Famous presenter Piers Morgan has begged Arsenal to win the Premier League, and kick off an era of dominance that will see them become the Premier League's best-ever team. The Gunners have not won the title since 2004 under Arsene Wenger but Mikel Arteta's side are top of the league in December, and are dreaming of lifting silverware in May.

Arsenal's rise

The Gunners have enjoyed a stunning start to the season and fans are currently dreaming of ending a drought that runs back to 2004, when Arsene Wenger's side won the title. Arteta's charges sit five points clear ahead of Manchester City in second  – ahead of Pep Guardiola's side playing Fulham on Tuesday evening – and Morgan, one of the club's most famous, or infamous, fans, depending on your viewpoint, believes that the club can kick off a decade of dominance if they lift the trophy. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMorgan's plea

Morgan, in an interview with Sky Sports, said: “For 21, nearly 22 years, it’s been a torment exacerbated by the fact that in the last three years we’ve been the bridesmaid three times but never the bride when we should have been.

“Now we can taste it, now we can feel it, now we have got the wedding dress.

“Now we assume we have got the best chance ever to be the bride and my message to Arsenal is: Please, please, just win the league. 

“Just shut up all our rivals. Just give me something. Because it’s the best chance we’ve got.”

He also believes they can go on to become one of the best teams the league has ever seen, a la The Invincibles. 

He added: “I’ll tell you what. This is the best squad I’ve ever known Arsenal have in my entire life supporting them. So this is since 1971, I’ve never seen a better squad in terms of depth.

“And I think in terms of certain players, [Bukayo] Saka, Declan Rice, [William] Saliba, Gabriel [Magalhaes], [David] Raya, maybe some others, maybe [Viktor] Gyokeres, we’ll see, we could have players who end up being Arsenal legends.

“Some are well on their way already and I picked a team recently of Invincibles and the current team. How many would get into a joint team? Six-five Invincibles at the moment.

“That could change if we win the league. Exciting times to be an Arsenal fan.”

Can Arsenal see it out?

The Gunners have been in this position before, and have led the league table at various stages since 2004, but have failed to get over the line. Morgan, though, may well have a point that the north London club will never have a better chance to finally end a lengthy drought. They came through a stern test last weekend, drawing 1-1 with Chelsea in a high-intensity and ill-tempered derby.

Arteta has already called on the club's fanbase to roar them over the line, telling reporters: "It's an opportunity tomorrow to be at the Emirates, bouncing and putting energy to win the game.

"7.30pm. Like animals, everybody at the Emirates, to go again and beat Brentford. That's the opportunity. Vital. Massive."

"Our motivation comes from preparation, try to be better from the opposition. And in the league with what we're doing, we don't need any more motivation than that."

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AFPWhat comes next?

Arsenal have a London derby against Brentford to come in midweek before taking on Aston Villa away from home this weekend. They are also continuing to compete in the Champions League, and face Club Brugge in Belgium next week. They then take on Wolves, and remain in contention for both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. A glorious end to the season is possible, but whether it happens remains to be seen. 

Newcastle United could be boosted by the unexpected return of a sidelined star sooner than first thought, according to reports.

Howe: "individual errors" hurt Newcastle

It’s not often that Eddie Howe is publicly critical of his Newcastle side, but even he couldn’t hide his frustration after the Magpies saw their lead wiped away by Tottenham Hotspur at the death. It was yet another late goal and yet more points dropped from a winning position for those in Tyneside, who rarely do things the easy way these days.

Howe admitted that “individual errors” hurt Newcastle against Spurs just when they thought they did enough to secure all three points against Thomas Frank’s side.

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The former Bournemouth boss told reporters: “I think it’s definitely a failing, you can’t sit here and go, I can’t sit here and go, everything’s okay in that respect, it’s happened too many times this season, that doesn’t mean we can’t figure it out and put it right very quickly.

“Today’s really a set piece, it’s a moment and those moments happen in football, they’ve been on the other end of it at times and individual errors usually from set plays hurt you and that’s what happened.”

Tottenham will feel as though their late winner was justified, however, after Newcastle were controversially awarded a penalty, which Anthony Gordon converted in the second-half.

Jamie Redknapp demanded “consistency” from the referees at full-time and Howe has every right to demand the same from his players. In a packed December full of fixtures, the Newcastle boss will be relieved to hear the latest update on Yoane Wissa’s long-awaited return from injury.

Craig Hope shares unexpected Yoane Wissa return date

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Wissa could now make a shock return for Newcastle this weekend and take a place on Howe’s bench against Burnley. The forward recently took part in a training ground game, but it remained uncertain when he would finally make his debut for the club.

The summer signing endured a disastrous start to life at St James’ Park when he was injured not long after arriving. Now, he could get the chance to finally make his mark just when Newcastle need him most.

Dubbed “remarkable” by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank last season, it will certainly be interesting to see how Wissa is used in Tyneside.

Record signing Nick Woltemade has enjoyed such an excellent start, but will undoubtedly have a fight to keep hold of his place now that his competition is nearing a return. Whether Howe sticks or twists, there’s no denying that Wissa’s return will be a major boost.

Howe must finally bin 5/10 Newcastle dud who was "very sloppy" vs Spurs

Through planning, shadow tours and shared leadership, South Africa signalled early they were coming for India

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-20253:10

Philander: Takes an ‘epic effort’ to beat India at home

At the start of 2025, South Africa coach Shukri Conrad encouraged his team to “just dream a bit” because “some of the best things happen in dreams” and they ran with it. They had already qualified for the World Test Championship final and dreamt of winning it. But even after that, even in their wildest dreams, they didn’t go as far as thinking they would sweep a series in India, nevermind subject them to their worst home defeat. That was something they only believed when it became reality.
“Coming here, I would never have thought 2-0 would be the result of the series,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s still-undefeated captain, said at the post-match press conference. “What makes it sweeter is the fact that we’ve been on the other side of the result, so we know how dark it can be. It’s an incredible achievement for the group of players. Again, we’ve gone on to paint ourselves in history and we are creating some memorable moments.”The last time South Africa won a Test series in India was a quarter of a century ago, when Bavuma was a boy and two of his squad – both of whom made series-swaying contributions – Marco Jansen and Tristan Stubbs were not even born. To say that South Africa went into the India series with players who had mostly bad baggage or others who carried none at all is accurate.
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Those things combined to deepen their resolve to give as good an account of themselves as they could, especially as mace holders with a reputation to upkeep. Under Conrad, and with their first-choice side available, South Africa have not lost a series (their only defeat was to New Zealand in 2024 with an understrength squad) and Bavuma holds the record for the most Test wins as captain before a loss (ten before Guwahati, 11 in 12 Tests after). Against an Indian side in transition, South Africa fancied their chances but they didn’t fancy them much.”I would have never confidently thought we’d walk away with a 2-0 series win and maybe that apprehension would have forced us to bring a higher level of intensity in our play,” Bavuma said. “But also in our preparation, we made sure that no stone went unturned.”
South Africa players celebrate after sealing the 2-0 sweep•Associated PressApart from a helpful FTP, which saw South Africa tour Pakistan the month before heading to India, they also sent an A team, which Bauvma was part of, as an advance party for this series. That team played two four-day matches, albeit on benign surfaces in Bengaluru but against some of the Indian first-choice attack. The spoils were shared 1-1 and included South Africa A successfully chasing 417 in the second match, a sign that anything is possible. Bavuma scored 59 runs in the chase, which he described as the start of his uplevelling to meet the squad’s standards.
“The boys were in Pakistan and they got a proper taste and sense of what’s to come in subcontinental conditions, so the guys came in ready,” Bavuma said. “For me, it was a case of getting up to speed with the guys having been out with injury. But coming back into the team, I felt as if the guys were at a higher level and the onus was more on me to up my game.”
Bavuma missed both South Africa’s previous Test tours to the subcontinent through injury. He had an elbow injury last year when they beat Bangladesh 2-0 and a calf niggle sustained in a white-ball series in England kept him out of the Pakistan Tests. Despite those absences, there has never been any doubt that it is his South African team, with Conrad calling him both their best batter and their leader. And it’s clear that he is received that way. Bavuma received a standing ovation at Eden Gardens and was well celebrated in Guwahati and appears to have taken ownership of the job fully. He called his ascendency “a process of discovery” that has come from being “a lot more assured of myself as a person and as a captain and of what I’m trying to do out there”.

“Coming here, I never would’ve thought 2-0 would be the result of the series”Temba Bavuma

Two and a half years into the job of Test captain, and with the experience of the white-ball leadership under his belt, Bavuma’s biggest lesson is the ability to delegate so that he does not carry all the responsibility on his own. “We have a lot of leaders within the team and it’s understanding where certain guys provide value and allowing them to flourish within that space,” he said. “I’ve got your Keshav [Maharaj], I’ve got Aiden [Markram], I’ve got your KG [Rabada] even though he wasn’t there this time. From a tactical point of view, those are the guys, I can always bounce ideas around. I set that vision clear, but there’s other guys who help me make sure that we’re all on the same page.”
The other thing he has learnt to do is “separate the captain and the batter” and to ensure that he can be picked on the latter alone. “It’s important that you do your primary skill as well as you can,” he said. “Guys generally follow what they see, not necessarily what you tell them. I try to ensure that from a batting point of view, I’m contributing as much as I can to the team.”
<!–#cricinfo_insert
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caption: Temba Bavuma receives the series trophy from Devajit Saikia
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–>Since taking over the captaincy, Bavuma averages over 50, is second only to Markram in Test runs for South Africa and has scored three of his four hundreds. In this series, his 55 not out in the third innings in Kolkata turned the game, and ultimately the series, in South Africa's favour.That contribution may end up sitting in the shadows of bigger ones like Senuran Muthusamy's maiden Test hundred, Jansen and Stubbs' 93 and 94 respectively, Simon Harmer's 17 wickets and Markram's record catches but Bavuma doesn't mind. This South African team is not about superstars – and remember Rabada was injured for the series – it is about who does what when it matters.
“The team now is really in a good space. Winning obviously does that, but it’s also the way that we’re going about winning our games,” Bavuma said. “From a batting point of view, we don’t have the guys who are going in and getting the big hundreds but we’ve got four, five or six guys who are willing to contribute. That gets us to a formidable score. We know that from a bowling point of view, we’ve got enough to make sure that the result is on our side. It’s good times at the moment within the team.”
You can wake up, South Africa. The dream came true.

Liverpool are now reportedly ready to accept a cut-price offer for one of their star men on one important condition in the January transfer window.

Salah accuses Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus"

To say it was a bad Saturday evening for Liverpool would be an understatement. Life was good at 2-0 up. The champions were in control. Cruising, in fact, before Ibrahima Konate’s needless challenge allowed Leeds United the climb back into the game before both sides battled out a dramatic 3-3 draw.

But the worst was yet to come. Mohamed Salah didn’t get on the pitch yet again, but he did get behind the mic after the game to unleash an explosive rant against Arne Slot and Liverpool.

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The Egyptian said: “That I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”

It’s a new low point in Liverpool’s shocking title defence and where they even go from here is anyone’s guess. It is, however, time to get ruthless it seems, with reports now suggesting that those at Anfield are ready to sell Konate following his disastrous form.

Liverpool ready to accept Konate offer

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are now ready to accept a £15m offer to sell Konate in January if they manage to find a replacement. The Frenchman has played himself out of a Real Madrid move this season, but is still on course to become a free agent when his contract expires in the summer.

After he gave away a penalty to allow Leeds back into Saturday’s game, Slot admitted that Konate has been at the scene of the crime too often this season.

A player who Virgil van Dijk dubbed “fantastic” last year, Konate has now become Liverpool’s biggest liability. With just over six months remaining on his current deal, it remains to be seen whether he puts pen to paper on fresh terms.

Liverpool hold talks to sign Semenyo upgrade who will be a "£100m +" player

Suryavanshi continued to smash records as he hit 144 off just 42 deliveries against UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2025Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued to smash records as he blazed 144 off just 42 deliveries in India A’s opening game in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 against UAE. His century, coming off just 32 balls, was the joint-third fastest by an Indian in men’s T20s. Urvil Patel for Gujarat and Abhishek Sharma for Punjab scored centuries off 28 balls in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while Rishabh Pant had also scored a century off 32 balls for Delhi in 2018. Overall, Suryavanshi’s century is the joint-sixth fastest in men’s T20s.His 144 was also the fourth-highest by an Indian in the format.Suryavanshi, at 14 years and 232 days, also became the youngest man to score a hundred for a national representative team at senior level. It was a record previously held by Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim, who was 16 years and 171 days old when he scored 111* for Bangladesh A against Zimbabwe A in a first-class match in 2005.Suryavanshi was dropped first ball but made full use of his second life, hammering 11 fours and 15 sixes in his knock before getting out in the 13th over. He finished with a strike rate of 342.85, the fourth highest for a score of 100 or more in men’s T20s.This was Suryavanshi’s second T20 century, following his 35-ball effort for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. He is the youngest man to score a hundred in T20s. He had become the second-fastest centurion in IPL history, only behind Chris Gayle, who had taken 30 deliveries for his ton against Pune Warriors in 2011.”It was just my natural game and it’s the T20 format so I wanted to back my own game,” Suryavanshi said after his knock. “I was dropped first ball but I just thought I didn’t want to change my intent because we needed a big score on this ground. The wicket was good and the boundary was small. So I was trying to back my shots.”He credited his father for helping him stay focused during games. “Because of how he was strict with me since childhood. Earlier, I used to think why is he being so strict. But now I understand that the benefit of those things can be seen on the ground, that he didn’t let me get distracted and kept me focused on cricket and made sure that I keep working hard,” Suryavanshi said. “So I will say that whatever I have, it is thanks to my father.”He also played down talk of feeling pressure, despite drawing attention at a young age. “There is no pressure. Because the fans have come to support,” he said. “And after going to the ground, the field outside the ground doesn’t come to mind. Then my focus is on playing the ball.”India A raced to 297 for 4, the joint fifth-highest team total in men’s T20s, with captain Jitesh Sharma applying the finishing touches with an unbeaten 83 off 32 balls. That total proved 148 too many as UAE were restricted to 149 for 7, with left-arm quick Gurjapneet Singh picking up 3 for 18 in four overs.

Everything was looking rosy for Xabi Alonso after a thumping 4-0 home win over Valencia on November 1, which was Real Madrid's 13th victory out of 14 games across all competitions in the first few months of the season. Los Blancos were top of La Liga by five points ahead of Clasico rivals Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 at the Bernabeu seven days earlier, and they'd racked up nine points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, with Juventus among their victims.

But the wheels have fallen off spectacularly since then. Madrid have only won two of their last eight, and now find themselves four points adrift of Barca domestically and six off European pace-setters Arsenal. A 1-0 defeat to an out-of-sorts Liverpool at Anfield started the slide, and alarm bells started ringing after three successive draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona.

Alonso's side then hit rock bottom with a dismal 2-0 loss against Celta Vigo in front of their own fans on Sunday, prompting the board into action. According to , senior Real Madrid officials, including president Florentino Perez and general director Jose Angel Sanchez, held crunch talks over Alonso's future, concluding that the manager does "not have a good connection with a significant part of the dressing room".  It has been suggested that some players are struggling to get on board with Alonso's tactics, while a well-publicised fallout with star winger Vinicius Jr has led to a distracting transfer sideshow. 

The Madrid squad did appear to be behind Alonso in their latest outing, showing plenty of heart and urgency in attack during Manchester City's visit to the Spanish capital on Wednesday. However, it was City who ultimately emerged with a 2-1 win, and whistles rained down on Alonso from the frustrated Bernabeu crowd after the final whistle. 

Alonso is a progressive coach who needs time to stamp an identity, but that luxury is never on offer in Madrid. Change is inevitable if the inconsistency continues, and there are already seven candidates in the frame to replace the Spaniard. GOAL runs through their credentials below…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Jurgen Klopp

  Jurgen Klopp decided to step away from coaching after calling time on his stellar nine-year spell at Liverpool in the summer of 2024, and has since taken on the role of global head of soccer for the Red Bull Group. The charismatic German spoke to about his new life in September, saying when quizzed on whether his time in the dugout is now over: "That’s what I think. But you don’t know. I’m 58. If I started again at 65, everybody will say, 'You said you’ll never do it again!' I don’t miss anything."

  His stance appeared to have softened last month, though, as he described a potential return to Liverpool as "theoretically possible". Back in April, Klopp was in the frame for the Madrid job alongside Alonso when murmurs of Carlo Ancelotti's departure began, but reported that he would wait until next summer to decide on any management opportunities. 

  However, now claims that Madrid are ready to test Klopp's resolve. He is said to be one of the "favourites" to step in if Alonso is sacked, and he certainly has the personality and experience to spark an instant turnaround. Klopp's heavy-metal brand of football would surely be a hit with the Madrid faithful, too, but his true motivations remain unclear, so this feels like a dream appointment rather than a realistic one at the moment.

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  Zinedine Zidane

  Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest players and managers to ever grace the Bernabeu, which is why his name pops up every time there is talk of a coaching reshuffle in Madrid. claims that Perez still has great "confidence and affection" for Zidane, who delivered three successive Champions League titles during his first stint in the hot seat.

  The president brought him back once before, in similar times of crisis back in March 2019 after the disastrous short reigns of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. Zidane went on to deliver the 2019-20 La Liga title, but resigned at the end of the following campaign, and has been unemployed ever since.

  Zidane is an adaptable coach who balances defensive solidity with attacking flair, and he knows how to get the best out of world-class players, much like Ancelotti. But it is the worst-kept secret in football that Zidane is waiting to take the reins of the France national team. With Didier Deschamps set to step down after the 2026 World Cup, it is expected that Zidane is being primed to usher in a new era for Les Bleus. It would be a huge surprise if he performed a U-turn now, especially for a Madrid squad dealing with a crisis of confidence and numerous injuries.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Andoni Iraola

  In February, the claimed that Madrid had identified Andoni Iraola as a lead contender to succeed Ancelotti. Iraola previously managed in Madrid at Rayo Vallecano, who he took from the Segunda Division to 11th in La Liga and the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. 

  Bournemouth bought into his billing as one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe when handing him a two-year contract in June 2023, and he's since enhanced his reputation. The Cherries are now in the mix for European qualification thanks to Iraola's attack-minded blueprint for success, with a high-pressing system and focus on vertical passing making them a match for even the very best Premier League teams.

  The consensus is, Iraola will soon move on to bigger and better things. The 43-year-old has exceeded expectations in both La Liga and the Premier League, and Madrid's interest has probably only increased over the past 11 months. The Bernabeu is a pressure cooker like no other, but Iraola has the calm demeanour to deal with it, and wouldn't be afraid to take risks in order to bring the team out of its funk. 

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  Marcelino

  If Madrid decide to look close to home, one name stands out above all others in La Liga: Marcelino Garcia Toral. Thanks to his disciplined approach, Villarreal are sitting third in La Liga, five points behind Barca with a game in hand, and there is genuine belief in the Castellon province that they can push for the title.

  Villarreal boast the best defensive record in La Liga at present, with Marcelino's compact 4-4-2 formation forcing opponents wide, and they can be devastating on the transition with plenty of pace and guile in the final third. The 60-year-old Spaniard inherited a squad languishing in 14th when he returned to El Madrigal for a second spell in November 2023, and has transformed their fortunes in remarkable style, with a fifth-placed finish last term taking the club back into the Champions League.

  The Yellow Submarine have really struggled in Europe's elite competition, which would be a concern for Madrid if they do seriously consider Marcelino, but only Alonso, Hansi Flick, Diego Simeone and Manuel Pellegrini have stronger CVs among the current coaching pool in Spain. Marcelino guided Villarreal to the Europa League semis in his first stint, won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2018-19 and reached the final a further two times with Athletic Club.

  If Villarreal can move ahead of Madrid as the main challengers for Barca's crown, Perez may decide Marcelino is the right man to bring domestic glory back to the Bernabeu.

Trent Rockets women have appointed Chris Read as their new head coach.The former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper and captain has been promoted from his assistant role held under previous incumbent Jon Lewis, who left the Women’s Hundred side at the end of the 2025 campaign after three years in charge.Read is a cult hero at Trent Bridge, having made over 700 appearances in all formats for Nottinghamshire across 19 years, serving as club captain for 10 seasons. He earned 15 Test caps for England, alongside 36 ODI appearances.Rockets will enter the 2026 season under new management following the acquisition of a 49% stake by Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the organisation, with Nottinghamshire retaining a 51% stake.Read’s move into coaching has recently included success as with Lancashire Women, marshalling them to two trophies this year. Last week, he signed a two-year deal to remain as their head coach through to the end of 2027.Read’s coaching staff at Rockets will include another former Nottinghamshire team-mate, Luke Fletcher, as assistant coach.”It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” said Read in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games.”With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”Rockets general manager Mick Newell, who coached Read at Nottinghamshire, added: “It’s a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.”Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too.”His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”Despite boasting a strong group, which includes current England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rockets have yet to reach the final of the Women’s Hundred. Their best finish came in 2022, losing the Eliminator to Southern Brave.

Things are quickly going from bad to worse for Chelsea at the moment.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Enzo Maresca’s side demolished Barcelona and drew with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Yet, their defeat at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday night was their second loss in three games and the third match in a row they were expected to win.

It really was a night to forget for Chelsea, and one that should see the manager make more than a few changes ahead of the weekend.

Chelsea's poor performers

Unfortunately for Maresca, there were plenty of Chelsea players who looked way off the pace in Bergamo on Tuesday night, with Enzo Fernández being particularly poor.

The Argentine international was tasked with playing in the ten again, and while he has had more than a few games in which he’s looked a threat there this season, this was not one of them.

On the ball, the former Benfica star was consistently making the wrong decisions, and off of it, he looked so lethargic that one analyst asked if “someone put weights in Enzo’s boots?”

By the time he was taken off in the 67th minute, he had completed just 24 of his 33 attempted passes, which is nowhere near good enough for someone in his position.

Moving a little deeper, it was also an uncharacteristically poor performance from the club’s record signing, Moises Caicedo.

Due to his three-match ban only applying to the Premier League, the manager decided to bring the Ecuadorian international back into the team, but he looked way off the pace.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion gem didn’t make a game-costing mistake, but he also felt like more of a passenger, failing to play a single key pass, losing the ball eight times, not taking a shot, committing two fouls and losing four ground duels.

Finally, Wesley Fofana and Robert Sanchez were also disappointing on the night.

The former seemed to completely lose Gianluca Scamacca for the hosts’ equalising goal, and then the former should have done better for Charles De Ketelaere’s winning strike.

Now, all these players were poor, but there is an argument for them keeping their places in the team for the game on the weekend, which cannot be said for the next player.

The Chelsea dud who should be dropped

Jamie Gittens was supposed to be a technically impressive, dynamic attacker who’d come in and make a real impact out wide for Chelsea, but so far, he’s been anything but.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Now, there is still time for him to come good in West London, but Tuesday night was another disappointing display from the former Borussia Dortmund star.

Maresca gave the Englishman plenty of game time, but he just couldn’t make an impact on the game, with or without the ball.

In fact, his one notable moment in the match was a shot in the second half that was comfortably saved. Other than that, he was utterly anonymous.

That might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Bobby Vincent, who gave the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘drifted out of the game.’

Unsurprisingly, the winger’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

For example, in his 94 minutes of action, the Reading-born ace registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.26, played a single key pass, took 33 touches – 21 fewer than Sanchez -, lost the ball nine times, lost seven of his ten duels and failed in 50% of his dribbles.

If this were a one-off, just a bad day at the office for the Englishman, then there would be an argument to keep him in the team to get back on his feet at the weekend.

However, the summer signing has had more poor performances than good so far this season, and therefore, Maresca should drop him from the lineup ahead of the Everton game.

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Tarik Skubal won the American League Cy Young award in 2024 by winning the pitching Triple Crown and leading the AL in wins, strikeouts and ERA. In 2025 he proceeded to have an even better statistical season, lowering his ERA and WHIP and striking out even more batters than he did during his Cy Young season.

About to enter his age 29 season, Skubal has one more campaign under Detroit's control before he becomes a free agent. As of right now, he's due to make $22.5 million next season, which is about half what Max Scherzer got annually from the Mets when they signed him to a three-year deal back in 2022.

The Tigers made Skubal an offer last offseason that was deemed "non-competitive" and it seems that another incredible season on the mound did not convince them to make whatever he considers a competitive offer.

According to Jon Heyman of the , the two sides are about a quarter of a billion dollars apart. No, seriously. In the words of Heyman, "Yep, that’s not a misprint. It’s close to $250 million."

While the total money or number of years is not clear, Heyman says that the "baseline for Skubal is seen as $400M." So the Tigers could be doing anything from making an insultingly low offer to being right there on the average salary, but far apart on the length of the contract.

Either way, they're going to have to pay Skubal to keep him.

Who is the highest paid pitcher in MLB?

For Skubal to crack the top five highest-paid pitchers, he'd need more than $35 million a year, which is exactly what Corbin Burnes is getting from the Diamondbacks. Shohei Ohtani has an average salary of $70 million, but unless Skubal can hit 50-plus home runs a season as a designated hitter, he should probably focus on what these guys are making.

Here are the five pitchers with contracts worth an average annual value of over $30 million, when they signed those deals and how long they are.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Copa do Brasil dará duas vagas à Libertadores a partir do próximo ano. Para isso acontecer, a CBF irá tirar uma das seis vagas à competição continental que até 2025 eram garantidas via Brasileirão.

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➡️Prêmio Brasileirão volta esvaziado após quatro anos sem ser realizado

Os clubes da Série A foram informados sobre a mudança nesta quinta-feira (11). Os dirigentes estão reunidos na CBF para o Conselho Técnico da Série A de 2026, cuja primeira rodada acontecerá no final de semana de 28 de janeiro.

Apesar do aumento do número de vagas à Libertadores via Copa do Brasil, ainda não há uma definição sobre se ela será direta (já para a fase de grupos) ou indireta (para a fase prévia). A CBF também estuda como será feita a distribuição das vagas caso um ou os dois finalistas da Copa já tenham garantido uma vaga na competição continental via Brasileirão.

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A intenção da CBF com a mudança é dar um peso ainda maior à Copa do Brasil, que foi ampliada com a mudança no calendário do futebol brasil. No próximo ano, a competição contará com 126 clubes, ante 92 da edição deste ano.

Até hoje, apenas o campeão da Copa do Brasil garante vaga na Libertadores do ano seguinte, o que tira um pouco do interesse dos clubes principalmente nas fases prévias. O principal atrativo acabava sendo financeiro; o campeão da Copa do Brasil deste ano vai levar R$ 77,1 milhões, fora o montante acumulado nas fases anteriores.

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Tradicionalmente marcado para fevereiro ou março do ano de disputa da competição, o Conselho Técnico da Série A foi antecipado para dezembro, portanto ainda na temporada anterior, por causa da mudança do calendário do futebol nacional.

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