AccaMate logo

News Hub

Latest Sports Stories

405 stories ·BBC Sport
Ramos could make La Liga return - Monday's gossip

Football News

Ramos could make La Liga return - Monday's gossip

Sergio Ramos could make a surprise return to Madrid, Bournemouth put a high price tag on Alex Scott, and Florian Wirtz staying at Liverpool . Spain and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, 40, could be in line for a shock move to Madrid-based Getafe with the defender now a free agent. (Sport - in Spanish), external Bournemouth could ask for more than £100m for English midfielder Alex Scott, 23, who is attracting interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. (Football Insider), external Germany's Florian Wirtz, 23, has no intention of leaving Liverpool as reports suggest possible interest from Chelsea who are coached by his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso. (CaughtOffside), external Tottenham are continuing to monitor Eintracht Frankfurt 's German forward Younes Ebnoutalib, 23. (TeamTalk), external Newcastle United have been tracking Valencia's 19-year-old midfielder David Otorbi. (Marca - in Spanish), external Tottenham are interested in signing Japanese midfielder Yuito Suzuki, 24, from Freiburg as Roberto de Zerbi looks to strengthen his squad. (Fussball News via CaughtOffside), external Barcelona are monitoring Benfica defender Daniel Banjaqui, 18, but may face competition from Premier League sides Newcastle and Manchester United . (Ekrem Konur), external Barcelona are facing competition from Real Madrid for Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, 20, with Liverpool also showing interest in the German youngster. (Sport - in Spanish), external Arsenal and Tottenham are keeping an eye on Barcelona youngster Xavi Espart, 19, but they could be held back by the Spanish defender's significant release clause. (CaughtOffside), external Gyokeres pushing for Arsenal exit - Sunday's gossip Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Madueke's 'anger and conviction' shows he can be more than a 'finisher'

Football News

Madueke's 'anger and conviction' shows he can be more than a 'finisher'

