كشفت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عن رجل مباراة ليفربول ووست هام يونايتد، والتي لعبت اليوم الأحد ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
ليفربول لعب ضد وست هام، ونجح في تحقيق الفوز بهدفين مقابل لا شيء، ضمن الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حث لعبت المباراة على ملعب لندن الأوليمبي.
وحصل كودي جاكبو، نجم نادي ليفربول، على جائزة رجل المباراة في لقاء اليوم، وذلك بعد مستواه المميز أمام وست هام.
اقرأ أيضًا .. فيديو | بدون محمد صلاح.. ليفربول يستفيق بثنائية أمام وست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي
وسجل جاكبو هدف ليفربول في لقاء اليوم، حيث استغل اللاعب الدولي الهولندي تمريرة رائعة من جو جوميز ليسدد الكرة بنجاح في شباك حارس مرمى وست هام، ألفونس أريولا.
وتفوق جاكبو على زميله في ليفربول ألكسندر إيزاك، ليحصل الجناح الهولندي على جائزة رجل المباراة بتصويت الجماهير وبنسبة 54%، بينما جاء إيزاك ثانيًا بنسبة 19%.
وفي المركز الثالث تواجد جوميز بنسبة 13%، واحتل فيرجيل فان دايك، قائد ليفربول ، المركز الرابع بنسبة تصويت وصلت إلى 9%.
وجاء إبراهيما كوناتي، شريك فان دايك في دفاع ليفربول خامسًا بنسبة 2% ، في حين تشارك ثلاثي وست هام، أريولا وماتيوس فيرنانديز وفريدي بوتس المركز السادس بنسبة 1%، بينما لم يحصل ثنائي الهامرز جان كلير توديبو، وكونستانتينوس مافروبانوس على أي نسبة وتواجدوا في المركز السابع والأخير.
It would be fair to say that, so far, this season has been a topsy-turvy one for Newcastle United.
For example, Eddie Howe’s side had a really disappointing start to the campaign, winning just two of their first six Premier League games.
However, in recent weeks, they’ve also had some seriously impressive results, like beating Manchester City, Athletic Bilbao, and, most recently, destroying Everton.
One of the players who has had a real uptick in form recently has been Harvey Barnes, who looks like a player reborn, although, if reports are to be believed, Newcastle are looking at someone who’d be a huge upgrade.
Newcastle target Barnes upgrade
With the transfer window just over a month away now, Newcastle are starting to be linked with a host of exciting and potentially game-changing signings who could bolster Howe’s side.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
AS Roma’s promising Manu Kone, for example, has been touted for a £44m move, as has Inter Milan’s Italian international Davide Frattesi.
However, while both players would be fine additions to the Magpies’ squad, neither could be described as an upgrade on Barnes, unlike Raphinha.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Newcastle are now one of the clubs interested in signing the Brazilian superstar.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Toon view the Barcelona star as someone who could be the cornerstone of their attack moving forward and are determined to fight hard to secure his services.
However, the former Leeds United star has shown no desire to leave the Spanish giants, and even though he’ll have just a year left on his deal in the summer, other reports have claimed that it could cost up to £88m to get him out of Catalonia.
Even so, given Raphinha’s immense ability and experience, this is a transfer Newcastle should fight tooth and nail to get over the line, even if his arrival could spell trouble for Barnes.
How Raphinha compares to Barnes
Now, one of Raphinha’s many qualities is that he can play on either wing, which would allow Howe some extra flexibility were this transfer to happen.
However, during his time with Barcelona, he has primarily played on the left, which is also where he has been most effective.
Therefore, it would make sense for Newcastle to keep him there, which in turn would put him in direct competition with Barnes, which, based on several reasons, he would win, and comfortably at that.
The first reason is the simple fact that he is far more productive than the former Leicester City star.
For example, in his 40 appearances last season, totalling 2121 minutes, the Burnley-born ace scored nine goals and provided five assists, which came out to a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.85 games, or every 151.5 minutes.
FC Barcelona'sRaphinhacelebrates scoring their fourth goal
In contrast, the Barca star scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists in 57 appearances, totalling 4661 minutes, which came out to a world-class average of 1.05 goal involvements every game, or one every 77.68 minutes.
This season, the former Leeds star has scored three goals and provided three assists in ten appearances, totalling 571 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or more importantly, every 95.16 minutes.
