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O Cruzeiro empatou com o Alianza Petrolera, da Colômbia, em 3 a 3, na segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana, na noite desta quinta-feira (11). Os gols da equipe mineira, no Mineirão, foram marcados por Lucas Romero, Zé Ivaldo, enquanto Figueroa e Batalla (2) balançaram a rede para a equipe colombiana.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasMercado do EsporteBrasileirão: 14 clubes têm patrocínio máster de sites de apostas; veja exceçõesMercado do Esporte11/04/2024BrasileirãoConfira as trocas de técnicos de times da Série A antes do Brasileirão 2024Brasileirão11/04/2024CruzeiroCruzeiro x Alianza: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pela Sul-AmericanaCruzeiro11/04/2024

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⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Cruzeiro abriu 3 a 0 logo com 18 minutos de jogo. Lucas Romero, Zé Ivaldo e Matheus Pereira foram os responsáveis por balançar a rede.

Porém, no segundo tempo, os ventos mudaram de direção. O Alianza Petrolera descontou com Batalla, que marcou dois gols. No apagar das luzes, Figueroa empatou e revoltou a torcida cruzeirense.

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📆 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
Agora, o Cruzeiro volta a entrar em campo para estrear pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. A Raposa encara o Botafogo, às 17h de domingo (14), no Mineirão.

Tudo sobre

CruzeiroFutebol NacionalSul-Americana

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland shared a bizarre video of himself standing on the banks of a river to celebrate scoring 100 Premier League goals in record time. Haaland became the fastest player in history to become a Premier League centurion as he struck the opener in City's epic 5-4 win over Fulham on Tuesday at Craven Cottage.

Haaland's bizarre clip to celebrate 100 goals

Haaland reached the magic figure on Tuesday as he netted in the 17th minute against Fulham. City ended up winning the clash 5-4 as the Norwegian became the fastest player ever to reach 100 Premier League goals, doing so in 111 appearances. In the process, he also broke the previous record held by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who took 124 matches to reach the milestone. 

A day after achieving the feat, Haaland shared a short clip of himself standing on the bank of a river and holding a special Manchester City home kit with 'Haaland 100 PL Goals' printed on the back. 

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'It's huge and I'm really proud'

After reaching 100 league goals, Haaland spoke to Sky Sports as he said: "It's huge and I'm really proud. It's a massive thing, the 100 club is a nice thing to be in and I'm happy. I knew about it, that's what I tried to do. I try to help the team scoring goals, that's my job. Every game is a different game, you can't think of the game that's been, you need to focus on what's ahead. The reality is we lost against Newcastle and Leverkusen but now we have two in a row and we have to keep going. I think if you're sitting at home now you enjoyed that game. It was a crazy game, nine goals is a lot. In the end, we win and we're happy but it's not the best win."

The 25-year-old is only the 35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals in the league's history. And given he has a contract with City until 2034, the Norway international is well placed to join Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Shearer as the only players to have netted 200 or more in the division.

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Getty Images'Hopefully he is hungry to continue getting goals'

City boss Pep Guardiola was elated to see his star striker create another Premier League record. Congratulating the striker after the Fulham clash, he said: "Congratulations, it is incredible. What can I say? Today, he was outstanding. He was unbelievable and got a fantastic goal. Enjoy it, hopefully he is hungry to continue getting goals for this club."

The Cityzens will return to action on December 6, hosting Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium in what promises to be another demanding stretch of the campaign.

Something is happening at Chelsea this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side blew Spanish champions Barcelona away in the Champions League last Tuesday and then followed that up with a sensational performance against Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Blues were by far the better team for most of the first half, and even after Moises Caicedo was sent off, they scored a goal and held on for a point.

Now, having the Ecuadorian out for three games is a problem, but Maresca could solve it by unleashing one of Chelsea’s most exciting young stars.

