West Ham United have been far better in the early stages of the current campaign compared to the 2022/23 Premier League season, with the summer transfer activity breeding sustained success once again.

Last season's Europa Conference League winners have thus qualified for this term's Europa League, finishing on an immense high after toiling for much of the domestic campaign and finishing 14th after successive top seven seasons.

Among the new recruits, David Moyes will be particularly delighted with the impact of James Ward-Prowse, whose creativity and composure has been integral in mounting an early push for European qualification.

How good has James Ward-Prowse been for West Ham?

Last season, Ward-Prowse captained Southampton to relegation from the top flight, but make no mistake, the 28-year-old was not culpable for their demise, scoring 11 goals and receiving praise for his "world-class" qualities from former manager Nathan Jones.

This season, the midfielder has already scored twice and provided six assists for the Hammers since joining for £30m in August, very much the "outstanding” component, as he has been hailed by journalist Josh Bunting.

In the Premier League alone, the £115k-per-week machine has recorded an average match rating of 7.69 – as per Sofascore – completing 91% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.4 tackles and 5.9 ball recoveries per game and winning 59% of his ground duels.

To emphasise his all-encompassing skills, he ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, and the top 17% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

While Ward-Prowse has probably been the pick of the bunch regarding the new arrivals, there has arguably been an unsung hero proving to be just as important this year, with right-back Vladimir Coufal in one of his richest veins of form since joining the Irons.

How is Vladimir Coufal playing this season?

Coufal joined the fold in east London for just over £5m in 2020, and has since cemented himself as a regular presence on the pitch for Moyes' side, hailed for his "brilliant" displays by pundit Jamie Carragher.

The 38-cap Czech Republic international is not usually the most striking of full-backs on English shores, but he conducts his business diligently and with confidence, ranking among the top 14% of positional peers for tackles, the top 20% for interceptions, the top 6% for clearances and the top 11% for aerial wins per 90.

Moreover, he works expertly in tandem with Jarrod Bowen down the right flank, offering both stability and supplementing the clinical England international, who has scored five goals from eight Premier League appearances this season.

The 31-year-old has recently unlocked his creative flair, registering an assist across his past four outings in the top flight, with two such passes providing Bowen with a goal.

But furthermore, he has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2,8 clearances per game, as per Sofascore, which highlights the defensive assurance that slots him into West Ham's system potently.

Having provided just one assist from 27 outings last year, there is clear evidence of a developing understanding down that right side, which is already proving instrumental in the pursuit of a fourth consecutive year on the continental scene.

Defensively solid, offensively improving and praised for his "incredible" start to the season by journalist Jack Elderton, Coufal really is one of the unsung heroes of this thriving Hammers squad, and his work down the right is charging the fine form that has kickstarted the current campaign.

Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho claimed he understands people's criticism after a slow start back at Borussia Dortmund.

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Sancho understands why people criticised himScored his maiden goal against Werder BremenJoined Dortmund from Man Utd on loan in JanuaryWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho scored his first goal after coming back to Borussia Dortmund from Manchester United in the club's 2-1 win over Werder Bremen at the weekend. It took the winger nearly two months and 12 appearances across all competitions to find the back of the net.

In between, Sancho was slammed by a section of the German media for failing to live up to expectations since his return to the Bundesliga. The England international claimed that the criticism was justified and that even he was getting frustrated with his poor run of form.

AdvertisementWHAT JADON SANCHO SAID

Speaking to Dortmund's media team, Sancho said: "It felt really good. It took a while, but I stayed patient. I had a feeling this week that I was going to score. I stayed positive, even if my performance didn't always show it and I've disappointed some people a bit in recent weeks. I'm not entirely satisfied with the game in Bremen either; I could've played better and contributed more. But we got the three points; that's the most important thing."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl heaped praise on the English star after he finally got off the mark and blamed Manchester United and Erik ten Hag for his poor form, as he felt lack of game time in the first half of the season affected Sancho's performance.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JADON SANCHO?

The 23-year-old will be next seen in action in the Champions League as the Bundesliga giants face Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of their round of 16 clash.

MatériaMais Notícias

Goleiro reserva do São Paulo, Lucas Perri deu avanço significativo em sua recuperação de cirurgia no joelho direito. Na manhã desta terça, o jogador correu em volta dos gramados do CT da Barra Funda e deixou, pela primeira vez desde sua lesão no início do mês passado, o Reffis. A tendência é de que o atleta ainda demore alguns dias para ser reintegrado do grupo.

