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Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are riding high at the top of the Premier League table, and supporters have been told one player doesn’t get the praise he deserves.

Arsenal's set-piece kings on course to win the Premier League

Their explosive start has not just positioned them as Premier League title favourites, but also as the current kings of set pieces — a deadly weapon that’s wreaking havoc on opposition sides domestically and in Europe.

Arsenal have scored more goals from dead-ball situations than any other top-flight side so far (11), with star defender Gabriel at the heart of it with four contributions to those strikes as the Gunners make their best weapon known.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Corners, free kicks and even throw-ins have become golden scoring opportunities, as Arsenal turn these situations into major results with surgical precision.

Their aerial strength, combined with clever routines, has made them a nightmare for defenders who can’t afford to lose focus for even a moment.

However, at the heart of Arsenal’s success is their impenetrable defence which has conceded the joint-fewest goals, not only in the Premier League, but across Europe’s top leagues (3), with Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma also conceding just three.

The arrival of no-nonsense new backroom coach Gabriel Heinze is viewed as a real contributor to Arsenal’s increasingly water-tight backline, which has somehow become even more solid, despite already leaking the fewest league goals of any Premier League side in each of the last two seasons.

David Raya is in line for this third-successive Golden Glove award, and only a complete disaster in terms of injuries to key defenders would disrupt Arteta’s side right now.

That being said, even when William Saliba was briefly forced out of the side through injury, Cristhian Mosquera performed exceptionally well next to Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, and fellow summer signing Piero Hincapie is also on hand to step in.

Given their imperiousness at the back, Viktor Gyokeres has been somewhat overshadowed.

The Swede, who was brought in to take the mantle of Arsenal’s new prolific number nine, got off to a flying start but went seven games without a goal before his much-needed brace against Atlético Madrid last week.

Gyokeres has attracted some criticism for his fairly underwhelming return so far, but journalist Graeme Bailey insists that he’s actually a pretty underrated new member of the team.

Viktor Gyokeres adds extra element to Arsenal that people don't see

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey says that Gyokeres brings an “extra element” to Arsenal that “people don’t really see”.

Interestingly, this thought is echoed by Arteta, who says that Gyokeres makes Arsenal a much more “unpredictable” side.

His in-game play is there for all to see, and the former Sporting CP star has already proved a handful for defenders since his blockbuster summer switch.

Now, Gyokeres just needs to add more goals, then the critics will soon be silenced.

Aurelien Tchouameni has been ruled out of action for Real Madrid and France after he was diagnosed with a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg, Los Blancos announced in a statement on Thursday. The news will come as a huge setback for both Tchouameni's club and country, as he had become indispensable under both Xabi Alonso and Didier Deschamps.

Real Madrid issue Tchouameni injury update

Madrid have been dealt a hammer blow as the former Monaco star was diagnosed with a muscle injury after playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 Champions League loss to Liverpool on Tuesday evening. 

"Following tests carried out today on our player Aurelien Tchouameni by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg. His recovery will be monitored," said Real Madrid in a statement published on their official website. 

Madrid head coach Alonso will have to navigate through the upcoming fixtures without a player he described as a "key pillar" in June. "Tchouameni is a key pillar because of the weight he carries, the different roles he can play depending on the position he has to take,” Alonso said at one of the Club World Cup press conferences. “He constantly has to make small decisions and help the whole team.”

AdvertisementAFPHow many games will Tchouameni miss for Madrid?

Tchouameni has been one of the most important pieces of Alonso's system. Indeed, the 25-year-old has started in 14 of the 15 games Real Madrid have played this season. With 1,224 minutes out of a possible 1,350, Tchouameni is the outfield player with the third-most minutes this season, behind Kylian Mbappe (1,310 minutes) and Alvaro Carreras (1,252 minutes). His absence will cause Alonso a huge headache.

