Tag Futebol

Are Rangers heading in the right direction?

On Sunday, Danny Röhl’s perfect start to life in the Premiership continued, making it three league wins out of three, with goals from Nicolas Raskin, Mikey Moore and then Djeidi Gassama downing Dundee at Dens.

Despite this, the Gers remain fourth in the table, level on points with Hibs, five points below fierce rivals Celtic and a whopping 12 adrift surprise leaders Hearts.

Goals though remain a problem for this team, having bagged only 15 in 11 Premiership outings to date, netting just 31 times in 24 fixtures across all competitions, with Sunday only the fourth time they’ve scored three or more in a match, despite doing so on 21 occasions last season.

Strikers Danilo, Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti continue to be, at best, inconsistent, but could Rangers’ youngster with “huge potential” solve this attacking issue?

Rangers' recent loan stars

While Rangers’ recent recruit has rightly come under scrutiny, with serious questions being asked of sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the club remain excellent in one particular area; identifying attackers on loan.

In the last four seasons, Rangers have signed a high-quality attacker on loan each time, as the table below documents.

Selected Rangers loan signings (2021-25)

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Václav Černý (24/25)

52

18

9

Abdallah Sima (23/24)

39

16

2

Malik Tillman (22/23)

43

12

5

Amad Diallo (21/22)

13

3

Zero

All stats via Transfermarkt

As the table highlights, in each of the last four seasons, Rangers have brought in a high-class attacker on a season-long loan.

Amad is probably the outlier on this list, making little impact during his six months in Glasgow, albeit he’s since become a key figure for Rúben Amorim at Manchester United.

Since, Malik Tillman, Abdallah Sima and Václav Černý have all registered at least 17 combined goals and assists during one season at Ibrox, with the latter the most productive of the lot, starring during a season on loan from Wolfsburg, a major loss having joined Beşiktaş instead of returning this summer.

Now, could a current member of the Rangers squad keep the streak of outstanding attackers on loan going?

Rangers' latest loan star

Of course, the entire Rangers team has improved since Röhl replaced Russell Martin last month, an admittedly low bar, but the player who has thrived the most is Mikey Moore.

The teenager scored his first goal for the club at Dens on Sunday, doubling the Gers lead with this strike which flew into Jon McCracken’s bottom corner.

Even before opening his account, the Englishman had looked sharper since Röhl’s arrival in Glasgow.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ Coverage, Chris Sutton asserted that he is “flourishing” into his full potential under Röhl, while James McFadden notes that he is enjoying a lot more freedom with the German coach at the helm, forecasting that he will only continue to get better in the coming weeks.

When the 18-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in August, he did so with a massive reputation for someone who had only played 815 minutes at senior level.

Upon joining, then manager Martin praised his “huge potential”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him “the English Neymar”.

Despite his slow start to life at Ibrox, only two Rangers players, namely Gassama and Thelo Aasgard, have registered more successful dribbles on a per 90 basis in the Premiership, early signs that he is ready to make a significant impact.

As already alluded to, scoring goals is one of this team’s primary issues.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier, Gassama, Danilo and youngster Findlay Curtis have bagged more than two goals thus far, with that strike against Dundee the first of Moore’s campaign.

Thus, there is a spot up for grabs for the 18-year-old to take responsibility and become a truly integral figure in this team’s attack, following in the footsteps of Sima, Tillman and Černý, the other high-class loan attackers who have come before.

Related Move over Moore: Rangers star proved why he's their "best player" vs Dundee

Rangers demolished Dundee 3-0 at Dens on Sunday and Danny Röhl’s “sensational” star was as key as Mikey Moore in this Scottish Premiership victory.

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 9, 2025

أعلنت اللجنة المنظمة لجوائز جلوب سوكر 2025 عن فتح باب التصويت للمرشحين في النسخة السادسة عشر من الحفل، الذي يمنح جوائز في 15 فئة رئيسية، من بينها 9 فئات مفتوحة أمام تصويت الجمهور.

ومن المقرر أن تُقام مراسم الحفل يوم الأحد 28 ديسمبر في فندق “أتلانتس ذا رويال” بمدينة دبي الإماراتية، على أن تستمر عملية تصويت الجماهير حتى 27 نوفمبر.