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Formado na base do Tricolor, Perri está no profissional do clube há quase meia década, mas conquistou espaço apenas nesta temporada – com a saída do goleiro Jean para o Atlético-GO. Atualmente, o jogador é o substituto imediato de Tiago Volpi, mas com a lesão no joelho direito a vaga vem sendo ocupada por Thiago Couto, outro nome ‘Made in Cotia’.

Perri se machucou no início do mês passado em uma sessão de treinamentos no CT da Barra Funda. O goleiro passou por uma artroscopia no joelho direito sem a necessidade de sutura meniscal no Hospital Albert Einstein, no dia 14 de outubro, e desde então trabalha no Reffis junto ao departamento médico do São Paulo para retornar o mais rápido possível aos gramados.

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🆕 Em recuperação de cirurgia no joelho, o goleiro @_LucasPerri correu no gramado nesta manhã.#VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/CQnlisnW7w

— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) November 10, 2020

Com a liberação para correr em volta do gramado, Perri apresenta evolução. Aos conformes, conforme o corpo do jogador for respondendo aos estímulos dados pelos fisioterapeutas, o goleiro começará a trabalhar com bola e fazer algumas atividades voltadas para sua posição dentro de campo.

O arqueiro tem apenas 22 anos de idade e coleciona passagens pelas seleções brasileiras nas categorias de base. Por conta de sua estatura (1,96m) e de seu potencial, Perri já recebeu sondagens de clubes europeus. No ano passado, o goleiro passou alguns meses no Crystal Palace, da Inglaterra, mas acabou não sendo contratado e retornou ao clube do Morumbi.

سلطت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية الضوء من جديد على مستقبل النجم المصري محمد صلاح مع نادي ليفربول، مع اقتراب عقده الحالي من النهاية.

وسينتهي العقد الجاري للنجم صاحب الـ31 عامًا مع ليفربول في صيف 2025، أي نهاية الموسم المقبل.

وسبق أن ارتبط محمد صلاح بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف ليفربول، وتحديدًا الصيف الماضي، عندما حاول الدوري السعودي استقطابه.

وتقدم نادي اتحاد جدة بعرض ضخم، وصلت قيمته إلى 150 مليون جنيه إسترليني، للظفر بخدمات محمد صلاح الصيف الماضي ولكن ليفربول رفض ذلك.

وذكرت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية إنه من غير المرجح ألا يكون محمد صلاح على رادار الدوري السعودي من جديد هذا الصيف.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا.. ليفربول يُعلن رحيل أدريان بعد 5 سنوات في “آنفيلد”

وأشارت إلى إنه في حال وجود عرض سعودي جديد، فمن المرجح أن يكون أقل من ذلك الذي تلقاه ليفربول الصيف الماضي.

وأفادت أنه إذا كان محمد صلاح مصرًا على الرحيل عند انتهاء عقده، الصيف المقبل، فقد يتعين على ليفربول القيام بما لا يمكن تصوره وهو قبول العرض المطروح على الطاولة، حال وجوده.

وأكدت أنه من غير الواضح المبلغ الذي يجب أن يكون عليه هذا العرض، ولكن إذا كان محمد صلاح جادًا بشأن المغادرة مجانًا، فسيحتاج ليفربول إلى الاستفادة منه الآن.

Manchester United have been dealt a significant fresh injury setback, following an update from BBC journalist Simon Stone regarding one influential Red Devils player.

Which Man United players are injured?

Erik ten Hag's side have made a hit-and-miss start to their Premier League campaign, with a combination of good and bad results thrown in. The hope was that United could potentially mount a title challenge, but given the relentlessness of Manchester City, that already looks like a tall order.

The club did some much-needed transfer business during the summer window, bringing in the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund, bolstering the spine of the squad in the process. While that undoubtedly gave the manager more options, he has been dealt an unfortunate hand when it comes to unavailable players currently.

United are having to make do without numerous players at the moment, particularly in defence with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw both out, while World Cup winner Raphael Varane has only just returned from an issue himself.

Now, a fresh issue has emerged for the Reds – one that could act as a massive negative in the coming months.

Which Man United player has picked up an injury?

Taking to X, Stone, reacting live from Ten Hag's pre-Palace press conference, confirmed that United are likely to be without influential centre-back Lisandro Martinez for a number of months, acting as a major blow:

"Lisandro Martinez out for an 'extended period' with a foot injury. Probably looking at around two/three months. Blow for Man United."

There is no question that this is a significant setback for United, with Martinez proving to be such an influential performer since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax last year, slotting in seamlessly at the heart of the defence.

