O São Paulo tem um novo técnico: Luis Zubeldía. O argentino, que comandava a LDU, do Equador, até janeiro acertou com o Tricolor até o fim de 2025. A estreia dele deve ser na próxima quinta-feira (25), quando a equipe do Morumbi encara o Barcelona de Guiaquil, também do Equador, fora de casa.
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Zubeldía chega à equipe paulista para ocupar a vaga de Thiago Carpini, que não resistiu aos maus resultados, principalmente a eliminação nas quartas de final do Paulistão, para o Novorizontino e foi demitido após a derrota são-paulina para o Flamengo, no Maracanã, pelo Brasileirão, nesta quarta-feira (17).
O argentino já havia despertado o interesse da direção do São Paulo no início do ano, quando o Tricolor perdeu Dorival Júnior para a Seleção Brasileira. O treinador chegou a conversar com dirigentes do time paulista, mas não houve acordo com o estafe. A equipe do Morumbi, então, optou pela contratação de Carpini.
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Além da LDU, Zubeldía também tem passagens por times de Argentina (Lanús e Racing), Colômbia (Independiente de Medellín), Paraguai (Cerro Porteño), México (Santos Laguna) e Espanha (Alavés). Ele é o atual campeão da Conmebol Sul-Americana e, também, tem no currículo dois títulos nacionais no Equador.
Agora, a grande missão do novo treinador são-paulino é colocar o clube em processo de recuperação no Campeonato Brasileiro, após a equipe perder as duas primeiras partidas, e também na Libertadores, onde o Tricolor tem três pontos em seis disputados. O intuito no Morumbi é que o time ganhe, pelo menos, um título na temporada, como foi no ano passado, quando conquistou a inédita Copa do Brasil.
Sunderland aren’t going to rest on their laurels now that they’ve tasted success in the Premier League.
The hope will be that the Black Cats continue to punch above their weight and secure safety effortlessly, even if the 1-0 defeat away at Fulham last time out saw Regis Le Bris’ men return to league action, after the international break, looking rusty.
Still, with five impressive league wins already under their belt, the Wearside outfit have more than shown that they belong at the very top of English football.
To get over the line, though, and remain in a comfortable mid-table position, Sunderland could be prepared to flex their spending powers once more, as the January transfer window becomes the talk of the town.
The main incoming being hyped up at the moment is Matteo Guendouzi coming to the Stadium of Light, with Le Bris yet to rule out a statement deal.
Why Guendouzi would be a perfect signing
Once upon a time, Guendouzi worked under Le Bris at Lorient, before the French battler would seal a move to England with Arsenal.
While he wasn’t always showered with praise at the Gunners, he did bow out from his final Premier League season in North London with 4.9 duels won on average across 24 league outings, with more grit centrally perhaps what is required, alongside the likes of Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki.
Guendouzi has also matured now into a regular in Serie A with Lazio, away from his previous 57 Premier League appearances at the Emirates, with inviting deliveries such as this one last season, perfect for a commanding Daniel Ballard to latch onto.
In total, the Lazio number eight has six goals and ten assists for the Italian giants.
With an 89% pass accuracy also averaged this season in league action, on top of a high 4.3 ball recoveries being averaged, it’s clear that he won’t move back to England for cheap, as reports suggest that a fee around the £26m mark could do the job.
Sunderland won’t be put off too much, if their excessive summer spending is anything to go by, but a deal in the works for a new star-man might ultimately shove this fan favourite closer to the exit door.
Sunderland's "proper leader" could be on borrowed time
The strange side-effect of winning promotion is that several of the players who clinched Sunderland’s unbelievable return to the Premier League now aren’t quite cut out for the pressures of the big time.
Dan Neil has definitely experienced this first-hand this season so far, with the mega-money arrivals of the aforementioned Xhaka and Sadiki plummeting him down the pecking order, so much so that he has only managed a mere two minutes of action in the bright lights of the Premier League to date.
Staggeringly, if you turn the calendar just back to May, Neil was the memorable captain figure who lifted Sunderland’s jubilant playoff honours at Wembley.
