Tag Futebol

Birmingham City have now reportedly joined Crystal Palace in the race to sign an impressive AFCON winger who would be an instant upgrade on Kyogo Furuhashi.

Chris Davies: "Difficult defeat to take" against QPR

Birmingham couldn’t have asked for a more frustrating night if they tried against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday. The Blues clawed their way back to level terms thanks to Patrick Roberts in the 93rd minute, only for Kieran Morgan to snatch all three points for the hosts in cruel fashion three minutes later.

Chris Davies admitted that the defeat was “difficult to take” when reflecting at full-time, telling reporters: “It was a very difficult defeat to take. To get ourselves back in the game at 1-1 and with a minute to go, you think that’s it’s going to be a point to take away but it wasn’t to be.

“Working towards half time and getting in at 0-0 would have been a reasonable start for us in the first half, but again we’ve conceded the first goal, and it’s given ourselves a big job.

“We’ve got a lot to do, we did get going in the second half, we were pushing and pushing. I was really pleased we could get that goal and then at the end it was a strike that went through a lot of bodies through into the goal.

“At half time I wasn’t happy with the performance. I thought it was well below par what we can do, I thought we were making a simple game look a lot harder than it needed to be.”

That one defeat has dropped the Blues down to 11th and three points behind Hull City in sixth. If they are to gain a Championship playoff place by the time that May arrives, then a January move for a player of Philip Otele’s calibre should be Birmingham’s priority.

Birmingham join race to sign Philip Otele

According to GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs, Birmingham have now joined the race to sign Otele and are rivalling Premier League side Crystal Palace for the winger’s signature in 2026.

The 26-year-old has been included in Nigeria’s preliminary squad for the Africa Cup of Nations and could secure a place in Eric Chelle’s final squad before starring at the tournament.

Ahead of the tournament, Otele has already been in fine form for Basel in Switzerland, scoring eight goals and assisting another three in 26 games this season. By contrast, Kyogo has surprisingly struggled since arriving at Birmingham.

Many expected the former Celtic man to be among the signings of the season, but he’s yet to score a single Championship goal and was recently guilty of a glaring miss with the net wide open. It has simply been a nightmare spell for the summer arrival. A move for Otele could cost Kyogo his place, too.

The winger has had plenty of admirers throughout his career, with former CFR Cluj manager Adrian Mutu, who worked with Otele, telling reporters last year: “He possesses impressive physical strength, speed and technical skills. Although he can still work on his finishing, the interest doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Birmingham scouts spotted keeping tabs on exciting star alongside Wrexham

Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants Sunday afternoon, and the baseball world is still in shock.

The Boston Red Sox sent their franchise cornerstone to the National League West and received two pitchers and two prospects in return. While the Giants will pay all of the $250 million left on his contract, it's still a head-shaking moment.

On ESPN's , editors put together a graphic that showed where all of Devers's extra base hits would have landed if he'd played all his games at Oracle Park. It's safe to say he would be doing better.

Devers has 18 doubles and 15 home runs this season so far. When those extra base hits are overlayed onto Oracle Park's dimensions, 26 of them would have gone over the wall.

To be fair, the weather in San Francisco can hold home runs in the park. Oracle has a Park factor of 96, making it the 27th-best hitting stadium in MLB. Only T-Mobile Park in Seattle is a better pitcher's park.

We'll just have to see how Devers's skillset fits once he's actually hitting in San Francisco.

علق أحمد حسن، قائد منتخب مصر السابق، ومدير المنتخب المشارك في كأس العرب، على التصريحات الأخيرة للكابتن حسام حسن مدرب المنتخب الأول، مؤكدًا أنها أثارت جدلًا واسعًا غير ضروري، وأن الأمر يحتاج إلى ضبط وتحكيم العقل والفن في التعامل مع اللاعبين والجهاز الفني.

وقال أحمد حسن في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكابتن” على قناة “dmc”: “تصريحات حسام حسن أثارت جدلًا كبيرًا جدًا، هنا أود أن نتكلم بشكل هادئ، لأنني لست متأكدًا هل سيتم تصنيفي كجزء من المشكلة؟ ربما صنف الكابتن حسام الناس إلى مؤيدين وضد، ومن يحب ومن يكره”.

وواصل: “وأنا أرى أنها كرة قدم في النهاية، ولا أحد فوق النقد، طالما كان النقد صحيًا فهو مقبول للكابتن حسام، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، ولا توجد أي ضغينة، لم يتلق كابتن حسام دعمًا كبيرًا فحسب، بل الكل كان داعمًا له، كلنا كمحللين ونقاد، كنا في حالة دعم كبيرة جدًا له، ولكن دائمًا بعض التصريحات هي التي تضخم الأمور”.

وتابع: “الكابتن حسام بدأ يلوم الجميع، عندما تتحدث الناس عن الأداء الفني، الأفضل أن يكون الموضوع عاديا، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، أفضل المدربين الذين تولوا منتخبات مصر وحققوا نجاحات، كانوا يتعرضون للانتقاد، ومنهم الكابتن محمود الجوهري رحمه الله، أنا أتذكر في 1998 تم انتقاد الكابتن الجوهري لاختياره الكابتن حسام حسن، وكان هناك حملة كبيرة جدًا، ولكننا حققنا البطولة دون أي مشكلة”.

وأضاف: “في 2006 عندما تم اختيار الكابتن حسن شحاتة، كان هناك انتقاد كبير جدًا، لكن الكابتن حسن حقق ثلاث بطولات، وكان يتم انتقاده، وناس كانوا يقولون (ده بياخدوها بالبركة)، وهذا طبيعي، حسام البدري عندما تولى منتخب مصر تم انتقاده، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، رحمه الله عليك كابتن إيهاب جلال عندما تولى المنتخب تم انتقاده أيضًا، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، طالما الأمر في الإطار الفني فهو طبيعي ولا توجد أي مشكلة”.

وواصل: “ولكن في بعض الأوقات يكون الإنسان عدو نفسه، أخشى أن يكون الكابتن حسام عدو نفسه في وقت هو مقبل على بطولة مهمة، وكل الناس تدعمه، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، بعض تصريحاته لم أفهمها، مثل (أنا لا أملك لاعبين محترفين مثل باقي الدول)!”.

واستدرك: “نحن دائمًا نحقق كأس الأمم الإفريقية بدون لاعبين محترفين، وشهد التاريخ على ذلك، في 1986 لم يكن لدينا لاعبين محترفين، وحققنا البطولة، وفي 1998 كان لدينا ثلاثة لاعبين محترفين فقط، هم الكابتن هاني رمزي، ياسر رضوان، وحازم إمام، وحققنا البطولة”.

طالع أيضًا | سيد معوض ردًا على تصريحات حسام حسن: أنت حر في وضع التشكيل.. و”من حق الناس تنتقدك”

وأضاف: “في 2006 و2010 لم نتجاوز ثلاثة أو أربعة محترفين في كل البطولات، نحن كمصريين نتميز بأننا نحقق الإنجازات بلاعبينا المحليين، لأنهم في النهاية محترفين، وهذا من ضمن الأمور، لدينا لاعبين جيدين، من ضمن هؤلاء مصطفى محمد، وتصريح الكابتن حسام ربما لم يكن مقصودًا، وأنا أتفق معه، قد يقصد أن عدد اللاعبين المحترفين قليل، هو نفسه يريد أن يلعب مصطفى بشكل أساسي، ولكن التصريح أثار الجدل وأثر على اللاعب، فقد يفقد ثقته في نفسه، فأتمنى أن يكون الموضوع قد انتهى”.

وتابع: “الفترة القادمة تحتاج إلى احتواء وكسب ثقة اللاعبين، أتمنى أن يذهب الكابتن حسام إلى مصطفى محمد، يكلمه، يوضّح له قصده، أن يريد مشاركته، أن يكون أساسيًا، قويًا، ويخدم المنتخب، أنا أثق فيه كثيرًا، فهو المهاجم رقم واحد، ويجب أن تحتويه”.

وأضاف: “بعض الأحيان يكون لدينا لاعبين ليسوا في أعلى مستوى، فنقول عنهم أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، هذه الجزئية مهمة جدًا، تحتاج إلى احتواء كبير، ويجب في بداية المعسكر أو قبله، أن يقوم الجهاز الفني، سواء الكابتن حسام أو كابتن إبراهيم أو كل الجهاز، بجمع اللاعبين، الاجتماع معهم، دعوتهم حتى خارج المعسكر، لتعزيز روح المجموعة، والروح الجميلة والترابط بين الجهاز واللاعبين، فهذا ما ينجح المنظومة”.

وأردف: “2006، 2008، 2010، وما زلت أقول 1998، ليس لأننا كنا أفضل منتخب في إفريقيا، ولكن لأننا كنا مترابطين، ولذلك حققنا البطولات، سواء لاعبين مع جهاز فني، أتذكر الكابتن الجوهري في 1998 كان هناك انتقاد شديد، وقال لنا لن نأخذ سوى المركز الثالث عشر، وفي النهاية الروح بيننا هي التي جعلتنا نفوز”.

واختتم: “كنا نلعب من أجل بلدنا، من أجل أسماءنا، من أجل كابتن الجوهري، وكابتن حسن شحاتة في 2006، 2008، 2010، الجميع كان يعلم أن نجاح هذا الجيل بسبب الترابط بين اللاعبين والجهاز الفني، هذه الجزئية هي التي تنجح أي منظومة، نصيحة من أخ صغير للكابتن حسام: الفترة القادمة تحتاج إلى احتواء وذكاء، ونتمنى له التوفيق خلال الفترة المقبلة مع منتخبنا”.

A new report from Spain has underlined the steps Real Madrid are prepared to take as they aim to recover Franco Mastantuono after he was diagnosed with pubalgia, the same injury that has plagued Lamine Yamal in recent weeks. The Argentine youngster was ruled out ahead of the clash against Liverpool last week, with no recovery timeline in sight at the moment. However, Los Blancos remain calm regarding his situation.

• Mastantuono diagnosed with pubalgia after solid start at Madrid

  Ever since arriving from River Plate in a blockbuster €45 million ($53m/£39m) deal, Mastantuono has made quite a place for himself amongst the Real Madrid faithful. The Argentine prodigy made his debut in the first game of the season against Osasuna, coming on as a substitute for the final 22 minutes. Since then, he played in eight La Liga games and three Champions League games, starting in nine of those games and staking his claim for the right wing position. 

  Even though he scored just one goal and delivered one assist, his all-round game, ability to find spaces, his drive and hunger, and unparalleled determination made him a unique profile within head coach Xabi Alonso's setup. 

  However, he suffered his first setback as a Real Madrid player ahead of the Champions League trip to Liverpool last week. The club confirmed that Mastantuono had been diagnosed with pubalgia, the same injury Lamine Yamal has been facing struggles with for the past few weeks. Subsequently, he missed the clash against Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, with no recovery timeline in sight. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Madrid's plan to recover Mastantuono

  However, Spanish publication have revealed the steps Los Blancos are set to take to ensure Mastantuono's recovery is as smooth as possible. Mastantuono’s battle with pubalgia has been dragging on for several weeks, though his first official absence only came against Liverpool. No one at Real Madrid is setting a recovery date, not even the medical staff. His progress will depend entirely on how he feels each morning. For now, the Argentine teenager continues his recovery away from the pitch, with cautious optimism that he could return to light training during the international break.

  His modest returns despite being the player with the 10th most minutes in the squad concern neither the player nor the club. This stage is viewed as part of his natural progression, and his reduced involvement prior to injury is considered a normal developmental phase, not a setback.

  Inside Valdebebas, Real Madrid’s staff often cite the examples of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Federico Valverde, and Endrick as reminders that young stars need time to adapt. All of them arrived at a similar age and initially went through gradual integration. By comparison, Mastantuono’s first months are seen as a success, validating the club’s long-term plan for his development.

• Emphasis on strengthening Mastantuono's lower body

  During the recovery period, heavy emphasis will be placed on physical conditioning. When Mastantuono first broke through at River Plate, he was full of natural talent but lacked physical power. Under the club’s supervision, he followed a strict regimen designed to build muscle mass while maintaining agility. Working closely with trainers, he gained around 10 kilograms of muscle in a controlled way, ensuring his style of play remained fluid, dynamic, and explosive.

  At Madrid, his physical recuperation is expected to continue with a different focus. The priority is no longer upper-body strength but lower-body power and core stability – key areas for preventing the kind of muscular issues that often affect explosive players like him. The training program aims to enhance balance, acceleration, and endurance while reinforcing the area most affected by his current groin injury.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Madrid determined to transform Mastantuono into world-beater

  Pubalgia is notoriously persistent, but both player and medical staff view this pause as an opportunity for healing. The recovery process will be gradual: rebuilding strength, resuming ball work, and only then returning to full team training.

  In Madrid, there’s no sense of panic. Only confidence. Mastantuono’s injury is seen not as a setback but as another step in his long-term evolution. The plan remains the same as ever: progress carefully, stay patient, and prepare one of football’s brightest young talents for the demands of the elite game. 

  Both the ongoing season and Mastantuono's career have a long way to go. The Argentine international has given enough demonstration about his capabilities in the full whites of Los Blancos, and it goes without saying that he will become a key fixture for Alonso upon his recovery. For Mastantuono, another driving force is the chance to break into Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad for next year’s World Cup – a stage that could symbolize the passing of the torch from Lionel Messi to a new generation.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Angra-Audax anunciou nesta quarta-feira (11) Tuca Guimarães, seu novo treinador para a temporada de 2024. O novo comandante já iniciou os trabalhos e que terá pela frente a disputa do Campeonato Carioca, Copa do Brasil e Série D na próxima temporada.

RelacionadasCorinthiansRodrigo Caetano no Corinthians? Saiba se há chances do profissional se transferir para o clube em 2024Corinthians13/10/2023BotafogoTorcida do Botafogo esgota carga de ingressos de dois setores do Niltão na partida contra o Athletico-PRBotafogo13/10/2023Lance! BizCombate à pirataria no esporte é tema de evento organizado pela OAB-RJLance! Biz13/10/2023

– A oportunidade de estar dirigindo o Audax é maiúscula. Esse namoro já vem de muito tempo, em outras oportunidades acabamos batendo na trave e agora acaba se conslidando. O clube é comandado por pessoas sérias, que tenho muito carinho e fazem o futebol de forma muito profissional – analisou Tuca, que completou falando do ano seguinte do time.

+ Torcida do Botafogo esgota carga de ingressos de dois setores do Niltão na partida contra o Athletico-PR

+ A sua carreira no futebol pode começar hoje. Garanta a sua vaga no curso Gestor de Futebol e capacite-se!

– Tenho certeza que essa combinação vai dar resultado e vamos fazer uma boa temporada. O ano de 2024 já começou, a gente já vem trabalhando nesse projeto há alguns dias, tanto na montagem do elenco, quanto na estruturação dos nossos alicerces de preparação e da parte funcional do trabalho e a organização dos detalhes da nossa pré-temporada, deixando tudo pronto para que possamos estar bem estruturados pra iniciar nossas atividades em novembro – afirmou o treinador.

O profissional tem passagens por Figueirense, Portuguesa, Boa Esporte e Patrocinense e teve como último trabalho a Seleção Cubana, onde ocupou o cargo de Coordenador Técnico. Em 2017, conquistou o título do Paulista A3 no comando do Nacional-SP e no próximo ano terá sua primeira oportunidade no Campeonato Carioca.

– Não tem como não ser audacioso. O Audax ficou em sexto no ano passado e já é motivo de muito empenho para que possamos superar esse resultado. Existem quatro gigantes, o Volta Redonda que está na Série C e temos que estar preparados para fazer um bom campeonato – afirmou Tuca, que finalizou falando das competições que o time vai disputar em 2024.

– Temos também a Copa do Brasil, que vamos buscar avançar ao máximo, não só pelo resultado esportivo, mas também por ser algo que oxigena o grupo de forma geral. Depois vamos pensar em Série D do Brasileiro no segundo semestre, o foco neste momento é planejar bem o Carioca e a Copa do Brasil para iniciar bem o ano e ter uma caminhada consistente – compeltou o comandante.

Mo Salah has taken drastic action on his social media channels the morning after he was sensationally dropped to the bench by Liverpool boss Arne Slot for the crucial Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt. Salah’s move has created a stir with suggestions that this is a clear indication the Egypt international wants to leave Anfield and comes after his well below-par start to the season.

Mo problems as season stutters

It’s been a very tricky start to the season for Salah, with a noticeable decline in the quality of his performances, marked by reduced goal-scoring and fewer chances created. His goal involvements are down, with his shooting accuracy and expected goals per 90 minutes both significantly lower compared to his best seasons. He has also shown a worrying drop in his dribbling success rate and fewer touches in the opposition's penalty area, indicating a decrease in his effectiveness. His lacklustre form has prompted Slot to bench him, a rare move for a player who has consistently been one of Liverpool's most reliable performers. This dip in form has contributed to the Premier League champions' inconsistent results, with some pundits and fans suggesting his place in the starting lineup is no longer guaranteed.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChampions League drama as Salah strops

Despite Liverpool's comfortable 5-1 victory in Frankfurt, Salah's performance was notably poor after he was introduced in the 74th minute, and the Egypt international continued his  goal drought, making little impact in his brief appearance and he faced an avalanche of criticism for choosing to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Florian Wirtz. Fans and pundits called the decision "greedy," especially as Wirtz is still waiting for his first goal.
Fans were quick to ask questions of why Salah is being so selfish. @TheKopWatch posted on social media: "That’s so greedy from Salah, Wirtz is right there for his first goal ffs." @CiebacT added: "Salah personally hates Flo, no other explanation." As that debate continued, @_bubblxs said: "Imagine how good we could be if Salah played WITH wirtz instead of against him." And @SanchezKing13 chimed in with: "If I’m Wirtz I’m airing Salah and not passing him the ball for the next 8 games".

And Salah’s frustration was evident post-match when he stormed down the tunnel "in a strop". But Slot's bold decision to drop Salah came after a run of disappointing performances, and was vindicated as the team ended a four-match losing streak without their talisman on the pitch from the start.

Liverpool wiped from social media

And now the morning after the Frankfurt match Salah has taken the decision to remove all mention of Liverpool from his social media channel's biographies, including Instagram and X, replacing the previous Liverpool-related content and pictures of him with his team-mates for generic images of himself and others with his two daughters. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWill Mo make return to starting XI?

Next steps lay firmly with the boss Slot, he could hand a starting place back to Salah away to Brentford this weekend and the storm will blow over. But if he’s left out again the chatter about Salah leaving will only grow louder. The Reds host Crystal Palace in the League Cup on October 29th and there’s the massive Champions League fixture against Real Madrid on the horizon next month, too. 

Ahead of the clash with Frankfurt, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said Salah must understand his starting place is no longer guaranteed. He said: "When Mo Salah isn't being the legendary Mo Salah, he gets treated like one of the other players, which is right. He's 33 years of age and Liverpool will have three games in six days. At the moment, if he isn't at his best, he shouldn't play three games in six days. There are other options there as well. We know Liverpool have spent a lot of money. Liverpool have got a big game at the weekend as well, so great decision, Arne."

GOAL looks at the tiers of teams in the 2025 MLS playoffs, asking who might win it all and who is just happy to be here?

It's MLS playoff time. In the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia were deserved Supporters' Shield winners. FC Cincinnati did enough to run them close. Inter Miami were bad for a bit, then ended up in third. In the West, there was a little more tension, especially as LAFC turned things around with a smart midseason transfer flurry. 

And now the good news is that there are some tasty playoff matchups. Miami-Nashville should make for good watching, especially if Nashville perform at their best. Minnesota-Seattle will be an intriguing one. And of course, having a Hell is Real derby in the first round is just wonderfully compelling.

But how will it all shake out? In this league, it is simply impossible to know. By winning the Shield, the Union actually made themselves historically less likely to lift MLS Cup. So, with that rampant uncertainty in mind, GOAL ranks MLS playoff tiers.

Getty Images SportTIER: Clear Favorites

Philadelphia Union: Is it lazy to say that the team that won the Supporters' Shield are also the team best positioned to win MLS Cup? Of course. But in this case, it might be true. The Union, crucially, were steady all season. They never really blew anyone away, but they also developed a fantastic habit of rebounding from tough results. What we have here, then, is a battle hardened side, with the necessary belief to match up against anyone. Perhaps the only knock against them is an ACL tear suffered by Quinn Sullivan, as they lose an attacking spark.

San Diego FC: This would be excellent for the narrative. No one had a clue if expansion side San Diego FC would be good or not. Sure, they made some notable signings, and had the backing of the Right to Dream model. But young sporting directors, a rookie head coach, and distinctly not flashy DP signings don't always inspire confidence. Well, they got it right, and topped the Western Conference. Chucky Lozano's recurring fitness issues will always be a slight concern, but Anders Dreyer would walk the MVP race had it not been for the presence of Lionel Messi. There's quality here, and a groundswell of support.

FC Cincinnati: What happens when you take an already elite team and add Evander? As it turns out, good things. Cincinnati have been spellbinding at times, and with Kevin Denkey bagging 15 goals in his first season, can be among the best attacking sides in the league. Defense will be the question. Matt Miazga has returned from a long-term knee issue, but there are still questions to be asked about their rear guard. Roman Celentano has developed between the sticks, though, and can be counted on for a big save or two. 

AdvertisementGettyTIER: Will Lean On Their Stars

Inter Miami: Obvious. If Messi decides to play football, Miami might win it.

Vancouver Whitecaps: Vancouver were excellent to start the season, but experienced some real issues as the campaign wore on. Pedro Vite's departure to Pumas hurt, and they have clear concerns at centerback. Enter former Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller, who has shown why he is one of the finest players of his generation with countless top performances. He will never truly stand out, but he can secretly pace this team. 

LAFC: Son Heung-Min has been the best player in MLS for the past two months and it's not really a debate. If he and Denis Bouanga work their magic, they will be hard to stop.

GettyTIER: A Really Tough Out

Minnesota United: There are two ways of looking at Minnesota's play style. They are either infuriatingly defensive set piece merchants who lack the verve and quality to take the game to another side, or a wonderfully set up side that is comfortable playing without the ball – and could quite easily engineer a series of 1-0 wins. Either way, they will hard to beat, especially if Kelvin Yeboah is able to find some form following a stretch out with a muscle injury. 

Nashville SC: Nashville's best performance of the season was their US Open Cup semifinal win over Philadelphia. It was a gutsy thing, B.J. Callaghan's side digging in, scrapping for 90 minutes, and getting three goals out of the best pure No. 9 this league has to offer. That is equal parts strength and weakness. If Nashville keep up that intensity and get Sam Surridge on the ball, they will be a true handful. But they do have some defensive frailties, and can be found out by more technical sides when their levels drop. 

Columbus Crew: There's one reason here: Wilfried Nancy. The Crew were supposed to be MLS Cup contenders, and many had them towards the top of the East. But it hasn't quite worked out for them this year. The good news? They have an elite coach at the helm. Count out Nancy at your peril – especially in a trio of derby matches.

NYCFC: The Pigeons are puzzling. They have pieced together some truly excellent performances against Charlotte, Columbus and Cincinnati. But they have also lost to D.C. United and been thumped by Miami. Perhaps the best compliment you can pay them is that you never know which version of the side will show up. If it's the one that has upset some of the East's best, look out. If not, things will be tricky.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportTIER: Dark Horses

Seattle Sounders: Never, ever, ever, ever count out Brian Schmetzer. That's pretty much it. 

Charlotte FC: They are lacking the consistency needed to go on a run. At their best, they are the side that battered Miami, 3-0. But they can go quiet in attacking areas at times, and will be without Wilfried Zaha for the first of their three-game series with NYCFC, which is an undeniable blow.

Premier League fans, particularly those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion, were left disappointed this week when Harry Kane declared that he has no plans to come home as he is enjoying life with Bayern Munich so much. And why would he? He is primed to add another Bundesliga title to his maiden trophy won last year after firing Bayern to an explosive start to the season.

Kane is in the best form of his career, even pipping Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo to goal records these days and being hailed for his selfless work by coach Vincent Kompany. While he initially saw his stint in Germany as a short-term move due to his desire to become the Premier League's all-time top scorer, he is now open to prolonging his stay in the Bundesliga.

English fans will still get plenty of opportunities to see Kane in action though as he remains as committed as ever to his country. Take the fact that he was taken off in Bayern's last game with Eintracht Frankfurt with an ankle injury but still linked up with the England squad as usual. He is a doubt for Thursday's friendly with Wales but he is working hard in the gym to be fit for the trip to Latvia next Tuesday, where he will hope to help the team rubber-stamp their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Kane wanting to stay at Bayern is good news for national team coach Thomas Tuchel, who worked with him for one season at the Bavarian giants. It means he is settled out in Germany and can use his insatiable club form as a springboard to take the Three Lions all the way next summer in the United States and finally cement his status as England's greatest player of all time…

Getty Two goals per game

Kane broke all sorts of goal records in his first season with Bayern but this is proving to be his most prolific yet. He has a ludicrous 18 goals in 10 games in all competitions and in his last six matches he has averaged two goals per match. 

He has only failed to score once for his club this season and in that game against Augsburg he contributed two assists in the 3-2 win. His strike against Frankfurt helped Bayern make it six league wins from six and saw him become the first player in Bundesliga history to score 11 times in the opening six games of a season. 

Two weeks before, Kane became the first player to score 17 consecutive penalties in the Bundesliga when he scored two spot-kicks at Hoffenheim. It is now 18 successive penalties after also burying the ball in the net from the spot against Werder Bremen.

He is not just making Bundesliga history with each week either; he is surpassing modern greats of the game. 

AdvertisementAFP'Best striker of his generation'

Kane recently became the fastest player to score 100 goals for Bayern, doing so in 104 games. He smashed the previous record of Robert Lewandowski, who got to his century of goals in 136 games. And he even pipped Haaland and Ronaldo, who took 105 games to score 100 times for Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.

Given the head start he has given himself, it is easy to see Kane eclipsing Lewandowski's record of 41 Bundesliga goals in a single season. At his current rate of 1.8 goals per game, Kane will have overtaken Lewandowski just 22 matches into the season. That date might seem unrealistic, but he should at least get there by the end of the campaign. He is the leading top scorer in Europe's top five leagues despite playing two games fewer than Kylian Mbappe in La Liga and Haaland in the Premier League. 

Given the esteemed company he is keeping in the scoring charts, Tuchel was not exaggerating when he told this week: "He is undoubtedly the best striker of his generation. He has reached a new level and is now scoring two goals per game. 

"He’s in full flow; you can feel the confidence he carries Bayern Munich and the Three Lions with ease on his shoulders. He’s in top form, and I’m glad to have him as captain."

Getty 'Watch his work!'

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has grown tired of lavishing Kane with praise after each goalscoring feat but he is willing to point out the less appreciated aspects of the striker's game.

"I don’t have much to say about the things everyone can see. What I can say is: watch his work off the ball," the Belgian said after Kane scored twice to down Chelsea 3-1 in the Champions League. "Watch him press, help the team, recover the ball. It’s important for him, if he spends that much energy, to get rewarded and get chances to score. We can talk about talent and quality, but I keep highlighting that side because you need a lot of hard work to be where he is."

Kompany repeated the message after Kane plundered a hat-trick at Hoffenheim a few days later. He said: "When a player scores so many goals and then wins his first title, you can't always expect him to help defend, to give his all in every training session. Okay, at this absolute top level, maybe. But not everyone can do that. And the fact that Harry, despite all these goals, still helps so much in defence and inspires the others in every training session, of course, makes my job easier."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Pushing himself

Kane has embraced that side of the game and, like Kompany alluded to, he claimed that ending his decade-long wait to win a trophy last season has in fact made him even hungrier. "When you win a title maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like: ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve,'" Kane told English media this week. 

"But it's given me motivation to do more. My numbers are 11km a game, a lot of high‑speed running. Sometimes when I’m watching the games back, I’m more looking forward to watching tackles or one of my defensive actions than watching my goals back. I don’t know if that means I’m getting a little bit bored of my goals or like the tackling part as well but it’s been enjoyable.

"I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. It could have been easy to be a bit more relaxed. I pushed myself the other way, being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym."

Despite defeat at Anfield before the international break, Arsenal return to action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime to much excitement.

However, Mikel Arteta will be without key figures William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, the latter facing a race against time to be available for next Sunday’s huge clash with Manchester City in North London.

In the past, injuries have derailed the Gunners’ title hopes and dreams, because they’ve simply not had the squad depth to cope with key absences.

Now though, after spending over £250m in the summer transfer market, that has changed, so Arteta must unleash a few of his summer signings, one who some are forecasting could become even better than Saka.

Eberechi Eze's home debut

Ahead of Arsenal’s first home game of the season, a 5-0 demolition of Leeds United, Eberechi Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd.

It was a genuinely spine-tingling moment, with Eze himself taken aback by the welcome home he received, 14 years after being released as a child, thinking his dream was dead.

Now though, after he was given a mere brief cameo at Anfield, Eze is ready to take centre stage, with those attending Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest doing so in anticipation of witnessing a home debut to remember.

As noted by Match of the Day, Arsenal have the second-lowest expected goals from open-play in the Premier League this season, their figure of 1.57 above only that of newly-promoted Sunderland, continuing a problem that has hampered Arteta’s team for a while.

This underlines why Eze has been signed, adding that much-needed creativity, but he may not be the only summer signing Arsenal will be hoping can shine this weekend and beyond.

More than just Arsenal's Bukayo Saka back-up

When Noni Madueke was recruited from Chelsea for £52m in the summer, plenty of eyebrows were raised, but the early signs are that this could be a shrewd piece of business.

In defeat to Liverpool, the 23-year-old was the Gunners’ most dangerous attacker throughout, always giving Miloš Kerkez something to think about, even if the end product was lacking.

Nevertheless, based on what he has produced so far, speaking on the Arscast, Philippe Auclair believes Madueke is simply far too good to merely be considered a Saka back-up, and his statistics last season support this argument.

Shots

80

14th

Shots per 90

3.54

4th

Big chances missed

14

18th

Progressive carries

154

3rd

Carries into the box

93

3rd

Attempted take-ons

102

25th

Touches in the box

184

5th

As the table notes, Madueke ranked behind only Jérémy Doku and Mohamed Salah when it came to progressive carries last season, also ranked in the top five in terms of shots per 90 and touches in the opposition’s penalty area.

He has certainly impressed Thomas Tuchel, starting three of England’s last four World Cup qualifiers, including both this month, scoring his first-ever international goal against Serbia at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade on Tuesday.

During the international break, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker was so impressed with Madueke that he exclaimed “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, praising his frightening pace and ability to strike fear into defenders.

Given that Saka has been consistently excellent since first breaking into the Arsenal team in early-2020, this is a bold claim.

However, this competition for places can only be a good thing for Arteta, given that his star man is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, having sat out more than three months last season due to the same issue, missing 19 games, unquestionably derailing the Gunners’ title aspirations.

On Saturday specifically, it is tough to forecast who Ange Postecoglou will deploy at full-back, given that Ola Aina is set to spend three months on the sidelines, after sustaining a serious hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

It won’t be Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, he’s ineligible to face his parent club, but whoever it is will not relish coming up against Madueke, who will surely start in Saka’s place, looking to score his first Arsenal goal.

Arsenal's first Dowman: Meet the best player to ever come through Hale End

The talented Hale Ender just wasn’t good enough to make it at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Após mais de um mês parado por conta de uma lesão no ombro direito, o zagueiro Murilo deu mais um importante passo para reforçar o Palmeiras e treinou normalmente com os companheiros neste domingo (18), na Academia de Futebol.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras coloca preço de Libertadores em ingressos para ‘decisão’ com o Botafogo pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras18/06/2023PalmeirasEm meio a tensão nos bastidores, saiba quantos jogos o Palmeiras deve deixar de atuar no Allianz ParquePalmeiras18/06/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras anuncia a saída de Paulo Victor Gomes, técnico multicampeão pelo sub-20; saiba quem assume a equipePalmeiras17/06/2023

+ Lance! estreia nova marca e se reposiciona no mercado de mídia esportivas

O defensor está em fase de recondicionamento físico e deverá ser relacionado pelo Verdão na partida contra o Bahia, fora de casa, pelo Brasileirão, na próxima quarta-feira (21). O camisa 26 disputa posição com Luan, que embalou uma sequência no time titular durante o último mês.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Por outro lado, Abel Ferreira recebeu a notícia da lesão de Jailson. O volante teve diagnosticado um estiramento do ligamento colateral do joelho esquerdo após um trauma no treino e já iniciou tratamento no Núcleo de Saúde e Performance.

continua após a publicidade

O clube alviverde não divulgou o por quanto tempo o atleta ficará afastado dos gramados, mas o tempo de recuperação para um estiramento no joelho varia de duas semanas a um mês. Na temporada passada, Jailson rompeu o ligamento cruzado do joelho direito e ficou afastado por oito meses.

+ Verdão briga pelo título? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

Após um dia de folga, a comissão de Abel Ferreira realizou dois trabalhos simultâneos para o elenco alviverde. Em uma metade do campo, foi colocada em prática uma atividade técnica com dois times de sete componentes e com a permissão de poucos toques na bola por atleta.

continua após a publicidade

Na outra metade, os jogadores foram orientados a focar na construção de jogadas e quebras de linha, usando como referências estacas posicionadas ao longo do gramado.

Com 22 pontos, o Palmeiras é o vice-líder do Brasileirão, dois pontos atrás do Botafogo. O Verdão irá medir forças com o Glorioso no dia 25 de junho, e o clube já divulgou o preço dos ingressos.