Raphinha vs Barnes
24/25
Raphinha
Barnes
Games
57
40
Minutes
4661′
2121′
Goals
34
9
Assists
26
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.05
0.35
Minutes per Goal Involvement
77.68′
151.5′
25/26
Raphinha
Barnes
Games
10
20
Minutes
571′
996′
Goals
3
7
Assists
3
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.6
0.45
Minutes per Goal Involvement
95.16′
110.66′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The Englishman, on the other hand, has produced nine goal involvements, but has done so in 20 appearances, totalling 996 minutes, which comes out to one every 2.22 games, or every 110.66 minutes.
Now, on top of putting up numbers that are frankly absurd, the Porto Alegre-born superstar is also a proven winner, having played a crucial role in the Blaugrana’s last two La Liga triumphs, as well as last year’s Copa del Rey.
Ultimately, Barnes is a great player, but thanks to his output, experience and trophy haul, it’s hard to disagree with Romario’s assertion that Raphinha is “one of the best players in the world.”
Therefore, Newcastle should do what they can to sign him next year, as he could be the star who takes them to the next level.
Forget Barnes: Newcastle have a "world-class" star who can end Gordon's stay
Newcastle’s Three Lions winger has flattered to deceive for some time now.
Xavi Vilajoana, who this week unveiled his campaign for Barcelona's upcoming presidential elections, was scathing in his criticism of current club president Joan Laporta. Vilajoana promised that, under his presidency, his team will focus on investing further in the club's famous youth academy, saying that it must be the source of their next world-class star, discouraging a big-money move for a star of Erling Haaland's stature.
Barcelona set to hold presidential elections next year
The next presidential elections at Barcelona are not too far away, with Laporta having already confirmed that he is planning to run for the re-election next year. More recently, a report from revealed that Laporta is being tipped to call the elections in April 2026, before the season ends.
The current Barcelona president has been talking himself up and is looking to secure his position following his work during the second tenure. “We’ve made difficult decisions, we’ve worked under pressure. It’s been an important year in the club’s recovery, and I’d like to run in the next elections,” he told in May.
“I believe this project, which I have the honor of leading, deserves to continue. We made brave, courageous, and controversial decisions, and we’ve moved forward, both to stop this campaign of institutional discredit that has taken hold in some sectors, especially among rivals.
“The registration of players was an ordeal due to the violent reaction of those who didn’t want things to go well for us. All of this, and much more, gives me the strength to continue. It’s Barça’s best project because we love the club and we know what we’re doing and what’s in our best interest.”
Victor Font, the primary presidential candidate who finished behind Laporta last time around, is expected to run for presidency once again. The likes of Joan Camprubi Montal, Marc Ciria and Xavi Vilajoana have also been reported to be in the running.
On Thursday, Vilajoana unveiled his campaign for the Barcelona presidency under the slogan "Ready to recover our Barca". Speaking at the event, he criticised Laporta's methods and shared how he will improve the club.
“I have been working for the club for 21 years, both as a football and futsal player and then as a board member under three presidents [Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu]. I am optimistic and I will give it my all; the game has begun and it's going to be a long one,” he emphasised. “You can’t run the club behind the backs of its members, its owners. We have a captain who’s sailing without a plan; everything is mired in complete improvisation.
“If I am elected president, I will freeze season ticket prices until Camp Nou is finished. The members must come first. We can dedicate 40 million euros to this within a one billion euro budget. I have a plan to increase sponsorship revenue by 30%. We will promote La Masia, our greatest asset, whose budget Laporta has decided to cut by 37%. Our Haaland isn't at City, he's at La Masia. It pains me to see the state of the other sections. I was captain of one of them (futsal) and I know how important they are; they are part of our identity… Women's sports will be represented in all sections if I win.
“I want to do what's best for Barcelona. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm convinced that my project is very strong. What I am clear about is that the sums must be complementary. I'm not against anyone, I'm for Barca. Going against everything doesn't help. Being president of Barca isn't about handing out positions.
“Laporta’s management is insane. This isn’t about sweeping things under the rug, but about making sure those responsible pay the price. The auditor will determine if there have been any illegal actions. And if they have harmed the club, they must be reported.
“I try not to listen to this president because he doesn’t contribute anything to my life,” he said, adding that every time Laporta speaks he “disrespects the members,” lamenting “the current image of Barcelona; the club deserves much more.”
Messi could participate in Barcelona elections
In September, reported that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi could potentially play a part in the upcoming presidential elections. However, he would not be endorsing another term for Laporta, as it was revealed that he could showcase support for other candidates such as Font and Camprubi.
