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Liverpool are considering a January move for Real Madrid outcast Rodrygo as they eye up a replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been linked with a move away from Anfield in the New Year following a bombshell interview he gave in the wake of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Leeds. And the Brazilian forward has emerged as a potential target for the defending champions.

AFPSalah tipped to leave Liverpool in January

Salah has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and to Turkish giants Galatasaray in the New Year, despite signing a two-year deal with Liverpool earlier in the year. The 33-year-old was instrumental as the Reds won the Premier League title in Arne Slot's debut season in charge of the Merseyside outfit as he scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists.

However, Salah has failed to match last season's exploits in front of goal and has scored just four goals and laid on two assists across 13 league outings for the Reds this season. And the Egyptian forward effectively signalled his intention to leave Liverpool next month as he claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" having been relegated to the bench for the third game running.

"I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds. "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame."

AdvertisementBrighton game could be Salah's last for Liverpool

Salah has hinted that Liverpool's game against Brighton could be last for the Reds. Arne Slot's side welcome the Seagulls to Anfield following their midweek trip to take on Inter in the Champions League, with the home outing against the south coast Salah's last before the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah will then link up with the Egypt national team and could miss up to six matches for Liverpool should the Pharaohs win a record-setting eighth AFCON title. Saudi outfit Al-Hilal supposedly lead the race for the forward, and a move to Simone Inzaghi's side would see Salah reunite with Darwin Nunez, who left Liverpool for the Blue Waves over the summer.

And according to Spanish publication Defensa Central, Liverpool have identified Rodrygo as the ideal replacement for Salah. The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish capital earlier in the year, with Manchester City previously leading the race for the versatile forward.

However, City failed to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Rodrygo, who has since struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso, starting just three league games and registering 342 minutes of action. Los Blancos have reportedly slapped a €70m asking price on the 24-year-old.

Getty Images SportRodrygo not the only winger linked to the Reds

Rodrygo isn't the only winger that has been linked with a January move to Liverpool, with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo a potential target for the Premier League champions. Despite penning a five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium earlier in the year, the Cherries forward has a £65m release clause that can be activated next month.

Liverpool aren't the only side linked with a move for Semenyo, whose Ghana side failed to qualify for AFCON, with Premier League rivals City and Tottenham both considering a move for the 25-year-old.

Additionally, PSG wideman Bradley Barcola is reportedly on the Reds' radar as the French side struggle to tie the former Lyon man down to a new deal. Bayern Munich sensation Michael Olise is another who is being courted by Liverpool, though Bayern Munich are keen to retain the France international's services.

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Liverpool's title defence in tatters

Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday means the Reds have now won only four of their last 15 matches in all competitions as pressure continues to mount on head coach Slot.

In addition, the Merseyside giants are now 10 points behind league leaders Arsenal, with their Premier League title defence in tatters.

Liverpool’s defence have borne the brunt of the criticism for the club’s landslide in form this season. Such reproval has hardly been undue. However, Arne Slot’s forwards have also struggled to implement his tactics.

The plain truth is that the Reds have so many punctures across their system, and the boss has an increasingly slim period to overturn the plummet in form that has led to nine defeats across 12 matches in all competitions.

Ahead of their trip to West Ham United on Sunday, Liverpool languish in 13th place in the Premier League, and there are so many creases for Slot and his staff to iron out if a turnaround is to be found.

Mohamed Salah has for so long been an unstoppable force for the Anfield side, but he’s been among the most disappointing members of the team this season, and the right wing is becoming a weak link.

Liverpool considering Mo Salah successor

If Salah sees out the £400k-per-week contract he extended back in April, he will leave Liverpool in 2027, marking a decade on Merseyside.

He has scored 250 goals and provided 116 assists across 419 appearances in a Liverpool shirt, and he is one of the greatest players in Premier League history.

