Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s may have been slightly distracted while trying to make a play Sunday night.

During the top of the third inning of the New York Yankees' matchup with the Boston Red Sox, Chisholm was being interviewed live on the field by ESPN's crew. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a grounder in Chisholm's direction at third base, which he snared, then spun and threw the ball to first. That's where things went awry.

Chisholm's throw was wide of first base by a mile and he yelled "Dammit!" as it flew past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Video is below.

Rafaela was credited with an infield single and advanced to second on Chisholm's throwing error.

Some will immediately decry the fact that a live interview was going on during the game and say that kind of thing should stop. But, honestly, the in-game interviews are one of the best additions to baseball broadcasts in years. It was actually really cool seeing the guy talking to the broadcasters attempting to make a play, as well as his genuine reaction when he messed up.

Here's hoping we see more of this stuff.

MLB's All-Star festivities are coming to Truist Park in mid-July, as the Atlanta Braves are slated to host this season's midsummer classic.

The biggest stars from across the league will take part in the annual exhibition game, and as excitement for the event builds, MLB released a first look at the official uniforms players from the American League and National League will be wearing in Atlanta.

There are new All-Star jerseys every year, so the release of the latest edition isn't much of a surprise. That said, there's a pretty significant twist tied to the reveal of this season's MLB All-Star uniforms.

Much to the delight of fans, MLB is reverting its All-Star Game dress code back to a previous format, under which players would wear the jerseys of their respective MLB teams, rather than donning the official All-Star Game attire.

Here's a first glance at the 2025 All-Star uniforms:

With players wearing their team uniforms for the actual All-Star Game, these jerseys will be reserved for the weekend's other events, such as the Home Run Derby.

Players rocking the All-Star uniform during the All-Star Game been a major sticking point among MLB fans in previous years, as they made clear they longed for the days when players would rock their own team's jerseys. Calls for that stylistic change did not go unnoticed by MLB's front office, prompting the change implented this year.

As for voting for the All-Star Game, fans will be able to vote in phase one from June 4 to 26, and again in phase two from June 30 to July 2.

Tottenham Hotspur’s efforts in the Champions League against PSG last night were a vast improvement from the North London Derby, but it still wasn’t enough to claim all three points.

Luis Enrique’s men secured a 5-3 triumph at the Parc des Princes, but the night could have been a lot better for Thomas Frank’s side at one stage.

The Dane’s side twice took the lead against the reigning Champions League winners, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison putting the Lilywhites ahead before and after the break.

However, numerous moments of madness from numerous players subsequently cost the side all three points, with Frank’s side now winless in their last three outings.

During such fixtures, the first team have shipped a total of 11 goals, many of which have been down to failures of one player – as demonstrated in Paris once again yesterday.

Cristian Romero’s dismal display against PSG yesterday

After Frank’s arrival as manager over the summer, he made an immediate impact by naming numerous first-team members as part of his Spurs leadership group.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as part of the group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every one of his starts for the Lilywhites this campaign.

That was no different on Wednesday night, but the 27-year-old did nothing short of lead the side to a positive result, with his various errors costing the side against PSG.

His questionable pass into the feet of Pape Sarr saw the Senegalese star robbed of possession, which led to Fabian Ruiz firing the hosts into the lead for the first time.

Romero also charged down Vitinha on the edge of his 18-yard box, but his sliding effort saw him block the Portuguese international’s strike – which resulted in a penalty and all but killed off the game.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of positive impact at the Parc des Princes, with the defender losing 50% of the duels he entered – subsequently being dominated by the opposition’s frontline.

The Spurs star who was as bad as Romero against PSG

After the manner of the Derby Day defeat on Sunday, it was clear that manager Frank needed to make various changes to try and avenge such a disappointing result.

As a result, the Dane made five changes to his starting eleven, which also saw a switch from a five-back to a more familiar four-back system – one which Romero was at the heart of.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were handed rare starts at the heart of the side, with the duo often linking up with intricate play in large spells of the first half.

With both players aged under 20, there’s no denying that they will have huge parts to play in the immediate and long-term future for the Lilywhites in their quest for success.

However, there will certainly be question marks over a few of the other starters, with Pape Sarr one player who was unable to take full advantage of his recall to the squad.

The 23-year-old was named as a substitute against Arsenal, but was given the chance to stake his claim for a starting role again last night – but he may look back on the game as a missed opportunity.

