Chelsea endured a horrible evening at Elland Road, as they fell 3-1 to Leeds United. The Blues were played off the park in the first half as Jakob Bijol's header and Ao Tanaka's long range effort gave the hosts a deserved lead at the break. While Pedro Neto pegged one back for the visitors, their misery was compounded by a calamitous Tosin Adaraboiyo mistake in the build-up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's tap in.

The Blues were under the pump from the opening whistle at Elland Road, as Leeds threw bodies forwards on a series of set pieces. Daniel Farke's side fashioned five attempts at the Chelsea goal in the opening five minutes, and that pressure told as Bijol thundered home Anton Stach's in-swinging corner to give the Whites a well deserved early lead. 

Chelsea started to dominate possession with little tangible threat going forward, as they were unable to break down Leeds' resolute back five. Far too often the back three of Tosin, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile were left to aimlessly shift the ball between them, as Chelsea's midfielders either appeared unwilling or unable to get hold of the ball. 

Just as it appeared the game would meander towards the break, a sideways pass deep in his own half by Tosin left Enzo Fernandez under pressure. The Argentinian was promptly dispossesed, allowing Jayden Bogle to slide the ball into Tanaka, and the Japan midfielder unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner of Robert Sanchez's goal from all of 25 yards.

Enzo Maresca was proactive at the half, bringing on Malo Gusto and Neto in a new-look right flank for the Blues. It proved effective, as the Portuguese powered home a Jamie Gittens cross in the 49th minute. 

Again, as it seemed Chelsea had weathered Leeds' relentless efforts, they brought more misery upon themselves. Tosin dithered on the ball in his own box, allowing Noah Okafor to charge him down, and as the ball skewed across the six-yard box, the Leeds striker slid in to challenge the sprawling Sanchez. However, he could do nothing to stop Calvert-Lewin tapping home from two yards out. 

Given the dedicated and hardy performance Chelsea offered in their top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal on Sunday, the lack of physicality and nous in this torrid display will come as a galling reminder that Maresca's side are far too flaky in defence to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title. They now sit nine points back of the Gunners in fourth. 

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Elland Road…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (5/10):

  Little he could do about either goal in the first half. Made one sharp stop from a Calvert-Lewin volley in the opening moments of the second half, was left stranded for by Tosin's mistake for the third goal, but he could have been stronger in the challenge with Nmecha. 

  Trevoh Chalobah (4/10):

  Heroic block to deny Stach in the opening moments. The cross for Bijol's opener was in his area, but the opposing centre-back had a running start on him. 

  Tosin Adarabioyo (2/10):

  Spent most of the first half shuttling the ball between his fellow defenders. Put Fernandez under pressure with an unwanted square pass back into danger ahead of Tanaka's goal, then got robbed by Nmecha for the third. A night to forget. 

  Benoit Badiashile (4/10):

  Unsure on the ball. Given a tough test by Calvert-Lewin's runs down the channels in the opening quarter. Pulled at half-time. 

  Marc Cucurella (4/10):

  Given the license to roam freely in possession, even popping up in an inside right position on a couple of occasions. Was more effective in the second half as he stuck to the left side of the pitch. 

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  Midfield

  Andrey Santos (5/10):

  Looked unsure if he should drop back into his back three to pick up the ball, or offer an option in midfield. Still, he was more willing than most to try and progress the ball. 

  Enzo Fernandez (3/10):

  Caught in possession in the buildup to Tanaka's goal. His normally dependable touch let him down repeatedly in tight areas, affecting his desire to go and take control of the game. Looked rattled at times. 

  Joao Pedro (4/10):

  Largely anonymous in the first half, and sloppy on the ball when he did find pockets of space. Put Delap through on goal late in the opening period.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Estevao (3/10):

  Tried to be direct but did not find much joy. Ended a frustrating first half by blatantly chopping down Gudmundsson. Given the hook at the break. 

  Liam Delap (4/10):

  Did not appear to have much understanding with Pedro, until the Brazilian picked out his run on the 30-minute mark. A bystander for most of the first 45 minutes. Blazed a snapshot over the bar before departing on the hour. 

