O Cruzeiro acabou de anunciar a contratação de Paulo Autuori para ser o diretor técnico do clube. Ele será responsável pela gestão e evolução da metodologia de futebol do time. Paulo vai comandar todos os setores de futebol: base, profissional e feminino.
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– Ele vem para olhar a cadeia como um todo, participar ativamente da construção de rotina de todas as equipes, do sub-14 ao profissional, passando também pelo futebol feminino – explicou Pedro Martins.
Autuori entra no lugar de Paulo André que, segundo Pedro Martins, agora vai focar 100% nas estratégias esportivas do Cruzeiro e do Valladolid.
– Ele é, hoje, responsável pela estratégia de futebol dos dois clubes geridos pelo grupo. Ele cumpriu o papel interino de diretor técnico aqui dentro. É inviável ele conseguir executar os dois papéis com a qualidade que gostaríamos. Houve uma mudança. – disse Pedro.
A história de Paulo Autuori traz boas lembranças ao torcedor do Cruzeiro. Na libertadores de 1997, era ele quem estava no comando do time. Além dessa passagem, o treinador também esteve na toca da raposa em 2000 e 2007.
O ex-técnico teve seu último trabalho na beira do campo pelo Atlético Nacional ainda em 2016. Depois disso, Autuori passou a atuar nos bastidores, passando por Santos, Athletico e Goiás.
Thomas Frank would happily welcome Harry Kane back to Tottenham, but does not expect the forward to leave Bayern Munich any time soon.
Kane is close to a century of goals for Bayern after another hat-trick last Saturday for the Bundesliga champions. However, German publication BILD on Monday reported Kane has a £56.7million release clause which could be activated next summer.
The PA news agency understands Spurs do have a buy-back option on the England captain and Frank would be happy to work with the “top player” in the future.
Frank’s immediate focus is Wednesday’s visit of Doncaster in the Carabao Cup third-round where Spurs youngsters aspiring to be the next Kane could get an opportunity.
Highly-rated attacker Luca Williams-Barnett has impressed this season and struck a hat-trick for the Under-21s in Friday’s victory over Leicester. Asked about the 16-year-old on Tuesday, Frank hinted at a potential place on the bench.
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Tottenham expected to open talks to sign “incredible” £27m star in January.
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“Of course he’s trained with us, Luca, a few times. I get good info from the academy and from our transition coach Stuart (Lewis).
“So yeah, I’m well aware of Luca’s talent and I like what I see. He’s young, obviously, but his composure and technique and vision is very good.
“He’s a player that we like a lot. Let’s see tomorrow, but that could be an opportunity.”
Paul Scholes believes Ruben Amorim is "getting too much time" at Manchester United and has predicted another defeat for his former club in their crunch clash with Liverpool. With just 50 games in charge, Amorim has faced relentless scrutiny as United search for stability under his leadership. The Red Devils secured a 2-0 win over Sunderland before the international break, temporarily lifting spirits, but Scholes insists the problems run deeper.
Damning statistics for Amorim
Under Amorim, United have managed just 19 victories from 50 matches, a win rate of 38 per cent. For a club of Old Trafford’s stature, that’s well below par. Expectations at United are sky-high, and patience is wearing thin among fans and pundits.
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Scholes gives his verdict on Amorim
In the latest episode of Debate, brought to you by , Scholes delivered a blistering verdict on Amorim’s struggling reign, claiming the Portuguese manager has been given far too much leeway despite a lack of consistent results.
"I feel like with Ruben Amorim it’s got to the point where we don’t want to talk about sacking managers all the time and Manchester United do give managers enough time," he said.
"He’ll never get booed by the fans and it wasn’t until that Brentford game [where they lost 3-1] where I thought, ‘He’s getting a little bit too much time’ and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before things come to an end."
Defeat at Anfield inevitable?
The Red Devils’ next challenge is a daunting trip to Anfield to face bitter rivals Liverpool on October 19. Scholes fears the worst, suggesting Amorim must adopt a defensive mindset to even hope for a point.
"Ruben Amorim needs to try and get something from Liverpool at Anfield. I’d be thinking about drawing the game and finding a way somehow to stop them from scoring," he said.
"That’s a totally different mentality from Arsenal going to Liverpool, who are looking at winning the league. Manchester United are in such a rut, and I can’t remember the last time they won a big game, or a game that meant a lot. This group of players are in such a bad rut that you have no confidence in them that they’re going to get out of it. It’s almost predictable that they’ll go to Anfield and get beaten."
