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An angry Leeds United fan who tried to confront manager Daniel Farke following the defeat to Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday has been arrested. The incident occurred midway through the Premier League clash, as Unai Emery's side came back from behind to beat the hosts 2-1. With the loss, the Whites now sit in the relegation zone with 11 points from 12 matches.

Fan arrested for confronting Farke

After a steady enough start, Leeds' return to the Premier League has begun to turn sour courtesy of three consecutive defeats that have left them in the drop zone, with the latest coming at home to Villa at the weekend. Farke's side's last win came against West Ham in late October.

The Whites got off to a bright start on Sunday as Lukas Nmecha handed them an early lead – courtesy of a howler from Emiliano Martinez – but Aston Villa bounced back in style in the second half, with Morgan Rogers scoring a brace. While the match was ongoing, a 61-year-old fan entered the pitch at Elland Road and tried to confront beleaguered Leeds boss Farke near the dugout. He was quickly escorted away by stewards at the ground before the situation could get any worse, and according to the , the supporter in question has now been arrested.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFarke reacts to fan anger

While the angry fan received faces punishment for entering the pitch, Farke claimed that he understood the frustrations of the supporters, as he said: "I didn’t see it. Everyone is disappointed. I don't want one change in our supporters. I don't want them to be happy after (we have lost) and to give some plaudits. We have a very passionate fan base, and this is what we want – it's a privilege. I don't want our supporters to change one per cent. They should be angry and disappointed. I feel exactly the same, and for that, we would expect it, that it's like this. I totally understand this."

'We should've taken some points from this game'

Farke further analysed his team's performance, while speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, as he said: "Performance-wise, we've turned back to what we want to be. We dominated many periods against a very good side. We should've taken some points from this game. We are not back to our best, we can still improve, but at the end we are just disappointed we did not get any points. To concede two goals is not good. As good as we are attacking down the left side at the moment we concede too many goals. We concede so quickly straight after the restart. Over the course of 38 games you have ups and downs. It happens sometimes at this level. Performance-wise I was happy. At the moment we are in a period where things are going against us. Of course, the fans are unhappy and disappointed once we lose games. I don't want them to have a different reaction. I want them to feel like the world is falling apart when we lose a game, otherwise, you can't be a Leeds United supporter. I'm just fully focused on the performance. If we perform like this today we'll win many more points."

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Getty Images SportEmery praised Rogers for being 'angry'

Villans boss Emery heaped praise on the hero of the game, Rogers, as he said: "Through numbers it is more brilliant and really relevant, his work today. His impact was positive with goals. Always he plays well. He does his task and he is versatile across different positions. Maybe today he showed that he is angry to score. Being angry, he scored two goals, focusing on how he could get numbers. He did it, helping the team and for our victory today. He is a player who can get numbers. Last year, he got double numbers for goals and assists. This year, I think he will get this again. He was playing fantastic before this match, not getting numbers, but helping the team. With those goals today, it’s more brilliant. I think Morgan is very important when he is scoring and when he is not scoring. He is working tactically, being versatile, and performing very consistently.” 

When asked what he meant by angry, Emery said: "Hungry and angry to score. Both. It is in this direction."

Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

Randal Kolo Muani

8.7

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

8.4

Vitinha

8.4

Willian Pacho

8.1

Joao Neves

8.0

via WhoScored

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.

Fulham are now planning to make a move for Brendan Rodgers, amid a new update on Marco Silva’s future at Craven Cottage.

Silva is going through a tricky period in the Premier League, suffering a 2-0 defeat against Everton prior to the international break, which leaves his side in 15th place, just one point above the relegation zone.

With the 48-year-old’s contract coming to an end in the summer, there has been speculation about his future, but it seems as though the club hierarchy is keen to keep hold of him, having recently tabled a new contract offer.

However, with the former Everton boss still yet to put pen to paper, there could still be a twist in the tale, and it has now been revealed that an ex-Premier League manager is set to be approached, having recently resigned from his previous role.

