the following year. He’s always wanted to be a footballer. Röhl grew up in a home in Potsdam where his parents encouraged him to explore all his potential, academic and sporting, and self-development. “Both my parents are doctors. The situation at home was they created something where I can do whatever I want. A lot of people normally have ‘you need this job or that job, you need to earn the money’. My parents gave me love, freedom and all the opportunities to pursue a little bit of an artistic way of living my life.

“Just having people giving you trust and love for the whole life, and putting you in a position where I have the courage to do certain things, to share my thoughts, and to express myself be on the pitch. That’s something that my parents gave me, and that's something I really, really love.”

His parents were keen on their son doing his Abitur, the German equivalent of A-levels despite the demands of football. “At Ingolstadt, where I was becoming professional, it was quite difficult at that time. The manager wanted me in the first-team squad, and played me, but my school was not completely matched with the training schedule. The manager was just saying, ‘Merlin, I cannot move the training. You need to be out of school. Because you will be a professional football player, and you don't need the school’.”

That didn’t go down well at home. “My parents were like, ‘No, it's the most important thing in life: go to school, get your Abitur’.’ I didn't play for a few games. I got my Abitur. Afterwards, I was playing. It worked out. I had the dream in my head. I was 16, 17, I want to be a midfielder. I want to play in the Premier League.” To develop, he analysed those in his position. “I watched players that had some similar attributes or I wanted some attributes in my game. I watched (Ryan) Gravenberch in the beginning. He takes on the ball a lot, has great turns in the middle, and also very tall.” Röhl himself is 6ft 3in.

“Football opened up a new life for me, where I'm financially so stable, where I have something that I have such a big passion for. If I wouldn't have football, it would be really hard for me to find something where I would have that passion. Also the pressure of earning money would be there.” What might he have done? “Maybe medicine would be interesting. Neuro-science would be something I'm really interested in to understand our brain and how we see the world.”

He’s only 24 but has already thought about his post-playing career, including studying and teaching how even elite footballers can find an extra edge. “Eye exercises,” Röhl says. “I played in the middle a lot, and both eyes need to turn a lot, even the head needs to turn about. In the beginning, when I switched the first few games to right-back, I had a weird sensation in my neck, because my neck was always being in one position, but never doing this (swivelling). Not a lot of people are aware of that: if the football changes, your eye needs to change.”

He’s done different vision exercises, training the muscle, since his early days at Ingolstadt and Freiburg. “It's something I really believe in. It’s massive. Quite a few clubs have a trainer who teaches you.” They taught him certain routines. “A lot, yes. I have a stick with numbers on it.” He focuses on each number in turn to strengthen his field of vision. “Your eye needs to go from far to very near. I also do a lot of eye switches. I have a metronome. It goes 100 beats per minute, and then your eyes switch like this (Rohl moves his eyes quickly left to right, right to left). It's training a muscle. If you have fast eyes, you can track the ball faster and then switch faster to the player where you want to play the ball.”

An option for Moyes in midfield and full-back, Röhl is loving being in this Everton squad. “We got now a little bit smaller group than last year, but very strong characters, very good players. It's something that shows in training and in the games, we have people that step up in big moments, and that's very special.”

Everton are currently fifth, heading into a challenging game on Saturday against Chelsea at a noisy Hill Dickinson Stadium. “Everton fans always support us. They demand a lot from us, and that's something that creates a lot of energy between the team and the supporters, and a lot of intensity on the pitch. We fight to get (deliver) the expectations of the fans. It's something that's very special.

“I always have the feeling we need to win every game so we meet expectations. I like the feeling of work as hard as possible and then you get the best outcome. I find that much, much better than just to say, ‘maybe we just try to be in the middle of the table and see what comes when we play’. I really like the pressure. I really like the expectations.”

And Röhl really likes Hill Dickinson Stadium. “It's big. It's loud. It's a stadium where we had last season a great moment when we drew Manchester City (3-3 in May, Röhl came on). It was very special for me that day. When we, as the players, perform it’s like the stadium explodes.

“I'm starting to realise how big this club is. I'm sometimes trying to explain it to German people. I even tried to explain it to a German journalist last week, because I felt that he was not aware of how big Everton is. He was like, ‘yeah, you have this big club in your city. How does it feel to have Liverpool in your city?’ And I was trying to explain to him how big Everton is in this country, and how famous this club is, the history, the expectation. Some people just need a little bit of a reminder, so I'm happy to express that.”