While Madrid did not mention how long Tchouameni will remain out of action, a report from Spanish publication indicates when the defensive midfielder could potentially recover. They claim that the Real Madrid No.14 will be sidelined for the next three weeks, with it never advisable to rush recovery from muscle injuries. 

Tchouameni will miss this weekend's La Liga trip to neighbours Rayo Vallecano, as well as France's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Azerbaijan later this month. It is also unlikely that he returns for Madrid's first two games – against Elche in La Liga and Olympiacos in the Champions League – upon the resumption of club football, while it is not yet clear if he will be fit in time for the Girona game on November 30. 

How could Madrid line up without Tchouameni?

What makes matters worse for Los Blancos is that all of these aforementioned fixtures will be played away from home. Tchouameni is a key component of Alonso’s setup, offering both defensive stability and tactical flexibility through his ability to operate as a deep-lying pivot or drop in as a pseudo-third centre-back, both in an out of possession. His absence will leave a notable void in midfield and could significantly disrupt the rhythm and structure of Madrid’s play as Alonso continues to instil his habits and philosophy into his players.

However, it might not be as bad as it may look from the outside. Against Liverpool, Federico Valverde was brought off towards the end of the second half due to discomfort in his right adductor, with the Uruguayan telling reporters: “The doctors have told me it’s due to fatigue. They’ll do tests tomorrow or the day after.”

He has been cleared of any injuries and will be available for Sunday's game against Rayo. Tchouameni's absence and Trent Alexander-Arnold's subsequent return from injury could see Valverde return to the midfield after playing the last six successive games at right-back. 

What's more, Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga have also returned to full fitness. With no other injuries in midfield, Alonso has a number of options at his disposal. If required, he could call up the likes of Jorge Cestero and Thiago Pitarch from the academy, with the young duo already invited to first-team training sessions as well as matchday squads.

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Getty Images SportMadrid aim to bounce back with Rayo win

Alonso's side have lost just twice this season, both away from home: a 5-2 loss against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano and the 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. They firmly remain in contention to secure one of the eight direct spots to the Champions League round of 16, while holding a healthy five-point lead over arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga. They will aim to continue their winning run domestically this Sunday against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio de Vallecas, where they have gone three straight seasons without registering a win.

GT are the only team that didn’t disband completely, with only two of their overseas players returning home

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2025Despite the uncertainty around the resumption of IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans (GT) are one team that have carried on normal business. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the table-toppers of the ongoing season have continued training despite the tournament being suspended for a week on May 9 following the escalation in cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.After the league was suspended, several overseas players and coaching staff left India in the following 24 hours. GT was the only team that did not disband completely, with only the overseas pair of Jos Buttler and Gerald Coetzee returning home to England and South Africa, respectively. Most of their players and support staff members stayed back in Ahmedabad, the home city of the franchise, to train at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The ceasefire was announced on Saturday evening and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said on Sunday that the board would “duly announce the date of IPL restart” once it had consulted “all stakeholders and the concerned government authorities.”GT are currently leading the points table. They have eight wins from 11 games, just like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but with a better net run rate. Two of their remaining three games were to be played at home – against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – and the other against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi.GT’s openers B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are second and third, respectively, in the Orange Cap race. Both have over 500 runs and are behind only Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Suryakumar Yadav. GT’s fast bowler Prasidh Krishna is leading the Purple Cap race with 20 wickets.

Former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola has questioned why Borussia Mönchengladbach right back Joe Scally was left out of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the USMNT’s October friendlies. While Meola understands Yunus Musah’s absence, he suggested that, in his view, Scally’s omission may involve factors beyond on-field performance or tactical fit.

Getty Images SportSurprising exclusion

Meola expected Scally to make October's squad based on his consistent performances in the Bundesliga. The American defender has started in five of Gladbach's six matches, notching two assists in that stretch. 

“Joe Scally, that’s the one that surprises me,” Meola said . “This has been a sort of a merit-based roster. Guys have earned this. Joe Scally plays week in and week out in the Bundesliga. And I’m getting the sense that could it really come down to a golf cart ride, in the end?"

