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Leeds United clinched the Championship title with a century of points on Saturday after Manor Solomon’s stoppage-time winner against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.

The Whites had already secured promotion to the Premier League and knew that a win over the Pilgrims would seal the title to go along with it.

Daniel Farke will now be preparing for a season in the Premier League, having been relegated in his only full campaign at that level with Norwich City, as Leeds aim to avoid an instant relegation back down to the Championship.

There will, obviously, be parallels drawn between Marcelo Bielsa’s title-winners, who earned promotion as recently as 2020, and the current set of players ahead of their top-flight season.

The Argentine boss had some terrific players at his disposal during his tenure at Elland Road, including iconic Spanish playmaker Pablo Hernandez, who played a critical role in the 2019/20 title success.

Why Pablo Hernandez was an icon for Leeds

The experienced attacking midfielder arrived in West Yorkshire in 2017 with a big reputation behind him, having played in LaLiga and the Premier League for Valencia and Swansea, assisting 13 goals in two top-flight seasons for the Swans.

Hernandez lived up to the hype that came with him by hitting the ground running with a return of six goals and eight assists in 35 matches in the Championship in his first season at Elland Road.

Leeds opted to appoint Bielsa as their new head coach in the summer of 2018, and it was a move that resulted in Hernandez’s output at the top end of the pitch soaring to new heights.

The Argentine manager deployed a high-pressing, high-intensity, possession-based system that allowed his attacking players to flourish with plenty of touches in the final third.

Appearances

39

36

Goals

12

9

Assists

12

9

Big chances created

16

13

Key passes per game

3.0

2.3

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish magician thrived under Bielsa in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 Championship seasons, scoring 21 goals and providing 21 assists in total.

The right-footed wizard, who could play on the flank or in the middle as an attacking midfielder, was a joy to watch with his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate. His return of 29 ‘big chances’ created in those two campaigns speaks to just how exciting he was to watch, as the maestro could consistently unlock opposition defences.

Such was the level of adoration and admiration that Leeds supporters had for Hernandez, a group of fans went out to Spain to watch him play for Castellon in 2022, leaving the midfielder in tears on the pitch as they chanted his name.

Leeds could, now, unearth their next version of the iconic wizard by swooping to sign one of their reported transfer targets ahead of their return to the Premier League.

Leeds eyeing move for Premier League attacker

According to Caught Offside, Leeds United are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Burnley, Aston Villa, Everton, and West Ham United are also keen on the England U21 international, which means that there could be plenty of competition for his signature ahead of next season.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that Leeds are ‘seriously’ eyeing the young forward up because they want to develop young players and find their next generation of first-team regulars ahead of their return to the top-flight.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently claimed that the attacking midfielder has a relegation release clause worth £35m, which will now be active after the Tractor Boys were relegated from the Premier League.

Leeds must act upon their serious interest in the Ipswich star and win the race for his services this summer, because he could come in as the new Pablo Hernandez for the Whites.

Why Omari Hutchinson could be the new Pablo Hernandez for Leeds

Whilst Hutchinson is not a veteran with hundreds of appearances in LaLiga and the Premier League combined, the 21-year-old star would arrive with 29 top-flight matches already under his belt.

He is also very similar to Pablo Hernandez in style. Like the former Leeds man, the English ace predominantly plays as either a right-winger or as an attacking midfielder, and likes to drift inside into central positions even when he starts out wide.

Hutchinson, as you can see in the clip above, is comfortable when taking the ball under pressure in central areas around the box, and has the quality to make things happen in those situations.

The left-footed star, who was dubbed “dazzling” by Statman Dave, has scored three goals and provided two assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League, whilst playing for a struggling team that have already been relegated to the Championship.

It was his form in the second tier for the Tractor Boys in the 2023/24 campaign, however, that suggests that he has the potential to be the next Pablo Hernandez at Elland Road.

Appearances (starts)

44 (20)

xG

5.22

Goals

10

Big chances created

7

xA

5.18

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, Hutchinson caught the eye in the Championship last term with his ability to score and create goals from a wide or central attacking midfield role.

