Arsenal secured top spot in Europa League Group H despite losing 1-0 at Cologne on Thursday, with the Germans keeping their chances of qualification alive as a result.

Arsene Wenger s men knew that a point would guarantee them finishing top of the group, but they were ultimately able to do so even with such a poor result against the side bottom of the Bundesliga, with BATE and Red Star Belgrade drawing 0-0 in the other match.

Arsenal dominated the first half and played some slick football as they created a significant number of chances, but they were frustrated by a combination of wayward finishing, Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn and the post.

The match was initially similarly one-sided after half-time, but Arsenal found Cologne harder to break down.

And Co…

Glenn Murray scored a late winner against his old club as Brighton and Hove Albion knocked rivals Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup in Monday s FA Cup third-round tie.

Dale Stephens rifled Brighton ahead midway through the first half with his first goal since December 2016, collecting a pass from Ezequiel Schelotto and smashing past Wayne Hennessey at his near post.

After 69 minutes, Bakary Sako lashed a swerving 25-yard drive in off the post to level the contest his fifth goal of the season taking him joint-top of Palace s scoring charts this season but it was not enough.

Video Assistant Referees (VAR) were being trialled for the first time in competitive English football, but match official Andre Marriner did not need to consult the technology after substitute M…

Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic is hoping to kickstart his Camp Nou career after being given the opportunity to play under head coach Xavi, who he considers a role model .

Pjanic s days at Barca appeared to be numbered when he was loaned to Besiktas last season, having struggled to hold down a starting spot upon arriving from Juventus in 2020.

Xavi has since replaced Ronald Koeman in the Barca managerial hotseat, however, and Pjanic appears to be part of the legendary former midfielder s plans for the coming season.

The 32-year-old featured in the recent friendly with Olot and is part of the Catalan giants squad for their pre-season tour of the United States, though he did not play any minutes in Saturday s win against Real Madrid.

— Miral…

UEFA has confirmed that the pitch at Lille s Stade Pierre-Mauroy will be relaid after both Didier Deschamps and Vladimir Petkovic were critical of it cutting up.

France and Switzerland rounded off their Group A campaign with a 0-0 draw in Lille, as both sides struggled for fluency on a pitch affected by four days of persistent rain.

The players deserve credit, it was better than Marseille but it s annoying, Deschamps said. I don t know who is responsible but we re only in the group stage. It s not a good thing.

Swiss coach Petkovic added: It s a shame, it definitely hampered the quality of the game.

With games in the round of 16 and quarter-finals to come at the venue, UEFA has sprung into action, with the pitch to be torn up immediately after Italy …

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Real Sociedad all booked their places in the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare on a dramatic night of European action.

Bayern made it four wins out of four in Group A but only after a frantic finish in their 2-1 win over Galatasaray.

The visitors had the ball in the net just after the hour but Lucas Torreira was offside, and Bayern took the lead when Harry Kane flicked in Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick with 10 minutes to go, with the goal awarded following a VAR check after initially being ruled offside.

Through to the last 16!

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)

Kane then doubled the lead with his 25th career Champions League goal, turning in Mathys Tel’s cross in the 86…

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed their midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu is involved in a legal dispute with FIFA that relates to a contract he signed with Trabzonspor in 2011.  

The Bundesliga club expects the proceedings to last for several months , during which time Calhanoglu will remain eligible to play.

The 22-year-old German-born Turkey international came through the ranks at Karlsruher, who he represented between 2009 and 2013 – albeit on-loan from Hamburg during the 2012-13 season.

As a 17-year-old, Calhanoglu signed a deal with Trabzonspor to join them for 2012-13 but the move collapsed.

He joined Leverkusen from Hamburg on a five-year deal in 2014 and his current employers issued a statement to clarify that the dispute does not relate to this trans…

Market: Amazonas win

Odds: 19/20 @

Looking to widen their buffer over the drop zone, Amazonas will welcome Guarani to the Estadio Municipal Carlos Zamith in the early hours of Thursday.

Starting with the hosts, while Amazonas might have marked their Serie B return in the midst of a real struggle, the Jaguars do appear to have turned a recent corner. Putting in another eye-catching performance last week as they snatched a gritty 0-0 stalemate away at promotion contenders America MG, Rafael Lacerda’s camp are now looking to drag themselves away from a potential relegation scrap. Desperate to maintain their second-tier status this season, the Yellows have suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous six Serie B appearances a flurry that extends back t…

What the papers say

Arsenal’s attentions are again turning to Douglas Luiz, 25, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his midfield options. The Daily Mirror reports Arsenal are expected to make a fresh bid for the Brazilian in January.

Brazilian Marcos Leonardo is expected to spark interest after his agent said he is keen on leaving Santos in January. The Evening Standard reports Arsenal and Manchester United are among the potential suitors for the 20=year-old forward.

Kylian Mbappe believes “there will be time to talk” about his future at Paris St-Germain, according to the Daily Mail, via Telefoot. The France forward, 24, has been the subject of increased speculation as his contract enters its final few months.

Jadon Sancho’s path out of Manchester United…

Eventually getting hit with an action-packed away at a high-flying Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool find themselves in the midst of what has become a rather public nightmare.

While Jurgen Klopp s side might have opened the 2022/23 campaign with their sights firmly set on recapturing their Premier League crown, the Reds find just their goal difference keeping them in the top-half of the table.

With many around Anfield fearing that their superstar squad could be hit with the real possibility of missing out on a top-four finish, last season s Champions League finalists find themselves under growing scrutiny.

Already sat 14 points adrift in the early-season title chase, the mood in their camp appears to be the lowest it has been during Klopp s seven-year reig…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is taking a safety-first approach with John Stones despite the defender being a crucial part of his tactical plans.

The England international has played just 393 minutes of football for his club – and 91 for his country – due to a hip injury and while he was named in the squad for the 1-1 draw with Liverpool after a muscle injury Guardiola had no intention of using him.

Stones has played a vital role in the continuing evolution of the side as the centre-back who steps forward in possession to allow midfielders to play higher up the pitch.

Other players have been tasked with doing the same – the latest Manuel Akanji – but Stones remains the premier exponent of Guardiola’s game-plan but his manager wants to avoid more…