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Daniel Farke’s future at Elland Road has come into question after Leeds United slipped into the relegation zone following a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League.

The Guardian now reports that the German head coach is expected, by senior figures inside the club, to lose his job if they lose to Chelsea and Liverpool in their matches this week.

It has been reported elsewhere that former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil is in the frame to replace Farke, having been out of a job since he was sacked by the Old Gold last season.

Why Leeds should avoid Gary O'Neil

At face value, the English tactician would seem to be a shrewd appointment for the West Yorkshire outfit, given that he kept Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League in his first seasons with both clubs.

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However, the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns and his second season with Wolves suggest that that may have had more to do with the quality of the players at his disposal, rather than outstanding coaching.

Points

39 (15th)

46 (14th)

xPTS

34 (20th)

41 (17th)

xG

39.6 (18th)

47.6 (17th)

xGA

65.9 (18th)

68.9 (15th)

As you can see in the table above, both of his teams picked up more points than their performances deserved, as both Wolves and Bournemouth delivered relegation-battling numbers.

Those dismal performance numbers finally caught up with O’Neil in his second season with the Old Gold, as he lost 11 of the first 16 matches before being sacked, per Transfermarkt.

This is why Leeds should avoid a move for the ex-Wolves boss, because his Premier League career so far does not suggest that he would be the man to improve their performances, and that is why they should pursue Carlos Corberan instead.

Why Leeds should hire Carlos Corberan

If the Spanish head coach, who is a reported target for the club, is available and willing to come to Elland Road, the Whites should sack Farke and ignore O’Neil to bring him back to Thorp Arch.

Corberan, who was described as a “student of Marcelo Bielsa” by scout Ben Mattinson, worked for Leeds at U21 level and as a first-team coach for Bielsa before he made his first step into senior management with Huddersfield Town.

After play-off finishes in the Championship with Huddersfield and West Brom, the Spanish tactician was appointed by Valencia last season, and only lost five of his 21 LaLiga games in charge of the club, per Transfermarkt, to earn a 12th-placed finish.

Whilst O’Neil’s Premier League teams largely benefitted from an overperformance against their performance data, Corberan has been unfortunate with Valencia in LaLiga this term.

Per FotMob, the Spanish side are 15th in the league on 14 points from 14 games. However, they rank 12th in the division for xPTs (17) and have underperformed their xG, of 14.8, and conceded more than their xGA of 20.8.

Matches managed

62

35

Wins

9

12

Draws

10

12

Losses

43

11

Points

37

48

Points per game

0.60

1.37

This shows that Corberan’s coaching has been better than Valencia’s results suggest, as his players have not made the most of the situations that the system and tactics have created for them, whilst the opposite was true of O’Neil’s time with Wolves and Bournemouth.

The 42-year-old tactician has shown that he can manage in one of the top leagues in Europe, having previously shown his class in the Championship, and that should also appeal to Leeds if they are looking for a replacement for Farke in the coming days.

Farke, as shown in the earlier table, has a dismal Premier League record in his career, which is why appointing a manager like Corberan, who has been a safe pair of hands for Valencia and has a pre-existing relationship with the club, could be a great move.

Leeds star who was a "massive signing" is becoming the new Kristensen

This Leeds United star who has been a huge signing for the club is their biggest Premier League liability since Rasmus Kristensen.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

The likes of Corberan and O’Neil will now surely be watching on from afar with keen interest as Leeds take on Chelsea and Liverpool this week in the Premier League.

Home side’s batting malfunctions on cloudy day as Gloucestershire cement table-topping form