The 21-year-old talent produced 15 direct goal contributions in just 20 starts for Ipswich, on loan from Chelsea at the time, and this shows that he has the potential to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Hutchinson is a player who has all the attributes and positional qualities to emerge as Hernandez 2.0 for Leeds under Farke next season, as a versatile attacking midfielder who can produce moments of magic to excite supporters on a regular basis.

At the age of 21, the left-footed ace would also come in as a long-term asset who could develop and improve during the course of his career at Elland Road, making it an exciting signing for the short-term and for the future.

Better signing than Solomon: Leeds lining up move for £25m "machine"

Leeds United could land an even better signing than Manor Solomon by signing this £25m star.

ByDan Emery May 2, 2025

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

Shashank Kishore21-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. Sachin Tendulkar’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdSachin Tendulkar celebrates his double-century at the SCG in 2004•William West/AFP via Getty ImagesSachin Tendulkar – 241* & 60* in Sydney, 2004Match drawn, series drawn 1-1Sachin Tendulkar’s form with the series level 1-1 hadn’t been reassuring. His cover driving had caused three dismissals in the first three Tests, and he was determined not to fall for the bait at the SCG. His 241* in the first innings – his highest Test score at the time – was a remarkable example of his discipline and ability to find a way.Tendulkar did not play the cover drive, even when the Australian bowlers offered easy temptation, and entirely cut out a faulty part of his game. He batted for more than ten hours and helped India amass 705, shutting down Australia’s hopes of a series win. His unbeaten 60 off 89 balls in the second innings was compiled with more freedom, as India pushed towards a declaration. However, a setting a target of 443 left them with too little time to take ten wickets and achieve what would have been a historic series win.Watch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 22 onwards.Virender Sehwag saved the Adelaide Test for India in 2008•AFPVirender Sehwag – 63 & 151 in Adelaide, 2008 Match drawn, India lost the series 2-1After winning in Perth, India began the final Test in Adelaide 2-1 down and Virender Sehwag gave them a cracking start, his 63 off 90 balls laying the platform for a first-innings total of 526. But Australia responded with 563 and the visitors were under fire to save the game.Sehwag was in Australia only on his captain Anil Kumble’s insistence, and he wasn’t known to be a second-innings performer. He ended up batting for nearly six hours, doing un-Sehwag things like going an entire session without a boundary, and scored his 13th century – his first in the second innings of a Test. He went through his gears, ensuring runs came despite wickets falling, to put India’s lead well out of Australia’s reach. Sehwag finished on 151; the next highest score in India’s total of 269 for 7 declared was MS Dhoni’s 20.

And has anyone hit more sixes in their first T20I innings than Tristan Stubbs’ eight?

Steven Lynch02-Aug-2022England hit 20 sixes in the first T20I against South Africa. Was this a record? asked Derek White from England

Those 20 sixes in the first T20I against South Africa in Bristol last week was easily an England record, surpassing 15, which they had achieved five times, including twice in successive matches against West Indies in Bridgetown in January. But it was short of the overall mark: Afghanistan’s batters hit 22 sixes in their 278 for 3 – the joint record for any senior T20 match – against Ireland in Dehradun in February 2019. There have been three cases of 21 sixes in a T20 international innings, and another of 20.How many players with at least ten Test appearances have finished their career with their batting average being better than at any point beforehand? asked Kunjal from India

If we look at the men whose average at the end of their final Test was higher than at the end of any of their previous matches, there are eight (plus three current players) who averaged 30 or more. The most matches involved was 29, by Seymour Nurse of West Indies, who finished with an average of 47.60, helped by 258 in his final Test (against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1968-69), and India’s Irfan Pathan (31.57). The old England opener Jack Russell averaged 56.88 – his highest – after his tenth and last Test, in which he scored 140 and 111 against South Africa in Durban in 1922-23. Note that Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 198 runs for once out in his most recent match (against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in May), currently has a higher average – 37.93 after 82 Tests – than after any of his previous matches, as does Ravindra Jadeja (36.56 after 60).The list changes if you consider the average after every individual innings, as the figure can drop after a lower second knock. The most innings then is 50, by the South African opener Eric Rowan, who signed off – aged 42 in 1951 – with an average of 43.67. Pathan is next (40 innings, average 31.57), while the West Indies wicketkeeper Gerry Alexander took his average to a career-high 30.03 with 73 in his 38th and last Test innings, against Australia in Melbourne in the final chapter of the exciting 1960-61 series that began with the first-ever tied Test, in Brisbane. The highest average involved for anyone with ten or more innings is Russell’s 56.88 from 18, although Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi currently averages 58.83 after ten, but will presumably appear again.Tristan Stubbs hit eight sixes on his T20I debut in Bristol. Has anyone managed more than this? asked Henry Oldfield from England

