While Arsenal dropped points prior to the international break, this weekend represented a colossal opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s men to stamp their authority on this Premier League title race.

Manchester City and Liverpool suffered defeat, meaning that once the Gunners had beaten fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, their advantage over City in third was now seven points.

As Jamie Carragher put it at full-time on Sky Sports, the only team who can stop Arsenal from winning the league are Arsenal.

They have the tactics, they have the defensive shape and they now have the attacking firepower and depth to their squad to take on anyone.

As Arsenal swatted aside Spurs, they did so without a recognised centre-forward, they did so without captain Martin Odegaard and they did so without Gabriel, one of the most influential players in the entire division this season.

The man to thank? Well, it was certainly Eberechi Eze.

The key men as Arsenal defeat Spurs

Coming into this game the narrative was all about Eze.

The attacking midfielder had famously rejected a move to Spurs in the summer in favour of returning to his boyhood club.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was quizzed on that in his pre-game press conference and muttered a response that he will now live to regret: “Who’s Eze?”

The Dane said that with a smile. Well, he certainly knows who Eze is now.

He became the first Arsenal player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby since Alan Sunderland in 1978 and he did so in some style.

It was Leandro Trossard who has opened the scoring but Eze, signed for £67.5m over the summer from Crystal Palace, stole the show.

Arsenal have lacked a player with his ability to shoot on sight and boy did he do so on Sunday evening. His first was a brilliant taken effort in a crowded penalty area but his second and third goals came with more space.

The quality, however, was equally as good each time. The England international scored a stunning goal for his country over the international break and was bang in form again here. The way he dispatched his second on his weaker foot spoke volumes of the form this man is in.

The third was also sumptuous. Fed the ball by Trossard, the former Palace star took one touch to set himself, ignored Bukayo Saka to his right and rifled the ball home.

Eze deserved most of the plaudits but the aforementioned Trossard did too. He scored and assisted, meaning that in the 32 games where he has found the net for Arsenal, he has never been on the losing team.

An amount of praise must be passed to Piero Hincapie too.

With Gabriel injured and out of the side the Ecuadorian stood in at centre-half and was exemplary on his first start in the Premier League, winning all three of his contested aerial duels.

Still, there was a rather underrated performance elsewhere that we’re yet to mention.

Arsenal star shows shades of Ozil and Odegaard

An attacking midfielder lights up the Emirates again and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Eze was the most alike to a certain Mesut Ozil and Odegaard.

Yet, in rather surprising circumstances, the player who evoked memories of those dazzling Arsenal players was Mikel Merino.

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

When the Spaniard signed for the Gunners in 2024 he was renowned as something of a duel monster. While he’s played regularly in midfield for Arteta, he has been most impactful as a makeshift striker.

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus last term meant that the Spain international needed to fill in as a centre-forward. He performed admirably too, notably scoring against Real Madrid and rescuing that win against Leicester when he first featured as the number 9.

Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres in the summer but have still had to rely on Merino with Jesus, Havertz and the Swede on the sidelines in recent weeks.

The £32m midfielder netted twice against Slavia Prague in the Champions League a few weeks ago but perhaps saved his finest display of the season for Spurs on Sunday.

He started the game slowly but held the ball up admirably and although he won’t run the channels like Gyokeres, he made the team click and was the catalyst for Eze’s hat-trick. That was outlined by analyst Raj Chohan on social media.

That wasn’t the best thing Merino did, however. The pass for Trossard’s goal was remarkable.

He received the ball 25 yards from goal, waited for precisely the right moment to clip the ball into the box and he did so delightfully, finding the Belgian who swivelled and then found the net.

It was a scarily good pass, one that evoked memories of a certain Ozil.

In the process of being hailed as “Arsenal’s most underrated player” by club insider, Hand of Arsenal, he stated that “if that pass is made by Ozil we are raving.”

Merino vs Spurs
Minutes played	88
Touches	44
Accurate passes	16/22 (73%)
Shots	1
Key passes	1
Successful dribbles	0/2
Tackles won	5/5
Ground duels won	8/15
Aerial duels won	2/7
Recoveries	3
Stats via Sofascore.

