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يختتم منتخب السعودية مشواره في دور المجموعات ببطولة كأس العرب 2025 بمواجهة قوية أمام نظيره المغرب، بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم الإثنين.

وتقام المباراة بين السعودية والمغرب، على أرضية ملعب لوسيل في الدوحة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة ببطولة كأس العرب، المقامة في قطر.

وتمثل المواجهة اختبارًا حاسمًا لكلا المنتخبين في سباق التأهل، خاصة في ظل القيمة الفنية الكبيرة لكليهما على مستوى الكرة العربية.​

وتضم المجموعة الثانية لكأس العرب، منتخبات المغرب والسعودية وعمان وجزر القمر.

طالع.. المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى دور الـ8 من كأس العرب 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

ونجح المغرب في جمع 4 نقاط من أول مباراتين من الفوز في الجولة الأولى على جزر القمر بنتيجة 3-1، ثم تعادل مع عمان، ليحتل المركز الثاني في المجموعة خلف السعودية قبل مواجهة المنتخبين المرتقبة.​​

وحسم منتخب السعودية تأهله مبكرًا إلى الدور ربع النهائي بتحقيقه انتصارين متتاليين أمام عمان، ثم جزر القمر، ليتصدر المجموعة الثانية برصيد 6 نقاط كاملة. موعد مباراة السعودية والمغرب اليوم في كأس العرب

ومن المقرر أن تُقام مباراة السعودية والمغرب يوم الإثنين 8 ديسمبر 2025، على استاد لوسيل، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة والدوحة، والسابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة. القنوات الناقلة لـ مباراة السعودية والمغرب اليوم في كأس العرب

وتُنقل مباراة السعودية والمغرب في كأس العرب 2025 عبر قنوات بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1، وأبو ظبي الرياضية 1، وقناة الكأس بالإضافة إلى ذلك، ستنقل المباراة قناة دبي الرياضية 2، وقناة الشارقة الرياضية، وقناة إم بي سي مصر 2. معلقو مباراة السعودية والمغرب في كأس العرب

وتذاع المباراة عبر قناة بي إن سبورتس إكسترا 1 بتعليق علي سعيد الكعبي، وأبو ظبي الرياضية 1 بصوت المعلق فارس عوض، وقناة الكأس بتعليق خليل البلوشي، وقناة إم بي سي مصر 2، بصوت مدحت شلبي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Stats highlights from the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Rawalpindi

Shubh Agarwal23-Oct-20253 – Number of Test wins for South Africa in Pakistan. Their previous two wins came in Faisalabad in 1997 and in Karachi in 2007. Since then, South Africa had lost three Tests in Pakistan.1 – Instance of two South Africa spinners taking five-wicket hauls in the same Test. Keshav Maharaj dismantled Pakistan in the first innings with 7 for 102. Simon Harmer then took 6 for 50 in the second innings, his best figures in Test cricket.7 for 102 – Maharaj’s first-innings figures are the best by a South Africa bowler in Pakistan. Left-arm wristspinner Paul Adams had the record with 7 for 128 in the Lahore Test in 2003. It is also the second-best figures by a South African spinner in Asia. Maharaj also holds the top spot with his 9 for 129 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2018.Related

• Mahmood bemoans another Pakistan collapse: 'This is not acceptable'

• South Africa prove they can win with spin on the subcontinent

• Deja Vu for Masood as SA's tail wags and Pakistan's plans unravel

• Stats – First-class Harmer enters elite wicket-takers' club

• Harmer's six-for helps South Africa ease to series-levelling win

4 – Number of South African bowlers to complete 1000 wickets in first-class cricket. Harmer reached the milestone in the second innings in Rawalpindi when he dismissed Noman Ali. Only Mike Procter (1417), Allan Donald (1216) and Charlie Llewellyn (1003) have more first-class wickets among South African bowlers.38 years and 299 days – Asif Afridi’s age at the start of the second Test, making him the oldest debutant to take a five-wicket haul. England’s Charles Marriott was 37 years and 332 days old when he picked up 5 for 37 on debut against West Indies in 1933.3 – Maharaj, Asif and Harmer picked up five-wicket hauls in Rawalpindi; it was the first time that three bowlers over the age of 35 took five-wicket hauls in a Test.35 – Number of wickets picked up by South Africa’s spinners in the two Tests, the most in a series for them in the 21st century. South Africa’s spinners took 17 wickets in Rawalpindi, the second most for them in a Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd71 – Kagiso Rabada’s score is the highest by a South African No. 11. It was also his maiden first-class fifty.15.2 – The difference in batting average for Pakistan between their first and second innings in Test cricket since 2023. They average 34.49 in the first innings and only 19.29 in the second. The difference is the highest among all Test nations in this period.786 – Number of days without an international hundred for Babar Azam. His last century came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup.Babar has now gone 75 innings without an international ton. Among Pakistan batters to bat in top four, only Kamran Akmal (76 innings) and Mohammad Rizwan (82) have had a longer streak without a hundred in international cricket.

