Arsenal laboured against a spirited Port Vale to ease into the League Cup fourth round, courtesy of Eze's first goal in a Gunners shirt early in the first half and a late strike from substitute Trossard. The Gunners made a flying start to the match, scoring inside the opening 10 minutes and looked like they would blow League One Vale away. But chances were hard to come by and the hosts enjoyed more possession as the match progressed, then Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta introduced Trossard who secured the win with five minutes remaining.
Arsenal were captained by Bukayo Saka, making his first start since suffering injury against Leeds in the season curtain-raiser. And while Arteta will be pleased with the result he'll know his side were efficient, but not impressive on the evening as they struggled to break Vale down.
The Gunners needed just eight minutes to open the scoring, with Eze sliding home a low finish after a neat team move. The visitors looked set to run away with it after netting an early goal but found it tough going against a resolute Port Vale side.
Arteta threw on reinforcements in the second half, including Viktor Gyokeres and teenage talent Max Dowman, but it was Trossard who came up with the goods again. The Belgium international fired a low shot into the bottom corner with just four minutes of normal time remaining to seal Arsenal's place in the next round.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Vale Park…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):
Making his first appearance this season, but had little to do all evening. Could've taken a seat in the away end with the travelling Arsenal fans.
Miles Lewis-Skelly (7/10):
Has been urged by Arteta to make the Arsenal manager's life difficult this season as he battles for a regular starting place and he responded well by being awarded the assist for Eze's opener – but whether he got a touch on it is debatable.
Cristhian Mosquera (7/10):
Has impressed following his move from Valencia this summer, plays like he's been at the club for years. Happy to shift from central to wide positions later in the game. One risky pass raised a few eyebrows.
William Saliba (7/10):
Typically composed performance, snuffed out Vale threats, but had to work hard for the clean sheet.
Ben White (6/10):
Making his return after picking up a knock against Manchester United in the opening day fixture. Made forays forward, but failed to make an impact and hooked off in 71st minute.
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AFP
Midfield
Mikel Merino (6/10):
Knows he has a battle on his hands to land a starting place in Arsenal's talent-laden midfield. Dealt well with Vale's physical presence, subbed in 71st minute.
Christian Norgaard (6/10):
Making his first start for Arsenal following his switch from Brentford. Busy presence in midfield as Vale pressed to create chances. Solid.
Ethan Nwaneri (7/10):
Promising start to the season after signing a new long-term contract in the summer. Worked hard, but struggled to make an impact in the final third.
AFP
Attack
Bukayo Saka (7/10):
Arsenal captain for the evening and will be very pleased to play just over an hour. Offered threat down the right and was very grateful to be able to shake off a very hefty challenge in the second-half.
Eberechi Eze (8/10):
Confidently scored his first goal for the Gunners in the eighth minute, alive and bright all evening, a constant thorn in Port Vale's side. Taken off in 81st minute.
Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):
Laboured across the front line all evening and while he deserves credit for the leg work, he struggled to create many chances. Subbed with nine minutes remaining.
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Subs & Manager
Mikel Arteta (8/10):
Named a very strong side and, despite the nine changes, his side were dominant from start to finish. His side had 82% possession in the opening 15 minutes. Job done.
Max Dowman (6/10):
Youngest Arsenal player to feature in the competition, replacing Saka in the 62nd minute.
Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):
Replaced White in the 71st minute, too few touches to make an impact.
Viktor Gyokeres (6/10):
Brought on to add more attacking threat, replacing Merino in the 71st minute.
Declan Rice (N/A):
Introduced with only a few minutes remaining, no significant impact.
Leandro Trossard (8/10):
Given just under 10mins by Arteta, but did excellently with his control and strike from edge of the box to seal the game for the Gunners.
