The last international break of the year is finally coming to an end this weekend, meaning Arsenal can once again continue their title charge.

However, instead of looking over their shoulder at Liverpool, the new hunter is, unfortunately, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Citizens have already gotten the better of Mikel Arteta’s side in two Premier League title races, in large part thanks to the outrageous goalscoring ability of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian is an unstoppable machine of a player, but fortunately, it feels like Arsenal now have their own version of him, and he’s not even a striker.

Haaland's record vs Arsenal

There are more than a handful of players Arsenal fans have dreaded seeing play against their team over the years.

Chalkboard

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

When he was at Chelsea, Didier Drogba was a nightmare for the North Londoners, as was Harry Kane when he played in N17.

Unfortunately, even though he hasn’t been in the league anywhere near as long, Haaland has become another goalscorer who just seems to have the Gunners’ number.

For example, while he didn’t score against them in the FA Cup three years ago, or the Community Shield a year after that, he has made a habit of putting the ball in their net in the league.

In the seven appearances he’s made against the North Londoners in the competition, he has scored five goals, with the two blanks coming home and away in the 23/24 season.

Interestingly, while he provided two assists in the 22/23 game at the Etihad, the former Borussia Dortmund star has never scored more than one goal in a match against Arteta’s side.

In all, Haaland scoring against Arsenal feels practically invincible, even this season, when Arteta has built an almost impregnable defence, one that features the club’s own version of the Norwegian.

Arsenal's own Haaland

Now, while people might try to argue that Viktor Gyokeres or Bukayo Saka could be Arsenal’s answer to Haaland for their goals and where they play, they’d be wrong.

Instead, and this might sound odd to begin with, it’s Gabriel Magalhaes.

After all, City’s biggest strength is their attack, and their best attacker is the Norwegian, while the Gunners’ biggest strength, and so far this season, the Brazilian has been their best defender.

Moreover, like the former Dortmund star, the 27-year-old is a monster of a centre-back, someone who makes full use of his 6 foot 4 frame to bully opposition players off the ball or block their path entirely.

He is not a stereotypical ball-playing defender; he’s an old-school blood and thunder type, someone who relishes the physical battle and celebrates a well-timed slide tackle just as much as a goal.

However, unlike some other players of his ilk, the former LOSC Lille ace is also a tour de force in the opposition’s box.

Since moving to the Emirates, the São Paulo-born titan has scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 227 appearances, and with five goal involvements already this season, he’s only becoming more of an attacking threat.

Appearances

227

Starts

216

Minutes

19391′

Goals

22

Assists

8

Points per Game

2.02

It’s this combination of being incredible in all phases of play that led to Jamie Carragher suggesting that he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

It also lends plenty of credence to Statman Dave’s claim that he’s one of the best defenders “on the planet.”

Ultimately, while he’ll never get the adulation of a striker, Gabriel has slowly become Arsenal’s own Haaland-like player, and the sooner he’s back from injury, the better.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

The final weekend of the 2025 MLB season is upon us, and there is still a lot to play for. Eight teams have secured playoff spots, while eight remain alive fighting for the final two spots.

In addition to the teams desperately trying to punch their tickets to the postseason, two American League division races remain undecided. With all that in mind we’ve ranked the top five series of the season’s final weekend.

1. Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will host the Tigers in the final weekend’s most important series. The two teams currently hold the AL’s final wild card spots, and Detroit is still in contention for the AL Central. The Tigers’ collapse has been stunning. They led the division by 14 games on July 8, and were ahead of the Guardians by 15 1/2. They also led Cleveland by 10 1/2 games on September 1 and 9 1/2 on September 10. Now they’re tied atop the division. Detroit also leads the Astros by just one game for the AL’s final wild card spot, so there’s a chance they miss the postseason completely.

While the Yankees and Blue Jays are tied atop the AL East, Boston is sitting in a solid position, with a magic number of one. The Red Sox appear locked into the second wild-card spot, which means they’ll be traveling to face New York, Toronto, Cleveland or Detroit in the opening round. It will be Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021.

2. New York Mets at Miami Marlins

The Mets have been a mess for two months, but still have the final playoff spot in the NL cornered. While Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have done their best to lift the Mets to the playoffs, the team’s pitching staff has utterly disintegrated. They’ll need to perform this weekend to clinch a spot.

