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Celtic captain Callum McGregor carried the team on his back against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, securing the win with a stunning strike from distance.

The former Scotland international delivered a staggering finish from outside of the box in the 95th minute for the Hoops, when the game felt destined to end with a 0-0 draw.

Interim head coach Martin O’Neill needed his captain to step up with that goal because it was an underwhelming performance that will leave several players concerned about their place in the starting line-up.

For example, the Northern Irish manager should ruthlessly drop left-winger Sebastian Tounekti from the team ahead of the clash with Feyenoord on Thursday night in the Europa League.

Why Celtic should drop Sebastian Tounekti

The Tunisia international was a breath of fresh air after his move from Hammarby at the end of the summer transfer window, as he got fans off their seats with his exciting play on his debut against Kilmarnock.

Unfortunately, though, the 23-year-old forward has failed to add end product to his exciting play, with a return of two goals and no assists in 14 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

On top of his struggles in the final third throughout the season so far, Tounekti’s all-round performances in the last two Premiership games have left too much to be desired.

Sebastian Tounekti’s last two performances

Stats

vs Kilmarnock

Vs St Mirren

Minutes

78

67

Shots

2

1

Goals

0

0

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

2/10

2/6

Duels won

3/13

3/11

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops winger failed to deliver much in the way of quality against Kilmarnock or St Mirren, whilst struggling badly with the physical side of the game.

With this in mind, O’Neill could ruthlessly ditch Tounekti from the starting line-up on Thursday by unleashing Paulo Bernardo in a brand-new role on the left flank.

Why Paulo Bernardo should be played on the left wing

The Portuguese central midfielder has only played six matches in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, but unleashing him as a left winger could be a genius move by the interim manager.

Per Transfermarkt, Bernardo has never played as a left midfielder or left winger in his senior career, for Benfica or Celtic, but it is a position that could suit him against Feyenoord.

Against St Mirren, Tounekti and Kieran Tierney often seemed to want to do the same thing, which was to get to the byline to cross the ball, and they got in each other’s way at times.

Playing Bernardo on the left against Feyenoord would provide Tierney, who has delivered four assists in all competitions this season, the freedom of the left flank to deliver crosses, as the ex-Benfica man would drift inside into more central areas in possession, similarly to how Luke McCowan plays when he is deployed on the right wing.

On top of this move potentially unlocking Tierney as an attacking force, it could also provide Bernardo with more opportunities to showcase his talent at the top end of the pitch.

The central midfielder, who was hailed as “tenacious” by Brendan Rodgers, has produced seven goals and seven assists in 83 appearances for the Hoops to date, per Transfermarkt, whilst he has also scored 11 goals in 32 caps for Portugal’s U21s.

This suggests that he does have the potential to provide a threat in the final third if given a chance to play further up the pitch, which is another reason why this brand-new role could be a good move for him.

Therefore, O’Neill should finally ditch Tounekti from the starting XI to try out a pairing of Tierney and Bernardo down the left against Feyenoord on Thursday.

Related The new Luis Palma: O'Neill must ruthlessly drop "sloppy" Celtic flop

This Celtic flop who was saved by Callum McGregor’s screamer is looking like the new Luis Palma.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 23, 2025

With the postseason looming, the Padres have lost a key piece for the short term.

San Diego outfielder Ramón Laureano has been diagnosed with a fractured finger and will miss the first round of the playoffs, manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday evening via Dennis Lin of . Laureano, 31, has hit well since being acquired from the Orioles on July 31—slashing .271/.325.492 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs.

In total, Laureano has slashed .282/.343/.514 with 24 home runs and 76 RBIs. His 3.6 bWAR are a career high, surpassing a 3.5-win campaign with the Athletics in 2019.

The Padres are squarely in the middle of the National League's crowded postseason picture; they currently trail the Dodgers by two games in the West Division race and the Cubs by two games in the wild-card race.