In the regular season, too, the Stadium of Light prodigy also lined up for the Black Cats 44 times, with two goals and three assists coming his way.
Sunderland youngster Harrison Jones would even herald him as a “proper leader” for the club, with Neil rising the ranks to become his boyhood club’s captain figure.
On top of that, he also had admirers in the form of Everton in the bumper summer window, which might be a move he now regrets not accelerating into motion, as he begins to stare the exit door in the face more through lack of gametime than inspired performances.
Journalist James Copley summed it up well when he called him a “bit part” player recently, which is a far cry from his Wembley heroics.
Neil’s last minutes for his hometown club actually came for the U21s as he continues to be frozen out by Le Bris, and with his contract expiring next summer, it’s not a good omen at all for his long-term future at the Premier League newcomers.
Neil’s Sunderland numbers
Stat
Neil
Games played
200
Goals scored
12
Assists
20
Promotions
1x
Contract expiry date
June 2026
Sourced by Transfermarkt
To make matters worse, if Guendouzi were to arrive, Neil would find himself even further down the Frenchman’s selection list, with the 23-year-old simply unable to compete with the wealth of top-flight experience the Lazio man has under his belt.
It will be intriguing to see if any club gambles on Neil’s services in January, with a cut-price deal potentially on the table for a Championship-experienced promotion winner, who is currently valued at around £7m by Transfermarkt.
If no one does come in for him, expect Sunderland to just run his contract down, particularly if Guendouzi is added to the ever-rising wage bill.
An Isidor repeat: Sunderland line up move to sign "special" £4.7m star
Sunderland could win their next Wilson Isidor by going after this star in January.
كشف ماركوس راشفورد مهاجم برشلونة أن عرض النادي لضمه لم يكن المرة الأولى في الصيف الماضي، لكنه يعتقد أن التوقيت كان مناسباً لاتخاذ هذه الخطوة بعد سعيه للتغيير بعد أكثر من 20 عاماً في مانشستر يونايتد.
وقدم مهاجم برشلونة أداء رائعًا مع فريفه وسجل خمسة أهداف خلال 12 مباراة بعد انضمامه على سبيل الإعارة من مانشستر يونايتد.
وأكد المهاجم الدولي الإنجليزي أنه يستفيد من تواجده في أجواء جديدة بعد إنهاء ارتباطه مع مانشستر يونايتد في الصيف الماضي.
وقال راشفورد لشبكة “ESPN” في مقابلة جرت مع اللاعب قبل لقاء الكلاسيكو: “لقد قضيت سنوات طويلة في مكان واحد”.
وأضاف :”ينسى الناس هذا لكن 24 أو 23 عاماً من حياتي قضيتها مع مانشستر يونايتد لذا أحياناً نحتاج للتغيير، أعتقد أن هذا هو حالي وأنا أستمتع بكل شيء”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. راشفورد: الكلاسيكو أعظم مباراة في تاريخ كرة القدم.. وهذه لحظتي الأفضل مع برشلونة
وكشف راشفورد أنه كان من الممكن أن يتم هذا الانتقال بشكل مبكر أكثر لو سارت مسيرته مع يونايتد بشكل مختلف: “أؤمن فقط أن الأمور تحدث في وقتها المناسب”.
وواصل: “هذه ليست المرة الأولى التي أتحدث فيها مع برشلونة عن إمكانية قدومي إلى هنا، لكن لسبب ما لم يحدث ذلك في الماضي والآن فرصتي لتحقيق ذلك، أشعر أنه لا يوجد وقت أفضل من الحاضر لذلك أتعامل مع الأمور يوماً بيوم والأهم أن أواصل التحسن، لأنه عند الاعتزال، ستفتقد كل شيء، الإيجابيات والسلبيات وستفتقد الرياضة، كل يوم أتعامل مع الأمر يوماً بيوم وأحاول التحسن عن اليوم السابق”.