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United still searching for successive wins
The Liverpool clash is shaping up as a litmus test for Amorim. A positive result could breathe life into his faltering tenure, while another defeat would intensify calls for change. United haven’t won consecutive league games since May 2024, highlighting the ongoing struggle to build momentum. It is another damning statistic, but if Bruno Fernandes & Co can turn the tables in a crunch away fixture, it could well be a new dawn for the Red Devils.
With Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffering five straight losses in six games and rooted at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table, their head coach Stephen Fleming said that making a comeback would be a “big challenge” and MS Dhoni’s return to being captain in place of the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad wouldn’t change the team’s fortunes overnight.”His [Dhoni’s] influence will be always prominent but he’s not a soothsayer, he hasn’t got a magic wand,” Fleming told reporters on the eve of the match against Lucknow Super Giants. “He can’t just rub it over the side otherwise he would have brought it out earlier.”It’s a case of us working very hard along with MS to turn it around and certainly in both of our cricketing careers, we’ve been in situations that require a lot of energy and we’ve got to make sure that the energy is put in the right place.”Related
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After making only 103 for 9 and then being vanquished in 10.1 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their previous game, Fleming said the team was hurting. It was their fifth defeat on the trot – a first for CSK – following their worst IPL batting performance at Chepauk.”We’ve got to look at it in small steps and just continue to work to get better at all three facets really and then you start competing,” Fleming said. “I think the disappointing aspect in particular the last game was the lack of competition we put up and that hurt a lot. So there’s certainly been a lot of internal soul searching but also a lot of work around what we need to do and it’s important that we put a performance out that is representative of the proud franchise that we are.MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming have a long history of working together•PTI
“There’s a lot of hurt that we can turn to motivation but it’s not about words, it’s about players grabbing the moment, finding form, finding their groove and almost shaking off any apprehension which can creep in.”With 32 sixes in six games this season, CSK are averaging just over five sixes a game. None of their batters have scored more than 150 runs this season and none of them have a strike-rate above 150 either. However, Fleming said strike-rates and lack of sixes weren’t as much of an issue, suggesting their batters would be fine using other methods.”We do [talk about the sixes], but it’s not everything,” he said. “I know there’s a fascination with power and six hitting, but there’s also a couple of teams doing well with good craft, and I’d be very sad if the day came to us just being in a baseball competition and talking about sixes and fours.”The beauty of the game is that there’s still balance between bat and ball. Conditions play a big part, but there’s still room for craft, and you’re still seeing top-class players playing pivotal innings when it’s not flat like a road, and I just hope the balance can remain.”Looking ahead to their next game, against LSG on Monday, Fleming said Shivam Dube – who limped off at the end of the first innings against KKR – is expected to be fit. He also picked up on the challenge of facing, in his words, the “best player in the world right now.””Yes, he [Nicholas Pooran] is very threatening,” he said. “He’s the best player in the world at the moment by some distance, – consistent, powerful and a real threat. To get him out and keep him in check will be a big part of winning the game tomorrow.”While CSK are last in the points table, with two points after six games, LSG are currently fourth with eight points, having won three games in a row.
Com 2,44 gols por jogo, o Campeonato Brasileiro 2023 vem tendo a sua maior média de bolas na rede desde a edição de 2020, que terminou com 2,48 tentos anotados por confronto. E a bola não tem entrado por acaso. O bom aproveitamento das equipes tem passado bastante pela eficiência dos atacantes. Dos quatro principais artilheiros da Série A até agora, todos possuem uma taxa de conversão igual ou superior a 20%. Ou seja, um gol a cada cinco tentativas – ou até menos.
O mais efetivo até agora é também o maior goleador: Tiquinho Soares. O centroavante do Botafogo, time que lidera o Brasileirão com folga, já marcou 13 vezes na competição e precisou de apenas 51 tentativas para isso, um aproveitamento de 25,5% das chances que teve.
Quem mais se aproxima do artilheiro do Glorioso é Marcos Leonardo, do Santos. Autor de um dos gols do Peixe na vitória de virada sobre o Grêmio, neste domingo, o atacante assumiu a vice-artilharia da disputa, empatando com Vitor Roque, do Athletico Paranaense, e Deyverson, do Cuiabá. Todos estufaram as redes em oito oportunidades, porém, o santista precisou de somente 36 finalizações, enquanto que o jovem do Furacão arrematou 40 vezes e o experiente jogador, ex-Palmeiras, arriscou em 38 oportunidades.
