Are Manchester United back on track? It’s probably premature to make such a conclusive claim, but then we can’t help but notice the hint of success now that Ruben Amorim has strung together a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

It was refreshing to see the Portuguese coach speak candidly after the recent draw at Tottenham Hotspur, though. Amorim understands that, while progress has been made in recent months, there is so much work still to be plied.

While the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have reshaped the Red Devil frontline for the better, there’s no question that issues remain in the centre of the field, even with Casemiro resurgent and the skipper, Bruno Fernandes, in fine form.

Man Utd's search for a midfielder

INEOS and the Manchester United recruitment team have accepted that the midfield requires something of a rebuild, with Bruno and Casemiro into their 30s and Kobbie Mainoo out of sorts.

One of the pleasing changes of recent months has been a focus on adding Premier League-proven quality. Mbeumo and Cunha stand as testaments to this. Now, the same logic must be applied in the centre.

There are a number of possibilities, the most noisy of which centres on England star Elliot Anderson, though Nottingham Forest have placed a prohibitive £100m price tag on their prized star’s name.

United are ready to spend in 2026, though, and could instead make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, having profiled the Cameroonian talent last summer.

According to GIVEMESPORT and Fabrizio Romano, Old Trafford Director of Football Jason Wilcox has held positive discussions with the young midfielder; however, it looks like Brighton have doubled down on their £115m valuation.

Crucially, Baleba is “very keen” on leaping at the chance to sign for Amorim’s outfit, and so a deal could certainly be pulled off next year.

Why Man Utd want Carlos Baleba

Man United have needed a mobile centre-midfielder for a while, and in Baleba, they might just land the perfect player.

The Brighton star is into his third season in the Premier League, and though he hasn’t been at his best since the summer, this is likely because of the fallout from United’s failed attempt to bring him away from Fabian Hurzeler’s outfit in August.

Hailed by analyst Joao Miguel as being a “transition monster” who “eats hectares of space for lunch”, the 5 foot 11 star would dovetail right into the way Amorim wants to play, perhaps even more so than Anderson, who is firmly rooted in Forest’s counter-pressing brand of football.

Anderson might be more mobile and energetic in his game, but Baleba’s mix of tough-tackling defending and ball-playing quality makes him the perfect alternative, and one who could even come to surpass the England man.

For all the gains United have made in recent months, they are still an imperfect outfit. Too easy to catch on the break and lacking physicality, xGA data reveals Amorim’s side to be among the most statistically porous in the division.

Premier League 25/26 – Highest xGA Totals

Club

Goals Conceded

xGA

Burnley

22

23.4

Nott’m Forest

20

16.6

Man United

18

16.4

West Ham

23

16.3

Wolves

25

16.0

Data via FBref

Baleba’s strength and ground-covering presence would ease this problem and then some, adding the fresh legs needed to keep Bruno on his A-game. This positive chain would ripple through to the forwards, who are already showing such promise.

Anderson is emerging as a talented midfielder, and either would be a credit to the Man United project. However, Baleba’s desire to move to Manchester, the club’s comprehensive profiling of his style and his powerful and athletic approach could see him emerge as the pick of the bunch.

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Posts 2 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

The MLB postseason is underway, some exciting baseball has already been played and some more is around the corner for the next month or so.

In order to properly enjoy this postseason, there are a few key rule changes to brush up on. MLB postseason rules differ from the regular season rules in two key ways.

Here's how.

What are the extra innings rules in the MLB playoffs?

Unlike in the regular season, where a "ghost runner" is placed on second base at the start of the top of the 10th and in any ensuing extra innings, postseason baseball reverts back to traditional rules. This means that, should any of the playoff games go to extra innings, pitchers will begin the frame with no traffic on the basepaths. While the pitch clock (more on that in a moment) will still shorten the game time, the lack of an automatic runner in extra innings could lead to some slightly longer games—and managers having to go deeper into their bullpens.

How many challenges do managers get in the MLB playoffs?

Unlike in the regular season, where managers only receive one challenge, skippers will have two challenges for each postseason game. Clubs retain the challenge if the call is overturned, but lose the challenge if no calls are overturned.

Other than that, each rule from the regular season carries over to postseason play, though it's worth going over a few of these rules as a reminder.

Is there still a pitch clock in the MLB postseason?

Yes, the 30-second timer between batters, as well as the 15 and 20-second timers between pitches with the bases empty and runners on, respectively, are still rules implemented in the MLB postseason. Additionally, just as is the case in the regular season, pitchers are limited to two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance, though these reset if the runner or runners advance during the plate appearance.

What about the three-batter minimum rule?

