After months of misery and poor performances, there are now reasons for West Ham United to feel somewhat hopeful.

Yes, it’s still going to be a tough season for the East Londoners, but Nuno Espírito Santo got it spot on against Newcastle United and secured his first win with the club.

Moreover, several standout performers demonstrated they are ready for the fight, such as Freddie Potts.

The academy graduate was incredible and has to be a regular starter from this point onwards, even if that means it’s the end of the line for another West Ham ace.

The West Ham duds who need to be sold

While the win over Newcastle has certainly helped morale around the club, there remain more than a few players West Ham need to shift as soon as possible.

Fortunately, it appears that at least one of them is set to leave, with reports emerging that Niclas Füllkrug has his heart set on returning to Germany in January.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has been a complete flop in East London, having scored just three goals and provided two assists in 27 appearances.

Appearances

20

7

Minutes

877′

385′

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

0.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

175.4′

N/A

Someone who at least had a reasonably decent first season with the club, but needs to be sold nonetheless, is James Ward-Prowse.

The former Southampton captain was a constant problem in the middle of the park while Graham Potter was in the dugout, as he lacked the physicality and pace for the defensive side of the game and became increasingly ineffective going forward.

Moreover, with Nuno now freezing him out of the squad, selling him in January would be best for his own career.

Finally, although it may seem a bit early, it is likely in the club’s best interest to sell Mads Hermanssen before his value declines further.

The Danish shot-stopper might have looked good at Leicester City, but was woeful at the start of the season and miles off the level Alphons Areola is at today.

With all that said, there is one more player who might have been able to stay at West Ham were it not for Potts’ impressive display against Newcastle.

The West Ham ace whose time is up

While there were excellent performances across the pitch on Saturday, it would be fair to say Potts was one of the best players for West Ham.

Chalkboard

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

The academy gem played with his heart on his sleeve, adding some real dynamism and power to the midfield, but at the same time, showed some real technical quality.

It was the sort of display that should see him start every game for the foreseeable future.

However, if he is to do that, and the likes of Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta are to play a major role this year, while Soungoutou Magassa is on the bench, the club need to trim their midfield options.

This, unfortunatly for him, leads to Andy Irving.

Unlike his teammates, the once-capped Scotsman doesn’t really bring any standout qualities to the team.He is not an overly technical player, and as fans have seen over the last few weeks, he is not nearly physical enough for the Premier League.

In fact, he started in the loss to Brentford last month, and in the aftermath, Jamie Carragher described the Hammers as “one of the slowest teams I’ve seen in Premier League history!”

Then, against Leeds when he was once again tasked with running the midfield, journalist Jordan Rushworth described him as a “National League standard” midfielder, adding that he “gets walked past every time an opposition midfielder has the ball.”

Ultimately, while that might be a step too far, it has become increasingly clear that Irving is not at the level to play for West Ham.

Therefore, with Potts now unignorable, the club should look to sell the Scotsman as soon as possible.

Tottenham receive response after contact to sign West Ham's Jarrod Bowen

Spurs are looking to raid their London rivals for another forward, having signed Mohammed Kudus in the summer.

ByDominic Lund Nov 4, 2025

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca seems to have pulled a major U-turn over one of his axed stars as a photo from Cobham training reveals his surprise change of heart.

The Blues are back to winning ways after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland in October, with Chelsea winning three out of their last four in all competitions and briefly climbing to second in the Premier League table.

Chelsea’s best-performing players so far this season	Match Rating
Moises Caicedo	7.30
Joao Pedro	7.21
Trevoh Chalobah	7.16
Pedro Neto	7.08
Marc Cucurella	7.00
via WhoScored

The in-form Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game to seal a dominant 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham, maintaining Chelsea’s impressive derby record, and followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over bottom-side Wolves in their last match before the international break.

The victory came despite Maresca making eight changes from their midweek 2-2 draw with Qarabağ in the Champions League, continuing his rotation policy that has seen a grand total of 93 starting eleven changes in all competitions so far this season — the most of any Premier League side.

Their plethora of injury problems throughout the campaign, which has seen Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points, has forced Maresca’s hand in this regard.

