O Corinthians divulgou nesta quarta-feira o balanço financeiro referente aos nove primeiros meses de 2020. Nesse período o clube fechou suas contas com déficit de R$ 6,203 milhões, impulsionado pela crise na pandemia de coronavírus. A dívida acumulada do clube aumentou para R$ 921,9 milhões.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians e cervejaria anunciam término de acordo de patrocínioCorinthians18/11/2020VídeoPreparador físico do Corinthians fala da importância da intensidade nos treinos: ‘Jogos exigem isso’Vídeo18/11/2020VídeoVÍDEO: Corinthians se prepara em dois períodos para pegar o GrêmioVídeo18/11/2020
TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui
Esse saldo negativo representa uma piora em relação ao superávit de R$ 4,395 milhões apresentado nos primeiros seis meses do ano. Em 2019, o balanço teve prejuízo total de R$ 177 milhões, valor que foi corrigido para R$ 195,4 milhões a pedido do Conselho Fiscal e do Conselho de Orientação.
No primeiro semestre, o lucro foi turbinado por conta das vendas de jogadores, que totalizaram R$ 142,2 milhões. Apesar de esse valor ter aumentado para R$ 186,4 milhões até setembro, não foi suficiente para amenizar as perdas de receitas por conta da crise provocada pela pandemia de coronavírus, que culminou na saída de patrocinadores e corte nas cotas de TV.
Embora o déficit seja bem menor até aqui do que o de 2019, o clube viu sua dívida acumulada aumentar mais um pouco de junho para setembro. O montante passou de R$ 904,4 milhões para R$ 921,9 milhões, cerca de R$ 17,5 milhões a mais. Em comparação com a dívida acumulada em 31 de dezembro de 2019 (R$ 668,7 milhões), o aumento é de R$ 253,2 milhões em nove meses.
Jesse Lingard has taken to social media after securing his first K-League win with his new side FC Seoul.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Lingard joins FC SeoulSecures first winYet to make starting XIWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Manchester United and West Ham playmaker took to his personal Instagram account after securing three points in the league for the first time since joining the club.
Lingard has made three appearances for his new side but the 2-0 win over Jeju was the first time he was able to contribute to his new team tasting victory. Goals from Stanislav Illjutcenko and Sung-Yeung Ki proved to be the difference at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
AdvertisementWHAT LINGARD SAID
Posting on Instagram, Lingard wrote: "Perfect Saturday afternoon."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lingard joined the South Korean side in February after leaving Nottingham Forest on a free transfer at the end of last season. The England international is yet to make his first start for FC Seoul but will be hoping he can build on his first win with more positive performances in the future.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?
Lingard and his teammates will be back in action after the upcoming international break. Their next fixture will arrive against eighth-place Gangwon, where the 31-year-old will be hoping to break into the starting line-up.
At the start of May earlier this year, Leeds United made the decision to part ways with Victor Orta and relieve him of his duties as the club's sporting director.
It came with the Whites struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table and they were eventually relegated down to the Championship, despite Sam Allardyce being appointed in a late attempt to secure survival after the Spanish director was sacked.
Orta, who has joined the Yorkshire-based side in 2017, had a mixed spell in charge of the footballing operations at Elland Road and supporters could pick out many examples of both good and bad pieces of transfer business from his tenure.
One move that the sporting director may look back on with immense regret was his decision to cash in on young goalkeeper Elia Caprile, who has gone on to forge a very promising career for himself since his exit last year.
How many appearances did Caprile make for Leeds?
The youngster was signed from Chievo's academy set-up at the start of 2020 and he was not given a single opportunity to play a first-team match for the club during his time at Elland Road.
He was 18 at the time of his move to England and put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Whites, that would have expired at the end of last season.
Caprile had played 40 matches and kept seven clean sheets for Chievo's reserve team but had not made his senior bow for the Italian side.
The teenage titan also kept seven shutouts in 25 U17 outings for his former club and this form convinced Leeds and Orta to swoop for his services ahead of the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.
His only appearance for the Whites that term came in the EFL Trophy and the 18-year-old ace caught the eye with eight saves and a Sofascore rating of 8.2, which was boosted by a penalty shootout save.
Caprile was then promoted to the U21 team for the following season and kept five clean sheets in 18 Premier League 2 games throughout the 2020/21 term.
He was also an unused substitute in five Premier League matches for Marcelo Bielsa that season, which suggests that the talented youngster had impressed the Argentine coach enough to be trusted to be there as a back-up.
How much was Caprile worth at Leeds?
The impressive young ace left Elland Road prior to the start of the 2022/23 campaign and was valued at just €275k (£238k) by Transfermarkt at the end of his spell in England.
This valuation came after Orta and Bielsa had allowed the Italian prospect to spend the previous season on loan with Pro Patria in the third division of football in his home country.
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.
He made 39 appearances for the club in all competitions throughout the 2021/22 term and conceded 46 goals to go along with 13 clean sheets. This included 13 shutouts in 36 Serie C games during his first consistent run of first-team matches in his career at that point.
His form attracted interest from Serie B side Bari and they swooped to sign him on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022, as Orta and then-boss Jesse Marsch seemingly decided that he did not have a long-term future at Leeds.
How did Caprile perform last season?
That decision turned out to be a blunder by the former Whites sporting director as he had a mare with the shot-stopper, who went on to enjoy a fantastic 2022/23 campaign with his new club.
Caprile played a crucial role in Bari's season with a string of outstanding performances between the sticks after his move from the English side.
The 22-year-old ace, who was described as a "superstar" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 37 Serie B outings as he saved 77% of the shots against his goal throughout the season.
Per the aforementioned Kulig, Caprile had prevented 2.93 more goals than the xG of the strikes against him suggested that he should have by March, which shows that the former Leeds man was an above-average performer as a shot-stopper.
How much is Caprile worth now?
At the time of writing (10/10/2023), Transfermarkt have his market value at €4m (£3.5m) and this means that his price has soared over the last 15 months.
His value has rocketed up by a staggering 1,355% from the initial €275k that Transfermarkt placed it at when Leeds opted to sell him to Bari last year.
Since then, Caprile has proved himself to be an outstanding performer in the Serie B for his new club and earned himself a big move to Serie A champions Napoli this year.
The league winners swooped to sign him on a permanent basis from Bari and immediately loaned him out to fellow top-flight side Empoli, where he has made two appearances so far.
Appearances
168
Goals conceded
212
Clean sheets
48
His fantastic development since Orta sold him in 2022 suggests that the former Leeds sporting director had a big mare, particularly when you consider that the club's current number one has underperformed in that time.
How has Illan Meslier performed for Leeds?
The French shot-stopper has had a disappointing start to the current Championship season as the 23-year-old dud has conceded 1.73 more goals than expected across the first 11 matches, as per Sofascore.
This comes after the Leeds lightweight let in a whopping 13.14 more goals than expected and had a save success rate of just 58% across 34 Premier League outings during the 2022/23 campaign.
Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
These statistics show that Daniel Farke's current first-choice has underperformed as a shot-stopper since the start of last season, as he has allowed far too many shots that the average goalkeeper would be expected to save to go into the back of his net.
Meanwhile, Caprile has outperformed expectations in Italy and earned himself a transfer to the winner of one of Europe's five major leagues, and is only one year younger than the Frenchman.
Therefore, Orta had a howler with the sale of the Italian colossus due to the potential upgrade that he could have been for Leeds over Meslier as well as his soaring market value.
The Herons' backline will likely be the difference between success and failure this season, starting with the CONCACAF Champions Cup
When you have the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in your team, you'll always have a chance. We saw it for years at Barcelona and, in these early days at Inter Miami, we've gotten glimpses of that fact too.
If the Herons are to be successful, though, they'll have to overcome what's going on at the other end of the field. The Messi and Suarez duo may just be enough to win them trophies, but their defense is a serious concern.
That will be the storyline of the season: can Inter Miami's superstars do enough to overcome their defensive frailties? Can Gerardo 'Tata' Martino find a way to mask what feels like a major weakness? And, if he can't, if this is the best this unit will look, what will that mean for the club's ambitions this season?
Ahead of the club's CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg against Nashville SC, those questions are taking centerstage as the club pursues its first trophy of the season.
Watch Inter Miami with the MLS Season PassStream now
Getty
Preseason issues
The signs were there relatively early this season. Throughout preseason, it became clear that Miami would have plenty to sort out on the backline.
Their first two games were okay enough: a 0-0 draw with El Salvador and a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas. The attack struggled in those games but the world knew that wouldn't last long. There was too much talent there.
In Saudi Arabia, though, Miami's Achilles heel began to show itself. They were battered 6-0 by Al Nassr in an embarrassing defeat that came just days after a 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal. 10 goals conceded in two games? Even in preseason, that's inexcusable.
They settled down after and, in the month-and-a-half since, have largely looked strong. However, there have been moments, of calamity, headlined by the recent loss to CF Montreal.
Advertisement
Getty
A relatively solid stretch
Inter Miami came out flying to start the MLS season. Solid results against Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy gave them four points from their first two games, a good haul all things considered.
It was their match against Orlando City, though, that got everyone excited. That's what happens when you win a game in that way.
Led by superstar performances from Messi and Suarez, the Herons blew out their local rivals 5-0. It was a comprehensive and dominant performance from a team that totally exposed the opposition in what should have been a relatively even game.
For some time, the tactics have been there to beat Inter Miami. You have to be physical with them and, when you get the ball, you have to run, run and run some more. Make their old legs battle and fight all game long. You can't let Messi and Co develop a rhythm, which is exactly what Orlando did.
Nashville was up next, and they nearly shocked Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Two fantastic goals from Jacob Shaffelburg put Nashville ahead, but the Herons clawed their way back to seal a 2-2 draw. Messi and Suarez, of course, were the catalysts, with the Uruguayan scoring in the 92nd minute to equalize.
Messi, though, wasn't available in the club's next game against CF Montreal, and it was in that contest that the wheels fell off as Inter Miami crashed back down to earth.
Exposed by Montreal
It started off with a near-disaster. Rushing off his line to clear, goalkeeper Drake Callender faltered, allowing CF Montreal clear through on goal. Some scrambling from Serhiy Kryvtsov prevented a goal, but it didn't get any better after that.
Montreal scored from the ensuing corner kick due to some poor marking from the Inter Miami defense. Then, just a few minutes later, it was Kryvtsov's turn to miss a header, leaving Callender to bail him out. Within the first 30 minutes, Miami made several catastrophic errors and were lucky to only be down a goal because of them.
Inter Miami leveled it in the 71st minute, but the good vibes didn't last long. They were soon undone by another set piece, as Matias Coccaro was held onside for a close-range header. Three minutes later, Sanusi Ibrahim made it 3-1 and, although Jordi Alba scored in the 80th minute to give Miami hope, the match went Montreal's way.
Given the fact that Messi and Suarez didn't start, nor did midfield star Sergio Busquets, it would be easy to write it off as one bad game. That side of the ball, though, largely held its own, with Leonardo Campana getting that 71st-minute equalizer. The defensive issues were not a one-off, though, not in the slightest.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty
Set-piece issues
Former MLS star Taylor Twellman, a commentator on Apple TV, was particularly frustrated by Miami's set-piece defending. Those are the basics, after all. All good teams, particularly the best ones, make the most of set-pieces, not concede because of them.
Inter Miami will get theirs from dead-ball situations this season, particularly with Messi taking them. However, conceding on set pieces in the way they did against Montreal is something that can't be excused.
“You have to defend set-pieces. I couldn’t care less what anybody says about Inter Miami," Twellman said on AppleTV.
“They have not figured this out since the beginning of last year to now. These are simple defending set-pieces, the goalkeeper isn’t coming off his line quick enough, and defenders aren’t man-marking.”
St Lucia stumble to their 12th successive loss, a streak stretching back to CPL 2016
The Report by Peter Della Penna09-Aug-2018Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / GettyColin Munro and Denesh Ramdin bookended the Powerplay and end of the innings with half-centuries on the way to the highest ever total at Queen’s Park Oval in the CPL’s six-year history. This helped defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders open the 2018 edition with a thumping 100-run win over St Lucia Stars.Though the team has been rejigged, with a new captain in Kieron Pollard, the results for ST Lucia clearly haven’t taken a drastic turn for the better. They are now on a 12-match losing streak stretching back to 2016, when they were called Zouks.The Curse of the Zouks continues Two balls into the 2018 season, the Stars showed they have not escaped their woes from the previous season; Darren Sammy shelled a regulation chance at slip off Chris Lynn. It was the first of four drops in the innings. It’s another thing that Lynn didn’t make them pay as he fell soon after.Sunil Narine was reprieved off the very first ball he faced, in the second over, at short midwicket by Kesrick Williams, while Brendon McCullum got a second life when wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher couldn’t latch onto a thin edge off Afghan legspinner Qais Ahmad. To sum up the sorry state of the Stars fielding, the sure-handed David Warner spilled a chance at wide long-on in the 19th over to give Dwayne Bravo a life.TKR’s No. 3 on the Munny Munro piloted the Knight Riders batting unit in 2017 with 366 runs and picked up right where he left off. Entering five balls into the match after Lynn toe-ended a dipping Mitchell McClenaghan full toss to cover, Munro snuffed out any momentum the Stars hoped to build, stroking a 48-ball 68.Munro reserved his harshest punishment for Qais. The last four balls of the ninth over went: four over extra cover, four edged past Fletcher behind the stumps, four through extra cover again followed by a six slog swept viciously over midwicket.Munro was undeterred as the wickets of Narine, Brendon McCullum and Darren Bravo fell around him, cutting Pollard past a stumbling Sammy at backward point in the 12th over to bring up a 33-ball half-century. He added 51 for the fifth wicket with Ramdin before falling when he walked too far across his stumps to flick Pollard over fine leg. But by that stage the Knight Riders had an excellent platform to launch for a record total.TKR’s battering Ram When Munro fell, there were only 25 balls left in the innings and Ramdin had only reached 22 off 16 balls. But he scored 28 (off 11 balls) of the final 45 runs for Knight Riders in a furious flurry. The highlight was a gloriously effortless scoop for six over extra cover in the 19th off McClenaghan.Bravo got out two balls later and Ramdin started the 20th on strike to Kesric Williams, who in spite of his second-over drop of Narine had been the standout bowler for Stars until that point. His figures read 2 for 11 off three overs, but it all came tumbling down in his final over.A single by Ramdin was followed by consecutive fours from Javon Searles. Ramdin got back on strike for the fifth ball which was spiked over point for six before a single to end the innings brought up Ramdin’s half-century and set the Stars a target that was 32 runs more than they had ever successfully chased. Just for the record, Trinbago were undefeated at home in 2017, never conceding more than 158 in their five matches at Queen’s Park Oval. Here they had the security of another 37 in the bank.The Khan-can dance Dwayne Bravo became quite a fan of Ali Khan after the Ohio resident’s fantastic performances with the new ball under Bravo’s captaincy at Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada last month. So not only did Bravo facilitate Khan’s call-up as a replacement for Ronsford Beaton in the TKR squad for 2018, he had no hesitation picking him right away in the starting XI for opening night and giving him the first over ahead of Shannon Gabriel.The American justified Bravo’s faith with a tidy six-run first over that ended with a badge-kissing celebration after Fletcher edged an outswinger behind for a regulation chance. But the party had to be curtailed when Ramdin waved to his team-mates indicating that he had in fact dropped the ball behind the stumps.Khan had Fletcher trapped on the toe with a perfect yorker in front of middle in the third over only for the umpire to turn down his appeal for lbw. But Fletcher’s luck ran out on the fifth ball of the over when Khan reached deeper into his bag of tricks to flummox Fletcher with a slower one that had the batsman grope for the ball well out in front of his body resulting in the stumps being knocked back. Fletcher’s 19 wound up being their highest score for the night.Fawad joins the party Fawad Ahmed was brought in as a like-for-like replacement for Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan. On the basis of Friday’s performance, there isn’t much to choose between them. Brought on at the end of the Powerplay when the Stars were 47 for 3, Fawad castled Lendl Simmons with a googly first ball, then had Mark Chapman driving to cover three balls later, accelerating a Stars collapse that saw them lose their 10 wickets for 60 runs. It was the worst margin of defeat by runs for the Stars and just the third time in the history of the CPL that a team lost by 100 runs or more.
Premier League clubs fishing for new talent to add to their squads often look to faraway leagues in Europe to buy from, but looking a little closer to home often pays off with the Championship full of exceptional players worthy of a top-flight challenge if purchased. Everton are a club to have found notable success with such a strategy.
Players such as James Maddison, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ivan Toney all flourished into top players in the Premier League after finding their feet in the second tier of English football – Brentford signing Toney for a cheap initial £5m transfer fee from Peterborough United, a bargain looking back with the 27-year-old now an established goalscorer at top-flight level.
The Toffees have more than utilised this method of signing up-and-coming talents from the Championship effectively, acquiring the likes of Tim Cahill from Millwall and Joleon Lescott from Wolves in the past.
But, the standout name is John Stones, who Everton signed from Barnsley in a transfer around the £3m mark in 2013.
A decade on, Stones is now a key player for both Manchester City and England on the international stage.
Everton will hope that they can get their hands on another gem from the Championship, and in Adam Wharton from Blackburn, they could well replicate the Stones success story with the 19-year-old if he swaps Ewood Park for Goodison Park.
Are Everton interested in Adam Wharton?
Branded as an "outstanding talent" by football journalist Josh Bunting, Everton are very much interested in Wharton's services who continue to excel with Blackburn.
The young midfielder has made 33 appearances for his current employers to date, cementing his spot as a first-teamer this season after breaking through into the starting XI at the end of 2022/23 campaign.
Everton aren't the only interested party, with a whole host of top-flight teams from England sniffing around for Wharton's services – TEAMtalk reporting, via Alan Nixon, that Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brighton and four other Premier League clubs are all actively looking at Wharton for a possible January transfer worth around £10m.
But, Sean Dyche's men could have the upper hand. Nixon is reporting that the Toffees are 'preparing to launch a January bid' which proves Everton's interest is concrete for the young Blackburn star.
How good is Adam Wharton?
Adam Wharton is highly thought of in the Blackburn set-up, the Lancashire-born midfielder featuring in all but two of the Riversiders' games this season – dropping out of the side recently owing to injury.
On his first full game for Rovers, Wharton picked up a Man of the Match accolade – the homegrown talent's presence helping Blackburn get over the line in a narrow 1-0 victory, assisting the only strike of the contest versus the Tangerines.
Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton.
His overall Sofascore rating for Blackburn sees him come in at a 7.0, his tenacity on the ball a standout attribute – recovering the ball an average of six times a game this season so far from ten matches played.
Everton could well look to Wharton as a useful buy to give the Toffees more energy and doggedness through the centre of the park, a spot freed up in the midfield too after Jean-Phillipe Gbamin was recently released by the Merseysiders.
The Toffees will further hope that they have unearthed a gem to the same level that they managed to obtain when purchasing Stones in 2013, Wharton drawing parallels by coming through at his hometown club and attracting plenty of interest from a whole host of Premier League suitors.
Smith, 75, was chairman between 2003 and 2006, and more recently deputy chairman and senior independent director
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2018
Headingley from the West Stand•Getty Images
Robin Smith, the former chairman of Leeds Building Society, has been reappointed as the chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, in the wake of the resignation of the previous incumbent Steve Denison.Smith, 75, was previously Yorkshire chairman between 2003 and 2006, and has more recently been deputy chairman and senior independent director.His return to the role was unanimously agreed during a meeting at Headingley on Monday.Denison, who spent three years as Yorkshire chairman, stood down on Tuesday in the wake of an investigation into the collapse of the high-street chain, BHS, that led to him being fined and removed from the register of statutory auditors for 15 years.Denison had been lead partner on the BHS audit ahead of its controversial sale by Philip Green in 2014.Although Denison had previously indicated he hoped to stay in his position at Yorkshire, ECB regulations required him to step down after serving on the board for six years – three as chairman.”It’s with deep regret that I’m resigning from the board of Yorkshire CCC with immediate effect,” Denison said in a statement last week. “Despite enjoying wide-ranging support from the club’s stakeholders, including directors, staff and members, I believe the ECB’s regulations mean that I’m unable to remain in post and I don’t want my situation to be a distraction at a time when cricket is going through a crucial period of change.””To say I’m heartbroken is a massive understatement at what has already been an incredibly difficult time for me and my family.”
Arsenal finally ended their barren run when facing Manchester City over the weekend, as they went toe to toe with last season's Premier League champions and came out the other side unscathed.
Although it was hardly a classic, as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola engaged in more of a chess match regarding tactical flexibility as they sought to gain control, the actual game devolved into a cagey affair, as neither side piled forward with devotion, likely scared of losing rather than desperate to win.
However, it was the attacking impetus injected by Gabriel Martinelli that proved decisive, as his first-team effort took a heavy deflection off Nathan Ake and sent the Emirates into raptures.
The full-time scenes such a result sparked were electric, and they now sit atop the league table, only level with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Whilst there were many standouts in what will likely go down as a famous victory, the midfield mastery of Declan Rice certainly proved decisive, and highlighted just how important it was for Edu to ensure it was the Gunners who secured his services, and not the Citizens.
Did Manchester City nearly sign Declan Rice?
There was a brief period in which their fierce title rivals entered the race for West Ham United's captain, forcing them to act with far more speed after what had been a long, drawn-out process beforehand.
n'golo-kante-declan-rice-west-ham-opinion
Desperate to ensure the best possible deal was achieved, they saw two bids rejected before Guardiola came in to crash the party, the latter of which totalled up to £90m. The Etihad outfit would submit a former offer of their own, although it would prove fruitless
Arteta could not allow such a fierce competitor to be bolstered through their own failures, and the eventual £105m deal was soon sealed. As The Athletic put it: "This time, it truly was all or nothing for Arsenal. No Plan B, no capacity for frugal switches to alternative targets and, therefore, no room for error. It was Declan Rice or bust."
Every deal they had made was linked to the England international and the qualities he was set to offer, which made their tentative initial movements more questionable.
Although they would get their man in the end, it could truly have been game over for the Gunners had City stolen their top target, as they saw Rice as the man capable of taking them to the next level and usurping the seemingly unstoppable side.
arteta-rice
Breaking the British transfer record marked a huge risk, but it is one that already seems to be paying off. His performance on Sunday marked a culmination of such a notion.
How did Declan Rice play vs Manchester City?
Starting alongside Jorginho and Martin Odegaard, it was widely expected that, were they to achieve success on Sunday afternoon, Rice would be key. He made up an important spine of a side without Bukayo Saka in the matchday squad and without Martinelli in the starting lineup.
So, it should come as no surprise that such a suggestion rang true, with his 7.7 Sofascore rating the highest of anyone on the pitch, only matched by teammate Ben White.
Arsenal's PL record vs Man City
Result
Arsenal vs MCFC (08/10/2023)
1-0 W
MCFC vs Arsenal (26/04/2023)
4-1 L
Arsenal vs MCFC (15/02/2023)
3-1 L
Arsenal vs MCFC (01/01/2022)
2-1 L
MCFC vs Arsenal (28/08/2021)
5-0 L
All stats via 11v11
The midfield general was defensively immaculate, silencing the potent threat of City's engine room stars, whilst boasting a calm head to ensure that the occasion did not get to his teammates. It truly is remarkable just how assured the 24-year-old remains, as he got one over on the other team who could have signed him.
Boasting 58 touches emphasises his influence, whilst his 90% pass accuracy is indicative of that economical nature that helped maintain what control they boasted throughout the match. However, adding two key passes to these figures truly takes them to new heights, and showcases a world-class star capable of starring on the biggest stage, against the toughest opponents, via Sofascore.
Making two clearances, three interceptions, one block and three tackles would only add to this notion, with his early clearance off the line helping to offset the early pressure from the visitors that nearly saw David Raya crumble.
The media would flock to laud Rice, with journalist Dan Kilpatrick handing him an 8/10 when penning his post-match ratings, also claiming: "Cleared an early Gvardiol effort off the line and shielded the defence superbly in a robust performance."
Then, content creator Gooner Chris would supplement such a notion: "Declan Rice was immense against Man City, he snuffed out so many dangerous runs. Elite baller! Worth every damn penny. I’m so excited about the prospect of him permanently in the 8 role with Partey snug behind him. Who’s going to stop us?"
To boast such immense influence in a game of that magnitude goes a long way towards paying back the huge financial investment made to acquire his services, and proves Arteta's gamble may have already paid off by giving them the edge over their rivals.
How good is Declan Rice?
What makes Rice so special is that such a performance likely came as a surprise to few.
Whilst the media debates whether Moises Caicedo or Enzo Fernandez are justifying their huge price tags over at Chelsea, there has been complete silence about the £240k-per-week ace. He has been near-faultless since joining, and to already be meriting a £105m figure for a midfielder is generational.
The 6 foot 1 maestro is arguably the perfect player for Arteta in that engine room, even if he is not the most flashy player. When compared to other midfielders across Europe, via FBref, he sits in the top 5% for interceptions per 90, the top 14% for pass completion per 90, and the top 17% for progressive carries per 90, and that is all he needs.
There is no need for flashy, high-risk manoeuvres in positions of peril, nor does he need to score or assist every other match. Rice excels in a very specific vacuum, and his integration has filled that void for Arsenal.
It was a massive gamble to spend so freely on the former Republic of Ireland international, and one which drew questions. Pundit Roy Keane would even note: "They have obviously paid way too much for him. He's certainly not worth over £100m, Declan Rice, but a really good player.
“We'll find out over the next year or two how good Declan is. He turns up every week, he is a big strong boy – again, you talk about that physicality, they lacked that in the last month or two (of last season). Has he got that really top quality in terms of seeing a pass and getting nine, ten goals? We'll soon find out.”
However, he and any other doubters that remain have swiftly been proven wrong, with the future so bright at the Emirates, with their club-record acquisition set to lead them into it.
O rosto do ídolo do futebol Diego Armando Maradona, que faleceu nesta quarta-feira (25), por decorrência de uma parada de cardiorrespiratória, em Buenos Aires, foi pintado no muro do Centro de Treinamentos do Santos na noite desta quinta-feira (26). Porém, nesta sexta-feira (27) amanheceu vandalizado.
Durante as diversas homenagens a um dos maiores atletas do futebol em todo planeta, que, inclusive, fez o estádio Beira Rio, do Internacional, trocar as luzes vermelhas pelas azuis, cor do Grêmio, seu maior rival, para solidarizar-se ao Boca Júniors, equipe de Maradona na Argentina, um ato de vandalismo manchou, de forma literal, a empatia em meio ao sentimento de luto.
RelacionadasSantosApós 19 dias afastado, Cuca volta a comandar treino do SantosSantos27/11/2020SantosMarinho revela ‘profecia’ de Marcelo Fernandes em vitória do SantosSantos26/11/2020SantosEm retorno ao Santos, Alison assume vestiário em vitória sobre a LDUSantos26/11/2020
O muro do CT santista é caracterizado por estampar o rosto de ídolos do clube, imortalizado em suas grandes conquistas, portanto, a imagem de Maradona, que nunca atuou pelo Peixe, gerou críticas de alguns torcedores nas redes sociais, assim que divulgada.
Tratado como “deus” na Argentina, Diego Armando sempre foi colocado pelos portenhos como superior a Pelé, como maior jogador da história do futebol. Inclusive, o Centro de Treinamentos santista leva a alcunha do Rei do Futebol, que no Brasil atuou apenas pelo Santos.
After a resurgent run of form in the Championship, Leeds United's momentum came to a crashing halt against Stoke City in a frustrating 1-0 defeat for Daniel Farke's side. Now, they must avoid a repeat of their early-season run of results and instantly get back to winning ways against Huddersfield Town. On paper, it should prove to be a routine day at the office for the Yorkshire club, given that Huddersfield sit just one place above the relegation zone.
Leeds could be forced to pick up all three points against the Terriers without a pretty key player, however, with the latest injury news potentially dealing Farke an untimely blow.
Leeds injury news
As things stand, Leeds are already without Stuart Dallas for the long-term, meaning that they could do without any other knocks to add to what is fortunately still a list without extensive absentees. As the fixtures come thick and fast in the coming months, things could change at Elland Road in an instant. And Farke will be well aware of the need to keep his squad as fit as possible, making the latest news even more of a concern.
That news, of course, is that Sam Byram is facing a late fitness test ahead of the Huddersfield Town game. Farke told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Always someone we have to be careful with his injury record, last time he was able to play three games in seven days but each week is different – we make a late decision with him. He came through the game with a few knocks but we’ll make a late decision.”
Byram will be left feeling frustrated if he does have to sit out, having started ten of the Whites' 13 Championship games this season in an impressive run of fitness for the left-back.
Byram missing out would be a blow for Farke
Former Norwich defender Sam Byram.
Byram's stats speak for themselves. The former Norwich City full-back has quickly established himself at Elland Road and has proved to be an upgrade on Luke Ayling. When compared, via FBref, it is the summer arrival who comes out on top.
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Blocks
Interceptions
Sam Byram
23
43
16
17
Luke Ayling
13
21
10
9
With Leeds in need of a win after suffering defeat against Stoke, they could certainly do with having Byram to call upon, who has previously been spoken incredibly highly of by Farke. The Leeds boss said, via Leeds Live: “Sometimes you have to be a bit careful [when assessing players’ fitness]. Whenever you ask a player if they’re ready to go, then normally everyone wants to play and says ‘Yes, I’m top fit, boss. Let me play, everything’s okay.’
“But Sam is really, really honest because he knows also his history and when you ask him you get to always a really good answer. Never a guarantee, but we got a good feeling that he would be in shape at least to go for many minutes today.
“I’m pleased that he was there each and every second on the pitch because there was this one situation in the second half when we need also his experience but overall his quality in this position, his awareness level. He’s quite important for us.”