انتهت مباراة مصر أمام الكويت بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن لقاءات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وأقيمت المباراة بين مصر والكويت على أرضية استاد لوسيل في مواجهة الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات بـ كأس العرب.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العرب 2025 بعد التعادل مع الكويت

ويواصل منتخب مصر مباريات في بطولة كأس العرب بمواجهة هامة أمام الإمارات، باللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة المجموعات لـ البطولة الدولية.

وتضم المجموعة الثالث بـ بطولة كأس العرب منتخبات “مصر والإمارات والكويت، والأردن”، ضمن المسابقة المقامة في قطر خلال الفترة من 1 حتى 18 ديسمبر.​

ويأمل منتخب مصر في تحقيق نتائج متميزة بالبطولة العربية تحت قيادة جهازه الفني الحالي، بقيادة حلمي طولان ساعيًا لإثبات نفسه بالمسابقة. موعد مباراة مصر القادمة أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب

ومن المقرر أن تقام المباراة بين مصر والإمارات، يوم السبت 6 ديسمبر الجاري، في تمام الساعة 08:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 09:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، 10:30 مساءً بتوقيت الإمارات.

Somerset implode despite flying start with the ball, to lose by 90 runs at Hove

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Aug-2025Somerset produced an unlikely victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Hove, winning by 90 runs after being bowled out for a modest 243. It was their fourth victory in six matches.On a slow pitch that offered some sharp seam movement on occasions, but was far from unplayable, both sides were guilty of rash strokeplay, especially the Sussex Sharks when they lost four wicket for no runs in the course of eight deliveries.The Sharks were clear favourites at the halfway point of the match. And they reinforced their position when they reached 60 for one at the end of the first 10-over powerplay, almost twice as many as Somerset had scored (33 for 3) at the same stage of their innings. But then Sussex collapsed in a way that made their recent implosion against Lancashire, when they lost six wickets for 27 runs before winning a thrilling contest, look commonplace.From the start of the 11th over Charlie Tear flayed a wide delivery straight to cover. Next ball, Fynn Hudson-Prentice missed a straight one and was lbw. And three balls later captain John Simpson got one that cut back off the pitch and was also lbw. Tom Lammonby, who had made a three-ball duck when he had opened the Somerset innings, had bowled a three-wicket maiden.It got worse. Tom Clark, who had batted impressively, lobbed the second delivery of the 12th over to mid-on and Sussex were 60 for five. Jack Carson, heroic in the recent wins over Kent and Lancashire, hinted at another rescue act with a vigorous 35 before pulling to midwicket, and when Oli Carter was caught in the same area, to make it 128 for eight, it was realistically all over. Lammonby took five wickets for the first time in any competition.The Somerset total had looked insufficient, and they were happy to get there after being 82 for five in the 20th over. Their innings was revived by half-centuries from Josh Thomas and Finley Hill after the Rew brothers James and Thomas had both failed to build on promising starts.Somerset, who continued their rotation policy by bringing in Kian Roberts, Kasey Aldridge and Hill, made a frantic start to their innings. Archie Vaughan was caught down the leg-side first ball and Sussex missed two more chances in the first two overs. But they weren’t made to pay for their profligacy. In the third over Lammonby was caught at slip off Sean Hunt, coming back into the side in place of Bertie Foreman, and it was 21 for three in the sixth over when Lewis Goldsworthy, surprised by the bounce achieved by Hudson-Prentice, could only fend the ball off to Henry Crocombe at square-leg.Once again Somerset were looking to the Rews to pull them round. But captain James, attempting to turn Crocombe to leg, got a leading edge back to the bowler for just 29 and the same bowler jagged one back to bowl his younger brother through the gate for 30.At that stage significant recovery looked beyond an inexperienced Somerset side. But they were transformed by a sixth wicket stand of 59 between Thomas and Hill. Thomas, mixing bludgeoning blows with some sweetly timed drives – on a pitch where timing was difficult – was particularly impressive, stroking Crocombe square on the off-side to raise the hundred in the 24th over. He reached his fifty from 54 balls when he pulled Hunt for six but was caught behind in the same over. A seventh wicket stand of 67 between Hill and Roberts maintained the Somerset recovery.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to kick on once the January transfer window opens and could be willing to put their money where their mouth is to sign Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, but circumstances will need to align.

