After World Cup, 2022/2023 football season returns

24.12.2022 - 08:19 guardian.ng

After a month-long break of club football due to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2022/2023 football season is set to resume this festive season with all the action available live on Showmax Pro.

The FIFA World Cup, which took place in Qatar from 20 November, saw Argentina lift the trophy after defeating France at the final on Sunday, 18 December 2022.

With the World Cup done, the football season is set to resume with the Premier League with fixtures taking place on 26 and 27 December over the traditional boxing day period.

Arsenal are the current league leaders with 37 points after a strong start to a Premier League season this season. Also in the top 4 are last season’s winners Manchester City, led by their talismanic striker Erling Haaland who will look to pick up where he left off by adding to his impressive 18 goals in 12 games – the current Champions are 5 points behind the Gunners.

LaLiga EPL Serie A cup El Clasico Erling Haaland Tottenham Hotspur Britain Manchester Qatar France Argentina county Southampton

BASRA: Saudi Arabia defeated Yemen 2-0 in their opening game of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup on Friday to move top of Group A.

Van Dijk fired up for 'crazy season' with Liverpool after World Cup exit

Virgil van Dijk said he is using the pain of the Netherlands' World Cup penalty shootout defeat to eventual champions Argentina as fuel to get Liverpool's season back on track.

Conte argues Spurs lumbered with unrealistic expectations after loss to Villa

Antonio Conte has cast doubt over Tottenham's Premier League top-four hopes and tried to address unrealistic expectations after his side were booed off following a damaging 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa. Second-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Douglas Luiz gave the visitors all three points to make it a sorry start to the new year for Spurs. Tottenham conceded first for the 10th fixture in a row and have dropped to fifth in the table following Manchester United's win at Wolves. Even though Conte guided the club into the Champions League last season, he described that achievement as a "miracle" and insisted he will continue to be realistic with the club. "I know what is the reality because I am the coach," he said. "The club knows very well what are my thoughts on the situation. The situation was very clear. I continue to work and to improve and to help you to improve the club, to create a solid foundation and then to develop. "You have to know that there are clubs who can invest £200m or £300m and others with different policies and I repeat you have to respect the policy. "The policy has to be very clear with all people otherwise we created a situation that's not positive for the environment to create expectations that are not realistic, honestly. "I was expecting this moment. Now we have to start to fight strong, because the situation in this league you can slip quickly. "If you ask me if I'm scared, I'm not scared. I believe in my work, I believe in these players, but don't ask me for things I cannot promise you." Conte arrived at Spurs last November and, despite an inconsistent opening few months, managed to help them overturn Arsenal in the race for the top four last season.

‘Hungry’ Haaland driven by World Cup absence

(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 5, 2022 Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola reacts following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Fulham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England. – Guardiola said “I cannot be in a better place” as he announced on November 23, 2022 he had agreed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the Premier League champions until 2025. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP) / NO USE AFTER DECEMBER 23, 2022 10:36:10 GMT – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR ‘LIVE’ SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO VIDEO EMULATION. SOCIAL MEDIA IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO USE IN BETTING PUBLICATIONS, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Man Utd defender Martinez back in training after World Cup win

Manchester United centre back Lisandro Martinez returned to training on Wednesday after winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar, the Premier League club said.