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Sunderland still have some time to wait until they face off against arch rivals Newcastle United back in the Premier League.

The middle of December sees Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats clash against Eddie Howe’s Magpies in what promises to be a hotly contested Tyne-Wear Derby, with the last fierce meeting between the two enemies in the top-flight coming all the way back in 2016 in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.

The two sides did butt heads in the FA Cup back in 2024, as an Alexander Isak-led Toon comfortably swept aside their Championship hosts 3-0 on the day, but the Wearside outfit is a completely different beast now with Le Bris at the helm, as opposed to their once bruised nature as second-tier regulars.

While there will be a lack of niceties exchanged at the Stadium of Light in December, Sunderland will know that there are some strong performers already in their camp who will be ready for any intense battles ahead, with the likes of Noah Sadiki not fazed whatsoever by the intensity of the top-flight so far.

Sadiki's early promise at Sunderland

With new signings such as Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, and Omar Alderete receiving a lot of the early praise this season, and rightly so, Sadiki has arguably slipped under the radar as another mightily impressive summer pick-up.

Indeed, the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise battler might just be 20 years of age, but he looks cut out for the grind of the English top-flight already, having been an ever-present part of Le Bris’ starting lineups across Sunderland’s seven Premier League clashes so far.

He has made one of those starting central spots his own with his energy and quality clear for all to see, with his running statistics on the opening day against West Ham United seeing him cover a ridiculous 11.5km across the 90 minutes.

With an assured 85% pass accuracy also averaged per Premier League game so far, it could be argued that Sadiki is actually Sunderland’s own unique take on Newcastle warrior Bruno Guimaraes, with the 20-year-old just needing to add goals and assists to his Black Cats repertoire to be on the road to rivalling his South American counterpart.

At the moment, he has zero goals or assists next to his name.

This could come soon, though, with Sadiki actually helping himself to four goal contributions last season during his swansong Belgian Pro League season.

But, with six ground duels won effortlessly at the City Ground before his side’s 2-0 slip-up at Manchester United, it might well be that Sadiki excels more as a tireless anchor for the Sunderland cause, as opposed to marauding forward on occasion and hammering home sweet efforts, like Guimaraes.

Instead, one of Sadiki’s equally lively teammates could have more of a compelling argument to hand on why he’s Sunderland’s very own version of the Magpies captain, having been in and around the intense environment of the top-flight for far longer than the promising number 27.

Why Sunderland's "genius" is their own Guimaraes

When Guimaraes arrived on Tyneside in January 2022, Sunderland’s main rivals were used to middle-of-the-road finishes in the Premier League. Now, with the Brazilian as a key cog in Howe’s machine, Champions League football is regularly served up.

Of course, Sunderland won’t be expecting to be in Europe’s elite competition anytime soon, but it’s abundantly clear from how the Black Cats have started this season that Granit Xhaka is already a transformative presence – much like Guimaraes once was at St James’ Park – who can help the Wearside outfit to a high-up finish right after promotion.

Much like the number 39 chips in time after time with crucial goals and assists, the former Arsenal warrior has more than played his role in Sunderland collecting early wins in their immediate bid to beat the drop, with the last three goals Le Bris’ men have scored in the tough division coming about from Xhaka popping up with an assist.

This, clearly, sets him apart from Sadiki, who can spray a lovely pass here or there, but hasn’t quite grasped the same level of incision as the Basel-born midfielder.

But, much like his Toon foe, Xhaka is also definitely well-versed in what it takes to be a physical presence when needed, having even been branded a “monster” by Arsenal-based writer Connor Humm when still at the Emirates, off the back of the 33-year-old winning 130 duels during his final top-flight campaign in North London.

Guimaraes vs Xhaka (PL – 25/26)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Guimaraes

Xhaka

Games played

7

7

Goals

2

0

Assists

0

3

Touches*

59.7

72.9

Accurate passes*

35.7 (83%)

46.4 (84%)

Big chances created

0

4

Ball recoveries*

5.8

5.1

Total duels won*

6.7

6.4

Stats by Sofascore

This side of his well-varied game has been on full display donning Sunderland red and white, too, with Xhaka not a million miles off Guimaraes’ “world-class” nature, as he was once glowingly labelled by scout Jacek Kulig for never letting his standards slip on Tyneside.

