West Brom will be looking to pick up just their second win of the season when they face Birmingham City on Wednesday evening and Steve Bruce can give his side the best chance by unleashing Brandon Thomas-Asante.
The Baggies have drawn six of their opening eight fixtures in the second tier and are currently languishing just above the relegation spots in the Championship.
However, they are one of the top performers for expected goals for and against in the division, which suggests that the strikers have been letting the side down so far this season, as the Baggies have been nowhere near clinical enough in front of goal.
Therefore, Bruce should look toward his in-form players and Thomas-Asante represents a player who is brimming with confidence.
The 23-year-old started the season in sensational form with Salford in League Two, contributing four goals and two assists in six appearances, averaging a superb 7.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
He made the crucial difference in West Brom’s last game, coming off the bench to score a dramatic equaliser against Burnley on his debut for the Baggies, so it would be harsh to leave him out against Birmingham on Wednesday.
Following that goal, Express and Star journalist Lewis Cox praised the youngster’s footballing journey and his impact against Burnley.
He said:
“Unbelievable finale and unbelievable story. Some noise in this place when that went in. Could hardly have dreamed it better last night – from the fourth tier to instant Hawthorns goal hero.”
WhoScored suggests that Thomas-Asante’s main strengths include dribbling and, crucially, finishing – which is precisely what Bruce needs right now, as his side are clearly creating enough chances to win games.
Birmingham have endured a difficult start to the new season and, while it is early in the season to be dubbing games as ‘must win’, this feels like the ideal opportunity for the Baggies to kick start their season and push up the table.
Therefore, with Karlan Grant averaging a disappointing 6.54 rating for his performances so far this season, Bruce should hand Thomas-Asante his first Baggies start against Birmingham.
Alex Iwobi has undergone an impressive transformation in his Everton career, with Frank Lampard’s decision to make him a central midfielder seriously paying off.
The Nigeria international, who signed in a deal worth £35m from Arsenal in 2019, struggled in his first few years at Goodison Park and has contributed just seven goals and nine assists in 104 appearances for the Toffees.
He found life so difficult that after one game he was dubbed “embarrassing” by reporter David Prentice, who was rather damning of his performance level.
However, the £50k-per-week earner’s displays have drastically improved since Lampard came in and turned him into a central midfielder rather than a winger, as is evidenced by his stats from WhoScored.
Last season saw the 26-year-old average a less than impressive 6.58 rating for his performances as he only managed four goal involvements, while in six Premier League starts this season he has a 6.74 rating.
He has also averaged more key passes per game (1.8 vs 1.3), passes per game (40.7 vs 24.5) and a better pass accuracy percentage (82 vs 79.6) than last season, which suggests that he is far more involved and consistent in possession so far this campaign.
Only last year under Rafa Benitez, Michael Ball wrote this of Iwobi: “He just seems to do the basics all wrong.
“He’s got all the skills so he might stand out in training – that’s probably why he got the nod over [Anthony] Gordon – but on an eleven-a-side pitch in a full game, he seems to lack confidence doing the basics.”
However, he is clearly a much more confident player now he is getting regular football in the middle of the park for Everton, and emphasised this with a superb display in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool at the weekend.
Frank Lebouef said: “What I saw from Iwobi in the middle of the park was absolutely exceptional. That guy was replaced in another position but he was still outstanding.”
Iwobi already has two assists to his name in all competitions this season, which is the same as his tally from 2021/22, which suggests that he could have a much more impressive term when it comes to goals and assists.
The fact that Lampard has added Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and James Garner to his midfield this summer, and yet Iwobi feels undroppable, goes to show how much his position change has turned him from zero to hero at Goodison Park.
Derby County interim boss Liam Rosenior has some ‘great’ player news as he shares an update on defender James Chester’s recovery from injury.
The Lowdown: Chester ruled out…
The former Stoke City defender, having signed for the Rams in July on a free transfer, put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the League One club but is yet to make a competitive appearance.
Chester comes with a plethora of top flight and international experience which could prove invaluable for Derby as they aim to fight their way back to England’s second tier.
The 33-year-old has been unavailable for selection since succumbing to injury in pre-season, having suffered from tendinopathy in one of his Achilles tendons.
The Latest: Rosenior shares positive news…
Speaking to the press (via Derbyshire Live), Rosenior has now provided a positive update as Chester returns to the grass and resumes full training.
While the defender will still take a few weeks to be fully fit to play again, the Derby boss described the 33-year-old’s training return as ‘great’ news.
