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Only one man, the legendary Billy McNeill, has lifted more trophies as Celtic captain in the club’s long, illustrious history than Scott Brown.

Brown claimed his 11th major honour as a Celtic player at the weekend and his 9th as captain of the club.

Quoted by The Scotsman, he now reckons that his side can go on and win every single game this season, such is the belief in the squad.

“We want to win everything. I’ve always wanted that, but now I actually believe we can win every single game we play so doing the treble would be lovely.”

It’s an extraordinary level of confidence but it typifies how impressive a start Celtic have had to their domestic games – nobody in Scotland has beaten them yet. It’s an unbeaten run that stretches back 17 games, into last season, to a May defeat away to St Johnstone.

Added to that incredible form is the Hoops’ ability to shut our their opponents. The team have now played 778 minutes of domestic football without conceding a goal.

It’s no wonder that Brown believes not only can they go the remainder of their domestic season unbeaten but that they can win every game.

After seeing off Aberdeen yesterday, arguably the second best side in Scotland, it will take one almighty opposition performance to shift Brendan Rodgers’ side off of the course they’re currently on.

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It wasn’t in the fashion that Arsenal fans would have wanted before the match but Arsene Wenger’s side put their name in the hat for the FA Cup fourth-round, securing a 2-1 victory away from home against Championship outfit Preston North End.

Arsenal were forced to bounce back from falling behind in the second-game in a row but the result did show the Gunners cannot be written off, although it also highlighted further defensive frailties that upcoming opponents could look to exploit.

For Arsenal, it’s the first step in what they’ll hope will be a successful journey in the FA Cup this season, as they seek a third trip to Wembley’s showcase final in four seasons and Preston will feel incredibly hard done by.

Here, we’ve selected the images that tell the story of the game for you to follow- let us know what you think was the changing point in the game in the comments below!

Preston’s shock lead

Just seven minutes into the game, Preston took the lead through 21-year-old Callum Robinson and raised hope of a massive cup upset taking place at Deepdale. It set the precedent for a first-half where the Championship outfit dominated, though it wasn’t enough in the end.

Hosts miss big chances

Preston will look back at numerous missed opportunities in the first-half and wonder what might have been, especially an open goal that they couldn’t quite get the decisive touch too. Robinson also had a second goal disallowed, the correct decision, but Preston should be proud of their performance.

Ramsey strikes back

Striking his first goal of the season just seconds into the second-half, Aaron Ramsey opened the door for Arsenal to fight-back into the game and he did so in dramatic fashion. After a slow opening half of the season, Ramsey will hope it can kickstart his own campaign.

Welbeck returns

Making a long-awaited return from injury, having last featured for Arsenal last May, Danny Welbeck came off the bench to a good response from the Gunners faithful travelling contingent. Welbeck could be a huge player in the second-half of the season and his minutes tonight will certainly aid his recovery.

Another late winner

Poor old Preston. Just minutes away from a huge FA Cup replay at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps even dreaming of a late winner that would have been deserved, Olivier Giroud latched onto a tremendous back-heel from Lucas Perez to smash home another late goal- which has been his trademark this season.

Manchester United splashed a vast amount of cash in the summer to bolster Jose Mourinho’s squad and one of those recruits, Eric Bailly, is hoping one particular player moves to Old Trafford in the mid-season window.

Bailly, currently away with the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, has performed valiantly in the first-half of his inaugural season in Manchester and hopes to have a new defensive partner by his side when he returns from international duty.

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Benfica’s Victor Lindelof has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League giants in the transfer window and whilst the reports have quietened recently with United’s current form, the Swedish ace could still end up at United.

Speaking to Fotbollskanalen after Ivory Coast’s 2-1 victory over Sweden, Bailly revealed he hoped Lindelof joins him in the Premier League. 

“I hope to play with him. Hopefully he will help us.  He is a very good player. He has great qualities and will certainly do well if he comes to us. We have many good central defenders – Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones – but I hope I get to play with Lindelof.”

“I don’t have a guaranteed place and I know I have to be good to play. We’re all fighting to play. I think we have done well. We have done our best. The day we get to play, if it comes, we must take advantage of that opportunity. I think we would fit well together.”

Winning eight games in a row, Manchester United are flying currently but face a huge test this weekend against arch-rivals Liverpool.

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Wow!

Supporters have been waiting for ages for Wayne Rooney to break Sir Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United all-time goalscoring record and not only has he done it, his 250th goal for the club has made a massive contribution to their season.

A quite incredible free-kick sailed past Lee Grant in stoppage time to rescue a point away to Stoke City. The Red Devils had huffed and puffed all afternoon in their search of a way back into the game but in the end it was a moment of pure, historic magic that gave them a 1-1 result.

