Natasha Dowie believes Chelsea's appointment of Sonia Bompastor highlights the new-found global appeal of the Women's Super League.

Bompastor enjoyed three successful years at Lyon, including winning a Champions League, before deciding to move on and replace Emma Hayes this summer.

Hayes led the Blues to seven WSL titles overall, winning each of the last five in a row, and Bompastor now has the challenge of becoming the first manager in WSL history to win the league on their first attempt.

Dowie, who is now a Liverpool ambassador after winning the league twice with the Reds, thinks it shows just how much the WSL has grown in recent times.

She told Stats Perform: "I think it's not just the best players in the world that want to come and play in England now, it's the best managers in the world. And that wasn't the case back in the day, and I think that's just brilliant."

Furthermore, Dowie also notes that her appointment could also prove crucial in terms of Chelsea finally claiming their elusive Champions League title, following several near misses and a defeat in the 2021 final.

"She's won everything at Lyon," Dowie added. "So now to move to a club like Chelsea, who have pretty much won the league the last five years, I think now the challenge for her and what she probably is excited about is how can we help Chelsea win the Champions League? That's all they haven't won."

The former striker is also excited at the prospect of Sam Kerr returning from injury, believing that she can once again play a key role for the Blues.

The Australian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear during Chelsea's winter training camp in January, ruling her out for the second half of the season. 

Before her injury, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.

"[Kerr] is the number one striker, and she does it in the big pressure games, she always produces, and I think they missed her last year even though they won the league," Dowie said.

"I think that to have a Sam Kerr in your team - it's a nightmare for any team and I think all fans, the way that she's entertaining as well, the backflip, the kind of charisma that she has, she brings a lot to the game.

"So yeah, I think we're all excited to see her back performing."

Dowie predicts Manchester United to have an improved WSL campaign this year, following their FA Cup final success last season.

The Red Devils finished just two points behind Chelsea in 2022-23 but struggled to replicate that last year, and have since lost key players, including Mary Earps.

"I do think United will push on again this year," said Dowie.

"I think that to be fighting for the title with Chelsea the year before and then to obviously finish fifth last year was really disappointing.

"I think there'll be a team this year that will be up there again competing for trophies, so you could say that United could be a surprise package."

Jamaica College extended their unbeaten run in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup as they secured a hard-fought 2-2 stalemate with Excelsior in an intriguing Zone F encounter at Ashenheim Stadium on Thursday.

Dyllan John’s brace in the 50^th and 88^th minutes rescued a point for the many-time champions after Kimarly Scott (53^rd) and Damarley Williams (58^th) got on the scoresheet for Excelsior.

With the point, Jamaica College inched up to seven points atop the standing, one point ahead of Ascot High, who moved to six points after they edged Pembroke Hall 1-0 in the curtain-raiser of the double-header courtesy of Oshawny Facey’s 61st-minute strike.

Excelsior sit third on four points, while Bridgeport and Pembroke Hall remain pointless on the five-team standing.

Jamaica College’s head coach, Davion Ferguson, took heart from the performance.

“I’m proud of the performance that we put on. We came up against a very good Excelsior team that got their tactics right in the first half, but we reacted well in the second half, and I think we should have won the game,” Ferguson said.

“I didn’t have to motivate my players for this game; they have the quality and they know what is at stake. But like I said, I think Excelsior are a very good team, they gave us a challenge, and I think we responded well,” he added.

Excelsior were more lively at the start and almost broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when Shadeko Wizzard unleashed a stinging left-footer that rocketed off the left upright.

Jamaica College responded soon after through Giovanni Taylor, who got through on goal in the seventh minute, but his effort was kept out by Jamari Gordon, who left his line well.

Wizzard was again left cursing his luck in the 14^th minute as he rifled another effort from an angle that burst through Nathaniel Aiken’s hands, but the ball came back off the crossbar.

Jamaica College also went close to finding the go-ahead goal when Nashordo Gibbs’ went on the break in the 41^st minute but failed to beat Gordon’s outstretched leg as the score remained goalless at the break.

The ‘Dark Blues’ maintained the momentum on the resumption and found the lead five minutes in when Gordon strayed well outside his area and lost possession to John, who capitalised with an effort from distant that trickled across the line.

Excelsior pulled level three minutes later when Scott finished his third goal of the season with aplomb after Jamaica College failed to clear their line from Wizzard's cross.

The Mountain View Avenue team then surged ahead five minutes later when Williams went on a break down the left channel and had enough time and space to set and slot through Aiken’s legs.

Just when it seemed as if Excelsior had the points in the bag, John broke their hearts as he converted from the penalty spot after Jabari Howell's driven freekick was handled inside the area.

