Tag Futebol

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now personally keen for the Gunners to sign a Premier League rival star, with the transfer target in question also “pushing” to leave this summer.

Mikel Arteta's rumoured transfer ideas to strengthen Arsenal

Arteta recently had to affirm to the press that both him and new sporting director Andrea Berta are on the same page when it comes to the club’s recruitment strategy, following some reports of disagreements between the pair.

Related Big-money Arsenal star is very quickly becoming their new Xhaka & Ramsey

Arsenal may well have found their new Aaron Ramsey this season.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson May 19, 2025

Naturally, while Berta’s arrival from Atlético Madrid is seen as an undoubted boost for the north Londoners, following 12 successful years in La Liga, Arteta will have his own ideas on how to reinforce his squad this summer.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Journalist Simon Phillips even reported last week that Arteta would prefer Arsenal to sign RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko over the heavily-linked Viktor Gyokeres, coming after the Slovenia international rejected their advances last year.

The 43-year-old, as per Spanish media sources, is also a big admirer of Athletic Bilbao attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who’s scored 17 goals in all competitions and could leave Bilbao for the value of his £67 million release clause.

Now, as per The Sun and journalist Anthony Chapman, £195,000-per-week Chelsea winger Christopher Nkunku is attracting Arteta’s personal attention as well.

The France international isn’t exactly a mainstay under Enzo Maresca, despite scoring 14 goals in all competitions, and this has led to reports that Nkunku is eyeing an exit from Stamford Bridge when the window reopens.

Mikel Arteta thinks Christopher Nkunku would be a good Arsenal signing

Chapman reports that Arsenal are “lining up a move” for the versatile forward, who can play almost anywhere in the attacking third.

It is also claimed that Arteta sees Nkunku as a potential “good” signing for Arsenal this summer.

One thing worth noting is that, barring his sky-high salary, Nkunku may turn out to be a fairly astute deal. Chelsea have apparently set his price tag at around £35 million, and are willing to make a £17 million loss by shipping him out of the door, just two years after signing him for £52 million.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry heaped praise on the ex-RB Leipzig sensation in 2022, admitting back then that Nkunku is a player he loves watching, and it would appear that Arteta is in full agreement. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea would be willing to sell to a direct rival.

At this moment in time, Aston Villa have some catching up to do if they want to secure a top five spot in the Premier League.

Securing Champions League football for another campaign would be huge at Villa Park, but Unai Emery’s men are just short of those coveted spots by three points currently, with a victory away at AFC Bournemouth this weekend crucial to try and bridge this gap.

The complexion of Villa’s summer business will also be dependent on whether they go on to gain a seat around Europe’s elite table again or not, with a number of departures perhaps on the menu if the Villans depressingly fall short.

One thing on the agenda could well be their attacking midfield spots.

Aston Villa's situation in attacking midfield

One area of the pitch that looks particularly worrying for Emery’s men is in the no.10 position, considering one of Villa’s brightest sparks here in Morgan Rogers is being linked with a move away to Chelsea.

Chalkboard

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

Moreover, reports seem to indicate that Marco Asensio won’t be kept around for the long term in England despite starring in the West Midlands ever since his loan arrival from Real Madrid, with financial concerns making the deal potentially tricky.

The Spaniard has certainly caught the eye, having scored eight goals in 18 outings for Villa.

Emery and Co have been targeting reinforcements here, unsurprisingly, seen in further reports that breakout Rosenborg sensation Sverre Nypan is reportedly in talks over completing a switch to Villa Park.

But, away from having to potentially splash any cash on the Norwegian’s services, Villa might be prepared to promote their very own homegrown version of Nypan shortly, with the exit of Asensio hurting even less if the teenager was a success in the senior side.

Aston Villa's homegrown version of Nypan

Of course, there are a lot of risks attached with Villa moving the 17-year-old in question straight up to the senior ranks, with Nypan now exposed to lots of action at first-team level in his native Norway.

Indeed, the dynamic 18-year-old has managed to amass a promising haul of 14 goals and 11 assists from 66 appearances for Rosenborg. On the contrary, homegrown attacking midfielder Bradley Burrowes has zero experience in this regard.

But, everyone has to start somewhere when spreading their wings, with Jack Grealish once an unknown figure at his boyhood employers, before exploding into life to win himself a £100m switch to Manchester City.

