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The Gunners host Jurgen Klopp's side in the Premier League on Sunday looking to maintain their spot at the top of the table

Arsenal host Liverpool on Sunday as they look to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League. 

Victory would see them open up a 14-point gap over the Reds and it would back up their convincing success over north London derby rivals Spurs last week.

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side, GOAL takes a look at some of the big pre-match talking points, including the latest Arsenal team news and the predicted starting XI.

Getty ImagesArsenal team news

Arsenal are in good shape heading into Sunday’s game.

Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny are the two long-term absentees and they will remain sidelined until after the World Cup.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is a doubt. He was not part of the squad against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and did not train earlier in the week having limped away from the stadium following the north London derby.

Arsenal will make a late call on the Ukraine international. If he is not deemed fit enough then Kieran Tierney will come in at left-back.

Mikel Arteta rotated his squad massively for the Europa League game on Thursday night, leaving out a host of his senior players.

But they will all return on Sunday as the Gunners look to build on their impressive start to the Premier League season.

AdvertisementTalking point

There’s been lots of talk ahead of the game about whether Arsenal are ready to mount a serious challenge for the title.

But a lot of that talk has been somewhat premature.

Whilst the victory against Tottenham in the north London derby was impressive, beating Spurs at home is hardly a rare occurrence for Arsenal.

In fact, they have beaten their neighbours on home territory in five of their last six league meetings at the Emirates.

So that 3-1 success on its own does not make them serious contenders. Victory against Liverpool, however, would be a different story.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have won six of the last seven Premier League meetings between the sides and also came out on top in the League Cup semi-final last season, winning 2-0 in north London.

So if Arsenal could get the victory this time around then that would be far more of a statement in terms of what it could mean for the rest of the season than the win over Spurs last weekend.

It would also see them move 14 points clear of Liverpool in the league table, which even at this early stage of the season would be a very big gap to try and close.

Getty ImagesWhat has Arteta said?

When asked by reporters whether Sunday's game was a chance for Arsenal to make a real statement about their ambitions this season, Arteta said: "Every game is the same. It is a big match.

"It is a fixture everyone is looking for against an opponent that has shown in the last five to six years the level that they have.

"We have to show against this opponent that we have raised the level and we are ready to compete against them.

"I am very conscious we can get much better than we are today and there are a lot of aspects that we have to do better to be the team we want to be.

"The challenge now is to do it every three days."

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Getty ImagesKey man

From an Arsenal perspective, it has to be Gabriel Jesus.

Can he get the better of Virgil van Dijk and set the tone for the rest of the team to follow in terms of his pressing and work rate from the front?

Liverpool have looked shaky at times in defence this season and if Jesus can disrupt the backline and pull them out of position, that will be vital to Arsenal’s hopes of getting a result.

Jesus has been sensational since joining Arsenal, scoring five goals, but this will be his toughest test to date.

Liverpool will know that if they can keep the Brazilian quiet, then they will nullify the most potent part of the Arsenal attack.

And that will allow them to try and take control of the game and get their danger men on the ball.

GOAL breaks down how each member of the USMNT fared throughout their four-game run in Qatar

After eight years of waiting, the U.S. men's national team's World Cup return is now over. It lasted 12 days, with four chaotic games crammed in.

Four very different games, mind you. There was the win over Iran, the draws with England and Wales, the loss to the Netherlands. Each had a vastly different ebb and flow, even if some themes remained.

One such theme was the USMNT dominating possession, something they did against all four opponents for long stretches, which would have been unfathomable just a few short years ago.

Another was the lack of goalscoring, which ultimately led to the USMNT's downfall. It was always seen as a weakness, but the team's inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the start of the team's undoing.

Overall, though, the World Cup provided plenty of reasons for optimism. Individuals stepped up, some more than others, and the team played in a way that we hadn't quite seen at a World Cup before.

With that said, GOAL breaks down the winners, losers and player ratings from the USMNT's time in Qatar:

Getty ImagesWINNER: Tyler Adams

The USMNT's captain and their MVP. Adams was handed the armband ahead of the tournament and it seemed to give him superpowers. He was everything he always is but better, some kind of defensive midfield monster filled with the Super Solider Serum that makes the real Captain America who he is.

Or is it Adams the real Captain America? He was the one doing it all, after all. From battling Jude Bellingham to defusing geopolitical tensions during a press conference, Adams represented himself and his country as well as he possibly could have.

