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LONDON — At some point this month, Arsenal will have to make the same judgement call they did in the summer: do we have enough in attack to win the Premier League?

Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Brentford on New Year’s Day was inconclusive. Manager Mikel Arteta has said the search for solutions without Bukayo Saka — sidelined until March following hamstring surgery — would begin internally and he sprang something of a surprise here by handing teenager Ethan Nwaneri his first league start in Saka’s usual right-sided position.

It was encouraging that Nwaneri looked composed beyond his years and had a hand in both of Arsenal’s second-half goals while Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli’s dual presence on the scoresheet will embolden those of the view that the Gunners possess sufficient firepower to hunt down Liverpool.

Kai Havertz, who was out due to a virus that Arteta admitted had affected multiple players in the build-up. Havertz was sent home to isolate and is expected to be available for Saturday’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.

And yet, a nagging feeling persists that Arsenal may need a little more if they are to achieve their publicly stated aim of adding major trophies to the five years of sustained progress under Arteta.

“We’ve broken so many records but the reality is this team don’t have the big titles we’re looking for,” he said before kick-off here and while the result eases some of the pressure on the club to act in the January market, that desire among supporters is bubbling underneath the surface and has been, in truth, ever since the summer.

Sources have told ESPN that senior figures at the club concluded following their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich that they needed either a winger or central striker to bolster their attacking options and later identified Benjamin Sesko at RB Leipzig as their preferred choice.

Leipzig moved quickly to sign Sesko to a new deal and Arsenal opted to keep their powder dry in the belief an ideal alternative was not available. Liverpool’s lead at the top places is under permanent scrutiny and the Gunners revisit the same conundrum this month, with some fans pushing for a winger and others suggesting a clinical finisher should be the priority acquisition.

It is, however, something the club has a little time to ponder after recovering from falling a goal down inside 13 minutes at Gtech Community Stadium.

Mikkel Damsgaard found Bryan Mbeumo in space and as Riccardo Calafiori backed off too willingly, Mbeumo had the time to line up a shot that beat goalkeeper David Raya at his near post. Mbeumo’s effort was expertly placed but bereft of a fearsome pace that would have absolved Raya of any responsibility.

Arsenal looked a little flat but roused themselves thereafter. Mark Flekken could only beat out Thomas Partey’s 29th-minute shot to Jesus, who headed in the rebound before Mikel Merino turned home Nwaneri’s corner that Brentford failed to clear five minutes into the second half.

Three minutes later, another Nwaneri delivery caused problems as Nathan Collins could only head the ball to Martinelli and he fired a fine shot past Flekken.

The signs of revival in both Martinelli and Jesus have come at an opportune moment. Jesus has scored six goals in four games after a deeply troubling run of one goal in 33 games. Martinelli now has three in his past four league away games after a run of one in his previous 26 on the road.

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And with Leandro Trossard only required as a late substitute, Arteta may feel he has enough for the four competitions that are coming thick and fast.

Availability of preferred targets will inevitably be a factor in January, but Arsenal will soon need to decide whether they need to brave the market to find the push they need or back the current group to get themselves over the line after two years of near misses.

Asked whether Arsenal’s squad felt short of options in the circumstances, Arteta replied: “When I see the willingness of each individual to play through anything and the versatility that we can create within our idea, the answer is no.

“But we don’t know obviously if something else happens, we would have other issues, Hopefully not, hopefully people come back. We need everybody.”

Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43251206/arsenals-need-january-signings-shown-brentford-win

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BRENTFORD, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring his teams third goal with teammates during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Arsenal FC at the Brentford Community Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/international/english-premier-league/premier-league-report-brentford-v-arsenal-01-january-2025-20250101

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By Staff Reporter

DYNAMOS midfielder Donald Mudadi is one of many stars that have already bid farewell to their clubs this New Year in what promises to be a very active and interesting transfer window.

Mudadi, who has been undeniably one of the top performers at Dynamos in two seasons, was on the radar of Castle Lager premiership champions Simba Bhora and Gweru based TelOne who almost signed him during last term’s mid-season window.

Monied Scottland FC cannot be dismissed as a possible new home as the club has been signing every star it can lay its hands on, with FC Platinum another option.

“I have enjoyed my tenure here and I appreciate having had the opportunity to represent the blue family,” said Mudadi.

“Even though I will miss my colleagues and the team, I am looking forward to this new challenge and starting a new phase in my career.”

Lot Chiwunga, Caps United’s unlucky forward has signed for Herentals to strengthen a strike line up already boasting of John Zhuwawu.

Chiwunga never scaled heights he had set for himself as a lethal scorer. He struggled for both goals and game time at Makepekepe.

Goalkeeper Tonderayi Mateyaunga is also leaving the club after six seasons.

“Now is time to bid the entire Caps United family goodbye as I embark on the next chapter of my career. No matter where I am, this club will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Mateyaunga whose next stop is yet to be made public.

Former ZPC Kariba defender Nyasha Gurende also bade farewell to Chauya Chituruturu.

Gurende reportedly signed for Ngezi Platinum a few weeks before Christmas, putting an end to interests shown by Dynamos after his stellar 2024 season.

“This team has been more than just a group of players, it has been a family,” said Gurende.

“While I step into a new journey, ZPC Kariba will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Traditional giants Dynamos and Highlanders might struggle to retain much of their prized talent because of lowly wages, poor working conditions and general administrative disaster at both clubs.