Sarr certainly wasn’t solely to blame for the host’s third goal, but his lack of awareness after Romero’s pass saw him lose possession in the build-up to Luiz’s emphatic finish.

He also could have done more to prevent Willian Pacho’s strike, with the Senegalese international unable to get ahead of the defender to clear the loose ball in the penalty area.

The youngster’s underlying stats were just as poor, with the midfielder only able to win 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

Sarr’s lack of positive impact was highlighted in his tally of possession lost, as he gave the ball back to the opposition on seven separate occasions – often presenting a careless figure in possession.

There’s little denying he put in a shift when out of possession, but he did so to little avail, ultimately leading to journalist Alasdair Gold handing him a 5/10 match rating upon the final whistle.

After such a showing, it’s evident that Bergvall and Gray are both ahead of him in the pecking order, with Sarr needing a huge reaction in the upcoming matches to dislodge the pair.

As for Romero, it was yet another evening to forget, but given his role as captain, he must pick himself and the rest of the team up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

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Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making huge strides in completeing a deal for a new deadly partnership.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 26, 2025

Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly responded to Mike Ashley’s bid to buy the club, with the former Newcastle United man now plotting his next step.

Finance expert reveals extent of interest in Sheffield Wednesday

It’s been a busy month at Hillsborough, with the Owls receiving plenty of takeover interest after entering administration. Setting a soft deadline of December 5, things look destined to accelerate in the coming week in the hope that Sheffield Wednesday finally enter a new era and put Dejphon Chansiri behind them for good.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson recently revealed that there are as many as 11 bidders to buy Sheffield Wednesday, telling talkSPORT: “I’m working with one of the bidders. There are a number of bidders in play, a number of credible players around.

Sheffield-born takeover candidate makes key contact in race to buy Sheffield Wednesday

He could buy his local club.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

“Apparently, there’s 11 that have given proof of funds for £50m of liquid assets. That is a serious process, and there is serious interest. The issue is actually that you can’t just look at the headline price here. This is a club that’s not had a lick of paint for quite some time and by the end of this season it will be in League One.

“It will have almost no squad and it will have a stadium that needs significant spending. So anybody that comes in is going to have to have deep pockets. I think the people that are circling do have deep pockets, but it is not going to be a cheap deal for anybody. The challenges are great.

Among those 11 bidders could be John McEvoy, who was one of the first names linked with a move to buy the club, and former Newcastle man Ashley. The 61-year-old is seemingly keen on a return to English football and has already received a response from Wednesday.

Mike Ashley submits bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday

As reported by Sky Sports, Ashley has now submitted a £20m bid to buy Sheffield Wednesday, who have turned that offer down. The former Newcastle owner is now plotting his next step and could yet return with an improved second offer, however.

If he is to return with a second offer, then Ashley will likely have to at least match other bids in the region of £30m to stand a chance of completing a takeover. Whilst it isn’t as simple as accepting the highest bid for the Owls, they won’t sell the club at a cut-price in the face of so much interest.

Of course, if Ashley does match other bids then he could become one of the better options available. He has experience in English football and, financially speaking, he stabilised Newcastle during his time at the club.

Sheffield Wednesday return to Sheffield United takeover merger

تحدث أحمد عبد الرؤوف المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن مواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع كايزر تشفيز، في الثالثة عصر غدًا السبت، في الجولة الثانية من عمر مواجهات دور المجموعات لبطولة الكونفدرالية.

وقال عبد الرؤوف خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “نحن نمثل اسمًا كبيرًا في القارة، وندخل المباراة بهدف واحد وهو العودة بالنقاط الثلاث والبداية الناجحة في البطولة كانت مهمة لنا”.

وأضاف:” نأمل استمرار الانتصارات أمام كايزر تشيفز الذي نعرف جيدًا قيمته وإمكاناته، خصوصًا قبل خوض مباراتي المصري المقبلتين في القاهرة”.

طالع.. خاص | عقوبة ضد المهدي سليمان في الزمالك.. واجتماع منتظر

وأضاف:”غياب لاعبين بحجم عبد الله السعيد ودونجا بلا شك مؤثر، لكن الزمالك يضم عناصر قادرة على تعويض أي نقص، والمجموعة الحالية تمتلك الجودة الكافية لتقديم المطلوب داخل الملعب”.