فيما تنطلق الجولة الثانية لتحديد الفائزين بين 3 و11 ديسمبر، حيث يتم الاعتماد على تصويت الجمهور إلى جانب لجنة التحكيم الخاصة بالجوائز.

وفي نسخة هذا العام، يتصدر النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، قائد النصر السعودي، قائمة المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في الشرق الأوسط، في وقت يتنافس فيه 7 نجوم على الجائزة ضمن حفل جوائز جلوب سوكر.

طالع أيضًا | المرشحون لجائزة أفضل مهاجم في العالم من جلوب سوكر 2025.. موقف محمد صلاح المرشحون لجائزة أفضل لاعب في الشرق الأوسط من جلوب سوكر 2025

كريستيانو رونالدو – النصر السعودي

كريم بنزيما – الاتحاد السعودي

سالم الدوسري – الهلال السعودي

رياض محرز – الأهلي السعودي

روبيرتو فيرمينو – الأهلي السعودي

نجولو كانتي – الاتحاد السعودي

إيفان توني – الأهلي السعودي

Teenager Ben Mayes gave a glimpse into the future with a match-winning 62 not out as Hampshire kept Metro Bank One-Day Cup men’s competition progression in their own hands.England Under-19 star Mayes, just 17, mesmerised with a catalogue of power, guile and switch hits for his second List A fifty.Mayes put on 111 in 72 balls with James Fuller (54 off 39) to take Hampshire to their fifth win in the competition, after fifties for Fletcha Middleton and Ben Brown.Derbyshire Falcons had been in control after posting 339 thanks to 98 for Caleb Jewell and 76 for Brooke Guest but they were eliminated from the One-Day Cup, and are still yet to win a List A match at Utilita Bowl in seven attempts.Hampshire now know a final fixture win over Gloucestershire will see them into the knockout stage for a fourth straight season.Mayes and Fuller had joined at 206 for five, with Derbyshire boasting a tight grip on the match.Ali Orr and competition top-scorer Nick Gubbins had leaned into the chase with relish, finding boundaries with glee to put on 55 in the first seven overs.But fell in quick succession to Aitchison. Gubbins ended a 257 run, across three innings, without being dismissed when he was bowled and two overs later Orr chopped on.Middleton and Brendon McMullen straightened things back out with a flowing 66-run stand, but McMullen tamely chipping back to Joe Hawkins, drew the Falcons back to favourites.Middleton and Brown both posted their first fifties in the One-Day Cup but neither kicked on but just as Hampshire’s hopes were fading, their wonderkid arrived at the crease.Having scored four off his first 11 balls, he got moving with a cut boundary before a ludicrous reverse paddle found his groove.Mayes scored a fifty on his debut against Glamorgan to stick his name in the limelight, and played off that with a masterclass of modern shot-making. His second half-century came in 39 balls.At the other end, Fuller used brute power to clear the ropes four times in his 38-ball fifty before he was caught and bowled by Hawkins and Felix Organ was bowled.Andrew Neal took out the jitters by middling through midwicket as the hosts took the four points with five balls to spare.Derbyshire were given the first go on a batting paradise, and despite Kyle Abbott’s miserly opening spell, found runs flowed easily throughout.Jewell was the sparkle in the innings as he lusciously and repeatedly drove through the covers during a 99-run stand with former Hampshire batter Harry Came.It was just the start of a series of bulky partnerships that underpinned the visitor’s hefty 339 – stands of 46, 44, 94 and 39 all delivered in quick time.Wickets came in decade intervals, and when they did it often required either magic, or batter error.In the former category, Came was sensationally caught at midwicket by Nick Gubbins and Matt Montgomery had his off-stump glanced by an Abbott pearler,Jewell looked on course for a second century in the competition as he strode through 400 runs in the One-Day Cup.But having been fluently batting at a strike-rate around 120, he slowed up with the milestone in sight, and on 98 he missed a paddle sweep and was bowled by Felix Organ.Brooke Guest and Martin Andersson regained the sweet-striking momentum, the latter with an excellent eighth List A fifty but for the eighth time he couldn’t convert.Any chance of Derbyshire flittering at the end of their innings was kyboshed by Amrit Singh Basra – with 90 runs coming off the last 10 overs. The SACA graduate who signed a two-year contract this week showed off his range of shots in a breathless 15-ball 34 – but it wasn’t to be enough.