Goals scored

0.77

0.34

Assists

0.48

0.17

Shots taken

3.23

2.43

Shot-creating actions

4.51

3.27

Touches (att pen)

9.50

6.21

Pass completion (%)

70.6

68.1

Progressive passes

3.84

4.19

Progressive carries

4.14

3.94

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.92

Ball recoveries

2.70

2.77

But there’s no denying the 33-year-old has been miles south of his usual standards this season, wasteful in the final third and drifting on the edge of Slot’s malfunctioning system.

There remains hope that Salah will rediscover his form, but a success plan needs to be put in place, and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh has been earmarked as a possible option.

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are ‘seriously considering’ a move for the 21-year-old winger, who has established himself in the Premier League since the start of last season.

It’s unclear at this stage what Brighton would demand for their rising star, but he wouldn’t come cheap, certainly more than the £35m figure the Seagulls paid Newcastle to bring him to the south coast in 2024. Some sources suggest discussions could enter the £100m ballpark.

Why Liverpool want Yankuba Minteh

Minteh has actually worked under Slot’s wing before, scoring nine times across 36 matches on loan during the 2023/24 season, assisting five goals too.

Newcastle were then forced into selling their Gambian prospect to ease PSR-related concerns, and he has become a star in the Premier League, hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “one of the standout wingers” in the division back at the start of the term.

While he’s only scored once across 12 matches, Minteh has assisted four goals and maintained the kind of athletic level of performance that would raise the bar at Liverpool, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 dribbles and won 6.3 duels per game.

His qualities are further underscored by FBref’s data. In the Premier League this term, Minteh ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 1% for goal-creating actions and the top 11% for tackles won per 90.

This blend of physicality and potency – the wide forward scored seven goals last year – is almost reminiscent of Sadio Mane in his Liverpool pomp.

This was actually picked up by one football scout, who has said that Minteh can “can reach Sadio Mane[‘s] level” if he continues to foster his natural qualities.

Minteh is still so young. He is 21. Mane, for what it’s worth, was 24 when moving from Southampton to Liverpool in a £34m deal.

Mane didn’t match Salah’s jaw-dropping output, but he certainly came close, and 120 goals and 46 assists over 269 outings during Jurgen Klopp’s golden years is hardly a poor return.

Unlike Salah, the 34-year-old always had a bit more fury in his game, so combative and electric on the ball.

If Minteh could capture even a portion of the form Mane projected at Anfield over so many years, he would more than endear himself to the Reds fanbase.

But, as those in the know would tell you, he has what it takes to emulate the Senegalese icon.

He'd revive Isak: “Best manager in the world” now Liverpool's top target

Arne Slot is losing grip on his position as Liverpool manager after a shocking run of form.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2025

Fourth-innings chase completed in an hour and a quarter on final morning

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025

Essex 438 (Walter 158, Elgar 118, Overton 6-88) and 99 for 3 beat Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Thomas 86, Rew 74, Overton 60) and 99 (Thomas 39, Porter 4-18) by seven wicketsTwenty-year-old Charlie Allison kept his head during an otherwise nervy hour and a quarter as Essex claimed a seven-wicket victory to round off the Rothesay County Championship season.Allison, one of Essex’s stand-out performers during an otherwise disappointing season, finished the game with a second six off Jake Ball over long leg. He was 32 not out from 34 balls as Essex reached their target of 95 from just 18.4 overs.Lewis Gregory had given Somerset some hope of an unlikely upset by removing Dean Elgar and Tom Westley inside the first six overs before taking the catch in the deep to end Paul Walter’s tone-setting innings. Walter, a first-innings centurion, had amassed 30 from 31 balls when he departed with 39 runs still required.The Somerset captain was fired up in the face of desperate odds against and caused jitters in the Essex ranks as he repeatedly beat the outside edge of the bat. He bowled through unchanged and was rewarded with figures of 2 for 43 from his nine overs.For two-and-a-half days it looked like the game would peter out into a tame draw with handshakes accepted in mid-afternoon and the curtain brought down on a forgettable Championship season for both sides. However, that was before Jamie Porter initiated a collapse of monumental proportions amid the gloom of a day-three afternoon and early evening.Essex had subsided themselves earlier in the day from an overnight 295 for 2 to 438 all out and a nominal lead of five runs. But in 34 overs reminiscent of some of Essex’s glory years of the recent past, they rolled Somerset over for 99 with Porter taking 4 for 18 and falling just one wicket short of another 50-wicket haul for the season.Essex had already confirmed their Division One survival during this final match while Somerset had settled for the no-man’s land of mid-table. Three successive wins in May had even suggested a title challenge that did not materialise.However, with all day to knock off the runs, a modicum of tension was introduced in only the second over. Having put on 277 for the first wicket in the first innings, the opening partnership lasted just seven balls. Elgar departed for a golden duck, rapped conclusively on his front pad by Gregory without getting anywhere near the ball.Westley withstood the rest of a torrid over from Gregory but got off the mark with a characteristic drive through midwicket for four off Craig Overton. He followed that with an emphatic pull through midwicket off Gregory for a second boundary before he, too, fell to the same bowler. After putting on a run-a-ball 28 with Walter, Westley nibbled at one outside off stump and wicketkeeper James Rew dived in front of first slip to claim the catch.Walter had been busy turning twos into threes to the extent that Essex reached fifty from just nine overs when Allison walked down the pitch and smashed Overton through extra over for four.Overton had been relatively expensive, his five overs costing 25, but his replacement Ball struck with his first ball when Walter went for a big heave and paid the price.Allison made sure the target came down quickly and deposited Ball over long leg for six to take Essex within two runs of the target and then repeated the act to complete the victory.

