O Fluminense tem nova chance de tentar se manter nas primeiras colocações do Campeonato Brasileiro. Em jogo válido pela vigésima-quarta rodada da competição, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras, que tem 36 pontos, conta com retornos importante no confronto com o Athletico-PR neste sábado, às 19h, no Maracanã.
Após o empate sem gols com o RB Bragantino, o técnico Odair Hellmann tende a lançar Egídio, Hudson e Michel Araújo, que se recuperaram de Covid-19, como titulares no confronto. O desafio é dar mais fôlego para a equipe tricolor.
Do lado do Furacão, que tem 28 pontos, o treinador Paulo Autuori contará com oito retornos após terem se recuperado do vírus. Quatro deles tendem a ser titulares: o goleiro Santos, o lateral-esquerdo Abner, o volante Fernando Canesin e o meia-atacante Nikão. Os demais são o goleiro Jandrei, o zagueiro Zé Ivaldo, o volante Alvaradoe o atacante Geuvânio.
A partida não terá transmissão de TV, uma vez que o Athletico-PR não fechou acordo de transmissão com o canal a cabo Premiere. OLANCE! transmite o jogo em tempo real.
CONFIRA A TABELA E A CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
FICHA TÉCNICA
FLUMINENSE x ATHLETICO-PR
Data-Hora: 04-12-20 – 19h Estádio: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel (SC) Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (Fifa/SC) e Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC) VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP) Transmissão: tempo real do LANCE!.
FLUMINENSE: Marcos Felipe, Calegari, Matheus Ferraz, Luccas Claro e Egídio; Hudson, Martinelli, Michel Araújo e Nenê; Wellington Silva e Marcos Paulo. Técnico: Odair Hellmann
Suspensos: Ninguém
Lesionados: Ninguém
Em transição no departamento médico: Yago.
Com Covid-19: Lucca, Muriel, Muriel, Danilo Barcelos, Digão, Yuri e Pedro Rangel.
ATHLETICO-PR: Santos; Erick, Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno e Abner; Richard, Fernando Canesin e Léo Cittadini; Nikão, Carlos Eduardo (Renato Kayzer) e Walter. Técnico: Paulo Autuori
Suspenso: Christian
Lesionados: Jonathan, Márcio Azevedo, Reinaldo e Vitinho
Com Covid-19: Léo, Khellven e Felipe Aguilar
Palpite da redação do LANCE!: 70% dos jornalistas afirmaram que o Fluminense vencerá a partida. Os outros 30% disseram que haverá um empate no duelo.
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When it comes to transfer business, there's not many better than Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls continuously welcome players before converting them into the next best thing in the Premier League. Even after losing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in the summer window, Roberto De Zerbi's side look on course for another action-packed campaign.
Now operating at a higher level than ever, Brighton have been able to welcome players such as Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati and could yet use their new-found stature to add a similarly impressive target when the January and summer transfer windows swing open.
Brighton transfer news
So far, the Seagulls' summer transfer window looks to have been another impressive showing of their transfer expertise. Joao Pedro has particularly got off to a strong start after completing his switch from Championship side Watford during the window. The forward has already found the back of the net on six occasions and assisted one other goal in 13 appearances.
De Zerbi will be hoping that any future arrivals will replicate his new striker by getting off to blistering starts. And that could include one particular target, if the Seagulls complete their move. According to Football Insider, Brighton have set their sights on a move for Matt O'Riley. The Premier League side have reportedly scouted the Celtic midfielder and have been hugely impressed by what they've seen. They're not alone in their interest, though, with a number of English sides keeping an eye on O'Riley.
Any deal may prove to be a difficult one to negotiate, too, given that the 22-year-old's contract doesn't come to an end until 2027 and Celtic reportedly see him as their prized asset. When the January transfer window opens, it will be interesting to see whether Brighton keep watching on from afar or, indeed, make their move for O'Riley.