He ran more than any player in the tournament before the USMNT's untimely exit and, aside from one sequence against the Netherlands, didn't put a foot wrong the whole way.

And some bonus Adams-related winners for you: The first is the USMNT, who now have a backbone and, if they want, a captain for years to come. The second is Leeds United, whose $24 million (£20m) deal to sign Adams from RB Leipzig now looks like a bargain, as big clubs may soon come in to take a closer look.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Gio Reyna

Reyna's whole World Cup just had a cloud hanging over it, didn't it?

From the opening game against Wales, in which he didn't feature, Reyna's name was always in the headlines but not on the teamsheet. He went to Qatar as seemingly a pillar of the USMNT, he left with just two substitute appearances totaling just 51 minutes.

His lack of opportunities will go down as one of the USMNT's great mysteries, even if Berhalter's explanation makes perfect sense at face value. With Pulisic and Weah out wide, there was simply no room for Reyna. No conspiracy, no ulterior motive, just tactics.

There will be those that don't believe that, spurred on by Eric Wynalda's claims of a rift. But there's no evidence that anything went wrong.

Now, we'll have four years to see what happens with Reyna, a supremely talented player that just may not have had a position inside Berthalter's system.

Maybe that changes on the road to the 2026 tournament, no matter who's coaching, but Reyna will likely look back at his first World Cup as a slight disappointment.

GettyWINNER: Tim Ream

This will most certainly be the first and only World Cup Ream plays in. And, boy, was it worth the wait.

What a performance this was from Ream, who turned back the clock in terms of his performances and provided veteran wisdom in equal measure. He spent World Cup qualifying away from the team and, seemingly, out of the picture. By the end of the World Cup, though, you could argue he was the USMNT's best player.

What a moment this was for Ream, who started to tear up while talking to media after the Netherlands defeat. He made sure to appreciate every single moment, every training session, every game of a World Cup that, for some time, he thought he'd never see.

Cheers to Ream for that. He's one of American soccer's good guys, a player that has never gotten the credit or admiration he's deserved. He's earned it now and he should look back on this tournament with pride.

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GettyLOSER: Ricardo Pepi

No, he wasn't on the roster, but you know he was watching. And he must have been thinking "What if?"

As he watched the USMNT strikers fail to make an impression, Pepi must have been wondering if he could have been the guy that could have changed the trajectory of the tournament. Josh Sargent, Jesus Ferreira and Haji Wright were chosen ahead of him and none of them, ultimately, were able to really shine.

That must have made it even more difficult for Pepi, the USMNT's leading scorer in qualifying. He'd been in good form before the squad was announced after essentially a wasted year that was too much to overcome.

But, as the U.S. played hopeful cross after hopeful cross, Pepi must have thought he could have gotten on the end of at least one of them.

Same for Jordan Pefok, who actually may have been the best fit for the USMNT's style of play.

Brazil national football team's goalscoring chart consists of some of the greatest players in football history.

Brazil are one of the most loved national teams around in the beautiful game and have produced some of the greatest attackers in history.

Pele doesn't need any introduction. Neither does Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Neymar.

But there have been many more attacking greats representing the Selecao.

Think about Romario, the winner of the Golden Ball at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Or the legendary Zico, an absolute Flamengo legend.

Who is Brazil's most lethal attacker ever, though?

Let's take a look at the men leading their all-time goalscoring charts!

Getty1Pele | 77 goals

One of the greatest players Brazil has produced, Pele is their highest-ever goalscorer on the international stage.

He made his international debut against Argentina back in 1957, scoring in a 1-2 loss. Just three months later, he scored his second goal against the same opponent in a 2-0 win for his country.

The three-time World Cup winner went on to score a total of 77 goals in 92 games for the Selecao at an astonishing 0.84 goals-per-game ratio.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Neymar | 77 goals

Some fans feel Neymar is among the top five players in the world and the skilful attacker certainly makes scoring goals look easy.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward made his Brazil debut in 2010, scoring one goal in their 2-0 win against the United States of America, and seems destined to become the Selecao's all-time top scorer.

He has scored 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil so far.

Getty Images3Ronaldo | 62 goals

Arguably the greatest striker ever produced by Brazil, Ronaldo took the beautiful game to a whole new level in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The centre-forward made his debut for Brazil in 1994 against arch-rivals Argentina at the tender age of 17 and his performances over the next few games saw him make the squad for the 1994 World Cup, even if he didn't actually get any playing time.

