أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2025-2026.

وحل مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على آرسنال بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحقق مانشستر سيتي الفوز على ريال مدريد بهدفين مقابل هدف، ليرفع رصيده إلى 13 نقطة في المركز الرابع بترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحصل على جائزة رجل مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي، نيكو أوريلي، بعد الأداء الذي قدمه خلال المواجهة.

اقرأ أيضًا | مباريات مانشستر سيتي المتبقية في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الفوز على ريال مدريد

وقالت مجموعة المراقبين الفنيين التابعة للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “قدّم أوريلي لاعب مانشستر سيتي أداءً مميزًا، حيث لعب في مراكز مختلفة وسجّل هدفًا حاسمًا، كان ذكيًا تكتيكيًا كظهير أيسر”.

واختتمت: “كما اضطلع بأدوار متعددة في استحواذ مانشستر سيتي على الكرة، وكان عنصرًا أساسيًا في تحولاتهم الهجومية في الشوط الأول، وساهم في إيقاف هجمات ريال مدريد بعد الاستراحة”.

In an astonishing set of quotes, Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has thrown his own future at Anfield into doubt after being left on the bench in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday.

The Egypt international has been a substitute for the last three matches for the Reds, and has claimed that someone at the club does not want him there.

Salah also revealed that he has told his parents to go to the Brighton game because it is his last match before the African Cup of Nations and that he “doesn’t know what is going to happen” whilst he is there, during the January transfer window.

However, the situation could develop if there is a change in the dugout at Anfield in the coming days or weeks, as the Reds are reportedly looking at potential replacements for Arne Slot.

Liverpool considering Arne Slot replacement

According to Dave OCKOP, Liverpool have their eyes on managers to step in, as an interim or permanent appointment, if they decide to part ways with Slot.

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Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

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The Dutch head coach has lost ten of his 23 matches in charge of the club this season, per Transfermarkt, and the Reds are currently eighth in the Premier League with six losses in 15 games.

This latest report claims that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has been sounded out as a possible candidate to come in as an interim replacement for Slot, should he be sacked.

The English head coach, who has managed Aston Villa and Rangers, is under consideration to take the top job at Anfield, and it is a move that Salah would love.

Why Mo Salah would love Steven Gerrard at Liverpool

Gerrard, who was described as “a true legend of the game” by Xabi Alonso, played 710 matches for the club during his playing days, per Transfermarkt, and scored 186 goals.

Without trying to sound too cliché, the 45-year-old boss is a manager who would ‘get it’ at Liverpool and arrive as a unifying figure who could create a positive mentality at Anfield again, as a personality already loved by supporters.

Salah, in particular, would love it if Gerrard were appointed as Slot’s replacement because he would know that the Englishman respects and rates him incredibly highly.

Speaking earlier this year, Gerrard named Salah as the one player in history that he would have loved to have played with during his playing days.

As you can hear in the clip above, the Liverpool legend also declared the Egyptian as his favourite player in 2023, which is further evidence of the respect that he has for the left-footed superstar.

Steven Gerrard’s managerial career

Team

Games managed

Points per game

Al-Ettifaq

55

1.33

Aston Villa

40

1.18

Rangers

192

2.15

Liverpool YL

8

2.25

Liverpool U18

24

1.71

Stats via Transfermarkt

Gerrard, as evidenced by the statistics above, is not a proven top-level manager who has won numerous league titles in the major leagues in Europe, but he did enjoy a good spell with Rangers when tasked with managing a dominant team.

He may not be the long-term solution in the dugout for Liverpool, although you never know, but as an interim appointment to steady the ship and repair the club’s seemingly fractured relationship with Salah, it could make a lot of sense.

Getting Salah, who produced 34 goals and 23 assists last season (Sofascore), back onside and at his best could be a better move than any tactical changes that a manager could make to the system, which is why Gerrard could be a shrewd appointment.

