The Rossoneri lost it late, conceding two unanswered as Bologna won all three points
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AC Milan fall to Bologna 2-1 in Serie AYunus Musah started, Christian Pulisic came off benchMatch was a replay from October rain postponed gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan fell to Bologna 2-1 in Serie A action on Thursday.
Pulisic began on the bench but was introduced as a substitute in the 61st minute, while Musah played 90 minutes in the contest being named to the XI.
Milan winger Rafael Leao opened the scoring late in the first half, scoring a lovely effort after a resilient first 30-plus minutes from Milan's attack. However, just minutes out of the halftime break, Bologna leveled after a mess in the box saw the ball pop around, only for Santiago Castro to poke it home.
After a contentious second half, Bologna found a winner late, with striker Dan Ndoye scoring the go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute, poking him a low-driven cross in front of the net to steal all three points.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Milan have had a rough few weeks domestically and in Europe, crashing out of the UEFA Champions League, and hitting a rough patch of form in Serie A.
At the end of Thursday's Matchday, the sit eighth in Serie A, eightpoints out of a top-four spot that would guarantee them UCL soccer in 2025-26. The only hope they have left domestically in terms of trophies, is the Coppa Italia, where they have advanced to the semifinals of the competition.
Sergio Conceicao, meanwhile, is on the hot seat as a manager due to the current circumstances the club finds itself in. The Portuguese coach could find himself out of a job come the end of the season if the don't finish top four in Serie A.
DID YOU KNOW?
The match was originally scheduled to be played last October, but due to heavy rains, was postponed. Now, four months later, the two sides were finally able to meet for the replay of their Serie A clash.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?
The are back in action on Sunday in Serie A against Lazio in what has now become a must-win affair.
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho will pay for a team dinner after his unhappy reaction to his first-half substitution versus Ipswich.
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Winger subbed after Patrick Dorgu's red card
Amorim: "Perception in a big club is very important"
Question marks over Garnacho's fitness for FA Cup
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Garnacho was pulled in the 43rd minute during United's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town on Wednesday night. The 20-year-old headed straight down the tunnel after being replaced by full-back Noussair Mazraoui following Patrick Dorgu's red card, with some supporters unhappy with his decision not to sit on the bench with his team-mates.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
While Garnacho cut a dejected figure while leaving the pitch and didn't return to the United bench in the second half, there's no bad blood between the player and his manager. Amorim said Garnacho watched the remainder of the game from the stands, and came to speak with him on Thursday morning.
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WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID
"He's a young kid that will learn. The important thing was the next morning he was speaking with me," the United boss said.
"I told him at Manchester United everything is important and the perception in big a club is really important. So he is going to pay a dinner to all the team and that's it."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ALEJANDRO GARNACHO?
Garnacho picked up a minor injury against Ipswich and will need to be cleared by United's physios if he is to feature against Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday. Amorim is optimistic he will be available for the FA Cup fifth-round tie, however, with the Red Devils looking to continue their trophy defence amid their struggles in the Premier League.