Obviously, Burrowes might not follow in these esteemed footsteps immediately, but his promising numbers as an attack-minded midfielder in the U18 and U21 structures for Villa means he is worth a punt by Emery in the first-team picture soon, especially if there is a void in the number ten spot to address.

U18s

22

9

3

U21s

13

3

5

UEFA U19s

8

2

0

Senior

0

0

0

The teenage starlet will hope the table above is soon full to the brim with senior appearances, considering he has tallied up a mightily impressive 22 goals and assists playing in a whole host of youth teams in the West Midlands.

Nypan can only boast three more goal contributions next to his name, albeit lining up for Rosenborg at a professional level. But, of course, there may be a worry that the 18-year-old might not be able to adjust to the bright lights of the Premier League.

Likewise, losing a figure such as Asensio won’t hurt as much in the long term if Burrowes is gifted chances and shines in the senior set-up, particularly if he has the opportunity to be mentored by Rogers if he doesn’t up and leave for pastures new at Chelsea.

There is an awful lot up in the air at Villa Park moving into the summer, but Emery and Co could save themselves a lot of hassle and money if they decided to give some of their very own talents an opportunity to shine, with Burrowes perhaps moulding into an even brighter star than Nypan down the line.

Best deal since Tielemans: Aston Villa exploring move for "unique" PL star

Aston Villa could land their best signing since Youri Tielemans’ arrival with this deal.

ByKelan Sarson May 2, 2025

Opting for increased batting insurance is placing a greater workload on India’s MVP – and Jasprit Bumrah is still delivering

Alagappan Muthu26-Dec-20242:08

Manjrekar: India preferring Reddy over Gill not a great call

Boxing Day was going to be hard on the team that had to bowl at the MCG. The heat and lack of moisture was so severe that the Met Department had issued a warning. This is “fire weather,” indicating an increased risk of bush fires if people weren’t careful. It was 38C when Jasprit Bumrah came on for his fourth spell.He has been carrying the Indian attack and not just because the rest have been flat -the team’s selections have also been strange. They picked six bowling options for Melbourne but for the first 50 overs of Australia’s innings they had to turn to the same four over and over again. The two India barely needed – Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy – seem to be in the XI as a safety net for a fragile top order.Test cricket brings time into the game. Batters are required to give risk the cold shoulder here. To prise them out – especially in the harsh weather of Melbourne – specialists are needed. The three India had actually did a good job. Bumrah (22), Mohammed Siraj (16) and Akash Deep (14) induced 52 false shots in the first 30 overs (one every three balls). In total there were 55. Ravindra Jadeja contributed the other three at a rate of one every eight balls.The risks Sam Konstas took kept coming off. His livewire half-century forced India into playing catch-up and playing catch-up is not easy when half the bowling attack comprises batting allrounders. That’s the kind of thing that works in limited-overs games because there, batters are obliged to attack and that increases the chance of making a mistake. You don’t always need a specialist to capitalise on that. Sachin Tendulkar has more five-fors than Shane Warne in ODIs.Related

Kohli fined 20% of match fees after heated altercation with Konstas at MCG

Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

Konstas on taking on Bumrah: 'That's the beauty of being young and a bit naive'

