O Santos venceu o Avaí por 2 a 0 nesta sexta-feira (26), na Ressacada, pela segunda rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. Melhor no segundo tempo, o Peixe garantiu o resultado com gols de JP Chermont e Julio Furch.
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⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
Santos e Avaí começaram a partida indo ao ataque e criando boas chances dos dois lados. Logo no início, Gil aproveitou cobrança de escanteio e quase abriu o placar para o Peixe. Pouco depois, João Paulo fez grande defesa em chute de William Pottker. Nos minutos finais da primeira etapa, os donos da casa ocuparam mais o campo de ataque e pressionaram pelo gol, mas sem resultado.
No segundo tempo, o Santos cresceu na partida e impôs seu jogo. Depois de minutos de pressão, o garoto JP Chermont, lateral de apenas 18 anos, avançou pela direita, cortou para dentro e bateu da entrada da área; bola desviou na defesa e morreu dentro do gol. O Peixe seguiu melhor e conseguiu amplicar o placar com Julio Furch, após linda jogada individual de Guilherme.
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👀 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O Avaí visita o Paysandu na próxima sexta-feira (3), às 19h, pela terceira rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. Já o Santos volta à Vila Belmiro e recebe o Guarani no dia 6 de maio, segunda-feira, também pela Segundona.
Harry Kane has admitted he wants to win the Ballon d'Or and compared himself to Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland as the strikers battle for glory. Kane is one goal off matching Pele's international haul and will hope to match or better the Brazilian when England face Albania in their final World Cup qualifier on Sunday night as the Three Lions look to maintain their 100% record.
Getty Images Sport
Kane expected to start against Albania
England have won all seven 2026 World Cup qualifiers following their 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday night. Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze netted either side of half time to wrap up another three points at Wembley, as the Three Lions eased to next summer's showpiece.
Thomas Tuchel's men have scored 20 goals in qualifying, of which Kane has netted six, and have the chance to make it eight wins from eight when they face off against Albania on Sunday evening. And with no other out-and-out striker in the squad, the 32-year-old has a great opportunity to add to that haul and go level with Pele for international goals.
Pele scored 77 times for Brazil during a legendary career, while Kane sits on 76 for the Three Lions. The England skipper netted in the reverse fixture, a 2-0 win at Wembley back in March, and will feel confident about his chances of scoring against the Red and Blacks, who are guaranteed a play-off spot following their 1-0 victory at Andorra on Thursday.
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'To be around a name like Pele speaks for itself'
Kane has confessed that he relishes reaching such milestones, stating: "To be around a name like Pele speaks for itself. Sometimes when you're in it, it's hard to process some of the names you're around or the things you're achieving. You just want to go onto the next one.
"Hopefully to score tomorrow and go level with Pele, who had such an inspirational international career, just shows how far I've come through my career."
Getty Images Sport
Kane makes Ballon d'Or claim with '100 goals' warning
Kane doesn't just have Pele's international goal record in his sights, but the Ballon d'Or, too. Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 accolade, pipping Barcelona star Lamine Yamal to the award after the Frenchman's role in PSG's Champions League triumph over Inter last season.
The Bayern forward, who is England's leading marksman in history, insists he won't win the individual accolade, even if he scores '100 goals this season'. "I could score 100 goals this season but if I don't win the Champions League or the World Cup, you're probably not going to win the Ballon d'Or," Kane said.
"It's the same with Erling Haaland, it's the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies. With the way the season is going as a team with Bayern Munich, it looks like we're in great shape.
"It looks like we're one of the favourites for the Champions League, for sure. So that maybe makes the odds a little bit more in my favour. Same with England. I think we're going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.
"Whenever you are going into a year, like a World Cup year, there is a lot of excitement, a lot of talk, a lot of noise around everything. You have to try and stay focused on the now.
"From my point of view, I've got six more weeks before I get a nice break. I am feeling good. And that break will help for us but hopefully if things go my way for club and country then I'm definitely going to be in the conversation for a trophy like the Ballon d'Or."
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Haaland instrumental in Norway's qualifying campaign
Haaland himself has been in sensational scoring form for both club and country this season. The 25-year-old has scored in all but two games for Manchester City and Norway in the 2025-26 campaign, failing to net in defeats to Tottenham and Aston Villa.
