One of the greatest joys of baseball is watching a manager eloquently lay into a home plate umpire they believe has not lived up to the demands of the job.
Back in 2019, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone memorably got in the face of rookie umpire Brennan Miller after getting tossed from a game for his constant critiques.
“My guys are f—ing savages in that f—ing box, right?" Boone said. "And you're having a piece of s— start to this game. I feel bad for you. But f—ing get better. That guy is a good pitcher, but our guys are f—ing savages in that box.”
The rant was instantly iconic, helped along by the lip-reading/translation services of baseball internet creator Jomboy.
Jomboy recently celebrated the throwback moment by having actor Rob Lowe provide a reenactment of the fateful exchange. It is an absolute delight.
Let’s hope this trend continues—I would pay top dollar to see John Malkovich screaming “Our a– is in the jackpot.”
Liverpool head into the Champions League tonight against PSV Eindhoven looking like a bruised animal once more.
Last time out at Anfield, Arne Slot’s Reds were convincingly beaten by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in a 3-0 loss, with the match preceding this humbling defeat on home soil also seeing the Merseyside giants lose by the same emphatic scoreline, away at Manchester City.
Thankfully, the Champions League has been a temporary sanctuary for the reigning Premier League champions, as was evident in their 1-0 win against Real Madrid, the last time they did battle in the illustrious competition.
Therefore, Liverpool will be hoping they can lick their wounds again and beat their Eredivisie opponents later on this evening.
If form doesn’t pick up, though, the January transfer window will be a very apt time to try and find upgrades on the underperformers consistently letting the side down…
Transfer latest at Liverpool
Despite their poor form as of late, the Reds will still see themselves as a significant superpower in any transfer window to come.
After all, a colossal £415m was spent just this summer on a raft of new signings, with fresh rumours now indicating that the Slot and Co. could be prepared to drop another £123m on Bayern Munich ace Michael Olise.
Moreover, Antoine Semenyo remains in their sights as another attacking signing that could boost a side let down by the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to date.
On top of signings to add to their attacking arsenal, Liverpool are also allegedly looking to do battle with Real Madrid over the services of midfield talent Vitinha, according to emerging reports from Spain.
Indeed, the report elaborates that the La Liga giants are preparing a €150m (£131m) bid for Luis Enrique’s prized asset.
Yet, Liverpool are keen to accelerate a deal, as well, by matching the Los Blancos’ amount, ensuring they could actually eclipse the £125m club-record capture of Alexander Isak.
A next step to the Premier League is noted as being very appealing for the Portugal international, if a statement move were to whir into motion.
Vitinha’s arrival at Anfield might not be the news Ryan Gravenberch wants to read, however, with the classy Paris Saint-Germain number 17 a clear upgrade on the Dutchman, as the 23-year-old has noticeably struggled as of late.
Why Vitinha is a clear upgrade on Gravenberch
Alongside the vast majority of his teammates, Gravenberch has suffered from a notable dip in his performance levels in recent matches.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Once labelled as being “vital” to the way Liverpool tick earlier in the season by ex-Reds midfielder Steve McManaman, the former Ajax prodigy turned Anfield first-teamer struggled to be an influential presence in back-to-back defeats at the hands of City and Forest, with only four ground duels won in total across 14 attempts, as per Sofascore.
To make matters worse, the underperforming number 38 would also fail to notch up a single key pass, leaving him on just the one paltry assist for the campaign.
While Gravenberch has shown visible signs of decline, Vitinha has continued to stand out on some pressurised stages for Enrique’s men, with this wonderful move – which was kickstarted by the 25-year-old’s fierce burst of pace – in last year’s Champions League final, just one reason why his national team manager in Roberto Martinez has glowingly labelled him the “best midielder in the world.”
In league action for PSG, too, this season, he blows his immediate competition out of the water, with one goal and six assists from 12 games – among other numbers – sticking out immediately to Slot, as he attempts to make Liverpool a vibrant and attractive watch in attack this campaign, again, rather than sticking by their current stifled appearance.
Vitinha vs Gravenberch (25/26 League stats)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Vitinha
Gravenberch
Games played
12
10
Goals scored
1
3
Assists
6
1
Touches*
113.8
74.8
Accurate passes*
98.2 (94%)
54.8 (89%)
Key passes*
1.5
0.7
Big chances created
6
2
Ball recoveries*
4.9
3.5
Stats by Sofascore
It’s not just in the attacking department where Vitinha could improve the downbeat Reds, with the 5-foot-8 playmaker also averaging 4.9 ball recoveries so far this season in Ligue 1, next to Gravenberch’s lesser 3.5.
