Vinicius favourite for Ballon d’Or in post-Messi/Ronaldo era

The elite of world football will gather in Paris for the Ballon d’Or ceremony, with Madrid forward Vinicius Junior the leading candidate for the men’s award.

Three talking points from the Premier League weekend

Arsenal and Liverpool’s thrilling 2-2 draw allowed Manchester City to end the weekend on top of the Premier League.

Watch: Salah secures Liverpool point against Arsenal

Liverpool earned a late point at the Emirates after Mohamed Salah scored a late goal to draw 2-2 with Arsenal.

Bayern thump Bochum to retake Bundesliga top spot

Bayern Munich bounced back from Wednesday’s Champions League drubbing in Barcelona, thumping rock-bottom Bochum 5-0 away to return to the league summit on Sunday.

Mbappe and Real Madrid shaken by Clasico thrashing

Despite Barcelona’s rapid revival under Hansi Flick, Real Madrid were confident heading into Saturday’s La Liga Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Watch: West Ham score late-winner to sink Man United

Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United lost 2-1 to West Ham United, who were handed a late penalty which Jarrod Bowen struck away.

Bayern and Dortmund face tricky away trips

Stung in their midweek Champions League fixtures in Spain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund face tricky away fixtures as they return to the Bundesliga this weekend.

Slot targets Arsenal scalp after flying start for Liverpool

Arne Slot says his Liverpool team are “matching his expectations” after their flying start to the season as he prepares for a tough test against Arsenal.

PSG reject league order to pay Mbappe 55 million euros

Paris Saint-Germain will refuse to comply with an order by the league to pay Kylian Mbappe 55 million euros ($59.5 million) in back pay, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.

Howe challenges Newcastle stars to step up

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says the challenge of keeping his star players happy is a “two-way thing” as the club pursue an upward curve.