The 21-year-old South African Tristan Stubbs did hit eight sixes in his valiant innings of 72 from 28 balls in Bristol the other day. While it was his first innings in T20Is, it wasn’t quite his first match; he played two against India in June without getting to the crease. In any case, the record for a T20I debut is ten sixes, shared by two men: Ravinderpal Singh for Canada against the Cayman Islands in Bermuda in August 2019, and Leslie Dunbar for Serbia against Bulgaria in Corfu two months later. JP Kotze smote nine sixes on debut for Namibia against Botswana in Windhoek in August 2019.The record for a Test-playing nation is six, by Australia’s David Warner against South Africa in Melbourne in January 2009 – a debut also notable for the fact that Warner was almost unknown, as he had not even played a first-class match at that point.Duanne Olivier has a strike rate of 35.3 in Tests, the second best of all time among bowlers who have bowled at least 2000 deliveries•AFP/Getty ImagesIs it right that Duanne Olivier has the best bowling strike rate in Tests? asked Johannes Vetter from South Africa

It’s true that the South African fast bowler Duanne Olivier has the best strike rate in Tests among current bowlers (given a minimum of 2000 balls bowled). He has taken 59 wickets in 15 matches so far, at a rate of one every 35.3 balls; the only man ahead of him over a complete career is the 19th-century England bowler George Lohmann, who took a wicket every 34.1 deliveries. Currently in fifth place is Olivier’s team-mate Kagiso Rabada (40.7), while Dale Steyn’s 439 Test wickets came at the tremendous rate of one every 42.3 balls.Was Sam Northeast the oldest man to score a quadruple-century in first-class cricket? asked Lakshmi Patankar from India

Sam Northeast, who scored a county-record 410 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire at Grace Road last month, is now 32. The only older quadruple-centurion was Brian Lara, who was 34 when he reached 400 for the second time, during the Test against England in Antigua in 2004. Slightly more surprisingly, perhaps, Lara’s effort in that game was also, at 773 minutes, the slowest first-class quadruple; Northeast is next with 603. However, although it’s difficult to be absolutely certain, it looks as if Lara was also the quickest to the mark – in the course of his unbeaten 501 at Edgbaston in 1994 he reached 400 in 367 minutes. The youngest to score a first-class 400 was Pakistan’s Aftab Baloch, aged 20 in 1973-74. For the list of the highest first-class scores, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

“My innings was simple. If the ball was in my zone, I tried to strike it as clean as possible.”

Hemant Brar21-Oct-2020Nicholas Pooran doesn’t like to complicate things. Before IPL 2020, when ESPNcricinfo had asked him which team he was looking forward to playing against the most, his answer was: “All.” When asked which bowler he was most excited about facing, he said, “Everyone.”The same can be said about his batting too. In a 360-degree world, Pooran relies on drives and pulls to score a majority of his runs. While batsmen are busy slogging right, left and centre, he revels in playing proper cricketing shots. Tuesday was just another example of it.Despite Shikhar Dhawan’s second successive hundred, the Kings XI Punjab had restricted Delhi Capitals to 164 for 5. It wasn’t a big target but the Kings XI lost KL Rahul early. While Chris Gayle changed the momentum with a 26-run over, it was Pooran who flattened the Capitals.After Gayle’s onslaught, the Capitals had managed to restore the momentum in the very next over, which saw the back of Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. R Ashwin had bowled Gayle with a slider as the batsman went for a slog across the line, but Pooran drove him to the cover boundary first ball. While it was a fuller delivery, Pooran’s shot selection also made a big difference.Cometh the middle overs, the phase in which Pooran has been the most destructive batsmen this IPL. In overs 7 to 15, his 230 runs are second only to Rahul’s 241. But while Rahul’s runs have come at a strike rate of 133.88, Pooran has smashed them at 182.53. Among those with at least 50 runs in that period, no has scored at a faster rate.But before Pooran got going, there were some jitters, not in shot selection but in running between the wickets. One such mistake had already resulted in Agarwal getting run out. In the eighth over, it could have been curtains for Pooran as well when he tried to drop-and-run only to be sent back by Glenn Maxwell. Shreyas Iyer’s off-balance throw was a bit wide of Pant who failed to flick it on to the stumps and Pooran was saved.Nicholas Pooran provided impetus to the Kings XI Punjab innings•BCCIHad Pooran been run out, the Kings XI would have been 70 for 4 in the eighth over with not much batting to come. In that scenario, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index, the Capitals would have gone on to win the game.What followed instead was a period of such clean hitting that it resulted in Sachin Tendulkar tweeting in praise. After being 11 off 10 balls, Pooran tonked 42 off the next 19. Tushar Deshpande bowled short and got whacked over deep square leg. Marcus Stoinis tried length and was launched over long-on. In six balls, bookended by those two hits, Pooran struck two sixes and three fours to turn the game decisively in the Kings XI’s favour.

