While he has made some mistakes, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right during his time in the Arsenal dugout.

The Spaniard has overseen a complete overhaul of the squad, instilled a new philosophy, and turned them from a fallen giant into serial challengers for both the Premier League and the Champions League.

However, there were plenty of moments early on in his managerial career when it felt like he was hanging onto the job by his fingertips, including a period in which Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe practically saved him.

Since then, the former has established himself as the club’s talisman, while the latter has fallen away and been sold to Fulham. Interestingly, there is a player in Arteta’s current squad who once felt like the next Saka but could now be closer to becoming the next Smith Rowe.

How Smith Rowe and Saka save Arteta

Even though the club were coming off their 14th FA Cup triumph, the start of the 20/21 season was nothing short of disastrous for Arsenal.

The North Londoners actually won their two opening games, against Fulham and West Ham United and even picked up a third win of the campaign in their fourth match.

However, the losses started coming thick and fast, and from the 8th of November to Boxing Day, the team didn’t win a single league game.

So, when Chelsea rocked up at the Emirates on Boxing Day, Arteta decided to roll the dice and start Smith Rowe in the ten, a decision that instantly paid off as the Gunners came out 3-1 winners and the youngster provided the assist for Saka’s goal.

From that point, results started to improve, and the two Hale Enders were crucial to that, with the midfielder racking up a tally of four goals and seven assists and the winger doing even better with seven goals and seven assists.

The duo continued to impress the following season, with Smith Rowe producing 13 goal involvements and the mercurial number seven producing 19.

However, a combination of injuries and the squad being strengthened around him saw the Croydon-born gem slowly lose his place in the side over the next two seasons.

Finally, after making just 14 appearances in the 22/23 season and then 19 the year after that, the Hale Ender was sold to Fulham for around £34m, while Saka went on to become arguably the team’s best player.

Interestingly, or perhaps unfortunately, there is currently a potential star in the making in Arteta’s squad today who at one point looked destined to follow in Saka’s footsteps, but might now be more likely to become the next Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal gem who could become the next Smith Rowe

It would be fair to say that, as seasons go, last year wasn’t a particularly enjoyable one for Arsenal fans.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The club looked miles off in the title race and were beset with injuries to key players, only this time they didn’t have the squad depth they do today.

However, there were at least a few bright spots from the campaign, notably the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri.

The youngster had long been a prospect fans were excited about; he became the youngest player in the Premier League, after all.

Yet, it was the injuries to Martin Odegaard and specifically Saka that meant he ended up getting far more first-team minutes than supporters were expecting, and to say he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.

Nwaneri in 24/25
Appearances	37
Minutes	1378′
Goals	9
Assists	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement	125.27′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, the often “unplayable” dynamo, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

In other words, the Hale End phenom averaged a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

It was these numbers, plus the moments of brilliance on the ball and his time out wide, that led many to see him as someone who could and probably would follow in the steps of Saka and become a key part of the squad in the coming years.

However, fast-forward to today, and it would be fair to describe his situation as more akin to Smith Rowe’s in his final seasons at the club.

For example, as things stand, the teenager has made just ten appearances for the first team, totalling 427 minutes.

Moreover, he’s started just three games all season, two of which came in the League Cup and another in the club’s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague.

Worryingly, the Enfield-born gem has also only scored one goal and, like the Croydon-born star before him, has seen fresh competition arrive in the shape of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Nwaneri in 25/26
Appearances	10
Minutes	427′
Goals	1
Assists	0
Goal Involvements per Match	0.1
Minutes per Goal Involvement	427′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, it is still early in the season, and while it’s clear that the manager isn’t as keen to pick the Hale Ender as he was last year, there is still plenty of time for things to change.

Therefore, so long as Nwaneri does get more game time across the rest of the campaign, he could still follow in Saka’s footsteps, but if he doesn’t, he could be another Smith Rowe.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

3 days ago

A turning point, or another false dawn at Liverpool?

The relief was palpable when Cody Gakpo swept home at the London Stadium on Sunday, confirming in the late stages Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United, arresting a landslide in form that had seen nine defeats dished out across 12 matches in all competitions.