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

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

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.

Leeds star was their best signing since Raphinha, now he's on borrowed time

This Leeds star has fallen out of favour this season under Daniel Farke.

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 23, 2025

When asked whether Manchester United had seen the best of him yet, £74m man Benjamin Sesko had the perfect response – “there’s loads to come”.

Speaking after netting his first Old Trafford goal in the Premier League win over Sunderland prior to the international break, the Slovenian striker didn’t appear to be getting carried away, despite having scored in two games in succession.

And rightly so, considering the nature of his price tag, with the ex-RB Leipzig sensation still having plenty to prove following his summer arrival from Germany, albeit with the recent signs having certainly been more promising.

Amid a post-Sir Alex Ferguson era that has been littered with short-term, problematic fixes in that centre-forward berth, alongside expensive gambles such as Rasmus Hojlund, the Red Devils simply need Sesko to deliver the goods over the next few years.

Thankfully, there is at least a new wave of talent brewing in the academy to potentially rival the 22-year-old moving forward, with the club’s new number nine in waiting already shining at Carrington.

Ranking Man Utd's best No.9's of the Premier League era

While it may not carry the same weight as United’s famed number seven, there is still a level of pressure and scrutiny that comes with being the club’s number nine – a jersey that started the Premier League era in the hands of cult hero, Brian McClair.

The selfless Scotsman – who scored 101 goals in all competitions during his 11-year stay at the Theatre of Dreams – notably relinquished that status to marquee signing, Andy Cole in 1995, following the free-scoring Englishman’s arrival from Newcastle United.

In truth, it is hard to look past Cole as the best of the lot, with the one-time Arsenal man memorably forging that partnership with Dwight Yorke, helping to spearhead Alex Ferguson’s side to treble glory in 1999.

The successor to Cole then came a few years after his 2001 exit, in the form of Louis Saha, with the Frenchman lauded by Gary Neville as among the most underrated players in Premier League history, having previously “destroyed” him during his Fulham days.

Craven Cottage would prove to be the destination for United’s next number nine, Dimitar Berbatov, with the fleet-footed Bulgarian eventually departing for west London in 2012, following four fruitful years in Manchester that included claiming the Golden Boot in 2010/11.

The less said about the next recipient, Radamel Falcao, the better, considering his forgotten, one-season stint, while Anthony Martial’s two spells with the jersey showcased a mix of genius but also frustrating inconsistency.

The Frenchman had seen that status initially removed in 2016 following the statement signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the enigmatic Swede scoring 28 times during his solitary full campaign in red, despite having arrived at the age of 34.

Romelu Lukaku, by contrast, didn’t quite live up to the billing, departing after just two turbulent years that did at least yield 42 goals in 96 games, before the number nine returned to Martial.

The most recipient was of course Hojlund, who initially arrived as the new number 11, although last term saw the Dane score just ten times in all competitions, before being shipped off to Napoli.

1 – Andy Cole

2 – Dimitar Berbatov

3 – Louis Saha

4 – Brian McClair

5 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic

6 – Anthony Martial

7 – Romelu Lukaku

8 – Rasmus Hojlund

9 – Radamel Falcao

Sesko, hopefully, will far exceed Hojlund’s impact in Manchester, although he might not be the future number nine…

Man Utd's next number nine in waiting

Having arrived with Hojlund still on the books, Sesko unsurprisingly opted for the vacant number 30 shirt, having previously worn it for both Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg during his stints in Germany and Austria.

With number 11 also what the new United man wears for his country, perhaps he is gunning for Joshua Zirkzee’s jersey instead, rather than the now vacant number nine.

Perhaps, if things go to plan, the successor to Hojlund could well emerge in the form of academy sensation, Chido Obi, with the 17-year-old having already made a fine impact at Carrington since his arrival from Arsenal last summer.

