Sunday afternoon's north London derby sees Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal square off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the two sides chasing alternate targets in the second half of the season.
Match Details:
Location: London, England
Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Sunday 15 January
Kick-off Time: 10 PM IST
VAR: Paul Tierney
Referee: Craig Pawson
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal: Match Preview:
Tottenham have spluttered and failed to kick into gear throughout the season but remain close enough to the clubs eyeing up Champions League qualification.
💬 “I just love it - that’s the reason why we’re here, to play these kinds of games."
Spurs boss Antonio Conte gave positive updates on a number of key players during his pre-match press conference.
The Italian revealed he expects Dejan Kulusevski to be available, while Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison are progressing from their injuries. Their matchday involvement remains in doubt, however.
Matt Doherty and Ivan Perisic have emerged as the standout wing back candidates in recent weeks and both should start. Lucas Moura remains perennially injured but Yves Bissouma was back in training after dropping out of the Spurs side that beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
Arsenal:
Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson are Arsenal's only confirmed injury absentees for the short trip across north London.
Bukayo Saka is expected to shake off a knock suffered at Oxford, where Emile Smith Rowe returned from his own respective injury.
🔜 The north London derby
📺 All the latest from training, available to watch right here 👇
Eddie Nketiah will continue to lead the line in Jesus' absence, but otherwise manager Mikel Arteta will likely stick with his regular XI which has sent Arsenal to the top of the Premier League.
Martin Odegaard is in fine form, contributing three goals and three assists in his last four outings, and he was rewarded for a prolonged streak of excellence with the Premier League's Player of the Month award for November and December. Mikel Arteta won the manager's equivalent prize.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal: Head to Head:
Arsenal have a good record against Tottenham Hotspur and have won 85 out of the 206 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Tottenham Hotspur's 67 victories.
Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League home games against Arsenal and have won their last three such matches in the competition.
Arsenal could complete a league double against Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since the 2013-14 season - the last time they won an away Premier League game against Spurs.
Why does Bruno Guimarães wear Jersey no. 39? Here is the emotional story behind it
Bruno Guimarães has worn Jersey no. 39 for every club he has played in. Sportz Point presents the emotional story behind the Brazilian midfielder's preference for choosing this certain number.
Bruno Guimarães is one of the most talented and prolific midfielders in the world football right now. The 27-year-old Brazilian currently plays for the Premier League side Newcastle United, where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in recent years with his sublime ball-playing ability and playmaking skills.
One of the most interesting things about Guimarães is that he wears an unusual number for a first-team central midfielder like him. Instead of the traditional four, six, or eight numbers for midfielders, the Brazilian wears the number 39 shirt.
Even more interestingly, the Brazilian has worn the 39-numbered Jersey in every club he has played in his senior club career so far, showing his intense attachment to this certain number. This surely raises a question among the fans, why does he always prefer this number?
Well, the reason behind it is very emotional and heartwarming. Guimarães pays homage to his father, who endured struggles as a taxi driver to help the player grow his football career.
Bruno Guimaraes on his shirt number 🫶
“The number 39 gave me everything in life. It got me here to @NUFC. It fed me, clothed me, and paid for three-hour bus rides to pursue my dream.
The emotional story behind Guimarães' Jersey no. 39
(Image Source | The Players' Tribune)
Burno's father Dick Guimarães used to be a taxi driver in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the number 39 was his vehicle's despatch number.
In the famous 'The Players' Tribune', Guimarães wrote an emotional article in February 2023, revealing the heart-warming reason behind his using the number so often and putting it up in his football shirts during his senior club career.
The number tells a story more beautiful than words can say. 39. I know people think it’s a weird number for a footballer. But for me 39 is special — no, it’s more than that. It's magical. The number 39 gave me everything in life. It got me here to Newcastle. It fed me, clothed me, and paid for three-hour bus rides to pursue my dream. #039 was the dispatch number of my father’s taxi in Rio de Janeiro.