Some power packed shots played by @nicholas_47.
What a clean striker of the ball he has been. His stance and backlift reminds me of @jpduminy21.#KXIPvDC #IPL2020

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 20, 2020

At the halfway stage, the Kings XI required just 64 from 60 balls with seven wickets in hand. Pooran and Maxwell added 69 in 40 balls, the latter’s contribution being only 16 off 15, and by the time Pooran got out, the equation had further come down to 40 from 45 balls, which the Kings XI achieved with one over to spare.Pooran did all this while playing shots right from the MCC coaching manual. In his 28-ball 53, ESPNcricinfo recorded eight cover drives, which fetched him 14 runs. The only more productive shot was the pull, yielding 16 runs from three attempts. The innings, where he scored at a strike rate of almost 190, had no reverse sweeps, no scoops, no ramps and just one slog.After the match, when Maxwell asked Pooran about his knock on , Pooran’s reply was: “My innings was simple. If the ball was in my zone, I tried to strike it as clean as possible.”At the post-match presentation, he told host broadcaster Star, “I am a naturally aggressive player. I play on merit. If it’s in my zone, I hit it. Simple as that. If it’s a match-up, it’s a match-up.” When asked about confusion while running between the wickets, he replied, “One of those nights, one of those nights. It was tough. Poor communication. Simple.”Those responses may come across as simplistic, but Pooran is aware of what he has been doing right and what he needs to improve upon.”I have been working really hard,” he said at the post-match presentation. “I have been hitting the ball pretty good. I have been getting starts but haven’t been able to convert those into big scores. Even tonight I got a start but couldn’t finish the game for the team. That’s disappointing for me.”Before Tuesday, Pooran had only threatened without actually inflicting much damage but if he can keep improving the way he has been, it won’t be too long before oppositions start considering him a real threat.

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais novo reforço do Flamengo, Léo Ortiz chega com moral ao Rio de Janeiro e pode bater recorde que pertence a Gamarra, fora dos gramados. Considerando o valor fixo já pago ao Red Bull Bragantino e as metas bônus estipuladas no acordo, a contratação tem chance de se tornar o zagueiro mais caro da história do clube.

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

Os 7 milhões de euros (R$ 37,6 milhões na cotação atual) pagos pelos para adquirir Léo Ortiz já fazem dele o terceiro da lista dos defensores mais caros do Flamengo. No entanto, caso o zagueiro conquiste títulos pelo Rubro-Negro, o clube tem de gastar mais 1 milhão de euros (R$ 5,3 milhões) como bônus ao Bragantino. Desta forma, o valor total da transferência chegaria aos R$ 43 milhões, superando as cifras corrigidas de Léo Pereira e Gamarra.

Líder da lista, Gamarra foi contratado pelo Flamengo em 2000, junto ao Atlético de Madrid. O Rubro-Negro pagou 5,6 milhões de dólares (R$ 10,1 milhões) para contar com o zagueiro paraguaio. Esse valor seria de R$ 42,5 milhões nos dias de hoje, com a correção pelo IPCA, índice oficial para calcular a inflação no Brasil.

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Segundo colocado no ranking, Léo Pereira foi adquirido do Athletico R$ 30,4 milhões, em janeiro de 2020. Em valores corrigidos, a negociação custaria R$ 38,8 milhões ao Flamengo em 2024.

