West Ham United manager Nuno has now commented on the ownership protest, which took place after the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

West Ham picked up just their second Premier League victory of the season at the weekend, defeating Newcastle at the London Stadium, courtesy of a long-range Lucas Paqueta strike and a Sven Botman own-goal, before Tomas Soucek put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Nuno managed to get his first win on the board despite a backdrop of discontent, with supporters planning a sit-in protest against the board, having reached the end of their tether with David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

The players seemed unaffected by the off-field issues, however, with Alfie Potts, who had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside in the second half, praising his teammates after the match, saying: “We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.”

“I feel like everyone today showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.”

Nuno directly asked about West Ham fans' protest

The West Ham manager was directly asked about what he thought of the supporters’ protest on Sunday, and he took the time to praise the Hammers faithful, saying: “I think the fans saw something in the team today and this is what we want, this is how we should look at the situation.

“How can we as a team, show to our fans that we want to fight, we want to change [the] situation.

“We want to make things tough for our opponents. We want to change our game, we want to improve our game. The fans [we] cannot thank them enough.”

Of course, the 51-year-old can’t directly criticise the ownership, especially considering some of his recent experiences, with the former Nottingham Forest manager being dismissed after admitting his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

However, Nuno’s assessment that the supporters were buoyed on by an encouraging performance is certainly accurate, with the Irons showing signs they are more than capable of getting out of relegation trouble.

West Ham were more than deserving of their victory, as despite the visitors dominating most of the possession, they failed to create any big chances in the match, while the hosts crafted two.

Nuno will be hoping his side can now start to build momentum, with an early six-pointer at home against Burnley pencilled in for next Saturday.

West Ham player ratings as Nuno secures first victory West Ham player ratings v Newcastle United as Nuno secures first victory

The Hammers returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Newcastle this afternoon.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

If South Africa had been playing a spinner, the decision may have been a lot simpler for Pakistan, who were stung going in all pace at home against Bangladesh

Danyal Rasool25-Dec-2024The road crunches under the rubber on the freeway that takes Pakistan from where they’re staying in Melrose, a Johannesburg suburb, out to SuperSport Park in Centurion, about a half-hour’s drive away.The oppressive heat over the last fortnight in Johannesburg has made way for a fresh, crisp summer breeze, wispy clouds and blue skies taking turns, as if in a cosmic balancing act to maintain the perfect temperature. The roads are largely empty thanks to Christmas holidays, and the 40km between accommodation and cricket ground appear to shrink as the team bus races along.The scene could not be written to portray further distance from Rawalpindi, where it’s also cricket season, but in drastically different conditions. The sides stay much closer to the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, and if it weren’t for the side’s security details clearing path to the venue the heavy traffic at all times of the year would make it a far more onerous exercise. The contrast continues once you get into each venue; the build up to Pakistan’s last Test here was dominated by how many wedding-style heaters windbreakers, and rakes Pindi could fit in to produce a surface that suited their spinners; here at SuperSport Park, tarpaulin sheets mounted on stilts shaded a surface packed with moisture when the sun became too potent.Related

The Bosch family live their dream as Corbin's big day arrives

What can Pakistan learn from their history of trauma in South Africa?

And yet, just four months earlier in Rawalpindi, Pakistan faced the same dilemma that currently holds them back from announcing their team for Boxing Day. In pursuit of quick, bouncy surfaces, perhaps not too dissimilar to the kind Centurion will almost certainly showcase this week, the grass was left on for the first Test against Bangladesh.Believing they had prepared the surface they wanted, they made the fateful decision of playing no specialist spinner, hoping to exploit Bangladesh’s perceived vulnerability against pace. It would go about as badly as possible. A wet outfield delayed the start with the sun drying the strip out. Bangladesh comfortably dealt with Pakistan’s four-pronged seam attack, forcing them into bowling 50 overs of part-time spin. And then, with a draw looming, Bangladesh’s twin spinners took seven wickets to skittle Pakistan on the fifth morning and romped to victory.Pakistan made a half-hearted attempt to defend that decision, though just about everyone acknowledged it as a tactical misstep, one they do not want to repeat to close out the year. South African captain Temba Bavuma reeled off the starting eleven for South Africa before they had officially announced it; it did not include a spinner. He went on to say he had never seen “a flat Centurion”.