Beth Mead's early strike secured a vital Champions League victory for Arsenal on Tuesday, as the reigning European champions saw off Twente in a narrow but comfortable 1-0 win. It's a scoreline that doesn't reflect the dominance the Gunners enjoyed as they crept up the league-phase standings, moving to within one point of automatic qualification for the knockout rounds with one game left to play, while securing at least a play-off berth.

When Mead found the back of the net after 10 minutes, it felt like Arsenal could score quite a few. Two minutes before that, only some heroic Twente defending had prevented Mariona Caldentey, who fired not far off target even earlier on, and then Mead from scoring, with the Gunners' high and aggressive press working a treat and forcing the visitors into turning the ball over plenty in dangerous areas.

As it transpired, though, that would be the only goal of the game. It wasn't for a lack of trying; Alessia Russo would go close with three headers, including one which hit the bar late on, and the outstretched leg of Diede Lemey prevented her from scoring when she did get one on target. The goalkeeper's best save, however, might have been to prevent her own team-mate from netting an own goal, when she reacted brilliantly at her near post after Victoria Pelova's flick was inadvertently directed towards goal by Lieske Carleer.

Chances at the other end were few and far between, with Sophie Proost's header well over the bar, meaning the biggest scare Anneke Borbe, Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper, had in the home goal was when she was caught by the onrushing Eva Oude Elberink, almost forcing the Gunners to hand a senior debut to 17-year-old Amy Liddiard. Fortunately, with Daphne van Domselaar and Manuela Zinsberger already sidelined, Borbe was able to continue and preserve the clean sheet that ensured her team's victory, their second in a row after three games without one.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Anneke Borbe (6/10):

Essentially a spectator for this one. Made just 13 touches all game and her only call to action saw her bravely dive at the feet of Oude Elberink when she was put through one-on-one.

Taylor Hinds (6/10):

Another solid, if unspectacular, performance from one of England's most recent debutantes.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (7/10):

Calm and composed in possession and assured in her defending, helping the Gunners to restrict Twente to little in attack.

Steph Catley (7/10):

A little looser in possession than her centre-back partner, but only just. Always switched on and helped organise the defence well.

Katie McCabe (7/10):

Provided some quality service with that left foot of hers and nearly got on the scoresheet, too, through a clever free-kick.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Kyra Cooney-Cross (7/10):

Started a little sloppily but got better as the game went on, showing plenty on both sides of the ball and delivering some good set pieces.

Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

Moved the ball well enough in deeper areas and looked a real goal threat early on, but her accuracy on the ball dropped off in the final third. 

Victoria Pelova (7/10):

Set up essentially as a second striker out of possession and was crucial to Arsenal's high press working so well.

AFPAttack

Beth Mead (8/10):

Made the decisive contribution just 10 minutes in and could've added to her tally were it not for some heroic Twente defending. A classy display.

Alessia Russo (6/10):

Had several chances but couldn't find the back of the net, hitting the bar and forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper with her best efforts. She was able to get involved still with some nice moments in Arsenal's build-up play, though.

Olivia Smith (7/10):

Caused Twente all sorts of problems with her quick feet and direct approach, getting kicked plenty for her troubles. Unlucky to be booked for a good tackle.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Caitlin Foord (6/10):

Full of running down the left, delivering a couple of great balls in her 30 minutes or so on the pitch.

Frida Maanum (7/10):

Provided a real goal threat after coming on before the hour and created for others, too, in an impactful performance.

Kim Little (6/10):

Added plenty of energy to the middle of the park, aiding defence and attack.

Emily Fox (N/A):

Helped Arsenal see the win out as a late sub.

Stina Blackstenius (N/A):

Only came on in stoppage time.

