Burnley have joined other English clubs in eyeing a move for a free agent who has scored at Turf Moor already.

Parker wants more flexibility from Burnley

The Clarets face a daunting task when they return from the international break this weekend, hosting Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

It promises to be a stern test for Burnley, and speaking ahead of the game, manager Scott Parker has discussed the need for his side to be more “flexible” in their approach.

“I think it’s just trying to be practical in certain moments, what the game demands of you, what you have in your squad, what that demands of you, really. So, of course, I’d love to…like we all would, you’d love to be sitting here playing a certain way of football and free-flowing, scoring loads of goals, defending and stuff like that. But at times, as a coach, you need to be flexible.

“You need to understand the dynamics of what you have and certainly the competition you’re going up against and how best to try and get results. And that’s fundamentally what I did last year, to be honest with you. Of course, it was a different competition and it was flipped in terms of we had extra bits of quality in certain moments.”

Now, Burnley have been linked with a move for a former Liverpool player as they look to provide the boss with more high level experience.

Burnley eyeing Premier League champion Oxlade-Chamberlain

According to a fresh claim from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Burnley are “on alert” regarding a potential move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. The 32-year-old is no longer a Besiktas player, having brought an end to his time in Turkey, and a return to England could now be on the cards soon. Everton, Leeds United, Brentford and Rangers are among the clubs credited with interest, too.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a shrewd addition for Burnley, bringing in a Champions League and Premier League winner who has proven himself at the highest level for much of his career, whether it be for Liverpool, Arsenal or England.

His versatility could be a real asset for Parker, with the Englishman able to shine in deeper or attacking midfield roles, as well as out wide, and if the move doesn’t work, the fact that it is a free transfer takes away the risk element.

At 32, Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t getting any younger, but he still has plenty to offer if he can stay fit under the right manager, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as “super” in the past.

Champions League (Liverpool)

2019

Premier League (Liverpool)

2020

Club World Cup (Liverpool)

2019

FA Cup (Liverpool)

2022

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2017

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2015

FA Cup (Arsenal)

2014

EFL Cup (Liverpool)

2022

UEFA Super Cup (Liverpool)

2019

Turkish Cup (Besiktas)

2024

He will surely be hungry to prove himself back in England, and should Burnley pip some bigger clubs to his signature, it could be a real coup for them.

England off spinner will begin the County Championship season at Sophia Gardens with opportunities limited at Somerset

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Mar-2025

Bashir emerged as Stokes’ No.1 Test spinner in 2024•Joe Allison/Getty Images

England Test off spinner Shoaib Bashir is set to join Glamorgan for the start of the County Championship season on a short-term loan from Somerset, ESPNcricinfo understands.With Bashir behind Jack Leach at Somerset, and the emergence of off-spinning allrounder Archie Vaughan, the county were happy to let Bashir leave Taunton on a temporary deal. The ECB helped facilitate the move to Glamorgan as Bashir is currently on a one-year central contract, and are keen for the 21-year old to get more playing time to hone is raw talent. The stint is understood to be for the first three matches of the season, starting at Sophia Gardens against Leicestershire on April 4, before away fixtures against Gloucestershire and Middlesex.The move allows Glamorgan to cover for leg spinner Mason Crane who will miss the first three rounds with a shoulder injury. The acquisition of Bashir in the absence of Crane, who was due to partner Ben Kellaway – who bowls both left- and right-arm orthodox – allows the club to adhere to a plan of playing two spinners in their XI at the start of their Division Two campaign.Related

Shoaib Bashir on fast track as Ashes mission begins in earnest

Shoaib Bashir joins Worcestershire on short-term loan from Somerset

Bashir emerged as Ben Stokes’ go-to spinner last year, with 49 wickets across 15 Tests, and will use the move to tune-up for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge which begins on May 22. The 21-year-old undertook a similar loan spell at Worcestershire last season – an arrangement Glamorgan were also interested in at the time – in what was a breakthrough 2024.Propelled onto the international scene for the Test tour of India despite just six first-class appearances to his name, Bashir impressed with 17 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, in his first three caps. He soon usurped Leach as England’s primary slow-bowling option for the home summer and marked that ascension with career-best red-ball figures of 5 for 41 in the second Test against West Indies, bowling England to victory at Trent Bridge.Challenging series followed against Sri Lanka (six dismissals at 49.33) and in the winter against Pakistan (nine at 49.55) and New Zealand (eight at 51.75). And after taking just four wickets in three matches on England Lions’ tour of Australia, including 1 for 74 in the unofficial Test against Australia A, the chance to start the summer with first-team cricket at Glamorgan will be vital given the high-profile engagements that lie ahead.Bashir will hope to lock horns once more with India in this summer’s five-match Test series, leading into the Ashes at the end of the year. At six-foot-four, his high release point, and a natural ability to impart overspin on the ball are regarded as vital characteristics for success on Australian pitches, something he was able to work on as part of Andrew Flintoff’s Lions squad at the start of the year, with assistance from Lions spin-bowling coach Graeme Swann.To date, just 11 of Bashir’s 27 first-class appearances have come in the County Championship, and his current deal at Somerset is set to expire at the end of the summer, along with his central contract.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo at the start of the year, Bashir underlined a desire to improve his consistency and ability to hold up an end without shirking his wicket-taker responsibilities. “I’m 21 years old, right? I’m still learning. I’ve only played professional cricket for about, what, two or three years? It’s just a work in progress.”Even in the short-term, a move to Glamorgan will aid that development given their propensity to operate with an out-and-out spinner. Last year, Crane played 11 of a possible 14 matches in Division Two, bowling 304.2 overs, the second most in the squad after James Harris’ 309.5, with 29 dismissals. Bashir can also call on the expertise of ex-England spinner Richard Dawson, who was appointed interim-head coach at Glamorgan in January.

Tilak Varma was retired out, and Hardik Pandya farmed the strike. But the last-ditch effort wasn’t enough for Mumbai Indians (MI) to register a come-from-behind win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2025 game on Friday night.LSG have now won six of their seven games against the five-time champions, and this one in Lucknow was on the back of half-centuries from openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, and a game-changing spell of 4-0-21-1 from Digvesh Rathi.For MI, Naman Dhir made an explosive 46, and Suryakumar Yadav continued to show form with a 43-ball 67. But LSG’s death bowlers – special mention to Shardul Thakur – stood tall against the experienced MI batting line-up.

Avesh and Thakur close it out

With 52 runs needed in the last four overs, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster gave MI a 36.9% chance of winning. With Suryakumar and Tilak at the crease and Hardik to follow, it seemed closer to 50-50.Related

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Avesh Khan changed that by dismissing Suryakumar to start the 17th over. The batter pre-meditated a sweep, and he went through with it despite the ball being well outside the off-side tramline. The catch was taken at deep-backward square-leg.Hardik, the next batter in, and Tilak, got a boundary each in the over, but couldn’t get Rathi away in the next one. Thakur bowled yorkers in the 19th – at the stumps as well as wide ones – and with another 24 runs needed off the remaining seven balls, MI decided to retire Tilak out and bring in Mitchell Santner.Two runs from Santner off the last ball of that over from Thakur, in which just seven runs were scored, left MI an improbable 22 runs to get in the final over. Hardik was on strike, and although he launched Avesh over cover to start with a six, Avesh continued aiming for yorkers, and conceded just three runs off the five deliveries of the over.The forecaster was right, after all.

Suryakumar, Dhir give MI a chance

MI had gotten themselves into a good position despite stumbling early in the chase. Dhir and Suryakumar took charge after MI lost Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton, their openers, in near-identical fashion: both hit hard-length balls to deep-backward square-leg.Dhir was remarkably still at the crease, and hit boundaries down the ground and through the leg side to get to 30 off his first nine balls. Suryakumar, meanwhile, swatted Avesh over the leg side as MI brought up their 50 in five overs. Akash Deep and Ravi Bishnoi were hit for two boundaries each right after the powerplay.1:17

What makes Digvesh Rathi such a tricky bowler to face?

