كشف كمال شعيب، المستشار القانوني لنادي الزمالك، آخر تطورات أزمة أرض النادي في أرض 6 أكتوبر، معلقا على شكوى النادي ضد لاعب الأهلي أحمد سيد زيزو.
وقال كمال شعيب، في تصريحات لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق” على قناة إم بي سي مصر 2: “اليوم كان أول جلسات دعوى الزمالك بشأن سحب أرض 6 أكتوبر، حاولنا في جلسة اليوم توضيح موقف الزمالك القانوني في أرض الزمالك”.
وتابع: “ننتظر في الجسلة المقبلة تقرير هيئة المفاوضين في أرض 6 أكتوبر، تحقيقات النيابة في أرض أكتوبر سرية ونقدم كل الأوراق اللازمة والمطلوبة”.
طالع|بعد شكوى الزمالك.. 4 عقوبات تهدد زيزو حال إدانته في أزمة السوبر المصري
وأضاف: “من الوارد الجهات المعينة تقوم بزيارة أرض أكتوبر لتفقد الإنشاءات التي تمت فيها، أرض الزمالك الحلم التاريخي للنادي، قدمنا كل ما يفيد أن موقفنا سليم 100%، أدعو كل الأجهزة المعنية بسرعة اتخاذ قرار بعودة الأرض، خاصة بعد التأكيد إن إجراءاتنا صحيحة”.
وواصل: “الزمالك يرغب في شكواه ضد زيزو بعد ما حدث منه مع هشام نصر على منصة التتويج في تطبيق اللائحة، الرياضة أساسها الأخلاق واحترام الكبير، يجب أن تكون هذه الأمور تحت نظر لجنة الانضباط، هناك قواعد عامة تحكم الرياضية من ضمنها الاحترام وهذا لا يحتاج لنص قانوني، أي شخص أخطأ يجب أن يعاقب سواء لاعب أهلي أو زمالك، يجب أن نكون قدوة محترمة للناس”.
واختتم: “تصرف غير مقبول وأمر يجب أن نواجهه، سلوك يجب ألا يكون متواجدا في الملاعب الرياضية، لجنة الانضباط يجب أن يكون لها رأي حتى لا يتكرر هذا الأمر”.
Can Danny Röhl claim a win in his first Scottish Premiership match in charge of Rangers?
Amazingly, eight games into this league season, Rangers have still only won once.
Last weekend, with youth team coach Steven Smith at the helm, they required a late equaliser from James Tavernier to salvage a 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Ibrox.
This makes it the club’s worst start since 1978, excluding seasons they were outside the top-flight, and the Gers have not finished lower than third since 1985/86, which could be a genuine possibility right now.
The Light Blues are eight points behind fierce rivals Celtic but 13 adrift of current league leaders Hearts. The top two face each other at Tynecastle on Sunday, but Rangers are not involved in any title conversation, simply seeking to climb into the European places.
On Thursday night, Röhl did take charge of his new team for the first time, but one would not call it a dream start, given that they were demolished 3-0 by Brann in the Europa League.
In the next fortnight, the Light Blues face Kilmarnock, Hibs, Celtic, and then Roma, which certainly is not an easy set of fixtures, so which summer signing who looks completely “cooked”, so much so that he’s holding back teammates, should Röhl leave out of his team?
Nicolas Raskin's importance to Rangers
Last season, as Rangers endured a generally underwhelming campaign, Nicolas Raskin was named both the club’s Players’ Player of the Year award, as well as Supporters’ Player of the Year award last season, continually excellent even when the team was not.
Thus, one would assume that any new manager would make the Belgian one of the first names on the team sheet, but Russell Martin seemingly had other ideas.
Following a breakdown in the relationship between the pair, the short-lived boss decided to leave Raskin on the bench for crucial Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, while he wasn’t in the squad at all for home games against Celtic and Hearts.
In the meantime, the 24-year-old has started each of Belgium’s last three outings, scoring against Kazakhstan in Brussels, thereby hoping to feature prominently at next summer’s World Cup, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, who isn’t bad, is he?
Back at club level, following that mini-exile, Raskin has started each of Rangers’ last seven matches, heading home the opener against Hibs in the League Cup quarter-finals, likely to be a central figure as Röhl looks to remould this underperforming team.
However, to truly get the best out of the Belgian, does the new boss need to move on from one of Rangers’ worst-performing summer signings?