Röhl seen quickly that Everton are more than a club. They are embedded in the community, doing vital outreach work in some of the poorer parts of the country. “Step by step, I will have a deeper connection to the community work here, and try to be connected more to the club, and what they do all around the city, and to understand the city more, and the people that live here. You mentioned poor areas. This club means so much to the people and can help people to get away from certain things (in life) that are really, really hard.” Röhl donates a large chunk of the proceeds from his book to Everton Multi-Academy Trust, because of his passion for education.

Blessed with a huge curiosity for other people, Röhl thinks about the mental challenges facing others. “A normal person with a normal job, there goes so much on in the brain like trying to work out the bills, thinking about the kids, and then there's so much anger inside of so many people, because everything is so hard. That's where the brain is sorting everything out.”

Röhl is conscious, almost very self-conscious, of his privilege in being a professional footballer. “Football opened up a new life for me, where I'm financially so stable, where I have something that I have such a big passion for. If I wouldn't have football, it would be really hard for me to find something where I would have that passion. Also the pressure of earning money would be there.” What might he have done? “Maybe medicine would be interesting. Neuro-science would be something I'm really interested in to understand our brain and how we see the world.” Through strong eyes.

Merlin Röhl, “Life with Everton” (Buxton Press) is out now.

Aston Villa essentially signed a brand new starting XI over the summer - they almost had to.

It was a period of substantial change for the Villans, who lost Amadou Onana to an ACL injury during the World Cup, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal, and Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea. The spine of the squad was ripped out.

With a raft of outgoings and incomings, there was always going to be a period of transition. A time where the new players need to get up to speed with new teammates and the demands that come with working under a new manager. This, of course, is reflected in Villa’s league position.

Aston Villa upgraded on Ollie Watkins this summer

After the opening six games, Villa sit 16th with just five points to their name. In truth, it mirrors their start to the 2025/26 campaign, where they earned six points across the same period. That said, this is new ground for Emery and Villa. Such squad upheaval was always going to present teething issues.

And while Taylor Harwood-Bellis isn’t of the same standard of Konsa, and Joao Gomes is a different profile to Tielemans, there’s an argument to be made that Villa upgraded in the final third.

Nicolas Jackson moved to Chelsea in 2023. The Senegal international had enjoyed a fruitful second season in Spain with Villarreal, where he scored 12 and provided four assists despite starting just 16 league matches. A direct goal involvement every 100 or so minutes was a solid return.

It’s fair to say that Jackson’s Stamford Bridge spell didn’t go quite according to plan. Granted, across two Premier League seasons, he bagged 24 goals and provided 10 assists. However, ill-discipline marred his time in west London. A loan stint with Bayern Munich hardly did the 25-year-old many favours. Well, when you’re playing second fiddle to Harry Kane, that’s to be expected.

Even so, eight goals and one assist across 1004 minutes of Bundesliga action is not to be scoffed at. However, Jackson never really looked quite at home in Bavaria. He needed a club where he’d be first choice to rediscover his best form, and while it’s early days yet; the Senegalese hitman looks right at home on the Villa frontline.

Filling Watkins’ boots was always going to be easier said than done. The England star scored at least 15 league goals in each of his last four seasons at Villa Park. The 30-year-old endured a tough start to the 2025/26 campaign, scoring just three league goals before Christmas, but recovered for the second half of the season, ultimately netting 16 times in his final year at the club.

Even so, Jackson has scored more goals after six league outings this season (2) than Watkins managed after his opening 13 Premier League appearances last term (1). He’s scored three times across two Champions League games for good measure, too.

The summer signing is also offering more in the final third than Watkins did in the previous campaign. That’s not to say Watkins underwhelmed last season. On the contrary, his goals and assists were vital as Villa secured a top-four finish and claimed Europa League glory at the expense of Bundesliga side Freiburg.

The difference is that Jackson offers a little more on the ball than Watkins in a key area. Whereas the latter operates as a low-touch finisher, waiting for chances in the opposition box, the former is happy to drift across the frontline, drag markers out of position and, in the process, open up space for teammates to exploit.

This is particularly effective given the signing of Johan Manzambi, the Swiss a dynamic, box crashing midfielder who has scored one and provided two assists in the league.

