The match referee at the centre of the handshake row has been entrusted with the Super Fours game on Sunday

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2025

The ICC has stood behind Andy Pycroft all along•AFP/Getty Images

Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

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Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.

For close to two sessions, Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth kept Central Zone waiting on the fourth day of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final. But a frenetic last half an hour, where South Zone lost their last four wickets for 12 runs, which included Ankit falling on 99, saw them get bowled out for 426, leaving Central Zone 65 to chase on the final day.Having reduced South Zone to 222 for 6 before lunch, leading by 140 runs, Central Zone were in pole position to inflict an innings defeat. But a stunning rearguard action from Ankit and Siddarth, where they added 192 runs for the seventh wicket, ensured the final went into day five.Resuming on 129 for 2, Ricky Bhui showed intent straightaway, jumping down the track and lofting Saransh Jain over long-off on the fourth ball of the day. While Ravichandran Smaran was prepared to graft it out, Bhui continued to attack. Smaran, though, did cut Deepak Chahar through point when he was offered width.C Andre Siddarth scored a patient fifty•PTI

Bhui’s sprightly knock ended on 45 when he chased a harmless fuller-length delivery from Chahar and edged a comfortable catch to Shubham Sharma at first slip. Smaran, meanwhile, reached his half-century off 70 balls with a clip to deep midwicket.Mohammed Azharuddeen had an enterprising 40-ball stay in the middle. He was dropped twice – once by Patidar at short cover and then by Danish Malewar at first slip, who failed to latch on diving to his right. He also got Central Zone to burn a review when Chahar thought he had the South Zone captain strangled down leg.In between, Azharuddeen clubbed Aditya Thakare through midwicket and smashed Jain over mid-on, but failed to carry on. Kumar Kartikeya dropped one short with the ball holding up a touch and Azharuddeen, early into his shot, top-edged a pull to Kuldeep Sen at midwicket.Salman Nizar took the aggressive option immediately, sweeping Jain through square leg and then pulling him through midwicket. But he soon fell, when his across-the-line miscue off Kartikeya was held brilliantly by Patidar running to his left from mid-on. Ten balls later, Kartikeya struck again, sending back Smaran, who swept a fuller-length ball straight to deep square leg, for 67.With South Zone still well behind in the game, Ankit took his chances early. He launched Kartikeya straight over long-on second ball before working Jain through midwicket for four. Siddarth was more circumspect. He twice went after Kartikeya before lunch, punching him past mid-on and then through point off the back foot.South Zone folded quickly after Kumar Kartikeya got Ankit Sharma•PTI

While Siddarth was largely unhurried, Ankit looked a bit fidgety after lunch. As Sen went short to him, he would often clear his front leg, looking to hack across the line. He got a few top-edges which fell safely, but once he got a hang of the surface, his defence got tighter.With the pitch having flattened out, the fast bowlers did not get any movement even with the new ball as Ankit reached his 13th first-class fifty by thumping Sen over mid-off. It was an attritional afternoon session, where South Zone added 86 runs in 23 overs.Siddarth and Ankit upped the scoring rate after tea, with Siddarth also finding the boundaries regularly. He jumped down the track, lifting Jain over mid-on to reach his fifty before Ankit took South Zone into the lead in the 99th over, paddling Shubham to the fine-leg fence.Ankit swiftly moved through his 80s and 90s but lost focus, one short of his century. With the field up, he tried to mow Kartikeya across the line, got a top edge, and Patidar at short midwicket did the rest.It was a quick end thereafter. Jain sent back Gurjapneet Singh, while MD Nidheesh was run out. V Koushik was the last wicket to fall, with Jain getting him stumped, leaving Siddarth unbeaten on 84.If Central Zone manage to chase down the 65-run target on the fifth morning – which they should – it will be their first Duleep Trophy win since the 2014-15 season.