وأكمل:”مررنا بظروف معقدة بعد السوبر المحلي، وفي لقاء زيسكو لم نستغل الفرص كما يجب واكتفينا بهدف، إلى جانب بعض الأخطاء التي نعمل على تصحيحها، لكن الأهم أننا خرجنا بالفوز”.

وأفاد:”كايزر تشيفز فريق منظم ولديه طريقة لعب واضحة، والجماهير تمثل عنصر قوة حقيقي لهم على ملعبهم، لذلك نتوقع مباراة كبيرة بين فريقين لديهما تاريخ وثقل”.

واستمر:”الحديث عن شكل المنافسة في المجموعة بناءً على نتيجة مباراة واحدة فقط غير منطقي، ما زالت أمامنا مواجهات مهمة، وأركز دائمًا على أن يكون أداء الفريق امتدادًا لتاريخ الزمالك وليس لمستقبلي الشخصي”.

وأتم: “أعلم أن الجماهير قد لا ترضى أحيانًا عن الأداء، لكن الانتصار غدًا سيمنح اللاعبين دفعة قوية لمواصلة المشوار بثبات”.

Something is happening at Chelsea this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side blew Spanish champions Barcelona away in the Champions League last Tuesday and then followed that up with a sensational performance against Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Blues were by far the better team for most of the first half, and even after Moises Caicedo was sent off, they scored a goal and held on for a point.

Now, having the Ecuadorian out for three games is a problem, but Maresca could solve it by unleashing one of Chelsea’s most exciting young stars.

Chelsea's solutions to Caicedo's red card

With it highly unlikely that Caicedo’s ban will be overturned – if it’s even appealed – Chelsea need to come up with a solution for the next three games. This is a player who is renowned as one of the best midfielders in the world, a player of the calibre of a certain Declan Rice. Therefore, replacing him will not be easy.

One answer could be to keep Reece James in the middle of the park, drop Enzo Fernández back next to him to create a double pivot and start Cole Palmer ahead of them.

Now, this would be quite a change, but it would allow the captain to continue to boss games from a central area and bring the club’s best player back into the most important part of the team.

Moreover, if the Englishman is pulling the strings in the ten position, Estevao can keep his place on the right, where he tore Barça to bits last week.

However, if Enzo only wants to make one personnel change to the side to keep up momentum, he could be extra brave and bring one of Cobham’s most exciting youngsters into the side: Reggie Walsh.

The 17-year-old star in the making is someone who could slot in next to James in the midfield and, especially against a poor Leeds United, earn some brilliant experience.

It would certainly be a bold move, but even though he’s so young, the academy gem is seen as “truly ridiculous” talent, per Como scout Felix Johnston, and has already made four appearances for the senior side.

Yet, with all that said, there is a far more realistic and sensible option Maresca could go for.

Chelsea's ideal solution to Caicedo's red card

With Dario Essugo unlikely to be fit enough to play a significant role over the next three games, Maresca should turn to Andrey Santos to cover for Caicedo.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The 21-year-old is still most certainly a little raw and clearly not the finished article, but there are a few reasons why he would be the perfect solution to the Blues’ problem.

The first is that with him being comfortable playing in central and defensive midfield, he could form a fluid partnership with James and Fernandez.

In other words, the three of them could rotate in and out of positions in the middle of the park, making life difficult for opposition defenders and attackers.

The second reason is that, thanks to his comfort in a variety of positions, he has developed a skill set that makes him effective in attack and, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, a duel-winning “one-man war machine in midfield.”

For example, despite only playing 655 minutes across nine appearances this season, he has already produced four goal involvements.

His underlying numbers are also sensational.

Tackles Won

2.09

Top 3%

Tkl+Int

4.26

Top 7%

Goals + Assists

0.39

Top 8%

Pass Completion % (Long)

77.3%

Top 8%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.20

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.14

Top 15%

Clearances

2.33

Top 16%

Pass Completion %

88.3%

Top 17%

Fouls Drawn

1.74

Top 17%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won, the top 8% for goals plus assists, the 13% for dribblers tackled and more, all per 90.

Finally, given his brilliant box-to-box skill set, he would add some more dynamism and explosiveness to the middle of the park, which, against teams like Leeds, could make the Blues impossible to live with.