The Lilywhites have become a thorn in the side of many Premier League outfits this campaign due to their physicality and new-found ability to convert from set-pieces, making them a dangerous opposition to come up against on any given day.

Mohammed Kudus has shone in the forward areas and Spurs have earned a new lease of life after their domestic form last term, with Thomas Frank deserving of credit for managing to solidify the Lilywhites in all areas.

Despite his mixed start to life in North London, the Dane made clear before his side took on Chelsea that Xavi Simons is another figure he expects to come to life in the heart of his side.

He said: “Yes. No doubt about that. I’m not in doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us. That is down to him, to me, to the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time.

“It’s completely natural. Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time and all that, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it. I’m confident. I’m sure it will happen.”

Frank’s outfit appear to be solid from middle to front, that much is true, but there is always room for improvement when you are eyeing a slot in the Champions League places.

With that in mind, Spurs are now plotting a January bid for a star who they may be set to put their large transfer kitty towards.

Tottenham line up Scott McTominay amid huge Napoli demands

According to Football Insider, Tottenham will look to put their sizeable transfer kitty towards signing Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who could be at the centre of an intriguing saga involving both parties.

Fabio Paratici has set his sights on the Scotland international and the money on offer could be a lure for the former Manchester United man to return to the Premier League. However, Pete O’Rourke believes it would take a ‘huge’ statement of intent from Spurs to push a deal over the line.

Scott McTominay’s time at Napoli

Appearances

47

Goals

17

Assists

7

He said: “Napoli won’t want to weaken their squad by losing such an important player like Scott McTominay. He’s under contract until 2028, so, to even consider selling him would be a huge fee as well.”

Intriguingly, the same report has floated the idea of Kobbie Mainoo joining Napoli, which could pave the way for movement to take place elsewhere, albeit that remains unlikely for now.

Tottenham are also eyeing another Serie A goalscorer

Still, McTominay has been a titan since joining the reigning Serie A champions in 2024 and has continued that form into this term, placing seven of his 16 shots taken on target, per Fotmob, hence why Frank is keen to do a deal.

Both batters have been good against spin in Pakistan and give South Africa hope ahead of tours to India and Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda21-Oct-2025International cricket tours are not research trips but if they were, South Africa would mark the Pakistan Tests as a success because of what it has taught them about their batters. Especially Tony de Zorzi.With a century in Lahore and 55 in Rawalpindi, as things stand, de Zorzi is the series’ leading run-scorer and has kept South Africa in the game in both first innings. Remarkably, de Zorzi has a much higher Test average in the subcontinent – 70.50 – than he does on home soil, where he averages just 14.53. Both his Test hundreds and one of his three fifties have come in Asia and one other in the West Indies, where conditions are also slow and low.It’s all a bit of an anomaly given that de Zorzi grew up on the Highveld and spent the early parts of his career playing on pacy, bouncy strips but has developed a game plan that works in Asia and it’s an obvious one: “Tony is a really good player of spin. He sweeps well, reverse sweeps well and uses his feet well,” Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s batting coach, who has also coached de Zorzi at domestic level, said.He is also willing to be patient, as evident from his early engagements in his innings in Rawalpindi. The first ball he faced, from Sajid Khan, whizzed past the shoulder of his bat as he hung back in his crease in defence. From then, de Zorzi tried to get forward to defend as much as possible and scored only five runs off the first 22 balls he faced. In that, was one that should have got him out. Pakistan did not review an Asif Afridi delivery that was shorter in length, kept de Zorzi on his back foot and spun into his pad. They appealed for a catch at short leg but a review on the lbw would have meant this story may have been about something else entirely. But luck is part of the game and what players do with it can be more important than whether they have it. De Zorzi made it work for him.Three overs after the non-dismissal, he saw an opportunity to change tempo, walked across his stumps and hit Sajid through deep backward square for four. South Africa were scoring at the pedestrian rate of 2.35 runs an over before that shot, and they were closer to three runs an over by the end of the day.Related

