Tag Futebol

On Sunday, Arsenal defeated Newcastle United 1-0, and after the game, with it being their final home match of 2024/25, it gave the supporters a chance to say farewell to some players who are unlikely to be seen again in red and white.

Kieran Tierney will bow out of the Emirates Stadium, set to head back to Celtic, after a haul of 143 appearances for the north Londoners.

Jorginho, too, will depart at the end of his contract. While he perhaps won’t be remembered as fondly as Tierney, his ultimate professionalism across the two years he’s been at Arsenal has been a joy to behold.

It will be sad to see them go, but it certainly wasn’t as emotional as some farewells we’ve given in the modern era.

Arsene Wenger’s exit in 2018 will go down in history, while it’s hard to forget the tears a certain Aaron Ramsey shed when leaving under Unai Emery in 2019.

Since his exit, Arsenal haven’t had too many goalscoring midfielders. That said, they may well have found one now.

What made Aaron Ramsey so special

A winner of three FA Cups, a scorer of two cup final goals at Wembley, Ramsey will forever be remembered in these parts as a big game player, an icon who overcame so much adversity.

The way he entered the club rather set the tone for his dramatic time in the English capital. Manchester United had announced he was set to sign for them on their official website, only for the Welshman to pen terms with Arsenal instead.

Signed from Cardiff, it didn’t take Ramsey long to make an impression, but that horrific leg break against Stoke in February 2010 was a colossal setback.

After several months out, the Wales international fortunately went on to have a wonderful career in the game.

Who can forget that remarkable season in 2013/14? Ramsey scored the winner in extra time of the FA Cup final against Hull City, one of 16 goals in just 34 outings throughout the campaign.

A true box-to-box star, the Wales international became a master of arriving late in the penalty area and scoring from midfield.

Since then, however, Arsenal haven’t had too many players capable of finding the net from similar zones, ghosting into the area.

Perhaps the last was Granit Xhaka. In the Swiss’ final year with the Gunners, he scored on nine occasions and registered a further seven assists in 47 matches.

So, how have Arsenal gone about replacing the dynamic duo?

Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey

The form of Martin Odegaard a few years ago certainly suggested he could replace the pair. Indeed, during 2022/23, no midfielder scored more than the Norwegian’s 15 in the Premier League.

That being said, he isn’t a box-to-box midfielder. He presses hard, but he doesn’t do the dirty work further back in the field.

Instead, Mikel Arteta’s modern-day answer to Ramsey and Xhaka is a certain Declan Rice. Oh, where would the Gunners be without him this season?

Of course, you’ve got those two remarkable free-kicks against Real Madrid, but he’s also come up with some vital moments elsewhere.

He’s not just a master of free-kicks, but his corner delivery has been one of the best in Europe this season. We salute Nicolas Jover for putting the former West Ham man on set-pieces towards the back end of last season.

Funnily enough, Rice initially signed as a defensive midfielder but throughout 2024/25, he’s been largely selected as the left-sided 8 and it’s a position he’s made his own.

Declan Rice – season by season

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2021/22

50

5

4

2022/23

50

5

4

2023/24

51

7

10

2024/25

51

9

10

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The difference was felt in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final tie with PSG. The £240k-per-week earner had destroyed Madrid across both legs from a more advanced role in midfield but due to Thomas Partey’s suspension, he had to play further back.

While Rice is certainly excellent at sitting in front of the defence, Arsenal couldn’t get up the pitch as quickly and they also lost one of their goal threats. That perhaps explains why the club reportedly want to bring in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi this summer. More of a Jorginho type, the Spaniard would give Rice the keys to make that no.8 spot his permanent position in the team.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

So, why has he thrived so much? Well, like Xhaka, he’s got a terrific engine and his technique is first-class.

Meanwhile, like Ramsey, he’s becoming rather good at arriving late in the area or on the edge of the box to score a goal. In the words of Arsenal writer Connor Humm, he is a true “monster.”

We saw that first-hand against Newcastle on Sunday. Odegaard found the ball on the right-hand side and laid it into the path of Rice, who was ready and waiting on the edge of the penalty area to fizz the ball past Nick Pope.

That was the £105m signing’s ninth strike of the campaign, one that equalled Xhaka’s haul of two years ago. It also marked Rice’s best-ever goalscoring return in a single season. Not bad at all.

When Arsenal’s Player of the Season is announced in the forthcoming weeks, there are surely only two candidates: Gabriel and Rice. For that magical night against Madrid alone, Rice is our man.

