Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur maintained their unbeaten record in the Champions League this season after securing a 0-0 draw against Monaco in France last night.

Thomas Frank’s side failed to capitalise on any of the chances that fell their way within the final third, subsequently only registering two shots on target within the 90 minutes.

However, they may have been lucky to walk away with just a point, as the hosts racked up a total of 23 shots, with eight of the attempts being placed on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal.

The Lilywhites’ display will no doubt have disappointed the manager, with his side showing no real bounce back after Sunday’s defeat against Aston Villa.

After such a showing, there’s no disputing that the Dane desperately needs to make changes to his squad ahead of the weekend’s clash against David Moyes’ Everton.

Spurs’ poor performers against Monaco last night

Rodrigo Bentancur was kept within the Spurs midfield last night, but such a decision proved to be the wrong one, given his lack of impact in the South of France.

The Uruguayan international failed to win a single tackle against the Ligue 1 outfit, whilst also losing 100% of the ground duels he entered – showcasing he was often dominated by the opposition.

Other stats, such as one foul committed and seven times possession lost, further highlight his inability to make a positive impact on the European encounter.

However, he wasn’t alone in being disappointing against Sebastien Pogognoli’s men, with Lucas Bergvall also producing a rare disappointing performance.

The Swede was subsequently replaced after an hour, after completing just six passes – subsequently finding a teammate just once every ten minutes.

He also failed to win a single tackle and was even dribbled past twice, with the Lilywhites’ midfield often being overran and leading to their inability to claim all three points.

Despite the showing of the aforementioned duo, one other player once again struggled to prove why the manager has stuck by him throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Monaco

Even though Spurs have only lost two games across all competitions since Frank’s arrival, they have struggled to impose themselves in numerous outings.

Last night’s showing was another one to forget for the Lilywhites, leaving the side with five points from a possible nine in this season’s edition of the Champions League.

Whilst the side have kept two clean sheets in their three matches, the frontline has massively disappointed – scoring just three goals, two of which were own goals.

Micky van de Ven is currently the only Lilywhites player to find the back of the net in Europe – further showcasing the issue Frank currently has in that department.

One of the players in that area of the pitch that has massively struggled is centre-forward Richarlison, with the Brazilian unable to match his early-season form.

The 28-year-old has now gone six games without a goal across all competitions, with his last effort coming in the draw with Brighton & Hove Albion over a month ago.

His showing against Monaco last night was yet another to forget for the £60m addition, subsequently putting his starting role into serious question.

Minutes played

70

Touches

20

Passes completed

6

Shots taken

1

Dribbles completed

0

Possession lost

8x

Duels lost

4

Fouls committed

1

Richarlison featured for 70 minutes last night, but like Bergvall, he only completed a total of six passes and registered a solitary effort on the opposition goal.

He only managed a total of 20 touches during his performance – a tally fewer than goalkeeper Vicario, who notched 49 – whilst also failing to complete any of his attempted dribbles.

The Brazilian subsequently gifted possession back to the hosts on eight separate occasions, leading to one analyst labelling his showing against the Ligue 1 side as “shocking”.

As a result of his showing, the striker was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by The Standard’s Matt Verri – further showcasing his lack of positive impact against the French outfit.

Frank has been lenient with his centre-forward over the last couple of weeks, but it’s desperately clear the 28-year-old needs to be dropped from the starting eleven.

Richarlison has constantly struggled to match the expectations placed upon him over the last couple of months, with Mathys Tel deserving of a recall against Everton this weekend.

Spurs' "generational talent" is now becoming their best teenager since Dele

Tottenham Hotspur have hit the jackpot on one star who is following in the footsteps of a former talent.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 22, 2025

Newcastle United are now reportedly preparing a move to sign an impressive striker in 2026, who has outscored Nick Woltemade so far this season.

Howe "hugely frustrated" by Tottenham draw

It may now be three Premier League games without defeat for Newcastle, but Eddie Howe couldn’t hide his frustration after Tottenham Hotspur rescued a late draw on Tuesday evening. It could have capped off the beginning of their resurgence following wins over Manchester City and Everton, but ultimately highlighted their frailties instead.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Howe said: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.

