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Manchester United legend David Beckham admitted he has achieved a long-term goal as his Inter Miami side won the MLS Cup for the first time. A Lionel Messi-inspired Miami earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at Chase Stadium to secure their biggest ever trophy. As the dust began to settle on their achievement, co-owner Beckham revelled in the club's triumph.

• Messi inspires MLS Cup win

  Miami had an ideal start to their final game of the season when Edier Ocampo scored an own goal in the eighth minute but the Canadian outfit grew into the game and got their reward on the hour mark through Ali Ahmed's scuffed shot. Rodrigo de Paul tucked in Messi's cross 11 minutes later before the Argentine great set up Tadeo Allende deep into stoppage time to seal the victory. The match was also the last that Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets will play for the club, prompting Beckham – who could not contain his excitement – to pay tribute to the two retiring veterans.

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• Beckham realises dream

  After the win, former Real Madrid player Beckham wrote that he was "so proud" of everyone who helped the club achieve this goal and also thanked the former Barcelona stars for securing them a perfect send-off.

  He wrote on Instagram: "WOW… MLS Cup Champions 2025. Ever since I won this trophy as a player, I’ve always wanted to win it as an owner. I am so proud of everybody at this incredible club… the players, the staff, the fans… thank you for your unwavering commitment and support as we realise this dream together. The perfect way to say goodbye to this stadium, and to send off Sergio and Jordi the way they deserve… VAMOS @intermiamicf #FreedomToDream."

• 'One of my greatest moments'

  Beckham won the Champions League with United and a host of domestic trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson. He played for Madrid, AC Milan, PSG and more, but Miami's victory this weekend was a crowning achievement for the 50-year-old.

  "It has to be one of the greatest moments in my career to have won it as a player and now to have won it as an owner," former LA Galaxy player Beckham told The Athletic. "I don’t think that’s been done before, so that’s a nice thing to do first.

  "One of the things was obviously me going to L.A., but then the next one was me owning the team and my promise to America and to the MLS was to bring the best player, and we brought the best player and now we’ve had success tonight. Tonight is just one of those nights that I’ll never forget."

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  Messi revels in victory

  Messi left Paris Saint-Germain for Miami in the summer of 2023, and after delivering them their first-ever trophy with their Leagues Cup success that year, the 38-year-old has secured them the MLS Cup, too. The Argentina international was thrilled at their cup success, saying this was an effort long in the making.

  "Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions," he said. "We reached the semifinals of the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. Last year, we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round. This year, winning the MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort – it was a very long year, with many matches – and we were up to the task all season. This is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for. It’s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it."

حدد النادي الأهلي، موعد عودته إلى القاهرة، عقب الانتهاء من مواجهة الجيش الملكي المغربي، التي تقام مساء اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويحل الأهلي ضيفًا على الجيش الملكي، في ملعبه بالمغرب، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثانية من عمر مباريات دور المجموعات للبطولة القارية.

ومن المقرر أن تتوجه بعثة فريق الأهلي، برئاسة طارق قنديل، عضو مجلس الإدارة، مباشرة إلى مطار الرباط عقب انتهاء مباراة الفريق أمام الجيش الملكي، المقرر لها التاسعة مساء اليوم الجمعة بتوقيت القاهرة “الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت المغرب”.

طالع | القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وتغادر البعثة ملعب مولاي الحسن الذي يستضيف مواجهة اليوم مباشرة بعد نهاية اللقاء، حيث من المقرر استقلال الطائرة العائدة إلى القاهرة.

ويتواجد النادي الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مع الجيش الملكي وشبيبة القبائل الجزائري ويانج أفريكانز التنزاني.

وكان النادي الأهلي، حقق الفوز في لقاء الجولة الأولى على شبيبة القبائل الجزائري بنتيجة 4-1، في اللقاء الذي أقيم بالقاهرة يوم السبت الماضي.  