Meola could be referring to comments made by Pochettino in May when he announced his roster for June friendlies and the Gold Cup.  Following the U.S.'s disappointing fourth-place finish at the Nations League Finals, the Argentine questioned some habits of some players on the squad without naming anyone. 

"If you arrive to the camp and you want to spend nice time, play golf, go for a dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, that is the culture that we want to create?" Pochettino said in May. "No, no, no, no, no. What we want to do is to go to the national team, arrive and be focused and spend all my focus and energy in the national team…If we want to be good in one year's time, we need to think that today is the most important day."

Meola speculated that Pochettino potentially doesn't see Scally as a fit into the culture he's trying to build. 

"Maybe it can, maybe that’s a sign for a manager that says ‘this guy is not good enough for my locker room’ or something, I don’t know," he said. "I’m just throwing ideas out in my head because the Scally one to me is the one that ‘you don’t bring him into this camp when he’s played already, essentially, in a back three for you?’

“That one I’m a little bit surprised, I think if he doesn’t come in in November, Joe Scally, and he’s still playing at his club, I think then maybe we can start to read that he’s not a Mauricio Pochettino guy.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMeola finds Pochettino's roster explanation lacking clarity

Meola was also critical of Pochettino's handling of questions revolving around the omissions of Scally and Atalanta's Yunus Musah, stressing it is typical for national team managers to explain their squad decisions. 

“His answer’s a little bit odd to me,” Meola said. “We’ve seen managers, including Mauricio Pochettino, who have answered that question before this camp. I think he kind of said now it’s time to talk about the guys that are here moving forward, that’s kind of what I got out of it….I don’t know if he caught him in the moment, I don’t know if he caught him at the time in his career where he said enough was enough. I was a little bit surprised.”

Musah's Atalanta struggles make his omission understandable

While Meola questioned Scally not being a part of the squad, he was aligned with Pochettino with leaving Musah out of the October friendlies. 

“I’m not surprised about Yunus Musah,” Meola said. “Because he hasn’t really settled in just yet to become the player we think he can be at Atalanta. He’s still got some work to do, although he’s getting some minutes now.”

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Getty ImagesTexas and Colorado ahead

Despite questions over some of the omissions on the squad, the U.S. are full speed ahead with their October friendlies starting on Friday. The U.S. face Ecuador in Austin, Texas, before flying to Colorado to take on Austin in Commerce City. 

Rahul made the most of a pitch where runs were hard to come by as he scored his first half-century of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals on his shoulders with a high-quality half-century as the visitors posted 183 for 6 at Chepauk. Opening the batting in the absence of Faf du Plessis, he was able to pace his innings really well and more than that, he took down one of Chennai Super Kings’ main weapons. Rahul vs the IPL’s purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, was 20 runs in nine balls with two fours and a six.Initially, Rahul (77 off 51) had to take some time to come to terms with a pitch that was dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming onto the bat. He was 25 off 20 with one four and one six at the end of nine overs. But once he decided to pull the trigger, even CSK’s best bowlers were no match for him. He took Noor, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries over the 11th, 12th and 13th overs as DC were put on course for their total. Two of those boundaries were mistakes by the bowler – Noor and Pathirana putting the ball in the slot – and all innings long Rahul was looking for those mistakes.Mukesh Choudhary was taken down as well. He was the only bowler that Rahul took risks against, because he had identified him as CSK’s weak link. Rahul reverse scooped him twice. He took further liberties when he moved across his crease at the start of the 19th over and swept a ball from the off side wide line to the square leg boundary. Pathirana closed the innings with two wickets in his final over, including Rahul’s, but by then the score had reached more than competitive levels. Khaleel Ahmed with 2 for 25 was CSK’s best bowler.

Manchester United are looking to bolster their squad before the window closes and took time during the opening Premier League weekend to watch one of their targets in action, according to a report.