“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.

“Technically, second half, I don’t think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading. When you’re leading and you’ve got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.”

Related Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The Magpies don’t have long to lick their wounds, however. Up next, they play host to Burnley in their third game in the space of a week. Victory there would represent another step in the right direction in a hectic festive period.

As each game comes, Yoane Wissa also edges closer and closer to a comeback. The DR Congo forward opted out of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Newcastle for their patience, but that may not be enough to prevent those at St James’ Park from reinforcing their frontline in January.

Newcastle preparing Igor Thiago move

While the Magpies are intent on bolstering their youth ranks, notably joining the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Cardiff’s Dylan Lawlor, they are also very much thinking about the present.

Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now preparing a move to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford in January after completing their scouting mission.

The impressive forward has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season – a number that only Erling Haaland has bettered – and could now seal a well-earned move when the January transfer window arrives.

PL stats 25/26

Thiago

Woltemade

Minutes

1,101

965

Goals

11

5

Assists

0

1

Expected Goals

8.5

4.5

Whilst there’s no denying that record signing Woltemade has made a fantastic start at Newcastle, Thiago has been on another level. The Brentford star has stepped up to replace Bryan Mbeumo, but could now complete a similar move in another blow for Keith Andrews.

The young manager has been full of praise for his forward this season, telling reporters last weekend: “He is a dream to work with. As a person, his hunger and appetite to get better is impressive.

“He is having a fantastic season, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. The numbers will tell you that, the performances he produces consistently well, how well he has integrated into the way they are playing and with individuals.”

Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle

If Chelsea’s draw against Arsenal showed them at their best, the last week of results has shown them at their worst.

Enzo Maresca’s side were just six points off the Premier League leaders after their match against them, but a defeat away to Leeds United and a draw away to Bournemouth now sees them eight points adrift and in fifth place.

It’s been a frustrating week for the Blues and one that has shown that, for all their talent, they are still vulnerable and have more than a few week links.

In fact, one of those weak links could be Chelsea’s biggest liability since Tiémoué Bakayoko.

Tiémoué Bakayoko's Chelsea career

In the 16/17 season, AS Moncao shocked the world by mounting a surprising and successful title charge, their first to end in glory for well over a decade.

Chalkboard

That side was full of incredible players who’d go on to have glittering careers, like Kylian Mbappé, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho.

However, instead of signing any of them, Chelsea opted to splash north of £40m on Bakayoko, who, to be fair to the club, did look like a star in the making at the time.

Unfortunately, once he arrived in England, it was clear that he was anything but.

The Frenchman made 43 appearances across the 17/18 season, but very rarely, if ever, looked convincing, be that in possession or out of it.

The midfielder’s most notable performance in Blue just so happened to also be his worst, when, against Watford in February 2018, he was sent off just 30 minutes into the game.

In all, while he was once a hugely promising midfielder, Bakayoko is now known as a flop in England.

Following a slew of loans, he joined Lorient in 2023 before moving to PAOK last summer, and is now without a club at just 31 years old.

Unfortunately for Maresca, he might now have Chelsea’s biggest liability since the Frenchman in his current squad.

Chelsea's biggest liability since Bakayoko

Now, there are a few players Chelsea need to sell as soon as possible, but if you were to ask fans who in the first team needs to go first, most would likely land on Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Blues signed the Englishman for free after his contract with Fulham expired last summer, and while he has been a useful stand-in at times, it has become increasingly clear this season that he’s a problem.

For example, in the last five games he has started, the West Londoners have conceded 11 goals and won just two, drawing one and losing the other two.

Moreover, while the entire backline should be held to account for some of those goals, the 28-year-old has made some high-profile and almost comical mistakes.

Against Leeds United, for example, Dominic Calvert-Lewin only scored his goal because the Englishman lost control of the ball within the Blues’ penalty area.

It was a mistake Chelsea fan and content creator Tom Overend branded “utterly embarrassing”, and while that might sound harsh, it’s hard to dispute.

Minutes

96′

Tackles

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (1)

Fouls

2

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Touches

121

Shots

1

Key Passes

0

Expected G+As

0.07

It’s not just the eye-test where the defender fails, either: according to FBref, he ranks in the top 43% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won and in the bottom 4% of dribblers tackled, all per 90.

