Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has heaped praise upon Mason Mount after the English midfielder's stunning effort earned all three points for the Red Devils at Crystal Palace. The former Chelsea player has struggled since moving to Old Trafford, but will be hopeful that Sunday's performance can be the start of a turnaround in form at United.
United recover to earn precious victory
The writing looked on the wall for United when they fell behind in south London courtesy of a Jean-Phillipe Mateta penalty. The Eagles have an impressive record against the Red Devils and would have assumed that they were on for another victory when they opened the scoring. The flat performance of the visitors in the first half did little to suggest much to the contrary either, with another disappointing trip back up to the northwest of England beckoning for Ruben Amorim and his players.
Yet, after the half-time interval, the United midfield helped turn around the display and the result. Fernandes was integral to the victory, registering two assists for Joshua Zirkzee and Mount and earning the Player of the Match award. United fans will have been worried when their skipper appeared to fall down injured late in the game, but Amorim has insisted the Portuguese maestro is not too badly hurt.
After the game, Fernandes was highly complimentary of Mount. The pair had combined for the winner – Fernandes nudging the ball to Mount from a free-kick before the midfielder struck low into the net – and demonstrated signs of a partnership developing.
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Mount centre of praise for Fernandes and Amorim
Speaking to , Fernandes described Mount as a "great player" and was delighted to see his team-mate back amongst the goals.
"Mason is a great player," Fernandes said. "His quality was never in doubt with his team-mates. Sometimes he struggled a bit for goals and assists and also with injuries, but when he gets his fitness, he is important."
The words of Fernandes echoed those of his coach. Before the game, Amorim had said the 26-year-old is "really smart" and offers a goal threat that not many others in his squad possess.
The ex-Sporting CP manager was proven right by his number seven.
Milestone for Mount
It was not only an important goal for Mount against Crystal Palace, but the midfielder also reached a long-awaited milestone. He played the full 90 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time in almost three years, with his last completed fixture coming in a Chelsea shirt, also against Crystal Palace in January 2023.
It represents a huge step in the right direction for the United man, who has been plagued by a series of injuries throughout his time at Old Trafford. Mount’s time at Chelsea faltered and ended in a disappointing exit out the back door after a number of setbacks reduced him to a mere squad player.
Mount exploded onto the scene as a youngster and quickly established himself as a key player in the Chelsea midfield. The Cobham graduate would go on to provide the match-winning assist for Kai Havertz in the Champions League final in his career highlight, but has not reached those heights again since.
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Up next for United: West Ham at home
With Mount seemingly beginning to put his injury woes behind him, Amorim can look forward to using the immensely talented player more often. Capable of playing as one of the two central midfielders or anywhere across the front-line of Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, Mount can offer something slightly different to any of United’s other options.
Should Amorim be able to revitalise Mount and restore him to the player he was when he first took the Premier League by storm, United will start to think they struck gold with a player shunted out of Stamford Bridge.
There is still a long way to go before Mount eclipses the levels he reached at the Blues, but his goal and 90 minutes at Selhurst Park is a start. He has a chance to build on Sunday’s performance with a game against West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Cássio voltou a ser criticado por falhar na derrota do Corinthians para o Argentinos Juniors, nesta terça-feira (23), pela Sul-Americana, e desabafou sobre sua situação no clube. O goleiro, inclusive, falou em deixar o Timão.
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Ele deixou claro que está cansado de ser considerado um dos principais culpados pelo momento ruim da equipe treinada por António Oliveira. Cássio não se eximiu das falhas, mas afirmou que a cobrança passou dos limites.
– A cobrança faz parte. Mas passam dos limites das coisas, da falta de respeito. Esse ano saíram um monte de jogadores, mais velhos. Eu fiquei, um dos mais velhos, sabia que a cobrança seria grande. Errei em alguns gols? Errei sim. Mas é isso, tudo de errado do Corinthians parece que é minha culpa. Eu sou o culpado de tudo. Se eu sou o culpado, de repente é melhor eu sair e seguir meu caminho – disse, em entrevista à Espn.
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Cássio quer que o início de temporada ruim do Corinthians sirva de aprendizado para a temporada e explicou que, para ele, também está difícil a situação atual. O goleiro também reforçou o cansaço de ser considerado o culpado pelo momento delicado do Timão.
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– Eu vou estar aí, sou o capitão do time. Não me eximo de erros. O treinador e o presidente decidem, se eu tiver atrapalhando o Corinthians, se não estiver agradando… Para mim está muito difícil também. Na verdade, tudo de mal que acontece com o Corinthians sempre sobra para mim. Time não faz gol, é culpa do Cássio. Time não joga bem, é culpa do Cássio. Tenho humildade em saber quando eu erro. É um momento difícil. Tem muita coisa pela frente, esse começo de temporada tem que servir de aprendizado. Estamos nessa situação e temos que tentar sair – concluiu.
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O Corinthians, de Cássio, perdeu a liderança do grupo na Sul-Americana, após a derrota por 1 a 0 para os reservas do Argentinos Juniors. Agora, o Timão jogará no domingo (28), contra o Fluminense.
Weatherald thinks he is ready for a Test call-up if it comes after posting 183 for Australia A while Peake, 18, impressed with his maturity making 92 against Sri Lanka A
Alex Malcolm24-Jul-2025
Jake Weatherald scored 183 in 275 balls•Cricket Australia
Veteran Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald thinks he’s ready to go if a Test call-up comes his way for the Ashes later this year while excitement is building around eighteen-year-old Victoria batter Oliver Peake after another impressive showing in his maiden red-ball appearance for Australia A.The pair starred for Australia A alongside skipper Jason Sangha as the home side racked up 558 for 4 declared in a batting dominated draw in the second four-day match against Sri Lanka A in Darwin.Their performances will come with the obvious caveat that runs were very easy to make at Marrara Cricket Ground with Sangha posting a career-best unbeaten 202 while Weatherald also made 183 and Peake posted 92 in just his second first-class game as only ten wickets fell across four full days of cricket. Sri Lanka A batters Nuwanidu Fernando and Pavan Rathnayake also scored centuries while four other half-centuries were scored in the game.Related
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Weatherald believes he is ready to play Test cricket if called upon by the selectors for the Ashes series later this year after continuing his outstanding form across the last 12 months. Having been the leading runscorer in the Shield last year with 905 runs at an average of 50.33 with three massive centuries, he added 54 and 183 in his two innings for Australia A in this series.”If you keep making runs, of course you’re going to get noticed more – and I’ve done that,” Weatherald said on Tuesday in Darwin after his innings of 183. “Obviously there’s some great candidates there as well, and they’ve earned their right to be there.”So to be amongst them is a pretty proud moment.”But I’m batting well, and I think I’m ready to go if it comes to that moment.”Weatherald, 30, has long been one of the most talented ball-strikers in Australian domestic cricket but this is the first time he has averaged more than 41 over a 12-month stretch in his decade-long career. He said his cumulative experience is the reason for his consistent run.”Just age, getting used to what I’m doing, understanding my game, understanding what I need to do to make runs and bat [for] long periods of time,” Weatherald said.”And just being confident I can do it in any conditions, just believing that I’ve got the right method and sticking to it throughout my innings and not being taken away by the wicket or the situation.”Just being able to lock in and do my thing.”Sangha, 25, was impressed by Weatherald’s preparation and mindset after playing with him for the first time in this series.”He just looks so clear when he’s batting,” Sangha said after the match on Wednesday. “He’s obviously been a strong player and a very talented player for a long time.”He’s well renowned as a guy who really pounces on width and picks up length quite early, and it just looks like he’s made his strengths even stronger, and he’s able to rectify maybe some areas in his game that maybe would have cost him a few more dismissals.”He’s been great to share the change room with and talk about what he’s been doing the last 12 months, and how he’s been going about it. And I think for young guys like an Ollie Peake and even myself, who are always striving for that consistency, to see how diligent he is with his routines, how diligent he is with his preparation.”He just seems like he’s in a really clear space and knows his game so well, and it’s been a pleasure to watch him go about his business this week.”Oliver Peake made his mark in the 50-over and four-day games for Australia A•Getty Images
Meanwhile, there is some excitement building around Peake given he was playing just his second first-class match after making 52 on debut for Victoria in March. He also made 55 not out off 38 balls on List A debut for Australia A in the first 50-over match of Sri Lanka A’s tour in Darwin.Sangha, who himself has experienced the challenge of transitioning from being an Under-19 prodigy to becoming a consistent first-class player, marveled at how well Peake handled himself.”He played really well,” Sangha said after the match. “He’s got so much maturity for a young player, and even just talking to him out in the middle about his plans and how he was approaching his innings, he’s such an exciting talent, and he’s got a really good head on his shoulders.”I think even just off the field, just the way he sort of carries himself, credit to him.”I look back when I was 18, and I was probably nowhere near as emotionally intelligent or mature as he is.”It’s a really, really cool thing to see, and he’s obviously got some really good support around him, and such a down to earth, humble kid.”Peake’s selection for Australia A alongside a group of batters who had earned their call-up through outstanding Shield performances last summer is proof of how highly he is rated by Australia’s selectors. Peake was also taken on the recent Test tour of Sri Lanka as a development player to train with the Test squad.He looms as a likely tourist on Australia A’s tour of India later this year as Australia looks to give some younger players experience in spinning conditions with an eye towards the 2027 Test tour.
Stubbs, who scored 49 from No. 3 on the opening day, says he prefers to bat there “more than anywhere else”
Firdose Moonda22-Nov-20252:42
Is extreme seam movement as difficult to face as extreme spin?
On a day when the shortest Ashes Test in more than a century was completed in Perth, we know that Test cricket can still be a slow burn. Guwahati showed us that.We also know now that the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which is hosting its first Test, can prepare a pitch worthy of the occasion. Unlike Eden Gardens, where bounce was variable from the outset, this surface has something for everyone and, in particular, seems good for batting.And we know that South Africa did not take full advantage of that. For the first time in Test history, each of the top four scored at least 35 without anyone going on to make 50. Tristan Stubbs, back at No. 3, came closest with 49. Even though he didn’t manage a milestone, we know now that he is batting in the spot he “prefers more than anywhere else”, as he told the broadcasters afterwards. Of all the things we know from today, that could be South Africa’s most significant.Related
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Over his 14-match Test career, Stubbs has been shifted around South Africa’s line-up from No. 3 to No. 7, which he described as “not the easiest” situation to navigate. Even though he was officially given the No. 3 spot last August, he was only there for four and half Tests before it became something of a rotating door with the likes of Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi all batting there. We know that was necessitated by South Africa having strong top-order batters and that Stubbs’ reputation as a white-ball finisher means he could be moved around. What we didn’t know was how he felt about that. Now we do and we also know that he worked hard to try and make the spot his own.”It’s not the easiest moving around, but whatever the coach asks [I’ll do]. I’m just happy to be in the team,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence. I find that at No. 3 you can afford to be a little bit more defensive, whereas at No. 5 and 6, you have to come in and take the game on a bit earlier.”
“I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence”
Stubbs described the adjustment he had to make as “not so much technical, but more mental” and said he looked at “tightening my game plan, especially if it’s doing a bit up front and reining in your scoring options.”That explains why Stubbs has been ultra-cautious in the way he has played. Against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, for example, he scored 13 runs off the first 60 balls before going on to finish with 76 off 205. Here, against a more challenging attack, he was 13 off 37 before he trusted his footwork enough to take on Kuldeep Yadav and hit him down the ground for six. That was one of six attacking shots he played in an innings that was characterised by conservativeness.Stubbs spent a lot of time getting on the front foot to block Kuldeep and later on Jasprit Bumrah, whom he kept at bay successfully. In total, 25 of the 32 balls Stubbs faced from Bumrah were dots and only one of them actually beat him. Stubbs was compact, left no gap between bat and pad, and used his feet well. What he didn’t do as much as he might have liked was look for more run-scoring opportunities, partly because India made it too difficult but also because he is still learning about the tempo of a Test innings and he knows that.”You can bat time, but you look up and the scoreboard’s sort of gone nowhere,” Stubbs said. “They bowled quite well, their seamers especially, just kept bowling a straight line to attack the stumps.”Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs added 84 together•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, his 84-run stand with Temba Bavuma is the highest of the series, albeit the slowest of the match, with a run rate of 2.77. But it showed the kind of guidance Stubbs can thrive under if he can bat more with the top order. Bavuma was more proactive than usual, was scoring quicker than Stubbs, and pushed him for singles. At one point, Bavuma called Stubbs through and ran to the danger end himself as he tried to inject energy into the innings. Stubbs has only played 30 first-class matches, almost half of them Tests, so he has not had many opportunities to build big partnerships with someone of the experience of Bavuma, who has 178 first-class caps to his name.Though Stubbs was ultimately frustrated because neither he nor Bavuma could kick on, what he would have learnt in their time together in this match could be both valuable for his development and instructional for South Africa in how they use him going forward. It’s worth saying that South Africa didn’t play another Test for almost 11 months after this and it also can’t be known if Stubbs will still feel the same way about where he wants to bat. So plans could change but this innings feels important for what it showed about Stubbs’ ability.For now, what’s more pressing is what South Africa do with the four days they have left in this series, given that they ceded some of the early advantage. With five of the top six dismissed by a build-up pressure leading to poor shots, Stubbs owned their errors. “All of us had opportunities and no one kicked on, so we can take that on ourselves,” he said. “When you get in, you don’t want to give it away ever and four or five guys got starts. Ideally, you want one, maybe two, to go on to make big hundreds and then at the end of play, we would maybe have been three down. If you ask any of the batters, they’ll take that on themselves. It’s not nice to score 30 or 40.”All South Africa’s specialist batters have been dismissed, all of the XI can contribute with the bat and the current pair, Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne, have had success in the subcontinent. Muthusamy has a career-best 89 not out in Pakistan and Verreynne a century in Bangladesh, and Stubbs suspects South Africa will need something significant from them because on a pitch that is expected to deteriorate, as he said, “first innings runs are gold”.
تحدث تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن مباراة فريقه أمام نظيره سيلتا فيجو ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.
ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراته أمام سيلتا فيجو مساء غدٍ، الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 15 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.
ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.
وقال ألونسو في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة والذي نقلته صحيفة “آس”: “أداء ريال مدريد كان جيدًا أمام بلباو، مباراة متكاملة، نأمل أن نجد أنفسنا بمشاعر إيجابية مع استمرار أداء بلباو، هذا ما تحدثنا عنه وعملنا عليه”.
وأكمل: “فالفيردي ظهير أيمن؟ علينا تقييم القرار الذي سنتخذه ولكن هناك خيارات أخرى، فيدي يضع دائمًا احتياجات الفريق في المقام الأول ولطالما لعب بمستوى عالي في هذا المركز ولكن قد تكون هناك خيارات أخرى، سنرى غدًا”.
وتابع: “أتذكر مباريات كان فيها مُتميزًا للغاية، برشلونة، يوفنتوس، نعرف مكانته جيدًا لكنه يُضحي من أجل الفريق جدًا، يُريد مساعدة الفريق والشعار، هو يجسد قيم النادي تمامًا ووجوده شرف حقيقي”.
وأردف: “مباراة بلباو نقطة تحول؟ لقد كانت مباراة جيدة، كما قلت مباراة متكاملة والآن نريد البناء على ذلك، الفوز بمزيد من المباريات والوصول إلى أعلى مركز ممكن في جدول الترتيب لأننا في أبريل ومايو نحتاج إلى أن نكون في المكان المناسب”.
وأوضح: “فينيسيوس؟ إنه في حالة رائعة على الصعيد الشخصي والمهني، يبدو سعيدًا للغاية، من المؤسف أنه لم يسجل أمام أولمبياكوس أو بلباو، لكن عندما تراه يبتسم، فهذا يُنعش الفريق حقًا، من الضروري أن يكون في هذه الحالة الذهنية، نأمل أن يكمل هذه المشاعر بهدف غدًا”.
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واستطرد: “مقارنة مبابي وكريستيانو؟ كيليان في طريقه لصنع التاريخ مع ريال مدريد تمامًا كما فعل كريستيانو، طموحه وأرقامه دليل على ذلك، إنه استثنائي، العمل معه يوميًا رائع، رغبته في التأثير على الآخرين، وطاقته الذي ينشرها بين زملائه، أمور مشتركة بينه وبين كريستيانو، هنا أرى أوجه التشابه بينهما”.
وبسؤاله حول الاختيار بينهما أجاب: “كريستيانو هو كريستيانو، وكيليان هو كيليان، كلاهما استثنائي، نحن محظوظون جدًا بوجود كيليان، وعلينا أن نستغل ذلك على أكمل وجه”.
وعن الإصابات استكمل: “نعمل جاهدين على إعادة تأهيل العديد منهم في أسرع وقت ممكن، ستكون هناك أخبار سارة على المدى القريب، هذه مراحل علينا التعايش معها، هدفنا هو عكس هذا الوضع بأسرع وقت ممكن ومنافسة ما لدينا”.
وعن جولر كشف: “يتمتع بالقدرة على اللعب في مستويات مختلفة، وممارسة درجات متفاوتة من التأثير حسب احتياجات الفريق، يجيد تنظيم اللعب وتمرير التمريرات الحاسمة بل ويصل حتى إلى منطقة الجزاء متأخرًا، يتكيف مع الظروف المحيطة به، هذه الموهبة تعطي مرونة على تكتيكات الفريق لكنه يتطور بسرعة وعلينا الاستثمار فيه كما ذكرت في كأس العالم لأنه استثنائي”.
واسترسل: “مفتاح تحسن الفريق؟ خضنا ثلاث مباريات دون فوز ولم نكن فيها على المستوى المطلوب، سواءً بالكرة أو بدونها لكن الثبات هو الفارق، بغض النظر عن أسلوب الخصم”.
وأكد: “مستقبلي؟ أنا بخير، شكرًا لك (للصحفي) أعرف وضعي جيدًا وأعرف متطلبات النادي، وأنني بحاجة إلى الهدوء اللازم للتركيز على ما هو أساسي، أن أكون ناقدًا لنفسي ولكن دون أن ألوم نفسي”.
وأتم حول لعب ميليتاو في مركز الظهير الأيمن: “إنه خيار من ضمن الخيارات المتاحة، علينا أن نرى ما لدينا في قلب الدفاع، أعتقد أنه كان ضد السنغال لعب كظهير أيمن مع البرازيل وقدم أداءً رائعًا، لديه هذه الموهبة، يُذكرني قليلًا بـ بيبي، كان تنافسيًا وكنت تعلم أنه أينما لعب، سيكون تنافسيًا، أينما كانت هناك حاجة لميليتاو، سيكون حاضرًا”.
There's already been chatter about Dave Roberts possibly using Shohei Ohtani in the outfield for the Dodgers during the team's playoff run, and now there's a chance the three-time MVP could be used in another role during the postseason, too.
Ohtani is already expected to be in the starting pitcher rotation for Los Angeles in the postseason, but he could also be used as a relief pitcher, Roberts said on Wednesday. The manager noted that adding Ohtani to the bullpen is "something we're all talking about."
"I know that we are going to be talking about it," Roberts said, via ESPN. "I think the one thing you can say, though, is that we use him once every seven days, eight days, nine days … so to think that now it's feasible for a guy that's just coming off what he's done last year, or didn't do last year, to then now put him in a role that's very, very unique, because he's a very methodical, disciplined, routine-driven person. The pen is the complete opposite, right? You potentially could be taking on risk, and we've come this far, certainly with the kid gloves and managing."
It sounds like Ohtani being put in the outfield goes hand-in-hand with him being in the bullpen. Ohtani himself spoke about the possibility on Wednesday.
"I've had conversations with various people, and the idea of me pitching in relief has come up," Ohtani said. "As a player, I want to be prepared to handle whatever role is needed. If I do end up pitching out of the bullpen, I think that could also mean I'd need to play in the outfield afterward, depending on the situation. So I want to be ready for anything, no matter what comes my way."
This wouldn't be a new situation for Ohtani in his career, though. Back in 2021 while on the Angels, Ohtani pitched in relief and then went to the outfield to remain in the game on seven occasions. When Ohtani enters the game as a designated hitter, he loses that role once he's done relief pitching for the game. The Dodgers could then put him in the outfield to remain in the game.
The Dodgers still err on the side of caution of putting Ohtani on the mound, though, since he returned from the second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament back on June 16. In 13 games this season pitching, Ohtani's posted a 3.29 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 15 earned runs. On the other hand, Ohtani hasn't competed in the outfield all season. We'll see what the Dodgers decide to do once October rolls around.
India and Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur has been named the West Zone captain for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28.The 15-member squad includes India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and middle-order batters Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer. A total of seven Mumbai players have been named in the team.Ruturaj Gaikwad is among the 15, while Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale are the wicketkeepers.There was no place for Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in the West Zone squad.Earlier in the week, South Zone had also named their squad with Tilak Verma as captain. East Zone have also named their squad, to be led by Ishan Kishan, with Mohammed Shami in the mix.The six-team Duleep Trophy is returning to the zonal format, with squads picked by the zonal selectors, and the tournament will start the 2025-26 domestic season. Last season, the tournament had four teams – India A, B, C and D – that were picked by the national selectors.South Zone were the winners when the Duleep Trophy was held in the zonal format in 2023-24.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is looking to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by steering the club clear of relegation in their first season back in the Premier League.
After a run of four straight losses, the Whites have picked up four points and scored six goals in two matches against Chelsea and Liverpool in the top-flight, which has pushed them out of the bottom three.
Farke has needed his players to step up in recent games to climb back out of the relegation zone, and several stars have shown that they have what it takes to deliver in the Premier League.
Ranking Leeds United's top performers this season
Joe Rodon, who has started all 15 games, has proven to be a reliable option at the heart of the defence, winning 69% of his ground duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore.
Gabriel Gudmundsson, signed from Lille in the summer, has also caught the eye at left-back, with 3.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 dribbles completed per game, per Sofascore, whilst exciting fans with his bombing runs down the left flank.
£17.4m signing Anton Stach has been one of the top three performers for the Whites, though, with his return of two goals and two assists as a box-to-box midfielder.
Leeds United’s top 5 performers this season
Rank
Player
1
Ethan Ampadu
2
Sean Longstaff
3
Anton Stach
4
Gabriel Gudmundsson
5
Joe Rodon
As you can see in the ranking above, we have placed Sean Longstaff in second place. He leads the team in ‘big chances’ created (six), but he has also only started ten of the 15 league games, per Sofascore.
That leaves the captain, Ethan Ampadu, in first place as Leeds United’s best Premier League performer since they sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City in 2022.
Why Ampadu is Leeds United's best Premier League player since Phillips
After Phillips was sold to City for £45m, after emerging as an England regular at Elland Road, the Whites were relegated from the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign. No other player was able to step up and save them from trouble.
The English star was particularly impressive with Marcelo Bielsa, as shown in the graphic above, and he averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield in his last Premier League season with Leeds.
Ampadu, now, is looking like the club’s best top-flight performer since Phillips departed. He was judged as an “indispensable” part of Leeds’ midfield in the words of scout Jacek Kulig when promotion was being eyed up, and since moving up a division, he has been a rock on the pitch in the middle of the park. It’s safe to say he could be the first player to lead the team to safety since the Man City midfielder was at the club.
Off the pitch, teammate Karl Darlow described him as a “brilliant” person who has “handled the pressure” of captaining Leeds in the Premier League, which speaks to the qualities that he provides as a leader within the group, and perhaps explains how the team pulled off the last two results despite such a poor run of form that preceded them.
On the pitch, his performances have been impressive. Ampadu lined up in the middle of the park in the games against Chelsea and Liverpool and caught the eye with his defensive nous.
Ethan Ampadu
Vs Chelsea
Vs Liverpool
Minutes
90
87
Pass accuracy
86%
87%
Tackle success rate
100%
100%
Duels won
6/11
3/6
Interceptions
2
1
Dribbled past
0x
0x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was perfect in his tackles and did not allow an opposition player to dribble past him a single time, which shows how combative and reliable he was in midfield.
Ampadu has started all 13 of his appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and averaged an eye-catching 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, which is just shy of the 3.9 that Phillips averaged in his final season with the club.
The former Chelsea starlet offers a similar presence to the England international at the base of the midfield for Leeds, sitting in front of the back four and screening play, making vital defensive interventions to regain possession and start attacks for his side.
He has won 60% of his ground duels and 53% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore, whilst only being dribbled past 0.6 times per match, which shows that Ampadu has been efficient and reliable in the middle of the park for Farke, as an ever-present when fit.
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Overall, the Welshman may well be the club’s best Premier League player since Phillips, not just for the quality that he clearly provides as a holding midfielder, but also for his leadership skills and how he handles the pressure of leading a Premier League side.
The New York Yankees didn't have Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, but late in a tie game, the team looked to the veteran slugger for some offense.
The Orioles were prepared for that, however. After Stanton entered the game as a pinch hitter, taking the place of Ryan McMahon, Baltimore opted to intentionally walk him to eliminate the home run threat.
Well, with Stanton being an absolutely abysmal baserunner, the decision to give him first base for free resulted in the end of his night. Aaron Boone quickly moved to pinch run for Stanton, who is a liability on the base paths, bringing in Anthony Volpe to take over at first base.
As quickly as Stanton's night started, it ended.
That's one way to make a contribution. Unfortunately, the Yankees weren't able to capitalize on Stanton's intentional walk, unable to get a run on the board to break the 1–1 deadlock.
Stanton's lack of mobility at this stage in his career means he's best served being utilized at DH. But with Aaron Judge occupying the role on Sunday, Stanton was out of the lineup and on the bench.
In 70 games this year, Stanton has a .916 OPS with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs.
Manchester United’s run of five games unbeaten in the Premier League is evidence that Ruben Amorim is certainly starting to get the best out of the current crop of players Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old’s stint in England has been nothing but plain sailing, as seen by his inability to lead the club to a respectable finish in 2024/25 – subsequently ending the year in 15th place.
However, the hierarchy have shown faith in the former Sporting CP boss, as seen by his £200m spending spree during the recent summer transfer window.
The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have all joined the Red Devils in the last few months, with the latter of the trio already scoring six combined goals in England’s top-flight.
Despite the mammoth investment within the attacking department, the manager is still craving a new central midfielder to help take his side to the next level in the years ahead.
Man United’s hunt for a new central midfielder in January
Over the last couple of weeks, Elliot Anderson has been the name on the lips of all United supporters, with rumours rapidly starting to circle over a move for his signature.
The Nottingham Forest star has risen to stardom over the last 12 months, with the 23-year-old featuring in every league game in 2025/26, even earning him a spot in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel.
It’s been reported in recent days that the Red Devils have already reached out to the Reds over a potential deal for the youngster, but have been quoted a fee in the region of £100m for his services.
However, Anderson isn’t the only midfielder currently in their sights, with the hierarchy also closely monitoring German star Angelo Stiller ahead of the upcoming window.
According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are preparing an offer in the region of €60m (£53m) for the Stuttgart star, with Real Madrid also interested in a move for his signature.
The report claims that his current employers don’t want to lose the 24-year-old in the near future, but they could be forced to if an acceptable offer is presented by the likes of United.
Why Stiller target would be their own Anderson
United fans have seen first-hand the talents that Anderson currently possesses, after the Forest star managed to run the show in the recent meeting between the sides at the City Ground.
He featured for the entirety of the contest and thrived in and out of possession, as Sean Dyche’s men secured a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils in the East Midlands.
The 23-year-old managed to create three chances for his teammates – offering a threatening option with the ball – whilst also making 14 recoveries and preventing Amorim’s men from extending their winning run.
Anderson’s ability to complete 100% of his dribbles and register 15 passes into the final third further showcases his phenomenal talents – with such a performance leaving the United fanbase demanding his signature.
However, English talents are always more expensive in the modern transfer market, as seen by the current £100m price tag that has been placed on his head at present.
Given the money spent in the summer, it’s unclear if the United hierarchy would splash such a sum, with a potential deal breaking their club-record transfer fee set by Paul Pogba in 2016.
As a result, a move for Stiller could prove to be a more realistic proposition, but that’s not to say he’s a lower quality talent than England international, Anderson.
The German has been labelled as a similar player to the 23-year-old by FBref in the Europa League this season, with the Stuttgart star even bettering him in numerous key areas to date.
Stiller, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more key passes per 90, whilst also making more passes into the opposition box per 90.
Games played
10
11
Goals & assists
4
2
Progressive carries
2.2
1.3
Pass accuracy
86%
83%
Key passes
2.1
1.3
Passes into opposition box
2.3
1.2
Interceptions made
1.1
0.9
Clearances made
1.4
0.8
Take-ons completed
73%
50%
Such numbers are no mean feat, especially considering Anderson’s talents in possession, subsequently showcasing the phenomenal talent that the Stuttgart talent currently possesses.
He’s also registered more progressive carries per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such figures highlighting his dominance over the Forest star with the ball at his feet.
Angelo Stiller for Stuttgart
Stiller has managed to provide key talents out of possession too, even bettering the Englishman in terms of interceptions and clearances made per 90 in 2025/26.
The aforementioned figures could certainly make the German the perfect number six in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which could finally end the club’s hunt for a new midfielder.
Anderson may remain as many supporters’ number one choice for the role, but ultimately, his current asking price is way above the range United would spend in January.
As a result, Stiller could offer a cheaper yet more effective option to the Red Devils, potentially helping the side make a top four push come the end of May.
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