Manchester United have identified their top target to reinforce their midfield in 2026, and INEOS are confident they can complete a deal in the new year.

The Red Devils continued their rollercoaster form under Ruben Amorim on Sunday, following defeat against Everton with an extremely professional display to come from behind against a Crystal Palace side who had not tasted defeat in the Premier League since October.

After an abysmal display against the Toffees, the second half performance at Selhurst Park was a real show of what United are capable of, as they nullified Palace’s attacking threat and tested Dean Henderson on several occasions.

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By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 30, 2025

Amorim revealed he had told his players the Eagles would struggle to maintain their first half intensity after their trip to France to face Strasbourg in Conference League on Thursday.

“I said to the players we need to be more alive and you could feel that. If you are more alive, you are in more places, near the ball more often and everyone did that, but we also need to understand that the opponent is tired,” the Portuguese said as United moved up into the top seven.

“If you see the last plays of the game, they were struggling so much to take the ball out of the box and you could feel it in the way they move that they were getting tired for the second half and we talked about that.

“And again, our pace and intensity in the first half, we cannot play like that in Premier League, so we increased that. I had the feeling and we had the feeling that if we scored one goal, this would change completely.”

Perhaps the only standout performance for the hosts was that of Adam Wharton, and reports after the game revealed United are confident of securing a deal for the Crystal Palace midfielder in the new year.

Gary Lineker heaps praise on Man Utd target Adam Wharton

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast on Monday morning, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards discussed the England international’s performance against United, as he set up the chance that led to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty with a stunning pass.

“I’ll tell you, Adam Wharton, oh my, boy, he can play,” said the former Match of the Day Host.

Richards added: “I was doing all my analysis on Adam Wharton and then United go and score and you got to give United a little bit of credit.”

Wharton struggled with injuries last season, and was praised for putting in “world class” displays while awaiting surgery on a groin problem, but has proven his durability this season, starting 11 times in the league and twice in Europe.

Amorim believes the 21-year-old fits what he is looking for at Old Trafford, and despite links to fellow Premier League riser Elliot Anderson, INEOS are confident they can win the race for Wharton if they achieve their goal of European football.

Manchester City are expected to be active in the market over the near future and could now beat rivals Manchester United to sign a teenage sensation who has excelled at the Under-17 World Cup.

Pep Guardiola will hope his side can strike up a bid to claim the Premier League title this season. However, they suffered a setback on the road to potential glory after falling to a defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.

Harvey Barnes’ double cancelled out Ruben Dias’ equaliser at St James’ Park, albeit the Citizens were off colour in front of goal and were made to rue their missed chances, something Guardiola pointed out when speaking after the match.

He said: “Newcastle is a top side, top players, top manager, so unfortunately tonight we could not make the momentum that we had. It was an entertaining game, we both had chances, and then there was a momentum shift, and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

Ultimately, there is plenty of football still to be played and twists will occur before the Premier League title race starts to take a clear course. Still, Manchester City are now sitting adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea, which is something that needs to give over the next few weeks.

Man City’s upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Champions League

Leeds United (H)

Premier League

Fulham (A)

Premier League

Sunderland (H)

Premier League

Real Madrid (A)

Champions League

Nico O’Reilly’s emergence into the Citizens’ first-team and Matheus Nunes slotting in at right-back show that solutions are there to be stumbled upon for Guardiola, though you get the feeling January will be an important month to conclude meaningful business.

While bringing in senior players will be the priority, there may also be a focus on acquiring stars of the future at the Etihad Stadium amid recent developments.

Man City keen to sign Under-17 World Cup star Mohamed Zongo

According to Africa Foot, Man City are keen to sign Tenakourou Academy star Mohamed Zongo, who is also on the radar of Manchester United, Villarreal and Anderlecht after giving an excellent account of himself at the Under-17 World Cup.

On the biggest stage within his age group, the 15-year-old registered two goals and three assists from an attacking midfield role, and the Citizens have now initiated talks alongside the trio mentioned.

Labelled “magic” by Under-23 football scout Antonio Mango, he may become the next exciting gem in a long line at Manchester City, though no club has reached an agreement after his exploits at the youth World Cup.

Either way, beating Manchester United to his signature would be a signal of intent by Manchester City as they build for the future at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City & Pep now keen on Real Madrid star with Erling Haaland swap possible

رد لويس روبياليس، رئيس الاتحاد الإسباني السابق لكرة القدم، على هجوم رئيس نادي ريال مدريد، فلورنتينو بيريز ضد برشلونة خلال الأيام الماضية.