Manchester United’s recent showing against Nottingham Forest may have ended their three-game winning run, but their 2-2 draw did extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim’s side are now over a month unbeaten and finally starting to show glimpses of a side who are capable of battling at the top end of the table once again.

The 40-year-old’s 3-4-2-1 system is finally starting to come good, with the Red Devils fanbase finally having a reason to be excited after numerous months of disappointment on the pitch.

The £200m investment during the summer transfer window shows the hierarchy’s backing of the manager, with the additions making an immediate impact at Old Trafford.

One of whom managed to impress once again at the City Ground, subsequently matching the levels produced by one of his compatriots, who also caught the eye against Sean Dyche’s men.

Casemiro & Cunha’s impressive displays against Forest

Matheus Cunha was just one of United’s big-money additions during the summer window, arriving in a £62.5m deal from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He’s since made himself a regular starter, once again impressing for the Red Devils, as seen by his underlying stats in the draw against Forest yesterday afternoon.

The Brazilian completed three dribbles, won five fouls and came out on top in 11 duels – with all three of the aforementioned tallies the highest of any player on the pitch.

Cunha was unable to get on the scoresheet, but the same can’t be said for compatriot Casemiro, who once again managed to impress during his revival at Old Trafford.

The 33-year-old scored his third league goal of the campaign, leaping highest from Bruno Fernandes’ corner to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead against Dyche’s men.

Despite his defensive midfield role, he created three chances for his teammates, also making 11 passes into the final third whilst completing 100% of his dribbles – in what was an all-round phenomenal showing.

Out of possession, the experienced star was just as impressive, winning three tackles and making eight recoveries – tallies which have made him a key man under Amorim once again.

Despite the showing from the aforementioned duo, one other first-team member once again managed to catch the eye, with such a display cementing himself as one of the world’s best.

The United star who’s becoming one of the best in the world

As previously mentioned, central midfielder Fernandes once again managed to pop up with a key assist – taking his tally to four goal contributions across all competitions in 2025/26.

The Portuguese international still posed a huge threat going forward despite operating in a deeper role – creating four chances in the first half, the most of any player on the pitch.

However, as a result of dropping deeper, he’s now able to dictate the play more, as seen by his tally of 65 passes completed yesterday – also the highest tally of any player in Nottingham yesterday.

Over recent weeks, Amorim has been able to build an established starting eleven – even being unchanged in the last two outings – which has no doubt aided the recent upturn in form.

His formation has allowed for numerous players to become first-team regulars and take their careers to the next level in recent months – as seen by Amad Diallo’s upturn in form in Manchester over the last 12 months.

