Uma derrota acachapante. Após vencer dois confrontos, o Sport foi massacrado dentro de casa pelo Ceará e deu adeus a Copa do Nordeste.
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Titular da equipe e um dos principais jogadores do elenco, Thiago Neves garantiu que a vitória não vai abalar o grupo do Leão e deixou claro que o time atravessa um processo de reconstrução.
‘Acontece. Copa do Nordeste é importante, mas está servindo para entrosar o time. Muita gente nova também. Não me abala, não abala o grupo. Falta entrosamento. Tem pouco tempo para treinar, Jair está tentando formações. Sabemos que temos muita coisa para melhorar para o Brasileiro, mas com calma também’, disse Thiago Neves, em entrevista à TV Jornal.
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Com o revés na Ilha do Retiro, o Sport fica na penúltima colocação da chave B, com apenas 5 pontos conquistados.
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Arsenal continued to rebuild their momentum last night with a 2-1 win in the Premier League away to Nottingham Forest.
However, until Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring in the 65th minute, it looked like it might have been turning into another match in which Mikel Arteta's men failed to take their chances, a flaw represented in their expected goals number this season.
The Brazilian was replaced by Eddie Nketiah late into the game, but the Englishman did very little to stake a claim for the starting spot this weekend.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
Worse yet, the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates ranked as one of the league's most clinical finishers last season, so the 24-year-old could be in danger of losing his place in the squad entirely.
Arsenal look north for more firepower
According to prior reports, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson this month, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano having since told GIVEMESPORT that the future of the Englishman is "one to watch" in "the final hours" of the window – amid the context of the Gunners' interest.
The Italian journalist explained that while the Magpies "insist the player is going nowhere", financial fair play implications could force their hand if they receive an "important proposal" and that if this happens, the player himself "could be open to the move."
callum-wilson-newcastle-united
In more good news for the Gunners, a report from the Evening Standard earlier this week revealed that it could take an offer of just £18m to get this deal moving, which in today's market seems like a steal for a player like Wilson.
That said, with Chelsea and Manchester United also said to be keen, it's unlikely that the deal will be that straightforward.
How Wilson compares to Nketiah
Nketiah has been a useful player for Arteta in the time he has been at the club, scoring some big goals, such as the two at Chelsea a couple of years ago and the winner against Manchester United last season.
However, aside from the hat-trick he scored at the Emirates against bottom-club Sheffield United, he has been rather ineffective this season, scoring just two league goals and providing two assists in his other 20 appearances.
In contrast, Wilson's seven league goals in seven starts have come in six games and were he able to keep this up for the Gunners, that would be far more useful in a title fight than one or two games in which he bags a hat-trick or brace.
It isn't just the former Bournemouth star's goal haul and the manner in which he scored them that make him a better option than Nketiah for the north Londoners, but also his underlying numbers.
For example, in the metrics most relevant to a top-level striker, such as expected goals and assists, actual goals, shots, shots on target and successful take-ons per 90, the "incredible" Toon star, as described by his manager Eddie Howe, eclipses the Arsenal man.
Callum Wilson vs Eddie Nketiah
Stats per 90
Wilson
Nketiah
Expected Goals + Assists
0.74
0.44
Goals
0.86
0.45
Assists
0.12
0.18
Shots
3.58
3.00
Shots on Target
1.86
0.91
Successful Take-Ons
1.36
0.73
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League Season
The one area in which the former Chelsea youth product comes out ahead is in the number of assists the pair produces per 90, but with Arteta's most pressing problem being his frontline's finishing this season, this seems like a non-issue.
Arsenal make enquiry to sign £26m-rated Havertz replacement
The 24-year-old has been impressing in Italy this season.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 31, 2024
Ultimately, if Arsenal can get this deal over the line in the dying embers of the transfer window, they absolutely should, as the "ruthless" Wilson, as described by journalist Chris Waugh, could bring the experience and clinical nature that could be the deciding factor in a title race that looks set to go down to the wire.
Ian Gould walked out of a cricket field one last time whistling. That whistle was something you could always see ‘Gunner’, as Gould was known to cricketers and the media, do, whether in the middle of a high-pressure situation in an international match or as you passed him. Like many famous umpires, Gould was a popular personality, both on and off the field.On Saturday, Gould retired from umpiring, having stood in the World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka at Headingley. It was his 140th ODI as an umpire and he drew the curtains on a 13-year career.Gould, who played 18 ODIs for England and was part of the 1983 World Cup, joined the ECB’s first-class umpires’ list in 2002 and made his debut as an international umpire in a T20 between England and Sri Lanka in 2006. He stood in his first ODI a few days after that and his first Test – between South Africa and Bangladesh in Bloemfontein – two years later. This year’s World Cup was his fourth.”The time was right (to stop),” Gould said on his decision to retire. “I’ve had a great year and I’ve enjoyed it. I thought the time now is to move on and let someone else come through.”The last batsman Gould gave out in his career, although not on his own initially, was Rishabh Pant. In the 42nd over of India’s chase, Sri Lanka’s left-arm quick Isuru Udana bowled a slower ball that beat Pant and struck him in front of the stumps. Gould hardly moved in response to the lbw appeal but Sri Lanka opted for a review and once replays showed three reds, Gould had to change his decision and raise his finger.