Chelsea also have 25 players in their squad who’ve been given at least 45 minutes of playing time this term, with only Nottingham Forest and West Ham (24) coming anywhere close to that number.

Two of the only Chelsea players who’ve not seen a single minute thus far are ‘bomb squad’ outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

Both men, after failing to secure moves away in the summer, are training in isolation, with Sterling causing quite a stir when he posted an image of him training alone and very late at night in what looked like a barren training complex.

This social media post even prompted the PFA to intervene and ensure that Chelsea weren’t treating the duo unfairly, coming after Maresca previously stated there was no way back for either man and they’d continue training away from the group.

When asked if they could play their way back into the first team, Maresca’s reply was brief, and it was a resounding ‘no’ (The Mail).

Sterling, who spent last term on a failed loan spell at Arsenal, has been linked with a move to Celtic ahead of the January window. Disasi, meanwhile, was surprisingly spotted training with the first team this week — despite Maresca previously saying there was no way.

Enzo Maresca pulls U-turn over axed Axel Disasi as Cobham photo reveals surprise call

In a twist, The Mail have shared a photo from Cobham of Disasi tussling with Liam Delap in an international break session, with Maresca now going back on his word and allowing the Frenchman to compete with his squad after all.

While there was still no sign of Sterling, Disasi’s recall to first-team training makes for an intriguing development, and one which will make on-lookers wonder whether he’s done enough to earn back Maresca’s favour.

After playing only 18 per cent of available Premier League minutes under Maresca last term, Disasi failed to establish himself as a regular starter domestically, despite captaining them in the Conference League and largely playing as an emergency right-back.

Aston Villa sealed his loan signing for the remainder of 2024/2025 last January, coming after Disasi reportedly rejected a loan to Tottenham, insisting on competing with Unai Emery’s side in the Champions League instead.

Disasi’s brief flashes ultimately failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent, and when the summer transfer window opened, Disasi found himself back in Chelsea’s notorious bomb squad alongside Sterling.

Having rejected moves to Crystal Palace and West Ham among others, and despite rumoured interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Disasi snubbed multiple opportunities, leaving him stranded at Stamford Bridge.

With the January window looming, Maresca could well be planning to hand the 27-year-old some minutes as a way to drive up interest from suitors, but we’re purely speculating here.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored in either half as Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal in a tight 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Enzo Maresca’s Blues moved up to the second in the table with a performance which saw Andrey Santos shine in place of Moises Caicedo, who was rested ahead of Tuesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Roared on by their home supporters, Burnley started the better of the two teams on Saturday afternoon, forcing Chelsea trio Trevoh Chalobah, Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo into making last-ditch blocks on the counter attack. Lacking rhythm in the opening 30 minutes, Chelsea soon sparked into life, taking the lead when Jamie Gittens’ teasing cross was headed home by Neto. Retaining his place in the starting eleven, Liam Delap then fired past the post as Maresca’s men carried their lead into the interval.

In the second half, Chelsea retained possession far better but their attacks were often let down by a lack of conviction from forwards Joao Pedro and Delap. However, the west Londoners shone whenever they found Neto, who struck the post with a powerful, low strike just after the hour mark. In a rare opening, in-form Burnley striker Zian Flemming wriggled free from substitute Benoit Badiashile but he blazed over from inside the penalty area.

While Burnley made a host of changes to try and force their way back into proceedings, Scott Parker’s side huffed and puffed but Chelsea eventually put the game to bed when Fernandez latched onto substitute Marc Guiu’s pass before powering the ball beyond Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The result means Chelsea have now won eight of their last 10 games in all competitions heading into the titanic fixture with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge next week.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Turf Moor…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (5/10):

  The goalkeeper's distribution was shaky at times, drilling a clearance straight at the back of team-mate Fernandez's head in the first half.

  Reece James (5/10):

  Brought back into the starting XI, the skipper produced a quiet first-half performance before being substituted at half time. The full-back was pictured smiling after the interval, which suggests he has avoided suffering an injury.