Of course, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether from the French top division, which PSG consistently dominate.
But, Vitinha has actually shown off his swagger against Liverpool at Anfield, with the “incredible” midfield general – as Enrique has also labelled him – dictating play during PSG’s slim 1-0 away win in the Champions League last campaign when amassing a ridiculous 103 accurate passes.
Worryingly, his Dutch counterpart receded into his shell, with zero accurate dribbles registered, and possession was lost a costly 12 times.
The one-time Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee won’t be moving to England on the cheap, but it could be a splurge worth signing off on, as Slot attempts to reinvigorate his options all over the pitch.
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Sometimes a press conference comes around and you just need to fly under the radar; that’s never been more apparent than at Tottenham Hotspur in the last six months.
As Spurs celebrated the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou triumphantly declared that season three is always better than season two. He was sacked just weeks later.
For Thomas Frank, he’s also found out that perhaps just staying quiet is the best form of approach in the media. Last week, he was asked about the club’s failed move for Eberechi Eze.
“Who’s Eze?” That was Frank’s reply, and although he said it with a wry smile and to make a joke, it’s come back to bite him.
He found out just who Eze is on Sunday as the boyhood Gooner scored a devastating hat-trick to seal a 4-1 win for Arsenal over their distraught neighbours.
Spurs came to frustrate but in doing so, failed to come up with any inventive attacking play. Their creativity was abysmal, and if it wasn’t for a brilliant yet flukey Richarlison strike, they’d have left the Emirates Stadium without a goal.
What went wrong for Spurs at the Emirates
On paper, Frank’s game plan in north London on Sunday made sense. They were the only team in the Premier League this season not to lose on the road. The Dane clearly knows what he’s doing when Spurs play away.
Yet, against Arsenal, if you’re putting all 11 men behind the ball, then it does rely on you frustrating your opponents for longer than the 36 minutes it took for Leandro Trossard to score the opener.
To Frank’s credit, Spurs had sucked the life out of the Emirates during the opening half an hour. Arsenal created openings, notably when Declan Rice was played in by Eze, but the visitors frustrated and made it difficult to play between the lines.
Yet, once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping Arsenal, particularly as Spurs had a total lack of creativity once again.
Despite scoring courtesy of Richarlison, they failed to create a single big chance, had just three shots and provoked only a solitary save from David Raya. Arsenal, by contrast, had 17 shots. Worryingly for Spurs, the home side simply wanted it more.
There were several folks in white to blame. In attack, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus were completely marked out of the game by Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Richarlison, for the most part, was bullied by William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. The Brazilian only completed five passes all evening and won just one of his five aerial duels.
In defence, Bukayo Saka regularly had the beating of Destiny Udogie down Arsenal’s right flank while Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were uncharacteristically poor. Van ve Ven notably completed just 71% of his passes and won only six of his 13 duels.
But, the biggest culprit of all was a man who, ironically, was sent off during the international break. He’s becoming something of a Serge Aurier to Frank.
Spurs' new Serge Aurier
Mention Aurier’s name around those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it’s likely to send a shiver down spines.
Signed for £23m in August of 2017, he arrived at White Hart Lane from PSG after a rough time in France, where he was handed a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer.
“You will see the real me,” he declared upon arrival. Well, if the real Aurier was a gluttony of mistakes, we certainly did.
The Ivory Coast international had another tricky stint at Spurs, but this time it was all unravelling on the pitch, rather than off it.
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Where to even begin with the mistakes? The right-back committed a hat-trick of foul throws against Crystal Palace in 2018. While that may not have cost Spurs greatly, his clumsiness meant that he always had a moment of madness in him.
He notably gave away a penalty against Leicester City in December 2020 from which Jamie Vardy scored, but his most costly blunder came against Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final when he committed a needless foul on Raheem Sterling. The end result was a free-kick from which Pep Guardiola’s side scored the winner.
Speaking at full-time, Jamie Redknapp commented: “Aurier does well to start with – he follows the one-two and then just makes the most ridiculous and rash decision, which we see him do so often. Just stand up, don’t dive in, don’t give the foul away – elementary mistake.”
