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Threlkeld, Lister star with bat in tense five-run victory over The Blaze

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay16-Sep-2025Lancashire 241 for 6 (Lister 96, Threlkeld 92) beat The Blaze (K Bryce 124, Elwiss 55) by five runs Lancashire Women maintained their hold over The Blaze in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup to book a place in the final despite Kathryn Bryce’s magnificent 124 in a tense semi-final at Trent Bridge.Ellie Threlkeld’s side await the winners of Wednesday’s second semi-final between Hampshire and Surrey at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton. The final is on the same ground on Sunday.Lancashire Women beat The Blaze home and away in the league phase and pulled off a five-run victory in this match despite being without the competition’s top runscorer, Emma Lamb, who is with England ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and another of their key batters in Eve Jones, who is injured.With the bat they recovered from 52 for four to post 241 for six after Scotland international Ailsa Lister hit a career-best 96 from 91 balls and captain Threlkeld a season’s best 92 from 128.Seamers Grace Potts, who limped through most of her spell after suffering an injury in her first over, took three for 32 and Kate Cross ( three for 47) then led an excellent bowling display, restricting the home side to 236 for nine.Bryce and Georgia Elwiss (55) combined to add 150 for the fourth wicket in The Blaze’s reply but a superbly disciplined Lancashire attack ensured that The Blaze were never on top of the required scoring rate and that pressure paid off for them as the home side, 179 for three with 10 overs remaining, ultimately fell short.Lister and Threlkeld shared a 166-run partnership for the fifth Lancashire wicket, 21-year-old Lister underlining her potential by hitting 11 boundaries before she was stumped in search of the one more needed for a maiden hundred, the home side rueing a dropped catch when she was on 66.Seamers Cassidy McCarthy (two for 27) and Orla Prendergast, who conceded only 26 runs in 10 overs, impressed among The Blaze bowlers.Asked to bat first on the pitch that would have been used for England’s washed-out T20 international against South Africa last Sunday, Lancashire Women found themselves in trouble at 33 for three after 10 overs.McCarthy uprooted Gaby Lewis’s middle stump and had Seren Smale caught at short backward square, the left-armer Grace Ballinger finding the edge to have Fi MorrisAlice Clarke – tasked with filling the shoes of Lamb at the top of the order – fell to a good catch on the legside boundary as she pulled Prendergast and with their opponents 52 for four in the 18th, The Blaze were well on top.But Threlkeld brought her experience to bear in guiding her younger partner through a testing period before the pair kicked on from the 35-over mark, upping the scoring rate to seven per over for the next 12 before Lister, spared by the normally safe hands of Kathryn Bryce at deep midwicket on 66, went down the pitch to Kirstie Gordon’s left-arm spin and paid the price.Threlkeld departed in the next over, run out going for a second by McCarthy’s arrow throw from the point boundary.The Blaze, missing their three England players but accustomed to managing without them, would have seen chasing 242 as well within their compass, although less so after matching their opponents in losing three wickets in their opening powerplay.Mahika Gaur bowled Sarah Bryce with a full delivery before Kate Cross removed Georgie Boyce, caught and bowled off a leading edge, and Prendergast, who stepped across to be leg before for a second-ball duck, leaving The Blaze in peril at 37 for three.But just as Threlkeld and Lister rescued Lancashire, Elwiss joined Kathryn Bryce to turn their side’s innings around. Yet though Bryce passed fifty for the seventh time this season from 64 balls, none of Threlkeld’s six bowlers conceded runs easily.Bryce brought up her hundred, the fifth of her career in List A cricket and a first in Blaze colours, from 121 balls as the partnership ticked over to 150, but the big breakthrough for Lancashire came shortly afterwards as Elwiss, who had clocked up her fifth half-century of the season, was caught at backward point on the reverse sweep off Fi Morris, with 55 still needed off 52 balls.The wicket opened up one end for the visitors and after Marie Kelly, Michaela Kirk and and Lucy Higham all went cheaply, The Blaze needed 33 from 18 balls, which came down to nine off the last over, but when Bryce holed out to mid-off to give Potts her third wicket, their chance had gone.