Arne Slot is still a man under pressure, and no mistake. But it’s important to remember the Dutchman has FSG’s backing at this stage. That could change, however, if the Reds sink back into negative habits over the coming weeks, and that win over the Hammers stands as a lonely winter outlier.

The latest on Arne Slot's future at Liverpool

Slot definitely has credit in the bank after his incredible Premier League triumph last season, taking Jurgen Klopp’s squad and fashioning them into champions once again.

However, the owners’ leniency will only stretch so far, and forthcoming Premier League fixtures against Sunderland (H) and Leeds United (A) feel significant. Liverpool won at West Ham, but they must prove that they have stopped the rot.

And if this doesn’t prove the case, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been earmarked as the perfect successor.

As per Spanish reports, the 43-year-old Spaniard is very much on FSG’s radar, and, moreover, he would consider an approach from the English champions.

Bournemouth would require compensation for Iraola’s departure, but if push does come to shove, he might be the perfect option for Richard Hughes, formerly sporting director at the Vitality Stadium, to lure to Anfield.

Why Liverpool are considering Andoni Iraola

Iraola’s Bournemouth system is built on high-energy, aggressive principles. These are key tenets of his philosophy.

This bespeaks his players’ elite physicality, and that is a product of his schooling.

This young manager is the real deal, and if Liverpool were to complete his signing, they would land themselves the next version of Mikel Arteta, who is working wonders with Arsenal in north London.

Praised as “the best coach in the Premier League” by journalist James Horncastle, Iraola might not have the same calibre of players as teams like Arsenal and Liverpool, but he’s whipped his Cherries into shape, alright, creating a front-footed and aggressive outfit that rival the Gunners for actions in the offensive third.

Man City

9095

2463

Liverpool

9001

2410

Arsenal

8384

2348

Bournemouth

7977

2191

Nott’m Forest

7927

2127

Indeed, Iraola may hail from the same Basque region as Arteta, but there is also a likeness in regard to the managers’ respective tactical visions and the way they tackle obstacles in the Premier League.

There’s also Iraola’s ability to craft a special, close-knit feeling at his club, something Arteta has masterfully achieved at the Emirates, so miserable were Arsenal at the end of Unai Emery’s tenure.

Liverpool are already known admirers of Bournemouth talisman Antoine Semenyo, and Milos Kerkez was purchased from the south coast side this summer.

Whether the Redmen manage to string together a run of consistency under Slot’s wing remains to be seen. Fans will reserve judgement until the win over West Ham is followed by a series of wins that propel the Merseysiders back into something resembling the ascendancy.

But Iraola could be the perfect fallback, if things don’t improve. He is young and hungry, and the tactical similarities with his Basque peer Arteta suggest he could be the long-term solution at Liverpool, a club looking to cement their position at the very top.

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Messi has lifted the trophy, but the real work starts now. Miami have decisions to make, Philadelphia's prodigy Cavan Sullivan is waiting for his chance, and every contender is hunting the right signing before February.

And now to the offseason, where things in MLS can get very confusing. So there's this thing called the "salary cap", which means most teams – yes, even the best ones – have to reinvent themselves pretty much every winter. It is debatable if that is indeed a good thing or not. But what it does yield is plenty of room for change and speculation – and ample reports to keep the rumor mill churning. 

The positive to this all is that there isn't a single team in the league that is entirely set for next year. Not every side can win a championship, of course, and there are frightfully few that have the right ambition to do so. But there is plenty of room for some to break into the picture, and others to throw it all away. Inter Miami, for one, have money to spend, but, will they make wise decisions or remain top-heavy as they've historically shown? 

With that, GOAL takes a look at the offseason wishes for every one of MLS's playoff teams (and to be clear, this is from the first round onwards – apologies to Real Salt Lake and Orlando City fans). 

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  Portland Timbers: Midfield depth

  Right now, the Timbers are thin in the middle, with David Da Costa, Diego Chara, and David Ayala as their obvious options at the position. They could really do with an extra signing or two at the position. The bad news? There isn't loads of cash. But they don't need game changers. Solidity is the priority here, and a little more nous would go a long way. 