It wasn’t the first time the Ivorian had attracted criticism during his time in England. Two years prior to that moment, Rio Ferdinand stated: “As a defender I have never really rated Aurier. He’s rash and he’s let his team down far too often.”
Simply a giant liability in that Spurs team of back then, unfortunately, Frank has found another rash and unreliable figure in his team; Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Uruguayan was signed for £22m from Juventus in January 2022 and has featured 131 times for the Lilywhites since.
However, while he’s flirted with some impressive performances here and there, for the most part, he’s been a letdown.
He has become a symbol not only for Spurs’ lack of creativity but their lack of robustness and dynamism from the middle of the park. Despite that, he has started nine times of the 12 Premier League games Spurs have competed in this term.
The fact of the matter is that he shouldn’t be starting with that regularity.
Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the beginning of the month saw him avoid a red card. In the words of the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill, it was a “terrible” challenge.
Things went from bad to worse when Spurs visited Arsenal on Sunday. The tone was set when he brought down Saka on the edge of the box in the first half and was brandished with a yellow card as a result.
While he was nowhere to be seen as Mikel Merino clipped a delightful ball into the box for Trossard’s opener, he was particularly poor for Eze’s first.
Bentancur vs Arsenal
Minutes played
66
Touches
27
Accurate passes
16/17 (94%)
Key passes
0
Shots
0
Dribbles
0
Tackles won
0
Interceptions
2
Duels won
0
Stats via Sofascore.
The attacking midfielder skipped beyond Bentancur all too easily as the Uruguay international went to ground inside the area.
He was handed a 3/10 match rating by The Standard as a consequence, with the publication writing he was ‘doing nothing to give Spurs some much-needed control’. The very fact that Guglielmo Vicario received 15 passes – six more than Palhinha and Bentancur combined (9) – in the first half said it all.
All that said, it’s perhaps no surprise that analyst Raj Chohan has described him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.
Like Aurier, he’s a major underperformer. He’s a liability and a player that Frank cannot trust. He shouldn’t be starting regular games for Spurs any more.
Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal
Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.
تحدث ميشيل سانشيز مدرب جيرونا، بعد نجاحه في الخروج بنقطة إيجابية أمام ريال مدريد، والتعادل بهدف لمثله على ملعب مونتيليفي في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.
وقال ميشيل في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “عانينا كثيرًا في الشوط الثاني، ولكننا نجحنا، وأنا سعيد جدًا بالنقطة التي حصلنا عليها”.
وأضاف حول رأيه في القرارات التحكيمية في مباراة ريال مدريد وجيرونا في ضربة جزاء فينيسيوس وكذلك رودريجو: “لم أر أيًا من اللعبتين”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. جازانيجا: حققنا فرصًا أكثر من ريال مدريد.. وكنا نرغب في الفوز
وواصل مدرب جيرونا: “أعتقد أنه حدث تلامس في الكرة الثانية، لكنه لم يكن كافياً، لو تدخلت تقنية الفار في هذا التلامس الطفيف لكن أعتقد أنهم فسروه بشكل صحيح على أنه لمسة خفيفة، كان تلامس بسيط، في الأولى قام هوجو بدهسه قليلاً، لكني أعتقد أن ضربة جزاء فينيسيوس كانت عادلة”.
وتابع: “لقد كانت لدينا خطة لعب لخلق خيارات خلف الدفاع بلاعبين سريعين، لقد فعلنا ذلك بشكل جيد للغاية في الشوط الأول، غيروا تكتيكاتهم في الشوط الثاني ولم نستفد كثيراً من الكرات الثابتة”.
Manchester United have reportedly convinced Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes to leave his club, as they look to snap him up in a £50m deal.
Casemiro’s form may have improved for the Red Devils this season, but he is still past his best at the age of 33, and struggled in Monday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Everton in the Premier League.
Gomes has emerged as a potential option for United, coming in as a direct younger replacement for Casemiro, with David Ornstein saying Wolves could be forced to sell him in the January transfer window.
“There’ve been reports about Joao Gomes at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Sources I’ve spoken to around Molineux are sort of playing it down. They’re saying there’s no club-to-club talks at this point. And of course, if Wolves are staring at relegation come January, they might look to cash in on him then. As opposed to letting it go into the Championship when his value will decrease.”
Gomes looks to be a leading midfield option for United and now a fresh update has shed further positive light on the situation regarding him.
