Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou is under mounting pressure as the Tricky Trees consider potential replacements for him just 29 days into the Australian’s tenure, and ruthless owner Evangelos Marinakis has his eyes on a few interesting options.

Nottingham Forest doing due-diligence on new managers after poor Postecoglou start

As is the norm when managers are facing an uncertain future, Forest are believed to be doing their due-diligence on possible replacements for Postecoglou if they do decide to pull the plug.

The former Tottenham boss, who helped to end Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy in May, could be shown his P45 once again at Forest – just under a month after Marinakis appointed the tactician to replace fan favourite Nuno Espírito Santo.

Marinakis personally opted to hire Postecoglou for his attacking style, in a deviation from Nuno’s pragmatic, counter-attacking approach, and is still privately desperate for it to work out (Ben Jacobs).

However, other reports claim that the Greek billionaire is privately furious with Forest’s state of affairs on the pitch right now, with TEAMtalk stating that Postecoglou is “on the verge” of being sacked by Forest after a barren first seven games in charge.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Nottingham Forest so far

Competition

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

If Postecoglou is let go in the next 12 days, he will become the shortest-reigning Premier League boss in the competition’s history – breaking Les Reed’s record – who was sacked by Charlton Athletic after just 41 days in 2006.

In terms of who could succeed the 60-year-old, a few intriguing names have been linked already, none more so than Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Glasner, who just watched his side’s impressive 19-game unbeaten run come to an end thanks to Jack Grealish’s added-time winner for Everton, would undoubtedly be the best candidate.

The Austrian guided Palace to their first ever major trophy earlier this year, defeating Man City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, and this booked them a spot in the Europa League — only for Forest to take the Eagles’ place due to a UEFA ruling.

His Selhurst Park contract is due to expire at the end of this season with no signs of a renewal so far, potentially opening the door for Marinakis, with Glasner emerging as a prime candidate to replace Postecoglou at Forest.

Fulham’s Marco Silva is in an identical contract situation, and the Portuguese doesn’t seem too content in West London, having publicly swiped at the club’s lack of transfer activity.

Nottingham Forest really want Marco Silva amid good Marinakis relationship

Silva, who guided Olympiacos to a Greek Super League title in 2016, worked with Marinakis during his time there and the duo still have a good relationship now.

That is according to talkSPORT, who report that Silva is very high on Forest’s wanted list if they decide to push Postecoglou out of the door.

The 48-year-old guided Fulham to a Championship title and subsequent promotion to the Premier League, keeping them there ever since, and the Whites briefly contended for Europe last season only to fall short at the last hurdle.

Silva achieved this despite working with very limited resources, and he appears to be keen on remaining in England after rejecting “several lucrative offers” from Saudi Arabia.

The tactician has also earned praise from elite peers, like Pep Guardiola, who praised his work at Fulham back in 2024.

Frank Lampard’s plans for allowing Patrick Bamford to train at high-flying Coventry City have now been explained. The England international was spotted at the club's training ground after being released by Premier League side Leeds United in the summer, fuelling speculation that the striker could earn a contract with the Championship leaders.

Bamford departed Leeds after being deemed surplus to requirements

Bamford ended his seven-year association with Leeds in August after being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Daniel Farke. After joining the Whites in 2018 from Middlesbrough, the 32-year-old scored 60 goals in 205 appearances for the club, helping them earn two promotions to the Premier League. After emerging as a key figure for Leeds under former boss Marcelo Bielsa, Bamford was called up to the England senior squad in 2021, earning his first and only cap in the 4-0 victory over Andorra in September of that year.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhites boss Farke held 'open and honest' conversation with Bamford

Confirming Bamford was not part of his plans for the 2025-26 season, Farke said in July: "I had a really open and honest conversation with Patrick, which was important. He knows how much I rate him as a player and I would have preferred a fit Patrick Bamford for the last two seasons.

"But he is a player who needs to be the main man. He needs an arm round the shoulder after some difficult seasons. I was not willing to tell him he was the main man at Premier League level.

"In the second day of pre-season, I got him into my office and told him he is not in my plans for the upcoming season.

"It would have been easy for me to hide behind the sporting director or wait until we got someone else in, but he has done so much for this club, he deserves respect and transparency.”

Report claims Bamford was spotted training at Coventry on Friday

After initially being linked with a move to La Liga side Getafe which failed to materialise, Bamford’s hopes of finding a new club looked to have received a boost on Friday. According to the former Chelsea forward was spotted training with Coventry ahead of their clash with Watford on Saturday.

