Everton have joined the race to sign a want-away England international in January, according to reports, but face competition from the likes of Manchester United.
Grealish admits "love" for Moyes & Everton
The general rule is that fans should never fall in love with a loan player, but what if a loanee falls in love with them? For Jack Grealish and Everton, the admiration is going both ways and the Manchester City man couldn’t help but heap praise on David Moyes and onwatching fans after scoring the winning goal against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Speaking to reporters, Grealish said: “It is a brilliant team and I love the manager to pieces. I have only known him a few months and I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person. How he makes me feel, how he makes me want to play for him – credit to him. We are doing well.
“I am so lucky that I have had such great clubs and great fanbases, this is another one of them. They have been so good to me today. They were singing my name before the goal, I feel like they wanted a bit more from me and I gave it to them!”
There was plenty of cautious optimism when Everton signed the England international on loan in the summer. He was struggling under Pep Guardiola, but a move away and much-needed minutes always seemed likely to spark his love for the game back into action.
It’s been such a successful deal that The Friedkin Group could look to strike a similar transfer in January. Reports have already linked Everton with moves for struggling stars like Joshua Zirkzee and they’ve now even set their sights on welcoming Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League.
Everton join Conor Gallagher race
According to reports in Spain, Everton are now racing to sign Gallagher alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and, of course, Man United.
The England international has struggled for consistent game time as of late, starting just three La Liga games so far this season – and is now ready for a return to the Premier League in an attempt to secure his World Cup place.
Man United’s interest has been well-documented in recent weeks, but Everton could yet spoil their January plans by swooping in. Whether it’s the Red Devils or the Toffees, however, deal is unlikely to come cheap. Atletico are reportedly demanding around €60m (£53m) to sell their midfielder this winter.
Everton could sign "one of the best left-backs in the world" for just £25m
The Toffees could look to re-sign one of their former players and have several formulas ready to acquire him.
By
Sean Markus Clifford
Nov 30, 2025
Despite his current struggles, Gallagher often received praise during his time in England, with Chelsea legend Petr Cech telling reporters in 2024: “He’s one of the players that’s always cared about winning and about the club.
“You find that even young players can have special abilities to be a leader. Conor is one of those players – he’s always worked hard, he’s always cared and he always tries his best.”
Having seen the success of Grealish at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Gallagher could yet follow suit to hand Moyes an impressive addition in January.
Everton eyeing up move to sign former Liverpool star who's been "fantastic"
He was coming back from injury, but Hazlewood simply blew Punjab Kings away by taking out two of their key players in the space of seven balls
Karthik Krishnaswamy29-May-20250:43
Moody: Hazlewood would have ‘welcomed the New Chandigarh surface’
They call him Hazlegod. Fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) call him that, but so do Indian cricket fans of other stripes, for few can elude the grip of awe and terror that this 6’5″ metronome can induce when he does his thing. Seldom does a social-media nickname feel as apt as this one does when a ball delivered by Josh Hazlewood rears at an unsuspecting batter like an instrument of god’s wrath.This is a man who can turn any pitch into a trampoline. Give him one with a bit of bounce in it, and he turns into, well, Hazlegod. Think back to April 24, when he conceded just one run in a double-wicket 19th over that began with RCB’s opponents needing 18 off 12 balls. The Hazlegodliest ball of that over wasn’t even a wicket ball; it was too good to edge, leaping at Wanindu Hasaranga like a ball bowled by the Under-19s’ spearhead to the Under-12s’ wicketkeeper.When Thursday dawned, however, a bit of uncertainty surrounded Hazlewood’s powers. He hadn’t played in more than a month, had come back to India later than most overseas players when IPL 2025 resumed after its mid-tournament suspension, and had only just recovered from a shoulder injury. And there would be no easing in; he was about to be thrust straight into Qualifier 1.Related
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But Hazlewood is used to coming back from injury layoffs, and the world is used to seeing him come back, approach the bowling crease with that deceptively effortless run-up, and land his first ball on that exacting length like he has never been away.And so it was on Thursday against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The first ball Hazlewood bowled to Shreyas Iyer was his second ball, so he was sufficiently warmed up, and this ball was a reminder of every other ball he had bowled to the PBKS captain up to that point. Before this game, Hazlewood had bowled 19 balls to Iyer in all T20s, and dismissed him three times while conceding nine runs. It could have been four times in 20 balls; this one straightened from that trademark Hazlewood length and beat the outside edge as Iyer felt for it with an open-faced bat.Soon enough, it was four dismissals in 22 balls, with a stereotypically Hazlewood kind of strike. This is putting it a little crudely, because Hazlewood probably makes dozens of micro-adjustments in every spell, but on the whole, no matter what the format, conditions and opposition may be, all he probably tells himself at the top of his mark is: “I’ll hit a hard length, and we’ll see how it goes.”This was hard length, in the corridor, with a scrambled seam, and it nipped away ever so slightly from the batter. Iyer may have pushed at it with a vertical bat in a longer-format game; here he attempted a cross-bat swipe. Neither response was guaranteed to avoid an edge, and Jitesh Sharma’s gloves, as keepers’ gloves usually do when Hazlewood is bowling, pointed up when he caught this top edge above his left shoulder.2:10
Moody: Iyer totally misread the game situation
It was an ugly-looking dismissal, but you can’t divorce the batter’s shot from the context of the match as it stood. This was the fourth over, and PBKS were two down, but it wasn’t yet clear what a par total on this New Chandigarh pitch would look like. PBKS had come into this game with a line-up of extreme depth, but it had left them light on bowling – it seemed imperative, then, that they continued to back the aggressive style that had brought them this far in the tournament.And instinct, especially when it’s fine-tuned over two months of rigorous, T20-specific training, is hard to fight.The first ball of Hazlewood’s second over needed no putting in context. It was simply a brute. It was short and angled into Josh Inglis’ body, and it sprang off the surface with minimal loss of pace. It grabbed at Inglis’ throat, constricting him severely for room, and the miscued pull ballooned to long leg with the fielder barely needing to move. PBKS were 38 for 4.It was becoming increasingly clear that PBKS weren’t just facing the normal Hazlewood – a hard enough task – but Hazlewood bowling on a pitch with seam movement and inconsistent bounce. They were facing, in short, Hazlegod. There were balls climbing to the throat, and the odd one was going the other way too. Two balls after the Inglis dismissal, Marcus Stoinis bottom-edged an attempted pull off one that kept low, and was lucky not to play on.According to ball-tracking data, there were 0.6 degrees of seam movement during the two powerplays on Thursday, compared to 0.5 degrees on average in IPL 2025. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but couple that with the bounce, and the degree of difficulty becomes apparent: the average bounce during the PBKS innings was 3cm higher than the average bounce on previous New Chandigarh pitches this season. There was even more bounce (5cm more than the venue average) in the second innings, but RCB knew their target, and PBKS had been bowled out well short of setting them a challenging one.And PBKS didn’t know how the surface would play before they went out to bat. They were still finding out by the time Hazlewood came on. Where other bowlers may have given the batters a little more space and time to come to grips with the threat they were dealing with, Hazlewood simply blew them away, taking out two of their key players in the space of seven balls.3:05
Moody: The occasion muddled PBKS’ thinking
“The bowling unit was obviously back to the unit that bowled for most of the tournament, and again, we knew our roles really well,” Hazlewood said in his post-match press conference. “But a little bit in the wicket to be honest, there was a little bit of seam movement, the bounce was probably a little bit inconsistent, so we sort of utilised that as best as we could.”It became clear when the chase began that PBKS could have made a match of it had they successfully revisited their total they were aiming for – Hazlewood felt 150-160 may have challenged RCB.”Yeah, I think the conditions were… it was great to bowl first, I think, although we saw swing and seam throughout the whole game. Whenever a new ball was bowled there was a bit happening, so you’ve just got to utilise that.”Probably from a Kings point [of view], they probably just had to pull back a little bit and try and get a score on the board, you know, 150-160 would have been a difficult chase potentially. But I think we only let them bat as well as they could have, through our bowling.”Hazlewood exemplified that with his lengths, and it was instructive – of the conditions as well as the self-effacing nature of the man – that he went back to talking about the pitch when he was asked how he handled his return from injury.”On the injury layoff, worked really hard the last few weeks on the shoulder to get back, and got some good overs into it in the last sort of 10 days, and yeah, it’s feeling not too bad. I was happy with tonight, the wicket helped obviously, didn’t have to bowl any fast yorkers or anything like that, so yeah, it’s feeling not too bad.”If this is how Hazlewood bowls when he is feeling not too bad, RCB’s opponents in Tuesday’s final will hope he isn’t feeling any better by then.
It’s been a turbulent 12 years or so in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United, a period dominated by talk of ‘projects’, ‘philosophies’ and ‘transitions’.
In truth, the Red Devils have tried it all, from hiring and firing managers at will, to changing directors and CEOs, to even shaking things up at ownership level.
The result? A worst-ever Premier League finish last season, with things again hanging in the balance this time around.
So many problems, so many people to blame, although one consistent theme remains the inability to acquire a truly consistent, world-class figure to lead the line.
Not since Robin van Persie’s breathtaking debut season in 2012/13 has any United player reached 20 Premier League goals in a season, with the club veering from short-term, Edinson Cavani-shaped fixes, to long-term, expensive gambles like Rasmus Hojlund.
Man Utd’s top PL scorer by season
Season
Player
Goals
2024/25
Bruno Fernandes & Amad
8
2023/24
Bruno Fernandes & Rasmus Hojlund
10
2022/23
Marcus Rashford
17
2021/22
Cristiano Ronaldo
18
2020/21
Bruno Fernandes
18
2019/20
Marcus Rashford & Anthony Martial
17
2018/19
Paul Pogba
13
2017/18
Romelu Lukaku
16
2016/17
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
17
2015/16
Anthony Martial
11
2014/15
Wayne Rooney
12
2013/14
Wayne Rooney
17
2012/13
Robin van Persie
26
Stats via Transfermarkt
Ruben Amorim and INEOS are crying out for that next Van Persie, or Ruud van Nistelrooy or even Dimitar Berbatov to deliver the goods, with this season again another tale of frustration.
Every Premier League Golden Boot winner at Man Utd
As already stated, it was that man Van Persie – following his controversial switch from Arsenal – who last truly hit the ground running among United centre-forwards, scoring 26 league goals to fire Ferguson to his 13th and final title, while claiming the Premier League Golden Boot as a result.
The Dutchman had also received the honour the year prior during his last campaign at the Emirates, taking the award from the 2010/11 recipients of hero turned nemesis, Carlos Tevez of Manchester City and that man Berbatov.
A maverick talent in every sense, that campaign was the balletic Bulgarian at his very best in a United shirt, scoring 20 times as United romped to the title, memorably scoring that hat-trick to sink Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Far removed from the high-press, relentless talents of the likes of Tevez before him, Berbatov was all silk and intelligence, making up for his lack of pace and power by playing the game at his own speed.
While never truly prolific, the one-time Tottenham Hotspur man remains one of just five players to have won the Golden Boot while playing for United, with that list unsurprisingly completed by Van Nistelrooy (2002/03), Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08) and Dwight Yorke (1998/99).
Whether anyone will reach such heights again at the Theatre of Dreams remains to be seen, and while patience continues with regard to Benjamin Sesko, time is swiftly running out for Joshua Zirkzee.
Why Man Utd’s new Berbatov is on borrowed time
To defend the modern or current crop, Fergie’s great sides all had a string of forwards who could carry the burden.
For every Yorke, there was an Andy Cole. For every Van Nistelrooy, a Louis Saha. Or for every Van Persie, a great like Wayne Rooney.
That depth, that competition, is no longer there, a fact perhaps best highlighted by the lack of action afforded to Zirkzee of late, with the Dutchman merely a bystander to proceedings this season.
With Sesko the leading number nine, Amorim has also deployed Matheus Cunha through the middle for trips to Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, thus reducing Zirkzee’s hopes of featuring even further.
While the 24-year-old doesn’t appear to have been too wounded by such a status – having creditably been seen celebrating with his teammates in recent weeks – the writing does appear to be on the wall with regard to his United career.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst put it, he was “reduced to a fleeting waterboy” against Spurs.
Once hailed as “the modern-day Berbatov” by Billy Meredith, such is his fleet of foot and deft touch, such traits have also been his undoing, with his self-proclaimed ‘nine and a half’ role seeing him become unsuited to Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
At a time when the Portuguese coach is looking for his next Viktor Gyokeres, a powerful, pacy forward to run the channels – alla Sesko – the former Bologna man is anything but, instead better served linking play and dropping deep to kickstart attacks.
In a different side and in a different era, Zirkzee may well have thrived as a complementary talent to Rooney, Tevez and co, although in the age of one man up top, he does appear to be the face that doesn’t fit.
Indeed, it isn’t as if the Netherlands international has really made his presence felt when he has featured, scoring just seven times in 54 games for the club, only three of which have come in the Premier League.
Yet to score in 2025/26, albeit while totalling just 90 minutes, the £105k-per-week marksman appears destined to depart in 2026, be it in January or next summer.
From fighting his way back after being jeered off against Newcastle United in December, Zirkzee does appear to be up for the challenge, although such are the demands that Amorim places on his strikers, this might not be one he can win.
Unless something drastic does occur, INEOS’ £36m man will sadly be the latest victim of the post-Ferguson striking curse. Where will that next Golden Boot winner come from?
Forget Sesko: Man Utd's "terrible" dud is now becoming INEOS' worst signing
Manchester United made a huge mistake in spending big money on one first-team member.
Former England striker Emile Heskey has urged Thomas Tuchel to carefully manage Harry Kane’s workload ahead of the 2026 World Cup, warning that “running him into the ground” could be disastrous for England’s chances. Despite Kane’s blistering form for Bayern Munich, Heskey fears fatigue could strike at the worst possible time if the England captain isn’t protected.
Kane in spectacular form for Bayern Munich
Heskey believes that the Bayern Munich star’s heavy workload poses a real risk to his fitness heading into next summer’s World Cup. Kane has been in extraordinary form this season; however, according to the former England international, his relentless playing schedule must be managed carefully to avoid burnout.
The concern stems from Kane’s well-documented history of playing almost every minute for both club and country, a pattern that has previously led to fatigue towards the second half of the season. Heskey highlighted the importance of ensuring England’s captain is in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While the Bundesliga’s winter break may provide some respite, the former striker believes that both Bayern and England must resist the temptation to overuse their talisman.
Kane’s current form underlines why such caution is essential. The 32-year-old has scored 22 goals in just 16 appearances across all competitions this season, including 12 in the Bundesliga alone. His consistency has made him indispensable for both club and country, but also worryingly irreplaceable, with England lacking a comparable backup should he become unavailable through injury or fatigue.
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Heskey wants Kane's workload managed ahead of WC26
In his interview with Dream Vegas, Heskey didn’t hold back in voicing his concerns: "Yeah. You’ve got to be careful. The problem with Harry Kane is that he’s been used to playing week in, week out, so he’s got to manage his body and manage his fitness. He plays a lot of games, but it’s just about managing that.
"We’ve also got to remember, in the Premier League, they don’t get much of a break, but in the Bundesliga, they get a winter break, so that might help as well. We are getting to a point where we’ve got to be really careful as a footballing fraternity that we’re not just overloading players for entertainment. But then, when the entertainment isn’t there, we criticise them again," he explained.
"There are a lot of games to be played, and I remember in the 2001 season, I think we played 60 games. I remember playing in the UEFA Cup final, and I can’t really remember it. That final was just a blur because we played so many games that season. We played replays too, and we played two legs in the League Cup, plus replays as well, so it’s very tough for players.
"We’ve got to be careful that we’re not just running them into the ground and not giving them the best stage ever, not allowing them to be the best version of themselves. That would be a catastrophe, if I’m honest."
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Kane undroppable for both Bayern and England
Kane’s start to the 2025-26 campaign has been nothing short of sensational. The England captain has scored 22 goals in 16 appearances for Bayern Munich, including five in the Champions League and four in the DFB-Pokal. His 1.53 goals per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga has him on pace to break Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record of 41, with Kane displaying clinical finishing and world-class consistency.
But it’s not just the numbers that make him indispensable; beyond scoring, Kane remains a creative focal point, dropping deep to dictate play and create space for Bayern’s wide forwards. That same tactical intelligence is what makes him so vital for England, where he functions as both finisher and playmaker, linking up with England's other forwards and attacking midfielders like Jude Bellingham.
However, that dual responsibility comes at a cost. Kane’s importance to England has made him almost undroppable, and the national team’s attacking structure is built almost entirely around his unique skill set.
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Tuchel facing challenge of managing Kane's minutes
Tuchel and the England staff now face the challenge of balancing preparation with preservation. With the World Cup just seven months away, ensuring Kane’s fitness will be a top priority as England plan their friendlies and training camps. Tuchel, who has already spoken publicly about rotating his squad and promoting competition for places, may be forced to limit Kane’s minutes in upcoming matches to protect his long-term availability.
The bigger issue, however, lies in England’s reliance on their captain. While Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Dominic Solanke are potential deputies, none offer Kane’s blend of elite finishing, vision, and leadership. Should the Bayern star suffer an injury or even minor fatigue, it could force Tuchel into a tactical rethink at the worst possible time.
Newcastle United's star defender Dan Burn is all set to voice the Genie in an Aladdin pantomime running over the Christmas period. Burn will make his debut in the world of entertainment, although he himself will not feature on the stage. Instead, his voice will be pre-recorded, considering the Magpies' busy schedule in December in the Premier League.
Burn lands role in local pantomime
Burn will make a cameo appearance in a production of Aladdin, which will be held in his hometown of Blyth. Burn will feature in the local pantomime as the voice of the Genie. The defender's voice will be pre-recorded as he won't be able to make an actual physical appearance at the production, which will run between December 6 to December 28, given his commitments to Newcastle United.
The Magpies have a hectic Christmas period of games, which starts with a clash against Sunderland on December 14. They also face Premier League giants like Chelsea and Manchester United, with the clash against the Red Devils scheduled for Boxing Day.
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Burn confirmed as voice of Aladin
The Phoenix Theatre in Blyth confirmed the news on Instagram with an official announcement that read: "Blyth's very own Dan Burn is the voice of the Genie in Aladdin at The Phoenix Theatre this Christmas. Get ready for wishes, laughter, and a giant dose of Toon magic. Tickets are flying faster than a magic carpet."
Burn eye World Cup birth
Burn's impressive run of form in the 2024-25 campaign, where he played a key role in Newcastle United winning the Carabao Cup, at 32, the defender earned his maiden England call-up in March 2025 and earned his first-ever international cap. Since then, he has regularly been called up by Thomas Tuchel in the Three Lions squad as he has made it to the national team five times this year.
Burn is a regular starter under Eddie Howe and is a key figure in the Magpies' dressing room. If he manages to maintain his consistency and remain injury-free, he is almost sure to make it to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America next summer.
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Newcastle aim to maintain unbeaten
The Magpies have had a topsy-turvy start to their 2025-26 campaign after Eddie Howe oversaw a dream season at St James' Park. Newcastle initially struggled for consistency at the start of the new campaign, but in the last three Premier League matches, they have finally gained some momentum. Before facing Spurs on Tuesday, which ended in a 2-2 draw, Howe's side beat Manchester City and Everton, 2-1 and 4-1 respectively, in back-to-back fixtures.
They would now aim to maintain the unbeaten run as they look to pick up three points in their upcoming Premier League clash at home against Burnley on Saturday.
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
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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.
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.