West Ham are searching for remedies to improve their lack of available offensive options, and Nuno Espirito Santo could look to change things up tactically at the London Stadium.

West Ham prepare to face Brentford

Despite the Premier League weekend being in full swing, the Hammers have an extra couple of days to prepare for the visit of Brentford in a London Derby of sorts.

Although neither team is exactly a direct rival, local bragging rights are at stake. More importantly, West Ham also have a chance to eat into their unfortunate position in the league table, which will see them remain in the bottom three until kick-off in the capital.

Nuno has plenty of issues to solve now that the international break has concluded, and former Denmark keeper Peter Kjaer suggests that West Ham should recall Mads Hermansen to the starting eleven.

That being said, Nuno has much more pressing matters, like West Ham’s problems in attack.

Injury-prone striker Niclas Füllkrug has torn his thigh, leaving Callum Wilson and youngster Callum Marshall as Nuno’s only options to contest for the number nine role.

This striking shortage will be difficult to manage, and there is no easy way around the enforced changes.

Nevertheless, Nuno will have time to tinker with his side over their upcoming heavy fixture schedule, and it is likely that winger Jarrod Bowen could once again play a makeshift striker role.

With that in mind, there is one man he could turn to elsewhere on the field as a central point of creativity amid his recent displays for the club.

Nuno could turn to West Ham man Crysencio Summerville for inspiration

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Nuno admitted he could tap into young winger Crysencio Summerville’s pace and agility to help give West Ham an edge in their upcoming fixtures.

Nuno suggests that West Ham’s play could revolve around Summerville’s success in the attacking areas against Brentford, urging his side to support the 23-year-old.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 17, 2025

After coming up with two assists in his first five appearances, the Netherlands international has enjoyed a respectable start to the campaign and is a source of inspiration on the left flank, completing six dribbles so far in the Premier League.

Ultimately, times of need call for assets to step up and deliver. Summerville is enjoying his campaign from a personal standpoint, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his numbers grow further.

Jose Mourinho has aimed a veiled dig at Newcastle over the atmosphere created at St James’ Park during the clash with Benfica, which the Magpies won 3-0. The Geordie faithful pride themselves on the hostile reception they generate for away players and fans, with a raucous atmosphere regularly created in the ground, and they will not take kindly to hearing the Special One’s negative comments.

• Benfica soundly beaten on Tyneside

  Newcastle eased past defeated Benfica courtesy of a standout performance from Anthony Gordon and a second-half brace from substitute Harvey Barnes. The first half saw both teams create chances, including a shot from Benfica's Dodi Lukebakio which hit the woodwork. But Gordon broke the deadlock around the half-hour mark with a close-range finish from a Jacob Murphy cross and, after the interval, Barnes doubled the Geordies' lead by expertly finishing off a remarkable long throw from goalkeeper Nick Pope. Gordon then turned provider, setting up Barnes to score his second goal and secure the win for the Magpies. The victory was Newcastle's second on the bounce in the Champions League, boosting their campaign under manager Eddie Howe.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Award-winning atmosphere at St James’ Park

  Located in the heart of the city, St James' Park is renowned for its intense and passionate atmosphere. The cathedral-like stadium design ensures the roar of the vocal supporters echoes throughout, creating an intimidating and electric environment for visiting teams. In 2018 the ground was named as having the best atmosphere in the Premier League by popular football fan website Football Ground Map. For many fans, the matchday pilgrimage and being surrounded by such fervour makes the experience truly unforgettable. Players have noted the uniquely special vibe there, recognising how difficult it makes things for opposing teams. Recent high-stakes games have proven that when the atmosphere is 'turned up', St. James' Park truly becomes one of the toughest places to play.