  Tosin Adarabioyo (7/10):

  Another introduction to the starting lineup, the centre-back made a terrific block to prevent Burnley's Jaidon Anthony opening the scoring. He was then influential in Neto's goal, playing a lofted ball towards Cucurella, who recorded the pre-assist.

  Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

  Occasionally finding himself up against Burnley livewire Loum Tchaouna, the defender showed great composure in the battle, biding his time to get a good block in. However, he was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the first half when he put his hand on what looked like a restart from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, though the referee thought otherwise.

  Marc Cucurella (7/10):

  The Spain international was heavily involved in the build up to Neto's header, keeping Adarabioyo's lofted pass alive before feeding Gittens with a pass.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Andrey Santos (8/10):

  Given the unenviable task of filling in for the benched Moises Caicedo, the youngster was excellent, providing a solid shield in front of Chelsea's goal.

  Enzo Fernandez (8/10):

  The Argentina midfielder created the space for Neto's back-post header, making an unselfish run which attracted Burnley left-back Quilindschy Hartman. And in the dying moments of the game, he then rattled home Chelsea's second after some brilliant work from team-mate Guiu.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Pedro Neto (8/10):

  Electric once again, the winger almost teed up Gittens with a teasing cross before meeting his team-mate's ball in with a super header. The former Wolves ace almost got a second after the break but his effort hit the post.

  Joao Pedro (5/10):

  Fielded in his favoured No. 10 position, the forward struggled in the first half, with Chelsea shining out wide rather than through the middle. The Brazilian saw more of the ball after the break but he often failed to sort his feet out.

  Jamie Gittens (7/10):

  The England Under-21 winger almost put Chelsea ahead, thwarted at the last minute by Kyle Walker's superb clearance, before curling in the cross for Neto's opener.

  Liam Delap (6/10):

  In a hot and cold performance, the striker occasionally showed good hold-up play, though – at times – he should have been quicker to play in his team-mates.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Benoit Badiashile (5/10):

  Replacing club captain James at half time, the former Monaco man lost Burnley's Flemming on one occasion, before receiving a yellow card for wrestling with defender Maxime Esteve.

  Malo Gusto (6/10):

  Replacing Delap in the second half, the Frenchman made a good impact, forcing Burnley shot-stopper Dubravka into a save late on.

  Marc Guiu (7/10):

  Brought on with 15 minutes of normal time to play, the young striker showed magnificent strength to set up Fernandez's late strike.

  Enzo Maresca (7/10):

  Shuffling his deck by making four changes to the side that beat Wolves 3-0, he made the brave decision to rest Caicedo and start Santos, which worked wonders. The Italian also gave minutes to striker Guiu, who played a key role in helping Chelsea wrap up all three points.

Tim Seifert and Ackeem Auguste led the chase of 110, as Kings topped the table and ended TKR’s winning streak

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025The St Lucia Kings spinners Tabraiz Shamsi, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre shared seven wickets to bundle Trinbago Knight Riders for 109 and set up a commanding seven-wicket win in Tarouba. Victory took Kings into the playoffs of CPL 2025.Tim Seifert, Ackeem Auguste, Chase and Tim David made sure the chase was wrapped up at the start of the 12th over to give their net run rate a big boost with their fourth win in a row that placed them on top of the points table. Their streak also ended TKR’s hot run of five wins in a row as they lost the top spot after the game.Pierre struck on the second ball of the match after Kings opted to bowl. He had Colin Munro caught for a duck off a delivery which kept a little low. In the third over, Darren Bravo chipped Pierre to short fine leg for 11, before captain Nicholas Pooran staged a brief recovery.But once Chase had Hales bowled for 9 to end the powerplay, Kings began to slide. Forty for 2 soon became 59 for 5 by the end of ten overs. Shamsi cleaned up Akeal Hosein with a wrong ‘un first ball while Chase, who ended with 2 for 19, had Pooran caught behind albeit with help from DRS. After Pooran’s knock of 30 off 27, no TKR batter managed to cross 20.Keiron Pollard and Andre Russell were TKR’s biggest hopes if they were to reach a respectable total. But Shamsi had both batters bowled with his deceptive turn to finish with 3 for 12 without conceding a single boundary in his four overs. Nathan Edward and Terrance Hinds took TKR past 100, but Delano Potgieter and Alzarri Joseph wrapped the tail up to leave Kings only 110 to win.Seifert came out firing first ball. He swept Hosein for six, before cutting and punching him for fours in the first over that went for 14. TKR removed Seifert’s partner Johnson Charles for 1 to end the second over; but by then, Seifert had crashed 25 off ten deliveries. Two quiet overs followed before Auguste and Seifert ensured TKR’s momentum was short lived.The two batters doubled the score in the last two overs of the powerplay, which ended with Kings at 66 for 1. Usman Tariq, though, ended the fun for Kings in the seventh over when he had Seifert caught at deep midwicket for 36 from 19 balls. Next over, Sunil Narine trapped Auguste for an attacking 28, but Chase, who hit Tariq for three fours in the ninth over, and David took Kings home with 53 balls to spare.

