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What defines a legend? A modern-great? In Arsenal terms, it’s Thierry Henry, the club’s record goalscorer.

It’s also Dennis Bergkamp. It’s Tony Adams. All three icons are cast in bronze outside the Emirates Stadium.

It’s also Arsene Wenger. While his stint in north London ended without many trophies, he is the most successful Gunners manager in the modern era. He was the one who drove the move from Highbury to the Emirates. He was the one who achieved a double, the one who reached a Champions League final.

He is also the only manager to have a golden Premier League trophy. No club in history since the old English First Division was rebranded have achieved an unbeaten season. Few have brought as much to the game as Mr Wenger.

Current boss Mikel Arteta has a great deal to achieve before he can be recognised in the same light but a major trophy come the end of 2025/26 would undoubtedly help.

It’s safe to say Bukayo Saka is certainly also heading down the legendary route.

Where Bukayo Saka ranks among Arsenal players in the Emirates era

The date was 29th November 2018. The setting: a freezing cold stadium in Ukraine. The opposition were Vorskla Poltava. What was the significance? Well, Saka made his first-team debut for the Gunners.

Brought into the fray by Unai Emery, he appeared from the bench in a 3-0 win aged 17 years, two months and 24 hours.

Since then, it’s safe to say the winger hasn’t looked back. Initially making his first forays at senior level as a left-back, even appearing there during Arteta’s first match in charge, he is now one of the best wingers in the world.

Only a few weeks ago, he cemented himself as one of the finest players of the Emirates era by registering his 100th goal involvement in his 200th Premier League clash, finding the net from the penalty spot against West Ham last time out.

The poster boy for this Arsenal team and indeed the Arteta project, journalist Charles Watts claimed he was “the best right winger in the world” back in 2023 and while Mo Salah may have overtaken him in that regard, certainly in the Premier League, he’s still right up there.

As far as Emirates Stadium icons go, he sits very close to the top of the tree. Other candidates include current teammates William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Declan Rice is up there too.

Yet, does he come close to eclipsing the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie? Considering the way in which the pair left, you’d have to say yes at this current moment in time.

Does he eclipse Mesut Ozil? The German is one of the finest playmakers we’ve ever seen over the last two decades but even his time in the English capital ended in tears.

Alexis Sanchez left in strange circumstances as well but Saka still has some way to go before he eclipses the Chilean’s numbers. He found the net on 80 occasions in 166 matches, most notably scoring 30 times in the 2016/17 campaign. Saka’s best season in front of goal stands at 18 so there is room for improvement there.

The club’s number 7 is no doubt already a club icon but who’s next on the conveyor belt of talent?

Arsenal star could become an all-timer like Saka

Saka is Hale End. He has served as the inspiration for a whole number of footballers trying to make the jump from academy to first-team life.

His influence has already proven to be a beacon for the likes of Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Lewis-Skelly earned his England debut last term and Dowman is currently the talk of the town having become the second-youngest player in Premier League history when he made his top-flight debut at the age of 15 a couple of months ago.

1. Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 5 months

2. Max Dowman

15 years, 7 months

3. Jeremy Monga

15 years, 8 months

4. Harvey Elliott

16 years, 1 month

5. Matthew Briggs

16 years, 2 months

Dowman is the shiny new toy and so it’s easy to forget about fellow Hale Ender Ethan Nwaneri.

Now 18, Nwaneri is the only player to make his Premier League bow at a younger age than Dowman and since then, he’s gone from strength to strength.

While he is yet to find the net in 2025/26, largely now playing as an attacking midfielder, he showcased that he was a true game-changer in 2024/25.

Last campaign, the teenager predominantly played on the right flank when Saka was out injured and he made a remarkable impact. In total, the youngster bagged nine goals in 37 matches and created two assists. One of those included a stunner in the rout over Manchester City.

He earned rave reviews in the process. After starring in the Champions League, TNT Sport pundit Joe Cole stated that Nwaneri was “the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.” Fine praise indeed.

Cole is certainly a huge fan of the teenager, remarking at another point in the season that he was like the great Lionel Messi.

“These touches he produces in and around the box, I don’t want to say it, but it’s like Messi,” the former Chelsea star said. “I don’t want to put any more pressure on the kid’s shoulders, I’m sure he’ll deal with it. He plays with such confidence and he’s a beautiful player.”

After such an impressive season, it’s easy to forget just how young this kid is. Dowman is getting all of the hype now but let’s shine a light on Nwaneri again.

He may have only played 145 minutes in the Premier League this term but he is already streets ahead of his peers in the same age group. Some might argue he’s also ahead of Saka at the same age.

During the England international’s first full campaign a senior player he only beat the goalkeeper on four occasions. Nwaneri had five more.

So, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited about the teenager, particularly as in the words of Arsenal content creator Leo Da Silva, he has the potential to be “an all-time like Saka.”