• Mourinho takes aim at 'nice' Newcastle

  Mourinho said: "In the second half the second goal kills the game and then after that, it was easy for Newcastle to play and easy for the fans to enjoy. But to be honest, the atmosphere was just nice, not difficult and beautiful in the sense of fair play, no problems, good referee, no disciplinary problems. In that sense I think it was a quiet St James'."
  He added: "This tells me about the level of Newcastle. While the score was open, and I think it was even unfairly open, because in the first half the team played well on the pitch, the players felt comfortable in a stadium with a palpable atmosphere. The danger they posed for us was obviously from set pieces and everything indirect in the box, because it's difficult to compete with a team with this physicality, but we had great chances to score, three or four. Before they scored, we had a beautiful shot from Lukebakio that hit the post, so I reiterate that the first-half result doesn't reflect the game at all.
  "There's a team with a higher horsepower engine than the other, a team with much more intensity, a team with much more speed. As I said, I think in the press conference—if not in the press conference, it was on TV—they have four lightning-fast wingers. They don't have one or two, they have four. And when you change two who come on in the 50th or 60th minute, when you change one and then later change another, we, losing the compact play we had in the first half, were exposed."

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• AFP
  

  Time for Toon to turn up the volume

  There are two perfect opportunities coming up for the Geordie faithful to turn the volume up and prove Mourinho wrong, with upcoming matches including a Premier League game at home against Fulham on October 25 and then Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on October 29.

MatériaMais Notícias

A disputa dos Jogos Pan-Americanos trará um contorno significativo para os representantes do Botafogo na competição. Além de mostrar serviço com suas respectivas seleções, o atacante Matheus Nascimento, que atuará pela Seleção Brasileira, e o meia-atacante Diego Hernández, liberado para a seleção do Uruguai, têm a chance de mostrar que podem deslanchar com a camisa alvinegra.

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A dupla atualmente não vem recebendo chances com o técnico Bruno Lage. Por isso, o Glorioso optou por permitir que os dois estivessem no Pan-Americano, que será disputado entre os dias 20 de outubro e 5 de novembro.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Destaque da Seleção Brasileira Sub-20, Matheus Nascimento só atuou uma vez nos últimos três meses: no empate em 1 a 1 com o Defensa y Justicia. O camisa 90 disputou o primeiro tempo da partida e foi substituído.

Sua concorrência ficou ainda mais acirrada com a chegada do veterano Diego Costa, considerado a alternativa a Tiquinho Soares.

Promessa da Celeste, Diego Hernández entrou em quatro partidas com a camisa alvinegra. O jovem atuou mais recentemente no dia 27 de agosto, quando entrou no decorrer da vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o Bahia.

Além de ganhar mais fôlego, a dupla tenta ser mais incisiva e aumentar o leque de opções para um Botafogo que almeja o título brasileiro.

+ Tem promoção exclusiva de boas-vindas pra você! Aposte apartir de R$10 e receba até R$200 de bônus na Lance! Betting

Over the last couple of years, Arsenal have been known to offload players off their books, but numerous of which have caused controversy with the fanbase.

Alexis Sanchez is arguably one of the biggest examples in recent history, with the Chilean a star man before his controversial departure in January 2018.

The attacker racked up 80 goals in his 166 appearances for the Gunners, but would depart in a player swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan – subsequently seeing the former join Manchester United.

In the present day, boss Mikel Arteta must wish he had a player of his calibre within his first-team, with a prime Sanchez one of the scariest prospects in the Premier League.

However, he wasn’t the only player to make a huge impact at the Emirates before leaving in somewhat controversial circumstances despite their impressive form in North London.

The real reason why Aaron Ramsey left Arsenal

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was a hugely influential figure during his time at Arsenal, featuring in over 350 games for the club after joining Cardiff City back in 2008.

His rise to stardom in North London was all the more impressive considering the Welshman suffered a horrific leg break under Arsene Wenger against Stoke City in 2010.

Despite being a deep-lying option, the 34-year-old managed to pop up with key goals in vital moments – none more so than the winner in the FA Cup final against Hull City.