As such, it’s hardly a surprise that Jackson is averaging more touches per 90 this season (33.7) than Watkins was last (28). Even then, the former is only averaging marginally fewer touches inside the opposition box per 90 (5.4) than the latter in the 2025/26 campaign (5.6). Jackson may pull away to the flanks, but he’s just as active in the penalty area as his predecessor.

He’s also prepared to pull the trigger more frequently than the former Villa man, with Jackson’s shots per 90 higher (2.8) than Watkins (2.2). With more successful dribbles per 90 (2.6 to 0.8), chances created per 90 (0.9 to 0.7), passes per 90 (16.1 to 15) and a better pass success rate (80.9% to 72.7%), Emery has a more rounded forward to call upon in his favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.

Watkins’ departure was a tough one to swallow for Villa fans. He’d become a mainstay for the Midlands side following his 2020 arrival from Brentford, and a nigh-on ever-present given his impressive injury record.

Yet the departures of Tielemans, Rogers and Watkins required a tactical rethink. Emery needed a forward who’d offer the directness of Rogers and the goalscoring capability of Watkins. In Jackson, he has the best of both, affording Emery the relevant attacking flexibility that’ll amplify Villa’s offensive unpredictability, whereas with Watkins, it was a little more one-dimensional.

For that reason alone, Jackson can be viewed as an upgrade on Watkins. Time will tell if the club-record signing truly exceeds the standards set by Villa’s recent leading marksman.

He may have ruffled feathers along the way, not least at Old Trafford, but Ralf Rangnick has also helped countless players spread their wings throughout his forty-plus years in management.

After winning the 2. Bundesliga with Hannover 96, Rangnick masterminded back-to-back promotions with Hoffenheim before leading Schalke 04 to the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Rangnick's magnum opus came as Director of Football for RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, where he was tasked with constructing the modern Red Bull football architecture, designing scouting networks, and overseeing global club strategy. He then became Leipzig's manager in 2015.

Diego Demme reveals how Ralf Rangnick changed his football career

Widely known as the 'Godfather of Gegenpressing', Rangnick helped influence a wide range of German coaches like Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Marco Rose, and Roger Schmidt. He hasn't just been a role model for coaches, but also for footballers like Demme.

"I think the most I learned is from Rangnick in terms of how to be professional. It was 10 years ago, but he was professional with everything; he gave us the best treatment, the best food, the best massages," stated Demme in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview.

Across a 16-year career that saw him represent the German national team and spearhead Leipzig from the 3. Liga to the Champions League, Demme worked with a range of elite coaches like Nagelsmann, Schmidt, Joachim Low, and Luciano Spalletti. However, nobody taught him more than Rangnick.

"He always wanted the best, and I liked the meals that he gave us to eat after the games so much that sometimes, I'd end up cooking those same meals after my gym sessions. Nagelsmann was very tactical, but I think I learned the most from Rangnick because we worked for many years together."

It was Rangnick who convinced Demme to join Leipzig in January 2014 after a 30-minute conversation at the airport, just as Paderborn were closing in on their first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga. In Demme's case, it ended up being one step backwards and two steps forward, as he helped the Red Bulls to two promotions in three years.

With Demme running the show in midfield, Leipzig consolidated themselves as one of the best teams in the Bundesliga, eventually reaching the 2018/19 DFB-Pokal Final in Rangnick's final match in charge before becoming Red Bull's Head of Sport and Development.

Demme lasted just a few months under Rangnick's replacement, Nagelsmann, before leaving for Napoli in 2020. His leap of faith paid off as he won the 2019/20 Coppa Italia (Napoli's first trophy in six years) as well as the 2022/23 Scudetto (Napoli's first league title in 33 years).

Whilst Demme has since hung up his boots after a swansong at Hertha Berlin, Rangnick is still going strong in the coaching game at 68 years-old. After an unconvincing spell at Manchester United, he's building a new legacy with Austria, leading them to a Round of 16 finish in Euro 2024 as well as their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

Rangnick has rubbed quite a few players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesse Lingard, and Anthony Martial the wrong way with his uncompromising approach to discipline and willingness to confront established stars. Perhaps it's why Rangnick has never quite succeeded at a major club.

His methods may have left a bitter taste in some players' mouths, but for others, they were food for thought and fuel for success. For Demme, Rangnick concocted the perfect recipe for maximising his footballing potential, and the lessons he served up proved to be every bit as valuable as the meals.