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Burnley are already looking to sign a Championship star this summer ahead of promotion rivals Sheffield United, according to a new update.

Burnley on course for Championship promotion under Parker

The Clarets are in a hugely strong position to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, with Scott Parker’s side second in the Championship and five points clear of the Blades in third.

Leeds (88 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (88 pts)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Parker’s side have been brilliant in defence which has laid the promotion platform, conceding just 13 times in 42 games.

Burnley set the pace last Friday with a 2-1 win over Norwich City after goals from Hannibal Mejbri and Jaidon Anthony. Leeds also won 2-1 at home to Preston North End, however, Chris Wilder’s side lost 2-1 against Plymouth Argyle.

As a result, should Burnley win at Watford on Friday, a victory at Turf Moor against Sheffield United on Monday would guarantee promotion.

Owner Alan Pace could back Parker in the transfer market if Burnley go up, and by the looks of things, a new target from the second tier has emerged.

Burnley looking to sign £10m Championship star ahead of Sheffield United

According to reporter Graeme Bailey for EFL Analysis, Burnley are one of five clubs interested in signing Stoke City attacker Million Manhoef.

As well as the Clarets, rivals Sheffield United are also interested in the winger along with Scottish giants Celtic and Belgian duo Genk and Club Brugge.

The Potters are looking for £10m to sell Manhoef this summer after spending just £3m on his services last January.

The 23-year-old, who mainly plays as a right-winger, is into double figures for goal contributions in 2024/25 and is under contract with Stoke until 2027.

Games

35

Goals

6

Assists

4

Minutes played

2,389

Manhoef was also praised by former manager Steven Schumacher last year, who described the attacker as a player who can make things happen.

“We expected him to take time to settle in, but since he’s got here, he’s been really positive. He’s shown what he can do, his ability that he’s got, and getting a goal like he got on Saturday will only do his confidence the world of good.

“We needed that type of player who can run towards the goal, take people on, get shots away and create for the team, so I’m not overly surprised that he’s starting to do that now. Like all players though, he’ll thrive off confidence. He thrives off belief and a run of games. Getting up to the speed and the intensity of the Championship is going to be key for him.”

Should Burnley win the race for Manhoef, he may rival loanee Marcus Edwards for a spot on the right-hand side, providing the Clarets go up and exercise their option to make Edwards’ move permanent.

Manchester United have endured a superb upturn in form over the last couple of weeks, with the squad now finally reaping the rewards of the faith shown in the manager.

Ruben Amorim was a man under pressure a couple of months ago, especially after the Red Devils endured yet another dismal start to a Premier League campaign.

The 40-year-old has since led the first-team squad to five games unbeaten in England’s top-flight – a run which is undoubtedly the best during his 12-month spell at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur showcased their ability to bounce back from losing positions – something which may have been difficult in 2024/25.

There’s little disputing that the club are certainly on the up under Amorim’s guidance, but his side could be further improved during the upcoming January transfer window.

Man Utd’s hunt for new additions in January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been one of the sides touted with a move to land Palmeiras centre forward Vitor Roque after his impressive form in 2025.

The Brazilian youngster has scored 16 times in his 30 league appearances this calendar year, currently sitting as the division’s second top scorer at present.

His form has led to links to the Red Devils, but it would be yet another expensive addition, with the Serie A outfit currently demanding a fee in the region of £42m for his signature.

In terms of big-money additions, the Red Devils have also been touted with another move for Elliot Anderson after his incredible rise at Nottingham Forest this campaign.

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, United have already made contact with the Reds over a deal for the central midfielder, who’s also become an England international regular in recent months.

However, the journalist has also confirmed that any deal would set the hierarchy back upwards of £100m-£120m this January – a deal that would break the club record fee paid for Paul Pogba back in 2016.

Why Anderson would finally get Sesko firing

During their £200m spending spree in the summer, the United hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £74m for the signature of Benjamin Sesko from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Given the magnitude of such a fee, real expectations were placed on the Slovenian to provide the goods and lead the line for Amorim’s men in 2025/26.

