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Arsenal are well-stocked all over the pitch and boast one of the finest squad depths in England, yet they continue to be linked with high-profile transfers ahead of January.

Arsenal overcome Brentford to go five points clear

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their commanding lead at the Premier League summit with a professional 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory extended their unbeaten streak to an incredible 18 matches across all competitions, with Arteta seriously rotating his squad following a recent demanding triple-header against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham
Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze were all rested from the starting lineup, but the Gunners’ strength in depth showed with Ben White and Noni Madueke combining brilliantly down the right throughout.

The opener arrived early on when White delivered an inviting cross that found Mikel Merino, who powered a header past Caoimhin Kelleher for his fifth goal of the campaign.

The Spaniard, who Arteta never expected to be the proficient going forward, has now netted 21 times in 2025 for club and country, showcasing his remarkable goalscoring form.

Arsenal suffered a blow before the interval when Cristhian Mosquera limped off with an ankle injury, compounding their defensive concerns with both Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba already sidelined. Timber then replaced the injured defender as Arteta juggled his limited centre-back options.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews introduced Igor Thiago, Mikkel Damsgaard and Jordan Henderson from the bench after an hour, while Arteta countered by bringing on Saka and Eze.

Arsenal controlled proceedings but missed several opportunities to seal the contest earlier.

Arsenal hold new talks with Juventus star who Alonso has recommended to Real Madrid

The Gunners are ‘captivated’ by him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 3, 2025

To add further injury worry after Mosquera, Arsenal’s arguable player of the season, Declan Rice, departed late with a calf problem, with Arteta now sweating over his fitness ahead of a hectic Christmas schedule and the clash with Aston Villa.

Saka finally made the points safe in stoppage time, latching onto Merino’s perfectly weighted pass before finishing past Kelleher despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the effort.

Given Arsenal’s injury curse which has plagued them since last season, sporting director Andrea Berta will be attentive to any unmissable transfer market opportunities.

Enter Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who is reportedly up for sale this winter after playing a bit-part role under Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo expresses wish to join Arsenal as agents open talks

Arsenal have already been linked with a move for the Brazil international heading into January, following exploratory talks over a deal last summer.

The 24-year-old has managed just three La Liga starts this term, making the vast majority of his appearances off the bench, with Rodrygo believed to be in the process of finding a new club.

That is according to TEAMtalk and reporter Graeme Bailey, who also state that Rodrygo has ‘expressed a wish’ to join Arsenal among four other Premier League sides he’s also interested in.

Crucially, though, the ex-Santos star’s agents have apparently reopened talks with Arteta’s side, who also ‘pushed hardest’ to sign him in the summer window.

However, Arsenal will need a minimum £70 million to strike a deal, with a loan appearing unlikely as things stand.

Berta and co, meanwhile, are believed to be monitoring his situation closely, which isn’t hard to see why given their bad luck with injuries, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

The latter wingers are both out of contract in under two years, and with no sign of an extension for either, Arsenal need to think about long-term succession planning.

Rodrygo’s £282,000-per-week salary would put him in line with Arsenal’s highest earners, so it is an expensive transfer to pull off beyond just his club fee.

That being said, Rodrygo is also a player of proven quality, having racked up 68 goals and 53 assists in under 300 appearances for Los Blancos.

Leeds United youngster Harry Gray has been in the spotlight among the fanbase once again this week after scoring two goals in a 3-2 loss to Accrington Stanley for the U21s.

The 17-year-old striker has scored seven goals in eight games in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 combined, to go along with a hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the English National League Cup.

Whilst Gray is, as evidenced by his goalscoring form, an exciting prospect for the Whites, he is not an attacking midfielder who will come up to the first-team and improve Daniel Farke’s side in the wide areas, where they have been struggling on the right wing with Brenden Aaronson.

Why Leeds need an upgrade on Brenden Aaronson

The USA international, to his credit, did play a key role in the club’s 2-1 win over West Ham United last month, scoring his first goal of the season from close range.

However, that was only his second goal in 48 Premier League appearances for Leeds across two seasons at the level, per Sofascore, which is a concern moving forward.

The American winger did assist Lukas Nmecha against Nottingham Forest before the international break, but he has yet to prove that he can deliver a consistent end product in the top-flight.

Two goals and four assists in 48 top-flight matches is far from an impressive haul for the former RB Salzburg man, which is why the Whites may look for an upgrade on him.

