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Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has accused Gianluigi Donnarumma of "faking" an injury to allow Pep Guardiola to deliver a Manchester City team talk when the game was hanging in the balance. The Italian asked for treatment in the second half when Leeds had made it 2-1 and were in the ascendancy. The visitors got it back to 2-2 before Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner secured all three points on Saturday at the Etihad.

Man City survive Leeds scare

City were 2-0 up and cruising at half time thanks to goals from Foden and Josko Gvardiol but the second half was a very different story. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, after his penalty was saved, gave the lowly visitors a great chance of an upset. But Foden's second in the 91st minute eased the home team's nerves as they went second in the Premier League. 

After the match, City boss Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport: "After Daniel [Farke] changed shape, long balls to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha running behind, it was always a struggle. That emotion is part of the football. We had the chances and at the end finally we found our goal."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLeeds boss wants rule change

While Farke was deflated after the loss, one moment from the game stuck in his craw. Just before the hour mark, City goalkeeper Donnarumma motioned to the medical staff to tend to him. During this break in play, Guardiola called the other 10 City players to him to deliver new instructions after Leeds changed their shape. While the Whites went on to equalise, City secured the win, but Farke was not happy with the Italian stopper's actions. The German, who stopped short of criticising Guardiola, said a rule change needs to be sworn in to stop things like this happening.

"Everyone knows why he went down, right? It’s not like the elephant in the room. You can ask me what I think about it, why he went down, I think it was obvious," he said. "It’s within the rules. It’s smart. If I like it, if it’s in the sense of fair play, if it should be like this, I keep it to myself and leave it to the authorities to find solutions to it. It’s within the rules. I asked the fourth official if he wanted to do something, he said, 'No, our hands are tied, we can’t do anything'. If we don’t educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play, sportsmanship, if you try to bend the rules to your advantage, and you can fake an injury in order to do an additional team talk, I think it’s not something I personally like, but if it’s within the rules I can’t complain about it. 

"My recommendation is if this happens, then every 50-50 to the away team rather than the home team. After 90 minutes at 2-2, I would have blown the whistle rather than all the time added on. There are tools you can use to make sure this doesn’t happen. There’s a reason why the goalkeeper goes down and not an outfield player; an outfield player would have to go off. I think for the authorities to find a solution, in the sense of fair play, I have my doubts. I don’t criticise my colleague. It’s not that he (Guardiola) went down. If he has time to do that and if there’s an injury, I would do it. We have such a great relationship, and Pep is by far the best manager in the world. To tweak something in a game, there is nobody better. There’s not one per cent criticism of Pep. The fact that this happens, everyone knows it."

Leeds show much-needed fight

While this was Leeds' fourth defeat in a row, heaping more pressure on manager Farke, the way the Yorkshire side came back into the game will encourage many connected to the club. But, ultimately, they came away pointless from Manchester.

He told BBC Sport: "We came here not for compliments or warm words, we came here for points. We had the worst possible start to this game. Normally, if you want points here, you have to win the set-pieces. I have to give many compliments to my lads. We deserved to equalise. Both teams could have won it. Heartbreaking for my lads. We’re disappointed because we deserved something but my boys should be proud of how they reacted to the worst possible start. They should take lots of confidence out of this."

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Getty Images SportCrunch games for Leeds

Leeds, who remain 18th in the Premier League, have just begun a particularly tough run of games in the English top-flight. After the City match, they host third-placed Chelsea on Wednesday, before entertaining out-of-form Liverpool next weekend. A trip to high-flying Brentford and then a home match against a confident Crystal Palace round off a difficult run of fixtures before Christmas.