Chelsea's solutions to Caicedo's red card

With it highly unlikely that Caicedo’s ban will be overturned – if it’s even appealed – Chelsea need to come up with a solution for the next three games. This is a player who is renowned as one of the best midfielders in the world, a player of the calibre of a certain Declan Rice. Therefore, replacing him will not be easy.

One answer could be to keep Reece James in the middle of the park, drop Enzo Fernández back next to him to create a double pivot and start Cole Palmer ahead of them.

Now, this would be quite a change, but it would allow the captain to continue to boss games from a central area and bring the club’s best player back into the most important part of the team.

Moreover, if the Englishman is pulling the strings in the ten position, Estevao can keep his place on the right, where he tore Barça to bits last week.

However, if Enzo only wants to make one personnel change to the side to keep up momentum, he could be extra brave and bring one of Cobham’s most exciting youngsters into the side: Reggie Walsh.

The 17-year-old star in the making is someone who could slot in next to James in the midfield and, especially against a poor Leeds United, earn some brilliant experience.

It would certainly be a bold move, but even though he’s so young, the academy gem is seen as “truly ridiculous” talent, per Como scout Felix Johnston, and has already made four appearances for the senior side.

Yet, with all that said, there is a far more realistic and sensible option Maresca could go for.

Chelsea's ideal solution to Caicedo's red card

With Dario Essugo unlikely to be fit enough to play a significant role over the next three games, Maresca should turn to Andrey Santos to cover for Caicedo.

Chalkboard

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

The 21-year-old is still most certainly a little raw and clearly not the finished article, but there are a few reasons why he would be the perfect solution to the Blues’ problem.

The first is that with him being comfortable playing in central and defensive midfield, he could form a fluid partnership with James and Fernandez.

In other words, the three of them could rotate in and out of positions in the middle of the park, making life difficult for opposition defenders and attackers.

The second reason is that, thanks to his comfort in a variety of positions, he has developed a skill set that makes him effective in attack and, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, a duel-winning “one-man war machine in midfield.”

For example, despite only playing 655 minutes across nine appearances this season, he has already produced four goal involvements.

His underlying numbers are also sensational.

Tackles Won

2.09

Top 3%

Tkl+Int

4.26

Top 7%

Goals + Assists

0.39

Top 8%

Pass Completion % (Long)

77.3%

Top 8%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.20

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.14

Top 15%

Clearances

2.33

Top 16%

Pass Completion %

88.3%

Top 17%

Fouls Drawn

1.74

Top 17%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won, the top 8% for goals plus assists, the 13% for dribblers tackled and more, all per 90.

Finally, given his brilliant box-to-box skill set, he would add some more dynamism and explosiveness to the middle of the park, which, against teams like Leeds, could make the Blues impossible to live with.

Ultimately, while nobody in the Chelsea squad can replace Caicedo in a like-for-like capacity, Santos could bring something else to the side and keep the quality level high.

Chelsea star who saved Caicedo is their "most underappreciated player"

The underrated Chelsea ace made sure Caicedo’s red card didn’t cost Enzo Maresca’s men against Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 30, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Após 12 anos, terminou a relação entre Corinthians e Cássio. As partes chegaram a um acordo para antecipar a saída do goleiro, que tem contrato com o clube alvinegro até dezembro deste ano.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFinançasQual será o salário de Cássio no Cruzeiro? Veja valoresFinanças17/05/2024Fora de CampoDenílson dá sugestão para Cássio, do Corinthians, sobre o futuro: ‘Melhor caminho’Fora de Campo16/05/2024CorinthiansCássio toma decisão sobre futuro e planeja último ato pelo CorinthiansCorinthians15/05/2024

O atleta, agora, vai atuar no Cruzeiro, onde já possui acordo verbal para assinar um contrato por três temporadas — até o fim de 2027.