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Asif Afridi finally gets his moment

First day in Pindi = first day in Lahore

Whether de Zorzi got it right when it came to his balance between attack and defence is a matter of opinion. Prince’s is that de Zorzi, in just his 15th Test, is still discovering how to do things but is learning fast. “I don’t think with three days to go it’s necessary to go a lot quicker but the important thing is for every batter who goes out there to find his natural rhythm of play,” Prince said. “What we try and emphasise is finding your tempo and marrying strong defence with good scoring opportunities. It’s important for all of them to know where their singles are and to understand which kind of boundary options they may be looking at but as far as time is concerned I don’t think there’s any rush.”De Zorzi main scoring shot is the sweep – and according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, he has scored 35.1% of his 423 runs in Asia using that shot – and he scores mostly square of the wicket. In this innings, 36 off his 55 runs came between point and covers or short fine and midwicket and he scored them off 21 balls. His is a contrasting wagon wheel to his partner – Tristan Stubbs’ – an off-side dominant batter, who is the other player that has passed on the South African report card.Before this Test, Stubbs had got into double figures only once in his last nine Test innings and appeared completely out of sorts. He had been shifted from No. 3 – a position given to him in August last year and then taken away in December – to No.4 to No.5 and his role was unclear. With Wiaan Mulder left out of his Test to accommodate the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Marco Jansen, Stubbs was pushed back up to No. 3 and showed determination just to stay there.Can Tristan Stubbs become South Africa’s long-term No. 3?•AFP/Getty ImagesHe scored 13 runs off the first 60 balls he faced before de Zorzi played that shot off Sajid and Stubbs followed shit when he shimmied down the pitch to hit Sajid through the covers. Though he still accumulated at a conservative pace, Stubbs found runs when he moved his feet: lunging forward and lowering one knee to sweep Asif over square leg, and occasionally when he advanced on bowlers. The pillar of this innings, though, was defence. Stubbs faced 140 dot balls, only eight fewer than in the knock he played against Sri Lanka in Durban, when he scored 100. This is already his third-longest Test innings by balls faced, 14 short of his knock in Chattogram, where he also scored a century. There will be pressure on him to convert this into three figures too but that isn’t the only goal.At this stage of his career, Stubbs just needs to make a case for where he should bat in the Test team and why and this could be the innings that does that. “He showed great character,” Prince said. “He was a little clearer in his game plan, understood his scoring opportunities and obviously was strong on defence. He’s also been quite positive in terms of his footwork, back and forth and using the crease and when he wanted to hit the ball in the air, there was commitment in that so he’s gone pretty well.”Prince said Stubbs sees being back at No. 3 as a “great opportunity,” but that it doesn’t mean he has the spot back permanently. “We’ve always seen him as a player who’s got a pretty decent game against spin. Whether he continues in that position in the future will be determined by where we play and the conditions that we face.”And that may be South Africa’s biggest lesson about their batting from this trip. Just as Lungi Ngidi was left out of this series so South Africa could stack their squad with spinners, the same thinking can apply to South Africa’s batting line-up and the way they are talking suggests it could. “The No. 3 position would fluctuate in terms of where we are playing,” Prince said. “We have to marry people in terms of horses for courses approach.”In that case, two of the horses for this kind of course have been identified. Given that between the Chattogram Test last year where de Zorzi scored his first hundred and the Lahore one, he had only crossed 30 once in nine Test innings, there is a case to be made that when South Africa play in the subcontinent, de Zorzi should be in the XI but when they are in SENA countries, he may not be. Instead, someone like David Bedingham, who has sat on the bench this series, could be considered then. The same could apply to Stubbs and the inclusion of captain Temba Bavuma, when he becomes available post-injury could then be another talking point.All this information South Africa can use for future trips to the subcontinent, and there are two more of them in this WTC cycle, which makes it valuable. What they will wish is that is what they already had coming into this contest. For Prince, there is still time for South Africa to show they can apply what they have learnt in this match and maybe, to spring a great surprise. “One more big partnership – something close to 100 runs brings us close to Pakistan’s score and the potential is there to get 40 or 50 runs ahead. It might not sound a lot but under these circumstances it could be a lot.”

