Northamptonshire coach Darren Lehmann has made a statement signing by luring Australia’s Nathan McSweeney to Wantage Road for the 2026 season. The deal covers all formats and the club expect McSweeney to be available “for the whole season” barring an international recall.Lehmann joined Northants last summer and took them to T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time since 2016, though they finished second-bottom of Division Two in the County Championship and won only once in the One-Day Cup. He signed an extension mid-season which means his contract now runs until the end of 2027, and has started to strengthen his squad for next year.Lehmann was an assistant coach when McSweeney captained Brisbane Heat to the BBL title in 2023-24, and presented him with his baggy green cap when he made his Test debut against India last year. McSweeney was harshly dropped after only three caps – four of his five dismissals were to an in-form Jasprit Bumrah – but has not featured for Australia since.McSweeney previously worked with Lehmann at Brisbane Heat•Cricket Australia via Getty Images
As a result, he should be available throughout the English summer. He will play alongside his South Australia team-mate Harry Conway for the first half of the Championship season, with Yuzvendra Chahal set to take over from Conway for the second half of the Championship and the One-Day Cup. Allrounder Louis Kimber has also joined from Leicestershire.”When the chance came up to sign with Northamptonshire, it was an easy decision,” McSweeney said. “The club has a strong culture and some quality players, and working with Boof again made it even more appealing. I’m eager to get over there, settle in, and help the team win games.”Lehmann said: “Nathan McSweeney is a brilliant player who has so much talent and potential. He’s a classy individual who will hopefully provide us with some stability in that top order. We can’t wait for him to arrive and hit the ground running.”
He capped the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award
Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2025Rovman Powell marked his 100th T20I in style, sticking to his “batting template” of a late surge to guide West Indies to a 16-run win over Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. On Monday, he became only the third West Indian to reach the milestone of 100 games, capping the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Powell, however, didn’t make a great start to his innings against Bangladesh. He couldn’t time the ball properly, striking just one four as he made 18 runs off his first 22 balls. It was in the 19th over when Powell finally struck his first six – a mow across the line against Mustafizur Rahman.Then, when he got the strike in the final over, he hammered Tanzim Hasan for three sixes in a row, ending up unbeaten on 44 off 28 balls. He made 26 runs in his last six balls. The late momentum took West Indies to 165 for 3 in 20 overs, before their bowlers helped dismiss Bangladesh for 149.Related
Seales and Hosein boss powerplay as West Indies go 1-0 up
“I am very happy,” Powell said. “It is not always that someone gets to play 100 T20Is, especially for West Indies. It shows the hard work that I have done in the duration of my career. A lot of credit goes to my family and friends, and the players with whom I have played these 100 matches. It is very special to get Man-of-the-Match award in my 100th game.”I think it’s a batting template that I have used in the last year or two. I have had good success with it. I try to get a start and get into the last five overs when I try to hit as many sixes as possible.”Powell also noted that heavy dew affected the West Indies’ bowling effort. He added that they would have felt pressure had Bangladesh kept wickets in hand towards the end of the 166-run chase.”If one of the main Bangladeshi batters had stayed at the wicket for longer, we would have been under pressure,” he said. “It was very wet in the end. Having said that, a lot of the credit goes to our bowlers. They stuck to their plans and picked up wickets at critical times.”We had information about the ground but we didn’t know it would get this wet. Maybe that’s something that we keep in consideration.”Instead, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the powerplay and lost all their frontline batters by the 12th over. Fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib top-scored for Bangladesh, making 33 runs.Tanzim said that Bangladesh could have done with a better powerplay and with specialist batters in the final overs.”Of course, when there was dew, the ball came on to the bat more easily,” Tanzim said. “If we had one set batsman at that stage, the game would’ve been much easier. In the last couple of overs, a settled batsman always keeps you in the game. We lost four wickets in the powerplay. Even if it had been two, the chase could still have been managed.”Powell, meanwhile, looked forward to a series win for West Indies on Wednesday. He said that they have the opportunity to get over their recent T20I record – they have lost their last seven T20I bilateral series – if they can win the second game against Bangladesh to clinch the series.”Whatever the stats say, it doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth. Myself and the guys are eager to turn that around. Being 1-0 up against Bangladesh will provide the opportunity for us to turn it around. Bangladesh are a tough side at home. We will see if we can continue improving to win the series in the next game.”.