New York will travel to Miami to face a plucky Marlins team that wasn’t eliminated until Thursday afternoon. The Fish look like a squad that could be a dangerous next season, led by Kyle Stowers and rookie Jakob Marsee. They’ll do their best to play spoilers this weekend.

يستعد فريق برشلونة لمواجهة أتلتيكو مدريد غدًا الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026، مع غياب للمدافع الأوروجوياني رونالد أراوخو.

وظهر مدرب برشلونة هانز فليك، في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم للحديث قبل مباراة الفريقين، وأوضح خلال تصريحاته أن أراوخو لن يكون جاهزًا للمواجهة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد.

وقال فليك: “إنها مسألة شخصية، وسأكون ممتنًا لو احترمتموها”، حيث سبق وغاب أراوخو عن مباراة برشلونة وألافيس، وقيل حينها إن غيابه بسبب فيروس في المعدة.

وبحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، يأتي غياب أراوخو تزامنًا مع اجتماع وكلاء اللاعب اليوم الاثنين في المدينة الرياضية مع ديكو المدير الرياضي لبرشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا | سبورت تنشر تفاصيل مفاوضات برشلونة مع الأهلي للتوقيع مع حمزة عبد الكريم

ومر أراوخو بأسبوع عصيب، حيث تلقى بطاقة حمراء في مباراة برشلونة وتشيلسي بدوري أبطال أوروبا، التي تعرض فيها فريقه للهزيمة بثلاثية.

وتلقى أراوخو انتقادات لاذعة من وسائل الإعلام، وقد تدخل بعنف على مارك كوكوريلا لاعب تشيلسي، وهو ما أدى لحصوله على بطاقة حمراء.

ويأتي اجتماع وكلاء أراوخو مع ديكو في أعقاب تلك الأحداث، وقد تواجد اللاعب في المدينة الرياضية اليوم لكن لم يشارك في التدريبات.

The Mets' division title hopes were all but dashed after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies. And after the dust settled on the Mets' 6–4 loss to their division rivals, in which the club blew a 4–0 lead, New York clings to just a 1.5-game lead over both the Giants and the Reds for the third National League wild card.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza wouldn't go so far as to say he was worried, but he acknowledged the club's current reality.

"I'm not going to say that I'm worried, but we don't have too much time," Mendoza said. "Teams are right behind us. … The way you look at is we're still in control of the situation. We're still in control of achieving the ultimate goal but we gotta go out and do it."

As of June 12, New York had the best record in baseball and a firm 5.5-game lead on the Phillies in the NL East. Since that point, the Mets have played to the third-worst record in the majors while their pitching, both starting and a trade deadline-upgraded bullpen, has collapsed to the tune of a 5.08 ERA.

The Mets still have a 78.1% chance to make the postseason, according to . But in order for that to happen, something has to change—and fast.

"I'm responsible. I'm the manager," Mendoza said when asked if there's anything he can do to reset the team. " It's my job to get these guys going and I will. I have a lot of confidence [in] myself, my coaches and the players. It's not easy right now and we are all frustrated. But like I said, we still got an opportunity here to achieve our goal."

Mendoza's Mets will next take on two playoff-caliber opponents in the Rangers and Padres.

Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur in search of trophies back in 2013, Harry Kane, who has been named as one of the best strikers in the world, has continued his remarkable record in front of goal, having found the back of the net a whopping 108 times in 113 games for Bayern Munich.

Harry Kane’s goal return by season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2023-24

45

44

2024-25

51

41

2025-26

17

23

Not only has the 32-year-old established himself as Bayern’s talisman, but he has also remained a consistent source of goals for England at international level, most recently scoring a brace in the Three Lions’ final World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Thomas Tuchel’s side have secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup in style, having won every single game in Group K without conceding a goal, and fans will be dreaming of football finally ‘coming home’, after two heartbreaking losses in finals of the Euros.

With one of the world’s best strikers leading the line, England certainly have a chance, and the captain recently surpassed a record set by three-time World Cup-winner Pele.

Harry Kane moves ahead of Pele for international goals

Indeed, courtesy of the brace against Albania, Kane has now moved ahead of Pele for international goals, while also going 25 clear of nearest-rival Wayne Rooney at the top of the Three Lions’ all-time goalscoring charts.

As such, it will come as no surprise that Thomas Frank has previously made it clear he wants to re-sign the former Tottenham star, saying: “He is an unbelievable player who did fantastic for Spurs and is doing fantastic for Bayern. Top player. I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans, including myself, who would like to see Kane back.”

