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da betcris： O Palmeiras manteve sua invencibilidade na temporada e garantiu mais uma vitória no Paulistão ao bater o Red Bull Bragantino, por 2 a 0, nesta quarta-feira, no Allianz Parque. Com gol de Rony e outra assistência de Raphael Veiga, além de um golaço de Breno Lopes, o Alviverde manteve a primeira posição no Grupo D e segue como a melhor campanha geral da competição estadual.

> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2023 clicando aqui

Massa Bruta começa pressionando o Verdão, que se incomoda, mas abre o placar

A equipe do Red Bull Bragantino começou a partida com uma estratégia ousada: a de marcar a saída de bola do Palmeiras bem afundada no campo de defesa adversário. O esquema deu certo e incomodou os palmeirenses, que não tinham muitas opções para sair. Quando o Verdão começou a “se achar” em campo, as chances vieram. Depois de uma boa sequência de ataques, Veiga cobrou escanteio no primeiro pau, na cabeça de Rony, que abriu o placar para colocar o time à frente. 1 a 0.

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da leao： Poucas oportunidades, muita reclamação, arbitragem ruim e pouco futebol

Com a vantagem, o Alviverde tinha tudo para estar no melhor dos mundos, partindo no contra-ataque. No entanto, foram poucas as oportunidades da equipe, que via o Massa Bruta achar espaços na intermediária para trocar passes. Acontece que os visitantes não levavam perigo e deixava a defesa palmeirense tranquila. O que tirou a paz de todos foi a arbitragem, que irritou ambos os lados e contribuiu fortemente para o jogo ficar muito ruim. Endrick, inclusive, levou amarelo por uma entrada dura em Juninho Capixaba e Weverton foi advertido por reclamação.

Palmeiras volta mais ligado e mais intenso, mas também leva sustos

Logo aos dois minutos de jogo, seguindo a intensidade com a qual voltou do vestiário, o Verdão teve uma chance com Dudu, que foi rebatida pelo goleiro Cleiton, mas Rony não conseguiu completar. Dali em diante, uma pane geral na defesa do Alviverde proporcionou chances ao Red Bull Bragantino. Houve uma sequência delas, mas a principal foi quando Sorriso infiltrou sozinho na área e Weverton salvou com os pés. O goleiro ainda fez algumas defesas difíceis durante esse “apagão”.

Mais confusão na parte final do jogo, mas com direito a golaço

Abel Ferreira começou a mexer no time depois da sequência de sustos e procurou estabilizar a atuação palmeirense. Com a ajuda da arbitragem, que mais uma vez contribuiu para não ter jogo no Allianz Parque, as ações de ambos os lados diminuíram muito. O lance de maior relevância havia sido uma reação de Rony, que levou entrada e, durante sua queda, deu um “coice” em Natan. O VAR chamou o árbitro para analisar a imagem, mas foi dado apenas um cartão amarelo o camisa 10.

No entanto, havia algo guardado para o final. Em uma arrancada ao ataque, Rony segurou a bola no tempo certo e esperou Breno Lopes chegar. Com um chute em ângulo “impossível”, ele balançou a rede de Cleiton para aumentar a vantagem e fechar o placar para o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque.

E agora?

Com a vitória, o Palmeiras vai a 24 pontos no Paulistão e, além de liderar o Grupo D, segue com a melhor campanha geral da fase de grupos da competição. No próximo domingo, o Verdão recebe a Ferroviária, no Allianz Parque, às 18h30. Já o Red Bull Bragantino fica na segunda posição do Grupo A com 14 pontos e enfrenta o Ituano, em Bragança Paulista, neste sábado, às 16h.

FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS 2 x 0 RED BULL BRAGANTINO
Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Data-Hora: 22/2/2023 – 21h35 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Douglas Marques das Flores
Assistentes: Neuza Inês Back e Amanda Pinto Matias
VAR: Vinicius Furlan
Público: 33.352 torcedores/R$ 1.549.693,46
Cartões amarelos: Rony, Endrick e Weverton (PAL) Gustavinho e Matheus Fernandes (RBB)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gols: Rony (12’/1ºT) (1-0), Breno Lopes (47’/2ºT) (2-0)

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Marcos Rocha (Mayke, aos 28’/2ºT), Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Gabriel Menino (Jailson, aos 39’/2ºT) e Raphael Veiga (Bruno Tabata, aos 28’/2ºT); Rony, Dudu (Breno Lopes, aos 39’/2ºT) e Endrick (Giovani, aos 15’/2ºT). Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

RED BULL BRAGANTINO: Cleiton; Aderlan, Lucas Cunha, Natan e Juninho Capixaba (Guilherme Lopes, aos 22’/2ºT); Jadsom (Eric Ramires, aos 22’/2ºT), Matheus Fernandes e Bruninho (Werik Popó, aos 34’/2ºT); Artur, Sorriso (Gustavinho, aos 34’/2ºT) e Alerrandro (Thiago Borbas, aos 22’/2ºT). Técnico: Pedro Caixinha.

They were without their most irreplaceable player in a top-of-the-table clash against a New Zealand side that’s had the wood over them in recent global-tournament meetings, and this New Zealand side put them under severe pressure on multiple occasions. But in the end, India continued to typify the 2023 World Cup equivalent of Gary Lineker’s famous quote on a superteam from a different sport: “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and in the end, the Germans always win.”We’re still only halfway through the league stage, and knockouts are knockouts, but India have looked so hard to beat that even this game, their most intense tussle yet in this tournament, ended with Virat Kohli trying to repeat what he did against Bangladesh on Thursday, and refuse singles with India in sight of victory in order to try and reach his hundred.It didn’t quite happen this time, with the attempted winning six on 95 ending up as a catch on the midwicket boundary, but India sauntered home nonetheless, with Ravindra Jadeja pulling Matt Henry for four to complete the job with two overs to spare. Jadeja made an unbeaten 39, a vital innings given that he came in at No. 7 with India still 83 away from victory.With Hardik Pandya out injured, India replaced him with two players, a specialist batter in Suryakumar Yadav and a specialist fast bowler in Mohammed Shami, which meant India’s batting effectively ended with Jadeja at No. 7.The lack of batting depth was counterbalanced, however, by the increased menace of India’s pace attack, who played a starring role in bowling New Zealand out for 273 after they had been 178 for 2 at one stage. Shami, playing his first game of the tournament, led the way with his second five-wicket haul in World Cups, his bullying of New Zealand’s lower order the centerpiece of a superlative effort by India in the last 10 overs, where they took six wickets while conceding just 54.Particularly impressive was India’s shackling of Daryl Mitchell, New Zealand’s top scorer. Mitchell had put on 159 for the third wicket with Rachin Ravindra, and reached an exactly run-a-ball hundred in the 41st over, but India kept him to just 30 off his last 27 balls. He was ninth out in the final over, caught on the wide long-on boundary to give Shami his fifth wicket.Daryl Mitchell brought up ODI century No. 5•ICC/Getty Images

Each of Shami’s wickets seemed to come with a question attached to it: “You’re keeping on the bench?” He struck first ball after coming on as first change, getting Will Young to play on with a typically upright-seamed inducker. Then he broke the Mitchell-Ravindra stand with an offcutter into the pitch. And he ended New Zealand’s hopes of getting near or past 300, effectively, by splattering the stumps of Mitchell Santner and Henry with consecutive balls in the 48th over.Chasing a significantly smaller target than they may have envisaged at one stage, India began in typically ominous fashion, with Rohit Sharma hitting four sixes in a 40-ball 46 that dominated an opening stand of 71 with Shubman Gill. During this partnership, India extracted a strange sort of revenge for the Old Trafford semi-final of 2019, where their fast bowlers had caused as much trouble with the new ball as New Zealand’s quicks but ended up with significantly fewer early wickets. This time Henry beat both openers’ bats repeatedly – including Gill three times in a row – and Trent Boult saw an edge from Rohit fall short of slip, but there were no wickets in the first powerplay.Thereafter it was all about Kohli, even though he typically did most of his work in the shadows – literally for a while when a spectral fog enveloped the ground, eventually stopping play for around 15 minutes. Kohli was the less-dominant partner in half-century stands for the third and fourth wickets, but where Shreyas Iyer fell to another short ball and KL Rahul played down the wrong line against Santner to be dismissed for the first time in the tournament, he endured, as he always does in run-chases.Ever so often, Kohli imposed himself on the game with an incandescent shot: an on-the-up square drive off Lockie Ferguson to get off the mark; a charging, flourishing extra-cover drive off Henry to get to 40; and in between an inside-out loft for six off Ravindra to release whatever pressure New Zealand had put on him by keeping him to 28 off his first 47 balls.From that point, Kohli scored 67 off 57 balls. A significant hiccup arrived when he got into a mix-up that sent back Suryakumar Yadav, but once Jadeja eased India’s fears over their lack of batting depth, the result became a formality.Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja operated at full intensity•Associated Press

