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Jewell, Came make half-centuries, but Olly Stone goes wicketless at start of loan spell

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Toby Roland-Jones led Middlesex’s fightback with his best Rothesay County Championship bowling figures of the season after promotion rivals Derbyshire had threatened to dominate with the bat on the opening day at Lord’s.Caleb Jewell and Harry Came both hit half-centuries as they forged a century partnership to give the visitors a strong platform at 124 for one before Roland-Jones struck back with four wickets in the space of 27 balls.The former Middlesex captain eventually finished with six for 77, while Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar shared the other four wickets evenly as Derbyshire, who began the day with a 24-point gap to second-placed Glamorgan, were bowled out for 283.In reply, Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Josh de Caires trimmed that deficit slightly prior to stumps, reaching 12 without loss.The Seaxes’ pace attack included two red-ball debutants in the shape of Olly Stone, signed on a short-term loan from Nottinghamshire, and 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan – yet there were slim pickings for either when the visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a benign surface.Higgins achieved the solitary breakthrough of the morning session, pinning Luis Reece in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back down the slope, but Jewell and Came batted through to lunch largely untroubled.The Australian was quick to punish anything loose outside off stump, dispatching an early short ball from Roland-Jones to the cover fence before handing the same treatment to a Stone half-volley.Came settled in following an uncertain start, when Stone beat his outside edge a couple of times and began to take advantage of the short boundary on one side, keeping pace with his partner.It was Jewell who reached his half-century first, nudging a single from the opening ball of the afternoon session, while Came’s arrival at that landmark was more eye-catching as he pulled Stone into the Mound Stand for six.The pair extended their partnership to 105 before it was eventually broken by Higgins, returning for a second stint from the Nursery End and knocking back the left-hander’s off stump for 56.Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen, marking his 500th overall appearance in the county’s colours, was soon up and running with two quick fours off Higgins, but his side’s momentum was stemmed by a destructive spell from Roland-Jones.Came was first to go, caught behind off an inside edge for 64 and Brooke Guest was castled having misjudged the line before Roland-Jones got another delivery to rear back and trap former Middlesex man Martin Andersson leg before.Roland-Jones claimed the prize wicket of Madsen in identical fashion to leave Derbyshire apparently wilting at 177 for six, only for Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell to mount a recovery with their stand of 48.Dal eventually departed on the stroke of tea, succumbing to a thin edge off Gohar and the spinner also picked up the wicket of Chappell, but Ben Aitchison’s watchful 36 secured his side a batting bonus point.However, Roland-Jones wrapped up the innings by having both Aitchison and Jack Morley caught behind with the new ball and Middlesex successfully negotiated the day’s remaining seven overs without alarm.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has been forced to deal with a plethora of injuries since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, with the club’s bad luck in that regard continuing into this season.

Ex-chairman Daniel Levy got so frustrated with Spurs’ key player absences in 24/25 that he overhauled their medical department for the second year running last summer. Key sports science chiefs Adam Brett and Nick Davies were both shown the door before the start of this season, with Nick Stubbings following Frank from Brentford to join as medical lead.

The Lilywhites were minus Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario for large portions of last campaign, alongside many other key men, which undoubtedly played a role in Spurs’ finishing a lowly 17th in the Premier League table.

This season, they haven’t fared much better.

Soon after Frank was appointed to succeed Postecoglou, Spurs lost playmaker James Maddison to an ACL injury which will keep him out for most of 2025/2026, with the England international on an extensive list of absentees.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

The likes of Romero, Wilson Odobert, Randal Kolo Muani and Destiny Udogie were also sidelined for periods recently until making their respective comebacks, so Frank will be desperate for this torrid luck to cease as he attempts to guide Tottenham to major silverware and a top four finish.

Luckily for Spurs, electrifying winger and star summer signing Mohammed Kudus is likely to return against Man United this weekend after the Ghanaian confirmed his knock is getting better.

Tottenham hit by injury blow as "promising" youngster Elijah Upson withdraws from England duty

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit and academy expert John Wenham, who oversees the Lilywhites Rose account on X, says that Tottenham’s injury woes even stretch down to youth level.

Young defender Elijah Upson, who captains Spurs’ Under-18s, was forced to withdraw from the England Under-17s World Cup squad after suffering his own injury, which comes as a crying shame considering the club could have had five youth players representing them for the Three Lions.

The 17-year-old was recently handed a call-up to Tottenham’s Under-21 squad as well, playing the full 90 minutes and shutting out West Brom in a 1-0 win just over a month ago.

