The Premier League has paused for the final international break of the season and when it resumes at the end of the month it is full tilt towards the finishing line.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are locked in an enthralling title race, while things at the other end are just as fascinating with the prospect of seven clubs still fighting for survival.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key issues that will be resolved after the international break.
Title race
Where does your side currently sit?
— Premier League (@premierleague)
Traditionally, this is the time of season that Manchester City click into gear and go on a winning spree which ends with them lifting the title. And few would bet against them doing so again as Pep Guardiola…
Joachim Low was full of praise for Robin Gosens swashbuckling performance as Germany beat reigning champions Portugal 4-2 in Euro 2020 Group F on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo had put Portugal ahead early on with a strike that took him level with Miroslav Klose as the European player to have scored the most combined goals (19) across the World Cup and European Championship.
Low s side stormed back before half-time, however, courtesy of two own goals in the space of four minutes from Ruben Dias – forced by a Gosens cross – and Raphael Guerreiro.
Gosens, who had earlier seen an effort ruled out for offside, then teed up Kai Havertz for a third shortly after the interval before eventually getting in on the act himself, heading home Joshua Kimmich s cross at t…
A former South Korea goalkeeper has become the first player to confess to K-League match-fixing in return for a reduced penalty.
The player, whose name is being withheld, is a member of Jeonbuk Motors squad but was reportedly engaged in match-fixing while on the books at Chunnam Dragons last season.
He also served as a back-up custodian for the national team in 2008, though he was never capped.
K-League secretary Ahn Gi-Heon said the player had come forward voluntarily following the arrest of a former Dragons team-mate.
The goalkeeper first informed his Jeonbuk head coach Choi Kang-Hee last Friday night, Ahn told Yonhap news agency.
After speaking with Lee Chul-Geun, general manager of Jeonbuk, we decided to hand the case over to prosecutors. <…
John O’Shea will not allow the emotion of his journey from Under-15s player to Republic of Ireland manager to distract him as he prepares to guide his country into friendly battle with Belgium.
The 42-year-old former defender won 118 senior caps for Ireland during a distinguished playing career which brought him five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, three League Cups and a Champions League in his 12-year spell at Manchester United.
Having been placed in temporary charge of the national team as the Football Association of Ireland prepares to unveil Stephen Kenny’s successor early next month, O’Shea, who grew up as a footballer under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, will head into Saturday’s clash with the Belgians concentrating only on the 90 minutes in fro…
Germany are wary of a second-game letdown at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, after slipping up against Serbia at the same point four years ago.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer warned Germany must analyse their 4-0 thumping of Portugal honestly ahead of their second match against Ghana, claiming his team were quite lucky in the Group G encounter in Salvador on Monday.
In South Africa four years ago, Germany started the World Cup with a 4-0 demolition of Australia but were stunned 1-0 by Serbia in their second game before edging out Ghana by the same scoreline at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
Speaking to the German Football Association s website, Neuer maintained Germany must improve on their performance against Portugal if they are to defeat Ghana at Fortaleza s Estadio Governado…
Competition: World Cup
Market: Jackson Martinez to score anytime
Odds:
With how impressive Colombia have been to top their group with maximum points to earn qualification into the next round, their striker Jackson Martinez is expected to play a big role in their last 16 meeting against South American rivals Uruguay this evening.
Martinez, who currently plays for Porto, scored a brace in his first World Cup start in the 4-1 thrashing of Japan recently, and is hoping to repeat the feat against Uruguay. Falcao’s absence hasn’t harmed the side at all in the World Cup, and 888 Sport are giving odds of 28/13 for Martinez to get himself on the score sheet at any time, given how impressive he’s been for his club in the last year scoring 20 goals in 30 games.
Napoli have completed the signing of Emanuele Giaccherini from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee. The Italy international has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A side.
Italy international Giaccherini joined Sunderland from Juventus in 2013, but failed to live up to expectation at the Stadium of Light over the past three seasons.
The 31-year-old spent last season on loan at Bologna and has now sealed a permanent return to his native country.
Ufficiale: Emanuele Giaccherini è un nuovo calciatore azzurro!
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli)
I have joined an important and prestigious club, Giaccherini commented on his move.
I am very happy to be wearing the Napoli jersey.
I cannot wait to start my new adventure with Nap…
Edinson Cavani says he welcomes the challenge of replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic as Paris Saint-Germain s central striker.
The Uruguay international has spent much of his career with the Ligue 1 champions playing in a wide role in order to accommodate the former Sweden captain operating as the spearhead of the attack.
With Ibrahimovic having left to join Manchester United, Cavani looks set to be deployed at the head of the forward line under new head coach Unai Emery.
But despite facing the prospect of having to get close to Ibrahimovic s haul of 50 goals in 51 appearances last season, Cavani says he feels no pressure in taking on the mantle.
Pressure? No. Every player has his way of playing. I have no pressure, he told L Equipe. It s a personal challenge f…
Rumoured Manchester United target Jack Grealish is destined to move to a bigger club than Aston Villa, according to his team-mate Conor Hourihane.
Grealish has been the standout performer in a Villa side who have been fighting against relegation from the Premier League this term having come up via the Championship play-offs last season.
The 24-year-old boyhood Villa fan has scored seven goals and contributed six assists, form which has resulted in him being linked with a move away.
United are thought to be among those interested, particularly after Grealish starred in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in December, and Hourihane feels his fellow midfielder will soon be turning out for an elite side.
He s top, top class, Republic of Ireland international Hour…
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Derby will hope to get the better of more Premier League opposition as they travel to Brighton in the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend.
Brighton
Starting with the hosts, coming off the back of another very worrying display in their 3-1 loss at home to Burnley last weekend, Chris Hughton is arguably enduring his most difficult spell at Brighton. Taking a replay and extra time to come past another one of the Championship playoff contenders in West Brom, their victory at the Hawthorns is the Seagulls only victory in their last seven appearances. Now sat just three points above the drop zone and yet to win a match in 90 minutes since the 5th of January, the former Newcastle boss will be growing mo…