Forget Lewis-Skelly: Edu sold an Arsenal talent who's "England's future LB"

Arsenal may come to regret letting this Hale End star slip through their fingers.

4 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 11, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has provided a major update on Liam Delap's injury as he revealed when the striker would return to action. Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich Town in June, immediately after the 2024-25 campaign was over. He participated at the Club World Cup and played a key role in the English giants' triumph in the competition, but he picked up an injury at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

Delap's early injury blow

Delap picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30 in the Premier League. Following this injury, Maresca confirmed that the striker is expected to be out of action for nearly 12 weeks. Delap's injury led to Chelsea initially cancelling Nicolas Jackson's loan move to Bayern Munich after giving the green signal. However, they eventually sanctioned the move on the deadline day as they brought Marc Guiu back from his loan spell at Sunderland. Tyrique George's transfer to Fulham also fell through after initially approving the move. 

In Delap's absence, Joao Pedro served as the club's only recognised striker, who has enjoyed success in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, having scored two goals and provided three assists in eight Premier League appearances thus far. 

AdvertisementAFPMaresca provides update on Delap's return

Speaking on Delap's present condition and his possible return date, Maresca told reporters on Tuesday, "Liam is very close. He is not working with us yet, he is still out but hopefully he can start in the next days to take part in the session with us."

Chelsea will miss the service of the suspended Pedro for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Ajax on Wednesday. When asked about his plans to replace the Brazilian forward, Maresca added: "We have him [Guiu], we have also Tyrique who has played games as a nine in the past. He did well. He played I think against Benfica as a nine. We have different options. We have one more session this afternoon and then we decide. We trust Marc. We trust already last year, he was always playing in the Conference [League]. We also gave him some Premier League games so we show in the past that we trust Marc. Now he is again with us and he is going to play games for sure."

Maresca denies Chelsea's discipline problem

Defender Malo Gusto became the fourth Chelsea player, after Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, to be sent off in the club's last six matches across all competitions as he was given his marching orders in the 87th minute of the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest last week after he pulled off a mindless challenge on Neco Williams.

Maresca, after the game, had claimed he wasn't worried about the red cards and ahead of the Ajax clash, he reiterated his statement as he added: "For sure it is something that we can do better. I think some of the red cards, we could avoid that. For example, the Malo one is completely avoidable. It is 3-0, the game is finished. But also, the other side, they don't want to concede, they want to continue to be aggressive. For sure, when you concede five or six red cards, there is something we have to improve and it is something we are for sure going to improve.

"[But] personally, I'm not that kind of manager to punish players. I don't think in my view it is the right way to do things. I prefer to help them understand and then from there to do the right things. Joao Pedro was [in the] last minutes of the game. Malo was [in the] last minutes of the game. So it depends, they are all different kinds of red cards. But if you concede four or five, it is something you have to do better. I have four kids. When they do something wrong, I don't punish them. I try to push them to do the right things and I try to treat the players in the same way: try to help them to understand and not to punish them. This is the way I see things – it can be right, wrong, I don't know – but it is the way I like to do things."

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Getty ImagesChelsea's Fernandez boost

While Delap will still take some time before he fully returns to action for the Blues, the club have received a major boost on Enzo Fernandez's fitness after the midfielder missed the Forest clash last weekend. The Argentine international has returned to training and is expected to be part of Chelsea's matchday for the European clash.

It was the end of an era last week when Tottenham Hotspur officially confirmed that Daniel Levy would be stepping down as chairman after more than 24 years at the helm.

The highlight of his tenure at the football club arguably came earlier this year when Ange Postecoglou led the club to the Europa League trophy, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

Away from results, as much as supporters may not want to hear about it, Levy also made significant progress on the financial side of the club during his time as chairman.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire recently claimed that he ran the club “very efficiently” and noted that Spurs make ten times as much in revenue as they did when he arrived in March 2001.

As you can see in the post above, Tottenham were the most profitable ‘big six’ club in the Premier League over the past 24 to 25 years, and one of only three of those six teams to be profitable at all.

Whilst there may be some criticism over some of the signings made by Levy, including the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez, the ex-Spurs supremo also made some terrific signings.

Some of Daniel Levy's best Tottenham signings

Gareth Bale is the first name that comes to mind when thinking about his best signings for Tottenham, given what he went on to achieve after joining.

Spurs reportedly paid a fee of £10m to sign the Welsh wizard from Southampton in the summer of 2007, after he registered 11 assists in the Championship for the Saints, per Transfermarkt.

Bale went on to establish himself as a superstar in North London with 30 goals and 17 assists in his last two Premier League seasons, per Transfermarkt, before his world-record £85m move to Real Madrid in 2013.

