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Arsenal are now the last team with a perfect Champions League record this season after they beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Gunners have recorded five wins from five and kept up their 100 percent start by ending that of the Germans' in the process. Jurrien Timber put Arsenal ahead in the first half, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score.

Midway through the first half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. Bayern's terrible record on set pieces was emphasised before the game, and the hosts took full advantage from a corner, with Timber getting in front of Manuel Neuer to nod in a Bukayo Saka corner.

That lead should have been doubled soon after when Eberechi Eze played a neat one-two with Mikel Merino to set himself in on goal, but Joshua Kimmich made a brilliant recovery challenge to deny the derby-day hero. And that missed opportunity came back to haunt Arsenal as Bayern levelled the score seconds later. Kimmich's delectable ball over the head of Myles Lewis-Skelly found Serge Gnabry, whose first-time cross picked out teenager Lennart Karl to thunder in at close range.

After the break, Mikel Merino spurned a free header after an excellent cross from Saka to the back post, while Karl went down the other end in search of his second but his tame shot was held by David Raya. Merino then headed wide from a wicked Declan Rice corner and Neuer kept out Cristhian Mosquera from a few yards out shortly afterwards in a manic 15 minutes following the interval.

An almighty scramble saw Rice force Neuer into a low save with his foot, and the rebound didn't fall kindly for Saka to be able to convert, with the Bayern goalkeeper able to sweep up the loose ball, much to the frustration of a brooding home crowd.

With 20 minutes remaining, Arsenal went back in front. Riccardo Calafiori, just on as a substitute, drilled in a low cross right through the Bayern box, and Madueke arrived ahead of Konrad Laimer to tap in his first goal for the Gunners.

Bayern nearly pulled level again when another straight ball over the defence found former Gunner Gnabry, but he couldn't make contact with his acrobatic effort and Arsenal were let off the hook.

The hosts wrapped up the points in the final quarter of an hour after another howler from Neuer. Eze's dink over the top found Martinelli, who still had 50 yards to go to goal, only for the German keeper to try and meet him halfway, fluffing his clearance and allowing the winger to roll the ball into an empty net.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

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David Raya (6/10):

As has been the case for much of the season, the Spaniard had very little to do.

Jurrien Timber (8/10):

Got Arsenal off the mark with his third goal of the season, heading in Saka's corner. Scarcely troubled with his defensive duties despite Gnabry's fine performance, with the German winger having to vacate that flank to get most of his joy. Afforded a rest with White taking his place.

William Saliba (7/10):

Nearly cost his side when a clearance hit Zubimendi straight in the backside, but Raya was on hand to clear up the mess. Otherwise dealt well with Kane, who offered very little.

Cristhian Mosquera (7/10):

Similarly didn't allow Kane to have a sniff, allowing home fans to gleefully chant, 'Harry, what's the score?'.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (4/10):

A testing night for the teenager, who was continually targeted by Bayern's attackers, including in the build up to Karl's equaliser. Mercifully taken off for Calafiori.

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Martin Zubimendi (7/10):

Positionally and technically fine again, though his contributions paled in comparison to the scorers and midfield partner.

Declan Rice (8/10):

Ran through Bayern in the second half like they weren't even there. Unfortunate not to have grabbed an assist for himself with his tremendous set-piece deliveries.

Eberechi Eze (7/10):

Technically set up Martinelli though you could probably chalk that one down as a Neuer assist instead. Didn't look out of place on this Champions League stage. Subbed for the returning Odegaard.

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Bukayo Saka (7/10):

For the most part a thorn in Bayern's side, coming up with the assist for Timber from a corner, but Arsenal fans may be worried about his rusty physicality. Taken off for Martinelli.

Mikel Merino (6/10):

Led the line well and had some opportunities to get on the scoresheet with a couple of headers, but lacked that scoring touch this time out.

Leandro Trossard (5/10):

Was set through on goal in the opening exchanges but completely fluffed his lines when faced with the onrushing Neuer. Substituted before half-time with an injury.

