Varun Aaron, the former India fast bowler, has joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as bowling coach ahead of IPL 2026. Aaron replaces New Zealand left-arm seamer James Franklin in the role.This is the first time Aaron, 35, will be working in a coaching capacity, having retired from all forms of cricket in January this year. He joins the support staff group currently headed by Daniel Vettori.Since the middle of 2024, Aaron has been working with trainees at the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai as a consultant. It’s an institution that played a massive role in his rise as a fast bowling talent who burst through the ranks in 2010-11 with Jharkhand.Aaron’s own career was stop-start due to multiple stress fractures. He played nine Tests and nine ODIs in all, the last of those coming in November 2015, a Test against South Africa in Bengaluru.Aaron’s Test career is best remembered for the ball he bowled to Stuart Broad during the England tour of 2014. Aaron’s bouncer hit Broad on the face, leaving him with a broken nose that required surgery, and two black eyes after he top-edged the ball into the grille of his helmet.He represented Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab and Gujarat Titans during his IPL career. In 52 matches, he picked up 44 wickets at an economy of 8.93. Aaron’s most recent stint as a player was in 2022, when he was part of GT’s title-winning run.Since retirement, Aaron has also been involved in the game as an analyst, including with ESPNcricinfo.

Liverpool are now reportedly ready to spend over £100m to sign Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh in an attempt to solve one of Arne Slot’s glaring problems.

Winless in four Premier League games, Liverpool’s title defence has turned into an unexpected nightmare. Slot’s side have looked out on their feet even when clawing victories at the start of the campaign. For the first time in the Dutchman’s time at Anfield, he is under increasing pressure.

Defeat at Brentford was particularly damning. The Red were bullied in West London and a squad built on a £400m+ spending spree were silenced by some old faces in a stark reminder that money doesn’t always equal success.

Alas, what should concern those at Anfield the most is Slot’s recent admission that he’s yet to find a solution to the physical style that sides are implementing against Liverpool. In the era of Premier League football, the champions have simply been unable to compete, with Arsenal epitomising the change taking place in England’s top flight.

Former Anfield star Jamie Carragher recently echoed those struggles, saying: “Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster. To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now.

“There will be a lot of serious questions asked in the dressing room between the players and the coaching staff and the people above the manager. When they’ve looked at what they’ve spent, they’ll be looking for a lot more.”

The solution may not even come internally for Liverpool either, who are ready to break the bank for Minteh in an attempt to at least fix one problem.

Why Liverpool are ready to break the bank for Minteh

According to FootAfrica, Liverpool are now ready to spend over £100m to sign Minteh from Brighton in 2026. The winger has enjoyed an impressive season so far and with the Reds looking to inject the directness that they lost when selling Luis Diaz in the summer, he has emerged as an ideal option.

League stats 25/26

Minteh

Diaz

Salah

Minutes

770

680

803

Goals

1

5

3

Assists

2

4

2

Successful take-ons

23

36

2

Although the goals are yet to come for Minteh, his take-on success is something to take note of when compared to Salah. The Egyptian, in one of his worst starts to a Liverpool season, has completed just two take-ons. Minteh, meanwhile, is already on 23 and still isn’t close to Diaz’s 36 for Bayern Munich.

Simply put, the Reds have not replaced Diaz’s direct ability with the ball which progresses play and maintains possession. Take that away and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ability to progress play with his passing range and Liverpool’s struggles begin to make sense.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

Described as “exciting” by scout Jacek Kulig, Minteh represents the type of player that Michael Edwards built his reputation on signing and should do so once again in 2026.

How Arne Slot has already replaced Salah

The famous child actor decided to return to his cult movie roots, and 30 years after starring in The Big Green, reignited his passion for soccer

Patrick Renna was a crucial part of countless childhoods in America. First, it was the "Sandlot," the baseball classic in which he played Ham Porter, the misfit catcher who "calls his shot" before bashing a ball.

