Corinthians e Atlético-MG se enfrentaram na Neo Química Arena neste domingo (14), pela primeira rodada do Brasileirão, e empataram em 0 a 0.
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O jogo ficou marcado por algumas polêmicas de arbitragem. O volante Battaglia acabou expulso após receber dois cartões amarelos, enquanto Fagner deu entrada em Zaracho e recebeu apenas uma advertência.
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✅ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O Corinthians visita o Juventude na quarta-feira (17), enquanto o Atlético-MG recebe o Criciúma na mesma data. Ambos os jogos valem pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão.
➡️ Clique aqui e confira os próximos jogos e a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA Corinthians 0 x 0 Atlético-MG 1ª rodada – Brasileirão
Data e horário: domingo, 14 de abril de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília) Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP) Árbitro: Yuri Elino Ferreira (RJ) Assistentes: Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (Fifa-RJ) e Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ)
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⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira) Cássio; Fagner, Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique e Hugo; Raniele, Fausto Vera e Rodrigo Garro; Wesley, Romero e Yuri Alberto.
ATLÉTICO-MG (Técnico: Gabriel Milito) Everson, Saravia, Jemerson, Mauricio Lemos e Guilherme Arana; Battaglia, Otávio, Igor Gomes e Zaracho; Paulinho e Hulk.
Whether this is his final season at Manchester United or not, there will come a time sooner rather than later when the Red Devils will line up without Bruno Fernandes in tow, with the Portuguese’s future likely to again be a talking point next summer.
As the 31-year-old revealed in a tell-all interview ahead of making his 300th United appearance last month, he had held talks with Saudi side Al Hilal over the summer regarding a potential move, only to eventually opt to stay put in Manchester with his business still seemingly unfinished.
Also the subject of interest from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, the club’s long-serving talisman has rightly courted admiring glances amid his stunning form over the past five years or so, racking up 100 goals and 89 assists in his 302 outings to date.
While five of those goal involvements have come in this season’s Premier League already, it does appear that the baton is finally being passed, however, with Ruben Amorim’s influential skipper no longer the sole star attraction.
Indeed, all eyes are on INEOS’ £71m signing Bryan Mbeumo following his return of six goals in his first 12 games for the club, with Fernandes quietly pulling the strings in a deeper role.
With Amorim also outlining the prospect of his captain needing to adjust to potential “rotation” next season, should United return to European competition, the gradual phasing out of the playmaker might well have started…
The candidates to replace Fernandes as captain
Fernandes himself was awarded the honour back in the summer of 2023, with then-boss Erik ten Hag taking the decision to strip Harry Maguire of the captaincy, with reports subsequently stating that the Englishman was heading to West Ham United.
To his credit, the latter man stayed to fight for his place, since securing cult hero status with a string of vital goals, be it his last-gasp clincher against Lyon, or the late winner against Liverpool this season.
With the 32-year-old facing his own Old Trafford uncertainty amid his expiring contract, however, it would be unlikely to see him outlast Fernandes at the club, with other candidates in the running to take the armband.
Indeed, at present, Matthijs de Ligt – the hero against Tottenham Hotspur last time out – is showcasing captaincy material, albeit while not actually having been included in Amorim’s self-appointed leadership group in pre-season.
Instead, that experienced bunch includes Fernandes, Maguire, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot, with the ex-Sporting CP boss singling them out as the leaders in his first-team ranks.
Like Maguire, however, Casemiro’s current deal expires in 2026, while Martinez may be more concerned with getting back fit and firing again, having been absent since sustaining an ACL injury back in February.
Mazraoui, too, has also endured an injury-hit start to 2025/26, with the Moroccan defender also no longer a guaranteed starter, following Amad’s emergence in that right wing-back berth.
The form of the Ivorian – which includes his stunning equaliser against Nottingham Forest – has also plunged Dalot’s long-term future into doubt, with the Portuguese full-back potentially in line for the axe before too long.
Why Man Utd's 'future captain' needs to be sold
The merits of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system have long been debated, although amid United’s five-game unbeaten run, it looks like a corner may have been turned, with the squad beginning to find its feet at both ends of the pitch.