One of the greats of Indian cricket played the game his own way and left lasting memories

Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Aug-2025January 2019. Earlier that month, Cheteshwar Pujara had been the toast of the nation, scoring centuries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney as India won a Test series in Australia for the very first time. Now he was the villain of all of Karnataka, or at least the few hundred despondent diehards at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium who watched him seal their team’s fate with an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred that steered Saurashtra into the final of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy.The bulk of Pujara’s innings came against the backdrop of chants from these diehards. “Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!” Once in each innings, he had been reprieved by the umpire when he seemed to have edged behind. Both times, he stood his ground and batted on.If you watched this match, you may have remembered it when you read Pujara’s retirement announcement on Sunday. One word in particular.”As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team,” he wrote on his social media feeds. “Little did I know then that this game would give me so much – invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.”Related

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• Pujara's best in Test cricket

State and nation. Pujara belonged equally to both. He played nearly as many first-class matches for his state team (90) as he did Test matches (103), and more than half his Saurashtra games (58) came after his international debut. And this is before we count white-ball cricket, of which he only had a fleeting international taste. Pujara’s father Arvind and uncle Bipin played for Saurashtra too, 43 times between them.Australia’s scourge, Karnataka’s cheater. The competitor in Pujara may have enjoyed both roles equally.In being as much of Saurashtra as of India, Pujara was almost unique for an Indian cricketer of his generation. This, of course, was a matter largely of circumstance. He was a red-ball cricketer of the highest rank, and a red-ball cricketer almost to the exclusion of anything else. The gaps this left in his international schedule allowed him to build a significant body of work in domestic cricket.And as he did this, he became a reminder of a bygone age when batters dreamed of scoring 100 first-class hundreds. For Geoffrey Boycott, getting to that landmark – in an Ashes Test, no less, and in front of his home crowd – was “the most magical moment of my life”.ESPNcricinfo LtdPujara, the most Boycottian batter of his age, didn’t get quite as far, but he went two-thirds of the way, scoring 66, ten of them during a productive late-career county stint at Sussex. In the span of his career, only one batter, Alastair Cook (68), made more first-class hundreds. It’s a momentous achievement, and one, appropriately enough, entirely out of step with the zeitgeist.But as out of step as he may have seemed, Pujara was a formidable cricketer who at his peak ranked just below the four great Test batters of his age. Quite a peak it was too; at the end of that 2018-19 Australia tour, he averaged 51.18 and had scored 18 hundreds in 68 TestsHis numbers declined in the pandemic and post-pandemic years, but he was hardly alone in suffering that fate, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane going through similarly prolonged slumps as India played Test match after Test match, home and away, in treacherous batting conditions.And all of that, and perhaps the effects of age on his game, have left many of us with a somewhat diminished image of Pujara the batter. In the tributes from team-mates and former players that have flowed since his retirement announcement, the most frequently used word, by far, is “grit”, and the most frequently evoked image is of the body blows he took during his 211-ball, fourth-innings 56 in the Gabba fairytale of 2021.Cheteshwar Pujara cops a blow from Josh Hazlewood•AFPPujara had plenty of grit, of course, but you need a whole lot more than that to play 103 Test matches. You need those magic, uncoachable qualities that are commonly clubbed together under the banner of talent.One common definition of batting talent prizes the ability to hit a wide range of attacking shots, with bonus points for hitting good balls and/or in unusual directions. Pujara’s gifts didn’t lean in this direction, but he nonetheless gave a sense that he was born to bat.”Every great batsman,” CLR James suggested in his chapter on George Headley in , “is a special organism.” Whether Pujara was a great batter is a debate for elsewhere, but he was undoubtedly a special organism, a batter who could go on and on and score prodigious quantities of runs. In October 2008, for instance, he scored 386 and 309 for Saurashtra’s Under-22s, and in November he followed up with a 302* in the Ranji Trophy.This appetite for runs was well-known long before Pujara played for India, so while it was remarkable that he scored six hundreds – two of them doubles – in his first 16 Tests, with his average hovering in the 60s, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. It takes an uncommonly good eye and technique to be able to score like that, and also the mind of a special organism, capable of an uncommon level of focus. In the first half of his career, Pujara often seemed to bat in a state of trance-like absorption that was palpable to the viewer.He would start watchfully, even glacially, and you’d wonder if his low, choking grip was inhibiting his power and range of strokes, but if he batted long enough he would flick a switch and start hitting shots to all parts, leaping off his toes to cut the fast bowlers without needing width, sashaying out of his crease to drive spinners inside-out or whip them outside-in.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis way of batting came with a remarkably high ceiling, of course, but also a high floor. He often looked in control even when he wasn’t making a lot of runs, as in England in 2014, and by the end of that 2018-19 Australia tour, he had faced at least 50 balls in 73 of his 114 Test innings, and carried on to the 100-ball mark and beyond on 42 occasions.The limits of Pujara’s game only really became evident on extreme pitches, particularly against bowling attacks of uncommon depth, where the proverbial ball with the batter’s name on it was always around the corner. India just happened to play a lot of their cricket on those kinds of pitches, against those kinds of attacks, during the second half of his career. Other batters may have tried to bat differently; Pujara’s faith in his way never wavered.And while this meant he stopped scoring hundreds – he only made one in his last 35 Tests – he still made significant contributions to India’s results: two half-centuries spanning 381 balls in the 2021 SCG draw, that aforementioned 56 at the Gabba, a 206-ball 45 in a slow-burning, match-turning century stand with Rahane at Lord’s in 2021, and a second-innings 61 at The Oval in the same series.None of this was enough to ward off time, of course, and the surge of batting talent pounding at India’s door. But let’s put the job Pujara did in perspective. Since his last Test match, the six batters India have tried at No. 3 have collectively averaged 31.95 across 24 Tests. A fading Pujara, over his last 24 Tests, averaged 31.51.The end came with a second defeat in a second World Test Championship final in 2023, but it wasn’t really the end. The Pujara of Saurashtra, Sussex and West Zone would score a further 2057 first-class runs, at an average of 51.42, with seven hundreds. A fitting finish, on Pujara’s own terms, leaving you wondering if he couldn’t have gone on just a little longer.