Related Their own Isak: The "best finisher in the world" wants to sign for Arsenal

Arsenal may not sign Alexander Isak this summer, but they could still sign their own version.

Posts ByMatt Dawson May 19, 2025

This summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has even admitted as much.

The Spaniard’s side might still be able to do something truly remarkable in the Champions League, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead in the Premier League, any chance of domestic glory looks all but gone.

It’s been a bruising campaign for the Gunners in that regard, as endless injuries and underwhelming form have seen them miss out on the chance to take advantage of Manchester City’s incredible collapse.

Fortunately, it appears as if the North Londoners are determined not to let the same thing happen next year by going big in the summer transfer market, and while Nico Williams has long been linked with the club, recent reports have now touted an even better player for a move to the Emirates.

Arsenal transfer news

Even before Arteta commented on the magnitude of the summer ahead, it looked almost certain that Arsenal would be in the market for a new centre-forward, as recent weeks have seen two names constantly linked with the club: Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former will supposedly be available for around the £58m mark and has amassed a tally of 55 goal involvements in 44 games for Sporting CP this season, while the latter could cost up to £67m and has amassed a haul of 25 goal involvements in 39 games for RB Leipzig.

However, it looks like the club don’t just want a new centre-forward, as alongside Williams, there has been another superstar winger recently touted for a move to N5: Rafael Leão.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are keen on signing AC Milan’s Portuguese game-changer.

The report has revealed that the Gunners have made the dynamic attacker one of their top priorities for the upcoming window as they seek a ‘star signing’.

However, Milan are understandably reluctant to let their star man leave easily, so the North Londoners would have to pay his mammoth release clause, which reportedly exceeds €100m, or £86m.

It would be an incredibly costly and potentially complicated transfer, but given Leão’s ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Williams.

How Leão compares to Williams

So, if Arsenal can only sign one left-winger this summer, how does Leão stack up against Williams?

Well, when it comes down to their pure output, the Portuguese superstar comes out on top.

For example, in 43 appearances this season, totalling 2997 minutes, the “unstoppable” Milan star, as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, has scored ten goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games, or every 157.73 minutes.

Appearances

43

39

Minutes

2997′

2689′

Goals

10

9

Assists

9

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.41

Minutes per Goal Involvement

157.73′

172′

In contrast, the Athletic Bilbao dynamo has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 39 appearances, totalling 2752 minutes.

That means the Spaniard is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.43 games, or every 172 minutes, which isn’t bad but doesn’t stack up to the competition.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers, it’s another win for the Almada-born monster.

For example, he comes out ahead in practically every relevant metric, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive and key passes, crosses and passes into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, shots and shots on target, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.60

0.35

Non-Penalty G+As

0.58

0.43

Progressive Passes

3.74

3.17

Progressive Carries

4.95

5.34

Shots

2.57

2.45

Shots on Target

1.04

0.87

Passing Accuracy

75.0%

70.3%

Key Passes

2.48

1.88

Passes into the Final Third

1.58

1.06

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.16

1.35

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.45

0.38

Shot-Creating Actions

4.77

5.05

Goal-Creating Actions

0.63

0.58

Ultimately, signing either Leão or Williams would make Arsenal a far more dangerous proposition next season, but if they have to pick one, Arteta and Co should sign the Milan star, as he’s simply the better player.

Arsenal preparing mega £129m offer to seal their best signing since Rice

The game-breaking star would fire Arsenal to domestic and European glory.

7 ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 10, 2025

Over the last week, Liverpool have been strongly touted with a summer move to land Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but would have to pay a fortune to secure his signature.

It’s been reported that the Reds are willing to pay £115m for his services, but the Magpies are demanding a staggering £150m to part ways with their star man.

Their interest in the Swedish international is hardly a surprise given his goalscoring record in 2024/25, notching 20 Premier League goals – sitting third in the top-scoring charts behind Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.

However, the fee would make the 25-year-old the Reds’ most expensive player in their history, potentially pushing them closer to sustained success under Arne Slot.

It may be too much to fork out on one player this summer, potentially delving into the market to pursue other targets, with one other talent emerging on their shortlist.

Liverpool targeting move for £70m talent

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are targeting a summer move for West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen in an attempt to strengthen their forward line.

The 28-year-old has registered eight goals and five assists in his 27 league appearances this campaign, sitting as the Hammers’ top scorer during 2024/25.

It’s not the first time the Reds have been interested in landing the former Hull City star, after previously registering interest in his services in the transfer market over the past few years.

However, the recent report states that Bowen would be open to a move to Anfield this summer, with the prospect of winning trophies possibly taking his career to the next level.