Three contentious run-out decisions occurred in the closing stages of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) last-ball win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Vadodara. In all three instances, third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan ruled not out, seemingly not considering the LED stumps lighting up as the point at which the wicket should be considered broken.Former India captain Mithali Raj, in her role as commentator, said that two of those decisions – involving Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav – should have gone in favour of MI. “Pandey was given not out while the batter had the bat on the line,” Raj said while speaking on JioHotstar after the match.”When you dive and your bat first hits the ground [inside the crease] and then it [bounces up] because you have to dive full stretch, then it is not out. [But] with Radha Yadav, we can see the blade of the bat up. It is nowhere touching any part of the ground [inside] the crease [when the LED stumps light up]. That means she is out. The bat was never in the crease. That is pretty much out.”Related
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Appendix D of the WPL 2025 playing conditions has this to say on what constitutes the wicket being broken when there are LED stumps in play: “Where LED wickets are used, the moment at which the wicket has been put down shall be deemed to be the first frame in which the LED lights are illuminated and subsequent frames show the bail permanently removed from the top of the stumps.”The Pandey incident happened first ball for her, in the 18th over of Capitals’ chase. After stepping across the stumps and missing a heave, she looked to steal a bye but was sent back by Niki Prasad. There was a direct-hit at the striker’s end and, after the batters stole a bye on the deflection, the run-out appeal was referred to the TV umpire. The replays showed that Pandey’s bat was on the line when the LED stumps first lit up. However, the TV umpire rolled forward and based her not-out decision on the next frame, in which the bails visibly came off the groove, by which time Pandey’s bat was inside the crease.
MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur was seemingly not pleased with the decision and had a chat with the on-field umpires N Janani and Anish Sahasrabudhe. The bye brought DC’s equation down to 24 off 14 balls, and Pandey was run-out mid-way through the 19th.Two balls after that, another mix-up meant Radha was diving to make her crease at the striker’s end even while Prasad was also mid-pitch. The throw went to the striker’s end – had it gone to the non-striker’s end, Prasad would likely have been well short. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia broke the stumps even as Radha dived with the face of the bat up, with no part of the bat seemingly touching the ground beyond the crease line when the LED stumps lit up. Again, the umpire seemed to disregard this and base her decision on when the bails visibly lifted off their grove, by which time Radha was safe. She was given not out and she hit a six next ball, bringing the equation down to 10 off 6.
With two needed off the last two balls, Prasad holed out to deep midwicket, bringing Arundhati Reddy in to face the final ball. She chipped it over cover, where it just evaded Harmanpreet running backwards. With the batters going back for the second – the winning run – Harmanpreet fired a flat throw to Bhatia, who broke the wicket as Reddy dived full-stretch. Once again the frame when the LED stumps lit up for the first time showed Reddy’s bat on the line, but the third umpire looked at later frames and concluded “the batter has made her ground before the wicket is completely dislodged”. The DC players celebrated, and the MI players didn’t seem to protest.
Liverpool’s attempts to sign an “incredible” player in the summer transfer window have now collapsed, according to a new update.
New Liverpool kit and squad numbers confirmed
The Reds are edging closer to beginning the defence of their Premier League title, starting with a home clash against a dangerous Bournemouth side on August 15th.
Liverpool will do so in their new Adidas kit, having officially started a 10-year deal with them on Friday, following a stint being sponsored by Nike. Supporters are clearly excited about the strip, getting to see their heroes donning it in the coming weeks.
Not only that, but the Reds’ squad numbers for the 2025/26 season have also been confirmed, with star signing Florian Wirtz being given the legendary No.7 shirt worn by the likes of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Luis Suarez, as well as the recently departed Luis Diaz.
Liverpool’s club shop have made a lovely gesture by including the late Diogo Jota in the squad list, too, following his tragic passing last month, as Arne Slot and his players prepare for an emotional campaign without the Portuguese attacker.
Liverpool's move for "incredible" defender collapses
Away from kit news, transfer updates continue to arrive, with The Boot Room claiming that Liverpool’s potential move for Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze has collapsed.