Celtic booked their place in the Premier Sports Cup final over the weekend against Rangers and did so in style, and the club have now made their intentions known regarding the future of interim boss Martin O’Neill, who has already said “yes” to the permanent job.

One week is a long time in football, and many Hoops supporters could be forgiven for believing that they are caught up in some form of fever dream amid surprising recent events.

Brendan Rodgers’ departure from Celtic in the lead-up to a pivotal double-header against Falkirk and their city rivals was enough to send people into a frenzy, never mind when former boss O’Neill was drafted on a temporary basis alongside Shaun Maloney.

However, the former Republic of Ireland boss has completely changed the outlook of his side, who stuck four past the Bairns in his opening Scottish Premiership match in charge.

Nevertheless, the Glasgow Derby was always going to be the main test of his managerial capabilities, and one that the 73-year-old passed with flying colours after Celtic defeated Rangers in strong fashion to progress to the Premier Sports Cup final.

While Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy and Nicky Hayen all remain in contention, Kilrea native O’Neill made it clear that he would be open to an extended period in charge of the Bhoys if the opportunity was available.

He said when pressed on the subject while live on Premier Sports: “The very obvious answer would be: yes (open to extended stay).

“I would do. But I genuinely don’t know what to expect.

“When I saw the games they had and then the international break, I thought they’ll have a couple of weeks to think about it. I haven’t even spoken to him since that. In a perverse sort of way I’ve enjoyed the two games – but not a lot.”

With O’Neill’s feelings now clear, Celtic’s stance on his future has come to light in the hours after their much-needed victory over Rangers at Hampden.

Celtic edging closer to appointing Martin O'Neill

According to Football Insider, O’Neill is edging closer to becoming the permanent Celtic manager after his side swept aside Rangers, something that has ‘strengthened’ his chances of succeeding Rodgers.

The report indicates that the Irishman is attracted to taking on the reigns until the end of the season. Nevertheless, the Bhoys’ upcoming results against FC Midtjylland and Kilmarnock will determine their next course of action.