Dropping points away to Sunderland was far from ideal, but even so, Arsenal are flying this season.

Unlike last season, Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t finding it hard to score goals, and thanks to their unreal defence, they rarely concede any.

This combination sees them sit atop the Premier League table, four points ahead of Manchester City and eight points clear of reigning champions Liverpool.

While there are several candidates, it would be fair to say that, so far, Gabriel Magalhães has been Arsenal’s player of the season, and Andrea Berta has already signed another version of the Brazilian.

Gabriel's development at Arsenal

Gabriel joined Arsenal from LOSC Lille for around £27m in the summer of 2020, and since then has developed significantly in practically every way imaginable.

Chalkboard

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

Now, the Brazilian wasn’t a bad player in his first season for the Gunners, but he wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet.

For example, he made just 32 appearances across all competitions for Arteta, of which 23 were in the league, averaging 1.57 points per game.

He would become more of an ever-present member of the backline over the following seasons, but even during the early stages of the 22/23 season, he was seen as someone who could be a liability.

In fact, following a game away to Leeds United, in which he had a penalty incident overturned, Rio Ferdinand pointed out that “every week he’s in the headlines or he’s in underneath with a little bullet point next to his name and a bad incident.”

Fortunately, towards the end of that year and in the campaigns since, the former Lille star has become increasingly dependable, to the point that he occasionally wears the captain’s armband and has been the club’s standout performer this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.06

0.21

Shots

0.64

0.93

Passing Accuracy

85.3%

88.6%

Key Passes

0.11

0.34

Shot-Creating Actions

0.53

1.23

Goal-Creating Actions

0.04

0.27

Tackles Won

0.51

0.53

Shots Blocked

0.82

1.30

Passes Blocked

0.32

0.48

Dispossessed

0.32

0.00

Aerial Duels Won

2.59

3.22

Another way to see his growth is to compare his underlying numbers from his first season to those of today.

Doing this shows that the 27-year-old now wins more tackles, blocks more shots and passes, makes more clearances, wins more aerial duels, completes more of his passes, is a greater goal threat, and is far better at creating chances for his teammates.

In all, Gabriel has been able to channel his natural passion over the years and is now arguably the club’s most important defender, so it’s excellent news that Berta signed someone who could develop just like him.

Arsenal's new Gabriel

Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of extremely talented defenders, but when it comes to the one most likely to develop down a Gabriel-esque path, it’s impossible to ignore Cristhian Mosquera.

Andrea Berta signed the Spanish centre-back from Valencia in the summer, for a fee of just £13m, which one content creator fairly described as “a steal.”

Now, the 21-year-old certainly has some of the elegance of a William Saliba, and could certainly be that ball-playing passing machine at the back, but it still feels like he is going to evolve to be more like the Brazilian.

One of the main reasons is that, despite being so young and having only just joined the team, he already appears mature beyond his years, as exemplified by his unfazed performance against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season.

More crucially, though, the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as club insider Hand of Arsenal dubbed him, seems to relish the more physical side of the game.

Sure, he can play it safe, but as respected analyst Ben Mattinson points out, he very clearly “loves to battle with physical attackers” and “thrives in ground duels due.”

