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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has explained why Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were left out of his starting XI to face Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Gunners were already without key defenders Gabriel and William Saliba due to injury, meaning midfielder Christian Norgaard was handed a surprise start in central defence in Belgium.

Injuries piling up for Arsenal

Arsenal have had a very strong start to the season but have seen key players pick up injuries in recent weeks, particularly in defence. Gabriel, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera  have all been sidelined, while Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were also ruled out of the trip to Belgium for Arsenal's latest Champions League match. The situation means that Arteta raised a few eyebrows with his team selection against Club Brugge as the north Londoners aim to maintain their 100% record in the competition so far this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesArteta explains absence of duo

The Arsenal boss told ahead of kick-off: "They both had issues from the weekend, both really bad kicks. For Jurrien it was too early and for Ricci [Calafiori] we have to manage to see if he can do some minutes [tonight]."

The absence of the duo meant that Arteta lined his team up with Norgaard partnering Piero Hincapie in central defence, with Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly as the full-backs. The outing is Norgaard's first as a centre-back since featuring in the role for Brentford in the Championship back in 2020.

Arteta defends training methods

Arsenal have now suffered 28 injuries already this season, but Arteta has defended his training methods and insists they are not to blame.

He told reporters: "Not training, no, because we don't have time to train. So, training is not there. But obviously, the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more. That's a consequence of that and it's a really dangerous. The fact that we have some others who have long-term contracts that haven't been with us since the beginning of the season. But, yeah, it's a test for the team, and so far, we have reacted very, very well to that."

"I think you have to separate the kinds of injuries that they have. Some of them have been long-term and acute injuries, especially with some of the key players who give you a lot of days out. It's something that we are constantly looking at. As I said, we have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing. That gives a lot of stress and then more injuries. We are on it and I'm really happy with what we are doing in terms of the medical stuff and everything that we are trying to do together. Sometimes, as well, we need some people to go in our time.

"It's not only one season. It's about some of the players that they have played. It starts to get overloaded and you start to ask them again and again to play. Others, because, as well, the moment that you have an injury, you are more likely to have another injury. That's been a consequence of some of the states as well. We're on it."

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Praise for Norgaard

Arteta also took time out to praise Norgaard pre-match. The summer signing has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League so far this season and just one start in the Champions League. Yet Arteta is happy with how he's settled in following his transfer from Brentford. He told reporters: "I'm really happy with how he’s come to the club, especially with him and everything that we need to do in many areas. Not only in the pitch, but what he has to do, he excels in the manner that we expect him. I think it's similar to Ben White or Myles [Lewis-Skelly]. They haven't played as much as expected, but they're very positive."

Harry Brook is ever the straight-talking Yorkshireman. He will fly to New Zealand on Friday night to captain six white-ball internationals but knows that there is one question occupying England fans’ minds more than any other: when he returns home from Australia in January, will he bring the Ashes urn with him? His response: “I bloody hope so.”England’s recent record in Australia is dreadful, but their quiet optimism about this winter’s series has been reinforced by the revelation that Pat Cummins is increasingly unlikely to play in the first Test. Australia have played down the severity of his back injury, but Andrew McDonald conceded on Friday that Cummins is “running out of time” before November 21.Cummins’ absence would be a shame for the series, but can only be seen as a boost to England’s chances. Brook said that Australia have “a hell of a lot of good bowlers” who could deputise, but Cummins’ package of leadership, pace and skill is impossible to replicate and England know as much.”He is an amazing bowler and has been for many years,” Brook said at Thursday night’s PCA awards ceremony, in partnership with Toyota. “He bowls at high pace, with high skill. With him out of their side for the first game, from what we’ve seen, hopefully that plays into our hands… [But] we can’t take anybody lightly.”Related