Ronaldo was part of two World Cup wins for Brazil, with the 2002 edition the crown on his career as he scored eight goals to win the Golden Boot.

Overall, he scored a total of 62 goals in 99 international games across all competitions for his country.

Simply put, on his day, there was no striker better than Ronaldo in his prime.

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Getty4Romario | 55 goals

Romario is without a doubt one of the most accomplished centre-forwards in Brazilian history.

The winner of the Golden Ball at the 1994 World Cup scored 55 goals in 71 appearances for Brazil, averaging just over 100 minutes per goal.

Romario's best performance for the Selecao came in the year 2000 when he scored four goals in a 6-0 win for Brazil against Venezuela in the South American World Cup qualifiers.

Everything you need to know about France and AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud!

Olivier Giroud is a French professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for AC Milan and the France national team. He was born on September 30, 1986, in Chambéry, France. Giroud began his professional career with Grenoble in 2005 and has since played for several top-tier clubs across Europe.

Giroud's breakthrough came when he signed for Montpellier HSC in 2010. During the 2011-2012 season, he scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 and helped Montpellier win their first-ever league title. His impressive performances earned him a move to Arsenal in 2012.

At Arsenal, Giroud established himself as one of the best target men in the Premier League. He scored 105 goals in 253 appearances for the Gunners, helping them win three FA Cups. Giroud's goalscoring ability and physical presence in the box made him a key player for Arsenal during his time there.

In 2018, Giroud moved to Chelsea, where he was also an important player. He helped the club win the FA Cup in his first season, scoring the opener in their semi-final against Southampton. He has continued to score important goals for Chelsea, including being the top scorer in their Europa League and Champions League successes in 2019 and 2021.

Afterwards, he moved to AC Milan in 2021 and was their top scorer as they finally won the Serie A after 11 long years. He continues to be an important player for them as they look to win their 20th league title.

Giroud has been a regular member of the French national team since 2011. He has scored 53 goals in 122 appearances for , making him the highest scorer in the history of the national team, leapfrogging Thierry Henry. Giroud has been part of several successful French squads, including the team that reached the final of Euro 2016 and the squad that won the 2018 World Cup.

Giroud is a talented and versatile striker who has made a significant impact at several top-tier clubs in Europe. He has also been a key man for France, helping them win the 2018 World Cup. Off the field, Giroud is a respected philanthropist and fashion icon who has made a positive impact both in and out of football

Here are 13 fun facts about Olivier Giroud you need to know…!

GettyA little bit Italian

While Giroud's heart and soul are dedicated to France, he does have a little bit of Italian in him. Both his maternal grandmother and paternal grandmother are of Italian descent. Perhaps playing for AC Milan in Serie A was written in his destiny.

AdvertisementA late start to his professional career

Giroud had a relatively late beginning to his professional football career. He only signed his first professional contract with Grenoble at the age of 21. While he was far from being old, it represents a late start for a footballer.

However, ever since, the World Cup winner hasn't looked back and has proven any naysayers wrong about him and his career.

A God-fearing man

Like many footballers, Giroud is also a deeply religious man.

A god-fearing Catholic, he has tattooed The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” which is a scripture verse from Psalms 23, on his right arm.

One can easily spot it whenever the French target man is in action.

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Violent beginnings

It didn't take much time for Giroud to score his first professional goal, a stoppage-time winner against Le Havre for Grenoble immediately after being promoted to their senior team.

However, in his third start of the season, he got his first professional red card in match against Gueugnon on 30 March 2007.

The 15-year-old has been tipped for the very top of the game for a number of years, and has now broken into Xavi's first-team squad at Camp Nou

It takes something special to be the youngest Barcelona player ever named in a matchday squad. The club's famed La Masia academy has yielded some true legends of the game, but none of them — not Lionel Messi, Xavi or Carles Puyol — cracked the first-team earlier than Lamine Yamal has.

Yamal won't turn 16 until July, but he's been around the Barca senior squad for a while now. Xavi called up the winger to train with his team last year, and he's clearly impressed enough to earn a crack at the big time, having been named on the bench for Sunday's meeting with Atletico Madrid.

Yamals' performances at youth level have already led to dreaded Messi comparisons, not least because Yamal is a talented inside forward with a wonderful left foot.

But he's proved himself a potential star in his own right, carving out a path different to that of La Masia's biggest legend.