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، التشكيل الرسمي لفريقه استعدادًا لمواجهة المقاولون العرب، اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ومن المقرر أن تُلعب المباراة على استاد الدفاع الجوي ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2025-2026.

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء محتلاً المركز الرابع في جدول الترتيب برصيد 20 نقطة، بعدما خاض 9 مباريات حقق خلالها 6 انتصارات وتعادلين وتعرض لهزيمة وحيدة.

في المقابل، يدخل المقاولون العرب المواجهة وهو في المركز الثامن عشر برصيد 10 نقاط، بعد خوض 13 مباراة حقق فيها فوزًا واحدًا وتعادل في 7 لقاءات وخسر 5 مباريات.

طالع أيضًا | يورتشيتش: بيراميدز واجه مشكلة قبل مواجهة ريفرز.. وهذا ما يحتاجه إيفرتون تشكيل بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد سامي – محمود مرعي – محمد حمدي – محمد الشيبي.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – وليد الكرتي – أحمد عاطف “قطة” – مصطفى زيكو – محمود زلاكة.

خط الهجوم: فيستون مايلي. بدلاء بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

محمود جاد – علي جبر – كريم حافظ – أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مروان حمدي – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمد رضا “بوبو” – عبد الرحمن مجدي

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has already received a promise from the board ahead of January, with David Sullivan and co now making an ambitious plan.

West Ham in crisis with January window crucial

Nuno perhaps didn’t realise what a mighty job he’s got on his hands until West Ham’s tepid 2-0 loss at home to Brentford on Monday night.

From the offset, West Ham looked disjointed and uninspired. Their much-changed line-up, much to the bemusement of on-lookers, struggled to impose any control on the game, and their lack of creativity was glaring.

The east Londoners chased shadows for much of the match, and Brentford’s dominance was reflected in their relentless attacking play, as they repeatedly threatened the West Ham goal with 17 shots in total.

Losing just 2-0 flattered Nuno’s side, with Alphonse Areola forced into excellent saves as Keith Andrews’ side also struck the crossbar twice and had a goal chalked off for marginal offside by VAR.

Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving failed to provide the necessary balance in Nuno’s engine room. Soucek really struggled to influence the game going forward, while Irving appeared out of his depth in such a pivotal role.

Defensively, the decision to use Kyle Walker-Peters and Olly Scarles as opposing full-backs was equally puzzling. Neither player looked convincing on their weaker sides and left West Ham vulnerable on the flanks, while both Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman had a nightmare as Nuno’s chosen centre-back pairing.

Lucas Paqueta also struggled in the striker role against Brentford, giving away possession a whopping 23 times, so Nuno will likely tinker the starting line-up again ahead of their tough trip to face newly-promoted Leeds United on Friday.

West Ham have now lost all of their first four home league games for the first time in their history, breaking an unwanted record, with the Hammers also standing out as the Premier League’s most vulnerable side.

No team has conceded more goals in the top flight than Nuno’s men so far, and this desperately needs to change if West Ham stand any chance of avoiding a drop to the Championship.

Their lack of options going forward, thanks in part to yet another injury for Niclas Füllkrug, is also a major problem.

Only bottom side Wolves and Nottingham Forest have scored fewer goals than West Ham in the league this term, with Sullivan and the board already making some plans ahead of the January window in a bid to save their campaign.

West Ham make January promise to Nuno as Sullivan eyes ambitious move

That is according to Sky Sports and journalist Kaveh Solhekol, who’ve now shared what West Ham are planning for the winter transfer market.

It is believed Nuno has “received confirmation” from the board that funds will be available to strengthen the squad in January, with West Ham ambitiously eyeing three major signings in total.

They want a new defender, midfielder and forward, which will be very hard to do considering just how tricky the January window can be with the lack of available, quality options.

It is very likely that the London club will look to instigate loan deals, and they’ve already been tipped to go for Real Madrid sensation Endrick or Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney to bolster their striking department.

