While it wasn’t the perfect weekend for Manchester City, it wasn’t far off.

The Citizens claimed all three points in what was a relatively routine win over Everton, while Liverpool lost at home to Manchester United.

So, while they are still three points behind Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s side are now a point clear of the Reds in second place and look set to mount a proper challenge for the Premier League title.

Moreover, with Erling Haaland back to his very best, there is no reason they couldn’t overtake the Gunners, especially when another of Pep’s best signings is playing so well.

Pep's best Man City signings

On top of revolutionising the way the game is played in this country, Guardiola has also signed some of the very best players to grace the Premier League.

Chalkboard

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

For example, while he was already performing at a high level for Tottenham Hotspur, it would be hard to deny that Kyle Walker massively improved during his time in the North West.

During his time with the club, the Burnley ace made 319 appearances, during which he scored six goals, provided 23 assists, averaged 2.33 points per game and won everything there is to win in the club game, including a Champions League and six league titles.

Appearances

319

Starts

286

Minutes

25710′

Goals

6

Assists

23

Points per Game

2.33

Another stalwart of Pep’s best sides has been Rodri, as before his injury problems last season, he was one of the very best players in the world.

After all, the Spaniard is the only defensive midfielder to ever win the Ballon d’Or.

Moving on from defensive players, it’s hard to look past Bernardo Silva when it comes to the iconic manager’s best City signings.

The former AS Monaco dynamo moved to Manchester in the summer of 2017 and has since made an astounding 417 appearances across all competitions, in which he has scored 72 goals, provided 74 assists and dazzled fans all over the country with his mercurial abilities on the ball.

Finally, it would be impossible to talk about some of Guardiola’s best signings and not bring up Haaland.

The former Borussia Dortmund star made his way to the Etihad in the summer of 2022, and to say he has been a successful signing would be a laughable understatement.

Appearances

156

Starts

148

Minutes

12774′

Goals

138

Assists

22

Goal Involvements per Game

1.02

Minutes per Goal Involvement

79.83′

Points per Game

2.12

At the time of writing, the Leeds-born force of nature has scored 138 goals and provided 22 assists in 156 games for the club, totalling 12774 minutes.

In other words, the 25-year-old monster has averaged 1.02 goal involvements per game, or one every 79.83 minutes since joining City.

In all, it would be fair to say that Guardiola has signed more than his fair share of stars over the years, and it looks like he might have just landed his best since Haaland.

Guardiola's best signing since Haaland

Fortunately, there are a few players who could claim this title, from Josko Gvardiol to Savinho, but in this instance, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to look past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Yes, the Italian international only joined City this summer, but he is already putting in brilliant performances for the club.

And while some may say he lacks the ball-playing ability of Ederson, he more than makes up for it with his shot-stopping, which is surely what matters most with a goalkeeper.

His game-saving abilities were on full show in the match away to Brentford, when he came out on top from a one-on-one situation with Igor Thiago.

Moreover, while it is still early on in his time at the Etihad, the numbers are already showing that he should be in the same conversations with the very best in the league.

For example, he has conceded just two goals, which works out to 0.40 per 90 and puts him just behind David Raya who many would consider to be a part of the best defensive unit in the league, if not the world.

Finally, on top of the promising start to his time in the North West, there are also plenty of examples of him putting in game-saving performances for Paris Saint-Germain and Italy over the years.

For example, in the Champions League semi-finals last season, he prevented 2.09 goals across both legs against Arsenal, which was enough to send the Parisians through and see Italy legend Alessandro Costacurta label him “the best in the world.”

Ultimately, so long as Donnarumma can keep up the form he is already showing this season, and replicate some of his incredible performances of seasons prior, then it might soon be a commonly held opinion that he’s City’s best signing since Haaland.

Man City eye South American star who may follow in Julian Alvarez's footsteps

The Citizens could follow a familiar trend in their latest pursuit.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi has opened up on why he dropped Mason Greenwood from the starting XI in the recent Ligue 1 win over Auxerre. The former Brighton boss was speaking ahead of the club's Champions League clash against Serie A side Atalanta, set for Wednesday night in France, and explained his reasons for keeping the ex-Manchester United man on the bench.

• Greenwood snub explained

  Marseille managed to beat their opponents 1-0 on Saturday, despite a player from both sides being sent off. Greenwood, who has starred for the Ligue 1 outfit since crossing the channel from England, had an unfamiliar feeling of warming the bench for the match. But De Zerbi claims it was just player management, and that he felt the forward was tired and needed a rest.