Graham Potter’s side have previously placed a £70m price tag on his head, with a move for the England international potentially a better deal than any transfer for Isak.

Why Bowen would be a better signing than Isak for Liverpool

Whilst there’s no denying the quality of Isak and that he would improve the centre-forward department, other areas may be in need of investment this summer.

Contracts remain up in the air with just a couple of months left on the deals of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah, with none of the stars yet to put pen to paper over a new deal.

The latter is arguably the most important, especially when considering how crucial he’s been to the success endured under Slot during the Dutchman’s first year at Anfield.

The Egyptian international has registered 54 combined goals and assists in his 45 appearances across all competitions, helping the side sit top of the league table.

However, the 32-year-old is currently set to leave at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract, with no new deal agreed between the club and the forward.

Should he depart this summer, a new winger has to be the priority over a striker, with Bowen undoubtedly a more important signing than Isak should Salah depart on a free transfer.

When comparing the West Ham star’s stats with the Egyptian’s from 2024/25, he’s managed to match or better him in numerous key areas – showcasing how much of a superb signing he would be.

Bowen, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Ian Wright, may have been massively outscored by Salah, but has managed to achieve the same shot-on-target accuracy rate – highlighting his impressive nature in the final third.

Games played

27

31

Goals & assists

13

44

Shot-on-target accuracy

42%

42%

Pass accuracy

71%

71%

Crosses completed

3.5

1.9

Take-ons completed

1.6

1.6

Aerials won

0.3

0.3

He’s also managed to complete the same number of take-ons per 90, whilst also completing more crosses, potentially improving other players’ tallies around him – just as the 32-year-old has done on Merseyside this season.

Whilst keeping hold of Salah would undoubtedly be the preference for the supporters, Bowen has demonstrated that he has the tools to soften the blow should he depart in the coming months.

He may cost a pretty penny to prise him away from the London Stadium, but it would be a worthwhile deal, allowing Slot to kickstart the rebuild should it be needed during the off-season.

Their own KDB: Liverpool now expected to hold talks with "special" £87m ace

The Reds could get one over on Manchester City.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 8, 2025

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was praised for his display against Fulham in the Premier League.

Everton 2-0 Fulham

Gueye and Michael Keane supplemented Everton’s misfiring attack in a 2-0 win which extended Fulham’s woes on the road to a fifth successive match.

With the Toffees’ two strikers Beto and Thierno Barry scoring just one Premier League goal between them so far this season, there is an imperative for others to chip in. But in a team boasting the attacking talents of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it was their defensive midfielder and centre-back who made the difference.

The two teams had scored just 22 between them in 20 combined Premier League matches so the first goal was important and Gueye’s intervention, in the fourth minute of first-half added time, was even more crucial as an offside flag denied Everton on three occasions in a match they should have won more comfortably.

Gueye stabbed home his second of the campaign after Tim Iroegbunam had completely fluffed his shot in front of goal from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar.

After failing to score at all last season, Gueye is well on his way to beat his best return of four in an Everton shirt from 2023-24. Keane flicked home a Dewsbury-Hall corner with 10 minutes to go to banish any late anxiety. They were contributions gratefully received by boss David Moyes, whose side ended a run of one win in eight matches in all competitions.

Unsurprisingly, Gueye’s performance against the Cottagers was highly praised in the aftermath of the game.

Gueye was "brilliant" against Fulham

After opening the scoring against Fulham, pundit Sue Smith, as per Sky Sports, said of Gueye:

Minutes Played

90

Goals

1

Assists

0

Passes Made (Accuracy)

41/48 (85%)

Recoveries

3

Clearances

3

Interceptions

1

Aerial Duels Won

1/1 (100%)

Times Dribbled Past

0

All stats are from SofaScore

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Everton Extra noted that Gueye was “very, very good” in the first half against Everton, form that continued after the half-time break. Initially alongside Iroegbunam until the 22-year-old was replaced by Merlin Rohl in the 67th minute, Gueye helped Everton limit their visitors as they maintained their impressive start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In six Premier League games at their new home, Everton have lost just once, picking up 11 points from an available 18. Everton will not play now until after the November international break, which they enter with a win that Gueye contributed heavily towards.

New Iwobi could be unleashed for Everton

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed the reason Daniel Munoz sat out Sunday's trip to Fulham. Munoz missed out on the Premier League clash at Craven Cottage as the Eagles look to follow up their 1-0 win Burnley in midweek. The Colombian scored the winning goal at Turf Moor on Wednesday night but wasn't part of the matchday squad in west London at the weekend.