Bangladesh stay in contention after Mondol, Meherob pick up four wickets each to thrash Canada
Sreshth Shah21-Jan-2022
Pakistan defended 239 to get past Afghanistan•ICC via Getty Images
Afghanistan had the better spinners for the turning surface in Tarouba, but three run-outs in their chase of 240 allowed Pakistan to seize the advantage instead. Allah Noor, Sulaiman Safi and Izharulhaq Naveed were all out trying to pinch runs that weren’t there, and Pakistan made the most of the freebies to complete a 24-run win and secure their place in the quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup.Afghanistan lost their captain Safi, the No. 3, in the 29th over when he tried to take on Zeeshan Zameer’s arm from the deep. In the next over, the well-set Noor had to go after a direct hit from mid-off. Those two wickets reduced Afghanistan from a comfortable 104 for 2 to 113 for 4.The Afghanistan batters coming in thereafter had to try and settle in when the track looked its trickiest, but they couldn’t last long. Pakistan captain Qasim Akram’s offbreaks accounted for Mohammad Ishaq and Khyber Wali in the 34th over, Naveed was gone with another direct hit from mid-off, and despite Noor Ahmad’s 18-ball 29 giving Pakistan a late scare, they held on.Seamer Awais Ali was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers. He got the opening breakthrough in the chase, breaking a 38-run stand when he removed Nangeyalia Kharote for 12 in the 11th over. And at the death, he dismissed Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (39) and Noor to finish with figures of 3 for 36.Pakistan’s batting was constructed on the back of a solid 73-run fourth-wicket stand between Abdul Faseeh and Akram, who helped the side recover from 92 for 3 to 165 for 4 through the middle overs. Before their stand, two identical googlies from left-arm wristspinner Noor had opener Muhammad Shehzad – who scored an attractive, counter-attacking 43 – and the No. 4 Irfan Khan edging attempted drives to first slip.Faseeh, the No. 3, brought out his strokes as his innings progressed, getting to his half-century in Akram’s company. But a mix-up between the batters broke the stand, giving Afghanistan a sniff when Akram had to walk back for 38.Then came a golden spell from legspinner Naveed to rattle Pakistan further. Faseeh struck a Naveed full toss to deep midwicket to be dismissed for 68, Abbas Ali couldn’t put a cut away and instead saw his stumps rattled, and Ahmed Khan failed to pick Naveed’s googly and was bowled for a first-ball duck.From a position of strength at 165 for 3, Pakistan had gone to 173 for 6, and it appeared they would not be able to bat the whole 50 overs. But No. 8 Maaz Sadaqat thumped seven fours in his 37-ball unbeaten innings of 42 to give Pakistan the late push. He helped add 35 runs in the last five overs, and Pakistan finished with a 239 for 9, a score that proved too much for Afghanistan in the end.Tom Prest smashed an unbeaten 154•ICC via Getty Images
England laid down the gauntlet in their final Group A match by completing a third-consecutive comprehensive win to not only end their group with a spotless record but also post the highest innings score of the competition thus far.Their captain Tom Prest smacked an unbeaten 119-ball 154, including 13 fours and four sixes, to lift England to 362 before legspinner Rehan Ahmed collected a four-for to wrap UAE’s innings up for 173.England’s batters enjoyed time in the middle before their likely quarter-final against South Africa. Opener George Thomas made a 43-ball 41. Jacob Bethell struck eight fours and three sixes in his 55-ball 62. And while Prest smacked 13 fours and four sixes in his 154 – the highest individual score of the World Cup so far – William Luxton, too, got among the runs with a 45-ball 47.UAE’s chase of 363 began poorly, with left-arm seamer Joshua Boyden removing Aryansh Sharma in the first over. Four more wickets quickly followed, and by the 15th over, UAE were 61 for 5. Naseer, who conceded 81 runs with the ball, hit a half-century from No. 7, but UAE were eventually bowled out for 173. Ahmed removed Naseer and three others to finish with 4 for 30 in his ten overs.In the other Group A match, defending champions Bangladesh stayed in contention for qualification by steamrolling Canada by eight wickets. Right-arm seamer Ripon Mondol and offspinner SM Meherob took four wickets each to bowl Canada out for 136 before their batters chased the target down in 30.1 overs.Bangladesh’s win makes their final game against UAE a virtual knockout, with the winner going on to face India in the quarter-final and the loser going to the Plate round.Canada opener Anoop Chima made a slow 63, at a strike rate of 53.84, and his innings was, by far, their best batting contribution. Apart from the opening stand of 34, Canada could not make any significant partnership, and the Mondol-Meherob combination ran through their batting order.Bangladesh’s chase of 137 was anchored by opener Iftikher Hossain’s steady 61. His innings had seven fours, and he put on a 76-run stand for the second wicket with Prantik Nawrose Nabil (33) after opening batter Mahfijul Islam fell early. Following Nabil’s dismissal, Hossain reached his fifty and together with the No. 4 Aich Mollah (20*), finished the chase with 119 balls to spare.
