U.S. international Weston McKennie opened the scoring, and Canada’s Jonathan David added a second as Juventus beat Pafos 2–0 in the Champions League. The win gives the Bianconeri a vital boost in the league stage, taking them to nine points from six games and strengthening Luciano Spalletti and his side's push for the knockout rounds.

• McKennie breaks deadlock with a crucial goal

  The match remained goalless until the 67th minute when McKennie found the back of the net. The American midfielder capitalized on a well-worked team move, demonstrating his attacking instincts and composure in front of goal. His strike gave Juventus the momentum they needed to control the remainder of the match and put pressure on their Cypriot opponents. His goal was also a landmark moment as it was the 50th goal scored by a USMNT player in the competition and made him the second USMNT player to record 10 goal contributions as well.

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• David doubles the lead to secure victory

  Just six minutes after McKennie’s opener, Jonathan David extended Juventus’ advantage with a clinical finish. The Canadian forward showcased his sharpness in the box, converting a precise assist after a breathless counter-attack to make it 2-0. This goal effectively ended any hopes of a comeback for Pafos FC and ensured Juventus took all three points from the encounter.

• Group-stage implications for Juventus

  The victory represents Juventus’ second win in the Champions League league phase, a timely boost as the competition reaches its decisive rounds. Securing three points here improves their standing in a competitive pool and gives Luciano Spalletti’s side breathing room. They’ve now got two wins, three draws and one loss from six games in the Champions League league stage.

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  Momentum, rotation and European schedule

  Juventus will look to carry this momentum into their remaining group fixtures and juggle rotation as domestic duties pile up. The Old Lady will face Bologna next in the Serie A on Dec. 14 before hosting AS Roma on Dec. 20 as they look to climb up the Serie A table.

Eric Garcia has committed his long-term future to Barcelona, signing a new deal that keeps him at Camp Nou until 2031. The defender, who has established himself as a key starter since his return from a successful loan spell at Girona, admitted his "dream" is to spend his entire career at the club after overcoming a difficult start to life in Catalonia.

Garcia commits future to Barcelona

Barcelona have officially secured the services of Garcia for the next six years, with the centre-back putting pen to paper on a contract renewal that runs until June 2031. The agreement marks a significant turnaround for the 24-year-old, whose career at his boyhood club appeared to be in jeopardy just eighteen months ago.

Having returned to the club from Manchester City in 2021, Garcia struggled to nail down a permanent spot in the starting XI during his initial two seasons, eventually leading to a loan move to Girona. However, after playing a pivotal role in Girona’s historic qualification for the Champions League, Garcia returned to Barcelona with renewed confidence. He has since become an integral part of the defensive setup, prompting the club's hierarchy to reward him with a long-term extension.

The renewal is seen as a vote of confidence from the coaching staff, who have been impressed by Garcia's ability to play both in central defence and as a holding midfielder and his ability to bring the ball out from the back, a trait ingrained in him during his time at La Masia.

AdvertisementAFP'Dream to play my whole life here'

Addressing the media after the signing, an emotional Garcia opened up about his journey, which he describes as achieving his dream "at the third time of asking." After leaving La Masia for City as a teenager, returning to Barcelona, and then leaving again for Girona, he feels he has finally established himself where he belongs.

"The dream before leaving [for City] was to triumph at Barca," Garcia said. "When you return, the dream starts again. I had to go to Girona, but my dream was to triumph here, to play my whole life here."

The defender believes that the experience of playing regular football in a high-performing team allowed him to mature, ensuring that when he reintegrated into the Barcelona squad in 2024, he was ready to seize his opportunity.

"I have always believed that I could be a starter, whether I played or not," he added. "I am enjoying the starts. But if one day the manager doesn't play me, I will keep believing."

Ignoring the noise and finding consistency

Garcia also addressed the heavy criticism he faced during his first stint in the Barcelona first team. Arriving during a tumultuous period for the club, both financially and on the pitch, the young defender often found himself the scapegoat for defensive frailties. He admitted that the pressure was immense but insisted that the experience has given him a thicker skin.

"When I came back I was very young, we all know how this goes," Garcia reflected. "You go from being the best to the worst. I arrived in a difficult era in which the club demanded results. It kept me calm. Now, neither by playing well am I the best, nor when I mess up will I be the worst.

"That consistency makes great players," he said. "One has to be calm when things get tough, keep your head down. Afterwards, everything comes."

