Tottenham Hotspur moved up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday night when they travelled to the Hill Dickinson stadium to beat Everton 3-0.

The Lilywhites were not in total control, as they needed Guglielmo Vicario to make two incredibly impressive stops, but they did end the night with a comfortable scoreline.

Micky van de Ven’s first-half performance provided Spurs with a platform to go on and win the match, as he scored two goals to take his tally for the season to five.

Why Micky van de Ven has drawn comparisons to Jan Vertonghen

It feels inevitable that a left-footed centre-back will be compared to Jan Vertonghen at Spurs, particularly when the Belgian star scored five goals from centre-back in his first Premier League season in North London in the 2012/13 campaign, per Sofascore.

Vertonghen scored 14 goals in 314 appearances for Tottenham, per Transfermarkt, so it is easy to understand why some supporters have made the comparison, particularly when van de Ven once revealed that he “learned from” the Belgium international when watching him as a kid.

It was the former Spurs titan’s defensive work that made him a standout star, though, as he earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions, without scoring a single league goal in the second inclusion.

That is why Tottenham supporters should be looking to another player to compare to Vertonghen, as Kevin Danso’s defensive efforts against Everton were more Vertonghen-esque than van de Ven’s.

Spurs have unearthed their new Jan Vertonghen

Van de Ven may have scored two goals and impressed at the top end of the pitch, but it was Danso who was the shining light defensively for Thomas Frank against the Toffees.

The Austria international, as shown in the post above, made the most clearances in a game for the club since Vertonghen made 21 just shy of nine years ago.

It was an incredibly impressive outing from the former Southampton man against Everton, as he was consistently in the right place at the right time to make vital defensive interventions to prevent Vicario from being worked even more than he was.

Minutes

90

90

Tackles won

1/1

0/0

Clearances

18

7

Blocked shots

2

0

Ball recoveries

3

2

Ground duels won

2/2

1/2

Aerial duels won

4/4

1/4

As you can see in the table above, Danso offered far more to the team defensively than van de Ven did, with 11 more clearances, two more blocks, and a higher success rate in his duels on the ground and in the air.

These statistics show that the 27-year-old colossus, who was described as “quick” and “aggressive” by Jamie Redknapp, was the defensive cornerstone for the Lilywhites, and carried the Dutchman to a degree.

The £20m signing from Lens may not be a left-footed centre-back, or a huge goal threat, but he has shown that he has the impressive defensive instincts and qualities to be a Vertonghen-esque figure at the back for Frank.

If he can continue to put in performances like the one he showed against Everton, Cristian Romero may have a job on his hands to find a way of getting back into the starting line-up, as Danso currently looks undroppable.

Worse than Simons: Frank must drop 2/10 Spurs flop who lost 88% duels

Thomas Frank must drop this Tottenham Hotspur flop who was even worse than Xavi Simons.

ByDan Emery Oct 26, 2025

Frank appears to have unearthed his own Vertonghen in the defensive monster, who has won 100% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, and long may it continue as Spurs look to climb up the table.

Leeds United have endured a mixed start to life in the Premier League, and a path may now be emerging for one of their players to depart in January.

Leeds United look to recover after Burnley defeat

Points are a precious commodity in the top-flight, and the Whites will be feeling frustrated that they couldn’t make their chances count against Burnley in a frustrating defeat at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Despite retaining a vastly superior expected goals total of 2.63 to the hosts’ 0.45, Scott Parker managed to get the better of Daniel Farke, who expressed a sense of frustration at not being able to come away with a positive result after an afternoon of failing to hit the target.

Leeds told how long Hannibal may be banned for amid controversy vs Burnley

The Whites were at the centre of an alleged incident and will feel aggrieved.

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Oct 19, 2025

With West Ham United to come next Friday, Leeds will hope to build on a mixed start to life in the top-flight, but January will be an important month in the context of finding stars who can stave off the threat of relegation.

Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer is a Whites target, and they may now be set to offload one of their stars to make room for mid-season arrivals.

Leeds United could offload Jack Harrison in January

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Leeds could offload Jack Harrison in January if they manage to bring in attacking reinforcements, even after he started in the defeat to Burnley on Saturday.

