Will Arsenal have any of their injured attackers back?

Ahead of Sunday’s North London derby, as well as star centre-back Gabriel, Gooners fear that as many as six forward players could remain on the sidelines.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke have all been out long-term, with Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres and Martin Ødegaard joining them in the treatment room more recently.

So, if none are back, Mikel Arteta remains very short of forward options, which isn’t ideal considering games against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are up next, meaning Mikel Merino could once again be thrust into the emergency centre-forward role.

With Ødegaard out, the Spaniard will have Eberechi Eze behind him, although the England international will need to improve upon his recent displays.

He did find the net for Thomas Tuchel’s side last week but hasn’t had much to cheer about in recent weeks beyond that.

Eberechi Eze's start to life at Arsenal

Eze’s move from Crystal Palace is the most excited the Arsenal fan base have been about a signing since Mesut Özil’s deadline day move from Real Madrid in 2013.

That’s not just because he is such an enthralling player, but the fact that he appeared destined to join Spurs, before a last-minute U-turn.

His presentation on the pitch prior to the first home game of the season against Leeds was genuinely a spine-tingling moment, but now the dust has settled, the discussion is around Eze’s performances.

Many suggested the England international had been signed to play on the left wing but, in the absence of Ødegaard, he has started the last eight Premier League and Champions League games in a more central role.

Well, so far, Eze has scored two goals and registered three assists, lashing in a spectacular scissor-kick against, who else, former club Crystal Palace in a 1-0 victory last month.

Nevertheless, supporters would like to see a little bit more end-product from their high-profile new addition, considering all the numerous absentees, aiming to add to his tally against Tottenham on Sunday; should he manage it, the roof might just come off.

Considering all their sidelined stars, determined not to allow another campaign to be derailed by injuries, could Andrea Berta and Arteta enter the transfer market in January, which opens in just 42 days, and attempt to bring “one of the best wingers in the world” to North London?

Arsenal targeting a world-class Eze upgrade

It was one of the sagas of the summer, but we’re back here again!

According to reports over recent days, Arsenal are willing to spend as much as £80m to sign Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, with further claims stipulating that Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City have registered official offers for the player.

The 24-year-old has started just three times for los Blancos this season, included in Xabi Alonso’s lineup for just one of the last ten La Liga games, yet to score this season.

Despite this, Rodrygo did start both of Brazil’s friendlies during the international break, these against Senegal in North London and Tunisia in Lille, still very much trusted by Seleção boss Carlo Ancelotti, but could he push for a January move away from the Bernabéu to increase his chances of featuring prominently at the World Cup?

Thus, other reports in Spain claim that President Florentino Pérez would sanction a sale in January should a Premier League club bid £70m or more.

So would the winger be worth such heavy investment? Let’s compare his statistics last season to Eze to help answer that question.

Appearances

54

43

Minutes

3,453

3,303

Goals

14

14

Assists

11

11

Big chances missed

6

8

Shooting accuracy

53%

48%

Chances created per 90

2.3

2

Big chances created

9

11

Dribbles success %

58%

51.9%

Possession lost per 90

12.5

15.2

Touches per 90

67.1

54.9

As the table documents, the duo’s statistics were remarkably similar last season; the Brazilian played only 150 more minutes across all competitions, with Rodrygo and Eze both scoring 14 goals and registering exactly 11 assists apiece.

When looking at the underlying numbers though is where the difference is made apparent, with the Brazilian coming out on top when it comes to chances created, dribbling and touches per 90.

Spencer Mossman labels him “one of the best wingers in the world”, while Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham asserted that Rodrygo is “the most gifted player in the squad”, adding that he is “underrated” and “does a lot for the team”, something Arteta would certainly appreciate.

Thus, it is clear that Rodrygo and Eze are very different players, with the Englishman more of a chance creator, while the Brazilian is a direct winger who boasts blistering pace and the ability to take on and glide past defenders.

Right now, particularly with Martinelli, Madueke and Gyökeres in the treatment room, the Gunners would certainly benefit from adding someone with Rodrygo’s talent, skillset and quality, so could he be the final piece in the jigsaw as they chase that elusive first Premier League title for 22 years?

Arteta can fix Gabriel injury blow by unleashing Arsenal's £45m "beast"

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Nov 16, 2025

It is not controversial to say that Tottenham Hotspur have struggled in the Premier League this season, though, adopting a glass-half-full mentality, it could also be suggested that Thomas Frank’s project, in its infancy, has the potential to be a success.

However, we need to see a more synergised frontline and a sharper overall build-up strategy. Spurs have struggled for stable home form and fluency in their creativity this season, and that has formed the crux of their struggles.

Many players have flattered to deceive, but Johnson’s poor performances have perhaps gone somewhat under the radar as Frank continues to hand the Wales international a second-string role.

Brennan Johnson's struggles at Spurs

In keeping with the wider narrative at Tottenham, Johnson has ebbed and flowed since joining the club from Nottingham Forest for around £47.5m in 2023. However, he will be desperate for an uptick in form after a tough start to the Frank era, peripheral after scoring 17 goals across all competitions last year.

Johnson may have an eye for goal, but Frank clearly doesn’t fancy him as a regular starting option for the Lilywhites at the moment, with the Welshman only starting three of the past 11 fixtures in the Premier League.

Despite scoring in both of Tottenham’s opening league outings, he has offered very little in regard to ball-carrying and creative metrics, clinical when afforded space in the danger area but offering very little else for an outfit desperate for more dynamism.

See below for how Johnson’s data from the top-flight terms matches up against the form of Mohamed Kudus, and you’ll get a sense of why Frank is loath to give him a starting berth.

Premier League 25/26 – Mohammed Kudus vs Brennan Johnson

Stats (* per game)

Kudus

Johnson

Matches (starts)

13 (13)

13 (6)

Goals

2

2

Assists

5

0

Touches*

52.4

17.8

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.5)

0.4 (0.2)

Accurate passes*

20.9 (87%)

6.7 (70%)

Chances created*

1.6

0.4

Succ. dribbles*

3.1

0.2

Ball recoveries*

5.1

0.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.9

1.1

Duels won*

6.5

1.8

Data via Sofascore

This isn’t good enough. Johnson has the physicality and electric nature to provide much more. After all, he has been hailed by content creator HLTCO in the past for his “frightening” pace and directness down the flank, right or left.

But time is surely running out for him to nail down a regular starting berth. He’s unlikely to displace Kudus, and while most Lilywhites have left something to be desired this season, there’s a lot of quality there.

And there’s more still to come, with an out-on-loan star sure to be eyeing a place above Johnson in the north London pecking order next season.

The Spurs star who could replace Johnson

Analyst Ben Mattinson has described Mikey Moore as a prospect with “superstar potential”, having taken his first steps in Tottenham’s first team last season, scoring his first senior goal in the Europa League and racking up two assists besides across 19 matches in all competitions.

Moore is currently sidelined with a muscular injury, approaching one month since last playing in the Scottish Premiership, and though he struggled to impose himself throughout the early weeks of the campaign, Rangers’ abject form made it difficult for the youngster to hit the ground running.

His natural potency in the final third and underlying athleticism suggest that he might be the perfect Johnson heir, especially since he is comfortable playing across both flanks.

Spurs writer James Harris has even said that he could “bring back the old Aaron Lennon” to north London, so dangerous and dynamic when running with the ball.

Lennon racked up 364 appearances as a right winger for Tottenham, and pace and potency were staples of his game. Like Moore, he was an incredibly direct winger; though he offered far more from a creative standpoint than, say, Johnson, there’s a sense that Moore might share the retired England star’s protean threat.

Though it hasn’t been plain sailing for Moore in the highlands this season, it’s probably fair to say that the experience has toughened him up some, and that could prove instrumental in nailing down a starting spot down the line at Tottenham.

Already, he is showing that he has more in his locker than Johnson, a wider and more threatening array of skills.

Expect big things from this kid in the future, even if that comes at Johnson’s expense, it will help elevate Frank’s project.

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West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…

West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”

“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”

Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.

That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.

That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.

Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium

The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.

As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.

Callum McGregor and substitute Callum Osmand scored in extra-time as Celtic emerged victors in an epic Premier Sports Cup semi-final against 10-man Rangers at Hampden Park.

With former Hoops boss Martin O’Neill back in the dugout as interim manager after taking over from Brendan Rodgers last Monday – along with Shaun Maloney – Celtic took the lead through Johnny Kenny after 25 minutes and then Gers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh for a reckless challenge on Anthony Ralston.

The Ibrox side, with new head coach Danny Rohl taking charge of his first Old Firm game, fought back in the second half with captain James Tavernier levelling from the spot in the 81st minute to take the game to extra-time.

However, McGregor thundered in a goal three minutes after the restart, before teenager Osmand scored his first Celtic goal 15 minutes later for a 3-1 win which sets up a meeting with St Mirren in the final on December 14 at the national stadium.

An exhausting afternoon began with Celtic quickly into their stride. Japan striker Daizen Maeda was through and shot straight at Jack Butland but the Gers goalkeeper was as bemused as anyone seconds later when Ibrox defender Nasser Djiga’s attempted clearance cannoned off midfielder Nicolas Raskin and ended up in the Rangers net, only for VAR to confirm Maeda was offside in the build-up.

Moments later, Gers striker Youssef Chermiti missed the target from six yards after Mohamed Diomande had picked him out.

However, when Kenny jumped highest in the box to head in an Arne Engels corner with barely a challenge from four blue jerseys around him, Celtic were deservedly ahead.

Butland saved a powerful Kenny drive before Hoops keeper Kasper Schmeichel blocked a Raskin drive with his leg after a Gers counter, then Chermiti failed to connect properly with Tavernier’s free-kick when only two yards from goal.

When the hitherto anonymous Aasgaard was sent packing for a needless lunge at Ralston, Rangers’ task became even more difficult.

There were loud and angry Gers shouts for a red card when Celtic defender Auston Trusty left his boot on Butland’s face after the keeper had gathered the ball but Walsh produced only a yellow.

What VAR said on Trusty yellow card in Celtic vs Rangers

Talking about the incident at half-time on Premier Sports, it was confirmed that “VAR said” Trusty’s challenge was “reckless” but was still only worthy of a yellow card.

Better than Ange: Celtic reach out to hire "tactically unbeatable" manager

Pakistan will go through to the final, and will play either Australia or South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025India Champions have refused to play their semi-final against Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends due to strained political relations between the two countries. The match was scheduled to be played in Birmingham on Thursday; Pakistan Champions will progress to the final and play the winner of the second semi-final between Australia Champions and South Africa Champions.The India Champions team, which includes players such as Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa, had also refused to play their group match against Pakistan Champions on July 20.While the teams had shared points on that occasion, Pakistan Champions progressed to the final after India Champions refused to play the semi-final because they finished top of the group with nine points. India Champions had placed fourth with three points. The event organisers confirmed a 50% refund to the fans who had purchased tickets for the semi-finals.Sporting relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated due to the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir in April this year, and the military skirmish that followed between the two.While the international teams of India and Pakistan have not yet faced each other since then, the men’s teams are due to face each other in the Asia Cup in the UAE on September 14, while the women’s teams have their ODI World Cup match in Colombo on October 6.

Trescothick suggests performances in warm-up match against Lions are unlikely to affect selection for first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-20252:32

Pope ‘undermined’ by England treatment

England have hinted that they will pick Ollie Pope at No. 3 in their warm-up game against the Lions on Thursday, indicating that he is likely to beat Jacob Bethell to selection for the first Test against Australia in Perth next week.Harry Brook said that players were told they will be “going hard” against the Lions in their three-day practice match by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes at the start of their Tuesday training session. Some England players may also feature for the Lions, who have brought an 18-man squad to Australia.”That was partly what Baz and Stokesy said,” Brook told England’s social channels. “We’re going hard. We’re going to go 100%. We’re going to try and beat them. I think we’re going to be selecting an XI and playing against another XI, so it’s not going to be just a mess-around… It’s good preparation playing against some of the best players in England ahead of the Ashes.”Pope’s position at No. 3 has been under pressure ever since Bethell’s maiden Test series in New Zealand last year, when he made three half-centuries in the role. England’s decision to transfer the vice-captaincy from Pope to Brook last month only fuelled speculation that Bethell would start the Ashes in the role.But Marcus Trescothick, one of McCullum’s assistant coaches, gave a strong hint that Pope will retain his spot for the warm-up match. “I’m presuming the same sort of No. 3 we’ve had for a period of time,” he told BBC Sport, when asked who would bat there. He added: “I can only say we are a very consistent team in what we’re trying to do.”Trescothick also said that performances in the warm-up match were unlikely to affect selection for the first Test.”It’s definitely not going to change dramatically before the start of an Ashes series because someone puts their hand up by taking five wickets or gets 150,” he said. “The team has been what it has been for a period of time for a reason, so that when you come to big series, you are more settled and confident going into it.”England have trained at Lilac Hill, the venue for the warm-up match and the home ground of grade team Midland-Guildford CC, since they arrived in Perth and Brook said that conditions will be “completely different” when they arrive at Optus Stadium for the first Test.”It’s completely different here, if I’m being brutally honest,” he said. [The pitches] are slow and low here. It’s going to be slightly different to the Optus, but we’ve got three or four days before that first Test where we can utilise [those] pitches… It’s a perfect opportunity in this game to try and get some time out in the middle and use it wisely.”

Surrey 388 for 4 (Thomas 162, Sykes 115) beat Derbyshire 345 for 4 (Montogomery 114, Jewell 77) by 43 runsBrilliant maiden centuries from Adam Thomas and Ollie Sykes inspired Surrey to a 43 -un win over Derbyshire Falcons in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A match at the Central Co-op County Ground.Thomas scored 162 from 149 balls and Sykes 115 off 92 with Nathan Barnwell smashing an unbeaten 43 off 21 to take Surrey to 388 for 4.Thomas and Sykes put on 265 from 207 balls to set a Surrey List A record for the third wicket, beating the previous highest of 200 by Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe against Glamorgan at The Oval in 1989.There was also an unwanted record for Derbyshire’s Pat Brown who conceded 114 from his 10 overs, the most costly List A figures in the UK and the second most expensive worldwide.Matt Montgomery led a spirited Falcons chase with 114 from 110 balls and Caleb Jewell scored 77 off 55 but they came up short on 345.It was only the second meeting between the two counties in 10 years and after Surrey chose to bat on an overcast morning, they quickly lost Rory Burns who played across the line at Zak Chappell.Chappell was getting some movement which accounted for Nikhil Gorantla who was trapped on the crease in the 11th over by a ball that straightened.Another wicket at that stage would have put the inexperienced visitors under pressure but Thomas and Sykes played superbly, mixing selective aggression with placement, helped by some erratic bowling.Thomas reached his first 50 for Surrey off 58 balls with Sykes completing his half-century, which included three sixes, off only 47.Sykes was striking the ball cleanly, twice pulling Brown for six before dispatching spinner Joe Hawkins over the ropes on his way to a 79-ball hundred.Thomas completed his century, which came from 122 balls, and then drove Brown for four to break the third-wicket record.He raced to his third 50 off only 20 balls and fell aiming for his seventh six when he was well caught by Harry Came at deep midwicket.Sykes followed in the next over, top-edging a pull at Nick Potts, but Barnwell plundered 25 off the last over from Brown to take Surrey to the highest List A score against Derbyshire.The Falcons lost Came cheaply but Jewell was dismissive against anything slightly off line and raced to 50 from 29 balls.Surrey should have removed him on 64 when he pulled Barnwell to fine leg but the ball went through Ollie Hunt’s hands and over the ropes to bring up the Falcons’ 100.The introduction of spin slowed the rate and brought the big wicket of Jewell, who top-edged a sweep at Yousef Majid in the 18th over and was well caught by Ralphie Albert at deep backward square.But Montomery was finding gaps in the field, reaching 50 from 47 balls and with Guest, added 88 from 75 balls before the Falcons skipper top-edged a reverse sweep at Sykes.Sykes deflected a Montgomery drive onto the stumps to run out Martin Andersson but Amrit Basra hit the ball powerfully to score 39 from 26 balls before he was lbw sweeping Sykes.Montgomery completed a fine hundred but with the rate climbing he top edged Ari Karvelas to end the Falcons’ hopes.

The New Zealand fast bowler was clear on not going to the yorker in the three-run win to clinch the T20I tri-series final

S Sudarshanan26-Jul-2025

Matt Henry is mobbed by his mates after defending seven runs in the final over•Zimbabwe Cricket

Take a bit of risks and don’t go after the yorkers for all six balls – that was Matt Henry’s clear plan as he helped New Zealand to the men’s T20I tri-series title in a last-ball thriller in Harare.Henry stood at the top of his mark with South Africa needing seven off the last over with six wickets in hand. ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor gave South Africa a 93.3% chance, with a set Dewald Brevis batting on 31 off just 14. But all Henry conceded were three runs and picked up two wickets.”The thought process was making sure that there were tough options [for the batters]. If you go to yorkers too early and you run two, it’s hard to kind of keep six [balls] out,” Henry said after New Zealand’s three-run win. “So, we just tried to be positive and to take an element of risk of the death that doesn’t always come off but that was good.Related

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“With not too many to defend, I probably made it a little bit clearer in terms of, having probably taken a few more risks, and making sure that it either was a dot ball or a wicket. Just making sure I was nice and clear at the top of the mark and executing what I wanted to do, and thankfully executed the plans nicely and catches stuck, so that was good.”2:32

Matt Henry: ‘Tried to take an element of risk at the death’

The last over was not devoid of drama. A couple of athletic catches sealed New Zealand’s fate, while the one missed chance did not cost them. On the second ball, Brevis looked to pull a bouncer over the deep midwicket boundary and almost succeeded. But Michael Bracewell timed his jump, held his balance to complete a juggling catch that gave New Zealand the edge. A ball later, he couldn’t hang on to a miscue from Corbin Bosch, grassing the chance after running in from deep midwicket. On the fifth ball, Daryl Mitchell covered good ground to his right from long-on to pull off another excellent catch to convert a certain boundary into a wicket, thus sending back George Linde.”I was hoping he was going to catch it,” Henry said of Bracewell, “it was a really good catch. When you’ve got Bracewell out there on the boundaries, [he is] one of the better fielders going around. So [I had] a lot of confidence, just hoped that one did his job. These guys, they take more catches than they drop, so I wasn’t as worried [about the dropped catch]. I was more just focused on what I could do. [It was a] tough chance, and not many people probably get to that to create a chance. He’s an unbelievable fielder.”Henry finished the tri-series as the leading wicket-taker with ten wickets. Six of those wickets came at the death (overs 17-20), a phase in which he had an economy of 6.69.”The key thing is wanting those overs,” Henry, who was named the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series, said. “It’s never easy, they don’t always go your way either. It’s something we all train at, and I think when you’re talking about death, it’s not just the final over. It’s actually the building up of that.”I think the guys that had some really tough sets there, [Jacob] Duffy and Zakary Foulkes, they’ve done a great job. There was some seriously aggressive striking there [from South Africa] as well. So for us to get to that position was probably the key thing.Henry also praised the tri-series as a means to play high-pressure matches in preparation for the T20 World Cup next year.”We don’t play too many of them, but to come here today and then the final one is great,” he said. “We want to play cricket against great sides and under pressure, that’s why we play the game. Today was one of those games. It was different to all the games we played here. It was a really strong surface, which required a high scoring game – obviously 180 was probably the highest for the tri series – so to come down to the wire was exciting. For us, it was building on what we’ve been talking about. A lot of guys that have stepped up at different times, which is a pleasing thing.”We’ve loved it, we’ve had such a great tour, and we’ve got a big year of T20 cricket with the World Cup to look forward to. For us, [it is about] not getting carried away with the results, more of the style of cricket we’re playing, and how do we keep asking ourselves to grow in our roles and take the game forward. It was a great stepping stone towards where we want to get to.”

يخوض منتخب فلسطين، المباراة المؤهلة إلى دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب، اليوم الثلاثاء، ضد منتخب ليبيا.

ويتواجه منتخبا فلسطين وليبيا، ضمن منافسات التصفيات النهائية المؤهلة إلى مجموعات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقرر إقامته في قطر.

طالع | مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025

وتقام بطولة كأس العرب، خلال الفترة من 1 حتى 18 ديسمبر المقبل، بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا، حيث تأهلت 9 منتخبات، وتتبقى 7، سيتم حسمهم من مباريات التصفيات التي تقام يومي 25 و26 نوفمبر من مباراة واحدة، الفائز سيتواجد في دور المجموعات.

ومن المقرر، أن ينضم الفائز من مواجهة فلسطين وليبيا، إلى أندية المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب.

وتضم المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب، كل من قطر وتونس بجانب الفائز من مواجهة فلسطين وليبيا والفائز من سوريا وجنوب السودان. موعد مباراة فلسطين وليبيا اليوم في كأس العرب

تقام مباراة فلسطين وليبا، اليوم الثلاثاء 25 نوفمبر، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة وفلسطين وليبيا، 7 بتوقيت السعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة فلسطين وليبيا اليوم في كأس العرب

تنقل مباراة فلسطين وليبيا اليوم، على قناة بي إن سبورت المفتوحة، قناة الكأس 2.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Landon Donovan offered a positive assessment of the United States men’s national team following its 2-1 win over Paraguay during the November 2025 friendlies, noting signs that the squad is beginning to form a clearer identity as it continues preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil. He commended the team’s continued progress under the current coaching staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino.

Getty Images SportGrowing cohesion and style

Donovan highlighted how each match has shown increased confidence and tactical clarity, noting that despite frequent lineup rotation, players are embracing clearly defined roles that contribute to a more recognizable on-field identity.

“Another excellent performance by the men’s national team,” Donovan said on social media. “Seems like the team is getting better and better, growing in confidence. The roles are clear, even though the players are changing a decent amount, but the roles are clear, and you’re starting to see a clear identity."

AdvertisementPochettino’s imprint taking shape

Donovan also highlighted how the squad’s mentality has evolved under Pochettino. He noted that with questions of attitude and commitment no longer overshadowing performances, the team is now showcasing a clearer tactical identity that reflects Pochettino’s style.

“Now that the fight piece, the pride to play for your national team is no longer a conversation, you’re actually starting to see this team play in a more distinct way that is very Pochettino,” Donovan explained.

Getty Images SportDonovan praises Reyna’s resurgence

Donovan pointed to Giovanni Reyna’s performance as a major positive, noting the midfielder’s first goal and assist for the national team since March 2024. He said Reyna’s 70-plus minutes – highlighted by sharper decision-making and increased confidence – reflect the level the team needs from him.

“That’s the Gio we need, that’s the Gio we want, and why he is so valuable to this team. So hopefully this is a stepping stone for Gio, hopefully he can do it again on Tuesday," Donovan said. 

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for the USMNT after the win

The USMNT will now face Uruguay in their final game of the 2025 international window on Nov. 18.