Bruno Fernandes
52
Noussair Mazraoui
45
Diogo Dalot
45
Manuel Ugarte
44
Leny Yoro
44
Rasmus Hojlund
40
Alejandro Garnacho
40
Harry Maguire
40
Matthijs de Ligt
39
One area which remains something of a headache is at wing-back, however, with the 40-year-old coach having flitted between Patrick Dorgu and Dalot on that left-hand side in recent weeks.
While the latter man did assist Mbeumo from that role against Burnley, he has largely looked rather uncomfortable in an unorthodox role, having notably failed to prevent Nicolo Savona from converting at the City Ground two weeks ago.
In a system that demands an attacking intent from those on the flanks, even on his favoured flank, the one-time Porto man has hardly flourished in that sense in recent times, racking up just nine goals and 18 assists in 220 games for the club to date.
While once something of a “standout” under Ten Hag – having claimed the Players’ Player of the Year award at United in 2024 – Dalot no longer appears to have a defined role under the new regime, putting his future into doubt heading into 2026.
With a contract that expires in 2028, it could prove the perfect time to try and cash in on the £24m-rated defender – as valued by Transfermarkt – with the INEOS regime no doubt needing to do what they can to reshape the squad in Amorim’s image.
Of course, Dalot appears to be an influential figure under his compatriot, as his place in the leadership group showcases, having reportedly produced something of a rallying cry in the dressing room following the 3-3 draw with Porto last season.
It is for acts like that that the £90k-per-week star had emerged as one of the club’s “future captains” – as relayed by Samuel Luckhurst – although with his own form now under scrutiny, his Old Trafford stay should be coming to an end.
Forget Sesko: Man Utd's "anxious" dud is now becoming INEOS' worst signing
Manchester United have one player who has massively struggled to meet expectations at Old Trafford.
With the BPL embroiled in fixing allegations, the BCB’s new anti-corruption consultant is designing a new integrity unit
Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2025Alex Marshall, the new consultant to the BCB’s anti-corruption department, wants to strengthen the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so that it doesn’t look like a “vulnerable” competition to bookies and other corruptors. Marshall, who was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year, has been appointed by the BCB for a year.He arrived in Dhaka on Monday, and met BCB president Aminul Islam and the rest of the directors on Tuesday. Marshall said he would look at every aspect of the BPL, including team ownership structure, so that the tournament’s foundation is less susceptible to corruption.”The biggest threat to any franchise league around the world is when it appears vulnerable,” Marshall said. “That’s why we need to ensure the BPL does not give off that impression. The way the tournament is run, how finances are managed, and how team ownership is structured – all of these must be handled at a high, professional standard and properly safeguarded.Related
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“The reality is, if a franchise league isn’t seen as professional and well-protected, it eventually becomes a target for corruptors. We’ve seen this happen in many countries, and the BPL has also faced issues in the past. That’s why it’s essential for a new integrity unit to provide the protection the league needs.”The fallout from the BPL’s last season, which finished in February this year, is still making headlines in Bangladesh. The board appointed an independent investigation committee following a swirl of corruption allegations in the BPL. Eight months on, the three-member committee is still wrapping up its investigation, with the BCB expecting the primary report later this month. The committee has reportedly uncovered several spot-fixing cases in the last five BPL seasons, including the 2024-25 edition.The BCB is also still dealing with two franchises, Durbar Rajshahi and Chittagong Kings, who have dues pending with the board and players. The BCB recently released a statement detailing how much they are owed by Chittagong. BPL apart, the BCB’s anti-corruption unit is also investigating a controversial stumping incident in last season’s Dhaka Premier League, the country’s main List A competition.Alex Marshall: ‘I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh’•Getty ImagesMarshall said he had found the full support of the BCB’s directors, including president Aminul, as he looks to redesign the anti-corruption unit. He said much would depend on how much the unit can educate players, coaches and officials to shield them from corruptors.”I am working with the board and the president to design an integrity unit that gives the right level of protection that is deserved within Bangladesh,” Marshall said. “I will complete that design over the next three or four weeks, and I will then present that back to the board for their sign-off.”Therefore, after that point, you would see the implementation of the unit. But that’s just one moment of creating something. The effort needs to be long-term education, [and] protection. And if someone breaches the rules, they need to know they will be investigated and they will be prosecuted.”