Martin O’Neill’s all-time record at Celtic

Wins

202

Draws

26

Losses

40

Of course, having led Celtic to seven trophies between 2000 and 2005 and their famous run to the UEFA Cup final in Seville, his credentials cannot be questioned. Still, the club’s hierarchy are very much doing their due diligence elsewhere.

St Mirren await in the Premier Sports Cup final and the lure of potentially picking up another piece of silverware is something O’Neill could find hard to ignore.

Celtic could still make a shock move to appoint a different former manager

Ultimately, Dermot Desmond will have the final say, but an extended period in charge after a blistering start to life back in the Celtic dugout may be the sensible solution at Parkhead if top candidates prove unattainable.

Unlike some of their Premier League rivals, Arsenal’s summer signings are looking better with every passing gameweek.

For example, he might’ve started slowly, but Viktor Gyokeres already has six goals to his name this season, and Noni Madueke was just starting to pick up steam before his injury.

Moreover, with Gabriel Magalhães’ recent injury, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie are looking like incredible buys.

With all that said, an argument could be made that Martin Zubimendi has been Arsenal’s best signing of all, so fans should be excited about reports linking the club to someone who could be an heir to the Spaniard and has been compared to Rodri.

Arsenal target their next Martin Zubimendi

With reports coming out about Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal as early as January, the excitement for the move wasn’t quite as intense as it perhaps should’ve been when it finally came to pass in the summer.

However, since then, the Spaniard has more than proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Whether it’s putting in a perfectly timed tackle to shield the back four, or driving with the ball and delivering a pinpoint accurate pass to a forward, the former Real Sociedad star really does it all.

Therefore, it makes sense that the club would already be looking for a younger gem who, over the next five to six years, can be moulded into his long-term heir.

According to a recent report from Spain, one of the young prospects that could sign for this purpose is Chema Andrés.

The story has revealed that, alongside Manchester City, Arsenal are already making moves to sign the VfB Stuttgart gem, who has had an excellent start to the season.

However, a potential roadblock for Andrea Berta and Co is that he’s a former Real Madrid prospect, and the Spanish giants have a buy-back clause worth around €13.5m for 2026, which is approximately £12m.

If Arsenal want to sign the young Spaniard, they’ll almost certainly have to pay significantly more than that, but even so, Andrés would be worth it as a future Zubimendi heir.

Why Chema Andrés could be Arsenal's future Zubimendi

So what is it that makes Zubimendi such an incredible footballer and has seen him so quickly become essential to Arsenal’s midfield?

Transfer Focus

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

Well, to put it simply, it’s his impressive combination of defensive nous and sensational ability on the ball, which has seen him already amass a tally of three goal involvements in 11 league games from the six position.

The good news is that, while it’s still very early on in his career, Chema Andrés appears to share this ability to heavily influence play in both halves.

For example, just last month, respected u23 scout Antonio Mango described his defensive abilities as “Rodri-like,” noting that he “simplifies the game and makes the basics look effortless.”

Then, when it comes to going the other way, Mango has praised him for his “expansive passing range”, and fellow talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him an “orchestrator” thanks to his incredible “vision” and “football IQ.”

Unsurprisingly, the 20-year-old “supernova” of a talent, as dubbed by one analyst, also has some incredible underlying numbers to more than justify the hype.

Interceptions

2.11

Top 1%

Clearances

3.65

Top 1%

Dispossessed

0.14

Top 1%

Aerials Won

3.93

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

4.49

Top 4%

Ball Recoveries

6.74

Top 4%

Shots on Target

0.70

Top 5%

SCA (Shot)

0.28

Top 6%

Successful Take-On %

66.7%

Top 6%

Blocks

1.83

Top 7%

Average Shot Distance

14.40

Top 8%

Shots Blocked

0.56

Top 9%

% of Dribblers Tackled

63.6%

Top 10%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.15

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

7.16

Top 11%

Passes Blocked

1.26

Top 11%

% of Aerials Won

62.2%

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

2.53

Top 14%

xG: Expected Goals

0.15

Top 15%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, clearances, aerials won, the top 4% for tackles plus interceptions and ball recoveries, the top 5% for shots on target, the top 11% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, on top of doing business at the club level, the youngster is also making waves on the international scene.