He explained: “Look, for Leeds right now, they’re probably looking to strengthen the squad rather than weaken it. Particularly in attacking areas, where Farke is planning to strengthen in January. A lot will depend on what Leeds are able to do in the transfer window themselves.

Jack Harrison’s record at Leeds
Appearances	214
Goals	34
Assists	32

“If they are able to bring in attacking reinforcements then maybe that could open the door to a move for Jack Harrison.”

Earning £90,000 per week at Elland Road, he is the second-highest paid player at Leeds and being able to alleviate space on the wage bill could suit all parties, albeit he is a hard-working winger who has a credible Premier League CV based on his time in Yorkshire and at Everton.

However, he is far from first choice when everyone is fit, so a departure would possibly be a sensible option if clubs were to come forward with proposals.

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O Palmeiras tem um compromisso neste domingo (8), pelo Brasileirão, diante do Santos, às 16h, na Arena Barueri. Será o primeiro jogo do Verdão por lá desde que foi noticiado que a presidente Leila Pereira, por meio de sua empresa, a Crefipar, venceu a licitação para assumir a gestão do estádio. Ainda restam detalhes burocráticos para oficializar o negócio, mas é certo que quem tiver esse poder, precisará modernizar a arena.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Segundo consta na licitação promovida pela Prefeitura de Barueri, o investimento previsto para quem assumir a gestão será de cerca de R$ 525 milhões, o que engloba investimentos em reforma e os gastos de manutenção. A intenção do munícipio em abrir essa possibilidade para a iniciativa privada é o alto custo do estádio, que agora sairia das mãos do poder público.

Além desse investimento de aproximadamente meio bilhão de reais, há contrapartidas a serem cumpridas na concessão de 35 anos. Uma das principais delas é a instalação de um gramado sintético, o que chama a atenção, uma vez que o Palmeiras tem um acordo com a Prefeitura de Barueri para tratar da grama natural do estádio, a fim de deixar o terreno propício para a sequência de jogos que o clube terá de fazer por lá. Isso porque o Allianz Parque estará ocupado com eventos nos dias dos duelos com Santos, Athletico-PR, Internacional e América-MG.

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+ Empresa de Leila Pereira, presidente do Palmeiras, vence licitação para controlar Arena Barueri

O novo gestor da arena também será responsável pela recuperação da pintura de todos os locais do empreendimento, bem como a reforma dos assentos e demais elementos do estádio. Há até a possibilidade de uma cobertura para as arquibancadas e o próprio campo.

A tendência é que a arena esteja preparada para ser explorada comercialmente, seja com shows, jogos ou outros eventos que tenham como palco um estádio modernizado. O novo gestor também poderá negociar o naming rights, desde que haja preferência por manter “Barueri” no nome.

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+ Segunda casa? Palmeiras tem jogos históricos e ótimo retrospecto na Arena Barueri

Porém, nada disso está oficializado, pois ainda há detalhes a serem resolvidos antes do anúncio do novo gestor da Arena Barueri. Por enquanto, o Palmeiras segue fazendo uso do estádio quando estiver impedido de atuar no Allianz Parque. A mudança do local do clássico contra o Santos foi devido ao show do cantor The Weeknd na arena palmeirense.

Florian Wirtz signed for Liverpool for a fee which could rise to £116m, but his social media sensation girlfriend is stealing the spotlight after the Germany star’s move to England.

Wirtz, 22, penned a five-year deal on Merseyside which will keep him at Liverpool until at least 2030. The former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker makes £200,000-a-week at Liverpool, placing him among Liverpool’s top earners behind Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

Wirtz revealed he chose Liverpool because he believes they are one of the top three clubs in the world, and said his family took little convincing.

He is joined on Merseyside by his partner Aaliyah Cloßen, who is a model and social media influencer with over 100,000 followers on TikTok.

Who is Florian Wirtz's girlfriend?

Aaliyah Cloßen, known by her TikTok username simply as Aaliyah (@aaliyahcl), has reportedly been dating Wirtz since 2022. The pair have kept their private lives relatively quiet, but have been photographed together several times, most notably celebrating Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title in 2024.

Born in the early 2000s, she is a similar age to Wirtz, and is thought to be from the Cologne region of Germany.

Although not much is known about her professional activities, she rose to fame on TikTok, where she now has over 115,000 followers and 2.5 million likes thanks to her ‘get ready with me’ content, displaying her fashion, lifestyle and make-up.

