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After a 1-0 win in Kingston, the U.S. cruised to a 4-2 win in St. Louis to book a spot in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals

ST. LOUIS – Monday night's match in St. Louis seemed as if it was the first REAL Mauricio Pochettino game with the USMNT. It was the fourth of his U.S. men's national team tenure, in terms of math, but it felt like the initial moment in which his ideals truly shined through.

Facing off with Jamaica in the second leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, the USMNT's stars were ruthless, just as Pochettino wants them to be. Christian Pulisic scored a brace, and Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah added goals, leading the U.S. to a comfortable 4-2 win that sealed a 5-2 aggregate triumph.

It was a match in which six USMNT players contributed a goal or an assist, and in which Pochettino's best players put Jamaica to the sword time and time again. It seemed as if every mistake was punished and every attack was dangerous, all match long.

It began early with a stunning 14th-minute Pulisic finish, one of the most difficult of his USMNT career. The second goal came 19 minutes later, as Lady Luck was on the U.S. side as Pulisic banked a shot off a defender and in. There was nothing lucky about Pepi's goal just before the half, though, as he picked a corner to make it 3-0, effectively ending the tie.

Pulisic, who became the fastest USMNT player to 50 goal contributions, said the confidence was high.

"It was an amazing performance," he said. "We came out really hot, obviously. It was nice to get the first goal, and early goal, and we built off that. I thought the first half was really strong … We should definitely feel good after these results. We’re obviously learning a lot of new things. Obviously with a new coach, some things have changed and it connected well today, and hopefully we can just continue to improve."

Jamaica fought back, with Demarai Gray getting two goals of his own in between a fantastic Weah finish, a major moment in his return to the USMNT and first match since his red card the Copa America. After an absolute beatdown of a first half, the Reggae Boyz gave the USMNT a fight in the second, turning Monday's clash into a challenging game by the end.

And Weah, who waited so long for this return, felt the collective effort paid dividends.

"Just a lot of grit, playing together as a family. Giving 100 percent for each other. I think that’s we did today. And we can all be happy and look forward to something special," he said. "Playing in that final, the Nation’s League final, and then kind of building our way up to the World Cup at home. That’s the main goal. We’re on the right track. We just have to keep trusting each other, playing with intention, and do what we do best."

Pochettino will like the way this match played out. He'll like that the second half gave him talking points to dive in on and improvements to make. He'll love that first half, though, one that was a near-perfect display of how he wants this team to play.

It's still early, but Monday night's win was a step forward for the USMNT. They ended 2024 on a high note, effectively and efficiently kickstarting the Pochettino Era. GOAL rates the USMNT's players from CITYPARK.

ImagnGoalkeeper & Defense

Matt Turner (6/10):

Had no real chance to save the first Gray goal but maybe could have pushed the ball elsewhere on the second? Had a few good stops throughout, though.

Antonee Robinson (7/10):

Tucked in a bit more than we're accustomed to seeing, particularly in the first half. Put Jamaica in a few uncomfortable positions and provided the assist on Pepi's goal.

Mark McKenzie (6/10):

A little miscommunication on the Jamaica goal, but that's certainly not all on him. Otherwise, had some really good moments to keep Jamaica quiet.

Tim Ream (7/10):

Was so patient on the ball, which helped the U.S. seize control early. Playing in front of his hometown crowd, Ream really rose to the occasion.

Joe Scally (5/10):

Got turned around a bit on Gray's second and could have better communicated on the first. A bit harsh to pick on him, though, as he did do some good things in possession.

AdvertisementImagnMidfield

Weston McKennie (9/10):

Assisted each of the first two goals, with his first being a legitimate highlight-reel pass. Took control of the midfield, completing nearly all of his passes while driving the U.S. forward throughout as the more free midfield.

Tanner Tessmann (7/10):

Don't overlook his contributions. While everyone around him was picking up goals and assists, Tessmann did so many little things well, from winning the ball back to keeping it in tight situations. They're not the most obvious contributions, but they did set a tone.

