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Manchester Originals miss chance to close gap on table-toppers as they slump to 16-run loss

ECB Media24-Aug-2025Manchester Originals missed the chance to take a big leap towards qualifying for The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday after falling to a 16-run defeat to lowly Birmingham Phoenix at Emirates Old Trafford and slipping out of the top three.The Originals, who have never progressed beyond the group phase of the women’s competition, looked strong favourites after restricting the visitors to 111 for 3 but Aussie seamer Megan Schutt (3 for 14) spearheaded an inspired performance with the ball after Ellyse Perry’s second successive half-century and a sparky knock from Sterre Kalis had given them something to defend.Both Originals openers were dismissed for ducks, Kathyrn Bryce run out by Emma Lamb and Beth Mooney falling to a superb running catch by Marie Kelly off Schutt, before Em Arlott snared Alice Monaghan to leave the hosts 14 for 3.That became 14 for 4 two balls later when 19-year-old off-spinner Phoebe Brett had Amelia Kerr caught at mid-on by Arlott. Deandra Dottin and Seren Smale steadied the ship somewhat before Hannah Baker snared the former, caught at long-off as she tried to up the ante.Smale dug deep for her 34-ball 29, eventually caught at short fine-leg by Brett to give Schutt her third wicket, and Lauren Filer struck three boundaries in her unbeaten 19, but the Originals were eventually dismissed for 95 from the final ball of their innings.Earlier, Phoenix skipper Perry had chosen to bat after winning the toss but her team were soon in trouble, Georgia Voll falling for a four-ball duck after picking out Monaghan at deep square-leg off Mahika Gaur.The Originals’ high-class bowling attack was relentless, the visitors crawling to 15 in 24 balls when Lamb offered a simple chance to Dottin off Sophie Ecclestone before Amy Jones succumbed to Dottin to leave the score 17 for 3.Perry (55 not out from 48) and Kalis mounted a rescue operation, the Aussie legend reaching her half-century by dispatching Bryce for six over mid-wicket and Kalis unbeaten on 43 from 39 when the innings concluded on 111 for 3.It didn’t look like being enough against an Originals side which had won their three previous matches but Phoenix prevailed to move up to seventh in the table and push their opponents down to fourth, behind London Spirit on net run rate.The Originals now face a crucial final group match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, with the Spirit visiting Oval Invincibles tomorrow.Kalis, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was obviously a tough start; the pitch was doing quite a bit. When I got in, it was a tough situation because we’d lost some early wickets. But Perry and I rebuilt, and I thought it was a good score on that pitch. It was definitely the kind of surface where, once you got in, it became a bit easier to score.”In the end, it was a brilliant win. We had to play really good cricket to defend a low-ish total, and we knew early wickets were going to be key and we got them. Obviously it’s been a bit of a tough campaign for us but what we can do now is play our best cricket and today, we showed what kind of team we are. It was a brilliant effort.”

Argentina forward and AS Roma talisman Paulo Dybala appeared to suffer a thigh injury over the weekend, as the ace missed a penalty against AC Milan. Boss Gian Piero Gasperini has now shared a worrying update on the 31-year-old's thigh injury, labelling it as a major setback for the side.

• Dybala misses a penalty

  After league leaders Napoli played out a 0-0 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como, Roma, who had accumulated 21 points prior to the Milan game, had a huge chance to move top of Serie A. Strahinja Pavlovic scored the only goal of the game in the 39th minute, helping Max Allegri get the better of his Italian counterpart during the first half, despite Roma being the more dominant party among the two. Late on, Dybala had the opportunity to convert from the spot but his shot was saved by Milan custodian Mike Maignan and the Argentine sustained a thigh injury in the process.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Gasperini sheds light on Dybala's injury

  The scenario was enough to assume Dybala had indeed suffered a hefty blow, but the extent of his injury is yet to be revealed. Gasperini said: "The worst thing of all on the penalty is that Dybala got injured. Now we need to see how long he’ll be out, certainly until after the break for international duty. This is the biggest loss of the night."

  Notably, this was Dybala's first penalty miss in Roma colours. The last time the Argentine missed from the spot in a competitive fixture dates back to his Juventus days, as he last missed against Salernitana on November 30, 2021, almost four years ago.

• Gasperini rues finishing but praises team

  The Italian head coach once again criticised his team's clinical abilities in front of goal. However, he felt the quality of football had improved. 

