Aston Villa are poised to wave goodbye to a “wonderful footballer” pretty shortly, as a new report reveals this week.

Aston Villa turn corner under Unai Emery after disastrous start

It took Unai Emery’s side five Premier League games to score their first goal of the season, with Matty Cash’s long-range pile driver against newly-promoted Sunderland finally opening their account.

After a very difficult summer transfer window marred by issues with PSR, their severe lack of attacking impetus had many supporters fearing the worst, but in a huge sigh of relief for the Villans, they’re starting to hit an excellent run of form.

Aston Villa’s results in the Premier League so far this season
Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle
Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham
Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley

Since Cash burst the net at the Stadium of Light, Villa have sealed two wins from two of their opening Europa League games, whilst securing precious back-to-back Premier League wins against Fulham and Burnley.

The recent departure of Monchi, who left his role as Aston Villa sporting director, also marks the beginning of a new era, with former Real Sociedad chief Roberto Olabe brought in as Villa’s replacement.

Aston Villa's president of football operations, Monchi.

In one of his final acts as the club’s ‘president of football operations’, Monchi agreed to let midfielder Enzo Barrenechea join José Mourinho’s Benfica on loan with an obligation to buy.

Enzo Barrenechea on the verge of permanent Aston Villa exit to Benfica

Interestingly, according to A Bola this week, the conditions of his loan-to-buy clause mean that Barrenechea is just one game away from becoming a permanent Benfica player and leaving Villa Park for good.

Apparently, all requirements for the permanent option to be triggered are nearly met, including appearances, and Villa are about to receive a £10 million payment for the Argentine, on top of the £2.5 million loan fee they got in the summer, right after he makes another cameo.

Indeed, once Barrenechea is given his next nod for Benfica, he’ll have met the 15 games required to activate his permanent move to Portugal.

The 24-year-old joined Villa in a swap deal last year with Douglas Luiz heading the other way to Juventus, but he hasn’t made a single appearance for Villa.

He was sent out on loan to Valencia in his debut season, where he seriously impressed for the La Liga side, though it is now Mourinho who’s poised to snap up Villa’s forgotten “wonderful footballer”.

“You called me to talk about my favourite player,” said coach Andrea Bonatti, who worked with the player at Juve’s youth academy.

“He is a wonderful footballer. He has many virtues. He is very technical, he controls the ball very well under pressure, he has that ability that comes from futsal, which allows him to have good ball coverage. He has an excellent short game with both legs. And a great long movement, when you have to give speed to the game.

“He is very brave in aerial play, in heading. He is very helpful in defensive and offensive actions in the air. He covers a lot of ground, he is a 6 that gives a lot of balance, that frees up a lot for the teammate next to him. He is always on alert, with a great tactical sense, giving orders to avoid transitions against the rival team.”

Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson has revealed why Christian Eriksen declined an approach from the club during the summer transfer window, with the former Manchester United midfielder initially worried about being asked to feature in Wrexham’s popular documentary series, 'Welcome to Wrexham'. The Dane instead joined Bundesliga side Wolfsburg as a free agent.

Getty Images SportEriksen's Wrexham snub revealed

Eriksen was exploring the market as a free agent after leaving Manchester United in the summer. Wrexham, who had just earned another promotion, this time to the Championship, made an ambitious attempt to sign the 33-year-old, but talks quickly stalled, to the disappointment of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Speaking on , Williamson explained that Eriksen’s representatives initially misunderstood the club’s intentions. 

He said: "I reached out to the agent and what was really interesting in the first call is the reaction was, 'We don't want his story to be in a documentary, because we've had plenty of opportunities for a documentary for his story.' He thought we were calling not because of his footballing capabilities, but because we wanted a documentary story. I'm like, 'Wait a minute. I didn't even think about that'. 

"Obviously, I'm aware of it, but that wasn't the reason we were calling. We were calling because he could potentially be an interesting footballer, we're looking for players that could play for us in the Championship. Difference makers that could help us be competitive on the pitch. After I explained what our actual objectives were, trying to build a competitive squad and that I wasn't even thinking about it from a documentary perspective, we had a great conversation."