However, he would depart the Emirates in controversial circumstances, subsequently leaving on a free transfer to join Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2019.

Many thought he left after rejecting a new contract to stay with the Gunners, but in an interview after his departure, Ramsey explained all about his move away from the club.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he stated: “I wanted to commit to Arsenal, but then, for whatever reason, the new manager came in and then the contract wasn’t there anymore.

“When Juventus came calling then in January, you know, I had to sort of think about life after Arsenal and secure that as well. It was an experience I was excited about.”

However, in the present day, Arteta may have his own version of his former teammate in his quest to land the club’s first Premier League title in over two decades.

The Arsenal star who’s a Ramsey-type talent

In their attempts to end their unthinkable wait for a league triumph, Arsenal have spent big in recent times, with the board handing Arteta over £200m worth of funds this summer alone.

The likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze have all arrived in North London, massively improving the quality and depth at the manager’s disposal.

Such additions appear to have had the desired effect, with the Gunners currently sitting top of the pile at the second international break of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, other players already at the club will also have a part to play in the coming months, with Mikel Merino undoubtedly a star with a huge part to play between now and May.

The Spaniard joined the club from Real Sociedad last summer, looking to provide added depth and quality to the club’s already stacked midfield department.

He started 2024/25 in such a position, but was rapidly catapulted into a somewhat unfamiliar role as a centre-forward amid the unthinkable injury crisis that plagued Arteta’s squad.

However, he took to the position like a duck to water, subsequently ending his debut campaign on nine across all competitions, six of which came as a striker, sitting third in the club’s top goalscoring charts.

Such a quality is similar to that of Ramsey, who had a habit of popping up with key goals in vital moments – as previously mentioned with his FA Cup-winning effort.

Merino has demonstrated a box-crashing ability to ghost into the opposition box and find the back of the net.

Games played

9

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

80%

Dribble success

100%

Fouls won

1.9

Tackles won

1.9

Recoveries made

5.7

Possession won final third

1.1

He’s already showcased his goalscoring ability once again this season, scoring the equaliser in the victory over Newcastle United.

Remarkably, he’s also scored six goals in four World Cup qualifying matches for Spain, notably bagging a hat-trick in the European champions’ win over Turkey. He then also scored twice in a 4-0 win over Bulgaria during the present international break.

In the words of Arsenal writer Adam Keys, “Arteta has unlocked a magnet in the box” and his move to join the Gunners has evidently been an exceptional one to date, with the former Sociedad star showcasing a similar ability to Ramsey with his goalscoring exploits.

Should he continue on such a path and continue to pop up in key moments, there’s no reason as to why he can’t make himself a fan-favourite and lead the club to further silverware.

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ByEthan Lamb Oct 15, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in an exclusive Clasico club after finding the target again for Real Madrid in a crunch clash with arch-rivals Barcelona. The World Cup-winning France international has made a habit of doing that since becoming another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024 – with the exploits of all-time greats being emulated.

Mbappe the Galactico: Acquired for big games

The Blancos snapped up Mbappe with the hope of seeing him deliver in games that matter most. Fixtures do not come much bigger than meetings with Barcelona, as said contests attract interest from every corner of the globe.

Figures such as Mbappe are expected to illuminate proceedings, and he has been doing his best for Madrid since being added to their star-studded ranks. He was handed the No.9 shirt last season that Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo wore immediately after making his own move to Spain from Manchester United.

AdvertisementGettyMbappe's record in El Clasico: Goals & defeats

Mbappe failed to find the target in his first meeting with Barca, which ended in a humbling 4-0 defeat. Another setback was suffered in the Spanish Super Cup, when going down 5-2, but the Frenchman did contribute to the Blancos’ cause on that occasion. He was on target again in a 3-2 Copa del Rey defeat to Barca in April.