Renee Slegers (7/10):

Set up her team to press Twente aggressively and it worked a treat, leading to the only goal of the game. Subs were proactive to ensure the levels didn't drop and her team could see the win out.

And who is the oldest man to debut for Pakistan in Tests?

Steven Lynch28-Oct-2025The Afghanistan seamer Ziaur Rahman took 7 for 97 in the first innings of his Test debut. Where does this stand overall for debut performances? asked Len Harrison from England

Ziaur Rahman’s figures of 7 for 97 against Zimbabwe in Harare last week are the best on debut for Afghanistan, beating Amir Hamza’s 5 for 74 against West Indies in Lucknow in 2019. Nijat Masood took 5 for 79 on his debut, against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2023.Ziaur, whose only previous international was a T20I against Ireland more than six years previously, was the 24th man to take seven or more wickets in an innings on Test debut (there have been 26 instances, as Bob Massie and Narendra Hirwani took two lots of eight in their first match). The best figures of all by a player in his first Test are 8 for 43, by Albert Trott for Australia against England in Adelaide in 1895. There have also been three instances in women’s Tests.All seven of Ziaur’s victims were bowled or lbw: he’s the first to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut without any help from a fielder. The Pakistan pair of Mohammad Nazir (7 for 99 against New Zealand in Karachi in 1969) and Mohammad Zahid (7 for 66 against New Zealand in Rawalpindi late in 1996) both had six, plus one to a catch by a fielder. The only previous players to take an unassisted five-for on Test debut were the old England pair of Douglas Carr (5 for 146 in his only Test, against Australia at The Oval in 1909) and Wally Hammond (5 for 36 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1927), and Pakistan’s Shahid Nazir, with 5 for 53 against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura in 1996.When did Zimbabwe last win a Test by an innings? asked Tinashe Ndlovu from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s big win over Afghanistan in Harare last week was their 15th win in all Tests – they have played 129 now – but only the third by an innings. The first of those was by an innings and 64 runs over Pakistan in Harare in 1995, and they also beat Bangladesh by an innings and 32 in Bulawayo in 2001.Last week’s win was Zimbabwe’s second in six months, but their first at home for more than 12 years, since they beat Pakistan by 24 runs in Harare in 2013.Asif Afridi is the third-oldest player to debut for Pakistan in men’s Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesWhat was the most overs bowled by spinners in an ODI before West Indies used them for all 50 against Bangladesh recently? asked Jason Jandu from England

You’re right that the West Indian spinners bowled all 50 overs in last week’s ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur: Akeal Hosein (who only arrived in Dhaka a few hours earlier), Roston Chase, Khary Pierre, Gudakesh Motie and Alick Athanaze all delivered their full allocation of ten overs. It worked – just – as West Indies won in a Super Over after a tie.Before this there had been three ODI innings which contained 44 overs from spinners, all of them by Sri Lanka: against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1996, New Zealand in Colombo in 1998, and Australia in Dambulla in 2004.Two Indians scored centuries in their Women’s World Cup match against New Zealand last week. Has this happened before in a World Cup match? asked Milind Ekanth from India

India’s openers Pratika Rawal (122) and Smriti Mandhana (109) both scored centuries in an imposing total of 340 for 3 against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai last week. This was the ninth occasion a Women’s World Cup innings had contained two centuries. Mandhana was also involved in the previous instance, against West Indies in Hamilton (New Zealand) in 2022, when she scored 123 and Harmanpreet Kaur 109.Asif Afridi made his Test debut last week aged 38. Is he the oldest to win a first cap for Pakistan? asked Akhtar Nasir from Pakistan

Slow left-armer Asif Afridi was born on Christmas Day in 1986, so was around 38 years ten months old when he made his Test debut last week against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.Two players made their debuts for Pakistan when older, both in the 1950s. Offspinner Miran Bakhsh was 47 years 284 days old when he played against India in Lahore in 1955, and legspinner Amir Elahi was 45 days past his 44th birthday against India in Delhi in October 1952. That was Pakistan’s inaugural Test match: Elahi had previously played one Test for India, aged 39 in 1947-48.The next oldest debutant for Pakistan was seamer Tabish Khan, who was 36 years 146 days old when he won his only cap, against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2021. For the list of the oldest debutants from all countries, click here.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Tottenham are believed to be at the front of a queue for one of Europe’s most exciting strikers as we slowly head into the January transfer window, according to a new report.