Ultimately, while nobody in the Chelsea squad can replace Caicedo in a like-for-like capacity, Santos could bring something else to the side and keep the quality level high.

Chelsea star who saved Caicedo is their "most underappreciated player"

The underrated Chelsea ace made sure Caicedo’s red card didn’t cost Enzo Maresca’s men against Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 30, 2025

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this Manchester United team be under Ruben Amorim, with it likely to require patience – and the chequebook – for the Portuguese to turn the Red Devils back into true contenders again.

It is still early days, although the signs are promising following his first window in charge, with the summer arrivals of Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all making an impact to date.

That investment will surely be just the start as Amorim seeks to shake things up, however, with a turbulent 2025/26 thus far having again showcased the scale of the task at hand, with reinforcements needed all across the park.

At wing-back and central midfield, in particular, there remain problems to be solved, with January providing the perfect opportunity for the required upgrades to be found.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how United could shape up after the window closes, should all go to plan in this dream scenario…

1 GK – Senne Lammens

Perhaps up there with Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka as the bargain of the summer in Premier League terms, United’s £18m man is yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, having hardly put a foot wrong to date.

He might not be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel – who is – but he’s certainly made a stronger first impression than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, that’s for sure.

2 RCB – Matthijs de Ligt

Second time’s the charm for Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutchman building on a solid, but unspectacular first campaign to emerge as arguably one of Amorim’s key lieutenants this time around.

The hero at the death against Spurs, the 26-year-old is the only member of the squad to play every minute in the Premier League this season. A future captain in waiting?

3 CB – Marc Guehi

So close to a last-gasp move to Liverpool over the summer, Marc Guehi is now for anyone’s taking heading into January, with a potential bargain deal on the cards amid his expiring contract.

Those at Anfield might still be frontrunners, but reports have suggested that United will also be in the mix for his coveted signature, with the England international a possible successor to the ageing, but influential, Harry Maguire at the heart of the backline.

4 LCB – Lisandro Martinez

Not seen in action since early 2025 due to an ACL injury, Lisandro Martinez is inching ever closer to a return to action – providing a significant boost for Amorim and co.

Luke Shaw, for what it’s worth, has held the fort impressively in the left-sided centre-back role of late, yet the Argentine – part of United’s new-look leadership group – looks destined to start when fit and firing again.

5 RWB – Amad

The Amad and Mbeumo combination endured some early teething problems, although in recent weeks, United’s right-hand side has been so effective, with the pair notably combining for the opener at Anfield last month, as well as in the game’s first goal against Spurs.

Such form – which also saw Amad net late on at the City Ground – will only serve to make it all the more concerning when the pair head to AFCON in December.

6 CM – Bruno Fernandes

The debate will rage on over whether this is Bruno Fernandes’ best position, but the 31-year-old – who came close to an exit over the summer – is still quietly pulling the strings from his deep-lying role.

Two goals, three assists and two penalties missed in the Premier League this season showcases that the Portuguese maverick is still bringing the usual chaos and consistency as the heartbeat of Amorim’s side.

There’s no dislodging him just yet…

7 CM – Carlos Baleba

He wants United – by all accounts – and United want him. So make it happen INEOS.

The midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – was touted with a £100m plus move to Old Trafford over the summer, although there might be some wriggle room in negotiations, considering his drop in form in 2025/26.

Those woes – which have seen him substituted at half-time on three occasions already – may be cause for concern, but at his best, the athletic, all-action 21-year-old could be the Casemiro successor that United are crying out for.

8 LWB – Federico Dimarco

The caveat to this next addition would be that if United and INEOS were to fork out for Guehi and Baleba, there would likely have to be notable sales made to balance the books, be it a figure like Joshua Zirkzee or Diogo Dalot.

The beauty of moving for Federico Dimarco is, however, that the Italian defender has just 18 months left on his current contract at Inter, ensuring an astute deal could be struck amid reported interest from Manchester.

At a time when neither Dalot nor Patrick Dorgu has nailed down that left wing-back role, signing a specialist like Dimarco would be the perfect upgrade for 2026.

9 RAM – Bryan Mbeumo

As already stated, Mbeumo and Amad are emerging as a deadly duo down the right flank, although it is clear to see who the main man in that pairing is, with the Cameroonian already scoring six times in 12 games following his £71m switch from Brentford.