The City star has been rampant for Stale Solbakken's side in qualifying having scored 14 goals with Norway on the cusp of reaching their first World Cup since 1998.
Norway have won all seven matches so far and face Italy in their final round of qualifiers on Sunday night. The Azzurri have won six of their seven games, but would need to win 9-0 in Milan to pip Norway to top spot in Group I.
Arsenal went on a record-setting winning run of form in the month of October, not conceding a single goal while winning six games in all competitions.
The Gunners’ dominance has been founded on one of the best defences in Premier League history, as David Raya has had to pick the ball out of his net just three times so far this season, a rate that if it continues will see them break Chelsea’s record for goals conceded in a single Premier League season.
Gabriel Magalhães has drawn PFA Player of the Year shouts in recent weeks, while Raya is chasing yet another golden glove and Jurrien Timber is emerging as one of the best right-backs in world football.
What is Chelsea's record and can Arsenal beat it?
Chelsea’s 2004-05 team led by Jose Mourinho conceded just 15 goals in a 38-game Premier League season. Arsenal have so far conceded three times in nine games, which at 0.33 per game would total between 12-13 goals, but it’s not that simple…
The AI supercomputer gave three scenarios for Arsenal’s final total, taking into account fatigue, injuries, game states and the possibility of other teams adapting to their style of play.
It also concluded that fine margins – such as individual errors or controversial decisions – will add up over the course of a season.
Another factor harming their efforts may just be their own brilliance. Arsenal are predicted to win the Premier League by a whopping 13 points, which would mean they have games at the end of the season with little to play for other than this record. For context, Liverpool failed to win all four of their remaining matches after wrapping up the title last season, conceding nine goals in that time.
Best case
13–14 goals
Arsenal sustain current defensive dominance and stay injury-free
Most likely
17–19 goals
Small regression due to fixture congestion and natural variance
Worst case
25–27 goals
Defensive injuries, fatigue, or tactical shifts increase vulnerability slightly
Predicted total: Arsenal will concede 18 goals in the 2025-26 Premier League season
Given the likelihood that Arsenal progress far in several competitions – they are currently fourth in the Champions League table and still alive in both domestic cup competitions – it is likely that fatigue and injuries will affect their ability to keep clean sheets later in the season.
Arsenal’s squad depth has been an issue in recent seasons, falling behind Manchester City in the 2022-23 campaign after they lost William Saliba to injury, but Bukayo Saka has hailed the level of the current group after more than £250million was spent in the summer.
“This year I feel we’re a very strong group and we’ve got a lot of quality. We’ve suffered already a lot of injuries, but the players that have come in have shown that we can all keep the level at the highest,” said the England international.
“I think that’s where we’ve slipped off in a few seasons, but this season, we’ve got that and it’s making me really believe we can do it.”
Supercomputer predicts every 2025/26 Premier League game and final table
Entering the Dodgers’ postseason run this fall, right-handed ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t have a single complete game on his résumé.
He now has two. And they’ve come in his last two outings, nonetheless.
To follow up his nine-inning gem in Los Angeles’s NLCS win on Oct. 14, Yamamoto dialed up another complete game Saturday night to lead the Dodgers to a 5–1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series. In nine innings of work, Yamamoto allowed just one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. He only got better as the game went on, striking out the side in the eighth inning and retiring 20 consecutive hitters to end the game.
In four starts this postseason, Yamamoto has logged a 1.57 ERA and 0.73 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. He’s just the second player in MLB history to notch his first two complete games in the playoffs, joining Josh Beckett in 2003.
“He’s pitched in big ball games in Japan. He’s pitched in the [World Baseball Classic]. Players who have the weight of a country on their shoulders, that’s pressure,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto after Game 2. “I just feel that part of his DNA is to just perform at a high level in big spots. Control his heart beat and just continue to make pitches. He could’ve went another 30, 40 pitches tonight.”
Yamamoto became the first pitcher to throw a complete game in the World Series since Royals righthander Johnny Cueto in 2015. Only 11 pitchers have done so in a World Series game dating back to 1990, and just six pitchers have gone the distance this century.
