The Minnesota Twins reportedly are moving on from a 2024 draft pick after just a few months in their organization.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan reported Thursday that the Twins released minor league catcher Derek Bender after he told opposing batters the type of pitch that was coming to the plate during a game that eliminated his team from Florida State League contention.

The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Twins' Low-A affiliate, were battling the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Sept. 6 in the second game of a doubleheader when Bender told multiple opposing hitters the exact pitch that was coming. The Flying Tigers scored four runs in the second inning and won the game 6–0 to eliminate the Mighty Mussels from playoff contention.

Fort Myers coaches were informed of Bender's self-inflicting pitch tipping by Lakeland coaches after the game.

ESPN also reported that Bender "had told teammates he wanted the season to be over."

Bender, selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (No. 188) out of Coastal Carolina, batted .200/.273/.333 in 19 games for Fort Myers this season. He hit .320/.422/.520 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs in 60 games for the Chanticleers in his final collegiate season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers did not get the start they would have liked out of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. Nonetheless, they were able to squeeze out a win.

Yamamoto pitched just three innings, giving up five hits, five earned runs, and two walks. He struck out one batter. It was not a great MLB postseason debut for Yamamoto. His teammate, Shohei Ohtani, theorized part of the struggle is that it's hard to get loose for the first game of a playoff series.

In a postgame press conference, Dave Roberts said, "I thought there were some misses, I just felt that there was stress. I just thought that they were seeing him well," when asked why he subbed him out after three innings. He also admitted that he thought Yamamoto was tipping pitches to base runners at second base.

"There are some things that I think that we're going to dig into because I think at second base they had some things with his glove and giving away some pitches. So we're going to clean that up, and that's part of baseball, so it's on us to kind of clean that up and not give away what pitch he's going to throw."

With a runner occupying second base, Yamamoto gave up a home run, a double, and a walk in Game 1.

Roberts has not lost confidence in Yamamoto, though, saying, "he'll probably start," when asked if he would be the go-to guy for a possible Game 5 against the Padres.

Dave Roberts believes the interfering New York Yankees fans got what they deserved.

Before Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers manager had a pointed answer when asked what he thought of the incident of fan interference between two Yankees fans and Mookie Betts from Game 4.

The controversy stems from a play in which Mookie Betts was tracking a foul popup near the stands in right field. He reached up and caught the ball, but as he did so, a Yankees fan ripped the ball from his glove, while another grabbed his arm. Both fans were ejected and, eventually, banned from attending Game 5.

When asked about it, Roberts said, "It was just an unfortunate circumstance. I'm glad it was dealt with the right way. … As I understand it, they got booted, and we didn't need them to be here, so they refunded their tickets. So that's perfect, right?"

His take was certainly much different than Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo, who seemed to brush off the incident as just being a result of passionate fans.

The Dodgers will look to close out the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

As those at Tottenham Hotspur are aware more than most, not every prospect bursts onto the scene like a Lamine Yamal or a Jude Bellingham – sometimes a little patience or perseverance is required.

The golden example for those of a Lilywhites persuasion is that man Harry Kane, the now England skipper and record scorer having been forced to travail the EFL, before eventually securing his place in the club’s first-team plans.

Something of a late bloomer in modern terms – having made his first Premier League start in April 2014, three months shy of his 21st birthday – the free-scoring sensation has gone on to have a career that few could have envisaged amid his early struggles at the likes of Leicester City and Norwich City.

From his days at Leyton Orient, Kane is now a record-breaker for both club and country, recently reaching 100 Bayern Munich goals from just 104 games – the fastest player this century to achieve that feat in Europe’s top five leagues.

Schooled by Spurs, but arguably made and nurtured during his string of temporary moves away from the club, Kane is a glowing success story of the loan system.

Excitingly for Thomas Frank and co, the north Londoners could look to profit from their loan set-up again in the near future.

How Spurs’ loan stars are getting on this season

Among the hottest prospects to have departed N17 this summer was Croatian teenager, Luka Vuskovic, with the towering centre-back earning rave reviews already at Bundesliga side, Hamburg.

Still just 18, the 6 foot 4 defender is a mountain of a man, remarkably winning 73% of his total duels in the league so far this term, as well as a staggering 85% of his aerial duels.

For context, Micky van de Ven has averaged 53% and 47% for Spurs, respectively, in 2025/26, as per Sofascore.

The former Hajduk Split star – who scored seven league goals on loan at Belgian side Westerlo last term – is the main attraction as far as Spurs’ loanees go, although academy graduate Alfie Devine is currently flourishing for Preston North End, with three goals and assists from eight Championship outings.

Mikey Moore looks to have been swept up in the chaos of Russell Martin and Rangers, having failed to score in ten games at Ibrox, although fellow teenager winger Min-hyeok Yang has already netted twice in just four league games for Portsmouth in the second tier.

The Championship has also proven a fruitful destination for the next Kane, Will Lankshear, with the promising striker scoring three goals in nine league appearances for Oxford United, albeit while failing to convert in any of his last four.

High hopes remain for Jamie Donley, who registered 19 goals and assists for Orient last term, although his time at Stoke City is yet to truly take off, having been restricted to just three substitute appearances for the promotion-chasing side in the league.

Donley isn’t quite hitting the heights of last term, although one man who certainly is 20-year-old sensation, George Abbott.

The Spurs starlet who’s been “compared to Grealish”

Many may view those operating outside of the Championship as having little chance of making the leap to Premier League level, although that’s not necessarily the case.

Take Dele Alli example, with the then-youngster rising from EFL star at MK Dons to top-flight sensation at White Hart Lane in double-quick time, having ended his first campaign in the capital – 2015/16 – with 18 goals and assists to his name in the league, as per Transfermarkt.

Kane, too, stepped down into League One with Orient, before later exploding back at Spurs, with that the level where homegrown starlet, Abbott, is currently flourishing for Wycombe Wanderers.

Games (starts)

40 (37)

Goals

5

Assists

6

Pass accuracy*

86%

Key passes*

1.1

Big chances created

6

Balls recovered*

4.9

Total duels won*

50%

Successful dribbles*

0.6

The versatile midfielder – who has operated all across the park in the Tottenham youth ranks – joined the Chairboys this summer after starring at Notts County in the fourth tier last term, registering 13 goals and assists in all competitions for the League Two side.

That included what proved to be the division’s Goal of the Season away at Accrington Stanley, with the Englishman thumping home in emphatic style after meeting an inswinging corner flush on the volley.

At a club with a rich history for welcoming in potential stars of the future, including now Celtic skipper Callum McGregor, the Magpies allowed Abbott to sparkle, with ITV’s Dan Salisbury-Jones noting that the youngster had even been “compared to Jack Grealish”.

The new Everton talisman – another former loan hero at the Nottinghamshire club – previously came agonisingly close to joining Spurs back in 2018, although could the Lilywhites now have his heir apparent in the shape of Abbott?

His Grealish-like ability to glide forward with the ball at his feet has also led to comparisons to ex-Wycombe loanee, Eberechi Eze, with Abbott having scored his first goal for the Buckinghamshire side in true Eze fashion against Northampton.

That was followed by an assist as Michael Duff’s side saw off Wigan Athletic in the Carabao Cup third round, before he also starred off the bench away at AFC Wimbledon, as the visitors narrowly slipped to a 2-1 defeat.

Introduced at half-time, Abbott was a central figure as Wycombe, albeit unsuccessfully, fought their way back into the game, notably winning 100% of his ground duels, while providing one key pass from his 36 touches, as per Sofascore.

Fleet of foot but with the steel to match, the dynamic midfielder – who also played the full 90 in Saturday’s narrow win over Wigan – looks to have all the tools at his disposal, with the hope being that he can force his way into Frank’s first-team plans later down the line.

At 20, the modern game might suggest his time has already come and gone to break into an elite team like Spurs, yet if he can look to the case of Kane for inspiration, Abbott could prove to be the north Londoners’ next shining loan success story.

With a new long-term contract signed back in north London ahead of the new campaign, he is certainly one for the future.

Biggest star since Kane: Spurs are brewing "one of England's best talents"

Tottenham Hotspur already have their next biggest England star on Thomas Frank’s books.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 11, 2025

Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.

Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.

Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle

Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.

Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.

He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”

With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.

But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.

The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade

How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.

And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.

It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.

Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.

However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.

With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.

With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.

But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.

Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.

Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.

While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.

This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.

Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.

New Tonali: Newcastle's 8/10 ace has been an "incredible piece of business"

Newcastle have proved their skill in the transfer market once again this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 30, 2025

Tony de Zorzi has been ruled out of South Africa’s ODI series against England after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first match in Leeds.De Zorzi was fielding on the boundary when he dived to stop a Jos Buttler shot from going for four. While he was successful in reeling the ball in, he hurt his left hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment and it was quickly confirmed that he would not return and would only bat if required. South Africa were chasing a modest target of 132 and did not need de Zorzi. He will now return home to undergo scans and determine the extent of the injury.No replacement batter has been named as de Zorzi was the reserve and played in place of Matthew Breetzke, who himself had a left hamstring tweak and missed the last ODI in Australia and the first in England. Breetzke has since recovered and is available for selection for the second match on Thursday. He is likely to slot straight back into the No. 4 spot.There is no further update on the availability of South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who missed the ODIs in Australia with ankle inflammation and did not play at Headingley. Codi Yusuf, who has been playing for Durham, was brought into the South African squad, which suggests Rabada may not make an appearance until the T20Is.South Africa’s other concern is captain Temba Bavuma, who is still under a workload-management protocol after hurting his hamstring in the World Test Championship final in June. Bavuma played in two of the three ODIs in Australia and the first match of the England series but is expected to be rested for one of the remaining two.South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0.

If Rome wasn’t built in a day, it couldn’t be fixed in one either. In the case of Manchester United, who over so many years were shaped by Sir Alex Ferguson into a superpower, it’s understandable that this budding resurgence under Ruben Amorim’s wing might take a while.

And though the weekend draw at Nottingham Forest cut the Red Devils’ three-match winning streak in the Premier League, the squad look physically and mentally stronger, more receptive to the intricacies of the manager’s vision.

Amorim recently revealed he does not have an issue with any of the United stars pushed out of the Old Trafford gates in recent months, even though the manager felt strongly about such players leaving the club for the greater good of his project.

There is undoubtedly a ruthlessness about the 40-year-old, which will have charmed INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as they ploughed through the recruitment process. And that may need to come into play once again here, with certain first-teamers surely at risk of being sold in 2026.

The Man United players INEOS need to sell

The jury is still out for many of these Manchester United players, and the recent upswings in form from veterans such as Luke Shaw and Casemiro suggest that they will keep their places at Old Trafford, having only last season been unanimously viewed as must-sells.

Manuel Ugarte is struggling to impose himself in the middle of the park, though, and Joshua Zirkzee has recently been reported to be frustrated on the fringe, looking to leave the outfit in January.

However, the revamp of the frontline suggests that Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, both out on loan, will be sold next summer.

For Rashford, it’s clear the England international wishes to stay with Barcelona, having rediscovered his form out in Spain this season, scoring six goals and supplying seven assists from 14 matches in all competitions so far.

His relationship with his long-time club broke down last season and he left on loan for Aston Villa shortly after Amorim’s arrival. The general consensus is that the 28-year-old will not return in a professional capacity.

Amorim was right in parting ways with a player who wasn’t right within his system, and while things are now improving, he may need to apply a similar exit strategy toward another star who is failing to impress this season.

Amorim's new version of Rashford

Rashford’s future is unlikely to fall back into the Theatre of Dreams, plying his craft down the left for Amorim at Manchester United. The Three Lions star is abundantly talented, though he was at odds with the boss and appears to have divorced from his boyhood club.

In a similar way to Rashford, Diogo Dalot is becoming something of a scapegoat at the club, and as with Rashford, there is good reason for the frustration around him.

After the result at the City Ground, content creator Liam Canning said that the Portuguese defender is “becoming a worry long term”, given that he “doesn’t look like he suits the wing back role”.

His performance certainly corroborated that claim, with the Manchester Evening News branding him with a dismal 3/10 match rating after another unsuccessful venture on the left-hand side, having been ‘exposed at various stages of the contest’.

Concerning. Amorim simply doesn’t employ a four-man backline, and as Dalot’s outings on the left become more frequent, so too is it underlined that he does nnot cut the mustard in the system, and will surely be replaced next year.

Dalot stats vs. Forest

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

68′

Goals conceded

2

Touches

43

Accurate passes

21/24

Possession lost

12x

Crosses

0/2

Key passes

0

Dribbles

0/2

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

1/3

Stats via Sofascore

Man United content creator Dev Bajwa even said that the Portugal international “has got to be dropped” ahead of this weekend’s away trip to Tottenham Hotspur, a day which could underline the recent revival of Amorim’s side.

Amad Diallo’s impactful performance on the right stood as a dichotomy of tactical understanding in Amorim’s system. The wing-backs are among the most essential cogs for a team built on zonal rigidity. Dalot, to put that another way, isn’t effective in his unnatural placement, not least because he’s on his unfavoured side.

The 26-year-old has been a dependable servant for United over the years, arriving from Porto aged 19 in June 2018, for a £19m fee. In total, he has featured 219 times for the Old Trafford side, scoring nine goals and providing 18 assists.

It’s time for a change. The Braga-born star still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his £85k-per-week contract, but this suggests United could bank a sizeable fee were they to cash in on the stalwart next year.

His struggle to perform to his maximum in Amorim’s world is no new thing. Ten months ago, Dalot was singled out by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher as bearing tactical differences to the new manager, and, as we reflect on the recent draw to Forest, it’s clear that not all that much has changed.

With Patrick Dorgu waiting in the wings, United have options to shuffle the pack. Moreover, Lisandro Martinez’s imminent return from injury could even see Luke Shaw deployed in a more advanced and wider berth.

This is all to say that Dalot isn’t cutting it, and when transfer season comes around once again, there’s little question that the Red Devils must prioritise a new robust option to perform down that left channel.

Related Keane said Man Utd ace was "getting away with murder", now he's undroppable

Manchester United are finding their feet under Ruben Amorim’s wing this season.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 3, 2025

Chelsea captain Millie Bright made history after breaking the Women's Super League appearances record in her side's 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday. Initially, it looked like the former England international would enjoy a day of celebration over playing her 211th game in the division but Alyssa Thompson's opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson's individual effort.

Plaudits pour in for Bright

Before Bright broke the WSL appearance record, which would take her past the previous mark held by former England team-mate Jordan Nobbs, former Chelsea manager and current United States women's team boss Emma Hayes heaped praise on her former charge. The 32-year-old, who won a hatful of trophies with Hayes over the past decade, was hailed as "superhuman" and one of the most determined people she had ever met. 

Hayes told Sky Sports: "It's what she puts herself through. I mean, she's like a superhuman. She's an iron lady. She is so diligent. She'll do everything she possibly can to stay on the pitch. I think she's one of the most persevering people I've ever met. Demanding as a leader, drives the team, like absolutely drives the team. Fans and everybody else might not see the impact she has when she's on the pitch for the team, but she's immense as a leader. She's colossal. And a big softy, big heart, big softy. I think, I mean, that's an unbelievable achievement. Another one for her, like she's got, she's done so much in her time, the amount of winning, just truly remarkable."

When asked if Bright challenged Hayes, she replied, "Yeah, every day. Every player challenges me. That's what they do. Sometimes they want a decision that's taken or something that's happened. That's part and parcel, like building the right relationships so that they can say those things. And it's not perfect. I've made millions of mistakes, and there's lots of things that do not get right. But someone like Millie, I've listened to and I trust her perspective, and she'll always be straight up with me. And I've always valued that." 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBright likened to John Terry

Former Lionesses ace Izzy Christiansen believes that Bright shares similar qualities on the football pitch as Chelsea legend John Terry. The ex-Everton player also stated the defender deserves more credit for what she has achieved.

"I think she's really impressed me over the last 10 years of her career in terms of the consistency. Since joining Chelsea, she's settled in so well, taking on the armband, taking on a huge role," she said. "I don't think people give her enough credit for how hard it is to continuously win and drive the standard. She's been very vocal that she is the person sometimes who suffers because she's driving standards every day, and that's what it takes to win. There's a bit of John Terry about her."

Former Scotland international Rachel Corsie added: "When you're in that role for such a long time as captain, you're always second to the team. It's a huge task, and she's done it with huge respect from, I think, everyone in the game. I think she does drive those standards that, for me, the reason Chelsea have been so successful is because, psychologically, they have that little bit extra than everyone else, where they just know the most important thing is winning at all costs, and we see them do that in so many different ways."

Bright struggles on historic day

On another day, Bright's record-breaking appearance would have been the headline story. But the experienced centre-back had an uncharacteristically shaky performance in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with lowly Liverpool at St Helens Stadium. Wright was outpaced by Olsson for Liverpool's goal and was subbed off at half-time for Naomi Girma. The Blues extended their unbeaten WSL run to 34 matches but the scenes at full-time were not one of celebration for Sonia Bompastor's side. The Frenchwoman will hope her skipper gets back to her best soon as they now sit three points behind league leaders Manchester City after nine games.

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Getty Images SportCrunch game for Chelsea nears

Chelsea face, arguably, the toughest task in women's domestic football when they host Barcelona in the Champions League on Thursday night. The Spanish side destroyed the Blues in the semi-finals of the competition last season, so Bompastor's team will be seeking revenge this time out.

The board also introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis

Mohammad Isam10-Aug-2025

The BCB has brought in Alex Marshall, Julian Wood and Tony Hemming as the three new appointments after its meeting in Dhaka on Saturday. Wood will come in as a specialist batting coach for three months. He is a power-hitting specialist who recently worked with Sri Lanka Cricket.Marshall has been appointed as a consultant for the board’s anti-corruption department, for one year. Marshall was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year. BCB’s media committee chair Iftekhar Rahman said they want Marshall to “enhance” the board’s anti-corruption unit.Rahman also said that the BCB has appointed the ICC’s integrity unit to oversee the BPL’s anti-corruption operations.The BCB’s anti-corruption unit is currently investigating corruption allegations from the BPL and Dhaka Premier League of the 2024-25 season.The BCB has also brought back Hemming, who recently resigned as the PCB’s head curator. Hemming had taken up the Pakistan role after being BCB’s curator from July 2023 to July 2024. Hemming’s appointment brought the question of whether Gamini Silva, the Shere Bangla National Stadium curator, will continue in his role. Rahman said that Gamini was given a one-year extension.”Tony Hemming has been appointed head of turf management for two years,” Rahman said. “All our international venues and curators will be under him. He will also undertake the process of training Bangladeshi curators. All the board directors had a lot of interest in bringing him back.”Hemming is one of the best curators in the world. Maybe he had a good experience with the BCB in the previous occasion, that’s why he agreed to come back. The turf management will run as Hemming will want. Time will tell if Gamini will stay or not. He has been given a 12-month extension.”Meanwhile, the BCB introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis, which was introduced in 2011 to make it an even number of teams in the first-class competition.”Mymensingh is one of the country’s newest divisions,” Rahman said. “They will play in the NCL first-class tournament from the coming season. They will replace Dhaka Metropolis. Mymensingh will play all divisional tournaments though we can’t accommodate them in the upcoming NCL T20s as the schedule has been made. Mymensingh will play in the T20 tournament from the next edition.”

The summer of 2023 was a landmark period for Arsenal. It signalled the arrival of a certain Declan Rice no less.

The midfielder arrived in a club-record £105m move. The Gunners had beaten Manchester City to his services, thus securing the talents of one of England’s finest players of his generation.

Since he moved across London from West Ham to Islington, there has still been a feeling that Arsenal have missed a player of the calibre of a certain Granit Xhaka.

Over the last year, in particular, Rice has eradicated memories of the Swiss warrior but their Arsenal stories are woven together.

The year Rice arrived, Xhaka left and in perhaps peculiar circumstances. The veteran had just enjoyed the finest individual campaign of his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

No longer was he the defensive midfielder that a great Arsene Wenger once signed. He was now a goalscoring number 8.

After departing, Xhaka enjoyed a fabulous time under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga but he’s now back in England and proving to be one of the signings of the summer.

How Xhaka inspired Sunderland to a draw with Arsenal

Over the last few years the newly promoted teams have been swept aside without so much as a noise. To put it frankly, they’ve been terrible.

However, Sunderland are bucking that trend. Ahead of Sunday’s fixtures in the Premier League, they sat fourth in the table and a large reason for that has been the performances of Xhaka.

The Switzerland midfielder signed for the Mackems in a £17m deal back in the summer and was swiftly made club captain. His displays since then have been admirable.

Sky Sports analyst and Sunderland supporter Dougie Critchley went as far as to say he is the “best player” he’s ever seen in the famous red and white strips after his goal against Everton last week.

While Xhaka did not find the net against Arsenal on Saturday, it was another fine display from Sunderland’s tempo-setting midfielder.

Xhaka is a warrior, a leader of men and he demonstrated that by completing 90% of his passes, winning four of his five ground duels and completing seven clearances this weekend.

Minutes played

90

Touches

57

Accurate passes

35/39 (90%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Fouled

1x

Tackles won

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Recoveries

1

Ground duels won

4/5

Aerial duels won

1/1

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey made the headlines but Xhaka issued Arsenal a timely reminder of his qualities.

Up against Rice and Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal’s midfield pairing exudes similar qualities but they aren’t the only men in Mikel Arteta’s ranks who bring a Xhaka-like presence to the squad.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka of 2025

The date is 28th October 2019. Unai Emery has chosen to substitute club captain, Xhaka. The response from Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates Stadium was remarkable.

He was booed and jeered as he left the field, which sparked an eyebrow-raising reaction from the Swiss. He cupped his ear, asked for more and then chucked the captain’s armband on the floor.

It was not a surprise to see that he was stripped of the captaincy just ten days later.

Speaking about the incident back in 2023, Xhaka labelled the situation as a “nightmare”. “The passports were out. I was done with Arsenal”, he said.

He ultimately stayed and enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Arteta. The Spaniard turned him into a more forward-thinking midfield and after a hellish first few years in London, enjoyed a fabulous 2022/23 season, in particular.

That was the year Xhaka scored nine times and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old was still a vocal presence on the pitch and while he didn’t possess the armband, he still felt like a captain on the pitch. In the present day, the same could be said of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

While the Brazilian hasn’t fallen out with supporters since moving from Lille in a £27m move, their Arsenal careers certainly have parallels.

Gabriel headed to London as an exciting talent but he was still incredibly raw. He showcased that during his first few years in English football.

The centre-back was rash and truth be told, a bit error-prone. Rio Ferdinand was particularly scathing of the defender back in 2022.

It was an incident that led to a DM exchange between Gabriel and Ferdinand and since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength.

Like Xhaka in his early days at Arsenal, the big Brazil international was a bit of an accident waiting to happen but they both enjoyed remarkable comebacks.

In the words of Jamie Carragher, Gabriel is now “the most influential player in the Premier League” this season and is in with a real shout of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners win the league.

The defender has been a colossal presence in the heart of Arteta’s backline, a true “monster” as per pundit Troy Deeney. He’s a giant at the back, composed with the ball at his feet and has made a rather ridiculous impact from set-pieces.

So far this season, Gabriel has scored two goals and supplied three assists. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals than him (22).

Like Xhaka, he’s also now one of the strongest commanders of men in the squad. He’s captained Arsenal on several occasions now and to quote Carragher once more, he is “the leader” in Arteta’s backline.

A midfielder he may not be, but he is certainly like Xhaka in plenty of ways. From being riddled with mistakes to becoming a cult hero at the Emirates, the parallels are certainly there.