Crystal Palace are now looking to sign an “absolutely incredible” attacking midfielder, who could be brought in as a replacement for Eberechi Eze, according to a report.

Tottenham reach agreement in principle to sign Eze

After the 27-year-old scored the winner in the FA Cup final, Palace were always going to find it difficult to keep hold of Eze this summer, and journalist Ben Jacobs has now revealed Tottenham Hotspur have made significant progress towards finalising a deal.

As such, one of the Eagles’ most important tasks before the September 1st deadline will be to bring in at least one new attacker, and there is certainly no shortage of options on the shortlist.

Player

Current club

G/A in 24/25

Bilal El Khannouss

Leicester City

8

Hwang Hee-chan

Wolves

3

Christos Tzolis

Club Brugge

37

Raheem Sterling

Chelsea

6

Tzolis is arguably the most exciting option on the shortlist, given the Greek forward’s attacking exploits in the 2024-25 campaign, albeit in a weaker league than the other targets.

However, according to a report from Caught Offside, Crystal Palace also have their eye on another Premier League attacker, namely West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta, who is now set to be available for around £30m – £40m this summer.

West Ham are now willing to cash-in on Paqueta, and they have dramatically dropped their asking price, having fielded offers of £80m at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Crystal Palace eyeing "clinical" £70,000-p/w Asian star as Eze replacement

The Eagles now look set to lose Eberechi Eze, with Tottenham Hotspur submitting a bid…

ByDominic Lund Aug 19, 2025

The Eagles view the Brazilian as a marquee signing, who could offset Eze’s departure, but there could be competition for his signature from some top clubs, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

Paqueta could be "incredible" Eze replacement

The 27-year-old has certainly caught the eye in the Premier League in the past, with ex-teammate Declan Rice lauding him as “absolutely incredible”, while David Moyes described the Brazil international as “fabulous”.

Since then, the maestro hasn’t exactly kicked on, scoring just four Premier League goals last season, but in fairness, the former Lyon man did have spot-fixing charges hanging over his head, which he has now been cleared of.

Graham Potter believes a weight has now been “lifted” off the West Ham star, which suggests he could have a new lease of life next season, and given that he specialises in attacking midfield, he could be a direct replacement for Eze.

With West Ham making a very poor start to the Premier League campaign, Paqueta could be tempted to leave this summer, and Palace should have the requisite funds to sign him once the deal to sell Eze is completed.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras está desfalcado de cinco titulares que estão com suas respectivas seleções disputando amistosos pelo mundo: Weverton, Rony e Raphael Veiga (Brasil), Piquerez (Uruguai) e Gustavo Gómez (Paraguai). Com isso, o técnico Abel Ferreira e a sua comissão terão ‘dor de cabeça’ para escalar a equipe titular para o confronto diante do Bahia que acontece nesta quarta-feira (21), já que provavelmente apenas o zagueiro paraguaio deve retornar para a partida válida pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, primeira pós-Data Fifa.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasBobadilla comenta titularidade e metas do Palmeiras visando conquista inédita do Brasileirão femininoPalmeiras16/06/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras vence Oeste em jogo-treino na Academia de Futebol durante pausa da Data FifaPalmeiras16/06/2023PalmeirasTécnico do Palmeiras, Abel Ferreira comemora marca de 100 mil livros vendidos: ‘Orgulho’Palmeiras16/06/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Dessa forma, o Verdão terá mudanças no 11 inicial para enfrentar o Tricolor de Aço. O goleiro Marcelo Lomba deve entrar no lugar de Weverton, enquanto Vanderlan ocupará a vaga do uruguaio Piquerez na lateral esquerda alviverde. Caso Gómez não retorne a tempo, o jovem Naves deve formar a dupla de zaga ao lado de Luan.

O grande mistério é em relação às vagas de Raphael Veiga e Rony, já que o treinador português vem intercalando diferentes jogadores quando os dois são ausências. Na última partida em que o meia foi desfalque, diante do Coritiba, pelo Brasileirão, Abel optou pela entrada de Luís Guilherme, o que pode se repetir nesta quarta. Jhon Jhon e Bruno Tabata também surgem como opções para o lugar do camisa 23.

continua após a publicidade

Já para a vaga de Rony, será necessária a entrada de um jogador que atua mais centralizado. Logo, caso siga seu esquema tático habitual, o técnico do Verdão deve optar por Endrick, Flaco López ou Rafael Navarro, já que todos ‘seguem’ a característica do camisa 10. Quando o atacante foi desfalque, Abel não seguiu um padrão de substituto imediato.

