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Last season's top two in the Scottish Premiership - and Scotland's two remaining European representatives, Celtic and Heart of Midlothian - go head-to-head on Sunday after Thursday frustrations in Europe. But there is plenty of interest on Saturday too, with four games kicking off at the traditional 15:00 BST before Dundee host a Rangers side hoping to put pressure on reigning champions Celtic with a win that would take them above their city rivals. Here is what to look out for this weekend. Listen: Allan and Sammon preview Premiership weekend O'Neill defiant in defeat, but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test Late Nordsjaelland leveller denies Hearts winning start Considering Celtic lead the Premiership by two points and have won 14 of their past 15 league games - scoring at least twice in 11 of them - you would be forgiven for being confused by the talk of crisis in the east end of Glasgow. However, Sunday's convincing win in Motherwell has quickly been overshadowed by Thursday's 4-1 Europa League defeat by Benfica. It is not often that a Celtic side have suffered four losses in their latest five outings, with their manager having considered his position only a couple of weeks ago before deciding to carry on, and with the club also at loggerheads with sections of their fan base. Martin O'Neill, though, is stressing the quality of their hosts and taking positives from an improved second-half display in Lisbon. Indeed, Celtic will still be strong favourites on Sunday to extend the five-point gap between themselves and the third-place visitors - and it must be remembered that the other losses came against second-place Rangers (twice) and Ferencvaros rather than lesser Scottish sides. If Hearts are going to be title challengers again under Wouter Vrancken, just as they were under Derek McInnes last season, this is the time to start improving on their record of only winning twice in their past 11 away league games, all without a clean sheet. The most painful of their six defeats in that period came on their last visit to Celtic Park, when the hosts ended Hearts' three-game unbeaten run against them to overtake the long-time leaders on the final day of last season. They have, though, won twice in their past six visits to Celtic Park and are currently on a run of one defeat in 13 overall, albeit they will be disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser in their Conference League opener at home to Danish side Nordsjaelland. It is Hearts' forward line that has had most plaudits, but along with Rangers they have also faced fewer goal attempts than any side in the Premiership this season. That record will be tested by a Celtic side who have had the most goal attempts, but it looks like O'Neill might have lost patience with Kasper Hogh, hinting that Camilo Duran will come off the wing to replace the misfiring Dane through the middle. The weekend after a European game is often seen as the most vulnerable time for top clubs, so will Celtic's extra travelling prove crucial? Rangers eased aside Kilmarnock last Saturday despite looking a bit rusty after the international break to take over at the top of the table, only for Celtic to restore their two-point lead the following day. McInnes' side will be confident of doing so again considering they are on a seven-game winning streak and are unbeaten in four Premiership away games this season, winning the latest three. Not only that, but Rangers have not lost to Dundee in 20 meetings since a 2-1 defeat in November 2017. They have won the past two meetings 3-0, at home in January and at Dens Park in November - one of six victories there in eight visits. However, Dundee managed draws in two of three before that and former Rangers defender Steven Pressley's side are showing their own signs of improvement, having lost only once in four outings and winning their latest two. Indeed, Hibernian, who won 2-1 there in August, are the only team to have avoided defeat at Dens in six games this season. However, Rangers arrive full of renewed confidence and threat, with striker Ryan Naderi having scored six goals in 12 games this season and reborn winger Djeidi Gassama having completed the most dribbles, had the most touches in the opposing penalty box and won more fouls than anyone else in the Premiership. Aberdeen had gone four games without defeat until St Johnstone's visit on Sunday, but that was enough to start the grumbles again among the Dons support. That is because Stephen Robinson's side have now won just twice in seven outings - and one of those after a penalty shootout. His side have failed to score in each of their past three home league games and another would match a dismal run of four in 2012. Two of them were against St Mirren, so it is perhaps not the time for Robinson to be facing his former club, now led by his understudy, who he has not beaten in three attempts and who have won the latest two - 2-0 home and away. Indeed, St Mirren's victory in May means they have won on four of their past seven visits to Pittodrie and have lost just one of their past seven meetings overall. However, Craig McLeish's side arrive having lost four in a row, their latest two on the road without scoring. With St Mirren's Ryan Carr having attempted more tackles than any player in the Premiership this season and Aberdeen's Afeez Aremu in second, we could be in for a dour midfield battle. As he seeks his first win as Hibernian manager, Marink Reedijk will be glad to see it is Falkirk heading to Easter Road given they are the only side without an away win in the Premiership this season and have not won in seven visits to Leith since August 2014. Although the Bairns have lost on their past two, the previous five were draws and, while they have only won once in their past eight outings, John McGlynn's side have at least taken a point in the most recent two. Hibs have themselves only won once in six games and their new Dutch boss will be looking to improve on an eight-game run without a clean sheet. There are also problems at the other end too, for both sides, with Hibs and Falkirk in the division's bottom three for chance conversion rate. Bottom of that table - and the Premiership as a whole - are Kilmarnock. Despite manager Neil McCann's positivity about improving performances, the Ayrshire side have still only won once in seven outings. If they are to beat Motherwell for the first time in five meetings, they will have to improve home form that has them joint bottom with Hibs for points won, joint bottom with Aberdeen for fewest goals and top for goals conceded. Motherwell, though, arrive having only won once in nine themselves, losing four in a row, and surely with the honeymoon period beginning to run out for new manager Alfred Johansson despite early plaudits for continuing the lauded style of play under Jens Berthel Askou. Meanwhile, in Perth, Tayside rivals St Johnstone and Dundee United look to build on victories last weekend, with United no doubt wary of Premiership top scorer Josh Fowler, whose five goals have come from just 10 goal attempts. Talk about clinical.