Mbappe was then the star of the show for Real as they travelled to Catalunya on May 11, but another painful loss was suffered. Barcelona prevailed 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller, but struggled to keep Mbappe in check as he registered a hat-trick.

Fast forward to the present and Mbappe opened the scoring in another Clasico clash at the Bernabeu. He did so in style, finishing emphatically with a shot across the goalkeeper after being played through by Jude Bellingham.

Having scored in four successive Clasico matches, Mbappe finds himself joining an exclusive club. The only other members are Ballon d’Or-winning icons of Real Madrid and Barcelona’s glittering past.

Mbappe is the third player to score in four consecutive El Clasico games across all competitions in the 21st century (six goals), after Ronaldinho Gaucho between 2004 and 2006 (four matches, five goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2012 (six matches, seven goals).

Trophy target: Mbappe chasing down major honours

Mbappe has endured plenty of pain at the hands of Barcelona, but will be hoping to enjoy a reversal in fortune across the 2025-26 campaign. He plundered 44 goals across his debut campaign in Madrid and is well on course to match or better that return this term. He already has a Champions League hat-trick to his name, against Kairat Almaty, and is looking to guide Real towards domestic and European honours – posting numbers that CR7 would have been proud of in the process.

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Bellingham takes Clasico record from Vinicius Jr

He will hope to see the likes of Bellingham provide plenty more assistance, with the England international looking to rediscover his best form on the back of summer shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old was also on target in Real’s latest clash with Barca, becoming the youngest player in the 21st century to score and assist in a Clasico for the Blancos – breaking a record that Vinicius Junior previously held after achieving the same feat in a Copa del Rey fixture in April 2023.

As Amy Jones raised her bat to celebrate reaching a long-awaited maiden international century, a broad smile spread across the face of England head coach Charlotte Edwards.Four days later, Jones couldn’t remember what Edwards had said to her after she walked off the pitch with 122 next to her name. But she could remember her coach’s smile, after setting up a resounding 108-run victory against West Indies in the first of three ODIs in Derby.It reflected a plan coming together to great effect for the team and Jones, who finally reached a landmark that had eluded her for 12 years and more than 200 games representing her country across formats.”In terms of the role suiting me, I definitely think it does,” Jones, the England Women’s wicketkeeper, beamed on the eve of Wednesday’s second ODI in Leicester. “I’ve always liked facing the new ball, the challenge of that, and then also having the chance to set the tone. That’s a really cool responsibility to have.”I remember when I moved down into the middle-order I was initially disappointed, so I guess I sort of tapped into that feeling and was happy to take that first opportunity.”It’s obviously been quite a long time coming with a couple of close ones, but a good few years ago. To get over the line, it’s a big feeling of relief, but a lot of pride and it was a very special day.”Related

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Jones had opened the batting 22 times previously in ODIs, but not since the 2019 Women’s Ashes, and 18 times in T20Is, most recently during the World Cup in Australia in 2020.But in all seven of her innings this season for The Blaze in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, Jones had opened with Tammy Beaumont, the pair reprising that partnership for England brilliantly with a 222-run stand and Beaumont posting a score of 107. In her previous three games for The Blaze, Jones had scored 41, 52 and 80 after starting with 30, 35, 0 and 8.”There was a lot of learning through that, times when I got off to good starts and got out in the thirties and I guess just figuring out a good tempo through an innings,” Jones said.”Going from batting towards the end or middle of the innings, typically your tempo’s quite consistent, you get in and then you try and accelerate throughout. Opening is a bit different and there’s the challenge of navigating trickier patches throughout, so I’d say that’s probably been the biggest learning from those games.”When Lottie said I was going to be opening, it definitely gave me a lot of confidence and belief that how I go about it could be a really good match for what she wants at the top of the order. So I think from that, definitely a bit of freedom just to go out there.”Something I worked really hard at in the middle order was almost ignoring the scoreboard and just playing the ball. So I think that all still applies at the top but I guess it’s setting the tone as opposed to reacting to a different situation.”Jones has found herself in another familiar-yet-unfamiliar role, being named in a three-player leadership group for the T20I series against West Indies last month to support new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.Jones briefly captained England in the absence of Sciver-Brunt and her predecessor, Heather Knight, during India’s last visit in 2022, and was recently part of Knight’s support crew alongside then vice-captain Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone.For the T20Is against West Indies, Jones shared those duties with vice-captain Charlie Dean and Sophia Dunkley but made way for Kate Cross to join those two as part of a more fluid leadership group under Edwards’ tenure.”It’s a really good thing and a good way of hearing different voices, giving responsibility to different players and I guess looking to the future as well,” Jones said. “We probably haven’t had that obvious list of potential captains really.”I think there’s a lot of people that would do a great job at it, but looking a bit further on, this is definitely going to improve everyone’s leadership and confidence in that area as well, which I think is huge, the belief that you can be a leader amongst the group. Sharing that out is a great way of spreading it wide, I suppose.”Ecclestone wasn’t named in either squad to face West Indies, instead playing domestic cricket after a knee injury.Fellow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith took a five-wicket haul on ODI debut in the first game against West Indies, six and a half years since making her T20I debut, illustrating Edwards’ willingness to test the growing depth in the women’s game in this country.Similarly, seam bowler Em Arlott put in a player-of-the-match performance in just her second international match, the second T20I in Hove, some four years after she was first called up to an England squad.Both have enjoyed strong starts to the domestic season, which Edwards had said, upon replacing Jon Lewis as head coach in April, would be rewarded and expected when it came to national selection.”On the whole, across all the different disciplines, we’ve just got so much competition within the squad now, which is brilliant and it’s where everyone wants to be,” Jones said. “It will improve us as a team and as individuals too.”

Chelsea may have emerged from last night’s game as the victors, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way.

Enzo Maresca’s side were given the relatively kind task of taking on League One side Lincoln City to kickstart their EFL Cup campaign.

However, instead of turning up and turning the opposition over like many expected them to, the West Londoners struggled for much of the game and, barring a five-minute period after half-time, did not look like a top-flight side.

Therefore, Maresca must make several changes for the game this weekend, such as dropping two starters who were somewhat saved by one of the few players who came away from the game looking better: Tyrique George.

Tyrique George's game vs Lincoln

Now, it should be said that while George did better than most of the team last night, it still wasn’t a perfect performance.

In fact, like the rest of his teammates, there were significant periods in the first half in which he was fairly anonymous.

However, unlike many of those around him, the young Englishman did step it up after half-time and, within three minutes, levelled the score for the Blues.

It wasn’t just a tap-in or a lucky shot; it was a sensational effort from outside the penalty area that was powerful enough to leave the Lincoln keeper no chance of stopping it.

Then, to further drive home the message that he should be getting more game time, the 19-year-old Cobham graduate provided the assist for Facundo Buonanotte’s goal two minutes later.

We obviously have to take the level of the opposition into account, but even so, it was an impressive showing from George, and one that saved the blushes of his teammates, including two who must be dropped for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Chelsea duo Maresca must drop

Unfortunately for Chelsea, there really are several players you could name who put in performances worthy of being dropped last night.

Chalkboard

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

However, in this instance, we are talking about Maresca’s two wide players: Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Starting with the latter, the game was a real chance for the Englishman to silence all the talk about his ability and get up and running following his move from Borussia Dortmund.

Instead, he has only brought more scrutiny upon himself, as in 70 minutes of football, he did next to nothing, with his most notable involvement being a bad miss early on.

It sounds harsh, but it’s an opinion backed up by Amos Murphy of the Express, who awarded the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating and wrote that he ‘lacked quality with almost everything he did.’

He wasn’t alone in being ineffective out wide, though, as Garnacho was just as bad, also earning himself a 5/10 rating from Murphy, who stated he ‘did very little to impress on his first start.’

