Bayern Munich could now give Chelsea a real transfer boost as BlueCo set their sights on an “elite” player, according to a new report.

Chelsea secure dramatic late win over Liverpool

On the field, Enzo Maresca watched on as his side bounced right back from their dismal loss at home to Brighton by overcoming Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 last weekend.

Maresca was sent off for his jubilant celebrations after teenage sensation Estevao Willian bagged a vital winner deep into added time, with the Italian sprinting in animated fashion to celebrate alongside his players in the corner.

Moises Caicedo

7.8/10

Marc Cucurella

7.7/10

Estevao

7.7/10

Cody Gakpo

7.5/10

Reece James

7.3/10

via WhoScored

Moises Caicedo also opened the scoring with one of the goals of the season so far, beating Liverpool’s Giorgi Marmadashvilli from long range just 14 minutes into the goalkeeper’s Premier League debut.

It was an evening to remember for the Blues at Stamford Bridge, and one which could highlight that the title race is still wide open as Chelsea look to build upon their deserved three points against Arne Slot’s side.

That being said, according to some reports, Maresca is personally unhappy with his overall squad choices right now and feels that a few key areas need to be reinforced (Simon Phillips) — with Chelsea expected to rectify certain positions in January.

The big one is, of course, at centre-back.

Maresca publicly stated that Chelsea need another body at centre-half in the summer, but despite allegedly holding talks with Dean Huijsen’s camp and considering other names, the Blues didn’t get one over the line.

Now, Chelsea and Maresca are reportedly in agreement that signing a new defender should be prioritised for January, with a goalkeeper also said to be on their agenda.

The West Londoners held negotiations with AC Milan over a deal for France number one Mike Maignan before the Club World Cup, but a major difference in price meant that Chelsea couldn’t find an agreement.

Chelsea are ready to go back in for Maignan and offer him a pre-contract in the winter (Graeme Bailey), as his contract expires at the end of 2025/2026.

However, they face stiff competition.

Bayern could give Chelsea "huge" transfer boost as BlueCo eye Mike Maignan

One of the clubs who are competing for Maignan is Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, but according to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Vincent Kompany’s side could hand them a “huge” boost by pulling out of the race.

This is because Bayern are in talks to hand long-serving keeper Manuel Neuer, who’s now 39-years-old, a 12-month extension that would keep him in Bavaria until 2027.

Chelsea could now face less competition in the race for Maignan as a result, which definitely would come as good news for Maresca.

Doubts have surrounded Robert Sanchez’s capability as Chelsea’s long-term number one, and you can make a case that they could need to upgrade with the addition of a world-class, elite-level keeper who’s capable of taking them to the next level.

Maignan, especially on a free transfer, fits the bill perfectly.

The 30-year-old Rossoneri captain has kept 64 clean sheets in 170 appearances for Milan, conceding just 173 goals in that time, which are solid numbers, and he’s just won France’s 2024/2025 Goalkeeper of the Season award.

A Ligue 1 champion with Lille and Serie A champion with Milan already in his career, Maignan’s top-level experience would also be invaluable to Maresca’s extremely young squad, making his signing an arguable no-brainer.

Everyone loves a winner, as was clear at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport where South Africa returned as World Test Champions on Wednesday morning.The squad were received by the country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, and swathes of people from across South African society. In attendance were groups of children from the KFC’s Mini Cricket programme – the largest grassroots development initiative in the country – students from some of the players’ former schools, such as Aiden Markram’s Pretoria Boys High School, and family members like Wiaan Mulder’s brother.The players signed autographs, received flowers and hugs and strutted around in custom made “champions” t-shirts before making their way to Cricket South Africa’s offices in the north of the city where they were welcomed with a brass band and a red carpet. Almost 96 hours after their five-wicket triumph over Australia in the WTC final, the magnitude of what they have achieved is starting to sink in.”It is quite overwhelming. We haven’t seen people like that at the airport before,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said at a press conference afterwards. “As players, you don’t really realise what you’ve done but when you start to interact with people and see the emotion, it gives you a proper insight into what we’ve done. We are proud as a team but we are even more happy and proud that we’ve made our people proud. If you look at this team and the guys at the helm, we have done it the proper South African way. That’s unique to this group. We have embraced everything that it means to be South African.”With a home grown coach in Shukri Conrad and a largely unheralded group of players, Bavuma’s words spoke to the way the South African team pulled together throughout the cycle and in the final. They had nine different Players of the Match in 2023-25 and 15 different players either scored a century or took a five-for in what has been hailed as a true team effort and a unified showing after years of underperformance. For Bavuma, it showed that there is always a way, not just for sportspeople but for everyone.”What we’ve achieved speaks to all budding cricketers out there, and individuals within South Africa,” he said. “As a team, we’ve got a story. It hasn’t been a simple or easy one. We’ve come through a lot but we managed to get to where we are. So similarly for them (ordinary people) on their quest and journey, for what they want to achieve: as long as they keep having that passion and keep pushing they can also achieve what people think is unachievable.”Temba Bavuma and his men had a rousing homecoming•AFP/Getty Images

