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Key occasions
Chelsea have 4 at Liverpool! Guro Reiten’s ball in behind finds Aggie Beever-Jones, who has the easy process of prodding it previous Faye Kirby.
Riko Ueki has additionally pulled a purpose again for West Ham in opposition to Manchester Metropolis – 2-1 they path.
Serie A: Pisa have ended a run of three consecutive defeats with their 2-2 draw at Cagliari. After Semih Kilicsoy had given the hosts a 2-1 lead with 20 minutes to go, Pisa’s Stefano Moreo popped up with an 89th-minute equaliser to share the factors.
Promoted Pisa are three factors from security, whereas Cagliari usually are not far away from the drop zone themselves.
Chelsea are operating riot in opposition to Liverpool within the Ladies’s League Cup. Sam Kerr has bought two of three objectives inside 21 minutes at St Helens. Newest scores after 20-25 minutes:
Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal (Codina 19)
Liverpool 0-3 Chelsea (Kerr 13 17, Kaptein 21)
Manchester United 0-1 Tottenham (Spence 16)
West Ham 0-2 Manchester Metropolis (Kerolin 2, Hemp 7)
Screamer in La Liga! Koke has put Atlético forward at Girona in some fashion. Arnau Martínez doesn’t get sufficient on a clearance and it bobbles again to the Atlético skipper, who rifles it into the highest nook from simply outdoors the D.
UK and Eire readers can watch:
What a strike from Koke! 🤯
The midfielder fires Atleti into the lead with a sensational hit from outdoors the field 💥
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 @sbk | 18+ | 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 pic.twitter.com/UXhBQ2tU93
— Premier Sports activities (@PremSportsTV) December 21, 2025
Thanks Tom. Hearts can go a whopping 9 factors clear within the Premiership in the event that they beat Rangers within the early kick-off in Scotland, albeit having performed two video games greater than Celtic.
Celtic are at present six factors again in second and have the possibility to pounce, as a lot as a wounded animal can pounce, in opposition to Aberdeen afterward if Hearts slip up. Rangers, for what it’s value, are fourth – 9 factors behind the leaders.
Max Rushden has been writing about Wilfried Nancy and a social media submit this week that hasn’t precisely helped his trigger.
OK, that’s it from me on matchday dwell. Thanks for all of your feedback and emails. Right here to select up the baton is Billy Munday, so preserve firing them in.
We’re underway on the Estadi Montilivi within the recreation between Girona and Atletico Madrid, when one thing occurs we’ll let you already know.
For a staff of Villa’s standing it is a bafflingly dangerous file…
Simply wanting on the head-to-head over the previous couple of years (a long time) and Villa’s file v Man United is totally abysmal.
Villa received within the league 3-1 in Nov 22, however earlier than that, you must return to 1995(!) for a Villa league win at Villa Park. That’s astonishing actually.
And a fast tough rely tells me it is 1 win at residence in about 27/28 video games v United (all comps), going again to a League Cup win for Villa in 1999.
It’s now 1-1 between Cagliari and Pisa, Michael Folorunsho bought the hosts degree simply earlier than the hour. There’s in all probability one other half-hour left to play there.
Group information: Hearts v Rangers
Hearts XI: Schwolow, Steinwender, Kent, Findlay, Kingsley, McEntee, Devlin, Kyziridis, Magnusson, Braga, Shankland.
Subs: Gordon, McCart, Baningime, Kabangu, Borchgrevink, Spittal, Forrest, Wilson, Kerjota.
Rangers XI: Butland, Tavernier, Sterling, Fernandez, Meghoma, Barron, Aarons, Raskin, Diomande, Moore, Miovski.
Subs: Kelly, Nsiala-Makengo, Adamson, Dowell, Aasgaard, Gassama, Curtis, Chermiti, Danilo.