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Long-serving Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver has become co-owner of the National League club, ending his father's ownership. Weaver took over as boss in May 2009 and his dad Irving became owner in 2011. Under their stewardship the club were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history in 2020 and spent six seasons in League Two. Boss Weaver and local businessman Jonathan Bleazard have now taken over in a deal the club called "an important new chapter in its history". "This should not be viewed as family succession. Both Simon and Jonathan are making a significant commitment to this football club and, crucially, they are doing so together," Irving Weaver told the club website., external "Their experiences and strengths complement each other extremely well." The North Yorkshire side were relegated to the National League last season and are second in the table after 13 matches. "My position and my role as manager will not change, and my ambition remains exactly the same – to become the best football manager I can possibly be and to keep pushing this team forward," Simon Weaver said. "I fully accept that, as manager, I will continue to be judged on results in exactly the same way as any other manager in football. "Becoming a co-owner does not change that responsibility or the standards I expect of myself." Harrogate visit Bury in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Listen to Harrogate Town content on BBC Sounds Pre-match, post-match and topical Sulphurites content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Harrogate Town

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Spain must play their next international friendly with a partial stadium closure after supporters sang a discriminatory chant about Muslims during a game against Egypt on 31 March. A group of Spain home fans were heard chanting around the 10th minute of the first half, and once more at the beginning of the second half. An anti-discrimination message warning fans was displayed on the screen at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona - and was repeated early in the second half, leading to whistles from some sections of the crowd. Following the incident the RFEF condemned the anti-Muslim chants while Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called them "intolerable" and said "violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves". But in the written reasons published by Fifa, RFEF argued that the chants did not constitute discriminatory conduct, an argument that was rejected by the disciplinary committee. It noted that the RFEF could not "persuasively maintain both that the chant was entirely harmless and that it warranted activation of anti-discrimination measures". Spain must play their next friendly with 15% of the stadium closed off - though they may, subject to the approval by Fifa, fill the seats with community and/or special interest groups (such as families, students, and anti-discrimination organisations). The stadium closure is required to be implemented primarily within the stands behind the goals. Spain's next potential international friendly date is in June. However, if they qualify for the finals of the Nations League the punishment will be delayed until one of the empty dates during Euro 2028 qualifying next Autumn. Following the 0-0 draw, the Egyptian Football Association condemned the chants as an unacceptable "repugnant act of racism", but said the acts of a small group of fans would not affect the close relations between the Spanish and Egyptian federations. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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When you think of football in Plymouth, the word 'Argyle' usually comes to mind. The League One leaders, founded 140 years ago, have plenty of pedigree in the English game. However, 'Parkway' might be about to enter a few more fans' lexicons if seventh-tier neighbours Plymouth Parkway can make the FA Cup first round for the first time this weekend. The Southern League Premier Division South side are one game away from having a chance to be drawn against their high-profile neighbours as they prepare for the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. Victory would put them in the hat with their more established city rivals, whose 17,900 all-seater ground at Home Park is less than two and a half miles from Parkway's 3,500-capacity Bolitho Park, which has just 250 seats. "It's massive," says chairman Mark Russell, whose club began playing park football in 1988 but are now second in the seventh-tier and have hopes of reaching the English Football League with proposed Kuwaiti investment. "Obviously from a history point of view it would be the first time we've done it, but also from a financial point of view you're obviously going in when big clubs are coming in and you've got the likes of Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle coming into the draw at that round. "You just sort of think 'wow, there's an opportunity that we could be playing some of those teams in a real game as opposed to a pre-season friendly'." Mirza wants to take Plymouth Parkway into EFL Ninth-tier SE Dons one game from main FA Cup draw Parkway are no strangers to Argyle - they usually face one another at Bolitho Park in pre-season friendlies. In July the League One side ran out 4-1 winners in their first game back from their summer break. And there is no doubt who the players would like to face if they can get past Southern League rivals Chertsey Town on Saturday. "Ideally Plymouth Argyle," says 25-year-old midfielder Rio Garside, an experienced player at non-league level in the region who came up through Argyle's academy ranks. "I didn't make it to the first team, it would be nice to maybe play at their place, but I'd also love to play them here. "It's exciting and you go into work and you go to your family and they're all excited and they're all talking about it, but it feels like ages away and then it feels so close as well. "I'm just really feeling excited and raring to go." Parkway's top scorer Andrew Neal knows a thing or two about the FA Cup. Affectionately known as 'Rocky', the striker was part of Truro City's side that reached the first round in 2017 when they drew an away trip at then-League One Charlton Athletic. He scored his final goal for the Cornish side in their 5-2 final-day win over St Albans City that secured them the National League South title on the final day of the 2024-25 season and with it promotion to the National League. This season he has scored 10 goals in 11 league games - but none in the cup. "These are the days that you'll remember and when your football career is done and you look back, these will be the highlights that you talk about," he tells BBC South West. "I was fortunate to play there with Truro in the first round against Charlton and I still talk about that now as one my career highlights and I only came on for 10 minutes. "So if we can do that and if we can get through Saturday and we can get a big draw, it's something that will stick with you for the rest of your footballing career and when you're done and you look back on it, it will be one of your highlights." Parkway manager Karl Curtis is a Tottenham Hotspur fan, so knows all about FA Cup success. And while their status in the third tier of non-league football meant they missed out on some of the earliest qualifying