Yes, the three-batter minimum rule, first implemented in 2020, is implemented in the postseason. Pitchers must face a minimum of three batters or finish a half-inning. If the pitcher faces one batter to end an inning, he can be removed from the game but he is also allowed to return for a second inning. If he returns for a second inning, then he must face two more batters to reach the required total of three.

How is home-field advantage determined in the World Series?

The pennant winner with the better regular season record receives home-field advantage in the World Series, regardless of how the teams were seeded for the postseason. If the two pennant winners finished with the same regular season record, then a tiebreaker determines home-field advantage for the Fall Classic, in this order listed below:

• Head-to-head record
• Intradivision record
• Intraleague record

In his capacity as a Fox Sports analyst, Alex Rodriguez had a front-row seat to the magical World Series that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays pushed to, and beyond, its limits. In the end it was the defending champions who were able to secure back-to-back titles by outlasting their Canadian hosts last Saturday night in a game that brought more eyeballs to baseball than any in the previous eight years. So he had plenty of time to take in the energy and atmosphere that only added to the drama fans at home were able to enjoy. And to compare it to all previous versions of the Fall Classic.

Asked by if we just watched the greatest World Series every played, Rodriguez explained why he believes so.

"Yes," he said. "Well, in my lifetime, I've never. You know, that's obviously very subjective, but in my lifetime, I've never seen a better one. It had all the elements of just the juiciest, most delicious, World Series."

Rodriguez is not alone in his assessment, as many have wondered if the sport just enjoyed a high-water mark that will be difficult, if not impossible to match. The way he processed the seven-game greatness, however, is unique. Seated next to David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and Kevin Burkhardt, the former player was able to witness all the ingredients that went into making things buzz.

"It had three S’s, right?" Rodriguez said. "It had, it had superstars, it had strategy and it had incredible storylines. And what's great about baseball."

Rodriguez also spoke about the episodic nature of a baseball playoff series as opposed to the immediacy and one-and-doneness of other sports.

"Super Bowl has one like Tom Cruise movie. Over 100 million people will watch. What's different and what I think more compelling about a seven-game World Series, which are very rare—we only had two prior to this one in the last eight years—is that is like a mini docuseries and there's seven episodes.

"And just like , if you watch all six now, you're invested. You're hooked. You're hooked in the characters, the storyline, the strategy. And then you must watch game seven. So it was just awesome. I'm so proud of the game."

تحدث لويس جارسيا أسطورة ليفربول، عن تصريحات محمد صلاح الهجومية ضد آرني سلوت وفريقه، بعد التعادل أمام ليدز يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف لكل فريق، في الدوري الانجليزي.

وقال جارسيا عن انفعال صلاح في تصريحات نشرتها “ESPN”: “من المحزن أن نرى صلاح يضطر للصراحة والإدلاء بمثل هذه التصريحات”.

وأضاف عن جناح ليفربول: “لست من محبي الإدلاء بتصريحات علنية والتوجه للصحافة لتقديم شكوتي بشأن أي موقف حدث في غرفة الملابس أو لنفسك، إنها طريقة لعدم التعبير عن مشاعرك الحقيقية”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. “نُحبه بشدة ولكن!”.. ردود أفعال متباينة لجماهير ليفربول على تصريحات محمد صلاح ضد سلوت

وواصل: “أفضل طريقة هي التحدث إلى مدربك أو المدير الرياضي وليس للصحافة، يصبح الأمر أشبه بقنبلة، لأنه لم يعد يتعلق بك وحدك بل بما يحدث في غرفة الملابس، بصرف النظر عن ذلك، أتفهم أنه قد يشعر بالإحباط، هو أسطورة النادي وأحد أهم لاعبيه”.

وأكمل: “يؤثر تقدم السن على أداء الفريق، وعدم تحقيق النتائج المرجوة، بعد موسم رائع، فجأة لم يسجل صلاح سوى أربعة أهداف، اثنان منها من ركلة جزاء ويبدو أن تراكم ذلك يجعله في مرمى الصحافة”.

وختم: “يمكنك أن ترى أنه يشعر بخيبة أمل وإحباط، لست متأكداً مما يمكن أن ينتج عن هذا، آمل أن يتمكنوا من التحدث ومحاولة معالجة الوضع، لأن ليفربول لا يحتاج لمزيد من الضجيج حول النادي والفريق بحاجة للتكاتف”.

Arsenal have now made a strong move to sign a “special” Paris Saint-Germain star, who is still yet to accept an offer to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.

Gunners under pressure after Aston Villa defeat

The Gunners’ lead at the summit of the Premier League table was reduced to just two points on Saturday, after slipping up at Villa Park, with Emiliano Buendia netting a stoppage-time winner to secure all three points for the hosts.