The Rangers star who is holding Nicolas Raskin back
Fair to say, the Rangers support have not been won over by a large proportion of their summer signings.
Youssef Chermiti, Jayden Meghoma, Nasser Djiga, and Thelo Aasgaard, to name but a few, have so far certainly not impressed, but Joe Rothwell has been one of the most underwhelming additions.
When he arrived from Bournemouth in July, Kai Watson labelled him an “excellent passer” and “exactly what this Rangers midfield needs”, concluding he would be “a very smart signing”.
Well, so far, that has certainly not been the case, as the table below makes clear.
Joe Rothwell’s Rangers statistics
Stats
Rothwell
Rangers rank
Total minutes
958
7th
Assists
1
2nd
Pass completion %
95.8%
1st
Accurate passes per 90
28.1
8th
Key passes per 90
0.9
6th
Progressive passes
4
13th
Passes into final 3rd
3
12th
Shot-creating actions
1
13th
Average rating
6.72
12th
Stats via FBref & SofaScore
As the table documents, while Rothwell may rank first in terms of pass completion percentage, he is simply not doing anything with this high volume of passes.
This is emphasised by the fact he’s recorded just 0.9 key passes per game in the Premiership and only four progressive passes in the Europa League, while seven players have notched more accurate passes on a per 90 basis, which isn’t ideal given that this is supposed to be his main attribute.
His lack of mobility in the middle of the park has also come under scrutiny.
Neil McCann, speaking on Sky Sports commentary during August’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren, asserted that he looked completely “cooked”, while Kenny Macintyre, speaking on BBC Sportsound, exclaimed that “Joe Rothwell… has looked knackered in every game”.
In short, the Englishman is offering very little either in or out of possession, which is hindering those around him, given that Raskin is putting in chaotic displays, feeling as though he has to do everything, with Brann’s third goal on Thursday underlining how easy this team are to play through.
So, ahead of a crucial run of games, Röhl will be desperate for Mohamed Diomandé to be fit enough to return, while any of Connor Barron, Lyall Cameron, or the aforementioned Aasgaard should complete the trio, as they’d all offer far more than Rothwell right now.
Röhl has plenty to ponder right now, it would have been a sobering flight back from Bergen this week, but one of his top priorities has to be getting the best out of Raskin, something Rothwell’s continued inclusion is certainly not doing.
Worse than Antman: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who's "nowhere near ready"
Glasgow Rangers manager Danny Rohl should drop this flop who was even worse than Oliver Antman.
Sexta-feira (13) tem Criciúma x Chapecoense em jogo válido pela 32ª rodada do Brasileirão Série B. A partida está marcada para às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Heriberto Hülse.
+Confira a classificação do Brasileirão – Série B
Bater o líder do Brasileirão Série B, o Vitória, foi um resultado bastante desejado pelo Criciúma em sua luta para seguir sonhando com o acesso. O Tigre foi a 51 pontos e está na oitava posição, com três pontos atrás do quarto colocado, o Guarani, o que deixa outro triunfo ainda mais importante para o contexto do time nas rodadas finais.
Cláudio Tencati não poderá contar com Arilson para a partida desta sexta-feira, com o volante tendo de cumprir suspensão. O treinador ainda não definiu quem será seu substituto no duelo conta a Chapecoense, mas esta deverá ser a única mudança que pode acontecer para o jogo.
+Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00
Já a Chapecoense empatou em casa com o lanterna ABC e segue dentro da zona de rebaixamento, com 30 pontos e quatro de desvantagem para a Ponte Preta, primeiro time de fora do Z-4. E a equipe tem de vencer este duelo para que sua vida dentro da Série B não se torne ainda mais complicada.
Para este Criciúma x Chapecoense, Claudinei Oliveira chega esperando pelas possíveis voltas de Alisson Farias, Maurício e Felipe Albuquerque, todos estes se recuperando de lesões. Ao menos, a Chape virá sem desfalques por suspensão e o treinador poderá ter todo o time à disposição para esta sexta-feira.