Laporta has often held accountable for Messi's unceremonious exit from Barca in 2021, with the player and his family seeing Laporta pulling the plug on a renewal as 'betrayal'.
"The first person who should be talking about Messi is Laporta," Vilajoana added. "If he hasn't been with us for four years, it's his fault. Messi is an asset of the club. No one can appropriate the club's assets."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFPAccusations from Font have piled pressure on Laporta
Last month, Laporta's rival Font accused the Barcelona president of hiding €80m in losses, lambasting him for making an utter mess of the club's already fragile financial condition. "Last year's closing reflected losses of 90 million euros. We asked for a restatement because there were overvalued assets, and we were ignored," Font told in October. "This year's accounts hide 80 million euros more in losses that are restatements in last year's accounts, and this hasn't been mentioned; the Assembly isn't aware of it. There's a lack of transparency."
Font has also urged that "we need elections as soon as possible," adding that the "members will fight to ensure that the social model does not change and that the club is once again managed efficiently and responsibly."
Laporta is under tremendous pressure as things stand, and his case for another presidential term could further diminish if the Catalans fail to be in contention for major silverware by the time the elections take place next year.
Spinners demolish SA for their third-lowest total in ODIs before openers secure ten-wicket win
Firdose Moonda03-Oct-2025
Linsey Smith picked up 3 for 7•ICC/Getty Images
If anyone thought England were not serious contenders for this World Cup, think again. They stormed to the top of the points table with a massive victory over a hapless South Africa, who were dismissed for their lowest score against England, second-lowest at a World Cup and third-lowest score overall.England had to chase just 70 and did in 14.1 overs. The whole match lasted 34.5 overs, not even the duration of a full T20. After one game, England’s net run rate sits at 3.773 – more than double that of Australia, who are next best – and puts them in pole position in the early standings.South Africa’s total belied conditions which neither seamed nor spun substantially as they disintegrated against a smart England attack. They appeared surprised by the early use of spin in the form of Linsey Smith and lost their three biggest batters to her. Smith, playing in her first ODI World Cup game and opening the bowling, became the only bowler to dismiss all three of Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp in the same innings.At the other end, Lauren Bell and Nat Sciver-Brunt bowled good lengths to pluck another three wickets in the first 10.1 overs. At 38 for 6 just out of the powerplay, all South Africa could hope for was to crawl to respectability and they didn’t get there. They were bowled out in 20.4 overs and only Sinalo Jafta, promoted to No. 6, got into double-figures.The rest of the batters will need to look at their movement at the crease, which was all but absent, and their shot selection. There will be questions asked over their selection. Annerie Dercksen, who scored her maiden ODI ton in Sri Lanka earlier this year, was left out as South Africa opted for all their allrounders.South Africa could not have imagined how quickly things would fall apart after Wolvaardt got proceedings underway with a square drive and Brits carved Bell through point in an opening over that cost nine runs. Smith struck second ball when Wolvaardt played across the line and popped up a leading edge to give a simple return catch. The first ball of Smith’s next over drifted in to Brits from around the wicket and snuck through the bat-pad gap to bowl her.With both openers’ dismissed, Sune Luus at No. 3 had a big job on her hands but fell to a Bell inswinger that curled in to take out off stump. Three balls later, Kapp was also done by drift as Smith got the ball to squeeze past her inside edge and on to middle stump. All of Wolvaardt, Brits, Luus and Kapp will need to work on their footwork going forward.In the mess, there were some shots that suggested South Africa still knew how to bat. Jafta drove Bell through cover point for her first boundary and Anneke Bosch nailed a cover drive – but the moments where they were on top of the England bowlers were few and very far between.Jafta should have been out on 8 when she advanced down the track in an attempt to drive Smith and missed. Amy Jones could not collect quickly enough and fluffed the stumping. That was the only blip in an otherwise flawless England performance.Sciver-Brunt brought herself on in the eighth over and had success with her first ball, Bosch walking across her stumps to be hit on the knee roll in front of middle and leg. She didn’t review what was a correct lbw decision. Sciver-Brunt also struck with the first ball of her next over. Chloe Tryon tried to flick her into the leg side but got a leading edge and was caught by Alice Capsey at mid-on.Jafta entered double figures when she guided Sophie Ecclestone to third but she didn’t have any support. Nadine de Klerk edged Ecclestone to Heather Knight at slip and Masabata Klaas played for turn against a Charlie Dean ball that held its line and was bowled. Jafta herself fell when she tried to hit Ecclestone back over her head but missed and was bowled. Dean finished things off when she beat Nonkululekho Mlaba’s slog.England’s chase was all but academic despite the best efforts of Kapp, who found her rhythm with back-of-a-length balls that beat the batters consistently. South Africa reviewed an lbw shout against Tammy Beaumont, which nipped back in but still hit her outside the line. Beaumont and Jones were patient against a disciplined South African attack and chose not to rush the result. They were 39 without loss in the powerplay but put the foot down straight after.Jones threaded Mlaba through point as soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted and then sent her back over her head and swung Klaas over mid-on in a reminder that there’s not only one “Storm Amy” in England today. She was dropped by Klaas in her follow through later in the over and then took back-to-back boundaries off the usually miserly Ayabonga Khaka to put England one hit away. They finished things off with a boundary from Beaumont.South Africa have suffered similarly at the hands of England before in a World Cup in India, but in the pre-professional era. They were bowled out for 77 in Cuttack in 2013. Charlotte Edwards, the current England coach, was opening the batting for England then, while Kapp and Tryon played for South Africa.