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Getty Images SportGarcia aiming to keep the dream alive

With his future now secure, Garcia will look to continue his run in the starting lineup as Barcelona aim to consolidate their position at the top of the La Liga table. The Catalan giants are currently enjoying a strong run of form, and Garcia's partnership in defence has been a cornerstone of that success.

The defender will likely be in the starting XI again this weekend as Barcelona return to La Liga action against Osasuna at Camp Nou on Saturday, where they will hope to maintain their lead over rivals Real Madrid. Three days later, they face Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey.

The New York Yankees have acquired Chicago White Sox outfielder Austin Slater in exchange for right handed pitcher Gage Ziehl. Ken Rosenthal of was first on the trade, and 's Bob Nightengale was first on the return.

Slater was one of several outfield names that the Yankees were considering ahead of the trade deadline amid the elbow injury to star slugger Aaron Judge. The Yankees were considering a reunion with former outfielder Harrison Bader, but Slater proved most palatable for New York.

Slater has hit .236 this season with five home runs and 11 RBI.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo found out last weekend that he had made the American League All-Star team for the first time in his three years in the big leagues. Moments after getting that news, he called his parents to let them know and their reaction was too good.

The 25-year-old right-hander is 8–4 on the season with a 2.77 ERA. He's a big reason why the Mariners are in second place in the AL West and will be fighting for a possible playoff berth in the second half of the season.

The team recorded Woo's conversation with his parents, which started with him talking to his dad about the family plans for the upcoming All-Star break. He the shared that they need to head to Atlanta, where this year's game will be played.

“Oh my god, Bryan! Holy s—!," his mom yelled upon hearing the news.

This whole video is great:

Safe to say next week is going to be a special one for the Woo family.

Steven Smith hoping to use his first appearance for Welsh Fire as a platform to reclaim a T20I spot for Australia with the long-term aim of playing in the 2028 Olympics

Matt Roller05-Aug-2025The Hundred’s season of “transition” begins on Tuesday, days after the first wave of payments from new investors hit the counties’ accounts. The ink is still wet on the paperwork for six of the eight multimillion-pound deals and two more will follow on October 1, when host venues and investors assume operational control of their franchises from the ECB.Next season will bring at least three name changes, new kits and new sponsors, but the 2025 edition will be much the same as the previous four. The main difference is a sprinkling of additional star power in the men’s competition through salary increases, with the added intrigue of which investors are spotted in corporate hospitality boxes over the next four weeks.The introduction of direct signings marks the start of the Hundred’s next phase and a more commercial focus. Whatever their respective merits as T20 players, Test cricket’s predominance in England – underlined by the epic series against India – means that fans are far more likely to buy tickets to watch Steven Smith and Kane Williamson than Matt Short and Colin Munro.Related

Hundred squads face 2026 'reset' in bid for competitive balance

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Titans land at Lord's as London Spirit sink to new low

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BBL privatisation and later start among recommendations

It remains to be seen if, given the new IPL links, the ECB can convince the BCCI to release Indian men’s players in future years. The board’s chairman, Richard Thompson, said earlier this week that it would be “a matter of time”, barely two hours after Vikram Banerjee, the Hundred’s managing director, had attempted to play the prospect down.For now, it is Smith’s arrival at Welsh Fire that encapsulates the shift. They first signed him in 2019 only for Covid to kibosh the deal and he has never entered the draft since. But, with the top men’s salary up to £200,000 (from £125,000), Smith has been tempted over, signing soon after the tech entrepreneur Sanjay Govil emerged as the successful bidder for a stake at the Fire.Govil is already the owner of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket and has a relationship with Smith from his time playing for them last year. He can already foresee a long-term arrangement: “With Sanjay getting involved at the Welsh Fire, potentially, there might be something moving forward,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo.There are similar arrangements elsewhere: Rashid Khan, who plays for Mumbai Indians’ global offshoots, has moved from Trent Rockets to Oval Invincibles, while the RPSG Group’s involvement has seen Noor Ahmad and Heinrich Klaasen join Manchester Originals and Jos Buttler sign for Durban’s Super Giants for the next SA20 season.

