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Harry Kane and Bayern Head to Lazio Needing to Bounce Back After Leverkusen Loss 

Bayern's Leroy Sane covers his face besides Harry Kane after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's Leroy Sane covers his face besides Harry Kane after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP)
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Harry Kane and Bayern Head to Lazio Needing to Bounce Back After Leverkusen Loss 

Bayern's Leroy Sane covers his face besides Harry Kane after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's Leroy Sane covers his face besides Harry Kane after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP)

This was meant to be the year that Harry Kane finally won a trophy. The Champions League might be his best chance now.

Bayern Munich heads to Lazio in the round of 16 on Wednesday needing to bounce back after a 3-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen left it five points off the Bundesliga lead. Kane is on track to be a member of the first Bayern team since the 2011-12 season not to win the league.

Injuries are weighing Bayern down, coach Thomas Tuchel's tactics are in question and forward Thomas Müller questioned his teammates' mentality in the “nightmare” Leverkusen loss.

Kane has 24 Bundesliga goals already but never came close to a 25th on Saturday. He was shut out of the game as Bayern fell further behind the league leader. Bayern's attack was neutralized by Leverkusen and the entire team had just one shot on goal.

There are 13 games left and much can still happen, but Bayern's title hopes now rest on Leverkusen slipping up. Not so easy when Leverkusen is unbeaten in 31 games.

That makes Wednesday's game at Lazio all the more important.

The Italian team, eighth in Serie A, may not be the hardest opponent Bayern could have faced in the round of 16, but the pressure is on the players and coach to improve.

Left back Alphonso Davies, midfielder Konrad Laimer and forwards Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman all remain injured, while goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and right back Noussair Mazraoui were rested Monday before returning to training Tuesday ahead of traveling to Italy.

Tuchel defended his tactics after the decision to switch from a back four to a back three for the first time this season backfired. Leverkusen exploited space on Bayern's left flank, where Tuchel had deployed Sacha Boey, usually a right back.

Bayern's transfer strategy is also in question after Josip Stanišić, a Bayern right back on loan at Leverkusen, scored the first goal. The way Leverkusen overwhelmed the central midfield pairing of Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka was a reminder that Bayern's season might look different had the club's plans to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham in September not collapsed at the last minute.

Kane reeled off a list of Bayern's attacking faults after the Leverkusen loss.

“In the final third we weren’t good in one-on-one battles, we weren’t good in duels. The final delivery wasn’t there today. So a really disappointing day with the ball,” Kane said.

Against Lazio, Kane and his teammates are under pressure to do better.

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Reports: Liverpool Fear Isak Has Broken Leg

Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) is helped off the field by medical staff after picking up an injury during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) is helped off the field by medical staff after picking up an injury during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
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Reports: Liverpool Fear Isak Has Broken Leg

Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) is helped off the field by medical staff after picking up an injury during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Swedish striker #09 Alexander Isak (C) is helped off the field by medical staff after picking up an injury during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Liverpool are awaiting scan results they fear will confirm record signing Alexander Isak has suffered a broken leg after he was injured in their win against Tottenham, reports said Monday.

The Sweden forward was hurt in the act of scoring the opening goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory in London after a sliding challenge from Spurs defender Micky van der Ven.

Isak, 26, who had come on as a second-half substitute, was unable to celebrate with his teammates and left the pitch in considerable distress.

Immediately after the game Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted the injury was "not a good thing".

"If a player doesn't even try to come back, that is usually not a good thing but I cannot say anything more than that," AFP quoted him as saying.

"That is just gut feeling and nothing medical... let's not be too negative yet. We don't know yet. Let's hope he is back with us soon."

The Athletic and Sky Sports reported Monday that Liverpool fear Isak has broken his leg, which would mean a lengthy period on the sidelines.

Isak has had a disrupted start to his life at Anfield, making just 16 appearances and scoring three goals since his £125 million ($168 million) British record move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day.

A dispute with Newcastle meant he did not have a proper pre-season program and arrived at Anfield well behind his team-mates in terms of fitness. His season was then interrupted by a groin injury.

Any absence would be a major blow for Slot, with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and Cody Gakpo not ready to return from a muscle injury until early in the yew year.

It leaves the Liverpool manager with Hugo Ekitike, who has five goals in his past four games, and the little-used Federico Chiesa as his only senior forwards.

Liverpool, whose Premier League title defense collapsed after a shocking run of results, have climbed to fifth in the table after extending their unbeaten league run to five games.

Sports

Three Talking Points from the Premier League Weekend 

Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero is ushered off the pitch by Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank after becoming the second Tottenham player sent off during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero is ushered off the pitch by Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank after becoming the second Tottenham player sent off during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Three Talking Points from the Premier League Weekend 

Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero is ushered off the pitch by Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank after becoming the second Tottenham player sent off during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero is ushered off the pitch by Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank after becoming the second Tottenham player sent off during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

Arsenal held off Manchester City to stay top of the Premier League at Christmas courtesy of a Viktor Gyokeres penalty in the 1-0 win at Everton.