بيريز شن هجوما كبيرا على برشلونة خلال الأيام الماضية، موضحًا أن الفريق الكتالوني قد استفاد بصورة كبيرة من التحكيم ومن الاتحاد الإسباني بقيادة رئيسه الحالي خافيير تيباس.

وأشار روبياليس في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، إلى أن بيريز قد تواصل معه بنفسه من أجل العمل على تعديلات على تقنية الفار بالفعل.

وقال روبياليس: ”أرسل لي صديق فيديو يروي كيف اتصل بي فلورنتينو بيريز، رئيس ريال مدريد، ومنذ ذلك الحين طرأ تغيير على تقنية الفيديو المساعد وأرغب في شرح ذلك”.

وأضاف روبياليس في حديثه: “واجهنا مشكلة مع تقنية الفيديو المساعد، مع التقنية الأولى لم تكن عدسة الكاميرا متوافقة مع خط التسلل، كانت هناك مشكلة فنية وكانت هناك حالات تسلل لم يكن من الممكن رصدها بشكل صحيح، ولكن تم تصحيحها عند اختيار تقنية الفيديو المساعد الثانية”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. تيباس عن تصريحات بيريز الهجومية: “متطرف وعنصري”

وأوضح: “اتصالات تيباس كانت لخدمة مصالح ذاتية، تلقيت اتصالات من جميع الرؤساء والمديرين العامين والرؤساء التنفيذيين وبعض المديرين الرياضيين، خلال خمس سنوات لي كرئيس للاتحاد الإسابني، اتصل بي جميع فرق الدرجتين الأولى والثانية للاحتجاج وطلب عقد اجتماعات”.

وأردف روبياليس: ”علاوة على ذلك، تم وضع بروتوكول يسمح لهم بالاتصال بنا وإرسال الرسائل إلينا وكتابة خطابات إلينا ونتيجة لهذه الاتصالات، تم تحديد مواعيد مع هيئة الاتصالات الإسبانية”.

وتابع: “خلال السنوات الخمس التي قضيتها هناك، أعتقد أننا تلقينا اتصالًا أو اتصالين من ريال مدريد وهناك العديد من الأندية الأخرى التي تلقينا منها اتصالًا واحدًا أو اثنين أو ثلاثة أو عشرة أو حتى خمسة عشر اتصالًا حول تقنية الفار”.

واختتم روبياليس: ”هناك أمور أخرى لا يحسن ريال مدريد التعامل معها، على سبيل المثال مع دوري السوبر كان لدينا خلاف، أو مع قضية البث التلفزيوني كانت هناك أمور لم تعجبنا وناقشناها مع النادي، لكن قضية تقنية الفيديو فاجأتني، لأنني أصر على أن ريال مدريد اتصل بنا مرة أو مرتين بينما اتصل بنا آخرون أكثر”.

Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Monday night highlights the job Ruben Amorim still has on his hands at Old Trafford.

Kiernan Drewsbury-Hall’s effort in the first half was enough to secure all three points for David Moyes’ men, which will no doubt leave the Red Devils boss scratching his head.

His men spent 77 minutes with a one-man advantage, but none of his first-team squad could pop up with the goods to extend their unbeaten run in England’s top-flight.

Despite spending £200m on a new attacking trio over the summer, the Red Devils looked largely toothless in front of goal, as seen by their tally of 100% big chances missed.

However, the manager will desperately want added reinforcements in the upcoming January window to aid him in his quest for success during his time at Old Trafford.

United’s hunt for added attacking signings in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been identified as just one player whom United are targeting for the January transfer window.

The Ghanaian international has been in remarkable form during the early stages of 2025/26, with the winger already netting six goals and three assists in just 11 appearances for the Cherries.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in the pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal and Liverpool just two other top-flight clubs seeking a £65m move for his signature.

He’s not the only player on the Red Devils’ shortlist, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior a player who INEOS are potentially considering a move for in the coming months.

According to The Mirror, the Brazilian international could leave the LaLiga giants in the coming months, with the forward having just 19 months left on his current deal – leading to keen interest from the Red Devils.

It also states his recent bust-up with senior members at the Bernabeu could see them cash in on his services to avoid losing him for nothing in the near future.

How Vinicius Junior compares to Bryan Mbeumo

As part of their £200m spending spree in the summer, United forked out a reported £71m on the services of forward Bryan Mbeumo from fellow Premier League side Brentford.

