When it rains, it pours, at least that seems to be the case with Chelsea.

In his pre-match press conference yesterday, Enzo Maresca confirmed that, in addition to the players already out injured, Cole Palmer would not play again until after the international break, and both Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo are out of contention.

However, even with these injuries, the Blues still have the talent to get a result against Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon.

To ensure the team has the best chance of securing all three points, Maresca must make a few changes outside of just the defence, such as dropping Jamie Gittens and Enzo Fernández.

Why Maresca must drop Gittens & Fernandez

Starting with Gittens, the reason Maresca has to take him out of the lineup for today’s game is straightforward: he’s currently offering nothing in attack nor defence.

Chalkboard

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

The former Borussia Dortmund gem might well have a high ceiling and a bright future ahead of him, but as things stand, we have yet to see any of the dynamic attacking play for which he was signed.

In his five appearances for the club, the Englishman has failed to score or assist a goal, and considering he started against League One side Lincoln City during the week, that is concerning.

So, for his own sake and the team’s attack, Maresca should take the Reading-born ace out of the team for now, and perhaps use him as a late impact player to try and get him up and running.

Things are a little less black and white when it comes to Fernandez, though, as we have seen what he can do when he’s at his best in this Chelsea side.

Unfortunately, the Argentine international has been nowhere near his best this season, has struggled in the league, looked out of place in the Champions League and was terrible in the League Cup.

In fact, it was his hospital pass that led to Lincoln taking the lead on Tuesday night, and if it weren’t for Tyrique George, he could have been in for an almighty hammering from the press.

Minutes

70′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Accurate Passes

44/55 (80%)

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Long Balls (Accurate)

8 (3)

Shots on Target

0

Duels (Won)

6 (2)

Lost Possession

16

Dribbled Past

2

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Therefore, like with Gittens, the manager should remove the World Cup winner from the starting lineup for today, especially since there is already someone who could come in and do a far better job.

The Chelsea players to replace Gittens & Fernandez

Again, starting with Gittens, there is one obvious candidate to replace him on the right for today’s game: Estevao.

Yes, Maresca should replace the Englishman with the Blues’ newest “world-class” prospect, as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig.

The Brazilian may still be young, but he has already shown far more attacking intent and all-around quality in his short amount of time at the club this season.

For example, in his first start for the club, against West Ham United, he provided an incredible assist for Joao Pedro and generally had their defence terrified whenever he had the ball at his feet.

Moreover, if he really is the “future Ballon d’Or winner” that respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims, then the club should be getting him on the pitch whenever possible.

Moving into the middle of the park, then, and the man who should come in for Fernandez is, of course, Moises Caicedo.

The former Brighton star has a real shout for being the club’s best player, and so when the Argentine is underperforming so much, it makes sense to bring him in and play him alongside the promising Andrey Santos.

On top of adding some real bite and defensive solidity in the midfield, the unstoppable “machine,” as dubbed by Kulig, has also become more of an attacking threat.

For example, he has already scored two goals in just five league appearances this season, including that stunner against Brentford.

Ultimately, Chelsea need to get back on track today, and one of the ways Maresca can help make that happen is by starting Estevao and Caicedo in place of Gittens and Fernandez.

Maresca has a bigger talent than George who's "the future of Chelsea"

The sensational youngster looks the real deal for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 26, 2025

Worcestershire bowled out for 143 before Keaton Jennings, Liam Livingstone steer comfortable chase