On Wearside, Xhaka has also been a rock early into this competitive season, with 6.4 duels won on average, putting him on the same lofty pedestal as his counterpart, who was once touted to leave Howe and Co. behind for a staggering £100m.

Considering Sunderland landed their midfield veteran for just £17m, this is extremely impressive to see.

With 17 goals also coming his way in the Premier League when situated at Arsenal, it could be that Xhaka elevates his game even more in the weeks to come and becomes the constant Sunderland needs to push up the division, much like Guimaraes has been their every step of the way for Howe’s men as they turned into a Champions League-level outfit.

With Xhaka now wearing the armband with pride, it will be fascinating to see where both Sunderland and Newcastle are in the league standings come their showdown on the 13th of December, with the Black Cats very much fancying their chances of Tyne-Wear glory if their “genius” – as he was recently labelled by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman – puts in another game-changing display.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 7, 2025

Manchester United have now entered concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and a move could be possible in the January transfer window.

Man United have a reputation of bringing through young players, having named at least one academy graduate in every first-team squad since October 1937, and they have continued to rely on youngsters in the early stages of the new Premier League season.

Senne Lammens appears to have taken Altay Bayindir’s shirt and established himself as the new starting goalkeeper, with Ruben Amorim also regularly calling upon the likes of Leny Yoro, Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko’s arrival at the club was met with scepticism, given that on paper the Slovenian looked like another Rasmus Hojliund-type signing, considering he is just 22-years-old and arguably doesn’t have the experience to lead the line for a club like United.

However, after taking a while to get going, the striker has now started to prove his worth, picking up two goals and an assist in his last four matches, most recently setting up Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Man Utd enter talks to sign Kevin Filling

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Man United are now in “concrete” negotiations to sign another young striker, entering talks to sign AIK Fotboll’s Filling, who is valued at around €3m (£2.6m).

The “talented” youngster could be on the move as early as this winter, suggesting the Red Devils could get a deal done in the January transfer window, but there may be competition for his signature, as some unnamed Bundesliga clubs also find the centre-forward “interesting”.

At just 16-years-old, the striker is very much one for the future, but he has already made a breakthrough at senior level with AIK Fotboll, chipping in with two Allsvenskan goals in seven appearances so far this season.

The young Swedish forward has also started to make an impression at international level, making three appearances for Sweden U18s, and he netted a brace in an international friendly against Wales U18s earlier this month.

Of course, at just 16-years-old, Filling is likely to be some way off first-team level at a club like Man United, so it would make sense if he was sent back on loan to his current club or perhaps a smaller English club to gain more experience.

However, at around just £2.6m, it is definitely a risk worth taking for Man United, who should definitely try to get a deal done this winter.

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A top striker has now emerged as one of the Red Devils’ main targets.

Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 16, 2025

يلتقي قطبا الكرة المصرية، الأهلي والزمالك، مساء غد الأحد، في مباراة منتظرة ومرتقبة، للمنافسة على لقب كأس السوبر المصري 2025.

ويلعب الأهلي ضد الزمالك، على ملعب استاد محمد بن زايد في أبو ظبي، في المباراة النهائية من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري في نسخته 23.

وتقام منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، في دولة الإمارات، وذلك خلال الفترة من 6 إلى 9 نوفمبر، بمشاركة الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.

ويسعي الأهلي، إلي تحقيق لقب كأس السوبر المصري للمرة 16 في تاريخه، ذلك تحت القيادة الفنية الجديدة للدنماركي ييس توروب، الذي أكد خلال المؤتمر الصحفي له أن لقاء القمة فرصة ممتازة لتحقيق اللقب الأول مع القلعة الحمراء.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، الزمالك يدخل المباراة بقيادة فنية جديدة لـ أحمد عبد الرؤوف، الذي حل خلفًا للبلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، واستطاع التأهل إلي نهائي السوبر بالفوز على بيراميدز، حيث يتطلع إلي إحراز اللقب إلي قلعة ميت عقبة ليكون الخامس في تاريخ الأبيض.

وأقيمت مواجهات نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، يوم الخميس الماضي، حيث انتصر الأهلي على سيراميكا كليوباترا بنتيجة 2-1، ليتأهل إلى نهائي السوبر.

طالع | تاريخ مواجهات الأهلي والزمالك في كأس السوبر المصري

وتأهل الزمالك إلى نهائي السوبر، بالفوز على بيراميدز 5-4 بركلات الترجيح، بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بالتعادل السلبي.