Excelsior’s Head coach, Keon Broderick, welcomed the point but felt they deserved more.

“I’m a bit disappointed that we couldn’t come out here with the three points, but, nonetheless, one point away from home is always good. A point at Jamaica College is definitely something to cheer about,” he noted.

Thursday's results

Jamaica College 2, Excelsior 2

Ascot High 1, Pembroke Hall 0

Wolmer's Boys 8, St Mary's College 0

Edith Dalton 0, Denham Town 1

Tivoli Gardens High 1, St Jago 0

The Jamaica Football Federation have confirmed two friendly internationals for the Reggae Girlz as they continue their preparation for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which kicks off in 2025.

The Reggae Girlz will be playing a friendly international against World Number 10 France on Friday October 25, 2024 at the Stade Auguste-Bonal (home of FC Sochaux-Montbeliard) which is located in Eastern France.

Kick-off is slated for 9:05 pm local time and 2:05pm Jamaica time. France were quarter-finalists in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Reggae Girlz have fond memories with France as Jamaica’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup Appearance in 2019 came in France and Jamaica’s first ever point at a FIFA Women’s World Cup came against the French in the 2023 tournament in Australia in a 0-0 draw.

The 42nd ranked Reggae Girlz will also face South Africa (who are ranked 50th in the World) on November 29 and December 2 at home.

This will be the first time both teams are facing each other since April 2019 in Durban when both teams played out a 1-1 draw.

Both South Africa and Jamaica made their debut in the senior Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France and in 2023 both teams advanced to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

Details will follow in subsequent releases in relation to kick off times and venues of these two matches.

President of the Jamaica Football Federation Michael Ricketts welcomes these games for the Reggae Girlz.

“We want to give our Reggae Girlz the best opportunity to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and we feel these upcoming friendly internationals to end 2024 are beneficial to the coaching staff and players to help them prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers.”

World Cup Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in CONCACAF in 2025.

CONCACAF will have 4 spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be hosted in Brazil and two other teams from CONCACAF will qualify for the Intercontinental playoffs.

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan expressed the importance of defensive resiliency for their upcoming playoff campaign after battling to a 2-1 win over Minnesota United last time out.

The Orange and Blue are on the road again this weekend as they travel to face Nashville SC, a side they were beaten by earlier in the season to halt a seven-match winning streak.

Having already secured their spot in the playoffs, Noonan placed emphasis on being solid at the back for the remainder of the season, especially in their fixtures away from home.

“Credit to Minnesota, they put a lot of pressure on us, and we relied on the back line to make a lot of individual plays, to defend the box well,” Noonan said.

“That's going to be a recipe for success down the stretch if we want to win on the road in tough games. It's not always going to be with us in control. So (FCC) went about that game in a really good way.

“After a lot of the emotional and physical or emotional highs, and then you know the physical demands and emotional demands of our previous game, to be able to turn it around the way they did, I was really impressed with that.”

Nashville, meanwhile, made it two wins from two after beating Chicago Fire in midweek, with head coach BJ Callaghan earning his first home victory in charge of the Coyotes.

Callaghan’s side currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference table but are just a point behind Philadelphia Union, who occupy the final playoff position.

The Nashville head coach lauded his players for their recent displays in the MLS and was confident his team are making the right strides in becoming a competitive outfit in the division.

“The players have been tremendous,” Callaghan started. “They have taken information in, and they look to apply it in training – they are working hard every single day.

“We look at it through all the phases of play. We are trying to give them clear roles and put them in the best position possible and I think you are seeing, little by little, improvement from them all.

“They are now making good decisions on the pitch. I am very happy with the progression of the team as we make incremental steps of getting better each week.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar 

Mukhtar assisted the only goal of the match in Nashville’s triumph over Chicago on Wednesday.

Since 2021, when the German plays and records a goal contribution, Nashville has averaged 1.99 points per match compared to 0.75 points per match when he plays but isn’t involved in a goal.

FC Cincinnati – Yuya Kubo

Kubo recorded a goal and an assist in Cincinnati’s win at Minnesota on Wednesday.

It was the 32nd time a Cincinnati player recorded a goal and an assist in a regular season match since the start of the 2022 season, tied for the most such individual performances in the league in that time (Portland Timbers).

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati’s victory against Minnesota was the club’s 27th regular-season win by a one-goal margin since the start of last season. No other MLS team has more than 16 one-goal wins in that time.

However, Nashville defeated this weekend’s opponents in the first encounter between the sides this season after Cincinnati had gone unbeaten in the previous four meetings in all competitions (W2 D2).