Gary Neville has suggested the defeat shouldn’t be a major cause for concern, given that Aston Villa are a good side, saying: “That’s a game you can lose. I wouldn’t be panicking at all if I was Arsenal off the back of that. You’re going to lose a game or two, you just are, and you’re going to win a lot of games.”

However, after coming second three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta’s side may be feeling the pressure, with Manchester City now breathing down their necks, and the north Londoners are looking to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Arsenal have now made a strong move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, who isn’t entirely happy at the French club, and is still yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

PSG have made an offer to Barcola, which would see his salary increase significantly from £111k-a-week, but he is yet to commit to a new deal, amid interest from the Gunners and Premier League rivals Liverpool, who are very active contenders.

Arteta’s side have been interested in the French forward for quite some time, and the latest development is exciting, as there are plenty of signs he could be a fantastic addition to the squad…

"Special" Barcola could be exciting signing for Arsenal

With Gabriel Martinelli not in the best of form, receiving widespread criticism for some of his performances this season, it may be a savvy move to sign a new left-winger, and the PSG star has been in impressive form.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Indeed, the 18-time France international has already amassed eight goal contributions in 18 matches this term, while also receiving very high praise from scout Ben Mattinson earlier this year, who described proved him as “one of the best left wingers in Europe”.

Not only that, but the 23-year-old also ranks extremely highly across a range of key attacking statistics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.42 (95th percentile)

Progressive carries

5.13 (87th percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

8.72 (98th percentile)

Should the opportunity present itself, Arsenal should definitely step up their interest in Barcola, and it is promising news they have already made a strong move to secure his signature.

Tottenham have expressed a real interest in signing one star from Barcelona ahead of 2026, according to a new report.

Spurs shortlist attacking targets with big-names on the radar

Spurs are preparing significant investment in attackers for January and beyond, with media sources indicating a new forward or two will definitely arrive at the club next year.

Indeed, Thomas Frank’s side have identified multiple targets as they attempt to revive their campaign.

Tottenham have significant funds available for the right acquisition, with the club willing to test the waters for elite talent. The recruitment team, led by co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, are expected to prioritise signing a wide forward rather than a central striker, though no final decision has been confirmed as they approach the January window.

Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo remains the primary target, with the Lilywhites now intensifying their interest ahead of January.

The Ghana international has seriously impressed this season with his blistering pace and proficiency, which will definitely appeal to Frank as he seeks to add more creative spark.

Semenyo’s new deal also includes a tempting £65 million release clause which will be active early next month, but this has piqued rumoured interest from the likes of Liverpool and Man City as well.

Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as another concrete target, viewed alongside Semenyo as possessing the energy and attacking versatility suited to elevating Tottenham’s forward line.

However, sources indicate Ndiaye is considered more likely as a summer acquisition rather than a January signing.

More ambitious names include Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

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Spurs could get him on loan in January.

ByEmilio Galantini 7 days ago

Tottenham are believed to be exploring a potential January deal for Rodrygo, who himself would consider a move to north London as he instructs his representatives to find him a new club.

Aghehowa, who’s been in monstrous form since joining Porto from Atlético Madrid in 2024, also has huge admirers at Spurs, amid reports that they’re also prepared to make a winter move for the Spaniard.

Paratici and Lange appear to be drawing up a shortlist of credible attacking targets as the Lewis family look to kickstart a new era post-Daniel Levy, with Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford now also on their radar.

Tottenham 'determined' to sign Barcelona star Marcus Rashford

Rashford finds himself at a career crossroads following his impressive revival at the Camp Nou, with Tottenham now emerging as serious contenders to lure the forward back to the Premier League.

Despite his outstanding form in Spain, Barcelona remain indecisive about the £30 million purchase option in his loan deal from Man United, creating uncertainty that several English clubs are eager to exploit.

His Barça renaissance has persuaded the Calatans’ hierarchy to at least contemplate activating the permanent deal clause, but their precarious financial situation complicates matters.

While the £30 million fee appears affordable on paper, Rashford’s long-term future hangs in the balance, and Spurs could offer him a route to London.

That is according to Spanish media sources, who report that Tottenham have identified Rashford as the ‘ideal’ profile to rejuvenate their attack.

Spanish newspaper AS, as referenced, claim that Spurs are ‘determined’ to sign the 27-year-old and ready to offer him an ‘immediate leading role’ in the team — though any transfer would have to wait until the summer considering he’s still on loan in La Liga.

Rashford’s wages, reported to be around £325,000-per-week, present a pretty major roadblock for Frank’s side, but his proven Premier League experience and versatility would undoubtedly improve the team.

The United academy graduate, during spells of superstardom at Old Trafford, earmarked himself as an England regular before falling out of favour and impressing on loan at Aston Villa last season.