The Cameroonian generated huge excitement within the Red Devils fanbase after netting 20 times in the league last season, with the 26-year-old already making an excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

He’s already netted five goals in his first 12 league outings for the club, with such a tally currently making him the top goalscorer within Amorim’s squad.

However, his showing against Everton yesterday was one to forget, with the attacker struggling to provide the goods amid the absence of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo was only able to register a single effort on target whilst also failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – further highlighting his lack of impact in the final third.

There’s no doubt he’s been a shrewd addition to date, but ultimately, he hasn’t been able to get near the levels produced by Vinicius during his opening matches in LaLiga.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats this campaign, the Brazilian has massively outperformed Mbeumo – showcasing why he’d be a better addition for the Red Devils.

Vinicius, who’s been dubbed the “best in the world” by Thierry Henry, has racked up more combined goals and assists this season – subsequently handing Amorim a more threatening option in front of goal.

He’s also registered more key passes and more passes into the final third per 90, with such numbers allowing those around him to be on the end of more chances in attacking areas.

Games played

13

12

Goals & assists

9

6

Progressive carries

8.9

2.8

Progressive passes

4.8

2.7

Pass accuracy

80%

73%

Key passes

2.9

1.7

Passes into final third

1.9

1.5

Take-on success

38%

33%

Carries into final third

2.9

1.9

The Brazilian’s all-round dominance over Mbeumo is further highlighted in his higher take-on success and greater tally of carries into the final third per 90, which showcases his ability to go alone when needed.

A player of Vini Jr’s quality would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with such a move likely to break the club’s current transfer record of £89m paid for Paul Pogba.

However, it would be a deal worth every penny, with the winger having all of the tools to take the United frontline to the next level for many years to come under Amorim’s guidance.

Not just Zirkzee: Man Utd man who was among the 'world's best' must be axed

Manchester United’s flaws were brutally exposed in Monday’s dismal defeat to Everton.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 25, 2025

Jurgen Klopp has already delivered his verdict on completing a return to Liverpool, who endured yet another disastrous afternoon in the Premier League as Nottingham Forest secured a dominant victory.

It’s hard to believe that the Reds were Premier League champions in May, and impressive ones at that. Arne Slot arrived and quickly conquered to shock the rest of English football. It looked like Michael Edwards had performed another act of recruitment genius, but now uncomfortable questions are beginning to emerge.

Liverpool have lost five of their last eight games and now sit in the bottom-half after 12 league games, all but ending their title defence before January has even arrived. After breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, it is a run of form that no one saw coming.

It’s now up to Slot to prove his credentials in a crisis. Victory over Real Madrid and Aston Villa proved that there is still plenty of quality in this Liverpool side, it’s just a question of when that quality will be on show.

Just how long Slot will have to turn things around is also a big question. Liverpool have never rushed managerial decisions and Slot has much more credit in the bank than others have done in the past, but the current run of results needs to end – especially if they come at Anfield.

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With the pressure building, Liverpool are set to play host to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday. Defeat there would certainly do further damage to the credit that Slot banked last season and perhaps send a timely reminder about Klopp’s answer about if he’d ever make a shock return.

Klopp's seven-word answer when asked if he was returning to Liverpool

Just before leaving the club, Klopp was asked if he’d ever make a return to the Anfield dugout if Liverpool needed him.

At the time and certainly for the entirety of last season, it was simply a throw-away answer and one that looked unlikely to rear its head again. Now, however, those at Anfield could do with their iconic manager’s energy more than ever.

They won’t and shouldn’t panic about Slot’s current run, but Liverpool should ensure that the Dutchman channels his very own version of Klopp. When Klopp’s sides were up against it, he had that unique ability to pull off what many still deem miracles to this day. He turned doubters to believers to champions. Slot must now remind his very own champions just who they are in similar fashion.

Meanwhile, if the manager’s run continues then Edwards could yet turn back towards one of the best managers in the club’s history for a stunning second stint.

£280,000-a-week Liverpool star slammed for "anonymous" Nottingham Forest display

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank is under “serious” pressure as a result of his comments following the 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North London derby.

Tottenham were the underdogs heading to the Emirates Stadium, and a defeat was always going to be the most likely outcome, but Frank was left unhappy with the overall performance, so much so that he issued an apology to fans after the match.

The Dane said: “Very difficult afternoon. Bad performance. It’s extremely painful to stand here after that game. We can only apologise to the fans for not performing better. I was very confident we could be competitive today. We weren’t.”