San Diego, sans Laureano, is scheduled to play three games against the Diamondbacks this weekend to conclude its 2025 regular season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo anunciou, nesta quinta-feira (8), a extensão contratual com o zagueiro Arboleda até 31 de dezembro de 2027. O antigo vínculo era válido até o fim deste ano, e o equatoriano poderia assinar pré-contrato com qualquer equipe em julho.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– Agradeço por todos os anos que eu tenho no São Paulo. Por todas as coisas boas que vivi aqui. Só queria agradecer e falar que seguirei mais uns anos aqui. Se Deus quiser, vou completar 10 anos no São Paulo. Podem ter certeza de que sempre vou dar a vida dentro do campo e serei sempre esse jogador que vocês gostam – celebrou o zagueiro.

➡️ Aposte R$50 no Lance! Betting e ganhe R$360 para vitória por 2 a 1 do Timão sobre o Racing

Jogador mais longevo no elenco do São Paulo, Arboleda chegou ao Tricolor em 2017 e já disputou 264 jogos pela equipe, com 18 gols marcados. No clube, ele conquistou o Paulistão de 2021, a Copa do Brasil de 2023 e a Supercopa Rei de 2024.

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– O Arboleda é uma referência, um símbolo. Ele chegou em 2017 e, agora, renovou até 2027 pela qualidade técnica e pela dedicação. É um jogador que nos deu muitas alegrias e que, certamente, vai trazer mais conquistas. A presença do Arboleda no CT, no dia a dia e no MorumBIS com a torcida é a representação maior de um grande ídolo, de um grande jogador com grande técnica. A permanência dele é um reforço. O Arboleda é um grande líder do time – afirmou o presidente Julio Casares.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas, horários dos jogos da Libertadores

DIRETORIA QUER ‘TRANCAR’ A DEFESA

Com a renovação de Arboleda, Wellington é o único jogador da defesa cujo contrato não foi estendido. O lateral-esquerdo já recusou duas propostas feitas pela diretoria, e o futuro do atleta está cada vez mais distante do Morumbis. O Internacional monitora a situação e pode apresentar uma oferta até o final da janela, que se encerra no dia 17 de abril.

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Com a saída de Beraldo ao PSG, o técnico Thiago Carpini queria um zagueiro canhoto para compor o elenco, e o São Paulo contratou Sabino, que estava no Sport.

Tudo sobre

ArboledaSão Paulo

Rep your team in time for a summer of football

With winter dawning on us for many of us around the world, we can only dream of a summer of football. Hang tight because it won't be long until the World Cup 2026 comes around and kicks off on June 11, as the United States, Mexico and Canada aim to host the best edition of the competition yet. 

adidas World Cup 2026 kitsBuy now 

Lionel Scaloni and Argentina will look to defend their World Cup title, which they won at Qatar 2022. It was their third World Cup success story as Lionel Messi and co finally got their hands on the coveted trophy. 

Ahead of the competition, some of the biggest brands, including adidas, Nike, PUMA, and more, have launched new kits for fresh new looks on the pitch. On November  5th 2025, adidas launched the home kits for 22 nations, including the likes of holders Germany, Spain, Belgium, joint hosts Mexico and many more. The collection combines historic visual identities and traditions of each nation and portrays them in a modernist, forward-looking aesthetic.

adidas

The bold array of jerseys reflects the heart of each nation via colourways and patterns that celebrate key aspects of each nation’s identity. From their rich histories to famous landscapes, traditional architecture and iconic past kit designs, each jersey aims to unite fans around a shared passion for their nation.

PUMA followed suit on December 4th 2025, unveiling kits for Portugal, Austria, Czechia, Iceland, and Switzerland that explore identity, heritage, and we're here for the stunning designs. 

So, whether you'll be watching at home, throwing a watch party with friends or making the trip out to watch the World Cup in person, you need to look the part. Let GOAL break down the full release, so you can get yourself kitted out for the big tournament:

Shop: World Cup 2026 kits

• adidas
  

  Algeria I Home

  Inspired by the sand dunes of the Algerian desert, the Algeria home jersey boasts a dynamic stripe graphic layout in beige and white, with a vibrant green finish across the neckline and shoulders. This articulation of the undulating dunes iconic to the country, connects the team to home, alongside 'Algeria which appears in Arabic on the back of the neck.

  🇬🇧 Algeria kits at adidasShop now

• adidas
  

  Argentina I Home

  The traditional Argentine vertical stripes in sky blue and white take on a shapeshifting look, with a unique 3 coloured fading effect, channelling the blue tones from the three previous World Cup winning shirts – 1978, 1986 & 2022. The back neck sees a bespoke sign-off reading ‘1896’ – celebrating the founding date of the AFA. 

  🇬🇧 Argentina kits at adidasShop now

• adidas
  

  Belgium I Home

  Belgium’s home kit takes inspiration from the prominent Gothic stained-glass windows found across the Nation’s architecture. Icons representing the Red Devils, and the Red Flames – the nicknames of the Men’s and Women’s teams are repeated in this style across the jersey’s red base. The trims of the shoulders and cuffs are finished in a black and yellow detailing, leaning into the colours of the country’s flag.

  🇬🇧 Belgium kits at adidasShop now

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• adidas
  

  Chile I Home

  Chile’s national bird, the Condor, takes centre stage across their home jersey. Sitting on a traditional red base, an all-over printed pattern echoes the feathers of the bird, whilst on the back of the neck, the Condor appears again, in the form of a bespoke sign-off icon. 

  🇬🇧 Chile kits at adidasShop now

Liverpool suffered yet another defeat, their eighth in 11 games across all competitions, as the troubles continue to mount at Anfield. Arne Slot’s side were thrashed 3-0 at the hands of Nottingham Forest, who have now won away to the Reds in two consecutive seasons.

It was a dire performance once again from the Merseysiders, who looked short of any sort of creative ideas and weak at the back. The first goal came from a corner again, with Murillo peeling away into space and picking up a loose ball, which he fired past the returning Alisson to put Forest 1-0 up.

The East Midlands outfit thought they had a second, but Igor Jesus saw his goal disallowed for a contentious handball. Their second came seconds into the second half, with right-back Nicolo Savona ghosting into the penalty box and hammering home from ten yards or so.

Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White capped off a wonderful day out for his side in the 78th minute. After brilliant play from Omari Hutchinson, he saw his shot saved by Alisson. However, the Brazilian could only palm it into the path of Gibbs-White, who clinically finished to seal the win.

It was another poor showing from the Reds, with Alexander Isak struggling once again.

Alexander Isak’s stats vs. Forest

The start of Isak’s Liverpool career has been very stop-start. He’s missed six games in total, for various reasons, and hasn’t played in the Premier League since the 19th of October.

His return to top-flight action against Forest was disappointing.

The Sweden international, who is still searching for his first Premier League goal in Red, was hooked by Slot after just 68 minutes, with his side still searching for two goals to bring them back into the game.

Indeed, his numbers reflect just how poor a performance it was from Isak. He managed just 15 touches, losing possession seven times, and only had one shot, which accumulated an expected goals tally of 0.13xG.

Touches

15

Number of times ball lost

7

Passes completed

6

Duels won

0/7

Shots

1

Expected goals

0.13xG

One person who was critical of the Liverpool number nine was Goal journalist Stephen Darwin. He gave the Swede a 2/10 for his performance at Anfield, pointing out that he ‘wasn’t even close to breaking his duck’ when it comes to Premier League goals.

However, the blame cannot solely lie with the striker, who didn’t necessarily get the service he needed.

Two players who struggled to get the ball to Isak

One of the key things that Darwin stressed in his review of Isak’s performance was the fact that he ‘hardly had a kick’ of the ball. Of course, 15 touches makes for poor reading, but you still have to provide the ball for your centre-forward.

Two of the players who struggled with exactly that were wingers Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. Generally speaking, it was not the worst performance, with Salah creating three chances and Gakpo one, although they were sloppy in possession, losing the ball a combined 53 times.

However, it was their service to the Reds centre-forward which was inadequate at best. According to Stats Zone, the Liverpool number ten passes to Isak just three times, and Dutch international Gakpo twice.

That is certainly not the level of service he needs to help him start finding his best form in front of goal. Perhaps it is due to the clash of profiles. Both Salah and Gakpo are inside forwards who like to cut inside, entering similar areas to those Isak operates in.

Alternatively, the problem could simply be a lack of time spent on the pitch with their new teammate. Isak has missed such a large portion of the season that it simply might take some time for the trio to gel.

Regardless, it is a problem Slot must fix quickly. The Reds’ form is a huge concern, as they slip further down the Premier League table. The Dutchman must get his big-money striker and first-choice wingers firing, as they look to rectify this poor form.

Better signing than Semenyo: Liverpool enter race for £100m "superstar"

Liverpool are weighing up a 2026 bid for one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 21, 2025

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

Games managed

188

Wins

88

Draws

50

Losses

50

Goals scored

340

Goals conceded

239

Points accumulated

314

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle among favourites to sign £100m star

Newcastle need to add some more quality to Eddie Howe’s side in 2026.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and a January transfer is now a possibility.

The Blues bounced back from the home defeat to Sunderland with an impressive victory on the road on Saturday, defeating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League, with Joao Pedro scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the first half.

Enzo Maresca will no doubt be happy with the result, while the manager will also be pleased that Pedro managed to break his duck, having failed to score since the 2-0 victory against Fulham at the end of August.

BlueCo invested heavily in the frontline in the summer, with Liam Delap also arriving from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, and Maresca wasn’t impressed with his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Maresca said: “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,

“After the first yellow card I told him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he’s on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him.”

Chelsea in pole position to sign Aghehowa

It has now emerged that Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, having moved into pole position in the race for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, alongside London rivals Spurs.

That is according to a report from Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness), which states the Blues are in the lead in the race for Aghehowa, with Porto now willing to sanction a departure as early as January.

Club president André Villas-Boas is prepared to cash-in for a fee of €80m (£70m), so the west Londoners will need to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.

That said, there are signs the Spaniard could be worth splashing the cash on, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal across his opening two seasons in Portugal.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

45

27

2025-26

11

9

At 21-years-old, the youngster could be capable of leading the line at a top club for over a decade, with scout Ben Mattinson of the belief he is too good to be playing in Portugal.

There are question marks over whether Aghehowa would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has Delap and Pedro at his disposal, but he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the squad.

Joao Pedro named as one of the best strikers in the world The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Guwahati, the newest venue in Test cricket, might have turned session breaks upside down, but it also brought about some normalcy to Test cricket amid the pandemonium in Kolkata and Perth. The pitch called for watchfulness in the first hour, eased out once the moisture dried out, and then offered a bit of turn here and there on a day when 247 runs were scored for the loss of six wickets.The quality and depth in India’s bowling shone through on the flat surface, making it necessary for series leaders South Africa to take risks if they wanted to score over three an over. India were good enough to get wickets when the batters did take risks.A new captain in Rishabh Pant couldn’t prevent India from losing their eighth toss in the last nine Tests, but Kuldeep Yadav is just the bowler you need if you lose the toss on a typical Indian surface. He took three wickets to go with Jasprit Bumrah’s ever-reliable control for figures of 17-6-38-1.Related

• Stubbs has 'worked a lot' on his defence and it's showing

South Africa’s batting depth made sure India had to keep working hard through the day, even after they had been reduced to 201 for 5. Tony de Zorzi and No. 7 Senuram Muthusamy, the only one in the line-up to average over 40 in Tests, added 45 for the sixth wicket, but Mohammed Siraj topped up a four-over spell with the old ball with the wicket of de Zorzi in what proved to be the dying moments of the day’s play.South Africa will be disappointed that all of their batters got starts but no one reached fifty. This is something that had happened in Kolkata as well, but that pitch broke up rapidly to make sure it didn’t hurt the visitors.This Guwahati pitch played way better for batters, but also kept the bowlers interested. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton put on 82 for the first wicket, then the highest partnership of the series, before Bumrah removed Markram with what proved to be the last ball before the tea, the first session break of the day, taken at 11am after the early start at 9am to make up for early sunrise and sunset in the eastern-most Test venue in India.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs added 84 together•AFP/Getty Images

Until then, Markram and Rickelton had looked solid even though they had been tested thoroughly. It took Markram 17 balls to get off the mark, and he was reprieved by KL Rahul at second slip on the 18th. Nitish Kumar Reddy, in as a specialist right-hand batter in a left-heavy batting line-up, was some relief with his four overs going for 21, but the spinners followed up with tight bowling.Bumrah’s first spell was another masterclass in length bowling, but when he was brought back for one over before lunch, he took a dip in the fuller waters. Markram, who had driven similar balls from Reddy well, was stuck on the crease to Bumrah and ended up playing on.Immediately after tea, Kuldeep got rid of Rickelton thanks to a slightly loose drive and a sharp catch by Pant off a thick deflection. India had managed to keep them around or below three an over until that point.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs batted through the rest of the session, but it was hard work even though the pitch was at its best behaviour with the early moisture gone. And yet they could add only 74 in 26.4 overs when they went back for lunch.It could not be ascertained if there was some discussion around the scoring rate during this break, but Bavuma and Stubbs both came out looking more intent on scoring quicker. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep didn’t let up and took three quick wickets as a result.Bavuma looked to clear extra cover off Jadeja, but ended up giving a catch to mid-off off the inner half of the bat. Stubbs was caught pushing hard at Kuldeep’s first ball of a new spell. Rahul, who had missed a tough chance off Markram earlier, took an equally sharp one smoothly at first slip. Wiaan Mulder got a couple of looseners from Siraj, but his lack of experience in Indian conditions showed when Kuldeep tossed one up. He wound up to hit him big, but the ball dipped on him, resulting in an easy catch to mid-off.Siraj came back from that spell to bowl three intense overs against de Zorzi and Muthusamy, but there just wasn’t enough in the pitch for the old ball. With the sun sinking rapidly, India called out for the second new ball two balls after it became available.It turned out to be a timely move as there wasn’t much time left before the umpires would take the players off for bad light. It meant India could risk the new ball even though one of their fast bowlers was exhausted. But is Siraj ever exhausted? He took the new ball and bowled a peach first ball. The seam position and the shape in the air hinted at an inswinger for the left-hand batter, but the ball nipped away after pitching, taking the edge and leaving de Zorzi frustrated. Four balls later, play was called off.

Pundit Jamie Carragher has issued an apology to Eberechi Eze after seeing the Arsenal star bag a hat-trick for the Gunners in a 4-1 north London derby victory over Tottenham. The Liverpool legend admits he has "undervalued" the transfer and now feels the former Crystal Palace man has the ability to make a real impact for Mikel Arteta's side as they bid to land the Premier League title.

Eze steals show in north London derby win

Eze was the hero for Arsenal in a 4-1 win over Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday, scoring three times and taking home the match ball as the Gunners extended their lead at the top of the table to six points. The England international, who came close to joining Spurs in the summer before making the switch to Arsenal instead, admitted after the game it was "special" to score his first professional hat-trick as he became just the fourth player to net three times in a north London derby. His performance also ensured Carragher has been forced to change his mind about the forward after initially being sceptical of his big-money move to the Gunners from Crystal Palace.

AdvertisementCarragher apologises to Arsenal and Eze

Carragher apologised to Eze after the game and explained why he was initially unimpressed with the transfer. He told Sky Sports: "I must be honest, I think in the summer when Arsenal signed him and I had my Liverpool hat on and I looked at the signings Arsenal made and besides [Victor] Gyokeres, it felt a lot of them were to strengthen the squad really. So where Arsenal had problems the year before was when Saka was out, so they bought Madueke. Odegaard was out, they got Eze. One of the centre-backs was missing so they got another couple of centre-backs. It was only really Gyokeres you felt was going to go into the team and if I’m being honest, I think if Havertz was 100 per cent fit, Havertz would have probably been the centre-forward in this team.  