Immediately after India’s victory, Virat Kohli walked up to Gould and hugged him. So did many other players. If you know Gould, you understand why players respected him. Communication is a big part of umpiring and only a few came close to doing it better. Gould could poke fun of a player, no matter how experienced or young, and elicit an instant laugh from him. This is what made him an endearing personality.There was one bit of advice Gould had for the future batch of umpires: take that extra step to understand the player. Umpiring becomes an easy job that way. “You’ve got to understand people, you’ve got to meet people, talk to people, you have to practise with people,” Gould said. “They get to understand you and you understand them. It makes it a lot easier if you do it that way. All I can ever say to anyone, and the other umpires have heard this a million times, is keep smiling and enjoy it.”
Tourists lose last six wickets for 17 before Dom Sibley’s 74 underpins Lions reply
Daniel Brettig in Canterbury15-Jul-2019Two sights signalled this as day one of the Ashes campaign for England, though still in the afterglow of a scarcely believable triumph in Sunday’s World Cup final over New Zealand at Lord’s.The first was that of the England selectors Ed Smith and James Taylor making their presence known by striding around the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, demonstrating their intent to finalise a Test squad, to face Ireland and then Australia, by Wednesday. The second came in the middle, where the left-armer Sam Curran obliterated the touring XI’s middle and lower order with the second new ball on his way to figures of 6 for 95.Where on day one the Australians had dominated through Travis Head and Matthew Wade as both sides kept one eye on events in London, now the spectre of a swerving Dukes ball in skilful hands was raised by Curran, a highly impressive performer in his first home summer as a Test player last year and likely to figure again this time around.Alongside Head, who remained impassable throughout, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine and company would have hoped to bat well into the afternoon. However Curran was able to swerve his way through five Australians in the space of four overs, engineering the loss of the last six touring wickets for 17.Marsh was first to go in circumstances that looked contentious – certainly the batsman thought so. Given out caught behind, Marsh made to remonstrate with the umpire, stood his ground for several moments and then trudged his way off with slow reluctance familiar to those who once watched Inzamam-ul-Haq for Pakistan.Such a display of disagreement was not to be repeated by the rest, who fell with blinding speed. Paine was pinned in front of the stumps for a duck, Michael Neser edged behind, and then Chris Tremain was bowled first ball to have Curran on a hat-trick. Jackson Bird found three runs to avert that at least, but his exit was swiftly followed by Jon Holland shouldering arms to hand Lewis Gregory a third wicket.The England Lions innings was thus underway far sooner than expected, and even as wickets fell regularly the Australians were unable to create quite the same level of mayhem throughout the rest of the afternoon. Plucky resistance was provided by Dom Sibley, spending precisely four hours over his 74, and James Bracey also hung around for a stand worth 89.Curran was then in to bat for the final hour or so, playing attractively in the company of Sam Hain, who lofted Head for six down the ground before being well taken by Paine off Holland’s slow left-arm in the day’s final over – a reward for two tidy, thoughtful spells. That gave Australia’s selection chairman Trevor Hohns, in attendance alongside Messrs Smith and Taylor, a little more to ponder ahead of Ashes squad selections.
Daniel Farke has clearly settled on a preferred centre-back partnership at Leeds United this season, with Pascal Struijk and Spurs loanee Joe Rodon amassing more than 4,000 minutes of playing time between them. Club captain Liam Cooper has featured occasionally too (637 minutes), but one player who's been conspicuous by his predominant absence up to this point is Charlie Cresswell.
Cresswell has only played four games in the Championship, and none since early October. His last start came in the 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City in the second game of the season, and he's only been in the squad for three of the last 17 league games.
Speaking last week, Farke publicly addressed the situation, revealing that Cresswell hadn't been "switched on and focused" when he wasn't playing and had told the manager that he wasn't happy with his situation. On that basis, Farke decided that he wasn't "fully committed" to the cause, and has virtually axed him from the first-team.
Farke believes Cresswell wants out
Speaking on the Square Ball Podcast, via Leeds United News, journalist Phil Hay shed more light on Cresswell's situation. Farke apparently believes the Englishman doesn't "really want to be here" at the moment, and naturally, that could lead to a departure.
