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To say it has been a topsy-turvy season for West Ham United would be an understatement.

For the first couple of months, the Hammers couldn’t buy a win and looked almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League come May.

However, over the last month or so, Nuno Espírito Santo has steadied the ship and, as things stand, has led the club out of the drop zone.

He’ll be looking to continue the side’s unbeaten run against Liverpool this afternoon, but to ensure West Ham collects at least a point, if not all three, he’ll need to make at least one change and drop someone who was once compared to Mohammed Kudus.

West Ham's record against Liverpool

West Ham’s game against Liverpool this afternoon will be the 153rd competitive meeting between the sides in all competitions.

Chalkboard

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

The two historic clubs first met back in January 1901, in an FA Cup game that the Hammers sadly lost 1-0 courtesy of a Sam Raybould goal, which the hosts argued should have been ruled offside.

Unfortunately, that match served as a warning for how this fixture would go over the following 124 years, with the East Londoners winning just 29 games, drawing 38 and losing 86.

Somehow, things have been even worse for the Hammers in recent years. Across their last ten meetings, they have won just a single game, drawn another and then lost the other eight.

With a history like this, you’d be forgiven for thinking Nuno’s side have no chance this afternoon, but based on the last month or so of football, that may not be the case.

For example, Arne Slot’s side have lost their last three games by a staggering 10-1 scoreline and currently look as bad, if not worse, than the Irons did at the start of the campaign.

In stark contrast, West Ham have won two of their last three games and drawn one, so they should be going into this game confident of keeping their good form up and dumping more misery on the Merseysiders.

With that said, to ensure his side do come out the victors, or at the very least, with a point, Nuno needs to make at least one change to the team and drop someone compared to Kudus.

The West Ham player Nuno has to drop vs Liverpool

There may well be arguments for dropping more than one player from the side that drew at Bournemouth last week, but when it comes to the player most in need of being removed, it has to be Luis Guilherme.

The Brazilian was given the go-ahead in place of the injured Crysencio Summerville, but instead of the dynamism, directness and trickery the Dutchman brings to the team, he looked weak, out of place and simply not ready.

Now, that doesn’t mean the teenager shouldn’t get another chance to make his mark on the team.

After all, he remains a highly-rated prospect who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims “still has the world at his feet” and someone who has “similarities to Kudus” in terms of the attacking traits he possesses.

However, after a 45-minute performance in which he registered an expected assists figure of 0.01, failed to take a single shot, took just 21 touches, failed in 66% of his dribbles, lost the ball nine times, completed ten passes and lost seven of eight duels, he should be dropped.

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Passes

10

Touches

21

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (1)

Dribbled Past

1

Moreover, there is someone available for selection again who will give far more than that: Lucas Paqueta.

Yes, after serving his one-match ban, the Brazilian can play again, and given his incredible ability and recent form, there is no reason he shouldn’t be right back in the team, either out wide or in the middle.

So far this season, the former Lyon star has scored four goals in 12 appearances and, according to FBref, ranks in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league for successful take-ons and in the top 13% for progressive passes, all per 90.

In other words, on top of the goals, he is helping to create chances both through his immense close control and brilliant passing range.

Ultimately, if Nuno wants to ensure West Ham collect all three points against Liverpool this afternoon, he should drop Guilherme for Paqueta.

Bowen repeat: West Ham plot move to sign "the best FK taker in the world"

West Ham United could replicate the signing of Jarrod Bowen with a move for the brilliant talent.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025

While the selectors named an expanded squad, barring injuries the final choice comes down to two players from three

Alex Malcolm05-Nov-20253:09

Australia’s Ashes squad: No Konstas, Labuschagne to open?

It all hinges on Green’s bowling capability

It was known from a long way out that Cameron Green and Beau Webster would be picked in the squad together. The two have played in the same XI in Australia’s last four Test matches. But Green was a specialist batter at No. 3, a spot he had only batted in once in first-class cricket prior, and was not bowling with Marnus Labuschagne opening in one of them before Sam Konstas replaced Labuschagne in the other three.Related

• Hazlewood cleared of injury, Abbott out of first Test after hamstring scans

• Webster takes five on tough day for his Test chances

• The Australia selectors' aversion to risk might have boxed them into a corner

• Cummins feeling good for Gabba, but rest may be needed

• What does Pat Cummins' absence mean for Australia?

