While the November international break was one for the ages as teams around the globe kept their World Cup dreams alive in dramatic circumstances, the return of club football marks a magic time in the calendars of many fans, as it means we are now at the beginning of four uninterrupted months of club action. This is when narratives truly take form, with teams able to build momentum and set off on potentially season-defining runs.

Mauricio Pochettino made it loud and clear that the USMNT are about the collective rather than the individuals after Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman stepped up with breakout performances.

Perfection and the England men's national team never were natural bedfellows, but Thomas Tuchel has changed the narrative around the Three Lions by propelling them to a literally flawless World Cup qualifying campaign. England completed their perfect run of results by rounding off their journey to North America in 2026 with a 2-0 victory away in Albania, an eighth successive win without conceding a goal.

Balogun and Reyna shone brightly, but there were plenty of other aspects of the USMNT that Mauricio Pochettino will be encouraged by following their win over Paraguay.

England beat Serbia 2-0 on Thursday in their first World Cup qualifying game since securing a spot at next summer's tournament finals. The result meant very little to the Three Lions, whose players are now competing with one another for a place on the plane to North America as members of Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad.

The weekend before an international break always feels significant. Pick up a positive result and the only thing a manager really has to worry about is players suffering injury while representing their countries. A defeat, though, results in two torturous weeks as the result is pored over in the press while the coach waits for the opportunity to make amends.

Since Pep Guardiola won his first Premier League title back in 2018, only two teams have been able to compete with Manchester City: Arsenal and Liverpool. The Gunners led the way for the majority of the 2022-23 season before they were overhauled by Guardiola's treble-chasing juggernaut, while only two points could separate them in 2023-24, when City won a fourth successive title.

The latest round of action across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues has predictably produced a plethora of talking points, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all in fine form. The Gunners are six points clear at the top of the Premier League after scoring yet another set-piece goal, and keeping another clean sheet, in their 2-0 victory at Burnley. Meanwhile, both Bayern and Real have five-point leads in Germany and Spain, respectively, after comfortable wins over the weekend.

It was one-way traffic for Emma Hayes, who started a young lineup that was determined to dominate from start to finish

England's first camp since their second successive European Championship triumph was certainly a little up and down. Marred by injuries going into the window, with there already three notable absentees before Sarina Wiegman's squad was announced and four withdrawals after it was revealed, the Lionesses then suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in their first game post-Euros, despite playing for over an hour against 10 players, but were able to bounce back on Tuesday against Australia, who also had a player sent off very early on in a rather strange couple of games.

We're two months into the season now, and it feels like things are starting to take shape around Europe. Some title races are looking like they will be closer than others, with some surprise contenders in the mix, while other presumed challengers are beginning to struggle, casting doubt on the futures of their managers and star players.

It's been a few months, but Jude Bellingham is back. After a delayed start to his season and an international break packed full of questions regarding where - and remarkably, if - he fits into England's World Cup plans, the Real Madrid man has showed in Sunday's Clasico that he remains the man for the biggest of occasions.

It wasn't a perfect performance, but it was a perfect response as Hayes challenged her team to bounce back vs Portugal

The USWNT, having never conceded in 11 previous all-time matches against Portugal, were stunned by a pair of set pieces in 2-1 loss

With the October international break now in the rearview mirror, club football returned in style over the weekend, with some huge clashes headlining Europe's biggest leagues. Manchester United plunged great rivals Liverpool into even deeper crisis in the Premier League, Bayern Munich got the better of Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker while there were changes of leader in both Serie A and Ligue 1.

The last time Manchester United won at Anfield, Great Britain was still in the European Union, Donald Trump was best known as the presenter of The Apprentice and Leicester City were top of the Premier League. Marcus Rashford had not yet played a first-team game, Arne Slot had not yet entered management and Ruben Amorim was seeing out his playing career in Qatar.

MLS Decision Day lived up to expectations as teams learned their playoff fates and Messi sent a warning with a hat-trick

England are going to the 2026 World Cup, and they are going there in style after another 5-0 win away from home as Latvia became the latest victims of a team that is well and truly taking shape under Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions have booked their place at next summer's bonanza in North America with two games to spare after winning their first six qualifiers, without conceding a single goal in the process.

The challenges of September are in the rearview mirror, as Wright scored twice and the U.S. dominated possession to beat Australia

The U.S. have been knocking at the door, but what needs to change to finally open it? That question remains after another exit

Mauricio Pochettino insisted that the USMNT would present the best version of themselves in the October friendlies after months of experimentation. If Friday night is any indication, the manager was true to his word, as the U.S. turned in a confident performance against Ecuador, one of South America's best teams, salvaging a 1-1 draw.

England showed little mercy as they tore Wales apart in a 3-0 friendly win at Wembley on Thursday. The Three Lions destroyed Craig Bellamy's side in a frantic opening 20 minutes which all but put an end to any hope of the visitors securing an unlikely upset between World Cup qualifiers, even despite the hosts leaving some key players on the bench and out of the squad completely.

If we have learned one thing above anything else so far in the Premier League this season, it is to not turn off your television or leave your seat early. There was yet more late drama but this time champions Liverpool were the victims and not the beneficiaries of the added time as they were dealt a late sucker punch by Chelsea's Brazilian wonderkid Estevao.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of the United Kingdom in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

Are Bayern Munich the strongest side in Europe right now? They're certainly not far off it. The Germans maintained their flawless start to the 2025-26 season with a 3-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend. Unsurprisingly, Harry Kane was among the goals again, as the free-scoring striker maintained his record-breaking start to the campaign.

Liverpool have now lost three matches in a row for the first time under Arne Slot after they succumbed to a 2-1 loss at Chelsea on Saturday evening, ensuring they will go into the October international break only second in the Premier League table. The reigning champions of England can't have many complaints about the result either, with the Club World Cup winners outlasting them and striking at the death to settle the contest.

Pochettino promised this roster would offer a clearer vision into his World Cup thoughts, with a 60-man roster winnowed to 26

Late, late drama was the order of a hugely entertaining weekend in the Premier League. Arsenal snatched all three points at Newcastle thanks to Gabriel's 96th-minute header, while former Gunner Eddie Nketiah also struck at the death to hand Liverpool their first defeat of the season and continue Crystal Palace's incredible start.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of Great Britain in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

Liverpool weren't the only European team to lose their 100 percent record this weekend. Over in Italy, Napoli slipped to second in the Serie A table after being beaten 2-1 by a Christian Pulisici-inspired AC Milan at San Siro.