The 52-year-old also tried to put things into perspective by reminding fans that Spurs are still a work in progress, having amassed just 38 points in the Premier League during the 2024-25 campaign.

However, it would be fair to say those comments haven’t gone down too well, with an insider now claiming the manager is playing a risky game by speaking out like that in the press…

Frank under serious pressure after post-Arsenal comments

Football Insider’s well-connected Mick Brown told the outlet: “At some stage, he has got to take some accountability and he can’t keep avoiding the issues and pushing the blame on to what happened last season. That’s happened now, it’s done, and the focus should be on what they’re doing now.”

Brown also added: “The thing is, that’s only going to add to the pressure on him, and he won’t want to alienate the fans because when that happens things can only get worse.

“Obviously, after a game like that, serious questions are going to be asked but I still think there’s time for him to turn things around, he just needs to focus on the here and now.”

As Spurs are currently sitting just three points off the top four, Frank should be given more time to put things right, but things undoubtedly have to improve, off the back of what Jamie O’Hara branded a “disgusting” defeat.

It was not the first time the north Londoners have seriously struggled to create chances this season either, recording an xG of just 0.05, the fourth-lowest since records began in the Premier League, against Chelsea earlier this month.

After the trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Tottenham will be looking to pick up just their second home league win of the season against Fulham on Saturday, with Frank hopefully implementing a much more expansive style of play.

Tottenham players disagree with Spurs hierarchy on Thomas Frank's future

Matt Renshaw says he’d love to open the batting for Australia in the Ashes series, but it’s not the be-all, end-all in his life

AAP22-Oct-2025

A Zen-like Matt Renshaw has freed himself of all thoughts about opening the batting for Australia in the looming Ashes series.Renshaw says he’s oblivious to speculation of being recalled to the Test team to face England.”Obviously I want to be there, it would be remiss of me not to say that,” he told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday. “But I try and stay away from it as much as possible.”Related

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Renshaw, who made 21 not out on ODI debut on Sunday, was so surprised to be summoned to Australia’s squad for the current ODI series against India, he had to Google when and where the games were scheduled.The 29-year-old is also unaware how many runs are being scored by other contenders for Australia’s much-debated opening slot. It’s a deliberate ploy to free his mind, and a far cry from the 20-year-old Renshaw who made his Test debut in 2016.”There’s been times in my career where I come off after a Shield game, and obviously all the Shield games are on at the same time, and you’re looking at the scorecard, you’re looking at different names, seeing how they went,” he said.”Now, like the first Shield game [this season], I couldn’t tell you who scored runs in other games.”Knowing that it doesn’t really matter in terms of someone else scoring runs, it doesn’t matter to how I’m going to go out and play my game.”Matthew Renshaw made a century in the first Shield game of the season•Getty Images

Being a father of a two-year-old girl and five-month-old boy was now Renshaw’s validation, rather than earning a Test recall or  judging himself on his run-scoring.”A lot of the time you try and force a few things, you see someone else gets runs, and you go: ‘I need to score runs because then I’m going to be picked for Australia, then I’m going to become a good person’,” he said.”That whole mentality when you’re young is that’s how you view yourself as a person.”Whereas now I go home and I’ve got to change nappies, I’ve got to put kids to bed, I’ve got to try and calm screaming babies down.”When you’re young, you go home, you have got nothing to do, so you’re just sitting on your phone scrolling.”I hide. I don’t have the Cricket Australia app, I don’t try and look at any news, I hide all the cricket stuff on my Instagram so I don’t see it.”Renshaw made his Test debut after just 12 first-class games, struck a century in his fourth Test, but has played only 14 Tests overall – the most recent in 2023.But a century for Queensland in the first Sheffield Shield game of the season has the left-hander in the Ashes frame. Former Australia captain and one of the selectors who first picked him for Test cricket, Greg Chappell, believes Renshaw is the man who should open in Perth.Renshaw, however, is taking notes from how fellow Queenslander and Australian opener Usman Khawaja handled his time away from Test cricket.”Once you sort of realise that it might not happen again, you talk to people,” Renshaw said.”I am really close with Uzzy, he thought his Test journey was over and look at him now. I try and talk to him about he’s going about it.”It’s just amazing, it’s almost like once you let go of that one side of playing for Australia, that’s what I need to do.”I have two kids now, they’re a huge part of my life, so it’s knowing that cricket’s not like my sole reason, it’s everything else.”If I get everything else in order, the cricket will just take care of itself.”

The draw is here. Who needs the easiest group? Who could make a run? And did FIFA’s seeding just tilt the field? GOAL's writers weigh in.

And so it gets real. The World Cup draw feels like an inflection point in every cycle. From the end of the previous tournament – when Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in Qatar – everything has basically been informed guesswork. We knew that some teams would be here as hosts. We could make some solid guesses as to who would join them. And even after qualifying last month yielded (most of) the rest of the field, no one substantively knows very much until the draw.

Now it's here. Starting Friday, we will get a real sense of how this tournament will look. We will know who will play who. We will know if the U.S. are odds on to make a run to the quarters, or could crash out at the group. We will have a good sense if England can bring football home. 

Still, there are some questions to be asked here. 48 teams is a lot for a World Cup. And FIFA has set up the seeding so that the highest ranked teams are unlikely to face any of their most apparent competition later in the tournament. Sure, this is randomization, but it's not as unpredictable as in years past. Is that a good thing? Or should there be more obstacles? 

GOAL US writers break down the World Cup draw and make some far too early predictions in another edition of… .

AFPOut of the USA, Mexico and Canada, which team needs a friendly draw?

Tom Hindle: ALL OF THEM, really. But the Canadians could really do with a good one. Canada manager Jesse Marsch has hammered home the point that they could play a ton of home games if they top their group. If he manifests that, then it'll be a sight to see – but they will certainly need a little luck on the day. 

Ryan Tolmich: All three would LOVE a friendly draw, but in terms of need? Mexico, probably, simply because they're in a place where pressure and expectations don't really match up with talent and quality. For Mexico, any World Cup where they don't genuinely compete is seen as a failure, so a group stage exit from a Group of Death would be no moral victory. Because of that, a nice waltz into the knockout stage would at least quiet the noise, even if would likely fall shortly after.

AdvertisementGettyWho's the team to watch out for if they get a friendly group?

TH: Norway are the obvious answer, especially considering the fact that Erling Haaland is an evil space demon. But Colombia could be the real tricky one. Every game for them will basically be a home game, and Luis Diaz is in red-hot form. They're a Pot 2 team who could win their group, and you wouldn't bet against them to make a run. 

RT: Looking at the teams deeper in the pots, it's safe to say no one is going to want to run into Norway. They have the best goalscorer of this generation in Haaland and, when you have that, you can win any game against any team. Because of that, Norway could easily top their group, despite being in Pot 3, and, from there, who knows?

Getty ImagesWhich newly qualified teams or long-absent teams are you excited to follow?

TH: If Ireland manage to qualify, it will be them, especially considering everyone is now a massive Troy Parrott enthusiast! But as for the guys that are already here, why not Curacao? They're a really fun story and play with a real confidence. Will they get battered? Probably. But they won't give up. 

RT: We've already mentioned Norway, and that's surely one. The other obvious one is Scotland. They haven't been to the World Cup since 1998, with this run ending a six-tournament drought. That's fun! You know their fans will turn up and, given the Premier League-level talent at the squad, they might just be pretty damn competitive, too.

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GettyWhat is the group stage game you most want to see?

TH: So many options. It's a real disappointment that England and the U.S. are both in Pot 1, because that would have been TASTY. Let's have Germany-South Korea, if only to repeat a classic match-up. 

RT: Give us Morocco-Portugal again! The former scored a historic upset over the latter in the quarterfinals in Qatar, so seeing those two teams meet again would no doubt be personal. It would also be fun, too, as there would be plenty of star power on both sides eager to make a run this summer.

“I can clearly feel there’s still a lot of cricket left in me,” says fast bowler after guiding Bengal to a second straight win in the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore28-Oct-2025Mohammed Shami served a reminder of his fitness on Tuesday with a match-winning spell to deliver Bengal’s second consecutive win in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy.At Eden Gardens, Shami finished with 5 for 38 – his 13th first-class five-for – as Bengal beat Gujarat by 144 runs. He finished with eight wickets in the match across 28.3 overs. Shami currently sits third on the Ranji season’s wicket-taker’s leaderboard, with 15 wickets at an average of 10.46 after four innings.”When you perform like this, it feels good both mentally and physically,” Shami said. “Coming out of a difficult phase and performing well gives a lot of satisfaction. The time after the [2023] World Cup was tough and painful.Related

Shami five-for leads Bengal to second win

“But then I played the Ranji Trophy, white-ball cricket, the IPL, Champions Trophy, Duleep Trophy [since his comeback late last year]. Now my rhythm is back to where it was before. I can clearly feel there’s still a lot of cricket left in me.”Shami has been open about his hurt of missing out on India selection for the England tour. When asked during the squad announcement for the West Indies Tests about Shami’s availability, chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the fast bowler hadn’t played enough cricket.Since then, there have been a few back-and-forths in the media between the two, even if not directly at each other. It’s perhaps with all this in context that Shami was asked if this felt like another comeback, a suggestion he dismissed.”This was not a comeback match for me,” he said. “If you had said that last year, maybe it would have made sense. But yes, in terms of this match, what we did was a special comeback.”We decided to bat for 8-10 overs today, we had already taken three points [first-innings lead]. The situation was tough, but the boys put in their full effort. To turn the game in this manner is rare, especially on this kind of wicket. It’s a great job by the boys.”Amid chatter that this sets him up well for the South Africa Tests, Shami chose to distance himself from social media speculation, while reiterating he was focused on delivering his best wherever he plays.”Yes, I knew this question would come,” Shami said with a wry smile. “Controversy follows me. What else can I do or say? In today’s world, social media twists everything. My job is to perform well. Wherever I get an opportunity, I’ll give my best. The rest is up to god. Bengal is my home. Every match I play for Bengal is special.”Coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla was effusive in his praise for Shami’s discipline, underlining he was fully fit and in great rhythm.”You all saw how Shami bowled. There’s nothing for me to add,” he said. “His performance said it all. There’s no question about his commitment. The entire world knows what Mohammed Shami is. He doesn’t need a certificate from anyone, his bowling is the certificate. He’s completely fit.”That said, Shukla also wanted to tread a cautious path in terms of Shami’s workloads. “We can’t make Shami play all seven matches, though he keeps saying he’s fit and wants to play every game,” he said. “The way he’s running in is unbelievable.”If you compare his run-up and rhythm from when he played for India with now, you won’t find any difference. Even after 500 wickets, he’s in fantastic rhythm. He’s playing with complete calmness now.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras foi derrotado para o Inter por 1 a 0 nesta última quarta-feira (17), na Arena Barueri, e acumulou apenas o seu segundo revés nesta temporada, perdendo a primeira no Brasileirão 2024 e dando fim a uma sequência de sete jogos sem derrota em Barueri e seis jogos de invencibilidade no Brasileiro.

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A dura derrota para o time de Eduardo Coudet expôs alguns problemas que Abel Ferreira terá que resolver para que o Verdão já se recupere no campeonato diante do Flamengo, neste domingo, no Allianz Parque.

O primeiro deles é na zaga. Gómez e Murilo não fizeram uma grande atuação diante do Colorado e muitos torcedores já pedem o retorno de Luan aos 11 titulares.

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O camisa 13 fez um grande Campeonato Paulista e na visão de muitos, não merecia ter voltado para a reserva nesse atual momento da temporada, além de Luan ter uma saída de jogo melhor que os seus dois companheiros de zaga, ajudando demais na construção do Verdão, tanto que já tem algumas assistências no ano.

Outra questão que Abel precisa resolver é sobre a ausência de Zé Rafael. O camisa 8 sempre que não pode atuar acaba fazendo muita falta ao time do Palmeiras, que perde muito combate no meio campo. Apesar das dores nas costas que o tiraram dos últimos três jogos, existe a chance do ‘trem’ voltar contra o Flamengo.

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Caso Zé Rafael não possa jogar, Richard Rios e Gabriel Menino brigam por uma vaga ao lado de Aníbal Moreno.

Por último e talvez o problema mais urgente de ser resolvido no Verdão, é sobre a produção ofensiva do time. Com Raphael Veiga não vivendo grande fase, o Palmeiras tem sofrido para criar jogadas pelo centro do campo e o time acaba forçando a maioria dos seus ataques pelas laterais.

➡️ Clique aqui e confira os próximos jogos e a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Nos dois jogos que o time fez no Brasileirão 2024, foram 45 cruzamentos na área ao todo e um aproveitamento de apenas 25% dessa enormidade de ‘chuveirinhos’ na área.

A melhor chance do Verdão na derrota para o Inter foi em um lance todo construído por Endrick, que como um legítimo meia acabou com a linha de volantes do Inter e deixou Lázaro livre para servir Raphael Veiga, que finalizou na rede pelo lado de fora.

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Abel FerreiraBrasileirão 2024Palmeiras