FSG were willing to pay the £21.5m asking price to sign the defender as a replacement for Jarell Quansah, but he has accepted a huge offer with Saudi based Neom Sports Club instead.
Journalist Graeme Bailey shed further light on the situation, saying: “Neom are making waves following their promotion, but this deal has caught many in Europe by surprise. He is a player on the brink of the France senior squad, who could have moved to England or Spain, but he has opted for Saudi. Although not huge in terms of finances, this is a very big deal for the Saudi Pro League.”
Nathan Zeze in action for Nantes
A new centre-back is needed for Liverpool this summer, with Quansah’s move to Leverkusen leaving Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as the only genuine options, with the latter pair plagued by injuries during their respective careers.
Zeze could have been a strong young addition, with the 20-year-old pushing to be a fixture in France’s senior setup, but Neom have proved to be too good to turn down in a financial sense.
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2
By
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Jul 31, 2025
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has always felt like the ideal centre-back signing for Liverpool this summer, though, and they should continue to pursue him.
Nottingham Forest supporters will now be clamouring for the start of the Premier League season, safe in the knowledge that Morgan Gibbs-White will line up in the famous Garibaldi Red for the Tricky Trees’ opener against Brentford next month.
It really looked as if Gibbs-White would leave Nuno Espirito Santo’s side behind for a switch to Tottenham Hotspur, in a move that would have banked Forest £60m.
However, this controversial move would never get off the ground in the end, culminating in the 25-year-old penning a new, unexpected deal at the City Ground instead.
Forest will be on the hunt for some exciting signings now to further boost spirits in the Midlands, as a £30m attacker appears on the Premier League side’s shopping list, away from Nuno’s men also being close on a deal for Bologna forward Dan Ndoye.
Bologna'sDanNdoyecelebrates with the trophy after winning the Coppa Italia
Forest explore move for £30m attacker
Indeed, it looks as if Ndoye will be lining up next to the much-talked-about Gibbs-White very shortly.
According to Fabrizio Romano via X, the deal is done, as a £35m agreement has been reached between Bologna and Forest, following on from Evangelos Marinakis’ desire to land a standout replacement for Anthony Elanga.
Ndoye isn’t the only addition Forest might be anticipating in the forward areas, however, with a report by the Telegraph now revealing that the top-flight side have ‘discussed’ a potential move for Liverpool hotshot Ben Doak.
The up-and-coming Scotsman would dent the Marinakis bank account even more, with the Reds winger allegedly available for around the £30m mark.
However, this could be a price worth paying if he develops into even more of a blistering performer at the City Ground, with the potential here for Doak to become the club’s next iteration of Gibbs-White in the process.
How Doak can become Forest's next Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White is now a household name in the Premier League, having even been speculated to be on the radar of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this summer, away from Thomas Franks’ Spurs sniffing about.
However, the 25-year-old hasn’t always been viewed in this glowing light, having struggled to ever get going at former side Wolverhampton Wanderers before embarking on a transformative adventure with Forest.
When plying his trade at Molineux, Gibbs-White would only collect a paltry one goal and one assist in Premier League action. At Forest, though, he is a beast that cannot be tamed, as seen in his ever-growing tally of 45 goals and assists at the difficult level.
Doak will hope, if he leaves Anfield behind shortly, that he can also go on to be as key as the four-time England international is at the City Ground, having been utilised sparingly at Liverpool to date, but he has still managed to show off flashes of his immense quality.
Middlesbrough
24
3
7
Liverpool U21s
16
5
2
Liverpool
10
0
0
Liverpool Youth League
8
4
4
Liverpool U18s
5
2
2
Celtic
2
0
0
Despite failing to break his goal or assist duck in the senior picture on Merseyside, Doak does have a healthy 11 goals and eight assists next to his name in the youth picture at Anfield. If given more minutes in Nottingham, he could go on to be a star in the first-team scene, away from settling for limited chances under Arne Slot’s wing.