Comfortable on either foot, or with his head, the 26-year-old is the ready-made attacking spearhead that Amorim needed. Long may his rampant form continue.

10 LAM – Matheus Cunha

While Casemiro may be approaching the climax of his United journey, with just six months left on his deal, the club do have a new Brazilian hero to cherish in the form of Cunha, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman already earning rave reviews at Old Trafford.

Powerful and elegant in equal measure, the 26-year-old has the makings of a future United star, although he will have to improve upon his return of just one goal to date.

One player still on the books at Manchester United has been told that his Old Trafford “career is over” by a former Red Devils midfielder.

Players who could leave Man Utd in 2026

2026 could be another busy year at Old Trafford in regards to incomings and outgoings, with Ruben Amorim and INEOS continuing to make their mark in Manchester.

The Red Devils have four players out of contract at the end of the season, one of which is midfielder Casemiro.

Players out of contract at Man Utd in 2026

Harry Maguire

Casemiro (option until 2027)

Tom Heaton

Tyrell Malacia

Man Utd have the option to extend that by a further 12 months, however, Amorim and INEOS seemingly clashing behind the scenes regarding the Brazilian. Amorim wants to keep Casemiro whereas INEOS want him to take a pay cut from his current £350,000-a-week wage.

There are also numerous loanees away from Man Utd who could seal permanent exits at the end of the season. Rasmus Hojlund is at Napoli, Marcus Rashford is at Barcelona, Jadon Sancho is at Aston Villa and Andre Onana is with Trabzonspor.

United could look to move the quartet out on a full-time basis, with options to buy inserted in Rashford’s move to the Nou Camp and Hojlund’s move to Napoli. Now, another one of the four has been told he has no future at the club by a pundit.

Related Man Utd now racing Arsenal to sign "complete" £45m Bundesliga attacker

He’s scored more goals than Sesko this season.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025 Strachan tells Onana his Man Utd “career is over”

Former Man Utd midfielder Gordon Strachan, speaking to Esports News relayed by The Manchester Evening News, feels that Andre Onana “has played his last game” for Man Utd and would be “shocked” if he played for the Red Devils again.

Onana’s Man Utd contract is worth £120,000-a-week and there is no option to buy for the Turkish side at the end of the season, with the ‘keeper’s Manchester deal not expiring until 2028.

United forked out just under £50m on Onana back in 2023, but after numerous errors at Old Trafford and Amorim now having Senne Lammens, a permanent exit could make sense for all involved next year.

Forget Anderson: Man Utd in talks to sign "world's most underrated footballer"

Shamar Joseph and Gudakesh Motie are in both ODI and T20I squads after missing the Test tour of India

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2025

Ackeem Auguste has earned a first call-up to West Indies’ ODI squad for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh in the second half of October, as replacement for Evin Lewis who has been ruled out with an injured wrist.Khary Pierre, who made his Test debut in the first match against India earlier this month in Ahmedabad, has earned a recall to the ODI side as the third spinner alongside Gudakesh Motie and allrounder Roston Chase, while Alick Athanaze has also made a return to the squad after playing his 13th and last ODI in December last year.”The selection of Ackeem reflects the pathway Cricket West Indies is creating for our emerging players who have shown the qualities to perform at the international level,” head coach Daren Sammy said in a CWI statement. “He is a player for the future, one who has progressed from Under-15s to the senior level, and another Academy graduate to feature in an international squad this year.”West Indies tour of Bangladesh

1st ODI – October 18, Dhaka
2nd ODI – October 21, Dhaka
3rd ODI – October 23, Dhaka
1st T20I – October 27, Chattogram
2nd T20I – October 29, Chattogram
3rd T20I – October 31, Chattogram

Also included for both the ODIs and the T20Is is Shamar Joseph, who missed the Test tour of India, along with Alzarri Joseph, because of an injury, the nature of which CWI didn’t disclose at the time. Motie is another player who missed the Test tour of India as West Indies wanted to manage his workload in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup early next year.The Bangladesh series will be the penultimate one of the year for West Indies.”The squad assembled will strive to maintain a winning mentality and strong team cohesion, essential components for long-term success ahead of the World Cup,” Sammy said. “Facing Bangladesh provides another opportunity to earn crucial points in our push for automatic qualification to the showpiece event.”Ramon Simmonds has been on the rise in recent months•CPL T20 via Getty Images