His assault on a tricky pitch even wowed du Plessis who is often the one wowing others

Sidharth Monga24-Mar-2025

Ashutosh Sharma hit the winning six as DC won by one wicket•Associated Press

Faf du Plessis doesn’t feel awe easily. He has seen cricket all over the world, in all kinds of formats, for all kinds of teams. At 40, he is more used to leaving people in awe of his shredded body and ability to slug it out with the best of T20 players. But even his “old brain” was left in awe of Ashutosh Sharma’s hitting on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.Unprompted, du Plessis made it a point to mention during a sideline interview: “Just as an overseas player, one thing that’s remarkable for me to watch is the amount of Indian players that are so powerful and they’ve got the ability to just strike the ball so easy. You know, it wasn’t an easy pitch [to bat on]. There was a lot going on, but the two boys at the back end there, just the way they came in and just effortlessly hit boundaries. Unbelievable.”There will be another day for Vipraj Nigam, this night belonged to the “other boy”, Ashutosh. The Railways batter had a bittersweet season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) last year. He faced only 103 balls for 189 runs to regularly bring PBKS back from the brink, but kept either falling just short or not seeing the chase through himself.Related

• 'There was no sign of panic' – Ashutosh's composure under pressure stands out

• Ashutosh stuns LSG as DC complete one-wicket heist

• Du Plessis after DC's win: This is why Impact Player is there

• Pant after LSG's defeat: 'Think we had enough on the board'

As he got his new team, Delhi Capitals (DC), closer and closer against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday night, you wondered if those memories played on his mind. Of the time he took Kings from 150 for 6 to the threshold of the target of 200 set by Gujarat Titans, brought it down to the inexperienced Darshan Nalkande in the last over, but holed out to long-on and watched the victory from the dugout. Or the time his daring comeback ended two short of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 182. Or, indeed, his 61 off 28 against Mumbai Indians from 77 for 6, when he fell in the 18th over and had to watch an agonising defeat.That last year might or might not have played in his head during this chase, but it did between the two seasons. “I learnt a lot from the last year,” Ashutosh said. “Last year I brought the team close in two-three matches but left the job unfinished in the end. The whole year I focused on that. I visualised how I am finishing matches. Even in domestic cricket, I focused on finishing games. That’s why I was able to finish on such a big stage.”I have a lot of belief in myself. That if I play till the last ball, anything can happen. Stay calm. Bring it down to a few balls. Stay clear with what shot you can play. Play only those shots you have practiced in the nets.”That belief was perhaps best apparent in the way he tried to steal a single when Kuldeep Yadav was on strike. There was this inherent belief that only he was the man to do it, and he charged his runs perfectly: not before the ball left the bowler’s hand, but he was halfway up the pitch by the time the ball reached Kuldeep. One such dash even cost them a wicket (of Kuldeep), but that didn’t faze Ashutosh. If the bowler was going to err, Ashutosh was going to send the ball out of the ground.1:07

What did Ashutosh Sharma do right?

The hitting was so clean he barely looked up, let alone run, just in case the ball doesn’t go past the boundary. As du Plessis said, this was not a flat deck by any means. Sample the ball that got Tristan Stubbs out, drifting into leg, turning to hit the pad and then the wicket. Or indeed the one in the last over that nearly spun past No. 11 Mohit Sharma and also dragged him out of his crease. A deflection off the pad saved him from getting stumped and gave Ashutosh another shot at a first successful heist in the IPL.During those two balls at the non-striker’s end, Ashutosh displayed the remarkable quality you need in cricket: care like hell but play like you couldn’t care less. “I was confident,” Ashutosh said of the time spent at the non-striker’s in the last over. “It is part of the game, but it was not part of my batting. I was very normal. ‘If he will take a single, I will hit a six’.”Hit a six he did. Sometimes you just need that bit of extra luck to push you over the line, but there is no substitute for bringing yourself into that situation again and again.

تحدث نجم الكرة المغربية ومحلل شبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”، عبد العزيز بنيج، عن تعادل الجيش الملكي المغربي مع الأهلي، بهدف لكل فريق، في دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

وتعادل الأهلي مع نظيره الجيش الملكي، بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

طالع.. موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد التعادل مع الجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وقال عبد العزيز بنييج في تصريحات على قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “ما قدمه الجيش الملكي في الشوط الأول طبيعي أن يكون هناك هبوطا في مستوى الفريق بالشوط الثاني، مواكبة المباراة كانت متأخرة من سانتوس مدرب الفريق، في حين الجانب الأخير كان يوجد تفاعل سريع من مدرب الأهلي، بإجراء تغييرات مباشرة ودكة احتياطي كانت جيدة بدخول بن رمضان”.