Confira os 10 zagueiros mais caros da historia do Flamengo, segundo levantamento do site “ge”:

Gamarra: R$ 42,5 milhões (R$ 10,1 milhões em 2000)Léo Pereira: R$ 38,8 milhões (R$ 30,4 milhões em 2020)Léo Ortiz: R$ 37,6 milhões em 2024Rodrigo Caio:R$ 28,3 milhões (R$ 21,2 milhões em 2019)Pablo: R$ 18,9 milhões (R$ 17,3 milhões em 2022)Fabrício Bruno: R$ 16,6 milhões (R$ 15,1 milhões em 2022)Erazo: R$ 12,4 milhões (R$ 7 milhões em 2014)Alex Silva: R$ 11,2 milhões (R$ 5,5 milhões em 2011)Rhodolfo: R$ 9,4 milhões (R$ 6,7 milhões em 2017)Donatti: R$ 8,4 milhões (R$ 5,8 milhões em 2016)

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FlamengoLéo Ortiz

The dejection was palpable. Emi Buendia’s arcing strike following a goalmouth scramble condemned Arsenal to only their second defeat of the season. It was the last kick of the highly charged contest against Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League has now been slashed to just two points after Manchester City thumped Sunderland. For their part, Villa are now emerging as bona fide contenders, third in the standings and with 30 points, three fewer than Arsenal’s 33.

Mikel Arteta has done incredible things in north London over the past five years, but this is the season that Arsenal must crown their revival with a gold medal, having finished runners-up in the top flight for three successive seasons.

And, sadly, the manager got it wrong against the shrewd Unai Emery.

Why Arteta got it wrong vs Aston Villa

Credit where credit’s due, Arteta made a few changes at half-time, his side one goal down, and was rewarded for his alteration when Leandro Trossard converted following an initial strike from Bukayo Saka before the hour mark. 1-1.

But the Emirates side would ultimately come away with nothing, and Arteta will be irked by his own decision-making, having opted to play Eberechi Eze out wide and withdraw the playmaker instead of skipper Martin Odegaard, despite the England international having played some knockout stuff from a central berth in recent weeks. He was, after all, named the club’s Player of the Month for November.

Eze, however, did flatter to deceive, at fault for Matty Cash’s opening goal, and the Spanish manager will feel he was somewhat handicapped due to injuries to key defensive personnel, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missing out.

Viktor Gyokeres entered the fray at the interval, and though the Swedish striker toiled away, he might have enjoyed a greater impact had he been unleashed from the outset, but Arteta opted to go down a different road.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal have been immense this season, a force to be reckoned with. That said, they still need to be more incisive in the danger area, and for all his strengths and clutch ability in the box, Mikel Merino is not the solution at number nine.

Merino has posted five goals and three assists across 21 matches in all competitions this term. He has split his time between the final third and the middle of the park, and seven of those eight contributions have come as a makeshift striker.

It’s remarkable, but it’s not going to work all the time, and this was painfully clear at Villa Park, whose defenders negated his threat. Gyokeres was largely ineffective after the break, having replaced the seven-pass Spaniard at half-time.

Neither impressed, but football.london did award Gyokeres a 6/10 match rating, drawing attention to his energy and the off-the-ball work that evades statistical representation. Merino, conversely, was branded with a 5/10 score, having fumbled a chance with Saka earlier on.

Minutes played

45′

45′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

17

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

4/7 (57%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/1

0/0

Ball recoveries

3

1

Tackles won

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/5

0/0

Assessing which of Arsenal’s centre-forwards did better on the evening is akin to splitting hairs. The fact of the matter is that neither received enough service, and this is an issue that Arteta has to overcome, especially with Eze, Odegaard and Saka all on the field at different stages.

Though it’s perhaps telling that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya took more touches of the ball than the pair of them, and given that Arsenal enjoyed 58% of the possession before the break (compared to 49% across the second half), Merino should have had more of an influence.

Gyokeres was signed for a big fee during the off-season to provide the north London side with a solution up top, and it’s surely crucial that he is afforded more starting action going forward, having started from the bench on three successive occasions since returning from the muscle injury that ruled him out for a few weeks in November.