However, his time at Old Trafford to date has been a huge disappointment, with the 22-year-old only finding the net twice in his first 11 Premier League outings for the Red Devils.

Sesko is currently four games without a goal in England’s top-flight, even being dropped to the substitutes bench and limited to just half an hour in the draw against Spurs.

He will no doubt need time to settle into life in England’s top-flight, but he could be aided in his attempts for success at Old Trafford should the board secure the services of Anderson this winter.

It would no doubt be a mammoth investment if they were to land the 23-year-old, but such a move would provide Sesko with the ammunition he needs to thrive in front of goal.

Anderson, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by Matt Forde, has completed 1.3 take-ons per 90 – ranking him in the top 3% of all midfielders in the division at present.

The aforementioned tally showcases his ability to get the ball into attacking areas, which could provide the forwards ahead of him with the chances they need to impress.

He’s also 8.6 passes into the final third per 90 – with such a tally the highest of any player in the Premier League this season, highlighting his talents with the ball at his feet.

Other figures, such as 8.8 progressive passes and 1.4 key passes per 90, further demonstrate his talents at finding a teammate – with such numbers perfectly falling into the hands of Sesko.

The prospect of Anderson linking up with Bruno Fernandes is truly an exciting one, with the United fans potentially blessed with one of the best duos in the league.

If the youngster can replicate such numbers, there’s no reason why he can’t help Sesko finally kickstart his career in England – even if a deal would cost the hierarchy a club-record fee.

Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their new Vidic and it's not De Ligt

Ruben Amorim may have uncovered Manchester United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 11, 2025

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

والتقى ليفربول وإنتر ميلان على ملعب “جوزيبي مياتزا” ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري في دوري الأبطال.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق الفوز على حساب إنتر ميلان بهدف دون مقابل، من ضربة جزاء سجلها دومينيك سوبوسلاي في الدقيقة 88.

وحصل على جائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وإنتر ميلان، ريان جرافينبرخ لاعب الريدز، بعد أدائه خلال المواجهة.

اقرأ أيضًا | مباريات ليفربول المتبقية في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الفوز على إنتر ميلان

وقالت مجموعة المراقبين الفنيين في الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “كان تمركزه الدفاعي منضبطًا وذكيًا للغاية، غطى وحمى المساحات حول وأمام قلبي الدفاع، أثناء الاستحواذ على الكرة، بدأ الهجمات باللعب في وضعية نصف الدوران والتمرير للأمام عبر الخطوط في المناطق الضيقة”.

ورفع ليفربول رصيده إلى النقطة 12 في المركز الثامن بترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا، وتجمد رصيد إنتر ميلان عند 12 نقطة أيضًا ويتواجد في المركز الخامس.

He was rewarded for being aggressive yet conventional in a match-turning spell against SRH

Matt Roller17-Apr-20251:02

How Jacks’ part-time offspin found success

The old art of orthodox right-arm offspin is on its deathbed in the IPL. R Ashwin, once its standard-bearer, was dropped by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this week after spending six games predominantly bowling carrom balls, and Washington Sundar can hardly get a game for Gujarat Titans (GT). Sunil Narine and Maheesh Theekshana? They are better categorised as mystery spinners. Glenn Maxwell is still going, but tends to spear in darts rather than looking to turn the ball.But on Thursday night at the Wankhede, an improbable saviour emerged. Will Jacks’ spell of 2 for 14 from three overs ensured that Mumbai Indians (MI) hardly missed the legspin of Karn Sharma when he went off injured, and put the brakes on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) just as they looked to accelerate. Perhaps there is a pulse after all: reports of offspin’s demise in the T20 format were an exaggeration.Harbhajan Singh is one of the all-time great offspinners, and a four-time IPL champion. On the eve of this season, he bemoaned what he perceives to be the defensive approach of the modern offspinner: “They are scared of getting hit for sixes… [They] are more interested in conceding less runs than taking wickets. The reason for specialist offspinners disappearing is this mindset.”Related

