Tag Futebol

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca seems to have pulled a major U-turn over one of his axed stars as a photo from Cobham training reveals his surprise change of heart.

The Blues are back to winning ways after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland in October, with Chelsea winning three out of their last four in all competitions and briefly climbing to second in the Premier League table.

The in-form Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game to seal a dominant 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham, maintaining Chelsea’s impressive derby record, and followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over bottom-side Wolves in their last match before the international break.

The victory came despite Maresca making eight changes from their midweek 2-2 draw with Qarabağ in the Champions League, continuing his rotation policy that has seen a grand total of 93 starting eleven changes in all competitions so far this season — the most of any Premier League side.

Their plethora of injury problems throughout the campaign, which has seen Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points, has forced Maresca’s hand in this regard.

Chelsea also have 25 players in their squad who’ve been given at least 45 minutes of playing time this term, with only Nottingham Forest and West Ham (24) coming anywhere close to that number.

Two of the only Chelsea players who’ve not seen a single minute thus far are ‘bomb squad’ outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

Both men, after failing to secure moves away in the summer, are training in isolation, with Sterling causing quite a stir when he posted an image of him training alone and very late at night in what looked like a barren training complex.

This social media post even prompted the PFA to intervene and ensure that Chelsea weren’t treating the duo unfairly, coming after Maresca previously stated there was no way back for either man and they’d continue training away from the group.

When asked if they could play their way back into the first team, Maresca’s reply was brief, and it was a resounding ‘no’ (The Mail).

Sterling, who spent last term on a failed loan spell at Arsenal, has been linked with a move to Celtic ahead of the January window. Disasi, meanwhile, was surprisingly spotted training with the first team this week — despite Maresca previously saying there was no way.

Enzo Maresca pulls U-turn over axed Axel Disasi as Cobham photo reveals surprise call

In a twist, The Mail have shared a photo from Cobham of Disasi tussling with Liam Delap in an international break session, with Maresca now going back on his word and allowing the Frenchman to compete with his squad after all.

While there was still no sign of Sterling, Disasi’s recall to first-team training makes for an intriguing development, and one which will make on-lookers wonder whether he’s done enough to earn back Maresca’s favour.

After playing only 18 per cent of available Premier League minutes under Maresca last term, Disasi failed to establish himself as a regular starter domestically, despite captaining them in the Conference League and largely playing as an emergency right-back.

Aston Villa sealed his loan signing for the remainder of 2024/2025 last January, coming after Disasi reportedly rejected a loan to Tottenham, insisting on competing with Unai Emery’s side in the Champions League instead.

Disasi’s brief flashes ultimately failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent, and when the summer transfer window opened, Disasi found himself back in Chelsea’s notorious bomb squad alongside Sterling.

Having rejected moves to Crystal Palace and West Ham among others, and despite rumoured interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Disasi snubbed multiple opportunities, leaving him stranded at Stamford Bridge.

With the January window looming, Maresca could well be planning to hand the 27-year-old some minutes as a way to drive up interest from suitors, but we’re purely speculating here.

دافع جنارو جاتوزو مدرب منتخب إيطاليا عن أداء الأزوري خلال الفوز ضد مولدوفا بثنائية نظيفة في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وقال جاتوزو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول إيطاليا”: “ماذا تقصد بأن هذا لم يكن أفضل أداء لإيطاليا؟ رأيت اللاعبين يسيطرون على المباراة ولم تسدد مولدوفا كرة على المرمى”.

وأضاف: “إذا كنت تتوقع أن تخرج النتيجة بـ11-1 مثل التي حققتها منتخب مولدوفا ضد النرويج، فهذه ليست مشكلتي، لا توجد مباريات سهلة”.

وواصل عن احتجاجات جماهير إيطاليا مع قرب نهاية المباراة عندما كنت النتيجة تعادلا سلبيا بين المنتخبين: “أشعر بالأسف لذلك، هتافات تطالبنا بالعمل، هذا هو الوقت الذي يجب أن نبقي فيه متحدين، الفريق يقوم بما يجب عليه فعله، أن أسمع أكثر من 500 مشجع يهينون اللاعبين، لا أقبل ذلك”.

