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West Ham, resplendent in a blend of grey, beige and cream with a dash of yellow, get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

The teams are out! Manchester United in their red, white and black, West Ham United in second-choice ecru. According to House & Garden magazine, ecru is “a notoriously finicky colour to define” but they give it a go anyway: it’s “a blend of grey, beige, cream, and a dash of yellow, less creamy than cream, and not eggshell.” So there you have it. We’ll be off in a minute.

Amid all the hoopla circling its Washington backdrop, Friday’s event must be all about firing the starting gun on football’s biggest show

When the sculptor Joel Shapiro created Blue, the piece that stands around the back of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, looking out over the Potomac River in Washington, he wanted to tap into a number of elements. The giant matchstick figure denotes movement and energy, risk and possibility. As Shapiro himself has said, it is supposed to “reconfigure depending on how you look at it”.

It has the perfect home at the Kennedy Center, the vast cultural hub for ballet and opera, stage productions and concerts. And it resonates on a new level now as the venue prepares to host Friday’s World Cup draw, at which the competing nations at next summer’s extravaganza in the United States, Canada and Mexico will discover their group opponents and knockout round pathways. Because from one angle it is plain that Blue is executing a raking pass. From another, it is a spectacular side-on volley. Squint a little and it is Ciao, the Italia 90 mascot.

Frenchman’s epiphany after a missed penalty at San Mamés in 2024 has led to a sensational 2025. Real Madrid are purring again

Kylian Mbappé returned to the Cathedral where he experienced his epiphany in 2024, his resurrection born after hitting rock bottom, and delivered something like salvation. Exactly a year since he missed a penalty there, a bad moment he later said was a good one, the Frenchman was back at San Mamés on Wednesday night.

Last time, he missed a second penalty in a week, an awakening accompanying failure; this time, he scored two goals in an hour and set up another, light let in through the dark again. As the Frenchman headed off the pitch early, Madrid 3-0 up against Athletic Bilbao with 15 minutes left, he embraced Xabi Alonso, who is still his manager.

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 A perusal of the listings for the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington DC reveals that weekend visitors to the national culture centre of the US can sit through a playful bilingual production of the Philip Eastman children’s book ‘Go Dog! Go!’ or the presumably excruciating ad libbed stylings of the Improvised Shakespeare Company. Despite being the hottest ticket in town, Friday’s Geopolitics World Cup draw is notable by its absence from the venue’s schedule of events, presumably because the organisers have designated it strictly invitation only, lest any riff-raff darken the doorstep of what promises to be an excessively long, self-congratulatory procession at which assorted well-paid luminaries will parrot the tired platitude that “football unites the world”.

Further to the letter from John Collins [Football Daily letters passim] about a potential club named Kevin for the Highland League. He may wish to note there is an exciting Brazilian winger named Kevin (Santos Lopes de Macedo) at Fulham who cost north of £30m. Perhaps Kevin could be asked to buy a Highland League club, and bestow his name on it” – Desmond Wheway.

Going to Inverness Thistle games in the 80s/90s, my mum would always ask who they were playing. When the answer was ‘Keith’, she’d reply: ‘What, on his own?’ – Toby Blake.

I stopped reading the 3 December Daily after nine words. Oh dear, oh dear. ‘Comprised of’! Of what were you thinking? To comprise means to consist of. So to comprise of means to consist of of. The extra ‘of’ plays as much a part as an extra official assessing VAR on corners: unnecessary, unacceptable and unwanted” – Ken Muir.

Concern is growing here the US ahead of Fifa’s Global Tombola on Friday: just what catchy ditty will the two-hit wonder Village People come up with when the inevitable happens and Supreme Leader Trump refuses to leave the stage, thereby necessitating an encore? Given that he’ll be proudly waving his Fifa Man of Peace Award (and taking into account his present adventures in the Caribbean), they can hardly resort to their other song, In the Navy! Perhaps Trump’s ever-accommodating best buddy (and fellow Abominable Showman) will come to the rescue with a Fifa-inspired rewrite for the occasion called something like, maybe … In the Gravy?” – Justin Kavanagh

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• Hislop had surgery for ‘fairly aggressive prostate cancer’

• Cancer has spread to pelvic bone of 56-year-old

The former Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed he has prostate cancer, which has spread to his pelvic bone. Hislop said he had been diagnosed with “a fairly aggressive prostate cancer” about 18 months ago, which required surgery. Further tests showed the cancer had spread.