Bringing in a head coach who loves the Egypt international and would want to make him a key member of the team again could solve this problem, which has emerged from these latest quotes from Salah, and bring a feel-good factor back to Anfield.

Related As bad as Konate: Slot must axe 6/10 Liverpool star who made 0 tackles

Liverpool blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Leeds United at Elland Road.

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This could then buy Liverpool time to assess Gerrard’s suitability for the job on a permanent basis, whilst also giving them time to look at and identify a long-term successor to Slot.

Both are versatile batters and they missed out on big scores in Ahmedabad, but they were never going to miss out two Tests in a row

Karthik Krishnaswamy11-Oct-20251:39

‘Jaiswal has to blame himself for the run-out’

A little under an hour of the Delhi Test had elapsed when Yashasvi Jaiswal decided he had had enough of letting Anderson Phillip bowl on his terms. Phillip, at that point, had bowled 5.3 overs and conceded just ten runs.Jaiswal had mostly been away from the strike when Phillip had bowled. He had faced only four balls from him, and shouldered arms to all of them. He had batted watchfully against the other two West Indies seamers as well, and was on 10 off 36 balls. He had left alone 12 of those balls.Now, he decided he was done with all that. Phillip bowled this one full, angled a fair way away from off stump, and may have perhaps expected another leave. Instead, out of seemingly nowhere, came a straight wallop of fearsome wind-up and flat, lethal trajectory. This was no drive with head over the ball; this was an elemental hit with head thrown back. Phillip, following through, was fortunate head was a foot or so wide of the ball’s path.Related

• Stats – Gill level with Kohli, Jaiswal only behind Bradman

• Jadeja, Kuldeep strike after Gill ton propels India to 518

Everything about that shot, and the passage of play leading up to it, was pure Jaiswal. He can leave every third ball he faces. He can make a stadium sit up with a shot of pure violence. He can bat in all sorts of moods and tempos, often in the same innings, to the point where it becomes impossible to define the kind of batter he is in Test cricket.In one sense, though, it’s very, very easy to define him. Jaiswal is a run-scorer. Send him out with bat in hand, anywhere in the world, against any kind of attack, and you can be pretty sure he’ll find a way to score runs.One of many, many ways. Jaiswal has now gone past 70 on 14 occasions in Test cricket, and those innings have come at strike rates ranging from 40.38 – when he made 84 off 208 balls while attempting to save the MCG Test last year – to 141.17 – when he smashed 72 off 51 balls during India’s push to make victory possible in a heavily rain-affected Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.Those 14 innings have ticked all but two of the ten strike-rate “decades” from the 40s to the 140s. Only the 120s and 130s are still waiting to be achieved.Over the course of three sessions on Friday and a small fraction of one on Saturday, Jaiswal scored 175 at 67.82, and that strike rate, so close to his career strike rate of 66.33, was an indication of just how comfortable he was on a flat Delhi pitch against a modest West Indies attack, scoring briskly while never looking in a hurry or getting too greedy, batting through a whole day’s play without ever looking weary or seeming to suffer dips in focus.We’ve become so used to this that we almost take it for granted, and forget that he’s not yet 24.2:57