وأضاف: “تبديلات الأهلي أحدثت ارتباكًا في دفاع الجيش الملكي وأصبح أفضل، والفريق المغربي قدم مباراة شجاعة”. 

وتابع: “الحكم الليبي كان جيدًا في المباراة، كل القرارات اللي أخذها صائبة وعادلة، لو هناك تقنية فار كان من الممكن يتأكد أكثر، تعادل عادل بين الفريقين، الأهلي في الشوط الثاني قدم أشياء جميلة، الجيش الملكي لم يستطيع الحفاظ على التقدم”.  

It might not have led to a Premier League title, but Arsène Wenger still had some sensational players in his later years at Arsenal.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey, for example, became some of the most entertaining players in the league.

However, arguably the best of the lot was Mesut Özil, who sent the fan base into delirium when he joined the club on transfer deadline day in 2013.

The World Cup winner was an artist with the ball at his feet, capable of things most would only dream of, and now, based on reports, it looks like Arsenal could be going after someone who could become Mikel Arteta’s version of Ozil.

Arsenal target their new Ozil

Arsenal went big in the summer window, signing more players than perhaps even the most optimistic of fans would’ve expected.

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

However, with a title on the line, the club appear to be in the market for more reinforcements ahead of the winter window, and have been linked to a host of players.

For example, Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to the Emirates, as has Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

However, while both players would be excellent additions to Arteta’s squad, neither could really be described as the next Ozil, unlike Arda Güler.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the Turkish international.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now stepping up their pursuit of the 20-year-old, although the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United appear to be doing the same.

In addition to the competition, a potential roadblock for this deal is that, per reports last month, it could cost as much as £88m to get the playmaker out of Real Madrid.

However, while it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, as Güler is an extraordinary talent and could be Arteta’s own Ozil.

Why Güler could be Arsenals new Ozil

Now, while it’s still early in Güler’s career, and it will take some time before he reaches the heights Ozil did, there are still apparent similarities between the pair.

Firstly, were this transfer to happen, then, like the World Cup winner over a decade ago, the young talent would be swapping the white of Real Madrid or the red and white of Arsenal.

Secondly, the 20-year-old is a sensational talent who still has so much room to grow and, like the Gunners’ former star, is someone whose future appears to be more central than out wide.

For example, while he has played on the right and several other positions, attacking midfield is where he has played most of his football and where he has been thriving this season.

Speaking of this season, the Ankara-born wonderkid is proving he is both a goalscoring threat and a creative force for his teammates.

In his 21 appearances, totalling 1365 minutes, the “generational talent”, as described by journalist Dean Jones, has scored three goals and provided seven assists, averaging a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or every 136.5 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the young dynamo’s underlying numbers also help to justify such labels.

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.38

Top 1%

Progressive Passes

7.98

Top 1%

Key Passes

3.27

Top 1%

Passes into Final Third

6.49

Top 1%

Live-ball Passes

59.32

Top 1%

Touches

77.43

Top 1%

Pass Completion %

85.3%

Top 2%

Through Balls

0.95

Top 2%

Shot-Creating Actions

6.08

Top 2%

Carries

47.71

Top 3%

Assists

0.41

Top 5%

Tackles Won

1.16

Top 7%

Switches

0.54

Top 8%

Crosses

5.42

Top 9%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.70

Top 10%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for expected assisted goals, progressive passes, key passes, touches and more, all per 90.

Finally, if you still aren’t convinced, just listen to İlkay Gündoğan, who in 2023 made a clear link between the two midfielders.

“If there is a Turkish football player who is similar to Mesut Özil, the first name is Arda Güler. I see his future bright.”

Ultimately, while there is still a long way to go for Güler to reach the level Ozil did at his peak, he is clearly on his way. He was ranked second in the 2025 Golden Boy awards, living up to writer Neal Gardner’s billing that he is “the single best midfield prospect in world football.”

Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him

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ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Marufa and Fahima put the chase in jeopardy before Knight gritted through with Capsey and Dean

Valkerie Baynes07-Oct-2025

Charlie Dean and Heather Knight’s 79-run partnership was the biggest of the match•Getty Images

England 182 for 6 (Knight 79*, Fahima 3-16, Marufa 2-28) beat Bangladesh 178 (Mostary 60, Rabeya 43*, Ecclestone 3-24) by four wicketsA gritty comeback by Heather Knight pulled England out of danger and into top spot on the World Cup table with a battling four-wicket win against Bangladesh that was in sharp contrast to their ten-wicket romp over South Africa to open the tournament.Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain, had implored her side to show what they’re capable of “so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”, and they did that in only the second ODI between the sides.Two early wickets to Marufa Akter, followed by 3 for 2 in the space of 12 legitimate deliveries from Fahima Khatun had England 78 for 5 in pursuit of what had looked like a modest target after England’s spin department restricted Bangladesh to 178 all out with two balls remaining.Related

Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve

Sobhana Mostary’s maiden international half-century and a quickfire 43 not out off just 27 balls by Rabeya Khan had allowed Bangladesh to post a competitive total despite only two other batters reaching double figures.But Knight, playing her first international innings since tearing her hamstring from the bone during a T20I against West Indies in May, gritted her teeth, ground out the runs and rode her luck – overturning dismissals on 0, 8 and 13 – to lead England home. Her unbroken stand for the seventh wicket with Charlie Dean, worth 79 in 100 balls, sealed the result with 23 balls to spare.Marufa broke the game open with a stunning five-over opening spell in which she had England two wickets down – it could have been three – with just 29 runs on the board inside the first seven overs.DRS saved Heather Knight twice against Marufa Akter in the first seven overs•ICC/Getty ImagesIn an eventful start to the run chase, England lost opener Amy Jones lbw to Marufa at the end of the first over and, two balls later, saw Marufa drop a sitter at cover off Tammy Beaumont, on 2 at the time, off the bowling of Nahida Akter.There was more drama as Marufa sought to make amends with the first ball of her next over and thought she had Knight caught behind but Knight survived on review with TV umpire Gayathri Venugopalan initially saying there was inconclusive evidence that the bat made contact with the ball while another angle gave the hint of a gap.Marufa ultimately covered for her fielding error when she pinned Beaumont on the front pad, although it took a Bangladesh review this time to secure the dismissal with the batter on 13. Four balls later, Knight denied Marufa again when she overturned an lbw decision as replays showed that the ball going would be going over.With Knight looking far from fluent, Nat Sciver-Brunt, her successor as England captain, helped herself to three fours off Marufa’s next over.Knight continued to lead a charmed life, scratching her way to 13 off 38 balls when she spooned Fahima to Shorna Akter at cover and walked off, only to be recalled as TV umpire said there was “inconclusive” evidence that the fielder had her fingers under the ball.Marufa left the field with what appeared to be a calf problem and didn’t return, leaving Nigar without a seam option.Fahima Khatun’s loopy full toss got Nat-Sciver Brunt•ICC/Getty ImagesBangladesh stuck to their task and were rewarded when Fahima removed Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley in the space of four deliveries, the former chipping to midwicket and the latter trapped lbw as Clarie Polosak’s on-field decision was upheld in the face of England’s review.Emma Lamb managed just 1 off 12 deliveries before picking out Nahida Akter at mid-on, although Fahima and Bangladesh had to wait anxiously for confirmation of her third wicket as the TV umpire again checked the catch, which was eventually deemed clean.Sanjida Akter Meghla, the left-arm spinner brought to combat an England batting line-up stacked with right-handers, struck just as Alice Capsey threatened to dig them out of trouble, rapping the back leg in line with the top of leg stump. Capsey was so half-hearted in her call for the now-overworked DRS that her signal was deemed too late and it was just as well for England with replays showing that the ball was on target.Knight’s most productive shot in a laboured innings had been the sweep and she swept Shorna for four to move into the 30s before shimmying down the pitch and clubbing Meghla down the ground for four more.From that point, Knight looked settled, reaching her 50 in 86 deliveries, having been 15 off 50. She and Dean settled into a rhythm, Dean striking the winning runs with four off Mostary to finish 27 not out.Sobhana Mostary brought up her maiden ODI fifty•AFP/Getty ImagesCollectively, England’s spinners kept a lid on the Bangladesh line-up, despite the best efforts of Nigar, who was extremely vocal from the dugout long after she was caught by Dean off the bowling of Linsey Smith for a second-ball duck.She had good reason to shout. By the 30-over mark, her side had faced 136 dot balls and they went 61 deliveries without a boundary before Mostary struck back-to-back fours off Sciver-Brunt in the 31st, punching through the covers and prodding through third.Sophie Ecclestone finished with three wickets while fellow left-arm spinner Smith, who had been England’s chief destroyer against South Africa, finished with 2 for 33.Offspinners Dean and Capsey bowled with good economy also to secure two wickets apiece, the latter accounting for Mostary for a 108-ball 60 in a double-wicket strike in the 47th over.That was after Mostary had become only the third Bangladesh player to score a Women’s World Cup half-century.It took an England review to remove Mostary after Capsey got one to spin back from just outside off and hit the pad high in line with middle stump as the batter sat back in her crease.Rabeya hit the first six of the match, off Smith in the final over, clearing the towering Bell just inside the boundary at long-on and followed up immediately with four through fine leg. But, having taken a single, Sanjida then chipped the next ball straight to Sciver-Brunt as Bangladesh narrowly failed to bat out their 50 overs.