Getty Images SportMunoz absent for Palace's game at Fulham

Munoz wasn't part of the Palace matchday squad on Sunday afternoon, with the experienced Nathaniel Clyne instead called upon at right wing-back in Glasner's favoured three-man setup. The Colombian wasn't the only first team regular to miss out on a spot in the starting XI at Fulham, with Will Hughes also starting from the bench as Eddie Nketiah came in for a rare start.

Nketiah scored his second league goal of the season on his first start as he featured alongside Yeremy Pino behind Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack. However, it was Munoz's absence that raised eyebrows after the 29-year-old hadn't missed a single minute of game time prior to Sunday's London derby.

And prior to the weekend game at Fulham, Glasner confirmed the reason behind Munoz's absence in west London, which was due to a knee injury.

Advertisement'Sorry, mate, I have to rest you'

When asked by Munoz wasn't included in the matchday squad by Sky Sports, Glasner replied: "His knee. I said to Danny 'sorry, mate, I have to rest you' and that's why he can't play. He knee is a little bit swollen. Of course, we never take any risk, and that's why he misses today's game. We are hopeful that he can return to face City next Sunday."

And on Clyne's first league start of the season, Glasner said: "Clyne has not played many minutes, but he's always available and he knows what to do in this position. We know that we can always rely on Clyne.

"He's not that attacking player like Danny, but he's very reliable, so that's why he starts. Then we know maybe we are missing a very attacking wing-back, so we're getting a second striker on the pitch, in [Eddie] Nketiah, who has proven that he can score goals."

Getty Images Sport'He's a mix between a right-back and a right winger'

Munoz has established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League following his arrival from Genk last January, and has become a mainstay in the Eagles starting XI. The Colombia international has scored three goals and provided two assists for the south London side in the Premier League this season as Glasner looks to mastermind a top-half finish.

And Glasner had praised Munoz ahead of Palace's game at Fulham, telling the club's official website over the weekend: "I think it's unfair to compare him with right-backs because when you play a back four, as a right-back, you have to be a little bit more cautious. He’s, let's say, a mix between a right-back and a right winger, and that's why we're also playing this system because we know his attacking style and we know that he's very dangerous. Even before he came to Palace, I think he scored five goals in the Belgium league in six months and that's just his nature.

"Of course his physicality, his runs, always being there and having this feeling in the box, at the far post, this is something special. You can't always have your right-back in the opposite box, but in our system we can, and that's one of the reasons why we play a back three. For us, Dani is a very important player. if you don't score many goals, and your right wing-back has now four… at the moment, after losing Ismaïla [Sarr, to injury] he's one of our few players who makes runs in behind without the ball, and that helps us."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Palace looking to bounce back in Europe

After Sunday's game at Fulham, Palace are next in action against Shelbourne in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night as they look to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Strasbourg last month.

And Palace follow up their midweek European tie with the welcome of Premier League title contenders Manchester City. The Cityzens closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points as they claimed a 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

South Africa make second-lowest total; Jacob Bethell England’s second-youngest ODI centurion

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Sep-2025342 England’s margin of win by runs in the third ODI at Southampton against South Africa is the highest for any team in men’s ODIs. The previous biggest margin was India’s 317-run win against Sri Lanka in 2023 at Thiruvananthapuram.South Africa’s previous biggest defeat was by 276 runs against Australia at Mackay, two weeks ago. They have been on the receiving end of two of the top seven biggest defeats in men’s ODIs in the space of 15 days.72 South Africa’s total at Southampton is their second-lowest in men’s ODIs, behind the 69 all-out against Australia in 1993 at the SCG. It is also the fourth-lowest total for any team against England in men’s ODIs.South Africa’s innings lasted 20.5 overs, their second-shortest all-out innings in men’s ODIs, only a ball more than the 83 all-out in 20.4 overs against England in 2022 at Manchester.Getty Images414 for 5 England’s total in the third ODI at Southampton is their highest in the format against South Africa. Their previous highest was 399 for 9 at Bloemfontein in 2016.This was the fourth instance of South Africa conceding a 400-plus total in men’s ODIs, only behind West Indies (5), while England have got past 400 on seven occasions, only behind South Africa (8).21y 319d Jacob Bethell’s age on Sunday, when he scored 110. He is now the second-youngest man to score an ODI hundred for England. David Gower had two hundreds by that age – at 21 years and 55 days against Pakistan in 1978 and at 21 years and 309 days against Australia in 1979.ESPNcricinfo Ltd24 Runs added by South Africa before the fall of the sixth wicket, the lowest by them in a men’s ODI. The previous lowest was 36 runs against Afghanistan in last year’s Sharjah ODI. It is also the fewest runs needed by England to take the opposition’s first six wickets in a men’s ODI.The Southampton ODI is only the second occasion of South Africa being six wickets down in the first ten overs in a men’s ODI (where balls faced by partnerships are available). Last year’s ODI at Sharjah against Afghanistan is the other instance.4 for 5 Jofra Archer’s returns in the first ten overs of South Africa’s innings. Only one bowler has had better average in the first ten overs of a men’s ODI innings while taking four or more wickets – 4 for 4 by Makhaya Ntini against Australia at Cape Town in 2006 (where ball-by-ball data is available).80 Runs conceded by Codi Yusuf in his ten overs are the most on ODI debut for South Africa. The previous most was 73 by Duanne Olivier against Pakistan in 2019.Yusuf’s new-ball partner, Nandre Burger, conceded 95, the joint-second most by a bowler for South Africa in a men’s ODI, behind only Dale Steyn’s 96 against Australia in 2016.

