Former Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe has used a Dragon Ball Z analogy to explain the GOAT battle that continues to rage between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Portuguese superstar is considered to be Vegeta to Messi’s Goku, with Pepe claiming that the eight-time Ballon d’Or-winning Argentine “slaps everyone” when it comes to the greatest of all-time debate.
GOAT debate: Messi & Ronaldo battle for No.1 spot
Discussion regarding who can rightly call themselves the best to ever do it has rumbled on for over 20 years. Ronaldo and Messi have spent two decades at the very top of their chosen profession, claiming 13 Golden Balls and countless entries in the record books between them.
Messi, who has enhanced his standing as the most decorated player in history with an MLS Cup triumph at Inter Miami – taking him to 47 major honours – is a World Cup winner and the man held up by many as the finest performer of this, or any other generation.
Others have sided with Ronaldo, with the Al-Nassr icon – who has previously turned out for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus – still going strong at 40 years of age as he continues to prove what can be achieved through relentless hard work.
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Messi vs Ronaldo: Dragon Ball Z analogy
Ronaldo, who is giving no thought to retirement just yet, has happily billed himself as the GOAT. He is set to grace another World Cup next summer, with Messi also expected to take part at that event as Argentina seek to defend their global crown in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Pepe could also make that tournament with the Ivory Coast and has added his voice to the long-running GOAT debate. The 30-year-old forward, who is now on the books of Spanish side Villarreal, has told of why CR7 talks too much to be considered the greatest: “Cristiano Ronaldo does a lot of interviews, and he talks a lot about Messi, and that's how you see that he (Ronaldo) is number two.
“You know Dragon Ball Z? Vegeta always talked like that (about Goku), and who never talked: Goku. Ronaldo has the same frustration that Messi is always ahead of him.
“In the Messi or Ronaldo debate, I say Messi, if you only look at football properly, forget the stats, all that, Messi is insane. There is no human on earth that can look Messi in the eyes(play like Messi). There won't be another Messi.”
Super powers: Pepe explains why Messi 'slaps everyone'
Pepe, who spent four years tied to Premier League giants Arsenal between 2019 and 2023, added on why he will always pick South American flair over Portuguese passion: “As a footballer? Messi slaps everyone, he's an otherworldly being, and we'll never see a player like him again. In discussions about Messi and Ronaldo, I say Messi.
“When you talk about statistics and what each player does, there are those who might say Ronaldo, but if you're following football closely because the experts and everyone in the field, in fact, say Messi.
"Forget the statistics, forget who jumps high, who shoots powerfully, just focus on the football itself! Messi is a crazy thing. Neymar at the peak of his form looks directly into Cristiano's eyes (meaning on the same level), forget about the statistics.”
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Samba superstar: Why Neymar does not run Messi close
Brazilian superstar Neymar – who remains the most expensive player in history after joining Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million (£194m/$258m) in 2017 – has run Messi and Ronaldo close at times over the course of his career, but has never been able to land a Ballon d’Or and seen unfortunate injuries limit his powers.
Quizzed on whether Brazil’s all-time leading scorer occupies the same talent pool as Messi, with his game all about entertaining with quick feet and clever flicks, Pepe said: “No, no, he doesn't look into Messi's eyes, Messi gives him two slaps on the face.”
Messi has committed to a contract at Inter Miami through 2028, which will take him beyond his 40th birthday, while Ronaldo is working on a new two-year deal at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and is being tipped to play on towards more international tournaments with Portugal – having already earned 226 caps and scored 143 goals for his country.