rounds, his team have had a couple of tricky away ties against sides in the same league as them, before beating National League South side Horsham in the last round. "We've gone to Gosport and we've had to win there, which isn't easy, we've gone to Frome Town on the back of the club having never beaten Frome before," he says. "Then we've had Horsham who are in a league above us and beat them here. "Now we play Chertsey here, it's going to be a huge game on Saturday, the challenge is just as big as Horsham, it really is, albeit that they're in our league, we know what they bring to the table. "Because of where the club is at in step three, it's four wins and we've done three, so this is our FA Cup final. "The last game we called it our FA Cup semi-final, but now it's all about getting to our FA Cup final and Saturday is our FA Cup final." So if Parkway are in Monday's first-round draw and Argyle are pulled out with them where would they like the game to be staged? "I think from a playing point of view probably here, but from a club point of view financially probably at Argyle," adds chairman Russell. "You'd obviously like to have a home draw against anybody because it's our pitch and our lads know the pitch. "But if you're going to play a big club, you probably want to play them at their ground, just for the experience for the players as well." Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa says the focus should not be on him as his side searches for a first Premier League win of the season this weekend. The club are bottom of the table on two points after four defeats and two draws in their opening six league games of the campaign. And as a result, the 43-year-old Spaniard is under increasing pressure as Fulham prepare to face Hull City at Craven Cottage at 15:00 BST on Saturday. Despite reports suggesting another defeat could mean he loses his job, Arbeloa said it had "been a normal week" for him. "It is not about me, it is about the club, the players and the supporters," he added. Fulham were 1-0 up through Ryan Sessegnon's second-half strike and close to securing a first win of the campaign against Ipswich Town last weekend before they were undone by two late goals at Portman Road. Against Manchester United before the international break, they had also looked set to take the three points, only for a last-gasp Matheus Cunha deflected goal to deny them victory. "It is not about my future. Like I said before, it is about the club and my players," said Arbeloa. "They are looking for the reward and looking for a game where they can get a win for the supporters, they deserve it because of their support. "It is important for all of us." Arbeloa arrived at Fulham in the summer on a three-year contract to replace former boss Marco Silva, following his short spell as Real Madrid's interim head coach. The ex-Liverpool full-back joined with glowing references from Madrid president Florentino Perez and returning head coach Jose Mourinho, who he played for during his time with the Spanish club. But Arbeloa's tenure in English football has so far been disappointing, although his side have reached the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, with their home tie against Crystal Palace taking place this month. Asked whether he is confident he has the backing of the players to execute his plans, he said: "They did for many minutes against Ipswich. We did against Manchester United and we did against Liverpool (in their 0-0 draw at Anfield). "For me, we need to try to keep that level for 90 minutes, that is important." Arbeloa added: "I saw the commitment of the players in how they have been training. They are so focused on tomorrow's game." If he survives the test against Hull, Arbeloa will face his third promoted side in a row, as Fulham travel to Championship winners Coventry City in the league next weekend. There is no escaping that Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa faces a potentially pivotal weekend. Just six Premier League games into his reign, doubts are emerging about his position. His methods haven't gone down particularly well with the squad. And his treatment of certain players, too, has caused surprise from within the playing staff. But it is results that will ultimately determine Arbeloa's future. He is without a win in the league and Fulham currently sit bottom of the table with two points. The club's director of football operations Tony Khan is understandably desperate for the appointment to be a success. Arbeloa was somewhat of a left-field choice, but for a handful of games in interim charge of Real Madrid following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso he has no real body of work. It was a gamble, but one Fulham and Khan believed was worth taking. It hasn't gone according to plan and another poor result against Hull on Saturday will leave Arbeloa's position under heavy internal scrutiny. Latest Fulham news, analysis and fan views Ask about Fulham - what do you want to know?

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The Premier League is back this weekend after a busy midweek of European fixtures. League leaders Manchester City are yet to drop points this season, while Bournemouth, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur are yet to record a league victory. Throughout the 2026-27 season, you can watch highlights from every game on Match of the Day, get live updates in our text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app and keep across all the goals as they go in on Final Score. You can get live score updates on your phone lock screen simply by following your favourite teams. And you can listen to match coverage wherever you are in the UK via BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app. Digital highlights will be available post-match on the BBC Sport website and app in the UK. Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City (20:00) Match of the Day will bring you all the best of the action and talking points from the Premier League on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday at 22:25 BST and Sunday at 22:30. The BBC Sport website has featured highlights of every Premier League match during the 2026-27 season. At weekends, these will be available in the UK on the BBC Sport app, website and iPlayer on Saturdays and Sundays - usually from 20:00. Don't miss any of the goals as they go in on Final Score - starting on iPlayer and Red Button at 14:45 and BBC One from 15:45. And make sure to hang around for Final Score: The Reaction on iPlayer from 17:15. BBC Radio 5 Live brings you more Premier League commentaries than anywhere else this season, with 209 live matches. You can listen to selected commentaries, plus updates from around the grounds, on BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport app and website and via your smart speaker. BBC Sounds is the place to find every 5 Live Premier League commentary this season, with more ways to listen via the app than ever before. Sports Extra 2 and Sports Extra 3 are new radio streams available only on BBC Sounds, offering you the chance to discover more coverage from the Premier League and listen to your team live. The Football Fix collection now brings you every 5 Live Premier League commentary in one place, plus build-up, reaction, and all the BBC's football podcasts. Find it here and on the BBC Sounds homepage throughout the season. Here are ways to download the BBC Sounds app: You can also listen to 5 Live Premier League commentaries via your smart speaker, so if you're busy at home you don't need to miss a moment. Just ask your smart speaker to 'play 5 Live' or 'play Sports Extra 3', for example. To find your Premier League team's commentary, you can also say, 'Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Arsenal match' or 'Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Brentford', for example. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has said a last-minute change of seats on the team coach may have saved his life while he was at Borussia Dortmund. The Spaniard was 20 years old when Dortmund's bus was hit by explosives on its way to the home leg of their Champions League semi-final against Monaco in 2017. Three bombs that had been filled with metal pins and hidden in a hedge, exploded as the bus passed. A huge piece of shrapnel ended up lodged in the headrest of the seat Merino usually occupied but he had opted to sit elsewhere because his "legs were feeling a bit tight". "The seats in the front reclined so I sat up there instead, and it may have saved my life," said the Premier League and World Cup winner in an interview with The Players' Tribune., external "I think I have an angel on my shoulder. I'm actually fortunate to be alive at all. "A lot of young people probably would not even believe that it happened, or how bad it was, but it marked us all. There was a deafening noise, and then I remember the bus nearly tipping over." Merino recalls seeing blood on the floor, the smell of smoke and the sound of screams, and he went to the hospital afterwards to wait for his team-mate Marc Bartra, who had an operation on a broken wrist. The match against Monaco was postponed until the following day, which was criticised by Dortmund's manager, current England boss Thomas Tuchel. Sergei Wenergold, a German of Russian origin, was sent to prison in 2018 after he admitted to the attack. Merino's comments featured in a wider interview which detailed his remarkable comeback from a stress fracture in his right foot in February to lifting the World Cup with Spain five months later. "The doctor said, 'six months'," said Merino, referring to the length of time he was expected to be out. "I was too shocked to even feel sad. I just did the math in my head. The World Cup was four months away. "When I told my wife, Lola, that's when I broke down. My brain already understood, but my heart needed me to say it out loud." Merino added that "when the fog had cleared a little" he used his near escape on the Dortmund bus to spur him on because "things happen for a reason". He had played in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup but was not selected for the final squad. He did not want to contemplate missing out again. "I have to play. I will be at the World Cup, no matter what," said Merino. "I put all the meat on the barbecue, as we say in Spain. They told me they could drill two screws into my foot to give it support. I was like, Vamos, put 'em in." Merino watched his Arsenal team-mates secure a first Premier League title in 22 years and celebrated with them, but his focus was on their final game of the season at Crystal Palace on 24 May, with Spain boss Luis de la Fuente naming the World Cup squad the following day. "Zero minutes in four months. How do you call up a player like that?" Merino reasoned. "I spent all week arguing with the [Arsenal] boss [Mikel Arteta] and the physios. The plan was for me to return for the Champions League final [against Paris St-Germain on 30 May], and even that was risky. But I had to show Luis that I was ready. Finally, they agreed to give me half an hour against Palace. "That day, I was playing for the World Cup, 100%. And after that, I thought I had a good chance. "The next day, I turned on Spanish TV. I was sitting on the sofa going, please, please please. "At some point, the screen showed a woman in a vineyard... Mikel Merino!" "I hugged Lola. I kissed [my son] Marco. My phone blew up with messages. "I was going to the World Cup." Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

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"I was a big football fan growing up. My dad got involved with powerchair football through me," England goalkeeper Chris Gordon says of his father Colin. "But he's now coaching Argentina, so we'll be facing each other in the World Cup." For Gordon Jr, who is playing at his fourth Powerchair Football World Cup for England, Sunday's meeting with hosts Argentina carries extra significance with his dad in the opposite dugout in Buenos Aires. Gordon Sr is himself a former professional footballer, a striker at clubs including Birmingham City, Fulham and Leicester City in the 1980s and 90s, who later became a football agent. "My dad and I have worked together at West Brom for a number of years and then he coached me for the England national team," Chris says of their working relationship. But this one is more personal. At the last World Cup in 2023, Colin managed England to the final, where they lost on penalties against France. But this time around, Chris is hoping to get one over his father. "England will definitely come out on top [against Argentina], so bragging rights will be coming my way," the Kidderminster resident told BBC Sport. Powerchair football, also known as power football or wheelchair football, is a four-a-side sport played by people with impairments including muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and spinal muscular atrophy. All it requires is a basketball court, a bigger football and powerchairs with front bumpers on that allow players to shoot, pass and dribble the ball. In England, the game has two top divisions in which teams from around the country compete. Hundreds of players also play in regional leagues around the country. Leagues also exist in Scotland and across the island of Ireland, while teams are developing apace in Cardiff and Wrexham. Over the next week, 10 teams - ranging from hosts Argentina and neighbours Uruguay to as far afield as Australia and Japan - will compete for the World Cup. Games begin on Saturday, with the final on Friday 23 October. All matches will be streamed live on YouTube, external as teams compete to be crowned world champions. England are among the favourites for this year's tournament - alongside France and the USA - and there's a real sense of optimism that they could bring the trophy back home. The England squad has youth and experience. Dan McLellan, 17, is preparing for his second World Cup, while England captain Jon Bolding is heading to his fifth. "I've been playing powerchair football for 25 years now. Back in the day, we used to use our NHS wheelchair and just put car tyres round the front," said Bolding, who is from near Reading. McLellan recently took over the captaincy of his club side, Aspire PFC, from Bolding. "I've been playing since I was eight years old. I got into the [England] squad at 14," the winger, who is from Peterborough, said. "It's not every 17-year-old that gets to two major tournaments, but I try to maintain my level and improve on it. "We believe in ourselves to get to that final. We've got enough to do it this time," he said. Bolding added: "It would mean so much to bring [the World Cup] home for England. We've been trying for so many years now. We won the Euros in 2019; this is the only thing that we're missing." Head coach Adam McEvoy is hopeful the side can go one better than they did three years ago. "I'm really looking forward to this World Cup to showcase how we play, who we are, and our style of football [but] it's going to be the toughest World Cup there has been so far," McEvoy said. "With the group that we have and the way that we try and play, there's no reason we can't go very deep into the competition." 'Labelled a hazard' to England captain - Gough's football journey

