Tag Futebol

In 15 games this season, RCB have had nine different Player-of-the-Match winners. Here’s how each of them has helped the team’s cause

Shashank Kishore02-Jun-20252:24

Aaron: Different players have stepped up for RCB

Krunal PandyaBefore joining RCB, Krunal’s best haul in a season was 12 (both in 2018 and 2019). This season, he has picked up 11 alone in RCB’s flawless away run of seven wins, and 15 overall. Krunal has largely held his own against left-hand batters by making the most of his different lengths, trajectory, and a mean bouncer, the last most notably against MI, when he outsmarted Mitchell Santner and sealed victory with a triple-wicket final over in which he had to defend 18. Krunal’s first IPL fifty since 2016 came in a crucial away win against Delhi Capitals (DC).Rajat PatidarPatidar’s twin half-centuries early in his maiden season as captain powered RCB to landmark wins: their first over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk since 2008 and over MI at Wankhede since 2015. In both matches, he forced opposing captains to hold back spin. Against MI, he also targeted Hardik Pandya to avoid the pressure of having to take down Jasprit Bumrah at the death, finishing with 64 off 32 in RCB’s 221 for 5 – his season’s best yet.2:10

Cricinformed: Virat Kohli – RCB’s backbone

Virat KohliHis eight half-centuries, all in wins this season, is a record. His strike rate this season isn’t far off the 152.03 he recorded during his iconic, chart-topping 973-run campaign in 2016. Kohli has been less an anchor and more a storm at the top, in many ways a continuation of his avatar from the second half of 2024, where RCB recorded six wins on the bounce to make a dash into the playoffs. He averages an impressive 88.50 in chases this season.Tim DavidRCB’s plan for David has been clear: minimum time, maximum impact. His only fifty came in a shortened match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where a 26-ball 50 not out helped lift RCB out of trouble. While it wasn’t enough for a win, it showcased RCB’s batting depth and made it a rare instance of the Player-of-the-Match award going to a player from a losing team. Heading into the final, only Shreyas Iyer has hit more sixes than David in the death overs this season.1:39

How Josh Hazlewood has become a death overs expert

Josh HazlewoodHis shoulder niggle had fans anxiously researching rotator cuffs, but in his first game back after over three weeks, Hazlewood dismantled PBKS in the powerplay with the key wickets of Josh Inglis and Shreyas Iyer, to set RCB on the road to the final. His mastery at the death has been just as vital, never more so than against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Tasked with defending 17 off 12, he gave away just one run and took two wickets, including that of the in-form Dhruv Jurel, who had just smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 21 in the 18th over. That spell helped overturn RCB’s three-match losing streak at home.Phil SaltSalt has stepped into Faf du Plessis’ shoes seamlessly to play a high-impact role in the powerplay. His early salvo, like when he took Mitchell Starc for 24 runs in a 30-run over, has taken a lot of the pressure off Kohli. The pair is within touching distance of being the second-most prolific opening pair this season, behind B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill. Among those playing in the final, Salt is joint-second with Priyansh Arya (14) for most sixes in the powerplay this IPL. His four half-centuries are second-most behind Kohli’s eight for RCB this season.2:04

Moody: ‘Jitesh’s innings was wow!’

Jitesh SharmaJitesh’s lone half-century of the season may have been his most important one yet – it came in a must-win game to secure a top-two finish. His unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is the third-highest IPL score from No. 6 or lower and it powered RCB to their highest successful chase. Earlier in the season, his impactful 40* off 19 against MI stood out for the assault on Bumrah and Trent Boult at the death. He also briefly stepped in as captain when Patidar was sidelined with a finger injury.Suyash SharmaAfter nearly two years playing through a hernia problem, Suyash wasn’t a starter this season as he recovered from surgery in London that was sponsored by RCB. He returned lighter, fitter, and has delivered key performances despite a modest tally of eight wickets. He turned games with spells like his six-run 18th over against CSK while defending 34 off 18, and his season-best 3 for 17 in Qualifier 1, where a flurry of wrong’uns ripped through PBKS’ lower order. His spin combine with Krunal isn’t the most formidable on paper, but they have punched above their weight this season.Romario ShepherdInitially overlooked in favour of Liam Livingstone, Shepherd seized his chance in a crucial home game against CSK. Coming in during the 18th over, he smashed 10 of his 14 balls to the boundary to record the second-fastest IPL fifty. His knock gave RCB vital momentum in a tight win that took them closer to the playoffs spot. RCB’s 54 runs – Shepherd made 53 of those – in the last two overs remain their most in the final 12 balls, with 32 of those coming in a single over off Khaleel Ahmed.