In other words, he’s not proactive enough at the back, and even when he is, he isn’t very effective.

Ultimately, it’s clear that Tosin is not good enough to play for Chelsea, and therefore, the club should look to move him on as soon as possible, for everyone’s sake.

Estevao 2.0: Chelsea looking to sign "one of South America's biggest jewels"

Chelsea could pick up their next Estevao.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 8, 2025

All the talk at Elland Road at the moment centres on whether Daniel Farke will remain in the Leeds United dug-out, heading into an unforgiving December list of fixtures.

With five defeats from your last six games in the Premier League, the last thing a bruised Whites outfit needs is back-to-back fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea up next, especially as City will want to immediately respond to their Champions League embarrassment at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen.

Therefore, an Erling Haaland-led effort could take their frustrations out on the pitiful away side, with the German’s grip on his job post looking even more fragile, if they’re on the receiving end of a drubbing.

The powers that be in West Yorkshire will surely have a plan up their sleeve if they do decide to finally bite the bullet and get rid.

Who could replace Farke at Leeds?

As the 49ers gear up to potentially replace Farke at Elland Road, one man who is unlikely to move to England is former Union Berlin boss Bo Svensson.

Indeed, according to reports from Germany, he is unlikely to return to the managerial game soon, having recently turned down approaches from Rangers and Union Saint-Gilloise. He has also been allegedly on the relegation-threatened side’s radar, but that looks like it will now be stopped in its tracks, before anything serious materialises.

This surely swings the door wide open for Brendan Rodgers to be a prime candidate to oust the ex-Norwich City boss.

TEAMTalk recently revealed this week that the former Celtic manager would be keen on a return to the Premier League with Leeds.

After all, Rodgers has been here before when picking up the pieces post-Claude Puel’s failed stint at Leicester City, with the Northern Irishman even going on to clinch an FA Cup success with the Foxes, before furthering his varied managerial career in Glasgow.

The out-of-work 52-year-old coming in now could well be a masterstroke as Leeds attempt to turn around their hopeless season.

Perhaps Rodgers could have the same impact at the Whites that Regis Le Bris has managed to have at Sunderland, in such a short space of time.

How Rodgers could be Leeds' own Le Bris

Scanning back to just last season, Leeds did finish above the Black Cats in the Championship promotion standings, accumulating 100 points to lift the title, while Le Bris and Co secured promotion via the more adventurous route of the playoffs.

Yet, in the here and now, the Wearside underdogs find themselves all the way up in a dizzy seventh position in the early top-flight standings, while Farke hangs onto his employment, as he drags Leeds into the relegation spaces.

Sunderland fans are rightly singing the praises of their overachieving manager at this moment in time, with Leeds now potentially wanting a Le Bris-style figure of their own in Rodgers, to bring the good times back to Elland Road.

Rodgers, before going on to manage at Liverpool and the King Power Stadium, did manage to show off a similar breakneck transition to the Premier League like Le Bris is experiencing at the Stadium of Light.

His Swansea City side jumped all the way up to 11th in the league standings, right after promotion was sealed come the end of the 2010/11 season.

Games

312

Wins

139

Draws

71

Losses

102

Points accumulated

488

He would further reinforce his reputation as a capable boss in the tough division with the Reds, as he nearly delivered a Premier League triumph at Anfield. But, it will be his transformative presence at Leicester that will give Leeds fans the most hope that he can push them up the division, much like Le Bris has managed on Wearside.

From four full seasons at the King Power helm, Rodgers would collect 64 league victories, with a fifth-place finish clinched during his first full season at the helm quite the achievement, considering Puel ended his reign with the Foxes on five defeats from his final six games.

Coincidentally, that is the exact form Farke now finds himself deep in at Leeds, with a move for such a “world-class” manager in Rodgers – as Gabriel Agbonlahor once labelled him – perhaps just what the doctor ordered in turning around the Whites’ dismal fortunes.

Le Bris is yet to receive such a wild tag, but it surely won’t be far off if he clinches an unbelievable mid-table finish for the Black Cats.

