Arsene Wenger says Tuesday s Champions League visit of Olympiacos is a must-win game for his side s hopes of progressing from Group F.

Arsenal were beaten 2-1 by Dinamo Zagreb in their opening game of the competition earlier this month and welcome the Greek side to the Emirates Stadium in need of points ahead of a difficult clash with group favourites Bayern Munich in October.

Following a 5-2 success against Leicester City at the weekend, confidence is high among Wenger s squad, with Francis Coquelin in line for a return from his knee injury.

Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta are doubts however, as Wenger prepares for a crucial clash in north London.

It is already a must-win. You sum it up well, he told reporters.

We have to win at home to qua…

Massimiliano Allegri felt Juventus should have scored more against Young Boys despite Paulo Dybala s grabbing a hat-trick in a comfortable 3-0 win.

Dybala s treble made sure the Serie A champions prospered without Cristiano Ronaldo, and they have won two from two in this season s Champions League campaign.

After volleying in Leonardo Bonucci s long pass to break the deadlock, the forward tapped in his second after goalkeeper David von Ballmoos failed to deal with Blaise Matuidi s low drive.

His third arrived in the 69th minute courtesy of Juan Cuadrado s square pass, with the 24-year-old taking centre stage in the absence of the suspended Ronaldo.

I am happy for him, he is improving and playing with greater consistency, but everyone played well and showe…

Sometimes in the world of football your hopes can be built up, only to be let down at the very last moment. Whether it be courtesy of the media or the fans, or perhaps even both, many games over the years have been viewed as barnstormers heading in and they don t end up living up to the hype. Some would argue that was showcased once again tonight, as Northern Ireland were held to a 0-0 draw by the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

A slow start

While neither of these sides are strangers to the idea of a draw against their bitter rivals, it certainly felt like a game that was waiting for a goal to kick it up into that next gear. Unfortunately that never came, in front of a crowd that tried their best to keep the Irish spirit alive and well from the first minute until the very last.…

Chelsea are willing to let defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria return to Juventus in the January transfer window, according to . Zakaria moved to former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea on loan from Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2022 and is scheduled to stay at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season.

Zakaria completed his loan move from Juventus to Chelsea on the final day of the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old Switzerland international defensive midfielder has yet to make a single appearance for the Blues the season and has not even been in a matchday squad in the Premier League.

Chelsea signed Zakaria when Thomas Tuchel basin charge of the first team. Graham Potter is now the manager of the Blues, and the former Brighton …

The Premier League returns this weekend and there is a mouth-watering clash to get matters underway with Jose Mourinho taking his Manchester United side to face his old club Chelsea.

The Blues kept hot on the heels of leaders Manchester City with an impressive 3-0 win at Southampton last time out and it is only goal difference keeping them off the top of the table.

The Red Devils were staring another embarrassing result in the face before a second half comeback gave them a dramatic win over Newcastle United at Old Trafford though they will have to be at their best to get a positive result here.

Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 1-0 win for the Blues, as was the case when the sides met at Wembley in the FA Cup final back in May, so you may be te…

Former Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Bengoechea was announced as Peru s new coach for the rest of the year on Tuesday.

According to reports in the Peruvian media, former Chile and Athletic Bilbao head coach Marcelo Bielsa had been the FPF s preferred option but once the 58-year-old Argentine rejected Peru, Bengoechea was announced.

The 49-year-old replaced compatriot Sergio Markarian, who resigned in October after failing to take Peru to the 2014 World Cup.

Bengoechea was Markarian s assistant coach in the Peruvian national setup since 2010, while he had also spent time working under the 69-year-old at Universidad de Chile.

The FPF confirmed the appointment in a statement, revealing Bengoechea could have his contract extended to include the 2015 Copa America, which …

Paul Gascoigne was warned Wednesday that he could be sent to jail after the troubled England football hero admitted driving at more than four times the alcohol limit.

Gascoigne, 43, had 142 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when he was stopped on October 8, Newcastle Magistrates Court heard. The legal limit is 35mg.

Gascoigne was caught driving erratically through a suburb of his native Newcastle in northeast England.

District judge Stephen Earl told the former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Rangers star that all options up to and including a custodial sentence were open.

He said a 12-week jail term was possible given the level of alcohol recorded.

It is fair to say, obviously, that there are a number of aggrav…

Jose Maria Basanta is set to replace Marcos Rojo in Argentina s quarter-final versus Belgium, while Martin Demichelis may be recalled.

Media reports in Argentina are claiming Basanta will cover for the suspended Rojo at left-back on Saturday, while speculation is growing that Demichelis may be promoted by coach Alejandro Sabella to either central defence or defensive midfield.

Argentina have yet to arguably perform at their maximum level at the FIFA World Cup and, after picking the same back eight players in all but one match so far, Sabella has reportedly been considering making a change versus Belgium in Brasilia.

Demichelis, who has yet to play a minute in Brazil, could take Federico Fernandez s spot in central defence or Fernando Gago s midfield berth.

<…

Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are set to battle for the services of Queens Park Rangers defender Steven Caulker,.

The centre-back is currently on a season-long loan at Southampton, though he has made eight appearances for the South Coast club in all competitions, with just three of those outings coming in the league.

Palace have exceeded expectations so far this season and are looking to push on as they look to secure a top six finish while the Cherries have a real chance of beating the odds and retaining their top flight status.

Prior to his move to St Mary’s, Caulker played thirty-six times for QPR while he has also played for Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff City, and had loan spells with Yeovil Town, Bristol City and Swansea City.

Internationally…