With less than two months to go before the January transfer window opens for business, there is already speculation about what Leeds United are going to do to their squad.

The Whites have picked up 11 points in 11 Premier League matches and sit one point above the relegation zone as a newly-promoted team, which is a respectable, but not ideal, position to be in.

Daniel Farke may want to bolster his squad with more quality in the offensive areas, because the team has only scored 11 goals in their 11 top-flight matches so far this season.

The lack of goals for the Championship champions has not been because of a lack of creativity, though, as they have missed too many high-quality opportunities in the final third.

Leeds United’s biggest xG underperformers
25/26 Premier League	xG	Goals	xG differential
Dominic Calvert-Lewin	2.89	1	-1.89
Jayden Bogle	0.88	0	-0.88
Brenden Aaronson	1.79	1	-0.79
Joel Piroe	0.73	0	-0.73
Pascal Struijk	0.65	0	-0.65
Dan James	0.47	0	-0.47
Jack Harrison	0.41	0	-0.41
Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been particularly wasteful with the chances that have been created for him in the Premier League.

Former Leeds striker Patrick Bamford signed for Sheffield United earlier this week, and the Whites need to be looking for their next version of the English forward.

Why Leeds need to find their next Patrick Bamford

The experienced marksman left Elland Road on a free transfer in the summer after he failed to score a single goal in 18 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

It is not last season’s Bamford that Leeds need to find a new version of, though. Instead, the 49ers need to find Farke’s own version of Bamford from the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

After Leeds were last promoted to the Premier League, in the summer of 2020, the former Chelsea and Middlesbrough attacker played a pivotal role in the club’s survival and eventual top-half finish in their first season back in the big time.

The left-footed centre-forward scored 17 goals, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the highlights above, and provided seven assists in 38 appearances in the division in that term.

Since that impressive season from the former England international, no Leeds player has scored more than 13 goals in a single Premier League campaign.

Leeds United’s top Premier League scorers since 20/21
Season	Top goalscorer	Goals
25/26	Noah Okafor Joe Rodon Lukas Nmecha	2
22/23	Rodrigo	13
21/22	Raphinha	11
20/21	Patrick Bamford	17
Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, the club’s top three scorers in the current term have all managed just two goals, which speaks to the lack of outstanding goalscorers within the squad.

This illustrates how badly the Whites need to find their next version of 2020/21 Bamford, due to their lack of goalscorers, and they are reportedly interested in a star who could be exactly that.

Leeds chasing move for Eredivisie star

According to LeedsUnitedNews, the Premier League new boys are eyeing up a swoop for AZ Alkmaar centre-forward Troy Parrott in the upcoming January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Whites are now looking at signing the Ireland international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, as they chase a winter deal for the marksman.

It adds that Leeds had scouts in attendance to watch his performance for the Republic of Ireland against Portugal earlier this week, when he netted twice against Roberto Martinez’s side.

The same outlet has posted an update on Farke’s future at Elland Road, explaining that the 49ers are not ready to pull the plug on him yet, but that they could be forced to make a decision if results do not improve.

With this in mind, Leeds could save themselves from having to remove the German head coach from his role by signing Parrott to save his job in January.

Why Leeds should sign Troy Parrott

The Whites should swoop for the Irish centre-forward because his performances in the Netherlands this season suggest that he has the quality to be Bamford 2.0, which would help to push the club up the table.

Per FotMob, Leeds are 10th in the Premier League for xPTS (15) and have underperformed their xG of 13.2 by 2.2, as they have only scored 11 goals. This suggests that Farke and his coaching staff have not been rewarded for the performances that they have coached, due to poor finishing.

These statistics indicate that it is not the German boss who should be under fire for where the team are in the division, and that signing a clinical striker could change the perception of the job that he is doing in the dugout.

Parrott, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed an incredibly prolific first season with AZ Alkmaar in the 2024/25 campaign, netting 20 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster, once dubbed “phenomenal” by former boss Ryan Lowe, has proven that his form last term was not a flash in the pan, as he has carried his exceptional goalscoring exploits into the current season.

Troy Parrott – 25/26	Eredivisie	Conference League
Appearances	7	7
xG	5.56	N/A
Goals	6	7
Minutes per goal	87	59
Conversion rate	25%	N/A
Big chances created	2	3
Assists	0	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Parrott has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances in all competitions for AZ Alkmaar, on top of the two goals that he scored for Ireland against Portugal.