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Getty Images SportCoventry boss Lampard not looking to strengthen attacking options

However, a new report in has since clarified that manager Lampard is simply allowing his former Chelsea team-mate to train at the club, and is not looking to bolster his attacking options. After joining Chelsea in 2012, Bamford only briefly rubbed shoulders with Lampard, embarking on a series of loan spells with the likes of Milton Keynes Dons, Derby County and Middlesbrough. During the same period, Lampard – Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals in all competitions – spent two more years at Stamford Bridge before ending his legendary spell at the club by joining Manchester City in 2014. After joining from West Ham in 2001, Lampard spent 13 years in total at Chelsea, lifting 11 major honours.

Under Roman Abramovich and now Todd Boehly, Chelsea have spent big over the last 20 years on a number of new signings, but how have the Blues fared when it comes to departures?

Those at Stamford Bridge have cashed in on a number of stars, with a plethora of players moving to the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Here’s a look at Chelsea’s most expensive sales in their history, as per news reports and Transfermarkt, with a detailed look at the top 10.

1

Eden Hazard

£89m

Real Madrid

2019

2

Kai Havertz

£65m

Arsenal

2023

3

Oscar

£60m

Shanghai SIPG

2017

4

Alvaro Morata

£58.3m

Atletico Madrid

2020

5

Diego Costa

£57m

Atletico Madrid

2017

6

Mason Mount

£55m

Man Utd

2023

7

David Luiz

£50m

PSG

2014

8

Noni Madueke

£48.5m

Arsenal

2025

9

Nemanja Matic

£40m

Man Utd

2017

10

Juan Mata

£37.1m

Man Utd

2014

=11

Ian Maatsen

£35m

Aston Villa

2024

=11

Thibaut Courtois

£35m

Real Madrid

2018

13

Tammy Abraham

£34m

Roma

2021

14

Conor Gallagher

£33m

Atletico Madrid

2024

15

Romelu Lukaku

£30m

Napoli

2024

16

Kurt Zouma

£29.8m

West Ham

2021

=17

Lewis Hall

£28m

Newcastle

2024

=17

Romelu Lukaku

£28m

Napoli

2024

19

Joao Felix

£26.2m

Al Nassr

2025

20

Timo Werner

£25.3m

RB Leipzig

2022

Here’s a detailed look at Chelsea’s 10 most expensive sales… 10 Juan Mata £37.1m to Man Utd, 2014

Like Nemanja Matic, attacking midfielder Juan Mata also swapped Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford, but did so three years prior in 2014.

The Spaniard joined Chelsea from Valencia in 2011 and starred in the Premier League, but Jose Mourinho who had recently returned for a second stint at the club, was happy to cash in midway through the 2013/14 campaign, bringing in just over £37m.

9 Nemanja Matic £40m to Man Utd, 2017

Matic had two spells at Chelsea, returning to Stamford Bridge in 2014 from Benfica in a deal worth £21m.

The Serbian was a regular over the next three years and the Blues went on to make a tidy profit when selling him to Manchester United and Jose Mourinho in 2017, with their former boss shelling out £40m to prise him from the champions.

8 Noni Madueke £48.5m to Arsenal, 2025

Noni Madueke spent two-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge after arriving from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, with the Blues making a profit when selling him to rivals Arsenal in 2025.

It looked to be a reasonable decision from Chelsea chiefs, however, Madueke’s start to life at the Emirates shows it could actually prove to be a call the club live to regret.

7 David Luiz £50m to PSG, 2014

Brazilian centre-back David Luiz made an immediate impact after joining Chelsea from Benfica for £21.3m in 2011 and was a regular for the next two and a half years.

Luiz was then sold to Paris Saint-Germain for big money in 2014 as the French giants swooped for a mind-boggling £50m, but two years on, Chelsea would buy the defender back, with Luiz picking up Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League titles during his second stint.

6 Mason Mount £55m to Man Utd, 2023

Chelsea chiefs did brilliantly to bring in an initial £55m for Mason Mount back in 2023, as the midfielder was heading into the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract.

Manchester United were happy to splash the cash on the Englishman, but his first year at Old Trafford was hampered by injury, making the cash brought in for his services a shrewd decision by the Blues.

5 Diego Costa £57m to Atletico Madrid, 2017

Arguably Chelsea’s best striker since Didier Drogba, Diego Costa was signed from and sold to Atletico Madrid in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

During his time in west London, Costa shone with his power and finishing ability, scoring 59 goals in 120 appearances and winning two Premier League titles.

Upon his departure following a reported falling-out with manager Antonio Conte, Chelsea managed to recoup some £57m as Atleti came calling for their former forward.