“It gives me some opportunities to be able to play in some different tournaments and keep trying to put my best foot forward to get back into the T20 team for Australia. My goal now is to try and play in the Olympics. That’s motivating me, and I want to try and keep getting better at the shorter format”Steven Smith

Smith’s involvement forms part of his master plan to win back his place in Australia’s T20 team – 18 months after his last appearance – with the long-term ambition of winning an Olympic medal at Los Angeles 2028. He retired from ODIs after the Champions Trophy, and said that freeing up his schedule was “certainly a huge part” of that decision.”It gives me some opportunities to be able to play in some different tournaments and keep trying to put my best foot forward to get back into the T20 team for Australia,” he said. “My goal now is to try and play in the Olympics. That’s motivating me, and I want to try and keep getting better at the shorter format.”It is four years since Smith last played an IPL match and his recent short-form opportunities have been scarce. He was a T20 World Cup winner in 2021 before losing his place to Tim David the following year, but with three centuries in his last eight BBL innings for Sydney Sixers, he is confident that he can force his way back in.”[Australia coach] Andrew McDonald actually joked with me the other day,” Smith said. “Every time I go back and play [T20], I always send him a text saying, ‘Did you see that?’ Hopefully, I can send him quite a few texts throughout this month of August. It’d be nice to smash a few around the park and send off a text and ask him whether he saw it.”Steven Smith poses in his Welsh Fire kit•Welsh Fire/The HundredHe will be united with a long-time Ashes rival in Jonny Bairstow, who is hoping to revive his own international career. Bairstow noted with interest Harry Brook’s wish list from players in his England white-ball teams earlier this year: “He’s got a point to prove,” Smith said. “He’s going to come out and play his shots. Hopefully, I can spend some time in the middle with him.”Smith has followed England’s 2-2 draw with India with interest and said recently that he expected this winter’s Ashes to be an “absolute belter”. He played down the relevance of the Hundred to that series, but was looking forward to testing himself against some of England’s bowlers: “It’s going to be great to be able to come up against some of those players.”By the time the Ashes starts on November 21, it will be Australia’s turn to have their own debate around the future of their T20 league. Cricket Australia is already considering the merits of following the ECB’s lead and opening BBL teams up to private investment, and weighing up the potential repercussions – positive and negative – for the wider game.But for now, the focus is squarely on England – and, in Smith’s case, Wales. As the cricketing public breathes a collective sigh of relief after the most intense Test series in recent memory, can the Hundred ride on the wave of interest, eyeballs and drama as it heads towards its brave new world?

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن إمكانية رحيل أحد لاعبي فريق برشلونة الإسباني، خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوي في شهر يناير المقبل، بسبب منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

وتقام بطولة كأس العالم 2026 في شهر يونيو المقبل، حيث تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا، والمكسيك، في ملف مشترك.

ويسعى اللاعبون للمشاركة باستمرار وانتظام مع أنديتهم، لإثبات جدارتهم بالتواجد في قوائم منتخبات بلادهم، من أجل حلم المشاركة في المونديال.

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية نقلاً عن “سبورت بيلد” الألمانية، أن حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك تير شتيجن قد يغادر صفوف الفريق خلال انتقالات يناير.

تير شتيجن يغيب عن المشاركة مع برشلونة منذ أشهر بسبب الإصابة، وقد خضع لجراحة في الظهر ويواصل اللاعب تعافيه استعدادًا للعودة للعب بصورة طبيعية.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن تير شتيجن من المقرر أن يحصل على التصريح الطبي لمباراة برشلونة ضد أوساسونا، والمقرر خوضها يوم السبت المقبل.

ورغم عودته الوشيكة، من المرجح أن يواجه تير شتيجن صعوبة في الحصول على دقائق لعب كافية، خاصة وأن المدرب هانز فليك أكد أن خوان جارسيا هو الحارس الأساسي للفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا | كوبي: أزمة خطيرة.. لاعب برشلونة قد لا يلعب مرة أخرى مع الفريق

ومن أجل ضمان التواجد مع منتخب ألمانيا في المونديال، قد يتجه تير شتيجن للرحيل في انتقالات يناير، للحصول على فرص كافية للمشاركة مع أحد الأندية.

وتشير المصادر إلى أن أندية تركية مهتمة بالتعاقد مع حارس مرمى برشلونة، على الرغم من عدم تقديم أي عروض حتى الآن.

يذكر التقرير أيضًا أن الوضع الشخصي لتير شتيجن، والتواجد مع طفليه، يُمثل عاملاً حاسماً في تحديد مستقبله.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Actually, it might be difficult to find someone who would earnestly argue that he's not. The lefthander picked up his 10th win of the year on Sunday night by overpowering the Texas Rangers with 11 strikeouts while surrendering a single run. That dropped his ERA to 2.19 on the year and within one of Boston's Garret Crochet for the Major League strikeout lead.