For 27 years, South Africa have been without an ICC trophy and in that time regularly slipped at the semi-final hurdle. The 1999 ODI World Cup, where South Africa tied the game but could not advance to the final because Australia finished higher on the Super Six points table, has long been a sore point but the 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup semis and 2024 T20 World Cup final also stung. It’s because of those failures that the WTC win is magnified, as one of South Africa’s greatest sporting achievements. “This is huge for South African cricket,” Enoch Nkwe, Director of National Teams and High Performance said. “This is huge for South African cricket and the impact it will have for generations to come. We’ve taken a lot of punches but we’ve never bent our backs. We stayed strong.”Related

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Nkwe, who was appointed in July 2022, put in place the coaching structure which included Conrad, who in turn appointed Bavuma as captain. Conrad will now also take over the white-ball sides until the end of the ODI World Cup in 2027. There is particular expectation around that tournament, not least because of the history documented above, but also because the event will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Bavuma is also South Africa’s ODI captain and has already spoken of his hope for the event to come.”We want to carry on with the momentum we’ve gained,” he said. “We are quietly optimistic as to what can happen in the white-ball space. We see no reason as to why we can’t emulate what we’ve done here. We are more optimistic than anything. We had a little conversation about it. Shukri’s mind is always ticking. He lets you know that there’s always some sort of work you need to do.”That tournament is more than two years away, in which time there will be an entire WTC cycle and a T20 World Cup. Eyes will be on South Africa for all of them, especially as their next Tests include matches in Pakistan and India and home series against England and Australia in 2026. They believe they’ve laid the foundation to be successful in these contests but no-one can begrudge them celebrating the first world title for a little bit longer, as Bavuma suggested they would.”For now, it’s for us to embrace what we’ve done, to take it all in, understand what led us to this point and live in that moment for a little bit longer,” Bavuma said. “Then, I think the beauty of international cricket is that there’s always something else waiting. Once we get over our emotions, it will be what is the next thing? There’s the Zimbabwe tour, and the start of the new Test cycle. We will be setting our eyes on what we want to achieve over there. There is always something we are working towards. It’s a legacy we want to put together as a team. It’s not done now, but for now it’s for us to enjoy what the moment has brought us.”South Africa will have several fan engagements in the next few days before a two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, which starts on June 28. The series is not part of the WTC.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vindo de uma vitória contra o Corinthians por 2 a 1, o São Paulo tem um novo problema para a próxima rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Contra o Vasco, no sábado (7), Dorival Júnior não contará com três jogadores titulares: Rafinha, Calleri e Beraldo.

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Contra o Corinthians, os três receberam seu terceiro cartão amarelo. Desta forma, terão que cumprir suspensão e não viajarão para o Rio de Janeiro – onde será o palco da partida.

Desta forma, voltam a ficar disponíveis somente contra o Goiás, no dia 18 de outubro. A partida contra o Goiás acontecerá fora de casa, no estádio Hailé Pinheiro.

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Na vaga de Calleri, uma das principais opções para substituir é Juan, tendo em vista que Erison ainda segue no departamento médico, embora esteja treinando com parte do elenco. Beraldo deve dar espaço para Alan Franco. No lugar de Rafinha, Nathan é o favorito, embora Raí Ramos também esteja disponível.

