تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف عمر مرموش

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، التشكيل الأساسي لخوض مباراة اليوم ضد نظيره ولفرهامبتون، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “مولينيو” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وولفرهامبتون في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة مانشستر سيتي وولفرهامبتون اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي.. والمعلق

ويسعى مانشستر سيتي إلى بدء مشواره في الموسم الجديد من الدوري الإنجليزي بشكل قوي، خاصة قبل صدامه ضد توتنهام في الجولة الثانية.

وحسبما نُشر، يتواجد النجم المصري عمر مرموش على دكة بدلاء فريق مانشستر سيتي في مباراة اليوم. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي اليوم أمام ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: جيمس ترافورد.

خط الدفاع: ريكو لويس، جون ستونز، روبن دياز، آيت نوري.

خط الوسط: نيكو جونزاليس، برناردو سيلفا.

خط الوسط الهجومي: أوسكار بوب، تيجاني ريندرز، جيريمي دوكو.

خط الهجوم: إيرلينج هالاند.

البدلاء: أورتيجا مورينو، ناثان آكي، عمر مرموش، ريان شرقي، إيلكاي جوندوجان، مانويل أكانجي، ماتيوس نونيز، نيكو أوريلي، عبد القادر خوسانوف.

Mooney smashes ton as Scorchers topple ladder-leading Thunder

The prolific left hander took four boundaries off the final over to reach a brilliant hundred

AAP12-Nov-2023Perth Scorchers usurped Sydney Thunder at the top of the table after Beth Mooney’s third WBBL century powered her side to a 42-run win.After losing her superstar opening partner Sophie Devine early, Mooney almost single-handedly steered Scorchers to a competitive 159 for 4 at the Junction Oval.In reply, the resurgent Thunder fell to 18 for 3 by the end of the powerplay, having not dropped any wickets there in their previous seven games.Related

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Young quick Chloe Ainsworth (2 for 8) set the carnage in motion with back-to-back wickets and things only spiralled further out of control from there.The loss was only Thunder’s second of the tournament and relegated them to second spot on the ladder behind Scorchers.It was only in the twilight of the Scorchers’ innings that Mooney enjoyed a steady partnership as in-form Hannah Darlington spearheaded the Thunder attack to keep her team-mates quiet.Chloe Piparo did well to help Mooney steady the ship following the loss of Amy Jones just as Scorchers looked primed to take the power surge.Mooney had played a patient innings but smacked Sammy-Jo Johnson for four fours from five deliveries in the final over to snatch the ascendancy for Scorchers.On 97, Mooney pulled stand-in Thunder captain Johnson past deep midwicket for four to bring up an unbeaten ton on the last ball of the innings and the 61st delivery she faced.Mooney is now the only player to have passed 400 total runs in all nine iterations of the WBBL and is the current edition’s second-highest run-scorer, only one run behind Devine.Thunder were in trouble by the end of the power play after Ainsworth snared star imports Chamari Athapaththu and Marizanne Kapp in consecutive balls.Scorchers successfully reviewed an lbw shout on in-form Athapaththu before Piparo at point caught out-of-sorts Kapp for a golden duck.Rested with hamstring soreness, captain Heather Knight watched on helplessly as the Thunder batting order fell to 33 for 5 when Devine caught and bowled Claire Moore.Only Australian representative Phoebe Litchfield offered resistance at first drop so when she was caught in the deep from Amy Edgar’s bowling, Scorchers were home.

Cristiano Ronaldo told stunning Real Madrid return is 'impossible' amid Al-Nassr exit talk – but Portuguese GOAT could head back to his roots at Sporting

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that a stunning return to Real Madrid is 'impossible', but the Portuguese GOAT could head back to Sporting.

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All-time great frustrated at Al-NassrContract running down to free agencyLinked with clubs around the worldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has seen his future become the subject of intense speculation – not for the first time in his remarkable career. It is being suggested that the evergreen 40-year-old frontman is ready to sever ties with Al-Nassr.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo has been working on a record-breaking contract in the Saudi Pro League since 2023. Major silverware has, however, proved hard to come by during his time in Riyadh, and the all-time great continues to head towards free agency.

DID YOU KNOW?