Indian Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has opted out of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy squad for “personal reasons”. A Cricket Association of Bengal official confirmed this development to ESPNcricinfo but did not elaborate on what the exact reason might be.It could not be verified whether the Indian selectors or team management have had a word with Saha recently about his future and whether that prompted the 37-year old to skip the league phase of Ranji.With Rishabh Pant firmly in place as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper, Saha has been the back-up in India’s Test squads. However, given his age, and KS Bharat exhibiting excellent glove-work when he came on as a substitute during India’s home Test series against New Zealand in November-December 2021, the selectors have two keepers in their 20s to call on. Bharat, who is 28, has been a regular with India A for the past few years.Related
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In Saha’s absence, Bengal have picked Sakir Habib Gandhi and Abishek Porel as their wicketkeeping options.Meanwhile, there was another senior player missing from his team for the Ranji Trophy, with Robin Uthappa not part of the Kerala squad. It is understood that Uthappa is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s in December. He is expected be back to full fitness soon, but is likely to miss the league phase of the Ranji Trophy, which ends before IPL 2022 starts in late March.Uthappa, who hit match-turning knocks in the semi-final and final of IPL 2021 for defending champions Chennai Super Kings, has listed his base price at the maximum – INR 2 crore – for the IPL 2022 auction that will take place on February 12 and 13.Sanju Samson was also not named in the Kerala squad, but that is because he is undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The Kerala Cricket Association said in a statement that Samson was expected to join the team once his fitness was cleared.Bengal are in Elite Group B of the Ranji Trophy, with Baroda, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. They will play their matches in Cuttack.Kerala are in Elite Group A, alongside Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya. Their matches will take place in Rajkot.The Ranji Trophy was not played last season because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be held in two phases this time, before and after the IPL. It was originally scheduled to begin on January 13 but was postponed because of the third wave of infections across the country due to the covid-19 pandemic.Bengal squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Manoj Tiwary, Sudip Chatterjee, Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Kumar Raman, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Abishek Das, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwik Roy Chowdhury, Abishek Porel (wk), Shahbaz Ahamed, Sayan Sekhar Mondal, Akash Deep, Ishan Porel, Mukesh Kumar, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Sakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Pradipta Pramanik, Geet Puri, Nilkantha Das, Karan Lal, Ravi KumarKerela squad: Sachin Baby (capt), Vishnu Vinod (vice-capt, wk), Anand Krishnan, Rohan Kunnumel, Vatsal Govind, Rahul P, Salman Nizar, Jalaj Saxena, Sijomon Jopseph, Akshay K C, Mithun S, Basil N P, Nideesh M D, Manu Krishnan, Basil Thampi, Fanoos F, S Sreeshanth, Varun Nayanar (wk), Vinoop Manoharan, Eden Apple Tom.
