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O auxiliar técnico do Fluminense, Eduardo Barros, voltou suas direções para a conduta da arbitragem em entrevista coletiva após a derrota da equipe para o Vasco, por 4 a 2, na noite deste sábado (16). Barros, que substituiu o suspenso Fernando Diniz, direcionou suas atenções para o lance do primeiro gol cruz-maltino.

A reclamação tricolor com Raphael Claus (Fifa/SP) foi centralizada em uma falta não marcada de Paulinho sobre Germán Cano.

– Minha análise do resultado tem que incluir, infelizmente, mais um erro do VAR contra nossa equipe. Um lance capital no primeiro tempo numa saída de jogo nossa, uma falta difícil para a arbitragem no campo, dada a velocidade do lance. Mas com todos os recursos que nós temos à disposição para qualificar o jogo, o VAR não pode deixar de analisar com critério. Há tanto uma carga nas costas do Cano, mas principalmente um pisão no pé esquerdo, que é um lance faltoso. É por isso que ele sai na sequência rolando de dor- declarou.

O argentino ficou com marcas de chuteira em seu tornozelo em virtude do lance. O auxiliar avaliou o desempenho do Tricolor das Laranjeiras na partida.

– Tivemos alguns melhores momentos no decorrer da partida. Tinha passado o ímpeto inicial do Vasco, após conseguir seu primeiro gol. Quando a gente volta, faz o gol, empurra o Vasco para trás, leva crer que vamos manter. Em um lance de bola parada, sofremos outro gol. Buscamos, estamos melhores, só que sofremos o outro gol – disse.

Em relação ao Cruzeiro, o auxiliar afirmou.

– Depois da partida contra o Cruzeiro, teremos uma semana cheia para treinar. Por isso, no Maracanã, devemos lançar o que temos de melhor.

O Fluminense encara o Cruzeiro na quarta-feira, dia 20, no Maracanã.

Arsenal supporters, alongside Mikel Arteta in unison, all spend the international break the same way; praying all the players return to London Colney injury-free.

This desperation has been exacerbated further by the fact that Martin Ødegaard suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee against West Ham last weekend.

The Norwegian midfielder had been back to his dazzling best against Olympiacos three days earlier – supplying Bukayo Saka’s goal – but will now spend at least a few weeks on the sidelines, which could be a significant blow for the Premier League leaders.

So, which player should Arteta deploy in Ødegaard’s absence, and why could he be the man to get the best out of Arsenal’s most high-profile summer signing, Viktor Gyökeres?

Viktor Gyökeres' Arsenal form in numbers

Having arrived from Sporting Clube de Portugal for around £65m, one of the club’s biggest-ever outlays, scoring a whopping 97 goals in just 102 appearances for the Lisbon-based giants, sky-high expectations were placed on Gyokeres.

The widely accepted narrative was that all Arsenal needed to get to the next level is a top-class number nine, something they arguably have not had since the days of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Well, so far, in ten appearances, Gyökeres has scored just three times for the Gunners, bagging a brace during his home Premier League debut against Leeds, before also netting when Nottingham Forest visited North London.

However, the Sweden international has also missed four Opta-defined big chances in the Premier League, as well as three in the Champions League, evidence to the zeitgeist that he probably should have scored more goals.

Nevertheless, Gyökeres is a player who needs service to thrive, underlined by the fact that, of all Arsenal outfield players to have completed 90 minutes this season, he averages the lowest touches-per-90 at just 24.1.

Between this international break and the next, Arsenal’s four Premier League fixtures are against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland, so many will be expecting Gyökeres to rack up the goals, but which teammate can help get the best out of him?

Arsenal's sensational creator can get Gyokeres firing

In their most recent outing against West Ham, Arteta did what many were calling for by deploying Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze alongside each other for the very first time, both in a central role.

This experiment was short-lived, but came a week after Eze had got the nod through the middle at Newcastle, when many had believed Arteta would go for the more defensively solid trio of Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, as he had at Anfield.

Now with Ødegaard set for a spell in the treatment room, Eze has to be given the keys to this team, made a central figure with the Gunners likely to be tasked with breaking down a low block on a tri-weekly basis, a challenge that often proves to be their kryptonite.

When he signed for the club in August, Sporting Director Andrea Berta​​​​​​​ labelled the England international “creative and explosive”, while Arteta described him as “powerful and exciting”, noting that he “will give us a new dimension in our attacking game”.