As mentioned, the Coyotes have recorded consecutive shutout wins after losing their previous eight regular season matches, allowing multiple goals in all of those. Nashville have not kept three straight clean sheets in a single regular season since doing so in four straight in May 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nashville SC – 31%

Draw – 25.1%

FC Cincinnati – 43.9%

Trinidad and Tobago’s Miscellaneous Police FC registered their first win of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup and kept their semi-final hopes alive after they bettered Jamaican outfit Arnett Gardens 2-1 in a lively Group A clash at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on Thursday.

Joevin Jones (47^th) and Ezekiel Kesar (84^th) did the damage for Police FC, while Warner Brown (49^th) got the ‘Junglists’ strike.

With the win, Police FC jumped to third on four points, the same as second-placed Haitian outfit Real Hope, but with a slightly inferior goal difference. Jamaica’s Cavalier remain atop on six points, while their compatriots Mount Pleasant FA (three points) and Arnett Gardens (zero point) complete the five-team standing.

With both teams coming off losses and hunting their first win, it was always expected to be an intriguing encounter, and fans that turned out at the venue were not disappointed.

Kimani Arbouine proved a menace for Arnett Gardens in the early exchanges as he unleashed a stinging 10^th-minute effort that rocketed off the left upright.

Police also displayed their attacking prowess, led by veteran Kevon Woodley, who rose above defenders in the 32^nd minute, but the lanky striker’s header came back off the crossbar.

Arbouine was at it again in the 36^th minute as he sidewined his way into the danger area, but his well-struck effort failed to beat the right upright on this occasion as the score remained goalless at the break.

Police showed more purpose on the resumption and eventually broke the deadlock two minutes in when Jones fired home from just inside the arc as Richard White in goal for Arnett Gardens had no chance.

Brown pulled Arnett Gardens level seven minutes later with a calm right-footed finish, which left Police’s custodian Adrian Foncette flat-footed.

Try as they did, Arnett Gardens failed in the probe to add to their tally, and it was Police FC that had the last say.

This, as Kesar found the winner when he pounced on a rebound and slotted past White, who blocked an initial attempt.

Police FC will now be aiming to take the scalp of Mount Pleasant FA in its final group contest next Thursday and hope other results fall in their favour to secure a top two finish.

Meanwhile, having lost their first two games, Arnett Gardens face an uphill task to make the semi-finals, as they would have to win their next two encounters handsomely, while hoping others above them stumble. They will cross swords with Real Hope at the National Stadium next Wednesday.

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany hailed Michael Olise's start to life with the 33-time Bundesliga champions despite his delayed start in Germany. 

Olise, who arrived at the Allianz Arena for a reported £50.7million transfer fee, has four goal involvements (three goals and one assist) in all competitions so far. 

The latest of which came on his Champions League debut in midweek, scoring twice in Bayern's 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday. 

Olise's brace saw him become the third Frenchman to score two goals on his debut in the competition, after Thomas Deniaud in 1996 and Thierry Henry in 1997.

The 22-year-old's flying start comes after spending much of pre-season playing for France at the Paris Olympics, winning a silver medal at the Games.

"Well, for me, it wasn't that bad that he went to the Olympic tournament, because he arrived in really good shape at Bayern Munich," Kompany said.

"It's exactly what we were expecting. I think he's really playing a big role, which isn't easy when you've arrived in the Bundesliga and at a club like Bayern.

"He will take further steps.

"From my point of view, it's very positive, but I stay calm as well, because I know it's important to continue the way he does in order to experience good times."

Bayern return to Bundesliga action this weekend when they travel to the Weserstadion to face Weder Bremen, hoping to maintain their perfect start. 

A win would see Kompany become the third Bayern head coach since 2000 to win their first four league games in charge (after Niko Kovac and Carlo Ancelotti). 

This weekend's match will be the 115th Bundesliga meeting between Werder Bremen and FC Bayern, making it the most-played fixture in the division’s history.

Only Borussia Monchengladbach (28 times) have beaten Bayern more often than Werder have in the Bundesliga (27), and Kompany is expecting a tough test.

"Bayern against Bremen is a traditional fixture," Kompany added.

"When I played in the Bundesliga, it was a top-of-the-table clash. Bremen have produced a lot of great players.

"It's a special game tomorrow and that's how we'll prepare it."

Kompany was also able to provide an update on the fitness of Manuel Neuer after the veteran goalkeeper was substituted at half-time during Bayern's midweek win over Zagreb. 

"Neuer should join training today and we'll decide after that. We'll discuss it together," Kompany said.