The BCCI holds the hosting rights for the tournament, which is expected to be held in the UAE in September

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2025The fate of this year’s Asia Cup, which was thrown into uncertainty following the India-Pakistan military skirmish in May, could be decided at the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) annual general meeting in Dhaka on Thursday.The BCCI will attend the meeting virtually, and there is no clarity yet on whether Sri Lanka Cricket will attend virtually or an official will travel to Dhaka. For the BCCI, Rajeev Shukla will be the representative. There was even talk of Afghanistan and Oman missing the meeting, but they will now attend, while Nepal, like the BCCI, will participate virtually.The Asia Cup is one of the major points of discussion at the meeting. The BCCI holds the hosting rights for the eight-team tournament, even though the matches are expected to be played in the UAE in September.It is the first time that the BCB is hosting a high-level ACC meeting. Board president Aminul Islam said that the BCB was only providing logistical support to the ACC and didn’t comment on certain boards not sending their representatives.”We agreed with the ACC to organise this year’s AGM,” Aminul said on Tuesday. “It is an ACC programme. We are providing them with logistical support. That’s all we are doing. We are in touch with the ACC, who is informing us who is coming and who is not, as we have to make arrangements for airport pick-ups, hotel bookings and other support.”On Wednesday, Aminul and BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury received Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB and ACC boss, at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. A gala dinner is scheduled in the evening, followed by two days of the meeting at a hotel in Dhaka.

Former United States men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard expressed bewilderment at Weston McKennie’s omission from the squad for the upcoming November friendlies. The Juventus midfielder’s absence from Mauricio Pochettino’s roster has raised eyebrows as the U.S. prepares for matches against Paraguay and Uruguay later this month.

Getty Images SportHoward baffled by McKennie’s absence

Howard didn't mince words when discussing McKennie's absence, stating that the decision "makes no sense to him at all." The former USMNT star pointed out that McKennie would essentially be training with a skeleton squad at Juventus during the international break, providing limited opportunity to impress his club manager. 

“Weston’s going to be training, all the other internationals at his club are gone!” Howard said on the Unfiltered soccer podcast. “They’re going to their national team, so he’s going to be training with a skeleton squad or some reserves or some other guys.

“So, I can assure everybody who’s listening, you are not impressing a manager in a 10-day international window back at your club. And by the way, if that was the case, I’d say to my manager, ‘You want to assess me? Well, I’m going to play two games, I’m going to play two really good international games, you should watch those 180 minutes cause I’m going to be on the pitch.’

AdvertisementCommunication questions raise concerns about commitment

The former goalkeeper's comments highlighted potential issues in the relationship between the player and national team management. Howard questioned whether Pochettino had even spoken directly with McKennie about the decision, and if so, expressed surprise that such an arrangement would be acceptable to the coaching staff.

“So I don’t know how, apparently, the players and the managers don’t speak with the U.S. team, but if they did have a conversation, I’m curious,” Howard said. “Did Poch say, ‘Hey Wes, I’m going to leave you out?’…So I don’t even know how that was accepted by the player….So this again tells me that the national team isn’t a priority. People are going to argue that with me, I think the World Cup for these players is a priority; I don’t think the national team is a priority.”

Getty ImagesHoward questions logic behind McKennie’s continued USMNT absence

Howard expressed disbelief over Weston McKennie’s omission from the national team squad for the November 2025 friendlies, calling the situation “baffling.” He highlighted that McKennie’s exclusion means he will have featured in just one national team camp over the past calendar year despite being among the program’s top performers.

“I’m baffled by this one, because I think I’m right here, if he doesn’t come into this camp, which he’s not, the next time he’s available to come into camp is March," Howard said. "And I then believe it will be one calendar year where he’s only been in camp with the national team one time. That’s crazy…Probably our top three, certainly our top five best player, hands down has been with the team one time in the calendar year.”

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Getty Images SportPlayer availability continue to challenge Pochettino

McKennie's absence continues a pattern of availability challenges that have plagued the USMNT throughout recent international windows. Injuries and game management have also prevented players like Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic, and several others from being a part of a crucial November international window for the USMNT.

One of the biggest talking points around Leeds United at the moment is their struggles at the top end of the pitch in the 2025/26 Premier League season so far.

Four games into the new campaign, Daniel Farke’s side have failed to score a single goal from open play in the top-flight after they won the Championship title with 95 goals scored last term.

Lukas Nmecha’s penalty against Everton at Elland Road on the opening day of the season is the only goal scored by the Whites in the league so far.

The West Yorkshire outfit failed to find the back of the net in losses to Arsenal and Fulham and in their draw with Newcastle United, which is a cause for concern even at this early stage.

xG

3.8

15th

Goals scored per game

0.3

19th

Open play goals per game

0.0

Joint-20th

Shots on target per game

2.0

20th

Big chances created

5

17th

Touches in the opposition’s box

74

17th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds have been one of the worst teams in the division in the final third across the first four matches of the campaign.