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The series will be the biggest challenge of Brook’s career to date: it is his second Ashes series, but his first in the country where England have lost 13 of their last 15 Tests. He has built a remarkable away record – he has scored seven hundreds in his first 11 overseas Tests – but has only played in Pakistan and New Zealand, and will head down under with his eyes open.”I don’t know what I’m stepping into,” Brook said. “I know it’s a massive thing, but I’m still trying to get over that India series. That was awesome to be part of: to play 25 days out of 25 was mega. That was the most intense series I’ve ever been part of. If the Ashes tops that, I will be a very happy man.”It is obviously intense. I can’t even remember much about the 2023 Ashes, if I’m honest. It’s a very similar group of players that we’ll come up against: a very strong bowling attack and on home soil they’ll present different challenges. I haven’t had too much experience of the pitches out there, so I have to stay in the moment as much as possible and play what’s in front of me.”England’s series against India was the “most intense” that Brook has experienced•Getty Images

Brook’s experience in Australia is limited to a short spell at Hobart Hurricanes as a 22-year-old where he did “horrendously”, and a walk-on role (56 runs in five innings) in England’s T20 World Cup win three years ago. “I see white-ball and red-ball as completely different sports, if I’m being honest,” he said. “I’m going out there with a clear mind.”He started manically in his first Ashes series, hooking compulsively as England let a strong position slip at Lord’s, but played priceless innings in their wins at Headingley and The Oval to secure a 2-2 draw. His return of 363 runs at 40.33 featured four half-centuries in nine innings, and Brook played down the potential significance of scoring his first Ashes hundred on this tour.”That’s not something I really think about,” he said. “I want to be a match-winner. If the team is in a little bit of trouble, I want to get us out of it, which so far in my career I’ve done fairly well. If that’s getting 75 and getting us out of trouble for a little while and gets the team into a better position, I’d rather that than get a hundred and lose the game.”Brook’s captaincy experience in the white-ball team may yet be called upon in the Ashes•Getty Images

Another potential challenge for Brook in Australia is the prospect of captaining a Test match for the first time, after his appointment as Ben Stokes’ deputy. He described the role as “an honour” but does not expect to be called upon: “I see Stokesy playing all five Tests, if I’m being honest. I think he’ll power through, even if he has a little niggle.”Brook’s promotion means a return to the ranks for Ollie Pope, whose position at No. 3 looks increasingly precarious – even if Brook described him as a “vital part” of England’s side: “I dropped him a couple of messages a couple of weeks ago, talking about golf mainly. I don’t think he’s too bothered. He’s just happy to still be in the squad.”Stokes has not played competitively since damaging a shoulder muscle while attempting to bowl England to victory in the drawn Manchester Test against India; perhaps Brook’s biggest role as deputy will be to save him from himself: “Because he wants to bowl long spells, that can sometimes be to his detriment… Everybody in the world knows what he’s like.”

Luis Diaz's wonder goal against Union Berlin at the weekend has been labelled "world-class" by Bayern Munich icon Lothar Matthaus. The Colombian, signed from Liverpool over the summer, has been brilliant for Die Roten so far. While Matthaus believes that the hard-working left winger "needs to be more clinical in front of goal," he said that his "outstanding" strike compensates for his lack of efficiency.

• Union Berlin end Bayern's winning streak

  Bayern were brought down to earth this past weekend during a tricky away trip to Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, as Kompany's men could only salvage a 2-2 draw, thanks to a 90th minute equaliser from the in-form Harry Kane. 

  The game brought an end to the Bavarian giants' record-breaking 16-game winning streak across all competitions since the start of the ongoing 2025-26 season, breaking the 13-game record set by the famous AC Milan outfit from the 1992-93 season. The result also prevented Kompany from matching Pep Guardiola's record of 10 consecutive Bundesliga victories in the first 10 games of the season, with the Belgian managing to guide his team to nine straight wins before the stalemate against Steffen Baumgart's men.

  Even though Bayern left Berlin without maximum points, they certainly came out of the match with a few positives. For a team that has dominated on all fronts across all competitions, the encounter against Union Berlin allowed the visitors to equalise twice following goals from centre-back Danilho Doekhi in each half.

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  Matthaus lauds Diaz for being the overall package

  With Bayern trailing, they tightened the screw and switched gears in search of an equaliser as the game progressed towards the end of the first half. In the 38th minute, Diaz collected the ball on the edge of the box on the left side following a clearance. After collecting the ball, the Colombian passed it to Josip Stanisic and then made a run into the box to receive after a one-two. Stanisic seemed to have overhit the ball, his hands on his head out of disappointment as he saw the ball moving beyond the touchline. Just when it seemed Union Berlin would be awarded a goal kick, Diaz slid and somehow kept the ball into play. After sensing pressure from one of Berlin's defenders, the ex-Liverpool winger's daft touch put the ball past the on-rushing defender before striking into the top corner from an extremely acute angle. 