New Zealand would have been disappointed at this because they had put themselves in a commanding position at one stage after India had sent them in. Ravindra and Mitchell had fought extremely hard to get them into that position, coming together after Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shami had combined to reduce them to 19 for 2 in the ninth over.Along the way, the two of them demonstrated to all other sides a method to combat India’s attack. Mitchell exemplified this with his calculated risk-taking, particularly at the start of overs. He mixed up his pre-ball movements against the fast bowlers, sometimes shuffling across his stumps and out of his crease, at other times stepping back towards his off stump, and manipulating line and length in this manner. Most telling, though, was his calculated assault on Kuldeep Yadav, to whom he used his feet multiple times to launch him down the ground. In all, he scored 43 runs off Kuldeep – the most any batter has scored against the left-arm wristspinner in an ODI innings – off just 28 balls.Kuldeep conceded 48 in his first five overs, which would have worried India considerably, given that they didn’t have a sixth bowler. But the measure of Kuldeep’s skill and self-confidence came over his next five overs, in which he had Mitchell dropped at long-off, took two vital wickets – Tom Latham deceived by a flatter skidder and trapped plumb in front, Glenn Phillips caught off a miscue against the wrong’un – and conceded just 25.Kuldeep’s display was an encapsulation of India’s day. They were put under intense pressure by a formidable opponent, but they trusted their methods and came out unscathed. This India side can be rattled, but for any side to beat them over the next four weeks will likely take a special effort of sustained excellence.

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan delivers a scathing assessment of United, predicting a dismal season ahead for Ruben Amorim next year.

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• United lost Europa League final to Tottenham
• Red Devils without European football next season
• Jordan sends Amorim job warning

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United lost the Europa League final to Tottenham on Wednesday night, failing to secure Champions League football or a trophy. This defeat has led to widespread criticism of the club's performance and direction, with concerns raised about their financial situation and ability to compete at the highest level. The result also means a significant financial blow for the Red Devils, impacting their summer transfer plans.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Europa League defeat caps off another disappointing season for United, extending their trophy drought and highlighting deeper issues within the club. Years of poor recruitment, mismanagement and a lack of clear direction have eroded the club's standing in the football world. The failure to qualify for the Champions League further exacerbates these problems, hindering their ability to attract top talent and generate crucial revenue needed to comply with Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).

• WHAT JORDAN SAID

  Speaking on talkSPORT, Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan said: "We're seeing an erosion and if it keeps going for another ten years, you're going to see the analogy that I made of Manchester City being Red Bull and Manchester United being Ferrari, being eroded because the next generation of fans are light upon winners and United are not winners.

  "I think we just saw United hit the bottom. You cannot make a case for Manchester United to be finishing 16th in the Premier League, two places above the relegation spot and putting out a performance. United were abject and they've lost the final in such an abject manner with so much riding on it, so many opportunities to change the direction of travel.

  "I think you've just witnessed the United beast hit the bottom and then that's when you start to bounce and I think you'll see a bounce. Now, what that bounce looks like, it might mean that United finish tenth next season and not 17th."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United face a crucial summer as they look to rebuild their squad and address the issues that have plagued them in recent years. Amorim will be tasked with making significant changes, potentially offloading underperforming players and bringing in new talent. The club will need to be more strategic in their transfer dealings and find solutions to comply with PSR. While Jordan predicts a "bounce" after hitting rock bottom, the scale of that improvement remains to be seen, with a top-half finish potentially representing a significant improvement.

نشرت تقارير صحفية اليوم الأربعاء رد فعل مدرب نادي برشلونة، هانز فليك، على إمكانية رحيل فيرمين لوبيز عن صفوف الفريق الكتالوني خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الجاري.

