Stumps Australia’s quicks followed what Kagiso Rabada started as the defending champions hit back strongly on the opening day of the World Test Championship final. The contest had been billed as a battle between two attacks and 14 wickets fell on the first day at Lord’s to suggest the destination of the mace could be decided sooner rather than later.Rabada’s 5 for 51, the second time he has got his name on the Lord’s honours board, kept Australia to 212, before Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood struck back in the final session to leave South Africa tottering on 43 for 4 and looking towards their captain, Temba Bavuma, for inspiration.Related

• The best of Rabada wasn't in the balls that got the wickets

• Alex Carey has another eventful outing at Lord's

• South Africa's trial by paralysis epitomises the Bazball fallacy

• Chappell: Smith's new approach is a lesson in how to live life

Australia’s reshaped top three had fallen before lunch after Bavuma was pleased to bowl first under overcast skies. But at 146 for 4, with Steven Smith set despite the flu, and 192 for 5 with Beau Webster having cashed in on a reprieve on 4 when South Africa didn’t review an lbw, they had an opportunity to recalibrate, only to lose their last five wickets for 20. Aiden Markram removing Smith was up there with one of the more unexpected wicket-taking combinations on offer in this match. “I’m still trying to fathom how I’ve done that,” he later said.Australia needed a response and Starc provided it in the first over (again) when Markram dragged on an inswinger. Starc should quickly have had a second, but Alex Carey dropped a regulation outside edge off Wiaan Mulder, although he didn’t have to wait too long when Ryan Rickelton nicked a drive to first slip.Mulder, batting at No. 3 for just the third time in Tests, laboured to 6 off 44 balls before being beaten on the drive by Cummins. South Africa could barely score: between them, Mulder and Bavuma made 8 off 81 deliveries. In the closing moments of a day that was never short on action, Hazlewood, back in the side after an injury, produced a gem of a delivery that nipped back through Tristan Stubbs. Concerns about South Africa’s batting order were ringing true, not that Australia’s had looked convincing.The day ended in bright sunshine but had started under a heavy cloud cover with the floodlights on. After three consecutive maidens to start the Test – the first time by Australia since 2020 – the opening runs off the bat came from the 21st delivery.1:11

Steyn: When Rabada smells a bit of blood, he goes for it

Marnus Labuschagne, starting his life as a Test opener, produced what early scoring there was, but Khawaja couldn’t open his account before edging the 20th ball he faced. Rabada came around the wicket, forced Khawaja to play, and David Bedingham did well to hold on at first slip with Markram nearly distracting him from second. It continued a familiar mode of dismissal for Khawaja, who, since the start of 2024, has averaged 18.63 against quicks from around the wicket compared to 43.80 from over.Cameron Green’s first delivery as a Test No. 3 was a gift on the pads, but his third took the edge and was brilliantly held by Markram who, this time, had to contend with Mulder diving across in front of him at third. It meant that Smith walked out, on what he termed his second-favourite ground in the world, with Australia 16 for 2.Labuschagne nearly fell in the next over, flicking Marco Jansen just short of leg gully, a mode of dismissal he has been vulnerable to before, but he and Smith started to rebuild the innings before Labuschagne edged Jansen from around the wicket the ball after being struck by a short delivery.2:13

Smith: We’re in a pretty good position

Two years ago, against India at The Oval, Smith and Travis Head came together at 76 for 3; this time it was 47 for 3. And there was no match-changing partnership. Instead, Head fell to what became the final ball before lunch when he glanced Jansen down the leg side.On resumption, there was a change in tempo, and a feeling Australia were taking the initiative. Smith took 11 off Rabada’s first over of the afternoon and, shortly after reaching fifty, became the leading overseas batter at Lord’s, surpassing Warren Bardsley. He is also the first visiting batter to face three different Test opposition at the ground: Pakistan (on debut), England ,and now South Africa.It looked like Smith was writing another significant Lord’s story, batting with more ease than anyone else had managed, while Lungi Ngidi was struggling to support the good work of Rabada and Jansen. But out of nowhere Smith drove at Markram’s offspin – only introduced to allow a change of ends – and edged to slip where Jansen made good use of his long reach to hold the catch after two juggles.2:41

Day 1 review – what did Rabada do right?