Manchester United look to pounce in market after Arsenal defeat

Despite a spirited performance against Arsenal, Manchester United ended up on the wrong side of a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford last Sunday as their league campaign got off to a frustrating start in the midst of some encouraging moments.

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Speaking after the match, Gary Neville urged Ruben Amorim on Sky Sports to buy a new goalkeeper after Altay Bayindir’s error that led to Riccardo Calafiori’s goal, citing movement on a new number one as a pivotal part of their remaining business.

He stated: “There is a glaring issue for United that cannot be ignored and that is they need to find a new goalkeeper. ‘They have to, I am absolutely unequivocal on that.

“I have experience at United for 20 years where there were two big periods of seven or eight years with Schmeichel and Van der Sar, and in between we had seven or eight goalkeepers in a seven or eight year period.”

David De Gea has been linked with a surprise return to Manchester United after rediscovering his form at Fiorentina. However, Amorim is also plotting other additions with the window only a couple of weeks away from closing.

The Red Devils’ pursuit of Carlos Baleba has hit the skids. Nevertheless, Valencia star Javi Guerra has emerged as an alternative to fill the hole in the engine room, given he is available at a much cheaper price point than over £100 million.

Looking to keep their options open, Manchester United took the opportunity to watch one of their targets in action over the weekend.

Manchester United scout Adam Wharton at Stamford Bridge

According to TBR Football, Manchester United sent scouts to watch Adam Wharton against Chelsea last Sunday as Crystal Palace emerged with a valiant point at Stamford Bridge.

Amorim is impressed with his profile and believes he can fit into the holding role, which the Red Devils are looking to fill, and he certainly took his chance to sign after putting up 100% successful dribbles and eight passes into the final third.

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It should be noted that Wharton moving to Old Trafford is deemed unlikely. Regardless, the Red Devils casting their eyes on his progress is certainly something to watch over the coming weeks.

Last term, the former Blackburn Rovers man appeared 27 times and helped Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory. He has also been labelled “generational” by Matthew Stanger, lending credence to the level of talent he possesses.

With competition set to be fierce for his signature, Manchester United will hope to put forward a compelling case to the 21-year-old as he mulls over his future.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has spoken to the media about Cole Palmer's condition at a press conference on Monday morning. It comes after the Blues star lasted just 21 minutes in the weekend defeat to Manchester United, which was his first start since a groin injury hampered his start to the 2025-26 season.

• 'We need to assess a little bit'

  After being forced off the pitch at Old Trafford less than midway through the first half, Maresca has confirmed that Palmer remains a doubt for upcoming Chelsea fixtures and still requires further medical assessment. But the Blues coach also admitted that his star man wasn't 100 per cent for the Manchester United game, which he started, calling it now a "day by day" situation.

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• Palmer surgery not currently a concern

  "Cole probably is the only one that we need to assess a little bit," Maresca explained as he gave team news to assembled reporters before Tuesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Lincoln City. "He already did a huge effort last Saturday [against Man Utd]. He was not 100 per cent. He wants to be there to help the team. It's day by day to see how he is. The rest [of the squad] are okay.

  "The medical staff didn't mention to me about surgery. I don't know about the next weeks, but I don't think so to be honest."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Chelsea's lack of 'number 10' depth

  For all of the attacking talent in Chelsea's squad, the Blues appear to lack a natural replacement for Palmer in the central attacking midfield role. In his absence for wins over West Ham and Fulham, Joao Pedro got the nod to start, but Liam Delap's subsequent injury has pushed the Brazilian higher up the pitch. Facundo Buonanotte then started the Brentford draw, while it was Andrey Santos who came on for Palmer at Old Trafford.

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• AFP
  

  Chelsea's tough fixture list to navigate

  Chelsea are in action four times before club football pauses for the October international break early next month. But after being heavy favourites against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup and then hosting a struggling Brighton in the Premier League, the Blues welcome Jose Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge in his new role with Benfica, before Liverpool also then visit. Depending on how Palmer recovers and how his fitness is managed, he could return to play some part in those games, or equally miss all of them.

Chelsea have been on a tear this summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side stunned plenty of fans and pundits alike on the pitch by adding a Club World Cup title to their Conference League title and have been just as active off of it.

For example, the board have been able to shift a number of players they no longer wanted, like Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga, while also bringing in several who could seriously improve the squad, like Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.

However, they aren’t done there, as they’ve been heavily linked with the mercurial Xavi Simons, and now it would appear as if they are closing in on another player who’d be a dream teammate for the Dutchman.

Chelsea target dream teammate for Simons

While Chelsea continue to be linked with a host of players this summer, one of the more prominent over the last week or so has been Simons.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Reports from earlier today even claimed that the Blues are actually closing in on a deal for the RB Leipzig ace, which could see him move for around £52m.

While that is no small sum of money, it does feel like fair value for a 22-year-old star who racked up 11 goals and eight assists in just 33 appearances last season.

Interestingly, in addition to signing the Amsterdam-born star, the West Londoners now also seem intent on bringing another player to the club who’d be a dream teammate for him.

At least that is according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed that Chelsea are incredibly interested in Jorrel Hato, suggesting that he is ‘ready to accept personal terms’.

More than that, the Italian journalist has revealed that the Blues are in talks with Ajax and view the defender, who is keen on the move, as their “next top priority.”

Romano makes no mention of the fee required to sign the player, but stories from earlier this month claim it could be around £60m, and while that is a lot, it might be worth paying, especially as Hato could be a perfect teammate for Simons.

Why Hato would be a dream teammate for Simons

So, one of Simons considerable strengths is that he’s comfortable playing in the middle of the park as a ten, or out wide as a winger – and sometimes up top – so when it comes to forming a partnership with full-back, it would be incredibly beneficial if they could overlap and come inside depending on what is needed in that moment.

Fortunately, Hato is such an intelligent and gifted footballer that he can do just that.

While he prefers to come inside and invert, at least that’s what he does more often at Ajax; you can see his ability to overlap in his heat map from last season.

This ability to fulfil both roles without much bother will do two things.

Firstly, it will mean he can avoid getting in Simon’s way, depending on where he is on the pitch.

Secondly, it could also see him get more game time due to his adaptability, which in turn will allow him to develop a more effective partnership with the Leipzig star.

Away from their position, the reason they’d be great teammates at Chelsea is that the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is also a part of the Dutch national team.

Therefore, they’ll have even more time than most to get a proper understanding of one another’s game.

Finally, while the 19-year-old wonderkid’s primary role will be to defend, he’s also shown an ability to create chances for his team, as in 33 league appearances last season, he racked up six assists to go with his two goals, which suggests he could provide a decent number of chances for the former PSV Eindhoven star to score.

Appearances

31

Starts

30

Minutes

2592′

Goals

2

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

Minutes per Goal Involvement

324′

Points per Game

2.23

Ultimately, Simons looks like he’ll be a brilliant signing for Chelsea, but if the Conference League champions want to get even more out of him next season, signing Hato as well would be a good place to start.

Unofficial Chelsea swap deal possible as club open talks for Maresca outcast

It could be one in, one out at Stamford Bridge.

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It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that Tottenham could green-light a shock departure this summer, amid the uncertainty surrounding club captain Son Heung-min’s future.

£40m star hints he's prepared to join Tottenham as Spurs speak with his camp

Spurs have been handed a much-needed boost.

4 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 30, 2025

Thomas Frank has worked with Son extensively during pre-season, despite his credible links with a move away from N17 before deadline day on September 1, and the Dane continues to play down speculation by suggesting Son is key to his plans.

“I think everyone knows that Son has been one of the best players at Tottenham in the past 10 years. I think he’s been hugely successful from the left wing,” said Frank in a recent press conference.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

“I also think he’s had some fantastic games down the middle as a number nine. So it’s important to have players who can play in more than one position, and it’s about having your best players on the pitch and available.