Then, it was "The Big Green," the soccer cult classic in which Renna, albeit briefly, was the best-worst goalkeeper you've ever seen, being flung into the back of the net by the sheer power of a shot one minute before saving a crucial penalty kick the next.

Kids of the '90s and before will tell you that Renna was always was a guy to which they could relate. His two most famous characters were dorky oddballs, the kind that loved sports but were never really all that good. It's a feeling that the vast majority of the population who aren't professional athletes know all too well.

The childhood actor into grown adult arc has been difficult to manage for many. Renna has handled it well, staying around the baseball community, tapping into the world that embraced him as a teenager. But that soccer part? Well, that's still there, too. And now, it's time for the soccer kid to become the football nerd. Renna is embracing soccer in full.

"I've always actually been interested in soccer. But the big three sports kind of take all your time in America. So soccer, not being one of those big three, not football, baseball, basketball. But what I find the most fun about soccer is the fandom," he told GOAL. "I think that the fans are the best."

GettyFinding a new passion

Renna is keenly aware – albeit with a bit of a sardonic nudge – that he didn't want to become another actor who starts a podcast. 

"I've gathered a bit of a social following, and with a social following, you're supposed to do a podcast. But then it's like, you can't do a podcast unless it's something that you're passionate about," he said. 

Renna pondered a bit of everything. Politics was a possibility, but that was quickly scrapped. 

"The only thing I'm passionate about with regard to politics is that I have no passion, and I don't know what I'm talking about enough," Renna said. 

Sports, then, was the natural choice. Basketball and baseball were always options. He has been around the game his whole life, riffing off the movie experience. The fact alone that he appeared for parody baseball team the Savannah Bananas tells you pretty much all you need to know.

Still, there was little juice there. And Renna, if he was going to do something, wanted to broaden his horizons. 

Advertisement'The good thing is, our team sucked'

And for that reason, soccer made sense. Renna is a sports fan down to his very core. He has appeared in a cult soccer movie. But his soccer knowledge, in a traditional sense? A little lacking. And with the World Cup coming to North America in 2026, he wanted to understand the game that is soon to arrive on American shores. 

His answer? Make a YouTube show with GOAL US, have it poke fun of the fact that he's the American who's trying to get into the beautiful game and call it "Soccer Guy."

"I was like, 'Wait a minute, I would love to learn about a new sport. I would love to learn about the biggest sport in the world.' And that would be fun for me, to make this an exploration and learn something out of this," Renna said, "and get just a new look on life, and take me to places I've never been."

There is, it must be pointed out, some baseline knowledge. Renna, for a start, knows the rules of the game. He understands offsides. He played youth soccer during his upbringing in Massachusetts.

And yes, that acting background did come in handy. He learned enough on the set of The Big Green – with plenty of soccer players-turned-actors – to have, at the very least, a cursory understanding of how the sport works.

"There were several players on that team that were really, really good. There was a handful of us who were actors, and then the rest were probably soccer players first," he said. 

It helped, though, that the whole point of the movie was that the team wasn't very good.

"The good thing is, our team sucked. We were like the bad news bears of soccer, so they leaned into that, and the fact that we didn't play well was good for me," Renna joked.

Roarke BoesSold on LAFC experience

But what he lacks, Renna admitted, was a starting point. Soccer is about the culture, the fandom, the experience. Renna is a guy who lives in Los Angeles, loves the Dodgers, but doesn't have a soccer team. So, to get things started, he went to an LAFC game.

He picked a good one, too. LAFC, reborn under Steve Cherundolo and with Son Heung-Min dominating up front, faced off against Real Salt Lake. They trailed early, but bagged two before half time. BMO Stadium, and the 3252 fan group, came to life. LAFC won 4-1. Denis Bouanga bagged three. Son scored one of his own.

Renna was sold.

"The beginning of the game started slow, and then it just ramped up, and LAFC scored like four goals, and it was crazy," he explained.

