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Liverpool slipped to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time under Arne Slot on Saturday when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A last-gasp finish from Willian Estevao secured all three points for the home side in a game that they deserved to win with their front-foot approach.

More and more questions will be asked of the club’s recruitment work during the summer transfer window, as Florian Wirtz came on at half-time and failed to turn the game in Liverpool’s failure.

The Germany international arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in a £115m deal in the summer, but he is still searching for his first goal contribution in the Premier League.

Wirtz lost six of his eight duels and created one chance in 45 minutes against Chelsea, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggled off the ball and did not add much to the team in possession.

Given that he came in from the Bundesliga for a gigantic transfer fee, there may be some comparisons drawn to the signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, but that may not be fair.

Why Florian Wirtz is not the next Naby Keita

The Reds paid £52.75m to sign the central midfielder, who officially joined the club in 2018, from Leipzig, and he failed to live up to his price tag.

In five seasons at Anfield, Keita produced just 11 goals and seven assists in 129 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

He had scored 17 goals and provided 15 assists in 71 matches for Leipzig in Germany, which means that he was unable to translate his form from his previous club over to his time with Liverpool.

Whilst Wirtz has not had the goals and assists that he would have wanted by this point, the German star’s underlying numbers suggest that he is not on course to be the next Bundesliga flop, like Keita was.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is doing the right things at the top end of the pitch, but needs something to go his way to start racking up goals and assists on a regular basis.

Goals

0

Bottom 3%

xG on target

0.83

Top 27%

Assists

0

Bottom 3%

xA

0.87

Top 18%

Chances created

11

Top 10%

Successful crosses

5

Top 16%

Touches in the opposition’s box

26

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz ranks highly among his positional peers for input, with chances created, xA, and xG on target, but the output, goals and assists, is not quite there yet.

If he continues to take high-quality shots and create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, the goals and assists will follow and he will not be deemed to be the next Keita at Anfield.

This is why Wirtz, who assisted Hugo Ekitike on his debut in the Community Shield, is not going to be the next Keita, because he is on the right path to becoming a success at Anfield.

However, there is another summer signing for Liverpool from the Bundesliga who may be in danger of becoming the next version of the Guinea international after a rough start to life on Merseyside.

Chalkboard

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

Liverpool splashed out £29.5m to sign Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in an attempt to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed on a free transfer to sign for Real Madrid.

Unfortunately, the former Manchester City and Celtic full-back has had a difficult time of things since his return to English football, and is now in danger of becoming the new Keita.

Why Jeremie Frimpong may be the next Naby Keita

As aforementioned, the former Leipzig midfielder was a flop from the Bundesliga at Anfield as he failed to translate his attacking form in Germany over to the Premier League with the Reds.

Frimpong delivered 30 goals and 44 assists in 190 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen during his time with the Bundesliga side, playing as a wing-back more often than not.

His output in the final third led the official Bundesliga YouTube channel to question whether or not the Dutch dynamo was the best attacking full-back in the world earlier this year.

Slot, however, does not play with traditional wing-backs, and Frimpong has found the transition back to playing as a regular right-back, which is the role he played for Celtic earlier in his career, a difficult one.

The 24-year-old star has found himself third in the pecking order at right-back at this moment in time, as he was an unused substitute in the defeat to Chelsea that saw Connor Bradley start the match and Dominik Szoboszlai end the game at right-back.

Frimpong, who was described as a “breathtaking” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has only started one match in the Premier League so far this season, and has been an unused substitute on two occasions.

Appearances

3

Starts

1

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes

0

Assists

0

Ground duel success rate

44%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman has struggled on and off the ball in the top-flight so far this season, losing the majority of his physical duels whilst also failing to create a single chance for his teammates in three appearances.

The former Man City academy graduate was given an opportunity to start on the right wing against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but he ended the game with no goals, no assists, and seven out of nine duels lost, per Sofascore.

These statistics, in the Champions League and the Premier League, show that Frimpong has struggled with a new role and the increased physicality of English football, which is why he is in danger of becoming the next Keita.