Frank’s comments came after learning about a clause in the Bayern Munich star’s contract, which means he will be available for just £54m in January, while Spurs also have a first option to sign the centre-forward, should they decide to open talks with the German club.

Kane is in the form of his life at Bayern, and will have aspirations of winning the Champions League this season, so it may be difficult to tempt him to return to N17, but if Tottenham were able to do so, he would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing, and could go on to break the Premier League goal record too.

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Arsenal defeated rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the North London Derby, and there was some controversy on display during a pulsating affair, with one particular matter piquing the interest of Mark Goldbridge.

The Gunners went into the clash knowing that a victory would put them six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table, while Spurs had the opportunity to move into the top four.

On this occasion, Mikel Arteta was able to claim a valuable triumph against Thomas Frank’s side, beginning with a deflected Leandro Trossard strike before Eberechi Eze enhanced his reputation as a Gunners’ fan favourite with a brace at the Emirates Stadium, the second of which coming just after the interval.

Spurs rallied in the second half, and Richarlison’s long-range strike caught out David Raya in stunning fashion. However, the home side had already done more than enough to secure the victory beforehand, keeping their charge for the title well and truly on track.

Eze completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, earning derby folklore status after joining Arsenal despite interest from Tottenham during the summer window to complete a 4-1 rout.

Next time out, Arsenal face the small matter of taking on Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, pitting two of Europe’s heavyweights against each other in the capital on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Tottenham face the unenviable task of going to Paris Saint-Germain, presenting a challenge of great might against the reigning Champions League holders.

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Thrills and spills underpinned another pulsating affair between both sides, though it wasn’t an evening that was short of controversy, which is usually the case with both sides fighting tooth and nail for local bragging rights.

With that in mind, Goldbridge took to social media to point out something he believes VAR missed during a dramatic affair at the home of the Gunners.

Mark Goldbridge takes aim at VAR during Arsenal vs Spurs

Taking to X, Goldbridge took issue with Eze’s first goal being allowed after two Arsenal players were in the line of Guglielmlo Vicario’s sight as he struck sweetly into the bottom corner.

In theory, Goldbridge has a point, given that Virgil Van Dijk saw a goal ruled out in similar circumstances during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester City before the international break.

Nevertheless, there is an argument to be had as to whether either player is actually preventing Vicario from saving Eze’s strike, something that is likely to dominate headlines over the next few days after a momentous victory for the Gunners.

Either way, Arsenal appear to be in fine fettle and have taken command of their mission to claim a first Premier League title since 2004, which is becoming more likely with every passing week.

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss brought about a newfound sense of excitement, with the Dane tasked with building on last season’s Europa League triumph.

He was brought into the club to replace Ange Postecoglou, even being handed over £100m by the hierarchy to make the desired changes he wanted to his first team squad.

Whilst his tenure in North London started off in excellent fashion, even remaining as the only side unbeaten away from home in the Premier League, but that came crashing down against Arsenal last week.

The Lilywhites have now failed to win any of their last three outings, shipping a total of 11 goals in that time – with five coming against PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday.

As a result, the hierarchy have since been targeting added reinforcements for the January transfer window to try and bolster Frank’s current first-team squad.

Spurs’ hunt for added reinforcements in January

During the past couple of weeks, Spurs have been targeting a move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo – with the Ghanaian seen as the perfect man to improve the frontline.

He’s already scored six times and registered three assists in the Premier League this campaign, leading to interest from other sides such as Arsenal and Liverpool.

However, his asking price has already been revealed, with the 25-year-old available for £65m as his release clause becomes active from the start of 2026.

He’s not the only player currently in their sights, with Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer a defensive option being targeted ahead of the upcoming window.

According to TuttoJuve, Frank’s men are “ready to make” a €40m (£35m) bid for the Brazilian, who has been restricted to just four Serie A appearances this campaign.

The report states that the Lilywhites see the 28-year-old as the perfect option to bolster their backline, but it’s unclear if his current employers will sanction his transfer.

Why Spurs’ £35m target would be an upgrade on Romero

After Frank’s appointment in the summer, the Dane made a swift decision to create a leadership group that would lead Spurs forward under his guidance in North London.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as one of the players in the aforementioned group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every game he’s featured in.

Whilst many have heaped praise on the 27-year-old in recent times, he’s endured somewhat of a slump in form over recent weeks – as seen by the club’s poor defensive record.

