All posts by n8rngtd.top

Also keep an eye out for a left-arm seamer named Johnson, and the BBL’s Player of the Tournament

Andrew McGlashan07-Aug-20232:25

George Bailey: Ideal world would have two captains, not three

Aaron Hardie (T20I and ODI squad)

Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green and now Aaron Hardie. Australia are being well served by allrounders from Western Australia. Hardie has pushed his claims strongly with red and white ball. Initially it was in four-day cricket where he caught the attention, hitting an unbeaten 174 in the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield final against Victoria to steer Western Australia to the title.Although he struggled to quite hit those heights last summer, he struck a century for Australia A against New Zealand in April. However, he also had a breakout campaign in the BBL for Perth Scorchers where he was the tournament’s leading run-scorer having found a new home at No. 3. His pace bowling is useful with a first-class average under 30.Related

• Mitchell Marsh: Really proud that I've never given up

• Marnus Labuschagne's lack of consistency puts paid to ODI World Cup hopes

• Mitchell Marsh named Australia's T20 captain for South Africa; uncapped trio earn call-ups

• Cummins set to be fit for ODI World Cup despite wrist fracture

• Tall, left-arm and fast: Spencer Johnson grasps his second chance

“One of the silver linings of not being able to bowl much in last year’s Big Bash was it allowed him the opportunity to bat up the order,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “We saw how destructive he was batting a three for the Scorchers – and think he’s batted everywhere from three to seven – [and] he’s got some good power. So whether that role is in finishing off an innings with his power hitting or he does get an opportunity a little higher up the order, we’ll see.”We make no secret of the fact we like our one-day team to have a number of guys who can bat in the top seven who can bowl some overs. It gives you the ability to structure up differently.”

Spencer Johnson (T20 squad)

Time for another Australian left-arm quick named Johnson? Twenty-seven-year-old Spencer Johnson is one of the most fascinating stories currently in the game. He has enjoyed a rapid rise up the pecking order after impressing for Brisbane Heat in his first full BBL season where his ability at the death stood out, holding his nerve in consecutive games against Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars. He then claimed his best figures of 3 for 28 in the Challenger against Sydney Sixers. He rounded out the season with impressive returns for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield and went on the A tour to New Zealand.That all came after battling a recurring stress fracture in his foot, which first occurred on his debut for South Australia in 2017, and left him fighting for his professional career. “It was just such a rare bone to get a stress fracture in,” he told ESPNcricinfo earlier this year. “There was no evidence that [surgery] would work but after 12 months of it not healing, it was the only option to try and put in a couple of screws.”He is viewed as a potential replacement for Mitchell Starc when he begins to wind up his white-ball career after the ODI and T20 World Cups, and there could be more beyond that. “Spencer is on the radar for all formats, he’s a pretty exciting talent,” Bailey said. “There’s some genuine pace there, a pretty handy skillset in being able to swing the ball. It is always nice when you have someone bowling left-arm, it’s just a little bit different and can add some real variety to your attack.”First and foremost we’ll get a really good look at him in the T20 series, which is probably the format he’s played the most. But the little bit we’ve seen of him in one-day cricket and even four-day cricket, we like that skillset as well, so he’s one we are keen to invest a bit of time into.”Tanveer Sangha, despite having just five List A matches to his name, could very well make Australia’s World Cup squad•Getty Images

Tanveer Sangha (ODI squad)

It is close to a year since Tanveer Sangha, the 21-year-old legspinner, last played cricket. He missed the entire 2022-23 Australian domestic season with a stress fracture of his back, but the Australia selectors have certainly not forgotten him. To the extent that he is only a couple of selection calls away from making the final ODI World Cup squad despite having just five List A matches to his name.When fit, Sangha has put his name up in lights in the BBL for Sydney Thunder with a 21-wicket haul in 2020-21 earning him a place on a T20 tour of New Zealand. He followed that with a further 16 wickets in the 2021-22 BBL before his injury-enforced layoff.”He’s been on our radar for a long time,” Bailey said. “His Big Bash form when he’s been fit has been excellent so he’s one that we are really impressed with. The common comment around Tanveer is that is he’s very mature on the field and a great thinker about how he goes about it. He had an unfortunate injury last year which meant he lost a bit of a game-time but the age he is, and the skillset he has, I don’t think that’s going to set him back much.”Matthew Short notched up a 50-ball 80 recently for Washington Freedom in MLC•BCCI