Depois da vitória do São Paulo por 2 a 1, contra o Fluminense, Zubeldía saiu na defesa de Patryck e Juan, duas Crias de Cotia bastante contestadas.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloLuciano se posiciona sobre briga com Diniz em São Paulo x Fluminense: ‘Acabou a amizade’São Paulo13/05/2024BrasileirãoCom Luciano e Diniz ‘esquentadinhos’, São Paulo vence o Fluminense pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão13/05/2024Fora de CampoDaronco é detonado por jornalistas em São Paulo x Fluminense: ‘Adora protagonismo’Fora de Campo13/05/2024
➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América
Segundo o técnico, antes de assumir o cargo de treinador, é preciso se ‘descontaminar’ das opiniões que vieram antes e escalar um time com base no que está sendo visto nos treinamentos e no seu trabalho. Ao falar de Patryck, tomou como exemplo a convocação do lateral para a Seleção Sub-17.
➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor
– Um técnico novo, no caso eu, chega livre do conhecimento das críticas com alguns jogadores e tem liberdade para tomar suas decisões com base nos treinos. É preciso tomar decisões não pelo o que dizem e sim pelo que vejo. Se o Patryck jogou pela Seleção Sub-17, por que não pode jogar aqui? – disse durante a coletiva de imprensa.
continua após a publicidade
– Oscilou, normal para um jovem. Sei de futebol e jovens, terá partidas boas e ruins. Tomara que tenha mais partidas boas, senão ele saberá as consequências- completou.
Quanto a Juan, que tem um pouco mais de experiência no profissional, o colocou logo na sucessão de Calleri, destacando as qualidades do jovem centroavante.
continua após a publicidade
– O mesmo com Juan. Possivelmente ele é o centroavante mais centroavante do elenco, depois de Calleri. Questionamentos para um centroavante que não está marcando vai ter, mas se a equipe tem gols de outra posição, seu trabalho hoje foi muito bom, gerou situações de gol – concluiu.
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA SÃO PAULO 2 X 1 FLUMINENSE 6ª RODADA – SÉRIE A DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️Data e horário: segunda-feira, 13 de maio de 2024, às 20h (de Brasília); 📍Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP); ⚽Gols: Bobadilla e Arboleda (São Paulo); Igor Vinícius (GC – Fluminense) 🟨Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (FIFA-RS); 🚩Assistentes: Lucio Beiersdorf Flor (RS) e Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS); 🖥️VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (FIFA-RN).
➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES:
SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Luis Zubeldía) Rafael; Igor Vinícius, Arboleda, Alan Franco e Patryck; Bobadilla, Alisson e Nestor; Luciano, Juan e André Silva.
FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz) Fábio; Marquinhos, Antônio Carlos, Manoel e Diogo Barbosa; Martinelli, Lima e Alexsande; Keno, Jhon Arias e Kauã Elias.
