Playing for 90

Arsenal are one win away from pulling off something no team has managed since the Champions League changed its format. The only side with a perfect record in the league phase, the English club head into the final round with seven wins from seven matches and a real chance to become the first team of the new era to finish this stage without dropping a single point. The campaign stands out not just because they’re unbeaten, but because of how it’s been built.

Estádio da Luz will host a decisive showdown this Wednesday. In the final round of the Champions League league phase, Benfica welcome Real Madrid needing a win to keep their qualification hopes alive, while the Spanish side are playing for a direct spot in the round of 16. The matchup also marks the Merengues’ return to the stadium where they lifted the historic La Décima back in 2014. Benfica fight for survival As the home team, Benfica take the field under heavy pressure.

PSG and Newcastle take the field this Wednesday at the Parc des Princes with direct qualification to the Champions League round of 16 on the line. Tied on 13 points, the French side sitting sixth and the English club seventh, both arrive under pressure from a simple scenario: whoever wins avoids an unpleasant playoff. PSG are enjoying their best recent run in the competition, while Newcastle are leaning on a rock-solid defense and Anthony Gordon as they look to spring a surprise on the road.

Napoli and Chelsea face off this Wednesday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in a showdown that means far more than three points on the final matchday of the Champions League league phase. Napoli come in under pressure, sitting outside the top 24 and needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Chelsea are looking to lock up direct qualification to the knockout rounds and avoid a tougher path ahead.

Major League Soccer has decided to step on the gas. The league announced a multi-year partnership with Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, officially bringing this kind of experience into its digital ecosystem. The deal, brokered through Soccer United Marketing (SUM), makes Polymarket the exclusive prediction partner for MLS, the All-Star Game, MLS Cup, and the Leagues Cup.

Xabi Alonso could be on his way back to Anfield, now with a clipboard in hand, and that says a lot about Liverpool’s turbulent moment. Recently dismissed by Real Madrid, the Spanish coach has already been approached by the Reds to take over next season, according to As. The initial contact was positive, lifted spirits behind the scenes at the English club, and laid bare an uncomfortable reality: Arne Slot is still in charge, but he’s walking on thin ice.

Endrick needed just 90 minutes in Metz to send a direct message to Madrid. The 19-year-old scored three times in Lyon’s 5–2 road win, moved to four goals in three games for the French club, and made history as the youngest Brazilian to record a hat-trick in Europe’s five major leagues since 1992/93, surpassing none other than Ronaldo Fenômeno.

Manchester United walked into the Emirates as underdogs and walked out as the main characters. The 3–2 win over Arsenal marked a major moment in the Premier League. For the first time since 2005, the Red Devils came from behind to beat the Gunners in London. On top of that, they snapped the league leaders’ home unbeaten run, climbed into fourth place with 38 points, and tightened the title race, now with just four points separating Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa.

LAFC announced the signing of 21-year-old midfielder Amin Boudri from GAIS in Sweden’s top division on a contract running through June 2029, with an option to extend through 2030. The young Swede arrives under the U22 Initiative and joins the roster as an international player, strengthening the group set to open the 2026 MLS season on February 21.

Arsenal host Manchester United this Sunday at Emirates Stadium in Matchweek 23 of the 2025/26 Premier League, carrying the weight of league leaders and the recent label of best team in the world, handed out by Pep Guardiola. With 50 points, four clear of Manchester City, the Gunners face a fifth-place United on 35, a side trying to turn a rare moment of calm into a real push for momentum this season. The derby arrives with opposite realities.