Teenager Konstas takes Bumrah for record 18 runs in an over

So at 237 for 2 in the 66th over, with Marnus Labuschagne on 72 and Steven Smith on 42, India were courting trouble. Then came a bit of luck. Or perhaps a change of luck, considering a lot of their good work didn’t yield results earlier in the innings? Either way, after Labuschagne charged Sundar but couldn’t clear mid-off, all eyes turned to one man. The ball was too old to be threatening. The weather too hot to be outside. The team angry and too far behind. But as soon as Bumrah is at the top of his mark, there’s renewed hope.Rohit Sharma went to him because walking into bat was . Travis Head. Taking him down was vital. All batters are vulnerable early. Even those who have single-handedly whisked Tests that were in the balance and thrust them into match-winning territory. Twice in this series. Bumrah started from around the wicket. He snapped his wrist down on the ball. Head could have seen the shine was on the inside, which normally means it would move away from the left-hander. This one didn’t. It came in and took his off bail. In the slips, Rohit leapt into the air with the same joy kids all over the world would have done 24 hours or so earlier. Tis the season for jaffas.That three-over spell from Bumrah produced nearly as many wickets as India were able to take all day. There was an immediate debrief at stumps with Rohit and the entire coaching staff. Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar then arrived for the press conference and said he was happy with the XI India picked, though he sympathised with Shubman Gill who paid the price for his team hedging its bets.Jasprit Bumrah bowled 21 out of 86 overs on a hot day in Melbourne•Associated PressIndia have changed their combination before every match of this tour. The spinner that played in Perth didn’t play in Adelaide and the spinner that played in Adelaide didn’t play in Brisbane. Harshit Rana is back on the bench. KL Rahul has been pushed down the order. R Ashwin, who might have enjoyed this pitch, has retired. Is all this a horses for courses thing, or is it something else? Australia have only budged to accommodate injury or loss of form.”The thought process [in picking the XI] wasn’t so much batting,” Nayar said, “If there was an overemphasis on batting, then we would have had Shubman in the team. We just think of the balance of the team based on the conditions and what’s ahead of us.”It is pretty obvious that we felt in these conditions, looking at the pitch, having Washi in the bowling attack will give us that variation. Especially towards the end once the ball gets old, post the 50 overs, we felt that is an area that we wanted to get better at. We felt Washi could give us that solidity with Jaddu, especially the way Travis Head and Alex Carey were getting runs lower down, so we felt having an offie in the ranks will provide us with that.”India went back with a share of the day’s spoils because Bumrah bowled 21 of the 86 overs. That’s nearly 25%. Only twice has he bowled more in a day. By the end, he needed to slip off the field for short periods, which meant India delayed taking the new ball until he had spent that time back on the field and could bowl again, and was seen requiring the physio’s attention on his left calf.Those visuals along with the scorecard, which shows Reddy bowling only five overs – some of them with the wicketkeeper standing up – and Washington not being needed until the last over before tea, tell the story of this series. India’s efforts to protect their out-of-form top-order by picking bowlers based on their batting ability is putting a lot of stress on their greatest asset.

England allrounder talks about personal wellbeing and upcoming Ashes challenge

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-May-2023″I haven’t watched the interview,” Nat Sciver-Brunt says. “And I don’t really want to.”She doesn’t have to, either. She remembers the where – the Ageas Bowl – and when – after her Trent Rockets had fallen short of Southern Brave by two runs in the women’s Hundred eliminator. And she remembers everything she said.After striking three consecutive sixes in the final over before only managing a single when a boundary would have taken them over the line, Sciver-Brunt was standing on the outfield irate, exhausted and vulnerable. What began as cheery as a consolatory interview can be ended up with Sciver-Brunt opening up about her own internal battles.”I’d been feeling I was putting pressure on myself and taking on more than I could handle,” she told the BBC hosts by her side and those watching on free-to-air TV. “I need to learn how to switch off when at home, not think about what’s coming up. I find that quite hard.”A week later, Sciver-Brunt pulled out of the limited-overs series with India to focus on her mental health. It was a decision taken following conversations with England team doctor Thamindu Wedatilake.Related

• England set to attract record crowds for women's Ashes in summer

• Mumbai Indians, the maximum team of the WPL

• Issy Wong: 'I think it's a great time to play Australia'

• Katherine Sciver-Brunt retires from international cricket after 19-year career

Fast-forward to present day and she is all the better for it. She returned to international action for the tour of the West Indies at the end of 2022, then into a high-profile start to 2023 with the T20 World Cup and inaugural WPL as a marquee £320,000 signing for Mumbai Indians. Even with all that, she finds herself as level as she ever has been. Which is as good a time as any to reflect on those words live on television last summer. The first time those beyond a select few knew something was wrong.”It was probably the first interview in the month I had been able to get through without crying,” she says. “It was a difficult time to describe how I was feeling. It was part of the journey, I guess.”She admits there was an element of catharsis to that Hail Mary knock of 72 from 36 deliveries. “I felt maybe a third of the way through if I don’t start doing something know I won’t get close. I guess it was probably part and parcel of how I was feeling mentally and how it came out on the pitch.”It was her second high-profile, high-class near miss in the space of nine months, following an absurd 148 not out in defeat to Australia in the 50-over World Cup final earlier that year. That was part of a rammed 2022: starting in the southern hemisphere with an Ashes in Australia and then the World Cup in New Zealand, both subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Prior to the Hundred was an all-format series with South Africa followed by the Commonwealth Games in the home summer. Close to breaking point, time away from the game was a necessity.”The break was something I felt I needed because of the six months to year before that. Everything was not built up, but it did get on top of me a little bit. Just being able to have that and say I needed to go home from that tour and be at home and just try and feel normal again.”It wasn’t necessarily a long-standing thing. It was a circumstance a little bit on the back of touring with Covid [restrictions] and the six months before that moment just all was so busy and there was no time to reflect on anything and put things to bed. You are on to the next thing.”Together with her wife, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, who retired from England duty last month, she did all the things she had been putting off. “Normal things” like mowing the lawn and taking the dog for a walk. The menial tasks that give athletes grounding and a healthier perspective on what they have around them and what is truly important.