And the experience as a whole was entirely intoxicating (verging on literally). It started with a tailgate: sizzling tortillas, grilled meat, a michelada in the parking lot (review: "this is good dude!")

Renna interacted with the fans, learned the chants, and chatted with the locals. He walked past murals of Carlos Vela, and had some of the basics of the sport outlined to him.

"It's like basketball, but on a big-ass field," one fan eagerly outlined.

He stood in the 3252, was showered with beer, and sang at full time. He fell in love with the stadium, and was entirely captivated by just how close everything felt. 

"Every seat is good. The nosebleed doesn't exist in soccer," Renna said.

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Roarke BoesWhere he could turn up next

Renna has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram, and most of them want him to say "You're killing me smalls!" when he runs into them in public. He gets stopped for selfies, and will perhaps forever be the catcher who calls his shot. But this is not an attempt to redefine himself, or discover a new hobby. Renna is past the point of character building. 

Rather, Soccer Guy is an excuse to explore an avenue that had always interested him. So, yes, for all of the fun that the LAFC game brought, he was still recognized and stopped for pictures. He is still the dude from the Sandlot.

But that might not be the case in Brazil or Argentina, he admitted. Even in England, he might be able to sneak by unnoticed.

"I don't know about even the Premier League," he said. "It would be a much different experience."

Perhaps that's the point here. His horizons are broadened. He watched LAFC and Austin in the playoffs. He is now a proud LAFC supporter. 

And who knows where this Soccer Guy might turn up next?

أكد الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، إن تكرار الحديث عن المظلومية داخل نادي الزمالك أصبح أمرًا غير مفيد، مشيرًا إلى أن الحل الحقيقي يتمثل في مواجهة الأخطاء والعمل على تصحيحها بدلًا من تبريرها أو تعليقها على الظروف الخارجية.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “كفى حديثًا عن أن هذا ضربني وبكى وسبقني واشتكى، قصة المظلومية هذه يجب أن تنتهي، فقد أصبحت غير لطيفة وغير مفيدة”.

وتابع: “أنا أحب الرجل الذي يأتي ويقول: الزمالك حُرم من كذا لأسباب كذا، أو تعرض لظلم في موقف معين — شكرًا جزيلًا، هذه وجهة نظر محترمة — ثم يأتي الطرف الآخر ويعرض وجهة نظره أيضًا، لكن أن نستمر في زرع فكرة أن النادي مظلوم دائمًا فهذا أمر غير صحي”.

طالع أيضًا | عضو الزمالك يحسم ملف تجديد ثنائي الفريق.. ويؤكد: لن نكرر أخطاء الماضي

وأضاف: “لا يصح أن نُرجع كل شيء إلى فكرة المظلومية، وأن نقول في كأس السعودية حدث كذا، وفي كأس الإمارات حصل كذا، وفي كأس الطائرة كان كذا، ما هذا؟! إلى أين وصلنا؟ أنا لا أريد أن أسمع مبررات جديدة كل مرة، بل أريد حلولًا حقيقية، كفانا الدخول في قصص جانبية ومواضيع متكررة لا تفيد النادي في شيء”.

وواصل: “من الأفضل أن يواجه الزمالك نفسه بأخطائه ومشكلاته، حتى في الحالات التي قد يكون فيها قد تعرّض لظلم فعلاً، تعال إلى الحقيقة، تعال نناقش ونحلّ الأمور بشكل عملي، وسأكون أول من يدعم ويساعد، لكن ما يحدث الآن لا يخدم النادي ولا جماهيره”.

واختتم: “في النهاية، الطرف الوحيد الذي يستحق التحية في كل هذه الأزمات هو جماهير نادي الزمالك، التي تظل ثابتة ومخلصة لفريقها رغم كل ما يمرّ به النادي من ظروف صعبة”.

Raza’s fifty went in vain for Zimbabwe, who lost their sixth successive T20I against SA

Firdose Moonda14-Jul-2025

It’s just not getting any easier for Zimbabwe. After suffering two heavy defeats to South Africa in the Tests, they opened their T20I triangular series, which also includes New Zealand, with a loss. It was Zimbabwe’s sixth successive T20I defeat to South Africa, against whom they are yet to register a win after two other games between the sides produced no results.South Africa, playing in their first T20I this year – and first under Shukri Conrad since he was named all-format coach – will be pleased with their early outing. Chasing 142, they wobbled at 38 for 3, but debutant Rubin Hermann top-scored with 45, and shared in a 72-run fourth-wicket stand with Dewald Brevis, who contributed 41 off just 17 balls. Corbin Bosch finished things off with an unbeaten 23 off 15 deliveries.The Hermann-Brevis partnership will make headlines, but South Africa will be equally satisfied with their bowlers – in particular with the return of Lungi Ngidi. After missing their last seven T20I matches, Ngidi came back with impressive accuracy, and finished with 1 for 15 from four overs. Overall, George Linde (3 for 10) was the standout with the lowest economy (3.33) and most wickets.South Africa’s victorious chase, completed inside 16 overs, overshadowed Sikandar Raza’s 15th T20I fifty, and his first against South Africa. Raza also went past Craig Ervine as Zimbabwe’s most capped T20I captain, with 39 matches. His knock lifted Zimbabwe from 39 for 2 to a total over 140, though they needed far more to be competitive.Sikandar Raza hit his 15th T20I fifty•Zimbabwe Cricket

Zimbabwe equal best start against SAIt may hardly sound like much, but Zimbabwe’s 34 runs in the first six overs was their joint-highest in a T20I against South Africa, and better, in wicket terms, than the 34 for 2 they had got in 2018. With only Wessly Madhevere dismissed – and he has only got past 20 once in his last 11 innings – Zimbabwe would have felt they hadd built a solid base, especially with the way Brian Bennett was playing.His first boundary came when he flayed Ngidi through a vacant slip area, his second when he upper cut Burger to deep third, and his third and fourth off glorious drives over and through the covers off Bosch. What Bennett lacked was a partner as industrious as Zimbabwe’s scoring rate of under six an over needed a massive boost.Raza, Burl provide the runsAt 53 for 2 at the halfway stage, Zimbabwe were going nowhere, but Raza and Ryan Burl gave their innings some urgency. The pair ran well between the wickets, with Burl providing the early aggression. He took advantage of the only bad ball Ngidi bowled, down leg, to help its way for four, and then made Nqakaba Peter pay for poor length. The short ball was swung over fine leg, and the full one hit over long-on for the innings’ first six.Raza began the final onslaught when he picked up a slower ball from Andile Simelane, and hit it back over his head for six. He was dropped on 33 by Brevis at deep cover, and then slammed Simelane for six more in an over that cost 19. The partnership between Raza and Burl was worth 66 from 38 balls when Burl holed out to long-off to give Nandre Burger, on comeback after ten months, his first wicket. Zimbabwe scored 88 runs in the last ten overs to stage a decent fightback.File photo: Richard Ngarava is now Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is•AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena

Left-arm spinner Linde makes his caseIt is always going to be difficult for Linde to get past Keshav Maharaj in the South Africa side. But if they ever consider twin left-arm spin, Linde has done his bit to be the other half. Against Zimbabwe on Monday, Linde was brought on immediately after the powerplay, and bowled a tight first over. He then had Bennet out in his second over, and was tasked with the last over. where he took two wickets in two balls.Tashinga Musekiwa tried to force Linde over mid-off but was caught, before Tony Muyonga was caught off a low full toss. Linde almost had a hat-trick, before finishing with figures three wickets. However, there will be questions over why he did not bowl his full quota of overs.Ngarava roars backRichard Ngarava hurt his back during Zimbabwe’s Test in England, and missed the Tests against South Africa. But he showed why he is so crucial to Zimbabwe’s side with an explosive opening spell. Ngarava’s first legitimate ball stuck in the turf, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius toe-ended it back to him for a simple return catch.In his next over, a similar delivery took Reeza Hendricks’ inside edge as he drove loosely, and went on to rock middle stump. South Africa were 17 for 2 in the third over, and Ngarava had given Zimbabwe a solid chance. With Hendricks’ wicket, Ngarava went past Raza as Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 82 to his name. Ngarava returned to bowl the 15th over, and added to the tally by getting rid of Hermann with a delivery that kept low and skidded on to take out off stump.Hermann’s hat-trick of fours, and Brevis goes bigHermann announced himself by scoring his first international runs with a six when he stepped inside the line to send Ngarava over fine leg. He very nearly didn’t add to his score when he popped Blessing Muzarabani to cover point, but the ball fell safe. Then Hermann took control of the chase when he thumped back-to-back-to-back fours off Wellington Masakadza to bring the required run rate down to under seven an over.Hermann played the sweep, and showed his power-hitting and ability to use his feet in the three fours he struck. Not to be outdone, Brevis, who only had five runs in his previous two T20Is, then went one better. Two overs after Hermann’s blitz, Brevis sent Burl down the ground three times for a hat-trick of sixes. Burl was guilty of going too short, and Brevis was happy to make room and swing away. He took 24 runs off Burl’s opening over, which cost 25, and effectively ended the contest.South Africa were 103 for 3 after 11 overs, and needed 39 runs from the next nine overs to win. Eventually, they got those runs in less than five overs.

Wales and Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow hopes to end his Wembley heartache against England – the country he once wanted to represent.

The Leeds stopper has twice been denied playing under the Wembley arch by red tape, at Newport in 2012 and in the 2023 Carabao Cup final for Newcastle.

Darlow was on loan from Nottingham Forest when he missed out on Newport’s FA Trophy final against York. The Exiles had failed to sign the then 21-year-old before the international clearance deadline and subsequently lost an appeal, claiming a paperwork delay was not their fault.

Over a decade later, Newcastle were unable to recall Darlow from a loan spell at Hull after Nick Pope had been ruled out of a Wembley date against Manchester United.

“I’ve been slightly unfortunate and it would be nice to finally tick it (Wembley) off the list.” Darlow said ahead of Wales’ friendly with England on Thursday.

“The Newport one was on the morning of the final. They were still waiting on confirmation and the manager Justin Edinburgh was optimistic it was going to be done.

“In the end I wasn’t even allowed to be part of the matchday squad and I watched the game in the stands. I’m 35 on Wednesday, so it’s been a long time coming.

“It’s one of the biggest and the best stadiums in the world. As a footballer you want to be playing in the biggest stadiums and testing yourself on that level.”

Darlow’s grandfather Ken Leek was a member of the 1958 Wales World Cup squad that reached the quarter-finals of the competition.

Darlow once wanted to represent England over Wales

But Darlow was born in Northampton and grew up with aspirations to represent England, saying in a previous interview there “would be no bigger achievement”.

Having rejected previous attempts from Wales managers to get him on board, Craig Bellamy persuaded him to join up last year and he has since established himself as the number one goalkeeper and won eight caps.

Darlow enters the international break – Wales also play a crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff on Monday – having started Leeds’ last four Premier League games.

He has taken over the gloves from the injured Lucas Perri and been in fine form, with one of his stops at Fulham nominated for September’s Premier League Save of the Month award.

“If you’re drip-fed a game here and a game there, it’s tough,” said Darlow.

“You like to get into a rhythm of playing week in, week out and knowing you can prepare properly for each and every single game

“It’s a massive plus that I’ve had a run of games now.”

It really didn't look too hard for Shohei Ohtani on Saturday night, who went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in in the first game of the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first-ever MLB postseason game for Ohtani. The Dodgers won, 7-5, on their home field.

Ohtani, of course, has not played for a team that has qualified for the postseason to this point, despite winning two MVP awards with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.

After the game, Ohtani shared what he views as the "most difficult" part of a first postseason game while speaking about his fellow teammate's troubles.

Asked about Yoshinobu Yamamoto's struggles on the mound, Ohtani explained, "It's really hard to play loose in the first game of a playoff series. I'm sure Yoshinobu wasn't satisfied with his outing today."

In addition to it being the first game of the series, the Dodgers were coming off of five days' rest since they clinched a first-round bye in the National League.

While it's the first MLB playoff game for Ohtani, he did play deep in the postseason during his time in the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

If the Atlanta Braves make the playoffs this season, they will head into October baseball without star third baseman Austin Riley.

Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters that a CT scan of Riley's broken hand on Monday concluded that it won't heal fast enough to allow him to contribute in the postseason.

Riley suffered the injury by getting hit by a pitch in the Braves' 3–1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 18. He was placed on the 15-day injured list the following day and initially hoped to be back for the Braves' playoff run.

Riley, a two-time All-Star, batted .256/.322/.461 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs in 110 games this season.

Entering Tuesday's slate of games, Atlanta (85–71) sits 1.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks (87–70) for the third and final National League wild-card spot. The Braves are set to begin a three-game series Tuesday at Truist Park against the New York Mets, who are two games ahead of Atlanta in the wild-card race.

The Braves have made the playoffs in six straight seasons dating back to 2018, winning the NL East crown each year. The Philadelphia Phillies officially put an end to the Braves' divisional reign by clinching the NL East title on Monday night.

Liverpool have not been very good this season. Viewed through the prism of extensive summer spending – more, in fact, than any other club in a single summer transfer window – some of the criticism concerning Arne Slot’s side has been justified.

But some of it has been blown out of proportion. The Reds are a team in transition, and while six defeats from seven matches in all competitions were inexcusable, the response to put Aston Villa and then Real Madrid away in the space of four days underscores the quality rippling through this team.

One of the Premier League champions’ biggest problems this year has been a lack of physicality and control in the engine room. And so, against Los Blancos on Tuesday evening, Slot reverted to type.

How Liverpool won the midfield battle vs Real Madrid

In short, Liverpool played like they wanted it more. Gone was the lethargy and limpness of recent months, and Slot grinned as he watched his outfit rekindle that irresistible quality of last year.

Real Madrid might have won 55% of the duels on the evening, but Liverpool’s midfielders were economical in their performances, far more reliable and robust than we have been forced to watch for much of the campaign.

Dominik Szoboszlai was as brilliant as ever in the ten role, unplayable at times and unquestionably in the form of his Liverpool career. Moreover, Ryan Gravenberch instilled calm in an assured showing as the anchor. It is no coincidence that Liverpool’s return to form comes after last season’s midfield have been moulded back together.

After all, it was Alexis Mac Allister who bagged himself a goal after Szoboszlai’s whipped delivery, showcasing the direct danger this midfield can pose against opponents, marrying that with slick passing and crisp defending.

A header from a midfielder against a Spanish giant on a big European night. It was reminiscent of Gini Wijnaldum against Barcelona.

However, there was another man on the field to show Slot that he could be his version of the iconic Dutchman, with a statement showing in a red shirt.

Slot's own Gini Wijnaldum

Liverpool were deserving victors against Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Wirtz played a crucial part in claiming three points, hailed post-match by Szoboszlai, who said, “What a game! He just kept on running.”

Wirtz has flattered to deceive since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, but he looks to be turning a corner, settling into the rigours of football in Slot’s Anfield side.

