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Quite simply, Liverpool have been a shambles in defence this season. Arne Slot’s side have a slew of problems, mounting by the matchweek, but the crux of it comes down to disorganised, error-strewn defending.

Five defeats from six Premier League games, nine losses from 12 in all competitions, successive Anfield defeats against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven, seven goals shipped, this is a crisis for the Reds.

It beggars belief. And right at the struggling heart of it is Ibrahima Konate, whose future on Merseyside is very much up in the air.

Ibrahima Konate's Liverpool future

It really cannot be understated how dismal Konate has been throughout the 2025/26 campaign. He has been indescribably weak in key battles, his resolve far too brittle.

Errors have littered the France international’s campaign, and Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even suggested that it has been a “sackable offence” on Slot’s part for continuing to field the 26-year-old after such consistent inconsistency.

It’s clear that the centre-back’s contractual conundrum, out of a deal next summer, has been weighing heavily on his mind, especially since Real Madrid have made their vested interest known over the past year.

However, the £70k-per-week defender has been so unconvincing that Los Blancos have ended their pursuit. Liverpool remain committed to renewing their struggling star’s deal, even with interest from further suitors sure to intensify come January.

There is surely a way back to the ascendancy for a player who served so confidently in a title-winning campaign, but with Virgil van Dijk getting old, it’s clear that FSG need to find new defenders regardless.

There’s no doubt that sporting director Richard Hughes will feel rueful after missing out on Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, a deal effectively in place on deadline day and the Three Lions star ready to complete his medical before the Eagles failed to source a replacement.

However, there is another who could end up succeeding Konate, though this Liverpool prospect has endured a tough start to his career at the club.

Liverpool have a teenage Konate upgrade

Liverpool’s dearth of defensive options this season have meant that Slot has been unable to drop Konate and bring in another. However, Giovanni Leoni was slated to be that man.

Leoni, 18, joined Liverpool from Serie A side Parma this summer in a £27m deal, Hughes drawn to his potential to become one of the best in the business. The Italian is powerful, dynamic and prodigiously talented on the ball, with his long and limber frame making him the perfect fit in the Premier League.

However, disaster struck on his debut in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton, when Leoni ruptured his ACL, sidelining him until the end of the season.

It was only one fixture – and against second-tier opponents at that – but Leoni showed a lot of promise for his new club, very much at place on the ball and winning four of five contested duels, including each of his three aerial battles.

It was the kind of display that proved Leoni is “one of the best young centre-backs in the world”, something noted by Liverpool reporter James Wathland as the fanbase chews on their frustration over losing such a shrewd defensive solution for the campaign.

Minutes played

81′

Touches

102

Accurate passes

88/91 (97%)

Possession lost

3x

Recoveries

3

Tackles won

0/1

Interceptions

3

Clearances

6

Ground duels

1/2

Aerial duels

3/3

Liverpool’s defenders are often tasked with initiating forward moves from the back, and while Leoni is not refined in this regard, there is undeniable promise that Slot and Liverpool’s coaching team will be developing even in the teenager’s period of convalescence.

Liverpool have a sensational defensive talent in their mix, and while fans won’t be able to witness him in action again until the latter months of 2026, they can rest assured that Leoni has what it takes to reach superstar status down the line.

This may be considered when Hughes and co weigh up Konate’s value and whether they should extend his time on Merseyside for his prime years.

Best signing since Szoboszlai: Liverpool lead race for "world-class" talent

Liverpool’s crisis has amplified noise around the need for new recruits at Anfield.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2025

Travis Head will miss the final two matches of the T20I series against India as he switches to Ashes preparation with an appearance for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.Head will be available to face Tasmania in Hobart next week in what will be his first first-class match since the tour of West Indies in July. He has had a relatively lean run in white-ball cricket over the last month with a top score of 31 in eight innings across T20Is and ODIs after making 142 against South Africa in August.Related