Described as a “goalscoring machine” at the Gunners’ Hale End academy by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Obi has translated such form to Manchester over the past 12 months or so, scoring 12 times in just ten U18 games, alongside netting five goals in 11 outings in the U21 setup, as per Transfermarkt.

Not set to turn 18 until next month, the teen marksman had previously scored 32 goals in just 21 recorded games for Arsenal’s U18s, with United having pulled off a real coup by prising him from their top-flight rivals.

While chances have yet to come at first team level this season, the Denmark U20 international did make eight senior appearances in 2024/25 under Amorim, namely producing a lively cameo in the FA Cup against Fulham.

On another day, the £4m-rated starlet – who has scored three goals so far this term – may well have walked away with a goal during that night at Old Trafford, having been denied from the angle by a fine save from Bernd Leno.

Subsequent appearances showcased that the raw forward still has plenty of work to do to establish himself in the senior side, although he did score twice against Hong Kong during the post-season tour.

Hopefully, with Hojlund out of the equation – and with Joshua Zirkzee looking more suited to a number ten berth – Obi can begin to challenge Sesko more directly in the months and years to come, with Amorim certainly needing competition at the top end of the pitch.

Currently the club’s number 32 – albeit while wearing the nine in the U21 ranks – the former Gunners gem will be pushing to secure a promotion in the years to come.

Considering his sky high potential, he looks destined to be United’s next number nine.

Man Utd already sold Hojlund 2.0 who's "one of the best ST's in the world"

Selling a striker who’s now flourishing in Serie A? Manchester United know all about that…

ByRobbie Walls Oct 15, 2025

قال آلان شيرر مهاجم نيوكاسل يونايتد السابق، إن زمن النجم المصري محمد صلاح سيعود، بعد البداية المخيبة للآمال للاعب المصري هذا الموسم.

وكان محمد صلاح يعد من ضن المرشحين للفوز بالكرة الذهبية لعام 2025، وقد أنهى النجم المصري فترة صيام كبيرة دون تسجيل، ليحرز هدفًا أمام برينتفورد أمس في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز، بعد أن جلس على مقاعد البدلاء أمام فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتوقع شيرر أن يتمكن محمد صلاح من استعادة أفضل مستوياته مع ليفربول في تصريحات نشرتها “ليفربول دوت كوم”: “أعتقد أن الموقف الأكبر الذي يتعين على سلوت التعامل معه هو إعادتهم لطريق الانتصارات في الدوري”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. إيكو: اعتراف روبرتسون بشأن أنانية محمد صلاح يلخص أزمة ليفربول

وأضاف: “عندما لا يلعب صلاح بشكل جيد، ولا يسجل أهدافاً ولا يحقق ليفربول النتائج المرجوة، فإنه يحق لأي مدرب مهما كان حجمه أن يبقيك خارج التشكيلة، وإذا استبعدك من الفريق وقدم أداء ونتيجة مبهرتين، فعليه اتخاذ قرار حاسم، إنه يمر بوقت عصيب، إنه لاعب مميز”.

وختم: “وقت محمد صلاح سيعود مجدداً، لا شك في ذلك، اللاعبون الجيدون لا يغيبون طويلاً، إنها الطريقة التي يمكنك من خلالها التغلب على ذلك وأنا متأكد أن صلاح سيتمكن من ذلك، فهو جيد جداً ولا يمكن لأحد أن يتجاهله”.

Chelsea are now ready to open agent talks to sign a “spectacular” forward, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Blues keen on new winger amid slow start for Gittens

Jamie Gittens arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £51.5m deal back in July, but it would be fair to say the winger has made a slow start to life in west London, having failed to record a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

After struggling against Brentford, touching the ball just 17 times, the 21-year-old has been rested for the last two matches, with Enzo Maresca opting not to call upon the left-winger at Old Trafford, despite the Blues trailing for most of the game.

Gittens still has plenty of time to prove himself ahead of the January transfer window, but the west Londoners have now set their sights on a new winger, who could push for a starting spot on the left-wing.