According to journalist Alan Nixon this week, West Ham have already worked on a loan deal for Toney, who could be open to the prospect of a London Stadium switch with the 2026 World Cup looming as he looks to battle his way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans.

Endrick, meanwhile, was on West Ham’s radar last January and his situation hasn’t exactly improved at the Bernabeu since then.

The Brazilian played a key role in Real’s run to the Copa del Rey final, scoring in nearly every game before their loss to Barcelona, but he’s scarcely been used in La Liga or the Champions League — mainly due to both injury and the fierce competition for places.

Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Endrick is expected to leave on loan in January as a result, so this is an opportunity that West Ham could grab with both hands.

Sri Lanka collapse sensationally after Kusal Mendis’ 20-ball fifty

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jul-2025

Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam ripped out Sri Lanka’s middle order after Bangladesh’s batters had scrapped together a workable 248, thanks to gritty half-centuries from Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy.The defining period of Sri Lanka’s chase was the patch between the tenth and 30th overs, when they lost five wickets for 57 runs off 122 balls. Although Janith Liyanage produced a valiant 78 off 85 balls, the lower order was simply left with too much to accomplish. They eventually fell short by 16 runs.Sri Lanka’s loss was despite a scorching 56 off 31 balls by Kusal Mendis, who had smote his way to a 20-ball fifty – the fastest ever for men’s ODIs at this venue, and the fourth fastest ever by a Sri Lanka batter (Kusal is also third on this list). Seam bowler Asitha Fernando had also been impressive, taking 4 for 35 in his nine overs. In fact, Sri Lanka had bowled out Bangladesh as early as the 46th over.But ultimately, Bangladesh put on the more impressive team performance. Though their best batting partnership was worth only 63, Emon, Hridoy and later Tanzim Hasan Sakib made valuable contributions that kept the total ticking even while wickets fell. Sakib’s contribution, a stroke-filled 33 not out off 21 balls, proved invaluable in the end.All told, it was Sri Lanka’s middle-order collapse that defined the outcome. Tanvir, the hero of that passage, had in fact begun quite poorly, conceding 22 runs in his first two overs with Kusal hitting him for three fours and a six. But captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz persisted with him inside the powerplay, and Tanvir rewarded him with Nishan Madushka’s wicket in the tenth over, as the batter sent an outside edge aerially to backward point after Tanvir had beaten him in the flight.His work through the middle overs was much more impressive. He took the key wicket of Kusal, who came down the track hoping to clip through midwicket, only for Tanvir to slip one into his front pad. The lbw appeal was turned down on the field but was reviewed successfully by Bangladesh. Kusal had been easily the most fluent batter on this track.Asitha Fernando picked up 4 for 35•AFP/Getty Images

Next over, Tanvir had Kamindu Mendis chipping tamely to midwicket, the ball perhaps stopping on the batter. Then later, in his final over, he had Dunith Wellalage caught bat-pad. In between the Tanvir wickets, Mehidy and offspin allrounder Shamim Hossain also imposed themselves. Shamim’s economy rate was especially impressive – he gave away only 22 in nine overs, and took the wicket of the in-form Charith Asalanka.Later, Liyanage began to hit out in the company of the tail and found success with his big hits, much to the Khettarama crowd’s joy. He even struck two death-overs sixes down the ground to keep the required rate manageable. Had he batted till the end, Sri Lanka may have won, but Mustafizur Rahman duped him with a slower one and had him caught and bowled with 21 runs to get off 17 balls. Though Dushmantha Chameera had protected his wicket well until that point, this was too much for the last pair.In Bangladesh’s innings, their best partnership came early on. Tanzid Hasan was out edging an Asitha slower ball in the third over, but Emon took the reins in a brisk 63-run partnership to which Najmul Hossain Shanto’s contribution was only 14. Emon preyed on errors of length especially. He hit three sixes, two of them over deep midwicket, and scored 72% of his runs on leg side.Hridoy was more cautious than Emon had been, with Asitha, in particular, taking out other batters in the middle order. But he still prospered mostly square of the wicket, hitting just two offside fours in an innings in which he struck at 73.Shamim and Jaker Ali also scratched out 20s, as Wanindu Hasaranga, Asitha, and Chameera combined through the late middle overs to make regular breakthroughs. No. 8 batter Sakib struck the ball most cleanly of all Bangladesh’s batters as Sri Lanka hunted for the final few wickets. He hit two sixes down the ground off Hasaranga, before Hasaranga caught Mustafizur in front, later in that 46th over of the innings.The victory brought Bangladesh level with Sri Lanka in the three-match series. The decider will be played in Pallekele on Tuesday.