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jun-2025

Lancashire Lightning continued their strong start to the Vitality Blast with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire Rapids at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Rapids, having chosen to bat, were bowled out for 143 in 19.1 overs. Only Gareth Roderick (35 from 28 balls) resisted for long as the innings failed to recover from early damage inflicted by James Anderson and Luke Wood.Lightning reeled in the target with 15 balls to spare, reaching 146 for 3 thanks to a solid top-order effort headed by Keaton Jennings (42 off 37) and Liam Livingstone (41 not out off 22).Rapids won the toss but lost both openers in the first seven balls. Brett D’Oliveira edged his first ball, from Anderson, to slip and Wood struck with his first ball when he trapped Ed Pollock lbw.Jake Libby pulled Anderson for six and almost did the same to Wood only to be denied by a stunning one-handed catch by Jack Blatherwick just inside the long leg rope. Wood’s third wicket followed when Ethan Brookes pulled to midwicket and when, next ball, Adam Hose edged Tom Aspinwall to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst, the Rapids were 46 for 5, one ball out of the powerplay.Roderick and Ben Dwarhuis arrested the slide with a stand of 46 in 29 balls before the latter pulled Aspinwall to deep midwicket. Lancashire’s catching was top-drawer and when Matthew Waite sought six over fine leg off Blatherwick, Michael Jones judged the catch perfectly despite the pressure of knowing one backward step would take him over the rope.Roderick’s defiance ended when he sliced Anderson to third. That left Rapids’ last two wickets with 27 balls at their disposal. Jacob Duffy heaved Wood to the foot of the chestnut tree in a violent unbeaten 24 off 12 to at least give him something to bowl at but Rapids were well short.The home side desperately needed early wickets but took only one in the powerplay, Luke Wells, who edged Tom Taylor to wicketkeeper Roderick. Jennings and Matty Hurst added 63 in 46 balls and when Hurst was well-caught at long leg by Duffy, his belligerent cameo had, with Jennings, left Lancashire well in charge of the chase.Jennings bottom-edged a pull at Waite to the keeper but Livingstone smote D’Oliveira’s first two balls into the D’Oliveira Stand to reassert Lightning’s momentum. Despite fast-fading light, vastly experienced pair Livingstone and Ashton Turner saw their side comfortably home. They added an unbroken stand of 62 in 33 balls, Livingstone sealing the win with a pull into the aforementioned chestnut tree.

Rangers have not re-approached Steven Gerrard despite rumours of new rounds of talks taking place in recent days.

It emerged on Saturday night that the former Gers boss had removed himself from the race to become successor to Russell Martin, who was sacked after just 17 games in charge of the Govan club.

However, several bookmakers on Wednesday showed that Gerrard, who won the title with Rangers in 2021, was back among the favourites for the post.

No new talks between Gerrard and Rangers

PA news agency understands that there has been no new talks between the two parties.

Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat and ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl are two of the front runners for the job.

Muscat, who has reportedly had had talks with the Govan club, has guided Shanghai Port to top spot in the Chinese Super League, two points clear with four games left. Their domestic season ends on November 22.

Speculation abounds that the Govan club are lining up Neil McCann for an interim period in charge until his former Gers team-mate is free to come to Glasgow.

The 52-year-old won a domestic treble with Rangers in 2003 in his only season at Ibrox and as a manager he has won titles in Australia, Japan and China with Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Shanghai Port.

Rohl, 36, reportedly impressed the Rangers hierarchy during talks last week, but rightly or wrongly, may well be considered by scarred and sceptical Gers supporters to be another version of Martin.

Previously an assistant manager at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, Rohl had steered Wednesday out of relegation trouble in the Sky Bet Championship in 2023/24.

The German led The Owls to a 12th-place league finish in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.

Other names on the bookmakers’ lists include former Manchester United player and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Hearts boss Derek McInnes, ex-Chelsea and West Ham boss Graham Potter and former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

Rangers return from the international break with a home game against Dundee United on Saturday. The Light Blues are eighth in the table after seven fixtures, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic.

Preston North End attacker Milutin Osmajic has been handed a nine-game ban after being charged with racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri. The incident took place during Preston's goalless draw with Burnley in February and now he will be out of action until late December. The forward denied the allegations but he has been fined £21,000.

Ban meted out

Last season's contest was delayed for several minutes in the second half when Tunisian Hannibal reacted furiously to something that appeared to be said to him by Osmajic. 