After all, last season also saw the “special” forward – as he’s been glowingly labelled by Jurgen Klopp previously – set the EFL light on loan with Middlesbrough, as seen in his hefty ten goal contributions from 24 Boro clashes.
Coincidentally, before gaining more opportunities at Molineux, Gibbs-White was also viewed as a rising star out on loan with Sheffield United, with a mammoth ten goals and 12 assists coming his way at Bramall Lane.
At the time, he was even hailed as having “the world at his feet” by Blades teammate David McGoldrick, with similarly glowing praise heading Doak’s way too last season from Boro-based commentator Mark Drury, who stated that the Scotsman “looks like a natural” under pressure.
Doak might well finally get his big break in the Premier League with Forest, as excitement levels continue to grow and grow at the City Ground about what next season has in store.
As noted by Football scout Antonio Mango, he truly is a “menace” of a player…
Gibbs-White will love him: Nottingham Forest set to finalise "top signing"
Nottingham Forest are close to sealing a £35m deal for this exciting attacker.
Following the undeniable bombshell that Alexander Isak has asked to leave the club, Newcastle United and PIF have reportedly set their sights on a talented replacement.
When news emerged that he was suffering from a thigh injury and he would, therefore, not travel to take part in Newcastle’s Asia tour, it became clear that trouble may be afoot. And soon enough, reports came to the fore that Isak has, indeed, asked to leave St James’ Park this summer amid interest from Saudi Arabia and Liverpool.
It would have been Newcastle’s biggest fear heading into this summer, but that fear would have only increased by their own transfer failure. The last thing that Eddie Howe needs after watching the Magpies miss out on Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo is for Isak to depart, but that may be the reality that he is forced to live with next season.
There is still one positive in this saga for Newcastle, though. As frustrating as losing Isak would be, his exit would instantly solve any remaining PSR problems for the foreseeable future and allow PIF to flex their financial muscles in full.
According to The Athletic, the final package to sign Isak could cost as much as £250m, with Newcastle demanding a transfer fee worth as much as £150m before agent fees and wages are taken into account.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
With a chunk of that money, the Magpies could welcome an instant replacement and then finally splash the cash to improve other areas in Howe’s squad.
PIF set sights on Lois Openda
Turning towards an Isak replacement before anything, those at St James’ Park are now reportedly ‘targeting’ a Bundesliga talent. According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, PIF have now set their sights on signing Lois Openda for Newcastle this summer as they look to find the heir to Isak’s Tyneside throne.
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The RB Leipzig forward, now at the peak of his powers at 25 years old, is not the out-and-out goalscorer that Isak is, but he is a better creator and could provide Howe with a better all-rounder than the Swede.
After impressing in the 2023/24 campaign, Openda picked up where he left off last season and ended the campaign with 13 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. Described as a “fantastic young striker” by scout Jacek Kulig whilst in Germany, the Belgian could now get the chance to make the biggest move of his career so far.
Manchester United are once again keen on signing a £51 million star who the Red Devils contacted when Erik ten Hag was in charge, according to a recent report.
The Red Devils announced over the weekend that young defender Diego Leon had completed his transfer to the club after agreeing a deal to sign the player back in January. But the Premier League side are hoping that isn’t the last of the new arrivals in this transfer window.
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The Red Devils are beginning to make moves…
1 BySean Markus Clifford Jul 7, 2025
The current focus at United is trying to wrap up a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, as the club have already seen two bids rejected for the Cameroon international, who is keen on the move to Old Trafford. But as club chiefs look to get that deal completed this week, they have already identified their next potential target.
Midfielder Douglas Luiz has been linked with a move to United for a few months now and has even been mentioned as a possible makeweight in a deal that would see Juventus sign Jadon Sancho. United have taken matters into their own hands now and have submitted an enquiry regarding Luiz’s availability.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
The Brazilian struggled for regular game time in Turin last season, and heading into the new campaign, he continues to be down the pecking order. Therefore, Juventus have made Luiz available for a transfer and have deemed him surplus to requirements.