Para antecipar a sua saída do Timão, Cássio e Carlos Leite, representante do profissionalismo, abriram mão de alguns valores que tinham a receber da equipe do Parque São Jorge. O atleta ainda tinha algumas pendências referentes a direitos de imagem, enquanto o empresário tinha quantias a serem pagas por conta da intermediação de algumas renovações do profissional com o time do Parque São Jorge.

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No total, a dívida incluindo os dois, ultrapassa R$ 10 milhões. O valor abatido pela liberação não será integral e, portanto, o Corinthians seguirá tendo pendências com a dupla.

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Cássio esteve no CT Joaquim Grava nesta sexta-feira (17), mas não treinou em campo. O goleiro fez apenas um trabalho leve na academia.

Ainda que o clima fosse de despedida, o ídolo corintiano não cumprimentou companheiros e funcionários no clube. É aguardada uma cerimônia nos próximos dias, onde o camisa 12 vá se pronunciar em entrevista coletiva e, aproveitará, para dar o adeus às pessoas no Corinthians.

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Corinthians

Arne Slot’s contentious selection decision for Liverpool’s latest in a long litany of defeats was a gamble, alright, but whether it has paid off is anybody’s guess at this stage.

Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 win at Anfield against a second-string home side, and Liverpool are now out of the Carabao Cup. But the tactical fault lines run far deeper, and the Reds know that their upcoming run of games will prove decisive in exactly how the club emerge from this dismal run of form.

Aston Villa travel to Merseyside at the weekend, and then next week’s double header of Real Madrid and Manchester City will perhaps show exactly how Slot will fare over the coming months.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Liverpool have one of the most talented and expensive squads in the world, after all, and have seen a few stars go from strength to strength over the past several months.

Chief among them is the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai, but, despite his smaller role, Federico Chiesa has been just as impressive.

How Chiesa is rebuilding his Liverpool career

Liverpool only signed one player during the 2024 summer transfer window: Chiesa. What a contrast to the window just passed. The Italian arrived for a cut-price £12.5m fee, but injuries and Slot’s wariness kept him on the fringes.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed quite the revival this season, among the most prolific players in Slot’s squad. Despite starting only two matches in all competitions (both of the Reds’ domestic cup fixtures), he has notched two goals and three assists.

And still he waits for his first Premier League start of the season. Chiesa is earning starts on tournamental fronts but will perhaps feel somewhat aggrieved by sitting in the centre on Wednesday evening, flanked as he was by teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison.

Chiesa has in the past proved he has the talent to sit alongside the world’s best forwards. He has been deeply unfortunate with injuries, but his mental fortitude and underlying talent are beginning to shine, and there is a real chance for him to lay down a marker over the coming months, especially when you consider Mohamed Salah will be away at AFCON come January.

Liverpool's new version of Chiesa

Last season, Chiesa drifted through Liverpool’s title-winning campaign. Clearly, he was a talented player who had the skills to make a mark, but for whatever reason, Slot opted against unleashing him.

Now that he’s seen Calvin Ramsay put in a fine showing against Crystal Palace, the Dutch coach may want to avoid repeating that same mistake. Right-back Ramsay has not played much football over the past several years, but he showed what he can do against the Eagles.

The 22-year-old was composed on the ball and looked to progress play forward when the chance arose. In the first half, he played a Trent-esque diagonal cross over to Ngumoha, demonstrating a range of strings on his bow.

Liverpool signed Ramsay from Aberdeen in July 2022, adding him to the squad for an initial £4m fee. Jurgen Klopp once said “the sky is the limit” for the one-cap Scotland international, but a low-hanging fog has clouded his potential over the past three years, restricting him to just three first-team appearances for the Merseysiders and a string of unsuccessful loan spells.

But there’s a real player in there.

Against Palace, the Scotsman won six duels, made seven recoveries and four clearances, as per Sofascore. Promising stuff, even if the rust was clear to see, losing the ball 19 times despite not creating a chance.

Like Chiesa, Ramsay has been shaken by injuries over the past several years, and at the early stage of his career, this has had a detrimental impact on his hopes of getting going at the highest level.