Pitchers to throw complete games in the World Series (since 1990)
PLAYER (TEAM)
DATE
STATS
RESULT
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
Oct. 25, 2025
9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K
W, 5–1
Johnny Cueto (Royals)
Oct. 28, 2015
9 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K
W, 7–1
Madison Bumgarner (Giants)
Oct. 26, 2014
9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 8 K
W, 5–0
Cliff Lee (Phillies)
Oct. 28, 2009
9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 10 K
W, 6–1
Josh Beckett (Marlins)
Oct. 25, 2003
9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 9 K
W, 2–0
Randy Johnson (Diamondbacks)
Oct. 28, 2001
9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K
W, 4–0
Greg Maddux (Braves)
Oct. 21, 1995
9 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 K
W, 3–2
Curt Schilling (Phillies)
Oct. 21, 1993
9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 6 K
W, 2–0
Tom Glavine (Braves)
Oct. 17, 1992
9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K
W, 3–1
Jack Morris (Twins)
Oct. 27, 1991
10 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 8 K
W, 1–0
Dave Stewart (A’s)
Oct. 20, 1990
9 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 K
L, 2–1
He’s also the first pitcher to log back-to-back complete games in a single postseason since Diamondbacks ace Curt Schilling in 2001. Schilling actually posted three straight complete games in Arizona’s ‘01 playoff run, going the distance in two games in the NLDS and another in the NLCS.
Pitchers to throw back-to-back complete games in a single postseason (since 1990)
PLAYER (TEAM)
YEAR
STREAK OF CG
Curt Schilling (Diamondbacks)
2001
3
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
2025
2
Tom Glavine (Braves)
1992
2
Tim Wakefield (Pirates)
1992
2
If that was Yamamoto’s final start of the year, what a way to go out. But if it wasn’t, and the Dodgers are planning to call his number again later in the World Series, it’s only fair to expect greatness from the 27-year-old ace.
South Africa completed their fourth chase of the tournament, this time with ten wickets in hand
Firdose Moonda17-Oct-2025
Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits shared a century-stand for the opening wicket•Getty Images
20-overs-a-sideSouth Africa took a big step towards a World Cup semi-final berth by chasing successfully for the fourth time in the tournament, this time in a rain-reduced encounter in Colombo. They played what was essentially a T20 against Sri Lanka, whose innings was paused for five-and-a-quarter hours, and whose semi-final hopes now hang by a thread. Sri Lanka have two points from two washouts and are winless. For any chance of a final-four spot, they must win their last two games and hope other results go their way.After choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka faced 12 overs before the rain delay and scored 46 for 2. They returned to hit 59 runs in eight overs, losing five wickets in the process. South Africa’s target was adjusted up from Sri Lanka’s final score of 105 for 7 to acknowledge the hosts did not know they would only bat 20 overs for 60% of their innings.Similarly South Africa’s bowling plans were scuppered by the revised playing conditions. Both senior seamers – Marizanne Kapp and Masabata Klaas – were bowled out in the first 12 overs as the reduction only allowed for bowlers to deliver a maximum of four overs each. They had also included two offspinners – Sune Luus, returning from a hip flexor strain, and Nondumiso Shangase – but neither ended up bowling.Instead, it was left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, dealing with a wet ball, who took 3 for 30 and limited Sri Lanka after the resumption. Unlike in their previous two matches against India and Bangladesh, South Africa were barely troubled in the chase. Laura Wolvaardt scored a second half-century at this event and Tazmin Brits supported her with a fifty of her own as South Africa cruised to a win with 5.1 overs to spare. Their net run-rate, though, remains negative after their opening defeat to England.South Africa may not have thought it would be that easy, when hours earlier, Sri Lanka – fresh from topping 250 against New Zealand – decided to go again by batting first in home conditions. But South Africa had an ace, Klaas, who threatened from the get-go when she beat Vishmi Gunaratne first with an outswinger and then an inswinger. In the next over, Gunaratne was completing a single off Kapp when a throw came into the non-striker’s end and struck her on the inside of her left knee. Going down in pain, she received treatment on-field and was stretchered off later. No serious damage was done as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed she would bat again later in the innings.Athapaththu was on three of 12 balls at the time and only got her next runs six deliveries later when she hit Kapp inside-out over point for four. Just as she found her touch, South Africa also discovered theirs. Klaas bowled Hasini Perera, who played down the wrong line, with a beauty that shaped away. Then Kapp found Harshita Samarawickrama’s edge but the chance fell short of Chloe Tryon at slip. Klaas then snared the big fish when Athapaththu was given out lbw as she lunged forward to an inswinger. Athpaththu thought the impact was outside the line and reviewed but stayed out on umpires call. Sri Lanka were 37 for 2 after 10 overs.Only two more overs were possible before the drizzle became too heavy and the players were taken off the field. They remained off for five hours and 14 minutes, during which time it rained heavily, eased off and eventually Sri Lanka’s excellent groundstaff got conditions ready for a restart.Mlaba restarted proceedings and was dispatched for six first ball by Kavisha Dilhari, in an over that cost 10. Sri Lanka’s intent was clear when, in the next over, Samarawickrama tried to slog Nadine de Klerk but got a leading edge to mid-off, where Klaas could not hold on. De Klerk was rewarded later in the over when Dilhari handed a catch to Wolvaardt at cover.Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with three wickets•Getty Images
It became two in two for Sri Lanka as Mlaba removed Samarawickrama at the start of her next over, with Wolvaardt doing the catching again. That brought Gunaratne back to the crease and she finished the over by hitting Mlaba down the ground for four. Gunaratne was in excellent touch and hit Chloe Tryon through point, and Mlaba for back-to-back fours to keep pressure on South Africa.Nilakshika de Silva took on de Klerk but South Africa pulled things back in the last two overs. De Klerk’s fourth over cost just three runs and Mlaba picked up two wickets and conceded four to take her to second on the tournament wicket-takers’ list. De Silva, trying to get as many as possible, picked out deep midwicket and Gunaratne edged behind to give 18-year old wicketkeeper Karabo Meso her first World Cup catch.Wolvaardt and Brits, who had not had the best tournament as an opening pair thus far, then took complete control. They posted their highest opening stand of this World Cup and dealt well with the early swing Malki Madara generated. Wolvaardt kept one that was destined for the stumps out and then advanced down the track to hit her over mid-on.It took Brits, coming off back to back ducks, some time before she brought out a big shot. But when she did, it was huge. Coming down the track, she sent Inoka Ranaweera back over her head for six. South Africa’s fifty came up in the eighth over as Brits was nearly run out at the non-striker’s end with Wolvaardt pushing for two. Wolvaardt went on to give Brits the best view in the house as she creamed a cover drive off Athapaththu and asserted her authority on the game.Brits survived an lbw review on 20 when Dilhari tossed one up. Dilhari’s night got worse from there when South Africa took 18 runs off her third over including four fours. Wolvaardt reached fifty off the second one, when she hit Dilhari leg-side, then Brits scored two of her own to enter the 40s. She finished things off quickly and got to fifty when she ended the game with a six over midwicket.
Everton are reportedly pushing hard to complete the signing of Sevilla right-back Juanlu Sanchez, but there is more Premier League interest in him, too.
The 22-year-old is an exciting young talent who has already won an Olympic gold medal with Spain, winning a total of four caps for his country and hoping to be a part of their 2026 World Cup squad.
Juanlu emerged as a target for Wolves during the summer transfer window, with talks opening at one point and a move to Molineux potentially looking on the cards.
In the end, he rejected their advances, however, and decided to remain at Sevilla for the time being, continuing to be an influential player for the Spanish giants this season.
Juanlu has made 10 La Liga appearances in 2025/26 to date, assisting once in the competition, but it looks as though his long-term future may lie away from the club, with Everton seemingly in the mix to acquire his signature.
Everton applying "strong pressure" to sign Juanlu
According to Diario de Sevilla [via Sport Witness], Everton are putting “strong pressure” on to sign Juanlu from Sevilla, with Crystal Palace also in the same boat.
Sevilla’s financial issues could see them forced into selling the wide man, with as much as £17.6m possibly needed to prise him away from Spain.
Juanlu looks like such a shrewd target for Everton, with the Spain international possessing the versatility to add so much depth to David Moyes’ squad, being able to thrive on the wing and even in midfield alongside his natural right-back role.
Still only 22, his best years are ahead of him, with former manager Xavier Garcia Pimienta heaping praise on his qualities as a player in the past.