The home side looked like picking up a massive win and ending United’s unbeaten run prior to that thanks to a Juan Mata own goal that was deflected into the net from a Marko Arnautovic cross.

Mourinho’s side had gone 16 games unbeaten heading into today’s fixture and Rooney’s goal obviously makes that 17 without defeat now.

United undoubtedly needed the two points they dropped but Rooney’s goal has at least preserved their run and kept their chances of a top four finish alive.

It’s a goal worth catching the highlights for and it of course provoked a massive reaction on Twitter, with fans taking to the platform to share their views about the goal…

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As reported in an exclusive by The Sun, Sunderland are ready to rival offers from the continent to buy Charlie Adam from Stoke City.

What’s the story?

Sunderland are preparing themselves for a hard fought relegation battle in the coming months and this last week of the transfer window could be absolutely vital to those efforts.

David Moyes must be looking at a variety of players but one man The Sun say he’s set his sights on is Charlie Adam.

The Scottish international is also said to be the subject of interest from Fenerbahce, where old boss and former Black Cats manager Dick Advocaat is plying his trade.

Adam’s deal at Stoke expires in the summer but Mark Hughes does hold the option to extend that, according to the paper.

Sunderland’s saviour?

The Black Cats badly need a saviour this January or risk relegation into the Championship come May. Whether that’d be Charlie Adam is unclear, although the midfielder is coming into this form this month.

He has three assists in his last four appearances for Stoke, a resurgence of form after a fairly uninspired season at the Potters. Overall he’s been a success at the Britannia Stadium, scoring 20 goals in 141 appearances for them from midfield.

Although an effective midfielder on his day, we’re not sure if that kind of impact is enough to bail Moyes’ out at the tail end of this season.

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Arsene Wenger has revealed when he will decide whether he is staying on at Arsenal but sources at the club expect this to be his last season, various reports state.

What’s the word?

Wednesday night’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich may be the final nail in the coffin for the long-serving Arsenal boss and the Frenchman has revealed he will make a final decision on his future in Spring, he told German outlet ZDF.

Wenger’s comments came prior to the defeat at the Allianz Arena but the details of his interview only emerged yesterday, where he stated a decision on his future would be made in the next two months. Asked when he would decide if he will continue, Wenger replied:

“March, April probably.”

After that defeat, the 67-year-old’s press conference lasted just three minutes, and he answered just three questions, but Wenger is due to speak to the media again today before Arsenal’s FA Cup clash with non-league Sutton United on Wednesday.

Will he walk?

Wenger’s future at Arsenal was previously rated at around 50/50 as to whether he would stay or walk but the situation has now changed dramatically, with Squawka reporting that sources close to the North London giants expect the French boss to leave.

A two-year extension remains on the table for Wenger but it seems increasingly likely that Wenger will call time to his two decades in charge of the Gunners, following another disappointing season and failure to advance past the Round of 16 stage in the Champions League.

Arsenal are on the brink of a seventh-consecutive exit from the last 16 stage in Europe’s elite competition and now face a major battle to clinch a top-four spot in the Premier League, with a decline in form over the past month seeing the Gunners slip down the table.

With Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United still to play domestically, Arsenal have big months ahead of them in the remainder of the season and the situation at the club is currently looking bleak.

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The most popular narrative that surrounds the EFL Cup these days centres around one man and one man alone, Jose Mourinho. While the competition has a history long preceding the arrival of the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ on these shores, we so often hear about just how much he loves it.

And why not? It represents an early chance to bank some silverware in the English footballing calendar, building momentum for the rest of the campaign. In fact, even United’s recent history with it has been a positive one, with the 2006 final against Wigan widely regarded as the coming of age for Sir Alex Ferguson’s last great team, as a young double act of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney impressed.

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Still, with so much talk about the Portuguese’s affinity for the League Cup, it’s easy to forget they actually have a game against a side who’ve proved so impressive in it this season. Indeed, Southampton’s indifferent league form has been put on the back burner in this competition, a realm in which the Saints have proved entirely dominant.

Yet to concede and having only played Premier League teams, they’ve been formidable on their run to Wembley, culminating in a famous win at Anfield sure to live long in the memory.

As important as this game is for Mourinho in his rebuild of the Red Devils, Sunday’s showpiece is vital for those on the south coast. Jamie Carragher recently spoke of the need for Tottenham – now managed by former Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino, of course – to win a trophy in order to truly celebrate what is an exciting period at White Hart Lane. Well, that’s the same at Southampton.

An example to clubs around Europe, their rise up the leagues has been a joy to watch for many, largely conducting their business in the right fashion despite an annual gutting in the summer transfer window. They’re a nice club, inoffensive and indicative of how teams can see success over a sustained period when relying on a world class academy system, as well as some astute additions.