It is unclear if the Red Devils want Luiz on a permanent basis or are looking to do a loan deal, but either way they face competition from Everton and Fulham, who are also chasing a potential deal.
Man Utd keen on signing "accomplished" Italy international
As the Red Devils eye midfield reinforcements, the club are also on the lookout for how to improve their defence and have now identified a new target. According to Caught Offside, Man United are interested in signing Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta.
United have yet to make any contact with the player or club, but it is claimed that could change very soon.
Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini
The report states that while the 21-year-old is considered an important player by the Serie A side, the fact they have placed a €60 million value on his head, which is roughly £51 million, has now alerted several top European clubs.
As well as United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also showing interest in the player, while they all face competition from Italy’s big sides. It’s currently Newcastle in the driver’s seat, having made the youngster their top target to reinforce their defence.
Scalvini, who has been dubbed “accomplished” at such a young age by Whoscored writer Yash Shah, is apparently “one of the most sought-after young talents in the game” and “one of the new stars of this generation of Italian football”.
Apps
107
Goals
5
Assists
5
United’s interest in Scalvini is not new either, as it was reported back in February 2024 they had submitted an enquiry to Atalanta over signing the defender for then-manager Erik ten Hag. He appears to be a player they have kept their eye on, and now his potential arrival at Old Trafford would see him slot into Ruben Amorim’s back three instead.
Leeds United have now made an initial approach to sign a £17m midfielder, with talks over personal terms currently ongoing, according to Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri.
Leeds eyeing attacking midfielder amid doubts over Aaronson
It is clear that Leeds want to bring in at least one new central midfielder this summer, having now made offers for both Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Besiktas’ Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the 49ers were willing to bet heavily on the former, submitting a £22m bid.
The eagerness to strengthen in the engine room comes amid Paul Robinson’s suggestion that one of Daniel Farke’s midfielders may not be good enough to make the step-up to the top flight: “Leeds are going to have to replace players.
“They came out of the Premier League with a similar squad, and players in that squad weren’t good enough. To mention two: Brenden Aaronson and Junior Firpo weren’t good enough for the Premier League.”
Aaronson regularly featured in an attacking midfield role last season, but it now appears as though the Whites are keen to bring in another number 10, who could be capable of pushing for the American’s starting spot.
According to Tavolieri (via Sport Witness), Leeds have now made an initial approach to sign RSC Anderlecht’s Mario Stroeykens, who could be available for around €20m (£17m) this summer, as per reports from elsewhere.
Sky Sports: Leeds now make approach for £17m striker who's keen on PL move
The Whites have made contact to sign a 25-year-old, with bringing in a new striker now a priority.
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Farke’s side are yet to make an offer for Stroeykens, but talks over personal terms are currently ongoing, so there is serious interest on their behalf, although there may be competition from soon-to-be Premier League rivals West Ham United.
With the attacking midfielder’s contract set to expire in 2026, the Belgian side may be forced to cash-in this summer, as they will be eager to avoid losing him on a free transfer, potentially opening the door for a move to Elland Road.
"Absolute hero" Stroeykens impressing in Belgium
The Anderlecht youngster is still only 20-years-old, but he has been impressing in the Jupiler Pro League for quite some time, with scout Jacek Kulig singling the starlet out for praise after scoring two goals as a substitute.
Since then, the Belgian has managed to kick on, collecting five goals and seven assists for Anderlecht in all competitions last season, featuring regularly as his side went on to finish in fourth place.
Stroeykens is yet to prove himself in a major European league, which may be a cause for some concern, but he is still very young, and the maestro’s performances in Belgium suggest he could soon be capable of pushing for Aaronson’s starting spot.
With Champions League qualification still up for grabs courtesy of the Europa League, Manchester United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a Paris Saint-Germain star this summer.
