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Estevao Willian spoke with the excitement of a Brazilian teenager living out his dream, after the 18-year-old Chelsea winger scored the goal of the night as the Blues put Barcelona to the sword in a statement 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Speaking of this being the best moment of his young career thus far, Estevao spoke of how grateful he is for such a night and emphasised his connection with Chelsea fans since his arrival at the club.

• Estevao elated after stunning goal in huge Barcelona clash

  Estevao spoke to at full-time after the stunning result, which saw Chelsea dominate their esteemed opponents from the first to the last whistle.

  A scrappy own-goal by Jules Kounde opened the scoring in the first half, before Estevao had his moment and doubled his side’s advantage in the second. Skipping past Pau Cubarsi and Alejandro Balde with ease, Estevao rifled the ball into the roof of the net to put a stamp on the score line which reflected the Blues’ dominance.

  Already bagging five goals for his new club, becoming the second youngest-ever player to score in his first three Champions League starts in the process. Behind only Kylian Mbappe, the pair and Erling Haaland are the only three players to achieve the feat before the age of 20.

  His goal on Tuesday night was reminiscent of his strike against Chelsea while playing for Palmeiras in the Club World Cup, and his early performances in west London have indicated that he is still only improving.

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  'I don't have any words' – Estevao speaks on unforgettable night

  Estevao told : "I don't really have any words to sum up how I'm feeling right now. It really was the perfect night. I'm just grateful to God for everything that has happened for me. Onwards and upwards from here."

  On his goal, he added: "It all happened very quickly for me, it sort of happened before I knew it. I just found some space, wiggled my way through and then scored that goal. It was such a special moment for me in my career. I hope to score many more.

  "It was definitely the best moment of my career so far. I want to score many more for many years. I'm so grateful that my family were here watching me.

  "From the moment I arrived here, I felt such a connection with the fans. I'm just so happy that I could score for them and make them happy. I hope to keep making them happy and score more goals for them."

• Estevao clear winner in Yamal showdown

  The comparisons between teenage sensations Estevao and Lamine Yamal have taken a mind of their own in recent days, as fans began to prepare for the huge Champions League showdown. On the night, Estevao was the clear winner as Yamal was bettered by Marc Cucurella and rarely influenced proceedings.

  Maresca spoke in the build-up to the game about Estevao’s immense quality, while ensuring fans keep their feet on the ground.

  "Estevao is already playing at a high level and is starting games for Brazil," Maresca told reporters. "He is very young and for sure can do many things better, but we are very happy with him. It’s nice for people who love football to watch players like Estevao, Lamine Yamal, Pedri. We are happy that Estevao is with us.

  "Estevao is going to be an important player for this club in the future, no doubt. The most important thing for Estevao now is that he has to enjoy his football, he has to be happy, and not think about being better than this player or that player."

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  Estevao's light set to shine even brighter ahead of World Cup

  Estevao’s profile has been rising heavily ever since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, but his decisive contribution against Barcelona has seen him shine on a bigger stage than ever before.

  While he has a way to go in order to match the freakish career progression of Yamal at the same age, Estevao is already well on his way to becoming one of the greatest young players in world football.