Various landing spots for Ronaldo have been speculated on. He could head back to where it all began for him in Lisbon, bringing a stunning sporting story full circle, with it considered unlikely that one of his other former clubs – where he remains the all-time leading goal-scorer – would be interested in doing a deal.

Getty ImagesWHAT FERNANDO MORIENTES SAID

Ex-Los Blancos striker Fernando Morientes has told of what the immediate future holds for CR7: “As a footballer, we Real Madrid fans enjoyed Cristiano's best years at the Bernabeu. The impact he's had on modern football has been incredible.

“As you get older, obviously not just him, but everyone, expectations and ambitions change and you have to lower your standards a bit. I think when a player of that age joins the Saudi Pro League, it's to finish his professional footballing career and begin retirement.

“I don't know if he has any special motivation to wear a shirt; for example, Sporting Lisbon's was where he started. Obviously, Real Madrid's is almost impossible now.

“I like to see him where I see him, and I'd like him to retire wherever he wants to. I really like those players who start out with one team and end up retiring there. I don't know if Cristiano would have that motivation to do so at Sporting.”

Leeds flop who left after just 20 games is now similar to a £92m star

Leeds United supporters will be hoping that the club can secure a return to the Premier League over the next couple of months with just 14 Championship games remaining in 2024/25.

The Whites are currently in their second season at this level after missing out on promotion last time around in the cruellest way possible – the play-off final.

However, Daniel Farke has done a superb job of leading the club to the summit of the table in recent weeks, with their 14-game unbeaten run in the league undoubtedly aiding their cause.

Leeds United manager DanielFarkeapplauds fans

If they were to secure a return to England’s top flight, the German would have to do what many teams have failed to do over the last couple of seasons and avoid an immediate return back down the ladder.

Should they secure promotion, the hierarchy would have to provide the manager with the resources to be a success once more, learning from their previous mistakes of signing players not at the level required.

Leeds United’s transfers in 2022/23

Leeds’ last season in the Premier League was a challenge from the get-go, losing Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively – with the pair two of their star players at Elland Road the season.

Subsequent funds were spent across the team to provide depth in all areas, with full-back Rasmus Kristensen joining the club from RB Salzburg.

Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen.

The Dane made 26 appearances during his only season as a first-team member in Yorkshire to date, leaving on multiple loan spells after relegation at the end of the season.

He was just one of nine senior additions during the course of the aforementioned campaign, but he and his teammates were unable to prevent the club from dropping back into the Championship at the end of the season.

One of the signings joined in January, offering a last-ditch attempt to turn around the dismal form, but was subsequently unable to – thriving away from Elland Road in the last couple of seasons.

The Leeds player who’s similar to a £92m talent

Weston McKennie arrived at Leeds on loan from Juventus in January 2023, looking to add the needed quality to the midfield department to fight off any lingering relegation threats.

Weston McKennie for Leeds United

The American would make 20 appearances but was unable to prevent the inevitable, leaving the Whites at the end of the season and moving back to Serie A, forcing himself back into the first-team picture in Turin.

The 26-year-old has now featured 64 times in the last two campaigns for the Italian giants, registering 18 combined goals and assists, with his latest strike coming in the Champions League against PSV last night.

As a result of his displays, McKennie has since been ranked as a similar player to Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard – highlighting how much he’s developed away from Yorkshire after his temporary stint with the Whites.

The Norwegian, who’s valued at £92m by Transfermarkt, has been a key member of Mikel Arteta’s side in recent times but has been unable to produce better stats than the former loanee who’s bettered the midfielder in various key areas.

Games played

18

16

Goals & assists

5

5

Shot-on-target accuracy

56%

30%

Pass accuracy

85%

83%

Tackles won

1.3

1.1

Blocks made

0.8

0.3

Take-ons completed

55%

47%

Aerials won

1

0.4

The Juve star has registered the same amount of goal contributions in the league, whilst posting a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, outperforming the former Real Madrid star who’s more of an attacking option.

McKennie has also completed more of his attempted passes and won more tackles per 90, showcasing his excellent box-to-box playstyle, finally starting to fulfil his potential after his spell at Leeds.

Leeds United midfielder Weston McKennie

It’s bonkers to see such a quick progression after his short spell in Yorkshire, with the American undoubtedly one of the leading talents within Juventus’ current squad under Thiago Motta.