Matthew Short (T20 squad)

Matthew Short was the BBL’s Player of the Tournament last season after scoring 458 runs and taking 11 wickets for Adelaide Strikers, backing up a 2021-22 campaign where he had made 493 runs. His standout performance came against Hobart Hurricanes where his unbeaten 100 from 59 balls carried Strikers to a record chase of 230.On the back of those returns, Short was picked up as a replacement player by Punjab Kings in the IPL although he found the going tougher with 117 runs in six innings. However, he recently made 80 off 50 balls playing for Washington Freedom in MLC and on Sunday struck 73 off 36 balls for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.With David Warner and Cameron Green, who were Australia’s previous T20 opening pair last November, rested for the South Africa tour, and Aaron Finch retired, Short has a strong chance of finding himself alongside Steven Smith at the top of the order. With Adam Zampa the only frontline spinner, Short’s offspin will also likely be called on. He has often bowled with the new ball in the BBL.

The Liga MX Apertura 2025 regular season ended in thrilling fashion, with Toluca finishing top of the table and six teams booking direct spots in the quarterfinals. Tijuana, Juárez, Pachuca, and Pumas will now fight through the Play-In for the final two Liguilla berths, setting the stage for an intense postseason full of heavyweight clashes and fresh title hopes.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Toluca finishes first

  The Liga MX Apertura 2025 regular season concluded with high drama and decisive results that shaped both the Liguilla and the Play-In stage. Toluca, led by Antonio Mohamed, capped off a remarkable campaign with a 2-0 victory over Club América thanks to goals from Paulinho and Helinho. The win lifted to first place with 37 points from 11 wins, four draws, and just two losses.

  Meanwhile, André Jardine’s Club América suffered a painful defeat that will test their resilience heading into the playoffs. The reigning champions must now regroup and prepare to challenge Toluca – the current leader, title holder, and clear favorite to go back-to-back. The upcoming FIFA international break could prove crucial for América, offering time to recover key players Henry Martín and José Raúl Zúñiga, both sidelined through injury.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Tigres, Cruz Azul, América, Monterrey, and Chivas also advance

  Tigres UANL finished second with 36 points after defeating Atlético San Luis 3–1, while Cruz Azul – despite a 3–2 loss to Pumas – secured third place with 35 points. América, Monterrey, and Chivas rounded out the top six, earning direct qualification to the quarterfinals.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Play-In: Tijuana vs Juárez; Pachuca vs Pumas for the last two Liguilla spots

  The new Play-In format once again adds intrigue to the Mexican playoffs. Tijuana, FC Juárez, Pachuca, and Pumas – who sneaked in on the final day thanks to their win over Cruz Azul – will fight for the last two Liguilla spots. The winner of Series A (Tijuana vs. Juárez) advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the loser will face the winner of Series B (Pachuca vs. Pumas) for the remaining berth.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Quarterfinals set to begin Nov. 26

  The quarterfinals will kick off on November 26 and 27, with the return legs set for December 6 and 7. The confirmed matchups include:

  Cruz Azul vs Chivas

  América vs Monterrey

  Tigres vs Winner of Tijuana vs Juárez

  Toluca vs Winner of final Play-In series

  With the postseason bracket now set, this is shaping up to be one of the most exciting title races in recent years. Teams like Toluca, Tigres, Cruz Azul, América, and even Chivas are hitting top form at the right time, setting up a series of high-level, tightly contested clashes to decide the Apertura 2025 champion.

The good times keep rolling on for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side continued their winning run against Burnley on the weekend and remain seven points clear of Liverpool atop the Premier League.

It was another convincing performance from the North Londoners, and one in which Declan Rice once again proved that he is one of, if not the best, midfielders in the league.

However, the former West Ham United captain was not the only standout performer, as another of Arteta’s men continued the Ballon d’Or-level campaign he’s having this year.

Rice's sensational season

When Arsenal spent a club-record £105m on Rice in the summer of 2023, there was an awful lot of pressure on the Englishman.

Everyone knew that he was a sensational footballer at the time, but it’s a rare thing for someone to justify being worth more than £100m.

Fortunately for Arteta and Co, he has achieved that and more over the last two and a bit years, first shining as an out-and-out six and then transitioning more into a marauding eight.

His first two campaigns in North London were brilliant, with him producing 17 goal involvements in the first and 19 in the second, but this year, he has taken another massive step forward.

With Martin Zubimendi now in the side, Arteta has once again modified the 26-year-old’s role in the team, with him telling the press on international duty that the manager has “adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can.”

This has seen the “world-class” international, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, spend more time in the middle of the park breaking up opposition attacks, but also then bursting forward to help create opportunities for the team.

For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 13% of midfielders in the league for touches in the middle third, and also in the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 4% for expected assists, and more per 90.

In other words, the Gunners’ monstrous number 41 is, in the words of Ashley Williams, an utterly “complete midfielder.”

Finally, on top of everything he does during open play, Rice has a shout for being the best setpiece specialist in the world, as whether it’s a corner or a free kick, he can and will drop the ball exactly where his teammates want it – just as he did against Burnley.

With all that said, there is another Arsenal star who is performing at a Ballon d’Or level this season.

The Arsenal star at a world-class level

With Arsenal doing so well this season, there are several players who could be described as playing at a Ballon d’Or level.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, Zubimendi has hit the ground running, Jurrien Timber has been sensational in attack and defence, and Riccardo Calafiori is a joy to watch.

However, when it comes to picking Arsenal’s best player so far this year, it’s impossible to look past Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian has almost entirely rid his game of the mistakes that led to some questioning him in the past, and has instead become one of the most reliable defenders in the league.

Whether the ball is in the air or on the ground, the former LOSC Lille ace always seems to know how to deal with it, and perhaps the most complimentary thing you can say about him is that William Saliba looks that little bit less assured without him in the backline.

Moreover, the 6 foot 3 “colossus,” as dubbed by Adam Keys, has made the Gunners a far more physically imposing team, as few, if any, opposition players can cope with his physicality.

So far this season, he has made 15 appearances for the North Londoners, 13 of which have been starts, playing a massive role in the side, conceding just three goals and standing a chance of beating Chelsea’s record of conceding just 15 in a league campaign.

Finally, it’s not just his defensive brilliance that makes the Brazilian a world-class talent, but also his offensive prowess.

For example, his assist for Viktor Gyokeres means no other defender in the Premier League has been involved in more goals than him since his arrival in 2020.

Moreover, just this season alone, the 27-year-old has been able to score twice and provide three assists, which would be a great return for a top-quality ten, let alone a centre-back.

Ultimately, due to his outstanding defending and exceptional attacking qualities, it has become increasingly clear that Gabriel is currently performing at a Ballon d’Or level this season.

Arsenal's "signing of the summer" has turned Rice into the best in the PL

Arsenal have hit the jackpot with one of Mikel Arteta’s latest additions at the Emirates.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 3, 2025

Joao Pedro promised to take Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo out for dinner after starring for the Blues in their 1-0 win over Spurs on Saturday. Pedro, who last scored for Enzo Maresca's side in August, finally ended his nine-game goal drought as Caicedo provided him with the all-important assist. The win helped the Blues climb up to the fifth position on the league table.

• Pedro ends goal drought

  Pedro, who joined Chelsea from Brighton this summer, started the 2025-26 campaign on a bright note as he scored two goals in his first three Premier League outings, however, after his last goal against Fulham in August, the Brazilian forward endured a nine-game goal drought across all competitions. It finally ended this Saturday as Pedro scored the winner for his club against Tottenham from Caicedo's assist.

  Pedro was denied scoring on three occasions by Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario before Caicedo won back possession from Micky van de Ven and then fed Pedro with an assist from which he broke the deadlock and also sealed three points for the Blues. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  I need to invite you to dinner

  Speaking to reporters about his conversation with Caicedo, Pedro said: "Moses, everyone knows, is a top, top player. It is a pleasure to play with him, and when he pass to me on the pitch, in the half-time I said I need to invite you to dinner, so yeah I just want to say thank you to him. Thanks to the team for the support. I scored but I still need to improve. I had a lot of chances, but we won the game. I think I needed this goal after a long time I don't score for Chelsea and I think the team expect (goals) from me, so I just want to say thank you to Moses, thank you to the team and now we need to enjoy this victory."

• 'We need to look forward'

  Further analysing the team's performance against Spurs, Pedro added: "I think it was a big game, a derby, and we know they are a good team. We knew we had to do 100 per cent to win this kind of game, and we did. We won the game, and now we need to look forward."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Caicedo at par with Rodri according to Maresca

  Blues boss Maresca also lavished praise on the Ecuador international as he boldly claimed that Caicedo is among the best midfielders in the world alongside Manchester City star and former Ballon d'Or winner Rodri.

  The Italian coach said: "I said many times, the best thing from Moi, for sure, we judge him inside the pitch, but he's so humble, he's such a good guy, he's always there to help everyone. And I just said to the television interviewer that for me, him and [Manchester City's] Rodri, in this moment, they are the two best defensive midfielders in the world."

  With the well-deserved win against Thomas Frank's side, the Blues climbed back into the Premier League's top four. They next face Qarabag in the Champions League away from home on Wednesday, before hosting Wolves for a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on November 8.

Perhaps no play better represents the Minnesota Twins' recent collapse than catcher Ryan Jeffers's bunt attempt in the bottom of the 12 inning Thursday night at Target Field.

With the game tied 5–5 and the winning run standing on second base, Jeffers tried to bunt but instead popped out to Miami Marlins first baseman Jonah Bride. Even worse, Bride caught Twins veteran Carlos Santana too far off second base and doubled him up for the second out of the inning.

Play-by-play announcer Cory Provus had seen enough on the Bally Sports North broadcast.

"Double play," he said. "Come on guys, that can't happen. Can not happen!"

The Twins would go on to lose to the Marlins, 8–6, in 13 innings. They left the winning run on base in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th innings and were 2-for-19 as a team with runners in scoring position, continuing an unfortunate trend of losing baseball in Minneapolis.

Provus's call perfectly represented the frustration of the Twins' fan base over the past six weeks.

On Aug. 17, the Twins beat the Texas Rangers 5–2 to improve to 70–53 on the season. At the time, per Fangraphs, Minnesota had a 92.4% chance to make the playoffs and was just two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central.

Minnesota went on to lose 24 of its next 36 games and now is all but officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Entering Friday's slate of games, the Twins are three games behind the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals for the American League's final two wild-card spots. To make the playoffs, the Twins need to sweep the Baltimore Orioles this weekend combined with the Atlanta Braves sweeping the Royals and the Tigers getting swept by the lowly Chicago White Sox.

After that colossal collapse, Fangraphs now gives the Twins a 3% chance of making the playoffs heading into the final weekend of the 2024 regular season. And that might even be a bit generous.

It is fair to say that the end of the summer transfer window did not go exactly to plan for Celtic in their attempts to bolster the attacking options in the squad.

Brendan Rodgers wanted to add more firepower to his frontline by bringing in a new number nine, whilst he also allowed Adam Idah to leave to sign for Swansea.

The Ireland international scored 20 goals in all competitions for the Hoops last season, per Transfermarkt, and his exit left Johnny Kenny and Shin Yamada as the only natural strikers at the club.

Unfortunately, Celtic were unable to bring a new centre-forward to Parkhead on deadline day. Instead, they signed Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer the day after deadline day, and he has scored three goals for the club to date.

The Nigeria international has scored one goal from open play, along with two penalties, and missed four ‘big chances’ in six appearances so far, per Sofascore.

