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

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

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

Elland Road under the lights is a fearsome prospect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over. And over. And over.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur for FREE

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

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

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

Watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur from anywhere

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

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

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

How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the UK

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

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

How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in the US

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

How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur in Australia

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

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

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Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

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

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

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

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

Manchester United set to lose star academy prospect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Man United eye Leicester wonderkid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newcastle United injury news reveals triple blow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newcastle facing injury crisis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manchester Celtic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United for FREE

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

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

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Watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United from anywhere

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How to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United in the UK

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

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

How to watch Leeds United vs Newcastle United in the US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FourFourTwo's prediction

Leeds United 1-1 Newcastle United

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

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

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

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

Is this Spurs' worst-ever start?

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

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

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

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

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

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

After all, these are early days.

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

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

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

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

Data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request from turnstile software managed by Newham Council has revealed an average discrepancy of nearly 13,000 unoccupied seats per Premier League fixture at the London Stadium during the 2025/26 season.

The council’s turnstile entry logs, which track real-time stadium access, contrast with West Ham United’s published ticketing figures.

While the club reported selling an average of 62,455 tickets across 19 home league matches - representing a 99.92% capacity fill rate - turnstiles recorded an actual average attendance of just 49,567 spectators, placing true stadium occupancy at 78.66%, meaning a total of 244,870 paid-for seats remained empty on matchdays across the campaign.

Midweek West Ham fixtures record largest drop-offs

Turnstile data shows that attendance fell most during evening and midweek fixtures. For the visit of Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, January 6, over 62,000 tickets were sold but only 33,357 supporters attended.

This meant there were over 29,000 empty seats for that particular fixture.

Against Brentford on Monday, October 20, 2025, West Ham again sold over 62,000 tickets, but just over 40,000 turned up.

Again, on December 30, 2025, the Hammers' actual attendance of 43,696 for their game against Brighton fell some way short of the 62,438 gate officially reported, which counted tickets sold.

High-profile Category A fixtures also recorded significant absences. The London derby against Tottenham Hotspur saw 9,868 ticket holders absent despite 62,459 tickets sold, while the fixture against Chelsea recorded 6,630 unused seats.

The FOI disclosure provides numerical backing to long-standing supporter grievances following West Ham’s 2016 move from the Boleyn Ground. Upton Park was noted for its compact, hostile atmosphere, and proximity of fans to the pitch. In contrast, the converted Olympic venue in Stratford has faced criticism over its sightlines, distance from the playing surface, and diluted matchday atmosphere.

Coupled with transport challenges and rising ticket costs, the council turnstile figures indicate that a substantial portion of season ticket holders regularly choose not to attend mid-tier or inconveniently scheduled matches, despite having already purchased their seats.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison could be handed a route back into first-team action this week, with the Carabao Cup offering the exiled forward his only realistic chance of playing competitive football before 2027.

The Brazilian international was excluded from manager Roberto De Zerbi’s official 25-man Premier League squad list following the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Richarlison had previously informed the Italian head coach of his desire to seek a fresh challenge away from north London, but a suitable transfer failed to materialise before the deadline passed.

Richarlison could be brought in from the cold to alleviate Spurs' attacking woes

Consequently, the forward has found himself frozen out of matchday squads, failing to feature since August 26, when he was an unused substitute in Spurs' 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic.

However, as Tottenham prepare to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup this week, De Zerbi may be forced to turn to his forgotten man.

Unlike the Premier League, Carabao Cup regulations do not mandate that players must be registered within a 25-man league squad to be eligible for selection.

Any professional player legally contracted to the club is permitted to feature, handing Richarlison a loophole and a potential path back onto the pitch.

Tottenham have endured a difficult start to their 2026/27 campaign, failing to score a single goal in their opening four Premier League matches.

Despite a £350 million summer squad overhaul, Spurs have appeared toothless in attack, leaving De Zerbi under pressure following a frustrating goalless draw against Everton.

Richarlison finished as Tottenham’s top scorer last season, and with the transfer window firmly closed, both player and manager are well aware that the striker is staying put until at least January.

The midweek cup fixture represents an opportunity for both parties. Calling upon Richarlison offers a proven goalscoring option to help solve what is becoming an attacking crisis.

For Richarlison, the Carabao Cup is quite literally his sole avenue for first-team minutes, and to put himself in the shop window ahead of the New Year.

With Tottenham lacking European football this season, the FA Cup Third Round not commencing until January, and the Premier League door locked until the winter registration window opens, the striker faces a spell in isolation if omitted. It's up to De Zerbi whether he rolls the dice, though.

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

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

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

Frank Lampard has earned the backing of Coventry owner Doug King

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Loris Karius is enjoying a career renaissance in Germany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Release the hound

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fernandez embraced the chaos. Maresca contained it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only three teams have conceded more than Chelsea.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wolves manager Peixoto is shaping a creative attacking unit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Added attacking impetus from the heart of the team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For many, the prospect of moving to a new country to join the richest football club at the world at the age of just 23 would be a daunting one, with the pressure of a £35million price tag adding to the levels of hype and expectation that only the game’s elite players have ever had to endure.

But when Sergio Aguero arrived at the Etihad to sign for Manchester City, he quickly showed no signs of the pressure getting to him, as he immediately went about carving out a decade-long stay that saw him become one of the Premier League’s all-time greatest strikers.

A 30-goal haul across all competitions climaxed in City’s first title for 44 years, as the Argentine’s decision to join the club was quickly vindicated.

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

Aguero on settling in at City

“I’d been very young when I left Argentina,” Aguero recalls to FourFourTwo. “I was 17 years old, about to turn 18, when Atlético signed me from Independiente in 2006. “The hardest thing was making the decision to go to another country, because of my age.”

Aguero believes that the move was more challenging due to the technology available at the time.

“You have to remember that in 2006, there wasn’t nearly as much technology as there is today, so it was much harder to have conversations with family and friends. These days, you turn 17 or 18 and there are 1,000 ways to connect with your family via technology – you can use your phone to make video calls in 10 seconds.

“Back then, you had to organise things to see how you could talk to everyone. It was more difficult, and for me, that was what made it so complicated.”

Despite these challenges, Aguero insists that his move to Madrid set him on a path that enabled him to succeed and enjoy his peak years in England.

“But to go to play in a league like Spain’s, and being able to start my career in Europe with Atletico, it was definitely the right decision,” he continues. “When the City offer came in, it was about the opportunity to play in the Premier League, and also that the club was building something, with new players.

“They were assembling a team for the future, one that would be able to win titles. Also, my Argentina team-mate Pablo Zabaleta was there, and Carlos Tevez was there at that moment, which made it much easier for me to make the decision.”

“You can make a decision and it can backfire, but luckily that decision was also the right one, just like when I joined Atletico. In my first year at Manchester City, I had a good season and scored 24 Premier League goals.

“Why did I adapt to English football so quickly? Firstly, because of the desire I had. I always had a desire to compete, I always wanted to give a little bit more. I wanted to make a great history at Manchester City, and also because of the fee that they paid Atletico, I wanted to leave them satisfied with the money they’d spent. I wanted to perform well for them, so they realised it was a good investment.

“There were many other reasons why I adapted so well – also, the players that were in that Manchester City team. It was very easy to play with David Silva, with Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, Gareth Barry, Vincent Kompany, James Milner… they were leaders, too.”

Watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in the Premier League as the rivals meet for the 199th time, with both teams aiming to follow-up comfortable wins in Europe in midweek. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Michael Carrick's side face a quick turnaround after beating Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League on Thursday night, as they aim to record back-to-back wins over City.