Two adjustments for Hearts from the win over Falkirk final week. Key males Craig Halkett and the suspended Harry Milne are absent and, because of this, Frankie Kent and Stephen Kingsley are available in.
For Rangers there are three adjustments. Bojan Miovski comes again into the beginning lineup, as do James Tavernier, who replaces Afcon-bound Nasser Djiga, and Nico Raskin. Findlay Curtis and Youssef Chermiti drop to the bench.
We’ve got a purpose in Sardinia! Matteo Tramoni has put visiting Pisa forward simply earlier than the break. Three factors would put Pisa again in contact with the groups above them within the Serie A relegation battle however they’re already consigned to spending Christmas within the backside three.
It’s arduous to know what to make of Diego Simeone’s staff this season. That they had a foul begin, then a terrific run and not too long ago misplaced two matches earlier than successful once more. Constantly inconsistent. Wanting on the squad it’s maybe not as gifted as in earlier years and the ageing stars are possibly only a bit too outdated? In an period of pragmatic coaches, Simeone must be thriving and in Julian Alvarez they’ve one of many recreation’s brightest abilities, so why aren’t they doing higher?
Let me know within the feedback or through the e-mail hyperlink above.
The 1pm kick-off in La Liga sees Atletico Madrid journey to Girona. Right here’s the staff information…
Girona XI: Gazzaniga, Blind, Frances, Martinez, Martin, Moreno, Roca, Tsygankov, Vanat, Vitor Reis, Witsel.
Subs: Andreev, Arango, Asprilla, Ba, Gil, Jordana, Lemar, Livakovic, Rincon, Solis, Romero.
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Alvarez, Barrios, Gonzalez, Hancko, Koke, Llorente, Pubill, Ruggeri, Simeone, Sorloth.
Subs: Almada, Cardoso, Esquivel, Galan, Gallagher, Griezmann, Le Normand, Martin, Molina, Musso, Puric, Raspadori.
There was a serious announcement on the eve of the 2025 Afcon by the Confederation of African Soccer (Caf) that can see the worldwide match transfer to a four-year cycle from 2028.
The following finals, scheduled for 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will go forward and one other match could be held the next yr, however after that it is going to be hosted each 4 years.
Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, introduced the launch of an annual African Nations League from 2029 to fill the hole, following the instance of Europe that holds its championship each 4 years. “Traditionally the Nations Cup was the prime useful resource for us however now we’ll get monetary sources yearly,” he mentioned. “It’s an thrilling new construction which is able to contribute to sustainable monetary independence and guarantee extra synchronisation with the Fifa calendar.”
Extra on that story right here:
Just a few extra ideas from beneath the road on Villa v United. I hope I don’t jinx it, however the deficiencies of each groups – a bit just like the Bournemouth recreation – ought to make this an entertaining watch. Villa are much more defensively strong however not impenetrable.
After watching Man U final week v Bournemouth (nice recreation btw), it struck me simply how dangerous they are surely.
The keeper can not kick straight, the defenders look stumbly and ‘all toes’, its nearly as if the gamers are operating into one another, and what number of instances to they cross themselves right into a lifeless finish on both flank, and have to return??
They appear like they’re at all times going to attain, by some means, however even the nice Bruno seems to be a shadow of his former self. Nonetheless a high quality participant, however even he gave away foolish, easy passes. They’re at all times susceptible you’re feeling.
Its a disgrace as a result of the gamers are clearly gifted individually, however as a staff, they’re like strangers.
I do not need to blame the supervisor, however who else handles the staff dynamics?
I do not suppose they may win in the present day, piling extra strain on the uncoordinated squad.
Villa wanting good. However this United staff have gotten extra harmful on a regular basis. Now they really appear like there’s objectives in them. Conceding as effectively although. If there’s just one purpose in it with 15 to go, something can occur. However Villa anticipated to win.