Thomas Tuchel has dropped a massive hint about his potential midfield pairing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be staged next summer. England continued their faultless march toward the 2026 World Cup with a measured and professional 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday, and the German manager wants his troops to tap into the winning mentality ahead of the global showpiece event.
Subs transform the match as England extend historic run
Bukayo Saka’s crisp volley set the tone early on, but it was the late-game surge led by Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze that restored England’s control and secured all three points. Serbia frustrated Tuchel’s side with a compact defensive shape, and England needed patient buildup play to break through. Tuchel turned to his bench early in the second half, releasing a wave of attacking talent that immediately shifted the rhythm. Eze capped a lively cameo with a superb late strike, doubling England’s advantage, while Foden and Bellingham came on as substitutes to help the Three Lions see things out.
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Anderson emerges as Tuchel’s midfield revelation
Tuchel seems increasingly convinced that Elliot Anderson is the man to partner Declan Rice at the World Cup. Against Serbia, Anderson delivered another commanding performance. Although he is adept at playing in a more advanced role at Nottingham Forest, the player has adapted seamlessly to a deeper role for England. He averages 118 touches per 90 minutes in England’s qualifying run, which is a figure usually reserved for seasoned international metronomes.
Tuchel made no attempt to downplay his growing reliance on the 23-year-old: "Elliot and Declan are at the moment ahead in midfield. They are a very good pair and complement each other very well. They are performing at the highest level for club and country. Biggest complement to both of them. We took Declan out [of the last match] after 65 minutes to have the chance to play again, Elliot played 90 minutes and it is his first season to play international games as well as for Nottingham Forest, he is a key player there too."
Tuchel calls for hunger as records fall
The victory against Serbia took England to seven wins from seven qualifiers, boasting an astonishing 20 goals scored and not a single goal shipped in. No European nation has ever reached this stage of a World Cup qualifying cycle with a 100 per cent clean sheet and winning record. Despite England’s flawless defensive record, Tuchel insisted he has never spoken about chasing history. For him, the focus remains on mentality, not milestones.
"I didn't speak a single word about that. We made sure we had yesterday the training session that we had, the quality and mentality of the guys who didn't play was on the highest level which was pure pleasure to watch and be part of," he said. "It showed me again that we are building and growing in the right way. Everyone is ready to play, everyone is desperate to start. The competition is still on, the hunger is on to be on the pitch tomorrow. That is the most important.
"Today we prepared for Albania and we prepared our offensive solutions, spoke about the defensive structure of Albania like always and had a tactical training session. Everything we talk about is about the process and about the things that we can influence. We need to get the foundation right to have a chance to have these records. Just by thinking about it or by talking about it nothing will change, we need to deliver tomorrow again. The feeling and the trust is absolutely there because I witnessed this in camp. I trust my players to perform again tomorrow."
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England turn focus to final test in Albania
England now travel to Albania for their final qualifier, seeking to complete an unprecedented perfect campaign. While qualification is already assured, the fixture offers Tuchel another chance to refine combinations and evaluate players who are pushing for greater involvement.
"In general, I just hope and I feel the hunger for us to win and to achieve something is bigger than the fear of losing and the fear of maybe losing a record of clean sheets," he said. "These things just happen. We are well aware that we put a lot of effort in to defend as a team and it's only possible to have so many clean sheets because we defend properly as a team which is the case but you also need a bit of luck in certain moments. We should not focus too much on what we have to lose, we should be more excited about the next possibility to show our quality and to have another exciting and intense match."
With Rice and Anderson emerging as the heartbeat of Tuchel’s midfield, the manager appears closer than ever to identifying the foundation of the team he hopes will carry England deep into the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is looking to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by steering the club clear of relegation in their first season back in the Premier League.
After a run of four straight losses, the Whites have picked up four points and scored six goals in two matches against Chelsea and Liverpool in the top-flight, which has pushed them out of the bottom three.
Farke has needed his players to step up in recent games to climb back out of the relegation zone, and several stars have shown that they have what it takes to deliver in the Premier League.
Ranking Leeds United's top performers this season
Joe Rodon, who has started all 15 games, has proven to be a reliable option at the heart of the defence, winning 69% of his ground duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore.
Gabriel Gudmundsson, signed from Lille in the summer, has also caught the eye at left-back, with 3.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 dribbles completed per game, per Sofascore, whilst exciting fans with his bombing runs down the left flank.
£17.4m signing Anton Stach has been one of the top three performers for the Whites, though, with his return of two goals and two assists as a box-to-box midfielder.
Leeds United’s top 5 performers this season
Rank
Player
1
Ethan Ampadu
2
Sean Longstaff
3
Anton Stach
4
Gabriel Gudmundsson
5
Joe Rodon
As you can see in the ranking above, we have placed Sean Longstaff in second place. He leads the team in ‘big chances’ created (six), but he has also only started ten of the 15 league games, per Sofascore.
That leaves the captain, Ethan Ampadu, in first place as Leeds United’s best Premier League performer since they sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City in 2022.
Why Ampadu is Leeds United's best Premier League player since Phillips
After Phillips was sold to City for £45m, after emerging as an England regular at Elland Road, the Whites were relegated from the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign. No other player was able to step up and save them from trouble.
The English star was particularly impressive with Marcelo Bielsa, as shown in the graphic above, and he averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield in his last Premier League season with Leeds.
Ampadu, now, is looking like the club’s best top-flight performer since Phillips departed. He was judged as an “indispensable” part of Leeds’ midfield in the words of scout Jacek Kulig when promotion was being eyed up, and since moving up a division, he has been a rock on the pitch in the middle of the park. It’s safe to say he could be the first player to lead the team to safety since the Man City midfielder was at the club.
Off the pitch, teammate Karl Darlow described him as a “brilliant” person who has “handled the pressure” of captaining Leeds in the Premier League, which speaks to the qualities that he provides as a leader within the group, and perhaps explains how the team pulled off the last two results despite such a poor run of form that preceded them.
On the pitch, his performances have been impressive. Ampadu lined up in the middle of the park in the games against Chelsea and Liverpool and caught the eye with his defensive nous.
Ethan Ampadu
Vs Chelsea
Vs Liverpool
Minutes
90
87
Pass accuracy
86%
87%
Tackle success rate
100%
100%
Duels won
6/11
3/6
Interceptions
2
1
Dribbled past
0x
0x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was perfect in his tackles and did not allow an opposition player to dribble past him a single time, which shows how combative and reliable he was in midfield.
Ampadu has started all 13 of his appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and averaged an eye-catching 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, which is just shy of the 3.9 that Phillips averaged in his final season with the club.
The former Chelsea starlet offers a similar presence to the England international at the base of the midfield for Leeds, sitting in front of the back four and screening play, making vital defensive interventions to regain possession and start attacks for his side.
He has won 60% of his ground duels and 53% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore, whilst only being dribbled past 0.6 times per match, which shows that Ampadu has been efficient and reliable in the middle of the park for Farke, as an ever-present when fit.
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Overall, the Welshman may well be the club’s best Premier League player since Phillips, not just for the quality that he clearly provides as a holding midfielder, but also for his leadership skills and how he handles the pressure of leading a Premier League side.
India are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI, but West Indies might be tempted to bring in the left-arm pace of Jediah Blades
Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20253:13
Gill outlines the challenges of being an all-format player
Big picture: Series sweep on India’s mind
The late Khushwant Singh, one of the more illustrious lovers and residents of Delhi, called October in the city the “pleasantest” of all the months in the northern hemisphere. Like with most things Khushwant, the statement sparks lively debate, especially with lovers of spring in late February and March.This is all relative now: with rampant urbanisation and climate change, it is now more about which months are less unpleasant and less harmful to your health. The BCCI has just about winged the most harmful time for elite athletes to undertake high-performance activity – not before being called out for it – and the early snowfall in the hills has cooled the temperatures to the usual October levels to tease those given to wistfulness for the Delhi of old.Related
The art of Jadeja: subtle genius hiding in plain sight
Sammy: 'We did not reap financial rewards' of our legacy
India trying to ready Reddy for greater challenges
Brian Lara asks West Indies players to 'find a way'
West Indies' Test-match batting a symptom of deeper issues
Those given to wistfulness also yearn for the West Indies of the old. Not the one that lasted just 89.2 overs in the first Test. More importantly, not the one that looked unthreatening with the ball in an effort of 5 for 448. Not the side whose coach Daren Sammy has to hope a player will “accept” the opportunity when he calls to inform them they have been selected for West Indies.There is not a lot West Indies can hope to change between the two Tests. Ahmedabad, with an early-season greenness on the pitch, was their best chance, but they were without the Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar. In Delhi, the onus will be more on the slower bowlers.It doesn’t help that India are somewhere close to their best after the blip against New Zealand last year. With the exception of Rishabh Pant, whose fractured foot hasn’t fully healed yet, they are at full strength. They are keen on making this a clean sweep, which will take their WTC points percentage to 61.9, still in third place.
Form guide
India WWDLW West Indies LLLLW1:33
Chopra: ‘West Indies batters need belief on better batting pitch’
In the spotlight: Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jomel Warrican
Test cricket is not where you prepare players for the future, but like Hardik Pandya almost a decade ago, India want to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a proper workload in slightly lesser challenges so that he can be the seam-bowling allrounder India need not just in away Tests but also the ODI World Cup in South Africa in 2027. Ryan ten Doeschate, their assistant coach, said just that two days before this Test. In Ahmedabad, he got to bowl only four overs and didn’t get to bat at all. It remains to be seen if India go out of their way to involve him more in this Test.Jomel Warrican is the vice-captain of the side, their most experienced specialist spinner, and joint-most experienced bowler. But he averages 54.25 in four Tests against India, two each at home and away. He will want to do way better in Delhi than the 29-5-102-1 he returned in Ahmedabad.0:49
Chopra: ‘Sai Sudharsan needs runs or the pressure will mount’
Team news: Could Devdutt Padikkal get a game?
India have no reason to change their XI. However, is B Sai Sudharsan feeling any heat, and is Devdutt Padikkal breathing down his neck?India (possible): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIt doesn’t make a lot of sense to change the batting on such a short trip. The one change West Indies might consider is bringing in Jediah Blades to give themselves a left-arm seam option.West Indies (possible): 1 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 2 John Campbell, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Brandon King, 5 Shai Hope (wk), 6 Roston Chase (capt), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Khary Pierre, 10 Johann Layne/Jediah Blades, 11 Jayden Seales
Pitch and conditions
Delhi is likely to be a typical Indian track, good for batting on the first two-and-a-bit days before bringing the spinners into the game. The drop in temperatures should make it difficult for the pitch to break up suddenly. The week in the lead-up to the Test has brought some rain, but the Test is not likely to be affected.3:31
Sammy: ‘Our problems are rooted deep into our system’
Stats and trivia
India haven’t lost a Test in Delhi since November 1987, which, incidentally, was to West Indies. Since then, they have won 12 and drawn 12.
Ravindra Jadeja is ten short of 4000 Test runs. Only Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori before him have achieved the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets.
Quotes
“We think it would be unfair on the guy [Reddy] if we only play him overseas. Because that doesn’t give him that many opportunities. In the next year and a half, we aren’t playing that many matches outside of India, so to be able to back a guy who can bowl 10-15 overs in a day and can bat as well – we sat his ability and potential in Australia – so we want to give him as much game time in India to help him.” India captain Shubman Gill doesn’t feel Reddy is an option only for overseas Tests“If we complain about not having the best facilities, not having enough manpower like the other teams, not having the best technology, all these things which the other teams are superior to us [in], then why the hell are they still outworking us? The only way we could match up [and] compete at a consistent level is if we as the coaches and the players are prepared to outwork the opposition, and we’re not doing that.”
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s Crystal Palace future is in doubt with an insider revealing the player and his agent are “testing the waters over a move”.
The 28-year-old has grown into such an important player for the Eagles, helping them win the FA Cup last season and already scoring six goals in 12 Premier League appearances this time around.
In fact, former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has called the Frenchman Palace’s “most improved” player in the recent past, and in fact of all time, hailing his impact leading the line at Selhurst Park.
“Again, Mateta, in my opinion, is probably the most improved player I’ve ever watched, I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched Mateta two years ago and the one I’m witnessing now, completely different.”
Mateta’s rise has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a move away from Palace of late, and now a new update has shared some concern for the Eagles.
Jean-Philippe Mateta eyeing Crystal Palace exit
Insider Mick Brown reports that Mateta is “testing the waters” over leaving Palace, as he eyes a new challenge.
Palace must do all they can to convince Mateta that staying put is best for his career, with the Eagles certainly doing enough of late to suggest as much, not least sealing FA Cup glory last season.
That said, the France international may look at Eberechi Eze leaving for Arsenal in the summer, and Marc Guehi continually being linked with a move to Liverpool, and feel that now is the right time for him to move on.
Arsenal now eyeing another Crystal Palace star as contract talks in danger
He’d be an excellent addition.
By
Tom Cunningham
Nov 22, 2025
Palace supporters will desperately hope this isn’t the case, as will manager Oliver Glasner, but at 28, he will know that he has reached a key point in his career, in terms of sealing one big move before he passes his peak.
Liverpool now eyeing Mateta deal amid fresh Crystal Palace contract concern
India refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy at the presentation ceremony, which was delayed by more than an hour after they beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final on Sunday in Dubai. They refused because the trophy was to be presented by Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the PCB and the interior minister of Pakistan.”We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main [political] leaders of Pakistan,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI. “So we decided not to take it from him. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him along with the medals. So it is very unfortunate and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible.”There is an ICC conference in November in Dubai. In the next conference, we are going to launch a very serious and very strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson.”Related
'Ice has been broken now' – BCCI secretary hopeful of Asia Cup trophy resolution with Naqvi
Different Sunday, same script: Pakistan's promising final gets inevitable ending
'I wouldn't have learned some things' – Abhishek happy with gradual rise to the top
Agha: India are 'disrespecting cricket' with their conduct
The night Tilak and Dube went from promise to performance
While the match ended at around 10.30pm Dubai time in a thrilling final-over finish, the wait for the presentation went on until close to midnight. It was not initially clear what the delay was down to, though speculation was that India did not want to receive the trophy from Naqvi. A statement on the organisation’s website on Saturday had said that Naqvi intended to hand over the trophy to the winners.Once the presentation ceremony began, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, and Pakistan captain Salman Agha accepted the runners-up cheque, after which the ceremony came to an end.”I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,” Simon Doull, the presenter for the host broadcaster, said at the ceremony. “So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”ACC president Mohsin Naqvi was there for the final•Associated Press
At the press conference after the ceremony, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, “I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket, started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it. I can’t say anything more, I’ve summed it up really well. If you tell me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.”Suryakumar said the team had taken the decision not to receive the trophy and that “no one told us to do it”.Once the game concluded, the Pakistan players walked off the ground into the dressing room while the Indian players stayed on the field. The stage for the presentation ceremony was not set for an extended period of time. In due course, Naqvi appeared, and spent a significant amount of time in animated discussions with officials on the ground while the crowd thinned out, though a large number of Indian spectators remained.After nearly an hour, the stage was set up and Naqvi and other dignitaries took their place. An official then removed the Asia Cup trophy from its place on a raised dais, and walked off the ground with it without explanation. The Pakistan team then emerged before the ceremony, conducted by Doull, commenced.A dejected Pakistan side after the loss in the final•AFP/Getty Images
The India players who received their individual awards did walk up to the stage where Naqvi stood, but did not acknowledge him, and received their awards from other officials. Naqvi did not applaud the India players who came up to receive their individual awards.The Pakistan players came up to receive their medals, with captain Agha accepting the cheque, which he posed with too. After the post-match interviews with Doull were concluded, the dignitaries left the stage. The India team and officials then took their place on the podium, where they celebrated their victory. With no actual trophy in sight, Suryakumar and the rest of the side held up an imaginary trophy as part of their celebrations.India’s stance to not accept a trophy from Naqvi was expected. They had refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team members in any of the three games they played this tournament, either at the toss or after the matches. While Pakistan coach Mike Hesson and captain Agha both criticised India for it, India’s position did not change.Things became heated, especially during the second game in the Super Fours stage, with several verbal spats between the sides. Suryakumar was fined for remarks he made following the first game, and Haris Rauf for his actions in the second.
Mikel Merino was the hero yet again for Arsenal, picking up a goal and an assist as the Premier League leaders saw off a stubborn Brentford side 2-0 at the Emirates to restore their five-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City. The Spain international, still playing as Mikel Arteta's makeshift striker, scored a fine header early on to open the scoring and then set up substitute Bukayo Saka in the closing stages to wrap up a crucial win for the Gunners.
Arteta took the opportunity to make some changes following Sunday's draw at Chelsea, with Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Ben White coming in for Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber. And it was Madueke and White who combined superbly to set up Merino for the opening goal, with the Spaniard smartly heading home the former's cross at the near post.
Gabriel Martinelli had a chance to double Arsenal's lead before half-time but fired over, while at the other end David Raya produced a wonderful point blank save to tip Kevin Schade's header onto the crossbar.
Arsenal had to endure some nervy moments in the second half as Brentford looked for a leveller, but they made sure of the win late on when Saka – who had replaced Madueke – finished off Merino's pass to restore Arsenal's five-point advantage at the top of the table.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
David Raya (8/10):
Outstanding save to tip Schade's point-blank header onto the bar and his handling was good throughout.
Ben White (8/10):
Back in the starting XI and reminded everyone just how good he is in the first half. Excellent down the right, linked up really well with Madueke. Lovely assist for Merino's early goal.
Cristhian Mosquera (6/10):
Arsenal's latest injury victim. Forced off before half-time after an awkward landing.
Piero Hincapie (7/10):
Solid enough. Coped pretty well with the pace and direct style of the Brentford attack.
Riccardo Calafiori (7/10):
A typically strong showing, popping up all over the pitch. Did well defensively and almost scored late on.
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Midfield
Martin Zubimendi (7/10):
Calm and steady as always. Just kept things ticking over nicely.
Declan Rice (7/10):
Made some driving runs into the box and was so close to providing a great assist for Madueke before Henry's last ditch block. Limped off late on with what Arsenal will hope was cramp.
Martin Odegaard (6/10):
Positive signs on his first start since his return. Heavily involved, linked up well down the right and looked fit. Important minutes as he looks to get back to his top level.
AFP
Attack
Noni Madueke (7/10):
Really lively when on the ball in the first half and caused Henry so many problems. Lovely flick to release White in the build up to the early goal. Set-piece delivery needs work though. Faded after half-time.
Mikel Merino (8/10):
Brilliant centre-forward play to open the scoring. The run and header were superb. Good display, covered so much ground and added an assist for Saka late on.
Gabriel Martinelli (6/10):
Fired one shot over in the first half. Willing runner, but was on the fringes of things before being replaced by Eze.
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Subs & Manager
Jurrien Timber (7/10):
Replaced the injured Mosquera at centre-back in the first half. Solid.
Bukayo Saka (7/10):
Made sure of the points in stoppage time from Merino's pass.
Eberechi Eze (6/10):
Saw quite a bit of the ball, but Brentford dealt with him well.
Viktor Gyokeres (N/A):
On for the closing stages.
Mikel Arteta (7/10):
Made some changes to give some players a rest. Unlucky that Mosquera picked up an injury which forced Timber on early.
Manchester United and INEOS are now reportedly stalling on a new contract for Kobbie Mainoo, as doubts over his Old Trafford future continue.
Mainoo’s fall from grace has been sad to see of late, considering the midfielder emerged has one of the most emerging youth products in years with the Red Devils, even starting for England at Euro 2024 last year.
The 20-year-old has been limited to just 138 minutes of Premier League action across seven cameo appearances this season, with Ruben Amorim not considering him a key man.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Mainoo, but journalist Simon Stone gave his thoughts earlier this week, suggesting his time at Old Trafford may still have legs.
Mainoo contract talks stall with transfer ruled out
Now, speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke provided an update on Mainoo’s Manchester United future, claiming talks over a new deal have stalled with INEOS, but that they won’t let him leave.
“I’m sure it’s (handing Mainoo a new contract) something that Man United would definitely be interested in doing. They’ve been in talks with Mainoo for a while now over a new contract. Suggestions are now that contract talks have been put on hold because of his uncertain future at Old Trafford.
“We know Mainoo was interested in a move away in the summer window as he knew he wasn’t going to be playing in Ruben Amorim’s side. I don’t think he’s started a Premier League game so far this season.
“For United, on their part, they don’t really want to lose Kobbie Mainoo, and that’s why they blocked the move in the summer window and obviously I think they’d be reluctant to let him go in January as well because United want to be competing in that top four, if they can.”
To lose Mainoo so early in his career would be a negative for United, given his vast potential, so the hope is that Amorim and INEOS’ stance on him changes.
Granted, he has endured a year of struggles, not helped by injury problems, but he is a special young footballer with the natural ability to be a star, as he has already shown in his career.
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What a signing this could be…
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Hopefully, a contract extension is agreed, but ultimately, if the manager and the club don’t value Mainoo enough, a move away could be best for everyone, sad as it would be.
49ers keen on signing Man Utd star Kobbie Mainoo for Leeds
As revealed by former manager Philippe Clement, Rangers “tried” to sign Kenny McLean during his time at the club only to miss out on the Norwich City midfielder.
It’s a case of what might have been for those at Ibrox, who have endured a tumultuous time since not only missing out on their target, but also sacking Clement. After hiring Russell Martin to replace the Belgian, the Gers were forced to make another decision less than three months into the season – giving Martin his marching orders.
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Now, with Danny Rohl in charge, Rangers have already won more points in the Scottish Premiership than they did in the entirety of Martin’s rein. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be hoping that the German’s arrival has at least made up for a disappointing summer of decisions.
He told reporters during the international break: “Yeah, I still feel very confident. The situation is clearly that we felt that we weren’t going in the right direction previously and so unfortunately we had to make that change.
“We’ve changed for an individual who’s got very good experience despite his young years and I think he’s proven that with some of the things that we’re seeing on pitch. I think there’s a clear difference in terms of the way in which we’re playing at the moment and fundamentally that’s leading to getting some good results.”
With Livingston up next, Rohl has the chance to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership and potentially move up to third if results go Rangers’ way. As January approaches and targets such as Kilmarnock’s David Watson reportedly emerge, there’s no doubt that a change in fortunes on the pitch will be doing the Gers a world of good.
As Clement found out not so long ago, however, Rohl may not get the chance to welcome every top target.
Clement reveals Rangers wanted Kenny McLean
As revealed by Clement, Rangers tried to sign McLean during his time at the club, but missed out after the midfielder decided to stay put at Norwich City. Now, the former Ibrox boss has finally received the chance to work with the Scot after taking the vacant role at Carrow Road and revealed his long-term admiration for his talents.
If Rangers did secure McLean’s signature then they would, of course, have a World Cup midfielder in their ranks these days. The 33-year-old recently played his part as Scotland secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion against Denmark, scoring a stunning half-way line goal.
Given how much talent they welcomed from the Championship last summer that hasn’t worked out, losing out on a player of McLean’s quality should be seen as a real blow at Ibrox.
Dubbed “great” by former Norwich player Iwan Roberts, the 33-year-old will always have his part in Scottish football history after his goal against Denmark to secure a World Cup place.
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