Enzo Maresca's men have had an extra 48 hours to prepare following their 2-0 victory at Porto in their Champions League opener and are looking to extend their perfect start to the Premier League campaign.

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

Can I watch Manchester United vs Manchester City for free?

Unfortunately, Manchester United vs Manchester City is not being shown live for free on any broadcaster.

Read on to find out how to watch the Premier League clash from anywhere in the world.

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How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Manchester United vs Manchester City live on Sky Sports.

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

How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in the US

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

How to watch Manchester United vs Manchester City in Australia

Viewers in Australia can stream Manchester United vs Manchester City on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 1:30am AEST on Monday.

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Manchester United vs Manchester City: Preview

It is less than eight months since Michael Carrick kick-started an excellent second spell as Manchester United's interim head coach with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Fast forward to the present day, and the 45-year-old is now in the role permanently as he looks to guide the Red Devils to consecutive victories against their rivals for the first time since 2020.

United could do with a result after taking only four points from their first three matches of the Premier League season, which included a shock defeat at Hull City and conceding a last-minute equaliser at Everton seven days ago.

Carrick made four changes for the 4-0 rout of Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday and he could well rotate again due to the quick turnaround between fixtures, although Luke Shaw (an ever-present in the Premier League last season) is an injury doubt after missing the game in midweek.

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

City have had an extra two days to prepare for the clash at Old Trafford, although they did spend some of that time travelling back from Portugal after beating Porto 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Erling Haaland scored both goals to take his tally to five in the past three matches, as head coach Enzo Maresca claimed his fourth straight win.

City boast a 100 per cent record in the Premier League after three games, although they have so far been handed a relatively kind fixture list – so this derby is arguably the first big test of the Maresca era.

Nico O'Reilly could return to the squad after missing the past two matches with a back issue, but winger Jeremy Doku may have to wait a little longer to make his return from a calf problem.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City

This Manchester derby is a tough one to call, but it should be a fascinating watch.

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When Sergio Aguero arrived at Manchester City in 2011, he came with a £35 million pricetag and a reputation as one of the planet’s best strikers and the perfect player for the ambitious oil-rich club to kick on with.

While City had not yet begun hoovering up Premier League titles, their FA Cup win at the end of the 2010/11 season would prove to be a harbinger of things to come.

Aguero would hit the ground running and go on to net 30 goals in his debut Premier League season, as Roberto Mancini’s side went toe-to-toe with their cross-town rivals Manchester United and mounted a title challenge.

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

Aguero on beating Manchester United

For a generation, City had lived in the shadow of their rivals United, with Aguero only too aware of the mentality shift that was needed if they were to knock their neighbours off their perch.

“Of course, it became a very, very correct decision to join the club, when we finished my first season as champions,” Aguero recalls to FourFourTwo. “That was a very important title for Manchester City.”

That title came at the end of a remarkable season for both club and player, with Aguero ending the campaign in the most dramatic fashion possible, when he netted his iconic title-sealing injury-time winner against QPR.

While this is the kind of moment that defines a whole career, Aguero also has another source of satisfaction when he looks back at the season - a remarkable Premier League double against Manchester United.

The former Atletico Madrid man netted in City’s 6-1 trashing of their bitter rivals at Old Trafford in October, before a vital 1-0 win at the Etihad at the end of April which proved to be a pivotal match in the title race.

“I have the best memories of the games against Manchester United that season,” he continues. “Really importantly, we won them both. At that time, City were used to the idea that United were always better than them, and City could never beat them.”

For Aguero, getting out of this mindset was crucial.

“When I started to face United, my mindset was ‘This has to change – we have to think that we can beat them, that we can win the Manchester derby’.

“And well, that’s how it was. The team and I ended up doing well. In those games against United, I was able to fully concentrate. In my mind I always thought ‘I have to score a goal against United, because we need to win this game’.

“I was really focused, and luckily the matches often went pretty well.”

Watch Arsenal Women vs Crystal Palace Women as the Gunners look to continue their winning start in the WSL, with all the broadcast details right here in this guide.

After a victory in their opening WSL fixture, Renee Slegers' Arsenal will want to continue their winning form in north London.

As they face newly-promoted Crystal Palace, they will be hoping for three points in their first home game of the season to continue their title charge.

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

Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for FREE

Women's Super League fans in both the UK and the US can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free.

In the UK, the game will be live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, with this fixture the second of 19 WSL matches shown by the free-to-air broadcaster across the 2026/27 season.

Meanwhile, US viewers can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace at no cost on CBS Sports Golazo Network, which will show selected WSL fixtures throughout the campaign.

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Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace from anywhere

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How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in the UK

As mentioned above, Arsenal vs Crystal Palace is live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK. You just need a TV Licence and a BBC iPlayer registration to watch online, with kick-off at 2:45pm BST.

Outside the UK? Watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free on BBC iPlayer via NordVPN.

How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in the US

As mentioned above, US viewers can watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Kick-off is at 9:45am ET.

Paramount+ also has live coverage of the WSL clash.

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How to watch Arsenal vs Crystal Palace in Australia

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Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Women's Super League preview

Arsenal finished second in the WSL last season and will be aiming to go one better this year.

The Gunners face Crystal Palace in their first home game of the season and will be looking forward to playing in front of their fans at a packed Emirates.

Crystal Palace come into this match on the back of a 1-0 victory over Everton. The newly promoted side only achieved just two wins across their whole campaign two years ago when they were last in this league.

Will Jo Potter's team be able to cause an upset early on in the season or will Renee Slegers' Arsenal continue their winning start?

FourFourTwo's prediction

Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace

Arsenal's new signings to shine at the Emirates and get their first big win of the season.

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Watch Coventry City vs Brighton for free this weekend as the Sky Blues look for their first points since returning to the Premier League. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Frank Lampard's side have endured a tough start to their first top-flight season for 25 years, but they will take heart from their performance in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Seagulls' opening three games have produced a win, a draw and a defeat, with Fabian Hurzeler's men hunting their first points on the road.

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

Watch Coventry City vs Brighton for FREE

Coventry City vs Brighton isn't technically available to watch for free, but there is a way that viewers in the US can stream the game at no cost.

Live coverage in the States is on USA Network, which is available on YouTube TV that currently comes with a 21-day free trial for new customers.

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How to watch Coventry City vs Brighton in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Coventry City vs Brighton live on Sky Sports.

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will broadcast the Premier League clash, with kick-off at 2:00pm BST.

How to watch Coventry City vs Brighton in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network is showing Coventry City vs Brighton in the US. Kick-off is at 9:00am ET.

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Viewers tuning in from Australia can stream Coventry City vs Brighton on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 11:00pm AEST.

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Coventry City vs Brighton: Preview

Coventry City host Brighton aiming to achieve something they haven't done since May 19, 2001: earn a point in the Premier League.

The Sky Blues are yet to avoid defeat, or indeed score, in their first campaign back in the top flight in 25 years, although they were arguably unlucky not to get something from consecutive 1-0 defeats against Hull City and Manchester City.

Caleb Yirenkyi and Loum Tchaouna dropped out of the starting XI for the game at the Etihad Stadium, with Ethan Pinnock and Frank Onyeka replacing them, but the duo could return for a contest that offers a more realistic opportunity of picking up points.

Manager Frank Lampard is experienced enough to know Coventry must get off the mark as soon as possible to avoid playing catch-up for the rest of the season.