He dived deeper into the emotional backstory, as later on he wrote:
My mother worked in a motorcycle shop. My father, of course, was a taxi driver. In Brazil, especially in Rio, this is a tough life. You work basically all day and night. But that yellow taxi kept my dream alive. Pretty much the only day I saw my father was on Saturday, when he came to watch me play football. It made me nervous, to be honest. My father was my hero. I didn’t want to disappoint him. And he was quite hard on me, at first. Sometimes he’d even say, 'I’m tired of seeing you lose. You can have an extra hamburger today, but only if you win.
"My journey was not a superstar’s story."
Bruno Guimarães pulled the emotional strings of his childhood complexities and sufferings but never overlooked the sacrifices his parents made.
I won’t lie. There were a few times that I had my bags packed. Once, I called my mom and told her to send me money for a bus ticket home. And I can hear her voice saying, “Stay calm. In a little while, we’ll be there together. This is your dream. This is what you want.”
They used to drive up to see me in the taxi on weekends. Even on his day off, my dad couldn’t escape the yellow taxi, number 039. For three years, I struggled at the academy. By the time I was 17, I still didn’t have a professional contract. It’s crazy to think about kids like Vinicius Jr. and Endrick — 16, 17 years old and — they were already stars. Me, I was making backup plans to become a taxi driver like my father. I was only earning about R$400 a month, and I think my cellphone bill was R$100. If I didn’t get a pro contract at 18, I had to be realistic. I didn’t want my parents to be disappointed, so I lied and said that I was taking my license test because I dreamed of having a VW Beetle when I signed my contract. But really, I was working on my back-up for “real life.”
I was months away from becoming 039 myself, if I didn’t get my break.
(Image Source | The Players' Tribune)
Bruno also recalled an emotional phone call with his father when he was loaned to Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense in Brazil.
...When I was loaned to Athletico Paranaense, I was talking to my father on the phone on the day I arrived, and I said, “Hey, what number do you think I should take? I’m thinking of using 97, because I was born in 1997.”
And he said, “What about 39? That is more than a number. 039 gave us everything we have, Bruno. Our house, our food, our furniture, your football boots. It was all because of our taxi.”...
The knockout phase to qualify for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 round of 16 has been done. 16 teams who had finished from 9 to 24 in the league stage have went against their opponent in a two-legged fixture to determine the 8 teams of the round of 16. Those who had finished in the top 8 in the league stage had already qualified for the round of 16 stage.
Now, from these qualified teams, a draw will take place among potential opponents to determine who will face whom in the round of 16, quarter-final and in the semi-final. Here is everything you need to know about the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw.
When and Where will it take place?
The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw will take place at 12:00 CET on Friday 21 February at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
This means that football fans from India will be able to see the draw at 4:30 pm on Friday 21 February.
Which teams have qualified for the UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 draw?
Graphic by UEFA.com
The top 8 teams from the league stage had automatically qualified for the UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 draw. Now, another 8 teams have qualified for the round of 16 stage after playing a two-legged knock-out fixture against their drawn opponents.
Knockout phase play-off winners (unseeded, ordered by league phase position) 10. B. Dortmund (GER) 11.Real Madrid (ESP) 12.Bayern Munich (GER) 14. PSV (NED) 15.PSG (FRA) 16.Benfica (POR) 19. Feyenoord (NED) 24. Club Brugge (BEL)
Which teams are potential opponents of which teams?
So, as per the new theme of the tournament, the top 8 teams have been put into a bracket of four seeded groups i.e. 1 or 2, 3 or 4, 5 or 6, 7 or 8.
In the knockout phase play-off draw, the potential bracket of possible winners from the knockout-phase play-off was already made to determine their possible opponent from the bracket of the seeded groups from the top 8.
Here are the potential opponents who could face each other in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 round of 16 (in order of match No.)
So, from the above list, you can get that Liverpool's and Barcelona's potential opponents are PSG or Benfica. The draw will be done to determine which team will face whom in the round of 16. For Lille and Aston Villa, the potential opponents are Club Brugge or Borussia Dortmund. Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Arsenal and Inter Milan could face either PSV or Feyenoord.
How the draw will be done?