  He claimed: "We created lots of chances, this is the approach I want to take, and when you leave these games empty-handed there is a lot of regret, but also confidence we are on the right path. I think we made the step up in quality today in everything except the finishing. Our first half was excellent, with strong character to dominate a strong team on their own turf. We suffered a little after their goal and the start of the second half, but then got back to pushing again. I am struggling to find negatives from the performance. Naturally, we are angry and have regrets at the defeat, but unfortunately in football you can miss chances by centimetres, I remain happy with the overall performance. 

  "This team has spirit, it can play good football, we’ve certainly paid a price over these last few months for failing to convert four out of five penalties, which are a lot between Serie A and the Europa League. The other thing we need to improve is that I see many big clubs pouring forward and they still manage to get a goal somewhere even in chaotic fashion. I think that is what we are lacking, when you dominate a game to this degree, you need to take home the result."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Roma's finishing and upcoming games

  Roma sit fourth on the Serie A table and boast the same points tally as Inter and Milan, but they have the lowest goals scored among the top 10 teams in the table, with only 10. While they have the best defensive record in the league, with just five goals conceded, the lackluster finishing has cost them. Previously, Gasperini had been furious with his team's sluggish approach in the attacking third, and now with Dybala's injury, he has another puzzle to solve. The Argentine is a vital cog in his system and missing his services against Rangers (November 6) in the Europa League, where his team are desperate for a win after emerging victorious only once in three matches, and against Udinese (November 9) in the league, who have six points fewer than them, is a huge blow for the Giallorossi.

Chelsea dream of illustrious success, but this project is a work in progress, and there’s no doubting the Londoners’ improvements over the past several years.

Last season’s efforts under coach Enzo Maresca led to Champions League qualification and triumph across two continents, winning the Conference League and then beating Paris Saint-Germain over the pond to lift the Club World Cup in its fresh format.

Since Todd Boehly and co first arrived at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have recruited heavily, and this summer was no different. But there’s a new level of coherence about the squad, more focus and quality from corner to corner.

Premier League’s Biggest Summer Spenders (2024)

Club

Players Signed

Expenditure

Liverpool

7

£415m

Chelsea

10

£285m

Arsenal

8

£255m

Newcastle

7

£250m

Man United

5

£216m

Data via BBC Sport

No longer are the Blues so reliant on Cole Palmer to lead the way. And that’s a good thing too, given the 23-year-old’s groin injury was confirmed by Maresca on Friday morning to have been aggravated, extending his spell on the sidelines.

How Chelsea can cope without Palmer

It’s not unfair to say that Chelsea have at times been reliant on Palmer’s brilliance since the Three Lions star transferred from Manchester City for £42.5m in 2023.

Across 101 matches in all competitions for Chelsea, Palmer has scored 45 goals and supplied 29 assists, effortlessly good in attacking midfield.

This season, a low-fitness first few months have put something of a spanner in the works, and that’s now set to drag through to the final month of 2025, striking a vicious blow against Maresca and his men.

However frustrating the setback is, this is no longer such a detrimental blow as it once was. After all, a number of Chelsea’s biggest talents have now grown into their skin.

Some believe Moises Caicedo has taken the crown as the club’s new main man. Truly, the Ecuadorian has come into his own this year, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville even claiming he is “the best midfielder in the league”.

This is a far cry from the initial noise around his name after joining from Brighton for a record £115m fee in 2023.

But Caicedo’s not alone. Chelsea also broke the bank for Enzo Fernandez after the Argentine’s phenomenal World Cup campaign in Qatar. He has ebbed and flowed and been scapegoated on an occasion or two, but became an increasingly prolific force last year and works tirelessly to connect the thirds.

However, there’s another first-teamer down at Stamford Bridge who flattered to deceive for a time, but now is firing on all cylinders and might actually rival Palmer for the standing as one of the best players in the Premier League.

Chelsea star is now one of the best in the Prem

For as long as he is a member of the Chelsea first team, Palmer will be the poster boy. But the silky playmaker is no longer the head of a one-man outfit.

While the frontline is going from strength to strength, players like Marc Cucurella are finally realising their potential and shaping Maresca’s vision into one of completeness and depth.

In 2022, the 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton for £60m, a staggering sum for a full-back. And for the first year or two, Boehly would have a hard time arguing he had received bang for his buck, even with the Blues’ wider problems exacerbating Cucurella’s own.