فجّر أحمد حسام ميدو نجم الزمالك السابق مفاجآت مدوية حول المدير الفني السابق للفريق يانيك فيريرا، مؤكدًا أن المدرب البلجيكي يحاول ابتزاز إدارة القلعة البيضاء عبر تصريحات مسيئة، رغم أن اسمه نفسه ارتبط سابقًا بأكبر ملف تلاعب بنتائج المباريات في تاريخ بلجيكا.

وقال ميدو في برنامجه “أوضة اللبس” على قناة النهار: “فيريرا خرج بالأمس وقال إن الزمالك بلا إمكانيات، وإن الملعب وغرف الملابس في حالة سيئة، وإن اشتراك جهاز تحليل الأداء انتهى قبل مباراة الأهلي، مما سبب ارتباكًا كبيرًا. لو كان تمّ تسوية مستحقاته من البداية، ما كان ليخرج بهذا الشكل”.

وأضاف: “هذا أكبر دليل أن الهدف من كلامه هو الضغط وابتزاز إدارة الزمالك للحصول على كامل مستحقاته، هذا ليس أسلوب مدربين محترمين، أهم شيء حدث لفيريرا في حياته هو أن اسم الزمالك ارتبط به، وخروجه بهذا الشكل يوضح شخصيته”.

طالع أيضًا | فيريرا: صفقة وحيدة جاءت بموافقتي في الزمالك.. ويرد على أنباء تدخل جون إدوارد في التشكيل

وتابع: “من أكبر الأخطاء التي حدثت بالفترة الماضية هو توليه القيادة الفنية للفريق، فقد حاول بكل الطرق الحصول على أكبر قدر من المكاسب”.

ثم فجّر ميدو مفاجأة مدوية بقوله: “أكبر قضية تلاعب بنتائج المباريات في تاريخ بلجيكا، المعروفة بـ(القضية صفر)، والتي هزّت الكرة الأوروبية بالكامل، تم توجيه الاتهام فيها لـ58 شخصًا بين رؤساء أندية وحكام. وواحد من المتهمين في القضية كان هو يانيك فيريرا أثناء تدريبه لنادي ميخلين البلجيكي”.

واختتم: “واحدة من أسباب رحيل فيريرا المبكر عن الزمالك قبل السوبر، هي معرفة مجلس الإدارة بهذه القضية، وأنه أحد الأشخاص الذين وُجّهت لهم اتهامات رسمية”.

كشفت تقارير صحفية الحيلة التي لجأ إليها الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” من أجل عدم غياب كريستيانو رونالدو عن بداية كأس العالم بعدما تم طرده أمام أيرلندا.

كان منتخب البرتغال قد حل ضيفًا على نظيره أيرلندا، في الجولة قبل الأخيرة، من تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 الصيف المقبل.

ونال كريستيانو رونالدو بطاقة حمراء مباشرة، في الدقيقة 61 بعدما اعتدى على أحد لاعبي منتخب أيرلندا بـ”الكوع” دون كرة، حيث تدخلت تقنية الفيديو في الموقف قبل اتخاذ القرار النهائي من جانب الحكم.

وبطبيعة الحال، غاب كريستيانو رونالدو عن المباراة التي تلتها والتي كانت أمام أرمينيا وانتهت بفوز رفاق رونالدو بنتيجة 9/1.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيفا يعلن عقوبة رونالدو بعد واقعة “الكوع”.. وموقفه من أول مباراة في كأس العالم

وفرضت لجنة الانضباط التابعة لـ “فيفا” عقوبة الإيقاف عن اللعب لمباراة واحدة على كريستيانو رونالدو والتي قضاها بالفعل ضد أرمينيا ومباراتين أخريتين لكن بشرط تحسن سلوكه.