Over the last 25 years, Leeds United have cashed in on a number of star players, most recently after failing to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

The Whites have done deals with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United, but who is Leeds’ most expensive departure of all time?

Here is a look at Leeds United’s most expensive sales in their history, as per Transfermarkt, with a detailed look at the top 10.

Here’s a detailed look at the top 10 Leeds United sales…

10

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

£12m to Atletico Madrid, 1999

Leeds United was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first taste of English football, with the Dutch forward joining from Boavista in 1997.

Hasselbaink finished as the joint Premier League Golden Boot winner in his second season, and after a dispute over a new deal, was sold to Atletico Madrid for £12m, with the club making five times the fee they paid for the striker.

9

Chris Wood

£15m to Burnley, 2017

Striker Chris Wood arrived at Elland Road from Leicester City in 2015 and enjoyed two solid seasons with the club, scoring 30 goals in all competitions during the 2016/17 season.

His displays caught the eye of Burnley, and the lure of Premier League football persuaded Wood to move to Turf Moor, resulting in the Whites making a healthy profit following his £15m move.

8

Luis Sinisterra

£20m to Bournemouth, 2024

Luis Sinisterra was one of a number of players who exercised their relegation loan clause to leave Elland Road in 2023, returning to the Premier League with Bournemouth.

Jaidon Anthony moved to Leeds on loan from the Cherries, and in February 2024, Sinisterra’s move to the south coast was made permanent for a £20m fee.

7

Tyler Adams

£20m to Bournemouth, 2023

Weeks before Sinisterra joined Bournemouth on loan, holding midfielder Tyler Adams had swapped Elland Road for the Vitality Stadium in a permanent transfer, reportedly worth in excess of £20m.

The USA international’s one campaign in West Yorkshire ended in relegation, but Leeds did make a small profit on Adams, while his sale also kept the club in line with FFP.

6

Crysencio Summerville

£25m to West Ham, 2024

After starring in the Championship and winning the league’s Player of the Year award in 2024, it was no surprise that Leeds’ failure to win promotion back to the top flight resulted in Crysencio Summerville’s exit.

Leeds signed Summerville from Eredivisie giants Feyenoord for a fee believed to be just over £1m, resulting in a huge profit when West Ham triggered an exit clause that cost the Hammers £25m.

5

Rio Ferdinand

£30m to Man Utd, 2002

Defender Rio Ferdinand was Leeds’ record departure for 20 years after he joined rivals Manchester United in 2002 for what was a mind-boggling £30m.

Signed from West Ham in 2000, Ferdinand went from strength to strength at Elland Road, and following Leeds’ financial troubles, the Red Devils took advantage and made him the most expensive British footballer in history at the time.

4

Archie Gray

£30m to Tottenham, 2024

Academy graduate Archie Gray only made his senior debut for Leeds at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, and less than 12 months later, he was joining Spurs in a big-money £30m deal.

Gray starred in midfield and at right-back in the Championship and was another who had a release clause triggered after Leeds lost at Wembley to Southampton in the play-off final.