Liverpool star slammed after fewest touches and "dire" display vs Chelsea

It was a hard watch at Stamford Bridge.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 5, 2025

Unless he is able to turn his form, in and out of possession, around in the weeks and months to come, the Dutchman may end up being the next Bundesliga flop at Anfield.

Liverpool have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo as it was revealed that the winger has a release clause in his contract after signing a new-and-improved deal during the summer. The Ghanaian held talks with Tottenham and Manchester United before opting to stay with the Cherries, where he has kicked on.

Semenyo drawing heavyweight interest

Semenyo's start to the new campaign has caught the eye of several top clubs, including the current champions. Liverpool parted with star left-winger Luis Diaz in the summer before adding Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak to their ranks, but may dip back into the transfer market between now and the start of next season to recruit a top-class wide player. Alongside Liverpool's interest, Chelsea and Tottenham have been tipped to move for the Ghana international, who has nine goal contributions in eight games so far this term. 

During the recent window, clubs were quoted £70million (€80m) to sign the wide man, before he opted to sign a five-year extension on the South Coast. However, reports have revealed that his new deal came at a cost to Bournemouth. A release clause is believed to have been inserted into the fine print, meaning there will likely be a tug-of-war for his signature as early as January.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRelease clause figure kept under wraps

Although it is now public knowledge that Semenyo's contract includes a release clause, Bournemouth have been reluctant to reveal the exact figure. It is expected to be close to the £70m the club were demanding in the summer, but the secrecy means there is nothing stopping clubs placing a bid that exceeds that number. 

The scenario follows a similar path to Morgan Gibbs-White's failed move to Tottenham earlier in the year. The midfielder had a clause of just over £60m, but it was confidential, despite Spurs somehow activating it. In the end, Gibbs-White committed his future to Nottingham Forest, providing the north London club with a valuable lesson that others will also take note of if they are considering a move for the 25-year-old. 

'Humble' Semenyo raising standards at Bournemouth

As a result of Semenyo's six goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, Bournemouth sit fourth in the table, just two points away from leaders Arsenal. Despite losing their entire backline during the summer, the Cherries have rallied and look as fierce as ever under Andoni Iraola. Semenyo believes the club's start has set the bar high for the rest of the season. 

He said: "We’ve been riding high for a little bit. I think the bar has been set quite high. On the whole it’s been a good start to the season, definitely. We want to be humble and not get too big-headed; we take it easy game by game. But we’re pleased with our start and the players are giving everything to keep it going and to continue it."

Bournemouth have already beaten Tottenham this season and gave champions Liverpool a tough test at Anfield on opening night. Those results have been followed up with wins against Brighton, Fulham and Wolves, plus draws to Leeds and Newcastle. It is tough to paint a clear picture of what the table might look like in May, but so far Bournemouth are proving they can compete with any team in the division.

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AFPWhen will Semenyo get his move?

There has been no clarity on when Semenyo's release clause comes into effect. Some clubs structure their deals with players so that deals can only be triggered in the summer, to avoid losing key players in January. This may be the case with the winger, as Bournemouth dream of Europe. It is more likely clubs will have to wait until the summer of 2026 before they can officially pursue the hottest ticket currently in the Premier League.

However, similarly to Matheus Cunha's deal to move from Wolves to Manchester United, clubs may be able to lay the groundwork for an early summer transfer, although Semenyo's focus will likely remain on Bournemouth for as long as they can compete at the top end of the table. And in the rare scenario that the Cherries do qualify for Europe, he may opt to remain and lead them into a competition abroad for the very first time in their fascinating history.