Hannibal then took to social media to write, "I will not be silent about what happened today. I will always call out racism whenever I hear or see it. That is the only way we change as a sport and a society. I am a strong person but nobody should have to experience this disgusting abuse on the pitch."

Following the clash between the two players, Osmajic was charged by the Football Association in March, and a hearing took place in September. Now, an 'independent regulatory commission' has sanctioned the Montenegrin man, meaning he will miss fixtures up to and including Preston's Championship fixture with Stoke City on Boxing Day (December 26). 

AdvertisementPreston respond to Osmajic punishments

Preston said they were "extremely disappointed" with the decision to ban their top scorer for more than a month. The club pointed out that the verdict fell under the "balance of probabilities" and not "beyond reasonable doubt", highlighting it wasn't an open and shut case.

A club statement reads: "Preston North End are extremely disappointed at the decision made by an independent regulatory commission to sanction Milutin Osmajić and impose a nine-match suspension, following an incident which took place in a league fixture against Burnley on 15th February 2025. We note that the outcome was determined on the 'Balance of Probabilities' rather than one that is 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt'. We also note that The FA determined that this decision offers no moral judgement, was not premeditated nor any comment about his general character. Milutin has always pleaded his innocence of the charge and continues to do so. We continue to be fully supportive of our player. We are proud of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policies and practices, and we reaffirm our opposition to all forms of discrimination."

Getty Images SportOsmajic in trouble again

This nine-game ban comes 13 months after Osmajic was slapped with an eight-match suspension for biting Blackburn Rovers' Owen Beck. The forward, who joined the Lilywhites from Cadiz in September 2023, got into an altercation with the Liverpool loanee in September 2024, and in addition to the ban, he was fined £15,000. 

Blackburn's manager at the time, John Eustace, said on the incident: "He's got a big bite mark on the back of his neck. He's shown all the lads. He's a little bit quiet, a little bit shook up."

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What comes next for Preston?

This is a big blow for promotion-chasing Preston. They currently sit fourth in the Championship and if they win this weekend, and results go their way, they could be in the automatic promotion spots. The first game of Osmajic's ban is a trip to play-off rivals Millwall on Saturday, before they prepare to face Blackburn, Watford, and Sheffield Wednesday later this month.

After going 12 years without a Premier League trophy, the Manchester United fanbase will no doubt be getting restless at their lack of success on the field.

However, it’s certainly not been without serious efforts from the hierarchy, with the board spending a hefty chunk in the transfer market to aid their chances of top-flight success.

Over £800m has been sent since the summer of 2022, but many of the additions have subsequently failed to live up to the massive fees paid for their signatures.

Brazilian winger Anthony is arguably one of the biggest examples of their failures in the window, after paying £86m for his services three years ago, before departing for just £21m this summer.

However, despite the lack of impact from the aforementioned addition, one other player has proved his worth and made himself one of the best signings in the club’s history.

Bruno Fernandes’ record under different Man Utd managers

Bruno Fernandes is just one example of a player who has proven value for many for United in the transfer market – after he joined in a £47m deal from Sporting CP back in January 2022.

In his 299 outings for the Red Devils, he’s registered 100 goals and 90 assists, but which manager has the midfielder endured the most success?

His worst period at Old Trafford came under temporary boss Ralf Rangnick, with the German in charge of just 26 matches during the 2021/22 season.

Such a period saw the 31-year-old achieve a total of just 10 combined goals and assists in his 26 outings – an average of just 0.38 contributions per 90.

His second-lowest tally of goals and assists came in the Erik ten Hag era, with the Portuguese international only able to notch 63 goal contributions in his 120 appearances.

Such a period did see the club win two trophies – the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – something which no other manager in this list has managed to achieve.

Current boss Ruben Amorim has chosen to utilise the 31-year-old in various positions, mainly the number ten and eight positions, but it has still allowed the midfielder to have a positive impact.