3

Georginio Rutter

£40m to Brighton, 2024

Like Summerville and Gray, Georginio Rutter also left Leeds in 2024 and was another who had a release clause activated after the club’s failure to win promotion.

Brighton triggered the clause with hours to spare, with the Whites making a profit on the fee they paid Hoffenheim in 2023. Rutter’s £40m sale was the largest sum they received that summer.

2

Kalvin Phillips

£45m to Man City, 2022

Academy graduate Kalvin Phillips was transformed by Marcelo Bielsa, becoming a key cog in the Argentinian’s Leeds side between 2018 and 2022.

The holding midfielder even went on to star for England and helped Leeds to the Premier League, which resulted in Manchester City and Pep Guardiola taking Phillips to the Etihad for £45m. However, Phillips held the record as Leeds’ biggest departure for just 11 days…

1

Raphinha

£55m to Barcelona, 2022

Leeds United’s most expensive sale of all time is Raphinha, who is also arguably the most talented player the Whites have had this millennium.

Signed from French side Rennes on deadline day in 2020, Raphinha helped Leeds finish ninth in their first season back in the Premier League and almost single-handily kept Leeds up in 2022 before sealing his dream move to Camp Nou following a £55m transfer.

From a results perspective, the weekend was almost perfect for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side picked up all three points at home to West Ham United, and Liverpool lost to Chelsea, leaving the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table heading into the international break.

However, the North Londoners can never have a perfect weekend, as during their win over the Hammers, Martin Odegaard had to come off before half-time with an injury for the third league game on the spin.

With it being confirmed as an MCL injury, there is a real concern that the club’s captain could be out of action for a number of months rather than weeks.

However, while Odegaard’s absence is undoubtedly a setback for Arsenal, there are several ways in which Arteta could cope with it, including playing one of his most exciting talents, and no, not Eberechi Eze.

How Arteta could solve his Odegaard problem

The good news here is that, while there might not be a perfect solution to Odegaard’s absence, Arteta now has several ways to approach it with this squad.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, while it might not be a popular option, he could bring Mikel Merino back into the starting lineup and play him in a more attacking role.

The Spaniard certainly isn’t as technically impressive as the Norwegian, but if the last year or so has proven anything, it’s that the former Real Sociedad star knows precisely where the goal is.

For example, in 53 appearances for the Gunners, the 29-year-old has scored ten goals and provided five assists, and since the start of last season, he’s scored six goals in nine caps for Spain.

An altogether more unconventional and unlikely option could be to start Bukayo Saka more centrally.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, this isn’t a suggestion in the vein of playing the Hale Ender on the left to make room for other players in the national team.

Instead, this would, in theory, give the Englishman far more time on the ball and, therefore, have an even greater influence on games than he already does.

Moreover, the 24-year-old has already shown an ability to use both feet, is best when cutting in from out wide, is far stronger than people give him credit fr and is arguably one of the team’s most creative players alongside their biggest goal threat.

In other words, while it would be an experiment, there isn’t an apparent reason why it wouldn’t work.

Finally, Arteta could just opt to play summer signing Eze in the most attacking midfield role.

However, while this might well be the option the manager chooses, it does mean that Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard will have to start on the left, and neither has been impressive when starting games this season.

Therefore, the boss should keep the former Crystal Palace star on the left and opt to start another outrageously talented gem in the middle.

The Arsenal star who should start in place of Odegaard

So, if Eze is going to stay out on the left, Saka on the right and Merino remains an impact sub, that leaves one clear option to start in place of Odegaard: Ethan Nwaneri.

The Hale End gem might not be getting as much game time as some would have expected, but with the captain now out of action, the next couple of months could be the perfect opportunity to get him in the starting lineup with some regularity.

Moreover, while the 18-year-old is certainly still raw and can make the wrong decision at times, his outrageous talent is simply undeniable.

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

For example, despite not really being a winger and being so young, the Enfield-born monster managed to score nine goals and provide two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes, last season.