+ Jornalistas confirmam: Abel Ferreira sempre foi brigão e sofre com a pressão do futebol brasileiro

Palmeiras e Bahia se enfrentam nesta quarta (21), às 21h30 (de Brasília), em Salvador, pela décima primeira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Já classificado para as oitavas de final da Libertadores e e nas quartas da Copa do Brasil, o Verdão é o atual segundo colocado do Brasileirão com 22 pontos, sendo o único invicto após dez rodadas disputadas. A diferença para o líder Botafogo é de apenas dois pontos. 

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

Pakistan’s white-ball coach, who has worked with Bangladesh in the past, believes their seam stocks are strong

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Feb-2025Pakistan have, by far, the longer and more varied pace-bowling tradition. But don’t count out the Bangladesh bowlers on Thursday. It is not only the Bangladesh camp that is saying this. Pakistan’s white-ball coach Aaqib Javed, who has worked with Bangladesh quicks in the past, believes so too.Bangladesh have four big options. The tallest, fastest and youngest is Nahid Rana. They also have the experienced Taskin Ahmed, who has rejuvenated his game over the past several years. Mustafizur Rahman brings the left-arm angle and variety. And Tanzim Hasan has control and hustle. Javed is certainly not taking Bangladesh’s quicks lightly. They had already been good in Rawalpindi last year, though in a Test match. Taskin and Nahid had collectively taken nine wickets in a Bangladesh win.”I watched Bangladesh fast bowlers bowling against Pakistan here – and the way they bowled in West Indies – and I think they have very skilful fast bowlers,” Javed said. “Especially Nahid Rana. He’s got height, and he’s got pace. Taskin is a very skilful bowler. Another one is Mustafiz, who is very experienced, and he’s got all the varieties. I’m glad even the Bangladeshi fast bowlers are coming good.”Related

Pakistan and Bangladesh look – or hope – to sign off on a positive note

Aaqib Javed's post mortem: Lack of experience hurt Pakistan

This is likely the best seam-bowling unit Bangladesh have ever brought to a tournament, though their batters have scored too few runs to really give them a chance of imposing themselves. Perhaps, rain allowing, that can change on Thursday.In fact, given Jasprit Bumrah is almost inarguably the best white-ball bowler in the world (though he is not playing this tournament), and Sri Lanka also has a pace battery that runs deeper than ever (though they are not playing in this tournament), this is the closest thing to a fast-bowling golden age South Asia has ever had.Bangladesh assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin agreed that Bangladesh’s seam stocks were strong. Some of this is down to the country having switched to the Dukes ball in their first-class cricket over the last few seasons. The Dukes ball has a prouder seam that tends to last longer through the innings, which encourages fast bowling. Salahuddin was excited about the prospect of more Bangladesh quicks coming through the system into international cricket.”We now have plenty of fast bowlers in Bangladesh who can perform at the international level,” he said. “We have youngsters coming up too. It is a good sign that our fast bowlers can dominate teams in these flat tracks. I feel Taskin, Rana and Mustafiz is our best bowling attack. They are learning, but, hopefully, one day they will dominate world cricket.”Though Bangladesh, like Pakistan, have lost both matches so far and are out of the Champions Trophy, Salahuddin said there was plenty to be gained from the match.”It is definitely a dead rubber since there’s no consequence for either team. But we are here to play a tournament, and this is our last match, so we want to see the players do well,” he said. “We have plenty of room for improvement, so we don’t want to repeat the mistakes from the previous matches. I think every match is important for the players. It might be a turning point for a particular player or even our team. This might be the end of this tournament, but the players have a future ahead of them.”

غادرت بعثة فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي برئاسة الدكتور محمد شوقي عضو مجلس الإدارة، في رحلتها إلى بوروندي استعدادا لخوض مباراة إيجل نوار في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ومن المقرر أن تقام المباراة بين الأهلي وإيجل نوار، يوم السبت المقبل في ذهاب دور الـ32 لدوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار البوروندي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وكان الجهاز الإداري بالنادي قد سبق البعثة صباح اليوم إلى مطار القاهرة؛ لإنهاء كافة الترتيبات الخاصة بالسفر.