Among the association’s next tasks is the establishment of an Africa T20 competition, the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup, and the inclusion of cricket at the Africa Games
Firdose Moonda19-Jul-2025
[File photo] Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been ZC’s chair since 2015 and has been re-elected three times•Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) head Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been appointed chairman of the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) after serving in the same role in an interim capacity since November last year. Mukuhlani was unanimously appointed by the 23 ACA member associations at their annual general meeting in Singapore on Friday.”We stand today at the threshold of a new era for African cricket – an era defined by stronger governance, broader opportunity and renewed ambition,” Mukuhlani said in a statement issued by ZC. “Let us continue building on the progress we have made, united by a common purpose and driven by a shared love for the game.”The ACA, which includes two Full Members in South Africa and Zimbabwe, has recently been through an administrative overhaul, which has included the adoption of a new memorandum of incorporation to ensure better governance.Related
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Among the body’s next tasks is the establishment of an Africa T20 competition, which has been in the works for several years, the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup, which was mooted last year, and the inclusion of cricket at the Africa Games in Egypt in 2027 after it debuted at the same competition in 2023.Cricket made its first appearance at the continental competition in Ghana, where Zimbabwe won both the men’s and women’s events (the men’s with an emerging side) as South Africa sent experimental sides instead of their full-strength teams.Mukuhlani is interested in extending cricket’s reach at the Africa Games, in part, with the hope of securing more funding for the ACA. “These engagements are crucial not only for visibility but also for opening new doors of investment, policy support and continental collaboration,” he said.Mukuhlani has been ZC’s chair since 2015 and has been re-elected three times. He also sits on the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.In his tenure, ZC has worked its way out of debt, navigated an ICC suspension for government interference, and got the women’s team on the future tours programme.The men’s team, however, is not part of the World Test Championship and failed to qualify for the last two ODI World Cups and last T20 World Cup, but will play in the 2027 50-over World Cup, which Zimbabwe will co-host with South Africa and Namibia. Zimbabwe will also co-host the 2026 men’s Under-19 World Cup with Namibia.
South Africa can dare to dream. With Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma playing the most significant innings of their careers, the latter while carrying a hamstring injury, they closed within 69 runs of claiming the World Test Championship title, which would be the finest hour for a cricket nation steeped in history but short on silverware.The second-wicket pair combined to add 143 in 38 overs of wonderfully controlled batting, a partnership that will go down in South Africa folklore barring extraordinary events on the fourth morning, with Markram reaching his eighth Test century from 156 deliveries in the closing moments of the day. They repelled everything Australia threw at them on a pitch that, with the sun out for most of the day, was at its friendliest for batting in the Test. The way Australia’s last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had earlier been able to add 59 in 22 overs had foretold what was to come.Related
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Still, Australia felt favourites when they set about defending 282. Despite the early loss of Ryan Rickelton, edging a very full delivery from Starc which was confirmed by the third umpire, there was a notable urgency to South Africa’s batting. In the first innings, it took until the 20th over to reach 30 (three wickets were gone by then), whereas this time they were 47 for 1 after ten.Starc struck again to have Wiaan Mulder caught low at cover, but then came a vital moment when Bavuma, on 2, edged to Steven Smith at first slip. Smith was stood so close – he was wearing a helmet as the carry off the surface continued to die – and the chance burst through his hands, leaving him with a compound dislocation of his right little finger. The agony was clear on his face as he immediately left the field. By the end of the day, it was likely shared by his team-mates.Shortly before tea, Bavuma joined the injury