Chalkboard

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

Meantime, speaking on talkSPORT, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish called his former star player “sensational”, praising both his quality on the pitch as well as character and dedication.

Well, since making the move from South London to North, Eze has already shown his quality, scoring his first goal for the Gunners during last month’s EFL Cup tie at Port Vale.

The statistics below also give a sense of what Eze has added to his new team.

As outlined, despite limited minutes, Eze has instantaneously established himself as a creative force in this Arsenal team.

Shots

2.8

1st

Shots on target

1.13

1st

Shots on target %

46.2%

5th

Progressive passes

5.23

8th

Shot-creating actions

3.83

3rd

Goal-creating actions

0.68

4th

Successful dribbles

1.3

3rd

Take-on success %

61.5%

1st*

*minimum 10 take-ons attempted.

No player averages more shots on target on a per-90 basis, while he also ranks highly in terms of chance creation and dribbling.

At Crystal Palace last season, he created 11 big chances in the Premier League, while his ability in this department has been best showcased in Arsenal colours so far by his jaw-dropping assists for Gabriel Martinelli’s goal to salvage a draw against Manchester City.

This pass underlines exactly how he can get the best out of Gyökeres​​​​​​​. The Swede thrives when he has open space to run into, his first goal against Leeds Exhibit A in that regard, but teammates have often been hesitant to play the early pass, as they are still adapting to having that sort of striker transplanted into the team.

Well, Eze, a new arrival himself of course, appears best-equipped to provide Gyökeres with the services he requires.

At Craven Cottage on Saturday, Eze needs to be utilised high and centrally, getting as close to Gyökeres as possible, because getting the best out of both will be key to Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes.

​​​​​​​

Arsenal's "future captain" is being given the Ramsdale treatment by Arteta

Recently, key figures for Mikel Arteta have quickly fallen out of favour, so is the same now happening to Arsenal’s “sensational talent”?

2 ByBen Gray Oct 7, 2025

“Maybe a little bit of experience in that middle order today might have helped us out,” Ricky Ponting says of the IPL 2025 final defeat to RCB

Sidharth Monga04-Jun-20252:06

Aaron: Iyer ‘one of the best captains in the IPL’

The most remarkable thing about Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) run to the IPL 2025 final was that they did so with hardly any international experience in their batting. Shreyas Iyer was the only capped Indian batter they had and even he is out of favour in two of the three international formats right now. Josh Inglis, who can perhaps consider himself an Australia regular now, played only 11 out of 17 matches. Glenn Maxwell played seven. Marcus Stoinis batted too low.Throughout the season, this merry band of inexperienced and shackle-free Indian batters kept taking the game on even if it meant getting bowled out for 111 and 101. This approach came off even when they found themselves down at 34 for 3 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on one occasion.In the final, though, probably for the first time all season, PBKS blinked. In overs three and four, they didn’t try to make the play and found themselves at 32 for 0, only one more than their lowest four-over score all tournament. That brace of 31s was 31 because they had lost three wickets in the first four overs in those matches.Related

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Here, in the big final, PBKS’ inexperienced openers were playing in a way that wasn’t true to their game. Part of it was not because it was the final. It was actually smart, their coach Ricky Ponting said later. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowled Josh Hazlewood in the first three overs for only the fourth time this IPL. The openers probably decided RCB were looking for an early wicket. They also recognised that Hazlewood had done against them in previous matches, and were circumspect.It was the over after, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, that Ponting felt could have been attacked. Just four runs came off that over as the openers, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, played to the merit of the ball instead of playing their natural attacking game. “You know, when you have a really good defensive over, it’s really important that the next one you go after and try and capitalise on,” Ponting said. “And we weren’t able to do that in the fourth over of that powerplay.”