  He will undoubtedly have a major role to play for Brazil at the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico next summer, having already scored five goals in 11 matches for his nation including two goals in the most recent international break. The former Palmeiras star is only just getting started.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots kept their playoffs hopes alive by pulling off a narrow one-run victory over Barbados Royals, who have been knocked out of the race in CPL 2025. Captain Jason Holder played a starring role, not only anchoring Patriots’ innings with an unbeaten fifty but also delivering a match-winning final over with the ball, in which he defended 13 runs.Patriots sit fifth on the points table with eight points and all their matches done. Guyana Amazon Warriors are fourth with eight points and if they win either of their next two matches, they will secure the last playoffs spot, with St Lucia Kings, Trinbago Knight Riders and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons already through.While there were handy contributions from several players, Holder’s all-round performance was the key to Patriots’ success. His 53 not out guided them to 150 for 7, with Patriots recovering from 62 for 4 at the end of ten overs. This was after Mohammad Rizwan’s 39 off 36 helped Patriots get off to a modest start. Holder, along with Navin Bidaisee (30 off 23), accelerated in the latter stages as the pair added 74 runs off 46 balls for the sixth wicket, including 34 runs off the last three overs.Holder’s leadership was also evident in the bowling attack, where he claimed two crucial wickets in the death. His most dramatic contribution came in the final over, with Royals needing 14 runs to win. Rassie van der Dussen started the over with a six over long-on to bring the equation down to eight off five. Holder kept his composure and, with the equation down to two needed off the last ball, bowled a perfect yorker to trap Daniel Sams lbw, sealing a thrilling victory for Patriots.Earlier, Royals had made a strong start, with opener Brandon King (29 off 22) laying a good foundation for the chase. They raced to 44 for 1 by the end of powerplay. However, the middle overs proved costly as the top order struggled to accelerate. Patriots’ bowlers capitalised, with Waqar Salamkheil striking first with the wicket of King and Naseem Shah removing Kadeem Alleyne in the eighth over. Quinton de Kock was caught and bowled by Bidaisee in the following over and despite a dropped catch from Rizwan, Royals’ chase started to lose momentum.Van der Dussen fought valiantly, keeping Royals in the hunt with a quickfire 37 off 27 balls, but it wasn’t enough in the end. For Patriots, Salamkheil and Bidaisee also picked up two wickets apiece.

A spectacular Dilshan Madushanka hat-trick derailed a scintillating Zimbabwe chase in the final over, which Sikandar Raza had valiantly revived through the middle overs.Raza had brought Zimbabwe to the cusp of what would have been a famous victory. They needed ten off the last over, he himself was on strike and batting beautifully on 92 off 86 balls, and at the other end was Tony Munyonga, with whom he’d shared a 128-run stand.But Madushanka backed his speed and went for the stumps. Raza attempted an over-the-shoulder scoop with the fine leg in the circle. But he could not get a touch on the ball, which sent middle stump flying.With ten now needed off five, Zimbabwe were still in with a shot if someone could find the boundary. But Madushanka kept going full and fast, and kept finding wickets. Brad Evans tried a scoop as well, but wound up only giving short fine a catch. Richard Ngarava tried to swipe across the line next ball, and also found his stumps rearranged. Only two runs were possible off the last three deliveries – Madushanka sticking to fuller lengths and staying tight on the stumps. Though he had been expensive earlier, he had produced the defining over of the match in his first ODI this year. He took 4 for 62. Asitha Fernando took 3 for 50 from his ten overs.Tony Munyonga and Sikandar Raza put on a century stand for the sixth wicket but it wasn’t enough•Zimbabwe Cricket

Before that Madushanka finale, Raza had Zimbabwe sailing through the death overs. He and Munyonga had come together when Zimbabwe still needed 138 for victory off 120 balls, and the pair had produced a dynamic partnership, Raza always leading the way, manipulating the field expertly as the early assistance the pitch had offered died out. (Sri Lanka’s lower middle order had also found batting conditions improved substantially as the ball wore.)Raza largely milked the spinners and reserved his big shots for the seam bowlers, punishing them severely when they missed their lengths. Sri Lanka’s fielding was sloppy through this period, and their over rate also suffered to such an extent that they were punished with having an extra fielder in the circle for the last two overs. Raza kept the singles and twos flowing, and in Munyonga had a partner who could turn the strike back over to him fairly efficiently.Munyonga was dropped on 35 at deep point, with Zimbabwe needing 32 off 22 balls, and from there Zimbabwe’s victory felt fairly assured, as Raza continued to whittle down the score with boundaries and sharp running. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka had his more reliable quicks – Dushmantha Chameera and Fernando – bowl out by the end of the 49th over, hoping one of them could take the breakthrough wicket. In the end, they left Madushanka with enough runs to defend that batters still had to hit a boundary in that over.Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis put on 137 off just 83 balls•Zimbabwe Cricket