After making ten appearances for Spain’s u19s, he skipped the u20s altogether and has now made four appearances for the u21s, with the last coming on Tuesday night.

Ultimately, Zubimendi should be Arsenal’s starting six for quite some time, but if they can, they should do what they can to sign Andrés, as at just 20 years old, he could be the long-term heir.

Forget Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" can make Jover's corners more unstoppable

Here’s how Arsenal can replace Gabriel’s set-piece threat while he’s out injured.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Manchester City picked up another three points in the Champions League with a 4-1 home win over German side Borussia Dortmund.

Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice in either half to propel themselves up to fourth in the table and maintain their unbeaten record.

City got into their groove pretty quickly at the Etihad Stadium. It took just 22 minutes for them to take the lead, with Phil Foden firing home from outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner.

Just seven minutes later, City had their second, and to nobody’s surprise, it was Erling Haaland who bagged the goal. Criminally, the Norwegian centre-forward was given acres of space in the box by his old side, slamming home his effort after Jeremy Doku pulled the ball back across the box.

Foden had his second goal just before the hour mark, once again tucking his effort into the bottom left corner. Dortmund pulled one back in the 72nd minute, but Rayan Cherki’s stoppage-time goal off the bench sealed the win for the Cityzens.

It was a strong showing from City, with Haaland and Foden two of the standouts for Guardiola’s side.

How Haaland and Foden downed Dortmund

Is there anyone who can stop Haaland? Well, his former side couldn’t, as he scored his 18th goal of the season in just 14 games. The striker, who captained City on the night, has bagged five times in the Champions League already this term.

His performance clearly impressed Simon Bajkowski, chief City journalist for the Manchester Evening News. He gave the Citizens number 9 a post-match rating of 8/10, and said his night’s work was “brilliant again.”

As for Foden, his two goals, which were carbon copies of each other, perfectly encapsulated what makes him so good.

Operating in the right half-space, the England international showed great technical ability to carve out both chances, which he took with great poise.

His stats from the game are a great reflection of how well he played. City’s number 47 was constantly involved, having 71 touches and creating three chances. He also worked hard off the ball, making five recoveries.

The City duo were standouts for Guardiola’s side on Wednesday, but one of their teammates also shone.

Man City star is as important as Foden & Haaland

Guardiola will surely be pleased to see such a big win against an opponent who could have proved to be a tough test. The performances from Haaland, Foden and Cherki off the bench are encouraging signs for the Citizens.

It was not just those three who impressed, though. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders put in a strong showing at the Etihad Stadium. He set up both of Foden’s goals, pulling the strings from an advanced midfield position.

The Dutchman also has some impressive numbers from the game. Like Foden, Reijnders created three chances and looked after the ball well in midfield with a pass accuracy of 88%. He also won two out of three ground duels and made things tough for the visitors when they had the ball in the centre of the park.

Touches

41

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

28/32

Opposition half passes completed

18/22

Ground duels won

2/3

Chances created

3

Assists

2

It was a superb performance from Reijnders, which stood out to Citizens fan page over on X, City Chief. They described it as a “masterclass” in the midfield, and said it was “easily his best performance in a City shirt so far.”

After a night’s work as good as that from the 27-year-old, it is easy to see why he can be as important as Haaland and Foden. He brings plenty of control and helps City sustain attacks.

On top of that, the Netherlands international has a good relationship with another great technical player, Foden. According to Squawka, it is the first time the England international has bagged twice in the Champions League match, and the first time Reijnders has assisted two in a game in the same competition.

That is surely no coincidence. That relationship, plus the creative influence and technical quality, Reijnders adds to the City side, makes him one of their most important players, as he showed against Dortmund.

Man City "monster" is closest thing Pep's had to Messi & it's not Cherki

Pep Guardiola has found his new Lionel Messi at Manchester City in pure “monster” and it is not Rayan Cherki.

ByBen Gray Oct 30, 2025

Leeds United are hoping to convince Raheem Sterling to move to Elland Road in the January transfer window, with a move now in the works.