  Speaking ahead of this week's European action, the Italian head coach said: "I never pick a team with the next match in mind. Atalanta isn't more important than Auxerre. Now, I can think about the match against Atalanta and then I'll think about the one against Brest.

  "I felt Greenwood and Paixao were tired and less sharp. Not physically, but less sharp than usual, and less brilliant. That's why I preferred to start Aubameyang and Vaz up front. They should be ready. The Champions League is important, and I'd like to be able to prepare for this match with more options in terms of players."

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• Getty
  

  A new start in France

  The 24-year-old left United in 2024 for a fee worth around £27 million, having had a turbulent few months. The ex-Red Devils star's personal life had been clouded in controversy, after he was arrested in October 2022 and charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. He had previously been shipped out on loan to Spanish side Getafe by the Premier League giants, but still had plenty of interest from Europe after continuing to perform on the pitch. In 2023, all charges against Greenwood were discontinued, but United opted not to reintegrate him into their squad. Instead, he left for France, but not before United could insert a significant sell-on clause into his contract. In the time since, the academy graduate has made 49 appearances for Marseille, scoring 30 goals and notching 10 assists. 

• Giants still circling

  Despite his past controversies, a number of European giants are believed to be monitoring the England international, with many weighing up a move for the player. However, Marseille president Pablo Longoria will be keen to keep hold of him, after admitting he pushed to get a deal done in the first place, despite facing opposition from the mayor of the city. 

  Speaking in a recent interview, he said: "At that moment, you have to think about the decision and what are the values of your club. We took a lot of information from all the clubs he played at and about what was the situation, and what had happened. At that time, you are taking advantage of a situation in the market, because you know he is super talented and you are having this possibility from a circumstance that happened in the past. There was only one person who disagreed at the table.

  "Sincerely, for me it was very easy when you are convinced in all the communication strategies. You know you need a communications strategy, so let’s tell the truth. Let’s say why we take this decision, but with transparency, explaining all the processes, explaining why we arrived to take this decision. After that, time will judge."

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  Eyes on Atalanta

  Greenwood will likely return to the starting line-up for the clash with Atalanta. So far in the Champions League, Marseille have only won one of their three games in the competition – a 4-0 win against Ajax. They gave Real Madrid a run for their money, narrowly missing out, with the same happening against Sporting CP. Greenwood will be hoping to add to his goal and assist in the competition when he faces the Italian side this week.

تحدث المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، هانز فليك، عن فوزهم الثمين في مباراة يوم الأحد ضد خصمه سيلتا فيجو، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

واستضاف ملعب “بالايدوس” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وسيلتا فيجو، حيث حقق البرسا فوزًا صعبًا بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين، في ختام منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإسباني، 2025/26.

وقال فليك، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “أشعر بالرضا تجاه الفريق قبل فترة التوقف الدولي، أنا سعيد للغاية وأقدر حقًا ما رأيته، ارتكبنا أخطاءً في الشوط الأول أكثر من الثاني، واستغل الخصم ذلك، ولكن ما رأيته مع الكرة كان جيدًا جدًا، سيطرنا بشكل أكبر في الشوط الثاني”.

وأضاف: “ما حدث في الماضي، في كرة القدم، لا يهم، أعتقد أن الشوط الثاني يمنحنا الثقة للمباريات المقبلة، هذا ما نحتاجه، عندما تستطيع الضغط على الفريق المنافس، فهذا أمر جيد، أعجبني ما رأيته في الشوط الثاني، كما قلت”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفاندوفسكي بعد فوز برشلونة على سيلتا فيجو: قلصنا الفارق مع ريال مدريد.. وحان وقت تغيير الأمور

وواصل: “عادة ما نركز على أنفسنا، ولكن عندما تستطيع الضغط على ريال مدريد في جدول الدوري، فهذا أمر جيد جدًا، خاصة قبل الاستراحة الدولية”.

واسترسل: “من المبكر جدًا الحديث عن الموسم المقبل، الجميع يعرف وضع ليفاندوفسكي (ينتهي عقده مع برشلونة في يونيو المقبل)، لقد رأيته بعد الإصابة في شكل مختلف، إيجابي للغاية، تسجيله ثلاثة أهداف اليوم أمر جيد جدًا من أجل ثقته بنفسه، إنه مهم لنا أيضًا، تمامًا كما كان الحال في الموسم الماضي”.

وأفاد: “كان أداء دي يونج رائعًا، لقد سيطر على المباراة، كان مهمًا جدًا لنا، نلعب بمستوى رائع، طرده ليس جيدًا لأنه لاعب مهم جدًا، لكن في النهاية علينا التعامل مع ذلك الموقف، سيعود بيدري ورافينها وخوان جارسيا”.

وأكد: “من الأفضل أن ندخل فترة التوقف الدولي بفوز بدلًا من خسارة، نحن سعداء بأدائنا، لقد تحدثنا في غرفة الملابس عن مدى فخرنا، نأمل أن يعود الجميع بصحة جيدة”.

واختتم: “كنا أفضل بكثير في الشوط الثاني ودافعنا بشكل أفضل، كان اليوم مثاليًا، أنا سعيد جدًا بأدائنا مع الكرة وبطريقة قتال الفريق، أنا سعيد من أجل ليفاندوفسكي، ولكن من أجل الفريق بشكل عام، هذا سيمنحنا الثقة”.

Kyle Abbott takes two wickets for Hampshire on overcast day on south coast

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025

Nottinghamshire 241 for 5 (McCann 79, Haynes 70*) vs Hampshire Nottinghamshire batters Jack Haynes and Freddie McCann continued to score runs against Hampshire in the 2025 Rothesay County Championship on an even first day at Utilita Bowl.Haynes and McCann both collected centuries in the reverse fixture at Trent Bridge in May, before each picking up half-centuries on the south coast.Haynes ended the day unbeaten on 70, after McCann was dismissed for 79 – one of two scalps for Kyle Abbott, with Eddie Jack also picking up a couple of wickets.Nottinghamshire ended the day on 241 for five, with neither side able to complain too much about their position in the match.Haseeb Hameed called incorrectly at the toss and was inserted on a very green looking pitch, with plenty of threatening clouds overhead.The Nottinghamshire captain was the only victim in a truncated nine overs before rain came down – which lumped 30 overs off the day. The highly-talented Jack got Hameed chasing a wide delivery which seamed even further away to edge behind.Hampshire’s slip fielding which had blighted them at Trent Bridge returned for another two dollies put down in the cordon.Tilak Varma unsuccessfully juggled to spill Ben Slater, while Joe Weatherley gave McCann a life from first slip.While Slater didn’t make the most of the drop – he scored just two more runs before he was bowled by a Abbott beauty that kissed the top of off – McCann did.The 20-year-old’s season has been plagued by unfulfilled starts save for his 79 against Durham and the 138 against Hampshire.He weathered the early Kookaburra ball movement, which Kyle Abbott had on a string, and was backed up by Jack and Sonny Baker.McCann rebuilt from 31 for two with Joe Clarke and Haynes – putting on 74 and 43 – in a non-flashy, but effective manner.He dominated square of the wicket in a 65-ball half-century, his sixth in first-class cricket.Clarke and Haynes were happier to take risks with their shot-making in the partnerships as runs became easier as the day progressed and the ball softened.Hampshire bypassed that with a plan, which worked to see off Clarke and McCann.It revolved around slightly shorter pitch bowling and a fly gully – aiming to capitalise on the amount of balls being hit square on the offside.Clarke couldn’t keep down a cut shot to pick up the odd field placing, while McCann stuck his bat up like a periscope to unusually guide to the man.Kyle Verreynne returned for the first time since becoming a world champion, having helped South Africa to the ICC World Test Championship.He was punchy in his quick-fire 42 before Jack drew a false pull, which was wonderfully caught by the sprawling James Fuller at deep square. Jack picked up a deserved second to end his first home Championship day two for 57.Haynes passed his fifty in a blink and you’d miss it 54 balls before slowing towards the close, with Lyndon James now for company.Bad light prematurely knocked off another 23 balls from the day’s play.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tite é o novo técnico do Flamengo! O clube rubro-negro anunciou o ex-treinador da Seleção Brasileira nesta segunda-feira (9). O contrato do comandante vai até dezembro de 2024.

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Tite vem de um ano sabático depois de deixar Seleção Brasileira, sendo eliminado nas quartas de final da sua segunda Copa do Mundo. O treinador estava a frente da amarelinha em 2018 e 2022, sendo eliminado por Bélgica e Croácia, respectivamente.

+ Condição especial para matrícula no curso Gestor de Futebol, aprovado por Dante, Petković, Léo Moura e outros craques. Saiba mais!

+Tite no Flamengo! Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$1150 se Adenor ajudar o Mengão a levar o Brasileirão!

Apesar de matematicamente o título do Brasileirão ainda ser viável, o objetivo principal do novo comandante é classificar o Flamengo para a próxima Libertadores. Atualmente, o Flamengo está fora do G-4 e não tem vaga garantida na competição continental.

+ De Jorge Jesus a Sampaoli: falta de padrão na escolha dos técnicos traduz instabilidade do Flamengo de Landim

O clube confia na experiência e no currículo de Tite para afastar de vez fantasma do time de Jorge Jesus, que vencia os jogos com autoridade. Pelo Corinthians, Tite venceu dois Campeonatos Brasileiros, em 2011 e 2015. Em 2012, o treinador venceu a Libertadores e o Mundial de Clubes. Além disso, o comandante ainda tem uma Copa do Brasil com o Grêmio e uma Sul-Americana com o Internacional no currículo.

Tite é o 10º treinador da gestão de Landim

O tempo de duração do contrato entre Tite e o Flamengo foi um dos entraves para a arrastada negociação. No fim, prevaleceu a vontade do Rubrp-Negro, que acertou um vínculo até o fim do mandato dopresidente Rodolfo Landim. Escolhido para suceder Jorge Sampaoli, ele será o décimo treinador da atual gestão.

A tendência é que Tite seja apresentado na terça-feira (10), quando o elenco se reapresenta para um período de treinos durante a semana de Data Fifa. A estreia do novo comandante rubro-negro será contra o Cruzeiro, no dia 19 de outubro.

Muyeye and Finch the heroes with century stand before Billings knocks off winning runs

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Jul-2025The Kent Spitfires are through to the Vitality Blast quarter-finals after a thrilling final evening at Canterbury.The Spitfires eased to a seven-wicket win over Essex and thousands of fans stayed in the ground to watch Surrey’s nerve-shredding win over Sussex on the big screen, a result that confirmed Kent’s place in the top four.Kent held Essex to 172 for six after they’d raced to 65 for nought after the powerplay. Paul Walter top-scored with 52 while Charlie Allison hit 48.A 114-run partnership between Tawanda Muyeye, who made 80 from 49 balls and Harry Finch, who hit 64 from 35, effectively won Kent the game before Sam Billings hit the winning runs with 16 balls to spare.A crowd of 5,289 watched Kent initially struggle to contain Essex after putting them in, before Matt Parkinson got a desperately needed breakthrough when Michael Pepper reverse swept him to Klaassen for 28.Jordan Cox couldn’t repeat his epic innings from Thursday night, bowled by Joey Evison for six and Parkinson bowled tightly to drag back the scoring rate.Walter hit Denly straight to Harry Finch at square leg and it was 129 for 3 after 17. Gilchrist’s 18th went for 19 but got both Matt Critchley, who scooped him straight to Grant Stewart for 12, and Luc Benkenstein, who sliced him to Parkinson for six.Allison hit Stewart to Leaning on the long on boundary in the final over, leaving the contest evenly poised at halfway.Kent were 46 without loss after five overs when Walter came on at the Nackington Road end and took a wicket with his first ball, Daniel Bell-Drummond chipping him to Pepper. They eased to 82 for one at halfway, and Simon Harmer then came in for some punishment, Finch hitting him for successive sixes in an over that went for 19.Kent were aided by some problematic fielding, including a pivotal moment in the 12th when Finch hit Walter to backward square leg and Noah Thain could only parry him over the rope for six.Snater then bundled a routine stop over the rope for four and with Kent needing just 17 off the last five overs the chase was devoid of tension, although Muyeye holed out to Critchley and was caught by Benkenstein at the end of the 16th and Mohammad Amir then bowled Finch.Denly and Sam Billings waited out Amir before the latter creamed Snater for six and hit his next delivery for two to see Kent home.All eyes switched to the big-screen, which was showing the Surrey v Sussex game, with players and fans alike going through every possible emotion before they erupted when Chris Jordan took a wicket with the penultimate ball and it was finally confirmed they’d reached the last eight, for the first time since 2021.

Ben Curran has recovered from a fractured hand sustained in a warm-up match against South Africa in Arundel and has been named in Zimbabwe’s 16-player squad to take on New Zealand next month.At the moment, the squad does not include Brendan Taylor, whose three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code ends on July 25. ESPNcricinfo understands he will be added to the squad once his ban expires on Saturday and is expected to be available for the first Test that starts July 30. The squad does feature four other changes from the one that lost 2-0 to South Africa.Sikandar Raza, who was playing in the MLC during the South Africa Tests, returns to the squad alongside Roy Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni. Opening batters Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Prince Masvaure, middle-order batter Wessly Madhevere and seamer Kundai Matigimu, who debuted against South Africa, have been left out.Related

• Matt Fisher earns first NZ call-up, Williamson remains unavailable for Zimbabwe Tests

• Glenn Phillips ruled out of Zimbabwe tour with groin injury

Blessing Muzarabani leads the seam attack, but there was no room for Richard Ngarava. The left-arm quick had injured his back in the Test against England but returned in the ongoing T20 tri-series featuring Zimbabwe, South Africa and New Zealand.Brian Bennett, who was concussed in the first Test against South Africa and had returned in the T20Is, is also in the Test squad. Dion Myers, who was covering for Bennett, has been released.Both Tests will be held in Bulawayo, where conditions are difficult for quicks and run-scoring can typically be slow, though South Africa scored at 5.49 runs to the over in the most recent Test there.This is the first time Zimbabwe will play Tests against New Zealand since 2016, when New Zealand visited Bulawayo and won the series 2-0. It also marks the end of a busy period of Tests for Zimbabwe for the time being.Since December last year, they have played eight Tests, including five at home, all at Queens Sports Club. Zimbabwe have lost all their home games and only won one of their last 15 Tests. They will next play Tests towards the end of the year when they host Afghanistan.The matches are not part of the current World Test Championship cycle.Zimbabwe squad: Craig Ervine (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Clive Madande, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams

After another bumper summer in the busy transfer window, Birmingham City might well have expected to take the Championship immediately by storm.

Indeed, the Blues welcomed in a whopping 14 new faces during the off-season, as the likes of Demarai Gray dramatically returned back to St. Andrew’s after a lengthy Premier League career, among other notable signings.

Unfortunately for Chris Davies and Co., Gray hasn’t quite sparked into life just yet during his homecoming, with the ex-Everton winger not alone in being a disappointment so far, as the Blues loiter in an underwhelming 15th spot in the second-tier standings at this moment in time.

Birmingham's disappointing summer recruitment

It’s not just all on the shoulders of the new recruits, however, as many of Birmingham’s dependable performers during their League One title heroics have also floundered under the pressure of now competing in the division above.

Keshi Anderson definitely falls into his category, with the Luton-born attacker still goalless in Championship action this season so far, despite firing home nine strikes in all competitions last campaign for Davies’ emphatic title-winners.

Thankfully, Jay Stansfield has remembered his shooting boots, with six goals already fired home.

But, to further pile on the misery, Marvin Ducksch – who cost around the £1.75m mark to pick up from Werder Bremen in the window – is also routinely firing blanks as another option up top.

Moreover, the aforementioned Gray doesn’t quite look the same electric, fresh-faced presence he once was at St. Andrew’s when he was a youngster trying to cut his teeth, with Birmingham’s 1-0 defeat to Bristol City last time out only seeing him amass a lacklustre 18 touches of the ball.

It must feel like an awfully long time ago now for Davies when he looks back on Birmingham’s jaw-dropping 111-point season in League One, with one new signing under so much scrutiny already, that he could be on borrowed time in the West Midlands only a matter of months into his EFL stint.

Why Birmingham's expensive gamble hasn't paid off

Thankfully, in recent years, whenever a big price tag has been attached to a player since Tom Wagner’s millions were added into the mix, they have often lived up to their hype.

Stansfield was boldly purchased for a whopping £15m, even as Birmingham found themselves marooned in League One, but he immediately backed up his lavish price tag when scoring the crucial goals – 19 league strikes to be exact – to clinch the Blues’ straightforward passage back up to the Championship.

Therefore, when the newly promoted Blues announced they’d acquired the services of former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi for an equally hefty £10m in July, the expectation would have been that he would go on to be another superb Stansfield-like purchase.