Usman Qadir impressed with the ball to derail Islamabad’s chase

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-May-2025Finn Allen, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, and Faheem Ashraf crashed significant scores at a strike rate of better than 150. And when these four batters had propelled Quetta Gladiators to a total of 209 for 6, their bowlers locked the game down through the middle overs, sending Islamabad United eventually to 179 all out.Gladiators advance to the final, deservedly. Not only have they won this match by a significant margin, they had also easily topped the league ahead of the playoffs, winning seven of their ten matches. United now have to face the winner of Thursday night’s eliminator – between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars – in Qualifier 2.The Chandimal-Ashraf spectacularIf you want one reason why Gladiators bossed this game, it is the period between overs 11.6 and 19.5, when Chandimal and Ashraf were at the crease. Chandimal clobbered 48 not out off 28 balls, Ashraf hit 45 off 23, and the pair (to use a Gen Z term) “twinned” on the boundary count – hitting three sixes and four fours apiece. Their partnership was worth 95 runs off 48 balls.Chandimal, as usual, was strong on the leg side, that powerful bottom hand coming into play, though he also sliced a boundary through backward point when United had stacked the off side and James Neesham was attempting to bowl wide yorkers.Ashraf was just as impressive. He was strong on the leg side too, but when bowlers attempted to go full and wide, he crashed them over the cover region as well.United’s top order make a chargeThere were a few moments in which it seemed not impossible that United could run down a target of 210. These came almost exclusively during the first 14 overs. First, Sahibzada Farhan and Rassie van der Dussen hit 71 off 45 balls together. Farhan went on to make 52 off 35 – the highest individual score of the game and his sixth T20 half-century.No. 4 batter Salman Agha then produced a little gem too, scything 44 off 26, but found little support at the other end. When he departed, with 16 balls to go and 42 runs still to get, there were no more viable paths to victory for United.Usman Tariq imposes himselfMohammad Amir and Ashraf took two wickets apiece, but it was offspinner Usman Tariq who inflicted the more telling blows. His first wicket – that of Farhan – was slightly lucky. Farhan had merely mis-hit a leg side full toss but found Khawaja Nafay running in from the deep.But then there was also the wicket of Salman, which was down to a piece of utilitarian T20 bowling, going fast and wide outside off stump to a batter trying to smash to leg, resulting in a top edge gobbled up at long-on. To cap it off, he also had Naseem Shah caught in the deep. He finished with 3 for 32, which were his figures in his previous game as well.He outshone both Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed, who are now both equal second on the tournament wicket-takers’ list, with 16 apiece.

The season only kicked off a month and a half ago, but it’s already been full of twists and turns for Arsenal.

For example, after winning their opening two Premier League games, Mikel Arteta’s side then lost away to Liverpool, after which many fans and pundits alike began to write off the team’s title credentials.

However, fast-forward to today, and the Gunners find themselves atop the table and with two wins from two in the Champions League.

EPL

West Ham (H)

2-0 (W)

UCL

Olympiacos (H)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Newcastle (H)

2-1 (W)

EFL Cup

Port Vale (A)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Man City (H)

1-1 (D)

UCL

Bilbao (A)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Yet, while things are going brilliantly from a performance and results perspective, the North Londoners continue to be ravaged by injury, including club captain Martin Odegaard.

Fortunately, Arteta now has a few options when it comes to replacing him, one of which could be starting a star player in an entirely new position.

Arsenal's injury problems

For a period this season, it felt as if Arsenal were unable to complete a game without losing a player to injury, and while things are no longer that bad, the situation is far from ideal.

Jesus

Knee

Havertz

Knee

Madueke

Knee

Hincapie

Groin

Odegaard

MCL

For example, while the likes of William Saliba, Ben White and Christian Norgaard are fit again, and Declan Rice looks ready to play for England this week, Arteta is set to be without five first-team players when the international break comes to an end.

The most prolonged absence remains Gabriel Jesus, and while he has taken pictures of himself back on the grass, the manager confirmed that it would be “many, many months” before he plays regular minutes for the first team again.

What makes the Brazilian’s absence so much more of a problem is the fact that Kai Havertz is also out following the surgery he had on his knee back in late August, meaning there is no natural competition for Viktor Gyokeres at the moment.

The attacking woes don’t stop there, though, as Noni Madueke is expected to remain out of contention for at least another month or so after suffering a knee injury in the home game against Manchester City last month.

The former Chelsea player is yet to score or assist a goal in red and white, but his performances this season have been brilliant, and he added a blistering directness that has sometimes been missing from the team.

Another summer signing currently sidelined is Piero Hincapie, who is out with a groin injury, and while his absence is a blow, it’s hard to determine how much of an impact he’ll have this season, considering he’s played just six minutes thus far.