Webster, meanwhile, had been anything but secure on his first appearance at the ground. He narrowly survived an early lbw appeal against Jansen when he was fractionally outside the line, and then had a huge dose of fortune when, on 8, Bavuma opted not to review an lbw shout off Rabada; Bavuma indicated he thought there was an edge, but it was two pads and hitting halfway up middle.Webster continued to live a charmed life with his inside edge getting a regular working over but he kept his composure and was quick to latch on to any poor deliveries. As if trying to make up for the earlier mistake, South Africa reviewed for another lbw against him only for it to have come off the middle of the bat.Webster brought up the second fifty of his brief career from 69 balls as, either side of tea, he and Carey started to forge what felt like a threatening stand. But South Africa were gift-wrapped another wicket for spin when Carey attempted a reverse-sweep and played over the top of Keshav Maharaj’s delivery.From there, the tail folded and the last five fell in 35 balls. Cummins was cleaned up by a beauty which straightened down the line from Rabada while Webster’s innings ended when he pushed off the back foot and edged to slip. Sadly for South Africa, the wickets didn’t stop coming.

Worcestershire team-mate Jake Libby unbeaten on 137 after 395-run stand for the third wicket

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025Worcestershire 456 for 3 (Hose 266, Libby 137*) vs HampshireAdam Hose provided retribution to Hampshire for snubbing him as a youngster by scoring 266 – the highest ever score by a visiting player at Utilita Bowl.Top-order batter Hose played for Hampshire at Under 13 and Under 17 levels, having been born and raised on the Isle of Wight, but never progressed into the professional ranks.He returned with an epic second career Rothesay County Championship hundred during a mammoth 395-run third-wicket stand with acting captain Jake Libby.Libby scored 137 unbeaten runs of his own on a lifeless wicket with a joyless Kookaburra ball as Worcestershire ended day one on 456 for 3.Worcestershire have not had a good time batting this season. They came into the match with the fewest batting bonus points (three), had only passed 300 on three previous occasions – twice in their second innings – and only two centuries had been made by their batters.They also came into this match on the back of a shellacking by Surrey at Visit Worcestershire New Road last week.By the end of the day, they had four more batting points, two more centuries, and well over 100 runs more than they had managed in two innings against the defending champions.Libby, once again leading in place of the injured Brett D’Oliveira, couldn’t wait to bat having won the toss.Despite some morning overheads, the air was warm, the pitch looked flat, and the Kookaburra ball was expected to offer next to no assistance to the bowlers.All that proved correct – and the number of centuries would be doubled by 19:00 BST – but not until Hampshire had a little glint of optimism.New Zealander Henry Nicholls was tested outside his off-stump throughout his runless 12-ball innings, before chasing a wide James Fuller delivery to edge behind.Kashif Ali was punchy in his 44 off 38 balls, and particularly tucked into Scott Currie, before he was lbw stumbling over a straight delivery from Fuller.At 60 for 2, things felt even, but from then, and for the next five-and-a-half hours, it was anything but.The sunbathing crowd – including a gathering of past Hampshire players including Barry Richards and oldest living Hampshire cricketer Dennis Baldry – had just Libby’s stoicism and Hose’s perpetual run scoring to watch.Once Hose found his rhythm, he bypassed each one of Hampshire’s plans with gusto.A short-pitch effort, saw pulls and hooks to the boundary. A defensive idea with an umbrella field saw punchy drives down the ground. Everything Hampshire’s beleaguered bowlers tried resulted in runs for Hose.Other than an incredibly tricky short leg chance on 69, he raced through the milestones – 50 in 74 balls, 100 in 126, 150 in 178, 200 in 208 and 250 in 240.The more runs he got, the harder and further he hit the ball – one of his seven sixes causing injury to a spectator some 10 rows back at long on.Hose was eventually dismissed on 266 – scuffing the ball to gully to give debutant Dom Kelly his first Championship wicket – in the penultimate over of the day.His score surpassed the 243 scored by Phil Jaques for Yorkshire on this ground in 2004, and sat just one run behind Zak Crawley’s marathon for England and John Crawley and Michael Carberry’s triple-centuries in scores by anyone at the Bowl.Hose did play one first-team match for Hampshire, a non-first-class three-day game against Cardiff MCCU – ironically, one of his opponents in that fixture was Libby.With him on this occasion, runs flowed like a tap.Libby isn’t one for showy shots, at his best when he occupies the crease – he has the second longest County Championship innings by minutes to his name to demonstrate his stickability.He offered the Hampshire bowlers even less hope than Hose, scoring at his own pace to reach his second ton of the campaign in 219 deliveries.”It has been a great day,” Hose said. “We have had a tough couple of months from a group and batting perspective so to have a big partnership with Jake and score some runs was a satisfying feeling.”In the past, I have gone into my shell and put a higher price on my wicket as opposed to today, I just saw the ball and reacted with my natural instincts. Fortunately, today it worked.”It was my first double-hundred so it’s cool getting the runs here. It is a long time since I left this club as a teenager, so there isn’t much on that front. It is about trying to put as much pressure on with the bat as we know it could potentially be a tough couple of days with the ball.”