Noni Madueke may not have the starting role he wants at Arsenal but his winning goal against Nottingham Forest showed why he is one of Mikel Arteta's valued "finishers". The England international scored a second-half winner to earn Arsenal a vital three points in their defence of the Premier League title. Madueke has started just one top-flight game this season, a 2-1 win over Leeds in the Gunners' last Premier League outing before they beat Oliver Glasner's side on Sunday. Arsenal's summer was dominated by talk of their search for an elite forward, with the left wing one of the positions identified. But after unsuccessful pursuits of world class players such as Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez, the only new addition in that position was Christos Tzolis, the winger brought in to replace the outgoing Leandro Trossard. Tzolis has started the season well and has been the first-choice winger for Arteta, meaning that Madueke and Eberechi Eze have had to be content with the majority of their minutes coming from the bench or in the Carabao Cup. However, Tzolis is now out with a hamstring injury picked up while playing for Greece, and that has presented a chance for Madueke to show Arteta why he should be considering the former Chelsea man as much more than a finisher - that's a term Arteta uses for his substitutes. Madueke did well when starting against Leeds, praised by Arteta for being the best player at the club during the international break. The Arsenal boss said the winger "grabbed it (the start) with both hands". The England international also started on the right wing, his more natural position, against Lille in a Champions League win on Tuesday, assisting the opening goal. Against Forest on Sunday, Madueke was introduced at half time by Arteta and said he took the manager's instructions with him onto the pitch. "Hang in there, stick to the game plan, go out there and try to attack the opposition, be dangerous, be yourself and be good defensively as well," Madueke said. He scored with a deflected shot in the 80th minute when he cut in on his weaker right foot. "I'd beaten him on the outside a couple of times so I thought I'll come inside and just let rip," Madueke said. It's fair to say that the Arsenal fans have not always taken to Madueke since his move from London rivals Chelsea. There was a 'No to Madueke' petition started when he joined the club and his performances have been criticised for being inconsistent. But since his £48.5m arrival, Madueke has helped the club lift their first title in 22 years and played a big part as Arsenal reached the Champions League final. Madueke scored eight goals and provided four assists in 43 appearances in all competitions last season, but questions over his end product remain. He is one of Arsenal's most direct players and England manager Thomas Tuchel and his staff also rate the winger as one of the best players in one-versus-one situations. "Noni, look at me, a smile on my face because he is a special character," Arteta said when he was asked about Madueke's character. "It's someone that's very much loved in and around the dressing room. The way he connects, talks with people. He is just a special guy. "I think I saw an interview where they were asking a few of our players 'who would you call if you had a problem?' And some of them said Noni, which I was surprised. "But I think it is a massive credit and describes the type of person he is." The 24-year-old has now put in three good performances in a row. "He is in a good moment," Arteta said. "After the break, he is showing something else, another level of anger, another level of conviction as well as in his actions and he is becoming decisive in matches, which is what we expect from a player like him. "He is a player that doesn't really mind left or right, but he has played many more minutes on the right side. The team needs him there at the moment and he is doing well." Madueke scores as Arsenal win tight game at Forest Arteta has made a big point of referring to his substitutes as "finishers" as he points to the importance of the squad. That mentality is seeming to have the desired effect. Since the start of last season, Arsenal substitutes have contributed to 26 Premier League goals, which is more than any other side in the league. Bruno Guimaraes scored the winner against Leeds from the bench last time out in the league while substitutes Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard played a major role in the last two goals in the win over Lille. But Arteta is not concerned the Gunners are overly reliant on players from the bench. "There have been other games as well that we have had to score in the first half," Arteta said. "We have played 11 competitive matches and we won 10. We are getting a variety of ways to win in many different contexts." Arteta said he expected few chances against a well organised Forest at the City Ground but added: "I had the belief that the moment the physical level was going to drop, the spaces would be a little bit bigger, the timing more and we would be more efficient there. "And the finishers delivered because the context of the game changed a little bit." Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Sage feels 'shame' at Palace thrashing with future in doubt

Football News

Sage feels 'shame' at Palace thrashing with future in doubt

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage said he felt "shame" at the Eagles' performance during their 5-0 thrashing by Brighton and did not know whether he would be given time to save his job. Sage's side conceded three times in the opening 10 minutes as they suffered their worst loss to their rivals since January 1956. "It's my fault because I am the coach, I gave the motivation. I prepare the situations. We played so bad it's my fault," said Frenchman Sage, who was only appointed Palace manager in the summer. "It's difficult to summarise because there are a lot of negative points. "We started really bad. It's completely not normal to concede three goals in this kind of game after nine minutes. "I prepare the team, that is why I am responsible of what's happened on the pitch. I have a lot of work to do because I have to change this kind of thing." Asked if he will get time to turn Palace's poor form around, he said: "I don't know." Under his predecessor Oliver Glasner, Palace enjoyed the most successful phase in the club's history, lifting the FA Cup for the first time in 2025 and then winning the Conference League in May. But Sage has had a tough start at Selhurst Park since he arrived after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second in Ligue 1 last season. Palace are 14th in the Premier League with two wins from seven games but their 17 goals conceded are the most in the top flight. "I just want to apologise to the fans," added Sage. "We were not at the level we expected, and I'm really sorry for that because I know how important it is for them, but we didn't show today that it's really important for us too." Asked on his emotions after the game, he replied: "Only one feeling - shame. When you play this kind of game you have to show another face. It was our worst face." Palace, with one win and one loss from their two Europa League matches, play on Thursday with a trip to Turkey to take on Besiktas before returning to Premier League action on Sunday at home to Newcastle. Shades of Barca and Beckham - Brighton aim to maintain superb start Latest Crystal Palace news, analysis and fan views Ask about Crystal Palace - what do you want to know?