Big Joao Gomes to Man Uts claim
According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United and INEOS believe they will secure the signing of Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, with the report saying they are “making behind-the-scenes moves”.
The player himself has already said ‘yes’ to the idea, so all that’s left is for INEOS to come up with an acceptable package for the higher ups at Molineux.
Transfer insider Dean Jones shared insight on a move for the £50m-rated Brazilian, saying: “Mainoo finally got a run out against Everton, but I’m not sure how much that is going to change his feelings about being wanted at the club. If they do sign a midfielder, then it’ll open the door for him to leave. We will have to see whether the Gomes one can truly open up.”
“I think that could turn into a player versus club battle that Man Utd have to deal with if they try to get him out of Wolves, because they don’t want to sell him. They will probably hike the price up, too. Man Utd don’t have much interest in loaning Mainoo out to another Premier League club at the moment, either, so that is another issue that will need to be dealt with.”
Gomes looks like a fantastic option for United, with the Brazil international similar to Casemiro in terms of style, but being able to offer more legs than his compatriot these days.
Joao Gomes vs. Casemiro 2025/26 PL stats
Gomes
Casemiro
Appearances
12
11
Starts
10
10
Minutes played
927
683
Goals
0
3
Assists
0
1
Tackles per game
2.6
2.0
Clearances per game
1.6
1.0
Pass completion rate
85.3%
83.1%
The 24-year-old is coming right into his prime and would arrive as an immediate key man for the Red Devils, with former Wolves manager Gary O’Neill describing him as a “super talent”.
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He has a massive future in the game.
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If a January move for Gomes materialises, it will be a big boost for United, allowing Casemiro to leave for free at the end of this season without too much fuss.
Worse than Bruno Fernandes vs Everton: Amorim must bin Man Utd's 3/10 flop
The Australia captain could be in doubt, having missed two matches with a calf strain
S Sudarshanan29-Oct-20254:35
Krishnamurthy: ‘X-factor Shafali can put India ahead’
Big picture – How will Shafali-Mandhana bat?The stakes couldn’t be higher.Australia are here with a clean slate. They have been pushed back multiple times during this World Cup, and they’ve found a way back each time. Two of their batters, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner, have scored two centuries each. Two of their bowlers, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King, have taken more than ten wickets each. And apart from everything else that makes them such intimidating opponents, Australia have not lost an ODI knockout game since they lost to India in the the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup.Related
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India are riding a wave of emotion. They recovered from a three-game losing streak to sneak into the semi-finals. In their last full game, played at the same venue, they posted their record World Cup total. No team has pushed Australia harder than India in recent times. And they are now two wins away from doing what no India women’s team has ever done.Their key player Smriti Mandhana has scored 105, 58, 117, 125 and 80 in her last five ODIs against Australia. But she’ll start from 0 again, and this time she’ll have an adjustment to make, with her usual opening partner Pratika Rawal, with whom she added a record 212 against New Zealand, ruled out of the World Cup. Mandhana is all set to open with Shafali Verma, and the new combination could have an effect on how she bats.In ODIs involving Shafali, Mandhana averages 51.83 and strikes at 85.55. When these two opened together, Shafali was usually the early aggressor. Mandhana took on that role when Shafali went out of the side, however, as her numbers in matches involving Rawal suggest: an average of 62.65, a strike rate of 108.75. How will the new (old) opening combination bat on Thursday?For Australia, there is a fair bit of intrigue around Healy’s availability. A minor calf strain sidelined her ahead of the game against England, and she missed two matches subsequently. Australia would not want to be reminded of the T20 World Cup semi-final from last year; Healy missed the clash and South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win.The second semi-final, for which the cheapest tickets were priced at INR 150 (as opposed to INR 100 for the Guwahati semi-final), is a sell-out. You can expect all of Navi Mumbai to cram itself into the DY Patil Stadium. They could get to witness an epic.Shafali Verma waits for her turn at the nets•ICC/Getty Images
Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first) India WLLLWIn the spotlight – Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti SharmaPhoebe Litchfield loves playing India. She has one century and four fifties in just eight ODI innings against them, and averages 63.50. She has a wide range of sweeps that could potentially upset the rhythm of India’s spinners. After a pair of low scores against England and South Africa, Litchfield may feel she is due some runs too.Deepti Sharma has been India’s leading wicket-taker at this World Cup with 15 at 22.46. There will be a lot of focus on her during this game, because she has a fine record against Australia’s middle-order batters. She has dismissed Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner twice each in ODIs, while going at less than a run a ball against both, Ellyse Perry three times, and Tahlia McGrath five times in nine innings. Only Perry and Annabel Sutherland from the current side have managed to hit Deepti for a six in ODIs.Team news – Australia sweat on Healy’s availabilityWhile Healy batted and kept wicket during Tuesday’s training session, she opted out of optional training on Wednesday, with Georgia Voll batting in partnership with Litchfield. Head coach Shelley Nitschke said Australia would give Healy “as much time as she needs” and will take a call on her participation on Thursday. That aside, expect Sophie Molineux to come back into the spin attack for Georgia Wareham, who played against South Africa but did not get a chance to bowl.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan Schutt.Shafali is likely to swap straight into India’s XI in Rawal’s place at the top of the order. Richa Ghosh, who was rested against Bangladesh after injuring her finger during the match against New Zealand, did not look in any discomfort during her keeping drills and batted a fair bit on Tuesday. Sneh Rana and Kranti Gaud, both of whom were also rested against Bangladesh, could come back into the XI.India (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Renuka Singh.2:15
Australia coach Nitschke: Not underdogs, but also not favourites’
Pitch and conditionsThe game will be played on the pitch on which Sri Lanka played Bangladesh. That track was devoid of grass and had a bright brown look to it. It is expected to be a high-scoring game. There has been rain in Navi Mumbai in the lead-up to the match, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday, but the forecast for matchday has cleared up somewhat. The match will go into a reserve day should it not finish on Thursday.Stats and trivia Mandhana and Shafali have opened together 25 times in ODIs, adding 893 runs at an average of 37.20 and a run rate of 5.38. Mandhana and Rawal, who have opened together 23 times, are India’s most successful opening pair in ODIs, having put on 1799 runs at 78.21 and 6.06. Alana King’s average of 34.63 and economy rate of 5.93 against India are her worst by a distance against any opposition in ODIs. Mandhana (160.00), Harleen Deol (116.66), Harmanpreet Kaur (114.58), Jemimah Rodrigues (113.23) and Deepti Sharma (105.40) have 100-plus strike rates against the legspinner. Australia are on a 15-match winning streak in ODI World Cups. They had also won 15 in a row across the 1997 and 2000 editions. Megan Schutt is one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for Australia in ODI World Cups. She has 39 now, on par with Lyn FullstonQuotes”Ash [Gardner] has been unbelievable. We all know what she’s capable of with the bat, but to take her game to the next level, and do that in a World Cup, has been fantastic. She’s someone who is very diligent in everything she does; she’s a hard worker. When she’s at her best, it’s about making sure that she’s enjoying the game and enjoying the environment and she’s getting in the contest.” “I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch. [Semi-finals] are not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”
This season is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s best in a very, very long time.
Now, there is still a lot of football to be played, but going into the third international break of the campaign, Mikel Arteta has his side top of the Premier League and with four wins from four in the Champions League.
What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that, aside from the defence, there is a real sense that the team aren’t even operating at their best.
Moreover, the club have a significant number of injured players set to return in the coming weeks, which will massively bolster the squad, although it might also make it clear that a certain player appreciated by Thierry Henry needs to be moved on.
Arsenal's injury crisis
Now, Arsenal supporters will be the first to admit that the team just weren’t good enough to win the league last season.
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However, a significant reason why the side was lacklustre on the domestic front was the absurd number of injuries Arteta has to deal with.
Understandably, the club sought to avoid a similar situation this year by signing eight first-team quality players in the summer, rather than spending record sums on individual players.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Chelsea
Eberechi Eze
Palace
Viktor Gyokeres
Sporting
Piero Hincapie
Leverkusen
Noni Madueke
Chelsea
Cristhian Mosquera
Valencia
Christian Norgaard
Brentford
Martin Zubimendi
Sociedad
It’s an approach that has already paid off multiple times this season, as even though it hasn’t been discussed as much, the squad has once again dealt with a barrage of injuries this season.
Noni Madueke was able to cover for Bukayo Saka; Cristhian Mosquera covered for Gabriel Mahgaelese; Eberechi Eze stood in for Martin Odegaard, and Viktor Gyokeres was thrown into the deep end in place of the injured Kai Havertz.
