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Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has issued a passionate defence of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso following the club's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Manchester City. The Belgian shot-stopper insisted the squad remain "united" behind the coach and pledged that the players will support him "wholeheartedly" as they look to end a poor run of form.

• Madrid beaten again on home soil

  The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu was tense on Wednesday night as Real Madrid suffered their second home defeat in the space of just three days. After falling to a 2-0 domestic loss against Celta Vigo over the weekend, the Spanish giants were beaten 2-1 by City in Europe, a result that has increased the scrutiny on manager Alonso.

  Goals from Nico O'Reilly and Erling Haaland overturned Rodrygo's opener to hand victory to the Premier League side in the league phase encounter. The final whistle was met with frustration from sections of the home support, but Thibaut Courtois stepped forward in the mixed zone to offer a defiant message regarding the dressing room's relationship with their head coach.

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  Courtois 'fighting to change this dynamic'

  Speaking to reporters after the match, Courtois rejected any suggestion that the players had lost faith in Alonso’s methods or that the squad was fractured. The goalkeeper emphasised that the performance against Pep Guardiola's side, despite the adverse result, was evidence of their commitment to the manager.

  "I think today we showed that we are a united team, that we support the coach and that we are all fighting to change this dynamic," Courtois declared.

  Madrid have managed just two wins in their last eight matches across all competitions, a streak that has seen them slip to second in La Liga and seventh in the Champions League table. The defeat to City was particularly stinging as it marked back-to-back losses at the Bernabeu, a rarity for the 15-time European champions.

  The match itself saw Madrid start brightly, with Rodrygo ending his long drought to put the hosts ahead after 28 minutes. However, City responded quickly through O'Reilly, before Haaland converted a penalty just before half-time after Antonio Rudiger was adjudged to have fouled the Norwegian striker.

• Understanding the Bernabeu's anger

  Courtois also addressed the reaction from the stands. The goalkeeper acknowledged the frustration of the supporters following the recent dip in form, while defending the effort the team put in against a high-calibre opponent.

  "I understand the anger after a run of matches like this, but I think we reacted on the pitch, we did everything possible and we lost against a very good rival," the Belgian explained.

  Courtois pointed to the quality of the opposition as a factor in the result. City, who sit fourth in the Champions League standings on 13 points, controlled significant portions of the game. Despite the defeat, Courtois felt the team "reacted" well during the contest, creating chances in the second half as they searched for an equaliser that ultimately did not come. The goalkeeper himself was called into action to make a double save to keep the score at 2-1, denying City a third goal that would have killed the game off earlier.

  When asked directly about the future of the manager and the squad's stance, Courtois offered an unequivocal pledge of loyalty to Alonso.

  "Everyone here will support the coach with all our heart," Courtois stated.

  This public backing comes at a critical time for Alonso, who took charge earlier in the year. The defeat leaves Madrid on 12 points in the Champions League league phase, still inside the top eight automatic qualification spots but with a reduced margin for error heading into the final fixtures against Monaco and Benfica in January.

  The squad situation has been complicated by fitness issues, with Kylian Mbappe remaining on the bench throughout the match due to a knee concern, forcing Alonso to rely on a front line of Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Gonzalo Garcia.

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  Focus shifts to Alaves

  Madrid return to La Liga action immediately with a trip to face Alaves on Sunday. For Courtois, this fixture is the priority to arrest the slide and restore confidence within the camp.

  "It is by winning on Sunday that we will change this dynamic," he added.

  The goalkeeper made it clear that the team must translate their internal unity into victories on the pitch. Real Madrid currently trail league leaders Barcelona by four points in the domestic table. The trip to the Mendizorrotza Stadium offers an immediate opportunity to respond to the defeats against Celta and City. A win would stabilise the situation before the winter break, while another negative result would further extend the difficult run Courtois referred to. The focus now turns solely to Sunday as the squad attempts to turn their "wholehearted" support into three points.

