Liverpool aren’t quite right this season. Despite an incredible summer spending spree that soared above anything that English football has seen before, Arne Slot’s side are struggling to recapture the verve of last season.

But for Liverpool to have completed an underwhelming start to their title defence and perch at the top of the table after six games, winning the first five before suffering defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend.

Many Redmen have struggled to find their finest form, but not all have flattered to deceive, with Federico Chiesa already looking leaps and bounds above the rarely-seen winger on the margins last year.

Chiesa's Liverpool resurgence

Liverpool hardly broke the bank after replacing Jurgen Klopp with Slot during the summer of 2024, only adding Chiesa to the ranks, and for a shrewd £12.5m fee at that.

However, Chiesa arrived having been ravaged by injury problems in recent years at Juventus, and he spent the lion’s share of the 2024/25 campaign on the sidelines, either suffering from fitness issues or overlooked by Slot.

This year, however, he is looking to make up for lost time, already with two goals and two assists apiece across all competitions. So impressive has he been that there have been calls for the underperforming Mohamed Salah to be dropped, and for Chiesa to start from the right.

Hugo Ekitike

9

5 (1)

Mohamed Salah

9

3 (3)

Federico Chiesa

6

2 (2)

Alexander Isak

5

1 (0)

Cody Gakpo

9

1 (2)

Rio Ngumoha

5

1 (0)

The versatile Italian will play an important role across the term, but there’s another member of Slot’s squad who has fallen deeper into the fringes of the squad and is beginning to look like last year’s version of the 27-year-old.

Slot's new version of Chiesa

While Chiesa is enjoying a resurgence on Merseyside, Wataru Endo’s role at the club continues to become more and more insubstantial, having

Described by Liverpool correspondent David Lynch as being an “unsung hero” for Liverpool, Endo was instrumental in steering Klopp toward a trophy-winning crescendo at the Anfield helm, and he achieved cult status last year for his tough-tackling cameos in the dying embers of matches.

Having joined for about £16m from Stuttgart after Liverpool missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both signing for Chelsea, the 32-year-old Endo has played a crucial role in getting this current Liverpool team off the ground, but he’s into the penultimate year of his contract and has sat as an unused substitute for each of his side’s past three top-flight fixtures.

Tenacious, industrious and a model professional, Endo remains a valued member of Slot’s squad, but it’s hard to see him earning many opportunities, with his quality on the ball admittedly limited.

Given Gravenberch came into his own last year and is now one of Liverpool’s most important players, even said by journalist Beth Lindop to be “on par with Salah and Van Dijk”, it doesn’t look like Endo will be earning a string of starts in the Premier League any time soon, with Slot sure to look for other ways to cover at number six, should the Dutchman fall to an injury.

With Stefan Bajcetic also waiting in the wings and boasting a confidence in receiving the ball, pivoting and progressing forward, there’s a sense Endo’s fringe role at Liverpool may become more peripheral still as the year goes on.

While Chiesa’s bounce-back across the opening weeks of the season serves as inspiration for any footballer looking to pick themselves up from the wayside, Endo is not a spring chicken anymore, and his big moments in Slot’s squad might trail behind him.

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Bayer Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand cannot understand the criticism Florian Wirtz is currently facing. Signed by Liverpool for the second-highest transfer fee in British football history over the summer, the German international has been below par in the first two months of his career at Anfield. Hjulmand, however, is confident that Wirtz will "prove to everyone" what he is really capable of.

• Wirtz yet to hit the ground running for Liverpool

  After two outstanding seasons at Leverkusen under coach Xabi Alonso, Wirtz moved to Liverpool over the summer. If all bonus clauses are fulfilled, the Reds' transfer costs will amount to €150 million (£130m/$175m). So far, however, the 22-year-old has fallen far short of the high expectations.

  After seven league games and two Champions League matches, Wirtz is still waiting for his first goal for the reigning English champions. In the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea before the international break, the attacking player did not make it into manager Arne Slot's starting line-up. He has also failed to score for the German national team recently. His unimpactful displays have drawn intense criticism from large sections of the media, prompting the likes of former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp and ex-international team-mate Ilkay Gundogan to come to his defence.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Kasper Hjulmand confident in Wirtz's abilities

  "Come on, he's only just arrived there. Believe me, he'll prove himself to everyone. Even the experts in England. I'm sure of it," said Leverkusen boss Hjulmand in an interview with . "Show me the player who can perform at his best from day one in a new club and a new league. It's impossible. Florian is a fantastic footballer with outstanding qualities. We all know how fast-paced everything is in football: if he scores two great goals in the next two games, people will say, 'Now he's arrived.' That will be just as wrong as the recent criticism.

  "Give him time, let him play – and everyone in Liverpool will see how good he is. I have no doubt that he will prove himself."

• Wirtz unfazed by underwhelming start to Liverpool life

  Wirtz has no qualms about the fact he will turn things around sooner rather than later. Reflecting on his early struggles at Anfield, Wirtz recently said: “I know what I can do, and I know that eventually I’ll show it fully on the pitch. So I just stay calm. That’s good advice.

  “Of course, I’d like to have scored or assisted already, but I know that it will come. Sometimes things don’t go your way, but I work every day to improve. I know I can play good football, and it’s just a matter of time.”

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  Liverpool eager to end three-game losing streak

  With the international break now over, domestic duties will return this weekend. Slot's troops had lost three consecutive games heading into the international break. They will need a win against Manchester United on Sunday in order to reignite their hopes of retaining their Premier League crown.

Leeds head coach Daniel Farke has confirmed winger Daniel James’ ankle injury will rule him out for up to six weeks.

James, who has recently struggled with a core muscle injury which kept him out of last week’s home draw against Bournemouth, has turned an ankle in training and will be sidelined until November.

The Wales winger will miss Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Tottenham at Elland Road and both his country’s upcoming matches against England at Wembley and the World Cup qualifier against Belgium.

Farke said: “Daniel James will be out for a few weeks, he’s rolled his ankle sadly in training.

“The doctors say he’s likely out four to six weeks so realistically we expect him back just after the November international break.

“If he would be back before it would be a bonus and a surprise. It’s not great news.”

Gnonto and Gray could also miss Spurs

Farke, whose side currently sit 12th in the Premier League, also revealed Willy Gnonto has not yet recovered from a calf injury which has kept him out of the last two matches.

Teenager Harry Gray will also miss out against older brother Archie’s Tottenham after sustaining a hip flexor injury.

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On the plus side, goalkeeper Lucas Perri has returned to training following a thigh problem, although the Brazilian summer signing will not be included in Farke’s squad this weekend.

Tottenham made the long trip to the Arctic circle in the Champions League on Tuesday night, fighting back to draw 2-2 against Bodo/Glimt, but Farke does not think this will have a bearing on Saturday’s encounter at Elland Road.

The German added: “I don’t think so because nowadays you don’t travel with a bicycle or on a ship or a coach. They have their private jets, so it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable.

“It’s not like in my generation when the travel was horrendous. They have chefs around.

“But it could be tricky sometimes, say if it was a Wednesday night (match) and then early Saturday kick-off.

“From Tuesday, I wouldn’t expect anything (adverse) and I also expect he will bring some fresh legs on the pitch.”

Tottenham are fourth in the table having lost one of their eight league matches this season and head to Leeds after drawing their previous two, against Brighton and Wolves.

انتهت مباراة الزمالك مع منافسه البنك الأهلي بالتعادل الإيجابي، 1-1 في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

وأقيمت المباراة بين الزمالك والبنك الأهلي، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ12 من الدوري.

طالع|فيديو | شيكوبانزا يسجل هدف تعادل الزمالك أمام البنك الأهلي

وتقدم البنك الأهلي في الدقيقة 30 من عمر الشوط الأول من ركلة جزاء، ليتصدى لها أسامة فيصل مهاجم البنك الأهلي ويتقدم لصالح فريقه أمام الزمالك.

وأحرز الأنجولي شيكوبانزا، هدف التعادل لصالح فريق الزمالك في الدقيقة 32 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد جملة رائعة من لاعبي الزمالك داخل منطقة جزاء البنك الأهلي.

ويواصل الزمالك مشواره في بطولة الدوري المصري، بمواجهة قوية في الجولة القادمة أمام طلائع الجيش، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الـ13 من الدوري المصري. موعد مباراة الزمالك وطلائع الجيش في الدوري

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الزمالك وطلائع الجيش، يوم الأحد المقبل الموافق 2 نوفمبر المقبل، في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر.

 

 

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav has sustained another back injury and is out of the last leg of IPL 2025. LSG have roped in New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke at INR 3 crore in his place.Mayank was one of the three players LSG retained ahead of the mega auction. Returning to competitive cricket for the first time since October 2024, Mayank played only two matches in IPL 2025 – against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) – before the tournament was suspended following cross-border tension between India and Pakistan. His high pace – a quality that impressed the national selectors – and accuracy earned him a special fast bowler’s contract with the BCCI last year.Soon he picked up a back injury that made him miss the 2024-25 domestic season after his international debut. He was recovering at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru. But his return was pushed back after he stubbed his toe against his bed leading to an infection. Upon his return, he was a much slower bowler, clocking speeds in the high-130 kph and only occasionally breaching the 140kph mark.Related

• LSG teetering on the brink; Head a doubt for SRH after testing positive for Covid

• Kohli-mania takes over Chinnaswamy as IPL braces for restart

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• Mayank Yadav returns from injury a slower bowler

• Zaheer: 'Mayank's speeds are only going to get better'

After Mayank’s first match upon his return, LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had said they were in “constant dialogue with the NCA” and were following the regimen that was given to him.The IPL stint with LSG will be O’Rourke’s first experience in the T20 franchise circuit. He has five wickets in five T20Is for New Zealand after his debut against Pakistan last year. Overall, he is capped ten times in Tests and 17 times in ODIs apart from his five T20I appearances.

Jamieson replaces Ferguson at PBKS

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson replaced countryman Lockie Ferguson at PBKS for the rest of IPL 2025. Ferguson played four matches for PBKS this season and picked up five wickets. He hobbled off after bowling two balls in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in April following which, PBKS fast-bowling coach James Hopes said Ferguson was “out indefinitely”.PBKS will be Jamieson’s second IPL team after he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021. He was part of Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2025 but played in just two of their nine games. Jamieson joined PBKS for INR 2 crore.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Kusal Mendis as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who will leave for England duties at the end of the league stage. Mendis has joined GT for INR 75 lakh and will be eligible to play the playoffs.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to back Ruben Amorim in the January transfer window, with an “amazing” player now high on Manchester United’s shortlist.

Man Utd have big decision to make with Amorim at "breaking point"

Man United signed off with an unconvincing 3-2 victory against Burnley before the international break, which didn’t exactly silence the critics, and club legend Wayne Rooney believes the manager will be feeling the pressure.

Speaking after the EFL Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town, Rooney said: “Manchester United is so different to where he’s been before. You come in and there’s the media team, the commercial team, the fans and the media.

“There’s a pressure with United, which he will never have felt before. When you’re not winning games, that can start to get [to you] and it looked like he was at a breaking point.”

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As such, INEOS have a big decision to make on Amorim’s future, given that the Portuguese manager’s record since arriving last November has been far from impressive, averaging just 1.37 points per match across 46 games.

However, a new report from TEAMtalk states that Ratcliffe and co are ready to back their manager in the January transfer window, suggesting the Man United ownership still believe in Amorim’s project.

The 40-year-old is set to be provided with the funds to strengthen his squad this winter, and a new central midfielder is believed to be of particular interest, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson featuring high up the shortlist.

After joining Forest from Newcastle United for £35m last summer, Anderson has enjoyed an impressive rise, recently receiving his first call-up for England, and it would be fair to say the midfielder grasped the opportunity with both hands, impressing journalist Craig Hope.

"Amazing" Anderson impressing for club and country

Not only has the England international caught the eye for the Three Lions, but he has also received plaudits for his performances at club level, being described as “amazing” by former manager Nuno last season.

The 22-year-old is an incredibly well-rounded midfielder, as showcased by the fact he provides an attacking threat, picking up eight Premier League goal contributions last season, while his tackling ability is also impressive.

It is little wonder that Anderson is high on Man United’s shortlist, and he should remain a key target, regardless of whether Amorim lasts until the January transfer window.

Chelsea would have fancied their chances heading to Old Trafford.

After all, going into the contest away at Manchester United, the Red Devils had just succumbed to a disastrous 3-0 defeat in the Manchester Derby, with Enzo Maresca’s Blues still unbeaten in the bread and butter of the Premier League, despite just falling to a 3-1 loss in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

However, any optimism heading into the tie would be instantly obliterated by Robert Sanchez’s reckless early red card, as the ropey Blues goalkeeper took out Bryan Mbeumo before the ex-Brentford attacker could even register an effort at his goal.

Of course, Casemiro did also receive his marching orders for a second yellow in first-half added-on time, but the damage of that earlier dismissal was already clear for all to see, as Ruben Amorim’s men raced into a two-goal advantage.

Trevoh Chalobah did score towards the end to give Chelsea some late hope, but Sanchez’s stupidity ultimately cost the Blues dear in the 2-1 defeat, with questions now needing to be asked about his first-team spot moving forward.

Sanchez's horror show

Amazingly, Sanchez’s dismissal after just five minutes is Chelsea’s earliest ever red card in Premier League action.

That isn’t exactly a badge of honour that the error-prone Spaniard will be wearing, however.

More so, it brings into view even clearer how much of an uphill battle the away side had on their hands in a first-half that ended up being largely dominated by the hosts, who aren’t free from a calamitous moment themselves.

Sanchez’s rash decision-making resulted in Chelsea’s attack being significantly stunted, as Maresca substituted off both Estevao and Pedro Neto in quick succession for a defensive focus. He even decided to bring off Cole Palmer after just 21 minutes, with the likes of Joao Pedro, who remained, offering very little.

If it hadn’t been for the major shock after five minutes, Chelsea might well have gained another three points or a draw out of the game. But, instead, in the torrential conditions, everything fell to pieces in a 2-1 loss.

Still, other individuals who did see out most of the contest aren’t completely blameless, despite the actions of Sanchez setting them up to fail.

The 4/10 star who must now be dropped

Indeed, there were still 85 minutes on the clock for Chelsea to turn their fortunes around, even if gaining a result seemed slim.

The defenders – minus Sanchez – who graced the Old Trafford turf for most of the turbulent clash didn’t cover themselves in much glory, either, with Marc Cucurella – in particular – struggling throughout, away from Reece James’ sliced clearance gifting Casemiro United’s second of the day.

At least James did win seven duels, as per Sofascore, to hold his head high somewhat. On the contrary, a shoddy Cucurella would win just two duels all match from the left-back spot, as he failed to grapple with the aforementioned Mbeumo.

On top of that, he further failed to impress in the forward areas, as the likes of Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu for Amorim and Co. showed the former Brighton and Hove Albion how it’s done when foraying up the pitch, with Dorgu going on to assist Bruno Fernandes’ opener.

Cucurella vs Man Utd
Stat	Cucurella
Minutes played	64
Goals scored	0
Assists	0
Touches	41
Accurate passes	19/25 (76%)
Accurate crosses	0/1
Successful dribbles	0
Total duels won	2/7
Stats by Sofascore

The below-par defender would retreat into his shell in this capacity, unfortunately, with zero accurate crosses or successful dribbles tallied up, leading to Maresca hauling him off at the hour mark, among other poor moments.