ويلعب راشفورد مع برشلونة على سبيل الإعارة مع خيار الشراء وسيتخذ النادي قراراً بشأن مستقبله، ويرتبط الدولي الإنجليزي بعقد مع مانشستر يونايتد حتى عام 2028.
وعما إذا كان يرغب في الاستمرار مع بطل الدوري الإسباني: “بالتأكيد، استمتع باللعب مع برشلونة وأعتقد أن برشلونة لكل من يحب كرة القدم هو أحد أهم الأندية في تاريخ اللعبة، إنه شرف كبير لي كلاعب”.
وشدد: “أستمتع بوقتي في إسبانيا حقاً، التوقيت مثالي، ولكنه كان تغييراً كبيراً أتعلم كل يوم، آمل أن أبقى في برشلونة لفترة طويلة، أتوافق جيدًا مع روني (باردجي)، وكذلك مع كوندي وفرينكي، إنه فريق نتكامل فيه جميعاً نحن متحدون”.
واختتم: “الفريق رائع، سأواصل السعي، علينا أن نستمر على هذا المنوال لنكون في أفضل حالاتنا، أمامنا الكثير لنفعله هذا الموسم”.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has made a surprise decision ahead of this weekend’s trip to Brentford, by calling up a youngster who struggled in League Two to first-team training.
Man Utd set to travel to Brentford on Saturday
Man United will be looking to make it three wins from their last four Premier League games this weekend, when they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on a Brentford side that are without a win in their last three top-flight outings.
Amorim will be pleased his side managed to return to winning ways against Chelsea last time out, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford, but it wasn’t exactly a vintage performance, with United clinging on at the end, despite racing into a two-goal advantage after Robert Sanchez’s red card.
As such, it is probably too early to claim the victory against the Blues could be a turning point in the season, and Amorim is continuing to look at ways in which he can improve his side.
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The Red Devils have identified an “incredible” manager as a replacement for Ruben Amorim.
4 ByDominic Lund Sep 23, 2025
As relayed by The Peoples Person, the Man United boss has called a youngster up to first-team training ahead of the trip to Brentford this weekend, with an official statement reading: “Young midfielder Sam Mather was also part of the group that worked in pleasant conditions on Tuesday, in stark contrast to the torrential rain that affected last weekend’s win.”
Mather is a natural winger, who is also able to play in attacking midfield, and with Amorim arguably lacking options in wide areas after Alejandro Garnacho’s departure, the 21-year-old is now training with the first-team, in what has to be considered a surprising development.
The winger came very close to leaving the Red Devils in the summer transfer window, after failing to make an impact on loan at League Two side Tranmere Rovers last season, but he now has a golden opportunity to prove himself ahead of the January transfer window.
Mather faces difficult path to save his Man Utd career
In all honesty, it seems very unlikely that the Salford-born ace will be able to save his Man United career at this stage, given that he struggled during a loan spell with Tranmere last season, appearing for just four minutes across two League Two appearances.
There are question marks over Amad Diallo’s performances this season, with YouTuber Stephen Howson calling the winger into question after the 2-1 victory against Chelsea last weekend.
However, Matheus Cunha is now back from injury, and Bryan Mbeumo has made a solid start to life at Old Trafford, starting all five Premier League games and opening his account in the 3-2 victory against Burnley earlier this month.
As a result, Mather is unlikely to be able to force his way into Amorim’s plans, and the call-up to first-team training is unlikely to be a sign the United academy product will be receiving minutes anytime soon.
اختتمت منافسات الجولة الخامسة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي، بمواجهة نيوم أمام القادسية، مساء الأحد، حيث فاز الأخير بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.
وبتحقيق فريق القادسية الفوز، أرتقي إلي المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، برصيد 13 نقطة.
وكان فريق النصر واصل انتصارته في الدوري السعودي هذا الموسم، بالفوز على الفتح، بخماسية مقابل هدف، ليواصل صدراته لترتيب جدول الدوري، بدون خسارة ومحققًا الفوز الخامس على التوالي.