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
'Maybe we became arrogant' - Sunderland struggles continue

Football News

'Maybe we became arrogant' - Sunderland struggles continue

"Arrogant" and "not good enough". Nordi Mukiele offered a brutally honest verdict about why Sunderland have struggled so far this season, following their impressive return to the Premier League last term. The Black Cats defender had his say after a 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth on Sunday. It was Sunderland's fourth Premier League loss in a row and leaves them second bottom in the table. Only those inside the club can answer Mukiele's "arrogant" claim after the Black Cats' drop-off in results and performance. They surprised everyone last season by qualifying for the Europa League at the first time of asking after eight years away from the top flight. But have Sunderland been found out by their rivals? Are they suffering the somewhat mythical second season syndrome? Or might they simply be struggling with the added demands of European football? "I think this game is just what we are looking [like] from the beginning of the season," Mukiele told Sky Sports. "We are not good enough. "Why? I don't know. Maybe because we became arrogant, this is what I think." Sunderland head coach Regis le Bris was not quite as damning but still disappointed. "We were below the level, it's really clear. It's hard to take, hard to digest," Le Bris told Sky Sports. "It's very painful because we were not Sunderland and it's not acceptable." After seven games last season, Sunderland had 11 points and were ninth in the table having won three, drawn two and lost two. At the same point this term, they have four points with one win, a draw and five defeats. "We won't find excuses," said Le Bris. "We have a busy schedule. We want to embrace the challenge, but the position at the minute is not good." Sunderland's league form so far points to a relegation battle, but in Europe they have a 100% record after wins over Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and second-tier Portuguese outfit Torreense. They have now lost both games in the immediate aftermath of their Europa League outings, although one of those was an eight-goal thriller against unbeaten league leaders Manchester City. Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given – who had a loan spell at Sunderland in 1996 while a Blackburn Rovers player – believes the Black Cats' squad may be not sufficiently set up to deal with the extra games after last season's seventh-placed finish. He does see a route out of relegation danger, though. "They overachieved last season, getting into European competition," said Given. "I don't know if the squad is ready for a challenge on all fronts. You need a bigger squad, a deeper squad, and it's going to be a big ask. I'm just looking at the table and they're second bottom at the minute. "I know it's only seven games played, but there are so many games coming up and in a short period of time. It's about the bread and butter in the Premier League - that's the most important thing. You like to think with Le Bris, they'll have enough to be safe." Sunderland spent £161m on 15 new players after gaining promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2025. In the transfer window this summer, they invested about £60m on five new recruits but their success was probably more in keeping key players such as captain Granit Xhaka and striker Brian Brobbey, who is currently out with a hamstring injury. Whether or not Sunderland's squad is deep enough, heading to Bournemouth to face a side who were without a league win before Sunday and had also just played in Europe on Thursday should have been one they were relishing. Yet Sunderland could not have made it easier for the hosts at Vitality Stadium. One of the recent summer recruits, Kevin Danso – a loan signing from Tottenham Hotspur - was bullied by Evanilson in the build-up to Marcus Tavernier's opener in just the sixth minute. Centre-back Danso was then sent off in the 17th minute for dragging down the Brazilian striker when he was clear through on goal. In the second half, Omar Alderete's weak backpass to goalkeeper Robin Roefs gifted Evanilson the chance to secure the three points for the Cherries. According to Opta, in the Premier League this season no side has committed more errors leading to goals than Sunderland with five. Alderete also became just the third player to commit multiple errors leading to goals this season, alongside team-mate Danso and Hull's Konstantinos Tzolakis. Sunderland have also conceded 14 goals - only Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town have shipped more - which is more than double their goals-against tally after seven games last season. They have only scored six, and their three attempted shots in Sunday's game – all off target - represented the lowest total for any team in a Premier League match this season. It should be noted they have faced Manchester City, champions Arsenal and in-form Brighton, so it has not been an easy start. "It's just the beginning. Football is like this," said Mukiele. "You can accept and just stand up and go back to work. If I believe we can go back to the top again, yeah, I believe about this. "It depends about what we really want and this starts in training because we don't do enough and after you can see it on the pitch. "You cannot lie about football and today I don't want to say we didn't want to win this game, but it didn't look like we want something. "We just have to work hard to be back where we were like last season because right now this is not us - this is not Sunderland." Pre-match, post-match and topical Black Cats content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Sunderland Latest Sunderland news, analysis and fan views Ask about Sunderland - what do you want to know?