So, who is Yamal, and why is he in Xavi's first-team plans at such a young age? NXGN takes a closer look at the Barcelona's latest jewell…

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Yamal joined Barcelona at just five years old after scouts from La Masia spotted the youngster. He is the son of a Moroccan father and Guinean mother, but grew up in Mataro, a suburb of Barcelona.

Yamal was identified as a top talent early on, and was playing three or four years above his own age-group from early in his football development.

Since then, he has been rapidly accelerated through the Barca ranks, and tested with far older players from as early as possible. It certainly didn't hurt that the young player was a left-footed right-winger with a skill set similar to that of a club legend.

He was playing Under-16s football at just 13, tearing through the league with relative ease, and Barca knew they had someone special on their hands.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

In the summer of 2022, Yamal skipped a whole age group, and was installed into Barca's U19s squad. Although he wasn't an immediate starter for the Juvenil A team, Yamal began to catch the eye with a string of star showings.

The one that stands out most was his brace against Ebro on September 10, as he became the youngest Barcelona player ever to score in a Juvenil A game — eclipsing a record previously held by Ansu Fati.

After his memorable performance, Juvenil A coach Oscar Lopez highlighted Yamal's quality: "He is always asking questions, he has a very good predisposition to evolve. You have to treat him calmly and not rush."

It was that showing which convinced Xavi to call Yamal up for first-team training for the first time.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Yamal is yet to crack the first-team proper. However, since September, the Spaniard has been training with Xavi's side and playing for Juvenil A.

He's made relatively easy work of his U19 opponents, racking up plenty of goals and assists. Most recently, he bagged a brace against Mallorca, including a fine run and strike reminiscent of another left-footed Barcelona youth product.

There have been some blemishes, though. Yamal was sent home from the Spanish youth national team camp after allegedly getting into an altercation with team-mates — and faced disciplinary action from Barcelona as a result.

That did not stop him from being called-up by Xavi to take his place in the matchday squad against Atletico, and though he did not make it onto the pitch at Camp Nou, he will again be involved when the Blaugrana face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

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Biggest strengths

Yamal is a forward or winger, and is at his best cutting in from the right onto his stronger left foot.

While Barcelona have tried him at numerous different positions, Yamal has been most effective out wide — although he can play through the middle if needed.

He's an excellent dribbler, considered the best in La Masia by some distance, and is adept at accelerating away from defenders.

The 15-year-old has also been praised for his shooting ability, and vision in the final third. As such, he has developed the kind of highlight reel usually reserved for those far older than him.

There's a reason that Xavi has called Yamal into the Barca ranks at such a young age: the club view him as a near perfect all-round forward who has earned a crack at the next level.

There are four of England's Lionesses in GOAL's best XI, with players from Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City and Aston Villa all included

What a Women's Super League season it has been. The title race and the relegation battle have gone down to the final day, underlining what a thrilling campaign we have been treated to. It could still get even more dramatic yet, in those final fixtures.

At the centre of all the entertainment has been a huge number of top quality performers, be they familiar faces performing at their consistently high levels or new stars on the rise.

So, who among them has made GOAL's WSL Team of the Season for 2022-23? Here's our best XI…

GettyGK: Mary Earps (Manchester United)

There have been some great goalkeepers in the WSL this year, but none have been as consistent as Manchester United's Mary Earps. England's No.1 has played a huge role in an excellent season for the Red Devils, with her currently performing at the highest level in her career to date.

No one has ever recorded more clean sheets in a season than the 13 Earps has this year, with her brilliant shot-stopping on show throughout the campaign, while her ability on the ball has been integral to the way United want to play.

AdvertisementGettyRB: Ona Batlle (Manchester United)

Another reason why United have the best defensive record in the division is because of the players in front of Earps. Ona Batlle is one of two players in that back four to make this XI.

The 23-year-old is arguably the best full-back in women's football right now, with her game so wonderfully balanced. She has all the attacking qualities needed in her position in the modern day, with her ranking second for assists in the WSL this term, but Batlle is also excellent when the opponent has the ball, with few better defensively in a one-v-one situation.

GettyCB: Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United)

After playing a starring role for Brighton since her debut with the club aged 16, this season has seen Maya Le Tissier prove that she can do it at an even higher level. The young defender has thrived despite the added pressure and scrutiny that comes with representing Manchester United, earning herself opportunities with the England senior team as a result.