Williamson, who previously served on Inter Milan’s board during Eriksen’s time there, said that after clarifying Wrexham’s objectives, the conversation became positive. However, the Denmark international ultimately decided he wanted to continue his career with a top-flight club and later signed for Wolfsburg in September.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWilliamson: Media attention a good thing

Despite missing out on signing a Serie A and FA Cup winner, Williamson believes Wrexham benefited from the publicity surrounding their pursuit. He added: "I wasn't expecting the agent to come out and say what he said because I typically expect those conversations to be confidential. But what it did was it sent a signal around the players' market, if you will. That we were serious about being competitive. I think that was important because a lot of people were just saying, 'OK, what's Wrexham doing? You know, they've been a little bit quiet at the start of the market, but now they want to be competitive.'"

The attention certainly did help Wrexham attract several notable signings, including Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass, Liberato Cacace, Lewis O’Brien, and Conor Coady. The club went on to break their transfer record three times, spending around £33 million ($43m) in total, including £10m ($13m) on Wales forward Nathan Broadhead. So far the string of signings are helping keep the club afloat in the second tier of English football.

Red Dragons adapting to Championship life

Wrexham have risen rapidly through the English football pyramid in recent years. Their journey has been chronicled in the Emmy Award-winning Welcome to Wrexham documentary series, which is broadcast on Disney+. The documentary began with their life in the National League, before eventual back-to-back promotions into League One. Last season, Phil Parkinson's side won automatic promotion, placing them just one step below the Premier League. Currently sitting 16th in the Championship, but only five points off the play-off spots, Williamson said the club’s progress remains on track as they look to break through and into the top flight. He said: "It’ll take a few windows to build a squad capable of challenging for promotion. But we’re heading in the right direction, and that’s exciting."

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Getty Images SportLong-term vision on track

It would be a minor miracle to see Wrexham promoted into the Premier League at the first time of asking, but the Welsh side have continued to show they can compete with some of the UK's biggest clubs. Plenty of teams in the Championship have vast experience of life at the top, and Wrexham are continuing to push in the right direction at the top of the pyramid.

Manchester United’s 1-0 triumph over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon has injected a newfound sense of optimism that Ruben Amorim is the man to lead the club forward.

Such a performance made it two Premier League wins in a row for the Red Devils, something which hadn’t been achieved since May 2024 under former boss Erik ten Hag.

Dating back to the end of August, the side have now won four of their last six matches, showcasing the impressive work conducted by the boss despite links around his future at Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old also appears to have the backing of the hierarchy, especially after Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed he wanted to give the former Sporting CP boss three years in the role.

However, Amorim may have numerous players to thank for the club’s recent upturn in form, with the duo undoubtedly being some of the shining lights during 2025/26.

The underlying stats behind Bruno & Mbeumo’s success in 2025/26

Despite a dismal 2024/25 campaign, Bruno Fernandes managed to achieve some incredible numbers for United, as seen by his tally of 37 combined goals and assists, but the midfielder has continued such form into the new campaign.

He’s currently sitting at the top of the Red Devils’ chances created chart, currently registering 2.8 per 90 – a tally that is way higher than any other player within the squad.

The 31-year-old has also completed the most passes of any player, further highlighting the ability he possesses to provide others with endless opportunities – despite operating in a deeper role after the arrival of one player this summer.

Bruno has had to play as a number eight to help accommodate new addition Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian showcasing why the hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £71m for his signature.

The 26-year-old has already had an immediate impact, achieving the highest shot-on-target accuracy rate of any player in squad – contributing to his top-goalscorer status at present.

He’s also created the same number of big chances in the Premier League as Bruno, highlighting his all-round quality in attacking areas – something which was greatly lacking in 2024/25.

The United star who’s becoming Amorim’s best player

Mbeumo and Bruno have both registered a total of three combined goals and assists – with the pair registering the most contributions of any players in the United squad.

The efforts in front of goal, coupled with the aforementioned underlying stats, have made the pair some of the first names on Amorim’s teamsheet.

The pair have played key roles in the recent revival of the manager and will likely continue to do so in the near future, potentially bringing about added levels of success in the years ahead.

However, the aforementioned pair may not be the only ones who play a vital role under Amorim, with Amad Diallo arguably being one of his most important players at present.

Before the manager’s arrival at Old Trafford, the Ivorian was barely an impact player under Ten Hag and often had to rely on minutes off the bench to have the desired effect.