Rosenior explained: “James is back training fully in the last few days, but because he got injured in pre-season, it’s going to take him a few weeks to get up to real speed.
“It’s great to have him in the group. I’m looking at my tactics board with the names on and it’s getting harder and harder to pick a team. That’s what I’ve wanted, it’s the first time in years that I’ve got this problem, if you want to call it that, where I’ve got players who expect to play or be on the bench, whereas before there wasn’t that competition.
“That’s really healthy for us a group because it means players know that if they don’t perform, they’ve got someone ready to come in and take their shirt off them.”
The Verdict: Positive…
Chester’s comeback to full training is one major step on his road to recovery, and Derby supporters could be happy that his full debut could be mere weeks away.
The defender could be real asset for Rosenior, especially going by his consistency.
Chester averaged a solid 6.95/10 match rating per 90 throughout his career at both international and club level, with the ex-Aston Villa defender coming as just the experienced centre-back figurehead who is needed amid months of uncertainty at Pride Park.
Newcastle United could revive their attempted move for Leicester City’s James Maddison during the January transfer window, according to The I’s Mark Douglas.
The lowdown
Newcastle made two offers for Maddison during the summer window, the second of which was worth £50million (via Sky Sports News).
Leicester rejected it, though, with Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports reporting that they wanted at least £55million to begin serious negotiations.
The Englishman, who’s now into the final two years of his deal with the Foxes, was reportedly interested in making the move to St James’ Park.
The latest
Douglas wrote on Twitter that there is ‘money available in January’ for Newcastle to spend, and it may be directed towards Maddison.
Indeed, he explains in the attached story that the club ‘may return to some of the targets they missed out on this summer’ with the Foxes star name-checked in the piece.
The verdict
One potential factor in this mooted transfer is Leicester’s dreadful form.
They have started the season with one draw and four defeats from their first five matches, leaving them bottom of the pile, while Newcastle are sat comfortably up the table.
If Maddison senses that the two clubs are very much on opposite trajectories, then perhaps he’ll push hard to secure a move.
Newcastle would surely regard the 25-year-old, who’s similar in profile to the likes of Mason Mount, Marco Reus and Angel Di Maria, as a major coup.
England manager Gareth Southgate once raved about his ‘outstanding technical ability’ and ‘world-class’ set-piece deliveries, while Brendan Rodgers says he boasts ‘immense quality’.
In 137 Premier League appearances, Maddison has been directly involved in 61 goals, scoring 35 and assisting 26 more.
Romário anunciou, na manhã desta quarta-feira (17), seu retorno aos gramados aos 58 anos. O ídolo da Seleção Brasileira é o atual presidente do America-RJ e disputará, como jogador, a segunda divisão do Campeonato Carioca. O atacante está inscrito no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF).
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O contrato do “Baixinho” já havia sido enviado a Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Ferj) na terça-feira (16), mas faltava o envio da cópia à CBF. A burocracia foi resolvida e o nome de Romário apareceu no BID na mannã desta quarta (17).
No anúncio do retorno, o agora presidente-jogador afirmou que irá tentar dar uma “ajudinha” ao America-RJ e realizar o sonho de jogar com seu filho Romarinho, atacante do clube. Além de dirigente e atleta, Romário é também Senador da República pelo estado do Rio de Janeiro.
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Confira na integra a declaração de Romário sobre a volta aos gramados:
Oficialmente inscrito no BID! Agora é a vera, galera, tô pronto pra tentar dar uma ajudinha ao meu querido America em alguns joguinhos e também, é claro, realizar o sonho de dividir o campo com o meu filho, Romarinho. Obrigado, Papai do Céu, por esse privilégio! Obrigado a todos pelo apoio e torcida! Vamos com tudo, Mecão!
تحدث ياكوبو إيجبيني، مهاجم نيجيريا السابق، عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح واستعداده للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا رفقة منتخب بلده، وتأثير ذلك على ليفربول والمدرب آرني سلوت.
ويتعرض محمد صلاح للكثير من الانتقادات ذلك الموسم كونه بعيدًا تمامًا عن مستواه، حيث لم يسجل إلا 4 أهداف في النسخة الحالية من الدوري الإنجليزي، كما أن الفريق بأكمله يتعرض للهجوم في ظل سوء النتائج.
وطُلب من آرني سلوت، من قِبل الكثيرين، تهميش محمد صلاح وإبقائه على دكة البدلاء في مباريات ليفربول بسبب تراجع مستواه.
