Inter Miami will look to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in club history when they face Nashville SC Saturday in the second leg of the opening playoff round at Geodis Stadium. The visitors are under pressure to win and close out the series, while the hosts will aim to force a decisive third game.

Getty Images SportInter Miami focused on one mission at a time

For the second game of the series, Miami visit to Nashville – a team they’ve defeated twice in the past two weeks, both times convincingly.

Despite those recent wins, the Miami manager Javier Mascherano acknowledged Nashville’s quality and the challenges they’ve posed to his side, emphasizing the need for focus and improvement ahead of Saturday’s decisive playoff match. The Herons hold an 8-3 aggregate goal advantage over Nashville across their last two meetings.

“We have to pay attention to the details and keep improving to arrive in the best possible shape,” Mascherano said. “Even though we’ve had two good results against them in recent weeks, we know Nashville have put us in tough situations before. We managed to handle them well, but we expect them to test us again, and we have to be ready for that.”

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I don’t believe in identical matches'

The Inter Miami boss confirmed that he will have a full squad available, with the only exception being David Ruiz, who remains in recovery. The team’s key figures – including Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Rodrigo De Paul – are all fit and available for selection.

“We have a core group – a spine that’s untouchable – because any team that wants to succeed needs one,” Mascherano said. “From there, we make adjustments depending on what the team and the game demand. I don’t believe in identical matches, so it’s essential that everyone understands their importance.

"I always say the quality of minutes matters more than the quantity. We’ll decide who starts based on what we think the match requires. Aside from David, who’s still recovering, everyone’s ready – and every player will have a role to play.”

Getty Images SportMascherano addresses De Paul’s absence

Mascherano addressed De Paul’s recent trip to Argentina following Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over Nashville in the first game of the series. The midfielder used his days off to travel to Buenos Aires to take care of personal matters – and also attended Futttura, the debut concert of his partner, Tini Stoessel.

“He had to travel for personal reasons, and we gave him permission,” Mascherano said. “When you give players time off, you don’t ask what they’re going to do.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

If Miami win Game 2 of the series at GEODIS Park, they would advance to the next round – and in doing so, erase the bitter memory of last season, when – after claiming the Supporters’ Shield with a record points total – they were eliminated at the same round by Atlanta United, a team that had only made it through via the Wild Card.

Leeds United are “keeping tabs” on two first team reinforcements for the January transfer window, including a midfield target who’s been likened to Sergio Busquets.

Farke "very, very pleased" with impressive Leeds win

The Whites picked up three vital points in the Premier League on Friday night, winning 2-0 at home to West Ham after racing into an early lead. Leeds manager Daniel Farke was delighted with what he saw from his team at Elland Road, as their encouraging start to life back in the top flight continues.

“We started very aggressively, very bravely, with passion. We wanted to win this game. Very spirited, deserved to be in the lead for 2-0. But also there, you could feel a little bit that it was a bit wild sometimes against the ball and with the ball. I think we had games where we had a way better structure and way more control and way more dominance during the season.

“But it was just the reason, it was just this difficult training week for us. Yes, in the second half, I think we started way better in terms of control and our organisation against the ball. Had much control, missed a bit to score the third goal and the last 20 minutes you could then really see again what a difficult week we had.

“Of course, a nervous last four minutes to bring it over the line this time but nevertheless, the prize is three points.“It is always like you have to dig in to win the momentum back. This is what we did today and for that, I am very, very pleased.”

The Whites look like they will be in a comfortable albeit not totally secure position come January, allowing the 49ers and Farke to plan for the furture with two long-term additions to the squad in mind.

Leeds eyeing two signings including Europa League midfielder

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Leeds are “keeping tabs” on Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Issouf Sissokho ahead of a possible move in Januay, and they will also look to bring in an exciting addition to their forward ranks by signing a new winger.

“It’s an interesting link this one, I don’t think there’s a lot that know about Sissokho really. He’s been playing in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He’s played in Champions League qualifiers, the Europa League as well. So he’s got a decent European pedigree.

“I think obviously, like you’ve said, maybe people are surprised that Leeds are in the market for midfielders because I think their midfielder has been okay this season. They’ve got [Ethan] Ampadu in there, and summer signing Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff who have definitely made a big impact in that midfield.

“Maybe Sissokho is an option that’s come up to Leeds and could be good value for money in that respect. He’s got 18 months left on his contract. As I said, Leeds are obviously keeping tabs on him. So let’s see if they follow up and firm up their interest.”

