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Arsenal may not have won the Premier League this season, but Mikel Arteta’s squad still have it all to play for in the Champions League.

Though Paris Saint-Germain left the Emirates Stadium with a slender one-goal advantage in midweek, the Gunners have the quality and confidence to create something special at the Parc des Princes.

Some questionable officiating aside, Arsenal know the crux of their issues this season lies with the failure to provide Arteta with an elite-level striker.

Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the new year sapped the Londoners’ strength at number nine, calling for an unconventional but curiously effective stopgap in Mikel Merino.

However, Arsenal need a permanent solution, one which could ease the talismanic burden Bukayo Saka wears around his neck.

Bukayo Saka's season in numbers

To be fair, Saka wears the weight of responsibility rather well, having maintained a confident stream of goals and assists through the campaign while producing influential and energetic performances.

But this only draws to attention the yawning hole at number nine, with a prolific centre-forward certain to take the England international’s game to the next level.

Saka, 23, has scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists for Arsenal this season. The three-month hamstring injury picked up in December has proved the biggest blow to his side’s campaign; Saka’s back now, but he’s still not at his sharpest.

Nonetheless, the winger’s return has restored a deeper degree of balance and fluency that must be allowed to bloom into something truly world-class next season, and a more clinical attacking partner than one of Havertz or Jesus will ensure that happens.

As per FBref, Arsenal’s starboy ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for goal-creating actions and the top 5% for crosses made per 90.

This man is a striker’s dream, and new sporting director Andrea Berta is ready to reward him with one of the finest centre-forwards out there.

Arsenal in talks to sign top striker

We all know Alexander Isak’s the dream. But Isak is going to cost more than £150m to convince Newcastle United to sell, and this would likely prove beyond any interested party’s means.

Instead, Berta is pushing to seal the signing of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, several talks have already taken place, with the Liga Portugal champions looking for no more than €70m (about £60m) to get a deal done.

Arsenal are confident they can get a deal done, but with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United also keen, they will need to act swiftly.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal

Isak has been described as “the best striker in the Premier League” this season by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, but he’s not the only deadly goalscorer on the market.

In fact, Gyokeres has the complete take on the centre-forward role and could make it his own at the front of Arteta’s system.

The 6 foot two star’s technical quality, physicality and hunger for success have been hallmarks of his journey in Portugal, scoring 95 goals from 98 matches and winning last season’s Liga Portugal title before being crowned the division’s Player of the Year.

This level of surety in the final third is something that Arsenal have lacked across the campaign, and by instating Gyokeres in the focal role, Saka would finally have the reliable outlet from which he could direct his peerless playmaking ability.

Viktor Gyokeres – Past Five Seasons (all comps)

Club

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

24/25 – Sporting

48 (40)

52

12

23/24 – Sporting

50 (47)

43

15

22/23 – Coventry

50 (47)

22

12

21/22 – Coventry

47 (42)

18

5

20/21 – Coventry

19 (7)

3

0

20/21 – Swansea

12 (2)

1

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

Talk about year-on-year growth. Gyokeres, 26, has yet to make his mark in one of Europe’s recognised top-five leagues but his numbers leave little to the imagination in the best way, especially since he’s only missed 43 big chances across his past three league terms, as per Sofascore, scoring 88 times.

Havertz has his strengths, but he’s not clinical. In the Premier League this season, the German has missed 15 big chances, converting nine strikes. The 28-year-old Jesus, meanwhile, has not been available often enough to warrant Arteta’s trust as his first-choice option.

There’s no doubt Saka is among the finest players in world football, but his game is being impeded by the absence of a partner like Gyokeres. With 20 big chances created in the Premier League this season, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has more – and having played plenty more minutes at that.

Injury pulled from Saka the chance to immortalise his name in the Premier League’s playmaking record books, but the Three Lions sensation’s electric start to the 2024/25 season remains a welcome reminder of the level of player Arsenal have on their hands.

Moreover, it’s an arresting lever Arteta wields in convincing a player of Gyokeres’ ilk that the Emirates project is the best place for him to go from strength to strength and hit the next level in his incredible journey.

Of course, any natural goalscorer would find their game enhanced alongside Arsenal’s main man, but the Sweden star is “the hottest striker in Europe,” according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, and the partnership might just be something that fixes the issues that have plagued the north London side’s season.

Having come agonisingly close in recent years, this would be a signing to complete the craft and finally establish Arsenal as the continent’s team to beat.