وسُئل ياكوبو إيجبيني عما إذا كان سلوت سيكون سعيدًا بتوجه محمد صلاح مع منتخب مصر إلى المغرب للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا حيث لن يشغل باله بفكرة إبقاءه على دكة البدلاء أم مشاركته أساسيًا.
ورد ياكوبو إيجبيني، في تصريحات لشبكة “sportscasting” الإنجليزية: “الجميع يعلمون أن محمد صلاح لاعب ممتاز، هو أسطورة في ليفربول، لقد سجل أهدافًا للمتعة وفاز بالدوري، ويلعب هناك منذ عقد”.
وأضاف: “أحيانًا تكون الأمور متقلبة في كرة القدم، لم يجد صلاح نفسه في هذا الوضع من قبل، لكن الأمر صعب عليه الآن، كان دائمًا ما يسجل الأهداف، لكن في الدوري الإنجليزي قد يلحق بك العمر، لكنه سيسجل الأهداف مجددًا في النهاية”.
اقرأ أيضًا | “لا يوجد أفضل من ذلك”.. حكم مباراة ليفربول ووست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي
وواصل: “سيكون محمد صلاح راغبًا في التتويج بكأس أمم إفريقيا عندما يلعب في البطولة، القرار بشأن مشاركته مع ليفربول في يد المدرب، هذا ما يتقاضى عليه راتبه، ولكن سلوت سبق أن أجلسه على دكة البدلاء، لذلك فالأمر متروك له لمنح صلاح فترة راحة أو إشراك لاعب آخر في مركزه”.
وأردف: “إذا كنت تعتقد أن هناك لاعبًا آخر قادر على القيام بالمهمة، فلماذا لا تمنحه فرصة؟ عندما يتعلق الأمر بالعمر، فإن الدوري الإنجليزي يعتمد على الركض، إنه دوري صعب للغاية، وأعتقد أن هذا سيكون آخر موسم لـ محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، قد ينتقل إلى الدوري السعودي”.
وشدد: “لقد قدم محمد صلاح الكثير لـ ليفربول، وسيظل دائمًا من أفضل اللاعبين الذين تألقوا في الدوري الإنجليزي، الجميع يحبه في مصر ويعرفه الجميع في إفريقيا”.
واسترسل: “صحيح أنه وقع عقدًا جديدًا لكن الأمور ربما لم تمض كما كانت عليه عندما كان يبحث عن عقد جديد، لقد بذل قصارى جهده من أجل ليفربول، لكن هذه هي كرة القدم”.
واختتم: “موسم واحد سيئ لا يعني أنه لاعب سيئ، عليهم فقط الاستمتاع به ودعمه، لقد قدم الكثير للنادي، وأتمنى له كل التوفيق إذا كان هذا موسمه الأخير مع ليفربول”.
Despite securing their first league win of the season last time out, Glasgow Rangers are still reportedly set to look at one particular candidate to replace Russell Martin.
Martin responds to Rangers fan backlash
Even after Max Aarons netted a last-gasp winner against Livingston, the travelling Rangers fans chanted against Martin. In their eyes, one win changes nothing. There’s still plenty of work for the Southampton manager to do before he gets his own supporters back onside. Whether he’ll earn the results or the time to do that is the big question.
After a disastrous start, the Gers have picked up two wins in their last three games and have the chance to secure back-to-back victories against SK Sturm Graz in the Europa League this Thursday.
The focus will then move straight back to the Scottish Premiership, when Rangers will play host to a struggling Falkirk in what is another must-win game.
For now, despite what the fans think, Martin believes he still has the faith of the players, having told reporters following Sunday’s win: “All I can say to that is… Hibs, and today in the first half is the best we’ve been. So it suggests to me that the players are desperate to do it and improve.”
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That may not stop the 49ers from considering all their options, however. So far, their first managerial appointment in Scotland hasn’t exactly gone to plan and the likes of Kevin Thelwell are already reportedly set to look at one candidate who could arrive to replace Martin.
Rangers to "look at" Steven Gerrard
As the pressure persists on Martin, the 49ers and Rangers are set to “look at” Steven Gerrard, according to former scout Mick Brown. The former Liverpool midfielder endured an impressive spell as Gers boss from 2018 to 2021 and could now make an incredible return to replace Martin.
Brown told Football Insider: “Gerrard is always going to be one Rangers look at. He knows the club well, knows a lot of the staff and people around the place, and he was very well-liked by the fans when he was there as well, I’m sure the fans would love it if he came back.