The Ivorian often struggled to nail down a consistent starting role under Erik ten Hag, but he’s now arguably one of the first names on Amorim’s teamsheet.

He’s had to feature in a somewhat unfamiliar right-wing-back role in the last 12 months, but the 23-year-old has since taken to the position like a duck to water.

Amad has notched 22 combined goals and assists in the last year under Amorim, with his latest strike coming late on in Saturday’s 2-2 draw in the East Midlands.

He found himself unmarked on the edge of the 18-yard box after a clearance from a corner, before nailing a powerful effort past Matz Sels into the bottom left-hand corner.

The attacker also completed 100% of the crosses he attempted, whilst maintaining five passes into the final third – backing up one analyst’s claim that he’s now one of the “best in the world”.

Other figures, such as 100% tackles won, six recoveries and four shots registered, further showcase his incredible all-round showing against the Reds.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

1

Crosses completed

100%

Tackles won

100%

Recoveries made

6

Shots taken

4

Shots on target

3

Passes completed

39

As a result, there’s no denying that Amad is rapidly cementing his place at RWB in Amorim’s system, with his ability at both ends of the pitch making him a phenomenal talent.

Should he continue on his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t help the side achieve new heights in the years ahead under Amorim’s guidance.

Fewer passes than Lammens: 3/10 Man Utd flop has now got to be dropped

Man Utd drew 2-2 away to Forest, and this star struggled

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 2, 2025

Price century followed by four wickets for departing seamer Zaman Akhter as Derbyshire fall short

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025Ollie Price illuminated the final day of the Towergate Cheltenham Festival, scoring a superb hundred as Gloucestershire beat Derbyshire Falcons by 59 runs to make a winning start to their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign.The Oxford-born batter posted 103 from 115 balls and staged stands of 141 with James Bracey and 97 with Ben Charlesworth for the second and third wickets respectively as the home side ran up an imposing 341-8 at the famous College Ground. Promoted to open the innings, Bracey contributed an enterprising 83, while Charlesworth and skipper Jack Taylor weighed in with half-centuries.Brooke Guest raised a brilliant 86 from 88 balls and shared stands of 64 with Matt Montgomery and 76 with Amrit Basra, who scored 42 and 40 respectively, as the Falcons made a decent fist of chasing. But paceman Zaman Akhter returned figures of 4 for 47, including a decisive spell of three wickets in six balls, to swing the contest back in Gloucestershire’s favour and ensure Derbyshire were dismissed for 282 in 45.5 overs.Derbyshire won the toss, elected to field and saw debutant Rory Haydon remove Australian Test batsman Cameron Bancroft lbw in a tidy new-ball spell of 1-16 from six overs with one maiden. Driving and cutting fluently, Bracey and Price found runs easier to come by against Ben Aitchison from the Chapel End. these two matching one another blow for blow as boundaries began to flow. When Nick Potts replaced Aitchison, Bracey hoisted him high over mid-wicket for six to bring up the half century stand, twice repeating the feat with further effortless pick-ups a few overs later to afford the innings added impetus.Bracey went to 50 via 40 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes and then smashed Potts for another six over mid-wicket as the innings assumed three figures. Potts was withdrawn after conceding 42 from three overs, but there was no reduction in the rate of scoring from the Chapel End, Price reverse sweeping Montgomery’s off spin for four to raise the hundred partnership in just 15 overs. He brought up his 50 via 59 balls soon afterwards.Derbyshire desperately required a breakthrough and Montgomery obliged, bowling Bracey via an inside edge with the score 148-2 in the 23rd. Bracey had dominated a stand of 141, his aggressive knock spanning 66 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes and affording his side an excellent platform. Price and Charlesworth consolidated thereafter, adding 50 for the third wicket in 63 balls in the face of accurate bowling from Joe Hawkins and Basra.A bumper Festival audience rose to acknowledge Price’s fourth List-A hundred, the 24-year-old reaching the landmark in 111 balls with a swept single behind square off Montgomery. Having hit 10 fours and a six, he was then bowled by Andersson. But there was no respite for the visitors, Charlesworth moving seamlessly to a run-a-ball half century with 4 fours and a six.Aitchison had Charlesworth held at long-on for a 59-ball 60 and Graeme van Buuren caught at the wicket for eight as Derbyshire briefly applied the brakes, only for the experienced Jack Taylor to combine power and deft placement in raising a quickfire 67 from 37 balls with 10 fours and a six to carry Gloucestershire out of sight.Forced to score briskly from the outset, Derbyshire lost Harry Came to scoreboard pressure in the seventh, the opener driving a length ball from Matt Taylor straight to mid-on with 24 on the board. But Caleb Jewell and Montgomery made amends, finding the boundary with sufficient regularity to advance the score to 53 at the end of 10 overs.Returning to Gloucestershire on loan seven years after leaving to join Warwickshire, Craig Miles struck an important blow when persuading Australian Jewell to cut to Charlesworth at backward point for 35 with the score 61 for 2. But the visitors continued to make a fight of it, Montgomery and Guest bringing up 100 inside 18 overs to keep the required rate at around 7.5 an over. The 50 partnership occupied 55 balls, the third wicket pair establishing themselves in a manner which suggested Gloucestershire might not have things all their own way.Having accrued a six and 5 fours in raising a 39-ball 42, Montgomery blotted his copybook, playing back to van Buuren’s slow left arm and chopping on to terminate a partnership of 64 in 11.3 overs as Falcons slipped to 125 for 3. Akhter and van Buuren applied the squeeze during the middle overs and Jack Taylor benefited, having Martin Andersson held at extra cover with the score 152 for 4.Derbyshire were still in with a chance while Guest remained at large, the captain going to 50 from 61 balls, while debutant Basra demonstrated clever improvisation to hit the ground running, plundering sixes at the expense of Jack Taylor, Josh Shaw and Miles to keep the reply on track.Gloucestershire needed a wicket and Akhter responded by taking three in the space of six balls. He bowled the combative Basra for a 31-ball 40, had Guest held at long-on in his next over and then removed Ross Whitely cheaply to reduce the Falcons to 234 for 7 and relieve pressure on his team. Requiring a further 107 from 11.1 overs, Derbyshire were never really in the hunt thereafter, Aitchison succumbing to Matt Taylor for 19 as the chase ran out of steam.