With Wilfried Gnonto’s future up in the air ahead of the upcoming transfer window, the Whites are looking to bring in a new forward, and the need to bolster their attacking options has been exacerbated by the slow start the likes of Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have made.

The summer signings have scored just two goals between them from open play in the Premier League this season, with Daniel Farke’s side the joint-second lowest scorers in the top flight, having found the back of the net just 10 times in their opening 11 games.

Chance creation in general has also been an issue for the 2024-25 Championship winners, most recently recording an xG of just 0.69 in the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest, which suggests they may need to bring in a new attacker capable of picking out the likes of Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha in dangerous areas.

How Leeds are hoping to convince Raheem Sterling to move to Elland Road this January

According to a report from SportsBoom, Leeds are preparing a move for Chelsea outcast Sterling ahead of the January transfer window, with Enzo Maresca making it clear the 30-year-old doesn’t have a future at Stamford Bridge.

The Whites are set to battle Crystal Palace for the forward’s signature, but they are hoping the prospect of receiving regular first-team football will convince the Englishman to move to Elland Road.

The Blues are willing to pay part of the winger’s wages in order to get him off the books, given that he is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season, having become part of Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’.

It would be a risk for the 49ers to sign the former Manchester City man, given that he may be very rusty after spending such a long time on the sidelines, but his previous exploits in the Premier League suggest it could be worth launching an ambitious move.

The Kingston-born winger has a whopping 123 Premier League goals to his name, having been a major part of Guardiola’s all-conquering Man City side, with perhaps his best years coming from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

Raheem Sterling’s attacking record by season	Premier League appearances	Goal contributions
2017-18	33	30
2018-19	34	27
2019-20	33	24
2020-21	31	18
2021-22	30	19

The £325k-a-week Chelsea man has also been described as “absolutely outstanding” by Paul Merson during his time with the Blues, suggesting he could still have more to give in the Premier League.

Leeds certainly need a spark from somewhere, having struggled to create chances as of late, and Sterling could be a fantastic signing if he is able to rediscover his best form.

Raheem Sterling has been named as one of the best wingers in Premier League history

20 Best Wingers in Premier League History

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By
Charlie Smith

May 23, 2025

Northern Superchargers 93 for 2 (Litchfield 55*, Sutherland 29*) beat London Spirit 90 for 8 (Redmayne 29, Sutherland 3-20) by eight wicketsNorthern Superchargers earned a crucial win at Lord’s to leapfrog hosts London Spirit and take themselves to second in the table in the Hundred women’s competition.It wasn’t quite a must-win game for Hollie Armitage’s side but, having lost to Manchester Originals last time out, their prospects of qualifying have increased substantially after inflicting upon Spirit their second defeat of the season.Superchargers started well with the ball, with both Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross bowling their first 10 deliveries through to take a wicket apiece. When Nicola Carey dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls, all the wind was taken out of Spirit’s sails and they never threatened to post an overly imposing total.As it was the team in purple made light work of the chase, knocking it off two wickets down with 34 balls to spare.Spirit will want to prove that they’re not reliant on Grace Harris’s runs for success, while for Superchargers they’ll be heartened by the up-turn in form of Phoebe Litchfield – awarded Meerkat Match Hero here for her 38-ball 55 with her customary array of switch-hits dotted throughout.On a day that Southern Brave secured their qualification with their sixth successive win, the fight for the next two qualification spots – and a place in at least the Eliminator – looks set to go down to the wire between today’s two combatants and Manchester Originals (all tied on 16 points), who take on Trent Rockets tomorrow.Litchfield said: “I think losing to Manchester Originals stung for our group. I think we got ourselves in a winning position and it was heartbreaking to not come over the other side. We made a conscious effort to rectify that situation and come out here and win.”We weren’t far off in that last game. We were in a winning position. We’ve just got be ruthless in that moment, and I think we did that today with the ball. The way the girls set it up with the ball, pretty much won us the game in that first innings and then made it really easy for us batters to go out and play with freedom.”The switch hits are fully premeditated, and then I just have to adjust on the length and the line when I switch, but also I have to know how to bail out. So that’s probably the most important thing that I learnt is to bail out, but then if it’s in the area, swing.”