Sri Lanka’s innings had also centred around their sixth-wicket partnership, and those batters had – like Raza and Munyonga – been joined with the score 161 for 5. Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis added 137 off 83 balls to electrify what had been a slow Sri Lanka innings until that point. Of those runs, Liyanage hit 70 not out off 47 balls, and Kamindu 57 off 36 before being bowled by Richard Ngarava off the last delivery of the innings.Although batters above them had been watchful, Liyanage and Kamindu were more severe on the bowlers’ errors in length, as the spinners attempted to continue rushing through the overs, and the seamers tried to exploit the extra bounce in the surface. They found boundaries square of the wicket – Liyanage favouring the offside – and the two were also excellent between the wickets.Kamindu was the busier of the two, but Liyanage got more strike towards the end of the innings, and did not fail to land some big blows, hitting an especially memorable helicopter-shot six off Ngarava in the final over. Trevor Gwandu had earlier conceded a 23-run over to the pair.There had been good top-order contributions in both innings. For Zimbabwe, Sean Williams and Ben Curran both hit fifties in their 118-run partnership, having come together with the score at two wickets for no runs. For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka had struck a patient fifty.

If Rome wasn’t built in a day, it couldn’t be fixed in one either. In the case of Manchester United, who over so many years were shaped by Sir Alex Ferguson into a superpower, it’s understandable that this budding resurgence under Ruben Amorim’s wing might take a while.

And though the weekend draw at Nottingham Forest cut the Red Devils’ three-match winning streak in the Premier League, the squad look physically and mentally stronger, more receptive to the intricacies of the manager’s vision.

Amorim recently revealed he does not have an issue with any of the United stars pushed out of the Old Trafford gates in recent months, even though the manager felt strongly about such players leaving the club for the greater good of his project.

There is undoubtedly a ruthlessness about the 40-year-old, which will have charmed INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as they ploughed through the recruitment process. And that may need to come into play once again here, with certain first-teamers surely at risk of being sold in 2026.

The Man United players INEOS need to sell

The jury is still out for many of these Manchester United players, and the recent upswings in form from veterans such as Luke Shaw and Casemiro suggest that they will keep their places at Old Trafford, having only last season been unanimously viewed as must-sells.

Manuel Ugarte is struggling to impose himself in the middle of the park, though, and Joshua Zirkzee has recently been reported to be frustrated on the fringe, looking to leave the outfit in January.

However, the revamp of the frontline suggests that Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, both out on loan, will be sold next summer.

For Rashford, it’s clear the England international wishes to stay with Barcelona, having rediscovered his form out in Spain this season, scoring six goals and supplying seven assists from 14 matches in all competitions so far.

His relationship with his long-time club broke down last season and he left on loan for Aston Villa shortly after Amorim’s arrival. The general consensus is that the 28-year-old will not return in a professional capacity.

Amorim was right in parting ways with a player who wasn’t right within his system, and while things are now improving, he may need to apply a similar exit strategy toward another star who is failing to impress this season.

Amorim's new version of Rashford

Rashford’s future is unlikely to fall back into the Theatre of Dreams, plying his craft down the left for Amorim at Manchester United. The Three Lions star is abundantly talented, though he was at odds with the boss and appears to have divorced from his boyhood club.

In a similar way to Rashford, Diogo Dalot is becoming something of a scapegoat at the club, and as with Rashford, there is good reason for the frustration around him.

After the result at the City Ground, content creator Liam Canning said that the Portuguese defender is “becoming a worry long term”, given that he “doesn’t look like he suits the wing back role”.

His performance certainly corroborated that claim, with the Manchester Evening News branding him with a dismal 3/10 match rating after another unsuccessful venture on the left-hand side, having been ‘exposed at various stages of the contest’.

Concerning. Amorim simply doesn’t employ a four-man backline, and as Dalot’s outings on the left become more frequent, so too is it underlined that he does nnot cut the mustard in the system, and will surely be replaced next year.

Man United content creator Dev Bajwa even said that the Portugal international “has got to be dropped” ahead of this weekend’s away trip to Tottenham Hotspur, a day which could underline the recent revival of Amorim’s side.

Amad Diallo’s impactful performance on the right stood as a dichotomy of tactical understanding in Amorim’s system. The wing-backs are among the most essential cogs for a team built on zonal rigidity. Dalot, to put that another way, isn’t effective in his unnatural placement, not least because he’s on his unfavoured side.

The 26-year-old has been a dependable servant for United over the years, arriving from Porto aged 19 in June 2018, for a £19m fee. In total, he has featured 219 times for the Old Trafford side, scoring nine goals and providing 18 assists.

It’s time for a change. The Braga-born star still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his £85k-per-week contract, but this suggests United could bank a sizeable fee were they to cash in on the stalwart next year.

His struggle to perform to his maximum in Amorim’s world is no new thing. Ten months ago, Dalot was singled out by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher as bearing tactical differences to the new manager, and, as we reflect on the recent draw to Forest, it’s clear that not all that much has changed.

With Patrick Dorgu waiting in the wings, United have options to shuffle the pack. Moreover, Lisandro Martinez’s imminent return from injury could even see Luke Shaw deployed in a more advanced and wider berth.

This is all to say that Dalot isn’t cutting it, and when transfer season comes around once again, there’s little question that the Red Devils must prioritise a new robust option to perform down that left channel.

Keane said Man Utd ace was "getting away with murder", now he's undroppable

Manchester United are finding their feet under Ruben Amorim’s wing this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 3, 2025

We are deep into the international break now and yet, Daniel Farke still remains in the Leeds United dug-out.

If there were an apt time to get rid of the under-fire German, it would have been during this big gap in fixtures in the Premier League.

However, he has managed to see out the break – for now – without feeling the wrath of the 49ers, as he attempts to get back to winning ways against Aston Villa up next, when the hustle and bustle of the top-flight returns.

He will need summer recruit Noah Okafor back to his rampaging best down the left flank to secure a surprise result against Unai Emery’s visitors, with the Swiss continuing to stick out as one bright spark, even as the losses begin to stack up high.

How Okafor's start compares to Leeds wingers of days gone by

Already, the former AC Milan attacker has captured the hearts of the hardened Elland Road masses, with Leeds content creator Oscar Marrio even hailing him as a “difference maker” down the left flank.

Indeed, the £18m summer arrival is constantly trying to carve out openings and excite the Leeds fans watching on, with a whopping 12 dribbles attempted in November, even as his new employers fell to back-to-back away defeats.

Okafor also has the goals to back up his tricks and flicks, with two goals already put away by the hard-to-contain 25-year-old from eight Premier League contests.

But, how does his electric start to life in England compare to other notable wingers who previously called West Yorkshire home?

Amazingly, before he went on to reach “world-class” heights at Barcelona – as Brazil icon Romario stated – Raphinha would ply his trade for the Whites, with 17 goals and 12 assists collected from 67 matches in total.

Yet, he would only tally up one goal from his first eight Leeds appearances in the Premier League, with zero assists also next to his name.

Even more staggeringly, Luis Sinisterra – who only made 16 top-flight appearances for Leeds – managed a more impactful start than his Brazilian counterpart, with two goals fired home from his opening six matches, also seeing him surpass Okafor’s early numbers.

Back to the present, however, while Farke will be overjoyed with Okafor for the most part, he will still be feeling the strain of the right wing spot in his starting XI.

Leeds loanee is outperforming Okafor

Farke continues to persist with the likes of Brenden Aaronson on the right, despite his up-and-down reputation on English shores continuing into this season.

Only one goal has come the American’s way this campaign in league action, with Joe Gelhardt – on the other hand – full to the brim with goals and assists galore out on loan at Leeds’ Yorkshire neighbours in Hull City.

He might well be somewhat of a forgotten name now at Elland Road, but Gelhardt – who has eight Premier League goal contributions under his belt – is tearing apart the Championship at the moment with the Tigers, as classy dinked finishes such as his fine effort against Portsmouth become customary.