The Sun’s Katherine Walsh didn’t wax lyrical about Cucurella’s 64-minute runout either, dishing out a low 4/10 post-match rating to the number three, who she stated was routinely ‘second best’ to the likes of Mbeumo.

Maresca will hope he can rule this defeat out as a fluke, with the stormy conditions making for a feisty affair kick-started by Sanchez’s brainless intervention.

But, he will also know who he can trust more now in some tough moments to come this season, as both the red-carded keeper and Cucurella potentially fear for their first-team futures going forward.

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RCB are expected to be without Tim David, but Josh Hazlewood is back

Vishal Dikshit26-May-20251:24

Chance for Pant to open?

Big Picture: Will LSG spoil RCB’s party?Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) need not have watched the game between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday with a calculator in hand to see what kind of margin they need for Tuesday to finish in the top two for a straight shot into the IPL 2025 final. No matter what the result on Monday night, RCB just need to win their last league game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to reach 19 points that will guarantee them a place in qualifier 1, whether they finish on top or second.If LSG win on Tuesday, though, RCB will finish third and play in the eliminator, like they did last year and bowed out of the tournament after a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR).Related

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Injury scare for Tim David ahead of playoffs

What might scare RCB a little is that the teams eliminated from the playoffs race have been beating the teams that have made it to the playoffs over the last four days. It was LSG who started that trend by taking down the table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) with a match-winning century from Mitchell Marsh. Nicholas Pooran’s return to runs after a slump in between also bodes well for LSG, and so does the bowling of 6’4” fast bowler Will O’Rourke, who has bagged four wickets in his two showings so far, after he came on as a replacement for the injured Mayank Yadav.The day after LSG’s last game, RCB had their four-match winning streak broken by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Even though one loss doesn’t make or break a team’s confidence, RCB suffered a blow in that clash when their middle-order basher Tim David hurt himself while fielding in the deep, and is unlikely for Tuesday.RCB will, however, be boosted by the return of their ace fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who stayed back in Australia for his shoulder rehab when the IPL had resumed, and has joined the team ahead of the last league game.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bengaluru LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants: WLLLLIn the spotlight: Josh Hazlewood and Rishabh PantThere are not many overseas bowlers who have taken IPL 2025 by storm, but Josh Hazlewood is among the small bunch. His metronomic bowling style married with the T20 weapons of hard lengths, pace variations and yorkers make him one of the most feared fast bowlers in the competition. He is a potent weapon in both the powerplay and the death overs, and RCB will look to bank heavily on him, on both Tuesday and in the playoffs, before he heads to London for the WTC final.0:58

Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly

Rishabh Pant is having his worst IPL season, be it in terms of runs, strike rate or average. In his last game, however, Pant gave glimpses of Pant of the old when he hit two sixes with his usual physics-defying positions he gets into by the time he finishes his shots. It could be because LSG had been eliminated from the playoffs, and we saw a carefree Pant with a nothing-to-lose attitude. LSG will hope he bats more like that on Tuesday, and he will hope he gets some more runs before flying out to London for the Test series as vice-captain.Team news and likely XIIsRCB will be forced to make a couple of changes. Hazlewood’s return to the XI will be in place of Lungi Ngidi, who misses the last league game to fly back home for WTC final preparations with his national side.The big miss will be David, who had scored 42 runs off 20 deliveries he faced in their last two games. RCB may not have a like-for-like replacement for him if he’s unavailable, but they do have Liam Livingstone and Tim Seifert who was brought in as replacement for Jacob Bethell for the remainder of the tournament, just like they have Blessing Muzarabani for Ngidi. Both Seifert and Muzarabani have joined the squad. Their captain Rajat Patidar was only fit to bat in the last game, and he could continue to be their Impact Player if he has still not recovered to field.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaThe main change LSG could make is bringing back Digvesh Rathi, who missed the last game because of his one-match suspension. If their opener Aiden Markram has returned home to prepare for the WTC final, LSG will need a new opener. Will Pant move up the order again? They may also want to give chances to more players on the bench such as batter Matthew Breetzke, wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal, batting allrounder Yuvraj Chaudhary, bowling allrounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar and batting allrounder Arshin Kulkarni who still haven’t played a game this season, and Himmat Singh hasn’t batted even once despite getting two matches this season.Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Matthew Breetzke/Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Himmat Singh, 8 Digvesh Rathi, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Will O’Rourke, 12 Akash SinghThe big questionPitch and conditionsIt’s going to be a mixed-soil pitch for Lucknow’s last game of the season, made up of red and black soil. That’s usually a batting-friendly track. The last game played on that strip was between LSG and CSK when the hosts were restricted to 166 and MS Dhoni had taken CSK home. It’s expected to be extremely hot in Lucknow on Tuesday, with temperatures going over 36 degrees Celsius, and a good amount of humidity too to make it more sultry. There is no rain in the forecast.Stats and trivia RCB will have to find a way to stop LSG’s overseas batters from hitting sixes: Marsh has struck the second-most sixes in the powerplay so far whereas Pooran has the most in the middle overs Will RCB be brave enough to bowl Krunal Pandya to Pooran? Because Pooran also holds the record of most sixes against spin in this IPL, at 25, with 15 being the second-best. Pooran has hardly faced Krunal so far, having scored 25 off his 15 balls so far in the IPL without being dismissed yet RCB could become the first time in the history of the IPL to win all their seven away games, if they bag another W on Tuesday Virat Kohli is 24 away from 9000 runs for RCB overall, in the IPL and Champions League T20 combined

The mood around Chelsea at the moment is far more optimistic than it was even a week ago.

Enzo Maresca’s side have managed to pull themselves out of the dip that saw them lose two Premier League games on the bounce with that dramatic win over Liverpool on Saturday.

Moreover, the fact that the 18-year-old Estevao scored the winner only helps to fuel the sense that the future is bright for the Blues.

In fact, while it will take them some time to reach their peak, Maresca has several genuinely exciting youngsters in his current squad, and a number coming up from Cobham, including one who could be as special as Estevao.

Chelsea's promising youngsters

Chelsea has a squad bursting with young talent, so in this instance, ‘youngsters’ will refer to teenagers, of whom the Blues also have several in the first-team squad, including Tyrique George.

The Cobham graduate has endured an interesting season so far this year, as while he is a winger, Maresca has played him up top in a few games, and he’s had mixed results there.

For example, he struggled to make much of an impact at all against Benfica, but scored and assisted in the game against Lincoln City, which saved his side from real embarrassment.

Interestingly, the Englishman has been starting ahead of an actual centre-forward, Marc Guiu.

It’s hard to judge the Spaniard on this season alone, as his 119 minutes of action have been split between the Blues and Sunderland, where he was on loan before Liam Delap’s injury, with just 16 minutes coming under Maresca.

With that said, the 19-year-old scored a goal for the Black Cats and found the back of the net six times in seven Conference League games last season, so there is undoubtedly a lot of potential there.

Moving into the backline now, and while he is still inexperienced and therefore hard to judge, Josh Acheampong did a fine job against Liverpool on Saturday. His combination of on-the-ball ability and defensive nous could see him become a star for the West Londoners.

However, the other young defender, Jorrel Hato, feels like even more of a sure thing, as despite being 19 years old, he has an incredible amount of experience.

Before joining Maresca’s side, the young Dutchman had made 111 appearances for Ajax and even wore the captain’s armband on occasion.

Hato’s senior record

Appearances

111

Starts

102

Minutes

9121′

Goals

4

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

Minutes per Goal Involvement

701.61′

Points per Game

1.86

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Last but not least, Estevao is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown when it comes to the Blues’ crop of young talents.

For example, before he even arrived on these shores in the summer, he had racked up a brilliant tally of 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 appearances for Palmeiras.

Moreover, while the goal against the Reds has grabbed the headlines, and understandably so, the 18-year-old has also looked incredible in other games, like against West Ham United, when his sensational close control allowed him to provide an assist for Joao Pedro.