Relembre o jogo pelo primeiro turno:
CRICIÚMA X CHAPECOENSE 32ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO 2023
Data:12 de outubro de 2023. Horário:21h30 (de Brasília). Local:Estádio Heriberto Hülse, em Criciúma, Santa Catarina. Árbitro: Ramon Abati Abel (FIFA-SC) Assistentes: Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC) e Gizeli Casaril (SC) VAR: Charly Wendy Straub Deretti (FIFA-SC) Onde assistir:SporTV e Premiere
Provável escalação do Criciúma:
Gustavo; Claudinho, Rodrigo, Rayan e Marcelo Hermes; Rômulo, Felipe Mateus e Barreto; Hygor, Fabinho e Éder.Técnico:Cláudio Tencati.
Provável escalação da Chapecoense:
Airton; Ronei, Bruno Leonardo, Lucas Freitas e Mancha; Giovanni, Victor Ferraz, Gustavo Cazonatti e Bruno Nazário; Marcinho e Henrique Dourado.Técnico:Claudinei Oliveira.
Phil Salt top-scored with an opening 44 off 35 balls in Lancashire’s 178 for 6 before Wood’s hand in hosts’ defence
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Jul-2025
Luke Wood celebrates the wicket of Caleb Jewell with the first ball of the Derbyshire innings•Dan Adams/Lancashire Cricket
Lancashire Lightning 178 for 6 (Salt 44, Chappell 3-23) beat Derbyshire Falcons 136-6 (Madsen 53, Wood 3-25) by 42 runsEngland limited-overs pacer Luke Wood struck twice with the first two balls of Lancashire’s defence of a 179-target as they beat struggling Derbyshire by 42 runs at Emirates Old Trafford to put one foot in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.Wood’s international team-mate Phil Salt top-scored with an opening 44 off 35 balls in Lancashire’s 178 for 6.He was supported by valuable contributions from England white-ball captain Jos Buttler with 23, Liam Livingstone’s 35 off 23 and Australian Ashton Turner’s late 31 not out, setting Lightning up for their seventh win in nine North Group matches.Their elevation to top spot in the table was then all but confirmed from the moment left-armer Wood ousted Caleb Jewell and Martin Andersson at the start of the Falcons’ reply, which stuttered to 136 for 6 despite Wayne Madsen’s entertaining 53 off 40 balls. Wood finished with an excellent 3 for 25.This was bottom side Derbyshire’s seventh defeat in nine games.Unfortunately, Livingstone suffered a suspected hamstring injury and needed to use captain Keaton Jennings as a runner from 23 onwards.Earlier, Livingstone became the 12th Englishman to reach 7,000 career runs in T20 cricket. Two others in that dozen include Buttler and Salt.Lightning raced out of the blocks and were in a position to potentially swamp the Falcons at 124 for 2 after 13 overs.Salt and Livingstone had just taken a six apiece off Pat Brown’s seam, and they shared 68 in seven overs for the third wicket from 65 for 2 early in the eighth over when Buttler departed caught and bowled off Samit Patel’s left-arm spin.Opener Jennings, who hit 22, had taken four fours off Ben Aitchison’s seam in the second over of the match having been inserted.Derbyshire limited the damage impressively during the final seven overs, which saw pacer Zak Chappell remove both Salt and Livingstone caught at deep cover en-route to an excellent 4 for 23.Lancashire started this fixture, at 3pm, having only returned home at 3.45am from their winning trip to Northampton last night following issues on the M1.But there was no sign of rust.In fact, with four wickets falling in succession at the end of the Northamptonshire innings last night, including a Saqib Mahmood hat-trick, Lancashire had struck six times in six balls combining that with Wood’s double strike early here.Wood had opener Jewell caught at first slip and then bowled Andersson with a sumptuous in-swinging yorker.The first-ball wicket even won a lucky couple in the crowd a Dubai holiday as part of Lancashire’s Fly Emirates sponsorship.Wood later had opener Aneurin Donald caught at short fine-leg trying to ramp – 28 for 3 after five overs.Wood also helped the leg-spin of Luke Wells remove Brooke Guest with a smart catch at long-on.Madsen reached 50 off 36 balls with back-to-back swept sixes off Wells, but he sliced a full toss to cover as one of two 14th-over wickets for Australian off-spinner Chris Green as the score fell to 86 for 6.Chappell finished with a belligerent 34 not out to cap a handy personal performance which went unrewarded.
Integrantes de torcidas organizadas de Botafogo e Santos entraram em conflito neste domingo (26) na Rodovia Presidente Dutra, no Rio de Janeiro. As equipes jogam no Estádio Nilton Santos, às 16h.
➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
O confronto entre torcedores interditou a rodovia e provocou engarrafamento no local. A Polícia Rodoviária Federal e a Força Nacional foram acionadas e controlaram a situação.
Em vídeos divulgados nas redes sociais, é possível ver três ônibus estacionados próximos ao local da briga. A torcida do Santos ocupou com mais presença o setor de visitantes do Nilton Santos somente no segundo tempo da partida.
Botafogo e Santos jogam pela 35ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no Rio de Janeiro. O Glorioso busca retomar a liderança da competição, e o Peixe quer se distanciar ainda mais da zona do rebaixamento.
Conflito de agora há pouco entre as organizadas Jovem do Santos e Fúria Jovem na região da rodovia Presidente Dutra,no Rio de Janeiro. pic.twitter.com/kIqo6XvleC
— Diário das Torcidas (@DTorcidas) November 26, 2023
Momento do encontro das duas organizadas (TJS e FJB) no meio da Dutra com a paralisação no trânsito e a polícia tentando intervir. pic.twitter.com/7hPZzvjjN7
— Diário das Torcidas (@DTorcidas) November 26, 2023
Nikesh Arora believes tech consortium can help Hundred become “multi-billion dollar product”
Matt Roller07-Aug-2025
London Spirit’s women won the Hundred for the first time last year•Getty Images
The head of the Silicon Valley technology consortium that bid £144 million (US$193 million approx.) for a 49% stake in London Spirit in January believes that the Hundred can become “a multi-billion dollar product” to rival the IPL.Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, leads Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known as the ‘Tech Titans’ – and is a newly-appointed board member at Spirit after they completed their lucrative deal for a minority stake. They will run the franchise as a joint venture with MCC, who hosted the consortium at Lord’s this week.The consortium has grown in number since seeing off significant competition from Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group in a virtual auction earlier this year, with Arora estimating that 15 of its members were at Lord’s to watch the Hundred’s opening match day – which saw Spirit’s women beat Oval Invincibles, but the men’s team bowled out for 80.Related
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They met Justin Langer and Kane Williamson at a training session on Monday, and dined in the pavilion that evening before lining a hospitality suite in the Edrich Stand on Tuesday. The CEOs of Adobe, Google and YouTube are all involved; Satyan Gajwani, the vice-chairman of Times Internet, suggested that not even the World Economic Forum could bring them all together.Arora and Gajwani walked across the outfield and posed by the pitch after Tuesday night’s games, a display of power which laid bare the new era that awaits English cricket. “This is a way to get involved with one of the most storied and hallowed grounds in the world,” Arora said at Lord’s, while watching his new team for the first time. “It’s like bringing our passions to our work.”We’ve never had buyer’s remorse. We’ve never been stressed about what we paid. I have more people who want to be part of the consortium now than I had before I made the investment, so it’s not a problem. Many of them are here; they flew from the US to come watch it. This is a passion for every one of us… It’s going to be fun.”Chair Mark Nicholas has promised MCC members a “major relaunch” of the franchise once the joint venture assumes operational control from the ECB on October 1. The London Spirit name is expected to remain for the time being but new sponsors and new kits have been lined up, potentially incorporating egg-and-bacon trim or piping as a nod to the club’s famous colours.Justin Langer, David Warner and Kane Williamson arrive before the game•Getty Images
The eight Hundred franchises were sold at a combined valuation of around £975 million ($1.3 billion approx.) earlier this year. Six deals have now been signed off, with Cain International and Reliance Industries expected to complete their purchases of stakes in Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles respectively after the 2025 season is complete.Arora believes that the arrival of eight new investors simultaneously can “optimise” the Hundred and turn it into a “product” that rivals the most lucrative league in the world: “The IPL started from nowhere, and became a multi-billion dollar product. Why couldn’t this be that product? It’s not just us, there are eight new shareholders, give or take, across eight new franchises.”They all have successful businesses or cricket operations somewhere in the world. If that energy, that passion, that creativity, that innovation is brought to this, imagine what they could do? The ECB incubated it, which is great. But I’m sure there are ways to optimise things a bit better. I don’t think the Hundred is a bad product… It’s about creating the excitement around it.”