It’s not over yet; Arsenal may yet find themselves fighting for the Champions League trophy after turning it around against PSG, but in any case, Gyokeres would turn a great team into an unstoppable force.

Related Their own Bruno Fernandes: Arsenal holding talks over "exciting" £66.5m ace

The creative maverick could be Arsenal’s missing piece.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025

The T20I series ended with a lengthy list of bowlers ruled out and Australia’s selectors will hope it doesn’t extend to their Test resources

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2024Australia’s pace-bowling depth is often talked about, and for good reason, but right now it is being tested. The list of injuries and absentees around the limited-overs tour of the UK has become a lengthy one.Xavier Bartlett was the latest to be ruled out after suffering a side strain in the first T20I against England. Nathan Ellis was scrubbed from the trip early in the Scotland leg after aggravating an injury sustained in the Hundred. Spencer Johnson (side) was ruled out before the tour began. Riley Meredith did not feature after first T20I in Scotland, also due to a side issue.Related

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Josh Hazlewood had a delayed arrival because of a minor calf strain but bowled superbly in Southampton before being rested in Cardiff. As one of the big three, he is central to Australia’s plans for the five Tests against India in the home summer. All the cricket before that, especially for the fast bowlers, is played through the lens of making sure Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc make that series and can sustain throughout it.”A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told last week. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”While those who have picked up injuries in England would not be the next in line for Test spots, there are also question marks over the red-ball reserves. Lance Morris will be given a careful reintroduction to the Sheffield Shield after another off-season beset by back problems while his Western Australia team-mate Jhye Richardson remains a longer-term project in terms of red-ball cricket.Scott Boland and Michael Neser have also nursed injuries in pre-season, with the former likely to be managed through the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield, although neither are considered major worries. Sean Abbott, whose first over in Cardiff on Friday would not have looked out of place in Test match as he nipped the ball around sharply, could come into the planning depending on the progress of others.Starc will be part of the ODI series in England but will be carefully managed through the matches. Cummins has remained at home to work on strength and conditioning. It would be a surprise if Hazlewood played more than three of the one-dayers with the series taking place across just 11 days, although the washed out game in Manchester allowed for some extra downtime.”There aren’t many breaks in the calendar unless you manufacture one,” Cummins said last month about missing the England tour. “The medical staff and coaches and everyone thought this is a good opportunity to have a month or so off bowling for my body, and then build up and hopefully be in as good a position as possible for the five Tests.”Mitchell Starc has arrived for the ODIs but also faces a big Test summer back home•Getty ImagesAustralia are far from alone in how they manage their valuable multi-format fast bowlers. India are careful with how much Jasprit Bumrah plays while Mohammed Shami’s recovery from an ankle injury is slightly behind schedule and may require careful management ahead of the Australia tour. For England, a major theme over the next year will be how they ensure Mark Wood reaches the 2025-26 Ashes after he recently suffered another elbow problem to rule him out of the upcoming Pakistan and New Zealand tours.The lengthy list of injuries around Australia’s pace bowlers is a reminder both of the incredible resilience of Cummins, Starc and more recently Hazlewood but also that it would not take much for best-laid plans to unravel. Aided by none of the Tests going five days last season, they played throughout against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand having also featured throughout the ODI World Cup, barring the one game Starc was rested for.Cummins has missed just one Test through injury since 2018; the others have been due to Covid and compassionate leave. Starc missed three in a row against South Africa and India in early 2023 due to a finger injury and was left out of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, but has been almost as durable, often bowling through the pain of various injuries. Hazlewood, meanwhile, has emerged from a two-year period between 2021-2023 where he played just three Tests to keep himself on the park throughout except for being rested at Headingley in last year’s Ashes.Cummins has already flagged things might be different against India, referencing the importance of Australia’s allrounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, the latter who hasn’t bowled since the IPL. “The last couple of summers have been pretty light [with] quick Test matches,” he said. “I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time.”Even the first reserve, Boland, who boasts a home Test average of 12.21, had expected an opening to emerge somewhere last season. “I was expecting to play at some stage,” he told . “The coaches and selectors were saying, ‘You’ll probably get a go at some stage, so be ready’.”It’s hard, especially when my mindset is ‘It’s seven Tests, I’ll get a crack at some stage’. But [the big three] are just so resilient and they kept bowling teams out quickly, that they just don’t need that much of a break.”At the moment, the injuries have been a disappointment for those involved in the England tour, and a juggling action for the selectors to fill the gaps, rather than an imminent concern for the India series. But that much-vaunted depth in Australia’s bowling stocks may yet be face a defining summer.