Whilst Gray is shining at academy level, Farke could look beyond him and to the U18s to find the player who could end Aaronson’s Elland Road career, in Sam Alker.

Why Sam Akler could end Brenden Aaronson's Leeds career

The 16-year-old talent, who does not turn 17 until next March, has caught the eye with his performances at youth level, so much so that he has attracted interest from across Europe.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have both been credited with interest in the attacking midfielder, which speaks to the level of talent that he has shown during his time at Thorp Arch.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “standout” in the academy set-up by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has delivered two goals and two assists in 15 games as an attacking midfielder, per Transfermarkt.

Youngest Leeds players to debut in the Premier League

Player

Debut age

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months, 7 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months, 6 days

Rob Bowman

17 years, 2 months, 16 days

Wesley Boyle

17 years, 5 months, 22 days

Alan Maybury

17 years, 5 months, 26 days

Harry Kewell

17 years, 6 months, 8 days

Alan Smith

18 years, 17 days

Andy Gray

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Stephen McPhail

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Noel Whelan

18 years, 4 months, 4 days

Via Transfermarkt

If Farke were to hand Alker a debut in the next match, he would rank between Aaron Lennon and James Milner in the list of the club’s youngest debuts in Premier League history.

This shows both how rare it is for a 16-year-old to debut in the Premier League and the level of talent you need to do so, given the careers that Lennon and Milner went on to have.

Leverkusen and Dortmund seemingly feel that the England U16 international is a huge talent, given their reported interest, and that is why handing him a first-team debut in the coming weeks could be a smart move by Leeds.

Giving the 16-year-old ace a chance in the Premier League would show him that there is a clear pathway to regular football at Elland Road, which could prevent him from being tempted by the prospect of a move to Germany.

Related Leeds have a Gelhardt upgrade out on loan who's 'similar to Summerville'

Leeds United might need to recall at least one of their loan stars…

Posts ByRobbie Walls Nov 14, 2025

Aaronson made the move from attacking midfield to right wing this season in the Premier League, which is why it is his career at the club could be under threat by Alker’s emergence in the first-team, as the youngster could make a similar transition, unlike Gray, who is a natural number nine.

If the English attacking midfielder can make the step up and show that he belongs at first-team level, he could develop into the upgrade that Leeds need on the wing, negating any need for Aaronson at Elland Road.

Asif Khan looked destructive in his innings of 35-ball 77 but it came about far too late

Danyal Rasool30-Aug-2025

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub punch gloves in the middle•Emirates Cricket Board

Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz’s firepower overwhelmed UAE as Pakistan registered their second win in as many days: a 31-run thumping of the home side in Sharjah. The pair’s half-centuries did the lion’s share of the work as cameos around them kept Pakistan’s momentum ticking along through the first innings. A burst at the end from Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali carried them to 207, their joint third-highest men’s T20I total.UAE’s chase was highly dependent on what their captain Muhammad Waseem could do during the powerplay. Sure enough, a blistering start kindled brief optimism as he raced along to 33, but his innings was cut down in its prime after a horrible mix-up towards the end of the first six overs.Another wicket fell the following ball and the innings petered out as Mohammad Nawaz and Ayub squeezed the home side in the overs that followed, rendering the contest uncompetitive long before the outcome was made official. Asif Khan, UAE’s lower-order power-hitter, looked destructive in his innings, a 35-ball 77, but, like Rashid Khan’s the day before, it had come about far too late.Saim unleashesPerhaps this was the innings closest to the mould of a vintage Ayub knock since he returned from his injury at the start of the year. It all began with a 22-run third over where he carted Junaid Siddique for two sixes and a four. Boundaries were sprinkled through the powerplay but carried on even as the fielding restrictions lifted, as left-arm quick Muhammad Jawadullah found out. Ayub hit him for a four and a six, and then the same off the first two balls of the following over as the opener sped to a 25-ball half-century. While his team-mates were unable to cash in to the same degree from the other end, Ayub’s innings, which ended after being contentiously given out caught behind – there is no DRS in this series – for a 38-ball 69, had helped Pakistan maintain a run rate above nine.The smaller contributionsHasan Nawaz took Ayub’s baton and ran with it, becoming the destroyer-in-chief during the second half of the innings. It culminated in a thrilling dismantling of the UAE’s best bowler, spinner Haider Ali, who until then had gone for just 12 in three. The first three balls of his final over were dispatched for 18 runs before Nawaz miscued one, getting an inside edge to see a brilliant knock come to an end after he had plundered 56 off 26.Hasan Nawaz celebrates his half-century•Emirates Cricket Board

