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MatériaMais Notícias

Após estrear pelo Vasco, Clayton Silva foi oficialmente apresentado pelo clube. O atacante concedeu entrevista coletiva na tarde desta quinta-feira (14), em São Januário, e revelou os motivos por ter fechado com o Cruz-Maltino.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

➡️ Revanche? Ganhe mais de R$450 na vitória do Corinthians sobre o São Bernardo

Voltei para o Brasil pelo tamanho do Vasco, pela torcida. Com certeza é um dos maiores desafios da minha vida. Encaro dessa forma e quero ajudar o Vasco

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afirmou Clayton Silva. E emendou:

– Eu estava fazendo uma boa temporada lá na Europa, mas eu sonhava em voltar ao Brasil, em jogar num time gigante, com uma torcida maravilhosa dessa. Foi isso que me fez voltar, pela estrutura do Vasco e onde o Vasco pode me levar. Posso ajudar o Vasco.

Clayton Silva também falou a respeito da relação e parceria com Vegetti. Em tese, o atacante disputa posição com o “Pirata”.

– O Vegetti me acolheu bem, como vocês viram no jogo, a gente pode jogar junto, posso ser o substituto dele. Ele está ajudando, tem os gols, mas posso ajudar também. Quando o professor quiser pode jogar eu ou jogar ele – pontuou.

🎙️ VEJA MAIS RESPOSTA DE CLAYTON SILVA:

PREPARAÇÃO PARA ESTREIA
– Eu estava treinando e jogando, então cheguei pronto. O Ramon já conversou comigo, falei que estava preparado. Fiquei feliz em poder ajudar e fazer minha estreia

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TORCIDA DO VASCO
– Joguei contra o Vasco, sei do peso da torcida, como carrega o time. Agora joguei com eles apoiando, empurraram a gente o tempo todo, mesmo com o resultado adverso.

ESTREIA NO MARACANÃ
– Como jogador, a gente quer jogar no Maracanã. Como falei, a torcida é maravilhosa, foi uma das coisas que me fizeram voltar ao Brasil, é diferente de Portugal. Torcida do Vasco empurra a gente, a todo momento. Foi maravilhoso esse primeiro momento, ver a torcida toda apoiando, empurrando.

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CORRERIA ANTES DA ESTREIA
– Foi muito corrido. Estava treinando e jogando em Portugal, veio proposta do Vasco, não pensei duas vezes. Quis voltar para sentir esse calor da torcida, foi uma opção minha. Foi uma correria. Cheguei, treinei, conheci um pouco a equipe, vi que estavam entrosados. Depois fui para o jogo (risos). Foi assim, foi muito bom. A gente procurou fazer o melhor dentro de campo mesmo sem entrosamento, às vezes com Vegetti, às vezes com Payet, tentei trocar passes e finalizar. Foi isso, foi na correria, mas gostei muito. Me senti importante por chegar e ajudar o Vasco, um time gigante. Empatamos o primeiro jogo, procurar agora no domingo passar para a final.

SEGUNDO JOGO CONTRA O NOVA IGUAÇU
– Isso vai depender do professor, se ele quiser me colocar junto com o Vegetti a gente vai procurar fazer gol e ajudar. Se ele quiser colocar o Vegetti, eu vou esperar também. Vamos procurar fazer gol, ajudar e buscar a classificação.

CASA PIA
– Nessas duas temporadas criei uma relação forte com a torcida do Casa Pia. Espero isso também, já é uma característica da torcida do Vasco apoiar o tempo todo. Procurar ajudar em campo para ter o apoio da torcida.

CARACTERÍSTICAS
– Pelas minhas características consigo jogar de lado e também como centroavante sozinho. Vai muito da preferência do treinador. Mas isso que estamos trabalhando, como segundo atacante ou centroavante.

Tudo sobre

Clayton SilvaFutebol NacionalVasco

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl only has to wait a few weeks before he can start to bring in his first signings in the January transfer window.

The former Sheffield Wednesday tactician will be looking to bolster his squad in key areas, despite all of the work that was done by former sporting director Kevin Thelwell in the summer.

Thelwell, along with CEO Patrick Stewart, was recently let go by the Gers and is yet to be replaced, which could mean that Rohl is given a large say in what happens in January.