While things might not have ended as well as they could have, there are few figures more legendary in the history of The Arsenal than Arsène Wenger.

The Frenchman ushered in a period of immense success in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the club have not even come close to matching since.

However, with how things are going this season, that could soon be about to change.

Moreover, it would be fair to say that Mikel Arteta now has a star in his squad who’s undoubtedly the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

Arsenal's best players since Wenger retired

When looking at the best players signed by, or developed by, Arsenal since Wenger stepped away from management, there are more than a handful of names you could pick out.

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For example, for everything he did wrong, Unai Emery signed off on William Saliba’s move in the summer of 2019, and then just a year later, Arteta made his best defensive acquisition by bringing in Gabriel Magalhães from LOSC Lille.

Together, the centre-back pairing have been nothing short of exceptional over the last few years, and as things stand this season, have conceded just three goals in all competitions and should they win it, could go down as the best defensive partnership in Premier League history.

PL’s Best CB Pairings

Players

Games

Goals Against

Ferdinand & Vidic

120

0.71

Keown & Adams

97

0.73

Campbell & Toure

59

0.73

Terry & Carvalho

85

0.76

Lescott & Kompany

58

0.76

Gabriel & Saliba

93

0.78

Van Dijk & Matip

72

0.81

All Stats via Transfermarkt (Pre Palace)

Moving into the middle of the park, and, in this conversation, it’s impossible to ignore club-record signing Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain made his way to the Emirates under a tremendous amount of pressure, but from his first game to today, he’s proven to be worth every penny.

From his ability to break up play, carry the ball from deep, score important goals and deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy from set-pieces, he, without a shadow of a doubt, is a “world-class” midfielder.

Staying in midfield, and while he had a down season last year, and has had some terrible luck with injuries this term, Martin Odegaard deserves to be in this conversation.

The Norwegian international was made club captain in the summer of 2023, won back-to-back Player of the Season awards, and, at his best, can be utterly mesmerising to watch on the ball.

However, with all that said, when it comes to the club’s best player since Wenger left, there is one star who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal's greatest player since Wenger retired

While fans will have their own favourite players, it would be hard to deny that, as things stand, Bukayo Saka is the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

The Hale End icon made his first team debut under Emery in a Europa League game away to Vorskla Poltava in November 2018, and then earned his first start at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

However, it’s been under Arteta that the Englishman has transformed from a versatile utility player who often popped up at left-back, into one of the best right-wingers in world football.

Not only that, though, but the 24-year-old game-changer has become the club’s talisman and the face of its rejuvenation over the last few years.

It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise then that, following his hamstring injury and surgery last season, the Gunners became far less potent in attack.

Saka’s Arsenal record

Appearances

274

Minutes

20713′

Goals

74

Assists

72

Goal involvements per match

0.53

Minutes per goal involvement

141.86′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his career to date, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 74 goals and provided 72 assists in 274 first-team appearances, totalling 20713 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games, or every 141.86 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he’s made 21 appearances at left-back.

As if his record at club level wasn’t enough, he has also won 46 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored 13 goals, provided nine assists and been named Player of the Year twice.

Ultimately, there is still much to come from Saka, but based on his already astounding record and the fact that he has become the club’s poster boy, it’s clear that he has been Arsenal’s best player since Wenger left the dugout.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 31, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven scored a truly astonishing goal during the team's Champions League win over Copenhagen on Tuesday night, immediately reminding fans of one that club legend Son Heung-min netted against Burnley six years ago. Son's effort went on to win the coveted FIFA Puskas Award, leading supporters to already wish the same fate for Van de Ven.