But Pakistan were still in a slightly precarious situation. They had lost their sixth wicket with the score at 163, and there were still 26 balls left to utilise. Coach Mike Hesson has made no secret of his desire to have batters in the line-up to squeeze every last drop of run-scoring potential, even if it comes at the cost of specialist bowling. Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali each chipped in during this time with 25, 16 and 9 respectively. It all combined for 44 in the final four overs to take Pakistan beyond 200 and truly secure their position in case the UAE did something remarkable with the bat.Asif Khan’s brutal counterattackAsif Khan is the only UAE batter to boast a superior strike rate to his captain Waseem this year, and he showed why in a mauling of Pakistan’s bowlers late on in the game. That the contest was effectively over by this time felt cruel, because an innings of such power should not go to waste. Pakistan’s intensity may have dropped with spinners and seamers alike repeatedly bowling into his arc, but that wasn’t to detract from how consistently he dispatched them.He scored just 11 off the first 12 balls, but after smashing a six and a four off Sufiyan Muqim in the 14th over, he unleashed beast mode. Hasan Ali, poor with the ball for much of the day, fed him in the slot and paid for it with another 19 runs, and the hits just kept coming. Muqim conceded 17, Salman Mirza 18 more.None of it ever threatened to overturn the outcome; UAE had needed 122 in seven overs by the time Asif hit his stride. But it does take UAE above Afghanistan on net run rate, having lost to Pakistan by a smaller margin than Rashid’s men did on Friday. When Hasan returned in the final over and bounced him out, Asif had a wry smile on his face. His last 22 deliveries had produced 66 runs, and even with this outcome, he was entitled to a bit of satisfaction.

MatériaMais Notícias

Thiago Silva já tem data e horário definidos para desembarcar no Brasil. Após imprevistos na Inglaterra, o novo zagueiro do Fluminense e sua família conseguiram um voo para o aeroporto Galeão e desembarcam no Rio de Janeiro às 5h35 (de Brasília) da manhã desta sexta-feira (7).

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Com isso, a festa de apresentação do primeiro reforço do Tricolor na janela de transferências será realizada no início da noite no Maracanã. Mais de 51 mil ingressos já foram comercializados para o evento, que terá apresentação do grupo de pagode Sorriso Maroto.

A expectativa era de que o jogador fosse recebido com festa no aeroporto na manhã desta quinta-feira (6). No entanto, ele e sua família tiveram que resolver pendências na Inglaterra e só viajam rumo ao Brasil na noite de hoje.

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Nas redes sociais, Belle Silva, esposa do atleta, explicou a situação e afirmou que eles teriam que buscar um novo voo para chegar ao Rio de Janeiro.

Infelizmente, meu marido, meus filhos e eu não conseguiremos estar no aeroporto do Galeão às 10h (de quinta), como havíamos dito. Tivemos um imprevisto aqui e não vamos conseguir embarcar no horário que a gente gostaria, mas estamos correndo com tudo que a gente pode aqui para tentar resolver esse imprevisto, pra gente conseguir um novo horário de voo. Assim que eu tiver o novo horário, eu passo para vocês. Mil desculpas, mas infelizmente não depende da gente – disse Belle Silva nas redes sociais.

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disse Belle Silva nas redes sociais.

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They haven’t won every game, but this season is shaping up to be a truly special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has got his side playing some sensational football at times while simultaneously ensuring they remain the best defensive team in the Premier League.

It seems like every player, new and old, is all pulling in the exact same direction and helping each other reach new levels.

One of the team’s best players in recent weeks has been summer signing Eberechi Eze, and so fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be another version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target another Eze

There was tremendous excitement from the Arsenal fan base when it was announced that the club had signed Eze, and understandably so.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, here was a player who many considered to be one of the most exciting in the Premier League, and had just spearheaded Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory.

Fortunately, while it took him a few games to get up to speed, the 27-year-old has more than delivered so far this season, racking up a tally of nine goal involvements in 19 games for the club and scoring that North London Derby hat-trick.

So, with all that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to hear that the Gunners may be after another player who has the potential to be another Eze in Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are going all out to sign him and have been in contact with his representatives.