Unsurprisingly, the Argentine’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

Minutes

59′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

26

Passes

16

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

In his 59 minutes of action, the former Manchester United gem took 26 touches – 31 fewer than Jørgensen – completed just 16 passes, misplaced 100% of his long balls, took a single shot on target, didn’t attempt a dribble and lost 100% of his aerial duels.

Moreover, he was the first player to be taken off in the game, suggesting the manager was just as unimpressed with his showing as we were.

Ultimately, while they may come good at some point, Garnacho and Gittens failed to perform against a third-tier opponent last night, and therefore, must be dropped ahead of the game against Brighton.

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ByEmilio Galantini Sep 23, 2025

Earlier this year, following two more transfer windows of mass-spending by Manchester City, Pep Guardiola became the manager in football history to have spent the most on transfer fees, surpassing the £2bn mark.

Of course, considering he has won 18 major honours since arriving at the Etihad nine years ago, he does get results.

However, many of the players who arrive in Manchester for a huge fee with massive expectations do not live up to them, one in particular springs to mind, so is a repeat scenario in danger of happening for a current sky blue star?

Kalvin Phillips' Manchester City career

When Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City from Leeds United for £45m in the summer of 2022, he was at the top of his game.

He’d racked up 234 appearances for boyhood club Leeds United, flourishing under Marcelo Bielsa, thereby becoming first-choice for England, starting all seven matches as the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020.

However, Phillips has, to date, made just 32 times in over three years for the Citizens, of which only six are starts, accumulating a miserly 921 minutes, the same time it takes to drive from the Etihad to the Eiffel Tower.

After spectacularly unmemorable loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich, the forgotten man returned to Manchester this summer.

He made his first appearance for the Citizens in 690 days when coming off the bench for a six minute cameo at Huddersfield in the EFL Cup but, having not even been named among the substitutes for any other fixture, fair to surmise that he isn’t back in Guardiola’s plans.

So, could a player in the same position, both literally and metaphorically perhaps, fall into the same trap?

Manchester City's next forgotten midfielder

As the table below documents, Manchester City have signed 17 players for £45m or more since appointing Guardiola, yielding mixed success.

Tijjani Reijnders

£46.5m

13

Nico González

£50m

26

Omar Marmoush

£59m

28

Jérémy Doku

£55.5m

93

Matheus Nunes

£53m

79

Joško Gvardiol

£77.5m

103

Erling Braut Håland

£51m

155

Kalvin Phillips

£45m

32

Jack Grealish

£100m

157

Rúben Dias

£62.1m

231

Rodri

£62.8m

272

João Cancelo

£60m

154

Riyāḍ Maḥrez

£60m

236

Kyle Walker

£45m

319

Benjamin Mendy

£49.3m

75

Aymeric Laporte

£57m

180

John Stones

£47.5m

283

Aside from the new recruits, Phillips has made, by some distance, the fewest appearances for the club of any of the expensive signings, but it could be concerning times ahead for one of those listed.

As part of Manchester City’s January spending spree, which saw them pay more than all other 19 Premier League clubs combined, they recruited Nico González from Porto on deadline day for £50m.

A la Masia Barcelona graduate, the 23-year-old arrived with impressive pedigree, viewed as a shrewd addition, with Guardiola labelling him a ‘mini-Rodri’; considering the Ballon d’Or winner was sidelined at the time, he appeared to be a sensible deputy.

However, it hasn’t really panned out that way for Nico, starting only nine Premier League matches last season, despite Rodri’s absence, handed just 16 starts across all competitions, coming off the bench a further ten times, but not used at all on nine occasions.

When Rodri hobbled off at Brentford on Sunday, Nico was the player introduced into midfield, but Guardiola has favoured Tijjani Reijnders since his arrival in June, while Mateo Kovačić’s return following surgery could limit the Spaniard’s opportunities further.