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Noni Madueke (8/10):

Replaced the injured Trossard before the break. Took it upon himself to constantly get at the Bayern defenders and was eventually rewarded with a goal.

Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

Similarly got what he deserved for showing enthusiasm and personality, racing beyond Neuer to add Arsenal's third goal of the evening.

Riccardo Calafiori (8/10):

Made an instant impact in place of Lewis-Skelly, putting in a cross that Madueke couldn't miss.

Ben White (N/A):

A late replacement for Timber.

Martin Odegaard (N/A):

Made his return from injury in place of Eze.

Mikel Arteta (8/10):

Credit to the Arsenal boss again. His side drifted to the end of the first half before they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, and his substitutions were pivotal to that.

Raúl Jiménez did not hold back after Mexico’s scoreless draw with Uruguay, calling out the Torreón crowd for repeatedly booing goalkeeper Raúl “Tala” Rangel and the rest of the squad. The Fulham striker said the atmosphere left the team “sad,” underscoring the growing disconnect between El Tri and its supporters.

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  A frustrating night on and off the pitch

  Mexico’s friendly against Uruguay offered little excitement on the field, but the stands became the center of attention. From the opening minutes, fans at the TSM Corona booed goalkeeper Raul Rangel, upset that local hero Carlos Acevedo was not in the starting lineup. The tense atmosphere overshadowed the match itself, turning the night into a reflection of current struggle to reconnect with its supporters.

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  Jiménez lashes out at fans

  After the final whistle, Jiménez spoke bluntly about the treatment his team received. 

  “What’s sad is playing at home and getting booed – the ‘Fuera Vasco’ chants, and people shouting insults at our keeper. That’s what hurts,” he told reporters. “Maybe that’s why they always take us to the U.S.” 

  His remarks underline a growing frustration within the squad over fan hostility.

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  Wider implications ahead of the 2026 World Cup

  Beyond criticism, Jiménez urged the squad and supporters to move forward.

   “We have to keep going, work hard,” he said. 

  The team now travels to Houston for a friendly against Paraguay, aiming for a calmer atmosphere and a chance to reset before competitive fixtures ramp up. Jiménez’s remarks also revive the broader discussion around fan behavior, coming as the Mexican Football Federation continues to face fines for discriminatory chants. With the World Cup set to begin in Mexico next year, the episode adds renewed scrutiny to supporter culture and matchday environments.

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  What comes next?

  The Mexican national team has arrived in San Antonio ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Paraguay at the Alamodome.

Don MacKinnon, who heads the NZ20 Establishment Committee, believes the game needs to look beyond the Super Smash