The key areas Rangers need to strengthen in January

A new centre-forward should be on the agenda for Rangers, despite Bojan Miovski’s brace against Kilmarnock on Saturday, because their strikers have not offered enough in front of goal this season.

Per Transfermarkt, no Rangers number nine has scored more than Miovski’s four goals, with Danilo on three goals, and Youssef Chermiti on one goal, which is why Rohl may want a new marksman to provide goals on a regular basis.

The caveat to this, of course, is that things could change in the next few weeks and if Chermiti, Miovski, or Danilo hit a hot streak and look primed to be the main man up front, then a new striker could fall down the list of priorities.

A creative midfielder should also be on their list. No attacking midfielder or winger in the squad has provided more than one assist or created more than two ‘big chances’ in the Scottish Premiership, per FotMob, which points to a lack of creativity in those areas.

Along with a striker and a creative midfielder or winger, Rohl also needs to push the Light Blues to bring a senior and experienced left-back to Ibrox to replace Jayden Meghoma.

Why Rangers need to sign a left-back.

The Brentford loanee, 19, is the only natural left-back at the club at this moment in time, after Thelwell sold Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte in the summer window.

He has shown some positive signs in possession in recent weeks, though, with a stunning goal against Dundee United and an assist for Mikey Moore against Kilmarnock in the last two league games.

In quotes sourced by PA Media prior to the clash with Kilmarnock, Meghoma reviewed his time at Ibrox so far and said: “The expectation here is really, really high.

“To be honest, I don’t blame the fans either because of the history. We know that as a team, we have to improve. That’s why we were chasing the game so hard. We know that we need to get more positive results. The loan has been amazing. Every experience you have is another learning curve. That’s what I always say. For me, it’s all an experience and I’m learning new things as I’ve been here. For me, it’s a fantastic experience.

“I think you mould quite well here as a player. Every experience I get here, I wouldn’t gain anywhere else. The experience alone is invaluable and it’s one of the best places to play in football at my age, especially.”

As the full-back said himself, he is gaining vital experience in his development by playing regular football at Ibrox, but Rangers have suffered at times as a result of his learning process, and it is Brentford who will benefit from it in the long run, not the Gers.

Appearances

12

5

Goals

1

0

Key passes per game

0.8

0.4

Assists

2

0

Ground duel success rate

61%

64%

Aerial duel success rate

19%

40%

Error led to shot

2

0

As you can see in the table above, Meghoma has particularly struggled in the air as a defender, which is a problem for Rangers when defending set-pieces and crosses into the back post from open play.

It was most evident for Jacob Lungi Sorensen’s goal for Brann in Rohl’s first match. TNT Sports commentator and former Rangers striker Ally McCoist said it was “remarkable” that the teenage defender allowed the Dane to get his head to the ball almost completely unchallenged to score.

Max Aarons has played at left-back, but is a natural right-sider and stunts the progression down that flank, which is why it is so important for the Gers to bring in a natural left-back in January.

The Light Blues need an experienced defender who can be relied upon to deliver consistent performances, without being a defensive liability, so that Rohl has some stability in his backline in the second half of the season.

Signing a proven performer at left-back would also provide Meghoma with a mentor who can help him to continue his development, even if this proposed signing could severely restrict his minutes on the pitch moving forward.

The Brentford loanee may be having an “amazing” time at Ibrox so far, but Rohl must be ruthless to build a squad that can compete for trophies, which is why he must brutally replace the teenager as a starter when the January transfer window opens for business.

Bid already submitted: Rangers could sign a "very pacy" Gassama replacement

Rangers could replace Djeidi Gassama on the wing by signing this reported target in the January window.

ByDan Emery 6 days ago

The Premier League is finally back tomorrow, and Arsenal continue their campaign with the North London Derby on Sunday afternoon.

However, it could be a more challenging game than last year, as even with Martin Odegaard back in training, Mikel Arteta’s side could be without several key players.

The manager wouldn’t say whether the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz or Gabriel Martinelli were back in contention, for example, but one player who is sure to be out is Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Brazilian centre-back is set to be out for at least a few weeks, and while that’s a massive blow, the solution could be to move another defender into a different position.

Arsenal's record against Spurs

Arsenal’s game against Spurs on Sunday afternoon will be the 212th competitive meeting between the rivals.