CBS reporter James Benge had a similar viewpoint, remarking that it was “an Arsene Wenger building an entire midfield out of diminutive playmakers” type of pass.

Cast your mind back to the days of Ozil, to some of Odegaard’s magical assists in Arsenal colours, it was right out of their playbook and it broke down what had been a stubborn Spurs defence up to that point.

Merino is not the most stylish of players, he is not the Rolls-Royce. However, what he will always guarantee is a mighty strong shift and a very efficient performance. He delivered just that on Sunday again, all with a bit of Ozil flavour.

Not just Eze: £27m star just had his best game for Arsenal

Eberechi Eze scored a remarkable hat-trick as Arsenal defeated Spurs.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 23, 2025

Former England and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll scored a brilliant hat-trick for Dagenham & Redbridge. The 36-year-old forward, who once broke the British transfer record when moving to Anfield from Newcastle United, has made a fresh start in the sixth tier of English football after leaving French side Bordeaux in the summer. He joined the club both as a player and a shareholder.

• Carroll returned to England this summer

  Carroll, who previously enjoyed spells at Newcastle, Liverpool, and West Ham United in the Premier League, returned to England this summer after a brief stint with French fourth-division club Bordeaux. Despite interest from clubs across Europe, the veteran forward chose an unexpected path and came back to his homeland. He got off to a nightmare start in the sixth tier of English football. In a pre-season friendly against League Two side Crawley Town, Dagenham and Redbridge went down 5-1 as Carroll came on as a substitute after the hour mark. 

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• AFP
  

  Carroll's hat-trick inspires Dagenham and Redbridge to a win

  On Saturday, the veteran forward featured in Dagenham and Redbridge's starting and completed a hat-trick within the first 31 minutes of the match as his side thrashed AFC Totton 5-1 in a National League South. He opened the scoring in the sixth minute before doubling the tally 12 minutes later. Carroll then completed his hat-trick just past the half-hour mark as he cushioned a clipped ball down before beating the opposition goalkeeper to complete a third for the evening. 

  Carroll, who now has six league goals to his name, thanked the supporters after the memorable performance, as he said: "Thanks for the support today, buzzing with my hat-trick and the three points. What a win. Let’s keep it going."

  With the win on Saturday, the club have now moved up to 12th in the Northern League South points table. 

• 'My kids thought I was signing for Chelsea'

  After moving back to England and joining a lower division club, Carroll had told reporters: "My kids thought I was signing for Chelsea — they’ll be in for a shock. It’s a fantastic location and close to my kids, they will be able to come and see me play. I really enjoyed my time in Bordeaux, but it’s time for me to get settled with my family. I’m hoping my kids will bring their friends to see me play. I didn’t want to finish playing football, and I’m really excited to get involved in the leadership side and be a player. I’ve got experience in seeing how clubs are run, of all levels. I think I can add value."

  He added: "My first job is to go in as a player, I want to get them promoted. I was offered clubs with a lot more money, but I realised Dagenham was a project that I really wanted to get into. I want to help as many players and staff from my experience and background as possible. I was getting offers from clubs in France, Italy and Spain, but I wanted to come home. I could sign for a top club, but me and the managers might not see eye to eye, so I just want to be somewhere I’m going to be happy."

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• AFP
  

  Carroll's struggles in France

  In April this year, while Carroll was still in France, French publication claimed that the English forward earned €1,614 (£1,372) gross per month at Bordeaux, which is less than €1,400 (£1,190) after tax. The figure mentioned by was less than the French minimum wage for a 35-hour work week of €1,801.80 (£1,532).

  He himself had told L'Equipe in an interview that his apartment rent was more than his wages. "I rent a nice little house and my salary is less than my rent. If I joined Bordeaux, it's obviously not for the money," Carroll said.

Whilst long throws, set pieces and teams centred around physicality are back in fashion, a lot has changed in the Premier League since 1992. It’s now the richest league in the world, featuring some of the best players and managers in world football. It is the ultimate destination. But, how much has the table changed in that time?

FootballBlog has released a full ranking of the Premier League table from its very first season in 1992 up until the beginning of the recent November international break. The table includes deductions issued by the Premier League and has tallied the wins, draws and losses by teams over the last 33 years. A total of 51 teams have featured in the top flight over the last three decades, but only 20 can make the all-time standings.

Premier League table by transfer spend per point 2025/26

The top flight would look very different.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 14, 2025 20 West Bromwich Albion: 490 points

They may be languishing outside the top six in the Championship these days, but there was a time when an away trip to face West Bromwich Albion was a day of frustration for any top side. They sit 20th thanks to the fact that they haven’t returned to the top tier since 2021, but it’s hard to forget just how impressive they were at their best – finishing as high as eighth in the 2012/13 season. And who could forget the form of Romelu Lukaku during his time at the Hawthorns?

19 Bolton Wanderers: 575 points

Ever seen a player so good they named him twice? That was Jay-Jay Okocha. The former Bolton Wanderers star formed the most unlikely partnership with Sam Allardyce during the club’s impressive 11-year stay in the Premier League. Their best finish saw them reach as high as sixth in the 2004/05 season and there still exists the famous video of Allardyce attempting his best dance moves with his star midfielder in 2003.

18 Sunderland: 637 points

Sunderland have been back to where they belong this season and are even on course for their highest-ever Premier League finish. The Black Cats have fought their way back from the depths of League One and may yet get the chance to move up the all-time Premier League table by the time that May arrives. A club built on the memories of stunning Jermain Defoe volleys and Kevin Phillips’ goalscoring heroics could now be about to form their most historic campaign yet.

17 Middlesbrough: 661 points

This time next year, we could be welcoming Middlesbrough back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. It was then that they welcomed the likes of Alvaro Negredo, only to struggle in front of goal when it wasn’t the forward finding the back of the net. It was the third time that they suffered relegation from the Premier League in their history and everyone around Riverside will be desperate to earn redemption almost a decade later.

16 Crystal Palace: 728 points

Whilst there is a running joke that Crystal Palace always end the season sat in 13th, the all-time table has them 16th and their form over the last year suggests that they could be destined for better things. From mid-table mediocrity, the Eagles have soared to become FA Cup winners, Community Shield winners and a side competing in European football. This is without doubt one of, if not the best Crystal Palace side in the club’s history.

15 Fulham: 804 points

Like Palace, Fulham have often been accused of ending their seasons sat in mid-table, but they won’t mind that. The Cottagers have become an established Premier League side once again under Marco Silva and have caused plenty of upsets on their way. Alas, it’s their time under Roy Hodgson that stands out the most, with the veteran manager taking the West London side all the way to the Europa League final in 2010. 15 years later, no one’s forgotten the stunning comeback victory against Juventus at Craven Cottage.

14 Leeds United: 831 points

Like Sunderland, Leeds United are back where they belong in the Premier League. The Whites are full of top flight history and still have their place on the all-time table after the success that they had in the early Premier League years. Their most successful campaign remains a third-place finish under David O’Leary in 2000 to bring Champions League football to Elland Road, as Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith all starred.

13 Leicester City: 846 points

It’s still absurd, isn’t it? Leicester City: Premier League champions. It remains the most impressive achievement in English football history, as the Foxes took the fight to the big six and somehow came out on top in the 2015/16 campaign. We’re unlikely to see a repeat anytime soon, if ever. Even after they suffered relegation last season, it’s tough to think about the Premier League without picturing Claudio Ranieri’s title winners.

12 Blackburn Rovers: 970 points

It’s been over a decade since Blackburn Rovers were relegated from the Premier League and they remain one of the biggest sides yet to earn promotion back to the top flight. From winning the title in the 1994/95 campaign, Blackburn were relegated in the 1998/99 season and then once more in 2012. History, however, will tell the story of how Sir Kenny Dalglish, with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, took his side to glory in 95.