برشلونة تلقى عرضًا مغريًا من قبل نادي تشيلسي للتعاقد مع لوبيز خلال صيف العام الحالي، وذلك مقابل 50 مليون يورو.

تابع.. برشلونة يحدد سعر بيع فيرمين لوبيز إلى الدوري الإنجليزي

وذكرت صحيفة “آس”، أن فليك يشعر بتوتر كبير جراء فكرة رحيل لوبيز عن صفوف برشلونة خلال الفترة المقبلة، في ظل حاجة الفريق إلى خدمات ابن الـ22 عامًا.

وأضافت الصحيفة، أن إدارة برشلونة ترى أن هناك تضارب كبير بين مصلحة الفريق من الناحية المالية ببيع لوبيز وتسهيل عملية تسجيل اللاعبين الجدد في النادي، وبين رغبة فليك في الإبقاء على خدمات اللاعب.

وأوضحت أن إدارة برشلونة ترى كذلك أن بيع لوبيز سيثير غضب الجماهير، نظرًا لأن اللاعب من أفضل إنتاجات لاماسيا خلال السنوات الأخيرة، لذلك لن يتم بيع فيرمين سوى بمبلغ كبير.

وأردفت أن فليك يقدر إمكانيات فيرمين كثيرًا وقد تحدث مع اللاعب على انفراد عقب فوز برشلونة على ليفانتي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين يوم السبت الماضي بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

وورد أن برشلونة لن يسمع ببيع فيرمين لوبيز إلى تشيلسي بأقل من 70 مليون يورو.

The English actor sat down with GOAL at TST 2025 for an exclusive interview about him donning the Clarets badge for the tournament this year

CARY, N.C. – Hero Fiennes Tiffin, best known for his role as Hardin Scott in the famed 'After' Netflix franchise – a four-film series of romantic dramas based on the Anna Todd-authored novels – is taking a break from the film set this week and returning to his roots.

The 27-year-old actor is lacing up his boots and putting on the shirt of his first love: West Ham United.

"It's an honor and a privilege," he told GOAL at media day for The Soccer Tournament 2025, where he will be playing for the Clarets in the competition.

"I think it will always will be… It will always be that way anytime I put on the West Ham shirt. I feel like it's hard not to repeat myself, because the emotions are the same. It’s surreal for me to be amongst the people I looked up to when I was growing up, and wear the top that I've supported and watched for years. It's surreal, and the kid in me can't believe it."

Fiennes Tiffin, 27, will be playing with the likes of West Ham legends Anton Ferdinand and Mauro Zarate in the 7v7 competition this year, as he features for the second time after he debuted for in 2023 in the inaugural year of TST.

Fans around the world know the English actor from his role as Scott in the romantic films, but as a child, where his fandom was born, he also played the role of a young Tom Riddle in the sixth installment of the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

GOAL sat down with the English actor to talk about his West Ham fandom, where it stemmed from, and what fans should expect from him on the pitch at TST this year.

The Soccer TournamentEarly beginnings

When Fiennes Tiffin was just a child, he wasn't surrounded by a footballing family, but rather, a community that took him in and introduced him to the Clarets and what it means to be a West Ham fan.

"No one in my family really cares much for football, but growing up in South London, you're never more than a meter away from someone who does. And I had neighbors two doors down called the Gatehouses, and they were all big West Ham fans – a family of like six or seven – and they always had season tickets," Fiennes Tiffin said.

The actor remembers playing with the family's kids, getting hand-me-down West Ham tops, and even eventually playing on the same youth football team. It all led to his initial experiences with the club.

"Before you know it, they were asking me if I wanted to come to Upton Park to watch games. My best mate at school was a West Ham fan, and by the time I could even name five teams in the Prem [Premier League], I knew I was a West Ham fan, and I had the kit and I was going to games," he said.

"So yeah, it kind of happened through neighbors and friends, and yeah, your team picks you, I guess."

It was a rather unorthodox approach to finding passion for the club, but through it, he found a pure and dedicated passion for the club, even while his acting career kicked off as a child.

AdvertisementThe Soccer TournamentFinding love for the Clarets

Through his love for the club, he was selected along with a group of ' legends and other players to represent them in the U.S. as they fight for the $1 million prize in the men's division of the tournament this year. As a kid, Fiennes Tiffin looked up to a lot of players who donned the crest, and now that he has an opportunity to do so as well alongside some of them, it means the world to him.

"From my lifetime, Mark Noble's got to be – I mean, he's Mr. West Ham, isn't he? So if I'm going to name one, it's him. But then the players who I can think back to when I first was watching games," he said. "Anton [Ferdinand] is up there. And they say, never meet your heroes, but Anton is the most respectful, accommodating, welcoming person, but also fun and smart, and knows what he's doing. I can't sing his praises enough. So yeah, he's probably the person who, when I think back to the earliest memories of West Ham for when I was alive, games that I actually watched, it'd be Anton."

With one year of experience under his belt from 2023 already, he's hoping to help lead the Premier League side to the podium this year – but recognizes it won't be easy, wth so much talent on display at TST this year.

The Soccer TournamentCompetition awaits

The men's Group Stage bracket features 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout rounds. West Ham's group includes La Liga side Villarreal, Brown Ballers FC, and TenFifteen FC.

If the Clarets advance, Hero Fiennes Tiffin already has his dream matchups in mind: Sergio Agüero's Selección Portero and Luis Nani’s Nani SC.

"Agüero… man, he's just a Premier League legend, and everyone can still hear that commentator screaming, ‘Agüerooooo!’ Nani as well—he’s massive. But I'm locking in Agüero as the person I'm probably most excited to see play or play against," he said.

Though unsure how many minutes he'll get, Fiennes Tiffin is just proud to wear the West Ham crest alongside fellow fans of the club. His competitive side, however, still hopes to see some action.

"When I’m on the bench, I’m obviously itching to play," he said. "But I’ve been working a lot and haven’t had as much time to train as I’d like. We’ve got a team full of strong players who play regularly at a high level. So I’ve told the coach and the others – I’m here to help however I can. If that means fewer minutes for me, I’m fine with that. I’ll be happy just to put on the kit, get a little run around, and contribute however I can."

The Soccer TournamentThe future

Fiennes Tiffin is thrilled to take some time to step away from the big screen for the competition, as he feels it's "nice" to take a break from the world he often surrounds himself with. The 27-year-old is currently in the midst of production for the series 'Young Sherlock' on Amazon Prime Video, where he will play a youthful Sherlock Holmes, but right now, his focus is on the competition.

However, that's not to say he hasn't thought about a potential crossover in the near future – in fact, there's a crossover in the back of his head between West Ham, soccer and his acting career that could come to fruition soon, though he's kept his lips sealed… for now.

"Let me not speak so much on this. I'm itching to, but there is one project in particular that is very West Ham oriented, that, if we can make it into a good script, and it's worth turning into a film, and all the stars aligned… and then I'll be involved in that, and that would be a massive crossover. That would be two massive parts of my life coming together. But no, and I guess as an actor, there's something nice about playing roles that are far away from home, but as I say, I'm itching to say more, but I can't right now.

"Hopefully, in the future, we'll see me work on a project that is heavily West Ham-oriented."

For fans who want to catch a glimpse of Fiennes Tiffin on the pitch this week, they can tune in and watch TST 2025, as he dons the badge of the Clarets once more.

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

• Rohit backs under-fire bowlers after three-day loss in Centurion

• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

• How India can bowl better in the second Test against South Africa

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

da prosport bet： As an injury-hit Arsenal toiled away to relegation strugglers Leicester City last month, manager Mikel Arteta looked to his bench in need of inspiration. Up stepped Mikel Merino.

da marjack bet： Deployed in an unorthodox centre-forward role for the first time in his senior career, the £31.6m summer signing remarkably bagged a quick-fire brace to seal the win in the closing stages.

With the Gunners devoid of attacking options amid injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, Arteta had successfully rolled the dice, producing a tactical tweak that potentially looked like being a defining one in the title race.

Unfortunately for those in north London, that Merino moment has not provided a springboard for success, with it looking as if the Premier League crown is on its way to Merseyside, barring a shock late collapse in Liverpool.

That said, the continued centre-forward experiment has yielded results of late for the Gunners, with it potentially time to consider replicating that whacky decision with another change of position.