That works out to a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes.

Furthermore, unlike some of his more senior teammates, who have been criticised for playing too safely in the past, the “phenomenal” prospect, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, is always looking to play the ball forward or for a goalscoring opportunity.

While there are certainly other differences in their game, this swashbuckling and brave style of play has to be one of the reasons the manager described him as “a little bit like Jack Wilshere.”

Ultimately, Arteta has several options when it comes to replacing Odegaard in this Arsenal team, but to keep the wings as strong as possible, he should opt to start Nwaneri.

Arsenal sold Hale End's answer to Gyokeres for £4m, now he's worth 464% more

As Viktor Gyökeres continues to find his feet at Arsenal, did the Gunners sell their own home grown version for just £4m, now worth 464% more?

ByBen Gray Oct 6, 2025

Chelsea would have fancied their chances heading to Old Trafford.

After all, going into the contest away at Manchester United, the Red Devils had just succumbed to a disastrous 3-0 defeat in the Manchester Derby, with Enzo Maresca’s Blues still unbeaten in the bread and butter of the Premier League, despite just falling to a 3-1 loss in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

However, any optimism heading into the tie would be instantly obliterated by Robert Sanchez’s reckless early red card, as the ropey Blues goalkeeper took out Bryan Mbeumo before the ex-Brentford attacker could even register an effort at his goal.

Of course, Casemiro did also receive his marching orders for a second yellow in first-half added-on time, but the damage of that earlier dismissal was already clear for all to see, as Ruben Amorim’s men raced into a two-goal advantage.

Trevoh Chalobah did score towards the end to give Chelsea some late hope, but Sanchez’s stupidity ultimately cost the Blues dear in the 2-1 defeat, with questions now needing to be asked about his first-team spot moving forward.

Sanchez's horror show

Amazingly, Sanchez’s dismissal after just five minutes is Chelsea’s earliest ever red card in Premier League action.

That isn’t exactly a badge of honour that the error-prone Spaniard will be wearing, however.

More so, it brings into view even clearer how much of an uphill battle the away side had on their hands in a first-half that ended up being largely dominated by the hosts, who aren’t free from a calamitous moment themselves.

Sanchez’s rash decision-making resulted in Chelsea’s attack being significantly stunted, as Maresca substituted off both Estevao and Pedro Neto in quick succession for a defensive focus. He even decided to bring off Cole Palmer after just 21 minutes, with the likes of Joao Pedro, who remained, offering very little.

If it hadn’t been for the major shock after five minutes, Chelsea might well have gained another three points or a draw out of the game. But, instead, in the torrential conditions, everything fell to pieces in a 2-1 loss.

Still, other individuals who did see out most of the contest aren’t completely blameless, despite the actions of Sanchez setting them up to fail.

The 4/10 star who must now be dropped

Indeed, there were still 85 minutes on the clock for Chelsea to turn their fortunes around, even if gaining a result seemed slim.

The defenders – minus Sanchez – who graced the Old Trafford turf for most of the turbulent clash didn’t cover themselves in much glory, either, with Marc Cucurella – in particular – struggling throughout, away from Reece James’ sliced clearance gifting Casemiro United’s second of the day.

At least James did win seven duels, as per Sofascore, to hold his head high somewhat. On the contrary, a shoddy Cucurella would win just two duels all match from the left-back spot, as he failed to grapple with the aforementioned Mbeumo.

On top of that, he further failed to impress in the forward areas, as the likes of Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu for Amorim and Co. showed the former Brighton and Hove Albion how it’s done when foraying up the pitch, with Dorgu going on to assist Bruno Fernandes’ opener.

Minutes played

64

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

41

Accurate passes

19/25 (76%)

Accurate crosses

0/1

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

2/7

The below-par defender would retreat into his shell in this capacity, unfortunately, with zero accurate crosses or successful dribbles tallied up, leading to Maresca hauling him off at the hour mark, among other poor moments.

