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It’s never straightforward with Manchester United, is it?

With just seconds remaining, the Red Devils looked to have secured an invaluable first-leg win over Lyon on Thursday evening, with Joshua Zirkzee’s late header steering the visitors into a deserved 2-1 lead on the night. And then…

With almost the last kick of the game, the Ligue 1 side ensured that this Europa League tussle is very much alive heading into next week’s reverse fixture at Old Trafford, with Rayan Cherki pouncing at the death to dink home.

The French outfit had initially taken the lead courtesy of Thiago Almada’s free-kick, albeit with United hitting back in first-half stoppage time, as Leny Yoro netted his first goal for the club with an inventive, glancing header.

Zirkzee’s own bullet header at the backpost looked to have been enough to seal the win, yet as it is, the tie is certainly still finely poised – largely thanks to the impact of one man, Andre Onana…

Andre Onana's costly display

Quite what Onana was thinking prior to the match – when insisting that the Red Devils are “way better” than their opponents – is difficult to fathom, with the Cameroonian ‘keeper engaging in a war of words with ex-Old Trafford star, Nemanja Matic.

"At least I've won trophies": Onana hits back at Matic "worst 'keeper" claim

Matic had sent a brutal dig to Onana ahead of Man Utd’s Europa League clash with Lyon.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 9, 2025

While the Serbian giant watched on from the substitutes bench, one of the “worst goalkeepers in Man Utd’s history” – as so dubbed by Matic – was very much in the thick of the action. Having talked the talk, the 28-year-old, unfortunately, couldn’t walk the walk.

In almost inevitable fashion, it was Onana’s blunder that allowed Lyon to sneak into the lead in the opening exchanges, with the former Inter man failing to deal with Almada’s relatively routine in-swinging set-piece.

The £47.5m flop – who has now made more errors since the start of last season than any other Premier League goalkeeper in all competitions – looked to have got away with one as both Yoro and Zirkzee nodded home, with the experienced stopper even taking the time to rile up the home crowd even further when taking a typically laboured goal kick late on.

Much to the delight of the hosts, however, it was they who would have the last laugh, with Onana proceeding to spill the ball into the path of the lively Cherki at the death, with the dazzling Frenchman duly converting.

From one horrow show to another then as far as United are concerned, with Ruben Amorim also likely to be deeply frustrated by the performance of a man at the other end of the pitch, in Rasmus Hojlund.

The Man Utd star who now needs to be sold

Talk is already rife that Amorim is seeking a new goalkeeper this summer, with reports also suggesting that Onana has been the subject of interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, amid the possibility of an end to his two-season stay in Manchester.

Performance in Numbers

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On current evidence, the one-time Ajax star could well be joined through the exit door by young Hojlund, with the 22-year-old looking like a player who “will be up for sale” at the end of the season, in the words of journalist Tom McDermott.

Branded with a 4/10 match rating from MEN correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, the struggling Dane was again simply lifeless in attack for the away side, having been restricted to just 11 touches, while making just two passes in total on the night.

Minutes played

63′

Touches

11

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

1

Passes completed

2/3

Key passes

2

Ground duels

0/3

Aerial duels

N/A

Possession lost

3x

Fouls

1

While those were both recognised as ‘key passes’, the former Atalanta starlet did little of any note prior to his withdrawal on the hour mark, with the misfiring striker failing to pounce on a rare opening after scuffing his attempt wide following Patrick Dorgu’s pull-back.

The £85k-per-week marksman – who also failed to win a single duel up against the Lyon backline – memorably passed the ball out of play down the right flank at one stage, having also drawn the ire of Bruno Fernandes after failing to read the Portuguese playmaker’s dummy inside the area.

Whether it be failing to beat his man when running in behind, or struggling to keep hold of possession, Hojlund simply looks lost at present, having now scored just once in all competitions since mid-December.

With only eight goals to his name across all fronts this season, United’s number nine – who has been linked with a return to Serie A – appears to be on borrowed time, not least with speculation ramping up regarding the potential addition of Ipswich Town talisman, Liam Delap.

Having seen his replacement, Zirkzee, take little time to make an impact, Hojlund must surely be second fiddle ahead of next week’s meeting at the Theatre of Dreams. Much like Onana too, this Erik ten Hag signing could find himself on the scrap heap this summer.

No longer can the Red Devils accept mediocrity at both ends of the pitch.

Amorim already has his own Matheus Cunha in Man Utd's "sensational" talent

Man Utd have been heavily linked with a summer swoop for the Wolves sensation…

1 ByRobbie Walls Apr 10, 2025

The eight-time champions have replaced the old with the new, and the changes are now bearing fruit for the title favourites

Akshay Gopalakrishnan15-Dec-2017Barring Mumbai, arguably no team in India’s domestic circuit has captured the imagination of fans quite like Karnataka in recent times. Since their historic double-treble over two successive seasons, plenty has changed in the state’s cricketing landscape. Top among them is a number of players – such as KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Stuart Binny – who were at the center of their rise earning the India cap. Several others are on the fringes of the India A team. And this, astonishingly, despite the state’s Under-23 side faltering in successive seasons.Karnataka’s inability to qualify for the semi-finals over the last two seasons may seem like a blot. But it doesn’t tell you that they dominated the group stage both times. A bad slip-up against Maharashtra, where they only needed a first-innings lead, cost them a knockouts berth in 2015-16. Last season, they were sent packing inside two days on a treacherous Visakhapatnam surface by Tamil Nadu. The results raised questions about team harmony, players’ commitment and their hunger to succeed.A year later, these seem a thing of the past. Under the captain Vinay Kumar, Karnataka are now frontrunners to win their ninth Ranji Trophy title. Their demolition of Mumbai, who suffered only their fifth innings defeat ever in the tournament, has added to their aura of invincibility ahead of their semi-final clash against Vidarbha starting on December 17 in Kolkata.Karnataka set the template for their supremacy early, starting their season with three successive outright wins. It helped them edge out Delhi in a tight finish for the top position on the Group A table. It was precisely the start Vinay had wanted. His message to the team at the start of the season had been pretty explicit: they weren’t settling for anything less than outright wins.

****

In 2013-14, Rahul was Karnataka’s highest scorer with 1033 runs. The following year, it was Robin Uthappa. Those were the days when the likes of R Samarth, now a regular and one of the first names on the XI, and Mayank Agarwal were rookies. Today, Rahul has graduated to Test cricket and Uthappa has switched allegiance to Saurashtra. And with Nair and Manish Pandey, too, only sporadically available because of national commitments, it has given the two younger players a longer rope to establish themselves. And they have grabbed it to become driving forces of the batting unit.Agarwal is this season’s highest run-scorer, and should Karnataka go the distance, he even has a realistic chance of surpassing VVS Laxman’s all-time season record of 1451 runs. Agarwal and Samarth are already the third most prolific opening combination, after Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, and Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal and Samit Gohel, in a single Ranji season in the last 12 years.K Gowtham, the offspinning allrounder, returned from a three-year hiatus last year, and has since reinvented himself. Stints with India A and notable performances at the KPL brought him back into the reckoning, and he has become a key member of the bowling group. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, has been groomed to become a more attacking bowler.These younger, less-heralded players have become the engine room of Karnataka’s success, and their emergence has underpinned the team’s season. “I’ll be very happy if most of them play for India,” Vinay, whose hat-trick set-up Karnataka’s quarter-final win, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It gives an opportunity for others to step up. We have so many talented cricketers. (Kaunain) Abbas is sitting out, Pavan Deshpande, Sunil Raju, KB Pawan, Amit Verma, Shishir Bhavane… these are names that can easily fill any team-sheet in the Ranji Trophy.”The success of these players has resulted in more names coming into the national reckoning. Agarwal recently returned to the India A fold for the home series against New Zealand. Samarth travelled with them to South Africa and also played a part against New Zealand A.PTI But the downside of this kind of individual success has already been felt by the team in the past, when individual goals preceded the team’s. The problem peaked in 2015-16, during the infamous CM Gautam-Uthappa wicket-keeping swap. For a team whose success was built on the virtues of a closely-knit group, that was a low.”I think last year too we weren’t gelling too well, because almost every other game we had changes, with two guys going into the Test team and two in the one-day team,” Gautam, who was vice-captain during their dominant run from 2013 to 2015, says. “It was tough for them also to get back and play. This year, we decided that we can’t say KL is coming and he has to take extra responsibility. We have some strong players waiting in the wings. So whether they come or not doesn’t make a difference to other batsmen.”Karnataka have now settled back into a harmonious group, and regained sight of the common goal. Vinay’s role in this transition, as a senior member and captain, has been significant. Since taking over as captain, Vinay has unfailingly led by example, fetching bagful of wickets season after season. Reticent by nature, he isn’t quite an in-your-face leader. But he is a quiet source of strength. He is smart about managing his bowlers’ workloads, as demonstrated when Sreenath Aravind, the injury-prone left-arm pacer, was rested midway through the season only to be brought back before the quarter-final.”Being a senior and captain, I need to be very shrewd,” Vinay said. “But I can’t keep everyone happy; if the captain is keeping everyone happy, he is not doing his job.”Quietly assisting Vinay in the background is PV Shashikanth, the coach. The former Karnataka captain, who led a severely depleted team to victory over Rest of India in the 1996-97 Irani Trophy, has often dipped into his own experience as a player to bring out the best from this team.The core of Karnataka’s pace pack, which has been their strength over the last five years, has largely remained the same. And so, when he took over as coach, finding a second line of batsmen was on top of Shashikanth’s list. So far, the pursuit has been rewarding.Abbas, who struck a half-century against Mumbai in the quarter-final, was once considered to replace Agarwal. Others such as Dega Nischal and Abhishek Reddy scored heavily in the CK Nayudu Trophy and pressed their cases for future selection. Nischal, in fact, struck 195 in just his second first-class match, against Uttar Pradesh, and shared a 354-run stand with Pandey.Though he took over from the hugely successful duo of J Arunkumar and Mansur Ali Khan, Shashikanth didn’t find it hard to impress his style of coaching upon the team. His 15-year experience in coaching age-group state teams had already made him a familiar face to several members of the squad.Coming in as coach of a team that has already recorded substantial achievements, Shashikanth set out trying to take them to the next level. The process began with introducing specific targets for players, which has given them more clarity regarding their roles.”JAK [Arunkumar] was a positive coach,” Gautam says of the former Karnataka captain. “He told us to play positive cricket and didn’t care about the number of balls or anything. He likes attacking players. PV sir, on the other hand, gave batsmen a target of playing 250 balls. But, at the same time, he encourages us to be positive. Such clear roles that are easy to follow have worked well for us.”On the bowling front, it’s about consistently delivering around the fourth-stump channel. “The important thing about this side is you give any surface to the bowlers, they are up there,” Shashikanth explains. “That’s a rare quality. Otherwise, it’s a horses-for-courses thing. If there is lot of grass, pacers come to the fore, or if it’s turning track, spinners come to the fore. But this team is unique in that whatever surface we bowl on, they are up there. That is a striking quality.”Those attributes were visible in Abhimanyu Mithun’s robust spells in Pune and Alur. On flat surfaces, Mithun steamed in with purpose to pick up successive five-fors. Hitting the deck hard, he has often made docile tracks look a lot livelier, in the process overcoming his own slump and injuries that have riddled him over the last two seasons.In the last three seasons, Karnataka have made the knockouts twice. By normal standards, that qualifies to be a more-than-decent performance for most teams. But for those that have followed this Karnataka side, especially through their ruthless, unblemished streak of six titles in two years, nothing short of winning the title would count as an acceptable result. Success does, after all, come at a price.

N'Golo Kante is reportedly in talks over leaving Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad for an arch rival ahead of the Club World Cup.

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• Kante wins Saudi league with Al-Ittihad
• In talks over Club World Cup transfer
• Could join an arch rival this summer

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Athletic states that fellow Saudi side Al-Hilal are in talks with Kante over securing a short loan deal for this summer's Club World Cup. The report adds that an agreement has not yet been reached but there is optimism a deal can be struck for the midfielder, whose contract at Al-Ittihad runs until 2026.

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  Al-Ittihad pipped Al-Hilal to the Saudi Pro League title this season but the latter will go to this summer's Club World Cup as they qualified as the winners of the 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. If Kante, 34, did join on loan, he would likely be back at Al-Ittihad for the 2025/26 campaign.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  France international Kante joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer from Chelsea in July 2023, and since then he has played 81 times for them – while winning the league title and King's Cup along the way.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  If Kante does join Al-Hilal, he won't have long to get bedded in as they begin their Club World Cup campaign against Real Madrid on June 18, before facing Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca on June 22 and 26, respectively.

Nico Williams has already signalled his intentions of leaving Athletic Club and joining his Spanish team-mates at Barcelona in private conversations.

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Barca reignite pursuit of Nico WilliamsHas already told his Spanish team-mates at Barca that he wants to joinAthletic Club want to renew winger's contractFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Nico Williams seems destined to depart Athletic Club this summer, with a number of big teams pursuing the talented winger's signature. However, Williams has already made his desire of joining Barcelona clear in private conversations with Lamine Yamal and other Culers within the Spain squad.

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A report from claims that Williams is determined to join Barcelona this summer, despite Bayern Munich and Arsenal pushing to sign him. The 22-year-old has already sent a clear message — "Bro, take me with you" — to the likes of Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, and Pedri. Williams dreams of pairing up with his Spanish team-mates in Catalunya, with Yamal potentially hinting at the transfer on social media after sporting director Deco met with Williams' agent Felix Tainta to discuss whether a move this summer could materialise.

DID YOU KNOW?

further claim that Barca head coach Hansi Flick has already held direct conversations with Williams. The German explained to Williams how he would fit in and how he would contribute to the playing style. Flick has already approved of his signing, seeing him as the ideal left-wing profile to reinforce the attack. However, Los Leones remain firm on selling the player only to the team that is ready and capable of triggering Williams' €62 million (£52m/$70m) release clause.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The Catalans seemed to have withdrawn their interest from Williams after trying to sign him last summer. Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Liverpool winger Luis Diaz remains on top of Barca's wishlist, while they have also not ruled out signing Marcus Rashford. However, the situation seems to changed in recent days, with Williams now the most likely to make a switch to Barcelona out of the three wingers.

The full fee Sunderland will receive from Borussia Dortmund for Jobe Bellingham and the role he will play under Niko Kovac have been revealed.

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Jobe to follow elder brother's footsteps by signing for BVBFee Dortmund will pay Sunderland revealedHis role under Kovac also explainedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Earlier this week, Dortmund and Sunderland reached an agreement over the transfer of Bellingham, who is set to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, Jude. Now, more details regarding the finances involved in the operation and Bellingham's supposed role under head coach Niko Kovac have been revealed.

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According to in Germany, Sunderland will receive a club-record €30.5 million (£26m/$35m) as a fixed fee, with an additional €5m in bonuses. Half of the add-ons are seen as realistic, while the other half are not expected to be achieved. As such, they expect to pay an estimated fee amounting to €33m. Sunderland rejected Dortmund's initial offer, which means the German outfit were extremely determined to get this deal over the line.

The report also touches down upon Bellingham's role in Kovac's system. They explain that the former Bayern Munich head coach will exploit the youngster's offensive capabilities from midfield by using him as an attacking midfielder, although he will also be used in a deeper, central midfield role.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bellingham has signed a five-year contract until 2030 with an annual package worth €3.5m, which will keep rising through the length of the contract. It's a structure similar to the one Jude had during this three-year stint at the Signal Iduna Park between 2020 and 2023.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JOBE BELLINGHAM?

The 19-year-old was originally intended to be a part of England U21's squad for this summer's European Championship, but his transfer to Dortmund will see him travel to the Club World Cup in the USA. Kovac's troops are slated to play their opening game of the tournament on June 17 against Brazilian side Fluminense.

Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title and will have some intriguing transfer priorities up their sleeve to build on an impressive campaign at Anfield.

What do Liverpool need to do this summer?

Arne Slot will likely be given considerable financial backing after his debut season at Anfield, but he has plenty of decisions to mull over between now and the summer window.

Addressing the elephant in the room, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract. Speculation is mounting over the trio’s long-term futures on Merseyside and they remain the central priorities from an internal standpoint.

Evaluating the squad, Liverpool may need to seek out another striker amid Darwin Nunez’s frustration at the club. The Uruguay international had interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January before he was blocked from entering talks over a mid-season exit.

Sparing no prisoners, Slot didn’t want to offload important stars in the middle of a Premier League title fight, though the summer may paint a different picture as he continues to shape the squad in his own image.

Arne Slot’s signings since becoming Liverpool manager

Federico Chiesa

£12.5 million

Giorgi Mamardashvili

£29 million (joins Liverpool next season)

Taking a minimalist approach on the transfer front so far, the Dutchman has successfully maximised the capability of a squad already rich in talent since his arrival. However, the onus will be on FSG to deliver some high-profile additions in light of the Reds’ consistency under his stewardship.

The AXA Training Centre is bound to see some new faces walk through the door in a few months’ time, and Slot has now told Liverpool one star he is willing to sacrifice with his replacement already said to be lined up.

Arne Slot tells Liverpool to sell Kostas Tsimikas and sign Milos Kerkez

According to TBR, Liverpool boss Slot wants to sell Kostas Tsimikas to bring in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, with the Cherries looking for a fee of £50 million before parting ways with the Hungary international.

AC Milan could also be a key player in negotiations. Not only are they keen on Kerkez, but they have emerged as contenders to sign Tsimikas should he be allowed to vacate the premises this summer.

£140k-p/w Liverpool star unhappy over being made to stay, FSG will sell him

Arne Slot didn’t want the star to leave mid-season with his side in the running for several trophies.

BySean Markus Clifford Mar 5, 2025

Labelled “fantastic” by journalist Ian Doyle, the latter has become a cult hero at Liverpool in his 110 appearances for the club, where he has registered 18 assists. Nevertheless, his existence as a peripheral figure was always likely to pave the way for a departure.

On the other hand, Kerkez has delivered two goals and four assists in 30 outings this season at Bournemouth. Maintaining a consistent level of performance, the 24-year-old has fashioned 24 chances and 21 successful crosses in the Premier League.

Antonee Robinson and Jorrel Hato make up two other names on Liverpool’s left-back shortlist, which is an indication they are set to go all out for a new name to challenge Andy Robertson for the starting slot at Anfield. If the Reds have designs on becoming the main force in English football, no sentiment can be shown in the pursuit of fresh blood.

Arsenal talks for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi have hit a stumbling block, with new sporting director Andrea Berta now thought to be handed a cheaper alternative.

Arsenal in negotiations to sign Martin Zubimendi since January

During the January transfer window, news broke from The Mail that Arsenal had entered advanced negotiations for Zubimendi.

Berta "will try" to sign £160k-per-week star amid new Arsenal transfer plan

The Italian is set to orchestrate an ambitious project.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 13, 2025

The Spain international actually rejected a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool last summer (BBC), but Mikel Arteta and co weren’t turned off by this and began attempting to lure him to the Emirates Stadium this winter.

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Arsenal have been attempting to agree a pre-summer deal for Zubimendi since the last transfer window, according to various reports, and there are now even suggestions that Berta wants to partner the 26-year-old with Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes in a complete revamp of Arteta’s midfield (Eduardo Burgos).

Fabrizio Romano previously stated that Arsenal are planning to trigger Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause this summer, but they still need to convince the player. Arteta is thought to have a key role in swaying the midfielder, while The Athletic have reported that Arsenal hope to have this deal fully agreed before the next window.

However, since these plethora of reports heavily linking Zubimendi with an Arsenal switch, it appears talks haven’t yet advanced enough to seal his signature ahead of the 2025/2026 season.

With Jorginho and Thomas Partey out of contract this summer, Arteta will soon need a world-class replacement for either one of the duo, but it appears that man might not be Zubimendi after all.

Arsenal talks for Martin Zubimendi stall as Berta eyes Morten Hjulmand

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal have hit a roadblock in talks to sign Zubimendi, with the Gunners actually unprepared to fork out his release clause after all. Therefore, it is now a possibility that Berta will move on to alternative targets for the engine room, and one of them could be Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

The Denmark international’s contract actually includes a more expensive release clause, set at £67 million, but it is thought that Berta could seal his signature for much less – a fee of around £34 million.

Hjulmand has been a mainstay for Sporting in the Primeira Liga this term, scoring two goals and assisting two others in 20 league starts, while averaging an impressive 91.1 per cent passing accuracy and ranking as one of their best-performing players by average match rating per 90 (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old currently captains Sporting and played a key role for Ruben Amorim last season, helping the Portuguese heavyweights win their 20th Primeira Liga title, so he could be a very astute option.

While deadline day was certainly underwhelming, the mood around Arsenal’s form on the pitch is in a far better place than it was a few weeks ago.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to Premier League champions Manchester City on the weekend, and while Pep Guardiola’s side are a shadow of their former selves at the moment, they showed against Chelsea that they can still turn it on.

However, by the time the full-time whistle was blown on Sunday, the almighty Cityzens had been utterly blown away by the Gunners in a 5-1 demolition with more than its fair share of needle thanks to the growing, old-school rivalry between the two sides.

It was the perfect result for the North Londoners as they now look to overturn a 2-0 deficit away to Newcastle United tonight in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final, and while it seems incredibly harsh, Arteta should look to start Gabriel Martinelli on the bench against the Toon.

Why Martinelli should start on the bench

So, the first thing to say is that dropping anyone from the team who started against City on Sunday would be harsh, and not a single starter put in a poor showing.

However, with plenty of games to come and a thinner squad than Arteta would like, making changes is a necessity, and if someone has to come out of the side to make room for someone else, it should be Martinelli off the right.

As he always does, the Brazilian put in a tremendous shift against the champions and did well to pick up an assist for the Kai Havertz goal, but unlike Leandro Trossard on the other side, it didn’t feel like he quite tied down his opposing full-back well enough.

Moreover, the former Ituano gem has generally struggled to get past players with the ball at his feet in the last season and a bit, and is far happier utilising his speed to get in behind them and then receiving the ball, which against a Newcastle team who are defending a 2-0 lead at home, just isn’t going to happen very much, at least early on anyway.

Moreover, if the game does become more stretched due to the Magpies tiring or the Gunners pulling themselves back into the tie and forcing the hosts to come out and play, then the 23-year-old could just be the perfect option to come off the bench and exploit that situation, compared to Trossard who just can’t play that way.

In all, it’s not a slight on Martinelli’s performance against City, but for Arteta to give Arsenal the best chance of getting a result tonight, he should look to start the Brazilian on the bench and, in his place, start a youngster who’s proven beyond any doubt that he’s got the ability to turn games on their head.

The Arsenal star who should start vs Newcastle

So, with Martinelli vacating the right wing, Arteta should look to hand Ethan Nwaneri another start in the League Cup.

The 17-year-old dynamo may still lack the experience of his older teammates, but throughout this season, he has more than proven that he can be a serious game-changer for the Gunners.

For example, he made his first Champions League start away to Girona last week, a team who only lost to Liverpool 1-0, and totally ran the show.

Nwaneri’s game vs Girona
Minutes	87′
Expected Goals	0.16
Goals	1
Expected Assists	0.49
Shots on Target	1
Shots Blocked	1
Dribbles (Successful)	2 (2)
Touches	38
Clearances	1
All Stats via Sofascore

In 87 minutes of action, he scored a sensational goal from outside the area, racked up an expected assist figure of 0.49, completed 100% of his dribbles, and was named Man of the Match.

Then, just a few days later on Sunday, the “unplayable” talent, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, came off the bench against City and scored another sublime curler to make it 5-1, and his reaction gave it all away, as instead of running around celebrating like most 17-year-olds would in that situation, he simply turned around and shrugged as if it was just another game to him.

On top of that, we have seen enough of him to now know that he can and wants to take on defenders with the ball at his feet, which, as we mentioned above, is going to be key if the team are to get anything out of what will likely be a defensive Toon side tonight.

Ultimately, Martinelli was great over the weekend, but the game tonight requires a different approach, one that can be carried out with aplomb by Nwaneri.