“Roughly 18 months ago, I went for my annual physical and insisted on a PSA test, as I always do,” Hislop, 56, said in a video on Instagram. “This time around though my PSA was elevated. An MRI and biopsy quickly determined that I had a fairly aggressive prostate cancer.

• Chair of Fifa’s referees committee offers his support

• Collina wants to ensure changes do not slow down game

Pierluigi Collina has said he would be in favour of the use of VAR to determine whether corners have been correctly awarded at the World Cup next summer. The chair of Fifa’s referees committee, speaking at a media briefing in Washington, made clear he supported the advance of technology.

Collina said conversations were taking place over whether VAR could adjudicate on second yellow cards. They will continue at the next meeting of the International Football Association Board, the law-making body, in Wales next March, meaning there would be time for the ruling to come into effect for the World Cup. Collina also said discussions were taking place over how best to combat time-wasting, including when goalkeepers go to ground, seemingly feigning injury to allow managers to hold team meetings. He added that Fifa wanted to explore AI-based innovations to help match officials and improve the game, although he gave no details on this.

• Coates ‘ready and excited’ to replace Albertin Montoya

• U23 assistant Gemma Davies to join Coates in San Jose

Emma Coates has left her position as the leader of England Women’s Under-23 national team to become the new head coach of the NWSL side Bay FC.

Coates replaces Albertin Montoya, who was the coach of the expansion team when it entered the National Women’s Soccer League two years ago. Montoya announced in September that he would resign at the end of the 2025 season, with the San Jose side finishing 13th in the 14-team table.

• Three members of Iran football federation denied visas

• Iran among nations facing restrictions on entry to US

Iran has reversed its boycott of the World Cup draw, with team representatives now due to attend the glitzy event in Washington DC on Friday.

Last week the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) said it would stay away after three members of its delegation were denied visas for entering the United States.

Aitana Bonmatí has been voted the best female player on the planet by our panel of 127 experts ahead of Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo

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Before Friday’s event we also examine a possible overall group of death and where geopolitics could meet football

Croatia are the highest-ranked potential Pot 2 opponents (10th) and reached the final and the semi-finalis at the past two World Cups respectively but, with a maximum of two European teams in each group, drawing them would eliminate for England the possibility of facing Erling Haaland’s Norway, who are in Pot 3, or Italy, who are in Pot 4, if the four-time champions get through the playoffs in March.

Unbeaten in Europe and with eight wins in eight games domestically, the club are aiming high after name change

When the Olympique Lyonnais women’s team officially became OL Lyonnes on 19 May, they came with a new mantra: “New story, same legend”. The eight-time European champions, now owned by Michele Kang and part of Kynisca – a multi-club ownership group dedicated to women’s sports that also already includes the Washington Spirit – are a “new project” with the aim of “developing as a women’s club with our own model”. As Kang put it: “The women’s team cannot just be a little sister to the men’s section.”

The OL Lyonnes era kicked off on 7 September, coinciding with the Lyon’s 1,000th match in the French women’s top division, against Marseille. Kang was present, alongside Mikel Zubizarreta, Kynisca’s global sporting director, who was poached from Barcelona Femení last year. On the pitch, new recruits snatched from other European clubs this summer – Jule Brand, Lily Yohannes, Ashley Lawrence, Ingrid Engen, Korbin Shrader and Marie-Antoinette Katoto – discovered what it will be like to play at the Groupama Stadium, where the men’s team plays, for the entire season.

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• Defender will miss Real Madrid match against Man City

• Injury hurts slim hopes of making England squad

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be out for at least two months after a scan confirmed the Real Madrid full-back has torn his left thigh muscle.

Alexander-Arnold was withdrawn just before the hour in a 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night having provided his first assist of the season, from which Kylian Mbappé scored the opening goal. He was making his fourth consecutive start since suffering an injury – also to his left thigh – against Marseille in September.