Yet, with time on Leeds’ side still, they could also mount a surge up the division, too, if they were to gain Rodgers’ services.

49ers can fund Parrott move by finally selling "poor" £11m Leeds dud

Leeds are set to be active in the January transfer window, with Troy Parrott a leading target.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 27, 2025

Leeds United fans will be fearing the worst regarding their lowly team when you glance at the slog of Premier League fixtures coming the Whites’ way across the rest of November and December.

Indeed, November ends with two tough contests versus Aston Villa and Manchester City, with Daniel Farke’s men needing to make home advantage count against the Villans, before travelling to the Etihad to take on the Erling Haaland-led Citizens.

December then throws up clashes with Chelsea and Liverpool, with Farke’s precarious position in the Elland Road dug-out no doubt on even shakier foundations if the losses continue, and Leeds slip into the bottom three in the league.

The pain of poor results across these winter months can always be somewhat remedied by the January transfer window opening, as Leeds attempt to turn around their fortunes with a big signing or two…

Where Leeds can bolster their forward line in January

Based on current rumours coming out of West Yorkshire, it’s clear that a new striker addition is a priority.

In recent days, Leeds have been tipped to make some statement moves, with an audacious swoop for Ivan Toney alleged. Moreover, FC Midtjylland centre-forward Franculino has been on their radar as Farke attempts to move away from solely relying on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.

On top of talk of Toney and Franculino, Leeds are also chasing after the services of AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott, who is very much in the limelight now for his Republic of Ireland heroics.

A report from Dutch outlet Voetbal Neuws, which has been relayed by Sport Witness, states that Leeds have entered discussions to sign the clinical 23-year-old, after being interested in the Dublin-born striker’s signature since the summer.

Now, with a hat-trick under his belt for his nation against Hungary, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur wonderkid is a hot commodity once more, with a bid in the region of £26m expected to be enough to prize him away from the clutches of his Eredivisie employers.

How Parrott can be Leeds' next Rutter

Splashing out such a big amount on an attacker could see Leeds pick up their next iteration of Georginio Rutter, with Rutter eventually going down as a fan’s favourite at Elland Road, after departing Hoffenheim for some lavish bucks.

After a wobbly start mid-way through the 2022/23 season, arriving in a whopping £35.5m deal, Rutter would find his feet under Farke during the following season.

In total, the attacker scored eight goals and tallied up a bumper 18 assists for the Whites, before leaving the building for a Premier League opportunity at Brighton and Hove Albion for £40m. Despite only being around for 66 matches, the skilful Frenchman is still very much fondly remembered, with pundit Jeff Stelling labelling him as a “class act” to watch in West Yorkshire.

Much like Rutter made everything look effortless and smooth donning Leeds white, Parrott has made goalscoring look like clockwork lining up for AZ Alkmaar.

He has netted a ludicrous 13 goals this season in all competitions from only 14 outings, meaning the Irishman is very much living up to his billing of being a “natural goalscorer”, which was handed to him by one of his former coaches in Darragh O’Riley, way back in 2019.

The hope would just be that Parrott would be able to enter the English game and be a hit from the first second he entered the Elland Road turf, with Leeds’ survival chances perhaps resting on the 23-year-old’s lethal instincts getting Farke and Co out of some sticky situations.

Games played

248

Goals scored

97

Assists

26

Career hat-tricks

6

Top goalscorer awards

2x

If he can be a reliable source of goals towards the foot of the difficult division, he will easily be able to reach the same fan favourite status as Rutter before him, with a mighty 97 career goals next to his name at the time of writing.

Parrott could well hit a century of goals in West Yorkshire; therefore, with his former international manager, Stephen Kenny, also noting that the in-demand centre-forward can “elevate” himself to that next level with ease, which could stand him in good stead to become a feared Premier League marksman.

Leeds would have to put their money where their mouth is in landing Parrott, but if the tale of Rutter is anything to go by, it could be worth splashing the big bucks in January as a new fan favourite is potentially unearthed.