Charlie Cresswell for Leeds United
The German is apparently "adamant" that there should be four senior centre-halves in the squad, so his prospective exit could prompt Leeds to take action and sign a new addition for that back-up role.
Wober may offer Cresswell solution
Many Leeds fans would have expected Cresswell to play a significant role this season. While he'd been sent on loan to Millwall last year, this allowed him to gain valuable experience of playing in the Championship as he started 25 of the 35 games for which he was available. It wasn't as if this was in the lower reaches of the division either – Cresswell helped Millwall finish just a point off the play-off places.
Then, in the summer, he was part of the England under-21 squad that won the European Championships without conceding a single goal, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 group-stage win over Germany. It looked like Leeds had a big talent on their hands, not just in the short-term but for the future too, and just a matter of months later, things are threatening to break down entirely.
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Leeds have already moved on a number of centre-halves since their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season. Robin Koch joined Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on an initial loan, but they took the opportunity to sign a pre-contract agreement with a player whose Leeds deal is up at the end of the season. Elsewhere, Diego Llorente made a temporary switch to Roma, but the deal includes an £18m option to buy, so he may also have played his last game in a white shirt.
There's no such mechanism in the loan agreement that saw Max Wober move to Borussia Monchengladbach, which could be significant. It's unclear if Leeds have the option to recall Wober if Cresswell leaves, but there may be a gap for him in the defensive ranks for next season.
Bayern Munich are preparing for a possible mass exodus this summer as the club are willing to part ways with several big names in the transfer window.
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Bayern urgently need to sell players
Six big names could be offloaded in summer
German side finished trophyless in 2023/24
WHAT HAPPENED?
At least six players have been deemed sellable assets by the Bundesliga runners-up, according to Sky Sport in Germany. They are willing to listen to reasonable offers for Matthijs de Ligt, Joshia Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Kinglsey Coman, Serge Gnabry and Noussair Mazraoui.
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Kimmich has recently been reported as the subject of interest from Barcelona, though it was claimed he turned down their initial offer, while Manchester City are also open to signing him. The Germany international recently said he would have a discussion with the Bayern board over his future.
DID YOU KNOW?
While Bayern feel the need to sell off some players for financial reasons, they are also in negotiations with full-back Alphonso Davies over a new contract, while they have also been linked with a summer move for Xavi Simons, who could leave Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent basis.
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WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?
After finishing second behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga amid a trophyless season, the pressure is on Bayern to bounce back next season and reclaim the German title. However, their bid to return to the top of German football under new coach Vincent Kompany may be hindered by the sale of some big names this summer.
West Ham United have been pushing for signings over the late stage of the January transfer market, and having completed the loan addition of centre-midfielder Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, will now look to make a last-gasp move for a winger.
David Moyes is eager to sign a striker but will bide his time until the summer, now focussing on strengthening the flanks following the likely departures of Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma.
West Ham United manager David Moyes
Al-Ittihad's Jota has been on the radar but with that one stuck in the mud, one journalist believes the Hammers could delve down a different road…
West Ham plotting late bid for EFL star
According to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – West Ham could return for Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto after Jota and Ibrahim Osman deals stall.
West Ham offered last-gasp chance to sign £47k-p/w Coufal upgrade
The Hammers have the opportunity to sign the Ligue 1 defender before the deadline.
ByDan Emery Feb 1, 2024
He said that it's been a "frustrating" week for the Hammers and that a move for the Italy international would "appeal", having been linked with a transfer earlier in the window.
Wilfried Gnonto is a Benrahma upgrade
Sixth in the Premier League and with a game in hand on Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion below, West Ham have been impressive once again this season but have stagnated slightly since the new year and a player such as Gnonto would be a great fit.
Jarrod Bowen has missed the past two matches because of a setback while playmaker Lucas Paqueta is out till March with a calf injury.
Wilfried Gnonto for Leeds United.
Gnonto has not played a prominent role under Daniel Farke in the Championship this season, starting just seven times in the league, but he was praised as a "pocket rocket" by pundit Tam McManus for his exploits in the Premier League last season, making his mark and proving one of the bright sparks as the Whites fell into the abyss.
Clinching four goals and four assists apiece despite his side's woes, the 13-cap Italy international would be a big Benrahma upgrade given that the Algerian has only landed a single assist from 22 matches this term, though more importantly, he is failing to contribute effectively in the defensive sequences.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Long shots
Defensive contribution
Direct free-kicks
Through balls
Source: WhoScored
Gnonto, in comparison, ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 21% for blocks and the top 14% for clearances, as per FBref.