Mikel Merino's record at centre-forward

With Arteta having been without Havertz and Jesus against the Foxes, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also out of action at the time, Merino was viewed as a worthy trial through the middle, after replacing Leandro Trossard late on.

To his credit, the Spaniard delivered, showcasing shades of Olivier Giroud to clinch three points for his side, having since added a further goal and assist against PSV Eindhoven, as well as the winner in the triumph over Chelsea last time out.

That latest effort in the cagey affair with the Blues came courtesy of a delightful, flicked header at the near post, with Arteta praising the way his compatriot is “winning matches” for his side, amid his “incredible” attitude.

As per Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old now boats four goals and an assist in just seven outings in that central role, a record that any natural striker would likely be more than happy with.

Indeed, any centre-forward would be delighted to have finished in the manner that Merino did against the west Londoners on Sunday, with the strikerless visitors potentially ruing their own lack of options through the middle, amid the loss of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to injury.

Arsenal vs Chelsea – striker comparison

Stat

Merino

Pedro Neto

Minutes played

90

90

Touches

22

35

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Pass accuracy

91%

83%

Successful dribbles

0/0

0/2

Total duels won

5/15

1/7

Possession lost

5x

11x

Stats via Sofascore

As Arteta indicated, the one-time Newcastle United man showed his “value” in that tense tussle, leading the line effectively after winning five duels and recording a solid 91% pass accuracy, while getting on the scoresheet despite registering just 22 touches.

The elegant left-footer may not prove the man to take Arsenal to the title, but he has been a more than adequate stopgap. Perhaps, Arteta should consider repeating the experiment with Riccardo Calafiori.

Arteta could now repeat Arsenal's Merino experiment

What has been so impressive regarding Merino’s impact is that he hasn’t exactly been aided by those around him, excluding the tie with PSV, with Leandro Trossard looking particularly off the boil against Enzo Maresca’s side.

The Belgian winger failed to register a single key pass nor successfully complete a single dribble during his 90-minute outing, having simply offered little in the way of a threat down the left flank.

With just four goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, Trossard has hardly ripped it up, in truth, and with the aforementioned Martinelli only just making his return from injury, an alternative solution could be considered in that left-wing berth.

It could be argued that having already thrust Kieran Tierney into that attacking role of late, Arteta could repeat the trick with Calafiori, with teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly having seemingly locked down the left-back berth.

Calafiori has largely operated as a centre-back or a left-back to date, although he has previously lined up as a left winger, a point outlined by Italian journalist Daniele Vierri upon the 22-year-old’s arrival last summer:

Beautifully described as “like a wild horse on the loose” by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, the Italy international has already showcased the threat he can pose in the final third, having popped up in an advanced position to score away in the 7-1 rout of PSV.

The former Bologna man’s potentially untapped attacking potential was also on show amid his pin-point strikes against both Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the campaign, illustrating what an outlet he could be as a more permanent part of the front line.

Much like in the case of Merino, this bold new role should certainly not be a long-term solution – not with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams again a reported summer target – yet if Arteta is looking for a short-term fit, he could do worse than trial Calafiori further forward.

Let that ‘wild horse’ roam free…

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Mar 17, 2025

Aston Villa have a variety of attacking options that Unai Emery will be hoping can claw them up the Premier League table and into a spot for a European finish. They’re currently tenth in the top flight, with 42 points to their name, but just four off a top-four spot.

Three January additions helped to strengthen in attack, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio joining the club on loan, and Donyell Malen permanently from Borussia Dortmund.

They have been added to the firepower in forward areas that include the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, all of whom are flying this season.

Another attacker who Emery has in the squad is Leon Bailey, but he has struggled this season.

Bailey’s 2024/25 campaign

Bailey is into his fourth season at Villa Park, after his summer move in August 2021 from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen. They paid the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions just £25m to sign the winger almost four summers ago.

The Jamaican has had an up-and-down time of things at Villa Park. This season has been a real struggle, after registering 28 goal involvements last term. In 33 games across all competitions, he has scored one goal and has three assists to his name.

Things have been especially tough going for the 27-year-old in the Premier League this term. Bailey, who has operated on both flanks, has managed just one goal and two assists in 22 games, with his sole strike coming in a 2-1 win over Leicester City.