Graphic by UEFA.com
One ball is taken from the bowl containing the two relevant ranked teams (i.e. the teams ranked 7 and 8) and is opened to display the team. The first team drawn from this bowl is placed in their reserved spot on the silver side of the bracket (see bracket graphic above). The other seeded team of the pairing is then drawn and displayed, and allocated in the corresponding reserved spot on the blue side of the bracket.
How the quarter-final and semi-final fixtures will be made?
The winner of Round of 16 Match No. 1 will play against the winner of Round of 16 Match No. 2 in the 1st Quarter-final. The rest will continue as per the graphic above. The draw will be done only to determine which team will play the first leg and which will play the second leg of the fixture.
UCL 2024-25 QF Fixture Bracket
QF1: RO16-1 vs RO16-2
QF2: RO16-3 vs RO16-4
QF3: RO16-5 vs RO16-6
QF4: RO16-7 vs RO16-8
UCL 2024-25 Semi-final fixture bracket
SF1: QF1 vs QF2
SF2: QF3 vs QF4
Dates for the Champions League round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals
Premier League History: Most Goals Scored in a Single Stadium
Discover the Premier League record for the most goals scored in a single stadium. Find out which ground has witnessed the highest number of goals in Premier League history!
There are many records of top scorers in the Premier League but there are some unique and amazing records in the Premier League history, regarding the most goals scored at a single stadium.
This can be analyzed repeatedly — for the most goals in a single game at a single site, for the most scored at a given site in a single season, and for the most scored by an individual player at one end.
Most goals scored at a single stadium in Premier League history:
◎ 116 - Thierry Henry (Highbury) ◎ 106 - Sergio Agüero (The Etihad) ◉ 101 - Mohamed Salah (Anfield) ◎ 101 - Wayne Rooney (Old Trafford)
Highest-Scoring Premier League Match at a Single Stadium
The record for the highest-scoringPremier League match at one stadium was set on September 29, 2007, at Fratton Park. where Portsmouth triumphed over Reading 7-4, producing an astonishing 11-goalthriller.
Stamford Bridge is the highest-awarded on-goals stadium in a single Premier League season, awarding 82 goals to Chelsea in 2009-10. Chelsea, managed by Carlo Ancelotti back then, scored 68 of these goals, with the rest 14 being scored against them.
That postseason, Chelsea’s prolific attack propelled them to the Premier League title, when they scored a mammoth 104 altogether.
Stamford Bridge witnessed somehigh-scoring victories for Chelsea that season, including an 8-0 victory against Wigan Athletic on the last day to secure the championship. Didier Drogba played a key role, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals.
Thierry Henry holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored by one player at the same stadium. The French forward netted 107 goals at Arsenal’s old building, Highbury.
Henry was among the greatest forwards in Premier League history when it came to his finishing, his dribbling, and his composure. His influence helped Arsenal dominate, especially during their unbeaten 2003-04 “Invincibles” season. He made Highbury his own, and with it, his reputation for goal-scoring.
Other Notable Stadium Goal Records:
It is at several other stadiums, however, where remarkable goal-scoring feats have been recorded:
Old Trafford: Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney became the club’s all-time leading goal-scorer, with the majority of them arriving on his home turf.
Anfield: Mohamed Salah has been repeatedly delivering what Liverpoolneeded, netting with some frequency in front of the Liverpool fans.
These records underline the teams and individuals attacking genius and the passion for home support. From the iconic stadium to the historical Highbury, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, and Etihad unforgettable moments have played out on their turf.
With the unpredictability of the Premier League, those records are surely going to be challenged. High-scoring matches, dominant home teams, prolific goal scorers: there is always something exciting in England’s top flight.
Premier League Facts: Most Premier League hat-tricks By clubs
Discover the Premier League facts of most Premier League hat-tricks by clubs. Manchester City are leading the stats with 44 hat-tricks by their players so far.
Three goals in a game that staff more than 22 world-renowned players have taken to mean one thing: you use a hat trick. The Hat-trick person somehow etches his name into Premier League's history. Here is a Premier League facts to determine clubs with most hat-tricks in Premier League history.
Premier League Facts: Most Premier League hat-tricks By clubs
RANK
CLUBS
Hattricks
LAST HAT-TRICK
1
Manchester City
44
15 February 2025
2
Liverpool
42
24 October 2021
3
Arsenal
41
28 October 2021
4
Manchester United
37
16 January 2025
5
Chelsea
32
28 September 2024
6
Tottenham Hotspurs
29
2 September 2023
7
Blackburn Rovers
17
3 December 2011
8
Everton
16
19 September 2020
9
Newcastle United
15
21 September 2021
10
Aston Villa
12
30 September 2023
11
Leeds United
12
16 January 2023
Manchester City | 44
Image Credit: Indian Express.com
Manchester City sits at the top in this most Premier League hat-trick list, an achievement largely influenced by Sergio Agüero. The Argentine forward, a relentless goal-scorer, recorded 12 hat-tricks, the most by any player in Premier League history. Every time he stepped onto the pitch, defenders were on high alert- his impact was inevitable. Now, Erling Haaland continues this legacy, showcasing his goal-scoring prowess.
Liverpool | 42
Image Credit: Sky News
Liverpool boasts a rich history of goal-scoring excellence, with players such as Luis Suárez, Robbie Fowler, and Mohamed Salah leading the way. Suárez, in particular, had a remarkable record against Norwich City, delivering multiple hat-tricks and leaving a lasting mark on Premier League history.
With such good goal-scoring talent as Luis Suárez, Robbie Fowler and now Mohamed Salah, Liverpool has a tradition that is hard to beat. Especially against Norwich City, Suárez possessed a unique record: several hat-tricks over them have left their mark in the most Premier League hat-trick list.
Arsenal | 41
Image Credit: Football Fancast
Arsenal has also been a dominant force in delivering Premier League hat-tricks. The club's most frequently cited serial hat trick scorer had been Henry, followed by Van Persie and Alexis Sánchez.Henry was particularly one-of-a-kind shooting that could hit both precision and aesthetic appeal and, in any case, it screamed specific praise for the great scorer that he was.
Manchester United | 37
Image Credit: Give Me Sport
Manchester United's heritage is that small one in which Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Ruud van Nistelrooy all scored unforgettable hat-tricks. The best example of Rooney's explosive speed in front of goal happened at Emirates Stadium in August 2011 when he just gave one more fine display to cement Manchester United's grip on most Premier League hat-tricks.
Chelsea | 32
Image Credit: Talk Sport
Chelsea's success is built on legends such as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard. These players not only could afford to score goals, but they were true gamblers in high-stakes contests and made sure that Chelsea remained a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League's history.
Tottenham Hotspur | 29
Image Credit: Sky Sports
There is a player who stands out above all others for Tottenham Hotspur; Harry Kane. As an English striker, he has continuously managed to find the net. Three goals in a match are routine for this young upstart and just add to an already impressive international profile.
Hat-Tricks from Historic Clubs:
Aston Villa-12 Premier League Hat-tricks:
Aston Villa, one of England's most historic clubs, has had more than its fair share of players scoring most Premier League hat-tricks.
Happy birthday, Dwight Yorke! 🎉
This strike after just 𝟭𝟮 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗦 against Coventry in 1995 is our fastest Premier League goal! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/olMsZvPnID
Striking the ball so fiercely reflects both the immense power underlying his well-timed shots and their accuracy too.
Regardless of spells spent in lower divisions, Aston Villa's long-held tradition of superior combat produces continuous effective results in front of the goal.
Leeds United-12 Premier League Hat-Tricks
Leeds United is all action, high-tempo football, and die-hard fans.
When was the last time Manchester United were relegated to second division of English football?
In the "Premier League" era Manchester United have never been relegated to the second division. Earlier, the last time they were relegated to second division was at the conclusion of the 1973–74 season.
Manchester United, one of the biggest football clubs in Europe and England are nearing a relegation phase under coach Ruben Amorim in the English Premier League. After the 0-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, they are currently at number 15 in the points table and are only three spots away from being relegated from the first division.