“He has played as an inside midfielder [before], we were short on space in midfield due to Saul’s [Niguez] suspension and [Albert Sambi] Lokonga’s injury. I spoke to him, I knew he could do well in that position. Juanlu has an incredible present and a better future.”
Aston Villa's move to sign James Garner amid new update on Everton future
The Villans have come forward to sign a new midfielder, with his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium up in the air.
ByDominic Lund Nov 17, 2025
The lure of Palace may be big, given their status as reigning FA Cup holders, but Everton are enjoying life in their sparkly new stadium, with Jack Grealish a big-name loan signing, and Juanlu will hopefully see them as the more exciting proposition.
Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle
Aggression is captain’s watchword as he takes lessons of 2022 and drills them back at England
Matt Roller07-Oct-2024It was not a mirage in Multan, but an overdue end to a four-year drought. Shan Masood has talked a good game in his first year as Pakistan captain but after five defeats out of five – in which his career average remained below 30 – he came into this series knowing that, unless he delivered with the bat, his position would be seen as untenable.This was as compelling a response as Masood could have wished for. When he hit 156 in Manchester in August 2020, he looked to have finally cracked Test cricket: it was his third successive hundred, albeit spread across an eight-month period. But in his 27 innings since then, he had not managed a single score above 60.Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Masood’s 151 was that he paid as much attention to ‘how’ as ‘how many’. Once a dour, shotless player who would crawl along at a strike rate of 40, Masood showed his team exactly how he wants them to bat by putting England’s seamers under pressure and targeting the young offspinner Shoaib Bashir.It would have been very different but for a review. Masood looked rushed by the extra pace during Brydon Carse’s first spell on Test debut, and had just edged him for four to reach 16 when he was given out lbw. But he was right to question Kumar Dharmasena’s on-field decision, with Hawk-Eye confirming the ball had pitched outside leg stump.The Pakistan captaincy is a role about more than just leading a cricket team. Its incumbents are also expected to act as spokesmen, musing at length about the state of the game – and the country. Masood’s views have been cited so many times that he should be charging royalties, and last week he gave a press conference previewing this series that lasted the best part of an hour.By his own admission, Masood had his eyes opened when England toured Pakistan two years ago and has taken inspiration from their attacking approach. He played in the third Test of that series after running the drinks in the first two, and describing England on Sunday as “pioneers” whose style “has had an effect on the world”.It has certainly had an effect on Masood, as he demonstrated with his calculated takedown of Bashir. Masood picked the ball after a convincing lbw shout as his opportunity to attack in Bashir’s second over, charging down to hack him through midwicket before using his feet again to the subsequent delivery, and launching him back over his head.A couple of skips down the pitch were enough to throw Bashir off his length, and Masood pulled his drag-down for four in the following over, then launched him over extra cover. It posed a problem for Ollie Pope, who could not rely on spin at both ends and found himself chasing the game while Masood and Abdullah Shafique piled on 253 for the second wicket.Related
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Masood explained that he saw Bashir’s introduction as an opportunity after Pakistan had seen off Chris Woakes’ threat with the new ball, on a pitch which offered very little for bowlers after some early movement. “If you can get the spinners away, you change the way they bowl,” he said. “On a first-day wicket, when you’ve had a good start, that’s when you have to cash in.”He expressly targeted a “mammoth partnership” early in his stand with Shafique. “The way we played, the way we put some scoreboard pressure on them, the way we kept running hard and made sure that we scored at 4.5-5 [per over] – that’s an important thing. If we would have just set up shop and tried to defend our way through the day, I don’t think we would have had 328 on the board.”Masood survived occasional sketchy moments off Gus Atkinson, including a top-edged pull that went just over the long-leg fielder and a gloved short ball that dropped short of Jamie Smith. But he was otherwise assured on his way to three figures, cruising along at a rapid rate: his hundred, reached off 102 balls, was Pakistan’s fastest in a decade.”From 30, still to 100, I was trying not to give anything away,” Masood said. “I’ve been very guilty of getting to those 30s, 40s and 50s and not carrying on. Today, I had that responsibility. When I played that pull shot off Atkinson, I had my heart in my mouth: I said, ‘Nothing [else] before 100.'”He flagged in the sapping heat of the afternoon, offering a half-chance to Pope at point on 133 and seizing up with cramp on 146 after reverse-sweeping Jack Leach for four. His dismissal – chipping a low chance back to Leach – was a tame end to a fine innings which spanned four-and-a-half hours, and was the second-highest of Masood’s Test career.It is not difficult to imagine the world in which Masood played no part in this Test. Five consecutive defeats at the start of his tenure could easily have led to him losing his job, or an overhaul in selection. But with a short turnaround from Bangladesh’s recent tour, the PCB defied their reputation for instability with a policy of continuity.The first day of a Test tour is unlike any other, in that it presents the opportunity to set the tone for what follows. Masood reflected as much with his positivity, which took the pressure off himself and put it on England’s bowlers. It couldn’t quite match England’s 506 for 4 in Rawalpindi two years ago, but Pakistan’s 328 for 4 laid the foundation for the series.
