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Yet another disappointing result for Manchester City.

On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues were held to a 2-2 by Monaco at Stade Louis II in the Champions League, despite leading twice, only to concede a penalty in the final minute.

Let’s start with the positives for the Citizens, namely Erling Braut Håland, who scored two magnificent goals in the Principality, taking his tally to 52 goals in just 50 Champions League appearances.

He has reached that landmark so quickly that, as noted by BBC Match of the Day, he has to be compared to clubs, not players, having scored more goals in his first 50 Champions League outings than Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, Celtic, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Club Brugge, Lille, Anderlecht and Dinamo Zagreb… we could go on!

Despite these exploits, dating back to last season, Pep Guardiola’s team have now won only four of ten league phase fixtures, despite winning 28 of 36 group stage games beforehand.

A few donning all black on Wednesday night did not cover themselves in glory, giving Guardiola some big selection decisions ahead of Sunday’s tricky trip to Brentford, so should he leave out arguably his most trusted lieutenant?

Nico González's difficult night in Monaco

Just as Manchester City were seemingly set to pick up all three points, les Monégasques were gifted a route back into the game.

As the clock was about to hit 90, a Monaco free-kick played into the box found Eric Dier but, as he headed the ball towards goal, Nico González came charging in and kicked the England defender in the face.

After a very long VAR consultation, referee Jesús Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and, to the surprise of many, Dier himself stepped up, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way and ensuring it finished 2-2.

More broadly, since arriving from Porto on deadline day in the winter for £50m, Nico has struggled to make an impact in sky blue.

Chalkboard

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

Despite his compatriot Rodri’s continued injury issues, the la Masia academy graduate has started only 13 Premier League or Champions League games since debuting in February, deputising at Wolves on the opening day and against Burnley on Saturday.

Nevertheless, for someone who arrived for such a huge amount of money, and with impressive pedigree behind him, he is yet to consistently deliver, his only league goal for the club coming against Bournemouth in May, not that this is what he’s in the team for.

In summary, Nico is in danger of becoming the next Kalvin Phillips, signed for £50m to alleviate the burden on Rodri, before being cast aside and forgotten about, but there is another Manchester City player, who has made over 400 appearances for the club, who is at risk of losing his place in the team.

Pep must consider benching 'world class' Man City star

The Citizens’ trip to Stade Louis II this week evoked memories of their only previous visit to the Principality in March 2017, dumped out on away goals after a thrilling 6-6 aggregate draw.

That Monaco team, who would go on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and win the club’s only Ligue 1 title since 2000, contained Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, João Moutinho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Thomas Lemar and a certain Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese winger moved to Manchester for £43.5m the following summer, making 415 appearances for the club to date, winning 17 major honours to date, but he did not enjoy a happy return to the French Riviera.

The table below documents his statistics from Wednesday night’s draw.

As the table notes, despite registering plenty of touches, Silva did not do a lot with the ball.

He lost possession on 12 occasions, only Phil Foden of Man City players did so more, also losing five of the six duels he contested, meaning he still has no goals and just one assist to his name this season.

Speaking on Sky Sports News in 2023, one content creator labelled Silva “world class”, while Ben Littlemore of Transfermarkt argued last year that he was Man City’s most important player.

In Guardiola’s managerial career, Silva is the player he has picked most, 34 times above Kevin De Bruyne who is second on the list, but now might be time to start phasing out the 31-year-old.

On the bench on Wednesday, the Citizens had both Oscar Bobb and Savinho, with Jérémy Doku starting on the opposite flank, all of whom offer a lot more dynamism and direct attacking play than Silva, emphasising why two of that trio should be in the team to take on Brentford come Sunday afternoon.

Man City may rue losing "nightmare" for defenders who was their own Wirtz

Man City could have solved lots of issues if they’d kept this star.

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 27, 2025

Gio Reyna has opened up about the controversy that marred his 2022 World Cup, reflecting on his fallout with then-U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter and the lessons learned from that turbulent period. The U.S. international admitted he would handle certain moments differently if given the chance but insisted he shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for what unfolded.

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  'That’s really what it stemmed from'

  Reyna spoke in depth about the events that unfolded during the 2022 World Cup, acknowledging that frustration over his limited role under then-manager Gregg Berhalter ultimately sparked the tension between them.

  “At the end of the day, I was just upset that, you know, I wasn’t really playing,” Reyna said to . “I was playing at Dortmund. I thought that I wanted to play at the World Cup, and ultimately, in the end, I didn’t do that, and that’s really what it stemmed from.”

  “I guess the frustration and the disappointment was just wanting to play and help my country. It’s so far removed now and so far in the past, I don’t even really want to talk about it anymore.”

  Reyna admitted he would approach things differently if given another chance, but maintained that the situation was not solely his or his family’s fault.

  “Maybe in certain ways, but I’m not just going to sort of sit here and take all the blame for something that was made out to be completely my fault, which I believe it wasn’t, and also my family’s, too,” he said.

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  Pochettino's message to Reyna

  Now at Borussia Moenchengladbach, the 22-year-old is focused on rebuilding his form and proving to Mauricio Pochettino that he belongs in the 2026 World Cup squad.

  “I do obviously think about [the World Cup] pretty often as it’s somewhere where I need and want to be,” Reyna said.  “But I try to focus daily here, stay present here, work here every day, and hopefully believe everything will fall into place.”

  He also said Pochettino stressed the need to get consistent playing time in order to return to national team duty. 

  “I think Pochettino was very clear with saying, ‘You need to play, perform and then if you do that then you have a good chance to come in again,’” Reyna revealed. “It’s all on me now.”

  Despite the move to Gladbach, Reyna has had similar struggles for playing time at the German club. Die Fohlen sit dead last in the Bundesliga, and the American has played just 122 in four matches so far. 

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  Dealing with injuries

  Injuries have impacted Reyna throughout his career, and they've played a role in his limited action this season. The midfielder revealed he is trying to take a more proactive approach with his fitness. He described developing a more collaborative relationship with athletic coaches and implementing new strategies to handle the mental challenges that accompany repeated injuries.

  “I’ve learned a lot about my body,” Reyna said. “The first 24 to 48 hours are always going to suck. There’s no way around that. What I’ve learned now is, after those one or two days where [there’s] obviously a lot of pain, a lot of downtime, down energy, you just have to get on with it. You have to kick on, you have to really just attack the rehab.”

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  Looking ahead

  The November international break will be Reyna’s final chance to earn USMNT minutes in 2025, with friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay on the schedule.

Looking ahead to 2026, Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign a former Real Madrid defender alongside a number of Premier League rivals.

David Moyed "thrilled" with Crystal Palace win

Without a win in four games in all competitions and heading into the Hill Dickinson to host a Crystal Palace side without a defeat in 19 games, Everton looked destined for an uphill battle on Sunday. The Eagles had just defeated the Premier League champions in Liverpool and were after another Merseyside scalp – taking the lead through Daniel Munoz.

As bad as Barry: Moyes must drop Everton star who won just 30% duels

Everton won vs Palace but some of their new signings struggled to impress.

1

By
Will Miller

Oct 6, 2025

From there, it seemed as though Everton were set to hand Palace the 20-game unbeaten run that they were after, only for the Hill Dickinson to get its most dramatic moment yet.

After equalising through Iliman Ndiaye in the final 15 minutes, the stage was set for someone to become a hero and that someone was Jack Grealish. The Manchester City loanee was perfectly placed to benefit from Munoz’s clearance and simply deflected home to hand his side a 93rd-minute winner.

David Moyes, like every Everton fan inside the Hill Dickinson, was left “thrilled” by his side’s dramatic comeback – telling reporters: “I’m thrilled with the three points, thrilled with the result.

“Mixed emotions on the performance. Not very good at all in the first half and could have been three down, but kept defending, kept stuck at it, showed a bit of resilience.

“I’ve been waiting on a late goal here. Aston Villa was 0-0, we couldn’t quite get the winner against West Ham, so I was hoping we’d get one of them. Thankfully, we got it today.”

Having sealed the three points, Moyes’ side now sit as high as eighth in the Premier League and providing an early marker to become shock contenders for a European place – something that should boost their transfer ambitions.

Everton join race to sign Mario Gila

According to The Boot Room, Everton have joined the race to sign Mario Gila from Lazio in 2026. The former Real Madrid defender has attracted interest from all around the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth all joining Everton in the battle to secure his signature.

It’s no real surprise that interest is rising in the 25-year-old, who has been one of few bright sparks in Maurizio Sarri’s struggling Lazio side.

Former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare was also full of praise for the Spanish defender after signing him from Real Madrid, saying: “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn’t surprise me if Real wanted him back.”

Considering concerns that Jarrad Branthwaite could still leave Everton, Gila wouldn’t exactly be a bad signing to welcome in 2026. The Spaniard is at the peak of his powers and already has impressive experience under his belt.

It would be yet another ambitious move from The Friedkin Group, who’d be signing a former Real Madrid gem ahead of their rivals.

Napoli were left frustrated after being held to a goalless draw by Eintracht Frankfurt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, extending their run without a win in the Champions League. Antonio Conte praised Frankfurt’s “Italian-style catenaccio” approach, while lamenting his side’s missed chances and lingering absences. The result leaves Napoli with four points from four games and work to do to stay in contention.

• Napoli held as Frankfurt sit deep

  Napoli endured a second consecutive scoreless home match as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Frankfurt in the Champions League League Phase. The Partenopei arrived under pressure to respond to their 6-2 defeat at PSV, but despite dominating possession and territory, they were unable to break through a disciplined Frankfurt side at the Maradona.

  Conte’s men controlled the tempo from the outset, circulating the ball patiently across midfield and waiting for Frankfurt to open up. Yet the visitors were resolute, dropping deep into a compact defensive shape and looking for chances to counter. Napoli’s main openings came from Eljif Elmas’ creative drives and Scott McTominay’s late runs, but neither player could convert, with the home side’s finishing once again falling short.

  Frankfurt, meanwhile, were content to absorb pressure and strike sporadically on the break. Jean-Matteo Bahoya’s early drive was one of few shots that tested the Napoli goalkeeper, and ultimately, the visitors’ tactical discipline frustrated Napoli and claimed them a valuable away point.

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  'They've learned catenaccio well' – Conte speaks out

  After the match, Napoli boss Conte expressed his frustration while also acknowledging Frankfurt’s tactical execution. Speaking to , he remarked: “They’ve learned how to play the Italian-style catenaccio system well. If we had played a game like that in Germany, they’d have called it old-fashioned football. We’re trying to bring a more European feel to the game.”

  Conte underlined that the result was not due to a lack of commitment from his players. “It’s disappointing not to have scored, but I can’t fault my team for their commitment and dedication,” he said.

  When asked about absences affecting the side, Conte continued, “It’s not fair to talk about absences, especially since [Romelu] Lukaku should be mentioned as well. The team has absorbed [Kevin] De Bruyne’s absence. We were short in the middle, but we're finding solutions. We need to work toward a goal.”

• Catenaccio makes a return

  Once the hallmark of Italian football identity, the famous catenaccio style emphasised deep defensive organisation, a sweeper behind the line, and fast counterattacks. While the traditional version has faded from elite football, its principles remain in modern disciplined low-block systems.

  Frankfurt’s approach resembled that philosophy, narrow lines, limited spaces between defenders, and calculated transitions. Their plan forced Napoli into predictable wide combinations and shots from less dangerous zones.

  Conte later added that Napoli actually dominated the match, telling reporters: “It was a high-level match and we dominated. If we had finished today, we would have won 2-0 or 3-0 and we’d be talking about a great Napoli.” Despite Napoli’s 64% possession, the German side controlled key defensive zones and rarely appeared stretched.

  Conte’s reaction suggests a wider concern that Napoli are struggling to convert territorial dominance into cutting edge without injured creative leaders like De Bruyne who is out for long due to a serious thigh injury. Their decision-making and chemistry in the final third remain unresolved issues as fixtures tighten.

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  Qualifications hanging on thread

  The draw leaves Napoli on four points after four Champions League matches, still in contention but under pressure to secure qualification. They will host Qarabag on November 25, a match that now feels must-win, while Frankfurt face Atalanta a day later.

  Domestically, Napoli travel to face Bologna on Sunday, at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. With back-to-back scoreless performances, Conte will demand sharper finishing, quicker attacking combinations, and greater confidence around the box.

  Napoli’s season remains salvageable and structurally stable, but the margin for error is shrinking. A solution in the final third must arrive soon, or their Champions League campaign may yet slip away.

With the postseason rapidly approaching, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers will finish the year without one of their best pitchers.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow is "highly unlikely" to return in 2024 due to a sprained elbow, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday afternoon via Jack Harris of .

Roberts added that Glasnow would be shut down from throwing "for a while" after a setback.

Glasnow, 31, has not pitched since a seven-inning, two-run, five-hit outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 11. The '24 All-Star—who has struggled with injuries throughout his career—is 9-6 this season with a 3.49 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 134 innings.

Los Angeles acquired Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 16, and inked him to a five-year contract extension shortly thereafter.

The Dodgers' pitching staff is currently riddled with injuries; seven of the team's starters are on the injured list in some form or fashion. Despite this, Los Angeles leads the National League West division by 4.5 games over the San Diego Padres.

Mike Shildt does not agree with how Dave Roberts is handling himself.

On Tuesday, hours before Game 3 of the NLDS between Shildt's San Diego Padres and Roberts's Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres manager subtly jabbed Roberts for claiming Manny Machado threw a ball at him during a contentious Game 2.

Shilt was asked if he believed Machado was trying to hit Roberts with the ball he threw towards the dugout before the seventh inning Sunday night, he was emphatic, saying, "No." He added, "Manny has an exceptional arm," implying he could have hit Roberts if he wanted to.

When asked for his thoughts on how Roberts was handling himself, Shildt said the following:

"Well, I come from maybe just a different philosophy of dealing with this … I got into this game to help players get the most out of their God-given ability and to compete on the field and respect the opponent. I'm not, nor will I ever, disparage another player on another team. Especially anybody I've managed in the past. Nor Will I do it to a collective team. That's not how I want to operate."

This was clearly a direct shot aimed at Roberts, who managed Machado for several months at the end of the 2018 season.

"I have a lot of respect for their club, the players on their club," Shildt said. "As far as Manny goes, it's unfortunate people can't move on from things from the past. I thought Manny's exhibition of professionalism and leadership were on display the other night in a very tough environment. But people have their right, clearly, to share what they want and how they want to share it."

On the surface, those were remarkably tame comments, but the subtext is clear. The Padres and Dodgers may respect each other, but they certainly don't like each other.

Newcastle United arguably put in their besst performance of the season as they beat Benfica 3-0 to make it back-to-back wins in the Champions League.

Though the Magpies have struggled to get going this season, especially from an offensive standpoint, their success on the continent is evidence of Eddie Howe’s abiding tactical quality, with the cogs sure to start whirring as the new batch of players work toward a continuation of last year’s illustrious success.

That starts now, in the Premier League. Last weekend, United lost on a trip to Brighton, and they languish in 14th place, just nine points from eight games.

But a closer look at the new phase Howe is championing demonstrates exactly why he is valued as “one of the top managers in the country, if not the world” by pundit Jamie Redknapp.

He adapts, and the tactician must showcase that nous yet again on Sunday, when Fulham are welcomed to St. James’ Park. However, that frontline does need some work, even with Nick Woltemade firing on all cylinders.

Newcastle team news

Howe said that Newcastle must produce their best possible performance if they wish to turn over a gritty and well-balanced Fulham side in the Premier League.

The Cottagers claimed three points at St. James’ Park last season, but they have lost three on the bounce in the Premier League and are there for the taking, with Joachim Andersen and Antonee Robinson both sidelined.

A promising update on the injury recoveries of Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall: both full-backs are nearing the end of their rehabilitation and are back on the grass. Anticipate further developments in the coming weeks.

While Howe reported no new injury concerns, he did confirm Sandro Tonali “will be touch and go” after struggling with illness this week.

Meanwhile, summer signing Yoane Wissa’s wait for his debut rages on, still in recovery from the knee injury suffered on international duty. The 29-year-old’s rehabilitation will stretch toward the Christmas period.

More praise was heaped on Woltemade. The German striker continues to deputise as Wissa’s recovery continues, and given the richness of the purple patch he is riding, few will have concerns about his presence at number nine (other than the Fulham defence, that is).

However, while the striker is firing, Howe will hope to see more from his wide forwards. In fairness, Harvey Barnes bagged a brace in midweek, with Anthony Gordon claiming the Man of the Match award in the Champions League.

But Anthony Elanga continues to leave much to be desired down the right, and it’s for this reason that Newcastle’s most underrated star could be the difference-maker on Saturday afternoon.

Howe must unleash Newcastle's "unsung hero"

Has there been a more compelling success story at Newcastle over the past few years than that of Jacob Murphy? The 29-year-old was written off after years as a journeyman, but has pieced together an iconic career on Tyneside.

Last season, in particular, Murphy was in fine fettle, stepping up after Newcastle failed to sign a right-sided forward and posting nine goals and 14 assists across all competitions.

Some return, that. Howe hailed his protege as “the ultimate professional”, and his is a story that up-and-coming hopefuls will use as fuel for many years to come. It’s never too late to turn things around.

The veteran has only featured as a substitute across Newcastle’s past two Premier League matches, and his stability and industriousness could be perfect against Marco Silva’s organised outfit.

That is not to say he’s without his flair and creativity on the ball. As per FBref, Murphy ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

He might not have Elanga’s pace or Barnes’ natural eye for goal, but with Gordon clicking into gear and Woltemade undroppable at the front of the ship, this could be the line-up to develop and sustain synergy and fluency across the full 90.

You will need no reminder that the Magpies have only won two of their eight Premier League fixtures so far this season.

It stands as a testament to Murphy’s resilience and unwavering belief in his abilities that he has established himself as one of the key components of Newcastle’s journey since the PIF takeover and subsequent appointment of Howe.

He might not be the most prolific player in the mix, but Murphy is unquestionably among England’s most underrated players in modern times, hailed as an “unsung hero” by journalist Scott Wilson for his knack at coming up trumps for the Toon.

And anyway, with three goals and four assists across 13 matches against Fulham, Howe would be restoring the experienced winger to the starting line-up against the side he has chalked up more direct contributions than any other across his career.

While Elanga will be desperate to impress after going without a goal or an assist across his first 12 appearances in black and white, Howe will know the importance of using the midweek Champions League victory as a springboard.

Newcastle simply have to return to winning ways in the Premier League, and with Murphy on the right, fuelling in-form pair Gordon and Woltemade, it might just be the perfect blend.

Howe can forget Elanga by unleashing Newcastle's teen who's 'like Yamal'

Eddie Howe may turn to the academy to help build fluency down Newcastle’s right side.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 23, 2025

Arsenal dropped further off the Women's Super League title-chasing pace after being held to a goalless draw by Tottenham in the north London derby. The Gunners, who are without a win through their last three games in all competitions, find themselves stuck in fourth place – nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City – after Alessia Russo and Co posted a blank against stubborn Spurs on Sunday.

The home side started brightly, in front of a lively atmosphere, with Tottenham aware of the need to burst out of the blocks in a bid to end their sorry recent record against their arch-rivals. Arsenal’s defence held firm, though, and Renee Slegers’ side slowly grew into the game.

United States star Emily Fox saw a tame effort saved on the 15-minute mark, before Kyra Cooney-Cross curled an ambitious strike inches past the post seven minutes later. England star Russo fired a difficult volley wide of the target with 10 minutes of the first-half remaining, while Stina Blackstenius saw a poor header and low drive from a tight angle easily kept out before the interval was reached.

The first chance of the second 45 also fell to the Swedish striker, but she fired high over the crossbar from eight yards out when leaning back and getting her effort all wrong. Substitute Olivia Smith will feel that she should have done better with a sight of goal on the hour as she drilled straight at Lize Kop before Mariona Caldentey lashed high over the top with her left foot 10 minutes from time as the contest began to fizzle out.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Brisbane Road..

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):

  Did what was required of her on a relatively quiet afternoon – making one early save – with the odd risk being taken in possession when closed quickly by Tottenham forwards.

  Emily Fox (6/10):

  Fired in Arsenal’s first effort of note, which set the tone from that point. Happy to sit and allow others to flood forward, with Spurs being forced deeper into their shell.

  Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

  Never looked flustered and kept Spurs at arm’s length. Does not dive into challenges, forcing opponents to take an extra touch. Kept a clean sheet on her 100th WSL appearance.

  Steph Catley (6/10):

  Shaken up after taking a blow to the head during the first-half, which left her requiring treatment. Played through any pain and was rarely troubled by the Tottenham attack.

  Katie McCabe (5/10):

  Sloppy in possession, doing little to aid Arsenal’s cause when it came to building attacks. Was booked and it came as little surprise when she was hooked at the interval.

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  Midfield

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (6/10):

  Drove the Gunners forward with positive intent. Set-piece delivery from deep caused Spurs problems at times and came as close as anybody to a goal when curling narrowly wide.

  Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

  Surprisingly quiet in the opening exchanges, seeing few touches, but her influence grew as the game wore on. Tried to drive Arsenal through midfield, but lacked any end product.

  Caitlin Foord (5/10):

  Despite Arsenal seeing a lot of the ball, she was rarely involved in their most promising moves. Formed part of a second-half shuffling of the Arsenal pack.

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  Attack

  Alessia Russo (6/10):

  Arsenal’s record when fielding her and Blackstenius is impressive, but the Lionesses striker is better leading the line. Had a couple of half chances while being starved of service.

  Beth Mead (6/10):

  Replaced at half-time. Provided a couple of dangerous deliveries and was always looking to tee up team-mates. Took a terrible free-kick moments before the interval.

  Stina Blackstenius (5/10):

  Found space hard to come by early on. Saw a tame header and shot from a tight angle easily saved. Fired over when well placed early in the second half before being hauled off.

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  Subs & Manager

  Olivia Smith (7/10):

  Strong in the tackle and willing to race forward. Made an immediate impression and posed a threat on the right throughout the second 45 – with one clear sight of goal being passed up.

  Taylor Hinds (5/10):

  Did not have much to do defensively, which may have impacted her concentration. Did not offer much of an improvement on McCabe.

  Frida Maanum (6/10):

  One bright burst into the penalty area troubled Tottenham, but her cross-shot was ultimately cut out before it could reach Russo.

  Chloe Kelly (N/A):

  Thrown on for the final three minutes.

  Renee Slegers (6/10):

  Did her best to mix things up with second-half changes, but was unable to find that attacking spark. Needs a win to raise morale in the Gunners camp.

Freddie Freeman battled through an ankle injury throughout much of the postseason, pushing past the pain to help the Los Angeles Dodgers secure their World Series title.

After overcoming the pain throughout the course of the playoff run, Freeman addressed the issue during the offseason. The Dodgers announced Thursday that the star first baseman had undergone surgery on his ankle. The team said the procedure, which was performed by Dr. Kenneth Jung, consisted of “debridement and the removal of loose bodies.”

Freeman is expected to be ready to participate in spring training and doesn't figure to miss any of the 2025 regular season as a result of the procedure.

The 35-year-old sustained the ankle injury while running the bases in late September against the San Diego Padres. He missed the team's final series of the regular season but was able to return to action in time for the postseason.

His ankle was causing him some visible discomfort throughout the playoffs, hindering his ability to run the bases at some points. Still, Freeman collected 13 hits in 52 at-bats and ended the postseason with four home runs, 13 RBIs and a .810 OPS.

Last year, across 147 games, Freeman slashed .282/.378/.476 with 22 home runs and 89 RBIs.

Will Arsenal’s winning streak continue?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners swatted aside Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the Czech capital, before makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino scored twice to rubber stamp the points.

That made it ten successive victories for Mikel Arteta, as well as being an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equaling Arsenal’s club record set in 1903, a sequence ended by Glossop North End all those years ago.

Only once before has a top-flight English club won eight games in a row all without conceding, this achieved by Liverpool in February 1920, a record the Gunners can break with victory at the Stadium of Light when they take on Sunderland on Saturday evening.

However, if they’re going to leave Wearside victorious, they will need to silence a familiar foe.

Granit Xhaka's roller coaster Arsenal career

Few players in football history have ever enjoyed quite the character arc at one club experienced by Granit Xhaka during his seven seasons at Arsenal.

The Swiss international was a key figure in the team that won the FA Cup under Arsène Wenger in his first season, but was then part of a team in decline, which ultimately led to Wenger’s departure and Unai Emery’s, at best, mixed reign.

This came to a head in October 2019 when Xhaka was infamously jeered off against Crystal Palace but, as someone who was in attendance that afternoon, it was all a massive misunderstanding.

Arsenal had raced into a 2-0 lead inside nine minutes only to, in trademark fashion under Emery, sit back, allowing Palace to grow into the game and equalise shortly after half time.

Thus, Emery decided to introduce a teenager by the name of Bukayo Saka, whatever happened to him?, and as fourth official Tim Robinson raises his board with a red number 34 on it, Xhaka trudged off the pitch at the speed of a naughty schoolboy sent to the head teacher’s office.

Having seen their side relinquish a two goal advantage, at first, supporters began shouting “get off”, meaning get off the pitch so we can resume this match and beat Crystal Palace, but Xhaka interpreted this as a personal attack, thereby emphatically cupping his ear and removing his shirt before angrily storming down the tunnel.

At this point, it appeared as though the midfielder would never play for the club again, but Emery was sacked later that month and everything changed following the appointment of Arteta.

Xhaka would go on to make 297 appearances for the club, only 12 men have made more for Arsenal in the Premier League, departing a hero, having been a key figure in the 2022/23 side that unexpectedly came so close to winning the title, laying the foundations for where the team is now.

After helping Bayer Leverkusen claim a first-ever Meisterschale, winning the unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, Xhaka surprisingly returned to English football this summer, joining newly-promoted Sunderland, playing every minute of every game with the Black Cats flying high, sat fourth in the Premier League table, scoring his first goal for the club against Everton on Monday night.

Barry Glendenning of the Guardian asserts that the Swiss international has been the ‘most influential’ member of Régis Le Bris’ team so far this season, meaning stopping Xhaka will surely be key to Arteta’s game plan, so which current member of the Arsenal team is best equipped to do just that?

Arsenal's "aggressive" star who can silence Granit Xhaka

A concern for Gooners is their growing injury list, given that Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will all miss this weekend’s trip to Wearside due to injury.

Others, such as Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice are having to take on a high workload while, in contrast, it has been a quiet week for Martín Zubimendi, so he will be raring to go at the Stadium of Light.

Having been booked in each of the first three Champions League matches, the Spaniard did not travel to Prague due to suspension, with Christian Nørgaard deputising at the base of midfield.

Largely because it was finalised right at the start of the window, Zubimendi’s arrival in North London was not met with the fanfare it deserved, but he has pretty inarguably been the Gunners’ most impressive summer recruit so far, with the table below supporting this assertion.

As the numbers highlight, Zubimendi ranks highly for pretty much every metric this season, most notably when it comes to passing, defending, distance covered and touches.

The Spaniard opened his account against Nottingham Forest in September, actually scoring twice that afternoon, this jaw-dropping strike named the Premier League’s goal of the month.

His performances have led to Football Transfers believing his estimated market valuation has increased to around £48m.

Meantime, Adam Keys notes that Zubimendi both “positions himself perfectly for second balls” while also orchestrating play when in possession, while Hand of Arsenal adds that he is a “sublime” player who is “deceptively aggressive” and “knows how to control the tempo and when to break lines and progress”

All of this is going to be needed if the Gunners are going to beat Sunderland on Saturday, thereby moving nine points clear of Manchester City, for 23 hours at least.

With the Black Cats likely to set up in a low block to start, while also posing a threat, often through their midfield general Xhaka, Zubimendi’s overall quality will be vital, with Tuesday acting as a timely reminder, without wanting to denigrate Nørgaard, of how important the Spaniard is, this crystallised in his absence.

Forget Rice & Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" deserves to win PL Player of the Year

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By
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Nov 6, 2025