“The pitch looks like it has a lot of moisture, but there’s a couple of days left still before the start of the Test, so let’s see how the pitch looks then.”Saud Shakeel

After Saud Shakeel came in for the press conference as Pakistan trained on Christmas Eve, he appeared to agree with the characterisation of the surface. “I think we need a bit more time to finalise the side,” he said. “As a Test group, this is our first official practice session. We were practising away from the main side because the one-day team was busy. The schedule was very tight and there’s only two days of collective practice. Shan Masood will be able to say more tomorrow.”If South Africa had been playing a spinner, the decision may have been a lot simpler for Pakistan, but having been stung in the recent past going in with all-pace, they would rather not be fooled twice. As Shakeel pointed out, South Africa may only be going in with all pace because of the dubious fitness status of Keshav Maharaj, whom Bavuma said was “fit” but not necessarily match-fit. When Pakistan last played at the Centurion in 2018, Yasir Shah did line up for them, but bowled just 11.4 overs across innings; Maharaj, who also played, sent down a mere 14.Noman Ali, the likeliest to feature if Pakistan do go in with a spinner, did bowl in the nets, though Shakeel said it was the seamers whose efforts indicated the kind of surface this would be.”The pitch looks like it has a lot of moisture, but there’s a couple of days left still before the start of the Test, so let’s see how the pitch looks then,” Shakeel said. “I think it’s slightly more challenging for the batters because there’s a bit of difference between the bounce when we come from the subcontinent. That’s the major difference. We’re working on it.”As a Test group we’ve been here for about 10-12 days, and we’ve had some really good sessions at the Wanderers. Early on, it took a couple of days to get used to the bounce and seam movement. I’ve seen the games over the last couple of years and videos of how the pitch plays in South Africa. At times the seam movement also comes into play. The last year we saw 21 wickets [15] fall in a day. I think it’s all about how you can adapt to these conditions and score runs here and put pressure on the bowlers.”By the time the Pakistan players were cooling down after training, the weather turned once more. The sun had beaten a hasty retreat, and dark clouds assembled over Centurion once more. The raised tarpaulin sheeting was swiftly taken down, and the covers enveloped the surface, with all its secrets securely wrapped up. It’s unlikely to make Pakistan’s decision – one that Rawalpindi demonstrated was so easy to get wrong – any easier.

After new coach Walter handed him a lifeline, Sodhi became the third men’s player to 150 T20I wickets and committed to keep playing for NZ

Deivarayan Muthu25-Jul-2025A fairly low-profile tri-series in Zimbabwe continues to bring a number of high moments for Ish Sodhi. In New Zealand’s opening game, he made his 200th international appearance and then he marked his 201st appearance by becoming the third player to 150 wickets in men’s T20Is after Tim Southee and Rashid Khan. Along the way, Sodhi, 32, bagged his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 12 against Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the final against South Africa.Sodhi is uncontracted – young legspinner Adithya Ashok pipped him and earned his maiden deal – but he certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by new coach Rob Walter. In the final, Sodhi is set to tick off another landmark: New Zealand’s most capped T20I player. He’s currently level with Southee on 126 T20Is.Related

Bracewell replaces Phillips for NZ's first Test against Zimbabwe

A numbers man, Sodhi is savouring every high. “It’s really nice. I’m really proud of the achievement. To get 150 wickets in a format for your country, obviously you have to play for a long period of time to be able to do that. It’s something I’m really proud of and hopefully there’s a lot more on the bank.”On Thursday, Sodhi also took a moment to reflect on his early years. Born in India, Sodhi moved to Auckland with his parents when he was a child. After impressing Daniel Vettori during an Auckland playing trial he broke into the New Zealand squad when he was 20. He has since become a key player for New Zealand, especially in white-ball cricket.”It has been an incredible journey,” Sodhi said. “I think something came out of the other, I think I debuted in 2013. I think my first ODI was here in Harare. It’s nice to be here and still being able to perform for New Zealand. Hopefully it’s something I can still do for a time to come.”Contracted or not, Sodhi is eager to play for New Zealand and win games for them. Having been thrown a lifeline by Walter, Sodhi could form a potent partnership with captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell as New Zealand tune up for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”There’s always incentive to win games for your country, I like playing international cricket,” Sodhi said. “Growing up, it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do and I think it’s probably the same for all the guys that are in there now. International cricket is really special. You pop the fern on, certainly things you dreamed of in the backyard growing up playing. Any game for New Zealand, there’s always motivation out there to be playing your best.”ESPNcricinfo LtdThe 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean was a forgettable one for Sodhi and New Zealand. In spin-friendly conditions, Sodhi sat out three of New Zealand’s four games, but in the lead-up to the next World Cup, he’s trying to reinvent himself. On Thursday, he fronted up to bowl in the powerplay – after Zimbabwe had run away to 21 for 0 – and claimed figures of 2-0-5-3 during this phase. Sodhi had also operated in the powerplay against South Africa in New Zealand’s series opener. This tri-series is the first time since 2021 that Sodhi has bowled in the powerplay in T20Is and it’s a role he relishes playing for the Black Caps.”It’s quite a new role for me and I haven’t bowled a lot in the powerplay in my career,” Sodhi said. “So, this is a really strong New Zealand side nowadays, so trying to get into the side and almost have to learn to be able to bowl in the powerplay. So, it’s really nice it could come off as it is relatively a new role. I’m trying to play for New Zealand and yeah to get some wickets was quite pleasing and it shows me I can do it at this level and yeah something I want to keep building.”Sodhi also delivered a glowing appraisal of Tim Seifert, who is currently the leading run-getter in the tri-series, with 166 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 145.61. Sodhi believes that Seifert has become a more versatile and dangerous batter after playing franchise T20 cricket around the world. In the lead-up to the tri-series, Seifert was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, and his next franchise assignment is with CPL champions St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, look Seife is incredible,” Sodhi said. “I’ve sort of seen him come through when he was 18 years old playing cricket in all the districts he came through. A lot of talent, hit the ball really nice and cleanly. But I think the product of franchise cricket that’s made him such a good player is that he’s been able to play on surfaces that aren’t actually that great for batting.”If you look at that surface out there, it wasn’t the truest of surfaces but to score at the rate that he did shows great growth in his game. It shows that he’s rallied around a lot of great players all around the world in the franchise tournaments that he’s played and it’s making him a lot better player. It’s a huge asset for New Zealand cricket the way that he’s playing and he’s still so young.”The way he’s batting is showing a lot of leadership. He’s leading from the front and it’s great to see him being in my shoes having seen him come through when he was an 18, 19-year-old. It’s brilliant to see.”

Elly De La Cruz's curiosity got the best of him during a Cincinnati Reds pitching change Monday night.

As Reds manager Terry Francona made the call to the bullpen during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals, De La Cruz grabbed Francona's glasses to try them on for size. Francona's eye prescription appeared to be so strong that it nearly blinded De La Cruz as he put the specs on his face.

Francona let out a big laugh as De La Cruz winced and immediately handed the frames back.

The first-year Reds manager and star shortstop have managed to have some fun throughout their first season together. In June, Francona said he found a good way to get under the star's skin, telling him he'd make a really good designated hitter. Francona also hilariously mimicked De La Cruz's home-run celebration after a win last month, although he didn't do it exactly right.

There's never a dull moment between the two.

The Reds fell to the Nationals Monday night 10-8. De La Cruz scored three runs after he walked three times. The third-year star is slashing .281/.357/.486 with 18 home runs, 65 RBIs and 25 stolen bases this year.

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.

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, 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.

Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are set to compete to secure a transfer for £26 million-rated ($34m) Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz. PSG were dealt a major blow in their recent Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich as star full-back Achraf Hakimi suffered a horror injury after a challenge from Luis Diaz, and he has now been ruled out of action for at least a couple of months.

• Hakimi's injury leaves PSG worried

  Hakimi was forced off the pitch at the stroke of half-time after Bayern forward Diaz lunged in on the Moroccan defender. The ex-Liverpool star was originally shown a yellow card by the on-field referee but the decision was upgraded to a red after a VAR check. As for Hakimi, he was visibly in pain on the ground and had to be helped off the pitch. The defender also appeared to be in tears and the fear was that he had sustained a serious injury that would keep him out of action for some time.

  Hakimi underwent medical examinations, which later revealed that he suffered a severe sprain in his left ankle, involving partial damage to the femoral syndesmosis and deltoid ligaments. The reigning European champions, however, later confirmed that the player won't need surgery but will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Their statement read: "Achraf Hakimi has severely sprained his left ankle, which will leave him unavailable for several weeks."

  Hakimi's freak injury has also left the Morocco national team worried as the Atlas Lions are not sure whether their star player will be able to take the field in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on December 21 in Morocco. Speaking about Hakimi's importance in the team, Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has said: "Achraf Hakimi is an irreplaceable player. He was a contender for the Ballon d'Or. For us Moroccans, he is the best player in the world."

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  PSG eyeing move for Palace's Munoz

  With Hakimi set to miss a lot of action, PSG are naturally thinking of signing a replacement for their star full-back with the January transfer window now approaching. According to , officials in Paris are eyeing a move for Crystal Palace right wing-back Munoz as they see the Colombian defender as a perfect cover for Hakimi.

• Barca to compete with PSG

  reports that Spanish giants Barcelona are also keeping tabs on Munoz and the Catalan giants believe that they can sign the Palace full-back for a fee in the region of €30m (£26m/$34m). Munoz is an integral part of Oliver Glasner's squad and played a key role in the club winning the FA Cup last season. With his contract running until 2028, the Premier League side are expected to demand a fee they feel will be appropriate for an important first-team player.

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  Palace stars in demand

  After a successful 2024-25 campaign, players from the Eagles squad are attracting interest from across Europe. While Munoz is being eyed by two of the biggest clubs in the world, their midfield sensation Adam Wharton is also linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, with clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid keen on signing the English midfielder.

  According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Palace are preparing to offer Wharton a new deal soon as they don't want to lose their star player, at least for a low transfer fee. Speaking to , Romano said: "They want to extend this contract. So Palace are on it. They've spoken already to his representative several times about this intention they have to give him a new contract. At the same time, let's see what's going to happen there, because the boy has been super professional already last summer, when he already had some kind of opportunity if he wanted to go. But for Palace, he was untouchable. Also, in recent months, we had many rumours, and the boy, again, is behaving in a fantastic way. So Palace are super happy with Adam, and Adam is quite happy with Palace. He understands that he's probably at the best club to develop at this moment for him. But then in the summer, you never know, in case there is a big opportunity, a big financial proposal, we have to see what happens. So at the moment, there is this intention from Palace to give him a new contract, but we are not yet at the stage where we say, okay, it's guaranteed, because it's still early stages of the conversation."

Nair, Jurel, Akash Deep and Prasidh were back for the visitors, who trail the series 1-2

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Toss A 15th successive toss refused to go India’s way, and they will have to start the deciding game of an engrossing series by doing a bit of heavy lifting. The conditions in London were overcast. The pitch was green. Ollie Pope, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, had no hesitation in choosing to bowl.Shubman Gill, who admitted tongue in cheek that the toss was the thing that he was thinking about the most, called heads again, as he has done all tour, and it let him down for one last time at The Oval. He confirmed four changes for India – three expected, with Jasprit Bumrah (workload management), Rishabh Pant (broken foot) and Anshul Kamboj (rookie) sitting out – for Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and a fully fit Akash Deep. The final one though appeared to be tactical, with batter Karun Nair replacing allrounder Shardul Thakur, who only bowled 27 overs across two Tests.England had already announced their XI with Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Liam Dawson making way for Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson. This is the 22nd first-class match (and fourth Test) at The Oval since May 2023. In 22 out of 22, the captain who has won the toss has chosen to bowl first. The reason for that is the amount of help the fast bowlers have got out of this pitch. Since the start of 2023, seamers have taken 617 wickets and spinners have taken 79.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Jamie Overton, 11 Josh TongueIndia: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Karun Nair, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed Siraj

The summer of 2023 was a landmark period for Arsenal. It signalled the arrival of a certain Declan Rice no less.

The midfielder arrived in a club-record £105m move. The Gunners had beaten Manchester City to his services, thus securing the talents of one of England’s finest players of his generation.

Since he moved across London from West Ham to Islington, there has still been a feeling that Arsenal have missed a player of the calibre of a certain Granit Xhaka.

Over the last year, in particular, Rice has eradicated memories of the Swiss warrior but their Arsenal stories are woven together.

The year Rice arrived, Xhaka left and in perhaps peculiar circumstances. The veteran had just enjoyed the finest individual campaign of his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

No longer was he the defensive midfielder that a great Arsene Wenger once signed. He was now a goalscoring number 8.

After departing, Xhaka enjoyed a fabulous time under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga but he’s now back in England and proving to be one of the signings of the summer.

How Xhaka inspired Sunderland to a draw with Arsenal

Over the last few years the newly promoted teams have been swept aside without so much as a noise. To put it frankly, they’ve been terrible.

However, Sunderland are bucking that trend. Ahead of Sunday’s fixtures in the Premier League, they sat fourth in the table and a large reason for that has been the performances of Xhaka.

The Switzerland midfielder signed for the Mackems in a £17m deal back in the summer and was swiftly made club captain. His displays since then have been admirable.

Sky Sports analyst and Sunderland supporter Dougie Critchley went as far as to say he is the “best player” he’s ever seen in the famous red and white strips after his goal against Everton last week.

While Xhaka did not find the net against Arsenal on Saturday, it was another fine display from Sunderland’s tempo-setting midfielder.

Xhaka is a warrior, a leader of men and he demonstrated that by completing 90% of his passes, winning four of his five ground duels and completing seven clearances this weekend.

Minutes played

90

Touches

57

Accurate passes

35/39 (90%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Fouled

1x

Tackles won

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Recoveries

1

Ground duels won

4/5

Aerial duels won

1/1

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey made the headlines but Xhaka issued Arsenal a timely reminder of his qualities.

Up against Rice and Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal’s midfield pairing exudes similar qualities but they aren’t the only men in Mikel Arteta’s ranks who bring a Xhaka-like presence to the squad.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka of 2025

The date is 28th October 2019. Unai Emery has chosen to substitute club captain, Xhaka. The response from Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates Stadium was remarkable.

He was booed and jeered as he left the field, which sparked an eyebrow-raising reaction from the Swiss. He cupped his ear, asked for more and then chucked the captain’s armband on the floor.

It was not a surprise to see that he was stripped of the captaincy just ten days later.

Speaking about the incident back in 2023, Xhaka labelled the situation as a “nightmare”. “The passports were out. I was done with Arsenal”, he said.

He ultimately stayed and enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Arteta. The Spaniard turned him into a more forward-thinking midfield and after a hellish first few years in London, enjoyed a fabulous 2022/23 season, in particular.

That was the year Xhaka scored nine times and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old was still a vocal presence on the pitch and while he didn’t possess the armband, he still felt like a captain on the pitch. In the present day, the same could be said of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

While the Brazilian hasn’t fallen out with supporters since moving from Lille in a £27m move, their Arsenal careers certainly have parallels.

Gabriel headed to London as an exciting talent but he was still incredibly raw. He showcased that during his first few years in English football.

The centre-back was rash and truth be told, a bit error-prone. Rio Ferdinand was particularly scathing of the defender back in 2022.

It was an incident that led to a DM exchange between Gabriel and Ferdinand and since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength.

Like Xhaka in his early days at Arsenal, the big Brazil international was a bit of an accident waiting to happen but they both enjoyed remarkable comebacks.

In the words of Jamie Carragher, Gabriel is now “the most influential player in the Premier League” this season and is in with a real shout of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners win the league.

The defender has been a colossal presence in the heart of Arteta’s backline, a true “monster” as per pundit Troy Deeney. He’s a giant at the back, composed with the ball at his feet and has made a rather ridiculous impact from set-pieces.

So far this season, Gabriel has scored two goals and supplied three assists. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals than him (22).

Like Xhaka, he’s also now one of the strongest commanders of men in the squad. He’s captained Arsenal on several occasions now and to quote Carragher once more, he is “the leader” in Arteta’s backline.