South Africa left-arm spinner’s celebration of a wicket lands her in trouble

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2025

Nonkululeko Mlaba picked up 2 for 46 in South Africa’s win over India•BCCI

South Africa left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was handed a demerit point for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against India at the Women’s World Cup.The incident occurred in the 17th over of India’s innings, when Mlaba, after dismissing Harleen Deol, waved goodbye to the batter, which an ICC release on Saturday noted, “could have provoked an aggressive response”Mlaba was judged to have breached Article 2.5, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”Related

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On-field umpires Jacquline Williams and Kim Cotton, third umpire Candace le Borde and fourth umpire Sue Redfern levelled the charge. Mlaba admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Trudy Anderson. The sanction also included an official reprimand.Mlaba will carry this demerit point into a 24-month period. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within this period, they can be suspended for one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first.South Africa clinched a thriller against India on Thursday, chasing down 252 to post their second win in three games of the World Cup. Mlaba picked up 2 for 46 in the game.

Ex-Everton star Yannick Bolasie has hit out at Gary Neville's punditry, claiming the Manchester United legend "thinks he’s the second coming of Pep Guardiola". Neville was on Sky Sports commentary during the Premier League clash between the Toffees and the Red Devils as Ruben Amorim's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss against 10 men.

• Man Utd's unbeaten streak ends

  After a torrid start to their 2025-26 campaign, United began to pick up form in the Premier League as they registered three wins in a row against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. At the start of November, they were held to back-to-back draws by Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. After a five-match unbeaten run, many believed that the days of agony were finally behind United as they were looking like a close-knit unit for the first time in the Amorim era. 

  However, United were brought crashing back down to earth on Monday evening as they went down 1-0 against a 10-man Everton side. Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the 13th minute after he fought with his own team-mate Michael Keane on the pitch. The hosts, though, could not capitalise on their man advantage and instead conceded around the half-hour mark as former Chelsea man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the all-important winning goal.

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  Ex-Everton star slammed Gary Neville

  Former United star Neville, who was on broadcasting duty with Sky Sports for the game, failed to impress ex-Everton and Crystal Palace player Yannick Bolasie with his punditry skills. The 36-year-old Congolese winger took a shot at the Red Devils legend on social media.

  Bolasie wrote on X: "I’m watching this game on mute. I respect opinions but not when he’s giggling all over the mic thinking he’s the second coming of guardiola, allow it…great player but the tactics give it a rest laaaad."

• Amorim wished United played like Everton

  Amorim was understandably unhappy with the team's performance at home against a team reduced to 10 men as he went on to claim that United deserved to lose, while heaping praise on David Moyes' side for showing fighting spirit.

  After the game, the Portuguese coach told reporters: "I think they were a better team with 11. They then worked really well with 10 men for 70 minutes. So I think we deserved to lose. We didn't play well. We didn't play with the right intensity. I know which point we are in the moment. So we are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do, and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect. I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together. We are going to work together. I'm not going. The players are trying, but we need to be better so we have training tomorrow, and we are going to prepare the next one."

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  Are United ready to challenge for a top five finish?

  United had the perfect opportunity to reclaim their place among the top five teams in the Premier League after Bournemouth dropped points against West Ham, Arsenal thrashed Tottenham in the north London derby and both Liverpool and Manchester City lost their respective fixtures. However, with the lost against Everton, United have dropped to 10th.

  Amorim admitted that United are still not ready to challenge the elite teams in the division. The Portuguese added: "It is my responsibility to explain the game, and today, it was not one mistake of one individual, it was the team. The way we saw the results of the weekend. We should get inside the pitch with a different level of excitement, that is, that is my feeling. It doesn't matter if you are playing well, making good passes, but the feeling and Old Trafford was there, saying we are all here to give a big step up, and I felt that we were not ready again."

  The Red Devils next face Crystal Palace in a difficult away fixture on Sunday in the Premier League. 

A significant update has now emerged regarding Raphael Wicky becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, as the Championship side look to find the right replacement for Rob Edwards in the near future.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has knocked Boro for six at an important point in the season, but it is vital that they don’t allow it to derail their Championship promotion push in the coming weeks and months.

A number of candidates have already been mentioned as potential options as the Englishman’s successor, including former Young Boys manager Wicky.

It has been claimed that Boro are serious about appointing the 48-year-old as their next boss after he impressed during talks, although he is far from the only candidate being mentioned for the job.

Former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a contender for the Championship side, with the Dutchman reportedly given Gareth Southgate’s endorsement, following their time working together with the England national team. Steven Gerrard, Gary O’Neill and Carlos Corberan are some of the other names to have been thrown around.

Wicky keen on taking Middlesbrough job

Now, according to a fresh claim from The Northern Echo, Wicky is keen on becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, with the Swiss very much in the mix to come in.

He is said to be one of a host of overseas bosses who are “interested” in taking charge at the Riverside Stadium, following his exit from Young Boys last year, having spent two years at the club.

Wicky stands out as a strong option for Boro, with journalist Graeme Bailey describing him as an “impressive” individual, following a successful managerial career to date.

He won both the Swiss league title and Swiss Cup with Young Boys in the 2022/23 season, outlining his winning mentality, and at 48, he is still a relatively young manager who will bring fresh ideas to the Riverside.

It remains to be seen if the 4-4-2 diamond-playing Wicky will ultimately be Boro’s pick as their new boss, but the fact that the job appeals to him can only be a good thing, and his trophy-winning pedigree isn’t something that should be ignored.

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1

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Tom Cunningham

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It is vital that the club don’t rush into the decision, however, instead ensuring that they have the best possible choice of manager to hopefully spearhead their return to the Premier League, rather than making a quick call and bringing in the wrong man.

How Middlesbrough feel about Raphael Wicky as Swiss manager holds Riverside talks

Two decades. For a club of Arsenal’s prestigious standing, 20 years without touching the Premier League trophy is inexcusable.

Mikel Arteta has changed the narrative in north London, raising this club from the rubble and turning them into bona fide contenders. But contenders are not champions, and that is the next step.

Two decades. Too long. But Arteta has changed things, alright, and there’s a building momentum about the Gunners which is leading toward silverware.

Three times in a row, Arsenal have finished the Premier League season as runners-up, but last weekend’s slender win over Fulham has seen them shift three points clear at the top, ahead of Manchester City and stretching clear of Liverpool, with the defending champions having lost three games on the bounce.

Careful, calculated progress on the transfer front has built Arteta’s vision, and the signings struck this summer may prove decisive in finally restoring glory to the Emirates.

The jackpot has been struck multiple times, but Martin Zubimendi may well be the cream of the crop.

Martin Zubimendi's start to life in London

Arsenal have made some top signings this summer, strengthening across the park and stepping that bit closer toward the silver-laden success that the Arteta era deserves.

Zubimendi is the man who makes it all tick, and he might come to prove the signing of the summer – not just for Arsenal, but across the Premier League.

Arriving from Real Sociedad for £60m in July, the deep-lying midfielder has added quite the dimension to Arteta’s engine room. He is 26 years old and mature, and it shows.

Crisp, tempo-setting passing is his forte. FBref data records that Zubimendi ranks among the top 9% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for pass completion and the top 12% for passes attempted per 90. He’s a maestro, plain and simple.

Zubimendi’s work platforms the show-stopping success of the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. There is such balance coursing through Arsenal’s team, and if they do manage to get their hands on the Premier League title this term, Zubimendi will be will be lauded as one of the biggest difference-makers.

While Zubimendi has been one of the best number sixes in the top flight, there are some who would rival him for that crown. Among them, a former Arsenal star.

You probably know who.

The former Arsenal star who's rivalling Zubimendi

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones made an interesting point after his struggling side returned to winning form against Eintracht Frankfurt. He said that an elite central midfielder makes the bedrock of a successful, title-winning outfit.

And over at Arsenal, Zubimendi is that man, but it’s interesting to note that Granit Xhaka is rivalling the Spain international for newly-promoted Sunderland.

He knows the Premier League well. After all, Xhaka arrived at Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2015 and made 225 appearances in the division before leaving for Bayer Leverkusen and then returning to English shores and taking the captaincy at the Stadium of Light.

He went through all the emotions at Arsenal, but left the club regarded as an important piece of their modern history. Combative, tenacious and never afraid to channel his power and strike on goal, Xhaka was almost unplayable on his day, and Arteta will be happy that he has found his new version of the Swiss machine in Zubimendi.

Now 33, most were uncertain he would thrive after joining Regis Le Bris’ side this season, so late into his career and surely content with winning silverware over in Germany under Xabi Alonso’s wing.

But the new Real Madrid boss has fuelled his lieutenant with a late-career fire for more, and, as the statistics will show you, he has been an integral part of Sunderland’s success this season, going punch for punch with one of the division’s finest in Zubimendi.

Having started all nine of Sunderland’s matches, Xhaka would stake a compelling case for being in the Premier League Team of the Year so far; the Wearsiders are fifth in the standings, and they have lost only two of their nine matches.

Zubimendi vs Xhaka in the Premier League (25/26)

Stats (* per game)

Zubimendi

Xhaka

Matches (starts)

8 (7)

8 (8)

Goals

2

0

Assists

0

3

Touches*

69.6

69.9

Accurate passes*

53.8 (90%)

44.1 (82%)

Key passes*

0.8

1.2

Big chances created

1

4

Dribbles*

0.1

0.3

Recoveries*

3.3

4.8

Tackles + interceptions*

2.8

3.1

Duels won*

3.5 (51%)

6.2 (62%)

Data via Sofascore

Zubimendi is not defined by statistics. He is an immense midfielder, elegant and intelligent, and has even been hailed as “one of the best Emirates era signings” by Arsenal content creator Jamie Kent.

But even so, we cannot take anything away from Xhaka’s start to the season. The man has been hailed as a “genius” signing for the Black Cats by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman, and you can see why.

Arsenal are happy to see him succeed. It’s nice to watch Xhaka return to England and do so well. There’s a man who played an important role in the ascension of this outfit in modern times. He’s firing on all cylinders, but would Arsenal replace their Spanish summer signing with the veteran? We need not answer that one.

20 years is too long to go without the Premier League title. Too long for a club like Arsenal. But they are getting there, piece by piece.

It’s too early to say with total conviction, but the Londoners stand as good a chance as they’ve ever had to claim the title this year, and with Zubimendi orchestrating in the middle of the park, they might just reach their goals.

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Liverpool ended a run of three successive defeats in all competitions by claiming all three points against West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arne Slot’s team had lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest and 3-0 to Manchester City in their last two outings in the top-flight, which is why it was so important for them to bounce back with a win against the Hammers.

Alexander Isak scored his first league goal for the Reds after his £125m move from Newcastle United in the summer, as part of an attack that looked very different after some impressive tweaks from the head coach.

The key tactical tweaks Liverpool made against West Ham

Instead of playing Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, Slot opted to go with a natural defender in Joe Gomez in the back four and it was a tactical decision that paid off big time.

The former England international was not dribbled past a single time in the 90 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, and provided an assist for the second goal with an excellent cross after Szoboszlai, who was able to play further up the field, did well to lay the ball off to him.

Slot also played Florian Wirtz in the number ten role, after he was left on the bench against PSV, and the Germany international completed 93% of his attempted passes in a controlling and metronomic display in the middle of the park.

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The Liverpool boss also made the bold call to drop Mohamed Salah from the starting line-up to play Szoboszlai out wide on the right, days after Alan Pardew suggested that the Egypt international has looked “lost”.

In Salah’s absence, though, Reds forward Cody Gakpo showed that he is the manager’s most clutch player this season with an impressive display.

Liverpool's most clutch player

In March of last year, the £40m signing from PSV was criticised by former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher, who claimed that the Dutchman “plays like the game is in slow motion”.

Believe it or not, that’s not the first time the former centre-back has criticised the Dutchman.

Indeed, just after he signed, Carragher wrote that he was ‘baffled watching Gakpo’s early performances,” further stating that ‘Gakpo is not a typical Klopp signing, lacking lightning pace and the capacity to lead a high press.’

There is a languid demeanour to the way that Gakpo plays for Liverpool on the wing, but that is not an inherently bad thing because it is not down to a genuine lack of effort, as shown by his output this season.

The Netherlands international added a goal and an assist to his tally in the 2-0 win over West Ham, setting up Isak for the opener before burying a finish late on to seal the win.

With Salah out, Gakpo once again showed that he is the most clutch player in the squad in the Premier League this season, because he has been the most productive player in front of goal.

Last season, Salah was the player Liverpool looked to when they needed a goal, as he ended the campaign with a staggering 29 goals and 18 assists, per WhoScored.

xG

3.8

1st

Goals

4

1st

Big chances created

7

1st

Chances created

25

1st

xA

2.6

1st

Assists

3

1st

Goals + assists

7

1st

As you can see in the table above, it is Gakpo who has been the go-to man for Slot in the top-flight so far this term, leading the way in pretty much every significant attacking metric.

These statistics show how clutch the Dutchman has been for the Reds this season, because he has been their main star for both goals and creativity at the top end of the pitch, which was on full display with a goal and an assist on Sunday.

Until Salah is able to get back to his best in the Premier League, which will hopefully happen in the coming weeks, Gakpo should be considered the most clutch player in the squad for his output so far.

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Harry Kane hailed Bayern Munich’s fighting spirit after his side secured a last-gasp 3-1 victory over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. Vincent Kompany's league leaders bounced back from their Champions League defeat against Arsenal in midweek thanks to late goals from forwards Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson at the Allianz Arena.

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  Diaz and Jackson score late on as Bayern go eight points clear

  Locked level heading into stoppage time, Bayern looked set to drop points against strugglers St. Pauli. Alexander Blessin’s visitors took a surprise lead when Burnley loanee Andreas Hountondji scored after just six minutes, before Diaz recorded a stunning assist for Bayern defender Raphael Guerreiro’s equaliser before half time.

  And then after three minutes of second-half stoppage time, former Liverpool forward Diaz saved Bayern’s blushes as he headed home from Joshua Kimmich’s teasing cross, before substitute Nicolas Jackson – on loan from Chelsea – made it 3-1 on 90+7. On a day when second-placed RB Leipzig were held to a 0-0 stalemate with Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern’s victory saw them move eight points clear at the top of the table.

  The win also saw Bayern bounce back from their 3-1 loss against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. Suffering defeat for the first time in Europe’s premier club competition this season, Kompany’s side fell to goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli after youngster Lennart Karl scored in the first half.

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• 'Proud' Kane pays tribute to Bayern team-mates after the game

  And after the final whistle, England captain Kane took to social media to pay tribute to his Bayern team-mates following the all-important win. Writing on X, he said: “Important win today, proud of the boys for pushing until the very end!”

  Echoing Kane’s thoughts, Bayern head coach Kompany also praised his side’s determination against St. Pauli, telling reporters: “Such hard-fought wins are part of a season. That gives us confidence in the future that we can win in such situations. Compliments to the boys that they kept going and believed in themselves. We need that over the course of the season.”

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  German giants' director of sport delivers update on Kane's future

  While he was unable to join Guerreiro, Diaz and Jackson on the scoresheet, Kane was a topic of discussion after the match as Bayern director of sport Max Eberl delivered a cryptic update on the striker’s future amid speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona.

  Asked whether the Bavarians have entered into contract renewal discussions with Kane, whose current terms expire in 2027, Eberl told “Harry knows exactly what he wants and we have plans for him. We would like to continue. We can very, very well imagine that, but we will basically discuss everything with Harry.”

  And when pressed on the future of defender Dayot Upamecano, whose contract expires next summer, Eberl added: “We definitely want it [a renewal]. I think we've communicated that clearly enough. I believe he feels very, very comfortable here.”

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• England captain insists he is calm regarding his future at Bayern

  While speculation continues to swirl, the former Tottenham forward insists he remains calm over his future at Bayern, saying there is “no rush” to enter into discussions regarding a new contract.

  “I haven't had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me,” he told this week. “I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven't yet discussed my situation with Bayern.

  “There's no rush. I'm really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I'm playing. If there's contact, then we'll see. But I'm not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it's very unlikely that anything will change after this season.”

Arsenal have identified a marquee Nottingham Forest star as one of their top transfer targets heading into 2026, according to a report this week.

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta splashed nearly £270 million on new recruits last summer, and the Italian’s investments have paid dividends thus far.

This was evident in the North London derby last weekend, when Arsenal put arch rivals Tottenham to the sword in a 4-1 win, piling pressure on Thomas Frank and cementing Mikel Arteta’s side as the overwhelming Premier League title favourites.

A hat-trick from summer signing Eberechi Eze, who was once on the verge of joining Spurs before Berta hijacked the deal, and Leandro Trossard’s strike saw Arsenal claim all the bragging rights on Sunday while extending their lead at the top of the table to six points.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Another new recruit, Piero Hincapie, was also handed his first Premier League start by Arteta with star defender Gabriel Magalhaes sidelined due to a thigh injury.

The Ecuadorian shone in Gabriel’s stead, with Arteta hailing his exceptional display against Spurs on the eve of their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Arsenal’s water-tight backline is one of the major reasons why they’re top of the pile and unbeaten in all competitions since August, with Arteta very well-stocked in defence after both Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera’s arrivals in the summer.

Both men have performed exceptionally when called upon, but according to Spanish media sources, Berta and co are still planning to reinforce their backline in future windows.

Arsenal identify Nottingham Forest star Murillo as top target

Indeed, it is now believed that Arsenal have identified Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo as a priority transfer target, entering a three-way battle with Chelsea and Barcelona for the Brazilian’s signature.

Arteta has apparently earmarked the young defender as crucial to strengthening his backline for the long term.

The Spanish tactician particularly values Murillo’s ball-playing prowess, ability to break defensive lines and his left-footed profile, which Arteta believes would bring even more balance to Arsenal’s central defence.

However, Forest have set a large price tag for their defensive jewel, and Evangelos Marinakis could charge up to £79 million for Murillo to ward off potential suitors like Arsenal.

Since arriving from Brazil, Murillo has become a cornerstone of Forest’s backline.

The 23-year-old’s links with a move away are nothing new, and Arsenal have been named as suitors for Murillo even before now. Despite their many options at the back, Berta’s admiration for the South American hasn’t gone away, and it is clear to see why.

Murillo ended 2024/2025 as Forest’s best-performer by average match rating in the Premier League last season, according to WhoScored, with only Matz Sels and Nikola Milenkovic playing more minutes than the ex-Corinthians sensation.

Brazil will have to do better next summer if they are to end a wait of 24 years for a World Cup trophy after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a disciplined Tunisia in Lille on Tuesday night. A first half goal from Hazem Mastouri threatened to put the Eagles of Carthage on course for a famous win, albeit in a friendly, but Chelsea prodigy Estevao Willian levelled things up not long before the interval.

A well-supported Tunisia on French soil managed to stifle and frustrate Brazil through the opening quarter of the game and then took the lead in clinical fashion when Mastouri finished from close-range. But an element of fortune got the Selecao back into it just before half-time, a penalty confidently converted by Estevao following a VAR check on what appeared to be a soft handball.

Brazil struggled to create that much of note throughout the second half, largely shooting off target despite racking up more than 20 attempts over the course of the game. A second penalty came as Tunisia too casually tried to play their way out of pressure in their own box, resulting in substitute Vitor Roque being dragged down. But Lucas Paqueta blazed the spot-kick over the bar.

18-year-old Estevao almost had the final say, striking the base of the post with the last kick of the game in stoppage time, but 1-1 was how it finished.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Stade Pierre-Mauroy…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Bento (5/10):

A more aggressive response to Tunisia's breakthrough might have made it harder for Mastouri to finish by closing the angle much quicker.

Wesley (5/10):

Booked inside the opening 10 minutes. Otherwise struggled to make an impact going forward.

Marquinhos (7/10):

Hardly misplaced a pass all night and was equal to what Tunisia in limited attacks threw at him.

Eder Militao (6/10):

Played an hour before being withdrawn with injury. Was OK apart from that.

Caio Henrique (7/10):

A polished defensive performance and a better attacking outlet than his counterpart on the right.

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Estevao Willian (8/10):

Had to wait a long time while being berated by a hostile and largely partisan crowd to take his penalty, but kept his cool exceptionally well to continue an incredible start to his international career. It's five goals in six international appearances so far this season. The only Brazil player who looked very lively.

Bruno Guimaraes (6/10):

Got into the right areas but could have done more with the possession he had.

Casemiro (7/10):

Saw plenty of the ball in the middle of the pitch and able to use that to create chances with passes forward. Defensively unchallenged.

Rodrygo (6/10):

A few positive moments here and there but a frustrating night overall.

AFPAttack

Matheus Cunha (5/10):

Limited impact until being withdran at half-time, just 21 touches of the ball.

Vinicius Junior (6/10):

Didn't really do that much to challenge Tunisia, before decent pressing contributed to winning the second penalty.

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Danilo (5/10):

Had to do very little defending after replacing Wesley at half-time. Made little difference.

Vitor Roque (6/10):

Won the penalty that Paqueta missed, which will be frustrating.

Fabricio Bruno (6/10):

A solid centre-back replacement an hour in.

Fabinho (5/10):

Only 22 touches of the ball in half an hour on the pitch. Lacked impact.

Lucas Paqueta (5/10):

Had the chance to win the game for his country and fluffed his lines.

Luiz Henrique (N/A):

The last of six permitted substitutes towards the end.

Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):

Comes away fro this international window with plenty of questions to answer.

A modest Alex Carey reflected on being “pretty proud” of his performance behind the stumps in Brisbane as he was lauded as the best wicketkeeper in the world after a putting on a masterclass of glovework in the second Test.Carey produced the finest performance of his career, with his work behind the stumps becoming a defining element at the Gabba, while scoring 63 in Australia’s first innings when the game was at a tipping point late on the second day.On the opening day he took a spectacular running catch to remove Gus Atkinson, but the most notable aspect was his keeping stood up to Michael Neser and Scott Boland which culminated in him gathering an edge off Ben Stokes on the fourth day.Related

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There was some irony in the amount of time Carey spent standing up in this Test given Australia had left out Nathan Lyon and gone with an all-pace attack but he formed a compelling partnership with Neser in particular.”Self-reflection, yeah, pretty proud of my efforts out there,” Carey told . “Thought opportunities to come up to the stumps against some really good bowling and the boys were able to beat the bat. So thought I did a good job for the team. I also thought the bowlers did an amazing job to create those chances.”Carey revealed that standing up to pace bowling is something he doesn’t replicate with bowlers in training but backs his skill to take over when needed.”I don’t practice up to the stumps against fast bowling, think that probably could be a little bit dangerous at times,” he said. “You work on the fundamentals of the game, and for me that’s keeping up to the stumps to Nathan Lyon a lot but doing my drills in the nets with a nick bat, getting throws, trying to get in good positions.”Then when you are in a game of cricket I feel like your instincts take over most of the time, so trusting the positions that I’m in then hoping my instinct takes over and I get into the right position to hang onto them.”Former wicketkeepers lined up in admiration of Carey four years on from when there was scrutiny over his glovework as he began his Test career in the 2021-22 Ashes.Alex Carey celebrates his catch to remove Ben Stokes•AFP/Getty Images

“I think he’s clearly the best in the world, probably even before this [Test],” Ian Healy said on SEN radio. “To have such long periods [standing up] to quite fast bowling on a pitch that looks as if something might happen – but didn’t a whole lot of times – clearly cements him as the best. To be able to be effective with it as long as he was, you know, he hardly misgloved any of them.On Triple M radio, Brad Haddin said: “I’ve not seen a better keeping display.”Captain Steven Smith, who was standing alongside Carey at slip for much of the match, including when he produced his own piece of brilliance to remove Will Jacks with arguably the finest catch of his career, said he had not seen a better display.”That performance behind the stumps was something else,” Smith said. “Ness [Neser] was getting the ball up around 137-138kph at times. Boland similar. He just gets in behind it. He finds a way to just get the ball in his hands. It hits the batter’s pads and it ends up in his hands somehow.”He works exceptionally hard. He’s as fit as anyone. He just turns up day in, day out. Rarely makes a mistake and pulls off unbelievable catches.”When I was at slip, when he was up to the stumps, I was so wide just because of how much he covers. He just gets his hands out there. It’s like he knows they’re going to nick it almost at times and gets his hands out there. That keeping performance was as good as I’ve seen.”Neser, who said after the third day’s play that, as a pace bowler, he was reluctant to operate with the wicketkeeper up to the stumps earlier in his career, was quick to acknowledge the role it had played in his maiden five-wicket haul”That wouldn’t be possible without Kez [Carey], and what Steve did there at the end was special,” he said. “I didn’t even have to ask Kez to come up, he just does it … to have a keeper like that is great.”Neser’s comeback has emerged as one of the feelgood stories of the series after he hadn’t played a Test for three years and feared his chance may have gone with a severe hamstring injury last season.”There was a moment earlier in the season where I was just like, man, I hope he gets his chance,” Marnus Labuschagne, a team-mate at Queensland, said. “Obviously a few injuries, and I saw the writing on the wall there, that there’s potential [he wouldn’t play again]. For him to be able to come in and deliver…maybe a bit of nerves that first innings, then to come out second innings and play that role and get five-for, I was just so happy.”Just the work that he’s put in, the body of work in Shield cricket, the consistency that he keeps delivering and delivering, and we didn’t see the best of his batting either. I think that’s probably the exciting part as well, is he’s got a lot to offer with not only the ball, but that and his fielding, he’s got five of the best catches in Big Bash.”