Matt O'Riley's stats
Celtic'sMattO'Riley
O'Riley's stats have once again reflected just how talented he is. The Celtic man has scored six goals and assisted a further four to have a hand in an impressive 10 goals in 14 games in all competitions. It's no surprise then that the 22-year-old has been at the centre of praise during his time in the Scottish Premiership, including from Danish pundit Peter Kjaer, who said via The Daily Record: “I’ve seen O’Riley play, he’s a top player. I know the national coach also thinks he’s great. He spoke about him before the 2022 World Cup so he’s been following him.
"He’s doing very well at Celtic and he’s still a young guy who is improving all the time. He has a lot of qualities that I know Denmark will want to use in the future. Playing in the Champions League will also undoubtedly help him, in terms of a call-up.”
After seemingly attracting the interest of Brighton, O'Riley looks set to have an important decision to make in the near future. He could yet decide to stay put at Celtic, where he has already had great success. The Scottish giants will certainly want to keep hold of their star man, that's for sure.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkison has claimed Andy Cannon's goal against Grimsby Town would be "replayed a lot" had it been scored in the Premier League.
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Parkinson hailed Cannon's goalMade Premier League claimWrexham beat Grimsby Town 3-1WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Dragons manager claimed that Andy Cannon's second goal in the club's win over Grimsby Town on Saturday would have received a lot more hype had it happened in the Premier League. It was a classic counter-attack goal which helped the Welsh club take a 2-0 lead in the first half. The move was initiated by Paul Mullin, who went past a couple of players before sending a crisp pass to Tom O'Connor, who in turn fed Cannon with a brilliant through ball as the midfielder then scored past the opposition's goalkeeper.
AdvertisementWHAT PHIL PARKINSON SAID
Speaking to reporters about the goal, Parkinson said: "We scored some great goals against Grimsby. The goal on the counter-attack, if you saw that in the Premier League, people would be replaying it quite a lot. It was a great bit of skill by Mulls, a great run by Tom and weight of pass, and what a finish that was. That was a top-class goal."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
It was an important win for the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned side, who retained third position in the League Two table and are trailing league leaders Mansfield Town by just three points. The club are eyeing a second consecutive promotion after getting back into the English Football League last season.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Parkinson's side will get an opportunity to go top of the table when they take on Mansfield Town next in their upcoming League Two encounter on Friday.
The coach expressed disappointment with the bowlers’ inconsistency, and defended Sarfraz Ahmed, whom he called an ‘outstanding captain’
Shashank Kishore in Dubai24-Sep-20181:33
Result against India was a reality check – Mickey Arthur
Pakistan’s batting failed to step up for a second successive game against India. On Sunday, they were only a shade better than in their previous meeting, in which they had made 162. A target of 238 hardly challenged Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who flattened Pakistan’s attack with centuries in a 210-run opening stand.Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has put the team’s batting failures down to a ‘confidence crisis’ within the team, but insisted the hard knocks from the Asia Cup would help the players learn as they build forward.”They’re suffering a confidence crisis at the moment, there’s a little bit of fear of failure in the dressing room, there’s a bit of a reality check for exactly where we are as a cricket team,” Arthur said. “In terms of the worst performance, nine wickets, it’s got to be up there but we’re on a journey, we’ll get better and stronger than this.”Arthur cited the example of Fakhar Zaman to underline the confidence crisis theory. Fakhar has looked far from settled when India have tried to attack him by bowling at the stumps, and has failed to provide his usual freewheeling starts. At the end of the first Powerplay on Sunday, he had limped to 12 off 31 balls.”We know cricket is a confidence game,” Arthur said. “Look at Fakhar Zaman, he’s an incredible player, he’s an X-factor player and we expect him to take the game on at the top of the order, but he’s doubting his game a little at the moment. We’ve got to just ride the wave with him. If we do that, when he comes out, he’ll be a better player for this. We’ve banked the work, the work is all done.”Arthur’s second concern was Pakistan’s bowlers and their deviation from set plans. Mohammad Amir has been wicketless for five straight ODIs now, stretching back to the tour of