Liverpool cashed in on nine-man Tottenham's lack of composure to extend their revival in the absence of Mohamed Salah.

Bottom of the table Wolves are setting unwanted records after a 10th straight league defeat against Brentford.

AFP Sports looks at three talking points from the weekend's action:

- Arsenal stay on top -

The Gunners will be top of the tree on Christmas Day for the third time in four years after grinding out a first Premier League away win in four games on Merseyside.

Being in first place at that landmark point of the campaign is usually a sign of future champions, but it has proved to be more of a curse for Arsenal.

In the four previous times they have led at Christmas in the Premier League era, they have not gone on to win the title.

That includes two recent examples as Mikel Arteta's men were reeled in by Manchester City in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Indeed, the last five times the leaders at Christmas did not go on to become champions, City have won the title.

Arteta, though, is confident his side will finally get their reward for continuing to put themselves in pole position for a first league title in 22 years.

"What gives me belief and confidence is the level of performance and the consistency of that," the Spaniard told AFP. "That's very, very difficult to do in this league and that means that the team is constantly there."

- Tottenham seeing red -

Tottenham could not be accused of a lack of fight to save their under-pressure manager.

But indiscipline was their downfall as another home defeat, 2-1 against Liverpool on Saturday, left the increasingly beleaguered Thomas Frank in the firing line.

Frank tried to shift the blame onto referee John Brooks for not ruling out Liverpool's second goal for a push by Hugo Ekitike on Cristian Romero.

But by that point Tottenham forward Xavi Simons had already seen red for a wild lunge on Virgil van Dijk.

Romero was booked for his protests after Ekitike's goal and then got himself sent-off in stoppage-time for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, just as Tottenham had the Reds on the ropes.

"To get involved right and kick out at someone right in front of the referee. If my four-year-old did that, I would say 'what are you doing?" Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said after the eighth red card of Romero's career.

Former Brentford boss Frank finds himself in a familiar position to many Spurs managers in recent years, unable to produce a team fit to match the club's world class stadium.

Only the bottom three have taken fewer points than Tottenham's eight from nine home league games this season.

- Abysmal Wolves -

With relegation already appearing inevitable, Wolves are in danger of becoming the worst side in Premier League history.

A meek 2-0 home defeat to Brentford on Saturday means they remain without a win and with just two points after 17 games.

The record books have already been rewritten during a miserable campaign for one of English football's oldest clubs.

A losing streak of 10 consecutive top-flight games is a first in Wolves' 148-year history.

Derby's record low points total of 11 from 2007-08 is under threat, with Wolves having the joint lowest points tally at Christmas in Premier League history alongside Sheffield United in 2020-21.

"Do we want to be remembered for fighting until the end of the season," asked vice-captain Matt Doherty after Saturday's latest defeat. "Or do we want to be remembered for being cowards?"

Sports

Amorim Fears United Captain Fernandes Will Be Out ‘a While’ 

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
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Amorim Fears United Captain Fernandes Will Be Out ‘a While’ 

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)

Ruben Amorim fears Bruno Fernandes will be out for "a while" after the Manchester United captain was injured during Sunday's 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.

Fernandes has started every Premier League game this season, but the Portugal midfielder is unlikely to extend that run any further following his injury setback at Villa Park.

The 31-year-old initially played on after pulling up with what appeared to be a hamstring issue just before the break, but he did not return for the second half.

Amorim ruled his influential star out of the Boxing Day clash against Newcastle, with severe doubts about his availability for the rest of the Christmas and New Year schedule.

"It's a soft tissue. I think he's going to lose some games. I don't know for sure, so let's see," Amorim said.

"You never control these things, so we'll see. He is a guy who is always fit so he can recover quite well, but I don't know."

Fernandes' fitness blow compounded Amorim's injury problems, with England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo missing the Villa game due to a calf issue.

The 20-year-old had dominated the build-up to Sunday's game after his half-brother wore a "Free Kobbie Mainoo" t-shirt to Monday's 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Mainoo would have been in contention to make his first Premier League start of the season against Newcastle, but instead he is set to miss out.

"I will see what we are going to do," Amorim said. "I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, Bruno is out, so we will see. We are going to find solutions. No excuses.

"We need to win the next game and we will try to win the next game."

While Casemiro will return from suspension against Newcastle, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are at the Africa Cup of Nations and Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are also sidelined.

United's selection crisis has raised questions about the potential for new signings during the January transfer window, but Amorim won't panic.

"We need to deal with that," he said. "What we cannot do is to reach January and try to do everything in urgency and make mistakes and then 'here we go again' with a lot of mistakes.

"I'm not going to say 'we need a lot of players' because we have a plan. If we have to suffer, the club comes first.

"Of course, we are in a moment where we need points, but we need to find solutions and we are going to continue with our plan."