وكان نادي الهلال انتصر على نظيره الاتفاق، بخمسة أهداف دون رد، ضمن منافسات نفس الجولة، من بطولة الدوري السعودي.
طالع | الهلال يسحق الاتفاق بخماسية في الدوري السعودي
وكان الاتحاد بطل الدوري الموسم الماضي، تعادل إيجابيًا مساء الجمعة أمام الفيحاء 1-1، ليتراجع إلي المركز الرابع. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي
1- النصر، 15 نقطة.
2- القادسة، 13 نقطة.
3- التعاون، 12 نقطة.
4- الهلال، 11 نقطة.
5- الاتحاد، 10 نقاط.
6- الخليج، 9 نقاط.
7- الخلود، 9 نقاط.
8- الأهلي، 9 نقاط.
9- نيوم، 9 نقاط.
10- الفيحاء، 8 نقاط.
11- الاتفاق، 7 نقاط.
12- الحزم، 5 نقاط.
13- الشباب، 5 نقاط.
14- الرياض، 3 نقاط.
15- الفتح، نقطة واحدة.
16- ضمك، نقطة واحدة.
17- الأخدود، بدون نقاط.
18- النجمة، بدون نقاط.
يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي بشكل محدث باستمرار من هنا.
Newcastle United will now be hoping, with a depressing transfer window thankfully out of the way, that they can kick into gear in the Premier League when the international break is over.
The expected departure of Alexander Isak to Liverpool was, unfortunately, confirmed at the final hour of an action-packed deadline day.
Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom at St James’ Park, as the Magpies did manage to finally welcome in Yoane Wissa from Brentford to bolster up top, away from also securing the services of Nick Woltemade for a whopping £64m.
On top of that, they did at least manage to get £125m out of Arne Slot’s Reds to part ways with their prized Swede, with Newcastle not always driving the hardest bargain when it comes to the many twists and turns of incomings and outgoings…
Newcastle's disastrous sale of Elliot Anderson
It’s hard to picture Elliot Anderson back in the famous black and white stripes of Newcastle, with the 22-year-old midfield engine now synonymous with Nottingham Forest, ever since clinching a move to the City Ground last year.
In another reality, the Toon would have surely kept a firmer grip on their homegrown gem, but to appropriately balance the books amid PSR concerns, the Tyneside outfit had to surrender and gift Forest the 5-foot-10 star for what looks like now to be a very cheap £35m.
He has since gone on to be a rip-roaring success for the Tricky Trees after lining up for 55 senior games for his boyhood employers, with two goals and seven assists falling into his lap from 45 clashes for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, leading to an England call-up under Thomas Tuchel for the very first time.
It’s safe to say Anderson shone on debut against Andorra on Saturday evening, taking home the Man of the Match award.
Once dubbed a “phenomenal” talent by ex-Bristol Rovers teammate Alex Rodman when first making waves in the senior game, it’s safe to say the well-rounded midfielder has soared to some unbelievable heights ever since waving goodbye to Tyneside.
He isn’t the only exit from the Newcastle midfield ranks that feels premature with hindsight on side, with the previous regime guilty of selling their original version of Anderson for just £10m all the way back in 2018.
Newcastle's original Anderson sold too early
Thankfully, Howe does have a lot of quality brimming in his midfield department, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali the first names on the 47-year-old’s teamsheet.
Still, for even more depth and competition, having Anderson around would be a luxury he wouldn’t turn down, alongside the prospect of having Mikel Merino back on the Magpies’ books for a second chance at the club.
Mikel Merino
Before becoming a well-known goal threat back on English shores with Arsenal, Merino was a one-season flop at St James’ Park, with only 14 league starts handed to the adaptable Spaniard before he was shipped back off to La Liga with Real Sociedad for £10m.
This has proven to be a costly mistake in the same realm as Anderson’s disastrous departure, with the “exceptional” midfielder – as he has been previously labelled by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente – going on to prove himself as a Premier League-calibre talent under Mikel Arteta.