His only league goal for the club, to date, came against Bournemouth in May, rounding off a free-flowing team move.

However, more recently, Nico was in the headlines for conceding a penalty at Stade Louis II, kicking Eric Dier in the face, thereby allowing Monaco to pinch a point in stoppage time.

Speaking on Match of the Day in February, former Man City defender Micah Richards praised Nico’s “intelligence”, adding that “having someone with that kind of football IQ in your team is priceless”.

It is clear that the 23-year-old is a high-quality midfield player, but the same would have been said about Phillips, before he was simply not trusted by Guardiola and lost in the shuffle, with fears the same could happen to the Spaniard.

With Rodri, potentially, sidelined, it’ll be interesting to see if Nico is the man deployed at the base of midfield for Man City’s next fixture, which is Everton at home, after the international break.

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2025

The Braves are odds-on favorites to repeat as NL East champs in 2024.

Atlanta Braves -240
Philadelphia Phillies +310
New York Mets +1100
Miami Marlins +1600
Washington Nationals +10000

No team scored more runs (947), hit more home runs (307) or hit for a better average (.276) than the Braves in 2023. They also led the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, ISO and extra-base hits. Atlanta’s 104 wins were the most in MLB, as they skated to the division title, finishing 14 games ahead of the Phillies.

Most of the team is the same for 2024, including NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Marcel Ozuna and Michael Harris II. The Braves also added outfielder Jarred Kelenic and veteran starting pitcher Chris Sale in the offseason.

Atlanta last won the World Series in 2021. They’ve won six straight NL East titles and they have not missed the postseason since 2017.

Philadelphia comes in with the second-best odds to win the division at +310. The Phillies were one of the top offensive units in 2023, winning 90 games for a second-place finish in the division. The 2024 offense will still boast veteran Bryce Harper as well as slugger Kyle Schwarber, speedster Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, and J.T. Realmuto. Pitchers Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola also return and the Phillies should be competitive again.

The Phillies made it to the World Series after winning the NL pennant in 2022 but last won the division in 2011.

The Mets (+1100) have much lower expectations than they’ve have in recent seasons after trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer before the deadline in 2023. Still, plenty of talent remains in Queens, with Pete Alonso likely to have another 40-home runs season and Francisco Lindor continuing to offer solid play. The Mets could surprise if Luis Severino and Sean Manaea can return to form. The Mets last won the division in 2015.

The Marlins (+1600) are projected to win the same amount of games as the Mets, according to FanGraphs, but the payout is much nicer. Jesus Luzardo and Eury Perez anchor the starting rotation, which has the potential to be a top unit. Veteran shortstop Tim Anderson recently joined the club, which also features talented hitters Jazz Chisholm, Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Luis Arraez, whose .354 batting average in 2023 was the best in MLB.

Finally, the Nationals have the longest odds at +10000, and there’s not much of a pathway for that bet to cash. 

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was fairly ruthless in the summer transfer window when he told Patrick Bamford that he would not be a part of the squad for the 2025/26 campaign.

It may not have come as a huge shock, given that the striker did not start a single game in the Championship last season, but it was still a ruthless move by the manager.

In July, Daniel Farke revealed that he had an “honest” conversation with Bamford and how he felt that the forward needed to go somewhere else to be the main man at a new club.

Later in the summer, Leeds and the former England international agreed a mutual termination of his contract to part ways, allowing him to be a free agent to find a new team.

Despite the fairly impressive record in the graphic above, Bamford often found himself as the scapegoat among the fanbase in tough times at Elland Road, which is understandable as a striker who is always going to miss chances and attract criticism.

Another player who could have been described as a scapegoat at points in the last 13 months or so is Brenden Aaronson, but he seems to slowly be winning the supporters over.

Why Brenden Aaronson is winning Leeds fans over

The USA international is unlikely to develop into a regular Premier League starter who can contribute with ten goals or assists from an attacking midfield or wide position. His statistics up to this point in his top-flight career illustrate that.