However, the dam can only hold out for so long, and over the last few weeks, the injury list has grown too significant, with Mikel Merino once again starting up top for two matches in a row.
In all, Arsenal were without six first-team players for the draw against Sunderland, and all six of them were attacking players, which helps explain why the bench looked so short on options and why the manager brought on only Mosquera.
The good news is that most of them will be back in contention after the international break, and all should be available to play by the new year.
However, that means the squad could become quite bloated in attack, and so it might be time to sell someone Henry was once very complimentary about.
The Arsenal star who should be sold
With Gyokeres and Madueke being summer signings and Havertz clearly a firm favourite of Arteta, it feels like, of all the injured players, it’s £45m man, Gabriel Jesus, who should be moved on.
Now, that is no indictment of the player himself, as at his best, the former Manchester City star was almost unplayable and capable of things that no other Arsenal attacker could even think of doing.
That’s not hyperbole either, as following a particularly impressive showing against Seville, the legendary Henry said he “would have loved to play with him” due to his close control and ability to create for others.
However, that was over two years ago, and it’s been over three years since he was at his utterly incredible best.
Since then, there have been flashes of that sensational ability, but every time he seems to build up any steam, he goes down with another injury.
Since the start of his Arsenal career in the 22/23 season, the Brazilian international has been injured seven times, which has seen him spend a grand total of 559 days on the sidelines and miss 90 games for club and country.
It doesn’t really matter how talented a player is; if they are that unreliable, then they are not an asset to a club.
24/25
370 days
56
23/24
89 days
17
22/23
100 days
17
20/21
60 days
14
19/20
34 days
5
18/19
26 days
6
17/18
76 days
13
16/17
68 days
15
Moreover, it’s not like the 28-year-old is on a modest wage; he’s currently earning a whopping £265k-per-week, which makes him the second-highest earner at the club.
Ultimately, Jesus is undeniably an excellent footballer, but he’s just never available when the club need him and considering he has such an enormous wage, it might be time to sell him in the winter, or at the end of the season.
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Over the last couple of weeks, Tottenham Hotspur have massively struggled to deliver within the final third, which has resulted in numerous disappointing results.
Thomas Frank will no doubt have huge questions to answer in the near future, with the Derby Day defeat against Arsenal the latest failure in his tenure after taking the reins in the summer.
The Dane made a bold decision to switch to a 5-4-1 system at the Emirates to try and nullify the threat posed by Mikel Arteta’s side, but ultimately, it was ineffective as seen by the 4-1 scoreline.
Such a decision also restricted the Lilywhites massively within attacking areas, as Richarlison’s long-range effort was the only moment of note in the final third.
Numerous figures from the club’s recent Premier League outings highlight the struggles in attacking areas, with an immediate solution desperately needing to be found by the manager.
The stats behind Spurs’ recent struggles in attacking areas
As previously mentioned, Sunday was an afternoon to forget for all Spurs supporters, with the defeat arguably the worst of Frank’s tenure after his appointment in June.
The defensive setup massively nullified their own attacking threat, resulting in an embarrassing 0.07 xG produced, with only one shot on target registered, excluding the goal.
In total, the Lilywhites only managed to notch a total of three shots, whilst also registering just four touches in the Gunners’ 18-yard box during the 90-minute contest.
However, the club’s struggles have also been evident in other outings, with the defeat to Chelsea on home soil at the start of the month also showcasing their struggles in front of goal.
Frank’s men failed to find the back of the net in the London derby, again only notching one shot on target and amassing a total xG of just 0.10 in the loss.
No player in the squad was able to complete a cross against Enzo Maresca’s men, which no doubt would have contributed to the lack of quality within the final third.
The Spurs star who can solve Frank’s attacking woes
Spurs’ lack of quality in front of goal has undoubtedly produced a cause for concern, especially given the numbers produced under Ange Postecoglou last season.
The Lilywhites managed to score 64 goals in the Premier League during 2024/25, an average of 1.7 per 90, despite recording a measly 17th-placed finish in England’s top-flight.
Such a tally was the sixth best in the division, but Frank’s men have been unable to replicate such levels over the last couple of months of the new season.
His men have netted 20 goals in the 12 league outings to date, an average of 1.6, with Richarlison sitting as their top scorer on five goals – a quarter of the whole team’s tally.
