Manchester United have kept their unbeaten run going by the skin of their teeth. The Red Devils drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur, and it took a late goal from Matthijs de Ligt to secure the point and extend the unbeaten run to five games.

Indeed, the Dutchman’s strike in the 96th minute was enough to bail his side out of yet another defeat under Ruben Amorim, although they had previously led in the game.

Bryan Mbeumo scored a header which put United 1-0 up at halftime.

However, Spurs struck back after lots of pressure in the second half. First, Mathys Tel fired home, with his effort flicking off De Ligt’s foot and into the back of Senne Lammens’ goal.

Richarlison thought he had won it in the 91st minute with a clever header, before United’s number four cancelled his goal out moments later.

It was a largely uninspiring performance from United. They played an incredibly passive game, happy to let Spurs dominate the ball. In total, Amorim’s side had just five shots, with the only two that were on target ending up in the back of the net.

Their first goalscorer, Mbeumo, continued his fine form in front of goal.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stats vs. Spurs

October’s Premier League player of the month is off the mark in November. Mbeumo has been one of the signings of the season, and now has seven goals and assists in just 12 games for the Red Devils.

His strike on Saturday lunchtime away to Spurs was one of good centre-forward play and a deft touch.

The United number 19 got in between two Lilywhites defenders, before glancing his header home into the back of the net.

That was not Mbeumo’s only positive contribution against Spurs, though. He was a constant problem for the opposition defence, having 44 touches and making three passes into the final third.

The attacker was excellent off the ball, too, and made four recoveries.

As well as the 26-year-old played against Spurs, however, there was a United player who arguably outshone him.

United’s standout player vs. Spurs

United’s draw away to Spurs was certainly frustrating. Amorim was critical of his side post-match, explaining that “we should do better, be more aggressive, feel the environment in the stadium, the three points were there.”

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However, one player, like Mbeumo, who stood out, was Amad. It was a different role for the Ivorian from the start today, operating as the right number 10 rather than at wing-back.

However, he was his usual energetic self, posing a threat going forward and worked hard defensively.

In fact, it was the attacker’s cross from which Mbeumo scored. What a delightful ball it was, too. Amad picked the ball up just inside the Spurs’ penalty area, lifting his cross from a standing position to the back post for his teammate to guide home.

That was one of two chances he created, on an afternoon where he also played four passes into Spurs’ third.

Amad stats vs. Spurs

Stat

Number

Touches

48

Passes completed

23/32

Duels won

7

Ball recoveries

5

Passes into final third

4

Chances created

2

Assists

1

Stats from Fotmob

Amad’s excellent performance certainly stood out, with journalist Liam Canning saying it was an “unbelievable” showing from the Ivorian attacker, while lauding him as the actual man of the match.

There is certainly a case to be made that Amad is becoming Amorim’s new version of Bruno Fernandes. Often, it is the Portuguese attacker who has shouldered the creative burden at United. Yet, it has been different this season, with the captain’s three assists matched by Amad.

A reason for that could be the role United’s manager uses his skipper in. A number 10 by trade, Fernandes now plays deeper in the pivot, and with their number 16 operating high and wide at wing-back or in the pockets as a number 10. He is certainly far more involved in the final third.

This is not a bad thing for United, who have relied solely on Fernandes for too many years. But, Amad is certainly taking up more creative responsibility, and is slowly becoming their new version of Fernandes.

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Manchester United are now targeting a record-breaking goalkeeper who’s “good with his feet”, and there are signs he could rival Senne Lammens for a starting spot.

Man Utd looking to sign new goalkeeper to rival Lammens

After arriving from Club Brugge at the end of the summer transfer window, Lammens’ introduction to the Man United starting XI has been gradual, with the Belgian making his first start in the 2-0 victory over Sunderland prior to the international break.

Having kept a clean sheet in his opening game, the 23-year-old is off to a solid start, making two saves from inside the box to keep Sunderland at bay, which resulted in a 7.8 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player.

The Stretford End were clearly left impressed by their new goalkeeper’s performance, chating ‘Are you Schmeichel in disguise’, but it is still very early days, with a difficult trip to Anfield to come on Sunday.

Having struggled to find a suitable no.1 since the departure of David de Gea, Ruben Amorim will be hoping Lammens is the long-term solution between the sticks, but The Red Devils have now joined the race for another goalkeeper.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which reveals SC Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has emerged as a genuine target for Man United, having watched him in action multiple times already this season.

Graeme Bailey adds that United want to bring in a new goalkeeper regardless of how Lammens performs, with the journalist also hinting that a deal for Atubolu could be possible.

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ByDominic Lund Oct 14, 2025

Bailey said: “United are doing their due diligence on goalkeepers, even if [Senne] Lammens comes in and does well, they still want and need another, as [Andre] Onana and [Altay] Bayindir won’t be hanging around in the long-term.

“They are well-versed on options, but I am told that Atubolu is one who has impressed United’s scouts this season. He is emerging as one of the very best in the Bundesliga, and Freiburg are expecting to sell in 2026.”

Record-breaking Atubolo could be instant Lammens upgrade

Lammens is off to a fantastic start at Old Trafford, but there are signs the Freiburg shot-stopper could be an instant upgrade, having already proven himself at a higher level than the former Club Brugge man.

In the 2024-25 season, the 23-year-old broke a Freiburg club record by going 576 minutes without conceding a goal, and he has since gone on to break a Bundesliga record by saving five penalties on the spin.

Not only has the German goalkeeper established himself as a top Bundesliga goalkeeper, but he is also better with his feet than Lammens, placing in the top 1% for touches per 90 over the past year.

Statistic

Noah Atubolu

Senne Lammens

Save % (penalty kicks)

100%

75%

Clean sheet %

34.5%

12.5%

Touches per game

47.99

42.58

Freiburg manager Julian Schuster has praised Atubolu in the past too, saying: “He has good reflexes. He makes good saves and is also good with his feet. We’re very happy to have him.”

It is always difficult to keep two goalkeepers happy, so it would be a risk to sign the Freiburg star, but there are clear signs he could challenge Lammens for a starting spot.

MatériaMais Notícias

OAthletico-PR recebe oVasco,neste sábado (25), na Ligga Arena, em partida válida pela 35ª rodada doBrasileirão. O jogo está marcado para às 19h30 (de Brasília) e terá transmissão pela TNT, Cazé TV (YouTube e Twitch) e Rede Furacão (Streaming).

RelacionadasVascoVasco encerra confrontos diretos contra o rebaixamento com mais derrotas que vitóriasVasco24/11/2023VascoGabriel Pec se consolida como protagonista no Vasco e alcança números expressivos no BrasileirãoVasco24/11/2023Fora de CampoCasimiro detona gol sofrido pelo Vasco contra o Cruzeiro: ‘Inaceitável’Fora de Campo23/11/2023

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA

ATHLETICO-PR X VASCO
35ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Data:Sábado, 25 de Novembro
Horário:19h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Ligga Arena, Curitiba (PR)
Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (Fifa-RS)
Assistentes: Rafael da Silva Alves (Fifa-RS) e Maurício Coelho da Silva Penna (RS)
VAR: Wagner Reway (VAR Fifa-PB)
Onde assistir:TNT (TV fechada), Cazé TV (YouTube e Twitch) e Rede Furacão (Streaming)

➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

ATHLETICO (Técnico: Wesley Carvalho)
Bento; Cacá, Thiago Heleno e Esquivel; Cuello, Erick, Fernandinho e Canobbio; Zapelli, Vitor Bueno e Willian Bigode.

VASCO (Técnico: Ramón Díaz)
Léo Jardim; Maicon, Medel e Léo; Paulo Henrique, Zé Gabriel, Paulinho, Marlon Gomes e Lucas Piton; Gabriel Pec e Vegetti.

Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the squad

Danyal Rasool17-Aug-2025

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have fallen out of favour with Pakistan’s T20I plans•AFP/Getty Images

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the side.Salman Agha will lead the 17-member squad, which will also participate in the tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In PSL 2025, he scored 288 runs in ten innings for Peshawar Zalmi. It included knocks of 56*, 53* and 94 but his overall strike rate was 128.57. He was part of the recent ODI series against West Indies where he had scores of 47, 0 and 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rizwan, like Babar, has not been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I squads for the home and subsequent away series against Bangladesh, followed by the T20Is in the West Indies. He made 53 in the opening game of the ODI series against West Indies, followed by scores of 16 and 0.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar had been challenged with improving his T20 game. I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form on three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”Shaheen Afridi, who had also found himself out of favour in T20 cricket of late, retained his place for the tri-series and the Asia Cup, though Naseem Shah missed out once again. Naseem is currently in action in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Salman Mirza, who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with eight against Bangladesh in the away T20I series, was included in the side. Ahmed Daniyal, who also impressed briefly, though was not part of the squad. Both specialist wristspinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, kept their place.The squad is something of an amalgamation of the sides that have played T20I cricket under Hesson in the three T20I series over the summer. The recent ODI series – which Pakistan lost 2-1 in the Caribbean – appears not to have influenced decision making either way. Hesson said he intended to stick to the aggressive top-heavy approach he has championed in the format, and repeated that Pakistan’s game was suited to such a style.”We were challenged with three different surfaces [in each of the three series]” Hesson said. “In Lahore, the surfaces were flat and the batting excelled. We went to Bangladesh where they were incredibly challenging and low-scoring games. Our top order sets the game up. All the games we won the top order performed really well. The third game in the West Indies, our openers put on 140 [138]. We need that at a run rate that gets us ahead of the game. T20 is all about setting the game up and being ahead of the game all the time in case you get yourself out. From a batting point of view we’ve got a line-up that can continue to do that.”The tri-series in the UAE between the hosts, Afghanistan and Pakistan will serve as a warm-up to the T20 Asia Cup, which will begin on September 9. Pakistan have never won the T20 version of that tournament; they reached the final when it was last played in 2022.Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia CupSalman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

Max Dowman is in line to be promoted five age groups within the England national team structure. At 15 years of age, the Arsenal wonderkid still qualifies to represent the Young Lions at U16 level. He is, however, among those being closely monitored by U21 coach Lee Carsley. Manchester United academy hopeful Shea Lacey is another that falls into that category.

Record breaker: Dowman's star continues to rise

Dowman has been catching the eye in north London, with his obvious potential registering on domestic and international radars for some time. He is the youngest player to score in the UEFA Youth League – at the age of 14 – and to grace the Premier League 2 ranks.

He became Arsenal’s second-youngest debutant – behind fellow academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri – when making his Premier League bow for the Gunners against Leeds in August 2025 aged 15 years and 235 days. Dowman will not turn 16 until New Year’s Eve.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEngland U21 opportunity: Dowman in contention

The hottest of prospects has already represented his country at U17 and U19 level, having been bumped up classes there, and could be in line for an U21 opportunity at some point in the not too distant future.

Carsley admits as much, telling reporters when asked if Dowman is one of those that he is prepared to promote: "He’s a player that we’re monitoring. Sometimes that talent, we have to accelerate it so quickly because of the challenge they are getting at their clubs.

"It’s important that we keep in mind how young Max is and we are fully aware of him. We get all of the feedback from the camps that he plays on and there is definitely time. He’ll definitely get his chance within the U21s."

Red Devils wonderkid: Lacey catching Carsley's eye

Dowman is not the only exciting Premier League star to have caught Carsley’s eye, with it up to England coaches to be aware of every youngster that is ready to unlock full potential. United sensation Lacey slots seamlessly into that talent bracket.

He has been impressing in the youth ranks at Old Trafford, making his debut for the Red Devils’ U20 side during the October international break. The fleet-footed winger is just 18 years of age.

Carsley added on Lacey: "He’s been in the pathway a good amount of time now and he’s a player that we rate highly. It worked out well that we needed that position for the training we were doing and Shea was more than happy to come over and train with the Under-21s.

"You can see he’s a good talent. I know he’s struggled with injuries in the past, which has probably held back his development, but I think it’s so important we don’t rush these young players, we let them develop in their own time. I think he trained two sessions with us and I enjoyed having him."

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GettySenior caps: Dowman & Lacey tipped to reach the top

Liverpool native Lacey has represented England at U15, U16, U17 and U20 level. The 21s would be the next logical step for him, with Carsley and Co ensuring that he follows the right pathway and is given every opportunity in which to prove his worth.

It is considered to be only a matter of time before senior opportunities come his way in Manchester under Ruben Amorim – with United boasting a rich history when it comes to promoting home-grown stars.

The same can be said for Arsenal, with Dowman among the latest to have trodden that path at Emirates Stadium. He has already graced the Premier League and Champions League, with it possible that he could end the 2025-26 campaign with winners’ medals to his name.

If a step up into the U21 ranks with England is taken, then the expectation will be that full international recognition will come his way at some stage. A changing of the guard is likely to take place after next summer’s World Cup, with it possible that the likes of Dowman and Lacey will be pushing for full caps by the time that the Three Lions take in a European Championship campaign on home soil in 2028.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن رد فعل أنطوان سيمينيو لاعب بورنموث، تجاه أنباء ارتباطه بانتقال محتمل إلى ليفربول، واهتمام مانشستر يونايتد بضمه.

ويقدّم سيمينيو أداءً رائعًا هذا الموسم، مع بورنموث، حيث سجل ستة أهداف في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع فريقه.

وزادت التكهنات حول مستقبل سيمينيو، وقد أفادت تقارير أن مانشستر يونايتد ومانشستر سيتي وتوتنهام وليفربول مهتمون بالتعاقد معه.

وأفادت صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، نقلاً عن شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” في تقرير لها، أن سيمينيو يشعر “بالإحباط” من التلميحات حول رغبته في الرحيل عن بورنموث.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليفربول يحسم موقفه من رحيل سوبوسلاي إلى ريال مدريد

ويوضح التقرير أن سيمينيو سعيد في صفوف بورنموث، والتقارير التي تشير لرحيله المحتمل عن الفريق، تجعله يشعر بالإحباط.

وسبق وسُئل سيمينيو عن مستقبله، وأجاب: “لا أفكر في الأمر كثيرًا، أحاول أن أكون حاضرًا قدر الإمكان، ترى الأخبار طوال الوقت، وأنا أيضًا أراها، لست غافلًا عنها، لكنني أحاول الحفاظ على تركيزي”.

وارتبط سيمينيو في الصيف الماضي بانتقال محتمل إلى مانشستر يونايتد لتعزيز هجوم الفريق، وتحرك توتنهام أيضًا للتعاقد معه، لكنه بقى في صفوف بورنموث.

The fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be sealed at The Oval on Sunday. England need another 324 runs to pull off the second-biggest chase in their history and win 3-1; India need eight wickets – or nine, in the improbable event that Chris Woakes walks out to bat one-handed – to square the series. The draw is no longer on the table.India are the favourites, and owe that status to four men: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his sixth century, and second of the series; Akash Deep, the nightwatcher whose maiden Test fifty wore England’s seamers down; Ravindra Jadeja, who passed 500 runs for the series; and Washington Sundar, whose late blitz took the target from 335 to 374 inside five overs.Related

• England made to toil amid mishaps of their own making

• Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances

• Oval and out: Jaiswal's series comes a full circle with statement hundred

England have been here before. They chased 371 in the first Test of this series with five wickets in hand, and cruised to 378 against India at Edgbaston three years ago without breaking a sweat. A punchy opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett shaved 50 runs off the target as the shadows lengthened, and England will not be overawed by scoreboard pressure.But Crawley’s dismissal in the final over of the day swung the pendulum firmly in India’s favour. It was Mohammed Siraj, the last seamer standing in this series, who delivered a moment of high skill and high drama. With two balls remaining, Siraj pushed Jaiswal back to deep square leg, a bluff to mask the searing 84mph/135kph yorker which followed, and crashed into off stump.It will be a huge test of both teams’ character, skill and resilience as the series heads into its 24th – and surely final – day. A draw would be a superb achievement for India under new leadership, not least from 2-1 down and on the ropes in Manchester; for England, a series win would be their first against a ‘Big Three’ opponent under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.3:25

‘Root’s wicket will be most important for India’

In Woakes’ absence, this was a brutally tough day for their three greenhorn seamers Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton, who bowled 79 out of 88 overs between them in India’s second innings. Ollie Pope did his best to rotate them but the workload was immense, particularly without a specialist spinner. Their cause was not helped by six dropped catches, and India profited from their profligacy.Akash Deep was the unlikely protagonist of the morning session, seizing an opportunity to chance his arm after seeing out two balls as nightwatcher on Friday evening. He popped the third ball of the day over mid-on for four and decided to keep on swinging, punching the air and thumping his chest when he reached 50 for only the second time in his professional career.England could have had him twice in two balls: they were convinced that Tongue had trapped him lbw, only for the DRS to uphold umpire Ahsan Raza’s not-out call, and Crawley dropped Tongue’s follow-up at third slip. By the time his leading edge was pouched by Atkinson at point off Overton, Akash Deep had added 107 in partnership with Jaiswal.Akash Deep’s gleeful hitting cast Jaiswal in an unfamiliar role, playing in his partner’s slipstream. But he continued to inflict death by a thousand cuts on England’s seamers, scoring heavily behind square on the off side and seizing on any width offered. He reached his hundred after lunch by pinching a single into that very same region, bookending his first tour of England with centuries.By that stage, he had lost another partner. Shubman Gill’s fine series ended with the first ball after lunch, which nipped back off the seam and thumped into his knee roll to give Atkinson his seventh of the match. His overall aggregate – 754 – was second only to Sunil Gavaskar among Indian batters in a Test series, but his highest score in four innings in London was just 21.2:58

Bangar: ‘Akash Deep could be India’s No. 8’

Karun Nair soon became Atkinson’s eighth victim of the Test, edging behind for 17. Nair was struck on the glove first ball, and dropped by Harry Brook – whose view was obscured by Crawley diving across him – on 12 before failing to account for Atkinson’s extra bounce. After a top score of 57 in eight innings, it seems Nair’s comeback series may also prove to be his farewell.Dropped twice on Friday evening, Jaiswal got a third life from Duckett at leg gully, but holed out to deep point for 118 soon after. But India’s lead continued to swell: Jadeja successfully overturned an lbw decision after being struck flush on the right boot and added exactly 50 for the seventh wicket with Dhruv Jurel, as England finally resorted to their occasional spinners.The pitch had clearly flattened out from the first two days but still offered something to work with. Overton managed to get a 76-over-old ball to swing away and trap Jurel lbw, and Tongue threatened to end the innings quickly: Brook finally held on to one when Jadeja steered to him on 53, and Siraj was distraught when given out lbw off the inside edge, with India out of reviews.But Washington went down swinging, as though Brook’s advice in Manchester to “get on with it” was ringing in his ears. He hauled four leg-side sixes in 12 balls, the last of which brought up a 39-ball fifty. By the time he miscued to Crawley at midwicket to give Tongue his fifth wicket, he and Prasidh Krishna (0 off 2) had put on 39 vital runs for the 10th wicket.Duckett and Crawley were left with 14 overs to lay a foundation for England, and Gill was clearly desperate to avoid a repeat of their freewheeling stand in the first innings, posting a deep point from the outset to stem the flow of runs. If it initially seemed curious that Siraj was held back to first change, then his crucial strike vindicated Gill’s decision to give him a single, late burst.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge fifty sets hosts up for success

ECB Media10-Aug-2025Southern Brave made it two from two in this year’s competition, as Sophie Devine starred in a 15-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in front of a record crowd at Utilita Bowl.A crowd of 11,167 turned out in the Hampshire sunshine to see the home side prevail in a game which see-sawed throughout but was ultimately decided by the regular wickets Brave took throughout the Phoenix run chase.Both teams came into today’s game off the back of strong opening wins, with Phoenix winning the toss and opting to field. Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 59 from 39 balls was the foundation for the Brave’s total of 139, ably supported by Laura Wolvaardt (28) and Devine (27).After a good start from Brave, Phoenix came back into the first innings, restraining the home side in the last 25 balls. At one stage, a big score was on the cards but, led by Megan Schutt (2 for 23 from 20 balls) and then Em Arlott (2 for 19 from 20 balls) at the death, Brave faltered to 139 with only 19 coming from the last 15 balls.Southern Brave took the early wickers of Emma Lamb and Georgia Voll, both of whom had done well in the Phoenix’s first game. Ellyse Perry and Amy Jones then steadied the ship and looked comfortable in their efforts to knock off the total.When Jones was out for 20, Sterre Kalis took over the charge to the finish, with Phoenix needing 45 from the final 30 balls. However, when Perry was caught well in the deep by Mady Villiers for 26 from 21 balls, Kalis accelerated but ultimately ran out of support, and Phoenix were bowled out with two balls to spare, 15 short.The Brave bowling performance was headlined by Lauren Bell taking 3 for 17 from 19 balls, with Devine’s 2 for 28 and Tilly Corteen-Coleman’s 2 for 16 also doing damage.With her 27 runs, two wickets and a run out, Devine, the Meerkat Match Hero said: “I’m really pleased about the result. Danni (Wyatt-Hodge) was outstanding. The way she set up the game, it was trickier than she made it look. It was a great game for us and nice to do it in front of the home crowd.”It is always nice to perform against teams you have previously played for. Every game is on the line and you have to be good. We have to keep sharp and keep learning. I have not played a lot of cricket over the last few months and was probably swinging like a rusty gate. I’ve played enough cricket to know that it will come. When you have someone like her (Wyatt-Hodge), it makes easier. If I can contribute in any way, that is what I am here for.”

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

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

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

Why Leeds should unleash Anton Stach

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

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

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

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

Chalkboard

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

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

Why Leeds should drop Ao Tanaka

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

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

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

Appearances

7

8

xG

0.16

0.79

Goals

0

1

Key passes per game

0.6

1.8

Big chances created

0

2

Ground duel success rate

18%

52%

Aerial duel success rate

43%

77%

Tackles + interceptions per game

0.7

2.3

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

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

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

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ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

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

Blake Snell is off the market early this offseason.

On Tuesday night, the two-time Cy Young Award winner agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per multiple reports. The deal will average $36.4 million per year.

The 31-year-old left-hander opted out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants on November 1. He signed a two-year, $62 million deal in March but exercised his right to hit free agency instead of fulfilling the second year of the contract.

During the 2024 season, Snell went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 104 innings over 20 starts. That followed a brilliant 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres where he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 234 strikeouts in 180 innings.

Snell joins a potent Dodgers rotation that already includes ace-level starters in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Those three will boast contracts worth a combined $622 million.

The defending World Series champions just got stronger.