June 2025 - Soccer Wiretap

Premier League academy scholars achieved record-breaking GCSE, A-Level and BTEC results in summer 2025, with pass rates and completion percentages reaching new highs, The Athletic reports.

A-Level exam entries increased to 76 across 17 subjects, up from 55 the previous year, with pass rates growing to 97 percent. Additionally, 89 percent of players who started an A-Level subject completed the course and sat the exam, up from 70 percent in 2023.

At GCSE level, more than 80 percent of academy players achieved a Grade 4 or higher in English in both 2024 and 2025, surpassing the national average by approximately 30 percent. In math, the rate was 75 percent, exceeding the national average by roughly 20 percent.

Arsenal have led the way in balancing academics with football development. Bukayo Saka achieved four A*s and three As in his 2018 GCSEs, while current Under-18s midfielder Teshaun Murisa recently broke that club record with six nines and three eights.

Arsenal academy manager Per Mertesacker oversees seven players on a full-time program that allows national recruitment from under-14s level. Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly attended regular school sessions while training with the first team.

"It's very individual, because they have to be at school three days a week," Mertesacker told The Athletic. "I remember with Ethan (Nwaneri) and Myles (Lewis-Skelly), on Monday night, when they're supposed to be at Hale End. Instead, they did individual sessions here on a day release the next day, just to not overload them."

The emphasis on education stems from the Elite Player Performance Plan introduced in 2012-13. Young players now must take at least eight GCSE subjects, mirroring their peers outside academies.

Most scholars operate on a hybrid model with Tuesday designated for "day release" from school. Seventeen of 29 Category 1 academies offer full-time programs that integrate football with academics, with Manchester United's Dean Trust partnership serving as a prominent example.

Premier League head of education David Rainford said clubs now inform players earlier about retention or release decisions to avoid conflicts with exam schedules.

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham admitted the club's trophy-less 2025 campaign fell short of expectations and said the team is targeting silverware in the new year.

Madrid finished runners-up to Barcelona in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, were eliminated from the Champions League by Arsenal, and lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals. The drought marked a rare barren year for the Spanish giants.

"Let's hope for trophies," Bellingham told Real Madrid TV ahead of the team's return to action. "The fans deserve it. 2025 was a bit poor. So in the new year, we want trophies."

Madrid held an open training session at Valdebebas on Tuesday before their LaLiga return against Real Betis on Sunday. The club's first trophy opportunity comes in January's Spanish Supercopa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they face Atletico Madrid in the semifinals.

Bellingham underwent shoulder surgery after last summer's Club World Cup, delaying his LaLiga debut until late September. The England international has contributed four goals and three assists in the league, plus a goal and an assist in the Champions League.

Coach Xabi Alonso began the season impressively, winning 13 of Madrid's first 14 games. But three draws and three defeats in just over a month raised questions about his future at the Bernabeu.

Madrid secured three consecutive victories before Christmas against Alavés, Talavera de la Reina and Sevilla. However, Alonso remains under pressure as the team looks to reclaim domestic and European dominance in 2026.

The January fixtures against Betis and Atletico will prove crucial for both Madrid's trophy ambitions and Alonso's position as manager.

Arsenal emphatically ended Aston Villa's club-record-equaling 11-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory at the Emirates on Tuesday, moving five points clear at the top of the Premier League as 2025 draws to a close.

Gabriel Magalhães, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all scored in a dominant second-half display by Arsenal. Manchester City can close the gap to two points with a win over Sunderland on Thursday, but Arsenal ended the calendar year at the summit after their most convincing performance in recent weeks against a direct title rival.

The result proved Arsenal's credentials in the race to end their 22-year wait for a league title. Villa arrived with tremendous momentum, and a win for Unai Emery's side would have raised serious questions about Arsenal's ability to sustain a challenge.

Instead, Arsenal delivered their most emphatic performance of the season. Manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged the significance while cautioning against complacency as the Gunners look to capture their first Premier League crown since 2005.

"It's a great way to end the year, that's for sure," Arteta said. "Tomorrow, [we will] have a good night with our families. Then the next day we are in and we have to go to Bournemouth and we know what that means.