Entre os principais artilheiros deste Campeonato Brasileiro, apenas os quatro alcançaram a marca dos 20% – ou mais. O que explica bem as colocações na briga pelo título de artilheiro da competição.
ARTILHEIROS MAIS EFICIENTES DO BRASILEIRO – % de gols em relação ao número de finalizações | Jogadores com 7 gols ou mais – Dados Sofascore
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Liverpool slipped to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time under Arne Slot on Saturday when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A last-gasp finish from Willian Estevao secured all three points for the home side in a game that they deserved to win with their front-foot approach.
More and more questions will be asked of the club’s recruitment work during the summer transfer window, as Florian Wirtz came on at half-time and failed to turn the game in Liverpool’s failure.
The Germany international arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in a £115m deal in the summer, but he is still searching for his first goal contribution in the Premier League.
Wirtz lost six of his eight duels and created one chance in 45 minutes against Chelsea, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggled off the ball and did not add much to the team in possession.
Given that he came in from the Bundesliga for a gigantic transfer fee, there may be some comparisons drawn to the signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, but that may not be fair.
Why Florian Wirtz is not the next Naby Keita
The Reds paid £52.75m to sign the central midfielder, who officially joined the club in 2018, from Leipzig, and he failed to live up to his price tag.
In five seasons at Anfield, Keita produced just 11 goals and seven assists in 129 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.
He had scored 17 goals and provided 15 assists in 71 matches for Leipzig in Germany, which means that he was unable to translate his form from his previous club over to his time with Liverpool.
Whilst Wirtz has not had the goals and assists that he would have wanted by this point, the German star’s underlying numbers suggest that he is not on course to be the next Bundesliga flop, like Keita was.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is doing the right things at the top end of the pitch, but needs something to go his way to start racking up goals and assists on a regular basis.
25/26 Premier League
Florian Wirtz
Percentile rank vs AMs
Goals
0
Bottom 3%
xG on target
0.83
Top 27%
Assists
0
Bottom 3%
xA
0.87
Top 18%
Chances created
11
Top 10%
Successful crosses
5
Top 16%
Touches in the opposition’s box
26
Top 14%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Wirtz ranks highly among his positional peers for input, with chances created, xA, and xG on target, but the output, goals and assists, is not quite there yet.
If he continues to take high-quality shots and create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, the goals and assists will follow and he will not be deemed to be the next Keita at Anfield.
This is why Wirtz, who assisted Hugo Ekitike on his debut in the Community Shield, is not going to be the next Keita, because he is on the right path to becoming a success at Anfield.
However, there is another summer signing for Liverpool from the Bundesliga who may be in danger of becoming the next version of the Guinea international after a rough start to life on Merseyside.
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Liverpool splashed out £29.5m to sign Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in an attempt to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed on a free transfer to sign for Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, the former Manchester City and Celtic full-back has had a difficult time of things since his return to English football, and is now in danger of becoming the new Keita.
Why Jeremie Frimpong may be the next Naby Keita
As aforementioned, the former Leipzig midfielder was a flop from the Bundesliga at Anfield as he failed to translate his attacking form in Germany over to the Premier League with the Reds.
Frimpong delivered 30 goals and 44 assists in 190 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen during his time with the Bundesliga side, playing as a wing-back more often than not.
His output in the final third led the official Bundesliga YouTube channel to question whether or not the Dutch dynamo was the best attacking full-back in the world earlier this year.
Slot, however, does not play with traditional wing-backs, and Frimpong has found the transition back to playing as a regular right-back, which is the role he played for Celtic earlier in his career, a difficult one.
The 24-year-old star has found himself third in the pecking order at right-back at this moment in time, as he was an unused substitute in the defeat to Chelsea that saw Connor Bradley start the match and Dominik Szoboszlai end the game at right-back.
Frimpong, who was described as a “breathtaking” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has only started one match in the Premier League so far this season, and has been an unused substitute on two occasions.
25/26 Premier League
Jeremie Frimpong
Appearances
3
Starts
1
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Key passes
0
Assists
0
Ground duel success rate
44%
Aerial duel success rate
0%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman has struggled on and off the ball in the top-flight so far this season, losing the majority of his physical duels whilst also failing to create a single chance for his teammates in three appearances.
The former Man City academy graduate was given an opportunity to start on the right wing against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but he ended the game with no goals, no assists, and seven out of nine duels lost, per Sofascore.