Fulham set to sound out Brendan Rodgers amid Marco Silva uncertainty

According to a report from Football Insider, Silva’s future in west London is still in major doubt, which means Fulham are now set to sound out Rodgers over a move to Craven Cottage, with the Northern Irishman still out of work after leaving Celtic last month.

The Cottagers are planning to hold talks with the 52-year-old, who is vastly experienced in the top flight, having managed Swansea City, Leicester City and Liverpool in the past.

Having offered Silva a new deal, there is still a chance he remains in west London, but there are some issues to iron out, with the manager eager to be backed in the transfer window, following a quiet summer, during which Kevin was the only major addition.

It would be a shame to see the Portuguese manager move on, given the fantastic job he has done at Craven Cottage, stabilising Fulham as a top-flight club after guiding them to promotion from the Championship.

Games

198

Wins

90

Draws

37

Losses

71

Points per game

1.55

That said, should Silva decide to leave, Rodgers could be a fantastic replacement, having been lauded as an “unbelievable” manager by Jamie O’Hara as a result of the work he did during his time at Leicester.

The ex-Foxes boss won the FA Cup and the Community Shield during his time at the King Power Stadium, two of 13 trophies he has lifted as a manager, having also been extremely successful at Celtic.

However, while the Cottagers’ current league position is concerning, their current manager has proven time and time again that he is capable of keeping them in the top flight, so it would be a risk to replace him.

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The former international captains join the team ahead of the SA20 auction on September 9

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2025Sourav Ganguly is going to be the new head coach of Pretoria Capitals for the fourth season of SA20, starting on December 26. He will be joined by former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, who was named the franchise’s assistant coach on Monday.*Ganguly replaces Jonathan Trott in the role, having already acted as the director of cricket for JSW Sports – the parent company of Pretoria Capitals – since last year. Pollock will take over a coaching role after a while, having been a part of the Mumbai Indians coaching staff in the IPL in the early years of the tournament. He also worked with the South Africa team as a consultant briefly.Pretoria Capitals have had an uneven time in the tournament so far: they finished the first season at the top of the table in the group stage, before losing to Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final. In the two seasons since then – in 2023-24 and 2024-25 – they have faced more middling results, finishing in fifth position both times and failing to qualify for the playoffs.Pretoria Capitals will be hoping that their luck turns around with the new appointments. Their first point of focus will be the player auction on September 9, where Capitals will be looking to refresh their squad.This will be Ganguly’s first time as a head coach. For four years, between 2015 and 2019, he was the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal. He joined Delhi Capitals as a mentor for the 2019 season, but left the franchise soon after to become the president of the BCCI.In the time since then, his appointment as JSW’s director of cricket last year moved him closer to a coaching role at the helm of one of their franchises, which also include Delhi Capitals in co-ownership with GMR in the IPL and WPL.* 0900 hrs: The story was updated after SA20 issued a release about Pollock’s appointment

West Indies allrounder has worked on his fitness and skills to adapt to different conditions

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-20252:59

Justin Greaves: ‘This is where I always wanted to be’

Allrounder Justin Greaves has called the progression from first-class cricket in the West Indies to Test cricket a “massive step up”.Greaves, 31, is coming off of a match-saving 202 not out against New Zealand in the first Test in Christchurch. Chasing 531, he began his innings with West Indies 72 for 4 on the fourth day. Greaves batted for nearly nine and a hours and faced 388 balls to help them survive 163.3 overs and salvage a draw. He said that learnings from conversations with Jason Holder had helped improve his game.”It [Test cricket] is a massive step up from first-class cricket in the Caribbean,” Greaves said. “It’s a lot more demanding both physically and mentally. This is where I always wanted to be – so I had to change the way I train, both strength-and-conditioning and skill-wise. Enjoying it, learning as I go along.Related