The injury comes as more of a blow to Upson’s personal development, with the versatile centre-back/right-back looking to make Johan Lange – who now oversees the academy as one of his many co-director responsibilities – stand up and take notice.

Aside from the continuous number of injuries they’ve had to deal with, it’s starting to feel like everything is falling into place for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have pretty much perfected the art of set-pieces, have become near enough impossible to score against, and as a result, are sitting atop the Premier League table.

Moreover, while there is still a level to go for many of the attacking players, many of those who underwhelmed last year are starting to look back to their best.

This includes one of Arteta’s signings, who has even been compared to the iconic Santi Cazorla – and no, it’s not Martin Zubimendi.

Santi Cazorla's Arsenal career

Cazorla joined Arsenal for a fee of just £16m from Spanish outfit Malaga in the summer of 2012, and it did not take him long at all to make an impact at the club.

The mercurial midfielder put in a man-of-the-match performance against Sunderland in what was his debut for the North Londoners, and ended up finishing that first campaign with a tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 49 games.

By the time he left the Gunners in August 2018, he did so with an impressive haul of 29 goals and 45 assists in just 180 appearances, but it wasn’t the output that made him such a firm fan favourite, but the way in which he played the game.

When fit, the 40-year-old magician was seemingly able to do it all, from playing outrageous balls from one side of the pitch to the other, to driving with the ball and beating opposition defenders with ease.

At times, the two-footed wizard was the embodiment of what Wenger wanted his teams to do on the pitch, someone who was capable of winning games with some incredible skill, but doing so while also entertaining the paying fans.

There are really countless examples of the Spaniard doing something remarkable in the famous red and white, but perhaps the most iconic and impactful was his free-kick in the 2014 FA Cup final, which kick-started the club’s comeback.

Had he managed to keep fit, there is no telling what Cazorla could have accomplished at Arsenal, and while the club have not quite had a player like him since, there is someone in the current squad who has been compared to the Emirates icon.

The Arsenal star compared to Cazorla

Now, the first player many of you might think of here is Zubimendi. After all, he is a Spanish midfielder with a great range of passing and the ability to use both feet when needed.

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However, in this instance, the comparison to the former Arsenal star comes from another former Gunners’ great, Kevin Campbell, and concerns Leandro Trossard.

Yes, when speaking back in 2023, Campbell was full of praise for the Belgian, saying that while “they don’t play in the same spot”, he could “see the comparison because he has such quick feet like Santi did.”

He went on to compare the way in which the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem is also able to “see things quickly and Santi saw things quickly.”

Another similarity the 30-year-old shares with the Spaniard, aside from wearing the number 19, is his impressive ability to use both feet without much trouble at all.

You can see this during games, and then on top of that, his former coach at Genk once told Sky Sports that the dynamic left-winger is indeed “right-footed and left-footed.”

Finally, while there are still plenty of other differences between the pair, one more key point of overlap is the Maasmechelen-born gem’s ability to make something happen, generally by finishing a chance most would consider too difficult.

After all, that is why Arteta has referred to him as a “little magician” and Ian Wright made the bold claim that he’s the Gunners’ “best finisher.”

Ultimately, Trossard is not the same player Cazorla was at Arsenal, but from his two-footedness to his technical class and ability to make things happen, he certainly shares a great deal in common with the Spaniard.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 29, 2025

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.

Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney has revealed the best teammate he has during his time as a Blues player, with Pele even watching his debut at another club.

Rooney's love for Everton

For a while, Rooney’s reputation at Everton was damaged because of his decision to join Manchester United as a teenager, having emerged as the most exciting young player in the country.

The England legend returned to Goodison Park later in his career, however, which went down well, and he has revealed in the past how much it hurt to leave the Blues first time around.

“I knew before Euro 2004 that I was getting touted to other teams because Everton needed the money. Certain individuals were going in to other clubs saying, ‘Would you take Wayne Rooney for £30 million?’. I was heartbroken. I mean, I loved the club and wanted to play for Everton but once I found that out, I was devastated.

“To be honest, I would have left at some point – of course, I would have to better myself and go and win trophies – but I was devastated. So I thought, you know what? Okay. I was getting pushed to join Chelsea because they were offering the most money but I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go to Manchester United. It was less money for Everton but that’s where I wanted to play.”

Rooney revealed "best" ever Everton teammate

Speaking to Everton’s X account in the past, Rooney revealed that Thomas Gravesen is the best player he shared a pitch with for the Blues: “I would probably say that Thomas Gravesen is the best player I’ve played with.”