ومن المنتظر أن يلعب أحمد سيد زيزو تلك المباراة ليكون الظهور الاول له بقميص الأهلي أمام فريقه السابق الزمالك. موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري

وتقام مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، الأحد 9 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vitória fez valer o mando de campo e venceu o Guarani, por 2 a 0, no Barradão, e se mantém na liderança isolada da Série B. Os gols foram marcados por Léo Gamalho e Wagner Leonardo, um em cada tempo. O Leão ainda teve o jogo facilitado com a expulsão do volante do Bugre, Matheus Bueno, aos 26 minutos do primeiro tempo.

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Com o resultado, o Vitória chegou aos 61 pontos, sete de vantagem para o próprio Guarani, o primeiro fora da zona de acesso para a Série A. Na próxima sexta-feira (20), o Leão encara o Sampaio Corrêa, no Castelão. No mesmo dia, o Bugre visita o Mirassol.

+ A sua carreira no futebol pode começar hoje. Garanta a sua vaga no curso Gestor de Futebol e capacite-se!

+ Confira a tabela e a classificação da Série B

Dragão na cola

Mais cedo, o Atlético-GO venceu a Ponte Preta, no Moisés Lucarelli, por 2 a 0, gols de Álix Vinícius e Matheus Peixoto. O Dragão chegou aos 56 pontos e assumiu a vice-liderança da Série B, porém pode ser ultrapassado por Juventude ou Sport, que se enfrentam segunda-feira (16), no Alfredo Jaconi.

Jogo dos desesperados

No Estádio do Café, o Londrina abriu o placar com Iago Dias, mas o Avaí empatou com Fellipe Bastos. O resultado foi ruim para os dois times, que lutam contra o rebaixamento. O Tubarão tem 25 pontos e é o penúltimo colocado na Série B. Já o Leão da Ilha tem 35, dois a mais que a Chapecoense, que abre o Z4 da competição.

He top-scored from No. 5, with seven fours and one six, and left too much for the Central Districts batters to do

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Shakib Al Hasan top-scored for Dubai Capitals with an unbeaten 58•Ashley Allen/GSL T20

Shakib Al Hasan starred with both bat and ball for Dubai Capitals to give the ILT20 champions a winning start in the Global Super League over New Zealand’s Central Districts.Shakib first held fort in the middle order, striking seven fours and a six in his unbeaten 37-ball 58 from No. 5 to help Capitals post 165 for 7 in their 20 overs. Then he dismissed four of the top-six batters in the Central Districts line-up to derail their chase, finishing with figures of 4 for 13 at an economy rate of 3.25.In their batting innings, Capitals had their base set courtesy opener Sediqullah Atal’s 25-ball 41, but Angus Schaw’s three-wicket burst through the middle overs brought Central Districts back. Despite the middle-overs wobble, Shakib combined with No. 7 Jesse Bootan (20) and No. 8 Dominic Drakes (11) to lift them to a respectable total.Central Districts made a promising start to the chase as Will Young (19) and Dane Cleaver (21) added 30 for the first wicket. But Shakib’s two powerplay wickets – of Young and Dean Foxcroft – brought Capitals back into the contest.Shakib then bowled both Josh Clarkson and William Clark, before UAE’s Khuzaima Tanveer cleaned up the tail. Central Districts captain Tom Bruce top-scored with 34.

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes de fechar com o Santos em julho, Jean Lucas foi alvo de outros brasileiros no mercado, como Palmeiras e Flamengo. Apesar do interesse de equipes até da Europa, o volante optou por retornar ao Peixe. Na zona mista após a vitória alvinegra por 2 a 1, de virada, justamente contra o Alviverde, o jogador exaltou a sua escolha pelo Santos, seu “time do coração”.

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+ Confira a classificação do Campeonato Brasileiro

– O Santos é o time do meu coração. É o time que eu tenho a maior gratidão por ter aberto as portas para mim, para eu poder chegar na Europa – disse Jean Lucas após a vitória do Peixe na Arena Barueri.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Ainda, o camisa 8 do Peixe destacou a importância da vitória diante do Palmeiras neste domingo (8), já que a equipe alvinegra quebrou um tabu de quatro anos sem vencer o rival – o último triunfo havia sido em 2019. Jean Lucas também enalteceu o trabalho do técnico Marcelo Fernandes, que detém 100% de aproveitamento no comando do Peixe – três jogos e três vitórias.