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“If I can pick up some tips from the other successful allrounders around the world when we play against them, I pretty much do that. I lean on Jason Holder, who’s been around with the T20 squad when I’m here. I’ve dropped him a few messages in terms of finding out what he’s done to have the career he’s had in Test cricket so far.”Greaves was part of the West Indies Test teams that toured Australia in 2023-24 and Pakistan earlier this year. He has played 12 Tests so far. Travelling to and playing in different countries has required him to get stronger, eat better, and learn to be patient.”Everything had to change because it’s not easy being on the road [in] different conditions,” Greaves said. “When you’re at home, it’s pretty easy because you know pretty much all the conditions in the Caribbean, and then, coming overseas, playing cricket in Australia and then to Pakistan, and here now, in New Zealand, everything is different.”Adapting to that in the gym, getting stronger, eating better in terms of food, putting on a bit more muscle as well, and being a bit stronger; skill-wise, adding a bit more to my game; [while] batting – being a bit more patient because at this level, everything is not given to you. Bowling-wise, being the allrounder in the team, you can be bowling, and within an hour or two, you could be batting again. So, you’re putting your mind to it, and adapting to change.”Greaves will hope to build on this performance in the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which starts on Wednesday, with the three-match series locked at 0-0.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s Crystal Palace future is in doubt with an insider revealing the player and his agent are “testing the waters over a move”.

The 28-year-old has grown into such an important player for the Eagles, helping them win the FA Cup last season and already scoring six goals in 12 Premier League appearances this time around.

In fact, former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has called the Frenchman Palace’s “most improved” player in the recent past, and in fact of all time, hailing his impact leading the line at Selhurst Park.

“Again, Mateta, in my opinion, is probably the most improved player I’ve ever watched, I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched Mateta two years ago and the one I’m witnessing now, completely different.”

Mateta’s rise has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a move away from Palace of late, and now a new update has shared some concern for the Eagles.

Jean-Philippe Mateta eyeing Crystal Palace exit

Insider Mick Brown reports that Mateta is “testing the waters” over leaving Palace, as he eyes a new challenge.

Palace must do all they can to convince Mateta that staying put is best for his career, with the Eagles certainly doing enough of late to suggest as much, not least sealing FA Cup glory last season.

That said, the France international may look at Eberechi Eze leaving for Arsenal in the summer, and Marc Guehi continually being linked with a move to Liverpool, and feel that now is the right time for him to move on.

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Palace supporters will desperately hope this isn’t the case, as will manager Oliver Glasner, but at 28, he will know that he has reached a key point in his career, in terms of sealing one big move before he passes his peak.

Liverpool now eyeing Mateta deal amid fresh Crystal Palace contract concern

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico do Fluminense, Fernando Diniz, discutiu feio com o atacante Luciano, do São Paulo. A briga da dupla, que trabalhou junta no próprio Tricolor entre 2020 e 2021, aconteceu durante o confronto entre os times no Morumbis, nesta segunda-feira (13), pelo Brasileirão. Confira o momento da expulsão do treinador no vídeo acima!

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➡️ As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

O zagueiro Manoel sentiu uma lesão na reta final do primeiro tempo e jogou a bola para lateral. Luciano tentou cobrá-lo rápido, sem demonstrar atitude de “fair play”. Diniz se revoltou, discutiu e recebeu cartão vermelho.

Fernando Diniz foi flagrado reproduzindo fortes palavras direcionadas a Luciano, durante o duelo entre São Paulo e Fluminense. “Você acabou para mim”, “Você é muito burro” e mais xingamentos foram proferidos pelo treinador.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Após o ocorrido, o meia-atacante tricolor recebeu cartão amarelo. Diversos jogadores de ambos os times precisaram intervir na discussão.

Além de trabalharem juntos no São Paulo em 2020, Luciano e Diniz foram companheiros no próprio Fluminense, em 2019. O treinador, inclusive, foi um dos principais responsáveis pela chegada do atleta ao Tricolor do Morumbis.

Tudo sobre

Fernando DinizFluminenseLucianoSão Paulo

Leeds United travel away from West Yorkshire and Elland Road to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Whites are looking to win back-to-back matches in the Premier League for the first time this season, after they beat West Ham United in their last outing.