Zeeshan Maqsood, Andrea-Mae Zepeda, Janneman Malan and Fatima Sana among the other winners
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2022Mohammad Rizwan and Tammy Beaumont have been named the ICC men’s and women’s T20I Cricketers of the Year for 2021, respectively.Rizwan, who also won the PCB’s Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award recently following a stellar year, scored 1326 runs in 29 T20Is at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89. He also effected 22 dismissals behind the stumps in the format.At the Men’s T20 World Cup, where Pakistan lost in the semi-finals, Rizwan finished as the third-highest run-getter with 281 runs in six matches. In 2021, Rizwan also became the first batter to touch the 1000-run mark in a calendar year in T20Is, and the 2000-run mark in T20s.”I want to thank all my team-mates and coaching staff who helped me throughout the year by preparing and training me well enough to contribute to Pakistan’s successes,” Rizwan said in an ICC statement. “As cricket is a team sport, I would like to dedicate this award to my team-mates and fans.”As for Beaumont, the England opener notched up 303 runs in nine T20Is at an average of 33.66 in 2021, with three half-centuries. She was England’s highest run-getter in the year in the format, and was also the third-highest scorer overall. Against New Zealand away from home, she was named the Player of the Series for her contribution of 102 runs in three matches.Tammy Beaumont was England’s highest run-getter in T20Is last year•Getty ImagesShe also hit 97 against New Zealand, at home, to help England post their highest T20I total of 184 for 4 in 2021. Beaumont claimed the Player-of-the-Series award then too.”It’s a huge privilege to win the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Award,” Beaumont said. “I’ve worked incredibly hard on my T20 game in the last few years. My T20I career has had its ups and downs and I don’t think I’ve always been known for my T20 abilities, so this award gives me a huge amount of confidence.”As a team we had a great year in terms of T20I results and it feels great to have contributed to team wins. We’ve got a big year ahead in all formats – with the Ashes, the ICC Women’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, and I look forward to continuing to work hard alongside my teammates to help us win as many games as possible.”Oman’s captain Zeeshan Maqsood, meanwhile, was named the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. Maqsood, who bats in the middle-order and bowls left-arm spin, scored a total of 316 runs at 31.60 and picked up 21 wickets at 18.80 across 13 limited-overs matches in 2021.Last year, Zeeshan Maqsood became the first captain after Daniel Vettori to pick up four wickets in a T20 World Cup game•ICC via GettyMaqsood scored valuable fifties against USA and Namibia in ODIs this year. He was especially impressive against PNG, taking four wickets against them twice last year, once in an ODI and the other time at the T20 World Cup.The Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year award has gone to Austria’s Andrea-Mae Zepeda. In 2021, she scored 361 runs in eight T20Is at 51.57 with a strike rate of 102.55. Zepeda was outstanding in the series against Belgium, where she scored a hundred and two fifties in three T20Is. In the first T20I, she hit 101 off 63 balls and shared 111 runs with Busra Uca to guide Austria to a big 197 for 2. Her knock at the top included 17 fours.South Africa’s Janneman Malan has been named the ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year. He accumulated 715 runs in 17 international matches at 47.66 through the year, including two centuries and three fifties.Having made his T20I debut in 2019 and in ODIs in 2020, Malan’s most noteworthy performance came when he scored an unbeaten 177 – the fourth-highest score by a South African in ODIs – against Ireland in Dublin in July. He followed that up with another hundred against Sri Lanka in Colombo.Pakistan’s Fatima Sana, a seam-bowling allrounder, was named ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year. Sana, 20, claimed 24 wickets and scored 165 runs in 16 games across ODI and T20I cricket in 2021.Apart from playing West Indies at home, she also toured South Africa and the West Indies, and played the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Her most eye-catching performance came in an ODI in Antigua in July, when she hit an unbeaten 28 off 19 and then took her maiden international five-wicket haul to help Pakistan to a win.
Na tarde deste sábado (12), o Bahia venceu a Jacuipense por 4 a 1. As equipes se enfrentaram na Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador, em jogo válido pela 8ª rodada do Campeonato Baiano. Com o triunfo, o Tricolor sobe para a 5ª colocação, sendo a primeira equipe fora do G-4. Enquanto isso, a Jacupa se mantém na liderança.
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Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS
MOVIMENTADO!
O duelo começou muito faltoso, com poucas chances sendo criadas. Os times aproveitaram para se estudar e encontrar espaços dentro de campo. Com o Bahia mais à frente, a equipe abriu o placar aos 15. Após cobrança de falta, o zagueiro Luiz Otávio, de sola, mandou para o fundo das redes. Como resposta, os visitantes apareceram com Vinícius Amaral. Aos 34, porém, deixaram tudo igual. Após falha deMateus Teixeira, Júlio César dominou e balançou as redes.