"It's another three points is the only thing that matters. We know how long this is going to be. It's been an incredible 2025. We know what we want from 2026, we're going to have to earn it and we're still a long way away."

Gabriel scored just three minutes into the second half on his first start since November 8, returning from injury perhaps earlier than ideal. The Brazilian center-back outmuscled Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from a corner, heading home at close range after Martinez failed to punch clear the delivery while preoccupied with physical battling.

Arteta praised Gabriel's impact on both ends of the pitch against one of the league's most dangerous attacks.

"Big Gabi comes back from injury after six weeks, which probably should have been a bit longer," Arteta said. "He comes against the team that is probably hardest to control—especially the front players and the striker that they have in terms of their movement. And he impacts the game in an incredible way, both defending and in the opposition box."

Zubimendi doubled the lead four minutes later following excellent work from Martin Odegaard, who won possession from Youri Tielemans and delivered a perfectly weighted through ball. The Norwegian captain has been ramping back to his best after struggling with rhythm following multiple injuries this season.

"Well, he needed some consistency as well and some games," Arteta said of Odegaard. "He had two shoulder injuries and then a big knee injury. It takes some time, but now you can see he's flowing. His energy level is back to where it is, he's taking risks, he's affecting games in a great way."

Trossard added a third before Jesus scored with his first touch after replacing Viktor Gyökeres, finishing a devastating counter-attack that traveled from goalkeeper David Raya to Villa's net in just 22 seconds. The goal was Jesus' first since January.

Villa manager Emery saw his depleted side—missing suspended duo Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash, plus injured Amadou Onana—unable to capitalize on first-half chances despite setting up well defensively in a 6-3-1 shape.

"We competed fantastic the first half, and we were getting our momentum, creating chances, corners," Emery said. "And the second half, we conceded the first goal, then we conceded the second goal and maybe as well, Onana's injury didn't help us because he's important for us in set pieces and in the middle."

Ollie Watkins scored a late consolation for the visitors, who remain third, one point behind City. Arsenal travel to Bournemouth on Saturday with Arteta hopeful Declan Rice will recover from a knee injury in time to feature.

Chelsea assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the decision to substitute Cole Palmer during Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth after Stamford Bridge supporters jeered head coach Enzo Maresca's choice to remove one of his best players while chasing a winning goal.

Chants of "you don't know what you're doing" rang out when Palmer was withdrawn in the 63rd minute. The result extends Chelsea's poor Premier League run to one win in seven matches.

Maresca, absent from postmatch media duties due to illness, faces mounting pressure after Chelsea dropped points from a winning position for the third consecutive home match. The Blues have now surrendered 13 points at Stamford Bridge after leading this season.

Palmer, recently returned from a lengthy injury, created frustration among home fans when replaced in the second half. Caballero insisted the decision prioritized the England international's health for the remainder of the campaign.

"Cole is coming from a long injury," Caballero said. "In this case we need to find a way to find the right substitutions to go for the game and also to look after the health of our players."

Caballero praised Maresca's professionalism despite his illness, noting the Italian coached training sessions while unwell over the previous two days.

"He's an example for me and all of the staff," Caballero said.

David Brooks opened scoring in the sixth minute before Palmer equalized from the penalty spot. Enzo Fernández put Chelsea ahead, but Justin Kluivert leveled before halftime after the hosts failed to clear a long throw-in.

Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo appeared to bid farewell to traveling supporters amid speculation about an impending Manchester City transfer. However, Cherries boss Andoni Iraola expressed confidence the forward will feature against Arsenal on Saturday.

"It's not his last game here with us," Iraola said. "I cannot say a hundred per cent but I think he will play."

PSV Eindhoven rejected a $35 million bid from Fulham for United States international striker Ricardo Pepi, sources briefed on the situation told The Athletic. Another offer from the Premier League club is expected, with multiple teams interested in the 22-year-old forward.

Sources indicate Fulham is not alone in pursuing Pepi for a January transfer. Both Fulham and PSV declined comment when contacted by The Athletic.

Pepi has recorded 10 goals and two assists across 957 minutes in all competitions this season for the Dutch champions. Last season, he netted 18 goals in 1,132 minutes for PSV.