He was even responsible for two of PSG’s goals on Wednesday night, as he gave the ball to Pape Sarr in a dangerous position, before blocking Vitinha’s shot with his hand – resulting in a penalty for the hosts.

His underlying stats have also taken a hit as a result in recent weeks, which has led to numerous areas becoming a cause for concern to the manager and his staff.

When comparing Romero’s stats to those of Bremer in 2025/26 to date, the Brazilian has managed to better his fellow South American in key areas – highlighting why he’d be an upgrade on the Lilywhites defender.

Bremer, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by Matteo Bonetti, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also notching more key passes per 90.

Games played

4

10

Goals & assists

2

1

Pass accuracy

89%

88%

Key passes

0.8

0.2

% of tackles won

90%

76%

Clearances made

5.8

3.7

Recoveries made

4.7

3.7

Aerials won

68%

66%

Such numbers highlight his incredible ball-playing ability, with such numbers handing Frank an added option to play out from the back and through the thirds when needed.

He’s also won more of the tackles he’s entered in 2025/26, whilst making more clearances per 90 – offering the needed defensive quality the side has lacked in recent weeks.

Other numbers, such as a higher aerial success rate and more recoveries made, highlight his all-round dominance without the ball – with Bremer looking like an incredible addition at £35m.

Such a move may feel somewhat harsh on Romero, but ultimately, it’s clear that the hierarchy have identified a player who is a level above the Argentine international.

If the board can complete a deal for Bremer, it would be a superb deal and one that could finally hand Frank the answer to their recent struggles in the defensive third.

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025

India’s first training session of the tour reinforced the idea that their spearhead could be the most pivotal player on either side even if he won’t play all five Tests

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jun-20251:15

Watch – Shubman Gill’s India hit the nets ahead of England Tests

Jasprit Bumrah’s was the loudest voice heard around the Kent County Ground in Beckenham on Saturday. India’s premier bowler was full of energy as he not just made the ball do things but also engaged in spirited chatter with his team-mates and coaches on a windy afternoon that was alternately sunny and cloudy.It was the first day at training for India’s Test squad, which landed in London on Friday ahead of their five-match series against England, which starts on June 20 in Leeds. The one player on either side who can tilt results singlehandedly is Bumrah. He knows it. There is no arrogance in this.England has been a mostly happy place for Bumrah. In his first Test in the country, in 2018, he bagged a five-for in a comfortable India win at Trent Bridge, which helped them rebound from 2-0 down.Related

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Trent Bridge was also the venue of Bumrah’s only other five-for in the country, in the first Test of the 2021 tour; India might have felt they had a slight edge going into the final day, which was rained off.In the next Test at Lord’s, in one of India’s most memorable Test wins, Bumrah stunned England with his… bat, putting on an unbroken 89 for the last wicket with Mohammed Shami before doing his usual things with the ball, including – who can forget? – the slower ball to Ollie Robinson, who might still be replaying it in his head.This is what Bumrah does. He lives in the batter’s mind. He comes to you in the middle of the night and jolts you awake. As Usman Khawaja admitted after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy: “I was just Bumrah-ed.”What’s worse for the batters is that Bumrah doesn’t forget.2:30

Gambhir: ‘Enough quality in squad to replace Bumrah’

At training on Sunday, Bumrah could be heard telling India bowling coach Morne Morkel about his two Trent Bridge five-fors, and about how the Dukes was doing things in swing- and seam-friendly conditions on his first trip in 2018, and how, on his later tours, it became less responsive. But Bumrah has shown he has the ability to take conditions out of the equation. In Beckenham, Kent’s second home venue, Bumrah extracted good seam movement and continually tested the outside edge while keeping batters rooted inside the crease with his yorker-length deliveries.Watching him from 40-50 yards away, from behind his bowling arm, you would have never known this was the same bowler who was forced to stop bowling on the second afternoon of the New Year’s Test in Sydney owing to what was initially diagnosed as back spasms, but was eventually understood to be a stress reaction in his lower back.To avoid any worsening of the injury, the BCCI’s medical staff, in coordination with the selectors and team management, have decided Bumrah would need to be handled extremely carefully. So, on this England tour, he will not play all five Tests. As much as the fun will be rationed, the experience of watching Bumrah bowl at full tilt, filled with , is one to treasure.India, England, and Bumrah know that this once-in-a-lifetime bowler could be the most defining factor in this marquee series, soon to be christened the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Bumrah is ready for the England summer.