Chopra: Gill destined for greatness

The dismissal, in the second over of day two, came first as a shock. Did he really get out, when 200 – even 300, who knows – seemed within reach? But then it began to make sense. If it had to happen, it had to be a run-out. It had to be that particular kind of run-out. It’s one of Jaiswal’s minor vulnerabilities that he often starts running as soon as his bat meets the ball; if he misjudges how firmly he’s struck the ball or how far it is from a fielder, he’s liable to realise this only when he’s already halfway down the pitch.Jaiswal, in short, was looking like only he could get himself out. Through most of day one, the other mode of dismissal that had seemed vaguely likely was a top edge off an over-eager square cut. He had been out like this in Ahmedabad last week, but he seldom misses a chance to attempt the shot, even when he doesn’t have a lot of room to work with.And it gets him a lot of runs, and quick runs. Against pace, he’s scored 399 runs off 243 balls through his Test career with variants of the cut – cut, late cut, upper cut, ramp, dab, steer, as classified in ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data – while being dismissed five times. That’s an average of 79.80 and a strike rate of 164.19; so what if he’s achieved all that with a control percentage of just over 71?Those numbers are a small window into Jaiswal’s mind. It’s the mind of a batter who understands percentages, who knows that cutting so frequently can lead to plays-and-misses or edges, but understands that he’ll still be batting next ball if he’s played and missed, and that while top edges might occasionally get him out, the odds suggest they are likelier to send the ball flying over or past the slips cordon if he flashes hard enough.If these are indeed the workings of Jaiswal’s mind, it’s a mind fixated not on batting as a pursuit of technical perfection but on batting as a means of scoring runs.”On Jaiswal, I’ll say he’s very clever in terms of his batting,” Ravindra Jadeja said in his press conference at the end of day two. “He knows which bowler to attack and which bowler to play out. His maturity level is very good. It’s not like he looks to hit every bowler. He has a very good idea of which situation to attack in, and at which time to attack.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I think it’s very good when a batsman knows what shot he needs to play at what time. I think this has contributed a lot to his success, and the fact that he’s made so many big scores, match after match.”Jaiswal has turned five of his seven Test centuries so far into 150-plus scores, and two of them into doubles. The highly memeable helmet-palm with which he greeted his dismissal in Delhi suggested that 175 was a long way short of the number he had set out to put next to his name when Saturday dawned.It fell to his partner, Shubman Gill, to take on the mantle of insatiable run-hooverer.Gill has always had the smarts to know where his run-scoring opportunities lie in any situation. He was just 20, and only in his third Test, when the then India batting coach Vikram Rathour asked him what his plans were if Australia went short to him after lunch on that magical final day at the Gabba.Here’s Rathour’s recollection of that conversation, from this profile of Gill by Nagraj Gollapudi:”And the kid had a great answer. He said that the end [Mitchell] Starc was bowling, it was a shorter boundary on the leg side. So he said, ‘I’m not going to pull from the other end if they bowl short, but I will pull from the end Starc is bowling if they bowl short, because I’m pretty sure that I can clear this boundary most times. If it’s below my shoulder, I’ll look to play it down, but if it’s up, I’ll look to play it over, and if it’s on this [on] side, I will leave. And if it’s on this [off] side, I will maybe play an uppercut.’ […] I told him, ‘Boss, you have it sorted. So do just that, whatever you want to do.’ He had a lot of clarity [about] what he was looking to do. And with logic – he was not just talking nonsense, he was not bluffing his way.”Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal: The mainstays of India’s batting line-up•AFP/Getty ImagesAll that ability and all those smarts, but it took a while for Gill to translate them into consistent run-scoring in Test cricket, which only really began to happen during last year’s five-match home series against England. And it was only this year, in England, that Gill got his first chance to play a full Test series, home or away, on pitches that gave him a chance to think of batting big time and again.In retrospect, it should have surprised no one that he finished that tour with the second-highest bilateral series aggregate by any India batter anywhere, anytime. It’s exactly the kind of thing everyone’s expected from him ever since he was a teenager.For all that, though, he still gives the impression sometimes that he can get bored if the contest isn’t really challenging him. Last week in Ahmedabad, he had been out immediately after reaching his fifty, attempting a reverse-sweep, an echo of his dismissal soon after reaching his hundred in Visakhapatnam last year against England.He’s showing more and more frequently, however, that he can bat in that insatiable Jaiswal way too. He followed Visakhapatnam with the grittiest half-century of his career, a match-winning fourth-innings effort in Ranchi. He followed Leeds this year, where his first-innings dismissal on 147 was one of numerous dismissals of India batters not quite making the bowlers earn their wicket, with a monumental 269 in Birmingham.And now he followed Ahmedabad with a century of ruthless, getting-the-job-done batsmanship. He played his shots, and played them freely because the situation allowed him to, and asked him to, with India building up to a declaration, but he played Shubman Gill shots. He brought out the slog-sweep when the left-arm spinners left the leg-side boundary unprotected. He brought out the back-foot jab either side of point, a shot he nowadays shelves early on if there’s movement for the fast bowlers, but any movement off this day-two Delhi pitch was minimal. He used his feet with aplomb, against spin and medium-pace, and played that pick-up whip over the leg side that he employs so profitably in the shorter formats.1:51