However, the manager could find an immediate solution to the Lilywhites’ issues in attacking areas by unleashing Brennan Johnson over the next few weeks.
The Welsh international netted 18 goals across all competitions last campaign, but has often struggled for starts under the Dane after the investment from the hierarchy.
Mohammed Kudus arrived in a £55m transfer from West Ham United, which has seen the Ghanaian international often fill the void on the right-hand side of the attack.
However, Johnson is deserving of a recall to the starting eleven, with his numbers from last campaign showcasing the threat he carries within the final third.
His goalscoring tally from 2024/25 was by far and away the highest of any player in the first-team squad, with his underlying figures reflecting his all-round quality.
The 24-year-old achieved a total xG and xA per 90 of 0.51, the third highest in the squad, which further highlights his ability to star alone or find a teammate in dangerous areas.
Games played
51
2nd
Goals scored
18
1st
xG & xA per 90
0.51
3rd
Chances created
22
4th
Crosses per 90
1.4
2nd
Dribble success
56%
2nd
Shots per 90
2.2
3rd
Penalties won
2
1st
Johnson, who’s been labelled “impossible to defend” by one analyst, also ranked fourth in the first team for chances created – which could provide Richarlison with the ammunition to improve his own tallies.
Other tallies, such as 1.4 crosses completed per 90 and how dribble success of 56% both placed him in second position, with the winger having the all-round quality Frank’s men have hugely lacked.
There’s little denying that Johnson is a player who has divided opinion in North London, but his figures from last season highlight the quality he does possess with the ball at his feet.
If Frank is to find an immediate short-term solution to his side’s struggles, he may need to recall the Welshman back to his starting eleven against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
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She suggested starting games earlier in the day when there is no forecast for rain
Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025
Sophie Devine also suggested early starts for Colombo matches in the future•Getty Images
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was left “extremely frustrated” after their second washout in as many matches in Colombo and has asked for better work in organising matches at ICC events.”You wait four years for a World Cup and to have rain play such a massive part in it is disappointing,” she said at the presentation. “I hope that in future editions they think about playing the games earlier in the day. We’ve obviously seen here that the rain usually comes in the afternoon, so [there is an] opportunity to potentially play these games at 10-11am in the morning and try and get a game in. Because that’s what all these teams want, is to be able to play cricket. You’ve waited for so long and you want to test yourself against the best and to be scuppered by rain, it’s a real shame for me.”All games barring one at this World Cup have a 3pm local time scheduled start, and four of the nine matches so far in Colombo have been washed out, including three of the four last four. While their washout against Pakistan on Saturday kept them fifth on the points table, New Zealand thought they were “in a decent position” after reducing Pakistan to 80 for 5. The points eventually had to be shared because of rain.”I thought we had a little bit of hope seeing the South Africa game [against Sri Lanka] the other night, where they were off for five hours, and managed to squeak a game in,” Devine said. “Look, we thought we were in a decent position, we just needed the rain to hold off and unfortunately it didn’t happen for us today.”Rain has played spoilsport in Colombo at the Women’s World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand had opted to bowl in pretty overcast conditions on Saturday afternoon. Despite putting down two catches, they took five wickets within the first 20 overs. With two must-win matches coming up, against India (Navi Mumbai) and England (Visakhapatnam) as the semi-finals race heats up, New Zealand would have fancied their chances against Pakistan, who remain winless in the tournament.”Oh, look, to be honest, it’s pretty flat,” Devine said of the mood in the dressing room. “I mean, we wanted to play today, we were really up and about for today’s match. We just want to be playing cricket, so for us now, we know that the situation’s extremely clear. We just need to win both games, starting with India in Mumbai – so, a real big challenge for us – but we’re really excited about it. I know that the girls don’t need to be pumped up anymore to be able to take them on so, we’ll head back to India tomorrow and look forward to those challenges.”Related
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When asked if New Zealand have had any time to prepare for their next two games, Devine said: “Not yet. We’re probably so focused on these games here in Colombo that we really wanted to make sure we gave it that full focus for us. So luckily, we’ve got a few days now [till] our next game against India [on Thursday]. So we’ll certainly prepare really well and we’ve had some good experiences against them of late in terms of the [T20] World Cup last year and we’ll be calling upon those. We also know that they’re huge favourites playing at home, in conditions that suit them, and they’ve got threats throughout, but again, this is what you want to be doing.”You want to be playing against the best teams at home and putting yourself under pressure, so we’ll really look forward to that challenge.”New Zealand had started their campaign with two matches in Indore, which they lost, before going across to Guwahati for their first points of this World Cup, against Bangladesh. They then flew down to Colombo, where they got only 75 overs of action across two matches. Two more matches remain in Colombo, on October 21 and 24, when Pakistan will take on South Africa and Sri Lanka respectively.
