Today in Football – Things You May Have Missed

Football never sleeps. During any of the 86400 seconds in a 24-hour day, somewhere in the world someone is doing something related to the beautiful game, whether that’s scoring a last-minute winner in a high-profile match, posting their expert take on social media or simply booting a ball against a wall with their mates.

It’s therefore impossible for any human being to keep up with everything that’s going on in the game, and it’s often those little yet most intriguing moments, like a fan’s alternative viewpoint of a penalty save, or a three-second yet incredibly telling interaction between two arch-rivals, or thread on X explaining why N’Golo Kante is the nicest man in professional sport, which make football so great.

GIVEMESPORT have created our live blog to help solve that problem, providing the best social media has to offer and the greatest football mini-stories from the last 24 hours.

25th August: Noni Madueke Deletes Controversial Wolverhampton Post

He might receive a few boos from Wolves fans today

Chelsea winger Noni Madueke can expect a hostile reception from Wolves fans on Sunday afternoon after posting (and then swiftly deleting) an eyebrow-raising post on Instagram about the city of Wolverhampton. Per the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old tagged Wolverhampton on an Instagram story alongside the caption: “Everything about this place is s***”.

Madueke removed the post and laughed it off by posting another story to his 962,000 Instagram followers which read: “Damn wrong Instagram account. You lot are too fast.” The England Under-21 international was in Wolverhampton on Saturday evening for Chelsea’s 2pm kick-off against Gary O’Neil’s side at Molineux – a game which, unfortunately, won’t be televised on UK TV.

24th August: Guardiola Blunt on Haaland Despite Hat-Trick

Doesn’t feel he is the most ‘complete centre-forward’ ever

It was a good day for Manchester City as they made it two wins from two in the Premier League. Despite falling behind to Ipswich Town after just seven minutes, three goals in the space of four minutes was enough to turn things around.

Erling Haaland scored a brace in that first flurry before netting his hat-trick in the dying embers of the match to give Pep Guardiola a 4-1 win. Despite having only played in the English top flight for two full seasons and two games, the striker has now scored the same amount of Premier League hat-tricks as Wayne Rooney (7).

With that in mind, after the game Guardiola was asked: “Is Haaland the most complete centre-forward we have ever seen in this game?” The Man City boss did not hesitate when snubbing the suggestion, cooly replying:

“The most incredible forward I have ever seen is [Lionel] Messi… I never saw something like that.”

24th August: Jordan Pickford Makes Huge Error vs Spurs

The goalkeeper held his hands up immediately

Everton started their 2024/25 season with a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Brighton at Goodison Park. Sean Dyche’s men headed to north London with the daunting task of facing Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in their second outing.

Following the humbling against the Seagulls, the Toffees’ boss will have been keen to keep things tight at the back for as long as possible. Unfortunately for Dyche, his side fell a goal behind early on as a returning Yves Bissouma rifled into the back of the net. England international Jordan Pickford is usually Mr Reliable for Everton, but the shot-stopper won’t want to see the second Spurs goal back anytime soon.

The ball slipped under his foot when he tried to clear his lines and Heung-min Son was more than happy to tap the ball into the back of an empty net to take full advantage. Pickford immediately gestured his apology to his teammates as his side were left with a mountain to climb.

23rd August: Granit Xhaka Scores ‘Worldie’ Goal of the Season Contender

The Swiss international produced the goods against

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has already put forward his claim for the goal of the season award with a stunning strike in Bayer Leverkusen’s opening Bundesliga game of the season against the Swiss star’s former club Borussia Monchengladbach.

Xabi Alonso’s defending champions went unbeaten during the entirety of the last domestic campaign, and his side were aiming to get off to the perfect start when they produced a counter-attack down the right-hand side in the opening quarter of an hour. Jeremie Frimpong’s cross was cleared only as far as Xhaka, who unleashed a first-time thunderbolt which rifled into the top corner.

Despite the screamer, the 31-year-old did not get carried away with his celebration, instead choosing to show respect to his former employers as his teammates understandably mobbed him.