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Chelsea have announced captain Reece James has undergone successful surgery on a knee injury. The defender, 26, was injured in training before Chelsea's 5-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend, and the decision was taken for him to have surgery. James is now undergoing rehabilitation with Chelsea's medical staff, with no time-frame given for his return. Chelsea next travel to Everton in the Premier League before hosting London rivals Tottenham and Manchester United in a difficult run of fixtures. A trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup is sandwiched between those two home matches. James has suffered multiple injuries over the past few seasons, causing him to miss several international tournaments with England since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His injury record improved significantly last season, allowing him to play a prominent role in England's World Cup campaign, during which they reached the semi-finals before winning the bronze medal match. James was among the players to withdraw from England duty during the most recent international break. The next international break begins at the start of November, when England are scheduled to face Croatia at Wembley Stadium. Did Chelsea benefit most from extended international break? Bournemouth open to selling Scott for £100m in January

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Under pressure Watford manager Alessio Dionisi said reports he would lose his job after Tuesday's heavy defeat at Cardiff were "fake news". The Hornets were beaten 5-1 in the Welsh capital, just days after a similarly crushing defeat against Burnley at Vicarage Road. Watford are 22nd after 10 games of the Championship season, losing six of those matches and all of the past four, but Dionisi will take charge of Saturday's home meeting with Charlton Athletic. The Italian, who was appointed as manager in June, said it was "normal" for there to be speculation over his future. "There is good news, bad news or fake news probably. In this case for the moment, it is fake news. But I don't decide," he told BBC Three Counties Radio. Watford started the season with a three-game unbeaten run, including an opening-day victory over Southampton but have won only one Championship game since, against bottom side Preston. Following the defeat against Burnley, former Watford owner Elton John said he was "upset and disappointed" by the club's form in a now-deleted post on Instagram. Ex-Watford midfielder Tom Ince has also weighed in, telling BBC Sounds' 72+ Plus podcast that he feared for the club after their "soulless" display at Cardiff. "I have a lot of respect for everyone," said Dionisi. "For Elton John, I am sorry because I don't know him. But football is wonderful because everyone speaks [their mind]. There are supporters, there are journalists. There are a lot of people. "I have been a coach for 14 years, and it is normal. In my past there was negative and there was positive moments. At the moment it is a negative moment." Dionisi added that he was in regular contact with the club's ownership group, including Gino Pozzo. "Inside the training ground there is only one mentality, only one street for everyone," Dionisi said. Pre-match, post-match and topical Hornets content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Watford Latest Watford news, analysis and fan views

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They are only 20 miles apart yet have barely played each other. Indeed, the last time MK Dons hosted Luton Town was in November 2004 at the former National Hockey Stadium. Contrasting promotions and relegations means their paths have not crossed until Saturday's League One game at Stadium MK (12:30 BST) They are not rivals as such, nor is the fixture comparable with Luton's traditional, deep-seated hatred of Watford. Still, for some Hatters fans, the resentment towards MK Dons runs deep. Many remain angry about the controversial move of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes in 2003, a so-called 'franchise team' encroaching in their own backyard. They saw it as a betrayal of a club and its community. "I don't dislike Milton Keynes, I dislike what they stand for," said Mike Fanning, a Luton Town fan. "They're a franchise and that's not what football is about. "It's a working men's game, about a club and its community and it matters. It can't be taken away. You can't up sticks and go elsewhere because someone wants you to." Luton were nearly that club back in the 1980s. The club were in financial strife and there were serious proposals to move to Milton Keynes and become 'MK Hatters'. The Football League initially approved the concept in 1983. Luton's then chairman Denis Mortimer believed the move could attract new fans. They were close to becoming a franchise themselves. But after a huge backlash from supporters, who marched and protested with thousands signing a petition, the plans were eventually scrapped. "I was on the action committee to fight the move to MK back in the 1980s," said Luton fan John Pyper. "We could have lost our club, but we fought the decision of our then directors to take the offer to move to MK. We boycotted games back then. "I was so upset when they took a club to Milton Keynes in the end. Why didn't they set up their own club using their own different towns and villages within their own vicinity?" "We could have been the MK Hatters," said Mike Fanning, who was at school when the demonstrations took place. "We are still in existence because of those loyal people who protested and marched. "Many of those fans are still going to games now, so it's raw. "Saturday will be an emotional moment." As for MK Dons, they are used to the anger. Jon Scudamore has been supporting the club for years and regularly goes with his family. He went to the last game between the two sides played in Milton Keynes in November 2004. "MK Dons have had this directed at us for 22 years," he said. "We have grown used to it and grown hard because of it. "The Luton fans will understand that. Luton have been through some hard times and I have the greatest respect for them. But we MK fans are solid." Dons manager Paul Warne recently put on a presentation about the MK story to his players because some of his squad did not know the history of the club. "I don't think anything that happened 20-odd years ago has anything to do with my players," he said. "Having thousands of fans from Luton helps my team because our fans will turn up and sing against them which makes for a great atmosphere." Despite one fans' group originally asking Luton fans to boycott the game on Saturday, more than 6,000 Hatters fans will attend at Stadium MK. Their decision to go has been respected although many promise not to spend any money when they get there. "It's down to the individual," said Kevin Rouse of Loyal Luton Supporters group. "As a committee we will not go. It burns very deep and we will not recognise them (MK Dons). "But there is no right or wrong in this."