Zimbabwe in July. He’s now bowled 35.4 overs since taking his last ODI wicket, and this barren spell even led to his being left out of the game against Afghanistan on Friday.He was specifically brought back because Pakistan were playing India on a fresh surface with slightly more pace and carry compared to the other surfaces in this tournament, but his returns weren’t any better: 5-0-41-0. Shadab Khan too was rendered ineffective on the same surface where India’s wristspinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, bottled up Pakistan’s middle order and finished with combined figures of 4 for 87.”There was inconsistency in lines and lengths, and it’s disappointing,” Arthur said. “We went into panic mode. Once they got in, we started searching for wickets. The way you get wickets is, you’ve got to build pressure. We didn’t stay with our plans long enough. Our plans was to hit the hard lengths, hit top of off with our seamers, and then have the ability to put them under pressure in the middle. We’ve got to attack to take wickets, it didn’t happen and we weren’t patient enough. There were plans but they weren’t executed for long enough.”Associated PressArthur was effusive in his praise for Jasprit Bumrah’s death-bowling skills. Bumrah took 2 for 15 in his four-over spell at the end of the innings, nailing his yorkers perfectly, and Pakistan only managed 38 off their last seven overs.”We had an optional session the other day,” Arthur said. “We sat there for 20 minutes and I watched Jasprit Bumrah at the nets next to us, executing yorker after yorker after yorker, and he put that into practice here. In our review, we definitely will be showing our young bowlers his execution in the death overs, it was very good.”The Pakistan coach also disagreed that Sarfraz Ahmed’s captaincy was a reason for India walking home unchallenged. He explained that the decision to bat first, on what is increasingly looking like a chasing ground, was a collective one, taken only because the confidence crisis he referred to earlier could have hurt the batsmen while chasing, particularly against India’s spinners.”I have heard from the outside how we should’ve bowled first here, bat first there, but honestly, we look at how best we can win,” Arthur said. “We believe if we can get runs on the board and strike with the new ball, we can put India under pressure. We don’t want to expose our middle order against their spinners in a run chase, it’s going to just get bigger and bigger and bigger and our batsmen are going to get under pressure even more.”One of the solutions to the confidence crisis, he insisted, was to repose faith in the captain and allow him time and space to develop as a leader. “He’s great, his captaincy is growing,” he said, when asked if pressure was weighing Sarfraz down. “I’ve had the privilege to work with two outstanding captains (Graeme Smith and Michael Clarke), he’s the third. He’s a learning captain, the only one I’ve seen having a balance between on the field and off the field. Yes, we sit and debrief after every game in terms of tactics, he’s developing into a very, very good captain for Pakistan without a doubt.”There’s a silver lining for Pakistan yet. They still have a chance to make the final against India by beating Bangladesh on Wednesday. Arthur prescribed some fine-tuning of skills and mental make-up to help them bounce back.”It’s a confidence thing. Certainly in terms of the amount of work these guys have put in, it’s second to none,” he said. “These guys work every day on their catching, but the minute one goes down, it’s kind of like a disease. It catches off and catches on. It takes one good catch, one good innings or a five-for to turn it around and we will get the confidence back then. We’ve got to trust the skills to come out in the end. We’ve banked the work. It’s time for that to pay off.”
Everton’s recruitment over the past decade, ever since David Moyes stepped down from his position to take over at Premier League champions Manchester United, has been undefined, to say the least.
The Toffees signed a large number of players for hefty transfer fees under a variety of different head coaches, parting ways with half a billion pounds in cash from 2016 to 2022 alone.
Nevertheless, the Merseyside club did make some of the money back over the last ten years by selling some key players for relatively handsome sums, including Romelu Lukaku, Richarlison, John Stones, and Anthony Gordon.
However, the club’s fifth-highest transfer sale since 2013 has recently become a free agent this past week and even managed to outscore every Everton player in 2023.
The transfer fees Marouane Fellaini accumulated
In 2008, Moyes smashed Everton’s club record by signing a young Belgian midfielder named Marouane Fellaini from Standard Liege for £15m. The midfielder became a fan-favourite at Goodison Park, scoring 33 goals and registering 26 assists in five years while also picking up 45 yellow cards in 177 appearances in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.