23rd August: What Noni Madueke Said After Scoring v Servette

Fans on social media think they have the answer

Fans on social media believe Noni Madueke said “Sell me?” after scoring Chelsea’s second goal against Servette on Thursday night. Enzo Maresca’s side secured a 2-0 victory in their Europa Conference League play-off round match at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Christopher Nkunku and the aforementioned 22-year-old winger.

Madueke scored with aplomb from a tight angle before running to the fans with his arms stretched out. The England Under-21 international then pointed to himself and, according to @StopThatCFC and others on X, proceeded to say: “Sell me?”. Like the vast majority of Chelsea’s bloated squad, there has been speculation that Madueke could leave the west London outfit this summer. However, the winger has shown Maresca why keeping him might be the smart decision.

22nd August: Marc Guiu Spurns Golden Opportunity v Servette

He somehow didn’t open his account for Chelsea

Marc Guiu produced an incredible miss in Chelsea’s Conference League match against Servette FC on Thursday evening. The Spanish youngster, who joined the Blues in a €6 million fee move from Barcelona this summer, looked as if he was going to open his account for the club when he was just eight yards out and had an open goal.

However, despite having the whole goal to aim for, the 18-year-old scuffed his effort and the Servette stopper was able to get back and prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net. The ball ricocheted back to Guiu but he could not make amends as he saw a second attempt saved.

Referee Jarred Gillett wore a body cam for the match

​​​​Back in May, Australian referee Jarred Gillett would a body cam for the Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park. The camera, which was approved by The IFAB, the Premier League, PGMOL and both clubs, was worn as part of a one-off programme being produced by Premier League Productions (PLP) as a means of educating the public about the demands of officiating in the Premier League. It had the aim of enhancing respect for match officials and, hopefully, encouraging more people to become referees.

Crystal Palace ran out 4-0 victors and footage of one of Michael Olise’s goals in the match has now emerged and gone viral on social media. The Frenchman, now at Bayern Munich, can be sitting down Casemiro before driving forward and finishing past Andre Onana. The footage makes for epic viewing and you can watch it above.

21st August: Conor Gallagher Greets Atletico Fans in Spanish

The new arrival put in a solid effort after sealing move

Conor Gallagher finally completed his long-awaited move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid. The English midfielder had been on standby for weeks to see if the two clubs could agree on a deal, which eventually happened with Joao Felix heading in the opposite direction.

Despite only just arriving at the club, Gallagher has clearly been putting in effort to learn the language while waiting for his move to go through. WHile he was only able to put together a couple of sentences, it will have gone a long way to winning over his new fans. The 24-year-old said: “Hello, I don’t speak much Spanish. I am very happy. Aupa Atleti!”

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21st August: Pedro Neto and Joao Felix’s Chelsea Squad Numbers Revealed

Neto’s kit number has changed following his debut against Manchester City

Pedro Neto and Joao Felix’s squad numbers have been officially confirmed. Neto, who arrived from Wolves earlier this month, is set to wear the number seven shirt – which had been occupied by Raheem Sterling – for the upcoming campaign. The Portugal international wore the number 19 shirt on his debut in the Blues’ opening-day defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

According to Sky Sports reporter, Kaveh Solhekol, fans who bought a 19 Neto shirt can exchange it for a 7 Neto shirt. As for Felix, the former Atletico Madrid star is set to wear the number 14 shirt – which had belonged to Trevoh Chalobah. It’s believed that both Sterling and Chalobah are expected to leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window.

Solhekol also mentions that the number nine shirt remains unallocated as the club continue to work on signing a new striker. At the top of their list is Napoli forward Victor Osimhen as the west London outfit desperately look to bolster their forward line.

21st August: Rodri Names the Greatest Player of All Time

Man City star snubbed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Rodri knows a thing or two about what it takes to be an elite footballer, having operated at the highest level for Manchester City over the years. So, when he was asked to name the greatest player of all time, you would expect him to have a solid answer.

While many football fans would opt for one of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, the Spaniard decided to choose his club teammate Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian has been one of the Premier League’s best players since arriving at the Etihad, but whether he’s the best to ever play the game is an entirely different matter.

21st August: Cesar Azpilicueta Helps Gallagher Settle at Atletico

Former Chelsea teammates reunited in Spain for first training session

The transfer saga between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea finally came to a close as the Spanish side announced that the English midfielder had finally joined the club. The signing had been left in limbo following the Blues bailing out of a deal that would see Samu Omorodion move to Stramford Bridge.

