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أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وآينتراخت فرانكفورت في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء الأربعاء.

واستقبل آينتراخت فرانكفورت نظيره ليفربول، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثالثة لمرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025-2026.

ونجح ليفربول في تحقيق فوز كبير أمام فرانكفورت بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف، ليرفع رصيده إلى 6 نقاط في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وسجل لليفربول في مباراة اليوم، هوجو إيكتيكي، فيرجيل فان دايك، إبراهيما كوناتي، كودي جاكبو، ودومينيك سوبوسلاي.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وفرانكفورت بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا

وحصل فيرجيل فان دايك قائد ليفربول، على جائزة رجل المباراة أمام فرانكفورت، بعد أدائه خلال اللقاء.

اختير مدافع ليفربول، فيرجيل فان دايك، أفضل لاعب في المباراة، وقالت مجموعة المراقبين الفنيين في الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “كان قائدًا للفريق، يُنظم كل شيء، ويتحدث دائمًا، ويشارك دائمًا”.

وأضافت: “لم تُتح لفرانكفورت سوى فرصتين، فقد قدم أداءً رائعًا في التمركز، وكان قويًا في المواجهات الفردية، كما كان لا يُقهر في الكرات الهوائية، وكان هدافًا”.

Nehal Wadhera didn’t think he would make his Punjab Kings (PBKS) and IPL 2025 debut on April 1 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).Vijaykumar Vyshak was the Impact Sub for Priyansh Arya in their season-opener against Gujarat Titans (GT). But, in their second game, Wadhera came on after Yuzvendra Chahal finished his four overs. And when LSG substituted David Miller for left-arm spinner M Siddharth in Lucknow, head coach Ricky Ponting asked him to be ready to bat, ahead of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.PBKS had already wiped out 110 of their 172-run target in just 10.1 overs. Wadhera went out at No. 4 and finished with a polished, unbeaten 25-ball 43 in Shreyas Iyer’s company. The pair added 67 in just 37 balls to take their team to victory with 22 balls to spare. And Wadhera hadn’t even bothered to take his whole kit to work, he was so sure he wouldn’t get a look-in.Related

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“We talk about players making an impact, right? You get an opportunity in a T20 game and it’s all about making an impact on the game and on the contest when you can,” Ponting said in his post-match briefing, which PBKS put up on their YouTube channel. “And Nehal, I know, came today, he only packed one shirt in his bag, because he didn’t think he was going to be taking much part in the game.”He fields the last four overs [of the LSG innings] and then I tap him on the shoulder when I saw that they’d made their Impact Sub as a left-arm offspinner, I said, ‘mate, you’re going in’. And I said, ‘make the most of the opportunity, play your way’.”Wadhera, subbed in for Yuzvendra Chahal, hit three fours and four sixes in his innings, building on the promising IPL initiation he had with Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2023, where he had played a similar role as a middle-order floater, before not featuring in MI’s plans too much in IPL 2024.4:56

Knight: PBKS winning without overseas contributions a great sign

“It’s a great feeling,” Wadhera said in the PBKS video. “My only thought when I went into bat was that Iyer is set, I shouldn’t allow pressure to creep in on him. And I need is to prove Ricky Ponting right for the faith and backing he gave me.”After his unbeaten effort, Wadhera was full of praise for Iyer’s captaincy, while also speaking with admiration of Ponting, who he said he had “never heard any negative talk” from.”All credit goes to the way he [Iyer] is captaining us,” Wadhera told the official broadcaster after the LSG game. “And also the way he is boosting our confidence and the way he was telling me things like, ‘play your natural game, just go with the flow,’ and I just love playing like that.”

It’s been a bumpy ride for Aston Villa so far during the chaotic summer transfer window.

PSR-related issues have hindered the number of incoming signings the Premier League outfit has been able to make, with their worrying financial state resulting in the sale of homegrown prodigy Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for £43m.