Manchester City are reportedly interested in completing the signing of a player who could possibly star at next summer’s World Cup.

Guardiola wants exciting Man City transfer

Pep Guardiola’s side are back in Premier League action after the international break this weekend, welcoming Everton to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

While there have been improvements in City’s form of late, due in part to the stunning performances of Erling Haaland, new signings need to be looked at, including in midfield, where Rodri continues to be an injury-plagued figure.

Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton has emerged as a rumoured target for Guardiola, with City’s boss looking to snap him up ahead of La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown has also emerged as a potential signing for them, with the German an impressive young player, and now another hugely promising ace has been mentioned, too.

Man City eyeing £75m England international

According to The Express, Manchester City are interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, but they face “stiff competition” from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old England international could cost as much £75m, having enjoyed a meteoric rise at both club and international level over the past 12 months or so, with Guardiola becoming a big fan of Anderson and making him a top target.

Anderson’s stock is sky-high currently, with the Forest man developing into a key man for England, excelling in front of the defence and enjoying a strong understanding with Declan Rice.

On current form, he will surely start for the Three Lions at the World Cup, with England manager Thomas Tuchel heaping praise on him recently.

“He’s just a very, very good football player. He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see. I think the team around him made it as easy as possible for him and he had a very strong performance.”

Rodri’s aforementioned injury problems are arguably becoming a concern, and at 29, he isn’t getting younger, so signing a top-quality successor has to be considered key business for City.

In Anderson, they could have a perfect option, with the Englishman already such a mature performer at the age of just 22, and still having so much time to improve further.

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1

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Joe Nuttall

Oct 16, 2025

Whether he has the ability to get close to Rodri’s level remains to be seen – very few do, in fairness – but everything points towards him having a superb career, and if Guardiola believes he can get the best out of him, City should make their move in 2026.

If there was an air of inevitability about Erling Haaland scoring Manchester City's first two goals against Bournemouth on Sunday, the same could not be said of the man who provided both of the assists. Rayan Cherki was making his first Premier League start in 10 weeks due to injury, but even before he picked up a thigh problem in August, there were many questions about his suitability to playing for Pep Guardiola.

Cherki has been in the limelight since he was 16, when he became the youngest player to score a goal for Lyon in January 2020. The hype around him was immense, but every breath about his talent was usually quickly caveated by talk of his difficult personality. He played under six coaches while at Lyon and managed to have at least one public disagreement with nearly all of them.

In other words, he was not exactly a player that would normally attract Guardiola, who has had famous run-ins with difficult individuals such as Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero and Joao Cancelo. To say the least, signing Cherki looked like a bit of a gamble for City, but right now it is paying off handsomely.

Getty ImagesDividing opinion

Rudi Garcia, the man who gave Cherki his debut for Lyon, warned early on of "the danger of making him believe he is already one of the best players on the planet." Peter Bosz, meanwhile, repeatedly left Cherki out of his line-up, while Laurent Blanc admitted to having "heated discussions" with the playmaker over his individualistic tendencies. 

Fabio Grosso dismissed Cherki's unique talent by calling him "a player like any other" and later declared: "He possesses enormous technical abilities, but he needs to work on the others." Pierre Sage went one further after leaving Cherki out of his line-up for several games by removing him from his squad over a contract stand-off. 

It wasn't just coaches that struggled to get on with Cherki, either. In leaked WhatsApp messages, Lyon's American owner John Textor described the homegrown talent as "a little a**hole".

AdvertisementManchester City FCDelivering on potential

Cherki seemed to finally mature in his final season with Lyon. He was reintegrated into the squad by Sage after signing a new contract, which meant he would be able to guarantee his cash-strapped club a transfer fee when he was eventually sold. When Sage was sacked last January, Cherki led the tributes by saying "he leaves an exceptional legacy" after steering the club away from the threat of relegation the previous season.