‘We really feel excluded’: costly tickets and Trump’s shadow dampen World Cup pleasure in Mexico
Jonathan Zamora was seven years outdated the final time Mexico hosted the World Cup in 1986. “I witnessed maybe one of the vital elegant moments within the historical past of soccer,” he says, retelling a narrative that has develop into a pillar of his life.
Zamora, a Mexican soccer fan, doesn’t bear in mind how his father, Antonio, bought tickets to the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England on the Azteca Stadium in Mexico Metropolis. However he does clearly bear in mind the objectives: first when Diego Maradona used his “hand of God” to push the ball previous England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. After which the “purpose of the century”, the place the Argentinian went on a slalom run, dribbling previous half the England staff earlier than scoring.
In these days, tickets in Mexico had been bought in packages of 13 for about $150 per particular person to see all 13 video games [about $442, or £330, today]. “I’ve very vivid recollections and others which might be just a little blurry. I bear in mind being afraid of the peak of the stands; we had been within the least expensive seats,” Zamora says. He additionally remembers “the explosion of emotion” in the course of the recreation.
When Zamora came upon the World Cup could be returning to Mexico, he felt a swell of nostalgia and instantly knew he needed to purchase tickets to go to the stadium once more along with his father, now 71 years outdated.
Zamora, who has a grasp’s diploma in petrochemical engineering and works at an organization that gives companies to the state oil agency, knew the tickets could be costly however was undeterred. Then actuality set in. For the previous 4 months he has been attempting – and failing – to buy seats. By way of the Fifa web site, he unsuccessfully entered three on-line ballots for the possibility to win a chance to purchase tickets and has no concept how he’ll be capable of attend the 2026 World Cup in his residence nation.
Learn Raúl Vilchis’ piece on how Mexicans are discovering it arduous to afford tickets for their very own World Cup:
The early fixture in Serie A has now kicked off, it’s nonetheless 0-0 at Unipol Domus the place Cagliari are internet hosting Pisa.
‘I made such a bond’: Jesse Lingard on life in South Korea and his subsequent problem
Jesse Lingard says his Korean is first rate, adequate to make himself understood when out for dinner and the shocks don’t cease there. The previous Manchester United and England midfielder was at all times going to throw himself into his Okay-League journey with FC Seoul and now that it’s over after two years, a brand new chapter beckoning when the January switch window opens, the 33-year-old definitely has the tales to inform.
It was the little issues as a lot as the rest, the cultural quirks. And the larger ones, in fact – such because the time he watched an octopus squirm in entrance of him earlier than consuming it.
The meals is completely different, clearly, and I attempted dwell octopus. It was shifting. I used to be scared at first however it was all proper.
Learn David Hytner’s interview with Jesse Lingard right here:
You’ll be able to observe the Afcon opener between hosts Morocco and Comoros on these pages with John Brewin afterward. Buildup on the dwell weblog will get underway round 6pm, about an hour earlier than kick-off in Rabat.

Osasu Obayiuwana
Anger spreads over Afcon schedule as Morocco search to finish half-century wait
With the hosts, Morocco, taking over the island nation of Comoros within the Africa Cup of Nations opener in Rabat on Sunday, there isn’t a mistaking the joy throughout the continent. Soccer is akin to a faith amongst Africa’s largely younger inhabitants, with 60% of its 1.5 billion folks beneath the age of 25.
However the timing of this Afcon, to be performed over the Christmas and New Yr interval in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez, has by no means occurred because the match started in 1957, igniting a storm of anger all through the African soccer group.
Learn Osasu Obayiuwana’s Afcon preview in full right here:
A bit of staff information from Italy… it’s Cagliari v Pisa.
Cagliari XI: Caprile, Adopo, Deiola, Esposito, Folorunsho, Gaetano, Kilicsoy, Mina, Obert, Palestra, Rodriguez.
Subs: Borrelli, Cavuoti, Ciocci, Di Pardo, Idrissi, Luperto, Mazzitelli, Pavoletti, Pintus, Prati, Radunovic, Rog, Trepy, Zappa.