These statistics, in the Champions League and the Premier League, show that Frimpong has struggled with a new role and the increased physicality of English football, which is why he is in danger of becoming the next Keita.
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Unless he is able to turn his form, in and out of possession, around in the weeks and months to come, the Dutchman may end up being the next Bundesliga flop at Anfield.
Everton’s 2024/25 campaign has begun with more firepower than fans have been used to in recent years.
After seasons of scraping survival, the Toffees finally look to have rediscovered some swagger in the final third.
Their summer recruitment was targeted and bold, bringing in attacking reinforcements that have re-energised David Moyes’ side.
However, the season opener ended in disappointment with a narrow 1-0 defeat away at a hostile Elland Road against Leeds United.
But rather than spiral, Everton bounced back in style. They started life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 2-0 victory over Brighton, showcasing a fluid front line.
A 3-2 away win at Molineux underlined their growing confidence, even if defensive gaps remain.
Draws against Aston Villa and a spirited Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool followed, leaving the Toffees in 10th place and comfortably clear of early relegation chatter.
The underlying metrics point to a promising attacking direction.
Everton have generated 7.1 expected goals (xG) so far, the seventh-most in the league – ahead of Liverpool, who sit on 7.0.
For a club that in recent years ranked near the bottom in attacking output, this marks a dramatic shift.
Much of that change has been inspired by a rejuvenated front four, headlined by Jack Grealish alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Iliman Ndiaye and Beto.
Grealish at the heart of it all for Everton
Grealish’s arrival at Everton raised eyebrows in the summer.
Once a £100m man at Manchester City, his stock had fallen dramatically after two injury-hit seasons that restricted him to just 721 minutes of league action last term.
Now 30, with a market value hovering around €28m (£25m), as per Transfermarkt, Grealish was seen as a gamble – albeit one with huge upside potential. So far, he has delivered.
Across the opening five games, Grealish has registered four assists in 377 minutes of football, immediately placing himself at the core of Moyes’ side.
His ability to glide past defenders and draw fouls has given Everton a new dimension, one that unsettles even the most organised back lines.
For Grealish personally, this spell at Everton represents a crossroads.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has already made it clear that consistent minutes are essential if Grealish is to earn his way back into the international fold.
Left out of the most recent Three Lions squad, he must prove himself week in, week out.
If his body holds up, Everton may have found themselves a creative force capable of driving them towards a top-half finish, far removed from the relegation battles of recent memory.
As promising as Grealish’s revival is, however, Evertonians may be forgiven for wondering what might have been with Ademola Lookman.
How Lookman compares to Grealish
Signed from Charlton in 2017 as one of the most exciting English prospects, Lookman struggled for opportunities at Goodison Park.
He made just 48 appearances, scoring two goals, before being sold to RB Leipzig in 2019.
Since then, his trajectory has skyrocketed. Now 27 and valued at around €60m (£55m), Lookman has flourished at Atalanta in Serie A.
His defining moment came when he scored a sensational hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, ending Xabi Alonso’s hopes of an unbeaten treble.
That performance propelled him into global recognition, having even attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2024 as a nominee, a remarkable achievement for a player once deemed surplus to requirements on Merseyside.
Stylistically, Lookman has blossomed into a dynamic forward in the mould of Mohamed Salah or Alexander Isak.
His 2024/25 numbers highlight his evolution into an elite attacker: 20 goal involvements, 5.68 progressive carries per 90 and 5.41 shot-creating actions per 90 underline his ability to influence games at the very highest level.
Ademola Lookman – 2024/25
Matches Played
31
Goals
15
Assists
5
Progressive Carries
142
Progressive Passes
73
Source: FBref
The BBC’s John Bennett has gone as far as to describe him as “world-class” – praise unthinkable during his Everton days.
For Everton, Lookman is a painful reminder of their past failings in player development.
They once had a potential Ballon d’Or nominee in their ranks, but failed to provide the pathway or patience he required.
While Grealish offers present inspiration, Lookman embodies the “what if?” that continues to haunt supporters who dream of what could have been had the club harnessed his talent.
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Manchester United have massively struggled to find the back of the net over the last couple of years, which has massively held the side back in the Premier League.
The Red Devils have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on numerous attackers under multiple managers, but largely to no avail, as seen by their measly goal tally from 2024/25.
Ruben Amorim’s men only notched a total of 44 league goals last campaign, with two centre forwards, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, only netting seven goals combined.