Chelsea now set to open talks to sign "baller", Maresca thinks he's ideal

The Blues are planning to enter discussions to sign a new midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Sep 21, 2025

That is according to a report from Bianconera News (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have ‘come knocking’ for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United also keen.

Such is the Blues’ level of interest, they are now ready to open talks with his agents over a deal, but it could be difficult to prise Yildaz away from Juventus, given that the Italian club are reluctant to sanction a departure, and have started working on a new contract.

The report doesn’t state how much the Serie A side are looking to receive, but it may take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with Maresca’s side having a £61m offer knocked back during the summer transfer window.

"Spectacular" Yildiz could be Gittens upgrade

The 20-year-old has made a flying start to the new Serie A campaign, picking up four goal contributions in his opening four games, while also finding the back of the net against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also lauded the youngster for his ability to make “spectacular solo runs”, and he has outperformed Gittens across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

Average per 90

Jamie Gittens

Kenan Yildiz

Assists

0.10

0.21

Progressive passes

4.36

3.47

Shot-creating actions

4.36

2.04

As such, Yildiz could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, but it may take a huge offer to get a deal done, given that a £61m bid was knocked back during the summer, and the Turk is yet to prove himself over a long enough time period to justify paying that sort of fee.

Fair to say, this season has not gone quite to plan for Glasgow Rangers and in particular, new Gers boss Russell Martin.

Last time out, Rangers played out statistically the most boring Glasgow derby of all time, the two fierce rivals accumulating a combined xG of just 0.31 at Ibrox.

This means, for the first time since 1983, the Light Blues have failed to win any of their opening four fixtures in a Premiership campaign, having previously played out 1-1 draws with Motherwell, Dundee and then St Mirren.

Scoring goals has certainly proved to be one of the many key issues Martin has faced as Rangers boss, with a lot of attacking talent departing Govan this summer, but could one of his summer signings ultimately solve this issue and turn out to be the new Václav Černý?

Václav Černý's importance at Rangers

Last season, across 58 matches in all competitions, Rangers scored a total of 115 goals.

Well, their top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Cerny and Hamza Igamane, contributed 63 of these goals (55%), but the trio have all departed during the summer.

Dessers was sold to Panathinaikos for £3.5m on deadline day, Igamane joined Lille for around £10.4m a few days earlier, while Černý did not return, following the expiration of his loan from Wolfsburg.

Instead, the Czechia international joined Beşiktaş for around £6m, but, considering the İstanbul-based giants failed to qualify for the league phase of any European competition, while Rangers are back in the Europa League, supporters may feel aggrieved that he isn’t heading back to Ibrox.

The table below underlines Černý’s importance last season.

Goals

18

2nd

Assists

6

4th

UEL goals

6

1st

Shots

136

1st

Big chances created

9

4th

Shot-creating actions

42

1st

Goal-creating actions

5

2nd

Progressive carries

40

1st

Key passes

14

2nd

Average SofaScore rating

7.40

2nd

As the table documents, Černý was a pivotal figure at Rangers last season, his six goals in the Europa League particularly noteworthy.

The 27-year-old took his tally to eight international goals on Friday night, bagging the second as Czechia beat Montenegro 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Podgorica, but could Rangers have unearthed a winger with even greater potential?

Rangers' Václav Černý​​​​​​​ upgrade

In a season that has so far produced very little for Rangers fans to cheer, the form of Djeidi Gassama has certainly been something to get excited about.

Chalkboard

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

The 22-year-old arrived in Glasgow for a reported fee of £2.2m, joining from crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, who are being completely run into the ground by wantaway owner Dejphon Chansiri, thereby sanctioning a fire sale of all the Owls’ assets.

Thus, it appears as though Rangers have taken advantage of the disastrous situation at Hillsborough and snapped up a bargain.

When he first arrived, manager Martin labelled Gassama “exciting”, adding that he will get fans “on the edge of their seats”, asserting that “he is on an upward trajectory… we look forward to seeing him in action.”

Well, the 21-year-old certainly made a good first impression, scoring four times during the early rounds of Champions League qualifying.