Man Utd set for crucial Europa League final
After spending the current campaign closer to the relegation zone than the Premier League title, the thought of Manchester United qualifying for the Champions League seems absurd. But the Europa League has offered them more than just a slither of hope. By defeating Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, the Red Devils will have a place among Europe’s elite next season, having won the Europa League unbeaten this season.
Saving one of their best performances for the semi-final stage, Manchester United thrashed Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate to book their place in the final, leaving Ruben Amorim hopeful that a disastrous debut campaign could yet end with silverware.
That said, the former Sporting Club boss is well aware that even if his side win the Europa League, there’s still plenty of work to be done. He told reporters in the build-up to the semi-final: “For me, in that moment and you look at Premier League, we are the worst team since I arrived in terms of results.
“That is my idea. In the end of the season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title. So we will not change anything. We know that this season was disappointing.”
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6
By
Ethan Lamb
May 9, 2025
With the transfer window now approaching, that aforementioned improvement could start as soon as this summer and with the potential arrival of a much-needed attacking star. Looking to solve their goalscoring problem once and for all, the Red Devils have reportedly turned their attention towards a Champions League finalist.
Man Utd join race for PSG striker Goncalo Ramos
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are now desperate to sign a striker, with PSG’s Goncalo Ramos on the radar in an attempt to end their goalscoring woes. Joining Arsenal, Aston Villa and others in the race to sign the PSG forward, those at Old Trafford could certainly do with the boost of Champions League qualification.
Whilst Ramos is not the first-choice striker under Luis Enrique, he has still had his moments of importance this season – scoring 15 goals in all competitions. Now, at 23 years old, the Portugal international is open to looking elsewhere for game time and towards the Premier League. And although he hasn’t been deemed good enough for Enrique at times, Ramos could provide Amorim with the perfect upgrade at Manchester United.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Goncalo Ramos
Rasmus Hojlund
Starts
11
20
Goals
7
4
Assists
3
0
Expected Goals
11.7
3.8
A player dubbed “prolific” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in March, Ramos’ record of seven goals in 11 Ligue 1 starts proves that he’s ready for a permanent starting role elsewhere. In comparison to Rasmus Hojlund, the PSG forward would offer Amorim an instant improvement.
Leeds United fans would have entered Elland Road on Monday full of both nerves and excitement, knowing that one more win and Sheffield United failing to win in a showdown with Burnley in the Championship would clinch promotion.
Well, the Whites certainly kept to their end of the bargain in West Yorkshire with Daniel Farke’s hosts hammering a petrified Stoke City side 6-0 in front of their jubilant home masses and after the Blades later went on to lose against the Clarets, promotion to the Premier League was sealed in spectacular fashion at the second time of asking.
Joel Piroe – who has had his fair share of critics in recent weeks for his wasteful showings – staggeringly chipped in with four of the strikes, with the Dutchman a man possessed in front of goal as he became their promotion hero.
Piroe's remarkable performance vs Stoke City
Heading into this big clash against Mark Robins’ visitors earlier today, Piroe was deep in a barren patch of form, with nine Championship clashes passing him by without finding the net.
He more than made up for these lacklustre showings on Monday, however, as the deadly 25-year-old sucker-punched Stoke with two goals inside the first ten minutes.
Constantly in the right place at the right time to tap home, Piroe would go on to secure a memorable hat-trick inside a bonkers 20 minutes after his early brace, before further managing to fire home his fourth of the remarkable day four minutes before the half-time interval.
Now up to a league-high 19 strikes for the season in the second tier, the ex-Swansea City man will be hoping he can be equally as clinical for the Whites if Premier League football returns to Elland Road, with this whirlwind win pulling them ever closer back to the promised land.
But, whilst Piroe obviously delivered a display of the highest order, he wasn’t the only Whites performer against the Potters who was near faultless…
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
10/10 Leeds star was as good as Piroe
Nobody in Leeds white exactly let the team down in all fairness, with every single player picked by Farke singing off the same hymn sheet to secure a huge three points.