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

Brighton's first two Premier League games of the campaign featured 11 goals, so fans may have felt short-changed by a relatively routine 1-1 draw with Leeds United last weekend.

The Seagulls were perhaps fortunate to claim a point after their opponents missed several chances, with manager Fabian Hurzeler criticising his side for a lack of intensity in the first half.

The German will expect more at the Coventry Building Society Arena, where he is set to be boosted by the return of Georginio Rutter after the forward missed the past two games with a foot injury.

Meanwhile, deadline-day signing Femi Azeez could be in line for his debut after sitting out of last weekend's visit of Leeds with a hamstring issue.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Coventry City 1-1 Brighton

The Sky Blues will feel they can pick up points from this one, with the Seagulls not particularly watertight over the past two games.

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Growing up in Glasgow during the 1950s, just a few square feet of grass could feel like Hampden Park. Not far from his family home in the impoverished neighbourhood of Milton, a young Kenny Dalglish would spend countless hours kicking a football around one such tiny patch with his father Bill.

An engineer by trade, Bill would take his son to his two places of worship at weekends – the Protestant church and Ibrox. When Kenny was 14, his family moved home, to his great delight, into the shadow of the latter. “My dad took me to Rangers from an early age – that never caused me any bother later on, you have to support someone when you’re a kid,” Dalglish tells FourFourTwo, looking back on his childhood. This year a documentary about his life was released, created by Asif Kapadia, the maker of documentary films Senna, Amy and Diego Maradona.

Dalglish’s kickabouts as a youngster paid off. By the time he’d left school to work as an apprentice joiner, he was being touted as a rising talent in Scottish football. Turning out at weekends for Glasgow United, scouts from West Ham and Liverpool visited. His next stop lay in his home city – but not at the stadium he could see from his bedroom window.

“One day we played Celtic’s young boys,” Dalglish remembers. “Among those watching was their first-team manager, Jock Stein. He liked the wee No.4 – thankfully, that was me.”

Stein’s assistant, Sean Fallon, paid a visit to the Dalglish family home and, surrounded by Rangers memorabilia all over the walls, asked Bill and wife Cathy if their son would be interested in joining the Catholic juggernauts. “I told my dad, ‘I thought you’d have wanted me to play for Rangers,” Kenny would later recall. “He said, ‘Son, the best place for you right now is at Celtic.’”

It wasn’t hard to see why. Only a few weeks later, Stein’s side were crowned European champions in Lisbon. “I can remember watching that game,” says Dalglish. “Jock became the first British manager to win the European Cup, and he did it all with a group of players that came from a 25-mile radius around the city. Those scenes and the celebrations in Glasgow sparked a lifelong ambition to get my hands on a European Cup. This was the club I was joining.”

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

Dalglish soon emerged as part of a talented crop of youngsters at Celtic – which also included Lou Macari, George Connelly and Danny McGrain – dubbed The Quality Street Gang. “Jock had the desire to come over regularly and coach some of the younger players, myself included,” Dalglish recalls. “What he did for us was fantastic. The education he gave us, the desire to get us through and make us better footballers, it just spoke volumes for the man.”

Soon, Dalglish and the other young prodigies began training with the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill and the rest of the Lisbon Lions. “Those heroes of mine were who we went to train with,” says Dalglish. “They were so humble and helpful. It was a fantastic team, and I mean as people as well as a brilliant group of footballers.”

Dalglish – moulded from a midfielder into a deep-lying forward by Stein – made his first-team debut aged 17 in 1968, but it wasn’t until the 1971-72 season that he became a regular. His first competitive goal came at the start of that season – a penalty that secured a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox, the club he’d grown up supporting. That was the first of his 29 goals in 53 first-team appearances that season, as Stein’s side won their seventh straight league title. After being handed his first Scotland caps by boss Tommy Docherty in 1971, Dalglish showed his breakout campaign had been no fluke by hitting 39 goals in the following season. He’d quickly become the star of Scottish football, dazzling crowds with his footwork and vision, despite rough treatment from opposition players on muddy pitches.

“You learn to look after yourself,” says Dalglish, when asked if rivals ever tried to kick him off the park. “I don’t know how a team-mate is supposed to look after you, you’ll have to do that yourself. It was a more physical game than it is now, but I still feel fortunate to have played when things were slightly better. “I played after George Best’s era – you see the treatment that he used to get. Football has moved on a lot now, but it’s always been a competitive sport. You’re going to get challenged – sometimes people mistime things.”

Dalglish soon won his third league title, although Stein’s team lost out to Atletico Madrid in a European Cup semi in 1974, following a first-leg stalemate at Celtic Park that saw three Spaniards sent off for violent challenges. “They were a disgrace that night, an absolute disgrace,” recalls Dalglish. “The most brutal game I ever played in. Their manager believed that style could take them to the final. He’d pick two different teams – a more defensive one for away games and a more attacking one for home games. They went on to lose the final 4-0 [against Bayern Munich] after a replay. Seeing that was satisfying.” Despite being named Celtic captain in 1975, their increasing struggles in Europe meant Dalglish grew restless. “I was desperate to get my hands on a European Cup and felt I needed a new challenge,” he says. “After winning a league and cup double in 1977, I told the manager that I wanted to leave. He reluctantly accepted that.

“I’m still hugely grateful to Celtic. People may say, ‘Well, Kenny wanted to move away’, but that’s where it all began for me. I’ll forever be indebted to them. Especially to Jock, who did so much for me, but also for Celtic. He said, ‘Have it your way, you wee bastard, I might know somebody that would be happy to meet you.’”

That man was Bob Paisley. After hitting 173 goals in 338 appearances, Dalglish was heading to Liverpool.

Bah Hamburg!

On Merseyside, the Reds were dealing with the loss of their own talismanic forward – Kevin Keegan had departed Anfield for Hamburg immediately after lifting the 1977 European Cup. Again, Dalglish was joining the kings of Europe. “I’ve been told to go out and get the best, and Kenny is what I see as the best,” Paisley said of his £440,000 British record signing.

For Liverpool’s new No.7, the feeling was mutual. “He was a great man, Bob,” Dalglish recalls. “He’d been right through the club, from player, to physio, to coach, to manager. He reminded me of Jock in that he was very close to his players and very knowledgeable about the game. He was brilliant and so humble, he never gave himself enough credit. People often wondered if Liverpool had some kind of secret to success, even before I joined them. Well, if there was a secret, nobody was going to be told it.”

In November, Liverpool came up against Hamburg, the winners of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, in the first leg of the Super Cup. That tie meant a head-to-head with Keegan. “I spoke to Kevin before that game – he and his family were staying in the same hotel,” the Scot recalls. “It was very amiable. He’d made a similar decision to me – he wanted to go off and play in Europe, and I wanted to play in England. I knew I was replacing an absolute superstar and he had that aura. But the only thing that I had to do was be myself – not try to replace or emulate Kevin, but be me.”

After a 1-1 draw in Germany, Dalglish rounded off the scoring as Liverpool smashed their guests 6-0 in the return leg at Anfield, on a night that midfielder Terry McDermott hit a hat-trick. “We had a good chat after that game as well,” Dalglish recalls. “He wished me luck and I did the same with him. We were always friendly, Kevin and I. He’s a great man.” Despite that resounding win, Paisley knew more was needed if Liverpool were to secure further silverware in the latter half of the season. Another young Scot, centre-back Alan Hansen, had been signed from Partick Thistle at the end of the previous campaign, with Graeme Souness brought in from Middlesbrough midway through Dalglish’s first season at the club. The trifecta of recruits would affectionately come to be known as the Scottish Mafia around the club, as they spent endless time socialising with one another away from the pitch.