ImagnAttack

Christian Pulisic (9/10):

Incredible finish for his first, a lucky one for his second. But both counted. This was a 90-minute showcase of quality from a player that is simply unstoppable right now.

Tim Weah (8/10):

Was seemingly told to stay on the line to stretch the Jamaica defense. The Juventus star hit the post early, but got his goal midway through the second half with a ridiculous finish. Welcome back!

Yunus Musah (7/10):

Quietly pretty damn good on the wing, earning an assist on Weah's goal. Is that his position long-term? Probably not, but Pochettino clearly feels he can get something out of him from that wide spot.

Ricardo Pepi (8/10):

The train keeps steaming ahead. Another goal from Pepi on a day when he could have had one or two more. The PSV forward is a scoring machine right now, which will only make the debates over his role for club and country grow louder.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Gianluca Busio (7/10):

Super good passing-wise and had a few good defensive moments. Provided exactly what the U.S. needed at that point in the game.

Brenden Aaronson (7/10):

Tidy on the ball as he drove forward from that No. 10 spot. Kept the ball moving and kept the U.S. dangerous even without Pulisic on the field.

Brandon Vazquez (6/10):

Was inches away from two different opportunities after coming on to replace Pepi. Occupied Jamaica's defenders as the U.S. looked to see out the win.

Cade Cowell (6/10):

Came on and immediately brought some life back into the game as both teams looked ready to cruise to the finish line. Good to get him in against tired legs, but would have been interesting to see what he could do with more time to work.

Alejandro Zendejas (N/A):

Came in with just a few minutes left to see out the game.

Mauricio Pochettino (8/10):

Attacking-wise, this was just about perfect. The tactics were spot on and the players executed them about as well as he could have imagined. There were things to clean up in the second half, though, especially defensively. Still, a great night for the new coach.

He says the bubble life hasn’t taken a toll on India’s players

Varun Shetty03-Feb-20213:42

Rahane explains his responsibilities as India vice-captain

India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is pleased at Virat Kohli’s return to the team and is gearing for his normal and “easy” role as deputy, one he says he enjoys best by being in the back seat.Rahane took over as stand-in captain, when Kohli left on paternity leave after the first Test of the Australia series, in Adelaide, and led India to a historic series victory that involved two Test wins and a draw. Rahane had only led India on two occasions before the Australia tour, but remains unbeaten as a Test captain.”See, my job is to take a back seat and help Virat,” Rahane said during a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “There are too many things on a captain’s mind, so as a vice-captain you have to visualise a situation, think about what can happen in the game, and then if captain asks you for suggestions then you should be ready. So my job is really easy. I take a back seat. Whenever required I go and tell him…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him. That helps us a lot. For me, personally, I generally take a back seat when I’m vice-captain.”Related

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Even so, Rahane’s likely to have had a slight responsibility as the leader of the team during the Australia series win: that of grounding the team and helping them move on to focussing on the upcoming home series against England.”Australia was really special for us. We did enjoy our victory, especially that night in Brisbane and also when we came back home. But we are in the present now,” Rahane said. “What we learnt from Australia was, after losing a match in Adelaide, how we came back. So it’s all about staying in the moment. We respect the England team as well. We’re not going to take them lightly. For us, what’s important is playing a good brand of cricket, what we’ve been playing since the last two-three years. And play as a team and play as a unit. We’re not taking anything for granted. It’s all about taking one match at a time.”Ajinkya Rahane: “Whenever required I go and tell him (Virat Kohli)…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him”•BCCI