Gajwani, a co-founder of Major League Cricket, agrees. “Bringing in stakeholders beyond governing bodies has almost always improved products,” he said. “You’ve got eight best-in-class investors, operators; people who understand business, consumer, sport, globally, locally. You’ve got all of it in terms of the membership that’s going to be on the board of the Hundred.”Relative to almost every other sport, cricket has less private power… The NBA is run privately, the NFL is privately, La Liga, EPL (English Premier League football) are private. Generally, the influx of diverse views, different stakeholders, these are things that will bring innovation in its own form.”Gajwani believes that the Hundred’s “core” audience will always be based in the UK, rather than overseas: “It starts with a strong domestic product.” But Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, said last week that it is “a matter of time” before India men’s players feature in the Hundred, a change which would create a significant spike in the value of overseas broadcast rights.”It’s a question for some of the people in the BCCI, and maybe the ICC,” Gajwani said. “But as these leagues outside of the IPL become interesting, more meaningful and more substantial, I can tell you personally, there are a number of players in India that are super excited about the idea of playing out here. The economics, commercials, contracts and all that stuff is complicated.”Nikesh Arora heads the ‘Tech Titans’ consortium that has bought a 49% stake in London Spirit•Robert Perry/PA Images via Getty Images
The Tech Titans only hold three out of seven director seats on Spirit’s new board: Arora, Gajwani and Egon Durban (co-CEO of private equity fund Silver Lake) will join Robert Lawson (MCC chief executive), Julian Metherell (incoming committee member), Eoin Morgan (incoming chair of cricket) and one other MCC nominee, with Metherell acting as chair.Arora emphasised his consortium’s status as minority partners: “They [MCC] are 51% shareholders. We let them take the lead, which is good. They understand their cricket, they understand the stadium, they understand the locals. From our perspective, we bring a) passion, for sure; and b) knowledge and experience.”Arora and Gajwani followed India’s last-gasp win over England at The Oval remotely on Monday, and both describe themselves as genuine cricket fans. “I would have been the first to say everything’s moving this way [towards short-form cricket],” Gajwani said. “But the last month has shown how much frickin’ energy there can be behind Tests.Eoin Morgan is a director on London Spirit’s new board•Getty Images
“Cricket has this interesting tension between history and future, probably more than other sports… They are different audiences. You look around here, I’d say the average age is younger, more family-oriented, more female. Test cricket is probably more of a classical and more traditional crowd overall, but they both have their place.”And Arora insists that his consortium’s investment in the Hundred is nothing to fear for traditionalists who have no interest in the shorter formats. “Don’t underestimate the fact that around 50% of our consortium grew up in India 30-35 years ago,” he said. “We grew up watching people like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, and we like watching Ben Stokes now.”Part of it is just being able to associate with your idols; being able to associate with a sport that you grew up watching in the middle of the night. We still watch cricket in California at 3am or 4am. This is our sport.”
رد اللواء أشرف نصار رئيس نادي البنك الأهلي، على الأنباء التي ترددت حول بيع الثنائي أسامة فيصل ومحمود الجزار إلى الأهلي خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة.
وكانت بعض الأنباء قد أشارت حول توصل الأهلي إلى اتفاق مع البنك الأهلي للتعاقد مع الثنائي أسامة فيصل ومحمود الجزار خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة.
طالع.. محسن صالح يحذر من ثلاثي الأهلي ويؤكد: ديانج عمود الفريق
وقال أشرف نصار في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “لا توجد أي مفاوضات من جانب الأهلي للتعاقد مع أسامة فيصل مهاجم الفريق، واللاعب متمسك بالتواجد معنا”.
وأضاف: “موقفنا واضح، لن ننظر في أي عرض لأي من لاعبينا قبل ضمان التواجد بين الـ7 أندية الكبار، أي لن يتم رحيل أي لاعب خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة”.
وتابع: “محمود الجزار؟ اللاعب جدد تعاقده معنا لمدة موسمين بخلاف الموسم الحالي، وبالتالي اللاعب ضمن صفوفنا ولا توجد أي نية للتفريط في اللاعب قبل ضمان التواجد بين الـ7 أندية الكبار”.
واختتم: “رغبة أسامة فيصل ومحمود الجزار هي التواجد ضمن صفوف الفريق وبالتالي نحترم رغبتهما، وهناك كأس أمم إفريقيا مقبلة وأيضًا كأس العالم 2026، وبالتالي اللاعبين ضمن صفوف المنتخب، ونتوقع وجود عروض قوية لهما عقب البطولتين، فمن المبكر الحديث عن رحيلهما”.