Merino vs Anderson in 24/25 PL
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
Merino
Anderson
Games played
28
37
Goals scored
7
2
Assists
2
6
Touches*
30.2
54.2
Accurate passes*
15.9 (80%)
28.7 (82%)
Ball recoveries*
3.1
5.6
Total duels won*
4.9
6.5
Stats by Sofascore
Away from his standout nine-goal contributions last season in the hustle and bustle of league action, Merino also stood out as a combative and energetic option for Arteta, much like Anderson at Forest, with 4.9 duels won per game, not too far off his counterpart’s heftier total.
To further add to the anguish, Merino has also managed to excel for his nation to bring more similarities into view, with a goal picked up for Spain on the same international break Anderson won his first Three Lions cap.
With the Pamplona-born warrior now worth around the £30m mark, according to Transfermarkt, this feels like another major blunder on Newcastle’s end, away from focusing on just the much-talked-about disappointment of Anderson leaving.
Newcastle hit the jackpot on “outstanding” star worth more than Anderson
While Elliot Anderson thrives at Forest after his £35m transfer, Newcastle have a rising star of their own
A guerra entre Palmeiras e CBF parece ter chegado ao seu ápice nesta segunda-feira (3). Após a principal entidade do futebol brasileiro emitir nota repudiando as falas do auxiliar técnico do Verdão, João Martins, e falando até em xenofobia por parte do português, a comunicação do clube emitiu uma nota oficial em seu site, defendendo o profissional e fazendo uma série de perguntas para a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol.
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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Confira a resposta e a nota do Palmeiras na íntegra:
‘Diante da agressiva nota oficial divulgada nesta segunda-feira (3) pela Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), a Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras propõe alguns questionamentos, sempre no sentido de defender os direitos do clube e contribuir com a melhora do produto futebol:
– Por que o comunicado da CBF é endereçado exclusivamente ao Palmeiras, sendo que profissionais de outra equipe da Série A fizeram, também ontem, comentários semelhantes aos do auxiliar técnico João Martins?
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– Por que a opinião de um profissional português sobre o futebol brasileiro causou tanto desconforto à CBF se a própria entidade, como é de conhecimento público, busca um treinador estrangeiro para comandar a Seleção Brasileira?
– Qual teria sido a conduta “xenofóbica” de João Martins? Elogiar a qualidade dos jogadores brasileiros?
– Se a gestão da Comissão de Arbitragem investe tanto assim em tecnologia, por que o nosso VAR é incapaz de apontar objetivamente se uma bola ultrapassou ou não a linha de gol, como aconteceu no recente duelo entre Palmeiras e Bahia, pelo Brasileiro?
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– Por que o atleta Zé Ivaldo, do Athletico-PR, não foi expulso ontem, após acertar uma cotovelada na nuca do atacante Endrick, em lance revisado pelo VAR?
– Por que no jogo entre Palmeiras e São Paulo, pela Copa do Brasil de 2022, o VAR não traçou a linha de impedimento no lance que originou o gol do nosso adversário e que nos custou a eliminação? Por que a imagem da revisão desta jogada sumiu?
– Por que a Comissão de Arbitragem da CBF, presidida por Wilson Seneme, nunca pediu desculpas ao Palmeiras pelo erro grave cometido pelo VAR na Copa do Brasil do ano passado?
– Por que o Palmeiras, na rodada seguinte após a mais recente Data Fifa, não pôde contar com nenhum de seus três atletas convocados para a Seleção Brasileira?
A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, ao longo dos anos, sempre se preocupou em construir uma relação de saudável parceria com a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol. Há cerca de três semanas, a presidente Leila Pereira esteve na sede da entidade, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ), para conversar com Wilson Seneme, de quem ouviu a promessa de melhorias imediatas na arbitragem.
Na semana seguinte, o vice-presidente da Comissão de Arbitragem, Emerson Carvalho, e o gerente técnico do VAR, Periclés Bassols, chegaram a realizar uma palestra para os profissionais do clube na Academia de Futebol, também com a presença da presidente Leila Pereira.