Liverpool have lost six of their past seven matches in all competitions, with that emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League an outlier born from the Germans’ own deep defensive deficiencies.

Analytical Reds writer Sam McGuire even said that Slot’s decision to exclude Ramsay previously is “a sackable offence”. Of course, we must take this as tongue in cheek, but it does underline the quality of talent Liverpool have in this Scottish defender, and it’s certainly frustrating that he is now unavailable for the men’s team over the next few months.

Chiesa stands a real chance of continuing to go from strength to strength in Liverpool’s senior squad this year, adding a dimension that Slot simply cannot ignore.

With Jeremie Frimpong not quite a natural full-back and Conor Bradley’s performances leaving something to be desired, might there not be a chance for Ramsay to sneak his way into the club’s plans too?

The defeat to Crystal Palace, the third of the campaign, emphasised the scale of Liverpool’s plight at the moment, with wholesale changes and a bench full of youngsters backing firing on a head coach who now stares down the barrel of a gun, preparing to take on some of Europe’s most threatening outfits.

He will need every tool at his disposal, and allowing Ramsay to taste some more action might not be the worst thing in the world for a side currently lacking solutions.

Van Dijk's new Matip: Liverpool now chasing "sensational" Guehi alternative

Liverpool are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements in 2026.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 29, 2025

Heat’s finals hopes in danger while Thunder win back-to-back games after beginning with three losses

AAP21-Nov-2025Sydney Thunder’s huge total of 200 for 6 has secured their second consecutive win in the WBBL and put the winless Brisbane Heat’s finals hopes in grave danger.Thunder opener Tahlia Wilson secured her second consecutive player-of-the-match award to inspire a 41-run. Wilson’s 79 off just 51 deliveries was the foundation for the 200-run total after being asked to bat by the hosts at Allan Border Field on Friday.The Heat were never in the hunt, despite a swashbuckling innings by South Africa international Nadine de Klerk (43 off 27 deliveries), and were bowled out for 159 in 19.1 overs.Wilson’s knock was just four runs short of her best-ever total of 83 and followed on from her unbeaten 55 against Perth Scorchers two days earlier.The 26-year-old drove the ball straight down the ground and through the off-side with precision and played an array of flicks through the leg-side, striking eight boundaries and clearing the rope twice.Wilson said opening the innings suited the way she wanted to play after taking her game to a new level.”I think being back at the top of the order has been a good thing for me,” Wilson told AAP. “I can go out there early, time the ball and get full value. I have expanded my game this year and I’m glad it is paying off.”In pre-season, I worked on trying to hit down the ground a lot more. A lot of girls know I do like to hit it square, but adding that gives me that option to go straight down the ground, particularly in the power play.”The Heat were without key batters Grace Harris (calf) and India’s World Cup star Jemimah Rodrigues, who had to return to India for a personal commitment.After 10 overs, the Thunder were 99 for 1, with the only joy for the Heat coming when their captain Jess Jonassen trapped her former Heat teammate Georgia Voll (21) in front attempting a reverse sweep.Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield played an assortment of ramps and lofted off drives in her entertaining 31 off 19 balls, which included six boundaries.It was an attempted ramp that brought Litchfield’s downfall with Nicola Hancock rattling the stumps.Former Heat master blaster Laura Harris had no joy against her old team, holing out for her second golden duck in a row.The Heat’s WBBL campaign is on the rocks with no wins in four matches. Last year’s finalists will need to win five of their remaining six games to have a chance of figuring in this year’s finals series. The Thunder have found form with back-to-back wins after starting the season with three losses.