خاض فريق ليفربول، بقيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مساء السبت، وذلك ضد نظيره ليدز يونايتد على ملعب الأخير.
واستضاف ملعب “إيلاند رود” مباراة ليفربول وليدز يونايتد، في الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي موسم 2025/26، حيث تعادلا بنتيجة 3/3.
ودخل ليفربول المباراة مع تواجد النجم المصري محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء، للمرة الثالثة على التوالي، ولم يشارك في أي من دقائقها.
وشهدت دقائق الشوط الأول من عمر المباراة فرص مختلفة لصالح ليفربول من أجل تسجيل هدف التقدم، ولكن الحظ لم يحالف اللاعبين في أي منها، ليسيطر التعادل السلبي على الدقائق الـ45 الأولى.
وتغير الوضع في الشوط الثاني، بعدما تمكن هوجو إيكتيكي من تسجيل هدفين لصالح ليفربول، في الدقيقة 49 بعدما استغل خطأ دفاعي لصالح الخصم، وتوغل بالكرة وسددها من داخل المنطقة، وفي الدقيقة 51، بعد تمريرة عرضية من كونور برادلي واستغل الفرنسي الفرصة وسجل الثاني.
ولكن ليدز يونايتد لم يستسلم وتمكن من تسجيل هدفين في دقيقتين، الأول في الدقيقة 73 من ضربة جزاء نفذها كالفيرت لوين، والثاني في الدقيقة 75 عن طريق أنطون ستاش بعدما سدد كرة قوية من داخل المنطقة.
وفي الدقيقة 80، تمكن دومينيك سوبوسلاي من تسجيل الهدف الثالث لكتيبة آرني سلوت، بعد تمريرة عرضية من ريان جرافنبيرخ، ووصلت الكرة إلى المجري الذي سددها من داخل المنطقة، ليهز شباك أصحاب الأرض.
واستقبل ليفربول هدفًا قاتلًا، في الدقيقة 95 من عمر المباراة، عن طريق اللاعب أو تاناكا، بعد ركلة ركنية، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى منطقة جزاء الريدز، ليتمكن لاعب الخصم من تسجيلها في الشباك.
بتلك النتيجة، حصل كل فريق على نقطة، حيث أصبح رصيد ليفربول 23 نقطة في المركز الثامن، بينما أصبح رصيد ليدز يونايتد 15 نقطة في المركز السادس عشر.
England's centre-back room looks almost unrecognisable this month to how it has for the majority of Sarina Wiegman's tenure. With Millie Bright having recently retired, Leah Williamson still injured, Alex Greenwood ruled out for a few weeks and Jess Carter granted a period of rest, Wiegman is set to name a starting defence without any of that quartet for just the second, and third, time in her four years in charge of the Lionesses when her side take on China and Ghana over the course of the next week.
It's no wonder Wiegman has described this camp as "an opportunity" for other centre-back options to "step up" then, and for no one does it feel like a greater opportunity than Maya Le Tissier. Fresh off the back of making her first England start in a central position last month, having won all nine of her previous caps for her country as a full-back, the 23-year-old feels well-placed to benefit from what is certainly an unfamiliar situation for the Lionesses.