England’s attacking approach secures a foothold, where former sides might have crumbled

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Dec-2022It was almost like Pakistan knew what was coming when their official account framed debutant Abrar Ahmed as a “mystery spinner”.If Australian fast bowlers stop English batters from leaving the house, then unconventional twirlers from the subcontinent have tended to get them checking under their beds before they go to sleep. And with seven wickets on his first meeting with England, all before lunch on day one, we can add the 24-year-old to the list of Boogeymen.On the face of it, he joins the likes of Abdul Qadir, Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Ajmal, and Abdur Rehman, all of whom have inflicted psychological damage on these opponents. There are many others, of course, but those four names happened to finish with career-bests against England. It will be some going if Abrar betters what he managed at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday, though he does potentially have three more goes at this team before the year is out.This England side, however, are not like the others. While respect was given to Abrar’s skill, the approach spoke of a lack of it. Instead of opting to go into their shell against their latest wrist-spinning and/or front-of-the-hand-ring-finger-flicker incarnation of Michael Myers, they decided to confront him head on, with hatchets of their own.Did it work? Well, it’s probably too early to say. But Abrar was taken for 114 in his 22 overs (an economy rate of 5.18) as England still managed 281 from 51.4 overs. And to judge by Duckett’s punchy assessment of their day at the close, there’ll be no psychological hangover to concern them. They certainly didn’t die cowering.Their weapon of retaliation? The sweep. For so long it has been seen as the last resort of the western batter against the turning ball (Pakistan haven’t played the shot once in their reply so far), and on previous calamitous tours of Asia, it has seemed one step removed from the white flag. But it came to England’s aid here. The positive option for the most enthusiastic stroke-makers in the game.”Going harder” has been the McCullum-Stokes decree in the face of any kind of adversity. Up against an unfamiliar foe seeking to inflict some very familiar scars on the kind of pitch where they’ve been buried before, England were cavalier and calculated. Ollie Pope came out and smoked a reverse-sweep off Abrar through backward point for four, the very ball after Zak Crawley had been bowled through the gate with a googly. It was a shot usually premeditated when the bowler begins his run-up. Pope had decided his shot as soon as he got up from his seat in the dressing room, and started to make his way out in the middle.Abrar Ahmed celebrates with Babar Azam as he works his way through England’s batting•Matthew Lewis/Getty ImagesAs for its success rate, again, we might only really know when the game moves on and the pitch deteriorates further. But all in all, a form of sweep – conventional, reverse, switch hit, lap or paddle – was played 50 times, with 74 runs scored and six wickets lost. No doubt the worst of that last figure was Jack Leach switching hands and getting bowled on the move by Zahid Mahmood for a golden duck. Even the No.10, out of his comfort zone, was buying in wholeheartedly.Since 2018-19, England’s percentage of runs through sweeps off spinners is 25.6. Day one’s mark of 33.2 was a notable uptick. It wasn’t, however, as sweep-dominant as the Sri Lanka series at the start of 2021, when Joe Root almost single-handedly boosted the team to about 40 percent. Even those were mostly conventional. And it was in a winning cause, too.However, the four matches in India that followed that tour perhaps offer the best comparison for the surface here, which spun almost immediately. All in all, 205 sweeps were played on that tour, 275 runs scored for 17 dismissals. Only Root (107 from 63) and Ben Stokes (65 from 42) played the stroke with any real conviction. For the rest, it was akin to clasping at air during free-fall.Here, Stokes swept just once and Root not at all. And perhaps the deliveries from Abrar that dismissed them – a googly from outside leg that left Stokes open-faced in appreciation, and a sharp-spinning legbreak that pinned Root on the back foot – could have been swept. But the pair of batters who used the shot the most were also the most successful, England’s top-scorers Ben Duckett (63) and Pope (60).Both are interesting case studies when it comes to the sweep. Duckett has been a proponent of the conventional and reverse since he was old enough to wield a bat, and now has the kind of confidence that means he can strike 29 off 17 with it, as he did today. Pope, on the other hand, has tinkered to such an extent that, while facing Rashid Khan in a T20 Blast match, he happened upon a wrong-footed sweep – with the right-hander’s back foot (right) coming forward rather than the front (left). He nailed that once here.Naturally, in keeping with the theme of the day, both men eventually fell on their brooms to be dismissed, and against the man of the moment, of course. But, as is the way under Stokes and McCullum, there were no regrets.Related