4 Alvaro Morata £58.3m to Atletico Madrid, 2020

Chelsea received the extremely handsome sum of £58.3m when selling Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid back in 2020. The Blues sold him on loan at the start of the 2019/20 season, with the La Liga giants obligated to buy the Spaniard in the following summer.

It meant that Chelsea almost broke even having bought the striker in the summer of 2017 for around £60m from Atleti’s city rivals, Real Madrid.

Considering things didn’t quite work out for Morata at Stamford Bridge, it was a pretty impressive deal from a financial point of view.

Todd Boehly's worst transfers at Chelsea… so far

There are plenty to choose from, but who has been Boehly’s biggest mistake at Stamford Bridge?

2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 3 Oscar £60m to Shanghai SIPG

Oscar was one of several Brazilians sold for big money by Chelsea, with the midfielder spending five years at Stamford Bridge from 2012 before a £60m switch at the height of the Chinese Super League boom.

He won four major honours with the Blues and made more than 200 appearances before moving to China with Shanghai SIPG. Oscar recently sealed a move back to his native Brazil with a January switch to former club Sao Paulo.

2 Kai Havertz £65m to Arsenal, 2023

Scorer of the winner in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City, Kai Havertz was sold to London rivals Arsenal in 2023.

Three years prior, the German forward was signed from Bayer Leverkusen, but struggled to find a starring role at Chelsea, resulting in him joining Mikel Arteta’s side, where he has impressed since his £65m move.

1 Eden Hazard £89m to Real Madrid, 2019

Top of the charts is winger Eden Hazard, who starred for Chelsea between 2012 and 2019, resulting in Real Madrid swooping in a record deal.

The Belgian made more than 350 appearances for the Blues, scoring 110 times, providing 85 assists and winning six major honours. Those at the Bernabeu made Hazard a Galactico, but things didn’t go to plan for him in Madrid, with injuries limiting him to just seven goals in 76 appearances.

Reports stated that his transfer fee could have topped £150m, but Chelsea had to settle for a €100m (£89m) windfall following his departure.

Ranking Eden Hazard's 10 best career performances & moments

The former Chelsea and Belgium star enjoyed a fabulous career before retiring at the age of 32.

ByFreddie Taylor Oct 13, 2023

La Liga will take the Spanish players' union (AFE) to court, claiming player protests against the recently-cancelled Miami match were an 'illegal strike'. Union president David Aganzo denies this, citing a "lack of transparency." The fallout continues as a furious Villarreal CEO blames Florentino Perez and Real Madrid for the project's collapse, calling their opposition hypocritical.

• Major issue in La Liga

  La Liga is set to launch a formal legal complaint against the AFE after a tense meeting between the two bodies, according to a report from . The dispute centres on the coordinated player protests that preceded the eventual cancellation of the controversial league match between Villarreal and Barcelona, which was scheduled to be played in Miami.

  La Liga president Javier Tebas, who did not speak to the media, reportedly informed Aganzo that the league considers the players' on-pitch protests to be an illegal strike. The protests saw players in every top-flight match last weekend stand still for the first 15 seconds of play. Aganzo, however, has firmly rejected this classification, insisting the action was a "gesture" to highlight a "lack of transparency" from the league.

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• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  Aganzo confirms legal threat: 'A court will decide'

  Speaking after the meeting, Aganzo confirmed the league's hard line stance and its intention to escalate the matter through the courts, despite the Miami match now being officially cancelled.

  "We also discussed how he said we were on strike, and we simply made a gesture that had nothing to do with the strike," Aganzo explained. "According to him, it will be resolved in court. He made it very clear that a court will decide.”

  The AFE president stressed that the union's primary issue was the league's failure to consult the players before finalising such a significant project, which would have been the first-ever La Liga match played overseas.

  "This meeting should have been held much earlier and not when it was cancelled," Aganzo stated. "We pointed out the lack of transparency… I insist that these projects require conversation with everyone, with maximum transparency and information to make a significant project happen."

  Aganzo defended his members, stating "common sense prevailed" and that the union's role was to protect players' rights. "I'm looking out for the players, for their labour rights… We've come to defend our rights."

• Villarreal CEO blames Real Madrid for cancellation

  The fallout from the cancelled fixture has also created a significant rift between clubs, with Villarreal CEO Fernando Roig Negueroles launching a stinging attack on Real Madrid, blaming them for the project's collapse. Villarreal, who were the designated home team for the Miami fixture and had supported the initiative, are furious at the outcome.

  Speaking to , Roig Negueroles did not mince his words, pointing directly at the capital club as the main culprit behind the protests and eventual cancellation.

