Ipswich Town couldn’t get the better of a topsy turvy Manchester United side on their own patch on Wednesday night, despite the Red Devils finding themselves down to ten men for all of the second half owing to a Patrick Dorgu dismissal.

The Tractor Boys did put in an admirable fight, but even Ruben Amorim’s up-and-down hosts had enough to get by in the end, clinching a 3-2 Premier League win early in the second half courtesy of Harry Maguire.

Whilst there were plenty of positives to hold onto, especially with Jaden Philogene-Bidace picking up a brace, his partner on the opposing left flank in Jack Clarke attempted to flicker into life throughout, but no end product came the ex-Sunderland man’s way again.

Clarke's frustrating season

Clarke would have been seen as one of Ipswich’s statement signings when making the leap up to the Premier League, having cost around the £15m mark to obtain from the Black Cats after a 15-goal season last time out in the Championship.

However, to date in the top-flight, the 24-year-old has zero strikes to shout about from 22 matches, with a lacklustre return of three assists nothing to write home about either.

He did have moments against a ropey Red Devils defence with two key passes accumulated, but Clarke was nowhere near his chaotic Wearside best again, having completed zero successful dribbles all night long on top of failing to hit a single effort at Andre Onana’s leaky goal.

It could be time for Kieran McKenna to axe his hot-and-cold number 47 subsequently, with the welcome return of this explosive attacker just what the doctor ordered in Suffolk.

Clarke's "ridiculous" Ipswich replacement

Ipswich have quite the growing injury list at the moment as the likes of Julio Enciso, Wes Burns and more all find themselves sidelined.

Thankfully for McKenna, Sammie Szmodics looks to be near full fitness again after missing a large chunk of games in January, with Clarke now worried he’ll be usurped by the ex-Blackburn Rovers attacker down the left wing.

Unlike his hit-and-miss counterpart, Szmodics has also been able to translate some of his “ridiculous” goalscoring form in the second tier – as he was labelled by football journalist Josh Bunting – to the bright lights of the big time, with this acrobatic effort back in November one of four top-flight strikes he’s amassed.

He hasn’t quite hit the dizzying heights of last season where he picked up the Championship Golden Boot accolade, but Liam Delap is the only figure in the Ipswich camp this term that has more league goals at ten, meaning McKenna will hope he can add to his tally soon to push his side out of their depressing relegation doom.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Clarke

Szmodics

Games played

22

19

Goals scored

0

4

Assists

3

0

Touches*

19.1

17.7

Shots*

0.5

1.1

Big chances missed

2

5

Big chances created

3

0

The above table further proves how much of a livewire the former Riversiders forward has been this season, with only 17.7 touches averaged per league clash, but four strikes have still come his way.

McKenna will hope the Republic of Ireland international can catch Crystal Palace cold next up in the league if he’s selected to start, having bagged a goal last time out on his travels to London when beating Bernd Leno away at Craven Cottage.

He could strike up a fine partnership with Philogene too, as his manager attempts everything in his power now to make his side even more daring at the foot of the division to try and collect some invaluable points.

As bad as Morsy: 5/10 star just had one of his worst displays for Ipswich

Ipswich Town fell to another defeat in the Premier League away at ten man Manchester United.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 27, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O meio-campista Fernando Henrique não teve a sua negociação por empréstimo do Grêmio para o Cruzeiro concluída em caráter oficial. Porém, na coletiva após o empate sem gols diante do Bahia, no último domingo (3), o técnico Roger Machado já falou sobre a questão de maneira definitiva.

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Na avaliação do técnico do Imortal, o fato do elenco ter diversas alternativas paraa faixa de campo ocupada por Fernando acaba dificultando com que ele tenha mais minutos. Algo que, em sua visão, pode ser potencializado na equipe de Belo Horizonte.

-Quando cheguei aqui, havia muitos jogadores para a posição. O treinador acaba optando por jogadores que possam adicionar melhor. O empréstimo de jogadores novos é para rodagem, porque o Fernando tem 21 anos e o jogador evolui jogando.