"We didn't want to take any risks against Zagreb but it looks good. There's no other news."

LA Galaxy’s defeat to Portland Timbers was not a reality check said head coach Greg Vanney, but he lamented his side being their own worst enemy in their seventh loss of the season.

The Galaxy were beaten 4-2 at Providence Park last time out, seeing their lead at the summit of the Western Conference table cut to five points by Real Salt Lake following their victory.

While Vanney’s side have already secured their place in the playoffs, the Galaxy head coach was keen to eradicate those recent mistakes during the final five games of the campaign.

"I don't know if it's a reality check. I think everybody understands the challenges of this league and competing on the road, and they're a good team,” Vanney said.

“We create our problems with how we lose the ball, in rushing and forcing attacks and things that need to be allowed. We need to allow ourselves to develop. We did such a good job of that the other night (vs. LAFC) specifically in the second half.

“Tonight, for sure through the first half of the game and some stretches in the second half when we were chasing the game, impatience is sometimes our biggest enemy. That's ourselves undoing ourselves.

“We have to recognise this again as we come to the end of the season and go to the playoffs, because it's these things that hurt ourselves.”

Vancouver, meanwhile, continued their impressive MLS form with a 1-1 draw against Houston Dynamo and have now lost just one of their last 10 league matches.

The Whitecaps also set a new club record of 25 points from their games away from home, leaving them in sixth place in the Western Conference standings.

Ahead of their trip to Dignity Health Sports Park, head coach Vanni Sartini is expecting a tough encounter, but is confident his players can keep their run of form going this weekend.

“I think that against the Galaxy, we need to be pressing in a way that is intelligent because if we put being relentless ahead of being organised, they can break our press and kill us,” Sartini said.

“We need to be willing to play a game where they may have more possession than us, but not defending in our final third because we have seen the quality that they have.

“The key for me is to try and have the ball as much as we can because we will be doing something that they hate. Maybe then we can sneak a victory – that would be fantastic.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy – Joseph Paintsil

Paintsil scored his ninth goal of the season for the Galaxy on Wednesday after Dejan Joveljic (14), Gabriel Pec (12) and Riqui Puig (10) have already reached the 10-goal mark for LA in 2024.

No team in MLS history has had four 10-goal scorers in a single regular season campaign.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White

White came off the bench to score the equalising goal in Vancouver’s draw at Houston on Wednesday.

The goal was White’s fifth as a substitute for the Whitecaps, equalling Pedro Morales for the most in regular season play in club history.

MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN

The Galaxy won each of their first seven home matches against Vancouver from 2011 through the end of the 2014 season. Since 2015, however, the Galaxy have just four wins in 12 home matches against Vancouver in all competitions (D3 L5).

However, the hosts have won 11 of their last 12 matches at Dignity Health Sports Park (D1), including the last nine in a row. The Galaxy have lost only one of its last 23 league matches in Carson, dating back to June 2023.

But Vancouver are unbeaten in seven straight away matches in all competitions (W4 D3) dating back to the start of July, the longest road unbeaten run since the club joined MLS in 2011. The Whitecaps have allowed multiple goals in only one of those seven matches.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy – 46.9%

Draw – 26.4%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 26.7%

Former Trinidad and Tobago football star and ex-head coach Russell Latapy has revealed that he has been "indirectly contacted" by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) following the sacking of head coach Angus Eve in July. Latapy, a legendary figure in Trinidad and Tobago football, made the revelation during the launch of Brian Lara’s book Lara: The England Chronicles on September 17.

Eve, who was appointed Soca Warriors head coach in 2021, was dismissed after Trinidad and Tobago earned four points from their first two FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Grenada and the Bahamas in June. Since then, Derek King has taken over as caretaker coach but has struggled to get positive results. Under King’s guidance, the Soca Warriors were beaten 4-0 by Honduras on September 6 in the Concacaf Nations League A, followed by a 0-0 draw against French Guiana on September 10.

When asked by Newsday if he had applied for the head coach position, Latapy, fondly known as the "Little Magician" during his playing days, stated that while he had not formally applied, he remains open to helping the national team if needed. "No, I haven’t applied for the Soca Warriors job," Latapy said. However, he confirmed that there had been indirect contact from the TTFA regarding the position.

Latapy, who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 World Cup and previously coached the national men’s team from 2009-2011, acknowledged the difficulties the TTFA has faced as it transitions under new leadership. "I think a lot has been happening with the TTFA, which has changed hands from the normalisation committee to the new president Kieron Edwards," Latapy explained. "The new president needs a bit of time to settle into the job. I think it’s documented the difficulties the TTFA and football in general has been through."

