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Family connections run deep for England’s next generation in their series with Sri Lanka

Andrew Miller29-Jun-2024The transient nature of age-group cricket means it is both part of the journey and the destination in itself. For some of the players on show in Chelmsford on Friday afternoon, their experience of playing for their country at Under-19 level will, in a few years’ time, be just another treasured memory – an interesting anecdote to slip into conversation from time to time, to remind those around them that they, too, were contenders once.For a select handful, however, by the time their careers have reached full bloom, this first ODI between England and Sri Lanka will be looked back on as just another stepping stone in what might come across as an inevitable rise to the top. Some kids, the pundits are bound to tell you in glorious hindsight, just looked the part from the very start.Never mind that such sweeping judgements are sure to gloss over all manner of pitfalls along the way. Loss of form and injury are common to even the most established of sports stars, but loss of mojo, motivation … mentors even. Who knows what obstacles will be sent to try this latest crop of talented teenagers, but you only have to click on a random scorecard from the long and illustrious history of Under-19 Internationals, to realise that the players who reach the game’s true heights are not just the exception, but exceptional.Related

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Which brings us to Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of a man who made his own England Under-19 debut in the Caribbean in January 1995, before going on to greater things, to put it mildly.The family connections within the current England U19 set-up are something to behold. Flintoff’s team-mates in his maiden international appearance included Haydon Mustard, son of former England keeper Phil, and Farhan Ahmed, brother of current England legspinner Rehan, as well as the captain Luc Benkenstein, whose father Dale captained Durham to their maiden County Championship triumph in 2008. “None of us see it as a burden,” Benkenstein insisted, when asked about the pressures of living up to such standards. “We’re all pretty grateful to have family members involved in the game and I think we have all used it to our advantage. It’s cool that we’re all in the same boat.”But no matter what sort of hot-housing and expectation management has gone into this latest crop of prodigies, there’s been something especially compelling about Rocky Flintoff’s brief explosion into the public consciousness.In part this can be explained by his father’s incredible profile – not simply because he was the hero of the 2005 Ashes, but because of what happened next: the injury-enforced retirement in 2010, followed by a brief T20 comeback, and the sense in the subsequent decade that he had left cricket behind to move onto shinier media opportunities.But if, in 2022, Flintoff’s acclaimed Field of Dreams documentary was the first inkling that his love of the sport had not been diminished by his absence from it, then that feeling was shown to be entirely mutual last summer, when – after being invited to get involved with England’s backroom staff – he was able to reveal the scars of his horrific Top Gear accident, safe in the knowledge that cricket fans would never dream of judging him by the same superficial standards that might have existed elsewhere in his public life.Flintoff made 22 off 25 balls•Getty ImagesAnd now, in the midst of this maelstrom, a mini-me has emerged. Footage of Rocky’s second XI exploits for Lancashire started doing the rounds in April, and not simply because of the novelty factor of seeing another Flintoff in action (or two in fact, with his elder brother Corey making his twos debut in the same match against Yorkshire).Moreover it was Rocky’s mannerisms that stopped the live-streamers in their tracks. That indefinable economy of power in his most formidable strokes, whether lofted down