Celtic did make a signing on deadline day, though, as they brought Sebastian Tounekti in from Hammarby for a fee of around £5m, and he has hit the ground running in Glasgow.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Sebastian Tounekti

Typically, crowds love to watch exciting wingers who take their man on and make things happen with the ball at their feet, because it creates excitement and gets fans off their seats.

Tounekti is that sort of winger. The Tunisia international could be described as fearless in the way that he is willing to try and try and try again to dribble past opposition defenders.

He completed five of his eight attempted dribbles and created four chances for his teammates against Kilmarnock, per Sofascore, on his debut for the club in the Scottish Premiership last month.

The 23-year-old star, who scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup against Partick Thistle, has completed 14 dribbles in five appearances for the club in the Premiership and the Europa League to date.

He has been an electric figure on the left flank for the Scottish giants with his ability to whiz past opposition full-backs with ease to get into promising positions in the final third.

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti has the most completed dribbles of any player in the Celtic squad, despite playing four fewer matches than the three players who are closest to his tally.

One thing that you may notice about that table is that summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha, who is a winger, does not make it into the top five at the club for completed dribbles.

That is because he has not completed a single dribble in five appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been a bit too timid with the ball at his feet so far for the Bhoys.

Whilst that suggests that he is unlikely to follow in Tounekti’s footsteps as an exciting and dynamic wing wizard, Rodgers does have another Celtic player who can get supporters off their feet with exciting wing play.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Jota suffered an ACL injury in May against Dundee United that ruled him out of action for up to nine months, which means that the Hoops may not have him back until the second half of this season.

Once the former Rennes and Al Ittihad star does return to the field at Parkhead to play for Rodgers, though, the manager could have another Tounekti at his disposal.

Why Jota is the original Tounekti

The Portuguese starlet signed for, left, and rejoined Celtic before Tounekti arrived in Glasgow on deadline day at the start of September, but is currently on the sidelines because of his injury.

Jota produced 25 goals and 23 assists in the Premiership and European competitions across his two seasons at the club under Ange Postecoglou’s management, which attracted interest from Al Ittihad.

The electric forward joined the Saudi Pro League side for a fee of £25m in a move that was a blow for the Scottish giants, because he was their most exciting attacking outlet.

As you can see in the table above, Jota was the most prolific dribbler in the squad in both of his first two seasons at Parkhead with Postecoglou in the dugout, which shows that he was the original Tounekti.

Of course, the Portugal international returned to Celtic in the January transfer window this year, joining from Rennes, and he hit the ground running at the start of his second spell in Glasgow.

The 26-year-old star scored four goals and provided two assists in 11 Premiership appearances in the second half of last season, whilst completing 1.6 dribbles per 90, per Sofascore.

Jota, who pundit Michael Stewart described as a “game-changer” who “raises the bar”, gets fans off their seats in anticipation because he takes defenders on and makes things happen in the final third.

Along with his dribbling skills, the Portuguese talent also has the output, with his return of goals and assists, to give supporters the belief that he will score or create a goal when he gets the ball in dangerous positions.

Not Bonnar: Celtic's "dangerous" 18-year-old star could replace McGregor

Celtic may have their next Callum McGregor in the making in their academy system.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 9, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers will be patiently waiting for Jota to be available for selection once again, because the manager will then have two electric and exciting wingers to select on the flank in Tounekti and the former Benfica star.

Monday’s Major League Baseball action features a shorter slate with several teams traveling, but that’s not going to stop us from diving into the prop market – especially with some of the starting pitchers in action. 

There are two starters that have been red hot that I’m looking to target on Aug. 12, and one of them – New York Yankees rookie Luis Gil – has arguably the best matchup in baseball tonight. 

Let’s break down these prop plays and their odds for tonight’s action. 

Best MLB Prop Bets Today for Monday, Aug. 12

• Luis Gil UNDER 4.5 Hits Allowed (-160)
• Blake Snell OVER 17.5 Outs Recorded (-190)

Luis Gil UNDER 4.5 Hits Allowed (-160)

All season long, Luis Gil has been a tough pitcher to get to, giving up just 73 total hits in 117.2 innings of work. Even though he’s struggled with command at times, he still has an ultra-impressive 1.11 WHIP this season. 