The 25-year-old has arguably become the first defender on Ten Hag's team sheet, especially with Varane consistently in and out of the side because of injury problems, and he has already started five Premier League matches this season, enjoying a 93.2% pass completion rate.

Shaw has spoken of his admiration for Martinez as a player, with the Englishman saying of him: "With the ball he’s so composed. There was obviously a lot of question over his height at the start, which, for me, was nonsense, really. He’s an amazing player and still really young. He’s only going to get better and better."

With Martinez out for such a lengthy period of time, it means that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could be drafted in, with the former under so much scrutiny at the moment, and United's defence does suddenly look a lot weaker without the Argentine around.

While a title challenge was hoped for during the summer, the main focus now must be on ensuring that the Red Devils remain very much in the top four battle, overcoming their injury problems and staying in touch with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, all of whom have set a speedy early pace this season.

In Martinez, United are missing are genuinely important figure, both in terms of his quality and character, and supporters will be desperate to see him back in the team as soon as possible.

A bilateral T20I surely cannot compete with a World Cup knockout game, but two fearsome batting line-ups could well provide a feast for the ages at Old Trafford

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Jul-20180:43

Dasgupta: Raina and Kaul in, Rahul and Umesh out

Big pictureIndia are in town, and that usually means packed stadiums anywhere in the world, but Old Trafford on Tuesday will be some way short of a full house. With the T20I coinciding with England’s round-of-16 FIFA World Cup clash against Colombia, the fans who do show up will be forgiven if they glance at the replay screen a little wistfully, wishing they were watching Alli rather than Ali.There will be a lowish-key feel to this game, and in some ways it isn’t a particularly significant one, the fate of most T20Is when a World T20 isn’t looming large. But this game could have knock-on effects on the weeks and months ahead. This is the first India-England clash of a long summer of India-England clashes, an opportunity to land an early punch or two.Both teams will also use these games to build towards next year’s 50-over World Cup, and gear their white-ball game towards the flat batting conditions expected in this part of the world.England’s standing as world cricket’s most fearsome ODI line-up is predicated upon their treating ODIs as extended T20 games. Having made 221 in their last T20I, at Edgbaston last week, they will want to show they can flex their batting muscle just as much against an Indian attack containing the swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the wristspin of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.India, for their part, know they are only one or two ingredients short of a line-up that could be as relentlessly aggressive as England’s. The search for those ingredients, however, has been long and frustrating, and it isn’t over yet. One priority is finding a settled slot in the top four for KL Rahul, and the other is figuring out which of the other options – of whom Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey and Suresh Raina are part of their current squad – is the best fit at No. 6.If India can find answers to those questions on Tuesday, and if England continue their barnstorming batting form, Old Trafford might even forget the football.Form guideEngland: WWLLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
India: WWWWW1:24

Morgan ready to experiment with batting line-up

In the spotlightEngland’s stand-in coach Paul Farbrace may have said it isn’t so, but is Joe Root’s place in England’s T20 line-up under threat? Given the riches of explosive talent around him, and given the imminent return of Ben Stokes from injury, Root might need to make a couple of defining contributions against India to reinforce his value in the shortest format.He had a sensational IPL as a wicket-taker in the Powerplay overs, and with Jasprit Bumrah out injured, there’s no better time than now for Umesh Yadav to stake a claim to be part of India’s first-choice T20 attack.Team newsEngland (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Alex Hales, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil RashidIndia (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Dinesh Karthik/Manish Pandey, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditionsOld Trafford usually offers more pace and bounce than other English pitches, though not a lot of seam movement. The pitch for the fifth England-Australia ODI here just over a week ago provided some turn as well, and Moeen Ali prospered to pick up a four-wicket haul. The pitch for Tuesday’s game is a different one, though Kohli noted in his pre-match press conference that it looked a little dry. Expect both teams, therefore, to play two spinners.The weather leading up to the game has been warm and dry, with temperatures in the mid-to-late 20s (Celsius). No rain is expected on Tuesday.Stats and trivia England have a 6-5 win-loss record against India in T20Is, and have won all three of their meetings in England so far. Virat Kohli is eight runs short of becoming the first Indian, and the fourth batsman overall, to 2000 in T20Is. Rohit Sharma isn’t too far behind – he needs 51 to get there. Umesh Yadav has only played two T20Is so far, the first in August 2012 against Sri Lanka and the second last Friday against Ireland. He missed 65 matches between his two appearances – an Indian record. One of his potential opponents on Tuesday, Liam Plunkett, holds the overall record for matches missed between T20I appearances (74). Incidentally, Plunkett’s gap years also came between his debut and second match. Kuldeep Yadav (11.2) and Yuzvendra Chahal (13.0) have the best and third-best strike rates among all spinners who have bowled in ten or more T20I innings.Quotes”We expect England to come hard at us. And we certainly want to play positive and hard-fought cricket. It’s going to be an exciting series for sure, we believe that we have the side to put up a great fight.”
“Generally it is a different challenge particularly when you play against subcontinent teams. It normally exposes sides like ourselves and South Africa and Australia to spin, reverse swing, different challenges to that we are normally used to.”

Jude Bellingham was left stunned by a reporter's invitation to return home with her after Real Madrid's win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

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• Bellingham stunned by cheeky request
• Real beat Leipzig 2-1 to progress to quarter-finals
• England international gave classy post-match interview

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After laying on a vital assist for Vinicius Junior as Real Madrid drew 1-1 with RB Leipzig to seal a 2-1 aggregate win in the Champions League round of 16, Bellingham was interviewed by reporter Alessia Tarquinio.

  The pair have previously spoken about her son, with the England international advising him to learn Spanish and to behave in a more gentle manner. But on Tuesday night she made a cheeky request that left Bellingham stunned.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• Getty
  

  WHAT WAS SAID

  Tarquinio said: "Would you like to come home with me?"

  He replied: "Steady!"

  Spotting Bellingham's stunned reaction, she then tried to recover by adding: "You are my perfect son!"

  The Three Lions star, though, appeared rather embarrassed by the faux pas.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Following his heroics on the continent, Bellingham is serving a two-match suspension after being sent off in the aftermath of Real Madrid's clash with Valencia last weekend. As a result, he will be missing from this weekend's clash with Celta Vigo.

رغم عدم نهاية الموسم الحالي 2023/2024 ولكن يبدو وأن الأهلي بدأ في التخطيط للمستقبل خاصة مع اقتراب بداية الميركاتو الصيفي.

هناك العديد من الأسماء المرتبطة في الفترة الأخيرة بالانتقال إلى الأهلي خاصة في مركز الجناح، ومن ضمن الأسماء التي ترددت هو جناح منتخب الكونغو الديمقراطية ونادي زيورخ، جوناثان أوكيتا.

ويلعب أوكيتا مع زيورخ منذ يوليو 2022 بعقد ينتهي مع نهاية الموسم المقبل في 30 يونيو 2025، وبالتالي، ربما يسعى النادي السويسري لرحيله للاستفادة ماديًا.

ويبلغ الكونغولي من العمر 27 عامًا ويلعب في مركز الجناح الأيسر الذي يمتلك فيه الأهلي حاليًا حسين الشحات ورضا سليم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رئيس الرجاء لـ بطولات: اتفقنا مع الأهلي وننتظر وصول كريستو إلى المغرب

وتواصل “btolat.com” مع مصدر موثوق داخل نادي زيورخ لمعرفة حقيقة اهتمام الأهلي، وقال: “بالفعل، حدث تواصل من قبل الأهلي معنا خلال الأيام القليلة الماضية”.

وتابع: “ولكن ليس هناك أي عرض رسمي حتى الآن، لكن الأهلي كان متخوفًا بعض الشيء عندما علم أن اللاعب كان مصابًا في آخر مباراة بالموسم الماضي وربما يكون هذا السبب وراء عدم إرسال العرض”.

وعن موقف النادي من بيع اللاعب: “لن نمانع رحيل أوكيتا في الوقت الحالي خاصة وأن عقده يتبقى له موسم واحد فقط ولكن ننتظر عرضًا رسميًا جيدًا”.

واستمر: “مع الأهلي هناك فريق أوروبي يرغب في ضم أوكيتا، سننتظر ماذا سيحدث في الفترة المقبلة”.

وأتم: “الأقرب هو رحيل أوكيتا عن الفريق لأن هناك مديرًا رياضيًا جديدًا لديه أسلوب مختلف وجوناثان رغم أنه جناح جيد إلا أنه ليس المفضل لديه وهناك طموحات للفريق بضم لاعبين آخرين للمنافسة على البطولات المحلية والتأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا أو الدوري الأوروبي على الأقل”.

وشارك أوكيتا في الموسم الماضي خلال 38 مباراة مع زيورخ بين الدوري والكأس المحليين وسجل 12 هدفًا وصنع 3 آخرين.

The 21-year-old fast bowler is likely to move to England in a bid to give his career a new boost

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2018Blessing Muzarabani, the two-metre tall, 21-year-old Zimbabwean quick, has made himself unavailable for international cricket to further his career in England. Muzarabani has played one Test, 18 ODIs and six T20Is for Zimbabwe, the latest against Pakistan in July.Muzarabani hasn’t specified any other reason for his hiatus from his home country, but the decision should sound a warning to Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), which continues to negotiate a precarious administrative period.ZC is on financial life support from the ICC, with a drip-feed of funds forcing it to restructure its debt and downsize expenses. As a result, most ZC staff members will be without contracts from August 31, with only skeleton staff working for the domestic season that is slated for November.No other details of the tournament’s structure have been revealed, but ESPNcricinfo understands that fewer teams than last summer will feature. Rising Stars, the team formed from the Tatenda Taibu-run academy, of which Muzarabani was a part, are unlikely to take part. It was here that his raw pace and obvious promise was noticed, leading to his national call-up.Muzarabani went wicketless on Test debut – the four-day Boxing Day Test in South Africa – which Zimbabwe lost by an innings and 120 runs. He then played in an ODI tri-series including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in early 2018, in ODIs and T20s against Afghanistan in Sharjah, and in the World Cup Qualifiers.He also made himself available for the home triangular T20 tournament against Australia and Pakistan in June-July, despite not participating in the practice matches preceding those fixtures. At the time, he had featured for the second XIs for Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.”I wish my former team-mates and Zimbabwe Cricket all the very best for the future. I have been honoured to represent my country but feel this is an appropriate time for me to pursue other challenges both personally and professionally,” Muzarabani said in a statement.Muzarabani is the only player to make himself unavailable for the upcoming tours of South Africa and Bangladesh. This comes after five big-name internationals – Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza – refused to play in the home matches against Australia and Pakistan over non-payment of salaries.The ICC has since released a special payment to ZC to allow it to pay players and Taylor has confirmed he will make himself available again.

There's still a long season left to play for all involved, but Tottenham Hotspur deserve credit for the start they've made under Ange Postecoglou. After losing Harry Kane in the summer, some may have expected the Lilywhites to fall apart, but they've looked at their best since Mauricio Pochettino's best seasons in North London, with the likes of James Maddison taking centre stage.

What's scary for the rest of the Premier League is that Postecoglou's side are far from the finished article. They could still do with a number of additions, be that a striker or perhaps even one particular La Liga gem, who they have reportedly sent scouts to watch in the last few weeks.

Spurs transfer news

Spurs recruited well in the summer, and Maddison's stats have been some of the most impressive in the Premier League so far this season. The England international has contributed to seven goals in eight league games, with two goals and five assists to his name in a blistering start at his new club. Those in North London, including chairman Dani Levy, will be hoping that every addition follows in the midfielder's footsteps, whether it be in January or next summer.

The latest Javi Guerra transfer news suggests that the Valencia midfielder could be among those additions. According to 90min, Spurs are among the sides to have sent scouts to watch the young Spaniard in recent weeks, ahead of a potential move. Any deal will be an expensive one, however, with Guerra's release clause reportedly sitting at £86m (€100m), and his Valencia contract expiring in 2027.

The La Liga side are keen to keep hold of their youngster, too, with Valencia sporting director Miguel Angel Corona saying:

"We are fully aware that we have a player with enormous potential for the future and the ability to perform at a good level now. That is why the club have decisively moved him up to the first team in recent months. It is not in our plans to sell him to any club."

Javi Guerra stats

Throughout his short senior Valencia career, Guerra's stats have always been impressive, and this season has been no different. The 20-year-old has been involved in four goals in nine La Liga games, with three goals, and one assist from midfield. Compared to some of Spurs' current midfield options, too, he has more than kept up in certain areas, as per FBref.

Player

Goals + Assists

Progressive Carries

Take-ons completed

Javi Guerra

4

17

16

Yves Bissouma

0

25

17

Pape Matar Sarr

2

11

6

At just 20 years of age, Guerra has plenty of time to improve and move beyond Postecoglou's current options, should a move materialise. It remains to be seen whether Spurs push on in an attempt to secure the Valencia man's signature, especially given his hefty release clause, but it is clear that Guerra has the talent to possibly improve the Lilywhites' current squad.

If Spurs qualify for a place in Europe this season, be it in the Europa Conference League, Europa League, or the Champions League, then adding depth in the form of players like Guerra could be the key to success.