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Could Daniel Farke be the next Premier League manager in line to face the sack?

While Leeds United have picked up a promising three wins so far in the Premier League, fans of the Elland Road giants will also feel that there’s been a lot of other games this season where their side have been outplayed, with their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday falling into this category.

The Seagulls tallied up 14 shots on Lucas Perri’s goal compared to Leeds’ weak five on Bart Verbruggen’s largely untested net, as Fabian Hurzeler’s confident hosts never looked in danger of slipping up throughout their comfortable 90 minutes.

Farke will surely have to ring the changes for Leeds’ next Premier League clash away at Nottingham Forest to try and lift his side to bounce back, and to also save his skin, with Brenden Aaronson at risk of dropping out despite scoring a week prior.

Aaronson's poor performance vs Brighton

Aaronson wanted to kick on in the Whites’ first team picture away at the Amex, having been an exhilarating watch throughout Leeds’ 2-1 home win against West Ham United, with his bundled-in opener after three minutes nearly upstaged by an insane solo strike sailing in.

Yet, the Jekyll and Hyde American was way off it on the South Coast to add to Leeds fans’ frustrations surrounding his inconsistent performances.

Come the close of the match on Saturday, Aaronson failed to complete one single successful dribble from two attempts, failed to hit a single meaningful shot at the home side’s goal, and also only won a weak three duels from the ten he attempted.

It’s night and day from his high-octane showing against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, where he was 100% successful with all his dribbles, on top of winning a hefty eight duels.

Patience must be extremely thin; therefore, when it comes to Farke choosing to pick Aaronson week in week out, knowing that an unbelievable display is often followed up by the number 11 putting in a disastrous no-show.

But, Aaronson is not the only underperformer in the German’s bad books.

Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds star

Brighton ran the Leeds defence ragged all afternoon long, as Jayden Bogle continually failed to lay a glove on the rampaging Diego Gomez, who would finish the one-sided match with two Premier League goals next to his name.

Joe Rodon also looked way below his usual standards, but the Welshman definitely has enough credit in his bank this season alone to demand he’s still in the first team frame, having popped up with two goals from the back.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

81

Accurate passes

73/78 (94%)

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

0

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

1/3

On the contrary, his centre-back partner on the South Coast in Jaka Bijol, is yet to establish himself as a fan’s favourite, and he certainly won’t have endeared himself to the hardened West Yorkshire masses with his ropey showing against Hurzeler’s runaway hosts.

Indeed, away from spraying the ball about with some assurance, the brand-new Leeds’ number 15 struggled to contain the likes of Danny Welbeck throughout, leading to just one duel being won.

On top of that, Bijol would also fail to go in for a single tackle, leading Brighton to find it easy when carving open the away side’s frail defence at will.

Moreover, the former Udinese man very much lacked the pace and determination to track back when Yankuba Minteh and the aforementioned Gomez ran riot, with Pascal Struijk perhaps the better-suited centre-back option for this showdown.

Leeds fans had been crying out for their £15m summer recruit to start more games, but after his 4/10 afternoon against Brighton – which is the low score that was handed to him post-match by Leeds Live’s Isaac Johnson – he will surely be dropped back down to the bench, for the Dutchman to return to the XI.

Farke will pray that the changes that are made spur his team on to a rare away win against Nottingham Forest next, with a loss at the City Ground only pulling Leeds even closer to the relegation zone.

Farke can unleash Stach by dropping Leeds star who's "not good enough"

Leeds United boss could bring Anton Stach back into the starting line-up by dropping this star.

ByDan Emery Nov 1, 2025

Newcastle United head into another Champions League tie in mid-week off the back of a disappointing result in the Premier League on the road.

Before facing off against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in mid-October, and convincingly putting them to the sword 3-0 in Europe’s illustrious competition, the Toon had come up short away at Brighton and Hove Albion in a 2-1 loss on the South Coast.

Eddie Howe will hope he gets a similar response out of his troops when Athletic Club travel to Tyneside on Wednesday night, as Newcastle’s “passive” afternoon against the Hammers – as journalist Craig Hope put it – resulted in the away side coming away empty-handed from the London Stadium in a 3-1 loss.

Howe will have been left with lots to chew over from that defeat, as he cut a forlorn figure after the match, while Nuno Espirito Santo jumped for joy, as he momentarily stopped the West Ham rot.

The changes Eddie Howe must make vs Athletic Club

The usually mild-mannered Howe blasted his team’s performance as “unrecognisable” of what Newcastle is all about. Indeed, as Toon great Alan Shearer noted post-match, it was a “leggy” performance rather than an energetic one.

Joelinton, again, showed signs of his worrying decline against Nuno’s hosts, as the quiet Brazilian won just three of his seven duels during the 3-1 defeat.

Off the back of such a lifeless showing, both Lucas Paqueta and Freddie Potts dominated proceedings centrally for the East Londoners, as Paqueta scored a long-range bullet to level the match in the first half, while Potts also managed to win one more duel than the below-par number seven, on what was his first league start of the season.

He could be in danger of being dropped for the coming clash with the La Liga outfit; therefore, with Anthony Gordon also at risk of the axe, having lasted just 45 minutes at the London Stadium, before being taken off.

With no goals or assists next to his name in the Premier League this season, it isn’t a shock to see journalist Charlie Bennett state that the ex-Everton winger is “not undroppable”, heading into the St James’ Park clash on Wednesday.

But, as much as it’s slightly contentious whether the likes of Gordon and Joelinton will actually be dropped, it feels a far more pressing matter that this duo must be axed from the starting XI immediately.

Newcastle duo must never play together again

Halloween might well have been done for another year when West Ham and Newcastle locked horns, but the Toon’s defensive performance was still scarily below-par.

Heading into the showdown at the London Stadium, the relegation-threatened hosts had only managed to score a meagre seven Premier League goals all season long.

But, with Howe selecting Emil Krafth and Dan Burn as his two full-back options, the Hammers were in luck going forward, as can be seen by looking at their disastrous performances in greater detail.

Indeed, combined, the makeshift full-back partnership managed to win zero tackles and won just two of their seven duels.

Krafth would, thankfully, be put out of his misery at the half-time interval, but – when he was still on the pitch – he also failed to muster up one single successful dribble to try and turn his faltering team more of a front-foot threat.

Burn lasted the full 90 minutes, though, with the Blyth-born battler also failing to complete a single successful dribble, on top of squandering possession a costly 14 times.

As one analyst put it at the final whistle, both the underperforming number 17 and number 33 are more “centre-back profiles”, with Newcastle becoming “less dynamic” this season as a result of these two options being regularly chosen as limited full-backs.

Howe will pray he can call upon Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall in these problem areas, soon, with Hall back on the substitutes bench against the Hammers, after a lengthy spell out with an injury.

Kieran Trippier could also be available again for the test of Ernesto Valverde’s men on Wednesday night, as Howe now tries to put together a coherent XI, that removes the possibility of Krafth and Burn lining up as a car-crash duo.

Worse than Pope: Howe must drop Newcastle star who lost 100% ground duels

Eddie Howe has a lot of Newcastle United selection decisions to ponder over after his side collapsed to a 3-1 loss away at West Ham United.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 3, 2025

Pakistan batter available for Championship games against Notts and Essex

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2025Abdullah Shafique, the Pakistan top-order batter, has signed a short-term deal to play for Yorkshire. Shafique will be available for two rounds of the County Championship in June, as well Yorkshire’s final four Vitality Blast group games.The 25-year-old has played 22 Tests for Pakistan, notching five hundreds and averaging 38.56 in the format, as well as 24 ODIs and six T20Is. In T20, he averages 29.36 with a strike rate of 134.43 and was recently the fourth-highest run-scorer at the PSL as part of the title-winning Lahore Qalandars team.Shafique will arrive ahead of next week’s Championship trip to face Division One leaders Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, which will be followed by Yorkshire hosting Essex at York. He could also feature in both of Yorkshire’s Blast fixtures against Lancashire.Related

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“I’m immensely pleased to be afforded this opportunity with Yorkshire and I’m eager to join up with the team ahead of a big game against Nottinghamshire,” Shafique said. “Headingley is a venue I’ve always wanted to play at and I’m excited to experience a Roses fixture which I’ve already heard will have an incredible atmosphere!”There is so much history at this club, and I hope I can contribute on the pitch at what is a very important period of the season for the team.”Yorkshire had signed Australia allrounder Will Sutherland for the Blast and County Championship block in June/July. New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke is also registered, having played seven out of an eight-game deal for the Blast, with Yorkshire originally hoping he would be involved in the Championship, too.The club are currently second from bottom in Division One of the Championship, and bottom of the North Group in the Blast.Anthony McGrath, Yorkshire’s head coach, said: “Abdullah is another technically gifted, all-format player that we are delighted has signed with us. He has a tremendous skillset and has scored big runs at the highest level of the game.”This is a really positive signing for us that will strengthen us greatly. We’re all looking forward to Abdullah joining up with the squad next week.”

B Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna won the Orange and Purple Caps respectively at the end of IPL 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-20251:49

Moody: Sudharsan an all-format player for India for ten-plus years

Orange Cap tableEven though Gujarat Titans (GT) didn’t make the final, B Sai Sudharsan finished the tournament as its highest run-getter with 759 runs, 42 runs clear of second-placed Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI). But the 43 runs Virat Kohli scored in Tuesday night’s final for RCB took him up to the third place on the table.It’s a cap he has won twice before, in IPL 2016 and IPL 2024. It wasn’t to be this time, but Kohli has been a model of consistency through the tournament, reflected in his 657 runs for the season.GT captain Shubman Gill (650 runs) and Mitchell Marsh of Lucknow Super Giants (627) rounded off the top five.ESPNcricinfo LtdPurple Cap tableSai Sudharsan’s team-mate Prasidh Krishna made it a GT double by winning the Purple Cap for his haul of 25 wickets, one more than Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) Noor Ahmad, and, after the final, three more than RCB’s Josh Hazlewood.When it comes to Hazlewood, though, one wonders what might have been had he not picked up a shoulder niggle and missed a series of matches in the second half of the tournament. Where Prasidh bowled in 15 innings for his 25 wickets and Noor 14 for his 24, Hazlewood finished with 22 from just 12 bowling innings, capping off his season the wicket of Priyansh Arya, the first of the night, in the final. Like Kohli, Hazlewood’s consistency stood out all through the season.Arshdeep Singh, who picked up 3 for 40 in the final, ended in fifth place with 21 wickets, with MI’s Trent Boult above him with 22, behind Hazlewood on economy rate.Krunal Pandya, meanwhile, won the Player-of-the-Match award in the final, and that took him up to No. 2, behind Suryakumar, on ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table for IPL 2025. Most sixes Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Best bowling figures in a match

Gujarat Titans (GT) won the toss at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and decided to do what teams do there: field first against Mumbai Indians (MI). No total is safe at Wankhede, given a true pitch, small boundaries and dew later in the night.GT made one change to their team, bringing in left-arm quick Arshad Khan ahead of allrounder Washington Sundar. Once again, GT were playing Rashid Khan at No. 7, which presents an opportunity for the opposition that can take early wickets. Shubman Gill said they wanted to give Kagiso Rabada a couple more net sessions before they drafted him back into the XI.MI remained unchanged, which meant Corbin Bosch continued to play in place of Mitchell Santner, whom he originally replaced thanks to a niggle. Santner was not on the list of possible Impact Players, so it is possible he hasn’t yet fully recovered.Both teams are on 14 points and within a shot of the top position, but GT have a game in hand. This game is crucial for both sides with an eye on the top-two finish, which can guarantee a team two matches in the playoffs.Mumbai Indians 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt.), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahImpact Players bench Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani KumarGujarat Titans 1 Shubman Gill (capt.), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 M Shahrukh Khan, 5 Rahul Tewatia, 6 R Sai Kishore, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh KrishnaImpact Players bench Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Dasun Shanaka

Things are looking up for Wolverhampton Wanderers. With deadline day approaching, they look set to keep hold of Jorgen Strand Larsen and have now reportedly set their sights on a new midfield target.

Wolves' late transfer plans

Despite already signing Fer Lopez, Ladislav Krejci, Jhon Arias, Jackson Tchatchoua and David Miller Wolfe this summer, Wolves are still reportedly eyeing a late spending spree. With Fabio Silva on his way to Borussia Dortmund, there’s suddenly space in Vitor Pereira’s side for another attacking reinforcement and, as such, Tolu Arokodare has emerged as a serious option.

Whether Newcastle United’s decision to pursue Nick Woltemade instead of Strand Larsen changes the urgency of those in the Midlands is the question that needs answering, but reports have always indicated that Arokodare is seen as a replacement for Silva and not for the Norwegian.

In an ideal world, by the time the deadline passes, Wolves will have two very talented strikers at their disposal and ready to fire Pereira’s side to Premier League safety.

Wolves now eyeing late move to sign another "superb" striker with Arokodare

The Midlands club could be forced to replace Strand Larsen.

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 28, 2025

The manager recently had his say on Strand Larsen and will be among those relieved that Newcastle decided to look elsewhere. He told reporters following Wolves’ 3-2 Carabao Cup win against West Ham United in midweek: “If it’s my decision, of course [Strand-Larsen stays]. Of course. Because he’s a very important player. It’s not only about the technical and tactical, it’s about the character. He’s a player with character.”

Meanwhile, it’s not just the striker department that could receive a major boost before the end of the transfer window. Reports are now suggesting that Wolves are eyeing a last-gasp midfield move.

Wolves submit Hackney offer

According to Football League World, Wolves have now submitted a bid worth £30m to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough. The Championship star has been linked with a move away from the club all summer long, with interest from Ipswich Town and Wolves’ rivals, West Bromwich Albion emerging.

Now, it could be Wolves who secure his signature in what would be a deserved move. The 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive rise at Boro and, in truth, has had the quality to step into the Premier League for at least two seasons. Compared to both Andre and Joao Gomes, it’s clear that Hackney would push all the way for a starting place at Molineux.

Described as “excellent” earlier this season by manager Rob Edwards, Hackeny has simply picked up where he left off in the last campaign. The midfield star is an incredibly talented ball progressor and combines that ability with his knack for winning possession back for his side – two traits that could make all the difference for Wolves in their bid to survive.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has asked a “what are you doing with this girl” question of the Gunners after seeing USWNT star Jenna Nighswonger exiled from Renee Slegers’ plans. The United States international moved to north London in January but has seen limited game time across her spell in England, with the 24-year-old defender failing to make WSL matchday squads.

How much did Arsenal spend on Nighswonger?

Nighswonger made just four appearances for Arsenal on the back of her reported $100,000 transfer from NJ/NY Gotham FC. She has slipped further out of favour in the 2025-26 campaign, with Slegers favouring alternative options.

AdvertisementGettyWho is ahead of Nighswonger at Arsenal?

Katie McCabe has been lining up at left-back, with Taylor Hinds seemingly the understudy for that role. That situation is leaving a frustrated Nighswonger watching on from afar, much to the surprise of a Gunners great.

Wright's take on surprising situation

Speaking on the podcast, Wright said: "I need some clarity on what's going on with Arsenal and Jenna. [She had] a good preseason, I'm hearing from people. [She's] more than capable of playing at this level — she's not even in the matchday squads.

If she's not injured, why did they deny her a loan move? Why would they do that? So, Arsenal, answer that. What are you doing with this girl and her career? She's 24, so we're not talking about somebody who's got the time to come over here with that upheaval. She's not 19 where you think, OK, let's give her a couple seasons. She's 24, ready to go and an international. So, Arsenal, sort that out."

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GettyWhat Slegers said about Nighswonger

Slegers has said of Nighswonger’s standing in Arsenal’s plans: “We have a very strong squad and I'm so happy with the squad and we need the squad because it's going to be a long season with a lot of games and four or five competitions to compete in so that's the starting point.

“Then, me having to make decisions on selection and players who start and finish, that's something I have to carry and that's a burden for me. It's hard, it hurts but that's part of it. I think we need the squad and it was a decision for us to have the squad because we think we need the depth.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Chelsea tem conversas avançadas para contratar o atacante Ângelo, do Santos. O clube do litoral paulista aceitou a proposta dos ingleses, que gira em torno de 15 milhões de euros (R$ 79,5 milhões).

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A necessidade de pelo menos uma grande venda na janela de julho e os valores envolvidos foram determinantes para o Peixe topar o negócio.

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O Alvinegro é dono de 70% dos direitos econômicos de Ângelo e, na teoria, ficaria com R$ 56,6 milhões na negociação com o Chelsea. O atacante detém os outros 30% do ‘passe’, mas abriu mão de uma porcentagem. Portanto, o Santos embolsará ainda mais dinheiro na transação.

Para o negócio ser concretizado, é preciso que o Barcelona (ESP) seja notificado, o que está acontecendo. O clube espanhol tem a preferência de compra do atacante, mas não deve cobrir a oferta inglesa.

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Peixe na Sul-Americana por apenas R$1,00!

A informação da possível ida de Ângelo ao Chelsea foi divulgada inicialmente pelo jornalista Venê Casagrande e confirmada pelo L!.

No início do ano, Ângelo foi alvo de Nottingham Forest (ING) e Flamengo, mas as negociações não evoluíram. O jovem também despertou interesse do Newcastle, da Inglaterra.

Injury to Cross in opening over cause concern for England ahead of Test match

Andrew Miller11-Dec-2024Tammy Beaumont issued a reminder of her all-formats prowess with a superbly paced innings of 65 not out from 46 balls, as England sealed their ODI series against South Africa in a T20-style run-chase under the floodlights in Potchefstroom.On a day that was interrupted by a three-hour delay for rain and lightning, and was marred by a worrying first-over back injury for their senior seamer Kate Cross, England overcame a stiff DLS-adjusted target of 152 in 23 overs to win at a canter – with four overs to spare, thanks to Beaumont’s fifth-wicket stand of 90 in 63 balls with Amy Jones, who finished unbeaten on 49 from 36.Having at one stage been resigned to a washout as the conditions closed in, England were forced to win it the hard way, after Marizanne Kapp’s haul of 3 for 24 in five overs included two massive scalps in her opening over: Maia Bouchier, caught at midwicket third-ball for 4, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who mistimed a cut to point for a second-ball duck.When Kapp then bowled Heather Knight with a snorter in her third over, England were floundering at 25 for 3. But Beaumont, showcasing the even temperament that still makes her such a prized asset in ODI and Test cricket, refused to be cowed by a climbing run-rate. She found key support, initially from Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who made 22 from 16 balls, and latterly Jones, and the result was effectively sealed when Kapp’s final two overs were repelled with the asking rate already dipping below a run a ball.The win handed England a 2-1 win in the ODI leg of their multi-format tour, having lost the opening match by the same six-wicket margin in Kimberley last week, and put the seal on their overall series win ahead of Sunday’s Test in Bloemfontein, having already taken the T20I leg in a 3-0 whitewash.After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, England restricted South Africa to 233 for 8 in their 50 overs, although they were made to work for their breakthroughs – principally by Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s captain, who cemented her status as the ICC’s No.1-ranked ODI batter with a sparkling innings of 61 from 68 balls, studded with a range of her trademark cover drives.Lightning and rain delayed England’s run chase•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesTheir task was not helped, however, by a troubling incident in the opening over, when Cross – following through after bowling her fifth ball – slumped to the turf in visible pain. She was helped from the field by the physio, with Alice Capsey bowling the final ball of her over, and was later revealed to have suffered a back spasm, which may leave her role in the Test match in some doubt.England had already chosen to rest their fastest bowler, Lauren Filer, after her telling breakthroughs in the second ODI, which left their seam-bowling duties in the hands of Lauren Bell and Nat Sciver-Brunt. Wolvaardt took the initiative in the first ten overs, adding 50 for the first wicket with Lara Goodall, one of four changes to South Africa’s line-up.Bell, however, made the first breakthrough in the final over of the powerplay, when Goodall lofted a length ball to mid-on just moments after a firm clip for four off her pads. And not for the first time in this series, South Africa were culpable in their subsequent slide.Anneka Bosch, another change to the line-up, grew into her role with three lusty hits down the ground before driving too loosely through the line off Capsey – on whom Heather Knight had been forced to rely in Cross’s absence. One over later, South Africa’s sturdy start was looking wobbly at 107 for 3, as Sophie Ecclestone skidded a flat trajectory into Wolvaardt’s pad, and extracted the on-field lbw verdict despite ball-tracker confirming it was a marginal leg-sided call.On 14, Nadine de Klerk reacted too slowly to Kapp’s call for a quick single into the covers, and was beaten by Bouchier’s sharp return to Jones, while Annerie Dercksen’s guilty glance at the umpire arguably sealed her fate when Charlie Dean pinned her lbw for 13 – another decision that was shown to be clipping the bails.At 156 for 5 with 18 overs to come, Kapp and Chloe Tryon had the power and poise to provide the big finish. But both batters fell for two runs in the space of nine balls – Kapp to a misjudged launch to long-on off Capsey for 19, and Tryon to a rush of blood at the end of Ecclestone’s eighth over, as she gave her the charge to be stumped for 20.Masabata Klaas then spooned a limp drive to mid-off to depart for a seven-ball duck, but England’s hopes of a quick kill at 201 for 8 were thwarted by Mieke de Ridder and Nonkululeko Mlaba, who batted out the final 45 balls of the innings to eke out a handy 32-run stand. While Kapp was blowing away England’s top-order, those runs looked crucial. But Beaumont and Jones had other plans.

Pakistan have made big changes to the squad for the second and third Tests against England. In addition to Babar Azam – whose omission ESPNcricinfo reported on Sunday – Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are also out. A PCB statement said it had “taken into account the current form and fitness of key players” before leaving out the three players for the remaining two Tests.The decision to leave out arguably Pakistan’s three highest-profile players is little short of stunning. Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat after the first Test – following which captain Shan Masood criticised the bowling performance – was expected to result in several changes, though Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie called for continuity and asked players to be backed. However, the newly formed selection committee, announced on Friday, has gone the other way.