Leeds can forget signing Ivan Toney by unleashing 17-year-old goal machine

Leeds United can forget about pursuing a move for Ivan Toney by unleashing one of their homegrown youngsters into the first team mix.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 17, 2025

The Clevelend Guardians social media team had a little fun during the club's 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

After clinching a first-round bye in the postseason, the Guardians changed up their pitching plans and went with a bullpen game for Wednesday's contest. The Guardians' deep bullpen, paced by opener Andrew Walters, was more than ready for the task.

Using four different pitchers, Cleveland had a perfect game heading into the seventh inning, when they sent out their fifth pitcher of the game, lefthander Tim Herrin.

Reds outfielder TJ Friedl, the leadoff hitter in the seventh inning, squared to bunt as Herrin delivered an 88 MPH slider on the first pitch of the at-bat. Friedl laid down a beauty of a bunt, reaching base safely for the first hit of the game, thus breaking up Cleveland's perfect game.

The fans at Progressive Field were not happy, as they rained down boos on Friedl and the Reds.

Similarly unhappy was the Guardians' social media team, which took to X (formerly Twitter) to playfully roast the "Kentucky Reds" for ruining the perfect game with a bunt.

Too funny.

Last season, Luis Arráez became the first hitter in MLB history to win a batting title in the American League and National League in consecutive years. It was always going to be hard for the majors’ best contemporary contact hitter to deliver a follow-up act, but he found a way to over the last 38 days.

Arráez struck out Monday night for the first time in 141 plate appearances. It was the longest any MLB hitter had gone in 23 seasons between punchouts and the fifth-longest streak in the last 40. While it’s not the longest streak in MLB history—Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn owns the longest streak (170 plate appearances) in the expansion era—it may be the most impressive, considering how common strikeouts are in the modern game due to the increased velocity and spin rates hitters must face.

Arráez fittingly went down in a lengthy at-bat, as it took Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti nine pitches to send the San Diego Padres designated hitter back to the dugout (a 3–2 curveball did the trick.) The 27-year-old’s last strikeout before Monday night came during his second at-bat against Miami Marlins starter Roddery Muñoz on August 10, covering a span of 30 full games and parts of two others. In his time between those strikeouts, Arraez hit .386 with a .434 on-base percentage and slugged .455. He had 51 hits in that time, including 44 singles, six doubles and a home run (off of New York Mets hurler Paul Blackburn).

Arráez now leads the National League in batting average at .323. He's 21 points clear of Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (.302) and looks locked in for his third consecutive batting title.

But that's not all that happened in the past month-plus. A lot has changed across baseball and the world. Here's a look at some other things that have happened during Arraez's streak.

On August 10, the Baltimore Orioles were 70–48 and had MLB's best record, leading the New York Yankees in the American League East by one game. They have struggled since, going 14–18 and falling to the seventh-best record in MLB (1). They're now three games behind New York in the AL East.

The Chicago White Sox are having one of the worst seasons in baseball history. During Arraez's streak, they went 8–24 (hilariously, a better win percentage than their season mark) and suffered a 12-game losing streak (2). They were shut out five times and posted a run differential of -56. Oh, and three of those wins occurred since Saturday, giving the White Sox their first three-game win streak since June.

The Seattle Mariners were tied with the Astros for the AL West lead and three games back in the wild-card race. They went on to lose eight of their next 10 games, prompting a manager change from Scott Servais to Dan Wilson (3). They now trail the Astros by four games in the division … but have slightly improved their wild-card standing, sitting two games out of a playoff spot.

Elly De La Cruz enters Tuesday's games leading MLB in strikeouts with 201. During Arraez's streak without a K, the electric Cincinnati Reds shortstop played in 34 games and made 150 plate appearances. He struck out 46 times (4).

Shohei Ohtani continued his inevitable march toward the National League MVP award and continued his pursuit of becoming the sole member of the 50–50 club. During Arraez's streak, Ohtani hit 12 home runs and stole 16 bases (5). He also struck out 36 times.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes took the mound six times in that stretch. He went 4–1 with a 1.59 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and racked up 43 strikeouts against 12 walks in 34 innings (6). He surrendered only six earned runs and one home run in that time.