A vantagem, porém, não foi de muito tempo. Três minutos depois, Marco Antônio mandou uma bomba de canhota e colocou o Bahia em vantagem novamente. No final, aos 45,Rodallega passou para Patrick de Lucca, que não desperdiçou e colocou no fundo do gol de Mota.
TRUNCADO!
Na segunda etapa, o Bahia não impôs muito o mesmo ritmo e teve poucas chances. Da mesma forma seguiu a Jacuipense, que não fez grandes criações no duelo. A primeira chance da segunda partiu do Tricolor. Aos 24, Marco Antônio cruzou, mas Rodallega não chegou a tempo para finalizar.
O Bahia, porém, conseguiu encontrar um espaço e, enfim, ampliou o marcador da Arena Fonte Nova. Aos 31, Rodallega, que estava desde o início do jogo marcar, recebeu cruzando de Ronaldo e anotou o quarto gol do Tricolor de Aço. Sem outras chances, a partida se encerrou no 4 a 1.
FICHA TÉCNICA BAHIA 4 X 1 JACUIPENSE
Local: Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador (BA) Data: 12/03/2022 – 16h (de Brasília) Público total: 3.592 Renda: R$ 40.552,00 Árbitro:Ricarle Gustavo Gonçalves Batista Assistentes: Edevan de Oliveira Pereira e José Carlos Oliveira dos Santos Cartões amarelos: Evandro (Jacuipense) Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS: Luiz Otávio (15’/1ºT) (1-0); Júlio César (34’/2ºT) (1-1); Marco Antônio (37’/1ºT) (2-1); Patrick de Lucca (45’/1ºT) (3-1); Rodallega (31’/2ºT) (4-1)
BAHIA (Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Matheus Teixeira;Douglas Borel,Ignácio, Luiz Otávio eLuiz Henrique;Rezende (Lucas Mugni, aos 29’/2ºT), Patrick de Lucca eDaniel;Raí Nascimento (Ronaldo César, aos 22’/2ºT), Rodallega (Marcelo Ryan, aos 37’/2ºT) eMarco Antônio (Matheus Bahia, aos 37’/2ºT).
JACUIPENSE (Técnico: Rodrigo Chagas)
Mota;Railan,Wesley,Matheus Cabral eEvandro (Radar, aos 6’/2ºT);Fábio Bahia (Newton, aos 0’/2ºT),Vinícius Amaral (Eudair, aos 0’/2ºT) eDanilo Rios;Ruan Levine, Robinho eJeam (Júlio César, aos 6’/1ºT – Jeferson, aos 24’/2ºT).
حجز فريق شباب قسنطينة الجزائري مقعده في نصف نهائي كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية 2025، بعد فوزه المثير على اتحاد العاصمة بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة 4-3، في اللقاء الذي جمعهما مساء الأربعاء على ملعب 5 جويلية 1962، ضمن إياب الدور ربع النهائي.
وانتهى الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بتعادل الفريقين 1-1، وهي ذات نتيجة الذهاب التي أقيمت على ملعب الشهيد حملاوي.
طالع.. نهضة بركان يعبر إلى نصف نهائي الكونفدرالية على حساب أسيك ويقترب من إنجاز تاريخي
وافتتح اتحاد العاصمة التسجيل عبر آدم عليلات من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 25، فيما أدرك عبد النور بلحوسيني التعادل لفريق قسنطينة برأسية رائعة في الدقيقة 56.
وامتدت المباراة إلى الأشواط الإضافية دون جديد في النتيجة، ليحتكم الفريقان إلى ركلات الترجيح، التي رجحت كفة شباب قسنطينة بعد تألق حارسه، إذ أضاع اتحاد العاصمة ركلتين مقابل واحدة فقط أضاعها قسنطينة.