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

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Their first encounter came all the way back in November 1896, when the Gunners were still south of the River, and ended in a 2-1 Arsenal victory.

Since then, while the Lilywhites have had periods of dominance, it’s the red side of North London that have had the better of the rivalry, winning 89 games, drawing 55 and losing 67.

Unsurprisingly, Arteta’s side have been even more dominant than that in recent years, losing just two of the last ten meetings, drawing one and winning the other seven.

Moreover, the title chasers are undefeated in their last six games against their old enemy and, despite being in a spot of bother form-wise at the time, won the most recent meeting 2-1.

Arsenal’s recent record v Spurs

Season

Home/Away

Result

22/23

Away

2-0 (W)

23/24

Home

2-2 (D)

23/24

Away

3-2 (W)

24/25

Away

1-0 (W)

24/25

Home

2-1 (W)

What makes that win all the more impressive is that Son Heung-min actually opened the scoring for the visitors in the 25th minute.

However, Arsenal were back in front just 19 minutes later, thanks to a Dominic Solanke own goal and a brilliant effort from Leandro Trossard.

With all that said, even though Arteta has consistently gotten the better of Spurs, the game on Sunday will be a tough one, but he might already have a solution to Gabriel’s injury.

Arteta's solution to Gabriel's injury

The good news for Arsenal is that there are a few ways Arteta can go about replacing Gabriel.

For example, he could bring Cristhian Mosquera back into the side, play Ben White there or even hand a start to Piero Hincapie.

However, the former is right-footed, White hasn’t played at centre-back in a long time, and the Ecuadorian is still unproven in this team, so throwing him into a derby might be unwise.

Therefore, while it might not be the most popular decision, Arteta should move Riccardo Calafiori from left-back into the Brazilian’s position.

Now, there are a few reasons for this, and the first is that, like the injured star, the Italian international is left-footed, and while that might not seem all that important at first, it really is.

It gives the defence some real balance and makes it easier for him to play out from the back when going up the left-hand side of the pitch.

The second reason the dynamic defender should be moved into the back two is that he’s already got plenty of experience playing there.

For example, during his time with Bologna, he made 29 appearances at centre-back and only six as a full-back. Moreover, during pre-season, he once again played there when Gabriel was out with the injury he picked up against Fulham last season.

Finally, the 23-year-old “wild horse,” as dubbed by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, has already played plenty of football this season, so he should be far more familiar with the tactics than one of the other options. And while he did return early from international duty, there is a good chance he is ready to play.

Ultimately, while Arteta has several options to replace Gabriel on Sunday, he should go with the £120k-per-week Calafiori.

Related Arsenal handed another injury doubt for Tottenham clash after twist and Gabriel blow

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

Nottingham Forest have begun to see an excellent upturn in their form since Sean Dyche took over the club. He’s won three from his first six games, including Saturday’s exceptional 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. It has certainly been a positive start to his tenure.

Indeed, there have been some excellent individual performances since the Englishman became the Forest manager. Morgan Gibbs-White has been one of the standouts, with three goals in his last three Premier League games. The likes of Nicolo Savona and Igor Jesus have also been in impressive form.

With his side in excellent form, Dyche could well turn to the transfer market as he looks to add more quality to the Forest squad.

The latest on Nottingham Forest's transfer plans

It seems like the East Midlands side are looking to add depth in midfield. Reports in the past few days suggest they are plotting a move for talented Belgian midfielder Nathan De Cat, although the likes of Bayern Munich are challengers for the 17-year-old’s signature.

Transfer Focus

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

However, if that move does not materialise, Forest are also considering Everton midfielder and former loanee James Garner.

According to a report from Football Insider, the club are “looking at him” and could make a move, with his contract up in 18 months.

However, this will not be an easy deal to do. There are a host of Premier League clubs interested in the former Manchester United man, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa and West Ham United all keeping tabs.

As for the price, he could cost upwards of £20m, according to a report in mid-November.

Why Garner would be a good signing for Forest

24-year-old Garner has been pivotal for the Toffees this season. He has excelled as a full-back and in the middle of the park, with Everton gaffer David Moyes relying on that versatility several times this season.

