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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has explained why Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were left out of his starting XI to face Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Gunners were already without key defenders Gabriel and William Saliba due to injury, meaning midfielder Christian Norgaard was handed a surprise start in central defence in Belgium.

• Injuries piling up for Arsenal

  Arsenal have had a very strong start to the season but have seen key players pick up injuries in recent weeks, particularly in defence. Gabriel, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera  have all been sidelined, while Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were also ruled out of the trip to Belgium for Arsenal's latest Champions League match. The situation means that Arteta raised a few eyebrows with his team selection against Club Brugge as the north Londoners aim to maintain their 100% record in the competition so far this season.

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  Arteta explains absence of duo

  The Arsenal boss told ahead of kick-off: "They both had issues from the weekend, both really bad kicks. For Jurrien it was too early and for Ricci [Calafiori] we have to manage to see if he can do some minutes [tonight]."

  The absence of the duo meant that Arteta lined his team up with Norgaard partnering Piero Hincapie in central defence, with Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly as the full-backs. The outing is Norgaard's first as a centre-back since featuring in the role for Brentford in the Championship back in 2020.

• Arteta defends training methods

  Arsenal have now suffered 28 injuries already this season, but Arteta has defended his training methods and insists they are not to blame.

  He told reporters: "Not training, no, because we don't have time to train. So, training is not there. But obviously, the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more. That's a consequence of that and it's a really dangerous. The fact that we have some others who have long-term contracts that haven't been with us since the beginning of the season. But, yeah, it's a test for the team, and so far, we have reacted very, very well to that."

  "I think you have to separate the kinds of injuries that they have. Some of them have been long-term and acute injuries, especially with some of the key players who give you a lot of days out. It's something that we are constantly looking at. As I said, we have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing. That gives a lot of stress and then more injuries. We are on it and I'm really happy with what we are doing in terms of the medical stuff and everything that we are trying to do together. Sometimes, as well, we need some people to go in our time.

  "It's not only one season. It's about some of the players that they have played. It starts to get overloaded and you start to ask them again and again to play. Others, because, as well, the moment that you have an injury, you are more likely to have another injury. That's been a consequence of some of the states as well. We're on it."

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• Praise for Norgaard

  Arteta also took time out to praise Norgaard pre-match. The summer signing has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League so far this season and just one start in the Champions League. Yet Arteta is happy with how he's settled in following his transfer from Brentford. He told reporters: "I'm really happy with how he’s come to the club, especially with him and everything that we need to do in many areas. Not only in the pitch, but what he has to do, he excels in the manner that we expect him. I think it's similar to Ben White or Myles [Lewis-Skelly]. They haven't played as much as expected, but they're very positive."

'Baby Lukaku'. That is the nickname, coined by Romelu Lukaku's former team-mate Kevin Mirallas, that Belgian journalists love to use when they write about Promise David. It's easy to see why, too, with the Union Saint-Gilloise striker one of European football's most unsung talents, a true Hidden Gem.

The striker is physically and mentally strong and is very fast. Weapons with which he can force something in every game. With his profile, it is not surprising that Premier League clubs such as West Ham United are closely following him. And yet David does not dispel all doubts.

David appears clumsy, wild, certainly no clinical finisher, and his lack of concentration is apparent. David is an enigma to scouts. He can't tread water, but he can swim easily from A to B. The black Michael Phelps, he calls himself in Similarly, David can play a terrible game, yet still manage to get his name on the score sheet. That may actually be his greatest quality. It drives his coach, David Hubert, crazy. But Hubert can't ignore him, because his striker can score anytime, anywhere. And his five-year plan? He's ticked that off in a year and a half. Promise David has found his way.

• Lukaku-esque

  If there is one goal that perfectly illustrates just why Mirallas, who now works as USG's attacking coach, compares David to Lukaku, it was his striker against Royal Antwerp in March 2025. In the opening game of the Jupiler League championship play-offs, David was played in behind the Antwerp defence as Rosen Bozhinov pulled out all the stops to fend the striker off.

