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Arteta Wants ‘Dominant’ Performance at Liverpool

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
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Arteta Wants ‘Dominant’ Performance at Liverpool

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion, in London, Britain, 17 December 2023. (EPA)

Arsenal has recorded wins at some iconic stadiums in Mikel Arteta's four years as manager. He hopes to add Anfield to the list.

First place in the English Premier League will be up for grabs Saturday when Arsenal faces Liverpool.

"We have done it at Old Trafford, we have done it at Stamford Bridge and many other places that for many years we haven’t," Arteta said Friday. "That’s the next challenge. Go there and win. (If) you want to be at the top, you’re going to have to go to those places and be dominant and win the games, and that’s what we’re going to try to do."

The winner would sit atop the league regardless of the outcome of third-placed Aston Villa's home match Friday against Sheffield United. The Gunners lead Liverpool and Villa by one point, with Klopp's team second on goal difference.

Arsenal hasn't won at Anfield since September 2012, when Arteta was still playing in Arsene Wegner's midfield.

They were on track to snap the streak in April when Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus scored early to give them a 2-0 lead. The Gunners were in the title race with Manchester City. But Mohamed Salah scored before the break and Roberto Firmino tied it in the 87th. It ended 2-2.

"The atmosphere is something that is important to understand as well, but we have now the experience of what we did last year there as well for big parts of the game," Arteta said. "That’s a lot of things that we have to replicate and some others that we have to do better to win tomorrow.

"We allowed them to run, especially. When they get that momentum and the space, they are a really dangerous team."

Speaking of atmosphere, Klopp spent time Friday talking about his post-match comments that followed a 5-1 win over West Ham in the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday at Anfield.

Klopp had said he was "not overly happy with the atmosphere behind me," and urged subdued supporters to "give your ticket to somebody else" if they can't be on their toes Saturday.

The manager said Friday that it boils down to him wanting the game to be "a proper Anfield experience."

"I can’t wait for the first whistle," he said.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson could be back in January. The left back had shoulder surgery following an injury in October while on international duty with Scotland.

"We all hope it will be in January," Klopp said.

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Mbappe Dropped by Chinese Brands for 'Offending National Sentiments'

France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the Ballon d'Or in London. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the Ballon d'Or in London. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
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Mbappe Dropped by Chinese Brands for 'Offending National Sentiments'

France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the Ballon d'Or in London. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
France and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the Ballon d'Or in London. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Kylian Mbappe was dropped Tuesday by two major brands in China after a video circulated online in which the French football superstar apparently joked about former leader Mao Zedong.

In China jokes about Mao, the country's founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo, said AFP.

"Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behavior that offends national sentiments," drinks giant Dongpeng said in a statement, adding that "with immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe".

Adverts showing AI-generated images of the 27-year-old France captain drinking a Dongpeng sports drink were regularly shown in China during this year's World Cup.

Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, also cut ties with the Real Madrid forward, who until this incident was hugely popular among Chinese fans with millions of followers on social media.

Mbappe is fondly nicknamed "Guigui", the Chinese translation of "Turtle", due to his popularity as a character in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meme.

"With immediate effect our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe," Mengniu said in a statement.

"Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," it added.

The announcements came after a video emerged online with Mbappe saying that the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face photo-shopped onto that of "some guy -- I think he's a Chinese dictator".

This was an apparent reference to a meme of Mbappe superimposed on an image of Mao, one of several using the footballer's face and other historical figures.

The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP Fact Check.

"Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe" was the top-trending topic on Chinese social media site Weibo.

One Weibo user said that the "extremely serious wrong remarks... crossed the red line. They are completely unacceptable".

Others urged Dongpeng to remove Mbappe's image from their energy drink bottles.

Dongqiudi, one of China's biggest online football outlets, said in a statement on Monday evening that Mbappe's remarks were "offensive to China and the Chinese people" and "have hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people".

- China furore -

Mbappe in September addressed a previous meme depicting him as a military dictator, in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe.

"There's a part of it that's funny. You can tell that, for some people, it's all in good fun. But there is another part that's a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history," he said.

"Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have brought misery to millions upon millions of people -- well, I don't think I've ever done anything like that in my life," he said.

The furore in China came a day after Mbappe lost out to Harry Kane for the Ballon d'Or, the most prestigious individual award in football.

Global sports stars that have commented on sensitive topics such as Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong have previously caused controversy in China and been dumped by sponsors there.

Former NBA player Dwight Howard referred to Taiwan as a country in 2023 as he appeared in a video with the island's vice president and current president Lai Ching-te, sparking fury on Chinese social media.

Beijing claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet in 2019 supporting Hong Kong protests, leading to China suspending sponsorship deals with the NBA and pulling games off Chinese television for a year.