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It's been a whirlwind 10 weeks for Eva Olid since she became manager of Manchester United. Her surprise appointment at the start of August after Marc Skinner's departure meant she joined one of the biggest clubs in England just a month before the Women's Super League season started. When we meet in a Manchester coffee shop - an unlikely setting for someone who doesn't drink coffee - it is her first real pause in a schedule that has left her with little chance to discover the city she now calls home. "It's been good but really busy," Olid tells BBC Sport. "It's just been work, home, work, home." Olid, 41, enjoyed exceptional success in her previous role at Hearts - taking them from bottom of the table to Scottish Premier League champions within five years. Despite that, she was relatively unheard of south of the border, so top of her to-do list when she arrived at the team's training base at Carrington was to explain to her players what she was all about. "My first day I showed them what I did in the past and who I was," she says. "I tried to be myself from second one. I showed that I'm a person before a coach. "I didn't have time to be aware of where I was. I just went there, be myself trying to transmit to the players how I see football, to work hard, that I'm going to be there for them, that I want to make them better players. Trying to transmit the key messages that I wanted the players to take from the first moment." Olid's introduction to life at United was far from straightforward. She inherited a thin squad and new policy of prioritising developing academy players over making signings, while also wanting to implement a new attacking style of football. It was a big ask. Perhaps too big. In her opening two games, United lost 2-1 at London City Lionesses before a galling 5-0 home defeat by Chelsea. Olid believes that humbling loss to a title rival - in front of United's own fans - proved to be a turning point in her relationship with the team. "It was a difficult week," she says. "There were honest conversations. I took responsibility for a lot of things. I think that was a good starting point for the players. "I was confident. It's crazy to say, I was confident because I knew what the problem was. And when you know the problem, you can change that." Olid - a defensive midfielder during her playing career, who took pride in doing the simple things well - decided to strip things back. "I spoke, they spoke, and we knew what we had to do," she says. "That week was difficult - a lot of emotions - but going to Arsenal, we fought for each other, there was hard work. I think it was the perfect starting point for a good moment." A 1-1 draw at the Emirates was the start of a five-game unbeaten run during which they have climbed from the bottom of the WSL to seventh. "When you are in Manchester United, you need to find a way to win," she says. "It's a challenge - how you can win and at the same time develop players and at the same time implement a new style of play. "You need to find the balance of all that together. And I think these last weeks, we got to that point." Now Olid has settled into her role, she is keen to explore what Manchester has to offer, starting with finding some decent Spanish food. "I have to say that the tapas... sorry, but some of the tapas bars are not 100% authentic," she says. "I had this experience in Scotland and I needed time to find a good tapas bar. Because you want it to feel like home. A little taste of home." Olid admits she has yet to embrace driving on British roads but has become a fan of public transport. "I was not brave [enough] to drive here," she says. "In Scotland I was moving a lot by bus and here I need to find the ways to move by tram." And there is one Manchester landmark Olid has already visited: Old Trafford. "I came 13 years ago to a game - as a fan of football, and what I remember was amazing," she says. "On Saturday I went for second time and they showed me the changing rooms. The day that we play there this season, I will feel the happiest person in the world, like really like a dream." 'I want to discover Manchester' - Olid hunts recommendations No WSL experience but who is new Man Utd boss Olid? Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed

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The leaves are turning, the shadows of British Summer Time are lengthening and you can't move for Halloween paraphernalia in the shops. It's a special time of year, not least in the EFL where teams are already jostling for position in the race for promotion, and survival. We're still a week away from the clocks going back but a glance at the top of the Championship might convince you we've rewound well over a decade already, with seven of the current top nine teams having sat outside the top flight for at least half a dozen seasons, and plenty of them more than double that. The third tier is also as intriguing as ever while you can pretty much throw your cap over the League Two promotion chasers. Here are some of the standout fixtures and narratives across the EFL that you should be keeping your eyes on this weekend. Tuesday's last-gasp winner at Millwall made it four straight wins for Swansea either side of the international break to keep the Swans top of the Championship, 16 years since they last won promotion. Title favourites West Ham, seeking to make an immediate return to the top tier, are four points back in third place after their 6-0 romp at nine-man Lincoln the following night. The Hammers are the leading scorers across the top four tiers of English football with 29 goals in 10 games, but at 15:00 BST on Saturday will come up against the meanest defence in the division, with Swansea conceding just seven so far. The Irons have fallen behind in eight of their 13 games in all competitions this season but remain unbeaten in the league on their travels, while the Swans have yet to lose at home, conceding only twice in five games. Birmingham as the leading West Midlands club? QPR the best in London? Not many would have pegged that as the case after 11 matches of the Championship season, but it could well be the case come Saturday tea-time. Blues have not been promoted to the Premier League since 2009 but, after drawing their first four home games of the campaign, Chris Davies' side romped to a 4-0 win over lowly Preston on Tuesday to go fourth, making it 10 points from a four-match unbeaten run. They sit ahead of the fifth-placed Hoops by virtue of goals scored after Julien Stephan's side ended a four-match drawing run by walloping Derby 4-1 on Wednesday. Rangers, who last went up in 2014, remain unbeaten in five league games on the road, conceding a division-best four goals in that span, and Saturday's result will give us a good idea of which of these sides, if not both, are here to stay in this year's promotion race. There's no place like home - unless, of course, you're Leicester City. The Foxes have had a rare week to work on the training pitch, but might have been happier with an away game on Saturday, rather than the visit of Doncaster to the King Power (15:00 BST). Last Saturday's dismal 3-1 defeat by lowly Peterborough was a third defeat in their past four league games at home - during which they have shipped nine goals - and heaped further pressure on Russell Martin who later said there will be "no quick fix" in sacking him after supporters chanted for his dismissal. Midfielder John Lundstram also spoke of the team playing with "anxiety" at home and it's worth noting the Foxes remain unbeaten on their travels, where six of their nine points have come. City lie 17th, one point off the drop zone, and below Rovers on goal difference, with Grant McCann's men having won their past three games in all competitions without conceding. If you like your promotion chases to be unpredictable, you'll love League One. Just four points separate the top seven sides in the third tier and any one of four teams could sit top come Saturday evening. It might have been even closer, had Huddersfield not conceded a 98th-minute equaliser at home to Sheffield Wednesday last time out, which leaves the Terriers three points off the summit before Saturday's (15:00 BST) 600+-mile round trip to leaders Plymouth. The Pilgrims left it nearly as late to see off AFC Wimbledon last weekend to stay on top, albeit having played a game more, but Saturday looks like an even bigger day with second-placed Bradford hosting Stevenage while Stockport, in third, and Cambridge and Reading, in fifth and sixth respectively, all face sides in the bottom six. If you thought League One was tight, just wait until you hear about League Two. The top 14 sides are separated by just seven points - indeed leaders Salford and 20th-placed Rotherham are only nine apart after playing 10 matches. The Ammies will seek to stay at the summit as they host rock-bottom Crawley, with whom they have a fair bit of recent history. Salford came from 3-2 down with five minutes to play in this fixture last November to win 4-3, but were held to a goalless draw in the return in Sussex on the final day of the regular season which denied City automatic promotion and they eventually lost in the play-off final to Notts County. Unbeaten Barnet look best placed, sat a point back in second with games in hand before their trip to Tranmere while third-placed Crewe, also unbeaten, welcome Rochdale and Gillingham, in fourth, make the trek to Accrington. BBC Sport will have live text coverage of all the weekend's EFL action, starting with Burnley v Wolves (20:00 BST) on Friday and throughout Saturday's fixtures across the Championship, League One and League Two.