Van de Ven runs length of the pitch

Van de Ven near enough covered the entire length of the pitch with the ball at his feet. The Dutch centre-back picked it up on the edge of his own penalty area and, aided by his well-known searing pace, proceeded to surge up the field. He initially burst through a gap between two Copenhagen players, and then sidestepped two more by the time he reached the halfway line. After that, it was a straight foot race towards goal, but no one was catching him.

Crucially, after the lung-busting run, Van de Ven still had the composure to fire off a clinical finish past visiting goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski.

In 2019, Son had collected the ball in the same area of the pitch. It wasn't quite the explosive start that Van de Ven managed and the finish was more measured and slightly closer to goal, but the run was extraordinarily similar and covered pretty much the same path.

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Van de Ven helps Spurs to easy win

Van de Ven's strike put Spurs 3-0 ahead against their Danish opponent, eventually going on to win 4-0. After the final whistle, he was immediately asked for his take on what had happened by TNT Sports: "To be honest, I saw the gap in front of me and started dribbling, and I will see if they can catch up. I saw the space more and more. At that moment, I thought, 'I'm through now, I'll go for goal now'. Then I scored."

Interviewer Becky Ives joked that the Tottenham medical department would have been worried about the condition of Van de Ven's hamstrings watching him run in full flight like that – in seriousness, he missed 30 games for club and country last season because of hamstring and thigh injuries.

He saw the funny side of that, but then replied: "I'm feeling good and I felt amazing in the sprint as well. I felt I could keep going and going, and I did."

Speaking after the game, head coach Thomas Frank joked: "It felt like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, running down from his own goal and all the way to the other end to score a fantastic goal. I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions. He can keep going. He can keep, by the way, walking past me if he’s angry after a game if he delivers like this."

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AFPVan de Ven: Puskas Award winner?

Son won the 2020 FIFA Puskas Award for an almost carbon copy of the goal, so Van de Ven has to be in contention for a prize of his own. But patience is going to be required.

Although the 2025 nominations have not yet been revealed ahead of FIFA's annual gala, likely to be in January 2026, the cutoff point tends to be August each yer and stretches back the previous 12 months. It means that goals scored so far in the 2025-26 season won't be considered until the time comes for the 2026 award to be handed out, which is expected to be at around 12 months or more away.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Son did not get to attend a glitzy celebration to collect his Puskas Award, instead giving an acceptance speech via video in a virtual ceremony.

MatériaMais Notícias

Manchester vai ganhar o tempero baiano por um dia. Neste sábado (2), o City encara o Fulham, em duelo válido pela 4ª rodada da Premier League, às 11h (de Brasília). Antes de a bola rolar, o clube inglês fará uma homenagem ao Bahia, último clube integrado ao conglomerado de equipes integradas ao City Group.

A principal atração do chamado ‘O dia da Bahia’ é Carlinhos Brown, vencedor de dois Grammys Latinos, que se apresentará em um trio elétrico no Etihad Stadium, casa do City. Além do artista que é declarado torcedor do Esquadrão, outros elementos da cultura baiana estarão presentes como performance de capoeira e outras exibições musicais, como os timbaleiros.

>Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

– A realização de um evento do Bahia em uma abertura de um jogo do Manchester City, na Premier League, é muito importante, pois marca e celebra a chegada do Bahia a essa família, ao maior grupo multiclubes do mundo. E também mostra a importância do clube para o grupo, o respeito que tem ao Bahia e à Bahia, pois será um momento de celebração da nossa cultura, da nossa raiz, da nossa origem e de onde viemos. Ficamos felizes com essa valorização por parte do City Football Group e do Esportes da Sorte, parceiro que acredita muito no Esporte Clube Bahia e tem sido fundamental para diversas realizações, como essa que vamos vivenciar no próximo sábado. Temos certeza que é apenas o primeiro evento de muitos outros que irão ocorrer, pois esse casamento que acaba de começar será muito frutífero – pontua Vitor Ferraz, vice-presidente do Bahia.

Maior patrocinador master da história do Tricolor, a casa de apostas Esportes da Sorte tem participação direta na realização do evento. A empresa decora o trio elétrico de Carlinhos Brown com um painel em LED, contendo a exibição de sua marca, além de distribuir mil bonés aos torcedores presentes no local. Criando, assim, uma combinação com o que será ofertado pelo artista ainda levará as famosas fitinhas do Senhor do Bonfim para dar aos fãs.

Os mascotes de Bahia e Manchester City também estarão presentes para interagir com a garotada. A Dama e O Maestro, nomes do pagode baiano, são outros destaques escalados para ‘O dia da Bahia’ em Manchester.

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Manchester City are leading the race for a “world-class” star, and they are now prepared to explore a deal in the January transfer window.

Man City looking at signing new forward after slow start

Man City’s opening match was full of promise, picking up an impressive 4-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they have since gone on to lose their last two matches, and Rodri was very critical of the performance in the 2-1 loss at Brighton.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said: “Some of the mistakes we are making are kids’ mistakes; you are not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”

Pep Guardiola initially attempted to ‘raise the level’ by overhauling his squad during the summer transfer window, although there were very few additions in forward areas, with the now injured Rayan Cherki the only outright attacker to move to the Etihad Stadium.

That is despite City being heavily linked with a new winger, and at one stage they were preparing an offer for Rodrygo, but the Brazilian ultimately ended up remaining at Real Madrid.

However, there has now been a new update on Man City’s pursuit of Rodrygo, with a report from Caught Offside revealing they are leading the race for the 24-year-old’s signature. It is claimed that the forward is seen as a “perfect fit” and a “key piece” in City’s fluid attacking system.

During the summer transfer window, Arsenal were informed that Madrid would be prepared to listen to offers of around €80m (£69m), which suggests it may take a similar amount to get a deal done this winter, with City now willing to explore a January move.

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Interestingly, Madrid are open to cashing-in on the Brazil international this summer, which may be music to Pep’s ears, given that the 54-year-old is known to be a long-term admirer.

"World-class" Rodrygo could take Man City's attack to next level

Oscar Bobb has made a decent start to the season, scoring at the Club World Cup, before going on to pick up an assist against Wolves on the opening day, but the Norwegian is still yet to truly establish himself at the top level.

As such, Pep may be keen to bring in a more proven winger this winter, and the Real Madrid forward is now a seasoned Brazil international, scoring seven goals in 33 appearances for his country, while also picking up 119 goal contributions in 272 outings for his current employers.

Journalist Kyle Bonn has previously praised the former Santos man for his ability to put away chances, which is evidenced by the fact he has averaged 0.35 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, despite being expected to score 0.21 per 90.

Rodrygo could take Man City’s attack to the next level, so it is exciting news that they have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

Everton are interested in sealing the signing of a “sensational” Premier League champion before the January transfer window even opens.

Moyes positive ahead of Everton's return to action

The Blues are back in league action this weekend, hosting Aston Villa at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as they look to build on an impressive start to the season.

Everton manager David Moyes is certainly in positive spirits, assessing the current situation during the international break, in terms of getting certain players back fit and kicking on further.

“We’ll get a few players who probably need a bit more pre-season training. We’ve got a few players who need a bit more recovery, we’ve got a few who have got some injuries, but it gives us a chance to sort of regroup but it’s great to go away knowing we’ve picked up six points in the three games we’ve played.

“It’s a decent start for us in the league and we want to keep challenging, we want to be in a high place if we can be but we’ll certainly not get carried away, that’s for sure. We’ve got a lot to do but I’m pleased that I think we’ve played well enough today.”

Moyes will be happy with his summer recruitment at Everton, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling among the exciting signings they have made, but another reinforcement in the attacking midfield areas wouldn’t go amiss after losing Abdoulaye Doucouré in the summer.

Everton keen on signing "sensational" free agent

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Everton are among the clubs interested in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. The former Liverpool man is without a club after departing Besiktas earlier this summer, with the Blues joined by the likes of Leeds United and Burnley also believed to be eyeing him up.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be something of a risk, considering he is now 32 years of age and arguably past his best, but the free aspect of the move would make it less of a gamble for Everton.

If Moyes believes the 2019/20 Premier League champion still has plenty to offer, he should be trusted, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as “sensational” and Thierry Henry also once hailing the progress he made after joining Liverpool from Arsenal, after not knowing his best position for years.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain would surely jump at the chance to return to England and play for an Everton team heading in the right direction, even though a move there for an ex-Liverpool player could be controversial.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has accused referee Sergio Guelho of having "no personality" after his side's disappointing 1-1 draw with Rio Ave. The ex-Chelsea manager's new club were pegged back in injury time against their lowly opponents, who are yet to win this season, much to the Portuguese's chagrin.

Benfica disappointed by late equaliser

Mourinho was appointed Benfica boss last week, and has already been on the receiving end of a dispiriting result. He took charge of the Portuguese giants against Rio Ave, who have yet to win a game this season, and saw his side concede an injury-time equaliser, having only gone ahead in the 86th minute through Heorhiy Sudakov.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMourinho left fuming

The famously spiky tactician took aim at the officials at the end of the game, insisting that the referee played a pivotal role in Benfica letting three points slip through their fingers, as his side had a goal ruled out at 0-0 that would have given them an earlier lead. 

Mourinho's rant at match officials

Mourinho told reporters: “We didn’t do enough in the first half. The second half was good, within our limitations. We were dominant, aggressive and created chances, always playing in their half of the pitch. The two players who came on shook up the game.

“We scored a goal. If this is the new football, when goals are ruled out because a small toe steps on another small toe, I don’t like this new football. But that’s the way it is so we have to accept it. We kept trying and finally got the goal, but we conceded when we can’t concede a goal. It’s tremendously unfair and an awful result for us. It was the game that Rio Ave wanted and which the referee allowed.

“We are not an overly physical team or strong in the air. We have to penetrate using other routes. With Aursnes and Ivanovic there’s little width, because of the type of players they are. We tried with Dedic and Dahl, and also with Lukebakio, who is not yet fully fit, and with Andreas [Schjelderup].

“We were hit on the break and a team that is winning cannot concede a goal like that. We lost two points because of it.”

He also said about referee Guelho: "He has no personality." 

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AFPCan Benfica bounce back?

Mourinho's side will aim to bounce back in the league when they face Gil Vicente this weekend, before travelling to Stamford Bridge to play his former club Chelsea in the Champions League four days later. 

The visitors secured a huge victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka but there are some key achievements Lyon still wants to tick off

AAP03-Feb-20252:48

Steven Smith: ‘A near-flawless performance’

Nathan Lyon has warned Australia could still be years away from Test greatness, despite continuing their blistering summer with a record-breaking rout of Sri Lanka.Australia claimed their biggest ever win on the subcontinent, thrashing Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the Galle series opener, only weeks after sealing their first series defeat of India in a decade.Related