– Hoje nós conquistamos essa vitória, quebramos esse tabu que o Santos não ganhava há muito tempo do Palmeiras. Eu fico muito feliz, é enaltecer o nome de Deus, toda a equipe do Marcelo (Fernandes). Todo mundo está dando o máximo para conseguir tirar o Santos dessa situação – completou.

+ Marcos Leonardo é decisivo mais uma vez e garante vitória do Santos diante do Palmeiras

Com a vitória, o Santos chegou a sua terceira vitória seguida e subiu para a 14ª posição do Brasileirão, com 30 pontos, três a mais que o Vasco, primeiro time na zona de rebaixamento. O Peixe só volta a campo no dia 20 de outubro (sexta-feira), após a parada da Data Fifa, para encarar o Bragantino. A bola rola às 19h (de Brasília), na Vila Belmiro.

وجّه الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، انتقادات حادة لمجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، بعد تقدّمه بشكوى رسمية ضد لاعب الأهلي أحمد سيد زيزو إلى لجنة الانضباط، متهمًا إياه بتعمد عدم مصافحة المهندس هشام نصر نائب رئيس النادي عقب مباراة السوبر المصري الأخيرة.

قال الإعلامي أحمد شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح الأربعاء: “الزمالك بالأمس قدّم شكوى ضد اللاعب أحمد سيد زيزو إلى لجنة الانضباط، واتهمه بتعمّد عدم مصافحة المهندس هشام نصر، نائب رئيس النادي، وطالب بتوقيع العقوبة اللازمة طبقًا للائحة، لكن سؤالي ببساطة: ماذا تقول اللائحة في مثل هذا الموقف؟”.

وتابع: “أنا آسف أن أقول ذلك، لكن يجب أن نعمل بشكل مؤسسي وصحيح، إما أن نلتزم بالقواعد أو لا نتحدث عن تطبيقها من الأساس، أنا بالفعل وجّهت اللوم لزيزو على تصرفه، ولكن يجب أن أكون منصفًا: زيزو ذهب وصافح لاعبي الزمالك جميعًا، وصافح الجهاز الفني والإداري، واحتضن الكابتن أحمد عبد الرؤوف بعد المباراة، هذا الفيديو موجود أمام الجميع، وتصرف محترم من لاعب محترف، فقط وجّهت له اللوم على عدم مصافحته للمهندس هشام نصر، لا أكثر”.

وأضاف: “لكن ما الذي تنص عليه اللائحة في هذا الشأن؟ هل تنص على الإيقاف؟ أم الغرامة؟ أم ماذا تحديدًا؟ يجب أن نكون واضحين، فاللائحة التي تنظم السلوك والالتزام تنص على احترام المعايير والروح الرياضية، وتنص المادة السادسة منها على فرض العقوبات على من يسيء إلى الاتحاد أو المجلس أو اللجنة أو الجهة المنظمة أو المسؤولين أو عناصر اللعبة، إذًا هل ما فعله زيزو يدخل في هذا الإطار؟”.

وواصل: “الزمالك طلب في شكواه توقيع العقوبات اللازمة على اللاعب طبقًا للائحة، لكنني كنت أتصور أن الزمالك سيتحدث عن تصحيح المسار بعد خسارة السوبر، فخسارة السوبر أمر طبيعي؛ الزمالك قد يخسر أمام الأهلي أو بيراميدز، كما يمكن لأي فريق أن يخسر، فهذه كرة القدم، كنت أظن أن الزمالك سيعمل على الإصلاح، لا أن يقدم شكوى”.

وأردف: “كنت أتوقع أن يصدر النادي بيانًا أو يخرج المتحدث الإعلامي ليقول إن تصرف زيزو لم يكن لائقًا أو لا يتناسب مع روح الرياضة، وهذا حقه، لكن أن نذهب إلى لجنة الانضباط لمثل هذا الأمر؟ لا أفهم ذلك، أنا بدوري تحدثت عن زيزو وانتقدته، لكني في الوقت نفسه احترمته، لأنه لاعب خلوق ومحترف، ومن يريد تطبيق اللوائح، فعليه أن يطبقها على الجميع داخل المنظومة على الجماهير أيضًا، فحين يخطئ الجمهور يجب أن نواجهه حتى تسود الروح الرياضية ويستقيم العمل”.

طالع أيضًا | بعد شكوى الزمالك.. 4 عقوبات تهدد زيزو حال إدانته في أزمة السوبر المصري

واستكمل: “نادي الزمالك لديه خسائر في كرة اليد والسلة وكرة القدم، إذًا لا بد أن يتكلم ويواجه الأمور، الجمهور ينتظر ذلك، لكنه لا ينتظر دغدغة المشاعر بشكاوى لا طائل منها، فحتى لو تم تغريم زيزو ألف جنيه أو خمسة آلاف أو مائة ألف أو نصف مليون، ما الفائدة؟ الأفضل أن يعمل مجلس إدارة الزمالك من أجل مصلحة النادي”.

وتساءل: “هل الكابتن أحمد عبد الرؤوف سيستمر أم لا؟ هل سيتمكن النادي من إنهاء مشاكله القانونية مع جروس، وفرجاني ساسي، وجوميز وغيرهم؟ هذه هي الأسئلة الأهم، لا أن نقول: لقد اشتكينا زيزو في لجنة الانضباط!”.

وأضاف: “يا جماعة، فلنكن منطقيين، دغدغة مشاعر الناس عبر السوشيال ميديا لا تفيد النادي، علينا أن نعمل بجد وبشكل مؤسسي، الهدف هو إصلاح النادي لا خلق أزمات فرعية، لا يمكن أن تظل الأمور تسير بهذه الطريقة الغريبة، نحتاج إلى منطق وهدوء وعمل حقيقي”.

وشدد: “زيزو لم يخطئ في أحد، ولم يقل أدبًا، ولم يتحدث بكلمة خارجة، كل ما حدث أنه لم يصافح نائب رئيس النادي، لا أكثر، أنا قلت إنه كان عليه أن يسلم، لأننا اعتدنا منه دائمًا على الاحترام، لكن أن نترك كل شيء حدث في المباراة ونقف فقط عند هذه اللقطة؟ هذا غير منطقي، يا جماعة، فكروا في الصالح العام، فكروا في ملايين الزملكاوية الذين يتمنون رؤية ناديهم يعود للانتصارات والبطولات”.

وواصل: “الزمالك الآن يعاني في أكثر من لعبة في الكرة الطائرة، والسلة، وكرة اليد، وحتى كرة القدم، لم يعد الفريق ينافس على المركز الثاني في الدوري، على الإدارة أن تعمل لتصحيح الأوضاع وإسعاد الجماهير، وإعادة النادي إلى المنافسة في دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.

واختتم: “الله يبارك فيكم، يا مجلس إدارة الزمالك، انظروا إلى مصلحة النادي أولًا، ركّزوا على القضايا المهمة مثل قضية أرض أكتوبر والطعن القانوني بشأنها، هذه أمور تمس مستقبل الكيان، أما شكوى زيزو فلن تضيف شيئًا، نحن بحاجة إلى من يعمل من أجل عودة الزمالك إلى مكانته الطبيعية كنادٍ كبير وبطل كما تعوّد جمهوره دائمًا”.

England spinner starred at Lord’s last week, but reveals she ‘wasn’t sure’ she’d return from mental-health break

Valkerie Baynes22-Jul-2025

Sophie Ecclestone missed the early part of England’s season in the wake of a tumultuous winter•Getty Images

Sophie Ecclestone has revealed she considered quitting cricket in the aftermath of the off-field drama surrounding England Women’s T20 World Cup and Ashes failures.Ecclestone missed the start of the international summer when England hosted West Indies, instead playing for Lancashire during the T20I series while she managed her comeback from a knee injury. She was then ruled out of the ODI series, citing the need to prioritise her wellbeing.Having returned for both white-ball series against India, Ecclestone spoke about the reasons surrounding her absence in a pre-match interview ahead of the third and final ODI at Chester-le-Street.She had come under fire during the Ashes in Australia, where England lost the points series 16-0, after Alex Hartley, the former England spinner turned broadcaster, said Ecclestone had refused to be interviewed by her on TV. Hartley also said she had been “given the cold shoulder” by England players since criticising their fitness following their group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup last October.”It was a tough time for me personally,” Ecclestone told Sky Sports in a pitch-side interview before play on Tuesday. “I tore my meniscus and I had a very sore knee, but I feel like personally I was so tired and so drained from the last few months.Related

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“As a cricketer, we don’t stop, we don’t get much time off and we go from franchise tournaments to England tournaments and it takes it out of you. I feel like during the West Indies series I wasn’t actually sure if I was going to come back and play cricket.”I was away from cricket and I cried to a few people, I cried to my dad, I get emotional now, but it was it was a tough time. But I feel like I’ve come out the other side now and I’m back playing cricket.”Ecclestone credited team-mates Lauren Bell and Alice Capsey, along with her family and friends for helping her return to the cricket field with “a smile on my face again”. That culminated in a Player-of-the-Match award for her 3 for 37 at Lord’s on Saturday, which helped England to an ODI series-levelling victory.Ecclestone disputed the use of the word “refusal” when it came to the infamous interview with Hartley, and appeared to take issue with the timing of the request to talk, suggesting that she wanted to concentrate on her warm-up.”It was a weird time,” Ecclestone said. “I feel like obviously that went down the wrong way, and a few things were said, and I was just concentrating on cricket at that moment.”A lot of things were being said which wasn’t ideal for me and it affected me quite a lot to be honest. It took a lot out of me. There were a lot of words being thrown around about me that I thought were untrue and it wasn’t very nice to hear.”I kind of had to put that to one side, and I did go off social media for a couple of weeks actually during the Ashes, just because it was affecting me quite a lot, what was being said. It wasn’t very nice but we’ve all learnt from that now and there’s a lot of feelings involved but we’re all over that now, and ready to move on.”Ecclestone went on to say that she believed misconceptions had emerged about her in the fallout from the incident.”I feel like a lot of words were being thrown around about me that weren’t true,” she said. “Just that I was really arrogant maybe, and that’s just not me as a person.”The word refusal was getting thrown around and that just wasn’t really true and some of the things people were saying about the team I didn’t really agree with, so it was hard to take for me and hard to take for the team.”Immediately after the Ashes, Clare Connor, managing director of England women’s cricket, described the interview situation as “an unfortunate incident that won’t happen again”.”Our players in general… embrace their media obligations,” Connor said. “It matters to them to be good role models for women’s cricket and the England women’s cricket team. As professional women’s cricket has developed at the rate that it has over recent years, that scrutiny is something that we will all have to embrace and accept.”Ecclestone acknowledged that women’s cricket being in the spotlight more than when she made her debut as a 17-year-old in 2016 was a positive thing and said she had learned from the experience, including the public’s reaction.”I was so surprised,” she said. “I feel like it got slightly blown out of proportion but it was no-one’s fault. It was hard at the time because I feel like I came out to my phone and had about 25,000 messages about something that had happened in the media and I was like, ‘well what’s happened?’ Then I came out and I saw it all, and I was just like, ‘wow like that’s mega.'”

It is the end of an era for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers after a string of disappointing results across all competitions led to the manager tendering his resignation this week.

The Hoops did beat Sturm Graz in the Europa League last week, to their credit, but they have also lost three of their last five matches, including their last two in the Scottish Premiership.

Dane Murray scored an own goal and conceded a penalty in a rare start against league-leaders Hearts on Sunday, taking their opponents eight points clear at the top of the table.

The Hoops are in a position they do not often find themselves in, chasing the team at the top of the table, and Rodgers has decided that he is not the man to take the club forward.

Celtic have already confirmed that incredibly experienced manager Martin O’Neill will lead the team in the interim period until a permanent head coach can be unveiled.

The former Hoops boss will have some big calls to make for the team selection against Falkirk, with Arne Engels one of the players whose future at the club is in some doubt because of his performances.

Why Arne Engels' future at Celtic may be in doubt

The Scottish giants broke their transfer record to sign the Belgium international from Augsburg for a fee of £11m in the summer of 2024 to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

For a 21-year-old playing in Scotland for the first time, with the pressure of his transfer fee, a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, was an impressive haul.

Unfortunately, Engels has failed to kick on in the current Scottish Premiership campaign, as he has only been named in the starting line-up in four of his eight appearances.

25/26 Premiership

Arne Engels

Percentile rank vs CMs

xG

0.42

Top 33%

Goals

0

Bottom 3%

xA

0.48

Top 49%

Assists

0

Bottom 3%

Duels won

16

Bottom 31%

Duel success rate

29%

Bottom 4%

Interceptions

2

Bottom 18%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian central midfielder has failed to provide much quality in possession, whilst he has struggled badly off the ball in midfield.

His dismal form in the Premiership, and lack of starts, may put his future up in the air ahead of the January transfer window, because he is an £11m asset who will not increase in value if his performances are poor.

However, there were positive signs against Sturm Graz last week. He assisted the winning goal, as shown in the clip above, and ended the game with five key passes and three ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore.

That performance was a step in the right direction for Engels and shows that he can still deliver quality in the middle of the park for the Hoops, which is why O’Neill should not drop him from the XI.

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However, one player who should be instantly ditched by the interim manager, though, is Reo Hatate, whose performance levels have dropped significantly this season.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped

Like Engels, the Japan international was an influential figure in the middle of the park for the Hoops in the 2024/25 campaign with his attacking contributions.

Hatate scored ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ in 37 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows that he provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Bhoys.

The Japanese star was even linked with a move to Serie A side Udinese off the back of his impressive performances for the club, but he remained at Parkhead until the close of the summer transfer window.

Unfortunately, Hatate has one goal and no assists in 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season, and was recenty criticised by a former Celtic manager in the win over Sturm Graz.

Speaking on TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, Neil Lennon was unimpressed by the midfielder, saying that his play on the ball was “so sloppy” throughout the first half.

Reo Hatate

Vs Sturm Graz

Vs Hearts

Minutes

90

60

Key passes

3

1

Assists

0

0

Possession lost

16x

5x

Ground duels won

1/5

0/1

Aerial duels won

0/1

1/3

Tackles won

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hatate gave the ball away 16 times against the Austrian outfit, whilst also losing five of his six duels, before going on to lose 75% of his duels against Hearts on Sunday.

The Japan international has, now, scored one goal and failed to provide any assists, with just 0.7 key passes per game, across seven starts in the Premiership this season, on top of his struggles in duels.

With Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo both waiting in the wings, and Lennon criticising his play on the ball last week, it looks like Hatate is finished in midfield unless his performances drastically improve.

Engels, at least, showed signs of life with his impressive display against Sturm Graz, creating as many ‘big chances’ (three) as Hatate has managed all season in all competitions (three), per Sofascore.

Whilst it remains to be seen who the next permanent manager of the club will be, it also remains to be seen whether or not Hatate has much of a future left in Glasgow, if his performances do not improve.

Unlike Engels, he is not currently showing signs of revival and that could mean that a transfer is considered in January, particularly given the interest from Udinese in the summer, as it may be the best option for all parties involved if Hatate cannot recapture his best form.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos principais personagens do Fluminense é o goleiro Fábio, que há duas temporadas teve que trocar sua idolatria no Cruzeiro e aos 43 anos pode se tornar o atleta mais velho da história a conquistar uma Libertadores. Mas e se o veterano goleiro continuasse na Raposa?

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

A bonita história de Fábio, atleta com mais jogos pelo Cruzeiro, não terminou bem em Belo Horizonte. O goleiro queria permanecer na Raposa e estava disposto a renegociar seu contrato e reduzir o salário, mas os responsáveis pela SAF da equipe mineira ofereceram uma renovação de três meses e foram irredutíveis nas conversas.

O América-MG, rival do Cruzeiro, foi o primeiro interessado e encaminhou acordo com o goleiro, mas o Fluminense atravessou as negociações e fechou com o goleiro. Marcos Felipe não era unanimidade e a diretoria do clube carioca buscava um atleta experiente no gol para a disputa da Libertadores.

Fábio almejava a glória eterna em sua nona participação na Libertadores, mas o sonho do goleiro foi encerrado com a eliminação precoce do Fluminense para o Olimpia, na terceira fase da competição. Mesmo assim, ele terminou o ano em alta e acabou com as dúvidas que pairavam na meta tricolor desde a saída de Diego Cavalieri.

No final de 2022, Ronaldo Fenômeno abriu as portas do Cruzeiro para Fábio encerrar a carreira na Raposa, embora nenhuma proposta oficial tenha sido feita. Com o coração nas Laranjeiras, o goleiro decidiu renovar seu contrato com o Fluminense até 2025.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

Mesmo aos 43 anos, Fábio não deu sinais de cansaço e foi crucial na campanha do Fluminense na Libertadores. O torcedor tricolor jamais irá se esquecer da defesa no chute de Quiroga, contra o The Strongest, na temida altitude de La Paz, ou do milagre nos acréscimos após cabeceio de Luiz Adriano, na semifinal.