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“For me, generally a sweep is kind of a forward defence, especially when the ball is spinning into me,” Duckett said afterwards. “I’m gutted I missed two in the last two games, but I’m going to be playing plenty more out here.”Two years ago, maybe I’d have played differently to that. But with the backing from the captain and the coach, I’m pretty sure they’d be quite annoyed with me if I got out knocking it to short leg.”I just tried to sweep every ball [Abrar] bowled, really. Try and stick to my game and not really worry about what he was trying to do.”There were brains behind the belligerence. Duckett said he felt comfortable to go “every ball” because of how Abrar operated: primarily as a legspinner with a fine googly who would rarely pull his length short.”I actually think the control he had throughout his spell was very good,” Duckett said. “Generally, someone like that will give you bad balls. He tended to miss [his length] on the fuller side, which is what you want from someone who spins it both ways. That’s kind of why I swept: because it doesn’t matter which way it’s spinning when you’re sweeping.”It was insightful that Duckett likened the “high-risk” nature of sweeping spinners to driving against the new ball. Without the shot, England would have finished well short of the 281 that they eventually made, on a pitch that would have put the frighteners up previous iterations of this team.”I’d much rather get out playing a sweep shot than playing a forward defence,” he added. “It got me runs today and made me score quick. We were really focussed on being positive. If we didn’t score at that rate it could have easily been 150, 200 all out.”He’s got a point and it’s worth remembering Duckett has been burned by such negativity before. In his second Test appearance, back in 2016 on a raging bunsen in Mirpur, he had wristily flayed Bangladesh’s spinners to all parts.By tea on day three, England were 100 for no loss, Duckett 56 – the first of now three scores above fifty – to Alastair Cook’s 39, chasing a target of 273. They then lost 10 wickets in the next 22.3 overs after the break with one of the meekest displays against the turning ball. As it happens, only Stokes – 25 from 36 – tried to give anything back.Having taken two Pakistan wickets by stumps, and still leading by 174, you could just about argue the opening day in Multan was tilted slightly in England’s favour. Sure, they could have improved on their score of 281, but probably only through doing what they did with more gusto.

His all-round ability with the ball, bat and on the field has proven invaluable throughout the series

Sidharth Monga08-Jan-2021Ravindra Jadeja replaced Virat Kohli in this Indian XI. When it was done, it seemed – and still does – a move from a side that knew its attack was thin and was picking players to cover too many bases. India were hedging their bets a bit by replacing a specialist batsman and a pure wicketkeeper with a bowler who could bat and a wicketkeeper in Rishabh Pant who could bat too.While it can be called hedging the bets, there probably wasn’t an option available to India at that time. They had lost Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, and would not want in their attack a debutant seamer and Umesh Yadav, who is not renowned for his control. They needed some bowling cover so they showed they had the courage to not reinforce the batting in a traditional way after the 36 all out in Adelaide.Ravindra Jadeja bagged 4 for 62 before also running out Steven Smith•Getty ImagesIt looked a little like England on tours of Asia, where their frontline spinners aren’t incrementally that good over the bits-and-pieces spinners to forego their batting. This was a different case, though. This was more like England playing Chris Woakes in place of a specialist batsman in Asia, which they rarely do.Related