Cherki then ingratiated himself to new boss Paulo Fonseca by rallying around him after the Portuguese was banned from the touchline for nine months for confronting a referee. But most importantly, Cherki delivered on the pitch, producing consistently brilliant displays on his way to ending the campaign with 12 goals and 20 assists. 

His performances finally backed up the lofty words that had been uttered about him in the past, such as when former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claimed, "Cherki can be compared to [Lionel] Messi in terms of his technical quality."

Guardiola, who got the best out of Messi at Barcelona, decided to take a punt on Cherki, who only turned 22 in August. City only had to pay £34 million ($44m) as he had one year left on his Lyon contract, meaning the move represented more upsides than downsides.

Getty Images Sport'Haven't seen anyone that good'

It is worth remembering that Messi, who was described by some Barca team-mates as "The Little Dictator", was not exactly easy to coach. It was, after all, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who texted Guardiola on the way back home from one game to tell him how upset he was at being asked to play second fiddle to Ibrahimovic. Some players, though, are worth making exceptions for.

And while Aulas might have exaggerating a little bit – or indeed tried to increase Cherki's value –  when he compared his player with Messi, he is far from alone in viewing Cherki as a generational talent. Former City full-back Gael Clichy worked with Cherki as assistant coach to Thierry Henry for France's Under-21s side and he reserved the highest of praise for his former charge. 

"If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good," Clichy told GOAL. "That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City."

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GeBeware his biggest weakness

While Cherki punished Bournemouth's high press on Sunday, Clichy believes he will be most useful when City come up against more stubborn opponents who are content to defend for 90 minutes. In other words, the games where City have tended to struggle the most. 

"When you play against a low-block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit," he added. "You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full-back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."

Clichy did not hide away from the area where Cherki needs to improve above all, though: "He will need to be able to show that off ball, out of possession, he can perform, because we know this is his problem. This is his weakness. It was his weakness when he was with us in France. So far, what I've seen in England, this is what people are thinking about him. So if Pep manages to take him to a different level out of possession, I think he will be a tremendous player for City. And I think this is the kind of player that Pep wants. Now in the Premier League it's not just about having the ball, it's also how you deal with transitions. And there is the big job for for Pep."

أعلن رونالد كومان مدرب منتخب هولندا قائمة الطواحين التي تستعد لمواجهتي بولندا وليتوانيا في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

ويلتقي منتخب هولندا ضد بولندا بقيادة مهاجمه روبرت ليفاندوفسكي يوم الجمعة 14 نوفمبر، ثم يواجه منتخب ليتوانيا يوم الإثنين 17 نوفمبر.

وتمتلك هولندا موقفًا قويًا لحسم تأهلها لكأس العالم بفضل تفوقها في فارق الأهداف، وقد قرر كومان استدعاء لوتشيانو فالنتي لاعب فينورد لأول مرة بعد أدائه الرائع مع النادي بجانب ماتياس دي ليخت وتم استبعاد ستيفان دي فري وتيون كوبمينيرز.

أقرأ أيضاً.. توخيل: لاعب منتخب إنجلترا ليس لديه عذر.. ولا أفكر في عقدي قائمة منتخب هولندا في التوقف الدولي القادم:

Presenting our squad for the final World Cup Qualifiers! 🌟🇳🇱

Welcome, Luciano! 🆕#NothingLikeOranje #POLNED #NEDLTU pic.twitter.com/ZNTRmbnxOg — OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 7, 2025

فليكين، روفز، فيربورجن، آكي، فيرجيل فان دايك، دينزل دومفريس، كودي جاكبو، جيرترويدا، هارتمان، فان هيكي، فرينكي دي يونج، جاستن كلويفرت، لانج، ماتياس دي ليخت، مالين، ممفيس ديباي، تيجاني ريندرز، شوتن، سيمونز، جورين تيمبر، كونتين تيمبر، فالنتي، دي فين، فيجورست.

Tottenham’s brief unbeaten streak under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt end at home to Aston Villa last Sunday, with pundit Gary Lineker expressing concern over one star in a key role.

Tottenham's lack of creativity a concern for Thomas Frank

Spurs made an excellent start to proceedings against Villa when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who recently signed a brand-new contract, opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock, feeding off midfield partner Joao Palhinha’s knock back to hand Spurs the lead.

However, that was as good as it got for Frank’s side.

Tottenham failed to convince going forward throughout the match, ultimately paying the price against a well-organized Villa side, with summer signing Xavi Simons criticised as Spurs lacked creative spark.

From the offset, the Lilywhites found it difficult to create clear-cut chances. Tottenham’s forwards, particularly on the counter-attack when one of Palhinha or Bentancur won the ball back off Villa, lacked that cutting edge to craft anything of note.

Joao Palhinha

7.8

Boubacar Kamara

7.5

Emiliano Buendia

7.5

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.4

Morgan Rogers

7.1

via WhoScored

Ultimately, Frank’s midfield failed to provide the necessary service to Spurs’ front line, leaving them starved of quality opportunities.

While the north Londoners battled to a 2-1 win away to Leeds before the international break, there were major signs beforehand that Tottenham quite simply need to improve in the attacking areas.

They were very fortunate to nick last-gasp draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt before they travelled to Elland Road, but Spurs’ luck ran out against Villa, who stole all three points in N17 thanks to a wonder goal from Emiliano Buendia.

Particularly after Tottenham’s loss to Villa, their lack of impetus in the final third is beginning to become a real worry, if it wasn’t already.

Concerns surround Richarlison’s ability to lead the line, while Dominic Solanke’s bad luck with an ankle injury, which required minor surgery, has limited the England international to just 49 minutes of action this season.

With Simons still getting up to speed, Frank is dearly missing the attacking quality of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. He’ll be hoping to have the former back as soon as possible, with Kulusevski unable to take part since picking up a knee injury against Crystal Palace last season.

Tottenham face a tough trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League next, and Frank will have a key decision to make about who starts up front, if Solanke isn’t fit enough to make his long-awaited return.

Gary Lineker says Mathys Tel can't do basic thing right in Tottenham striker role

If Solanke proves unable to start against Monaco, Spurs could turn to Mathys Tel as his number nine once again.

Tel was handed the nod by Frank against both Leeds and Villa, opening the scoring at Elland Road, but was largely isolated and ineffective against Unai Emery’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Once tipped to eventually bag 40 goals a season by Julian Nagelsmann, the Frenchman may have some way to go before realising that prediction, and Lineker has revealed one key flaw in his game.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast this week (via GiveMeSport), Lineker says that Tel can’t do a basic thing right in the Tottenham striker role — namely that he lacks the natural runs in behind to beat the offside trap.

Ange Postecoglou played a key role in convincing the 20-year-old to join Spurs from Bayern Munich last January, on an initial loan which ex-chair Daniel Levy re-negotiated and secured permanently for £30 million.

While the Lilywhites worked hard to sign Tel, he’s racked up just six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in 28 appearances thus far.

However, it is vital to remember that the ex-Rennes sensation is still very young, and Tottenham will be banking on Tel eventually reaching his full potential after flashes of true brilliance at Bayern.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed Danny Rohl as their new head coach on a three-year contract at Ibrox on Monday after Saturday’s return to action.

Steven Smith oversaw a 2-2 draw against Dundee United at Ibrox whilst in interim charge, and Rohl will now lead the team out against Brann on Thursday evening.

The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will be hoping to fare far better than the man he is replacing, as Russell Martin won just five of his games in charge.

Rohl is tasked with getting more out of the group of players that the former Scotland international struggled with, and he has already shown that he can work well with Djeidi Gassama.

Why Djeidi Gassama will love the appointment of Danny Rohl

The French winger will love this appointment because he enjoyed the best season of his senior career to date whilst working with the German tactician at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2024/25 campaign.

Gassama scored seven goals in the Championship for the Owls, per Sofascore, which is a career high for the attacker at league level in his career to date.

The 22-year-old star has yet to score in eight Scottish Premiership games for Rangers, though he has scored four goals in Europe, and Rohl could ignite his league form if their work together in England is anything to go by.

Gassama is not the only attacker who may benefit from this fresh appointment by the Gers, though, as Thelo Aasgaard’s career at Ibrox could explode after his dismal time under Martin.

Why Thelo Aasgaard could thrive under Danny Rohl

The Norway international was signed from Luton Town for £3.5m in the summer transfer window and mainly played on the left of a midfield three for Martin, which meant that he spent a lot of time in his own half and with his back to goal under pressure from opposition players.

His heatmap, as shown above, for the 2025/26 Premiership season shows that he has spent far too much time in his own half and has hardly had any touches in central positions.