Already Bosso has lost captain Peter Muduhwa and top striker Lynoth Chikuhwa to Scottland while the exit of Tanaka Shandirwa could signal a mini exodus from DeMbare.

Source: https://www.newzimbabwe.com/local-premiership-soccer-players-announce-transfers/

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After a memorable 2024, 2025 promises to be a year of more historic firsts and blockbuster tournaments in the world of women’s soccer.

Inaugural Champions in AFC and CONCACAF

The inaugural editions of official continental women’s club competitions organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will draw to a close in the first half of 2025. The knockouts are all that remain as the group stages concluded last year.

In the AFC Women’s Champions League, eight teams are still standing with the quarterfinal draw yet to be held. Japanese champion Urawa Red Diamonds, the last winners of the invitational AFC Women’s Club Championship, has to be considered among the favorites, as do finalist Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels and Melbourne City. Besides them, Hồ Chí Minh City, Abu Dhabi Country Club, Iranian side Bam Khatoon, Wuhan Jiangda and Taichung Blue Whale will compete in the quarterfianls in March, while the final two rounds will take place in May.

Around the same time in the summer, the semifinals and finals of the CONCACAF W Champions Cup will decide the first North American club champion. Only American and Mexican sides have progressed to the semifinals, and they are neatly split. Tigres will take on the Portland Thorns, while Club América will face NJ/NY Gotham FC for a spot in the final.

With such continental club competitions scheduled in all other confederations as well, 2025 will be the first year ever that every continent has an official women’s club champion.

Four-Way Frauen Bundesliga Title Race

The Frauen Bundesliga, Germany’s top-flight women’s soccer league, has long been used to duopolies. 1. FFC Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam established themselves as the dominant forces at the turn of the century, while Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich took over in the early 2010s. Those are the only four teams to have won the title since the 2000/01 season, but there might just be a new champion this year.

There is next to nothing to separate the top four at the midway stage of the season. Eintracht Frankfurt–the new guise of 1. FFC Frankfurt after a merger with the city’s premier men’s club–is currently leading the way on 29 points, only sitting above defending champion Bayern Munich on goal difference. Wolfsburg is following closely with just a one-point deficit, but the surprise package to watch out for is Bayer Leverkusen. New head coach Roberto Pätzold has led the team to within three points of the league leaders, and that gap could disappear if Die Werkself wins its game in hand.

With such fine margins at play, a thrilling title race is effectively guaranteed.

Challengers Trying to Stop Barcelona’s Three-Peat

Only two teams have managed to win three consecutive UEFA Women’s Champions League titles in the tournament’s history, namely Wolfsburg (between 2013 and 2015) and Lyon (who won five in a row between 2016 and 2020). This year, two-time defending champion Barcelona will be looking to join the list.

Having only strengthened its squad last summer, the Spanish champion certainly looks likely to achieve that feat. However, it will have to navigate a tough knockout run again. Both Lyon and Wolfsburg could stand in its way, but perhaps the strongest challenger will be Chelsea. The English champion has won all but one match across all competitions under new head coach Sonia Bompastor, who has three UWCL winner’s medals from her playing and coaching days at Lyon. Manchester City–the only team to defeat Barcelona this season so far–and Bayern Munich will also be ones to watch.

As ever, the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals will be held in March, with the semifinals scheduled a month later. The final will be played in Lisbon in the last week of May.

A Summer of Continental Tournaments

Not long after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, a host of interntional continental tournaments will fill up calenders for the summer.

The Women’s Euros will be the first tournament to kick off and it will run the longest as 16 teams will compete in Switzerland through the month of July. Defending champion England, world champion Spain and record champion Germany will be among the favorites for what promises to be a thrilling tournament.

The 15th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will run simultaneously, having been delayed from its original scheduling in 2024. Morocco will host the tournament yet again as the Atlas Lionesses still look for their first title, but defending champion South Africa and record champion Nigeria are sure to put up tough challenges.

The 2025 Copa América Femenina will run from mid-July to the first week of August in Ecuador. The big story is whether anyone can stop the dominant force that is Brazil. The Seleção reached every single final in the tournament’s history and won all but one of them, so contenders such as Colombia and Argentina are in for an uphill battle.

Amidst all of these big champions, it would be unfair to forget the OFC Women’s Nations Cup. Fiji will host the tournament for two weeks starting in early July.

Beginning of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup

European women’s soccer fans have a lot of reasons to be excited for 2025, and the inaugural edition of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup should be high up in the list. Calls for a secondary women’s continental club competition have finally been answered, so teams that finish outside the top spots in major leagues as well as champions from relatively less strong nations will have the opportunity to compete for silverware.

The format of the competition should prove just as interesting. After two qualifying rounds, the 16 teams that remain standing will head straight into two-legged knockouts, with the final also set to be played in a home-and-away format! So, an underdog story could well be on the cards in the new competition.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/neelshelat/2025/01/01/five-womens-soccer-stories-to-follow-in-2025/

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PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – DECEMBER 15:Raja Casablanca Fc during the CAF Champions League match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Raja Casablanca at Loftus Versfeld on December 15, 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images)

Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/international/african-football/raja-casablanca-to-recall-anas-zniti-for-mamelod-sundowns-clash-20250101

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Jose Mourinho has reportedly found a new club ahead of next season.

Source: https://www.snl24.com/soccerladuma/international/rest-of-world/jose-mourinho-expresses-desire-to-coach-international-football-20241231

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