“So the thing about Sonny is that he will always score goals, and it’s just about getting him in those situations.”

However, MLS side Los Angeles FC are lurking in the background, as they offer Son a move to the States with personal terms reportedly close to being agreed (GiveMeSport).

Star defender Romero was regularly linked with a high-profile move to Atletico Madrid all summer too. However, reports of the Argentine’s potential move to La Liga have died down, especially after Diego Simeone’s side completed a deal for David Hancko from Feyenoord.

Right now, Son is their most likely high-profile departure alongside Yves Bissouma, with the South Korea international poised to hold crunch talks over his future once Spurs return from their pre-season tour of Asia (GMS).

However, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, the 33-year-old and Bissouma could even be joined by playmaker James Maddison.

Tottenham could green-light "surprise" James Maddison exit

As per the reporter, speaking on We Are Tottenham TV this week, Tottenham could green-light a “surprise” exit for Maddison if the right offer comes in, even if they’re not actively pushing to sell.

“There could be a slight surprise possibility that James Maddison is a player they would listen to offers for, without necessarily forcing him out of the door,” Jacobs said.

“What happened last season was that Maddison was in and out, he lacked fitness at times and consistency even when he was fit. I don’t think it’s unthinkable that they would listen to offers at the right price, but it’s not a case of trying to force him out or transfer list him, it’s not their plan that he will leave, but there could be consideration to offers at the right price.”

The 28-year-old, despite suffering from his fair share of fitness problems (something he had in common with almost the entire Tottenham squad last season), still managed 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions and put in some crucial performances.

Letting Maddison leave, especially given their need for more creativity going forward, would be a bold move to say the least.

Any offer would need to be a handsome one, and ex-Spurs scout Bryan King believes Daniel Levy would only entertain bids at a minimum of £50 million, potentially up to £60m.

“They will want at least £50m. I would say anywhere between £50-60million would be accepted,” King told Tottenham News in April.

“Maddison has had some positive moments at Tottenham and got himself into the England team. However, he has also lost his place in the England team due to his inconsistency.”

حقق فريق ريال مدريد فوزًا مهمًا على خصمه إسبانيول، عصر السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، ولكن لم يمر الأمر مرور الكرام بسبب اللاعب فينيسيوس جونيور.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد وإسبانيول، في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإسباني، حيث حقق الملكي فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.

وشارك اللاعب فينيسيوس جونيور في مباراة ريال مدريد اليوم ضد إسبانيول، كأساسي، قبل قرار استبداله من جانب المدرب تشابي ألونسو في الدقيقة 77.

وذكرت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية أن قرار تشابي ألونسو لم ينل إعجاب فينيسيوس جونيو، وأظهر الأخير رد فعل غاضب بشكل ملحوظ عند اتخاذ قرار استبداله من المدرب الإسباني.

وأوضحت أنه بمجرد رؤية فينيسيوس جونيور للوحة الإلكترونية التي تحمل رقمه، من أجل التغيير، ألقى زجاجة مياه كان يشربها على خط التماس، ورفع ذراعيه من أجل الشكوى علنًا أمام أنظار ألونسو.

وأشارت “ماركا” إلى أن فينيسيوس جونيور لم يتفهم قرار تشابي ألونسو على الإطلاق، حيث شعر بحيرة وغضب شديد، وتوجه مباشرة إلى غرفة الملابس بمجرد استبداله، قبل عودته من جديد في وقت لاحق من اللقاء لمتابعة ما تبقى منه.

يأتي هذا رغم تقليل المدرب تشابي ألونسو مما حدث في تصريحاته الصحفية عقب المباراة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا)، ولكن ذلك الموقف يأتي في ظل تقلبات خطيرة تتعلق بفشل مفاوضات تجديد عقد البرازيلي مع ريال مدريد.