The cancellation of the series between Australia and South Africa this month has meant that New Zealand have become the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final, with India being strong favourites to face them in the final at Lord’s later this year. Rahane said New Zealand were deserving of the spot but said that the Indian team is only looking as far as this week’s game in Chennai, reiterating that complacency was not an issue.”We know every series, every game is really important, especially in the Test championship. What happened in Australia was really special but that is the past. We’re thinking of this series, this game particularly, and taking it one game at a time,” he said. “I don’t think we have to think too much about complacency. We know what’s our strength. We’re still respecting the England team, they did really well in Sri Lanka. So basically we have to play good cricket, back our strengths and play as a team here.”Rahane was tight-lipped about team combinations and pitch conditions, saying we’d have to “wait and see” about both, while hinting that Hardik Pandya was working hard as “a batsman and a bowler” in the nets. The return of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to the English team – both of whom were former team-mates of his at Rajasthan Royals – would not, he said, give England too much of an advantage.”We play IPL with them but Tests and IPL are completely different,” Rahane said. “We know how their bowlers come here and bowl, but like I said, lengths are completely different in the formats. It’s not like we tell them everything [about strategy]. That’s very important. IPL and Tests are completely different.Several of India’s players have been in a bubble since late August, just before the IPL began, and will likely have little time outside of bubbles any time soon, with the IPL shaping to be held in its regular March-April window. But, at the moment, Rahane said, there has been no mental faitgue.”We are not mentally tired at all,” he said. “We are really tough mentally. We are a unit, a family. We are enjoying each other’s company here. We are spending time in the team room. Our families are here which is really important. So we are not at all tired”

West Indies’ captain Jason Holder has called on his team-mates, particularly the batsmen, to “look in the mirror” following their heaviest defeat against New Zealand in the first Test, by an innings and 134 runs.West Indies were bowled out for 138 and 247 on a Seddon Park surface that saw New Zealand rack up 519 for 7 despite losing the toss and being sent in. The second innings was rescued from a collapse by a 155-run stand for the seventh wicket between Jermaine Blackwood (104) and Alzarri Joseph (86), but apart from them, no West Indies batsman crossed 30 across two innings.The top five totalled 100 runs between them across two innings and Holder didn’t mince words at the post-match presentation, saying the top order needed to stand up.”I think it’s time we start delivering and stopped talking,” Holder said. “We’ve talked a lot, we’ve promised a lot. I think it’s a matter for us to all look ourselves in the mirror and understand that we’ve got to fight a little harder. We’re just probably throwing the towel in too easily, just being honest. We’ve just got to turn it around and only we can do it. We’ve had brilliant support from this management and staff, they’ve put everything in place. It’s just for us to live up to it.”Credit to Jermaine Blackwood and Alazarri Joseph to bring some respectability towards our batting, but quite frankly our top order just needs to stand up.”One of the asks Holder had of his batsmen was to be prepared to shelve certain shots early in their innings, and sell their wickets more dearly.”In all honesty, we’re still scratching our heads,” he said. “Leading up to the first Test, I felt the preparation was good. I think our preparation has always been really good. It’s just trying to send it out into the Test circuit. We had two solid warm-up games in Queenstown. Albeit the surfaces were a little bit different to what we’ve come up against here in Hamilton, but I still think a little bit more application needs to be shown, particularly up front. I think up front we’ve got to work a little bit harder.”We’ve seen how the New Zealand bowlers, like any other bowlers in the world, they tend to get flat as partnerships build. We just need to be able to understand that, fight a lot harder, keep them out there a little bit longer. Even if we give up one or two scoring shots that we feel as though we can count on to pounce on early. The longer you spend (at the crease) the easier it becomes. There’s a lot of things we need to look at, we need answers and we need them quickly.”

Watch cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand vs West Indies is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune into the series.

West Indies will play their second and final Test of this series from December 11 in Wellington, but they are likely to be without two men who were part of their XI for the first Test. Kemar Roach is set to fly back to West Indies, having lost his father two days before the first Test started, while Shane Dowrich is a doubtful starter. Dowrich picked up a finger injury on the first day while keeping, and didn’t bat in either innings.”Kemar, thankfully for us he pushed through this Test match but I think he’ll be going home after this to be with his family,” Holder said. “Shane, we’re not quite sure the extent of his finger injury at the moment. He’s been complaining of a lot of pain. Looking pretty doubtful for the second Test as well, but we’ve just got to assess for the next couple of days.”With Dowrich absent on the second day, Shamarh Brooks took the gloves for West Indies. They have the uncapped 22-year-old Joshua Da Silva in the Test squad as the reserve wicketkeeper. A left-field option they could consider is Nicholas Pooran, who is also in New Zealand with the West Indies A side. Pooran made 46 and 35 in a four-day match against New Zealand A, while Da Silva kept wickets.