Hesson has been given the licence to change the image of the T20I side, but it was the same picture with different characters
Danyal Rasool22-Sep-20251:39
Chopra: Clear difference in Pakistan’s intent with the bat
There is something of a discrepancy between the things Pakistan say and the things Pakistan do. Since Mike Hesson took over as their white-ball coach in May, he has ostensibly been given the licence to remake their T20I squad in the image of his philosophy. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been cast out into the cold until they can, in Hesson’s words, “improve in some areas” – primarily to do with strike rate.He made clear that batting depth would be prioritised over fast-bowling expertise, and called Mohammad Nawaz “the best spin bowler in the world” earlier this month. Pakistan, meanwhile, made clear that batters who demonstrate intent from the outset will not live in fear of their place or be penalised for low scores as long as they stick to the game plan required of them.Those, anyway, are the things Pakistan say, and would presumably have said again if they didn’t keep cancelling press conferences in the Asia Cup. And then, against India in their first Super Four game of the tournament came the things they did.Related
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Abhishek smashes 74 off 39 as India ease past Pakistan
Pakistan could not have found themselves in a position more conducive to the cricket they insist they want to play. India put down three relatively straightforward chances in the first ten overs. Sahibzada Farhan, a beneficiary of that largesse in the first over, had just smashed Axar Patel for a six that took him to a fifty off 34 balls.Far from the post-powerplay quicksand that India had enveloped them in the group fixture last Sunday, Pakistan had only accelerated since the fielders spread out. Thirty-six runs came in overs seven to ten, with that six off Axar the fourth off an India spinner in the last three overs. In the first six overs, Jasprit Bumrah had been taken for 34 off three, his most expensive T20I powerplay figures. It took Pakistan to 91 at the halfway mark in their innings, comfortably their highest ever ten-over total against India.It established the perfect base to launch the sort of gung-ho attack that is the logical conclusion of this new-look Pakistan’s stated ambition. The drinks break brought a wicket when Saim Ayub top-edged Shivam Dube for Abishek Sharma to take an excellent catch, but it shouldn’t have mattered. Lost wickets are a consequence of high-risk batting, and this was just the second that fell. There were more power-hitters to follow.But, like a child breaking free from their minder, unable to believe how far away they’ve managed to cut loose and suddenly catching a fright, Pakistan spent the seven overs post drinks reverting to the mediocre, comfortable environment that has now become their home. Having seen such limited recent success against India, it was almost as if their position of advantage was in itself a trap India had sprung, a threat they couldn’t see but somehow must still guard against.Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a brisk start but slowed down after ten overs•AFP/Getty ImagesHussain Talat, with a career T20I strike rate of 117 heading into the game, came into the side in place of Hasan Nawaz, who has a career strike rate of 158. Dube overstepped and gave Talat a free hit off the second ball of his innings, but those don’t mean much if you lack the ability to hit freely. Talat hacked at air, and the discrepancy between what Pakistan said and what they were doing began to reveal itself.The momentum Pakistan had built began to slip away, and along with it, the bravado which presented the only realistic route to victory against a better side. India’s bowlers found their lengths, and Pakistan allowed them to set up camp there. Talat scored 10 off 11 balls, while Farhan, who had also dried up at the other end, miscued an offcutter from Dube high into the Dubai sky.This time, it was captain Salman Agha who walked out to bat, another Pakistani inconsistency in human form making its way to the middle. For all the dim view Hesson appeared to take with a former Pakistan captain’s scoring rate, Agha’s strike rate of 111 is lower than all Pakistan batters with a minimum of 500 T20I runs, bar Salman Butt and Misbah-ul-Haq. Yet, he has been anointed the face of this progressive T20I side that Pakistan are adamant they have laid the foundations for.And so, Pakistan began to revert to type, and into their comfort zone. The seven overs immediately following drinks produced 38 runs, the lowest for any side all tournament. It included a 39-ball spell without any boundaries; in the final ten overs, Pakistan hit just two fours and four sixes. Nawaz saw off Varun Chakravarthy’s final over, the 16th of the innings, with four consecutive dot balls, at the end of which he was on 7 off 13. He wasn’t in the side for his “best spinner in the world” bowling abilities either, given he did not send down a ball during India’s routine chase. Meanwhile, Nawaz, along with Agha and Talat, Pakistan’s Nos. 4-6, scored a combined 48 runs in 43 deliveries.Faheem Ashraf came out in the penultimate over and muscled his first ball for a six•AFP/Getty ImagesAgha tried to defend that approach after the game, saying the pitch made it difficult for a new batter to settle. But then, again, those are the things Pakistan say. When the more naturally belligerent Faheem Ashraf emerged in the penultimate over, he had no such problems. The first ball was muscled over square leg for six, and the eight in total he faced produced 20 runs. That was three more than Agha, who came to the crease in the 15th over, faced 13 balls and could muster just one six; and just one fewer than Nawaz, who used up an additional 11 balls. Meanwhile, Mohammad Haris, used as a basher up top or a bludgeoner lower down, never got to bat, nor did Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has been Pakistan’s best slogger this tournament.Four years ago, at this very ground, Pakistan lost to Australia in a T20I World Cup semi-final after scoring 176. In the first 11 overs, Babar and Rizwan were exceptionally defensive, and produced just 75 runs, thus leaving their team-mates an almighty task to be competitive at the backend. It ignited a debate that has brought Pakistan cricket to a point where both men are out of the side because timidity up top is no longer acceptable.Against India on Sunday, with 91 runs off the first ten overs, Pakistan solved that problem. In the second half, though, they were able to scratch together just 80, which, ironically, feels very much like a ten-over score Babar and Rizwan might have put up. The upheaval will be of little use if all Pakistan ultimately do is transfer their diffidence to the other half of the innings.What will worry Pakistan supporters is not a defeat to India; those are commonplace and have, of late, become exercises in damage limitation. Nor does an India game offer any indicator of how far Pakistan are in their journey of improvement – such is the gulf between the two sides in quality. This, however, was a litmus test in how committed Pakistan are to the idea that high risk and high strike rates are the only way to be competitive at the top table of T20I cricket.For ten overs in Dubai, Pakistan threw themselves into the notion with the zeal of a convert. As the rest of the evening unfolded, it began increasingly to look like one of those things Pakistan just say.