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Nov-2025New Zealand is finally set to enter the world of privately owned T20 leagues, with plans afoot to start NZ20, a tournament comprising six privately owned franchises in January 2027. The league’s operating model would be similar to that of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the tournament receiving the license from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), but managed independently.Plans don’t currently have NZC approval, but if they do secure that, NZ20 will replace the Super Smash, the current six-team competition. That tournament is now two decades old and is played by the local cricket associations in New Zealand: Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago. It is managed by NZC, whereas NZ20 will have teams with private owners.According to Don MacKinnon, who heads the NZ20 Establishment Committee, the concept for the league originated from former New Zeeland greats including Stephen Fleming who then engaged with the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA} to gauge whether the time had come for a franchise-based league. MacKinnon, a professional lawyer who heads the country’s Sports Integrity Commission, and has served as a director on the NZC Board, was approached about three months ago to see if the concept was feasible.In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, MacKinnon said NZ20 was an “extremely viable” project and it was the “ideal” time to launch.”The concept is a pretty simple one really. It’s to see if New Zealand cricket could provide us with a clean window, which in our mind is absolutely essential for a very short privately owned competition, ideally in the peak of summer in New Zealand,” MacKinnon said. “So ideally for a men’s competition in the month of January at potentially a lot of our holiday venues, some of our beautiful grassbanks ground and a short fan-centric, fun type competition, but one played by the very best players in New Zealand and hopefully some internationals.”‘Super Smash not working’The absence of a New Zealand T20 league until now has been notable, especially as its players and coaches have been popular in leagues across the globe. But MacKinnon said collective belief among former players was that the time was ripe for New Zealand to create its own domestic brand.Back in 2014 the NZC Board had turned down the idea of such a league because it did not believe it could create a successful product and would “struggle” to compete with the likes of the IPL and BBL. MacKinnon agreed with that decision but pointed out the time now was right to “develop our own unique competition.” He said that NZ20 would not be aping the IPL or BBL.”We are looking at something very boutique, very New Zealand centric, a unique experience for players who come here, as I said, small grounds, a great lifestyle, something that we think players would love to be involved in.”Finn Allen is among the New Zealand players who play overseas in the January league period•Sarah Reed – CA / Getty ImagesMacKinnon said the Super Smash was “not really working with the fans” and has become more of a “development” competition for players. NZ20, MacKinnon believes, has the potential to “reenergise domestic cricket” in New Zealand. “What’s different about it? Well, it’s partly driven out of private investment and so you get the ability to be very innovative. You have the ability to have greater capital, to invest in better fan experience both at the ground but also whether you are watching on television or online. We also think that if we get this right, we will attract the very best New Zealand players back into our domestic competitions.”MacKinnon did not disclose whether IPL franchise owners were looking to invest, but said there was strong interest both from India as well as other investors globally. “We’ve also looked really closely at some of the models around the world and particularly the CPL where the league owners and the team seem to have done a great job in moving that competition not only into a point of profitability but also has really engaged fan interest. So that’s one of the models we’re looking at very closely. But by no means the only one.”NZ players ‘would desperately love’ to play NZ20The current plan involves starting the men’s tournament in January 2027 followed by the launch of the women’s league in December 2027. The biggest challenge remains finding a clear window with the BBL, SA20 and ILT20 running simultaneously in January. Those tournaments generally involve the participation of several New Zealand international.MacKinnon acknowledged that hurdle, but believed current New Zealand players were keen to participate. “We appreciate we won’t be able to attract everybody that we’d like to have, but the feedback from current New Zealand players is they would desperately love for this tournament to go ahead and would do everything to participate in it.There would be plans to launch a women’s edition later in 2027•Getty Images”So that’s the first goal. We are designing this competition very much along the lines that we want the Lockie Fergusons and the Finn Allens of this world and the Kane Williamsons playing in it. So that’s the most important goal because at the moment a lot of those players aren’t playing in our Super Smash.”MacKinnon is confident NZ20 can attract “marquee players” if they get the right owners. MacKinnon also highlighted one of its USPs would be to allow players to own a stake in the league. “We also are looking at a model where the players may well have an ownership share of the league,” he said. “And we are doing that because we want an extremely high level of access to player intellectual property. We want to be able to open our players up to the wealth. And to do that, that intellectual property needs to be very readily available.”NZC approval</h2.NZC approval will have to come swiftly if NZ20 is to take off by January 2027. MacKinnon emphasised that his committee wanted to work with NZC. In fact, the NZ20 committee comprises two members from NZC's board along with representatives from NZPA and members associations.MacKinnon said that NZC had told the NZ20 Committee they were looking at various options. "We have been in constant discussions with the New Zealand Cricket Board over the last two to three months. They have been excellent to deal with. They have been very clear to us that while they're excited by this project, they have other options they're looking at including quite clearly whether they wish to consider trying to get a team into the Big Bash."MacKinnon said he would obviously like NZC to pick NZ20 as the "preferred option" but admitted ideally he would want the final decision to be made as soon as possible. "At the same time we are proceeding on the basis that we believe we will get a license and we are continuing to talk to investors and making progress in that regard. We would love to be in a position by the end of January [2026] to have some real certainty about whether we can make the competition start in January 2027 and that's our timeframe."