Playing for England wasn’t always a goal but she soon realised “pace, swing and bounce” were her true calling

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2025For Lauren Bell, cricket just happened. Naturally athletic and competitive, she dabbled in multiple sports for the fun of it while growing up. A lot of football and a little bit of cricket. Playing for England wasn’t always a goal. It just happened.”If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with the shin pads on,” Bell tells ESPNcricinfo in Guwahati. “My grandad always brought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden doing football. Like kids spend their time doing different things, what I found fun was playing sports.”Bell played for Reading FC from when she was eight. She also played cricket at the time, and her parents took her to training for both sports. It was in 2017, after the second edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), that Southern Vipers offered 16-year-old Bell a contract for their winter training programme and to then play for them in the summer. Training was on Saturday mornings, the same time as her football games.”My parents were like, you need to choose because we can’t physically get to these two places,” Bell says. “That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”Related

Sciver-Brunt ton, Ecclestone four-for help England brush aside Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka focus on the present as England challenge looms

Unbeaten England prepare for Sri Lanka spin test

Beaumont: England ready for hard graft in Colombo

Young ones to watch: Kranti Goud, Georgia Voll and Lauren Bell prepare to light up World Cup

Bell is about six feet tall, nicknamed ‘The Shard’. She bowls at good pace and has a mean inswinger. However, she used to lose her footing and fall to her left during her bowling action, which gave her a bit of back pain. Last year, she worked hard to remodel her action, and she can now swing the ball both ways.”I don’t think I was really aware that being this tall is a massive advantage for me,” Bell says. “When I was a kid, I was so much taller than everyone. So obviously as a fast bowler, that’s going to bring its advantages. But I never thought, ‘oh, I’m tall, I’m going to do this’. It just all fell into place.”As I became a professional, I actually started to learn my craft. Before then, you worked on your talent and you’ve already been coached, but you don’t learn about the intricacies of fast bowling and bowling action. Only since I’ve started learning about my skill set and I guess the intricacies of my action, have I learned that obviously my height and the balance I can get in the extra bounce and how I play differently to other seamers. It’s obviously a big advantage for me or it makes me different to other girls and fast bowlers in the game.”Once she understood the advantage her height gave her, she worked hard on improving her speed and controlling swing.”I take the new ball and swinging the ball is a big skill of mine and one of my biggest advantages,” Bell says. “My coaches and I always talk about the three massive things – pace, bounce and movement. If you’ve got them, then you’re going to be a really hard bowler to face. With my height, I can get bounce and if I keep working on my strength, I can increase my pace. I’ve got the ability to swing the ball and hopefully I’ll keep progressing to moving the ball both ways. Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening.”Lauren Bell: ‘Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening’•Getty ImagesIt is not just her bowling that differentiates Bell from most other cricketers. She likes to make a statement with her hairstyle, which has inspired many young players to wear their hair in plaits like she does, and wants to see women cricketers embrace their “girly” side.”I’ve always liked doing my hair,” Bell says. “I remember vividly when I first played with plaits in my hair. I played in a [T20] World Cup with plaits and then played in the Hundred in England and I was meeting these girls and they were obviously there for the cricket. But so many of them had matching hair, like they had their hair in plaits. I was meeting the mums, who were like, ‘I have to do this hairstyle for my daughter every day now’. Stuff like that is part of the reason that I love playing and having the platform to inspire these young girls.”I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket. You don’t have to be like a certain type of personnel. When I was growing up, it was like a boy sport, which has changed over time. This is one thing that I’m passionate about and I care about, and doesn’t affect my cricket in any way. If anything, it reaches an audience that someone else might not reach.”Bell is a graduate in sociology and criminology. She completed her degree before her England debut but worked on her dissertation while being involved in the Women’s Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup as a standby.”When I was at school, my parents were really keen for me to go to Bradfield College and do really well at my A levels and study really hard,” she says. “I always wanted to do whatever my sister did and she went to uni, so that was always going to happen. My A levels were good and then I went to Loughborough.”I chose Loughborough with the cricket in mind as well because it made training easier. But when I started at Loughborough, I wasn’t a professional cricketer. I wanted to just study something I enjoyed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but after uni, if I wasn’t a cricketer, I just wanted to study something that I thought I enjoyed.”