“Maybe a little bit of experience in that middle order today might have helped us out, but what I know is that we’re going to have these younger guys around this team for a long time and I think they’re going to win us a lot of games going forward”Ricky Ponting

After that, PBKS were always chasing the game against RCB’s well-rounded attack. Asked if this circumspection was a reaction to their 101 all out against the same team in Qualifier 1, Ponting said, “I would like to think not because one thing I’ve told this group is always taking the game forward, always seeing the positive result and the way that we go about it, and not thinking about the negative result that might happen if you get out.”One thing as a batsman in this game, you can’t be worried about getting out. If you’re worried about getting out, you can’t play the game well.”It just made Phil Salt’s catch of Arya much more significant – he ran about 20 yards to his right and along the boundary, took the catch, lobbed the ball up before stepping out, and came back in to complete the catch.Ricky Ponting: “I think I talked at the first press conference I had with Shreyas about becoming a daring, dynamic, and different team”•Getty ImagesEven if it was the lack of experience that might have cost PBKS the final, Ponting promised similarly competitive and aggressive cricket from his players, who will be more experienced come next season. “I can’t speak highly enough for what those young boys have done through the tournament,” Ponting said. “I think I talked at the first press conference I had with Shreyas about becoming a daring, dynamic, and different team.”On the back of that, what Prabh and Priyansh and [Nehal] Wadhera and these sort of guys were able to do, there’s probably enough been said through the media over the last couple of months. The way that we’ve been able to play our cricket, it’s been highly entertaining. For a coach to be able to sit back and say that about a team gives me a lot of satisfaction.”You can probably look at it tonight and say, ‘was it probably a little bit of inexperience that cost us?’ Maybe a little bit of experience in that middle order today might have helped us out, but what I know is that we’re going to have these younger guys around this team for a long time and I think they’re going to win us a lot of games going forward.”Ponting did feel, though, that PBKS let this one slip after keeping RCB down to 190. “We’ve got it right for most of the year,” Ponting said. “It was only a couple of days ago that we were here celebrating one of our great wins for the season to get into the final, and today we probably feel that we’ve let one slip, but as I said, with this group being as young as it is, we’ll be back bigger and stronger next season.”

حذر تييري هنري الأسطورة الفرنسية منذ فترة من خط دفاع برشلونة وأنه يشكل خطرًا على نتائج الفريق وقد يكلفه الكثير هذا الموسم.

ولم يثير خط دفاع برشلونة إعجاب هنري أيضاً الموسم الماضي، ويعتقد المهاجم الفرنسي السابق أن عليهم اتخاذ إجراء ما إذا كانوا يريدون الفوز بأي لقب.

وقال هنري في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية بعد تعادل برشلونة مع كلوب بروج بثلاث أهداف لكل فريق: “نعلم جميعاً ما حدث ضد بنفيكا أو إنتر”.

وأضاف: “عدد الأهداف التي يستقبلها برشلونة مفرط، أهداف غالباً ما تكون سهلة جداً للمنافسين، عليهم إصلاح هذا الوضع في أسرع وقت ممكن لأنه من المستحيل عليهم الفوز في أوروبا بهذه الطريقة”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بعد إصابة حكيمي.. باريس سان جيرمان يرغب في التعاقد مع لاعب برشلونة

وواصل: “سبق أن ذكرت ذلك في فوز برشلونة على بايرن ميونخ الموسم الماضي، فاز الفريق 4-1 لكن النتيجة كانت مثيرة للشكوك، لم يكن على هاري كين سوى الركض لاختراق الدفاع والتسجيل كما يحلو له وكان لديهم العديد من الفرص، من الواضح أن الفرق تعرف ما يجب عليهم فعله وتسبب الكثير من المشاكل للمدافعين”.

وحول التصديات التي يقوم بها حارس مرمى برشلونة، ذكر هنري: “عدد الفرص التي يضطر لصدها أو استقبالها ليس طبيعي، يتكرر الأمر عاماً بعد عام وهذا صعب على فريق مثل برشلونة”.

واختتم هنري: “لماذا تعرضون أنفسكم دائماً لهذا الموقف، لماذا ترغبون دائماً في المعاناة، يمكنكم دائماً استقبال الأهداف وهذا يثقل كاهل اللاعبين”.

وأشاد مهاجم برشلونة وآرسنال السابق بما قدمه البلوجرانا هجومياً رغم أنه كان من الممكن أن يتعرض الفريق للخسارة مساء أمس.

Leeds United have always gained great pride from allowing their homegrown starlets eventual minutes in the first team.

Kalvin Phillips would become a household name in the Premier League after making his Elland Road breakthrough, with Archie Gray also going on to be a £30m purchase by Tottenham Hotspur after he exploded into life in the senior picture at the Whites.

With Daniel Farke also recently stating that the development of youth is one of the “cornerstones” of the club’s ongoing philosophy, it wouldn’t be a great shock to see a new Phillips or Gray emerge in the very near future.

Amazingly, another member of the Gray family in Harry Gray, is already making considerable strides to break into the men’s set-up.

