Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 15, 2026, 2:11 PM ET

Premier League

Leeds United maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign with a breathless 4-1 victory over Newcastle at Elland Road. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in a fifth successive home league match for Leeds, prompting fresh questions over whether he is ready for an England recall. The striker was rated the standout performer on the afternoon, while Newcastle defender Sven Botman struggled badly in the player ratings.

Arsenal's 2-0 win at Sunderland continues to generate fallout, with Jamie Carragher saying Mikel Arteta is becoming "the Sir Alex Ferguson of the Premier League" after the Gunners boss strongly criticised the penalty awarded against his side. The weekend's results have narrowed the title race, with Arsenal and Manchester City separating from the pack as VAR controversies dominated discussion across the division. Troy Deeney's team of the week featured Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ezri Konsa, Enzo Fernández and Kevin Schade among his selections.

Attention now turns to the Carabao Cup fourth round, where Arsenal travel to Ipswich on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta insisted that Max Dowman will get minutes this season but warned the 16-year-old starlet must earn them. Tottenham host Liverpool without Richarlison, who posted a crying emoji after Roberto De Zerbi left him out of the squad for the tie.

The VAR who made an "error of judgement" in awarding Manchester City a goal in Sunday's derby at Old Trafford has not been appointed to a Premier League game this weekend. Tuesday's newspapers report that the blundering VAR duo are set to be blocked from officiating Manchester United games. Erling Haaland's goal in the derby proved that perfection will always be out of reach for VAR, despite the technology being introduced to deliver exactly that.

Managerial Pressure

ESPN's Hot Seat Index ranked all 20 managers on who is most likely to be fired first, with the Premier League remaining a constant carousel of hirings and dismissals. Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, is making an impossible job look easy in the early stages of his tenure after replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

La Liga

Valencia dismissed coach Carlos Corberán and chief executive officer Ron Gourlay on Sunday with the side winless and bottom of La Liga. The sackings came a week after Rodri's criticism of the club. Rodri himself revealed he called Jose Mourinho this summer after taking the difficult decision to turn down Real Madrid in favour of a move to Barcelona.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal declared that he and Kylian Mbappé are the best players in the world, but insisted the Ballon d'Or should be his this year.

Serie A

Defending champions Inter Milan produced another rousing comeback to beat Udinese 5-3 at San Siro and continue their perfect start to the new Serie A campaign. Roma also won to stay level at the top of the table.

Bundesliga

Bayern Munich have unveiled their Oktoberfest kit for the 2026-27 season, a special jersey marking the festival known in Bavaria as "Wiesn".

MLS

Cavan Sullivan recorded his first two-goal game in MLS and added an assist as the Philadelphia Union cruised to a 5-0 victory over San Diego on Sunday night, strengthening his case ahead of the U.S. squad reveal.

In the Western Conference, the Chicago Fire have not tasted victory in more than three weeks, precipitating a slide down ESPN's MLS Power Rankings as Nashville cemented top spot.

NWSL

Gotham FC are the new leaders in ESPN's NWSL Power Rankings, taking advantage of a shocking 3-0 slip-up from Washington Spirit. San Diego Wave placed forward Catarina Macario on the season-ending injury list on Monday due to an ongoing knee issue.

Brazil & South America

Philippe Coutinho has joined Santos from Vasco da Gama for the rest of the season, linking up with Neymar. Coutinho said his former Brazil teammate played a "very important role" in his decision to sign for the club.

The coach of Bolivian first-division club Guabirá said his goalkeeper Juan Manuel Ferrel received death threats ahead of Sunday's 6-0 loss against Club Always Ready, describing the sport as "tainted". Mexico's National Antitrust Commission launched an investigation into potential monopolistic practices in domestic soccer, prompted by fan complaints over anti-competitive rules.

Ecuador reached an agreement with Marcelo Gallardo, one of the most decorated coaches in Argentine league history, to manage the national team ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

International Squads

Sebastien Pocognoli named his first Scotland squad as head coach, handing first full call-ups to Stoke City centre-half Luke Graham and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure. Hull City forward Oli McBurnie returned to the squad for the first time in five years, with seven uncapped players included in Pocognoli's maiden selection. A separate report confirmed five newcomers were handed maiden full call-ups, with Ure and Brondby's Luis Binks among them.

BBC Sport Scotland examined who could be named in the new-look squad before the announcement, while a podcast asked who would make the cut and who would miss out as Scotland's new era began.

Northern Ireland retained Premier League teenagers Ceadach O'Neill and Braiden Graham for the upcoming Nations League quadruple-header. Wales manager Craig Bellamy handed a first call-up to Cardiff City forward Cian Ashford but is without key defender Joe Rodon for the Nations League A campaign.

Transfer News

Manchester United have begun talks over a new contract for Bruno Fernandes, though negotiations have stalled. Atletico Madrid and Juventus are tracking Noni Madueke, while Liverpool are among the clubs looking at PSV's Paul Wanner and Lazio are considering free agent Mauro Icardi. Aris Thessaloniki reportedly still hope to sign John Souttar despite a contract dispute with Rangers.

Inter Miami midfielder Alexander Shaw has been contacted by Colombia after playing for the United States U-20 team at the 2026 Concacaf tournament, with both federations chasing the dual national.

UEFA & Governance

UEFA confirmed that the Munich Football Arena will host the 2028 Champions League final, with Barcelona's Spotify Camp Nou staging the 2029 showpiece. Cardiff's Principality Stadium is set to host the 2029 women's Champions League final as part of a series of host appointments for upcoming finals.

BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team explained why nine Europa League matches are taking place on Wednesday night in the league phase. The Premier League's rules on yellow card suspensions were also detailed, covering what happens when players accumulate too many bookings during the season.

Other Sports

Celtic legend Danny McGrain, described by the club as "Scotland's greatest-ever full-back", has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, his family confirmed. The World Athletics Championships are heading to Africa for the first time after Nairobi was confirmed as host of the 2029 edition, with London missing out.

Jon Rahm believes LIV Golf schedule changes can allow the DP World Tour to "gain some strength" as the tours adjust their calendars. World No 1 Luke Littler said he has earned the right to pick and choose which darts tournaments he plays as he chases history ahead of the World Series Finals.

Amy Hunt fears Sydney Sweeney's controversial betting advert could become a "barrier" to young girls wanting to play sport, reiterating the need for role models. England rugby star Henry Pollock would consider playing abroad or changing sports altogether as talks with Northampton Saints continue.

Rugby League & Racing

Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity meet again for a semi-final spot after facing each other in the final round of the regular season, with the latter taking the spoils but everything changing when elimination is on the line. Day one of the Eastern Festival at Yarmouth begins on Tuesday, featuring exciting novices plus action from Uttoxeter and Wolverhampton.

NFL & Motorsport

Patrick Mahomes made his return from knee surgery as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 31-10 on Monday night, with Kenneth Walker III running for 173 yards and scoring two touchdowns on debut. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned Kimi Antonelli about the potential of unexpected "black swan events" derailing his championship bid despite the Italian driver's 81-point lead.

Liverpool Analysis

Sky Sports examined whether Andoni Iraola's pressing game can work at Liverpool, with the coach noting that some players handle playing every three days without issue while others carry greater risk.