Pisa XI: Semper, Aebischer, Angori, Bonfanti, Canestrelli, Caracciolo (c), Hojholt, Meister, Piccinini, Toure, Tramoni.
Subs: Albiol, Buffon, Calabresi, Coppola, Denoon, Esteves, Leris, Lorran, Marin, Mateus Lusuardi, Mbambi, Moreo, Andrade, Scuffet, Vural.
How do you all see the sport in the present day at Villa Park? United can go fifth with a win however Villa are a tricky nut on residence soil.
Maintain the feedback coming beneath and drop me an electronic mail through the hyperlink on the prime of the web page.
Villa have the perfect residence file in Europe since Emery joined? Construct the statue already.
Evans returns reinvigorated on mission to spark Bristol Rovers revival
The primary process for Steve Evans in his opening match as Bristol Rovers supervisor was to keep away from defeat, to begin successful factors once more. Doing so at Crewe Alexandra, albeit along with his new aspect enjoying in opposition to 10 males for greater than an hour, not less than eliminated an early monkey from his again.
Forward is one thing far trickier, a process that might daunt many different managers, because the veteran coach seeks to fireplace the League Two strugglers – hitherto on a 10-game dropping streak that had taken them into the relegation zone – up the division. The final word purpose? To clamber on to an equal footing with Bristol Metropolis.
That was Evans’s mission assertion after taking the job on the Memorial Stadium, although this 1-1 draw 136 miles north at Crewe’s Gresty Highway maybe exhibits how a lot work he should just do to maintain the Gasoline within the Soccer League, not to mention attain League One or the Championship, the place Metropolis kicked off the weekend in eleventh.
Learn Dominic Sales space on the duty forward for Evans at Memorial Stadium:
There’s some fascinating debate raging beneath the road concerning the tempestuous assembly between Tottenham and Liverpool final evening, the place Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero had been despatched off however Micky van de Ven, whose problem ended Alexander Isak’s involvement was not.
Thomas Frank was definitely of the view that Simons sending off was unjust. “I don’t like these kinds of purple card as a result of I feel the sport is gone if that’s a purple card,” he informed the BBC quickly after the sport completed. “I don’t suppose it’s a reckless deal with. I don’t suppose it’s distinctive drive. We’ve got the referee’s name and that was a yellow, in order that’s why I don’t suppose that’s a purple.”
Afterward, in his press convention, he rowed again barely on his suggestion the sport had gone, saying that assertion was “in all probability too large”. However his annoyance was clear, as was his sense that the three-match ban Simons now faces could be exorbitant. “If it was an intentional or very silly deal with then it’s one factor,” he mentioned. “I simply suppose it’s too harsh {that a} deal with like that may be three video games.”
Let me know your ideas through the feedback on within the electronic mail hyperlink on the prime of the web page.
The laid-back, cool Thomas Frank is gone. His gamers misplaced their minds yesterday. That ‘problem’ on Isak was purely vindictive. The ball was virtually within the web when contact was made but no card proven. As an alternative of whingeing concerning the recreation being gone, he must kind his thugs out.
Frank made an enormous mistake going there.
Spurs did not simply end seventeenth final yr due to Ange. It was as a result of the overwhelming majority of their squad merely aren’t adequate for PL soccer.
Van der Ven is actually the one one any of the true large sides could be considering.
No coach can get a tune out of that. If Burnley or West Ham discover some kind, Spurs are nearly definitely in large hassle this yr.
Absurd studying of the VdV problem. It was a final ditch sliding try to dam a shot. The kind of problem that VdV has to make fairly commonly to maintain us out of the relegation zone. You possibly can possibly argue it was barely reckless.
Suppose you already know ball?
Acquired 5 minutes and need to check your soccer data? Play the Guardian’s first every day soccer recreation, On the ball. The foundations are easy: guess the Premier League participant, previous or current, with the fewest clues doable, and impress your buddies – and your self – by doing so.