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Head shapes as a crucial cog in Australia’s Test line-up where he will slot in at No. 5 with the ability to change games with his counterattacking approach. It’s understood that it was largely left for Head to decide whether he wanted a four-day game before facing England.His appearance for South Australia will add to a star-studded round of Sheffield Shield ahead of the first Test with most, if not all, of the squad – which will be named later this week – expected to appear.Josh Hazlewood, who departed the T20I series after the second game in Melbourne, and Mitchell Starc are set to play for New South Wales against Victoria in an attack that will feature Nathan Lyon. Sean Abbott, who will also leave the T20I squad following the Hobart game, is also available for NSW. Steven Smith will play the second of his two matches after making 118 against Queensland at the Gabba.Victoria are expected to have Scott Boland for his third Shield outing of the season after he was rested for the match against Tasmania in Melbourne.Cameron Green will feature for Western Australia against Queensland in a game that should see him return to bowling for the first time since the opening match of the season.Marnus Labuschagne will likely be keen for another outing before the Test series, where he is certain to earn a recall, while Matt Renshaw has been in the opening conversation.Beau Webster will play for Tasmania against South Australia who will have Alex Carey available alongside Head. Brendan Doggett, who could have been named among the back-up quicks by then, is also due to play for SA.Meanwhile, legspinner Tanveer Sangha has been released from the T20I squad to play for NSW in the One-Day Cup match against Queensland in Sydney on Monday. He has been providing cover for Adam Zampa who is awaiting the birth of his second child.As previously announced, left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis will come into the squad for the final two matches on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane having overcome a calf injury.The T20I series is level at 1-1 following India’s five-wicket victory in Hobart.

The Nationals reportedly have hired their new face of the front office.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday, citing sources, that Washington plans to hire Paul Toboni as its new head of baseball operations.

Toboni, 35, is currently the assistant general manager of the Red Sox. He was one of the favorites to become Boston's general manager, the No. 2 position in the Red Sox' front office behind chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

According to Passan, Toboni ran the draft for Boston when it selected highly touted prospects such as Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell.

The Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July.

Washington, despite a young core consisting of James Wood, CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews, has struggled to a 64–94 record this season. The Nationals last made the playoffs in 2019—the year they entered the postseason as a wild-card team and won the World Series over the Astros in seven games.

Top-order batter Sadaf Shamas returns to the squad; Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi are left out but named among the non-traveling reserves

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2025

Pakistan have picked uncapped 20-year-old batter Eyman Fatima in their 15-member squad, led by Fatima Sana, for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup. The same squad will also play the three home ODIs against South Africa starting September 16, which will act as preparation for the World Cup starting September 30.This will be the first time Sana will be leading her side in an ODI World Cup. She had also led Pakistan at the World Cup qualifiers held in Lahore earlier this year.Eyman Fatima was not part of the squad for the qualifiers but comes into the new squad along with Sadaf Shamas, in place of Gull Feroza and Najiha Alvi, who are among the five non-travelling reserves alongside Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar.Getty Images

Eyman Fatima made her T20I debut earlier this month, against Ireland in Dublin, but got to bat only twice in three games for scores of 23 and 4.The main squad of 15 and the five reserve players will take part in a 14-day camp before the South Africa series, starting August 29 under the coaching staff led by Muhammad Wasim. South Africa are set to arrive in Lahore on September 12.Pakistan will begin their World Cup campaign on October 2 against Bangladesh before taking on India on October 5. Pakistan will play all their seven league games in Colombo and the semi-final as well, if they make it to the knockouts. The second semi-final will be played in Navi Mumbai. The final will be held either in Colombo or Navi Mumbai on November 2, depending on whether Pakistan make it or not.Pakistan Women squad for ODI World Cup and South Africa ODIsFatima Sana (capt), Muneeba Ali (vice-capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Syeda Aroob Shah
Non-traveling reserves: Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar

Highlights from round four of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26