وتستغرق الرحلة من القاهرة حتى بوروندي قرابة 6 ساعات، وحرص وليد صلاح الدين مدير الكرة على ترتيب كافة الإجراءات الإدارية قبل السفر، والاطمئنان على الترتيبات الخاصة بالوصول والإقامة وملاعب التدريب وتهيئة الأجواء المناسبة للفريق وجهازه الفني. قائمة الأهلي لمباراة إيجل نوار في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي – مصطفى شوبير – محمد سيحا.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني – عمر كمال عبد الواحد – أحمد رمضان بيكهام – ياسر إبراهيم – ياسين مرعي – مصطفى العش – محمد شكري- أحمد عابدين.

خط الوسط: أليو ديانج – مروان عطية – محمد علي بن رمضان – أحمد نبيل كوكا – محمد عبد الله – محمد مجدي أفشة.

خط الهجوم: محمود حسن تريزيجيه – أحمد سيد زيزو – أشرف بن شرقي – طاهر محمد طاهر – أحمد عبد القادر – محمد شريف – نيتس جراديشار.

ويعد الأهلي هو النادي الأكثر فوزًا بـ لقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا لـ 12 مرة أعوام “1982، 1987، 2001، 2005، 2006، 2008، 2012، 2013، 2020، 2021، 2023، 2024.

 

 

Despite already welcoming Callum Wilson, West Ham United have now reportedly made contact to sign another striker target who’s keen on a move to the Premier League.

Hermansen: West Ham step "great" for career

Following a quiet start, West Ham’s summer is finally beginning to heat up. With around two weeks until deadline day arrives, the Hammers have now welcomed El Hadji Malick Diouf, Wilson, Kyle-Walker Peters, Daniel Cummings and, in their latest deal, Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen. The latter is a particularly impressive arrival and was full of anticipation after putting pen to paper.

Just how many of West Ham’s new arrivals feature in their opening day clash against Sunderland is now the big question. In a game against one of the three newly-promoted sides, the Hammers have the chance to lay down a marker against any potential relegation battle ahead of what needs to be a much improved campaign.

Most exciting player since Payet: West Ham now want to sign £20m "menace"

West Ham are looking to sign an attacker this summer

By
Joe Nuttall

Aug 14, 2025

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, the London club are still reportedly on the hunt for attacking reinforcements.

West Ham make contact to sign En-Nesyri

According to reports in Spain, West Ham have now opened talks to sign Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahce this summer. The Turkish club reportedly value their forward at more than €40m (£35m), with negotiations now underway between themselves and the Hammers.

Of course, it’s not the first time that En-Nesyri has found himself on West Ham’s radar. Before he completed a move to Fenerbahce last season, the 28-year-old was targeted by the London club during his time at Sevilla, who won the Europa League with the Moroccan leading the line.

Now, after just one year in Turkey, En-Nesyri could finally be on his way to the Premier League and the London Stadium. As the numbers highlight too, West Ham’s interest should come as no surprise.

League stats 24/25	En-Nesyri	Wilson
Minutes	2,001	370
Goals	20	0
Assists	4	0

Dubbed “exceptional” by Jose Mourinho, En-Nesyri is at the peak of his powers and would be an instant upgrade on an ageing, injury-prone Wilson.

For around £35m, the Fenerbahce star would prove to be an undeniable striker given how difficult it is to find 20-goal strikers at an affordable price in today’s market.