Harry Gray's rise at Leeds

With the young pair also having Leeds royalty deeply ingrained into their family tree in the form of great uncle Eddie Gray, it appears as if Elland Road is just woven into their DNA.

Before anyone gets too carried away, the 16-year-old striker has only made one fleeting cameo in Farke’s first-team to date, but his future does look very rosy in West Yorkshire, with his early goalscoring form in the Premier League 2 this season only adding to his immense hype.

From just four games this campaign in all competitions, Gray has helped himself to a blistering four strikes, with his weighty goal tally for both the U18s and U21s now standing at a very impressive 15 goals from 22 outings.

Branded the “real deal” by analyst Ben Mattinson, it does only feel like a matter of time now before the teenage sensation is leading the line for Farke’s men, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin potentially pushed all the way for a starting spot very soon by the England U17 international.

However, he isn’t the only hotly-tipped youngster at this moment in time in the U21 picture.

Leeds could even be brewing their next Phillips when looking at this very promising midfield talent who just signed his first-ever professional contract at his boyhood employers.

Leeds' next Phillips

While his career path has hit many a bump since exiting Leeds in 2022, with just 31 Manchester City appearances coming his way in three years, it goes without saying that he is the standard that many of the new rising crop at Thorp Arch still try to hit.

Indeed, under Marcelo Bielsa’s transformative guidance, Phillips would turn into an extremely hot midfield commodity, with a senior Three Lions call-up even falling into the 29-year-old’s lap, before moving on to the Etihad for a substantial £40m.

While Ollie Pickles is way off hitting those heights at the moment, he will hope – sometime down the line – that he can experience these same amazing highs, having just penned his first-ever professional contract at Elland Road that runs until 2028.

The 17-year-old hotshot warranted that deal coming into play, too, with Pickles even donning the captain’s armband for the U21s last time out to show off similar leadership skills to those of Phillips in the main team.

Pickles – Leeds youth stats
Position	Games	Goals + Assists
DM	22	2 + 1
CM	10	3 + 2
AM	5	1 + 0
RW	1	0
LW	1	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The similarities don’t just end there, however, with Pickles also showing off a similar eye for a goal and an assist to that of the former Bielsa favourite, with a standout five-goal contributions tallied up from the central midfield position from just ten outings.

Arguably, his added adaptability to slot into a right-wing or left-wing spot if needed also stands him in good stead to replicate Gray’s sharp rise, with the Spurs number 14’s malleable nature turning him into a constant regular under Farke.

Still, with previous interest in his services coming from the likes of Gray’s new employers, it could be that Pickles goes on to be another major sale for Leeds in the midfield department, like Phillips.

Before anything more concrete pops up over Pickles leaving, however, the teenager will have to prove himself in the senior side, with chances potentially handed to him in the near future.

Danny Murphy says Leeds "will" go down and names Farke's "biggest problem"

The talkSPORT pundit has revealed why he thinks the Whites will go down, despite the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

2

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 23, 2025

Ruben Amorim has sought to explain why Manchester United have not yet opened talks with Harry Maguire about a new contract. Maguire scored the goal which gave United their first away win at Liverpool for nine years but his future with the Red Devils is in doubt as he is into the last year of his contract. From January, he will be allowed to speak to foreign clubs about joining as a free agent.

Getty Images SportSurvivor Maguire still crucial to Man Utd

Maguire joined United for a then-world record fee for a defender when he signed for the Red Devils from Leicester in 2019 for £80m ($106m). He had a dream debut in a 4-0 win over Chelsea but it proved to be a first season of ups and downs. Maguire was named club captain in January 2020 and the following year played a huge role in United coming second in the Premier League and reaching the Europa League final, which he missed due to injury. He had a hapless 2021-22 season though when United finished sixth and sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

The centre-back then lost his place in the starting XI when Erik ten Hag took over and in the summer of 2023 he had the captaincy taken off him and given to Bruno Fernandes instead. Maguire was also subjected to torrents of social media abuse in this period. But he rose above it and fought his way back into the team under Ten Hag and then becoming a crucial player for Amorim, scoring vital goals against Lyon, Leicester and Ipswich last season. His 85th-minute header at Anfield increased his cult-hero status, prompting Amorim to say: "Harry Maguire is really important for us and was today. He is a great example, everything he has been through, a great example to every kid."

AdvertisementAmorim: Not the time to talk about Maguire contract

The head coach, however, was not willing to discuss whether or not the club plan to renew Maguire's contract, which expires in June. Amorim said at a press conference on Friday: "We are really happy with Harry but it is not the time to talk about that. That gives the idea that we are thinking really far away, we need to think about now. We are really happy with Harry, he is really important for us but we just need to focus on the next game."

Getty Images SportMaguire 'needs to be better on the ball'

Amorim praised Maguire and said he was ideally suited to playing in a back three. But he also challenged the defender to improve his ability on the ball. Amorim added: "It was good for him to play with three centre backs, I think he feels more comfortable. Because he plays in the centre, he does not need to go to the side so much so sometimes you help players with the way you play. Sometimes it is the opposite with some players. I am really pleased. He is not young but he can learn a lot, he can improve. 

"I think he can be so much better with the ball because he has that quality and he needs to show that. Nowadays with the set pieces that you see, the amount of men that you put in the box and every cross from the opponent – everyone is playing like that. He is a massive player for us, I am really happy but that game is in the past, that goal is in the past and now let's look forward to the present and the future."

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Maguire & Mount doubts for Brighton

Amorim explained that Maguire and Mason Mount have picked up knocks since the win at Anfield. It means the former England team-mates are doubts for United's game at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. The coach also declared that Lisandro Martinez is progressing well eight months after tearing his ACL but is still some way off from returning to the team. 

Newcastle United were solemn and nervous when Alexander Isak left for Liverpool on transfer deadline day, having forced his way out and disrupted Eddie Howe’s early-season preparations.

The Sweden striker is one of the best in the business, after all. But through Nick Woltemade and a general reshuffle of the attacking cabinet, there’s much cause for optimism once again.

But the drawn-out saga of the summer cannot be allowed to repeat itself down the line. Ross Wilson knows this, and the newly-recruited technical director is renowned for his interpersonal skills and capacity to work well alongside the manager. In this regard, Howe’s position at the peak of the heirarchal pyramid is underscored. He is the main man at Newcastle.

The i Paper have revealed that contract extensions for three key players – Sven Botman, Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali – are in the pipeline to prevent a future quandary such as this. The terms, it is believed, would contain release clauses, similar to the £100m buyout woven into the new contract Bruno Guimaraes penned in 2023.

Anthony Gordon, too, extended his stay at St. James’ Park last year and had a release clause printed on the paper. Gordon, 24, is arguably United’s attacking talisman now Isak has gone, with Woltemade young and raw, albeit with four goals in black and white already.

Keeping Gordon at the club was crucial, especially after Liverpool sniffed around for the £100m-valued England international last summer. A tough start to the campaign it has been, but he’s proving his worth and rising in importance for club and country.

Gordon's newfound seniority

Gordon was awarded the honour of Newcastle’s Player of the Year for 2023/24 after a rousing campaign that helped the club through amid so many injuries.

But he toiled through last season, unable to replicate that excellent form and fizzling out across the second half of the season. His absence through suspension for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool perhaps summed up his year.

But Gordon has scored three times in the Champions League this season and has nailed down an important position on the left flank in Thomas Tuchel’s England line-up.

Lively against Wales and clinical during the recent thrashing of Latvia, the £150k-per-week ace is growing in stature; he is a testament to hard graft, pitted against much adversity across the opening years of his professional career.

With Isak gone and Woltemade hardly expected to reach the same heights this season, fast start to life in England or not, it’s crucial that Gordon embraces his ever-evolving senior role and ensures Howe’s objectives are ticked off this term.

Gordon is a big talent, one of the finest England have. However, the Toon’s own production line has produced some exciting stars in recent years, with Elliot Anderson, somewhat bitterly, being a case in point.

But there’s another rising teenager gathering pace underneath the surface; he hasn’t yet made his first-team debut, but looks every bit a potential Three Lions star down the line.

Newcastle could have a bigger English talent than Gordon

Few and far between were the academy success stories on Tyneside in the years between Alan Shearer’s hatching in the city as a youngster and the advent of the PIF era.

To put that another way: it hasn’t been good enough. But there has been a focus on changing more than just the upper levels of the St. James’ Park set-up, these past four years.

That’s changed, and the latest example of this would be Sean Neave, who has been described by Magpies Media as being “the best Geordie striker prospect in a long, long time.”

Aged 18, Neave has already been promoted from the U18s to Newcastle’s U21 squad, the floor below senior level. Just 16 matches have been played, and a return of seven goals and three assists makes a convincing comment on the natural finisher’s potential.

Already, he stands at 6 foot 2, bearing a ranginess that is not too dissimilar to Isak’s gangly presence. With speed and a willingness to engage with defenders, playing off their shoulders, there’s a sense that Neave has taken a few pages from the Swede’s book as he has developed across these past few years.

Might Gordon have another strike partner to play with down the line? The winger’s connection with Woltemade already shows promise, but this differing profile could bear dividends. Who knows, Neave might even supersede Gordon as the star man.

Newcastle U18

37

21 (7)

Newcastle U21

16

7 (3)

Newcastle YL

7

1 (1)

Newcastle

–

–

One week ago, Newcastle U21s defeated Boston United 3-1 in the National League Cup. Did Neave get in on the action? He did indeed, bagging all three goals within 25 minutes and taking home the match ball.

Howe has already included the youngster in several matchday squads, but he still hasn’t handed the striker his first senior showing. That unforgettable occasion might just be on the horizon for the striker, whose prodigious potential is being recognised.

If he keeps it up, he may well be playing alongside Gordon for club and country in the coming years, having unquestionably demonstrated the requisite ability for a place in the Premier League. Moreover, Newcastle’s attacking depth might prove a positive thing for the teenager, who can slowly integrate without a weight of expectation on his shoulders.

While Neave’s strength leaves something to be desired, this is only natural. He is 18 and has not yet grown into his skin. This will come. Howe will ensure it.

But the natural talent and innate goalscoring ability are right there for all to see, and though Gordon is the cream of the English crop on Tyneside at the moment, that may well change if Neave continues to take confident strides over the coming years.

Newcastle star who's becoming a "fan favourite" could be Howe's new Joelinton

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 15, 2025

It’s always nice to see a player rebound from adversity. Ahead of England’s comfortable 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday evening, Manchester City’s John Stones said he considered retiring last season amid endless injury problems.

But the 30-year-old Stones has already started five matches across all competitions for the Citizens this term, and he cruised through the win at Wembley, albeit suffering but surviving a fitness scare.

Stones isn’t the only one of a City persuasion to be targeting renaissance at the more mature end of their career, though, with Jack Grealish starting to look like a £100m player once again.

Only, he’s doing it over on Merseyside, in an Everton shirt.

Why Man City loaned out Jack Grealish

Pep Guardiola broke the bank when signing Grealish from Aston Villa for a British record £100m fee. It was 2021. The Three Lions star was silky and stylish and all the rest, but he got lost somewhere within the Man City mechanics during his four years at the Etihad.

Still, the 30-year-old is a Citizen, shipped out on loan to Everton this summer. But Grealish has returned to his finest form so far this season, notching four assists in August to claim the Premier League Player of the Month and scoring the recent winner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to end Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run.

Grealish, perhaps, is at his best when the leading figure in a team, the talisman. Under Pep’s wing, something went awry, and he toiled on the margins for his past two Premier League campaigns.

If the Sky Blues succeed in selling the £300k-per-week talent permanently next summer, they will not recoup anything near the figure once paid.

Across 157 outings for Man City, Grealish scored 17 times and supplied 23 assists for his teammates.

He was never a prolific player, per se, but there’s no doubt plenty was left to be desired, and Guardiola knew it, handing his record signing just 17 Premier League starts across his final two terms. During this period, he notched six goal contributions.

Grealish isn’t the only one who might have been ferried out this summer, though, with Pep and co maybe looking back at the opportunity to sell Bernardo Silva for a hefty figure with something akin to regret.

Pep should have sold Bernardo Silva

Silva, 31, is one of the definitive superstars of the Guardiola era at Manchester City. A six-time Premier League champion, his 419 appearances for the club place him ninth in the all-time charts.

But he’s beginning to dip. Even though the boss named him captain this summer, Silva has lost some of the magic that has so often been discernible throughout his career, and Fabrizio Romano has said only this week that the veteran “has chances to leave Man City” ahead of 2026.

It’s been a long and storied career for Silva at Manchester City, but Guardiola’s side are evolving, and habitually have the rumours of the Iberian talent’s potential departure emerged in recent years.

Last season was a struggle for everyone at the club, but Silva felt the upheaval and tumult more than most. His output was halved, and he was placed on the substitute’s bench seven times across the latter half of the top-flight term.

Bernardo Silva at Man City

Season

Appearances

Goals (assists)

17/18

53

9 (10)

18/19

51

13 (13)

19/20

52

8 (10)

20/21

45

5 (9)

21/22

50

13 (7)

22/23

55

7 (7)

23/24

49

11 (11)

24/25

52

6 (5)

25/26

9

0 (1)

Data via Transfermarkt

Altered in his role, Silva no longer produces goals and assists with the same regularity, and Sofascore record he is averaging just one chance per Premier League game this season, losing 70% of his duels so far.

He’s captained Man City six times across all competitions this season, and remains one of the most fleet-footed and intelligent players in the Premier League, even described as “one of the best players” Guardiola has ever seen.

But, aged 31, there’s a sense he’s into the autumn of his career in English football, and is not indispensable as he once was.

He’s still a tenacious and layered attacking midfielder, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe for pass completion, the top 10% for tackles and the top 7% for carries per 90, but the Portugal international could have fetched a pretty penny indeed for City in the past, with Transfermarkt recording the ace once bore a market value of €100m (£86m).

Silva is among only the top 54% for goals and assists combined, which isn’t enough for a City side looking for different attacking dimensions, easing the burden on Erling Haaland.

Saudi Arabian suitors presented themselves last year, got their bids at the ready. It came to nought, but since the Portuguese star has hinted this coming season could be his last as he stares at the culmination of his contract in Manchester, might there be a touch of ruefulness that a big sale could not have been engineered, and instead City must wave goodbye to one of their best on a free?

News is indeed growing over the possibility of Silva’s summer departure on a free, with Benfica and AC Milan considered among the frontrunners. This is a reality that Man City must accept. Perhaps they should have sold him last season, or the year before, but having signed him way back in 2017 for £43.5m, there are some who would suggest City have received bang for their buck.

Concerning the regret over not selling sooner to speed up the rebuild, the same logic might be attributed to Grealish, who languished on the side at Man City for two years before earning a move to Everton and resurrecting his career. Had City cashed in on either before they dipped and waned, a hefty figure may have been had.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 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.

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  1Clasico 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.

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  2Man 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?

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  3… 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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  4Boring, 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.

Gary Neville loves making a fool of himself when it comes to Liverpool predictions, and one that he made back in 2023 remains one of his worst.

Neville consistently wrong about Liverpool

Over the past decade or so, Neville has become one of the most prominent pundits in the game, often speaking plenty of sense, as long as it’s not about Liverpool or Manchester United.

Too often, the former right-back allows his heart to rule his head, predicting United to finish in the top four or claiming his club will finish above the Reds in a season, despite arguably providing little substance to back it up.

For example, back in the summer of 2019, Neville said that Mohamed Salah would definitely leave Liverpool the following year – he is still a Reds player in 2025 – and that United would win a Premier League title before their rivals.

“Salah will leave, he will, I can absolutely guarantee it. I can see it, you can feel it, you can smell it, you know it.

“Liverpool, City, Tottenham – all these clubs have had poor recruitment policies over the last 25-30 years at times, so United are going through one at the moment. Eventually they’ll stumble across the right recruitment system, the right recruitment people. We’ll get a great manager – hopefully that’s Ole – and they’ll start to win again.

“That’s going to happen, I can guarantee you as clear as day Manchester United will win again, they’ll win again no problem. They’ll win a league – probably win the league before Liverpool in my opinion, I’m not being disrespectful.”

Neville's shocking Liverpool prediction back in 2023

In 2023, Man Utd visited Liverpool in the better form of the two sides, with Jurgen Klopp’s team struggling for various reasons, not least because the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were shadows of their former selves.

Speaking on Sky Sports before the game, Neville was in cocksure mood, saying he had complete faith in the Red Devils winning at Anfield, barely even entertaining the thought of defeat.

Instead, Liverpool went on to obliterate United 7-0 at Anfield, with Erik ten Hag’s side capitulating in the second half, as the Reds inflicted one of the worst defeats ever on their rivals.

It is a classic Neville moment, and he has produced plenty more in the two years since, featuring alongside Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, with the pair regulars on Sky Sports as pundits. As can be seen, the former Reds defender shared a brilliant image of Neville in the commentary box during the 7-0 win.

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1 ByWill Miller Sep 19, 2025

Keep up the incorrect Liverpool predictions, Gary!