Morgan Rogers could soon be the next devastating exit as Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur wait in the wings for his £100m signature.

However, all the doom and gloom enveloping Villa Park would surely be lifted by some exciting additions to the building, before the dramatic window shuts.

Aston Villa very keen on last-minute signing

Losing a player of Rogers’ spellbinding quality would be a crushing blow to Villa’s already fragile confidence, considering the recent recipient of the PFA Young Player of the Year – who has also been looked at persistently by Chelsea – collected an astounding 30 goals and assists in all competitions last campaign.

Unai Emery and Co. won’t want to be bogged down too much by the anxiety of losing another of their star assets, though, as last-ditch incomings are also in the pipeline.

Adrien Rabiot is reportedly on their radar as he attempts to leave Marseille behind after a public falling out. On top of that development, Nicolas Jackson is also being regularly spoken about as another potential arrival, with the ex-Villarreal attacker being eyed up by Bayern Munich, alongside the Villans.

Jackson’s teammate at Stamford Bridge in Christopher Nkunku is another interesting name on the Villa shortlist, with journalist Fabrizio Romano now delivering an update as to whether a move could soon whir into motion.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, Romano – while chatting on DAZN – stated that Emery’s men remain “very keen” about striking up a last-ditch deal for the hot-and-cold Frenchman, with a speculated £35m price tag already in the air.

While the ex-RB Leipzig attacker hasn’t always been full guns blazing in West London, he could well prove to be a smart buy, particularly as Villa attempt to finally land a Jhon Duran replacement.

How Nkunku can finally replace Duran

This might well be viewed as a wild initial shout, considering Nkunku has largely struggled to get going donning Chelsea blue.

From 38 mainly unmemorable Premier League outings, the £35m-rated forward has only collected six strikes, but there is a method behind the madness here.

Games

38

55

Starts

11

7

Goals

6

12

Assists

2

0

Indeed, as can be seen when glancing at the table above, Nkunku has managed to collect a majority of these strikes when being utilised as an impact substitute in West London, with precisely four of those six goals coming when he’s been launched into action mid-contest.

Of course, his lightning-quick numbers do pale in comparison somewhat to Duran’s blistering output – with Emery even going out of his way to label the Colombian as “very clinical” for his 12 goals from just seven top-flight starts – but there are positive signs that he could be the Spaniard’s next iteration of the South American.

After all, if Emery can get the very best out of Nkunku daily, landing the Frenchman will surely be seen as a similarly golden steal to Duran’s £18m entry fee, with the Chelsea number 18 once branded as “unstoppable” by journalist Zach Lowy when sensationally notching up 70 goals and 56 assists on the books of Leipzig.

It will be a tough ask to get this instantly back out of an attacker bruised by his injury-strewn Chelsea experience.

But, it could be a worthwhile gamble, if he goes on to excite and tantalise Villa fans in a similar electric manner to that of Duran.

Aston Villa send late bid to seal a better signing than Nkunku & Jackson

Aston Villa could win a better signing than both Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson joining with this last-ditch move.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 26, 2025

While they certainly didn’t help themselves, the biggest problem for Tottenham Hotspur last season was injuries.

Ange Postecoglou had to make do with a cobbled-together squad for much of the campaign, and when he did have his players back, they won the Europa League.

Arguably, the biggest miss for the Lilywhites was Cristian Romero, who missed 27 games before playing a pivotal role in the club’s first trophy triumph in 17 years.

The World Cup winner will undoubtedly be one of Thomas Frank’s most important players this season, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking the club to an international who has been compared to him, as well as Gabriel Magalhães.

Spurs target Romero and Gabriel hybrid

It’s been an interesting summer for Spurs so far regarding transfers, as while their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White hasn’t borne any fruit, they’ve bought in several other potential game-changers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while he wasn’t cheap, Mohammed Kudus could help turn the Lilywhites into a far more dangerous side, while Joao Palhinha has the ability to make them a far tougher side to break down.

Moreover, the North Londoners appear keen on adding at least one more player to their ranks before the window slams shut, a player who has been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastien Vidal, who claims that Spurs are very interested in Ronald Araujo, who is valued at £43m.

In fact, the journalist goes further, revealing that the Lilywhites are “expected” to make their first official approach for the Barcelona star as soon as “next week.”

It could be a complicated and relatively costly transfer to get done, but Araujo has proven he’d be worth it, especially as he’s been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

How Araujo compares to Romero & Gabriel

Now, there are several quite surface-level similarities you can point to between Araujo, Gabriel and Romero, such as them all being South American defenders who play for their nations, the fact they all play for top sides in one of Europe’s top five leagues, or that none of them are the kind of defender who gets bullied off the ball easily.

However, thanks to FBref, we know that there are also some undeniable statistical similarities between them as they looked at all centre-backs across the top five leagues and, over the last 365 days, the Arsenal star comes in as the third most similar to the Barça ace, while the Spurs titan ranks as the ninth most similar.

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Uruguayan ranked closely to the two Premier League monsters.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.11

0.10

Passing Accuracy

91.9%

90.2%

Key Passes

0.48

0.49

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.36

0.30

Goal-Creating Actions

0.24

0.23

Interestingly, when it comes to the Gunners’ ace, the Rivera-born star doesn’t actually rank all that closely in the defensive metrics, and instead shares plenty of the Brazilian’s offensive qualities, from non-penalty expected goals to key passes and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

However, when it comes to the Lilywhites ace, the metrics include offensive and defensive statistics, such as interceptions, percentage of aerial duels won, tackles in the middle third, key passes and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.11

0.10

Interceptions

1.07

1.34

Aerial Duels Won %

62.3%

60.3%

Tackles in the Middle Third

0.60

0.51

Key Passes

0.48

0.45

Progressive Carries

0.71

0.76

With all that said, while comparisons to two of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league are certainly encouraging, there are other arguments for why the North Londoners should be all over a deal for the former Boston River star, such as his experience.

For example, despite still being just 26 years old, and therefore a year out from hitting his peak, according to research from The Athletic, the “athletic monster,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has made 175 appearances for Barcelona, of which 141 have been starts, and he’s racked up a pretty good tally of ten goals and seven assists in those games.

On top of that, he has also helped the Spanish giants win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Super Cups, which makes it easy to understand why legendary centre-back Carles Puyol once described him as “one of the best defenders in the world.”

Ultimately, even though it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Spurs should be doing what they can to secure Araujo’s services, especially as he’s something of a hybrid between Romero and Gabriel.

Spurs prepared to pay £40m to sign "special" James Maddison replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not concerned by the price tag of a star who could be a dream replacement for James Maddison.

ByDan Emery Aug 11, 2025

عقد بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي مؤتمراً صحفياً والخاص بمباراة برينتفورد الأحد المقبل في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا” عن لياقة لاعبيه للمباراة: “سنتدرب بعد ظهر اليوم، لكن الأمور تبدو جيدة، أنهى الجميع المباراة ضد موناكو دون مشاكل”.

وذكر جوارديولا عن استبعاد فودين من قائمة إنجلترا الأخيرة: “توخيل يعرف احتياجات المنتخب ألف ومليون وتريلون مرة أفضل مني، كل ما يمكنني قوله أنه إذا لعب فودين كما اعتاد، سيعود للقائمة وأنا سعيد بانضمام اللاعبين للمنتخب لكني أسعد عندما يعودون بصحة جيدة”.

وتحدث جوارديولا عن ما يقدمه فودين لمانشستر سيتي: “يقدم الكثير، هو أفضل لاعب لدينا في المساحات الضيقة، في الثلث الأخير من الملعب، بلا منازع، حسه في التمريرات الحاسمة وحسه في التسجيل في المساحات الضيقة وطريقة تألقه في الهجوم ورغبته في التسجيل، إنه أفضل ما لدينا”.

وعلق جوارديولا عن برينتفورد: “برينتفورد مشابه تماماً الآن لما كان عليه مع توماس فرانك، هم يقدمون أداء رائعًا ومن الصعب اللعب في هذا المكان، في الوقت نفسه أتطلع للمباراة الأخيرة قبل فترة التوقف الدولي”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ظهير أرجنتيني على رادار مانشستر سيتي لتعويض ريان نوري

وقال جوارديولا عن استقبال مانشستر سيتي هدفًا أمام موناكو بعد استبدال رودري: “هل تزعم أنهم سجلوا لأن نيكو جونزاليس كان في الملعب وليس رودري؟ كيف تثبت ذلك، لذا يجب تغيير الموضوع”.

وحول قدرة مانشستر سيتي على استبدال رودري بلاعب واحد رد جوارديولا: “لا يمكن اللعب بـ12 لاعبا، أعلم أن رودري لا يعوض في كثير من الأمور، لم يستطع اللعب قبل ثلاث أيام لأن ركبته كانت في حالة سيئة للغاية، أود أن أخبركم أنه بسبب غياب رودري عن الملعب استقبلنا الهدف ضد موناكو لكن لا يمكن إثبات ذلك، لأنه لو شعرت بذلك، لكان رودري موجود في الملعب لكن رودري لا يستطيع اللعب في بعض المباريات، ربما 90 دقيقة، لمباريات عديدة، نيكو جونزاليس قدم أداء رائعا ضد بيرنلي وهو يتعلم ويتحسن”.

وأشاد جوارديولا بتحسن أداء دوكو هذا الموسم: “في الثلث الهجومي الأخير، إنه رائع، إنه الأفضل، لاعب يقدم تمريرات حاسمة أكثر من أي وقت مضى لكنه لا يزال شاباً وسيتحسن”.

وتحدث جوارديولا عن إحباط هالاند بعد مباراة موناكو: “جميعنا شعرنا بالإحباط، نريد الفوز، لكننا لم نتمكن من ذلك، قدمنا الكثير من الأشياء الجيدة وأشياء أخرى يمكن تحسينها لكن هذا طبيعي وسنعمل على التحسين، نريد الفوز وسنحت لنا فرص لتسجيل الهدف الثالث، نعم لا مشكلة في ذلك كما أعتقد، المشجعون يحبون فوزنا ونحن صادقون”.
وتحدث جوارديولا عن تقدم مانشستر سيتي منذ فترة التوقف الدولي في سبتمبر: “تقدمنا كثيراً، الأمر الأكثر سعادة أن الفارق تحسن وأعشق هذا الشعور، كان لدي شعور سابق بأننا قادرون على تقديم أداء أفضل وأحب هذا الشعور كمدرب”.

وسئل جوارديولا عن معاناة رودري بعد إصابته في الرباط الصليبي: “قلت له، ربما لم يفهم أن الأمر لا يتعلق بستة أو سبعة أشهر، ساعود وسألعب وسأكون مثل رودري السابق، لا، سيكون رودري جيد في كأس العالم 2026 مع إبانيا، الموسم المقبل سيكون هناك ما هو أفضل من رودري، الأمر يعتمد على كيفية التعامل معه هذا الموسم خطوة بخطوة، هذا طبيعي، مسألة وقت وسيعود بعد غيابه لمدة عام”.

وسئل جوارديولا عن نيكو جونزاليس: “ضد بيرنلين كان أفضل بكثير من مباراة هدرسفيلد لكن يمكنه تقديم أداء أفضل، لكنه صغير جداً، ليس رودري الذي قضى سنوات طويلة معنا، نيكو قضى عام واحد وهناك العديد من الأمور سيتعامل معها تدريجياً لأنه منفتح الذهن وقابل للتدريب بشكل لا يصدق وليس هناك كثير من اللاعبين مثله من تجربتي كمدرب”.