Ruben Amorim remains resilient despite a recent tough run of form and a lengthy list of players unavailable through injury 💬 pic.twitter.com/X0d7XtohT3
This leads to the question have Manchester United ever been relegated to the second division of English football? If yes, when was the last time they were relegated to the second division?
Have Manchester United ever been relegated to the second division of English football?
Yes, the Red Devils have been relegated to the second division of English football five times. They have spent a total 22 seasons in the second division of English football.
The first time they were relegated to the second division was in 1894-95 season. Post that, they were promoted back to the first division five times from 1935-36 to 1974-75 season. In the 1935-36 and 1974-75 season, they were promoted back after being champions of the first division.
In 1905-06, 1924-25 and 1937-38 season, they were promoted after being runners-up of the second division.
When was the last time they were relegated to the second division?
In 1973-74 season, United were relegated to second division of English Football. Image | Sun
In the "Premier League" era Manchester United have never been relegated to the second division. Earlier, the last time they were relegated to second division was at the conclusion of the 1973–74 season.
After the end of "Matt Busby" era in 1969, Manchester United started losing their best players and grip on the dominance of English and European football. Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best had left the club and in 1971 season, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as the manager of the club but managed to stay at the club for only 17 months.
Tommy Docherty succeed him as the head coach at the end of 1972, but was able to save the club from relegation only in that season. In the next season, they were relegated to the second division after finishing 21st among the 22 teams in the league.
United could only manage 32 points from 42 games that season after 10 wins, 12 draws and 20 defeats.
1973-74 Points Table
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GR
Pts
Qualification or Relegation
1
Leeds United
42
24
14
4
66
31
2.129
62
Qualified for the European Cup
2
Liverpool
42
22
13
7
52
31
1.677
57
Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup
3
Derby County
42
17
14
11
52
42
1.238
48
Qualified for the UEFA Cup
4
Ipswich Town
42
18
11
13
67
58
1.155
47
5
Stoke City
42
15
16
11
54
42
1.286
46
6
Burnley
42
16
14
12
56
53
1.057
46
7
Everton
42
16
12
14
50
48
1.042
44
8
Queens Park Rangers
42
13
17
12
56
52
1.077
43
9
Leicester City
42
13
16
13
51
41
1.244
42
10
Arsenal
42
14
14
14
49
51
0.961
42
11
Tottenham Hotspur
42
14
14
14
45
50
0.900
42
12
Wolverhampton Wanderers
42
13
15
14
49
49
1.000
41
Qualified for the UEFA Cup
13
Sheffield United
42
14
12
16
44
49
0.898
40
14
Manchester City
42
14
12
16
39
46
0.848
40
15
Newcastle United
42
13
12
17
49
48
1.021
38
16
Coventry City
42
14
10
18
43
54
0.796
38
17
Chelsea
42
12
13
17
56
60
0.933
37
18
Southampton
42
11
14
17
47
68
0.691
36
Relegated to the Second Division
19
Manchester United
42
10
12
20
38
48
0.792
32
20
Norwich City
42
7
15
20
37
62
0.597
29
In 1974-75 season United were champions of Second Division. Image | Getty
But, Tommy Docherty was able to restore the glory of the club in his first attempt as they won the second division following season and were promoted back to the first division of English football.
Post 1992, the first division was renamed to "Premier League", the second division to "Championship". In the Premier League era, Manchester United are the most successful team with 13 Premier League titles.
But, post Sir Alex Ferguson era, the most successful manager in Manchester United's history, they club started losing their old glory. Many managers and players were brought in but since lifting the club in 2012-13 season, they have not been able to lift the league once.
Current situation of Manchester United and relegation
In 21 matches as the head coach of Manchester United, Amorim won 10 matches while losing 9 of them. In the Premier League, Amorim has managed United in 14 games and lost in 8 of those games while winning only 4 times.
Currently, they are at number 15 position in the points table with 29 points in 25 games. They are just three spots above the relegation zone followed by West Ham United with 27 points and Wolves with 19 points.
Ipswich Town and Leicester City with 17 points are at 18th and 19th point while Southampton are last with 9 points only. United will face Everton next on 22nd February and followed by match against Ipswich and Arsenal on 27th February and 9th March.