Hull manager in Sergej Jakirovic, when speaking to Croatian outlet Jutarnji, has even stated that the Liverpool-born star goes about his business on the pitch “in the style of legendary Dennis Bergkamp”. Leeds would surely benefit from having their classy 23-year-old attacker back at his parent club, therefore, if his glowing praise is anything to go by.

The numbers back up all the wild praise, too, with Gelhardt now up to a stunning seven goals and two assists already in league action, despite lining up for just 15 matches.

This also means the one-time England U20 international is outperforming Okafor back at Elland Road, with the temptation surely there to recall Gelhardt from his loan at the Tigers, to see if he can impress in the league above, again, and fix Farke’s Aaronson-related woes.

Really, this should be no surprise to those who saw him tearing things up on the youth pitches at Wigan Athletic. He scored ten goals in one match against Huddersfield at U14s and was said to be on par with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

“Very few players stand out at 14. Steven Gerrard did in my first season, Rooney and certainly Joe [Gelhardt],” long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt once stated.

Reports do suggest Leeds have a small window right at the start of the upcoming transfer window to recall the reinvigorated 23-year-old if they so desire, with Gelhardt and Okafor on either flank back at Leeds a terrifying prospect.

Farke must drop Ampadu to unleash Leeds star who's like Declan Rice

Daniel Farke could boldly drop Ethan Ampadu by unleashing this Leeds United star in a new role.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 16, 2025

تقدم فريق الكرة بـ نادي الزمالك بالهدف الأول أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة.

ويلعب الزمالك ضد كهرباء الإسماعيلية، اليوم ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية، على أرضية ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب.

طالع | تشكيل الزمالك أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية في كأس الرابطة المصرية

وتقام منافسات بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية في نسختها الخامسة، بعد أن أقيمت 4 نسخ من قبل، توج بها فيوتشر في المرة الأولى وسيراميكا كليوباترا حصل عليها 3 مرات متتالية.

وسجل عمرو ناصر هدف الزمالك الأول في الدقيقة 22، من كرة رأسية بعد تلقيه عرضية من خوان بيزيرا داخل منطقة الجزاء حولها مباشرة في المرمى. هدف الزمالك الأول أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية في كأس الرابطة

The New Zealand coach is content to work out flexible agreements with casual contract players

Andrew McGlashan06-Oct-2025Kane Williamson’s availability for New Zealand’s home summer will take a little longer to lock in. However, head coach Rob Walter is content to give a player of his standing the extra time.Williamson, who is one of the group of players to hold a casual contract with NZC, made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia, having previously missed the tour of Zimbabwe to play county cricket and the Hundred.The next part of New Zealand’s home season sees them play England in T20Is and ODIs before an all-format visit by West Indies in November.”Kane, we’re still in conversations as to what the summer is going to look like,” Walter told reporters after the Australia series. “He will play, no doubt about that. Just what and where is still in discussion.Related

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Williamson to miss Australia series under NZC casual agreement

“I think the reality is we’re dealing with all the guys on casual contracts, actually in different positions from a playing point of view. Kane is one of those and he deserves the opportunity to sit and talk about what the rest of his year will look like. But I keep coming back to the most important thing, [which] is that he wants to play for his country, and so nutting out exactly what that looks like can take an extra week or two, but surely, he deserves that.”Walter confirmed that New Zealand would continue to be without Finn Allen (foot) and Adam Milne (ankle) for the visit of England while Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Glenn Phillips (groin) were unlikely to be fit.However, he was hopeful that white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, who was a late withdrawal from the Australia series after suffering a facial injury colliding with the boundary boards at training, will have recovered in time for the series which starts on October 18 in Christchurch.Walter was unperturbed about not being able to get his full-strength T20I side together in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.Mitchell Santner is likely to be available again•ICC via Getty Images”I think we don’t live in an ideal world and so that’s part and parcel of it,” he said. “I’ve been part of a World Cup campaign [with South Africa] where the team assembled at its full strength three days before our first game and that team managed to make a final.”For me, it’s just the way it works. I think what’s more important is the environment and the team culture that sort of assimilates together when it needs to. We do know that by the back end of the India series [in January] prior to the World Cup, that’s when our full World Cup squad will be together.”For me, as long as the guys are playing competitive cricket, that’s important, and almost everyone has been part of the environment at some point so I would assume that they can fit seamlessly back into it.”Should all players be fit and available for the World Cup, there will be some selection squeezes, especially around the pace bowling and top-order batting. Tim Robinson took his chance after Ravindra’s injury to make an impressive hundred in the first match against Australia, while Jimmy Neesham claimed a four-wicket haul in the third game.Australia won the T20I series against New Zealand•Getty Images”Ultimately when things are operating the way they should, everyone’s not fighting for their position, but understands that competition for places is there,” Walter said. “Ultimately you want your best crop of players in the park and in the squad.”They’re all quality players. At the end of the day, there’s going to be a quality player that’s left out, whoever that may be. As you’ve heard me say many times before, the stronger the player that’s left out, the better the system.”Reflecting on the Australia series, Walter was encouraged by the way his side fought back from 6 for 3 in the opening match and forced a collapse with the ball in the second but conceded they had areas that needed improving before facing England.”There’s little bits [of positives] here and there but, to be fair, we were a little bit off our best game and when you do that against [Australia], who’s won 25 of their last 30 T20 internationals, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong end of the result,” he said.”Some of the areas that we weren’t competitive in are actually quite easy fixes, [they] just require a little bit of extra time on our part…like any loss there’ll be some positives most of the time and then some stuff that you walk away with and understanding that you have to do better as we move forward.”With England arriving, you’ve got a team that’s going to play very similar to how Australia played in the series. So again, we get to check out if we actually have improved in the areas that we’ve identified and spoken about.”

Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur in search of trophies back in 2013, Harry Kane, who has been named as one of the best strikers in the world, has continued his remarkable record in front of goal, having found the back of the net a whopping 108 times in 113 games for Bayern Munich.

Harry Kane’s goal return by season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2023-24

45

44

2024-25

51

41

2025-26

17

23

Not only has the 32-year-old established himself as Bayern’s talisman, but he has also remained a consistent source of goals for England at international level, most recently scoring a brace in the Three Lions’ final World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Thomas Tuchel’s side have secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup in style, having won every single game in Group K without conceding a goal, and fans will be dreaming of football finally ‘coming home’, after two heartbreaking losses in finals of the Euros.

With one of the world’s best strikers leading the line, England certainly have a chance, and the captain recently surpassed a record set by three-time World Cup-winner Pele.

Harry Kane moves ahead of Pele for international goals

Indeed, courtesy of the brace against Albania, Kane has now moved ahead of Pele for international goals, while also going 25 clear of nearest-rival Wayne Rooney at the top of the Three Lions’ all-time goalscoring charts.

As such, it will come as no surprise that Thomas Frank has previously made it clear he wants to re-sign the former Tottenham star, saying: “He is an unbelievable player who did fantastic for Spurs and is doing fantastic for Bayern. Top player. I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans, including myself, who would like to see Kane back.”

Frank’s comments came after learning about a clause in the Bayern Munich star’s contract, which means he will be available for just £54m in January, while Spurs also have a first option to sign the centre-forward, should they decide to open talks with the German club.

Kane is in the form of his life at Bayern, and will have aspirations of winning the Champions League this season, so it may be difficult to tempt him to return to N17, but if Tottenham were able to do so, he would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing, and could go on to break the Premier League goal record too.

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ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Halloween might now be over for another year, but that didn’t stop Newcastle United from showing their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies away at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this tie against Nuno Espirito Santo’s dejected hosts, Newcastle had collected three wins from their last three games in all competitions.

But, regardless of this run of wins, their poor away record in the Premier League this season continued on at the London Stadium, as Nuno was gifted his first Hammers victory as manager, off the back of the Toon collapsing to a 3-1 loss.

Of course, West Ham did have some genuine moments of quality to thank for their much-needed win, as Lucas Paqueta smashed home this sweetly struck equaliser late into the first half.

Yet, they were definitely boosted by a charitable defensive showing throughout from the away side, too, with Nick Pope perhaps wishing he had done better with this opener, in hindsight.

Newcastle's worrying defensive display

Newcastle would have been the definite favourites for this tie during the pre-match build-up, with West Ham going 247 days without a home victory heading into their showdown with Eddie Howe and Co.

Football is very rarely played to the script, though, with the Newcastle defence that looked rock-solid mid-week when comfortably beating Tottenham Hotspur, replaced by a shoddy, error-prone backline at the London Stadium.

It was the exact same defence, too, minus Sven Botman coming back into the first team mix ahead of Fabian Schar. Howe would have very much regretted making this call in first-half stoppage time, when Botman inexplicably placed a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, past his own goalkeeper, to hand West Ham a slim 2-1 advantage.

The Dutchman wasn’t alone in having an off-day at the back, though, with Emil Krafth hooked off at the half-time mark after he had managed to win zero duels or zero tackles, as Howe desperately wished he had Kieran Trippier available in his spot, instead.

Aaron Ramsdale will also feel he’s in with a slight shout to usurp Pope in between the sticks after a clean sheet was picked up by the ex-Arsenal ‘keeper versus Spurs, with the former Burnley stopper an unsteady pair of gloves, again, when he spilt a late effort into Tomas Soucek’s path to tie up the win for the hosts.

He does have some credit in the bank, though, having kept an impressive five clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season, away from his error-strewn showing on Sunday.

Whereas, one of his other teammates defensively remains on a very precarious tight-rope when it comes to being selected in the starting XI, after a campaign full of disastrous performances.

Howe must drop 3/10 Newcastle star

Howe really did experiment with his XI in East London, as the likes of William Osula, Jacob Ramsey, and Anthony Elanga were all thrown into the first-team action at some point during the chaotic clash.

The 47-year-old’s widespread tinkering did very little to turn the game on its head, though, as Dan Burn struggled throughout as a left-back once more.

Burn’s Newcastle numbers by position

Position

Games played

Goals + Assists

CB

82

2 + 2

LB

78

6 + 2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

In the past, the 6-foot-7 giant has excelled in the left-back spot, as seen in his collecting six goals when selected on the left-hand side from 78 appearances and counting.

But, in the here and now, it’s clear that the ageing number 33 is no longer well suited to a full-back role, with one Newcastle-based content creator’s comments earlier in the season that Burn being selected regularly here is the “stuff of nightmares” very much ringing true against Nuno’s spirited hosts.

Indeed, the Blyth-born defender would offer very little to Howe and Co’s cause in the forward areas, with zero dribbles attempted.

On top of that, Burn would also fail to win a single tackle or a single ground duel during the 3-1 defeat, leading to Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin handing him a disappointing 3/10 score post-match.

It’s surely the correct time, now, for Lewis Hall to gain more first-team experience in the left-back spot, over Burn, who is showing no signs, as of late, that he’s cut out for this demanding position long term.

Hall was back on the bench, too, at the London Stadium, after a lengthy absence out of the first team fold through injury, as Howe now contemplates ditching his long-standing servant for the promising youngster, as Champions League football returns to St James’ Park mid-week.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 2, 2025

Arsenal are a little bit good, aren’t they? Heading towards the final weekend of November, Mikel Arteta’s charges sit at the top of the Premier League.

Not just in cracking form domestically, defeating rivals Spurs 4-1 last Sunday, they are also more than up to the task in Europe.

Following five match weeks in the Champions League this season, they are top of the table there as well and they are the only team with a 100% record left in the competition.

Their recent win was perhaps one of their most special of the Arteta era. Arsenal dispatched Bayern Munich, unbeaten Bayern this season, winning 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

But, how did they do it?

Arsenal's squad depth reigns supreme against Bayern

What was made all the more impressive about Arsenal’s win against Vincent Kompany’s men was the fact that the Gunners were not at full strength.

No Gabriel? No problem. Jurrien Timber will score from a corner instead. No recognised number 9? Fear not, Mikel Merino will knit things together.

No Martin Odegaard? Well, Eberechi Eze will keep things ticking over. After scoring a stunning hat-trick against Spurs, he registered an assist on Wednesday evening.

No Bukayo Saka? Well, that doesn’t appear to be a problem now either. Saka did start the game but was not at his best against the German giants and while he was still dangerous with his actions, it was the winger’s substitution just after the hour mark that tipped things in Arsenal’s favour.

The first half had been pretty even but the second period was all in favour of the hosts and they really came to the fore once Saka was subbed. In previous seasons, Arteta would rarely dare to take the club’s talisman off but Andrea Berta’s work in the summer transfer window has ensured that we no longer need to worry about that.

Saka went off and before you knew it, Noni Madueke was firing home at the back stick to make it 2-1. The goal had been created by another sub, Riccardo Calafiori, who galloped down the left-hand side like a prize race horse and swung in an inch-perfect delivery.

The third and final goal was tucked home by another substitute in the form of Gabriel Martinelli. Eze clipped a ball over the top and the Brazilian was left with an easy finish after he knocked the ball past an onrushing Manuel Neuer, who did not cover himself in glory at all.

So, it was a win for Arsenal and a win for Berta who fought tooth and nail to spend a shedload on improving the club’s depth. That work could well be decisive as they aim to win both the Premier League and Champions League.

That said, it wasn’t a positive night for everyone in red and white.

Arsenal's biggest concern after Bayern

Seeing Leandro Trossard, a man in the form of his career right now, limp off with an injury in the first half wasn’t ideal but ultimately the quality of Arsenal’s depth shone through. Madueke and Martinelli came on to get Arsenal over the line.

Equally, Calafiori came on and gave Arsenal far more than a certain Myles Lewis-Skelly had given during his 68 minutes on the field.

Chalkboard

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

For supporters, there have been concerns about the form and minutes of the teenager this season. Last term, he burst onto the scene in incredible fashion.

With Calafiori out injured, Lewis-Skelly was the main man at left-back and as a consequence, he became a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. He even scored on his debut for the Three Lions.

There was that goal and that celebration against Manchester City too. He was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Season as well.

Yet, 2025/26 has been more difficult for Lewis-Skelly. The 18-year-old featured in the first couple of England camps but was told during the November break by Tuchel that he simply needed to be starting more games. Fair enough, right?

He was not dismissing the fact that Lewis-Skelly is a good player, but you simply aren’t going to make it in a World Cup squad if you aren’t playing football.

There have still been some positive performances from the Hale Ender this term. There was that stunning assist for Martinelli’s goal against Atletico Madrid in the earlier stages of the Champions League. It was a piece of play that showcased exactly what he’s all about.

Yet, against Bayern, we saw a player lacking in first-team minutes and ultimately a player lacking in confidence.

Minutes played

68

Touches

25

Accurate passes

7/12 (58%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/1

Dribbles

0

Shots

0

Duels won

3/11

Recoveries

2

Tackles

1

Lewis-Skelly’s night wasn’t disastrous but he did endure a more challenging evening than his teammates. The England international was caught out by a brilliant ball in behind from Joshua Kimmich that led to Bayern’s equaliser.

Former Gunner, Serge Gnabry, got in behind the youngster and then laid the ball on a plate for 17-year-old Lennart Karl to score. In a battle of the teenagers, it was the German who triumphed on this occasion.

Lewis-Skelly spent most of the night rather uncomfortable with The Standard handing the full-back a 5/10 match rating, having endured a ‘tough evening against Michael Olise’.

In fairness, few will enjoy a comfortable night against a player of Olise’s calibre but Calafiori’s influence off the bench only served to show why Arteta has preferred the Italian this season.

Lewis-Skelly’s night was made all the worse by his lack of impact in possession. Usually an area that’s so impressive in his game, he had fewer touches of the ball (25) than David Raya (45) while he only completed seven passes. Only 33% of his passes in the opposition half were accurate.

So, this was a rare off night for a kid usually so captivating and so full of energy. He struggled. So what? Yet, he will have to improve if he wants to earn more regular minutes. For now, expect Calafiori to come back into the starting lineup for Chelsea at the weekend.

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