Heung-min Son, who captained the club to the Europa League trophy earlier this year, is also another one of the most impressive signings Levy made for Spurs.

Tottenham signed the South Korea international from German side Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for a fee of £22m, after he had scored 29 goals in 87 appearances for the German side, per Transfermarkt.

Heung-min Son’s goal returns for Spurs (all competitions)
Season	Appearances	Goals
24/25	46	11
23/24	36	17
22/23	47	14
21/22	44	24
20/21	49	21
19/20	41	18
18/19	48	20
17/18	53	18
16/17	47	21
15/16	36	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Spurs captain provided a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch as a goalscorer throughout his ten years in North London.

Son was a brilliant signing, therefore, because he was an incredible servant for the club for a decade, and captained the team to a major trophy this year.

Bale and Son were phenomenal signings for Spurs by Levy for slightly different reasons, as the former earned the club a huge profit and the latter delivered huge success for the team on the pitch by winning a trophy.

Levy’s best signing during his time at the club may not be Bale or Son, though, because that award may go to the deal that brought Dele Alli to North London.

Chalkboard

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

Football is an incredibly subjective sport and a lot of supporters like to have their say on who the club should target and sign to bolster the squad based on their own views.

The deal to sign Bale, who had just delivered 11 assists in the second tier for a fairly big club like Southampton, and the deal to sign Son, who had scored 29 goals in Germany already, were ones that fans could have pointed out and asked for.

Why Dele Alli was Daniel Levy's best signing for Tottenham

Dele was an even better signing than Bale and Son for Spurs because of the nature of the deal, given the price tag, where he came from, and what he went on to achieve.

Levy swooped to sign the attacking midfielder from League One side MK Dons for a fee of £5m at the start of 2015. This was a bold move by the Spurs chief because he had only played League One football up to that point.

He also became the first player MK Dons ever sold to a Premier League team for more than £1m, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was not coming from a team, like Southampton, with a rich history of developing young talent.

The teenage talent had scored 24 goals and provided ten assists in 88 games for the League One team, fewer goals than Son managed for Leverkusen and fewer assists than Bale produced for the Saints, but made the step up to the Premier League in the 2015/16 campaign and hit the ground running.

Alli scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 33 games in the top-flight in the 2015/16 season, which was a remarkable achievement given that he came straight from the third tier.

He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both of his first two seasons with Spurs, becoming one of a select few to have won the award twice, and provided consistent quality on the pitch for several years.

Dele Alli’s positional flexibility for Spurs
Position	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Attacking midfield	158	42	40
Central midfield	48	9	5
Left midfield	36	14	8
Centre-forward	8	2	1
Defensive midfield	2	0	2
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Alli provided goals, assists, and positional flexibility for Spurs throughout his time at the club, with 67 goals and 59 assists in total.

Alli, who was described as a “pure wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig looking back on his form for MK Dons, may not have had a picture book ending to his career at Spurs, signing for Everton on a free transfer in 2022, but there is no doubt that he was an incredible signing for the club.

The England international was Levy’s best piece of business during his time at the club because of how obscure the signing was, given the league he was playing in and MK Dons’ lacklustre history when it comes to selling young talent.

It was a risky move by the chairman and one that paid off almost immediately on the pitch, as evidenced by his PFA awards, and that is why Levy can look back on that signing as his best piece of work.

Tottenham's most expensive signings of all time

A detailed look at Spurs’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

By
Charlie Smith

Sep 5, 2025

Fifties for Robson and Holden but Middlesex fall away from strong position to post 260