After all, Kyogo had been branded as a “superstar” in Scotland by ex-Hoops teammate Callum McGregor, off the back of the Japanese gem firing home a stunning 85 goals in total for the Glasgow giants.

Moreover, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman also boldly stated that he would be a “really exciting” signing in England, after the new number nine showed off some entertaining tricks and flicks during his early days at St. Andrew’s.

Games played

11

Games started

5

Minutes played per game

47

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Big chances missed

7

Kyogo’s tale hasn’t played out to the expected script, though, with the once confident and assured striker who pulled on Celtic green and white week in week out now nowhere to be seen in the Championship.

The 30-year-old, instead, has become a wasteful option up top for Davies, with seven big chances missed across 11 league games to date, meaning he is still chasing his first league goal in the West Midlands.

Even Lyndon Dykes has two league goals next to his name, despite averaging just 25 minutes of action himself.

EFL pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone out of his way to state that Kyogo is “struggling”, with patience surely already running thin at St. Andrew’s surrounding the quiet number nine, considering his excessive transfer fee.

There is still time on Kyogo’s side to turn around his shocking Blues start, but if the goals don’t come soon, he might just have to be written off as an expensive flop.

Birmingham sold a bigger talent than Jordan James in £3m "freak of nature"

Birmingham messed up when selling this exceptional star for just £3m.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 8, 2025

Newcastle United’s Premier League season has yet to get going so far this campaign, with positive results often followed up by a disappointing defeat.

Indeed, after getting the better of Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the middle of September, Eddie Howe’s Magpies then went on a stretch of form that saw defeats happen at the hands of Barcelona and Arsenal in both the Champions League and top-flight, before returning to winning ways in league action against Nottingham Forest at the start of October.

Yet, despite pushing Ange Postecoglou closer to the cliff-edge with that 2-0 victory, the Toon slipped to a third Premier League loss of the season away at Brighton and Hove Albion last time out.

It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, however, with Nick Woltemade sticking out once more as an ice-cold finisher under pressure.

It was his stylish back-heel that nearly kick-started a late comeback on the South Coast, only for Danny Welbeck to secure a brace.

The stats that make Woltemade one of the best in the Premier League

There was an unbelievable pressure on the German’s shoulders when relocating to Newcastle, with £69m splashed out on him to be one of Alexander Isak’s flashy replacements.

He hasn’t been paralysed with any fear since joining, with that delicate finish finding the back of the net against the Seagulls.

That means he has four goals from just five Premier League outings so far, which has led writer Thomas Hammond to hail him as an “incredible” talent to watch.

Despite Newcastle wobbling in form, the 6-foot-6 menace has the highest goal conversion rate (42.9%) in the Premier League so far this season with a hope surely on the Bremen-born striker’s end that the goals keep on coming, but they result in more wins being put on the board, as well.

Possessing an enormous frame, but a delicacy in possession of the ball, Woltemade’s profile is like very few in the game and he’s immediately started demonstrating why PIF spent so much to bring him to Newcastle.

The clinical number 27’s attacking display was definitely a crumb of positivity to take away from the 2-1 loss. Indeed, not everyone in Newcastle’s forward line had the same level of end product.

His teammate up top in Anthony Elanga, on the other hand, was dished out with far more criticism at the final whistle than glowing comments.

The Swede was one of the most creative in the division last season, registering 11 assists in the Premier League but since relocating to the north east, has yet to score in his first 11 outings. He has also registered just one assist.

It’s safe to say Newcastle’s summer business has been rather hit or miss, but Woltemade isn’t the only success story from their latest round of recruitment.

Newcastle "monster" is another Woltemade-type player

Away from Elanga failing to settle on Tyneside, other more senior members of the Magpies team are continually letting Howe down so far this season.

Chalkboard

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

Joelinton springs to mind as one example, with the Newcastle boss not fazed whatsoever when hooking the Brazilian off at half-time after another sub-par display was put in against Fabian Hurzeler’s men.

Moreover, Dan Burn struggled again in the left-back spot versus the Seagulls, squandering possession 18 times in total, alongside surprisingly winning just one aerial duel.

While Burn and Joelinton look to be on their way out as members of the St James’ Park old guard, Malick Thiaw looks ready to become a starter for many years to come at his new employers, as another Bundesliga gem has been unearthed.