Ryan Barnett may be generating transfer talk, but there’s "not a cat in hell’s chance" he leaves as a "why would you leave Wrexham" question is asked.

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Hollywood co-owners built strong squadFlying high in the League One tableBarnett attracting Championship interestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have worked hard assembling a squad at SToK Racecourse that can build on the back-to-back promotions which have already been enjoyed. The Red Dragons are up into League One and flying high in the third-tier table.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Barnett, who was snapped up in February 2023, has been impressing this season – posting a number of assists – and is said to be attracting admiring glances from Championship sides Stoke and Preston ahead of the January window. He is, however, already part of an ambitious project in North Wales.

WHAT PALMER SAID

With that in mind, former EFL player and coach Carlton Palmer has told : "Ryan Barnett has started life in League One absolutely on fire and that has caused the likes of Stoke City and Preston North End to be looking at Wrexham's right wing-back. He's been in exhilarating form, with five assists so far this season. That includes a hat-trick of assists against Northampton Town. He's been outstanding in giving them, in the 3-5-2, width and pushing on. It's physically so demanding what is being asked of him up and down, but he's done what's asked of him and his quality of delivery into the box when he gets there is outstanding.

"That's why the likes of Championship clubs are looking at him. Listen, Wrexham with back-to-back promotions and will be very, very close to getting promotion again this season. I am sure the owners will go again in January, and there is not a cat in hell's chance that Wrexham will sell a player who is very integral to the way they play and the way they look to set up."

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Palmer added on the exit talk that Reynolds, McElhenney and Phil Parkinson will be hoping to fend off: "There's not a chance they let him go. And, of course, why would you want to leave Wrexham? They are on the up with progressive owners. They have money and it's the place to be, so I don't think this will be entertained. Of course, people are going to be looking at Wrexham's players, given what they have done in the past few seasons, but that just goes with the territory."

Arsenal are a club that have dramatically transformed over the last few years.

From missing out on the Champions League places in 2021/22 to just missing out on the semi-finals last season and pushing Manchester City to the final day of the Premier League campaign.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have overseen a total overhaul of the playing squad during their tenures in North London, but one thing that hasn't changed is the importance of poster boy Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End superstar has been an ever-present in the team over the last few years despite being just 22 years old, although based on recent reports, the Englishman could soon have a genuine rival to push him forward and give him the chance to rest as well.

Arsenal transfer news

According to Belgian outlet GVA, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in PSV's star winger Johan Bakayoko.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that the Belgian's name has been mentioned at Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

However, the good news for the North Londoners is that they seem to be the favourites, with the story claiming that they are the 'most concrete' option at present.

According to the report, Arsenal will have to pay around €45m – £38m – to get their man. While that's not cheap, it might prove value for money based on his performances last season, especially as he could become a genuine rival for Saka.

How Bakayoko compares to Saka

Now, the first thing to say is that Saka is clearly one of the most important players at Arsenal and one of Arteta's most trusted stars. In the last two seasons alone, he has played 7616 minutes of senior football.

So, while Bakayoko is an incredibly talented winger and someone who could provide the Englishman with some serious competition, it would be unfair to expect him to come into the club this summer and immediately be on the same level as the Hale End superstar.

That said, how do the pair compare? From a pure output perspective, the Ealing-born gem comes out on top with a staggering 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 games last season.

However, while the "insane" PSV prospect, dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, can't quite match those numbers, his haul of 14 goals and 14 assists in 48 appearances – an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games – is genuinely impressive and suggests that he could undoubtedly chip in from the right when called upon.

How about their underlying numbers, then? Is it another win for the North Londoners starboy?