Thomas Frank’s position as Tottenham Hotspur manager is under scrutiny following the 4-1 North London derby defeat against Arsenal.

Tottenham’s humiliating defeat at the Emirates Stadium was arguably the low point of the Frank era so far, hardly laying a glove on their bitter rivals, with their only goal coming from a piece of Richarlison magic and just 0.07 expected goals (xG) recorded by the visitors.

Spurs have fallen to ninth in the Premier League table, but they are still within touching distance of the Champions League places, despite picking up just one point in their last three games.

It is the manner of the loss that will be particularly concerning, however, with Frank’s side once again looking extremely poor going forward, having also struggled to create any opportunities in the 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

As such, the manager is undoubtedly under pressure, and there has now been a new update on his future in north London.

Tottenham players concerned by Frank's tactics and lineups

In a report for The Telegraph, journalist Matt Law has revealed the Tottenham hierarchy are determined to give the Dane time to put things right, despite the disappointing loss against the Gunners, but some players have two very worrying concerns.

Indeed, some members of the squad believe the 52-year-old has been focusing on the opposition too much, instead of concentrating on the strengths of his own players, with sources around Spurs also of the belief he has chopped and changed his forward line too much.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea have rotated their starting XI more often than the Lilywhites this season, which is named as one of the reasons for the inconsistent results, but Frank seemingly remains safe in his job for the time being.

Games

19

Wins

8

Draws

5

Losses

6

Points per game

1.53

It would be a little early to relieve the manager from his duties, given that Spurs are within touching distance of the play-offs, but the negative approach has to be called into question.

When asked whether he was surprised by Tottenham’s defensive approach, Leandro Trossard said: “Yeah, maybe a bit. Because as I said, it’s still Spurs. But we have been facing a back five a lot of times this season, so we’re kind of used to it.”

It is understandable not to play an extremely high line away against Arsenal, given that they have the joint-best attacking record in the Premier League, but the lack of attacking threat is inexcusable.

It is a short turnaround for Tottenham, who face another tough test away against reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

Where Thomas Frank ranks among the 20 current Premier League managers Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

In case you haven't heard, Juan Soto didn't make the All-Star Game in his debut season with the New York Mets. And he's not happy about it.

But instead of citing the on-field reasons why he's disappointed about missing out on the Midsummer Classic, Soto, who signed the largest deal in professional sports history at $765 million in February, was bummed due to missing out on a bonus in his contract.

"What do you think?" Soto said to a reporter who asked if he's disappointed he didn't make the All-Star Game. "I think it's a lot of money on the table [if I make it]."

Michael Kay wasn't a fan of his response. In fact, he initially thought Soto's comments were a cringy AI video until he saw that the official SNY account on X (formerly Twitter) posted the clip.

"Oh, goodness gracious. Talk about being tone deaf," Kay said on his radio show on ESPN New York. "C'mon, Juan. … You're making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you're upset you're not making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus that you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that? … Do you even realize how that makes you look?"