  "LaLiga can make mistakes, but Real Madrid seems to be going against everyone," he said. "The other day I was in Rome at the ECA, and at the European level it's losing more and more influence because no one believes the rhetoric anymore, but at the Spanish level, especially the press, you pay a lot of attention to what Real Madrid says. And they're against everything."

  Real Madrid had been vocal in their opposition from the start, filing formal complaints and arguing that playing a league match abroad would "distort the competition". Roig Negueroles expressed incredulity at their position, suggesting they protest indiscriminately.

  "I agree with them on many of the things they protest about, but they lose legitimacy because they also protest absolutely everything that's proposed," he insisted. "Even the things that are good, like how they approved this very match four years ago in a delegated committee. Now they've changed their minds… If something was good for Real Madrid, they would also protest."

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• 'An absolute lack of respect' – Villarreal fury over timing

  Villarreal's anger was compounded by the timing of La Liga's official cancellation announcement, which was released during the half-time break of their Champions League match against Manchester City. The club's manager, Marcelino Garcia Toral, openly expressed his disgust in his post-match press conference.

  The club, which had invested in the project and was planning compensation packages for its season-ticket holders, released its own harsh statement condemning the league's management of the situation. Roig Negueroles was seen in the stands of La Ceramica on his phone at the moment the news broke, a moment described by as one "they will not soon forget at Villarreal."

Steven Smith and Beau Webster make half-centuries as bowlers dominate at Lord’s

Andrew McGlashan11-Jun-20252:55

Hayden: Australia won day one because of SA batters’ lack of intent

Stumps Australia’s quicks followed what Kagiso Rabada started as the defending champions hit back strongly on the opening day of the World Test Championship final. The contest had been billed as a battle between two attacks and 14 wickets fell on the first day at Lord’s to suggest the destination of the mace could be decided sooner rather than later.Rabada’s 5 for 51, the second time he has got his name on the Lord’s honours board, kept Australia to 212, before Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood struck back in the final session to leave South Africa tottering on 43 for 4 and looking towards their captain, Temba Bavuma, for inspiration.Related

The best of Rabada wasn't in the balls that got the wickets

Alex Carey has another eventful outing at Lord's

South Africa's trial by paralysis epitomises the Bazball fallacy

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Australia’s reshaped top three had fallen before lunch after Bavuma was pleased to bowl first under overcast skies. But at 146 for 4, with Steven Smith set despite the flu, and 192 for 5 with Beau Webster having cashed in on a reprieve on 4 when South Africa didn’t review an lbw, they had an opportunity to recalibrate, only to lose their last five wickets for 20. Aiden Markram removing Smith was up there with one of the more unexpected wicket-taking combinations on offer in this match. “I’m still trying to fathom how I’ve done that,” he later said.Australia needed a response and Starc provided it in the first over (again) when Markram dragged on an inswinger. Starc should quickly have had a second, but Alex Carey dropped a regulation outside edge off Wiaan Mulder, although he didn’t have to wait too long when Ryan Rickelton nicked a drive to first slip.Mulder, batting at No. 3 for just the third time in Tests, laboured to 6 off 44 balls before being beaten on the drive by Cummins. South Africa could barely score: between them, Mulder and Bavuma made 8 off 81 deliveries. In the closing moments of a day that was never short on action, Hazlewood, back in the side after an injury, produced a gem of a delivery that nipped back through Tristan Stubbs. Concerns about South Africa’s batting order were ringing true, not that Australia’s had looked convincing.The day ended in bright sunshine but had started under a heavy cloud cover with the floodlights on. After three consecutive maidens to start the Test – the first time by Australia since 2020 – the opening runs off the bat came from the 21st delivery.1:11

Steyn: When Rabada smells a bit of blood, he goes for it

Marnus Labuschagne, starting his life as a Test opener, produced what early scoring there was, but Khawaja couldn’t open his account before edging the 20th ball he faced. Rabada came around the wicket, forced Khawaja to play, and David Bedingham did well to hold on at first slip with Markram nearly distracting him from second. It continued a familiar mode of dismissal for Khawaja, who, since the start of 2024, has averaged 18.63 against quicks from around the wicket compared to 43.80 from over.Cameron Green’s first delivery as a Test No. 3 was a gift on the pads, but his third took the edge and was brilliantly held by Markram who, this time, had to contend with Mulder diving across in front of him at third. It meant that Smith walked out, on what he termed his second-favourite ground in the world, with Australia 16 for 2.Labuschagne nearly fell in the next over, flicking Marco Jansen just short of leg gully, a mode of dismissal he has been vulnerable to before, but he and Smith started to rebuild the innings before Labuschagne edged Jansen from around the wicket the ball after being struck by a short delivery.2:13