He’s currently on 30 combined goals and assists in the manager’s 49 outings, but such a record is still shy of the one he produced under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

The Norwegian utilised the Portuguese star as his key man, with such faith reflected in his tally of 79 goals and assists – an average of 0.81 contributions per game.

It’s clear that Solskjaer was the boss to get the best out of Fernandes, but can Amorim do the same with one other player already within his ranks?

The United star who’s the next Fernandes

United’s season in 2024/25 was one of their worst in their history, as seen by their 15th-placed finish in the Premier League under Amorim’s guidance.

However, that didn’t stop Bruno from impressing within the final third once again, as seen by his total of 18 combined goals and assists – the most of any player in the squad.

As a result of the lack of quality, the board invested over £200m into new attacking talents, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all arriving at Old Trafford.

Such moves haven’t prevented Mason Mount from being a key member of the squad, with the Englishman still playing a vital role during Amorim’s tenure.

He joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £60m, but he’s somewhat struggled to live up to the expectations due to his injury issues.

2023/24

Unknown

37

6

2023/24

Calf

110

21

2024/25

Hamstring

23

3

2024/25

Head

2

0

2024/25

Hamstring

75

16

2025/26

Knock

20

2

Total:

6 injuries

267

48

However, the manager has since stood by the 26-year-old, subsequently starting him in five of the club’s league outings in the early stages of the 2025/26 season.

Mount has already netted his first goal of the campaign in the recent triumph over Sunderland, hopefully the first of many during the ongoing season.

Despite his recent struggles, he still has bags of time to be the club’s next version of Bruno, possessing numerous similar traits to the Portuguese international.

Mount, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by John Murtough, is capable of featuring in a number ten or eight role – just like Fernandes – subsequently highlighting his versatility.

However, his underlying stats also showcase his creativity, with the former Chelsea star ranking in the top 6% of all midfielders in England’s top-flight for long-balls completed.

He’s also created 1.6 chances per 90 to date, whilst also registering 4.3 chances in the opposition box per 90 – able to pop up in key moments – as seen against the Black Cats.

There’s no disputing that his first few years at Old Trafford have been a disappointment, but there’s a real hope that the current year can be the one in which he kick-starts his Red Devils career.

He has a long way to go until he reaches the heights of Bruno, but should he get there, Mount could play a huge role in any success endured under Amorim.

Man Utd star looks like their best signing since Bruno & it's not Mbeumo

Manchester United have struck gold on a player who could be more important than Bruno Fernandes.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025

The last time Leeds United sealed promotion to the Premier League courtesy of former Elland Road icon Marcelo Bielsa, there was a lot of promise in the air that the Uruguayan would be the transformative figure to make the West Yorkshire side a top-flight staple once more.

In all fairness, for a brief moment in time, he looked to be just the radical figure they needed, with a ninth-place finish in the Premier League coming right after the Championship title had been triumphantly lifted.

Unfortunately, it all unravelled from this point onwards, with relegation at the end of the 2022/23 season coming about with Sam Allardyce at the helm, long after the South American’s sad exit.

Can Daniel Farke be the manager to finally establish Leeds as a superpower in the top league? The German has already collected two early wins to guide the Whites to a promising 11th spot, after all.

It appears as if Leeds have really strengthened their options after lifting the second-tier title on a mammoth 100 points, with Farke already in love with a vast portion of his new personnel.

Ranking Leeds' best summer signings

Farke will be desperate to steer Leeds to safety having already tasted the bitterness of relegation from the top-flight when managing Norwich City.

The early signs show that the Whites won’t be basement dwellers, with new signings such as Gabriel Gudmundsson, surely too good to be sucked into a relegation battle.

Minus scoring an own-goal away at Fulham, the energetic Swede has stood out as a very competent replacement for Junior Firpo in the infancy of this season so far, with his determination to keep the ball in play last time out against AFC Bournemouth culminating in Leeds taking the lead.

While he couldn’t follow up on his goal away at Wolverhampton Wanderers versus the Cherries, Noah Okafor also shone as a bright attacking spark against Andoni Iraola’s men.