England have received a major injury scare ahead of the Ashes after quick Mark Wood experienced stiffness in his left hamstring during their only warm-up match in Perth.Wood had bowled two four-over spells against the Lions at Lilac Hill in his first competitive match in nine months since surgery on his left knee. He left the field after his second four-over spell midway through the second session.Related

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• Mark Wood puts 'boring' rehab behind him as he gears up for bowling return

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“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” an ECB statement said. “He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow.”He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”England have taken a cautious approach with Wood’s rehabilitation from the knee injury that he sustained at the Champions Trophy in February. He had initially hoped to feature in the final Test of their summer series against India, but a setback in training ended up ruling him out of the entire home season.Wood had bowled several lively deliveries on a relatively sedate surface, conditions far different to what is expected in the first Test at Optus Stadium. He is part of an all-out England pace attack against the Lions, with offspinner Shoaib Bashir not selected in the main XI.”That’s not ideal, but that’s part of being an extremely fast bowler,” Harry Brook said after the day’s play. “I haven’t seen him yet and spoken to him, so I don’t know his current situation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”There was further frustration for England’s pace attack with Brydon Carse unavailable on the first day of the warm-up match due to illness, prompting him to stay at the team’s hotel.Captain Ben Stokes had been the standout bowler, with four of the five wickets to fall before tea in an encouraging return in his first match since late July.The development comes just a day after Australia quick Josh Hazlewood was cleared of a hamstring injury. But fellow Ashes Test squad member Sean Abbott was withdrawn from the squad after scans on his left hamstring confirmed a moderate grade strain.

Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.

It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.

This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.

How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta

A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.

While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.

This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.

While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.

Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.

Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.

The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.

Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.

That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.

Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time

The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.

Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.