Soto would have made an additional $100,000 if he was voted into the All-Star Game, according to the Associated Press.

Soto got off to a rough start in his Mets career, logging a .752 OPS in April and batting just .219 in May. But he was scorching hot in June, hitting .322/.474/.722 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games, which was enough to earn him the NL Player of the Month honors.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker will start in the outfield for the National League, while Corbin Carroll, Kyle Stowers, Fernando Tatis Jr. and James Wood will serve as the reserve outfielders.

Soto, meanwhile, will have to watch the All-Star Game from his couch—with no $100,000 bonus in his pocket.

The 2025/26 campaign has deepened and we now have a clear picture of how things are going. For Liverpool, improvements are needed across the board.

Arne Slot has cut a dismayed figure over the past several months, unable to grasp how his high-flying squad have been grounded so miserably. A run of six defeats from seven in the Premier League before the weekend win over West Ham United has cast doubt over his tenure.

With the January transfer window less than a month away, FSG are attentive to potential opportunities, and it’s no secret that Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is at the top of the Merseysiders’ Christmas list.

Liverpool's winter transfer plans

While the thought of activating Semenyo’s £65m release clause next month is tempting, he is not the only talented (and versatile) winger on the market.

And Liverpool are not the only club looking to seal his signature. Semenyo is also on Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s radar, with the latter “intensifying their interest”, according to Sky Sports.

But Liverpool have earmarked a number of potential signings, and Caught Offside have revealed that they have been boosted by Real Madrid’s transfer-listing of rogue winger Rodrygo for around €85m (£75m), whose fortunes at the Santiago Bernabeu have been sour for a while now, and is surely set for an exit in 2026.

Rodrygo has not been in good form for Los Blancos this season or last, but there remains a world-class talent in there, and he could finally reach his potential in a leading role at Liverpool.

Why Liverpool want Rodrygo

Rodrygo is one of the most talented forwards in the world. Rodrygo has also gone 30 La Liga matches without a goal.

It’s clear that he needs to leave Real Madrid and restore his reputation as a “world-class superstar”, as he has been called in the past by former teammate Luka Modric. This is a versatile and multi-faceted forward who has proved himself on the biggest stages time and time again.

Cody Gakpo is a consistent force down the left for Liverpool, but he’s not Sadio Mane, who was one of the best players in the world when in his prime. Now, Slot could land such a player in Rodrygo, who is out of sorts under Xabi Alonso’s wing but still, even at an ebb tide, ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The Brazil international hasn’t actually played that much football on the left flank, but that is his preferred position. Right-footed, he is at his most prolific when cutting inside and striking on goal, all the while retaining a creative flair that sets him apart from so many other talented wingers.

Right winger

148

34

31

Left winger

89

23

18

Centre-forward

85

22

8

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

Mane was also a versatile and dynamic forward, devastating in the final third. Now 33 and playing in Saudi Arabia, Liverpool have sorely missed their one-time talisman’s presence, accentuated by the sale of Luis Diaz this summer, who was never quite on his predecessor’s level.

Liverpool’s data analysts are among the finest in the game. They will know to overlook Rodrygo’s woes in recent times and look at the wider picture. For example, he scored only five goals in La Liga last season, but Sofascore show that he missed only one big chance, emphasising the kind of clinical, Mane-like returns Slot would receive.

Big boots to fill, but the South American is one of the most accomplished wingers in the game,

Rodrygo is still young – the same age, in fact, as Mane when the Senegalese completed his move to Merseyside.

The fact he has accomplished so much already is a testament to his quality and will to win. Liverpool could do with a bit of that, and if they bring such a complete and dangerous player to Anfield, it might prove to be the catalyst for sustained change.