Andrew Miller06-May-2021Gloucestershire 19 for 1 trail Middlesex 210 (White 76*, Payne 5-31) by 191 runsThis wasn’t exactly an advert for Championship cricket. More a case of Championship cricket for adverts (specifically of the erectile dysfunction variety, as it happens) as Sky Sports cobbled together a lo-fi means to fill an IPL-shaped void in their scheduling. The solution? The dispatching of their heavies – Athers, Nasser, Keysy and Wardy – to HQ, to see what the Middlesex live stream had to offer their cricketainment-starved masses.The answer “Robbie White” might not have been top of anyone’s list, to be fair. Nor a run-rate that protested, like a two-stroke moped, whenever it got close to 2.5 an over. Nor a dank and confused day that started as black as midnight and erupted, via two half-hearted rain-breaks, into the sort of hypothermic blue skies that cause accidental picnickers to stammer “isn’t this lovely?” through chattering teeth.But at least there was David Payne, bending his left-arm bananas around a series of skittish defensive techniques, to claim the day’s outstanding figures of 5 for 31 in 18.5 overs. And at least there was the chance, too, for the under-sung Ryan Higgins to seize this unlikely version of the limelight. By picking off two well-crafted wickets, including the in-form Sam Robson for the day’s first scalp, Higgins took his season’s tally to 26 at 17.34, and with his batting yet to come, he could yet reinforce the sense that his numbers are more than just a trick of the Bristol light.But overall, this was a day on which Middlesex stared their recent batting failures in the mirror, like a self-motivating drunk in a pub toilet, and ended up decorating the dancefloor once again in spite of resolving to hold it all in this time. Their innings of 210 in 80.5 overs was attritional in outlook, but lacked attrition in execution – with the honourable exception of White, who remained high and dry on 76 not out from 149 balls, as the rest of Middlesex’s top seven reached double figures without getting past 20.White is still waiting for that elusive first-class century – he made a career-best 99 in last season’s Bob Willis Trophy, and has now passed 70 in the last four of this season’s five matches. His nine boundaries were cherry-picked at first, as he focussed on punishing the ball in his eyeline, but his confidence was beginning to flow as he eased to his fifty with a brace of fours off Daniel Worrall – a liberated cut and a pumped drive through the covers. With a bit more support at the other end, he’ll reach his promised land soon enough.Gloucestershire, top of Group 2 after a startlingly composed start to their campaign, have leant heavily on their batting in their three wins from four, not least in their 348-run chase against Leicestershire in the last round of matches. But when given the chance to bowl first on a stereotypically “look up, not down” morning at Lord’s, Chris Dent seized the chance, and was vindicated in the final analysis, even if for long periods of their innings, Middlesex seemed to be toughing their way through to better times.Their frailties, however, were rarely far from the surface. Robson and Max Holden peered through the gloom of the first hour to reach 23 for no loss when rain stopped play for the first time, only for Higgins to bend his second ball of the resumption down the slope and into Robson’s planted front pad for 13.Max Holden was then suckered by a zippy nipbacker from Matt Taylor, the second left-armer in Gloucestershire’s ranks – his lack of intent condemning him for offering no shot as the ball speared back down the slope. And though Peter Handscomb avoided his third duck since arriving as Middlesex’s new captain, his dismissal was not that of a man at ease with his game. A grotesque leave as Payne curled an inswinger into his off-stump for 10 left him nursing a tally of 27 runs in four innings.Middlesex by now were going nowhere fast, unable to stick and not daring to twist as Gloucestershire’s seamers hounded their techniques with increasing frequency. Nick Gubbins was another to succumb to Payne’s natural bend through the air, as he jabbed with hard hands for George Hankins to cling on at the second attempt at second slip, and though John Simpson showed signs of fluency with three well-timed fours in his 17, he was done like a rookie by the spin of Tom Smith. A flat tonk through mid-on one ball as Smith gave him oodles of air to chase, a confused thud of the pad the next, as Smith slipped a faster, flatter one down the slope.Related

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Martin Andersson, not quite at the races in either of his two disciplines this season, hung around with White for a while in a 42-run stand for the sixth wicket, the best of the innings. But Taylor switched his angle to round the wicket to crash into his thrusting front pad for 20, before James Harris received the best ball of the day, a wicked full-length inswinger that burst through his gate from over the wicket before his technique could respond.The tail came meekly – Higgins bagged his second to dislodge Ethan Bamber with an inswinger, before Payne fittingly sealed his five-for with two in three balls, as Thilan Wallalawita and Tim Murtagh were rounded up with only Wallalawita’s calypso cover drive for four to show for their efforts.The only saving grace of a day that started terribly for Middlesex with the news of Toby Roland-Jones’ latest injury setback came in the closing minutes, as Dent and Kraigg Brathwaite got into a fearful muddle on a quick single to midwicket. Dent was run out for 10 as he scurried back whence he came, trapping his bat in the turf to hamper his progress. With the forecast set to be mixed for the coming days, the atmospherics around Lord’s could yet assist a fightback from Middlesex’s own seamers. But they’ll need to find greater resolve when their own second innings comes.Given the expense that Sky have spared in their production, they could have picked pretty much any ground in the country this week. They could have spirited themselves to Trent Bridge, to watch the champions Essex fold for 99 as Stuart Broad got the better of Alastair Cook; to Northampton, to watch Sussex slump to 25 for 7 on a 15-wicket day, or the Ageas Bowl, where Hampshire’s April run-harvesting already feels as much of a bygone era as warm hugs and finger buffets.But they’ve settled for the hallowed turf, with its building works and statue rumpuses, and misfiring home batters. And they’ll take what they’ve been given, come what may.