The latter has rapidly fallen down the manager’s plans, leaving on a season-long loan to join Serie A side Napoli during the off-season, with such a deal having an option to buy in the summer of 2026.
In an attempt to improve the current first-team squad, many of the fanbase will have been craving a move for one talent who set England’s top-flight alight in recent years.
Alexander Isak’s form against Manchester United
Alexander Isak has been one of the Premier League’s leading attackers over the last couple of years, often being a player to be feared when coming up against the Magpies.
The Swede has registered 54 league goals in his three years in England, ending last year on 23 goals, sitting second in the goalscoring charts as he helped the Magpies secure Champions League qualification.
He is unbeaten in 63% of his matches against the Red Devils, scoring a header in the clash at Old Trafford as Eddie Howe’s side claimed a 2-0 win back in December.
Isak stated his desire to leave St James’ Park this summer, subsequently joining United’s rivals Liverpool in an English record £125m transfer on deadline day.
Such a move has massively strengthened Arne Slot’s side for the 2025/26 campaign, which could inflict more pain in the Derby matches for Amorim’s men in the near future.
The prospect of the Swede linking up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitiké is a dangerous one for the rest of England’s top-flight, with such a trio making the Reds favourites to retain their league title.
However, despite the business conducted elsewhere, the Red Devils have also landed numerous top-quality talents who could also make themselves fan favourites at the Theatre of Dreams.
Man United's Isak-level signing
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of 2024/25, the United hierarchy splashed £200m on three new attackers during the summer to inject the needed added quality to the frontline.
Matheus Cunha was the first to make the move, joining in a £62.5m transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers after scoring 15 times in England’s top-flight last campaign.
The Brazilian has been joined by Benjamin Sesko in the final third, costing a fee in the region of £74m from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig – filling the void left by Hojlund’s departure.
The third and final player added to the attacking department was Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian arriving from English outfit Brentford as an “unplayable” star in the words of Thomas Frank.
His addition set the club back £71m, including add-ons – a mammoth sum of money, but one that could prove worthwhile after he scored 20 times in the top-flight last time around.
The 26-year-old was one of just five players in the division to achieve a total of 20 goals or more in the Premier League – highlighting the talent the club have on their books at present.
Such a move is similar to that of Isak to Liverpool this summer, with both players falling into the aforementioned bracket for goals scored in 2024/25.
Both players will be hoping to repeat similar feats at their new clubs this campaign, but for the Red Devils’ sake – they will hope Mbeumo can add further goals to add to his dominance over the Swede.
When comparing the pair’s respective stats in the league from 2024/25, Mbeumo managed to better Isak in numerous areas, subsequently highlighting the excellent addition made by Amorim and Co.
The Cameroonian, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Statman Dave, posted a better shot on target accuracy rate (44%) and a higher goal per shot on target rate (0.5).
Games played
38
34
Goals & assists
27
29
Shot on target accuracy
44%
43%
Goals per shot on target
0.5
0.4
Key passes
1.9
1.3
Progressive passes
3.7
2.8
Take-on success
47%
46%
Carries into the opposition box
2.1
1.4
Aerials won
0.9
0.8
Such numbers highlight the clinical edge he possesses within the final third, arguably making him a more threatening option than the English-record signing.
He also completed more of the take-ons he attempted (47%) whilst carrying the ball into the opposition’s box per 90 (2.1) – further highlighting his talent when in possession.
If he can replicate such numbers during his time at Old Trafford, Mbeumo may have all the tools to help the Red Devils return to their former glory in the near future.
It remains to be seen if he can once again outperform Isak in 2025/26, but if he does, his £71m transfer fee may be a bargain – especially if he can lead the side to any form of silverware.