Though he has yet to apply for the head coaching role, Latapy made it clear that he is willing to return to the national setup if his expertise is called upon. "I’ve never turned my back on Trinidad and Tobago and football by extension. If the opportunity arises that the TTFA thinks I can support in any way, I would be more than happy to assist," he said.

Defence is seemingly the best form of attack, so says Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy after his side kept an 11th clean sheet of the season in their 2-0 win over Toronto FC.

After securing their spot in the playoffs, the Crew will be looking to continue their momentum for the final games of the campaign, starting with the visit of Orlando City FC this weekend.

Nancy’s squad have been impressive at both ends of the pitch, keeping the most shutouts in the division along with scoring 54 goals, a total only bettered by Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami (67), while also conceding the fewest goals in the MLS this term (28).

The Columbus head coach lauded his players for their showings in attack and defence, saying their success this season has been down to the competitive spirit within the group.

“This is not only the backline because the front line, but they also do a good job avoiding certain things,” Nancy said. “Obviously, also the backline does it well.

This is the competitive spirit that we have. After that, we can talk about tactics that we are good at defensively, but for me, this is this desire to compete all the time.

“Sometimes we are unbalanced because it could happen, they are able to make a play at the right moment. This is the chemistry of the team, and this is the spirit of the team. That's why we can also be good defensively.”

But another head coach that has been impressed with his side’s defensive showing is Orlando’s Oscar Pareja, with the Lions having now kept three clean sheets in their last three league games.

Orlando have also scored eight goals during that run, with their last triumph over Charlotte FC moving them up to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

While the likes of Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire have starred for the Lions at the top end of the pitch, Pareja was quick to acknowledge the performances of his defenders.

“It’s also a very important phase that we have to highlight tonight as well,” Pareja said.

“Defending well as a group with consistency is probably one of the most difficult parts of the game. The back forward and those midfielders are sustaining the team in a very good way.

“We're solid. Individual performance has risen as well; it's better individually. I think that they have grown a lot during this period.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbus Crew – Cucho Hernandez

Hernandez came off the bench to record a goal and an assist in Columbus’ win over Toronto on Wednesday.

Since joining the Crew in July 2022, he has 11 games with both a goal and an assist in all competitions, third among MLS players in that time behind Lionel Messi (12) and Luciano Acosta (18).

Orlando City – Facundo Torres

Torres netted his team-leading 12th goal of the season for Orlando in their win over Charlotte on Wednesday and will be confident of adding to his MLS tally against the Crew.

The Uruguayan boasts an impressive record against this weekend’s opponents, contributing four goal involvements (two goals and two assists) in his five games against Columbus.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

Columbus have won two straight matches against Orlando, both with 2–0 wins in last season’s conference semi-finals and in May this year. The Crew had won just one of their previous 10 matches against the Lions prior to last season’s playoff meeting (D1 L8).

The Crew’s 4-0 loss to Seattle Sounders earlier this month was just their second defeat in their last 39 home matches in all competitions dating back to May 2023. No MLS team under Nancy’s stewardship has ever lost two straight home matches in all competitions.

However, Orlando have won six away matches in the 2024 regular season, having only triumphed more on the road in a single season last year (nine). Only FC Cincinnati (17) have more away wins than Orlando (15) since the start of the 2023 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 60.5%

Draw – 20.7%

Orlando City – 18.7%

Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-0 win over Feyenoord upon their return to the Champions League, but head coach Xabi Alonso said the result did not come easy.

Florian Wirtz's brace along with Alex Grimaldo's strike and Timon Wellenreuther's own-goal handed Leverkusen a comfortable advantage at the break. 

The Bundesliga champions netted four goals in the first half of a game in a major European competition for just the third time after doing so twice in 1994 against PSV Eindhoven (4-2 HT) and GKS Katowice (4-0 HT). 

Alonso's side also became the first away team to lead by four goals at half-time of a Champions League game since Bayern Munich led 4-0 at Viktoria Plzen in 2022.

Despite the scoreline suggesting a comfortable outing for Leverkusen, Alonso credited his side's disciplined performance in a goalless second period. 

"We were not lucky, but efficient in the first minutes. We needed a bit more control on the build-up to find the free spaces," Alonso said. 

"We have good players who understand what the game requires. They are flexible.

"We need to have those registers... be flexible during the game."

Leverkusen's triumph saw them record their joint-biggest win in the Champions League (4-0 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk in October 2013). 

It was also their biggest victory away from home in any European competition since beating Celtic 4-0 in the 2021-22 Europa League.

Alonso's side return to Bundesliga action this weekend when they welcome Wolfsburg to the BayArena on Sunday. 