  Jamie Gittens (5/10):

  Very wasteful in the first half, losing the ball while dribbling or delivering aimless crosses. Was far more direct to set up Neto's goal, taking on his man and delivering a tantalising cross across the six-yard box. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Malo Gusto (5/10):

  Brought on to provide an outlet but almost allowed a Nmecha goal straight after the break as he failed to track the forward's run. Some hairy moments on the ball, but the change in shape he brought was undoubtedly a positive for the Blues. 

  Pedro Neto (7/10):

  Instant impact as the Portuguese crashed home with more or less his first touch. 

  Cole Palmer (5/10):

  Could not wrap his foot around the ball to nab the equaliser just moments before Leeds third. Hardly the return he would have hoped for after a couple of months on the shelf. 

  Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):

  Set Palmer up on a plate after skinning his man. 

  Marc Guiu (5/10):

  Brought on for more attacking ballast in the final 15 minutes. One header skewed well over the bar. Little else to report. 

  Enzo Maresca (4/10):

  This was a performance reminiscent of Chelsea in the middle of last season; laboured in possession and lacking in industry. After such a titanic effort with 10 men against Arsenal, this was a bitterly disappointing showing from a side that looked unsure of how their manager wanted them to play. 

Back when we published our first rookie watch on May 20, we warned that some players who might end up making noise in the Rookie of the Year races may not have even debuted yet, or at least proven themselves as capable candidates.

Well, there are some new entries on our imaginary ROY ballots that weren’t given a second thought on our first edition. The new player in the AL top three had made just two starts on May 20 (he's now made five, all impressive, as you will learn) while the new face in the NL’s top three had just returned from the minors. Heck, an NL honorable mention pitcher is in the minors .

This is perhaps the hardest race to forecast at the beginning of the season, but there are a couple of clear frontrunners emerging despite the movement behind them on the ballot.

American League

1. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics

Baseball Reference has Wilson in the top 10 of 27 different positive categories—offensive and defensive. His slash line has, preposterously, since he debuted at the top of our rankings last month—he's now hitting .372 with a .408 on-base percentage and .528 slugging percentage. Even as the Athletics fall off a cliff (they're now 26–41), the May AL Rookie of the Month continues to rake. The former No. 6 overall pick would be the franchise's first Rookie of the Year since pitcher Andrew Bailey in 2009.

2. Carlos Narváez, catcher, Boston Red Sox

Narváez is now Boston’s first-string catcher over Connor Wong. After a torrid start, the Venezuela native made up for slight batting average and on-base percentage dips in May by recording a splendid .534 slugging percentage. At .263/.440/.474 in June, it's hard to see any sign of a fall-off—like Wilson, he's helping carry a mediocre team. Oh, and the 26-year-old has been a superb defender in terms of blocking, framing and controlling the run game, and his 25 assists lead AL catchers.

3. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals

Cameron replaces Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jake Mangum, who is back from injury but missed enough time to fall below this ranking's plate appearance minimum. The Royals seem to have a gem in this southpaw from nearby St. Joseph, Mo., the owner of a 0.85 ERA in five starts. Every one of those starts has lasted at least six innings, and in none has he given up more than one earned run. There are hints he's getting lucky (.148 batting average on balls in play, 3.64 FIP), but this is a situation worth monitoring.

Honorable Mention

Shane Smith, starting pitcher, Chicago White Sox; Chase Meidroth, infielder, Chicago White Sox; Eric Orze, reliever, Tampa Bay Rays

National League

1. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves

Baldwin would be getting more publicity if the seemingly snakebitten Braves weren’t so adept at finding new ways to lose. Still, he's been everything Atlanta must've envisioned when it put him on its Opening Day roster. A .303/.351/.508 slashline with seven home runs and 18 RBIs has the 24-year-old tied for the lead in bWAR among rookies—and he's not even starting every day thanks to Sean Murphy rebounding from a rough 2024 campaign. Let's hope a .188 batting average in June doesn't fester—though he's still slugging .563 this month.

2. Liam Hicks, catcher, Miami Marlins

On a club teeming with rookies, Hicks—the former ninth-round pick who just turned 26 and grew up in Canada—is the best. With a .313 average in May giving way to a .316 clip in June, his success is looking less and less like an aberration, with a .300 BABIP providing more evidence. Consistent playing time remains an issue due to the success of fellow rookie backstop Agustín Ramírez, though the Marlins seem open to deploying him at first base.