Smith: We’re in a pretty good position

Two years ago, against India at The Oval, Smith and Travis Head came together at 76 for 3; this time it was 47 for 3. And there was no match-changing partnership. Instead, Head fell to what became the final ball before lunch when he glanced Jansen down the leg side.On resumption, there was a change in tempo, and a feeling Australia were taking the initiative. Smith took 11 off Rabada’s first over of the afternoon and, shortly after reaching fifty, became the leading overseas batter at Lord’s, surpassing Warren Bardsley. He is also the first visiting batter to face three different Test opposition at the ground: Pakistan (on debut), England ,and now South Africa.It looked like Smith was writing another significant Lord’s story, batting with more ease than anyone else had managed, while Lungi Ngidi was struggling to support the good work of Rabada and Jansen. But out of nowhere Smith drove at Markram’s offspin – only introduced to allow a change of ends – and edged to slip where Jansen made good use of his long reach to hold the catch after two juggles.2:41

Day 1 review – what did Rabada do right?

Webster, meanwhile, had been anything but secure on his first appearance at the ground. He narrowly survived an early lbw appeal against Jansen when he was fractionally outside the line, and then had a huge dose of fortune when, on 8, Bavuma opted not to review an lbw shout off Rabada; Bavuma indicated he thought there was an edge, but it was two pads and hitting halfway up middle.Webster continued to live a charmed life with his inside edge getting a regular working over but he kept his composure and was quick to latch on to any poor deliveries. As if trying to make up for the earlier mistake, South Africa reviewed for another lbw against him only for it to have come off the middle of the bat.Webster brought up the second fifty of his brief career from 69 balls as, either side of tea, he and Carey started to forge what felt like a threatening stand. But South Africa were gift-wrapped another wicket for spin when Carey attempted a reverse-sweep and played over the top of Keshav Maharaj’s delivery.From there, the tail folded and the last five fell in 35 balls. Cummins was cleaned up by a beauty which straightened down the line from Rabada while Webster’s innings ended when he pushed off the back foot and edged to slip. Sadly for South Africa, the wickets didn’t stop coming.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras arrancou uma vitória que parecia improvável aos 50 minutos do segundo tempo da partida contra o Goiás, no Allianz Parque. O placar de 1 a 0, porém, acaba ofuscando a apresentação lamentável que o Verdão fez diante de mais de 38 mil pessoas que foram ao estádio em uma fria noite de sexta-feira. Com apenas dois gols nos últimos dois jogos, o Alviverde mostra que ainda não há uma solução para o ataque depois da lesão de Dudu. Nem sempre o gol vai sair no apagar das luzes para salvar a atuação da equipe.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasVÍDEO: Raphael Veiga sai em defesa de Breno Lopes após provocação à torcida do PalmeirasPalmeiras16/09/2023PalmeirasAbel Ferreira comenta atitude de Breno Lopes após gol do Palmeiras: ‘Sou o primeiro a errar’Palmeiras16/09/2023PalmeirasBreno Lopes provoca torcida do Palmeiras e recebe resposta após gol da vitóriaPalmeiras16/09/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Quem foi para a arena palmeirense deve ter saído de lá preocupado apensar do êxtase de um gol no fim do jogo. O time de Abel Ferreira teve um desempenho sofrível, sem intensidade, de volume ofensivo, sem abafar o adversário… O gol de Breno Lopes foi um achado, um descuido do Goiás, que até então havia sofrido muito pouco, mas acabou tendo essa infelicidade.

+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

No futebol é complicado você tirar o mérito de uma equipe que marcou mais gols do que a outra e cumpriu o mínimo para sair de campo vitoriosa, mas a verdade é que a atuação do Palmeiras não é daquelas que costumam levar aos três pontos. Aliás, muito pelo contrário, era muito mais provável um empate sem gols. Somente a paixão do torcedor confiava na rede balançando, pois a razão dizia algo diferente.