But Rathi broke the flow with a legspinner’s carrom ball that angled in off a shortish length, beat Dhir’s flick, and hit the stumps. Suryakumar, though, continued to find the boundary without taking too many risks. His ability to manipulate the field was on display in the 11th over when he first played the square drive and then the cover drive to pick up two fours. Tilak, too, picked up an early boundary but couldn’t get going.MI got 88 for 1 in the middle overs despite not hitting a single six. They had set batters at the crease for the big finish, and it looked like they were well placed. But LSG’s death bowlers made all the difference in the end.

Marsh and Markram lay LSG’s foundation

Earlier, LSG made 69 runs in the powerplay after being put in to bat. Marsh made 60 of them off 31 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. He was caught behind off Trent Boult in the first over, but neither the bowler nor his team-mates heard the nick as Marsh tried driving through the covers.Marsh took advantage. He was severe against full balls, and the lofted off-drive off Boult for six in the third over was a highlight. When Santner was introduced in the fifth over, Marsh picked up two boundaries, both off the back foot.Ashwani Kumar bowled a quiet first over but went for 23 runs off his second with two boundaries down the ground – through square leg and cover – as Marsh got to a 27-ball fifty. But he fell against the run of play by handing a return catch to Vignesh Puthur in his first over, the seventh of the innings.1:03

Boucher: Markram ‘perfect’ up front for LSG

Hardik chips away but LSG push along

Nicholas Pooran was LSG’s in-form batter, and he looked in business straightaway, smacking Santner for a four and a six. But Hardik’s slower bouncer first accounted for Pooran, and then for the out-of-form Rishabh Pant, who got a leading edge off an attempted flick to mid-off.Markram hit a couple of sixes while batting with Pant, but got back to playing second fiddle as Ayush Badoni played himself in. Markram got to his fifty off 34 balls, off what was the 99th ball of the innings.Badoni was on 6 off his first nine deliveries before breaking free with three back-to-back boundaries off Santner, who finished with 0 for 46, his third-most expensive spell in a T20. Badoni scooped Ashwani on the fifth ball of the 16th over, but was out caught behind next ball trying to repeat the shot as the bowler went wider.In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik bowled two overs at the death and picked up three wickets, starting with that of Markram with the offcutter. Only four fours were hit between overs 16 and 19, and MI would have hoped to restrict LSG to under 200.David Miller, though, whacked a six and a four off Hardik, and brought up his 3000th IPL run in the process to start the final over. Hardik bounced back with Miller and Akash Deep’s wickets in two balls, but conceded 15 runs in the end and LSG got past 200.

This summer was always going to be massive for Tottenham Hotspur after their Europa League triumph – but it was unclear who would be the man to take the club forward.

Ange Postecoglou was ultimately dismissed by the Lilywhites hierarchy, resulting in Thomas Frank being selected as the manager to build on the European success.

In an attempt to hit the ground running, he was handed funds by the board to make the changes he desired to the first-team squad to push the side back up the Premier League table.

He targeted a move for striker Yoane Wissa, a player whom he had at Brentford, subsequently wanting a reunion with his former centre-forward in North London.

Talks were held between the two parties, but the difference in price tag provided a stumbling block for the DR Congo international, who netted 19 times in England’s top-flight last season.

The 29-year-old would join Newcastle United in a £55m transfer, with Frank turning to Randal Kolo Muani to try and replicate the levels of one former player with the Lilywhites.

Harry Kane’s record at Tottenham Hotspur

Clinical goalscorers are extremely hard to come by in the modern game, but Spurs had one in their ranks for many years, in the form of Englishman Harry Kane.

The striker came through the youth ranks in North London, going on to find the net over 30 times in 50% of the seasons he spent as a first-team regular under various different managers.

The 32-year-old ended his decade-long spell at the club on 280 goals, with such a tally making him their highest-ever goalscorer, surpassing the record previously held by the late Jimmy Greaves.