"So when Eze came in, I thought 'OK maybe it’s not a game-changer' and Les [Ferdinand] knows him a lot better than me and he still said earlier in the show that there’s still more to come. But we are still seeing some of his highlights this season, a few great goals in there and then he goes and gets a hat-trick. So, apologies. I’ve certainly undervalued the importance of that signing because he looks like he could make the real difference for Arsenal this season and going on to win the title."

Eze 'could have scored four or five'

Arsenal boss Arteta was full of praise for Eze after the win and felt his summer signing could have scored even more goals against Thomas Frank's side. He told BBC Sport: "That tells you about the difficulty and what he's done today. To be fair he could have scored four or five. He's a big player who can create magic moments which unbalance a team. We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient. Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently. We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

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Getty Images SportArsenal up against Kane and Bayern next

Arsenal and Eze will now switch focus to the Champions League and a visit from Harry Kane's Bayern Munich next. The former Tottenham man heads to the Emirates in prolific form, having scored 14 goals in just 11 Bundesliga outings and five goals in four Champions League matches for Bayern so far this season. Both teams go into the match with perfect records in the competition so far in 2025-26, meaning something will have to give at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

A little over 11 points separate first from bottom as Australia’s first-class tournament resumes after the BBL

Andrew McGlashan07-Feb-2025Points table | Leading run-scorers | Leading wicket-takers | Fixtures1. South AustraliaLeading the table, South Australia can dream of playing in their first Sheffield Shield final since 2016-17 and pushing for their first title since 1995-96.After winning two of their first three matches, SA bounced back from an innings defeat against New South Wales with a hard-fought draw against reigning champions Western Australia before one of the most thrilling wins in Sheffield Shield history when they edged Tasmania by two runs off the final ball of the game. Their penultimate-round match against Victoria shapes as potentially vital.Related

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Jhye Richardson's season ends as he opts for another shoulder surgery