Gravesen is a choice that will likely be met positively by Everton fans, with the Dane a hugely popular player during his time at Goodison.

He possessed both technical ability on the ball and tenacity out of possession, and his quality is highlighted by the fact that he earned a move to Real Madrid in 2005.

In fact, Pele was even present to watch his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu, and legendary manager Fabio Capello heaped praise on him at the time.

“He has been playing very well in front of the Madrid defence and is also very effective at helping build their attacks. He is turning into a very important player for them, as Madrid had problems in that position before he arrived. They were all over the place there. Now, with his arrival, there is more balance to the team.”

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If Gravesen were asked the same question, Rooney could easily get his vote, considering he is among the greatest English footballers of his generation, and it’s just a shame that they didn’t spend longer together at Everton.

Mehidy completed ten wickets in the game but Bennett and Curran laid a strong platform to enable the visitors to go 1-0 up

Mohammad Isam23-Apr-2025Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth evening of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chase in the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and each of their last three wins have come away from home.Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessly Madhevere and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed when needing less than 50 runs in their chase. Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated the collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He also took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent jitters in the Zimbabwe camp with his second five-wicket haul in the Test•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the next over, Bennett was done in by Mehidy’s spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike, and Ervine walked off for 10. Mehidy struck again first ball of his next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.After defending his first two balls, Ngarava smashed Mehidy for four over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before the win that will go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore was sealed.The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 is the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end, with fellow quicks Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets in the second innings.Blessing Muzarabani shows off the match ball after his six-wicket haul•AFP/Getty ImagesRain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.Muzarabani struck with the second ball, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngarava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.

Christian Vieri has tipped Inter’s 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito to become “a great striker,” stressing that the pressure of playing for a club like Inter will accelerate his growth. Esposito has already made his mark in Serie A with his first goal and is now being asked to step up in the absence of Marcus Thuram.

Esposito tipped for greatness at Inter

Inter youngster Esposito has enjoyed a rapid rise this season, marking his breakthrough with a goal against Cagliari in just his third Serie A appearance. The forward has mostly featured as a substitute but has shown glimpses of his talent and potential. His form has already drawn praise from both his manager Cristian Chivu and former Italy striker Vieri.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportVieri backs Esposito to grow into Inter’s next great striker

Speaking at a press event, the Nerazzurri legend highlighted the unique challenge of playing for clubs like Inter, AC Milan or Juventus, but insisted that pressure is exactly what will help Esposito develop.

“When you’re at Inter, Milan, or Juventus, you’re always under pressure. Like at Barcelona or Real Madrid. Last year he was at Spezia, he didn’t have the pressure Inter have, but it’s better to play in Serie A and the Champions League. Then there are those who are ready at twenty, and he’s already physically ready: he can handle the strain at international level, where you have to be a beast," he said.

“He has no problems, he’s really hungry to improve, and I often talk to his teammates: they tell me he’s really hungry. He’s a great talent, he’s under pressure, but it’s better to have it: he plays for a great team and has started off great, he has everything it takes to become a great striker.”

Esposito’s breakthrough highlights Inter’s rising star in Serie A

The Italian striker's goal made him the fourth-youngest Italian to score for Inter in Serie A this century, underlining his promise. Already praised by his manager for his strong display against Sassuolo, the youngster has proven he can link up effectively with senior forwards like Lautaro Martinez. With his pace, energy, and ability to stretch defences, Esposito is positioning himself as an exciting long-term option for the Nerazzurri.

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Getty Images SportWhat’s next for Inter’s rising striker

Esposito recently featured against Slavia Prague in the Champions League and could be handed more opportunities with Marcus Thuram sidelined by injury. Inter face Cremonese next as they look to maintain momentum in Serie A, and all eyes will be on whether the young striker can earn a starting role alongside Martinez.

The summer of the saga is finally over, but it’s difficult to know how Newcastle United supporters will feel about it.

On deadline day, Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for a reported fee of £125m, including add-ons, which makes this a British transfer record.

The Swede has, quite publicly, been on strike all summer as he attempted to force through this move to Merseyside, skipping the Magpies’ pre-season tour of Asia and also not turning up to the PFA awards, where he was named in the team of the season.

As a result, the Geordie faithful have completely turned against Isak, making it frankly unfathomable that he would ever play for the club again, so most will be glad to see him gone, albeit their team are losing arguably the best striker in the Premier League.