But Gallagher was able to participate in his first training session for Madrid, and former Chelsea teammate and captain Cesar Azpilicueta has gone viral after helping the new signing settle in. He was a constant presence throughout, translating all the Spanish instructions for him so that he knew what to do.

21st August: Sven-Goran Eriksson Delivers a Final Goodbye

The former England boss shared a moving message

Earlier this year, Sven-Goran Eriksson shared the devastating news that he had terminal cancer, with ‘at best’ a year left to live. One of football’s icons throughout the 2000s, the revelation was met with shock and sorrow from fans, ex-players and pundits alike. Now, the former Three Lions boss has shared what seems like a final goodbye message to fans, via The Mirror.

In a moment that will be the culmination of his new documentary ‘Sven’ which will released on Amazon soon, the Swede can be seen sitting in his native Sweden, looking out over a lake. From there, he delivers his farewell message, wishing that people would remember the good about him.

20th August: Toni Kroos Reacts to Ilkay Gundogan Leaving Barcelona

Real Madrid great was shocked by the news

Ilkay Gundogan might only have joined Barcelona a year ago, but the German already looks like he will be leaving the club during the summer transfer window. The Catalan side are reportedly even willing to let him leave for free so that they can free up their wage bill for new signings.

News of his potential departure has been met with some shock, and former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos was one individual who expressed his surprise at the news. Reacting to Fabrizio Romano’s post on Instagram, the now-retired midfielder simply said ‘WOW’ followed by three emojis. It certainly seems as if he’s not in favour of the decision.

19th August: Vardy Winds up Cristian Romero

Things got heated between the striker and the Spurs man

Leicester City returned to Premier League action for the first time since being relegated in the 2022/23 season. The Foxes welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power stadium but fell behind thanks to a first-half goal from defender Pedro Porro.

However, in typical fashion, Jamie Vardy was on hand to bag an equaliser, before he then took time to wind up the opposition players as he was substituted. Pointing at the Premier League badge and gesturing to the away supporters, he then got into a war of words with defender Cristian Romero, illustrating the fact that he remains the same wind-up merchant that fans have grown to love over the years.

19th August: Haaland’s Reaction to Cucurella Asking for Help

It took Erling Haaland just 18 minutes to make Marc Cucurella regret his eyebrow-raising song that mentioned the lethal Manchester City forward ‘trembling’ at the prospect of facing him. The Chelsea defender was effortlessly brushed aside by the powerful Norwegian, who opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Cucurella went off injured 10 minutes before full-time after pulling up with what initially appeared to be a potential hamstring injury. As the Spaniard cried out for help, Haaland was seen calmly strolling past him. New footage has now emerged which shows the 24-year-old looking down at his opponent while smiling. Revenge truly is a dish best served ice-cold.

Sebastian Munoz goes viral for all the wrong reasons

​​​​​A footballer in Peru has gone viral on social media for what’s being described as ‘the most embarrassing sending off ever’. Atletico Awajun’s Sebastian Munoz was spotted with his back to the pitch by the corner flag while Cantorcillo goalkeeper Lucho Ruiz received treatment for an injury during a match at the Copa Peru.

Munoz was waiting to take a corner but took the opportunity to, ahem… relieve himself by urinating by the side of the pitch. The referee spotted what was happening and marched over before brandishing a straight red card – presumably for unsportsmanlike conduct. When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. Just don’t do it on the side of the pitch while preparing to take a corner.

18th August: Current Premier League Players Select Best Ever Captain

Roy Keane proved to be a popular choice among current skippers

The Premier League has been blessed with players who have proven to be exceptional captains for their clubs over the years. The likes of Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard and John Terry all spring to mind. And in a new video, Sky Sports asked current skippers who the best captain in English top flight history was.

Son Heung-min, Jamie Vardy and Bruno Fernandes were among those asked to give their opinion, with Vincent Kompany and Nemanja Vidic both named. However, it was Keane who proved to be the most popular choice among those included in the footage, as the Irishman collected three out of a possible seven votes.