Chalkboard

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

Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.

Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.

He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.

Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.

Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.

This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.

During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.

In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.

Mins played

90

90

Touches

66

68

Pass accuracy

94%

82%

Tackles won

3/3

1/3

Interceptions

2

1

Clearances

3

7

Recoveries

4

6

Duels won

4/8

6/9

GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.

It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.

Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?

Fewer touches than Raya & only 7 passes: Arsenal star must be dropped

Arsenal’s title charge got a whole lot trickier after defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.

ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago

A day out from what will likely be one of the most-followed matches of this Women’s World Cup, both teams are insisting they are focused on the cricket. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana appeared to suggest that as far as Pakistan are concerned, India are a team like any other. She also spoke briefly about the good relations these teams have enjoyed in the past.India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi said, meanwhile, that in a big tournament “the area of focus is only cricket”. There have been no indications on whether the India players would decline to shake the hands of the Pakistan players on Sunday, as the men’s team had done during the recent Asia Cup, although BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility in an interview this week. Both teams also requested that questions at the pre-match press conference be constrained to the cricket.Sana did, however, speak briefly on the camaraderie between the players in past tournaments. At the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, for instance, several India players were seen interacting with then-Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s six-month old daughter, as players comforted the toddler on their shoulder, in what was one of the most heartwarming moments of that tournament.Related

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• Will India Women shake hands with Pakistan? 'There's no change in last week,' says BCCI secretary

Political tensions between the nations have worsened substantially since then. India’s male players were previously seen interacting with Pakistan players at earlier Asia Cups but refrained from doing so during the most recent edition, which ended last week.”We have great relationships with all other teams, and we try and keep good relations with everyone,” Sana said a day ahead of the match against India. “We’ll try to do everything within the spirit of the game.”Those pictures in the past with everyone mingling with each other around Bismah’s daughter – those scenes look good and everyone enjoys seeing that. But, of course, our focus has to be on what we’re here for – to play.”Both teams were keen to stress that they were doing their best to ignore the politics of this moment. “We’re like a family of 20-22 people here,” Sana said of the Pakistan team environment. “We don’t really worry about what’s going on outside our bubble. We get to hear about things happening external to cricket, but we focus on our game. The World Cup is something every player waits for, so we just want to focus on the thing we’ve come here for.”Salvi’s comments on the eve of the match echoed that sentiment. “The area of focus is cricket,” he said. “We want our girls to bring that ‘A’ game to the day. We want them to take it just as a game, because the World Cup is a long campaign. It’s a long campaign – there will be a lot of games coming up.”

Arsenal are now open to January offers for one Gunners star, with it being revealed Mikel Arteta will need to offload players and free up space in the squad.

The Gunners are well-stocked in the striker department, with Viktor Gyokeres adapting to life in the Premier League very well since making the move from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window, receiving high praise from Arteta after bagging a brace against Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard said: “All of us [appreciate Gyokeres] because he makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable,”

“He’s so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, it’s just phenomenal.”

The 27-year-old, who bagged his fourth Premier League goal of the season against Burnley earlier this month, has certainly started well, while Kai Havertz is now closing in on a return from injury, having not been involved since the 1-0 win against Manchester United back in August.

Consequently, there may be little game time available for Arteta’s other striker, Garbiel Jesus, and there has now been a major update on his future at the Emirates Stadium…

Arsenal now open to January offers for Gabriel Jesus

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now open to offers for Jesus in the January transfer window, as they need to offload players and free up space in the squad, and the Brazilian is no longer a part of Arteta’s plans.

Persistent injuries have meant the 28-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, and a return to Palmeiras could now be on the cards, with the Brazilian club willing to bring him back, potentially on a loan-to-buy deal.

The 64-time Brazil international has received high praise from Arteta in the past, with the manager saying back in September 2023: “He is a tremendous player, a really important player for us. He changed our world last season. You could all see that.”

That said, it is probably the correct decision to offload the centre-forward, given that he has been unable to put his injury problem in the rearview mirror, missing a number of games for club and country over the past few seasons.

