Lion Links: 12/26/25

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Hopefully your Christmas went smoothly. I have more ham than I know what to do with, which is hardly a complaint. I also received some new Orlando City gear, so I’ll be repping the Lions in style come 2026. Feel free to share your spoils in the comments down below! Let’s get to the links.

Keeping Up With Americans Abroad

There’s only one English Premier League match today, but this Boxing Day features plenty of EFL Championship games with Americans in action. Former Lion Daryl Dike may make his return from injury today when West Brom hosts Bristol City, but he faces stiff competition for minutes. Josh Sargent is out of concussion protocol and available for Norwich City’s match against Charlton Athletic. Haji Wright, Patrick Agyemang, and Damion Downs are a few more Americans fans can root for today.

Yunus Musah is back in the thick of things with Atalanta after a strong showing against Genoa last Sunday, which was his first start since September. He’ll get a chance to build on that performance when Atalanta plays Inter Milan on Sunday.

USMNT 2025 Takeaways

It was an interesting year for the United States Men’s National Team as it prepared for next summer’s World Cup. A rash of injuries kept important players like Tyler Adams off the field, but those called up to fill the gaps did well. Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was one of many MLS players who stepped up when needed and are in the mix for a World Cup roster spot. Freeman has done well in Pochettino’s system, which flourished in the second half of the year after switching to three in the back. A big win over Uruguay to end the year has the USMNT riding high into 2026, and hopefully the Yanks can keep that momentum rolling.

Assessing EPL Title Races at Christmas

For the third time in four years, Arsenal sits atop the EPL standings at Christmas. However, the Gunners have yet to get the job done in the second half of the season as of late, finishing second the past three years. It calls into question just how meaningful having the lead this time of year really is in the EPL. In the EPL’s 33 full seasons, the points leader at Christmas went on to win the title 17 times. Manchester City, which sits just two points behind Arsenal, is well versed at coming back to win after the holidays, doing so three times in the past five years. It should be a tight title race through the second half of the season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Aston Villa stays in the hunt for a while as well.

AFCON Returns to Action Today

The Africa Cup of Nations is underway in Morocco and a matchup between Egypt and South Africa highlights today’s slate of action. South Africa eliminated Egypt in the 2019 edition of the tournament and will aim for a similar upset to take control of its group. Both teams won their first games of the tournament, but Egypt needed a late winner from Mo Salah to get past Zimbabwe.

It’s been an exciting, albeit predictable, group stage so far. The heavyweights have cruised, but there haven’t been any major blowouts. Algeria did win 3-0 against Sudan though, with soccer legend Zinedine Zidane watching on as his son, Luca Zidane, earned a clean sheet as Algeria’s goalkeeper. Algeria’s match against Burkina Faso on Sunday should be a bit tougher, and Saturday’s game between Tunisia and Nigeria should also be one to watch.

Free Kicks

• Pedro Gallese’s incredible save to deny Luis Suarez from long range was praised as one of the best saves of the past MLS season. You can check it out around the 45-second mark.

• It looks like American defender Chris Richards’ injury isn’t as severe as it could have been according to him and Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.
• Speaking of Glasner, he reportedly won’t be signing a new contract with Crystal Palace. He’s done well managing the English club since joining in February of 2024, winning the 2025 FA Cup by beating Manchester City in the final.

• Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati spoke on her recovery after breaking her leg in training last month and she could return to training in April.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!