list when he picked up a hamstring injury but he defied the pain, mixing hobbling between the wickets with some crisp strokeplay. It was going to take much more than a tweaked muscle to stop Bavuma. There was, however, a question to be asked as to whether Australia could have squeezed an injured batter hard in the field. The closest Bavuma came to a mistake was when he top-edged Nathan Lyon towards deep square-leg on 43 but Sam Konstas, on as a substitute, couldn’t quite make enough ground with a full-length dive that left him with a mouthful of grass.Aiden Markram brought up his eighth Test century•ICC/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Markram was all but faultless. He kept the scoreboard ticking – Australia sent down just three maidens in 56 overs – alongside a selection of handsome boundaries, none better than the back-cut off Starc which bisected deep third and deep point with precision and left the bowler waving his arms in frustration. He would then move to 97 with the sweetest of straight drives against Hazlewood. As the close neared, and it appeared he may have to wait for the morning, his crowning moment arrived with a whip through the leg side.Pat Cummins went through all the options at his disposal, but nothing could conjure the moment to create an opening. Lyon caused some problems out of the rough and came very close on a few occasions while Travis Head’s first delivery ragged sharply at Markram. They will need a miracle on Saturday.It was South Africa’s surge with the ball on the second day that had kept them in the game after conceding a lead of 74, but Alex Carey had pushed the advantage over 200. When Lyon was lbw to Kagiso Rabada in the third over of the day – his ninth wicket of the match – it appeared Australia’s innings would end swiftly, but the last-wicket pair had other ideas.3:26
Hayden: Starc showed courage with the bat
It was not the first time Starc and Hazlewood had combined in such a fashion, surviving 18 overs together against India in Perth last year, while Hazlewood has also previously shown his stickability when helping Cameron Green add 116 against New Zealand in Wellington earlier in 2024.There was rarely anything expansive about the partnership but for large stages the duo were untroubled which was a hint at the changing batting conditions. Starc shielded Hazlewood on occasions, particularly against Rabada and Marco Jansen, but Hazlewood produced one of shots of partnership when he ramped Jansen over the slips.Starc has always had batting pedigree and at times has underdelivered for his talent in Test cricket. This half-century, coming off 131 balls, was his first since Old Trafford in 2019 and it ended as the second-most deliveries he had faced behind the career-best 99 (a Test high score he shares with wife Alyssa Healy).At times South Africa seemed strangely flat but so, too, did the pitch for the first time in the game. In the end it was the sixth bowler used in the session, Markram, who ended the resistance when Hazlewood drove off the back foot to cover. And so the final question was posed: was 282 chaseable? The answer, historically so for South Africa, would appear to be in the affirmative.
أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز اليوم الخميس، عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في المسابقة وذلك عن شهر أكتوبر.
وشهد هذا الشهر العديد من المباريات المثيرة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج” كما استمر إيرلينج هالاند في تألقه.
وشهد الشهر لقاء ديربي بين ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد واستطاع رجال أموريم أن يحققوا فوزًا مهمًا بثنائية مقابل هدف لأول مرة على ملعب “أنفيلد” منذ 9 سنوات.
ويتواجد إيرلينج هالاند، نجم مانشستر سيتي على رأس المرشحين للفوز بجائزة لاعب شهر أكتوبر بعدما سجل جميع أهداف مانشستر سيتي الثلاثة في أكتوبر، رافعًا رصيده إلى 11 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم.
ويتواجد كاش لاعب أستون فيلا في القائمة بعدما ساهم في تحقيق فريقه فوزه الثاني هذا الموسم بفوزه على بيرنلي 2-1، قبل أن يُمرر تمريرة رائعة أدت إلى هدف الفوز ضد توتنهام هوتسبير.
واختتم الدولي البولندي شهرًا مميزًا بتسجيله الهدف الوحيد في فوز فيلا 1-0 على مانشستر سيتي.
اقرأ أيضًا | طبيب يمنح بيدري وبرشلونة نصيحة هامة لتفادي الإصابات
برونو جيمارايش لاعب نيوكاسل الذي سجل هدفين من أصل خمسة أهداف سجلها فريقه في أكتوبر، سجل هدفًا رائعًا من مسافة بعيدة في الفوز 2-0 على نوتنجهام فورست.
وتواجد فان دن بيرج لاعب برينتفورد بعدما سجل هدفين في الشوط الثاني في الفوز 2-0 على إيفرتون.
وظهر جونيور كروبي لاعب بورنموث إذ تألق اللاعب الفرنسي البالغ من العمر 19 عامًا، حيث سجل ثلاثة أهداف في مباراتين فقط مع بورنموث.
وتواجد بريان مبويمو بعدما قاد فريقه للفوز على ليفربول بتسجيله أول أهداف المباراة في وقت مبكر وتألق في العديد من المباريات الأخرى جعلت مانشستر يونايتد يتواجد ضمن أول 5 مراكز في جدول البريميرليج.