Sissokho could be a shrewd addition for Leeds midway through the season, despite not being a household name fans will know.

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The 23-year-old has an incredible 96.2% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing his brilliance on the ball, and he has also averaged 2.3 tackles per game, highlighting his effectiveness out of possession, too.

Sissokho has even been compared to Busquets in the way he reads game and gets his team on the front foot, which is about as big a compliment as any midfielder can be paid, and Leeds should be looking at him as an excellent option to bring in.

O’Rourke suggests the arrival of a winger will also be “key to their chances of Premier League survival”, with Daniel James suffering a stop-start campaign so far due to injuries.

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly considering an offer to sign a Premier League striker to replace the struggling Dominic Solanke for Thomas Frank in 2026.

Frank ready to replace Solanke

It’s been an excellent start for Frank in North London. After becoming the first Premier League side to win away at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Spurs now sit as high as third in the Premier League. Any thoughts about a repeat of last season are long gone and the Lilywhites are on course to earn their place back in the top four.

Not everyone is thriving under the Dane, however. In fact, the likes of Solanke have failed to win over the new manager entirely and now reports are suggesting that the former Brentford boss simply does not rate him.

The same reports also claimed that Spurs could replace the former Liverpool striker as soon as January, which could open the door to an early exit just over a year on from his £65m move from Bournemouth.

What hasn’t helped the forward’s case is his injury history. Since the start of last season, Solanke has missed 26 games through injury. For a £65m signing, that was always likely to give those in North London something to think about.

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Spurs are in the race to sign a new forward.

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The early season form of Richarlison as well as the introduction of loan signing Randal Kolo Muani is also unlikely to help Tottenham’s record signing, who is facing an uphill battle to get in to Frank’s side for the first time.

Now, further reports have claimed that the Lilywhites are considering a 2026 offer to sign the 28-year-old’s replacement in a brutal decision from all involved.

Tottenham considering Igor Thiago offer

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are now considering a 2026 offer to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford. Frank initially welcomed the forward to West London for a record deal in 2024 before the Bees broke that record to sign Dango Ouattara in the summer just gone. Now, the Dane could reunite with his towering striker in North London.

The Brentford star has recovered from a long-term injury issue and is now thriving under Keith Andrews – scoring seven goals in 10 games in all competitions so far this season. It’s, therefore, no surprise that Spurs are reportedly eyeing a €35m+ (£31m+) loan to buy offer for Thiago in the January transfer window.

Described as “selfless” by Andrews, Thiago could yet hand Frank an ideal replacement for the struggling Solanke, who takes up £140,000-a-week on Spurs’ wage bill.

Celtic failed to get their first win of the European season on the board when they were beaten 2-0 by Braga at Parkhead in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Hoops were held to successive 0-0 draws, losing on penalties in the second leg, by Kairat in the Champions League qualifiers, before they were held to a 1-1 draw by Red Star Belgrade in their first match of the league phase in the Europa League last week.

Their 2-0 loss to Braga in front of their own supporters, who made their feelings clear at full-time, means that they have failed to win four successive matches in Europe this season.

Celtic may feel hard done by, though, as VAR ruled out Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal with a call that was described by Chris Sutton as “possibly the worst decision of all time”.

Celtic have been dominant domestically, with four successive league title wins, but they have not had much success on the European stage, in any competition, and it is a step up that even some of the club’s best players have struggled with.

Kyogo Furuhashi, for example, struggled in the Champions League last season as he came towards the end of his career with the Scottish giants.

Why Kyogo Furuhashi struggled for Celtic in Europe

Something that can be underestimated about European football is the step up in physicality as well as quality in comparison to some Scottish Premiership matches.

In terms of how players use their strength, how they use their speed, the intensity of their press, it can sometimes feel like a different game in Europe, which is why Kyogo, in particular, had some tough nights in European games.

The Japan international, who scored 85 goals for the Hoops, was never the most physical centre-forward for Celtic, but it appeared to effect his European form more than his domestic form, possibly due to the reasons listed above.

Appearances

6

7

Touches

14

13.1

Goals

2

1

Big chances missed

2

3

Duel success rate

33%

39%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

0%

Duels won per game

1.3

1.0

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo lost the majority of his duels, failing to win a single aerial battle in the Champions League in his last two seasons with the club, scoring three goals in 13 matches.

Because of how dominant opposition centre-backs were with the Japanese striker, the experienced marksman failed to provide regular quality at the top end of the pitch.

Moments like the one in the clip above against Atletico Madrid were far and far between, unfortunately, and the increased intensity and physicality of European football may be the reason behind that.

Now, another member of Ange Postecoglou’s treble-winning side appears to be suffering from similar issues in the current team for Brendan Rodgers.

Chalkboard

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

Callum McGregor captained the Scottish giants once again in the middle of the park, but turned in a worse performance than Benjamin Nygren for Celtic.

Why McGregor is on his way to becoming the next Kyogo

Like Kyogo, the Hoops captain is not the most physical player in terms of his mobility or intensity, which is understandable given that he is a tempo-setting number six in the Premiership.

His composed play on the ball, completing 94% of his passes in the Premiership (Sofascore), helps him to dictate and control matches for the Hoops in domestic action, but the increased physicality and intensity of European football has had an impact on his performances.

Celtic average 73.2% of the ball per game (WhoScored) in the Premiership, which illustrates their total dominance, but they only had 56% of the ball against Braga at Parkhead on Thursday night.

Because Braga had more intensity to their press than a lot of the teams that Celtic face domestically have, McGregor, Nygren, and Paulo Bernardo had more of a fight on their hands than they usually do in a Hoops shirt at Parkhead.

Nygren outperformed the captain with his play in and out of possession, showing greater physicality and intensity, winning three more duels and twice as many tackles in 23 fewer minutes on the pitch.

McGregor lost 80% of his duels on the night. That came after he won four of his nine duels, making one tackle, in 90 minutes against Red Star Belgrade last week, per Sofascore.

The Celtic veteran’s physical struggles in the Europa League should not come as a huge surprise, though, as he has also lost 53% of his ground duels in the Premiership, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been slightly off the pace in his battles on the deck in domestic action.

Kyogo’s exit did not result in an immediate replacement in January, as the Hoops felt that Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda offered enough cover in the centre-forward position, and a similar situation could arise with McGregor.

That is not to say that the left-footed star will be sold by the club he has spent his entire career at, but the Hoops could get to a point where the captain may find himself out of the team to play a more dynamic and physical midfield that is capable of scrapping it out in matches to win duels and fight for points.

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Therefore, McGregor could be in danger of becoming the new Kyogo because of his struggles with the intensity and physicality of European football, based on recent evidence.

Rodgers will be hoping, though, that the 32-year-old star can learn from these last couple of matches and position himself better to avoid duels and take more control of the game in possession in the rest of the league phase.

MatériaMais Notícias

O centroavante Marcos Leonardo, do Santos, não chama apenas a atenção do futebol brasileiro, mas também atrai os holofotes da imprensa internacional, como a revista inglesa “FourFourTwo” que nomeou o jovem atacante como ‘novo Neymar’, em uma publicação no mês de setembro.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

+ Garanta o churrasco do feriado! Aposte R$500 e ganhe R$2000 com o Brasil!

+ Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$375 com o Brasil e Neymar contra a Venezuela nas Eliminatórias

Mapeado por times estrangeiros, além de também atrair atenção de equipes do Brasil, o jogador, de 20 anos, deve se transferir para a Europa ao término desta temporada.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Diversos feitos de Marcos Leonardo chamaram a atenção, como seu bom desempenho na Copa do Mundo Sub-20, que fez o portal “Mirror”, do Reino Unido, destacar que o jovem é a grande estrela brasileira.

Listado como uma das maiores promessas do Brasil, Marcos foi citado pelo diário “Marca”, da Espanha, como um dos grandes craques da próxima geração de jogadores do país, ao lado de jogadores como Endrick e Vitor Roque.

A FASE ATUAL!

No Santos, o centroavante vive grande momento. Após estufar as redes contra o Palmeiras e encerrar um tabu de quatro anos do Peixe sem vencer o rival, o atacante alcançou o feito de estar entre os 50 maiores artilheiros da história do clube.

Na temporada, Marcos Leonardo possui 20 gols, é disparado o artilheiro da equipe e é o segundo com maior número de gols no Campeonato Brasileiro, atrás apenas de Tiquinho Soares. Sem o camisa 9, o Peixe teria problemas para evitar o rebaixamento, pois, sem os gols do centroavante, o time do litoral paulista seria lanterna da competição.

The FIFPRO Men's World 11 was revealed Monday, with Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele highlighting the side, but there no place for Inter Miami's Lionel Messi for just the second time in nearly 20 years. Five players from PSG's Champions League winning team, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, were named to the squad, which is voted for by players.

• FIFPRO
  

  A squad full of talent

  The 2025 squad is composed of some of the brightest talents in Europe, and features representatives from four of Europe's big five leagues:

  Goalkeeper	Gianluigi Donnarruma	PSG
  Defender	Achraf Hakimi	PSG
  Defender	Virgil Van Dijk	Liverpool
  Defender	Nuno Mendes	PSG
  Midfielder	Vitinha	PSG
  Midfielder	Pedri	Barcelona
  Midfielder	Jude Bellingham	Real Madrid
  Midfielder	Cole Palmer	Chelsea
  Forward	Lamine Yamal	Barcelona
  Forward	Ousmane Dembele	PSG
  Forward	Kylian Mbappe	Real Madrid

Advertisement

• (C)Getty images
  

  PSG lead the way

  The Parisians, unsurprisingly, lead the way, with five of the club's starting XI of the Champions League winning side honored. They might have had more, too. Centerback Marquinhos and midfielder Joao Neves were both nominated – but neither cracked the side.

  Winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was a surprise omission from the list of nominees, which was released in October. Barcelona and Real Madrid were next on the list, with two players apiece, voted in by their peers.

  Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal became the youngest-ever player named in the Men’s World 11, and Chelsea's Cole Palmer is one of six debutants.

  "Being part of the FIFPRO World 11 is obviously a great honor and to be voted by the other players is a nice feeling," said Palmer. "They know what it takes, obviously, to play the game at a high level, so to be voted by them is the best feeling."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  No room for Lionel Messi

  The headline omission was Messi. The Argentine missed the 2024 squad, as well, after making it for 17 straight years. He figured to have an outside shot after being nominated and shortlisted this year, but was unable to crack the team.

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• AFP
  

  Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah among high profile omissions

  Other absentees were perhaps more surprising. Mohamed Salah wasn't included in the World 11, despite leading the Premier League in both goals and assists – and also leading Liverpool to the title.

  Cristiano Ronaldo received a nomination, but was not in the team. Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander Arnold and Raphinha – despite being considered a Ballon d'Or candidate for much of the season – also missed out. 

Half-centuries from Nuwanidu Fernando and Lasith Croospulle led the Sri Lanka A batting performance

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2025Matt Renshaw continued his return to runs by producing a swashbuckling century for Australia A but couldn’t prevent them falling to a 51-run defeat.Renshaw hit 106 from 75 balls for the hosts in Darwin on Sunday as Australia A lost 8 for 65 to be all out for 243 in reply to the visitors’ 294 for 7. His century included nine boundaries and two sixes, coming after he also hit 80 in an emphatic win on Friday.Renshaw drove powerfully against the spinners, hitting Dushan Hemantha inside-out over cover for a six and plundering several boundaries through the region.Related

Renshaw and Sangha to captain Australia A against Sri Lanka A

McSweeney, Renshaw and Peake star in big Australia A win

He brought up his century off 70 balls when he worked Mohamed Shiraz to the the fine-leg boundary, before holing out in the deep off Hematha shortly after.After initially being considered one of the country’s most conservative batters, Renshaw has risen to power in the white-ball game in recent years.South Australia’s Liam Scott also contributed, making 53 before the Australia A tail fell apart and pace bowler Pramod Madushan finished with 4 for 37.Madushan, who has played 17 white-ball internationals, started the collapse by having Scott caught off a top-edged pull then had Nathan McSweeney dragging on.Earlier, Australia A’s bowlers struggled to make inroads with Jack Nisbet finishing with 2 for 58 from his 10 overs and Sam Elliott 2 for 30 off three overs. Renshaw’s offspin also came in handy as he took 1 for 31 from eight overs.Sri Lanka’s innings was built around Nuwanidu Fernando’s stylish 82 from 90 balls, laced with two sixes and five fours. And opener Lasith Croospulle also struck a half-century, hitting two sixes in his 63 from 70 deliveries.

India Under-19 51 for 1 trail England Under-19 309 (Ekansh 117, Pushpak 4-76) by 258 runsEkansh Singh completed a superb hundred on a second day of England’s Youth Test against India that was severely truncated by rain.Only 28-and-a-half overs were possible between the cloudbursts but that was long enough for Kent right-hander Singh to compile 117 sprinkled with three sixes and 14 fours. Singh was last out, as England’s youngsters totalled 309, having shared an eighth-wicket stand of exactly 100 with James Minto who made 46.Naman Pushpak finished with 4 for 76 for India who lost teenage starlet Vaibhav Suryavanshi for 20 in reaching 51 for 1 before a thunderstorm ended play shortly after 5pmOvernight and morning rain delayed the start until 12.30pm and the showers returned 22 minutes later to drive the players off again. The intervening period was long enough for Ekansh to treat the smattering of spectators to four boundaries, including two sumptuous cover drives.It was 2.15pm before the game resumed but Ekansh had lost none of his rhythm, twice driving the ball back past the stumps for four as he continued to deal exclusively in boundaries on the day until he moved into the 90s. His battle with strike bowler Aditya Rawat was an engaging one, the seamer producing two excellent yorkers both superbly dug out by the batter. There would be no nervous 90s, Ekansh raising his 100 in the grand manner with a huge six over long-on.Minto provided great support, an uppercut over the slips for six resulting in a lost ball, necessitating the third change of the cherry in the short afternoon session.The 100-stand was raised before Minto chipped one straight back to Pushpak after which the end came swiftly. Alex Green became Pushpak’s fourth victim, before Singh holed out on the long-on boundary.India’s reply began in explosive fashion with Suryavanshi and his skipper Ayush Mhatre playing almost a shot a ball. The latter top-edged one over the slips before being given a life by Ralphie Albert when he spilt him at cover, Alex French the unlucky bowler.Suryavanshi meanwhile took a heavy toll of Green, nonchalantly driving him over mid-off for six before slashing one backward of square for another maximum. However, youthful impetuosity got the better of him when he pulled Green’s next delivery down the throat of fine leg – something of a waste, especially given three balls later the rain returned, forcing an early tea.Only 15 minutes more play was possible – just long enough for India to raise their 50.

Imam unable to play due to visa issues but stand-in Luxton impresses with half-century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025

James Wharton and Will Luxton produced half-centuries for Yorkshire• Allan McKenzie/SWPIx.com

Yorkshire 282 for 4 (Wharton 78, Luxton 71, Bean 57, Lyth 47) vs Surrey Yorkshire’s top order ensured a settled start to their Rothesay County Championship clash with leaders Surrey at Scarborough after their build-up was anything but.Hovering just three points above the drop zone in Division One after nine matches, Yorkshire ended an engaging opening day on a healthy 282 for four from 86 overs.Fin Bean, Will Luxton and James Wharton all posted half-centuries against a Surrey attack who struggled to create consistent pressure having lost the toss.Bean (57) shared an opening stand of 107 with Adam Lyth either side of lunch before Luxton and Wharton usurped them by sharing 149 for the third wicket either side of tea. Luxton posted a career best 71 off 118 balls and Wharton went on to top score with a season’s best 78 off 166.Yorkshire’s management arrived at the ground not knowing whether their captain and new overseas signing Jonny Bairstow and Imam-ul-Haq would be able to play due to the former’s impending arrival of another child and the latter’s visa issues.Bairstow made it, Imam didn’t. Yorkshire are also missing talismanic 37-wicket all-rounder George Hill having not sufficiently recovered from a foot injury.Not that the disruption showed on the field, as Bairstow elected to bat and then watched Bean, Lyth, Wharton and Luxton excel on a pitch offering spongy bounce and not as much pace as is usual at this North Marine Road venue.Yorkshire’s progress was largely serene.Bean was dropped at third slip by Dom Sibley off former Yorkshire fast bowler Matthew Fisher during the early stages, and there were a couple of confident lbw shouts.But Surrey’s bowlers struggled to find the right lines and lengths.When they did, they gained success. Dan Worrall – three for 49 from 16 overs – removed Lyth and then Bean in the space of three balls in the 33rd over, leaving the hosts at 108 for two.That came during the early stages of the afternoon.Lunch had came 15 minutes early because of rain.Worrall struck when he had Lyth caught at first slip with a ball not quite there to drive before getting Bean caught at wide mid-on following an aborted pull at well directed short ball.Just when you thought Surrey would assert their authority, Wharton and Luxton had other ideas.Luxton, aged 22, enjoyed an impressive recent Vitality Blast in a struggling side highlighted by a superb 90 not out in a Roses win at Emirates Old Trafford.He wouldn’t have played in this game had Imam been available. But Yorkshire pulled him out of the Professional County Clubs Select XI squad to face Pakistan A in three one-day matches to feature here, and he has taken his chance with only a second first-class fifty in his 10 career appearance.Imam, incidentally, was at the ground and warmed up with his team-mates before play.Yorkshire say they are working with his agent and the relevant authorities to resolve his visa issues in time for next week’s clash with Sussex on this ground.Luxton is a dynamic player who often looks a million dollars, as he did here on the drive and working off his legs.His next challenge is consistency.Wharton lofted the off-spin of Will Jacks down the ground for six before tea, and Luxton whipped Jamie Overton’s pace off his legs for the same result afterwards.Jacks broke the Wharton and Luxton alliance when he bowled the latter, who was aggressively sweeping – 257 for three after 77 overs.That was a significant boost for Surrey just before the new ball was due.Worrall then had Wharton caught behind for his third wicket of the day – 276 for four in the 83rd over.But Bairstow had reached 19 by the time bad light prevented any further play at 5.20pm.

Arsenal are stacked in almost all areas of the pitch after a summer of lavish spending, but they could still potentially benefit from another option for the left-wing as they eye AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

Mikel Arteta’s attacking line has looked strong this season, especially with the additions of Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, but questions remain over the depth and certainty at left-wing.

Gabriel Martinelli, who is currently out injured, has made a real impact from the bench as Arsenal’s super-sub this season, though doubts remain over the Brazilian’s long-term future.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

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

His contract expires in 2027 and there have been no reports of a potential extension, despite Andrea Berta moving to tie down the likes of Gabriel, William Saliba, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and actively talking to Bukayo Saka about a new long-term contract.

Leandro Trossard, who’s also contributed towards Arsenal’s brilliant run and scored the winner away to Fulham, presents some uncertainty too.

Like Martinelli, the 30-year-old’s contract runs out in 2027, with Trossard signing a new and improved deal recently which didn’t include an extension.

Eze can play on the left-wing when required, as he has done multiple times already this season in the Premier League, with the England international deployed there in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

This frees up space for teenage sensations Max Dowman – who became Arsenal’s youngest ever starter against the Seagulls – and Ethan Nwaneri to play more centrally.

Arsenal’s youngest ever starters

First start

player

opponent

competition

age

Oct 2025

Max Dowman

Brighton

League Cup

15 years 302 days

Sep 2024

Jack Porter

Bolton

League Cup

16 years 72 days

Oct 2003

Cesc Fàbregas

Rotherham

League Cup

16 years 177 days

Sep 2008

Jack Wilshere

Sheff United

League Cup

16 years 266 days

While there is a case to be made that signing another left-winger could hinder Dowman and Nwaneri’s pathway to regular first team minutes, Berta must also think about shoring up the position with outside talent, as Martinelli and Trossard near the exit door.

Rafael Leao's stance on joining Arsenal as Berta eyes left-wing upgrade

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal’s sporting director is doing just that, and they’re real fans of Leao.

The Portugal international has scored four goals in six games already this season, despite missing the opening of Milan’s campaign with a calf injury.

The Rossoneri are contenders for this year’s Serie A title after a fine start to 25/26, losing just one league game so far, and Leao will be key to their charge as Milan look to topple Antonio Conte’s Napoli.

The £108,000-per-week forward, who has a £132 million release clause in his deal, will cost a premium for any English side in January, but Arsenal view Leao as the “ideal left-wing upgrade”.

They’re also encouraged by his stance on a potential move to north London, as it is believed that Leao is “very open” to talks if a Premier League side formally approaches.

While Leao loves Milan and is happy in his current surroundings, he’s “ready to listen” to a potential offer from England, as the Premier League holds great appeal to him.

The 26-year-old, who bagged 16 goal contributions for Milan in the top flight alone last year, was also their second-best player by average behind Christian Pulisic in 2024/2025 (WhoScored).

Leao completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in Milan’s squad that campaign (WhoScored), so the appeal to Arsenal is obvious, but the question is just how much Berta would be willing to invest.

"I've said before" – Jamie Carragher admits he got one thing very wrong about Arsenal