Green hopeful of Shield return and county cricket ahead of WTC final

Opening batter Henry Hunt is currently the leading run-scorer for the season with 537 including three centuries.Who will they be missing?Travis Head, Alex Carey and captain Nathan McSweeney are all in the Sri Lanka, although the latter should be available for the round seven match against Tasmania and the remainder of the season. Head and Carey will both be at the Champions Trophy and how deep Australia will progress will determine which games they may be available for in March.Carey, in theory, should make the last round and be available for any potential final but there will be interesting decision looming around Head, and others with IPL deals, as that tournament starts just before the final although a precedent was set last season when Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green were in India while WA were playing the decider. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson have been called up to Australia’s ODI squad and could both feature at the Champions Trophy before heading to the IPL.Scott Boland could add crucial firepower for Victoria after the Sri Lanka tour•Getty Images2. VictoriaSitting a little over a point behind SA, Victoria are again well-placed for a spot in the final for the third time in four years having narrowly missed out last summer.They lost out on a chance to go top when they fell to Queensland by 23 runs in the round before the BBL having overturned a deficit of 109 to beat the same opponents in Brisbane. They have three away trips in the final four rounds.Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris have led their run-scoring with over 400 runs apiece and Campbell Kellaway struck a maiden first-class century in the last round. Fergus O’Neill is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker with 22 at 19.31Who will they be missing?Scott Boland and Todd Murphy will miss this round of games but should be available after that following the Sri Lanka tour although there may be some workload management for Boland. Matt Short is part of the Champions Trophy squad so will miss at least two rounds and potentially three.Kurtis Patterson has been prolific since returning to the NSW side•Getty Images3. New South WalesHow vital will their victory over Western Australia at the SCG with minutes to spare prove? They dominated the game throughout but nearly ran out of time before Jack Edwards finished the job.NSW were declared champions in the Covid-disrupted 2019-2020 season but have not won the Shield in a full campaign since 2013-14. The game against Victoria in Sydney in round eight could be critical for them.Kurtis Patterson’s return to the side with 527 runs at 105.40 has been one of the stories of the domestic season but they will need more from the rest of the top order. Jackson Bird is equal with O’Neill with 22 wickets at 14.86 although will miss the Queensland game due to injury.Who will they be missing?Sam Konstas has been released from the Sri Lanka tour early so that he can face Queensland at the Gabba and should be available for the rest of the season in a boost to NSW’s hopes. However, Sean Abbott is still in Sri Lanka and may also be added to the Champions Trophy squad. Nathan Lyon could potentially be available after the Sri Lanka tour although he has been carrying a hip injury this season. Tanveer Sangha is currently on tour and may travel to the Champions Trophy as a reserve, which would rule him out of at least two rounds.There is a tantalizing prospect of Steven Smith being available for the last round and the final should NSW qualify. Mitchell Starc played a Shield game earlier this season but has an IPL deal, as do Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood although that duo are currently carrying injuries.Western Australia’s depth will be tested as they hunt for another final•Getty Images4. Western AustraliaThe defending champions have given themselves a bit to do if they want to make it four titles in a row after suffering two defeats in their first six matches.They had been looking good after an opening-round draw was followed by big back-to-back victories against Tasmania (who they beat in last season’s final) but Victoria toppled them in Melbourne and they were just unable to hang on in Sydney.Hilton Cartwright has led the way in the runs with 530 at 53.00 and Cameron Bancroft had managed to turn a corner with a century after a horror start to the season although was part of that awful collision in the BBL. Joel Paris has been impressive in his three outings with 15 wickets 12.80 but they may have hoped for more from Corey Rocchiccioli whose 14 wickets have come at 44.14.Who will they be missing?Marsh (back) and Jhye Richardson (shoulder) are out for the remainder of the season, Bancroft (shoulder) is still recovering from the injury sustained at the BBL and captain Sam Whiteman has a foot infection. Josh Inglis will go from Sri Lanka to the Champions Trophy while Aaron Hardie is also part of the ODI squad as is Cooper Connolly at least for the two games in Sri Lanka. There is, however, the prospect of Green being able to play as a batter in the final round.Michael Neser will hope for an injury-free end to the season•Getty Images5. QueenslandQueensland kept their season afloat with the 23-run victory over Victoria at the MCG but there remains a significant gap to make up to reach the top two.They had the better of a draw against NSW in Sydney where they weren’t helped by the weather but were on the back foot against Tasmania after being made to follow-on. They have two home games during February before finishing on the road in March.Angus Lovell has impressed since coming into the side but so far only Ben McDermott has scored over 400 runs. Quick bowler Tom Whitney has started with 10 wickets in his first two Shield matches and a fit-again Michael Neser will be a big boost.Who will they be missing?Marnus Labuschagne is in Sri Lanka and then part of the Champions Trophy group but, given his hunger for batting, it would not be a surprise if he is available after that even if Queensland aren’t in the mix for the final. In theory, Usman Khawaja will be available after the Sri Lanka tour although he has managed his workload in recent seasons.Finalists last year, Tasmania are currently bottom but Tim Ward has impressed•Getty Images6. TasmaniaThree defeats, including the last-ball meltdown against South Australia, and just one win in six leaves Tasmania at the foot of the table the season after they reached the final last summer.Back-to-back defeats against Western Australia hurt them early in the season but they played superbly to beat NSW in Sydney with only 13 minutes remaining on the final day. In their favour for the latter part of the summer is that they have three home games out of four.Jake Weatherald is the leading run-scorer with 424 at 42.40 while Tim Ward is averaging 77.60 from three matches. Matt Kuhnemann stands as their leading wicket-taker while Riley Meredith’s 15 wickets have come at 20.00.Who will they be missing?Kuhnemann and Beau Webster are part of the Test squad in Sri Lanka but both should be available for round seven onwards unless Webster is a late addition for the Champions Trophy. Nathan Ellis hasn’t played a first-class game since 2023 so isn’t part of Tasmania’s red-ball plans. BBL breakout star Mitch Owen will miss this round as he’s at the SA20.