Shashank Kishore02-Dec-2025Hardik returns from injury in styleReturning to competitive cricket for the first time since injuring (left quadricep) himself ahead of the Asia Cup final in September, Hardik Pandya struck an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls to power Baroda home in a tall chase of 223 against Punjab.Hardik put together a crucial third-wicket partnership of 101 with Shivalik Sharma, who was tactically retired out on 47 off 32. This allowed Jitesh Sharma, Baroda’s new recruit, to join Hardik with the side needing 30 off 15 balls. Baroda needed just nine more balls to seal victory.Hardik’s batting performance somewhat made up for his underwhelming returns with the ball. He finished with figures of 4-0-52-1, with much of his early damage caused by Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma who waltzed to an 18-ball 50, before being dismissed off the following delivery.Punjab’s innings went into overdrive courtesy Anmolpreet Singh (69 off 32) and Naman Dhir (39 off 28). Yet, they found the target easily razed down in the end, with Baroda winning by seven wickets.Both sides have two wins in as many matches in Group C, which is currently led by Gujarat, who have three wins in four matches.Shaw’s rapid 66 trumps Suryavanshi tonAfter scores of 14, 13 and 5 in his first three knocks, Bihar’s Vaibhav Suryavanshi, set to be India’s opener at next month’s Under-19 World Cup, made heads turn with an unbeaten 61-ball 108. In the process, he became the youngest player (14 years) to hit a ton in the tournament.Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest batter to score a century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy•PTI Suryavanshi hit seven fours and seven sixes in Bihar’s 176 for 3. Suryavanshi’s three centuries are the joint-most by an Indian in 2025, along with Abhishek Sharma. Ayush Mhatre and Ishan Kishan have two hundreds each.Suryavanshi’s knock, however, wasn’t enough in the face of an opening onslaught from Maharashtra captain Prithvi Shaw. Hoping to attract the attention of IPL franchises after going unsold for IPL 2025, Shaw laid the foundation of Maharashtra’s chase with a 30-ball 66 at the top of the order. Maharashtra eventually got home by three wickets in hand with one over to spare.This was Maharashtra’s second win in four games, while Bihar continued to remain winless.Sarfaraz slams maiden ton as Mumbai remain unbeatenSarfaraz Khan slammed his maiden T20 century, an unbeaten 47-ball 100, in Mumbai’s 98-run win over Assam. This was their fourth win, which puts them at the top of Group A.The other contributions in Mumbai’s 220 for 4 were Ajinkya Rahane, who made a 33-ball 42 opening the innings; Ayush Mhatre made 21, fresh off two consecutive centuries; the end of the innings also received a finishing kick courtesy Sairaj Patil, who slammed an unbeaten 9-ball 25. In response, Assam were bundled out for 120; Riyan Parag, the captain, bagged a two-ball duck. Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai captain, picked 5 for 23Padikkal century crushes TNDevdutt Padikkal struck his fourth T20 century – an unbeaten 46-ball 102 – as Karnataka bounced back from two back-to-back losses to trounce Tamil Nadu by 145 runs. This is their second win in four matches that keeps their chances of making the Super Fours alive.Sent in to bat, Karnataka raced to a 69-run opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and BR Sharath (53 off 23), before Padikkal took centrestage. He hit 10 fours and six sixes in his innings. The in-form R Smaran, who has made quite an impression so far this season, made 46 not out. TN captain Varun Chakravarthy conceded 47 off four wicketless overs.TN’s chase never got going; they were eventually bowled out for 100 in 14.2 overs with N Jagadeesan’s 21 being the top score. B Sai Sudharsan managed just 8. Karnataka’s legspinning duo of Shreyas Gopal and Pravin Dubey picked up three wickets apiece.Related

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The result puts TN in the bottom half of Group D, with their domestic season going from bad to worse. After finishing the first half of the Ranji season winless and going through a coaching reshuffle for the white-ball leg, they’ve now managed just one win in four matches and are in danger of not progressing beyond the group stages.Bishnoi, Tendulkar make an impressionReleased by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2026, Ravi Bishnoi offered a timely reminder of his quality with a three-for in Gujarat’s emphatic win over Puducherry. The result – their third in four games – keeps Gujarat well-placed for a Super Four berth. Bishnoi now has six wickets in four outings, at an economy of 7.62.File photo: Ravi Bishnoi goes through his bowling drills•PTI Choosing to bowl first, Gujarat skittled Puducherry for just 83 in 13.1 overs before cantering to the target in nine overs. Opener Aarya Desai sealed the chase with an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls. The defeat was Puducherry’s second in four matches.Freshly traded to LSG, Arjun Tendulkar starred in Goa’s impressive win over a formidable Madhya Pradesh side. Tendulkar returned figures of 3 for 36, including the late wicket of Venkatesh Iyer for 5 to restrict MP to 170 for 6.Goa then cruised through the chase, sealing victory with seven wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. Abhinav Tejrana’s brisk 55 off 33 and Suyash Prabhudessai’s composed, unbeaten 75 off 50 ensured there were no hiccups along the way.Both MP and Goa have two wins in four games in Group B.

Sunderland’s extremely impressive start to life back in the Premier League has been built on a very strong defensive spine.