He’s since become a consistent starter over the last 12 months, but also doing so in a somewhat unfamiliar role to help fit into the 40-year-old’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system.

The 23-year-old has occupied the RWB position of late, a role that is slightly deeper than what he’s used to, having joined the Red Devils as a right-winger back in the winter of 2021.

However, Amad has taken to life in the position like a duck to water, nailing it down as his own and subsequently producing numerous incredible figures in 2025/26.

He’s featured in all but one league outing to date, only registering one goal contribution, but it’s his underlying stats that have seen him adhere himself to the fanbase.

Games played

7

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

93%

Key passes made

1.4

Dribbles completed

1.2

Tackles made

1.9

Ball recoveries made

4.1

Big chances created

2

The Ivorian, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has registered 1.4 key passes per 90 along with a 93% pass completion rate – subsequently showcasing his ability to provide those around him with key chances.

Amad has also completed 1.2 dribbles per 90 in the Premier League, which has allowed him to get into dangerous areas before making the killer pass to one of his teammates.

However, his new role has seen him take on added defensive responsibility, something he’s taken in his stride as seen by his tally of 1.9 tackles and 4.1 ball recoveries made per 90.

As a result of such performances, Amad is rapidly becoming one of the manager’s key performers, showcasing that he can be trusted operating in a somewhat unnatural position.

Should he continue on such a trajectory, the youngster can be a key first-team member for many years to come and help Bruno and Mbeumo in their quest for success in the final third.

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Manchester United are looking for consistency on the pitch and Ruben Amorim is at the centre of plenty of debate as INEOS aim to build for the future at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim firm on his future as United cruise past Sunderland

The Red Devils are hoping to climb their way up the Premier League table despite suffering an inconsistent start to the campaign, moving into the top half courtesy of a smooth day despite the blustery conditions against Sunderland.

Benjamin Sesko scored his second goal of the season and first at Old Trafford after a fine finish, after Mason Mount had given the hosts the lead on a windy Saturday afternoon.

As expected, the former Sporting boss is adamant that he is the man to take the club forward and won’t leave of his own accord, claiming that he will give ‘everything’ to succeed under the pressure of the job.

He stated before his side took on Sunderland: “No, that is a decision of the board. I cannot do that (resign). Sometimes I have that feeling and losing is hard, not to create the momentum. It’s so frustrating when you create the momentum, go to the next game, something happens. That feeling sometimes hurts me a lot. Also the players and especially the staff here.”

Later, he added: “It’s a dream to be here and I want to continue here and I want to fight for this. But the problem is now what makes me suffer is to lose games, not to lose my job. You fear to lose your job when you have to pay the bills and I don’t have that feeling.”

On the pitch, calls for Kobbie Mainoo to be a regular Manchester United starter moving forward are amplifying, and it remains to be seen if other changes are made to build momentum once the international break concludes.

Nevertheless, contingency planning is an important part of football, and the Red Devils could turn to an internal face who is a renowned name at Old Trafford.

Darren Fletcher could take over at Man Utd

According to The Sun, Manchester United Under-18 coach Darren Fletcher could succeed Amorim on an interim basis after his impressive start to life with the academy outfit.

Making a positive impact with his dynamic style of play, the former Scotland international has internally wowed Old Trafford chiefs and could make a surprise return to the Old Trafford scene, this time in the dugout.

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Of course, that will only happen if Amorim were to move on. It would cost the Red Devils £12 million to make a change, which isn’t the type of capital they would throw around lightly as they aim to bring in reinforcements once the New Year comes around.

Either way, there appears to be a plan in place if option A is scrapped, albeit it remains to be seen how the situation plays out at Manchester United.

Are Manchester City being overlooked as Premier League title candidates?

A lot of the recent spotlight has been on Liverpool, considering the champions have lost three top-flight matches in a row for the first time since February 2021, with many thereby anointing league leaders Arsenal as overwhelming favourites.

However, considering Man City have been champions in six of the last eight seasons, they are very much in this race.

Pep Guardiola’s team have yielded 13 points from their last five league outings, going in search of a fourth straight league win when they take on Aston Villa on Sunday.