Indeed, Garner has played 11 times in the Premier League, operating in different areas of the pitch. He’s played three games as a left-back, scoring a thunderbolt in one of those, seven times in the heart of the midfield, and once at right-back.

Of course, a move to Forest would see Garner return to the club. He played a historic part during his first stint, a loan from Man United.

He played 69 times in Garribaldi Red, scoring and assisting 18 times, and helping Forest return to the Premier League. Statman Dave described him as a “special” player during his time at the club.

If Garner was to make a move back to the City Ground, and Dyche utilised him in midfield, he might well form a strong partnership with Gibbs-White. Unsurprisingly, the England international is a key player under Forest’s new boss.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder has been in excellent form under Dyche, with the third of his three goals in the top flight coming last weekend at Anfield. However, he has been a consistent performer in Garibaldi Red his whole time at the club.

He’s recently brought up his 50th goal contribution for the club, and has 22 goals and 31 assists in 135 games. Gibbs-White excels as a number 10, but there are times when he needs to play deeper to help Forest out defensively.

The signing of Garner, however, could change that. The Everton man is someone who could play with Gibbs-White in midfield and take some of the defensive responsibility off the Forest number 10. His defensive numbers are impressive, averaging four tackles and interceptions per game this season, for example.

Defensive 3rd tackles won

1.36

Top 11%

Interceptions

1.45

Top 11%

Clearances

2.73

​​​​​​​Top 9%

Blocks

1.64

Top 19%

This sort of defensive nous could make Gibbs-White unplayable for Dyche’s side. With a player like Garner behind him, and Elliot Anderson of course, it might mean he is less shackled defensively, thus being able to be more effective going forward.

This midfield dynamic could hugely benefit Forest, and make them a more potent team in attack. In this market, £20m is a nominal fee for a player who knows the club and can benefit the side.

Not Zinchenko: Dyche could now drop “incredible” Nottingham Forest star

Sean Dyche could ditch this Nottingham Forest star alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko for his Premier League return.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 26, 2025

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio asked a surprising rhetorical question as the Brewers began spring training.

“Is my job to win a World Series," Attanasio said, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “or is my job to provide a summer of entertainment and passion and a way for families to come together?"

Ideally, the answer would be both. Though the Brewers have been one of the more competitive teams in MLB recently, making the postseason in six of the last seven years, they have yet to win a World Series and have been eliminated in the wild-card round in each of the last two seasons. Surely, winning a World Series would provide even more entertainment.

Attanasio clarified that he does want the Brewers to be competitive, but acknowledges the challenges of running a small market team. The Brewers simply don't earn nearly the television revenue that large market teams do, making it much more difficult for them to acquire and retain the high-priced free agents and players that could put them in position to win a championship.

Attanasio seemed to suggest that MLB could follow in the footsteps of the NFL, who splits television revenue equally across 32 teams, allowing small market teams to have a chance.

“You see what the NFL has done with their media contract," Attanasio told Nightengale. "You see what the NBA has done. It's all sitting right there. If we can do something like that, the pie is bigger for everybody, for owners, for players, for everybody."

For now though, Attanasio and the Brewers will stick to the strategy that has served them well over the last decade. They might not draw the talent to consistently contend for a championship, but they should remain in the mix for October baseball for the near future.

MatériaMais Notícias

Fernando Diniz está se preparando para o jogo mais importante da sua carreira. Não só o treinador, mas o Fluminense também vem contando os minutos para o dia 4 de novembro na expectativa de quebrar a escrita e conquistar o título inédito da Libertadores da América. E justamente o Maracanã, palco da grande final, pode acabar se tornando um “divisor de águas” em relação ao futuro de Diniz tanto no Tricolor quanto na Seleção Brasileira.

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+ Destaque do Fluminense na Libertadores 2008, Thiago Neves muda de lado e vira ‘força a mais’ na torcida para final de 2023

+ Aposte R$100 e receba R$390 com combinada de Atlético-MG x Fluminense pelo Brasileirão

Coincidentemente, a final da Libertadores e o duelo entre Brasil e Argentina, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo, serão realizados no Maraca, e apenas 17 dias separam as duas partidas. Portanto, os resultados destes jogos devem ser fator determinante para a continuidade ou não de Fernando Diniz em ambos os seus empregos.

Como o próprio Diniz já afirmou em entrevista coletiva, a decisão contra o Boca Juniors-ARG é a partida mais importante da história do Fluminense. Dessa forma, caso não conquiste o título no Maracanã, jogando uma final única em casa, o treinador perderá a chance de ser um dos protagonistas de um feito inédito nos 121 anos de existência do Tricolor e sua permanência no clube deve ficar em jogo.

+ Aposte R$100 na Lance! Betting e ganhe R$1000 se o Fortaleza bater a LDU por 2 a 1 na final da Sul-Americana!

A emblemática frase de Diniz após triunfos da equipe carioca “Vitória, Fluminense!” terá que se transformar em “Vitória, Brasil!” na próxima Data Fifa. O trabalho do técnico à frente da Seleção vem recebendo muitas críticas, especialmente depois do empate com a Venezuela e da derrota para o Uruguai – o que não acontecia há 22 anos.

Agora, o Brasil terá duas “pedradas” pela frente: Colômbia, fora de casa, e Argentina, no Maracanã. Caso queira garantir o seu cargo no comando da Amarelinha, nada mais interessa para Fernando Diniz além de vitórias – especialmente no Rio de Janeiro. A problemática envolvendo o “Dinizismo” na Seleção Brasileira vai além dos resultados negativos, já que o desempenho também não é bom – o que pode ser explicado pelo estilo de jogo do treinador, que demanda um tempo maior para ser efetivamente implementado em uma equipe.

+ Fluminense: Manoel tem suspensão por doping confirmada, mas voltará a jogar em 2024

Logo, um triunfo diante dos hermanos, atuais campeões do mundo, no último jogo da Canarinho no ano seria um verdadeiro alívio para o técnico diante das críticas e da desconfiança em torno de seu trabalho à frente da Seleção, que aguarda a provável vinda do italiano Carlo Ancelotti em 2024.

Está formada a saga “Os 17 dias de Maracanã de Diniz”. A distância de 17 dias entre a final da Libertadores e o duelo Brasil x Argentina, ambos em solo carioca, poderá definir o futuro do treinador em seus dois trabalhos.

Consequentemente, para garantir sua continuidade tanto no Fluminense quanto na Seleção Brasileira, Fernando Diniz poderá contar com um pilar determinante: o Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho. o Maraca, a casa dos “loucos da cabeça”, o Templo do Futebol.

DATAS E HORÁRIOS DAS PARTIDAS:

Fluminense x Boca Juniors-ARG – Final da Libertadores – 4 de novembro, sábado, às 17h (de Brasília) – MaracanãBrasil x Argentina – Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo – 21 de novembro, terça-feira, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – Maracanã

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بشكل رسمي اليوم الجمعة، موعد إقامة حفل الإعلان عن جوائز الأفضل في القارة الإفريقية لعام 2025.

وكان “كاف” قد أعلن عن القوائم المختصرة عن اللاعبين والمدربين والمنتخبات وكذلك الأندية المرشحين لحصد جائزة الأفضل في القارة الإفريقية.

وكشف “كاف” عبر حسابه الرسمي على “إكس”، أن موعد حفل الإعلان عن الأفضل في إفريقيا، سيكون يوم الأربعاء 19 نوفمبر 2025.

وأشار الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم إلي أن الحفل سيقام في مدينة الرباط في المغرب.

طالع | رسميًا | المرشحون لجائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا 2025.. محمد صلاح ومنافسة من الدوري المصري

وينافس على جائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا، محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول الإنجليزي والمنتخب المصري، كما يتواجد إمام عاشور مع إبراهيم عادل من مصر للمنافسة على أفضل لاعب داخل القارة.

وفي جائزة أفضل حارس مرمي في إفريقيا، يتواجد أحمد الشناوي حارس بيراميدز، ونادي بيراميدز ينافس على لقب أفضل نادي وكذلك منتخب مصر مرشح للمنافسة على أفضل منتخب في القارة السمراء، يتواجد حسام حسن أيضًا في المنافسة على جائزة أفضل منتخب.

يذكر، أن الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا العام الماضي 2024، هو اللاعب النيجيري أديمولا لوكمان.

🗓 19 November
📍 Rabat, Morocco

Where Africa’s best take the spotlight. The countdown to #CAFAwards2025 starts now! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/awhNN1Y1sK

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 7, 2025

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

Well that was a weekend. El Clasico hasn't been this testy in years. In truth, it's a weird fixture these days, a game that has lost a sense of gravitas since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left the league. Back then, it was a forum where the world's best would clash. Now, it seems more like a petty rivalry between sides that haven't been equals in a while.

This league needs another classic title race, and with Madrid beating Barca, 2-1, we might just have the makings of one.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Premier League decided to go as mad as possible. Liverpool lost to Brentford, a shocking result – yet entirely predictable. Arsenal needed a set piece to beat Crystal Palace. And we can now say that Man United were geniuses to hire Ruben Amorim and keep Bruno Fernandes, because they have won three in a row – and that's probably a good thing.

Football, eh?

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

Getty Images Sport1Clasico glory for Madrid

Real Madrid's first big game of the year was a 5-2 battering at the hands of Atletico Madrid. Xabi Alonso's side were miserable that day, and thoroughly deserved the loss to their crosstown rivals. But for Barcelona, they had a plan.

Alonso got tactically groovy, used left-footed Eduyardo Camavinga as a right midfielder, and coaxed an excellent performance out of Jude Bellingham. The result? A 2-1 win that could have been 5-0 – with some bonus chaos at the end.

And just like that, Alonso is a good manager again.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2Man United are legit …

So, this is the world we live in now. Manchester United are a proper soccer team. Well done, Ruben Amorim. Football nerds will tell you that their underlying numbers – the moneyball stuff – has been looking pretty good for a while now.

They are, statistically, to good to be in the bottom half of the table. But the nerdy bits don't always align with the actual results. They have now. United have won 3(!!) in a row, highlighted by an impressive yet immensely uncomfortable 3-2 beating of Brighton. Is there hope?

AFP3… Liverpool are not

This is how soccer works. There must always be a crisis club. Even clubs that are probably only underperforming a little bit are in crisis. It's usually an act of hyperbole. "Crisis" is a bit much, especially considering this is just a game in which 22 people kick a ball.

Well, sound the actual klaxon for Liverpool, who are in truly miserable form of late. They have now lost four straight, highlighted by a miserable 3-2 defeat against Brentford. This feels like rock bottom. The question: Do they stay there?

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Getty Images Sport4Boring, boring Arsenal get it done

Here's a fun fact. Arsenal are 19th in the Premier League in goals from open play. That's a relegation number. Here's another fun fact. Arsenal have allowed just one goal from open play. That's title winning form.

They did the business against Crystal Palace on Sunday to the tune of a 1-0 win (yes, their goal came from a set piece). They are now four points clear atop the Prem. Yes, there are the "early days" caveats here, but the Gunners look like title faves.

Derbyshire opener David Lloyd emerged from a poor start to the season before Middlesex fought back on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Derby.Lloyd made 93 from 197 balls, his highest innings since September 2022, and shared a second-wicket stand of 156 with Harry Came who scored 73 after the hosts had been put in to bat.Although the in-form Caleb Jewell was out for a duck, there was little in the pitch for the Middlesex bowlers until late in the day when the second new ball did the trick. Toby Roland-Jones bowled Wayne Madsen for 49 to finish with figures of 2 for 47 from 20 overs as Derbyshire closed on 267 for 5.Lloyd came into the game under pressure to deliver after a run of low scores in his first six innings of the season.That would have increased after his opening partner Jewell registered a rare failure when he fell to Roland-Jones in the third over of an overcast morning. The Tasmanian had scored five half-centuries in the first three matches but was still looking for his first run when he edged Roland-Jones low to second slip.Perhaps the overhead conditions and a green-tinged pitch had persuaded Middlesex to bowl first but their bowlers found there was not much to encourage them.Although the bowling was disciplined, there was hardly any seam movement or swing to trouble Lloyd and Came who showed good judgement to bat through to lunch. They added 85 from 182 balls which showed how hard they had to work for the runs and it got no easier after the interval.In the first 10 overs of the afternoon session, there were only seven scoring shots and three of those were edges to the vacant third man boundary. The pair faced 73 dot balls in the first hour until Lloyd relieved some of the tension by cutting and pulling Ryan Higgins for two fours.Lloyd passed his previous best score for Derbyshire of 73 but had an escape when he edged Zahar Gohar just past Higgins who should have got a hand to it.A century looked there for the taking until he was drawn into pulling a shot ball from Higgins to long leg where Blake Cullen dived forward to take the catch.Lloyd’s body language showed that he had thrown away a great opportunity and Came also lost patience after tea when he came down the pitch to Gohar but failed to clear deep mid-off where Stephen Eskinazi took a good catch above his head.Middlesex took the second new ball as soon as it became available and the breakthrough they badly needed arrived when Dane Paterson beat Brooke Guest’s defensive push.With no addition to the total, Roland-Jones got the big wicket of Madsen who was bowled by one that moved away to shave the off stump which brought his average for the season down below 88.

The mood around Arsenal is jubilant at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table following their thumping win against Leeds United; Martin Odegaard could be fit for Sunday, and Bukayo Saka’s injury will only keep him sidelined for four weeks at most.

However, it’s still probably the arrival of Eberechi Eze and the nature of his signing that has fans the most positive about the coming campaign.

It feels like the Englishman could be the missing piece for the Gunners, and in more good news, the club are closing in on another signing who could help him get even more out of him.

Arsenal target dream teammate for Eze

With less than a week to go until it shuts, it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to claim that this summer transfer window has been one of the best in Arsenal’s recent history.

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Andrea Berta and Co have added game-changing quality to the starting lineup in Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres, while also filling out the squad with quality options like Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera.

Yet, the deal that is remembered most this summer in years to come is undoubtedly going to be the one for Eze, and now it looks like the North Londoners could be about to add someone else to the squad who could make him even more dangerous.

At least that is according to a recent report from David Ornstein, who has reaffirmed Arsenal’s interest in Piero Hincapie.

Speaking to NBC Sports, the renowned journalist has revealed that while plenty of other clubs are interested in signing him, he is prioritising the Gunners and is “very eager” on a move to the Emirates.

However, based on stories from earlier this week, it appears that Bayer Leverkusen want his full release clause, which amounts to around £52m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Hincapie would be more than worth it, especially as he could get even more out of Eze at Arsenal.

Why Hincapie would be a dream for Eze

One of the most significant positives to Eze is the simple fact that he can play as a ten and out on the left.

However, as his heatmaps tend to show, even when starting on the left, he does tend to move back towards the middle of the pitch as he gets closer to the box.

In other words, he isn’t a touchline winger, and using him as such would likely see his effectiveness reduced.

Fortunately, while he is likely to start on the left fairly frequently at Arsenal, the arrival of Hincapie means he won’t need to stay wide during the attacking phases of play.

The reason for this is that while he might not be an out-and-out overlapping full-back, he’s shown himself to be incredibly effective at this role.

In fact, even though he can and does play in the middle of the defence at times, he has become so effective at full-back in recent years that respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “a left-sided Ben White.”

Therefore, if he starts behind the former Palace star, then he would be the one providing width with lung-busting runs up and down the byline and a constant stream of crosses into the area, or cut-backs just ahead of it.

Finally, if you still need convincing, his underlying numbers also point to him being a truly elite full-back.

Hincapie’s FB Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Shots Blocked	0.65	Top 1%
Touches (Mid 3rd)	42.07	Top 2%
Total Passing Distance	1022.32	Top 3%
Progressive Passing Distance	359.66	Top 3%
Live-ball Passes	64.43	Top 3%
Aerials Won	2.25	Top 3%
Passes Completed	61.71	Top 4%
Pass Completion %	88.1%	Top 5%
Touches	81.35	Top 5%
Carries	45.99	Top 5%
Progressive Carrying Distance	137.22	Top 5%
Total Carrying Distance	230.70	Top 7%
Passes into Final Third	5.20	Top 8%
SCA (Shot)	0.18	Top 8%
All Stats via FBref

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for shots blocked, the top 3% for progressive passing distance, the top 5% for progressive carrying distance, the top 8% for passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Hincapie would be an excellent signing for Arsenal regardless of the other additions made this summer.

However, the impact he could have at the club has been dramatically increased now that Eze has joined Arteta’s project, and the opposite will also be true should this transfer go through.

Arsenal place bid for bargain Piero Hincapie alternative as club respond

Andrea Berta has his eye on more than one defender.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 27, 2025