خاض مانشستر سيتي آخر جلساته التدريبية استعداداً لمباراة الفريق الافتتاحية في دوري أبطال أوروبا ضد نابولي هذا الأسبوع.

ويأمل مانشستر سيتي في مواصلة أدائه المميز الذي قدمه عندما اكتسح مانشستر يونايتد بفوزه بثلاثية نظيفة ليحصد النقاط الثلاثة على ملعب الاتحاد.

وأفادت “سيتي إكسترا” بأن مدرب مانشستر سيتي بيب جوارديولا تلقى دفعة قوية بعودة جون ستونز للتدريبات، وقد شارك 25 لاعباً في التدريبات الأخيرة استعداداً لمواجهة نابولي في دوري ابطال اوروبا وهم:

في حراسة المرمى: دوناروما – ترافورد – أورتيجا مورينو – بيتينيلي

خط الدفاع: ريكو لويس- خوسانوف – ستونز – دياز – مفوني- آكي – جفارديول

خط الوسط: رودري – نيكو جونزاليس – فيليبس – أوريلي- نونيز – تيجاني ريندرز – برناردو سيلفا – موكاسا – فودين

خط الهجوم: سافينيو – بوب – هيسكي – هالاند – جيريمي دوكو

أقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا: مانشستر سيتي ليس مرشحًا للفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا.. وأتعلم من كونتي

ويعد النجم الكرواتي ماتيو كوفاسيتش الأقرب للعودة لتدريبات مانشستر سيتي بجانب زملائه، حيث يواصل تعافيه من جراحة وتر أخيل في وقت مبكر من الصيف.

ويواصل ريان آيت نوري بإصابة في الكاحل وريان شرقي بإصابة في الفخد وعمر مرموش بإصابة في الركبة عمليات تعافيهم، ومن غير المتوقع عودتهم قريباً ومن المتوقع عودتهم مع بداية فترة التوقف الدولي القادمة.

وقد عاد جون ستونز مرة أخرى بعد تعرضه لإصابة عضلية طفيفة أجبرته على الانسحاب من المنتخب الإنجليزي كإجراء احترازي في وقت سابق من هذا الشهر، ويواصل كالفين فيليبس العمل على لياقته البدنية استعداداً للعودة تحت قيادة بيب جواريولا.

It was only the eighth such instance in the Test history and the first since 1998

Ekanth13-Sep-2024The first ever Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand ended on a sad but predictable note as the game was called off without a ball being bowled. It was only the eighth such instance in the Test history and the first since 1998.There was an air of inevitability around the call after there was no play in the first four days and heavy rains ended the last two as early as 9.15am. The rain returned on the fifth morning, prompting the umpires to pull the plug at 8.45am.The clouds hung low and the covers were drenched yet again at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground. A pool of water had formed near one of the boundaries and a few puddles were scattered across the uncovered grass in the outfield.Related

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The match was subject to weather concerns even before the opening day. When there was no play on the first two days despite the weather being sunny during playing hours, the outfield and the preparedness of the venue came under the scanner.Apart from the New Zealand players getting a couple of hours of net practice next to the pitch on the second afternoon, there was no cricketing action in any form across five days. The ACB blamed the unseasonal rain for it.Afghanistan’s next assignment is the three-match ODI series against South Africa in Sharjah. New Zealand will now travel to Sri Lanka for two Tests, which are part of the World Test Championship. After that, they will face India in India in a three-Test series. The Greater Noida Test, which was not part of the WTC, was supposed to help them acclimatise to the subcontinent conditions but it was not to be.

Van der Gugten triple-wicket maiden puts seal on impressive display from visitors

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2024

Sam Northeast was in fine touch•Getty Images

Glamorgan 177 for 7 (Northeast 67, Carlson 54, Brooker 3-31) beat Middlesex 173 (Andersson 57, Crane 3-28, van der Gugten 3-30) by three wicketsSam Northeast made it over 400 runs in his two visits to Lord’s this season as Glamorgan beat Middlesex by three wickets to win their first ever T20 encounter at the home of cricket.Northeast, who made a record red-ball score of 335 on the hallowed turf in the County Championship back in April struck 67 in 45 balls (1×6 8x4s) as the visitors chased down a target of 174 with 10 balls to spare, despite 3 for 31 for Middlesex quick Henry Brookes.Northeast was aided by Kiran Carlson (54), whose landmark came in only 21 balls with five sixes.Earlier Middlesex were given a wonderful start by Martin Andersson 57, from 34 – his first T20 half-century as he and skipper Stephen Eskinazi (48) shared an opening stand of 108. However, Mason Crane (3 for 28) began the collapse before Timm Van der Gugten’s triple-wicket maiden (3 for 30) including the scalps of Luke Hollman, Tom Helm and Brookes saw Middlesex collapse to 173 all out.Eskinazi provided early impetus before Andersson, employed as a pinch-hitter in the continued absence of Leus Du Plooy, smote Van Der Gugten back over his head for six.Another followed before he was dropped at short fine leg on 29, Dan Douthwaite the unlucky bowler, the ball travelling to the fence. To rub salt in the wound, Andersson struck three further boundaries in the over.With Eskinazi plundering two sixes off Crane the hundred stand came up in the ninth over. However, Andersson’s dismissal stumped attempting a reverse sweep, ending a stand of 108, changed everything.Max Holden went cheaply to Crane and when Eskinazi fell in identical fashion later in the over the hosts hit the skids.Only Luke Hollman cleared the ropes in the remainder of the innings and Van der Gugten’s party piece in the 19th over, helped by a stunning catch from wicketkeeper Cooke left Middlesex looking well short.Noah Cornwell had Eddie Byrom caught at slip from the first ball of Glamorgan’s reply, but Carlson came out bristling aggression, striking first Helm and then Brookes for six.Helm switched to the Pavilion End only for Carlson to club him straight for another maximum as the 50 came up inside five overs.Pace gave way to spin but all were alike to the 26-year-old who planted successive balls from Josh De Caires over extra cover into the Compton Stand to race to 50 in 21 balls.The fun ended when he holed out at deep mid-on from the bowling of Ryan Higgins and when Australian Test opener Marnus Labuschagne was trapped in front by Hollman, at 84 for 3 the Seaxes sniffed a way back.De Caires bowled the dangerous Colin Ingram to heighten the intrigue, but first Northeast and then Cooke were given lives in the 13th over bowled by Hollman, wicketkeeper Davies missing a regulation stumping to reprieve the former on 44, before the latter was spilt at backward point.Middlesex paid for their profligacy, Northeast reaching 50 from 38 balls, while Cooke, who made an unbeaten 113 in this fixture last season, thrashed a Higgins delivery over extra cover for six.Northeast’s first six came soon afterwards and though he and Cooke fell before the end Glamorgan got home.

With INEOS looking to send a statement this summer, Manchester United are now reportedly ready to table a shock offer worth as much as £85m to sign a Premier League rival.

Man Utd must get summer incomings right

In what feels like an Old Trafford groundhog day, Manchester United cannot afford to get their incomings wrong this summer. Like in 2014 under David Moyes and then under the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunner Solskjaer, the Red Devils are in no position to make mistakes in the transfer market as they look to hand their latest manager the keys to unlock a place among Europe’s elite again at long last.

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What does seem to be different about Ruben Amorim compared to Moyes, Van Gaal, Solskjaer and in some ways even Mourinho is just how honest he’s been about the extent of the task in front of him.

Even in the build-up to Manchester United’s 7-1 aggregate mauling of Athletic Bilbao to reach the Europa League final, Amorim assured reporters that silverware would not take away from what has been a disastrous season.