Baseball wasn't the only sport happening during the last month-plus. The closing ceremonies for the 2024 Summer Olympics (7) took place on August 11, the day after Arraez's streak began. Yeah, it was that long ago. Additionally, the entire 2024 Paralympic Games (8) took place. The event began on August 28 in Paris and ended on September 8 after 549 events in 22 sports.

There were four-plus weeks of NFL football between the start of Arraez's streak and the end. The last games from Week 1 of the preseason happened on August 11. Two preseason weeks and two full weeks of regular season football (9) were played between his strikeouts.

Florida State went 0–3 (10), , during the streak.

There have been four full weeks of Premier League action (11), with Manchester City racing to the top of the table. The Citizens are 4-0-0 with an 11–3 goal differential.

San Marino, the last-place team in FIFA's soccer rankings, won its first match in 20 years (12) by beating Liechtenstein.

During Arraez's streak, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2,124.54 points (13) from 39,497.54 to 41,662.08. Is Luis Arraez displaying a keen eye at the plate good for the U.S. economy? It's hard to argue against the evidence.

The Boeing Starliner finally returned to Earth (14) after being stuck in space for three months. It was floating in the stars for 26 days during the streak.

Beetlejuice returned to screens in and racked up more than a quarter billion dollars at the box office.

won 18 Emmys (16), the most ever for a show in a single year.

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey (17) spent the entire length of Arraez's streak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. So I guess not everything has changed.

Chelsea are one of the world’s most active clubs in the transfer market, and they could now be set to beat Liverpool and PSG to the signing of a proven Premier League star.

Chelsea left with problems to juggle amid hectic fixture schedule

Winning the Club World Cup was a momentous moment in recent Chelsea history, and particularly for the club’s finances.

BlueCo took home over £80 million worth of prize money after reigning victorious in the States, and this helped them end last summer’s window as one of England’s biggest spenders.

However, if recent developments are anything to go by, the physical output expended by players over what was a very long 2024/2025 season, with the CWC to blame for this, may have created some frustrating consequences for Enzo Maresca.

Cole Palmer is out for six weeks due to a groin problem, meaning the England international now joins Benoit Badiashile, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill as long-term absentees from the line-up.

Offering his honest opinion, former Blues star Pat Nevin believes Chelsea’s pre-season has something to do with the recent absences they are experiencing.

Either way, there will be opportunities for other Chelsea players to stake their claim in light of Palmer’s absence, including Blues loanee Facundo Buonanotte.

Nevertheless, January will be very important, given it offers a chance for Chelsea to strengthen their lighter areas by recruiting top talent.

Chelsea now frontrunners to sign Morgan Rogers

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are now the frontrunners to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, and could beat rivals Liverpool to capture the England international.

Starting off this term with two assists in his opening ten appearances across all competitions, the 23-year-old is valued at around £80 million, and he is also being closely tracked by Paris Saint-Germain.

Forget Rogers: Aston Villa's "explosive" star looks like another Grealish

One new signing is emerging as Aston Villa’s next Grealish-type creator under Unai Emery

ByWill Miller Oct 17, 2025

Amid a return of 30 goal contributions in 2024/25, Chelsea have identified Rogers as a “key target” moving forward, and they believe internally that he is ‘well-suited to both the intensity of the Premier League and the competitive demands of European football’ present at Stamford Bridge.

Fotmob shows that the Halesowen-born playmaker, previously labelled “excellent” by Thomas Tuchel, has created seven chances and completed seven dribbles in the Premier League this campaign. He is beginning to motor after a slow start to life following a difficult summer where speculation over his future was rife.

Looking to steal a march on their rivals, Chelsea could now be set to tap into his long-term potential by offering a package that reflects his scope to develop into a world-class star.

Arsenal secured a phenomenal last-gasp point against Manchester City at the Emirates this afternoon, highlighting the title credentials the Gunners possess.

Mikel Arteta’s side looked set to fall to defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side, but the 93rd-minute strike from Gabriel Martinelli secured a vital point in their hunt for Premier League title glory.

Such a result maintained the club’s unbeaten record in the 2025/26 campaign, but has seen them fall a couple of points behind Liverpool at the top of the table.