He spectacularly netted on his debut against Panathinaikos, also on target during the return leg in Athens eight nights later, before bagging a brace when Viktoria Plzeň was vanquished 3-0 at Ibrox in the third qualifying round.

As already outlined, what made Černý’s contribution so outstanding was his end product in European competition, something Gassama has already shown signs of being able to replicate.

In the Europa League league phase, the Gers will face: Genk (H), Sturm Graz (A), Brann (A), Roma (H), Braga (H), Ferencváros (A), Ludogorets Razgrad (H) and then Porto (A) on the final matchday.

Even when considering Rangers’ horrendous start to the season, there are certainly some winnable fixtures in that bunch so, if they’re to match last season’s run to the quarter-finals, or even better it, Gassama will be key to the Light Blues’ hopes.

The ex-Rangers striker who has scored 5x more goals than Miovski in 2025

This former Rangers centre-forward has enjoyed a terrific 2025 so far.

ByDan Emery Sep 5, 2025

Manchester City made it back-to-back WSL wins with an impressive 5-1 victory over in-form Tottenham at Brisbane Road on Friday evening. Goals from Aoba Fujino, Vivianne Miedema, Kerstin Casparij and Laura Coombs saw Andree Jeglertz’s side build on their win over Brighton on a night which was capped off by midfielder Grace Clinton also scoring on her debut for the club.

City flew out of the traps, deploying a ferocious high press which put Spurs goalkeeper Lize Kop – who was yet to concede in 2025-26 heading into the match – under all sorts of pressure.

Their early momentum was disrupted, though, when Lauren Hemp had to be taken off after picking up a suspected ankle injury in a challenge with Jess Naz.

But the visitors continued to dominate even without their star winger, and they took the lead through Fujino’s powerful drive after 23 minutes.

And City soon powered into a 3-0 lead after both Miedema and Casparij found the back of the net in an excellent four-minute spell before the interval.

Picking up from where they left off after the break, Khadija Shaw could have added a fourth from the spot but her penalty was well saved by Kop.

However City soon introduced summer signing Clinton and the 22-year-old rolled home her side's fourth with a well-taken finish.

It wasn’t quite the dream debut for Clinton, though, as she lost possession against her former club Spurs, who pulled a goal back through Olivia Holdt’s glorious long-range strike.

But there was enough time for City to add some extra gloss to the scoreline as Coombs came off the bench to fire past Kop and wrap up the three points.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Brisbane Road…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Khiara Keating (5/10):

  Her distribution was shaky at times, with one pass in particular being charged down by Spurs striker Cathinka Tandberg, which could have led to a goal.

  Gracie Prior (6/10):

  Solid with and without the ball, the defender posed a threat from set pieces as well.

  Alex Greenwood (7/10):

  Provided the assist for Miedema's header with a brilliant corner which was right on the money.

  Leila Ouahabi (7/10):

  Aggressive in her pressing, the Spain international epitomised how good City were without the ball.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Kerstin Casparij (8/10):

  The Netherlands international netted City's third before half time, and she was unlucky not to register a couple of assists in what was a fantastic performance.

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (7/10):

  Cool and composed, the 22-year-old was neat and tidy in possession and put a shift in defensively.

  Yui Hasegawa (7/10):

  Line-breaking passes from the middle, seemingly always in space down the left, she was superb no matter where she popped up.

  Lauren Hemp (5/10):

  The winger was forced off in the first half after picking up an injury when challenging Spurs' Naz.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Aoba Fujino (8/10):

  Floating just behind Shaw, she played a lovely one-two with the Jamaica star before unleashing a fantastic strike for City's opener. She also won the penalty for the visitors.

  Vivianne Miedema (8/10):

  Involved in the build up to Fujino's goal, she soon got on the scoresheet herself when she headed home from Greenwood's pinpoint corner.

  Khadija Shaw (7/10):

  Working hard out of possession, bringing her team-mates into play with lovely link-up play, the only thing missing was a goal but her second-half penalty was saved.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Subs & Manager

  Kerolin (8/10):

  Replacing Hemp in the first half, she was a constant threat down the left flank with her pace and trickery.

