Today in Football: Grealish’s England nudge, Dier’s twang, bees on the pitch and more

Football never sleeps, and neither do the stories. If you blinked, you missed a week packed with needle, nuance and a swarm of surprises. For odds-watchers trawling the form lines on best betting sites, here’s the pick of the last few days that slipped under the radar.

October 5: Everton make their Grealish point to Tuchel

Jack Grealish has landed on Merseyside like a gust of fresh air. On loan from Manchester City, he’s already chalked up four Premier League assists and, on Sunday, bundled in his first Toffees goal to seal a comeback win over high-flying Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Cue a cheeky club message on X nudging England boss Thomas Tuchel: a bio tweak and a clear drumbeat — Grealish for the Three Lions. With his form rising, the 28-year-old will fancy a recall before the 2026 World Cup cycle bites.

October 2: Dier the hero… and the headline for his accent

Eric Dier rescued Monaco with late drama in the Champions League against Manchester City — winning and tucking away a penalty to secure a 2-2 draw — then sparked a different discussion in the mixed zone. His post-match interview had viewers doing double-takes at the accent, with social feeds joking it’s morphed along with his postcode. Whatever the twang, the spot-kick was as cool as you like.

September 29: Arsenal’s ‘most online team’ energy pays off

Arsenal levelled late against Newcastle — Mikel Merino with the header — and there was no time for choreographed celebrations. The ball was grabbed, the tempo stayed high, and in the 96th minute Gabriel pinched the winner. A week earlier, after Gabriel Martinelli’s late equaliser versus Manchester City, the Gunners caught flak for lingering on the jubilation. Lesson learned, said the timelines, with more than a few fans suggesting the squad “saw the tweets.” Declan Rice, you suspect, doesn’t miss much.

September 20: Klopp’s cheeky dig at a young United supporter

Jürgen Klopp went viral after a playful barb at a young Manchester United fan, apologising — with a grin — for what he framed as several seasons of tough viewing. United’s stumble out of the blocks this term, including a Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby, gave the former Liverpool boss an open goal for banter. Harsh? Maybe. On-brand? Absolutely.

September 18: Rashford quiets St James’ with a Barca brace

Back in England with Barcelona and booed from the off, Marcus Rashford rode the noise and delivered. First a tidy header, then an absolute thunderbolt from distance past Nick Pope put the Catalans in control at St James’ Park. On loan from Manchester United, the forward looked right at home under the bright European lights.

September 7: Wirtz whips a beauty as Germany respond

Florian Wirtz hasn’t fully caught fire for Liverpool yet, but the £116m midfielder reminded everyone of his class for Germany against Northern Ireland. From just outside the box he kissed a free-kick into the top corner with minimal backlift — a painter’s touch rather than a hammer blow. Dominik Szoboszlai might have company over set-pieces at Anfield.

September 5: Bees stop play in Tanzania

Extraordinary scenes at Kwaraa Stadium in Babati, where a swarm of bees brought City FC Abuja vs JKU FC to a halt. Players, coaches, officials — even the camera crew — hit the deck for safety while fans largely stayed put. Local outfit Afrizum suggested unusual weather patterns may have stirred the swarm. Sanity prevailed, the bees moved on, and the match restarted.

September 3: Buffon’s powerful response to attack on young keeper

Legendary stopper Gianluigi Buffon expressed shock and dismay after a 13-year-old goalkeeper was assaulted by an opposition parent at a youth tournament near Turin, leaving the youngster in hospital before being discharged. Buffon urged deeper reflection on behaviour around pitches, calling for education, restraint and respect — and even encouraged the victim to meet violence with forgiveness to break the cycle.

September 1: Eze’s spark highlights Martinelli contrast in Arsenal defeat

Arsenal came up empty at Anfield in a tight 1-0 loss to Liverpool. Gabriel Martinelli toiled without reward from the start, while new signing Eberechi Eze looked lively off the bench, gliding past Dominik Szoboszlai in one eye-catching moment. A viral clip drew comparisons between the pair’s confidence on the day — with many wondering if Eze might have changed the tone had he arrived earlier.

August 31: Joao Neves lights it up for PSG

To Paris, where Joao Neves helped himself to a stunning hat-trick for PSG. Different finishes, same result: a statement performance from a young star who looks utterly at ease on the biggest stage.

That’s your whistle-stop tour. Same time tomorrow — because the game never stops, and neither do the stories.