West Ham United have a proud history of developing and promoting some brilliant youngsters from their academy system.
The most recent one to really make his mark on the team and then be sold on for a massive fee was Declan Rice.
Freddie Potts looks like he could be the Hammers’ next homegrown superstar after his sensational Premier League displays before the international break.
However, while the club try their best to keep hold of their most promising talents, they aren’t always able to, and one youngster they may rue losing more than any other looks like he could be a bigger prospect than Potts and a future England star.
West Ham's next academy star
While Potts is the current academy product getting the attention and adulation from fans and pundits alike – justifiably so – he could soon be joined in the first team by another of Rush Green’s best: George Earthy.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Now, the 21-year-old has made four appearances for the first team and even scored a brilliant goal against Luton Town in the Premier League a couple of years ago, but due to loan moves and injury, those four appearances have amounted to only 36 minutes.
In other words, most fans aren’t really thinking about the youngster, and those that occasionally do aren’t sure what sort of player they’ll be getting when he returns from his hamstring injury.
Well, firstly, even though his primary position is attacking midfield, the Havering-born gem has and can play in several positions across the pitch.
Second, he’s as comfortable scoring goals as he is providing assists, and has a seriously impressive record from his time in the academy.
For example, in 60 appearances for the u18s, totalling 4804 minutes, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists.
That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.
Earthy’s Junior Record
Team
U18s
U21s
Appearances
60
55
Minutes
4804′
3618′
Goals
25
18
Assists
18
14
Goal Involvements per Match
0.71
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
111.72′
113.06′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Then, during his time with the u21s, he scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3618 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 113.06 minutes.
Finally, while he’s not played much for the Hammers, he has gained a decent amount of first-team experience from his time on loan with Bristol City last season, where he was named Young Player of the Season.
In all, so long as he can remain fit, West Ham have another superb homegrown talent on their hands in Earthy, which should help make up for them losing another, arguably more promising talent last year.
The Academy gem West Ham will rue losing
One of the most exciting talents to come through West Ham’s academy in the last five years or so was undoubtedly Divin Mubama.
During his time in West London, the Englishman was utterly unstoppable for the junior sides, racking up a staggering tally of 40 goals and five assists for the u18s and then 18 goals and two assists for the u21s.
This brilliant output saw him get a chance with the first team, and over the 22/23 and 23/24 seasons, he made 18 senior appearances, totalling 431 minutes.
Mubama’s record
Team
Games
Goals
Assists
West Ham
18
1
1
WH U21s
34
18
2
WH U18s
57
40
5
Man City
2
1
0
Man City U21s
9
8
4
Stoke City
15
5
1
All statistics via Transfermarkt
However, in August 2024, then Premier League champions Manchester City came knocking, and despite their best efforts to keep him, Julen Lopetegui and Co had to make do with a measly £1.2m as he joined the Citizens.
To nobody’s surprise, the goalscoring machine continued his fine form in the North West, and ended the 24/25 campaign with 16 goals and four assists in 14 appearances for City’s u21s.
Moreover, Pep Guardiola gave him two run-outsrun-outs in the first team, and on his debut in an FA Cup game against Salford, he scored his first senior goal for the club.
Coming into this season, it was crystal clear that the 21-year-old is too good to play in the youth sides, and so he was sent out on loan to Stoke City in the Championship, where he has done a reasonable enough job.
For example, even though it’s his first season of regular first-team football, the “powerful” strike, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored five goals and provided one assist in 15 appearances.
In addition to making his way in the club game, the Newham-born monster has also been in incredible form for England’s u21s.
In five caps, the game-changing marksman has already scored five goals and provided one assist.
Ultimately, it’s not West Ham’s fault, but if Mubama continues to develop in the way he has over the last year or so, they could really come to rue losing him.
