So we have less than 24 hours left of 2025 and we've seen some iconic moments over the past 12 months - with plenty of storylines already building ahead of next year.

Liverpool rose - and fell - under Arne Slot and look to have already given up the chance of retaining their Premier League crown. Again it looks like an Arsenal - Manchester City battle with Aston Villa threatening to be a nuisance.

PSG finally scaled the mountain they had eyed up for more than a decade as they won the Champions League. They were relentless in their pursuit of European glory and set records with a 5-0 win in Munich as they downed Inter Milan.

The club season will be played and then backed up by the World Cup in North America - with anticipation continuing to rise. The groups have been drawn with England enjoying a perfect 2025 in competitive outings as they continue to look more and more cohesive under Thomas Tuchel.

The winner of the World Cup will likely have a huge bearing on the Ballon d'Or, which was won by Ousmane Dembele this year. He edged out Lamine Yamal, but a Spanish victory this summer could further his chance. Erling Haaland equally is eyeing another Golden Boot and will play in a first World Cup with Norway - he could have a say.

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We take a look at some of the major talking points we could be discussing come the next 12 months across the Premier League, Championship and the World Cup.

Arsenal's mentality questions

They must be getting sick of people questioning their mentality, their bottle, when it comes to getting over the line. Arsenal have been among the most impressive teams for the past three or four years, but are yet to have the trophies to back that up.

The biggest stick used to beat them is their failings in the title race. This is the fourth year on the bounce that they've been in the hunt. Two previous times they were in control going into the business end of the season, but were outdone by Guardiola and City.

Last term they never really got close enough to Liverpool to pile on the pressure, but this term they've looked the best team in the country. Yet City are in close proximity and it feels like a sense of deja vu. It is up to Mikel Arteta and co to prove they have what it takes to get over the line.

Can Aston Villa last the course

They were without a win in their first five games and it seemed as if Unai Emery needed to reassess his ambitions for the year. How that has changed. The win over Arsenal earlier in the month, courtesy of Emi Buendia's 94th minute strike, sent Villa Park into raptures and closed the gap at the top.

Villa beat Chelsea in west London to register their 12th win in their last 13 games. We've been here before - go back two years and Villa were in and amongst it at the top of the table.

So here we are again. Emery is having to juggle league and Thursday night Europa League commitments, but it doesn't seem to be an issue right now. Few expect them to remain in the hunt come April and May, but if Morgan Rogers keeps his career-best form going who knows where that could take them.

Will Tuchel pick system over names

Speaking of Rogers, he's become a favourite for Thomas Tuchel ahead of the World Cup. England have built impressive and were flawless in qualifying with their German boss showing he has little regard for headline names - which hasn't been the case under previous regimes.

Tuchel seems determined to put the team's style and functionality ahead of a desire to simply get the best players on the pitch. It means the likes of Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze could be battling for maybe one of two spots in the starting XI.

And despite playing for less fashionable sides players like Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson have proved to be huge favourites. Tuchel may only be in charge for one major tournament and he seems set to do it his way.

Messi and Ronaldo's swansongs

This World Cup in North America will certainly be the last for two of the game's greats. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both appeared at their first World Cups in 2006. Twenty years later they are still here.

Messi has the added determination of trying to claim a second World Cup with Argentina among the favourites. They are on an impressive winning run and their players have always shown an added desire to win for Messi - furthering his own legacy.

Ronaldo meanwhile may be looking to respond to some of his doubters. At the last World Cup in Qatar he was famously dropped for one of the knockout games. It is no secret he's only made one semi-final and will want to address that record. Whatever happens, the two legends will bow out this summer.

Coventry look to 25 year wait

They were relegated from the Premier League in 2001 and haven't been back since. Their demise saw them down in League Two as recently as 2018 but they've risen up the pyramid. A club of their size should never have been in the fourth tier and now they have a huge buffer at the top of the Championship.

It is too early to start cashing bets but Coventry could not be better set. They've responded impressively to their play-off heartbreak last year and Frank Lampard is proving himself in the dugout.

He suffered a near miss with Derby in 2019 but could finally get a promotion on his CV - and in impressive style. Coventry have set records for goals already and would no doubt be a great addition to the top flight.

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