Finally, arguably the most impactful injury of them all is Odegaard’s, as before being forced off with what has now been confirmed as an MCL injury, the Norwegian was starting to look like the creative force he was a couple of years ago.

Fortunately, Arteta does have a few ways he can address the captain’s absence, and perhaps one worth trying is starting his best player in a new position.

The Arsenal star who could replace Odegaard

So, the way Arteta is likely to solve the problem of Odegaard being out injured is by starting Eberechi Eze in the attacking midfield position.

Chalkboard

While this is a perfectly logical solution, and one that many will be calling for, it does create one issue: a weaker left-wing position, as neither Leandro Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli has excelled when starting for a long time.

Therefore, a way to keep the left-hand side strong is to do something entirely new and try playing Arsenal’s most important player in a central location: Bukayo Saka.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, this isn’t an example of moving the Englishman to a less important position to accommodate someone else; if anything, moving him to the middle of the pitch would allow him to have a far greater influence on the game.

Described as one of the club’s “very best players,” by podcaster Adam Keys, the Hale Ender has shown time and time again that he has the technical and mental skills to play a more central role.

He’s an excellent striker of the ball, can see a pass that few others in the team can, has spent the last three years being double and triple-teamed by defenders, and, while he’s not the fastest, he has incredible agility in the way he moves around the pitch.

Moreover, with 100 goal involvements in 200 league games, the 24-year-old has the output to be measured against the best number tens in the game.

Finally, in addition to the eye test and his record, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the underlying numbers to prove he’d be a goal-scoring chance-creating machine in central areas.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League last season for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, goal-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Goals + Assists

0.83

Top 1%

npxG + xAG

0.71

Top 1%

xA: Expected Assists

0.41

Top 1%

Key Passes

3.02

Top 1%

Shot-Creating Actions

6.09

Top 1%

Goal-Creating Actions

1.20

Top 1%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.73

Top 1%

GCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.26

Top 1%

Assists

0.52

Top 2%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.40

Top 2%

SCA (Shot)

0.52

Top 3%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.43

Top 3%

Progressive Passes Rec

13.27

Top 4%

Crosses

6.09

Top 4%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

1.04

Top 5%

Touches (Att 3rd)

37.22

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.44

Top 8%

Crosses into Penalty Area

0.62

Top 8%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

3.70

Top 8%

SCA (Take-On)

0.62

Top 8%

Shots on Target

1.15

Top 11%

GCA (Take-On)

0.10

Top 11%

Penalty Kicks Made

0.05

Top 12%

Carries into Penalty Area

2.65

Top 12%

Ultimately, it would be a left-field decision, but Saka is a genuinely world-class player, and perhaps Odegaard’s injury will be the perfect opportunity for Arteta to see how he fares in the middle of the park, where he can have a more significant impact on the game.

Berta holds new Arsenal contract talks with big-name duo after Raya, Saka and Timber

The Italian is looking to extend a host of deals.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 9, 2025

Alejandro Garnacho pulled out his trademark Manchester United celebration after scoring his maiden goal for Chelsea against Sunderland on Saturday. Garnacho, who joined the Blues on a permanent transfer from United in the last transfer window, took seven matches before scoring for the first time in a Chelsea shirt. Following the goal, the Argentine also emulated his idol Cristiano Ronaldo while celebrating.

AFPGarnacho pulls out Man Utd celebration

Garnacho featured in the Chelsea starting lineup for the third game in a row in the Premier League as he continued to adjust to the new conditions at Stamford Bridge. In the fourth minute of the match, Enzo Fernandez won the ball in his own half and fed Pedro Neto with a quick pass. Neto then sent a through ball towards Garnacho from the centre circle as the Argentine winger made a run from the left flank. 

The youngster received the ball and made a run straight into the Sunderland box, before dodging past an opponent defender and finding the back of the net with a quality strike from a narrow angle. After scoring the goal, Garnacho, along with Neto, sat on the billboards to celebrate. He had earlier performed such a celebration in 2024, while at United, where Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund joined him on the advertising board. 