11 Southampton: 1,100 points

For a while, Southampton couldn’t get much wrong in the Premier League. They thrived under Mauricio Pochettino then hired Ronald Koeman to pick up where he left off. The Saints also quickly became Liverpool’s favourite club, with Sadio Mane, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Virgil van Dijk all heading to Anfield for impressive fees. Although some will be quick to remember last season’s disaster, Southampton were once one of the best ball-playing teams outside the top six.

“We aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that,” admits Sidra Nawaz

Madushka Balasuriya08-Oct-20250:58

Nawaz: ‘We are not being able to build momentum with the bat’

Pakistan knew they needed to be near perfect to beat Australia, an opponent they had failed to overcome on 16 prior occasions, and for around 22 overs, they were.There were diving catches, lightning quick stumpings, and your proverbial livewire acts of fielding. The conditions, too, were tailor-made; there were a few raised eyebrows when Pakistan opted to bowl first, but with the caliber of spinners they had in their ranks, they were confident of challenging Australia’s batters.That confidence was vindicated swiftly, as a combination of skillful bowling, efficient catching and some uncharacteristic errors in batting from a large chunk of Australia’s batting unit, saw the defending champions stumble to 76 for 7.Related

Clinical Mooney curbs attacking instincts to save the day for Australia

Mooney's rescue act for the ages denies Pakistan a historic win

Pakistan had never beaten Australia, and now they were closer than ever. But like a car crash in slow motion, the opportunity that had presented itself before them was snatched away brutally.”When they’re [Pakistan are] flying, they’re up and about. If you get a little partnership going, they can get a little bit flat, and you can open the game up that way,” Beth Mooney said after the game.”I sort of knew we had a long time to bat, so we didn’t have to do anything too rash.”That same sentiment was echoed by Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana during the post-match presentation.”We were on top after 20 overs in the first innings. After that, Beth Mooney played well and our girls’ energy came down. We need that energy until the last ball.”Mooney had struck a match-winning 109 off 114 deliveries to take the game away from Pakistan. That 109 was just five short of Pakistan’s eventual tally in their chase.Mooney’s innings also served to highlight the weaknesses prevalent in Pakistan’s batting unit. While Mooney rotated the strike – she took 44 singles across her innings – and shelved her attacking instincts to steer the game back towards her side, Pakistan lost wickets from the get-go.A game that started with ‘how good is this’ ended with ‘how did that happen’ for Fatima Sana•ICC/Getty ImagesSidra Amin struck 35 from 52, but no other batter in Pakistan’s top six reached double digits. While there is the mitigating factor that their last two games have been against Australia and India, and their first match in this tournament was against a Bangladesh outfit that is proving to be dangerous with the ball, Pakistan will know that a high score of 159 across those games is not good enough.”It is quite disappointing for us also because we were batting well previously. We did well in the Qualifiers, we did well in the series against South Africa in the lead up to the World Cup,” Sidra Nawaz said after the game.”Here, we aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that, and do well in our upcoming matches.”While Nawaz’s comments hold a modicum of truth – there were two scores of 287 and 255 against South Africa in Lahore – Pakistan’s unreliable batting unit has been a problem for some time now.Across 35 innings since the 2022 World Cup, they have managed a score of 250 or more just five times. Even accounting for low-scoring chases, this has been a fairly worrying record, and it’s something they will need to address sooner rather than later if they are to support the best efforts on the field.

If there was any anxiety about India’s performance this home season, the first day’s play went some way to allaying them. Weakened they might be with the retirements of three legends, wounded they might be after losing the last series here 0-3, there is still plenty of fire. West Indies came under it and couldn’t really muster up a response. After choosing to bat, they were bowled out for 162 with time to spare for the tea break. At stumps, they were clinging on to a lead of 41.Mohammed Siraj picked up where he left off after his Iron Man efforts in England. He focused on pitching the ball up. He targeted the top of the stumps. He didn’t give the batter any easy reprieves and that was enough for him to pick up four of the first five wickets to fall. He thought he had a fifth – which would’ve been a landmark moment because he doesn’t have a five-for at home – but DRS took it away. Jasprit Bumrah, his new-ball partner, offered him a pat on the back when replays showed the lbw shout against Justin Greaves being struck down but didn’t seem to be so sympathetic when he started ripping out the tail with his yorkers. Eventually Siraj had to settle for figures of 4 for 40.A comfortable day’s play offered opportunity for India to make further gains, particularly their new man at No. 3. But Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal for 7 off 19 only served as a reminder that this team is still transitioning and that without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Aswhin and Rishabh Pant, who is only injured, there are vulnerabilities. KL Rahul papered over them with a no-nonsense half-century. It feels like he knows how to match his output with his ability now. Something West Indies are struggling with.Their XI has nine centuries in it. Two of their top three have yet to contribute to that count. The other one has a double, but he was coming back to international cricket after a 20-month break. Tagenarine Chanderpaul would be sorely disappointed with his return – out for a duck, caught down the leg side. But there were others who had reasons to feel more guilty. Brandon King left a straight ball to knock down his middle stump.KL Rahul led India’s reply with a composed half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze looked steady, especially after he got through a nervous first few deliveries where it seemed like he was too keen to feel bat on ball. The West Indian No. 3 was just starting to gain confidence in his defence when Siraj decided to prey on his inexperience. He had seen the batter settling in nicely and decided to tease him with a fuller delivery. Had the length been shorter, Athanaze might have been more circumspect with his shot. The fact that it was pitched up had his juices flowing. He went for a big booming drive and was caught at slip.Roston Chase and Shai Hope offered some resistance. Theirs was the longest partnership of the innings – 70 balls – and it pushed India to produce the two best balls of the day. Kuldeep Yadav, who had spent a five-match tour of England on the sidelines, struck with his eighth delivery back, creating gap between Hope’s bat and pad with his drift and surging through it with his dip and turn. It is ridiculous how often wristspinners make the stumps look like an easy target.Chase was the victim of Siraj’s a wobble-seam variation, although the real genius of the wicket lay in the steep angle that the fast bowler created into the right-hander. The West Indies captain was suckered into closing the face of his bat so early that he was caught by the wicketkeeper off the leading edge.India’s bowling wasn’t at its threatening best – there were seven fours in the first 10 overs – but they were better at the basics than their opposition. Bumrah did have one bit of the spectacular in him. At the Asia Cup, he was partly bowling his team to victory and partly testing his fitness out for these Test matches. Early indications were that his rhythm is on point. He spotted Greaves’ tendency to bat with a huge backlift, which also curved to the off side, and knew it would be vulnerable to his yorker and it proved so the very first time he tried.Bumrah now has 50 Test wickets in India and he got there in record time, a full 521 balls quicker than the previous mark set by Mohammed Shami.

Are Chelsea outside challengers for the Premier League title this season?

Based on the weekend’s results, they are, as Enzo Maresca’s Blues comfortably got the better of Burnley 2-0 on the road to remain second spot in the early league standings, while Liverpool and Manchester City fell to unwanted defeats.

Maresca’s men managed to pick up that routine win, even with Moises Caicedo out of the starting lineup at Turf Moor, as Chelsea’s standout £115m midfielder was rested after a gruelling international break with Ecuador.

Thankfully, the defensive midfield partnership that did start in Lancashire in Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos rose to the occasion, with Santos stealing many of the plaudits at the full-time whistle, despite Fernandez’s late strike sealing all three points.

Santos' standout performance vs Burnley

Fernandez rightfully received plenty of praise at the final whistle, with the World Cup winner now up to 11 goals and ten assists in 2025 for the Blues as a forward-thinking midfield spark.

But, with Caicedo out of the starting XI, Chelsea also needed a talent prepared to dig deep and do the required defensive work that the South American does week in week out, with the 24-year-old averaging 5.2 ball recoveries and winning 5.4 duels per Premier League contest this season, away from also chipping in with three goals and an assist.

Thankfully, Santos stepped up into his role effortlessly against Scott Parker’s hosts, with two tackles won, seven duels won, and four ball recoveries amassed, showing off the 21-year-old’s full-blooded approach.

On top of that, Santos also ended the game with one big chance created from his 34 accurate passes, with analyst Raj Chohan even stating that he provides a “lot of value” to the team as a stellar stand-in option for the likes of Caicedo.

The promising number 17 will hope he can get more first-team minutes soon, away from being in the shadow of the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion man.

But, he isn’t the only midfield asset being directly compared to Caicedo now.

Chelsea's next Caicedo

It’s clear that Chelsea have great faith in the youngsters rising the ranks at Stamford Bridge currently, with Maresca prepared to start a whole plethora of exciting, young talents, away from just throwing Santos into the first-team spotlight.

Chalkboard

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

Indeed, in attack, Estevao has been handed chances galore this season to impress, with a Premier League goal and assist coming the hotly tipped Brazilian’s way subsequently.

Moreover, Marc Guiu would gift Fernandez his goal at Turf Moor on a plate, with the 19-year-old now becoming a regular impact player off the bench. Could Dario Essugo be the next starlet to make a wild impression?

Already, the £18.5m summer purchase – despite only being 20 years of age – has shone in some challenging environments for two loan sides in Chaves and Las Palmas in Liga Portugal and La Liga respectively.

His attritional, yet polished displays, have even led to scout Jacek Kulig hailing the Portuguese enforcer as a “one-man army.”

Moreover, Kulig also boldly labelled Essugo as “one of the most exciting DMs in Europe” for his continued excellence with Las Palmas, even as they succumbed to relegation.

In the current Chelsea set-up, based on his numbers last season in that relegation-troubled camp, he would surely shine as bright as Caicedo has managed in West London.

Games played

18

27

Goals scored

0

1

Assists

0

0

Touches*

40.8

48.4

Accurate passes*

24.5 (85%)

30.0 (86%)

Tackles*

1.7

2.2

Ball recoveries*

4.2

4.4

Clearances*

1.7

1.6

Total duels won*

5.3

4.9

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Essugo will be prepared to battle and tussle for Chelsea when first-team chances eventually arrive at his door, winning 4.9 duels per game last season in La Liga action, not a million miles off Caicedo’s 5.4 tally this campaign back in England.

Unfortunately, the only drawback for Essugo so far is that he is sidelined with a nasty injury at the moment, but he did shine briefly in Caicedo’s place against AC Milan in pre-season, with 100% of his ground duels won from just 17 minutes of action.

Thankfully, Maresca has Santos to fall back on in defensive midfield for the time being, if Caicedo continues to look fatigued.

But, do not rule out Essugo exploding onto the scene when he returns from the treatment room, with Chelsea’s midfield options full to the brim with quality.

Shades of Kante: 8/10 Chelsea man had his "best performance" yet vs Burnley

As Chelsea beat Burnley 2-0 in the Premier League at Turf Moor, which player put in their “best performance” for the club, looking N’Golo Kanté-esque?

Nov 22, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Jorge Sampaoli, com passagens por Santos, Atlético-MG e Flamengo, concedeu entrevista ao jornal espanhol “Marca”. Questionado sobre suas experiências em território brasileiro, o argentino enalteceu os torcedores rubro-negros e descreveu a sensação de estar à frente do clube.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo x Grêmio: como é o histórico do confronto?Flamengo12/06/2024FlamengoFlamengo SAF: veja o que candidato à presidência falouFlamengo11/06/2024Fora de CampoÍdolo do São Paulo pede Sampaoli para o lugar de Carpini: ‘Tem que trazer um doido’Fora de Campo16/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

– A pressão é muito grande no Brasil, mas sobretudo no Flamengo. Existe uma grande exigência das pessoas em todos os lugares: aeroportos, hotéis… é muito intenso tudo aquilo que se vive, ainda mais sendo treinador. O Flamengo tem a maior torcida do mundo, são 45 milhões de torcedores. Por lá, você não pode perder um jogo sequer – afirmou o comandante.

Atualmente sem clube, Sampaoli revelou ter recebido aproximações de algumas equipes, mas afirmou ter calma para definir seu futuro. Seu último trabalho foi justamente à frente do Fla, entre abril e setembro de 2023. Pelo clube da Gávea, foi vice-campeão da Copa do Brasil, além de ter caído para o Olimpia-PAR nas oitavas da Libertadores.

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– Tive algumas ofertas, mas estou tranquilo. Não gosto de colocar nomes no meu destino. Quero trabalhar em um projeto onde eu possa estar por alguns anos, três ou quatro, como nunca aconteceu. Não sei se voltaria a trabalhar no Brasil, porque é a liga mais exigente que já estive. Dez mil vezes mais que a espanhola, por exemplo. Você joga a cada dois dias, e tem que vencer sempre, sempre e sempre. No Fla, conseguimos 70% dos pontos disputados, mas não foi suficiente. Perdemos a final, e fui embora. Perder nos ensina, ainda mais se temos tempo para revisar os erros – disse.

➡️ Ex-atacante pede Pedro como camisa 9 da Seleção: ‘Endrick tem que esperar um pouco’

Em 39 jogos, Jorge conduziu o Rubro-Negro a 20 vitórias, 11 empates e nove derrotas, tendo média de 1,82 pontos por jogo. Mesmo após a demissão, seguiu morando em solo carioca com sua família, e disse gostar do país.

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– Eu me dei bem no Santos e no Atlético-MG, e um pouco no Flamengo. Minha companheira é chilena, mas meus filhos mais novos nasceram já no Brasil. Todos nós nos sentimos em casa e adaptados ao Rio de Janeiro – finalizou o treinador.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoSampaoli

The Phillies' comeback against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series fell short on Monday.

The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Phillies fought back with a run in the eighth inning. After holding the Dodgers without a run over the final two innings, the Phillies added two more runs early in the ninth inning.

The Phillies were trailing by just one run when Bryson Stott came up to the plate. With no outs and Nick Castellanos on second base, Philadelphia was in good position to tie up, if not win the game with a walk-off. Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to have Stott bunt, and though he got the ball down, the Dodgers were able to get Castellanos out at third. The Dodgers got the final two outs of the game on the next three plate appearances, and took a 4-3 win.

Thomson explained the unpopular choice to have Stott bunt after the game, saying, “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs."

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play," Thomson added. "We teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash because you're getting all kinds of room in the middle. Mookie broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up."

The Dodgers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after Philadelphia failed to win either of their first two home games. The Phillies will head to Los Angeles where they'll face elimination when they play on Wednesday.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” عن مواعيد مباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العالم 2026 التي ستنطلق الصيف المقبل، في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك وكندا.

وستنطلق منافسات نهائيات كأس العالم في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو، وتضم هذه النسخة 48 منتخبًا موزعة على 12 مجموعة.

وكانت قرعة دور المجموعات لكأس العالم 2026، قد أسفرت عن وقوع إنجلترا في المجموعة الثانية عشر إلى جانب منتخبات كرواتيا وبنما وغانا.

اقرأ أيضاً.. توخيل بعد قرعة كأس العالم: لا يجب الاستهانة بأي منتخب.. وغانا مليئة بالمواهب

وكان منتخب إنجلترا قد أنهى تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، محتلاً صدارة المجموعة الحادية عشر بـ24 نقطة، من 8 انتصارات وسجل الفريق 22 هدفًا ولم تستقبل شباكه أي هدف. مواعيد مباريات مجموعة إنجلترا في كأس العالم 2026الجولة الأولى:

إنجلترا وكرواتيا، يوم الأربعاء 17 يونيو، في دالاس، الساعة 11 مساءاً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

غانا وبنما، فجر الخميس 18 يونيو، في تورنتو، الساعة 2 فجراً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. الجولة الثانية:

إنجلترا وغانا، يوم الثلاثاء 23 يونيو، في بوسطن، الساعة 11 مساءاً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

بنما وكرواتيا، فجر الأربعاء 24 يونيو، في تورنتو، الساعة 2 فجراً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. الجولة الثالثة:

إنجلترا وبنما، يوم الأحد 28 يونيو، في نيويورك نيو جيرسي، الساعة 12 مساءاً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

كرواتيا وغانا، يوم الأحد 28 يونيو، في فيلادفيا، الساعة 12 مساءاً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Tottenham Hotspur’s season is going off the rails, and fast.

Thomas Frank’s side look a million miles from the one that made a positive start back in August, and following their loss to Fulham on Saturday night, sit tenth in the Premier League.

The North Londoners have become utterly toothless in attack and porous at the back, and they are showing no signs of improving.

Fortunately, reports are now linking Spurs with a player who might be able to help improve the side in both halves of the pitch, someone who’d be a significant upgrade on the increasingly disappointing Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs target Bentancur upgrade

While he is far from the only one, Bentancur has been seriously disappointing for Spurs this season, and a million miles from the player fans were excited to watch every week a few years ago.

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For example, in the club’s recent derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, he looked completely off the pace.

For the first game, respected Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him a rather generous 5/10 match rating. Then, for the latter, he awarded him a 3/10 rating for his inability to gain a foothold in the game.

In short, if it wasn’t already clear last year, this season has made it clear that the Lilywhites need a new midfielder who can help the defence, but also has the power to lend a hand to the attack at times.

Fortunately, it would appear that the club are well aware of this and are looking at a Premier League star who could do just that.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Spurs are now interested in Carlos Baleba.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the North Londoners have now entered the race for the Brighton & Hove Albion star, who is also a key target for Manchester United.

However, on top of the potential competition, the Cameroonian’s price tag could be a hurdle, with the report stating that the Seagulls still value him at €100m, which is about £88m.

Yet, even though this would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Baleba’s ability and potential make it one Spurs should pursue, especially as he’d be a huge upgrade on Bentancur.

How Baleba compares to Bentancur

Now, the first thing to say is that, yes, so far this season, Baleba’s form has dropped somewhat.

However, that could be due in part to the transfer saga he went through in the summer, the inconsistent form of Brighton overall, or the simple fact that he is still just 21 years old.

However, even so, the Cameroon international was sensational last season, and a slight dip in form does not take away from the fact that when he is on song, he is incredible to watch.

Moreover, when comparing his underlying numbers to Bentancur’s from last season, even though he is so much younger, he still comes out ahead in most metrics.

For example, when it comes to the attacking side of the game, the Douala-born gem does better in metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, key passes, successful take-ons, carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.15

0.10

Shots

1.49

1.20

Shots on Target

0.37

0.27

Passing Accuracy

87.4%

87.9%

Key Passes

0.71

0.55

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.78

0.71

Goal-Creating Actions

0.14

0.16

Tackles Won

1.55

1.20

Blocks

1.59

1.37

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.03

0.05

Successful Take-Ons

1.11

0.49

Carries into the Final Third

1.52

1.31

Ball Recoveries

6.66

6.61

% of Aerial Duels Won

60.0%

54.5%

Impressively, despite tending to start a little deeper than the Uruguayan, the Seagulls star also ranked incredibly closely for goal-creating actions.

Unsurprisingly, he also blows the 28-year-old away when it comes to the defensive side of things, winning more tackles, making more blocks, recovering the ball more often and winning more of his aerial duels, despite being shorter.

With numbers such as these, it’s not hard to see why respected analyst Ben Mattinson described the former LOSC Lille star as “one of the best midfielders in the league” last year.

Finally, on top of clearly outperforming the Lilywhites midfielder when it comes to underlying numbers, another reason Baleba would be an excellent upgrade is that he’s happy playing in central or defensive midfield.

Therefore, he’d be a perfect option for a double pivot, as he could interchange with someone like Lucas Bergvall and, in turn, make life for opposition midfielders far harder.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Spurs should do what they can to bring the Brighton ace to N17, as he’d be an excellent addition to the team and an instant upgrade on Bentancur.

New Soldado: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank must drop this flop who is becoming the new Roberto Soldado.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025