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Shades of Barca and Beckham - Brighton aim to maintain superb start

Football News

Shades of Barca and Beckham - Brighton aim to maintain superb start

Not only are Brighton scoring more than everyone else in the Premier League, they are netting better goals too. Centre-half Lewis Dunk won the Premier League goal of the month for September with a 35-yard stunner against Coventry. Now, five weeks later, that has already been eclipsed. Step forward Seagulls team-mate Diego Gomez, who shot from the halfway line having seen Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line during Brighton's emphatic 5-0 win over their rivals on Sunday. Benitez made a rapid dash back to his goal and produced a desperate dive but could not stop the ball going in just under the crossbar. "As soon as he struck it, I knew it was in. He's taken the club goal of the season off me," joked Brighton skipper Dunk. "That's the goal of the season so far, what a hit," added former Premier League striker Efan Ekoku, part of the commentary team for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "[It was] superbly struck and right over the head of the keeper from the centre-circle." Gomez's seventh-minute goal at the Amex put Brighton 2-0 up and was from 51 metres, the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58m for Everton in their 4-0 win over West Ham in November 2017. "When I scored, I didn't know where to run, or what to do," admitted 23-year-old Paraguay midfielder Gomez. "When I got the ball, I knew the goalkeeper was a little bit ahead. I was very happy with the goal." Former Newcastle goalkeeper and Match of the Day pundit Shay Given said the goal was "reminiscent of David Beckham [for Manchester United versus Wimbledon in 1996]" and added: "I don't even blame Benitez the goalkeeper. "We're always talking about sweeper goalkeepers and you've got to be high up for the through ball and the defence playing a high line. I think his position was fine. "You've just got to take your hat off to Gomez. That is just a brilliant, brilliant goal." Brighton have never finished higher than sixth in English football's top flight, but now have 16 points from seven matches, with fan hopes rising that they could make a real push for Champions League qualification, or even a title challenge. Their tally of 23 top-flight goals is four more than league leaders Manchester City, and more than double the 11 of reigning champions Arsenal. Since the top flight was rebranded as the Premier League in 1992, only three sides have scored more goals across their first seven games of a season - Arsenal in 2009-10 (24), Manchester United in 2011-12 (24), and Manchester City in 2019-20 (27). In the top five European leagues, only Barcelona, with 39 goals from nine La Liga matches, have more domestic league goals than Brighton. With 10 different goalscorers, Brighton, third in the table, have also been the great entertainers of the season so far. They won their opening league game 4-0 against an Aston Villa side that came fourth in 2025-26 and Fabian Hurzeler's team have shown that was not a one-off. Results since have included winning 5-0 at Coventry, 3-0 against Arsenal, 2-0 at Sunderland despite having a man sent off, and now 5-0 against rivals Palace. In the Carabao Cup, they fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Old Trafford and eliminate Manchester United. In Europe, they have justified their position as Conference League favourites, putting four past both Norwegian side Tromso and Lithuanian champions Kauno Zalgiris. For Hurzeler, the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history when he was appointed in June 2024 at the age of 31, the atmosphere at the Amex could not have been any more different to their previous match with Palace. When the Eagles won 1-0 in February, Brighton were 14th, had only won one of 12 league games with the home fans chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" at their own boss. Therefore, it is no surprise that Hurzeler is not getting carried away at his side's good form. He was quick to shut down any talk that Brighton could be involved in the Premier League title race and said: "We have to stay very humble. The season will be long. "We have to keep going. We can't be satisfied. We have to keep pushing, stay humble and understand why we are successful at the moment to keep pushing at that level." The rapid rise of a former art dealer to Europe's hottest young manager Hurzeler was also keen to ensure Gomez remained grounded. "It's not simple to score a goal like this," added Hurzeler. "Everyone speaks about his goal, but to me the most important thing is the things we can improve, small easy passes we missed. "It's good to celebrate the win but understand there is still space for improvement especially for individual players. "We don't train shots from 50 metres. Overall, we know he has a really good finish. In these moments it's about being very precise with his long kick. The perception to recognise the keeper and be quick to go to the action was impressive." Brighton fans will have to savour the memories of this win and Gomez's goal as all of their next five matches are away from home. That run includes league games at Liverpool and Manchester City, another trip to Etihad Stadium in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, as well as Conference League matches in Czech Republic and Spain, against Jablonec and Getafe respectively. By the time Brighton return to the Amex on 8 November to face Brentford, we will have a better indication of just how optimistic the Seagulls fans can be about their season. "I know it's rare, but you look at Leicester in 2016 and Blackburn in 1995 when I was a kid," added Given. "At the minute, you'd say they could upset the apple cart, but obviously it's a long winter coming up. "Being in European competition as well, that will take its toll for sure. But they're having an unbelievable start to the season. Even set-plays as well, they're the best in the league (nine goals scored). "They've scored the most goals overall and kept the joint-most goals out, so that's a good start for any team to do well, isn't it?!" Follow Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC Sounds Pre-match, post-match and topical Albion content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Seagulls Latest Brighton news, analysis and fan views Ask about Brighton - what do you want to know?