وتابع عن تسجيل منتخب إيطاليا مع دخول البدلاء: “لا بأس، إشراك 11 لاعبا جديدا منذ البداية أمر صعب، كنت أشعر في داخلي أنني ربما نخسر اليوم مع كل هذه التغييرات ولكني أرفع لهم القبعة، قدموا أداء أفضل مما كنت أتوقع”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | في الوقت القاتل.. إيطاليا تخطف فوزاً ثميناً من مولدوفا في تصفيات كأس العالم

وتعد هذه المرة الأولى على الإطلاق التي يحقق فيها منتخب إيطاليا الفوز بست مباريات في تصفيات كأس العالم ولكن لا يعد كافياً لأن النرويج فازت بكل مبارياتها السبع ويتراوح فارق الأهداف بين 29 و12 هدفا.

ورد جاتوزو على سؤال حول التأهل لأدوار الملحق: “هذا السؤال لمن يضع القواعد والمجموعات، في عام 1994 كان هناك منتخبان إفريقيان في كأس العالم والآن لابد من وجود العديد من الفرق وهذا الفارق في ازدياد مستمر”.

واختتم: “في أيامي كان يتأهل متصدر كل مجموعة وأفضل فريق ثاني، لدينا 18 نقطة وفزنا بست مباريات ولدينا مباراتان آخرتان للتأهل، لا يبدو الأمر منطقي”.

وتستضيف إيطاليا النرويج في سان سيرو يوم الأحد، وسيعادل الفوز فارق النقاط بينهما ولكن سيكون من المستحيل تعويض فارق الأهداف، لذلك فإن الأزوري سيلعب بهذا الشكل في الأدوار الفاصلة على حجز بطاقة للمونديال.

Many of Eddie Howe’s trusty Newcastle United old guard now find themselves on borrowed time on Tyneside.

Indeed, with just two wins next to their name from their opening eight Premier League games, it’s clear that the Toon aren’t firing on all cylinders anymore week in week out, with figures such as Dan Burn on shaky ground arguably when it comes to consistent first-team minutes heading their way in the near future.

Burn will be worrying when he will next be reinstated to the heart of the Magpies’ defence with the emergence of Malick Thiaw into the side, with the £30m summer recruit already looking right at home on English shores, hailed by some as their “signing of the summer.”

With Kieran Trippier not getting any younger in the right-back spot, either, it does feel as if Newcastle are heading towards a situation where a refresh is needed in certain areas of the squad.

Obviously, watching these Toon stalwarts decline in front of their very eyes will be heartbreaking to watch from a Newcastle fan’s perspective.

But, Newcastle have been here before in terms of having to pull the plug on a once regular starter in the form of Miguel Almiron, who was a beloved presence at St James’ Park, even if his playing days in black and white did unfortunately fizzle out.

Almiron's decline at Newcastle

Even if it did end in Almiron being offloaded back to Atlanta United last January for a cheap £11m fee, considering he was once purchased for £20m by the Premier League side, it’s clear from goals such as his outrageous curled effort against Everton that the South American is still fondly remembered as an entertainer on Tyneside.

Back in January of 2019, the Paraguayan entering the building for that high amount meant that he was seen as a statement purchase from the get-go, which had a negative effect initially on him being able to settle in his new environment.

Staggeringly, it took Almiron 27 appearances in the Premier League before he finally broke his top-flight duck with a strike against Crystal Palace.

Thankfully, with a monkey now off his back, the 31-year-old would eventually go on to be seen as a “very special” asset to have around St James’ Park by Howe.

Across a mighty 223 appearances for the Toon, Almiron netted 30 goals and 16 assists for the club, with one of those efforts even pushing the former number 24 into the record books to sit alongside Magpies royalty in Alan Shearer.

Amazingly, Almiron would score Newcastle’s first strike in Champions League action since 2003 when getting the ball rolling during that famous night against PSG at St James’ Park, with Shearer the last goalscorer to bag for the Toon in such an illustrious competition, before Almiron delivered.

With an 11-goal Premier League season also under his belt during the 2022/23 campaign, it appeared as if Almiron would be sticking it out with Newcastle until the very end of his long career, with the 31-year-old continuing to age gracefully as a star capable of serving up “magical” moments, as his manager also waxed lyrical.