Arsenal have been to Old Trafford, to Anfield and to St James’ Park this season. Mikel Arteta’s men have faced Manchester City and Atletico Madrid at home but it was a newly promoted side who gave them their toughest test yet.
The Gunners headed to Sunderland and the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Spurred on by former Arsenal captain, Granit Xhaka, the Londoners conceded for the first time in over eight matches.
The end result? A 2-2 draw and just the third time all campaign that Arteta’s side had dropped points.
Arsenal were not at the races, far from it, although their second-half dominance should have been enough to see them across the line. During those 45 minutes, two players really stood up for the visitors.
Arsenal's best performers vs Sunderland
This was not the finest of evenings for a host of Arsenal’s usually ever-reliable performers. It’s rare they don’t defend well but under pressure from a buoyant Sunderland crowd, they wilted a bit in the north east on Saturday.
Gabriel and David Raya, two stalwarts of the current squad, were at fault for Brian Brobbey’s late goal.
Dan Ballard had scored a rasping opener in the first half but far more could have been done about the late equaliser. Gabriel wasn’t strong enough in his attempts to beat Brobbey to the ball and Raya didn’t seem to know the Black Cats striker was even in the frame. Both came for the ball but were beaten by the Sunderland centre-forward. Cue bedlam inside the Stadium of Light.
Before that, however, Arsenal had responded remarkably well to Arteta’s half-time team talk. Their domination in the second period proved that they are no mugs from open play. There were no set-play goals on this occasion, just two brilliantly worked strikes.
Bukayo Saka has struggled with injury and form this term but he’s still their main man and proved as such this weekend.
Saka’s second-half display was inspiring and a true captain’s performance. It was the winger who got Arsenal back into things, darting onto Mikel Merino’s ball before firing past Robin Roefs with his weaker foot. It was a phenomenal finish.
Speaking of world-class finishes. Step forward Leandro Trossard.
The Belgian ended last season with his Emirates Stadium future in doubt. The club knew they needed to reinforce the attack and it was likely the winger would be moved on as a result.
However, there is a reason that he’s featured more than other player under Arteta since he arrived from Brighton in January 2023.
Handed a pay rise over the summer to stay, he has undeniably been Arsenal’s best attacker this season and has taken advantage of a plethora of injuries across the front line, notably to the likes of fellow wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.
Across the 30-year-old’s last seven games in all competitions, he has scored three goals and registered two assists. Not bad indeed.
His goal at Sunderland was perhaps his best in Arsenal colours yet. The winger received the ball from Martin Zubimendi about 25 yards from goal. He advanced a little bit towards the edge of the penalty area before shifting the ball away from Mackems midfielder Noah Sadiki and unleashing a fizzing effort that crashed home. It was vintage Trossard. It was the Belgian at his very very best.
While Arsenal’s attack came alive, question marks do have to be raised about the defensive efforts. Perhaps it’s time for a little change in the starting lineup.
Where Arsenal can improve after Sunderland
While Arteta won’t want to rip up the blueprints overnight, there are a few changes the Spaniard must make for the north London derby in a couple of weeks.
By then, Viktor Gyokeres could be back to full health, while Gabriel Jesus was spotted in first-team training for the first time after his horrific ACL injury back in January. While the Brazilian won’t be starting games just yet, Gyokeres is expected to swiftly replace Merino despite his brace in the Champions League in midweek.
FFC’s Arsenal ratings vs Sunderland
David Raya
5/10
Jurrien Timber
6/10
William Saliba
6/10
Gabriel Magalhaes
5/10
Riccardo Calafiori
5/10
Martin Zubimendi
6/10
Declan Rice
7/10
Eberechi Eze
5/10
Bukayo Saka
7/10
Leandro Trossard
8/10
Mikel Merino
6/10
Merino did register the assist for Saka’s goal on Saturday but he’s not quite as good at leading the press, something that plays an imperative role in how Arsenal defend.
There could be a change just behind the striker too. After all, Eberechi Eze certainly struggled this weekend, with GOAL noted that he was withdrawn late on after “a subdued display”.
But, it’s at left-back once again where a position could be up for grabs. Earlier in the campaign, Riccardo Calafiori was described by some as Arsenal’s “player of the season” so far. It was hard to disagree with that too.