However, the hierarchy have had the task of trying to replace the talisman over the last couple of years, after allowing him to depart in a £82m transfer to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.

The likes of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have both tried to fill the void over the last couple of years, but none have been able to nail down the position as their own, nor match the levels produced by the fan-favourite.

Kolo Muani will be the next to try and fill the void, but Frank may have been able to rely upon one other talent had the hierarchy decided against offloading him.

The former Spurs player who has outscored Kane

As previously mentioned, new boss Frank has been able to rely upon Wissa at Brentford in recent years – often having the calibre of player needed for success in the Premier League.

At present, Brazilian forward Richarlison has so far been his chosen option at the top end of the pitch – with the 28-year-old already finding the back of the key twice under his guidance.

The work completed in the transfer market highlights that the Dane desperately wanted a new number nine to aid his chances of success after taking the reins in North London.

However, the 51-year-old could have relied upon youngster Troy Parrott had the board not sold him to Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar for just £6.7m back in the summer of 2024.

The Irish international joined the Lilywhites at the age of 15, spending five years in North London – but only made four senior appearances – before being sent on various loan spells.

Unsuccessful stints at Preston, Ipswich and Millwall saw his career stagnate, before a loan move to Excelsior saw him burst into life after scoring 17 times in just 32 outings.

Parrott’s permanent move to AZ last summer has seen him reach new levels in his career, netting 20 times in 47 outings across all competitions last season – including four in the Europa League.

The 23-year-old has already started the new campaign in tremendous fashion, scoring 10 goals in just seven outings – further showcasing his incredible goalscoring nouse.

Such a record is higher than that of Lilywhites legend Kane, who’s only managed to find the back of the net nine times in his nine outings across multiple tournaments.

Appearances

30

Starts

28

Minutes

2191

Goals

14

Assists

2

Shot on target accuracy

49%

Goal Involvements per match

0.53

Minutes per goal involvement

136

Parrott has now scored 30 times in just 54 outings for the Dutch outfit, a record that has taken his market value to nearly double what he was sold for, with Transfermarkt valuing the youngster at £12m.

It’s safe to say Spurs made a huge mistake in allowing the centre-forward to depart the club last year, with their loss now undoubtedly Az Alkmaar’s gain.

Frank will likely be gutted with the decision, missing out on the opportunity to work with another talented centre-forward – just as he did with Wissa during his time in charge at the Bees.

Nuno's "incredible" Spurs signing could now become their own Gibbs-White

Tottenham Hotspur have conducted shrewd business in landing one first-team star.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2025

In the other match, Diana Baig set up Pakistan’s win against Ireland

Firdose Moonda09-Apr-2025Scotland pulled off the first upset of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers by denying Hayley Matthews, who single-handedly kept West Indies in the game despite leaving the field twice with severe cramps, and beating the side by 11 runs.Matthews became only the fourth player to take four wickets and score a century in an ODI but West Indies’ over-reliance on her cost them. She took four of the first five Scotland wickets and forced herself to return to the crease twice – once off a stretcher to keep batting when West Indies were nine wickets down – but it was not enough. Scotland were the side that rallied around Sarah Bryce’s 55 (off 56 balls) and her 82-run fifth wicket stand with Megan McColl and then their spinners. Offpinners Katherine Fraser and Darcy Carter and legspinner Abtaha Maqsood took six wickets between them to defend 244 and get their first points on the board.Temperatures were close to 40 degrees Celcius with humidity at around 60% and conditions took their toll across both games in Lahore. West Indies used cooling collars made of ice packs during drinks breaks, Scotland took shelter under umbrellas and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis received treatment on field three times for cramps during her 96 minutes of batting against hosts Pakistan.Related

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West Indies chose to bowl first on a green top at the LCCA Ground but Scotland were up to the task. Abbi Aitken-Drummond and Carter put on 48 inside 12 overs, in an innings laced with three boundaries each. Matthews brought herself on in the 12th over and had Aitken-Drummond and Kathryn Bryce caught behind in successive overs and Carter dismissed in her third and suddenly, Scotland were 69 for 3. When Chinelle Henry’s direct hit ran out Ailsa Lister West Indies finally looked like they had another player on the field and could run through Scotland.Sarah Bryce held the innings together but when she edged to slip, Scotland went into freefall. They lost 6 for 62 and were bowled out in 45 overs, as both Aaliyah Alleynne and Karishma Ramharack took two wickets each.The chase started poorly when Qiana Joseph gifted a caught-and-bowled to Carter. Zaida James was in at No.3 in the second over. She batted slowly but carefully and shared a 113-run stand with Matthews, which put West Indies well on track. They were 120 for 2 in the 27th over when James tried to hit Chloe Abel over fine leg but found the fielder at 45 and then chaos ensued.West Indies lost Shemaine Campbell, Stafanie Taylor and Henry in the space of 23 deliveries and of those, Taylor’s run-out was key but the required run-rate still manageable. West Indies needed 53 runs off 72 balls and Matthews was still batting, but only just.When Shabika Gajnabi was caught behind, Mathews was on 95 and hobbling. Cherry-Ann Fraser was out in the next over and it was clear Matthews was forcing herself to keep going but couldn’t. She left the field. Afy Fletcher lasted six balls and was dismissed for duck so Matthews came back on and hit four off the next ball she faced. She was on 99 and running out of partners. She fell to the ground wailing and then was stretchered off the field.Ramharack gave Fraser another caught and bowled to leave West Indies nine down when Matthews rolled herself off the stretcher and returned to bat. She brought a century and kept West Indies in the hunt but Alleynne couldn’t stay with her. She was out lbw in the 47th over, with West Indies 11 runs short. They have a day’s break before playing Ireland on Friday.File photo: Diana Baig picked up four wickets•Getty ImagesIn the day’s other match, hosts Pakistan had their bowlers, led by senior seamer Diana Baig, to thank for securing them a 38 run win over Ireland. Pakistan trudged through their innings to score 217 and Ireland were bossing the chase on 96 for 1 in side 24 overs. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu took three wickets in four overs to leave Ireland’s middle-order exposed before Baig took care of the tail. She finished with figures of 4 for 35 in her first appearance for the team since their opening match of last year’s T20 World Cup and got Pakistan’s campaign off to a winning start.Ireland will have the same amount of recovery time – physically and emotionally – after believing they had done enough against Pakistan. Jane Maguire removed Gull Feroza early and Sidra Amin found run-scoring tough which meant the dot ball mounted up. Muneeba Ali tried to keep the scoreboard moving but Pakistan were 79 for 1 after 20 overs and going nowhere. Sidra was on 29 off 61 balls. Muneeba fell trying to get things going and was replaced by Aliya Riaz.Aliya showed more initiative and was scoring at a run-a-ball when Amin finally got to 50 off 110 balls and was then dismissed at the end of the 36th over. Pakistan were 153 for 3 after 36 overs and a score over 200 looked some distance away. Natalia Pervaiz came in ahead of captain Fatima Sana but was runmout for 12, by which time Aliya was also dismissed. Pakistan did not have the batters for a last ten-over push and lost 6 wickets for 42 runs from Aliya’s dismissal. They were bowled out with an over to spare for 217.That total didn’t look enough despite Baig’s new-ball breakthrough. She had Sarah Forbes given out lbw in the ninth over but a 69-run second wicket stand between Lewis and Amy Hunter started to take the game away. Ireland were 96 for 1 when Sandhu trapped Lewis on the back pad and dragged Pakistan into the game. Both Hunter and Delany played on, leaving Ireland 119 for 4 and Pakistan had the opportunity to burst through.Sadia Iqbal got rid of Leah Paul before Baig was brought back and removed Christina Coulter Reilly, Louise Little and Arelen Kelley in three overs. Cara Murray’s run-out confirmed Pakistan’s win. They will take on Scotland on Friday.

Arsenal are now set to bid for a £52m player, who is being targeted as a direct replacement for a wantaway star, according to a reporter.

