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Mohamed Salah has been brutally reminded that he is not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Liverpool forward accused of “tricking himself” into believing that he has become “untouchable”. The Egyptian superstar has delivered an explosive rant, having been benched recently, in which he accused Premier League heavyweights of throwing him under the bus.

• Unhappy Salah: Liverpool superstar speaks out after bench duty

  Salah’s stunning comments came after being named among the substitutes by Reds boss Arne Slot for a third successive game. He failed to make the starting XI against West Ham and Sunderland, before seeing no game time again in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds.

  The 33-year-old, who only signed a contract extension at Anfield over the summer, chose to air his frustration in public after being forced to watch on from the sidelines as Liverpool allowed two more points to slip on a dramatic evening at Elland Road.

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  Nobody bigger than the club: Salah is not Messi or Ronaldo

  He has hinted at making a January move away from Merseyside, admitting to having no working relationship with Slot, with it suggested that he has become an unfortunate scapegoat for the Reds’ struggles this season. The comments have been met with widespread criticism, with Salah being informed that nobody is bigger than Liverpool Football Club.

  Stan Collymore, who once represented the Reds, has posted on social media after seeing Salah air his grievances very publicly: “I think I know a little about LFC, its supporters and how they view their club. Shaped of course by [Bill] Shankly then [Bob] Paisley, Kenny [Dalglish], Jurgen [Klopp] and now Slot. One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it's always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual.

  “Now, Mo Salah has left plenty of winners DNA at Anfield and has taken his place in the pantheon of greats. So it's interesting to see his interview, dropping a grenade into the club because if I know Liverpool and it's supporters at all (I think there may be even a generational difference in responses, younger supporting the grenade, older shaking their heads) then their first reaction will be – Club, first and last, don't care who it is. It's a living and breathing mantra and one that even Mo Salah will find it difficult to duke it out against.

  “Now, could Arne Slot be less pally with players than Jurgen? Absolutely, he's a calm, relaxed, tad detached guy who (if you remember) was unimpressed with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] early doors and showed a nonchalant attitude in season one to ‘one of their own’ who'd won everything there is to win. I think that's impressive, but not as impressive as winning the title in your first season. So he's earned his respect too.

  “The team are playing well in spurts, comedy defending and decision making at other times. That includes everyone, and if you ask 99.9% of players if they'd accept 2 or 3 games on the bench for not hitting levels, all will say yes. Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of 'you're not playing well, here's a spell on the bench', but Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn't them, and Liverpool as I said, isn't that club either.”

• Solution to problem: How Liverpool can fix Salah issue

  Collymore went on to say of how Liverpool can fix an unfortunate situation that nobody saw coming: “The solution to what is now a very open sore is simple (ish) 1. Player and manager talk privately. 2. Manager tells player what he wants from the player. 3. Player commits or tells manager he wants out. 4. If player wants out, make it happen quickly. If not, pick the player and let him be judged by his continued performances. If they're poor, manager can't lose, ‘I told you so’. If they're great, manager can't lose. So Slot playing Mo is a very good starting point, especially as 2 very big signings have yet to make Mo ‘yesterday's man’.

  “Arne Slot can help himself a little by using his natural openness to say ‘maybe I'm not Jurgen but I love my players and they couldn't have won a spectacular title last season without reacting to me and my methods a little too, but I hear Mo's comments and I can tell you all now, I love him to bits and he's ours to keep’. That heads off any ‘seniors’ with similar grenades to throw.

  “But one thing's for sure, I don't think there will ever be a Liverpool player past, present or future with valid gripes that would jeopardise the ‘club first and last’ ethos of Liverpool, and those who've had legitimate concerns I'm sure aired them at an appropriate time, not a flash interview when emotions are high. Liverpool FC have done as well for every player who's played for them as players have done for the club, so the institution has earned that private, rather than public critique. Whoever that's from.”

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  January transfer: Salah sees Anfield exit mooted

  Liverpool are currently in the process of deciding what to do next with Salah, with it possible that he will face punishment for speaking out against the club. Questions will also continue to be asked of his long-term future.

  He is due to represent Egypt at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, with another transfer window opening during that tournament. There has been talk of renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League, with big-spending teams there ready to offer Salah starting berths and a clean slate if professional bridges at Anfield prove to be beyond repair.

Despite earning a convincing victory in the Champions League, Napoli head coach Antonio Conte is concerned with the rising injury concerns inside his squad. As the Italian team prepare for their upcoming battle against Serie A leaders Roma, the coach wants his side to take extra caution as his squad is stretched thin.

• McTominay powers Conte's side to victory

  After a devastating 6-2 loss to PSV and a goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, Napoli returned to winning ways in the Champions League by defeating Azerbaijani heavyweights Qarabag 2-0 on Tuesday. A 65th-minute goal from last season's player of the year, Scott McTominay, and an own goal from Marko Jankovic seven minutes later, decided Napoli's fate, who rose to the 18th position on the continental table. However, fielding his best side was somewhat challenging for Conte, who had to keep two goalkeepers and two young players on the bench. 

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  Conte bemoans mounting injury crisis

  Napoli missed six important figures against Qarabag, including the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Leonardo Spinazzola. While Conte expressed delight after the victory, he seemed cautious of the team's injury concerns.  

  He told reporters: "Tomorrow we'll enjoy it, then we'll put the helmet back on because we have Roma on Sunday. Napoli were not dead, it's not a question of being alive or not alive, but of continuing to work always giving everything we have. Then games can be won or not, but we know that we always have to give everything. It is a moment of great difficulty for the availability of the players, we had seven players on the bench, two of whom were goalkeepers and two young players like Ambrosino and Vergara.

  "We have been facing a very difficult period since the beginning of the year, we must start from the assumption that the players go on the pitch. If you don't have any, you have to find different solutions, trying to exploit almost always the same ones because then the risks increase. We are moving forward, we have played two excellent games. Let's not forget the results of Qarabag, in the Champions League there are no easy opponents, I was convinced that by bringing this pace we would direct the challenge."

• Conte sheds light on Spinazzola's return

  While Miguel Gutierrez succumbed to an injury a day before the Qarabag game, Conte expects Spinazzola to return on Friday. Whether he'll be available for Sunday's clash against surprise Serie A leaders Roma still remains unclear, but one of the six key individuals returning to the side will be taken as a positive by the experienced mentor. 

  He said: "Many times we also judge on the basis of the results of the matches, I think since the beginning of the year we have been chasing having many unavailability. I can control some situations, but I can't manage the sprain that Gutierrez got yesterday during training. It's a shame, because then we immediately talk about a crisis without actually seeing what we are facing. The boys are exceptional, in terms of availability, everyone's responsibility has risen exponentially, because there will be many games that we have to face without being complete. We hope to have Spinazzola with us on Thursday, so we would have another option instead of the Spaniard."

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  Napoli's recent form over Roma a boost for squad

  Defeating Roma will offer Napoli a chance to reclaim top spot in Serie A, depending on AC Milan's result against Lazio on Saturday evening. However, despite many injury concerns, Napoli have one positive to inspire them against Roma. In the last five meetings against the capital club, Napoli have lost to Roma only once, drawing two games and winning three. Conte might want his team to escalate their confidence, keeping this head-to-head record in mind. 

Hosts flounder in pursuit of 164 to finish 88 short – the largest margin of victory in the history of The Hundred

ECB Media17-Aug-2025London Spirit 164 for 6 (Chathli 69, Harris 34, Arlott 3-25) beat Birmingham Phoenix 76 (Lamb 23, Gray 2-13, Dean 2-16) by 88 runsA cracking partnership of 47 from just 21 balls between Spirit’s breakout opener Kira Chathli and the megastar Grace Harris took the game away from Phoenix, who floundered badly in pursuit of 164, losing three wickets inside the first 33 balls to eventually finish 88 short – the largest margin of victory in the history of The Hundred.The result propels Spirit to joint-top of the table with a slightly superior run rate to Southern Brave, and leaves the Phoenix down and virtually out, on just four points from five matches.The hosts will be disappointed with their campaign. Just a single tournament half-century, to Emma Lamb, and little to show for the efforts of their Australian pair, the great Ellyse Perry and the national team’s new star opener, Georgia Voll.Both made single-figure scores here as Phoenix stuttered up top against some disciplined new-ball bowling from Spirit’s left-arm spinner Bex Tyson and the rejuvenated Issy Wong, who yet again burnished her credentials as one of the best young seamers in the English game.Reigning champions Spirit, under Charlie Dean, who bowled beautifully to pick up two wickets including that of England team-mate Amy Jones, are again building at just the right time.Chathli in particular has been a revelation. Her 35-ball 69, containing 13 fours, is her most impressive knock to date in the tournament, while Harris is the heartbeat of their middle order, a woman in the form of her life who’s now plundered 199 tournament runs this term at a ferocious strike rate of 180. Her knock today may have occupied just 15 balls, but she still planted four of them over the rope.They needed it too, after losing Georgia Redmayne and Cordelia Griffith in the powerplay and then Charli Knott soon after, the impressive Phoenix seamer Em Arlott picking up three more wickets to draw level, on 10, with Lauren Bell as the most prolific wicket-taker of the tournament so far.Chathli, named the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “In The Hundred that’s definitely my best performance to date. They bowled really well up top – as did our bowlers as well – but the key is to give yourself a few balls, and after that it got a little easier.”We just focus on what do really well as a team, which is to play positive cricket and there’s no doubt in my mind that every member of our team backs each other to deliver their skill.”

Pakistan’s home series against Ireland has been postponed to 2027 due to scheduling concerns. The white-ball series, which comprises three T20Is and three ODIs, will no longer be held in its current September-October window. While it was initially expected to be moved further out in the season, ESPNcricinfo has learned it will instead be removed from this home season altogether, and moved to the next one, with both boards looking at alternate dates in 2027.The series, which would have been Ireland men’s first visit to Pakistan was initially announced in May 2024. At the time, it was expected to take place in the early part of Pakistan’s home season in 2025. When the PCB released its official season schedule, the series against Ireland was slotted in for September-October. At the time of writing, that remains the official schedule for the series on the PCB website.However, that window has become increasingly congested for Pakistan, who are currently playing a white-ball series against West Indies. At the end of this month, they take part in a tri-series involving UAE and Afghanistan.Related

• Cricket Ireland confirms Pakistan white-ball tour in 2025

• Pakistan, Afghanistan and UAE to play T20I tri-series in Sharjah ahead of Asia Cup

More significantly, the Asia Cup, the schedule and status of which was increasingly uncertain following a brief skirmish between India and Pakistan in May, was announced last week; it runs from September 9 to 28. With South Africa touring Pakistan for two Tests in early October, the window for the series against Ireland shrunk untenably.”We wanted to balance content and planning better across the two seasons,” PCB’s international cricket department told ESPNcricinfo. “It made more sense for us both to spread the fixtures further out as we already have substantial content leading into Asia Cup and then the World Cup.”Pakistan have a busy white-ball schedule this season with the T20 World Cup early next year. They have made little secret of their desire to play as much T20 cricket as possible, initially increasing the number of T20Is to a home series against Bangladesh at the expense of ODIs, before scheduling concerns resulted in their scrapping.They were also understood to be keen to turn the ongoing series against West Indies to be T20-only, though ESPNcricinfo understands there were other considerations behind that move. In addition, the T20I series against Afghanistan will now be a tri-series, adding further short-form fixtures to their calendar.Ireland do not have a fixture clash around the time the series was set to be played, though ESPNcricinfo understands the decision to postpone is mutual.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issued a rallying cry to supporters. “Be in your seats by 7.30pm,” he commanded.

Fans inside the Emirates Stadium did not disappoint. North London Forever blared out from the sound system and after an intense week in which they’d gone unbeaten against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the fans were very needed.

The Gunners failed to defeat ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and it was a performance that looked tired. Arsenal have enormous squad depth but injuries are already testing this crop of players. As a result, Arteta rang the changes for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal may well have secured a 2-0 victory but it was not a vintage performance. It was a display befitting of just how different the starting XI looked.

There were no Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze. Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke started instead. With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba still injured, the responsibilities at the heart of the defence fell to Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie again.

Did they deliver? Well, Arsenal scored twice and kept a clean sheet, so it’s hard to argue against that.

Did Arsenal's midweek starters stake their claim?

Mosquera and Hincapie were rather patched together at the last minute when Saliba sustained a training injury late last week.

The Frenchman has now missed the last two games but for the two summer signings, this was a more composed and easier night than their showing at Stamford Bridge.

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Hincapie has been brave and aggressive in both fixtures but Mosquera struggled against Chelsea, notably when it came to progressing the ball. Of course, a Brentford side missing the Premier League’s second top goalscorer in Igor Thiago for over an hour helped their cause, but if Arteta is going to be missing two of the world’s finest defenders, the stand-ins have proven they can more than do a job.

It was in attack where Arsenal perhaps struggled a bit more. While Set Piece FC seem to have become more about scoring from open play, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli didn’t do a huge amount to suggest they should be starting.

Madueke was energetic and effervescent on the right flank, performing four dribbles, two of which were successful, but he ultimately lacked end product, amassing two shots and failing to provide a key pass. Martinelli’s night was even worse. He had only one shot and completed just one dribble.

Odegaard, who stood in for Eze, was also lacking sharpness. The skipper created four key passes but lost six of his seven duels.

For Arteta, he will have been pleased with Mikel Merino, however. The Spaniard scored yet again, taking his goal tally as a centre-forward for the club to ten in 22 outings.

Arsenal have been fortunate that they can rely on their squad depth. They’ve missed Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks but Merino has more than stepped up.

It was the substitutes who changed the game on Wednesday too. Saka, who replaced Madueke, scored the second strike to seal all three points for the Londoners.

Yet, the goalscorers were pipped to the man of the match award by someone who’s been on the fringes of things this season.

Arsenal's man of the match against Brentford

The contributions that Saka and Merino came up with were vital but if it wasn’t for the performance of Ben White, this night would have been far more challenging.

For White, this has been a troubling last year or so of his career. Signed for a mega £50m back in 2021, he had established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side.

Ben White’s Arsenal career

Season

Games

Goal involvements

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

8

1

Stats via Transfermarkt.

He was notably described by journalist Tom Barclay as “one of the best prospects in English football” in the summer he moved from Brighton and in the early stages of his Arsenal career he lived up to that, amassing nearly 100 appearances between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Last season, however, things began to unravel. Fellow right-back Jurrien Timber was back from an ACL injury and his form since has been impeccable. In the words of the Standard’s Simon Collings, he is “the best right-back in the Premier League right now.”

What didn’t help White last season were persistent injuries that meant he was never really able to build momentum.

In 2025/26, though, he’s been available all season but has been met with stubborn resistance from Arteta to play him. He’s not the first person to find himself in this position during the Spaniard’s tenure.

Think of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe or Oleksandr Zinchenko. While they all didn’t do a lot wrong in Arsenal colours, Arteta sought to upgrade them at the earliest opportunity available.

Zinchenko, in particular, has suffered the same fate as White has this season. When the Ukrainian signed for Arsenal from Manchester City he revolutionised the way Arsenal were able to play.

Previously, Arteta’s system saw Tierney flying forward from left-back but Zinchenko was fielded as an inverted full-back, something we now see from both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori.

During that 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko and White were vital from their respective roles in defence. They contributed in all phases of play. The former Man City man was finally moved on in the summer, albeit only on loan to Nottingham Forest and if White wasn’t careful, he may have been heading elsewhere too.

But, he revived his career on Wednesday, given just his second start in the top-flight all campaign. The defender’s only previous start came against Manchester United on the opening weekend and since then, Timber has made the spot his own.

When Brentford came to town, White rolled back the years. The 28-year-old was phenomenal, notably providing the assist for Merino’s opener.

He took home the player of the match award and deservedly so for a display in which the England international won more duels (10) and made more tackles (6) than any other player against Brentford. He also made more clearances than any of his Arsenal colleagues (6).

Many have tried and failed to get back in Arteta’s good books. Zinchenko and Ramsdale can testify to that. However, White has showcased that he’s still very much an elite full-back and he should not be dismissed just yet.

With Mosquera having had to limp off the field in the first half with an injury, replaced at centre-half by Timber, it would not be a surprise to see White back in the starting lineup this weekend against Aston Villa. On the evidence of this performance, he is undroppable right now.

Related Playing better than Saka: Arsenal ready to pay club-record fee for £132m star

The Arsenal target has been having a better campaign than Bukayo Saka this year.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

Under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is personally very keen on signing one marquee forward amid a major setback surrounding their chase for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Thomas Frank under pressure amid woeful Spurs run

Frank finds himself navigating treacherous waters at Tottenham right now, with mounting pressure threatening his managerial position following a dismal run.

The Dane has overseen just one victory from Tottenham’s last seven fixtures across all competitions, culminating in Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham.

Spurs’ abject home form compounds their misery right now with just three wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025, and only bottom-side Wolves have a worse record on their own patch this season.

16. Burnley

2

1

3

7

-1

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

5

1

10

Particularly alarming are whispers from within the Tottenham dressing room, where players have reportedly grown bewildered by Frank’s constant tactical tinkering.

Some media sources believe that strategies are frequently modified immediately before kickoff or abandoned entirely during matches, leaving squad members confused about their responsibilities (Jack Rosser).

Tottenham have also conceded eleven goals in their last three games, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s unbelievable error gifting Harry Wilson Fulham’s winning goal last weekend.

Frank’s relationship with supporters has also reached boiling point following his criticism of fans who booed Vicario’s mistake, and carried on jeering the Italian almost every time he touched the ball afterwards.

It wasn’t really the best move by Spurs’ boss to add fuel to the fire, considering his popularity was already waning among a lot of supporters, who are also extremely keen for co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange to hire a new manager.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

Even more worryingly for the north Londoners, credible reports suggest that players feel a ‘growing disconnect’ with the fanbase (The Telegraph), and this quite simply must cease if Tottenham stand any chance of building upon their Europa League triumph in May.

Spurs’ lack of attacking creativity has been subject to plenty of debate too, but the Lewis family are apparently looking to back Frank in January and provide him with major forward upgrades.

It is believed that both FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, who’s been on fire for the last two seasons, and Premier League superstar Semenyo are both on Spurs’ radar heading into next month.

Frank 'intent' on signing Aghehowa as Spurs dealt Semenyo blow

The latter’s contract includes a tantalising £65 million release clause, including add-ons, which will be active in the early stages of January.

Of course, this has piqued real interest from Spurs, with the prospect of Mohammed Kudus on the right and Semenyo on the left coming as a very enticing thought.

However, as per TEAMtalk, Paratici and Lange have now been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of the 25-year-old.

The Lilywhites, Man City, Liverpool and Man United are all competing to sign Semenyo in January, but Pep Guardiola’s City side are now casting doubt over a potential move to N17.

This is because they are now the prime contenders with Semenyo ‘keen to engage’ in City talks, dealing Spurs a roadblock and making them outside contenders for his signature.

That being said, Frank personally remains ‘intent’ on signing Aghehowa for Spurs, and there is every reason to believe the Spaniard would be a serious improvement on their centre-forward options.

The 21-year-old has bagged 37 goals in all competitions since the start of 24/25, making him one of Europe’s most lethal strikers right now, but Tottenham will need to fork out around £70 million to make the deal happen.

This would be a club-record deal for Spurs, eclipsing the £65 million they paid for the injury-prone Dominic Solanke last year.

Solanke’s unavailability, concerns surrounding Richarlison and Mathys Tel’s rawness emphasise the need for a new number nine, especially considering Randal Kolo Muani is only at Tottenham on a straight loan.

In terms of pedigree and potential, you could hardly do better than Aghehowa, who’s already been compared to a prime Diego Costa.

Manchester United are now keen on signing Santos forward Neymar, following a recent update from Carlo Ancelotti on whether the “legendary” forward will go to the 2026 World Cup with Brazil.

The Brazilian has been playing outside Europe since leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, spending an injury-ridden campaign with Al-Hilal before moving back to his native country and signing for Santos.

Consequently, the former Paris Saint-Germain man hasn’t featured for his country since appearing against Uruguay over two years ago, with the likes of Vinicius Jr, Estevao and Rodrygo emerging as the new star players.

However, Ancelotti recently revealed the Brazil record goalscorer’s international career may not be over just yet, suggesting he could still take the Santos star to the upcoming World Cup if he has a strong end to the campaign.

Man Utd keen on signing Neymar

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now keen on signing Neymar, with the superstar’s chances of going to the World Cup on the line if he doesn’t put together a good run ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which starts on June 11th.

Ruben Amorim’s side are looking for a fresh spark in attack, and there is a belief the 33-year-old would fit the bill, given that he is proven at the top level, and a deal may be there to be done, as United would be able to afford the ex-Barcelona man’s wages.

That said, there are doubts over whether the Santos legend would be able to adapt to the Premier League, given his age, and he hasn’t exactly set the world alight since returning to Brazil.

The 128-time Brazil international is undoubtedly a modern-day icon, having been lauded as “legendary” by journalist Luis Cristovao, but his best days are clearly behind him, having contributed just three goals in 16 appearances in the 2025 Brazilian Serie A.

In his prime, the Man United target was one of the best players in the world, enjoying four amazing seasons with Barcelona and amassing 43 Champions League goals across a hugely successful career, during which time he was described as a “great player” by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neymar’s attacking output by season

La Liga appearances

Goal contributions

2013-14

26

19

2014-15

33

31

2015-16

34

40

2016-17

30

27

Having suffered with injuries, gone are the days when Neymar used to terrorise defences alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and it is debatable whether United even need to sign a forward, having brought in Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in the summer.

Neymar has been named as one of the greatest wingers in football history The Greatest 20 Wingers in Football History

The best wingers the game has ever seen.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 22, 2025

This weekend, after Manchester United have completed their trip to Tottenham Hotspur, Ruben Amorim will know exactly where his side stand after the mini-revival of recent weeks.

But for the Red Devils to have gone four matches without a defeat in the Premier League is a significant step forward, and, at the least, an illustration of improvements being made at the Theatre of Dreams.

Too often, Man United have seen false dawns, upswings in form that fizzle out at the first sight of adversity. But Amorim’s system has been long in the making, and the readings from recent weeks speak of a team knitting together, developing physically and mentally. There is, however, much still to improve on.

We are not looking at a mayfly of a resurgence but a potential for sustainability, competing for Europe and competing for silverware. INEOS’ transfer dealings this year look to be paying off, but so too are the pre-existing players rising up and making progress.

And who better to epitomise that than Bruno Fernandes?

Bruno Fernandes is still Utd's main man

This summer, Fernandes rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The temptation was there, especially after such an abject 2024/25 campaign, but the 31-year-old decided he had unfinished business in Manchester.

Despite tactical imbalances in his deeper midfield role, Fernandes remains the glue holding Amorim’s system together. As per Sofascore, he has made 6.1 recoveries, 1.8 tackles and won 5.8 duels on average in the Premier League this term, fighting tooth and nail to charge his team.

But the Red Devils captain is at his rip-roaring best when creating and orchestrating the attack. Already he has peeled away from the rest of the division’s finest playmakers in chance creation metrics this term.

Bruno Fernandes

10

28

Jack Grealish

9

21

Cody Gakpo

10

21

Jeremy Doku

10

20

Phil Foden

8

20

Fernandes has been joined by Casemiro in upholding the midfield, and one of the principal reasons that they are starting to play with more fluency and a deeper understanding is that the forwards are working harder, dropping deep

Matheus Cunha has been a revelation in this regard, but he hasn’t been the cream of the attacking crop.

The Man Utd star outperforming Bruno

Fernandes might be the linchpin in the middle for this Manchester United side, but Bryan Mbeumo has enjoyed a sensational start to life at Old Trafford, dovetailing into the system and elevating it.

With three goals and an assist across his past four matches in the Premier League, the Cameroon international is kindling the prolific ability that saw him exceed expectations with Brentford last term, leading to the initial £65m capture of the wide forward, who said upon arrival that United is “the club of my dreams”.

Commitment and desire. Too often have United’s signings in this post-Fergie world seemingly arrived for bumper fees and fallen by the wayside after not putting in the hard graft.

But players like Mbeumo and Cunha are hungry for success at the highest level, and the former in particular has been a revelation in the final third, not just providing a clinical output but dazzling with his all-round play.

Mbeumo hasn’t quite hit the same level that he was enjoying at the Gtech last season, but given his performances in Manchester have led analyst Umir Irfan to declare he’s “one of the best in the world”, given “how complete he is”, things are only going to improve as Amorim’s set-up strengthens.

Given that he is setting the pace in front of goal for United, it feels like Mbeumo is shaping up for a talismanic role, one that could even see him eclipse Bruno down the line.

Matches (starts)

38 (38)

10 (10)

Goals

20

4

Assists

7

1

Shots (on target)*

2.2 (1.1)

2.4 (1.3)

Big chances missed

9

3

Pass completion

74%

80%

Big chances created

17

3

Key passes*

1.8

1.9

Dribbles*

1.4

0.9

Ball recoveries*

4.1

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

0.4

Duels won*

4.7

2.7

Mbeumo’s strength and athleticism have made him a tough adversary for even the finest defenders in the Premier League, and, along with Cunha, his signing tells of a new strategy at Old Trafford that focuses on adding Prem-proven players to the ranks.

A “sorcerer” with the ball, as has been said by content creator Adam Joseph, Mbeumo has added strings to the Man United attacking bow, and he’s only just getting started.

Regarded as a rare type of wide forward whose prowess lies across a range of different attacking qualities, Mbeumo has demonstrated this in recent months, showing already that United have received bang for their buck.

As per data-driven platform FBref, the 26-year-old ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League this season for goals scored, but also among the top 11% for through balls and the top 2% for crosses into the penalty area per 90.

Whether his service his provided as the chief goal-getter or through bouncing against centre-forward Benjamin Sesko, Mbeumo has what it takes to lead from the front at Old Trafford, and that’s something (Fernandes notwithstanding) that has been decidedly lacking in recent years for the outfit.

After a recent upswing in form and performances, Amorim will have sensed that he might be able to make something of his tenure at Man United.

With forwards like Mbeumo integrating seamlessly and proving they have an unquenchable desire for success, he might just find his time at the club is only getting started.

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Hong Kong field an unchanged side in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20251:27

Can Bangladesh maintain their aggressive batting approach?

Bangladesh captain Litton Das elected to bowl in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.Litton said he decided to bowl since they were not aware of the pitch conditions at the venue. He confirmed that Bangladesh were playing three seamers, two spinners, and six batters.Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was happy despite losing the toss because he wanted to bat first anyway. Murtaza said that the batters made some mistakes against Afghanistan and that they wouldn’t want to repeat them. There were no changes to the Hong Kong side, with Murtaza backing the same XI to come good tonight.The pitch report sugges a dry surface with some cracks opening up but remains run friendly. The shorter boundary on one side of the ground could interest the battersOne losing record promises to come to an end tonight. Bangladesh have never won a T20I in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong are yet to win an Asia Cup match.Bangladesh XI: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Tanzim Hasan, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Hong Kong XI: 1 Zeeshan Ali (wk), 2 Anshy Rath, 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Nizakat Khan, 5 Kalhan Challu, 6 Kinchit Shah, 7 Yasim Murtaza (capt), 8 Aizaz Khan, 9 Ayush Shukla, 10 Ateeq Iqbal, 11 Ehsan Khan

On the eve of Mushfiqur Rahim’s 100th Test, take this quiz on his career milestones

Sreshth Shah and Yash Jha17-Nov-2025If the quiz does not appear below, disable your ad-blocker and click here to reload the page