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Apr-2025Lancashire 68 for 0 trail Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) by 192 runsRookie seamers Tom Aspinwall and Ollie Sutton launched Lancashire’s bid for an immediate return to the top flight in positive fashion by bowling out Middlesex for 260 on the opening day at Lord’s.Relegated to Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship last season, the Red Rose began the campaign without injured ex-England veteran James Anderson and West Indies paceman Anderson Phillip, unavailable due to a visa issue. But 21-year-old Aspinwall, with figures of 4 for 32, and left-armer Sutton, who took 2 for 57 on his first-class debut, swung the game in their side’s favour after a century stand between Sam Robson and Max Holden had given Middlesex a strong platform.Having reached 215 for 3 in front of an impressive Lord’s crowd of 4257, the home side stumbled – losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs – and Lancashire’s openers shaved 68 off the deficit before the close.The visitors opted to bowl after winning the toss and gained some early swing and bounce, with Tom Bailey beating the outside edge several times before breaking through in the fifth over. Nathan Fernandes, restored to an opener’s role at Middlesex following Mark Stoneman’s departure, contributed just a single before he was tempted to nibble at a Bailey delivery that slanted across him.But, having seen off the new ball, Robson began to play with greater freedom and rattled off a spate of boundaries, steering Sutton to the midwicket fence to bring up his half-century from 60 balls.Holden played his part as Middlesex cruised along at around four-and-a-half an over, but the left-hander was given a life on 28 when he hooked Sutton to long leg, only for the ball to slip through Luke Wells’ fingers and over the rope. However, with Lancashire’s seamers toiling fruitlessly, Wells redeemed himself by coming on for an over of legbreaks just before lunch to pin Robson lbw on the back foot with his fifth ball.Holden posted his half-century in the first over after the resumption, squirting Wells to third man for three and looked a good bet to convert that 50 into three figures until he fell to a smart take by Matty Hurst. Standing up to the stumps, the young wicketkeeper – who had earlier spilled a similar chance to remove Leus du Plooy off Will Williams – snapped up Holden off the same bowler and claimed his third dismissal when Ryan Higgins nudged George Balderson behind.That triggered a middle-order collapse, with four more wickets falling in the space of just 21 deliveries – two apiece to Sutton and Aspinwall. Debutant Ben Geddes became Sutton’s maiden first-class victim when he miscued a pull to midwicket and Jack Davies was lbw shuffling across his stumps before du Plooy, having spent more than two hours over a watchful 41, was on the sharp end of a similar decision in Aspinwall’s favour.By contrast, Toby Roland-Jones’ dismissal was palpable as Aspinwall brought the ball a long way back down the slope to take his leg stump, mopping up the innings after tea with the wickets of Zafar Gohar and Henry Brookes.Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings batted sensibly alongside new opening partner Michael Jones, capitalising on loose deliveries as they chipped away at the home side’s total. However, there were close calls for both openers before stumps, with Jennings’ inside edge off Blake Cullen rebounding off his pad but somehow avoiding the wicket and Jones almost playing on to Brookes.

Kylian Mbappe was hiding in the background while Xabi Alonso soliloquised. It was just after the opening game of the Champions League group phase. Mbappe had pieced together a remarkable Blancos rescue act, scoring twice to overturn a 1-0 deficit (and he might have had one or two more.) Alonso was singing his praises. He hailed Mbappe's "incredible impact", and promised that they were "just getting started.” And then, as he realised Mbappe was in the room – just out of the shot – he tailed off.

It was a funny moment, but one that encapsulates the Alonso-Mbappe dynamic this season. Thus far, the Spaniard has made Mbappe the centre of his team, the focal point Mbappe perhaps always wished he could be. But, as with the rest of this Madrid team, Alonso has also been remarkably stern. Mbappe has not been allowed to dictate this team. Instead, he has been asked to play in different roles, embrace various styles – and trust that the goals will come as a result.

And in the early goings of the season it seems that the two have an excellent working relationship. Mbappe trusts Alonso. Alonso trusts Mbappe. Madrid might just have unlocked the Frenchman's best in cultivating that partnership. 

AFPA difficult first season

It is worth remembering, first, how we got here. Mbappe's first season at Madrid was a strange one. The raw numbers were nothing short of staggering. He bagged 31 goals in La Liga and 42 in all competitions. He set the record for the most goals in a debut season for the club and won the European Golden Boot. He established himself as the only Madrid player to score in seven different competitions in a single season. 

This is the elite goalscorer Madrid knew they had signed. But the bigger picture isn't so flattering. Madrid may have gotten goals out of Mbappe, but they got little else. 

It wasn't just a lack of assists as much as the way he failed to work as part of the collective. He didn't press. He didn't run. He invaded spaces that others liked to operate in. For a lot of the season, it felt like Mbappe scoring lots of goals while 10 others watched. 

The result was a team-wide failure, Madrid finishing second in La Liga, being bounced from the Champions League, and going a full season without a major trophy. It cost Carlo Ancelotti his job, and threw the rest of the side into jeopardy.

AdvertisementAFPClub World Cup questions

It all left things a little uncertain. The Club World Cup always felt like a bit of a wash for Madrid. They might have retooled before the tournament, but there was an overwhelming sense that they were an incomplete side, outmatched by whomever they faced. 

Paris Saint-Germain beat them in the semi-final emphatically, and it really wasn't much of a surprise. After that game, Los Blancos' media team didn't make a single player available to awaiting journalists. 

Mbappe was hospitalised for a few days during the group stage, but still managed to appear in all three knockout games. In fairness, he grabbed a signature moment, burying an acrobatic volley late on to defeat a resilient Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final. But he turned in an anonymous showing in the semis against his former club, going 90 minutes without having a real impact.

In fact, the real star of that tournament for Madrid was someone who operated in Mbappe's position. Gonzalo Garcia, a little known academy striker heading into the tournament, paced Madrid's attack during the group stage, scoring in each of Los Blancos' first three games. There was scattered talk that with Vinicius Jr and Mbappe dueling for two spots, he could also make a push. 

Getty Images'Kylian understands football very well'

Alonso did away with those concerns from day one. Mbappe has started every single game for Madrid thus far, and played all-but 16 minutes of Los Blancos' perfect start to the season. 

Nominally, he has operated as a striker, but Alonso has been flexible in the way he has used him. Indeed, the manager relies heavily on positional play, asking his side to fill individual tasks within a position. Against Osasuna, in the first week of the season, Mbappe played much like a traditional striker – staying mostly central, and offering a run off the last defender when Madrid had a chance to hit on the break. He grabbed the only goal in a slightly unconvincing 1-0 win. 

But he has filled other roles, too. Against Espanyol, he started up front with Garcia. It seemed a confusing set-up. But instead of having two alongside each other, Alonso used Mbappe as a second striker of sorts, linking play and working in coordination with the midfield.

"Today he played in a more different role, as a playmaker," Alonso explained after the game. "We talked about the responsibility he had to be closer to Urko (Gonzalez de Zarate). On (Marko) Dmitrovic’s long balls, that superiority was important. Kylian understands football very well. Today in his role, in a different position, as a second striker, he did very well."

It would perhaps be a bit premature to dub Mbappe a "complete striker". There is a long way to go on that front. But his improvements are clear to see.

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Getty ImagesThe impressive numbers

But more than anything, Mbappe is a goalscorer. That's why he's here. Sure, Madrid can try to tinker with more versatile genres of him, ask him to do different things against different teams; that's just good coaching. But getting Mbappe into positions where he can put the ball into the net is absolutely vital. And the stats there aren't bad, either. 

Mbappe has scored seven in six games. He bagged two against Levante in a 4-1 win, two against Oviedo in a 3-0 win, and played a crucial role in a signature Champions League comeback. He has scored or assisted in all but one of Los Blancos' contests so far.

The underlying numbers make for good reading, too. Mbappe is being clinical in front of goal. Thirty-three percent of his shots have been on target – the best mark in the league. He leads La Liga in goals, expected goals and shots. But he has also created 18 chances, and is in the 96th percentile in pass completion percentage.

More impressive, though, are his defensive figures. He has won possession in the final third 10 times, putting him in the 99th percentile among all La Liga players. He is winning his duels at a higher rate than in previous years. 

So, while the assumption had always been that Mbappe was perhaps a little one-dimensional, that perception is eroding, little by little.

As has become customary in Glasgow on a Champions League night, the world-famous anthem is greeted with defending cheers.

However, within a matter of minutes, all those in Govan and Glasgow’s surrounding areas could hear was a cacophony of boos.

The night could hardly have started any worse for Russell Martin’s side, conceding after three minutes and then again from a corner four minutes later, before Club Brugge added a third on the 20 minute mark, this the fastest Rangers have ever found themselves 3-0 down in a home European tie in their 69 years of continental history.

At that stage, the Belgian side appeared set to completely put the tie to bed, although it didn’t entirely turn out that way.

Straight after the break, teenaged debutant Jayden Meghoma’s low cross was tapped home by Danilo before, with 12 minutes to play, Djeidi Gassama thought he’d reduced the arrears further, but his goal was disallowed because referee François Letexier deemed that goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had two hands on the ball; a controversial VAR decision.

Thus, 1-3 it finished at Ibrox, leaving Rangers with a mountain to climb at Jan Breydelstadion next Wednesday, and a couple of Martin’s summer recruits in particular did not impress.

Nasser Djiga's calamitous night

Since joining on loan from Wolves this summer, Nasser Djiga has now started all eight matches this season, forming a centre-back partnership with John Souttar.

The Burkina Faso international arrived in Glasgow with plenty of Champions League experience, starting all ten of Crvena zvezda’s qualifiers and league phase fixtures last season, although you wouldn’t have known it three minutes in to this one.

Brugge’s opener, scored by Romeo Vermant, came about in bizarre circumstances.

Danilo had a shot blocked at one end, before Christos Tzolis’ hopeful ball forward was inexplicably just left by Djiga, running in the complete opposite direction, allowing Vermant to delicately lob the ball over a bemused and confused Jack Butland.

Graeme McGarry of the Herald labelled this the “worst defending I’ve ever seen” while, speaking on Sky Sports News, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd described this as “calamitous”, adding “Rangers just come up with new ways to concede goals…. Champions League football… forget it”.

This is such a concern because, as already alluded to, Martin appeared to have his centre-back partnership in Djiga and Souttar set in stone, albeit, after the former was sent off against Dundee ten days ago, this was not his first costly error.

Nevertheless, he is not one of Martin’s summer recruits coming under the most scrutiny following this damaging defeat.

Rangers' new signing could be dropped

James Tavernier has been a stalwart since joining Rangers a decade ago, making 521 appearances for the club, only ten men can boast more, among the first names on the team sheet throughout this period – until now that is.