Roger Machado entende que a questão não se refere especificamente a atletas mais jovens que “ascenderam” mais rapidamente. Apontando, inclusive, a quantidade de jogadores formados na base que terminaram a partida em Salvador:

– Se tem condições de ter espaço naquele momento, a gente percebe que o atleta precisa desta maturidade jogando, treino é muito bom, mas jogo é muito mais. O Sarará (volante do Grêmio) nesta fila acendeu antes do Fernando. Para mim, é um processo natural. Hoje, acabamos com sete jogadores da base. O Fernando, para mim, precisa evoluir jogando.

South Africa captain feels his attack managed to open up “old scars” by roughing up Australia’s top order despite a tiny target to work with

Firdose Moonda18-Dec-2022Despite losing the Gabba Test in two days, Dean Elgar is confident South Africa still managed to fire a warning shot against Australia with their strong pace pack.South Africa’s four quicks took 14 Australian wickets in the match, including four in the successful second-innings chase of 34. Had South Africa scored “another 60 runs”, Elgar said, they might have been able to claim the unlikeliest of victories. Still, Elgar believes they’ve shown the Australian line-up what they are made of.”It was to try and open some old scars, to bring in our intensity and maybe get them three or four down so those batters go to Melbourne with maybe less confidence,” Elgar said. “It worked out nicely. The result aside, it was one of the game plans that worked out for us over the last two days. I can’t say there were many.”Related

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South Africa put their best and their worst on show at Gabba

In particular, the short-ball strategy worked for Kagiso Rabada, who has snapped out of his T20 funk (he was South Africa’s least successful bowler at the T20 World Cup) and got into his role as Test spearhead. He finished the Brisbane Test with eight wickets and is now the leading bowler in Test cricket in 2022, with 45 wickets at 20.04, two ahead of Nathan Lyon.”It gives us confidence,” Elgar said. “He is a massive figure for us, not just in our bowling group but in our 16-man squad. When he puts his hand up like that it’s difficult not to follow.”Among Rabada’s victims was David Warner, whom he removed for a golden duck in the first innings and for 3 in the second. Warner is the only batter Rabada dismissed twice in the match and he has now got rid of him six times in seven Tests. Rabada targeting Warner appeared to be a well-planned tactic to take advantage of a player in a slump. Since his last Test fifty against Pakistan in Lahore, Warner has scored 169 runs in 10 Test innings, and his average in 2022 of 20.61 is the lowest for a calendar year in his Test career.But Elgar said South Africa were not specifically going after him alone. “It’s not just him. It’s all of them. We are always trying to find another way to have an edge over your opposition. If this was a way of getting into their minds further, brilliant. I know a guy like KG is the most feared bowler we have here, purely because of his reputation and record. If he has got that confidence running into the next Test, it’s brilliant for us.”Elgar noted how the rest of the attack respond when Rabada is at his best. “What you find is that really got [Anrich] Nortje fired up as well and he was starting to crank it up even more,” he said. “Hopefully that can inspire our batting unit to get their heads right and to knuckle down and get some performance under their belt for us.”

“I can’t see us hitting more balls and becoming better cricketers. We have played enough cricket in our personal careers and guys know their games really well, so hitting another 100 or 200 balls is not going to make you a better cricketer.”Dean Elgar

Well documented as South Africa’s weaker suit, their line-up slumped to a new low in Brisbane. They were dismissed for under 200 in both innings to make 2022 the year in which they’ve racked up their most sub-200 scores: eight times. They’ve had a lean World Test Championship run, with only two centuries in the campaign, the least among the competing teams, and they appear to lack both confidence and the ability to apply themselves. Still, Elgar defended their latest blowouts.”The guys in the change-room have played enough cricket to know this was one of those instances where we need to be honest and real about what’s just happened,” he said. “It’s not like our guys were throwing wickets away. We were getting absolutely jaffered out and they bowled properly,” he said. “That’s the way I will be approaching that. Coming into this game, our batters were confident. We prepared well and we played the warm-up game. It’s not like the confidence was low.”With a week between games, Elgar won’t be demanding any extra nets or time with the analyst. “I can’t see us hitting more balls and becoming better cricketers. We have played enough cricket in our personal careers and guys know their games really well, so hitting another 100 or 200 balls is not going to make you a better cricketer,” he said. “I speak from a personal point of view. It’s just one of those games where you failed. I am still confident going into the next one. We will definitely break it down and have chats. I would rather see the guys not do anything until we get to Melbourne. That’s just me.”He also hopes they don’t get too wrapped up in their own heads and enjoy the occasion of being in Australia over the festive season, which no South African team has done since 2008. “Guys need to tap into their mental spaces, which can be the biggest enemy, because you can really withdraw yourself instead of dealing with what’s happened and facing it,” he said.Asked if South Africa would consider changes to their XI, including an extra batter, Elgar said “all options are on the table” but repeated his preference for a six-five split, to accommodate the specialist spinner. “The option of seven-four was a talking point but I like having a specialist spinner. We didn’t even get to day three let alone four or five where the wickets are going to spin so Kesh’s [Keshav Maharaj] role was nullified by the game being over in two days,” he said. “I am still very much a captain who wants a spinner because he gives us a lot of control and allows our seamers to have a break where we can rotate them from one end but all options are open going into the next one.”Elgar confirmed that if South Africa were to include an extra batter, “Theunis de Bruyn is the next batter in”.

Wayne Rooney has joked that Cristiano Ronaldo will be “fuming” after being mistaken for ex-Manchester United team-mate Carlos Tevez.

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• Pair spent five years together at Old Trafford
• War of words exchanged since then
• Rooney able to laugh off case of mistaken identity

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rooney, the Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer, spent five years working alongside CR7 at Old Trafford. They won the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup together, while famously clashing in a red card winking incident at the 2006 World Cup.

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  They have not always seen eye to eye since heading in different directions, with Rooney critical of Ronaldo’s second spell with United that started in 2021. He said of the Portuguese superstar: “The things he has done from the start of season, it is not acceptable for Manchester United.”

  Ronaldo bit back during an interview with Piers Morgan, saying: “I don’t know why he criticises me so badly… probably because he finished his career and I’m still playing at a high level. I’m not going to say that I’m looking better than him. Which is true…”

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• WHAT WAYNE ROONEY SAID

  Rooney has now risked incurring Ronaldo’s wrath again while shooting a video for in which he had to try and guess the identity of former colleagues from their hair cut alone. He was able to pick out Marouane Fellaini, David de Gea, Nani and David Beckham, while also getting Paul Pogba after initially going for Wilfried Zaha.

  When it came to Ronaldo, Rooney plumped for Argentine striker Tevez with his first guess. The ex-England captain said after eventually settling on five-time Ballon d’Or winner CR7: “He’ll be fuming with that.”

A week’s holiday in Dubai gives batter chance to clear his mind after Test series in NZ