The Sun’s Katherine Walsh didn’t wax lyrical about Cucurella’s 64-minute runout either, dishing out a low 4/10 post-match rating to the number three, who she stated was routinely ‘second best’ to the likes of Mbeumo.

Maresca will hope he can rule this defeat out as a fluke, with the stormy conditions making for a feisty affair kick-started by Sanchez’s brainless intervention.

But, he will also know who he can trust more now in some tough moments to come this season, as both the red-carded keeper and Cucurella potentially fear for their first-team futures going forward.

Sterling and Disasi receive Chelsea gift to hand them best chance of January move

The PFA have slammed Chelsea over their treatment of the duo.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 20, 2025

This summer was always going to be massive for Tottenham Hotspur after their Europa League triumph – but it was unclear who would be the man to take the club forward.

Ange Postecoglou was ultimately dismissed by the Lilywhites hierarchy, resulting in Thomas Frank being selected as the manager to build on the European success.

In an attempt to hit the ground running, he was handed funds by the board to make the changes he desired to the first-team squad to push the side back up the Premier League table.

He targeted a move for striker Yoane Wissa, a player whom he had at Brentford, subsequently wanting a reunion with his former centre-forward in North London.

Talks were held between the two parties, but the difference in price tag provided a stumbling block for the DR Congo international, who netted 19 times in England’s top-flight last season.

The 29-year-old would join Newcastle United in a £55m transfer, with Frank turning to Randal Kolo Muani to try and replicate the levels of one former player with the Lilywhites.

Harry Kane’s record at Tottenham Hotspur

Clinical goalscorers are extremely hard to come by in the modern game, but Spurs had one in their ranks for many years, in the form of Englishman Harry Kane.

The striker came through the youth ranks in North London, going on to find the net over 30 times in 50% of the seasons he spent as a first-team regular under various different managers.

The 32-year-old ended his decade-long spell at the club on 280 goals, with such a tally making him their highest-ever goalscorer, surpassing the record previously held by the late Jimmy Greaves.

However, the hierarchy have had the task of trying to replace the talisman over the last couple of years, after allowing him to depart in a £82m transfer to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.

The likes of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have both tried to fill the void over the last couple of years, but none have been able to nail down the position as their own, nor match the levels produced by the fan-favourite.

Kolo Muani will be the next to try and fill the void, but Frank may have been able to rely upon one other talent had the hierarchy decided against offloading him.

The former Spurs player who has outscored Kane

As previously mentioned, new boss Frank has been able to rely upon Wissa at Brentford in recent years – often having the calibre of player needed for success in the Premier League.

At present, Brazilian forward Richarlison has so far been his chosen option at the top end of the pitch – with the 28-year-old already finding the back of the key twice under his guidance.

The work completed in the transfer market highlights that the Dane desperately wanted a new number nine to aid his chances of success after taking the reins in North London.

However, the 51-year-old could have relied upon youngster Troy Parrott had the board not sold him to Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar for just £6.7m back in the summer of 2024.

The Irish international joined the Lilywhites at the age of 15, spending five years in North London – but only made four senior appearances – before being sent on various loan spells.

Unsuccessful stints at Preston, Ipswich and Millwall saw his career stagnate, before a loan move to Excelsior saw him burst into life after scoring 17 times in just 32 outings.

Parrott’s permanent move to AZ last summer has seen him reach new levels in his career, netting 20 times in 47 outings across all competitions last season – including four in the Europa League.

The 23-year-old has already started the new campaign in tremendous fashion, scoring 10 goals in just seven outings – further showcasing his incredible goalscoring nouse.

Such a record is higher than that of Lilywhites legend Kane, who’s only managed to find the back of the net nine times in his nine outings across multiple tournaments.