“Alan signed first, then I arrived in August and Graeme joined us in the January,” Dalglish remembers. “The dressing room was a fantastic place for us to be, in terms of camaraderie and our relationship, and that would play a huge role in the success we’d go on to have at Liverpool together.”

The trio wouldn’t be the last Scots signed by Paisley, either. “Stevie Nicol joined in 1981 – I think the intelligence of the dressing room fell back a wee bit!” laughs Dalglish affectionately. “His brain matter was a bit different from the rest of us. But it was no coincidence we were so successful with that dressing room.” Dalglish’s first term at Anfield finished without domestic pots – Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest pipping them to the First Division title – but his move down south would be immediately justified in European competition. Liverpool ousted Dynamo Dresden, Benfica and Borussia Monchengladbach to tee up a Wembley showpiece against Club Brugge in the 1978 European Cup Final.

During the match, Dalglish noted that opposition goalkeeper Birger Jensen had a habit of going to ground early to smother shots. “I knew what I had to do,” he’d later recall. “No point hitting it along the floor. I’d need to chip it.” His chance came in the 64th minute, when Souness chested down a ball on the edge of a crowded Brugge box and slipped a pass through to Dalglish, who gently dinked a finish over Jensen into the far corner from a tight angle. There was no reply from their rivals. At the age of 27, he’d finally emulated the Lisbon Lions. “Every time you win a trophy, it’s a great achievement,” he reflects now. “But to win European trophies is even more special. Celtic had done it back in 1967, but I’d never achieved it. Going to Liverpool had given me the best possible chance of doing that.”

The Scot got his hands on an English crown the following season – with his 21 league goals essential in delivering the title and earning him the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year award. “He had the perfect touch and control to find a team-mate,” Souness later said of Dalglish. “Kenny was just the perfect player.”

Liverpool successfully defended their title in 1980, before beating Real Madrid to win another European Cup a year later. “A magical night,” recalls Dalglish of the Paris celebrations. The following campaign marked the breakthrough of a player who’d take Dalglish’s game to the next level – a young Welsh striker called Ian Rush. “Rushie was the one I found most compatible with myself, and he brought the best out in me,” Dalglish looks back. “I used to say to him, ‘You get in a position – don’t get anxious, I’ll find you.’”

Dalglish’s instructions worked a treat, as Rush would score 30 goals across all competitions, delivering another league title. When they teamed up to make Liverpool champions once more the following season, Dalglish won another Football Writers’ Association award – only Tom Finney, Danny Blanchflower and Stanley Matthews had previously claimed the honour twice. The Scot finished second in the Ballon d’Or too, behind only Michel Platini.

By that stage, Kennymania was at its peak, as superstars from all walks of life lined up to offer him praise. “I don’t have any idols in music, but I do in football,” the former Beatle Paul McCartney said. “Kenny Dalglish is pretty good.”

For Liverpool’s reluctant hero, the adulation and the awards belonged to those around him. “Well, that just goes to show you that even great men like Paul don’t know what they’re talking about sometimes,” laughs Dalglish. “I’ve always said I wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for the two brilliant football clubs that I was lucky enough to play for. Any of the praise I received really belongs to the brilliant team-mates, managers, coaches, supporters and everyone else around me or behind me. I never got carried away with any of that.”

The 1983-84 campaign would be Dalglish’s first without Paisley at the Liverpool helm, as he retired after winning 20 trophies in nine years as manager. “Bob and Big Jock were similar in terms of the number of trophies they won,” Dalglish says. “I was very lucky in that my career spanned across two of the most successful managers in the history of British football. Bob won six league titles in nine years. If you throw in three European Cups as well, what he achieved is enormously impressive.” Paisley’s assistant Joe Fagan kept up the success, as Liverpool claimed the First Division and another European Cup crown, toppling Roma on penalties in their own Stadio Olimpico backyard. “I think the best European Cup win was that one,” Dalglish reflects. “Scoring the winner in the first one was special, but it didn’t really matter to me who scored those goals. Success is the most demanding thing, but also the most enjoyable. Those European trophies mean an awful lot to me, but so does every trophy we won together.”

A Roy of the Rovers moment

For Fagan, the success wouldn’t last. The 1984-85 campaign ended without silverware, as an ageing team finished second to neighbours Everton, before the European Cup final with Juventus ended in tragedy – a crush killed 39 spectators, amid fan violence at the crumbling Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Both teams wanted the game to be postponed, only for officials to order it go ahead. Juventus won in a subdued affair. “They should have called it off, but they never did,” lamented Dalglish years later. “You’re never the same after witnessing something like that. We were asked to play and we played. We lost, but not as much as some people.” Fagan stepped down, with Liverpool again looking to promote internally. This time it wasn’t an assistant who would get the job, but the 34-year-old Dalglish named player-manager. “Well, it was a surprise,” he says. “The way that I saw it, I was just going to give my best, and if my best transpired not to be good enough, then I’d hold my hands up and say, ‘This isn’t for me – it’s not fair on the club, so get somebody else in.’”

Reluctant to field himself, Dalglish started just two of his side’s opening eight league games and found it tough to adapt. “My biggest challenge, I found, was coming out of that dressing room dynamic I’d been a part of for so long and picking a team,” he says. “That meant leaving players out that you’d befriended. I hated making decisions that affected them adversely.”

Dalglish felt forced to create clearer boundaries with his players. “One of my favourite things about being a footballer was that camaraderie in the dressing room,” he explains. “But suddenly, you become the manager and feel things clam up when you enter the room. If they were in there having a laugh and a joke when I walked in, I’d show them some respect and let them know that I’d be back in five minutes, because I knew how important it was for the lads to have that time together – sharing some jokes without the manager being about. But it was very tough not to feel a part of that any more.”

The new boss began to rely on the advice and influence of an old mentor. “Bob Paisley still held a position upstairs,” Dalglish says. “He was a great help to me. He’d sometimes ask me if he could have a word with so-and-so, before the game or whatever. I didn’t mind that, because he was 100 per cent behind me. He was doing things that were useful. He was helpful.”

Things on the field weren’t yet clicking, though – Liverpool were sat eight points behind Everton with 11 games left to go. Ahead of a home clash with QPR in March, Dalglish made a crucial decision.

“We were struggling with injuries and form,” he says. “So I thought it was time I start picking myself. I didn’t have much choice in the matter, to be honest.”

He set up two as the Reds triumphed 4-1, before assisting three times in a 6-0 victory over Oxford. With Dalglish playing regularly, Liverpool went unbeaten for the remainder of the season – drawing only once, when Dalglish didn’t play – to reel in Everton. It all came down to the last match of the campaign – victory away at Chelsea would see Liverpool crowned champions once again.

Some stories feel too outlandish to be real – too far-fetched even for a Roy of the Rovers comic strip – but Dalglish’s 23rd-minute winner at Stamford Bridge is one of those fantastical moments. “I know that I made a contribution and I’m proud of that, but there were so many other people who were doing their bit, too,” he says, modest as ever. “Everyone played their part and that was how we were so successful.” A week on, Dalglish started himself again as Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup final.

The following months would mark the last of Dalglish’s 102 appearances for Scotland, during which he netted 30 times. No player has ever surpassed either number – he shares the scoring record with Denis Law. “We made four World Cups in a row, which isn’t bad for a country of five million people,” recalls Dalglish, who appeared at the 1974, 1978 and 1982 editions, all group-stage exits, before helping his country qualify for the 1986 World Cup, only to miss the tournament through injury. “We’d have wanted to have done even better, but we were a really good team.”