It’s as much as you whether or not you select to begin with a participant’s nation, the three golf equipment they’ve performed for probably the most, after they made their Premier League debut, their age, the variety of Premier League appearances or titles they need to their identify, or what number of completely different international locations they’ve been based mostly. The goal is to guess the participant with the fewest clues, with factors deducted for each clue used up, and to land a rating as near 100 factors as doable.
Every day will see a brand new participant to guess. Are you able to bear in mind who else Mohamed Salah performed for? Which midfielder has performed for Tottenham, Leicester and Norwich? Go on: check your self. And your folks.
Play On the ball from the Puzzles tab of the Guardian app.
North of the border, there’s a tasty pair of fixtures. Suprise leaders Hearts welcome Rangers to Tynecastle, the place a win would additional reinforce the house aspect’s credentials as title challengers. Rangers are enhancing beneath Danny Röhl and may current extra of a problem than the aspect who misplaced 2-0 at Ibrox earlier within the season.
Celtic have lurched again into disaster mode after dropping 4 in a row. New supervisor Wilfried Nancy is beneath strain and the go to to Celtic Park of in-form Aberdeen doesn’t make issues any simpler.

Jonathan Wilson
Emery’s aspiring Aston Villa should shrug off United hoodoo to develop into contenders
On 20 October 2022, Aston Villa misplaced 3-0 at Fulham and Steven Gerrard was sacked. Villa had received solely two of their first 11 video games of the season and lay seventeenth within the Premier League desk. Unai Emery was appointed as supervisor 12 days later, since when the transformation in Villa has been outstanding. In his three years in cost, no aspect within the prime 5 leagues in Europe have received extra residence video games and Villa have completed seventh, fourth and sixth, whereas reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League.
It’s not simply Emery, in fact: vital cash has been spent as effectively – £35m that January, £100m the next season, almost £200m the season after that. It’s solely honest to level out that vital gross sales have been made, so the web spend since Emery took over is simply round £40m, however there has additionally been a big enhance in salaries, with the most recent accessible monetary outcomes displaying Villa had the seventh highest wage invoice within the Premier League – though that doesn’t embody Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi, who had been signed on mortgage in January in an effort to make sure Champions League qualification.
Learn Jonathan Wilson’s column in full right here:
Now let’s flip our consideration to the sport’s solely, however nonetheless vital, fixture within the Premier League. At Villa Park Manchester United are the guests in a recreation carrying loads of narrative. Aston Villa have overwhelmed United solely 3 times of their previous 53 conferences and suffered a expensive defeat at Previous Trafford on the ultimate day of final season that value Unai Emery’s aspect Champions League soccer. A draw would have been sufficient to safe a seat on the prime desk of Europe once more.
Villa keeper Emi Martinez is progressing however will topic to a late resolution on his health, whereas Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Ross Barkley are all out. Harvey Elliott was in poor health in the course of the week and has been on the skin wanting in.
For United, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt are nonetheless sidelined, however in any other case it’s the noise across the membership that Ruben Amorim is battling. This week Amorim has needed to take care of tales concerning the futures of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes on the membership, some ill-informed phrases about his dedication to creating gamers from the academy and even Sir Alex Ferguson, who questioned United’s skill to win a title within the subsequent decade.
Elsewhere within the Premier League, Leeds continued their current sturdy kind by gunning down an off-colour Crystal Palace. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice within the residence aspect’s 4-1 win at Elland Highway. Wolves proceed to look doomed after their newest defeat, Keane Lewis-Potter scored twice at Molineux as Brentford ran out 2-0 winners. Armando Broja scored a last-minute equaliser to finish Burnley’s seven-game dropping run and depart Bournemouth winless in eight as they performed out a 1-1 draw on the Vitality Stadium. On the American Categorical Stadium, goalmouth motion was at a premium as Brighton and Sunderland drew 0-0.