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Noor Ahmad took four wickets on a sharply turning surface as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kept Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 179 for 6 in Eden Gardens’ last league match of IPL 2025. On one of the most spin-friendly surfaces of the tournament – there were 20 not-in-control shots against spin during KKR’s innings, the joint second-most of any innings this season – CSK’s three spinners took a combined 5 for 84 in 11 overs.Given the conditions, and given the fact that they have Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali in their attack, KKR may well have been the happier side going into the innings break.Choosing to bat first, KKR probably knew they had to make the most of the powerplay, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone before becoming the first batter dismissed for 11 off nine balls. He hit a four and a six, swung hard and missed on numerous occasions, and then chipped one straight to midwicket.Narine and Ajinkya Rahane continued in that spirit, and took KKR to 67 for 1 at the six-over mark, hitting eight fours and two sixes between them during the powerplay. Neither looked in full control – Rahane survived a chance when a diving Matheesha Pathirana put him down at long leg – but both went hard at the bowling in this period. Narine, coming into this game having scored 118 runs off 48 balls against R Ashwin while only being dismissed once, took 14 off the offspinner in the fifth over.With the fields spread, Ashwin’s next over, the seventh, only went for two. With the ball often turning square, KKR didn’t hit a single boundary in the first four overs after the powerplay, and lost two wickets. Both fell in Noor’s first over, with Narine stumped after the ball slipped between his legs, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi feathering one behind.Rahane and Manish Pandey, who came in for the injured Venkatesh Iyer, then put on 32 off 28 balls, before Andre Russell arrived to give KKR the late push they desired. His 21-ball 38 was the driving force behind KKR scoring 70 off their last six overs, even though Pathirana closed out the innings with a 20th over full of singles.
Arsenal’s Premier League title charge continued on Saturday afternoon, with the Gunners breezing to a comfortable 2-0 win over a struggling West Ham United side at the Emirates.
For all the difference in form and momentum between the two teams, the hosts may well have feared yet another slip up against the Hammers, with even Graham Potter having overseen a win over the north Londoners for the visitors last season.
Thankfully, there was to be no repeat performance this time around, with goals from Declan Rice – haunting his former side yet again – and England colleague Bukayo Saka proving enough on a serene day for Mikel Arteta and co.
That Three Lions pairing remain central to everything good about the Gunners, although there is a new contender quietly emerging to be the club’s most consistent performer.
How Saka & Rice stole the show vs West Ham
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta chuckled at the memory of deploying a teenage Saka at left-back all those years ago, with Saturday having marked the Hale End graduate’s 200th Premier League appearance for the club.
The younger Saka was bright and exciting even at full-back, although the present-day version is a different proposition altogether. There’s just no stopping him when he’s at his best.
Having netted in fine fashion against Olympiakos in midweek, the 24-year-old got in on the act again after converting from the penalty spot to wrap up all three points, with the wideman stepping up to the plate ahead of summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.
That second-half strike had come following Rice’s fine effort before the break, with the marauding midfielder firing home on the rebound against his previous employers for his 17th goal for the club on his 113th outing. Remarkably, he only scored 15 times in 245 games for the Irons.
It wasn’t just that goal which was impressive about the Englishman’s performance either, with Rice also coming close to picking out that man Gyokeres, following a trademark surging run down the left.
Minutes played
90
79
Touches
49
81
Pass accuracy
78%
92%
Goals
1
1
Assists
0
0
Key passes
2
3
Duels won
5/13
2/3
Successful dribbles
0/3
2/3
That was one of three key passes that he provided in all, as per Sofascore, ahead of Saka’s own tally of two, with the compatriots once again showcasing their importance to this quality outfit.
Arsenal's contender for player of the season
Injury has hampered Saka’s impact thus far in 2025/26, while Saturday’s strike marked Rice’s first of the campaign, having been unable to replicate the heights of that night against Real Madrid last season.
Neither man has quite been at their brilliant best in the early weeks of the season, although one man who has put in stellar performance after stellar performance is Jurrien Timber, with the Dutchman simply a monster at right-back once again.
The man who earned the penalty which allowed Saka to convert on his milestone outing, the former Ajax defender was a constant outlet down that right flank, racking up 72 touches in total, while providing one key pass as he looked to impact proceedings in the final third.
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Also involved in the build-up to Ricardo Calafiori’s strike in first-half added time, having combined nicely with Saka inside the area, Timber represents the perfect all-rounder, having long surplanted Ben White in that right-back role.
Adept in attack but also a warrior defensively, the Netherlands international again gave short shrift to the West Ham forward line, winning eight of his contested duels, including making six tackles.
A key cog in an Arsenal backline that simply loves to defend first and foremost, it is no surprise that the Gunners are now reportedly looking to extend his contract, having already secured William Saliba’s future this week.
As noted by the Standard’s Simon Collings, who dished out an 8/10 match rating, it was another ‘top performance’ from the £38m man, having now started all six league games since the opening weekend win against Manchester United.
Lauded by podcaster Adam Keys as having “quietly become one of Arsenal’s most important players”, Timber must surely be near the top of the pile when pondering the Gunners’ player of the season so far.
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