The 27-year-old does need to up his game to the next level, because one thing’s for certain: If Arteta has to persist with Merino at number nine throughout the duration of the campaign, getting his hands on that elusive Premier League title will prove a tall order indeed.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025

Things are quickly going from bad to worse for Chelsea at the moment.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Enzo Maresca’s side demolished Barcelona and drew with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Yet, their defeat at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday night was their second loss in three games and the third match in a row they were expected to win.

It really was a night to forget for Chelsea, and one that should see the manager make more than a few changes ahead of the weekend.

Chelsea's poor performers

Unfortunately for Maresca, there were plenty of Chelsea players who looked way off the pace in Bergamo on Tuesday night, with Enzo Fernández being particularly poor.

The Argentine international was tasked with playing in the ten again, and while he has had more than a few games in which he’s looked a threat there this season, this was not one of them.

On the ball, the former Benfica star was consistently making the wrong decisions, and off of it, he looked so lethargic that one analyst asked if “someone put weights in Enzo’s boots?”

Fernández’s game

Minutes

67′

Expected Goals

0.01

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.42

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

24/33 (73%)

Lost Possession

15

Dribbles

0

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

All Stats via Sofascore

By the time he was taken off in the 67th minute, he had completed just 24 of his 33 attempted passes, which is nowhere near good enough for someone in his position.

Moving a little deeper, it was also an uncharacteristically poor performance from the club’s record signing, Moises Caicedo.

Due to his three-match ban only applying to the Premier League, the manager decided to bring the Ecuadorian international back into the team, but he looked way off the pace.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion gem didn’t make a game-costing mistake, but he also felt like more of a passenger, failing to play a single key pass, losing the ball eight times, not taking a shot, committing two fouls and losing four ground duels.

Finally, Wesley Fofana and Robert Sanchez were also disappointing on the night.

The former seemed to completely lose Gianluca Scamacca for the hosts’ equalising goal, and then the former should have done better for Charles De Ketelaere’s winning strike.

Now, all these players were poor, but there is an argument for them keeping their places in the team for the game on the weekend, which cannot be said for the next player.

The Chelsea dud who should be dropped

Jamie Gittens was supposed to be a technically impressive, dynamic attacker who’d come in and make a real impact out wide for Chelsea, but so far, he’s been anything but.

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Now, there is still time for him to come good in West London, but Tuesday night was another disappointing display from the former Borussia Dortmund star.

Maresca gave the Englishman plenty of game time, but he just couldn’t make an impact on the game, with or without the ball.

In fact, his one notable moment in the match was a shot in the second half that was comfortably saved. Other than that, he was utterly anonymous.

That might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Bobby Vincent, who gave the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘drifted out of the game.’

Gittens’ game

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.03

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.23

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

16/18 (89%)

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

4 (2)

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

All Stats via Sofascore

Unsurprisingly, the winger’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

For example, in his 94 minutes of action, the Reading-born ace registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.26, played a single key pass, took 33 touches – 21 fewer than Sanchez -, lost the ball nine times, lost seven of his ten duels and failed in 50% of his dribbles.

If this were a one-off, just a bad day at the office for the Englishman, then there would be an argument to keep him in the team to get back on his feet at the weekend.

However, the summer signing has had more poor performances than good so far this season, and therefore, Maresca should drop him from the lineup ahead of the Everton game.

Related Watch out Delap: Chelsea set sights on "one of Europe's most in-form CFs"

The free-scoring forward could spell the end of Liam Delap at Chelsea.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter slammed Alexander Isak as “anonymous” as Liverpool suffered defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest for the second consecutive campaign.

The international break handed Liverpool some much-needed reprieve and there was plenty of hope that the Reds would finally bounce back from recent woes upon their return. Nottingham Forest had other ideas, however, as the Premier League champions were dealt another blow.

Arne Slot’s side initially got off to a solid start, creating chances and largely looking rejuvenated. But the threat from Nottingham Forest was always lurking and once again Liverpool were found wanting from a set piece. After Ibrahima Konate needlessly conceded the corner, Liverpool watched on as Murillo headed home. It has been the story of their season.

The Tricky Trees then thought they had a second, only for Igor Jesus’ effort to be controversially ruled out for handball in a decision that will be at the centre of debate in the coming days.