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  FC Dallas: Center back help

  FC Dallas are historically pretty reluctant to make big moves in the market, but they still have a big chunk of their roster filled out heading into next year. Still, there are five spots available, including one designated player. The realistic move? Get a top-level center back in and plug and play elsewhere. That seems to be the plan, given there are reports that they are getting a deal for Israeli attacking midfielder Ran Binyamin on a U22 intitiative deal. 

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  Austin FC: Getting Brandon Vasquez fit

  Pray that U.S. international Brandon Vazquez comes back fully fit. His impact as a No.9 cannot be understated, as he scored five goals suffering an ACL tear. If the striker recovers properly, Austin will be far scarier as a unit. The most obvious need – with Vazquez fully fit – is a creative attacking midfielder. But with no DP slot available, the Texas side will have to get creative there. What would do them well is a left back or center midfielder – hopefully an MLS vet on the cheap. Keep it tidy, and continue to build on what was a solid 2026 campaign. 

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  Seattle Sounders: Central midfield help

  This hinges on Obed Vargas. Head coach Brian Schmetzer openly told GOAL that Vargas could leave at any time, so replacing him would be a logical priority. Cristian Roldan can cover plenty of minutes in that role, but it still leaves the Sounders thinner than they’d like. Seattle are well constructed and should cope with turnover better than most, yet adding another central midfielder would make sense – especially if they expect to push deeper into the postseason rather than just scraping through on penalties again.

Tottenham have expressed a real interest in signing one star from Barcelona ahead of 2026, according to a new report.

Spurs shortlist attacking targets with big-names on the radar

Spurs are preparing significant investment in attackers for January and beyond, with media sources indicating a new forward or two will definitely arrive at the club next year.

Indeed, Thomas Frank’s side have identified multiple targets as they attempt to revive their campaign.

Tottenham have significant funds available for the right acquisition, with the club willing to test the waters for elite talent. The recruitment team, led by co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, are expected to prioritise signing a wide forward rather than a central striker, though no final decision has been confirmed as they approach the January window.

Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo remains the primary target, with the Lilywhites now intensifying their interest ahead of January.

The Ghana international has seriously impressed this season with his blistering pace and proficiency, which will definitely appeal to Frank as he seeks to add more creative spark.

Semenyo’s new deal also includes a tempting £65 million release clause which will be active early next month, but this has piqued rumoured interest from the likes of Liverpool and Man City as well.

Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as another concrete target, viewed alongside Semenyo as possessing the energy and attacking versatility suited to elevating Tottenham’s forward line.

However, sources indicate Ndiaye is considered more likely as a summer acquisition rather than a January signing.

More ambitious names include Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

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Tottenham are believed to be exploring a potential January deal for Rodrygo, who himself would consider a move to north London as he instructs his representatives to find him a new club.

Aghehowa, who’s been in monstrous form since joining Porto from Atlético Madrid in 2024, also has huge admirers at Spurs, amid reports that they’re also prepared to make a winter move for the Spaniard.

Paratici and Lange appear to be drawing up a shortlist of credible attacking targets as the Lewis family look to kickstart a new era post-Daniel Levy, with Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford now also on their radar.

Tottenham 'determined' to sign Barcelona star Marcus Rashford

Rashford finds himself at a career crossroads following his impressive revival at the Camp Nou, with Tottenham now emerging as serious contenders to lure the forward back to the Premier League.

Despite his outstanding form in Spain, Barcelona remain indecisive about the £30 million purchase option in his loan deal from Man United, creating uncertainty that several English clubs are eager to exploit.

His Barça renaissance has persuaded the Calatans’ hierarchy to at least contemplate activating the permanent deal clause, but their precarious financial situation complicates matters.

While the £30 million fee appears affordable on paper, Rashford’s long-term future hangs in the balance, and Spurs could offer him a route to London.

That is according to Spanish media sources, who report that Tottenham have identified Rashford as the ‘ideal’ profile to rejuvenate their attack.

Spanish newspaper AS, as referenced, claim that Spurs are ‘determined’ to sign the 27-year-old and ready to offer him an ‘immediate leading role’ in the team — though any transfer would have to wait until the summer considering he’s still on loan in La Liga.

Rashford’s wages, reported to be around £325,000-per-week, present a pretty major roadblock for Frank’s side, but his proven Premier League experience and versatility would undoubtedly improve the team.

The United academy graduate, during spells of superstardom at Old Trafford, earmarked himself as an England regular before falling out of favour and impressing on loan at Aston Villa last season.

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and promoting young talent into the first team.

Mikel Arteta has carried that tradition on during his time, with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and now Max Dowman all getting chances under him.

However, when it comes to the most successful Hale End product under the Spaniard’s stewardship, it’s hard to ignore Bukayo Saka, who has become a world-class superstar in recent years.

So, fans should be very excited about another young prospect making his way through the academy, who has been likened to a young version of the England international.

Saka's academy journey

Saka joined Hale End as a seven-year-old, with him later revealing that it was his father who pushed for him to join the club over others.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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The Ealing-born gem made his debut for the club’s U18 against Fulham in August 2017, a game the Gunners would lose 4-1.

The youngster would end that season with a respectable haul of eight goals and four assists in 22 games.

The following year, he made just six appearances for the U18S and 24 for the U23S, scoring six goals and providing nine assists for the latter.

However, that was also the season in which he made his first-team debut, away to Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League group stage, under Unai Emery.

At this point, the exciting prospect was still very much seen as a left-sided attacker and had made just a single appearance on the right across both campaigns.

The 19/20 season brought the end of Saka’s time in the academy setup, as he made just one appearance for the U23s in a Premier League 2 game against Everton, which they drew.

Saka’s youth record

Team

U18s

U23s

Appearances

28

25

Goals

16

6

Assists

6

9

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, the now 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Arsenal’s U18s, in which he produced 22 goal involvements and 25 appearances for the U23s, in which he produced 15.

Everyone now knows how the rest of the story goes, and so fans should be excited that there is another Hale End talent currently being compared to Saka.

Arsenal's next Saka

With the likes of Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and now Dowman, it feels like Hale End can’t stop producing incredible talents, and the next one off the line might just be Brando Bailey-Joseph.

The 17-year-old has been so impressive in recent months that, despite only signing scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, he has already put pen to paper on a professional deal.

Moreover, according to one analyst, he is currently looking “very reminiscent of a young Saka.”

The argument he puts forward is that, like the Gunners’ talisman, there has been a lot more talk around other youngsters in the academy over him, and he is just quietly plugging away in the background.

Bailey-Joseph’s 25/26

Appearances

16

Minutes

1098′

Goals

4

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

137.25′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 16 appearances this term, totalling 1098 minutes, he has scored four goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 137.25 minutes, which would be pretty good for a striker, let alone a winger who has been moved between both sides over and over again.

In addition to the output, the analyst also points out that, like Arteta’s mercurial number seven, he has shown an “incredible technical” ability in the academy.

This is an opinion shared by Hale End expert Will Balsam, who claims that the youngster’s “fire feet, chopping into the grass constantly, make it impossible for defenders to know what’s coming.”

Ultimately, while it’s so early in his journey, Bailey-Joseph looks like he could be the next Hale End star to make it in the first team and follow in Saka’s footsteps on the wing.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 1, 2025

Shrubsole said there was no place for Healy in their top five, while Nayar of UPW called it “unfortunate”

Sreshth Shah27-Nov-2025At the WPL 2026 auction, one of the biggest talking points was Australia’s Alyssa Healy going unsold. She was the first name drawn from the eight-player marquee list to start the auction in Delhi but received no bids.At that point, it was possible teams were holding off, prioritising other players and planning to revisit Healy later in the accelerated round. But when the re-run took place, no team listed her on their wishlist and, therefore, her name did not come up again.After the auction, Anya Shrubsole, assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW), explained why they did not bid for Healy. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Jonathan Batty said Healy was on their list, but squad “flexibility” took priority.”Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons,” Nayar said. “When you’re allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It’s a tough situation for someone of her stature.”Shrubsole said Healy did not fit RCB’s combination. “We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well,” she said. “With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn’t make sense for us.”Healy entered the auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh after being released by UPW, who had signed her for INR 70 lakh for the first two seasons. A foot injury kept her out of last season. She has 428 runs in 17 WPL games at an average of 26.75 and a strike rate of 130.48. She is currently playing for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and recently scored consecutive ODI World Cup hundreds against India and Bangladesh.While opening batters and potential captains were not in high demand, wicketkeepers surely were. Gujarat Giants (GG) had retained wicketkeeper Beth Mooney but also bought Yastika Bhatia (currently injured) for INR 50 lakh. DC bought South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and Taniya Bhatia for a combined INR 60 lakh. UPW opted for an inexperienced Shipra Giri as their lone keeper for INR 10 lakh. Mumbai Indians (MI) had retained G Kamalini and RCB had retained Richa.Other overseas players to go unsold included the England pair of Heather Knight and Alice Capsey, Australia’s trio of Alana King, Amanda Jade-Wellington and Darcie Brown, and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu.Amelia Kerr was the highest-paid overseas player, signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore. She was followed by Sophie Devine (Gujarat Giants for INR 2 crore) and Meg Lanning (UP Warriorz for INR 1.90 crore).

Sri Lanka may sack T20 captain Charith Asalanka two months out from a home World Cup. Chief selector Upul Tharanga insisted no decision over the captaincy had yet been made, but did confirm that the selectors were mulling changes.According to Tharanga, Asalanka’s poor form in T20Is has prompted this re-evaluation. That Asalanka was sent home ahead of the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan was only due to illness, or so at least team management has claimed. In any case, it is possible he has captained his last T20 match for Sri Lanka.”We have to weigh our best options after this series,” said Tharanga, when asked whether the selectors were considering a change in captaincy. “With a World Cup so close we can’t make a lot of big changes. The selectors, after talking to the coach, will have to make a decision on what’s best for the team.”Related

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Tharanga indicated that the selectors had been mulling a change to the leadership even before the ongoing tour of Pakistan, which is why they had appointed Dasun Shanaka – who has captained Sri Lanka before – vice-captain for the tour. “That was to give us another option,” Tharanga said.Still, no firm decision has been made, he said.”Still Charith is our captain. It’s because of an illness to Charith that we appointed Dasun as our stand-in captain. Charith is still the captain in our plans. We haven’t made a decision to change that. We’ve planned all along for Charith to captain this World Cup. We’ll see what happens. We haven’t made a decision about that yet.”Charith hasn’t been among the runs in T20s, and because of an illness he was forced to return home, unfortunately.”Asalanka had never quite established himself as a reliable T20I batter, with a strike rate of 126 across 68 innings. He’s been modest in 2025 too, having scored only 156 runs in 12 innings this year, with a strike rate of 122. Sri Lanka have won 11 and lost 14 matches under Asalanka’s captaincy.Still, his return from Pakistan ahead of the tri-series serious prompted speculation in local media. One theory suggested Asalanka had been among the players who opposed remaining in Pakistan following a suicide bombing in Islamabad, and that his being sent home was punishment for voicing opinions that ran counter to board wishes. As the tri-series runs for two weeks, teams would generally keep a player in the squad until they make a recovery, especially if that player is captain.Tharanga said it was illness that forced the selectors’ hand.”He had a viral fever, and he had body aches,” Tharanga said of Asalanka. “The physio told us that it’s hard for him to predict when Charith would get better, and that’s why we had to make that decision.”We’ve also had a problem in the middle order, and we’ve not been consistent there. If he couldn’t play, we needed to have someone else there. That’s why we brought Charith to Sri Lanka.”Tharanga envisioned Asalanka playing a role in Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign with the bat.”Charith is a very talented cricketer, with a lot of experience. I’m sure he’ll be an important cricketer for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. We’ve seen what he can do in the middle order, where sometimes he’s won games by himself. He’s in our World Cup plans.”

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