It has certainly been a tough season for the Villans number 31. With his disappointing performances this term, it might not be a surprise to see that Bailey’s market value has crashed to as low as £31.4m, according to Transfermarkt.

Incredibly, that is not as low as one of his former teammates, despite impressing since his move.

The former Villa player worth more than Bailey

Over the past few seasons, Villa have done a lot of business which has enabled them to spend so heavily and build a squad that has taken them to the Champions League. One of their biggest sales was that of Moussa Diaby.

Market Movers

The Frenchman left Villa Park just one year after joining, also from Leverkusen. Villa were able to sell him for an impressive £50m, with the former PSG academy star moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad.

Diaby performed well for Villa during his one-season stint in that famous Claret and Blue shirt and was described as “electric” by Statman Dave. In 54 games for the club, he scored ten goals and grabbed nine assists, with his 14 goal involvements in the Premier League crucial for helping his side into the Champions League.

Since his move to the Middle East, it has been a mixed bag for Diaby. He has performed well, but the winger has missed a substantial portion of Al-Ittihad’s season through injury. The French winger has been unavailable nine times this term.

However, he has been an assist machine for the Saudi side. In 17 games across all competitions, the 25-year-old has scored once, but managed 13 assists, including grabbing two against Al-Hilal.

Despite his impressive performances, the winger’s value has dropped dramatically. As per Transfermarkt, he is now worth just £28.9m, almost half of the amount that they sold him for in the summer – and even less than Bailey.

Although Diaby has had a better campaign than Bailey this season, the values suggest that Villa made the right choice with who to sell. Getting £50m for the Frenchman has proven to be an excellent deal given his injury issues. Perhaps the Villans made the correct call with who to sell after all.

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By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 26, 2025

da dobrowin： Given the state of the current Tottenham Hotspur team, languishing in 14th place and Ange Postecoglou biting back at the club’s supporters, it feels hard to believe that it wasn’t long ago they were in the final of a Champions League.

da heads bet： The year was 2019. The team was managed by Mauricio Pochettino. The likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Co were all in their pomp.

It was a magnificent side but even they couldn’t end Spurs’ trophy drought. Perhaps they really are cursed in that department?

Since that final, the team has been torn into several different pieces. Pochettino is the head coach of the USA, Harry Kane is still banging in the goals, but at Bayern Munich no less, and Dele is also on foreign soil.

We’ve heard enough about Kane in recent years so let’s get you up to speed on Dele’s career.

How Dele Alli is faring in 2025

A generational talent. An England star with the world at his feet. In 2019, that’s where Dele certainly was in his career.

This was a player with the swagger and arrogance of a Jude Bellingham. He was a PFA Young Player of the Year winner and someone who was surely on their way to earning 100 caps for their country.

In 2016/17, he scored 18 times in the Premier League, assisting eight goals in the process. The following campaign he followed that up with nine goals and ten assists. The Champions League final year wasn’t his best, netting five league goals and assisting three but he was still seen as an icon in the making at Tottenham.

So, what happened next? Well, Pochettino’s sacking is perhaps the catalyst. Dele didn’t exactly see eye to eye with a certain Jose Mourinho, scoring ten goals in 51 outings. It’s not a bad record but it’s not the draw-dropping numbers the England international was pumping out regularly under Poch.

Sadly, the now 28-year-old’s career has not lived up to the hype. We can excuse that, though, because Dele has endured a torrid time of it with both physical injury and his mental health.

A revealing interview with Gary Neville in 2023 saw him try to fight back the tears as he revealed how he contemplated retiring from the game amid a sleeping pill addiction.

Since that interview, the attacking midfielder has worked hard to return to playing. Injury at Everton meant he barely kicked a ball but now, in 2025, he’s been given a second chance.

Signed by none other than Cesc Fabregas, he’s now plying his trade in Serie A with Como. It’s not a bad place to play football.

He made his comeback last weekend, although was sent off in controversial circumstances on debut for a challenge on fellow countryman Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Despite Milan right-back Kyle Walker pleading with the referee to keep him on the pitch, Dele was given his marching orders.

So, while his career hasn’t gone in the direction he will have envisioned, we wish him all the very best. We also wish the best for Spurs’ new Dele. He’s a pretty mighty fine talent himself.