VAR couldn’t hold the visitors back forever though, and second-half goals from Nicolo Savona and a shocking third from Morgan Gibbs-White soon put Forest out of sight in the worst performance of Liverpool’s season.

It’s become worse before it’s got better for the Reds and there will be serious question marks surrounding several performances. The Premier League champions have not only seen their crown slip, they’ve seen it torn apart this season and record signing Isak has been a shadow of the player that so often caused Virgil van Dijk trouble.

Sky Sports reporter slams "anonymous" Alexander Isak

When Isak’s name appeared in the starting line-up, there would have been a growing excitement amongst Liverpool fans. Their £280,000-a-week star signing was finally set to have lift off, so they thoughtr. That was their dream, but the reality is that Slot’s side once again struggled to connect with the Swede, who took fewer touches than goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Where Liverpool go from here is the big question. They didn’t just lose against Nottingham Forest, they were shoved aside for the umpteenth time this season. Despite all the money that they finally spent in the summer, it is not clicking at Anfield.

For Isak, patience is also wearing out. Whilst he could be excused for a slow start after missing pre-season and striking at Newcastle United, he’s now had plenty of time to get back to full fitness, yet remains without a credible performance.

Liverpool now eyeing Mateta deal amid fresh Crystal Palace contract concern

The Reds know all about his quality.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 21, 2025

With Hugo Ekitike waiting in the wings, the former Newcastle man may struggle to keep hold of his place as Slot looks to solve his side’s problems and turn to the few bright sparks in his squad.

Slot's own Luis Suarez is now "offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did"

Ahead of Friday's MLB non-tender deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays made a difficult decision.

They decided to non-tender closer and two-time All-Star Jordan Romano. The news, which was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, sends Romano to free agency.

Romano, 31, pitched in just 15 games and recorded eight saves this season due to elbow injuries. He underwent arthroscopic surgery early July to repair an impingement in his right elbow, which shelved him for the rest of the season. He started the season on the injured list due to elbow issues as well.

He was a top closer in baseball in years before. He recorded 36 saves in both 2023 and 2022 where he earned an All-Star nod in both years. Romano had a strong year in 2021 as well with 23 saves. Over his career, he's 20-17 with a 2.90 ERA in 231 appearances over parts of six seasons with the Blue Jays.

Romano has a number of likely suitors on the open market. He brings a high quality closer to a potential contender, as long as he stays healthy.

The MLB's non-tender deadline is Friday at 8 p.m. ET, where teams must decide whether to "tender" a contract to players who are under club control next season. These are players on the 40-man roster who have not accrued enough service time to become eligible for free agency.

MatériaMais Notícias

Abel Ferreira, técnico do Palmeiras, foi julgado e suspenso pelo STJD nesta terça-feira (10) por conta da expulsão e gesto que fez na saída de campo após a derrota do Verdão para o Grêmio por 1 a 0 pelo Brasileirão.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Abel foi punido por unanimidade e não comandará o Palmeiras nos confrontos diante de Atlético-MG e Coritiba, ambos pelo Brasileirão, que acontecem logo após a parada para a Data Fifa.

O Verdão ainda foi multado por R$ 2 mil por ser enquadrado no Art. 258-D do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva.

Abel foidenunciado no artigo 258 II, que fala em “Assumir qualquer conduta contrária à disciplina ou à ética desportiva e desrespeitar os membros da equipe de arbitragem, ou reclamar desrespeitosamente contra suas decisões”.

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A pena do maior técnico da história do clube poderia variar entre um a seis jogos de suspensão.

Na ocasião, Abel decidiu ir para o vestiário ainda antes do apito final, indignado com uma falta não marcada para o Palmeiras. Fazendo um gesto de “roubo”, o treinador foi flagrado pela transmissão do jogo.

– Isso é roubar! Isso é roubar! Fomos roubados – esbravejou o português.

+ Abel revela que jogadores pediram para sair do Palmeiras por ameaças: ‘Não aguentaram a pressão’

Sem Abel, o Palmeiras deve ser comandado pelo auxiliar técnico, João Martins, nas próximas duas rodadas do Brasileirão, onde o time precisa se recuperar na tabela após três derrotas consecutivas.

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