Having played at full-back often with the Seagulls, Le Tissier has settled nicely into playing centre-back week in, week out in Manchester, with no one in the league performing better in the role all year.

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GettyCB: Alex Greenwood (Manchester City)

It's been a difficult season for Manchester City, but they've still had a number of top performers, with Alex Greenwood among them. She has excelled since moving into a central defensive role on a full-time basis several years ago, with her ability on the ball a huge reason why she suits it so well at her current club.

Greenwood's passing range, set-piece deliveries and composure on the ball are all important to how City play, but her defensive abilities shouldn't be overlooked either. Her timing in a tackle is exceptional, with her winning 82 percent of hers this year.

Harry Kane has reacted to the “crazy few weeks” that have seen him complete a £100m ($126m) transfer, score three goals and become a father again.

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England captain finally on the moveMaking a fresh start in GermanyWaiting for family to join himWHAT HAPPENED?

The England captain is accustomed to being the centre of attention, but even by his standards the summer of 2023 has been a little hectic. Following several years of intense speculation regarding his future, the 30-year-old striker has finally severed ties with boyhood club Tottenham.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A big-money move has taken him to Bayern Munich, with the prolific frontman having already found the target on three occasions through two Bundesliga appearances. He is also now the proud father of four children, but his family are yet to join him in Germany on a permanent basis as everyone in the Kane family adjusts to serious change on professional and personal fronts.

WHAT THEY SAID

Kane has told of settling in to life at Bayern – with a brace bagged on his home debut for the club against Augsburg: I’ve been here a few weeks now and I’ve been loving the chemistry that we’ve built. That will only grow more and more as we play. Every day we are learning in training, every match we learn more and more about each other. We’ve got some fantastic quality in the side so naturally you feed off each other anyway. It’s been a crazy few weeks for sure. All positive, all amazing stuff. I’m really excited with it all [and it’s] an experience which will live with me forever. [My family] is back in London at the moment, they’ll be over in a few weeks. It’ll be great to be with them in Munich.”

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gettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Kane has made a positive impression on his new team-mates at the Allianz Arena, with Leon Goretzka saying of Spurs and England’s all-time leading scorer: “He’s a world-class footballer and a wonderful guy. You notice his aura immediately in the dressing room. He helps us extremely, he’s a leader.”

The Lionesses No.1 has already shown her worth at in Australia at a tournament she probably didn't think she'd be at two years ago

As the clock ticked into the 81st minute, the score on the board at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium remained a surprise: England 1-0 Haiti. The European champions had certainly not had it all their own way in their Women’s World Cup opener and it wasn’t won yet, either. Their opponents, one of eight debutantes at the tournament, were pushing until the end, and when substitute Roseline Eloissaint burst into the box, they had a glorious chance to score an historic equaliser. That was until Mary Earps intervened.

The England goalkeeper had very little to do on the night. There was a fierce shot from Lyon teenager Melchie Dumornay that stung her palms early in the second period, but otherwise she was a bystander, Haiti’s promising attacks rarely turning into worrying shots on target. That made her late stop to deny Eloissaint with an outstretched leg all the more impressive.

“That’s why she’s No.1. That’s why she’s FIFA’s Best,” team-mate Georgia Stanway said afterwards, referring to the individual award Earps scooped up in February. “She’s the best for a reason and moments like that explain why.”

A European champion with her country last summer, a stand-out performer in the Manchester United side that secured Women’s Champions League football for the first time this year, and now set to be a key player in the Lionesses’ bid to win the Women’s World Cup, Earps’ importance cannot be overstated.

But it’s not always been like this for her with England…

Please enable Javascript to view this contentOn top of the world

Back in November 2019, England welcomed Germany to Wembley for a highly anticipated clash between two of Europe’s best. It was just a friendly, but it proved to be an occasion that meant much more in the grand scheme of things, with 77,768 turning up to watch the Lionesses. It was a record crowd for the women’s national team in England.

Earps was in between the sticks for her country that day, which felt significant. This was one of the biggest games in the history of English women’s football and then-head coach Phil Neville had selected her to wear the No.1 shirt for it.

It also seemed to be a positive sign regarding Earps’ England career. She had just gone to the 2019 Women's World Cup as a back-up goalkeeper, but Karen Bardsley and Carly Telford, the other two shot-stoppers in that squad, were coming towards the end of their respective careers. The No.1 shirt was soon to be up for grabs…

AdvertisementGettyOut of favour

But then, all of a sudden, Earps was completely out of the picture. A few days later, in a friendly with the Czech Republic, Neville would choose to play Telford instead, and when the next international break came around in February, Earps wasn’t even selected. The coach never picked her again.