3. Matt Shaw, third baseman, Chicago Cubs

Slot this Maryland product in for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius, who remains a valuable long reliever and a Rookie of the Year contender. In Shaw, the Cubs—a team with a light-hitting revolving door at third base for much of this season—have found a godsend. He's a classic sabermetric darling—look not upon his .252/.328/.366 slash line but on his 1.1 WAR (same as Baldwin's) and 0.4 dWAR (second among NL rookies). "I just feel like myself again," he said via Sahadev Sharma of in the wake of a productive stint with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and it's showing.

Honorable Mention

Agustín Ramírez, catcher, Miami Marlins; Chad Patrick, starting pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers; Logan Henderson, starting pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers

The Chicago White Sox debuted new jerseys this year, inspired by 1990s-era Bulls uniforms. Previously, Chicago donned "Southside" City Connect jerseys that were near-universally loved by Sox fans. The prior uniforms were relatively close in motif to the style of a typical home Sox jersey: Primarily black, white pinstripes, with "Southside" across the chest as a nod to the stadium's location on 35th Street.

The new uniforms go an entirely different direction, with a base color of red, notably nowhere in the Sox's color palette. That's not abnormal for city connects, the Mets had a purple jersey, the Padres a teal and pink. The jerseys give teams the opportunity to experiment with different colors and themes on a temporary basis.

Chicago wore them for the first time on Friday night at home, and baseball fans were very split about it. Take a look at some of the reactions here:

One fan somewhat aptly lamented the subtle reminder that the uniforms bring: That Jerry Reinsdorf controls both teams. While both teams have lagged in recent years, under Reinsdorf's stewardship, the Bulls won six titles, the White Sox one World Series. Sports owners have certainly done worse.

Even if you don't like City Connect jerseys, the debate they bring is undeniable.

Hale End. Arsenal’s famed academy is certainly one of the best in the country right now at producing first-team-ready players.

Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe both made their name during the early stages of the Mikel Arteta era and in the present day, plenty more are coming through.

Last season, it was all about the magnificent Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Nwaneri broke through first as a 15-year-old a few years ago but it’s arguably Lewis-Skelly who’s made the best transition. He’s now a regular with England.

This season it’s all been about Max Dowman. He’s the youngest debutant in Champions League history. Put it simply, he’s a generational talent.

Let’s not forget young Marli Salmon either. Not since the days of Tony Adams and Martin Keown has Arsenal’s youth system produced a defender who’s fit to play at senior level.

Between then and now, it’s safe to say there have been few to slip through the cracks of Hale End. Here are their stories…

The ones that got away for Arsenal

The Gunners have always had a habit of producing some fine young players, not just in the present day but over the last two to three decades.

Some may remember that Manchester United legend, Andy Cole, came through Arsenal’s academy. As did Ashley Cole. The less said about his exit the better.

He’s arguably the finest talent to ever come through the club’s youth system but he is now a legend on the blue side of London at Chelsea instead. That departure still stings to this day.

In more recent times, more notable examples include German superstar Serge Gnabry. He wasn’t good enough in the eyes of Tony Pulis during a loan spell with West Brom. He was for Arsenal but Arsene Wenger and Co struggled to tie him down.

He’s now won the whole lot at Bayern Munich, featuring on 304 occasions for the German giants, scoring 98 goals and supplying 67 assists.

Another winger at Bayern by the name of Michael Olise was also on the Arsenal books as a youngster. His story isn’t too well-known but he ended up taking the same route as Cole, joining Chelsea before heading to Manchester City and then eventually making his name at Reading.

Former Chelsea coach Sean Conlon recalled Olise’s story in 2022, saying: “Michael was also training with Arsenal at the time because before you move into the U9s, you’re allowed to train with multiple teams. But he probably lived closer to Chelsea and they obviously have a great academy so he ended up signing for them.”

Yet, there’s another name at Bayern who used to call Arsenal home, and his story is certainly a famous one.

Arsenal's biggest regret at Hale End

As Arsenal struggled to beat lowly Wolves on Saturday night, they needed a ruthless centre-forward, someone capable of getting on the end of the chances Saka was creating.

In days gone by they’ve been able to rely on the likes of Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Yet, since the Gabonese forward’s departure from north London, they’ve not had a prolific striker in their armoury.

It was thought that Viktor Gyokeres would be that man. He won the Gerd Muller Trophy for being the best striker in Europe last season, fending off competition from the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. He looked like a good signing on paper.

However, six goals in 19 games for the Gunners tells a different story. He’s now some way behind Haaland and indeed Kane, a forward who is famously a boyhood Gooner.

There’s that incredible picture of Kane as a boy donning Arsenal red and white but now he’s more associated with Tottenham Hotspur instead. In those parts, he’s a legend, he’s their all-time record goalscorer, he’s England’s record goalscorer too.

He’s Arsenal’s biggest what-if. As a child, he was part of Arsenal’s youth setup but it didn’t work out, largely due to his frame. It’s a remarkable tale, one that former academy manager Roy Massey recalls.

He once told talkSPORT: “Harry was a lovely young player. He was quiet, shy, didn’t have what we thought it would take to become a professional footballer and so we were totally mistaken.”

Harry Kane record @ senior level
Team	Games	Goals
Spurs	435	280
Bayern	119	113
England	112	78
Millwall	27	9
Orient	18	5
Leicester	15	2
Norwich	5	0

Massey continued: “Although I’ve got to say that when Harry was released when he was 11 or 12 years of age, he did go to play for his Sunday league club for the next three years so no other club’s picked him up in that age group. It was only when he was 15 he went to Tottenham and obviously he’s had great success.”

Liam Brady further detailed the events that led to Kane leaving Arsenal, saying: “He was a bit chubby, he wasn’t very athletic but we made a mistake.”

As Brady says, they did indeed make a massive mistake. Son Heung-min labelled his former teammate as “the best player in the world” back in 2018 and seven years on, that is now certainly true.

Aged 32, Kane is “the best striker in the world” in the words of Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav. That praise came after yet another hat-trick on the 6th December. The Standard’s Dom Smith, meanwhile, insists that he is “one of the five best players” that the game has to offer. Kylian Mbappe, Haaland? Who else can better him? Very few, if any. No one has scored more in Europe’s top five leagues than him this season.

In total, England’s captain has found the net on 113 occasions in 119 matches for Bayern after his mega £86 move. This season alone, he has scored 28 in 23, firmly making him one of the favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or award. Should Bayern win the Champions League and/or England win the World Cup, he will likely be the favourite.

This story is without a doubt one of football’s biggest what-if moments. Just imagine if he’d been donning Arsenal red instead of Spurs white.

15 years after leaving Arsenal, £123m star is now even better than Saka

Arsenal let a mighty fine player walk away from their academy 15 years ago.

By
Matt Dawson

4 days ago

Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League this week with an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday night, in a game that was underpinned by Daniel Farke’s structural changes.

The German head coach, who has typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation during his time at the club, opted to start with a 3-5-2 system against Enzo Maresca’s team.

It worked wonders for the Whites as they went on to claim all three points, thanks to goals from Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Why Leeds United's formation change worked so well

Changing from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 worked so well for the Whites because it allowed Jayden Bogle, who assisted the second goal, and Gabriel Gudmundsson to push higher up the pitch with three centre-backs providing enough cover defensively.

It also meant that the Whites could play with two strikers, instead of leaving one isolated on their own, and that led to Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha causing plenty of problems.

The two centre-forwards combined to win 13 duels against the Chelsea defenders and won four fouls, without committing any, per Sofascore, which shows that they were a nightmare to deal with throughout the game.

Nmecha, in particular, has benefitted from having Calvert-Lewin’s physicality alongside him. The German forward, who has scored four Premier League goals, has lost 69% of his ground duels this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggles with the physical side of leading the line on his own.

Having another, more physical, striker alongside him means that he can focus on making runs in behind and pressing opposition defenders, which is what makes it such an effective pairing, or at least what made it so effective against Chelsea.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Whilst Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin got the job done on Wednesday, Harry Gray could be perfect for the new role that Nmecha is now playing for Leeds.

Why Harry Gray should be unleashed in Lukas Nmecha's new role

Bringing young players into the first-team is difficult in any circumstance, but even more so in the Premier League with all that is at stake in a relegation battle.

Academy talents are not used to the physicality of professional football and may need time to adapt, particularly strikers, which is why this new role that Nmecha has could be perfect for Gray.

Farke must finally unleash the 17-year-old centre-forward for his Premier League debut in the coming weeks because playing alongside an experienced striker like Calvert-Lewin could be an ideal introduction to regular football at senior level.

Gray, who was described as the club’s “newest Wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his contributor Joe Blackburn, has scored a whopping ten goals in 11 games in all competitions for the academy this season, per Transfermarkt.

Appearances

3

Goals

2

Conversion rate

50%

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.0

Ground duel success rate

52%

Aerial duel success rate

38%

As you can see in the table above, the teenage forward has scored two goals in three EFL Trophy games, playing against League One and League Two sides, but has struggled with the aerial duels in those games.

This suggests that he would not be well-suited to playing as a lone striker in the Premier League for Leeds, as he would need to duel with towering top-flight centre-backs and hold the ball up under intense pressure, which is also where Nmecha struggled earlier this season.

Therefore, playing alongside Calvert-Lewin, who won six of his nine aerial duels against Chelsea (Sofascore), could be the perfect way for him to be introduced into the first-team this season.

Gray’s return of 14 goals in 20 U21s games and eight goals in 11 U18s matches for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, shows that he has the technical and goalscoring qualities to potentially make an impact for the Whites, but it is the physicality that is questionable.

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He’d be one of their most expensive arrivals.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 5, 2025

This change in formation from Farke, though, may alleviate those concerns because of how the two-striker system works, and that is why the manager should unleash the teen sensation in Nmecha’s role in the coming weeks.

Arsenal are believed to be preparing a January bid for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, with sporting director Andrea Berta given some real encouragement that it can be done.

Rodrygo poised for January exit after Real Madrid snubs

Rodrygo is a very familiar name to Gunners supporters.

Berta and co held some talks about signing the Brazil international last summer, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, before opting for Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze instead.

While that door ultimately slammed shut in the last transfer window, Arsenal could yet be given another chance to land the versatile £282,000-per-week forward, who’s steadily falling out of favour under Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo has started just three out of his last 12 La Liga matches, playing 330 minutes in total, and this is a far cry from how pivotal he was for Carlo Ancelotti.

Scoring 14 goals and registering a further 11 assists over 54 appearances in all competitions last term, Jude Bellingham is also on record calling Rodrygo their most ‘gifted’ and ‘underrated’ player.

Rodrygo’s career at Real Madrid since joining from Santos

Appearances

285

Goals

68

Assists

53

Bookings

12

Red cards

0

Minutes played

16,587

However, Alonso clearly doesn’t see it that way, and credible reports now suggest that a January exit is very much on the cards for Rodrygo as he vies for consistent playing time.

Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with the 24-year-old, and it is believed by some that he is ‘on the brink’ of leaving the Bernabeu with England a very viable potential destination.

Arsenal preparing January bid for Rodrygo with Real Madrid stance clear

CaughtOffside now have an update on his future, and it partly concerns Arsenal.

According to their information, Arsenal are preparing a January bid for Rodrygo, and sporting director Andrea Berta, alongside other interested parties like Liverpool, have been informed about Real’s stance.

Los Blancos will consider selling the ex-Santos sensation next month, provided they get a suitable offer, with Real demanding around £75-80 million.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also named as the lead contenders to strike a winter deal, and it could make sense considering the uncertainty surrounding Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

As things stand, both men are out of contract in 2027. There’s also been little in the way of talks over extensions, despite both of their impressive contributions this season.

Rodrygo would be an absolutely stellar replacement for either or both, but given Arsenal are never usually active in January when it comes to big-name, marquee deals, it would also be a very surprise coup midway through the campaign.

They haven’t won every game, but this season is shaping up to be a truly special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has got his side playing some sensational football at times while simultaneously ensuring they remain the best defensive team in the Premier League.

It seems like every player, new and old, is all pulling in the exact same direction and helping each other reach new levels.

One of the team’s best players in recent weeks has been summer signing Eberechi Eze, and so fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be another version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target another Eze

There was tremendous excitement from the Arsenal fan base when it was announced that the club had signed Eze, and understandably so.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, here was a player who many considered to be one of the most exciting in the Premier League, and had just spearheaded Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory.

Fortunately, while it took him a few games to get up to speed, the 27-year-old has more than delivered so far this season, racking up a tally of nine goal involvements in 19 games for the club and scoring that North London Derby hat-trick.

So, with all that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to hear that the Gunners may be after another player who has the potential to be another Eze in Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are going all out to sign him and have been in contact with his representatives.

However, Juventus are understandably keen to keep hold of the incredible youngster and, according to other reports from earlier this month, would need a fee of at least £88m to consider selling him.

Therefore, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Eze.

Why Yıldız would be another Eze

Now, there are obviously some key differences between Yıldız and Eze, such as their age, but there are also more than a few similarities between them.

For example, like the Englishman, the young Turkish superstar is an attacker who can and does play in a multitude of positions.

Since making his first team debut for Juventus, the 20-year-old monster has played as a second-striker, on the left and right wings, in attacking midfield and even up top a few times.

The second similarity is that, like the former Palace star, he is a dual threat, someone who is as happy scoring a goal as he is assisting one.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

Appearances

52

18

Minutes

3520′

1457′

Goals

12

5

Assists

9

5

Then this season, he has become even more dangerous, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 18 appearances, totalling 1457 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 145.7 minutes.

Finally, and this is related to his output, the 26-capped international is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, “capable of the spectacular.”

He doesn’t just score tap-ins; he already has quite the impressive catalogue of goals, ranging from long-distance strikes to ones stemming from brilliant close control.

It is also this ability to create magic on the football pitch that likely led European football writer Danny Corcoran to describe the youngster as having “Mbappe-like ability.”

Ultimately, it won’t be an easy transfer to get done, but Arsenal should be going all out to sign Yıldız in 2026, as he could be another Eze.

A Saka & Olise hybrid: Arsenal in contact over signing £70m "superstar"

The incredible talent would be as game-changing for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka has been over the years.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 5, 2025

After a run of poor results, Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League, overcoming Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

It is the first time since 22nd November that Enzo Maresca’s side have tasted victory in the top flight.

It only took the Blues 21 minutes before they went 1-0 up. On his first start at the Bridge since August, it was always going to be Cole Palmer who fired Chelsea into the lead.

It was a well-taken goal, too, with the England star making a well-timed underlapping run between the Everton defence and firing home past Jordan Pickford.

Chelsea had chances to double their lead, which they squandered. However, they did find the back of the net again on the stroke of half-time. It was Malo Gusto who got on the scoresheet this time, capping off an incisive counterattack by slotting home Pedro Neto’s cross.

It was a fantastic performance on the whole from the West Londoners. They shoot up to fourth in the Premier League, although most teams around them have a game in hand. Maresca will be hoping his side can build some momentum ahead of a busy few weeks.

There were a couple of real standouts for the Blues, and not just Palmer and Gusto…

Chelsea's best players vs Everton

It was inevitable, in many ways, that Palmer was going to have his say on this game. His first home start in months did not disappoint, with the Wythenshawe-born attacker proving why he is one of the Premier League’s most dangerous players.

It was a showing worthy of an 8/10 rating from Goal journalist Richie Mills. He said the Chelsea number 10 ‘showed good speed and a smart finish’, describing his performance as ‘a good day at the office’ in front of the home faithful.

The same could certainly be said for Gusto. He set Palmer up with a through ball that threaded the needle superbly, before getting on the score sheet himself for the second time in that famous Blue shirt.

Indeed, his stats from the game are superb. Gusto was constantly involved, having 81 touches, and completed 90% of his passes, as per Sofascore. Not only did the Frenchman create two chances, but he also made four ball recoveries and was impressive off the ball.

However, Palmer and Gusto were not the only two Chelsea players who stood out against Everton.

Chelsea duo look made for Mourinho

It was yet another clean sheet for the centre-back pairing of Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana. As a partnership, they have begun to string together some impressive performances and have become more than reliable for Maresca.

That was no different against the Toffees. They each received a 7/10 rating from Mills for their afternoon’s work. The journalist was full of compliments for the pair and said they are perhaps the ‘best centre-back pairing’ available to the Blues at the moment.

The stats from the game show just how well the pair, who earn a combined £250k per week, performed against the Toffees.

Some of the standouts included Fofana’s impressive 11 clearances and Cobham graduate Chalobah’s five successful duels out of seven.

Pass accuracy

97%

99%

Touches

84

83

Clearances

11

9

Ball recoveries

5

3

Duels won

6/15

5/7

Looking at the numbers in more detail, the West Londoners are unbeaten in their last seven games when the Frenchman and their academy graduate have started together.

Six of those games have been clean sheets.

Those numbers are superb and would certainly not look out of place in the era of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese manager famously oversaw a team that conceded just 15 league goals in a single season in 2004/05 – still the best-ever record in the division.

With the performances that Chalobah and Fofana have put in this season, it certainly feels very Mourinho-era coded. The ex-Blues boss is a famously pragmatic coach, so he would no doubt appreciate a record like six clean sheets in seven games.

Indeed, it is helping Maesrca’s side, and the current Chelsea gaffer surely has his centre-back pairing locked in for the foreseeable future.

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شن بيبي إسترادا، الصحفي الإسباني هجومًا كبيرًا على لامين يامال، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة بعد رد فعله على قرار تغييره أمام آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستبدل هانز فليك اللاعب لامين يامال بـ روني باردجي في الدقيقة 89 وبدا الأول أنه غير سعيد بقرار المدرب وقد أظهر الاستياء عقب خروجه من أرض الملعب وأثناء توجهه لمقاعد البدلاء.

وقد غادر يامال الملعب بوجه غاضب واضح، وبحركات على مقاعد البدلاء أظهرت استياءه، بحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

وحول ذلك، قال إسترادا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت”: “لقد فقدت حبي للامين، كنت مغرمًا به لكنني الآن لا أحب حتى طريقة تجوله في الملعب، يبدو وكأنه يطفو على الماء”.

وأكمل: “عندما يزول الحب، يتبعه خيبة الأمل وبما أنني فقدت حبي له تمامًا وأشعر بخيبة أمل، فأنا أنظر إلى لامين بعيون مختلفة تمامًا وأراه أقل شغفًا عما سبق”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فليك يعلق على تصرف لامين يامال بعد استبداله أمام فرانكفورت ووضع برشلونة في دوري الأبطال

وأضاف: “أرى ما يفعله والده في المدرجات، وهو يفعل الشيء نفسه على أرض الملعب”.

وأردف: “أرى أنه لم يعد لامين هو من كان يغادر، لم يعد لامين الخيالي، اللاعبين حفظوا طريقة لعبه وأسلوبه”.

واستطرد: “نعم لديه قدم يسرى رائعة، يقدم المساعدة لفريقه على فترات لكنه ليس جاهزًا بنسبة 100% وإذا لم يكن 100%، فليستريح”.

وأتم: “من المؤسف أنني كنت أحبه لكن في سن الثانية والعشرين لن يكون في برشلونة بعد الآن”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Internacional eDelfín-EQU se enfrentam neste sábado (8), às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul. O jogo da Copa Sul-Americana terá transmissão da ESPN e Star+.

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Internacional x Delfín-EQU – Sul-Americana

🗓️Data e horário:sábado, 8 de junho de 2024, às 21h30 (hora de Brasília)
📍Local:Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias
📺Onde assistir:ESPN e Star+
🟨 Árbitro e assistentes: não divulgado

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

Provável escalação do Internacional:Fabrício; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Thiago Maia; Maurício, Bruno Henrique e Wesley; Alan Patrick e Alario.Técnico: Eduardo Coudet.

continua após a publicidade

Provável escalação do Delfín:Pierre Bellolio; Josué Cuero, Nicolás Goitea, Ignacio Gariglio e Juan Elordi; Jean Humanante, Mariano Miño e Michael Mieles; Marcos Mejia, Jostin Alman e Nicolás Messiniti.Técnico:Juan Pablo Buch.

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