Gary Neville has responded to Des Lynam's suggestion that he is the right man to 'save' Manchester United amid their ongoing struggles.

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• Neville reacted to Lynam's comments
• Lynam says Neville is right man to 'save' Man Utd
• Man Utd take on Fulham on Sunday

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  United's 2024-25 campaign hit another low point after they suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford against Brighton last weekend. It was the club's fourth home defeat in six games since Ruben Amorim took charge as head coach in November and their 10th Premier League defeat in the current season. After the Brighton debacle, veteran broadcaster and former BBC Match of the Day host Des Lynam wrote in his column for that he believes Neville is the right candidate to 'save' the Red Devils.

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• WHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

  Reacting to Lynam's claim on his podcast on , Neville said: "I love Des Lynam. I met Des Lynam in 2002. My first ever punditry gig was 22 years ago. I broke my foot before the World Cup in Japan and South Korea and ITV asked me to be a pundit. I had the most incredible time, it was the moment that I recognised I wanted to go into punditry because of the people I was surrounded by.

  "The fellow pundits on that panel were Bobby Robson, Terry Venables and Paul Gascoigne. I totally don't belong in that panel from the point of view of football greatness and coaching. What I could give them was the current understanding of what was happening in that dressing room."

  He added: "Des Lynam was the doyen, the God of hosts and presenters in that era. Someone with an unbelievable voice, great delivery, great humour. I always got on with Des but if you could please stop putting me forward as the manager of Manchester United it would be quite helpful. I understand where you're coming from, I do understand the club, I do love the club, I do believe I can communicate well. However, I don't want to go back into coaching number one, number two I don't believe that I'm the best man for the job by a long way."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The ex-England defender also revealed that he has been mocked by fellow pundit Jamie Carragher ever since Lynam expressed his opinion as he added: "It gives my friends and colleagues, particularly Mr James Carragher, the opportunity to giggle quite a bit on a Thursday afternoon when he sees the headline. I love Des to bits but I'm pretty sure he's not right on that one. I feel bad to tell him he's not right because he's someone with such vast experience."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a morale-boosting win over Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, Amorim's United side will be back in action on Sunday as they take on Fulham in the Premier League.

يواجه فريق الأهلي منافسه طلائع الجيش، مساء غد الأربعاء، في مباراة مرتقبة بين الفريقين، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع طلائع الجيش، في إطار الجولة 17 والأخيرة من مرحلة الدور الأول لبطولة الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وتلعب مباراة الأهلي وطلائع الجيش، مساء الأربعاء 5 من شهر مارس، إذ تنطلق في تمام الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

طالع | إمام عاشور: من صغري أهلاوي.. ويكشف سر خلافه مع دونجا ولاعب الزمالك الذي يتمنى انضمامه لـ الأهلي

الأهلي يدخل المباراة، وهو محتلًا المركز الثاني في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 36 نقطة، حيث يسعي إلى مواصلة المنافسة مع بيراميدز المتصدر، على الصدارة والدفاع على لقبه ببطولة الدوري للموسم الحالي.

النادي الأهلي كان قد خاض 16 مباراة، حتى الآن، فاز في 10 مباريات وتعادل في 6 مواجهات، ولم يتلق أي هزيمة.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فريق طلائع الجيش، يتواجد في المركز التاسع بترتيب جدول الدوري، برصيد 21 نقطة، من الفوز في 5 مباريات والتعادل في 6 وخسر 5 مواجهات.

ويرغب فريق طلائع الجيش، في تحقيق الفوز من أجل ضمان تواجده ضمن الأندية الـ9 المتنافسة على لقب بطولة الدوري في الموسم الحالي.

يذكر أن بطولة الدوري المصري هذا الموسم تقام بنظام استثنائي، ينص على إقامة المواجهات من دور واحد كمرحلة أولى، ثم يتم تقسيم الأندية إلى مجموعتين، بداية من المركز الأول حتى التاسع، تتنافس على لقب الدوري.

بينما الأندية من المركز العاشر حتى الثامن عشر، تتنافس على البقاء والهبوط، على أن يهبط فريقان فقط بدلًا من ثلاثة إلى دوري القسم الثاني (دوري المحترفين).

