On the podcast with Donovan, Tim Howard praised Brian White and said 'American soccer is lazy when it comes to identifying talent'
Donovan says USMNT could struggle in Gold Cup group Brian White's form could make him a USMNT optionChristian Pulisic's AC Milan performances praisedGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED
The USMNT’s disappointing performance in the recent CONCACAF Nations League, where they lost to both Panama and Canada, raised questions for some fans – especially with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.
And with the 2025 Gold Cup upcoming, former U.S. star Landon Donovan now says he is concerned about the prospects for Mauricio Pochettino's side to advance out of their group. The USMNT's chase for an eighth Gold Cup title kicks off against on Trinidad and Tobago on June 15. The Americans will then play guest nation Saudi Arabia four days later before wrapping up against Haiti on June 22.
“Saudi Arabia is a decent team," Donovan said on the Unfiltered podcast. "So that is not a walkover, Trinidad and aren’t great and Haiti are a sneaky good team… my guess is that Group D winner would play the Group C runner-up? And so this is aligned just the way CONCACAF wants it and, hopefully, U.S. fans want it. But my eyes jumped ahead to a potential U.S. v Panama or a U.S. v Jamaica in the next round.
“So do I think we should get out of this group? Absolutely. But Haiti is a sneaky good team, Saudi Arabia is a sneaky good team and the two performances we last saw from this U.S. group, they could absolutely not win those two games… I think there will be a response but certainly adds more intrigue to this Gold Cup.”
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Tim Howard, Donovan’s co-host on the podcast, praised Brian White’s four-goal performance for the Vancouver Whitecaps over the weekend and said that, if he maintains his form, he should be part of Pochettino's roster.
“We hope that there’s a lot of attention being paid by the USMNT’s staff to MLSers who aren’t necessarily at the front of the line," Howard said. "So what am I trying to say there? I’m trying to say that U.S. soccer, American soccer is lazy when it comes to identifying talent. We just take the people that are at the top of the list and forget everyone else.
"If Brian White continues to do the business should he have an opportunity to go to the Gold Cup? Absolutely. We are not a country that produce goalscorers, natural goalscorers. So if there’s somebody that’s firing them in, then absolutely he should be in contention for the Gold Cup squad.”
Donovan also praised Christian Pulisic’s performances for AC Milan, adding that his national teammates have let him down.
“So he is the heartbeat of that team, offensively, and he’s not always on the scoresheet – and he often has been – but everything goes through him," Donovan said of Pulisic. "And he’s just had an awesome season. And I’ve said this before, it’s why with the national team, I feel bad for him because he cares, he’s invested in it. And when he has to be a part of some of those performances, I’m sure it’s devastating. But he’s had a phenomenal year and I hope it continues out through May from now on."
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As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the USMNT's performance in the Gold Cup becomes crucial for building confidence and cohesion. The discussion around White's form highlights the ongoing search for consistent goalscoring options.
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The USMNT will next reunite in the June international break. The USMNT face Turkey and Switzerland on June 7 and 10, respectively, before the Gold Cup kicks off in mid-June.