The timing feels important, too. These are England's final friendly matches before qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup begins in the New Year and, with only the group winner to automatically book a spot at the tournament, and the Lionesses having been pooled with Spain, obtaining results is going to be the priority. As such, it's one of the last windows for a while in which Wiegman is going to experiment and hand out chances. Le Tissier will be out to take hers and show that she should be considered as a valuable option at centre-back, not just right-back, moving forward.
Getty Images SportPlenty of debate
Le Tissier has been a lightning rod for debate when it comes to the Lionesses in recent months. "I was expecting that," Wiegman laughed when asked about the Manchester United captain following her start as a centre-back against Australia in the last camp, having been bombarded with questions about her since re-emphasising that she saw Le Tissier as more of a right-back than a centre-back just a couple of weeks prior.
That stance sparked a frenzy on social media, particularly after United, somewhat incredibly, got involved. "Maya Le Tissier has started 104 games for United," a post on the club's official X account read. "103 of them have been at centre-back." Ian Wright, meanwhile, took to Instagram to state that he simply didn't "understand" Wiegman's point of view, calling Le Tissier "the most consistent" English centre-back in the Women's Super League.
"I think it's hard not to see it. It's everywhere," Le Tissier said of the public questioning of her role when talking to . "Obviously I play centre-half at club level every single week and every single day in training. So for me, I love playing centre-back, and full-back is a different challenge. I enjoy that as well, but I don't feel as kind of confident.
"It's hard when you go play a different position that you don't play at all. I just try and do whatever Sarina asks of me, just to get on the pitch, no matter if it's at full-back or centre-half or anywhere else where Sarina thinks I could play!"
AdvertisementGetty ImagesSoftening stance
How Wiegman used Le Tissier during the October camp suggested something of a softening on what had, at times, previously felt like a very strong position. The defender started as a right-back in the first game of that international break, a defeat to Brazil, but ended it at centre-back. Then, three days later, she started at the heart of the defence as England bounced back with a victory over Australia.
"I think in both positions, she has done really well," Wiegman said after the latter outing. "I'll have a review on that. We'll discuss it over the next couple days, because I want to see this game back. But I think she did really well."
Those comments were the cherry on top of what felt like an incredibly positive camp for Le Tissier, in which she went about her business at full-back without any sense of complaint before showing what she could do when deployed in the position she knows best.
Getty ImagesUnfamiliar situation
This week is now a real opportunity to build on that. It's hard to overstate just how different Wiegman's centre-back options are this month when compared to what she has been used to during her four years in charge. In that time, Bright, Williamson, Greenwood and Carter have been mainstays, with at least one of them starting in the defensive line in all of her first 71 games as England manager. That run only came to an end in England's most recent outing, when Wiegman started Le Tissier alongside Esme Morgan for the visit of Australia, in her 72nd game in charge.
Indeed, that became only the 11th time in those 72 matches that the centre-back pairing or the back three – taking into account the period which saw the Lionesses regularly set-up in a 3-5-2 shape – was not exclusively made up of a combination of Bright, Williamson, Greenwood and Carter. However, none are available for this upcoming window, with Wiegman instead to have to pick from Le Tissier, Morgan, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Grace Fisk.
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Getty ImagesChanging pecking order
Previously, it would've felt like an opportunity for Wubben-Moy, who was granted a start in four of those first seven occasions when Wiegman turned to a centre-back outside of her trusted quartet. It could well be this week, too, as after finding game time extremely hard to come by for most of the year, the Arsenal defender is starting regularly again, owing to a devastating ACL injury for rising star Katie Reid that saw the teenager join Williamson on the sidelines for the Gunners.
But it is still the case that Wubben-Moy has fallen down Wiegman's pecking order in recent times. In fact, she was not actually in England's final squad before the Euro 2025 announcement, not until Bright decided to take an extended period of rest that would eventually progress into her missing the tournament and, more recently, retiring.
Instead, Morgan's status in this team has increased steadily in the last couple of years and she has got the nod for those moments of change in the defence, as evidenced by her start in the Euros semi-final clash with Italy. With Fisk uncapped, and rarely called up under Wiegman, Morgan and Le Tissier do feel like the first-choice starting centre-back partnership for this week, with variations dependent on how much Wiegman wants to rotate a spine that is already missing starting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
A taint on Liverpool’s season has become turmoil. One loss became two became three. Now, Arne Slot’s champions are in dire straits, having lost five of their past six games in the Premier League.