“It is just whether we can do it in the pressure moments. Because we don’t get put under pressure unless we play Australia, really, consistently”Nat Sciver-Brunt on facing Australia for the Ashes

She also devised ways to improve and sustain her mental-wellbeing, particularly when it came to assessing on-field matters, such as the gut-wrenching finish to the Commonwealth Games. With Heather Knight injured, Sciver-Brunt captained England to the bronze medal match, where they lost to New Zealand. As an allrounder driven by a “fine, I’ll do it myself” attitude, it was a bitter pill she struggled to swallow as a leader.”I spoke to a clinical psychologist a couple of times and tried to reflect on the Commonwealth Games and how that went and how that affected me, which is probably the main trigger for needing to go home,” she says. “Since then, I haven’t spoken to her but felt like I have got a bit more perspective from it and am able to, not recover from things, but just deal with things that come my way.”I have reflected a lot of with our England team psychologist as well and checked in with her quite a bit before and during the South Africa trip [for the T20 World Cup], voicing the expectations and how I thought it was going to go during the WPL and what would happen if I didn’t perform.”I guess just really voicing what you are actually feeling. So many people say that it is better to talk, which it is. Even I can relate that to batting. When you are batting in a pair and in your mind you think I am going to do this or that but if I don’t say it I will probably do it instinctively and things will happen out of my control.”That last bit might be the hardest for Sciver-Brunt to deal with. Because throughout her career, she has been the one looked upon to deliver glory. Not just for England. She led the line as Mumbai Indians won the WPL, scoring 332 runs – the second most in the competition – and taking 10 wickets. Those performances, she says, came from “feeling in a good place” with cricket.”And, as a person as well, being really happy,” she adds. “I didn’t have to dwell on it too much. I didn’t have to think about that, just concentrate on the cricket.”I guess for me I have probably put that expectation on myself for a lot longer than you have been saying it [that she is a match-winner]. That has been the role I want to play. I want to be in the difficult moments and affect the game every time I am touching the ball or whatever it is. It is probably a little bit my own fault as well. That is just the way I want to play. It seemed to work most times but not all.”That Sciver-Brunt is so open about all this is vital given her position at the forefront of women’s cricket’s rapid evolution. With the WPL, she admits to trepidation before it all got going. Even off-field duties, such as the scale of media and marketing requests cricket in India brings, took a bit of getting used to.Sciver-Brunt was one of the stars of Mumbai Indians’ WPL win•BCCI”It was a little different to England where the sponsors get a two-hour or three-hour appearance with some players. I did an advert for suncream in which I was understanding Hindi ,” she says, smiling.”Playing the actual cricket, it did feel like you were taking part in something really big and something different. I think because the way the crowds work. Playing at home [in England], in front of a crowd that really want you to do well and politely clap other things that happen in a game – whereas [in India] you have Mumbai chants versus whatever other team it is. Everyone is going with so much loudness and passion and everything.”Even if she still can’t fathom just how spectacular the first edition of the WPL was, the money has landed in her bank account to confirm as much. While no big spender – “a bit tight,” as she puts it – she has bought herself a new phone and a watch. She also has a new Apple watch, though that was a gift from Nita Ambani, co-owner of Mumbai Indians.On the horizon is a multi-format Ashes series, starting on June 22 with a five-day Test match at Trent Bridge. Sciver-Brunt will be integral to England’s hopes of beating Australia in such a series for the first time since her maiden tour in 2013-14.The squad, she says, are in a good place. A group in transition have now had the best part of a year to gauge the responsibilities they must now carry forward. But can they close the gap on the holders and dual World Cup champions? How does she rate England’s chances of beating one of the most complete sides in history? She is understandably cautious.”We haven’t played Australia in the last two big tournaments,” she says. “[But] since the Ashes before the 50-over World Cup [won 12-4 by Australia], in my mind, I have felt closer than I have before, in terms of skill for me.”It is just whether we can do it in the pressure moments. Because we don’t get put under pressure unless we play Australia, really, consistently.”As for herself, Sciver-Brunt is optimistic whatever the stresses and strains of the summer, the coping mechanisms established along with an open dialogue with England head coach Jon Lewis will hold her in good stead.”For this immediate time, I guess I have been communicating with the England staff and working how best to get me ready for the Test match for the Ashes and the rest of the summer and being in a good position for that.”For me that doesn’t mean playing cricket right away. We hardly get windows where you can work on your strength, work on your fitness, something in your technique. We have to hold on to them when you can get them. Lewy [Lewis] has been very supportive in that and being able to have that time to work on that to benefit me and the team later in the year.”More open and just as settled, Sciver-Brunt’s best days could well be in front of her. That is only good news for England and cricket as a whole.