However, given the circumstances around the late equaliser, the result will certainly feel like it’s a point gained rather than two dropped – especially after it kept their unbeaten start intact.

Such a result will undoubtedly highlight to Arteta the changes he needs to make going forward, with one player deserving of a recall to the starting eleven in the near future.

Gabriel Martinelli’s heroics against Manchester City

Over the last couple of months, Martinelli has come into huge question for his lack of impact at Arsenal – subsequently leading to the huge investment over the summer.

However, the Brazilian has proved some of his doubters wrong over recent days, producing some impressive displays even before his cameo against Guardiola’s side.

He scored off the bench against Atlético Bilbao on Tuesday night, before doing the same again this afternoon – staking his claim for a regular first-team starting role again.

The 24-year-old only managed five touches of the ball after being brought on for the remaining 10 minutes, but it was his first time finish which was the decisive one.

Martinelli subsequently completed 100% of the passes he attempted and placed 100% of his shots on target, further highlighting the impressive cameo he produced off the bench.

Despite the showing of the Brazilian, one other player failed to deliver at the Emirates, with Arteta needing to take action and drop him from the side in their next outing.

The Arsenal player who needs to be dropped after City

The draw may give reasons to be positive for the weeks ahead, but it can’t gloss over the issues that arose in the early stages – most notably in the first half of the contest.

Arsenal were on the back foot, subsequently going a goal down after Erling Haaland’s strike, but were unable to break down the Citizens, given their low defensive line.

Arteta made a mistake in not starting an attacking midfielder, leaving Eberechi Eze on the substitutes bench and deciding to operate with Mikel Merino alongside Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice.

He also started with Noni Madueke off the right-hand side once again, but it was an afternoon to forget for the Englishman, as he failed to have the desired impact.

The 23-year-old has been filling the void after Bukayo Saka’s injury, but he was replaced by the aforementioned star at the break upon his return to first-team action.

However, his withdrawal from the contest was certainly warranted, with his underlying figures highlighting how dismal his showing was in North London today.

Madueke only managed 32 touches of the ball, missing a big chance in the process, and often being wasteful with the chances that were presented his way in the final third.

He also failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted, whilst also losing 100% of the duels he entered – often being dominated by young full-back Nico O’Reilly.

The winger also registered five crosses, but not one of them found a player in red, subsequently achieving a 0% success rate – further showcasing his lack of positive impact.

As a result of his showing, Madueke was handed a measly 6/10 match rating by GOAL’s Sean Walsh – topping off what was a dismal afternoon for the £50m addition.

After such a showing, Arteta needs to drop the attacker from his starting eleven, with Saka needing to come back into the fold after his return from injury.

However, the biggest talking point will be Martinelli after his late goal, with the Brazilian undoubtedly saving the day in what was a pretty lacklustre showing at the Emirates.

Move over Zubimendi: Arsenal have their new Fabregas in £26m "monster"

The incredible superstar in the making looks like one of Arsenal’s best signings in a long time.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 20, 2025

حسم إنتر ميامي الأمريكي مستقبل الأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي، حيث يقترب عقده من نهايته بنهاية هذا العام في ديسمبر.

وعبر الصفحة الرسمية لنادي إنتر ميامي الأمريكي على منصة “إكس”، أعلن النادي عن تمديد عقد ليونيل ميسي بعقد لمدة 3 مواسم حتى ديسمبر 2028.

HE’S HOME. pic.twitter.com/AUMJJYR5pF — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 23, 2025

وسيستمر ميسي في ارتداء قميص إنتر ميامي حتى 2028 لمدة موسمين آخرين على الرغم من أن الاتفاق الجديد يتضمن خيار التوقيع لموسم إضافي.

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وكان ميسي قد انضم إلى إنتر ميامي في 15 يوليو 2023 ووقع عقداً لعامين ونصف، وقاد الأسطورة الأرجنتينية فريقه للفوز بكأس الدوريات الأمريكي ودرع المشجعين.

كما حصد ميسي جائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الأمريكي الموسم الماضي 2024 وحصد جائزة الحذاء الذهبي هذا الموسم كهداف بطولة الدوري بعد تسجيله 29 هدفًا في 28 مباراة فقط.