Battle at the back for places

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes that Raphinha “could have a shot” at winning this year’s Ballon d’Or. Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are among the early favourites to scoop world football’s most prestigious individual prize in 2025, but Raphinha has emerged as a surprise but valid contender due to his phenomenal form for…

Eight players have been nominated for this year’s Premier League Young Player of the Season award. Players who begin the season aged 23 or under are eligible for this annual prize, which has been given out since 2019/20 when it was won by Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. It was Chelsea’s Cole Palmer who picked up the…

United knocked Chelsea out of the competition with a 5-1 victory last week, after previously beating Coventry City and Preston North End. Arsenal have overcome Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Hertford Town. The game between two of the best Academies in the country should be an entertaining one – a semi-final clash at the north…

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has admitted it’s been a tough few days “mentally and physically” but he is now on the road to recovery after undergoing successful surgery on his torn hamstring. The 25-year-old has often been criticised for not providing a regular-enough goal threat for the title-chasing Gunners, despite scoring nine Premier League goals…

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison and his model partner, Kennedy Alexa, have joyfully announced they are expecting twins again. The couple, who started dating in 2020, already share fraternal twins Delilah and Rome, born in July 2023. Prior to that, Alexa gave birth to their son Leo two years earlier. They shared the exciting news…

KEY DATES TO LOOK OUT FOR Logic suggests your eyes will first be drawn to the team we’ll face on the opening day of the season, as we bid to make a fast start to the new campaign. Fulham filled that role last season, when Joshua Zirkzee spearheaded a 1-0 victory over the Cottagers at…