Back at club level, when Liverpool went without a trophy in 1987 and Rush left for Juventus, Dalglish knew that he’d have to rebuild. “We needed some new faces,” he remembers. “I had to get a replacement centre-forward and we needed a few more as well.”

That year saw the arrival of John Aldridge in January, followed by John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and finally Ray Houghton. “Aldridge proved brilliant for us,” says Dalglish of a player who struck 29 times in his first full Anfield season. “You talk about me coming in to replace Kevin Keegan. Well, John replaced Ian Rush – that was no easy task. But what a season he had. He was fantastic when he came in. But if you’ve got somebody up there, you have to feed him – you need the creative players to make their contribution. John Barnes was nothing short of a pleasure to watch and wee Peter was fantastic as well. So creative and hard-working.” The new-look side won the 1987-88 title at a canter.

The day everything changed

What happened at Hillsborough in April 1989 would affect Dalglish deeply, when a total of 97 people would eventually lose their lives as a result of the crush that occurred at the start of Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. As the awful events unfolded and panic spread, cameras repeatedly turned on Dalglish, frantically awaiting news of his son Paul, who was among the crowd. The youngster would return safely to his parents. Other mothers and fathers weren’t as fortunate.

In the days that followed, Dalglish, still just 38 at the time, was thrust into the spotlight of a grieving community. He led his players through hospitals and homes, meeting with mourning families and coma-bound patients, personally attending funerals and offering his unwavering support. “All of a sudden Kenny wasn’t a football manager or player any more, he became a social worker for the families,” said Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James during the tragedy. “It must have been so difficult to have the bereaved families coming in to talk to him, but he gave them all a great deal of comfort, which shows the calibre of the man. If I need something I can still phone him now and he’ll do anything to help the families, even to this day.”

“There was no way we were going to step back and not be as helpful as we possibly could be,” said Dalglish. “For me, as a person, that was simply what I needed to do.”

Five weeks after the tragedy, Liverpool defeated Everton 3-2 to win the FA Cup, but Heysel and Hillsborough had taken a huge toll on the Scot. He led Liverpool to a final title in 1990, before resigning in February 1991. “It’s a decision many people will find difficult to understand, a decision that only I could have made,” Dalglish said at the time. “It would have been wrong to mislead people that everything was fine with me.”

Many thought his time in football had ended, but eight months later, he was ready for a new challenge, returning to the dugout as manager of second-tier Blackburn, just taken over by wealthy supporter Jack Walker. “I wasn’t trying to prove myself, but I was very fortunate that I was asked to become manager at a time when Jack was throwing his heart into the job, as well as his finances,” says Dalglish. “His finances and his support were both 100 per cent genuine. He was born and bred Blackburn.”

Dalglish guided Rovers to the play-offs, where they overcame Leicester 1-0 at Wembley. The spending immediately went up a notch – Blackburn broke the British transfer record to sign a young Alan Shearer from Southampton for £3.6 million that summer. “We spent Jack’s money quite well, if you gauge it in terms of success,” Dalglish reflects. “We got promoted in that first season, then we finished fourth in our first year back in the top flight.”

Rovers improved again in 1993-94, finishing second behind Manchester United. The following summer, they broke the British transfer record for a second time, signing Chris Sutton from Norwich for £5m. Forming the famous ‘SAS’ strike partnership with Shearer, the duo scored 49 Premier League goals that season to put Blackburn in control of the title race going into the final day.

Fittingly for Dalglish, his side would face Liverpool at Anfield. Blackburn lost 2-1, but Manchester United’s failure to win against West Ham meant they were champions. With the triumph, Dalglish had become just the fourth manager to win the English title with two different clubs, after Brian Clough (Derby and Nottingham Forest), Herbert Chapman (Huddersfield and Arsenal), and Tom Watson (Sunderland and Liverpool).

“Jack was the person most responsible for everything that Blackburn achieved,” Dalglish insists. “We hardly blinked our eyes in the second tier, then suddenly we were champions of England. It was all done over a period of just a few years. It was done because Jack was 100 per cent genuine and very generous. All of the players that came in were a credit to themselves. They could have just taken the money, taken it easy and we would have achieved nothing. But fortunately, they were a credit to themselves and the town of Blackburn.”

That was arguably Dalglish’s last great hurrah in British football. After Blackburn, he had a mixed spell as Newcastle boss, then returned to Celtic as director of football operations and had a stint as interim manager. He was parachuted back in as Liverpool boss in 2011 and led the club to a League Cup triumph the following year, although the Reds were in a much different place to his first spell at the wheel.

Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish was knighted in 2018 for his services to football, charity and the city of Liverpool, particularly his work in the aftermath of Hillsborough. Dalglish believes he owes a far greater debt to Liverpudlians than they owe to him. “The more we get to know the people of the city, the stronger our connection becomes, even still,” he smiles. “It’s nearly 50 years we’ve been here now. We’ve always been made to feel welcome. Our children grew up here and loved it – they’ll always appreciate the way they were looked after by the people of Liverpool. It’s a great city and it’s just got even better.”

Looking back over his unparalleled career, King Kenny remains his humble self. “No individual brilliance has ever won a trophy on its own,” he muses. “Football is a team game and I’d rather have been a small part of a great team than a great player myself. I’m just very proud to have represented two of the most successful clubs in history.” Then you catch that unmistakable twinkle in his eye. “I didn’t half enjoy myself, though,” he adds. “And that’s the most important thing.”

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

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

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

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

Can I watch Rangers vs Celtic for free?

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

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

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

Watch Rangers vs Celtic from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Rangers vs Celtic. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

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

How to watch Rangers vs Celtic in the UK

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

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

How to watch Rangers vs Celtic in the US

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

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

How to watch Rangers vs Celtic in Australia

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

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

Rangers vs Celtic: Preview

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO Should I use a VPN to watch football?

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

Martin O'Neill's men will compete in the Europa League as a result, but their domestic form has remained flawless with six wins in their first six Scottish Premiership games.

Celtic are aiming to regain their Scottish League Cup title after losing last season's final to St Mirren, while they are also aiming to knock their old rivals out of the competition for the third successive campaign, having done so in the semi-finals last term and in the 2024/25 final.

They are missing injured trio Alistair Johnson, Hyun-jun Yang and Callum Osmand, but Jordan Lotomba could make his debut following his deadline-day signing from Feyenoord. Celtic will also be without their fans at Ibrox, with away supporters banned from all Premiership and League Cup Old Firm games this season.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Rangers 1-2 Celtic

The Ibrox crowd will give Rangers an advantage, but Celtic look stronger at the moment.

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Can you tell us the answer to this quiz question?

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

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

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

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

More football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

With a brilliantly balanced mix of international folklore, trapdoor drama, and breakout prodigies, strip in for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 67, with clues on nations, relegations and teen sensations. To ensure you stay top of the table every single day, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily briefing of hand-picked trivia and tactical analysis. To complete your transfer to terrace legend status, join The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for our hardest quizzes, climb global leaderboards, and debate the latest topics directly in the comments section.

During Jan Molby’s seven-year spell at Liverpool, the Dane was a key part of one of the most successful sides in English football history.

The midfielder joined from Ajax in 1984 and quickly established himself in the Reds side, going on to win three First Division titles and two FA Cups on Merseyside.

As Molby looks back at his time at Anfield, he has particular praise for a defensive trio, who were able to combine technical quality, intelligence and drive to the side.