West Ham given January greenlight to sign forward who Nuno called "unique"
The teams will play each other twice in the first round, with the top two teams going through to the final
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025
Afghanistan and Pakistan have qualified directly for the next T20 World Cup•Associated Press
Afghanistan, Pakistan and UAE will get more matches to prepare for the men’s T20 Asia Cup when they compete in a T20 tri-series hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board in Sharjah in August-September.The Asia Cup runs from September 9 to 28, also in the UAE.As such, based on the ICC’s future tours programme, Pakistan were expected to host Afghanistan for three T20Is in the window that has now been allotted to the tri-series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Each team will play the other twice in the round-robin stage of the tournament, with the top two contesting the final. All the games will be played from 7pm local time. Pakistan are the highest-ranked side among the three on the ICC rankings at No. 8, with Afghanistan at No. 9, and UAE at No. 14.Pakistan are currently engaged in a bilateral white-ball series, where they have won the first game, against West Indies, and play their first match of the Asia Cup, against Oman on September 12. Afghanistan have not played a T20I since their bilateral series in Zimbabwe at the end of last year, and play their opening match of the Asia Cup, against Hong Kong on September 9.Both the teams qualified directly for the T20 World Cup in 2026, to be played in India and Sri Lanka – Afghanistan as one of the top-seven teams (excluding the hosts) in the previous T20 World Cup and Pakistan based on their ranking on the ICC table at the cut-off date of June 30, 2024. UAE, meanwhile, have not yet confirmed their spot at the World Cup. They have to go through the Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers, to be played in Oman from October 8 to 17, to get there if they can.
Behind the wicket is this unorthodox India batter’s happy place
Deivarayan Muthu22-Oct-20241:37
Manjrekar: Sarfaraz should walk into India’s XI for the Australia tour
When Will O’Rourke, at 6’4″, the tallest bowler in the current New Zealand attack banged one into the pitch in Bengaluru, it seemed destined to smack Sarfaraz Khan on his head until an impish intervention from the batter. Sarfaraz had originally misjudged the bounce as he tried to avoid the bouncer. To make matters worse, it kept veering into him as well. The fates had decided he was going to end up on his backside. He said, ‘fine but I’m getting something out of it’ and somehow ramped a ball that was pushing him down into the floor for a boundary.Ramps are ostentatious shots for most batters but for Sarfaraz it is staple. It’s his signature. Like how the cover drive is Virat Kohli’s. Like how the pull is Rohit Sharma’s. Like how the one-handed loft is Rishabh Pant’s.Having been bred on the bouncy, red-soil pitches in Mumbai, Sarfaraz has developed various versions of this shot, from the delicate dab ramp over the cordon to the full-blooded scythe over deep third. And he can play these shots to balls ranging from just back-of-a-length to a bouncer by twisting his body like a contortionist to get underneath the ball.He even played the ramp off a full and wide one from Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in IPL 2016 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having spotted Sarfaraz manufacture swinging room, Bhuvneshwar had shifted his lines wide of off stump, but the batter still caught up with the ball, got underneath it, and ramped it over the deep-third boundary. Sarfaraz was only 18 then. This ability to manipulate the “V” behind the wicket has been with him from day one of a professional cricket career that is now in its 10th year.Sarfaraz showed his full range behind square in the first Test against New Zealand at the same venue where he had bested Bhuvneshwar as a teenager. Look at his wagon wheel from the recent Bengaluru Test. He scored 96 of his 150 runs behind the wicket.Fourteen of Sarfaraz’s 21 boundaries in the first Test came behind the wicket•ESPNcricinfo LtdSarfaraz was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. When there was excessive seam movement for New Zealand’s seamers under overcast skies, he went hard at the ball and ended up playing well in front of the body, shanking a catch to mid-off. In the second innings, when the pitch had lost its early juice, and there wasn’t as much lateral movement, Sarfaraz allowed the ball to come onto him and kept directing it behind the wicket. Believe it or not, he had not scored a single run in the “V” in front of wicket until after his hundred.”I like playing the balls that rise high. I have a bouncy wicket back at home [Mumbai], and I play regularly there, and the bounce easily allows me to cut,” Sarfaraz said. “They [New Zealand] were trying to bowl short at me, and I simply played accordingly. It was fun.”Related
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It’s not always fun though. The same shot that left jaws on the floor in Bengaluru – the duck ramp – led to his downfall in Lucknow. It was IPL 2023. Mark Wood was the bowler and he was giving Sarfaraz a serious working over to the extent that he was caught off a bouncer that he had initially tried to avoid. That couldn’t have felt good. It certainly didn’t look good. That dismissal epitomised the risk that comes with unorthodox strokeplay; not so much that it could result in your downfall but more that it makes you look silly. Sarfaraz is happy to live with this risk. He trains to try and minimise this risk. When he met Wood again in the Dharamsala Test earlier this year, he ramped the fast bowler, nonchalantly, to the deep-third boundary.The pitch in Pune might not offer as much bounce for Sarfaraz to play his ramps, with a bald, back-soil surface set to negate the seamers and bring the spinners into play. Sarfaraz, though, can also disrupt spin, thanks to a number of sweeps, including the reverse. He crouches low for these sweeps and often crunches them flat and hard – both in front of and behind the wicket.Sarfaraz Khan countered the short balls with the ramp•BCCIWhen Ajaz Patel dangled a full ball up outside off in India’s second innings in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz stretched out, met the pitch of the ball, and swept so hard that it sounded like a thunderclap. Earlier, in the Irani Cup, when Saransh Jain, the emerging offspinner from Madhya Pradesh, blocked the sweep with a packed leg-side field, Sarfaraz unfurled the reverse-sweep and countered him.With Shubman Gill likely to be fit for the second Test, India will have to make a choice between Sarfaraz and KL Rahul. It will incredibly hard for the team management to ignore Sarfaraz, especially after he had scored his maiden Test hundred, which had them dreaming about a remarkable comeback win at one point, though Rahul has a case for himself: he was a bit unlucky in Bengaluru and has a strong body of work overseas.”Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test,” Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, said on Tuesday. “I went to KL after the last Test and said: ‘how many balls did you play and miss at?’ He didn’t play and miss one ball and that’s what tends to happen when you’re not getting runs. He got the two balls in the game – one caught down the leg side and one that he managed to nick.”So there’s certainly no concerns about KL. He’s batting nicely, he’s in a good mental space, but yeah, we’re certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.”For so long, Sarfaraz has been on the outside looking in on this Indian team. But bit by bit, day by day, shot by shot, his chances of making it to the first-choice XI are ramping up.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca claimed that he was "very worried" before facing relegation-threatened Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday. The Blues registered a thumping 3-0 win over the manager-less side to climb up to second in the Premier League table. The result, meanwhile, leaves Wolves rooted to the foot of the table with just two points from the opening 11 games.
Back-to-back league wins for Chelsea
After beating Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, the Blues registered a second consecutive victory as they thrashed relegation-threatened Wolves at Stamford Bridge. Maresca's side were the dominant right from the off and came close to breaking the deadlock on quite a few occasions in the first half. Captain Enzo Fernandez was the star as he ran the show from the middle of the park.
Chelsea finally broke the deadlock shortly after the break courtesy of Malo Gusto's strike, before Joao Pedro doubled the lead. Pedro Neto then scored a third goal to seal an important victory. The three points helped them to climb up to the second in the standings and they are now six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Manchester United flop Alejandro Garnacho, who is now regularly featuring in Maresca's starting lineup, starred with a couple of assists as the Argentine is slowly regaining his long-lost form after gaining full faith of the head coach.
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Maresca reveals pre-match concern
Speaking to reporters after the game, Blues boss Maresca made a surprise claim that he was afraid to face rock bottom Wolves. The Italian coach said: "I was very worried before this game. These are the worst games, they're tricky. Everyone is thinking it's going to be easy. I can understand first half people were not happy because we didn't score. Then, when Estevao came on the energy raised because people love that kind of player."
Maresca heaped further praise on youngster Estevao, who came on as a substitute in the second half. The coach added: "You can see his talent. We are trying to help him to adapt and give him the right minutes. "He arrived from Brazil, he needs time to adapt, but he's going to start games for us in the future. He arrived from a club where he was not training 100 percent so his physical condition was not good. Slowly, now he is better. He knows that to play with us he needs to be good on the ball and off the ball otherwise, he's not going to play. We are very happy with him."
Caretaker manager Collins praises Wolves'
After yet another loss in the league, Wolves caretaker manager James Collins said: "The boys are together and are working hard. There's not little cliques, they're very, very together. There's work to do, we've got to improve. There's a lot of games left. Our season is not going to be defined by Chelsea away."
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Fernandez ruled out of action for Argentina
After starring in Chelsea's win and bagging the player-of-the-match award, Fernandez revealed that he has been struggling with an injury and won't be available for Argentina in their friendly matches during the international break. The Blues skipper said: "I will not be available with Argentina. I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last four months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it's good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything."
Maresca will now hope that his captain recovers from his injury soon during the break and takes the field against Burnley on November 22.
Celtic’s interim head coach Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Wednesday night’s clash with Dundee at Parkhead will be his final match in the dugout for the Scottish giants.
The experienced manager stepped in after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October and has won six of his seven matches in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, to date.
Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy will then take over as the permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers and will face a baptism of fire at the weekend against league leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
The French boss will be watching on from afar for the clash this evening and will have one last chance to assess the players who will soon be at his disposal before being tasked with organising them in training.
O’Neill will also be keen for his last game to be a memorable one, leaving Nancy with the team in the best possible position, by claiming all three points against Dundee.