وبحسب ما نقلت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، سيتمكن كريستيانو رونالدو من اللعب بشكل طبيعي منذ بداية كأس العالم أما المباريتين الأخريتين المقرر أن يغيب عنهما، فسيتم إيقافه لمدة عام ولن يقضي فترة الإيقاف إلا في حال تكراره للخطأ.

ووفقًا للمادة 27 من قانون الانضباط للفيفا، يتم إيقاف المباراتين المتبقيتين لمدة عام واحد، أي إذا ارتكب كريستيانو رونالدو مخالفة أخرى ذات طبيعة وخطورة مماثلة لحالة الطرد خلال فترة الاختبار، فسيتم إلغاء الإيقاف المفروض في القرار التأديبي تلقائيًا ويجب تنفيذ المباراتين المتبقيتين على الفور في المباراة الرسمية التالية للمنتخب البرتغالي.

Every West Bromwich Albion manager who has taken on the reins since Carlos Corberan’s exit in late 2024 is undoubtedly trying to achieve success with the Spaniard’s legacy weighing heavily on them.

Corberan would turn the Baggies into regular promotion contenders in the Championship, which made his departure to Valencia last year very much sting.

To make matters worse, the wheels would come off West Brom’s 2024/25 season at a worryingly quick pace after he moved on to La Liga, with his successor in Tony Mowbray only managing to collect a paltry five victories from 17 matches before being dismissed.

Now, the pressure is on Ryan Mason’s shoulders to deliver, and the strain is already beginning to show, with two recent Championship defeats on the spin for the perpetual promotion nearly-men even seeing some Baggies natives begin to grow restless with their new 34-year-old boss.

It hasn’t been completely bleak since Corberan returned to Spain, however, with a lot of star quality still on display from some new signings.

West Brom's mixed recruitment since Corberan left

In the direct aftermath of Corberan leaving, though, there were some underwhelming flops to stomach.

Namely, Adam Armstrong would relocate to the Hawthorns on loan and fail to live up to this well-known image of him being a prolific performer in the EFL’s top league, with just a forgettable three goals falling into his lap from 16 outings in the West Midlands.

Tammer Bany, who was purchased this January for a whopping £3.3m, has also failed to get up and running in England as a post-Corberan purchase.

But, there have been some success stories to hold onto.

Isaac Price is very much the first name that springs to mind in this regard, having signed for the Championship outfit a matter of days after Mowbray was unveiled.

While he was a Mowbray capture, he has very much come into his own this season under the fresh methods of Mason, with a stunning five goals and two assists next to his name in all competitions.

Other members of Mason’s first team are also in with a shout to be the best buy since Corberan moved on, with Chris Mepham one worthy candidate, as the Welsh centre-back has become an everpresent member of his new manager’s defence to soften the blow of Torbjørn Heggem exiting for Bologna.

But, it’s a different defensive monster who could be well handed the honour…

West Brom's best signing post-Corberan

While Price has dominated a lot of West Brom conversations this campaign with his goal and assist output, he has also been prone to a quiet day at the office, frustratingly.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would go the entirety of September without collecting a single goal or assist.

During this same month, it could be argued that Nathaniel Phillips was very much settling into his new Hawthorns environment, on the contrary, with the decision to bring in the Premier League-experienced defender for just £3m already looking to be an ingenious move.

The 28-year-old is yet to miss a Championship game this season, and for good reason, with the 6-foot-3 colossus very much living up to his billing as a “lion”, as he was lauded by his former Anfield coach in Pepijn Lijnders.

Indeed, in West Brom blue and white so far, Phillips has won a commanding 5.5 duels on average across his 12 league clashes to date.

Games played

12

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

81.9

Accurate passes*

56.6 (86%)

Ball recoveries*

4.3

Clearances*

7.4

Total duels won*

5.5

Clean sheets

3

Looking at the table above in greater detail only further reinforces how much of a sterling purchase Phillips has already been, with his brute strength when rising up for duels also gifting him one goal at his new club, already, away from also cutting an assured presence on the ball with 56.6 accurate passes averaged per tense match.

EFL pundit Sam Parkin would likely agree with Phillips being one of West Brom’s best signings in recent memory, with him labelling the former Derby County loanee as “absolutely sensational” after he collected a clean sheet versus promotion rivals Stoke City.

Mason will need both Price and Phillips performing to their maximum to try and get his side out of their current sticky patch of form.

But, while the first of those named has shone in spurts and looks a top talent for the future, Phillips has been the real deal from minute one of his West Brom journey, with 19 Premier League appearances also under his belt, standing the Baggies in good stead if they can finally break their second-tier hoodoo.

West Brom have signed "explosive" star who is a bigger talent than Fellows

West Bromwich Albion have signed a new explosive star who is an even bigger talent than Tom Fellows.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025

The allrounder batted just once and bowled four overs in the entire series

Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Oct-20250:57

Gambhir: ‘Reddy deserves a go in home conditions’

Nitish Kumar Reddy didn’t bat in the first Test in Ahmedabad, not needed after being slotted at No. 8 in India’s only innings. He bowled four wicketless overs in West Indies’ first innings, and wasn’t used in their second.Promoted to No. 5 in the first innings of the second Test in Delhi, he scored 43. Then India, making West Indies follow-on, spent a cumulative 200.4 overs on the field across their two innings. Reddy didn’t bowl a single over in either innings.India view Reddy as a promising seam-bowling allrounder and are looking to develop him into a player who can give their line-ups the depth and balance they have so often struggled to achieve on past tours away from Asia. To do this, they want to give him as much exposure to Test cricket as possible, even in Indian conditions where his bowling may not be needed all that much with spinners taking on the bulk of the workload.Related

India complete 2-0 sweep in Gill's first series win

'It's about taking the right options' – Gill on first series win as Test captain

Stats – India third for most Test wins at home

Gambhir wants bounce and carry on Indian pitches

There is value in this strategy, but how much did Reddy gain from playing the West Indies series, and how much did India gain from his presence in their XI? Did he gain and contribute anything other than the fleeting appearances he made on the scorecard?India head coach Gautam Gambhir certainly felt he did.”Look, for me, it is not important how many overs [Reddy] has bowled,” Gambhir said in his post-series press conference. “It is important that he is gaining experience. Gaining experience at home as well. Sometimes you learn a lot just by playing a game of cricket as well.”It is a Test match. And we don’t want to use a 23-year-old boy just on tough tours away from home. That’s not going to be fair to him, that we decide to play him only in overseas tours, be it Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, or England. I think when he has done well overseas, he deserves a go in home conditions as well.2:13

Why didn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy bowl a single over in the Delhi Test?