Daniel Farke’s side won, thanks to goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon, and Anton Stach did not play a single minute of the match at Elland Road.

Why Leeds should unleash Anton Stach

Despite beating the Hammers, Leeds can improve on their performance from last time out because they failed to put the game out of sight for the away side, which led to a nervy ending when they pulled a goal back.

After Rodon’s goal, the Whites did not create a single chance that was worth more than 0.14 xG, per Sofascore, and they allowed West Ham to get back into the game, albeit they were able to hang on for all three points.

Stach, who did not get on the pitch, has proven that he can provide a threat at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, with one goal, 1.8 key passes per game, and two ‘big chances’ created in eight appearances, per Sofascore.

The summer signing from Hoffenheim has shown that he can be a difference-maker with his individual quality, which could help Leeds to capitalise on a shaky Brighton defence that has conceded 15 goals in the Premier League.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In order to bring Stach into the starting line-up, though, Farke would have to ruthlessly ditch Ao Tanaka, whose performances he has recently defended.

Why Leeds should drop Ao Tanaka

After the win over West Ham, the Japan international stated that he is “not good enough at the moment” and that he will be using these experiences to improve as a player.

Asked about Tanaka’s honest admission, Farke said: “He had a really good start to the season with us. I didn’t expect him to be man of the match [vs West Ham], being in his first match after injury back in the starting line up, but I think he was quite solid and showed a really, really good performance.”

In spite of his defence of the central midfielder’s comments and performance, the German head coach should drop the midfield maestro from the XI because Stach may be able to offer more quality against Brighton.

Appearances

7

8

xG

0.16

0.79

Goals

0

1

Key passes per game

0.6

1.8

Big chances created

0

2

Ground duel success rate

18%

52%

Aerial duel success rate

43%

77%

Tackles + interceptions per game

0.7

2.3

As you can see in the table above, Tanaka has struggled to influence games in the Premier League this season, as he has offered little in the final third whilst being dominated by opposition players physically.

The Japanese midfielder is seemingly still adjusting to the step up from the Championship, which is understandable, but Stach has shown that he can make an impact offensively and hold his own defensively in his eight starts in the division.

Given Brighton’s defensive struggles this season, conceding 15 goals in nine games, it could be the right time to bring the German central midfielder back into the starting line-up to give the Whites the best chance of causing their defence problems.

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Therefore, Farke should ruthlessly drop Tanaka from the XI, despite his defence of the midfielder’s display against West Ham, because it may improve the team’s chances of winning this afternoon, given the context of the opposition.

Jeremy Doku always had the ability to do something extraordinary on the football field, but what he lacked was the sense of when and how to pull off his magical tricks. He had stood out for possessing a unique footballing talent as young as 15, but on Sunday against Liverpool, the club who wanted to sign him before he turned 16, Doku emerged as the player many knew he could become.

Doku's scintillating performance in Manchester City's 3-0 routing of the Reds was an increasingly rare case of one player utterly dominating a top-level fixture. This was not a player producing one moment of genius to decide a game, rather Doku weaving magical move after magical move, creating havoc every time he picked up the ball. It was one of the great individual displays in a Premier League game, certainly one of this magnitude. 

It could be filed alongside Thierry Henry's hat-trick for Arsenal against Liverpool in 2003-04, David Silva's virtuoso display in City's 6-1 hammering of Manchester United in 2011-12 or Mark Viduka's treble for Leeds United against Liverpool in 2001.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Emulating Hazard

  In statistical terms, no one had put a similar stamp on a Premier League game since Doku's compatriot and short-time Belgium team-mate Eden Hazard back in 2019. Hazard was the last player to win at least seven duels, complete seven dribbles, create three chances and have three shots on target in a single English top-flight game, but that was against a mid-table West Ham, not the reigning champions who had beaten Real Madrid a few days earlier.

  While many top players freeze when the world is watching, Doku seemed to revel in the occasion. "In big games, there is always more exposure and more beauty," he told .