In 2013, Moyes was announced as the new manager of Manchester United following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, taking Fellaini with him in his first transfer window. In fact, Fellaini was the first major signing of the post-Sir Alex era at Old Trafford, having completed his switch to the English giants for a reported £27.5m.
Romelu Lukaku
£73m
Richarlison
£50m
John Stones
£47m
Anthony Gordon
£40m
Wayne Rooney
£32m
Marouane Fellaini
£27.5m
All fees via Transfermarkt.
Fellaini was one of the most expensive signings in Man United’s history at the time when he moved to the club a little over ten years ago and became a figure of ridicule at times, with former captain Roy Keane even claiming that the Belgium international became a “scapegoat” at the Theatre of Dreams for the team’s failures on the pitch.
Fellaini was eventually moved on from United once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge at the end of 2018 after playing merely three minutes in the league under the Norwegian coach. The Belgian signed for Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng Taishan for £10.5m.
The 6 foot 4 midfielder may not have felt the love from supporters during his time with the Red Devils but certainly did throughout his five-year stint in China. So much so that transfer expert Fabrizio Romano called Fellaini a “legend of the club” when announcing that the 35-year-old had become a free agent on Saturday morning after his contract expired.
Fellaini’s stats in 2023
There are very few players in their prime that would have suited Sean Dyche’s direct tactical style more than Fellaini, had he stayed in Merseyside.
Having been converted to a centre-forward in the CSL, Fellaini scored 12 goals in 29 appearances, including 11 in the league this calendar year. The only Everton player that comes close to these numbers in 2023 is midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, who found the net eight times over the past calendar year, with three coming this season alone.
Eight of Fellaini’s 11 league goals in 2023 came from his head, a tool he utilised expertly in English football to latch onto the end of crosses inside the penalty area. Furthermore, the colossal Belgian averaged a goal every 181 minutes in the CSL, all of which came inside the box, bettering his tally of converting once every 232 minutes in the previous campaign, as per FotMob.
In contrast, Doucoure has scored one goal every 316 minutes in the Premier League this season, with all three coming inside the penalty area, although the Frenchman is yet to score a header under Dyche in the 2023/24 campaign. Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin has a better goals-per-minute ratio than Fellaini and Doucoure and is currently averaging one every 167 minutes this season despite scoring just three times in the top flight.
Fellaini shared a similar role at Everton to Doucoure, albeit under different managers but the former is still far more of a goal threat than any other player at Goodison Park in a team that have bagged merely 11 goals in 11 league games.
It will be interesting to see whether Fellaini decides to hang up his boots once and for all or continue playing, but there is certainly a useful player still in there for a club to snap up on a free.
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United side have been hugely handicapped this season.
That can't be used as the sole excuse for their worst start to a campaign since 1989 but whether or not the Glazers will sell up has hardly been a nice distraction.
Neither has what seems to be a feud between the club's Dutch coach and Jadon Sancho after a war of words played out following the defeat to Arsenal.
Since that game, mixed results have followed for the Red Devils who have lost four and won three of their fixtures.
The current international break is timely, therefore, as Ten Hag aims to get his squad firing again as they look to turn around their form.
What will be hard to resolve is a disjointed squad with their attack, in particular, struggling. Marcus Rashford has found the net just once after a scintillating 2022/23 season where everything turned to gold. In fact, hardly anyone in their forward line has fired effectively, with their top scorer that of Casemiro with four. That rather says it all, doesn't it?
Sancho must be thinking how on earth he's found himself alienated on the sidelines, playing EA FC 24, rather than actual football.
Why is Jadon Sancho not in the squad?
The 23-year-old's tale in Manchester has been one of woe after moving from Borussia Dortmund in a big money £73m transfer.
At the time, he was billed as one of the most exciting young footballers in the country but now he is anything but.
Sancho hasn't played any football since appearing as a substitute against Nottingham Forest in late August, with Ten Hag admitting after the loss to Arsenal that his 'performance in training' was to blame.
The England international responded quickly, suggesting he had been made a scapegoat. It was honest but ultimately a statement that could well mean the end of his United career.