“And wherever we can get the opportunity to put him in in Indian conditions, we will continue to do that, because it is important for us to groom someone like Nitish, because you know that there are not many seam-bowling allrounders, and we have spoken for decades and decades about seam-bowling allrounders.”So whenever we get that opportunity, we will keep grooming him. And it depends on the captain, it depends on the conditions as well, how many overs he bowls, but again, I think [just] seeing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bowling at home will be a great experience for him.”India captain Shubman Gill expressed similar views in his post-match interview with the host broadcaster. On Sunday, when asked about Reddy’s lack of bowling, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had spoken of the difficulty teams face when they juggle the twin objectives of winning Test matches and developing players for the future.”The priority is to win the Test match, so you’re first going to get a strategy call on who’s the best bowler [for a situation], and then, if it allows, you’ll fit pieces in where you can buy guys time or get another batter to the wicket like we did, changed the [batting] order in the first innings, given the position we were in,” ten Doeschate said. “But we’re never going to sacrifice the strategy for the sake of development […] Obviously [four] overs in this series so far and only one real chance to bat is not ideal, but the strategy will always come before the development of players.”With three allrounders in their XI, India have a certain amount of flexibility around how they line them up from Nos. 6 to 8. But there’s a hierarchy too. Ravindra Jadeja is proven as a top-six batter in Test cricket around the world, and has been in red-hot form all through 2025. Washington Sundar enjoyed an excellent tour of the bat with England, scoring a maiden Test hundred to help save the fourth Test at Old Trafford alongside Jadeja and following up with a 46-ball 53 at The Oval, extending India’s lead by what proved a crucial margin while batting with the tail – they eventually won that match by five runs.India rate Reddy’s batting ability highly, having seen him score a brilliant rearguard hundred against Australia at the MCG last year, in only his third Test match. But his average of 29.69 after 14 innings suggests he’s still a work-in-progress.Reddy had impressed on the Australia tour•Associated PressSo far in his career, he has shown he has an excellent attacking game against spin – he even demonstrated this with his reverse-sweeping and use of feet against Nathan Lyon in Australia – but has work to do against the swinging and seaming ball. During his innings in Delhi, he was troubled by Jayden Seales’ late away movement, and his open-shouldered technique often left him reaching for the ball.India believe Reddy’s ceiling can be raised substantially, but for now he remains behind Jadeja and Washington, who have an edge both in terms of experience and watertight techniques, in the allrounders’ batting hierarchy.This is why India sent in Jadeja when India lost their fourth wicket in Ahmedabad: they led West Indies by only 56 at that point, and had lost Gill and KL Rahul in the space of 11 overs. Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel proceeded to put on a double-century stand, and India declared five overs after Jurel’s dismissal.In Delhi, where they batted first, India got to a position where they were able to promote Reddy up the order, and sent him in at 325 for 3. He got to face 54 balls – and would have spent longer at the crease had he not been dismissed – which, in the end, turned out to be more than Washington’s series batting workload of 13 balls before India’s Ahmedabad declaration.Washington, of course, got to bowl a lot more than Reddy did, but it’s normal for an offspinner to bowl more overs on Indian pitches than a medium-fast seam bowler.Reddy has picked up nine wickets in eight Tests•Getty ImagesThere’s an argument to be made that India could have used Reddy for more than just four overs across the series. They could have perhaps given him a couple of overs with the new ball in Delhi, when Jasprit Bumrah, who had bowled a spell towards the end of West Indies’ first innings, didn’t open the bowling after India enforced the follow-on.They could have tried him as a partnership-breaker at some point, particularly when John Campbell and Shai Hope put on 177 for the third wicket. They could even have given him an over or two towards the end of sessions – they even brought on the highly occasional legspinner Yashasvi Jaiswal to bowl the last over of day three. But they didn’t bowl Reddy at all in the second Test.This may have felt like a waste of a resource, but it also made sense when viewed with cold objectivity. It made sense that Reddy’s four overs in the series all came in the first innings in Ahmedabad, when India bowled on a day-one pitch with an even cover of grass. There was no point in either Test, thereafter, where Reddy’s medium-fast bowling posed a genuine wicket threat, with Delhi’s turgid surface particularly hostile to his style of bowling.At every point as they strove to take 20 West Indies wickets, India probably felt there was a better option than Reddy for the conditions. Even though they had to bowl more than 200 overs over back-to-back innings to get those 20 wickets, they had an attack deep enough to carry the workload. This wasn’t necessarily the case on their tours of Australia and England, where their prioritising of batting depth over wicket-taking depth led to Bumrah and Siraj getting overbowled.In the home Tests, Washington and Jadeja are proper allrounders, and India had another genuine, wicket-taking spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. All three spinners could bowl long spells when needed, allowing Bumrah and Siraj to rest between spells, even if they ended up sending down their third-highest and fourth-highest match outputs in home Tests.It brings into question the decision to enforce the follow-on. Ten Doeschate admitted at the end of day three that India had probably misread the pitch and its state of wear and tear but even if this pitch was to deteriorate far quicker than it did, it surely made sense for India to bat again and bowl when it was at a more advanced stage of breaking-up?Reddy scored 43 in the first innings of the second Test•Associated PressThere was ample time left in the Test match, and little threat of rain. And the bowlers would surely have appreciated being able to put their feet up for at least a session. The decision, in the end, continued a worrying trend of selections and strategies dating back to the Australia tour that have shown this team management to treat bowlers’ endurance as an unquenchable resource.So we come to the question, then, of why play Reddy at all if his bowling, at its present level, isn’t going to be of much use on most Indian pitches? Why not instead play a proper batter in Devdutt Padikkal or a third spin-bowling allrounder in Axar Patel?The answer is that no team knows the shape that a match will take before it begins. Reddy isn’t the finished article with either bat or ball, but has shown enough evidence in his Test career that he can hold his own as a batting allrounder. It’s a quirk of circumstance that he finds himself playing alongside two other allrounders who presently merit batting above him and, particularly in Indian conditions, bowling more overs than him.And because India have Jadeja and Washington Kuldeep, it makes perfect sense for them to play Reddy rather than Axar. They already have enough spinners and a deep-enough batting line-up, so it gives them the chance to give Reddy more exposure to Test cricket, particularly as a batter. And because India have all that batting depth, another specialist batter like Padikkal could end up playing a bit-part role across a series while not even giving India the possibility of a few overs if circumstances should allow it.India may well pick Padikkal ahead of Reddy in their next home series, against South Africa in November, where they may feel the need for a specialist batting option against a potentially far more penetrative bowling attack. But in this series against West Indies, India had something to gain, and not a lot to lose, from playing Reddy.