Arsenal have been warned by Gary Neville that they risk being a forgotten team if they fail to win the Premier League or Champions League.

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Arsenal finished second to Man CityLooking to win Premier League this seasonTold they need 'statement win' against championsWHAT HAPPENED?

After surrendering a lead at the top of the Premier League table to finish second behind Manchester City for the second year in a row last season, Arsenal are aiming to end the dominance of Pep Guardiola's side this time around.

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Despite the strength of Mikel Arteta's team, ex-Manchester United star Neville says failure to land a major trophy will see them consigned to "nearly men", as he challenged them to earn a "statement win" against City on Sunday.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

"If this superb Arsenal team doesn’t win the Premier League or the Champions League then they can forget about going down in history. That’s harsh but the reality of elite sport," he wrote in newsletter for . "No one will fondly recall the magnificence of William Saliba and Gabriel at the back, the brilliance of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, David Raya’s extraordinary saves or the incision of Bukayo Saka up front. There will be no Netflix documentaries. They will never be feted or admired. They will be dismissed as nearly men."

Neville added: "History is unforgiving of those who fall just short. And that’s why, for all the excellent work they’ve done in the past two years, there is still a step to take. We’re too early in the season to describe Sunday’s clash with Manchester City at the Etihad as a title decider. Yet Arsenal need a statement win because they need to damage Manchester City and to demonstrate to themselves that they are the team of the moment."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The Gunners sit two points behind reigning champions City after four Premier League games, with the two teams going head-to-head at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

da brwin： Leeds United youth prospect Alex Baird could depart West Yorkshire in the upcoming January transfer window.

da betsson： At the second time of asking, Daniel Farke led the Whites back to the Premier League last season, ascending as centurions and winners of the Championship. To prepare, the Whites made a number of summer signings, aiming to avoid the fate of all six promoted sides across the past two years, who were immediately relegated.

Unsurprisingly, Leeds have been linked with a number of potential incomings ahead of the January transfer window, in which they can reinforce their squad. Alongside Sunderland and Burnley, the 2025/26 season looks to be one in which, finally, promoted teams can compete in the Premier League once more.

It would appear, though, that the Whites may have to navigate the departure of a promising talent this January.

Baird could leave Leeds this winter

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Alex Baird could depart Elland Road for free in the upcoming transfer window. Though he is a promising player, currently in the ranks of Leeds’ Under-18s squad, Baird’s pathway to the first team is unclear.

Ahead of Baird in the youth academy’s pecking order are Darryl Ombang and Rory Mahady. The latter is particularly regarded as a star prospect and both have spent time, in recent months, on loan with clubs in the English football pyramid.

Given that both seem ahead of Baird, it makes sense that the youngster could leave and join a club with a clearer route to first-team football. Not only that, but Leeds are well-stocked in the goalkeeping department at a senior level too.

Illan Meslier, who has not played for Leeds since early 2025, looks set to leave the club sooner rather than later. The fact that Meslier did not, in fact, depart in the latest summer transfer window was rather surprising.

Elsewhere, though, the Whites signed Lucas Perri from Lyon to be their new number one in the summer. Karl Darlow has performed admirably when called upon as a back-up shot-stopper and Alex Cairns, now a veteran who is a Leeds youth academy product, is the club’s third choice keeper.

What Baird goes onto achieve as a player remains to be seen, though it would appear that these accomplishments will not be achieved at Elland Road.

"Indespensable" Leeds star now struggling for form

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that key centre-back Lisandro Martinez has returned to full training after a long injury absence.

After a concerning start to the season, things really feel like they are falling into place for the Red Devils, following three wins in a row in the Premier League, including memorable victory away to rivals and champions Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim has overcome a hugely testing period and now feels like the right man to take United forward, and having as many players available as possible can only be a good thing, with one game a week this season and no European football helping in that respect.

