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Emily KeoghSep 19, 2025, 08:30 AM ETCloseBased in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN’s women’s soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCLThe UEFA Women’s Champions League is a bit different this year and the new league phase has thrown up a host of interesting games.The 18 clubs were drawn to play six games each and holders Arsenal will take on OL Lyonnes, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Twente, OH Leuven, while Chelsea have been drawn against Barcelona, Wolfsburg, Roma, St. Polten, Paris FC and Twente.Barcelona, who have made the last five finals (winning three) landed a draw that sees them…

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.Dan Kitwoodnicholas Kamm | Afp | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping failed to come to a final agreement on TikTok during a call Friday, but the two made significant progress toward a deal, a White House official told CNBC’s Eamon Javers.Trump and his administration had signaled earlier in the week that a deal was all but clinched.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that negotiators for the two countries had agreed on a “framework” for TikTok, which is under threat of being banned in the U.S.Trump on Tuesday had…

On the rivalry with Everton and how he compares David Moyes’ team this season to last season…When we faced them last season they had a very good spell as well – and it wasn’t a spell because they just kept on going with that and into this season again also. I think they’ve made some good signings and one of them is of course a player on loan who was worth £100m in the past, someone paid £100m for him and he is doing so well for them, Jack Grealish. So, a good team.Indeed, there is rivalry but what I…

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Sep 19, 2025, 07:23 AM ETEnzo Maresca has defended his treatment of Chelsea cast-offs Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, claiming that being made to train alone is “not hard.”ESPN reported on Thursday that the Professional Footballers’ Association had contacted the club over the conditions the pair are working under this season after they were made surplus to requirements and isolated from the first team.Neither was able to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge during the transfer window despite efforts being made to set up deals.Maresca has not seen or spoken to either player this season and both have been…

Sep 19, 2025, 07:19 AM ETMikel Arteta has insisted his Arsenal players have learnt from Myles Lewis-Skelly’s mock celebration of Erling Haaland ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.Arsenal host City at the Emirates Stadium in a fixture which has become increasingly hostile in recent seasons.Haaland urged Arteta to “stay humble” following a 2-2 draw at the Etihad a year ago before Lewis-Skelly imitated the striker’s zen celebration when he scored in Arsenal’s 5-1 thrashing of Guardiola’s side at the Emirates in February.Teenager Lewis-Skelly, who has not started a game for Arsenal this season, courted criticism for the…

Holders Arsenal and Chelsea will face Women’s Champions League semi-final reunions against Lyon and Barcelona respectively with the WSL’s three representatives all handed tough fixtures in this year’s inaugural league phase. The Gunners stunned the eight-time winners in last season’s final four, emerging 5-3 aggregate winners despite a 2-1 first leg home defeat at the Emirates Stadium. Renee Slegers’ side will hope to avenge that loss when they meet their Pot 1 opponents this season in north London, with a trip to Bayern Munich – who they also faced in last season’s group stages – their other highest-rated opposition.There will…

Paul Scholes and Jack Grealish led the praise for Pedri on Thursday after the midfielder helped Barcelona kick off their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win against Newcastle United.Marcus Rashford took the headlines with a stunning brace on his return to England, but Pedri also dazzled in the middle of the park alongside Frenkie de Jong.”My new favourite footballer,” former Manchester United midfielder Scholes posted on Instagram alongside a photo of the Spain international.Grealish, on loan at Everton from Manchester City, said on his stories: “Pedri and De Jong are a joy to watch.”Pedri struggled with injuries earlier in…

“What we’re trying to create at Liverpool, and it’s going to take a little while, is to have the best pressing team in Europe.”The statement is deliberately bold from Gareth Taylor. It’s prefaced with all the usual caveats: time, investment, the right recruitment decisions. But the new Reds boss is clear in his intention to transform Liverpool. This will not be an easy task. Taylor lost his first two Women’s Super League matches in charge while shipping five goals – as Manchester City head coach it took the Englishman 24 league games to suffer multiple defeats. And trying to embed…

Bill ConnellySep 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseBill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.One of the lessons we learned in last season’s Champions League league phase was that there’s little sense in playing for draws. Twenty-six teams won at least three of their eight matches, and 24 advanced. Feyenoord lost by scores of 4-0 and 6-1, but advanced with three wins. Club Brugge lost by scores of 3-0, 3-1 and 3-1 and advanced. Hell, three wins for Dinamo Zagreb damn near overcame a 9-2 first-matchday loss to…