the ground or picked up off the hips; the extra split-second that he seems to have to assess the ball’s length and thump it right beneath his eyeline. Everything, including the down-swing of his pull shot, coupled with that coy saunter down the pitch even as the ball was still sailing over the ropes, could have been grafted from his father’s glory years of two decades earlier.None of which guarantees anything like the same levels of success as Rocky’s career develops – particularly, dare one say it, because of the scrutiny that is already built into his performances. But if his maiden England innings of 22 from 25 balls is anything to go by, he’s got the gumption to roll with the expectations. In an already losing cause, he held his own with three confident boundaries and a third straight drive that smashed the non-striker’s stumps, before taking one liberty too many and holing out to mid-off.In the end, though, the details matter not at this stage of the journey. For the record, England were unpicked by a typically canny, hard-edged Sri Lanka team whose skills were just that little bit more rounded – as is often the case for Asian teams at age-group level, unrestricted as they are by bowling limits and equipment prerogatives, and other ECB regulations that safeguard on the one hand but throttle spontaneity on the other.And they too have a host of heroes, of whom imitation will forever be the sincerest form of flattery. The enduring influence of Lasith Malinga, and latterly his original clone Matheesha Pathirana, is abundantly clear in the splay-stanced slingers of Dumindu Sewmina, armed with the new ball. Then, through the middle overs comes a conveyor-belt of wicket-to-wicket spinners, in particular Thisara Ekanayake and Vihas Thewmika, who hustle through their overs, backed up by raucous support in the field, to claim five wickets between them.At times while the match was slipping inexorably away, it was not unlike watching the fate of England’s senior team in Guyana the previous day – trial by spin clearly remains a national shortcoming, even if a gutsy stand of 90 in 16 overs between Benkenstein and his fellow Essex rookie, Noah Thain, at least guarded against a more comprehensive margin.Harry Moore bore more than a passing resemblance to Steven Harmison•Getty ImagesBut the rich promise on display could not be diminished by the scoreline. Among the most eye-catching was another of England’s four debutants, Harry Moore, who was born on April 26, 2007 – two days before that year’s World Cup final in Barbados, for those who really like to feel old.Despite having only just turned 17, Moore is a sky-scraping 6ft 5in already, and there were clear shades of Steve Harmison in his gangly-limbed approach and fierce lift from back of a length. Last summer he became Derbyshire’s youngest-ever debutant in the Metro Bank Cup; the prospect of him and Leicestershire’s own bean-pole Josh Hull leading the line into England’s future is a tantalising one.The class act of England’s top-order, meanwhile, was at the other end of the growth charts. Keshana Fonseka is barely 5ft tall in his little stockinged feet, but armed with a crunchy cover-drive, he launched England’s chase with a fluent 25 from 27 balls. The glee with which he was extracted, via a loose cut to gully, betrayed the extent to which Sri Lanka rated his game.Who knows how far any of this kids can take their games, but they are surrounded by inspiration wherever they turn in this formative stage of their development. Among those who have been assisting the team’s preparations for the Sri Lanka series are Graeme Swann, who played in England’s only Under-19 World Cup winning team in 1998, and Ian Bell, who was famously described by Dayle Hadlee as the best 16-year-old he had ever seen.It is arguable that Bell’s greatest achievement, over and above his 22 Test centuries, 13,331 international runs and four Ashes victories, is the fact that he lived up to those expectations of his precocious youth. He stands as proof that it has been done, and can be done again.