Five takeaways from the intra-squad practice matches and the one-day BCB President’s Cup

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2020Cricket at last, but…
On the day Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka was postponed for a second time, BCB president Nazmul Hassan announced that Bangladesh’s preliminary touring party would play intra-squad matches instead. The board quickly organised a one-day tournament, later naming it the BCB President’s Cup, which officially became the start of the 2020-21 domestic season.To make up the numbers in the three line-ups, the selectors called up 22 more players. The board also put together an attractive package for the best performers, spending over $43,000 as prize money for the seven matches.All good there, but only 46 players actually got a chance to play the tournament, and that’s only a fraction of the total number of professional cricketers in the country. There remains uncertainty about the remaining part of the 2019-20 Dhaka Premier League, but with the announcement of another T20 tournament next month, competitive cricket is slowly making its return.Pacers’ improved fitness
The extra zip in the bowling of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, the latter adjudged best bowler of the President’s Cup, was noticeable throughout the one-day matches. They bowled at their usual pace but looked more disciplined all along, which was a missing ingredient in their make-up in the past. Hossain, who finished with 12 wickets at an average of 10.33, also had a 4.02 economy rate, while Ahmed managed to pick up seven wickets at 26.28, and he was also impressive in the early and late spells in the two two-day intra-squad matches.It was a refreshing change after the rough couple of years the two have had, and it was down to the extra work they put in on their fitness during the pandemic.It wasn’t just Ahmed and Hossain, but also the likes of Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Ebadot Hossain and Abu Jayed, who looked fitter and bowled more accurately than often in the past. Among the younger lot, Shoriful Islam and Sumon Khan also impressed with their pace, swing, and yes, fitness.Sumon Khan’s five-wicket haul helped Mahmudullah XI bowl out Najmul XI for 173 in the BCB President’s Cup final•Raton Gomes/BCBUnder-19 champions get a taste of the higher level
Eight members of Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, including captain Akbar Ali, were distributed in the three President’s Cup teams. Mahmudul Hasan Joy spent more than two hours for a half-century and the patience was good to see, as he supported Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah in two partnerships. Shoriful, the only fast bowler chosen from the age-group set-up, took a four-wicket haul in one of his three appearances, and generally impressed everyone with his spirit.The likes of Islam and Ali, however, come with the heavy “very talented” tags, and as Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo pointed out last week, it is going to be crucial that patience is shown with these young achievers.A few new contenders
The selectors picked an array of players to diversify the bowling attacks of the three one-day sides, in particular. The fast bowlers did well, including Khan, who took a five-wicket haul in the final. And Nayeem Hasan was the only spinner who stood out in the two-day matches and the one-day competition with his accuracy and spin.Among the three legspinners, only Rishad Hossain bowled enough to catch the eye, while Irfan Sukkur, the left-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, struck two half-centuries. Some of these players will remain in the selectors’ log if they continue to do well in the T20 tournament in November.Domingo’s note of caution
But as coach Domingo pointed out, these matches were mere practice matches, and he warned against putting too much emphasis on these performances. Part of Domingo’s statement was partly a counter towards the criticism of the batsmen, but he was mostly correct in his assessment.The cricketers had come back from a long break, and it was an unusual time for a group of batsmen who do better when playing international cricket regularly. That said, there were good signs, especially in the performance of the fast bowlers, and in how some of the younger cricketers did well despite the brief period of training before the tournament.

The international break is finally over, and Blues in west London will hope Chelsea have retained that winning feeling when Estevao Willian struck late to secure all three points against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.

It was a crucial Premier League win for Enzo Maresca’s men, who haven’t quite got going this term and had lost two on the bounce before sinking the champions.