However, Juventus are understandably keen to keep hold of the incredible youngster and, according to other reports from earlier this month, would need a fee of at least £88m to consider selling him.

Therefore, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Eze.

Why Yıldız would be another Eze

Now, there are obviously some key differences between Yıldız and Eze, such as their age, but there are also more than a few similarities between them.

For example, like the Englishman, the young Turkish superstar is an attacker who can and does play in a multitude of positions.

Since making his first team debut for Juventus, the 20-year-old monster has played as a second-striker, on the left and right wings, in attacking midfield and even up top a few times.

The second similarity is that, like the former Palace star, he is a dual threat, someone who is as happy scoring a goal as he is assisting one.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

Yıldız’s recent form
Season	24/25	25/26
Appearances	52	18
Minutes	3520′	1457′
Goals	12	5
Assists	9	5
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Then this season, he has become even more dangerous, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 18 appearances, totalling 1457 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 145.7 minutes.

Finally, and this is related to his output, the 26-capped international is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, “capable of the spectacular.”

He doesn’t just score tap-ins; he already has quite the impressive catalogue of goals, ranging from long-distance strikes to ones stemming from brilliant close control.

It is also this ability to create magic on the football pitch that likely led European football writer Danny Corcoran to describe the youngster as having “Mbappe-like ability.”

Ultimately, it won’t be an easy transfer to get done, but Arsenal should be going all out to sign Yıldız in 2026, as he could be another Eze.

A Saka & Olise hybrid: Arsenal in contact over signing £70m "superstar"

The incredible talent would be as game-changing for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka has been over the years.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

7 days ago

Abhishek Nayar is also the head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2025Abhishek Nayar has been appointed head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026. It is a step-up from being an assistant to Chandrakant Pandit last season, when he was brought back by the franchise after a year’s gap, during which he assisted Gautam Gambhir in India’s national men’s side.Most recently, Nayar was appointed head coach by Women’s Premier League team UP Warriorz.”Abhishek has been a vital part of the Knight Riders setup since 2018, shaping our players both on and off the field,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said. “His understanding of the game and connection with players have been key to our growth. We’re thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter.”Related

Southee returns to KKR as bowling coach for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals set to trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

Nayar's UP Warriorz mission: raise skills, amplify mindsets

Nayar, now 42, was an allrounder who played for years with Mumbai and also three ODIs for India in 2009, but has a solid CV when it comes to coaching. Before retiring as a player in 2019, Nayar was appointed lead coach of the KKR academy in 2018, and then joined the main team’s support staff as an assistant coach; he also served as Trinbago Knight Riders’ head coach in CPL 2022.While with KKR, Nayar and team mentor Gambhir formed a strong rapport, and when Gambhir was appointed head coach of the national side, Nayar joined as assistant coach. But his contract was terminated less than a year into the job following a BCCI review into the team’s performances, and he returned to KKR ahead of IPL 2025.KKR and Pandit parted ways after a three-season association, during which the team won the IPL title (in 2024) after a ten-year gap. A rejig at the end of a disappointing IPL 2025, where KKR finished eighth on the points table with just five wins, led to Pandit’s exit. Since then, he has returned to Madhya Pradesh in the Indian domestic circuit, taking over as the director of cricket at Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.The overhaul of the KKR backroom is expected to continue over the coming months, with replacements required for bowling consultant Bharat Arun and spin-bowling consultant Carl Crowe, who have both moved to Lucknow Super Giants.

Chelsea have been given a boost in their search for a world-class striker next year, as one of Europe’s finest marksmen could choose a switch to Stamford Bridge over Barcelona and PSG.

After their damning 2-1 loss at home to newly-promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have returned to winning ways after three victories in their last four games across all competitions.

In truth, the criticism of Chelsea can be overblown sometimes, considering that defeat to the Black Cats was their first and only loss in nine matches — a run which includes impressive victories over Liverpool, Tottenham and José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.

The Blues are now third in the Premier League table and six points behind league leaders Arsenal, but pundits like Jamie Carragher are adamant that Chelsea could use something different to their pretty similar options throughout the team.

Reports suggest that BlueCo partly agree with Carragher’s statement, as they’re making transfer plans ahead of next year despite spending close to £300 million in the summer.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

After his latest injury blow and being hauled off just six minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week, midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to be sidelined for at least one month with a quadriceps problem, and Chelsea were already looking at new midfield targets before the Belgian’s return to rehab.