While the attack were en song at Elland Road, the two full-backs were in fine fettle too, evoking memories of Ian Harte in his prime, charging forward to contribute in the final third with Junior Firpo finding the net and Jayden Bogle running the Stoke defence ragged.
Bogle’s performance in numbers
Stat
Bogle
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
1
Touches
63
Accurate passes
28/42 (67%)
Shots
2
Key passes
1
Successful dribbles
3/3
Interceptions
2
Tackles
4
Total duels won
10/12
Stats by Sofascore
He has had a fine season in West Yorkshire to date after dramatically leaving Sheffield United behind for Leeds last summer.
The gung-ho full-back would get in on the act when assisting Piroe’s second of the day, taking Bogle’s assist count for the season all the way up to a weighty four, on top of his stunning six strikes, while he also hit the post in the build-up to Piroe’s fourth.
Bogle would constantly maraud forward and leave Stoke shirts in the dust – seen in his 100% dribble completion rate – leading to Leeds reporter Graham Smyth to remark that the expansive 24-year-old “absolutely mullered” the Potters across a breathtaking first half.
But, the ex-Blades defender also looked strong defensively when infrequently called into action, with four tackles and ten duels won to preserve Leeds’ likely clean sheet.
Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned Smyth dished out a flawless 10/10 rating to Bogle post-match too, waxing lyrical further that he “tortured” Robins’ visitors who just had no answer to the home side’s persistent waves of attacks.
Come the full-time whistle, Leeds simply looked top-flight bound after brushing aside Stoke with ease, with both Bogle and Piroe ready for the challenge of Premier League football.
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Daniel Farke can repeat the trick he played with Illan Meslier by dropping this Leeds United flop.
As an ever-aggressive opener, he has given his side an advantage to capitalise on more often than not
Ian Chappell17-Dec-2023Yet again David Warner, by amassing a scintillating century, has proved his immense worth to the Australian cricket team as an aggressive match-winning opener. He will be sorely missed by the Australian Test team when he retires after the SCG match of this series.There are varying opinions on him announcing his preference for an SCG send-off. I prefer the former great Australian allrounder Keith Miller’s version. Miller wanted to retire while people asked “Why did you?” rather than “Why don’t you?”Warner could have been following the example set by Steve Waugh in 2003-04 of having a season-long send-off. Protracted farewells like that can make cricket decisions difficult for members of the players’ own team. Damien Martyn found that out in the Gabba Test in that 2003-04 series against India, sacrificing his wicket when a mix-up led to the prospect of Waugh being run-out. It can also test the resolve of the selectors if the upcoming retiree endures a bad start to the season.Related
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Warner launches his farewell Test series with dominant Perth century
Love him or loathe him, it's time to appreciate David Warner
Or Warner might have been following the example set by Greg Chappell in 1983-84. Chappell announced before the final Test against Pakistan at the SCGNot only does an aggressive opener make life easier for his side, the opposing captain is also wary against him, particularly with field placings
However, Warner’s value to his team doesn’t just start and finish with his aggressive batting. As we saw in Australia’s recently achieved 50-over World Cup victory, his brilliant outfielding is an enormous asset in a team’s success.There is also his catching. He’s not the best slip fielder at Test level, as Australia are fortunate to have had a number of brilliant specialists, but he’s competent.All of that says why Warner will be a hard man to replace in Australia’s Test side. The selectors’ choice will be difficult and currently there is no one on the horizon who is even close to Warner’s value to the team.Warner has been a polarising figure in the Australian side and much of the love-hate relationship stems from the part he played in the controversial 2018 sandpaper affair in Cape Town. If he does expose his version of events in a book following his ultimate retirement, it will make for extremely interesting reading. It also ensures there will be a lot of very nervous people around Australian cricket awaiting any revelations.Whether you love or hate Warner, you should never underestimate his value to Australian cricket. Warner is a rare gem and Australia have been lucky to have his services in a long and distinguished career.