Tag Futebol

Arsenal are sitting pretty atop the Premier League ladder, but Mikel Arteta and his men have been here before, and he’ll know that the January transfer window could prove advantageous for the club in their pursuit of the title.

Especially when Manchester City are honing in on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who has scored nine goals and supplied three assists in the league this term.

Semenyo, an Arsenal fan, has been on Andrea Berta’s radar, but the Gunners have now advanced their interest to match City’s own. Could that be because another star is in the sights?

Arsenal need to sign a forward

This is an elite outfit, but Arsenal’s interminable goalscoring problems have continued into the current campaign, albeit to a lesser degree.

Arteta needs to add firepower, and he must concede that Viktor Gyokeres has not been up to scratch since completing a £64m move to the Emirates from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 goals from 102 matches.

But perhaps signing another big-money centre-forward wouldn’t be the most prudent route.

According to Spanish sources this month, Arsenal have subscribed to that notion, having made an opening offer for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who is discontented at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old is overshadowed in Xabi Alonso’s frontline, but he is a world-class forward and would find the perfect home to further develop at Arsenal.

Los Blancos would consider his sale, but not for anything less than £75m. Arsenal’s offer totalled €60m (£51m).

How Rodrygo would enhance Arsenal's attack

Rodrygo did not have the best 2025, but he’s still an elite and multi-faceted forward who has scored 70 goals and supplied 55 assists for Real Madrid, probably the biggest football club in the world.

Only last year did teammate Jude Bellingham hail him as “probably the most gifted and most talented player in the squad”, with an underlying physicality to complement his more flashy side.

Indeed, across the past 12 months, the Brazil international has been “one of the best wingers in the world” in the words of analyst by Spencer Mossman, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 10% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

That’s an elite forward, one who could elevate Arteta’s burgeoning project. His pedigree on the grandest stages and ability to raise his teammates’ games might even see him draw Gyokeres out of his cave.

Gyokeres, 27, has scored five Premier League goals from 18 matches this season, 15 starts. But he’s not been good enough, at odds with the slickness of Arteta’s otherwise fluent frontline.

You don’t need your centre-forward to be a ballerina, but Gyokeres is struggling to latch onto Arsenal’s attacking efforts, and is enjoying only a minimal contribution each game.

Subscribe to the newsletter for transfer insight Keep ahead of Arsenal transfer developments and tactical impact – subscribe to the newsletter for clear, in-depth coverage of transfer rumors, player performance analysis and what signings could mean for the title race.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

When looking at his metrics compared to last season, his deterioration only becomes clearer.

Viktor Gyokeres – Liga Portugal vs Premier League

Stats (* per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

18 (15)

Goals

39

5

Assists

7

0

Touches

40.0

19.1

Shots (on target)*

4.2 (2.4)

1.7 (0.6)

Big chances missed

23

7

Accurate passes*

15.0 (73%)

5.1 (61%)

Chances created*

1.9

0.6

Succ. dribbles*

1.8 (48%)

0.3 (21%)

Tackles*

0.3

0.2

Duels won*

5.5 (50%)

2.4 (34%)

Data via Sofascore

As you can see, since returning to English shores in July, the hulking forward has struggled.

It’s not all his fault, though. Gabriel Martinelli, for example, hasn’t been at his best this season and has gone ten Premier League matches without a goal involvement. Arsenal content creator James commented after the recent win at Bournemouth that the Brazilian winger was too one-dimensional”.

Rodrygo, his compatriot, would certainly prove an upgrade, and with such flair, versatility and innate creative qualities – he’s been described as a “special striker” who “can play in all positions” by former boss Carlo Ancelotti – it might be the perfect signing to keep Man City at bay and finally secure silverware and the Premier League title after two decades of searching.

Related Saved by Rice: Arsenal must bin dud who lost the ball every 3.5 touches

Arsenal battled their way to victory against Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

A Leeds United star was lauded by a TalkSport journalist after the 1-1 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

Spoils shared as Leeds take point at Sunderland

The Whites are on a solid run in the Premier League, having now gone their last five games unbeaten, but they may feel a little hard done by to not have taken more from the trip to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon.

On the balance of play, Daniel Farke’s side were the superior team, recording an xG of 2.03, compared to 0.65 from the hosts, with Ethan Ampadu, Jayden Bogle and Brenden Aaronson all missing big chances.

Although Farke will be disappointed his side were unable to secure all three points, there is now plenty of breathing room near the bottom of the table, as they sit seven points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United, who lost 1-0 at home against Fulham on Saturday.