  "As I ran, I felt a claw at my neck," the striker told podcast about a goal that quickly went viral on the internet. "When I took a shower later, it hurt badly because he had literally torn the skin off my neck. I bled throughout the entire match and didn't even realise it."

  "I headed straight for the goal, seeing nothing but green," David continued. "I didn't want to dive or fall. Then he grabbed me again. I thought, 'You f*cking dick!' I swung my arms back and my shirt ripped. I was happy about that, because every time he pulled on that shirt, it felt like I was choking."

  With only half a shirt left, David finally broke free from Bozhinov, though the defender had slowed him down just enough for a team-mate to catch up. David, though, produced a simple body feint to leave the second defender in the dust before sliding the ball into the net, slapping his chest powerfully and screaming mightily in celebration.

  "I was subbed and then took a look at my phone," he said. "The goal had already been posted on social media and it looked horrible. It was just assault!

  "Our sporting director has that shirt hanging in our new training facility, alongside all kinds of other historic kits from Union's history. He said, 'This shirt symbolises Union: it's about resilience, strength and not giving up." It is precisely those three things that symbolise David's unusual career path, too.

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• Where it all began

  As a child, David always was an energetic boy – "My teachers thought I was a good kid, but also that I was a distraction to others," he recalls – as he grew up in Brampton, Ontario, a city that also has links to his fellow Canada internationals Cyle Larin, Atiba Hutchinson and Tajon Buchanan.

  However, it was not in Canada, but rather in Lagos, Nigeria, where David discovered his love for football. As a toddler, he lived there with his grandparents, while his uncle was a huge Chelsea supporter.

  "I'll never forget him picking me up at my grandmother's house," David told . "I sat on the back of his motorbike and we rode to the bar together to watch the matches."

  Upon moving back to Canada, David looked for a hobby to pour his energy into. At first, it was the piano, but when it broke – "That really p*ssed me off!" – David went looking for something else, and soon found his new love: football.

• 'F*ck you moment'

  David initially joined Toronto FC's academy, but at the age of 15 he was let go. He then spent three years with semi-professional outfit Vaughan Azzurri before, having turned 18 in 2019, he was offered a move to Europe to join Croatian third-division side NK Trnje. It proved, however, to be a painful moment in his young life.

  "Things happened in Croatia that I didn't even dare tell my parents about," David recalls, before revealing the racist abuse he suffered from his coach in Zagreb. "He didn't want black people, Africans, on his team. He said bizarre things to me.On one occasion, my team-mates didn't translate what he had shouted during a training session until a month later because they found it too awful. Everyone froze the moment he said it. It was something like,God forbid I ever put a black player in my team.'"

  David was sent back to the youth team, where he was able to rediscover his love of the game under a different coach, Rajko Vidovic. When Vidovic became the coach of the first team shortly afterwards, he provided the prolific striker an opportunity, one which David took immediately.

  "It was the biggest f*ck you momentof my life," David says of the goal he scored moment after coming off the bench for his debut. "It felt like revenge on that one man."

  David soon left Zagreb, however, and moved to the United States and USL outfit FC Tulsa. The switch did not prove to be a success, and he soon headed back to Europe, joining Maltese side Valletta.

  "I lost a cup final there," David remembered. "That broke me. I've cried three times in my life when it came to football, that match was one of them. My niece Liz was in the stadium at the time and she took a photo of me on the big screen just as I was crying. Man, I'm ugly when I cry."

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• The big break

  By the time a spell with a different Maltese club, Sirens FC, had also ended in disappointment, David was 21 and his dream of a career as a professional footballer seemed very far away.

  "My parents wanted me to come home," he said. "Until then, they had always supported me. But they had lost hope. I asked them for one more opportunity." That opportunity soon arose in Estonia with Kalju FC. At that point, David drew up an ambitious five-year plan that would end with him playing and scoring at a World Cup.

  "The idea was to either play football really well, or be a loser," said David when summing up his thoughts at the time to podcast. "I really didn't want to go to school."

  Things didn't start well for him in his new home, however. David was regarded as a 'project' and was initially integrated into Kalju's youth team. There, however, he scored a lot of goals and was eventually promoted to the first team. But any suggestion that David was finally on the right track were soon put to bed.

  "I remember playing a match," he recalled. "We were 2-1 up at half-time and I was playing pretty well. They lured us in and then played long balls, so as an attacker I didn't put any pressure on them when we were leading. I walked into the changing room and the president grabbed me by the neck and dragged me out before saying, Is this how you want to play? Don't you know what your father does to keep you here? I'm 60 and I move more than you do!'

  "In the second half, I scored again and we won 4-3. All my team-mates were celebrating in the dressing room but I was in the shower crying because the president had just called my father and agent and said it was a big mistake to bring me to the club.

  "I didn't have an apartment, but was staying in a hostel. At the same time, all my friends from home were graduating. I had my father's credit card with me because I wasn't earning any money from football. That's when I really thought, 'What am I doing with my life?'"

  Those emotions eventually subsided and David worked hard to secure a regular role in the first team. In the 2024 season, he scored 14 goals in 16 games, but despite interest in his services from leagues higher up the food chain, Kalju initially refused to let David leave under any circumstances: "It was insane. I begged them, 'Please release me'. Those times made me understand how people feel when they have to work a 9-to-5 job they hate."

  David's plea worked and Kalju reached an agreement with USG in the summer of 2024 for David to move to Belgium.

Arne Slot will surely be under more intense pressure in the Liverpool hot seat if he cannot turn around his side’s disastrous Premier League form after the international break concludes.

Last season, the Merseyside giants romped home to the title, with a bumper 25 wins secured, having also only lost a meagre four games all campaign long.

Now, however, it’s a grim five defeats on the menu from 11 outings, with former Reds attacker Peter Crouch even stating that there must be “some serious question marks” as to whether the ex-Feyenoord boss should remain in the Anfield post for the long term, if the losses continue to stack up.

He does have the January transfer window on his side to try and arrest this slide, though, as Liverpool prepares to splash the big bucks again…

Where Liverpool could strengthen in 2026

The disappointing Reds are now eight points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, which has led many pundits to state that the reigning champions are in a crisis at the moment.

Still, uprooting to Anfield will be seen as an attractive next career step for many promising talents around the world.

One target includes AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, as rumours persist that the £22.5m-rated midfielder is on their agenda.

Alongside Smit, Liverpool are also reportedly still keen on adding Marc Guehi to their ranks in January, after a failed summer move, as Crystal Palace brace for Liverpool to reignite a deal, despite their current bruised status.

Palace are not the only Premier League club that could be on the receiving end of Liverpool attempting to spend big to turn around their dismal fortunes, however, with TEAMtalk revealing – via their sources – that Slot’s men are favourites to land AFC Bournemouth superstar Antoine Semenyo, despite intense interest also popping up from Tottenham Hotspur.

The report goes on to state that a £65m release clause will be activated when the window opens, which has alerted both Liverpool and Thomas Frank’s outfit, with the Reds ready to meet that price to win themselves an explosive, Premier League-proven forward.

Liverpool desperately need some deadly firepower, having been burnt by deals for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak in the summer, as Slot and Co’s excessive spending – £415m to be exact – looks very rash.

Semenyo could well offer up some much-needed entertainment; therefore, with the Ghanaian also going down as Slot’s new Luis Diaz if a deal is secured, who was a departure in the summer, now overloaded with regret.

How Semenyo compares to Diaz

Diaz leaving Liverpool has certainly hurt the Reds more than they might have initially anticipated.

Of course, the lavish spending in the summer with Isak and Wirtz coming through the door was meant to see in the start of a new-look Liverpool attack, with Diaz discarded to Bayern Munich in the process.

Unfortunately, with the aforementioned pair regularly fluffing their lines and the revitalised Colombian already sitting pretty on 11 goals and five assists from 17 games in Bavaria, it does feel as if Liverpool have dropped a clanger getting rid of an attacker once branded as “unpredictable” and hard to contain at his Premier League best by ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman.

Diaz blew hot and cold on English shores, hence his exit and Seaman’s unpredictable assessment, as 29 Premier League goals fell into his lap at Anfield. Semenyo is only three short of that amount right now for the Cherries, as another gung-ho, direct talent emerges that can wreak havoc at the peak of his powers.

Liverpool saw first-hand how blistering their £65m target can be at full pelt right at the start of the season when powering home that high-energy equaliser, with his Cherries teammate in Marcus Tavernier stating that he is “unplayable” when operating at his devastating best.

Thankfully, the goals and assists have followed in abundance, away from just simply bombing forward with pace to burn, with six goals and three assists in Premier League action alone this campaign, even resulting in Chris Waddle’s claiming that he’s currently “the best winger in the country.”

Semenyo’s numbers for Bournemouth

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

RW

38

12 + 3

LW

26

5 + 3

RM

10

5 + 0

LM

8

3 + 4

CF

4

1 + 0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The similarities don’t just stop with their comparable styles, though, with both attacking stars in question also capable of being adaptable and malleable when needed, as seen in Semenyo swapping between left wing and right wing duties regularly for Andoni Iraola’s men.

Diaz would also happily oblige in this regard at Anfield, with eight goals even coming his way from a centre-forward spot for his ex-employers.

Semenyo will, further, hope he can replicate Diaz’s career at Anfield even more closely in lifting a Premier League title down the line, past the current slump in form.

Related Liverpool star is "the best finisher in the PL" and he's not even a forward

Liverpool must start utilising this midfielder’s dynamic attacking qualities more often.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 19, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O casamento entre São Paulo e James Rodríguez chegou ao fim na quarta-feira (7), quando o colombiano pediu para deixar o Tricolor. Uma das reclamações do meia-atacante eram as poucas oportunidades recebidas no clube, e Thiago Carpini voltou a bater na tecla que o atleta não reunia condições físicas para ser relacionado.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloMezenga isola pênalti, e reservas do São Paulo goleiam o Água Santa no PaulistãoSão Paulo07/02/2024São PauloJames Rodríguez pede para deixar o São Paulo, e clube rescindirá contrato do meiaSão Paulo07/02/2024Fora de CampoComo as escolas de samba de São Paulo relacionadas aos grandes times chegam no Carnaval 2024?Fora de Campo09/02/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Após a vitória sobre o Água Santa, Carpini explicou que James Rodríguez vinha convivendo com um problema na panturrilha, e isso fez a comissão técnica deixá-lo fazendo controle de carga nos treinos e sendo ausência nos jogos do São Paulo. O atleta optou por não viajar com o elenco são-paulino para a Supercopa do Brasil, contra o Palmeiras.

– Nosso período de convívio foi curto, não tenho o que falar do atleta e ser humano. O que atrapalhou foi o controle de carga que fizemos. Foi recorrente o problema na panturrilha, até na seleção. O interesse de não continuar é do próprio atleta, e agora é um assunto da diretoria, não cabe a mim comentar – comentou Carpini.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Desde que foi contratado pelo São Paulo, em julho do ano passado, James Rodríguez participou de apenas 14 partidas pelo São Paulo. No período, contribuiu com um gol e três assistências. A diretoria do Tricolor alinha os últimos detalhes da rescisão contratual, e o anúncio da saída do colombiano deve ser feito nas próximas horas.