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When Brighton lost at home to Crystal Palace in February, Fabian Hurzeler was booed by his own supporters and subjected to chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning". "There are only two options," said the German after the 1-0 defeat by their fierce rivals left his team floundering 14th in the table with one win in 12 Premier League matches. "Give up or keep pushing harder, and that's always the option I choose in my life." Eight months on, Brighton are reaping the benefits of keeping faith with the man who became the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history when he was appointed in June 2024 at the age of 31. Palace return to Amex Stadium on Sunday (14:00 BST kick-off) to face opponents who are third in the table after statement wins over defending champions Arsenal and Europa League winners Aston Villa. Hurzeler's stock has rocketed after 11 wins in 18 top-flight games, a run that has propelled the Seagulls back into Europe and left fans - who shouted "you don't know what you're doing" at him just a few months ago - worried that he could be lured away. Following last Saturday's win at Sunderland, there was chat on the post-match phone-ins that Hurzeler, rewarded with a new long-term contract before the end of last season and given £150m to spend on signings in the summer, could be a prime target for a big club looking for a manager. "You learn more about yourself and the people around you when you are losing games," former Brighton striker Glenn Murray told BBC Sport in reference to last season's poor run. "Hurzeler has come out the other side and the way he has got this group of players performing is exceptional." Scott McCarthy, from the We Are Brighton fan site, said Hurzeler appeared to have lost the crowd to such a degree at one stage last season than even a few wins would not be enough to turn it around. "He looked like a manager who was out of ideas," McCarthy told BBC Sport. "Leaving the stadium after losing at home to Palace, the only conversation fans were having was: 'he has got to go'. "It's totally different now. It's worked out phenomenally." Will Brighton manage to keep hold of Hurzeler, who has gone from managing in Germany's fifth tier to reported interest, external from Manchester United? Hurzeler signs to 2029 as Brighton rival elite clubs Hurzeler's Brighton choice and Barber's favourite moment - fans' forum The determination Hurzeler demonstrated in the face of anger from fans following last season's defeat by Palace has been evident throughout his 10-year coaching career. In 2016, after one injury too many following spells in the reserves at Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim and 1860 Munich, the former midfielder gave up playing professionally to accept a player-manager role at German fifth-tier side Pipinsried at the age of 23. It was the start of a coaching journey that has led to the Premier League. To make ends meet at village club Pipinsried, which is about 30 miles from Munich, football-obsessed Hurzeler worked for an art dealer selling paintings to wealthy Bavarians. In an interview with the Guardian, external in 2024, he revealed he was fired from that job because he was spending too much time watching games. "If you want to sell something to a person, you have to try to convince them by doing something," he said when comparing selling pictures to managing Premier League players. "And you can't go there and say: 'Look at this picture, it's an amazing picture'. You have to understand the needs and the wishes from the clients. "That's a little bit similar to being a coach. "The most important thing is to understand the person behind the player. What are his needs? What are his values? How is he educated? How was his past? Where does he get education?" Hurzeler's obsession to succeed runs deep. While managing St Pauli - who he left in 2024 to join Brighton after guiding the Hamburg club back to the Bundesliga following a 13-year absence, external - he was invited to Tottenham's training ground to watch Ange Postecoglou's side train. Hurzeler - who was born in Houston, Texas, before moving to Germany at the age of two - asked so many questions that Postecoglou had to ask another member of his coaching staff to step in and take over. He also picked up tips from Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton, a few months before replacing him after Kieran McKenna,, external who had been heavily linked with the job, opted to stay at newly promoted Ipswich. Despite respectable back-to-back eighth-placed finishes, Hurzeler's time at Brighton has not been without its difficult moments. In addition to fans calling for his dismissal last season, the Seagulls were thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in his first season in charge, while former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown labelled Hurzeler "wet behind the ears", external on the BBC's Final Score following Brighton's 4-2 defeat at Chelsea in September 2024. So what is the reason for the shift in fortunes since his own fans called for his dismissal? "It's partly because Hurzeler went back to basics," adds McCarthy. "He relied on an experienced core in the side to get out of the hole, which is testament to him because it shows his pragmatic side. You get managers who are wedded to their philosophy and won't change. "Hurzeler realised what he was doing was not working and that it could cost him his job, so tried something else. You can now see this is a team more in his image, because they press insanely." Will Hurzeler leave Brighton if another club comes for him, or stay and attempt to write his name in club folklore by qualifying for the Champions League? "I personally don't think he will go," says McCarthy. "The money would obviously be tempting but he is a very intelligent guy. He didn't become a Premier League manager at the age of 31 without having his head screwed on. "Does he want to go to another club where he isn't going to get time? What has happened at Brighton has shown he needs two-and-a-half-years to build a squad." Back in Pipinsried, Hurzeler's name is still revered - and he has not forgotten where his coaching journey began. "Yes, he does enjoy coming back every now and then - to see if everything's in order," Sepp Ankner, their chief finance officer, told The Athletic, external in 2024. "When he does, he talks to everybody. He's really retained that connection with Pipinsried." But his rapid ascent means gilded surroundings might not be far away for Europe's hottest managerial property. Follow Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC Sounds Pre-match, post-match and topical Albion content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Seagulls Latest Brighton news, analysis and fan views Ask about Brighton - what do you want to know?