The Magpies have signed two very expensive strikers to fill his void, it remains to be seen if they’ll come good, but the astronomical fees being paid by all clubs this summer has only underlined the fact that Newcastle struck gold snapping up their talisman.

Newcastle's Isak replacements

On Saturday, Newcastle announced the signing of striker Nick Woltemade, arriving from Stuttgart for an initial fee of £65m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons.

This time last year, barely anyone had heard of Woltemade, considering he’d scored just two top division goals during his time at Werder Bremen.

However, the 23-year-old really burst onto the scene at Stuttgart, netting 18 times in just 36 appearances for die Schwaben, including scoring during each round of the DFB-Pokal, breaking the deadlock against Arminia Bielefeld in May’s final, as his side won the competition for the first time since 1997.

He then further enhanced his reputation during this summer’s U21 European Championships, bagging a hat-trick during Germany’s tournament opener against Slovenia, picking up the golden boot by netting six times in total, as die Mannschaft were defeated 3-2 by England in the final in Bratislava.

Standing at 198 cms (6 ft 6 in) tall, he is nicknamed “Woltemessi” due to his perceived good touch for a big man, so it’ll be fascinating to see how he fares on Tyneside.

That is not all, though, because on deadline day, Newcastle also finally completed the signing of long-term target Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international himself had gone full-Isak at Brentford, refusing to play as he pushed for a move, but the two clubs agreed a fee of £55m on Monday, after bids of £25m and £40m had both been rejected earlier this summer.

Wissa leaves West London as Brentford’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, having been on target 49 times in all competitions for the Bees, 19 of which came in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Braut Håland, Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood.

At 28 years old, however, £55m for Wissa, when you’ve also just signed another striker for around £70m, does seem very high, further underlining how much of a bargain Newcastle’s talisman has proved to be.

Newcastle talisman signed for a bargain fee

Back in October 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund completed their £305m takeover of Newcastle United and, after swiftly replacing Steve Bruce with Eddie Howe, they wanted to make a splash in the transfer market.

During that first January window, with the Toon Army very much embroiled in a relegation battle, having won just one of their first 20 fixtures, the new owners spent big to ensure Premier League survival.

Four new signings arrived for a combined £90m, namely Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimarães, and the latter instantaneously became a cult hero on Tyneside.

To date, Guimarães has made 147 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 23 goals and registering 24 assists, playing an instrumental role in the team that won last season’s EFL Cup, ending the club’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware.

The table below emphasises his importance to Newcastle.

Minutes

3,844

2nd

Goals

5

7th

Assists

8

4th

Shots

54

4th

Completed passes

1,481

3rd

Key passes

52

1st

Passes into final third

180

1st

Progress passes

271

1st

Shot-creating actions

133

1st

Big chances created

13

2nd

Tackles

83

1st

Interceptions

33

3rd

Ball recoveries

188

2nd

Touches

2,213

3rd

Avg Sofascore rating

7.22

3rd

As the table reinforces, Guimarães is pivotal to everything Newcastle achieve; ranked first by every passing metric, while also in the top two for out-of-possession statistics, tackles and ball recoveries, producing goals, assists and chance creation at the other end of the pitch too.

The £40m paid to Olympique Lyonnais to secure his signature has turned out to be a complete bargain, especially considering his current estimated transfer value is around £69m.

For comparison, new signings Woltemade and Wissa are valued at around £26m and £27.6m respectively, substantially lower than the fees Newcastle have paid.

His international teammate Casemiro is certainly a fan, stating that Guimarães has been “exceptional” at Newcastle, adding that he is a “great player who has been demonstrating this in the most difficult league in the world”.

Thus, now that Isak has finally departed Tyneside, the Brazilian midfielder is ready to step up and be Newcastle’s talisman, leading them into a Champions League campaign, with Barcelona the first visitors to St James’ Park on 18 September; what a tie that’ll be.

Imagine him & Bruno: Newcastle lodge bid for "one of the world's best DMs"

Newcastle are looking to sign one of the best midfielders on the planet to partner Bruno Guimaraes

ByWill Miller Aug 31, 2025

تحدث رودريجو جوس، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن علاقته بـ زين الدين زيدان وثنائية مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة وأول هاتريك له في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأجرى الدولي البرازيلي حوارًا مطولًا مع صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تحدث من خلاله حول كارلو أنشيلوتي وعلاقته القوية به ومنتخب البرازيلي وأسرار كثيرة من كواليس انتقاله إلى الفريق الملكي.