This is a crisis, of course, with the Reds such a far cry from last season’s quality that not even an echo of that thrilling form can be found in this current crop. But then the season is still young, and there is a good chance that Slot, hailed as a “genius” and a “football scientist” by journalist Marcel van der Kraan last year, will find a solution.
But that solution needs to come quickly, with the expensive new signings all flattering to deceive, bar Hugo Ekitike and perhaps goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, solid if unspectacular in recent weeks as Alisson recovers from injury.
There was always going to be a period of integration, but this has gone beyond that. And, sadly, it feels like the Anfield side are missing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Why Liverpool miss Alexander-Arnold
Not for a long time have Liverpool seen a star depart in such bitter circumstances. Alexander-Arnold was the hometown poster boy, instrumental in so much success under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.
Trent Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool
But the whispers of his departure had started long before he left for Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, his contract about to expire and Real Madrid paying an £8m premium to free him early and add him to the Club World Cup squad over the pond.
Booed by segments at Anfield after the confirmation of his switch to Spain, Alexander-Arnold is no longer considered Merseyside’s Gerrard-esque superstar, even if he leaves a glittering legacy at his boyhood club.
But away from the emotion, Liverpool have missed their one-of-a-kind defender’s creativity. Jamie Carragher once said Trent’s range of passing was like “having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back”, with vision and accuracy on the ball that most could only dream of.
Indeed, no defender in the Premier League has racked up more assists than the 26-year-old, and with him having played fewer matches than all just below him.
1
Trent Alexander-Arnold
64
2
Andy Robertson
60
3
Leighton Baines
53
4
Graeme Le Saux
44
5
Kieran Trippier
38
As the English top flight undergoes something of a cultural and tactical shift, with long throws and low blocks and direct play all the rage once more, Slot’s Liverpool have toiled away and fallen by the wayside.
Trent’s passing would be quite the tonic right now. As per FBref, the Three Lions man ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists made per 90.
But there’s no use crying over spilt milk – or sold starboys, for that matter. Slot needs to find a solution, and he might just have one in another city-born talent.
Liverpool's new version of Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool have signed a new creative superstar in Florian Wirtz. The German hasn’t clicked yet, but his generational quality suggests there is a propitious future awaiting the attacking midfielder.
However, Wirtz isn’t the player in question here. Instead, Curtis Jones is quietly producing progressive playmaking performances under Slot’s management and must now be utilised in a more important role to help turn the tide that has swept the club’s title ambitions away over the past few months.
Jones is Liverpool’s leading academy graduate now that Alexander-Arnold has up and left. The versatile centre-midfielder has racked up 193 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists.
He never quite nailed down a role of significance in Klopp’s team, and while he played his part for Slot last year, Jones has been somewhat on the backbench since the summer, certainly in the Premier League.
In any case, Jones spoke at the start of the Dutch coach’s tenure of his admiration and excitement, feeling his ball-playing skill lends itself to success in Slot’s system.
With Liverpool struggling for control and focused creativity, might Jones be the answer? From limited match action this term, he has proven himself an interesting solution and must be handed a string of starts, especially with Alexis Mac Allister having drifted so far from his usual level.
There’s no question that Jones has become more progressive with his passing since Slot replaced Klopp. In fact, DataMB revealed earlier this week that the England international’s 17.82 progressive passes per game this season trumps every other Premier League midfielder, and that having recorded the highest pass completion rate (91.01%) besides.
He’s only started two league matches this season, featuring nine times in total, but the 24-year-old has also won 65% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
It’s no wonder that one Premier League analyst hailed him as “one of the most underrated players in England”, not necessarily the flashiest, but an industrious and dynamic player who is now adding layers.
This has always been Jones’ skillset, but now, he is starting to evolve into a forward-thinking player, shaking off that ‘conservative’ tag. Sideways passes and a play-it-safe attitude have been, unfairly, regular criticisms of his game.
Liverpool need to see positive change over the coming weeks. Eighth in the Premier League and struggling for any semblance of fluency and confidence, Jones could provide a shrewd answer, combining with those around him, shoring up the defence and rethreading the attacking patterns that have frayed and split this year.
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