In all, Chelsea have an abundance of absurdly talented youngsters in their current squad, and there is now someone in the academy who could join them and become a homegrown Estevao.

Chelsea's homegrown Estevao

As seems to be the case every year now, Chelsea have several exciting talents making waves at Cobham, such as Jesse Derry and Harrison Murray-Campbell.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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However, when it comes to a Cobham gem who could become something of a homegrown Estevao for the Blues, only one youngster sticks out: Shumaria Mheuka.

The 17-year-old centre-forward has been an exciting prospect for some time now, but has really stepped it up a level this season, and doesn’t look too far off getting another chance in the first team, like he did at points in the Conference League last year.

For example, in just nine appearances for youth teams this year, totalling 793 minutes, he has scored ten goals and provided one assist.

In other words, the Birmingham-born output machine has been averaging 1.22 goal involvements per game, or one every 72.09 minutes in youth football this season.

Mheuka’s youth record in 25/26

Appearances

9

Minutes

793′

Goals

10

Assists

1

Goal Involvements per Match

1.22

Minutes per Goal Involvement

72.09′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of that, he’s also been thriving on the international stage. In 16 appearances for England’s U19s, totalling 970 minutes, the teenage sensation has scored eight goals and provided three assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.45 games, or every 88.18 minutes.

With numbers like these at such a young age, it’s easy to see why talent scout Jacek Kulig has already boldly proclaimed the Cobham gem as “the future of Chelsea and English football.”

Ultimately, while it might be a little while longer until he’s given a real run in the first team, it looks like Chelsea could have their own homegrown Estevao-level talent in Mheuka.

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Arsenal are now very keen on signing an “extraordinary” midfielder, who has been likened to former player Granit Xhaka.

Gunners join race for midfielder despite summer rebuild

Following Thomas Partey’s departure, it was necessary for Mikel Arteta to rebuild his midfield in the summer transfer window, and Martin Zubimendi was undoubtedly the headline signing, with the Spaniard arriving from Real Sociedad.

The midfielder has made a fantastic start to life at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps most impressively bagging a brace in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest back in September, which led to high praise from Arteta.

Zubimendi isn’t the only new arrival either, as Cristian Norgaard joinied from Brentford, and attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze arrived from Crystal Palace, with the 13-time England international picking up two assists in his first five Premier League outings.

Despite the scale of the rebuild that has taken place, the north Londoners have now joined the race for another central midfielder, according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Arsenal are looking to sign FC Porto’s Victor Froholdt.

In fact, despite widespread interest in Froholdt, with Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Atletico Madrid also in the race, the Gunners are said to be ‘particularly keen’, viewing him as a potential ‘cornerstone’ of their future midfield.

Arteta’s staff have been left particularly impressed with the Dane’s ‘passing range and intelligence’, and his ability to dictate the tempo of the game has led to comparisons to Xhaka, who spent seven seasons at the Emirates Stadium.

Porto are open to offers for the 19-year-old, but the Portuguese club would be looking to hold out for a relatively high fee of around €50m – €60m (£43m – £52m).

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ByDominic Lund Oct 13, 2025 Froholdt could be "extraordinary" long-term addition for Arsenal

Once dubbed “extraordinary” by a Danish analyst, the teenager is a very well-rounded central midfielder, as showcased by his performance across a number of important metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.23 (96th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.43 (97th percentile)

Progressive carries

2.71 (97th percentile)

Blocks

1.58 (86th percentile)

After impressing for FC Copenhagen, amassing eight goals and six assists in 62 games, the Dane has since gone on to establish himself as a key player for Porto, starting all eight Liga Portugal games so far this season.

The youngster went on to bag his first goal for Denmark in his side’s 6-0 victory against Belarus last week, while also picking up an assist and maintaining a 93% pass-completion rate.

Having signed Norgaard and Zubimendi in the summer, there isn’t a pressing need for Arteta to bring in a new central midfielder, but Froholdt is starting to prove he could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.