Now, Chelsea will hope to use that momentum as they tackle Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Chelsea did it without the all-consuming Cole Palmer, who has endured an injury-disrupted start to the 2025/26 campaign.

And they are going to have to do it again this weekend and beyond, with the Italian coach revealing some deflating news concerning the England star’s fitness.

The latest on Cole Palmer's fitness

It was not the news Chelsea fans would have wanted or expected when Maresca sat down for his pre-match press conference on Friday morning.

Palmer’s niggling groin injury has proved worse than Maresca feared, and he faces a further six weeks on the sidelines.

The 23-year-old has only featured four times across all competitions this season, scoring twice, and this comes as a significant blow as Stamford Bridge gears up for the gruelling winter period.

Talismanic and prolific, Palmer is irreplaceable, but Chelsea will have to try, and are sure to take solace in their recent performance against Liverpool.

Matters are worsened, however, by Enzo Fernandez’s expected absence, the Argentine midfielder having withdrawn from international duty due to ‘inflammation of the knee’. Though he is optimistic about making the matchday squad, Maresca has another option in Facundo Buonanotte, who he could unleash against the Tricky Trees.

Maresca must unleash Facundo Buonanotte

Chelsea added Buonanotte’s signature for a £2m loan fee this summer, pinching the Brighton playmaker after his loan spell with Leicester City last year.

The Foxes got relegated from the Premier League, but the 20-year-old was one of the brighter sparks across the early stage of the campaign, scoring four times and assisting twice too before December.

Intelligent, direct and capable of manipulating tight spaces, he could add the dimension Chelsea need, especially with Moises Caicedo in such redoubtable form at the heart of the midfield.

Hailed for his “immense potential” and for having a “left foot made of gold” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Buonanotte feels like a ready-made replacement for Palmer, slotting into a similar positional berth.

Moreover, he ranked among the top 2% of peers across the 2024/25 Premier League season for tackles, the top 1% for blocks and the top 13% for interceptions per 90 last season, data courtesy of FBref, and so could perform with the combativeness of Fernandez too, should he be considered unfit to start.

Creative and energetic on the ball, Buonanotte might not be the finished product, but he is brimming with potential and could fit the mould Palmer has vacated as he works toward recovery in the infirmary.

Forest have been out of sorts this season, but Chelsea cannot afford a slip-up, and must maintain their fluency as they look to string back-to-back wins together in the Premier League.

Forget Gittens & George: Cobham teen is the "future of Chelsea & England"

Chelsea may have found the latest superstar to emerge from Cobham academy.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 17, 2025

Everton have now reportedly set their sights on a former Liverpool midfielder who has starred ever since completing a move away from Anfield.

Moyes "thrilled" with scrappy Bournemouth win

After being shoved to one side by Newcastle United last weekend, Everton entered Bournemouth in need of a reaction and David Moyes got exactly that. By his own admission, it wasn’t his side’s prettiest affair, but they did get the job done courtesy of Jack Grealish’s second goal of the season.

Moyes shared his delight with reporters at full-time, saying: “It was a tough performance. It maybe wasn’t our tidiest or the cleanest we’ve had, but I thought we were the better team in the game.

“But could we score a goal, or could they score a goal? I think whoever got the goal first then, it would have probably gone that way. Having said that, after getting the goal, we had a couple of other chances to get a second one.

“But, look, I’m thrilled. Bournemouth is not a place where Everton have had a great record. So for us to go away, two away wins in the road on the bounce at the moment is really good.”

The performances haven’t always been there for Everton this season, but they’ve still managed to get over the line more than once to set up a strong foundation for the rest of the campaign.

It would be a major boost if they managed to secure a top-half finish in their first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and it would no doubt leave them well-placed to welcome reinforcements such as Tyler Morton. The former Liverpool gem could be on his way back to the Premier League and the Toffees may yet pull off a shock move.

Everton keeping tabs on Tyler Morton

As reported by TeamTalk, Everton are now keeping close tabs on Morton following his rise to stardom at Lyon this season. Since swapping the Anfield reserves for first-team football in France, the midfielder has looked likely to become one of Liverpool’s biggest regrets.

Dubbed a “fantastic footballer” by journalist Bence Bocsak back in September, Morton could come back to haunt Liverpool courtesy of one of their biggest rivals.

For Everton, signing the 23-year-old would hand them a direct replacement for James Garner, who is on course to leave the Toffees as a free agent when his contract expires next summer.