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2023Ben Duckett says that he is committed to taking every available opportunity to represent England across all three formats, after crediting the laissez-faire attitude of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in the Test team for his successful return to international cricket this winter.By his own admission, Duckett, now 28, “probably wasn’t ready for international cricket” back in 2016-17, when he made his Test and ODI debuts on England’s tours of Bangladesh and India. Seven years later, however, he’s so relaxed about the experience, he was even able to prepare for last week’s return to the white-ball set-up by spending a couple of days “on a sun lounger” in Dubai.That brief stint of R&R came as the Test squad disbanded after their thrilling one-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington, which was also Duckett’s first defeat in five appearances since his recall for the Pakistan tour in December. In that time he has averaged an impressive 56.44 at the top of the order, and was enthusiastic about carrying that same mindset into this week’s first T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram.”It’s ridiculously different,” Duckett said of his experience in the Test set-up. “The way that they make everyone feel is something that I never thought would be the case in Test cricket. It’s almost like you’re playing a friendly, you’re actually going out and playing a Test match and it’s that relaxed, and that’s how you’re going to get players to perform at their best.”The first thing Baz said to me in Pakistan was: ‘Just enjoy it, you’re going to get a good run’. To hear that as an opening batsman before your first Test back makes you not nervous and you can go out there and play your way rather than looking for a score.”And I think the big thing in that dressing-room is – whatever the noise is outside that dressing room, no one cares. It’s everything in that dressing room and almost you’ve got that backing, it feels like there’s a squad of players now that seems like they’re going to keep for a little while, especially while things are going well. Previously, you’re fearing for every single game, if you get no runs, you might get dropped the next game.”Duckett took a similarly phlegmatic attitude to his innings of 20 from 13 balls in England’s six-wicket loss in the first T20I. “I tried to stick to my strengths. It went all right and then I missed one,” he said.”The one thing I’ve been lucky with is, because of how I play, it doesn’t really change throughout the formats. You see these guys who are whacking the ball out of the ground and then they’ve got to go and play Test cricket and it’s a massive difference, where my mentality in all three formats is to see ball, hit ball. And now against spin, sweeping it both ways in all formats – and I’ve got the full backing from all of the squads.”I’ve matured as a cricketer,” he added. “It’s realising what works for me, understanding what my strengths are. Seven years ago I might have tried to hit Shakib [Al Hasan] for six over long-on, now I know all I have to do is hit the ball in front of square leg and it’s four runs. The small taste I had back then, I was very young and probably wasn’t ready. I think that comes with age and most batters are at their best when they get to the age of 28, 29.”Related

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Duckett is one of only four England players to have featured in all three formats this winter, and it’s been quite the round-the-world trip – encompassing campaigns in Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and now Bangladesh – which is all the more reason why he had no qualms about dropping everything for a week and lying low with his girlfriend in the UAE between red- and white-ball campaigns, rather than fretting about the challenge of switching formats.His long wait for a second chance with England was also a key factor in his decision to opt out of the big-money opportunities on the franchise circuit this winter – including the on-going Pakistan Super League, which caused a number of England’s players, including Alex Hales, to withdraw their availability for the Bangladesh series.”I spoke to someone a month ago about people resting and pulling out of stuff,” he said. “For me, the focus is on the chance to play all three formats for England. And that’s going to be my focus for as long as I’m in the squad.”Don’t get me wrong, if I’ve got a month next winter and I get offered a lot of money, I’m probably going to go and play in it, as most of us would. But you can play all these leagues around the world in a few years’ time, right now I’m solely focused on playing as much for England as I can. That break I had was potentially a good thing for me, and it’s made me so hungry now to take every single chance I get.”

Despite dim prospects for an Afghanistan women’s team being formed so long as the Taliban remain in power, Afghanistan’s status as an ICC Full Member is unlikely to be affected.The matter is set for wider discussion at the next ICC board meetings in Dubai in March, when the ICC’s working group on Afghanistan will provide an update on progress in the country. ESPNcricinfo understands that the group, headed by the ICC’s deputy chair Imran Khwaja, will push for not penalising Afghanistan’s status and shed greater light on the difficulties the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) faces in pushing to develop the women’s game.Khwaja has met with ACB officials and government representatives in Doha twice in recent months, to get a clearer handle on the broader situation for cricket since the Taliban took over, as well as how women can be helped to play cricket. Those meetings are believed to have been “productive”, according to one official who attended.Related

• Human rights question hangs over success story of Afghanistan's men

• ICC board meeting set to discuss India-Pakistan situation and the Afghanistan question