Indeed, the well-drilled Black Cats have only given up 11 goals across the 12 games they’ve played since dramatically returning to the big time, with five wins also coming their way.

Robin Roefs, in particular, has stood out as a top-drawer summer recruit in between the sticks, while Daniel Ballard has made the jump to the top-flight look routine, too, winning a commanding 6.3 duels per match across his seven Premier League starts.

This defensive doggedness is very unlike-Sunderland, when you look back at the woes they are used to experiencing at the foot of the top-flight table.

Still, even when times were consistently tough and bleak, previous club captain John O’Shea managed to stand out as a commanding force.

O'Shea's hero status at Sunderland

The Black Cats would have felt they’d won themselves a coup when O’Shea arrived through the door in 2011, having picked up 394 appearances for Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s heyday as a manager, before coming to the Stadium of Light.

The revered manager would even hail him as a “great professional”, despite his importance to the Red Devils’ cause sometimes slipping under the radar, with the Wearside outfit managing to win the five-time Premier League winner for just a reported £3m.

He would turn into a relegation fighter quickly, though, in his new surroundings, with his determined displays, matched by his knack of being in the right place at the right time to pop up with a big goal, making him a fan favourite from the get-go.

One of his former Sunderland bosses in Martin O’Neill, would go as far as to say he had “enormous” respect for the veteran defender, with the Irishman only absent from 18 league contests during his first four seasons at the club, all of which ended up in Sunderland surviving.

Unfortunately, the latter years of his Black Cats journey would culminate in a relegation down to the Championship, but he is still fondly remembered to his day for being a dependable giant.

In the current Sunderland ranks, it could be argued that the forceful Ballard – coming in at a 6-foot-2 frame – is most similar to O’Shea in his Stadium of Light prime, with two important goals already next to his name this season.

However, a different member of Le Bris’ rigid backline has caught the eye in this regard…

Sunderland's new John O'Shea

Sunderland might not be struggling against the drop this season, but that doesn’t mean certain members of Le Bris’ camp don’t still evoke similarities to heroes of the Black Cats’ recent past.

Like O’Shea, Nordi Mukiele would have been viewed as a statement deal for Sunderland to secure this summer when leaving Paris St Germain behind, having accumulated a hefty 200 appearances in both the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, before embarking on a fresh Premier League challenge.

For just £12m, too, Mukiele has now gone down as a steal similar to O’Shea, only costing £3m, with the Frenchman visibly at the peak of his career, donning Sunderland red and white.

The £100k-per-week fighter has jaw-droppingly beaten Ballard in the duels won count total so far for the season, with a mighty 7.6 duels won on average to date, among other impressive numbers, making him a regular from minute one of his Stadium of Light stay.

With a goal and assist also next to his name, alongside collecting three clean sheets, Mukiele has managed to stand out as a well-rounded performer for Le Bris and Co. so far, away from just being seen as a “colossus” in physical duels, as per the words of Sky Sports’ journalist Andy Sixsmith.

Mukiele will be aiming for a long career in the Premier League now, past just a standout debut season, to become even more like O’Shea, with his levels never dropping for the Black Cats so far, already putting him on the same pedestal as the “always solid” Irishman, as both Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves labelled him recently.

It could also be argued, like O’Shea, Mukiele’s determined performances have gone somewhat unnoticed to the neutral, next to Granit Xhaka stealing the spotlight for his equally combative showings.

But, if he were to be a vital part of the defence that saw Sunderland pick up a mid-table finish, or even higher, right after promotion, he would surely be handed his flowers, as a new batch of heroes begin to emerge on Wearside.

Le Bris can end £7m star's Sunderland career by signing Guendouzi

This Sunderland leader will surely be shown the exit door if Matteo Guendouzi does join Regis Le Bris’ ranks.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 26, 2025

The India opener also credited India’s team management for showing faith in his high-risk style and allowing him to express himself

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2025After powering India to a six-wicket win with a 39-ball 74, Abhishek Sharma referred to his innings as a reply to Pakistan for “coming at us without any reason”.The climate of heightened political tensions between the two countries has spilled over onto the field during this Asia Cup, with India refusing to shake hands with Pakistan’s players, and Pakistan’s displeasure at this spilling over into a protest against match referee Andy Pycroft that threatened, at one stage, to escalate into a boycott.Related