Bakayoko vs Saka

Stats per 90

Bakayoko

Saka

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.60

0.65

Non-Penalty Goals

0.43

0.31

Assists

0.32

0.28

Progressive Passes

3.50

3.89

Progressive Carries

7.11

4.78

Shots

3.47

3.14

Shots on Target

1.16

0.96

Passing Accuracy

81.5%

75.6%

Shot-Creating Actions

5.20

5.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.54

0.65

Tackles

1.19

2.04

Blocks

0.97

1.33

Interceptions

0.32

0.46

Successful Take-Ons

3.32

1.51

Ball Recoveries

4.01

4.78

Aerial Duels Won

0.36

0.71

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

Well, interestingly, the two wingers come out looking rather even. For example, the Gunners ace emerges victorious in metrics such as his non-penalty expected goal and assist figure, progressive passes, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles, blocks, interceptions, ball recoveries, and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Whereas the Belgian "entertainer", as dubbed by Mattinson, looks better in statistics like actual non-penalty goals and assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy and successful take-ons, also all per 90.

That said, the fact that the PSV star plays in a much weaker league must be considered when comparing his underlying numbers to those of a player in a top-five league.

Ultimately, Saka needs a rival on the right in this Arsenal side, not just to help him push on and get even better but also so he doesn't have to play every minute of football for the next three seasons. Therefore, considering his performances last season, signing Bakayoko this summer looks like a brilliant idea.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 26, 2024

تقدم فريق برشلونة الإسباني بهدف ثالث أمام بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني في منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي برشلونة مع بوروسيا دورتموند، ضمن مواجهات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على بوروسيا دورتموند في ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك” معقل الفريق الألماني.

وجاء هدف برشلونة الثالث عن طريق فيران توريس في الدقيقة 85 من اللقاء، بعد تمريرة من لامين يامال.

وكان برشلونة تقدم بهدف عن طريق البرازيلي رافينها وذلك في الدقيقة 53 من عمر المباراة، وتعادل جيراسي لدورتموند في الدقيقة 61.

ثم أحرز فيران توريس الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 75 وعقب 3 دقائق، وتعادل جيراسي بهدف ثانٍ لبوروسيا دورتموند.

ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة برشلونة ودورتموند لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف فيران توريس الثاني في مباراة برشلونة ودورتموند

Twelve of the 21 players – including captain Aaron Finch (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and vice-captain Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders) – who have been named in Australia’s squad for the three T20Is and three ODIs in England, are set to miss the start of IPL 2020 because of the IPL’s Covid-19 testing protocols.But Andrew McDonald, Australia’s senior assistant coach, will not join the touring party to England as he has been allowed by Cricket Australia to head to the UAE to link up with Rajasthan Royals, where he is the head coach.ALSO READ: 2020 IPL will be ‘more secure’ from corruption due to bubbleApart from Finch and Cummins, David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Steven Smith (Royals), Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab), Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers), Josh Phillipe and Kane Richardson (Royal Challengers), Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis (both Delhi Capitals), Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings) and Andrew Tye (Royals), are among those in the England tour group with IPL contracts.Australia’s limited-overs tour of England kicks off on September 4 and will end on September 16, three days before the start of the IPL in the UAE.According to the IPL’s SOPs, once the squads land in the UAE, all members will undergo a test at the airport before heading to the team hotels. From this point, the IPL testing protocol kicks in: every squad will undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine in their hotel, and every squad member will be tested three times during the week – on the first, third and sixth day. If all three results come back negative, the squad can start training. After that, all the players would be tested again on the fifth day of every week throughout the tournament.Andrew McDonald will skip Australia’s white-ball tour of England•Getty Images