  Moments after his equaliser, Diaz fumbled a one-on-one with the Union Berlin goalkeeper. However, former Bayern player Matthaus is of the firm opinion that the Colombian international shouldn't find himself in the crosshairs of the fans and the media thanks to his work ethic and profound ability to create goals out of nothing.

  In a column for , Matthaus said: "After 16 consecutive wins, FC Bayern only managed a draw against Union Berlin . Refocusing completely on the Bundesliga and a match at the comparatively smaller Forsterei stadium after their stunning Champions League victory in Paris wasn't easy.

  "Their senses might not have been sharp enough at the start, but Bayern came back from behind twice. That was yet another sign of strength.

  "Luis Diaz 's goal was world-class. It's great to have a player who works hard for the team, scores goals, and creates clear-cut chances. He needs to be more clinical in front of goal, but his outstanding strike makes him forgivable."

• A week to remember for Diaz

  It was a memorable week for the 28-year-old. He scored twice in the 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League. Against Union Berlin, his goal automatically makes him one of the contenders for the goal of the season.

  After the game, Kane was in awe of Diaz's "special" strike. "Incredible to be honest," said the Englishman, who now has 23 goals from 17 games. "The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

  Kompany, the head coach, admitted that Diaz could have bagged another goal, but stated that he was happy for him. ”We really needed that moment of brilliance from Lucho”, Kompany told reporters after the full-time whistle. “Of course he could’ve scored another goal afterwards, but the quality we have in this team is what we need to achieve our goals during the season. 3 goals he’s scored this week, that was good for him.”

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  Diaz to miss Arsenal clash in the Champions League

  Bayern will face Freiburg in their first match following the international break, before traveling to the Emirates Stadium for a high-profile clash with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side have emerged as frontrunners in the Premier League title race this season, combining domestic dominance with impressive form in Europe.

  Bayern will, however, be without their in-form winger when they make the trip to London – a significant setback for Kompany’s men. Diaz, who has tallied 11 goals and five assists this season, received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi, which left the Moroccan defender nursing an ankle injury. As a result, Diaz will serve a suspension and miss the chance to face his former rivals in a familiar territory.

West Bromwich Albion are currently competing to climb back up the Championship table in an attempt to join the race to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.

A 3-2 win over Swansea last time out has the Baggies in 12th place in the table, four points off the play-offs, and there is plenty of football left to be played.

Aune Heggebo, who joined the club in the summer, scored twice to take his tally to six goals in the Championship this season, per Sofascore, and he is currently one of the most valuable players in the squad.

West Brom's most valuable players

Per Transfermarkt’s valuation system, West Brom’s current first-team squad has a combined value of roughly £71m, and Heggebo contributes to around £5m of that total.

The most valuable player in the squad, unsurprisingly, is central midfielder Isaac Price, who has scored five goals and provided two assists for the Baggies in the league, per Sofascore.

Transfermarkt value the Northern Ireland international at around £10.5m and there have been no recent reports to suggest how much the club value him at internally, amid reported interest from Leeds and Crystal Palace.

Isaac Price

£10.5m

Samuel Iling-Junior

£8.8m

Josh Maja

£7.9m

Aune Heggebo

£5m

Toby Collyer

£4.4m

As you can see in the table above, loanees Samuel Iling-Junior and Toby Collyer both rank within the top five most valuable players in the squad, whilst Josh Maja, who has only started four league games this season, ranks in third place.

Whilst the Baggies appear to be lacking in highly valuable players who could be sold for big money in the future, there is a former player who could be sold for more than the combined worth of the current squad in January.

The former West Brom player who is now worth more than the entire squad

In the summer of 2019, 16-year-old forward Morgan Rogers opted to move on from The Hawthorns at the end of his contract to sign for Manchester City.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

The Cityzens reportedly paid a compensation fee of near £4m to sign the England youth international, who had made one first-team appearance for the Baggies in the FA Cup against Brighton.