Ahead of this one, the Sky Blues have actually lost their last two visits to Villa Park, failing to win any of their last three outings there, despite a sequence of five successive victories in Birmingham beforehand.

If the Citizens are to get back to winning ways in the Midlands, should Guardiola boldly drop one of his most loyal disciples and start a forgotten star instead?

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City importance

Just in case anyone was doubting Bernardo Silva’s importance to Manchester City, he was on target at Estadio de la Cerámica on Tuesday night, heading home the second goal that rather cemented three Champions League points against Villarreal.

This was his 418th appearance for the club, only 13 men have ever made more, 18 behind Willie Donachie and his namesake David Silva, who sit ninth and tenth on the all-time list.

Bernardo himself has now scored 73 goals and registered 74 assists for the Sky Blues, while he is the player who has made the most appearances under Guardiola in his entire managerial career, clear of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and İlkay Gündoğan, all of whom moved on to pastures new this summer.

Still only 31 years old, there are discussions about Silva’s role in the current Man City side, given that he has not started any of the last three Premier League matches, before returning to the lineup in Eastern Spain on Tuesday.

So, the Portuguese international may well once again be left on a Premier League bench come Sunday afternoon, given that Guardiola needs to make space in his team for another sensation.

Guardiola must start Manchester City's 'freak'

So far this season, Manchester City have been rather over-reliant on the goals of Erling Braut Håland; his tally of 15 goals already accounts for 65% of their entire tally across the Premier League and Champions League.

However, could the return of Omar Marmoush help ease this attacking burden?

The Egyptian suffered a knee injury during Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou in September, so had not been seen since, until coming off the bench for a brief four-minute cameo at El Madrigal on Tuesday.

His return is certainly a major boost considering that last season, for two different clubs, he was one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, as the table below documents.

Top scorers in 2024/25*

Player

Club

Goals

Kylian Mbappé

Real Madrid

31

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

29

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

27

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

26

Mateo Retegui

Atalanta

25

Alexander Isak

Newcastle United

23

Erling Braut Håland

Manchester City

22

Omar Marmoush

Frankfurt & Man City

22

Ousmane Dembélé

Paris Saint-Germain

21

Serhou Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund

21

Patrik Schick

Bayer Leverkusen

21

Ante Budimir

Osasuna

21

Mason Greenwood

Olympique Marseille

21

*in Europe’s top five leagues

Stats via FBref

As the table documents, only five men across Europe’s top five leagues scored more league goals than Marmoush last season, an impressive feat considering the Egyptian changed clubs in January.

Shortly after arriving at the Etihad, he scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, before securing the Premier League Goal of the Season award courtesy of this absolute rocket against Bournemouth in May.

On top of his £59m transfer fee, Marmoush is the club’s third-highest earner, currently pocketing a reported £295k-per-week, behind only the aforementioned Håland and Silva.

Journalist António Mango labelled him a “well-rounded… freak”, international teammate Mohamed Salah heralded him as a “great player with a lot of talent”, while former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger described him as “mobile” and “powerful”, impressed by the “special” talent’s adaptability and versatility.

Marmoush is not only a goalscorer, proving during his short Manchester City career so far that he can get involved in build-up play as if he was a world-renowned attacking midfielder, while also capable of running in behind, thereby creating space for others.

Well, on Sunday, Guardiola will come up against an Aston Villa side who will press ferociously at times and defend with a high line but, as noted by Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst, Unai Emery’s team are susceptible to transitions, often caught out by opposition counter-attacks due to the fact that their offside trap, once the best in Europe, is no longer watertight.

Thus, while Bernardo offers technical brilliance, this may be a game best suited to Guardiola’s direct attackers.

With that in mind, Jérémy Doku and Savinho appear the obvious choices to start out-wide, the latter rewarded for his scintillating display at the Cerámica this week, having looked ‘Leroy Sane-esque’ on the night.

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Through the middle, Marmoush should be chosen to complete the attacking trident, getting forward to support Håland in a second striker role, because his profile is best suited to causing the Villans all sorts of problems, and his return could be a serious game-changer in the title race in general.

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Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “unbelievable” Premier League player in the January transfer window, as he looks to boost his World Cup chances.

Aaronson hails impressive "mentality" at Leeds

The Whites continue to battle well in the Premier League this season, with last Friday’s 2-1 win at home to West Ham leaving them 15th in the table at the end of the weekend.

One player who is enjoying his football at Leeds is Brenden Aaronson, with the American hailing the mentality on show under Daniel Farke after scoring against the Hammers, and lauding the competition for places.

“It was huge for us today to keep the mentality. I think that was the message all week. Late minutes in the game, stay on top of it and get the result which we needed today to hold the 2-1 win. Defensively, we were good today. We handed a lot of crossing situations from them. West Ham is a team that has a ton of quality so it was definitely a difficult game. I am just proud of the group.

“I think we have this next-man-up mentality where I think everybody is ready to play and everybody is winning their chance. I think the biggest thing for me is getting in the box and the ball bounces your way but that is all about positioning and reacting. I am really happy with the goal and I am happy with the group and the atmosphere.”

But Leeds will know that there is still a huge amount of work to do this season, in terms of avoiding relegation back to the Championship, and new signings in January wouldn’t go amiss.

Leeds eye January move for "unbelievable" Barkley

According to The Leeds Press, Leeds and Farke are keen on signing Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley on loan in the January window.

The 31-year-old is seen as “an option amongst several other players” midway through the season, with Farke “keen to add a creative midfielder to his squad in January”. The player himself is “keen for more game time”, with a move to Elland Road giving him an “outside chance of a place in the England World Cup squad” next summer.

Barkley could be a shrewd creative loan option for Leeds in attacking midfield, scoring 37 Premier League goals in his career and being lauded by former Luton Town teammate Andros Townsend, who even once compared him to the legendary Diego Maradona.

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Barkley has a point to prove and a big World Cup aim with England, which would only be a good thing for Leeds, and if the loan move didn’t work out, he would simply return to Villa at the end of the season.

أدلى آندي روبرتسون، لاعب فريق ليفربول، بتصريحات بعد خسارتهم المذلة أمام مانشستر سيتي، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، مساء يوم الأحد.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” قمة منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26، حيث خسر ليفربول بثلاثة أهداف دون رد.

وقال روبرتسون، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “جارديان” الإنجليزية: “من الواضح أننا وضعنا أنفسنا في معركة شاقة، لكنني لا أعتقد أن أي من الفرق سينظر بجدية إلى جدول الدوري حتى نصل إلى منتصفه”.

وأضاف: “هذا ما يتعين علينا فعله ولكن علينا حصد النقاط بشكل أكثر انتظامًا، ثم دعونا نرى أين سنصل بعد عيد الميلاد أو أيًا كان، علينا فقط التركيز على أنفسنا وعلى مستويات الأداء”.

وواصل: “لا أعتقد أنه يمكن الحديث عن اللقب في تلك المرحلة المبكرة من الموسم، بغض النظر عن مركزك الحالي، ولكن عليك أن تبدأ بالفوز بالمباريات بشكل مستمر حتى يصبح ذلك موضع تساؤل، إنه بالتأكيد ليس سؤالًا يُطرح في غرف الملابس أو أي شيء من هذا القبيل”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إندبندنت: ليفربول لم يتعلم من درس فيرجسون مع محمد صلاح.. وسيدفع الثمن غاليًا

واسترسل: “نحن نحتاج فقط للعودة إلى المستويات التي نعرف أننا قادرون عليها، المستويات التي قدمناها في آخر مباراتين على وجه الخصوص (أمام أستون فيلا وريال مدريد)، إذا فعلنا ذلك بشكل أكثر انتظامًا، فسنحصد نقاطًا أكثر مما سنخسر”.

وتمكن ليفربول من تسجيل هدف التعادل في الشوط الأول، من جانب فيرجيل فان دايك، قبل إلغائه بداعِ وجود تسلل على روبرتسون، الذي تم اعتباره متدخلًا في اللعبة.

وعن ذلك قال: “كان من المرجح أن يكون ليفربول محظوظًا لو تعادل في النتيجة آنذاك، كان هدفًا صحيحًا، لا يمكنني التعليق عليه (صحة قرار إلغائه)، سندع الآخرين يفعلون ذلك”.

وأوضح: “بالنسبة لي لا أعتقد أنني كنت في مجال رؤية حارس المرمى، هذه هي القواعد التي تعلمناها في بداية الموسم، لذلك كان الأمر صعبًا بعض الشيء”.