Gabriel Jesus’ injury record by season

Games missed

2022-23

17

2023-24

17

2024-25 onwards

56

It has recently emerged that the £13.7m-a-year striker has returned to training after an extended period of time on the sidelines, which could be a boost for Arteta, given that the manager has been left light on options at times this season, with Gyokeres and Havertz suffering setbacks.

With Arsenal looking to compete on all fronts, faring well in the Champions League and through to the EFL Cup quarter-final, Jesus may still have a role to play in the short-term, but it would not be the end of the world if Arsenal sanction a January departure.

Gabriel Jesus makes admission on Arsenal's future Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him

He’s responded to the speculation around his future.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025

Opener’s career best helps Middlesex reel in 388 target – the highest successful List A run chase in England as Alex Lees, David Bedingham tons go in vain

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Aug-2025Opener Sam Robson’s stunning career best 169 not out off 139 balls helped Middlesex chase 388 – the highest ever successful List A run chase in England – to beat Durham by five wickets in a thrilling Metro Bank One Day Cup clash at the Banks Homes Riverside.Durham pair Alex Lees and David Bedingham hit contrasting centuries in their imposing 387 for 4. Having been inserted, it was the county’s highest ever home total in this format.Captain and opener Lees batted through for 138 not out off 132 balls and South African Bedingham blazed 107 off 67 with eight sixes. But it wasn’t enough to prevent a second defeat in four Group B matches.Robson, like Lees, batted with controlled aggression and was the cornerstone of a remarkable chase in perfect batting conditions, achieved in 48 overs. Middlesex won their second game in three to boost hopes of a top-three finish.A handful of counties have posted higher second-innings totals in List A matches, but no one had bettered Worcestershire’s successful pursuit of 377 to beat Leicestershire at New Road in 2018. Until today.Both teams lost a wicket in their first over.New-ball seamer Toby Roland-Jones bowled Emilio Gay for a golden duck with a beauty two balls into a sun-soaked contest. He was the day’s standout bowler with 1 for 43 from 10 overs.Much to the bemusement of representatives from both counties, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal sat in Durham’s fan zone prior to the game.Leg-side dominant, Lees hit his two sixes over midwicket and wide long-on and shared 141 for the second wicket with in-form Will Rhodes from 1 for 1 in the opening over. Rhodes contributed a well-paced 63.While Lees became the first Durham player to score centuries in the County Championship, T20 Blast and One Day Cup in the same season, Bedingham was much more aggressive – vicious on the pull and down the ground.Lees was on 71 when Bedingham came to the crease, and there was a brief moment when the South African could have reached his hundred first. However, Lees got there off 106 balls, followed by Bedingham’s off 65.Luke Hollman took a superb catch at long-on to help teenaged seamer Jamie Feldman remove Bedingham at 289 for 3 in the 42nd over, though both sides were loose in the field.Colin Ackermann crashed 53 off 27 balls to give Durham the advantage at halfway.However, Middlesex responded in kind en-route to their highest List A total.Joe Cracknell was caught behind down leg pulling at Ben Raine.But, from 2 for 1, Robson and Josh De Caires advanced in dynamic fashion by sharing 120 inside 16 overs. The latter had contributed 63 off 48 balls when he was caught behind reverse sweeping against George Drissell’s off-spin.Middlesex reached 200 for 3 after 28 overs, by which time Durham’s new fast-bowling signing Archie Bailey had uprooted the middle stump of captain Ben Geddes for 24.Former England Test opener Robson, aged 36, was strong on both sides of the wicket without hitting a six until his side neared 300.The right-hander reached his fourth career century off 89 balls, by which time Middlesex were 237 for 3 in the 33rd over. Robson was in the midst of a 114 partnership with Jack Davies. Bailey bowled Davies for 61 off 42, at 280 for 4 in the 37th over, but Robson ploughed on.With 10 overs left, Middlesex needed 78, with Hollman now a helping hand. He contributed 47 to a near match-sealing partnership of 103 with Robson, who hit 19 fours and two sixes to record his county’s second-highest List A individual score.