Journalist Tom Overend recently acknowledged the £175k-per-week talent “looked lost” during his first foray into life at Chelsea, but has since rebounded and is regarded as “one of the best left-backs in the world”.

The data speaks for itself. Cucurella’s tactical duty has changed since he first arrived from Brighton, inverting more often under Maresca’s wing, contributing to the build-up.

And with such confident passing, Maresca’s decision to use him in this fashion makes sense. As per FBref’s data, the Spaniard ranks among the top 11% of positional peers in the Premier League so far this term for assists, the top 2% for pass completion and the top 11% for passes attempted per 90.

Not only this, but Cucurella has also become more creative in his distribution. Sofascore record that he has averaged 1.4 chances created per Premier League match. On top of this, he has won two tackles on average each match and has won 58% of his ground duels.

Palmer and Cucurella are very different players and at different stages of their careers, but the latter’s meteoric rise is undeniable. He knows what it means to toil and struggle to get up from the wayside. Indeed, Cucurella was once branded a “disgrace” for his performances by the ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara.

But the “machine”, as he has been called by content creator Terry Flewers, now undroppable, having added goals and assists to his game while reinforcing his defensive skillset and energising his athleticism.

Emphasising the trust his coach has in him, no Chelsea player has featured more often under Maresca’s leadership than Cucurella.

Maresca’s Most-used Chelsea Players

#

Player

Apps

1.

Marc Cucurella

64

2.

Enzo Fernandez

63

3.

Pedro Neto

61

4.

Moises Caicedo

59

5.

Malo Gusto

57

Data via Transfermarkt

It’s interesting to consider a full-back being among the most influential players within a competitive Premier League squad. Scant few could argue themselves with that standing within a team. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a good example.

Cucurella might not have the same range of passing, but if he continues in his current rich vein of form over the course of the season and the next few years, he would stake a compelling case for being one of the most complete defenders in the history of the division.

If that’s the case, surely he is shaping into one of the finest in the country.

Related Forget Gittens & George: Cobham teen is the "future of Chelsea & England"

Chelsea may have found the latest superstar to emerge from Cobham academy.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 17, 2025

Liverpool are looking to complete the signing of an “incredible” player next year, potentially beating rivals Manchester United to his signature, among others.

Isak in Liverpool training ahead of debut

The Reds are back in Premier League action on Sunday action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Burnley in a game that many will expect to see the visitors win comfortably.

For Alexander Isak, it has the potential to be a special day, with the Swede in line to make his debut at some point, even if it is from the substitutes’ bench.

The 25-year-old took part in his first training session for Liverpool on Wednesday, with footage showing the elite finishing ability that he has in his locker, and why the Premier League champions were willing to pay Newcastle United a record-breaking £125m for his services.

Granted, Isak needs time to build up his match fitness, so as mentioned, Hugo Ekitike is likely to be preferred at Burnley this weekend, but a second-half cameo feels on the cards, in what is hopefully the first of many appearances in a Liverpool shirt.

Liverpool enter race to sign "incredible" ace

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now battling to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton in 2026, whether that be in January or next summer.

Man Utd “face a fierce battle” with their biggest rivals, with FSG now entering the race, whereas Newcastle United and Chelsea are also mentioned as options for the £60m-rated England international.

Wharton is one of the most exciting young English players around currently, already becoming such an accomplished footballer at the age of just 21.

The Palace star is an elegant player with a lovely left foot, and he possesses the ability to both dictate play from a deep midfield role, but also shine out of possession, displaying good positional sense and a strong work ethic.

Wharton, who has won two of his three games against the Reds (66%), could be a brilliant squad addition for Liverpool, coming in as a replacement for Wataru Endo, before maturing into a key starter, having been lauded by former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze.

“Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with. For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

"Huge money" – Liverpool eye 2026 move for "magician" after Isak and Wirtz

What a signing this could be.

By
Henry Jackson

Sep 9, 2025

There was a time when United were clearly the more exciting proposition than Liverpool, but that has changed significantly in the modern game, and the hope is that Wharton sees the champions as his best future option, picking them over the Red Devils and other suitors.

After a summer of perhaps foolish optimism, any such positives have been hard to find for Manchester United in the early weeks of 2025/26, amid what has been the club’s worst start to a Premier League season since the inaugural campaign in 1992.