Daniel Farke was already on borrowed time in the Leeds United dug-out heading into his lowly side’s clash with Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Indeed, the depressing backdrop heading into this big tie at Elland Road was four defeats from their last five games in the intense Premier League, and now, it’s five defeats from their last six, culminating in the West Yorkshire outfit sinking into that final relegation spot.

At one stage, Leeds looked in control after a scrappy Lukas Nmecha goal found the back of the net after just eight minutes had been played.

But, in the end, Villa’s quality shone through courtesy of a Morgan Rogers brace in the second half, and while Rogers came good in that pivotal second 45 minutes, Brenden Aaronson produced another no-show to trouble his manager’s precarious position even more.

Why Aaronson must now be dropped by Farke

Not even home comforts could save Leeds from a late Villa comeback.

Of course, last time at home, before this disastrous slip-up, Leeds picked up a much-needed 2-1 win over relegation rivals West Ham United, as Aaronson stole the show with a goal and an overall energetic outing.

Unfortunately for Aaronson, his showing against the Villans was a far cry from his standout performance against Nuno Espirito Santo’s visitors.

Against the Hammers, the American attacking midfielder successfully completed all three of his dribbles as a nuisance that the East Londoners had to keep tabs on throughout. On the contrary, on Sunday afternoon, Aaronson routinely lost the ball when attempting to burst forward with pace, with just one of his five dribbles coming off.

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On top of that, the hard-working figure who won eight duels during that 2-1 win was replaced by a weak number 11 who won just five of his 13 duels. Most importantly, too, the right winger only managed one effort on target at Emiliano Martinez’s goal, as Villa always felt like they had the below-par ex-Union Berlin playmaker under control.

If the German continues to select Aaronson, he will be very much on the chopping block for the sack, with both Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto perhaps better suited to this right-wing role, over the hot-and-cold 25-year-old.

After all, the Welshman at least excited the Elland Road masses late on when his goalbound effort was disallowed for a handball by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

That being said, Aaronson isn’t the only underperformer who looks out of his depth in the Premier League.

Not just Aaronson: Big-money signing must be ditched

How much longer will the Leeds hierarchy persist with the former Norwich City boss in the dug-out?

After today’s defeat, they will want to see some immediate positive results, but with Manchester City and Chelsea up next in a very tricky double-header, the near future looks grim.

Still, he could pull off a shock result against either team, as is the unpredictability of the division, particularly if he ditches Lucas Perri in between the sticks, who fell victim to another shaky day at the office on Sunday.

The decisive match-winning free-kick was a wonderfully hit effort from the man of the moment in Rogers, but Leeds fans would have watched on in disbelief as Perri stayed rooted to his spot, with The Athletic’s Beren Cross critical of the ex-Lyon goalkeeper, who “barely moved”.

Away from helping Rogers to collect his brace, Perri also failed to look convincing with just two saves registered, alongside only ten of his passes hitting their intended target, leaving him with a dire 53% pass accuracy come the final whistle.

Games played

7

Goals conceded

14

Goals conceded*

2.0

Saves made

14

Saves made*

2.0 (50%)

Goals prevented

– 1.53

Pass accuracy*

19.0 (58%)

Clean sheets

2

For a newly promoted side who were on the hunt for a clear upgrade on Illan Meslier in the summer, they might well feel ripped off now that they forked out £13.9m on his services, with the flappy Brazilian conceding an average of two goals a game now, having kept just two clean sheets to date.

Amazingly, Karl Darlow – who cost £400k – might be the better option now, having averaged more saves per game than Perri this season from his limited minutes at 2.6 per clash, with Leeds surely fearing a drubbing at the hands of City up next if their new number one is retained.

Journalist Adonis Storr at the full-time whistle stated that Farke must be “in serious trouble” now, as boos headed his direction with some ferocity at the end, with both Perri and Aaronson needing to be dropped for the next crucial game to try and somehow steer the sinking ship back on course.

If they remain in the XI, Farke will likely be out of a job very swiftly.

Leeds 1-2 Aston Villa: "Sneaky" Elland Road moment that VAR may have missed

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