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Assim como já havia dito diante do Vasco, diante do Deportivo Pereira (em casa), e diante do Corinthians. Desses confrontos, apenas um bola foi para a rede em um gol de falta de Raphael Veiga, que na verdade foi um golaço, raro, típico de um craque. A coincidência desses duelos e desse com o Goiás é a ausência de Dudu, que sofreu sua grave lesão no joelho contra o Cruz-Maltino, início dessa “seca” no ataque.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Breno Lopes volta a ser herói do Palmeiras em vitória no Brasileirão

Na verdade, não há coincidência, a queda ofensiva do Verdão tem tudo a ver com o desfalque de Dudu. Por mais que Abel esteja procurando uma solução para isso, ela ainda não existe e se na cabeça do treinador ela já está elaborada, certamente não deu certo. Foi com Breno Lopes contra o Vasco, três zagueiros e laterais abertos contra o Pereira, depois com Artur e dois laterais (Rocha e Mayke) contra o Corinthians e Goiás.

continua após a publicidade

Duas coisas são inegáveis: Dudu é insubstituível e o clube não deu a Abel Ferreira um elenco forte para suprir essas ausências. Torcida, opinião pública, os jogadores e até o técnico português sabem disso. No entanto, aparentemente as coisas não estão acontecendo da forma como deveriam acontecer. O time caiu bruscamente em um momento de decisão na temporada, seja na Libertadores com semifinal logo ali, seja no Brasileirão com a aproximação ao líder.

+ Abel Ferreira comenta atitude de Breno Lopes após gol do Palmeiras: ‘Sou o primeiro a errar’

Abel já declarou que sua preparação para enfrentar o Boca Juniors-ARG tem sido jogo a jogo e que irá utilizar as partidas pelo Brasileirão para ajustar a equipe. O treinador precisará tirar algum coelho da cartola, porque do jeito que está, nós meros mortais não conseguimos enxergar uma solução aparente para a perda de Dudu. A escassez de gols, de intensidade e de ataque por si só são sinais de alerta para qualquer palmeirense.

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Palmeiras

تغلب ليفربول على ريال مدريد في الجولة الرابعة بمرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا بهدف نظيف، وشهدت المباراة حدثاً أوروبياً حماسياً.

وقد استقبلت جماهير ليفربول لاعب ريال مدريد ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد بوابل من صيحات الاستهجان عند دخوله الملعب في الدقائق العشر الأخيرة، بعد أن ظهر لأول مرة مع ليفربول في الثامنة عشر من عمره وأصبح أحد ركائز العصر الذهبي ليورجن كلوب.

وقد أثار رحيل ألكسندر أرنولد الصيف الماضي استياء جماهير ليفربول، وكان اللاعب الإنجليزي قد فضل عدم تجديد عقده والرحيل في صفقة انتقال حر وانتقل لريال مدريد مقابل مبلغ رمزي بـ10 ملايين يورو.

وقد فسر العديد من مشجعي ليفربول قرار أنولد بأنه خيانة للنادي وعدم التزام تجاه فريق طفولته.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ريال مدريد يعلن إصابة لاعبه بعد مباراة ليفربول.. ومدة غيابه

وعلق روي كين قائد مانشستر يونايتد السابق في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “الماركا” حيث انتقد ما قامت به جماهير ليفربول: “جماهير ليفربول تكتسب سمعة أنهم مخلصون، وأنهم يتفوقون على معظم المشجعين لكن ما حدث في الليلة الماضية كان مخيب للآمال”.

وأضاف: “جاء ذلك ضد لاعب بذل قصارى جهده لتسعة مواسم مع ليفربول وفاز بالدوري الإنجليزي ودوري أبطال أوروبا لذا فإن إطلاق صيحات الاستهجان عليه لمجرد أنه قرر عدم تجديد عقده أمر غير عادل”.

وأكد كين أن أرنولد يستحق التقدير والاحترام لما قدمه مع فريقه السابق: “لا أقول إنهم يجب عليهم التصفيق له على رحيله لكن إطلاق صيحات استهجان على لاعب شارك في أكثر من 260 مباراة مع النادي يبدو سخيفاً، إنه ابن ليفربول وخريج أكاديمية النادي ولطالما لعب بفخرن على الجماهير أن تنظر لنفسها جيداً قبل التباهي بمستوى أخلاقها”.

وواصل كين الدفاع عن ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد على الرغم من أن المعروف على قائد مانشستر يونايتد السابق انتقاد اللاعبين الذين يقررون مغادرة أنديتهم: “لم يثر أرنولد ضجة ولم يتحدث خارج دوره، لقد اتخذ ببساطة قرار احترافي ويجب احترامه”.

Dermot Gallagher has now revealed why one Arsenal star wasn’t sent off in a controversial moment during the 2-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Gunners come from behind to win at St. James' Park

Prior to Sunday’s encounter, Newcastle had won four of their previous five matches against the Gunners at St. James’ Park, but Mikel Arteta’s side sent out a statement by ending their hoodoo, picking up all three points in dramatic fashion.