Key to their recent uptick in form has been summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the centre-forward bagging seven goals in his last six Premier League games, and he equalised just after half-time at the Stadium of Light, after a brilliant team move.

However, Calvert-Lewin has not been the only player to have impressed as of late, with TalkSport journalist Tom Clayton taking to X to praise Anton Stach after the draw against the Black Cats, claiming he’s in with a shout of being “signing of the season”.

Stach impresses as Leeds make it five unbeaten

The 27-year-old has been a very important player for Leeds this season, making 15 Premier League appearances since arriving from Hoffenheim, during which time he’s displayed a keen eye for goal, chipping in with three goals and two assists.

Although the central midfielder was unable to get on the scoresheet against Regis Le Bris’ side, he made a number of key contributions in both attack and defence, which earned him a SofaScore match rating of 7.9, the joint-highest of any player, alongside Simon Adingra.

Anton Stach’s key statistics vs Sunderland

Number completed

Key passes

3

Big chances created

1

Duels (won)

15 (10)

Tackles

5

Leeds will be frustrated they were unable to score the crucial second goal, but they remain in a strong position to avoid the drop, with West Ham struggling, and Stach could be key to their chances of retaining their Premier League status.

Related Rutter 2.0: Leeds battling to sign "exceptional" talent in January

This potential signing can strengthen Leeds ahead of their relegation fight

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Glasgow Rangers fell further away from a potential title race with a 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership at Tynecastle on Sunday.

The only thing that Gers supporters had to shout about was a 95th minute goal from Youssef Chermiti, his second goal for the club, but that came way too late for the away side to push for a point.

Light Blues head coach Danny Rohl should be disappointed with how his side performed against the league leaders, as several players failed to perform.

The worst Rangers performers against Hearts

Jack Butland was one of the players who let the team down with his display between the sticks on Sunday, as he had a nightmare for the second Hearts goal, allowing Lawrence Shankland’s short to beat him at the near post.

The former England international also gave possession back to Hearts with a poor piece of distribution in the build-up to the opening goal, as he struggled with his passing and his shot-stopping.

Butland was not the only poor performer on the day for the Gers, though, as Nicolas Raskin also struggled in the middle of the park, as he lost possession a whopping 19 times without creating a single chance, per Sofascore.

Worst Rangers performers vs Hearts

Rank

Player

1

Jack Butland

2

Bojan Miovski

3

Nicolas Raskin

4

Jayden Meghoma

5

Connor Barron

As you can see in the table above, we have also put Connor Barron, who lost four of his seven duels, and Jayden Meghoma, who lost four of his five aerial duels, among the worst performers on the pitch.

We have put Bojan Miovski down as the second-worst performer in the game for the Gers, though, after the striker returned from injury and struggled at Tynecastle.

Where Rangers need to spend money in January

The Macedonia international’s performance against Hearts was another reminder that Rangers need to spend money on a new centre-forward when the January transfer window opens for business.

Miovski had scored three goals in his previous two appearances, showing promise, but he looked back to the striker who had struggled at Ibrox before that burst of goals in recent games.

Journalist Joshua Barrie noted during the game that Rohl was “frustrated” with the centre-forward’s inability to hold the ball up under pressure when the Gers badly needed an outlet.

Per Sofascore, Miovski lost both of his ground duels and nine out of his 11 aerial duels throughout the match, which explains why the manager was unhappy with his performance. It was far too easy for the Hearts defenders to get the better of him in physical battles, which is why he was just as bad as Butland on Sunday.

The left-footed star did have the ball in the back of the net in the first half, tapping in from Emmanuel Fernandez’s flick-on, but it was ruled out for the finest of offsides.

Miovski’s all-round play, outside of that unfortunate moment, was simply not good enough, which is why the 49ers should consider dipping into the market to bring in another striker to compete with him and Chermiti in the second half of the campaign.

Neither Miovski nor Chermiti has proven that they can be relied upon to deliver consistent performances at the top end of the pitch as the starting number nine for Rohl in the Premiership.