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Six days of Test cricket later, Jadeja has scored a crucial half-century at the MCG, taken seven wickets including a four-for at the SCG at an average of 15, taken an exceptional catch to start an Australia collapse in Melbourne and also run Steven Smith out when he finally got back in the runs. Even though Jadeja has not bowled as much as the first-choice spinner R Ashwin, he has been in the game almost all the time. The impact that Jadeja has had almost makes you want to reassess the “hedge” category initially assigned to his selection.The big difference between someone like Woakes and Jadeja, though, is the vast improvement in Jadeja’s batting. He is likelier to score runs against fast bowlers than Woakes is against spinners. Jadeja is not quite a No. 5 batsman, but has begun to push from the Woakes category towards the Ben Stokes one.Since the start of 2016, only Quinton de Kock averages more than Jadeja’s 43.92 batting at No. 7 or lower. In the six Tests he has played outside Asia and the West Indies, he has averaged 45.16. Granted that Cheteshwar Pujara bats in tough periods, but since the start of 2018 Jadeja has more runs per innings than even Pujara. The big difference now is that he trusts his game and doesn’t back away and hit as he used to at the start of his career.At the press conference after day two in Sydney, Jadeja was asked if this change in approach to batting over the last 18 months or so meant he had started to think of himself as a genuine allrounder. “Not just the last 12-18 months,” Jadeja said. “Long before that – and in all three formats – I have to perform both in batting and bowling department. Since the day I have started playing, that has been my role. But it is all about getting the opportunity; whenever I have got the opportunity to score runs or take wickets, I have done that. Especially when I score runs outside India, it gets talked about more. But, according to me, I have always considered myself an allrounder.”The team management has recognised it and started to give him more responsibility. “The higher I bat, the more responsibility I take,” Jadeja said. “Batting with a batsman, you talk to them, [and] get the confidence. And most importantly, I have time to play a proper innings. If I can initially get that start with a batsman, I can play in my flow. The more I bat higher up, the better it is.”So far on the Australia tour, Ravindra Jadeja has a half-century, a four-wicket haul and some brilliant fielding to his name•Getty ImagesStill, he was batting at No. 7, which meant India were replacing a batsman with someone who was a bowler first, someone who wouldn’t ideally be playing, especially with another spinner in the XI, in Melbourne of all places. The last time two spinners played in a Test XI in Melbourne was when India went in with both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in 2007-08. The idea behind that selection was for India to choose their four best bowlers no matter the conditions.Ashwin averages 25.20 and Jadeja 24.50, but so good have India’s three quicks been that it has rarely been the case where they consider both of them to be along the four best bowlers for conditions outside Asia and the West Indies. Even when they have played two spinners in Tests outside Asia and the West Indies under this team management, the second spinner has been Kuldeep Yadav, who brings in the wristspin variety.The real merit in this selection of Jadeja has been that not playing both Ashwin and Jadeja together has been a perfectly reasonable thought process. To go against that is a bold move, one that the conditions demanded. Now it was up to Jadeja to vindicate that trust.Jadeja is a bowler who is slightly unfortunate to have operated in the times of Ashwin. With the more apparent guile of Ashwin, Jadeja’s bowing can tend to go unnoticed. His numbers are not too far behind either; in fact, his average is better. Jadeja has only one fewer Player-of-the-Match award than Ashwin, although the senior spinner has more series awards. Only ten Indians have won more Player-of-the-Match awards than Jadeja’s six. No one has a better rate than his: one every six Tests or so.It was perhaps fair that he enjoyed some luck on the crucial second day of the Sydney Test, which Australia started at 166 for 2 with the threat of batting India out of the game. There will be days when Jadeja will bowl much better than he did on this day and not end up with a wicket. Here he got four despite being cut away for four often and conceding an un-Jadeja-like 3.44 an over. This is perhaps a reward for someone who always stays in the game and keeps bowling at the wickets all the time.And in the game Jadeja well and truly was when he ran in about 25 yards for a one-handed pick-up and direct hit from about 35 yards to hit the only stump visible to him to run Smith out. He rated that higher than the wickets he took. Thanks to the extra dimension Jadeja’s inclusion has added, India too are in the game and the series.

خاض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد مباراة قوية أمام نظيره مانشسر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وواجه ريال مدريد فريق مانشستر سيتي مساء الأربعاء في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في مباراة كانت مثيرة وممتعة لجمهور كلا الناديين.

وفاز مانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا على ريال مدريد بقيادة تشابي ألونسو بهدفين مقابل هدف.

اقرأ أيضًا | مباريات ريال مدريد المتبقية في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الخسارة من مانشستر سيتي

بتلك النتيجة، يحتل ريال مدريد المركز السابع برصيد 12 نقطة، فيما وصل مانشستر سيتي إلى المركز الرابع برصيد 13 نقطة. فرص ريال مدريد في التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا 

بالمقارنة مع نسخة الموسم الماضي من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، احتاجت الفرق إلى 16 نقطة على الأقل من أجل ضمان التأهل مباشرة إلى دور الـ16 من البطولة، ويمكن قياس ذلك على الموسم الحالي.

ريال مدريد لديه الآن 12 نقطة في المركز السابع بجدول ترتيب مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا وتتبقى له جولتين، ويعني هذا أن فرصة الفريق الملكي في التأهل مباشرةً لدور الـ16 تعتبر جيدة إلى حد ما.

لا يحتاج ريال مدريد سوء فوز وتعادل على الأقل لكي يتمكن من إحراز 16 نقطة، وبالنظر إلى مواجهاته المقبلة فسيلاقي فريق ألونسو كلًا من موناكو على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو ويختتم مشواره في مرحلة الدوري بمواجهة بنفيكا بقيادة مورينيو في البرتغال.

وتتأهل الفرق التي تحتل المركز الأول إلى الثامن، بشكل مباشر إلى دور الـ16 من البطولة، على أن يخوض الذين يحتلون المراكز من التاسع إلى الرابع والعشرين، مرحلة الملحق، والتي تتمثل في مباراتي ذهاب وإياب وفقًا للقرعة.

Wasn’t that all a little inevitable? Time and again, this Manchester United side proceeds to fluff their lines, having failed to take advantage of the chance to move fifth in the Premier League following Thursday’s draw with West Ham United.

Much like a week ago in the dismal defeat to ten-man Everton, there was a real lack of energy and urgency about the hosts at Old Trafford this time around, with Ruben Amorim’s side merely letting the game drift for much of the first half.

Even after Diogo Dalot had nudged the home side ahead just before the hour mark, there was a distinct lack of a killer instinct, with Amorim’s raft of pragmatic changes ultimately backfiring in the closing stages.

Up against a team firmly in the relegation mix, the Red Devils – after failing to push for a second – were served up arguably what they deserved, with Soungouto Magassa poking home for his first goal for the Hammers to draw things level.

Despite two late attempts from skipper Bruno Fernandes, there was to be no stirring finale in front of the Stretford End, with the stop-start nature of United’s campaign showing no sign of ending.

Man Utd's worst performers vs West Ham

Two moments of quality aside in Sunday’s narrow win over Crystal Palace, it’s fair to say that it’s not been a good week for United’s captain, with Fernandes again rather erratic on Thursday evening.

He may, as usual, have been in the thick of the action with six total shots and five key passes registered, but the Portuguese notably regressed as the game progressed, squandering the ball meekly far too frequently.

Indeed, the 31-year-old lost the ball 22 times in all, as per Sofascore, while his delivery from wide areas was also unusually off the mark, having successfully completed just two of his eight attempted crosses.

The former Sporting CP star wasn’t alone in struggling on a difficult, turgid night for the hosts, however, with surprise inclusion Ayden Heaven hooked at the break, following a shaky first Premier League start of the season up against the experienced Callum Wilson.

Far more will have been expected of those operating at the opposite end of the pitch for United too, with the returning Matheus Cunha somewhat anonymous in his number ten berth, before being withdrawn late on, while Joshua Zirkzee failed to build on his weekend heroics after producing another limp showing through the middle.

Rounding off that trio was emerging talisman, Bryan Mbeumo, with the usually dynamic winger putting in arguably his worst performance for the club to date, following his £71m switch from Brentford.

Man Utd star produced his worst performance under Amorim

Right from the off, during the opening weekend defeat to Arsenal, Mbeumo has provided the spark in United’s attacking ranks, netting six times already across league and cup, including in key away performances against both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Chalkboard

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

The Premier League’s Player of the Month for October has been riding high even amid a turbulent season for the club, although – with AFCON looming – his form appears to have stagnated, having failed to record a goal or assist in each of his last three outings.

That may be a case of a lack of service, although the Cameroonian was hardly able to create much for himself either on Thursday evening, registering just one key pass and attempting just two shots in all – albeit while forcing Alphonse Areola into a sprawling, clawing save early on.

Touches

52

48.8

Pass accuracy

78%

79%

Key passes

1

1.5

Successful crosses

0/1

1.5

Successful dribbles

1/1

0.8

Ground duels won

3/4

2.6

Aerial duels won

0/5

0.3

Possession lost

15

15.5

Sofascore rating

6.3

7.00

The 26-year-old, like many of his teammates, was particularly ineffective as the game developed, looking weary late on as he failed to make things stick after moving into a central role, following the withdrawal of both Cunha and Zirkzee.

Like Fernandes, the left-footer regularly squandered potential openings after losing the ball on 15 occasions from just 52 touches, while failing to win a single aerial duel up against a physical visiting backline.

Such has been his impact in recent months, Mbeumo has set a high bar and raised expectation levels regarding his performances, although this was certainly not him at his best.

Typically the outlet for United when the going gets tough, the one-time Troyes man appeared to go missing late on, looking leggy and lethargic as Amorim’s men allowed the visitors back into the game.

With just over a week to go until the £150k-per-week star is set to head to international duty, Amorim needs him to find his best level again.

Let’s face it, while Mbeumo may have looked distinctly off it last night, even on his worst day, he still appears United’s biggest attacking threat.