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

Jan Molby on his defensive Liverpool teammates

Right-back Phil Neal played more 650 times for the Reds, winning eight league titles, four FA Cups and four European Cups to cement his place as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players, and one which Molby immediately respected.

“I thought he was a terrific footballer,” Molby tells FourFourTwo. “A great defender, a very good one-touch passer, and could follow up with both feet.

“I only played with him for 18 months, but was one of those guys when I walked into Liverpool, I was instantly impressed with his ability.”

At the centre of defence during Molby’s time at the club was another of Liverpool’s most respected and decorated players.

“Alan Hansen is one of those rare players that wouldn’t have looked out of place in today’s football because of the way he played the game,” Molby reflects.

“He was an exceptional reader of the game, very quick and very comfortable with the high line that’s often played nowadays.”

Left-back Steve Nichol was also established at the club when Molby joined, with the Dane quick to recognise the contribution of a player who would sometimes get overlooked before winning a key individual honour at the end of the 1980s.

“In 1989, Steve was the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year,” Molby continues.

“A terrific all-round footballer and one of those guys that generally didn’t know how well liked he was and how good he was.

“He was a real unsung hero, but so appreciated by the backroom staff and his team-mates.”

Jan Molby was speaking to FourFourTwo via Free Bets

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal for free as the Premier League champions travel to the Stadium of Light in a mouth-watering Saturday night clash. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Regis Le Bris' men will believe they can be the first side this season to take points off the Gunners, after they followed an important win against Fulham with an impressive draw at Brentford.

Arsenal are one of just two teams to boast a 100 per cent record in the Premier League after three games, with Mikel Arteta's men in ominous form.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal online and from anywhere, including for free, as the 2026/27 Premier League season continues.

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal for FREE

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Outside the US? You need a VPN to access your free Sunderland vs Arsenal stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Sunderland vs Arsenal from anywhere

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How to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal in the UK

Sunderland vs Arsenal is live on TNT Sports in the UK.

Live coverage is on TNT Sports 1 and its streaming platform HBO Max, with kick-off at 8:00pm BST.

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How to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal in the US

As mentioned above, USA Network has live coverage of Sunderland vs Arsenal in the US. Kick-off is at 3:00pm ET.

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How to watch Sunderland vs Arsenal in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Sunderland vs Arsenal on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 5:00am AEST on Sunday.

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Tickets

Sunderland vs Arsenal: Preview

The visit of Premier League champions Arsenal is the first of two huge home games in four days for Sunderland, who welcome Dutch side AZ Alkmaar to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday in their first European match for 53 years.

However, manager Regis Le Bris and his players are unlikely to be distracted by next week's Europa League opener as they look to continue a promising run of form.

The Black Cats responded to their last-gasp defeat at Ipswich Town on the opening day by beating Fulham 1-0 and earning a 1-1 draw at Brentford, before Le Bris made 11 changes to his starting XI for the Carabao Cup third-round victory over Hull City on Tuesday.

The Sunderland boss is likely to revert to his first-choice Premier League lineup as his side eye another memorable result at home to Arsenal, after Brian Brobbey's stoppage-time equaliser secured a 2-2 draw in this fixture last season.

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

The Gunners appear to have gone up a level from the team that won the title last term, winning five games out of five in all competitions in the early weeks of the season.

Arsenal's miserly defence has once again been key to their success, conceding just once so far this term, while captain Martin Odegaard is in the form of his life after scoring four times in five matches – including the winning goal against Chelsea last Sunday and at Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's men will walk out at the Stadium of Light just 72 hours after they kicked-off in Naples, so the Gunners manager could make changes to his lineup to reduce the impact of the tight turnaround.

Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Christos Tzolis all dropped to the bench in midweek and may feature from the start against Sunderland.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal

It's hard to bet against the Gunners in this form, but the Black Cats won't make it easy for them.

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

During his 19-season career as a professional footballer, Clarke Carlise established himself as an imposing centre-back and set-piece threat for the likes of QPR, Leeds United and Burnley.

But the Preston-born defender wasn’t just defined by what he did on the football pitch, as he soon became known for his academic interests off it.

This included a 2002 quiz show victory where he was declared ‘Britain’s Brainiest Footballer’, which was followed eight years later by a three-episode run on Channel 4’s Countdown.

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

Calrke Carlisle on his Countdown appearance

Carlisle’s first appearance as a TV quiz star came about during an otherwise frustrating spell on the sidelines, which saw him appear pip Alan Brazil to the title of ‘Britain’s Brainiest Footballer’.

“So I did when I was in that two year lay-off with my knee injury,” Carlisle recalls to FourFourTwo. “I went back to college, did some A-levels, and then this flyer came round to the training ground.

“I thought, ‘Yeah, I'll have a bit of that – could be a bit of fun’. And I ended up winning it.”

Carlisle’s quizzing toook something of a back seat after his recovery from injury, as he established himself in QPR’s team, before moves to Leeds United, Watford, Luton Town and Burnley, before the bright lights of the TV studio came calling again as he looked to scratch an itch that had remained with him since that original lay-off.

“It was also in that period that I was off for two years that I applied to go on Countdown,” he continues. “I did the audition at King's Cross, and I failed miserably. It was so different from what I’d expected.

“It's like a boring classroom in an office and someone at the front just reads out the letters. I'm like, ‘This isn't Countdown, guys! Where’s the big clock?’

“I relayed that story on TalkSport when we got promoted with Burnley and Damien Eadie was there. He was a producer on TalkSport and he also did Countdown. After the show he said, ‘Clarke, are you serious? Do you really want to go on Countdown?’

“I was like, ‘Yeah, please, dead serious!’ So – talk about privilege – I bypassed the audition, and he just put me straight in as a contestant.

“This was me fulfilling a lifelong dream. I remember being a kid coming home from school, sitting on my dad's knee and watching Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman and trying to impress my dad by making the biggest words and getting these sums right.

“So when I won an episode and I got the teapot, that was like my Champions League. Seriously, it's a cherished memory.”

Steve Fletcher is a bona fide Bournemouth legend, having been around the club for almost three-and-a-half decades, witnessing the Cherries go from the brink of extinction to European football.

Few people, therefore, can quite appreciate just how close the club came to disappearing altogether.

One of Fletcher’s key contributions in this story was the goal he scored against Grimsby Town in 2009 which helped ensure that Bournemouth avoided relegation out of the Football League at a time when the club faced a deeply uncertain future.

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Fletcher on Bournemouth’s journey

“I’m going into my 34th season at AFC Bournemouth,” Fletcher tells FourFourTwo. “I came down here from Hartlepool when I was 19, and I’m 54 now, with only one campaign away during my playing career. I love this place.

“During my first spell at the club as a player in 1997, the receivers were called in, but we got together as a squad and decided to play the game, even though we weren’t getting paid. If we’d said no on that day, the club would have folded.”

That would not prove to be the only time that Fletcher had to endure such an experience.

“When we went into administration during my second spell in 2008, I was the only player who’d experienced what happened previously,” he continues. “But there were moments in that following season where I thought ‘If we go down to the Conference, we’re in trouble’.

“We didn’t have an owner, and Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall were doing every job available – the jobs of 20 or 30 people. People said that if we got relegated from League Two, the club would probably have to start again from many leagues below – we’d have gone into liquidation and that would have been the end of AFC Bournemouth for the foreseeable future.”

Fletcher’s experience and standing at the club meant that he felt the gravity of the situation more than some of his team-mates.

“I felt it more because I was 36 – some of the younger lads probably didn’t understand the magnitude of what was at stake,” he admits.

“It’s still a great honour to have been the person who scored the goal that meant we avoided relegation – when you think of Europe, if I hadn’t scored that goal, none of this would have been possible.

“But it could have been any player on that day against Grimsby in 2009 – the whole team pulled together after we got deducted 17 points that season. When the cross came in, it could have fallen to anyone, or I could have smashed the volley into row Z as usual, but that time I smashed it into the roof of the net.

“That was my moment, one I’d waited 36 years for.”

Fletcher was speaking in association with MrQ, the new official sleeve partner of AFC Bournemouth

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton as Roberto De Zerbi's side target their first win of the Premier League 2026/27 season. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Pre-season optimism has given way to the all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment among Spurs fans, after a poor start to the campaign left them at the wrong end of the table heading into the weekend.

Everton supporters were similarly gloomy after a chaotic end to the transfer window but their league position is much healthier, after taking five points from their first three games.

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

Can I watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton for free?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton isn't technically available to watch for free, but there is a way that viewers in the US can stream the game at no cost.

Live coverage in the States is on NBC, which is available on YouTube TV that currently comes with a 21-day free trial for new customers.

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

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton from anywhere

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How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the UK

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

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

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the US

As mentioned above, NBC is showing Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in the US. The game is also live on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform. Kick-off is at 12:30pm ET.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton in Australia

Fans in Australia can stream Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 2:30am AEST on Sunday.

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton: Preview

There is nowhere near as much at stake for Tottenham Hotspur as the last time they hosted Everton, but Roberto De Zerbi's side could really do with a win on Saturday evening.

Spurs welcomed the Toffees to North London on the final day of last season knowing anything but a victory could see them relegated to the Championship. A 1-0 win got them over the line, saving the club from the most humiliating demotion of the Premier League era.

De Zerbi will be desperate for the same result this time around after picking up a single point from their first three games, although they'll need to score to do that – something they haven't managed in the league so far this season. Another failure to find the net would make it the first time ever that Spurs have not scored a single goal in any of their opening four league matches.

They will be without winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who could miss up to eight weeks with an ankle injury, although James Maddison could return from a shoulder issue.

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

Everton fans' frustration around the club's haphazard end to the transfer window was lifted somewhat by Ainsley Maitland-Niles' incredible last-gasp equaliser against Manchester United last weekend.

That strike by the full-back - who was one of the players the Toffees did manage to sign on deadline day - ensured David Moyes' side remain unbeaten ahead of their trip to North London, after they also scored a late equaliser at Bournemouth the weekend before.

Maitland-Niles' heroics could earn him a start at Tottenham, while Jack Grealish is also in contention for a place in the XI after featuring as a substitute against United following his return on loan from Manchester City.

Elsewhere, midfielder James Garner went off injured late on last Sunday, which could see summer signing Hayden Hackney step in.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton

Spurs have improved over their three league matches, so they could pick up their first win if they continue on that trajectory.

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

Jill Scott has won a European Championship, lifted the Women's Super League title and collected 161 England caps.

So why is one of the most decorated players in Lionesses history joining a team currently playing in the sixth tier of English women's football?

Scott wants to be part of Salford City’s ambitious project around their women’s team, the aptly-named Salford City Lionesses.

From England's Lionesses to Salford's Lionesses

Scott has been appointed Chief Women's Football Advisor at Salford City, where she will help shape the technical programme for the club's women's first team and academy. The 39-year-old will also support the development of players and coaching staff, while drawing on her own journey from grassroots football to the professional game to inspire the next generation across Salford and Greater Manchester.

It marks Scott's return to football after retiring in 2022. Since then, she has become a familiar face on television, winning ITV's 'I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!', working as a pundit and appearing alongside the likes of Gary Neville, co-owner of Salford City, on The Overlap.

Why Salford?

Salford City Lionesses currently play in the North West Women's Regional League Division One Central, in the sixth tier of the English women's pyramid.

They have won their opening two games of the season and welcomed Bury on Sunday - their first match since Scott's appointment.

But the club's ambitions extend considerably beyond their current position in the pyramid.

AIG has agreed in principle to become the largest minority equity investor in the Lionesses, with the investment described as part of a long-term plan for the women's team.

If completed, AIG says it would become the first Fortune 500 company to take an ownership stake in a UK women's football club, with plans for developing the existing environment and pathways for future players.

Rather than playing her part in a WSL side, one of England's most recognisable former internationals is taking a role at a club much further down the pyramid, but one with big ambitions of transforming their women’s team.

When a football manager has little or no budget to work with, their other skills are brought to the fore.

That was certainly the case for Steve Coppell during his first spell as Crystal Palace boss, when his tenure was built on necessity, ingenuity and the ability to spot talent where others weren’t looking.

With little money available, Coppell was able to sign and transform a collection of relative unknown players into household names, and would come agonisingly close to landing the club’s first major honour and to playing European football.

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

Coppell on losing Ian Wright

The likes of Ian Wright, Alan Pardew and Gareth Southgate all made a name for themselves under Coppell, who admits that he had to think outside of the box.

“First and foremost it was a necessity,” Coppell recalls to FourFourTwo. “When I first went to Palace we had no money. My first year in management was the blind leading the blind. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

“We made our training ground open to non-league managers and they became our scouts. Ian Wright was a no-brainer. All the non-league players had an ‘I’ll-show-them’ mentality and that’s what we were looking for.”

Ian Wright was the figurehead for how Coppell was able to create a new culture around the club. But after finishing third in 1991, the striker would depart in what Coppell sees as a defining moment for Palace.

“Almost immediately Ian Wright went to Arsenal,” Coppell continues. “We had a great relationship with Ian and he could have left a couple of years before but agreed to sign a new deal. He’d done well by us but we both knew the situation and we weren’t going to stand in his way.

“To a certain extent that was a real body blow – I really do think we could have been one of the big boys for a couple of years.

“For your best player to leave to fulfil his ambitions sends a message to the other players. It became a difficult couple of years.”

As a player, Coppell earned 42 England caps and, following his success in the Palace dugout, his name was soon bandied around as a potential successor to Three Lions boss Graham Taylor in 1993, following England’s failure to qualify for the following summer’s World Cup.

“On occasion I was mentioned, but never approached,” Coppell recalls. ”It never really interested me that much.

“The Palace job was massive and so intense that I think I would have been unfulfilled as a national team manager.”

Watch Liverpool v Fulham in one of five games kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Liverpool are finally underway for the season, after two wins in as many days: the first against Ipswich Town and then another against Atletico Madrid at Anfield in their first UEFA Champions League game.

Fulham are 0-3, and it looks bleak for Alvaro Arbeloa, who is already the bookmakers' favourite to be the first managerial sacking of the season. Having played for the Reds from 2007-2009, the Spaniard should receive a warm welcome.

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

Watch Liverpool vs Fulham from anywhere

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Is Liverpool vs Fulham on TV in the UK?

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

Outside the UK, the game is available in virtually every country across the globe. If you're visiting the UK, you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Liverpool vs Fulham on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Liverpool vs Fulham on Peacock.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham in Australia

In Australia, Liverpool vs Fulham is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

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Liverpool vs Fulham: Preview

Liverpool came from behind to win 2-1 against Atletico Madrid in midweek, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

Andoni Iraola swapped out Cody Gakpo for Bradley Barcola, who looked bright on his Liverpool debut, and it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman keeps his place for the visit of Fulham.