Arsenal must rue selling incredible star who's outscoring Havertz & Watkins

The free-scoring forward would be perfect for Arsenal at the moment.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 4, 2025

Former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba and his wife Zulay have launched their own jewellery collection.

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Pogba trying to get back into footballLaunches new jewellery collection with wife'Unbreakable' to be unveiled at Cannes Film FestivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Pogbas have come together with Elke Berr, the founder and designer of the Swiss high jewelry and bespoke jewelry house bearing her name, to unveil 'Unbreakable'. The collection is said to feature a masculine-unisex line and a feminine line, reflecting the couple's 'unbreakable' bond.

AdvertisementWHAT POGBA SAID

The Frenchman said: "UNBREAKABLE is more than a word. It’s a truth. For both of us. We held on, we resisted, and today, we turn that into beauty."

A joint statement from the Pogbas and Berr reads: “What we want is to capture hearts and imaginations. This collection will transcend the boundaries of sport and fashion, becoming a symbol of empowerment and inspiration. And in the hearts of those who wear these pieces, its spirit will endure — a constant reminder of the power within each of us to defy the odds and write our own stories."

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Pogba has been without a club since November after Juventus terminated his contract by mutual consent, with the 32-year-old now trying to reignite his career that was nearly ruined by a four-year doping ban – that was reduced on appeal. The France international has been linked with moves across the planet and while he waits for his next club, he appears to be getting into the world of jewellery.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

While the footballing world waits for what is next for Pogba, the 'Unbreakable' collection will be unveiled in a private preview event during the Cannes Film Festival at Villa Forbes on May 21.

He stressed that Bangladesh batting only left-hand batters in their top four was not the issue

Mohammad Isam01-Sep-20231:14

Jaffer: Shanto will be upset that he didn’t bat through to the end

Najmul Hossain Shanto scored half of Bangladesh’s runs in their first Asia Cup match, against Sri Lanka. Extending his bright form from the last ten months, he got stuck in to the Sri Lanka bowlers and tried to stitch partnerships in the middle overs only for Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim to fail to build on their starts.Shanto lasted till the 42nd over and missed out on his second ODI hundred, possibly hampered by the procession at the other end.Pallekele is a venue where teams win averaging 280-plus batting first in day-night ODIs. Shanto said that Bangladesh batted first because they knew even a slightly lower (that 280) total would have been hard to chase but a lack of top-order partnerships cost them the game.Related

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“Our initial plan was to look to score around 250-260,” Shanto said after the game. “Batting was quite easy against the new ball, but it got harder as the ball got older. It wasn’t an easy wicket, but we should have put together partnerships in the top order. We should have batted better. We don’t want to make these mistakes in the next game.”We thought we should bat first after looking at the wicket. We all agreed with the captain and coach’s decision. We didn’t bat well. I wouldn’t call it an easy wicket, but we should have batted better.”Bangladesh lost debutant Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Naim and Shakib Al Hasan within the first 11 overs. Shanto and Hridoy, and later Rahim, tried to revive the innings but the Sri Lanka bowlers kept them on a leash with regular wickets. The tail caved in quickly and predictably.They faltered against the unorthodox pairing of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana, who shared figures of 6 for 51 in 15.4 overs. Shanto, however, said that neither the type of bowling nor the fact that Bangladesh’s top four was made up of only left-handers – for the first time in 12 years in an ODI – hurt them.”We were prepared to face all types of bowling, so we are all capable to bat in any situation and against any bowling attack. I don’t think [the top four being left-handers] was a big problem,” he said. “We don’t have such bowlers in our country. We prepared with whatever resources we have. He [Pathirana] is a good bowler. But I will say that we have done well against good bowling attacks. It didn’t happen today. It will be okay in the next game.”Shanto said that their most recent performance against Afghanistan – beating them in the T20I series at home last month – will be on their mind as they face them in Lahore.”We did well in the T20I series against Afghanistan,” he said. “We didn’t do well in the ODIs [which they lost 2-1], but we are not too worried about the past. We have a good team. We believe that if we can play our cricket, we can get a good result against Afghanistan.”We have to win the next game. I think it is possible [to make to the next round]. But I would rather plan and prepare for the next match rather than think too far ahead. If we can beat Afghanistan, we will think about the other stuff.”