Soccer (FIFA)

Soccer (FIFA)

"We have a desire to do things right, that means setting the tone at the top," Storch said. "Having excellence in everything we do and a quality product at the stadium, the training ground and academy. "We'll bring in the right CEO (chief executive officer). We want to make sure we bring in the right sporting director."

After the Hearts game, of course, the feeling was disappointment, but we have to go forward again. It's about us creating a new momentum, a new run. If I asked you eight weeks ago if it was possible to have, at the end of December, a game where we are in a title race? Then you would say, 'I'm not sure'.

Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs keen on signing Marseille midfielder Darryl Bakola, according to Footmercato. Newcastle United, VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund are also monitoring the 18-year-old's development, following his impressive recent displays in France. Bakola may well leave Marseille next month if he turns down the club's contract extension offer. His current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2027.

Starting with the hosts, while Chelsea might have mounted a dramatic second-half comeback away at Newcastle last weekend as they eventually left St. James' Park with a 2-2 stalemate, the Blues have shown some real inconsistencies over the past month. Getting December underway with a shock 3-1 defeat against relegation scrappers Leeds, it has been suggested that Enzo Maresca has some increasing pressure on his shoulders in west London.

Maeda joined Celtic - initially on loan - from Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022 and has contributed to four Scottish Premiership title wins and four domestic cup successes. No player has scored more goals for the Bhoys since Maeda's debut (69), while he has 20 more goal involvements than any other player for the club in that time (102 - 33 assists).

The crunch Christmas period is upon us. Gameweeks 18-21 will bring four deadlines in 11 days between 26 December and 6 January. Expect heavy rotation, injuries, suspensions and continued absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations. There is nothing to panic about though. This is the time that FPL managers who plan well, stay engaged with their teams and don't miss deadlines often gain in ranks and mini-leagues.

The transfer saga surrounding Bournemouth sensation Antoine Semenyo appears to be reaching its conclusion, with the Ghanaian winger reportedly preferring a move to Manchester City over other suitors. While Tottenham were also interested in Semenyo as a primary target to bolster their attack, losing out to City might inadvertently trigger a domino effect that lands Spurs a different dream target: Brazilian winger Savinho.

"AI is the go-to for virtually everyone in the world whenever they have to ask anything, so the fact that I am beating it - and let's face it, I have stuffed it for half a season now - is pretty incredible. It says a lot about me, and I'm delighted. "Rather than asking AI about everything, maybe people should come to me to tap into my intelligence instead?"

Starting with the hosts, opening up the 2025/26 campaign in the midst of a record-breaking rut, Norwich are still trying to fully recover from what was a woeful start to proceedings. While new boss Philippe Clement might have only arrived at Carrow Road last month, it appears that the former Rangers boss is offering some essential signs of life in Norfolk.

Drawing a line under their four-match winless rut against Premier League opposition, Keith Andrews' men are sat within touching distance of finding a route into the top-half of the table. Hoping to secure consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since the end of October, the Bees will also be excited to make a return to the English capital this weekend.

On the morning of the match, we got the news that four Recreativo fans had died on the road to Madrid. In Huelva, we all knew each other. Mentally, we weren't ready to play. We actually requested that the match be postponed and genuinely thought they would agree. But in the end, we played because it was Real Madrid. TV rights were too important to move the date; that's the only explanation I can come up with.

"If he continues this way, I don't know what's stopping him from helping our [national] team,"