AdvertisementGetty Garnacho emulated Ronaldo

Before approaching the sideline and sitting on the advertising board, Garnacho had pointed towards the ground to celebrate his maiden Chelsea goal. Football fans have seen such a celebration performed by legendary Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo on numerous occasions in the past. Garnacho has been a lifelong fan of Ronaldo and he has often gone public to show his admiration of the Al-Nassr star. He even shared a dressing room with Ronaldo briefly in the 2022-23 campaign at Old Trafford. 

Why did Garnacho leave Man Utd?

After being put in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' in the summer, Garnacho was determined to exit Old Trafford for a new experience elsewhere. He had a fallout with coach Amorim last season, which eventually cleared his way out of the club. The Blues signed him for £40m ($54m) from the Red Devils in the summer, but until Saturday, Garnacho had failed to live up to the expectations.

Following his departure from Manchester, Garnacho recently opened up about his journey with United, as he told TNT Sports: "I’ve got nothing bad to say about my old club Manchester United, just bad moments in life. I’m very happy to be here now, play in this competition and get three points today.

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AFPChelsea aim for three points

Garnacho did hand Chelsea an early lead but they blew off the advantage within 18 minutes as Wilson Isidor restored parity in the match. Maresca will now have to rethink his tactics and take a more attacking approach in the second half to walk away with crucial three points. 

After the Sunderland clash at home, the Blues are scheduled to take on Wolves in a Carabao Cup encounter on Wednesday before meeting Tottenham Hotspur in a key Premier League fixture on November 1.

Fast bowler confident he’s ready for Test comeback after coming through Sussex return unscathed

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2025Jofra Archer says that the mental challenge of returning to four-day cricket after a four-year absence has been a bigger issue than the physical toil. However, he is confident that his body will be ready for Test cricket if he gets the call-up later this summer.Speaking to Sussex Cricket at Chester-le-Street after the second day’s play, where he had dismissed Emilio Gay lbw for his first first-class wicket for 1,501 days, Archer admitted the experience had been “mentally tough” on a surface that offered very little lateral movement for the bowlers.”I’m glad to just finish a day of four-day cricket,” he said. “Last time I played [against Kent at Hove in May 2021], I just made it to tea, so I’m glad to go all the way today.”When the scoreboard got to 50 overs, I was, like, ‘Jesus, time to come off now!'” he joked. “But it wasn’t too bad. Doing it session-by-session was okay, but the pitch didn’t do much.”Today could have been the longest day I’ve ever had, and not because it’s red-ball cricket,” he added. “I’ve been in the field for two-and-a-half days before, and it still didn’t feel as long as today. When the ball is moving, and you’re getting something off the pitch, it feels a bit more exciting.”However, crucially for Archer’s hopes of getting back into the Test team – for whom he last featured on the tour of India in 2020-21 – his body has so far shown no reaction to the added toil of red-ball cricket.”It felt all right today,” he said. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”There have been no restrictions on this game,” he added, when asked if the ECB had requested that he limit his workload. “Whatever I did, I did. Obviously there can’t be a limit if you’re looking at a Test match. They were in the field for a day-and-a-half [in the first Test at Headingley].Related

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“You can’t have restrictions if you’re potentially going to go in. You put your body through as much pressure, safely, as possible, to put yourself in the best position.”Archer’s return to action this summer was delayed by an injured right thumb that he sustained during the IPL. However, he classified that setback alongside the freak glass cut he received from a broken fishtank back in 2021, calling it more of an “accident than an injury” compared to the career-threatening elbow and back fractures that have chequered his recent career.”If you get cut in the kitchen with a knife, no-one’s going to call it an injury,” he said. “It’s similar with my thumb. I just got hit while batting as we do all the time, but unfortunately it got fractured. If it was my left thumb I could have carried on and no-one would know but, because it was my bowling hand, I had to give it a bit of care.”But injuries are injuries. Nobody gets injured on purpose, no one knows when they will happen … it can be in the gym, or rehab, pre-hab, or whatever. If you’re supposed to get injured, there’s nothing you can do to get away from it.”Asked if he could ever have envisaged a return to first-class cricket during his long lay-off, Archer replied: “Back then, I didn’t have the choice because I didn’t think my body could hold up to it.”Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”

A furious Eddie Howe slammed the mentality of his Newcastle United players after a damning defeat to West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. The Magpies had a nightmare outing at the London Stadium as they gifted the Hammers their first home win in nine months. After the loss, Howe's side have now slipped to 13th place in the Premier League table, with just three wins from their first 10 matches.