Leeds United endured a frustrating return after the international break, though their defeat to Burnley was marred by an alleged incident involving Hannibal Mejbri.

Leeds lose out against Burnley at Turf Moor

Clashes between newly-promoted sides tend to be combative in nature, and that was certainly the case as Scott Parker’s Clarets saw off the challenge laid before them by Daniel Farke to take all three points at Turf Moor.

Brenden Aaronsen was one of several underperformers on the day for the Whites in what became a forgettable occasion for the visitors despite their vastly superior chances, leaving them three points above the Premier League relegation zone with eight matches played.

After the match, Farke made it clear that his side won the statistical battle on the day and can feel hard done by that they didn’t take something in Lancashire, though conceded that goals win games when all is said and done.

He said: “You can’t have better statistics than we did today in an away game in the Premier League. When Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City travel here even they won’t have better statistics. We won each and every statistic but in football it is also just about goals. They were more effective than us today.”

Nevertheless, Burnley midfielder Hannibal was at the centre of an alleged spitting incident after a complaint was lodged from a supporter in the Leeds United section.

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BBC reporter Adam Pope said on X: “Leeds United are aware of an allegation of spitting by a Burnley player believed to be Hannibal. The authorities are investigating after a complaint was made from a supporter in the Leeds United section at Turf Moor.”

With that in mind and an investigation now launched, further developments have come to light regarding the potential consequences of yesterday’s controversy if he is to be cited.

Hannibal Mejbri could be suspended if found guilty

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, former referee Keith Hackett has said Hannibal could be banned for a minimum of three matches if the allegation of spitting relating is found to be true after the investigation takes place.

Ultimately, nobody wants to see this sort of incident emerge in the aftermath of any football match. For now, it will be down to the authorities to conclude exactly what happened and to dish out the appropriate punishment.

Now, Leeds will take some time to prepare for the visit of West Ham United next Friday, offering another major opportunity to stray further away from the relegation zone after a mixed start to the campaign.

Farke’s side don’t have any problems when it comes to chance creation, but the German coach will hope his side can tighten up at the back before the Hammers make their way to Elland Road.

Tottenham Hotspur are now battling Manchester United for the signing of a “fantastic” midfielder, with Thomas Frank personally keen.

Tottenham looking to sign new midfielder

It is becoming clear that Tottenham are keen to bring in a new central midfielder during the January transfer window, having identified a range of targets, with signing Athletic Bilbao’s Oihan Sancet believed to be a priority.

Target

Current club

G/A in 24/25

Conor Gallagher

Atletico Madrid

10

Oihan Sancet

Athletic Bilbao

20

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

5

The need to sign a new central midfielder could be exacerbated by Yves Bissouma’s potential departure, with it recently being revealed the Mali international was offered to West Ham United twice during the January transfer window.

However, it remains to be seen whether Bissouma will leave Spurs, with Frank making it clear he still has the opportunity to force his way back into his plans, saying: “To be fair he has just started to run outside, so he is not part of the group but everything I have seen when I’ve said hello to him and every day with the players, he seems good.

“There are no hard feelings at all. Not before, not now, not at all. Train well and everyone has an opportunity.”

Tottenham expected to open talks to sign "incredible" £27m star in January

Tottenham expected to open talks to sign “incredible” £27m star in January.

ByDominic Lund Sep 21, 2025

Regardless, Tottenham have now started to identify central midfield targets ahead of the January transfer window, with TEAMtalk revealing that Brentford’s Yehor Yarmoliuk is now of interest, with Frank personally keen on a reunion.

There may be competition for Yarmoliuk’s signature, however, with Manchester United also keen on a deal, which could amount to £30m, although the Bees are insistent that a sale during the January transfer window is off the table.

Frank has also taken the time to praise his former player in the past, saying: “[Yarmolyuk] possesses a fantastic mindset and trains well every day.”

Yarmolyuk could be solid Bissouma replacement

With Bissouma’s future still up in the air, it is no surprise that Tottenham are identifying central midfielders as potential targets, and the Brentford star could be a like-for-like replacement, given his defensive capabilities.

The 21-year-old places in the 86th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, and the 94th percentile for blocks, when compared to other midfielders.

The Ukrainian has also established himself as a first-team regular at Brentford, making 63 appearances across the past three seasons, which suggests he could be capable of making the step-up to Spurs.

Yarmoliuk clearly has a lot of potential, and given that he is still only 21-years-old, £30m seems like a fairly reasonable fee for his services.

After a generally miserable September, October has certainly begun with a bang for Chelsea.

Following three Premier League matches without a win, including successive defeats, the Blues bounced back in some style on Saturday, defeating champions Liverpool 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Moisés Caicedo broke the deadlock early with an absolute rocket, only for Liverpool to equalise just after the hour mark, at which point most onlookers, including Gary Neville on commentary for Sky Sports, expected the visitors to go on and claim victory.

Well, that certainly wasn’t the case because, after Enzo Fernández had seen a header thwack the post, Marc Cucurella’s low cross was turned home by Estêvão Willian at the back post, sparking wild celebrations in the Matthew Harding Stand and beyond.

While match-winner Estêvão will get many of the headlines, one of Chelsea’s most experienced players put in an under-the-radar exceptional display.

Moisés Caicedo's importance to Chelsea

As noted on Liverpool’s official website, yes really, the Reds agreed a £110m deal with Brighton to sign Caicedo back in August 2023, only for the Ecuadorian to join Chelsea instead, underlining what the Merseysiders missed out on by scoring this stunning strike to open the scoring.

Even parking the goal to one side, Caicedo put in an outstanding display, controlling midfield alongside Fernández, the pair underlining why Chelsea were willing to spend over £220m to recruit the duo.

Speaking on Sky Sports after full-time, Jamie Redknapp labelled Caicedo “one of the best in the world”, adding that he is “incredible” out of possession, concluding that he “hasn’t got a weakness” and could be the man who brings the glory days back to Stamford Bridge.

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club three years ago, fair to say plenty of money has been spent, but few players have proved their worth quite like the Ecuadorian.

However, one of Chelsea’s homegrown Cobham academy graduates also came to the fore, suggesting that he may be Enzo Maresca’s most undroppable player.

Chelsea defender stars against Liverpool

Despite famously having the biggest squad in football, Enzo Maresca was down to the bare bones in terms of centre-backs by the end of Saturday’s famous win.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Firstly, Trevoh Chalobah’s red card against Brighton meant he was suspended, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill all missed out due to injury.

Then, during the game, both members of the starting defensive pairing, namely Benoît Badiashile and Josh Acheampong, were forced off due to injuries so, by the time of the winning goal, Jorrel Hato was alongside Reece James at the heart of defence.

The club captain began the evening in his usual position at right-back, Maresca experimenting with Malo Gusto in midfield, but wherever the England international was deployed, he put in an outstanding display, as the table below documents.

Reece James vs Liverpool
Statistics	James	Match rank
Tackles	5	1st
Defensive actions	10	1st
Blocks	1	1st
Interceptions	2	2nd
Key passes	2	4th
Accurate passes	50	2nd
Duels contested	10	3rd
Duels won	8	1st
Aerial duels won	2	1st
Touches	83	1st
SofaScore rating	7.2	5th
Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, James was absolutely key to Chelsea’s victory.

He ranked first for tackles, defensive actions, blocks, duels won, aerial duels won and touches, also completing the second-most passes of any player on the pitch, behind only Virgil van Dijk, while Cucurella was the only man bedecked in blue to register more key passes.

This underlines not only his defensive acumen, but also his quality on the ball.

Following Chelsea’s Conference League victory over København at Parken in March, speaking on TNT Sport, Joe Cole asserted that James is as good as any right-back in the world, while believing he may be best utilised in midfield, something Maresca has done plenty of times since his arrival just over a year ago.

Either way, at full-back or in the middle, James emphasised that he needs to be on the pitch as much as possible, while acknowledging that his minutes have to be carefully managed, given his treacherous injury history.

So, while every transfer window is dominated by Chelsea spending hundreds of millions on new signings, the captain, who has been with the club since the age of six, continues to be a key figure.

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It wasn’t a classic, but Arsenal did what they had to in their League Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta named a significantly changed team to the one that beat Crystal Palace, and still ran out 2-0 winners, and are now set to face the Eagles again in the quarter-finals.

