Author: Andrew Rogers

Ian Wright has defended Jude Bellingham, claiming that some of the midfielder’s critics are uncomfortable with the rise of a “black superstar”. Bellingham faced criticism after appearing frustrated when substituted during England’s World Cup qualifying win over Albania, with some questioning his influence within the squad. Wright rejected those claims, arguing that the backlash is driven more by fear of Bellingham’s success than by his behaviour. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright said Bellingham’s confidence, talent and impact make certain people uneasy. He suggested that outspoken, high-performing black players are often treated differently from quieter figures, comparing the…

Manchester United’s proposal to introduce personal seat licences (PSLs) to help fund the £2bn redevelopment of Old Trafford is under threat due to new government measures targeting ticket touting. The club’s initial PSL model would have allowed licence holders to resell match or season tickets at a profit, but upcoming legislation will ban the resale of sports and music tickets above face value. Although football already has restrictions under the 1994 Criminal Justice Act, government officials have signalled they would oppose any secondary market connected to United’s PSL scheme. United has been consulting fans through a large survey conducted by…

Arsenal fear that defender Gabriel Magalhães could be sidelined for at least a month after suffering a thigh injury while playing for Brazil, dealing a serious blow to the Premier League leaders during a pivotal stretch of the season. The 27-year-old limped off during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates last weekend. After initial scans confirmed a right-thigh muscle injury, Gabriel returned to London for further tests, which are ongoing. Although Arsenal have not issued an official timeline, he is already ruled out of Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham and the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich…

Germany booked their place at next year’s World Cup in emphatic style, thrashing Slovakia 6-0 in their final qualifier. Four first-half goals – from Nick Woltemade, Serge Gnabry and a Leroy Sané brace – overwhelmed Slovakia, who now head to the playoffs. Ridle Baku and 19-year-old debutant Assan Ouédraogo added late goals as Germany topped their group by three points. The Netherlands also qualified comfortably, beating Lithuania 4-0 in Amsterdam to finish top of Group G. Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring before Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen netted in a quick-fire second-half burst. Poland secured a playoff spot…

A sickness bug has disrupted Denmark’s preparations for Tuesday’s decisive World Cup qualifier in Glasgow. Joachim Andersen, Rasmus Højlund and a staff member have fallen ill, with head coach Brian Riemer concerned about further spread but hopeful the situation is under control. Denmark hold a one-point lead over Scotland in Group C and need only a draw to qualify automatically. Scotland, aiming for their first World Cup appearance since 1998, will go through with a win and manager Steve Clarke has urged supporters to back the team throughout the match.

Manchester City delivered a dominant derby performance at the Etihad, sweeping aside Manchester United 3–0 to move four points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League. Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp capped a blistering first-half display that saw City score three times in 21 minutes against a United defence that had conceded only six league goals all season. The win reinforces City’s title credentials and marks another milestone victory after their earlier triumph over Arsenal. United, meanwhile, suffered back-to-back WSL defeats for the first time since 2024. Marc Skinner’s squad, stretched thin by their…

Celtic are advancing negotiations with Wilfried Nancy, the Columbus Crew manager, as they move closer to appointing him as Brendan Rodgers’ successor. The Scottish champions notified the MLS club on Friday of their plans, with compensation not expected to be an issue. Nancy, who is keen on the move, is viewed as an ideal fit for Celtic’s model — a progressive coach open to working within their transfer structure. The club hope to have him in place before next weekend’s trip to St Mirren, ending Martin O’Neill’s brief caretaker spell. Rodgers’ second spell at Celtic ended in late October amid…

Patrick Bamford has joined Sheffield United, just seven months after leading a derogatory chant about manager Chris Wilder during Leeds United’s promotion celebrations. The 32-year-old striker, a free agent since leaving Leeds in August, has signed a short-term deal with the Championship club until January as Wilder looks to boost the league’s lowest-scoring attack. Bamford, who earned one England cap, was filmed leading an abusive chant about Wilder back in April. However, both he and Leeds boss Daniel Farke phoned the Blades manager the following day to apologise — a gesture Wilder said he appreciated. “Had a conversation with Pat…

The Premier League has approved requests from Arsenal and Crystal Palace to move their league games on the weekend before their Carabao Cup quarter-final on 23 December. Originally set for Sunday 21 December, Arsenal’s trip to Everton and Palace’s visit to Leeds will now take place at 8pm on Saturday 20 December. Palace, who host KuPS in the Conference League on 18 December, opted to shorten the gap before their league match to avoid facing Arsenal just days after their European fixture. The Premier League said the changes were made for player welfare, citing fixture congestion from expanded UEFA competitions.…

Manchester City made a powerful Premier League title statement with a 3-0 win over Liverpool, cutting Arsenal’s lead to four points. Despite Erling Haaland missing a controversial early penalty, he opened the scoring soon after with his 19th goal of the season. A deflected Nico González strike made it 2-0 before halftime, and Jérémy Doku sealed the win with a brilliant curling effort in the second half after tormenting Liverpool’s defence throughout. Liverpool had a Virgil van Dijk header ruled out by VAR for offside, but City dominated with superior pace and precision. The result handed Pep Guardiola a fitting…