Chopra: WI needed a little more application

Each time he played a shot like this, it seemed less a reaction to the bowling than an expression of what he felt he needed to do at that moment, against a particular bowler who had set a particular field. But he knew exactly whom to take on and whom not to: he scored at above four an over against six of West Indies’ seven bowlers, but just 12 runs off 64 balls from Jomel Warrican, who constantly challenged India’s batters with his deceptive trajectory and the odd instance of square turn.It was the kind of innings Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin routinely played in home Tests in the 1990s, or that Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman routinely played in the 2000s, or that Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli routinely played in the period from 2016 to 2019, when India played many of their home Tests on traditional Indian pitches that produced big first-innings totals.India went away from those pitches in the 2021-24 period, with the pressure of World Test Championship points, the fear of draws on flat pitches, and the fear of toss-influenced results like Chennai 2021 pushing them to prepare a succession of square turners in home Tests. After going down 3-0 to New Zealand last year and falling prey to the pitfalls of dustbowls, India are now making an effort, as Gill confirmed before this series, to try and restore the balance between bat and ball in their home pitches.Jaiswal and Gill couldn’t have asked for a better time to be batting in home Tests. They missed out on big scores in Ahmedabad, but they were never going to miss out two Tests in a row.

Samuel Luckhurst criticised a Manchester United star, who looked “haunted” in the first half of the 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Man Utd complete second-half comeback to prevail at Palace

Man United’s performance in the first half of the win against the Eagles left a lot to be desired, with Mark Goldbridge taking to X to criticise Ruben Amorim, while also taking aim at the manager’s reluctance to change things at half-time.

However, Amorim’s approach ultimately paid off, with Joshua Zirkzee cancelling out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s opener early in the second half, before Mason Mount secured all three points after being laid off by Bruno Fernandes from a free-kick.

The Red Devils were able to close out a 2-1 win, bringing their four-game winless run against Palace to an end, but it was far from a vintage performance, with Luckhurst taking to X to criticise Casemiro’s performance during the first half.

The reporter said: “Not remotely got going and Casemiro looks haunted up against Adam Wharton again.”

Man Utd should go all out to sign Wharton

It is little wonder United are so keen on signing Wharton, who put in a fantastic first-half performance, once again catching the eye with his passing ability.

With Amorim in the market for a new midfielder, INEOS should go all out to sign the Crystal Palace star, who was unlucky to be on the losing side after bossing the midfield in the first half, although Casemiro did manage to turn things around.

Although he lost possession 11 times, the Brazilian made a number of key defensive contributions throughout the match, winning seven duels, the second-highest number of any United player, while also making two interceptions, three clearances and three tackles.

Man Utd have unseen teenager who "looks better than half their first team"

Carrington has produced another gem.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 29, 2025

Journalist Liam Canning was also left impressed with the 33-year-old’s display, in what could be his final season as a Man United player, although an encouraging new update from Fabrizio Romano suggests the central midfielder could extend his contract beyond next summer…

He was not informed of the decision to drop Shamim, and said he has been told he would have little say in squad selection

Mohammad Isam26-Nov-2025T20I captain Litton Das has expressed his unhappiness with the Bangladesh selectors’ decision of dropping Shamim Hossain from the squad for the first two T20Is against Ireland. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said last Friday that they were dropping Shamim to give Mahidul Islam Ankon a chance in the middle order.Litton, however, said that the selectors didn’t inform him or coach Phil Simmons about such a decision.”I think it would have been better if [Shamim] was in the team. But this is not my call, [it is] totally the selectors’ call,” Litton said. “I don’t know why, but the selector dropped Shamim without giving us notice. I have known that a captain would know which player would be in the team, and which player would be out of the team. I don’t see any reason behind Shamim getting dropped. It would have been better if he was in the team.”Related

Bangladesh look to fine-tune their prep for T20 World Cup

Saifuddin returns but no Taskin for first two T20Is vs Ireland

Litton also said that he has received a directive that he would have little say in squad selection. Litton, however, did not say where the instructions came from or when he got them.”The selection panel and board has told me that I have to totally work with whatever team they have selected,” Litton said. “I can’t have a say about which player I want or don’t want. I have known for a long time that a captain has a planning for organising the team. Recently, I have been informed that my job is to deliver something good from the field with [the] team that I have been given.”Litton, however, said that he will continue leading the side despite such conditions given to his leadership. “I won’t say it is insulting, but I think the captain and coach must be informed. We don’t know anything about [the selection]. If the same thing happens during the World Cup, I will try to implement with the team to the best of my ability.””Why not Shamim [Hossain]? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series” – Litton Das•AFP/Getty ImagesLitton also said “sorry” to Shamim, calling it a disappointment for the player.”It won’t disturb the team but [the situation] is disappointing,” Litton said. “You can’t expect the same performance in every series from every player. We have been trying to build a team for a long time. Why not Shamim? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series. Getting dropped from there, it is disappointing for Shamim.”As a captain, I can’t say anything more than sorry to Shamim. I don’t expect all 15 players in my squad to perform at the same level. We have to back a player when he doesn’t perform in two or three series. I am really sorry that I couldn’t back him.”Shamim has had only single-digit scores in his last three T20I outings for Bangladesh, which may have prompted the selectors to drop him. Shamim, however, has made some important contributions in Bangladesh’s T20I revival this year. He made 48 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in July. That innings took Bangladesh to a massive win, which is now considered as a turning point for them.Shamim also contributed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. His 22-ball 33 against Afghanistan in early October was the last time he reached double figures, before his run of three successive single-digit scores in T20Is.Meanwhile, chief selector Gazi made a statement after Litton’s comments on the non-selection of Shamim.”Our focus should be on the Ireland series that’s coming up, but because of what our captain Litton Das said at a press meet, I wanted to say a few things,” Gazi said. “We held a brief meeting with the captain and coach before the Bangladesh squad for the Ireland T20Is was announced. When we asked about his opinion about Shamim Hossain, Litton Das told us that he wants Shamim in the team against Ireland. He also informed us that he spoke to the coach [Simmons], who said he also wants the same batters who played against West Indies, in the next T20I squad.”After discussing with Hasibul Hossain [another selector], we decided to leave out Shamim from the squad. We thought that we will announce the squad for the first two matches so that if we win the series by then, we can do some experiment in the third T20I. We announced the team following the rules, after going through cricket operations and the board. The selectors don’t always have to agree with the captain and coach when making selection calls. We don’t have to take any permission. We are accountable to the board.”

Wolvaardt’s century off just 52 balls, the fastest for South Africa, helped them to their highest score in the format

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2025Laura Wolvaardt’s 56-ball 115 and an all-round show from Sune Luus helped South Africa beat Ireland in the first women’s T20I by 105 runs, their joint third-biggest win by runs, at Newlands.Batting at No. 3, Wolvaardt scored a 52-ball century, the fastest for South Africa and the joint sixth-quickest in T20Is, and was involved in a 176-run second-wicket partnership with Luus as the hosts posted their highest T20I total of 220 for 2. Having opened the batting, Luus also took the new ball and struck twice in the first over to dismiss Amy Hunter and allrounder Orla Prendergast. That effectively derailed Ireland early from what would have been an unlikely chase..Luus and Wolvaardt got together after South Africa opted to bat and lost Faye Tunnicliffe in the second over. They started steadily before stepping on the pedal in the last two overs of the powerplay, taking 32 including a 20-run over from Lara McBride. Wolvaardt was the aggressor and she romped past fifty in just 24 balls, beating Lizelle Lee’s mark of 26 balls for the fastest T20I half-century for South Africa.Aided by plenty of misfields from Ireland, South Africa raced past 100 in the tenth over, thanks to another 20-run over, this time from Louise Little in which Wolvaardt went 6, 4, 4, 4. South Africa’s best second-wicket stand ended when Luus, on her career-best 81, tried an ungainly reverse hit against seamer Ava Canning, Ireland’s best bowler on the day, and was bowled.That brought Dane van Niekerk, playing her first international since September 2021, to the middle. She saw Wolvaardt complete her second T20I hundred before unleashing an array of strokes to finish 21 not out of just eight balls, a strike rate of 262.50.Only captain Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul offered a semblance of resistance for the tourists with a 42-run partnership off 39 balls. Once both of them fell in the space of 22 balls, Ireland folded quickly, losing nine wickets to spin. Luus returned as the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 22 while both left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon took two apiece.

The incident occured during the third ODI against Sri Lanka, following Babar’s dismissal

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2025

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has been fined 10% of his match fee for hitting the stumps with his bat before leaving the crease, following his dismissal in the third ODI against Sri Lanka. Babar was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”In addition, a demerit point has been added to his disciplinary record, making it a first offence for Babar in a 24-month period. The incident occurred in the 21st over of Pakistan’s innings, when Babar, batting on 34, was bowled by Jeffrey Vandersay.On-field umpires Alex Wharf and Rashid Riaz, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Faisal Afridi levelled the charge while Ali Naqvi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees proposed the sanction.Since Babar admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction, there was no need for a formal hearing. Pakistan went on to clinch a 3-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka with Babar playing a lead role with the bat, scoring 165 runs – the most in the series – which included a 20th ODI ton.Babar’s next international assignment is the T20I tri-series at home, against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, starting Tuesday.

West Ham United have now submitted an offer of around £20m for a “natural goalscorer”, with Nuno personally a big fan.

West Ham targeting new striker with Fullkrug heading for exit

It has recently been revealed that Niclas Fullkrug is heading for the exit door this winter, having struggled to find the back of the net consistently since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, scoring just three goals in 28 appearances for West Ham.

Callum Wilson has been the man leading the line as of late, and the Englishman has impressed, bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, but there are also question marks over his long-term future at the London Stadium.

Given that Wilson is set to turn 34 in February, and his contract expires at the end of the season, it would be a shrewd move to bring in a younger striker, and the Hammers are desperate to sign at least one new centre-forward in the upcoming window.

That is according to a report from Hammers News, which states West Ham have failed with an opening bid of £20m for Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo, with the Saudi Pro League side adamant they won’t sanction a departure.

However, the Irons may return to the negotiating table with another offer, such is their determination to get a deal done, with Nuno personally a big fan of the Brazilian, who was linked with a move to Nottingham Forest during the manager’s time in charge there.

Nuno has made bringing in a new striker the number one priority for the January transfer window, and if the Hammers were able to get a deal for the 22-year-old done, they would be signing a player in red-hot form.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025 "Natural goalscorer" Leonardo on fire in Saudi Arabia

Indeed, the Al-Hilal star has been fantastic since the Club World Cup in the summer, scoring four goals in five matches in the new-look competition, and he has since impressed considerably domestically too.

Marcos Leonardo’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Saudi Pro League

6

6

AFC Champions League

5

3

King’s Cup

3

2

The former Santos man also earned high praise from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of very impressive attacking numbers during his time in Brazil.

With Fullkrug heading for the exit door, West Ham undoubtedly need to bring in a new striker this winter, and Leonardo could be capable of leading the line for Nuno’s side for years to come.

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.

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

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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.

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