Long story short, almost every batter he faces is overmatched and it shows. Except Corey Seager. For some reason, Seager owns him.

The Texas shortstop collected two hits in his first two at-bats Sunday night to move his career ledger to 8-for-11 against Skubal.

And both times Skubal could only share a laugh with his nemesis or throw his hands up in exasperation.

Skubal did manage to finally retire Seager on a soft liner in their final encounter, which elicited another strong reaction.

Detroit prevailed, 2-1, for its 60th win of the year and Skubal inched closer to another Cy Young Award. As long as he doesn't have to face Seager again, his numbers should remain gaudy.

Tarik Skubal becoming an MLB All-Star was a foregone conclusion. The Detroit Tigers ace and one of the best pitchers in baseball has dominated on the hill this season for a team with a 13.5 game lead in their division and the best record in baseball (57–34).

The lefthander officially earned his All-Star bid Sunday when each league's pitchers and reserve position players were announced, joining the starters who were announced earlier this week. Was Skubal happy with his second All-Star appearance? Sure. But he may have been more disappointed for his teammates who didn't hear their names called.

"To be honest, I’m a little disappointed with only the four guys we got," Skubal said Sunday via 's Cody Stavenhagen. "I think there’s a lot more deserving guys on our team. We got the best record in the American League. I would like to think we’d be more represented there."

In addition to Skubal, the Tigers have three All-Stars—Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene and Javier Báez—who all got in as starters. Four is a big number with a finite amount of spots, but Skubal's comments may have been sparked because he was the only Tiger to become an All-Star Sunday when the pitching staffs and reserve position players were announced. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry both have decent cases to get in as reserves, while Detroit's No. 2 starter Casey Mize has nine wins with his own argument to join Skubal on the AL All-Star staff.

The National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers got five players in—three position players and two pitchers. The Seattle Mariners (48–42) tied Detroit with four All-Stars. More Tigers could make their way into the Midsummer Classic as replacement players if they are needed and chosen by the league, but their ace thinks that shouldn't need to be the case considering their incredible season so far.

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes de desembarcar no Rio de Janeiro, Pablo Galdames era desconhecido pela torcida do Vasco. O volante chileno, de 27 anos, foi um dos nomes que precisou superar a desconfiança do torcedor dentro de campo. Em entrevista exclusiva ao Lance!, o jogador abriu o jogo sobre a sua chegada ao clube até os dias atuais. Confira no player acima.

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Eles queriam liberar uma vaga de extracomunitário na equipe (Genoa). E faalram sobre essa possibilidade do Vasco. Eu analisei com a minha família e o meu representante. Falei com o Gary (Medel), que houve interesse por parte do Vasco. Ele me disse que eu tinha que vir, que era um time importante, grande e tinha a melhor torcida do país, que a cidade era perfeita para se viver. Foram coisas que me motivaram. Sabia da importância do Vasco no futebol brasileiro. Mas quando cheguei aqui fiquei surpreso, porque era muito mais do que eu pensava

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contou Pablo Galdames. E emendou:

– Foi uma negociação bastante rápida. Genoa e Vasco tem os mesmos donos, a 777. Fiquei muito feliz com a mudança. Eu precisava porque não estava jogando muito na Itália. E jogar uma competição tão importante como o Brasileiro, numa equipe tão importante como o Vasco. Acho que foi o passo perfeito para a minha carreira.

🎙️ VEJA TODAS AS RESPOSTAS DE PABLO GALDAMES:

AMIZADE COM MEDEL
– Gary me conhece desde que eu tinha 13, 14 anos. Eu jogava com o irmão mais novo do Gary. Depois participei da seleção chilena, quando tinha 16, 17 anos. Ele me levava para treinar. ELe me conhece há muito tempo e sempre foi muito importante para mim. Fizemos uma amizade muito linda. Desde o primeiro momento que houve o interesse do Vasco, primeiro eu liguei para o Gary, que me falou muito bem da instituição, do grupo, da cidade, da torcida.

ADAPTAÇÃO
– Foi espontâneio, foi ingênuo. É verdade que cheguei e tive um bom desempenho desde o início. Fazia muito tempo que estava trabalhando dessa maneira e não estava jogando os minutos que merecia. Quando cheguei ao Vasco, infelizmente tivemos a lesão do Jair e do Paulinho, e eu tive que começar a jogar. Tive bastante confiança. Aa medida que os jogos avançavam, fui respondendo bem. A relação com o Vasco e os torcedores foi muito espontânea, ingênua, de carinho e humildade. Eu sou uma pessoa muito positiva, muito feliz e que busca o melhor sempre para a equipe.

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ESTRUTURA/SAF
– Confesso que me surpreendi com a estrutura do Vasco. Temos tudo que um jogador precisa e vejo que existe uma busca da direção em melhorar e proporcionar ainda mais para os atletas. É isso que esperamos e acreditamos. Temos hoje tranquilidade para trabalhar.

GOLS E ASSISTÊNCIAS
– Trabalhei muito tempo para conseguir esta regularidade e rendimento. Sigo trabalhando para ter a mesma regularidade com a mesma vontade e motivação. Eu quero muito que o time esteja bem este ano e faça um bom campeonato, um bom Brasileirão. Espero poder voltar à seleção.

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QUEDA DE RENDIMENTO
– Eu também senti isso. Principalmente na primeira semifinal. Talvez o segundo jogo nem tanto. Mas são muitas variáveis. A quantidade de partidas jogadas em pouco tempo. Eu vinha de pouca sequência no Genoa, no último semestre. Joguei apenas quatro partidas de agosto a dezembro. Cheguei aqui em uma intensidade alta. O Vasco jogou nove partidas em um mês. Foi bastante difícil, mas não gosto de dar desculpas. As coisas aconteceram, mas sinto que essa parada que tivemos de duas ou três semanas me ajudou muito.

PREPARAÇÃO PARA O BRASILEIRÃO
– Me sinto fisicamente muito bem. Sinto que o acúmulo de jogos seguidos me fez sentir nas semifinais e essas duas semanas me ajudaram a trabalahr com a equipe de preparação física. A equipe de fisioterapia fez um ótimo trabalho com os médicos. Quando terminou o treino, eu me senti perfeito.

– Tem que falar com ele (titular contra o Grêmio). Se ele quiser, estou à disposição.

ESTRANGEIROS NO VASCO
– Temos um relacionamento muito bom. Estamos praticamente o dia todo juntos. Na concentração também. Jogamos carta, tomamos mate. O chileno é mais parecido com o argentino e o uruguaio culturalmente, né? Por causa do idioma também. É muito mais fácil se adaptar chegar em um clube com muitas pessoas parecidas com você.

CONVIVÊNCIA COM DIMITRI PAYET
– Dimi (Payet) é muito tranquilo. Uma pessoa muito calma. Totalmente diferente do que você imagina (Payet xingando Emerson Carioca, do Nova Iguaçu). Ele é super positivo, trabalhador. Eu, pessoalmente, falo em inglês com ele. Falo um inglês perfeito. Dimi é um craque. Treina bem, positivo com o grupo, sempre querendo trabalahr. Esperamos que se recupere rápido, porque ele é muito importante para nós.

SUBSTITUTO DE PAYET?
– Somos muito diferentes. Eu sou mais um volante, um camisa 8 talvez e ele é um 10 nato. Mas se em algum momento a equipe precisar que eu jogue em outra posição, posso jogar sem problema. Mas não posso me comparar com o Dimi, porque ele é único. Não tem outro.

MELHORES AMIGOS NO VASCO
– Gary. Principalmente os estrangeiros. Me dou muito bem com o Pumita, Sfroza, Rojas e Vegetti. Também tenho um relacionamento muito bom com os brasileiros. Com o Praxede, com o Paulo Henrique, Piton. Sou muito tranquilo.

O QUE GALDAMES GOSTA DE FAZER NO DIA A DIA?
– Termino de treinar, vou para casa dormir. Gostou muito de ir à praia. Tomar mate. Durante a semana saio para comer com Gary, mas a vida é tranquila.

ESTREIA NO BRASILEIRO
– Tenho muita gana. Muita vontade que comece o torneiro. Estou ansioso para que chegue domingo. Estou motivado e ansioso. Confio no grupo e na equipe. Sinto que fizmos ótimas semanas de trabalho e quero que isso se reflita em campo. Quero ter a torcida vascaína nos apoiando o jogo todo, cantando o jogo todo. Que venha o Grêmio e sinta que vai ser difícil quando entrarem em São Januário. Que sintam que vai ser difícil quando nos vencer em nosso estádio. É uma grande prova para a gente demonstrar um golpe de personalidade. Demosntrar que o Vasco quer este ano. Sobretudo, na nosssa casa com o nosso povo.

EXPECTATIVAS PARA A TEMPORADA
– (Os torcedores) devem ficar tranquilos que vamos deixar tudo em campo como eles deixam a garganta cantando e gritando por nós. Vamos fazer o mesmo dentro de campo. É importante que estejamos juntos. Principalmente nos momentos difíceis. Pois o que queremos é conquistar vitórias para o Vasco, dar alegrias para eles e terminar na melhor posição da tabela.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalPablo GaldamesVasco

The season only kicked off a month and a half ago, but it’s already been full of twists and turns for Arsenal.

For example, after winning their opening two Premier League games, Mikel Arteta’s side then lost away to Liverpool, after which many fans and pundits alike began to write off the team’s title credentials.

However, fast-forward to today, and the Gunners find themselves atop the table and with two wins from two in the Champions League.

Yet, while things are going brilliantly from a performance and results perspective, the North Londoners continue to be ravaged by injury, including club captain Martin Odegaard.

Fortunately, Arteta now has a few options when it comes to replacing him, one of which could be starting a star player in an entirely new position.

Arsenal's injury problems

For a period this season, it felt as if Arsenal were unable to complete a game without losing a player to injury, and while things are no longer that bad, the situation is far from ideal.

For example, while the likes of William Saliba, Ben White and Christian Norgaard are fit again, and Declan Rice looks ready to play for England this week, Arteta is set to be without five first-team players when the international break comes to an end.

The most prolonged absence remains Gabriel Jesus, and while he has taken pictures of himself back on the grass, the manager confirmed that it would be “many, many months” before he plays regular minutes for the first team again.

What makes the Brazilian’s absence so much more of a problem is the fact that Kai Havertz is also out following the surgery he had on his knee back in late August, meaning there is no natural competition for Viktor Gyokeres at the moment.

The attacking woes don’t stop there, though, as Noni Madueke is expected to remain out of contention for at least another month or so after suffering a knee injury in the home game against Manchester City last month.

The former Chelsea player is yet to score or assist a goal in red and white, but his performances this season have been brilliant, and he added a blistering directness that has sometimes been missing from the team.

Another summer signing currently sidelined is Piero Hincapie, who is out with a groin injury, and while his absence is a blow, it’s hard to determine how much of an impact he’ll have this season, considering he’s played just six minutes thus far.

Finally, arguably the most impactful injury of them all is Odegaard’s, as before being forced off with what has now been confirmed as an MCL injury, the Norwegian was starting to look like the creative force he was a couple of years ago.

Fortunately, Arteta does have a few ways he can address the captain’s absence, and perhaps one worth trying is starting his best player in a new position.

The Arsenal star who could replace Odegaard

So, the way Arteta is likely to solve the problem of Odegaard being out injured is by starting Eberechi Eze in the attacking midfield position.

Chalkboard

While this is a perfectly logical solution, and one that many will be calling for, it does create one issue: a weaker left-wing position, as neither Leandro Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli has excelled when starting for a long time.

Therefore, a way to keep the left-hand side strong is to do something entirely new and try playing Arsenal’s most important player in a central location: Bukayo Saka.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, this isn’t an example of moving the Englishman to a less important position to accommodate someone else; if anything, moving him to the middle of the pitch would allow him to have a far greater influence on the game.

Described as one of the club’s “very best players,” by podcaster Adam Keys, the Hale Ender has shown time and time again that he has the technical and mental skills to play a more central role.

He’s an excellent striker of the ball, can see a pass that few others in the team can, has spent the last three years being double and triple-teamed by defenders, and, while he’s not the fastest, he has incredible agility in the way he moves around the pitch.

Moreover, with 100 goal involvements in 200 league games, the 24-year-old has the output to be measured against the best number tens in the game.

Finally, in addition to the eye test and his record, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the underlying numbers to prove he’d be a goal-scoring chance-creating machine in central areas.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League last season for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, goal-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it would be a left-field decision, but Saka is a genuinely world-class player, and perhaps Odegaard’s injury will be the perfect opportunity for Arteta to see how he fares in the middle of the park, where he can have a more significant impact on the game.

Berta holds new Arsenal contract talks with big-name duo after Raya, Saka and Timber

The Italian is looking to extend a host of deals.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 9, 2025