Green ended up playing very well in the last two Tests on very difficult pitches in West Indies and was arguably Australia’s best batter across those matches. But now that he’s back bowling, the need for two allrounders as opposed to a better structured batting line-up comes into question.However, Green’s bowling progression from back surgery has not quite gone to plan. He has been bowling in the nets since June without interruption, but has only sent down four overs in matches so far. Some minor side soreness saw him withdrawn from bowling in the last Shield game. He instead bowled in the nets and on the centre wicket post game in order to control the intensity.It is understood he has bowled up to 8-10 overs across multiple spells in singular net sessions already. Bailey confirmed he would bowl 15-20 overs in Western Australia’s next Shield game against Queensland at the WACA ground starting on November 11, which would equate to roughly 8-10 overs per innings. How he gets through those overs and how he bowls from a skill perspective could dictate the shape of the Test XI.If he gets through unscathed and bowls well, and the selectors are confident he can deliver the same if not more in the first Test, that will spell bad news for Webster if the selectors believe the sum of Australia’s parts look better with one allrounder and three specialist top three batters. Webster has done nothing wrong in his Test career so far. He’s made four half-centuries in 12 innings on difficult pitches, averaging 34.63 at No.6. By comparison, Green has averaged 38.72 in his last 12 Test innings with all bar one coming at Nos. 3-4 including his 174 not out in Wellington and his recent scores of 52, 46, and 42 on the nightmare pitches in the Caribbean.Webster also has eight wickets at 23.25 but has benefited from those same pitches with the ball. Green’s home Test record with the ball is far superior to even Webster’s Shield record. Green has 22 Test wickets at 25.63 in Australia, striking at 52.1 including dismissing Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes twice each and Ollie Pope once in the 2021-22 Ashes series.Jake Weatherald’s 94 against WA was his standout innings so far this season•Getty Images

Weatherald could complement Khawaja

The selectors have been desperate to find a solution at the top of the order since David Warner retired. If Green can bowl the requisite overs, and Webster is squeezed out, then Jake Weatherald will be the sixth different opener to partner Usman Khawaja in the last 15 Test matches since Warner retired.Unlike the elevations of Steven Smith, Travis Head and Labuschagne, and the selections of Nathan McSweeney and Konstas, Weatherald is clearly the best performed domestic red-ball opener in Australia over the last 12 months. He has scored 1391 runs at 53.50 in 26 innings since the start of last summer with four centuries and seven half-centuries for Tasmania and Australia A. The fact that Matt Renshaw was so highly fancied by many to pip Weatherald for selection when Renshaw has made 653 first-class runs at 34.36 with three centuries and one fifty in the same period was odd.Beyond the runs, Bailey was extremely complimentary of Weatherald’s style. He has made his runs at a brisk strike rate of 68.65. Khawaja’s Test career rate is 48.56 while Labuschagne struck at 41.47 in his last 14 Test innings before he was dropped. There were times against India last summer where the scoreboard was not moving and it led to Konstas’ inclusion. But Bailey noted that Weatherald’s repeatable method, his first-class experience and the fact his game does not change innings to innings was a big reason for his selection ahead of Konstas.Bailey cited Weatherald’s recent match-winning innings of 94 off 99 against Western Australia in a low-scoring Shield game in Hobart as an example of what he can bring.”That innings is a good example, I think, of what Jake does really well,” Bailey said. “I thought he counter-attacked. It was a wicket that had a little bit in it. Others around him were finding it challenging, and he put pressure back onto the bowlers. And the way he did that, he drove nicely, played off the back foot nicely, he was busy. I think that’s a good example of what he looks like at his best.”Marnus Labuschagne has made five centuries in his last eight innings•Getty Images

Labuschagne opens or bats at No.3

Despite Bailey saying that no decisions have been made on the XI with 16 days to go, it is clear Labuschagne is locked in to return. It would be ridiculous to leave him out after five centuries in his last eight domestic innings for Queensland when the selectors specifically asked him to go away and find his best game after axing him in the Caribbean.But the decision on Green and Webster will dictate where Labuschagne bats. All of his runs for Queensland have come at No. 3. Australia’s selectors do not direct state teams to bat players in certain positions. Labuschagne, as Queensland captain, has batted himself at No. 3 in all those games. It is his preferred position and where he has scored all 11 of his Test centuries. However, he does have two first-class centuries opening the batting and did open in the WTC final. Bailey stopped short of guaranteeing Labuschagne would return to No. 3.”No, not necessarily,” Bailey said. “I think Marn’s got a game that could sit anywhere. It could be three. I think I’ve said a lot in the past if you can bat in the top three, you’ve probably got a skill set that’s capable of opening the batting. I think a lot of those things will be determined by what other resources you need and the makeup of those around you, and is it complementary?”People clearly have spots where they’ve batted the majority of their career and they all have different records when they do change position. But he can bat three, he could open. He’s got the skillset for both, but he’s been looking pretty good of late.”The question of players complementing each other is the biggest hint Bailey could give as to the preferred order. It is clear that the selectors would prefer Khawaja and Labuschagne don’t open together. Labuschagne’s most prolific batting partnerships in Tests have come batting with Warner, Smith, Head and Matthew Wade. He’s averaged above 50 with all four who are busy and free-flowing players at their best and has had multiple century stands with each. He’s had 48 Test partnerships with Khawaja by comparison and averaged 31.61, albeit with two century stands. There is a thought within the Australian camp that Labuschagne is a batting chameleon of sorts in the way that he can mimic his partners style. Whether that is still the case with the remodelled Labuschagne, time will tell.But if Labuschagne is back to his best, then a return of a No.3-4-5 combination of Labuschagne, Smith and Head will certainly look more challenging for England’s attack to penetrate than any alternative.

Thomas Frank says Tottenham's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal was the "complete opposite" of what he had intended for this north London derby. Eberechi Eze grabbed a hat-trick in a very one-sided encounter at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as Spurs barely laid a glove on their bitter rivals. Now, manager Frank has apologised for this "painful" defeat.

• Frank apologises to Tottenham fans

  Tottenham put in one of their worst performances of the season in arguably their biggest game of the campaign. They mustered an Expected Goals tally of just 0.07 and a paltry three shots on goal to Arsenal's 17. Other than Richarlison's wonder goal, there was very little to be positive about. Spurs approached the game with a 'try not to lose' attitude but ended up being ripped apart by the Gunners. And after the contest, the former Brentford boss struck a contrite tone. 

  He told Sky Sports: "I think it is extremely painful. I won't talk away from that. It was a bad performance. It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here. We can only apologise to the fans for the performance. I think no matter if both teams wanted to play shirt, they got more out of that and we couldn't get out. When the team went long, we didn't win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players. Bad performance and we lost. I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn't win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn't win enough."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Tottenham's creativity issues continue

  In Tottenham's 1-0 loss to Chelsea earlier this season, Spurs were widely criticised for producing next to nothing in attack. That happened again against Arsenal, but the scoreline was much less flattering. And Frank stressed they need to address this problem right away.

  He said: "That [lack of creativity] has been an ongoing theme that we are working hard to improve. It doesn't look good today or against Chelsea. We need to keep working on it. There were a lot of things in this game we need to do better. We are four months into it and they are further in their journey as a team and that was very obvious today. Of course there will be noise. We played against our biggest rivals and we lost badly. But we keep noise out and we focus. I know this tam is very competitive. I know this team is competitive and we showed that against Man City and PSG. Of course it looks bad today and it was not good enough."

• Tottenham's plan failed to deliver

  Frank also took full responsibility for getting his approach to the game wrong. However, he felt the way his players performed would have meant that any strategy would have come unstuck against Arsenal.

  The Dane added: "I tried to play a 5-4-1. I will always take responsibility as my choice in the end to take the system then and we changed it at half-time. My view is that no matter what formation we play today, we don't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, and it is very difficult to win a football match. The goals I want to see more in detail. The whole game I need to watch tonight an it will be a difficult watch. We were not aggressive and stepped forward when we could and they played it round us."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Daunting PSG test looms

  For the Arsenal game, Frank admitted that he tried to replicate the tactics Tottenham deployed so well in their narrow UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain in August. But as they fell well short of that against the Gunners, this trip to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday may be quite daunting. 

  He said: "That's an extremely hard defeat to take. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to look at it with calm heads. I was very confident going into the game that we could be competitive and we weren't, which was disappointing. We tried to do something different that was very successful against PSG. Today it wasn't and I always take responsibility for my decisions and then when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, that's on me."

FIFA has released its final rankings of 2025, with the U.S. Men’s National Team rising to No. 14 after wins over Paraguay and Uruguay. Mexico dropped to No. 15 following a draw and a defeat, leaving the U.S. as CONCACAF’s highest-ranked side to close the year. Spain remain No. 1, while Brazil returned to the top five.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  USMNT, the new CONCACAF giant

  Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT closed out the year in impressive form. Back-to-back victories – a 2-1 win over Paraguay and a dominant 5-1 performance against Uruguay – lifted the Americans to 1,681.88 points and into 14th place in the FIFA World Ranking. The climb of two spots also pushed them ahead of their 2026 World Cup co-hosts: Mexico dropped to 15th after a draw and a loss, while Canada settled in at 27th.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Contrasting fortunes with Mexico

  For Pochettino, the November window capped a strong semester marked by a five-match unbeaten run, including four wins and just one draw. Mexico, meanwhile, endured the opposite trajectory. Javier Aguirre’s side ended a turbulent stretch with six straight matches without a victory – their last win came in the Gold Cup final against the United States – and the decline cost them the regional lead. The USMNT will finish 2025 as Concacaf’s highest-ranked team.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Spain stay on top

  At the top of the global ranking, Spain remain No. 1, with world champions Argentina and France right behind. Brazil climbed back into the top five, overtaking Portugal and the Netherlands, while Italy slid out of the top 10 after a costly 4-1 home loss to Norway.

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• AFP
  

  How rankings translate into success…

  National teams that have finished the year ranked No. 1 in the FIFA standings in the 21st century:

  7× Spain (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2025)

  6× Brazil (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2022)

  5× Belgium (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

  4× Argentina (2007, 2016, 2023, 2024)

  2× Germany (2014, 2017)

  1× France (2001)

The two-match series is due to take place next August with venues in northern Queensland also in the running to host

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Darwin is in the box seat to host its first Test in 22 years with Cricket Australia keen to split next year’s Bangladesh tour between the Territory and North Queensland.Players are understood to have been impressed with international cricket’s return to Darwin this month, as part of the white-ball series against South Africa.More winter internationals are scheduled for next year with Australia set to host a two-Test series against Bangladesh which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) in the Top End. Mackay, Cairns, Townsville and Darwin all loom as options to host, which would double as the first winter Tests in Australia since 2004.But Darwin is the most likely to secure one of those Tests with Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg keen to spread the series across more than one state.”Ideally [we will],” Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.”I spent some time with the Chief Minister there and they’ve got a strong appetite for more cricket, as have we, to play more cricket there. The conditions up there are amazing when you take out the biggest variable we have in cricket, which is weather, and you have nothing to worry about.”The Bangladesh Tests had originally been scheduled for March 2027 but the 150th anniversary contest between Australia and England at the MCG has meant the series needed to be moved. Afghanistan had been due to tour Australia next July and August for a one-off Test and three T20Is, but CA has suspended bilateral cricket with them.Darwin last hosted Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2003 and 2004 respectively, before largely falling off the cricket calendar for the past two decades.Australia A played out two draws in unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A in the city in July, before this month’s T20Is against South Africa at TIO Stadium.Mackay looms as the more modern regional venue in Queensland with the Great Barrier Reef Arena upgraded in 2023 and having hosted regular WBBL matches.Players were also buoyed by the wickets in the T20I and ODI against South Africa there this month, which doubled as Australia’s first men’s internationals there.A Test would be the first in Mackay’s history with Cairns having previously hosted two in the early 2000s before last week’s ODIs in the northernmost city. Townsville is the other option after hosting ODIs in 2022, but issues such as lighting have seen it drop behind Cairns and Mackay as an option in recent years.A match at any Queensland venue would also count as the state’s Test for the 2026-27 summer, given the Gabba has missed out on a red-ball match with the touring New Zealand.CA is open to the idea of more winter internationals in the Top End, as a way of extending the season and easing the load on the main part of the summer.”We had such good support [in the white-ball games], we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” Greenberg said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season [works].  Our Australian women’s team will play a Test match in mid-March in Perth this year. International cricket is played 12 months of the year.”

As is the case with every club of their size, Arsenal have had some truly special players represent them in the Premier League era.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pirès terrified defenders, while Sol Campbell and Tony Adams did the same to opposition attackers.

The Gunners have also been blessed with some incredible midfielders over the last 25 years or so, such as the legendary Patrick Vieira.

Nobody has quite been able to live up to the Frenchman since, but there is one player in Mikel Arteta’s side who’s starting to emulate him.

Arsenal's best midfielders in the Premier League

As the list of Arsenal’s best Premier League midfielders could be a long one, this top three includes only central and defensive midfielders.

Chalkboard

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

Additionally, the players must no longer be at the club, as currently, Arteta’s side are yet to win anything significant.

With that out of the way, coming in at number three has to be the incredible Gilberto Silva.

The Brazilian monster joined the club in the summer of 2002 and went on to make 244 appearances over the next five years, scoring 24 goals and providing 14 assists.

Once described as the man who “carried the piano for Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo to play their tunes on” by the outlet Veja, the often underappreciated titan carried out a similar role in North London that saw him leave with one league title, two FA Cups and two Community Shields.

Just pipping Gilberto into second place is Cesc Fàbregas, as while he was no stranger to playing higher up the pitch, he spent most of his time in North London playing centrally.

The Spaniard may have left on poor terms, but he did so with an incredible record of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 games, in which he won one FA Cup and one Community Shield.

Finally, first place simply had to be for Captain Fantastic himself, Vieira.

Arriving from AC Milan in the summer of 1996, the French international would go on to help transform the Gunners’ midfield and leave as a bona fide legend.

In addition to captaining the side during the Invincible season, the monstrous midfielder eventually left the club after making 405 appearances, during which he scored 32 goals, provided 47 assists, won three league titles, five FA Cups, and three Community Shields.

The Arsenal star becoming Arteta's Vieira

While they need to win something significant first, there are several stars in this Arsenal team who could easily become legends in their own right over the coming years.

However, when it comes to the player who could, and looks like they will become Arteta’s own Vieira, it has to be Declan Rice.

The Gunners’ £105m has been a brilliant player for them since his mega money move in the summer of 2023, but over the last year, and especially this season, he has really stepped it up and is now starting to emulate some of the Frenchman’s best qualities.

For example, while he is no longer an out-and-out six, he remains a defensive and physical powerhouse and someone who is more than happy to throw his weight around to disrupt opposition attacks.

For example, Fbref still ranks him in the top 16% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for the percentage of aerial duels won per 90 minutes.

Moreover, while he does not have the armband for the club, he is still one of the most vocal players on the pitch and is one of the five players in the manager’s leadership group.’

Finally, in addition to possessing the attitude and physical characteristics of the Gunners legend, the former West Ham star is also comparable in terms of footballing ability.

Appearances

118

Starts

107

Minutes

9442′

Goals

18

Assists

24

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

224.80′

Whether it’s a dead-ball situation or during play, the Englishman is one of “the best in the world,” per Thomas Frank, and has the ability to ping the ball exactly where he wants it, and over the last couple of campaigns has become far more of a goal threat.

Both of these traits were on full display against Burnley at the weekend and will undoubtedly be again for the next game.

Ultimately, while the comparison won’t be truly appropriate until he lifts a title with Arsenal, it is clear that Rice is becoming Arteta’s own Vieira.

Better than Rice: Arsenal "colossus" is having a Ballon d'Or level season

Just like Declan Rice, the incredible Arsenal star is having an unreal season under Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 3, 2025

Manchester United have improved drastically in the forward areas this season, though they could now be prepared to offer a platform for Real Madrid star Endrick to shine ahead of the World Cup if circumstances align.

Benjamin Sesko has endured a mixed time since joining the Red Devils. Two goals in 11 matches haven’t exactly set the house on fire, though he has been an impressive presence within build-up play under Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, his recent performances have not escaped Gary Neville’s attention, who told NBC Sports that the ‘jury is out’ on whether he will be the right fit through the middle long-term.

He said: “I’m no further forward with him. The jury is out. He’s well off it compared to the other summer signings that Man United made up front in Cunha and Mbeumo.

“He looks awkward, he had a couple of really good opportunities in the first half – when balls got played over the top. And his touch wasn’t quite right.”

Quite clearly, Sesko has the potential to come good. Other than him, Joshua Zirkzee has had limited minutes at Manchester United this season, and he is now reportedly in the sights of Everton with the World Cup taking place next summer.

At this point, it is unclear whether he will be allowed to leave in January. If he is permitted to go, the Red Devils will likely target another forward to pick up the shortfall for the second half of the campaign, even temporarily.

As the transfer window draws closer, Manchester United may now have a plan in place to land a world-renowned talent to bolster their attacking options.

Man Utd target Endrick tells agent he wants loan from Real Madrid

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United target Endrick has told his agents that he will seek a loan move in January, with the only way of that being likely to change if his minutes improve at Real Madrid.

The Brazil international has been frozen out by Xabi Alonso and has played in a single match this season. Aston Villa have also come to the table if uncertainty over his future is set to linger.

Endrick since joining Real Madrid

Appearances

38

Goals

7

Assists

1

West Ham United and Juventus have been mentioned in dispatches as alternative suitors, with the 19-year-old fearful that a lack of games may prohibit his chances of going to next year’s World Cup.

In the scenario where any deal is concluded to send Endrick on loan, Real Madrid want his next club to pay his wages in full for the duration of a spell away from the Spanish capital.

Man Utd are also pushing hard to sign an England international

Mid-season always promised to be an important time of year at Old Trafford, and it now remains to be seen whether they can secure the youngster in a deal that would make headlines across the world.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

There were extremely mixed fortunes for the Britons on the continent this weekend. While there was a hat-trick for a certain Three Lions captain, other England internationals came under fire for their disappearing acts, while there were two red cards for us to sink our teeth into.

Every Monday this season, GOAL brings you the latest on British stars abroad, what they're getting up to, who is reaching the greatest heights and who needs to come home. Let's dive in…

Kane off the bench to hit Bayern treble

There would have been a few eyebrows raised among Bayern Munich supporters when it was announced Harry Kane would begin Saturday's match at Stuttgart among the substitutes, with Nicolas Jackson drafted into the starting XI in his place. The visitors led by only a single goal – a delightful flick from Konrad Laimer – by the time the England captain was introduced on the hour mark, while their hosts had already threatened and had a strike of their own ruled out by VAR in the first half.

From the moment Kane took to the pitch, Bayern raced away with the three points. His first contribution was an old-school goal on 66 minutes, finding space around 25 yards out and picking out the bottom corner with a low drive clocked at 128 km/h. Josip Stanisic added a third when his speculative effort trickled through the arms of goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, who is still contracted to Bayern, before Lorenz Assignon's red card for a handball on the line set up Kane's finale. The striker converted from the penalty spot and then guided in a low cross from Michael Olise to ensure the reigning Bundesliga champions ran out 5-0 winners on the banks of the River Neckar.

"It's something I'm not used to, but I did it a couple of times this season," Kane told the press of coming on as a substitute. "The boss wanted to keep me fresh and save energy. I came on after 60 minutes with a couple of other guys and we were able to exploit the space and get the goals. We had a tough battle in the cup midweek and today we faced one of the best teams in the league away, but we looked stronger in the last half an hour and punished them."

Of course, Vincent Kompany was asked to explain this decision in his press conference, to which he said: "I had this change in mind before the game started. We have four games in 11 days. If I start Harry every game and he plays 90 minutes, I'll get questions about why he always plays. Every time we played Stuttgart, we've always grown stronger as the game progressed. I felt the spaces would be bigger when Harry came on, it was a good moment for him to come. And he did what he does."

Kane received a perfect player rating from Germany's premier sports outlet and made team of the week for a sixth time already this season, while Stuttgart counterpart Deniz Undav hailed him as the 'best striker in the world'. "Ice cold in front of goal and good with the ball, that makes him so good. Great player and striker," the former Brighton forward added.

An extraordinary Saturday means Kane has now set a new record of 58 goals in a calendar year, with Bayern still to play three more times before their Christmas break. This is far from a striker in decline.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRashford fires blank on rare Barca start

While Kane has been finding the back of the net from all angles lately, his England team-mate, Marcus Rashford, has now gone eight games without a goal for club and country. Having managed to shake off some rust that had compromised his fitness in recent weeks, he was handed his first Barcelona start since before the November international break for Saturday's trip to Real Betis.

It turned out to be a cracking affair that went down as one of the games of the weekend, with Barca eventually securing a 5-3 win. They went behind early on to a fine strike from Rashford's former Manchester United colleague Antony, though Betis would go into the half-time break 4-1 down following a hat-trick from Ferran Torres and a first La Liga goal from summer signing Roony Bardghji. A late effort from Diego Llorente and a stoppage-time penalty from Cucho Hernandez saw Betis reduce the final deficit to only two goals.

For a match of such chaos, it was surprising that Rashford didn't contribute it. He missed all of his five shots and didn't even come up with an assist, losing his grip atop La Liga's standings to Lamine Yamal, whose tally of seven moved him ahead of the Englishman's six.

Talk of making Rashford's move from United permanent has cooled considerably since mid-autumn, with focus now centred on how Barcelona plan to replace the ageing Robert Lewandowski ahead of the expiry of his contract. Catalan outlet have touted Ferran as a longer-term solution up top, which could theoretically free up the funds needed to keep Rashford, though this isn't referenced in their reporting.

Getty Images SportBattered Bellingham goes missing

The pressure is ramping up on Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso, though he has hardly been helped by the performances of some of his star players. In Sunday's game at home to Celta Vigo, none of them turned up.

Los Blancos' triumvirate of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are making difficult work of fitting in the same team. It is typically the Frenchman that pulls the rabbit out of the hat to save their skin, but even he couldn't break down a stubborn Celta side.

Nerves jangled around the Bernabeu when the teams went into the break on level terms, perhaps fear creeping in that the hosts would fail to keep pace with La Liga leaders Barcelona. When Williot Swedberg fired the Galicians ahead on the other side of the restart, that shaken home crowd grew restless, and its energy translated to the pitch.

There was fury when Borja Iglesias' elbow to Bellingham's face, which left the midfielder bleeding profusely, yielded no punishment. Minutes later, Fran Garcia was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence after charging into the back of Swedberg. Madrid huffed and puffed in their search for a leveller despite their one-man disadvantage, only for Alvaro Carreras to be sent off for dissent as the game entered five minutes added time. Endrick, an unused sub, was also shown a red card for his protestations on the sidelines.