The striker signed a contract extension with PSV in February that runs through June 2030. He has earned 13 goals in 34 appearances for the U.S. men's national team.

Fulham sits 10th in the Premier League with 26 points after 18 matches. Winger Harry Wilson leads the club with five league goals, while Mexico international Raul Jimenez has scored four times.

Jimenez's contract expires in June. Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz remains sidelined with injury, leaving Fulham thin at the forward position.

Pepi has scored in five of his last six appearances despite recovering from a six-month knee injury. The 6-foot-1 striker has compiled 37 goals in 32 full matches since joining PSV.

"His athleticism and rangy running style ensure he will be a solid fit for the end-to-end style of the Premier League, while his sense of anticipation and finishing ability mean that he could hit the ground running," Harris wrote in The Athletic's analysis.

Pepi joined PSV after excelling on loan at FC Groningen from Augsburg, which acquired him from FC Dallas in 2022.

Former Manchester City assistants have provided rare insights into Pep Guardiola's coaching methods, revealing his relentless work ethic and tactical innovations that have made him one of football's greatest managers. The Athletic spoke with several of Guardiola's assistants throughout his career about life in his inner circle.

Piet Cremers, City's former head of analysis, recalled October 2020 when Guardiola cut short his vacation to unveil a revolutionary 3-2-5 structure. The manager called Cremers from holiday demanding immediate implementation of his new tactical vision featuring Joao Cancelo as an inverted full-back.

Guardiola and Cremers worked late into the night packaging the concept to present to players the next morning. The manager insisted on driving Cremers home, turning a 10-minute journey into 70 minutes of tactical discussion through heavy traffic.

"A journey that could have been 10 minutes ended up an hour and 10 minutes long. It was probably the best hour and 10 minutes of my life," Cremers told The Athletic. "We talked about tactics, national teams, family, everything."

Carles Planchart, Guardiola's longest-serving assistant who worked with him for over 900 games from Barcelona B through City's historic four consecutive Premier League titles, described the manager's approach to preparation.

"Working with Pep means discipline, total commitment and full involvement in preparing matches around the clock," Planchart said. "The only times he truly switches off a little bit is after a match — and only when we win."

Even after winning the 2023 Champions League final 1-0 against Inter, Guardiola continued analyzing the match. Carlos Vicens, who spent four years as Guardiola's assistant, revealed the manager's mindset.

"For months after that, he was still thinking about how we could have attacked better in that game and been more efficient to break the pressing of Inter," Vicens said.

Guardiola's openness to tactical innovations from any source sets him apart from other elite coaches. Cremers noted the manager became fascinated by Roberto De Zerbi's build-up style at Shakhtar Donetsk and demanded exhaustive analysis.

"If he saw something he thought would help him he would buy into it," Cremers said. "When you have won so much you could easily believe you know it all, but to stay ahead and be open to everyone is why he is the best."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed the club are "actively looking" at signing new players when the January transfer window opens to address mounting injury problems. The Gunners could be without four defenders for Tuesday's crucial Premier League clash against Aston Villa at the Emirates.

Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were all unavailable for Arsenal's narrow victory over Brighton on Saturday. The win kept Arsenal two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Arteta's squad depth has been severely tested this season with multiple players ruled out for extended periods. Arsenal spent over £250 million ($336m) on eight summer signings but Arteta has not ruled out further reinforcements in January.

"The window is there and I mean we are Arsenal and we have to be looking at it -- 'Okay, what do we need?' And we have to be actively looking and then, whether we can do it or not, that's a different story," Arteta said. "But our job is to always be very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully it'll be very positive."

Arteta noted other clubs maintain squads of 24 or 25 players. "Although we have had more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable, we want to be better and we know how important the part of having the right availability with players is going to be this season," he added.

Aston Villa ended Arsenal's 11-match unbeaten league run with a stoppage-time 2-1 victory on December 6. Unai Emery's side, riding a club-record 11th consecutive win across all competitions, could draw level on points with Arsenal with a victory Tuesday.

Arteta acknowledged Villa's title credentials. "They are meant to be there when you look at what they are doing and how consistent they have been and what Unai has done with the club," he said. "They fully deserve that credit because they are doing it on the pitch where you have to show your level."