Tottenham poised for active January after attacking struggles

Spurs’ struggles this season have exposed a glaring deficiency that threatens to derail their campaign — the absence of a reliable, clinical striker capable of converting chances on a regular-enough basis.

As January approaches, manager Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure to address what has become the most pressing issue hampering Spurs’ progress.

Since the start of 25/26, they’ve registered the second-lowest rate of shots on goal out of every Premier League team, and currently sit 17th in the division for expected goals per game.

25/26 Premier League

Spurs

League rank

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Stats via FBref

Their lack of attacking edge was on display for all to see during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Lilywhites barely managing to lay a glove on the home side, barring Richarlison’s out-of-this-world lob from the half-way line.

Dominic Solanke’s persistent injury troubles have crippled Tottenham’s forward line since pre-season.

The England international underwent ‘minor ankle surgery’ in October and has managed just 47 minutes of football all campaign, depriving Frank of his primary goalscoring outlet.

The absence of Tottenham’s club-record signing has left a massive void that nobody has adequately filled. His latest setback follows multiple injury problems throughout last season, with the 28-year-old’s record proving a major concern for Frank.

This, combined with Randal Kolo Muani’s own fitness problems, Richarlison’s inconsistency and Mathys Tel’s rumoured unrest, means that Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a new centre-forward.

One of their chief targets, according to multiple reports, is FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

The young Spaniard is being targeted by Spurs ahead of the January window, alongside the likes of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has reportedly held direct talks with Frank over a move to London in the winter.

Aghehowa was once close to joining Chelsea in 2024 before he pulled out of the move to Stamford Bridge, and that decision has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old has scored 36 goals in 60 total appearances in all competitions since the start of last season, with Aghehowa now having his pick of Premier League suitors ahead of 2026.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for Samu Aghehowa

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, Tottenham are currently leading the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for Aghehowa as they show the strongest interest.

This follows a report from Tuesday that Spurs are prepared to strike a deal for the forward as early as January, but Porto apparently won’t budge on his £88 million release clause.

The former Deportivo Alaves sensation, who Brus describes as ‘one of the most exciting young strikers in the game’ right now, has also been revered as a ‘madman’ number nine by other members of the press.

Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, Spurs’ new co-sporting director duo, could have more funds to play with in January thanks to the Lewis family trust’s recent £100 million capital injection.

Some of these funds could be reinvested into their recruitment drive, and the signing of Aghehowa would certainly be a mid-season statement in Frank’s hunt for silverware and a top four finish.

Germany sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 6-0 win over Slovakia, and former captain Lothar Matthaus believes the team can challenge the likes of England, France and Portugal for the title despite a shaky qualifying campaign and recent tournament struggles. The 1990 World Cup winner insists there is no reason for fear if the team maintains the intensity shown in Monday's win.

• A positive finish after a bumpy qualifying campaign

  Germany will make their 21st appearance at the tournament. It was a much-needed statement performance after what has been a shaky road through Group A. They opened qualifying with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Slovakia in September before recovering with wins against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. They then rounded off the campaign with a resounding win against Slovakia this week.

  The 2014 world champions have failed to advance past the group stage in the last two editions, and recent tournaments have raised doubts about whether the team is still among the elite. They lost to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and fell 2-1 to Portugal in the Nations League semi-final in Munich. The progress under Julian Nagelsmann has been steady rather than spectacular, and he is yet to win a major trophy since taking charge in 2023.

  Earlier, national team legend Toni Kroos said the team was lucky to have been handed a relatively easy World Cup qualifying group.

  Still, the dominant performance on Monday was enough to bring optimism back into the conversation. Matthaus called the win 'a satisfying end to an overall satisfactory year' and believes the team is moving in the right direction.

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• Matthaus insists Germany shouldn't fear Europe's top teams

  Despite recent setbacks, the former Germany captain believes the team still belongs among the contenders. In his column for , the 64-year-old argued that qualifying form should not be overanalysed, pointing out that even successful German teams in the past had difficult campaigns.

  "With all due respect to these opponents, Germany wants to compete against the best, and those are the other group winners such as England, Portugal or France," he said.

  "If we can replicate what we showed in Leipzig, we're on par with these teams. We saw that in the summer. In the Nations League defeats against Portugal and France, Germany wasn't any worse than their opponents.

  "If the German team shows the same attitude and passion and plays together like they did against Slovakia, they have nothing to fear.

  "You shouldn't underestimate yourself. Germany isn't small. I've always said that our team belongs among the favorites for the World Cup, even if they've had a poor run of form. Our World Cup qualifying campaigns were also sometimes bumpy in the past.
   

  "The German team might even be under less pressure at the World Cup. The team will be even more focused next year, especially because the whole world will be watching.
  "

• Getty Images
  

  Injuries remain a concern despite strong squad depth

  Matthaus also spoke about the squad heading into 2026. Several key players like Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Antonio Rudiger and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still working their way back to full fitness and may not be ready right away.

  "Rudiger needs to get fit first, just like Ter Stegen. Oliver Baumann will remain in goal for the time being, and then we'll see what happens next," he said.

  He mentioned that no one in the squad has a guaranteed starting spot, adding: "Even in the current national team, there are hardly any irreplaceable players; no one has a guaranteed spot. This keeps the focus high until the World Cup, and everyone will give their all to impress the coach.."

  The World Cup winner believes this gives the German coach more flexibility as the tournament approaches. "The great thing for Nagelsmann is that he'll have a wide selection next year. For a coach, it's the most wonderful thing when he can bring quality after quality player into the team."

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• Getty Images
  

  What's next for Germany?

  Germany now shift their attention to preparations for 2026, with Nagelsmann hoping to have key players return from injury soon. Ter Stegen is nearing a comeback from knee surgery after missing most of last season, and the Barcelona captain could even consider a loan move in January to get more playing time before the tournament.

  Defender Rudiger has also said he is in the final phase of his recovery after being sidelined with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Musiala has returned to Bayern Munich training after suffering a ligament dislocation during a heavy collision in the Club World Cup against PSG.

The Phillies were knocked out of the MLB playoffs in extra innings on Thursday night after a brutal error from reliever Orion Kerkering allowed the Dodgers to bring in the game-winning run.

While it is easy to point to Kerkering’s mistake as the moment that ended the Phillies’ season, the team had plenty of opportunities earlier in the game to make a play or have one break go their way that might have prevented the game from ever going into extras in the first place.

And according to starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez, an umpire acknowledged one of those bad breaks. Per Lochlahn March of the , Sánchez said after the game that the umpire apologized to him for missing what should have been a called strike three on a 2–2 count against Alex Call in the bottom of the seventh.

Watching a replay of the pitch in question, you can clearly see it was a close call, but the ball did in fact hit the strike zone. On the mound, Sánchez knew he should have had the K and with it, two outs in the inning, and gave the ump quite a stare in response to the call.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, that base runner would prove to be the difference that brought the game to extra innings. After a second runner got on base, the Phillies pulled Sánchez to turn the ball over to closer Jhoan Duran. Philadelphia decided to intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani to load the bases with two outs, bringing Mookie Betts to the plate.

After working the count full, Betts was able to hold off a pitch that was high out of the zone, walking in the game-tying run.

Baseball is a game full of sliding-door moments, but had the Phillies gotten that strike called, they would have had two outs and no men on in the inning, and very possibly could have escaped unscathed, and then would have been six outs away from forcing Game 5 back in Philadelphia.

Instead, the Dodgers got the run they needed to extend the game. In extras, the Phillies bats didn’t heat up, and their defense made one mistake too many. A brutal way to see a season end.

Manchester United certainly raised eyebrows during the summer transfer window, especially after dropping over £200m on new additions to bolster their first-team ranks.

Such spending may have come as a surprise to many, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously stating before the summer that no massive deals would be conducted.

The vast majority of their efforts were directed to the final third, as Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko were all added to Ruben Amorim’s attacking department.

However, the trio have all made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, scoring seven times between them in the first nine Premier League outings of 2025/26.

As a result of their shopping spree, it would be a surprise to no one that other players will need to be offloaded during the January window to try and balance the books.

The United players who could leave the club in January

Over the last couple of days, United forward Joshua Zirkzee has been strongly touted with an exit from Old Trafford – no doubt due to the form of the aforementioned trio.

It was reported earlier this week that the Dutch international is keen on a temporary or permanent move away from the Red Devils in January, with Aston Villa interested in his signature.

Manuel Ugarte is another first-team member who could be shown the exit door in the next few months, with his move to the Premier League failing to deliver at present.

The Uruguayan international cost a staggering £50m from Ligue 1 outfit PSG last summer, but his move has failed to hit the heights – as seen by his lack of game time under Amorim in 2025/26.

He’s only made two starts in England’s top-flight this season, even dropping behind 33-year-old Casemiro in the club’s pecking order during the early stages of the campaign.

One other first-team member in the form of Diogo Dalot could also find himself one step closer to the exit door after failing to impress over the last couple of months.

Despite making six league appearances under Amorim this season, the Portuguese international has fallen way below the standards expected of him – as seen by his tallies compared to the other options at the manager’s disposal.

The 26-year-old has only completed 75% of the passes he’s attempted in the Premier League, the lowest of any defender in the Red Devils squad – showcasing his lack of impact in recent weeks.

The United star now on borrowed time

The Erik ten Hag era at United was a period largely full of disappointment, with the Dutchman unable to take the club back to their former glory during his tenure in charge.

The 55-year-old spent a little over two years in the role at Old Trafford, achieving a 56% win record and also winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during such a period.

However, the eighth-place finish in 2023/24 was disappointing to many fans, with the start to last season ultimately spelling the end of his time in England.

Ten Hag was responsible for bringing Zirkzee and Ugarte both to the Theatre of Dreams, further highlighting how disappointing his work in the transfer market at the helm.

Despite the failures in the window, the Dutchman deserves huge credit for his work in the development of midfielder Kobbie Mainoo – subsequently handing the youngster the chance to cement his place in the first team.

He would have been an unknown quantity to many supporters, but the 20-year-old amassed a total of 32 appearances in 2023/24, even scoring on five separate occasions.

Many of his efforts were crucial ones, from last-minute winners against Wolverhampton Wanderers and efforts against Manchester City in the FA Cup final – it truly was a season to remember for the academy graduate.

Such performances led to journalist Liam Canning labelling Mainoo as United’s “best player” in March 2024, but it’s safe to say it’s not been plain sailing for the youngster since Amorim’s arrival.

In the Premier League in 2025/26, the Englishman has failed to start a single outing, subsequently being restricted to just seven substitute appearances – totalling just 138 minutes in the process.

Games played

25

Minutes played

1656

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

1.7

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.9

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

4.8

Mainoo has previously voiced his displeasure at the lack of action since the 40-year-old’s appointment – even requesting a temporary loan move away this summer to gain valuable game time.

However, such a request was swiftly rejected by the manager and the board, but he still remains behind the likes of Ugarte and Casemiro in the current pecking order.

Given the lack of faith shown in him by the manager, it’s safe to say the youngster will be on borrowed time at Old Trafford, and the club could look to cash in on him – with a £70m price tag previously mooted.

Ten Hag may have struggled in the role, but one of the best things he did in Manchester was show the needed faith in Mainoo to allow him to flourish in the professional game.

Amorim could learn a thing or two from the Dutchman, as the Red Devils potentially risk offloading yet another top talent far too prematurely.

Casemiro replacement: Man Utd to make £42m bid for "one of the best CMs"

Manchester United look set to make a huge move for a new midfielder in January.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 29, 2025

Said the day one pitch, on which 19 wickets fell on the opening day of the Ashes, was “s***”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025Usman Khawaja is confident of being fit for the second Test in Brisbane but could have landed himself in hot water after describing the Perth pitch on day one of the first Ashes encounter as “s***”.Khawaja was unable to open in either innings of the opening Test having initially been caught out by England’s rapid collapse on the first afternoon and then suffering a recurrence after jumping for an attempted catch in the slips on the second day.With his time off the field having not elapsed when Australia began their first innings, Marnus Labuschagne went in alongside debutant Jake Weatherald with Steven Smith then forced to move to No. 3.Related

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Khawaja then came out at No. 4 but could only make two runs before edging a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. He was one of 19 wickets to fall on the opening day, which followed 17 on the first day of the corresponding Test against India last year, but the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the surface “very good”.”Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket – that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation, a charity which helps support children from diverse, rural and low socio-economic backgrounds.”The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it’s just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow, he’s getting hit.””You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest – sideways is a little bit easier but up and down your hands can’t catch up. So day one wicket at [Perth] is a piece of s***, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year, it was this year.”They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up.”Usman Khawaja ahead of what could be his final Test series•Getty Images