Everton told to pay record price for Bayern Munich target after sending scouts

The Toffees are eyeing an attacking addition.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 28, 2025

In terms of profile, the young midfielder has showcased his ability to control games with his passing range over in France and could finally hand Moyes the control that he needs to take Everton to that next level. For the right price, the Toffees could get one over on their rivals and land a rising star.

Everton could sign "one of the best left-backs in the world" for just £25m

Liverpool’s dire run of form continued on Saturday afternoon. The Reds were defeated 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield, leaving Arne Slot’s side with just three wins in their last 11 games in all competitions, and just 18 points to their name in the Premier League.

It was a hugely underwhelming performance from the reigning Premier League champions. Their poor form sees them slip to 11th in the top flight, with just 18 points to their name. They are already eight points behind league leaders Arsenal.

In terms of the Saturday afternoon clash at Anfield, a first-half strike from defender Murillo, and second-half goals from Nicolo Savona and captain Morgan Gibbs-White were enough to give Sean Dyche’s side all three points.

The Reds dominate the ball, having 76% possession, and 21 shots at the Forest goal, but simply didn’t do anything of substance. They lacked real bite in attack, with just four of their shots actually finding the target. Forest, on the other hand, had seven shots on target out of 15.

There were some poor performances across the board from Slot’s side, although a few stand out in particular.

Liverpool’s worst players vs. Forest

It was yet another tough day at the office for Liverpool, with one man struggling to get into the game being Liverpool striker Alexander Isak. The Swede went another game without finding the back of the net, still chasing his first goal in the Premier League for Liverpool.

Liverpool content creator George Scaife expressed his surprise at the fact that Isak got just 15 touches of the ball against Forest. Indeed, there was a lack of service against Forest for the Reds’ number nine, who only managed one shot on goal.

Another man who left a lot to be desired for Liverpool on Saturday afternoon was Alexis Mac Allister. The 2022 World Cup winner was part of yet another reshuffled midfield, and although he almost put Liverpool ahead, he struggled to contribute anything of note.

Indeed, the disappointing performance from Mac Allister was noticed by Liverpool World journalist Will Rooney. He gave the Argentina international a 4/10 rating, criticising him for the fact that he ‘stupidly dived in’ on Neco Williams, which allowed the former Liverpool man to find a cross leading to Savona’s goal.

Isak and Mac Allister certainly struggled against Dyche’s men, but there was one player who was perhaps worse.

Liverpool’s worst player vs. Forest

It was yet another day to forget for Reds centre-back Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman’s poor afternoon was summed up by James Pearce, The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter. He described it as a “nightmare” and said it was “error after error” at Anfield.

His once-formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk has been breached plenty of times this season. Indeed, that was something that Forest found it easy to do on Saturday, given that they bagged three goals.

Some of the stats from the 26-year-old’s performance against Forest highlight how tough a day it was for him. Konate only won four out of seven attempted duels, conceded two fouls and was dribbled past once.

Touches

61

Passes completed

50/54

Number of times ball lost

5

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

2/2

Fouls

2

Number of times dribbled past

1

Indeed, Rooney gave the former RB Leipzig man a scathing review. The journalist rated his showing a 4/10, explaining that he “should have dealt with the ball better,” which led to a corner from which Forest opened the scoring, and “made a meal of the cross” from which Forest had their goal ruled out.

This season, Konate, who is out of contract in the summer, has put in several underwhelming showings. As recently as September, it was reported that Real Madrid will try and sign the Frenchman, either on a free if he doesn’t sign a new contract, or in January.

Slot and the higher-ups at Anfield now have a decision to make. With Konate’s performances and contractual situation, they may well decide to recruit in January and look to move on from the Frenchman.

They have been linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi again in the last few weeks, after failing to sign him on deadline day. Perhaps the Reds will be of the view that it is best they cut their losses on Konate and sell him to Los Blancos, or elsewhere, and reinvest that money.

Diaz 2.0: Liverpool prepare £88m bid to sign "the best player in the world"

Liverpool have lacked balance and sharpness in the final third this season.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 21, 2025

New York Yankees rookie catcher J.C. Escarra, a 29-year-old former Uber driver, made his first MLB start behind the plate in Thursday night's 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. And Escarra, who took an inspiring journey to the big leagues, collected the first hit—a double—of his career in what amounted to a special moment in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But that wasn't the only special moment of the night.