He will likely be viewed as another sterling summer pick-up, with a tricky three successful dribbles being registered, keeping the South Coast visitors on their toes.

There is also Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He won’t be the best signing Leeds ever make but Premier League-proven, he has shown flashes of his quality at this level already when expertly heading an effort home at Molineux.

But, Anton Stach has a convincing case to be viewed as Leeds’ top bit of business overall, with the £17m forked out to land the German already looking like money well spent.

Why Stach has become so important for Leeds

Stach had impressed early on at Elland Road, but he truly arrived on the scene in some style when hammering home a stunning free kick away at Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold.

Away from just this audacious effort – which was heralded as a “beauty” by Gary Lineker – Stach has also stood out as a well-rounded, aggressive presence in the middle of the park for Leeds in a similar build to fan favourite, Yorkshire Pirlo, Kalvin Phillips.

Of course, when Phillips was at the heart of the Bielsa operation, Leeds managed to finish in that aforementioned ninth spot in the challenging division.

History could well repeat itself with a similarly robust, yet skilful figure now in Farke’s XI, with 3.7 ball recoveries averaged per game this season in Premier League action, followed up by the former Hoffenheim ace also winning a high 5.3 duels per clash.

Games played

6

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches*

53.3

Accurate passes*

28.8 (77%)

Key passes*

2.2

Ball recoveries*

3.3

Total duels won*

5.3

Former Watford striker turned pundit Troy Deeney has also waxed lyrical about Stach since his arrival, labelling the number 18 as “very impressive”.

But, he isn’t the only midfielder who has been on the receiving end of some glowing comments.

Why bargain Leeds star is a better signing than Stach

While Stach instantly bedding in will, of course, raised a few smiles in West Yorkshire, it would have been seen as a big disappointment if the German didn’t come in and hit the ground running from the get-go, having cost £17m to obtain.

Whereas, in the case of Sean Longstaff, Leeds fans would have known all about his Premier League credentials, but might well have erred on the side of caution over whether he’d be an instant success story, having arrived at Elland Road off the back of starting just eight league games last season for Newcastle United.

There needn’t have been any worries, however, with Nedem Onuoha’s prediction of Longstaff joining for just £12m being a “sneaky good” signing ringing very much true, with the former Magpies midfielder pretty much faultless last time out versus Bournemouth.

During that clash, he looked like one “one of the best signings in the Premier League” full stop – as was boldly declared by journalist Daniel Storey.

Staggeringly, away from firing home a superb effort and collecting an assist, the well-rounded 27-year-old also won a mammoth ten duels to ensure his side at least collected a share of the points against the Cherries.

His wider numbers make for some unbelievable reading, too, with Opta statistician Jonny Cooper revealing – after his impactful showing against Bournemouth – that Longstaff has covered a staggering 12km per league clash so far this season.

Also averaging more tackles per 90 minutes this season than Chelsea ace Moises Caicedo as per Fotmob – who once cost a staggering £115m – on top of also averaging more accurate passes than the likes of Crystal Palace favourite Adam Wharton, it’s already abundantly clear that Farke and Co have pulled off a major steal landing the Newcastle-born battler for just £12m.

1. Jaka Bijol

£18.7m

2. Noah Okafor

£18m

3. Anton Stach

£17m

4. Lucas Perri

£15.6m

Weighing up his modest fee next to Leeds’ other notable summer signings further reinforces the bargain Leeds have managed to seal, with injury-stricken goalkeeper Lucas Perri even costing a higher fee at the £15.6m mark.

Therefore, there is plenty of logic behind Storey’s claims, with Longstaff once even receiving praise from Pep Guardiola back in 2019 during the early days of his St James’ Park senior career.

While his time on Tyneside did unfortunately fizzle out, the “outstanding” 27-year-old – as he has already been labelled by his new manager – has undoubtedly already found a new lease of life away from his hometown side.

Longstaff is just one cog in Farke’s machine who can certainly play a key role in Leeds becoming top-flight regulars again.

Leeds had the original Gudmundsson & they let him leave for just £1m

Leeds must regret cashing in on this star who was the original Gabriel Gudmundsson at Elland Road.

ByDan Emery Oct 2, 2025

Eddie Howe will hope a late 2-1 win picked up over the weekend by his Newcastle United troops spurs his side onto a positive patch of form in the Premier League.

It’s been a bumpy campaign so far for the Toon, with three wins, three draws, and three defeats collected in league action. But, with two home wins on the spin now in the challenging terrain of the top-flight, the time is surely right for the Magpies to make strides up the early league standings, away from their current middle-of-the-road 11th position.

Bruno Guimaraes would be showered with praise come the full-time whistle against Fulham, as his quick thinking to be alert to a spill from Bernd Leno saw him slot home a late rebound to seal a 2-1 win.

But, he isn’t the only star capable of such joyous moments in Howe’s talented camp, with Nick Woltemade sticking out as another noticeable bright spark, even if his new side hasn’t been picking up victories galore since he arrived from Stuttgart.

Why Woltemade is already key for Newcastle

The 6-foot-6 menace didn’t get on the scoresheet against Marco Silva’s visitors, but he was still lively in spurts against the Cottagers.

Indeed, Woltemade would smack the post with an effort that looked to be heading goalbound after just four minutes had been played, with the commanding number 27 also putting his towering frame to good use when shoving off Fulham defenders to play in the likes of Anthony Gordon and others next to him in the attacking positions.

Woltemade was at the heart of Harvey Barnes’ strike mid-week, too, with an audacious flick ending in the ex-Leicester City man confidently firing home this effort in the Champions League.

This is before you even mention that the clinical 23-year-old also has four Premier League goals next to his name already, with the decision to fork out a steep £69m on the ex-Bundesliga goal machine looking to now be a smart one, particularly as Newcastle desperately needed a potent marksman to fill the hole left behind by Alexander Isak.

However, as much as Woltemade has stood out as an influential presence so far, he isn’t the only ace in attack capable of altering games at a moment’s notice, with this other gem at Howe’s disposal also now being lauded for being a game-changing spark.

Howe has unearthed a new "game-changer"

Howe very much had the options on his substitutes bench to thank for the Fulham game being turned on its head in the final moments.

The 47-year-old looked to both Fabian Schar and Sandro Tonali late on as injuries and tired legs crept into his XI, while the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss was also well-equipped to throw on William Osula in place of Woltemade for the final exchanges, knowing that he would terrorise the away side’s fatigued defence with his unbounded energy, with journalist Jordan Cronin even going as far as to state that he was a “game changer” on the day.

Without the Dane’s frightening energy, Newcastle might well have just settled for a share of the points.

Instead, with Osula managing to tally up two shots from his short-lived cameo and two recoveries of the ball to push his fading team up the pitch, a much-needed win was dramatically secured, with the “chaotic” 22-year-old the “perfect” player to mount such a late comeback, according to Newcastle-based writer Thomas Hammond.

Osula’s Newcastle numbers

Stat

Osula

Games played

31

Minutes played

693 mins

Goals scored

5

Assists

3

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The Denmark U21 international has had to become content with being an impact player for the Toon, with 34 of his 44 Premier League appearances to date on Tyneside coming from off the bench.

Still, it suits the forceful number 18’s game, with Osula even being referred to previously as a “poor man’s Haaland” by his ex-teammate in Curtis Davies, for how dangerous he can be in a flash.

Osula will just want to keep plugging away at St James’ Park, with the attacker who works “tirelessly” for his team’s cause, as Howe put it, very much in the Newcastle good books currently, next to Woltemade.

Related Newcastle star who's in “form of his life” is as undroppable as Guimaraes

This Newcastle United star has now made himself as undroppable as Bruno Guimaraes after another fine display on Saturday.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 26, 2025

The football never stops, and Liverpool are back in action on Saturday evening as they take on Brentford at the Gtech, desperate to end their three-match losing streak in the division.