A midfielder he may not be, but he is certainly like Xhaka in plenty of ways. From being riddled with mistakes to becoming a cult hero at the Emirates, the parallels are certainly there.

Arne Slot will surely be under more intense pressure in the Liverpool hot seat if he cannot turn around his side’s disastrous Premier League form after the international break concludes.

Last season, the Merseyside giants romped home to the title, with a bumper 25 wins secured, having also only lost a meagre four games all campaign long.

Now, however, it’s a grim five defeats on the menu from 11 outings, with former Reds attacker Peter Crouch even stating that there must be “some serious question marks” as to whether the ex-Feyenoord boss should remain in the Anfield post for the long term, if the losses continue to stack up.

He does have the January transfer window on his side to try and arrest this slide, though, as Liverpool prepares to splash the big bucks again…

Where Liverpool could strengthen in 2026

The disappointing Reds are now eight points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, which has led many pundits to state that the reigning champions are in a crisis at the moment.

Still, uprooting to Anfield will be seen as an attractive next career step for many promising talents around the world.

One target includes AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, as rumours persist that the £22.5m-rated midfielder is on their agenda.

Alongside Smit, Liverpool are also reportedly still keen on adding Marc Guehi to their ranks in January, after a failed summer move, as Crystal Palace brace for Liverpool to reignite a deal, despite their current bruised status.

Palace are not the only Premier League club that could be on the receiving end of Liverpool attempting to spend big to turn around their dismal fortunes, however, with TEAMtalk revealing – via their sources – that Slot’s men are favourites to land AFC Bournemouth superstar Antoine Semenyo, despite intense interest also popping up from Tottenham Hotspur.

The report goes on to state that a £65m release clause will be activated when the window opens, which has alerted both Liverpool and Thomas Frank’s outfit, with the Reds ready to meet that price to win themselves an explosive, Premier League-proven forward.

Liverpool desperately need some deadly firepower, having been burnt by deals for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak in the summer, as Slot and Co’s excessive spending – £415m to be exact – looks very rash.

Semenyo could well offer up some much-needed entertainment; therefore, with the Ghanaian also going down as Slot’s new Luis Diaz if a deal is secured, who was a departure in the summer, now overloaded with regret.

How Semenyo compares to Diaz

Diaz leaving Liverpool has certainly hurt the Reds more than they might have initially anticipated.

Of course, the lavish spending in the summer with Isak and Wirtz coming through the door was meant to see in the start of a new-look Liverpool attack, with Diaz discarded to Bayern Munich in the process.

Unfortunately, with the aforementioned pair regularly fluffing their lines and the revitalised Colombian already sitting pretty on 11 goals and five assists from 17 games in Bavaria, it does feel as if Liverpool have dropped a clanger getting rid of an attacker once branded as “unpredictable” and hard to contain at his Premier League best by ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman.

Diaz blew hot and cold on English shores, hence his exit and Seaman’s unpredictable assessment, as 29 Premier League goals fell into his lap at Anfield. Semenyo is only three short of that amount right now for the Cherries, as another gung-ho, direct talent emerges that can wreak havoc at the peak of his powers.

Liverpool saw first-hand how blistering their £65m target can be at full pelt right at the start of the season when powering home that high-energy equaliser, with his Cherries teammate in Marcus Tavernier stating that he is “unplayable” when operating at his devastating best.

Thankfully, the goals and assists have followed in abundance, away from just simply bombing forward with pace to burn, with six goals and three assists in Premier League action alone this campaign, even resulting in Chris Waddle’s claiming that he’s currently “the best winger in the country.”

RW

38

12 + 3

LW

26

5 + 3

RM

10

5 + 0

LM

8

3 + 4

CF

4

1 + 0

The similarities don’t just stop with their comparable styles, though, with both attacking stars in question also capable of being adaptable and malleable when needed, as seen in Semenyo swapping between left wing and right wing duties regularly for Andoni Iraola’s men.

Diaz would also happily oblige in this regard at Anfield, with eight goals even coming his way from a centre-forward spot for his ex-employers.

Semenyo will, further, hope he can replicate Diaz’s career at Anfield even more closely in lifting a Premier League title down the line, past the current slump in form.

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