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Sunday’s Super Fours match, the second meeting between the two teams during the tournament, witnessed several feisty moments including heated exchanges between Pakistan fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf and India openers Abhishek and Shubman Gill.Rauf was also captured on cameras by fans making gestures to the crowd. In response to being heckled by chants of “Kohli, Kohli” from a section of Indian fans, he held up his hands and appeared to indicate the number six, and then made more gestures that resembled an aircraft flying and coming down.”Today, it was pretty simple,” Abhishek said while receiving the Player-of-the-Match award. “The way they were coming at us without any reason, I didn’t like it at all. And I thought that this is the only [answer] that I could give with my bat and obviously [contribute] with the win towards my team. That’s all that was going through my mind. I just wanted to deliver for my team.”Abhishek and Gill have been close friends since their Under-14 days; they stitched a 105-run stand off just 59 balls, giving India a flying start in their chase of 172.”We’ve been playing since our school days, so we enjoy each other’s company really well,” Abhishek said. “And the way we started, I thought that we’re going to do this in one of the games and that’s how we’re going to start our partnerships.”And luckily it was today, and I feel the way he [Gill] was giving them back, I really enjoyed it on the other side.”Shivam Dube took two wickets to peg Pakistan back after a strong start•AFP/Getty ImagesAbhishek’s innings, which included six fours and five sixes, all but sealed the game for India. He began the innings with a first-ball six off Afridi, going one better than last week’s group-stage meeting where he hit the left-arm quick for a first-ball four.”I feel it’s very important for the team because if you see someone playing like this, they need really good support from the captain and the coach,” Abhishek said about his high-risk batting style. “I feel that’s what I’m getting from my team and that’s the intent they want me to show in all the games.”That’s how I want to play because I’ve been practising really hard for this. If it’s my day, I’m going to make sure that we win the game.”Unlike the group-stage game, which they dominated from the outset, India endured a few nervous moments on the field. Pakistan, courtesy Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, raced to 91 for 1 in their first ten overs but India pulled the game back in the second half, conceding just 80 runs in the last ten.”The way the boys are stepping up in every game, showing character, I think it’s making my job really easy,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said. “I think the boys showed a lot of character, composure; they were calm after first innings. After the ten overs, I told the boys during drinks as well, the game starts now, and the way they reacted, everyone on the field and all the bowlers, I think it was commendable.”Suryakumar also heaped praise on the “fire and ice combination” of Abhishek and Gill. “The way Abhishek complements Shubman Gill’s batting is amazing and it’s very enjoying to watch both of them bat together. The way they did it today, I think it was required for someone to bat at least 10-12 overs and give us that strong base and they did the same thing.”It was an off day for Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded 45 runs in four overs, but allrounder Shivam Dube stepped up, returning 2 for 33 in his four overs. “That’s completely fine,” Suryakumar said on Bumrah’s display. “He’s not a robot, he will have a bad day someday, but the way he comes back in every game after that is really important. Very happy the way Shivam Dube came out, raised his hand and bailed us out in that situation.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a pretty disappointing outing in his Home Run Derby debut.

The New York Yankees star only ended up hitting three total home runs during his three-minute period and was eliminated in the first round. He swung 37 times, but only crushed three of those pitches out of Truist Park. His three homers traveled 463 feet, 409 feet and 400 feet, and he wasn't able to hit one out during the bonus round.

Chisholm's outing caused him to instantly be eliminated from advancing in the Derby. All of the other seven participants hit at least 15 home runs in the first round.

Here's a summary of Chisholm's hits, via Home Run Report.

Chisholm's three home runs hit from 37 swings were the fewest in the first round since 2014, according to Jayson Stark. It's important to remember the format was different then, too.

It doesn't seem like Chisholm took the advice from his Yankees teammate and 2017 HR Derby winner Aaron Judge in regards to having fun and pretending to just take batting practice. Judge was there on the field watching Chisholm, and he was there to console him right after his round.

Dominique Janssen's sublime free-kick allowed Manchester United to avoid a first-ever three-game losing streak in the Women's Super League on Sunday, with a hard-fought and important 2-1 win over West Ham seeing them bounce back from losses to Aston Villa and Man City. The Red Devils, who have lost significant ground in the title race over the last few weeks, needed to get back on track here and they did exactly that, despite Shekiera Martinez's stunning overhead kick getting the Hammers back on level terms for a while in the second half.

Back on home soil, United started this game well, creating chances aplenty from the get-go, but they found West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik in fine form, with the Poland international making a flurry of strong stops to keep the scores goalless for as long as possible. It felt like it was going to take something special to break the deadlock and, fortunately for the hosts, Anna Sandberg delivered, firing in a perfect cross that put the ball on a plate for Elisabeth Terland, who easily converted her 10th goal of the season.

West Ham, however, didn't lose hope. Martinez miscued her attempt when on the end of a great chance just before half time to level the scores but she made amends shortly after the restart when she looped a remarkable overhead kick up and over the returning Phallon Tullis-Joyce to get her side back on level terms. United, though, showed similar resilience and produced an encouraging response, with Julia Zigiotti Olme hitting the post and Melvine Malard heading over the bar before Janssen's brilliantly executed free-kick, which secured all three points for the Red Devils and allowed them to leapfrog Arsenal back into third in the WSL table.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Leigh Sports Village…

• Getty Images
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10):

  Showed a few moments of rust on her return from injury, after missing the last three weeks due to a fractured eye socket, but was generally solid despite adjusting to playing in a mask.

  Jayde Riviere (7/10):

  Showed plenty of endeavour up and down the right, delivering some great crosses to create chances.

  Maya Le Tissier (7/10):

  Carrying plenty of confidence into this game from a positive England camp, this was another strong display from the United captain, who helped nullify the lively Martinez.

  Dominique Janssen (8/10):

  Produced a moment of brilliance to win the game, capping off a good defensive performance with that attacking quality.

  Anna Sandberg (8/10):

  Another excellent display from one of United's best players this season. Her cross for Terland's goal was sublime.

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• Midfield

  Julia Zigiotti Olme (7/10):

  A lively and effective performance in midfield, with her pressing, passing and movement all making her a tough opponent to deal with.

  Hinata Miyazawa (7/10):

  Superb in possession while holding things down in the deeper midfield areas so that Zigiotti could roam.

  Ella Toone (7/10):

  A tidy display in which she was so often involved in United's best passing moves.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Jess Park (6/10):

  Had a lively game down the right but did lack the end product she normally produces, with only one notable chance created.

  Elisabeth Terland (7/10):

  In the right place at the right time to break the deadlock, though could've scored a couple more with the opportunities she had.

  Melvine Malard (6/10):

  Movement was great but she was surprisingly wayward with her finishing, considering the form she has been in. Should've got on the scoresheet at least once.

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• Subs & Manager

  Hannah Blundell (N/A):

  Gave Riviere a breather for the final 10 minutes or so.

  Simi Awujo (N/A):

  Injected fresh energy into the midfield for the closing stages.

  Fridolina Rolfo (N/A):

  Another late sub who helped United see the win out.

  Marc Skinner (7/10):

  Put out a team that created chances aplenty and trusted in that XI to get the job done, not making subs to disrupt the flow of the game just because United hadn't got themselves into the commanding lead that they could have.

Leeds United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, but they are far from alone in the race to snap him up with as many as 16 Premier League clubs eyeing up a move.

Daniel Farke is feeling the heat at Elland Road after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League, even though he was in defiant spirits after the game.

Farke would love new signings in the January transfer window or next summer, should he still be in charge of Leeds at that point, and either way the 49ers Group are expected to be active this winter.

Leeds in 16-club battle to sign Conor Gallagher

According to a new report from Sky Sports, Leeds are one of 16 Premier League sides making enquiries for Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in 2026.

It is claimed that Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only top flight sides not showing interest, meaning the Whites could look to seal a deal for the England midfielder, who cost the Madrid outfit £34m last summer.

Atletico are unwilling to let Gallagher, who has publicly commented on his need for more game time ahead of the World Cup, leave on loan, meaning the 49ers will have to stump up a significant fee to seal a deal in January.

Gallagher would be a high-profile signing for Leeds, considering he is playing for one of the biggest teams in Spain and is a Europa League winner from his time at Chelsea. The 25-year-old is also a 22-cap England international, scoring once for his country, while Atletico manager Diego Simeone has heaped praise on the tenacious edge to his game.

He wants to join: Leeds choose number one manager candidate as Farke nears sack

The Whites have a Premier League-experienced boss ready to come in at the expense of Farke.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Leeds will know that being in a strong position for Premier League survival is paramount if they are to have a chance of signing him, but whether that influences their decision to stick or twist with Farke remains to be seen.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager