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da doce： Alex continuará como técnico do São Paulo sub-20 em 2022. Em uma postagem nas redes sociais, o treinador afirmou que tanto ele, quanto seu auxiliar PC de Oliveira seguirão em Cotia.

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da dobrowin： A afirmação foi escrita em uma resposta sobre uma postagem que falava do interesse do Avaí em Alex para ser o treinador da equipe principal do Leão e seu auxiliar PC de Oliveira, que algumas pessoas confundiam com PC Gusmão.

-PC Gusmão hoje está trabalhando no Londrina. PC de Oliveira é quem trabalha comigo no São Paulo. É uma das grandes referências do futsal mundial. Seguiremos em Cotia esse ano tentando desenvolver bem nosso trabalho e ajudar os meninos que sonham com futebol – escreveu Alex.

Vou ajudá-lo !

Pc Gusmão hoje está trabalhando no Londrina.

Pc de Oliveira é quem trabalha comigo no @SaoPauloFC.
é uma das grandes referências do futsal mundial.

seguiremos em Cotia esse ano tentando desenvolver bem nosso trabalho e ajudar os meninos q sonham com ⚽️.

— Alex de Souza (@Alex10) February 14, 2022

Alex é muito bem avaliado no São Paulo, onde está tendo a primeira experiência como treinador. Na última temporada, chegou ao vice-campeonato do Brasileirão e na semifinal da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Junior.

Ele comandou o sub-20 do São Paulo em 48 jogos, com 29 vitórias, dez empates e apenas nove derrotas. Foram 109 gols marcados e 48 sofridos. No Campeonato Paulista, o time foi eliminado nas quartas de final para o Desportivo Brasil.

Tottenham are now thought to be the most serious side about signing a £70 million defender who's been called "similar" to star centre-back Micky van de Ven.

Ange admits Spurs could sign another centre-back after Dragusin

The £25 million signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January was thought to be a significant deal for Spurs, as they were starved of quality alternatives to van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the time.

Tottenham could now offer Gil in swap move for prolific £17 million striker

This is an “attractive” proposal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 12, 2024

The latter star's hamstring injury last November seriously exposed Spurs' lack of defensive depth. Indeed, van de Ven's absence midway through 23/24 prompted a brief but poor run of form, and perhaps alerted Lilywhites transfer chiefs to the glaring weakness in Ange Postecoglou's squad.

A move for Dragusin was then swiftly completed in the winter window, with the Romanian seriously helping to bolster Postecoglou's back line. His presence also allowed Spurs to cover for the injured Destiny Udogie at the end of last season, with van de Ven moving to left-back and Dragusin taking his usual spot in the centre.

Radu Dragusin's best league games for Tottenham last season	Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham	6.98
Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham	6.67
Tottenham 2-1 Luton Town	6.61
Tottenham 0-2 Man City	6.49
Fulham 3-0 Tottenham	6.28

However, despite the 22-year-old's arrival at N17, Postecoglou has previously admitted that Spurs could look to sign another centre-back this summer – as they eye even more cover.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, the Tottenham manager said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Tottenham made an offer to Tosin Adarabioyo before he joined Chelsea, as revealed by club insider Paul O'Keefe at the time. Spurs also held an interest in signing Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth, but the Englishman is on his way to Newcastle United instead (Simon Stone, BBC).

With both free deals out of the window, Spurs apparently have their eyes on a far more expensive option in Nottingham Forest star Murillo.

Tottenham most serious side in race for Murillo

The Brazilian, who starred for Forest over his 32 Premier League starts, is also being chased by their north London rivals.

That is according to Football Transfers, who also claim that Tottenham have shown the most interest in signing Murillo at this point. They may need to stump up a considerable transfer fee, though, and it could be as high as £70 million.

FT have also called Murillo "similar" to van de Ven, which is an enticing comparison when considering just how crucial the 23-year-old is to Spurs.

South East Stars 324 for 7 (Dunkley 104*) beat Sunrisers 189 (Farrant 5-33) by 135 runs
Sophia Dunkley earned the applause of Lisa Keightley as her century set up a crushing 135-run bonus point victory for South East Stars over Sunrisers.All-rounder Dunkley smashed an unbeaten 104 off 93 balls to send the Stars to a record highest Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy total of 324 for 7.Dunkley, who has played 15 international T20s, is hoping to make her ODI debut this summer with India and New Zealand touring and will have impressed an on-looking England head coach Keightley.England fast bowler Tash Farrant took 5 for 33 as Sunrisers were bowled out for 189, with 65 balls to spare at the Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford.Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards got the Stars off to a flier by putting on 107 in 18 overs, having been asked to bat first on a belting wicket in flawless conditions.Smith was the more aggressive, pulling a six in just the second over and another to bring up a 53-ball fifty – comfortably bettering her best score of 8 in last year’s truncated competition.Davidson-Richards joined her at the milestone in 63 balls before Kelly Castle entered the attack and halted the visitors’ progress.Related

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The Essex-born seamer had Smith well caught at square leg with her first delivery before picking up Davidson-Richards and Alice Capsey in consecutive deliveries soon after – eventually returning 3 for 40.Dunkley rebuilt, initially steadily, but with Aylish Cranstone began to find her tempo while playing strongly in front of the wicket.Cranstone, Kirstie White and Farrant fell in quick succession but Dunkley went past her 51-ball half-century for the seventh time in her last eight List A innings.Partnerships of 53 and 44 with the destructive Grace Gibbs and Rhianna Southby pushed the Stars over 300 before Dunkley firmly swept through mid-on to wave her bat on her third 50-over hundred – with Keightley clapping the impressive knock.Left-armer Farrant made sure the chase was never really on for Sunrisers as she had Cordelia Griffin and Amara Carr caught within the first nine overs.The Stars captain then picked up Lissy MacLeod and Fran Wilson in her sixth over before Sunrisers retaliated in the shape of a 73-run stand between Mady Villiers and Naomi Dattani. Gibbs broke the stand by castling Villiers before Dattani was bowled for 47.The required run-rate continued to grow exponentially to leave the chase to fizzle out, with Farrant and Smith taking the last two wickets.

Gloucestershire suffer group-stage disappointment for second time in the week

David Hopps18-Jul-2021Tom Lammonby, one of county cricket’s breakout stars of 2020, thrust aside a miserable follow-up season to play one of the most scintillating innings of this season’s Vitality Blast and dump Gloucestershire out of the competition in the process. Somerset were ailing before Lammonby infused them with life with a freewheeling 90 from 36 balls which turned the likelihood of defeat into a 23-run victory.Until Lammonby transformed the mood, Gloucestershire had everything under control. Their disciplined bowling performance had restricted Somerset to 89 for 5 after 14.2 overs, the run out of Will Smeed for 39, the one batsman to muster any sort of resistance, pointing towards the win they needed to secure a quarter-final place alongside Somerset.Instead, Somerset secured a home quarter-final in late July while Gloucestershire were left to reflect on final-day heartache which has seen them fail to qualify for the latter stages of both the Championship and the Blast in the space of a few days. Ian Cockbain fought valiantly with 72 from 46 balls, but the big over never quite came.

Vitality Blast quarter-finals

• Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

• Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

• Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

• Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

How Taunton deserves that quarter-final. Cold-shouldered in the Hundred, they can at least look forward to a home tie against Lancashire, followed by a possible Finals Day at Edgbaston and they are still in the hunt for a first Championship title, too.Lammonby, 21, long limbed and wristy, evidenced why there was such excitement over his entry into county cricket last season. Discriminating judges were prone to a touch of fantasy. Talk was more of his Test potential rather than white-ball – and how England must yearn for a touch of class in their top order. As for white-ball, the queue is a long one, but perhaps this was the night when Lammonby signalled his intention one day to join them.This innings – a veritable one-man show – was the evening that a bright flash of sunlight finally flashed through the clouds. A demoralising second season in the Championship led to his omission at the start of the Blast, but that was hard to credit as he appeared to be intent on exhibition cricket, running through his repertoire with a game-changing confidence.At one stage a 12th man seemed about to bring on a drink, but Lammonby waved him away, a batter back in the zone, desperate not to lose his uninhibited mood. His whiplash wrists enabled him to find gaps in the field. He was masterful behind square, his speciality the paddle and reverse paddle. All but 14 of his runs came in the arc between midwicket and third. If there was a defensive shot, it must have been an accident.David Payne and Dan Worrall, who had the game where they wanted it with the new ball, ran into a young upstart of high ambition. “It was a special knock,” said Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor, “but our execution was a bit wanting.” Somerset’s stand-in skipper, Craig Overton, was obviously more ecstatic. “He will be the first to admit he has struggled this year, but I think that’s the best I’ve ever seen him play.”Sixteen from three balls from Worrall – paddle against a head high full toss, reverse paddle from the free hit, and a no-messing long-on six, took him to his first Blast fifty at the 26th attempt, a reminder that not all nights have been like this. But another 20 came off Payne’s penultimate over and Ryan Higgins, charged with controlling things at the death, spilled 45 from three overs.Gloucestershire had set the tone with an excellent Powerplay during which they drew pace and a little movement from an excellent surface. Somerset were restricted to 32 for 2 for the loss of Devon Conway and Steve Davies.Conway has had a plentiful season, averaging more than 60, his moderate strike rate of 124 also illustrating how he has glued this Somerset side together. Payne had bowled only four overs in July after his inactive spell with England’s ODI shadow squad, but he outfoxed him with a widish delivery as he tried to make room to hit over the off side. Davies, who has been brought back late in the tournament as injury cover, trod on his stumps as Payne took a second wicket. Benny Howell’s sleight of hand removed James Hildreth in his first over.Somerset’s innings descended into a succession of scrambled runs and what felt like endless TV adjudications. Gloucestershire finally got the run-out they had threatened when Higgins, alert and well in from the rope at deep midwicket, defeated Smeed’s second run.Somerset’s most pressing need in the field was to curb Glenn Phillips, the leading six-hitter in the tournament, well ahead of the Nottinghamshire pair of Alex Hales and Joe Clarke. Phillips added two more to his total – he finishes on 35 for the season – but he miscued Ben Green to deep mid-off on 29.Overton and Brooks both delivered spells for under 20, and the medium-pacer Green hit his yorkers in the closing overs, one of them bowling Taylor. Cockbain was left needing to hit the last four balls for six, but nobody was about to steal Lammonby’s thunder.

Erik ten Hag's job is at risk after Manchester United's slow start, however, the club are ready to be patient before making a decision on his future.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ten Hag could be shown the door
• Man Utd ready to be patient
• Have two names lined up as replacements

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• Imago
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ten Hag and Manchester United have had a very poor start to the season as they have only won three matches out of nine in all competitions. In the Premier League, the Red Devils sit 12th in the standings with just seven points from six games having suffered thrashings at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Ten Hag's potential sacking has been heavily discussed in public, however, INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are reportedly not going to be hasty with the decision.

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• THE EXPLANATION

  As per , the board are reluctant to pull the trigger because they are happy with the players they brought in in the summer – including Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte – and want to give them time to settle in, as they take a long-term view of the project.

  United are ready to afford Ten Hag at least two more games to turn things around – the Europa League clash against Porto and the Premier League meeting with Aston Villa this week. If results and performances do not improve in those two matches, the board may well review the Dutchman's position.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  has reported that if United part ways with Ten Hag, they will look to go all out for Inter boss Simone Inzaghi or ex-England manager Gareth Southgate, who remains without a job in coaching after departing the Three Lions following Euro 2024.

• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The Red Devils will take on Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, October 3 at Estadio do Dragao before they visit Villa Park to take on Aston Villa before the start of the international break. Whether Ten Hag is still in charge thereafter remains to be seen.

Liverpool’s disastrous run in the Premier League this season has shown no signs of coming to an end in recent weeks, with the showing against Sunderland once again highlighting their frailties.

Arne Slot’s men were only able to secure a point against the newly promoted outfit at Anfield, something which would have been a crazy statement during the title-winning season.

The drop-off has been astronomical from this time last season, with the Reds now already sitting 11 points off the summit despite playing just 14 league matches.

Wednesday’s clash against the Black Cats further showcased the creative struggles within Slot’s side, with Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort just one of four shots on target during the 90-minute display.

The performances of numerous Reds players no doubt contributed to the failure to secure all three points on Merseyside for the third straight home league outing.

Liverpool’s poor performers against Sunderland

During Wednesday’s draw with the Black Cats, winger Cody Gakpo had yet another performance to forget, with his lack of impact resulting in a half-time withdrawal.

The Dutchman only managed to complete a total of seven passes against Regis Le Bris’ men, with none of his being made into the final third – subsequently highlighting his lack of creativity in attacking areas.

The 26-year-old was also only able to register a singular effort on goal, but it didn’t trouble the opposition goalkeeper – with his substitution at the break certainly warranted.

Joe Gomez was once again asked to operate in an unnatural right-back role due to the injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, but he was massively dominated by the visitors prior to his substitution.

The Englishman entered nine duels during his 65-minute showing, but only managed to come out on top in one of them, resulting in a measly 11% success rate.

He also got dribbled past twice whilst also only completing 20% of the crosses he attempted, highlighting how lacklustre at both ends of the pitch on Merseyside.

Liverpool star is becoming a big problem

The decline of Liverpool in 2025/26 is certainly something to behold, especially after winning the Premier League title under Slot not even seven months ago.

After securing the club’s Premier League title, the Dutchman spent £440m within the transfer market during the summer, but numerous of the big-money additions have so far failed to deliver.

Wirtz’s effort eventually went down as a Nordi Mukiele own goal, which has extended his goalless run, with the German now without a goal in any of his 13 league outings this campaign.

Milos Kerkez has struggled to dislodge Andy Robertson from the starting left-back role, while Frimpong has struggled with injuries and has subsequently been restricted to just four league outings.

Alexander Isak was the most expensive of the summer arrivals, as the Swedish international joined the club in an English-record £125m transfer from Newcastle United.

He no doubt arrived at Anfield with high expectations given such a transfer fee, but also due to his goal tally, which saw him net 23 league goals last campaign.

The striker’s spell on Merseyside to date has been nothing short of a disaster, with the 26-year-old scoring his first league goal at West Ham United last weekend at the sixth time of asking.

As a result, Isak was handed another start against Sunderland last night, but he was once again unable to deliver despite the faith shown in him by the manager.

He featured for 86 minutes of the contest, but could only complete a measly tally of two passes, whilst also losing possession of the ball on three separate occasions.

Minutes played

86

Touches

14

Passes completed

2

Possession lost

3x

Duels won

1

Shots on target

0

Touches in opposition box

2

Chances created

0

The Swede was largely dominated by the opposition at Anfield, as shown by his duels won tally, with the forward winning just one out of a possible six battles that he entered.

He was once again unable to register a shot on target, whilst managing just two touches in the opposition box – subsequently unable to get on the scoresheet once again.

To top off his disappointing display, Isak only registered a total of 14 touches on Merseyside, a tally fewer than goalkeeper Alisson, who managed to notch a total of 34.

As a result of his showing against the Black Cats, the striker was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, further showcasing his struggles after his big-money move.

After such a showing, there’s no doubt that Slot must drop the forward at the weekend, with Hugo Ekitiké needing the chance to start at the top end of the pitch again.

Just one goal in his first seven league games is nothing short of embarrassing, with the record addition desperately needing to find form to kickstart his Reds career.

Fabinho 2.0: Liverpool in pole position to sign £35m midfield "machine"

Liverpool look set to be making a move for one star during the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

There were a few interesting names on the teammates when Glasgow Rangers announced their U19 side to take on St Mirren on Monday night, as several first-team players were involved.

Dujon Sterling made his long-awaited return from an Achilles injury to start at centre-back alongside fellow first-team defender Clinton Nsiala, although the young Gers then found themselves 3-0 down at half-time, and went on to lose 4-2.

Along with those two central defenders, attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell played his first match since August, having been out through injury, after Russell Martin opted to keep hold of him in the summer.

Why Rangers should have sold Kieran Dowell

Since moving to Ibrox from Norwich on a free transfer in 2023, the English playmaker has failed to prove his worth to the Scottish giants on the pitch, which is why he should have been moved on before this season.

In almost two-and-a-half years at Rangers, Dowell has produced more goals and assists out on loan (ten for Birmingham) than he has for the Gers (five), per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed dud has scored two goals and provided three assists in 38 games for the club, including no goals and one assist in six matches under Martin this season.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, per Transfermarkt, and it remains to be seen if he is a part of Danny Rohl’s plans, with the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Mikey Moore, Oliver Antman, Nedim Bajrami, Findlay Curtis, and Thelo Aasgaard ahead of him in the pecking order.

Should his deal expire next year without him working his way back into the team to make a big impact at Ibrox, Dowell may well be looked back on as a pointless signing due to his lack of contributions on the pitch.

Chalkboard

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

Meanwhile, one of Kevin Thelwell’s summer recruits currently looks like he is on course to be the biggest waste of time for the Light Blues since Dowell, Joe Rothwell.

Why Joe Rothwell has been a poor signing for Rangers

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, because the idea of the signing of Rothwell on paper seemed solid. A technically sound central midfielder who could control the game in midfield, with experience in the Premier League and the Championship.

However, the midfield technician, signed on a permanent deal from Bournemouth, has not been able to deliver quality performances for the Light Blues on a consistent basis, as he has seemingly struggled with the intensity and speed of the football in Scotland.

It is always difficult to predict how a player will adapt to the intensity of the league, which is why so many players, like Dowell, flop after good spells elsewhere, and Rothwell has followed in Dowell’s footsteps as another player who has fallen short of the physical requirements.

Successful dribbles

4

Bottom 42%

Touches in the opposition’s box

4

Bottom 26%

Tackles

7

Bottom 26%

Duels won

16

Bottom 25%

Duel success rate

47.1%

Bottom 39%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 36%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 19%

As you can see in the table above, the English central midfielder ranks poorly among his positional peers in a host of metrics based around physicality and mobility.

These statistics show that Rothwell, who has no goals and two assists in 19 appearances for Rangers, does not have the speed or mobility to consistently compete against other midfielders in the Scottish Premiership.

The 30-year-old dud, whom Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described as “rotten”, has been an unused substitute in all three of the league matches that he has been available for during Rohl’s tenure.

This suggests that the German head coach has not been too impressed by the English dud, which means that his future could be thrown into doubt in January should his game time not improve.

Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.

ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, this Thelwell signing looks like the biggest waste of time at Rangers since Dowell because he is an experienced player who has not made an immediate impact on the pitch, and now looks to be surplus to requirements already.

A four-wicket haul to Xavier Bartlett has given Queensland the chance to pull off a come-from-behind victory on the final day against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.Bartlett claimed four wickets for just the second time in his short Sheffield Shield career to help Queensland bowl Tasmania out for 252 on the third day and give the Bulls a chase of 310 for victory in the fourth innings.The Tigers began the day with a lead of 64 and all 10 third innings wickets intact. They quickly pushed the lead past 150 thanks to a brilliant half-century from Jordan Silk. He struck 10 boundaries in his 51 from just 68 balls before Bartlett made the key breakthrough, finding his outside edge with a ball that nipped away off the seam. He struck again in his following over to remove Mac Wright in a very similar fashion.The Tigers went from 1 for 87 to 3 for 88 and then lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter. Bartlett removed the Test captain Tim Paine who was unimpressed with the lbw decision he received. Jake Doran held the Tasmanian innings together with a stubborn 55 but became Bartlett’s fourth victim and keeper Jimmy Peirson’s fourth catch of the innings. Jarrod Freeman played with freedom smacking eight boundaries in 38 to help move the lead beyond 300 late in the day. Nathan Ellis also added 23.The Bulls were left to negotiate 18 overs before close and did so without trouble. Bryce Street and Joe Burns faced all four of Tasmania’s seamers and progressed to 38 without loss, meaning the visitors require 272 on the final day with all 10 wickets in hand.

Manchester City fell by the wayside last season. An upswing in form toward the end of the campaign saw Pep Guardiola’s side salvage Champions League football.

It was a great shock for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions, and some even clamoured for Guardiola to step down. But the legendary manager has picked his outfit back up, refashioning them into title challengers once again.

Kevin De Bruyne left at the end of his contract, but the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have joined winter recruits such as Omar Marmoush in defining a new age at the Etihad.

Man City’s tactical brand has changed, and no mistake. While an averseness to dribbling was never an accurate description of Pep’s vision, there’s no doubt a fresh emphasis has been placed on his side’s dribbling.

Pep's dribbling renaissance at Man City

Often has Guardiola been criticised for numbing the pulse of his ball carriers, Jack Grealish being a case in point. While it’s true that the sum of the Spaniard’s system is greater than its individual parts, it is a machine of many different dimensions, and fleet-footed brilliance has always been a part of that.

In the past, wingers such as Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane played instrumental roles in establishing City’s early meteoric success, the bedrock of a dynasty that rivals any across English football history.

Sane, in particular, was an incredible dribbler with searing speed, especially before an ACL injury suffered in 2019, which forced the German to reinvent himself somewhat.

Praised by Guardiola for his athleticism and “incredible quality”, Sane, now at Bayern Munich, is fondly remembered by the Sky Blues, with that particular brand of electric-paced dribbling hard to replicate.

Signing stars like Rayan Ait-Nouri and Cherki this summer underscores Pep’s desire for a faster brand of dribbling in his Citizen side once again.

Sane might be a one-of-a-kind type of attacker, but there are similar variations with skillsets perfect for Guardiola’s teachings. Pep knows his stuff, and he might have found not just a belated superstar replacement, but someone who might actually be even better than the former City winger.

Man City's ball-carrying superstar

There’s only one man in question here: Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger has been in fine fettle indeed across the opening weeks of the campaign, with talent scout Jacek Kulig noting he has “taken his game to a whole new level”.

Man City signed the dynamic wideman from French club Rennes for about £55m in 2023, but his first two terms in the Premier League have been characterised by an ebb and flow in the final third, scoring three times each year.

However, creativity has always been one of the 23-year-old’s strongest suits, and he’s married that with a new level of completeness and gusto with has borne dividends across these early weeks.

Three assists from six Premier League matches is good going, but Doku’s skill and explosiveness on the ball have been things to behold; now, there’s a new confidence and clarity about his performances.

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Doku ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 (data courtesy of FBref), but he’s also in the top percentile for shot-creating actions, underlining his effectiveness when entering the danger area.

And this season, he leads the way in the Premier League, more accurate when progressing the ball than his attacking rivals.

Premier League 25/26 – Top Dribblers
Player	Success rate	Per 90
Jeremy Doku	54.5%	4.3
Mohammed Kudus	48.0%	4.1
Estavao	47.8%	4.0
Noah Okafor	43.5%	3.9
Rico Henry	77.8%	3.7
Data via FotMob

Might City have one of the finest dribblers in Europe? Undoubtedly. In fact, pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone as far as to claim that Doku is “one of the best dribblers in Premier League history”.

Valued at around £58m by Football Transfers, Manchester City haven’t quite got bang for their buck from a financial standpoint yet, but Doku is only 23, remember, and is showing all the signs of incremental growth which has not yet reached full bloom.

He’s the real deal, and if he maintains this level, he might even eclipse Sane and the like as the best dribbler across the entire Guardiola era at Manchester City.

Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"

Manchester City let this top talent slip through their fingers.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 3, 2025

da marjack bet： Last weekend Jamie Carrgher went as far as to suggest that Arsenal defender Gabriel could win the PFA Player of the Year award.

da lvbet： Only three defenders have done that before; John Terry, Virgil van Dijk and Paul McGrath. It’s an illustrious list and one that the Brazilian could well join.

This season he has been one of the best players in the Premier League and perhaps the best defender in Europe’s top five leagues.

While he is a warrior of a defender, it’s his record in the final third that has stuck out the most. He’s a menace from set-plays and proved as much again on Saturday when the Gunners defeated Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

How Arsenal beat Burnley

Gabriel may not have scored in Lancashire this weekend but it was still a mighty performance from the Brazilian who played a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s side opening the scoring.

How did the goal come about? From a set-piece, of course. Declan Rice’s inswinging delivery found Gabriel at the back post who nudged the ball across the face of the goal.

Viktor Gyokeres was ready and waiting to head the ball home from close range. It was his first league strike since early September when he scored against Nottingham Forest and his first away goal in Arsenal colours.

While the Swede was forced to sit out the second half with an injury, he enjoyed a fabulous game with Gunners reporter Charles Watts noting that it was his “best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt by a distance.”

Gabriel and Gyokeres were not the only ones to put in a superb performance. The aforementioned Rice was also exceptional, playing a hand in the first goal and then scoring the second, ghosting into the area to power a header into the back of the net.

Rice was simply everywhere, amassing more touches (94) than any player on the field and registered the second-highest volume of passes behind William Saliba.

A £105m signing back in 2023, he has proven to be worth every penny, as has a certain Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's bargain signing continues to fly under the radar

Back in 2020, Arsenal signed a certain Gabriel for just £27m. What a bargain that has turned out to be. The same can be said for another £27m acquisition in the form of Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t at the top of the club’s shortlist but their hands were rather forced when they missed out on winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Arsenal were reportedly in the race to sign the Ukrainian but he eventually moved to Chelsea instead.

The result? The Gunners looked towards Trossard who had fallen out with the top brass at Brighton.

Since heading to the Emirates Stadium, he has become a scapegoat at times. When he starts, he struggles to have much of an impact but as a substitute, he is a true game-changer.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the forward netted six goals as a substitute in all competitions. No other player in Europe’s top five leagues scored more from the bench that term. That season he bagged 17 goals with only Bukayo Saka scoring more for the club.

2024/25 was a quieter one for the Belgium international, scoring only ten times, but this season he has looked somewhere near his best and his performance against Burnley proved exactly why he’s so underrated.

Heading into 2025/26, Trossard could quite easily have been moved aside. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze having signed, the former Brighton attacker looks expendable. Well, amid injuries to the likes of Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, the Belgian has become an important member of Arteta’s side once again.

He has found the net on three occasions and registered a further three assists, the latest of which came on Saturday.

Trossard vs Burnley

Minutes played

89

Touches

56

Accurate passes

21/31 (68%)

Big chances created

1

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots (on target)

2 (2)

Duels won

3/9

Fouled

2x

Stats via Sofascore.

Played in behind by Gyokeres, Trossard raced onto a ball on the left, bided his time and then played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Rice.

It was a typical Trossard assist, truth be told. Perfectly crafted and weighted, it oozed class. He certainly isn’t the flashiest of players but he is always available, he’s reliable and fits Arteta’s system like a glove.

For £27m, what more do you want? On his 100th appearance for the club, he gave us a reminder of what an amazing piece of business he has proven to be.