Swedberg's second of the evening to round off the 2-0 win for Celta saw the Bernabeu turn mutinous, with Madrid now four points behind Barcelona and just one ahead of third-placed Villarreal, who have a game in hand on Alonso's men. Bellingham was roundly criticised by the Spanish press for his loose touch and inability to keep the ball, losing a match-high eight duels. "He's having trouble turning quickly when receiving the ball in midfield," was notable criticism, though he was also praised for upping his work ethic when Madrid went down to 10.

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Getty Images SportMcTominay battles through pain

Another Brit in the wars this weekend was Scott McTominay. The Scotland midfielder complained of muscle discomfort during Napoli's crunch clash against Juventus at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, yet soldiered on and completed the full 90 minutes regardless.

His impact on the game was subdued compared to his usual headline-grabbing exploits, though he still managed to rattle the woodwork and see a free-kick whistle narrowly wide. Instead, it was fellow Manchester United alumni in Rasmus Hojlund who stole the show, with the Dane scoring both of the champions' goals in a 2-1 victory to send them back up to first in the Serie A standings.

Antonio Conte reserved special praise for the ragged McTominay in his post-match presser, claiming the midfielder has stepped up in a 'state of emergency' at Napoli with seven key players, including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, out injured.

"McTominay, like everyone else, is certainly doing something important and extraordinary in terms of understanding the situation, taking responsibility, and growing," Conte said. "It shows in everyone… We played against Atalanta, Qarabag, Roma, Cagliari, and Juventus- strong teams – while we were in a state of emergency. I'm amazed by the enthusiasm and energy the team is putting in. Now we need to rest because Benfica awaits us, and we'll try to prepare better. We need to recharge our batteries."

McTominay turned 29 on Monday and will be able to celebrate his birthday knowing he remains the best player in Serie A at present. In the longer term, he also has a World Cup showdown with Brazil to look forward to following Friday's group-stage draw. Some life, that.

Chelsea are now the favourites to sign a Brazilian ace who’s also wanted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and a deal could be possible for a low fee.

Blues targeting another exciting Brazilian amid Estevao success

Estevao is enjoying an impressive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, having established himself as an important player for the Blues, with the 18-year-old recently netting the second goal in the 3-0 Champions League rout of Barcelona.

It is clear to see the youngster has left an impression on Enzo Maresca too, with the manager saying: “I feel very lucky to be his coach because it’s exciting, you can enjoy. I’ve said many times that I think the fans pay for their tickets to see players like Cole [Palmer], like Estevao, this kind of player.”

The forward is an example of BlueCo’s recruitment policy of signing younger players paying off, and they are now looking to bring in another up-and-coming Brazilian ace, who has impressed the west Londoners’ sporting directors.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now the favourites to sign Santos defender Souza, despite rival interest from both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, with both European heavyweights already making contact over a potential deal.

The signing of the 19-year-old certainly wouldn’t break the bank at around just €15m (£13m), with the Blues looking to get the move over the line before his value increases considerably.

There is a belief the youngster could go on to become a top full-back or even left-winger, given that he is a very well-rounded player, who is also capable of contributing on the front foot.

Related Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker

The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025 Souza emerging as key player for Santos

The teenager has already made 36 appearances for Santos at senior level, having established himself as an important player, and he has regularly impressed from an attacking point of view, chipping in with one goal and four assists.

Most recently, the starlet helped his side keep a clean sheet as they recorded a routine 3-0 victory over Sport Club do Recife, receiving a 7.7 SofaScore match rating courtesy of making a number of important defensive contributions.

Souza’s key statistics

Number completed

Duels (won)

9 (6)

Key passes

2

Clearances

3

Interceptions

2

With Souza yet to prove himself outside his native Brazil, he would very much be one for the future, and the aforementioned report makes it clear BlueCo are planning to loan the left-back to sister club Strasbourg initially.

During the January transfer window, it may be a better idea to focus on signing players capable of making an immediate impact, with a title race potentially on the cards, and amid Liam Delap’s slow start to life at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign “one of the best strikers in Europe”.

With just under 20 minutes to go in the first Clasico of the current campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made a double substitution with his side 2-1 up on Barcelona. Federico Valverde accepted his withdrawal with good grace; Vinicius Jr did not. Five times he incredulously asked "Me?!", to the understandable bewilderment of his manager. "Come on, Vini, damn it!," Alonso pleaded. But there was no calming the winger down.

"Always me! I'm leaving the team! I'm leaving!" Vinicius said as he walked off the field and straight down the tunnel. "It's better if I leave, I'm leaving." At this stage, that might well be for the best for everyone concerned, because Vinicius' shameful show of insubordination wasn't the least bit shocking. 

On the contrary, it was entirely in keeping with his combustible character, just another temper tantrum from a player who is now effectively refusing to sign a new contract with the club if Alonso is allowed to continue as coach. Is this, then, a power play likely to pay off for Vinicius? Or might Madrid decide that he's become more trouble than he's worth?…

AFPThe Ballon d'or debacle

Not so long ago Madrid were willing to tolerate Vinicius' egotistical behaviour – and sometimes even support it.

The winger was utterly convinced he was going to win last year's Ballon d'Or and even brought up his seemingly imminent triumph during a heated exchange with Gavi towards the tail end of Madrid's 4-0 loss to Barcelona just two days before the ceremony in Paris. 

It was a rather revealing insight into his mindset. Vinicius clearly felt that boasting about his Ballon d'Or bid while his team were being humiliated on home soil by their most hated rivals was some kind of zinger; that individual glory was somehow more significant than collective failure in a team game like football. But the joke was on the Brazilian – because Vinicius didn't win the Ballon d'Or, and he took it very, very badly.

Even though Rodri made for a most deserving winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Vinicius refused to attend the Manchester City midfielder's coronation.

Of course, not a single representative from Real Madrid turned up either. "It is obvious that the Ballon d'Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid," an unnamed source told . "And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected."

As hissy fits go, it was pretty hysterical, the unintentional irony almost overwhelming. Madrid and Vinicius felt disrespected – and yet it was they who had disrespected Rodri.

Still, at least a Ballon d'Or boycott was something that los Blancos could easily get behind. Vinicius' very obvious personality clash with Alonso is far more problematic for Florentino Perez & Co.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe arrival of Alonso

Alonso is a likeable leader – as Bayer Leverkusen double-winners would attest – but the Spaniard does not have anything like the same laissez-faire approach to man-management or team tactics as his predecessor as Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, whose father-like relationship with Vinicius and the other Brazilians in the Bernabeu dressing room undoubtedly played a part in the Italian's appointment as Selecao coach.

Consequently, the arrival of Alonso was always likely to ruffle some feathers at Real – at least initially – but that wasn't considered a bad thing. The feeling was that after a disastrous final season under Ancelotti, Madrid's superstars would benefit from less freedom and more structure.

Kylian Mbappe is certainly thriving under the new boss. The Frenchman won the European Golden Shoe last year, with 31 goals in 34 Liga games, but his strike-rate has actually improved this season, while there's also a greater dynamism about his all-round play.

Mbappe is now, without a shadow of a doubt, the leader of Madrid's attack, as well the club's poster-boy – which was Perez's plan all along. It's why he invested so much time, money and effort in convincing Mbappe to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Madrid.

The knock-on effect, though, is that Vinicius no longer feels as appreciated as he once did at the Bernabeu.

Getty Images SportRising tensions between player and coach

Vinicius' current contract expires in two years' time and it could yet be renewed. However, whereas an extension was considered a given as recently as last season, the forward's future is now shrouded in uncertainty – and Vinicius' strained relationship with Alonso is the reason why.

The first signs of tension between the two appeared during the Club World Cup, when Alonso informed Vinicius that he would not be starting the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, which did not go over well at all with the forward.

In the end, Vinicius started the game in East Rutherford – but only due to an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and even then the 25-year-old was less than impressed at being deployed 'out of position' on the right wing. Vinicius nonetheless played his part in Madrid's strong start to the 2025-26 season. 

However, it quickly became clear that he was not happy with being occasionally rotated and regularly subbed by Alonso. With 13 minutes to go in the 2-0 win over Espanyol on September 20, Vinicius was replaced by Rodrygo. He responded by waving his arms around in disbelief before throwing a water bottle to the floor in frustration.

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Getty Images Sport'I won't make a big deal out of something small'

Vinicius and his entourage would likely disagree vehemently, but he's actually very lucky that he has a coach as composed as Alonso, who has handled his childish conduct with the same kind of class he exuded during his playing days.

After the Espanyol outburst, Alonso pointed out that Franco Mastantuono, who had come off at the same time as Vinicius, was disappointed by his withdrawal too.

"Franco said to me, ‘Are you taking me off?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ Something similar happened with Vini, but it happens to everyone," Alonso rather reasonably explained. "But I'm very happy with Vinicius' performance. The only thing he was missing today was a goal.

"It’s true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best, so I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going like this."

When Alonso was pressed on the matter again just a couple of days later, he struck an even more empathetic tone.

"I've been a player too," he pointed out on the eve of his team's game against Levante. "When I was substituted, it wasn't always the nicest moment. So, [frustration], it's normal, it's natural.

"We talked about things after the game, as I like to be close to the players, and I won't make a big deal out of something small."

Vinicius, though, is evidently incapable of such restraint.