Further described as an “absolute cheat code of a player” by Arsenal content creator Harold Hickman, he has already proven himself to be something of a leader.

For example, in his recent games for Spain’s U21 side, he has had the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband.

Ultimately, it’s still early in his career, but thanks to his composure, ability to compete in physical duels, and passion for doing so, it looks like Arsenal have themselves another Gabriel in Mosquera.

The new Alexis: Arsenal ready to spend £80m to sign "world-class superstar"

Arsenal could spend £80m to sign their new version of Alexis Sanchez.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 13, 2025

Allrounder is carving his own niche away from attention that comes with Ashes-winning father

Valkerie Baynes26-Mar-2025Archie Vaughan is enjoying the freedom to be his “own man” at Somerset.Vaughan, who turned 19 in December, produced a match-winning performance against Surrey last year in just his second first-class game.Though he doesn’t consider that to be the moment that established him as a player in his own right, independent of his famous father, Michael, he does see an upside to carving out the beginnings of a promising career in a place where his surname carries less weight of expectation.”It’s something that I’ve probably not really thought about before,” Vaughan tells ESPNcricinfo during Somerset’s pre-season media day. “Coming to Somerset where my dad’s not known, I think that’s really helped me just be my own man.”It’s nice obviously putting in a performance like that in a big game, but I think Somerset’s a club where everyone’s treated the same, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve played 200 games or you’ve played four.”We’ve got great friendships and it’s not really about proving yourself. Everyone knows the pressures of cricket and, when you go into the changeroom, it’s trying to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. That’s what we do.”Vaughan’s connection with Somerset came about, not from any desire to put distance between himself and his father’s Yorkshire roots, but through attending Millfield School, near Glastonbury. From there, he entered the Somerset Academy system and worked his way up.”Before then I wasn’t involved in any major county, it was just Cheshire,” he said. “If I was to stay at home and progress, it probably would’ve gone down the Lancashire route, which is obviously not where my dad went.”It’s definitely not been a conscious thought, but I think I’ve probably recognised some benefits, just him not knowing anyone, I think that’s helped just me get on with my own game.”Vaughan captained England Under-19 in South Africa this winter•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesHe made his Championship debut against Durham last August, having signed his first professional contract in May and already played for Somerset in the One-Day Cup. He ended up playing four first-class matches and seven List A games, averaging 33.71 with the bat in the Championship and taking 15 wickets at 20.13.But it was his 11 wickets against Surrey that drew the most attention. Partnering left-arm spinner Jack Leach to keep Somerset’s title hopes alive, the duo took 20 wickets between them for the match, Vaughan ending with 6 for 102 and 5 for 38 after scoring a first-innings 44 in his primary role as a top-order batter.The England Under-19 captaincy followed at the start of this year in South Africa, where England lost a 50-over series 2-1 before winning the two-match four-day series 1-0.But he remains humble and eager to learn.”I’m very proud of what I’ve done, but trying to manage my expectations for the start of the season to try and get in the team for starters,” Vaughan says. “Then if I do get in the team, trying to stay in and just put performances in to win games of cricket.Related

Will Smeed fighting on all fronts for Somerset after red-ball reversal

Jack Leach, England's unlikely Asia enforcer, comes to the fore once more

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Archie Vaughan, son of former captain Michael, set to lead England Under-19s

Vaughan six-for as England U19s complete 10-wicket thrashing

“It’s easy to put pressure on myself after having a few good games, but I’m still 19, I’m still young, so trying to manage my expectations is probably going to be the challenge and realising I’m not going to bowl that well every game or even bat – I batted a few nice innings.”So it’s just going to be a challenge, but trying to get in the first team for the first game of the season will be my first goal.”Vaughan only started bowling off-spin during lockdown, in 2020, so Leach is a key source of knowledge that he is keen to keep drawing on.Leach, who took two wickets in three balls to seal victory in the Surrey match, understandably has fond memories of that game too.”It was really special,” Leach recalls. “That game will always live with me and just that last moment, to take that last wicket and then the boys and Archie all running towards me, and to win it right at the end like that, there’s no real better feeling in cricket.”What he did and the temperament he showed as a young player, and someone who was renowned as a batter and then bowled some off-spin, he has shown that he’s much more than that.”His temperament on those wickets, to not put too much pressure on himself, but deliver, was awesome and made my job a lot easier as well. I really enjoyed that partnership.”Vaughan has made an impression in white-ball cricket too•Getty ImagesIt may not be until later in the season that they combine again with the ball. Shoaib Bashir – another mentor for Vaughan – has gone to Glamorgan on loan to increase his opportunities given that Leach remains Somerset’s No.1 spinner, if not England’s, at the moment.And while Vaughan is happy in his batting with just over a week until the start of the Championship season, he says “a few teething problems” in his bowling indicate more volume might be required.But that doesn’t deter him from wanting to do it all. Quite the opposite.”When it comes to training, I do definitely treat myself as an allrounder,” Vaughan says. “I spend probably the same amount on both in terms of skillset. At the minute I think I’m probably a slightly better batter than a bowler but I think that’s just due to my inexperience with the ball.”In terms of length of time, I’m a few years back on my bowling than I am on my batting, so again, it’s managing my expectations. I had a good game here. It’s about realising that it’s not going to be like that every game, it’s not going to come out as I want every game.”Chatting to Leechy and Bash, having these people at the club, it’s definitely a great asset to my bowling.”England Lions host India A in two four-day matches this summer, which could prove another step in Vaughan’s development, although he’s not looking that far ahead.”My main aims and goals are definitely the start of the season here, getting in the team, putting in performances, and if I do well and that comes along then great, but definitely no thoughts, trying to just keep focus here.”

Nigeria manager Eric Chelle has accused rivals on DR Congo’s coaching staff of “doing voodoo” during a fiery penalty shootout that ended the Super Eagles’ hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup. With emotions running high towards the end of an encounter that finished 1-1 after extra-time, Chelle has insinuated that Congo turned to dark arts in order to prevail.

Congo prevail in epic penalty shootout

Congo ultimately won their shootout with Nigeria 4-3, allowing them to progress to the intercontinental play-offs. The Super Eagles are being left to reflect on what could have been, having also missed out on qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

Chelle had been hoping to guide them back to the grandest of stages, but suffered heartache in a battle of wills from 12 yards. The Frenchman is, however, not convinced that he came unstuck in a fair contest. He has accused rivals of using witchcraft to help them over the line.

AdvertisementGettyNigeria boss accuses rivals of witchcraft

Tensions escalated on both benches as Nigeria and Congo worked through their penalties. When Chancel Mbemba converted the winning spot-kick, Chelle rushed towards his opposing coaches. He attempted to confront a rival that had supposedly been insulting towards him.

Sebastien Desabre, the French coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo, stepped in to restrain his fellow countryman. Former Valenciennes and Lens boss Chelle was still wound up when speaking to reporters at the end of a chaotic shootout.

He told ESPN: “Throughout the entire penalty shootout, the guy from DR Congo was doing voodoo. Every time, every time, every time… That's why I was a little nervous against him.” Pressed further on what had gone on, Chelle mimed a swinging motion with his right arm and added: “Something like that… I don't know if it was water or something.”

Will Chelle by sacked? Nigeria coach responds to criticism

Chelle was appointed as Nigeria’s national team coach in January 2025. He has failed to lead them to another major tournament. Instead, DR Congo head into the play-offs, where they will be joined by New Caledonia, Bolivia, an Asian nation, and two from the CONCACAF zone – with two qualification spots up for grabs. DR Congo are looking to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the country was called Zaire.

It is a case of back to the drawing board for Nigeria, with captain William Troost-Ekong claiming that they can build towards a brighter future. He said: ‘We are devastated. I am proud of the boys, they gave everything, not just today, but over the past 10 months. There are plenty of positives to take away. The future of this team is promising… but today is a very difficult day.”

Obvious questions have been asked of whether Chelle remains the right option to take the Super Eagles forward. He is, however, adamant that he is the best man for the job. Responding to inevitable sack speculation, he said: “I think you'd have to talk to the NFF and the commissioner because, actually, I did well. I worked and I will work. I tried to be at my best. We gave our best. The players, the coaching officials and everyone. So, if anything happens, I won't be the first.”

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GettyOsimhen injured? Nigeria's cause hampered by knock

Nigeria’s cause against Congo was hampered by the early withdrawal of talismanic striker Victor Osimhen. The Galatasaray frontman is often looked to for moments of inspiration when leading the line for the Super Eagles.

He has 31 international goals to his name through 43 appearances, but will not be gracing the 2026 World Cup. The prolific 26-year-old had to be taken off at half-time against Congolese opposition. It is reported that he was nursing a hamstring injury that left him in no fit position to continue.

Sri Lanka were unable to chase down a target of 242

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2025

Nigar Sultana gives a pep talk to the Bangladesh team•ICC via Getty Images

Bangladesh edged out Sri Lanka by the narrowest of margins – one run – in the Women’s World Cup warm-up match in Colombo on Saturday.Sri Lanka stumbled early in a chase of 243, slipping from 56 for 1 to 86 for 4, but Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva steadied the innings, both scoring half-centuries. Dilhari’s 63 came to an unfortunate end when her bat slipped off her hand and hit the stumps after a shot over midwicket. Nilakshika continued the fight, making 75 off 78 before falling in the penultimate over.At 218 for 5 with 46 overs gone, Sri Lanka seemed in control, needing 25 from 24 balls. However, a collapse followed, left-arm spinner Nahida Akter triggering the slide, dismissing Piumi Wathsala and Anushka Sanjeewani in the 47th over before removing Nilakshika in the 49th. In the final over, Marufa Akter defended nine runs as Sri Lanka lost three wickets, including a run out, and fell short.Earlier, Sri Lanka made an early breakthrough with Udeshika Prabodhani dismissing Fargana Haque in the second over. Rubya Haider and Sharmin Akhter rebuilt with a 90-run stand, but Dilhari struck twice to remove both. Dewmi Vihanga, Malki Madara, and Dilhari all took two wickets as Sri Lanka restricted Bangladesh to 242 for 8, with Sharmin’s 71 being the highlight.

The international break is often an unwelcome distraction for Premier League fans, but Arsenal supporters had something to celebrate last night.

England boss Thomas Tuchel started Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, and then brought on Eberechi Eze midway through the second half of the World Cup qualifier against Serbia.

It wasn’t the most memorable of games, but the Gunners’ trio of stars all played brilliantly, especially Saka and Eze.

Yet, so far this season, the pair of them are being outperformed by another former Hale Ender who left the club as a youngster.

Saka & Eze's England performances

Alongside Rice, Saka started for England on Thursday night, and once again reminded everyone why he should, and will, be one of the first names on the teamsheet come the summer.

The Hale End icon was a constant threat for the Three Lions, and opened the scoring just 28 minutes in with a sensational volley from a fair distance out.

It was the kind of goal that a lesser player would be wholly incapable of replicating, as proven in the second half when a Serbian player attempted and failed to do just that.

He didn’t just score the goal and then fade into the background, though, as in his 94 minutes of action, the 24-year-old played one key pass, took three shots, completed 100% of his dribbles, made one clearance, won 66% of his ground duels and recovered the ball five times.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Eze entered the fray in the 64th minute and was an instant threat, hitting the woodwork and then scoring a goal of his own in the 90th minute.

It wasn’t just any goal, though, as it was another superb strike that nestled in the top corner, giving the Serbian keeper no chance of saving it.

In all, it wasn’t a great night for England, but an excellent one for the Arsenal contingent, who continue to perform for both club and country.

With that said, both Saka and Eze are being outperformed by another former Hale Ender who left the North Londoners as a child.

The former Arsenal gem outplaying Saka & Eze

The unfortunate reality is that every club, let alone one as large as Arsenal, will inevitably miss out on more than a few incredibly talented youngsters over time.

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It is notoriously difficult to predict how good a prospect will really be, and even if a team wants to keep them, they aren’t always able to.