It appears a really very long time in the past however Newcastle and Chelsea performed out a humdinger of a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park within the day’s early kick-off. Eddie Howe’s aspect led 2-0 on the break because of a Nick Woltemade double however the guests fought again with objectives from Reece James and João Pedro.
Newcastle have now dropped 13 factors from successful positions this season, however their supervisor blamed the match officers slightly than lax defending for this newest setback. Nonetheless, it was a controversial incident within the second half that noticed Howe accuse Andy Madley of failing to award Newcastle a “stonewall” penalty.
With the rating 2-1, Trevoh Chalobah’s 54th-minute problem on Anthony Gordon propelled the Newcastle participant into the hoardings, however Madley declined to award a penalty, a choice endorsed by the video assistant referee.
“It was a transparent error and a transparent penalty,” mentioned Howe, who is often reluctant to criticise referees. “Anyplace else on the pitch that could be a blatant free-kick. I assumed it might be overturned.
“The defender solely focuses on Anthony. [VAR] mentioned it was shielding. I don’t agree with that. I feel the participant has gone into Anthony aggressively, too aggressively, so I feel it’s a stonewall. The defender’s solely taking a look at Anthony, not the ball. It was the improper resolution.”
Arne Slot’s satisfaction of seeing Liverpool transfer degree on factors with fourth-placed Chelsea was tempered by concern over Alexander Isak’s departure. The Sweden striker got here on at half-time however was on the pitch for less than 11 eventful minutes, sustaining an harm after being closely tackled by Micky van de Ven within the means of scoring the opening purpose.
“I don’t have any information on him but when a participant scores, will get injured and doesn’t attempt to come again on then that’s not normally a great factor,” Slot mentioned. “I can’t say any greater than that, it’s my intestine feeling, not medical. I haven’t spoken to him about it but.”
Isak and Conor Bradley are due for scans to beneath the extent of their accidents. With Mo Salah at Afcon, Liverpool now have just one accessible striker and dwindling choices at proper again.
It’s very a lot ‘as you had been’ on the prime of the Premier League desk after each Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal received.
Erling Haaland scored twice and Tijjani Reijnders as soon as as West Ham had been swatted apart, dropping to Metropolis for the seventh time in a row after conceding not less than three objectives up to now six conferences. Jamie Jackson was on the Etihad to see that one.
Viktor Gyökeres’ emphatic first-half penalty sealed a slender but merited win over an Everton staff lacking a number of vital parts. Arsenal had been extra environment friendly than spectacular and infrequently troubled all through a scrappy contest, studies Andy Hunter at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
There was extra drama on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although. Nick Ames was there to see three objectives, two purple playing cards and a ghastly wanting harm to Liverpool striker Alexander Isak because the Reds beat Spurs 2-1. Isak scored to make it 1-0 earlier than Hugo Ekitike bought the second, however the Sweden worldwide was injured as he shot because of a scything problem from Micky van de Ven. Maybe surprisingly Van de Ven didn’t see purple, however Xavi Simons did for a careless problem on Virgil van Dijk within the first half and after Richarlison scored to make the late levels extra fascinating Cristian Romero earned a second yellow for a petulant kick out.
Preamble
Good morning reader and welcome to Sunday’s matchday dwell! Whereas there might solely be one Premier League recreation in the present day there isn’t a scarcity of motion elsewhere, together with the opening recreation of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The hosts, Morocco, tackle Comoros on the newly opened Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. It doesn’t take an knowledgeable to inform you that will likely be a hell of an environment.
Within the Premier League we have now (title difficult?) Aston Villa internet hosting Manchester United, in a fixture that ought to present an honest measuring stick for either side. There’s additionally a slate of Ladies’s League Cup quarter-finals to sit up for, plus three of the highest 4 within the Scottish Premiership in motion.
However first, let’s check out the headlines from yesterday…