Phoenix make it two wins from two games after unbroken partnership worth 78
Charlie Peters15-Aug-2022Birmingham Phoenix cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Trent Rockets at Edgbaston after an astonishing collapse from the visitors saw them slip from 70 for 1 to a sub-par total of 116 for 9.Emily Arlott was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 19 including the key scalp of captain Nat Sciver, and was ably supported by Georgia Elwiss and Sophie Molineux, who picked up two wickets apiece for the home side.Rockets never really looked as if they had an answer for the Phoenix’s all-round bowling brilliance, with all bar three batters failing to post double-digit scores.Phoenix then cantered home with the bat in reply, Amy Jones and Ellyse Perry posting an unbeaten 44 and 39 respectively to secure an undefeated start to the season for Phoenix.Rockets initially struggled to find any form of momentum in their innings. Molineux’s first set of 10 deliveries cost her just six runs inside the powerplay, and included the wicket of Bryony Smith for 1, leaving the visitors teetering at 1 for 1.Sciver, making her first Hundred appearance of 2022, and Elyse Villani were then able to build a solid foundation, taking the Rockets up to 70 for 1 thanks to their half-century partnership. It was a partnership of stability rather than intent, however, and when Villani holed out to Perry at long on off the bowling of Elwiss, it signalled the start of a miserable collapse for the away side.Sciver departed not long after for an uncharacteristically quiet run-a-ball 31, before overseas star Mignon du Preez hooked an Issy Wong short ball straight into the hands of Gwen Davies for just 2. Only Kathryn Bryce, Rockets’ No. 10, could register double digits as the visitors crumbled to an under par 116 for 9.Phoenix didn’t exactly get off to a flyer in reply, but then they had no need to with such a low total to chase. Sophie Devine holed out attempting to line up Sciver and departed for 16, while Eve Jones went for 11 not long after, but from then on it was plain sailing. No real risks were required, and Perry and Amy Jones were able to manipulate the field and pick up singles for much of the middle of the innings.Amy Jones in particular looked in fine touch, as she racked up her 44 off 32 deliveries. A succession of glorious shots off England’s Sarah Glenn flew off the bat and over the boundary rope for four to bring her side within touching distance of victory. The second, a reverse-paddle past point, stood out as a moment of brilliance in a largely jeopardy-free chase, as she and Perry accelerated at the death to see them over the line with nine balls to spare.Not even last week’s hat-trick hero Alana King could provide enough magic stardust to successfully defend the total the Rockets had posted earlier. Glenn and Katherine Brunt, too, were unable to find that all important breakthrough, and both finished wicketless as the Phoenix simply proved too much to handle.
There has not been very much to shout about for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are still in three cup competitions, but in the Premier League, they have slipped down to 15th, and unfortunately for the fans, it’s a position that accurately reflects the team’s performances.
With that said, one of the few positives this season has been how summer signing Dominic Solanke has adapted to life under Postecoglou, as the former Bournemouth ace has already hit double digits for goals and sits second on the club’s top scorers list.
However, the problem for the club is that they have nobody to genuinely challenge him for a place in the team, and now he’s out injured, they might have to rely on the injury-prone and inconsistent Richarlison for at least “a few weeks.”
Fortunately, that may not be the case, as recent reports have linked Spurs with one of the most exciting centre-forwards in the league, a striker who could solve their Solanke problem.
Tottenham target Premier League star
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Lilywhites are ‘considering a blockbuster move’ for the Englishman this month but could be set to face competition from London rivals Chelsea.
However, the report also claims that the Tractor Boys are understandably reluctant to sell their star asset this month and that to get the deal done, the North Londoners would have to make an offer in excess of £40m for a player who cost just £20m in the summer.
It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line this month, but given Delap’s incredible ability and potential, one well worth fighting for, especially as he could also solve their Solanke problem.
Why Spurs should sign Delap
So there are two primary reasons that Spurs should be looking to sign Delap this month, with the first being that he’d be able to solve the club’s problem of having no real backup to Solanke.
We say that the Englishman could fulfil this role perfectly as the only other player he might be up against, if he’s not sold, would be Richarlison.
The former Everton forward is undoubtedly a talented player, but he’s had his fair share of injury problems in North London, and even when he’s played, he’s not been good enough, as exemplified by his lacklustre haul of 17 goals and nine assists in 75 appearances for the club.
Appearances
22
Minutes
1626′
Goals
8
Assists
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.45
Minutes per Goal Involvement
162.6′
In contrast, the former Manchester City prospect, whom Opta Analyst dubbed a “one-man battering ram”, has already racked up a tally of eight goals and two assists in just 22 appearances for Ipswich, which is a frankly sensational return for a relegation-threatened Premier League team.
This astounding rate of return for a newly promoted side leads to the second reason the Lilywhites should be looking to splash the cash on the Winchester-born gem this month: potential.
If the club are going to push ahead with the Postecoglou vision and build a team of young hungry potential superstars for the Australian to develop, then they’ll need to have a genuinely special successor in place for when Solanke ends up on the wrong side of 30, and considering he’s set to turn 28 this year, that isn’t all that far away.
Moreover, with the absurd number of games teams have to play nowadays, there are more than enough minutes to share between both strikers, which could, in turn, help prevent injuries.
Ultimately, Spurs already have a brilliant centre-forward in Solanke, but they need a backup and long-term heir to help Postecoglou’s project progress, and the perfect candidate for both of those roles is undoubtedly Delap.
Spurs line up move for amazing Dragusin upgrade who's played for England
The incredible defender would be an instant upgrade for Spurs.
Chelsea's hopes of signing a new striker are being hindered by the stringent wage structure the club has put in place.
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Chelsea looking to sign new striker in summerBlues offering lower wages than English rivalsLiam Delap among targets on their shortlistFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues are in the market to sign a new striker this summer, but competition for the top targets is intense as the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are all looking to strengthen in attack, too.
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The London club are at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating with targets, though, due to the low salaries they are putting on the table in comparison to their rivals, instead offering to compensate players by including big incentives in their contracts. According to the , one striker has already knocked Chelsea back as other clubs offered higher wages, including one from the bottom half of the Premier League.
DID YOU KNOW?
Chelsea have been linked with a number of forwards as the summer transfer window approaches, with Ipswich striker Liam Delap, Strasbourg's Dilane Bakwa and Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica among those on their shortlist.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
After facing Legia Warsaw in the Conference League on Thursday, Enzo Maresca and Chelsea will get another close look at one of those targets on Sunday when they host Delap and Ipswich at Stamford Bridge.
The allrounder, who is unavailable for the T20Is against New Zealand, is playing for the Manchester Originals in the Hundred
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2022With two more high-profile T20 leagues coming up, top West Indian players are set to be in great demand, and the situation has all the makings of a fresh scrap between the players and the team management, and, by extension, the cricket board. It might have begun already.On Wednesday, Phil Simmons, the head coach of the West Indies men’s team, and Desmond Haynes, the lead selector, had expressed their disappointment at the lack of clarity over the unavailability of certain players, including Andre Russell.Related
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“It hurts,” Simmons said. “There’s no other way to put it. But what can you do? I don’t think that I should be begging people to play for their countries. I think if you want to represent West Indies, you will make yourself available.”Russell has now offered a somewhat cryptic social-media response to these comments, putting up an Instagram post with a screenshot of ESPNcricinfo’s news piece with Simmons’ quote in the headline, and this comment: “I know this was coming but am gonna stay quiet!!!”Russell hasn’t turned out for West Indies since the 2021 T20 World Cup. He isn’t part of their squad for the ongoing three-match T20I series against New Zealand – Haynes said “he is unavailable because he hasn’t made himself available” – but is playing for the Manchester Originals in the Hundred. He was also part of the list of overseas players unveiled by the UAE’s ILT20, which begins in January next year.Sunil Narine is also at the Hundred. His last appearance for West Indies was in a T20I in August 2019. Evin Lewis and Oshane Thomas have not appeared for their fitness tests, according to Haynes, though Lewis has signed a deal with Jaffna Kings in the upcoming edition of the Lanka Premier League. Fabian Allen has pulled out for personal reasons.
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A post shared by Andre Russell Dre Russ. (@ar12russell)
Jason Holder, Obed McCoy, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Romario Shepherd and Jayden Seales, who have turned out regularly for West Indies in recent months, have all signed up for the South African T20 league, which will be played almost concurrently with the ILT20 next year. Apart from Russell and Narine, Allen, Lewis, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Dwayne Bravo are on board for the ILT20.Due to all this, West Indies are far from getting their full crop of top T20I players together despite the T20 World Cup, which begins in Australia in mid-October, looming.It appears, now, that some sort of breaking point might have been reached. According to Haynes, the West Indies management will give more weightage to performances in CWI-run tournaments, like the upcoming CPL, for selection.”If there is a competition that is run by the West Indies (and) somebody is playing well, I think his name should really come up for selection,” Haynes said. “That performance is very important to us, and we didn’t say that we have picked the World Cup team yet, so all the games that are going to be played leading up to the World Cup, we must take into consideration.”Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are playing in the Men’s Hundred right now•Getty Images for Surrey CCCRussell and Narine, among others, are CPL regulars, so there is a chance that they might not be out of the fray for the T20 World Cup just yet.Speaking on his international future, Narine recently told ESPNcricinfo, “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on, which I don’t really want to get into, but I mean, everybody would love to represent their country. It’s a hard thing watching them knowing that you want to be part of it and you’re not part of it.”Things happen for a reason and hopefully in the future I’ll be wearing maroon again, but until then, I’d still love to play for Windies. We shall see when that opportunity comes, but there will never be a no for West Indies.”Russell has also in the past spoken about his desire to represent West Indies as much as possible, while at the same time seeming to prioritise franchise cricket over internationals. Late last year, for instance, he played for Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, but opted out of West Indies’ tour of Pakistan, which began just over a week later, for personal reasons.
The revamped format of the Champions League raised some eyebrows when it was announced, replacing the 32-team tournament that had been in place for over 20 years.
Change is inevitable in football, as in every sport, and the new system has worked quite well, producing some excellent matches, while giving those lower down the food chain a chance to secure a place in the last 16.
The top 11 clubs with the most wins in Champions League matches
All bar one have won the Champions League before…
ByRoss Kilvington Dec 24, 2024
Since the 1992/93 season – the inaugural campaign of the revamped Champions League – there have been several high-scoring matches in the competition, some featuring the most successful teams in Europe.
Here, we have taken a deeper look at the highest-scoring Champions League matches over the previous 33 years.
Featuring the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and erm, Aalborg, take a walk down memory lane to relive some wonderful games.
Rank
Result
Season
1
Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw
2016/17
=2
Bayern Munich 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb
2024/25
=2
Monaco 8-3 Deportivo
2003/04
4
Bayern Munich 8-2 Barcelona
2019/20
=5
Benfica 4-5 Barcelona
2024/25
=5
PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa
2022/23
=5
Man City 6-3 RB Leipzig
2021/22
=5
Tottenham 2-7 Bayern Munich
2019/20
=5
Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg
2008/09
=5
Lyon 7-2 Werder Bremen
2004/05
=5
PSG 7-2 Rosenborg
2000/01
Via UEFA.com
11 PSG 7-2 Rosenborg Group stage, 2000/01
The 2000/01 season marked just the third time that PSG had qualified for the Champions League. They reached the semi-finals in 1994/95, while exiting the group stage in 1997/98.
This stunning 7-2 victory over Rosenborg was certainly impressive. In all, six different scorers gave the French side all three points, with Nicolas Anelka scoring twice in the demolition of the Norwegian champions.
They ended up finishing second behind Bayern Munich in the first group stage, before bowing out in the second group phase with just five points behind Deportivo, Galatasaray and Milan.
10 Lyon 7-2 Werder Bremen Round of 16 second leg, 2004/05
Lyon
Lyon’s dominance of French football since 2003 had yet to see them really offer much in European competition, but this 7-2 win over Werder Bremen – who won the Bundesliga in 2003/04 – offered hope that this could be their year.
With a team featuring Michael Essien, Sylvain Wiltord and Florent Malouda, the German side were certainly up against it. Indeed, six of Lyon’s goals were scored between these three, with Wiltord scoring a stunning hat-trick.
Lyon had won the first leg 3-0, so this win sealed a dominant 10-2 aggregate victory as they reached the quarter-finals. Despite being slight favourites in the following round, they succumbed to PSV on penalties after the teams couldn’t be separated.
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ByCharlie Smith May 14, 2025 9 Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg Group stage, 2008/09
Perhaps not the two strongest sides in the competition, but nevertheless, Villarreal and Danish side Aalborg played one of the most entertaining matches in the 2008/09 season.
The game was finely poised at 2-2 at the interval, but the La Liga side showed their class in the second period, netting four times to seal the win.
Aalborg didn’t do too badly in the end despite the defeat, finishing third in the group after beating Celtic, but Villarreal, who made the quarter-finals, were at a different level during the 6-3 win.
8 Tottenham 2-7 Bayern Munich Group stage, 2019/20
This wasn’t the first time Bayern Munich had scored five or more goals against a team from north London, doing so against Arsenal at the last-16 stage during the 2016/17 season in back-to-back matches.
This defeat was certainly painful for Spurs. The club had reached their first final in the competition’s history in the previous June and were eyeing a repeat. Bayern put a dent in those ambitions early on.
Despite Son Heung-min giving the home side an early lead, Bayern scored four without reply to practically secure the win. Harry Kane pulled one back in the second half, but another three goals for the Bundesliga side in the final seven minutes ensured a humiliating defeat for Mauricio Pochettino.
7 Manchester City 6-3 RB Leipzig Group stage, 2021/22
Manchester City had reached the Champions League final only months prior to this clash against RB Leipzig, but Pep Guardiola was outfoxed by Thomas Tuchel, who led Chelsea to a stunning 1-0 win in Porto.
Prior to that, they had reached the semi-finals just once since their takeover in 2008, and winning the competition was seen as a must if the club wanted to count themselves among the best in the world.
They started off the 2021/22 season well with this dominant display against the German side. Remarkably, it was 3-2 to City with 40 minutes to go, before they netted a further three times to secure all three points.
The Citizens reached the semi-finals, but failed to make it to another final after dramatically losing to Real Madrid.
6 PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa Group stage, 2022/23
Neymar and Lionel Messi of PSG
PSG’s 7-2 demolition of Maccabi Haifa saw Lionel Messi score twice for the French side on the way to an easy victory.
Kylian Mbappé also got in on the act, netting two goals during the game, while Neymar, not one to be left out, scored once as the Israeli side were totally outplayed in Paris.
Despite this win and boasting that exceptional front three, the Ligue 1 side were knocked out at the last-16 stage, suffering an 3-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich, losing both legs.
5 Benfica 4-5 Barcelona League phase, 2024/25
Barcelona
This nine-goal thriller was one of the best the Champions League has ever seen, with hat-tricks, penalties and a superb comeback capping a marvellous evening’s entertainment.
Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis joined a rare group of players who have managed to score a hat-trick in the Champions League against Barcelona, with only Kylian Mbappé, Andriy Shevchenko and Faustino Asprilla managing the feat.
The Greek striker’s 28-minute hat-trick and Ronald Araujo’s own goal had given the hosts a 4-2 lead with just over 20 minutes to go, before Robert Lewandowski’s second of the night set up a nervy finish.
And just as Eric Garcia had looked to have gained a point, Raphinha’s last-minute winner in the driving rain capped a frenetic night as Barca also survived a late VAR check.
4 Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich Quarter-final, 2019/20
Bayern Munich against Barcelona
Due to the pandemic shutting down European football between March and June 2020, the finals stages of the 2019/20 tournament were played as single-match knockout ties at a neutral venue in Lisbon.
Bayern became the first club to score eight goals during a single Champions League knockout match with their demolition of Barcelona.
The German side led 4-2 after just 31 minutes as goals from Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski and a double from Philippe Coutinho – who was on loan at Bayern from Barcelona – sent the club through to the semi-finals while sending shockwaves throughout Europe.
The Bavarian side ended up claiming their sixth triumph in the competition following a 1-0 win over PSG in the final, but it is the tie against Barcelona which stands out as one of the finest team displays in the tournament’s history.
3 Monaco 8-3 Deportivo Group stage, 2003/04
Dado Prso
The 2003/04 season was full of surprises in the Champions League, but one of the best moments came during the group stage.
Monaco, under the leadership of Didier Deschamps, were not expected to go as far as they did, but confidence was certainly gained from their 8-3 win over Deportivo.
Croatian forward Dado Prso had a superb match. The striker was approaching the final years of his career, but netted four times for the French side as they secured an impressive win.
Incredibly, Monaco led 5-3 at the interval in what was one of the most entertaining first halves of football anyone is likely to see, especially in the Champions League.
Only three goals were scored in the second period as Monaco reached eight, and they carried this form all the way to the final, where the club were defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto.
2 Bayern Munich 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb League phase, 2024/25
Bayern are the only club in the Champions League to score seven, eight and nine goals in one game. Against Dinamo Zagreb in the first match of the current season, they got off to a perfect start under Vincent Kompany.
After 50 minutes, the score was 3-2 in favour of the home side, but a remarkable six goals were scored in the final 40 minutes, Harry Kane scored four and Michael Olise netted twice as a statement was sent by Kompany and his men that they would be tough to beat.
It’s been about a year and a half since Tottenham Hotspur appointed Ange Postecoglou as their head coach.
Since then, the Australian has overseen three transfer windows – including this one – and it would be fair to say that while he’s had a few misses, he’s also had a few big hits.
The likes of Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison have significantly impacted the club since arriving, as has club record signing Dominic Solanke.
The Englishman has been one of the team’s better players this season but is now set to miss a “few weeks” through injury, and when he gets back, he may face fresh competition, as recent reports have touted an even more dangerous number nine with a move to N17.
Tottenham target Champions League striker
According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are one of several top teams interested in Feyenoord’s star striker, Santiago Gimenez.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Alongside the Lilywhites, Bailey claims that West Ham United have launched their first moves, having made contact with the Dutch side over a potential deal for the free-scoring forward this month.
However, the bad news for Spurs and the Irons is that, as things stand, it would appear as if Italian giants AC Milan will be the ones to secure his services, as they are confident of closing a £34m deal.
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez
With that said, until all parties have signed on the dotted line, there is still a chance for the North Londoners to hijack the transfer, and given Gimenez’s incredible ability and the price being mooted, that is what they should be doing, especially as the Mexican international could be even more dangerous than Solanke.
How Gimenez compares to Solanke
So, if Spurs were to show their financial muscle this week and fight their way to the front of the queue for Gimenez, then in the immediate future, he’d be the perfect cover for the injured Solanke.
However, who’d end up as Postecoglou’s first choice once the Englishman returns from said injury? Well, based on the last few seasons, we reckon the former Bournemouth star will have a more challenging time of things than perhaps people expect.
For example, in just 18 appearances, totalling 1186 minutes, this season, the Mexican goal “machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has found the back of the net on 15 occasions and provided three assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every game, or every 65.88 minutes.
Appearances
18
29
Minutes
1186′
2248′
Goals
15
11
Assists
3
6
Goal Involvements per Match
1.00
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
65.88′
132.23′
In contrast, the Lilywhites’ new number nine has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 29 appearances, totalling 2248 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games, or every 132.23 minutes.
Now, there is obviously something to be said about the quality of the Premier League compared to the quality of the Eredivisie, but the counter to that is how well the two strikers have done in Europe this season.
For example, in four appearances in the Champions League for Feyenoord, the former Cruz Azul star has scored four goals – including a brace against Bayern Munich – and provided an assist for good measure.
In contrast, the Basingstoke-born poacher has a tally of two goals and two assists in six Europa League games, which isn’t poor but is notably less impressive than his potential rival’s European record.
Ultimately, Spurs are in need of attacking reinforcements anyway, so with Gimenez clearly available this month, they should be going all out to sign him, and then we’ll be able to find out if he really is more dangerous than Solanke, as he appears to be.
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PGMOL chief Howard Webb claimed James Tarkowski should have been sent off for his horror challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside derby.
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Webb claimed Tarkowski should have been sent offMade horror challenge on Mac AllisterLiverpool beat Everton 1-0Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The PGMOL boss admitted that it should have been a straight red card for Everton captain Turkowski for his horror challenge on Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside derby earlier this month. The on-field referee, Sam Barrott, awarded a foul and showed a yellow card to Tarkowski. VAR Paul Tierney then reviewed the incident for a potential red card, but he concluded that the Toffees skipper had won the ball first and that the subsequent contact was unavoidable. Tierney and AVAR Adam Nunn approved the on-field decision of a yellow card.
