MATCH! 13 December 2022

MYKHAYLO MUDRYK If the "Ukrainian Neymar" was one of Santa's reindeer, he'd definitely be Rudolph - not because he's got a big red nose obviously, but because the sick killer always stands out from the crowd. His ball control and fancy flicks could even sneak a grin out of the Grinch this Xmas! JESPER LINDSTROM The sizzling 22-year-old Danish dynamite is more explosive than an M&S Christmas cracker! A couple of months ago he said that he was insanely happy” to read about reports linking him with Arsenal, which is the most obvious “come-and-get-me” plea that we’ve ever heard! FACUNDO TORRES Premier League fans are already familiar with the surname Torres - legendary Spanish goal grabber Fernando was an absolute hit at Liverpool (before flopping at Chelsea)! Uruguay's 22-year-old winger Facundo…

XMAS MIRACLE? Brentford v Tottenham The Bees are on a 13-match winless streak v Tottenham, in a run that stretches back to 1948, while Spurs’ recent record on Boxing Day is tastier than an all-year-round advent calendar filled with all of your favourite chocolates, so it really would be a Christmas miracle if the home side managed to win all three points! CHRISTMAS CRACKER! Everton v Wolves These two sides are under more pressure than Santa’s little helpers on Christmas Eve – they need to start picking up points, quick! The last time they met in the Prem, Conor Coady scored the winner for Wolves, but he’s not gonna be featuring for either side this time as his loan agreement at The Toffees doesn’t allow it! GOLDEN GOALS! Leicester v…

NEXT BELGIUM BOSS? After Roberto Martinez announced that he was stepping down as Belgium boss, Burnley coach Vincent Kompany has been linked with the job! MBAPPE’S NEW BOOTS! Nike handed Kylian Mbappe these France-inspired Mercurials for his nation’s games in the knockout stages of the World Cup! EARLIEST XMAS MEMORY! MATCH asked Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher his earliest Xmas memory: “I remember watching Home Alone over the Christmas period!”…

BOTMAN SAYS: “My earliest Christmas memory would be at home in the Netherlands with my family. I think the way we celebrate Christmas is pretty similar to how it is here in England. We celebrate for two days and it is all about family, presents, watching movies and eating food. Those are the things you really miss as a footballer, especially in England when there are so many matches!”…

What’s the best part of Christmas for you, Tino? LIVRAMENTO SAYS: “Growing up, I always looked forward to the build-up to Christmas as it’s always very exciting with there being so much going on. Now though, I really enjoy the festive period fixtures. There’s so many games and lots of points up for grabs!” What’s the coolest present you’ve received at Xmas? LIVRAMENTO SAYS: “I can’t highlight one particular present, but getting any new football shirt growing up was always really special. I think I asked for a shirt pretty much every year when I was younger, and I never got bored of getting one each Christmas!”…

BALLON D’OR RUNNERUP! MATCH thinks Mead was well unlucky not to winth is year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or award! She finished second in the vote just behind Barcelona baller Alexia Putellas, who won the prize for the second straight year. The Spain star missed all of the Women’s Euros though because she was injured! BETH’S EPICEUROS! She scored England’s first goal of the tournament – a cheeky lobbed winner against Austria in the opener! She bagged a terrific treble in the record-breaking 8-0 demolition of the world’s seventh-seeds Norway! Her final group-stage goal against Northern Ireland made Mead the first-ever star to score as many as five group-stage goals in WEuros history! Her goal v Sweden in the semi-finals was her sixth–a joint-record for a player at a single WEuros tourno!…