Now, Gil gets a crack at the worst team in baseball – the Chicago White Sox – who rank dead last in OPS and batting average and 29th in the league in total hits. 

Gil has allowed four or fewer hits in 16 of his 22 outings this season, including just two hits across five innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels. 

It’s possible that New York limits the innings of the young starter down the stretch to make sure he can pitch in the playoffs, and Gil’s elite strikeout stuff makes him a tougher pitcher to get to regardless. 

With Chicago’s offensive struggles in 2024, Gil is a must bet at this number on Monday. 

Blake Snell OVER 17.5 Outs Recorded (-190)

San Francisco Giants lefty Blake Snell threw a no-hitter back on Aug. 2, and he’s been on fire since returning from the injured list in early July. 

Snell has made six starts over that stretch, allowing just 12 total hits and posting a 1.15 ERA across 39.0 innings of work. 

After being limited to just 73 pitches in his first start back (he still got through five innings), Snell has thrown six or more innings in the other five outings, including two games with seven or more innings pitched. 

Even though the Atlanta Braves aren’t an easy opponent, Snell is too hot to fade right now when it comes to an outs recorded prop. If he continues to limit baserunners, it would be very surprising to see him pulled before clearing six innings on Monday.

Arne Slot has changed his assessment of Liverpool's squad after he bizarrely claimed that it lacked depth despite the Reds spending more than any English club in the Premier League in the last transfer window. The Merseysiders underwent a major overhaul after winning the Premier League last season but they find themselves in a serious rut in the 2025-26 campaign.

• Liverpool's sloppy run of form continues

  After winning seven games in a row across all competitions, the Reds have now lost six out of their last seven outings, including four league defeats in a row. A 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt is Liverpool's sole victory in that dire run of form. And things don't get much easier for Slot and Liverpool, who take on Aston Villa on Saturday night. 

  The defending champions then welcome Real Madrid in the Champions League next week, with a Trent Alexander-Arnold reunion on the cards. The Reds travel to rivals Manchester City in their final game before the November international break as Liverpool look to rescue their sub-par season. A four-game losing run in the Premier League means Slot's side are now seven points behind leaders Arsenal and sit behind rivals Manchester United after the opening nine games.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Slot changes squad assessment

  After heavily rotating his squad during the Carabao Cup clash loss to Palace in midweek, the Dutch coach had claimed that he was forced to use youngsters to keep his first-choice senior players free from injury as he told : "Everybody can have [their] opinion about it but with the squad we have – maybe 15, 16 first-team players available – this is the choice I've made. It's not of Liverpool's standards to lose five out of six, or six out of seven. Last time we played Southampton here in the League Cup, Giovanni Leoni got injured, and we don't have such a big squad as people might tell, because there was so much focus on the amount of money we spent [in the summer]. 

  "People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available, but we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries. I only have one right full-back, Conor Bradley, as an example, and every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season], it led to him… that I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else. Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up? Last time I played a player that wasn't fully prepared – we thought he was prepared but it was the first time – Alexander Isak, he got injured."

  However, in his latest statement, Slot mentioned: "We miss nothing. I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have."

• Will Liverpool sack Slot?

  Despite the horrible run of form, it is unlikely that the Reds would part ways with their head coach as their hierarchy have "full trust" in Slot and they believe that he will turn things around quickly, according to . BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty has also claimed that there is "no chance" that Slot would lose his job at Anfield any time soon.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Slot responds to sack talk

  Slot has also opened up on the sack talks as he claimed that he is not worried about getting sacked and that he feels supported at the Merseyside club. "[I feel supported] not only in this period but also when things go well," he said. "I'm a firm believer all the squads I had were 20-21 players that can play because if you have too many it's already a struggle to make a squad. But then you have to keep them fit."

  The Reds will next face Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday night.

Although Arsenal went top of the Premier League with victory over West Ham United, it was another afternoon to forget for Martin Odegaard as his injury woes continued.

Arteta admits Odegaard injury "not positive"

It was a season of injury woes for Arsenal as a whole last season. So much so that much of their summer spending centred around adding quality in depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad. But whilst that has helped put an end to several concerns, Mikel Arteta still has one major Odegaard concern after the Norwegian left the pitch injured for a third-consecutive game on Saturday afternoon.

It looked as though Arsenal’s summer spending was all coming together against West Ham. Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres all shared the stage and any concerns that Arteta hadn’t let go of the handbrake seemed destined to end before Odegaard’s injury spoiled the party.

Arteta, as frustrated as anyone, provided an update on the midfielder in his post-match reaction – saying: “With Martin it was a clash, knee to knee. It’s not looking very positive at the moment. Immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he’s not positive about it, he’s got a brace on, we’ll have to wait and see from the doctors.”

Jack Wilshere says £90k-a-week star is the "key" for Arsenal's title hopes

The former Arsenal star has had his say.

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 5, 2025

Arsenal shared an update on Odegaard on Sunday, revealing he has sustained ‘a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee’ and has withdrew from international duty with Norway.

The big question will be just how long Odegaard misses. He’s already been forced to sit out of three games in all competitions and an injury expert has now revealed the worst-case scenario for the Arsenal captain following another setback.

Injury expert reveals worst-case Odegaard scenario

Reacting to the injury, injury expert Physio Scout took to X to reveal Odegaard could miss up to six weeks of action with a Grade 2 MCL injury, believing a Grade 3 is unlikely.

Should Odegaard miss six weeks of action, he would miss seven games up until the next November international break, including Champions League fixtures against Atletico Madrid.

Not an ideal situation, but Arteta and Arsenal have shown they have the squad to cope.

Manchester United are finding it tough to string together a run of Premier League results and have now made contact with a high-profile manager who is loved by Harry Kane.

Ruben Amorim's uncertain Man Utd future

Falling to a disappointing defeat at Brentford on Saturday has heaped even more pressure on Ruben Amorim, who is feeling the heat after a fourth loss of the season across all competitions.

With Manchester United now in the bottom half of the Premier League table, there is plenty of anxiety among supporters as the Red Devils continue to falter and yet remain wedded to their 3-4-3 formation.

Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire were poor performers against Brentford, a rare occurrence, but their teammates hardly stepped up to be counted either on a day where the hosts were far more concise at both ends of the field.

Speaking post-match, Amorim lamented his struggling side for their lack of control in the game, acknowledging the Bees made far lighter work of fashioning attacking opportunities.

“When we win, it’s not the system. When we lose, it’s the system. I understand that. I think it’s more that we play this game like Brentford wants to play this game. With long balls, we kick the ball, second balls, and we never settle down our game. We never play our game.

“We never push the opponent. We knew that every time they recover the ball, they will make a run, and they will fight for the ball. We suffered two goals like that.”

Sunderland travel to Old Trafford next time out as Amorim looks to steady a ship that is far from stable. Nevertheless, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may now have taken a decisive step towards finding his successor.

Man Utd make contact with Gareth Southgate

According to talkSPORT, Manchester United and Ratcliffe have made contact with former England manager Gareth Southgate in recent weeks over replacing Amorim in the dugout at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe has reached out to his camp, while Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola are also on their three-man shortlist.

Former Chelsea player now wants to leave major club with Man Utd leading £52m race

He’s now keen to leave his current club…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 28, 2025

Any decision to part ways with Amorim would likely be held back until November, with the current cost of terminating his association with the club said to be around £12 million.

Southgate, who prefers a 4-3-3 formation, has been on a break from management after leading England to the final of EURO 2024. The 55-year-old also took the Three Lions to the 2020 showpiece of the competition alongside finishing fourth in the 2018 World Cup.

Highly respected by his peers, Kane previously labelled him ‘one of England’s greatest ever managers’ after he departed the position with a record of 61 wins, 24 draws and 17 losses in 102 matches, giving him a win ratio of 59.8%.

His only experience in the Premier League as a coach came with Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009. However, Manchester United would be an entirely different kettle of fish, though his statesmanlike exterior and ability to build compact sides could help to stem the flow of goals conceded at the Red Devils.