He has played just 77 minutes of league football this term having been in the starting XI on just 21 occasions in the top-flight last season with six goals and three assists tallied up.
Those goal contributions took him to 12 strikes and six assists since moving from the Bundesliga. Hardly ideal numbers given the price tag.
Sadly, he's not the only big-money signing who has failed to set the world alight in Manchester of late. Just ask Antony.
How many goals has Antony scored for Man United?
If Sancho feels scapegoated then you dread to think how their Brazilian wide man feels. In flashes, he shows majestic moments of brilliance but on his day, he can also be truly ineffective and inconsistent.
Antony
In his debut season at Old Trafford the 23-year-old found the net ten times but only four of those strikes came in a disappointing league return.
To exacerbate his disappointing displays, in six outings throughout the 2023/24 term, the former Ajax star is yet to register a single goal involvement.
Considering this was an £86m signing, a meagre tally of eight goals and three assists in half a century of appearances is poor work.
It's rather remarkable, therefore, to think that a player they let go for free a number of years ago is posting more prolific figures. Alexis Sanchez, anyone?
What did Alexis Sanchez achieve at Man Utd?
Did anyone order a piano? Sanchez certainly did after moving to the Red Devils from Arsenal. A move had been long-awaited for the Chilean who left the Gunners and Arsene Wenger's clutches in a straight swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan and no cash to either party.
This was an exciting transfer for United as they welcomed a player with 80 goals and 45 assists to his name at the Emirates Stadium.
Sadly, he never lived up to the hype in the north west. There were some flashes of excellence but rather like Antony, he had that inconsistent streak to his game.
Former Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez.
Innovative and full of flair in his prime, Sanchez unfortunately did not deliver at Man United, ultimately being released by the club after a mutual termination of his contract was agreed.
The Chile international still had two years left to run on his deal in August 2020 before waiving the final part of that contract to join Inter Milan on a free transfer.
It was a nightmare end to his wonderful stint in England, with the now 34-year-old even admitting his regret at moving to United. He once said of the move: "I realised a lot of things. After my first training session, I got home and told my family and my agent – can I not rip up my contract and go back to Arsenal?" The grass isn't always greener on the other side, is it Alexis?
Where is Alexis Sanchez now?
Since leaving the Premier League, the former Barcelona star has been rather enjoying his football.
An immediate move to Inter and Serie A was fairly profitable as he scored 20 goals and 23 assists over three seasons of football between 2020 and 2022.
A move to Marseille was in the works for last season and it was in Ligue 1 where he truly rediscovered his electric touch in the final third.
The 2022/23 campaign marked one of the finest of Sanchez's career to date with the veteran amassing a haul of 18 strikes and three assists in 44 outings.
It was stunning form and coincidentally, a great deal more than the likes of Antony and Sancho offered last term in the red of Man United.
Now back at Inter again, he is yet to score this season but watching the great Chilean under Ten Hag would have been a captivating sight. It's just a shame things never worked out for Sanchez and United.
One normal weekend of Barclays, that’s all Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team were left asking for on Saturday evening.
This season has seen an unparalleled amount of attention on the PGMOL and Howard Webb’s merry band of referees.
The standard of officiating in this country has seemingly plummeted to an all time low. Apologies have made, statements have been shared left, right and centre, and yet still decisions are being made incorrectly.
Arteta may well need to look closer to home for why they lost 1-0 to Newcastle at a raucous St James’ Park this weekend, but the officiating for both sides left a lot to be desired.
A ridiculous and untimely challenge from Kai Havertz in the first half could have warranted a red card on another day while Bruno Guimaraes could have been sent for an early bath too after deliberately using his forearm to hit Jorginho in the back of the head.
The biggest moment of controversy, however, came when Newcastle took the lead.
How Arsenal lost to Newcastle
Truth be told, the Gunners didn’t play too badly in the north east on Saturday night.
A rigid and organised defence that had kept a clean sheet against Manchester City was on display again while Declan Rice’s powerhouse nature ensured Arteta’s men won the midfield battle.