وبهذا الفوز التاريخي، يحقق شباب قسنطينة إنجازًا غير مسبوق بتأهله لأول مرة إلى نصف نهائي البطولة القارية، ليضرب موعدًا قويًا مع نهضة بركان المغربي، المتأهل على حساب أسيك ميموزا الإيفواري.
Leeds United centre-forward Mateo Joseph is a good example of how difficult it is to translate regular goalscoring from academy level to the first team.
The 21-year-old ace, who joined from Espanyol at the start of 2022, scored an eye-catching 19 goals in 33 games for the Whites at U21 level.
However, the Spain U21 international has only found the back of the net five times in 47 appearances for the club since his rise to the first-team, with two goals in 15 Championship games this season.
He has made the step to the senior team, though, and has time on his hands to fulfil his potential, which was not the case for one former Leeds youngster who initially arrived with plenty of hype around him.
Leeds' mini Luis Suarez
Leeds swooped to sign a teenage centre-forward from Barcelona in the summer of 2017 after he had scored 30 goals in 30 league games for the Spanish giants at academy level in the 2016/17 campaign.
If you haven’t guessed already, that player was none other than Kun Temenuzhkov.
The Guardian named him as one of the 60 best young talents in world football in 2017 and wrote that the striker had ‘the same predator’s instinct’ as former Barcelona and Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez, who was idolised by the youngster and scored 195 goals in 283 games for the LaLiga outfit.
Luis Suarez Liverpool graphic
It is not hard to understand why that comparison was made after such an incredible year of goalscoring for the Spanish side in the previous season.
After playing for the Leeds’ U18 side for 18 months, Temenuzhkov made his first-team debut for Leeds against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2019, with an 11-minute cameo off the bench under Marcelo Bielsa.
Given his extraordinary goal record for Barcelona’s youth teams, his comparison to Suarez, and his senior bow under Bielsa, you could forgive the Whites for thinking that they had their own version of the Uruguayan hero on their hands.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Unfortunately, though, after loan spells with CF La Nucía and Real Union during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, the Bulgarian centre-forward was released by the Whites in the summer of 2022, having failed to live up to the hype.
How Kun Temenuzhkov is performing in 2024
The young marksman made the move to join Navalcarnero in the fourth tier of Spanish football and scored eight goals in 29 league games during the 2023/24 campaign.
He then spent six months with Zamora CF, scoring just one goal in ten games, before moving to Lincoln FC in Gibraltar at the start of 2023.
Temenuzhkov produced six goals and three assists in 15 appearances for Lincoln during the second half of last season, before a free transfer to Moscardó in the summer transfer window earlier this year.
Kun Temenuzhkov
It was the fourth free transfer since the start of 2022 for the 24-year-old attacker, who has been unable to enjoy more than one season with a club since his exit from Leeds.
Moscardó currently play in the fourth tier of Spanish football and the ex-Whites and Barcelona man has had a difficult start to the campaign, with zero goals and one assist in eight league matches.
Temenuzhkov is yet to replicate his sensational goalscoring output at academy level in his first-team career and Leeds will now be hoping that Joseph, who has already played 46 more times for Leeds than the Bulgarian forward did, fares better in his development over the coming years.
Leeds can replace Firpo by signing "best full-back in the Championship"
Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship star.
Arsenal picked up their fourth win in as many games last night and, in doing so, kept the Premier League title race very much alive.
Mikel Arteta’s side were not at their sparkling best against Manchester United, but put in a determined display and deservedly came away with all three points.
However, just because the attacking players somewhat flattered to deceive at the Emirates, there were still a handful of standout performers for the North Londoners.
Arsenal vs Man United
Arsenal
Statistics
Man Utd
2
Goals
0
50%
Possession
50%
2.16
Expected Goals
0.22
5
Big Chances
0
14
Total Shots
5
2
Saves
4
13
Corners
0
12
Fouls
8
463
Passes
476
15
Tackles
19
1
Yellow Cards
3
All Stats via Sofascore
Moreover, one of said performers was rumoured to be up for sale next month, but now looks utterly indispensable.
