The Tigers had lost eight consecutive games entering Thursday night's matchup with the Guardians in Cleveland. Once up by 15.5 games in the American League Central, Detroit needed a win in order to get back even with the Guardians as the regular season enters its final weekend. A.J. Hinch turned to rookie Troy Melton to deliver in the biggest spot of the year and the young righthander rewarded that confidence by throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering a single run.
Upon getting relieved from the game, Melton savored the moment by singing along to Blink-182's "All The Small Things" as it blared throughout the stadium.
Here's that cool moment.
Detroit and Cleveland now have a three-game race to the division crown. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker so it would have been all but over had Melton not stepped in to stop the historic skid. It's a good sign for the Tigers that Melton can be this cool in such a huge moment.
And kudos to the Fan Duel Sports Detroit broadcast for catching on to what was happening.
كشف الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني بقيادة حلمي طولان، عن التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة الكويت في الجولة الافتتاحية للمجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس العرب، التي تنطلق مساء اليوم على استاد لوسيل.
ويشارك المنتخب المصري إلى جانب الكويت في المجموعة نفسها، والتي تضم أيضًا الإمارات والأردن، ضمن النسخة التي تحتضنها قطر في الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر، وسط متابعة جماهيرية عربية كبيرة لمباريات الدور الأول.
ويأمل منتخب مصر في بداية قوية تحت قيادة المدرب حلمي طولان، الذي يسعى لتوجيه الفريق نحو الانطلاقة المثالية ومقارعة المنافسين على بطاقة التأهل إلى الدور الإقصائي منذ البداية.
من جهته، يدخل المنتخب الكويتي المباراة بعد تجاوز مرحلة الملحق، ويسعى لتقديم أداء مشرف أمام مصر وإظهار قدراته التنافسية، في مباراة تحظى باهتمام واسع من الجماهير العربية.
طالع أيضًا | بدلاء منتخب مصر أمام الكويت اليوم في كأس العرب.. الونش يُجاور أفشة تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني أمام الكويت في كأس العرب
حراسة المرمى: محمد بسام
خط الدفاع: أكرم توفيق، رجب نبيل، ياسين مرعي، يحيى زكريا.
خط الوسط: محمد النني، عمرو السولية، غنام محمد.
خط الهجوم: مصطفى سعد “ميسي”، إسلام عيسى، محمد شريف.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا
Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.
The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.
Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.
Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.
Randal Kolo Muani
8.7
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
8.4
Vitinha
8.4
Willian Pacho
8.1
Joao Neves
8.0
via WhoScored
Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.
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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.
Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.
The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.
Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.
The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.
However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.
Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.
The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.
Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.
The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.
With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.
While their start to the season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have some seriously talented players in their squad.
For example, the likes of Freddie Potts, Lucas Paqueta, Mateus Fernandes and El Hadji Malick Diouf are all quality options.
However, when it comes to the Hammers’ most crucial player, it’s impossible to ignore Mr West Ham himself, Jarrod Bowen.
At his best, the Englishman is a force of nature, and so fans should be excited about reports linking the club with someone who could be Bowen 2.0.
West Ham target their next Bowen
Since moving to West Ham in 2020, Bowen has made 251 appearances for West Ham.
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In that time, he’s provided 53 assists and scored 77 goals, including what will probably be the most important he’ll ever score, the winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League Final.
There can be no doubt that the Leominster-born international has been one of the greatest transfers the club have made in the modern era, and so it’s exciting to see that they might be about to make a similar one.
At least, that is according to a recent report from Sports Boom, which claims West Ham are interested in Scott Twine.
The report goes further, revealing that the Irons are in fact plotting an £8m swoop to sign the Bristol City star as soon as January.
However, the East Londoners are unlikely to get a free hit at the Englishman, as the report has also highlighted Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers as interested parties.
With that said, even if it’s not a straightforward deal, West Ham should pursue Twine, as he could be a Bowen repeat.
Why Twine could be a Bowen repeat
Now, the first thing to point out is that, yes, Twine is primarily a midfielder and therefore plays a very different role and style compared to Bowen.
However, where he plays is not what makes this a potential repeat of the move for the 28-year-old.
Instead, one of the main similarities is that, were this deal to go through in January, it would be another example of the Hammers signing one of the most interesting English players from the Championship.
For example, in the half-season before his move to East London in 2020, the former Hull ace had racked up a monstrous tally of 17 goals and six assists in 32 games.
Appearances
17
Starts
17
Minutes
1318′
Goals
6
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
131.8
Now, the Bristol star hasn’t been that much of a goal threat, but considering he is a midfielder, his tally of six goals and four assists in 17 appearances is still hugely impressive.
Moreover, while it would be foolish to expect the Swindon-born ace to be as good for the Irons as their captain has been over the years, there is at least one area of the game in which he’s arguably world-class: free-kicks.
For example, four of his 11 goals over the last two years have come from them, and when you see the quality of them, it’s hard to disagree with one content creator who has dubbed him “the best free kick taker in the world.”
With that said, Bristol’s manager, Gerhard Struber, has made clear that the 26-year-old “is not only a free-kick monster; he is also a really good transition player.”
Ultimately, while he isn’t going to be as transformative as Bowen has been, Twine could be another excellent signing from the Championship for West Ham, and given his price tag, a bit of a no-brainer.
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كشف البولندي فوتشيك تشيزني، حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة عن شعوره من مغادرة أحد الأندية في مسيرته واصفًا إياه بالصدمة الكبرى.
وقام تشيزني بتصوير فيلمًا وثائقيًا عن حياته ناقش فيه أهم لحظات مسيرته الكروية والتي قادته إلى أندية مثل آرسنال وروما ويوفنتوس، وحاليًا برشلونة.
وقال تشيزني في تصريحات عبر صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية عن استغناء آرسنال عنه: “كانت تلك اللحظة الوحيدة في مسيرتي التي حطمت قلبي حقًا، أتذكر أنني عدت إلى المنزل وانفجرت بالبكاء”.
وظهر آرسين فينجر، مدرب آرسنال في هذا الوقت خلال الفيلم الوثائقي الذي تم تصويره باعتباره صاحب قرار رحيل تشيزني عن الجانرز.
اقرأ أيضًا | دين هويسن مهدد بالاستبعاد من معسكر إسبانيا
وأضاف تشيزني مخاطبًا فينجر: “أردت الانتقال إلى يوفنتوس لأنك أوضحت لي أنه كان الخيار الأمثل آنذاك، وأنه يجب أن أغادر آرسنال”.
وعندما تم ضبطه وهو يدخن في الحمامات، أجابه تشيزني: “أعتقد أنك اتخذت القرار قبل عامين، وأن ما فعلته لم يعد مهمًا منذ ذلك الحين”.
وأتم تشيزني: “أعتقد أنني شعرت براحة زائدة في تلك المرحلة”، لكن في الفيلم نفسه وبعد وجوده في روما لمدة عامين، اعترف فينجر أنه ارتكب خطأ باستغنائه عن الحارس البولندي.
Winning this year’s World Test Championship final could free up South Africa to play without fear, according to veteran player Rassie van der Dussen. Although van der Dussen was neither part of the WTC win nor in the most recent T20 World Cup squad, he has been part of the South African system for the last 17 years and can already see the change that winning a major trophy has made.”It feels like there’s a difference. Maybe it’s boiled over from winning the Test Championship because we won that match when it counts, so it’s almost like we can experiment more,” van der Dussen, who is standing in as South Africa’s T20I captain for the Zimbabwe tri-series, said ahead of the team’s next match.”It’s obviously Shukri [Conrad]’s first time in charge of the white-ball sides, but the mindset is different. We are not trying things for the sake of trying it, or guys being chosen for the sake of being chosen. It’s about trying things with the understanding that it’s okay if you get it wrong, but you can only get to the other side if you try it properly and authentically. What Shukri brings in terms of environment, and in terms of a mindset, is that freedom.”Conrad will coach South Africa through the 2025-27 WTC cycle, during which the white-ball teams will also play in the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup, which they will co-host.Related
Conrad: 'We're the world champions, we create our own reality'
Conrad confident SA players will prioritise national duty over T20 leagues
Though there is always pressure on teams to win in the build-up to these events, some of the pressure around the South Africa squad has eased after their WTC victory – their first global trophy since 1998 (when they won the ICC Knockout) and first with the word “World” in it. Winning the trophy reinforced the set-up’s belief in their systems, especially because Conrad is a local coach who has done things his own way.He will likely be cut some slack early in his tenure, though he will know that his predecessor, Rob Walter, was increasingly in the spotlight for the team’s poor bilateral record in ODIs and T20Is. Conrad has already indicated he wants to avoid the same by having his best players available whenever possible.Shukri Conrad is coaching South Africa’s white-ball side for the first time•AFP/Getty Images
Already, this has turned out not to be the case: Aiden Markram, the regular T20I captain, along with Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen (who is recovering from thumb surgery), Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, have all been rested from the tri-series. As a result, Van der Dussen is leading a side that includes several fringe players but wants them to keep up the winning momentum.”There’s obviously responsibility, and we want to win every match. Shukri has said that many times, and we want to win every match that we play, but we are also encouraged to be our best version, play the way we want to play, and play the way the team wants to play. If we fall short, that’s okay, we fall short on our terms. We’ll try to be better next time. There’s no pressure from a management point of view. We know what’s expected of us.”There is also the added expectation that some players in this squad – Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, George Linde and Gerald Coetzee in particular – could force their way into becoming first-choice picks. The function of a series like this, among other things, is to provide fringe players the platform to show what they can do at the international level.”Lhuan-dre, with what he has done domestically and at the SA20, you could just see that this guy needs to play at this level. And Brevis, through performance over the last six months, is putting guys under pressure,” van der Dussen said. “As a player in a team, that’s the positive pressure you want. You want someone breathing down your neck, because that’s fair. If you don’t perform, there’s a guy that’s going to take your place, and that’s always good in a team environment. It’s not like I can rest on my laurels because there’s no one really pushing me for my spot. In every department – bowling, spin bowling, fielding, keeping, batting, middle-order batting – there are guys putting their hands up and saying I want to be part of this team. That keeps you on your toes.”Even with this context in mind, South Africa will admit they have not been at their best so far, especially when it comes to the top-order’s performances. They were 38 for 3 chasing 142 against Zimbabwe, and 62 for 5 against New Zealand, a match where they finished 21 runs short.Given that Zimbabwe have lost both their matches so far, South Africa still remains favourites to reach the final, along with New Zealand, but there is work to be done. “What we want to see is progress in terms of how we want to play,” van der Dussen said. “We’ve been together for a week now, and we are getting a better understanding going between the guys. If we can start to get it even better, then we can make it to the final and play our best game on Saturday.”
Ruben Amorim has urged his Manchester United players to keep their feet on the ground despite the momentous 2-1 victory over Liverpool. The Red Devils are in great spirits following their long-awaited victory at Anfield, but the Portuguese has called on his squad to remain calm as they look to make it three Premier League wins in a row against Brighton on Saturday.
United's precious victory at Liverpool was their first since 2016
United put years of torment to bed following their win over Liverpool last Sunday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire helped the club record their first victory on their bitter rivals’ patch since 2016, when Wayne Rooney settled a tight affair under Louis van Gaal’s stewardship. United’s recent victory over Liverpool was also the first time they registered back-to-back Premier League wins under Amorim, following the 2-0 triumph over Sunderland earlier this month.
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Amorim insists United must not get carried away following the victory
However, while United are understandably in fine fettle following such an elusive win, Amorim insists it is important his players do not get carried away, reminding them that Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo – who hit the woodwork three times during the game – was desperately close to extending his side’s wait for a victory on Merseyside.
When asked about his comments after the Liverpool game, when Amorim told the media they should “carry on with their narrative” about United, and whether he and his players feed off such doubts, the former Sporting CP boss said: “No, what I mean is that we cannot change so much. I think they ask me about top four in the end of the question. So, I don't want to change so much with the difference of 20 centimetres. If [Cody] Gakpo shot 20 centimetres here, the narrative would be completely different. So, I just want to maintain some calm, some direction in what we are doing. That’s what I mean.
“There is doubts if you are a manager in this kind of club, [and] you don't win a lot of games, people are going to doubt you. And they have reasons for that, but my point of view is that we need to be clear on our path and not changing so much because we win one game, that's all.”
Portuguese full of praise for in-form Brighton ahead of Saturday's clash
United’s quest for a third straight victory under Amorim will not be easy as Brighton head to Old Trafford in fine form themselves. The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, recording league victories over Chelsea and Newcastle alongside a Carabao Cup triumph over League One side Barnsley. Fabian Hurzeler’s men have also recorded draws against Tottenham and Wolves during that run, helping the club rise to 10th in the table and just one point behind United.
“I think it's going to be like always, but it's going to be a very difficult game,” said Amorim. “I think Brighton is a team [that is] really fun to watch. They are really good on [the] build-up. They are really strong on transitions in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season. So, I think they are a team that is really complete, and we need to be really smart, and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do, because they are a very strong team.
“You can see by the way they play the game. Really intense, the quality is there. They believe a lot in what they are doing, even under pressure. So, I'm a huge fan of Fabian.”
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United poised to lock horns with summer transfer target Baleba
United could come up against summer transfer target Carlos Baleba when they lock horns with Brighton. Amorim’s side were keen to sign the 21-year-old but walked away from discussions after learning the south coast club valued the Cameroon international at around £115 million (€132m/$153m) – the same fee they received from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023. United are also poised to face former striker Danny Welbeck, who has been in fine form for Brighton this season. A United academy graduate, the 34-year-old has scored four goals in eight league games this term.
It didn’t start off that way, with Bangladesh reduced to 45 for 3 but there was little joy for Sri Lanka thereafter
Madushka Balasuriya17-Jun-2025
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim’s centuries deflated Sri Lanka•Associated Press
The first hour or so of play on the opening day of the Galle Test belonged to Sri Lanka. But after that, it was all Bangladesh, as Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim struck centuries during an unbroken stand of 247, to seize control of day one.By stumps, Shanto was unbeaten on 136 and had Mushfiqur right behind him on 105 not out. Seamer Milan Rathnayake was the most economical of the Sri Lanka bowlers, his 12 overs going for just 19 runs, but the bulk of the overs were bowled by the spin pair of Prabath Jayasuriya and debutant Tharindu Rathnayake. The wickets were split between Asitha Fernando and debutant Tharindu, but once Shanto and Mushfiqur were set, Sri Lanka rarely caused them trouble.Winning the toss and opting to bat is usually the obvious call in Galle, but this time in particular, with conditions more favourable than usual for batters, Shanto was rightfully chuffed when the toss fell his way. That smile though, had become closer to a grimace when he stood at the non-striker’s end watching a third Bangladeshi batter fall with not even 50 on the board.When Mushfiqur walked out to join him, Shanto himself had faced just three deliveries; it took him only until his sixth though to show that he would not be cowed by the situation, skipping down the track and smoking one back over Tharindu’s head. That set the tone, if not outright aggression and displayed resolute confidence.Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his first Test century since November 2023•Associated Press
Tharindu had at that point been building up a head of steam. Mominul Haque had gone after him, but the ambidextrous spinner had the last laugh. And prior to that, he had removed opener Shadman Islam. Shanto though, made it a mission to put Tharindu off his rhythm; he would end the morning session having struck at better than run-a-ball against the spinner, and would continue to target him as a release valve of sorts throughout the day. Of Shanto’s 15 boundaries (14 fours and a six), ten came off Tharindu.Tharindu eventually settled in and brought down his economy rate, but Shanto and Mushfiqur continued steadily on, the run rate always hovering around 3-3.5 an over. The session counters reflected as much – 90, 92 and 110. The last session might have been less, after Sri Lanka began utilising defensive lines for the first hour, but they got tired in the final hour and it allowed Bangladesh to tick along at nearly four an over during that period.Considering the batter-friendly nature of the pitch, an argument could be made for Bangladesh perhaps having been able to go harder at the Sri Lankan bowlers, but even with the pitch taking less turn on day one than what it has in the past, the conventional wisdom in Galle has been to bat first and long, and Bangladesh are set up to do just that.Angelo Mathews receives a guard of honour in his final Test•AFP/Getty Images
Sri Lanka for most of the morning, would not have imagined proceedings ending up like this. The day had begun with a felicitation and a guard of honour for the retiring Angelo Mathews, and then just 4.3 overs into the day’s play, Asitha got one to seam away and catch Anamul Haque’s edge.Tharindu then added to the celebratory mood, grabbing two wickets in consecutive deliveries (across two overs), a dream start to his Test career. But then things took a turn with the experience of Shanto and Mushfiqur coming into play.Sri Lanka too were guilty of perhaps over-bowling the debutant when it was clear he was being targeted, while they could also have possibly refrained from pairing him with Milan, who was creating pressure at one end only for it to be alleviated at the other. For instance, it took until an hour after the lunch break for Jayasuriya to be reintroduced, and by that time, both batters had neared fifties.That said, both Shanto and Mushfiqur batted with clear purpose and it meant that when Sri Lanka erred, they were waiting and ready to capitalise.
Sultans, who are bottom of the PSL table, have been left frustrated by the loss of a home game
Danyal Rasool27-Apr-2025
Multan Sultans have been left unhappy by the schedule change•PCB
Multan Sultans will play one fewer game at home after the PCB announced their clash against Karachi Kings on May 1 will be played in Lahore instead. It is one of two games affected by a reschedule, with Sultans’ home match against Quetta Gladiators pushed back by a day to May 11.The PCB said the decision was taken due to “operational ease and recent heatwaves in certain parts of the country”. Multan, the warmest of the four cities hosting the tournament, was due to host both of the rescheduled games in the afternoon, one of which will take place in Lahore while the other moves to the evening.However, Lahore has also been affected by extremely hot weather, with temperatures only about 3 degrees cooler on average than Multan. Further exacerbating logistical challenges was the departure of more than two dozen members of the production crew hailing from India earlier this week, in the wake of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.ESPNcricinfo has learned the decision has left Sultans feeling extremely frustrated. In talks with the PCB, Sultans proposed moving the game against Kings to May 6 in a bid to ensure they did not lose the advantage of playing at home. However, Kings objected to that proposal, saying it would disadvantage them. Had the game been played on that day, Kings would have played three games at three different venues across five days. They argued it left them with no rest for five days in a row, with each day a match or travel day.It was left to the PCB to mediate, who ended up deciding to stick to the original date for the Sultans-Kings game. Sultans are understood to be upset that the decision was communicated to them fait accompli, providing no further window for discussion or negotiation, and depriving them of a game at home against Kings. The PCB has defended its position, acknowledging Sultans’ disappointment but maintaining any alternate schedule would have resulted in fixture disruption for more teams.Sultans, who made each of the last four PSL finals and won the tournament in 2021, have endured a horror first half to the PSL. They sit bottom of the table, having lost five of their first six games, and likely need to win all remaining matches to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.
Now that it’s closed, it would be fair to say West Ham United had a relatively good transfer window this summer.
They didn’t spend an egregious amount of money, and it took them a while to get going, but Graham Potter’s squad is now stronger than it was at the end of last season.
The pick of the signing might just be Mateus Fernandes, who enjoyed a strong first campaign (individually) in the Premier League with Southampton last year.
However, a player sold by David Moyes a few years ago is now being compared to the Portuguese ace.
Reviewing West Ham's transfer window
Alonfside Fernandes, West Ham made a number of exciting additions to Potter’s squad over the summer, such as El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The Senegalese international cost £19m from Czech outfit Slavia Prague, and while that’s no small amount, he’s already proving to be more than worth the outlay.
For example, he impressed in the pre-season, and then, in just three league appearances and one Carabao Cup game, he has racked up two assists from left-back and left wing-back.
On the other side, Kyle Walker-Peters has already shown why a number of teams were keen to sign him, as he’s already registered an assist in three appearances.
Even Callum Wilson, who was a signing that raised plenty of eyebrows, has started life in East London well enough, scoring a goal in the win over Nottingham Forest last week.
WestHamUnited manager GrahamPotter and Callum Wilson celebrate after the match
These three, plus the highly-rated Soungoutou Magassa and Fernandes, could end up looking like an excellent window come the end of the season.
Although as exciting as the Portuguese ace is, the club has already sold a player compared to him for a sizable loss in the past.
West Ham's original Fernandes
West Ham saw plenty of players come and go over Moyes’ two stints in the dugout, but in this instance, we are talking about Pablo Fornals.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
The Spanish midfielder joined the club in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £24m and went on to make 203 appearances, totalling 12,221 minutes.
During his time in East London, the “unbelievable” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Karl Matchett, would score 23 goals, provide 19 assists, play in the Europa League and be a part of the iconic Conference League-winning side under Moyes.
Pablo-Fornals
However, minutes were harder to come by in the 23/24 season, and when Real Betis came knocking in the January window, the Hammers were happy to let him leave for around £6.8m – a £17.2m loss.
With all that said, then, where does this comparison to the Irons’ new boy Fernandes come from?
Well, it stems from FBref, which determined that the Portuguese ace has been the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spaniard across Europe’s top five leagues in the last 365 days.
We can gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached by examining the underlying numbers in which the pair rank closely.
Fornals & Fernandes
Statistics per 90
Fornals
Fernandes
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.25
0.22
Passing Accuracy
80.0%
80.1%
Expected Assists
0.14
0.11
Shots
1.13
1.32
Ball Recoveries
5.62
5.58
Carries into the Penalty Area
0.34
0.28
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
These include metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, ball recoveries, carries into the penalty area, passing accuracy and more, all per 90.
In other words, the 29-year-old looks to be as creative when it comes to passing, and just as effective a carrier of the ball.
West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals.
Ultimately, Fernandes should be an excellent signing for West Ham, and it’s probably a good sign that he’s as comparable to as big a fan favourite as Fornals.
West Ham starlet looked a bigger talent than Rice & Paqueta, now he's got no club
The former West Ham gem’s career hasn’t gone to plan at all.