However, all began to unravel for Almiron last season, as the adaptable attacker – who can play all over the attacking positions if needed – was frozen out of his manager’s lineups, as injury issues also took a hold of the declining South American.

Games played

14

Minutes played

412

Games missed through injury

8

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Even when he was fit and free of knee troubles, the once slick and daring forward looked a shadow of his former self, with zero goals or assists coming his way during limited opportunities last campaign.

In the end, Almiron closed out his long-standing affliation with the Toon on a sombre note, with a very real fear in the air now that Howe has an Almiron 2.0 scenario going on.

Newcastle have another Almiron problem

Around the time Almiron joined the club in 2019, Newcastle were splashing the cash regularly on some exciting new gems.

In the summer transfer window after the 5-foot-9 playmaker had moved to England from America, Newcastle also purchased Allan Saint-Maximin, who was guilty of some hit-and-miss moments himself on Tyneside.

Alongside him, the Toon also went all out to land Joelinton for a whopping £40m.

At the start, much like his fellow South American counterpart before him, Joelinton severely struggled in the bright lights of the Premier League, with the-then striker seen as an expensive laughing stock, when scoring just a meagre two league goals during his debut campaign.

However, much like Almiron managed, Joelinton would breathe significant life into his Magpies playing days the more he became attuned to the intense nature of the English game, with Howe’s decision-making to push him into a central midfield spot proving to be a masterstroke.

Even Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher heralded the no-nonsense Brazilian as a “revelation” for what he would go on to offer his side from the middle of the park, with a clear highlight of his 230-game spell in black and white to date surely being the Carabao Cup trophy being lifted earlier this year.

Joelinton was vital in that 2-1 upset being pulled off against Arne Slot’s heavily fancied Liverpool, and although he didn’t add to his goal or assist tally at Wembley – which stands at an impressive 52 goal contributions – it’s clear why Howe once noted that the 29-year-old was “gold dust”, always putting in a shift when needed.

Yet, despite all his past successes making him an undoubted modern icon, time has seemingly caught up with Joelinton in the same way it begun to weigh down on Almiron, with this season – in particular – highlighting the number seven’s alarming drop-off.

Joelinton’s creative spark has now left his game, with zero goals or assists coming his way in league action from seven largely forgettable games, with his energy and determination also lacking, when you consider he has only won 4.2 duels per game across that same span of games. As journalist Mark Douglas noted after Saturday’s defeat to Brighton, the midfielder is now “nowhere near his best.”

Minutes played

45

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

39

Shots

0

Accurate passes

21/26 (81%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

5/7

To add context, at the peak of his powers during the 2022/23 campaign, he won a high seven duels per game, with his lacklustre showing last time out against Brighton seeing Magpie Media state that his performance was “tough to watch.”

With Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes still performing at their optimum in the middle of the park – with Tonali boldly being branded as “world-class” by one Newcastle content creator this season – it feels as if Newcastle might need to have some tough conversations soon about ditching Joelinton, with Almiron leaving the building initially hurting, but is now seen as the correct and decisive call looking back.

Newcastle can forget Elanga by unleashing 19-year-old "star in the making"

Eddie Howe could have a surprise Anthony Elanga replacement up his sleeve in this exciting 19-year-old talent.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 20, 2025

Manchester United are now readying a £70m bid for a “world-class” midfielder, who could join as part of a Kobbie Mainoo swap deal.

Mainoo fails to force his way into Amorim's plans

It is clear that Ruben Amorim isn’t the biggest fan of Kobbie Mainoo, who is still yet to start a Premier League game this season, despite Man United making an awful start, with their most recent setback coming in a 3-1 defeat against Brentford.

With Casemiro suspended, Manuel Ugarte came into central midfield, alongside Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo once again had to settle for being a substitute, with the 20-year-old being brought on for the final 25 minutes of the game.

Having been unable to force his way into Amorim’s plans, there have been suggestions the Englishman could be ready to move to a new club this winter, and rivals Manchester City have even been named as surprise potential suitors.

