Thursday's game between the Red Sox and Yankees was the Cam Schlittler show, as the New York pitcher struck out 12 in a transcendent playoff debut. However, one other Yankee briefly took the spotlight in the eighth inning.
With one out, Boston left fielder Jarren Duran lofted a foul ball straight up in the air down the third-base line. New York third baseman Ryan McMahon attempted to chase it down—only to quickly run out of real estate.
That turned out to be no matter, as McMahon snared the ball inside the Red Sox dugout—tumbling inside and just barely bracing himself with his hands to prevent injury.
The catch instantly recalled some of the Yankees' finest-ever postseason defensive plays, such as shortstop Derek Jeter's flip play in 2001 against the Athletics.
McMahon ranks 20th in defensive bWAR among active players—he led the National League in the category with the Rockies in 2021—but some plays are too good to truly quantify.
Leeds United have now shown they can compete with the big boys in the Premier League, but can they pick up results against the sides nearer to them in the overall division?
Up next for Daniel Farke’s reinvigorated Whites, after facing off against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool in quickfire succession, is Brentford away, who are only four points better off than the West Yorkshire outfit, sat in 14th spot.
After that, more tough ties flood the calendar for the relegation-threatened side against Crystal Palace and Sunderland, before Arne Slot’s Reds do battle with Farke’s men back at Anfield to see in the New Year.
It will be more obvious by that point in time whether Leeds can go the distance in their survival aims, as plenty of new signings also begin to be linked with a switch to Elland Road, in preparation for the bumper January transfer window swinging open.
Leeds transfer latest
The Premier League newcomers have splashed the cash in January before, having once splurged a club-record £35.5m on Georginio Rutter back in 2022.
The same over-the-top spending is unlikely to be on the menu this time around, but Farke and Co. have been linked with a move for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan, who continues to impress in Scotland.
Barcelona’s Roony Bardhji has also reportedly caught the eye, but the most tantalising rumour of them all now has them linked with Chelsea reserve talent Tyrique George, according to a fresh report from TEAMTalk.
Sources have allegedly revealed to the site that George is adamant about a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge, amid concerns about his lack of first-team opportunities.
That has generated interest in his services from the likes of Fulham, Everton and Leeds, with the Whites said to be monitoring the exciting Englishman, as they seek out depth in the attacking areas this January.
With goals such as this one put away in the Champions League earlier in the season, George should be able to come into Farke’s camp and stamp his authority, as another discarded Chelsea youngster potentially comes into his own at Elland Road, much like Ethan Ampadu.
Why George can be the next Ampadu
Ampadu would only go on to make 12 unmemorable senior appearances for the Blues before moving on from West London.
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George, at the time of writing, sits on a far heftier 36, but he will still be itching for more consistent senior minutes.
The Welshman would, ultimately, never look back after swapping Stamford Bridge for Elland Road in the summer of 2023, with Ampadu now a Championship-winning midfield star under Farke.
He even had the last laugh against his ex-employers at the start of the month, when his six duels and two tackles won, as per Sofascore, gave Leeds some much-needed grit in the 3-1 victory over Enzo Maresca’s challengers.
George will look at Ampadu’s sharp rise from reserve fodder at Chelsea to leading star at Leeds with an eagerness to follow in his footsteps, with clear bursts of quality in the Blues’ first team picture, already, standing the 19-year-old in good stead to make waves in Farke’s main team, if a move is sealed.
Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the London-born winger “explosive” last summer when he was starting to make strides, while scout Jacek Kulig has also noted George as being “special” when chipping in with goal contributions in the FA Cup, Premier League and Conference League for Maresca’s men.
Games played
36
Minutes played
1601 mins
Goals scored
6
Assists
6
Still, despite having 12 goal contributions next to his name in the senior side in West London, George has been restricted to just four Premier League appearances so far this season, with Leeds perhaps the location that can finally hand him the minutes he longs for.
With one goal and one assist in the top-flight from just one start, George would surely be a worthy back-up option at the very least for Leeds.
But, in time, everything looks in place for George to become a dependable first-team presence under the German, with Ampadu’s patience in the reserve ranks at Chelsea, ultimately rewarded by breaking out in style at Elland Road.
Shades of Klich & Dallas: Farke's Leeds "monster" must now start every week
What happens when a game between two of the worst teams in MLB is played at one of the least popular ballparks in the sport? Shockingly low attendance numbers.
The MLB-worst Colorado Rockies, the third-fastest team to 50 losses in the history of professional baseball, took on the last-place Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park in the first game of a three-game series on Monday night.
Let's just say that fans were not very enticed by the less-than-appetizing matchup, as there were hardly any spectators in the ballpark when it was time for first pitch, leading to some truly jarring photos.
The attendance for the game, a 6-4 Rockies win, did fill out a bit to an announced number of 5,894. Even by the standards of loanDepot Park, the third-smallest stadium in MLB with an official capacity of 37,000, this was a jarringly low number.
To be fair, Miami-Dade County, where the Marlins play, was hit with some severe weather in the form of two to three inches of rain, leading to flooding and some downed trees. So for some, getting to the ballpark was either just not worth it or not even possible.
But on the other hand, stunningly low attendance numbers are nothing new for the Marlins. Consider that the Rockies are hurtling towards the worst record in the history of baseball, and yet, an average of 27,621 fans, 16th in MLB, take in their games at beautiful Coors Field.
The Marlins? An average of just 11,944 fans head to the park for Miami's games and loanDepot park has consistently ranked in the bottom five of MLB in average attendance in every single season after 2012, the year the park opened.
So a few factors at play here, but yeah, not great.
Manchester United have been warned that a stunning return to Old Trafford for Scott McTominay is unlikely to happen. The Scotland international has been starring for Serie A champions Napoli, earning comparisons to Frank Lampard with his goal scoring exploits, but Wes Brown has told GOAL in an exclusive interview why another transfer agreement with the Red Devils is not in the pipeline.
Talisman: Serie A winner McTominay heading to the World Cup
Having parted with academy graduate McTominay in the summer of 2024, when sanctioning a £26 million ($34m) sale, United are being linked with a move to bring a familiar face back into their ranks.
Recruitment whispers have started after seeing the 28-year-old midfielder become a talismanic presence for club and country. He helped Napoli to a title triumph last season, being named MVP in the process, and has just steered Scotland to their first World Cup finals since 1998.
McTominay posted a career-best return of 13 goals in 2024-25, with full potential being unlocked in his game after being freed from the shackles that had been holding him back in Manchester. There is little suggestion that he wants to retrace professional steps, but interest in his services is expected to be stepped up in 2026.
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Man Utd return? McTominay deal considered to be unlikely
Quizzed on whether United should be looking into a deal, former Red Devils defender Brown – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It would be a lot of money for Man United to get him back. I’m so happy that Scott has gone away and done so well – he has done better than so well! He’s been excellent.
“Would it happen? Probably not. The respect from that getting talked about is unbelievable. What an achievement by Scott, for one. Sometimes when you leave really big clubs, it can be difficult to keep a level going – normally it is a dip. But he’s got better and better. He’s a great lad and he’s determined to do the best he can. I can’t see it happening, but I can understand why there are whispers.
“Could he come back? He’s got the legs. He now plays in the right position, which isn’t holding midfielder. I’ve been trying to tell people that many, many times. Because he’s big, everyone thinks he’s a holding midfielder. He’s got the legs, can go up and down, and every fan will tell you that he gets in the right position to score goals.”
Transformation: Holding midfielder to free-scoring one
Brown added on McTominay’s transformation: “He used to do it for United, but not often because he wasn’t told to make them runs and get into positions. If he gets into positions, I’m not going to say he is Frank Lampard yet, but he is up there with making the right runs to get a midfielder into a scoring position. It’s hard to defend that type of player, who understands that role and gets into those areas where he can score – and has the mentality to think he can score.
“Scott is slowly becoming that player, where he knows where to be, the runs to make when defenders are out of position or have got their mind on the striker. It’s a shame he couldn’t have shown that a lot more at United because they weren’t in a good moment, weren’t winning every week and sometimes you can’t express yourself as much. Plus, he was a youth team player. I think it’s hard for them to do it straight away when you have got superstars in the team – you hold back a little bit.
“But Scott is doing his thing now. It will be very interesting. Napoli, after a year or two – even though they all love him – will probably want to sell to get good value for him. You just have to see how it goes.”
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Where next? McTominay contract & transfer talk
McTominay is under contract in Naples until the summer of 2028, which is helping to keep his valuation high. Said asking price could rise even further if he catches the eye on a global stage with Scotland in 2026, with La Liga giants Barcelona already among those to have been credited with interest.
تحدث محمود حسن تريزيجيه، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن تسجيل ركلة الجزاء أمام الزمالك في الدوري المصري.
وقال تريزيجيه عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “ركلة الجزاء في مباراة قمة الدوري كانت تحديًا كبيرًا، لكن منذ صغري وأنا أتعلم الضغوطات وتحمل المسؤولية في الأهلي، أخطأت في وقت سابق، وسددت وكان ليس دوري لكن تلك المرة دخلت ولم تفرق معي الضغوطات”.
وتابع: “زملائي في الملعب دعمونني، دخلت للتسديد وفكرة إضاعتها لم تكن في حساباتي”.
وأضاف: “الأهلي أعظم نادي في العالم بالنسبة لي، وكنت أحلم بالعودة يوم من الأيام، وأنا أحب اللعب تحت الضغوط”.
طالع.. طريق الأهلي في كأس مصر 2025-2026
وأشار: “أنزل أي مباراة وأنا أقدر جمهور الأهلي، وأعلم ماذا يعني هذا القميص، لقد جئت من الاحتراف وعدت لبيتي، وألعب كل مباراة أمام أي خصم وكأنه ريال مدريد أو نهائي، أهم شيء شعب الأهلي يكون مبسوط، وعندما نخسر أقسم بالله لا أنام”.
واستكمل: “الفترة الأخيرة كان هناك سوء توفيق كبير، هناك ناس بعد المباراة تكون الأمور عادية بالنسبة لهم، لكن أنا بعد الخسارة لا أريد أن يراني أحدًا وأفكر في المباراة التالية، كل ما يهمني هو إسعاد جماهير الأهلي”.
واسترسل بشأن مباراة السوبر: “بعد مواجهة المصري التي لم يحالفنا فيها التوفيق، تحدثنا مع بعض في الطائرة أنه يجب التتويج بتلك البطولة، وكان الكل في صوت واحد يقول نحن معك وسنعود بالبطولة من أجل إسعاد الجماهير، والحمد لله التوفيق كان حليفنا”.
وأفاد: “مباراة سيراميكا كانت صعبة جدًا بقيادة علي ماهر، الذي اكتشفني وأظهرني على الساحة، والحمد لله تخطينا المباراة وتأهلنا، الزمالك فريق كبير ومواجهته في النهائي شعور مختلف، وأحب تلك المباريات جدًا، هاك ناس خلقت لتلك الظروف وأنا واحد منهم”.
وأشار: “الزمالك يمتلك لاعبين كبار، والتوفيق كان معنا، و زيزو لاعب كبير، وكنت أتكلم معه قبل المباراة ووضعنا سيناريوهات كثيرة، وقال أنا أعلم ماذا سيحدث لكني سأركز في المباراة، بالتأكيد كان متأثرًا من داخله، لكن في الملعب كان عنده ثبات انفعالي وقدم مباراة كبيرة”.
وعن طاهر محمد طاهر: “لاعب الأهلي مخلوق للضغوطات، ويعرفون طموحات جماهيرهم، لكن هناك لاعبين تحت الضغوط لا تأخذ منهم أفضل شيء، لكن طاهر كل مرة يثبت أنه لاعب كبير”.
واسترسل: “لا أسعى لأي أرقام فردية، أسعى للفوز بكل بطولة فقط، وعندما كنا في الناشئين، بعد خسارة أي بطولة نعلم أن هناك 4 لاعبين على الأقل سيرحلون، تربينا على المكسب وتفكيري دائمًا في البطولات”.
وأضاف عن انتقاله للأهلي: “الكابتن محمود الخطيب أول من تحدث معي، في الساعة 5 صباحًا، لنضع حلًا خاصة وأن النادي التركي كانت مطالبه كبيرة جدًا، وكانت هناك عروض كبيرة جدًا من أندية أخرى”.
وأردف: “الخطيب قال لي النادي يحتاجك الآن، وهذا الوقت الذي يجب أن تعود فيه، وقلت له يا كابتن سآسعى للعودة وكان عندي عروض بـ5 أو 6 أضعاف للنادي التركي ولي شخصيًا، لكن رغبتي كانت الأهلي”.
وتابع: “قلت لـ طرابزون إما الأهلي أو عدم اللعب، أنا سأنهي عقدي مع الريان وستكون السنة الأخيرة، وأنا لاعب كرة قدم فقط، وحياتي كلها كرة فقط، وحبي للنادي الأهلي كبير، تركت كل شيء في الخارج وعدت للنادي”.
وأتم ردًا على سؤال كيف لم تفكر في الأموال: “أنا لا أزايد على الأهلي، عندما أقول أنا تحت أمر الأهلي ليس بالكلام ولكن بالأفعال، وعندما قررت العودة كنت في قمة مستواي، وأظهرت للكابتن الخطيب هذه العروض، وقلت له سأعود للنادي الأهلي”.
South Africa needed a little over two sessions to bundle Zimbabwe out and win by an innings
Himanshu Agrawal08-Jul-2025A complete mismatch of a Test in Bulawayo ended within two sessions on the third day, as Wiaan Mulder alone scored only 23 runs lesser than what Zimbabwe’s entire line-up managed across two innings. But even that happened when, at nine wickets down after being asked to follow-on, an outside edge off Wellington Masakadza dribbled away for four wide of the slips.The tenth-wicket stand between Masakadza and Tanaka Chivanga frustrated South Africa for nearly nine overs, but couldn’t prevent an innings defeat. South Africa comprehensively won by an innings and 236 runs to wrap the series 2-0 after confining Zimbabwe to their heaviest defeat by runs in the first Test of the series. It was South Africa’s tenth Test win on the trot, including their victory over Australia in the WTC 2025 final last month.Related
Matigimu fined, handed demerit point for throwing the ball and hitting Pretorius
Mulder: 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be'
Mulder makes 367*, the fifth-highest individual Test score of all time
Zimbabwe started day three of the Bulawayo Test trailing by a massive 405 runs, with nine wickets in hand. While an innings defeat was inevitable given the deficit and the time remaining in the Test, a middle- and lower-order collapse of 6 for 31 after lunch hastened the eventual result.But before that, overnight batters Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Nick Welch negotiated the seven overs from Codi Yusuf and Corbin Bosch to start play by mostly blocking and leaving the deliveries. The first over of spin, though, got South Africa the breakthrough. Off his second ball, Senuran Muthusamy had Kaitano chipping to cover for 40 in the 24th over.Welch, at the other end, struggled to tick along. His first 45 balls fetched him only 14 runs, and one of his two boundaries came earlier in the day when he outside-edged Yusuf between third slip and gully. In the 26th over, however, Welch swung Muthusamy for a huge six down the ground. Next ball, he went for a hoick across the line, and the ball missed both the bat and the leg stump.But that didn’t prevent Welch from keeping his counterattack going. He punched Mulder wide of gully for four, had a difficult chance dropped by David Bedingham at backward point off Muthusamy, was beaten and nearly stumped next ball, and repeated his massive hit for six off Muthusamy – all these in the space of facing nine balls.It was Mulder’s Test, though, and come the 29th over, his heel was just within permissible limits as he cleaned Sean Williams up for 11. Welch slowed down after that wicket, looking content to push for singles and bat time. He raised his fifty just before lunch when he flicked Prenelan Subrayen for two to fine leg , before both Welch and Craig Ervine went unbeaten at the interval. At the time, Zimbabwe were still another 313 runs behind South Africa.However, Welch and Ervine didn’t last long enough. Muthusamy got a leading edge from Welch, who was caught by Mulder at slip for 55 in the third over after lunch. That began the slide, as 153 for 3 soon turned out to be 184 for 9. Yusuf got among the wickets when he trapped Wessly Madhevere in front for 5 in the 53rd over. Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga strung together plenty of dots as the scoring stalled, before Yusuf had Tsiga chipping to short midwicket to end his stay on 1 off 20 balls.At six down, Masakadza joined Ervine, and kept South Africa waiting for more. Masakadza edged one just short of second slip off his first ball, and had a tight stumping decision go his way. It was Bosch who ended the five-run union in almost six overs when he had Ervine edging behind for 49 to start the 65th over. Three balls later, Bosch bowled Kundai Matigimu for a duck to bag his third wicket. In the 69th, Bosch had Blessing Muzarabani edging to third slip without scoring, with Zimbabwe trailing by 272 runs.It was a matter of time before South Africa wrapped up victory, but while last man Tanaka Chivanga had some fun, Masakadza too hung around to annoy South Africa. Chivanga scored 22 off 26 balls, with three boundaries and a six, but was the last man to fall when Muthusamy had him top-edging to slip. Fittingly, it was Mulder who took the winning catch, having stood in as captain for this Test, and being named Player of the Match for his marathon 367* and Player of the Series for scoring 531 runs overall and bagging seven wickets.
Everton haven’t quite been at the races in recent Premier League matches as the Toffees’ bright start to the season has come unstuck.
Indeed, two frustrating home draws to Aston Villa and West Ham United recently will not be what the Hill Dickinson Stadium masses would have wanted to see from their free-flowing side, as not even Jack Grealish or Iliman Ndiaye could inspire a winning performance on either occasion.
Defeats in the Merseyside Derby and in the EFL Cup will have also given David Moyes plenty of food for thought as to what he should change in the coming matches to turn around this sticky patch of form.
In an ideal reality, Moyes would love to be able to call upon Jarrod Bowen again to boost his exciting attacking personnel on Merseyside, with the England international a dependable performer for the Scotsman throughout his two Hammers stints.
Moyes' close relationship with Jarrod Bowen
Of course, Moyes is blessed in the attacking department when it comes to either flank, with Grealish on four assists already this campaign, while Ndiaye has been among the goals this season as well.
Still, when Bowen smashed home this fantastic effort to level the tie on Monday night, his ex-Hammers boss would have been irritated that he didn’t have him at his disposal anymore.
Games played
202
Goals scored
60
Assists
41
Moyes’ long reign at the London Stadium saw Bowen pick up goals and assists by the bucket-load, with the West Ham captain managing to tally up a staggering 101 goals and assists from 202 games under the Glaswegian’s watchful eye.
It’s early days, but Ndiaye will hope he can – one day – be a similar Bowen-style figure for the 62-year-old, with 14 goal contributions already next to his name on Merseyside when regularly deployed down the former Hull City man’s trusty right-hand side.
Grealish will also be taken aback by the idea as he searches for a club where he can achieve similar long-term success, away from the anxiety of first-team minutes drying up at the Etihad.
But, it could be that Everton have discarded Moyes’ next iteration of Bowen already when letting his homegrown ace depart the building in 2023 for a whopping £45m.
Why Everton must regret selling Bowen 2.0
At the time, the Toffees would have felt that cashing in on the hit-and-miss attacker in question was the best outcome for all involved, with the Merseyside prodigy calling for a move away from his boyhood employers.
That doesn’t mean they can’t be pained by what Anthony Gordon has turned into since moving on from the blue half of Liverpool, however, with the 24-year-old going on to become a Champions League-level performer with Newcastle United, alongside being called up to the same Three Lions camps that Bowen has been involved with off the back of his blistering form.
Games played
111
Goals scored
25
Assists
23
Trophies won
1x
Gordon would never quite sparkle fully into life in the senior picture at Everton, with just seven goals and eight assists coming his way. But, much like Bowen found with the Hammers, the Liverpool-born winger found St James’ Park to be an instantly welcoming fit, with a sublime 46 goal contributions and counting next to his name now on Tyneside.
This sharp upturn in form has led to various voices waxing lyrical about the former Everton number ten, with Jamie Carragher even hailing Gordon as “one of the best players in the Premier League” when strutting his stuff with the Magpies back in 2023.
Bowen, of course, has been exposed to similarly outlandish praise, with TNT Sports commentator Adam Summerton even declaring that the 17-time Three Lions international was “one of the best signings in West Ham’s modern history” earlier this year.
Moyes would have loved to have unearthed this side from Gordon at his boyhood club if he stayed put – securing himself another Bowen-like presence in the process – but the 24-year-old’s tale in the Premier League unfortunately only has Everton in its opening chapter.
It feels like a lifetime ago since Gordon was putting away chances like this for his boyhood club, but Moyes won’t curse too much about the decision to offload the Magpies’ number ten, knowing he can get a tune out of Grealish and Ndiaye, even if there are bumps in the road to overcome.
Not just O'Brien: Moyes is wasting Everton star in his current position
David Moyes’ Everton side still need to go up a few gears over the coming weeks.
Kalis strikes a blow for Tier 2 as T20 County Cup heads towards its final rounds
ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2025Sterre Kalis drove the agenda for Yorkshire with 83 not out to beat their Tier 1 opponents Essex by 11 runs and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality County T20 Cup.Kalis, the Netherlands international, was in imperious touch, hitting 14 fours and one leg-side six in Yorkshire’s total of 188 for 4 in 20 overs.Maddy Ward chipped in with a senior-best score of 43, as the pair shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 113 in the last 10.4 overs of the home innings.Essex’s bowlers failed to build any pressure, and their batters rarely looked like reeling in the target as Yorkshire made it six wins from six matches across all competitions.The Eagles finished on 177 for 8, with Beth Langston successfully defending 20 runs off the last over.Yorkshire will host either Devon or Warwickshire at Weetwood next Saturday afternoon in the last eight of a competition billed as the FA Cup of county cricket.Durham secured their own place in the last eight in thrilling style at Exmouth on Friday evening, beating Somerset in a Super Over after both teams posted 124 for 9 in their original 20 overs.Going into the final over of the contest, Somerset needed three runs with one wicket in hand. Katherine Fraser served up five dot-balls before Alex Griffiths scrambled two from the final ball to level the scores.Heather Knight then cracked the first ball of the Super Over for four off Mady Villiers, but after taking a single, Rebecca Odgers was stumped third ball, and when Knight went the same way, the final target was nine. Charlie Dean’s first two balls in reply were thumped for four by Bess Heath, and there was no way back from there.Surrey got the better of Hampshire in a compelling tussle at Beckenham, with Kira Chathli making 95 from 47 balls and Alice Capsey an unbeaten 89 from 45 in Surrey’s imposing 237 for 7. In reply, Maia Bouchier – newly dropped by England – made 53 from 29 balls but lacked support as Hampshire finished on 180 for 9.Kent continued their determined march through the draw, beating Cambridgeshire by 80 runs after posting 193 for 2 in their 20 overs, while The Blaze crushed Oxfordshire by ten wickets after bowling them out for 97.In Saturday’s other tie, Leicestershire had the better of a Midlands tussle with Northamptonshire at Wantage Road, winning by 41 runs after a key innings of 52 from 39 balls by Francesca Sweet.On Sunday, Warwickshire confirmed their place in the last eight by holding off Devon at Budleigh Salterton. After opting to bat first, the Tier 1 side were kept to 136 for 8, Bethan Ellis top-scoring with 37 off 35 balls. In reply, Devon could only muster 98 for 4, despite an unbeaten 51 off 60 from opener Elle Golsworthy.
Celtic secured their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday with a fantastic 4-0 win over Partick Thistle away from Parkhead at Firhill.
The Hoops strolled to a comfortable victory against the second tier outfit, who have not been in the Scottish Premiership in seven years, with four different goalscorers.
Hyun-jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti, and Luke McCowan all got their names on the scoresheet, and Tounekti was particularly impressive again.
The summer signing from Hammarby caught the eye against Kilmarnock, creating four chances (per Sofascore), and played an important role in the first goal against Partick Thistle with his pass for Benjamin Nygren, before going on to score his first goal for the club.
Brendan Rodgers will hope that the comfortable win will provide his squad with the confidence that they need to hit the ground running in the Europa League against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.
One Celtic player who needs to step up on the pitch in the coming weeks after a string of unimpressive displays is central midfielder Reo Hatate.
Why Reo Hatate needs to step up for Celtic
The Japan international put in a decent showing against Partick Thistle, a Championship outfit, but it was not a mesmerising performance that made up for some of his recent outings.
Hatate’s form has not been up to the standards that he has set himself throughout his Celtic career, particularly with his displays in the Champions League qualifier clashes against Kairat.
The Hoops failed to qualify for the league phase of the competition, losing on penalties after two 0-0 draws, and the midfielder’s lack of contributions in and out of possession played a part in that.
Reo Hatate vs Kairat
1st leg
2nd leg
Minutes
90
105
Shots on target
1
0
Pass accuracy
84%
68%
Big chances created
0
1
Duels won
0/8
3/15
Fouls committed
3
4
Possession lost
16x
25x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Hatate was far too wasteful with the ball at his feet and weak off the ball, losing the majority of his duels, across the two matches.
The 27-year-old star also failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his last two appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops, which shows that he has struggled in recent weeks outside of his showing against a lower tier opponent.
Hatate scored ten goals, including the one in the clip above, and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but he has been unable to deliver the same level of consistency in the final third this term.
This is why the Japan international needs to step up for the Scottish giants, because he is capable of being an exceptional performer for the club in the middle of the park with his ability at the top end of the pitch.
If Hatate is unable to recapture the form that his output last season proved he is capable of, Rodgers must consider removing him from the starting XI for a period of time.
The emergence of Colby Donovan, who has started the last two matches at right-back, shows that the manager is willing to provide academy talent with a chance if they are ready to be thrown in.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
With this in mind, Rodgers could find the next version of Donovan, who has been a solid performer in the last two matches with his defensive reliability and composure in possession, by unleashing Sean McArdle to replace Hatate in the XI.
Why Sean McArdle could replace Reo Hatate for Celtic
Of course, the manager does have club-record signing Arne Engels, who joined for £11m from Augsburg last summer, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo also at his disposal to select in midfield.
However, the minor success of Donovan, who won five of his nine duels and had 101 touches (per Sofascore) against Kilmarnock, could inspire the head coach to look to the academy once again.
McArdle is not a complete stranger to first-team football at Parkhead. Rodgers rewarded his strong form for the B team with two appearances for the senior side in the Premiership towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The 18-year-old star made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old against Hibernian in the Premiership, playing eight minutes off the bench in a 3-1 win.
As the manager said in the clip above, the young sensation earned his chance through his form for the B team, and it is down to him to take the next step in his career.
McArdle, who Rodgers claimed has “got a wee edge to him”, then played a second match against Aberdeen, again off the bench, and showed promising signs in both outings.
Sean McArdle (Premiership)
Vs Hibernian
Vs Aberdeen
Minutes
8
9
Passes completed
8/8
11/12
Key passes
0
1
Dribbles completed
0
1
Duels won
1/2
1/1
Possession lost
1x
1x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the teenage whiz only lost possession twice in those 17 minutes, plus stoppage time, of football, whilst creating one chance for the side.
McArdle’s form at youth team level for Celtic also suggests that he can provide the goal threat that Hatate offers at his best, with seven goals in 53 matches, per Transfermarkt.
The Scottish starlet has scored in both of his appearances in the Challenge Cup this season, per Sofascore, including one against Alloa Athletic earlier this month.
These statistics show that he can provide a threat at the top end of the pitch to go along with his composure in possession, as evidenced by his pass accuracy in his first two first-team outings.
He was not phased by the occasion against Hibernian or Aberdeen, showing his class on the ball in both games, and this suggests that he has the mentality to take that next step to be Donovan 2.0 this season.
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It is now down to Rodgers to provide McArdle with that opportunity to impress once again to see if he can emerge as a genuine alternative to Hatate, who has been a shadow of himself of late.
Arsenal’s sensational hijacking of Tottenham’s deal for Eberechi Eze will go down in Gunners folklore as one of their most celebrated transfer coups in recent memory.
In one fell swoop, Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta rounded off his already-impressive debut window by both breaking the hearts of their rivals and securing a proven Premier League number 10 overnight.
Spurs were on the verge of signing Eze, after reaching an agreement in principle with Palace and agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old himself.
However, Kai Havertz’s injury then pushed the north Londoners into stealing Eze from under Thomas Frank’s nose.
After laying plenty of groundwork and being heavily linked for most of the summer, Arsenal moved in for the England international and matched Tottenham’s bid – leaving the final decision down to Eze.
A boyhood Arsenal fan and former academy player, the choice was simple – a return to N5.
Reports earlier this month suggested that Eze’s ‘first preference’ between the clubs was always Arsenal, so when Mikel Arteta’s side made their intentions known, the former QPR star promptly took the bait.
The playmaker, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Palace last season, is undergoing a medical ahead of a £67.5 million move back to Arsenal.
Tottenham will be kicking themselves for not triggering Eze’s £68 million release clause when they had the chance, with the buy-out expiring on August 15. Daniel Levy’s famously hard-ball negotiating tactics have seemingly come back to bite the Lilywhites chairman, and Arsenal have reaped all the rewards.
Palace's "unusual" Tottenham demand which sparked Eberechi Eze hijack fear
Shedding more light on one of the stories of the transfer window, journalist Graeme Bailey has shared an intriguing bit of background on the blockbuster deal.
According to the reporter, speaking to TBR Football, Tottenham felt something wasn’t quite right when Palace made an ‘unusual’ demand, which seemingly sparked fears of a potential Arsenal hijack.
Palace initially planned for Eze to feature in their 1-0 Conference League play-off win against Fredrikstad on Thursday night, but the player didn’t end up taking part after all.
His switch to Arsenal is now imminent, and an announcement is expected in due course.