The franchises had recently requested the IPL to relax the quarantine period for the group of players travelling to the UAE after the England v Australia series, but they got an unofficial thumbs down even as they wait for a final set of SOPs, which also need to be approved by the UAE governmentDefending IPL champions Mumbai Indians are the only franchise that will remain unaffected in terms of player unavailability, as Nathan Coulter-Nile and Chris Lynn, the two Australians in their squad, weren’t selected for the tour. Lynn is instead preparing to turn out for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League, which will kick off on August 18.It is understood that Royals will be among the first teams to land in the UAE, most likely on August 20 and should have their head coach, the former Australia allrounder McDonald, in their ranks. McDonald was appointed Royals’ head coach for a period of three years from IPL 2020.”When Andrew came on board that was part of our agreement with him that he would be able to continue as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals – and we’re really comfortable with that,” Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia head of national teams, said. “We believe that’s a beneficial outcome for Andrew’s development as a coach, but also for our players. Having someone who has had that experience and bring it back into our environment, particularly with three white-ball World Cups coming up in the next three years; two of them in India. It’s [a] really valuable experience for Andrew and our team.”McDonald’s availability for Royals comes as a significant boost for the team after their fielding coach Dishant Yagnik tested positive for Covid-19. After his 14-day quarantine, Yagnik will undergo two more tests as per the BCCI’s protocols. If he tests negative in both, he can leave for the UAE where he will have to self-isolate for six days before undergoing three more tests. Only after clearing those would he be allowed to join the team.

ودع فريق آينتراخت فرانكفورت منافسات كأس ألمانيا من دور الـ16، بعد هزيمة أمام لايبزج بثلاثية دون رد.

وشهدت المباراة مشاركة المصري عمر مرموش في هجوم فريقه آينتراخت فرانكفورت، وخاض المواجهة كاملة، دون أن يسجل أو يصنع.

وسجل لويس أوبيندا الهدف الأول لصالح لايبزيج، في الدقيقة 18، لكن ألغي بداعي التسلل.

كما أحرز باومجرنتر هدفًا ولم يحتسب أيضا بداعي التسلل، وذلك في الدقيقة 23 من المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | في ليلة طرد نوير.. بايرن ميونخ يودع كأس ألمانيا مبكرًا أمام ليفركوزن

وفي الدقيقة 31 تمكن بنجامين سيسكو من تسجيل الهدف الأول، بعدما انفرد وراوغ روبن كوش ثم الحارس وسجل في الشباك.

وفي الدقيقتين 49 و58 سجل أوبيندا هدفين لصالح لايبزيج، لتصبح النتيجة ثلاثية نظيفة لفريقه أمام فرانكفورت.

انتهت المباراة بفوز لايبزيج بثلاثية نظيفة أمام شتوتجارت، ليحسم تأهله للدور المقبل رفقة أندية أرمينيا بيلفيلد وشتوتجارت وفيردر بريمن وكولن وباير ليفركوزن وفولفسبورج. أهداف مباراة فرانكفورت ولايبزيج في كأس ألمانيا

Well, that was all a bit more stressful than it needed to be, wasn't it? Arsenal were coasting, flying towards a precious three points on the road against their fiercest of rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta's men have been so good at eradicating jeopardy from their games this season but on this occasion, that certainly wasn't the case.

An own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz sent the Gunners in at half-time 3-0 ahead.

This was dreamland for Arsenal who were about to hold on to top spot in the Premier League. They duly did, but not without an almighty scare from the hosts.

David Raya's abysmal error gave Ange Postecoglou's men a lifeline. The Spaniard was under no pressure but playing out from the back, gave it straight to Cristian Romero who was left with a simple finish. Declan Rice's clumsy challenge on Ben Davies then allowed for Heung-min Son to score a penalty.

Raya redeemed himself with some superb claims in the dying embers, as Arsenal held on to prevail 3-2. The Spaniard will no doubt take some flack, even if there were a number of notable performers in red and white. One of which was Havertz, yet again.

Kai Havertz's performance in numbers

£65m down the drain? We think not. Arteta hasn't got a lot wrong in the transfer market yet just months into the campaign the German was being branded with the tag of a flop. Understandably so, really.

It took until November for the former Chelsea man to score from open play but he's been nothing short of exceptional since the turn of the year, swiftly becoming one of Arsenal's most important players.

Havertz now has eight goals in his last 11 games, a run where he's also supplied five assists. The key change? More freedom as a false 9 in Arteta's system.