The Italian had started the campaign in brilliant form, scoring a vital goal against Manchester United on the opening weekend and registering two assists in the 5-0 win over Leeds.
Most importantly, Calafiori has spent the early months of the season injury-free. It’s his best run of game time since he moved to the club in the summer of 2024.
Yet, every player has their dips and the Italy international is arguably having his now. While he didn’t make any colossal errors on Saturday, it was a frustrating performance from the 23-year-old.
Football.London reporter Tom Canton wrote at full-time that he was ‘somewhat erratic in the first half, but not in the usual way.’
Indeed, since joining the club, he has resembled something of a “wild horse” in the words of journalist Sam Dean. He’s everywhere, whether it was rampaging forward, inverting into midfield or appearing as an extra striker inside the box during attacking phases of play.
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Sadly, his impact against Sunderland was not as great. He failed to have a shot or make a key pass, while that aforementioned erratic nature was summed up by the fact that he made a whopping five fouls.
Calafiori alarmingly also only won two of his six duels to compound what was a frustrating night at the office.
Calafiori vs Sunderland
Minutes played
90
Touches
50
Possession lost
7x
Accurate passes
23/27 (85%)
Key passes
0
Accurate crosses
1/2
Successful dribbles
2/2
Ground duels won
2/6
Aerial duels won
4/7
Tackles
0
Fouls made
5
Interceptions
1
Clearances
4
Stats via Sofascore.
So, ahead of the north London derby in a couple of weeks, Arteta has a decision to make. While new signing Piero Hincapie got the nod on the left of the defence in Prague in midweek, perhaps this is the time for Myles Lewis-Skelly to start for the first time in the Premier League this season.
The talented teenager has only played 86 minutes in the top flight this season and was subsequently excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the latest round of international fixtures.
That wasn’t because Lewis-Skelly is a bad player, far from it. The full-back issued a reminder of his qualities against Atletico in the Champions League a few weeks ago.
Remember the rampaging run through the middle of the pitch to supply Martinelli’s goal?
While it was Calafiori’s defensive display that let him down on Saturday, Lewis-Skelly could give Arteta’s side a lot more in possession. His temperament and ball-carrying skills could be key against Spurs.
AC Milan have been linked with a move for a Manchester United ace who Ruben Amorim rates and now a new update has dropped regarding their pursuit.
Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to fully ignite in a Red Devils shirt to date, with Fabrizio Romano recently talking up his potential exit, even though Amorim values him as a player.
“Yeah, we have to follow the situation closely in the next weeks because the calls have started. First was West Ham, now also Roma have made some calls to understand the situation of Joshua Zirkzee. So the market is moving around the Dutch striker again. Let’s see what happens with Sesko because now with the Sesko injury, again, it’s not a super serious one probably.
“Let’s wait for Manchester United statement. But obviously when you have a player like Sesko injured, there is still the opportunity to have a player like Zirkzee who can cover cover several positions as number nine, as number 10. Ruben Amorim according to my sources never wanted to let Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee leave because he believes that also Zirkzee can cover several positions and can be very important.”
Now, a fresh update has appeared over Zirkzee’s next step in his career, with a move away from United in 2026 still potentially looking on the cards.
AC Milan make contact over Zirkzee signing
According to a report from Corriere dello Sport [via Caught Offside], Milan have held talks with Zirzkee’s representatives over a move from Manchester United.
The January transfer window will be a chance to get a deal over the line, with the Red Devils striker in need of more regular playing time, in order to boost his 2026 World Cup chances with the Netherlands.
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund pictured with Joshua Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes.
It has been a tough spell for Zirzkee at United, scoring just seven goals in 54 appearances, so it is only natural that a move away could be best for all parties.
The 24-year-old remains a popular figure among United supporters, always giving his all, but the summer arrival of Benjamin Sesko has pushed him further down the pecking order.
As mentioned, the World Cup is only around the corner, so warming the substitutes’ bench most weeks is going to do little to aid his chances of being a fixture in the Netherlands’ team, as he battles former Red Devils striker Memphis Depay to lead the line for his country.
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If Zirkzee does leave permanently, it will be yet another attacking signing that hasn’t worked out for United, but equally, if a move doesn’t materialise, Amorim will surely be content to have him around until at least the end of this season.
Amorim's "modern-day Berbatov" is now already on borrowed time at Man Utd