It is unclear whether Chelsea could look to strike a midfield deal in January, or whether it’s one for next summer instead, but it is reportedly more clear that Maresca wants a new centre-back to come in at the very least as BlueCo prioritise a defender.

Other media sources indicate that Chelsea may well bring in another striker next year as well, despite Joao Pedro’s excellent form and the return of Liam Delap.

Julian Alvarez reportedly refuses to rule out joining Chelsea ahead of Barca and PSG

Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Graeme Bailey has said that £211,000-per-week forward Julian Alvarez is one to keep an eye on.

The former Man City sensation has dazzled under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this term, netting nine times in his last 15 outings, and he finished his debut 24/25 season at the La Liga side with nearly 30 goals in all competitions.

This incredible form is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including PSG and Barca, but Bailey has suggested that Alvarez is refusing to rule out a Chelsea move.

Maresca could have his pick of new centre-forwards with the pacey Emmanuel Emegha poised to arrive from sister club Strasbourg in 2026.

Alvarez would be the cherry on top, but according to some reports in Argentina, those within Barca are convinced that Atletico could demand as much as £176 million to let the 25-year-old leave – so Chelsea may even have to break the Premier League transfer record.

Chelsea equaled the longest unbeaten streak in Women’s Super League history as they were held to a controversial 1-1 draw with title rivals Arsenal on Saturday afternoon. Alyssa Thompson’s opener was cancelled out by Alessia Russo's late strike in a breathless match which saw Sonia Bompastor’s Blues match their own 33-game unbeaten league run at the Emirates Stadium.

In another blistering start from Chelsea, winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd hit the post before Thompson scored her side’s seventh goal in the opening 15 minutes of league games this season, chipping Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar with a wonderful finish. Bompastor’s side almost had a second when Van Domselaar parried Catarina Macario’s effort onto the crossbar, with Wieke Kaptein unable to convert the rebound from close range.

However, as has been custom this season, Chelsea’s scintillating start soon fizzled out as Arsenal grew into the game, almost pouncing on careless moments in possession from first Hannah Hampton and then Mille Bright before the break. The hosts picked up from where they left off in the second half and thought they had levelled when Gunners striker Stina Blackstenius pounced on Niamh Charles’ poor clearance, but the goal was controversially chalked off for handball. Chelsea will argue justice was served, however, as replays later showed they should not have conceded the corner which led to the disallowed strike.

As the most-played fixture in WSL history wore on, Arsenal continued to push and probe and they were finally rewarded when Chelsea goalkeeper Hampton failed to keep out Russo's last-gasp leveller, though replays would later show that the forward looked offside in the build-up. There was still time for one more final twist as substitute Frida Maanum thought she had won the fiery encounter for Renee Slegers’ side, but her goal was ruled out for offside. However, replays would later show that the midfielder looked onside as she coolly slotted past Hampton.

The result ensures Arsenal – who are fourth and still five points behind leaders Chelsea – remain in the title race, while fellow contenders Manchester United slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on the same day. Meanwhile, second-placed Manchester City have the chance to go top when they travel to Everton on Sunday.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the Emirates Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (4/10):

  Almost put Chelsea in trouble with a sloppy pass, before Bright mopped up with a last-ditch challenge in the first half. She then failed to keep out Russo's last-gasp strike, getting a hand to it but not doing enough to keep it out.

  Lucy Bronze (5/10):

  Lining up at right-back, having operated at centre-back against London City Lionesses, she showed signs of rustiness in her battle with Arsenal's Caitlin Foord.

  Nathalie Bjorn (5/10):

  Every time compatriot Blackstenius looked to have the better of her, the Sweden defender would recover, getting something on the ball to snuff out the danger. She almost scored an own goal, however, with an air shot late on.

  Millie Bright (5/10):

  Now with the joint-most appearances in WSL history (210), the captain was generally composed but there was a five-minute spell in the first half when she was careless in possession.

  Niamh Charles (4/10):

  The left-back got away with one as her poor clearance was pounced upon by Blackstenius, whose goal was controversially chalked off for handball. She then struggled up against Arsenal substitute Olivia Smith.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Wieke Kaptein (5/10):

  Had the chance to score in the first half but her header was saved from close range, before failing to slip in Kaneryd during a promising counter-attack.

