Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is hurt by Mesut Özil's situation at the Premier League club but is resigned to facing questions about the German midfielder after every defeat. Özil, 32, who is under contract with Arsenal until June 2021 earns a reported $452,830 per week, but has not played for Arteta’s side this season after being left out of the 25-man Premier League squad.

The playmaker, who last played for Arsenal in March, was also left out of their Europa League squad, leaving him only eligible for Under-23 games. 

A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann's former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the LaLiga club.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract that will keep him in charge until the end of the 2022-23 season, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

The Spaniard has guided City to two Premier League titles, three League Cups and an FA Cup since his arrival in 2016.

There’s enough to Zlatan Ibrahimović that — despite your opinion on his ego and how he handles himself — he’s essentially a stand-alone force when it comes to pure entertainment. 

No athlete on the planet transcends myth, legend and reality quite like Zlatan, just as no other athlete would proclaim themselves god before backing it up in the most incredulous way: The 39-year-old is at the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts and AC Milan is top of the table.

Netherlands captain Georginio Wijnaldum scored two early goals to set them on their way to a 3-1 victory over Bosnia in their Nations League clash on Sunday, a first win for the Dutch under new coach Frank de Boer.

Wijnaldum, who has taken over as Dutch skipper from injured Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk, opened the scoring after six minutes and put the home side 2-0 up in the 13th at the Johan Cruijff Arena.

Senegal became the first country to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals after a late goal from Sadio Mané secured a 1-0 victory away at Guinea Bissau on Sunday.

Mané, who also scored last Wednesday when Senegal beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 at home, netted with eight minutes remaining to ensure they maintained their 100 percent record in Group I where they are guaranteed a top-two finish and therefore a place at the finals in Cameroon in January 2022.

Guinea-Bissau 0-1 Senegal

It took 85 minutes of play that left very little to the imagination, but Sunday’s FA WSL clash between Arsenal and Chelsea roared into life at the death as Beth Mead’s potential winner was cancelled out by Lotte Wubben-Moy’s 90th-minute own goal. 

Sam Kerr still had the opportunity to win it for Chelsea in stoppage time, but her lob drifted wide to spare Arsenal keeper Manuela Zinsberger any further embarrassment.