After this home season, there remains little doubt that Iyer should start in the series decider in England

Sidharth Monga15-Mar-2022A year ago, Shreyas Iyer cried inside the dressing room. Hours previously, he was the captain and main batter of Delhi Capitals, the runners-up of IPL 2020, and almost a lock in for India’s limited-overs sides. In the eighth over of England’s innings in Pune, though, he dived at cover, saved two runs and dislocated his shoulder.He knew his IPL was done for. More importantly, the T20 World Cup was in doubt.Capitals went on to name Rishabh Pant their full-time captain and retained him as the future of the franchise. Iyer missed the first half of the IPL, and the lack of game time because of the injury meant he was only a reserve for the T20 World Cup. These were the two biggest stages for him last year. Could the year get any worse?Related

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Towards the end of the year, though, things turned. Pandemic, workloads, injuries and selections – everything conspired to open up a third stage. To call Test cricket a grand stage might be a stretch comparing it to the IPL and a World Cup, but for players, it still remains important to test themselves at the longest format.When Iyer got that chance, he had played only one first-class match since the start of 2019. It is a testament to the variety of conditions and bowling you face in Indian first-class cricket that a dominator in domestic cricket found himself right at home in Test cricket, even if only at home so far.Iyer came to Test cricket with a first-class average of 52.18 and a strike rate of 81.54. Whatever you say about the quality of attacks in domestic cricket, you don’t do this over 4000 runs without the game for it. Iyer was – and is – the sole member of the club of batters with 4000 runs, an average of 50 and a strike rate of 80 in first-class cricket.It perhaps points to the riches in Indian batting that till the break he got, thanks to many absences, Iyer was seen as a limited-overs international batter only. It is anyway a really tough time to be an India Test batter. They play only five of them, and invariably they get tougher pitches than other teams wherever they travel.Add to it the change in home pitches, which have begun to turn more, and sooner than before. The churn in Test sides tends to be lower, which means new spots rarely open up.In his first four Tests – Player of the Match in two of them – Iyer has shown the quality of his game against spin. He rarely gets caught on the crease; he is either meeting the ball at its pitch or right back to play it after it has turned. That is a quality ingrained in most good batters in India at a young age, but Iyer also has an attacking gear, which is rare.Shreyas Iyer hurt his left shoulder last year, and cried in the dressing room•Getty ImagesHe can often force spinners to drop short by showing them an early forward movement without committing to it. The trickier the surface, the handier that quality is. As was apparent against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.”Very, very impressed with his performance,” captain Rohit Sharma said of Iyer. “Not easy to play on these kinds of pitches, especially when playing your fourth Test match. It is never easy. He showed a lot of composure. He understood what he exactly wanted to do on that pitch. It was very clear from the outside also that he has gone in with a plan.”To have that kind of mindset for someone playing only his fourth Test shows a lot of maturity and a lot of understanding about his own game, which is a great sign for us moving forward. Batting at six in these conditions is never easy. The game is always in the balance. It can shift either way in that position. I thought he grabbed that opportunity with both hands and made it count.”In a season of transition, Iyer is the first one to have nailed down one of the spots vacated by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. It is a shame that Iyer fell ill during the South Africa tour. It was a good time for us to know where the leadership saw Iyer when Virat Kohli missed the second Test with injury.However, we don’t know if they preferred Hanuma Vihari, thus suggesting Iyer was not the No. 1 pick in seaming conditions, or if Iyer missed out because of his illness.But after this home season, there remains little doubt that Iyer should start in the series decider in England. As he prepares to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, if he looks back to the night he spent crying in the Pune dressing room last year, Iyer perhaps will not curse his luck now.

Liverpool have much to sort out over the coming weeks.

It’s perhaps a measure of the club’s reputation and the expectation that comes with their football that three defeats in succession have been met with such hysteria from outside and dismay from within.

But Liverpool sit just one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, and Arne Slot demonstrated last season, when he led the Reds to the title, his ability to overcome obstacles and create a formidable system.

But after such heavy expenditure, the scrutiny is on the Anfield side.

The players will no doubt have been remonstrated for their error-strewn performances, a consistent problem throughout the campaign, but there’s no question the system needs oiling besides.

Defence, in particular, has been a pressure point for the outfit this season, and all is not right within Virgil van Dijk’s domain.

The state of play in Liverpool's defence

All is not right. Imbalanced and bereft of confidence at the back, Liverpool are littering their displays with mistakes. At the epicentre is Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign and wanted by Real Madrid. The France international’s performances have led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to brand him as “absolutely shocking”.

And Van Dijk is not infallible. The legendary Dutchman turned 34 this summer, and while he has still been monstrous as Liverpool’s captain and defensive leader, against Chelsea, he flattered to deceive, with GOAL writing of his faults during both of the Blues’ goals and giving him a 4/10 match rating.

Leoni’s long-term injury is a cruel one; after FSG failed in their late-window bid to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, Liverpool’s centre-half options were already limited, and the young Italian might have earned his fair share of chances to impress.

Now, Slot’s central defensive line is somewhat threadbare, and the rumour mill is already churning, with Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck emerging as a target. However, Sky Germany have since put a dampener on that budding saga, with Bayern Munich’s interest building.

While there’s an anticipation lingering over Liverpool’s interest in Guehi, who becomes a free agent at the end of the season, many feel January reinforcements are needed if the squad are to compete for silverware across the different shoots.

Well, Liverpool might actually have an academy star, gunning for a first-team spot at Anfield, with the quality and confidence to play a part at the senior level this season.

The Liverpool teen who can fix Konate & Leoni blow

Last season, Slot showed he was willing to promote youth at Liverpool when unleashing teenage defender Amara Nallo in the Champions League. But Nallo suffered a nightmarish senior bow, sent off during that defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Nallo hasn’t featured since, but in Wellity Lucky, Liverpool might find another up-and-coming talent who could earn his keep in Slot’s system this season.

Lucky, 19, is a core member of Rob Page’s U21 set-up, and he has captained the team once already this season. No doubt, the youth has looked at Jarell Quansah’s own ascension from the Reds academy and believes he can emulate his countryman, now playing for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Born in Spain, Lucky has been capped for England U16s but remains open to either nationality as his career progresses. He left Real Zaragoza’s youth academy aged 13 and signed for Liverpool, since featuring 27 times for the U18s and 28 times for the U21s.

Journalist Bence Bocsak has already singled out the “highly-rated” prospect for praise, commenting that he is “composed on the ball” and boasted the highest pass completion of any Liverpool U21 player last season.

It was only this summer that the rising star was awarded a new three-year contract with the club, and the expectation is that he will earn a chance at getting some minutes at the highest level with a continuation of hard work and promising performances.

It was only this week that Lucky stood out for the U21s in their 2-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Crewe Alexandra. Lose though they did, he produced an impressive performance at the back, and Slot may well have taken note.

It’s particularly interesting to note Lucky won all six of his contested ground duels, underscoring his natural composure and timing. Moreover, that crisp possessional play was on full show, with 94% of his passes completed against the League Two opponents.

This all points toward a potential future in Slot’s senior set-up. Liverpool may well be reaching a point at which left-field solutions are required to see the club through to the end of the campaign, and Jurgen Klopp’s success with the aforementioned Quansah emphasises the gains that can be found in adding a youth talent to the ranks when alternative, senior options have been exhausted.

With Konate sent home early from international duty with France this month after sustaining a slight injury issue during the loss at Chelsea the other week, Joe Gomez may be called upon for the forthcoming Premier League meeting with Manchester United.

Gomez is a seasoned professional, but what about the bench? Might Lucky find himself taking a seat among his senior peers? Certainly, it would be a steep risk to throw him right in at the deep end, but the teenager’s underlying data and the noise around his name suggest he might just provide the depth and quality required over the campaign – and maybe beyond.

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ظهر المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، في مؤتمر صحفي منذ قليل للحديث عن مباراة يوم الثلاثاء المرتقبة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد إنتر ميلان.

ويستعد ليفربول لخوض مباراة مساء يوم الثلاثاء، في معقل إنتر ميلان، في الجولة السادسة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ذا أثلتيك: 3 أطراف وراء استبعاد محمد صلاح من مباراة إنتر ميلان.. وهذا موقف ليفربول من تأديبه

وكان التركيز بطبيعة الحال على أزمة محمد صلاح التي تفجرت بسبب تصريحاته النارية التي أدلى بها يوم السبت ضد إدارة ليفربول وسلوت، بسبب تهميشه مؤخرًا، مما أدى إلى استبعاده من مباراة إنتر ميلان غدًا.

وقال سلوت، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “لقد أبلغنا محمد صلاح أنه لن يسافر معنا، كان هذا هو التواصل الوحيد بيننا وبينه، قبل يوم السبت تحدثنا كثيرًا، أحيانًا لفترة أطول وأحيان أقصر”.

وواصل: “انهيار العلاقة بيننا؟ لم أشعر بذلك إطلاقًا، كان يُظهر احترامًا كبيرًا لزملائه في الفريق وأعضاء الجهاز الفني، لقد فوجئت بتصريحاته، كما قلت، ليس هذا ما أشعر به، لكن من حقه أن يشعر بما يشعر به، لم أشعر بذلك على الإطلاق حتى مساء السبت بالتأكيد”.

وأردف: “عادة ما لا يعجب اللاعبون بالمدرب كثيرًا عندما لا يشاركون، لكنه كان يكن احترامًا كبيرًا لأعضاء الجهاز الفني وزملائه، وقد تدرب بجد، لذا كان من المفاجئ بعض الشيء أن أسمع أنه أدلى بهذه التعليقات”.

وأضاف: “هل قصده محمد صلاح بالتحديد في انتقاداته خلال التصريحات؟ الشخص الوحيد الذي يستطيع الإجابة على هذا السؤال هو محمد صلاح نفسه، أستطيع التخمين، لكنني لا أعتقد أن هذا هو التصرف الصحيح في هذه اللحظة، بصراحة، يصعب عليّ تحديد من يقصد في هذا الموقف”.

واسترسل: “هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي يغيب فيها لاعب، حسنًا، رد فعلي على ذلك واضح كذلك، لهذا السبب هو غائب عن قائمة الفريق لمباراة الغد”.

وفيما يخص إمكانية مشاركته ضد برايتون، قاللأ: “نجلس هنا في المساء قبل مباراة كبيرة، مباراة حاسمة لنا، ربما لم يكن هناك سوى 48 ساعة بين نتيجة المباراة 3-3 (ضد ليدز يونايتد يوم السبت) وجلستنا هنا الآن، بعد غد، سننظر في الوضع مجددًا”.

واستكمل: “إمكانية عودته للمشاركة؟ أنا أؤمن إيمانًا راسخًا بأن لكل لاعب عودة، رد فعله عندما أُبلغ بأنه لن يذهب اليوم (إلى إيطاليا)؟ كان ردًا قصيرًا”.

وعن سبب غياب محمد صلاح المتكرر عن تشكيل ليفربول، قال: “لقد عانينا كفريق أكثر فأكثر هذا الموسم بسبب خطط اللعب التي تتبعها الفرق ضدنا، لا أتحدث فقط عن الكرات الطويلة، فالفرق غالبًا ما تلعب ضدنا هكذا، لقد جربت العديد من الحلول، وهذا عملي، كنا عرضة للخطر ضد نوتينجهام وآيندهوفن، لذلك قررت إشراك لاعب وسط آخر ضد وست هام، وفزنا”.

واستطرد: “لقد أشركت محمد صلاح بين شوطي مباراة سندرلاند، ثم قررت اللعب بتشكيلة مثالية ضد ليدز، كان بإمكاني إشراك محمد صلاح على الجهة اليمنى بدلًا من إيكتيكي، هل لعب آخر مباراة له مع ليفربول؟ لا أعرف، لا أستطيع الإجابة على هذا السؤال حاليًا”.

وأفاد: “لا أشعر أن سلطتي تعرضت للتقويض، هل ما حدث يصعب حياتي؟ الأمر لا يتعلق بي، بل يتعلق بصعوبة الأمر على الفريق والنادي، لا أحد يحب أن يكون في هذا الوضع، من الصعب أن نرى أعضاء الجهاز الفني الذين يعملون بجد يوميًا يتأثرون بهذا، وخاصة النتائج، غالبًا ما أفكر في ذلك، أنا مهم فيما يخص اختيار الفريق، ولكن تركيزي منصب على الفريق وليس عليً”.

وعن رده فيما قاله محمد صلاح بكونه يشعر بأن النادي قد تخلى عنه وهل يفهم ما يقصده، قال: “يجب أن أفهم ما يقصده بذلك، عادةً ما أكون هادئًا ومهذبًا، لكن هذا لا يعني أنني ضعيف، عندما يقول لاعب أشياءً كهذه، علينا أن نتفاعل كنادي، وكما ترى، فهو ليس هنا”.

وشدد: “له كل الحق في التعبير عما يشعر به، ولكن إذا كان له الحق في مشاركة مشاعره مع وسائل الإعلام، فعلينا أن نتفاعل معها، هل كنا نتحدث معه؟ نعم، كنا كذلك، لكن هذا لا يعني أننا كنا دائمًا متفقين على الأمور، تحدثت معه مرتين في اليومين اللذين سبقا مباراة ليدز، لقد سبق أن قلت عدة مرات إنني لم أتحدث معه مطولًا بعد مباراة ليدز”.

Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

PSG 5-3 Tottenham – best performers

Match Rating

Randal Kolo Muani

8.7

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

8.4

Vitinha

8.4

Willian Pacho

8.1

Joao Neves

8.0

via WhoScored

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.

Chelsea start a massive week with a win at Turf Moor, so is momentum starting to build?

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues proved to be simply too strong for Burnley, prevailing 2-0, with Pedro Neto heading home Jamie Gittens’ cross on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández lashed home the clinching second right at the end.

​​​​​The match was significantly more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest, with the Clarets creating only one big chance and accumulating a miserly 0.44 xG, rarely threatening Robert Sánchez’s goal.

This made it three successive Premier League victories for Enzo Maresca’s side, who’ve now won five of their last six in the league, ahead of a massive week, with both Barcelona and then Arsenal visiting Stamford Bridge over the next eight days.

Despite victory in Lancashire, a few Chelsea players came in for some criticism, one in particular compared to a player who departed for pastures new over the summer.

Why Chelsea sold Noni Madueke

In one of the surprise moves of last summer, albeit this is now a well-trodden path at this point, Noni Madueke departed Chelsea during the Club World Cup to sign for Arsenal for a reported fee of £52m.

Last season, the England international scored 11 goals across all competitions for the Blues, including seven in the Premier League, a tally only bettered by talisman Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, another who was parachuted out.

Thus, it was certainly a surprise that Madueke was the one Chelsea decided to sell, but that has been the business model since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club and, having signed him from PSV Eindhoven for £28.5m in January 2023, Todd Boehly and the other owners simply view that as a quick profit.

Nevertheless, on the pitch, it could be argued that Maresca’s side have missed Madueke’s direct running and pace, even if he’s not featured for Arsenal since September due to a knee injury.

Having said all of that, a frequent criticism from Chelsea supporters of Madueke was that he was selfish, often going for goal when passing to a teammate would be the better option.

Well, to support this zeitgeist, Madueke attempted 80 shots in the Premier League last season, behind only Palmer, but had the lowest goals – xG figure of any player in the Blues’ squad, ending up with -2.6.

Meantime, he registered just three assists and created only six big chances, suggesting that perhaps the view of supporters – and Martin Keown – was not too inaccurate.

So now, which current member of the Chelsea forward line showed similar levels of selfishness at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's Madueke repeat at Turf Moor

Since the days of Didier Drogba, Chelsea feel as though they’ve found themselves in a never-ending search for a reliable centre-forward; they even twice signed Romelu Lukaku in an attempt to solve this issue.

This summer, after freezing out Jackson, as already mentioned, they put a lot of faith in Liam Delap, making it not ideal that he then missed six successive Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury, as well as another following a red card at Molineux in the EFL Cup on the day of his return.

Back now, Delap has started the last two Premier League matches either side of the international break, but is yet to score since netting against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during the Club World Cup, for what that is worth, and his display on Saturday did not earn rave reviews, with the numbers underlining why.

As the table documents, Delap did not have much impact on the afternoon’s proceedings at Turf Moor.

He attempted zero dribbles, completed just eight passes and won only two of the eight duels he contested, while, in 67 minutes on the pitch, he touched the ball only 20 times, which is 28 fewer than goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, while only one more than his replacement Malo Gusto.

Simon Johnson of The Athletic noted that it is obvious that “Delap is still not fully up to speed post hamstring injury” while, as noted by Taha Hashim of the Guardian, there were multiple occasions when Delap failed to play the ball to a teammate after an opening had presented itself.

Considering Chelsea’s array of attacking options, when Delap is the centre-forward, one of his key responsibilities has to be facilitating attacks and linking up with teammates, as well as score goals of course, neither of which he is doing at the moment.

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If he continues to be both ineffective and selfish, you can bet your bottom dollar that Delap won’t be in the team much longer, because Boehly will probably just buy three other players in his position in January.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 18, 2025

Manchester United are a club who have been known to possess one of the best academies in world football – often producing a conveyor belt of elite-level talent.

Arguably one of the best to ever come out of the Red Devils youth ranks is winger Ryan Giggs, with the winger coming out of the academy and making an immediate impression within the first-team.

The Welshman spent 23 years at Old Trafford, subsequently becoming a one-club legend, whilst also racking up 632 Premier League appearances – the most of any Welshman in the division’s history.

Giggs also won 13 Premier League titles during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, forever cementing himself as one of the best ever players to operate in England’s top-flight.

However, in the present day, Ruben Amorim has his own crop of talented teens who could emulate the attacker’s success should he hand them the chance to thrive at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man Utd’s most promising youngsters in 2025/26

Numerous youth players have constantly been on the fringes of United’s first-team squad over the last couple of years, but none more so than centre-forward Chido Obi.

The Dane joined the Red Devils from Arsenal last year and made an immediate impact at youth level, subsequently scoring 17 goals in just 21 appearances across various age categories.

He was rewarded with eight senior outings under Amorim at the back end of last season, but is yet to score his first senior goal – something which will no doubt come in time given his tender age of just 17.

However, Obi isn’t the only youngster who could make the jump in the next few months, with winger Shea Lacey undoubtedly champing at the bit to become a first-team regular.

The 18-year-old made 13 appearances across all competitions last campaign, netting just twice, but he’s already matched such a tally in his first three outings of 2025/26.

Like Giggs, Lacey is a left-footed forward who loves to drive at the opposition and cause carnage within the final third – potentially emulating such success at Old Trafford in the years ahead.

However, despite the promise generated by the aforementioned duo, the club could well have another gem on their hands in the form of one other academy prospect.

The United star who could become the next Giggs

Youngsters making the jump into the senior ranks at United hasn’t been alien to fans over the last few years, with numerous players making an impression on the fanbase.

Alejandro Garnacho ended up making 144 appearances for the Red Devils over a three-year period at Old Trafford – scoring 26 times and registering 19 assists.

However, his attitude often came into question under various managers, which resulted in the Argentine forward departing in a £40m deal to join Chelsea this summer.

Marcus Rashford matched Garnacho in making the jump up from the youth ranks, even scoring a double on his debut in the Europa League against Midtjylland back in February 2016.

Like the aforementioned star, he’s been out of favour under Amorim, subsequently leaving on loan during the off-season to join Barcelona until the summer of 2026.

However, the supporters may have another young star to back in the coming years, with forward JJ Gabriel, a player who has been touted with a huge future at Old Trafford.

He may be just 15 years of age, but he’s already a regular within the club’s U18 ranks – taking to the age group like a duck to water over the last couple of months.

Gabriel has scored seven goals in just six outings, a run of form that has allowed him to be called up to the England U15 setup – highlighting his rapid development at Carrington.

Given his tender age, expectations will no doubt need to be managed, but one insider has already claimed that the teenager is “already better than Premier League players”.

It’s unclear how close to the first-team Gabriel is, but it’s rapidly become apparent that boss Amorim is a huge admirer of the youngster and sees him as a future gem for the Red Devils.

In recent days, the 40-year-old boss has included Gabriel in his first-team training sessions – something which is often unheard of for a player of his youthful years.

Generational talents very rarely come around in the modern game, but the club already have a star on their hands, but the staff behind the scenes desperately need to keep his feet on the ground.

His early form in 2025/26 is nothing short of remarkable, with Gabriel having the chance to emulate the success of former academy star Giggs if given the chance in the not-too-distant future.

It's not Mainoo: Man Utd may have found the new Pogba in "phenomenal" star

Manchester United already have another talent who is on a similar trajectory to Paul Pogba.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 24, 2025

Leeds United lost their first game of the 2025/26 Premier League season at Elland Road, with Daniel Farke’s side suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s the first time they’ve lost at home since February 2nd in the FA Cup, against Championship side Millwall.

A first-half goal from French starlet Mathys Tel gave the Lilywhites the lead, although Noah Okafor equalised for his side just before half-time. However, a long-range effort from Mohammed Kudus just before the hour mark was enough to secure Spurs the three points.

The North Londoners’ victory came despite pressure from the home side. Leeds dominated the ball against Thomas Frank’s side, having 57% of the possession. They didn’t waste that, either, taking 16 shots on goal and creating three big chances. However, just four of those were on target, with Joe Rodon also hitting the post.

It was certainly disappointing that Farke’s side couldn’t capitalise on their possession and the number of shots they managed. They had chances throughout the game, including four in added time, but failed to find the equaliser they needed to keep their excellent record at Elland Road.

Despite the result, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance.

Leeds’ best players vs. Spurs

As Leeds journalist Beren Cross said, there were plenty of “silver linings” to take after the clash with Spurs. One of the players who stood out was the goalscorer, Okafor. He doubled his tally in that famous White shirt today, after scoring in the 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The goal from the former AC Milan attacker showed excellent instinct in the penalty area.

He pounced on a loose ball in the penalty box after Tottenham’s goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, tipped Brenden Aaronson’s effort into vacant space in the six-yard box.

Another player who once again shone for Farke’s side was Sean Longstaff. Another of the Whites’ summer signings, the former Newcastle United star was the chief creator in that midfield three for Leeds.

