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A Brazil international says his friends and family members are now urging him to join Arsenal, describing the Gunners as the ‘perfect’ club.

Arsenal prepare for Chelsea after statement Bayern Munich win

Arsenal’s commanding 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night has set the stage perfectly for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea this weekend.

Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect Champions League record with a dominant second-half performance that overwhelmed the previously unbeaten German champions.

Jurrien Timber’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner opened the scoring before teenage sensation Lennart Karl equalized with a composed volley to end Arsenal’s clean sheet streak in the competition.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the hosts. Substitute Noni Madueke, after returning from two months out with a knee injury, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal before Gabriel Martinelli capitalized on Manuel Neuer’s catastrophic error to seal all three points.

The result sends Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and represents their first victory over Bayern in a decade, ending a winless run against the Bavarians dating all the way back to October 2015.

Martin Odegaard’s late comeback appearance off the bench provided even more encouragement ahead of the weekend’s crucial encounter at Stamford Bridge.

The captain’s return offers Arteta additional midfield creativity just when Arsenal need it most, facing a Chelsea side riding high after their own impressive European victory over Barcelona.

Sunday’s clash represents a genuine title race test. Arsenal arrive in excellent form, having thrashed Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby before dispatching Bayern, and they’re currently on a phenomenal 16-game unbeaten streak.

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

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea, meanwhile, sit just six points behind the league leaders following their Champions League demolition job.

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal star will miss Chelsea clash through injury

The Spaniard is gearing up for one of their biggest games of the season.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

Away from the pitch, sporting director Andrea Berta continues to weigh up how best to strengthen Arteta’s squad for the long-term.Reports suggest that Arsenal have already held ‘initial’ talks over Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, amid his comparisons to Pedri, but someone else has now opened the door for a potential N5 move.

Luiz Henrique makes Arsenal transfer admission

That man is Zenit St. Petersburg winger Luiz Henrique.

The Brazilian, who boasts 11 caps for his country, joined the Russian Premier League side back in January following a brief stint in his homeland at Botafogo.

Before that, he was at Real Betis in La Liga after coming through the ranks at Fluminense, and he’s been discussing his next career moves in an interview with Globo Esporte.

Speaking to the outlet, as translated by Arsenal News, Henrique claims that his close circle have told him to join Arsenal, expressing how he is a “huge fan” of that idea.

The 23-year-old, who’s bagged one goal and three assists in 14 league appearances this season, is in Carlo Ancelotti’s thinking for the 2026 World Cup.

He was included in the Brazil squad for recent friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, making appearances off the bench, and Henrique’s versatility to play almost anywhere in attack would appeal to Arteta.

However, as yet, there’s been no links to the forward from an Arsenal perspective, at least not this year.

That being said, Henrique has clearly invited the north Londoners to make a move, so the door is wide open.

After Shohei Ohtani suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder while sliding on a stolen base attempt in the World Series, both he and the Los Angeles Dodgers weren't taking any chances. All winter and in the spring, Ohtani worked on a new slide technique, in which he keeps his left arm and hand off the dirt in an effort to avoid injury.

And, unsurprisingly, Ohtani has at times struggled to adapt to the new technique, which goes against years of his baseball instinct. On a couple of his first slides in the 2025 regular season, Ohtani, likely as a force of habit, dropped his left hand in the dirt while sliding.

But during Monday's 6-1 win over the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani, for the first time this season, used his new slide technique while swiping his second stolen base of the year in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Here's the new slide.

For comparison, here are his first 25 stolen bases of the '24 season.

In a freak injury, Ohtani suffered a partial dislocation and torn labrum in his left shoulder after his left arm awkwardly trailed in the dirt on a stolen base attempt in Game 2 of the World Series back in October. In theory, this new technique limits the likelihood of such an injury, however unlikely, from happening.

That's not the only way the Dodgers plan to ensure their $700 million superstar stays healthy. As Ohtani continues to inch his way towards a return to the mound, Los Angeles will urge him to be more selective with his stolen base attempts this year, as manager Dave Roberts told this spring.

"I don’t think he’s going to get the same number of at-bats, plate appearances, given that he’s going to be pitching," Roberts said. "I don’t think he’s going to steal as many bases, just appreciating the fact that he does need to pitch and save his legs. But as far as the kind of performance per plate appearance, I still think he can be just as productive. And I’m sure Shohei is expecting the same thing."