With all that said, while it wasn’t the most thrilling of games, the Gunners did play reasonably well, and aside from a few moments early on, were far and away the better team.

Moreover, there were a few starters who made a strong case for staying in the side, including two gems who are looking like the new Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal's standout performers vs Brighton

One player who should not be in the team for Burnley this weekend, but still made a good impression on Wednesday night, was Andre Harriman-Annous.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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The academy gem was handed his first senior start for the side, and while he didn’t score a goal, he was a handful all night and made several intelligent runs.

Moreover, it was his shot that led to Saka scoring his goal and sealing the deal for the side, so even though he should not play at the weekend, the 17-year-old is someone to keep an eye on.

A youngster who does deserve to make it into the travelling squad for Saturday is, of course, Max Dowman.

The “certified worldie of a talent,” as dubbed by analyst Rohan Jivan, was utterly incredible in his first senior start, and the Seagulls had no option but to double- and triple-team him when he had the ball, he was so dangerous.

Finally, even though they lacked some synergy in the first half, the entire backline came out of the game looking good, with the centre-back pairing of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie looking particularly sturdy.

With all that said, there was another duo who did themselves proud, a duo who could be the new Saka and Smith Rowe.

Arsenal's new Saka and Smith Rowe

With Dowman already mentioned, it will come as no surprise that the two youngsters who could be Arsenal’s new Smith Rowe and Saka are, of course, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Now, this doesn’t mean the pair exactly mirror the former Hale Enders, nor does it mean they’ll follow their exact footsteps, especially as injuries unfortunately saw Smith Rowe left behind by the project.

However, like the duo that came before them, the two 18-year-olds are of the same academy cohort and, most importantly, play incredibly well together.

For example, it was the Gunners’ exciting young left-back that provided the assist for Nwaneri to open the scoring midway through the second half.

Moreover, while they only combined for a single goal, there were other moments in the game in which the “fearless” Lewis-Skelly, as dubbed by Declan Rice, charged into the middle of the park and played some quick passes with his “phenomenal” teammate, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock.

Nwaneri & Lewis-Skelly

Games

28

Minutes

765′

Points per Game

2.14

Goals

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Including Wednesday night’s game, the pair have now made 28 senior appearances together, totalling 765 minutes, in which they’ve combined for two goals and averaged 2.14 points per game.

Finally, on top of their connection on the pitch, the youngsters have made it clear in numerous interviews that they are incredibly close friends, which can surely only improve their in-game synergy.

Ultimately, it’s still early in their careers, but it looks like Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly could be Arsenal’s new Saka and Smith Rowe.

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Roy Keane has slammed Liverpool supporters for booing Trent Alexander-Arnold on his first return to Anfield since joining Real Madrid, accusing them of lacking 'class' after jeering a player who gave 'his everything' to the club. The Manchester United legend was left 'shocked' by the treatment of the local hero, who was booed throughout his late cameo in Los Blancos' Champions League defeat.

Alexander-Arnold booed on Liverpool return

Alexander-Arnold endured a frosty reception on his return to Anfield as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday night, with Liverpool supporters loudly booing their former academy star when he came off the bench late in the Champions League tie. The 27-year-old right-back, who left Liverpool last summer after running down his contract, was introduced in the 80th minute but was greeted with jeers from sections of the home crowd, though a few fans were also seen applauding his appearance. The mixed response highlighted lingering resentment among fans who were angered by his decision to depart on a free transfer to Madrid, forcing the club to accept a nominal £10 million fee to release him early.

The tension surrounding his return had been building all week, especially after his mural near Anfield was vandalised with white paint and graffiti branding him a “rat.” The mural, depicting his reaction to Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League triumph, was defaced ahead of Real Madrid’s visit, setting the tone for an emotionally charged night. Supporters also loudly backed current right-back Conor Bradley, who starred in Alexander-Arnold’s old position during Liverpool’s 1-0 victory.

Despite the hostile atmosphere, Alexander-Arnold appeared composed, declining to react to the crowd as he entered the pitch and later telling reporters he would “always love the club” regardless of how he was received. However, the booing sparked debate among pundits, with Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher clashing over whether Liverpool fans were justified in their response to one of their homegrown heroes.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoy Keane blasts Liverpool fans for jeering TAA

Keane was quick to condemn Liverpool supporters for their reaction, questioning the club’s long-standing reputation for having “classy” and loyal fans. “The reputation of Liverpool fans is that they are loyal and a level up from most supporters,” Keane said on Stick to Football. “Whatever anyone else says, I think for any player to go back with the service he gave — his contract was up — to boo him, I find that really poor.”

The former Manchester United captain went on to highlight Alexander-Arnold’s achievements at the club, insisting that the defender deserved respect after nearly a decade of service. “Why would you go to a match and boo a lad who has played 260 or 270 games? His stats are fantastic, he’s helped the club win two Premier League titles and a Champions League,” Keane argued. “You don’t have to wish him luck at Madrid, but to go out of your way to boo him — for a local lad — Liverpool fans have to have a good look at themselves.”

Keane also praised Alexander-Arnold’s quiet conduct throughout his final months at Anfield, contrasting it with players who make public declarations of loyalty before leaving. “The beauty with Trent over the last year or two is that he’s said very little,” he added. “He’s not gone around saying, ‘I love this club, I’ll stay forever.’ He kept his head down, didn’t play games with the fans. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can do.”

Getty ImagesCarragher 'understands' Liverpool fans' frustrations with TAA

Carragher, who spent his entire career at Liverpool, had already expected the kind of reaction Reds fans would eventually have on Alexander-Arnold's return. However, the former centre-back had a very different opinion compared to Keane: "Supporters decide what type of reaction he gets. The reason why it will be poor is because Trent, throughout those 20 years, has played the position of ‘I’m a supporter on the pitch,’” Carragher said earlier in the week. “The supporters in the stadium wouldn’t leave on a free transfer and go and play for Real Madrid.”

Carragher pointed to Alexander-Arnold’s silence in the months leading up to his exit as a source of fan anger, arguing that it created a sense of betrayal among the Anfield faithful. “If what he’s said before — that Liverpool is the only team for him and he wants to be a legend here — was true, then you don’t leave when you’ve just won the league title and can go on to win more,” he explained. “A lot of fans feel they’ve been hoodwinked because Trent stayed quiet while others like Salah and Van Dijk publicly stated they wanted to stay.”

The former Reds vice-captain acknowledged that the defender had every right to pursue a new challenge but maintained that the timing and manner of his departure were always going to sting. “He’s been brilliantly successful and he’s entitled to do what’s right for his career,” Carragher added. “But you can’t be surprised if supporters feel hurt — it’s emotional, especially when you’ve come through the academy and represented the club your whole life.”

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Getty ImagesConor Bradley shows up Alexander-Arnold on his Anfield return

The fallout from Alexander-Arnold’s Anfield return looks set to continue, with debate raging over how Liverpool supporters handled the situation. While many fans insist their reaction was born out of frustration at the way he left, others believe the booing tarnished the club’s reputation for class and loyalty.

For Alexander-Arnold, his return ended in disappointment as Real Madrid fell 1-0 in a game dominated by Liverpool. The defender, who has yet to establish himself as a regular starter under Xabi Alonso due to injuries, cut a subdued figure at full-time, applauding the home crowd before leaving the pitch. Despite the cold reception, he is understood to have met privately with several former teammates and staff members after the match, reinforcing his own insistence that he still “loves” the club.

The Reds, meanwhile, seem to have found their Alexander-Arnold replacement in the form of Bradley. Liverpool did sign Jeremie Frimpong to replace the Englishman earlier this summer; however, Bradley has shown that he is better suited to the role, while Frimpong also continues to struggle with fitness.

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their crunch clash with newly-promoted Leeds United on Friday, and one which will force the tactician to play around with his starting eleven yet again.

Nuno slammed after controversial West Ham line-up against Brentford

Nuno faced the wrath of critics after he named what was a bizarre starting eleven to play Brentford on Monday.

The Hammers, who fell to their fourth home league defeat of the season — an all-time club record at this stage of the campaign — deployed Olly Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters on their opposite sides, with Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving chosen in midfield ahead of the more dynamic Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts.