Arsenal's standout stars vs Manchester United
Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at some of the other Arsenal players who stood out for the right reasons last night, starting with the man who broke the deadlock, Jurrien Timber.
The Dutch international put in another scintillating display at right-back, getting forward to support Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard but then also giving Alejandro Garnacho absolutely no joy in defence, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the Standard’s Simon Collings award the former Ajax star an 8/10 match rating at fulltime.
However, he wasn’t the only defender who put the ball in the back of the net, as to his left, William Saliba was once again monstrous at the back.
The Frenchman, who also received an 8/10 from Collings, blocked, intercepted and tackled everything that came his way while also playing some exquisite passes of his own to help the North Londoners launch their attacks.
Lastly, while he didn’t score a goal, Declan Rice was just as impressive as his defensive teammates. The former West Ham United captain was a constant threat from corners, an impassible wall in midfield and, as Collings wrote, ‘gave Arsenal the injection of energy they needed’ in the second 45 after a slightly underwhelming first half.
With all that said, all three of these players have, justifiably, received plenty of praise since last night, but there’s another defender who should be receiving just as many plaudits, a defender who has surely just made himself indispensable.
Arsenal's unsung hero vs Manchester United
So, to get straight to the point, the Arsenal player who was as good as the aforementioned players last night was Jakub Kiwior.
That said, his performance was potentially more important than anyone else’s, at least from a personal point of view, as according to reports from last month, the club were looking to sell the Polish international in January for a fee as low as €25m, which is just £25m.
However, with Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori out injured for last night’s must-win clash, Arteta had no choice but to start the former Spezia ace in his preferred position of left centre-back, and he more than repaid his manager.
The “extraordinary” 24-year-old, as dubbed by the iconic Robert Lewandowski, put in an intelligent display against the Red Devils, stepping off players when necessary and only going in for a challenge when it was clear he’d come out victorious.
Moreover, he showed fans that he’s no slouch with the ball at his feet either, playing some brilliant passes in the second half, including an excellent one into the path of Leandro Trossard, who really should have done something with it.
Unsurprisingly, Collings was equally impressed with the Tychy-born titan and gave him an 8/10 rating on the night, writing that while he ‘flew under the radar’ somewhat, he ‘had a great game with and without the ball.’
This appraisal is more than backed up by the statistics from the night, as in 94 minutes, the 6 foot 2 star made four clearances, won 100% of his ground duels and two of three aerial duels, made two tackles, took 61 touches, played one key pass, wasn’t dribbled past even once and didn’t commit even a single foul.
Ultimately, while he isn’t a regular starter for Arsenal, Kiwior demonstrated last night why he is an indispensable player for the club, as he came in for an injured Gabriel in a must-win game and didn’t put a foot wrong.
Forget about Saliba: 8/10 Arsenal star was a "different beast" vs Man Utd
Arsenal cruised to a 2-0 win over old rivals Manchester United.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke will have had a keen eye on the recent international matches that his players have been involved in during the break.
The German head coach will be delighted that his stars appear to have got through the international break without picking up any serious injury issues.
Leeds return to action in the Championship on Saturday with a trip to Wales to take on Swansea City, and look set to have the same squad that was available for the last outing against Queens Park Rangers.
Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe scored the goals to secure all three points against Marti Cifuentes’ side and another win this weekend could send the Whites into the automatic promotion places, if results go their way, as they are two points behind Sheffield United and Sunderland.
The international break has also been an opportunity for some players to perform for their countries and show Farke that they deserve more minutes in West Yorkshire.
Mateo Joseph
Mateo Joseph is one star who has taken his chance to shine. The Spain U21 international scored, what turned out to be, the winning goal against Denmark’s U21s on Tuesday.