That outing in the FA Cup made Rogers the fourth-youngest player in the club’s history, and the youngest ever in the FA Cup, per Transfermarkt, and Manchester City clearly took note of that.

Izzy Brown

2013

16 years, 3 months, 27 days

Jonathan Leko

2015

16 years, 4 months, 30 days

Kane Wilson

2016

16 years, 5 months, 12 days

Morgan Rogers

2019

16 years, 6 months, 11 days

Bobby Hope

1960

16 years, 7 months, 5 days

Things did not work out for the attacking midfielder at The Etihad, unfortunately, but he has since made his way to Aston Villa, via Middlesbrough, and is now a fully-fledged England international.

Rogers has scored 20 goals and provided 21 assists in 89 appearances for Villa, per Transfermarkt, and has scored one goal in 12 caps for the Three Lions.

Because of his impressive form for club and country, the former Baggies youngster is attracting interest from elsewhere and has been given a mammoth valuation.

TEAMtalk reported in November that Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all registered interest in the attacker and claimed that Villa offered Rogers a new deal with a £100m release clause, shortly before it became official that he had put pen to paper on an improved contract.

Towards the end of November, The Mirror reported that the Villans are said to value the England international at a whopping £100m, although they did not mention it as part of a release clause.

Whether you take it to be a release clause or how much Villa will demand from any interested clubs, Rogers appears to be valued at nine figures by the Premier League club, whilst West Brom’s squad is only worth around £71m between every first-team player.

There is no guarantee that he would have gone on to fulfill his potential at The Hawthorns, but it must be bittersweet for the club to see that one of their former players, who they lost for £4m, is now being valued at a staggering £100m, whilst their most valuable player is valued at just over a tenth of that.

Mason must now bin West Brom star who earns more than Heggebo & Johnston

Ryan Mason must now axe this West Bromwich Albion high earner for good.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

The Baggies can only hope that they are able to persuade the next Rogers, should such a talent come through the academy again, to stay at the club, rather than pursue a move elsewhere.

Several players showed up for the pair of friendlies vs. Italy, led by Cat Macario's three goals, Jaedyn Shaw's first goal on the year, and a two-game shutout from Claudia Dickey.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The USWNT closed out the calendar year with a confident 2-0 win over UEFA Women’s Euro semifinalist Italy, sealing back-to-back victories over the Azzurre in three days and finishing 2025 with a 12-0-3 record. It was a year of firsts for the Americans: 43 players earned their senior debuts, the most in a single year since 2001.

It was a near-perfect conclusion for head coach Emma Hayes, who spent the year stress-testing the depth chart, integrating new faces and challenging the group to evolve its style of play. For the rematch with Italy, Hayes made five changes to the XI and started three teenagers – Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton and Jordyn Bugg. Alongside them, Lindsey Heaps earned her 170th cap, tying former captain Carla Overbeck for 20th on the all-time appearance list. The blend of emerging talent and veterans has defined the arc of the U.S. program this year.

“My goal is always to create successive, competitive teams,” Hayes said. “Not just one team and then you have to rebuild again over another four-year period. This is how I know to build teams.”

The USWNT will now break before reconvening for January camp and the first friendlies of 2026. World Cup qualifying looms as the primary focus heading into the new cycle. Cat Macario’s three goals across the two Italy matches led the way, while goalkeeper Claudia Dickey capped her year with consecutive shutouts as the reshaped U.S. defense continued to settle in.

Who stood out? Whose stock rose, and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.

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  Stock up: Cat Macario

  It’s hard not to love Macario, whose return to full form has been nothing short of remarkable. Now the USWNT’s leading scorer this year with eight goals, she was the clear focal point across both matches against Italy.

  Macario wasn’t just clean and disciplined in her hold-up play – she delivered. She scored a brace in the first meeting and added an electric finish in the second, and realistically could have had more. The Chelsea forward has five goals in her last three U.S. appearances, and her output helped the Americans secure their ninth win in 10 games. Yohannes mentioned how Macario's finishing ability makes her top class and an easy player to assist. 

  "Cat is just such a special player, and I know if she gets the ball in front of the goal, 10 times out of 10, it is probably going to be a goal," Yohannes said. 