One player who Amorim has had to do without for many months is Martinez, with the Argentina World Cup winner not featuring since damaging knee ligaments at the beginning of February, in a cruel blow for the defender.

The 27-year-old is arguably United’s strongest centre-back, so not having him available for such an extended period of time has been far from ideal, but ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, some great news has emerged regarding his fitness.

Martinez to return to Man Utd action in November

Taking to X on Thursday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Martinez is now back in training for Manchester United, aiming for a return on the pitch in November.

This is fantastic news for anyone of a United persuasion, with Martinez’s tenacity, quality and winning mentality such a loss over the past eight months or so. It has also left Amorim delighted, with the manager saying: “It’s really good. He gives use that edge in every training session, that is also really good for us.”

The Argentine is a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford, playing with so much passion, and Casemiro has heaped praise on him as a character.

“Licha is on the final straight. He is a soldier who works so hard. He is always in the gym working hard. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one of those players that loves to work hard. It is a pleasure to have him here, he works so much. We arrived [today] at 9am and it is now 4pm and he continues working.”

Where Lisandro Martinez ranks among Man Utd's highest-earning players

It is clearly going to take Martinez some time to get back to his very best, given the severity of his injury, but assuming he makes a full recovery and returns as the player of old eventually, he can continue to be a huge player for United for years to come.

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He is tailor-made to thrive in Amorim’s back three, bringing the ball out with quality and purpose, and he even has the characteristics to potentially be a future captain of the Red Devils if Bruno Fernandes moves on before him, endearing himself to the fans with his love for the club.

Mumbai Indians allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana and Gujarat Giants allrounder Ashleigh Gardner have been retained for the maximum price of INR 3.5 crore ahead of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction.The WPL officially released the list of players retained by the franchises on Thursday and Sciver-Brunt – not the captain Harmanpreet Kaur – was MI’s first retention. RCB wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh was retained for INR 2.75 crore, the second-highest bracket, while Harmanpreet and Giants opener Beth Mooney were retained for INR 2.5 crore each. There were a few notable surprises in the retention list. UP Warriorz chose not to retain Deepti Sharma, the recent ODI World Cup’s Player of the Tournament, holding on to only one player in Shweta Sehrawat. Among other major releases were Amelia Kerr, Alyssa Healy, and Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning.As per WPL retention rules, franchises can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and at most two uncapped Indian players. If a franchise wanted to retain five players, at least one of them should be an uncapped Indian player. The WPL has for the first time given teams right-to-match (RTM) options at the auction to buy back a player who was part of their 2025 squad.Each franchise has been allotted INR 15 crore to build their squad for WPL 2026. It is understood that the mega player auction will take place in Delhi on November 27.Here’s the full list of players retained by all five franchises:

Mumbai Indians

Players retained: Nat Sciver-Brunt – INR 3.5 crore, Harmanpreet Kaur – INR 2.5 crore, Hayley Matthews – INR 1.75 crore, Amanjot Kaur – INR 1 crore, G Kamalini – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 9.25 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.75 crore; No RTM option available
Notable players released: Amelia Kerr, Nadine de Klerk, Yastika Bhatia, Chloe Tryon, Shabnim Ismail

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players retained: Smriti Mandhana – INR 3.5 crore, Richa Ghosh – INR 2.75 crore, Ellyse Perry – INR 2 crore, Shreyanka Patil – INR 60 lakh
Money spent: INR 8.85 crore; Purse remaining: INR 6.15 crore; One RTM option available
Notable players released: Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Danni Wyatt-HodgeWhat they said: “Her association with risk and how she faces pressure situations is exactly what we want in our batting order,” new head coach Malolan Rangarajan said of retaining Ghosh. “And somebody we view with leadership potential as well.”

Delhi Capitals

Players retained: Jemimah Rodrigues – INR 2.2 crore, Shafali Verma – INR 2.2 crore. Annabel Sutherland – INR 2.2 crore, Marizanne Kapp – INR 2.2 crore, Niki Prasad – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 9.3 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.7 crore; No RTM available
Notable players released: Meg Lanning, N Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, Arundhati ReddyWhat they said: “It’s been really tough,” DC head coach Jonathan Batty told JioStar about not retaining Lanning. About who could now lead DC in WPL 2026, he said: “Jemimah’s got a great captaincy record [in domestic cricket]. Obviously, Annabel Sutherland captains in WBBL as well. So there’s lots of candidates out there. We also got the mega auction to come, so there’s some candidates out there as well. So we’re leaving our options open.”

Gujarat Giants

Players retained: Ash Gardner – INR 3.5 crore, Beth Mooney – INR 2.5 crore
Money spent: INR 6 crore; Purse remaining: INR 9 crore available; Three RTM options available
Notable players released: Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield

UP Warriorz

Player retained: Shweta Sehrawat – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 50 lakh; Purse remaining: INR 14.50 crore; Four RTM options available
Notable players released: Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kranti Gaud, Chinelle HenryWhat they said: “I feel the thought process from the think tank, from the support group, was more so to go in with a clean slate, try and have as much money in the purse, to make sure we can not only get the team that we feel we need to win that championship, but also get a lot of these players back in the auction, given the opportunity,” Abhishek Nayar, newly appointed head coach, said. “But the thought process also behind having someone like a Shweta Sehrawat in the ranks and retaining her, was the faith this franchise has put into as a youngster playing three years, being someone who’s played almost every game for us and being able to perform, and now going up the ranks in domestic cricket. We just felt we would love to have someone like that back in our set-up.”

علق آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، على بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل، وذلك قبل لحظات من مباراة الريدز أمام ليدز يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ليفربول يحل ضيفًا بعد قليل على ليدز يونايتد في ملعب إيلانج رود وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في لقاء صعب على رجال سلوت.

وشهد تشكيل ليفربول استمرار تواجد محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي، حيث تواجد الدولي المصري كبديل ضد سندرلاند وضد وست هام يوناتيد كذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل ليفربول أمام ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

واعترف سلوت في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة ”Anfield sector”، أن بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل لم يكن سهلًا بالنسبة له، لكنه اتخذ القرار الأصح لفريقه.

وقال سلوت عن بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل: “لم يكن قرارًا سهلًا أبدًا فنحن جميعًا نعرف كم هو لاعب رائع، لكن اختيار التشكيلة التي أعتقد أننا بحاجة إليها اليوم يعود لي أيضًا، لهذا السبب اتخذت هذا القرار”.

وعن الدفع بدومينيك سوبوسلاي في مركز الجناح الأيمن، وما إذا كان الدولي المجري يقدم إضافة أكبر في هذا المركز، أضاف المدرب الهولندي: “الأمر لا يتعلق بنا فقط، بل يتعلق أيضًا بالفريق الذي نواجهه، في آخر مبارياتهم التي شاهدتها صعب ليدز الأمور على مانشستر سيتي في الشوط الثاني ورأيت الأمر نفسه ضد تشيلسي، نحاول التأقلم قدر الإمكان مع قوتهم ونأمل أن نتمكن من إلحاق الهزيمة بهم”.

Manchester United are standing firm on their £50 million ($61m) asking price for Alejandro Garnacho while Chelsea and Napoli have raise some concerns.

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United keen to hold on to GarnachoHave demanded £50m from his suitorsChelsea & Napoli unsure about attitudeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Chelsea and Napoli are conducting due diligence on Garnacho’s attitude. Questions about his demeanour have surfaced following comments by United captain Bruno Fernandes, who previously criticised Garnacho's attitude and suggested that the winger’s muted goal celebration against Leicester stemmed from feeling unsupported by fans. He was under further scrutiny when Ruben Amorim omitted him from the starting lineup in the Manchester derby last month. Additionally, reports of a disagreement with the manager during a Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen have fueled concerns about his behaviour.

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Napoli are reportedly keen on Garnacho as a potential replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is expected to depart for around £60m ($73m) to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. However, they are also exploring alternative options, including Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel. Chelsea, too, have Garnacho on their shortlist of attacking targets this month, alongside Jamie Gittens of Dortmund and Tel. Dortmund’s Adeyemi has also emerged as a potential late loan option should other negotiations fail to materialise.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the interest, United have shown no inclination to sell Garnacho this January. The club has reiterated that they remain committed to retaining him unless a deal meets their strict valuation. Garnacho’s inclusion in United’s recent win over Southampton further underscores the club’s stance on his importance to the squad. Moreover, the Red Devils are also unwilling to entertain swap deals involving players they do not require.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

As the January transfer window unfolds, Garnacho’s future remains uncertain. While Napoli and Chelsea are intrigued by his potential, concerns over his temperament and United’s steadfast approach to negotiations may complicate any deal. The Argentine forward will be in action next against Brighton on Sunday.

After a pretty miserable month that may well have derailed their Premier League title hopes, Arsenal claimed their second victory in as many games last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side dominated Sporting CP in Lisbon and, in the process, have massively increased their chances of making it into the next round of the Champions League without having to enter the playoffs.

It wasn’t just the win that was satisfying, though; it was the nature of it, as the North Londoners found themselves 3-0 by half-time and 5-1 up at full-time.

Sporting CP (A)

5-1 (W)

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Chelsea (A)

1-1 (D)

Inter Milan (A)

1-0 (L)

Newcastle United (A)

1-0 (L)

However, while there were no poor performances on the pitch, the result might have just signalled the end of the line for one of the club’s highest-paid players.

Arsenal's star performers

Now, before we get onto the star whose time as an Arsenal player is likely up, let’s look at the positives from last night and some of the team’s best performers, starting with the best of the lot, Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender was awarded the Man of the Match award at full-time, and it was more than deserved as he was a constant threat throughout his 92 minutes of action, providing an assist in the first half and then scoring a goal himself in the second.

However, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber also played a significant role in making the right-hand side so dangerous, with the former pulling the strings just behind the Englishman.

At the same time, the latter helped out William Saliba in defence while also bombing forward with every opportunity he got.

On the opposite flank, Gabriel Martinelli found himself in the right place at the right time to open the scoring for the North Londoners, while Riccardo Calafiori once again showed the fans that he could be the answer to the club’s left-back problems.

Lastly, both Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz deserve plenty of praise as well, the former for his immense defensive work and brilliant header, and the latter for his goal and all-round build-up play, although him being so effective again is bad news for another of the club’s star attackers.

Arsenal's biggest loser after Sporting

It feels unfair to label any Arsenal player a loser after last night’s sensational result, but in a sense, Gabriel Jesus is just that.

The reason is that, after the last week, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Brazilian forward will ever be the team’s starting number nine again, and the chance of his starting out wide seems even smaller.

Now, that might sound harsh, but it’s probably true as Arteta gave the former Manchester City ace a chance to reassert himself in the role against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but despite the team’s brilliant performance that day, the £265k-per-week star flattered to deceive.

The £45m signing was awarded just a 6/10 match rating from the Standard’s Simon Collings at full-time, and considering the fact he failed to take a single shot on target in 95 minutes of action, despite his team winning 3-0, that’s quite a generous rating.

In contrast, the journalist awarded Havertz a 7/10 last night, which actually feels a bit harsh considering the former Chelsea ace scored a vital goal, produced an expected goals figure of 1.08 and was able to occupy defenders throughout the 92 minutes of action.

That said, it’s not just the last week of action that suggests the Sao Paulo-born dynamo’s time in North London could be coming to a close either, as he’s been quite disappointing all season.

For example, despite making 16 appearances, the “frustrating” striker, as dubbed by Micah Richards, has scored once and provided one assist, which works out to a goal involvement every eight games.

Appearances

33

36

16

Goals

11

8

1

Assists

7

8

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

0.44

0.12

Moreover, even when you account that those appearances have only amounted to 579 minutes, the 27-year-old still has a disappointing average of a goal involvement every 289.5 minutes.

Ultimately, while Jesus is an undeniably talented player, he’s no longer a significant part of this Arsenal team, and with wages as high as his, it feels more like a matter of when and not if the club decide to move him on.

Move over Saka: Arsenal's 9/10 star was "insane" vs Sporting

Arsenal sealed an incredible Champions League win over Sporting.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2024

With Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson retired and Mitchell Starc out injured, Australia’s fast-bowling depth is set to be seriously tested over the next few months

Brydon Coverdale01-Dec-20151:50

Coverdale: Selectors like Coulter-Nile’s pace

A year ago, you might have worried about the depth of Australia’s batting talent. Or of their spin-bowling options. But pace? That has been the least of their concerns. Still is, according to the national selector Rod Marsh, who announced Australia’s latest Test squad on Tuesday. Marsh said that Australia’s “depth chart” – those were his words – showed “20 fast bowlers that we rate a chance of playing” internationals in one of the three formats.We might soon find out whether Australia’s pace-bowling depth is really as impressive as those numbers suggest, or whether it more resembles Paul Keating’s withering description of Peter Costello: all tip and no iceberg. Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris have retired. Mitchell Starc is injured, as are a number of replacement candidates. Josh Hazlewood’s workload worries the team management, and Peter Siddle’s back is troubling him.So, how far down into Australia’s domestic scene does the quality of fast bowling really penetrate? It is a question worth considering, given that the selectors have chosen in the squad for the first Test against West Indies a man who has not played a single Sheffield Shield game this summer due to injury and suspension. Nathan Coulter-Nile has no recent red-ball form, yet he was the man all the selectors thought of when Starc was ruled out.As well as James Pattinson retaining his place in the squad, the other man to receive a call was Victoria fast bowler Scott Boland, who has been placed on standby in case either Siddle or Hazlewood struggles to recover after Adelaide. Marsh noted that it was unlikely Hazlewood would be able to sustain himself through six Tests this summer, with a New Zealand tour to follow, so Coulter-Nile and Boland both have realistic chances of playing Test cricket soon.”We don’t think anyone is unlucky with this selection,” Marsh said. Translation: despite the “depth chart”, no other fast bowlers were close. These selectors want speed; Marsh said that a properly quick bowler was needed in the absence of Johnson and Starc. Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers suffer from the perception that they are not quick enough, even though Bird was Man of the Match in his second Test, three years ago.Jackson Bird is the highest wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield this season and has an enviable first-class record in Hobart, but his lack of pace has counted against him under the current selection regime•Getty ImagesBird is also the leading wicket taker this Shield season with 18 at 24.77, and he knows the Bellerive Oval surface intimately: he has taken 71 first-class wickets there at 19.81. That he was not picked for Hobart against West Indies suggests he is unlikely to add to his three Test caps, at least in the near future. Then again, Bird hasn’t bashed the door down; his five-wicket haul in the most recent Shield round was his first in 18 months.So, who else is there? The Western Australia left-armer Jason Behrendorff would have come under serious consideration had he been fit, but he is struggling with a back injury. Pat Cummins also faces a long lay-off due to stress fractures of the back. James Faulkner has a toe injury that is also causing him knee problems.Andrew Fekete was part of Australia’s squad for the cancelled Test tour of Bangladesh, but has since been dropped by Tasmania and has 12 wickets at 40.83 this Shield season. Ben Hilfenhaus’ pace is down and Tasmania have sent him back to Futures League and grade cricket. Gurinder Sandhu, who made his ODI debut earlier this year, has little recent red-ball form to recommend him.In fact, let’s run through the list of highest Sheffield Shield wicket takers over the past two years, excluding spinners. Top of the heap is James Hopes, the 37-year-old Queensland medium-pacer whose canniness has earned him 72 wickets at 19.51 in that time. Next is Fekete. Then Michael Hogan, who plays for Western Australia as an overseas player because he has used his British passport to play county cricket as a local.Next is Doug Bollinger, with 50 wickets at 22.52. He is 34 and his last Test was five years ago. Would he be up to a recall? Then comes Behrendorff and the South Australian Joe Mennie, who has 47 wickets at 34.17, and is second to Bird this season. Then it’s Boland, Sean Abbott, Bird, Sayers and Tasmania’s Sam Rainbird, who has 40 wickets at 29.15. Two other names of note are Joel Paris, another WA left-armer who swings the ball, and Billy Stanlake, the tall Queenslander. Marsh made mention of both as men for the future, if not the present.”Joel Paris is an interesting one, he’s played his first ever four-day game against Victoria this week and from all reports bowled quite nicely,” he said. “He’s one that we’ll be keeping our eye on for sure, because he’s very tall and he swings the ball and he had a brilliant junior career. Billy Stanlake is another one, from Brisbane. We’ve got two youngsters who I think, going forward, will be very good fast bowlers for Australia.”In the end, the selectors went for Coulter-Nile due to a “gut feeling” among the panel. “We like him as a bowler,” Marsh said. Some fans have had a gutful of such selection hunches, but do any of those other names jump out as demanding selection? In whatever direction the selectors went, a leap of faith was required. What is certain is that Australia’s fast-bowling depth is about to be seriously tested.