“He did a good job during his time there, obviously won them the league and then got a move elsewhere which didn’t quite work out.
“I think he’s exactly the type of manager they need, because he’s somebody who the fans and the players can get behind and somebody who is going to push them forward.”
Gerrard is, of course, the last manager to win the Scottish Premiership at Rangers and dethrone Celtic, so a return wouldn’t be a bad idea for the 49ers. As for the 45-year-old, himself, he could certainly do with some managerial redemption after failed spells at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.
أعلن الجهاز الفني لنادي الزمالك، بقيادة البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، استبعاد أحد لاعبي الفريق من المشاركة في بطولة السوبر المصري القادمة، بسبب عدم تعافيه من إصابته.
ومن المقرر أن يشارك نادي الزمالك في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، الذي سيقام في دولة الإمارات خلال الفترة من 6 إلى 9 نوفمبر، مع أندية الأهلي وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.
طالع.. خاص | موقف الزمالك من إقالة يانيك فيريرا قبل السوبر المصري
وسيلتقي الزمالك مع بيراميدز، في دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، وذلك يوم الخميس المقبل الموافق 6 نوفمبر.
وأفاد مصدر من نادي الزمالك لـ بطولات: “الفلسطيني آدم كايد، سيكون خارج حسابات الزمالك في بطولة السوبر المصري بسبب حاجته لفترة تأهيل للإصابة التي يعاني منها في عضلة السمانة”.
وكان نادي الزمالك تعادل مع البنك الأهلي، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء أمس الخميس، في الجولة الـ 12 من عمر منافسات الدوري المصري وانتهي اللقاء بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1.
يذكر، أن الزمالك سيلعب مع طلائع الجيش، يوم الأحد المقبل، في منافسات الجولة الـ 13 ببطولة الدوري، ثم يسافر إلى الإمارات للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.
It might sound hyperbolic, but West Ham United are in something of a crisis at the moment.
They may have earned themselves an impressive win away to Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago, but they’ve lost their other four games by a combined score of 14-3.
The club might put out a press release indicating their support for Graham Potter, but he is overseeing relegation form, and therefore, it feels like a matter of when and not if he is replaced.
West Ham have already been linked with a host of possible alternatives, including Kieran McKenna, although they’re also eyeing up a clear upgrade on him.
Why West Ham might want McKenna
While a host of managers are currently out of work, one name recently linked with West Ham is McKenna.
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He might not be the biggest name, but it’s not hard to see why the Hammer might want to hire the Northern Irishman to take over from Potter.
First and foremost, his record with Ipswich Town is significantly more impressive than the Englishman’s record with the Irons.
McKenna vs Potter (Current Jobs)
Manager
McKenna
Potter
Games
179
24
Wins
83
6
Draws
48
5
Losses
48
13
Points per Game
1.66
0.96
All Stats via Sofascore
For example, the “sensational” 39-year-old, as John Barnes dubbed him, has an impressive record of 83 wins, 48 losses, and 48 draws with the Suffolk side, which comes out to an average of 1.66 points per game.
In contrast, since taking the job in January, the former Chelsea boss has overseen just six wins with the East Londoners, but 13 losses and five draws, which works out to a poor average of just 0.96 points per game.
Another reason McKenna might tempt the East Londoners is the fact that he helped turn the Tractor Boys from a lowly League One side into a Premier League outfit in the space of a few years, without a great deal of investment.
Yet, with all that said, West Ham now appear keen on another top-quality manager, one who would be a better hire than McKenna: Nuno Espírito Santo.
At least that is according to a recent report from Football Insider, which claims the former Nottingham Forest manager is now “high” up on the list of potential Potter replacements.
Moreover, as he’s not currently in a job, the club wouldn’t have to pay a fee to get him.
Why Nuno would be a better an upgrade on McKenna
So, as we’ve outlined above, McKenna would be a good hire for West Ham; he’s shown as much over the last few years.
However, there are a number of reasons why we think Nuno would be an even better option, notably his experience.
The Northern Irishman might have gotten a taste of Premier League football with Ipswich last season, but that’s it; he’s managed just 38 games at the top level, and while his team played some good football at points, they still went down.
Nuno vs McKenna in the PL
Manager
Nuno
McKenna
Games
184
38
Wins
72
4
Draws
45
10
Losses
67
24
Points per Game
1.42
0.58
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager has taken charge of 184 games in the Premier League, of which his teams have won 72, lost 67, drawn 45 and averaged 1.42 points per game.
Another big tick in favour of the “incredible” Portuguese coach, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, is what he managed to achieve at Forest.
When he was appointed manager of the Tricky Trees, they were staring down the barrel of relegation, sitting five points off the drop and with just a single win from their last 13 matches – sound familiar?
He then guided them to safety in his first half-season, before leading them back to European football for the first time in generations last season.
More than that, he turned what was previously an easily beatable team into a solid and incredibly difficult side to break down, so much so that Matz Sels ended up winning the Golden Glove alongside David Raya.
Ultimately, while McKenna may go on to become a hugely successful manager, there would still be an element of risk in hiring him.
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However, there would be far less risk in hiring Nuno, as he’s already proven at this level and has shown an ability to turn a relegation-threatened side into one fighting for European places.
DC have lost two of the three games in Delhi and defending champs KKR will look to take advantage of their inconsistency
Abhimanyu Bose28-Apr-20253:53
DC’s bowling a concern at Kotla?
Big picture: DC’s home form a concernUnder first-time captain Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals (DC) got off to an flier, IPL 2025 winning their first four matches. But their fortunes took a tumble since their return to Delhi. In their three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium so far, they have lost two and their only win came via a Super Over.Against Mumbai Indians, they collapsed in a 206 chase despite being in the driving seat until Karun Nair fell in the 12th over. Against Rajasthan Royals, they looked like they were headed for defeat until Mitchell Starc defended nine runs in the final over to take the game to a one-over shootout. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their bowlers couldn’t capitalise on an early collapse.Related
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A drop-off in the form of some of their key players has played a part. KL Rahul scored 185 runs in his first three games (he missed DC’s season opener), averaging 92.50 and striking at 169.72. However, since their first game in Delhi, he has only managed 179 runs in five innings, with his strike rate also dropping to 127.85.In DC’s first four games, Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets, conceding at less than a run a ball. In the next five matches, his number of wickets have halved, his economy rate has gone up to 7.35 and his strike rate has jumped from 12 to 30. Similarly, Mitchell Starc took nine wickets from his first four outings, but he has only picked up two wickets from the next five games.KL Rahul’s top score in Delhi has been 41 so far, while he has three half-centuries in four away outings in IPL 2025•BCCI
Until now, DC have been in the top half of the points table, but now they need to regroup and rediscover consistency as the battle for the playoffs heats up.Form guideDelhi Capitals LWLWL(Last five completed matches, most recent first) Kolkata Knight Riders LLWLWTeam news and likely XIIsIt’s a very short turnaround time for DC after their last game against RCB, but they are likely to continue with the same combination. They could continue with their tactic of starting with just six batters even if they bat first, as even then they have six bowling options.Delhi Capitals XII (likely): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Ashutosh Sharma/Mohit SharmaKKR made a couple of changes in their last game, bringing in Rovman Powell and Chetan Sakariya in place of Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali, and are unlikely to tinker with their combination after the washout against Punjab Kings.Kolkata Knight Riders XII (likely): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Chetan SakariyaIn the spotlightWith Jake Fraser-McGurk woefully out of form, the expectations will be high on Faf du Plessis to deliver at the top for DC. He played in three of the first four matches of the season, before missing four games with a niggle. He struggled on his return against RCB, and has failed to cross 30 in any of the four matches he played except his half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad.2:51
Bishop: Need to give Powell, Russell ‘time to tee off’
In his third season with KKR, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has a chance to get an extended run of games, having replaced Quinton de Kock at the top of the order. The opening partnership has been an area of concern for KKR and they will hope that Gurbaz can form a strong alliance with Sunil Narine. Gurbaz was out for just one run in his first game of the season and scored 1 not out in the washout against PBKS, so he will hope for a good outing in Delhi.The big questionPitch and conditionsDC mentor Kevin Pietersen said after the RCB game that they had gone for a slow and low surface to counter their opponents’ strength but they will hope for a better batting surface on Tuesday night. The match will be played on pitch No. 5, which is in the centre, so there won’t be a shorter side for the batters to target.Stats and trivia Kuldeep Yadav has bowled three deliveries to Sunil Narine in two innings and dismissed him twice. Only R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Piyush Chawla (27 each) have more wickets against DC than Sunil Narine, who has 24. Only Chennai Super Kings (19.77) have a lower average for the opening partnership this season than KKR (19.87) and DC (24.22)Quotes”He’s bowling really good, the lengths he is hitting. And he is mixing it up well. I won’t take any names, but we should keep learning watching other teams play.”