This means that the striker has already scored an eye-catching 15 goals for club and country in the 2025/26 campaign, whilst no Leeds player has scored more than twice in all competitions.

Parrott, per Sofascore, has scored 37 goals from 30.67 xG in the Eredivisie since the start of the 2023/24 season, which suggests that he is the clinical striker that Leeds are crying out for at the moment.

Therefore, the Ireland international could be the next Bamford to fire the Whites to safety with his prolific goalscoring, whilst saving Farke’s job in the process by making the most of his coaching to improve the results picked up by the team.

Leeds have "standout" teen who could end Aaronson's career & it's not Gray

Leeds United have a promising young attacking midfielder who could end Brenden Aaronson’s career at the club.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 15, 2025

The New York Yankees have been one of the most disappointing teams in Major League Baseball so far this season. After being swept by the Miami Marlins this past weekend they find themselves in third place in the American League East.

The Yankees are in Texas on Monday where they will start a three-game series with the Rangers, who are currently two games out of the wild-card race. The Yankees are second in that race, just 2.5 games ahead of the Rangers.

The pressure is mounting for Aaron Boone's team and while the manager has enraged fans by often repeating simple lines after losses, one player stood up and made an honest statement about what the team must do starting now if they want to turn things around and put their struggles behind them.

That player? Second-year catcher Ben Rice, who has also played first base and been used at designated hitter this season.

"I think a little sense of urgency would be good for us," Rice said after Sunday's 2-0 loss in Miami. "I think just going forward to continue to do what we can winning ball games and that’s going to be doing the little things."

The little things—including bad errors and costly mental mistakes—have hurt the Yankees a lot lately. If they don't stop doing those things, losses could be piling up.

Rice's teammates might want to listen to him, because a loss Monday night to the Rangers would only ramp up the pressure even more.

From Centurion to Rawalpindi, the story remains the same — South Africa’s lower-order batters thrive while Pakistan’s strategy withers in the heat

Danyal Rasool22-Oct-2025″Shaheen bhai,” Shan Masood, Pakistan’s Test captain, hollered out from short midwicket to Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s newly appointed ODI captain, stationed at long-on. He motioned for him to come up, challenging the newly arrived Kagiso Rabada, to take Sajid Khan on. The offspinner tossed it up to Rabada, who sat himself down on one knee, smiting it over Shaheen’s head over mid-on, flying well over the vacant long-on position Shaheen had been summoned up from. It was a microcosm of a madcap two hours in which South Africa’s tail toyed with Pakistan’s bowlers, laying any fielding plans – pedestrian as they increasingly began to look – to waste.Masood must be sick of the sight of South Africa’s lower order, and it’s something that clearly occupies space in his head. Moments after wrapping up a comfortable win in Lahore last week, he spoke to the press, having memorised to the run the difference between Pakistan and South Africa’s contributions from lower down. Pakistan, he said, had lost 11-33 across their two innings, referencing their batting collapses, while South Africa had found ways of adding 8-79. It is in keeping with recent trends; South Africa have the highest average contribution for their last four since the start of that Test, numbers 8-11 averaging over 28.Related

• Stats – First-class Harmer enters elite wicket-takers' club

• Babar selected for SA white-ball series and tri-series against SL, Zimbabwe

• Ball not dead, bails knocked off – Why was Mohammad Rizwan not out hit-wicket?

• Noman Ali goes second in ICC Test rankings with Lahore ten-for

• Muthusamy and Rabada's feisty stand flips the script on Pakistan

But while it was natural natural to reference where improvements needed to be made, that level of detail showed how much it worried Masood.

****

It felt that any such concern might be overblown this morning. Pakistan had laid their trap and set the template, one they followed to a tee in the first session, scything through South Africa after breaking the one stand that showed resistance overnight. Wickets may have all come to the old ball, with Shaheen, who Pakistan rate as their best exponent of reverse, among their ranks, but it was fine. Noman Ali, at 39 suddenly upstaged by the comparatively sprightly 38-year-old Asif Afridi, got rid of Marco Jansen anyway. Senuran Muthuswamy had just played a similar reverse sweep that went for four, but surely it could only mean his wicket was imminent.But Pakistan, and Masood in particular, know exactly the dangers that lie with this South African side. It’s the late October warmth of the dying days of summer in Rawalpindi, but for the way in which the afternoon unfolded, we might still have been at the height of the South African summer in December last year. At Supersport Park in the first Test last year, Pakistan had strung together an excellent morning session to rattle through South Africa’s middle. On that day, it was debutant Corbin Bosch alongside Rabada, and later Dane Paterson, who added 90 for the last two wickets to hand South Africa a 90-run lead.Kagiso Rabada and Senuran Muthusamy added 98 runs for the last wicket to frustrate Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen Pakistan had South Africa eight down once more in the fourth innings, with South Africa still well adrift, the ever-present Rabada teamed up with Marco Jansen to breeze through an unbeaten 51-run partnership that sealed the win, as well as a berth in the World Test Championship final. Sound familiar?Yet, armed with that knowledge, Pakistan appeared to be spectators to their own disembowelment. Once Keshav Maharaj and Muthuswamy began to counterattack, Pakistan’s initial reaction was somewhat muted, as if South Africa might be throwing a temporary tantrum they would quell by default. Rizwan missed a fairly straightforward stumping and Asif missed a return catch, and all the while, the runs came thick and fast.Rizwan had the chance to make amends, knocking off the bails when Maharaj ventured out after lunch, but by now, South Africa had crossed 300, having bitten all but 27 out of Pakistan’s first innings. It was then that Pakistan appeared to have settled on Rabada as the weak link, bringing up the field for him, hoping to deprive Muthuswamy, by now past his half-century, of the strike. Until that Rabada six.It’s hard to say whether the next hour is best viewed in slow motion or on a time lapse camera. The field shifted in and out as the umpires meandered between ends. At one point, the only fielders not on the boundary to either batter were a solitary slip and one fielder either square either side. There was, even when the odd fielder came up, plenty of space for South Africa to rotate the strike, and yet, even with the field pushed back, little to hold them back from finding gaps or clearing the fence.That grand overview may be appropriately damning for an effectively passive Pakistan, but it didn’t do justice to the workshop Rabada was putting on. For all the easy grace his bowling has become associated with, it is perhaps with the blade that his glorious elegance is on full display. The gap between his Test average of 11 and the silkiness of his strokeplay is the strongest rebuttal to analysing games by numbers alone. At one point, he planted his back foot and lifted a Shaheen delivery off the bottom half of his bat straight over his head into the sightscreen. Slighted, Shaheen went inswinging yorker next, which Rabada carved through the covers with the flourish of a painter signing off his masterpiece. No camera is slow enough to appreciate that majesty.Muthuswamy, well set by then, had the best view of it from the other end. “He’s such a naturally free-flowing batter. KG was exemplary. It was an innings of the highest standard. The ball striking in those conditions was superb. I ended up playing a bit of a supporting role as the innings went on because he was just seeing it so nicely and hitting it so clean. It was a fantastic partnership and yeah, one that we’ll remember and hopefully can put us into a really strong position tomorrow to win the game.”Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam took Pakistan to stumps•Getty ImagesFor Pakistan, though, that Centurion Test offers an uncomfortable bookend to this one. Masood has consistently bemoaned lost opportunities from promising situations, with that Test a constant example to denote an experience his side has learned from. Yet today, when the momentum began to turn in those final two partnerships, the strategic stagnation from Pakistan was palpable; the only dismissal they sought was one which came off an error from a South African bat.Asif, Pakistan’s best bowler in the morning, unwittingly lay bare the tactics forlornness behind Pakistan’s approach that afternoon. Ever since the ninth wicket fell, he had not been called on to bowl for another 15 overs, by which time the partnership had added 86 more runs.”They were left-handed batters and I am a left-arm spinner, too,” Asif said. “So Shan said let’s go with offspin and it might give us a chance. They were playing in a way that it was probably easier for them to hit left-arm spin.”Three overs into Asif’s spell, Rabada finally slogged one to long-on, which had not come up against him since that six off his innings’ fifth ball. By then, his runs tally numbered 71, also exactly the amount South Africa led by. It had come 169 runs after Pakistan had left South Africa in the dust, eight wickets down and nearly 100 runs adrift. It is just 103 fewer than Pakistan’s numbers 8 to 11 have scored in six Tests since the start of that Centurion Test; they place rock bottom on that table, averaging 8.77, the only team with a single-digit average for their final four.Those runs had seemed to melt into South Africa’s total so easily, but 37 balls later, Pakistan found themselves three wickets down, the irrepressible Rabada and Harmer doing the damage. As the runs curdled, it was increasingly obvious scoring was never as easy as Rabada and Muthuswamy had made it look, and, indeed, been allowed to make it look.

Tottenham Hotspur were hammered 4-1 by their arch-rivals in the North London derby on Sunday in the Premier League, as they were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at The Emirates.

Thomas Frank started with a back five and two holding midfielders in an attempt to shut the Gunners out, yet it was still far too easy for the hosts to slice through their defence.

Whilst their overly-cautious approach did not prevent Arsenal from creating chances, it did prevent Spurs from creating chances. They only had three shots in 90 minutes, and one of them was Richarlison’s long-range goal from around 45 yards out.

Creating chances and playing forward-thinking football has been a problem for the Lilywhites in the Premier League since Frank came through the door from Brentford in the summer, as shown in the statistics below.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

The defeat to Arsenal will be even harder to take because Tottenham were chasing a deal to sign Eberechi Eze in the summer before the Gunners swooped in and hijacked the move, and he was the star of the show on Sunday.

Meanwhile, it has been a struggle for a few of the players whom the Lilywhites were able to get in the building in an attempt to bolster Frank’s squad in the summer transfer window.

Ranking Tottenham's summer signings for Thomas Frank

Looking at the positive additions first, it is hard to look past Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha as the best signing of the summer, as the Portugal international has delivered four goals and three assists whilst also averaging 5.6 tackles and interceptions per game, per Sofascore.

Mohammed Kudus, who was signed from West Ham for £55m, is deserving of second-place after a return of one goal and four assists in 11 Premier League appearances so far this season.

As you can see in the table below, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso then rank in the middle of the pack, which is because they were brought in as squad additions and have filled that role without any major issues so far this term.

1

Joao Palhinha

2

Mohammed Kudus

3

Luka Vuskovic

4

Mathys Tel

5

Kevin Danso

6

Koto Takai

7

Randal Kolo Muani

8

Xavi Simons

Koto Takai has yet to play a game for Spurs, due to injury, since his move in the summer, which makes it hard to rank him any higher or lower, whilst Kolo Muani is in seventh place with no goals and one assist in nine appearances for the club, per Sofascore.

Ranking in last place, then, is £52m summer signing Xavi Simons. He arrived at Spurs after a return of 21 goals and 21 assists in the last two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, yet has failed to live up to the hype that his form in the Bundesliga created.

The Dutchman was brought in as Tottenham’s alternative to Eze, after they failed to sign the England international, and has only managed two assists and no goals in 15 appearances for the club.

Meanwhile, the former Crystal Palace attacking midfielder has delivered five goals and three assists in 16 outings for Arsenal, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has been far more influential for his side than Xavi has.

In The Pipeline

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

Spurs, though, may already be brewing their own homegrown version of Eze in their academy in the form of exciting teenage attacking midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could be Tottenham's own Eberechi Eze

The 17-year-old starlet’s form for club and country suggests that he is a player to watch for the future, as the Tottenham youngster has shown incredible promise as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

He has been with England’s U17s at the U17 World Cup in recent weeks, knocked out by Austria in the quarter-finals last week, and caught the eye with his performances at the tournament.

Appearances

5

Sofascore rating

7.38

Goals

2

Big chances missed

0

Key passes per game

1.4

Big chances created

3

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

3.4

As you can see in the table above, Williams-Barnett provided regular quality as a goalscorer, a creator, and a dribbler across his five appearances in the competition for his country.

One of his two goals, which came against Haiti’s U17 side, was also an incredible solo goal that showcased his composure, creativity, and quality, as shown in the clip below.

On top of his impressive form for England at youth level, the 17-year-old playmaker has also proven himself to be an incredibly prolific attacker for Tottenham’s academy.

Williams-Barnett, who U23 scout Antonio Mango described as an “underrated” player, has racked up 22 goals and 13 assists in 30 games for the club’s U18 side, per Transfermarkt, to go along with seven goals and five assists in eight U21 games.

These statistics show that the attacking midfielder has delivered goals and assists on a regular basis for both club and country, which is why he could be Tottenham’s own Eberechi Eze, who has scored five goals for Arsenal and two goals for England this season.

Como scout Ben Mattinson claimed that the Spurs youngster “scores bangers” and it is hard to disagree with that assessment, particularly when you see goals such as the ones in the clip above.