The former Sporting Club boss told reporters: “For me, in that moment and you look at Premier League, we are the worst team since I arrived in terms of results. That is my idea. In the end of the season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title.

“So we will not change anything. We know that this season was disappointing. Nothing is going to change, in that moment, I have to think a bit more but I felt that. I still feel that this season was the worst in the last 50 years.”

Whether the Red Devils have what it takes to overcome Tottenham Hotspur in the final is another question, but if they do manage to win the competition then their transfer plans could become all the more interesting.

Man Utd readying shock Tonali offer

According to Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, INEOS and Manchester United are now ready to table a stunning €100m (£85m) offer to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United this summer. In an ambitious move, the Red Devils have set their sights on the Italian, who has enjoyed an excellent season at St James’ Park.

Starts

25

21

Goals

3

1

Progressive Carries

33

16

Ball Recoveries

163

117

Manchester United’s interest, whether a deal is feasible or not, should come as no surprise. As the numbers show, Tonali would be an instant upgrade on Manuel Ugarte and perhaps the difference between taking Amorim’s side into Europe and a place in mid-table once again next season.

Eddie Howe will likely be keen to keep hold of his midfielder, however. Full of praise, the Newcastle boss told reporters earlier this season: “We’ve seen that in recent games from a defensive viewpoint now more than an attacking viewpoint, where he’s sprinting to put out fires for us, nicking balls, intercepting balls, using his athleticism to track runners. He’s been excellent in that respect and think that’s really helped the team.”

He hasn’t done well in limited-overs cricket down under, but given his phenomenal Test numbers, it’s going to be fascinating to see how he goes in the Ashes

Matt Roller12-Nov-2025Long before the build-up to this Ashes series became a plume of hot air, Josh Hazlewood made a telling observation. Perhaps he was merely being diplomatic when describing England’s batting line-up as “unbelievable”, but his identification of a key threat was still notable: “A fresh face like Harry Brook might find it easier [than others],” he said. “He’ll be a tough challenge.”Brook arrives in Australia with a phenomenal record. After 30 Tests, he is averaging 57.55 while scoring at a strike rate of 87.52; he did not score a hundred in his only Ashes series, two years ago, but still left a mark with four rapid fifties. He also holds the unusual distinction of having a far stronger record away than at home: seven of his ten centuries have come overseas.That fact comes with a significant caveat: three years into his Test career, Brook has still only played in three countries. It is a quirk of circumstance: England toured Pakistan and New Zealand in 2022-23, and then again in 2024-25. Brook pulled out of their tour to India in 2023-24 on compassionate leave.But it means that he is yet to play a Test in either of the two countries generally seen as the most challenging for English batters. As a result, his performance this winter will be scrutinised even more closely than usual: a successful series would confirm his status among the world’s elite Test batters; anything less will be held against him.Related

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This is Brook’s first away Ashes series but his fourth trip to Australia. They have been a mixed bag: as a 19-year-old he scored 1001 runs in grade cricket for the University of New South Wales; three years later he had a “horrendous” (his word) Big Bash season; the following winter, he was an ever-present as England won the 2022 T20 World Cup, but his top score was 20.His time in the Big Bash was a rare setback in his career. He arrived late due to England Lions commitments, missed two games having had “close contact” under Covid regulations, and left early to make his international debut in the Caribbean, having joined a long list of Hobart Hurricanes overseas players to struggle in purple.”Brooky was fresh onto the scene: he definitely didn’t know his game as well as he does now,” recalls Ben McDermott, who played alongside him at Hurricanes. “It won’t have any bearing on the Ashes at all. He’s come a long way since, and has elevated his game to be one of the best in your country.”His quiet campaign at the T20 World Cup in late 2022 came immediately after his breakthrough white-ball tour to Pakistan, and left him with a grim T20 record in Australia: 113 runs at 8.07 in 14 innings. “I just kept finding the fielders out on the boundary,” he later reflected.” The grounds are so big out there. I’ve been to Australia twice now and have struggled.”