25/26 Premiership

Miovski

Chermiti

Appearances

13

11

Goals

3

2

Big chances missed

6

1

Assists

1

1

Ground duel success rate

31%

41%

Aerial duel success rate

29%

53%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, they have both struggled for goals and struggled in their ground duels, whilst the ex-Aberdeen man has struggled in duels on the ground and in the air.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Rangers analysis & transfer insight Want deeper context on Rangers’ performances and transfer-window priorities? Subscribe to the newsletter for match-grade player ratings, tactical breakdowns, and transfer-target analysis — essential reading for fans who follow club form and squad needs. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for Rangers analysis & transfer insight Want deeper context on Rangers’ performances and transfer-window priorities? Subscribe to the newsletter for match-grade player ratings, tactical breakdowns, and transfer-target analysis — essential reading for fans who follow club form and squad needs.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Miovski’s poor hold-up play against Hearts was not a one-off, as evidenced by his statistics, and it has possibly been the most worrying aspect of his performances this season, as he does not look up to the task of leading the line on his own for the Gers.

The January transfer window is only ten days or so away and it will provide the Light Blues with a chance to improve their squad, which is why these performances from Butland and Miovski have come at a poor time, from their perspective.

Related "Mind-blowingly bad" Rangers flop even makes Dessers look amazing

This Glasgow Rangers forward has flopped so badly that he makes Cyriel Dessers look amazing.

Posts ByDan Emery

It will be interesting to see where they stand within the squad by the second half of the campaign, should Rangers decide to splash money in their positions next month.

	Sachin Tendulkar savours his first hundred at the Adelaide Oval while VVS Laxman looks on © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar said he was happy to have notched up his first hundred at the Adelaide Oval, one where he hadn’t made much of an impact earlier. Returning to the city where he met Don Bradman in 1998, he brought up his sixth hundred in Australia and second of the series.”I knew that Adelaide hasn’t been a great ground for me,” he said after his unbeaten hundred at the end of the first day. “In 1999 I scored 65 runs here and that was my best, so I was determined to get a big one here. It also happens to be Sir Don’s home ground. I wasn’t thinking about that while batting out there but am very pleased to have got a hundred at this venue.”Tendulkar admitted that this was one of his most complete innings, talking about how certain balls went exactly where he intended. “The first straight drive off [Brett] Lee gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “I middled it and the shot went exactly where I wanted it to go. In the next over I repeated it [against Mitchell Johnson]. So I took it from there.”There are days when you are moving well, days when you’re not. There are also days when you middle the ball and days when you don’t. You need to wait for that moment. I’ve felt those moments off and on in my career. Any hundred is special but when the team really needs one, it means more. Today there were big shots in between and defensive ones too. It was important we [Laxman and him] just stayed there and played according to the merit of the ball. We needed to play out the good spells properly.”Tendulkar has received an overwhelming reception in Australia, entering to standing ovations and being cheered throughout. No other Indian batsman has been accorded such a warm applause. “It’s truly special,” he said, “and sometimes I need to look at the scoreboard to figure out whether I’m 100-plus or zero. It means a lot to me and would like to thank each and every person for treating me like this. It makes every trip of mine very special.”Like in the first two Tests, Tendulkar was particularly severe on Brad Hogg but denied having “targeted” him for punishment. “Any bowler can get you out, you don’t want to take anyone for granted,” he said. “It all depends on the flow of my innings. If I pick the ball early enough, I will put it away. There were patches when he bowled well and patches when I felt I could put the ball away. Whenever I got the opportunity I made it count. That was my strategy.”Tendulkar went from 86 to 100 in a sequence that read 4,2,6,2, smashing the part-time spin of Michael Clarke. “I thought the wind was behind me and wanted to use it,” he said. “I knew if I middled the ball, it would clear the field. Even if I don’t middle it the wind would work.”I was very positive at that stage and if the ball was there to put away, I was prepared to do that again,” he said off the six that took him to 98. “When I played that off-drive [to get to 100], I played inside out, though it was not a half-volley. I had that chance to force the ball. I got the time to force it a little bit.”He was pleased to have weathered the old-ball burst from Lee – “he has been their stand-out bowler” – and thought India would need to bat as long as possible to increase their chances of leveling the series. “I think to put up a big total in the first innings would be the key. Later on I think the wicket might have some big cracks. Ideally we would like to score as many runs tomorrow. The first session will be very important.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMatch package
Bulletin – Hayden sets up thumping victory
Verdict – A rebuilt opener
Quotes – ‘Australia didn’t permit themselves to be tested’ – Lara
Plays of the day – Lara smashes, Samuels swishes
Audio – Ian Chappell: Australia win comprehensively
Stats – Driving it straight and hard
Plays of the Day – The big hits and misses
Gallery – Powerful Aussies take control
Preview package
Preview – Underdongs don’t need to fear Australia
Stats – Ponting and McGrath have point to prove
Quotes – Lara upbeat ahead of Australia clash
News – A guide to the Super Eights