• Wirtz’s first goal eventually ruled Sunderland own goal

• Mohamed Salah ‘still important’ after being dropped

Florian Wirtz should ignore his Premier League numbers and not lose confidence in his world-class ability at Liverpool, believes Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool’s £116m summer signing thought he had scored his first goal for the club against Sunderland on Wednesday only for the 81st-minute equaliser to be deemed an own goal by defender Nordi Mukiele. The decision means the 22-year-old is still without a goal or an assist in 13 league appearances for the champions. Van Dijk, however, is convinced Wirtz is on the right path at Liverpool and will prove he is an elite level player.

New Celtic manager may not be a big name but he won over the US league with leadership style and attractive football

Other managers won more in Major League Soccer than Wilfried Nancy. Bruce Arena, say, certainly has a fuller trophy cabinet. Nancy, however, lifted more than just trophies. He lifted standards. At Columbus Crew, he set a benchmark for the rest, showing what was possible even with limited resources. Columbus didn’t have Lionel Messi or Son Heung-min, but they had Nancy as head coach, and that was often enough.

For the past three seasons, the Crew have been the most dynamic, boundary-pushing team in MLS. Nancy’s CF Montreal team weren’t bad either, establishing the style of play that would come to be known as Nancyball. He changed MLS’s managerial landscape for ever. It was only a matter of time until a call came from Europe.

Gus Poyet’s assistant says ‘moment of misunderstanding’ led to his being punished by the K League

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors had their “La Decima” banners ready on the second weekend of November to celebrate a 10th South Korean title won in style by the head coach, Gus Poyet. Their game with Daejeon Hana, however, turned out to be the most controversial and divisive of the season. Jeonbuk were leading 2-1 when, in injury time, the referee, Kim Woo-seong, did not award a penalty for handball, much to the displeasure of Mauricio Taricco, Poyet’s No 2.

Even when the video assistant referee intervened and Kim pointed to the spot, the former Tottenham full-back kept complaining, to the extent that he was shown a second yellow card minutes after the first. The Argentinian put his index fingers next to the outer corner of each eye. Kim interpreted the gesture as racist and reported the 52-year-old to the K League’s disciplinary committee.

Inaugural prize expected to be handed to Donald Trump but ‘process’ for choosing future winners to be proposed by controversial tycoon’s committee

It was the timing that set off the first alarm bells. With Donald Trump brooding over missing out on the Nobel peace prize, and shortly before Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body, Fifa, was due to meet the US president in Miami, an announcement was made.

In a press release and a post on his personal Instagram account last month, Infantino said Fifa would launch its very own peace prize, to be awarded each year to “individuals who help unite people in peace through unwavering commitment and special actions”.

Our cartoonist on what inspired him to draw some of his finest cartoons this year

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“Denis Law is one of the few footballers I’m too young to have seen play live, but like all followers of the game, I’m aware of his impact and talent. What I hadn’t fully appreciated was what a kind and generous person he was – something that became obvious as I read the many tributes to his character, in preparation for this cartoon”.

West Ham captain and manager who held the club record for appearances and was voted by fans as the team’s greatest player

The footballer Billy Bonds, who has died aged 79, captained West Ham to two FA Cup final victories – in 1975 and 1980 – during a 21-year period at Upton Park in which he made a club record 799 appearances.

Voted by the fans as West Ham’s greatest ever player, ahead even of Bobby Moore, he also skippered the team to the finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1976 and the League Cup in 1981, although on both occasions on the losing side.

Failings of legal system mean 97 people were unlawfully killed, but no one will be held accountable

When the Independent Office for Police Conduct published the final report on its mammoth investigation into the Hillsborough disaster, the response from bereaved families and survivors was conflicted.

Some of the IOPC’s findings could be regarded as historic, in particular that 12 former officers would have had cases to answer for gross misconduct, including Peter Wright, the chief constable of South Yorkshire police at the time of the 1989 disaster.

The League One club have teamed up with sustainable sportswear brand Reflo to do their bit for the planet

By The Football Mine

When Gideon Kodua came off the bench and scored a 92nd-minute winner for Luton Town in their seven-goal thriller against Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup last month, the impact was felt far beyond Kenilworth Road. The 4-3 win did not just take Luton into the second round of the competition, but it ensured that 8,000 trees will be planted in Uganda over the next few months thanks to an initiative by the sportswear manufacturer Reflo.