Outperforming Odegaard is no mean feat given his own form in recent times, with it being great to see a former Whites player thrive after a difficult period in his professional career following relegation in 2022/23.

Saved by James & Solomon: Farke must axe Leeds dud who lost possession 15x

Leeds United took a huge leap towards Championship promotion with a huge 4-0 win last night.

5 ByEthan Lamb Feb 12, 2025

Mikel Arteta tipped to leave Arsenal if Gunners miss out on trophies next season as Jamie Carragher hits out at Spaniard's 'excuses'

Mikel Arteta has been tipped to leave Arsenal if the Gunners miss out on silverware next season as Jamie Carragher hit out at his "excuses".

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  • Arsenal falter again in the final lap
  • Remain trophyless for another season under Arteta
  • FA Cup success in 2020 remains the only silverware
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Arsenal’s hopes of ending their long wait for silverware were dashed once again following their Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The defeat at Parc des Princes means the North London side will finish a fifth successive season without lifting a major trophy, their last success being the FA Cup triumph over Chelsea in 2020.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Despite the defeat, Arteta maintained that his side had outperformed their French opponents across both legs. He insisted that Arsenal deserved a place in the final, arguing that the overall display was more deserving than the result suggested.

  • WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

    Former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher was among those who questioned Arteta’s reaction. Writing in Carragher criticised the Arsenal manager for what he described as "excuse-laden" remarks, likening them to fan reactions often seen on social media.

    He wrote: "Some of Arteta’s most recent public comments have veered into that territory, making him sound more like a fan on social media perpetuating a series of complaints about injuries and refereeing decisions. His remarks about Arsenal deserving to beat Paris St-Germain over two legs in the Champions League semi-final left him open to ridicule. Luis Enrique’s side have been by far the best side in this year’s competition, and they showed their class in both games."

    Carragher further noted that while injuries can derail a season, every title contender faces adversity. He cited Manchester City’s struggles during Rodri’s absence as an example, suggesting that Arteta’s focus on such incidents does little to justify the bigger picture.

    "One club’s valid explanations for ‘failure’ are everyone else’s lame excuses. That is especially true with regard to injuries. We could go through many league seasons in which the runners-up could point to ‘if only’ moments," he wrote.

    "Every neutral football supporter knows that the injury that truly transformed this season was Rodri’s against Arsenal last September – the first of many games Arteta’s side should have won but ended up drawing. Would a fit Rodri have altered the title race and prevented a Liverpool procession? We will never know. More importantly, when a season is reviewed, such facts become incidental, no matter how influential they were at the time."

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Carragher stressed that Arteta’s tenure, although marked by substantial progress, is now at a crossroads. If Arsenal are to avoid a cycle of near misses, the upcoming season must yield tangible rewards.

    "Arteta has so much credit in the bank, it is fair and right, there is more resistance to managerial change at Arsenal than desire for it," he said.

    "But no one understands better than him that all the goodwill for creating an Arsenal team capable of winning is gone. Arteta must deliver next season, otherwise his legacy will be years of groundwork for the benefit of a successor who will be asked to add the finishing touches."

Klaas and de Klerk star as South Africa square T20I series against New Zealand

New Zealand were in the game for long periods but fell short in the end

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2023

Masabata Klaas did the star turn for South Africa•Gallo Images/Getty Images

South Africa bounced back from the defeat in the fourth T20I with an 11-run win in the fifth and final game to square the rain-hit series 1-1 in Benoni on Sunday. Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus did most of the work with the bat, but it was the bowlers who won South Africa the game, Masabata Klaas and Nadine de Klerk picking up three wickets apiece to stop New Zealand 11 short in a moderate chase.Asked to bat, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Brits put on a quick 36-run stand at the top, Wolvaardt doing the bulk of the scoring before being dismissed for a 20-ball 24 in the fifth over by Lea Tahuhu. Anneke Bosch joined Brits, and the two took South Africa to a strong 75 for 1 at the halfway mark, but the two batters were dismissed within three overs of each other, and South Africa were 115 for 3 in 15.1 overs, with the scoring rate having slowed down.Luus contributed an unbeaten 36 in 23 balls, and despite two-wicket hauls from Tahuhu and Molly Penfold, South Africa got to a competitive 155.South Africa needed early wickets, and Klaas got one for them when she got rid of Kate Anderson for 11 in the third over. But Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr took control of the game from that point and stitched together a stand of 97 runs for the second wicket. Unfortunately for New Zealand, the pace of scoring wasn’t fantastic, and when Bates was dismissed for 45 in 42 in the 16th over, by de Klerk, New Zealand still needed 39 to win. Kerr’s dismissal, to Klaas, two overs later made things worse.None of the remaining New Zealand batters got into double figures as Klaas, the Player of the Match, and de Klerk did all the damage and South Africa finished in front.South Africa had earlier won the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Everton talks revealed over target whose price just went from £10m to £20m