This woeful start to the Premier League season in front of goal has led some to question the decision to send Largie Ramazani out on loan to Valencia.

Why Leeds should have kept Largie Ramazani this season

Farke decided to send the Belgian forward out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign instead of keeping him around to compete for a position out wide in his 4-3-3 system.

The German head coach now has Noah Okafor, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Wilfried Gnonto, and Dan James at his disposal to play on the left and right flanks.

That is despite concerns over some of them not being up to the task of playing in the Premier League. Per Sofascore, James provided one assist in 24 games and Aaronson managed three in 36 outings in the 2022/23 top-flight campaign, whilst Harrison did not register an assist in 34 league games for Everton last season.

Okafor, meanwhile, is playing in England for the first time after he failed to register a single assist in 15 outings in the Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Ramazani has already set up one goal in two games for Valencia in LaLiga, one of Europe’s best leagues, whilst Leeds are still waiting for one of their attackers to record an assist in the Premier League.

Non-penalty xG

0.54

Top 2%

Shots on target

1,84

Top 2%

Goals

0.69

Top 2%

Assists

0.23

Top 20%

Chances created

1.50

Top 32%

Dribbles completed

2.07

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian attacker made the most of his limited minutes in the Championship last season, averaging 0.92 goals and assists per 90.

Ramazani scored six goals and provided two assists in the league, despite only starting seven games, per Sofascore, and it feels like Leeds are currently lacking the attacking spark that he can provide in the final third.

The winger is not the only player shining in a major European league whom the Whites made a mistake with, though, as the club had an even bigger howler by selling an Italian star.

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Leeds had goalkeeper Elia Caprile on their books until Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta decided to sell him to Bari for £1.4m in 2022. That has turned out to be a fairly significant misstep by the club.

Why Leeds made a mistake with Elia Caprile

What the Italian shot-stopper has gone on to achieve in his career in the last three years, since leaving the Whites for £1.4m, shows that the club made a mistake by cashing in on him when they did.

After one season in the Serie B with Bari, Italian giants Napoli swooped to sign him in the summer of 2023 and loaned him out to Empoli for the 2023/24 campaign.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig called Caprile a “superstar” during his time with Bari, as he kept 15 clean sheets. His impressive form carried over to the Serie A, as the shot-stopper saved 75% of the shots on his goal and prevented 0.96 xG across 23 top-flight outings for Empoli.

The 24-year-old star prevented 3.33 xG and saved 70% of the shots on his goal in 22 Serie A games for Napoli and Cagliari combined in the 2024/25 season, which led to him sealing a permanent move to Cagliari in the summer transfer window this year.

Caprile, who is valued at £7.8m by Transfermarkt, has proven himself to be a reliable shot-stopper in the Serie A for several reasons. He has also outperformed new Leeds signing Lucas Perri in the current campaign.

Appearances

3

3

Sofascore rating

7.23

6.07

Saves per game

3.7

1.0

Save success rate

85%

38%

Goals prevented

+0.66

-1.99

Error led to shot/goal

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the former Italy U21 international has been far better as a shot-stopper for Cagliari in the Serie A than the Brazilian has been for the Whites in the Premier League.

Leeds reportedly paid £15.6m to sign Perri from Lyon in the summer, which was a significant investment by the club, but it looks like the player they once let go for £1.4m would be an even better option for them at this moment in time.

Therefore, the Whites had a howler when they allowed Caprile to move on from Elland Road because they let him leave before giving him an opportunity to show his class on the pitch for the club.

That is why the decision to sell him was an even worse decision than the one to loan Ramazani out this summer, because they made a definitive call on the goalkeeper, whilst the Belgian winger is only out on loan and could return in January or next summer.

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Leeds could have had a goalkeeper who has the quality to deliver outstanding performances at the top level between the sticks without having to splash £15.6m on a new shot-stopper if they had kept Caprile, which could have freed up funds for more quality in the attacking areas.

There isn’t a job in football that comes under more scrutiny than that of a referee. Whether it’s jeers from the stands, managers from the dugout or players within touching distance, criticism is often everywhere to be seen no matter the reason for certain decisions. And that’s even been the case for some of the best referees to step foot in English football.

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ByBen Goodwin Apr 2, 2025

Mark Clattenburg is considered one of those. The 50-year-old took charge of some of the biggest games that both English and European football has to offer during his 11-year spell in the centre circle, including the Champions League final in 2016.