For the T20Is, left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds and Amir Jangoo have been included in the squad. While Jangoo has been picked as the back-up wicketkeeper-batter to captain Shai Hope, it’s a continuation of a steady rise for Simmonds, who picked up 13 wickets for Barbados Royals in the recent CPL 2025 and then returned 4 for 15 in only his second T20I, against Nepal last month.Related

Sammy: WI 'did not reap financial rewards' of their legacy

Lara asks West Indies players to 'find a way'

In what CWI called “a concerted effort to provide players with valuable exposure to subcontinent conditions in advance of the series”, Motie, Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Auguste and Jangoo will train at the Chennai Super Kings Academy prior to the Bangladesh series.”With the 2026 T20 World Cup around the corner, it is important for our players to get as much practice as possible in these conditions, with that tournament being held in India and Sri Lanka,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “In addition to the important aspect of acclimatisation, the camp will feature skill and tactical training and development specific to those conditions, which is critical to preparing the players ahead of this series as well as next year’s World Cup.”The tour of Bangladesh will start with the three ODIs, on October 18, 21 and 23, all in Dhaka, followed by the three T20Is in Chattogram on October 27, 29 and 31.West Indies ODI squad for tour of BangladeshShai Hope (capt), Alick Athanaze, Ackeem Auguste, Jediah Blades, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario ShepherdWest Indies T20I squad for tour of BangladeshShai Hope (capt), Alick Athanaze, Ackeem Auguste, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Ramon Simmonds

The blockbuster showdown between Arsenal and Bayern Munich has brought out the softer side of the respective managers with a love-in ahead of the crunch Champions League showdown at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta and Vincent Kompany worked together at Manchester City, but the friendship will be put on hold as both look to extend their perfect starts Europe this season.

Guardiola key to respect between pair

Arteta and Kompany share a relationship rooted in mutual respect and a shared football philosophy, developed during their time at Manchester City between 2016 and 2019. Arteta was an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola, while Kompany was the club captain, a period during which they won multiple domestic titles together. 

Both men have spoken highly of each other's coaching potential and leadership qualities. Arteta has described Kompany as a leader with a "special aura" and great ideas, even suggesting Kompany was "already a coach when he played". Kompany, in turn, has praised Arteta's passion, intelligence, and the "incredible" work he has done at Arsenal, stating he is not surprised by his success. 

They have a good relationship and often discussed football and future management careers during their time at City. They both follow a similar, possession-based style of play influenced by Guardiola, and will pit their teams against each other on Wednesday evening in north London.

AdvertisementAFPArteta: 'I'm not surprised at all'

Arteta said at his pre-match press conference: "My feeling was always that Vinnie will be excellent at whatever he chooses to do. I'm very happy that things are going well for him. He has a lot of presence, intelligence, love for the game. I'm not surprised at all."

And on the size of the task facing the Gunners against Bayern, who also have a 100 percent win record in the competition this season, Arteta said: "Every opponent brings different challenges, obviously. They are in a great moment. The level of consistency they show in results, performances, in every metric that they have, it’s very, very impressive. We know that, but as well that’s a massive opportunity as well for us to show what we are capable of. 

He added: "This is the kind of game in the competition that we want to face, and we’ve been very consistent in both competitions, and as you mentioned they have as well. Tomorrow is a great test for us to see where we are. We know the importance of the match, we are in a really strong position and we want to maintain that and we know that we have a beautiful and very demanding game ahead of us."

Kompany: 'I'm forever grateful'

And Kompany spoke very highly of Arteta, saying: "When I look at how Mikel has developed his team and developed himself, they play with great physicality. He works with great attention to detail with his teams, which have very few weaknesses. That's Mikel's character. Pep Guardiola is a dominant figure and has played a big role in our careers. I'm forever grateful. But both teams are quite different as well, which makes tomorrow's game special."

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Getty Images SportChampions League showdown at Emirates

Arsenal are the only team yet to concede a goal in the competition, while Bayern boast a formidable attack led by former Tottenham star Harry Kane, who has historically tormented the Gunners. Mikel Arteta's side enters the match in excellent form, fresh off a dominant 4-1 north London derby victory over Spurs. They are expected to welcome back captain Martin Odegaard from injury, though key forwards Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyokeres remain sidelined. Bayern are also dealing with injuries, including Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies.