Mikel Arteta knows his Arsenal side will need a monumental points tally if they are to pip Manchester City to the Premier League title his season.

The two rivals meet in Sunday’s Community Shield, the Gunners taking part after they finished second to treble-winning City last year.

Arsenal led the way for much of the campaign but lost both home and away to Pep Guardiola’s men, who have now claimed five of the last six league crowns.

“They’ve shown their consistency over the years and they merit that respect from everybody for what they’ve done,” Arteta said of his former club.

“If you want to challenge for that championship you know the total points that you’re going to be needing and that’s unheard of in this league for the last 100 year…

Diego Simeone slammed Atletico Madrid s ultras after violence caused Sunday s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid to be temporarily halted, though he also feels players who provoke fans should be sanctioned.

Atleti and their cross-city rivals both maintained their unbeaten starts to the season as they played out a fiery draw at the Civitas Metropolitano, with Angel Correa s stoppage-time goal cancelling out Eder Militao s 64th-minute opener.

Militao s goal precipitated violent scenes as the ultras group Fondo Sur hurled objects including cigarette lighters at visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

That caused referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer to take both teams off the pitch for 15 minutes, as Simeone and Atleti captain Koke approached the stands in a bid to placate fans.

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Manchester United have pledged their commitment to UEFA competitions and the Premier League following a court ruling which appeared to open the door to a European Super League being revived.

Backers of the European Super League declared victory after a court found rules allowing UEFA the right to grant prior approval to new competitions were contrary to EU law.

However, United – who were one of the 12 clubs who founded the controversial Super League in 2021 before withdrawing amid fan protests – say they are committed to the existing competitions.

United s response to today’s European Super League judgement.

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

“Our position has not changed,” the club said in a statement.

“We remain fully committed…

With all eyes falling on the Etihad on Friday night, Manchester City extended on their FA Cup adventure thanks to a gritty 1-0 victory against title rivals Arsenal.

While both of the Premier League giants might have made a string of changes here, it was eventually Nathan Ake s smart second-half finish that dragged Pep Guardiola s side over the finish line.

Although the Sky Blues might still find Arsenal holding a five-point buffer at the top of the Premier League table, the former Barcelona boss will be boosted by an eye-catching victory on home soil.

Now tipped as a standout pick to lift a first FA Cup trophy since 2019, City also handed a high-flying Arsenal just a fourth defeat from across all competitions so far this season.

In a showdown between the…

Brazil great Marta has become the first footballer in history to score in five consecutive Olympic Games.

Marta scored the opener from close range after nine minutes and later added a second-half strike as Brazil thrashed China 5-0 to open their campaign in Japan.

The 35-year-old made her Olympics debut back in 2004 when the Games were held in Athens.

Marta went on to score in the Beijing, London and Rio tournaments before also netting in Tokyo on Wednesday. 

She is yet to win the Olympics, though, earning silver medals in 2004 and 2008.

— Feminina de Futebol (@SelecaoFeminina)

Marta s team-mate Formiga, who is impressively still playing at 43, also broke records by playing against China.

An astonishing 25 years on f…

Sadio Mane scored a goal in either half, helping Al-Nassr cruise to a 3-0 win over Al-Orubah and close in on the top two in the Saudi Pro League.

Cristiano Ronaldo had given the hosts the lead from the spot, setting them on their way to a dominant victory.

After a slow start, Jean Seri was penalised for a handball, and Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot. After a stuttering run-up, he coolly slotted his strike into the bottom-left corner.

Mane got his first on the stroke of half-time, latching onto Ronaldo s pull-back before firing his low shot into the far side of the net.

He could have had a hat-trick, having also hit the woodwork and squandered a first-time shot by slicing it wide, but he did get his second in the 71st minute, guiding Nawaf Bu Washi …

Liverpool favourite Steve Heighway has called time on his Reds career at the age of 75, with Jamie Carragher hailing him as a huge influence .

Former winger Heighway has spent 25 years working at the club s academy, across two spells, and Liverpool announced he has decided to retire.

Heighway played for Liverpool from 1970 to 1981, winning a string of league titles and two European Cups with the Reds, while scoring 76 goals in 475 games.

His youth coaching role proved hugely significant too, with Heighway helping to nurture talents such as Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Carragher.

What a contribution from Steve Heighway as a player who won Leagues European cups. Then heading up an academy that produced McManaman, Fowler, Owen, Gerrard……

Kalidou Koulibaly implored Chelsea players to look each other in the eye with the Blues players the only culprits for the increasing pressure on Graham Potter.

Head coach Potter became the first Blues manager since Jose Mourinho in 2015 to lose three consecutive Premier League matches following a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.

The tepid nature of the Chelsea showing offered more reason for concern after the Blues managed just seven touches in the opposition box, their lowest since January against Manchester City.

With Potter s side eight points adrift of the Premier League s top four, albeit with a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham, Koulibaly urged his team-mates to take responsibility for their recent form.

It hurts, we came here to take three …

There have been plenty of names, previously not considered too important, which managed to attract attention at the World Cup in Qatar. The likes of Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Buonuo and midfielder Sofyan Ambrabat, Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, they ve all succeeded in raising the world-wide opinions on their quality and to the joy of their current clubs, their market values too. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic certainly has his place on that list as well.

At the age of 27, Livakovic is not exactly a young prospect in the world of football, but in that aspect, there should at least be a decade more of ability to perform at the highest level combined with significant experience.

Having gone through the youth ranks at NK Zadar, Li…

Netherlands and PSV forward Cody Gakpo will think about a move to Manchester United should the Premier League side come calling again.

Gakpo has been one of the stars of the 2022 World Cup so far and is reportedly a January transfer target for United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among others.

The 23-year-old became only the second player in the competition s history, after Italy s Alessandro Altobelli in 1986, to open the scoring three times in the same group stage.

He fired a blank in the 3-1 win over the United States in the last 16, but the in-form attacker still boasts a return of 17 goals and eight assists in 30 games this season.

United are reputed to be the frontrunners to sign Gakpo, having already reached out in the past window, and …