Appearances

30

Starts

28

Minutes

2191

Goals

14

Assists

2

Shot on target accuracy

49%

Goal Involvements per match

0.53

Minutes per goal involvement

136

Parrott has now scored 30 times in just 54 outings for the Dutch outfit, a record that has taken his market value to nearly double what he was sold for, with Transfermarkt valuing the youngster at £12m.

It’s safe to say Spurs made a huge mistake in allowing the centre-forward to depart the club last year, with their loss now undoubtedly Az Alkmaar’s gain.

Frank will likely be gutted with the decision, missing out on the opportunity to work with another talented centre-forward – just as he did with Wissa during his time in charge at the Bees.

Nuno's "incredible" Spurs signing could now become their own Gibbs-White

Tottenham Hotspur have conducted shrewd business in landing one first-team star.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2025

“It’s an easy thing to have as a throwaway line that guys don’t train enough when results aren’t right”

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-20252:28

Buttler: ‘We’ve done plenty of training throughout the tour’

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, has rejected suggestions that his players did not take their preparation seriously on the tour of India, saying it was “factually incorrect” that the team had not done enough training during the T20I and ODI series, both of which ended in one-sided defeats.During a discussion on TV commentary for the third ODI between Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen, it was claimed that, with the exception of Joe Root, England had not netted during the ODI series. England had trained before the first ODI in Nagpur, but opted not to do so ahead of the second and third games in Cuttack and Ahmedabad.With the Champions Trophy looming, a 142-run defeat in the final game saw England go down 3-0 in the ODIs, having previously been beaten 4-1 during the T20I leg.The tourists have also had to deal with injuries, with Jacob Bethell ruled out by a hamstring strain and Jamie Smith nursing a sore calf – meaning that assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood were named as substitute fielders in Cuttack.Related

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“Firstly, it’s factually incorrect, the whole statement that we don’t train,” McCullum told talkSPORT after the third ODI. “We’ve trained plenty right throughout, guys have come from a lot of cricket as well. I think it’s an easy thing to have as a throwaway line that guys don’t train enough when the results aren’t right.”But we’ve got a style and a method that we believe in. We’ve got guys who are battling injuries and trying to make sure that we’ve got enough bodies out on the field, knowing that we’ve got a huge assignment coming up in a week or two. Ultimately it’s factually incorrect what’s been said and we’ll stay true to what we believe in.”Jos Buttler, England’s captain, also denied that the poor results in India had been down to “lack of effort” when speaking to reporters after the Ahmedabad game.”We’ve had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days,” Buttler said. “There have been a couple of times we have not trained but we have done plenty of training throughout the tour. We try to create a really good environment but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve.”McCullum only took on the role of white-ball head coach in January, having previously had sole responsibility for the Test side, and said that the tour had provided valuable lessons ahead of the Champions Trophy, which gets underway in Pakistan next week.England will spend the next few days in the UAE before beginning their campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22. They have confirmed Tom Banton in their 15-man Champions Trophy squad as a replacement for Bethell.”I’ve learned a lot,” McCullum said. “There’s guys in our team who are incredibly talented, if we can add a little bit of craft and give ourselves a bit of confidence within the dressing room, which is ultimately the task of us as coaches, then we’ll see some of that talent will flourish. It’s been a good tour, so much good will come from it, albeit the results are very disappointing. But that’s the nature sometimes when you come up against a very good side in their own conditions.”Ultimately you’re judged on results,” he added. “From our point of view, we’ve got to strip away the fear of failure that results can bring. Guys are fiercely determined and competitive… how do you allow an environment to provide the freedom and clarity of thought to go out there and allow your talent to come out?”That’s what we’re trying to do in the group we’re building and that’s what we’ll try and do over the next week as well, give the guys a freshen-up in Abu Dhabi, make sure all the bodies are fit and ready to go, we’ve got a full squad to pick from come that first game against Australia. We do that, hopefully we walk a little taller and play a little better and end up getting better results as well.”