However, it was in attack where they were lacking. A 0-0 draw would have been a fair result until a moment of chaos ensued just after the hour mark.
A stray shot from Jacob Murphy almost went out for a goal kick down by the corner flag but Joe WIllock, once of Arsenal himself, didn’t give it up. On the angle we were given during the TV coverage, it looked as though the ball was out. Alas, that was one of three VAR decisions that was seen as fine after Anthony Gordon had scored from close range.
A flighted ball in was missed by David Raya and couldn’t be dealt with by Gabriel who was seemingly shoved to the ground by Joelinton. No foul was adjudged to have been made. The next decision was assessing whether Gordon was onside.
The VAR claimed he was, although Arteta wasn’t happy, launching an aggressive series of vocal attacks towards the officials in his post-match press conference.
Indeed, he could blame the officiating all he likes, but the fact of the matter is that a number of players in red and white let him down.
Arsenal’s worst player vs Newcastle
After a £65m move from Chelsea in the summer much has been expected of Havertz but it was his ludicrous tackle in the first half that nearly put Arsenal down a man.
It was a big evening for the German who was given more of a creative role with Martin Odegaard missing through injury. Create he did not. In fact, he only served to frustrate more as the Gunners failed to score.
A large part of their failings in offensive areas was also down to the average performance of Eddie Nketiah.
A week ago the club’s number 14 was in inspired from against Sheffield United, netting his first Premier League hat-trick.
It was a display that saw him become the club’s joint top goal scorer this season alongside Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. That fact doesn’t tell the full story though.
At home, Nketiah offers the ability to hold the ball up and run the channels. He doesn’t set the world alight but his performance levels are generally sufficient.
Away from home, however, the English striker has been the definition of mediocre. In 52 league outings on the road, he’s only found the net five times. For a team chasing a Premier League title that simply isn’t good enough.
It was feels harsh to criticise someone who’s scored three only a week ago but barring that, Arsenal need to see a lot more from Nketiah while Gabriel Jesus is out injured.
On Saturday, he struggled for any real service and was starved of the ball. That said, he very rarely made himself available.
As per FotMob, Nketiah only registered 33 touches of the ball, just one more than Raya and completed 16 passes, the worst of any starter for Arsenal, including the enigmatic Havertz. Even substitute Oleksandr Zinchenko made more with 30. Only two of those passes, meanwhile, were in the final third. Worrying for your focal point in attack.
Shots
1
Pass Accuracy
14/16
Expected Goals (xG)
0.15
Touches
33
Touches in opposition box
5
Successful Dribbles
0/2
Duels Won
5
Duels Lost
9
Fouls Committed
2
Stats via FotMob.
To make matters worse, the forward managed one shot, which was off target, and failed to complete either of his two attempted dribbles.
On top of that, the 24-year-old won 33% of his ground duels and 40% of his aerial duels as the Newcastle defenders well and truly bullied him. It was hardly a surprise to see his display get labelled as "anonymous" by some, including Arseblog's Andrew Allen.
This was not a night to savour for Nketiah who offered very little in attack. With the academy graduate largely underwhelming and Jesus’ fitness record inconsistent, the purchase of a new striker could well be looming in January. Such an eventuality may well determine whether Arteta’s men have what it takes to win the title.
Arsenal have taken great pride in their Hale End academy throughout the years.
It was, of course, a notable hunting ground for Arsene Wenger during his triumphant years in the capital. Think Tony Adams, who had already graduated when the Frenchman arrived, think Jack Wilshere, think Hector Bellerin too.
Truth be told, no one quite expected such a reliance on it once Wenger departed the Emirates. Unai Emery was the man to hand Bukayo Saka a first-team debut but it's under Mikel Arteta where England's Player of the Year for two seasons running has become the poster boy of this great club.
Eddie Nketiah has taken on Thierry Henry's iconic number 14 shirt, Emile Smith Rowe has the number 10 and a certain Folarin Balogun has even been sold for £35m. It's safe to say Hale End has never been brimming with more talent than it has in the last five years or so.