“I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket.”Lauren Bell

With Covid-19 impacting cricket in 2020 and 2021, her first two years at university were relatively easier, in that she did not have to juggle cricket and course work. But her third year was a challenge, when she was picked for England A’s tour of Australia just before the Women’s Ashes.”It was hard, especially on tour when you’re touring such amazing countries like New Zealand and you have a dissertation to write. It’s tricky to turn down the social part and the exploring. It was the first time I’d been to Australia and New Zealand. So you want to obviously see it, but I also knew that I needed to get this dissertation written and I needed to study and keep up with my lectures. Because of Covid, everything was online and I managed to get through. I had a lot of support and few extensions on deadlines. I’m glad I did it and graduated, but it was tricky.”Since her debut in July 2022, no England fast bowler has taken more wickets in women’s ODIs than Bell’s 40. Kate Cross was close with 39 but she was left out of the World Cup squad, elevating Bell as the leader of the pace attack. In England’s first two games at the 2025 World Cup, Bell took 1 for 24 in four overs against South Africa and 1 for 28 in seven overs against Bangladesh, on slightly sticky surfaces in Guwahati.”It is responsibility; it’s how I really thrive,” she says. “When Heather [Knight] was captain and now Nat [Sciver-Brunt] is the captain, I think the more responsibility I’m given and the more clarity I have on the importance of my role, the more I thrive. I really enjoy taking those opportunities, being the bowler to make an impact or leading the seam attack. It gets the best out of me. I really enjoy it and every time I get a chance to do it, it’s great.”As England travel to Colombo to play Sri Lanka on what could be a slow surface, the once-football-crazy Bell will have another opportunity to show off her new-ball skills. England will hope that just happens.

Aaron Judge continues to etch his name alongside previous Yankee greats as he adds to an already impressive career in pinstripes. The slugger launched his 45th and 46th home runs of the season on Thursday night in a 9–3 victory over the Tigers, bringing his total with the franchise to 361.

That's enough to tie Joe DiMaggio for fourth-most in a Yankees uniform. Earlier in the series against Detroit, Judge passed Yogi Berra with his 359th homer.

Aaron Boone, Judge's longtime manager, spoke after the blasts about what it's like to ride shotgun on such a ride.

"Joe DiMaggio—that feels like that’s been there forever, right?” Boone said. "Joe DiMaggio, in a lot of ways, transcended baseball. To be next to him on the list, he’s going to be waving as he goes by. It’s been a privilege having a front-row seat to that."

Judge's greatness is no secret and at this point he has been doing it awhile. This is his 10th year and everyone that hasn't been cut short due to injury has been filled with incredible power. Still, it is sort of strange to realize in realtime that he will go down in Yankees lore in the same way the names he's chasing and catching have.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have decided who will take charge of their next Premier League match as they continue searching for a new manager.

Across the second half of last season, following his appointment in December, Vitor Pereira guided Wolves well away from any danger of relegation through a strong run of form. Across the summer, though, the club lost a number of key players, such as Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo.

Having not replaced them with players of a similar quality, Wolves have endured a poor start to the 2025/26 campaign. They are without a win after 10 matches in the Premier League, a run that has seen Pereira be sacked from his post, despite signing a new contract just weeks ago.

Wolves are continuing their search for a new manager. Gary O’Neil, who Pereira replaced at Molineux, was linked with what would have been a stunning return to the club. Ultimately, the 42-year-old withdrew from the running. It would appear that, as per recent reports, the appointment will come after their game against Chelsea.

Interim bosses announced as three managers deemed 'unlikely'

As per Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports, James Collins and Richard Walker, bosses within the club’s youth set-up, will take charge of Wolves when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The club are, reportedly, “short of a clear first-choice candidate”.