However, to truly consolidate their meteoric progress in the last few years, they need a trophy. That’s not to say the club would crumble with a loss. Not in the slightest. They’ve been too good for too long for that to happen, though if they are to hit the next level, lifting the League Cup at Mourinho’s expense would be the best platform to build upon.

Hitting a glass ceiling in the Premier League is a very dangerous game indeed. Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Swansea City have all failed to embark on the kind of upward trajectory that strong Premier League seasons at various points had positioned them for, only to fall further down the league until they were deeply entrenched in the treacherous waters of relegation battles.

Again, Southampton are in no danger of being relegated this season. Probably not next, though hitting the wall brings with it a sense of fear. Which is exactly why they need this as much as United.

As good as they’ve been in this competition (in fact, their formidable record should be celebrated far more than it currently is), Puel is yet wholly to convince in Hampshire. Granted, he’s had a ludicrously busy season laid at his door during his first season managng outside of France, though the constant tinkering with team selection and rather feeble Europa League exit represent sources of frustration.

Clearly, it’s not as if he’s under any immediate danger and perhaps it seems strange to criticise a man who could become only the second Saints boss in history to win a major trophy, though Claudio Ranieri will tell you all about the kind of time even the most sensational succes stories can bring.

There’s a reason why Jose Mourinho loves the EFL Cup. It’s because winning it can bring even more success further along the road. Losing, though, would see Southampton blow their best chance of sealing the best period in their recent history with a genuine trophy. This is not a free hit.

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Chelsea rejected an astonishing £90m offer from Tianjin Quanjian in January for striker Diego Costa that would have seen the Spaniard become the second-most expensive player in football history, SFR Sport has revealed.

What’s the word?

Chelsea ace Diego Costa was certainly embroiled in one of the saga’s of the mid-season transfer window, with the Spaniard falling out with manager Antonio Conte amidst reported interest from the Chinese Super League- and the details of the offer from the Far East have been revealed.

The Blues turned down an audacious offer of £90m for the former Atletico Madrid forward, who would have become the second-most expensive footballer in history behind Manchester United’s summer recruit Paul Pogba.

On top of that, Costa would have become the most expensive player to have been sold by English clubs, surpassing the fee Real Madrid paid Tottenham Hotspur for Gareth Bale and Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Had Costa sealed a move to China, the striker would have earned a incredible £85m over three-years and he was extremely interested in a move. However, eventually, the striker remained at Stamford Bridge following a clash with club officials.

Will Costa stay?

Diego Costa is almost certain to see out the remainder of the season at Chelsea, although the Chinese Super League transfer window does not shut until Tuesday, but there is a huge possibility he will move on at the end of the season.

Antonio Conte came close to selling Costa in the summer, with Atletico Madrid keen to bring him back to the Vicente Calderon, and could of left in January. Because of that, many expect Chelsea will cash-in this summer and bring in a new striker.

With Diego Costa being 28, many will feel he’s entered the prime years of his career but £90m for a striker of his age is a sensational amount and Chelsea would be daft not to consider a summer sale.

While Arsenal surely didn’t harbour any genuine aspirations of making it through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in seven years this evening, the manner of their defeat at home to Bayern Munich will only add to the problems currently plaguing Arsene Wenger’s side.

Perhaps this season will mark a power shift in north London, one that has only really threatened to get off the ground in recent years, with bitter rivals Tottenham currently enjoying life under the stewardship of Mauricio Pochettino. While the Gunners managed to avoid finishing below their neighbours for the first time since 1995 last term, it will take an almighty turnaround in the fortunes of both clubs to see that happen again this season.

So, as you can well imagine, the nature of Arsenal’s defeat has prompted Tottenham fans on social media to joke and jibe about their rivals, though there are certainly some interesting points raised too.

Would Dan Levy stand for this, if it were his club in that position?

While you debate that particular question, here’s a look at how Tottenham fans reacted on Twitter.

Reports in The Sun on Tuesday claim that Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic has accused his manager Claude Puel of lacking respect for him after he was substituted in the club’s last five matches.

The 28-year-old was taken off in the 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, while he was also substituted when the scoreline was 2-2 against Manchester United in the EFL Cup final – the club went on to be beaten 3-2 at Wembley.

The Serbia international has now decided to hit back at Puel and believes that he can make a difference for the whole 90 minutes, despite enjoying a less impressive season than last term – he has three goals and five assists in 23

Premier League appearances this term compared to seven goals and 12 assists in 34 top flight outings in 2015/16.

It is difficult to see how his comments will have a positive effect on his place in the side or his relationship with his French boss for the rest of the campaign, and Saints fans were quick to have their say on the story via social media.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction from Southampton supporters…

Not everyone was against Tadic’s comments though…