A day to forget for Newcastle

The Magpies started the game on a bright note as Jacob Murphy put the visitors in front after just four minutes. The right-winger weaved in and out of the Hammers defence before striking hard into the bottom-left corner. But Newcastle could only hold onto their lead for half an hour as Lucas Paqueta, looking to lead West Ham to safety, curled an effort from distance past the diving Nick Pope. Ten minutes later, an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cutback was turned into his own net by Sven Botman to give the hosts the lead. Newcastle pushed, but were unable to find a way back into the game and Tomas Soucek bundled home in injury time to seal the three points.

It was the Magpies' fourth defeat of the season, as it left them struggling in 13th in the league table with just three wins from their first 10 league games. Star forward Anthony Gordon drew a lot of criticism as his Premier League goal drought extended to 19 matches.

AdvertisementAFPHowe tears into Newcastle players

Speaking to reporters about his team's performance after the game, a frustrated Howe said: "The dynamism wasn't there. The physicality and the energy were missing. We scored early and could have grabbed hold of the game but we didn’t and let it slip away. It didn't look like a Newcastle team that we've seen in recent seasons. The body language, the collective spirit on the pitch, loads of little things weren’t there. It was a by-product of us just not being where we needed to be mentally."

On subbing off stars like Gordon and Nick Woltemade, the English coach added: "I could have taken anyone off. That is a reflection of where we were at that stage of the game. It is very rare for me to feel that way. I don't think I have since I have been Newcastle manager."

West Ham relieved after regisering first home win in nine months

Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo was happy to gift the West Ham fans the victory over the Magpies, as the Portuguese coach said: "I think the fans saw something in the team today. This is what we want. How can we as a team show to our fans that we want to fight and we want to change the situation."

He added: "The players are realising that winning in the Premier League, we have to work very hard. We will do it again. The win makes it easier, there are smiles and the legs feel easier. We see slight improvements on the pitch. We have to create a platform on the pitch."

Captain Jarrod Bowen told Sky Sports: "It’s obviously been a difficult period. But when I’ve spoke to the lads, [I’ve said] we’re the only ones who change it. When mine [my shot] hit the post… sometimes you think ‘Is our luck going to change?’ But we stuck at it and we went on to get a comfortable win. Yes, it’s been frustrating. But we have so much potential in this squad, and I’ve told the team, it’s up to us to go out and show it."

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Getty Images SportNewcastle aim for comeback in Europe

Newcastle's players will now shift focus to Europe and aim to get back to winning ways after the disappointing away defeat against West Ham. In the Champions League, Howe's men have registered back-to-back wins after going down against Barcelona in their opening game. They next host Athletic Club at St James' Park on Wednesday before facing Brentford in a Premier League clash on November 9, their final game before the international break.

One of the most exciting talents on Leeds United’s books right now is certainly Harry Gray. The 17-year-old centre-forward comes from a long line of Leeds players.

You can trace that back as recently as his brother Archie, who now plays for Tottenham Hotspur, and his grandfather, Eddie, a Leeds legend.

The England under-17 striker is an excellent talent. He’s shone for Leeds’ academy this season, with four goals in four Premier League 2 games, impressive in itself but even more so given he’s playing four years up.

Last season, Gray – who recently put pen to paper on a new deal in Yorkshire – was given his first-team debut by Daniel Farke, although he has not had that opportunity this term.

That might be due to Farke’s reliance on experienced players.

Farke’s reliance on experience over youth

Whilst the Leeds manager gave the youngest Gray brother his first taste of senior football at the end of last season, he isn’t one to turn to youth players a lot.

In fact, when he played former academy star Archie Gray 52 times in 2023/24, that was certainly more of an outlier.