• Pakistan not withdrawing from series against Afghanistan

• CA withdraws from scheduled ODIs against Afghanistan in March

• Afghanistan Cricket Board urges patience with women's initiatives

At the second meeting, in February, the ACB assured the ICC’s working group that the board remains supportive of women’s cricket, but the political reality meant that an overt push for it could still prove dangerous for those involved.”Afghanistan is a delicate situation,” Ross McCollum, an ICC board member (Ireland) and member of the working group, told ESPNcricinfo. “The guys from ACB do want to see things happen with women’s cricket. But it’s not down to them, it’s down to the people in charge.”Forcing women to play cricket could lead to serious repercussions. We have to tread carefully, it will be a slow process.In December the Taliban banned secondary and higher education for females through the country, the latest manifestation of their repressive policies against women. The ICC working group was told, however, that there are differences in opinion within the Taliban about the role of women in society and that there exist exemptions which allow women to work in the medical sectors. That has not yet come through for any sports.Even before the Taliban takeover, little progress had been made on women’s cricket in the country. In October 2020, the ACB had held a national team trial camp and announced their intention to award 25 central contracts for women. Cultural sensitivities, officials pointed out at the time, were such that quicker, deeper progress was proving difficult and Afghanistan had been a Full Member for three years then.The working group has been told that the Taliban are not interfering otherwise in the running of the ACB. The government has apparently provided some funding to a board that had been hit hard after the Taliban took over, as international sanctions made it difficult to send money into the country.Changes to status for Full Members, in any case, are rare and none other than Zimbabwe have ever been suspended or had membership downgraded. But the fact that Afghanistan continues to be the only Full Member without a women’s team, or even a set-up in place – otherwise part of the ICC’s membership criteria – has been persistently highlighted in recent months.Australia cancelled an ODI series against Afghanistan in response to the education ban imposed on females•IDI via Getty Images

They were the only member to not have a presence at the pathbreaking U19 T20 Women’s World Cup in January and then at the T20 Women’s World Cup right after. That point was not lost on the ICC CEO, Geoff Allardice, who said ahead of the U19 tournament that it was concerning no progress had been made on the matter.FICA, the global players’ body, has also called the ban on women’s sport a “significant blow” and pointed out that Afghanistan is “in breach” of its Full Member requirements. But it did not call for a ban on Afghanistan, instead calling on the ICC to “embed its human rights responsibilities as a business in its governance and regulatory frameworks.”A number of Afghan women cricketers have also been very clear in calling for the ICC to play a more proactive role. According to ABC Radio’s , 22 of the 25 cricketers who were part of that original pool have left the country and resettled in Australia. Speaking on the show in January, several of the players asked why the ICC had not been in touch to offer support since they fled.”If we have the support of the ACB, the ICC, the people of Afghanistan and other countries that play cricket, then it is possible for us to keep playing,” one of the players, Firooza Afghan said on the show.”In Australia we have a lot of support – lots of equipment and facilities. But my question is, women have been playing cricket in Afghanistan since 2010 … why did the ICC not send anyone to check on us?”The players wrote to the ICC a couple of months ago, asking for ways in which the global body could help the women form a team. The ICC pointed out that constitutionally any such help would have to go through the member – the ACB – but intend to keep the dialogue open with the cricketers.And considerable thought has been given to the matter within ICC management as it stands, including the idea of funding a women’s team outside of Afghanistan, and one that runs outside of ACB approval. That only represents initial exploratory thinking on the subject and actioning it would require buy-in from the ICC board.On that platform, support and understanding for the ACB remains. At a recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting, members reiterated their support. Pakistan, in fact, have agreed to play a three-match T20I series with Afghanistan, to fill the hole left by Australia’s cancellation of an ODI series.Cricket Australia is the only board to have publicly acted in response to the Taliban’s policies. They first postponed a one-off Test they were to host Afghanistan in – the first the two countries would have played – and more recently cancelled the ODI series, in response to the education ban imposed on females.Most other ICC Full Members have remained silent on the matter so far, though the majority still see the rise of Afghanistan’s men’s team as a fairytale that should be allowed to continue and grow, rather than be curtailed.”It needs to be discussed seriously (at board level),” McCollum said. “Each Full Member will have their own interpretation. I don’t think it’s a straightforward decision because it’s complex and there are ramifications.”

Chelsea have been something of a mixed bag this season, entering title-chasing conversations (which Enzo Maresca played down) before the festive period but since hitting a choppy patch emblematic of a young outfit finding its feet.

Still, there’s much to be excited about, with Cole Palmer and the frontline promising exciting football for many years to come. It’s a depleted frontline right now though, with Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both sidelined for the foreseeable future.

It means that other wide forwards will need to step up over the forthcoming period, with the fourth-place Blues’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League on a knife edge. A host of rivals press against the top four.

Palmer can’t do it alone, and one star who will certainly need to recapture their finest form is Jadon Sancho.

Why Chelsea signed Jadon Sancho

Principally, Chelsea added to their loaded flanks with the signing of Sancho because the financial conditions were too arresting to ignore.

After joining Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £73m in 2021, Sancho quickly fell by the wayside and needed a way out.

He’s got bags of quality, thrashing down the flank with the easy and quick gait of a natural-born footballer. Indeed, Sancho ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League this year for progressive carries (5.34) and the top 8% for successful take-ons (2.83) per 90, as per FBref, so he’s hardly motionless, absent, when on the wing.

But Sancho, 23, is also inconsistent, with Fabrizio Romano even noting that the England winger has not been “performing like he was at the start of the season” over the past few weeks.

Chelsea bowed out of the FA Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend (they have a chance to exact revenge this evening) and Sancho was among the biggest no-showers, failing with all three dribble attempts and losing each of his seven duels, as per Sofascore.

The finances might have been tidy, but Chelsea might have blundered in getting rid of a homegrown prospect and then welcoming Sancho to the fold.

Chelsea have already sold a bigger talent than Sancho

Cobham chiefs always knew that they had a top talent on their hands in Omari Hutchinson, but his pathway to the first team was filled with roadblocks, and when Ipswich Town offered a £20m package to Chelsea last summer after he spent the previous term on loan at Portman Road in the Championship, it felt like a no-brainer.

Where Are They Now

He’s been an important part of the Tractor Boys’ fight to avoid the pull of relegation, starting 22 Premier League matches and impressing with his underlying numbers, notably averaging 1.5 dribbles and 4.5 duels per game, as per Sofascore.

Sancho is one of the most expensive English footballers in history, but talent isn’t necessarily quantifiable through transfer fees. Look at another young winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi, who Chelsea sold to Nottingham Forest for just £5m in 2023. He’s found his footing.

Hutchinson didn’t come cheap for Ipswich though, and has showcased his talents under Kieran McKenna, repaying the manager’s faith with two important Premier League goals – in a draw against Manchester United and, of course, Ipswich’s dramatic December win over Maresca’s Chelsea.

The 21-year-old’s silky dribbling and tenacious attitude suggest that he has a big future ahead of him. He’s only missed one big chance in the Premier League this term, averaging 1.3 shots per fixture, so hasn’t been profligate in front of goal, just part of Town’s troubles to impose their collective might on opponents.

And it’s tough, moving to England’s top division and looking to impress. Sancho knows this. The difference, however, is that the Three Lions international has played his Premier League career with Manchester United and Chelsea, two of Europe’s foremost outfits.

Sure, both have struggled in recent years, but Sancho has been outshone by fellow forwards and lacks the clinical edge (both through goalscoring and creating slants) that truly speaks of his quality as a “generational talent,” as he has been called in the past by scout Jacek Kulig.

Game recognises game. In fact, the late and legendary footballer Pele even praised Hutchinson in the past, with the youngster – who has been dubbed a “beautiful player” by journalist Josh Bunting – catching the eye at a Futsal tournament the Brazil hero was attending.

Hutchinson looks back fondly at the cardinal moment in his development: “It was a crazy experience. He was at Brentford training ground and we were playing a tournament, and at the end of it, they told one player from each team to do some skills.

“I didn’t really want to go up, but everyone just sort of pushed me up. So I did my skills, and then we took a group photo with him, and he said I could rest on his knee.”

Hutchinson’s background in Futsal, a more contained five-a-side version of football played on a hardcourt, like basketball, has no doubt influenced his dribbling ability, with fleet-footedness a major advantage due to the cramped nature of the game.

