يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد لمواجهة نظيره جيرونا ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراته أمام جيرونا مساء غدٍ الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 14 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على جيرونا في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.
واستكمل لاعبو ريال مدريد تدريباتهم بقيادة الإسباني تشابي ألونسو، إذ شارك بالمران 19 لاعبًا باستثناء راؤول أسينسيو، ألابا، كارفاخال وهويسن.
اقرأ أيضًا | الصحافة الإسبانية عن أرنولد: جنى ثمار صبره مع ريال مدريد
وتعتبر مشاركة راؤول أسينسيو في مباراة جيرونا محل شك كبير بسبب إصابته بعدوى فيروسية في اللحظات الأخيرة قبل المران.
في حال لم يلعب أسينسيو وينضم لتشكيل الفريق فإن وضع خط دفاع الفريق الإسباني سيكون معقدًا للغاية لأن هويسن غير متاح، وميليتاو تحت مراقبة دقيقة حيث لم يشارك إلا في حصة تدريبية كاملة واحدة مع الفريق.
من ناحية أخرى، سيعتمد ألونسو على كامافينجا وكورتوا، الثنائي نزل إلى أرض ملعب فالديباس وتدربا بشكل مثالي وأصبحت جاهزيتهما تامة لخوض مباراة جيرونا.
أما ماستانتونو وروديجر، لقد تعامل معهما ألونسو بحذر شديد الفترة الماضية حتى لا تحدث انتكاسة فقد ينضما إلى قائمة مباراة جيرونا بعد إكمالهما عدة حصص تدريبية مع بقية زملائهما، كل ذلك وفقًا لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.
The 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA is creeping up on us, and with England already booking their spot in North America, the talk now is who will be on that plane.
Thomas Tuchel will need to select a 26-player squad as he looks to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph.
Some are guaranteed to be in the squad, but there are others who still need to impress. Here’s a look at who is best placed to be included.
Rank
England 2026 World Cup Power Rankings
Position
Club
1
Harry Kane
Forward
Bayern Munich
2
Declan Rice
Midfielder
Arsenal
3
Jordan Pickford
Goalkeeper
Everton
4
Marc Guehi
Defender
Crystal Palace
5
Bukayo Saka
Forward
Arsenal
6
Jude Bellingham
Midfielder
Real Madrid
7
Elliot Anderson
Midfielder
Nottingham Forest
8
Reece James
Defender
Chelsea
9
Anthony Gordon
Forward
Newcastle
10
Phil Foden
Midfielder
Man City
11
Djed Spence
Defender
Tottenham
12
John Stones
Defender
Man City
13
Morgan Rogers
Midfielder
Aston Villa
20
Cole Palmer
Midfielder
Chelsea
15
Adam Wharton
Midfielder
Crystal Palace
16
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Defender
Real Madrid
17
Dean Henderson
Goalkeeper
Crystal Palace
18
Marcus Rashford
Forward
Barcelona
19
Ezri Konsa
Defender
Aston Villa
20
Dan Burn
Defender
Newcastle
21
Eberechi Eze
Midfielder
Arsenal
22
Jordan Henderson
Midfielder
Brentford
23
Jarrod Bowen
Forward
West Ham
24
Morgan Gibbs-White
Midfielder
Nottingham Forest
25
Nico O’Reilly
Defender
Man City
26
Conor Gallagher
Midfielder
Atletico Madrid
1
Goalkeepers
Rank
England Goalkeeper Rankings
Club
1
Jordan Pickford
Everton
2
Dean Henderson
Crystal Palace
3
James Trafford
Man City
4
Nick Pope
Newcastle
5
Aaron Ramsdale
Newcastle
Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star looks set to remain first choice heading into 2026, providing he stays fit.
With two more spots open for ‘keepers, there looks set to be a battle between Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.
Of the four, Henderson and Pope are getting regular minutes for Crystal Palace and Newcastle, whereas Trafford and Ramsdale are finding minutes hard to come by. Tuchel has been picking Trafford, though, so Pope could miss out.
2
Full-backs
Rank
England Full-Back Rankings
Club
1
Reece James
Chelsea
2
Djed Spence
Tottenham
3
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid
4
Nico O’Reilly
Man City
5
Tino Livramento
Newcastle
6
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal
7
Kieran Trippier
Newcastle
Top of the full-back charts are Chelsea’s Reece James and Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who have been regulars in Tuchel’s squads recently, with the former working under the England boss at Stamford Bridge.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out by Tuchel earlier this year following his move to Real Madrid, but his technical ability will surely see him selected even if it isn’t as a starter.
Elsewhere, Tuchel has warned Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more minutes at club level to be considered for selection. Nico O’Reilly is in a good position after starring under Pep Guardiola at Man City, whereas Tino Livramento is set to return to regular action with Newcastle soon.
3
Centre-backs
Rank
England Centre-Back Rankings
Club
1
Marc Guehi
Crystal Palace
2
John Stones
Man City
3
Dan Burn
Newcastle
4
Ezri Konsa
Aston Villa
5
Jarell Quansah
Bayer Leverkusen
6
Trevoh Chalobah
Chelsea
7
Jarrad Branthwaite
Everton
8
Levi Colwill
Chelsea
9
Harry Maguire
Man Utd
With Tuchel potentially going with a back four, Marc Guehi is on course to take one of two starting centre-back spots if he continues to star for Crystal Palace.
John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Trevoh Chalobah have all been in Tuchel’s squads and could battle it out to partner Guehi.
Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite and Levi Colwill could make a late push if they can get enough minutes under their belt when they return from injury in 2026.
There may not be a place for Harry Maguire, though, who appears to have fallen out of favour at international level.
4
Central midfielders
Rank
England Central-Midfielder Rankings
Club
1
Declan Rice
Arsenal
2
Elliot Anderson
Nottingham Forest
3
Adam Wharton
Crystal Palace
4
Jordan Henderson
Brentford
5
Alex Scott
Bournemouth
6
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
AC Milan
7
Conor Gallagher
Atletico Madrid
8
Curtis Jones
Liverpool
Right now, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson look set to be the two starting central midfielders in Tuchel’s England side, allowing the Three Lions’ attacking stars freedom to shine.
Adam Wharton appears to be next in line to come in for either Rice or Anderson, whereas Jordan Henderson has also made a few of Tuchel’s squads.
Alex Scott of Bournemouth was also handed a maiden call-up and AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been in Tuchel’s squads in 2025.
5
Attacking midfielders
Rank
England Attacking-Midfielder Rankings
Club
1
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid
2
Phil Foden
Man City
3
Morgan Rogers
Aston Villa
4
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
5
Eberechi Eze
Arsenal
6
Morgan Gibbs-White
Nottingham Forest
Further forward in an attacking midfield role, Tuchel will surely select Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
Real Madrid star Bellingham appears to be getting back to his best, whereas Tuchel sees Foden as a central player over a winger.
Cole Palmer has been injured at Chelsea and may have some work to do in 2026 to make the 26-player squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White.
6
Forwards
Rank
England Forwards Power Rankings
Club
1
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
2
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
3
Anthony Gordon
Newcastle
4
Marcus Rashford
Barcelona
5
Jarrod Bowen
West Ham
6
Noni Madueke
Arsenal
7
Jack Grealish
Everton
8
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
9
Danny Welbeck
Brighton
Captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England in North America, providing he stays fit, after starring once again for Bayern Munich, and Tuchel could select a number of versatile forwards instead of another striker to back up the Bayern Munich star.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can play out wide or through the middle, whereas Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are currently first-choice wingers.
Players with work to do to make the squad include Ollie Watkins and maybe even Jack Grealish, despite his positive start at Everton. A surprise name to keep an eye on could be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck following his fine form in the Premier League.
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz served a 10-game suspension earlier this season after he was ejected for "sticky stuff," a rule prohibiting players from using any foreign substance to "discolor or damage the ball," according to rule 3.01 of the official MLB rules and regulations.
Tuesday night, the same umpire, Vic Carapazza, who ejected Diaz addressed Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele for a sticky stuff concern, but instead of ejecting him, asked him to go and wash his hands. He stayed in the game.
The rule is excruciatingly arbitrary and has been critiqued for that reason, but it gives umpires a great deal of latitude and discretion to judge the situation how they see fit because of how open-ended it is.
And that's exactly why one umpire can treat two similar situations very differently.
There could be a number of good-enough explanations for why the situations were treated differently. Maybe it was an obviously less egregious substance. Perhaps the umpire was directed to escalate such situations slower after the Diaz incident was criticized en masse. Maybe Steele's hand was sticky, but not sticky. Hate that explanation all you want, but that's a problem with the rule, not with the umpire.
For what it's worth, hand washing is not explicitly referenced in the rulebook.
Don't hate the player, hate the game. Don't hate the umpire, hate the rulebook.
A torcida do Palmeiras resolveu criar uma campanha para que a atmosfera no Allianz Parque seja um verdadeiro pesadelo para o Boca Juniors nesta quinta-feira (5).
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras e Boca Juniors já foram considerados ‘espelhos’ há 30 anos; entenda a históriaPalmeiras03/10/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras pode reviver ‘pesadelo’ de Cavani, do Boca Juniors, em semi no BrasilPalmeiras03/10/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras fecha balanço de agosto com déficit, mas segue com lucro no acumulado do anoPalmeiras03/10/2023
+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui
+ Aposte R$50 e ganhe mais de R$175 com vitória do Palmeiras e gol de Veiga contra o Boca na Libertadores
Com a #CantaComigo diversos influenciadores e torcedores anônimos estão alertando para a importância que a torcida pode ter na classificação do time para a final da Libertadores.
Sem mosaico, vetado pela Conmebol, a maior organizada do clube promete não cessar os esforços para criar um ambiente de total apoio nos 90 minutos diante dos argentinos.
continua após a publicidade
+ Opinião: ‘A linha tênue entre convicção e teimosia de Abel no Palmeiras’
Na rua, horas antes do jogo, será feito o maior corredor alviverde da história e são esperados muitos torcedores para carregarem o time da porta do CT até o Allianz Parque.
+ Quarteto fantástico! Aposte R$50 e ganhe R$990 com artilheiros na Liga dos Campeões!
+ Concorra a ingressos para a final da Libertadores com a Lance! Betting
Thomas Frank praised Tottenham’s mentality after Joao Palhinha’s stoppage-time leveller rescued a “huge” point at home to Wolves.
Palhinha struck in the fourth minute of stoppage time to deny the visitors a shock victory after Santiago Bueno tapped in a 54th-minute opener for bottom-of-the-table Wolves.
Frank shares what he liked from his Tottenham side in Wolves draw
Wolves arrived in north London after five consecutive Premier League losses and three points for Tottenham would have sent them second within two points of leaders Liverpool, but they struggled to create clear-cut chances until Palhinha’s fine curled finish late on.
Frank elected to play Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur together in midfield again, which was also the case in the 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth in August.
The experienced duo have impressed this season and bring a level of defensive steel, but little creativity.
Frank praises Bentancur and Bergvall alongside Palhinha
Asked about his midfield selection, Frank said: “I will always look back at it but a good, old coach told me once that the line-up you picked, you did that for a reason and you don’t know what would happen if you pick the other one. Maybe you would have lost 2-0.
“So, I need to go with what I believe in of course. That is not to say I am not watching the game back and not reflecting and thinking. I actually think first half was quite good and we created enough.
“We would like to create a bit more, yes but actually after I took Rodri out, you could say it didn’t work because we lost the structure, so who knows? One thing is for sure, we need to do a little bit better in the second half.
Saved by Palhinha: Frank must instantly drop Spurs star who dropped a 6/10
Tottenham salvaged a point against Wolves in the Premier League.
By
Angus Sinclair
Sep 28, 2025
Pereira reacts to late Spurs equaliser
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira praised the fight of his players, but conceded letting victory slip at the death was a bitter pill to swallow, especially after no points from their first five Premier League matches.
“One I am proud of my players and happy with the spirit they show in the game and the ambition they show in the game, but frustrated because when we have three points and we lose two in the last minute, it is difficult,” Pereira said.
“The question is did we win one point or lose two? My answer is we lost two points because the team showed that we came here to win the game, especially in the second half.”
Manchester City began the 2025/26 season with a point to prove after a disappointing campaign last year, where they finished 13 points behind champions Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola’s side were uncharacteristically inconsistent, struggling for rhythm and creativity.
This summer brought change. In came Rayan Cherki, Tiijani Reinders, and Rayan Aït-Nouri to refresh an aging squad, while a handful of younger talents were sent out on loan to gain experience.
City’s start to the new season has been mixed – four wins, a draw, and two losses after seven Premier League games – but one constant has been the form of Erling Haaland.
After scoring the decisive goal in the 1-0 win over Brentford on Sunday, Haaland looks back to his devastating best.
And while he dominates the present, Guardiola’s eyes are firmly on the future.
Most notably, on a 20-year-old striker currently making waves in the Championship.
Erling Haaland's stunning form in numbers
At 25 years old, Haaland remains the spearhead of Manchester City’s attack and arguably the most feared finisher in world football.
Valued at around £165m by Transfermarkt, the Norwegian forward has already scored nine goals in the Premier League this season, adding three more in the Champions League.
His sharpness in front of goal was evident again on Sunday when he scored in the ninth minute to secure three points against a stubborn Brentford side.
Haaland’s record in Manchester speaks for itself: 136 goals in 155 appearances.
His power, timing, and composure make him the ultimate reference point for Pep Guardiola’s tactical structure, even as the manager experiments with a refreshed lineup.
Beyond his finishing, Haaland’s work rate and movement continue to set the standard for the squad’s younger forwards.
Crucially, his form could be what drags the club back into the title race. For club and country, he’s netted a staggering 16 goals in his last nine matches.
Erling Haaland – 2025/26
Matches Played
7
Goals
9
Assists
1
Progressive Carries
10
Progressive Passes
6
Source: FBref
Yet behind the scenes, there is an understanding at the Etihad that Haaland won’t shoulder the burden forever.
The club’s long-term planning is already underway—and that’s where one of England’s most promising young strikers enters the conversation.
Manchester City's future Haaland
Divin Mubama may not yet be a household name among Premier League fans, but those following the Championship will know the Manchester City loanee is beginning to deliver on his potential.
The 20-year-old, who joined City from West Ham after rising through the Hammers’ academy, has impressed on loan at Stoke City – scoring twice while wearing the No.9 shirt.
Stoke currently sit fifth in the Championship, and Mubama has been pivotal to their early-season form.
Having played in all nine matches so far, he’s shown maturity beyond his years.
Analysts predicted his success before a ball was kicked, with Ben Mattinson claiming he would be “one of the best in the Championship” if given a full loan spell.
Statistically, Mubama’s profile is hugely promising. Compared to positional peers in Eurpe, he ranks in the 86th percentile for successful take-ons (1.08 per 90 minutes), showing his confidence to beat defenders; the 91st percentile for tackles (1.21 per 90), evidence of his work ethic out of possession; and the 99th percentile for interceptions (0.54 per 90), highlighting his reading of the game.
Physically strong and dominant in the air, he also ranks in the 73rd percentile for aerial duels won (3.09 per 90) and 76th for blocks (0.81 per 90).
Internationally, Mubama has been capped at every youth level for England and made his U21 debut in a 2-0 win against Kazakhstan.
At club level, his rise has been steady. He scored 16 goals in 14 games for City’s U21s and already has senior experience in Europe, having featured for West Ham in both the Europa League and the Conference League – the latter of which he helped win in 2023.
He even marked his first senior goal for City in an emphatic 8-0 FA Cup victory over Salford City, a glimpse of what might lie ahead.
Mubama’s blend of technical ability, movement, and physicality makes him the ideal apprentice to Haaland.
The two strikers, though at different stages of their careers, embody Guardiola’s long-term vision: an emphasis on power, precision, and adaptability.
With Mubama’s performances at Stoke drawing praise and Haaland rediscovering his lethal edge, Manchester City’s attacking future looks secure.
If the young Englishman continues his upward trajectory, he could well be the next great forward to define Manchester City’s modern era.
Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"
Manchester City let this top talent slip through their fingers.
Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Nicolas Raskin has attracted interest from other clubs in the summer transfer window, thanks to his performances at Ibrox over the last year or so.
Premier League sides Wolves, Aston Villa, and Leeds United have all been linked with an interest in the Belgium international, who is said to be valued at £25m by the club.
Despite his undoubted quality, which is backed up by interest from Premier League clubs, Raskin as not helped Rangers to pick up any wins in the first three Scottish Premiership matches.
The midfield star has failed to score or create a ‘big chance’ in any of the three games, fortunately registering an assist when the ball deflected off his thigh and teed up Findlay Curtis to score from range.
Rangers have failed to score more than one goal in all of their league outings, so far, and that is why it would be an even bigger blow for them to lose a difference-maker in the final third, rather than Raskin, before the deadline closes.
European side plotting bid for Rangers star
Whilst noise over Raskin’s future has gone quiet, despite the report interest from down south earlier this summer, there is still plenty of chatter over what will happen to one of Russell Martin’s star forwards.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to the Daily Record, Lille are preparing to submit an offer to sign Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Hamza Igamane before the end of the window.
The report claims that the Ligue 1 side are set to propose an initial fee of £9m with add-ons that could take it up to £12m, as they look to test the Scottish giants’ resolve.
It adds that Lille have already had one bid turned down for Igamane and that they have now reopened talks to sign the forward, who Martin claimed said he was injured and unavailable to come on as a substitute against St Mirren.
The Daily Record reveals that Rangers want a fee close to £15m to allow the forward to leave, but Lille are not willing to go that high and will offer a £12m package in an attempt to get a deal done near the end of the window.
Why selling Igamane would be a big blow for Rangers
Losing Igamane this late in the window would be an even bigger blow than losing Raskin because he is the kind of player who can turn poor performances into positive results.
Raskin is not a natural game-changing attacker who is going to score and create goals out of nothing on a consistent basis, which is partly why he has been unable to turn the tide in the first three games.
That is not a criticism of the Belgian maestro, who is a joy to watch in midfield at times, but it just speaks to the kind of player Rangers need right now, and that player is Igamane.
Hamza Igamane’s 24/25 Premiership form
Match
Goal contributions
Score
Kilmarnock (H)
Goal
6-0 win
Ross County (A)
Goal
3-0 win
Motherwell (A)
2 goals
2-2 draw
Hibernian (A)
3 goals
3-3 draw
Dundee (A)
Assist
1-1 draw
St Johnstone (H)
Goal
3-1 win
Aberdeen (H)
Goal
3-0 win
Celtic (A)
Goal
3-2 win
Aberdeen (A)
Goal
2-2 draw
Aberdeen (H)
Goal
4-0 win
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international helped to turn losses into draws and draws into wins with his contributions in the final third last season in the Premiership.
Igamane, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed tries “outrageous” efforts in games, showcased his game-changing quality when he scored the winner against Celtic at Parkhead back in March, in the clip below.
The 22-year-old attacker is the kind of player who can turn a game on its head by delivering a moment of magic, which is what Rangers have sorely lacked in the first three games of the league campaign.
This is why selling Igamane would be an even bigger blow than losing Raskin this summer, because he has more potential to be an influential player for the Light Blues in the Premiership.
As well as Aarons: Martin must drop Rangers lightweight who lost 100% duels
Russell Martin must drop this Rangers lightweight as well as Max Aarons.
With a matter of hours left to hand Russell Martin the upgrades that he needs following a disastrous start to life at Ibrox, Rangers have reportedly turned their focus towards a former academy graduate.
Who Rangers could sign on deadline day
It’s been a big summer for Rangers. The Gers have welcomed over 10 fresh faces, new ownership and a new manager in Martin. So far, however, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. The Gers are winless in the Scottish Premiership, out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion and some are already questioning Martin’s ability to turn things around.
Imagine him & Miovski: Rangers make last-gasp offer for "devastating" star
Rangers have reportedly made a last-gasp offer to sign a star who could shine alongside Bojan Miovski.
ByDan Emery Sep 1, 2025
Alas, the transfer window is still open. There is still time for Rangers to welcome some much-needed upgrades and there are still a number of players to watch. Among the reinforcements that are likely to arrive is a replacement for Hamza Igamane.
The talented forward refused to come off the bench during Rangers’ draw with St Mirren earlier this month before swiftly sealing a move to LOSC Lille to leave the Gers scrambling for options.
Several names have been mooted since then and another forward could arrive even after Bojan Miovski signed on the dotted line. In that department, the Scottish giants could certainly do with all the help they can get after yet another lackluster display going forward against Old Firm rivals Celtic.
One of the names mentioned to that end has been Youssef Chermiti. The young Everton forward has struggled with injuries and struggled to break into the Toffees’ strongest side since arriving from Sporting Club in 2023, but a loan move could quickly turn his fortunes around.
Meanwhile, alongside an inexperienced option, Rangers have also reportedly set their sights on signing a Scotland international in a last-minute move.
Rangers readying McLean move
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Rangers are now readying a late move to sign Kenny McLean from Norwich City. The 33-year-old, who has made 41 appearances for Scotland, is currently struggling to break into Liam Manning’s strongest side despite the Canaries’ poor start in the Championship and could move on as a result.
Amid all of their own current struggles, Rangers would benefit from McLean’s experience at both club and international level. It’s on the biggest stage that he’s earned the highest praise too.
Former teammate and ex-Celtic man Stephen O’Donnell told reporters in the build-up to Euro 2024: “His physicality is good as well, he has got pretty much everything.
“Kenny has had a good career and I will be looking forward to seeing what role he has in the upcoming games. At this stage now, the team has been together that long, they all bring their own characteristics to the table and Kenny is a lively lad.”
In what is expected to be a busy deadline day, the midfielder would stand out as a solid arrival for those at Ibrox, who must get things right.
New Napoli signing Sam Beukema heaped praise on team-mate Kevin De Bruyne as the defender claimed that he was left "surprised" by the Manchester City legend's humility. De Bruyne, who left City after 10 years this summer to join Napoli on a free transfer, has made a bright start to his life in Italy as he has already scored two goals in five appearances for his club, across all competitions.
Beukema surprised by De Bruyne's humility
Like De Bruyne, Beukema switched to Napoli during the summer transfer window from Bologna on a five-year deal. The Dutch centre-back is loving his life in Naples and has already made some close friends in Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne. The 26-year-old spoke highly of the two senior players' character, while claiming he was surprised by their "humility".
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport"They surprised me a bit"
In an interview with , Beukema said: "They are two high-level players. They surprised me a bit, because they are very humble. We have joked many times together, and they’ve helped me settle into the group. Lukaku has been here for one year already. I’m so happy to be here with them and face them in training sessions. I can’t wait to continue with them."
De Bruyne backed to guide Napoli to back-to-back Serie A titles
Former Italy international Paolo Di Canio has backed De Bruyne and Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund to shine for Napoli and help Antonio Conte's side win their second consecutive Serie A title in the 2025-26 campaign. Di Canio also praised the club for their impressive transfer activities during the summer.
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Getty Images Busy schedule awaits Conte's side
Conte's side are currently in action against AC Milan in the Serie A. They will next host Sporting CP in a Champions League clash on Wednesday, before taking on Genoa in the Serie A again on October 5.
The England star faces plenty of competition at the Gunners from Chloe Kelly, Olivia Smith and Caitlin Foord, but still has a big part to play
One can only imagine what Jocelyn Precheur, head coach of London City Lionesses, was thinking when Beth Mead came off the Arsenal bench last weekend and killed any chance of his team getting anything out of their first game in the Women's Super League. Just a few weeks prior, Precheur had spoken with the England forward about a potential move. Now, having decided to stay with the Gunners, here she was showing just why the club was interested, producing two assists within just 83 seconds of each other to put victory at the Emirates beyond doubt.
London City made a bigger splash in the summer transfer window than perhaps any other side in Europe – and certainly within England – by signing Grace Geyoro for a world-record fee on deadline day to cap several months of impressive business which had brought established names like Nikita Parris, Katie Zelem and Danielle van de Donk to the newly-promoted club. For a while, it looked like Mead would be added to that list, with the ambitious outfit, backed by the billions of Michele Kang, offering her a move that would surely bring with it more game time.
Off the back of a summer in which she largely played the role of substitute as England retained their European Championship crown, having also found herself on the Arsenal bench more often than not in the second half of last season, few would've questioned Mead's decision had she opted for a switch. But her incredibly impactful cameo on Saturday was evidence that she still has plenty to give in north London, as well as for England.
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Competition for places
In some ways, Saturday's performance encapsulated Mead's 2025. Since Chloe Kelly's arrival at Arsenal at the end of the January transfer window, in a loan deal that would be made permanent this summer, the 30-year-old has struggled for consistent starts at club level.
Indeed, since Kelly's second Arsenal debut, Mead has started just six times for her club and has appeared as a substitute on eight further occasions. Kelly, meanwhile, has made 10 starts and three sub appearances. Only twice have the pair started together, with head coach Renee Slegers preferring to combine the two with the other wide options in her squad, rather than with each other.
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Making the most of minutes
Yet, despite her opportunities becoming more limited than she is used to, Mead has remained effective. She scored three goals and provided three assists in that period after Kelly's arrival last season, for an average of one direct goal contribution every 102 minutes, with the biggest of that half-dozen being her classy assist in the Champions League final, setting Stina Blackstenius up for the goal that made Arsenal champions of Europe.
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Changing roles
It was a similar story at Euro 2025. Mead went into that tournament with England as a starter, having featured from the get-go in each of the Lionesses' last five outings before the competition got underway in Switzerland. She'd justified her place, too, despite reduced minutes at Arsenal, producing three goals and two assists in that spell. When Sarina Wiegman picked her first XI of the tournament against France, Mead was in.
But it quickly became apparent that a change was needed to balance the England team out. After a flattering 2-1 loss in that opener, Wiegman moved Lauren James from the No.10 role to the right wing, meaning Mead dropped to the bench. Despite that, she would still play a crucial role in the Lionesses' second-successive continental triumph via impressive cameos off the bench throughout the knockout stages.
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'Tough club to walk away from'
No senior player ever really wants to be a super-sub, especially not one with Mead's pedigree. It thus made total sense for London City to try and prise her away from Arsenal this summer, with more minutes sure to give her a greater shot of returning to that England XI. But it was always going to be hard for her part ways with the club she has grown into a superstar with over the last eight years, especially when she didn't have to.
"It’s a tough club to walk away from," Mead told last week. "When you’ve been somewhere this long it holds a very precious place in your heart. I have another year left on my contract, I still think I’m more than good enough to compete and be able to play in this team and I know I bring something different."