How Mumbai Indians' quicks kept Travishek on a leash

MI's bowling tricks on slow pitch get them second straight win

Yet Jacks is unlike most occasional spinners in that he actively looks to turn the ball: he has a classical action, tries to get flight and dip, and at 6ft 2in, his height unlocks extra bounce. He only bowls an average of one over per match in T20s, but Surrey have used him as a frontline spinner in the County Championship and he even has a Test-match six-for to his name.Jacks came into this game sweating on his place, after a quiet start to the season with his new franchise. But he was told at training on Wednesday that he should expect to bowl early on against SRH’s left-handed top three: he came on for the seventh over, with Abhishek Sharma – whom he had dropped first ball at slip – and Travis Head riding their luck early on.At last year’s T20 World Cup, England threw Jacks the ball for the second over against Australia in Barbados, and he disappeared for 22 runs as Head ruthlessly targeted a short square boundary, helped by a stiff crosswind. His third ball, tossed up and crunched back down the ground, must have brought back bad memories: “We’ve had a few good battles,” Jacks said after Thursday’s match, grimacing.But it proved to be the only boundary that he conceded, and his second over featured the ball of the night: a slow, flighted offbreak which had Ishan Kishan charging down the pitch and spun sharply – 5.4 degrees – to beat his outside edge. By the time that Ryan Rickelton had whipped the bails off, Jacks was halfway towards Hardik Pandya at mid-off in celebration.0:55

Bangar: Hardik was spot-on with his captaincy

Hardik’s decision to bring Jacks back ahead of his frontline overseas spinner, Mitchell Santner, was immediately vindicated at the start of his third over: Head charged down and picked out long-off, bringing an uncharacteristically sluggish innings to a tame end. Jacks then proved that he can bowl to right-hand batters too, with five precious dots (and a wide) to Heinrich Klaasen.”If you bowl tentatively to people like that, it’s only going to end one way,” Jacks said. “Originally, I thought I was going to bowl in the powerplay; I didn’t, so I had a bit more protection. I knew I could bowl with confidence and use my skills: I’m a tall bowler, I get good turn and bounce, so that’s what I was trying to do.”Jacks is an unlikely candidate to keep the right-arm offspinner relevant, but his words must be heartening for Harbhajan to hear. “Sometimes, I feel like I can be too defensive instead of using what I’m good at,” he said. “It’s very easy to focus on the batters, but you’ve got to remember that you have your skill as well – and you’re there to get them out.”I knew there was going to be a bit of spin assistance, so as long as I wasn’t floating the ball up there and bowling aggressively… That’s what I was trying to do, looking to get them out. As an offspinner to two left-handers, I’m always looking to take wickets and be aggressive: I know they’re always going to come after me as well, being the sixth bowler.”Jacks is a quick offspinner, and bowled between 90.7-100.9kph throughout his spell. But his combination of bounce, drop and turn was match-turning. “He came up against our three left-handers,” Daniel Vettori, the SRH head coach, said. “All those batsmen said it was hard to get down [the pitch] to him, and when he did drop short, it sat in the wicket and was difficult to hit.”His runs with the bat – 36 off 26 from No. 3, after an early reprieve from Head at cover – ensured that he will have plenty more opportunities to bowl his offbreaks this season. In doing so, he has the chance to prove that there is still a role for his secondary skill in this league – and this format.

Nacho Monreal has joined a growing list of ex-Arsenal stars who have come out in defence of former team-mate Mesut Ozil, claiming he was unfairly scapegoated for his work ethic. Ozil joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-club record fee of £42.5 million and was heralded as a player who could usher in a new era at the Emirates Stadium. However, the German World Cup winner was regularly called out for supposedly acting lazily on the pitch.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ozil's hot-and-cold tendencies at Arsenal

  Ozil spent eight years on the books at Arsenal, contributing 77 assists and 44 goals in 254 appearances. He arrived in north London as a genuine footballing superstar after impressing in a three-season stint for Madrid, though went down as one of the Premier League's most polarising players. Despite being an outrageously gifted technician and one of the world's leading playmakers, Ozil was derided for his languid body language.

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• Oxlade-Chamberlain reignites old debate

  During an appearance on Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who played alongside Ozil for four seasons before joining Liverpool, claimed the German received unwarranted pelters for his performances.

  Oxlade-Chamberlain said: "Mesut was fun to play with and there was definitely an element with Mesut that was like, mad respect for him.

  "That aura that he brings, it was always like, 'I want to do a one-two with Mesut here'. Or I'd try and find him and he'd appreciate anything really good.

  "By the way, the conception of Mesut being lazy, absolute nonsense. Like, that fella would run 11.5k every game off the ball. Runs in behind.

  "People just see, if he gives it away, is he going to start sprinting? That wasn't part of his game but the amount of running he did off the ball and people were saying he's lazy, I'm like, just look at the stats. You got no clue how much running he does off the ball."

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  Monreal defends 'favourite player' Ozil

  In an interview with GOAL, in association with BetMGM, Monreal backed up Oxlade-Chamberlain's testimony of Ozil and even went as far as calling the No.10 his 'favourite player'.

  "I completely agree with Alex," Monreal said. "In my opinion, in my time as an Arsenal player, I think Mesut was one of the best players, my favourite player, probably the most technical player.

  "People expected a bit more from him, but in my opinion, every time he played for Arsenal, he played well. He scored a lot of goals, made very many assists, he always tried to help the team.

  "I don't know why people say that [Ozil is lazy]. I have great memories of Mesut."

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• Ozil's decline and unceremonious Arsenal exit

  Though Ozil helped win three FA Cups under legendary manager Arsene Wenger, he was not a favourite of the Frenchman's successors, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta, and was left out of their Premier League squad for the 2020-21 campaign.

  "Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated," Ozil wrote on Twitter. "I've always tried to remain positive from week to week that there's maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That's why I kept silent so far.

  "Before the coronavirus break I was really happy with my development under our new coach Mikel Arteta – we've been on a positive way and I would say my performances were on a really good level. But then things changed, again, and I was no longer allowed to play football for Arsenal. No matter what, I will keep fighting for my chance and not let my eighth season at Arsenal end like this."

  His contract at the Emirates Stadium was terminated in January 2021 in order to facilitate a free transfer to boyhood club Fenerbahce. Ozil made 37 appearances for Fener in all competitions before heading to neighbours Istanbul Basaksehir for the 2022-23 season, though played only seven times before deciding to bring the curtain down on his career due to persistent injury struggles.

Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Wessam Abou Ali from Columbus Crew, according to reports, with Wilfried Nancy looking to bring one of his star men to Scotland.

At long last, the Bhoys are closing in on a managerial appointment. The Scottish giants have taken their time, waiting for the right appointment, with Martin O’Neill doing an impressive job as interim boss in the meantime.

The 73-year-old has reiterated every week that he will happily step aside once Celtic have found their next permanent option and that looks set to happen sooner rather than later amid recent reports.

The Columbus Crew manager looks set to take his first job in European football and has the task of bridging the gap on Hearts in a shock Scottish Premiership title race.

O’Neill, meanwhile, will bow out of his second stint in charge after steadying the ship. Whether he’s still in charge by the time that Celtic travel to face Feyenoord this Thursday is the big question.

Speaking to reporters, the veteran manager said: “The answer is this: the game is on Thursday so the plane leaves on Wednesday. They better make their minds up very quickly.”

Of course, if Nancy doesn’t arrive in time, then O’Neill will have the opportunity to win his first European game of his second stint in charge to cap off a small tenure full of nostalgia.

The ball will then be in the new manager’s court, who has already reportedly identified the need for a new striker at Celtic Park and set his sights on exactly who that new striker should be.

Celtic now lining up January move for Columbus Crew star

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now targeting a move to sign Abou Ali from Columbus Crew in the January transfer window. The 26-year-old Palestinian striker has been one of Nancy’s best players in the MLS and quickly won the faith of his manager after arriving from Ahly SC.

Related Celtic chiefs learn Nancy arrival date as personal terms update emerges

The Hoops are closing in…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 20, 2025

Described as “clinical” by Columbus Crew general manager Issa Tall, Abou Ali first grabbed the headlines when he scored a perfect hat-trick against Porto at the Club World Cup as the MLS side watched on, waiting to secure his signature.

Since then, the 26-year-old has only impressed even more in America and may yet be on his way to Scotland to strike an instant reunion with Nancy.

Abou Ali

Record with Nancy

Games

5

Goals

3

Assists

1

With four goal involvements in five games under Nancy, Celtic would be wise to go all out to sign the 6’1 forward, who could solve their own striker problem in January.

Whether Columbus Crew will allow their star striker to leave with their manager is another question, however. Losing Nancy is already set to deal them a blow in its own right, let alone their top star alongside him.

Celtic set to make quadruple backroom appointment to Nancy's staff

Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed how Erling Haaland convinced him to move from Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City in the summer transfer window. The Italian goalkeeper left the European champions on deadline day to sign for the Premier League giants after falling out of favour under Luis Enrique, who had already signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille.

• Donnarumma shares special bond with Haaland

  Since his move to City from Paris on deadline day, Donnarumma has built a close friendship with the club's star forward Haaland. In an interaction with the , the Italy international opened up on his close bond with the Norwegian goal machine as he said: "I’d say we just got on well immediately. We have always respected each other, even before we met. We make a lot of banter about playing against each other in the national teams. I’d say they are in a better situation than us now, they have much more peace of mind. But there are still two games left to play. It will be difficult to face each other, as it will be difficult to play against him. I know how strong he is and what chances he can create. It will be hard to face him both as a player and as a friend."

  He also rated Haaland as a better player than former PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe as he added: "I think Erling does [have the hardest shot]. He is left-footed, so he is different from Kylian (Mbappe). They are both hard to play against. So it’s complicated. But I would rather have Erling playing for my side."

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  How Haaland pushed Donnarumma to join City

  Speaking about Haaland and his move to City, Donnarumma told : "He's a fantastic guy, so calm and he loves his family and being with them. We hit it off. There's that synergy there where there's just a natural feeling. Even when we played against each other, we were in touch and after the games we even spoke often.

  "Then I had the opportunity to come here, he wrote to me. He pushed hard for me to come and I think him so much for that. He's truly a great friend – and it's a good thing I play with him because it's so difficult to be against him! He's an alien!"

• Donnarumma thanked City team-mates

  The Italian custodian also thanked every member of the City squad for making him feel at home and helping him to adjust to the new conditions in the Premier League. Donnarumma has featured for Pep Guardiola's side in 12 matches across all competitions this season and has kept six clean sheets.

  When asked about his performances, Donnarumma said: "I'm a bit angry because I could have kept more. I didn't expect to have such a positive impact on the Premier League. But the team helped me a lot because the moment I arrived, they welcome me very well. They helped me a lot in the first games, especially the first one which was just three days in. In the first training session, it felt like I had been there for two years. The league is very different, there's a lot of running, a lot of intensity so I had to adapt immediately. But the team has been fundamental for me in these first few months."

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  Man City hoping to reduce gap with Arsenal

  After a forgettable outing in the 2024-25 campaign, Guardiola's men are back in form in the current season. They had a minor setback at the start of the season, where they lost back-to-back league games against Tottenham and Brighton but have now bounced back in style and are just four points behind league leaders Arsenal. 

  City will be back in action in the league on Saturday as they take on Newcastle United away from home. They would aim to win the clash and reduce their gap with the Gunners at the top of the table.

Football really is a cruel game that can change in the blink of an eye, as Vitor Pereira has recently found out.

Indeed, back in the middle of September, Pereira was handed a new three-year contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Old Gold chairman Jeff Shi even calling for a period of “stability” with the former Al-Shabab boss remaining at the helm.

Clearly, though, Wolves’ continued woes in the Premier League forced Shi’s hand into having to dismiss Pereira just 45 days on from his vote of confidence, with the West Midlands side stuck at the very bottom of the division on a measly two points.

James Collins and Richard Walker, who both work in the Wolves youth set-up, have since been handed interim duties for Saturday’s league clash with Chelsea.

This looks to only be a temporary measure, though, with new emerging reports now suggesting the relegation-doomed outfit has entered into talks with a number one candidate to succeed Pereira.

Wolves enter talks with EFL manager

Again, the beautiful game’s rapid speed is clear for all to see.

Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas had revealed that a move for Rob Edwards to leave Middlesbrough behind to manage the club he previously played for was “unlikely.”

However, according to Football Insider, the Premier League’s basement club had entered talks with the ex-Luton Town boss. Journalist John Percy added further fuel to the fire by asserting that Wolves will make a formal approach for the Telford-born head coach to try and clinch his services.

Yet, this is a move that now looks unlikely with Boro so far rejecting an approach from the Old Gold.

Labelled as a job opportunity Edwards would find “hard” to turn down owing to his prior Molineux loyalties, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see whether the 42-year-old does desert the Riverside Stadium for a chance back in the top-flight with Wolves.

After all, his valiant efforts at the helm of the Hatters in the Premier League surely mean he’s a standout Pereira successor, with Wolves resigned to crashing back down to the Championship with a whimper, if they hadn’t pulled the plug on the 57-year-old when they did.

Why Edwards can be a perfect Pereira successor

Of course, Edwards will know he has his work cut out for him if he does take on the vacancy at Molineux, with certain sectors of the media already claiming that Wolves’ drop to the EFL is “inevitable”.

Yet, the current Boro boss has had this inevitable tag hanging over him previously when he was in charge of Luton, with Edwards managing to turn the Hatters into a gutsy and tough-to-beat proposition, regardless, even as they competed near the foot of the daunting division all season long, during the 2023/24 campaign.

Nottingham Forest

17th

32

Luton

18th

26

Burnley

19th

24

Sheffield United

20th

16

At the end of the day, Edwards’ underdogs would only fall victim to relegation towards the latter stages of the campaign, when many expected them to be the Premier League’s basement club for the entirety of the season, with only six points separating the Hatters from Nottingham Forest in 17th spot.

The then Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would even hail the job Edwards had done, under the pressure of being the top-flight’s noticeable minnows as “insane”, with the German also noting that the players at Edwards’ disposal had been “obviously top, top coached.”

The 42-year-old would surely love another shot at steering a sinking Premier League ship to safety, therefore, in the form of the Old Gold, having stated – towards the start of his fledgling days as a manager – that he wanted to be “like Pep [Guardiola] or Jose [Mourinho]”, as relayed by Luke Steele.

He would certainly be held in very high esteem, like the very successful Spaniard, if he were to somehow guide Wolves to safety, having also been boldly labelled as “one of English football’s brightest and best young coaches” in the past by pundit Adrian Clarke.

Edwards hasn’t done his managerial reputation any harm at the Riverside, either, with an impressive seven wins picked up in charge of Middlesbrough this season.

Yet, there must be a fire in his belly to come back to the Premier League and finally be a saviour-style figure he very nearly had in his grasp at Luton, with Wolves definitely better placed to try and beat the drop with Edwards at the helm, over sticking by Pereira.

Wolves decide on interim manager for Chelsea trip as three names crossed off shortlist

Wolverhampton Wanderers have decided who will take charge of their next game.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 6, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said he thinks Piero Hincapie should have been dismissed for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah during Sunday's Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge. The Bayer Leverkusen loanee's elbow struck the England international under the eye, just minutes after Blues midfielder Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red for his late challenge on Mikel Merino.

• Hincapie let off following VAR check

  Hincapie and Chalobah came together while competing for a header. The Ecuadorian defender entered the challenge with a raised arm, striking the 25-year-old under the eye with his elbow. Chalobah received treatment on the pitch immediately, with a large contusion on his cheekbone almost immediately visible on the broadcast. Hinacpie was shown a yellow card by on-field referee Anthony Taylor, with the incident checked by the VAR. 

  Hincapie was adjudged to have had his eyes on the ball and not Chalobah, meaning the challenge was ruled to be reckless rather than dangerous or with excessive force, remaining a yellow card. 

  Maresca took exception to the decision in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision should have been upgraded to a red. The Italian admitted that while Caicedo was correctly dismissed for his tackle – a challenge that Merino described as "horrible" – he lamented inconsistencies against his side. Maresca referenced a decision not to dismiss Rodrigo Bentancur in a recent Premier League clash with Tottenham as a further example of his side's poor luck with the referees in the 2025-26 season. 

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  Maresca: We struggle to understand refs' decisions

  The Blues boss was asked to comment on post-match quotes by his captain Reece James, who suggested Hincapie should have been shown a red for the challenge. Maresca replied: “I think Reece is right. But they (officials) decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in a different way.

  “Moises’ is a red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why don’t they give him a red card? It’s just that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why do they judge it differently?

  “And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. (He had a) black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.”

• Maresca proud of Chelsea players

  Despite taking the blow, Chalobah was able to open the scoring for the Blues, in a massive London derby with implications for the title race. Following Caicedo's departure, it appeared the Blues were about to miss their chance to push their inter-city rivals for the Premier League crown. Chelsea took the lead shortly after the break, though, as Chalobah rose at the front post to glance James' in-swinging corner beyond David Raya in the Arsenal net. 

  However, the west London club were unable to press home on their advantage, with Merino heading home a Bukayo Saka cross on the hour mark. 

  Despite losing their lead, Maresca was proud of his side. He said: "The effort of the players (is what I’m most proud of). Arsenal, they are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in the Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Then, with 10 players again, the dynamic changed. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding."

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• AFP
  

  What comes next?

  The point keeps Chelsea six points adrift of Arsenal in their pursuit of the title. The Blues travel to Leeds on Wednesday, before heading down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth on December 6. 

Sellout crowd disappointed as heavy and persistent rain prevents any action at Malahide

Matt Roller19-Sep-2025

Persistent rain wiped the second of three T20Is between Ireland and England out before a ball was bowled. Heavy overnight rain in the Dublin area left patches of the outfield totally sodden at Malahide Cricket Club, and a planned 1.30pm inspection was pushed back indefinitely until umpires Aidan Seaver and Jonathan Kennedy eventually called the game off at 3.47pm.It made for an anticlimactic afternoon, not least with a “sold out” sign plastered onto the ticket booth and a crowd of more than 4,000 expected. After three washouts against West Indies, Ireland have now lost four out of their eight home men’s internationals this summer to the weather; the only consolation is that the forecast for Sunday’s match is more promising.Brian MacNeice, Cricket Ireland’s chair, said that their insurance policy mitigated the financial impact of the abandonment. “We have a policy that covers it,” MacNeice said. “There’s no financial impact to us, other than potentially a slightly more expensive insurance policy next year.”A member of the groundstaff tries to dry the outfield•Sportsfile via Getty Images

The wash-out was particularly frustrating for Ireland as this series was initially pencilled in for June, only to be shifted back to September at the ECB’s request. “Even in the middle of the summer, you can’t predict that you’re going to get perfect weather,” MacNeice said. “We didn’t have a problem having the games here at this time.”England had planned to rotate their side for the second T20I, with Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox both in line to feature before the weather intervened. They may win opportunities on Sunday, but one man who will not is the uncapped Scott Currie, who has been released from the squad to play for Hampshire in Saturday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge.Wednesday’s series opener saw England take a 1-0 lead over Ireland, chasing 197 with 14 balls to spare thanks to Phil Salt’s innings of 89. It meant a winning start to Jacob Bethell’s short tenure as stand-in captain, deputising for the rested Harry Brook.