Liverpool need to act swiftly to solve their midfield conundrum, with the Anfield side reportedly set to miss out on their two biggest targets of late in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both to Chelsea.

After signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboslai earlier this summer, Jurgen Klopp looked to have commenced a much-needed rebuild effectively, but the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian clubs have left the Reds light on their feet.

The need for a new defensive midfielder is paramount, and Liverpool must now consider revisiting interest in Fulham star Joao Palhinha, who excelled in the Premier League last season.

Are Liverpool signing a new midfielder?

Liverpool and West Ham United have held an interest in Palhinha this summer, with the latter now ostensibly ruled out after completing the transfer of Edson Alvarez from Ajax for roughly £35m.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Fulham believe that the Portuguese midfielder, who was sensational last season in his maiden season in England, should command a fee of at least €60m (£52m), and Liverpool must quickly decide whether to meet the Cottagers' terms.

How good is Joao Palhinha?

One thing's for certain, Palhinha offers something Liverpool do not have in midfield.

Since signing for Fulham from Sporting Lisbon for £20m last summer, the 28-year-old has cemented himself as one of the toughest-tackling, most indefatigable midfielders on English soil, having completed 40 matches for Marco Silva's side across all competitions, scoring four goals, and being heralded as a "tackling machine" by teammate Harrison Reed.

Indeed, no other player made more than his 147 tackles in the entire Premier League last season. Caicedo, for context, happened to be second in the charts but only with 100.

The 21-cap Portugal star recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.00 in the Premier League, completing 83% of his passes, winning 59% of his duels and making an incredible 4.2 tackles per game.

For reference, Lavia forged 2.1 tackles per match while the aforementioned Caicedo, who is widely regarded as one of the most prodigious midfield talents in Europe, averaged 2.7 per outing.

As per FBref, Palhinha even ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 11% for clearances and the top 8% for aerials won per 90, illustrating the command he has on his midfield; a true general in the centre, the titan is a wrecking ball and exactly what Liverpool need.

He would bring instantaneous results, and while Lavia is unquestionably one of the most precocious talents in English football, putting the weight of Liverpool's expectations and goals entirely on his shoulders at just 19-years-old is a heavy burden to shoulder.

Palhinha is robust, tenacious, experienced in the thick of intense action, and he could well provide Klopp with exactly what he craves to rectify the wrongs at Anfield, with Liverpool preparing for a Europa League campaign that serves as a constant reminder of the woes of last season.

Lavia is a tremendous teenager, and already ranks among the top 4% of midfielders for blocks per 90 – highlighting his energy and accuracy in the tackle – and there's no telling how formidable he will become over the next several years.

But Palhinha is established; he is "Casemiro-esque" – as has been claimed by journalist Zach Lowy, and Klopp must now make his move and put an end to the malaise and trepidation that Liverpool is embroiled in at present.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a switch to Everton this summer and renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key update on the matter.

How old is Hugo Ekitike?

The Frenchman is still just 21 years of age, but is seen as a player with a bright future in the game, having already represented PSG, despite having Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar around to relegated him to the substitutes' bench.

Ekitike has made 33 appearances for his current club, scoring and assisting four times apiece, but it could still be that he departs this summer, rather than struggling for playing time at the Ligue 1 champions, even though he only actually signed permanently recently, after initially joining on loan last summer.

Everton have emerged as one of the front-runners to sign the youngster during the current transfer window, as they continue to look for attacking reinforcements. Their profligacy in front of goal was once again highlighted in last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham – Neal Maupay missed a number of good chances – and it is imperative that new faces arrive between now and the end of the month.

Up until now, the Blues have failed to reach an agreement with PSG over a move for Ekitike, and a new update doesn't make for great reading for supporters.

Will Everton sign Hugo Ekitike?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano admitted that Everton are looking increasingly unlikely to sign Ekitike this summer, as things stand:

"Yeah, with Hugo Ekitike they tried the loan to buy option but, at the moment, there is still no agreement with Paris Saint-Germain. They wanted at least a €35m package for Ekitike and the bid was way below these numbers. So, at the moment, it’s not something that is easy, so let’s see if Everton will try again, but it’s a complicated dilemma."

It does appear as though Everton's pursuit of Ekitike is running out of a steam a little, and there must come a point when they walk away from him and look to bring in an alternative option instead.

The Blues can't afford to be wasting their time looking to sign players, given the need for attacking quality as soon as possible, so if an agreement can't be reached very soon, it will have to be looked at as one that got away.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Of course, should the situation suddenly change and Everton end up acquiring Ekitike's signature, it could be such an exciting piece of business by the club. Reims manager Oscar Garcia has waxed lyrical about him, saying:

"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."

This outlines what a big talent Ekitike is, and what a long-term signing he would be for Everton, given his age, so the hope is that there is another twist to come and that the six-time capped France Under-20 international is plying his trade on Merseyside sooner rather than later.

حسم نادي يوفنتوس موقف مدرب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم الحالي، ماسيماليانو أليجري، من الاستمرار أو الرحيل بنهاية الموسم.

وقاد أليجري يوفنتوس بالموسم الحالي للفوز ببطولة كأس إيطاليا أمس، الأربعاء، عقب التغلب على أتالانتا بنتيجة 1-0.

وينتهي عقد أليجري الحالي مع يوفنتوس بنهاية الموسم المقبل في 30 يونيو 2025، لكن كانت هناك شائعات كثيرة حول مستقبله مع البيانكونيري.

اقرأ أيضًا | للمرة الثالثة.. يوفنتوس يسعى للتعاقد مع ألفارو موراتا

🚨⚪️⚫️ Juventus and Massimiliano Allegri will part ways as he won’t be the manager next season, as planned since February.

The only detail to clarify is whether Juve decide to sack Allegri now or in 10 days.

↪️ Juventus priority candidate as new head coach remains Thiago Motta. pic.twitter.com/FUSZMFQ9kQ — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 16, 2024

وبحسب فابرزيو رومانو متخصص سوق الانتقالات عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس” أن يوفنتوس توصل لاتفاق مع أليجري على فسخ العقد.

وأضاف: “أليجري لن يكون مدربًا ليوفنتوس في الموسم المقبل وهذا الأمر قد تم التخطيط له منذ فبراير الماضي”.

وتابع: “الأمر المعلق في يوفنتوس هو إذا ما ستتم إقالة أليجري الآن أو سينتظر مع نهاية الموسم بعد 10 أيام”.

وكشف رومانو عن المرشح الأقرب لتدريب الفريق وهو تياجو موتا الذي يدرب بولونيا، حيث يقترب من الرحيل للبحث عن مغامرة جديدة.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Atlético-MG suportou meia hora de pressão do São Paulo e, com ótima atuação a partir daí, construiu uma contundente vitória por 3 a 0 no Mineirão, com dois gols de Alan Franco e um de Jair. O Galo está em terceiro lugar com 12 pontos, um a menos que o Tricolor, que é o vice-líder, mas tem um jogo a mais. A ponta é do Inter, que tem 16 pontos e também um jogo a mais que os mineiros.

Só que a história da partida provavelmente teria sido outra se Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima não tivesse anulado o gol que Luciano marcou aos 30 minutos do primeiro tempo, que faria justiça à atuação dominante do São Paulo. Com o auxílio da tecnologia, Rafael Traci, o árbitro de vídeo, viu um impedimento que talvez só ele tenha conseguido ver.

Rafael Traci chamou a atenção de Jean Pierre outras duas vezes. Primeiro para analisar se Diego Costa, zagueiro do São Paulo, fez pênalti ao supostamente cortar uma finalização com o braço no fim do primeiro tempo. A conclusão foi de jogada normal. Depois, por entender que o mesmo Diego deveria receber cartão vermelho por fazer falta em lance que terminaria com Marquinhos na cara de Tiago Volpi já na etapa final. O árbitro de campo discordou.

Praticamente só o Tricolor jogava até o gol anulado. Foram ao menos três oportunidades claras de gol, incluindo finalizações na trave de Luciano e Paulinho Boia, sem contar as outras vezes em que a equipe conseguiu entrar perigosamente na área.

Tudo mudou depois da intervenção do VAR. Alan Franco abriu o placar aos 34 minutos, após erro de Tchê Tchê no meio de campo e ótimo passe de Jair. O segundo dele saiu aos 43, após uma bola longa que resultou em ajeitada sutil de Hyoran para o equatoriano fuzilar.

Vitor Bueno, Brenner, Igor Gomes e Toró, jogadores acionados por Fernando Diniz ao longo do segundo tempo, não conseguiram retomar o controle do jogo para o São Paulo. Ao contrário: o time foi sufocado pela ótima marcação avançada do Atlético-MG e acabou nocauteado logo aos 13 minutos, com gol de cabeça de Jair após desvio de Júnior Alonso em cobrança de escanteio. O time de Jorge Sampaoli ficou mais perto do quarto gol do que o adversário do primeiro.

As duas equipes volta a campo no domingo. O São Paulo recebe o Fluminense às 16h no Morumbi, enquanto o Atlético-MG visita o Coritiba às 20h30 no Couto Pereira.

FICHA TÉCNICA
ATLÉTICO-MG 3 x 0 SÃO PAULO

Data/Horário: 3/9/2020, às 20h
Local: Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Árbitro: Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima (RS)
Assistentes: Lucio Beiersdorf Flor (RS) e Leirson Peng Martins (RS)
Árbitro de vídeo: Rafael Traci (SC)
Cartões amarelos: Fernando Diniz (SAO)
Cartões vermelhos: –

Gols: Alan Franco, aos 34’/1ºT (1-0); Alan Franco, aos 43’/1ºT (2-0); Jair, aos 13’/2ºT (3-0)

ATLÉTICO-MG: Rafael, Mariano, Igor Rabello, Júnior Alonso e Guilherme Arana (Fábio Santos – 41’/2ºT); Allan, Jair (Guga – 35’/2ºT), Alan Franco e Hyoran (Marrony – 35’/2ºT); Keno (Marquinhos – 19’/2ºT) e Eduardo Sasha (Savarino – 35’/2ºT). Técnico: Jorge Sampaoli.

SÃO PAULO: Tiago Volpi, Igor Vinícius, Diego Costa, Léo e Liziero; Tchê Tchê, Gabriel Sara (Vitor Bueno – Intervalo) e Hernanes (Igor Gomes – 8/2ºT); Luciano, Paulinho Boia (Brenner – 8’/2ºT) e Pablo (Toró – 32’/2ºT). Técnico: Fernando Diniz.

Only Claude Henderson, the spin bowling consultant and Greg King, the fitness trainer have been retained from Russell Domingo’s technical team while Prasanna Agoram remains in place as the analyst

Firdose Moonda16-Nov-2017Warriors’ coach Malibongwe Maketa has been appointed Ottis Gibson’s assistant, pipping Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana to the post in a shake-up of South Africa’s support staff. Former Natal and Durham batsman Dale Benkenstein will take over as batting coach from Neil McKenzie while Justin Ontong, the Cobras’ senior statesman, has been appointed fielding coach.Only Claude Henderson, the spin bowling consultant and Greg King, the fitness trainer have been retained from Russell Domingo’s technical team while Prasanna Agoram remains in place as the analyst. Physiotherapist Brandon Jackson has been replaced by Craig Govender. Team manager and doctor Mohammed Moosajee’s contract has been extended until April 2018 – the end of the South African summer – after which CSA’s board will appoint two successors, one in a managerial role and one in a medical role. That will increase the number of backroom staff to 12, from its current 11.Full list of staff appointments

Coach – Ottis Gibson
Assistant Coach – Malibongwe Maketa
Batting Coach – Dale Benkenstein
Fielding coach – Justin Ontong
Physiotherapist – Craig Govender
Fitness Trainer – Greg King
Spin Bowling Coach – Claude Henderson
Logistics Officer – Volvo Masubelele
Media Manager – Lerato Malekutu
Security Liaison Officer – Zunaid Wadee
Technical Analyst – Prasanna Agoram

Gibson, who was appointed in September, worked with Domingo’s support staff for his first assignment, a home series against Bangladesh. On its successful completion, Gibson said he had spoken to CSA about his choices for a backroom staff and had given them a list of name, “some from overseas, some local,” and would wait on the board to make the appointments. Who he had nominated from abroad is not known but only local candidates have made the cut, in what appears to be an exercise in cost-cutting.While Gibson had previously said he would perform the bowling coach duties himself, meaning one fewer member of his support staff, the batting coach Benkenstein is going to be shared with a local school. Benkenstein, who left Hampshire in July last year to return home for family reasons, has been working at Hilton College, a prestigious school in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands and will continue there while also working with the national team. CSA have made an agreement with the school that Benkenstein will accompany the national team on tours and will be around the camp when they play home matches but will also work for Hilton College.Maketa, the new assistant and Ontong, both come from within the current system and would not have been as expensive to hire as a foreigner. CSA’s financial position has been weakened following the postponement of the T20 Global League, on which they had spent millions organising, marketing and on upgrading stadiums, and their situation may worsen once a player-payout has been agreed. The South African Cricketers’ Association and CSA will undergo mediation to determine how to resolve the contractual fallout from the T20 Global League.In the meanwhile, attention will turn to Gibson’s sidekicks.Maketa has been with the Warriors since February 2015. He took over mid-season when Piet Botha stepped down and though he has not won any trophies, Maketa has had to work without many national players in his ranks and at a franchise without a sponsor. He has led the Warriors to two limited-overs finals – the one-day and twenty-over tournament last season – and has also worked with the national academy and the South African A side. Maketa was preferred over Toyana, who has won four trophies in five seasons with the Lions and was thought to be the favourite for the head coach’s role, will remain with the Warriors for the current Ram Slam before linking up with Gibson. It is not yet known who will succeed Maketa at the Warriors.Ontong will have a similar time-frame. He is still an active player for the Cobras and played in all five of their first-class fixtures this summer (and scored a century and three fifties) but a CSA spokesperson said he “will have to,” retire in order to take up his coaching duties.This will be his first coaching role and he will become South Africa’s first fielding coach since Rob Walter left the post after the Champions Trophy in 2013. Though South Africa have a reputation as a top-fielding side, standards have slipped on occasion in the recent past and it must have been something Gibson noted when compiling his staff.”My first six weeks as head coach gave me a good indication of the areas and resources needed for me to take the team forward,” Gibson said. “I’m confident with the coaching support staff we have put together and believe we share the same vision and understanding required to achieve success in our environment.”The coaches are experienced experts in their respective fields and will add value and energy to an already high-performing environment. The Proteas have a well-run and professional setup and I have no doubt that these additions will further enhance that element during my tenure.”South Africa’s players are currently engaged in the Ram Slam domestic tournament, which will run until December 16. Ten days later, they will begin the first of eight home Tests, a four-day, day-night fixture against Zimbabwe. South Africa host India for three Tests, six ODIs and three T20s and Australia for four Tests in March in their busiest home season to date.

Rangpur Riders fell short by 11 runs in their chase of 167, despite having clawed their way back into the game with a terrific end-overs display with the ball

The Report by Mohammad Isam08-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTaskin Ahmed bowled an over in which three wickets fell•Raton Gomes/BCBTaskin Ahmed bowled Chittagong Vikings to their first win of the season, helping restrict Rangpur Riders to 155 for 8 in their chase of 167. He took three wickets, including two in succession in the 13th over, and ran out Ravi Bopara off the next ball with his boot to suck the life out of Rangpur’s chase. Luke Ronchi had given Chittagong a blistering start with the third-fastest BPL fifty.Rangpur eventually fell 11 runs short with some of their batsmen getting set but not converting. Left-arm medium-pacer Luis Reece took two for 26 in his four overs.Ronchi made 78 off only 35 balls, hammering seven sixes. But after his dismissal, Chittagong slowed down, adding only 54 runs in the last 10 overs.Ronchi’s belligerence A whip of his wrist gave Ronchi his first six, off the third ball of the match. He hit another six in the same over, off Mashrafe Mortaza, before he struck three fours in the second over, bowled by Sohag Gazi. Ronchi, in the next over, struck Nazmul Islam over mid-on and cover for consecutive sixes before cutting past point for a four. That over finished with a six over long-off, as Ronchi lifted Chittagong to 50 runs in the first three overs, a BPL record.When Mashrafe claimed Soumya Sarkar’s wicket in the fifth over, he had faced only seven deliveries out of the 28 in the opening partnership. Ronchi struck two more sixes during his 40-run, second wicket stand with Dilshan Munaweera.One boundary in 10 oversWhen Bopara had Ronchi caught at long-on, Chittagong were 99 for 2 in the ninth over. Ronchi had made 78 of those runs, having struck seven fours and seven sixes.Munaweera struck Samiullah Shenwari for a six over midwicket at the end of the 10th over, but there was no boundary for 50 balls from that point.Munaweera fell in the 11th over after which Misbah and Luis Reece added 19 runs in the five overs of their fourth-wicket stand. Anamul Haque could only manage 17 off 14 balls. The only boundary in the last 10 overs came from Misbah, who was unbeaten on 31 off 32 balls.Setting up the chaseRangpur lost Johnson Charles in the third ball of their chase, before Ziaur Rahman was dismissed after hitting a six and a four. Mohammad Mithun was the third wicket to fall in the Powerplay, undone by Reece for a 15-ball 23.Shahriar Nafees and Bopara tried to keep up with the required run-rate, adding 49 runs in the following 6.4 overs, putting Rangpur in control.Taskin rips through RangpurIn the 13th over, Nafees was knocked over by an accurate yorker from Taskin, having made 26 off 23 balls. He then removed Shenwari next ball after he clipped a catch to Misbah at midwicket. Off the next ball, Taskin’s boot came in the way of a Thisara Perera drive, which caught Bopara short at the non-striker’s end.Taskin then took his third wicket by having Perera caught at deep midwicket, reducing Rangpur to 119 for 7 in the 15th over.Subashis takes on Mashrafe With the match entering its decisive stages, emotions got the better of Mashrafe and Subashis Roy. Mashrafe dug out a yorker, and gestured to the bowler to get back. Subashis charged at Mashrafe, with Sikandar Raza running in to separate the pair. Subashis later apologised to Mashrafe.

حقق فريق كرة السلة بالنادي الأهلي فوزًا صعبًا على الزمالك في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات دوري السوبر.

وأقيمت مباراة الأهلي والزمالك على صالة برج العرب بالإسكندرية، في ثالث مواجهات سلسلة الـbest of 5 بنصف نهائي المسابقة المحلية.

وتقام منافسات دور نصف النهائي لـ دوري السوبر لكرة السلة بنظام “الأفضل من 5″، حيث يلتقي الفريقان في 5 مواجهات.

وكان الأهلي قد حقق الفوز في المباراة الأولي على الزمالك بنتيجة 79-60، وتفوق في المباراة الثانية بنتيجة 76-71.

وانتهت مباراة الأهلي والزمالك اليوم بفوز القلعة الحمراء بنتيجة 83-80، في إطار لقاءات دور نصف النهائي.

وبهذه النتيجة تأهل الأهلي للمباراة النهائية من دوري السوبر لكرة السلة، منتظرًا المتأهل بين الاتحاد السكندري وسبورتينج.

ScorecardManpreet Gony and Harbhajan Singh celebrate taking a wicket•Fotocorp

A brutal new-ball spell from Manpreet Gony reduced Chhattisgarh to 35 for 5 – their run-rate was barely over 1 – but the lower order mounted a fine rearguard to lift the total up to a comparatively respectable 238 in Raipur.Vishal Kushwah, coming in at No. 9 in his third first-class match, top scored with 76 off only 93 deliveries. Equally aggressive was the No. 7 Jatin Saxena, whose 52 came off 59 balls. The No. 8 batsman Sumit Ruikar ensured there was a hat-trick of fifties on the scorecard, and he was the last man dismissed for an even 50.Until their efforts, Punjab looked unstoppable. Gony (4-41) and Sandeep Sharma (2-41) dismissed the Chhattisgarh openers for ducks and ensured none of the top five batsmen got past a score of 15. Left-arm spinner Vinay Chaudhary (3-56) finally broke through the lower-order resistance, dismissing two of the three half-centurions.Perhaps wanting to stamp their dominance, Punjab captain Jiwanjot Singh came out swinging when it was their turn to bat, scoring 40 off only 44 balls and remaining unbeaten when stumps was called.
ScorecardA hefty maiden first-class hundred from Abhishek Raman was the highlight of the first day’s play at Eden Gardens, where Bengal made 306 for 5 against Himachal Pradesh. Raman was out in the sixth over before stumps after smashing 176 off 242 balls, with 29 fours peppering his innings.Raman’s dismissal ended a 163-run fourth-wicket stand with Manoj Tiwary, and was followed by that of Wriddhiman Saha in the final over of the day, ensuring Himachal went to stumps not entirely displeased with their day’s work. Tiwary, batting on 78 (132b, 8×4, 1×6), will hold the key to Bengal’s hopes of a big total.Sent in to bat, Bengal lost Abhimanyu Easwaran in the first over of the day. Raman then added 37 for the second wicket with Sudip Chatterjee and 92 for the third with Koushik Ghosh (27) before Tiwary joined him with the score at 136 for 3.
ScorecardAn unbeaten hundred from Faiz Fazal led Vidarbha to a solid 259 for 3 against Services at the old VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Fazal batted right through the day’s play, and went to stumps on 128, having faced 256 balls and hit 12 fours and three sixes.Having chosen to bat, Vidarbha didn’t lose a wicket until the 50th over of the day, when Muzzaffaruddin Khalid dismissed Sanjay Ramaswamy for a 146-ball 55. By then, the two openers had added 148. Services would only take two more wickets all day, with Fazal holding fort at one end while adding 43 for the second wicket with Wasim Jaffer, 36 for the third with Siddhesh Wath, and an unbroken 32 for the fourth with Ganesh Satish.

Arsenal have long been craving a winger who will afford Bukayo Saka an element of rest.

The England superstar has played a huge amount of football in the last 24 months, failing to miss a single Premier League game in the last two years.

Signing someone to lift that burden, therefore, would be a good idea.

Who could Arsenal sign?

The Gunners haven't been linked with too many wingers throughout the summer. A year ago, they tried to sign Raphinha before making Pedro Neto a priority target.

However, another name has been Kaoru Mitoma.

The Brighton sensation is one of the most eye-catching in the Premier League and amid interest from Manchester City as well, has been touted at £50m.

Arsenal have been interested in the last few months too, and should player funds be raised, a late dash for the player in the window cannot be discounted, according to football.london.

What are Kaoru Mitoma's strengths?

The Japanese superstar is a dribble king. There are no two ways about it. This is a player who once studied the very art of doing so and his goal against Wolves on Saturday afternoon proved that.

He darted past three players from a run that started about 35 yards from goal. Cutting inside phenomenally from the left-hand side, he then weaved his way into the penalty area before finding the net in ruthless style.

Passing

Crossing

Dribbling

Aerials

Long shots

Interceptions

Lay-offs

That run encapsulated everything that is great about this "unplayable", "serious talent" as he was described by journalist Ryan Taylor last season.

Such a piece of play was reminiscent of a certain Saka too. Unlike Mitoma, he plays off the other side, cutting devastatingly onto his left foot. We saw that against Nottingham Forest last weekend as he moved inside towards the edge of the penalty area before curling a sensational finish past Matt Turner.

Clearly, they are two of the most exciting and tricky wingers in the division.

What supplements their similarities is FBref, who suggest that Arsenal's number 7 is in fact the most similar player to Mitoma.

As you can see in the data provided, when it comes to progressive carries and touches inside the opposition's penalty area, they are almost identical. Indeed, for the former, Mitoma ranks inside Europe's best 6% of wingers, while Saka sits inside the top 8%.

With regards to shot-creating actions, 4.33 vs 4.60 per 90 minutes in favour of Saka, they are nearly on par and there is little difference between their assists per 90 minutes either.

Of course, Saka is the more complete player at the moment. He scored 14 times and registered 11 assists in the Premier League alone last season, but Mitoma, with his seven goals and six assists, wasn't too far behind.

Gabriel Martinelli has been devastatingly brilliant from the left-hand side over the last year, scoring 15 times and supplying six last term, but in the Brighton superstar, Arteta would unearth another mesmerising option down that flank, one who could potentially emulate Saka's influence at the Emirates.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos venceu o Ceará, por 1 a 0, no Castelão, demonstrando pontos positivos e também situações que precisa melhorar para o restante da temporada. Nesta partida, especificamente, vale ressaltar a segurança defensiva da equipe, principalmente na primeira etapa, e a letalidade para aproveitar as chances na frente.

Com uma equipe bastante modificada, principalmente no setor ofensivo, o Peixe começou a partida ameaçando o Ceará. Lucas Braga e principalmente Kaio Jorge, se movimentaram bastante e ajudaram Marinho na criação de jogadas. Com um bom volume ofensivo, o Santoslogo foi premiado com o gol de Felipe Jonatan, aos oito minutos.

RelacionadasSantosCuca admite poupar jogadores: ‘Hoje foram alguns e amanhã serão outros’Santos06/09/2020SantosJoão Paulo destaca entrega do Santos em vitória: ‘Todo mundo se doou’Santos05/09/2020SantosATUAÇÕES: João Paulo e Felipe Jonatan brilham em vitória do SantosSantos05/09/2020

Na parte ofensiva, o destaque fica por conta do aproveitamento. Das nove finalizações que o Santos deu na partida, quatro foram em direção ao gol. Pelo menos duas delas fizeram o goleiro Fernando Prass realizar boas defesas.

Porém, com o gol marcado, o Santos deu uma recuada, o que pode ser prejudicial em partidas contra equipes com elenco melhor. No entanto, com uma forte marcação pelas pontas, a equipe não levava grandes sustos. O Ceará só assustou com a jogada que vem sendo o pesadelo do Peixe na temporada: a bola parada.

Na segunda etapa, mais um poto para a equipe santista prestar atenção: o nervosismo. Vencendo por 1 a 0 fora de casa, o time teve Luan Peres e Alison expulsos, o que poderia comprometer a boa atuação da equipe em Fortaleza.

Vitória para dar tranquilidade e acima de tudo, confiança para o Santos nas próximas rodadas, já que enfrenta Atlético-MG e São Paulo.