Thiaw has been so impressive so far that even Fabian Schar has had to sit out contests recently for the Magpies’ “monster” – as he has been previously labelled by journalist Martino Puccio – to gain a starting spot.

Woltemade has made that lone striker spot his own, but Thiaw – also signed from German shores – has made that central defensive berth his own too. Now, the pairing are two of the first names on Howe’s team sheet.

Games played

5

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches*

43.6

Accurate passes*

28.8 (87%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

4.2

Total duels won*

4.4

Clean sheets

1

Much like his colossal teammate, Thiaw has stood out as a battler already for Howe and Co, winning four aerial duels against the Seagulls, perhaps ensuring that the scoreline only stayed at 2-1 in the home side’s favour.

But, also, as Woltemade has displayed, the rock-solid number 12 is very much comfortable with the ball at his feet, with his well-rounded nature from the get-go, even seeing Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne state that he is “one of the signings of the summer.”

At just 24 years of age, and at a modest £30m cost, it’s hard to go against that statement, with both Thiaw and Woltemade surely looking to cement their presences as reliable first-teamers in matches to come.

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Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain was overshadowed by drama as Luis Diaz was sent off for a reckless tackle that left Achraf Hakimi injured. While coach Vincent Kompany and others showed concern, defender Josip Stanisic later joked about the red card, claiming they 'thanked' the Colombian winger for the tackle.

Bayern survive tough test despite Diaz' red card

The Bundesliga giants were cruising after taking a 2-0 lead thanks to Diaz’s first-half brace, but chaos erupted just before half-time. The Colombian winger went in for a late tackle on Hakimi, catching the Moroccan full-back on the ankle after losing possession. The PSG defender went down in visible pain and was seen in tears before being helped off the pitch by physios. Referee Maurizio Mariani initially showed a yellow card, but it was upgraded to a red following VAR's intervention.

However, even with the extra man, PSG couldn’t break through Bayern’s organised defence. Joao Neves added a late goal for the defending champions, but it wasn’t enough as Bayern held on to claim a hard-fought win.

AdvertisementAFPStanisic jokes about Diaz red card

After the match, Bayern defender Stanisic said Diaz needs to be more careful in such situations. "He knows himself that he needs to handle this kind of situation with more finesse,” the 25-year-old told reporters. When asked if the ex-Liverpool winger had apologised for leaving the team short-handed, he joked: "No, we thanked him. I’m kidding! He was happy, like all of us."

While Stanisic's comment was meant in a light-hearted manner, it did not sit well on social media, with many criticising it as being in poor taste and disrespectful, considering the severity of the Moroccan's injury. The PSG full-back was seen walking on crutches after the game, and reports from claim he is expected to be out until mid-December, potentially missing the start of the 2025 AFCON.

Meanwhile, Bayern boss Kompany addressed the seriousness of Hakimi's injury, recalling a similar setback Jamal Musiala suffered against PSG in the Club World Cup. Speaking to , the Belgian manager said: “It’s a shame that the PSG player had to come off injured. At first, I didn’t think it was that dangerous. But of course, it happened, and when a player gets injured, I always think of what happened to Jamal [Musiala]. He broke his leg against PSG in the USA. Then you think: ‘Is that comparable?’ But I have to be honest: the most important thing for me is that Hakimi isn’t injured for too long. I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Diaz to miss Champions League clash against Arsenal

Following his red card, Diaz will serve at least a one-game suspension and will miss Bayern’s upcoming Champions League match against Arsenal. However, UEFA could increase the sanction to three matches, ruling him out of the games against Sporting CP and Union Saint-Gilloise. He would then return in time for the final league phase clash against PSV. The Columbian's absence will be a major test for Bayern, who are unbeaten this season and riding a 16-game winning streak under Kompany. 

They face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who have also been in tremendous form, extending their winning run to 10 games following a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague on Tuesday. The Colombian winger, since his arrival from England, has contributed 14 goals and assists in 16 games this season. He could have been crucial against a team that has not conceded in eight consecutive games across all competitions.

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AFPWhat's next for Bayern?

While Diaz will be unavailable for Bayern’s next three Champions League fixtures, he will be key for their domestic matches as they look to extend their winning streak. The defending Bundesliga champions are five points clear of RB Leipzig with nine wins from nine games and will visit Union Berlin on Saturday before the international break. They will then face Freiburg on November 22 in the Bundesliga before returning to European competition for the clash against the Gunners.