How many goals has Saka scored for Arsenal?
The 22-year-old's first goal for the Gunners came in typical fashion. You don't need two guesses to work out how.
Playing in the Europa League under Emery's reign, Saka took the ball on the right-hand side and drove infield before curling the ball beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
It's a finish now synonymous with the young winger. Just think of that fizzing drive against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the current season, or his delicious curling effort against Manchester United from range last term.
There's an Arjen Robben vibe to it, although Saka is now doing his best to surpass the great Dutchman's legacy in the game.
Since that moment as an 18-year-old against Eintracht Frankfurt, the England star has only gone from strength to strength.
He was named in the PFA Team of the Season for 2022/23, won the PFA Young Player of the Season and is now a Ballon d'Or nominee having crashed home 43 goals and 45 assists in 189 first-team matches. The consistency at which he both creates for his teammates and finds the net himself is extraordinary.
Yet, he's not the only winger from the Arsenal academy to produce similarly excellent numbers. Step forward, Serge Gnabry.
What did Serge Gnabry achieve at Arsenal?
The German's senior debut for the Gunners came 11 years ago now, in September 2012 as Wenger handed him his bow against Coventry City in the League Cup. Less than a month later, he would make his league debut, becoming the second youngest Arsenal player to do so at 17 since Jack Wilshere.
Gnabry may not have found the net that on either day but his career since has been a remarkable one having moved to London for just £100k.
He had to wait a year later to score his first in Arsenal colours, finding the net against Swansea City in a 2-1 win. It was a landmark moment and one that set the tone for the rest of his time in football.
Despite never achieving too many regular starts, the attacker impressed with his exciting performances, although left the club with only a solitary goal and two assists to his name at senior level.
Why did Gnabry leave Arsenal?
The Germany international eventually left in an £8m deal to Werder Bremen in 2016, citing his lack of opportunities.
In an interview after departing, he said: "I was still confident I could've got in the team but I didn’t want to wait. I didn't want to be fourth or fifth choice any longer.
"It was the hardest decision I had to make in football, leaving a club like Arsenal – the fans, the players – but to keep playing I had to take a step back and it was the right decision."
Where is Serge Gnabry now?
After leaving north London, the 28-year-old's career has been remarkable. Now capped 43 times with Germany, the winger has taken the Bundesliga and continental football by storm.
At Werder Bremen, he only played 27 times but scored 11 and assisted two before inevitably joining Bayern Munich.
He enjoyed a successful loan spell away from Bavaria at Hoffenheim where he netted ten and assisted seven during 26 appearances before returning to Munich with a point to prove.
Since becoming a permanent member of the Bayern squad, Gnabry has been simply sensational. He once scored four goals against Tottenham in an enthralling 7-2 Champions League win for the Bundesliga side, a night that no doubt Arsenal fans revelled in.
Those are just four of 15 Champions League goals, while the exciting flanker has also registered an enormous 60 Bundesliga strikes for his current employers.
How does Saka compare to Gnabry?
It would feel rude to compare his fortunes to Saka's, but that's what we're going to do anyway.
Games
224
189
Goals
82
43
Assists
51
45
Transfer value
£48m
£104m
Data via Transfermarkt.
Of course, Saka's breakthrough has come later and it would not be a surprise if he goes on to usurp Gnabry's fortunes but even last term, the latter outperformed Arsenal's current world-beater.
Indeed, in 2022/23, the England wide man found the net on 15 occasions while registering 11 assists in 48 appearances. As for Gnabry, he posted 17 goals and 12 assists in 47 outings.
Arsenal may well have great regrets about letting the German talent leave during the final years of Wenger's reign. He has, after all, scored 103 goals since, but Saka's emergence on the scene has certainly helped them watch on from afar knowing it wasn't a total disaster to cash in.