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) made short work of Karachi Harbour, through a convincing nine-wicket victory, with over two days to spare in their Pentangular Cup match at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday.PIA had gained a first innings lead of 77 in the opening day, after having made 172 in their first innings following Karachi Harbour’s crash to 95 all out. PIA’s Fazl-e-Akbar ran through the latter’s second innings with figures of five for 23 in 13 overs as Karachi were bowled out for 151 in their second innings. PIA needed just 75 runs to win and they attained the target with the loss of one wicket.Fazl-e-Akbar was ably supported by fellow pacemen Najaf Shah and Jannisar Khan, who picked up two wickets each while Kamran Sajid, the medium pacer, eliminated teenaged left-hander Fawad Alam (24), who had started to look dangerous for a while.PIA thus made amends for a similar nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Faisalabad in their first-round match at Lahore last week. While PIA will get to rest in the third round of the tournament, Karachi Harbour will be playing against Sialkot in their next match starting at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from Tuesday April 11.Faisalabad continued to dominate their second-round Pentangular Cup match against national champions Sialkot, as they finished the second day at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, 200 runs ahead in the first innings.Faisalabad resumed at their overnight score of 354 for 5 and were all out for 408. Sialkot in reply had slumped to 208 for seven by the day’s close. They still require another 51 to avert the follow-on.Shahid Nazir (3 for 60), Asad Ali (3 for 58) and Ahmed Hayat struck crucial blows as none of Sialkot’s first six batsmen managed to reach even the 30s. Tahir Mughal, the captain, crossed the barrier and was unbeaten on 37 at stumps, having batted for a little over an hour and a quarter, facing 59 balls and hitting four boundaries.There were useful contributions by most Sialkot batsmen but none really got going. Earlier, Asim Butt, the fast-medium bowler, hastened the end of Faisalabad’s knock by capturing six wickets for 85 runs.The overnight unbeaten pair of Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Salman took their sixth-wicket partnership to 138 runs, after which the last four wickets added only 14 more. Misbah missed his century by just seven runs, having made his 93 off 160 balls with 11 fours while Salman scored 52.

Inzamam-ul-Haq: a memorable 100th Test© Getty Images

It was the 100th Test match for Inzamam-ul-Haq, and he marked that occasion in style, becoming only the fifth batsman to celebrate the landmark with a century. However, Inzamam became the first to achieve the feat overseas: Colin Cowdrey played his 100th Test at Edgbaston, Gordon Greenidge in Antigua, Javed Miandad at Lahore and Alec Stewart at Old Trafford. Like Inzamam, Miandad had also achieved the landmark against India, in 1989-90.

The 312-run stand between Inzamam and Younis Khan is Pakistan’s best partnership in India. However, it still isn’t the best for the third wicket for Pakistan – that honour is taken by Miandad and Mudassar Nazar, who put together a mammoth 451 against India at Hyderabad (Sind) in 1982-83. (Click here for Pakistan’s highest stands for each wicket in Tests.)

Inzamam’s century also lifted his average against India, which was an ordinary 38.30 before this game, to 52.46. Even if he gets out at the overnight score tomorrow, his average will still be 48.71.

If he scores 16 more, Inzamam will become the first double-centurion in a Test at Bangalore. Before this innings, the highest score in Bangalore was Sachin Tendulkar’s 177 against Australia in 1997-98.

Gareth Batty’s preparations for today’s first Test in Galle took an alarming turn on Monday afternoon, when he got into difficulties while swimming in the sea in front of the team hotel and had to be rescued by two lifeguards.Batty, who admitted he had “feared the worst” while he was being bashed against the rocks by a rip-tide, was nonetheless able to take part in the final practice session with just a few cuts and bruises to show for the ordeal. “It shook me up at the time,” he said afterwards, “but it hasn’t affected my preparation for the Test – everything is cool.”Batty had been body-boarding with Matthew Hoggard and Michael Vaughan when the incident occurred. All three players were dragged some 30 feet into deeper water, although Hoggard – the strongest swimmer – was able to kick for the shore. It was Vaughan, who scrambled onto the nearby rocks, who raised the alarm.”Vaughany could tell I was struggling and was getting pretty animated on the rocks,” said Batty. “It was his waving that caught the attention of the five or six blokes on the beach. I know that when you get caught in a rip you are supposed to relax and let it take you where it wants, but it’s not quite as easy as that when there are lots of jagged rocks about. They caught me in quite a few places and I have a few nicks on my arms and legs.”It is a notorious stretch of coastline – only last week a tourist drowned in the nearby town of Hikkaduwa. “We always tell Europeans it is OK to swim, but always near the shore,” said Wellage Gamini, one of the lifeguards who helped pull Batty from the waves. “The problem was the players went too near the rocks, where the tides are strongest.”

