Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer out for up to three weeks with groin injury; Maresca opts for rest over surgery as Blues face Brighton, Liverpool, Benfica.

Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer for up to three weeks as the England international continues to nurse a groin injury that has troubled him since the summer. The midfielder was forced off in the first half of last weekend’s Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that the decision to rest Palmer until October’s international break is precautionary, aimed at preventing the issue from worsening. Injury Management Over Surgery Palmer first experienced discomfort during Chelsea’s shortened pre-season in July, which came off the back of their Club World Cup triumph. Though…

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Amad Diallo given compassionate leave by Man Utd after family bereavement; Amorim says football "not important" as team prepare for Brentford trip.

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo has been granted compassionate leave following the death of a close family member, with head coach Ruben Amorim confirming the Ivorian will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash away to Brentford. The 22-year-old, who has featured in all six of United’s matches so far this season, has been given “all the time he needs” by the club. Amorim said football was “not important” in the face of personal tragedy and emphasised the support structure in place for the winger. “Amad is going through a very difficult moment and our job is to support him,” Amorim told…

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Liverpool shut 145k accounts, issued 1,114 lifetime bans and blocked 500 fans last year in biggest crackdown yet on ticket touting at Anfield.

Liverpool Football Club has revealed the scale of its toughest-ever crackdown on ticket touting, disclosing that it has shut down 145,000 ticket accounts in the past two years and issued a record 1,114 lifetime bans in the last season alone. The Premier League champions said that the measures follow the discovery of widespread abuse of software used to harvest tickets, often at the expense of genuine fans. According to club investigators, touts used bot technology, burner phones, and fake identities to manipulate the ticketing system and resell seats at vastly inflated prices. Lifetime bans surge The 1,114 lifetime bans imposed…

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Arsenal’s William Saliba agrees new five-year deal to stay until 2030, ending Real Madrid interest and securing his future under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have secured a major boost to their defensive stability after William Saliba agreed to a new five-year contract that will keep him at the Emirates until 2030. The French international, who has become a cornerstone of Mikel Arteta’s backline, was already under contract until 2027. But his new deal ends speculation linking him with a move to European giants Real Madrid and signals his long-term commitment to the club. From prospect to defensive leader Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in July 2019 as a highly rated teenager. He was loaned back to the French club for the 2019–20 season…

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Liverpool teen Rio Ngumoha, 17, has signed his first pro deal after scoring a Premier League winner and making five senior appearances this season.

Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha has signed his first professional deal with the Premier League champions, capping a remarkable 12 months in which he has emerged as one of English football’s most exciting young prospects. The 17-year-old forward, who only joined the Reds from Chelsea’s academy last year, has already made five senior appearances, scored a dramatic Premier League winner, and earned a Champions League debut. Now, he has committed his future to the Anfield club, though Liverpool have not disclosed the length of the contract. A meteoric rise Ngumoha announced himself in unforgettable style last month when he scored a…

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UEFA cuts FK Arsenal Tivat’s Europe ban from 10 to 7 years and reduces fine, while goalkeeper Dušan Puletić wins appeal and has suspension annulled.

Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat have seen their suspension from European competition reduced from 10 years to seven after a successful appeal to UEFA. The original sanction, handed down in July following allegations of match-fixing, would have barred the club from continental football until 2035. The revised ruling now limits the punishment to the end of the 2031-32 season. The case stemmed from Arsenal Tivat’s involvement in the 2023-24 Europa Conference League qualifying round, where the club drew 1-1 away to Armenian side Alashkert before being dismantled 6-1 in the home leg. UEFA launched an investigation amid suspicions of irregularities…

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Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni faces months out after debut ACL injury, leaving Arne Slot with just three senior centre-backs this season.

Liverpool’s defensive ranks have taken a major hit after summer signing Giovanni Leoni suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut. The 18-year-old centre-back, recruited from Serie A side Parma for a fee of £26 million plus add-ons, limped off in the closing stages of Liverpool’s 2-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Southampton on Tuesday night. Leoni, who had impressed with 17 senior appearances in Italy’s top flight before his move to Merseyside, was making his first appearance under new head coach Arne Slot. But what should have been a night to remember quickly turned into a nightmare,…

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Barcelona’s Gavi out for up to five months after knee surgery to repair damaged cartilage, a major blow for Hansi Flick’s side chasing Real Madrid.

Barcelona have been dealt a significant setback after confirming that midfielder Gavi will be sidelined for up to five months following knee surgery. The 21-year-old, who had only just returned to full fitness after a serious injury last season, underwent an operation to repair cartilage damage sustained in training. The Spain international had started Barcelona’s opening two matches of the 2025-26 campaign before suffering the setback in August. Initial fears were that he had suffered a recurrence of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that ruled him out for 11 months between 2023 and 2024. While scans brought some relief…

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Ezri Konsa agrees with Unai Emery’s “lazy” criticism after Aston Villa’s poor start, urging teammates to respond as the club sit 18th in the league.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has admitted Unai Emery was right to question the attitude of his players after the head coach branded them “lazy” in the aftermath of Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Sunderland. The Spaniard was furious as his side failed to beat a Black Cats team that had been reduced to 10 men for an hour following Reinildo Mandava’s red card. Matty Cash’s opener appeared to have put Villa on course for their first league win of the campaign, only for Wilson Isidor to snatch a late equaliser. After the game, Emery did not hold back, publicly…

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