da brwin: Internal talks are said to be underway at Everton regarding the signing of an attacking player with “flair” this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Everton transfer news

da poker: The Blues continue to be linked with new signings at the end of the season, with Tottenham attacker Manor Solomon one such figure. He is currently on loan at Leeds United, helping them mount a serious Premier League promotion charge in the Championship and being valued around £10m by Spurs for a permanent exit.

Worryingly, however, Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing a move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, with the reigning Champions League holders seeing him as a strong option to bring in and bolster their defence.

The Blues would surely only entertain enormous offers for the England international, though, considering he is viewed as a huge long-term prospect who can lead the defence for many more years to come, with the price tag thought to be around £70m or more.

Meanwhile, David Moyes is believed to be the driving force behind Abdoulaye Doucoure potentially being handed a contract extension at Everton, with the manager no doubt seeing him as an important player moving forward.

Everton hold internal talks over signing "flair" attacker

According to a fresh claim from Ben Jacobs for Give Me Sport, Everton have now held internal talks over the signing of Spurs attacker Solomon this summer: “I’m taking a little look, as we discussed with Fabrizio, on Manor Solomon and his future. He’s doing very well for Leeds and Fabrizio is right to point out that Leeds would like to keep him.

“But, by that same token, there’s no option to buy there and there are other Premier League clubs interested. Everton have discussed him internally. Leicester City, if they can somehow stay in the Premier League, (are) another one to watch.”

Leeds United'sManorSolomoncelebrates scoring their first goal

Soloman stands out as a good option for Everton this summer, having enjoyed an impressive campaign for Leeds, scoring and assisting seven times apiece in the Championship, and this has led to reports of his price tag skyrocketing in recent days up to £20m.

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The 25-year-old doesn’t appear to have a long-term future at Spurs, and while there appears to be strong competition for him, the Blues should fancy their chances of enticing him to the club, especially ahead of a move to their impressive new stadium in the coming months.

Solomon has been a highly-rated player since his younger days, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig pointing out his “flair” as a key part of his game back in 2019, while Jamie Redknapp has described him as “pocket rocket” of a footballer.

The fact that some talks have already taken place within the club can only bode well for Everton, and Solomon could come in and provide competition for Iliman Ndiaye on the left wing, as well as give added depth for Moyes in that area.

Maharaja Trophy auction: Abhinav the most expensive buy; Agarwal, Padikkal also fetch big money

Among fast bowlers, Prasidh Krishna and Vijaykumar Vyshak attract top bids

Shashank Kishore22-Jul-2023Batters were the flavour of the day at the Maharaja Trophy auction in Bengaluru on Saturday, with Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Manish Pandey all attracting big bids. However, the biggest bid was reserved for middle-order batter Abhinav Manohar, who was signed for INR 15 lakh by Shivamogga Lions, one of the two new franchises along with Mangalore Dragons in the six-team tournament that is to run from August 13 to 29.Agarwal was signed for INR 14 lakh by Bengaluru Blasters, while Padikkal (INR 13.2 lakh) and Pandey (INR 10.6 lakh) attracted the next highest bids, by defending champions Gulbarga Mystics and Hubli Tigers, respectively.In all, over 700 cricketers from across the state were slotted and auctioned across four groups. Category A included India and IPL players, while Category B comprised those who have played in the BCCI tournaments at the senior level. State players from across the BCCI’s age-group tournaments formed Category C. All other players from the state were bracketed in Category D.Among the fast bowlers, Vijaykumar Vyshak, who earned a maiden IPL deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this year, was signed for INR 8.8 lakh by Mystics, while Prasidh Krishna, who is set to return to competitive cricket after more than a year, went for INR 7.4 lakh to Mysuru Warriors.Abhinav Manohar was picked up by Shivamogga Lions for INR 15 lakhs•BCCISpin-bowling allrounders Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham went to Lions and Dragons for INR 7.4 lakh and INR 6.6 lakh, respectively. Meanwhile, Karun Nair, currently playing minor county cricket in England, returned to Warriors for INR 6.8 lakh amid the reports of him looking to pursue opportunities outside the state in domestic cricket. Nair hasn’t played any form of cricket for Karnataka for over a year.Among younger players, Nikin Jose, currently playing in the emerging team’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, was snapped up for INR 7 lakh by Dragons. Jose had a prolific debut season across formats, and is now considered an all-format regular.This year, the tournament returns to a franchise model following a season in which the KSCA had complete control of all cricketing aspects – right from player drafts to payments to the appointments of coaches and staff. At the time, apart from “restoring credibility” after the tournament had been struck by a series of spot-fixing controversies, the KSCA said the shift had been made keeping in mind the country’s tax laws.At that time, the KSCA’s cricket committee, headed by then president and former India allrounder Roger Binny, had formed a core group of six selectors – picked from across the six zones of the state – to take part in the draft process, and payments were uniform as per the grades to which players belonged.Each team will play the other five twice. The top four will then compete in Qualifiers and Eliminator, just like the IPL playoffs system. All matches will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.Maharaja Trophy squadsGulbarga Mystics: Devdutt Padikkal, KP Appana, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Srinivas Sharath, LR Chethan, Aqib Jawad, R Smaran, KV Aneesh, Macneil Noronha, Sharan Goud, Abhilash Shetty, Hardik Raj, Shimon Luiz, Avinash D, Yashovardhan Parantap, Aadarsh Prajwal, Abul Hasan Khalid, Shaun JosephHubli Tigers: KC Cariappa, Pravin Dubey, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Shrijith KL, Mohammed Taha, Vidhwath Kaverappa, MB Darshan, Shivam MB, Naga Bharath, Santokh Singh, Mohith BA, Manvanth Kumar L, Mitrakant Singh Yadav, Malliksab G, Nathan D’mello, Rakshekar Harikant, Clement RajuShivamogga Lions: Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, Nihal Ullal, Koushik V, Sharath HS, Kranthi Kumar, Rohan Kadam, Shreyas Puranik, Pranav Bhatia, Vinay Sagar, Aditya Somanna, Adhoksh Hegde, Pavan Shridi, Rohan Naveen, Shivaraj, Rohit Kumar K, Nischith Rao, Deepak DevadigaMysuru Warriors: Karun Nair, Suchith J, Prasidh Krishna, Shoaib Manager, Samarth R, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Venkatesh M, Tushar Singh, Kushal Wadhwani, Shashi Kumar K, Rakshith S, Shreesha S Achar, Monish Reddy, Aditya Mani, Gautam Mishra, Rahul Singh Rawat, Bharath DhuriBengaluru Blasters: Mithun A, Mayank Agarwal, Pradeep T, Mohammed Sarfaraz Ashraf, Pavan Deshpande, Shubhang Hegde, Nishchal D, Vidyadhar Patil, Jeshwanth Acharya, Jasper EJ, Kumar LR, Mohsin Khan, Aashish Mahesh, Rishi Bopanna, Suraj Ahuja, Aaron Christie, Abhishek Ahlawat, Aman KhanMangalore Dragons: Ronit More, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krishnamurthy Siddharth, Nikin Jose, BR Sharath, Prateek Jain, Aniruddha Joshi, Rohan Patil, Gaurav Dhiman, BU Shivakumar, Thippa Reddy, Aaditya Nair, Aditya Goyal, Doddamani Anand, Kruthik Krishna, Gneshwar Naveen, Dheeraj Gowda, Aneeshwar Gautam

Sport x Corinthians: saiba onde assistir ao jogo pela Copinha

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker: Maior vencedor da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, com 10 títulos, o Corinthians segue em busca do enea. Invicto nesta edição, com quatro vitórias em quatro jogos, o Timãozinho entrará em campo neste sábado (14), às 19h30, contra o Sport Recife, na Fonte Luminosa, em Araraquara. A partida terá transmissão exclusiva na TV fechada pelo SporTV.