AdvertisementWHAT HOWARD WEBB SAID
Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said: "This is a red-card challenge. It’s an error by the officials not to send Tarkowski off. From the outset with this show, we’ve committed to showing good examples of VAR use and also where we don't use it in the right way, and this was one of those examples.
"The referee recognises on the field that Tarkowski plays the ball and feels that the way he does so is reckless. The VAR then checks that on-field decision of a yellow card and puts too much focus on the fact that Tarkowski plays the ball."But Tarkowski makes a choice to play the ball in that way. Players have to consider their opponent’s safety, even when playing the ball. Tarkowski lunges into the challenge using excessive force and endangers Mac Allister’s safety. It should have been a red card."
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After the game, Turkowski admitted that it was a poor challenge and that he had apologised to the Argentine. He had told the reporters, "It's not a great challenge. I spoke to him and I apologised because it's not a great tackle. When the ball fell between us, I thought he was just going to come and I was expecting a big old-school 50-50 tackle but he just pulled out the tackle and as I lunged in I followed through and caught him pretty high so I've apologised to him and he's accepted it. Yeah, not a great one from me."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Arne Slot's side could seal their record-equalling 20th English top-flight this Sunday as they host a struggling Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
England seek answers to rampant top-order with lure of Lord’s finale to come
Valkerie Baynes20-Sep-2022Stopping India’s rampant top-order – especially Smriti Mandhana – is England’s target if they are to keep their ODI series alive and prevent the final match at Lord’s from becoming a dead rubber.Mandhana produced a match-defining knock of 91 as India overhauled a target of 228 with seven wickets and 5.4 overs to spare at Hove on Sunday, to go 1-0 up in the ODI leg of their tour. She was well backed up by Harmanpreet Kaur’s 74 not out and Yastika Bhatia’s half-century as the visitors reached 232 for 3 in reply to England’s 227 for 7.That performance came after Mandhana had kept her side in the T20I series with an unbeaten 79 as India won the second match in Derby before England sealed it 2-1 with victory in the decider in Bristol.Sophia Dunkley – the leading run-scorer for the T20Is with 115 runs at 57.50, just ahead of second-placed Mandhana’s 111 at 55.50 – said England had it all to play for in Wednesday’s day-night match in Canterbury. Apart from the 50-over series being on the line, it will be Lisa Keightley’s penultimate game as England head coach and marks the 99th ODI for Tammy Beaumont, who lost her place as T20I opener to Dunkley this summer.”We’ve got a lot to think about tomorrow,” Dunkley said on Tuesday. “The next two games for us are must-win games if we want to win the series. It would be great if we could set it up to be a series decider at Lord’s and make it a really great occasion… Lisa’s last game and Tammy’s 100th game as well.”In Hove, Dunkley scored 29 off 52 balls at No. 3, while middle-order batters Danni Wyatt (43 off 50) and Alice Davidson-Richards (50 not out off 61) pushed the hosts towards a competitive total after slumping to 94 for 5 and 128 for 6. Davidson-Richards was given handy late support from Sophie Ecclestone, who made 31 from 33 balls, and Charlie Dean with 24 not out from 21.”They’ve got some experienced players all the way down, so it just depends really on the day what we’re coming up against, but Smriti and Harman batted extremely well the other day and really took us out of the game so they’re definitely key wickets for us,” Dunkley said. “Smriti is obviously a very, very good and experienced player and the weaknesses are quite limited but I think we’ve done really well in our analysing chats to know where we want to bowl, so I think if we execute that it’s, ‘see what she can come back with’.”The other day we just weren’t probably at our best with bat or ball so it’s just little things that we need to rectify, to get on top and go again tomorrow.”Related
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Mandhana rises to career-best second spot in T20I batting rankings