As the kit supplier to both clubs, it was a dream cup tie for Reflo. They marked the game by pledging to plant 1,000 trees – and an extra thousand for every goal scored in the game. This is not the only tree planting Reflo has undertaken this season. “We created a third kit for Luton, which is a green kit,” says Reflo founder Rory MacFadyen. “We plant a tree in Luton for every goal they score in that kit and those trees will be at Power Court, their new stadium.”

We publish the full breakdown of the 104,140 votes cast this year plus a chance to search for any player who has ever received a point

Aitana Bonmatí has been voted the best female footballer in the world 2025 by the Guardian’s panel of experts. We asked 127 people in total, including players, coaches and journalists from all over the globe to create our definitive list for the year.

We asked the judges to choose 40 names each and rank their selection in order from 1-40, No 1 being their choice of the best player. The No 1 choice of each judge was awarded 40 points, No 2 given 39pts, down to 1pt for their No 40 choice. All the votes were added together to give a raw score. To minimise the influence of outliers in the list, the highest score awarded to a player was then deducted to give a final score.

Two major figures from the last 15 years of global soccer have largely met in big-game contexts. They’ll do so again in MLS Cup on Saturday

This was the matchup Thomas Müller wanted.

“My history with [Messi] forces me to hope for a final against Miami,” the former Bayern Munich and Germany star told Calen Carr in a recent interview previewing the MLS playoffs ahead for his new side, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Liew and Will Unwin to discuss the Premier League, with David Conn discussing the IOPC report on policing at Hillsborough

On the podcast today: Manchester City were 5-1 up at Craven Cottage before very nearly throwing it away. If not for Josko Gvardiol’s goal-line clearance in injury time, Fulham might have pulled off one of the greatest ever Premier League comebacks.

Elsewhere, a late double for Cristian Romero earns Spurs a point away at lead-losing Newcastle, Jack Grealish wins it for Everton at Bournemouth, and we look ahead to the World Cup draw on Friday.

Plus: David Conn joins the podcast to discuss the Independent Office for Police Conduct report on policing at Hillsborough. The IOPC found that 12 police officers would have faced gross misconduct cases if any were still serving.

• Pair verbally and physically abused as they left team bus

• Nice to await police report before deciding on response

The Nice players Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga have been placed on sick leave after the team were confronted by supporters upon their return from a 3-1 defeat at Lorient.

Moffi was given a week’s leave and Boga five days, both effective from Monday, after an estimated 400 fans gathered outside the club’s training centre on Sunday night. The pair were verbally and physically abused as they left the team bus after the travelling party was swamped by ultras unhappy at a sixth consecutive loss in all competitions. The club’s sporting director, Florian Maurice, was also among those targeted.

Barcelona recovered to secure a 3-1 win against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, Goals from Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres handed the visitors their first La Liga defeat since August and extended the champions’ lead at the top.

Barcelona are on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who visit Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Atlético, arriving at Camp Nou on a seven-game winning run in all competitions, remain in fourth place with 31 points.

Bo Henriksen and Mainz are now floundering at the foot of the Bundesliga after a humiliation in the Black Forest

It was, as the clock chimed metaphorical midnight in Berlin, just another Bundesliga day for Heidenheim, without help, hope or points as they trailed Union going into the 90th minute, heading towards another weekend at the foot of the table and, no doubt, for the umpteenth time so far this season, veteran coach Frank Schmidt warning that at current pace, relegation was less a fear and more an inevitability.

Then it all changed. A burst down the right from Omar Haktab Traoré and a cross to the front post was met by fellow substitute Stefan Schimmer, and a wobbling Union had stumbled. The away side sensed the moment and a corner from Arijon Ibrahimovic, swung in just after the announced four minutes of stoppage time in moments added by Schimmer’s goal and its aftermath, was headed in by another sub, Jan Schöppner, to spark pandemonium. Referee Patrick Ittrich almost immediately blew for full-time and finally, more than two months after their hitherto solitary Bundesliga win of the season, Schmidt and company were taking three points home.

• Match against Groningen was abandoned on Sunday

• Fan had permission to watch behind-closed-doors game

A seriously ill Ajax fan invited to be the only supporter in attendance for the completion of their abandoned game against Groningen on Tuesday, was unable to realise his final wish after experiencing worsening health.

The fan, named Peter, is living in a hospice and had expressed the desire to attend an Ajax game for the last time. They had arranged for him to visit the original fixture on Sunday but there was immense disappointment when it was curtailed within five minutes of kick-off owing to a huge pyrotechnic display by a section of the support.

Reaction to goalkeeper’s error on Saturday was reprehensible but fans have had enough of being let down by the team

In my 35 years as a Tottenham fan, 15 of them as a season‑ticket holder, I’ve seen the home atmosphere turn ugly more than a few times. Chants of “We want our Tottenham back” have resurfaced during times of struggle, while mounting fury at Daniel Levy finally grew too loud to ignore for the Lewis family over the summer.

I remember well the chorus of boos that ultimately sounded the death knell for Nuno Espírito Santo, when he subbed off a lively Lucas Moura against Manchester United. And if you want a deeper cut, I was there in May 2007 to witness the visceral anger and disgust when Hossam Ghaly threw his shirt on the ground after being substituted by Martin Jol, half an hour after coming on.

Midfielder’s three goals illustrate the different attributes that have made her the player she is today

England laid down a marker at Wembley on Saturday evening as they waltzed to victory over China with a scintillating show of attacking force. Among the many eye-catching performances, Georgia Stanway stood out, joining Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones by becoming the third Lioness to score a hat-trick at Wembley. Her three goals and assist formed part of a midfield display that was right up there with the best the national stadium has witnessed over the years.

The 26-year-old has been one of the first names on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet since the Dutchwoman took over as manager in 2021. Famous for her long-range finishing and tenacious tackling, she is emblematic of the fight and quality that this England team possess. When in top form, she and Keira Walsh form one of the best midfield partnerships out there, complementing each other’s attributes. She is one of the leaders of this team, unafraid to stand up and be counted on and off the pitch when things go wrong and at the core of their success when they go right.

Leaders wary of the topsy-turvy nature of a competitive fifth tier which is an obstacle course as well as a marathon

There is arguably no tougher feat in modern football than gaining automatic promotion from the National League. Even Wrexham, with all their Hollywood money, took three seasons to crack the code of the solitary automatic spot. There is an illustrious list of former Football League clubs queueing up at the summit of the fifth tier with an eye on the promised land, all upwardly mobile and thriving after battling through various crises. All but two– one up automatically, one through the playoffs – will end the season disappointed.

Rochdale believe they can be the chosen ones. Saved from liquidation last year by a £2m takeover by local family the Ogdens, the club are now thriving on the pitch under Jimmy McNulty and hoping for a return to the EFL, where they enjoyed a 102-year unbroken stay between 1921 and 2023.

For a man who insists football isn’t political, the Fifa boss is putting a lot of effort into courting the most divisive politician on Earth

Gianni Infantino was 18 years old the first time he ran for office. It was a presidential election at FC Brig-Glis, the local amateur football club in the small Swiss town where he grew up. Running against two older men, and with no discernible footballing record of his own, the little red-haired kid with freckles was, unsurprisingly, the rank outsider in the race.

But he had a vision. He had a ferocious work ethic, boundless enthusiasm, well-established networks in the town’s Italian immigrant community. And even at this tender age, he had a flair for an eye-catching scheme. To the shock of many veterans at the club, Infantino surged to victory: partly on the back of his pledge to attract new sponsors and revenue streams, and partly on something more tangible. Infantino promised that if he won, his mother Maria would wash all the players’ kits, every week, for as long as he was president.

Our cartoonist on the people and themes that are fuelling the buildup to next summer’s tournament in North America

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Liverpool have dropped to 12th in the table – matching the lowest finish by reigning Premier League champions

By WhoScored

Six defeats in 12 top-flight games is not just a wobble. It’s one of the worst starts ever made by defending Premier League champions. The last team to begin their title defence this badly was Leicester City in 2016-17. They finished 12th that season – where Liverpool are now – with Claudio Ranieri sacked midway through the campaign. The same fate befell José Mourinho at Chelsea in the 2015-16 season. They started with seven defeats in 12 games, a collapse so severe that Mourinho was shown the door a week before Christmas. For Liverpool and Arne Slot, the warning signs could not be clearer.