What better way for Central Districts to turn around their disastrous last visit to the Basin Reserve to play Wellington than by notching a rousing victory in the State Shield today.Last summer in their State Shield match, Wellington took 17.3 overs to dismiss CD for a miserable 58.And while today’s win was not quite as emphatic as CD would have wanted to permanently wipe out that stain, it was still set up with an outstanding batting display from the experienced hand of Craig Spearman and the rising star of Jesse Ryder playing only his second match at this level.Wellington performed poorly with the bat after batting first. They were four wickets down for only 16 runs, including New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming who was rushed into the match in a bid to allow him another chance for all-important batting time.But it was a disappointing result for him as he was out for five runs, caught from Michael Mason’s bowling.Richard Jones threw out an anchor for Wellington with at 70-ball 40 while some solid, if unspectacular batting, from the middle and lower-order at least ensured that Wellington batted out time and gave their bowlers something to defend.Grant Donaldson (22), Matthew Walker (27), Mark Jefferson (15) and a timely 34 off 35 balls by Mayu Pasupati got Wellington up to 185 for nine wickets when it ran out of overs.Mason was again outstanding with three for 22 from his 10 overs and could be a prospect yet for World Cup contention on this sort of form. Andrew Schwass continued his impressive bowling by taking two for 32 from 10.Any qualms that CD might have had about the batting conditions were quelled by their openers. Spearman was outstanding in the way that he can be in scoring 74 off 65 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. His 50 took only 38 balls. He was finally dismissed when caught at mid-off by Matthew Bell when playing a tired shot to a ball from Andrew Penn. But CD were well on the way by that stage at 146 for four wickets.Ryder helped Spearman add 110 for the first wicket in only 14.2 overs when scoring his maiden State Shield half century and being out for 51 off 48 balls. He was bowled by Ash Turner.CD got the speed wobbles, however, and threatened to undo the good work of the openers when Peter Ingram was out for a duck, Glen Sulzberger for five, Ian Sandbrook and Greg Loveridge for 13 each, and Bevan Griggs for one, with three wickets falling for seven runs at one stage. A superb catch by Bell to dismiss Loveridge almost proved inspirational.But, fortunately, Campbell Furlong and Schwass settled things down and just worked the ball around to get their side home by three wickets.Wellington’s bowlers, like their top-order batsmen, were out-gunned and none really came through the opening assault. Of the bowlers used in the innings, Pasupati had 13 runs from his three overs, but the rest suffered. Turner came back well to take three for 51.CD had their win, however, and with the victory achieved after 33.4 overs, they picked up a bonus point to share the lead in the competition with Northern Districts.

Skipper Samir Dighe’s unbeaten 93 and his 124-run sixth wicketpartnership with Sairaj Bahutule kept Mumbai’s hopes of taking thefirst innings alive at stumps on the third day of their West ZoneRanji Trophy league match against Maharashtra at Kolhapur on Sunday.Replying to Maharashtra’s total of 445, Mumbai were 371 for sixwickets at close of play.Mumbai’s hopes at first centered around the second wicket stand of 85runs off 24.5 overs between opener Vinayak Mane (63) and Sachin Sawant(56). While Mane faced 101 balls and hit eight fours, Sawant faced 141balls and also hit eight boundaries.Amol Muzumdar (9) and Robin Morris (11) both fell to Iqbal Siddiquiand Mumbai were in deep trouble sliding from 129 for one to 192 forfive. Then Bahutule joined Dighe and Mumbai’s hopes revived. The twomatched each other in strokeplay and run production and their standlasted 30.1 overs before Bahutule was out for 63. In a stay of 2-1/2hours, he faced 135 balls and hit eleven of them to the ropes.Dighe then found an able partner in Paras Mhambrey and the two added55 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket off 21.5 overs. By close,Dighe had batted 278 minutes, faced 194 balls and hit 14 fours.Mhambrey was on 18 after having batted 98 minutes and facing 70 balls.All seems set for an exciting duel for the vital first innings lead onNew Year’s day.