  Grace Clinton (6/10):

  Replaced Fujino for her debut and scored City's fourth with a well-taken finish. She lost possession for Spurs' goal, though.

  Jade Rose (6/10):

  Replaced captain Greenwood and was rarely tested as City dominated throughout.

  Laura Coombs (7/10):

  Came off the bench to score City's fifth with a lovely finish.

  Iman Beney (N/A):

  A late second-half substitute, she didn't have enough time to make a proper impact.

  Andree Jeglertz (8/10):

  The manager made just the one change from the Brighton win, bringing Fujino in for Beney, and it worked a treat.

Mohammed Siraj, who endured a difficult home season, where he only played four of their five Tests for a total of six wickets, is in Australia after a little bit of an epiphany.”I could feel that I wasn’t enjoying my bowling,” he said at the end of the tour game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on Sunday. “As a person I am someone who gets a different feeling when I’m enjoying my bowling, even if I’m not getting wickets. And now when I wasn’t getting wickets, I went a bit deep into why I wasn’t getting them. In India you know that spinners bowl most of the overs, so there it’s a little tough to get wickets in [the] five-six overs [you get as a fast bowler]. So I just became a bit upset about why I wasn’t getting wickets. But now I am having a lot of fun.”Even though its only been one match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Siraj is already closing in on his wickets tally over the last three months, having picked up five in Perth. He checked in with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun to help find his centre.Related

• Gambhir flies back to rejoin India Test squad in Australia

• On top down under: Siraj doesn't take baggage of home season to Australia

• 'I'm in a really good spot' – Boland prepares to take over Hazlewood's pink-ball duties

• KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal open, Shubman Gill fifty at No. 3 in warm-up

“I spoke with Bharat Arun sir, that this is what’s happening with me,” Siraj said. “Because he has known me for a while and he has seen my bowling from long time back. So he just told me to enjoy and not run after wickets. Just enjoy and you’ll get wickets. And before travelling, I met [fielding coach] Dilip sir in Hyderabad and we practiced together as well. So it felt good and now I’m enjoying.”Morne [Morkel, India’s current bowling coach] keeps telling me that ‘you are a warrior’. ‘You’ll get us wickets, but you just keep enjoying your bowling’.”Siraj looked in good rhythm in the practice game against the Prime Minister’s XI. It was his first game with the pink ball. Enabled by a rain break in between, he got through a seven-over first spell where he picked up the first wicket to fall. He finished with figures of 7-1-18-1, though he was certain he had Jack Clayton caught behind down the leg side, indulging in a celebrappeal but the deflection was off the thigh pad. He was happy to get time with the pink ball.”This [pink] ball has a synthetic feeling,” Siraj said. “This is different to the red ball we play with. There can be a bit of confusion due to the ball, but it’s just one match so we just have to focus on that and practice for it and we’ll improve day-by-day. The seam is very hard. It’s bright, and quite big. The more you practice with it, the better you get.Mohammed Siraj with the pink ball•AFP via Getty Images

“I think that with the pink ball, it’s better to bowl back of length. Because pitching it up, there’s not a lot of swing, so the more you hit the deck and get it to seam, it will be better for us.”I have heard that the ball swings a lot under the lights but I haven’t yet bowled with it under lights. So when we go to Adelaide and practice, we will try that. And the more practice we get, we’ll know more about what we have to do.”Jasprit Bumrah took the honours in Perth but Siraj and Harshit Rana, who took four wickets in six balls at the Manuka Oval bowling short-pitched deliveries, helped keep the pressure up from the other end and they will be looking to do that again in Adelaide with the series resuming next Friday with a day-night Test.”I always keep talking to Jassi [Bumrah],” Siraj said. “Even before the first match, I spoke with him about what I was going through. And he just told me one thing – don’t run after wickets, just keep bowling consistently in one area and enjoy your bowling. If you still don’t get wickets, then you come ask me. So I enjoyed my bowling and I got wickets as well.”Australia is a place where a fast bowler enjoys because you get pace and bounce. As a fast bowler, you get everything you want. So you get a different kind of confidence to come and enjoy your bowling here.”