De virada, o São Paulo venceu o Águia de Marabá por 3 a 1 em Belém do Pará, pela partida de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Wender abriu o placar para a equipe da casa, e Juan (2x) e Luiz Gustavo marcaram os gols do Tricolor no Mangueirão.
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Águia de Marabá e São Paulo voltam a se enfrentar no Morumbis no dia 22 de maio. A equipe de Luis Zubeldía pode perder por até um gol de diferença que irá se classificar às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.
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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA ÁGUIA DE MARABÁ 1 X 3 SÃO PAULO COPA DO BRASIL – TERCEIRA FASE – IDA
🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 2 de maio de 2024, às 19h30 (de Brasília); 📍 Local: Mangueirão, em Belém (PA) Gols: Wender / Juan (2x) e Luiz Gustavo 🟨 Árbitro: Arthur Gomes Rabelo (ES) 🚩 Assistentes: Guthieri Javarini Rodrigues (ES) e Adilson Gomes de Oliveira (ES) 🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (RN)
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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES ÁGUIA DE MARABÁ (Técnico: Mathaus Sodré) Axel Lopes; Bruno Limão, David Cruz, Betão e Alan Maia; Wender, Junior Dindê e Mariano; Hitalo, Braga e Wander.
SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Zubeldía) Jandrei; Moreira, Ferraresi, Diego Costa e Patryck; Luiz Gustavo, Galoppo e Rodrigo Nestor; Erick, Juan e Michel Araújo
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have been handed a major injury update on club captain Martin Odegaard ahead of their clash with Tottenham on Sunday.
The Gunners welcome their fierce to the Emirates Stadium for the 198th edition of the North London derby, but Arteta faces perhaps his most challenging selection dilemma of the season after news that Gabriel Maglhaes could be out for at least a month with a thigh injury.
The Premier League leaders enter this weekend’s face-off sitting four points clear at the summit, maintaining their position despite a recent 2-2 draw at Sunderland that ended their remarkable 10-match winning streak across all competitions.
That minor setback pales in comparison to losing Gabriel, who’s been both the cornerstone of their water-tight backline and a major threat from set pieces all season.
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Initial medical assessments suggest the Brazilian centre-back could miss anywhere from one to two months of action, potentially sidelining him until mid-January.
Gabriel’s absence creates a massive void at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, with the 27-year-old having been instrumental in the north Londoners conceding just five goals across their opening eleven league matches.
Arteta breathed a sigh of relief when Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori is able to play against Tottenham after his own injury scare, but the Spaniard will still be forced to deploy an unfamiliar centre-back pairing of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie alongside William Saliba.
Arsenal’s attacking contingent also faces uncertainty heading into the derby.
Viktor Gyökeres remains doubtful with a hamstring problem he sustained against Burnley, whilst there’s ambiguity surrounding Gabriel Martinelli’s fitness after missing recent games with a muscle issue.
Kai Havertz’s situation looks particularly concerning after Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann confirmed the midfielder suffered a minor relapse in his recovery from a knee injury, potentially delaying his return until nearer the end of 2025.
Noni Madueke appears most likely to return from the injured quintet, reportedly having come close to making the squad for Sunderland before medical staff opted for caution.
Odegaard’s fitness adds yet another layer of intrigue.
Norway manager Stale Solbakken suggested the midfielder remains “some distance away” from returning, yet Odegaard himself offered more optimism — stating his injury is “starting to look better.”
Of course, neither of these statements offer clarity about his Spurs involvement, but insider HandOfArsenal has some very good news on that front.
Martin Odegaard in contention to play Tottenham after Arsenal update
According to the reliable Emirates Stadium source, there is a ‘possibility’ that Odegaard will be available to play against Tottenham this Sunday — giving Arteta some real encouragement that he could be about to welcome his chief creator back into the fold.
Odegaard’s return would alleviate the creative burden currently shouldered by Bukayo Saka.
As so many attackers deal with fitness issues, Saka has been forced to carry much of Arsenal’s responsibility going forward, so the boost of Odegaard’s potential presence cannot be overstated following what has been a stop-start, injury-ridden 2025 for the player.
The psychological boost of having their captain available once again could undoubtedly be huge as well.
In a match where Arsenal will field an unfamiliar defensive partnership and potentially be without several key attackers, Odegaard’s return would provide some much-needed stability.
The 26-year-old hasn’t played since coming off against West Ham in October, having only just returned from a shoulder problem, so he’ll be dying to take to the field once more in one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the season.
West Ham United have now joined the race for an “insane” Premier League striker, who is keen to leave his current club.
West Ham looking to sign striker after Fullkrüg blow
In truth, Niclas Füllkrug has flattered to deceive ever since his arrival at the London Stadium, with the German failing to score in his first six Premier League matches this season, but the striker’s recent injury setback is still a blow for Nuno.
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has recently confirmed the 32-year-old has suffered a “torn muscle bundle in his thigh” on international duty, which means he will now be ruled out for several weeks.
That leaves Callum Wilson as the obvious choice to lead the line for the foreseeable future, but there are also major doubts over the former Newcastle United man.
£150k-per-week West Ham star now unsettled as club prepare January bid to test Sullivan
The Hammers may need to figure out a plan of action.
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Wilson has struggled with injuries considerably over the past few years, missing 29 games due to hamstring and back issues across the 2024-25 campaign, so the 33-year-old is hardly a dependable option for the Hammers.
As such, it would make sense to enter the market for a new striker in the January transfer window, and that is exactly what West Ham plan to do, according to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, who credits them with an interest in Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.
Zirkzee wants to leave Man United, with the centre-forward frustrated by the lack of opportunities this season, and O’Rourke believes he could “push for a move away” in January if Ruben Amorim doesn’t give him more regular game time.
The journalist also stresses the importance of the Irons signing a new striker, adding: “Michael Antonio left when his contract expired, and neither Fullkrug nor Wilson have nailed down that number nine spot in the West Ham side.
“So I think if West Ham are still in relegation trouble come January, I think bringing in a new striker will be key to their hopes of staying up.”
"Insane" Zirkzee could reignite career at West Ham
It would be fair to say the Dutchman’s move to Old Trafford hasn’t worked out, having scored just seven goals in 53 outings for the Red Devils, but there are signs he could be capable of reigniting his career at West Ham.
At 24-years-old, the ex-Bologna man still has time on his side, and he received high praise during his time in Italy, with scout Ben Mattinson describing the former Serie A star as “insane”.
Mattinson also suggested the £105k-a-week forward has the potential to establish himself among the world’s best strikers.
It would be a risk to sign Zirkzee, given that the Netherlands international is still yet to establish himself in England, but it is difficult for a player to make a name for himself without consistent game time, which has arguably halted his progress at Man United.
GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI
Thanks for finally waking up, Premier League. In the takes economy of sports, it all seemed that this thing was rather boring. Arsenal, we were told, were strolling to the title. Man United are just plain bad. Liverpool are finished. All three of those things may yet be true, of course, but this weekend served up a little variety.
Arsenal are still very good, and have the upper hand early on. But United have some real fight and verve in them. Liverpool, meanwhile, remembered how to win a football match, which you'd imagine is fairly refreshing for those of a Liverpudlian persuasion.
Elsewhere on the continent, things are sort of cruising along. El Clasico last week suggested that there is a real gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona this year (Madrid issued a 2-1 battering). But the Blaugrana won this week, and got their season back on track before it could careen out of control.
And then, in Germany, there was simply some truly rude behavior from Bayern Munich, who are making a mockery of their league.
GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.AFP1Mo Salah is back
So much for being "washed." OK, Mo Salah hasn't been great for a while now. There have been some loose touches, some uncharacteristic misses, a bit of selfish play that was unlike the winger who was in with a shot of the Ballon d'Or last year.
Claiming he is "back!!!" in full might be a bit much, but he got himself on the scoresheet against Aston Villa, and looked a real menace for the first time in months, leading the way Liverpool's surprisingly comfortable 2-0 win.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2Man United, comeback kings?
Do we exist in a universe in which Manchester United are good at football now? Ruben Amorim supposedly has three years to get it right, which is a long time in the Man United universe.
True or not, he's certainly showing that he can conjure a few performances out of this markedly imperfect team. The latest one? A 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest, complete with a cracking Amad Diallo equalizer. There might just be a team here.
Getty Images Sport3Chelsea win (very) ugly
Chelsea-Tottenham is meant to be chippy. It's one of those fixtures in the Premier League that doesn't necessarily have a geographical rivalry, nor a singular point of tension. Rather, it's just always angry. But it's usually also quite good, a truly high standard of football to match the vitriol.
Well, this one was just plain bad. Spurs and Chelsea played out a miserable contest over the weekend. Chelsea won it, and just about deserved to do so – with Moises Caicedo making a decent case for the arbitrary "best midfielder in the Premier League" title.
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Getty Images Sport4Arsenal and set-piece goals strike again
How do you win if you don't have time to train? The answer, for Arsenal at least, is to squeeze every last drop of quality you can out of the controllable. Welcome to the world of set pieces, where the ugly becomes your biggest advantage. And the Gunners are the kings of it all, a nightmare to deal with from dead ball situations.
They delivered again against Burnley, scoring from one set piece and then strolling their way to a 2-0 win. Declan Rice was among the goals in a prancy midfield role – something that suits him wonderfully. But most impressive? They allowed just one shot on goal. If defense wins championships, then Arsenal have placed themself in a good spot.
تحدث صحفي إنجليزي مشهور عن طبيعة الاحتفال الخافت الذي قام به نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، بعدما سجل هدفًا في مباراة يوم السبت الماضي ضد أستون فيلا، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وأستون فيلا، في الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.
وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدف أول لصالح ليفربول، ولكنه اكتفى باحتفال باهت، حيث بدا وكأنه ليس راضيًا عن مستواه ذلك الموسم، خاصة بعدما تعرض لانتقادات كبيرة الفترة الأخيرة.
وقال الصحفي الإنجليزي وخبير الانتقالات، جرايم بيلي، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “tbrfootball” الإنجليزية: “محمد صلاح يضع معايير عالية لنفسه، لقد نجح ليفربول في التغلب على فريق جيد ومتألق من أستون فيلا، لكن هناك إحباط في الفريق بأكمله لعدم وصولهم إلى المستوى المطلوب بعد”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جيرارد: ابتسامة محمد صلاح أهم من فوز ليفربول على أستون فيلا
وأضاف: “محمد صلاح لاعب ذو معايير عالية، كنا سنناقش الأمر أيضًا لو كان مبتسمًا بعد تسجيله، إنه يعلم أن الطريق طويل أمام ليفربول للحاق بـ آرسنال، ويعلم أن ليفربول ليس في المكان الذي يطمح إليه”.
وواصل: “محمد صلاح تأثر بشكل كبير بوفاة جوتا، لا ندرك ما مر به الفريق في الصيف، كان قريبًا من هارفي إليوت أيضًا (انتقل إلى أستون فيلا على سبيل الإعارة)، لذا كان عليه التعامل مع الكثير خارج الملعب”.
وتطرق للحديث عن مستقبل محمد صلاح الذي يمتلك عقدًا مع ليفربول حتى صيف 2027، حيث يدرك أن الدوري السعودي لا يزال يرغب في ضمه.
وعن ذلك، قال: “إنهم مستعدون لتقديم أي عرض له، سينتهي به الأمر هناك، قد ينتهي به الأمر في السعودية في الصيف، ولكن بالتأكيد ليس في يناير”، ليؤكد بذلك ما صرّح به قبل أيام حول الأمر نفسه (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
Horas antes da partida decisiva pela Copa do Brasil e o clássico contra o Corinthians mais importante do ano, a torcida do São Paulo já estava em um ritmo caloroso e frenético de festa.
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Perto das 15h (de Brasília), os arredores do estádio tricolor já estavam extremamente movimentados. Com pessoas de todas as idades, a festa com os fogos começou cedo. Mas o grande destaque foi para a preparação para receber o ônibus da delegação são-paulina, que chegou quando eram aproximadamente 18h (de Brasília). Vale destacar que a bola rolaria somente uma hora e meia depois.
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Com expectativa de mais de 62 mil ingressos vendidos, os torcedores faziam de tudo para conseguir se preparar para a recepção do São Paulo. Haviam pessoas em cima de placas, árvores, nas grades do estádio… Por onde se olhasse, existiam torcedores com o manto tricolor.
Quanto as músicas, desde as tradicionais das organizadas do time até mesmo cantos provocativos destinados para o Corinthians. Minutos antes do ônibus são-paulino, o “Telezão”, chegar, a festa intensificou com sinalizadores, fumaças vermelhas e fogos de artifício. Um corredor foi organizado com bandeiras e cantos estrondosos. Sem dúvidas, umas das festas mais bonitas dos últimos tempos e das últimas decisões, podendo ser considerada até mesmo histórica.
Dentro do Morumbi, a torcida já começou a ovacionar desde os primeiros gestos dos goleiros no aquecimento. Quando a delegação rival subiu para aquecer, os cantos de provocação voltaram mais uma vez. Para o São Paulo se classificar, precisa reverter a derrota sofrida no jogo de ida.
أعربت رويدا هشام، المرشحة على منصب العضوية تحت السن ضمن قائمة الكابتن محمود الخطيب في انتخابات النادي الأهلي المقرر إجراؤها يوم 31 أكتوبر الجاري، عن سعادتها البالغة بالثقة التي منحها لها رئيس النادي، مؤكدة أن اختيارها ضمن هذه القائمة يعد شرفًا كبيرًا ومسؤولية تتطلب بذل أقصى جهد لخدمة الكيان.
وقالت رويدا في تصريحات إعلامية إن الكابتن محمود الخطيب دائمًا ما يدعم الشباب وأبناء النادي، ويؤمن بقدراتهم على العطاء والتجديد داخل منظومة الأهلي، مضيفة: “الخطيب يرى أن الاستثمار في الكوادر الشابة هو الطريق لاستمرار نجاح الأهلي، وفق مبادئ النادي الراسخة التي تقوم على فكرة (جيل يسلم جيل)”.
وأضافت أن كرة القدم تحظى باهتمام جماهيري واسع في مصر والعالم، لكن داخل الأهلي يتم التعامل مع جميع الألعاب بنفس الأهمية، مشيرة إلى أن إدارة النادي تعمل على دعم كل الفرق الجماعية والفردية، وهو ما انعكس على تفوق الأهلي الرياضي في مختلف البطولات محليًا وقاريًا ودوليًا.
طالع أيضًا | سيد عبد الحفيظ: سأراعي الأقدمية في مجلس الأهلي الجديد.. ووافقت على الترشح لهذا السبب
وأكدت: “المرأة نصف المجتمع، واهتماماتها يجب أن تكون جزءًا أساسيًا من عمل المجلس، وسأسعى لأن أكون ممثلة حقيقية لصوت السيدات والشباب داخل النادي، من خلال الاستماع لمقترحاتهم وتبنيها على أرض الواقع”.
وأوضحت أن أعضاء الجمعية العمومية للأهلي دائمًا يحرصون على تقديم اقتراحات بنّاءة تصب في مصلحة النادي، مشيرة إلى أن قائمة الخطيب استمعت بعناية لكل الملاحظات والمقترحات خلال جولاتها الانتخابية، وتم وضعها ضمن خطة العمل المستقبلية.
واختتمت رويدا هشام تصريحاتها قائلة: “الأهلي اسم كبير وله مكانته في كل المحافل، وواجبنا جميعًا التواجد يوم 31 أكتوبر والمشاركة في الانتخابات لتجديد الثقة في قيادته. لا يوجد ما يسمى بالفوز بالتزكية، فالمشاركة هي تأكيد لانتماء الأعضاء ودعمهم للنادي، ننتظر حضورًا قويًا من الجمعية العمومية وثقة الأعضاء حتى نواصل العمل والتطوير بما يليق باسم الأهلي وتاريخه”.
Ryan Rickelton is showing the value of runs under the belt. He came into the Champions Trophy on the back of a solid SA20, where he was the fourth-highest scorer. Before that, he had smoked 259 in the New Year’s Test against Pakistan. On Friday, it was time for him to leave his mark on the 50-over format as he scored his maiden ODI century in his seventh game as South Africa began their Champions Trophy with a solid 107-run win over Afghanistan.Batting first on a Karachi surface that had a nice layer of grass, South Africa rode on Rickelton’s 103 followed by steady fifties from Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram to rack up 315 for 6. That meant Afghanistan had to record their highest-ever successful chase if they had to win on Champions Trophy debut.But they never really got close. Rahmat Shah was the only bright spot as he scored a sprightly 90 off 92 balls, and was the last batter to fall. But with a second-highest score of 18, Afghanistan were never really in it. Kagiso Rabada picked up three wickets, while Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder got two each as Afghanistan were bundled for 208 in 43.3 overs.It was a largely flawless innings from Rickelton. He never looked rushed; not when Tony de Zorzi fell early or when Bavuma took his time to get going. Rickelton struck boundaries whenever he got a chance. When he didn’t, he quietly rotated the strike. He started with a lovely punch past mid-off third ball before going back-to-back against Fazalhaq Farooqi in the fifth over, once with a fierce pull through midwicket and then a cut past point.De Zorzi also struck two fours but fell to a rather nonchalant delivery from Mohammad Nabi early on when he flopped it straight to mid-on.Temba Bavuma got only his second fifty away from home•Associated Press
Bavuma’s first 19 balls yielded only seven runs before he got a couple of fours away to get into the groove. Rickelton, meanwhile, picked Azmatullah Omarzai for two delightful fours to raise his fifty off just 48 balls.South Africa ticked along to 83 for 1 after 15 overs, but an important passage of play was about to come: South Africa batters vs Afghanistan’s spinners. That’s where Rickelton really showed his wares. He would have faced a lot of Rashid Khan in the SA20 nets as they were part of the victorious MI Cape Town side, and that experience showed.Bavuma got to his second fifty away from home, as he continued his rich form. He had a solid 129-run stand for the second wicket with Rickelton, before holing out to deep midwicket as Nabi picked his second wicket.By that time, Rickelton had moved into his 90s, and had hardly broken a sweat. Afghanistan hardly helped themselves in the field, too. There were several misfields, and a run-out chance fluffed, while Noor Ahmad was particularly off-colour. He was either too short, or too full, and often tried to dart the ball in and lost his shape.Rickelton soon became the first South Africa batter to register a century on Champions Trophy debut with a push to long-off.Afghanistan got a lucky break when Rickelton was run-out in bizarre fashion. He bunted a Rashid length ball back to the bowler, who fired a flat throw to the wicketkeeper. Rickelton, out of his crease, was caught off-guard just a touch, and as he put in the dive, his bat bounced just short of the crease. That meant even though his bat was over the line, it was in the air when Rahmanullah Gurbaz whipped the bails off.Ibrahim Zadran lost his middle stump to a 148kph snorter from Kagiso Rabada•Associated Press
There was no respite for Afghanistan though. Van der Dussen, coming into the tournament not in great nick, was fluent and Markram found his stride as well, with both batters recording fifties. The last five overs yielded South Africa 51 runs as they posted an above-par total.For Afghanistan to chase down 316, it was imperative for Gurbaz to get going. But South Africa’s new-ball bowlers weren’t ready to give him an inch. Ngidi’s short-of-a-length ball got the better of Gurbaz as he got a top-edge to short fine leg. No. 3 Sediqullah Atal struggled big time. Ibrahim Zadran finally broke the shackles by hammering Rabada over wide long-on. That obviously did not please the bowler, who returned with a 148.3kph thunderbolt and sent Ibrahim’s middle stump splat.The South Africa pace bowlers concentrated on that hard length. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, in the first 15 overs, 33 of the balls bowled by South Africa were either short or short-of-a-good length.Atal’s difficult innings, where he was beaten ten times and played 14 false shots in the 32 balls he faced, ended with a run-out. Soon after, Hashmatullah Shahidi fell to a stunning catch by Bavuma at mid-on as Afghanistan stumbled to 51 for 4 after 15 overs.Rahmat was the only batter who showed some fight as he cruised to fifty off 62 balls. But with none of the batters hanging around, Afghanistan were always struggling. The Karachi crowd, which had come in numbers to support Afghanistan, found their voice when Rashid smashed three fours and a six in his cameo of 18 off 13 balls. But apart from that, there was little for the crowd to cheer.In the end, Rahmat edged Rabada to Rickelton for 90, as South Africa registered their first ODI win after six attempts.
It has been a dire start to the 2025/26 season for Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side have picked up a single point so far this term, and are yet to score a goal, three games into the new campaign. It is a worrying sign.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery watches on.
Of course, losing players like Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, who were both on loan for the second half of last season, has impacted them.
That is why, on transfer deadline day, the West Midlands side are pushing for a new attacker.
Aston Villa’s latest attacking target
With the transfer window set to slam shut at the earlier time of 7pm, it does not give Emery long to add an attacker to his squad.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that there are ongoing ‘negotiations’ for Villa to sign Manchester United star Jadon Sancho today, amid the prospect of Emi Martinez heading in the other direction.
Both clubs are attempting to secure an ‘agreement’ on those deals.
Romano explains that the England international ‘has to decide his future today’, and a move to Villa Park could offer a viable solution. A fee of £20m was quoted for the forward earlier in the window, and that could be a fee Villa need to pay themselves.
Why Sancho would be a good signing
Described as a “maverick” in his younger days by former coach Louis Lancaster, Sancho’s career trajectory has perhaps not gone as expected. His time at Old Trafford has been far from easy, although he did impress on loan at Chelsea last season.
At 25 years of age, Sancho has bags of Premier League experience now. He’s featured 89 times in the English top flight for the Red Devils and Enzo Maresca’s Blues, with 12 goals and 11 assists coming in that time.
Of course, the London-born star became known thanks to his sensational time at Borussia Dortmund. Over two spells in Germany, Sancho played 158 games, scoring 53 times and assisting 67, helping win the DFB-Pokal in 2020/21.
Well, this would be a move similar to one Villa made in January, when they brought Asensio in on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Real Madrid star enjoyed a successful loan spell at Villa Park for the second half of last season, where he was able to get his career back on track after falling out of favour in the French capital.
Marco Asensio & Marcus Rashford for Aston Villa
Asensio only played 21 times for the club, but had a huge impact on Emery’s attack. He was deadly in front of goal, bagging eight times, and chipped in with an assist, too.
It is easy to see why Sancho could be the second coming of Asensio at Villa Park. Both players have somehow seen their careers take a bit of a downward spiral, falling out of favour at their respective clubs.
Yet, with the Spaniard able to play regular first-team football and become a key player for Villa, he bolstered his stock once more. It is easy to see how Sancho could do the same.
Their numbers from last season are similar, too. For example, Sancho averaged 1.94 key passes and 2.3 take-ons completed per 90 minutes.
In comparison, Asensio notched up an average of 2.12 key passes and 1.06 completed take-ons each game.
Key passes
1.94
2.12
Progressive passes
4.59
5.36
Take-ons completed
2.3
1.06
Progressive carries
5.2
2.72
Ball recoveries
5.05
3.05
Sancho could certainly become Villa’s new Asensio and really get his career back on track at Villa Park. He is clearly a talented attacker who could thrive in the pockets for Emery and help revitalise a struggling Villa attack, which is missing Asensio’s impact.
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Aston Villa could seal a sensational last-gasp deal by snapping up this special attacker.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is prepared to work with FSG and bring in more signings this summer, despite the remarkable stream of arrivals over the past few months.
When Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m deal, they confirmed to their rivals that they mean to defend their Premier League title and remain at the top of the pile over the coming era.
But with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike signed too, for an initial £69m fee, there’s a growing sense that Slot is shaping a super-team together.
24/25 – Frankfurt
33
15
8
23/24 – Frankfurt*
14
4
2
23/24 – PSG
1
0
0
22/23 – PSG
25
3
4
21/22 – Reims
24
10
4
20/21 – Vejle*
11
3
2
20/21 – Reims
2
0
0
Ekitike, 23, has got the potential to become “one of the best strikers out there”, according to analyst Ben Mattinson, but Ekitike might find himself dealt a heavy load in the early days at Anfield, given that two Reds stars are moving away.
And further change may be afoot, with the sale of Luis Diaz as well as Darwin Nunez’s anticipated departure emphasising FSG’s desire to spark further change before the window slams shut.
Why Nunez and Diaz are leaving Liverpool
Diaz has already left Liverpool, having signed for Bayern Munich in a £65.5m package earlier this week. It’s a poignant farewell for one of the most important players at the club over the past several years, but one which carries a sense of practicality.
Luis Diaz
Aged 28, Diaz had entered the next-to-last year in his Liverpool contract, and despite efforts from both parties to extend his deal, the gulf was too far to bridge.
And so he departs, leaving the question marks that linger over whether Liverpool will sign a successor, and if that successor will be a central frontman or an electric-paced, out-and-out winger.
Well, with Darwin Nunez appearing to be edging closer to a transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, it seems like Slot may be welcoming that former option.
In fairness, you need only look at the happenings in the English transfer market to note that sporting director Richard Hughes is indeed doing all within his power to sign a new centre-forward at Liverpool.
Liverpool pushing to sign new striker
Sources from every far-flung corner of the footballing world have revealed details of different shapes and sizes about Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak over the past several days.
However, according to The Athletic’s trusty transfer-reporter-in-chief, David Ornstein, Liverpool remain interested in the Sweden striker after seeing a formal bid worth £110m rejected on Friday. For his part, Isak, 25, continues to push for a move to Merseyside.
Isak
However, it all depends on the Magpies’ success in signing a replacement, currently locked in negotiations with RB Leipzig for the 22-year-old Benjamin Sesko. Manchester United, crucially, want him too.
Liverpool may need to fork out closer to an unprecedented £150m if they are to sign one of the Premier League’s deadliest goalscorers.
Why Liverpool are desperate for Alexander Isak
Isak might not have the same indomitability in front of goal as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (no active footballer does), but he’s still “the best all-round centre-forward” in the Premier League, according to pundit Ally McCoist.
The £120k-per-week star’s 27-goal return last season shows that he knows where the back of the net is too, and he would surely rise to the next level when joining a Liverpool side so replete with offensive quality.
Much has been made over whether signing Isak is even feasible, given that Ekitike joined Slot’s squad in July. However, it’s not as if a duel striking partnership hasn’t proved effective at Anfield in the past.
Just look back over a decade ago, when Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge combined to an emphatic effect across the 2013/14 Premier League season.
Under Brendan Rodgers’ wing, ‘SAS’, as the duo were affectionately dubbed, wreaked utter havoc together as Liverpool capered their way through the campaign. For a long time, the Reds appeared invincible, but they fumbled the bag in the closing stages of the term and ultimately ceded the title to Manchester City.
Still, Suarez and Sturridge played their part, all right. The Uruguayan, one of the most notorious, decorated and destructive footballers in history, obliterated all who lay in his path, scoring 31 goals and supplying 13 assists across 33 top-flight fixtures,
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez celebrates
Liverpool had never seen the like (that is, until several years later, when Mohamed Salah came along).
Described by the legendary Steven Gerrard as being the best striker he had ever played with as a professional (sorry, El Nino), the South American was the cream of the crop, but Sturridge played his part too, notching 29 goal contributions from as many games in the league that year.
He perfectly complemented Suarez, a deadly finisher but a dynamic, selfless and mobile dance partner who knew how his strengths merged against his teammates’.
Ekitike could play that role alongside Isak. As per FBref, the Frenchman ranked last season among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.
While the two athletic number nines are similar in that they are intelligent and energetic both on the ball and without it, Isak is clearly the superior finisher, praised by Fabrizio Romano for being a “machine” in front of goal, whereas Ekitike indeed has a flair for the creative side of the game.
If Slot manages to find a way for them to dance to the other’s tune, Liverpool could be in for a treat over the coming years, proving to the world that two focal frontmen can work together in a side challenging for all the biggest prizes on offer.
Bigger mistake than Diaz: Liverpool ready to sell Slot's "monster" for £47m
Liverpool sold Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, and now face the exit of another star player.