He was sublime against his former employers during the 5-0 win in midweek, scoring twice, and he was equally as good in the north London derby.

The summer arrival played a "Xhaka-esque" ball in behind – as the Telegraph's Sam Dean called it – for Saka to score the visitors' second goal before leaping like a salmon from Rice's corner to head home late in the first half.

It was a sensational display from the 24-year-old who left the field at the close of play having won a whopping 11 duels, drawn two fouls and supplied two key passes. There was even room for a haul of four clearances, a stat that showcases his desire to track back and help the team.

That said, he wasn't the only star of the show.

Thomas Partey's performances in numbers

This has been a long and arduous campaign for the £45m signing. Thomas Partey has missed 26 matches through injury in 2023/24 but has returned to the starting lineup over the last few days with some aplomb.

He was part of the midfield that dominated former Arsenal target Moises Caicedo last week on what was his first start of 2024 and as such was rewarded with another starting berth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

The result? A "Rolls-Royce" performance as Arsenal reporter Connor Humm put it on social media.

Yes, there were moments where the Ghanaian was caught in possession in dangerous areas but the overall sum of his game was excellent. Capable of breaking the lines with sumptuous passing, breaking up the play with consummate ease and being an all-round nuisance, he has more than proven his worth at a time when it potentially looked as though he could be sold.

Instead, Partey has revived his career. The performance at Spurs made it easy to see why he's in the side. Completing 93% of his passes, the best tally of any Arsenal starter, he also completed 100% of his dribble attempts and won five ground duels.

It wasn't a perfect performance but it led to a total domination of Tottenham's midfield. Rodrigo Bentancur was hauled off at half-time and then Hojbjerg was substituted just after the hour mark. Why? Because of how good Partey and Rice were in the centre of the field.

Minutes played

90

Touches

53

Accurate passes

37/40 (93%)

Long balls

3/4

Dribble attempts

2/2

Duels won

5/10

Tackles

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

The former Atletico Madrid man has returned at just the right time, although whether his impact can bring the title to the Emirates Stadium remains to be seen. Manchester City just keep on winning and there is nothing Arsenal can do to stop that now.

Spurs 2-3 Arsenal: Player ratings & match recap

Arsenal took on Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

ByMatt Dawson Apr 28, 2024

Jose Mourinho admitted Fenerbahce "would have never reached the Champions League final" after their qualifying loss against Lille.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Fenerbahce went down against Lille
• Mourinho admitted Europa League is their level
• Slammed the format changes for 2024-25

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fenerbahce failed to qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League main competition after a late strike from Jonathan David helped Lille clinch the tie 3-2 on aggregate. After the third qualifying round loss, manager Mourinho made an honest confession that his team would have never made it to the final of the Champions League, let alone win it.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Portuguese manager is now focusing on the club's campaign in the Europa League, although, he also criticised UEFA for changing the format of all their competitions. Both the Champions League and the Europa League will played in a new format from this season as all teams will play four home and away matches in a league competition before making it to the play-offs, with the old group-stage format scrapped.

• WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID

  Speaking to reporters at his post-match press conference, the 61-year-old said: "We lose economically because the Champions League obviously is an important boost to the club and we lose the chance to play against the biggest teams in the world. But we would never win the Champions League. We would never reach the Champions League final. Never."

  When asked about UEFA's format changes, the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid coach added: "I don’t even know the reason why the Europa League is going to be this way. Same as Champions. I don’t know the reason why. We have to adapt it’s something new for everybody. You play eight matches, four at home, and four away. Against some opponents you only play at home, against some opponents, you only play away. It’s strange, but it is what it is. I think money makes decisions and we have to adapt to it.

  "But as I was saying before, the Champions League would be great for the club, great for the players. But we would never have a chance to go very, very far in the competition and the [Europa] league is more adapted to our level. And I want to inject ambition in the team to do well."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

  Mourinho's Fenerbahce will be next seen in action on Sunday as they take on Goztepe in a Turkish Super Lig clash, where they will be aiming to extend their 100 percent start to the new domestic season.