ونشرت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية تصريحات أخرى على لسانه، حيث قال: “كان الجميع يستطيع استبعاد مسألة كوني في مجال رؤية دوناروما، وبعد ذلك قيل أنني أنني انحنيت، هذا من رأيي يجعلني أصغر حجمًا ويسهل على حارس المرمى رؤية الكرة، ولا أعتقد أنه كان سيتصدى لها بغض النظر عن ذلك، من وجهة نظري”.

وأفاد: “كان الحكم قد احتسب الهدف، ولكن مساعده احتسبه تسللًا، ثم تدخلت تقنية الفيديو، اعتقدنا أنها ستكون هدفًا صحيحًا بشكل تام، بعد ذلك عرضوا الموقف على الشاشة الكبيرة، شعرنا جميعنا بالإحباط الشديد آنذاك، لكنها واحدة من تلك الحالات التي تكون صعبة على الحكم”.

واعترف: “لقد شعرت بالأسف تجاه الحكم، أعتقد أن الناس يقولون الآن إن هناك مثالًا مشابهًا لما حدث مع مانشستر سيتي خارج أرضه أمام وولفرهامبتون الموسم الماضي، وقد تم احتساب الهدف آنذاك، لذا من الواضح أن الأمر غير واضح”.

واختتم: “إنه أمر محبط للغاية، كان الهدف سيعيدنا إلى أجواء المباراة في وقت لم نكن نستحقه على الأرجح، لذلك كانت لحظة حاسمة في المباراة، لقد أردنا إنهاء أسبوع قوي حقًا، لكن لم يكن ذلك مقدرًا لنا، كنا نحرز تقدمًا، ثم تعرضنا لضربة قوية من مانشستر سيتي”.

Rising star Cavan Sullivan came off the bench for the U.S. in Wednesday's U17 World Cup opener, but the Philadelphia Union attacker made the difference in a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso. His late goal sealed three points for the U.S. as they began the tournament in Qatar. Sullivan was tossed into the fray with the game scoreless in the 62nd minute.

• Getty Images
  

  Sullivan's big moment

  Despite the hype behind him, Sullivan started the match on the bench for a U.S. team loaded with attacking talent, including highly-rated forwards Julian Hall, Nimfasha Berchimas and Mathis Albert, all of whom started. Sullivan replaced LAFC midfielder Jude Terry in the second half as the U.S. pushed for a goal.

  It came in the 79th minute, when Albert looped a cross over Burkina Faso's defense to find Sullivan, who placed the ball into the back of the net to earn the U.S. all three points in their opening match.

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• Watch the goal

• Getty Images
  

  Sullivan's rise

  Sullivan's goal comes as he looks to break through in MLS with the Philadelphia Union. The 16-year-old homegrown has been widely touted as one of the top prospects in American soccer, and was signed by the Union in May 2024 at age 14.

  Since, he's featured 18 times for the Union first team and joined up with the U.S. late for this World Cup to participate in the club's initial playoff matches. The teenager is set to join Manchester City when he turns 18.

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  What comes next?

  Following the tournament-opening win, the U.S. will now look ahead to Saturday's match against Tajikistan, who fell 6-1 to the Czech Republic in their first U17 World Cup match.

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Quinta-feira (19) tem Tombense e Vila Nova em jogo importantíssimo para as equipes. A partida é válida pela 33ª rodada do Brasileirão Série B. A partida está marcada para às 19h (de Brasília), no Almeidão.

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Com 28 pontos, a Tombense é a 18ª colocada na tabela de classificação da Série B, tendo empatado com o Juventude na última rodada. A equipe mineira pode se colocar mais perto de sair da zona de rebaixamento em caso de vitória sobre o Vila Nova, que briga pelo G4.

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Querendo se aproximar do quatro primeiros, o Vila Nova tem 51 pontos, e está a cinco pontos do Juventude, último time dentro do G4. Nesta quinta, o Tigre quer ter a chance de encostar de vez nos gaúchos e acirrar a reta final. Na última partida, o Vila venceu o Botafogo-SP por 3 a 1.