Contudo, diante da nota oficial divulgada pela CBF e dos reiterados erros graves cometidos contra o Palmeiras, entendemos ser este o momento oportuno de demonstrar, em público, a nossa indignação. Não queremos ser beneficiados, mas exigimos que as regras sejam aplicadas com isonomia.
Confiamos na independência do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD), evocado pela CBF, e temos convicção de que o órgão dará ao auxiliar João Martins o tratamento equilibrado que lhe compete.’
After being restricted to 163 for 7, RCB’s bowlers brought them back in the game, only to be denied by the local lad
Ashish Pant10-Apr-20253:17
Bangar: Rahul’s assault on Hazlewood was ‘terrific batsmanship’
It started so well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Then, for 15-odd overs, it didn’t. Then it suddenly started going to plan again. The RCB loyalists, who had packed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the rafters, found their voice. Only to have local lad KL Rahul silence them.In a game with a fair share of twists and turns, Delhi Capitals (DC) continued their unbeaten run, notching up a fourth straight win of the season, handing RCB a second home defeat, this one by six wickets.Related
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The horror! You have to graft for runs at the Chinnaswamy now
Sent into bat, it was a strange RCB innings. They scored 53 runs in the first three overs for zero wickets and 36 in the last two for zero wickets. In the 15 overs in between, they could only score 74 runs while losing seven wickets.Having restricted RCB to 163 for 7, DC would have been the happier side going into the break. But their joy was short-lived as RCB picked up three wickets inside the powerplay and had DC struggling at 67 for 4 after 11 overs.The required rate, which began at a shade over eight was almost touching 11 at this stage. But Rahul flicked a switch and alongside Tristan Stubbs began DC’s victory march. The two scorched 102 runs in the next 6.5 overs, adding 111 for the fifth wicket, as DC romped home with 13 balls to spare. Rahul finished with an unbeaten 93 off just 53 balls and celebrated in fitting fashion in front of his home crowd.Rahul’s happy homecomingHe was on 29 off 29 balls after 11 overs, struggling with his timing, looking sluggish on a sticky Chinnaswamy surface. He even had a life on 7 when Rajat Patidar dropped a tough catch running back from mid-off. Rahul made sure to cash in. After 11 overs, ESPNcricinfo’s win probability for DC had dipped to 14.31% from 67.45% at the start of their innings.Then, Rahul gave the RCB bowlers a hiding.It started with Stubbs, who played a cheeky reverse-sweep off Krunal Pandya, which beat short third. Rahul then dumped Krunal over deep backward square-leg and that was the beginning of the end for RCB. He went 4 and 6 against Liam Livingstone before taking down Josh Hazlewood in a fierce display of ball-striking.3:02
Are Delhi Capitals the most balanced side this IPL?
With DC requiring 65 off 36, Rahul first smashed Hazlewood for back-to-back fours before thumping him for a 4 and 6 to end the over, which went for 22. That brought down the equation to 43 off 30. Stubbs deposited Suyash Sharma for a four and six and before Rahul finished off the game smashing Yash Dayal for two sixes and a four in the 18th over. He smashed a six over the fine-leg boundary to seal the win and then slammed his bat on to the turf, almost marking his territory. Striking at 100 in his first 29 balls, he thrashed 64 off his next 24, at a strike rate of 266.67. This truly is Rahul’s ground, isn’t it?DC’s horror startBefore Rahul’s onslaught, DC’s chase was going nowhere. They lost Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk at the start of the third over. Du Plessis first miscued Dayal to Patidar at mid-off before Fraser-McGurk’s lukewarm season continued as he top-edged Bhuvneshwar Kumar straight up with Jitesh Sharma taking a catch after a bobble. Abishek Porel became Bhuvneshwar’s second victim as DC slipped to 39 for 3 inside the powerplay, which soon became 58 for 4 in the ninth over. As it turned out, that was the last speck of joy for RCB.RCB’s powerplay of two halvesFirst three overs: 53 for 0; five fours, three sixes, zero wickets Next three overs: 11 for 2; zero fours, one six, two wicketsWhen RCB were sent into bat, it seemed like Phil Salt had just one agenda on his mind: to tonk every ball out of the park. And he succeeded for a while as the Chinnaswamy crowd went berserk. He wreaked havoc in the first three overs, with his takedown of Mitchell Starc being one of the highlights of the evening. Salt smashed him for three fours and two sixes in the third over of the innings, which went for 30. The ball flew everywhere – over point, over mid-on, over the wicketkeeper’s head, and RCB crossed the 50-run mark quickly. This was RCB’s second-quickest team fifty of all time in the IPL.Then it went downhill for a while.Salt smashed an Axar Patel length ball to extra cover and charged off. Virat Kohli responded initially, only to backtrack, and Salt was run out by a distance.Vipraj Nigam then conceded just two runs in his first over with Devdutt Padikkal clearly struggling. He was put out of his misery by Mukesh Kumar, whose slower offcutter did the trick as Padikkal fell for 1 off 8. Mukesh’s first over, the sixth of the innings turned out to be a maiden wicket with RCB getting to 64 in the powerplay.2:13
Why was Kuldeep difficult to attack at Chinnaswamy?