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The Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph confirmed Australia’s spot in a second consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) final, with the ICC’s top-ranked side winning more Test matches in the past cycle than any other team.Elder statesman Lyon saw signs of greatness in the win in Galle, where Australian appeared in control from a first over that featured three fours off Travis Head’s bat. But Lyon does not feel the current crop of Australian players can yet lay claim to being a truly great side.”We want to become a great Australian team. We’re on that journey, we’re not there yet. That’s our end goal,” he said. “Part of that journey is making sure that when we close the window, we nail it shut. It’s all about being ruthless and doing our best thing for long periods of time.”The win in Galle ensured Australia would continue to hold every bilateral trophy for which they are eligible, alongside the ODI World Cup and the WTC trophy.But Lyon was quick to point out that Australia had drawn and not won the past two Ashes series played in England, last winning outright on the road in 2001. Australia have also not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India since Ricky Ponting’s side took out the four-match series 2-1 in 2004.Nathan Lyon took seven wickets in the first Test•AFP/Getty Images”There’s a few things [Australia needs to achieve],” said 37-year-old Lyon. “This is only me and my thoughts as well. We’ve got some great players within that change-room, there’s no point hiding behind that. “Australia will have to wait until 2027 for chances at away series wins in India and England. The country’s greatest ever offspinner, Lyon said he “100 percent” hoped to play on that next trip to spin-friendly India as a 39-year-old.Sri Lanka may be the last time before then that Lyon has the chance to bowl in tandem with fellow offspinners Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann.The trio took 17 of Australia’s 20 wickets in Galle, but the team does not have a subcontinent Test tour planned between the ongoing two-match series and India in 2027.”We’re going okay, but I still feel like we’ve got a lot of improvement to do. That’s about being ruthless,” Lyon said of the offspinning trio. “We’re three totally different bowlers with three totally different mindsets as well. I feel like I’m learning off Todd and Matt, and I feel like they’re pushing me to try and get better as well. Hopefully I’m passing on a little bit of knowledge here and there.”Lyon is mostly free of a left hip injury he suffered in the summer, though he is still in pain if he falls on the area.”But I didn’t have to land on it today, so all good,” said Lyon, who took match figures of 7 for 135 in Galle. “Apparently I ripped the deep tissue off the fascia [hip muscle], whatever that means. Apparently there was a bit of excess blood or something in there. Not ideal, but all good now.”

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has bolstered his options in the middle of the park with the additions of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach in the summer transfer window.

The German boss moved to add physicality to his options in midfield to go along with the technical quality that Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, and Ilia Gruev offer to the team.

Ampadu’s absence in midfield was felt in the 5-0 loss to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday, as the Gunners found it far too easy to get past Gruev to run at the Leeds defence.

The midfield area of the pitch was so important to the West Yorkshire outfit when they were last promoted to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, who led the club to a top-half finish.

Leeds enjoyed a sensational first season back in the top-flight to finish well clear of relegation, and a key part of their success was having a strong midfield.

Academy graduate Kalvin Phillips played a significant role in how effective the team was in the middle of the park, with his fantastic performances in his first year in the Premier League.

How Kalvin Phillips earned an England call-up

The Yorkshire-born star started 37 times in the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign, per Sofascore, as Leeds romped their way to the title, which was clinched in lockdown.

Phillips won 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game, winning 54% of his overall duels in the division, but there was still a question mark over whether or not he would be able to handle the step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League.

Boy did he answer that question and leave no doubt. The Leeds number 23 hit the ground running in the Premier League and bossed the midfield for the Whites to help them achieve a top-half finish in the 2020/21 campaign.

In fact, after just one season in the Premier League with Leeds, Phillips was described as one of the best midfielders in world football by teammate and captain Liam Cooper.

His statistics in the top-flight for the Whites in the 2020/21 campaign show that he was among the top players in England, at least, when it came to being a defensive monster in midfield.

Tackles

2.74

Top 12%

Interceptions

1.67

Top 18%

Blocks

1.82

Top 9%

Clearances

1.96

Top 9%

Aerial duels won

1.11

Top 39%

Passes blocked

1.30

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, Phillips ranked highly among his positional peers, and it did not go unnoticed by Gareth Southgate, who made him a key part of the England side at the European Championship in 2021.

The English star started seven times on on his country’s way to losing in the final to Italy, and the Whites are now interested in a star who could follow in Phillips’ footsteps.

Leeds eye ambitious move for England star

According to MOT Leeds News, Leeds United are eyeing up an ‘ambitious’ approach to sign Manchester United and England central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

The report claims that the injury to Ampadu has sparked a bit of a concern at Elland Road, and that the Red Devils academy graduate has emerged as a transfer target for them late in the summer transfer window.

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It adds that Leeds would like to sign one more midfielder before next week’s deadline and Mainoo is being lined up as a possible loan target for Farke’s side.

The outlet reveals that Mainoo would be open to a transfer away from Old Trafford, but Manchester United are unlikely to sanction a loan deal this late into the window.

MOT Leeds News does claim, though, that the situation could change and an opportunity could open up if the player decides to push for a move in the coming days.

Why Kobbie Mainoo should sign for Leeds United

Ditching Manchester United, even if just on loan, for Leeds may not seem like an obvious career move for Mainoo, even in spite of the situation the Red Devils find themselves in, but it could be the right one for his career.

It is a World Cup year for players, with the World Cup taking place in Mexico, USA, and Canada next year, and that means that they need to be playing regularly, and playing well, to push for a place at the tournament.

Mainoo has been an unused substitute in Manchester United’s first two matches of the Premier League season, despite his team picking up just one point from those games, and does not appear to have much hope of crashing into Ruben Amorim’s two-man midfield.

However, Farke’s switch to a 4-3-3 this season could provide Mainoo with the perfect platform to excel as one of the two eights ahead of a number six, which is not something that he has the luxury of in Amorim’s system.

At the start of last season, pundit Robbie Earle said: “You hear the term generational talent when you talk about this guy. He controls the game for Man United, he’s got the maturity and ability to slow the game down and make sure people are in place.

“He plays like a 29-year-old not a 19-year-old, he’s got poise, athleticism, ability in and around the box, he’s an absolute jewel, you build a team around him.”

United did not heed these words because they then hired a manager who played a system that did not suit his talents, hence why he has now found himself as an outcast at Old Trafford.

Take-ons attempted

2.71

Top 20%

Take-ons completed

1.42

Top 18%

Take-on success rate

53.4%

Top 28%

Goal-creating actions (take-ons)

0.09

Top 4%

Goal-creating actions (shot)

0.09

Top 2%

Goal-creating actions (fouls drawn)

0.05

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo excelled in the 2023/24 campaign, prior to Amorim’s arrival and change in system, as a midfielder with the license to carry the ball and take players on.

As part of a midfield three, the England star could excel at Leeds by being given the perfect platform to showcase his best attributes in the middle of the park as a regular starter in the Premier League.

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This is why Mainoo should push to complete a loan move to Elland Road in the coming days because he could follow Phillips in using Leeds as the place to make his push for a starting berth for England in a major tournament at the end of the season.

تتواصل الأنباء حول اقتراب النادي الأهلي من التعاقد مع مدرب أجنبي جديد لقيادة الفريق خلال المرحلة المقبلة، بعد رحيل الجهاز الفني السابق، وسط تكهنات عديدة بشأن الأسماء المرشحة.

ومن بين الأسماء المطروحة، يبرز البرتغالي برونو لاج، المدير الفني السابق لفريق بنفيكا، حيث أكدت مصادر مقربة أن الأهلي فتح بالفعل خطوط اتصال معه لبحث إمكانية توليه المهمة.

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جواو كاماتشو، وكيل المدرب البرتغالي، تحدث في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، كاشفًا تفاصيل المفاوضات بين الطرفين.

وقال كاماتشو: “هناك بالفعل مفاوضات واتصالات مع النادي الأهلي للتعاقد مع المدرب، لكن ليس هناك اتفاق بعد”.

وأضاف: “المدرب يحتاج لبعض الأيام للحديث مع عائلته وطاقمه الفني للرد على الأهلي”.

وتابع وكيل برونو لاج: “المفاجأة أن هناك وفدًا من الأهلي من الممكن أن يسافر إلى البرتغال خلال ساعات للحديث وجهًا لوجه مع المدرب”.

وبحسب ما علمه بطولات، فإن لاج منفتح للغاية على الاجتماع بمسئولي الأهلي في البرتغال، وهو لا يمانع مناقشة تفاصيل العرض بشكل مباشر.