This season, in Leeds’ battle for Premier League survival, Farke has relied on a more experienced group of players. The Whites have the seventh-highest average age in the top flight in 2025/26, at 27.1 years old, according to FBref.

There is only one player under 25 who has made an appearance this season, namely Wilfried Gnonto, who is 21 years of age.

In theory, that experience should certainly help the West Yorkshire outfit in the top flight.

Some players have years of Premier League football under their belt.

Yet, Leeds are just three points above the relegation zone, and things are not really working out for Farke’s experienced squad this season.

Perhaps it is time to take a punt on someone younger, like Gnonto or Gray.

Well, if recent reports are to be believed, Farke could soon be out of a job and replaced with someone who trusts the youngsters.

Why Leeds could benefit from a change of manager

There have been reports this week which have tipped the Whites to replace Farke with Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior. Whilst former Leeds star Aidy White says that the appointment would be a “huge gamble,” there are plenty of merits to the move.

Firstly, the former Hull City manager has an impressive record in Ligue 1. He’s coached 42 top-flight games in France, winning 21, drawing ten and losing the other 11.

His average of 1.74 points per game is a real standout and a testament to his ability to churn out results.

Games

42

Wins

21

Draws

10

Losses

11

Goals for/against

73/54

Points won

73

Average points per game

1.74

The London-born manager is certainly a highly rated coach. Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley said he is “one of the best emerging British coaches,” which he proved during his time in the Championship with Hull.

He guided the Tigers to seventh in 2023/24, including fantastic performances like this. His side narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rosenior try and bed the younger players into the first-team fold at Leeds. He is known for trusting those with less experience, as showcased in the average ages of his squad at Strasbourg this season.

The French side have comfortably got the youngest squad in Ligue 1, fielding a side with an average age of just 21.6 years old. However, this is not an anomaly.

The situation at Hull was the same. In his only full year on Humberside, his squad was the joint sixth youngest, with an average age of 25.4.

It is easy to see why Rosenior could be the perfect head coach for someone like Gray. The homegrown star is a talented youngster who is putting up some excellent performances in the academy.

A coach like Rosenior, who values the academy players and the breakthrough stars, could well give him a chance to shine at senior level.

Manager Focus

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If Farke is removed from his post, the Strasbourg boss could be the dream man to take charge and really shake things up at Elland Road.

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ByJoe Nuttall Oct 23, 2025

Ashes rivals take two wickets each to seal five-overs-a-side contest

ECB Reporters Network via Rothesay05-Jul-2025Lancashire 55 for 2 (Lamb 21) beat Essex 47 for 7 (Cross 2-9, King 2-17) by eight wickets (DLS)Ashes rivals Kate Cross and Alana King equally shared four wickets to set Lancashire Thunder up for a convincing rain-affected Vitality Blast win over Essex Eagles at Emirates Old Trafford, keeping their Finals Day hopes alive.England seamer Cross and Australia legspinner King struck twice apiece in the space of 10 legitimate balls in the sixth and seventh overs of what turned out to be an eight-over Essex innings as they slipped to 38 for six and later totalled 47 for seven.A two-hour rain delay ravaged a fixture which both sides realistically needed to win to maintain hopes of a top-three finish, and it was Thunder who claimed the five points as they reeled in a revised 52-target in six overs thanks largely to opener Emma Lamb’s 21 off 17 balls.Thunder’s fourth win in nine games – this by eight wickets on DLS – means they leapfrog Essex into fifth place and are now 11 points behind third-placed Bears with five games left. Thunder face them in a crunch clash here tomorrow afternoon.Essex, meanwhile, lost for the sixth time in nine and have a mountain to climb.Thunder, who importantly won the toss and elected to bowl first, made a fast start with the ball either side of the two-hour delay from just after 11.20am.First of all, Essex reached 24 for two after five overs.Seamer Phoebe Graham was making her first competitive appearance of the summer for Thunder, and she struck in the fourth over when she uprooted the leg-stump off Lissy MacLeod as she aimed a heave across the line.Left-arm swing bowler Tara Norris then had the other Essex opener Lauren Winfield-Hill well caught low down at cover by Ailsa Lister following a miscue in the next. Only four more balls were bowled before play was halted.Then, upon the resumption, with an eight-overs per side game now in motion, Thunder struck four times in the first 10 legitimate balls back to all but end any realistic chance Essex had of winning, the visitors crumbling to 38 for six.King had compatriot Maddie Penna well caught low down at square-leg by Lister off a full toss before getting Cordelia Griffith caught behind cutting later in the sixth over.In the seventh, Cross uprooted Jo Gardner’s off-stump and had an attacking Eva Gray caught behind.Amara Carr was then run out off the final ball of the innings. Opener Winfield-Hill was the only Essex batter to reach double figures with 13.Eve Jones set Thunder on their way in the chase with an eye-catching straight driven boundary off Esmae MacGregor’s seam before dragging Gray’s seam to midwicket on 17 – 29 for one in the fourth.England’s Lamb hit three leg-side boundaries before being run out with only four runs required.While the Red Rose host the Bears tomorrow (1pm), Essex face league leaders Surrey at The Kia Oval (midday).