David Bedingham, intentionally or not, became the traditionalists’ hero last summer when he revealed he decided not to put his name in the SA20 draft so he could play Test cricket, specifically on South Africa’s tour to New Zealand. The SA20 was finishing as those Tests were starting and all South Africa’s first-choice players were contractually bound to stay behind for a T20 tournament still finding its feet. As expected, an under-strength Test side lost but Bedingham, with a defiant second innings century in the second Test, confirmed his reputation as a red-ball specialist.Fast-forward a few months, with schedule clashes out of the way and his spot in the Test side fairly secure, and Bedingham did enter the draft. He was picked up by defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, for what has been one of the biggest tests of his career. “I’m still trying to learn my trade in T20. I don’t think I’ve found the sweet spot yet,” he told ESPNcricinfo from Johannesburg, where Sunrisers will play the Eliminator against Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday. “Hopefully, the more I play, the better I’ll get and the more consistent I’ll get.”Perhaps, his role will become more defined. Bedingham started the campaign batting at No. 7 for Sunrisers and was promoted to opening in their third game, It took another match before he started to show glimpses of what he is capable of with a 20-ball 39 against Durban’s Super Giants. He has since also recorded two scores in the 40s which suggests he is most comfortable at the top. Indeed, of the 80 T20s Bedingham has played, he has batted in the top three in 53 of them.Related

• Batters find life tougher in the SA20, but is it all the pitches?

Almost half of his matches (38) have been for Durham, where he averages 21.47 and has a strike rate of 141.19. Those numbers probably best explain the struggles he has had between trying to make an impact and searching for consistency in the shortest format. “For me, it’s just trying to find the balance of attack and defence,” he said. “In this tournament, I’ve probably found it harder to attack, so that’s why I’ve probably leaned more to [have] a defensive mindset and then in previous tournaments, let’s say in the Blast or the CSA T20, I’ve probably attacked too much.”And that approach has earned him 200 runs from ten league games which put him second on Sunrisers’ run-getter’s list, behind Aiden Markram. That tells as much of a story about how much they have struggled as it does about who they have relied on in a campaign that started with three defeats and has since been revived despite the challenges.Playing for Sunrisers has been one of the biggest tests of David Bedingham’s career•SA20

“I’ve found it quite tough. But I also feel that the bowlers that we played against have been quite good as well, so it’s probably a combination of both,” he said. “But speaking to the guys that played the first two seasons, they’ve definitely said that the wickets have played a bit tougher. I’ve spoken to Russ(ell Domingo, Sunrisers’ batting coach) and he said that in India, and England, those types of countries are probably a lot easier to bat in the first six overs, whereas in South Africa, you probably have to be a bit more circumspect. So especially in this tournament where the wickets have played quite tough, I think those first six overs have been crucial. And I think a lot of the teams, including us, have probably struggled in those first six overs.”All told, this edition of the SA20 has seen the lowest run-rate of the league phase with an average powerplay score of 45.6. Sunrisers have averaged 38.1 in their powerplay. Their opening pair has the lowest average of 15.60, and the second least number of runs, but they’re still working on their batting blueprint, particularly Bedingham.”I’ve basically tried to just play one-day cricket in those first three or four overs,” Bedingham said. “Obviously, if we have wickets in hand, then you can maybe push the tempo a bit but I’ve either been out in the first couple overs or we’ve three or four wickets in the first three overs, so it’s been quite tough to kick on and try and hit quick runs. But in saying that we’re in the Eliminator, so hopefully we can start off well and win that game.”Sunrisers are the only team to have won the SA20, and they’ve done it twice under the same coach Adi Birrell and captain Markram and seemed to have mastered the recipe for success. Now, it’s just about whether all the ingredients can come together to do it again.

Now that the Alexander Isak debacle is over, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe can get to work and make headway throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

While PIF’s intent was always to keep the Sweden international on the books this summer, Newcastle, having won last year’s Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League with a fifth-place Premier League finish, his obstinacy in forcing his way out of St. James’ Park made it a tricky situation to circumvent.

Luckily, the Magpies have pulled through with some shrewd dealings over the past couple of months, and Howe will feel that he has a squad fit to challenge, having replaced Isak and Callum Wilson with two new strikers.

Newcastle's centre-forward changes

Isak scored 27 goals across all competitions last season, including 23 in the Premier League, putting him behind only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Replacing him was never going to be an easy task, but Howe must be content with the £50m addition of Yoane Wissa from Brentford, with the 28-year-old having posted 19 strikes across the 2024/25 campaign.

Wissa doesn’t have the depth of technical quality or range of weapons as Isak, but he should provide a consistent outlet in the final third.

And with Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade having also signed in a club-record £69m deal last month, Newcastle have the potential to refashion their frontline into something special.

Newcastle have signed one of the most exciting young forwards in world football, but the jury is very much out as to whether he will hit the ground running in the Premier League – not least after netting just 17 goals in 2024/25, only 12 of which came in the Bundesliga.

With Isak now gone, Howe may well rue the sale of another free-scoring Premier League forward a few years ago.

Newcastle must regret selling the original Wissa

Newcastle signed Chris Wood from Burnley in a £25m deal in January 2022, part of a shake-up after PIF swooped in and changed the Toon’s trajectory.

Where Are They Now

Like Wissa, the one-time Leeds United man was a relative short-term solution, having moved to St James’ at the age of 30.

Like Wissa too, Wood had more than proven his Premier League credentials prior to making the switch, arriving in the North East after reaching double figures for league goals in each of his four full top-flight campaigns at Turf Moor.

In all, the 6 foot 3 striker netted 49 goals in 144 games for the Clarets in the top tier, a remarkably similar record to Wissa’s own return of 45 goals in 137 league games back in west London.

Unfortunately, Wood subsequently looked “a bit lost” during his time at the club, as pundit Tam McManus remarked at the time, only scoring five goals across his 39 appearances.

However, Wood has bounced back and then some with the Tricky Trees, sensational last season as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side qualified for Europe.

His 20-goal return surpassed both Wissa and Woltemade’s respective hauls, and given the consistency of his output in the Premier League, Howe may well regret having issued his sale so prematurely.

25/26 (NFFC)

3

2 (0)

24/25 (NFFC)

36

20 (3)

23/24 (NFFC)

31

14 (1)

22/23 (NFFC)

7

1 (0)

21/22 (NUFC)

18

2 (0)

20/21 (NUFC

17

2 (0)

The towering talisman resurrected his career at the City Ground, but it goes to show that the quality was always there, and that he might have gone from strength to strength on Tyneside had he been given more time.

But the decision to sign Isak ended his chances of becoming a superstar in black and white.

Wood might be 33 now, but he’s showing little sign of slowing down, having bagged himself a brace on the opening day of the season as Forest beat Brentford 3-1.

Had he found his footing on Tyneside, the New Zealand native might have eased the drama of the past few months and then some, providing Howe’s side with a clinical outlet over these past few weeks, which have yielded little in terms of success in the final third.

As painful as Isak: Howe must regret selling "phenomenal" Newcastle talent

This former Newcastle star could have been a superstar in Eddie Howe’s system.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 2, 2025

Working alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham while remaining close to his Merseyside roots would be a serious "temptation" for Steven Gerrard, claims Pat Nevin. The Liverpool legend has been out of coaching since severing ties with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, but has left himself open to intriguing offers that could tempt him back into the dugout.

• Gerrard's coaching career: Highs and lows

  Gerrard enjoyed a productive start to life in management, as he guided Rangers to Scottish Premiership title glory – dethroning Old Firm rivals Celtic in the progress. His work at Ibrox earned the ex-England captain a return to the Premier League at Aston Villa. Gerrard lasted just 11 months and 40 games there before seeing his contract terminated in October 2022.

  He then joined the Saudi Arabian trend, following the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Middle East. More struggles were endured there, with victory being savoured in only 23 of his 59 games in charge of Al-Ettifaq. At that point, Gerrard decided to take a break.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  New documentary star: Wrexham rumours continue

  He has been out of work since January 2025 and may be ready for another football fix. It has been suggested that the 45-year-old would be among the contenders to take charge at Wrexham if record-breaking promotion winner Phil Parkinson were to be ushered through the exits in North Wales.

  Gerrard certainly boasts the global profile to fit the Red Dragons’ model, with collective ambition at SToK Racecourse meaning that Premier League football is the next target to be chased down. Another big name for the club’s award-winning documentary series would not go amiss, as Wrexham continue to build their brand on and off the field.

• Why Wrexham role would appeal to Gerrard

  Nevin, who represented the likes Everton, Chelsea and the Scotland national team in his playing days, told of a potential appointment in Wales that would cause quite a stir: "I have to say, Wrexham's a temptation for Steven Gerrard. With Wrexham, what's the downside of that? The expectations are minimal from most people in football. Maybe not from the owners, let's be fair.