Mandhana moved up three places in the ICC’s T20I rankings released on Tuesday to a career-best No. 2 behind Australia’s Beth Mooney. In ODIs, Mandhana also advanced three places to No. 7.Dunkley, who re-established her place in the England set-up when India toured England last summer – initially in the middle order, has since moved to open in T20Is and No. 3 in ODIs.”For me, probably the biggest achievement was probably just pushing up the batting order in both formats,” Dunkley said, after a remarkable 15 months which began with her Test debut against India in Bristol, in which she scored an unbeaten 74 at No. 6.”It’s really exciting. It’s where I want to be in both those formats and just a great opportunity going forward to take a bit of responsibility with the bat and try and impact our game for England going forward.”In the opening T20I of this tour, Dunkley overcame a difficult and chance-laden start to guide England’s successful run chase with an unbeaten 61 in 44 balls, after legspinner Sarah Glenn had kept India well contained with a career-best 4 for 23. Dunkley backed herself to soak up similar pressure from an India bowling attack which has added the vastly experienced duo of Jhulan Goswami and Rajeshwari Gayakwad since the T20Is.”Still these positions are very new to me,” Dunkley said of her batting-order promotion. “I’m still learning and hopefully in the next year I’ll really nail on how I want to go about it.””Gayakwad and Goswami are very experienced bowlers and they bowled very well against us in the in the first ODI for sure,” Dunkley added. “We had a fairly successful T20 series and the ODI format’s slightly different, so I think it’s looking at the plans we’ve got to combat that, and how we’re going to come back in the next game.”
Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their defence during the final days of the transfer window, hijacking a move to sign defender Kevin Danso from French side Lens.
It looked as though he was set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, but it is Spurs who have secured his signature on an initial loan deal, which includes an option to buy in the summer for a fee of around £21m.
Lens defender Kevin Danso.
Ange Postecoglou moved onto defensive targets due to his current injury crisis at the back coupled with a series of poor performances that only stopped with their win over Brentford on Sunday afternoon.
That said, Danso wasn’t the only player to arrive in the last couple of days of the window…
How Tottenham signed Mathys Tel on deadline day
Last week, Spurs were keen on signing the Bayern Munich forward in a bid to bolster their squad ahead of the final few weeks of the season.
According to Sky Germany – as per Sky Sports – the two clubs had agreed on a deal worth £50m for the transfer of the Frenchman, but he initially turned a move to the club down.
Mathys Tel
This was certainly a big blow for the club, especially as they aim to improve on their recent poor form and a big signing like Tel would have given Spurs a major boost.
Fortunately, in dramatic circumstances on transfer deadline day, the French teenager reversed his decision and decided to sign for the Lilywhites on loan after a personal phone call with Postecoglou.
Nevertheless, despite their poor form, the manager has plenty of players who can cause chaos in the final third alongside Tel. Indeed, one of them is worth even more than the Bayern centre-forward…
Worth more than Tel: Ange has struck gold on Spurs star
Brennan Johnson joined Spurs on deadline day in 2023, moving from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £47.5m. He had scored eight times for the club the previous season as they remained in the top flight, and it looked like Johnson would be a good signing for Spurs.
Five goals and ten assists in the top flight for a more than promising return for the right-winger in his first season at his new club, even being hailed by pundits and media alike, including Palace podcast HLTCO, who said:
“Johnson is such an exciting player to watch. He’s got frightening pace and directness; constantly looking to make something happen, it must be an absolute nightmare to defend against him.”
Goals
0
7
Assists
1
2
Big chances created
1
3
Shots per game
1.3
2.1
Successful dribbles per game
0.8
0.7
Key passes per game
0.1
0.7
He has certainly improved this season – notably scoring seven goals in seven consecutive games. Not only does the Welshman now already have 12 goals to his name across all competitions, but the 23-year-old has also recorded three assists for Spurs.
The winger has also created three big chances in the top flight while succeeding with 56% of his dribble attempts.
Such performances for Spurs have seen his market value rise since making the move to London. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Johnson is currently valued at €80m (£66.5m), which is proof of just how much the player has improved at Spurs.
Not only that, but they have also hit gold on the winger, who coincidentally is worth millions more than Tel.
Saved by Sarr: 6/10 Spurs dud just showed why Spurs need to spend millions
Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first Premier League win since December against Brentford.