Thomas Tuchel’s assistant coach Anthony Barry has explained why he believes England can and will win the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer. Barry praised the character of the Three Lions squad and claimed that this England side had both the talent and mental fortitude to lift the trophy for the first time since 1966.

Barry and Tuchel form strong pair

Barry and Tuchel have worked together on a number of occasions previously, before the pair agreed to take the reins after Gareth Southgate’s long spell at the helm and Lee Carsley’s interim time in charge. The former lower-league midfielder has been at the German’s side at both Bayern Munich and Chelsea, and when Tuchel agreed to take charge of the Three Lions, Barry was the obvious choice to partner him in the Wembley dugout.

As per a report in The Times, FA technical director John McDermott knew that Barry was the right fit to take the England assistant role, and the 39-year-old quickly agreed to the position, excited at the prospect of not just returning home, but also to oversee a talented crop of players at the next World Cup.

The assistant has shared why he is confident in his players and, having already secured qualification to the game’s biggest tournament, can start to look ahead to just how they can become World Champions in New Jersey next July.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBarry's blueprint for success

Speaking to , Barry explained that “it is a huge privilege” to work with the English national team, but the real enjoyment comes in working with this generation of England players. The assistant said that he and Tuchel spent an afternoon in a cafe in Munich detailing how they would help bring a “second star to England”.

On that meeting, Barry said: “You start to do analysis. Okay, what’s the squad? What’s the mission? Pretty quickly we had the feeling that [winning the World Cup] is something we could do with this not only level of player but, we thought, character of player. We thought there were some real lads in the squad.

“We have 360-degree profiling of all the players, psychological, technical, tactical, physical, and we don’t view them just as individual players but how they interact: how will this player psychologically affect this player, can he play with him tactically.”

He continued to share that they have psychologists and scoring systems that help the coaches measure body language, behaviour, inter-squad interaction, and the manner in which players share information with others. This analysis also allows the coaches to understand when an individual requires further support.

An 'impossible' task

According to Barry, building the right environment is just as, if not more, important as being tactically impressive. Given the short windows in which the England coaching staff will work with their players, the assistant admitted it is difficult to implement a playing style akin to a free-flowing Barcelona or Manchester City.

“In international football, you will never create a team on the field that can play the way the Barcelona of old or the recent Man City did, it’s simply impossible,” he explained. “But if you can create a brotherhood, a connection, an energy between each other, then that’s the petrol in the car. When I worked at Chelsea, I could tell by the players walking out the door [for international duty] who was going to win. I could tell, because they wanted to go.”

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gettySerbia and Albania provide chance to build

England have games against Serbia and Albania on Thursday and Sunday next week, two tests which provide Tuchel’s team an opportunity to keep building towards the World Cup. The England boss will have to cope without Marc Guehi, who has established himself as a key part of the Three Lions’ defence, after the centre-half was ruled out with bruising to the bone in his foot.

Jude Bellingham also returns to the England squad for the first time since being ruled out with a shoulder injury and could look to force his way back into the starting line-up for these final World Cup qualifiers.