After Yankees reliever Luke Weaver shut the door on the Diamondbacks with a save in the ninth inning, he and Escarra shared an embrace. Then, the Yankees backstop gave Weaver the game ball, placing the baseball in the righthander's glove. But Weaver, knowing what the day meant to Escarra, insisted that the catcher keep the baseball.

Here's the touching moment.

Even as he bounced between five seasons in the minors and three seasons total spent in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Escarra never gave up on his dream of playing in the majors. He worked as a substitute teacher and Uber driver while his wife Jocelyn worked multiple jobs as well to make ends meet. Then, after a strong spring for New York, Escarra made the Yankees' Opening Day roster heading into the '25 season.

And Thursday night was the culmination of years of dreams.

Escarra told he plans to give the baseball from his first big-league hit to his father.

"I’m dedicating that ball to my pops," Escarra said. "A longtime Yankee fan, lived in Yonkers for 15 years. Been through a lot, so he deserves that ball."

Now, thanks to Weaver, Escarra will have another memento of his own from his first MLB start.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Campeonato Brasileiro está se encerrando, e as últimas rodadas prometem emoção até o último minuto, tanto na parte de cima, quanto na parte debaixo da tabela. Nesse cenário, com vários times embolados em diversas posições, Flamengo e Atlético-MG se enfrentam nesta quarta (29), em confronto direto pelo topo da classificação.

RelacionadasFlamengoSem Pulgar, Tite estuda opções e avalia substituto para jogo entre Flamengo x Atlético-MGFlamengo28/11/2023FlamengoFLA MEDULA: projeto é destaque no XVI encontro das Embaixadas e Consulados do FlamengoFlamengo28/11/2023BrasileirãoFlamengo x Atlético-MG: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão28/11/2023

+ Flamengo x Atlético-MG: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pelo Brasileirão

No momento, o Flamengo ocupa a segunda posição na tabela e está empatado em pontuação com o líder Palmeiras (63), mas perde no quesito saldo de gols. O Atlético-MG, por sua vez, está na quarta colocação, com 60 pontos, mas vive boa fase e ainda briga pelo troféu.

Além das pontuações citadas acima, Flamengo e Atlético-MG também protagonizam as duas melhores campanhas do segundo turno do Campeonato Brasileiro, ambos com 16 jogos disputados. O Alvinegro lidera a lista com 33 pontos, e o Rubro-Negro aparece logo na sequência, com 31. O Palmeiras ocupa a terceira posição, com 29.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

PRIMEIRO TURNO

No primeiro turno do Brasileirão, o duelo entre Flamengo e Atlético-MG teve mando do time alvinegro e foi disputado no Independência. Na ocasião, o Fla venceu o confronto por 2 a 1, com gols de Wesley e Arrascaeta. Apesar do resultado positivo, o pós-jogo foi extremamente conturbado para o Rubro-Negro, que viu o ex-preparador físico Pablo Fernández agredir Pedro com um soco no rosto.

A situação rendeu um boletim de ocorrência por parte do atacante, e culminou na demissão do ex-profissional. À época, Pablo pediu desculpas pelo ocorrido, mas a agressão física trouxe à tona os problemas de relacionamento no dia a dia do Ninho do Urubu e deu início a uma série de fatores conturbados na trajetória do Fla na temporada.

O REENCONTRO

Agora, em momentos completamente distintos, mas com pretensões similares, Flamengo e Atlético-MG se enfrentar no Maracanã, em jogo que pode mudar os rumos do Brasileirão. A partida vai marcar, também, o reencontro entre Tite e Felipão. Os treinadores eram amigos e tinham relação próxima, mas protagonizaram desafeto público e, hoje, não têm nenhuma convivência.

O JOGO

A bola vai rolar para Flamengo e Atlético-MG no Maracanã, nesta quarta-feira (29), às 19h30 (de Brasília). A partir será transmitida pelo Premiere, e o Lance! acompanha em tempo real.

VEJA CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO RETURNO DO BRASILEIRÃO

Atlético-MG – 33 PONTOS
Flamengo – 31 PONTOS
Palmeiras – 29 PONTOS
Bragantino – 27
Vasco – 26
Grêmio – 25
Santos – 25
Bahia – 23
Internacional – 22
Fluminense – 22
Athletico-PR – 21
Cuiabá – 20
Cruzeiro – 20
São Paulo – 20
Corinthians – 20
Fortaleza – 19
Coritiba – 15
Botafogo – 15
Goiás – 13
América-MG – 11