That is what seems to have happened in the case of Michael Olise, who opted to join Chelsea’s youth setup and leave the Gunners’ as a youngster.

However, he wouldn’t make an appearance for the Blues, and after moving a couple more times, would find himself at Reading, where he’d make his senior debut and eventually secure an £8m move to Crystal Palace.

It was at Selhurst Park where the young Frenchman would make his name, as in 90 appearances he’d racked up a tally of 16 goals and 25 assists, which was enough to tempt Bayern Munich to splash £50m on him last summer.

To describe the Hammersmith-born star’s first season in Germany as a success would be a colossal understatement, as in 55 appearances, totalling 3842 minutes, he scored 20 goals and provided 23 assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.27 games, or every 89.34 minutes, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down this year.

For example, he has scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 17 appearances, totalling 1358 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.21 games, or every 97 minutes.

With outrageous numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Oliver Glasner described the Frenchman as being “one of the best talents in the world.”

Olise vs Saka vs Eze

Player

Olise

Saka

Eze

Games

17

14

15

Starts

15

11

11

Minutes

1358′

963′

973′

Goals

7

6

2

Assists

7

0

3

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For comparison’s sake, Saka has scored six goals in 14 appearances this season, and Eze has produced five goal involvements in 15 games so far.

Ultimately, Arsenal fans understandably wouldn’t want to swap their talismanic number seven for anyone in the world, and the former Crystal Palace star is starting to pick up steam. However, a team with them and Olise in it would surely be almost unstoppable.

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Newcastle United head into the final international break of 2025 two points above the relegation zone in the Premier League after their 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Sunday.

The Magpies took the lead in the match, thanks to a brilliant goal from winger Harvey Barnes, but they were unable to press on and secure all three points.

Brentford went on to score three times after that opener from the English forward, and Eddie Howe will surely be disappointed with the defending that was on display from his players, notably Sven Botman and Dan Burn.

Why Newcastle should drop Sven Botman and Dan Burn

When Newcastle face Manchester City on the other side of the international break, the English head coach should drop both of those players from the starting line-up, although Burn has done the job for him by being sent off.

The makeshift left-back was given a second yellow card for giving away the penalty for Brentford’s second goal, as his lack of pace saw him caught out from a ball over the top, and a swing of the boot at the forward gave the referee little choice.

Burn was not the only underperformer in the defence, though, as Botman was also caught out, albeit via a deflection from Malick Thiaw, for the third goal of the game.

The Dutch centre-back, per Sofascore, lost four of his five aerial duels and did not win a single tackle during his time on the pitch, which was over 100 minutes with added time, which shows that Brentford’s players found it too easy to play against him.

Burn and Botman are not the only players who could lose their place in the starting line-up for the clash with City, as Sandro Tonali also struggled in midfield.

Why Newcastle should drop Sandro Tonali

The Italy international has been in fantastic form for the Magpies in the Premier League this season. He has been an engine in the middle of the park for Howe and has put in some brilliant displays.

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Tonali has won 53% of his duels in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and created 1.3 chances per game for his teammates, but he was a shadow of his usual self in his performance against Brentford.

The former AC Milan midfielder earned a 4/10 player rating from Newcastle World for his display in the middle of the park against the Bees, and he was substituted for Joe Willock in the 77th minute, as part of a quadruple change by the manager.

Tonali was not at his best in the middle of the park and was too easy for the Brentford players to play against, as was the case with Botman, as he lost 75% (3/4) of his duels in the game.

Duels won

2.8

1

Duel success rate

53%

25%

Tackles won

1.1

0

Pass accuracy

86%

83%

Passes completed

43.8

33

Key passes per game

1.3

0

As you can see in the table above, the Italy international was nowhere near his usual standards in midfield for the Magpies, as he failed to make much of an impact in or out of possession.

These statistics show that he did not offer enough quality on the ball as a creative force with his passing, whilst the midfielder was also beaten too easily in physical duels.

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Therefore, Howe could ruthlessly drop the 4/10 flop from the starting line-up when they face Manchester City after the international break, with Burn missing out through suspension and Botman also potentially dropped for his dismal performance.