Wolves have been linked with Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards, who spent time at the club during his playing career. There too have been suggestions that Wolves were interested in Erik ten Hag. No stranger to the Premier League following his time at Manchester United, the Dutchman was sacked after just three games in charge of Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season.

Another manager that has been linked with the Wolves job is Rui Vitoria, formerly of Benfica, who last worked with Panathinaikos. As per Thomas, however, all of these options are considered “unlikely” options for Wolves.

Though it has been a turgid start for the Midlands side, there is still enough time in the season for them to salvage their position. It remains to be seen, however, which manager they choose to try and lift them out of the bottom three.

Wolves chairman receives reply from manager candidate

It would be fair to say that, on paper anyway, last week was Arsenal’s toughest so far this season.

Therefore, Mikel Arteta’s side should be pretty happy with seven points from nine in games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

However, while the North Londoners were exceptional in the first two encounters, they were uncharacteristically poor away to the Blues, and that has understandably taken the shine off somewhat.

Moreover, while there were underwhelming performances across the pitch for Arsenal, one player in particular was really disappointing and currently looks miles off what fans saw last season.

Arsenal's underwhelming starters vs Chelsea

Starting at the back, and while he has arguably been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far this year, Ricarrdo Calafiori looked way off the pace on Sunday evening.

Chalkboard

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

Aside from a well-timed last-man tackle on Estevao in the first ten minutes, the Italian looked far shakier defensively than he has all year, losing two of the three tackles he made and getting a silly yellow card when he lost Reece James.

It wasn’t much better going forward either, as the former Bologna man failed to deliver a single cross for the attackers to get onto, and was understandably hooked at the interval.

Things didn’t go much better for Eberechi Eze, as following his hat-trick last weekend and assist against Bayern, the former Crystal Palace star was utterly ineffective at Stamford Bridge.

In fact, while it sounds harsh, it would be a fair assessment to describe him as anonymous on Sunday, as was Gabriel Martinelli, whose most significant contribution was a shot from outside the penalty area in the first half.

Finally, while they were not terrible, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie were clear downgrades on the Gunners’ usual partnership.

Moreover, on top of being less defensively solid, it was clear that they were less confident starting together, which massively impacted the team’s build-up.

With all that said, there was another Arsenal star on Sunday who looked way off the pace, and unfortunately has done all season.

The Arsenal star who has taken a step back

Unfortunately for Arteta, the poor performances on Sunday evening were not limited to the starters, as Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cameo off the bench was one to forget.

The Hale Ender was sent on to replace Calafiori after the Italian picked up his silly yellow card, but just nine minutes into the second half, he got one himself.

That moment sort of summarised the teenager’s display, as while there were a few moments of quality, like a run through the middle of the pitch towards the end, he largely struggled.

He offered little going forward and looked less than secure defensively and in possession, so much so that there were more than a few occasions when you could see Rice getting frustrated with him, notably when under no pressure at all, the youngster played the ball straight to a Chelsea player on the left-hand side of the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, the watching press were not hugely impressed with the youngster, with Arsenal writer Charles Watts awarding him just a 5/10 match rating at full-time.

That might sound harsh, but his statistics justify it; in his 45 minutes, the 19-year-old produced an expected assists figure of just 0.02, lost 50% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels, didn’t play a single key pass or cross and committed one foul.

The worrying thing is that Sunday was not the full-back’s first poor performance of the season, as he also looked the weakest of the club’s starters against Bayern.

With that said, it would be unfair to blame this entirely on the youngster, club insider Hand of Arsenal, dubbed a “future captain,” as he’s just not been given enough game time.

One of the things that allowed him to play as well as he did last year was that Arteta picked him time and time again, in turn building his sharpness and understanding of the team’s rhythm.

Therefore, while it’s true that Lewis-Skelly has taken a step back this season, fans shouldn’t worry too much, as more games on the horizon should give him more opportunities to play and rebuild that sharpness.

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

By
Matt Dawson

Dec 1, 2025