We’ve already touched on Hutchinson’s metrics this term, but when they are collated against Sancho’s, you truly start to see the bigger picture – and why Chelsea made a mistake in casting out one of their own. Again.

There’s a lot to unpack in that table, but it’s interesting that Hutchinson is able to hit the same ballpark as Sancho across many different metrics, creating the same number of big chances, out-duelling him and matching him for dribbling.

Sancho is only a loanee at the moment, but Todd Boehly’s negotiations with United have seen a buy option worth around £25m instated, active through certain clauses.

Sancho is a talented winger and is capable of playing an important role for Chelsea, but you have to wonder whether the whole ordeal was really worth it. The £150k-per-week star is in danger of being outstripped by Hutchinson over the coming campaigns.

After Jackson injury: Chelsea must rue selling "outstanding" star for £3m

Chelsea must rue sale of “outstanding” ace even more after Jackson’s latest injury

By
Connor Holden

Feb 13, 2025

كشف مصدر بـ النادي الأهلي رحيل أحد لاعبي فريق كرة السلة عن صفوف القلعة الحمراء للاحتراف في الدوري القطري.

وكان الأهلي قد توج بلقب دوري السوبر، على حساب الاتحاد السكندري بنتيجة 3/2، في الدور النهائي الذي أقيم بنظام Best Of 5.

طالع | إيهاب أمين: فوز الأهلي بـ دوري سوبر السلة تتويج لموسم شاق.. وأوجستي صاحب الفضل

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “النادي الأهلي يوافق على إعارة مصطفى كيجو لاعب فريق كرة السلة إلى نادي الشمال القطري لمدة موسم”.

وأختتم: “العقد سيكون لمدة موسم على سبيل الإعارة قابل للتجديد موسم آخر”.

وكان مصطفى كيجو قد ظهر بأداء متميز مع الأهلي خلال الموسم الماضي محققًا الفوز في عدة مناسبات واختتمها بتحقيق لقب دوري السوبر.

Arsenal have made huge strides under the guidance of Mikel Arteta in recent years, constantly battling for the Premier League title in each of the last three seasons.

However, on the two previous occasions, it’s been the imperious form of Manchester City that has denied them from ending their two-decade wait for a triumph.

Whilst Pep Guardiola’s side have failed to match the high expectations they’ve set for themselves, Liverpool have taken over as the side to beat at the top, with the Gunners potentially having to settle for second for a third season in a row.

The Spaniard has built a superb side, built of defensive solidity with an attack, which when fully fit, can provide the goods, as demonstrated by their goal tally this season.

One player has been a crucial component of the club over the past few years, now looking to be a bargain after his move to the Emirates a couple of years ago.

Martin Odegaard’s stats for Arsenal

After his successful loan spell in North London during the 2020/21 campaign, Arsenal paid £30m for the services of midfielder Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid.

The Norwegian has cemented his place at the heart of the side, even taking the armband on occasions, highlighting his importance to Arteta over the past few seasons.

Since his permanent move, he’s registered over 150 appearances, often holding the key in terms of creativity within the final third, allowing the likes of Bukayo Saka to thrive alongside him.

However, it’s been a stop-start season for the 26-year-old this time around, with an ankle issue halting his progress for numerous months, undoubtedly contributing to the gap between Arne Slot’s men and the Gunners.

There’s no denying that Arteta’s side are much more of a threat with Odegaard present, but that doesn’t take away the fact that one former player has outperformed the star man in numerous key areas this season.

The former Arsenal player who’s outperformed Odegaard in 24/25

Arsenal’s academy has produced countless talents over the years, with Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly just three examples currently featuring in the first team in North London.

The trio will be hoping to cement themselves in the club’s history, with all the aforementioned trio now cementing themselves as key members of Arteta’s side.

However, they could’ve been joined in the current side by Alex Iwobi had the club not sold him to Everton back in the summer of 2019, ending his long-standing affiliation with his boyhood club.

Whilst they received up to £34m for his services, he’s since moved to Fulham, starring under Marco Silva and demonstrating what the Gunners have missed out on after approving his departure.

The Nigerian has been crucial for the Cottagers in recent years, taking his game to the next level during the current campaign, outperforming Odegaard in various key areas for an attacking-minded player.

Iwobi, who’s previously been dubbed “phenomenal” by boxer Tony Bellew, has registered more goal contributions than the Norwegian, whilst also registering more shots on target – showcasing his clinical edge.

Games played

24

16

Goals & assists

10

5

Progressive carries

4.5

2.8

Carries into final third

3.5

2.7

Shot-on-target accuracy

47%

30%

Take-ons completed

1.6

1.1

Take-on success

53%

47%

He’s also completed more dribbles whilst averaging more progressive carries per 90, highlighting the threat he carries with the ball at his feet.

Given the current injury crisis within the final third at the Emirates, some supporters must wish that they were able to call upon someone like Iwobi to provide the goods in the absence of some key players.

His stats from the ongoing season are evidence of how well he’s progressed in recent years, but unfortunately for them, their loss is now Fulham’s gain, with their London rivals now possessing a player who has arguably been better than Odegaard this campaign.

Arsenal nearly signed "lethal" star for £0, now he's worth more than Saka

Arsenal had the chance to sign one of the very best talents in world football, but failed to secure a deal.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 14, 2025

The Liga Expansión clubs are demanding the return of promotion and relegation next season.

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• Promotion and relegation was eliminated in 2020
• The clubs claim they have received no response from Liga MX authorities
• The last team to be relegated was Jaguares de Chiapas in 2017

• @Atlante
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ten teams from the Liga de Expansión have filed a lawsuit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and Liga MX, demanding the reinstatement of promotion and relegation starting next season.

  According to , the lawsuit was filed by attorney Eduardo Carlezzo and his firm, Carlezzo Advogados, who are representing the dissatisfied clubs. The legal action follows the FMF’s lack of response to two formal requests made on March 24 and April 7, in which the clubs asked for the promotion and relegation system to be reinstated for the 2025–2026 season.

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• @JaibaBrava_TM
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The clubs involved in the lawsuit are: Atlante, Atlético La Paz, Cancún FC, Atlético Morelia, Alebrijes de Oaxaca, Mineros de Zacatecas, Venados de Mérida, Leones Negros of UDG, Jaiba Brava of Tampico Madero, and Cimarrones de Sonora. It's worth noting that Cimarrones did not participate in the most recent tournament due to financial issues, but they still joined the legal action. According to the source, a spokesperson stated that the original plan was for promotion and relegation to return in the 2025–2026 season, not the upcoming one. It was also mentioned that the matter could be discussed at the next owners' assembly, scheduled after the Clausura 2025 final.

  Furthermore, it was emphasized that there is currently no formal commitment from the FMF to reinstate the promotion system, raising concerns among Liga de Expansión clubs. These concerns are heightened by the perception that the federation is dominated by first division clubs, who would benefit from maintaining a system without relegation.

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  WHAT MEXICAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION SAID

  In addition, the Mexican Football Federation itself has stated that, “according to the information published by , it has not received any official notice of legal proceedings against it.” Should it receive formal notification, the FMF has assured it will present its position to the appropriate authorities.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  In 2020, due to the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexican football executives decided to temporarily suspend the promotion and relegation system in Liga MX. This decision was made to support franchise owners in the first division and strengthen Liga Expansión, with the idea that, years later, the system would return with a stronger second division. However, it seemed that this reform would remain permanent.

  This decision mainly affected the teams in the second division. Teams like Atlante, Leones Negros de la UDG, Venados de Mérida, and Atlético Morelia are among those that have expressed their dissatisfaction in recent years with the suspension of promotion and relegation. But, according to Liga MX, these teams do not meet the necessary requirements to be First Division clubs. It's a stance that has been heavily criticized by executives from the mentioned teams, who have even taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).