  "But he could make that extra special. My eyebrows are raising at that one. I'm thinking, ‘Oh yeah, that could be good’. And of course, North West, Wrexham may have a wee understanding with Liverpool Football Club. I wouldn't be surprised at that one if that happened. Certainly from Stevie G’s point of view, that might be a temptation."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Disney box ticked: Gerrard at Wrexham makes sense

  Former Premier League striker Kevin Doyle has already said of Gerrard to Wrexham when speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest football betting: "Steven Gerrard has the American connection, having played in the MLS for LA Galaxy. He's a big name. On paper, you would imagine he'd be the type of manager they'd want for their story for Disney, which would be great for viewers.

  "But you wonder if their aim is to entertain or to stabilise the football club where they are now. They've come this far, and they should slowly build on that and not try to rush it in one season. In fairness to them, everything they've done so far has been brilliant, so give them credit for that. Wrexham wouldn't be where they are without them. So, just see what their next step is. It's interesting."

Arsenal will have spent near £300m once the summer transfer window ends at 7pm on Monday evening. Still, the Gunners’ luxurious new squad was not enough to fend off another of the market’s big spenders, Liverpool.

Truth be told, Arne Slot’s side were there for the taking. Mikel Arteta’s men enjoyed more of the ball in the first half and looked threatening, but could not make their advantage tell.

In the end, they were undone by a moment of magic. Arsenal played with the handbrake on and the Reds made them pay.

Last season you may well remember Declan Rice’s stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid. It’s hard to forget them. Well, Rice eat your heart out.

Dominic Szoboszlai stepped up and struck a beautiful free-kick over the ball and past David Raya with not long left on the clock.

What went wrong for Arsenal at Anfield

After winning on the Premier League’s opening weekend against Manchester United, much was made of Arsenal’s unbeaten run against the big teams.

Indeed, as the north Londoners headed to Merseyside on Sunday, they did so having not lost their last 22 games against the division’s traditional big six; Manchester City, Liverpool, Man United, Spurs and Chelsea.

Well, that record came to an end in disappointing fashion this weekend as Arsenal rather lost with a whimper.

The tone was set in the opening exchanges. William Saliba went down off the ball and went off, replaced by Cristhian Mosquera. To his credit, the summer signing did well, winning four of his five duels, according to Sofascore.

The performance stemmed from Arsenal’s attack. While Arteta may have a fantastic record against the biggest sides in English football, it’s becoming a regular occurrence now that they struggle to get out of second gear.

Barring the annihilation against Manchester City last season, very rarely have the Gunners managed to romp to victory.

Excusing that City game, it’s 11 matches since Arsenal scored more than twice in those ‘big-six’ fixtures. Fair enough against the best sides in the land, but it speaks volumes of a team who aren’t given much creative freedom or license.

Viktor Gyokeres, like he did against Manchester United, looked isolated up top and was devoid of much service. That’s hardly a surprise considering Arsenal started Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze on the bench. Also without Bukayo Saka, this one was always going to be a bit of a struggle.

Mikel Merino was chosen in the Odegaard role but despite scoring twice against Liverpool in 2024/25, he didn’t really turn up on this occasion, completing just 77% of his passes.

To his credit, Noni Madueke was probably the best player for the visitors. Handed an opportunity in his favoured role on the right-hand side, he regularly looked to make things happen.

He had three shots, the most of any Arsenal player and completed his one and only dribble. It’s a pity his partner on the opposite side of the pitch failed to show the same vigour.

The root of Arsenal's problems in attack

For the vast majority of this summer window, Arsenal supporters have had two cravings. One was for the club to sign a new striker and they did so by welcoming Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium.

The other desire was to see Andrea Berta sign a left winger. He’s semi-done that, welcoming Madueke and Eze into the fold.

It was Madueke who started on the left against Leeds United last week and it was Eze who finished Sunday’s clash in that role, substituted on with 20 minutes to go. The new signing was vibrant, certainly more so than the man he replaced, Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian is a puzzling talent. In 2022/23, he finished as the club’s joint-top scorer, registering 15 goals.

Since then, it has been an arduous few years for the wide player who has struggled to replicate that form. His performance against Liverpool showcased why he’s become a bit of a scapegoat in recent times.

Full of pace, Martinelli will always guarantee energy, but his lack of incisiveness in the final third completely killed Arsenal in the first half.