The ex-PSG man did come off with what looked to be only cramp, as did Milos Kerkez, with the hope that both will be fit for Saturday.

Gakpo is more of a doubt due to the adductor problem that kept him out, while Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Joe Gomez (muscle) and Federico Chiesa (back) are all currently missing.

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

Fulham have suffered a dismal start to the season, with losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Sunderland already on their record.

Boos could be heard following last weekend's loss against Crystal Palace, and you do feel a heavy defeat against Liverpool could spell even more trouble for their new Spanish head coach.

Only newly-promoted Coventry City are also still waiting for their first Premier League point of the campaign, and there isn't a much tougher place to go than Anfield for the Cottagers.

There is no change in terms of fitness for Fulham, with just Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney both still missing with long-term knee injuries.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Liverpool will win with ease based on what we have seen so far of Fulham, with Alexander Isak grabbing a couple.

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

Watch Bournemouth vs Brentford today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Bournemouth are yet another side awaiting their first Premier League victory of the season. Marco Rose's side so far have two draws and one loss on their record.

Brentford have had much better fortunes so far, with Keith Andrews' side unbeaten as they head to the south coast.

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

Is Bournemouth vs Brentford available to watch in the UK?

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

Outside the UK, the game is available in virtually every country across the globe. If you're visiting the UK, you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Bournemouth vs Brentford from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Bournemouth vs Brentford.

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

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How to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Bournemouth vs Brentford on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford on Peacock.

How to watch Bournemouth vs Brentford in Australia

In Australia, Bournemouth vs Brentford is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

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Tickets

Bournemouth vs Brentford: Preview

The Cherries' new head coach Rose is still in search of his win as Bournemouth boss, after draws with Everton and Newcastle and a loss against Manchester City so far this season.

What makes it more disappointing is the fact that his side have led in all three games, yet cannot seem to hold onto points. With European football to come too, things will have to tighten up for a side predicted to do well in the Europa League.

Their current absentees include Eli Junior Kroupi (foot), as well as Amine Adli (calf), Veljko Milosavljevic (knee) and Julian Araujo (thigh).

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

Brentford have been one of the brighter starters so far, with the Bees winning twice and drawing only once in 2026/27 to this point.

Into the next round of the Carabao Cup too, after a 6-1 hammering v Birmingham City, Andrews' men will be hoping for another solid display against struggling Bournemouth.

Nathan Collins could miss out with a calf problem, which would be a big blow, with Mathias Jensen (unspecified), Sepp van den Berg (groin), Antoni Milambo (knee) and Josh Dasilva (thigh) all also sidelined with injuries.

Jannik Schuster could come in to partner Kristoffer Ajer if Collins isn't fit, but we expect Andrews to pretty much stick as he is elsewhere.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Bournemouth 1-3 Brentford

Brentford have looked solid in all areas so far and the jury is still out on Rose. We say away win.

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

Watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Aston Villa began their European campaign with a hard-fought victory in Belgium on Tuesday, seeing off Club Brugge by 3-2 thanks to a Player of the Match display from John McGinn.

Nottingham Forest come into this game winless so far this season, after two draws and one defeat from their opening three games of the new campaign.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest online and from anywhere in the world as the Premier League 2026/27 season continues.

Is Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest available to watch in the UK?

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest is not being televised in the UK. The game starts on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

Outside the UK, the game is available in virtually every country across the globe. If you're visiting the UK, you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest from anywhere

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

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How to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest on Peacock.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in Australia

In Australia, Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

Travelling outside Australia? NordVPN is your ticket to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Stan Sport.

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Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest: Preview

Despite winning in the Champions League earlier this week, Aston Villa are yet to win or score in the 2026/27 Premier League, which Unai Emery is more than hopeful will change this weekend.

The Villans are now seeking to avoid becoming the first team in England’s top-four divisions to not score in any of their opening four matches of a league campaign in successive seasons, after doing so previously in 2025/26.

Villa have won each of their last six Premier League home encounters with Nottingham Forest, and off the back of Tuesday's success, everything points towards the correct step forward on the pitch for the Midlands outfit.

They will be without an injured quartet of Leon Goretzka, Johan Manzambi, Amadou Onana (all knee) and Brian Madjo (ankle), while Joao Gomes will serve the final match of his suspension.

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

New Forest boss Oliver Glasner is still hoping for his first win of the season and his first win as manager after replacing Vítor Pereira back in July.

Back-to-back home defeats to Leeds United in both the league and EFL Cup were followed by their 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. Their last outing was a dull 0-0 affair with Tottenham at the City Ground last weekend.

Only Bournemouth (12), Brentford (11) and Leeds (11) have drawn more Premier League matches in 2026 than Forest (10) and their recent form with Villa isn't the most pleasing on the eye.

The Tricky Trees have won just three, drawn six and lost nine of their previous 18 Premier League meetings with Aston Villa, a record they will hope can change in today's 3pm kick-off at Villa Park.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Aston Villa 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Two teams struggling for form at the start of the season. We saw draw.

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

Watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town today in one of five games kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Crystal Palace finally got off the mark in the Premier League on their third attempt last weekend, beating London rivals Fulham 3-2. Pierre Sage's side then followed up that success with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.

For Ipswich Town its been a tough start to life back in England's top flight. Despite beating Sunderland 2-1 on the opening day of the season, losses against Manchester United and Liverpool have since followed.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town online and from anywhere in the world as the Premier League 2026/27 season continues.

Is Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in the UK?

Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is not being televised in the UK. The game starts on Saturday at 3pm, a time when football matches cannot legally be broadcast in the UK. This is known as the '3pm blackout'.

Outside the UK, the game is available in virtually every country across the globe. If you're visiting the UK, you can use NordVPN to access your usual coverage.

Watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town from anywhere

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

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How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Peacock. Kick-off is at 10:00am ET.

Peacock is NBC's streaming platform, which not only streams NBC games but also exclusively shows several other Premier League matches each week.

Not in the US right now? Use NordVPN to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town on Peacock.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town in Australia

In Australia, Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town is live on Stan Sport. Kick-off is at 12:00am AEST (midnight) on Sunday morning.

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Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town: Preview

Palace arrive on the back of two consecutive victories in all competitions, with Jorgen Strand Larsen netting twice in midweek during their 3-0 Carabao Cup success against Middlesbrough.

Manager Sage has had to adapt quickly to changes in his squad over the last few months. Palace strengthened with players including Dwight McNeil, Evann Guessand, Dario Osorio, Ben Chilwell and Quinten Timber, while the departures of key figures – most notably Maxence Lacroix – have left questions over the balance of his defence.

There are also still concerns in attack, with Jean-Philippe Mateta recovering from a hamstring injury and Ismaïla Sarr having recently been sidelined with a groin problem. Sage indicated that Sarr could return for this game, although his fitness will need to be assessed carefully.

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

Ipswich, meanwhile, arrive in south London with three points from their opening three matches. Their return to the Premier League began impressively, as Jack Clarke's late goal secured a 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

The subsequent fixtures have been considerably tougher. Ipswich were beaten 5-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford before suffering a 2-0 home defeat against Liverpool, bringing a sense of reality to their hopes of retaining Premier League status come May.

The major challenge for the Tractor Boys will be tightening up defensively. They were punished by Liverpool for two early lapses, while United's attacking quality eventually overwhelmed them after they had taken the lead.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Crystal Palace 2-1 Ipswich Town

After two wins from two of late, we fancy Palace to win narrowly in this one, despite Ipswich taking a lead.

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