Quite what conditions will be served up for the day-night Test at the Gabba remain to be seen, but Khawaja was confident he would be able to take his place in the XI although Travis Head’s spectacular 123 in his absence has sparked a debate about which way Australia should go.”I feel good,” he said. “I’d never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s been quite new for me. I’ve been quite lucky. I’m 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me – she’s been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I’ve really been taking advantage of it. I should be right.”Recounting the events of the opening day in Perth, which at one stage saw Smith frantically waving to the dug out, Khawaja said he was trying all he could to be available to open.”I went off knowing I still wanted to open; I don’t want to bat anywhere else,” Khawaja said. “I went off, and I think they [England] were six down, and we just went bang, bang, wicket.”I rushed back on, and then we take the next two wickets. That was the frustrating part for me, but I had no other option. I had anti-inflammatories, really strong ones. I had real strong painkillers all through that time – even in the morning – and got myself to a place where I could actually field again.”Khawaja revealed the lengths he was ready to go to in case he was needed to bat during the chase, but Head’s onslaught made it a moot point. “I’m really glad that we got [the match] done that night, because the next day, I already had the radiology booked,” he said. “I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. I had it booked in, ready to go, so if the team needed me, I was there again.”

Manchester City moved to within two points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, until they play on Wednesday night, with a thrilling 5-4 win over Fulham.

Supporters of their title rivals may have turned off the game when Phil Foden made it 3-0 before half-time, expecting a simple victory for Pep Guardiola’s side, but the Cityzens made hard work of their three points in the end.

Some questionable game management and defensive work from City almost led to them drawing the match, and there are several players who may not be too pleased with their own contributions to the result.

Ranking Man City's worst performers against Fulham

Whilst the likes of Erling Haaland, Tiijani Rijnders, and Phil Foden shone at Craven Cottage, some of Guardiola’s players failed to deliver quality displays on Tuesday night.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was one of those players. The Italy number one conceded four goals from five shots on target against him, letting in 1.95 more goals than expected, per Sofascore.

Full-back Matheus Nunes also failed to put in a convincing performance. The Portuguese defender was dribbled past twice, per Sofascore, and found defending the likes of Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Kevin a bit too difficult at times.

1

Bernardo Silva

2

Matheus Nunes

3

Gianluigi Donnarumma

4

Nico O’Reilly

5

Savinho

The same was true of Nico O’Reilly, who lost ten of his 15 duels and was dribbled past once, on the other flank, whilst at the other end of the pitch, Savinho struggled off the bench, wasting several chances to counter and put the game to bed late on.

It was Bernardo Silva, though, who was arguably the worst performer on the night for the Cityzens, which is why Guardiola should ruthlessly drop him from the side.

Why Pep Guardiola should drop Bernardo Silva

The Portuguese central midfielder should be put on the bench for the clash with Sunderland at The Etihad on Saturday after an underwhelming display against Fulham.

Chalkboard

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

Commentating for Sky Sports, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton described Bernardo’s flicked clearance that fell for Samuel Chukwueze to score his first goal of the game as “careless”.

A few minutes after that comment, Sutton added that he could not understand why the Portugal international was still on the pitch because he “doesn’t have the legs” that he once did, and that Fulham had “run around” him.

Those comments from the Premier League title winner are backed up by the fact that Bernardo failed to complete three of his four attempted tackles on the night, per Sofascore, which shows that he was a yard off the pace when attempting to challenge Fulham players.

Bernardo also struggled to get up the pitch to influence matters in the final third, with no key passes or ‘big chances’ created from 69 touches of the ball, albeit that was not as important on a night where City scored five goals by the 54th minute.

Minutes

90

90

Tackles won

3/5

1/4

Duels won

9/13

7/11

Ball recoveries

3

2

Pass accuracy

83%

86%

Key passes

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the experienced midfielder was even worse than Nunes, who won more tackles, more duels, and made more ball recoveries, whilst also making more key passes.

Bernardo did well in moments towards the end of the match with his ability to retain possession and calm the play down, but it was partially down to his struggles out of possession and defensively that City were in a position where they had to manage the game in the final minutes.

The left-footed star is, of course, still an important player for Guardiola, having started nine league games this season, but the clash with the Black Cats is one that he should be dropped for after this disappointing showing.

Guardiola could provide Rico Lewis with a chance to play in the middle of the park or play Lewis at right-back and bring Nunes back into his natural role in midfield to see if he can improve on his own underwhelming performance.

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ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

A game on the bench for Bernardo could, also, keep him fresh ahead of the big match against Real Madrid in the Champions League next week, which is another reason why this could be a good move by the Spanish head coach at the weekend.