Not only is he a barrelling outlet down the left flank, stretching defences and driving the ball into the danger area, but the £20k-per-week starlet is more than willing to get stuck in and this is an attractive proposition for Moyes and his system.
An "electric" – as described by pundit Sam Parkin – figure on the pitch who will only improve over the coming years, West Ham must complete a swoop for Gnonto in the next few hours, with the 20-year-old's skill set well suited to improve Moyes' side.
Portuguese winger Jota has indeed been touted with a move away from the Saudi Pro League but there have been concerns about his staggering salary and the league champions are also now willing to re-integrate him into the squad, having ostracised him following restrictions to foreign players available for inclusion.
Some reports in the player's homeland have speculated that a £13m offer would be enough to prise Gnonto away from Elland Road, and if this is the case, an official bid will surely be forthcoming.
Appointed just before Christmas following the sacking of Tony Mowbray, Sunderland manager Michael Beale would have hoped for the chance to put his imprint on the squad in the January transfer window. With less than two weeks to go until the 1st February deadline, there hasn't been any incoming activity at the Stadium of Light, but the club are working to change that.
There were rumours that Sunderland were showing interest in Notts County forward Macaulay Langstaff, valued at £1.5m by the League Two club. The Black Cats were said to be part of an extensive transfer battle that also featured the likes of Birmingham City, Derby County, Peterborough United, Wrexham and Scottish side Hearts, and now reliable journalist James Copley has had his say on the story.
Langstaff interest is real
Writing on Twitter, Copley confirmed that Sunderland are interested in Langstaff, describing the rumours as "genuine". In an attached article for the Sunderland Echo, he mentions Derby and Peterborough as suitors, while also noting that north-east rivals Middlesbrough as being in the picture too.
Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
He adds that Langstaff's former club Gateshead are entitled to a 10% sell-on fee if he leaves Notts County, which could mean that his current club drives an even harder bargain in any negotiations.
"Incredible" Langstaff can solve Jack Clarke problem
Even though he was playing outside the top four tiers last season, Langstaff won national attention thanks to his goalscoring exploits. Dubbed the "Non-League Haaland", he broke the National League goalscoring record with 41 in 45 games – a feat that former Manchester United coach Paul McGuinness called "incredible".
Those goals helped Notts County achieve promotion and Langstaff, who's also been called a "master marksman" by TNT Sports commentator Adam Summerton, has continued his devastating form at a higher level. With 20 goals in 27 League Two appearances so far – only two of them penalties – he's top of the scoring charts for the entire English Football League.
Rank
Player
Team
League
Goals
1
Macaulay Langstaff
Notts County
League Two
20
2
Sammie Szmodics
Blackburn
Championship
16
=
Devante Cole
Barnsley
League One
16
=
Jake Young
Swindon
League Two
16
=
Alfie May
Charlton
League One
16
6
Matt Smith
Salford
League Two
15
=
Will Evans
Newport
League Two
15
The Championship would of course represent a significant step up in quality, and Langstaff may need time to adjust, but Sunderland should be encouraged by his seamless transition to the EFL this season. Beale has a clear need for more firepower in order to address his side's overreliance on Jack Clarke – the former Spurs man has bagged 13 goals from the flanks this season – with nobody else in the squad netting more than four (Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham are currently tied on that figure).
That imbalance has to be a worry for a side that will have aspirations of making the play-offs (they're only below sixth-place Coventry on goal difference prior to their clash with Hull), but a move for Langstaff could help to address it. Based on the numbers he's put up this season, it's hard to argue that he isn't worth £1.5m, either.
Alisha Lehmann was thrilled to return home in her native Switzerland where she was reunited with her "beautiful" horse following international duty.
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Lehmann represent Swiss in Euro 2025 qualifierAston Villa star returns home to Switzerland Forward reunited with her "beautiful" horseWHAT HAPPENED?
Following Switzerland's 1-0 loss awayto Hungary on Tuesday, the Aston Villa star returned to more familiar surroundings a day later. In an Instagram story, she filmed her horse being looked after in her local stables – and she was clearly delighted to see her beloved animal once again.
AdvertisementWHAT ALISHA LEHMANN SAID
In the video, Lehmann says: "I am back home. Look how beautiful my horse is."
InstagramTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Lehmann is enjoying some downtime after a long season for Aston Villa and Switzerland. The 25-year-old will have a few weeks off before returning for international duty in their last two Euro 2025 qualifying games. However, they are hosting the tournament so it is not the be all and end all if they lose these upcoming fixtures.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Switzerland round off their qualifying campaign away to second-placed Turkey on July 12 and at home to bottom of the table Azerbaijan four days later. If they beat Turkey, who they have a three-point lead over at the top of Group B1 in League B, they will be promoted to League A.