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da pixbet: + Emerson Shake vence Emerson Jake em duelo que parou a internet; veja os memes

+ Confira as movimentações do vaivém do L! no mercado da bola

O estádio da Ferroviária tem sido a casa corintiana na Copinha até aqui. Foi lá que os meninos do terrão venceram a Locomotiva, o Zumbi, de Alagoas, e o Fast Club, de Manaus, na fase de grupos, e o Comercial, de Ribeirão Preto, na primeira eliminatória da competição.

O triunfo da última quinta-feira (12) foi registrado já nos acréscimos da partida, com um gol do atacante Wesley, que definiu o 1 a 0 favorável ao Coringão.

Fewer touches than Sanchez: Chelsea dud must be axed after 4/10 display

Chelsea went crashing out of the FA Cup in the fourth round, losing 2-1 to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday evening.

Despite taking a 1-0 lead after just five minutes, with Bart Verbruggen making a huge error and turning one into his own net, the Seagulls struck back early through Georginio Rutter to make it 1-1 after 12 minutes, with the eventual winner being scored by Kaoru Mitoma after 57 minutes.

Enzo Maresca made six changes to the side, with Trevoh Chalobah coming in for Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto starting at right-back ahead of Reece James, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replacing Enzo Fernández alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield, and Pedro Neto earning a start on the right over Noni Madueke.

However, it was the other two changes that had the biggest effect on the game, with Robert Sanchez taking over from Filip Jorgensen in the net, and Christopher Nkunku replacing the injured Nicolas Jackson up top, leaving Chelsea lacking in both boxes.

Robert Sanchez's dodgy performance against Brighton

After making another poor error against Manchester City in the Premier League, Sanchez was dropped, allowing Chelsea’s summer signing Jorgensen to come into the side to face West Ham in their most recent game, winning 2-1 and the Danish shot-stopper putting in a fairly good account for himself.

But Sanchez came back into the side for this FA Cup match, which could perhaps mean the roles have been reversed between the two keepers, with Jorgensen set for a run of Premier League games now.

However, Sanchez put in another dodgy display, misplacing 13 of his 20 long ball attempts and only completing 69% of his passes, having 56 touches in the game.

The 27-year-old Spaniard only made one save, made one punch, and, of course, conceded the two goals, which is hard to blame him for on this occasion, both being good finishes from close range.

Despite the goalkeeper being a clear issue currently at Chelsea, the striker position is perhaps even more alarming, especially in the absence of Jackson as the Blues were against Brighton, starting Nkunku as more of a false nine.

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

Chelsea's biggest underperformer against Brighton

With Marc Guiu also out with an injury, Maresca had no choice but to start Nkunku up front, which is a position he has been playing in the UEFA Conference League this campaign anyway for the Blues, scoring 13 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions.

However, it was yet again evident that Nkunku is not a natural centre-forward, continuing to drop deep to get touches and not getting a single shot off in the entirety of the game.

Christopher Nkunku vs Brighton

Stat

Nkunku

Minutes

90

Touches

33

Accurate Passes

29/29

Shots

0

Key Passes

1

Ground Duels Won

1/3

Aerial Duels Won

2/3

Stats taken from Sofascore

In fact, the 28-year-old only had one touch in the opposition box throughout the match, again showing his inability to affect the game whilst leading the line. Nkunku’s poor performance resulted in a 4/10 match rating from football.london.

This had a knock-on effect on the team, with the wingers reluctant to put crosses into the box with no one substantial to aim at, a lack of runners in behind making the pitch more condensed for the Chelsea midfield players, and an overall lack of balance in the side.

Maresca will be hoping Jackson is back in time for their next game, facing Brighton again, this time in the Premier League in just five days’ time, otherwise, the outcome could be similar with those same problems cropping up once more. Truth be told, he must be replaced at the earliest convenience.

He lost the ball 21 times: 4/10 Chelsea dud was as bad as Nkunku v Brighton

Chelsea were poor in the FA Cup fourth round as they slumped to defeat against the Seagulls.

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By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 9, 2025

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