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One European club is now ready to launch a move to sign a big-money Liverpool star in 2026, despite facing competition from the Saudi Pro League.

Slot expects "aggressive" Leeds vs Liverpool

Despite Wednesday night’s timid draw against Sunderland at Anfield, Arne Slot was in good spirits ahead of Liverpool’s next game against Leeds United this weekend. The Reds will be looking to stretch their mini-unbeaten run to three games in the same week, but must also get back to winning ways after Wednesday.

On paper, a trip to newly-promoted Leeds looks routine and once upon a time it was exactly that for the Reds. Those days, for the time being, are gone, however, and the Premier League champions are now set to square off against a side who could physically outmatch them once again.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot admitted that he expects to face an “aggressive” Leeds side: “Yesterday I looked at Leeds v Chelsea and I thought I saw a Liverpool game; Chelsea conceding a set-piece and for the third goal making a big, big error where they conceded a goal from. [It was] very difficult for them.

“Either Leeds went very aggressive to one-v-one or they went to a low block and it was really hard to create chances. It’s not only difficult for us, that playing style, it’s difficult for many teams – including us.”

It’s been the story of Liverpool’s season so far. Whenever they’ve encountered physicality, the Premier League champions have simply been bullied.

Something had to change and that has seen Mohamed Salah sacrificed. The struggling Egyptian has not started either of Liverpool’s last two games and reports suggest he could yet leave the club in 2026.

Galatasaray ready to launch Salah bid

According to reports in Spain, Galatasaray are now ready to launch their bid to sign Salah next year. The Turkish giants are looking to take full advantage of the winger’s situation and will reportedly aim to beat clubs in Saudi Arabia to his signature.

Whether Liverpool are willing to sell Salah remains to be seen, though. The Anfield icon only signed a new two-year deal last season, which is set to expire in 2027, but they must ask themselves if he is now past the peak of his powers.

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Former centre-back, turned Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher certainly believes that’s the case, recently saying: “The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of the run in 2018 with Jürgen Klopp was Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah.

“Alisson’s injured a lot now, he doesn’t play so much. But you watch Van Dijk now, not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone.”

The 33-year-old will be desperate to prove Carragher wrong and make his £21m-a-year contract worthwhile even if that is to be from the bench following Slot’s recent ruthlessness.

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The Colorado Rockies turned the first triple play of the new MLB season Tuesday. In the top of the second inning, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson hit a ground ball to third base with runners on first and second.

Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon fielded the ball near the bag and tagged third. He then fired the ball to Kyle Farmer at second, who cleanly turned it and hit Michael Toglia at first base to beat Wilson and quickly end the inning.

The 5-4-3 triple play marked the fifth triple play in Rockies history and the first since 2015. After the play, McMahon and starting pitcher Germán Márquez slapped their gloves together to celebrate the feat as Colorado improbably got out of an early jam. Farmer smiled with Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar as they ran toward the dugout.

The Rockies' last triple play came on Sept. 1, 2015 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Athletics haven't hit into a triple play since 2021 when they did so against the New York Yankees according to the AP.

Before Saturday, the last triple play across the MLB occurred on Sept. 24, 2024 when the San Diego Padres turned one in the ninth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and clinch a playoff berth.

This weekend might be the first one in a long time that West Ham United fans are actually looking forward to.

The East Londoners have been subjected to some terrible football and even worse results over the last year or so, but finally, the London Stadium was treated to an impressive win over Newcastle United last week.

It was Nuno Espírito Santo’s first win in charge, but he’s not got an altogether different challenge to face in Scott Parker’s Burnley.

The Clarets’ manager is still a firm fan favourite among West Ham fans, and it could be argued that one of their current players is now emulating him – and no, it’s not Freddie Potts.

West Ham's record against Burnley

West Ham’s game against Burnley this afternoon will be the 97th competitive meeting in all competitions.

Chalkboard

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

The two claret and blue sides first met back in November 1923, in a league game that the Hammers sadly lost 5-1.

However, while their first meeting didn’t end well for the East Londoners, they have won 40 games, drawn 21 and lost 35.

Moreover, the last five meetings between the two teams have been more fruitful for the Irons, with them winning twice and sharing the spoils three times.

Their last meeting was a Premier League match on March 10th, 2024.

The game ended 2-2 courtesy of goals from Lucas Paqueta, Danny Ings, David Datro Fofana, and an own goal from Dinos Mavropanos.

While another draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, Nuno and Co. will be looking to make the most of last weekend’s win and go on something of a run.