Arsenal have been head and shoulders above the rest of ’em this season, but Mikel Arteta knows that the season is still young, and there are many gruelling months ahead before the Gunners might end their two-decade-long wait for the Premier League title.

Runners-up for three successive years, Arsenal have worked toward dynamising and strengthening across the park, with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all adding flavour to an outfit already refined and complete.

It’s just silverware that is missing. And while the Emirates side have all the tools to go the distance this term, they will need someone of Gabriel Magalhaes’ character and quality to have avoided a long-term injury while away on international duty with Brazil.

The latest on Gabriel's muscle injury

Gabriel has played every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign this season, but with a north London clash against Tottenham Hotspur looming on the horizon, a muscular injury sustained out with his nation could put a spanner in the works there.

Gabriel pulled up mid-sprint during Brazil’s recent win over Senegal. It has since been revealed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein that there is a worry that he faces an extended spell on the sidelines, more than a month and thus out of action until the new year.

It cannot be understated how integral Gabriel has become. As per FBref, the £150k-per-week talent ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for goal involvements and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90. That aside, he has incredibly won 78% of his ground duels, keeping clean sheets in seven separate matches.

In Gabriel and William Saliba, Arsenal have two defenders looking to take their place among the pantheon of great Premier League centre-back partnerships, and if Arteta does lift that elusive trophy at the end of the season, he and his wider squad will be indebted to the composed and flawlessly organised duo at the back.

The likes of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are able replacements, but this could be a big blow, and it’s got us thinking about the 27-year-old’s long-term successor in north London.

There is one Hale End star who might just have what it takes to complete that step up in the future.

The Hale Ender who could replace Gabriel

Under Arteta’s guidance, Arsenal have a feared outfit once again. This is a team capable of tackling and overcoming any opponent across the globe, as last season’s spectacular two-legged win over Real Madrid will tell you.

But this also needs to be a lasting project, and it’s clear that there is an emphasis on this, with Bukayo Saka the talisman and exciting prospects such as Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman filtering through to the first team.

And on the other side of the field, Callan Hamill could find himself succeeding Gabriel when the time comes, with the 16-year-old having made quite the impression at Hale End since joining from St. Johnstone in Scotland this summer.

The Scotland U19 international has swiftly established himself as the captain of Arsenal’s U18 squad, racking up 11 appearances and scoring one goal.

With such impressive performances, he has even been handed a string of outings with the U21s, and during his sole effort in the Premier League 2, Hamill kept a clean sheet across 90 minutes of action.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that the teenager has “all the tools to become a quality backline leader for club and country”, and while he’s not there yet, Arteta’s decision to throw the youngster into first-team training and guide him toward the fore suggests that it’s only a matter of time before this star emulates the better-known names in front of him and cements a place under Arteta’s wing.

Who knows, given his leadership skills, strong reading of the game and dynamism, Hamill might even have what it takes to succeed Gabriel, when the fateful day of the Brazilian’s departure comes.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

The former Rajasthan Royals spin bowling coach replaces Sunil Joshi

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2025Former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has joined Punjab Kings (PBKS) as their new spin bowling coach ahead of the 2026 IPL season. He replaces Sunil Joshi, who held the role from 2023 to 2025.ESPNcricinfo understands Joshi decided to leave as he is set to take over as spin coach at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”Sairaj’s deep understanding of the game, particularly his extensive experience in grooming domestic bowlers and managing strategy, will be invaluable to our side,” PBKS CEO Satish Menon said. “His expertise aligns perfectly with our vision of building a strong and cohesive bowling unit for the season ahead.”Bahutule joins a backroom team that has Ricky Ponting as head coach, Brad Haddin as assistant coach, James Hopes as the fast bowling coach, and Trevor Gonsalves as assistant bowling coach.”I’m really excited to join Punjab Kings as a spin bowling coach for the upcoming IPL season,” Bahutule said. “This is a team that plays a different brand of cricket, and I can see the potential is massive. They have a bunch of talented players, and I’m looking forward to working with them to refine their skills and help them reach new heights.”Bahutule was the spin bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025. He had also been RR’s spin bowling coach from 2018 to 2021 before joining the National Cricket Academy and serving as support staff for India A assignments.Bahutule’s exit from RR follows Dravid’s departure from the franchise as head coach. Dravid has been replaced by Kumar Sangakkara.PBKS finished runners-up in IPL 2025 after finishing top of the points table in the league phase. They lost the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.