It is not a surprise, therefore, that he managed no goals, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five league appearances for Martin. He looked like a lost cause with no signs of life in his attacking displays, but his performance at the weekend showed that there is life in him yet.

Aasgaard played in the number ten position in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday under Smith and thrived in that role, taking more touches in central areas than he did under Martin, per Sofascore.

Thelo Aasgaard

Vs Dundee United

25/26 Premiership (per game)

Minutes

83

67

Touches

59

40

Shots on target

3

1.2

Goals

1

0.2

Successful dribbles

3

1.2

Key passes

4

0.8

Duels won

10

5.5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian star’s performance against Dundee United was significantly better than his average performance level under Martin.

Aasgaard only created one chance in five games under Martin before creating four in one match as a number ten in a 4-2-3-1 formation, whilst also scoring his first league goal for the club.

Per Transfermarkt, Rohl predominantly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and this means that the former Luton star will be able to play as a natural number ten behind Bojan Miovski in the German’s system.

Rather than being forced to play too much in his own half, as he was as a left-sided central midfielder under Martin, he will be able to take the ball in the opposition’s half and play closer to their goal to make things happen in the final third.

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Therefore, Rohl could ignite Aasgaard’s Ibrox career by coming in to make the Norway international his creator-in-chief in the number ten position, as the hub of the team. It could give him the license to truly impact matches week-in-week-out and emerge as a star for the Light Blues.

Manchester United are keen to build a dynasty under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to up their pursuit of an exciting midfielder who could come in to bolster their ranks in 2026.

Man Utd aim to build consistency in Premier League

Last weekend’s victory over Liverpool had a transformational feel for supporters of the Red Devils for several reasons, though the biggest one may arguably be winning back-to-back matches for the first time since Amorim’s arrival.

Frustrating early-season performances and a lack of consistency have left many questioning Manchester United’s bottle in their quest to climb the Premier League table.

However, Devils’ Advocate podcast host Gaz Drinkwater believes his side could find themselves in the top six come the end of the season if the Red Devils can continue to tick off difficult fixtures.

He said via BBC Sport: “With the squad and with performances like that, we could be up there in the top six. Our squad is good enough to finish top six. It is. That should be the minimum requirement for this season.

“And if we’re in the top six and we’re looking comfortable and showing that we’re capable of never mind back-to-back wins in a row but three or four wins in a row, then who knows where we can finish.”

Looking ahead to 2026, transfer windows will offer a vehicle for Amorim to strengthen his squad, and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher is being lined up by Manchester United as a potential replacement for Kobbie Mainoo if the latter is sold.

Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet is another target for the Red Devils, illustrating that the engine room is a recruitment priority, and another name spoken about within the corridors of Old Trafford has now come to light.

Man Utd now keen on Chelsea star Andrey Santos

According to talkSPORT, Manchester United are keen on bringing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos to Old Trafford if he becomes available in 2026. The Blues are reluctant to sell the 21-year-old, so it remains to be seen if the Red Devils’ lure can play a part in swaying him to swap London for Manchester.

The Brazil international, who thrived on loan at Strasbourg last season, was the subject of interest from Bayern Munich and Al-Qasdiah during the summer as a result of his form in Ligue 1, where manager Liam Rosenior claimed he was already “world class”.

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Known to idolise Casemiro and possessing an eerily similar playing style, Santos has registered one assist in nine appearances across all competitions this term and has shown himself to be a reliable ball-winner in the engine room, coming out on top in 15 duels this season, per Fotmob.

Gallagher, Stiller and Adam Wharton are also on Manchester United’s radar, though it will remain to be seen who they manage to land in their quest to build a midfield capable of helping Amorim challenge for major honours over the coming years at the English giants.

The 2025 summer transfer window was a crazy period for Newcastle United. Eddie Howe’s side lost their star player, Alexander Isak, at the 11th hour, and whilst they had already replaced him with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, it took them some time to land their new pair of number nines.

The two strikers were not the only additions the Magpies made in the summer, but they were arguably the most important. With Isak and Callum Wilson leaving, there was certainly a need to add quality depth up front to combat the loss of their former strikers.

Whilst Wissa is yet to play a game due to injury, Woltemade has really hit the ground running.

How Woltemade and Isak’s Newcastle starts compare

There was always going to be lots of pressure on German striker Woltemade. The former Stuttgart star was a target for Bayern Munich too, but Newcastle ended up paying a club-record fee of £69m to secure his services.