Gunners keen on another defender before deadline

The Gunners have already made major improvements to their squad this summer, with Mikel Arteta mainly setting out to bolster his attacking options, although Cristhian Mosquera was also brought in as a back-up to William Saliba and Gabriel at centre-back.

However, having now gotten the deal for Eberechi Eze over the line, with Andrea Berta orchestrating a stunning hijack of Tottenham Hotspur’s deal, the north Londoners now appear to have turned their attentions towards strengthening their defence.

A late move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has been discussed, although Liverpool looks like a more likely destination, given that the Englishman has reservations about playing second fiddle to Gabriel and Saliba.

As such, Arteta’s side have now moved on to alternative targets, and another sensational hijack could be on the cards, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing Arsenal are now “set to bid” for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

On Monday morning, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Tottenham have made a “new proposal” for Hincapie, with discussions over personal terms underway, but the Gunners have also entered the race, and Jacobs believes the Ecuadorian “favours” a move to the Emirates Stadium.

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The Gunners are set to sign another attacker…

ByDominic Lund Aug 24, 2025

Berta is targeting the 23-year-old as a replacement for Jakub Kiwior, who wants to leave this summer, with a move to FC Porto on the cards, but the Gunners may have to spend big once again, as there is a €60m (£52m) release clause in the Leverkusen star’s contract.

Hincapie could be "perfect" signing for Arsenal

Scout Ben Mattinson has previously suggested the Leverkusen defender could be the “perfect” addition to Arteta’s squad, given that he is capable of playing at both left-back and left centre-back, which makes him a similar type of player to Kiwior.

The Poland international has also featured at left-back regularly throughout his career, and he clearly impressed Arteta last season, with the Arsenal boss dubbing the 25-year-old as “exceptional.”

However, with the defender eager to leave, there is no point standing in his way, particularly considering Hincapie could be an ideal replacement, having already racked up a considerable amount of experience at Leverkusen, making 166 appearances for the German club.

While obviously not their primary objective, it would also be fantastic for Arsenal to get another one over on their north London rivals, having already hijacked the move for Eze, who enjoyed a very impressive campaign with Palace last season.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Premier League

34

16

FA Cup

5

5

EFL Cup

4

4

Free-scoring Man City striker Erling Haaland has revealed he’s feeling the pressure from rivals Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the race to be Europe’s top goalscorer. Haaland bagged another against Brentford to take his total for the season to nine, but accepts the battle to win the top prize will be fierce.

Haaland's continues scoring run

Man City secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Brentford in the Premier League, with Haaland’s early goal proving to be the difference between the two sides. The Norway striker opened the scoring in the ninth minute, demonstrating his strength to power past the Brentford defence and fire a low shot past Caoimhin Kelleher. This was Haaland's ninth Premier League goal of the season and his 18th in 11 games for club and country, set up by Josko Gvardiol's left-footed pass over the top. City dominated the first half, creating several chances, Phil Foden came close to extending the lead, curling a shot just wide after being set up by Tijjani Reijnders and Reijnders himself was denied by an excellent save from Kelleher. 

Unfortunately for City, midfielder Rodri was forced off due to injury in the 21st minute, another worrying setback for the Spaniard, who had only recently returned from a long rehabilitation period for an ACL injury. Brentford showed signs of life in the second half, with Igor Thiago having their best chance but was denied by a superb save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite Brentford's increased pressure, City defended stoutly to hold on to their slender lead and secure the three points. This victory marks City boss Pep Guardiola's 250th Premier League win, a milestone achieved in a record 349 games and the result lifts City to fifth in the Premier League table, three points behind leaders Arsenal, heading into the international break. Brentford remain in 16th.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKane and Mbappe in his sights

On the race for the European Golden Boot and battling Kane, Haaland said: "Don't forget Mbappe as well, he had a great start as well. They're doing amazing, so I need to keep up. I have never felt better than I do now. It is about preparation, getting ready for the games. You can be physically ready but you need to be mentally ready. With a kid it makes me even better because I disconnect more than ever – I don't think about football at all. When you are young you think of this and that and maybe worry about things but when I get home I relax even more. I think I need to give a shout-out to my son. This for me, this goal is top. This was one of my better goals for me because of the whole thing."

Race for top spot

As it stands, Haaland (11th), Kane (7th) and Mbappe (13th) are some way down the scoring chart, but that’s due to many of the leagues being out of sync – where some divisions have played 20+ games, many are still in single digits. And there’s a weighting system, so the tougher the league you play in, the more your goals are worth, so there's no doubt the trio playing in Germany, England and Spain will occupy the top spots come next May. And you can check the latest table here. 

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Kane has started the 25/26 season in prolific form for Bayern, continuing his impressive scoring rate from previous seasons. He’s bagged 11 goals so far in the league and recently achieved the milestone of becoming the fastest player to reach 100 goals for a club in Europe's top five leagues, doing so in just 104 games. Meanwhile, Mbappé is top scorer in LaLiga with nine goals and leads the Champions League with five goals after Matchday 2. He also recently surpassed Thierry Henry to become France's second-highest scorer of all time.

Under past tenures, Everton weren’t exactly known as the most easy-on-the-eye watch.

Indeed, under Sean Dyche, the football was often a struggle to be entertained by, with just 21 goals finding the back of the net under the unpopular 54-year-old’s reign.

Now, however, with the likes of Jack Grealish leading the way under David Moyes, the Premier League side are a far more captivating sight to behold, with several striker options also available to the Scotsman that should see the goals continue to flow.

Moyes' striker conundrum in 2025/26

There was a drastic change in attack during the off-season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin didn’t pen a new deal at the club after an injury-ravaged few years on Merseyside, culminating in the long-serving Toffees servant swapping the blue half of Liverpool for Leeds United on a free transfer.

To fill this huge void, Moyes and Co would swoop in for rising Villarreal star Thierno Barry, with the Frenchman costing a weighty £27.6m to get through the door.

While he is yet to get off the mark for his new Premier League side from his first three league clashes, the hope will be that the “menacing” forward, as he was labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango, can grow into becoming a lethal finisher on English shores with time.

Indeed, he tallied up a standout 61 goals previously playing in Belgium, France, Spain and Switzerland.

After all, Beto would regularly spurn chances towards the start of his up-and-down spell. Now, however, he’s the main man Moyes relies on up top, with two goals already next to his name this season.

Still, it could be deemed a risk to just rely solely on these two attackers to deliver the goods, with a homegrown Barry already up Everton’s sleeve. He’s now potentially ready for senior opportunities to boost their options.

Everton's "prolific" homegrown Barry

The high-flying Toffees do have a distinguished reputation for unearthing top gems through their academy in attack, with Moyes the manager who first handed Wayne Rooney a senior shot on Merseyside way back in 2002.

He also had a part to play in Ross Barkley’s rise up the ranks to senior stardom, with Omari Benjamin hopeful he can be the next in line for some first-team chances up top, having lit up the youth pitches at Everton for some time now.

Initially scoring goals by the bucket load at Arsenal in the U18 fold – with 18 strikes next to his name from 33 clashes – the 19-year-old Welshman has since made the switch to Everton and been equally as lethal.

Barry would very much be seen in the same clinical light when firing home ten goals in total for the Sochaux B team, with Benjamin even going as far as to be labelled a “prolific” threat by Arsenal youth reporter Jeorge Bird, before settling into life on Merseyside swimmingly.

CF

12

7

LW

4

1

LM

2

0

RM

2

1

RW

1

1

AM

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As can be seen glancing at the table above, the 19-year-old has slotted into many different roles for the U21s and excelled, with the centre-forward spot his obvious preference overall, as seen in him bagging seven of his ten efforts to date from this position.

However, he can also line up down the left or right wing if needed, much like Barry, who has a sterling record of 14 career goals down either of these flanks.

Moyes might boldly want to insert Benjamin into his first team plans shortly; therefore, with this versatility, a standout attribute of his varied game, away from his red-hot goalscoring ability.