Wristspinners’ day outThe surface is known as a spinners’ graveyard. Only Kuldeep Yadav and Nigam had not received the memo. The spin twins put on a strangle and the RCB batters had no answers. After Nigam’s two-run over in the powerplay, Kohli broke the shackles and went for six over long-on but Nigam kept his composure. He gave the ball enough air and Kohli, looking to go inside-out, only managed to slice it as far as Starc, who took a good catch running from long-off.Mohit Sharma then got rid of Livingstone before Kuldeep sent back Jitesh, who was done in by a wrong’un. He then sent Patidar packing too while Nigam had Krunal as RCB lost the plot completely to slip to 125 for 7 in 17.1 overs. The two finished with combined figures of 8-0-35-4, bowling a total of 23 dot balls in their spell.That RCB reached 163 was down to Tim David’s late bash where he hit four sixes and two fours in the last two overs to finish unbeaten on 37 of 20 balls. It seemed they were a touch short, and Rahul made sure RCB were kept winless at home in IPL 2025.
According to a report by Football Insider, the Villans are under pressure to ‘sell a prize asset’ before 30 June to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules, claiming that Martínez is one of the most likely candidates to be sacrificed.
Well, there are plenty of suitors for the back-to-back Yashin Trophy winner.
Goal documents Manchester United’s interest, while The Telegraph claim that numerous Saudi Pro League clubs would be delighted to secure his signature.
Well, given, as noted by Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic, Martínez’s propensity to deliver ‘defining moments’ and ‘standout performances’, he will be a difficult man to replace, but have Aston Villa actually managed to identify an upgrade?
Aston Villa's first-choice Emi Martínez replacement
According to a report by John Townley for Birmingham Live, Aston Villa will ‘target’ a move to sign LOSC Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, should Martínez be sold.
Lucas Chevalier for LOSC Lille.
French publication L’Équipe has previously noted that newly-crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain are tracking the 23-year-old, with TEAMtalk claiming that he is valued at just £34m by les Dogues.
Chevalier joined Lille as a 13-year-old, making 127 appearances for the senior team, conceding exactly 127 goals and keeping 44 clean sheets in this time.
So, could he soon be swapping Northern France for the English Midlands?
Why Lucas Chevalier would be an Emi Martínez upgrade
During his three seasons as Lille’s number one, Chevalier has earned countless rave reviews.
Alongside Rayan Cherki of Olympique Lyonnais, they were the only non-PSG players to feature in Ligue 1’s team of the season.
Meanwhile, following les Nordistes’ stunning 1-0 Champions League victory over Real Madrid at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in October, Joel Domenighetti of L’Équipe described Chevalier’s display as ‘exceptional’, while Nick Hartland of Get French Football News labels him ‘one of the breakout stars’ from this season’s competition.