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For years the Premier League has had a defined 'Big Six', comprised of Arsenal , Chelsea , Liverpool , Manchester City , Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur . They were not just the sides who often dominated the top positions in the table, but also had the biggest fanbase, most financial clout and were usually the league's most successful sides. But that has not been in the case in more recent seasons. In the last couple of years Tottenham and Manchester United have found themselves fighting at the wrong end of the table, while teams like Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton have been battling at the top. Meanwhile, Manchester City - the top-flight's dominant side over the past decade - are facing a period of uncertainty after the club was recently found guilty of breaching financial rules over nine years. The 'Big Six' remains in financial terms, with City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea all inside the top 10 of highest revenue generating clubs in world football. , external But is the era of the traditional 'Big Six' on the field at an end? One of the most memorable stories of the Premier League era was Leicester City upsetting the odds to win the title in the 2015-16 season. It captured the imagination of football fans everywhere, because it seemed so difficult for anyone outside the 'Big Six' to get even close to being champions. But it seemed as though it was destined to be a one-off as, for the following three seasons, the 'Big Six' locked down the top positions once more. Indeed, the gap between them and the rest was bigger than ever, with the smallest deficit between seventh and sixth place during those three seasons being eight points. Between 2010-11 and 2018-19, the so-called 'Big Six' finished in those leading positions five times. They also finished in the top seven twice and top eight once. In only one of the six seasons since have they all finished in the top six, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton in those places at some point. Tottenham, in particular, have struggled and ended one place above the relegation zone in each of the past two campaigns and are currently second bottom on three points after failing to win any of their first six games. This season, albeit early days, Manchester United are in 13th spot and Liverpool ninth. Since 2021-22, Chelsea and United have finished out of the top six twice, while Spurs have missed out three times - twice finishing 17th. Five of the top six places have gone to clubs not in the traditional six in the past three years - the same as the previous eight years combined. One reason for the end of their dominance as a collective is because other clubs have closed the financial gap. Newcastle are an example following a £305m takeover led by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund in 2021. They went from finishing 11th in 2021-22 to fourth in the following campaign and then fifth two seasons later. Meanwhile, others, like Brighton, have leaned into data and smart recruitment to help them close the gap. The Seagulls have an impressive record of buying promising talent for low prices before selling them on for significant fees. In 2021 they signed 19-year-old Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo from Independiente del Valle for £4m and sold him two years later to Chelsea in a deal a worth £115m - a British record at the time. They also signed Marc Cucurella for £15m and sold him to Chelsea for £62m and brought in Alexis Mac Allister for £7m before selling him to Liverpool for a deal worth £55m. "Our recruitment strategy and philosophy has been something that we've built on over a long period of time now," sporting director Mike Cave told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "The data element of it gets a lot of attention because going back a few years it was quite novel in comparison to some other clubs. "Really it's just a component of a bigger process that goes on. It's an important component, it helps us to identify talent from around the world in quite an efficient way which allows us to move quickly in what is a really competitive transfer market." How Brighton attract and develop the best young players ahead of their rivals Has your team made the list of the world's richest football clubs? Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have struggled to get close to the success they enjoyed under the 26-year reign of the legendary Scot. The 20-time top-flight champions have had a high turnover of head coaches in recent years in an effort to find the winning formula and since the start of the 2020-21 season they have had four different permanent managers. But they are not alone in this high amount of chopping and changing - and not even the worst. In the same period, Chelsea have had seven different people in charge on a permanent basis, while Tottenham have had six as they too have tried to find a way to challenge for trophies. Meanwhile, Arsenal have shown patience can pay dividends by giving Mikel Arteta - appointed in 2019 - time to build a squad that resulted in the Gunners ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League title last season. The 'Big Six' hasn't always been a thing in the Premier League, so an evolution of what it is and who they are was always likely to happen. Indeed, when the league was first formed back in 1992 there was a 'Big Five' of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham - clubs who were seen at the time as the ones with the biggest fanbase and financial power. That evolved into a 'Big Two' during the late 1990s and early 2000s as Manchester United and Arsenal dominated, before expanding to a 'Big Four' as Chelsea and Liverpool regularly finished in the top four. The 2010-11 season was the first time in English league history where the top six was made up of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. It was then repeated in 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 as the 'Big Six' became known for what it is now. Arguably the most open the top division has ever been was in the 1960s, when Burnley, Tottenham, Ipswich, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Leeds all won league titles. While it still feels that a Premier League winner is likely to come from one of the 'Big Six' sides, we are moving away from the concept of the top six being exclusively those sides - with it now being four years since they all finished in those positions. Currently, Brighton, Brentford and Everton all find themselves in the top six and, while there is still a lot of football to be played this season, the top end of the division seems as open as it has ever been - and that can only be a good thing, right? Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast