IN ENGLAND

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta says his team cannot continue to play with ten men in the wake of William Saliba’s red card at Bournemouth.

The France centre-back was sent off in the first half against the Cherries and the Gunners went on to lose two-nil, their first defeat of the Premier League campaign.

Saliba is the third Arsenal player to be sent off this season following the dismissals of midfielder Declan Rice against Brighton and forward Leandro Trossard in the draw at Manchester City.

Since Arteta’s first game as Arsenal manager on 26th December 2019 the Gunners have received eighteen red cards five more than any other Premier League team in that period.

Saliba will miss the match at home against Liverpool on Sunday but can play in Arsenal’s game against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, wants the team to break barriers and become regular contenders for silverware as they prepare to take on Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Emery guided Villa from the bottom half of the Premier League to the Champions League since taking over as head coach.

They have made their best start to a league season since 1998 and won both of their Champions League games so far, including a one-nil win over Bayern Munich.

Aston Villa’s defender, Matty Cash says Villa have not got a ceiling, as they seek a first major honour since the 1996 EFL Cup.

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag says he is relishing this week’s Europa League showdown with Jose Mourinho, calling the former Manchester United boss an example for many managers.

United head to Istanbul this week to take on Fenerbahce, meaning a reunion with Mourinho, who joined the Turkish club in June following his sacking by Roma.

United are under pressure after drawing their first two fixtures in this season’s Europa League but manager Ten Hag is looking forward to pitting his wits against Mourinho on Thursday.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he has opened talks with the club about signing a new deal.

The 33-year-old has been at Anfield since January 2018 and his current contract runs out at the end of the season.

England international Trent Alexander-Arnold and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah are also out of contract next summer but there has been no update on their situations.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil believes the team is capable of remaining in the league despite Sunday’s two-one defeat to Manchester City in injury time.

The team’s sporting director, Matt Hobbs, has also been a balanced presence, being more visible during difficult times in a show of support to 41-year-old O’Neil, who signed a four-year contract in the summer.

Hobbs maintained an important sense of perspective of where Wolves are and remains focused on the long-term development of the club.

Uefa has been urged to make meaningful change for disabled football fans by charity Level Playing Field.

The charity offers support, information and advice around disabled spectator access, and is attempting to set up a meeting between disabled fans and decision makers.

Chairman of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said the need for urgent action on the standards of access and inclusion for away fans in Europe is clear.

A total of two hundred and thirty-two disabled supporters responded to a survey, which raised concerns over accessibility and inclusion at grounds in Europe.

More than one hundred professional women’s footballers have signed an open letter urging Fifa to drop the Saudi oil giant Aramco as a sponsor, calling it a punch in the stomach to the sport.

Earlier this year Fifa announced a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned firm that will run until 2027, giving the company sponsorship rights to the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup the following year.

The players, drawn from twenty-four countries, have called on Fifa to reconsider the deal on humanitarian and environmental grounds.

Former Derby County and Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini says he is dealing with emotions he never felt as a footballer as he prepares to have heart surgery.

The 56-year-old revealed in May that he requires a triple heart bypass operation.

He is due to have the procedure this week and has spoken about a feeling of anxiousness after months of waiting for the procedure.

IN NIGERIA

Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo has criticised the decision by the Confederation of African Football to allow Libya to host their AFCON qualifiers on home soil, calling it a wrong decision due to safety concerns in the region.

Omeruo recounted a similar experience during his time with Nigeria’s Under-twenty team, highlighting the dangers involved.

The defender also underscored the need for prioritising player welfare, especially in uncertain situations like this.

He advised the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, to always visit a venue where the Super Eagles would be hosted before allowing the team to travel.

Former Nigerian international, Osaze Odewingie has advised the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to offer Augustine Eguavoen the managerial job of the Super Eagles on a permanent basis.

Osaze who stated this in an interview with journalists lauded the performances of the Super Eagles under Eguavoen in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that Super Eagles star Victor Boniface did not sustain any serious injury following a car crash on Sunday.

Boniface was on his way to the airport to pick up his friends when the incident occurred.

The forward’s Mercedes Benz collided with an oncoming truck.

Leverkusen will hope to have the striker back in action for their UEFA Champions League away fixture against Brest on Wednesday.

OTHER LEAGUES

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has urged the team’s star, Kylian Mbappe to focus on scoring goals over pressing to help the team.

At a news briefing on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund, the Italian tactician stated that the central striker position in the team has not changed.

Mbappe scored eight goals for Madrid in twelve games across all competitions this season.

OTHER SPORTS

In Tennis, US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has risen to number one in the latest WTA rankings, ending Iga Swiatek’s 11-month stay at the summit.

Belarusian Sabalenka, who also retained her Australian Open title in January, tops the rankings for the second time after an eight-week stay between September and November 2023.

Neither player was in action last week but Poland’s Swiatek drops to second after being given a points penalty for failing to compete in the mandatory six WTA 500 events.

The 23-year-old – who appointed a new coach earlier this month – has only competed in two of the tournaments and has not played since the US Open in September, after deciding to miss the tour’s Asian swing because of fatigue.

Still on Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz has offered a blunt assessment of the tennis calendar in September, saying it will kill players in some way.

The Spaniard is one of several to speak out about what they feel is a packed calendar affecting their physical and mental health.

However, others said players do not help themselves by taking part in exhibitions.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray said some players can be a little bit hypocritical when it comes to discussing the schedule.

In Cricket, Kagiso Rabada has become the 39th man and sixth South African to take 300 Test wickets.

He joined the greats of the game by taking three wickets on day one of the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Liam Livingstone will captain England during their white-ball tour of West Indies after Jos Buttler suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury.

In Formula one, Lando Norris says the decision to penalise him for a passing move on title rival Max Verstappen in the United States Grand Prix was a momentum killer for his championship hopes.

The penalty, which the McLaren driver described as rash, demoted Norris from third to fourth place, one position behind Verstappen, who has now extended his championship lead to fifty-seven points with five races to go and one hundred and forty-six points still available.

Norris also said he had driven like a muppet at the first corner, and allowed Verstappen to get up his inside and force him wide, a move that cost both of them places to eventual race winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

In Rugby, Sale Sharks have signed Tadgh McElroy from Ulster on a deal until the end of next season.

The Irish hooker links up with Alex Sanderson’s squad with immediate effect ahead of their game at Bath on Saturday.

Luke Cowan-Dickie is with the England squad and Tommy Taylor is injured, leaving Ethan Caine as Sale’s only available senior hooker.

McElroy only joined Ulster on a short-term deal last month, but has previously played for Saracens, London Irish, Leinster and Connacht.

In Golf, TGL, the technology-driven golf competition headlined by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, will debut on 7th January.

The virtual contest had been slated for a January 2024 launch but was delayed after a power outage caused the collapse of the air-supported dome roof at the SoFi Center in Florida.

Fifteen-time major winner Woods is scheduled to compete on 14th January with his Jupiter Links Golf Club team.

World number three McIlroy, who is part of the Boston Common Golf team, is set to make his debut on 27th January.

TODAY’S FIXTURES

IN UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

AC Milan vs Club Brugge

Monaco vs Red Star Belgrade

Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Aston Villa vs Bologna

Girona vs Slovan Bratislava

Juventus vs Stuttgart

PSG vs PSV

Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy….Words from Arthur Ashe.