FOOTBALL

Even when not in the midst of a buzzing transfer window, Arsenal find themselves linked with a number of players from across the world of football.

Manchester United marked Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th anniversary in charge with a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.

As the January transfer window comes closer, cash-rich Manchester City have joined the likes of Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the race for acquiring Eredivisie heavy weight PSV's midfielder Kevin Strootman who is currently worth £18 million.

An article labeled Saturday's much-anticipated Alabama-LSU game as The Super Bowl of Oversigning, a reference to both schools' histories of signing more players than are eligible for readily available scholarships.

AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano will be out for a few months and needs heart surgery after falling ill at the weekend, the Italian champions said on Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Coroner's officials announced Wednesday that former all-pro football player turned actor and commercial pitchman Bubba Smith died of acute drug intoxication and other conditions.

Tim Tebow apparently had no problem with Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch Tebowing after sacking him in the second quarter last week in a game that the Lions trounced the Denver Broncos in by winning 45-10.

Only two days after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kris Kumphries after a meager 72 days of marriage, gambling Web site Bodog.com is offering odds on the type of person the reality star will date next.

Chelsea's domestic frustration spread into Europe as they drew 1-1 at minnows Genk in the Uefa Champions League.

Defending champions Barcelona became the first team to qualify for the knock-out rounds with a 4-0 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Uefa Champions League.

Violence erupted during Sunday's game between Romanian clubs Petrolul Ploiesti and Steaua Bucharest when a fan invades the pitch and punches Steaua defender George Galamaz in the head.

Erik Kramer's 18-year-old son Griffen is dead from what is suspected to be alcohol poisoning. Griffen Kramer, who was a senior at Thousand Oaks High School, died on Sunday. His body was found at a friend's house in Agoura Hills.

Hey look, Rob Gronkowski was hanging out with BiBi Jones again this weekend.

Sunday Night Football surged a remarkable 78 percent Sunday night, while Fox's animated slate, led by The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror episode, also showed strong gains, according to preliminary numbers.

In the event Terry is found guilty, he would be in danger of losing the England captaincy,

The fan who caused much damage in the ill-tempered Romanian match between Steaua Bucharest and Petrolul Ploiesti has been charged after fracturing Bucharest defender George Galamaz's cheekbone.

The NCAA has already seen multiple coaches fired mid-way through the season, but there are still plenty of coaches on the hot seat. IBTimes takes a look at the coaches on the verge of losing their jobs, including Ole Miss' Houston Nutt, UCLA's Rick Neuheisel, and NC State's Tom O'Brien.

Arsenal will look to seal progress, or at least make the vital steps towards the knock-out rounds, when they host Marseille in the Uefa Champions League.

The two face possible prison terms.

The 23-man shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or is dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid players, who make up more than half of the nominees.

English club football heavyweights Arsenal have their sights set on young German playmaker Mario Gotze and will make an attempt to land him when the transfer window re-opens in January. Gotze, who primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a right winger for Borussia Dortmund, is considered to be an upcoming and potentially world-class player. His game is built around speed, technical skill and creativity on the ball.