  The former Anderlecht wideman had been threatening to put in a performance like this after making an imposing start to the season. He was outstanding in the 3-0 win over Manchester United in September, ripped Burnley apart a few weeks later and he had warmed-up for Sunday's game with an important display against Borussia Dortmund.

  Doku is now handsomely paying off the £55.5 million ($73m) City paid Rennes to sign him in 2023, and if he keeps this level up he will soon feel like a bargain. There were, however, a few questions over the past two seasons regarding his transfer fee and his suitability to a City team that can often be metronomic, which can lead to the Etihad being a difficult place for individually brilliant players to thrive.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Super-sub reputation

  Doku did not take long to make an impression on City fans. He got plenty of bums out of seats during his home debut against Fulham, while he found the net next time out at West Ham. Just two months into his City career, meanwhile, he made Premier League history in a 6-1 drubbing of Bournemouth, becoming the youngest player to produce five goal involvements in one game (four assists and one goal), as well as the first City player to provide four assists in 90 minutes.

  However, that incredible display against the Cherries was followed by a barren spell, not helped by six weeks out with a muscle injury. Doku went 10 games without a goal contribution and he was barely trusted in the Champions League, starting just one game. He was seen as a super-sub more than anything, which was summed up by him coming off the bench to spark a goal for Kevin De Bruyne against Real Madrid and then Bernardo Silva's winning strike in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

  In his first two seasons at City, Doku averaged three goals and seven assists in the league, not exactly the numbers you would expect from a £55m player at one of the best teams in the division.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Earning Pep's trust

  Then again, Doku had never been a player whose goals and assists made you sit up and take notice. In his best season with Rennes he only managed six goals and two assists in Ligue 1, something which Guardiola reminded everyone of on Sunday.

  "I think he will never be a top scorer, to be honest," the coach said. "But he’s demanding himself to be better, he listens, and has special attributes of dribbling. He was aggressive with and without the ball. We tried to help him and he played an outstanding game."

  Guardiola has not always been so effusive about Doku. After a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton in the run-in towards winning the title in 2024, he gave the winger a public dressing down for giving the ball away a couple of times after coming off the bench. Last season, meanwhile, Guardiola criticised Doku's performance against United at Old Trafford, and it was only towards the end of the campaign, after a good display in a win at Everton, that the coach admitted he had been "unfair" on the winger by not playing him more. 

  Indeed, Doku was at the risk of being phased out of the team as Guardiola preferred to flood the central midfield and look to full-backs Nico O'Reilly and Matheus Nunes to provide width. Now, though, he is one of the first names on the team sheet, playing in 16 of City's 17 games in all competitions this term, starting 11 of them, including all four Champions League fixtures.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Seeing the bigger picture

  Doku would not be the first player who needed an adaptation period under Guardiola. Jack Grealish, Josko Gvardiol and Nico Gonzalez all needed the best part of their first season to get to grips with the coach's style. Doku essentially needed two, but he seems to have mastered the art of what Guardiola wants from him. And unlike Grealish, his stardust remains intact. 

  The difference is that he has now worked out how to make the most of his skillset, even if Guardiola was keen to stress that only Doku was responsible for his turnaround in form by saying: “I know I'm good, but don't overestimate me. The players do it themselves. We have to give them a good environment and make good connections. I don't teach Doku how to dribble; that is natural talent."

  Indeed, watch videos of Doku as a child and he is instantly recognisable from his style of dribbling. Doku honed his unique way of dribbling on a concrete pitch in his home city of Antwerp, spending endless hours there with his brother Jefferson and his friends. He enrolled in the academy of Belgian giants Anderlecht at the age of 10, but a professional education could not curb his tendency to keep his head down and play for himself rather than his team-mates. 

  Henry worked with Doku as assistant coach to Roberto Martinez in the Belgium national team. and when he was still a Rennes player he raved about his dribbling ability. But last week the Arsenal legend admitted that Doku still had to work on his in-game intelligence.