Despite still searching for that elusive first goal in a Liverpool shirt, the German international oozed class of a different kind against Xabi Alonso’s side, and marrying that with a remarkable physical shift, he has set the foundation for an upswing in performances over the next months.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid: Most Distance Covered

Player

Minutes played

Distance covered

Florian Wirtz

88′

11.37km

Dominik Szoboszlai

90′

10.61km

Aurelien Tchouameni

90′

10.51km

Jude Bellingham

90′

10.50km

Hugo Ekitike

79′

9.87km

Data via DaveOCKOP

Hailed as being “something special” by writer Eddie Gibbs, the 22-year-old glittered against the most dominant and destructive European side around, and it’s curious that he has shuffled into a wider berth than the number ten role assigned to him for much of the season so far.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger offered an interesting take on the situation. The 76-year-old suggested that the inculcation of Wirtz into the midfield had been to the detriment of Liverpool’s overall fluency.

But, shaped into a more unnatural role on the left, Wirtz’s energy and incredible work ethic played into Liverpool’s victory.

In this way, he could become Slot’s own version of Wijnaldum, who would not have envisaged a permanent remould into an industrious, box-to-box midfielder at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s team when joining the Reds from Newcastle United in 2016.

And yet Wijnaldum became one of the staples of Liverpool’s incredible successes, featuring 237 times for the club but only posting 22 goals and 16 assists across all competitions.

Wirtz will still hope to provide a prolific dimension at Liverpool over the years of his stay, but it might be that his adaptation to this new land requires something of a shift akin to Wijnaldum’s way back when.

And with such indefatigable performances as the one earlier this week, it’s surely only a matter of time until he announces himself as a superstar.

Related Arne Slot has just unlocked Liverpool's new Coutinho vs Real Madrid

Liverpool may have unearthed their next Philippe Coutinho after getting the better of Real Madrid 1-0.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 5, 2025

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are riding high at the top of the Premier League table, and supporters have been told one player doesn’t get the praise he deserves.

Arsenal's set-piece kings on course to win the Premier League

Their explosive start has not just positioned them as Premier League title favourites, but also as the current kings of set pieces — a deadly weapon that’s wreaking havoc on opposition sides domestically and in Europe.

Arsenal have scored more goals from dead-ball situations than any other top-flight side so far (11), with star defender Gabriel at the heart of it with four contributions to those strikes as the Gunners make their best weapon known.

Corners, free kicks and even throw-ins have become golden scoring opportunities, as Arsenal turn these situations into major results with surgical precision.

Their aerial strength, combined with clever routines, has made them a nightmare for defenders who can’t afford to lose focus for even a moment.

However, at the heart of Arsenal’s success is their impenetrable defence which has conceded the joint-fewest goals, not only in the Premier League, but across Europe’s top leagues (3), with Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma also conceding just three.

The arrival of no-nonsense new backroom coach Gabriel Heinze is viewed as a real contributor to Arsenal’s increasingly water-tight backline, which has somehow become even more solid, despite already leaking the fewest league goals of any Premier League side in each of the last two seasons.

David Raya is in line for this third-successive Golden Glove award, and only a complete disaster in terms of injuries to key defenders would disrupt Arteta’s side right now.

That being said, even when William Saliba was briefly forced out of the side through injury, Cristhian Mosquera performed exceptionally well next to Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, and fellow summer signing Piero Hincapie is also on hand to step in.

Given their imperiousness at the back, Viktor Gyokeres has been somewhat overshadowed.

The Swede, who was brought in to take the mantle of Arsenal’s new prolific number nine, got off to a flying start but went seven games without a goal before his much-needed brace against Atlético Madrid last week.

Gyokeres has attracted some criticism for his fairly underwhelming return so far, but journalist Graeme Bailey insists that he’s actually a pretty underrated new member of the team.

Viktor Gyokeres adds extra element to Arsenal that people don't see

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey says that Gyokeres brings an “extra element” to Arsenal that “people don’t really see”.

Interestingly, this thought is echoed by Arteta, who says that Gyokeres makes Arsenal a much more “unpredictable” side.

His in-game play is there for all to see, and the former Sporting CP star has already proved a handful for defenders since his blockbuster summer switch.

Now, Gyokeres just needs to add more goals, then the critics will soon be silenced.