“To go from the highest high and play for your country in the biggest game in English female football history, in front of nearly 80,000 people, to then not get selected for SheBelieves was very difficult for me personally,” she told in early 2021.

“I won’t sugar-coat it, I will tell you straight, it was very difficult. I don’t mean from an ego point of view, I mean [it] genuinely hurt to the core of my being. I used my time in the lockdown as best as I could to put myself in the best position, mentally and also in terms of technically.

“I feel in a completely different space now in my brain. I feel like, of course, [England] is where I would like to be, I won’t tell you any lies, I’m not going to pretend, ‘Oh it’s completely gone, whatever,’ but I’m at peace with what happened.”

Neville left his role in early 2021 and in came Hege Riise, the legendary Norwegian who won the Euros, World Cup and Olympics in her playing days. She was to take charge of England on an interim basis and of Great Britain for the Games in Tokyo that summer. She did not select Earps during her time in charge of both.

But after Team GB’s quarter-final exit in Japan, a change would come that would benefit the Manchester United star immediately.

GettyWiegman’s No.1

In September 2021, after leaving her role with the Netherlands, Sarina Wiegman named her first squad as England boss. Earps was in, earning her first call-up since that game with Germany in November 2019. To say it caught her off guard would be an understatement. The goalkeeper was cooking dinner and thinking about heading out to John Lewis to buy some curtain poles. Then she got an email containing the “surreal” news.

“I rang my mum and dad straightaway,” she told reporters at the time. “They know the challenges that I faced and obviously they've been through everything with me, so they were just really happy for me and just said, ‘Look, go and enjoy yourself’.

“[Then] I rang my coach and he was like, ‘This is the first time I've ever heard you be speechless’. I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds about right!’”

Earps would be chosen to start Wiegman’s first game in charge, an 8-0 win over North Macedonia, and quickly became her No.1 goalkeeper in the build-up to the Euros.

At England’s home tournament, she made some outstanding saves as the Lionesses kept four clean sheets in six games in a triumphant summer, her performances helping her to be named the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper earlier this year, too.

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GettyMatch-winner

There’s a reason why Earps has been able to keep hold of that shirt since Wiegman came in. Her form in that time has been absolutely brilliant, with her certainly playing at the best level of her career to date this past year in particular.

While previously there might have been an error or two in her game, the 30-year-old has ironed those out and made them much more rare. She’s clearly confident when she has the ball at her feet, her role as a leader has grown immensely and her shot-stopping appears to have only got better – even if it was already at a high level.

Consistency has been one of Earps’ stand-out traits, too, with that helping United take Chelsea to the final day in the Women’s Super League title race this past season while also securing Champions League football.

In fact, there was no goalkeeper more impressive in the division in 2022-23, that reliability between the sticks coming with an eye-catching highlights reel, including match-winning stops just like that one against Haiti on Saturday.

Lyon's players were given a brutal on-field dressing down by their own fans after a humbling 4-1 defeat to rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

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Mbappe steals the showHome side bottom of Ligue 1Fans make feelings knownWHAT HAPPENED?

That setback, which came on home soil, has dropped the seven-time champions of French football to the foot of the Ligue 1 table. Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace against them on Sunday, with Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio also hitting the back of the net.

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Corentin Tolisso’s second-half penalty proved to be little consolation for Lyon as they reflect on taking one point from a possible 12 at the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Lyon’s players stood in front of the famous Virage Nord at the Groupama Stadium after suffering another heavy loss, with the Bad Gones ultras group making their feelings clear to those that are underperforming on the field.

WHAT THEY SAID

One of the ultras leaders addressed the Lyon squad through a megaphone, saying: “To the Olympique Lyonnais 2023-2024 squad, this message is addressed to you. To those who assume the status of dressing-room leaders, the message is clear: If there are leaders in this dressing room, they no longer have the right to remain silent. You're wearing the Olympique Lyonnais jersey. You're the ones who wear the Olympique Lyon jersey. Others before you have worn it, glorified it. You don't have the right to tarnish it. Now that the transfer window is over, the squad is here. All we ask is to be by your side.