The Arsenal manager reflected on the previous loss to Villa. "It was quite cruel on us, the way we lost it, but we have learned from it and we can use that as motivation and hunger in the right manner," Arteta stated.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot stated the club has not received full value from their significant summer transfer spending due to a series of injuries to key signings. The Reds spent close to £400 million in the summer window but have struggled to field their new acquisitions consistently.

British record signing Alexander Isak arrived lacking match fitness and was recently ruled out for at least two months after breaking a bone in his leg at Tottenham. Center-back Giovanni Leoni suffered a season-ending ACL injury in his first appearance for the club.

Jeremie Frimpong has made just five starts in 11 games due to a persistent hamstring issue. The trio of Isak, Leoni and Frimpong cost close to £200 million, almost half of Liverpool's summer outlay, yet have combined for only 28 appearances. This has hampered Slot's plans to reinvigorate the squad.

Frimpong marked his first Premier League start with an assist for Ryan Gravenberch's opener in Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Wolves. £116 million signing Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for the club in the same match.

"I think a lot has been said by so many people about the amount of money we've spent last summer," Slot said. "But unfortunately not all of the money we've spent we have used and that has to do with the injuries of these players."

Liverpool conceded their 12th goal from a set-piece this season when Santiago Bueno scored at a corner against Wolves. The defensive lapse destabilized what had been a comfortable performance, forcing the hosts to hang on against a team with just two points that set a Premier League record for not winning any of their first 18 matches.

Captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledged the team must improve their set-piece defending. "There have been plenty of games when we have defended them very well but the fact is we've conceded too many set-piece goals and we don't score enough," he said.

"Each and every one of us has to take responsibility. It's always going to be on the players," Van Dijk added. "It's not been good enough. We all realise that. We have spoken about that."

Manchester City are in advanced negotiations to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, sources have told ESPN. City hope to complete the deal early in the January transfer window, which opens Thursday.

Further talks with Semenyo's representatives are planned this week, sources confirmed. Bournemouth have been informed of City's intention to meet the 25-year-old's £65 million ($87.6 million) release clause, which expires January 10.

Semenyo has attracted interest from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. However, sources told ESPN that City are leading the race after learning of the player's preference to join the Etihad Stadium. Club officials pushed ahead with negotiations and contacted Bournemouth after discovering Semenyo's desire to move to City.

Semenyo has scored nine goals in 17 Premier League matches this season. The Ghana international has found the net in his last three appearances for Bournemouth, who face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday before the transfer window opens.

City's first match of 2026 is against Chelsea on January 4 at the Etihad Stadium. Should Semenyo arrive, the move could trigger a January departure for Oscar Bobb, sources indicated.

Claudio Echeverri has had his loan to Bayer Leverkusen terminated. Sources told ESPN that the Argentine midfielder will likely secure another temporary move, with City's sister club Girona the current preference for his next destination.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola may face the challenge of replacing Semenyo's production mid-season. The Cherries currently sit mid-table in the Premier League and rely heavily on the winger's goal-scoring contributions.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has reiterated his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals before retirement, a feat never achieved in the modern era. The Al Nassr forward scored his 956th career goal in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Al Okhdood.

Ronaldo holds the record for most international goals with 141 in 223 appearances for Portugal. The 40-year-old has two years remaining on his Al Nassr contract and plans to lead Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo addressed his future plans after receiving the Best Middle East Player award at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday. He emphasized his continued passion for the sport despite the physical challenges of playing at his age.

"It's hard to continue playing, but I am motivated," Ronaldo said. "My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn't matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe. I always enjoy playing football and I want to keep going."

Ronaldo expressed confidence in achieving his milestone goal. "You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number [1,000 goals] that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries," he stated.

Ronaldo reached 40 goals for the calendar year for the third consecutive season and the 14th time in his career. He has scored 12 goals in 10 Saudi Pro League matches this season, equaling his personal record from his time at Juventus.

Al Nassr will face Al Ettifaq on Tuesday, where Ronaldo will continue his pursuit of the historic 1,000-goal mark. The Portuguese forward needs 44 more goals to reach the unprecedented milestone in modern football.