وظهر نوردي موكيلي مدافع سندرلاد، إذ تألق المدافع الفرنسي ووضع فريقه في المقدمة خلال فوزهم 2-0 على ولفرهامبتون وساعدهم في الحفاظ على نظافة شباكهم في مباراتهم الوحيدة هذا الشهر.
إيجور تياجو مهاجم برينتفورد أصبح مرشحًا للاعب الشهر في أكتوبر بعدما واصل تألقه أمام المرمى، وسجل هدفين في ثلاث مباريات خلال شهر أكتوبر.
خلال شهر أكتوبر، لم ينجح أي فريق في هز الشباك أمام دفاع آرسنال الفولاذي، لذلك تواجد جورين تيمبر في القائمة لما أظهره من أداء مميز من الناحية البدنية والفنية.
Lighting up the pitch in October 💫
Vote now for your @EASPORTSFC Player of the Month 🗳️ — Premier League (@premierleague) October 30, 2025
First half into IPL 2025, GT have won five out of seven games, with Mohammed Siraj being among their top performers
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-20254:39
Finch: Gujarat Titans are the team to beat
After winning the IPL in their first season in 2022, and then finishing as runners-up next year, Gujarat Titans (GT) finished eighth in 2024. Last year, GT were being led by Shubman Gill after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians, and managed only five wins in 14 games. This time, Gill has led GT to as many wins in half the number of matches. Seven games into IPL 2025, GT are table-toppers with ten points.Vikram Solanki, their director of cricket, believes Gill has “lots to learn” as a captain, but that he’s growing and has been “quite brilliant”.”The connections that he’s formed with his bowling group – we saw that last year actually. He’s grown into the role from one game to the next,” Solanki said ahead of GT’s next fixture, against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Monday. “He’s sort of developing as a captain – developing his captaincy style – which is very good to see…”Related
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“He’s got quite an experienced bowling attack to lean on as well, which is obviously very helpful. But he continues to go from strength to strength as far as his captaincy is concerned.”Among the bowlers at Gill’s disposal is the quick Mohammed Siraj, who has 11 wickets in seven games this season. He is GT’s joint second-highest wicket-taker so far, and has returned to form after being dropped by India for the Champions Trophy just before the IPL. Solanki highlighted the “big influence” which Ashish Nehra, GT’s head coach, has had on Siraj.”They obviously have a very good connection, but I don’t want, for a second, to take away from all of the hard work that Siraj has done also,” Solanki said. “Of course, he has all of the support of all of the coaches, and there is no doubt that Ashish has been a big influence. But we must also acknowledge the work that Siraj has done and respect that.”Solanki said that there was “no better coach” than Nehra when it came to instilling confidence in players. But while mentioning that, he also spoke of Siraj overcoming the disappointment of missing out on the Champions Trophy, a tournament which India went on to win undefeated.”It just seems as though we’ve got a guy that has something to prove,” Solanki said of Siraj. “I’m sure he was disappointed, but he’s channelled that disappointment in working hard, and, I suppose, having a real thought about what he wants to do. He’s got a great coach in Ashish Nehra helping him as far as his performance is concerned. Long may that connection continue and long may Siraj continue to thrive.”
Heading into the 2025 summer transfer window, Arsenal fans were expectant. They were promised an unprecedented summer and despite the slow pace with which a deal for Viktor Gyokeres was completed, the Gunners indeed had a crazy summer.
That striker deal was finally wrapped but Andrea Berta strengthened Mikel Arteta’s squad in every single position possible.
At the back, Kepa arrived from Chelsea in a £5m deal while Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, two of the most exciting young defensive talents in Europe, both signed.
In midfield, Martin Zubimendi was the marquee addition but he was joined by former Brentford skipper, Christian Norgaard.
It was the forward line that was bolstered most, however. Gyokeres, of course, was the big addition but beside him came Noni Madueke – a signing that sparked controversy – and one that had the whole fanbase unified; Eberechi Eze.
What those signings have done is take this squad to the next level. It’s another phase and level of progression for Arteta’s side and even with a whole host of injuries – namely to William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka – they swept aside Nottingham Forest with ease on Saturday.
It’s not the first time that Arteta has chosen to take the team in a new direction; Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are testament to that.
The Jesus and Zinchenko sagas at Arsenal
In the summer of 2022, Arteta knew he needed something to take his project to the next level.
In order to do that, he signed Jesus for £45m and Zinchenko for £30m from Manchester City within just a few weeks of each other.
Proven winners, players he knew from his days as assistant head coach to Pep Guardiola, this was a strong recipe tor success and indeed they changed the game when they first arrived.
Zinchenko allowed a huge level of tactical progression. The left-back is one of the finest inverted full-backs in European football which allowed Arsenal to gain more possession and control the tempo of a game more efficiently.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
How about Jesus? Well, he brought spice, he brought trickery and he brought goals. The Brazilian’s first few months at the Emirates Stadium were a sight to behold.
A proper Brazilian forward, Jesus was spellbinding. He beat players for fun and, importantly, he scored goals. In his first nine Premier League outings, he bagged five times and also registered four assists, proving to be a unique all-round threat.
Zincheko + Jesus for Arsenal
Stat
Zinchenko
Jesus
Signed for
£30m
£45m
Games
91
96
Goals
3
26
Assists
5
20
Mins played
5,282
5,461
Stats via Transfermarkt.
The trouble is, while Arsenal got better as a squad, the importance of Zinchenko and Jesus became less and less.
The Ukrainian, for all of the good he brought in possession, was a liability defensively and Jesus, well, he just can’t seem to stay off the treatment table.
We all got a reminder of just how good the 28-year-old is when he scored six goals in the space of five games over the 2024/25 festive period, including a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace.
Yet, his season was turned upside down when he ruptured his ACL in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.
Even before that, however, he was beginning to be phased out by Arteta. Kai Havertz was now the golden striker.
At left-back, meanwhile, Arteta upgraded on Zinchenko by adding Riccardo Calafiori to the fray. The emergence of Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly, also bumped him further down the pecking order.
Arsenal’s game-changers were no longer game-changers; they were merely spare parts in this squad.
The same is now happening for two of Arteta’s most trusted forward players at the Emirates. It would be a surprise if they started games regularly again.
£66m Arsenal duo are going to suffer this season
What a transfer window Arsenal had. Yet, unfortunately for two players in the forward line, they may well find themselves reduced to bit-part figures, just like Jesus and Zinchenko in the last few years.
The players here are Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, key components of the Gunners’ forward line for a number of seasons now.
Unfortunately for Martinelli, he doesn’t look as though he’ll ever live up to his sky-high potential. Once described as a “talent of the century” by Jurgen Klopp, it feels like a long time now since the Brazilian netted 15 Premier League goals in a single campaign.
It also feels like a long time since Trossard’s 17-goal haul in 2023/24. That season, only Bukayo Saka scored more goals for Arsenal.
It’s safe to say that 2024/25 was not one full of too much success for either player. While Martinelli did score inside the Bernabeu, he and Trossard both ended the term with ten goals apiece from 51 and 56 games respectively.
It’s not an awful tally, but you need more, particularly when Arsenal were contending with injuries to the likes of Saka, Havertz and Jesus.
So, over the summer of 2025, Arsenal have undergone another level of progression, one that could spell the end for any thoughts both Martinelli and Trossard had of gaining regular starts.
Indeed, with Madueke and Eze having entered the fray, immediate upgrades have been sourced on the £270k-per-week duo. We saw that first-hand during Arsenal’s win over Forest at the weekend.
While Madueke didn’t leave the pitch with a goal or an assist, he was relentless down the right-hand side and showcased why he will be the most natural back-up and competition for Saka. He completed five key passes and also registered five successful dribbles.
As for Eze, he was a breath of fresh air on the left-hand side of the attack. Jinking past players for fun, he was the player who registered the assist for Gyokeres’ goal.
Running in behind, the Hale Ender was picked out by Calafiori. Eze did not need a touch to set himself, ultimately sliding the ball into the path of the big Swede who couldn’t miss from a matter of yards out.
It was a performance that evoked memories of the 2022/23 side, one that Jesus and Zinchenko were part of. The football was slick, it was sweeping and it got past the Forest defence with ease.
Unfortunately for the £66m-rated pair of Trossard and Martinelli, it’s not good news. Still, for fans of the club, it was incredibly refreshing to see a pair of wingers with the desire to beat their man.
Arsenal star looks like their best bargain since the days of Henry & Vieira
Very rarely does a player feel like a bargain but Andrea Berta has struck gold on this one.