“But to do that, you're going to have to earn it. We love and respect this shirt. There's only one other thing we ask: to sing your names. Sing them with love, not like we sang the names of the little *******. who have left our club in the last six months. We want to sing your names with respect, with love. Because we know you play with love. But we expect you guys to respect our jersey, and if we have to take our losses to do so with our heads held high. Go OL.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Lyon will be back in action next Sunday when playing host to Le Havre, with head coach Laurent Blanc – who has won just 17 of his 37 games the helm – already under mounting pressure as he fights to keep his job.

The midfielder was limited to a bench role at the 2022 World Cup, so how can that change during this cycle?

For the first time since Gregg Berhalter's return, Gio Reyna is back with the United States men's national team. That comes with plenty of obvious talking points centering around the pair's off-the-field relationship. Can they repair what was fixed? What will that look like? What will it take for everyone involved to move past a situation that became so ugly?

That's the off-field portion, though, and, while it is a priority, that's not the only piece of this puzzle that need's figuring out. At some point, Berhalter and Reyna will need to figure out the problem that got everyone into this mess in the first place: When the USMNT is healthy and in-form, is there a spot for Reyna in the starting XI? And, if so, where exactly?

At the World Cup, the answer to the first part of that question was 'no', and it ultimately led us down the winding path that followed. When assessing his options, Berhalter did not see Reyna as a player that should be a starter in the biggest of moments. It may not have been handled well by anyone involved, but that was the decision that was made.

Now, nearly one year later, what's changed? And, more importantly, what can change on the way to the Copa America and the next World Cup?

Getty ImagesReyna's role on the road to Qatar

Throughout Berhalter's first tenure in charge of the USMNT, Reyna was used primarily as a winger. The Borussia Dortmund star isn't a wide player in the traditional sense, though. He's not the get-to-the-byline type, nor the type that hugs the sideline to stretch out defenses.

No, Reyna's game saw him drift inside more than, say, Tim Weah. While Weah stretches defenses, Reyna's job was more about creating as he would drift inside and serve as a playmaker. Reyna's biggest asset is his ability to make things happen in the final third, and he's showed that plenty of times for club and country.

However, as World Cup qualifying began last cycle, the USMNT had to go long stretches without Reyna due to injury issues. And, as the World Cup rolled around, it was soon made apparent that his role in Qatar would be a reduced one.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWorld Cup disaster

Anyone who follows American soccer knows the story by now. Reyna, early on, was told that he wouldn't play a big role at the World Cup. He didn't take it well and, soon after, everything began to spiral. Audio was leaked, a domestic violence incident came to light, a friendship was destroyed and a national team was plunged into chaos.

Yet, for all of the off-field chaos, it began with Berhalter's on-field decision. When assessing his roster, the coach decided what he wanted on the wings, and it didn't include Reyna. On one side was Christian Pulisic, who, let's be honest, is undroppable. On the other was Weah, whose speed and directness would give the U.S. a threat they would lack from their other two forwards. The decision paid off almost immediately, as Weah scored the opener against Wales and generally had a good tournament.

Reyna, meanwhile, was left on the outside looking in. It was later revealed that his reaction to being benched was far from ideal. That, hopefully, is all in the past now, though, as Reyna and Berhalter work through their issues.

What isn't in the past just yet, though, is what led to Reyna falling a bit behind in the first place: his struggles with staying healthy.

GettyFitness issues

Reyna's biggest issue throughout the last several years has been his own body. Unfortunately for him, it's broken down on him at some of the worst possible moments.

He missed nearly all of World Cup qualifying, although the U.S. did the business without him, and then missed chunks of the 2022-23 season with Dortmund. To start this season, Reyna was also out as he recovered from an injury suffered during the USMNT's Nations League triumph.

They say the best ability is availability and, despite all of the ability that Reyna does possess, he hasn't been available enough. The hope is that that will change as he grows into his body, allowing him to take the next step everyone believes he can.

But where will that next step be positionally? Well, there are a few options…

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GettyMultiple positions

Reyna can play in a variety of spots on the field, and each comes with its own positives and negatives. He was pencilled in to just one of those spots, on the wing, last cycle, but according to Berhalter, that could change as this 2026 run gets underway.

"In terms of Gio, we see him being able to play three positions: central midfielder, attacking midfielder and winger," he said. "We use wingers in different ways. Sometimes the wingers are wide against the line and sometimes they're in between the lines. We see him as more of an in-between-the-lines winger, so those are the three positions he can be utilized in."