TOMBENSE X VILA NOVA
33ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO DA SÉRIE B

Data: 19 de outubro de 2023.
Horário: 19h (de Brasília).
Local: Estádio Almeidão, em Tombos, Minas Gerais
Árbitro: Maguielson Lima Barbosa (DF)
Assistentes: Lucas Torquato Guerra (DF) e Luis Filipe Gonçalves Correa (PB)
VAR: Philip Georg Bennett (RJ)
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

Mahedi bagged 4 for 11 in the third T20I, as Bangladesh won their first T20I series against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam17-Jul-2025

Mahedi Hasan now has the most wickets by a spinner in powerplays in T20Is since January 2021•Associated Press

Bangladesh captain Litton Das had earmarked offspinner Mahedi Hasan for the third T20I at the R Premadasa Stadium when he first saw their tour schedule for Sri Lanka. Mahedi repaid the faith by picking up career-best figures of 4 for 11 in Bangladesh’s eight-wicket win, which also gave them their first series win – by 2-1 – against Sri Lanka.Two of Mahedi’s wickets came in the powerplay, taking his tally to 30 in that phase since January 2021, the most for any spinner on that list. Litton said that Mahedi’s skillset suited the pitch, where spinners have generally done well. Mahedi got into the act straightaway on Wednesday night, removing Kusal Perera in his first over before having Dinesh Chandimal mistime a slog in the fifth.”We felt that Mahedi’s skills would be a perfect fit for the Colombo wicket,” Litton said after Bangladesh’s victory. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t bowl well on other wickets. I had planned it as soon as I saw the schedule that Mahedi will be my first name in the line-up at this venue. It also doesn’t mean that Mehidy [Hasan Miraz] is not a good bowler or batter. As a team leader, I will think deeply about the surface before choosing a team. A bowling-friendly surface will always make me pick Mahedi. If it is batting-friendly, Miraz will come back into the team.”Related

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Mahedi four-for, Tanzid fifty give Bangladesh first series win against Sri Lanka

The occasion was further special for Mahedi, as he was returning to the side after missing Bangladesh’s last five T20Is. He wasn’t picked in the first two matches of this series after he went for plenty of runs in three games against UAE and Pakistan in May. It may have been harsh for Mahedi, who was adjudged Player of the Series in the West Indies in December, having powered Bangladesh to a 3-0 series win.Litton said he never had a shortage of belief, which helped them clinch the series, making it only the second time Bangladesh won a T20I series after going down 1-0 in a three-match affair.”It is a proud moment for me as a captain. I am happy that the fans are also happy seeing us win a T20I series in Sri Lanka,” he said. “We always try to give our 100% in the middle. We train in the way that we can give 100% in the middle. I always had the belief. I never had a shortage of belief in my ten years at this level.”Litton further said that other than the batting collapses – 94 all out in the second T20I, 186 all out in the third ODI and 167 all out in the first ODI – Bangladesh had a decent tour of Sri Lanka. He felt that the batting unit must take more responsibility across formats.Litton Das scored 76 in the second T20I, while his 32 in the third helped Bangladesh out of an early setback•Associated Press

“We didn’t play bad cricket in all the formats. It looks different as we had some batting collapses,” he said. “All the batters fell for 30-35 runs in the second Test, which had a good batting track. Someone had to play a big knock. It was the same in the first ODI: we lost plenty of wickets in a collapse. We need to be more focused as a batting unit, and take responsibility with our choices of shots, [and] we will do better.”Litton himself showed a bit of form, with his 76 off 50 in Bangladesh’s 83-run win in the second T20I. It was a pivotal knock as Litton added half-century stands with Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain in critical phases. It was also a break from his long white-ball slump. Litton also scored 32 in the third T20I, helping Bangladesh out of an early setback. He said he was getting hungry to score runs and looking for an opportunity.”I think hunger was a factor, I wasn’t scoring runs for a long time,” he said. “I was looking for an opportunity to grab. It was a plus point in the second T20I. I think winning changes the face of the team. We also won the second game by 83 runs, which is a huge achievement. The whole team had the confidence of winning if we played our best cricket.”All I can do is try hard. I don’t sit in the hotel room. I don’t miss training sessions. You have to keep trying as a player. You also need blessing from God. I think luck smiled at me in the second T20I. But I keep trying hard on and off the field. I worked on my own mostly. There are some people who helped me. It can be motivating too.”