Indeed, his stats from the game show just how well he performed. Longstaff was always busy in the midfield, having 64 touches of the ball and creating an impressive five chances. He also won five ground duels and four tackles.

Despite the strong performances from the likes of Okafor and Longstaff, not every Leeds player performed well. There was one attacker in particular who struggled.

The Leeds player who struggled vs. Spurs

Naturally, with the result being the way it was, there were a few Leeds players who somewhat underperformed against the Lilywhites. Pascal Struijk, for example, didn’t have his best game, and both goals were deflected off him.

However, it was another tough day for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Leeds striker joined the club on a free transfer in the summer, and whilst he has scored already this term, also against Wolves, his performances have left a little to be desired at times.

That was the case against Spurs, too. He only managed to get 23 touches of the ball, playing 90 minutes. That was fewer even than Karl Darlow in the Leeds goal, who had 43.

The England international only won two from 11 duels and had just one shot on target.

Touches

23

Pass accuracy

85%

Passes completed

11/13

Ground duels won

0/6

Aerial duels won

2/5

Shots

2

Shots on target

1

One person who seemed to think Leeds’ number nine struggled at Elland Road was Graham Smyth. The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist gave him a 6/10 for his efforts, and whilst he did credit Calvert-Lewin for the ‘hard work’ he put in, but said that ‘the finishing was missing again’ from his game.

It is certainly a problem for Leeds that their number nine is struggling in front of goal. Given they created so many chances, there surely would have been a hope that he could have got on the end of one.

Farke might well decide to drop Calvert-Lewin for Leeds’ next game against Burnley. It was a tough outing against the Lilywhites, and with Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha also options up front, it does give the manager flexibility.

If he does make that decision, it would not necessarily be a surprise. The England international has certainly not been at his clinical best up front, and with other centre-forwards in the squad, Farke may well decide to rotate him out of the side.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2025

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.

Chelsea could sell Axel Disasi to make room in the squad for a “monstrous” new centre-back, who is highly-rated by manager Enzo Maresca.

Blues looking to sign new defender amid injury crisis

Injuries have plagued the Blues at the beginning of the Premier League season, and they are currently particularly light on options at centre-back, with Wesley Fofana and long-term absentee Levi Colwill still sidelined.

Against Liverpool, both Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile were withdrawn due to injury, but Maresca’s side miraculously managed to come out on top in a 2-1 victory, with Estevao bagging a stoppage-time winner.

Disasi technically remains an option for the west Londoners too, but the 27-year-old is part of the ‘bomb squad’, and Maresca has previously made it clear he has no plans to reintroduce the Frenchman.

The Italian said: “Since the season started, I haven’t seen either of them. I haven’t seen Axel or Raheem. They train at a different time and on a different pitch. I haven’t seen them since the start of the season.”

As a result, it would make sense for Chelsea to cash in on the defender, and a report from Spain has now revealed they could sell Disasi to make room in the squad for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, who is also being targeted by Bayern Munich.

The centre-back is highly-rated by Maresca, given his ability to play the ball out from the back, but a deal could be on the expensive side, with a price tag of £80m being touted back in the summer.

There is a belief the Brazilian would be the perfect fit in Maresca’s squad, and the Blues are confident they will be able to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge, despite the interest from elsewhere.

"Monstrous" Murillo could be ideal addition for Chelsea

Under BlueCo ownership, Chelsea have set out to sign young, high-potential players, and the 23-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having already made a name for himself in the Premier League.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 12, 2025

Journalist Ryan Taylor has been left particularly impressed by the Forest star’s performances, lauding him as “monstrous” earlier this year, and the former Corinthians man has caught the eye across a number of key metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Blocks

1.90 (94th percentile)

Clearances

6.97 (92nd percentile)

Successful take-ons

0.68 (95th percentile)

The only real doubt over the signing of the Brazil international is the fact he isn’t accustomed to playing in a side where keeping possession is a priority, as evidenced by the fact he places in just the seventh percentile for his pass-completion rate over the past year, compared to other centre-backs.

That said, Murillo is still young, and clearly has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge, having already made 72 Premier League appearances at Forest, and a January approach would make perfect sense, amid Chelsea’s injury troubles.