Centuries to Henry Hunt and Jake Lehmann have defending champions South Australia early control of their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at Adelaide Oval.Victoria captain Peter Handscomb’s decision to bowl looked the right call when Mitchell Perry took his third wicket in the morning session, leaving the home side in trouble at 58 for 3.That brought together Hunt and Lehmann, who steadily took the game away from Victoria and at stumps SA were 270 for 3. Hunt carried his bat through the day and scored a grinding 121 from 300 balls, with 10 fours and one six. Lehmann’s 107 from 180 balls, featuring only seven fours on a slow outfield, was his fourth century in as many Shield games going back to last season.Victoria could have had South Australia in even bigger early trouble. Hunt had reached 33 and the score was 114 when he drove at a wide delivery from pacer David Moody and edged straight to Blake Macdonald at first slip. But the chance was grassed and it proved costly for Victoria.It was the slowest of Hunt’s 11 Shield centuries and he said Lehmann’s innings had been pivotal.”The momentum shifted when he came out – his presence at the crease, to put some pressure back on [Victoria],” Hunt said. “To be 270 for 3, that’s almost a perfect day for us.”Perry finished with 3 for 61 from 20 overs while Test quick Scott Boland went wicketless from 18 overs and Fergus O’Neill also failed to a scalp from his 21 overs.
Allen, Ferguson, Milne, Phillips, O’Rourke and Sears were all unavailable due to injury
Deivarayan Muthu19-Oct-2025
Kane Williamson had last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in March•Getty Images
Kane Williamson will return to action for New Zealand in the three-match ODI series against England, which kicks off at Bay Oval, his home ground, on October 26. Williamson, 35, is missing from the ongoing T20I series as he is recovering from an unspecified, ‘minor medical issue’ in the past month.Williamson is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex. More recently, Williamson was appointed Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) strategic advisor in the IPL.Allrounder Nathan Smith also returned to the New Zealand squad after undergoing rehab for an abdominal injury sustained during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August in Bulawayo. Smith, 27, has not played any competitive cricket since.Related
Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter welcomed Williamson and Smith back into the set-up. For Williamson, this will be his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final in Dubai in March earlier this year. Smith also played in that final, though as a last-minute replacement for Matt Henry, who was injured at the time.”Kane and Nathan have had to work hard to overcome their respective injuries and illness,” Walter said in a statement. “We all know what Kane means to the Blackcaps – to have his skill, experience and leadership back in the group is fantastic.”Nathan’s still relatively new to his international career, but he’s impressed with his all-round skills and ability in the field.”Having undergone rehab, Smith has declared himself fit and ready for the New Zealand summer.”Yeah, always exciting when you get the opportunity to play for New Zealand in any series,” Smith said. “The last period from that [Bulawayo] Test to now has looked like a bit of rest initially. And then after a couple of weeks, you can sort of start to get moving again and strengthen the ab back-ups. Since the start of September, I’ve been ripping into some rehab and building the bowling loads back up. It’s just been a really good period to get some strength in and build some training back up for a busy season.”Mitchell Santner also returned to take charge of the ODI team after leading them to the Champions Trophy final. Having recovered from an abdominal injury, he is currently in action in the T20I series against England.However, Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.Nathan Smith has recovered from an abdominal injury•AFP/Getty Images
Tom Latham will take the wicketkeeping gloves and will also make his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final. Latham had been sidelined from the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since his century for Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast in July.Along with Smith, Canterbury seam-bowling allrounder Zak Foulkes has also been picked in the squad. Foulkes has played just two internationals so far and in September, he hit back-to-back fifties for New Zealand A in Benoni in the unofficial ODI series. Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra are the other allrounders in the side.Henry, who is the highest wicket-taker among seamers in ODIs in 2025, with 24 strikes in nine innings at an average of 15.50, will lead the attack.This will be Walter’s first stint with the New Zealand ODI side as their head coach. “The ODI side has been very successful for a long period of time, as the current ICC ranking of number two suggests,” Walter said. “We have an experienced core of players and as a team, are very clear on how we want to play. This is very much the start of our journey to the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2027 and I know the group are excited to get going in this series against a quality England side.”New Zealand’s ODI group will assemble in Tauranga on Friday ahead of Sunday’s opening game. The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on October 29, while England’s tour will conclude with the third ODI in Wellington on November 1.The ODI series will overlap with the men’s Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s premier domestic one-day tournament, which will start on October 25 across various venues. The Ford Trophy will kick off New Zealand’s domestic summer for a second year in a row. The Ford Trophy will start on October 25, followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ) taking off on November 15.New Zealand ODI squadMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Shaun Wright-Phillips has urged Chelsea to break the bank for Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw in the upcoming January transfer window. Thiaw, who cost Newcastle just £30 million ($40m) when he arrived from AC Milan in August, has been one of Eddie Howe’s standout performers this season. And now, the former Chelsea star wants the Blues to go all-in for the defender to bolster their backline.
