Football

7:30 AM ET Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going nowhere. It just depends on your point of view on the Manchester United manager as to what that statement actually means. For the Old Trafford hierarchy — the club’s American owners, the Glazer family, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward — it means only one thing, with United

5:00 PM ET Manchester City reminded everyone why they are Premier League champions, Real Madrid hit a bump in the road, Inter and Atalanta enthralled and Arsenal claimed the North London derby spoils. Here are James Olley, Alex Kirkland and James Tyler to discuss the big stuff you need to know from the soccer weekend

3:02 PM ET LONDON — The challenge facing Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur these days is the same — restoration to their former glory — but Sunday’s emphatic 3-1 Gunners win suggests only one of these old rivals know how they want to go about it. Late September is too early to definitively assess the limit

7:26 AM ET Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes vowed to come back stronger after missing his stoppage-time penalty in Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Aston Villa. Kortney Hause‘s 88th-minute header put Villa in the lead but the defender’s handball gifted United a chance to steal a point minutes later with a penalty, only for

11:03 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended his decision to let Bruno Fernandes rather than Cristiano Ronaldo take a stoppage time penalty during the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. Fernandes missed from the spot to squander the chance to salvage a point for United, who have now lost three of

10:30 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been at Manchester United long enough to know that you are never more than one game away from a crisis and after Aston Villa‘s 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Saturday, it’s now three defeats from the last four games for the Norwegian.

7:57 AM ET Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Barcelona forward Ansu Fati is in line to make his return to action this weekend after over 10 months out with a serious knee injury. Ansu, 18, has not played since injuring the meniscus in his left knee in a 5-2 win over Real Betis last November. Several

4:43 AM ET It’s still too early to talk about title-deciding games, after all it’s not even October, but Saturday’s Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester City is significant in terms of who sets the early pace. Chelsea are off to a red-hot start, winning four and drawing once in their first five games,

4:00 AM ET Sid LoweSpain writer The ball dropped out of the night sky to where Karim Benzema had appeared, undetected again, between Martin Valjent and Brian Olivan. As it fell from high, he controlled it, ran to one side and, right-footed, scored his second goal of the evening, the ball taking a deflection on

4:00 AM ET Manchester United are looking for alternatives to Declan Rice next summer — ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. PLUS: Why sheep were not to blame for Cristiano Ronaldo moving house. Jump to: Sheep not to blame for Ronaldo’s move | Messi exit disappoints Barca sponsors | Tuchel’s present for former cleaner |

11:41 AM ET Plenty has changed since the United States men’s national team’s Big Board was last visited in April. Injuries, loss of form and the emergence of new talent has seen considerable movement in the projected 23-player World Cup roster. That can cut both ways as well, with players such as Matt Miazga and

3:51 PM ET ESPN Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email Barcelona will host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Oct. 24 in what will be the first El Clasico since the departure of rivalry legends Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos. The match is set to kick off at 10:15 am ET (7:15 am PT) and

3:19 PM ET “It’s all about the money.” You’ve probably heard critics of FIFA’s proposed biennial World Cup make that very point, and guess what? It largely is. And, from FIFA’s perspective, there’s nothing wrong with that. Their core mission is literally “develop the game, touch the world, build a better future.” All those things

6:11 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — “Our strength in depth is plain for everyone to see now,” wrote Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his programme notes ahead of West Ham United‘s visit to Old Trafford in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The Manchester United manager may need a rethink after

3:51 PM ET The United States Soccer Federation filed its latest response to the appeal of the equal pay lawsuit from players on the U.S. women’s national team on Wednesday. In the filing, the USSF stressed that in a decision made in May of 2020, U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner was correct in

3:00 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen Robin van Persie won the title with Manchester United after leaving Arsenal. Jasper Juinen/Getty Images The most recent transfer window was unlike any other before it as world-class players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo moved clubs at the same time. But that got us thinking… Drawing inspiration from David Schoenfield’s

4:50 PM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Eric Gomez Tuesday saw a major announcement in the U.S. soccer world: Major League Soccer and Liga MX announced they will take part in a completely revamped Leagues Cup starting in 2023, one that

11:00 AM ET The United Soccer League (USL) will create a professional Division II women’s league starting in 2023, the USL Super League, it was announced Tuesday. The new professional league will sit under the National Women’s Soccer League, which remains the sole women’s league in the U.S. with the Division One designation from the