Arteta has received widespread criticism for his decision to persist with Mikel Merino in recent weeks, but the Spaniard rewarded his manager for his faith by bagging a late equaliser, before Gabriel headed home in stoppage time to secure an important victory on the road.

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Speaking after the match, Arteta insisted his side thoroughly deserved the victory, saying: “When you get what you deserve at the end there’s no better feeling. I’m so proud of the team and the way we controlled our emotions and navigated through the different stages of the game. We showed the conviction, the courage the desire and the quality we need to get where we want to be.”

However, things could’ve been very different. Gabriel may not have even been on the pitch to bag the late winner if Nick Woltemade had made more of a bust-up with the Brazilian earlier in the match, where the defender appeared to punch the Newcastle striker away from the ball.

Speaking Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher said: “I think he’s lucky he didn’t actually strike him properly, because where he’s got lucky is is the referee hasn’t seen it, it’s gone to VAR and the VAR say red card or nothing, and it’s decided it’s not a red card. I don’t think it’s a red card, but I think if the referee sees it he’s certainly going to get a yellow card.”

Gabriel fortunate Woltemade didn't go down

Had the Newcastle striker made more of the incident and gone to ground, the Arsenal centre-back could have been in trouble, given that he clearly makes contact with the German’s face, albeit without a great deal of strength.

That said, the Magpies can also consider themselves fortunate that the decision to award Arsenal a penalty in the first half was overturned, with VAR getting involved after Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot for what he perceived to be a foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

Decisions went against both teams during the match, but Arteta’s side ultimately showed great character to come out on top, moving just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool in the process.

Enzo Maresca has expressed his frustration at Chelsea striker Liam Delap after the Blues frontman was dismissed for two yellow cards within seven minutes as Chelsea hung on to win 4-3 in a tense Carabao Cup encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Delap had been out injured since August but had an unsavoury return to action as he pushed Yerson Mosquera then barged into Emmanuel Agbadou to earn his marching orders in the 86th minute.

Another red card for ill-disciplined Blues

Red cards have been one of the stories of Chelsea’s season so far, with the Blues having seen an astonishing six dismissals in their last nine matches. On this occasion, Maresca had little sympathy for Delap, who came on in the 61st minute for his first appearance since victory over Fulham on August 30 and let frustration get the better of him in a brief cameo.

The Italian head-coach accused the 22-year-old striker of “playing for himself” as calls for calm fell on deaf ears when Delap earnt himself a second yellow card in the space of just seven minutes to earn "thug" accusations from fans.

Chelsea had been 3-0 up at half-time against the Premier League’s bottom side but Wolves rallied in the second period to set up a nervy finish. The Blues’ young stars had been at it again as Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Estevao and Jamie Gittens all found the net, all 21 years of age or younger. Delap, just a year older than Santos and Gittens, had less of a positive evening as he earnt the first red card of his professional career.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Embarrassing' – Maresca's fury at Delap

Asked post-match by The Athletic about Chelsea’s red card tally and if it is becoming an embarrassment, Maresca replied: “Yes, it’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today. Because it’s two yellow cards in five minutes, 10 minutes, I don’t know, seven minutes. Both, I think we can avoid that. So it’s not good.

“After the yellow card I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself, and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.

"Very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary. Absolutely deserved. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid that. I completely support the red card,” Maresca added.

"I completely understand when there are red cards like Brighton or Manchester United as that is difficult, but the red card against Nottingham Forest and this red card we can avoid. We have to avoid that.”

Chelsea through to next round of Carabao Cup despite scare

"Very happy first half, very upset second half," Maresca expressed at full-time. "It's always complicated to go away and score three goals. We were playing nice [going] forward, great chances.

"Second half, we were not doing the right things. The first goal we conceded opened a little bit the game – gave them the boost and the energy to come back into the game. And then I think all of [the three goals conceded] we can avoid."

Maresca’s words sum up a game of two halves for Chelsea, who will feel fortunate to have gone through to the next round unscathed despite Delap’s dismissal.

A quarter-final tie away at League One side Cardiff City awaits, the Bluebirds having beaten Welsh neighbours Wrexham 2-1 on Tuesday to secure a place in the last eight at the expense of their big-spending Championship rivals.

Chelsea have not won the League Cup since back in 2015, with no London side winning the competition in the decade since. Maresca’s side will hope that they can put that right this time around, with a relatively kind draw which will allow their young stars the opportunity to shine once again.

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Getty Images SportDelap absent for crunch Tottenham clash

Delap will miss Chelsea’s London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, in what will be a blow for Maresca amidst the continued fitness concerns of Joao Pedro. The Brazilian has played through pain for much of the season and will hope to have some of the burden taken off him in the coming weeks by fellow new signing Delap, as Chelsea look to return to winning ways in the league.