Aaronson has scored one goal and provided three assists in 42 outings in the division, in the 2022/23 and 2025/26 campaigns combined, which shows that he has failed to deliver consistent quality.

The former RB Salzburg star’s form against the better sides in the Championship last season, despite the Whites picking up 100 points in the league, also did not do much to change the perception of him among the fanbase.

Aaronson failed to deliver a single goal or assist for his team in his ten appearances against the other five teams that finished in the top six in the second tier in the 2024/25 campaign.

However, some of the American attacker’s performances in the Premier League this season have earned him some credit among the fanbase, as he has worked his socks off for the side out of possession.

25/26 Premier League	Brenden Aaronson	Percentile rank vs wingers
Goals	0	Bottom 3%
xA	0.83	Top 17%
Assists	0	Bottom 3%
Fouls won	10	Top 8%
Tackles won	12	Top 7%
Duels won	28	Top 15%
Duel success rate	50.9%	Top 23%
Ball recoveries	16	Top 26%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson ranks highly among his positional peers in a host of defensive metrics, whilst he also has not had the assist that his xA deserves.

His performance against Bournemouth on Saturday led to Leeds supporter and TEAMtalk editor James Marshment questioning whether it was his best display for the club in the top-flight, which shows that he is starting to earn some respect from the fans.

Chalkboard

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

Whilst Aaronson is slowly moving away from being a scapegoat, another Leeds player who played on Saturday is quickly on his way to becoming the new Patrick Bamford.

Central defender Pascal Struijk is in danger of becoming this season’s scapegoat and the new Bamford after the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at the weekend.

Why Struijk may become the new Bamford

As is the case with strikers and missing chances, it can be easy for centre-backs to become scapegoats because they are typically the players fans and pundits look straight to when a goal goes in.

Some fingers were pointed in Struijk’s direction for Eli Kroupi’s last-gasp equaliser because Marcos Senesi beat him too easily in the air to knock the ball in the direction of the striker who scored to make it 2-2.

That was not the only time that the Dutch defender, who was given a 5/10 player rating by MOT Leeds News, was questioned by fans or media during the match, though.

The Athletic’s Beren Cross noted that there were “murmurs of anxiety” in the ground when Struijk or Karl Darlow had the ball at their feet, whilst Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth stated that the centre-back “had a couple of nervy moments” in the first half.

Senesi beating him to the header for the equaliser in stoppage time did not do much to silence any doubters, with some on social media questioning why Jaka Bijol, who won 67% of his aerial duels in the Serie A last season, has not played a minute in the Premier League this term.

25/26 Premier League	Pascal Struijk
Appearances	6
Pass accuracy	93%
Error led to shot	0
Error led to goal	0
Dribbled past	1x
Ground duel success rate	40%
Aerial duel success rate	46%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, it is fair to question Struijk’s proficiency in duels because he has lost the majority of his battles on the ground and in the air this season in the Premier League.

However, a pass accuracy of 93% without a single error that has led to a shot or a goal for the opposition in six matches suggests that supporters do not need to feel nervous when the left-footed star is passing the ball out from the back under pressure.

Struijk, like any player, has strengths and weaknesses to his game. Given the nature of Bournemouth’s second goal and his statistics in aerial duels, it is fair for supporters to be unhappy with his performances in that particular aspect of the game.

However, the Dutchman also brings quality and composure to the team on the ball and has only been dribbled past once, which shows that opposition attackers have struggled to beat him for pace.

Not just Longstaff: 7/10 Leeds star is now completely undroppable for Farke

Leeds drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth on Saturday and this star made himself undroppable.

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 28, 2025

Therefore, Struijk should not be this season’s scapegoat because he brings a lot to the team in spite of some weak points in his performances, but some of the concerns emerging from Saturday’s match suggest that he may be on his way to becoming this year’s Bamford.