  "He has zero limits but he needs guidance," Henry said on . "When you explain something to someone, if there is no thought process behind it, they're not going to comprehend what needs to happen. We all know that he can finish, but sometimes you need to slow down and re-accelerate to see the big picture."

Eddie Howe didn’t name a weakened Newcastle United side against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday in the Champions League, despite the Tyne-Wear Derby looming large.

Indeed, the 48-year-old went full strength, as he picked the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon, even as his team’s tense showdown with Sunderland comes onto the overloaded fixture list on Sunday.

Going all out with his team selection didn’t mean a convincing win was forthcoming, though, as Newcastle’s frailties away from St James’ Park reared their ugly head once more in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.

Unfortunately, many of Howe’s top performers throughout the season struggled in Leverkusen, as an 88th-minute equaliser from Alejandro Grimaldo proved to be a sickening end to a night that was meant to boost the Toon’s confidence, before travelling to the Black Cats.

Newcastle's worst performers vs Leverkusen

It was a well-worked move that saw the Spanish defender slot home past Aaron Ramsdale, but the lax marking of the full-back will have angered Howe at the full-time whistle, as Tonali looked nowhere near his energetic best once more.

The Italian just casually jogged about the pitch when the move was being orchestrated, with the ex-AC Milan man also falling victim to a sluggish display on the ball when giving up possession eight times.

As journalist Luke Edwards put it at the close of the 2-2 draw, he’s meant to “bring control” to contests late on, but looked haphazard on the flip side.

Moreover, Howe could now be second-guessing whether Malick Thiaw should start what will surely be a heated contest at the Stadium of Light, with the clumsy German fortunate not to receive a red card when bringing down Patrick Schick early into the first half, just before he could fire a shot at Ramsdale’s net.

Thankfully, the 24-year-old evaded the referee’s wrath, with the hope that he can get back to his rock-solid best on Wearside, having further come up short uncharacteristically on three of his eight duels away from St James’ Park.

Guimaraes was also left red-faced during the clash when he unfortunately put an own-goal past an unsuspecting Ramsdale, but he did more than enough at BayArena to keep his first-team spot, as seen in him notching up a hefty five key passes, as per Sofascore.

The same, however, can’t be said for one of his declining teammates…

The Newcastle star who must now be axed

Hailed as an “unbelievably frustrating” night from a Toon persuasion by Sky Sports’ Andy Sixsmith, it will be intriguing to see what changes Howe makes to his starting XI now for the demanding Tyne-Wear face-off to come.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Joelinton dropping out feels like an obvious alteration, as the underperforming number seven limped off with a clear injury issue on the hour mark.

To make matters worse for the waning Brazilian, his replacement, Lewis Miley, scored within 14 minutes of his introduction into the lively game, leading one content creator to state that the young Englishman has now “claimed his starting space.”

Minutes played

60

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

33

Shots

1

Accurate passes

20/23 (87%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

2/9

Even if the lethargic South American didn’t have his injury issue to contend with, he would likely be fearful of the axe when looking at his poor numbers from the Leverkusen score draw in more detail, as the 29-year-old, who used to be known for his verve and determination centrally, ended up only winning two of his nine duels on the night.

On top of that, he also very much fell victim to fading in and out of the match, having come off at the hour mark with only 33 touches accumulated, unlike his midfield partners in Guimaraes and Tonali, who amassed a weighty 121 touches between them.

Even Ramsdale in between the sticks would tally up more touches, ending the 2-2 affair with a slightly higher 39.

Having lost his spark in the Premier League this season, too, with zero goals or assists next to his name from 13 league outings, it does feel like a straightforward swap to bring in Miley for some freshness against Sunderland, as the homegrown prodigy licks his lips at the prospect of facing the Toon’s fiercest rivals.

Dropping Joelinton is unlikely to be the only tweak at the Stadium of Light, as Howe does everything in his power to pick the strongest XI that hands his team the bragging rights on Sunday.

As bad as Tonali: £75k-p/w star had his worst game in a Newcastle shirt

This Newcastle star struggled in their 2-2 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen

ByJoe Nuttall 1 day ago