Since then, he hasn’t been afraid to reveal all about the career of an experienced referee, telling stories about arguments with Jurgen Klopp and even taking aim at current PGMOL head chief Howard Webb.

Clattenburg also isn’t the first ex-Premier League referee to be so open about his career. Graham Scott recently appeared on talkSPORT to speak about the frustrations of VAR and why he felt sorry after ruling out Alexis Mac Allister’s wonder goal a few years ago.

He said: “Off the field you can’t control anything and the noise now is insane. It’s almost unbearable and it becomes an extremely challenging role. Then, layering on top of that being VAR, as I’ve tried to convey in my piece, being a VAR is utterly unenjoyable.”

Now, Clattenburg has explained a regret of his own and one that left Everton boss David Moyes fuming several years ago.

Clattenburg: I got Everton decision "completely wrong"

Speaking on the Daily Mail Sport’s Whistleblowers podcast, Clattenburg revealed he got one Everton decision “completely wrong” in the 2007 Merseyside derby. The referee sent off two Everton players that day, with one being Tony Hibbert and the other being Phil Neville, which sparked fury from Moyes.

Clattenburg also failed to award the Toffees a late penalty when Jamie Carragher hauled Joleon Lescott to the ground, which he has now admitted was the wrong decision as the Red went on to seal victory.

Moyes was left incredibly frustrated after the game and told reporters: “You wonder whether they allow themselves to be influenced by the top four. Didn’t Clattenburg go to Hong Kong with Liverpool for the Asia Cup this summer? Maybe he wants to be their friend.”

Virgil Van Dijk has lambasted his Liverpool teammates for their defensive record. The reigning Premier League champions have now conceded 20 goals in 11 league games this season after their chastening 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest earlier today. The Dutchman said the Reds are conceding "too many easy goals" and called on the whole team to take responsibility for their defensive woes.

Liverpool fall to Nottingham Forest at Anfield

Liverpool's woeful run of form continued in their first game back from international duty. The Reds fell behind to a controversial Murillo goal in the 33rd minute at Anfield. The VAR ruled that Dan Ndoye did not interfere with Alisson's line of sight, as the Brazillian centre back drove home after Liverpool failed to clear their lines from a corner. 

The Reds were given some respite when Igor Jesus' strike was mysteriously ruled out moments later for handball, despite the replay apparently showing the ball did not touch the striker's hand. Despite that let-off, the hosts struggled to gain a foothold against Sean Dyche's side. Forest completed a famous victory through a 46th minute effort from Nicolo Savona, and a 78th minute goal from Morgan Gibbs-White. 

That sorry collapse prompted Van Dijk to call out his teammates. Liverpool's captain slammed his peers for their propensity to concede from set pieces, and called on the whole team to take more responsibility for the team's defensive record. The 33-year-old also refused to blame the referee's decision for their defeat, while also sending a message to the Liverpool fans. Many of those in attendance at Anfield left the game early as their side struggled again. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportVan Dijk's post-game comments after Nottingham Forest defeat

Van Dijk said: "We concede too many easy goals. They scored obviously from a set piece again. You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we're 1-0 down. We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed. It's a very difficult situation at the moment.

"There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before. We tried to rush things and that's human when you're in a difficult moment. We cleared the ones before and in the end, we'te in a very difficult moment. We don't get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work.

"It's a problem. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We have to keep going.

"Everyone is disappointed, like they should be, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, in my eyes, very bad. That's the least I can say about it. Those goals we conceded are far too easy and we all have to look in the mirror. I've been at this club so long now and we've been through adversity. We will bounce back but it doesn't happen overnight. I'm not a quitter and we will keep going.

"I can't decide what the supporters are doing if they leave early. I know the fans have been through thick and thin with us. They will be there with us when we come out of this because we will come out of this."

Liverpool's defensive woes in numbers

Liverpool's propensity to concede from set pieces will certainly be of concern to Arne Slot's coaching staff. The Reds have now allowed nine goals from dead ball situations in the 2025/26 Premier League season. According to Opta Stats, that is the third worst record in England's top tier. 

Van Dijk's side are conceding 1.81 goals-per-game this season. During their title winning exploits last season, the Reds conceded just 41 times in 38 games. 

In their past six games in all competitions, Liverpool have conceded three goals on four occasions. 

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AFPCan Liverpool sure up their leaky defence?

When Liverpool followed up their 20th league title with a summer spending spree headlined by a bevvy of attacking talent, most prognosticators had them as favourites to defend their crown. However, there were murmurs of discontent at the club's lack of resources in the centre of defence. Their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi looks more and more catastrophic with each passing game. While the Reds are set to re-kindle their interest in the England international, a packed schedule ahead of the January transfer window means the Reds will have to remedy their struggles with the resources they have in house. If they can't, it could heap even more pressure on Slot, just months after he lifted the Premier League trophy in his debut season in the English top-flight. 

The last seven days or so have been nothing short of a roller coaster for Arsenal fans.

It all started with the news that Kai Havertz had suffered another injury setback on Wednesday morning, which, after last season, felt like a real hammer blow.

However, by the end of the day, the fanbase was in dreamland, as the club were back in for the extraordinarily talented Eberechi Eze, and within a few days, he was being unveiled in front of a packed-out Emirates.

Yet, as if the Englishman wasn’t enough, the Gunners are now back in the market and appear to be closing in on another signing who could be looked at as a bit of an Eze repeat.

Arsenal target Eze repeat

With all the understandable excitement Eze’s arrival has whipped up over the last few days, it’s easy to forget that even before his arrival, Arsenal were having a great window.

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The additions of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi could well be transformational for the starting lineup, and the likes of Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera have added some much-needed depth.

Yet, even with the seven signings made under Andrea Berta’s watch this window, the Gunners appear keen to add at least one more name to that list, someone who could be looked at as another Eze-type signing.

At least that is according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who has claimed Arsenal are very interested in Piero Hincapie.

The respected journalist has revealed that the Bayer Leverkusen defender wants to leave the German outfit this month and that he is prioritising a move to the Emirates.

Interestingly, while the Ecuadorian international has a €60m release clause in his current deal – around £52m – the North Londoners are making efforts to reduce that fee to something “more realistic.”

Even then, this will likely be a costly deal, but personal terms are not expected to be any issue with reports on the continent noting that Hincapie and the Gunners have agreed a contract up until 2030.

Hincapie has proven he’d be more than worth it in recent seasons, especially as this would be another Eze-esque deal.

Why Hincapie would be another Eze

Now, don’t worry, it is not lost on us that Hincapie and Eze operate in very different areas of the pitch, and play the game in very different ways because of this.

However, their positions have little to do with why this deal could be another Eze-esque situation.

Instead, one of the main reasons why their arrivals would be somewhat similar is the fact that Tottenham Hotspur have been interested in both players this summer.

In fact, according to some reports, the Gunners’ bitter rivals have already been in contact with the Leverkusen star, and had him reasonably high up on their list of targets this summer.

So, if this is to be believed, then it would be another case of Berta and his team once again usurping the Lilywhites and moving in on someone they wanted to sign.

However, there are a few other similarities between the two players and their situations as well.

For example, like the former Palace star, the “Ecuadorian football legend in the making,” as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, is a regular member of his national team, and while he often plays at centre-back, he’s versatile enough that he can excel at left-back as well.

Hincapie’s Leverkusen record
Competition	Games	G+As
Bundesliga	116	10
Europa League	26	1
Champions League	14	1
DFB-Pokal	9	0
DFL Super Cup	1	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, he’s currently a guaranteed starter in Germany, and, like the Greenwich-born star, played a key role in helping his team do something for the first time in their history when they won the league a couple of seasons ago.

Ultimately, even though it has somewhat come out of nowhere, Hincapie looks like he could be an excellent signing for Arsenal, and one that mirrors Eze’s arrival last week.

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Arsenal reach agreement to sign "explosive" attacking gem after Eze deal

The Gunners are set to sign another attacker…

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 24, 2025

Manchester United secured just their second Premier League win of the campaign yesterday, beating newly-promoted Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have struggled under Ruben Amorim once again in recent weeks, but the display on Saturday was a glimpse of the success they can achieve under his guidance.

His side achieved a higher tally of shots and shots on target against Regis Le Bris’ outfit, finally looking like a side that can cause problems within the final third.

Goalscoring has been a real issue within 2025/26 to date, scoring just seven times before the two-goal triumph over the Black Cats yesterday afternoon.

However, two players look to have kick-started their campaigns under the 40-year-old, producing numerous impressive figures alongside their goals, which secured three vital points.

Sesko & Mount’s displays against Sunderland for United

Benjamin Sesko netted his first United goal last week during the defeat against Brentford, with the Slovenian doubling his tally with his effort against Sunderland yesterday afternoon.

The youngster produced a centre-forward’s finish, getting in front of the Black Cats’ defender to poke home his effort and give the Red Devils a two-goal advantage.

He also created two chances for his teammates in the process, whilst winning four of the aerial duels he entered – subsequently offering the needed focal point the side have lacked in recent times.

Sesko wasn’t alone in impressing at the Theatre of Dreams, with midfielder Mason Mount taking advantage of his recall to the starting eleven after a two-game absence.

The Englishman featured for just over an hour of the contest, subsequently netting his first goal of the campaign and handing Amorim’s side the lead less than 10 minutes into the contest.

He also completed three passes into the final third, along with an 84% pass completion rate, with such numbers aiding Sesko within attacking areas during the triumph.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one other first-team star managed to impress, now emulating the success of one other talent at Old Trafford.

The United star who’s becoming Amorim’s answer to Nani

Back in the summer of 2007, United completed the signing of 20-year-old winger Luis Nani from Sporting CP – with the youngster an unknown quantity to many at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese international made a total of 230 appearances over an eight-year period, subsequently finding the back of the net on 41 separate occasions.

He also became infamous for his iconic goal celebration, with his somersaults being a familiar sight given his goalscoring record during his time as a Red Devil.

The winger claimed a total of seven major trophies during his spell in England, including four Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph – showcasing his success under Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, fast forward to the present day, Amorim may have unearthed his own version of the attacker, in the form of Amad Diallo, with the Ivorian following a very similar route to stardom.

He joined United as a player unknown to many, after the hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £37m for his signature from Atalanta back in the winter of 2021.

The 23-year-old was only 18 at the time of his switch to England, but had to bide his time before making an impact on the first team squad in the Premier League.

However, Amad is now a key member of Amorim’s side, featuring for the entirety of the clash against his former loan outfit during the win on Saturday afternoon.

Despite not registering a goal or an assist during the victory, he registered numerous impressive stats which highlight his positive impact on the meeting.

Amad completed 100% of the 38 passes he attempted, which allowed him to create three chances – the highest of any player on the pitch at Old Trafford.

He also completed the most dribbles in the match (3), whilst also drawing the most fouls (3), with the opposition unable to contain the attacker for the majority of the outing.

Minutes played

90

Touches

62

Passes completed

38/38 (100%)

Dribbles completed

3

Fouls won

3

Chances created

3

Duels won

8

Defensive contributions

10

Despite his small frame, the youngster managed to win eight duels against the Black Cats, topping off what was a superb all-around showing against his former outfit.

After such a performance, there’s no denying that Amad is rapidly becoming one of the most important players on the teamsheet, emulating the levels produced by Nani at Old Trafford.

If he can continue on his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t match the Portuguese star’s levels at the club – potentially leading the Red Devils to added trophies in the years ahead.

Fewer touches than Lammens: Man Utd star is on borrowed time under Amorim

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a vital win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon

ByRobbie Walls Oct 5, 2025

تمكن فريق اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري، من تحقيق فوز صعب أمام منافسه سان بيدرو الإيفواري، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

وأقيمت المباراة بين اتحاد العاصمة وسان بيدرو، على ملعب 5 يوليو الأولمبي، ضمن منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية موسم 2025-2026.

وجاءت المباراة قوية ومليئة بالإثارة، حيث افتتح اتحاد العاصمة التسجيل في الشوط الأول عبر حسام غشة، قبل أن يضيف آدم أليلات الهدف الثاني.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة اتحاد العاصمة في الكونفدرالية بعد الفوز على سان بيدرو الإيفواري

ونجح سان بيدرو في العودة عبر هدف كاماغاتيه، ليرد صاحب الأرض بهدف ثالث عن طريق سعدي ردوارني.

وفي الدقائق الأخيرة، قلص كاراموكو الفارق لصالح الضيوف، لكن اتحاد العاصمة نجح في الحفاظ على تقدمه حتى نهاية اللقاء، ليحصد أول ثلاث نقاط له في مشواره بالبطولة.

وبهذه النتيجة، استطاع فريق اتحاد العاصمة من حصد النقاط الثلاثة وتصدر ترتيب المجموعة في بداية مشواره بمرحلة المجموعات لـ الكونفدرالية.