Exciting rise of Thiaw
Thiaw earned a £5.8m (€5m) transfer to Milan from German outfit Schalke in 2022. He established himself as a regular with the Serie A giants, playing 85 times in three years, and lifted the Supercoppa Italiana during the 2024-25 campaign. His consistency attracted interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but the Magpies emerged triumphant in the transfer race. Now, after just a few months in England, he has become an automatic starter for Howe and is seen as a potential long-term defensive lynchpin. Wright-Phillips admits prising him away from St James’ Park would be "almost impossible" given his status and contract length, but insists Chelsea should at least try.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
Wright-Phillips wants Thiaw at Chelsea
Speaking to , Wright-Phillips did not hesitate when asked which player Chelsea should prioritise: "It would be almost impossible, but if I could have anyone now, it would be Malick Thiaw from Newcastle. I know he only joined from Milan in the summer, but if anyone has been watching him since his arrival, they’d know he hasn’t had a bad game yet.
"He does everything right. He reads the game well. When low crosses come into the box, he always seems to be in the right position. I hadn’t heard too much about him before he arrived, but since he’s arrived, he’s established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for Eddie Howe. Obviously, it’s a bit cruel of me to say Chelsea need to go and buy him already, but in terms of his ability, he’s exactly what that backline needs."
White tipped for stunning cross-London switch
Wright-Phillips also floated another eye-catching potential target in Ben White, who has struggled for minutes at Arsenal since last season. The 28-year-old has made only one Premier League appearance this term, losing his place to Jurrien Timber at right-back. He has been a key figure for Arsenal since his £50m ($66.23m) move from Brighton in 2021, but injuries and fierce competition have pushed him to the fringes.
Wright-Phillips believes a fresh start could be on the horizon: "I could see a move for Ben White to Chelsea take place next summer. It makes sense, it’s possible. I feel quite sorry for Ben because he had an injury, and he was playing so well for Arsenal. He was unbelievable. Then he came back and he’d lost his place to Jurrien Timber, who’s the best right-back in the Premier League. It’s going to take something special to unseat him now."
A January transfer, however, appears out of the question. With Arsenal chasing the Premier League title and pushing deep into the Champions League, Mikel Arteta has no intention of weakening his squad mid-season.
"I don’t think Arsenal would be willing to sell him in the winter window, though, because that squad depth is one of Arsenal’s biggest advantages," he said. "If Timber is injured, White is the man to come in. So selling him would force Arsenal back in the market, and I don’t think that’s something they would want to do while they are challenging for the title, and maybe the Champions League."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFP
Arsenal clash looms as Chelsea eye momentum from European high
Chelsea now turn their attention to one of the biggest league fixtures of their season on Sunday, a top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Fresh off a superb 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona, Maresca’s side appear to be gathering momentum at the perfect time. The victory over the Catalans has been a major morale-booster, and while Chelsea remain six points behind Arsenal, Sunday provides a rare six-point swing opportunity.
The Angels hit three home runs in the first inning, making them the first visiting team to do so in the 105-year history of Fenway Park. Zach Neto, Mike Trout and Joe Adell all took Boston Red Sox starter Richard Fitts deep in the opening frame as L.A. scored six runs before the Sox got three outs.
Trout's home run was a monster. It was tracked coming off the bat at 112.1 mph and traveled 454 feet. It was his 10th homer of the season and his first since returning from the injured list on May 30.
The disastrous first inning just added to Boston's struggles this season. Entering Monday night's game, the Red Sox were 29-32 and sat in fourth place in the American League East. They are currently 8.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.
After he spent less than two weeks in Triple A with the Omaha Storm Chasers, top prospect Jac Caglianone is headed to the big leagues. The 22-year-old was officially called up to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon—a move that has Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stoked.
As is the norm nowadays, the team captured the moment the first baseman was informed of his promotion, resulting in the awesome video shared by the Royals on X (formerly Twitter) below.
The best part? Among Caglianone's first reactions was to call his father and let him know the exciting news. Check it out:
"Holy cow," he said as he exhaled. "I need to call my dad!"
Awesome stuff.
In 12 games with Omaha, Caglianone slashed .319/.370/.723 with 15 hits that included six home runs and 13 RBI. He now heads to a 31–29 Royals team and will likely make his debut on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.