Tottenham Hotspur stepped into the Thomas Frank era with excitement, but anxiety too. Last season, Ange Postecoglou led the club to the Europa League title, but Spurs also finished 17th in the Premier League.

Circumstances matter, but there was much to be desired and Daniel Levy was justified in dismissing the Australian. Tottenham still ended their long search for silverware, and they did so having lost their definitive talisman of modern years at the very start of Ange’s tenure.

Harry Kane’s sale to Bayern Munich two years ago took from Tottenham their bona fide superstar. Heung-min Son once bore such a reputation, but he had steadily declined over a couple of years before moving to LAFC during the summer.

Now, though, there’s a sense that a few within the Lilywhites fold could reach such a level with a blend of hard work and Frank’s coaching.

The new Spurs superstars

Tottenham attacked the summer transfer window and have been duly rewarded for their ambition with several exciting talents.

Front and centre has been Mohammed Kudus, whose pace and physicality have seen him settle in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after completing a £55m move from West Ham United in July.

The Ghanaian winger scored and assisted against Leeds United last weekend, instrumental in the 2-1 win. He’s imperfect, sure, but the pros far outweigh the cons, and four assists from seven top-flight fixtures so far (placing him joint-first with Jack Grealish) is nothing to be sniffed at.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Mathys Tel are also stars for the future, already playing important roles in Frank’s squad.

However, whether any of these players will rival the very best of the best remains to be seen. Premier League heavyweights such as Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.

However, the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig this summer felt significant. Indeed, Tottenham have landed themselves an attacking midfielder with the potential to rival any across Europe.

Frank has struck gold on Xavi Simons

In August, Tottenham had to swallow their pride as Arsenal stole from them the signature of Eberechi Eze, who signed in a £60m deal after a move was in place down N17 for the Crystal Palace sensation.

Tottenham missed out on a number of transfer targets, but they struck gold with Simons, who had looked for many weeks to be joining Chelsea before the Blues signed Alejandro Garnacho.

Having played and impressed over the past several years in Germany with Leipzig, Simons arrived in England with more than his share of excitement, saying he had “been dreaming of this for a long time”.

And while the bedding-in period is very much in swing right now, the Netherlands international has shown glimpses of elite quality, having previously been described as a “world-class” talent by countryman Rafael van de Vaart.

The data backs this up. Not only did Simons perform prolifically in front of goal for his German side, notching 46 goal contributions from 78 outings in all competitions, but his underlying data emphasises his ability.

Data platform FBref have crunched the numbers: across the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign, the 22-year-old ranked among the top 16% of positional peers for goal contributions, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 5% for ball recoveries per 90.

The Dutchman’s robustness and consistency across all facets for Leipzig further underpins his potential, and indeed his chances of becoming the standout for a Tottenham side on the up.

Xavi Simons in the Bundesliga

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

32 (32)

25 (25)

Goals

8

10

Assists

11

7

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (1.0)

2.0 (0.9)

Touches*

62.6

68.0

Pass completion

82%

83%

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes*

2.5

2.0

Dribbles*

2.6

1.3

Ball recoveries*

5.2

5.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.4

1.6

Duels won*

6.3

5.4

Data via Sofascore

While the likes of Salah and Haaland are one-of-a-kind players, Simons, too, is the full package, and has a style of play that could see him remain a cut above his Tottenham teammates, scoring and creating and orchestrating and defending.

Could Simons even leave north London, one day, with the awe and admiration of the Tottenham persuasion in a similar fashion to Kane? Certainly, we could look back at that £52m transfer fee as a shrewd figure.

As per Transfermarkt, Simons is already worth around £61m, and given his youth and inexperience within the English game, he is only going to get better as time goes on.

Harking back to FBref, the statistical site have revealed Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Martin Odegaard to be among his most tactically comparable players. Looking at the success each of these creators has forged for themselves in recent years, it’s easy to see why fans are beginning to get excited.

Called a “game-changer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, this is exactly the type of buy to align with the grand plans of the club. Richarlison and the like have quality in the final third, but this is a different standard.

Simons was the marquee signing at Tottenham this summer, and with that comes expectation and scrutiny. He hasn’t yet provided the sustained quality that his skillset suggests is in there, but it will come, especially with one of the finest coaches in the business, Frank, pulling the strings.

When Simons hits his stride, raising Spurs’ collective level, we might just find this outfit celebrating the birth of a new superstar, one who could rival the Salah’s and the Haaland’s of the Premier League.

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