Spurs new Dele is breaking through under Ange

It’s safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur boast some of the finest young talents on the footballing scene right now, a statement substantiated by the fact that in GOAL’s prestigious NXGN 2025 list, they had five players ranked in the top 50.

Tottenham’s NXGN 2025 ranks

Player

Rank

Yang Min-hyeok

#43

Luka Vuskovic

#26

Mikey Moore

#22

Lucas Bergvall

#17

Archie Gray

#13

The player we want to focus on is a certain Archie Gray. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise, one that’s akin to Dele.

Like the former Tottenham Hotspur star, Gray learned his trade in the EFL, starring for Leeds after being handed his first-team debut at the age of 16.

He shone as the Whites nearly secured promotion in 2023/24, only missing two Championship games all season.

It was hardly a surprise to see him attract the attention of the Premier League’s elite, and he ultimately joined Spurs for a fee of £30m.

It was a much larger fee than the £5m price tag Dele moved from Milton Keynes Dons for, but it showed the benefit of moving for some of the Football League’s best talents.

Similarly to the former MK star, Gray hasn’t needed long to settle into his surroundings, despite a baptism of fire in north London.

Due to several first-team injuries, the midfielder – who played at right-back for Leeds last term – was forced to play at centre-back. In fact, 19 of his 38 Spurs appearances have come in the centre of defence.

It was evident it wasn’t his natural position, but he performed admirably in that role, nonetheless, with Postecoglou hailing his qualities: “He doesn’t shy away from it, he doesn’t hide. He just keeps going. We’ll get enormous growth out of him during this period, but right now he’s contributing to us, he’s helping us.”

Since the return of key players, Gray has now moved into his preferred position of central midfield. It’s the same position Dele made his own nearly ten years ago.

Said to be a “future England player” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Thomas Tuchel and Postecoglou have a gem on their hands here, one they will hope can replicate Dele’s feats at international and club level in the years to come.

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Posts 3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 19, 2025

Hardie suffered calf tightness in the Shield match against Tasmania and was withdrawn as a precaution

Alex Malcolm18-Feb-20241:43

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Aaron Hardie has missed out on an opportunity to press his T20 World Cup case after being withdrawn from the New Zealand series with a minor calf issue as Australia’s revolving door of white-ball selections continues with Spencer Johnson called in at short notice.Hardie was not originally selected for the three-match series starting in Wellington on Wednesday but was called into the squad on Friday when Marcus Stoinis was ruled out with a back injury. He was playing in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania in Hobart and did not travel with the squad on Saturday.Related

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He was due to fly to Wellington on Monday morning and was set to miss day four of the Shield clash. But he experienced calf tightness while bowling on the second day and was sent for a scan.It is understood the initial scan did not reveal any damage but he was kept off the field on day three as a precaution and was also withdrawn from the New Zealand series. WA coach Adam Voges confirmed he will be available to bat on the final day if required.”He’s got a tight calf,” Voges said. “It’s more precautionary. He’ll bat if required tomorrow. Hopefully, it’s nothing too significant.”Cricket Australia confirmed on Sunday night that Johnson would be called into the squad. Australia will also be without vice-captain and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for the opening match of the series as he has stayed in Hobart for a few extra days due to the birth of his first child. He is expected to be available for the second and third T20Is in Auckland on Friday and Saturday.Aaron Hardie suffered a tight calf in the Sheffield Shield game•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Matthew Short is also returning from a low-grade hamstring injury while Nathan Ellis is coming back from a rib injury. He is behind Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in Australia’s T20 fast bowling pecking order, with all three set to play in the New Zealand series after resting for all or part of the series against West Indies. Ellis is hopeful of bedding down a berth in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad.”I was spewing to miss that West Indies series,” Ellis said in Wellington on Sunday. “For me now it’s time to hit the ground running and put my name forward for the World Cup.”There’s not a lot of cricket outside of IPL [before] the World Cup after this series. Security [of a spot] isn’t there. I don’t think it’s ever there. It still feels like a dream to play for Australia so I just want to relish every opportunity I get. The goal is to play a World Cup for Australia so I’ll be doing my best to keep my hat in the ring.”