Like Eze, Williams-Barnett is a number ten with incredible footwork, finishing, creativity, and dribbling skills, but it is now down to him to make the step to senior level and prove that he can deliver consistent performances in the first-team.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

If he can handle that step up, Frank could have his own version of Eberechi Eze and a possible upgrade on Xavi in the number ten position moving forward.

Arsenal have been head and shoulders above the rest of ’em this season, but Mikel Arteta knows that the season is still young, and there are many gruelling months ahead before the Gunners might end their two-decade-long wait for the Premier League title.

Runners-up for three successive years, Arsenal have worked toward dynamising and strengthening across the park, with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all adding flavour to an outfit already refined and complete.

It’s just silverware that is missing. And while the Emirates side have all the tools to go the distance this term, they will need someone of Gabriel Magalhaes’ character and quality to have avoided a long-term injury while away on international duty with Brazil.

The latest on Gabriel's muscle injury

Gabriel has played every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign this season, but with a north London clash against Tottenham Hotspur looming on the horizon, a muscular injury sustained out with his nation could put a spanner in the works there.

Gabriel pulled up mid-sprint during Brazil’s recent win over Senegal. It has since been revealed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein that there is a worry that he faces an extended spell on the sidelines, more than a month and thus out of action until the new year.

It cannot be understated how integral Gabriel has become. As per FBref, the £150k-per-week talent ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for goal involvements and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90. That aside, he has incredibly won 78% of his ground duels, keeping clean sheets in seven separate matches.

In Gabriel and William Saliba, Arsenal have two defenders looking to take their place among the pantheon of great Premier League centre-back partnerships, and if Arteta does lift that elusive trophy at the end of the season, he and his wider squad will be indebted to the composed and flawlessly organised duo at the back.

The likes of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are able replacements, but this could be a big blow, and it’s got us thinking about the 27-year-old’s long-term successor in north London.

There is one Hale End star who might just have what it takes to complete that step up in the future.

The Hale Ender who could replace Gabriel

Under Arteta’s guidance, Arsenal have a feared outfit once again. This is a team capable of tackling and overcoming any opponent across the globe, as last season’s spectacular two-legged win over Real Madrid will tell you.

But this also needs to be a lasting project, and it’s clear that there is an emphasis on this, with Bukayo Saka the talisman and exciting prospects such as Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman filtering through to the first team.

And on the other side of the field, Callan Hamill could find himself succeeding Gabriel when the time comes, with the 16-year-old having made quite the impression at Hale End since joining from St. Johnstone in Scotland this summer.

The Scotland U19 international has swiftly established himself as the captain of Arsenal’s U18 squad, racking up 11 appearances and scoring one goal.

With such impressive performances, he has even been handed a string of outings with the U21s, and during his sole effort in the Premier League 2, Hamill kept a clean sheet across 90 minutes of action.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that the teenager has “all the tools to become a quality backline leader for club and country”, and while he’s not there yet, Arteta’s decision to throw the youngster into first-team training and guide him toward the fore suggests that it’s only a matter of time before this star emulates the better-known names in front of him and cements a place under Arteta’s wing.

Who knows, given his leadership skills, strong reading of the game and dynamism, Hamill might even have what it takes to succeed Gabriel, when the fateful day of the Brazilian’s departure comes.

A new Saka: Arsenal chasing "one of the best wingers in the world" for £88m

The game-changing winger could be a Saka-like addition to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Cummins has dismissed Rohit in each of the last three IPL matches and also in the last five innings across formats

Omkar Mankame22-Apr-20255:24

Pujara: Surprised Cummins hasn’t bowled much with the new ball

Match 33, Wankhede, IPL 2025 – c: T Head b: Cummins 26 (16)Rohit was off to a promising start, hitting three sixes in his first 13 balls. The third of those was a pick-up shot off Cummins that sailed into the stands. However, two balls later, he hit a low full toss straight to cover, falling to Cummins for the fourth time in the IPL.4th Test, Melbourne, 2024 – c: Boland b: Cummins 3 (5) and c: Marsh b: Cummins 9 (40)Rohit’s move back to the top of the order in the Border Gavaskar Trophy did not change his fortunes. In the first innings, Cummins needed just three deliveries to dismiss the opposition captain, with Rohit failing to execute his favourite pull shot cleanly and mistiming a top edge. He showed greater patience in the second innings, but as the pressure mounted, his first aggressive stroke once again led to his downfall.Pat Cummins removed Rohit Sharma in both innings of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne•Getty Images3rd Test, Brisbane, 2024 – c: Carey+ b: Cummins 10 (44)Batting in the middle order, Rohit walked out in a perilous situation – India 44 for 4 in reply to Australia’s 445 all out in the first innings. After 16 deliveries, he found his first boundary with a cover drive off Cummins, but the bowler struck back soon after by forcing an outside edge. The duo didn’t come face-to-face in the second innings, with India’s innings cut short by rain.2nd Test, Adelaide, 2024 – b: Cummins 6 (15)After missing the first Test, Rohit, not wanting to disrupt the opening combination, slotted himself into the middle-order for the day-night Test. Scott Boland trapped him lbw in the first innings, and in the second, Cummins knocked over his off stump with the pink ball under lights.A hat-trick in the IPLWhen Cummins dismissed Rohit earlier this season, it was the third successive time he got the MI batter out in the IPL. Cummins had dismissed the former MI batter both times last season.Pat Cummins got rid of Rohit Sharma in both of SRH’s games against MI in IPL 2024•Associated PressMatch 55, Wankhede, IPL 2024 – c: Klaasen b: Cummins 4 (5)Last year in Mumbai, Cummins needed only two deliveries to send back the MI batter. Rohit closed the bat face early against a length ball, and the resulting leading edge went up high in the night sky before settling into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.Match 8, Hyderabad, IPL 2024 – c: Abhishek b: Cummins 26 (12)With a mammoth target of 278 in front, Rohit had no option but to go for boundaries. He picked Cummins’ first ball to hit him for a six over midwicket but failed to control the pull shot on the following delivery and was caught at deep fine leg.

After registering the 400th goal of his remarkable career, Kylian Mbappe is ready to aim for "the unreal". The Real Madrid superstar is among those watching on from afar as Portuguese GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on 1,000 career goals. That milestone feels a long way off for Mbappe, but the France international is prepared to set the most ambitious of targets.

Mbappe record: Games taken to reach 400 goals

World Cup winner Mbappe reached a quadruple century on the goal front when netting for his country in a 4-0 victory over Ukraine. He bagged a brace in that contest – with his first coming from the penalty spot – and has ensured that Les Bleus will be taking in another shot at global glory next summer.

Mbappe has hit 400 goals through just 537 appearances. He is Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer – having found the target on 235 occasions for the Ligue 1 heavyweights – and sits only two efforts adrift of France’s record marksman Olivier Giroud.

It is only a matter of time before he passes Giroud, with a bar of individual brilliance there set to be raised considerably higher. Mbappe also continues to star at club level, with 18 goals being recorded for Real this season through 16 appearances.

AdvertisementGetty1,000-goal target: Can Mbappe match Ronaldo?

Mbappe is only 26 years of age, so has many seasons with club and country ahead of him. With that in mind, he sees no reason why he should not be looking to emulate the achievements of five-time Ballon d’Or winner CR7.

He said: "400 doesn't impress people, if you want to be in that circle that shocks people, you have to score another 400. Cristiano Ronaldo's 1,000 goals? That's unreal. But let's try the unreal, we have to try, we only have one career."

Mbappe is arguably at his peak right now, with it on him to ensure that those standards are maintained when chasing down more major honours with Real and France. He added on silencing any doubters in his homeland: "I had to be the best version of myself so we could go to the World Cup. Last year was difficult for me with the national team, this season I had to show that the national team is important to me.

"On a mission? Everyone knows and can talk about football, but playing in a World Cup… only those who have played in it know that it's special, it's a privilege to represent your country in the eyes of the world."

World Cup trophy target: Mbappe proud of France's efforts

Mbappe captured the most prestigious of trophies with France back in 2018, before suffering final heartache against Lionel Messi and Argentina at Qatar 2022 – as he bagged a hat-trick before seeing Les Bleus lose on penalties.

He went on to say of heading back to FIFA’s flagship event, with Ukraine being swept aside with the minimum of fuss: "Pride. You should never take it for granted; today it's becoming normal, but it wasn't always the case in the history of the French national team. We had to be as sensible as possible and keep in mind that the most important thing was the win. On the pitch, we tried to do the job. We picked up the pace in the second half. After that, we played our game, we created chances, and I think people had a good evening."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty2026 World Cup draw: When France will discover opponents

Mbappe added on his bid to become a two-time World Cup winner – an achievement that would see him join an exclusive club: "Of course we're going there to win, like all 48 other teams. It's a dream to be able to put the third star on the French national team jersey. We need to use this 2022 World Cup final to go to the World Cup with confidence. We'll wait for the draw and focus on the first group matches."

France will be among the favourites to go all the way when the World Cup heads to the United States, Canada and Mexico. They will discover their early opponents at that tournament when the group stage draw takes place on December 5.

Ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur icon Gareth Bale has revealed the real reason why he announced his retirement from football at the age of 33. The former winger brought the curtains down on his illustrious professional career just months after Wales were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup group stage after finishing bottom with just a point from their three matches.

Bale took retirement at just 33

Bale started his professional journey at Southampton in 2006 after graduating from the Saints' youth system. After an impressive debut campaign at St Mary's Stadium, the wide man caught Tottenham's attention and the north London club snapped him up. He spent the next six seasons at White Hart Lane, before completing a dream move to Real Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee.

In Madrid, he won every major trophy on offer, including multiple La Liga and Champions League titles. In 2022, Bale joined MLS side LAFC where he spent a season before hanging up his boots in January 2023. His retirement announcement came in the aftermath of Wales crashing out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the group stage.

AdvertisementAFPWhy did Bale took an early retirement?

In a chat with , Bale revealed how his father's ill health prompted him to quit football at just 33. He said: "I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. My dad got ill and that played a massive role in my decision. People don't know what anyone's going through at home but I soon realised there's more to life than just football. [My dad] sacrificed everything when I was younger. He took me everywhere. Without my dad and my parents, I wouldn't be where I am today."

He added: "I achieved so much in my career so playing in a World Cup was pretty much the last thing that I wanted to achieve. It didn’t go amazingly well for us, but it was the first time in 64 years. After that, I didn't feel like I had anything else left to achieve, goal-wise."

Is Bale really obsessed with Golf?

During his time in Madrid, Bale had once held aloft a now-infamous flag which read 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order' after his nation qualified for Euro 2020. The incident did draw some criticism in Spain and since the former Wales international has been closely associated with the sport, with many believing that he is obsessed with golf.

However, later in the interview, the Spurs icon cleared the air as he claimed he "never used to play golf that much" and would only pick up his clubs "once every two to three weeks" – and always "on a day off".

AFPDid Bale have a fallout with Ronaldo

Speaking about his relationship with former Madrid team-mate and Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo, the Welshman said: "I'm not really in touch with that many [old Madrid team-mates] – a few of the Wales boys – but I always got on with everybody. I never had any problems with anyone. I never had any big arguments. Sometimes the media might say about me and Ronaldo, we never had an issue, never had an argument, never had a fight, never had anything."

Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked with signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but it is Ruben Amorim’s side who are in pole position ahead of the January transfer window.

Semenyo is one of the most impressive wide players in the Premier League currently, scoring six goals and registering three assists in the competition leading into the international break.

The 25-year-old is wanted by a host of top clubs, with United among those thought to be right in the mix to snap him up, potentially even in the January transfer window.

Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his current Bournemouth contract for a certain time period, with David Ornstein reporting the Cherries will effectively be powerless to stop a departure in early January.

Liverpool look to be the most interested out of United’s Premier League adversaries, as they look for an injection of attacking quality midway through the season, with the Reds believing Semenyo can be their next Sadio Mane.

Man Utd leading Liverpool in Semenyo race with player keen on move

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are the front-runners to acquire Semenyo’s signature from Bournemouth in January, with INEOS seeing him as a top target for the Red Devils.

The report claims it’s “hard to believe Manchester United won’t secure the signing” due to their willingness to pay the release fee and Semenyo being interested in a move to Old Trafford.

They are ahead of Liverpool in the race, which will no doubt delight the supporters, with Amorim possibly eyeing a long-term replacement for Marcus Rashford, should he leave Old Trafford for good at the end of this season.

Semenyo feels like an ideal signing for United in the mould of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, in terms of players who have proven themselves in the Premier League and are ready to make the step-up to a bigger club.

The Ghanaian provides strong end product on a consistent basis, and has scored twice in three Premier League appearances against the Red Devils, while Pep Guardiola recently hailed his ability, calling him an “extraordinary” player.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was asked earlier this week about the situation, saying he isn’t worried about losing his star player in January.

He's "much better" than Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of the best CFs in PL"

Manchester United could land a new centre-forward just months after landing Benjamin Sesko.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

Despite this, it is easy to envisage Semenyo’s head being turned by a move to United, especially if they continue their recent improved form under Amorim, and he would be a fabulous addition to the attack.

Man Utd have their own version of Semenyo & he's Amorim's "best player"