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2 ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2025

Thakare, Dubey then dismissed the Rest of India openers late in the day, leaving them with only eight wickets in hand

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025Vidarbha put themselves in a strong position to win the Irani Cup by setting Rest of India a target of 361 and then taking two wickets in the fourth innings.Starting the day at 96 for 2, Vidarbha were troubled by Anshul Kamboj and Saransh Jain but useful contributions from the lower-middle order lifted them from 105 for 5 to 232. No. 6 and Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar made 36, No. 7 Harsh Dubey contributed 29 and No. 9 Darshan Nalkande scored 39.Kamboj, the pick of the Rest of India bowlers, dismissed Vidarbha’s Nos. 3 to 6. Danesh Malewar’s inside edge onto his pads was taken in the slip cordon. Dhruv Shorey was lbw by a length ball angling in. Yash Rathod was caught behind with a ball moving away. Wadkar was also dismissed to a catch by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan with the new ball. It took Kamboj only 12 overs to return figures of 4 for 34.In their chase of 361, Rest of India lost both openers before stumps. Aditya Thakare bowled Aryan Juyal through his defences to knock his poles back. Dubey then dismissed Abhimanyu Easwaran lbw which the batter reviewed unsuccessfully.Ishan Kishan (5*) and Rajat Patidar (2*) were not out at stumps, leaving Rest of India needing a further 331 runs with eight wickets in hand. Vidarbha are chasing a third Irani Cup title in the last decade, having won in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Glasgow Rangers have officially confirmed that they have parted company with both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, less than 12 months on from both of their arrivals at Ibrox.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh reveals that the Light Blues ownership made the decision to move Stewart and Thelwell on as they believe that they need different people running the project moving forward.

This decision comes after Thelwell arrived from Everton in April and made numerous less-than-well-received decisions, including the appointment of Russell Martin and the signing of Youssef Chermiti for £8m from Everton.

Fraser Thornton has been made the acting CEO and it will be interesting to see what the club do with the sporting director position, given that the January transfer window is on the horizon.

Rangers submit offer to sign exciting winger

Despite the decision to part ways with Stewart and Thelwell, it appears as though there has been work going on behind the scenes to bolster Danny Rohl’s squad.

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According to a report from Kazakhstan, via Scouts in Eurasia, Rangers have submitted an offer to sign 22-year-old Yelimay Semey left winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek, ahead of the January transfer window.

It claims that the Scottish giants have made the most attractive offer to the young starlet, and that has made them the frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Dundee United and Olympiacos are also said to be interested in a deal to land the Kazakhstan international in the winter window, but they are yet to make an offer that is more attractive than the one that Rangers have put down.

Whoever has the final say on transfers in January, which remains to be seen after Monday’s events, could make a better signing than any move Thelwell made in the summer by getting a deal over the line for Kenzhebek.

Why Rangers should sign Galymzhan Kenzhebek

The Gers should push to bring the 22-year-old winger to Ibrox because his form for club and country this season suggests that he could be an exciting addition to the squad.

With 12 Scottish Premiership matches played, none of the summer signings made by Thelwell have delivered more than two goals or one assist in the league, per WhoScored, which illustrates how ineffective his additions have been.

Kenzhebek is a forward who could come in and light up Ibrox in the second half of the season if he can adapt to Scottish football, which would make him a better addition than any of the signings that Thelwell made.

Galymzhan Kenzhebek’s form this season

Stats

Kazakhstan Premier League

World Cup qualifiers

Appearances

11

8

Goals

6

2

Big chances missed

N/A

0

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

Big chances created

N/A

1

Assists

4

1

Dribbles completed per game

8.6

1.4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the young forward has been on fire domestically with ten goals and assists in 11 appearances, whilst also showing his class on the international stage with three goal involvements in eight outings.

Rangers-supporting writer Kai Watson described his dribbling numbers as “incredible”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that no Rangers player has completed more than 2.0 dribbles per game in the Premiership, per WhoScored.

Whilst supporters may question the level of the Kazakhstan Premier League, it is worth pointing out that Hearts signed Claudio Braga from the second division in Norway and Alexandros Kyziridis from the Slovakian top-flight, and they have combined for 14 goals and assists in the league, per WhoScored.

Perhaps dipping into a lesser-known market to sign Kenzhebek, instead of signing experienced Championship players and Premier League flops, could serve them better.

If the 22-year-old attacker can arrive at Ibrox and deliver the kind of attacking quality he has shown for his current club, he would be an even better and more effective signing than any of the moves that Thelwell made during his short stint in Glasgow.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 23, 2025