The experienced boss may look to make some changes to his starting line-up from the side that beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road on Sunday in order to secure the win this evening.
The Celtic players who could be dropped against Dundee
Football FanCast have already suggested that right-sided winger Luke McCowan should be dropped from the team after he failed to impress against Hibs at the weekend, with no shots on target or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore.
The former Dundee man has been tasked with filling in out wide in recent games, due to the lack of natural options in that position, but he was ineffective last time out, which could provide Benjamin Nygren with a chance to play in that role.
On the other side of the pitch, Marcelo Saracchi could make way for Kieran Tierney at left-back, as the two defenders have shared the workload so far this season in the Premiership.
25/26 Premiership
Saracchi
Tierney
Appearances
7
10
Starts
6
6
Minutes
405
609
Big chances created
2
2
Assists
1
2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the statistics above, they have both started six league games this term, and it could be Tierney’s time to start this evening after coming off the bench against Hibs.
Another player who could be dropped from the starting line-up, alongside Saracchi and McCowan, is left-sided attacker Hyun-jun Yang, who played a part in Arne Engels’ goal with a deflected cross for the Belgian on Sunday.
Aside from that deflected cross, the South Korean forward offered little to the side in or out of possession on the left flank. Per Sofascore, he played 86 minutes without registering a key pass, a ‘big chance’ created, or a shot on target, as his part in Engels’ goal did not count as an assist.
The 23-year-old star, who scored against Feyenoord last week in the Europa League, also lost 75% (3/4) of his duels throughout the game, per Sofascore, which shows that he was not strong enough in his physical battles.
With this in mind, and the fact that they have Hearts to play on Sunday, O’Neill should ruthlessly ditch Yang from the starting line-up to provide another player with an opportunity to impress.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Dropping the South Korea international could allow the experienced boss to finally unleash rarely-seen winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the left flank against Dundee tonight.
Why Celtic should unleash Michel-Ange Balikwisha
The Belgian forward played 59 minutes across three substitute appearances in O’Neill’s first three games in charge, but has been an unused substitute for the last four matches in all competitions.
We are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes, in training and in tactical meetings, and the experienced boss will have his reasons for not giving Balikwisha much game time in recent weeks.
However, in a three-game week, this clash with Dundee ahead of the meeting with Hearts on Sunday provides the manager with a chance to give the summer signing from Royal Antwerp a start for the first time.
In fact, Balikwisha has not started a game for Celtic since the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock away from home in September under Rodgers, per Sofascore, which means that the winger has not had many opportunities to showcase his quality.
Balikwisha in 25/26 Premiership
Opposition
Minutes
Hibernian
0
St Mirren
0
Kilmarnock
0
Falkirk
29
Hearts
30
Dundee
26
Motherwell
12
Hibernian
16
Kilmarnock
58
Rangers
65
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic winger started his first two games in the Premiership against Rangers and Kilmarnock, after signing from Royal Antwerp, but has not gotten a look-in since then.
There is more to come from Balikwisha in a Celtic shirt because his form for Royal Antwerp in Belgium suggests that he does have the potential to carry a threat at the top end of the pitch.
Per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old wing wizard scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in 145 matches for Antwerp, yet he has only managed two assists and no goals in 12 outings in all competitions for the Hoops.
The only way he will improve and adapt to Scottish football, though, is by playing matches and getting used to the intensity and physicality of the division, which he cannot do from the bench.
That is why O’Neill should give Balikwisha a rare opportunity to start against Dundee as a parting gift to Nancy, as it would provide the winger with another opportunity to develop as a Celtic player ahead of a fresh page under the next manager.
Therefore, the interim manager should ruthlessly drop and rest Yang from the starting line-up this evening, bringing the rarely-seen Belgian in to give him a chance to stake a claim for a place in the side moving forward.
Nancy could bin Celtic star who's been the biggest winner of O'Neill's reign
Incoming Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy could drop this star who has been the biggest winner of Martin O’Neill’s reign.
Left-arm quick’s T20 World Cup hopes all but dashed after being ruled out of the entire BBL with an ongoing back injury
Alex Malcolm03-Dec-2025Spencer Johnson’s hopes of playing for Australia in the T20 World Cup early next year have been dealt a hammer blow after he was ruled out of the upcoming BBL season because of a back injury.Johnson has not played since the IPL, where he suffered back pain that he initially thought was a recurrence of a disc issue he had dealt with previously. The 29-year-old left-arm quick then suffered more pain while training ahead of the July T20I tour of the West Indies and scans showed a stress fracture.He underwent months of rehab which included pilates and swimming while waiting for the bone to heal. He had another scan in October and was hopeful he would be cleared to play in the BBL in the new year.Related
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Power-packed, but not bulletproof: where Australia stand ahead of T20 World Cup
But Brisbane Heat confirmed on Wednesday that their title-winning quick would be unavailable for the entire season.”Spencer continues to recover from a back injury and pleasingly, this is improving. However, the latest time-frame for his return to play does not enable him to participate in the BBL this season,” Heat CEO Terry Svenson said. “We’re all disappointed for Spencer but will provide him with ongoing support as he continues to recover.”Australia’s first game of the T20 World Cup is on February 11, which means it is almost certain he will not be fit in time to push his case for selection in the final 15-man squad. Johnson was seen as a potential long-term replacement for Mitchell Starc, who has retired from T20I cricket. But while Johnson has been injured, Australia have won three of their four T20I series with a pace attack of Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett gelling nicely. Pat Cummins could also return for the World Cup if fit.Johnson will continue to do his rehab in Adelaide where he lives and is domestically contracted with South Australia. Johnson has nominated for the IPL auction at the second-highest base price of 150 lakh (AUD$252957) and is hopeful of being fit and available for the tournament if bought after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders at the end of last season.”I’ve had plenty of expert support from everyone involved in the process and I am very confident that I will be back and doing what I love as soon as possible,” Johnson said.Meanwhile, England left-arm quick Reece Topley has signed with Sydney Thunder as an overseas replacement for Lockie Ferguson. Topley will play with Thunder for the first half of the season while Ferguson is at the ILT20. Topley will head to the SA20 when Ferguson returns to the BBL for the second half of the season.
This is a season of attrition for Liverpool, who must knuckle down and prove that they have absorbed the worst punches after a testing start to Arne Slot’s second term in charge.
Liverpool are in a rut, alright, and need to start stringing together consistent results in the Premier League if they are to steer away from a true crisis, missing out on Champions League qualification after a record-breaking summer of spending.
It’s clear that the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £66.5m has contributed toward knocking the Anfield side out of kilter. The Colombian’s speed and combativeness have been sorely missed.
Stars such as Florian Wirtz have been added to the Liverpool ranks this summer, but sporting director Richard Hughes is already lining up another addition.
Liverpool searching for new attacking midfielders
Wirtz is only 22 years old, and though he joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m, there is an acceptance from the Reds hierarchy that the German’s integration will take a bit of time.
There’s a superstar in there, but he’s not been brought to the fore just yet. With this in mind, Liverpool might consider adding more talent to their ranks, someone who can jockey with Wirtz for a place out on the left wing.
Well, Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz could be the player for the job, with transfer insider Simon Phillips revealing that Liverpool have joined Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the race for the silky attacking midfielder.
It’s previously been understood that United have expressed a willingness to pay €90m (about £79m) for the 20-year-old, and Liverpool have now been name-checked as being among those to make calls for the player as he marks one side of a contractual stand-off in Turin.
However, Hughes will need to act speedily if he is to win Yildiz over, with Juventus pushing to renew their starboy’s terms.
What Kenan Yildiz would bring to Liverpool
Yildiz might be young, but he’s made quite the name for himself over the past few years in Italy, breaking into Juventus’ first team a few years ago after previously spending a decade of his youth in Bayern Munich’s academy system.
With flair and magical skills on the ball, this is a player who is destined for the top, and in Serie A this season, he is creating an average of 2.4 key passes per game, having posted two goals and three assists from only nine starts.
Yildiz might have “all the tools to be one of the best wingers in the world”, as has been said by one analyst, but he shares with Wirtz a focal kind of creativity and snappiness that lend themselves to a central berth.
In this, Yildiz could find himself becoming Liverpool’s next version of Wirtz, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Hughes should waive the idea of signing him.
There’s no question that the Turkish talent needs to work on his physicality. As per Sofascore, he has won only 44% of his ground duels in Serie A this season, and he ranks among the bottom 3% of positional peers in that division this season for tackles won per 90 (FBref).
But this is a kid, and one with so much potential. He’s tenacious. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded his “bravery”, using his athleticism to “make spectacular solo runs”.
Indeed, the dynamic midfielder ranks among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe for both shot-creating actions and successful take-ons per 90, corroborating that claim.
Having split his time across attacking midfield and left wing roles, performing the latter consistently this season, Yildiz shares even more tactical similarities with Wirtz, though there is a case to be made that he’s more electric when running, and thus could be a more natural fit out wide.
Second striker
59
18 (13)
Left wing
50
10 (9)
Attacking midfield
18
9 (6)
Right wing
17
3 (1)
Centre-forward
4
0 (0)
Wirtz’s start to life in England would serve as a cautionary tale for those elite talents looking to make a name for themselves on English shores. It is no easy feat to marry all the facets together in the Premier League.
Still, there is a sense he will come good, and with Yildiz added into the mix to battle with him for a berth, there’s every chance that the Turkish prospect would prove a jackpot signing for Liverpool, perhaps even working in concert with Wirtz to dynamise and widen the scope of Slot’s attacking dimensions.
The playmaker wouldn’t come cheap, but it has become clear over the past several months that Liverpool miss a snappy wide profile, and Yildiz could find himself growing into a household name in the Premier League down Liverpool’s left.
Shaping into a silky and physical attacking midfielder with stunning creative skills, Yildiz could be a real superstar down the line, albeit one who would be tussling for a starting berth with Wirtz at Liverpool.
But as the Reds’ double signing of Isak and Ekitike has shown us this summer, FSG are not against packaging this side with the best of the best, enough to win silverware across every front and year on year.
Bigger mistake than Quansah: Liverpool sold their next Gravenberch for £15m
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Rafael Louzan, the head of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), addressed Lamine Yamal's recent call-up to the national team amid the Barcelona superstar's fitness concerns. The RFEF chief swiftly dismissed any rumours of a rift between Spain boss Luis de la Fuente and Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, asserting that "there was no tension."
Yamal makes Spain squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers
Yamal has played the full 90 minutes in three of Barcelona's last four games despite feeling some "discomfort" after being diagnosed with pubalgia – a chronic groin injury stemming from a tear in the surrounding soft tissue. The 2025 Ballon d'Or runner-up started in the 2-1 loss against rivals Real Madrid last month, followed by another 88 minutes against Elche. In the past week, he lasted the entire game during the midweek Champions League clash against Club Brugge and the 4-2 away win at Celta Vigo at the weekend.
Citing his recent return to the Barcelona lineup as a regular, Spain boss De La Fuente defended his decision to call up Yamal for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey.
"I think the answer is obvious. I watched his last game, and I believe he’s in perfect condition," De la Fuente stated at a press conference. "His coach said he was ready to play. He's getting back to being the player he always has been, and we celebrate that. He will stay with us as long as we consider it appropriate.
"Watching the game the other day, Lamine is fit to play. We have two very important games and we need to field our best players. We have two hugely important matches to qualify for the World Cup, the stakes are massive and we want the best players with us."
AdvertisementGetty/GOALExplained: The feud between Flick and De la Fuente
During the September international break, Yamal suffered a knock while on duty with the Spanish national team. The injury to the teenage sensation infuriated Barca manager Flick, who didn't mince his words while lashing out at De la Fuente and the RFEF for "failing to take care" of the players.
"Lamine Yamal will not be available. He went with the national team in pain and did not train," Flick said at the time. "They gave him painkillers to play. They had at least a three-goal lead in every match, and he played 73 minutes and 79, and between matches he couldn't train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this."
De la Fuente engaged in a war of words, with the RFEF also hitting back at Barcelona for reportedly not providing any communication regarding Yamal's fragile condition at the time. "Do you think that today, in my homeland, and enjoying this moment, I'd remember what Hansi Flick said? Well, no, I'm not interested," De La Fuente told reporters in September.
In October, Flick gave this feud another twist as defended his comments by adding: "I want to protect my player, support him, this is what it is. A lot of things happened. This is, for me, done. I have no bad things about this situation. I know it from the other side. It's not easy for me. It's not easy for [De la Fuente]. I must protect my player; this is the reason I made it a little louder than normally I want to do it. I don't regret this. Now, the important thing is managing this together. The players, the clubs and the Spanish Federation [RFEF]. We have to manage it together."
Spanish FA chief clears the air surrounding feud
Speaking to , Louzan, the president of the RFEF, clarified that the federation, along with the national team, is constantly communicating with the respective clubs.
"We have acted in a coordinated manner and will always do so because the feelings of the club come first, and in the national team, we must take great care of the players," said Louzan. "They can rest assured that there will be no controversy in this regard.
"We do it with Lamine, of course, and with each of the players on the national team. The players, in the end, belong to the clubs and we have to have perfect coordination, as exists between the Spanish Football Federation and each club manager.
"Luis de la Fuente has a very good relationship with everyone. And in that sense, the Barcelona coach wants his players in perfect condition, and all of that was just minor disagreements that wouldn't escalate because, from our point of view, there was no tension."
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Getty Images SportWhen do Spain play?
La Roja will take on Georgia on Saturday in Tbilisi, before hosting Turkey at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville next Tuesday. De la Fuente's side are currently on top of their World Cup qualifying group and have already sealed their qualification for next year's showpiece event. In four games, they have scored 15 goals and are yet to concede one.