Javeria will captain Pakistan for the tour of Bangladesh as well as the home series against Australia
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2018Javeria Khan will captain Pakistan for the tour of Bangladesh as well as the home series against Australia. The 30-year old veteran of Pakistan women’s cricket takes over duties in the absence of regular captain Bismah Maroof, who is recovering, after undergoing surgery for sinus problems. There is a chance Maroof could be fit for the series against Australia, however.Pakistan will be in Bangladesh in the first week of October, where they play the home side in four T20Is and one ODI from October 1 to 8. From there, they go to Malaysia for their home series against Australia, where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is from October 18 to 29.Pakistan have named the same squad for both tours as well as for both formats, and much of it is unchanged from the one that took on Sri Lanka in June. Umaima Sohail, the 21-year old allrounder could be in line to make her international debut, while Sidra Nawaz retains wicketkeeping duties.Squad for Bangladesh tour and home series against Australia: Javeria Khan (capt), Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Ameen, Umaima Sohail, Nida Rashid, Sana Mir, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Anum Amin, Natalia Pervaiz, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Aiman ANwar
It is fair to say that it has not been the start to the season that Manchester United would have hoped for, with the Red Devils currently languishing outside the top four having already crashed out of the Carabao Cup in midweek.
A notable problem among the plethora of issues facing Erik ten Hag is the lack of goals that his side have scored this term, particularly in the attacking ranks, with Marcus Rashford the only forward to have netted in the Premier League so far this term.
With that in mind – and with Anthony Martial having just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal – attention is turning toward potential striking additions that could be made in January.
Man Utd transfer news
As per a report from the Daily Mail earlier this week, the Red Devils are hoping to ease the burden on £72m summer signing, Rasmus Hojlund, by signing an experienced centre-forward in the New Year, with the likes of Porto's Mehdi Taremi and Napoli's Victor Osimhen having been under consideration in the recent past.
The piece does note that one other intriguing target is Brentford talisman, Ivan Toney, with the one-cap England international seemingly set to leave the Bees either in January or next summer.
An additional report from TEAMtalk has revealed that the 27-year-old – who is currently sidelined due to suspension following a string of betting breaches – has requested to move on in the winter, with a fee of £80m having been touted.
The stats that show why Ivan Toney would be an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund
That £80m asking price could prove a sticking point for United, although if the club can rustle up the required funds it could prove a particularly astute move, with Toney likely the Premier League-ready talent that Ten Hag is craving.
Unlike Hojlund, whose three goals for the club so far have all come in the Champions League, the former Newcastle United marksman has become a feared prospect in England's top flight, scoring 32 goals across the last two seasons combined.
Rasmus Hojlund
That prolific record for the west Londoners would indicate that Toney is a far more proven option than his United counterpart, with the 20-year-old Dane having only scored 30 club goals at senior level to date.
In the 2022/23 campaign, for instance, while the youngster chipped in with just nine Serie A goals for Atalanta – as well as a further two assists – the Brentford ace scored 20 league goals and provided a further four assists, showcasing the difference in quality between the pair.
A notable benefit of Toney is also his likeness to a player that was a top target for Ten Hag in the summer in the form of Harry Kane, with compatriot Declan Rice having said of his talents last year:
"He's kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well – his left and right footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have."
How Ivan Toney compares to Harry Kane
While United missed out on Kane as the England skipper moved on to Bayern Munich in the summer, the Red Devils could find a carbon copy of the ex-Tottenham Hotspur star in the form of Toney, with the pair both prolific and clinical in the final third.
What also sets the pair apart is their ability to link play and provide a creative spark when leading the line, with Kane, for instance, creating 14 'big chances' last term in the league and averaging 1.5 key passes per game, to go along with his stellar haul of 30 goals.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane.
Toney, meanwhile, enjoyed a scarily similar record for Thomas Frank's side after creating 12 'big chances' and averaging 0.8 key passes per game, further emphasising just what a 'playmaker' he is, as Rice noted.
The likeness between the two Englishmen has also been outlined by Frank in the past, with the Danish tactician having previously stated: “They are very good finishers and take good decisions. They are both good in the link-up play, two very good players.”
Having been unable to get Kane through the door in the recent window, Ten Hag could snap up the next best thing in Toney, with such a deal likely to help ease the pressure on the undoubtedly exciting, yet raw Hojlund.