While the whole team will have to play their part to make that happen, much of the goalscoring burden will fall on the player who’s something of a modern-day Parker for West Ham.

West Ham's modern-day Parker

Parker joined West Ham from the Toon in the summer of 2007, and while he had to deal with a number of injuries early on, he established himself as one of the team’s most important players.

In fact, he was so crucial that he was named Hammer of the Year for three consecutive seasons and was even named England’s Player of the Year in 2011.

Unfortunately, when the Irons were relegated at the end of the 11/12 season, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur to keep his place in the national side.

Now, when it comes to a modern player who could be talked about in a similar way, there is only one who comes to mind: Jarrod Bowen.

Yes, he plays in an entirely different position, but over the last few years, he has been just as, if not more, important to the club.

For example, in 249 appearances, totalling 19881 minutes, the incredible “game changer,” as dubbed by journalist Roshane Thomas, has scored 77 goals and provided 53 assists.

That comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.91 games, or every 152.93 minutes, over a period of more than five years.

On top of that, he has also taken the responsibility of the captaincy, which, as things stand, must be a particularly heavy burden.

Finally, not only has he been a constant source of goals and assists for the club, but he is also the scorer of the goal that secured them their first European trophy.

Appearances

249

Minutes

19881′

Goals

77

Assists

53

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

152.93

Ultimately, while someone like Potts might come to resemble Parker’s style of play more, Bowen embodies his spirit and truly is the current Mr West Ham.

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England captain Harry Kane has paid his respects on Remembrance Sunday with a heartfelt tribute as ceremonies take place across the United Kingdom. The Bayern Munich striker took to social media to post a classy message in honour of those who have died in wars around the world, with a minute's silence to be observed across Premier League and Women's Super League fixtures.

People gather across the UK to pay respects on Remembrance Sunday

Each year people across the UK come together to remember those who have fallen in conflicts across the world. Ceremonies take place on the second Sunday of November, which is known as Remembrance Sunday.

On their website, The Royal British Legion says: "Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. We remember the Armed Forces, and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, the vital role played by the emergency services and those who have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism."

King Charles III and other senior royals and political leaders are gathering for the national memorial service at the Cenotaph in central London on Sunday. Some 10,000 armed forces veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion's march past Whitehall, alongside around 20 World War Two veterans.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEngland captain Kane posts classy message to those who have died

And ahead of the Cenotaph Parade, England skipper Kane has issued a heartfelt message on social media. 

In a post on Instagram, the Three Lions forward wrote: "Today we honour and respect those who sacrificed themselves for our country and future. I’m proud today and always to be an ambassador for the Tommy Club, supporting our veterans in so many amazing ways. Lest we forget. We will remember them."

On their website, The Tommy Club describes itself as: "The Tommy Club is an annual charity subscription to support some of the nation’s most vulnerable veterans. There has never been a more important time for us to commit our support to ex-military personnel. Ex-service men and women will receive support from funds raised by members. The Tommy Club raises funds for the various divisions of Royal British Legion Industries whilst offering its Champions exclusive opportunities, content and more."

AFPMinute's silence will be held across Premier League and WSL fixtures

To honour those who have died, a minute’s silence will also be held across Premier League and Women’s Super League fixtures on Sunday.

Ahead of their game against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City have confirmed their plans to honour Remembrance Sunday, saying: "Prior to the match, a service will take place in the Club’s Memorial Garden, where Mike Summerbee will lay a wreath alongside members of the Former Players Association and the Club’s Chaplain.

"Then, ahead of kick-off, Manager Pep Guardiola will lay a wreath pitch side followed by a performance of the Last Post and a minute’s silence, observed by all in attendance.

"All our Men’s First Team will wear a poppy on their shirts, and those worn by City players during the game will be donated and auctioned via Match Worn Shirt, with proceeds going to the Royal British Legion to raise money for the charity; as will the shirts worn by City players during last weekend’s home fixture against Bournemouth."

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Kane to return home after being named in England squad for November games

Bayern forward Kane will return home next week after being included in England’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania on Thursday, 13 November and Sunday, 16 November respectively.

They are the Three Lions’ final two competitive games before the 2026 World Cup, with Thomas Tuchel’s men having already secured their place at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

England are currently top of Group K after winning all six of their qualifiers so far, booking their place at the World Cup after defeating Latvia 5-0 on 14 October. Kane netted a brace while Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze scored either side of an own goal from Latvia’s Maksims Tonisevs at the Daugava Stadium in Riga.