The transformation from champions to chaos has been stark. Just six months ago, Slot was heralded as a record breaker, the man who had taken on the unenviable task of replacing club legend Jürgen Klopp and done it with apparent ease. Under his guidance, Liverpool clinched the title with four games to spare, an achievement only three other teams have managed. Slot became the third-youngest manager to win the Premier League, the fifth to win it in his first season in England and, most importantly, he brought the title to Anfield for just the second time in 35 years.

Troubled times at Carrington as the club proud of producing the next generation of stars is in flux under fresh leadership

The standards of Manchester United’s academy have “really slipped” in recent years, according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The club is renowned as one of the world’s best schools for young players, so the words of the man at the top of the football operation will have stung those trying to create the next generation of stars.

The academy is in flux after Nick Cox, its long-time leader, left in September to become technical director at Everton. His replacement, Steve Torpey, joined from Brentford and is an ally of United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox. The pair worked together at Manchester City and the introduction of another former employee from there implies a literal blueprint is being followed.

Top-four seeding shows Fifa prioritising marketing over sporting integrity once again but even best-laid plans can flop

The plastic balls rumble around the glass bowls of destiny. Portentous music plays. There is a sense of possibility, as though the inner workings of the universe have suddenly been laid bare, a door opening to reveal the three Fates sitting by their spinning wheel, measuring rod and shears in hand.

A World Cup draw is a moment of perfection, a platonic vision before reality has had time to intervene. Everybody is fit and in form. Every nation is playing as an ideal version of itself – no injuries, no disputes over bonuses, no concerns about fatigue or the temperature or whether a player might be distracted by a possible transfer; it’s the World Cup as pure potential. With Friday’s draw, next summer will suddenly feel a lot closer.

Englishman was not an obvious candidate to lead them but Swedes pushed Nottingham Forest all the way in 1979

Early in the 1979 European Cup final, Kenny Burns misjudged a long ball and ended up lobbing it up in the air for Jan-Olov Kindvall. He, in turn, attempted to knock the dropping ball over Peter Shilton but the goalkeeper was not as close as he had perhaps anticipated and Shilton ended up catching it simply. The chance was gone and, with it, Malmö’s hopes of beating Nottingham Forest.

“I had quite a good chance to score and then they were the better team,” says Kindvall. “But maybe if we had got the first goal, maybe we had a chance. We were very good when we didn’t have the ball ourselves. We had good organisation in the defence. And Forest were very good without the ball as well. It was more difficult for us to play against a team who were more like our team. We played the English way.”

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While the bulk of Fulham’s support is comprised of working-class folk who like a pie and a pint of foaming shaft as much as the next match-goer, the club’s Thames-adjacent postcode of Craven Cottage means fans have never been able to shake their undeserved reputation for being a bunch of well-heeled, upper class popinjays with more of a predilection for half-time hummus washed down by a flute or two of expensive champagne. Their case certainly isn’t helped by the fact that the Fulham ticket office is invariably the most obliging port of call for foreign tourists hoping to tick “Attend A Premier League Match” off their bucket lists, or that the ground’s go-to celebrity camera cut-away during televised games is the raffish fop and professional posho that is acting’s Hugh Grant.

The Euro 2025 semi-final remains fresh in the memory, but this contest exists in a very different context

Just for a moment, cast your mind back to that summer’s evening towards the end of July when Spain earned their first win over Germany. The illustrious newcomers (relatively speaking) needed the genius of Aitana Bonmatí and her 113th-minute goal to eventually break down the resilience of the traditional trailblazers and book their place in their first European Championship final.

Just four months on, Christian Wück’s team have the opportunity to avenge that night in Zürich, albeit in less distinguished circumstances as they battle for a trophy that carries less prestige. The second edition of the Uefa Women’s Nations League comes to a close this fortnight with a two-legged final between the holders Spain and Germany.

Research is on ‘an upward curve’ and the next five years could be vital in trying to limit cruciate ruptures

Players who compete in the top two levels of German women’s football are four times more likely to rupture their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than their male counterparts, according to the German Football Association (DFB).