Yet, it could also be seen as a huge gamble to throw another raw and inexperienced striker into the mix, with Barry already very much a work in progress.

The former Villarreal number 15 will just need to shake off that first goal burden sooner rather than later, with Benjamin perhaps offering competition down the line as the revamped Everton attack aims to entertain supporters all season long.

Imagine him & Grealish: Everton may have Baines 2.0 in 19-year-old starlet

Everton’s next Leighton Baines could be a perfect partner to Jack Grealish down the left flank

ByWill Miller Sep 6, 2025

تحدث الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، عن الهزيمة أمام مانشستر يونايتد، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

وخسر ليفربول بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

وتعتبر هذه الهزيمة الرابعة المتتالية التي تلحق بالريدز بقيادة آرني سلوت بعد كريستال بالاس وتشيلسي في البريميرليج، وجالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا واليوم أمام مانشستر يونايتد.

وقال سلوت، في تصريحات عقب المباراة نقلتها صحيفة “بي بي سي سبورت”: “من الصعب دائمًا اللعب ضد فريق يدافع بكتلة دفاعية منخفضة ويعتمد بشكل أساسي على الكرات الطويلة، ويزداد الأمر صعوبة عندما تخسر بهدف بعد دقيقة واحدة عندما يكون أحد لاعبينا قد سقط على أرض الملعب”.

وأكمل: “لو أخبرتني قبل المباراة أننا سنخلق هذا العدد الهائل من الفرص ضد هذه الكتل الدفاعية المنخفضة، ضد كل هذه الكرات الطويلة، لما توقعت خسارتنا، لكن هذا ما حدث، أتيحت لنا فرص كافية لتسجيل أكثر من هدف ولكن من ناحية أخرى استقبلنا هدفين، إحداهما من ركلة ثابتة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | شبكة إنجليزية عن استبدال سلوت لـ محمد صلاح أمام مانشستر يونايتد: يدل على شيء ما

وعن الخسائر المتتالية أوضح: “نعم، بالطبع ربما استقبلنا فرصة أو فرصتين إضافيتين، بالإضافة إلى الأهداف التي استقبلناها، ولكن عليك دائمًا المخاطرة أكثر عندما تكون متأخرًا بنتيجة 1-0”.

واستطرد: “مع الأخذ في الاعتبار، نادرًا ما استقبلنا أي فرصة ونحن ننتظر هدفًا، وعلينا الدفاع عند الكرات الثابتة، كما حدث ضد كريستال بالاس وفي مباريات أخرى هذا الموسم، استقبلنا هدفًا من كرات ثابتة، وهذا أمر يصعب تقبله، لأنه من الصعب جدًا الفوز بمباراة كرة قدم برصيد سلبي في الكرات الثابتة”.

ووجه رسالة إلى اللاعبين قائلًا: “يجب أن يستمروا في تقديم ما يقومون به، الأمر يبدو مزعجًا حينما تقدم كل ما لديك وتصنع كل هذه الفرص ولا تفوز في النهاية”.

وأردف: “يوجد الكثير من الانتقادات بالتأكيد لكن أقول للاعبين أنتم ترتدون قميص ليفربول وعليكم أن تقاتلوا منذ الدقيقة الأولى حتى الدقيقة الأخيرة وهذا يحدث بالفعل لكن نريد الاستمرار على هذا”.

وأتم: “علينا أن نحقق الانتصار، علينا أن نواصل العمل والإيمان ولا نشتكي كثيرًا لأنه لا وقت للأعذار”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo venceu o Bragantino por 2 a 0 neste sábado (15), no Estádio Nilton Santos, em jogo válido pela 15ª rodada do Brasileirão. Eduardo e Di Plácido foram os autores dos gols do Glorioso, que teve grande atuação coletiva. Com este resultado, o Botafogo alcança os 39 pontos na tabela de classificação e segue mais líder do que nunca no campeonato. Veja as notas do Lance!.

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+ Veja como foi a partida no tempo real do Lance!