Shubman Gill and Maheesh Theekshana have become the new No. 1 men’s ODI batter and bowler respectively in the ICC rankings update released on the opening day of the Champions Trophy. Gill has gone past Babar Azam on his list, while Theekshana has gone past Rashid Khan on his.Gill had an excellent time of it in the home ODI series against England, which India won 3-0, with scores of 87, 60 and 112, which made him the top run-getter in the series, his 259 runs coming at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 103.60. The next highest scorer, Shreyas Iyer, was 78 behind Gill with 181 runs.This is the second time Gill has gone to the top of the pile in ODI cricket – the previous occasion was during the ODI World Cup in 2023.
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Gill’s rise has pushed Babar to second place. Gill has 796 rating points, while Babar has 773.They are followed in the top five by Rohit Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Daryl Mitchell, who has moved up two places after the tri-series in Pakistan where he scored 81, 10 and 57.Following the two-ODI series against England, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has moved up eight spots to No. 8, while Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan captain, has reached 15th place.Maheesh Theekshana became the seventh Sri Lanka bowler to bag an ODI hat-trick during the Australia series•Getty Images
Sri Lanka are not a part of the Champions Trophy, having missed out on qualification, but along with Asalanka, Theekshana made the most of the two-ODI series at home against Australia, returning 4 for 40 and none for 11.Rashid, who hasn’t played an ODI since last December, has slipped to the second spot, but isn’t too far behind Theekshana – he has 669 ratings points to the table-topper’s 680, and a good Champions Trophy campaign can take him back to the top.Behind Theekshana and Rashid on the bowlers’ table is Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top five. Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, has made big moves too, his five wickets in the three ODIs in the Pakistan tri-series giving him a five-spot boost and putting him at No. 7.
Manuel Neuer claims Bayern Munich's 3-1 win against Chelsea in the Champions League opener was more than just a win, but rather a "crowning achievement" for the team. The Bayern goalkeeper believes they have improved as a squad and the result is a testament to it. The 39-year-old also completed his 100th Champions League victory with a win over the Premier League side.
Manuel Neuer's 'insane' performance against Chelsea
Neuer was solid in Bayern's Champions League win over Chelsea, making key saves and commanding his area with experience and calm. He helped maintain a strong defensive shape, limiting the London club's chances and playing a crucial role in Bayern's confident start to the campaign. The 39-year-old's performance showcased why he remains one of the top goalkeepers, contributing significantly to the team's victory, with coach Vincent Kompany labelling his performance "insane."
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The key points behind Bayern's dominance
Neuer expressed his happiness after Bayern's win, praising the team's strong form and momentum. He acknowledged the challenge of facing the Club World Cup champions and emphasised the importance of building on this victory.
"When you're a Bayern Munich player, you always want to win. For us, the greatest thing is to play in the Champions League and win it," he said. "That's why it's always a distant goal. You have to try to do your homework. The game against Chelsea isn't homework, but rather a crowning achievement, the way we played today. We crushed them here at home. But in the new league format, we're first playing to get into the top eight. Then you want to progress in the knockout rounds toward the final."
Neuer added: "You're playing against a Premier League team, against a team that, in some ways, played similarly to Augsburg in the second half away from home. These are examples from the Bundesliga that you can then translate to the Champions League. We showed there that we also have to fight. That was an important factor today. Nevertheless, we were also the better team in terms of playing skills. We were simply cooler with the ball."
Manuel Neuer bags his 100th Champions League Victory
Neuer joined Bayern in 2011 after making his mark at Schalke, where he debuted in the Champions League in 2007. Known for standout moments like saving penalties against Real Madrid in 2011-12, he went on to anchor Bayern’s 2013 Champions League triumph. Now celebrating his 100th win in the competition, Neuer’s consistency and clean-sheet record cement his place among the greatest goalkeepers in Champions League history.
Asked about his 100th Champions League victory, the German goalkeeper said: "It's a nice number. But it's much more important to have won these victories with the team. We celebrate together."
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Bayern's focus now shifts to the next challenge
Kompany's side have little time to savour this victory as they must quickly reset and sharpen their focus to face another crucial league challenge against Hoffenheim on September 20, before they face Cypriot side Pafos in their next Champions League outing.