  Keira Walsh (7/10):

  Dictating the tempo as always, she set Thompson on her way to scoring with a crisp through ball in the build-up.

  Erin Cuthbert (6/10):

  Cool-headed in the middle of the park, the Scotland international rarely gave the ball away, giving Chelsea a trusty platform to build on.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (8/10):

  In an electric start to the game, she hit the post within the first two minutes before setting up Thompson for Chelsea's goal.

  Catarina Macario (7/10):

  Combining clever link-up play with terrific strength in flashes, the Arsenal defenders struggled to contain the USWNT forward, before her influence waned.

  Alyssa Thompson (8/10):

  Driving forward with terrific speed and guile, she played a one-two with Kaneryd before lobbing Van Domselaar for Chelsea's strike.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Ellie Carpenter (6/10):

  A second-half substitute, she powered forward whenever she could, using her experience to aid the visitors.

  Sam Kerr (6/10):

  Replacing Macario late on, she provided an outlet for Chelsea, who were reduced to counter-attacking as the match wore on.

  Oriane Jean-François (N/A):

  Unable to make an impact as a late substitute.

  Sandy Baltimore (N/A):

  Brought on too late to influence the game.

  Sonia Bompastor (7/10):

  Shuffling her deck by making five changes, Bompastor watched on as Thompson repaid her faith with a super goal. The introduction of Australia duo Carpenter and Kerr proved helpful, too.

Sonia Bompastor has claimed the eight-minute delay caused by a technical fault during Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Barcelona was "not good enough". The French manager fumed during her post-match press conference, claiming the problem caused her side to lose momentum, and that she believed the VAR was not used to rule out Catarina Macario's disallowed winner.

Bompastor left angry by delay at Stamford Bridge

The game was paused shortly before half-time, as all streams and video feeds, including the footage used by UEFA official for VAR were not working. reports that generators which power the technology went down, causing the fault.

Bompastor claimed the delay caused her side to lose momentum, before also alleging that Macario's effort which came just seconds after she entered the game as a second half substitute, was ruled out without the use of VAR.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBompastor: 'It's not good enough at this level'

Speaking at her post-match press conference, Bompastor said: "It was really frustrating, we were in a really good momentum, when this comes from something you can't control, I think, at this level, it's not good enough.

"I don't know if this has happened in the men's game but that's the first time I've seen that.

"To be honest with you I'm not even sure if the VAR was on in the second half. As you could see, in the first half we had almost a 10-minute break, the TV went off.

"It's something I didn't really like because we were in a really good momentum and when you have to stop the players, I think it's not good enough at this level. Maybe it's something no one can control. In the second half I'm not even sure the VAR was on.

"I think the VAR was off so they didn't have any screen to check the VAR so I think this was the reason why." 

Blues boss proud of Chelsea performance

While she was clearly angry with proceedings at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor also spoke glowingly about her players' efforts. 

Chelsea took the lead in a pulsating encounter as full-back Ellie Carpenter unleashed a thunderous finish in the 16th minute. Barcelona found a reply just eight minutes later, when Ewa Pajor powered home a close-range effort after the Blues failed to clear a corner. 

Macario's disallowed effort would have given the Blues a well deserved victory over a side that just six months ago, beat them 8-2 over two legs in last season's Women's Champions League semi-finals. Bompastor urged her side to take confidence from their performance. 

"I think we were the better team tonight, we had a really good performance and created a lot of opportunities", Bompastor said. "We scored a great goal. I'm happy but frustrated because we could have won the game.

"Any time we play with this mindset and mentality, the players need to now how good we can be. We played against a strong opponent, everybody knows Barcelona's qualities. To be able to have this performance against them was really positive.

"The team need to be proud of the performance today, but also take belief and confidence from this performance."

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Getty Images SportChelsea push for top-four finish

This performance will give Bompastor's side confidence in their push for automatic qualification for the quarterfinals of the competition. The top four sides in the league stage progress to the final eight, with the fifth to 12th-placed sides will face a play-off round. 