  There’s no holding Macario back now. Walking through the mixed zone afterward, she carried the look of someone who felt both pride and a growing sense of normalcy – back on the pitch, scoring goals, and doing it alongside teammates she calls friends.

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  Stock down: Alyssa Thompson

  It feels almost harsh to say Alyssa Thompson’s stock dipped, but across the two matches against Italy, her influence wasn’t at its usual level. Thompson started both games and remained her typically dynamic, impossible-to-contain self in flashes – yet she struggled to find her usual rhythm out wide.

  Her best moments with the USWNT often come when she cuts inside and drives directly at defenders, but those opportunities were limited in both fixtures. When she did get on the ball, she more often looked for quick combinations through midfield rather than attacking players one-on-one.

  It’s been a whirlwind year for the newly signed Chelsea forward, and with Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith set to return, competition in the front line is about to intensify. For Thompson, continuing to lean into what makes her unique will be critical as the attacking depth chart tightens.

• Imagn
  

  Stock up: Rose Lavelle

  Rose Lavelle featured in only one of the two matches against Italy – understandable after her heroic, title-winning goal that lifted Gotham FC past the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship.

  The Championship MVP didn’t look like she missed a beat despite the rapid turnaround from club to country. She was everywhere in midfield and set the tone early, slipping a clever ball to Olivia Moultrie for the opening goal inside the first 90 seconds. Lavelle now has three assists this year and 27 in her USWNT career.

  Her soccer IQ remains unmatched: she sees gaps that shouldn’t be there and combines in spaces that appear far too tight. Earning her 116th cap, Lavelle is firmly a veteran presence in this group – and will be paramount in steering the U.S. toward the 2027 World Cup.

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  Stock down: Emma Sears

  Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears didn’t quite replicate the success she’s shown in earlier USWNT appearances. She covered ground relentlessly after coming on in the second half, but her timing was a bit off – runs came a step late, and the finishing touch wasn’t there.

  Sears’ work rate on the wing is almost unmatched, but the competition for wide attacking spots is fierce. On nights when she doesn’t produce a goal, an assist, or a clear impact while others do, it becomes harder to strengthen her case. Even so, Sears remains firmly in the mix for Hayes. Her energy as a first-off-the-bench option is valuable – the kind of spark teams rely on during long tournament runs.

يسعى فريق مانشستر سيتي تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا، لاستعادة توازنه، ويرغب بالتعاقد مع لاعب خط وسط جديد، وقد ارتبط بضم آدم وارتون الذي يعد هدفاً لريال مدريد، لكنه تراجع عن التحرك للحصول على خدماته.

ويثير جود بيلينجهام لاعب خط وسط ريال مدريد، الكثير من الجدل والاهتمام بشأن مستقبله، حيث يقدم أداء لا يرضي تطلعات جماهير الفريق الإسباني منذ بداية الموسم.

وبحسب صحيفة “ديفينسا سنترال” الإسبانية، فإن جود بيلينجهام أصبح حديث الساعة في مانشستر سيتي، حيث يسعى عملاق الدوري الإنجليزي للتعاقد مع اللاعب.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هل عمر مرموش الضحية؟.. مانشستر سيتي يفكر في إبرام صفقة هجومية في يناير

ولا تعد هذه هي المرة الأولى التي يهتم فيها مانشستر سيتي بضم اللاعب، حيث كان يرغب بالحصول على خدمات بيلينجهام خلال فترة لعبه مع بوروسيا دورتموند، لكنه فضل الانتقال إلى ريال مدريد.

ويعاني بيلينجهام مع ريال مدريد، حيث إنه لا يتفق بشكل جيد مع مدربه تشابي ألونسو، على الرغم من أن المدرب الشاب قد نفى وجود علاقة سيئة مع الدولي الإنجليزي.

ومع ذلك لا ينوي ريال مدريد بيع أحد أفضل لاعبيه ويرى النادي الإنجليزي في بيلينجهام أنه قائد ونجم في السنوات القادمة، ويريده أن يبقى بعد عام 2029.

MatériaMais Notícias

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.

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➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

⚽ 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

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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.

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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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