After Niclas Fullkrug’s thigh injury was confirmed by Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, plenty of debate surrounded who would play the striker role against Brentford.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Despite an expectation that Nuno could hand Callum Marshall his first ever Premier League start against Brentford, or play Jarrod Bowen in that role as the England international has done before, West Ham’s boss instead opted for Lucas Paqueta as a makeshift number nine.

The Brazil international was sloppy in possession and often left isolated, with the experiment ultimately failing to pay off.

West Ham legend Tony Cottee was among the critics to blast Nuno’s “awful” team selection after their uninspired 2-0 defeat, but the former Nottingham Forest boss moved to defend his choices.

Now, as per Nuno himself, he’ll have to tinker with the team once more, with defender Konstantinos Mavropanos now joining Fullkrug and George Earthy on the treatment table.

West Ham dealt Mavropanos injury blow with Igor Julio in line for recall

Speaking to reporters before West Ham’s trip to Leeds, Nuno confirmed that Mavropanos will miss their imminent clash.

The Greek international was forced off against Brentford and unable to finish the 90 after coming on as a substitute, and Mavropanos will be absent from West Ham’s matchday squad for the trip to Elland Road as a result.

The 27-year-old’s unavailability means that summer signing Igor Julio, who was left out of the squad entirely to play Brentford, is surely in line for a recall.

According to reports, Julio has been impressing in West Ham training as he fights for a place in Nuno’s starting eleven, and the Hammers hardly have anything to lose by giving him a shot.

Both Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo really struggled to contain Brentford on a night to forget for the pair, with West Ham also conceding more league goals than any other side in the top flight so far.

Described as a strong one-v-one defender with “excellent” technique by members of the press, the Brazilian has also been called an “animal” by former Seagulls coach Inigo Calderón.

Julio hasn’t been given a chance to stake his claim in the squad this term, playing just one league minute so far, but the time could be now as Nuno looks for inspiration from somewhere.

It looked as though a last-gasp win against Livingston could have acted as a springboard to better things for Russell Martin and Rangers, but they’ve since been returned to reality on the European stage.

Martin pinpoints "mentality" as Rangers problem

It’s one step forward and two steps back for Martin in Scotland. The former Southampton boss simply cannot get going and his job security continues to be questioned as a result. A late win against Livingston handed him a glimmer of hope, but the reality is that it just papered over the cracks that have been there ever since he arrived.

A visit to face Sturm Graz handed the Gers an opportunity to secure back-to-back wins, but first-half goals from Tomi Horvat and Otar Kiteishvili quickly left them with a mountain to climb. Djeidi Gassama’s strike to halve the deficit gave Rangers a foothold to salvage a point, but it sums up their season so far that they didn’t have enough to find an equaliser.

Martin reacted to yet another defeat, pinpointing Rangers’ “mentality” as the biggest issue and not his tactics on an evening to forget.

Up next for the Scottish giants is a trip to face Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership. Given that Sunday’s opponents sit just two points behind Rangers, it is another must-win game for Martin, who continues to cling on to his job.

Many around Ibrox will be desperate to see an improved performance, including one pundit who called one moment against Sturm Graz “embarrassing”.

Kris Boyd slams "embarrassing" Rangers moment

Taking aim at yet another poor performance, former Rangers ace Kris Boyd called Rangers “embarrassing” after Sturm Graz’s first goal crept beyond Jack Butland.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “It’s embarrassing defending from Rangers. So wide open, but you’ve got to take care from the throw-in as well.”

It was yet more poor defending from Rangers and another moment to forget for Butland, who should have done better. No matter the tactics, Martin cannot prevent individual errors.

That said, time is running out for the manager to turn things around and reporters are already circling regarding the potential candidates that could replace him, with Steven Gerrard among those.

Fewer touches than Butland: Starting Rangers flop should see Martin sacked

Rangers have now lost two games out of two in the Europa League.

Oct 3, 2025

The former Rangers manager, who won the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox, no longer has any contractual issues from previous club Al-Ettifaq and could yet arrive to take charge for his second spell.

Defeat on Saturday against a side below them in the Scottish Premiership would undoubtedly see the pressure reach close to boiling point for Martin.