In an interview to clarify the omission of the winger from the AFCON squad, Ivory Coast boss Emerse Fae clarified that the reason is not sports-related, and if Nicolas Pepe had kept his mouth where it should be, then he would have been with the team for their title defence.

Nine Premier League games went down during the weekend as Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace secured massive wins at the top of the table while Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United also recorded wins.

Action continues in top European leagues this weekend with the race closely contested in four, while Bayern Munich have assumed the status of runaway leaders in the Bundesliga.

With the 2025 African Cup of Nations kicking off later in the month in Morocco, Premier League clubs are set to temporarily part with their African player who are bound for the continent's biggest competition as 24 teams set to bear the flags of their countries at the 35th edition.

Erling Haaland broke Alan Shearer's long-standing record for the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, requiring 13 games fewer than the former England international. Although his Manchester City journey has been success-laden, it wasn't without its question marks at the outset.

Top battles in Europe's top five leagues over the weekend saw a massive change at the top of the standings at the end of the gameweek, with Roma dropping from first to fourth, and potentially fifth at the end of Monday night.

After a pulsating European week, clubs return to league action this weekend, looking to write another chapter of what has become a season of twists and turns as we approach the halfway mark.

Champions League Matchday Five delivered seismic shocks and established new records across Europe. The hunters became the prey, and the known victims became the predators.

After failing in the bid to sign the English midfielder during the summer, Thomas Frank tried to brush aside the significance of Eberechi Eze in his pre-match presser for the North London derby, only to be humbled by the star.