She is also involved in modeling, and has worked with Cologne-based photographer Jonas Herrlein.

Aaliyah is regularly spotted in the stands watching Wirtz in action, and is thought to have a great relationship with his parents, father Hans-Joachim and mother Karin, as the trio were often seated alongside each other at Leverkusen and Germany matches.

She posted a video during Wirtz’s transfer saga with the song I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li, in which the lyrics repeat “I follow you”. One hopeful Bayern Munich fan commented on the post: “Munich is better than Liverpool is all I’m saying.”

Wirtz and Liverpool have had a poor start to the season, as the midfielder had to wait until mid October for his first goal contributions in a red shirt, assisting twice in a 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Alana King fights with three wickets but can’t avoid 89-run loss at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025

Hollie Armitage made Durham Women’s first professional century•Durham CCC

Durham 257 (Armitage 111, Windsor 55, King 3-31) beat Lancashire 168 (Fraser 3-33) by 89 runsAn excellent century from Durham captain Hollie Armitage led her side to an 89-run win in their Metro Bank One Day Cup clash with Lancashire Thunder.Durham’s total of 257 was supercharged by Armitage’s century, the first scored by a Durham player in professional women’s cricket, but three wickets from Alana King restricted the hosts in the closing period of the innings.Lancashire’s chase got off to a bad start as they found themselves 59 for four and they never really got going after that, with Durham bowling them out for 168 to continue their quarter-final pursuit.Armitage won the toss and elected to bat, but the hosts’ innings got off to a bad start as Lancashire got a moment of good fortune when Bates was run out backing up for 12.Armitage then came to the crease and played a delightful shot through the covers off the bowling of Sophie Morris, while Marlow played a tidy shot off her legs for four to keep the Durham total ticking over.The Durham pair were looking good, but a mix up between the wickets meant that Marlow had to depart as she was run out for a well-made 37.King then got her first as Mady Villiers edged a delivery straight into the hands of Eve Jones at slip for one. Armitage then passed fifty for the fourth time in the competition, with this one coming from 61 balls.Emily Windsor, making her Durham List A debut, joined Armitage and looked good as she launched a Morris ball down the ground for four.Lancashire had a chance to get the key wicket of Armitage when she mistimed a slog sweep off Tara Norris but Seren Smale failed to take a catch on the boundary with the Durham batter on 71.The attention quickly turned to a milestone at the other end as Windsor picked up her first half-century in a Durham shirt, with it coming from 47 balls.Windsor didn’t last much longer as King got her caught behind for a fluent 55, but Armitage continued to flow as she picked up back-to-back fours off Norris, but two quick wickets fell at the other end as King got Heath and Phoebe Turner was run out.However, Armitage managed to get her seventh List A century from 110 balls, but Norris got Katherine Fraser with the next ball.Gaur then got Grace Thompson, while Armitage and Sophia Turner were run out in the final over to leave Durham on 257 all out.Lancashire’s opening pair of Emma Lamb and Eve Jones guided their side through the opening overs with minimum fuss, but when Mady Villiers came into the attack that changed as she got Lamb, the top run scorer in this competition, caught behind for 12.Durham struck again to remove Tilly Kesteven for four as the Lancashire batter mistimed a cut shot off the bowling of Fraser and Thompson produced a superb diving catch at backward point.Lancashire’s poor start to their chase continued as Jones chipped one straight back to Fraser for 24 and the visitors were in trouble at 47 for three.Ellie Threlkeld relieved some pressure as she smashed Phoebe Turner’s first ball down the ground for four, but the Durham bowler struck back as she bowled the Lancashire captain with a beauty.Ailsa Lister played a glorious shot over the field on the offside for a much-needed boundary.Smale continued to tick the score along for the visitors, knowing that her partnership with Lister was key to any Lancashire victory hopes, but that partnership didn’t last much longer as Katie Levick got Lister caught at cover for 18. King failed to have the same impact with the bat as she did with the ball as she was caught behind off the bowling of Levick for four.Durham were on the brink of victory as Villiers got Smale LBW for 32 to leave Lancashire seven down.Kate Cross looked to offer some resistance as she played a pair of nice shots off the bowling of Phoebe Turner, but Fraser picked up her third as she removed Norris.Sophia Turner then got in on the act as she bowled Cross for a resolute 34 and she wrapped up the win, bowling Morris for a golden duck.