Tudo sobre

James RodríguezSão Paulo

Southern Brave 109 for 4 (Bouchier 42, Devine 41*) beat Trent Rockets 106 (Gordon 32, Corteen-Coleman 4-13) by six wicketsA dominant bowling performance followed by a measured if not nervy run chase saw the Southern Brave to a six-wicket win over Trent Rockets in The Hundred women’s competition at Trent Bridge.Electing to bowl first, Georgia Adams’ decision was justified almost immediately when 17-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman struck two huge blows in her opening set, removing Bryony Smith caught off a leading-edge and Nat Sciver-Brunt brilliantly stumped by Rhianna Southby.Despite a 16-ball 25 from captain Ash Gardner, the Rockets top order faltered miserably. From 36 for 2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, it was complete Brave dominance as Rockets collapsed to 55 for 8.Left-arm spinner Corteen-Coleman bowled brilliantly, also dismissing Heather Graham and Emma Jones – the former another stumping by the impressive Southby – on the way to brilliant figures of 4 for 13. Lauren Bell returned to strike twice in three balls, becoming the first woman to take 50 wickets in the Hundred in the process, finishing her 20 balls with 3 for 16.Alana King and Kirstie Gordon then staged a recovery to keep their side in the game. They shared a record tenth-wicket stand of 50 from 44 deliveries to help the Rockets to 106 and give them something to bowl at.In the run chase, Rockets struck early – Danni Wyatt-Hodge run out by King after a miscommunication with Maia Bouchier. Laura Wolvaardt was then caught by Sciver-Brunt off Gordon to see the score 10 for 2 with two in-form batters back in the shed.Bouchier and Sophie Devine played cautiously against probing bowling from King and Gardner, steadily chipping away at the target as the Brave reached 52 for 2 at halfway with 55 runs still required.Bouchier began to open her shoulders as Brave approached their target, but she targeted King one time too many, running past a wide one to be stumped for 43.Devine was joined by Freya Kemp who, after cracking a huge six off Gordon, went caught on the boundary with eight still required from seven balls. But Devine stayed calm, striking a crucial boundary off Graham as the Brave got home with two balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero, Corteen-Coleman, said: “It’s been fantastic, such a great team performance. Good to get another win on the board. There’s a bit of a track record of Trent Bridge being a bit slow and having a bit of turn so I thought I might be in the game.”I can’t complain, it’s been a great day. We’re a great group. We’ve been working really hard and obviously off the back of last year I feel like we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re on our way to doing that.”

Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, leading Paul Merson to fire a warning to the rest of the teams in the competition.

In what was billed as a battle of defensive, tactical football between two managers who pride themselves on being tough to beat, Mikel Arteta made a mockery of the pre-match predictions as his side demolished Diego Simeone’s men in an enthralling second-half at the Emirates.

Viktor Gyokeres ended a seven-match goal drought with a quickfire brace to round off the scoring, taking Gyokeres’ tally for his new club to five following his £58million transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 times in 102 appearances.

Speaking after the thumping win, Arteta challenged Gyokeres to keep the goals coming, with the north Londoners back in domestic action against Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.

And Gyokeres, 27, said: “I’m more hungry now. You always want to contribute with work rate and other stuff, but when you score goals as well, it’s a bit special. So that’s something I always want to do.

“The group we have and the spirit is something different and something very special.

“When you win games and you do these performances, it builds confidence in the team. The belief has to always be there, but of course this helps to boost it. We just want to keep going like this.”

Arsenal's message to the rest of Europe

Gyokeres was not the only man receiving plaudits, as Merson was full of praise for Bukayo Saka during his commentary on Sky Sports, claiming he had Atletico stars like Koke “on toast”.

Not Gyokeres: Paul Merson says "outstanding" Arsenal star had Atletico Madrid "on toast"

The Gunners legend was very impressed by his performance.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 21, 2025

And the former Gunners star believes his old team sent out a warning to the rest of Europe after accomplishing something that “no one” does.

Arsenal have won their three games in Europe so far with as many clean sheets. Remarkably, Arteta’s men have conceded just three times – away at Liverpool and Newcastle and at home to Manchester City, with just one of those coming from open play – in their first 12 fixtures.

Goalkeeper David Raya, who has recorded five consecutive shutouts, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals.

“If we’re keeping clean sheets, it’s going to make games easier to win. It’s really, really important for the whole team, not giving away that many chances and being very, very solid.

“The depth of the squad is incredible. We have a lot of players who can play in two, three or four positions.

“(Mikel) Merino came on as a striker (against Atletico), but he can play as a number six, eight, or as a number 10, and that is the variety that the boss has and he is using it to our advantage.

“It gives us an extra level in training and in games, because if you are not at it you can lose your spot and everybody is on board with that.”

Arsenal will head into this weekend’s round of league fixtures with a three-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City. Defending champions Liverpool are a further point off the pace.

Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net again and super-sub Vinicius Junior baited two red cards as Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 on Sunday night. Los Blancos were dragged into a rather ugly contest, but the Frenchman's second-half goal saw them get the job done and go two points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona at the La Liga summit ahead of next week's Clasico.

Madrid struggled to create an opening in the first half. Mbappe came close, only to see a weak-footed shot parried away by the excellent David Soria in the Getafe net. David Alaba, too, was denied by the Spaniard, who saved an awkwardly spinning free kick. 

Mbappe had a good chance after 65 minutes, running onto a Jude Bellingham through ball before firing into the side netting. 

What followed was a remarkably odd sequence. Right back Allan Nyom was subbed on to protect Kiko, who was on a red and facing the dangerous Vinicius Jr. Nyom was sent off after 50 seconds for elbowing the Brazilian. In the ensuing chaos, Getafe failed to reorganize their defensive setup, and Mbappe ran through to make it 1-0. 

Vinicius baited a second red soon after, drawing a silly booking from Alex Sancris, who had already been cautioned and left Getafe with just nine men for the final stages of the game. And with a two-man advantage, Madrid rather cruised. Not an easy win, but a valuable one ahead of El Clasico. 

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Coliseum…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (8/10):

Made a miraculous save in second half stoppage time to secure the win. Immense. 

Federico Valverde (7/10):

A bit mixed after facing heavy criticism of late. Covered ground, played some nice passes, but looked a little vulnerable defensively. 

Eder Militao (6/10):

Erratic at times, and could have done with holding down the back line when Alaba was benched. 

David Alaba (7/10):

A good contest to hand the injury-plagued defender a start, especially given that Madrid would have little defending to do. Unlucky not to score a free kick. 45 tidy minutes. 

Alvaro Carreras (7/10):

Sat in, held his position, and ensured that the left side was tidy enough. 

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

Sat at the base of midfield. Won the ball, and kept it moving. 

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Ensured Getafe had pretty much nothing through the middle. Did his job – even if it wasn't a glamorous one. 

Jude Bellingham (7/10):

A composed performance. Made things happen, played some clever passes. 

GettyAttack

Franco Mastantuono (5/10):

Clever in tight areas and combined effectively with Bellingham, but didn't leave a lasting mark. Rather outdone by the physicality of it all. 

Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

Had one saved that he would usually bury, and then fired wide. Made up for it by smashing in the winner to bring up 50 goals in 2025. First Madrid player to score 10 or more goals after his first nine games of a season since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014-15.

Rodrygo (5/10):

Handed a rare start in his preferred position. Didn't do much to show that he deserved more of them. Moved to the right soon after. 

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GettySubs & Manager

Raul Asencio (6/10):

An assured second half, aside from one defensive lapse.

Vinicius Jr (8/10):

Made things happen. Got kicked a lot. Baited two reds. 

Arda Guler (7/10):

Assisted Mbappe for the 5th time this year alone. 

Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact. 

Brahim Diaz (N/A):

No time to make an impact. 

Xabi Alonso (7/10):

Shuffled his pack, benched Vinicius and gave Rodrygo a rare start on the left. Got a disciplined showing out of his side, and will take the win – even if it was an ugly one. 

“We play night games in domestic cricket. It got me used to such conditions,” says Haider after his impressive spell of 3 for 7 in series-decider

Mohammad Isam22-May-2025Haider Ali turned to an old-school method to prepare for Sharjah’s infamous dew: dipping the cricket ball in a bucket of water and practising with it. The tactic worked like a charm on Wednesday night as the left-arm spinner starred with figures of 3 for 7, helping UAE seal a historic 2-1 T20I series victory against Bangladesh.Dew, a well-known factor in night games in the UAE, hadn’t shown up in the first two T20Is. But it arrived early in the third and deciding match. Unlike many bowlers on both sides who struggled for grip and control, Haider was ready. He said that the experience of having played in Sharjah under lights helped him.”There was dew from the first over,” Haider said after the game. “It usually sets in a little later in the game. But we were prepared for it. We have played in Sharjah a lot. I practice a lot with the wet ball. You have to get used to bowling with the wet ball if you want to perform here. You have to dunk the ball in a bucket of water and then bowl with it. We play night games in domestic cricket. It got me used to such conditions.”Related

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Haider and Sharafu lead UAE to historic series win against Bangladesh

Haider's miserly spell and a record chase in UAE's series win

Making his T20I debut in this series, Haider had gone wicketless in the first two matches. But in the decider, he delivered right from the start. He dismissed batters Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy within his first three balls, then removed Mahedi Hasan in his next over, reducing Bangladesh to 49 for 4.His spell – tight, aggressive, and accurate – set the tone for UAE’s dominance with the ball. Haider credited his mindset shift for the turnaround.”The series was level at one-all. I saw in the previous games that if I was being a little defensive with the ball, runs were leaking from the other end,” he said. “After talking to the coaching staff, I decided that I will be aggressive in my bowling in this game. There was a lot of dew around, so the pitch had softened, which actually helped me. I could put together a good spell. The team needed my contribution.”We decided to stick to the plan we made before the game. The plan was obviously to win the game at any cost. We decided that I will bowl aggressively, like I do in the ILT20 or domestic cricket. I wank to thank all those people who have supported me in the last 12 months, especially my domestic teams who have helped me practice on these wickets.”.Haider was especially proud of dismissing Litton, whom he called “a big wicket.””He has performed all over the world,” Haider said. “He was also my debut wicket. He can build partnerships and take the game away from you. Waseem bhai and I decided to attack him. We thought, ‘we shouldn’t be bowling defensive lines to him. If we can get him out early, we can deprive them of an early big partnership’.”Bangladesh recovered from 84 for 8 to post a competitive 162 for 9, but UAE chased it down, thanks to an unbeaten 68 from No. 3 Alishan Sharafu.That apart, the 2-1 series win is a huge boost for UAE, as they head into a crucial year, having qualified for the Asia Cup.”The UAE cricket board and our management supported the players a lot,” Haider said. “I would like to thank them for the series victory. Bangladesh is a Test-playing nation, but UAE played really well in this series. The victory will boost the players, and it will boost our confidence in tournaments like the Asia Cup.”

Tottenham Hotspur officially confirmed that Daniel Levy was stepping down from his role as the chairman of the club last week, after more than 24 years at the helm.

The English supremo had not long finished, what turned out to be, his final transfer window running the show in North London, months after the club lifted the Europa League trophy.

Ange Postecoglou led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years by beating Manchester United in the final, but Levy still decided to move on from the manager because of the club’s poor form in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank was brought in from Brentford to replace the former Celtic boss. The Danish manager was then backed by Levy in the transfer market, with the signings of Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, and Xavi Simons, in particular.

It is now a matter of wait and see to judge whether or not the former Tottenham chairman’s final signings in charge of the club were a success.

On paper, though, Simons appears to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, as his form in Germany suggests that he could make a big impact in the Premier League.

Why Xavi Simons is an exciting signing for Spurs

The Lilywhites reportedly splashed out a fee worth up to £51m to sign the Netherlands international from RB Leipzig to bolster Frank’s attacking midfield options after James Maddison sustained an ACL injury.

Simons has yet to make his debut for the club, having signed shortly before the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth last time out, and could make his bow against West Ham United on Saturday.

The Dutch playmaker is an exciting signing for Spurs because his form for Leipzig suggests that he can add a lot of creativity to Frank’s midfield, as shown in the graphic below.

These statistics show that Simons is an attacking midfielder who is incredibly effective at breaking down opposition defences to create high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.

Naturally, there will be a comparison made to Maddison because the Dutch star is essentially coming in to take his role as creator-in-chief whilst the England international nurses his way back from an ACL injury.

As you can see in the table above, Simons delivered more goals and created twice as many ‘big chances’ at league level in comparison to the former Leicester and Norwich star in the 2024/25 campaign.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be even more valuable to the team than Maddison if he can hit the ground running in England, but it is now down to him to adapt to the league and deliver on the pitch.

Whilst Simons, who has been signed for £51m, is a very exciting addition because of the attacking quality that he could provide, Levy may not want to be reminded that there is a player who left Spurs for nothing and is now worth even more than the Dutchman.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Tottenham had Noni Madueke in their youth set-up and failed to keep hold of him as a teenager, which was a blunder that the now former-Spurs chief may regret.

Why Noni Madueke left Tottenham Hotspur

The left-footed forward joined the club’s academy from Crystal Palace in 2014, at the age of 12, and spent four years in the youth ranks before his exit on a free transfer in 2018.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Madueke explained: “Tottenham was a great academy and they’ve got a great development plan. I’d been offered a scholarship agreement at Tottenham but I’d seen a lot of the boys – that were good as well – just kind of get lost in the system and I just didn’t want that for me.”

This is only an inference from these quotes, but it seems like the winger did not see a clear enough pathway to the first-team, despite Harry Kane’s emergence a few years prior, and that is down to Levy and the first-team management team for not making that clear enough.

The club were unable to convince Madueke that there was a pathway for him, which led to the talented forward’s exit in 2018 on a free transfer, signing for PSV in the Netherlands to continue his development.

He scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 80 appearances in all competitions for PSV, per Transfermarkt, before his move to Chelsea in January 2023.

Madueke enjoyed similar success during his time at Stamford Bridge. The England international scored 20 goals and produced nine assists in 92 outings for the Blues, per Transfermarkt.

His form for Chelsea led to a move to Arsenal earlier this summer in a deal that could be worth up to £52m, £1m more than the deal that brought Simons to Spurs in the same transfer window.

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star’s value has soared exponentially since his move to PSV from Spurs on a free transfer in 2018.

Spurs had a howler, therefore, when Levy and the first-team management staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino at the time, failed to offer a clear enough pathway to convince him to continue his development at the club.

Madueke, who was described as a “maverick” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has gone on to become an England international and Premier League star who is now valued at more than £50m and slightly more than Tottenham’s star summer signing Xavi Simons.

Forget Bale and Son: Spurs "wonderkid" was Levy's best-ever signing

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Levy, when looking back at his long Spurs tenure, may regret that he was unable to convince, or unable to create an environment to convince, Madueke to stay at the club back in 2018, because of what he has gone on to achieve.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، التصنيف الخاص بالمنتخبات فيما يتعلق بشهر أكتوبر الجاري لعام 2025، والذي شهد تقدمًا لصالح منتخب الأرجنتين مقابل تراجع لمنتخب فرنسا.

وحافظ منتخب إسبانيا على تواجده في صدارة المنتخبات لشهر أكتوبر، برصيد 1880.76 نقطة، وصعد منتخب الأرجنتين إلى المركز الثاني بعدما كان ثالثًا فيما سبق، برصيد 1872.43 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيفا يعلن تصنيف شهر أكتوبر 2025.. منتخب مصر يتقدم 3 مراكز

في حين تراجع منتخب فرنسا إلى المركز الثالث، بعدما كان ثانيًا، حيث بلغ رصيده 1862.71 نقطة، في حين حافظ كل من إنجلترا والبرتغال على مركزيهما الرابع والخامس، برصيد 1824.3 نقطة و1778 نقطة على التوالي.

وصعد منتخب هولندا إلى المركز السادس برصيد 1759.96 نقطة، بعدما كان سابعًا، في حين تراجع منتخب البرازيل ليحتل المركز السابع برصيد 1758.85 نقطة، ويليه بلجيكا وإيطاليا برصيد 1740.01 و1717.15 نقطة على التوالي.

وقفز منتخب ألمانيا مركزين في تصنيف فيفا لشهر أكتوبر ليحتل المركز العاشر برصيد 1713.3 نقطة. أفضل 10 منتخبات في تصنيف فيفا لشهر أكتوبر 2025

 إسبانيا.

الأرجنتين.

فرنسا.

إنجلترا.

البرتغال.

هولندا.

البرازيل.

بلجيكا.

إيطاليا.

ألمانيا.