Arne Slot knew the gravity of his side’s situation as the Reds travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having lost four on the bounce, including their previous European tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The 5-1 scoreline offered a glimpse of the attacking success yet to come after a summer of sweeping changes.

To slip once again on domestic soil is unthinkable; defeat would leave Slot’s title defence in tatters.

And with that in mind, could keeping Mohamed Salah on the bench be the solution for the trip to the capital?

Why Slot could bench Salah again

For so long, Salah has been an unstoppable force in the final third for Liverpool. One of the deadliest goalscorers and most prolific creators in Premier League history, last year was his year as he made it a title-winning first term for Slot.

The 33-year-old, however, has toiled this season, scoring one penalty goal in the top flight since netting on the opening day. Moreover, the overall quality of his performances have left much to be desired.

We must also acknowledge the human element. The passing of Diogo Jota this summer will have had an indescribable effect on his Liverpool teammates, and Salah has bravely displayed outward emotion in the months since the summer.

The Egyptian King will score goals once again for his club; Slot has no doubt about that.

But keeping him benched for now might not be a bad thing. Liverpool produced their most fluent attacking performance against Die Roten, and Salah squandered a great chance late on when he could have played Florian Wirtz in for his first goal.

Goals

0.77

0.25

Assists

0.48

0.25

Shots taken

3.23

1.77

Shot-creating actions

4.51

2.65

Touches (att pen)

9.50

5.30

Pass completion (%)

70.6

69.0

Progressive passes

3.84

3.28

Progressive carries

4.14

3.16

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.13

Ball recoveries

2.70

3.16

Should Salah make his mark as a substitute once again, Slot may well opt to field the same formation as he did in Germany. However, rotation is important, and there’s someone waiting in the wings who would love to make their first Premier League start of the season.

Liverpool's Salah solution

On Wednesday evening, Slot fielded Wirtz in a roaming right-sided role. It bore dividends for the German, who racked up two assists and connected play and directed the flow of the attack. It was a promising performance from one of Europe’s most talented stars.

Energy. Liverpool took on their opponents, and Sofascore record that they won 61% of the ground battles during the second half. A large part of this was Federico Chiesa’s energy and enthusiasm, replacing the injured Alexander Isak at the interval and clocking 5.1km. Moreover, he created two chances.

The Italian was bleakly on the fringes last year, impeded by injuries and neglected by Slot. But now he is resurgent, playing an increasingly important role for the Merseysiders.

It was Chiesa whose goal sealed victory against Bournemouth in August, and the 27-year-old netted again during that defeat at Selhurst Park. He provided both assists in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and another last week, when Manchester United won at Anfield.

With Isak a doubt for Saturday’s clash, Hugo Ekitike is primed to star as Liverpool’s sole striker. Thus, Chiesa could be placed down the right, running and creating and arcing inwards. He does, after all, have a natural reserve of energy, with Liverpool analyst Sajad Iqbal saying the Italian “presses like a monster”.

Brentford are a resilient and hard-working outfit, and though Salah has a match-winning moment in his locker, utilising Chiesa’s athleticism might be the order of the day. If the need for goals is great enough come the eleventh hour, a refreshed Salah’s introduction could prove the difference-maker.

Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"

Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 24, 2025

تقام اليوم الأحد، مباراة القمة بين قطبي الكرة المصرية، الأهلي والزمالك، للمنافسة على لقب كأس السوبر المصري 2025، في دولة الإمارات خلال الفترة الحالية.

طالع فيديو | بن شرقي وزيزو يقودان الأهلي لفوز مثير على الزمالك والتتويج بـ السوبر المصري للمرة الـ16

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك، على ملعب استاد محمد بن زايد في أبو ظبي، للمنافسة على لقب كأس السوبر المصري في نسخته 23.

وأقيمت مواجهات نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، يوم الخميس الماضي، حيث انتصر الأهلي على سيراميكا كليوباترا بنتيجة 2-1، ليتأهل إلى نهائي السوبر.