David Raya

6/10

Jurrien Timber

6/10

William Saliba

N/A

Gabriel

7/10

Riccardo Calafiori

6/10

Martin Zubimendi

6/10

Declan Rice

6/10

Mikel Merino

5/10

Noni Madueke

8/10

Gabriel Martinelli

3/10

Viktor Gyokeres

5/10

There were two moments in particular. One came in the opening exchanges when he found the chance to break through the centre of the pitch. Gyokeres looked to make two runs in behind but Martinelli didn’t get his head up. He eventually ran down a blind alley into the penalty area and lost the ball having failed to make up his mind over what to do with it.

The same happened slightly later in the half when he decided to hold the ball up rather than get after Szoboszlai who was playing out of position at right-back.

It said it all that the Hungarian, even before his showstopping goal, was on course to win the man of the match award.

Martinelli only lasted 70 minutes but he really should have been hooked sooner, having failed to have a single shot, manage one dribble or create a key pass.

Minutes played

70

Touches

15

Accurate passes

6/7 (86%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribble attempts

0

Crosses

0

Duels won

2

It was a really poor afternoon for the Brazil international who left the pitch after amassing just 15 touches, 40 fewer than goalkeeper David Raya.

As Arsenal podcaster and writer Phil Costa noted during the 90 minutes, he’s “so clunky and indecisive.” Is it any wonder the Gunners have moved to secure the services of Eze and Madueke this summer?

On this evidence, Martinelli should find himself back on the bench after the international break. Eze simply has to start when they face Nottingham Forest in two weeks.

Shades of Xhaka: Big-money target to sign for Arsenal in the next 24 hours

Arsenal could conclude their summer business with the signing of a player who’s like Granit Xhaka.

ByMatt Dawson Aug 31, 2025

Having already seen one bid rejected, Celtic are reportedly expected to submit a second offer to sign a Premier League midfielder ahead of Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Celtic take early advantage over Rangers

After just two games in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are already four points ahead of Rangers following the Gers’ two frustrating draws. Whilst Russell Martin’s side slipped up, the Bhoys defeated St. Mirren and Aberdeen with new signing Benjamin Nygren even netting his first goal for the club in the latter.

Only Hearts have matched the Scottish champions by winning both of their opening games, but Celtic will be hoping to pull away from any potential title rivals to continue their dominance under Brendan Rodgers this season.

After scoring his first goal for the club, the summer arrival told reporters: “That’s how I want to play. I can run a lot so I want to be involved as much as possible and help the team to win, so I’m very pleased with my performance and the team’s performance today.

“It was amazing (his goal) – a perfect cross from Kieran and a solid finish, and I ran over to celebrate with the fans and the team. I’ve said it many times but, for me, football is nothing without the fans. Celtic is such a big club with lovely fans so they’re a part of the team and part of the club, so I’m so happy to celebrate with everyone.”

Rodgers not happy: Celtic now working to sign 3 new players before Sep 1

It could become four new players if they qualify for Europe.

1

By
Callum Kemp

Aug 14, 2025

Even after a solid start to their campaign, however, Celtic are reportedly still on the hunt for reinforcements and are expected to launch a second offer to sign a Premier League midfielder.

Celtic expected to submit second Irving offer

As reported by Claret and Hugh, Celtic are expected to submit another offer to sign Andy Irving from West Ham United after seeing an opening bid worth £2.5m turned down by the Hammers. The London club are reportedly holding out for £3.5m to sell their midfielder amid interest from the Bhoys and their rivals, Rangers.

A source told Claret and Hugh: “There’s a lot of interest but only one bid so far, and that was last month. I think they’ll get another offer soon.”

Despite their £3.5m asking price, it is also believed that West Ham would accept £3m to sell Iriving this summer. In a transfer tussle against their Old Firm rivals, that’s a price tag that Celtic should be able to match before deadline day arrives at the start of September.

Even as he has struggled to match the pace of the Premier League, Irving has still seemingly shown enough to earn the praise of Jarrod Bowen. The West Ham star told reporters in February: “Andy’s worked incredibly hard and been incredibly patient. I get on really well with Andy. I’ve had a lot of chats with him and always told him that I know his time will come because I’ve seen it in training.”