Described as “one of the most talented young goalkeepers in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, what makes him so good is that – in the words of Liam Tharme and Matt Pyzdrowski of the Athletic – he not only boasts ‘excellent reach’ and exceptional ‘handling’, but also that his ‘super-strength’ is his ‘accomplished’ in possession play.
Lucas Chevalier for Lille.
So, how did the young Frenchman compare to the man he could be replacing between the Villa Park posts this season?
The table makes for interesting reading, considering the duo played a near-identical number of minutes this season across their respective domestic leagues and the Champions League
Chevalier vs Martínez 2024/25 comparison
Statistics
Chevalier
Martínez
Appearances
48
49
Minutes
4,350
4,275
Goals conceded
53
57
Clean sheets
13
14
Post-shot xG – goals-conceded
+9.6
+4.7
Saves
123
144
Save %
74.9%
72.8%
% of crosses stopped
5.4%
11.3%
Ball recoveries
83
45
Errors leading to an opposition shot
4
8
Note: Martínez’s statistics are Premier League and Champions League only.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com
Across Europe’s top five leagues, the Frenchman ranks tenth for post-shot xG – goals conceded, while he is also 11th in this season’s Champions League for the same metric, a key figure as Lille upset the odds to finish seventh in the league phase.
Meantime, his save percentage ranks highly both domestically and in the Champions League, with his Ligue 1 figure of 74.6% a noteworthy amount higher than Martínez’s 69% in the Premier League.
This is not to denigrate Martínez in any way, given that former Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton believes the Argentine has been an “outstanding goalkeeper” and a “brilliant shot-stopper” since joining the club in 2020.
Nevertheless, if the Claret and Blue Army are able to sell the 32-year-old for a big fee and replace him with a 23 year old, this is surely an upgrade they should be looking to make.
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Arsenal are ready to sell an “exceptional” player, as he has now expressed a concrete interest in leaving this summer, according to a report.
Arteta blames red cards and injuries for lack of success
The Gunners managed to sign off on a high at the Emirates Stadium, securing a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United to secure Champions League football next season, but there will be major disappointment about the fact they have once again missed out on a trophy.
In the end, Liverpool ran away with the Premier League title, with Mikel Arteta’s side set to finish second for the third season on the spin, and there has been widespread debate about why they have been unable to get over the line.
Gary Neville has questioned the decision not to sign a striker, which means Mikel Merino has been leading the line since February, but Arteta has provided a different explanation for his side’s lack of success.
When asked why the north Londoners have come up short once again, the Spaniard told Sky Sports: “Red cards and injuries, for sure.”
“But without that, we don’t know what would have happened. “Would we have been much closer? For me, the answer is without a question, yes.”
Injuries have no doubt been a major issue for the Gunners, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel all spending prolonged periods on the sidelines, and the latter’s absence has meant an increase in game time for Jakub Kiwior.
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However, according to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Kiwior’s time at the Emirates Stadium could be coming to an end, with Arsenal now ready to cash-in on the defender for a fee of €35m (£29m) this summer.
There is widespread interest in the centre-back from Italy, with Napoli, AC Milan and Atalanta in the race, and the 25-year-old has now expressed a concrete interest in leaving.
"Exceptional" Kiwior impressing Arteta
Gabriel’s absence has not been ideal for the Gunners, with the Brazilian missing the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals, but the Poland international was solid in both legs against Real Madrid, limiting the reigning European champions to just one goal.
Arteta has been left impressed by the back-up defender too, saying: “He deserves a lot of credit because he hasn’t played too much throughout many months. He has suddenly been thrown into the most difficult context playing at the highest level when you haven’t had the physical rhythm or confidence. He’s been exceptional.”
Most recently, the former Spezia man put in a commanding performance against Newcastle, achieving the highest SofaScore match rating of any player after making a number of important defensive contributions.
Jakub Kiwior
Performance vs Newcastle
Clearances
11
Interceptions
2
Blocked shots
2
Tackles
4
As such, it would be a bonus if Arsenal are able to retain Kiwior beyond the summer, but his recent performances mean they may be able to achieve a sizeable fee for the defender, and they should not stand in his way if he is eager to leave.