However, it has been a fast start to life in the Premier League for the 23-year-old.

He’s only played four Premier League games so far, but has already bagged three goals in that time, including a strike on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Interestingly, that is the exact same start that Isak had in that famous Black and White shirt. In the same number of Premier League games, the Swede had bagged three goals, which included a strike on his debut.

To build on that even further, they both scored on their debut, a game in which both players came off the bench. They didn’t find the back of the net on their second appearance, but in the two that followed, each of the strikers scored.

There are certainly some interesting parallels between Woltemade and Isak’s first four games as a Newcastle player.

Despite Bayern’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, suggesting the German “isn’t worth” the money they spent – having also been criticised by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for their ‘idiotic’ deal – he’s made a fast start to life at St James’ Park.

However, the same cannot be said for another of their summer signings, who hasn’t performed at his best yet.

Newcastle’s summer signing who has struggled

Moving to a club the size of Newcastle is always going to be a challenge, especially after the PIF takeover back in 2021. Yet, Woltemade seems to have dealt with that pressure well, and Magpies fans will be hoping he can continue that form.

One of their summer signings hasn’t quite hit the ground running in the same way. Anthony Elanga, the Magpies’ “mega money” signing, as Statman Dave put it, has certainly not found his best form at St James’ Park yet.

Elanga cost the North Eastern giants £55m this summer, a fee which Jamie O’Hara said was an “inflated valuation” of the Swedish star.

Indeed, in ten games so far for the club, the former Manchester United academy graduate is yet to score or set up a goal. He did pick up the player of the match award in the Champions League, gameweek two.

Yet, the winger certainly has lots to offer his new club, despite the slow start he’s made in that famous Black and White shirt. He was excellent for Forest last season, racking up 17 goals and assists in 38 top-flight games.

That included this sublime solo effort against Man United.

On top of that, his underlying numbers from last term highlight his quality.

For example, Elanga averaged 1.8 chances created and made 3.2 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, showing how good he is both on and off the ball.

Goals and assists

0.7

17

Chances created

1.8

49

Take-ons completed

0.9

25

Fouls won

1.7

47

Ball recoveries

89

3.2

So far, Elanga has not lived up to the huge price tag that Newcastle spent on him, with there perhaps a feeling that the club and PIF might have overpaid, considering his current market value only rests at €42m (£36m), as per Transfermarkt.

Certainly, though, Newcastle fans will be hoping the Swede’s Magpies career can take more of an upward trend and he can start chipping in with goal involvement.

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O Santos foi humilhantemente goleado, por 7 a 1, pelo Internacional, pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Na coletiva depois da partida, o técnico Marcelo Fernandes tentou descrever o que ocorreu na partida.

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– Foi uma tarde atípica. Da mesma forma que não nos empolgamos quando estávamos ganhando, não vamos nos abater. Posso dizer que esses jogadores são dignos de estar aqui, nos últimos quatro jogos eles eram dignos, então eles continuam. Foi uma tarde infeliz, mas vamos levantar a cabeça porque na quinta-feira já temos o jogo contra o Coritiba – declarou o comandante santista.

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Além disso, o treinador do Peixe pediu desculpas pela performance em campo e pelo placar vexatório.

– Queria, em nome da comissão técnica e dos atletas, pedir desculpas ao torcedor. Foi um jogo totalmente atípico dentro do que temos feito. Estávamos bem cientes do que precisava fazer, mas não foi uma tarde boa e infelizmente aconteceu isso. A responsabilidade é toda minha. Temos que pedir desculpas, levantar a cabeça e seguir trabalhando. Da mesma forma que não me empolguei nas vitórias, não vou me abalar com esta derrota – disse o técnico.

COMO CONTINUAR?

Marcelo Fernandes fala como prosseguir após um placar tão indesejado e qual é a mensagem que pode passar para o torcedor do Santos.

– O recado que deixo para a torcida é o mesmo desde o primeiro jogo: vamos lutar até o fim. Não está longe das nossas mãos. Temos 10 jogos para fazer cinco vitórias. A nossa projeção está no próximo jogo. Todos estão juntos, sempre, e sabemos do que precisa fazer. Vamos atrás disso, além de pedir desculpas. A torcida sabe que vamos lutar até o fim e fazer o possível e o impossível para tirar o Santos desta situação, e vamos conseguir – concluiu o treinador.