وتأهل الزمالك إلى نهائي السوبر، بالفوز على بيراميدز 5-4 بركلات الترجيح، بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بالتعادل السلبي.

الأهلي والزمالك يتطلعان إلي إضافة لقب جديد، حيث يتصدر المارد الأحمر ترتيب الأندية الحاصلة على كأس السوبر بـ15 مرة ويأتي الفارس الأبيض في الوصافة بـ4 ألقاب.

واختارت لجنة الحكام في الاتحاد المصري، طاقم تحكيم أجنبي لقيادة ديربي القاهرة بين الأهلي والزمالك، بقيادة التركي خليل أوموت. موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري

وتقام مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، الأحد 9 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6:30 بتوقيت السعودية، 7:30 بتوقيت الإمارات.

Fans across the planet are patiently waiting for the release of Ted Lasso Season 4, with it being confirmed that a “whole different set of characters” are ready to be introduced. Filming has begun, with there more wild adventures to be enjoyed in the world of AFC Richmond, but it is yet to be revealed who will be filling new roles and which popular stars will be returning.

• How many returning characters will there be in Ted Lasso?

  Nick Mohammed falls into the latter of those two camps after amusing viewers with his portrayal of “wonder kid” kitman-turned-coach Nate Shelley. The expectation is that he will be back when another instalment of Ted Lasso drops. Mohammed has not always been the best at keeping secrets when it comes to plotlines and future plans.

  He is, however, playing cards close to his chest at present, with there little for him to give away. Mohammed claims to be in the dark regarding grand plans for Ted Lasso, with it already being announced that the show’s title character will be working as a coach in women’s football.

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  Why Ted Lasso has new characters & storyline

  That is allowing the storyline to be taken in a different direction, which brings new cast members with it. How they fit into the bigger picture remains to be seen, but viewers are preparing to meet a whole host of fresh faces.

  Mohammed admits as much, telling when asked if there are any updates on production that he can deliver: “I think sworn to secrecy is about right. Look, I know that it's about a whole different set of characters. I can't even talk about it without giving anything away! We'll have to see. We'll have to see who pops up where and when. But I know that they're filming it now, and I've been socialising with them all. They’re all very well, so we'll see what happens.”

  Mohammed has previously said of Ted Lasso returning to the small screen after several months of intense speculation – with the last series coming to a close in May 2023: “The storylines in Season 3 would suggest that there was a real sense of finality. Ted goes back home, right? But there were enough things that were set up that would suggest that there was a path to it coming back. We didn’t know for absolute definite, and it was always up to Jason as to whether he wanted to do more.”

• Producers tease what to expect from Season 4

  Title character and show writer Jason Sudeikis has brought the show back. Big things are being promised, with Bill Lawrence – who helped to deliver seasons one and two – saying of new chapters being written: “With Ted Lasso, I always have to make sure I highlight Jason Sudeikis because he had a vision for the show and it's such a huge position of pride for me now, looking back, to have been involved with the crafting and figuring out what that show was.

  “Him and I ran it the first year, we ran it together the second year, and the third year, he was doing it. You can always tell a new story with new characters in this streaming world. He’s driving it creatively. But man, I’m excited to even still peripherally be a part of it.”

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• Ted Lasso Cast
  

  Ted Lasso Season 4 release date: Waiting on Apple TV update

  Apple TV’s head of development Matt Cherniss has said when teasing fans about what to expect: “I have high hopes for season four of Ted Lasso, we’re just getting down that road. I don’t know what more can be said about Ted Lasso that hasn’t already been said, and we’re so excited that it’s coming back. I don’t think I want to say anything about the direction that the show is going, only that I think if you love Ted Lasso you’re gonna love the next season.”

  Streamers are ready to fall in love all over again, as humorous and emotional escapades play out, with all eyes on Apple TV when it comes to officially announcing a global release date.