وقال رودريجو، عن مباراة مانشستر سيتي الشهيرة: “كان أصعب يوم في حياتي، وكان أيضًا أفضل يوم في حياتي، ويوم العديد من مشجعي ريال مدريد الذين ما زالوا يكتبون لي ليشكروني على هذين الهدفين في دقيقتين، كان الأمر جنونيًا”.

وأكمل: “عند التعادل 1/1، أعلن المذيع الداخلي عن 6 دقائق من الوقت بدل الضائع، وكان الهدف بمثابة التأهل لنا، جنون الجماهير في البرنابيو واحتفلوا بعدد الدقائق كما لو كان هدفًا، هذا أخافهم (يقصد مانشستر سيتي) وفكرت لحظة وقلت في نفسي هل يمكنني تسجيل هدف آخر؟، وفعلت ذلك برأسي، انظروا، كان بإمكاني تسجيل هدف آخر قبل الوقت الإضافي لكن أنقذها إيدرسون، كانت ستُكتب أعظم هاتريك في التاريخ، في اليوم السابق، أخبرت والدي أنني سأسجل ثلاثة أهداف، وفعلت ذلك بالفعل، كان الأمر في رأسي، كان الأمر جنونيًا للغاية”.

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وعن أول مباراة شارك بها بقميص ريال مديد على برنابيو: “نعم، كان الأمر مميزًا للغاية، أتذكره كأنه كان بالأمس، لن أنسى أبدًا عندما اتصل بي زيدان ليخبرني أنني سألعب مباراتي الأولى في البرنابيو، لم أتخيل أبدًا أن يحدث ذلك بهذه السرعة، لطالما حلمت به ولكن عندما يحين الوقت، أشعر بتوتر شديد، أتذكر أن كاسيميرو مرر لي الكرة وسيطرت عليها جيدًا وراوغت وسددت وسكنت الكرة الشباك، كانت بداية مثالية”.

وعن تسجيل هاتريك في أول مباراة له في دوري أبطال أوروبا قال رودريجو: “كنتُ أعتقد أن بيننا رابط مميز، لطالما أحببت هذه البطولة، ثلاثية مثالية (هاتريك) أمام جماهيرنا، كانت البداية رائعة بهذه الطريقة”.

وعن اللعب تحت قيادة زين الدين زيدان: “كان شخصًا عاديًا لكنه أبهرني، نظرت إليه وقلت زيدان يتحدث معي! في الثامنة عشرة من عمري كان كل شيء جديدًا بالنسبة لي، وكان كل شيء مثيرًا للإعجاب، استغرق الأمر مني بعض الوقت لأعتاد عليه وأتقبل أنه مجرد مدربي، وهذا كل شيء، تحدث معي كثيرًا وساعدني وأحببت الوقت الذي قضيته معه”.

Tilak jumped a whopping 69 places after his back-to-back centuries in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2024India allrounder Hardik Pandya is back on top of the T20I allrounders list in the ICC rankings, while Tilak Varma has broken into the top 10 among batters for the first time.Hardik displaced England’s Liam Livingstone at the top and also overtook Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee after he picked up two wickets and scored 18, 39 not out and 2 in the T20Is against South Africa. His top performance was his spell of 1 for 8 that included a maiden in three overs in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg. The last time Hardik rose to the top of the allrounders list was just a few months ago, after India won the T20 World Cup in June also by beating South Africa.Tilak, the Player of the Series in the recent bilaterals, shot up 69 places among the batters after his consecutive and unbeaten centuries that followed scores of 20 and 33 in the first two T20Is. He is now placed third, after Travis Head and Phil Salt, and closely followed by his captain Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson, the other batter with two hundreds in the series, went up 17 places to 22nd, as he also bagged two ducks between the two centuries. Among bowlers, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh moved to ninth after gaining three spots with the help of eight wickets against South Africa. Arshdeep was the top-wicket taker in the series among fast bowlers and bagged three-fors in the last two games.Adam Zampa, who picked up six wickets against Pakistan, was among the biggest gainers among the bowlers, reaching third spot after rising five places, just behind Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga. His team-mate Nathan Ellis shot up a significant 15 spots to reach 11th rank, after he finished the three T20Is against Pakistan with four wickets, including figures of 3 for 9 in the opening match that was truncated by rain.For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed three places to move to 23rd whereas Heinrich Klaasen jumped six places but remained out of top 50, at 59th.After the 1-1 T20I series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kusal Mendis rose to joint 12th spot after going up three places. After they won the ODIs 2-0, Maheesh Theekshana went up six places to be placed sixth, that pushed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj one spot down each, to seventh and eighth respectively.