That said, with Amorim now under significant pressure, receiving criticism from club legend Wayne Rooney, the midfielder may soon have a new manager, who is more willing to give him consistent game time.

For now, however, INEOS are persisting with the 40-year-old, and Mainoo’s future remains up in the air, with a report from Spain revealing the youngster could be used as part of a swap deal for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde.

Man United are said to be preparing an offer of around €80m (£70m) for Valverde, but they may be willing to use their youth product as a makeweight in negotiations, in order to reduce the cost of the operation.

Fabrizio Romano says legendary 4-3-3 manager wants Amorim's job at Man Utd

He’s previously won a top-flight title and enjoyed a distinguished playing career.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 29, 2025

However, Real Madrid are currently showing little interest in sanctioning a departure, with the midfielder emerging as one of their most ‘trusted’ players, so it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible.

"World-class" Valverde could take Man Utd's midfield to next level

Let’s make it clear — Man United definitely shouldn’t consider letting Mainoo leave, given that the England international has previously shown he has what it takes to perform at the top level, excelling in the 2024 FA Cup Final.

That said, signing the Real Madrid star for straight cash should still be a very attractive proposition, having proven himself over a number of years in La Liga and the Champions League, with Jurgen Klopp once dubbing the maestro “world-class”.

Casemiro has made it clear he is unreliable, with the Brazilian naively getting himself sent off in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea, and at 33-years-old, United are in need of a long-term replacement in the middle of the park.

Over the past year, Valverde has shown that he is a well-rounded midfielder, capable of making an impact at both ends of the pitch, and the Uruguayan would undoubtedly be an exciting signing for the Red Devils.

Ollie Robinson top-scores in hosts’ 277 but late wickets keep contest on an even keel

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-May-2025Matt Henry took four wickets for Somerset but 20-year-old Mitch Killeen’s late strike helped Durham just shade the first day of the Rothesay County Championship match at the Banks Homes Riverside.Despite Ollie Robinson’s 52 and a half-century stand for the last wicket, the home side were dismissed for 277 in their first innings in a match between teams who possess identical records and are currently separated by a handful of bonus points in the Division One table.Having accounted for three top-order batsmen, Henry returned figures of 4 for 60 but Somerset were 63 for 3 in reply at the close with the wicket of Tom Lammonby falling to Championship debutant Killeen for 24 just seven balls before the close.The day’s cricket began in atrocious fashion for the home side when their captain, Alex Lees, inside-edged Henry’s first ball of the game onto his off stump ands departed for a golden duck.Ben McKinney and Emilio Gay then repaired the home side’s innings with a 65-run stand in 20 overs before McKinney was caught behind by James Rew for 30 when he played outside a ball from Josh Davey that was angled in to him from around the wicket.Gay had already been dropped on 26 at midwicket by Jack Leach off Migael Pretorius when McKinney’s wicket fell but the former Northamptonshire batsman could not capitalise on his escape. Instead he was dismissed for 41 a quarter of an hour before lunch when he top edged a pull off Henry to Tom Abell at long leg.Having seen Lewis Gregory lose the toss, Somerset’s bowlers were probably satisfied with a lunch score of 96 for 3. And they would have been ecstatic a few minutes after the resumption when the palpably dangerous David Bedingham shuffled across his stumps, looked to work the ball to leg and was lbw to his fellow South African, Pretorius, for 17.Robinson responded to that reverse by taking hitting three fine fours in four balls of an over from Craig Overton and all this seemed to set the tone for a session in which quick runs were traded for wickets. Having made 51 runs off 45 deliveries since his lunch and reached his half-century in 61 minutes off 52 balls in all, Robinson was caught by Rew off Henry when he nicked a ball of full length towards first slip, only to see the diving keeper complete a fine catch.Graham Clark then made 15 in 21 minutes before apparently snicking Josh Davey down the leg side to Rew and his departure left Durham on 185 for 6 in the 50th over. Colin Ackermann was bowled by Overton for 30 and five balls later, Raine was leg before to Pretorius for 25. Tea arrived with Durham on 227 for 8, 131 runs having been scored and five wickets taken in the session’s 34 overs.Five balls into the evening session, Killeen’s first innings in Championship cricket ended when he was caught by first slip Lewis Gregory off Henry for a 15-ball nought but Codi Yusuf and Minto then batted as calmly and sensibly as most of the top order to take Durham to their first bonus point of the innings.And not content with adding the 23 runs necessary for that landmark to be reached, the pair put on exactly 50 before Minto, who made 67 as a nightwatch-opener last week, was caught by Lammonby at square leg off Pretorius for 34. Yusuf was unbeaten on 16 and Pretorius finished with 3 for 63.Somerset’s first innings also began poorly when Gregory was bowled by Minto for 5 when his attempt to let the ball go only diverted it into his stumps but Davey and Lammonby added 42 before Davey was caught at slip off Yusuf for 24 and Lammonby was caught behind off Killeen for 18

These two teams have only played each other three times in the IPL and GT lead the head-to-head record 2-1

Sidharth Monga20-Apr-20254:40

Pujara backs Narine for opener, Finch suggests Rahane

Big picture: Batting worries for KKRKolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have played 259 matches in all these years, but only three of them against Gujarat Titans (GT). Only Kochi Tuskers (no longer active) have played them less often. GT have not played any team this infrequently.It is a shame because these two teams make for fascinating contests. They love themselves a match-winning spinner or two, but their batting approaches couldn’t be more different. At their best, KKR are innovative and bold, pushing the realms of possibility. They open with Sunil Narine, and bowl spin at the death more than other teams. GT like to play within themselves, if you will. A majority of their runs are scored by three anchors at the top. They rely on their bowling to win games. They rely on minimising errors.Related

GT's Solanki impressed with Gill's captaincy, Siraj's work rate

Abhishek Nayar returns to KKR's backroom staff

Rahane: 'I take the blame' KKR's failed 112 chase

Prasidh the new leader on IPL Purple Cap table

Boss Buttler and the art of ball hitting bat

IPL 2025, though, has not been the best for the defending champions KKR. They lost Phil Salt and Shreyas Iyer at the auction table, which left their batting light. They are the second-lowest on the scoring rate (9.05 runs per over). It is their bowling, the most economical (8.30) in the tournament, that is keeping them alive. Only just, though, with three wins in four games. GT have been the quickest batting side (10.10), and the third-stingiest (9.01) with the ball. Not a surprise that they are among the best sides with five wins out of seven.If the tournament so far has not done enough to remind KKR of their failures between the two seasons, imagine coming up against Shubman Gill, a former Knight. The nature of the tournament is such that you can’t hold on to all your best players forever, but the batting unit that KKR have built leaves more than a little to be desired. This is not to have a go at him but if Ajinkya Rahane is your best batter – and he is not in the top-15 run-getters – it says a lot about the line-up on the whole.GT will look to keep chipping away at KKR’s batting, which failed to chase down 112 the last time they played a game. GT themselves have the confidence of having won chasing 200-plus in their last match. All signs point to only one favourite in this match, but IPL has its own rhythms.4:39

Finch: Gujarat Titans are the team to beat

Form guideKolkata Knight Riders LWLWL
Gujarat Titans WWWLWIn the spotlight: Andre Russell and Shubman GillAndre Russell has faced just 31 balls, and bowled just 39. Halfway into the league stage, he has a batting strike rate of a tick over 75. His point of entry has been 14.6, 10.3, 19.3, 14.6 and 10.4. There hasn’t been anything particularly inefficient about how KKR have used him: easy wins when he hasn’t been required to bat or when he came out in the 20th over, two collapses, and two perfect points of entry with five overs to spare. Russell will want to make the use of those opportunities, especially with the middle order not doing well.He is not having a bad IPL at all – an average of 36 and a strike rate of 149 – but Shubman Gill is being outshone by the other two of GT’s holy trinity: B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. Gill has scored 215 of the 895 the top three have scored in seven matches. Coming off a run-out in the last match, now against his former team, Gill will want to get back among the runs.Team news and likely XIIsKKR handed Anrich Nortje a debut in the last match because they felt they could attack the Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting with the extra pace. Nortje did a job but they also sacrificed on Moeen Ali’s batting. Conditions will determine which of the two plays, but Moeen’s all-round capabilities make him the favourite after 95 all out.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Moeen Ali/Anrich Nortje, 11 Vaibhav Arora, 12 Varun Chakravarthy2:27

Why aren’t KKR getting the best out of Russell?

GT have a fairly settled line-up with only one player they rotate based on the conditions. It could be Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar or Kulwant Khejroliya. Washington gives them extra batting, but he plays only if the pitch is going to be slow.Gujarat Titans 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Ishant Sharma/Washington Sundar/Kulwant KhejroliyaThe big questionPitch and conditions: The Eden Gardens mysteryIt is going to be hot and humid in Kolkata, where teams winning the toss have elected to chase in all three games this season with mixed results. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) restricted KKR to 174 and won, but the other two games featured successful defences of 200 totals.Stats and trivia GT lead the head-to-head between these two teams 2-1, winning the only match they have played against each other in Kolkata. GT’s top-three batters average 49.72 this IPL, the highest for any team. Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) top three have aggregated more runs and have been scoring way quicker than GT: 172.4 compared to 155.92. Rashid Khan has taken just four wickets and is averaging 63.25 this IPL, easily his leanest. His economy rate of 9.73 also makes this his most profligate year.

كشف فيديريكو فالفيردي، نجم نادي ريال مدريد، عن تعليمات المدرب تشابي ألونسو له في مركز الظهير الأيمن، عقب الفوز على خيتافي يوم أمس الأحد بالدوري الإسباني.

ريال مدريد استمر في نتائجه المميزة خلال هذا الموسم وحقق فوزًا مثيرًا على حساب خيتافي بهدف مقابل لا شيء يوم أمس الأحد، ضمن الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

واستمر ألونسو في التعويل على فالفيردي في مركز الظهير الأيمن، وذلك مع غياب داني كارفاخال وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، بسبب الإصابة.

وقال فالفيردي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “البرنابيو ديجيتال”: ”طلب مني تشابي محاولة التواصل مع الجناح الذي لعب معي، محاولة لعب تمريرات ثنائية، ومواصلة الركض للأمام، اليوم حاولنا اللعب أكثر على اليسار وعندما دخل فينيسيوس، أعتقد أننا صنعنا فرصًا أكثر بكثير، صحيح أن فيني يجعلنا نسجل الكثير من الأهداف ويخلق المساحة”.

كما وجه فالفيردي الإشادة إلى نجم ريال مدريد وصاحب هدف الفوز، كيليان مبابي، حيث أضاف: “نحاول الاستمتاع به ومساعدته قدر الإمكان ومنحه المزيد من التمريرات الحاسمة حتى يستمتع بوقته ويكون قريبًا من مرمى الخصم ليتمكن من التسجيل”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. لاعب خيتافي لـ فينيسيوس جونيور خلال مباراة ريال مدريد: لهذا السبب يكرهك الجميع

وعن أهمية الانتصار على خيتافي أوضح فالفيردي: “فوز مهم للغاية، كنا نعلم أنها ستكون مباراة صعبة للغاية وأعتقد أننا قدمنا ​​أداءً جيدًا في الدفاع والهجوم، إنهم فريق جيد ويدافعون بشكل ممتاز، أتيحت لهم فرص للهجوم وأعتقد أننا كنا منتبهين جدًا لكراتهم الطويلة. قدم اللاعبون البدلاء أداءًا رائعًا، وهذا يدل على قوة الفريق وتماسكه”.

وأردف: ”خيتافي فريق صعب للغاية. إنهم جيدون ويعملون بجد. إنهم فريق متوازن للغاية في جميع مراكزه، والجميع يعرف ما يجب عليه فعله. ولهذا السبب من الصعب جدًا اللعب ضدهم. إنهم يبذلون جهدًا كبيرًا في الدفاع وهذا مرهق لنا ذهنيًا وبدنيًا. لكننا نتحلى بالصبر الذي نعاني منه أحيانًا”.

وعن لقاء يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا، ثم مواجهة الكلاسيكو المرتقب أمام برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني اختتم فالفيردي: “من المهم أن نرتاح الآن بعد هذه المباراة التي كانت صعبة للغاية. هذا الأسبوع هو الأسبوع الذي يتمنى كل لاعب خوضه. استمتعوا بمباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا والتي ستكون بالنسبة لي ليلة رائعة مع جماهيرنا، ثم استعدوا للمباراة الرائعة التي نتمناها جميعًا ضد برشلونة”.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk slammed his team-mates after a frustrating loss to Crystal Palace but the Dutchman thanked Alisson for keeping the score down, while hailing the Brazilian as the "best goalkeeper in the world". Liverpool suffered their first defeat across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign as Eddie Nketiah's late winner helped Palace secure a crucial win.

• Van Dijk concerned after Palace loss

  Van Dijk expressed his concern over Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday as the Reds captain believes the team need quick fixes after their first defeat of the season. Federico Chiesa had equalised for the champions just three minutes before the end of regulation time, but Eddie Nketiah's later winner sealed crucial points for the hosts.  

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  Van Dijk slams team-mates but hails Alisson as the "best"

  Speaking to reporters after the match, the Dutch defender said: "I’m disappointed in the loss, but especially the way we went about it. I don’t think there is any need to worry but we have to improve quickly. It was the basics that we didn’t do very well. Hopefully, this is the only day this season we do that. They are very difficult to break down. Very disciplined, they defend deep and they don’t mind that. They have the quality on the break to hurt you. But it all started with ourselves. We were sloppy, and we were lucky that we have the best goalkeeper in the world to save us." 

• "Biggest challenge now is to stay calm"

  The Liverpool skipper further added: "If you look at the first half, everybody has to improve. Everyone deals with it in their own way, but as a team, we have to deal with it as well. The biggest challenge now is to stay calm. We know when we can do better and everyone knew that." 

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  Tough week of football awaits Arne Slot's side

  Arne Slot's men need to work on their shortcomings quickly as they have a tough schedule to tackle in the coming week. Their action starts with a Champions League clash in Turkey against Galatasaray on Tuesday, before they make their trip to Stamford Bridge during the weekend to take on Chelsea in a key Premier League fixture on October 4.   

In the morning, Jomel Warrican took 7 for 32 but Pakistan had accumulated enough lead by then

Danyal Rasool19-Jan-2025

Well, how do you sum that up? A madcap two sessions of cricket on the third day saw 17 wickets fall. Pakistan lost seven for 48, with Jomel Warrican registering the third-best figures for a visiting bowler in Pakistan. And yet, with half an hour to go for tea, Pakistan’s spinners had wrapped up a 127-run victory, skittling West Indies out for 123 in 36.3 overs to go 1-0 up in the series. Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed were the chief architects, taking nine of West Indies’ ten wickets as the visitors’ challenge appeared to melt away along with the solidity of the playing strip.West Indies had about 15 overs to face before lunch, and Pakistan just about made victory safe in this time. The visitors began with positive intent, having realised that poking and prodding would get them nowhere. It saw them through the first four overs, but as Sajid said yesterday, the strategy was to attack with the ball and defend with the field. Brathwaite employed the slog sweep to good effect so Pakistan had a fielder at deep midwicket, and it was him that the opener picked out to give Pakistan their first breakthrough.With prodigious turn around, especially to the right-hander off the footmarks, the stumps were always in play, and it helped Sajid clean up Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge to reduce West Indies to 37 for 4. Noman Ali, who had surprisingly not opened the bowling from the other end, came into the attack and picked up a wicket on the stroke of lunch when Justin Greaves missed a sweep laden with risk in front of middle stump.Alick Athanaze was the only West Indies batter to score a fifty in the match•PCB

There was plenty of West Indian resistance in the first hour after lunch, most notably from Alick Athanaze, whose half-century – West Indies’ only such contribution all Test – just about kept them alive. Alongside Tevin Imlach first and then Kevin Sinclair, Athanaze worked to give the Pakistan spinners as little as possible. They ditched the belligerent shot-making, and for the first time all Test, Sajid and Noman briefly didn’t look like a huge threat.But the momentum shifted once more when Shan Masood turned to Abrar Ahmed. The slightly different challenge his legspin poses saw a beauty to dismiss Imlach, the ball drifting in and ripping away to take his outside edge. He would also break the next partnership, thanks to some variable bounce and a splendid diving catch at first slip from Salman Agha, before Agha took the regulation catch the following ball to send Gudakesh Motie on his way.By now, West Indies’ resistance had been completely broken. Athanaze missed a straight one from Sajid to leave Pakistan one away, and Abrar put a bow on proceedings as the shot West Indies played often to try to cope on this surface – the high-risk reverse sweep – carried onto the stumps.Jomel Warrican took his career-best 7 for 32•AFP/Getty Images

The omens for this kind of day were there. It began with Pakistan’s best player of spin, Saud Shakeel, falling off the first delivery when he clipped one into short midwicket’s hands. Warrican followed it up with the wicket of Rizwan the following over, and on a pitch where grip and turn became ever more variable, Pakistan’s batters were finding it hard work.Kamran Ghulam had hung around until then, but some extra turn from Warrican drew his outside edge to give Warrican his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. West Indies began to burrow into the tail as Warrican grew in confidence. He varied his pace to trap Noman in front of the stumps as he tried a reverse sweep, before making it seven when Sajid miscued a slog and got an edge to backward point.The ninth wicket did not register directly in Warrican’s account, but it may as well have. Agha prodded one to him on the off side and hared off for a single, but Warrican picked up cleanly and hit the stumps direct, catching Khurram Shahzad well out of his crease. The innings wrapped up when Agha tried to go over the top against Motie, only to find long-off, and Pakistan were all out for 157.On a surface like this, and with the spinners Pakistan have, though, it was still, by some distance, more than enough.

With Granit Xhaka now officially a Sunderland player, the Black Cats have already reportedly reached an agreement to sign another reinforcement in a deal worth £12m.

Xhaka "very proud" to join Black Cats

In their biggest deal of the summer so far, Xhaka is set to provide Sunderland with an invincible Bundesliga winner and former Arsenal man at the heart of Regis Le Bris’ midfield.

This isn’t the same Swiss midfielder that left Arsenal following a tumultuous relationship with fans and several moments to both savour and forget. Instead, this is a far more confident, complete version of Xhaka ready to end unfinished business in the Premier League.

“I’m very proud to be here. When I spoke to the Club, I was excited and I felt the energy, and the mentality that all the people and players have,” the Swiss legend said on Wednesday.

“It’s exactly what I wanted, and I have a very good feeling. We are back to where this club needs to be, and we want to stay here to write our own history.”

Liverpool’s hefty spending aside, it is Sunderland who have arguably enjoyed the best transfer window of the summer in the Premier League when taking into account prior expectations. Xhaka follows the likes of Simon Adingra, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki through the door to take the Black Cats’ number of incomings to seven in total.

Le Bris will be well aware of the talent that he’s welcoming in Xhaka. The former Arsenal man earned plenty of praise when working with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen as they achieved history together and that praise is only likely to be reiterated by the Sunderland boss.

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Alonso told reporters: “He has had a huge impact on the team since day one. He is an extremely important player for us. If you have good midfielders, you play better.”

It’s the type of signing which could see Sunderland finally end the recent trend of promoted sides falling at the first hurdle back in the Premier League. But even after Xhaka, the Black Cats still reportedly have unfinished business in the transfer market as Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman go into overdrive.

Sunderland now set to sign Robin Roefs

As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Sunderland have now reached an agreement to sign Robin Roefs from NEC Nijmegen in a deal worth €13.5m (£12m) with add-ons.

The 6’3 goalkeeper will hand Le Bris the reliable pair of hands he has been craving at the Stadium of Light, with a medical already scheduled to take place ahead of Roef’s official arrival.

Although Anthony Patterson may feel hard done by to lose his starting place in Wearside, Roefs enjoyed an even more impressive campaign last time out in the Eredivisie and outperformed Sunderland’s shot-stopper in the process.

At just 22 years old, there’s every chance that the Dutchman only gets better with time despite already performing at an impressive standard. Alongside Xhaka, Roefs represents the type of signing needed to survive in the Premier League and so much more.

The Black Cats have made statement signing after statement signing this summer, but may have just agreed deals for their two most impressive arrivals so far in Xhaka and Roefs.