It’s always nice to see a player rebound from adversity. Ahead of England’s comfortable 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday evening, Manchester City’s John Stones said he considered retiring last season amid endless injury problems.

But the 30-year-old Stones has already started five matches across all competitions for the Citizens this term, and he cruised through the win at Wembley, albeit suffering but surviving a fitness scare.

Stones isn’t the only one of a City persuasion to be targeting renaissance at the more mature end of their career, though, with Jack Grealish starting to look like a £100m player once again.

Only, he’s doing it over on Merseyside, in an Everton shirt.

Why Man City loaned out Jack Grealish

Pep Guardiola broke the bank when signing Grealish from Aston Villa for a British record £100m fee. It was 2021. The Three Lions star was silky and stylish and all the rest, but he got lost somewhere within the Man City mechanics during his four years at the Etihad.

Still, the 30-year-old is a Citizen, shipped out on loan to Everton this summer. But Grealish has returned to his finest form so far this season, notching four assists in August to claim the Premier League Player of the Month and scoring the recent winner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to end Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run.

Grealish, perhaps, is at his best when the leading figure in a team, the talisman. Under Pep’s wing, something went awry, and he toiled on the margins for his past two Premier League campaigns.

If the Sky Blues succeed in selling the £300k-per-week talent permanently next summer, they will not recoup anything near the figure once paid.

Across 157 outings for Man City, Grealish scored 17 times and supplied 23 assists for his teammates.

He was never a prolific player, per se, but there’s no doubt plenty was left to be desired, and Guardiola knew it, handing his record signing just 17 Premier League starts across his final two terms. During this period, he notched six goal contributions.

Grealish isn’t the only one who might have been ferried out this summer, though, with Pep and co maybe looking back at the opportunity to sell Bernardo Silva for a hefty figure with something akin to regret.

Pep should have sold Bernardo Silva

Silva, 31, is one of the definitive superstars of the Guardiola era at Manchester City. A six-time Premier League champion, his 419 appearances for the club place him ninth in the all-time charts.

But he’s beginning to dip. Even though the boss named him captain this summer, Silva has lost some of the magic that has so often been discernible throughout his career, and Fabrizio Romano has said only this week that the veteran “has chances to leave Man City” ahead of 2026.

It’s been a long and storied career for Silva at Manchester City, but Guardiola’s side are evolving, and habitually have the rumours of the Iberian talent’s potential departure emerged in recent years.

Last season was a struggle for everyone at the club, but Silva felt the upheaval and tumult more than most. His output was halved, and he was placed on the substitute’s bench seven times across the latter half of the top-flight term.

17/18

53

9 (10)

18/19

51

13 (13)

19/20

52

8 (10)

20/21

45

5 (9)

21/22

50

13 (7)

22/23

55

7 (7)

23/24

49

11 (11)

24/25

52

6 (5)

25/26

9

0 (1)

Altered in his role, Silva no longer produces goals and assists with the same regularity, and Sofascore record he is averaging just one chance per Premier League game this season, losing 70% of his duels so far.

He’s captained Man City six times across all competitions this season, and remains one of the most fleet-footed and intelligent players in the Premier League, even described as “one of the best players” Guardiola has ever seen.

But, aged 31, there’s a sense he’s into the autumn of his career in English football, and is not indispensable as he once was.

He’s still a tenacious and layered attacking midfielder, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe for pass completion, the top 10% for tackles and the top 7% for carries per 90, but the Portugal international could have fetched a pretty penny indeed for City in the past, with Transfermarkt recording the ace once bore a market value of €100m (£86m).

Silva is among only the top 54% for goals and assists combined, which isn’t enough for a City side looking for different attacking dimensions, easing the burden on Erling Haaland.

Saudi Arabian suitors presented themselves last year, got their bids at the ready. It came to nought, but since the Portuguese star has hinted this coming season could be his last as he stares at the culmination of his contract in Manchester, might there be a touch of ruefulness that a big sale could not have been engineered, and instead City must wave goodbye to one of their best on a free?

News is indeed growing over the possibility of Silva’s summer departure on a free, with Benfica and AC Milan considered among the frontrunners. This is a reality that Man City must accept. Perhaps they should have sold him last season, or the year before, but having signed him way back in 2017 for £43.5m, there are some who would suggest City have received bang for their buck.

Concerning the regret over not selling sooner to speed up the rebuild, the same logic might be attributed to Grealish, who languished on the side at Man City for two years before earning a move to Everton and resurrecting his career. Had City cashed in on either before they dipped and waned, a hefty figure may have been had.

He's a "cheat code": Man City sold bigger talent than O’Reilly for £300k

Man City might wish they’d kept hold of another academy star in recent years

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2025

Karun Nair, currently with the India team playing Test cricket in England, is set to return to Karnataka three seasons after his last appearance for the team. Nair, who was with Vidarbha the past two seasons, received a no-objection-certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association on Monday evening, allowing him to turn out for his original state team.”I’d like to thank VCA for everything they’ve done for me in the last two years,” Nair said in a statement. “Whatever I’ve achieved in the last two years is credit to how they managed me and took care of me like I was their own. Grateful to the VCA, and all the players and support staff.”As a team, we achieved special things. The atmosphere was so positive. The opportunity to lead such an amazing bunch during the Vijay Hazare and achieving success in the Ranji Trophy is something I’ll look back on very fondly.”Nair’s return to Karnataka comes at a time when his stocks have risen considerably from the time he had left. Having been a central figure in Vidarbha’s run to their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year, Nair earned a recall to India’s Test squad after more than eight years on the back of his 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93. This included a match-winning century in the final against Kerala – Kerala, interestingly, had been keen on signing Nair around the time he was left out of the Karnataka squad in 2021-22.Nair also had a record-breaking run in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he captained Vidarbha to a runners-up finish. He made a chart-topping 779 runs in eight innings, with five consecutive hundreds, while striking at 124.01. During the tournament, he set a new List A record of scoring the most runs (542) without being dismissed.Related

• Nair takes his long-awaited chance to light up big stage again

He hasn’t produced anything near the same volume of runs on tour in England so far. Having warmed up for the series with a double-century for India A against England Lions in Beckenham, Nair has so far produced scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the three Tests; his four most recent knocks coming at No. 3.Nair returns to a Karnataka set-up teeming with talented batters. R Smaran, KL Shrijith and KV Aneesh all had breakout seasons in 2024-25. Smaran topped the runs tally for Karnataka, hitting 516 runs in ten innings during the Ranji season, while Shrijith hit a century on first-class debut. With Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain and Devdutt Padikkal a definite starter, there could be a healthy selection dilemma for the team management. There might also a slight deviation from the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s stance of looking to the future, something the departure of senior players K Gowtham and Manish Pandey were examples of.Meanwhile, seamer V Koushik has obtained an NOC from Karnataka to shift to Goa for the upcoming season. A late bloomer who gave up a corporate job to make his Ranji debut in 2019-20 at 27, Koushik emerged as one of the key members of Karnataka’s pace attack following the retirements of R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind. Koushik was Karnataka’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy; his 23 wickets across seven matches came at 18.73. This included two five-wicket hauls.

كشف فيديريكو كييزا، لاعب فريق ليفربول، عن اختياره لأفضل جناح في العالم في الوقت الحالي، من وجهة نظره، حسبما أعلن في حواره مع شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية.

وطُلب من كييزا اختيار الجناح الأفضل في العالم حاليًا، حيث قال في حواره: “محمد صلاح، لامين يامال، رافينها”.

وعندما سُئل عن اختياره لأحد اللاعبين فقط، من الثلاثي الذي ذكرهم في حديثه، قال كييزا: “الأمر صعب، ولكن حسنًا، سأقول لامين يامال”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سلوت: جوارديولا مدرب “نادر”.. ولم أقابل قائدًا صاخبًا مثل فان دايك

وفيما يخص لامين يامال، قال كييزا: “الشيء الأكثر غرابة بشأنه، أو ليس غريبًا، أعتقد تفهم قصدي، بالنسبة للاعب في مثل عمره، أن يكون دقيقًا للغاية ويقوم بالأشياء الصحيحة في التوقيت المناسب، إنه أمر لا يمكن تصديقه”.

وأضاف: “إنه لاعب رائع، بالطبع يمكنك رؤية براعته من الناحية الفنية، المهارات والمراوغة، أيًا كان، ما يفعله بشكل صحيح يجعله على مستوى عالِ، إنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم في الوقت الحالي”.

وعن محمد صلاح، قال: “إنه لاعب رائع، لقد أظهر كم هو لاعب من الطراز العالمي، لقد أظهر ذلك على مدار سنوات عديدة في الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث من الصعب أن تلعب في تلك البطولة”.

واختتم: “كذلك يمكن الأخذ في الاعتبار عدد الأهداف التي سجلها في الموسم الماضي، يمكن النظر إلى الهدف الذي سجله على سبيل المثال ضد برينتفورد، كل ذلك يظهر مدى جودته كلاعب كرة قدم”.

Xabi Alonso has responded to Vinicius Junior's public apology in light of his unpleasant reaction to being taken off during the 2-1 win against Barcelona last weekend. Speaking to reporters, the Real Madrid head coach put all doubts to bed once and for all by claiming that the "matter is closed" while also admitting that the Brazilian was "impeccable" during the conversations they had.

• Vinicius issues apology after Clasico touchline tantrum

  The Brazilian winger was in red-hot form during the 2-1 El Clasico win over rivals Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend, putting in an electric display that unsettled the visitors' defence time and again. For all his razzmatazz down the left flank, he was hooked in the 72nd minute by Real Madrid head coach Alonso. 

  “Me? Me? Mister, mister! Me?", Vini Jr shouted in disbelief as Alonso prepared to introduce Rodrygo in the second half. The Madrid No.7 walked off the pitch looking visibly furious at Alonso's decision and headed straight to the tunnel. "Always me… I am leaving the team. I am leaving. It's better I leave," he reportedly muttered as he stormed to the locker room instead of joining the rest of his team-mates on the bench. 

  He eventually returned to the dugout before the full-time whistle, but his reaction drew a lot of backlash. Per reports in Spain, Madrid were unhappy with Vini's behaviour and saw his actions as unjustifiable. However, they reportedly decide not to impose any institutional fines or disciplinary measures. 

  In the aftermath of the incident, Vini issued a public apology. "Today I want to apologise to all the Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clasico," he wrote in a statement on X on Wednesday. "Just as I have already done in person during today's training, I also want to apologise again to my teammates, the club, and the president. Sometimes passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team. My competitive character stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents. I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since the first day."

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  Alonso clears the air regarding Vinicius Jr

  After the Clasico, Alonso told reporters that he'd have a conversation with the 25-year-old. "Vini’s character? There are different personalities in any dressing room. Right now we will enjoy the win, then we’ll have a conversation, for sure," the mister said. 

  On Friday, during his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Valencia, Alonso commented on Vini Jr.’s public apology, confirming that the issue is now considered resolved. "Has Vinicius apologised to me? We had a meeting with everyone on Wednesday, and Vinicius was impeccable. He spoke honestly and was very good. For me, that settles the matter."

  When asked about being left out from Vini's public statement, Alonso remarked: "It was a very valuable, very positive statement. He demonstrated his honesty; he spoke from the heart. What he said was the most important thing, and I was very satisfied. I've already said it, I was very proud and the matter was settled on Wednesday itself. We trained well yesterday, I see Vini doing well, and we're all in the same boat and rowing in the same direction."

  The former Bayer Leverkusen also confirmed that Vini will not be reprimanded. "It's closed. We have a match tomorrow and there will be no retaliation against him," he said, before adding: "I think the team, and everyone, including Vinicius, is focused on what's most important. Everyone wants to be on the pitch. The focus is the same. We want to proceed safely.

• Alonso row won't affect Vinicius Jr renewal plans

  In recent months, speculation has intensified over Vini Jr.’s future at Madrid, following a stall in contract negotiations between the player and the club. The Brazilian forward is reportedly seeking a salary increase that would bring his earnings in line with those of teammate Kylian Mbappe, currently the highest-paid player on Madrid’s wage bill.

  However, recent reports suggest that both Vini Jr and Los Blancos are willing to continue together. "My love for this club will never change," he said recently, even though his stature within the club seems to have been affected following Mbappe's arrival. 

  While no new date for further negotiations is in place, it is expected that the two parties will reach an agreement before next summer. Reports suggest that Madrid want to keep Vini Jr until at least 2030, with his current deal expiring in 2027. 

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  Will Vinicius Jr start against Valencia?

  In his first few months at the Bernabeu, Alonso has made it clear that he is a firm believer in squad rotation; Los Merengues have yet to field the same starting XI in consecutive matches. As for Vini Jr, he has completed the full 90 minutes only three times in 13 appearances this season. While his reaction to being substituted against Barcelona may have influenced Alonso’s decision to potentially bench him against Valencia on Saturday, it remains to be seen whether the coach will restore the Brazilian to the starting lineup or give Rodrygo another chance on the left wing.

Back-to-back victories before the international break should have meant Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United were in a confident mood travelling to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

However, come full-time on the South Coast, the visiting Magpies fell victim to a third Premier League defeat of the campaign already, as a Danny Welbeck double handed the hosts a slender 2-1 victory.

Sitting in a below-par 12th position after eight games could spur Howe into taking decisive action to push his team up the standings, with regular first-teamer Joelinton perhaps at risk of dropping out of his manager’s starting XI, after another out-of-sorts performance was served up by the Brazilian.

Why Joelinton needs to be replaced

With 239 Newcastle games under his belt, it is clear that Joelinton is a firm fan favourite at St James’ Park when he’s firing on all cylinders.

Indeed, the energetic South American has even been hailed as a “machine” in the past by teammate Kieran Trippier when he’s run himself into the ground for the cause, with his tally of 31 goals and 21 assists over that same stretch of games making him an even more useful asset to have around, away from just his hard-working nature.

Yet, he hasn’t been without his critics this season, with his 45-minute stint against the Seagulls last time out declared by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne as being “not good enough” amid his overall drop-off being “really noticeable.”

When looking deeper into his numbers, it’s clear to see why many haven’t minced their words, with the number seven only managing to register 21 accurate passes as a passenger, while also failing to hit a single effort at the Brighton goal.

Unfortunately, it does appear as if Joelinton is now declining after hitting his Tyneside peak, with a period out of Howe’s first team maybe doing the eight-time Brazil international some good in the long run, as he attempts to get back to his best.

It could also open up opportunities for those on the periphery to take over from Joelinton, with one youthful bright spark now ready to be unleashed as a long-term replacement for the 29-year-old.

Newcastle's ideal Joelinton replacement

Of course, Joelinton isn’t in isolation as an underperformer that will be worrying Howe, with Anthony Elanga also hooked at the half-time break against Brighton after an equally unmemorable shift against Fabian Hurzeler’s hosts.

Jacob Murphy could well step up and replace Elanga in the near future as an experienced, steady presence in his manager’s camp. Whereas, when searching for a replacement for Joelinton, Howe might be tempted to give 19-year-old hotshot Lewis Miley the platform to express himself more regularly, after the teenager assisted Nick Woltemade’s clever finish against Brighton.

Credit also has to go to the number 67, who quickly found Woltemade in space to convert with a back-heel, after only being on the pitch for 31 minutes to pick up his first goal contribution of the season.

This already gives him the upper hand over Joelinton, with Miley hopeful he can live up to all the early hype that surrounded his fledgling Magpies career once upon a time to maintain a first-team spot.

Miley’s senior Newcastle numbers

Stat

Miley

Premier League games

38

Age of PL debut

17 years, 27 days

PL goals

2

PL assists

4

Champions League games

4

Age of CL debut

17 years, 6 months + 7 days

CL goals

0

CL assists

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Amazingly, Miley is already up to 54 senior appearances for his boyhood side, with Premier League and Champions League debuts handed to the 6-foot-2 ace at just 17 years of age, not fazing him one bit, with an assist also next to his name in Europe’s elite competition.

It has led to a lot of praise coming his way, with NBC Sport’s Robbie Earle once referring to Miley as a “little diamond” for his “classy” displays, while pundit Pat Nevin has also exclaimed that the 19-year-old is “the next young English superstar.”

Still, despite all these glowing words, Miley only has one top-flight start next to his name this season.

Expect that to soon change, however, if Howe decides that enough is enough for Joelinton being a concrete member of his first team.

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