So, the new slide and slightly dialed-back approach on the basepaths are likely here to stay in '25. But don't expect Ohtani to play any less harder. The three-time MVP already boasts two home runs, a pair of stolen bases and a .333 batting average in 23 plate appearances this season.

“When you don’t play, it is very easy to blame someone. To take it constructively and improve is tough”

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20253:59

Kuldeep: Had a good time in England working on myself

For Kuldeep Yadav, rhythm is everything. It’s what aids his drift, helps develop a loop to deceive batters in the air, and gives him confidence to sequence his deliveries better.However, he says, rhythm only comes with time in the middle, something he didn’t have a lot of through the course of an entire Test series in England, because the team opted for batting depth.”In England, obviously, looking at the conditions and the combination of the team, I didn’t get a place in the XI,” he said ahead of India’s final group match against Oman in Abu Dhabi in the Asia Cup. “But it was a very good time for me to work on myself, to improve my fitness and to give more volume to bowling, because it is very important.”Instead of sitting and sulking, Kuldeep developed his own pattern to training, and analysed his game, and picked out certain markers for when his time would come.Related

Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

How Kuldeep and Axar slammed the door shut on Pakistan

“As a player, you learn a lot when you don’t play,” he said. “When the team reacts to certain situations, you can judge from the outside. You have a lot of ideas when you are in this situation, as to how to react and how you can bowl. I got a lot of ideas from there.”The communication [when he didn’t play] from Gauti [head coach Gautam Gambhir] was very clear. He was very straightforward. When you don’t play, it is very easy to blame someone. To take it constructively and improve is tough. There are two ways and players choose according to themselves.”But it is very important that you keep working hard. The game is such that you have good and bad days. If you are not playing, you have time to improve on your own and become a better player when you get the chance.”Kuldeep Yadav did not get to play in England•Getty ImagesKuldeep’s opportunity came soon after, in the form of a Duleep Trophy game in August. The scorecard will show no wickets next to his name, but for Kuldeep, those 32 overs meant so much more.”It was very important for me to bowl there,” he said. “Bowling in nets and bowling in a match are very different. Obviously, you want to play after a long time. You want to perform well. But I didn’t have that much in my mind. I focused on my strength and tried to bowl in good areas.”Now, he feels that sense of rhythm has returned fully at the Asia Cup, where he has picked up seven wickets in two games, against UAE and Pakistan, across 37 deliveries.”Actually, my rhythm is set now,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with that. I think it is important to use small angles for bowlers. As a wristspinner, I always think about my release point, my finish, whether the body is transferring [weight forward] or not.

“Between me, Varun and Axar, we are very experienced in the T20 format and understand our roles very well”

“When you don’t play, these things run in your mind. But obviously, with the help of video analysis, you get an idea of how you are bowling. I think my rhythm is good now. In the beginning, when I changed [in 2022, he worked on a straighter run-up and went through the crease faster], it took time. But now I am used to it.”The rhythm and confidence tie in nicely to his spin chemistry with Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel in India’s T20I set-up, with all three having different roles.”Everyone knows their job and my job is to take wickets in the middle overs,” Kuldeep said. “Axar, obviously, we have seen him bowling in the powerplay and he did the controlling job for us. Between me, Varun and Axar, we are very experienced in the T20 format and understand our roles very well.”Giving a lot of inputs really helped me, or anyone who is bowling in the middle. Whether it is Axar or Varun or me, whoever bowls first assesses the conditions and then suggests something. So it’s a good combination and we are very happy with that.”Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav ran through Pakistan’s middle order•AFP/Getty ImagesWhile Kuldeep’s rhythm has given him a fresh verve on the field, he also consciously tries to find a balance off the field, something he believes helps him find a release, especially when he is not playing. That balance has come through football.”If you follow other sports, you get to know how it feels when a team is performing really well,” he said. “You see the bench strength of their team. They have some unbeatable bench strength and when you focus on them, they are not getting enough time -15 minutes, 20 minutes – but they are so good, they can start in any game.”You see other teams, especially the big ones, and how they play against smaller teams – the communication, the decision-making, how quickly it all happens. You hardly have enough time to react.”Obviously, I play cricket on the field, that’s my job. After that, I enjoy football. There are so many games, you just watch and enjoy. In any sport, you admire how they play, especially in team games. The communication, the connection between players, how they lift each other – that’s the most important thing.”

There were emotional scenes at Hampden Park after Scotland secured their qualification for next year's World Cup and it was a particularly poignant moment for Andy Robertson, who took time after the match to pay tribute to late Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota, who lost his life in a tragic car accident in Spain earlier this year.

Historic scenes in Glasgow

Scotland dramatically secured a 4-2 win over Denmark to qualify for their first World Cup since France 1998. Scott McTominay opened the scoring with a brilliant overhead kick, but Denmark's Rasmus Hojlund equalised from the penalty spot. The match's turning point saw Rasmus Kristensen sent off and substitute Lawrence Shankland restored the hosts’ lead before Denmark leveled again. However, in a thrilling finale, late goals from Kieran Tierney and a stunning long-range strike from Kenny McLean secured the historic victory for the Tartan Army. 

Following the final whistle, Robertson was overcome by the memories of Liverpool and Portugal forward Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain just weeks after celebrating the 2024-25 Premier League title and his wedding, leaving behind his wife and three young children.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRobertson: 'I couldn't get him out of my head'

A clearly emotional Robertson said: "I've hid it well, but today I've been in bits. I know the age I'm at, this could be my last chance to go to the World Cup. I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much together about the World Cup. He missed out on Qatar because of injury, and I missed out because Scotland weren't in it. I know he will be somewhere smiling over me tonight. I couldn't get him out of my head the whole day. I was in a bit of trouble in my room earlier. I think I hid it well from the boys and I'm so glad it ended up this way."

Scotland's heroes celebrate long into the night

There were scenes of wild celebration after the final whistle at Hampden and Robertson revealed the huge pressure he and his team-mates felt to end the 28-year wait to make it back onto the world’s biggest stage. 

Robertson said: "I'm so glad it's ended up this way. This group of boys, this group of staff – it's the best group I've been involved in. The manager's (Steve Clarke) speech before the game was unbelievable. He went through the big moments we've had. Qualifying for the Euros – he couldn't quite remember – we were in Wunderbar. He said 'let's make it another one'. We were quite emotional. To do it for him, the staff and all our families, it'll go down as one of the greatest nights of my life. That just sums up this squad. Never say die. We just keep going right to the end and one of the craziest games. We put the country through it, but I'm sure it's worth it. We're going to the World Cup."

Addressing Kelly Cates (daughter of Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish), Robertson added: "I can't wait to get back down to Liverpool to have a red wine with yer da."

Midfielder John McGinn added: "I thought we were pretty rubbish to be honest, but who cares? To get over the line was such an amazing feeling. The gaffer's team talk was exceptional. It's a privilege every time we meet up. It's just humble guys wanting to do well for their country. We left everything out there. You think that's it – glorious failure, another blow. I was thinking about the play-offs in the 91st minute. But then what a hit from Kieran Tierney – I will never feel like that in a football stadium ever again."

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Getty Images SportEager wait for World Cup draw

With Scotland's qualifying campaign now concluded, their schedule before the 2026 World Cup is not yet finalised, but will consist of friendly matches. They will discover their group stage opponents when the official draw takes place on Friday, December 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The World Cup itself runs from June 11 to July 19 next year across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Chelsea are now preparing a club-record bid to sign Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, with it being revealed Enzo Fernandez could play a key role in the potential transfer.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new centre-forward comes amid a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge for Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old failing to score in his opening four Premier League games since making the move to west London in the summer.

Joao Pedro has been more promising, picking up four goals and three assists in the league, but the Brazilian was given the nod in a slightly deeper role against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, upon Delap’s return from a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old excelled in attacking midfield, scoring the second in the 3-0 rout, and Enzo Maresca has suggested he is also better-suited to playing with a partner, saying: “We know that he can play as a number nine or he can play as a number 10,”

“In both positions, I think Joao is very good, but probably when he has another number nine next to him, he is playing better.”

As such, there may be space in the squad to bring in another new centre-forward, and a huge offer is now in the works…

Chelsea preparing club-record bid for Julian Alvarez

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now preparing an offer of around €150m (£133m) for Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, which would make him their record signing, should they manage to get a deal over the line.

Fernandez could play a key role in the transfer, as the Blues are hoping the Argentinian’s presence at Stamford Bridge will convince Alvarez to make the move, given that they are international teammates.

BlueCo clearly mean business, but it looks unlikely that a deal will be straightforward, given that FC Barcelona are also in the race, and Atletico Madrid are reluctant to enter negotiations over a sale.

Should the Spanish club soften their stance, the 25-year-old could be a fantastic addition to Maresca’s forward line, having made a flying start to the campaign, chipping in with 13 goal contributions across his opening 15 matches in all competitions.

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Pablo Gonzalez, the 49-time Argentina international also found the back of the net 17 times in La Liga alone during his debut campaign, while a tally of 11 goals and ten assists in the former Manchester City man’s final campaign at the Etihad Stadium indicates he is very well-rounded.

Signing Alvarez would be a major statement of intent from Chelsea, and if they were able to get a deal done this winter, the World Cup-winning forward could be a real difference-maker in the Premier League title race.

Julian Alvarez has been named as one of the best strikers in the world The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Jaw, meet floor: On Sunday night, coveted MLB superstar Juan Soto agreed to a $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets, ending months of speculation as to where the now ex-Yankee might sign in free agency. It is the largest deal in professional sports history.

Much of the chatter regarding the agreement has to do with Mets owner Steve Cohen and how he is perhaps the only person who could have pulled this off, especially since the Yankees were reportedly in the mix until the very end.

But turns out the billionaire may have known exactly which chords to strike with the 26-year-old slugger, according to a new report from the s Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, Cohen hosted Soto at his mansion in Beverly Hills (it is believed other teams met at Soto's agent's house) and served him Latin food for lunch. The outfielder and his entourage were then shown a film crafted by the Mets, a stark contrast from the "more typical PowerPoint presentations" other teams used.

Cohen and the Mets also used some of their "excellent intelligence" to lure Soto away from the pinstripes.

Per Heyman:

"Cohen brought to the meeting his wife, Alex, and father-in-law. He also brought Edgar Suero, the Mets traveling secretary, who explained logistics and family perks.

"The Mets have excellent intelligence. They were aware that while Soto liked being a Yankee and loved having Aaron Judge protect him in the lineup and lead them all in the clubhouse, he allegedly was upset early in the year by an overzealous Yankees security guy who disallowed a family member and his chef/driver from certain areas."

It is believed Soto ultimately forgave the incident, but what matters is that "the Mets were aware, and you can bet they will make sure nothing like that happens in Queens," Heyman reported. 

Roy Keane believes Liverpool can no longer be considered Premier League title contenders, saying their 3-0 thumping at Manchester City proves they are in a "crisis". Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku saw Pep Guardiola’s City confirm themselves as the likeliest challengers to league leaders Arsenal, in what was a damaging defeat for the reigning champions.

Haaland, Gonzalez & Doku all on target against lacklustre Liverpool

All eyes were on the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as City and Liverpool aimed to not only dent each other’s title hopes, but equally close the gap on an Arsenal side who were held to a 2-2 draw with Sunderland the previous day.

And on the 1,000th game of Guardiola’s illustrious managerial career, it was City who outlined their title credentials, roaring past a Liverpool side for whom it looked like it was one game too many in their mini-revival following victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

Haaland, Gonzalez and man-of-the-match Doku did the damage for City, who are now second in the table and just four points behind Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. Meanwhile, Liverpool remain eight points adrift of the Gunners, having lost a fourth consecutive away game in the league for the first time since 2012.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportManchester United icon Keane lays into Slot's Reds after the game

And such was the sluggish nature of Liverpool’s loss at City that Manchester United legend Keane feels Arne Slot’s men are now unlikely to defend the title which they claimed last season.

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Keane told "You can't be considering Liverpool for the title. That was a sore defeat. But this reminded me of [the] City of old. They were outstanding. They are back in the mix."

He then said it is "crisis time for Liverpool," adding: "It's okay to lose to a club like Man City – it's a tough place to come. But to lose seven in ten – five league losses already – It has to be a crisis for a club like Liverpool.

"I thought Liverpool looked like a really weak team today. The manager said he was pleased with the second half, but the game was over! It's easy to play well when you're not playing for anything. 

"I thought [Slot's] assessment of the game was spot on. City looked stronger, technically better and more physical than Liverpool today. [Liverpool] still had moments, they've always got quality, but the goals they're giving away – their decision making  – was not good enough. There was a lack of intensity, a lack of energy. The subs, when they came on, looked really soft. I think it is a crisis for Liverpool."

Van Dijk stops short of getting involved in debate over disallowed goal

While Liverpool were second best for the majority of the match, they will feel aggrieved they did not register at least one goal in the game. 

The Merseysiders thought they had delivered a sucker punch in the first half when captain Virgil van Dijk headed home from Mohamed Salah’s corner, but the goal was ruled out after Andy Robertson was adjudged to have been interfering with play from an offside position.

However, Netherlands international Van Dijk refused to get embroiled in a debate over the decision, saying "it doesn’t matter what he thinks about the incident."

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Getty Images SportNetherlands centre-back insists 'it doesn't matter' what he thinks

When asked about his disallowed goal after the final whistle, Van Dijk told "In football the officials are deciding the key decisions and we have to deal with it on the pitch. There is no point discussing this from my point of view. The reality is that we lost 3-0 and that is a big blow.

"It doesn't matter what I say [about the goal] because anything I say will be in the media and the whole international break will be about my comment on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood.

"It's about finding consistency and carrying on. Now we go to our countries, stay fit and be ready for a big run after. We are not going to give up whatsoever. We are in November and we are ready for a long season and a big fight."

A Dominican prospect who has been linked to the San Diego Padres is reportedly not who he seems.

According to a Saturday evening report from Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, a prospect who made a recent verbal agreement to sign with the Padres upon his 16th birthday falsified his age. An MLB investigation found that the prospect, who presented himself as 14, is actually 19.

Under the name Cesar Altagracia, the player represented the Dominican Republic in two international events—including the 2022 U-12 Baseball World Cup.

San Diego, per Castillo and Gonzalez, had struck a verbal agreement with the player known as Altagracia to sign him in Jan. 2027. The deal, now null and void, would have paid him a $4 million signing bonus.

This is hardly the first instance of identity falsification in baseball history; astute fans will recall the past cases of pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Juan Carlos Oviedo.

"The signing of amateur players (in the international market) has fueled an entire economy rife with corruption," Castillo and Gonzalez wrote. "The last year has seen an uptick in high-profile players showcasing themselves with falsified birth certificates to present themselves as much as five years younger, sources said."

The defeat, despite Mohammad Rizwan’s battling unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, left St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at No. 5 on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Tabraiz Shamsi was tough to score off, and earned himself two opportunities to show off his familiar shoe-phone celebration. Despite his 2 for 17, however, St Lucia Kings had a big chase on their hands in their CPL 2025 game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – 178. That Kings got there with 18 balls and seven wickets in hand was down to their openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles. 115 runs between them, in just 62 balls, made the chase a canter.Just five runs came off the first over of the chase, bowled by Kyle Mayers. Charles took off after that, against Naseem Shah, and kept going. Kings got 13 off the second over, then 18 off the third, and 21 off the fifth, and finished the powerplay with 72 on the board. Seifert, who was slow to start with – having scored only a run-a-ball 15 by the fourth over – was now batting as quickly as Charles. It was all looking rather ominous for Patriots.Waqar Salamkheil got them the breakthrough – the wicket of Charles for a 17-ball 47 – in the seventh over, but with Ackeem Auguste, the hero of Kings’ previous match, for company, Seifert didn’t let the advantage slip.Auguste and Seifert added 60 for the second wicket, with Auguste contributing 29 in 20 balls. Though Seifert fell in the 15th over for a 45-ball 68, his opening blast had left Kings with very few to get with a lot of time.Johnson Charles smashed 47 in just 17 balls•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyRoston Chase (15*) and Tim David (16*) finished things off by the end of the 17th over.Earlier, after Patriots had been asked to bat by David Wiese at Kings’ home ground, the momentum they would have wanted never quite come. Theirs wasn’t a bad powerplay however, with Andre Fletcher especially showing enterprise as Patriots got to 57 for 1 after six overs.The brakes were applied soon after that, as Shamsi got Fletcher to miscue and attempted heave out of the stadium only to sky the ball to Charles behind the stumps. For his efforts, Shamsi was later named the Player of the Match.The fightback came from Mohammad Rizwan, batting at No. 3, who scored 60 not out in 41 balls, and put together partnerships of 71 in 52 balls with Mayers (27 in 25) and an unbroken 37 in 20 balls with Jason Holder (21* in 14). Still, neither Rizwan nor Mayers could score at the sort of rate Patriots would have wanted on a pitch that, as the outcome suggests, was good for scoring.The win took Kings to the top of the table with eight points from six games, while Patriots are now in fifth position with four points from seven games.

It was a tale of two halves for Everton, having dominated Sunderland at the Stadium of Light for much of the opening half of their Premier League clash.

Ultimately, David Moyes’ side had to settle for a draw, with Iliman Ndiaye’s irresistible dribble and strike after 15 minutes cancelled out by Black Cats skipper Granit Xhaka, whose piledriver took a nasty deflection off James Tarkowski’s outstretched leg to wrong-foot Jordan Pickford.

In some ways, the Toffees will be content with a point gained on the road, but Moyes cut a frustrated figure on the sideline as his side continued to be so wasteful in attack.

And (with apologies for the continuing trend), Thierno Barry flattered to deceive once again as the focal frontman.

Thierno Barry's struggles continue

At the moment, it’s something of a pick-your-poison situation for Moyes when it comes to naming a striker. Beto and Barry are powerful, mobile strikers, but neither can hit a barn door at the moment, with one goal between them in the Premier League this season.

Barry was given the nod here, and while he caught the eye with strong link-up play and confident movement in the early stages, he came unstuck when skying a glorious close-range chance to put the Blues 2-0 up in the first half.

How that could have changed things, but the £27m summer recruit fizzled out along with Everton, and he was hooked before the hour mark for Beto, who found himself marooned in the final third as Sunderland upped the ante and cranked up the pressure and pushed for a winner that did not come.

Sometimes in football, it really is that simple. Everton need a striker, someone reliable and clinical in the final third to connect with Ndiaye and Jack Grealish and the like.

However, football isn’t that simple. Everton are a team of 11 players, and there was one Moyes mainstay in particular who had an evening to forget behind Barry and then Beto.

Moyes must relocate Everton mainstay

Everton have been profligate this season, no doubt about it. However, too much creative emphasis has been placed on the wide players, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be disappointed with a limp display in Sunderland.

Having arrived from Chelsea for about £28m this summer, the English midfielder has been one of Everton’s most important cogs this term, industrious and influential in his advanced role, sat behind the striker.

However, a strong start has tapered away some, having created only two chances across his past three Premier League matches, missing a litany of crosses and long passes besides.

Against Sunderland, this lapse in form was on full show. The 27-year-old’s passing was errant, with former Everton correspondent Ric George even saying the Englishman’s “passing is atrocious” when observing a slew of failed efforts to connect with his teammates in the danger area.

Minutes played

83′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

43

Accurate passes

19/24 (79%)

Chances created

1

Crosses

1/2

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

3

Tackles

0/1

Duels won

4/9

While he’s still a fantastic player with plenty in his locker, Moyes might want to consider starting Dewsbury-Hall from a deeper midfield berth over the coming weeks; given Barry and Beto’s issues in front of goal, it might be worth digging out alternative routes. Dwight McNeil and Tyler Dibling would both fancy themselves able in the role, for example.

Dewsbury-Hall nearly showed off his quality with a late through ball to Beto, but this was about the extent of his good work in attempting to break lines and thread the thirds together. Liverpool World handed him a creditable 6/10 match rating, though acknowledged he faded quickly after a bright start.

Brighter days are ahead for the talent, but perhaps he should be connecting with an attack-minded midfielder next, sitting in the centre and showing off his all-encompassing midfield qualities.

Moyes could be brewing Everton's own Adam Wharton in "abnormal" 18-year-old

Everton could now be brewing their very own version of Crystal Palace midfield sensation Adam Wharton.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 31, 2025