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The upturn in form for Leeds United has shown they have what it takes to stay in the Premier League. The Whites have now gone unbeaten in their last two games, against two of the so-called ‘big six’ sides.

During the round of midweek top-flight fixtures, Daniel Farke’s side toppled Chelsea at Elland Road, securing an outstanding 3-1 victory against the Club World Cup champions.

On Saturday night, once again at a raucous Elland Road, they secured a late draw with champions Liverpool, with Ao Tanaka scoring in the 96th minute.

It has been a brilliant week for Leeds, with a change in Farke’s system certainly helping the Whites.

How Farke has got the best out of Leeds

For most of the season, Leeds, who find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League, two points clear of the drop, have deployed a 4-3-3 system.

However, the German manager switched things up in the second half against Manchester City, a game which they lost in stoppage time.

Instead, the West Yorkshire side played a 3-5-2 system, aiming to offer more defensive solidity and an issue for opponents in the final third with two strikers and a threat from the high and wide wingbacks.

It is fair to say that Leeds have managed to adapt to this system very well. Of course, they beat Chelsea and drew against Liverpool.

In those games, they had less possession each time, but were dangerous in transition and looked to be direct and bring their two strikers into play.

Someone who praised Farke’s side for the way they have taken to this system is Gary Neville. He said, “it looks to be a blueprint” for the club, praising the “legs in the middle of the pitch” who really make things tick.

Indeed, one of those men in midfield has become a key player for Farke.

The Leeds midfielder showing shades of Klich & Dallas

Since moving to the back three system, Farke has rotated a little bit in midfield with Sean Longstaff on the sideline. Tanaka started against Chelsea, and Ilia Gruev played from the start against the Merseysiders.

Club captain Ethan Ampadu has been a consistent starter, as has Anton Stach. The German joined in the summer and has nailed down a place in the middle of the park next to the Wales international.

The two-cap German national team player, who has previously been described as a “ball-winning monster” by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Kyle Newbould, has shone for Farke’s side.

Stach has made 13 appearances in the Premier League this term, chipping in with two goals and two assists.

The numbers behind Stach’s success in midfield for the Whites this season are impressive.

The German is currently averaging 1.98 key passes and 1.71 progressive carries per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 6% and 22% of Premier League midfielders this season, respectively.

Key passes

1.98

94th

Goal-creating actions

0.72

99th

Progressive carries

1.71

78th

Aerial duel win rate

81.8%

99th

Stach’s game certainly has shades of one former Leeds midfield duo. Mateusz Klich, who played 195 times for the club, and Stuart Dallas, who made 267 appearances, were both key players during the Marcelo Bielsa era.

Described as an “industrious” pair, they offered lots of legs in the middle of the park, just like Stach does, as Neville pointed out. They also posed a threat in the final third, with Dallas bagging 28 times and Klich 24 in that famous White shirt.

Given how Bielsa’s team played, a high-octane brand of football with plenty of running, it is no surprise that Stach has shades of the midfield duo from that era.

As Como scout Ben Mattinson pointed out, he “covers a lot of ground” just as the former Leeds duo were required to do under the former manager.

Stach could certainly be considered undroppable under Farke. His performances this season have been impressive, and he has been a key man since they changed to a back three.

The midfielder is a bit of an “all-rounder” according to Mattinson, and with shades of Klich and Dallas in his game, could quickly become a fan favourite.

A Viduka repeat: Leeds open initial talks to sign midfield "machine"

Leeds United are eyeing up a player from Scotland who could be their next Mark Viduka-type signing.

ByDan Emery 2 days ago

Wrexham made it nine matches unbeaten in the Championship but saw all three points stolen away from them at Deepdale as teenager Harrison Armstrong equalised late on for Preston North End. The Red Dragons had led ever since the fourth minute through a simple Kieffer Moore finish, with James McClean clearing off the line and Arthur Okonkwo making a string of top-class saves before Preston equalised to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw between two sides with play-off ambitions.

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Wrexham came into the match knowing that a play-off push was within their grasp, just three points outside the top six at the start of play. Their hosts Preston have been in and around the play-off picture for much of the campaign and began the day in fifth, only too aware of Wrexham breathing down their necks.

The visitors made the perfect start as Moore opened the scoring after just four minutes. James McClean put in a teasing delivery from the left, which was not dealt with by goalkeeper Daniel Iversen as the Dane could only palm the ball to the feet of the grateful Welshman, who tapped gleefully into the net.

The hosts came quickly back into the match and showed just why they have been so consistent this season, Lewis Dobbin in particular catching the eye. The 22-year-old Aston Villa loanee drove past several Wrexham defenders on a mazy run which was thwarted by a brilliant defensive block.

Wrexham captain McClean then made a key contribution in his own box just before the half-hour mark, as the 36-year-old used brilliant anticipation to clear an effort by Liam Lindsay off the goal-line. Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo had battled hard to keep out a host of balls into the box before McClean appeared in the right place at the right time.

Moore threatened to get through on goal once again at the other end after a defensive slip as the conditions affected both sides, while Wrexham defended stoutly to hold onto their lead at the break. Okonkwo made his greatest contribution as the 24-year-old made a double save from Thierry Small in the final minutes of the half to stun the home faithful.

It was more of the same after the break, as Preston drove forward in search of an equaliser and Wrexham held firm. Small struck a volley against the post, while the Red Dragons could have doubled their lead at the other end as Moore and McClean forced a brilliant double save from Iversen. Okonkwo had to be at his best once again to keep out Jordan Storey, before using every inch of his 6ft 6in frame to tip wide a Lindsay header.

But Wrexham hearts were broken as 18-year-old substitute Armstrong stepped forward to equalise, firing in at the near post at the second attempt to get Preston right back into the game. From there on in it was end to end as both sides searched for a late winner, but the two sides had to settle for a point apiece as Wrexham returned to Wales with a share of the spoils.

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Though his clean sheet was lost late on, Okonkwo was outstanding for Wrexham as they withstood waves of attack by the home side. Preston have been one of the top sides in the division this season but Okonkwo had the answer for almost everything they threw at him. A first-half double save from Small stood out, as did a late stop from Lindsay, as he made six important saves overall. His handling and bravery when coming out of goal to punch the ball were also admirable, though he will have been disappointed that Armstrong managed to squeeze the ball home from the tightest of angles.

The big loser

Certainly outshone by the performance of his opposite number at the other end, Preston shot-stopper Iversen made a poor mistake for Moore's opening goal and almost cost his side in the end. Though he made up for it somewhat with a double save in the second half, Iversen's early mistake was the only glaring error in a fiercely-contested battle between two sides who were both determined to leave everything on the pitch in search of victory.

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Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Marc Cucurella has helped Estevao along massively since the teenager arrived at Chelsea, contributing to his explosion of form. The Blues agreed a deal with Brazilian side Palmeiras to sign the youngster last year but he was unable to move to Stamford Bridge until after his 18th birthday back in April. Estevao has since made a huge impact in west London, quickly established as a fan favourite.

Estevao was instrumental as Chelsea downed Barca

Estevao scored his fifth Chelsea goal of the season in midweek as the Blues eased to a 3-0 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Chelsea went ahead midway through the first half through a Jules Kounde own goal following some good work from Marc Cucurella down the right.

The Brazil international doubled Chelsea's advantage 10 minutes after the break before Liam Delap confirmed the home triumph over Barcelona, who were reduced to 10 men shortly before the interval after Ronald Araujo received his marching orders. Estevao rightly received praise for his showing on the right flank against the Blaugrana, but it was Cucurella who was named Player of the Match in the Stamford Bridge success.

The Spanish left-back was instrumental in minimising compatriot Lamine Yamal's impact down the Barcelona right. Yamal managed just one shot and created only two chances before he was replaced by Dani Olmo with 10 minutes to play.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCucurella told Estevao to 'put shin pads on' to prepare for Yamal showdown

And Estevao faces off against Cucurella in training, which the notes the Spaniard "takes serisously" despite being one of the biggest jokers in the squad. When the youngster's one-vs-one battle in training is often tougher than actual games, it is incredibly helpful.

It meant that the Brazilian came in for the same treatment that Yamal was on the receiving end of in the capital on Tuesday night. Cucurella even joked that he'd use Estevao in the days beforehand as practise for Chelsea's game against Barcelona as the defender geared up to face Yamal at Stamford Bridge.

While Cucurella insisted that Chelsea's game against Barcelona was "not Yamal vs Cucurella, it's Chelsea vs Barcelona", the Blues star finally relented. When asked about his preparation in training for his battle against Yamal, Cucurella said: "I told Estevao to put shin pads on this week because I’m going to be practising on him."

Cucurella made good on his word to stop Yamal by any means necessary, making five tackles and committing four fouls on the way to Chelsea's 3-0 win. Estevao, meanwhile, created three chances and completed two dribbles to go with his goal a the Brazilian winger tormented Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde.

Cucurella set for another tough task on Sunday

Cucurella can expect another tough test on Sunday afternoon when Chelsea host league leaders Arsenal. Six points separate the pair at the top of the table with the Gunners looking to land a first Premier League title in over 20 years having finished second in each of the last three league seasons.

And the Spaniard is set to face off against Bukayo Saka on home turf to round weekend's Premier League action. And ahead of the game, Blues boss Enzo Maresca lavished praise upon Cucurella, stating that "the more players you have like Marc, the better it is".

"It is the focus and attention he has for 95 minutes," Maresca said of Cucurella ahead of Sunday's London derby. "For defenders you can be good for 94 minutes and then you can drop the attention for one minute and concede something."

The Italian boss then jokingly added: "The good thing about Marc is that for 95 minutes he is always focused – apart from Tottenham away [last season] when we conceded two goals in two minutes because of him! Overall, Marc has always been top, and he is always thinking how he can defend better."

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Getty Images SportMaresca praise for Cucurella ahead of Arsenal showdown

Maresca also praised Cucurella's impact for the club both on and off the pitch. A number of Chelsea stars have commented that the former Brighton man is a big personality in the dressing room, a quality that has impressed Maresca.

"He is the biggest joker, for sure, one of the characters inside the building, and he has the capacity to switch from laughing and joking to being serious," the Italian added. "I want all the players to have that mentality. The more players you have like Marc, the better it is."

Chelsea can close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to three points with a win over the Gunners this weekend. The Blues, though, have drawn their last two home games against their London rivals, and have failed to win their last six home league meetings with Arsenal, losing three times.

Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City side "have to score more goals" after a frustrating 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday. Although City are the Premier League's top scorers, Guardiola's players were wasteful in front of goal at St James' Park. Now, the former Barcelona boss wants his players to be more clinical in the final third of the pitch.

• Man City rue missed opportunities

  City had 68 per cent possession and 17 shots to Newcastle's nine but only had four efforts on target. They created an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 1.88 but other than Ruben Dias' deflected effort, they couldn't get on the scoresheet again. At the other end, a double from Harvey Barnes ensured the Magpies claimed all three points. In the contest, top scorer Erling Haaland and Phil Foden missed gilt-edged chances but as a team, Guardiola wanted more from his players.

  He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Tight game. Entertaining game. They had chances. We had chances. In the end they scored one more goal.

  "Two or three chances that he [Haaland] always have because he is the best. And yeah, go to the next. Two or three chances that he always have because he is the best. And yeah, go to the next.

  "The second half we started rally well and had the momentum, we were arriving and finding players in the positions. But after we scored a goal, they scored a goal. After it was more difficult because [Sven] Botman was in the pitch, the defence was deep, so yes more difficult."

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  Guardiola wants Man City to share around the goals

  Haaland has scored a whopping 14 goals in the Premier League this season, with City netting 24 in total. But none of his team-mates have notched more than a goal each, leading many to conclude that City rely too much on the Norwegian international. Now, Guardiola has urged his team to take their chances more often.

  "Yes [the chances] were clear, but we have to score more goals. Our players have the ability and quality to do it," he said.

  City still have the sixth-best away record in the division but this is the third time they have lost on the road in the English top-flight this term.

  When asked about another away loss, Guardiola said: "I'm pretty sure all of the teams prefer to play at home than away, we are not the exception for that. Always Newcastle have been difficult, even where they are low in the table and after two defeats in a row. After they clean the head and the mind and have ten days off, we can hit the good moments. We fought, the players were there, but we could not find the result. The season is so long."

• Man City can't always rely on Haaland

  Former City defender Micah Richards believes that Haaland's team-mates need to pull their finger out and contribute more goals going forward. He name-checked Foden and Jeremy Doku but every player needs to pull their weight in a Premier League title bid. 

  He said on Sky Sports: "It's going to chop and change all season. I think Man City though, if you look at the goal scorers, Haaland's scoring all the goals. There's not a player scoring more than one in a game, and that would be a concern because they're too reliant on Haaland. And defensively, I think organisation, if you look, go through the games. Wolves, everyone thought Man City was back. Back to their best. Then they lose against Spurs and Brighton. Good win against United. Arsenal could have gone either way. Burnley, Brentford, Everton. Games you're supposed to win. You go away to Aston Villa and you lose the game. Bournemouth. And then Liverpool was like, okay, Man City are back. When you asked me before the show started, are Man City back? They are in spells, not for the full 90 minutes. They're playing different football. They've not got the energy. They're not pressing the same, but they're still getting over the line. And that big game against Liverpool, you think, okay, that's the turning call. And then today, they had chances. Haaland misses chances. Who else is going to step up? Foden's been in good form. Doku's been playing really well as well. But when you need them to step up in a big moment, today was a big moment to put pressure on Arsenal. They just couldn't do it. Now, it gives Arsenal all the confidence going into the north London derby tomorrow. "

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  Pressure now on Arsenal?

  Former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp believes that if Arsenal don't win the league this season, this group of players under Mikel Arteta will never end their long wait for that piece of silverware. Moreover, the Gunners could go seven points clear of third-placed City and six ahead of second-placed Chelsea if they beat Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

  He said: "Arsenal are by far the best team. They've got the best squad, [are the] best organised. And they've been the best over the last four or five years. What Manchester City have done previously, where they go on 12, 13, 14 game winning runs, is this team capable of doing it? I don't think so. They're probably ahead of where I thought they would be this year because of the changes they've had. Obviously, people like Kevin De Bruyne have left the club. So they're in a really strong position. But I think this year, if Arsenal don't win it from here, that team won't win it. They won't. It's as simple as that. They're in such a strong position."

Thomas Tuchel believes England's 2026 World Cup draw is "tough" and claimed that the group stage is "always the most difficult". The German coach, who will lead the Three Lions into a major tournament for the first time next summer, stressed that Group L – featuring Croatia, Ghana and Panama – provides no margin for complacency.

• England learn their WC group stage opponents

  England discovered their opponents during the draw ceremony in Washington D.C. on Friday, fronted by Rio Ferdinand and featuring sporting icons Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal and Wayne Gretzky. What emerged for Tuchel is a trio of opponents carrying very different histories and styles, but each demanding full respect. England’s first assignment will be a rematch with Croatia, the very nation that shattered their World Cup dreams in 2018 in that agonising semi-final defeat in Moscow. Luka Modric and Co. will form the most formidable obstacle in the group, but Tuchel stressed that his focus must go wider than the headline fixture.

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  What did Tuchel make of the WC draw?

  Tuchel wants to emerge as group toppers but warned his troops that it will not be an easy task. "We have Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups, and we have Panama," he explained. "I don’t know much about Panama, but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts. For me personally, even in the Champions League, you have to focus on the group – the group is always the most difficult, and we want to escape, and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one."

  "No one should be underestimated," continued Tuchel. "Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here."

  While Ghana may not carry the global star power of Croatia, Tuchel made clear that the country's football heritage cannot be taken for granted. "Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise, and has a big history in World Cup football," he said. "Also, Panama will try to make the most of the underdog role. No one can be underestimated – everyone deserves the fullest respect, and we will show that."

• Group stage is 'always difficult'

  Tuchel repeatedly returned to a theme that has defined his career in European competition, insisting the group stage can often be the most mentally demanding part of any tournament.

  "For me, I’ve only experienced group football in Champions League formats," said Tuchel. "The way to approach it was always to give the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now but we’re confident."

  England will begin the World Cup later than many others, after they were drawn in Group L, and Tuchel believes that provides both an advantage and a challenge.

  "We know now our opponents, we know that we will start late in the tournament which gives us a bit of time," he said. "I know that if you start late in the tournament, the schedule becomes more condensed. The focus will be totally on the group. It’s always a challenge with four ambitious teams together to come out on top. This is where all the energy will go."

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  England’s projected KO Route: Senegal, Mexico and Spain loom large

  If England top Group L, their route through the early knockout rounds is already taking shape. A meeting with Senegal, likely to qualify in third place from Group I, could await in the round of 32. Survival at that stage would set up a daunting round-of-16 showdown against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City, a high-altitude cauldron that has historically challenged visiting teams. Should England navigate those obstacles, a potential meeting with Brazil in the quarter-final would be a blockbuster fixture. Then they might face Lionel Messi's Argentina in a Dallas semi-final, whereas in the final, they would probably lock horns against Spain, if La Roja make it to the World Cup final.

A Kylian Mbappe-less France secured a comeback, 3-1 win over a plucky Azerbaijan to end their World Cup qualifying campaign on a high. Didier Deschamps made 11 changes from the team that thumped Ukraine 4-0 in midweek, and early on they appeared to miss their biggest stars.

On a night that was supposed to be a procession for the Group D winners, Azerbaijan had other ideas and took the lead in the fourth minute when Renat Dadashov swept in Rahman Dasdamirov's pass across the six-yard box following some slack marking. For 16 minutes, it was bedlam in Baku, but Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta powered in a close-range header from Malo Gusto's cross to level proceedings.

It looked like the Chelsea full-back had then put France ahead when his deflected shot nestled in the corner, only for the goal to be chalked off as the ball struck Christopher Nkunku's arm on the way in. It was 2-1 on the half-hour mark, though, when Maghnes Akliouche scored his first goal for his country as he tucked in Gusto's neat cutback following a lovely floated pass from Khephren Thuram.

Juventus midfielder Thuram thought he had opened his own goal-scoring account for France, only for his effort to be ruled out after Hugo Ekitike handled in the box. But the visitors got the breathing room they were seeking just before half-time when goalkeeper Sahruddin Mahammadaliyev, who was later taken off after being dazed from a collision, pushed the ball into his own net from Thuram's strike on goal.

If the first half was a rollercoaster ride, the second was anything but. Azerbaijan, ranked 123rd in the world, began to tire around the hour mark, and had it not been for substitute keeper Aydin Bayramov, it could have been more one-sided.

GOAL rates France's players from Tofiq Bakhramov Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Lucas Chevalier (6/10):

On his long-awaited debut, after 16 call-ups, his first action was to pick the ball out of the net following a well-worked goal from the hosts. Didn't have much to do otherwise, in truth.

Malo Gusto (8/10):

The Chelsea man was caught out by a lovely through ball and moments later France were 1-0 down. However, he made up for it with two assists and was a huge attacking threat. Was unlucky to have a goal of his own wiped out.

Ibrahima Konate (7/10):

Despite not having a particularly good season for Liverpool, the big defender looked calm and assured at the back.

Lucas Hernandez (7/10):

Very little seemed to fluster the defender, who linked up well with his younger brother. 

Theo Hernandez (7/10):

While he wasn't as adventurous or as effective in attack as fellow full-back Gusto, he still fired in some good crosses and was more defensively sound.

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Khéphren Thuram (8/10):

Was unlucky not to score any goals but got into some good positions to give himself a chance to do so. His pace and power were self-evident, and some of his passing was delightful, too.

Warren Zaire-Emery (7/10):

His quick feet and athleticism got his team out of a hole on a couple of occasions, but he didn't have the licence to roam.

Christopher Nkunku (6/10):

The former Chelsea man had a stop-start performance, sometimes showing off some real quality but he also made some bad decisions and got tackled frequently.

AFPAttack

Maghnes Akliouche (7/10):

The youngster had an encouraging outing, he beat defenders with regularity, and he got his goal as well. A good night for him.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (8/10):

Took his goal with aplomb, held the ball up well, brought others into play and had a very good all-round display. He could be heading to the World Cup at this rate.

Hugo Ekitike (5/10):

The Liverpool forward has been excellent so far for his new team but he seemed all at sea at times. Seems to be better when leading the line.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Rayan Cherki (5/10):

The Manchester City summer signing struggled to make an impact.

Florian Thauvin (6/10):

Tracked back well but didn't do a huge amount.

Bradley Barcola (6/10):

The Paris Saint-Germain attacker was repelled well by the Azerbaijan defence.

Didier Deschamps (7/10):

Fielded an experimental side without some of his heavy hitters, and while he would have been concerned with how they started the game, they slowly turned the screw before asserting their dominance. Some players shined, others did not. 

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Tottenham Hotspur’s season is going off the rails, and fast.

Thomas Frank’s side look a million miles from the one that made a positive start back in August, and following their loss to Fulham on Saturday night, sit tenth in the Premier League.

The North Londoners have become utterly toothless in attack and porous at the back, and they are showing no signs of improving.

Fortunately, reports are now linking Spurs with a player who might be able to help improve the side in both halves of the pitch, someone who’d be a significant upgrade on the increasingly disappointing Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs target Bentancur upgrade

While he is far from the only one, Bentancur has been seriously disappointing for Spurs this season, and a million miles from the player fans were excited to watch every week a few years ago.

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

For example, in the club’s recent derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, he looked completely off the pace.

For the first game, respected Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him a rather generous 5/10 match rating. Then, for the latter, he awarded him a 3/10 rating for his inability to gain a foothold in the game.

In short, if it wasn’t already clear last year, this season has made it clear that the Lilywhites need a new midfielder who can help the defence, but also has the power to lend a hand to the attack at times.

Fortunately, it would appear that the club are well aware of this and are looking at a Premier League star who could do just that.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Spurs are now interested in Carlos Baleba.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the North Londoners have now entered the race for the Brighton & Hove Albion star, who is also a key target for Manchester United.

However, on top of the potential competition, the Cameroonian’s price tag could be a hurdle, with the report stating that the Seagulls still value him at €100m, which is about £88m.

Yet, even though this would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Baleba’s ability and potential make it one Spurs should pursue, especially as he’d be a huge upgrade on Bentancur.

How Baleba compares to Bentancur

Now, the first thing to say is that, yes, so far this season, Baleba’s form has dropped somewhat.

However, that could be due in part to the transfer saga he went through in the summer, the inconsistent form of Brighton overall, or the simple fact that he is still just 21 years old.

However, even so, the Cameroon international was sensational last season, and a slight dip in form does not take away from the fact that when he is on song, he is incredible to watch.

Moreover, when comparing his underlying numbers to Bentancur’s from last season, even though he is so much younger, he still comes out ahead in most metrics.

For example, when it comes to the attacking side of the game, the Douala-born gem does better in metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, key passes, successful take-ons, carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

Baleba vs Bentancur
Statistics per 90	Baleba	Bentancur
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.15	0.10
Shots	1.49	1.20
Shots on Target	0.37	0.27
Passing Accuracy	87.4%	87.9%
Key Passes	0.71	0.55
Passes into the Penalty Area	0.78	0.71
Goal-Creating Actions	0.14	0.16
Tackles Won	1.55	1.20
Blocks	1.59	1.37
Errors Leading to a Shot	0.03	0.05
Successful Take-Ons	1.11	0.49
Carries into the Final Third	1.52	1.31
Ball Recoveries	6.66	6.61
% of Aerial Duels Won	60.0%	54.5%
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

Impressively, despite tending to start a little deeper than the Uruguayan, the Seagulls star also ranked incredibly closely for goal-creating actions.

Unsurprisingly, he also blows the 28-year-old away when it comes to the defensive side of things, winning more tackles, making more blocks, recovering the ball more often and winning more of his aerial duels, despite being shorter.

With numbers such as these, it’s not hard to see why respected analyst Ben Mattinson described the former LOSC Lille star as “one of the best midfielders in the league” last year.

Finally, on top of clearly outperforming the Lilywhites midfielder when it comes to underlying numbers, another reason Baleba would be an excellent upgrade is that he’s happy playing in central or defensive midfield.

Therefore, he’d be a perfect option for a double pivot, as he could interchange with someone like Lucas Bergvall and, in turn, make life for opposition midfielders far harder.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Spurs should do what they can to bring the Brighton ace to N17, as he’d be an excellent addition to the team and an instant upgrade on Bentancur.

New Soldado: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank must drop this flop who is becoming the new Roberto Soldado.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 30, 2025

Eddie Howe has finally got the better of Pep Guardiola now in a Premier League environment.

At the 19th time of asking, Howe managed to get one over on the highly successful Manchester City manager, as Newcastle United romped back into top-flight action with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.

Newcastle were good value for the win, too, as Harvey Barnes chipped in with a double to steer the Toon to another memorable victory on their own patch.

How Harvey Barnes downed Manchester City

The former Leicester City winger is now up to six goals for the season in all competitions, despite his appearance against Guardiola’s men only being his fifth Premier League start of the campaign.

With a brace under his belt, though, he’s surely a shoo-in for more starts as the congested winter fixture schedule hits. Journalist Henry Winter simply described his display as “clinical” when powering two quickfire efforts past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Barnes would manage to put away those two efforts confidently, with just four shots registered in total. But, away from stylishly getting the better of the new City number one with his opener, the 27-year-old also managed to win three duels and attempt three mazy dribbles as a constant livewire.

The only worry will be whether Barnes can stay fit to keep up this electric form, with three Premier League goals now next to his name from limited starts. Across the last three seasons on Tyneside, he has missed a concerning 38 games via injury.

Thankfully, though, Newcastle have a rising star in their ranks who could go on to be a bigger talent than the Toon winger.

Newcastle's 18-year-old Barnes replacement

Howe has shown frequently throughout his time as Newcastle boss to date that he is willing to chuck a starlet into the first team picture if they’re deemed ready for the challenge of senior action.

Indeed, Lewis Miley first made his senior debut under Howe when he was just 17 years of age, while another budding homegrown prodigy in Sean Neave, occupied a space on the bench against City, all while still being a wide-eyed 18-year-old prospect.

Could Seung Soo-Park be the next to bridge the gap between the U21s and the first team?

The future certainly looks bright for the South Korean attacker, who excelled for Suwon Bluewings back in his native Korea at just 17 years of age, becoming the youngest ever player in the history of Korean league football.

One goal and three assists came his way from 28 appearances for Suwon, with Barnes reduced to playing all the way down in League One at around the same age with Milton Keynes Dons, out on loan from then parent side Leicester City.

Park has even been described as a “similar [player] to Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his frightening speed when bombing forward, which was seen in the summer when Park was handed opportunities in pre-season, with three dribbles successfully completed up against Espanyol.

With two duels won against Tottenham Hotspur in another pre-season test, it might not be the wildest suggestion in the world to state that Park could be gifted some senior minutes in the bread and butter of the Premier League soon, with the Korean sensation hailed for showing a “maturity beyond his years” by academy coach Steven Harper when first joining.

Gordon

13

4 + 1

Elanga

18

0 + 1

Barnes

18

6 + 2

Of course, the ex-Suwon winger does have both Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga in his way, too, down the left-hand side, but if he can manage to live up to all his early hype, he should be able to surpass those in front of him down the line.

Indeed, Elanga is yet to get up and running with zero goals for the season. Moreover, Barnes is also prone to a hit-and-miss performance in Newcastle black and white, having only managed five goals during the entire 2023/24 season.

For the time being, Howe will rely on Barnes, who is thankfully in a purple patch right now.

Yet, in the long term, don’t discount Park leapfrogging the Englishman, with a stunning Mbappe-style talent potentially on Howe’s hands.

9/10 Newcastle duo look even more important than Bruno G & Tonali

These two players stood out in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Man City

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 23, 2025

With 11 gameweeks gone and the final international break of 2025 underway, the Premier League table is starting to form a true representation of where teams stand.

Sunderland’s hot start has turned into sustained success after their draw with title chasing Arsenal, while Liverpool’s downfall is more than just a blip.

Opta have ranked every team in the top flight by game state, or how much time they spend playing from behind in matches, and it’s more bad news for Arne Slot…

Rank

Team

Percentage of mins played losing

1

Crystal Palace, Chelsea

13%

2

Man City

14%

3

Arsenal

17%

4

Newcastle United

18%

5

Sunderland

21%

6

AFC Bournemouth

22%

7

Everton

24%

8

Aston Villa & Man Utd

26%

9

Fulham

30%

10

Brentford, Tottenham, Leeds, Nottingham Forest

32%

11

Brighton

35%

12

Burnley

36%

13

Liverpool

37%

14

West Ham

47%

15

Wolves

58%

1 Chelsea and Crystal Palace

It has been a promising start to the campaign for both Chelsea and Crystal Palace, with Enzo Maresca’s side potentially still in a position to mount a title challenge, given that they are currently just six points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Palace, on the other hand, continued their unbeaten run from last season into the ongoing campaign, which ultimately came to an end after a record 19 matches, with Everton emerging 2-1 winners at the Hill Dickinson Stadium at the start of October.

Both London clubs have just spent 13% of their matches in losing positions, with the Eagles very much on course to mount a push for Europe, having taken 17 points from their opening 11 games.

2 Manchester City

Man City have also emerged as title contenders, with their most recent victory undoubtedly their most impressive to date, dispatching of reigning champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Having won six of the last eight Premier League titles, City can never be written off, and they have spent just 14% of their matches trailing up to this point, with Erling Haaland in the form of his life, scoring a whopping 14 goals in the Premier League alone.

3 Arsenal

Having finished in second place three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta will be hoping this is finally the Gunners’ year, and the early signs have been very positive, having opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table.

Arsenal have had to show resilience at times, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a stoppage-time equaliser against Man City back in September to cancel out Haaland’s early opener, which earned them what could prove to be a vital point in the Premier League title race.

Arteta’s side were also behind for the majority of the game against Newcastle United, but late heroics from Mikel Merino and Gabriel secured a 2-1 win.

Some other victories have been much more routine, however, battering Leeds United 5-0 back in August, while also recording a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley earlier this month, which means the north Londoners have been in a losing position just 17% of the time.

4 Newcastle United

Newcastle, on the other hand, won’t be feeling anywhere near as positive about their start to the campaign, currently sitting in 14th place, seven points behind bitter rivals Sunderland, despite only spending 18% of their games trailing.

That is largely because the Magpies have developed a very bad habit of conceding late goals, with Rio Ngumoha scoring a dramatic late winner for Liverpool in August, while Gabriel’s 96th-minute winner ensured Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory in September.

Should Eddie Howe’s side be able to cut out conceding late on, however, there is still plenty of time to have a successful season, as the European places remain within touching distance.

5 Sunderland

Few would have predicted Sunderland to be flying high near the top of the table, but it has been a fantastic start, having made the Stadium of Light a fortress, most recently holding Arsenal to a draw, courtesy of Brian Brobbey’s late heroics.

Having taken 19 points from their opening 11 matches, the Black Cats are already nearly half-way to the magic 40 point mark, which would almost certainly secure Premier League safety.

There are some tricky fixtures on the horizon, with trips to Liverpool and Man City penciled in for December, but Regis Le Bris will no doubt be delighted with how things are going, with his side spending just 21% of their matches in a losing position.

6 AFC Bournemouth

Having lost some key players in the summer, including Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen, Bournemouth may have been expected to struggle, but that certainly hasn’t been the case.

The Cherries are once again looking like they could mount a push for Europe, as one of five teams currently on 18 points, having spent just 22% of their matches trailing.

7 Everton

It has been a solid, if not spectacular, opening 11 games for Everton, taking 15 points, which leaves them firmly in mid-table, exactly where they were probably expecting to be.

The Toffees have been chasing the game just 24% of the time, which is respectable, given that they have had some very tricky fixtures, already travelling to both Anfield and the Etihad Stadium.

8 Aston Villa and Manchester United

Both Aston Villa and Man United were very poor at the beginning of the campaign, with Unai Emery’s side failing to score in any of their opening four games, while the Red Devils suffered a 3-0 defeat in the Manchester derby and a disappointing 4-2 loss at Brentford.

However, since then, the Villans have gone on to win eight of their last ten matches in all competitions, and things are also looking up at United, having taken 11 points from their last five Premier League games.

A European push could be on the cards for both sides, who have been in losing positions 26% of the time.

9 Fulham

Marco Silva has managed to stabilise the Cottagers in the Premier League, but the manager is now under serious pressure, with his side just one point above the relegation zone following the 2-0 defeat at Everton last time out.

It is still too early to panic, but the early signs certainly haven’t been positive for the west Londoners, who have spent 30% of their matches in a losing position.

10 Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest

The Thomas Frank era is now well underway, but Tottenham are still yet to put a consistent run together, with victories on the road against the likes of Manchester City and Everton being cancelled out by disappointing home defeats against Aston Villa and Chelsea.

That said, despite being one of four clubs who have spent 32% of their matches behind, Spurs are currently fifth in the standings, two points above Brentford, who have arguably surpassed expectations under the helm of new manager Keith Andrews.

Things aren’t looking quite as rosy for Leeds, who are now just one point above the relegation zone, as a result of losing four of their last five matches, while Nottingham Forest are already on their third manager and currently sit in 19th place.

علق مهدي تاج، رئيس الاتحاد الإيراني لكرة القدم على أزمة مباراة بلاده أمام منتخب مصر خلال نهائيات كأس العالم 2026 المقبل.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر مع إيران في كأس العالم العام المقبل والتي تستضيفها كندا، المكسيك والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ووقع منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن ضمن منافسات المجموعة السابعة بجانب إيران وبلجيكا ونيوزيلندا.

ويسعى منتخب مصر إلى تقديم كأس عالم قوية، حيث تعتبر هذه المجموعة متوازنة بعض الشيء مقارنةً بالفرق الأخرى.

اقرأ أيضًا | “أنت عار”.. أحمد المحمدي يوجه رسالة نارية إلى كاراجر بسبب محمد صلاح

وكانت شبكة ESPN قد كشفت أن فيفا يخطط لجعل مباراة مصر وإيران في كأس العالم “لقاء فخر” لمجتمع المثليين، في قرار أثار جدلًا كبيرًا.

وفي ضوء ذلك، قال مهدي تاج: “لقد اعترضنا نحن ومصر على هذا القرار، لقد كانت خطوة غير منطقية بدت وكأنها تدعم مجموعة معينة، سنتناول هذه المسألة بالتأكيد”.

الجدير بالذكر أن قطر والتي استضافت كأس العالم النسخة الماضية عام 2022، قد فرضت عقوبات قاسية على المثليين، إذ تم اتخاذ قرار بحصول أي لاعب على بطاقة صفراء إذا ارتدى أي شارة تدعم المثليين.