Chelsea currently sit in sixth, with two games left to play. On December 10, they host Roma before facing a tricky away assignment against Wolfsburg. The two-time European champions currently sit in third in the league table, 

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will remain in the spotlight while a big question remains on who replaces Shreyas Iyer in the middle order

Sidharth Monga29-Nov-20251:37

Saba Karim: ‘Expect Rohit, Kohli to do well in home series’

Big picture – India can’t be complacent despite recent dominance in ODIs

We can sometimes forget the unfortunate part injuries play in a team’s fortunes. India are now going into a third straight international match with a third different captain after Shubman Gill’s neck injury in the Kolkata Test forced him out of action following non-stop cricket for India’s newest three-format obsession. Their ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, is also out with a rib injury he sustained while taking a catch back in Australia.This format, though, is still the ideal sweet spot for India. Or at least this generation of players, up until the injured full-time captain and vice-captain. India have been dominant in ODIs, winning the last Asia Cup and the last Champions Trophy, and losing only the final in the last World Cup.Related

• 'Look forward to enjoying responsibility' – Rahul steps into the hot seat

• South Africa prove they can win the hard way, anywhere

• Watch out for Jaiswal's return, Bavuma and de Kock up top

• Morkel: Gill is recovering well, Iyer has started rehab

However, they are careful not to be complacent because the next World Cup takes them to South Africa. So they are always going to be wondering if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will still be good to go in late 2027, how to find a seam-bowling allrounder, how to manage workloads. And this is the format teams play the least of.India’s opponents are nowhere near as dominant in ODIs in recent times but they will be riding the high of having beaten India 2-0 in the Tests. This is a rare full tour as nowadays home teams prefer to split Tests and shorter formats to allegedly maximise the earnings. However, all-format tours have their own charm of one side trying to dominate the other team completely and the other looking for some redemption in the other formats.Also, South Africa are closer to full strength now with the exception of Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. The return of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma should add heft to their batting, and Keshav Maharaj should provide them the spin control they missed in Pakistan.These are just three ODIs and they will be forgotten quickly, what with more focus on T20Is right now, but they promise to be cracking contests while they last.

Form guide

India WLLWW
South Africa LWLLWMatthew Breetzke comes to India with a huge reputation to live up to•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: RoKo and Matthew Breetzke

KL Rahul will take over India’s leadership as the selectors have resisted the temptation to go back to Rohit Sharma, who returned to the ODIs, his only active international format, with a century in the third match against Australia. It is a clear sign that Rohit and Virat Kohli will forever remain under extra scrutiny just by the virtue of how old they will be by the World Cup in 2027.Matthew Breetzke comes to India with a big reputation to live up to. He is the only player to have scored 50 or more in each of his first five ODIs, and he averages 67.75 while playing the difficult role of batting in the middle order.

Team news: Shubman Gill and Kagiso Rabada are out

Yashasvi Jaiswal should be the natural replacement for Gill at the top of the order with Ruturaj Gaikwad primed to take Iyer’s slot in the middle order. If Gaikwad gets the nod, Rishabh Pant, who is back in the squad, will struggle to make the starting XI because India will need two allrounders. It remains to be seen if one of those allrounders will be a seam bowler in Nitish Kumar Reddy. In Australia, they played all three while the series was live because they wanted batting depth. If they repeat the formation, all three will get in.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh Krishna1:09

Karim: An opportunity for Jaiswal ‘to cement his place’

Markram should slot back into the opening role, something South Africa have tried since the last World Cup where he batted at No. 4. Bavuma should take his No. 3 position.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Rubin Hermann, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Pitch and conditions

This is only the sixth ODI Ranchi is hosting. There has been only one score of over 300, which was defended successfully, but chases of 270-280 haven’t quite been cakewalks either. The pitch generally is on the slower side; in the last ODI there, Washington Sundar opened the bowling for India. The weather will be perfect to play cricket in, but a lot will depend on dew. Without dew, batting first is not a bad shout in Ranchi.

Stats and trivia

• Since 2006, India and South Africa have played ten bilateral ODI series against each other. The scoreline is 5-5.
• Bavuma needs 59 runs to become only the 22nd South Africa player to score 2000 ODI runs.

Quotes

“Rutu, obviously, is a top-class player. We have all seen it. With whatever opportunities, limited opportunities he has got [with India], he has really utilised it and shown what he can do. Unfortunately, in ODI cricket, the top six or top five is quite settled. And they are performing really well.”
“When you add those two names to the line-up, we expect to see a full house tomorrow and that’s exciting. I think obviously two vastly experienced and dangerous players and they can cause a lot of damage to us, but we tend to try to focus on what sort of damage we can cause the opposition.”