One notable ray of light has been the displays of summer signing, Bryan Mbeumo, however, with the Cameroonian – signed from Brentford on an initial £65m deal – having scored twice in five games, while denied a third by the sprawling Gianluigi Donnarumma last time out.

There is evidence to suggest that the Red Devils shouldn’t get too carried away by such a promising start. Indeed, £86m flop Antony scored in his first three league outings for the club. Dan James, meanwhile, netted three times in just his first four top-flight games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

That said, the silk and speed of Mbeumo is difficult not to be heartened by, with both he and fellow new arrival Matheus Cunha seemingly relishing their new status in Manchester, rather than being burdened by it.

The question remains as to whether Mbeumo and co now have the right manager to get the best out of them, with talk rife over the future of Ruben Amorim.

When previous post-Fergie managers were sacked

There are mixed reports over whether Amorim is actually under real pressure or not, with recent claims suggesting that he retains the backing of the board. Other reports, however, have claimed that he could have just three games left to save himself, with Chelsea, Sunderland and Brentford to come before the next international break.

Should a change occur by the time that October hiatus comes around, it would make the Portuguese coach the manager to have been sacked the quickest into a new season in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, even ahead of his predecessor Erik ten Hag.

In the case of the Dutchman, a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United – which included a glaring Diogo Dalot miss and a controversial late penalty for the Hammers – spelt the end for his turbulent Old Trafford reign, with the ex-Ajax boss relieved of his duties on 28 October.

The permanent manager that Ten Hag had replaced – Solskjaer – was given his marching orders on 21 November 2021, with a 4-1 defeat away to Watford sparking what appeared an inevitable exit, in the wake of prior defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool.

The Norwegian had himself been parachuted in mid-season three years earlier, with Jose Mourinho dismissed in December 2018, a 3-1 defeat away to Liverpool proving the final nail in the coffin.

As for Louis van Gaal, the enigmatic veteran did at least see out the season before his 2016 dismissal, albeit with news of his departure unfortunately filtering through as he celebrated his FA Cup triumph on the Wembley turf.

David Moyes – the man to endure the briefest permanent tenure to date – lasted just ten months into his six-year deal, prior to being given the boot in April 2014.

Erik ten Hag

28 Oct 2024

West Ham 3-1 Man Utd

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

21 Nov 2021

Watford 4-1 Man Utd

Jose Mourinho

18 Dec 2018

Liverpool 3-1 Man Utd

Louis van Gaal

23 May 2016

Man Utd 2-1 Palace

David Moyes

22 April 2014

Everton 2-0 Man Utd

Amorim could well be the next victim of such ruthlessness, with a potential replacement already being lined up…

Why Andoni Iraola could be a perfect Amorim replacement

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, among the leading candidates to replace the former Sporting CP man in Manchester is Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, with tension in the Old Trafford boardroom said to have reached “boiling point”.

The report claims that there is a potential plan in place to carry out an “international reset” in the next break, should results not drastically improve, with Iraola among the top targets being lined up amid his fine work on the south coast. This comes amid reports that Sir Gareth Southgate may also be in the mix.

In an era of managerial excuses and complaints, the Spaniard has set himself apart by simply cracking on with things at the Vitality Stadium, be it despite a raft of injuries last term, or numerous key exits this summer.

Indeed, the Basque-born tactician has thus far guided the Cherries to fourth in the table in 2025/26, despite having lost four members of last season’s back five, including Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi.

The only defeat thus far came on the opening night away at Anfield, although with the expensively assembled hosts needing two late goals to see off their spirited visitors and the lively Antoine Semenyo in that 4-2 thriller.

Iraola – who has overseen respectable 12th and ninth-place finishes in the Premier League – has been particularly key in taking that man Semenyo to a whole new level, registering 36 goals and assists in 83 games under Gary O’Neil’s successor, as per Transfermarkt.

That includes three goals and two assists already this season, with the Ghanaian thriving as part of a relentless and dynamic front line. Such an approach appears tailor-made to get the best out of Mbeumo, with the pair deemed to be statistically and stylistically similar players among those in their position in Europe, as per FBref.

Like Semenyo, the United man is an adept goalscorer and creator, while mirroring his Bournemouth counterpart in being able to operate off the right flank or centrally.

That ability was evident last term, with Mbeumo racking up 27 goals and assists in the league, while creating 17 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.8 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Semenyo, for context, registered 17 goals and assists of his own, while creating 11 ‘big chances’ and averaging 1.2 key passes under Iraola’s watch.

For the ex-Bristol City man to have flourished with the in-demand coach at the helm, just imagine the heights that Mbeumo could reach in such a front-foot, aggressive attacking set-up.

He is an “incredible” manager, as lauded by Pep Guardiola, with it likely to be intriguing to see if the 43-year-old could translate such success at United.

He’s young, Premier League proven and with a knack for getting results despite the circumstances and chaos surrounding him – sounds perfect, right?

Time running out: 5 ways that Ruben Amorim can save his job at Man Utd

INEOS are running out of patience.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 17, 2025

Sai Kishore is now the joint-third on the bowlers’ list

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2025

Sai Sudharsan made 49 off 36 against RCB•Associated Press

Orange cap listLucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran continues to be the highest run-scorer with 189 runs at an average of 63.00 and a strike rate of 219.76. He scored 44 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) following returns of 75 from 30 balls against Delhi Capitals and 70 from 26 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) .GT’s Sai Sudharsan has moved to the second position after his 49 off 36 balls against RCB. In the earlier two games, Sudharsan had scores of 74 and 63. His overall tally – 186 – is just three short of Pooran’s.The next on the orange cap list is another GT batter: Jos Buttler. Batting at No. 3 this IPL season, Buttler scored a match-winning 73 not out off 39 balls on Wednesday night to steer GT’s chase. In all, he has 166 runs at a strike rate of 172.91.1:54

Bangar: Sai Kishore has steely resolve

Purple cap listNoor Ahmad is currently the purple-cap holder in IPL 2025. Turning out for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who also have R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in their starting line-up, Noor has been by far the most successful, his left-arm wristspin bringing him 4 for 18, 3 for 36 and 2 for 28 so far. That’s nine wickets, five more wickets than Ashwin and Jadeja combined.Mitchell Starc is just one wicket behind Noor, with eight in just two games for Delhi Capitals (DC). He was expensive in his first game, against LSG, conceding 42 runs for his three wickets, but against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he had his career-best T20 returns – 5 for 35.There’s a four-way tie for third place. R Sai Kishore, who picked up 2 for 22 against RCB, took his tally to six wickets from three games. RCB’s Josh Hazlewood, LSG’s Shardul Thakur and CSK’s Khaleel Ahmed also have six wickets each.Highest batting strike rates
Best bowling economy rates
Most sixes
Best bowling figures in a match

Michael Neser did his best to keep Queensland in the match but the home side lost a late wicket

AAP19-Feb-2025

Sam Fanning fell just missed out on a maiden first-class hundred•Getty Images

Opener Sam Fanning fell just short of a century but put Western Australia in a powerful position against Queensland on day two of their Sheffield Shield game.Fanning made 95 as WA posted 312 all out on Wednesday at The Gabba in reply to Queensland’s first innings of 147. At stumps, Queensland were 39 for 1 in their second innings, still 126 runs behind the visitors.Related

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Fanning was within reach of his maiden first-class century when he launched at an off-side drive at a Michael Neser delivery but chopped onto his stumps.The New Zealand-born left hander struck five fours and two sixes in his 229-ball knock and featured in two telling partnerships. He put on 108 with his opening partner Sam Whiteman, who was dismissed for 67 late on Tuesday. Fanning also combined with Jayden Goodwin for a 103-run partnership for the third wicket.Goodwin made 40 before missing an attempted sweep from legspinner Mitch Swepson. Goodwin’s dismissal triggered a slide of 5 for 27 as Queensland stalwart Neser ripped through the middle order.Neser finished with 4 for 34 from 21 overs. He had nightwatchman Corey Rocchiccioli caught at mid-off for 2 early on the second day’s play and later removed Fanning, Ashton Turner and Keaton Critchell, with fellow quick Xavier Bartlett dismissing Joel Curtis as WA lost five wickets in a 10-over span.WA allrounder Hilton Cartwright then rallied his side with a handy 48 not out, steering the visitors to a 165-run innings lead.WA then achieved a key breakthrough when Rocchiccioli snared his eighth wicket in the match. The offspinner, who claimed a career-best 7 for 52 in the first innings, removed Matt Renshaw for 10 in his first over of the innings.

With less than a week to go until the transfer window slams shut, it would be fair to say Chelsea have had another brilliant summer.

The board have more than backed Enzo Maresca with several quality additions all over the pitch.

In attack, the likes of Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap should help solve the side’s finishing issues from last season, and in defence, Jorrel Hato looks like a future star.

The West Londoners aren’t done there, though, as they continue to close in on Alejandro Garnacho, although if reports are to be believed, they’re now looking to sign another youngster who’d be a big upgrade.

Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade

Chelsea have been involved with several transfer sagas this summer, from Gittens to Xavi Simons, but the one concerning Garnacho has felt like it has dragged on the longest.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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The Blues were first linked with the Manchester United ace back in the winter window, but things have really developed over the last few weeks or so.

While there remains a disagreement on the final price between the two clubs, the player has made it crystal clear that he only wants a move to Stamford Bridge, and it now feels like a matter of when, not if, he gets it.

Yet, even so, the West Londoners now appear intent on making another attacking addition to the team in someone who’d be an upgrade on Garnacho.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport, which claims Chelsea are interested in Fermin Lopez.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Blues have already submitted a bid worth around £50m for the player.

Moreover, another report from Mundo Deportivo has now claimed that the West Londoners have given the player 48 hours to decide if he wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

While that’s a lot of money to spend on a youngster, Lopez would be worth it for Chelsea, especially as he’d be an upgrade on Garnacho.

How Lopez compares to Garnacho

So, when comparing two positionally versatile attackers, it makes sense to start with their raw output, as, at the end of the day, they’ll be judged by the number of goals and assists they chalk up.

Unfortunately for Garnacho, when we do this, it’s Lopez who comes out looking far more impressive.

For example, in his 46 appearances for Barcelona last season, totalling just 2039 minutes, the young Spaniard scored eight goals and provided ten assists.

That means he managed to average a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 113.27 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for someone his age.

For his efforts, the United ace scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, but did so in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

That translates to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or more crucially, every 169.90 minutes.

The one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers.

Lopez vs Garnacho

Statistics per 90

Lopez

Garnacho

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.69

0.48

Non-Penalty G+As

0.79

0.33

Progressive Carries

2.23

5.78

Progressive Passes

5.68

2.30

Shots on Target %

36.6%

34.5%

Passing Accuracy

81.8%

78.9%

Key Passes

2.09

1.52

Passes into the Final Third

4.68

0.90

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.44

1.02

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.43

0.20

Shot-Creating Actions

4.10

3.40

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.25

Tackles Won

1.08

0.74

Blocks

0.79

0.78

Successful Take-Ons

1.80

1.07

Ball Recoveries

4.75

4.43

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

When doing this, the “creative” Barça star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, emerges as the top performer in most relevant metrics.

These include actual and expected non-penalty goals, progressive carries, key passes, shot- and goal-creating actions, tackles won, and more, all per 90.

In other words, these statistics paint a picture of a player who is a genuine goal threat, an accomplished creator, and more than willing to contribute to the defensive work.

Ultimately, while Garnacho could still be a massive success at Chelsea, it appears that Lopez is the superior player, and by some margin at that.

Related Better deal than Lopez: Ornstein expects £50m "diamond" will join Chelsea

As Chelsea make a move to sign Fermín López from Barcelona, will the Blues also snap up a “diamond” attacker for £50m who is an even bigger talent?

Posts ByBen Gray Aug 27, 2025

Liverpool have been told that they have “one hell of a player” on their hands in Federico Chiesa, with the Reds yet to see the Italian forward’s “true qualities”. The European Championship winner was heavily linked with a move elsewhere in the summer transfer window, but the deadline passed with no deal done and he remains part of Arne Slot’s plans at Anfield.

• Limited game time in title-winning season

  Former Juventus star Chiesa moved to England in a cut-price deal ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. His debut season in England saw the 27-year-old winger become a Premier League title winner, but he took in just 104 minutes of top-flight action across six appearances.

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• Getty
  

  Staying put: No deal done in transfer window

  Many expected Chiesa to head home after attracting interest from Serie A, but no suitable option materialised. That means that he remains on Merseyside, but no place was found for him in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for 2025-26.

• Champions League snub is not an issue

  Ex-Italy international Roberto Di Matteo does not consider that to be too much of an issue, with the Reds set to take in plenty of fixtures across multiple competitions this season, and believes that Chiesa can still “prove a point” if given an opportunity to showcase his talent.

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  Di Matteo's take on Chiesa's situation

  Di Matteo, who spent time in England with Chelsea during his playing days and was speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked if Chiesa would have benefited more from another transfer: “It’s a very good question. I’m not sure how much he knew that he was going to be out of the squad. I think that depended on [Alexander] Isak’s signing. The fact that they signed him lastminute.com cost him the position in the squad.

  “He had plenty of suitors in Serie A. I think there are two or three clubs that would have loved to have signed him. Maybe he wants to stick around at Liverpool and prove a point.

  “If he stays fit, he’s one hell of a player. I know him very well. He just hasn’t been able to show his true qualities. Let’s not forget that Liverpool did pretty well last season – they had a settled team, [Luis] Diaz and [Mohamed] Salah on the sides. It wasn’t easy to break into that team.

  “He showed glimpses of what he can do. But there are so many games, he’s not in the Champions League squad but he might get more Premier League time. It’s just a shame that we don’t see more of him because he’s a quality player.”

It feels like a very long time ago now since Enzo Le Fee put pen to paper on a permanent stay at Sunderland.

The confirmation of the dazzling Frenchman staying put at the Stadium of Light past his standout loan spell did occur way back at the start of June, long before the Black Cats had added in the likes of Habib Diarra for a whopping £30m, on top of also boldly convincing Granit Xhaka to return to the Premier League.

Sunderland’s ninth venture into the transfer market is nearly complete as well, as Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu set to join the building on loan very soon after passing his medical. Expect that number to soon hit double digits, too, if the ongoing Black Cats rumour mill is anything to go by.

Sunderland in the mix for £26m attacker

Every passing minute on Wearside seems to throw up another tantalising rumour.

TalkSPORT recently revealed that Sunderland had been plotting an ambitious free-agent swoop for former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, only to be met by the ex-England international keeping his options wide open, as a move further up the top-flight rankings is preferred.

Sunderland may well also face an uphill battle to land this explosive left winger off the back of new, emerging rumours coming out of Turkey.

Indeed, as per a fresh development from Turkish outlet Saba Spor – via X – Galatasaray are unwilling to let their star-man Barış Alper Yılmaz leave the Super Lig giants this summer, unless an ‘astronomical’ offer is forthcoming.

This will be a setback for those keeping an active eye on Yilmaz’s situation, with Atalanta, RB Leipzig, and West Ham United all named in the mix to pick up the exciting 25-year-old, alongside Sunderland, having been previously tipped to have a £26m price tag above his head.

It remains to be seen what amount would satisfy his current employers’ excessive wants, but if Sunderland were to win Yilmaz’s services down the line, he could go on to be viewed as another statement, Le-Fee style capture.

How Yilmaz can be another Le Fee level signing

After all, it was immediately apparent from minute one of Le Fee’s Sunderland adventure that the Frenchman had a higher pedigree about him.

Before heading to England to link up with his former Lorient boss in Regis Le Bris, the silky 25-year-old had amassed a bumper eight goals and 15 assists for the French side.

Unfortunately, a subsequent move to AS Roma just didn’t work out, but the Serie A outfit’s loss ended up being the Black Cats’ gigantic gain, as seen in him picking a single goal and three assists last season to steer Le Bris and Co. immediately up a division.

Yilmaz will hope he can be an instant spark, too, even as Sunderland wrestle with the difficulties of the punishing Premier League, having more than proven himself as an attacking force in his native Turkey.

He has routinely gotten the passionate Galatasaray masses out of their seats with his direct, rampaging approach in attack, with a hefty 25 goals and 20 assists next to his name from 156 appearances for the Super Lig giants.

12 of those strikes would come his way last season as his team reigned supreme again in the Turkish top-flight, with his sublime ability to carve out openings for his teammates also putting him on the same pedestal as Le Fee, as seen in him creating eight big chances in total from those 32 league encounters.

Games played

32

Goals scored

12

Assists

3

Shots*

2.4

Key passes*

1.4

Big chances missed

11

Big chances created

8

Total duels won*

6.3

Yilmaz might even find his game is elevated to that next level partnered alongside Le Fee, with the 25-year-old becoming even more of an “animal” – as he’s been dubbed by football journalist Uğur Karakullukçu – in front of goal as the French playmaker feeds him chances.

Sunderland never know when they’re beaten during this transfer window to date, with another big move in the offing if Le Bris and Co. are willing to splash the cash on another pricey buy.

Better signing than Xhaka: Sunderland make £26m "warrior" their top target

Sunderland is still interested in the prospect of landing this £26m star.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 6, 2025