Mateo Joseph's form this season
The Leeds academy graduate took the ball in on the half turn in the six-yard box and brilliantly spun and found the back of the net with a quick shot.
It was his sixth goal in seven caps for Spain’s U21 side, since he decided to declare for Spain after a spell with England’s U20s, but he is yet to replicate that level of goalscoring at senior level.
Joseph scored 19 goals in 33 appearances for Leeds’ U21 team before his emergence as a regular first-team option under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign, albeit mainly as a substitute.
The young marksman scored three goals in 26 games for the first-team in all competitions last season, and two of those goals came in one of his only two starts – against Chelsea in the FA Cup.
This term, Farke has provided Joseph with more opportunities to shine from the start in the Championship, after he made 22 appearances in the division without starting in the 2023/24 campaign.
Appearances
15
Starts
9
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old centre-forward has started fairly regularly but has failed to find the back of the net consistently.
His level of creativity, as a number nine, has been impressive but his rate of scoring must improve to ensure that he can nail down a starting spot week-in-week-out, and his form for Spain and Leeds at youth level suggests that the potential is there for him to score regularly.
At the age of 21, Joseph is a big and promising talent. However, Leeds once missed out on a deal to sign a teenage sensation who is an even bigger talent than the Spanish hotshot.
Leeds United tried to sign Ben Doak
In the summer of 2022, the West Yorkshire outfit were one of the sides reportedly in the running to secure a deal to sign Ben Doak from Scottish giants Celtic.
Premier League giants Liverpool eventually won the race for his signature and had to pay a compensation fee of just £600k to land the 16-year-old winger, who had not signed a professional contract with the Hoops.
The Athletic reported that Ange Postecoglou handed the teenage star a first-team debut in the Scottish Premiership, at the age of just 16, in an attempt to show him that there was a pathway to the senior side, but that was not enough to convince him to remain at Parkhead.
Ben Doak for Liverpool
It was added that Leeds made a move to sign the young forward and, as per The Athletic, offered better terms than Liverpool did in an attempt to secure his services.
However, Doak chose footballing reasons over money and decided to fight for a future spot in Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield, instead of going to Elland Road for a bigger cheque.
One that got away
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This means that Leeds missed out on the chance to sign the Scottish starlet for just £600k, which is particularly frustrating for the club when you look at what the winger is doing this season.
Ben Doak's a bigger talent than Mateo Joseph
Now 19, Doak is playing regular first-team football for Scotland and Middlesbrough, having joined the Championship side on loan in the summer, and is thriving.
The electric dynamo has featured in all six and started four of Scotland’s games in the Nations League in the 2024/25 campaign and contributed with two ‘big chances’ created and one assist.
After his most recent displays for Scotland, Ally McCoist stated that the teenager has “outstanding potential” and compared him to Jude Bellingham in the sense that they are both “fearless” and play with “freedom”.
Former Scotland manager Craig Levein said “this kid could be a world-class player” after his showing against Croatia last week, and these comments from Levein and McCoist speak to how impressive the winger has been for his age.
Doak is two years younger than Joseph but has already established himself as a regular starter at international level and in the Championship with Middlesbrough.
Appearances
10
Starts
8
Goals
1
Assists
3
Key passes
22
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish whiz has started a higher percentage of his appearances in the second tier than the Leeds ace has, which suggests that he is well ahead of Joseph in his development – as he only turned 19 earlier this month.
What makes his form even more impressive this season is that he missed a whopping 41 matches with a meniscus tear last term, and has bounced back from that to shine for club and country.
At the age of 19, Doak has the world at his feet and – per Levein and McCoist – could be on his way to becoming a world-class talent for Liverpool and Scotland in the future, which is why he is an even bigger talent than Joseph – who is yet to nail down his consistency whilst being two years older.
Leeds made a bigger mistake than Gyokeres by failing to sign £167m star
The former Leeds United sporting director will surely look back on this failure with regret.