Sports

GEA Chairman Confirms Six Kings Slam Tennis Tournament at Riyadh Season with Sinner Returning

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 12, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 12, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev. (Reuters)
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GEA Chairman Confirms Six Kings Slam Tennis Tournament at Riyadh Season with Sinner Returning

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 12, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 12, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev. (Reuters)

Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Alalshikh confirmed on Monday that the Six Kings Slam will take place on December 27, 28 and 30 in Riyadh, as part of the seventh edition of Riyadh Season, bringing together six of the world’s leading tennis players.

The new dates allow Italy’s Jannik Sinner to return and defend his title after an injury forced him to withdraw from the event originally scheduled for October. Sinner won the previous two editions in 2024 and 2025, defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in both finals.

Joining Sinner are Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, American Taylor Fritz and Australia’s Alex de Minaur. All matches will stream live exclusively on Netflix for the second consecutive year, with subscribers able to watch at no extra cost.

The line-up holds a combined 38 Grand Slam titles, including Djokovic’s 24 and Sinner’s five. Zverev claimed the French Open and US Open titles this year, while Alcaraz won the Australian Open to become the youngest man in tennis history to complete a Career Grand Slam.

The upcoming edition will mark Fritz’s second appearance after finishing third last year, while de Minaur will make his Six Kings Slam debut after reaching a career-high World No. 5 in July. Together, the players bring a variety of playing styles to the competition.

Sports

Barca’s Big-Game Defeats Pose Familiar Questions

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a Spanish LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a Spanish LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Barca’s Big-Game Defeats Pose Familiar Questions

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a Spanish LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a Spanish LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

After a superb start to the season Barcelona were brought crashing back down to earth by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain last week, raising fresh doubts about the Spanish champions' ability to compete against the strongest opponents.

Hansi Flick's side have dominated in Spain over the last two seasons, winning back-to-back La Liga titles, but notably in Europe have fallen short on high-pressure nights.

The Catalan giants have played sumptuous attacking football this season and won their first 11 games across all competitions, but once the quality of their opponents rose, it was a different story.

Barca were beaten 4-2 in Paris by European champions PSG on Tuesday, showing they are still some way from matching Luis Enrique's side.

That was compounded by Sunday's painful 2-1 home defeat by Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in La Liga, in which Barcelona's defensive frailties were laid bare again.

A draw would have been an acceptable result and maintained their six-point lead on Madrid in the top flight, but they left far too much space for Los Blancos to exploit in the final stages.

With three minutes to go, Eduardo Camavinga raced through on goal and squared for Kylian Mbappe to net his 100th Madrid goal and second of the night to snatch victory.

"In the end sometimes in the big, big games, small things are important and they decide the game and which way they end, and today that was not on our side," Flick told reporters, pledging to improve.

"We know what we have to make better. We speak about this in every training. We will do it, I'm not worried about that.

"It's a part of this game to lose also. In this week, we had two (losses) and it's too much."

However, it is a discourse which the German coach has repeated during his tenure.

"We are a young side and we have to mature," said Flick, after Inter Milan ousted Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals in May 2025.

"We are working on it and we have to improve in defense and in other aspects."

- Lack of 'freshness' -

Despite spending good money on Anthony Gordon, Rodri and others this summer, and trying to bring in Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, Barcelona did not sign a center-back.

Instead, Flick has persisted with Gerard Martin, a converted left-back, playing alongside Pau Cubarsi.

Martin has done well, considering his technical limitations and change of position, but against the world's best strikers is clearly out of his depth.

The defender's poor clearance handed Madrid their first goal against Barca, with Mbappe gleefully capitalizing.

To Martin's credit, he did defend well to stop Jude Bellingham and Mbappe in a two-on-one situation early in the second half, which exposed a more structural problem Barca have.

Their high-line defense is easy to breach when the team's pressing is not executed perfectly, with high energy.

Flick suggested Barcelona lacked "freshness" against Madrid, after a grueling schedule, although his team had an extra day to recover midweek and the coach waited until the final minutes to introduce Gabriel Jesus and Karim Adeyemi.

Barca do have injury problems at the back, with Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen all missing the Clasico, along with midfielder Dani Olmo.

"This may be the most important point, the injuries we have," explained Flick.

Barcelona still hold a three-point lead on Madrid, third, in the title race. They are more than capable of going on another run of victories, but the weeks ahead will pose further interesting tests.

Aston Villa visit Camp Nou in the Champions League on November 3, before Barcelona head to Atletico Madrid on November 8. A month after that, Manchester City come to the Camp Nou.

Flick has been promising improvement in these type of matches for over two years -- perhaps now he will finally focus on implementing it.