The governing body has funded a central injury and illness registry in women’s football for three years. So far in the Frauen Bundesliga, Germany’s top flight, there have been a reported seven ACL injuries 10 games into the current campaign. In the men’s Bundesliga, meanwhile, there have been three such injuries.

Eberechi Eze’s hat-trick and Manchester City’s loss to Newcastle means Arsenal are in control of their own destiny

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So it turns out those who had already handed the title to Arsenal were right after all.

It’s absurd, of course, to start handing out the title in November but a feature of modern football is how obsessed it becomes so early with title races. It’s perhaps a legacy of the Pep Guardiola-Jürgen Klopp rivalry’s peak, when being champion meant amassing more than 95 points. It made sense then to scan the track far ahead for any potential hurdles because there were so few. But less than a third of the way through this season, Manchester City, who remain probably the biggest danger to Arsenal, have already dropped as many points as they did in the entirety of 2017-18, their 100-point campaign.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Jacob Steinberg as Chelsea lose 3-1 away at Leeds, Sunderland earn a draw at Anfield and Arsenal secure another straightforward win

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On the podcast today: another almost perfect night for Arsenal as title rivals Chelsea lose away at Leeds. The big man and big man strike partnership could turn Daniel Farke’s fortunes around.

Plus: the shambles that was 1950 World Cup qualifying, and plenty more brawling teammates

• Mail us with your questions and answers

“Has any player been shown a second yellow card while being substituted for not leaving the pitch correctly?” wonders Ken Foster.

They have indeed, Ken. Let Robin Horton take you back to a bitter January in 1980, when Stoke City were the visitors to Burnley in the FA Cup third round. “Stoke’s Denis Smith, already on a yellow card, limped towards the touchline with an injured ankle, only to linger on the touchline as substitute Paul Johnson was not properly warmed up,” Robin recalls. “Referee Kevin McNally therefore sent Smith off for time-wasting. McNally was not in Stoke’s good books; Burnley won the tie via a penalty, and Stoke’s Ray Evans also got his marching orders, for what manager Alan Durban described as ‘heavy sarcasm’.” That’s as good a reason for a dismissal as we can remember.

Faye Carruthers is joined by Emily Keogh and Ayisha Gulati to review England’s wins over China and Ghana. Plus, Suzy Wrack joins Faye to speak to the new Newcastle head coach, Tanya Oxtoby, about her return to club management.

On today’s pod: the Lionesses close out 2025 in style. England hit eight past China at Wembley, with Georgia Stanway scoring a hat-trick, before following up with a controlled win over Ghana on the south coast. The panel look at a clinical attacking display, Lucia Kendall’s dream homecoming and what Sarina Wiegman will take from facing two very different opponents.

Also, the panel reflects on a remarkable year for England, 17 games, 12 wins and back-to-back European titles, and considers what comes next as World Cup qualifying begins in March, with Ukraine, Iceland and Spain awaiting in the group.

Arsenal rout Bayern to stake a claim as Europe’s best, Liverpool spiral again, Benfica revive under Mourinho, and Estevão dazzles on a crowded week of stars

• Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run and claim to be the best team in European football were both punctured at the Emirates. Arsenal were rampant against an opponent who have handed them so much pain in the past. The Gunners opened the scoring through their habitual set-piece goal, Jurriën Timber fulfilling the role of the absent Gabriel Magalhães. Lennart Karl, the 17-year-old, showed off his chops with a fine goal; from within Bayern have found the player they desired when they were thwarted in moving for Florian Wirtz. After that, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze took control in midfield, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scoring the goals, the latter a humiliation of Manuel Neuer’s sweeper-keeper stylings. Amid the fug of the extended Champions League group-stage format, where matches between elite clubs are routine rather than novelty, this was still a statement victory. “I think they had an incredible match against, in my opinion, the best team in Europe,” Mikel Arteta said of his players. That status surely now lies with his team: Arsenal top the group-stage table with a 100% record.

From PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye to Brazil’s next hope, we select some of the most talented players born in 2008. Check the progress of our classes of 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 … and go even further back. Here’s our Premier League class of 2025

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 … and go even further back. Here’s our 2025 world picks

Every deal in the NWSL, WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves