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“He might flunk. He might thrive. It could be galling. It could be glorious.”

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Jun-2023Whatever your views on plucking Moeen Ali out of Test retirement for the Ashes, we can all agree on one thing. It is one hell of a call.A cricketer who polarised opinion throughout his initial seven years in the format is back for one last job. Arguably the biggest of the lot.As soon as Jack Leach’s back stress fracture was discovered, the pull of a mercurial off-spinning allrounder was too great for Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key. Contact was made with Moeen on Sunday before news of Leach’s injury was made public that evening, just over 24 hours after the conclusion of the Ireland Test at Lord’s.On a roster of precocious, recently-capped and reliable spin replacements, it was no surprise the free-wheeling vibe merchants opted for someone of their ilk. What you can say about selection during the Stokes-McCullum era is they have got every marginal call right, most recently with opting for Josh Tongue over Chris Woakes against Ireland. This, however, is top-tier bombastic, even by their standards.The best of a 64-cap career – and, now, counting – featured glorious shot-making and magic deliveries among 2,914 runs and 195 wickets. Ahead of these five Tests against Australia, Moeen’s experience, both time around the traps and pull on the soul, sets him above the rest.Related

• Stuart Broad has no regrets over not walking at Trent Bridge

• Moeen replacing Leach makes England stronger, claims Swann

• Moeen Ali: 'When I was playing Test matches, I always felt like I was bowling well in white-ball cricket'

• Moeen Ali recalled for Ashes after agreeing Test comeback

• Stuart Broad: 'I've definitely changed. And in a good way'

It is no secret Stokes and others involved with this Test group are Moeen stans. He will fit into the dressing room culture seamlessly, still very much wired into the grander system of English cricket as Jos Buttler’s vice-captain in the limited overs set-up. And there’s something to be said for Stokes’ powers of persuasion. It is less than a year ago that Moeen spurned advances to get him on the tour of Pakistan. He made a note of saying Test cricket is “hard work”.It is by no means an opinion unique to Moeen, which formed part of the remit for Stokes and McCullum when they first came into their positions. Their success in stripping away the rougher edges of the format – on and off the field – means the culture Moeen walks into is one far better suited to his mercurial ways.This is no slight on previous regimes per se, but an important consideration in all this. For a player who has batted every position from opener to No.9, operated as the primary, secondary and tertiary spinner and was once “rested and rotated” out during the Covid-19 series against India at the beginning of 2021 after playing just one Test, role clarity would have been a key selling point in coaxing him back.Stokes will likely do with Moeen as he has done with Leach: sorting his fields on his behalf, which included either constant tweaking or refusing requests for a sweeper. That made Leach a braver bowler, casting worry from his mind, which is unheard of from an English Test spinner since Graeme Swann. That Leach wore his unusually high average in Stokes’s 13 Tests – 38.22 – as a badge of pride, alongside 45 wickets, speaks of a shift in mindset.There is no question a peak Moeen would thrive in this environment, geared towards doing what they can to bring an individual’s best to the fore. Whether with bat or ball, Moeen has always played the game like it was his duty to entertain, and when on song, there weren’t many more enjoyable to watch. The question is, what does the best of this Moeen look like?Well, who knows? The player himself certainly doesn’t. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo a couple of months ago, Moeen admitted his bowling had dropped off in red-ball retirement. The bank of work was not what it once was, partly because he hadn’t played a first-class match since his last Test cap against India in September 2021.While the intervening period has been packed with white-ball glory, with two IPL titles for Chennai Super Kings sandwiching a T20 World Cup, his bowling has been sporadic at best, making any extrapolation broadly meaningless. He bowled twice in six matches at the World Cup, sending down a single over each time. In the recent IPL, he operated as one of CSK’s supplementary slow bowling options, with most of his 26 overs coming in helpful conditions.Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali pose with their T20 World Cup medals•Associated PressThere are reasonable doubts about his durability, as much over the course of a Test as a series with five matches in seven weeks. Leach’s endurance was a vital tool in an attack constantly pressing for wickets. His 515.1 overs under Stokes reflects the scale of his workload, and even if the role Moeen undertakes will not necessarily be with a focus on controlling the scoring, you do wonder about his multi-day stamina.There is also Moeen’s spinning finger, which has caused him trouble in the past. He tore it open on the 2017-18 tour of Australia leading to a grim return of five dismissals at an average of 115 across five Tests. It is also part of the reason he was dropped after the first Ashes Test in 2019.Step back a bit and further quandaries emerge. Unless the next couple of months go spectacularly well, one imagines Moeen won’t tour India for that Test series at the start of 2024. Part of his motivation for turning down a Test recall last year was due to a packed winter schedule. This one coming up is almost identical, with a 50-over World Cup followed by those now regular franchise commitments with the ILT20 and IPL. Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed might also have an eye on that circuit too, given it has been made clear they are not as close as they think. All the more reason why the ECB have to ace their imminent revamp of central contracts and match fees.Moeen has always been a choose-your-own adventure cricketer, and perhaps it is fitting he returns in such a choose-your-own argument fashion.He averages 64.65 with the ball against Australia, but 33.28 against allcomers at home. He has been out of the game for too long, but long enough to feel refreshed. He could have been better under previous captains, but who knows how good he could be under this one?He is not Mr Right, but he is Mr Right Now. He might flunk. He might thrive. It could be galling. It could be glorious.What we know for certain is, should he get the nod at Edgbaston for the first Test, he won’t be Jack Leach – he will be Moeen Ali. And we’ll only know what that means when the Ashes are done.

Harry Kane has praised Luis Diaz and his wonderstrike in Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. Diaz scored a goal of the season contender in the first half of the stalemate in the capital while Kane was on hand to rescue a late result to maintain Bayern's unbeaten start to the campaign. The striker also held his hands up and admitted his mistake in Union's second goal.

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  Diaz and Kane both net in stalemate

  Centre-back Danilho Doekhi put Union Berlin ahead midway through the second half against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon. However, Bayern were level shortly before the break as Diaz scored a stunning individual goal as the pair went in at the break all-square.

  Doekhi scored his, and Union Berlin's second in the 83rd minute, and they must have felt that was enough to secure a huge win in their bid to beat the drop. FC Hollywood levelled matters late on for the second time in the 93rd minute as Kane headed in his 13th league goal of the campaign.

  After the stalemate, Kane praised Diaz's strike, where he fired past Frederik Ronnow from an incredibly tight angle, as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

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• 'I reckon that's probably his best'

  On the Diaz goal, Kane told ESPN after the stalemate: "Incredible to be honest. The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

  Kane, meanwhile, admitted that he was at fault for Doekhi's second strike that almost cost Bayern the game. And the 32-year-old held his hands up and owned up to his mistake before he made amends deep into injury time, adding: "Obviously it was my mistake for the second goal. So I was itching to get the chance at the end there and put it away and thankfully Tom (Bischoff) put a great ball in and I snuck it past the keeper.

  "I've been playing football long enough to know, this is part of it, mistakes are going to happen. It's just nice to be able to help teams out."

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  Kane aimed dig at Union Berlin

  Post-match, Kane also aimed a dig at Union Berlin for their tactics in the stalemate. The capital side have proven tough to visit this season losing just the once at home. And while Kane admitted that Bayern were in for a tough game, the England captain took aim at the Iron Ones for the way they set up on home turf.

  On the match itself, the forward said: "It was a tough game. We expected a battle and a lot of long balls. Many decisions and small fouls went against us today. It wasn't our best game, but we stayed focused and managed to equalise. That's football, there are games like today where things go against you. We'll take the point."

  The result, though, ended Bayern's winning start to the campaign. Vincent Kompany had overseen nine successive league wins heading into Saturday's game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei as they failed to fully capitalise upon both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

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• What comes next?

  Even so, Bayern go into the international break top of the Bundesliga, and six points clear of RB Leipzig, who fell to a 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, were forced to share the spoils with Hamburg after they conceded a 97th minute equaliser at Volksparkstadion.

  Bayern return to domestic duties later this month with the welcome of Freiburg before they take on Arsenal in a huge Champions League clash later this month. Both Bayern and Arsenal boast a 100% start to the Champions League campaign, while the pair were also held to 2-2 away draws in their respective leagues at the weekend.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred discussed a handful of topics with reporters on Wednesday at league headquarters, including the latest with the Oakland Athletics' proposed relocation to Las Vegas.

The A's played their final game at the Coliseum in the East Bay in September and plan to play the next three seasons in Sacramento as their proposed ballpark is built on the site of the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

However, shovels have yet to hit the ground to begin construction of the stadium that is supposed to be ready for Opening Day in 2028. Questions remain about the A's finding the funds to start constructing the $1.5 billion project.

Manfred affirmed Wednesday the A's planned move to Las Vegas remains as scheduled.

"I understand there seems to be some sense of doubt that persists out there, but [owner] John Fisher is completely committed to the process," Manfred said [via ]. "The building’s been demolished. The site’s available. They are on track for a 2028 opening. They’ve gone through the process of demonstrating that whether or not he takes local [investment] partners, he has the capacity to build the stadium. We’re full speed ahead."

A's executive Sandy Dean said in October that Fisher plans to invest $1 billion of his own money into construction of the stadium, which is expected to begin next spring.

The A's plan to present the proof that they have the necessary funds at an authority meeting on Dec. 5.

Former Manchester United defender Danny Simpson has boldly claimed that he could not see Harry Kane turning the Red Devils down if they were to make another play for the England captain in 2026. Kane is currently on the books of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, but has exit clauses in his contract that can be triggered in upcoming transfer windows – with a return to the Premier League being speculated on.

• Kane transfer clause: £57m enough to do a deal with Bayern

  Kane bid farewell to his homeland in 2023 when severing career-long ties with Tottenham as the club’s all-time leading scorer. He has broken his trophy duck in Germany, becoming a title winner at the Allianz Arena, while plundering more than 100 goals for Bayern.

  The 32-year-old is a firm fan favourite in Munich, but questions continue to be asked of what his future holds. It has been suggested that an offer of around £57 million ($75m) would be enough to enter into talks regarding a shock deal.

  Unsurprisingly, a retracing of steps for Kane is being mooted – with Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goals record still in his sights. Spurs have the option to match any offer for a product of their academy system, while United hold long-standing interest in the most prolific of No.9s.

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  Could Kane join Man Utd? Prediction from ex-Red Devils star

  The Red Devils have invested in faith and funds in Benjamin Sesko, but opportunities to sign players of Kane’s ilk are few and far between. They may be tempted to join the hunt for a once familiar foe if a scramble for his signature is sparked.

  Simpson, who won the Premier League title with Leicester after stepping out of the fabled youth system at Old Trafford, told when asked if Kane could end up in Manchester – with Dutch star Robin Van Persie having previously joined the Red Devils in a bid to win silverware that had proved elusive at Arsenal: "I don’t know where else he could go, if I’m honest. He can’t go to City. He can’t go to Arsenal. I can’t see him turning Manchester United down.

  "He can come back, and get the goals record. I’d love to see it. I said it when he was leaving Tottenham, I’d love to see him at Manchester United. It’s a good fit. If that’s an option I’d 100% go for it.

  "He could help Sesko as well. Sesko would understand not playing every game, learning under Harry Kane, and not having that pressure. He’s won his trophies at Bayern now, so if he comes back and gets Manchester United back up to the top of the Premier League, he could be a Manchester United legend like when Van Persie came."

• Kane warned off move to Old Trafford

  While Simpson would like to see Kane at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’, not everybody is convinced that said path should be trodden. United have struggled for consistency across several campaigns – finishing 15th last season while missing out on European qualification.

  With those issues in mind, former Tottenham midfielder Gus Poyet told GOAL recently when asked if Kane could return to the Premier League somewhere outside of north London: "If he goes to Man United, I won’t talk about Harry Kane anymore in my life! People talk about Man United, but this is not Man United in the last few years. He won’t go to Arsenal. The rest, I don’t know. I think people would take him back at Spurs as the player he is and the legend that he is. If he can go back and help the team in a certain way, score goals and get the record, it would be amazing. I’m not sure what will happen. Maybe he won’t go back. It’s very personal, so let’s see."

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  Kane contract: Bayern extension has been mooted

  Kane has won the Bundesliga Golden Boot in each of his two seasons with Bayern. He has found the target on 107 occasions through 112 appearances. His contract is due to run until 2027, with an extension to those terms having also been mooted, but transfer speculation has been dominated by teams in England and La Liga giants Barcelona.

The Detroit Tigers elected to intentionally walk San Diego Padres designated hitter and two-time batting champion Luis Arraez to pitch to outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. in the bottom of the 10th inning of San Diego's 6-5 win on Wednesday.

And Tatis took that personally.

The Padres star, who on Monday returned from the injured list to a warm reception from Padres fans, gave the Petco Park faithful something else to cheer about on Wednesday with a single to score rookie Jackson Merrill for the winning run.

After the game, Tatis admitted the Tigers' decision fueled him, according to Darnay Tripp of NBC 7 San Diego.

"I took it personal," Tatis said. "As soon as I saw four fingers up, but it gave me the push that I needed, the energy that I needed. I just wanted to come through for the boys."

Of course, it's hard to blame the Tigers for walking Arraez. The Padres slugger is batting .315 and has struck out just twice since the All-Star break. Tatis, on the other hand, has logged just nine at-bats since June in his return from injury heading into the bottom of the 10th inning.

But Tatis, who just three years ago belted 42 home runs in a single season, is also one of the more productive hitters in the game when healthy. And the Padres star delivered for his club in a big spot.

Tatis compiled an .821 OPS in the first half of the season and was selected as an All-Star game starter for the National League, though he missed the game due to a stress reaction in his right thighbone.

Now healthy, Tatis will look to help the Padres (80-61) hold onto the top Wild Card spot in the National League, and perhaps push for the NL West division crown, where the club is currently 4.5 games back of first place.

Grimsby Town have had another cheeky pop at Manchester United two months after their historic victory over the Red Devils in the Carabao Cup. The League Two side take on Brentford on Tuesday aiming to reach the quarter-finals and coach David Artell believes the Bees will make for much tougher opponents than United, who they knocked out in the second round back in August.

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  Grimsby targeting more Carabao Cup glory

  Grimsby became the first ever team from the fourth division or lower to beat United when they edged out Ruben Amorim's side 12-11 in a marathon penalty shootout following a thrilling 2-2 draw at Blundell Park. The Mariners followed up that shock result with another upset by knocking out Sheffield Wednesday away from home although it was a less impressive feat given the Owls' deep financial issues which saw them go into administration last week and docked 12 points. 

  Coach Artell outlined Brentford's strengths ahead of Tuesday's fourth round tie and praised Keith Andrews' side, who are fresh from beating Liverpool 3-2 on Saturday and have also beaten United and Aston Villa this season. And he could not resist having a sly dig at United in the process.

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  United 'finding their way' according to Grimsby coach

  Artell told a press conference: "I don’t want loads of letters from Manchester United fans from Kenya or Norway — or Stretford — but I think they’re still in that process of finding their way again. Brentford are fully in, fully understanding. That makes it so much more difficult. I think everyone agrees that Man United are still — maybe not in transition per se — but finding their way under a new manager that needs to be given time."

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  Brentford 'well established' – unlike United

  Artell contrasted Brentford's stability with the upheaval that has taken place at United, who are on their fourth coach in four years and changed their ownership structure in 2024. The Red Devils, however, have overcome their rocky start to the season by rising up to sixth in the Premier League table after beating Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton in their last three games. 

  He added: "I think you can see the fruits of the green shoots of progress from their side, but Brentford are not that team. Brentford are a well-established team. They’ve appointed from within to continue the work that the previous manager [Thomas Frank] did, and I think everyone would suggest that Keith Andrews is doing a brilliant job and he’s taking them on.

  "You don’t beat West Ham so comprehensively, you don’t beat the reigning [Premier League] champions [Liverpool] if you haven’t got those principles of play already ingrained. Whether it’s set pieces, whether it’s transitions, whether it’s in possession, whether they come and get you out of possession, all that is already really well implemented into the squad. I’m not sure that was the case with Man United."

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  United reaping benefits of extra training sessions

  The shootout defeat by Grimsby meant Amorim became the first United coach since Louis van Gaal 11 years ago to exit the League Cup in the second round and suffered the ignominy of being the first manager to oversee a defeat to fourth-tier opposition. However, there has been an upside to that humiliating loss.

  United have had even more time to prepare for their Premier League games on the training ground, having not qualified for European football this season. Amorim admitted after beating Brighton – who had won their last three visits to Old Trafford – that his side were starting to benefit from that added preparation time. 

  He said: "I think you can sense that. The results now you can feel that but the team play so much better since we start this season compared to last season, we have different players more suited to this kind of style but it is a big difference, every team that plays in this league and in Europe, it is so much harder. It is a big advantage to have just one game a week and we have to take advantage of it."

  United have the chance to win a fourth consecutive league game for the first time since February 2024 when they take on Nottingham Forest next Saturday in Sean Dyche's first Premier League home match in charge of the Tricky Trees.

For the second successive game in the Premier League, Chelsea have been defeated. After last week’s defeat against Manchester United, Enzo Maresca’s side lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to South Coast outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.

The first half went the way of the home side. After plenty of early pressure, the Blues finally found the back of the net. Enzo Fernandes was the man to break the deadlock, firing his side into the lead with a header from inside the six-yard box.

However, things started to go wrong for Chelsea in the second half. Just eight minutes into the second 45 minutes, Trevoh Chalobah saw red. He was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity after he brought down Brighton attacker Diego Gomez.

Down to ten men for the second time in as many games in the top flight, the Blues needed to try and hold onto their lead. Unfortunately for Maresca’s side, they failed to do that. It was Danny Welbeck who equalised, also scoring a header from close range.

Maxim De Cuyper fired the Seagulls ahead in the 2nd minute of stoppage time, yet again heading home from inside the six-yard box. To cap it off, Welbeck slotted home from close range in the 100th minute.

It was a calamitous collapse from the Blues, with Chalobah one of the men who put in a disappointing performance.

Why Chalobah was one of Chelsea's worst performers

Normally one of Chelsea’s most consistent players, it was a day to forget for centre-back Chalobah. The England international made a costly mistake, which led to his side being reduced to ten men once again.

In terms of the foul, it was not great defending from Chalobah. The Cobham academy graduate brought down Gomez on the edge of the penalty box, which, after a review by the VAR officials, was deemed to be a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.

What is most frustrating is the fact that the centre-back had played well up until his sending off. Chalobah had once again shown great quality on the ball and had a 92% passing accuracy, completing 36 out of 39 attempted passes.

Yet, the red card put his side in trouble. Football London journalist Bobby Vincent gave the defender a 3/10 rating for his efforts, and admitted that it was a ‘clear foul’ by the Blues number 23.

However, the defender is not solely to blame for the defeat. There was another Chelsea player who performed below the level you might expect.

The Chelsea player who was as bad as Chalobah

Overall, Chelsea’s afternoon at Stamford Bridge was one to forget. Despite the control they had in the first half, largely thanks to Fernandez’s header, the Blues let things slip, and, from the 53rd minute, always had an uphill battle to hold onto their lead.

Well, another player who struggled against the Seagulls was 21-year-old Brazil international Andrey Santos. The former Strasbourg loanee was making his first start in the Premier League, but played a part in the red card.

Unfortunately, it was Santos’ poor pass back to Chalobah, which meant the England star was chasing Gomez back towards his own goal. Santos, under pressure, looked to play the ball back in the direction of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but misplaced it and put Gomez in on goal, putting Chalobah in a position where he could only foul the attacker.

Like the Chelsea number 23, it was not the worst performance overall from the Brazilian wonderkid. He completed 94% of his passes, created one chance, and won 100% of both his duels and tackles.

Vincent highlighted that good performance early on from Santos. Although he gave him a rating of 4/10 for his efforts, he said he “played well in the first half”, but did point out the “costly mistake” he made for the red card.

That moment showed his inexperience and perhaps suggests he is not ready to start in the top flight. There is no doubt that Santos is a wonderful talent, but perhaps the intensity of the Premier League got to him. Over time, he will surely become a key player at Stamford Bridge, but that may not be just yet.

Maresca has a bigger talent than George who's "the future of Chelsea"

The sensational youngster looks the real deal for Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 26, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-1 draw with Lorient on Wednesday evening was overshadowed by a devastating sight as Desire Doue had to be stretchered off the pitch in tears. The 20-year-old appeared to suffer a serious right thigh injury just after the hour mark, which has caused significant concern in the PSG camp as he is one of the key players in Luis Enrique's setup.

• PSG’s night turns sour as Doue collapses in agony

  It was supposed to be another routine night for the French champions after their commanding 3-0 win over Brest last weekend. Doue had been in dazzling form, scoring in back-to-back games and looking every inch the superstar PSG fans had been waiting for. The first half offered little drama, with chances at a premium at both ends. Joel Mvuka tested Lucas Chevalier in the PSG goal, while Yvon Mvogo denied Nuno Mendes and Ibrahim Mbaye at the other end. 

  The best of the match was saved for the second half. Just four minutes after the restart, PSG struck first. Doue whipped in a precise cross from the right, which was met by Mendes’ header. Although Mvogo initially saved it, the Portuguese full-back slammed in the rebound. But their joy was short-lived. Barely two minutes later, Arsene Kouassi’s cross caused chaos in PSG’s box, with Chevalier unable to fully clear his lines. The rebound fell kindly to Igor Silva, who made no mistake to equalise. Then came the nightmare moment. Around the 60th minute, Doue went down clutching his hamstring and collapsing in agony. The young Frenchman pounded the turf in frustration as tears streamed down his face. PSG’s medical team rushed to his aid, but the injury was serious and he had to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

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  Leaving on crutches spark fears of a long layoff

  According to reports, Doue was seen leaving the Stade du Moustoir on crutches. It’s a gut-wrenching blow for a player who had only just returned from a calf injury suffered while on international duty with France in September. His manager, Luis Enrique, cut a sombre figure after the match.

  "It's always bad news when there are injuries," said the PSG boss. "It's a strange injury; I don't know exactly his condition. I hope it's not a serious injury."

  Doue’s rise over the past year has been nothing short of spectacular. Last season, the gifted winger scored 16 goals and registered 16 assists across 61 matches, playing a pivotal role in PSG’s historic treble when they clinched the Ligue 1 title, French Cup, and most importantly, the club’s first-ever Champions League trophy. He was unstoppable in the European final against Inter, scoring twice and providing an assist in a man-of-the-match display. After a promising start to this campaign, Doue seemed to be hitting top gear once again. Just last week, he scored two stunning goals in PSG’s 7-2 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, followed by another in the 3-0 win at Brest over the weekend. Everything was going in the right direction until Wednesday night’s cruel twist of fate.

• Another injury crisis for PSG

  This latest setback compounds PSG’s mounting injury concerns. Fellow French international Ousmane Dembele, fresh off his Ballon d’Or win, only recently returned from a hamstring injury himself, having been sidelined for several weeks. With Doue now facing an uncertain recovery timeline, Luis Enrique’s squad depth will once again be tested. It is believed that Doue could be facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines, potentially ruling him out of PSG’s next Ligue 1 clash against OGC Nice and their blockbuster Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich. Fortunately, the Parisians have a wealth of attacking options to call upon, with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratskhelia likely to step into the left-wing role. 

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  PSG’s title race still alive

  Despite the disappointment of dropping points against Lorient, PSG’s position at the top of Ligue 1 remains secure, thanks to a favourable result elsewhere. Marseille squandered the chance to go top, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser in a chaotic 2-2 draw with Angers. Teenage sensation Robinio Vaz had scored twice to give Marseille the lead, but Ousmane Camara’s 96th-minute strike stunned the Velodrome and allowed PSG to stay ahead in the standings. Meanwhile, Monaco leapfrogged Marseille into second after a wild 5-3 win at Nantes. For now, PSG breathe a sigh of relief, but the real test will come in Europe, where Bayern Munich await on November 4.

Leeds United will hope they can consolidate themselves as a Premier League club this season, with another promotion hunt on the cards to get up to the top-flight, not the most attractive proposition.

Instead, Daniel Farke’s Whites will pray they can comfortably stay up, despite all the weighty pressure against them, and become a top-flight regular again, much like their heyday in the 90s when Champions League football was even on the menu.

The German is working against his own label as an unproven manager at the very top, too, with a relegation blotting his otherwise sparkling CV in England when at the helm of Norwich City.

Still, the early signs suggest Leeds could be here to stay, with the Whites in a promising 11th spot at the time of writing, after a Sean Longstaff-led effort clinched a 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth last time out.

Longstaff's promising start at Leeds

Longstaff nearly held the individual honour of being Leeds’ match-winner against the Cherries, with his fierce effort that cannoned in off the post, gifting his new employers a slim 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, Bournemouth had other ideas late on when Eli Kroupi scored a last-gasp equaliser, but Andoni Iraola’s men snatching a share of the points shouldn’t detract too much from Longstaff’s sublime showings all season long.

Up against their South Coast visitors, the former Newcastle United man would amazingly notch up seven key passes.

One of those passes saw Joe Rodon head home from an inch-perfect corner kick delivery – while also showing off a fiery side to his game when winning a high ten duels to keep plugging away up against the likes of former Leeds man Tyler Adams, lining up for the away team.

It will just be up to the brand new Leeds number 8 to keep up this sterling, having often fallen victim to recurring injury issues at St James’ Park that saw him fade into the background under Eddie Howe.

Chalkboard

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

For just £12m, however, Leeds look to have struck gold on an instant bargain. Yet, it could be argued that the Whites gave up an even bigger talent than Longstaff last summer, when parting ways with a midfielder for a mere £3.7m.

Former Leeds star is now better than Longstaff

Leeds have fallen foul of many blunders in recent transfer windows, with their summer activity before their relegation out of the top-flight come the end of the 2022/23 season seeing them purchase many a half-hearted presence.

Faces such as Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra, and the aforementioned Adams would all down their tools after their demise to the Championship was confirmed, with Marc Roca also falling into this bracket of failed signings who then shied away from the intense battles to follow in the EFL.

The seven-time Spain international would only go on to make 36 first-team appearances in West Yorkshire before then packing his bags to head to his native country initially on loan, after the Whites crashed out of the promised land.

He did show signs of his top-flight quality for Leeds, even if he did sour his relationship with the club when exiting at the first possible chance after relegation, with one goal and two assists being notched up by the 28-year-old in Premier League action sticking out, alongside winning a high 4.1 duels per game

Former Leeds favourite Tony Dorigo would even hail Roca as a “wonderful” talent when displaying these bursts of quality, with the Real Betis number 21 further validating that his stint in England was an off-spell by starring in La Liga consistently.

Indeed, when looking at the table in greater detail, it’s clear that Roca is a similar level talent to Longstaff or even greater, with 5.7 ball recoveries on average sticking out during his debut season back on Spanish soil. Longstaff, despite his energetic Yorkshire beginnings, has only averaged 2.7 to date.

He even reminded English crowds of what he is capable of recently when assisting Antony’s leveller in the Europa League against Nottingham Forest.

With the Spaniard also capable of slotting in at left-back or as a centre-back if needed, it could well be now that Leeds look back on the sale of the “outstanding” – as he has been labelled by journalist Jose Rodriguez for his efforts in La Liga – Catalonian as one they regret, especially for such a low amount at £3.7m.

Still, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether Roca is a stronger talent than Longstaff or not come the end of the season, as the Newcastle-born number eight attempts to make his showing against Bournemouth a commonplace expectation.

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Wayne Rooney has named a “brilliant” former England star as his toughest-ever opponent, given both his tackling ability and skill in possession of the ball.

Rooney reveals toughest-ever opponent

Very few defenders were able to get the better of Rooney on a regular basis, as evidenced by the fact the Manchester United legend is the third-highest scorer in Premier League history, with a whopping 208 goals to his name.

The Liverpool-born forward spent the majority of his career at Old Trafford, where he enjoyed a great deal of success, playing a part in the Red Devils winning five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, one FA Cup and one Champions League.

During the Sir Alex Ferguson era, United were extremely dominant, but they did go three seasons without winning the title in the early noughties, given the emergence of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, who finished top back-to-back in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

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The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech all cemented themselves as Blues legends in the process, but it is their former captain who was named as Rooney’s toughest-ever opponent when speaking on The Overlap. The 39-year-old said:

“I’ve always said John Terry was one of the toughest defenders to play against. On the ball he was very good – he was brilliant, and he could tackle. I also used to like playing against big centre-backs because I wanted a challenge and wanted that body contact – I could spin them all and come off them, then take them on. John Terry was the toughest though.”

Terry was part of the greatest-ever Premier League defence

It should come as no surprise that Rooney regards Terry as his most difficult opponent, given everything the former England star achieved at Chelsea, most notably playing a key role in the west Londoners setting the record for fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season.

During the 2004-05 campaign, Mourinho’s side shipped just 15 goals across the entire season, with the 78-time England international missing just two games, and he has since gone on to lavish the Portuguese manager with praise.

Not only was the ex-Chelsea captain a rock at the back, but he is also the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history, scoring 41 goals in 492 appearances.

With Levi Colwill set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury, Chelsea are in need of a new centre-back, but it will be extremely difficult to find one capable of coming close to replicating the impact Terry had at Stamford Bridge.