John Textor, dono da SAF do Botafogo, prestou depoimento na “‘CPI da Manipulação de Jogos” na tarde desta segunda-feira (22). O empresário norte-americana também disse que o Alvinegro foi afetado. Confira algumas respostas abaixo.
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PRETENDE VENDER O BOTAFOGO? – Com todo o respeito, essa é a pergunta mais estúpida que poderia existir. Se eu quisesse vender a minha participação (no Botafogo), eu não estaria dizendo essas coisas ruins que estão fazendo aqui (no Brasil), não estaria falando de corrupção. Eu nunca venderia um negocio dessa forma. Tenho sido o mais transparente possível. Tenho divulgado a nossa renda aqui… Nossa renda saiu de 50 milhões de dólares em 2022 e estamos com 75 milhões de dólares um ano e meio depois. Tem sido muito bom comercialmente para a gente também. Convido a todos que venham para o brasil para o programa SAF, mas em vez disso eu passo a ser processado, perseguido e denunciado. Isso não tem sido convidativo. No rádio, em 2022, as pessoas estavam me atacando, eu amo a família Botafogo, mas eu recebo um suporte imenso pelo Botafogo e pessoas de outras equipes. Acho incrível. uma lição que aprendi no Brasil, mas dizer que estou usando isso para vender a minha participação no Botafogo, isso acaba sendo incoerente e imaginativo.
MANIPULAÇÃO DE RESULTADOS – O que nós descobrimos não é nada diferente do restante do mundo, Bélgica, França, toda a Europa. A manipulação de resultados (no futebol) é uma realidade.
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– Sou dono de um clube, quero ganhar campeonatos e se eu puder provar, além de uma margem de dúvida, que 2022 foi manipulado, que 2023 foi manipulado, juntos de outras evidências de anormalidades, poderia fazer com que o Tribunal Desportivo, a polícia e esse corpo legislativo possam tomar ações.
ERROS INTENCIONAIS – Não são erros na aplicação das regras, percebi que não era uma falha de interpretação. As regras para marcar impedimento, faltas, os jogos que assisti, que afetou o Botafogo indiretamente, tratei de enxergar por uma nova perspectiva.
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PALMEIRAS 1 X 0 VASCO – Descobri que algo errado estava acontecendo em 27/8/2023 (data de Palmeiras 1×0 Vasco), o Botafogo estava com uma grande liderança de pontos, e alguma coisa ocorre naquele jogo que pretendo discutir aqui numa sessão secreta que pensei que não seria possível ocorrer numa divisão de elite do esporte. Os jogos que eu assisti, que afetaram o Botafogo indiretamente, tratei de enxergar de forma diferente, a partir daquele 27 de agosto.
TRANSPARÊNCIA NA ESCOLHA DOS ÁRBITROS – Vimos a mesma combinação de árbitro de campo e de vídeo, há uma caixa-preta da seleção de árbitros e acredito que a CBF deveria ser mais transparente sobre a forma como os árbitros são escolhidos, como certas duplas de árbitros foram escaladas juntas em mais de 20 jogos.
RELATÓRIOS DA GOOD GAME! – Só conheci as pessoas da “Good Game!” em 2023 e me confortei em conhecê-los e descobrir que eles eram capazes de detectar que a corrupção estava ocorrendo em tempo real e espero tratar disso numa seção secreta. Esse relatório (segura um documento) de 188 páginas é de apenas um jogo, acredito que poderia ser aceito pela Justiça, é muito detalhado. Estou colocando minha credibilidade à prova, vejo como estou sendo tratado, o mundo está prestando atenção às SAFs no Brasil. Estou sendo processado na Justiça, o presidente da CBF não aceitou meu pedido para me reunir com ele por mais de um ano, eu nunca acusei o Palmeiras de nenhum tipo de irregularidade. Acredito que o Palmeiras poderia ser parte e participar, já que é inocente. Meu foco não é o Palmeiras, não é ninguém. Acredito que a integridade deveria ser respeitada.