The club captain was left on the bench for the first leg against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, with the same true again on Tuesday, with Max Aarons starting at right-back instead, very much a permanent fixture in Martin’s team, but could that be about to change?

Well, the 25-year-old did not impress against Brugge, as the table below documents.

Errors leading to shot

1

1st

Defensive actions

3

16th

Clearances

2

12th

Tackles

1

14th

Dribbles past

1

1st

Possession lost

7

11th

Duels contested

11

2nd

Duels won

4

10th

Fouls

2

1st

Touches

68

5th

Sofascore rating

6.7

20th

As the table highlights, only four players, namely the aforementioned Souttar and Djiga, as well as Brugge duo Brandon Mechele and Jorne Spileers, accumulated more touches than Aarons, despite the fact he was hooked with 20 minutes remaining, but he did little good with all this time spent in possession.

The full-back was dribbled past once, this when Tzolis came close to adding a fourth in first-half stoppage time, losing possession on seven occasions, while also winning just four of his 11 ground duels, which pretty much sums up his and Rangers’ night.

Journalist Scott Bradley asserted that Aarons “looks like he hasn’t kicked a ball before”, adding that he remains “absolutely baffled” as to why the “best right-back in the league”, namely Tavernier, is once again left watching from the dugout by under-fire Martin.

Chalkboard

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

All in all, a disastrous night for Rangers, leaving their Champions League dreams hanging by a thread, requiring a miracle when they visit West Flanders next mid-week.

Before then, already four points adrift of Premiership leaders Hearts and Celtic after just two fixtures, Martin can ill-afford yet more dropped points at St Mirren on Sunday, so it would be no surprise if captain Tavernier is restored to the team in Paisley.

Meghoma upgrade: Rangers ready to move for "technically gifted" £9m star

Even after signing Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford, Rangers have revived their interest in signing a “technically gifted” star once worth £9m.

ByBen Gray Aug 19, 2025

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has enjoyed a fruitful summer transfer window in his second year in charge of the club, after Federico Chiesa was his only signing in 2024.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike have all come through the door at Anfield to bolster the Dutchman’s options across the park.

The focus is now turning to further exits from the club, after Luis Diaz’s move to Bayern Munich, as Liverpool have accepted an offer from Al Hilal for centre-forward Darwin Nunez.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the Pro League team are set to pay an initial fee of around £46m for the striker, who is poised to agree a three-year contract with Al Hilal to leave England after three years on Merseyside.

Nunez may not be the only high-profile exit to come later this month, though, as Harvey Elliott may also be on his way out of Anfield to move to the Bundesliga.

Romano claims that RB Leipzig are in contract talks with the England U21 international and have made him a priority target to replace Xavi Simons this summer.

Why Harvey Elliott may leave Liverpool

According to Romano, Elliott ‘loves’ Liverpool and would like to stay at the club, but is currently exploring his options because of a potential lack of game time next season.

The English whiz is said to have seen the new signings come through the door this summer and has realised that it may be too difficult for him to get enough opportunities to impress.

Elliott is a terrific young talent, as evidenced by his five goals in six matches at the U21 European Championship this summer, and it would be a blow for the Reds to lose a prospect with his ability.

However, it is hard to begrudge his desire to explore options elsewhere when you consider how his minutes on the pitch dropped after Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout at Anfield.

Appearances

34

18

Starts

11

2

Minutes

1,367

399

Goals

3

1

Big chances created

5

1

Assists

6

2

As you can see in the table above, Elliott found game time harder to come by under the Dutch coach after playing a fairly important role under Klopp in the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign.

Unfortunately, Slot did not see him as an important part of his side, as the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch were preferred ahead of him in the middle of the park.

Liverpool should, therefore, look to replace Elliott with a midfielder who is more likely to be utilised by the former Feyenoord head coach throughout the season.

Liverpool join the race for Juventus midfielder

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign Juventus central midfielder Douglas Luiz before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the former Aston Villa sensation is available for a fee of €40m (£35m), which has seemingly alerted a host of clubs to his availability.

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It states that Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and West Ham United are also keeping an eye on his situation, which means that the Reds could face plenty of competition for his signature.

CaughtOffside adds that Liverpool are showing an interest in the Brazil international, but that it is Forest who are currently leading the race to sign the midfield maestro.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Premier League champions will decide to seriously pursue a deal to win the race for the former Manchester City youngster, who could arrive at Anfield as a perfect replacement for Elliott.

Why Liverpool should sign Douglas Luiz

The Res should be looking to get a deal over the line for the Juventus talent before the end of the summer transfer window because he could be a better fit for what Slot is looking for.

As aforementioned, Elliott did not get much game time in the Premier League last season. That may have been because he is a unique and creative midfielder who lacks outstanding physical attributes, which means that he needs to play in an attacking role or in a team that is built around him.

Luiz, however, is a versatile and physically strong midfielder who can play as a number six or as a number eight in a 4-3-3 system, which makes him far more suited to what Slot needs in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian star, who played 19 times in the Serie A for Juventus last season, is also a proven Premier League performer who can hit the ground running at Anfield in the 2025/26 campaign.

Luiz, who was hailed for his “exceptional” performances for Villa by Statman Dave, has 175 appearances in the Premier League in his career to date, which shows that he is an experienced operator at that level.

His form for the Villans and Unai Emery in his last two seasons in England also shows that he is a well-rounded midfielder who can offer quality in and out of possession.

Appearances

37

35

xG

2.83

6.97

Goals

6

9

Big chances created

7

10

Assists

6

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

2.4

Duel success rate

52%

51%

As you can see in the table above, Luiz is a box-to-box midfielder who can provide goals, assists, tackles, and interceptions for his side in the Premier League, whilst also holding his own in duels.

He also ranked within the top 36% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.05) in the 2024/25 season, which shows that the Brazilian ace excels at playing between the lines to progress attacks for his side.

This suggests that Luiz suits playing in a deep-lying midfield role where he can break up attacks with tackles and interceptions, whilst having time and space to pick out progressive passes.

The 27-year-old star is, therefore, suited to playing as the number six as an alternative to Gravenberch, whilst his goal and assist return also suggest that he could play slightly further forward as a number eight to contribute at the top end of the pitch.

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Overall, Luiz would be the perfect ‘replacement’ for Elliott because he has a midfield profile that seems far more suited to what Slot wants in his three-man midfield, and he has the versatility to play in a defensive or offensive role, making him the ideal utility player for the Reds.

Manchester City are now keen on hijacking Manchester United’s move for an “incredible” player, who is set to be available for £35m this summer, according to a report.

Man City's summer rebuild continues

Pep Guardiola has made major changes to his squad this summer, with the Man City boss looking to reclaim the Premier League crown from Liverpool, and Phil Foden believes the rebuild was necessary after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Foden said: “It is needed after last season, bringing in fresh legs and the new additions have done well. They have settled very quickly.

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“We can all see their quality from the Club World Cup and what they bring to the team. We have got a big squad at the moment but I think it is definitely needed. I’m looking forward to the season and linking up with players that I like to play with and enjoying it really.”

Bad news for Doku: Man City preparing £87m bid for "world class" forward

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It is certainly true that Guardiola is blessed with a large squad, and having added Nico Gonzalez in the winter, before bringing in Tijjani Reijnders this summer, there are plenty of options in the middle of the park.

However, according to a report from Takvim, Man City are now keen on signing Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, who is also being targeted by Man United, with the Red Devils even set to make a formal offer for his services in the coming days.

The Turkish club are reluctant to sanction Sara’s departure this summer, but they could be tempted if they receive an offer of €40m (£35m), amid widespread interest from the Premier League.

Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Aston Villa are also credited with an interest in the Brazilian, although United’s interest appears to be the most advanced, with an offer in the works.

"Incredible" Sara could flourish in the Premier League

The 26-year-old has experience in England, performing remarkably well for Norwich City in the 2023-24 campaign, picking up 13 goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship outings.

That season alone proved the maestro is more than ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, but he has since gone on to prove himself in Turkey too, amassing 11 league goal contributions last season as Galatasaray went on to win the title.

As such, Sara could flourish at the Etihad Stadium, although there are some doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing for Man City, given that Guardiola is already well-stocked in central midfield.

The Gabba in Brisbane has played host to plenty of iconic Test moments – the 1960 tie, Ian Botham’s last great Test innings, Shane Warne’s career best, Peter Siddle’s birthday hat-trick, India’s famous 2021 heist and Shamar Joseph’s heroics to pick out a few – but there are now major questions over its future as an international venue.On Sunday it was confirmed that the Queensland government had only signed a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year’s men’s Ashes fixture there is great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule.The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba, but there will be no half-century with it not having one of the four New Zealand Tests the following year. There are, however, discussions ongoing about white-ball internationals with England due to visit that summer for ODIs and T20Is.Related

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The Gabba is coming towards the end of its viable working life in 2030. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and initially, there had been plans to completely rebuild the venue, but that was ditched by the Queensland government due to costs and instead, there is expected to be a renovation along with other stadiums in the city.While a complete rebuild would have taken the stadium out of commission for a number of years, there is still uncertainty over whether it will be usable during a renovation.In an open letter, the chair of Queensland Cricket Kirsten Pike and chief executive Terry Svenson outlined the organisation’s frustrations and concerns for cricket in the state.”The State Government’s decision to not progress with its commitment to rebuild the Gabba and downgrade its proposed Olympic role has resulted in direct and indirect changes to how we proceed with our business,” they wrote.”It is deeply disappointing that the 2026-27 Gabba Test has become a casualty of the uncertainty around the infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations, specifically around the Gabba.”…and while not being unduly alarmist, the potential outcome of this continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men’s and women’s cricket.”The future of the Gabba is under threat by new stadiums around the country, including a proposed indoor venue in Hobart•Tasmania Government

Speaking last week, former Australia and Queensland captain Allan Border called for a new multipurpose venue to be built in the city.”It’s sad, but they [Cricket Australia] have got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not,” he told the . “I’d be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules and the Olympics, and the Gabba becomes housing.”Whatever the future of a major cricket venue in Brisbane, there could be a potential challenger on the horizon with Tasmania having ambitions to host indoor Test cricket in the proposed new Hobart stadium which is set to be ready in 2029. However, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said it was hard to envisage a future where Brisbane was not part of the regular Test schedule.”That’s hard to imagine, but we have to have the facilities and a ground that supports it,” he said. “We want the fans to have the best experience as they come and see the world’s best players.”What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution. We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”The Queensland Cricket letter added: “We remain hopeful that Test cricket will return to the Gabba after the summer of 2026-27 despite the current lack of detail and uncertainty surrounding the upgrades to the Gabba.”Queensland does have other smaller international venues. Allan Border Field in Brisbane regularly hosts the women’s team and Australia A and the Gold Coast hosted a T20I against West Indies in 2022. In regional Queensland, Mackay is used while Townsville and Cairns hosted the T20I and ODI series respectively against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 2022.The men’s Future Tours Programme has some winter home cricket on Australia’s schedule in the coming years which could open the door for venues such as Cairns and Townsville. South Africa are due to visit for ODIs and T20Is in August 2025 while Afghanistan have a Test and three T20Is allocated in July 2026 although those would appear unlikely to happen given Cricket Australia’s current stance on bilateral series with Afghanistan.

Tom Abell and Sean Dickson produced a scintillating fourth-wicket stand of 144 in 11.2 overs to lead Somerset to a 63-run Vitality Blast win over Hampshire Hawks at Taunton.Abell smashed an unbeaten 96 off just 47 balls and Dickson hammered 65 off 32 deliveries to help the hosts post 241 for 5, their third-highest ever Blast total, after losing the toss. Their stand was a Somerset record for the fourth wicket in the competition.Hampshire replied with 178 all out, Ben McDermott hitting 46 off 28 balls and Ben Green claiming a career-best equalling 5 for 29. Victory put holders Somerset back on track after successive group defeats on the road.The hosts did not allow the loss of three wickets in the powerplay to affect their momentum, reaching 58 for 3 by the end of the sixth over, despite the dismissals of Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Banton.If Hampshire were pleased to see the back of those three big-hitters, two of them to Michael Neser, their satisfaction soon turned to concern as Abell and Dickson set about their attack, taking the score past 100 in the 11th over.Abell hit the first six of the game to bring up the 50-stand in 31 balls and the pair required only a further 18 deliveries to take their partnership to three figures. The 13th over, bowled by James Fuller, went for 21 as Abell crashed three successive fours through the off-side and Dickson ended it with two more boundaries.Both players reached half-centuries in the 15th over, Dickson’s occupying 25 balls and Abell’s 30. Dickson celebrated with a six over backward point off John Turner and by the time he was caught at long-on off a Liam Dawson full toss the stand had overtaken Somerset’s previous best for the fourth wicket in Blast cricket – 110 between Babar Azam and Lewis Goldsworthy against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 2020.Lewis Gregory smacked 18 off 8 balls and Abell ended his majestic knock with a straight six off Turner as Somerset completed their highest-ever Blast total against Hampshire. Abell struck 12 fours and three sixes as only Benny Howell of the Hampshire bowlers went for less than ten an over.McDermott and James Vince began the Hampshire reply undaunted and brought the fifty up in just 4.4 overs. By then end of the powerplay they had increased the total to 65, McDermott dominating with some savage blows.Green made the vital breakthrough for Somerset in the eighth over, bowling McDermott with his second delivery as he advanced down the pitch, and struck again with his fourth ball as Vince lofted a catch to long-off to make it 78 for 2.The over ended any doubts about the outcome. Soon Hampshire were requiring more than 15 an over and Green, who claimed 30 Blast wickets with his medium pace last season, struck again when Joe Weatherley launched a catch to deep midwicket to make the score 101 for three in the 11th over.James Fuller hit a straight six off Josh Davey, but perished next ball trying to repeat the feat. Howell cleared the ropes off successive van der Merwe deliveries, but when he and Toby Albert fell in the same Riley Meredith over Hampshire’s cause was lost and a clatter of wickets, including two for Green, followed.