"I witnessed two of the best saves I've ever seen in my career," were the words of Mikel Arteta following David Raya's heroics in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Atalanta.

The Gunners kickstarted their Champions League campaign with a point, but the result could have been much different if not for Raya's stunning intervention.

Atalanta had the opportunity to take the lead six minutes into the second half when Ederson was brought down by Thomas Partey inside the area. 

Mateo Retegui assumed responsibility from 12 yards, only to see Raya dive to his right to save before springing back to his feet to deny the Italian's header on the follow-up. 

"I witnessed two of the best saves I've ever seen in my career from David in that moment," Arteta said.

"If you can't win, you have to take the point. We started well, then we lost control and were very inconsistent. We didn't suffer defensively, apart from the penalty."

Raya's heroics even drew praise from Arteta's opposite number, Gian Piero Gasperini, who described the double save as "unbelievable".

"He's a cat. The first save is good but the rebound is unbelievable. The goalkeeper has been crucial," Gasperini said. 

The Spaniard became just the fourth Arsenal goalkeeper to save a spot-kick in the Champions League, after Richard Wright, Jens Lehmann and Lukasz Fabianski (all two).

Raya has now also saved four of the last eight penalties he has faced in all competitions, including shoot-outs, having conceded 19 in a row beforehand. 

But the Arsenal goalkeeper remained modest in light of his involvement on what proved to be a difficult night for the Gunners.  

"It was just a penalty, and I was lucky to go the right way," Raya started.

"I was unlucky that the rebound went straight to him, but I was quick enough to get up and save it.

"It is fantastic to be able to keep the clean sheet and to help the team to get at least a point.

"We know this is a tough place to come, they are a magnificent team and put a lot of pressure on us.

"We made it very difficult for them as well, they did not create many chances, the penalty and that's it.

"It's a point away from home in the first game of the Champions League. We could have played better, but I thought we managed the game well.

"We weren't at our best so if we cannot win the game, let's not lose it."

Despite the point at the Gewiss Stadium, Arteta was left wanting more from his players, who struggled in the attacking third against last season's Europa League winners.

The Gunners attempted just six shots against Atalanta, their fewest in a Champions League away game in 10 years, since having just five shots against Borussia Dortmund in 2014.

Arsenal have also now failed to score in three consecutive Champions League away games for the first time since February 2007, while they’re winless in four-straight games (D2 L2) on the road in the competition for the first time since September 2011 (D1 L3).

With a trip to Premier League champions Manchester City this weekend, Arteta is looking for a response from his squad. 

"We had moments with the ball but we never got it into dominance or threat," he said.

"The first 25 minutes we read their approach really good. After that we lost control of the game."

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick remained upbeat despite his side kickstarting their Champions League campaign with a defeat to Monaco on Thursday. 

The visitors were dealt a blow with just 10 minutes on the clock after defender Eric Garcia saw red after a tangle with Takumi Minamino on the edge of the box. 

Monaco made the most of their man advantage six minutes later when Maghnes Akliouche struck beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 

Lamine Yamal levelled the scores before half-time, becoming the second-youngest player to score in the Champions League with a low finish into the bottom corner.

However, substitute George Ilenikhena would hand the French side the victory in the 71st minute, compounding Flick to his first defeat as Barca head coach. 

It was also Barcelona's third ever defeat in their opening game of the competition after 1997-98 (2-3 v Newcastle) and 2021-22 (0-3 v Bayern Munich). 

Despite the loss, Flick had already switched his focus to this weekend's LaLiga fixture against Villarreal this Sunday, and is looking for a response from his players.

"With (Garcia's) red card the game changed totally, but I can see the positives," Flick said. 

"We tried to defend as a team and attack as a team. We had chances but they deserved to win.

"I have told the team to lift their heads up because they are disappointed, but we have to focus on Sunday, which is our next game.

"It's the time to recover. Hopefully, players will be back with a lot of energy.

"We have players that gave more than 100 percent, every player tried to give their best in this situation.

"I'm really proud of this team but we have to accept how we lost today."

Garcia's dismissal proved to be decisive in deciding the contest, with the Spaniard's sending off the earliest in the Champions League since Oleksandr Kucher for Shakhtar Donetsk against Bayern in 2015 (third minute). 

Barcelona's last red card in the competition came in their quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last season, with Ronald Araujo shown his marching orders in a 4-1 defeat to the Parisiens. 

The Spaniards have failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition since their dramatic aggregate defeat to Liverpool in 2018-19, but Flick remained confident about their chances this time around. 

"Today you see this situation with a red card after 11 minutes, it changed our match plan, we have to accept it, this happens," Flick concluded. 

"But we are strong enough to play a good Champions League, we have seven matches ahead, and I think we will win many matches."

Having won an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title last season, Manchester City have wasted no time in stealing a march on their rivals in 2024-25.

As the only team to register a perfect four wins from four matches, City already boast a two-point lead over their closest challengers, the identity of whom also comes as no surprise.

Such has been City's brilliance, that amassing 173 points across the last two seasons has not been enough for Arsenal to end their long wait for a Premier League crown.

However, last week's North London Derby victory over Tottenham saw them display all the hallmarks of potential champions, keeping their fierce rivals at arm's length in a composed performance as Gabriel Magalhaes' header made the difference. 

But can the Gunners go one step further and do what they could not last season – win at the Etihad Stadium?

Ahead of the biggest game of the season to date, we dive into the Opta data to bring you the best facts and figures surrounding both teams.

What's expected?

Given City's fearsome record at home to Arsenal, it comes as no surprise to see the Opta supercomputer make them favourites.

City are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against the Gunners, winning seven and drawing two since a 2-0 defeat back in January 2015.

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, City were victorious in 58.6%, with Arsenal only taking the spoils in 19.8% of scenarios.

A repeat of March's draw between the teams, which was not enough for Arsenal to get over the line in the title race, is assigned a 21.6% likelihood.

Whatever happens, something has to give on Sunday. City have won each of their last 13 Premier League matches, and there have only ever been six cases of a team winning 14 or more in a row. 

City – and current boss Pep Guardiola – are responsible for half of those instances, winning 18 straight in 2017, 15 in a row in 2019 and the same amount in 2021.

Arsenal, though, have not trailed at any stage in their last 11 away Premier League matches. They could become the first team in the competition's history to go 12 straight road games without falling behind, with Aston Villa also enjoying an 11-game run back in 1998.

Haaland the centurion?

Erling Haaland was frustrated as City fired a blank in their midweek Champions League opener versus Inter, going close twice in the first half but failing to bring up his 100th goal for the club.

The Norwegian reached 99 goals in City blue with a brace in last weekend's comeback win over Brentford, and he has now scored a scarcely believable nine goals in four Premier League games this season.

Eight of those have come in his last three league outings – hat-tricks versus Ipswich Town and West Ham, and a double against Brentford. 

In Premier League history, only Luis Suarez has ever scored multiple goals in four straight appearances, netting one hat-trick and three braces in a tremendous run for Liverpool in December 2013.

Another goal here would also see Haaland smash the record for the fewest games taken to reach double figures for Premier League goals at the start of a season, with Mick Quinn in 1992-93 and Haaland himself in 2022-23 previously doing so in six outings.

Haaland's overall tally of 72 Premier League goals – which have come in just 70 appearances – places him third in City's all-time goalscoring charts in the competition, behind only Sergio Aguero (184) and Raheem Sterling (91) – who could line up for Arsenal on Sunday after arriving on loan from Chelsea.

Should Haaland find the net on Sunday, which could be his 105th appearance for City overall, he would match the number of games Cristiano Ronaldo required to hit a ton of goals for Real Madrid.

For further context, Lionel Messi needed 188 to bring up a century for Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski required 136 at Bayern Munich and City legend Aguero took 158 matches.

With the pretenders to City's throne in town, what better time for Haaland to bring up yet another goalscoring landmark?

Fortune favours the brave?

Arsenal did come out on top in their duels with City last season, taking four points via a 1-0 home win and their hard-fought goalless draw at the Etihad. 

That is double the number they managed in their previous 15 league meetings with the Citizens, recording two draws and 13 defeats. 

Both Guardiola and Mikel Arteta were cautious in their Easter-Day draw, with many onlookers berating the sight of eight (yes, eight) recognised centre-backs starting in a game that produced a mere 1.68 expected goals (xG) in total. 

Arsenal managed two clean sheets against Guardiola's men last term, having conceded in 16 straight against them beforehand, shipping 40 goals in total in that run.

Arsenal then followed that draw by winning eight of their last nine games of the season, only slipping up in a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa, but it was not enough. For a team trying to dethrone City, it often feels as though nothing is.

If the Gunners are to make it third time lucky in their pursuit of title glory this term, they may need to take both of their chances to beat City.

While Arteta figured out a way to contain City in 2023-24, his team must show more attacking enterprise on Sunday than they did on their last trip to the Etihad, when their six shots totalled just 0.66 xG. That was their fewest attempts in a single Premier League fixture since November 2021, when they had five in a 4-0 loss at Liverpool.

Arsenal also managed just 15 touches in City's box to their opponents' 40, their fewest in any Premier League match last season, while only at Bournemouth (28 in a ruthless 4-0 win) did they play fewer passes into the final third last term (36).

The Gunners have been steady, rather than spectacular, through their opening four matches of the season, ranking joint-14th in the Premier League for shots (45) and 14th for xG (4.99) despite having the fourth-most touches in opposition areas (140).

Loathe as he may be to do so, Arteta might need to take the handbrake off on Sunday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester City – Jeremy Doku

Doku was limited to the role of substitute as City were kept at bay by Inter on Wednesday, but it would be no surprise to see Guardiola inject his electric pace from the off here.

The Belgium international leads all players in the Premier League this season for total progress upfield during carries (747.81 metres) and ranks second for progressive carries (64), behind only Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke (66). In fact, he is the only non-centre-back to make the top seven for that particular metric.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Saka has been involved in five of Arsenal's six Premier League goals so far this season (one goal, four assists), assisting a goal in all four games so far.

In Premier League history, only Gunners great Thierry Henry (2004-05) has provided an assist in each of a team's first five matches in a season.

Chris Armas says the Colorado Rapids' comprehensive defeat to Sporting Kansas City must serve as a wakeup call as they prepare to resume their playoff push against Toronto FC.

Colorado won their first two games upon returning to MLS play after the Leagues Cup break, but they were brought crashing back to earth with a 4-1 defeat in Kansas City in midweek.

Armas' men remain in a positive position, sitting fourth in the Western Conference standings with a game in hand on some of the teams around them, but he knows they need to ensure Wednesday's performance was a one-off.

"It's probably a wakeup call to all of us, what these games are going to look like," Armas said. "Everyone's fighting for something.

"Everyone's got something to play for and in our league, everyone is capable. A positive is we're on 47 points, we've earned every one of those points.

"We're in a good spot for the playoffs, we've put ourselves probably a win or two away from the playoffs. 

"We're going to get home and regroup quickly, then get right back where we've been all year."

Toronto, meanwhile, are occupying a wild-card spot in the East after losing 2-0 to the Columbus Crew in their last match.

"We should have taken something out of the first half, that's clear, then in the second half we had to capitalise on the moments we had," coach John Herdman said afterwards.

"For us, the lads were in the fight, there was a good spirit and they were tactically disciplined and committed. 

"We need that from every single player to get into the playoffs, we need every player to play above their level."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

Mihailovic has 22 goal involvements in MLS play this season (10 goals, 12 assists), the most of any Colorado player. He has not scored in any of their last four regular-season home games, though, so he will be desperate to get back among the goals here.

Toronto FC – Deandre Kerr

Kerr has scored two of Toronto's last three goals in MLS play. He has five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in just 10 league starts this year. 

MATCH PREDICTION – COLORADO RAPIDS WIN

Toronto have earned just 15 points from 45 available on their travels in MLS play this season, winning four, drawing three and losing eight.

They face a daunting task at Dicks' Sporting Goods Park, where Colorado have a record of nine wins, three draws and two defeats in regular-season action this season.

The Rapids are also unbeaten in their last nine league games on their own turf, winning seven and drawing two, and they are favoured to maintain that form here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Colorado Rapids- 57.8%

Toronto FC – 20.3%

Draw – 21.9%

Abdallah Sima's second-half goal secured Brest their first-ever win in a European competition in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Sturm Graz on Thursday.

The French side made their Champions League bow, with goals in either half enough to overcome an own goal on the stroke of half-time.

Hugo Magnetti scored Brest's maiden European goal just 23 minutes in, expertly controlling it on his chest before volleying into the bottom corner to break the deadlock.

However, Sturm Graz equalised just before the break, with Edimilson Fernandes inadvertently sending the ball into his own net.

Brest adopted a more aggressive approach following the interval, and they were rewarded when Sima restored the French side's advantage by skilfully evading his marker to score in the 56th minute.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men with just two minutes remaining of the 90 when Dimitri Lavalee received his second booking after a late tackle on Magnetti. Jonas Martin then had two late chances to snatch a third but was denied by Kjell Scherpen. 

Data Debrief: Making an entrance

Brest’s win over Sturm Graz was just the second by a team making their debut in major European competition across the last 21 attempts (D4 L15), with Zrinjski Mostar in last season's UEFA Conference League the only other victor in that time.

Magnetti netted on what was his first-ever start in European competition, becoming the first player to net a team's first-ever goal in the Champions League from outside the area since Demba Ba for Istanbul Basaksehir against Manchester United in November 2020.