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Hearts roll out red carpet ... and Celtic walk all over it

Football News

Hearts roll out red carpet ... and Celtic walk all over it

Jimmy Thunder was having none of Crawford Grimsley's chutzpah, none of his mouthing off before their heavyweight contest back in the late 1990s, none of his pre-bout arrogance. Thunder took precisely 1.5 seconds to put Grimsley down - one punch, an overhand right to his opponent's temple. Lights out. Fight over. Statement sent. As Celtic unloaded on Hearts at Celtic Park it was football's equivalent of Thunder's devastation; speed and accuracy and ruthlessness in the face of a challenger akin to a rabbit caught in the headlights. Hearts didn't give it the big one in the preamble to this evisceration, but they set up in the manner of a team who truly believed they were a whole lot better than they actually are. Poor concentration and lack of physicality cost them two set-piece goals inside 10 minutes. The game was effectively over, but the visitors' suffering had only just begun. Celtic score seven in humiliation of title rivals Hearts All the latest Celtic news, views and analysis The pretenders came to Glasgow with a weak away record in the league - two wins in 11 between this season and the end of last, both against Hibs - and tried to go toe-to-toe. Thinking attack is the best form of defence is all very well as long as you can back it up, as long as you can defend competently, as long as you can pass from A to B without losing your mind, as long as you don't concede acreage of space to exploit. Time and again, Hearts rolled out the red carpet to Celtic. A clinical Celtic made them pay for their naivety and maybe their arrogance, too. The footballing version of poor Crawford Grimsley. On their backside before they knew it. Hearts played the highest line with slow defenders, they pushed up the park and left themselves exposed to Celtic's speedsters. That gameplan was not high-risk, it was reckless. Martin O'Neill needed a win after his recent travails and this was a stroll in the park that he could not have imagined. The stats are, frankly, hilarious. If it was a horrific day for Wouter Vrancken and his players then it was every bit as grim an experience for those who try to see sense in numbers. Hearts had more shots than Celtic (20-18). They had more shots inside the box (16-13). They had more possession (52%-48%). They had more crosses (16-10). They won more duels (51%-49%). They had more passes in their opponents' half (244-202). They had more accurate passes (458-423). That last one was laugh-out-loud funny, for Hearts' use of the ball was comically bad. So often, when under a little bit of pressure, or no pressure at all, they passed into space only for Celtic to gobble up the loose ball and launch an attack which usually ended in a big chance or a goal. The home team was slick. Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand, Camilo Duran and Haissem Hassan were devastating. Seven did not flatter them in the slightest. It began with those two early goals - Liam Scales showing the desire to win a near-post header from a corner and Kieran Tierney left alone a few yards out to force in, then Dane Murray outfighting Claudio Braga to help it back to Nygren to score. Hassan hit a post when he turned and darted away from Stephen Kingsley. People wondered what was Vrancken going to do to change this. Answer: nothing. When Celtic score seven it seems odd to talk about pieces of defending they did that were significant, but Colby Donovan's cameos warrant mention. Around the midpoint of the first half, Hearts stirred a little. You wouldn't say that they had momentum, but they had a bit of a possession and their hair-on-fire panic of the early minutes seemed under control. Twice in the space of three minutes, Josh McPake - one of the form players in the country - took on Donovan and twice Donovan routed him. Those little duels might disappear from relevance after the deluge, but at the time they were important. The Hearts dangerman had been snuffed out. His morale had taken a hiding. And the stadium loved it. Hearts fell apart at the seams from there. Sabri Guendouz gave the ball away and Duran combined with the impressive Osmand to score number three. Jamie McCart then became detached from his trolley and Celtic scored from that error, too. Osmand, again, but with lovely work from Duran. And easy, oh so easy. Celtic's pace in attack was terrific. Their alertness was outstanding. Their disbelief was there, too. How could a team with a seemingly good coach and a strong squad of players be performing like a pub team? Hearts fans started heading home at that point. They missed the goal that made it 4-1. They won't have shed any tears. Had they gone back they'd only have suffered on. Best get out of dodge as quickly as possible. Soon, it was 5-1, Mika Baur slaloming his way past the comatose figures of McPake and Malachi Fagan-Walcott to dink a shot on goal, helped on its way by Kingsley and McCart, sitting on the floor, all flailing legs, like an octopus who had fallen out of a tree. Hearts' heads had long since gone. They were a broken team, psychologically. The doubt and fear coursed through their veins. The easiest things became difficult. The difficult things became impossible. They had no discipline, no direction. Vrancken spoke later about individual errors and that was obvious, but what else? He was given an opportunity to take some responsibility for the way he set his team up to begin with, but he declined to go there. On reflection, maybe he will. He should. Gung-ho football is fine when it works. Unless it's laced with some pragmatism when facing the best teams in their own backyard then it can blow up in your face, which it did at Celtic Park. Then it was 6-1 (Laurent Mendy the culprit, followed by McCart) and 7-1 (Tomas Magnusson in the frame). Duran and Nygren finished with aplomb. Seven minutes remained. The expectation was that this could still become eight or nine. We like to think this league title race can be a three-horse thing again this season. We want the drama of last time. Hearts played Celtic four times last term. They won two, drew one and lost one. They had nous and resilience before it all slowly slipped away from them. This team has talent but, with their away record as it is, they're not going the distance, or anything close to the distance. Celtic will be buoyed by this. Using it as fuel is the next step. Osmand was a big player for them. O'Neill might have hit on a powerful front three that doesn't involve Kasper Hogh from the start. After some rough days and nights they have some of their feelgood back. Keeping it on the long road ahead is the challenge now.

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Long-range goals from further and further outVideo

Football News

Long-range goals from further and further out

After Diego Gomez's halfway-line stunner for Brighton on Sunday, BBC Sport looks at the previous longest-range Premier League goals as recorded by Opta in the last 20 seasons.

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Watch
Madueke strikes late but who missed his big chance? - Forest v Arsenal ratings

Football News

Madueke strikes late but who missed his big chance? - Forest v Arsenal ratings

Noni Madueke broke the deadlock in a dull game as Arsenal squeezed past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Who rated the highest as the champions claimed a crucial victory? Matz Sels: The goalkeeper was untroubled with Arsenal struggling to create clear chances until Forest's resistance was broken with 10 minutes left. 6 Murillo: He took a blow to the head in the first half which required treatment and almost grabbed an injury-time leveller following some great skill. 6 Ousmane Diomande: It was only the summer signing's fourth Premier League start but he has settled well and looked to be helping Forest to a positive point. 6 Jair Cunha: Has become a dependable member of Oliver Glasner's side and was unlucky when Madueke's shot clipped him and flew in. 6 Neco Willams: Booked in the first half and was unable to threaten from wing-back while his usual reliable deliveries did not meet his normal standards . 6 Xaver Schlager: The midfielder has slotted in well to the Forest engine room but was unable to influence the game this time. 6 Nicolas Dominguez: Neat and tidy in the middle in his first Premier League appearance of the season but naturally ran out of steam. 6 James McAtee: Without the injured Morgan Gibbs-White the onus fell on him to be a creative force but, while he worked hard, could not find that spark. 6 Daniel Munoz: Tested David Raya and tried to get forward, especially in the first half, but more will be needed. 6 Dan Ndoye: The forward shot wide early but there was little end product and he was unable to get the better of Riccardo Calafiori. 6 Liam Delap: Enjoyed the physical battle with Arsenal's defence and was a nuisance to Ezri Konsa and Gabriel but did not get close to a goal. 6 Ibrahim Sangare (on 74, Dominguez): Stopped at the crucial moment to allow Arsenal to regroup and score. 5 Subs not used: John Victor, Yates, Netz, Milenkovic, Aina David Raya: A solid display from the Gunners number one. A great take from a corner in the first half. 6 Ben White: Lots of overlapping runs and solid defensively but no breakthrough. Replaced by Timber. 6 Ezri Konsa: Involved in the physical battle with Delap. Part of the back four that kept a clean sheet mainly thanks to his brilliant injury-time tackle on Delap. 7 Gabriel Magalhaes: Pressured and tested like his centre back partner but stood up to the challenge as he often does. 6 Riccardo Calafiori: A loose pass in the first half which ended with a good Forest attack. Lots of adventurous runs but did not lead to a goal for the fullback. 6 Declan Rice: Powerful running and energy as expected from the midfielder. Part of an Arsenal midfield that struggled to create. Missed a big chance but played the ball to Madueke for his goal. 7 Bruno Guimaraes: Not the midfielder's best day and he was replaced by Merino. 5 Martin Odegaard: Tried getting on the ball and looked to make things happen. Could not find the pass to open the Forest defence. 6 Bukayo Saka: Dangerous crosses into the area but not much room to operate as Forest sat deep. 6 Eberechi Eze: This was a big chance for Eze to make the left wing his own but he didn't take it. Subbed at half-time. 5 Kai Havertz: Arsenal were poor going forward despite lots of the ball. Havertz did not offer much and was taken off. 5 Noni Madueke (on 46, Eze): Brought off the bench to add energy and spark to the attack. Scored the winning goal with a deflected effort. 7 Viktor Gyokeres (on 66, Havertz): Worked hard when he came off the bench. 6 Mikel Merino (on 66, Guimaraes): Tidy and composed in midfield. 6 Jurrien Timber (on 66, White): Provided a cross for a late Rice chance. 6 Subs not used: Meslier, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Zubimendi, Dowman. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story
Mbeumo offers Carrick solace as Man Utd winless run goes on

Football News

Mbeumo offers Carrick solace as Man Utd winless run goes on

In a season that is forcing Manchester United fans to dig deep for reasons to be positive, Bryan Mbeumo scored again at Elland Road. That is four goals in seven Premier League games for the Cameroon forward. Apart from Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick against Ipswich in August, no-one else in Michael Carrick's squad has scored more than one. But it's meagre fare. It is true to say Manchester United did reasonably well in their 1-1 draw at Leeds United, just as they did at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after conceding inside the first minute. Carrick told BBC Radio Five Live afterwards he "had the headphones on" this week so he hasn't heard the external noise created by Lisandro Martinez's rant. However, he knows his side have to win matches at some point. That is six without a victory now, the worst run since 2018-19, when form nosedived after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was confirmed as permanent manager. "Because they haven't lost at Leeds, we're thinking United have done all right," said former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. "But in some ways that is a negative. We are dropping the standards. We shouldn't really be talking about Manchester United like that." After the corresponding fixture last season, Ruben Amorim gave the explosive press conference that triggered his dismissal within 24 hours. This time, it was Lisandro Martinez who lit the touchpaper before the game, criticising sporting director Jason Wilcox and the United hierarchy for failing, in his view, to recruit effectively during the summer. Wilcox was in the stands at Elland Road, while Martinez started the game following his apology for the timing and forum of his attack rather than the words themselves. To highlight the general view that United failed Carrick by not bringing in competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, Diogo Dalot became the fifth different player to start in that position this season. It remains to be seen if Shaw will be fit enough for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Serie A outfit Como, but the repeated changes cannot be helping Carrick. Martinez went off at half-time with a thigh injury, and such is the delicate nature of Matthijs de Ligt's fitness after almost 11 months out with a back complaint, Carrick preferred to bring on full-back Noussair Mazraoui rather than the Netherlands international. Carrick's side ended the game 13th in the Premier League table, with the possibility they might drop further before the match round is complete. Unlike Amorim, Carrick found it easy to come up with a positive spin on the present situation. "It felt like a bit of a fresh start today, to be honest, with where we're at - accepting it and doing something about it," Carrick said. "I'm not accepting it as everything's great by any stretch. I'm realistic with that. "But sometimes you do struggle. Sometimes there's a bit where you have to find a way through. "There has been a cycle at times here over a period of time when it can go in different directions. We've got to be stable enough to keep doing the right things. We're more than capable of winning football matches. "I understand the situation doesn't look too good if you look at it from a certain way, but I've got no doubts that we can go on a good run." Calvert-Lewin scores as Leeds deny Man Utd Everything a struggle for Fernandes - Leeds v Man Utd ratings Mbeumo's performance wasn't flawless by any means. He should have done much better when he missed the target with a free header before he scored, and the former Brentford man then failed to prevent Dominic Calvert-Lewin powering in an equaliser just after half-time. But in a campaign when so many of Carrick's attacking players are struggling – skipper Fernandes has been a shadow of the player who broke the Premier League assists record last season even though the United boss said the Portuguese was 'absolutely fine' – Mbeumo's performances have been vital. Their importance has been heightened by the continued absence of striker Benjamin Sesko with a shin injury. Mbeumo spent the first few games on the right of United's attack when Amad Diallo was ruled out by injury. When Amad returned, Mbeumo moved into the number nine role. At Elland Road he was shifted again, to the left as Fernandes played more through the middle. "When you are the kind of player who can be very good in a lot of positions, managers will always say: 'Can you do this? Can you do that?'" former United striker Dion Dublin told BBC Sport. "When you're in this Manchester United team at the moment, you just have to go where is best for the team." Carrick was even more effusive in his praise. "Bryan gives so much to the team," he said. "He sacrifices so much. "He's willing to do pretty much anything that needs to be done to benefit the team - whether that's defending in certain areas, whether that's attacking. He'll give everything he's got. "He's getting in really good positions to be really dangerous for us, and it's great to have him." Pre-match, post-match and topical United content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Red Devils Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Ask about Man Utd - what do you want to know?

Source: BBC Sport
Sun, 18 Oct 2026
Read story