Wolves are still searching for their first win of the season, currently sitting rock bottom of the Premier League, having only earned one point so far in a handful of matches played.

Their one point came in a 1-1 draw to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and their run of games isn’t going to get any easier, with Gary O’Neil’s side set to face Liverpool next.

Wolves have conceded the joint highest number of goals after five games, conceding 14 goals, and have only scored five. O’Neil’s men have given up on average 14.2 shots per game (the ninth worst in the division), and their defensive record will have to improve if they want to stay up.

Sadly, that is unlikely to improve after a blow to Yerson Mosquera.

Yerson Mosquera's injury blow

Wolves have confirmed Yerson Mosquera’s injury is a serious one, after being stretched off in the second half of their 3-1 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Phil Hayward, Wolves’ head of high performance confirmed injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Mosquera is set to undergo surgery in the next two weeks and will face a long time on the sidelines, with Hayward saying it is unlikely the 23-year-old will feature again this season.

The Colombian defender started all five of their Premier League games this campaign, playing 442 minutes, and trying to replace him will be a tough task for O’Neil, especially as pressure is already building, with Wolves sitting bottom of the Premier League.

A potential Mosquera replacement

In order for Wolves to address this issue, one option would be to look at the free agents available with one potential option that of James Tomkins, once of West Ham and Crystal Palace.

However, it just so happens that an ex-Premier League defender, once dubbed as “world-class” by Jürgen Klopp, is available, in the shape of Joel Matip. He certainly represents a much more convincing option than Tomkins.

The 33-year-old made 201 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 11 goals, providing six assists, and totaling 16,190 minutes played. Matip could be the perfect option for Wolves, to add experience at the back, and replace Mosquera on a short-term basis this season.

Matip would help to replace the towering Mosquera, who stands at 6 foot 2, and wins 2.24 aerials per 90. Matip stands at 6 foot 5, winning 3.15 aerials per 90, and adds a real physical presence, paired with a high understanding of the game, allowing him to be in the right place at the right time.

The 33-year-old would also add extra ball progression, via both carrying and passing. Having played in a top Liverpool side, the Cameroon centre-back is very composed on the ball and will look to break the lines, getting the ball into the feet of Wolves best players, and allowing them to shine.

Matip could be the perfect replacement for Mosquera, helping to solve their defensive issues, by adding extra experience at the back, leadership, and even a set piece threat with his colossal frame.

Wolves had the "Cantona of his generation" on loan, now he's worth £50m

He’s now shining in the Premier League…

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 25, 2024

And so Arsenal march on. Seven games into the new Premier League season and the Gunners remain unbeaten, having gone into the latest international break just a point behind Liverpool at the summit and level with champions, Manchester City.

Even without talismanic skipper Martin Odegaard, the north London side have continued to pick up positive results in recent weeks, having also powered to a convincing 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

It’s not been plain-sailing – not least due to red cards for the likes of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard – but the Emirates outfit have scrapped and fought to maintain this string of positive results, proving to their title rivals that they are here to stay at the top of the table.

The bedrock of Mikel Arteta’s success remains that of Europe’s “best central defensive pairing” – as hailed by ex-England defender Matthew Upson – in the form of William Saliba and Gabriel, while Hale End hero Bukayo Saka continues to terrorise with seven assists in as many league games.

It would be foolish, however, to overlook the impact of another of Arteta’s “main players” – as the Spaniard has himself described him – with former Chelsea man Kai Havertz having quietly emerged as a vital figure for the club in 2024.

Havertz's start to the season

The midfield experiment has been abandoned, and Havertz is looking all the better for it.

Plucked from Stamford Bridge for a hefty £65m fee in the summer of 2023, it’s fair to say that the German’s early months in an Arsenal shirt with rather uninspiring, as he chipped in with just four goals and one assist in the league before Christmas.

In truth, it wasn’t until late February and early March of this year that the silky striker truly began to find his feet after shifting to a number nine berth, having scored in four successive league games. He hasn’t looked back since.

After ending last term with 13 league goals to his name, the former Champions League winner has continued that red-hot form into the new campaign, registering six goals in just ten outings in all competitions.

While once looking like a player who couldn’t find a home on the pitch, the 25-year-old is now a centre-forward in every sense, shown no more so than his brave header in the win over PSG.

As that effort indicated, Havertz is now a “real threat around the box” – as per his manager – with the hope being that he can now be supplied with regular, quality service, even in the absence of Odegaard.

That could then call for Arteta to make a bold tactical tweak in the coming weeks, with there perhaps an argument for the aforementioned Saka to take on a new role moving forward.

How Havertz could be made even better

On the early evidence, the records could tumble this season, with Saka already likely to have an eye on Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s all-time tally of 20 assists in a Premier League campaign.

Not just a goalscorer, the Englishman is marking himself out as a more than capable creator too, thus raising the question as to whether his strengths could be better utilised in a number ten berth, rather than on the flanks.

That is the verdict of data analyst Ben Mattinson, at least, who has suggested that the 23-year-old’s “output would skyrocket” if he was to make that switch to a central role, as it would prove “much harder for teams to double up on him and give him no space too”.

A possible “game-changer” of an alteration – in the view of Mattinson – this different role could then help to make Havertz even more effective in and around the box, as he would be able to link up more directly with Saka through the middle.

Saka’s ability to thread a pass and tee up Arsenal’s main marksman has already been showcased this season as he has remarkably created 12 ‘big chances’ to date, while averaging 3.9 key passes per game. To put that into perspective, the most ‘big chances’ created by a player in the division in the whole of 2023/24 was Mohamed Salah, with 22.

Most ‘big chances’ created – 2024/25 in PL

Rank

Player

‘Big chances’ created

1.

Bukayo Saka

12

2.

Cole Palmer

8

3.

Dwight McNeil

7

4.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

5

4.

Leif Davis

5

4.

Bryan Mbuemo

5

4.

Bernardo Silva

5

4.

Youri Tielemans

5

Via Premier League website

There may be those questioning why then should the academy graduate be relocated if he is already thriving on the right flank, but allowing him to operate in even closer proximity to Havertz could prove a masterstroke for both parties.

On current form, the latter man is proving that he can provide that clinical touch in front of goal. If supplied with regular service by Saka in a new number ten berth, who knows the goal tally he could end up with come May.

Related Arsenal sold Haaland & Kane hybrid for £4m, now he's outscoring Havertz

Arsenal sold a striker over the summer who’s been a man in form for his new club.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson Oct 8, 2024

West Ham were busy this summer equipping Julen Lopetegui with a fresh squad after David Moyes parted ways with the club, and the Hammers started planning for a return to European qualification spots.

The defence was addressed with the additions of Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whilst some attacking firepower was added through Niclas Füllkrug and Crysencio Summerville.

Midfield was also targeted, with Guido Rodriguez joining on free, and Carlos Soler arriving from PSG on loan. However, West Ham don’t seem to be finished with their midfield rebuild there, as there are already links sprouting ahead of the January window.

Guido Rodriguez's form at West Ham

Rodriguez joined from Real Betis on a free this summer and has since made eight appearances for the Hammers, totaling 563 minutes of football so far, and contributing to two clean sheets.

Perhaps his worst moment in West Ham colours so far was being subbed off after just 38 minutes against Chelsea, after the Hammers went down 2-0 in the first half against the Blues.

He was particularly poor on the day, struggling to win the midfield battle and overall looking very leggy and immobile in the middle of the park.

The 30-year-old could find himself with even more midfield competition come January, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been linked with a return to England, with West Ham’s name being one of the ones mentioned.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek links

According to reports by Milan Live this week, West Ham could be offered the chance to sign Loftus-Cheek from AC Milan in January, in a potential swap deal for Edson Alvarez. The 28-year-old could find himself back in London, having left Chelsea in 2023 to join the Italian side.

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The midfielder has made 48 appearances for the Italian giants, scoring ten goals and providing two assists in 3,427 minutes played.

Described as a “monster” by reporter Bobby Vincent, Loftus-Cheek previously made 155 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 13 goals and providing 17 assists.

He also had successful loan spells with both Crystal Palace and Fulham, so could we see him return to England for his final years?

Comparing Loftus-Cheek to the midfielder in question as part of a proposed swap deal (Alvarez), and the underperforming new signing, Rodriguez, the metrics show that the Milan star is far superior in multiple facets of progression, bettering both the West Ham midfielders in progressive passes and carries.

xG

0.06

0.02

0.00

Progressive Carries

2.54

0.17

0.37

Progressive Passes

4.92

2.54

4.44

Shots Total

0.79

0.81

0.71

Key Passes

1.11

0.17

1.48

Passes into Final Third

3.65

3.05

5.56

Shot-Creating Actions

3.17

1.19

2.96

Tackles

1.75

2.71

3.70

Aerials Won

0.95

1.19

1.11

The 28-year-old Englishman also produces the most shot-creating actions per 90, which is expected as he is the most attacking of the three.

Whilst the West Ham duo produce more defensive actions per 90, Loftus-Cheek is no slouch, often putting himself about in the middle, using his physical profile to win duels and help his team out of possession.

He would be a brilliant addition for the Hammers, adding a more physical yet elegant profile in deeper areas, who can add a progressive carrying toolset back to the side, something they have lacked since losing Declan Rice last summer.

With both Alvarez and Rodriguez underperforming, this could be exactly what Lopetegui needs to really start to get a tune out of his side.

West Ham could land Ings & Antonio upgrade who's outperforming Haaland

This would be a real statement of intent from Julen Lopetegui…

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2024

Leicestershire win by innings and five runs as visitors’ callow batting collapses in final overs

ECB Reporters' Network15-Sep-2021

Leicestershire pulled off an extraordinary victory over Sussex in an LV=Insurance County Championship match that had looked set to bring the curtain down on the season at Grace Road with a tame draw.After Hassan Azad (152) and Lewis Hill (145) had turned their hundreds into career-best scores and there was a maiden half-century for Louis Kimber, a declaration at 492 for 4 gave Leicestershire a lead of 133, but with their leading wicket-taker Chris Wright absent through injury, bowling Sussex out in the 48 overs that remained looked a long shot, even with Fynn Hudson-Prentice unable to bat after breaking a hand in the first innings.Yet after reaching 117 for 3 – just 16 runs away from wiping out their arrears – an inexperienced Sussex side containing five teenagers lost their last six wickets for 11 runs, losing by an innings and five runs with 16 balls left.Callum Parkinson took 4 for 18 with his left-arm spin and seamer Ben Mike 4 for 34 as Leicestershire won by five runs.Wright, who was awarded his county cap along with Hill during the lunch interval, was not risked after feeling a hamstring after the first innings, when his 6 for 94 took his wickets tally for the season to 46.Sussex remain without a win since beating Glamorgan in the second match of the season and are bottom of Division Three, with only a final fixture against next-to-bottom Derbyshire at Hove next week to come as they seek to avoid a first Championship wooden spoon since 2000.Resuming at 291 for 2 following Tuesday’s washout after another hour of the game was lost because of a wet outfield, Leicestershire achieved their objective of securing maximum batting points.Related

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Two more came as Hill overtook his previous career best of 121, scored against Gloucestershire in April of this year, and Azad passed his of 144 not out against Surrey, also in April, as the pair extended their partnership to 248, a new mark for Leicestershire’s third wicket against Sussex. Hill’s runs took his tally for the season to 902.Both fell in consecutive Henry Crocombe overs, both caught on the boundary by substitute fielder, 17-year-old Bertie Foreman, whose grandfather was Denis Foreman, who played cricket for Sussex and football for Brighton and Hove Albion in the 1950s and 60s.Kimber (69 not out) and Harry Swindells (59 not out) claimed the fifth, adding 130 in just less than 19 overs before skipper Parkinson called them in.Leicestershire’s bowlers chipped away. Ali Orr was caught behind off Parkinson’s left-arm spin, first-innings centurion Ben Brown hit Mike straight to point, Tom Haines played across one from Ed Barnes and having closed to within 16 of clearing the arrears, Sussex unravelled.Rawlins edged behind, Parkinson bowled Tom Hinley, Oli Carter, who had faced 77 balls for his nine, pulled to leg gulley and Crocombe was leg before as Mike took two in two. Parkinson then trapped Jack Carson in front.Last wicket pair Sean Hunt and Joseph Sarro – both 19-year-olds – survived 30 balls to prolong the agony, but then Parkinson had the latter caught behind to spark wild celebrations.

Tottenham Hotspur's plan on Ange Postecoglou's future revealed after a humiliating defeat against Leicester City.

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Spurs plan on Postecoglou's future revealedWent down against Leicester on SundaySpurs eight points above relegation zoneFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Richarlison's 33rd-minute strike had put Spurs in the lead but Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester City staged a remarkable comeback to clinch the clash 2-1 and pile more misery on the North London side. After Sunday's defeat at home, Ange Postecoglou's side are now just eight points above the relegation zone and currently 15th on the league table.

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The series of poor results in the Premier League has fuelled speculations over the manager's future at the club, however, reports that the Lilywhites are not planning to part ways with Postecoglou amid a huge injury crisis in the squad and would rather focus on buying new players before the January transfer window closes next Monday and bolster the squad.

DID YOU KNOW?

After the clash against the Foxes, the 59-year-old Spurs boss got involved in a tense exchange at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an angry fan who screamed “You’re taking us down” from the stands.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

After suffering four successive defeats in the Premier League, Tottenham will be back in action in the Europa League on Thursday as they take on IF Elfsborg in their final league-stage match.

Not for the first time this season, Punjab Kings paid the price for losing their nerve at the death. After failing to score any boundaries in the final four overs to stutter to 135 for 6, their own death bowlers leaked a combination of four fours and three sixes to the power-hitting pair of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard from the 17th to 19th, rending the last over unnecessary as a 15-minute sequence turned a tense chase into an easy six-wicket win for Mumbai Indians.Hardik made Kings pay for giving him an extra life on 7 in the 14th over when Harpreet Brar spilled a relatively straightforward chance above his head trying to intercept a cut at backward point off Arshdeep Singh. With momentum swinging ever so slightly to Kings after the fall of Saurabh Tiwary in the 16th for 45 to leave Indians needing 40 off the last four overs, Hardik stole it back by flicking Mohammed Shami for four and six over the leg side in the 17th. Pollard that drove a pair of misfired yorkers from Arshdeep over the off side for four and six in the 18th before a trio of boundaries from Hardik off Shami clinched the match one over later as the winning runs were spilled once again over the rope at long-on by Deepak Hooda.Collapse of the KingsAfter a relatively decent start moving to 36 for 0 in the sixth over having been sent in to bat first, Kings innings went haywire in a 15-ball sequence that saw them lose four wickets for 12 runs. Mandeep Singh was the first to go, tied down by Krunal Pandya’s left-arm spin in the powerplay and pressured into trying a sweep to release the pressure only to be pinned lbw for 15. It was Krunal’s 50th wicket in the IPL, making him just the eighth player in the tournament’s history to pull off the 50-wicket, 1000 run career double.

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More achievements were unlocked in the seventh over when Pollard had Chris Gayle driving to long-on for 1 followed by KL Rahul mistiming a pull to short fine leg for 21 just two balls later. It was Pollard’s only over of the night but it was all he needed to move up to 300 career wickets in T20 cricket. The mini collapse concluded in the eighth when Nicholas Pooran clumsily played around a full toss from Jasprit Bumrah and was given out lbw for 2, a decision that was upheld on DRS. At 48 for 4, Kings were brought back to respectability thanks to a 61-run stand between Aiden Markram and Hooda, but all their hard work was undone by Mumbai death bowling thanks to a pair of usual suspects.Bumrah and Coulter-Nile stifle Kings furtherMarkram started off the 16th with a four clipped off Rahul Chahar. Despite having six wickets in hand and 29 balls remaining, that would prove to be the last boundary of the Kings innings. Markram was bowled missing a sweep next ball to Chahar before the legspinner handed over the death bowling reins to Bumrah and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who were relentless in the final four overs.Jasprit Bumrah had Nicholas Pooran out lbw•BCCI

Bumrah had Hooda chipping to Pollard at long-off in the 19th for the sixth and final wicket to fall in the innings, though he had another put down on his next delivery on a near collision between himself and Suryakumar Yadav running in from deep midwicket. But he only managed to concede 11 runs off his last two overs. Coulter-Nile was practically just as stingy, giving up 12 off his final 12 balls as Kings ran out of gunpowder once the set pair of Markram and Hooda departed.Kings stumble again near the finish lineRavi Bishnoi struck a pair of blows in the fourth over, getting Rohit Sharma to slap a catch to mid-on for 8 before bowling Suryakumar with a googly first ball. Tiwary nearly rounded off a would-be hat-trick sequence but his leading edge fell just short of cover. Still at 16 for 2, Mumbai progressed in first gear for the first half of the chase as Quinton de Kock’s pained innings finally came to an end in the 10th over for 27 off 29 balls when he dragged Shami onto his stumps.Needing 74 off the last 10, Kings kept Mumbai under pressure but were let down by their fielding in the end. Hardik was dropped twice on the way to his unbeaten 40 off 30 balls, the first one on 7 proving especially costly. Whereas Bumrah and Coulter-Nile showcased their surgical precision at the death, Shami and Arshdeep could not get their lengths right. Pollard’s brief punishment of Arshdeep in the 18th swung momentum fully to Mumbai and cemented his Player of the Match award ahead of both Hardik and Tiwary when combined with his double-wicket over in the first half of play which claimed Gayle and Rahul.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras treinou na tarde desta terça-feira (11), na Academia de Futebol, e encerrou o dia de atividades em dois períodos com trabalhos distintos para os setores ofensivo e defensivo. Assim como nas atividades táticas da manhã, Patrick de Paula, Gustavo Scarpa, Breno Lopes, Deyverson e Rafael Navarro treinaram de novo junto ao grupo após se recuperarem da Covid-19.

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O elenco foi separado nas duas metades do campo e orientado pelos auxiliares Vitor Castanheira e Carlos Martinho, respectivamente, para os trabalhos dos setores ofensivo e defensivo. Os jogadores praticaram movimentações específicas, jogadas ensaiadas, construção e outros aspectos do jogo como infiltrações e balanço, por exemplo.

O Verdão volta a treinar em dois períodos nesta quarta-feira (12). Pela manhã, o time faz o segundo jogo-treino da pré-temporada, às 9h45, contra a Portuguesa, no Allianz Parque – no primeiro jogo, a equipe empatou em 2 a 2 com o Pouso Alegre (MG).

Na sequência, os jogadores retornam à Academia de Futebol para o almoço e o treino da tarde, às 16h.

A estreia na temporada será no dia 23, contra o Novorizontino, no interior, pelo Campeonato Paulista.

TABELA

> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2022 clicando aqui

> Confira o caminho do Verdão no Mundial de Clubes-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

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Ousmane Dembele is in fine form at Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe has claimed he is the 'number one supporter' of his former teammate.

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• Dembele in fine form at Paris Saint-Germain
• Mbappe is Dembele's 'number one supporter'
• Mbappe urges Dembele not to set any limits

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dembele has failed to live up to the heights that his career had promised during his rise at Borussia Dortmund. Injuries and attitude issues affected his Barcelona career with a number of stop-start stints that showcased his immense talents. Still, Dembele's lack of consistency meant he was not favoured at the Catalan club and ended up joining Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.

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• GettyImages
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After a typically lacklustre first season under Luis Enrique, Dembele has finally hit a vein of form that has been expected of him this season as the 27-year-old has scored 19 goals and provided six assists in 26 games. Dembele made Les Parisiens history this week as he became the first player to score back-to-back hattricks for the club as he did so against Stuttgart and Brest. Mbbape has now opened up on his friend and former teammate's run of form and urged him to 'not set any limits'.

• WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  Speaking to L'Equipe, Mbappe said: "No, I'm not surprised. I'm his number-one supporter. I've known his qualities since we were 14. I also think he's had a mental breakthrough which means he's more relaxed in front of goal. He's a top player! His room for improvement also depends on what his coach expects of him in this position. I think he's doing very well and he's PSG's main attacking player. Given the form he's in at the moment, he can't set himself any limits, he has to continue like this and he'll finish the year with a lot of wins (laughs)."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DEMBELE?

  For the first time in his career, Dembele looks like the kind of player he was destined to be. Regardless of whether the form is due to the trust being placed in him by Enrique or the change in position this season as he has been playing through the middle of the attack, Dembele will surely be looking to prove his doubters wrong.