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The dejection was palpable. Emi Buendia’s arcing strike following a goalmouth scramble condemned Arsenal to only their second defeat of the season. It was the last kick of the highly charged contest against Aston Villa.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League has now been slashed to just two points after Manchester City thumped Sunderland. For their part, Villa are now emerging as bona fide contenders, third in the standings and with 30 points, three fewer than Arsenal’s 33.

Mikel Arteta has done incredible things in north London over the past five years, but this is the season that Arsenal must crown their revival with a gold medal, having finished runners-up in the top flight for three successive seasons.

And, sadly, the manager got it wrong against the shrewd Unai Emery.

Why Arteta got it wrong vs Aston Villa

Credit where credit’s due, Arteta made a few changes at half-time, his side one goal down, and was rewarded for his alteration when Leandro Trossard converted following an initial strike from Bukayo Saka before the hour mark. 1-1.

But the Emirates side would ultimately come away with nothing, and Arteta will be irked by his own decision-making, having opted to play Eberechi Eze out wide and withdraw the playmaker instead of skipper Martin Odegaard, despite the England international having played some knockout stuff from a central berth in recent weeks. He was, after all, named the club’s Player of the Month for November.

Eze, however, did flatter to deceive, at fault for Matty Cash’s opening goal, and the Spanish manager will feel he was somewhat handicapped due to injuries to key defensive personnel, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missing out.

Viktor Gyokeres entered the fray at the interval, and though the Swedish striker toiled away, he might have enjoyed a greater impact had he been unleashed from the outset, but Arteta opted to go down a different road.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal have been immense this season, a force to be reckoned with. That said, they still need to be more incisive in the danger area, and for all his strengths and clutch ability in the box, Mikel Merino is not the solution at number nine.

Merino has posted five goals and three assists across 21 matches in all competitions this term. He has split his time between the final third and the middle of the park, and seven of those eight contributions have come as a makeshift striker.

It’s remarkable, but it’s not going to work all the time, and this was painfully clear at Villa Park, whose defenders negated his threat. Gyokeres was largely ineffective after the break, having replaced the seven-pass Spaniard at half-time.

Neither impressed, but football.london did award Gyokeres a 6/10 match rating, drawing attention to his energy and the off-the-ball work that evades statistical representation. Merino, conversely, was branded with a 5/10 score, having fumbled a chance with Saka earlier on.

Merino & Gyokeres vs Aston Villa

Match Stats

Merino

Gyokeres

Minutes played

45′

45′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

17

11

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/11 (64%)

4/7 (57%)

Chances created

0

0

Dribbles

0/1

0/0

Ball recoveries

3

1

Tackles won

0/0

0/0

Duels won

1/5

0/0

Data via Sofascore

Assessing which of Arsenal’s centre-forwards did better on the evening is akin to splitting hairs. The fact of the matter is that neither received enough service, and this is an issue that Arteta has to overcome, especially with Eze, Odegaard and Saka all on the field at different stages.

Though it’s perhaps telling that Gunners goalkeeper David Raya took more touches of the ball than the pair of them, and given that Arsenal enjoyed 58% of the possession before the break (compared to 49% across the second half), Merino should have had more of an influence.

Gyokeres was signed for a big fee during the off-season to provide the north London side with a solution up top, and it’s surely crucial that he is afforded more starting action going forward, having started from the bench on three successive occasions since returning from the muscle injury that ruled him out for a few weeks in November.

The 27-year-old does need to up his game to the next level, because one thing’s for certain: If Arteta has to persist with Merino at number nine throughout the duration of the campaign, getting his hands on that elusive Premier League title will prove a tall order indeed.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025

Paul Skenes and three Pittsburgh Pirates relievers—Ryan Borucki, Dennis Santana and David Bednar—combined for a shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, who are certainly not short on bats. It was the exact sort of performance you hope to see from a young ace going up against one of the best teams in baseball.

While the result was great, Skenes was not perfect, including getting himself into a hole in the fifth inning with reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani at the plate and a runner in scoring position. The count went to 3-1 before a fouled-off splitter loaded the count. Then, Skenes dropped in a curveball that Ohtani whiffed at, marking the third time Skenes got Ohtani out that night to end his work for the inning.

Here's a look at that pitch:

After the game, Skenes gave some insight into his thought process as he battled back from 3-1.

"Let's see what I'm made of," Skenes said he remembered thinking, as told by Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. "Let's see where my stuff is."

The phenom pitcher admitted his real first thought, though, was, "Crap." But he quickly locked in and went to work.

But who could blame him for that first thought? With just three runs of support and one of the game's best batters at the plate for the third time in the game with a runner in scoring position, it was a stacked deck against Skenes. He did what good pitchers do: Battled.

Paris Saint-Germain edged past Lyon 3-2 in a fiery Ligue 1 showdown marked by late drama as a controversial red card was shown to Nicolas Tagliafico. Tempers further flared high in heated post-match accusations of referee bias and calls of 'siding with PSG' by the Lyon camp as the Ligue 1 champions reclaimed top spot in the table.

• PSG seal controversial win against Lyon

  Lyon and PSG went toe-to-toe on Sunday night in one of the most gripping fixtures of the weekend. PSG, desperate to reclaim top spot, struck first through Warren Zaire-Emery after just 10 minutes. Lyon hit back through Afonso Moreira’s sharp finish before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s curling effort restored the visitors’ lead.

  Ainsley Maitland-Niles then unleashed a thunderous long-range equaliser to make it 2-2, setting up a breathtaking finale. PSG pressed relentlessly and reaped the rewards in stoppage time when Joao Neves rose highest from a corner to head home the winner, silencing the Groupama Stadium. Seconds before that, Lyon left-back Tagliafico was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Vitinha, leaving his side down to 10 men just before PSG’s decisive corner. VAR upheld the call and that decision sent the Lyon camp into fury.

  After the final whistle, assistant coach Jorge Maciel exploded in anger. “Conducting refereeing analyses every weekend and in every stadium in the country is going to be difficult. It’s up to us to do the work with our team, and we’re very proud of the work we’ve done. I think there are 59,000 people in the stadium, and only four of them didn’t watch the fouls we analysed. We don’t even need to watch the replays. When it happens one way, we don’t understand it. When it happens with the arrogance of not even having the opportunity to discuss it, we don’t understand it,” he said in a post-match interview.

  "We see Nico, he was clearly sent off. But how many fouls did Afonso [Moreira] suffer? They didn’t get any cards. I think they were the best team in Europe. I don't think they needed to play with 16 men, because I'm also counting VAR, against a team that played on Thursday, that prepared very well for the match and played a great game."

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  Lyon’s fury boils over

  Lyon’s technical director Matthieu Louis-Jean also voiced his frustrations at length, delivering a scathing assessment of the refereeing.

  "I’d like to start by really congratulating the team. We saw a very good side of Olympique Lyonnais tonight. We’re very proud of our team’s performance," he said. "The coach had a great game too. The team caused PSG problems. Tonight, there’s extreme disappointment because we believe there were some significant refereeing errors. And once again, we’re completely baffled… Look, Illia Zabarnyi had a penalty. There’s a clear handball, in my opinion, we saw the replays. There’s a foul on Tanner Tessmann, he touches his knee. It’s blatant. At some point, I don’t know what to do. We tried everything. We talked. We discussed it with them. We even went to see them. But it continues. We don’t understand. There’s a real problem with consistency in the refereeing."

  Louis-Jean further pointed out other controversial inconsistencies in Ligue 1 refereeing: "There was a red card for Monaco that is incomprehensible. At some point, we have to ask ourselves some questions. At some point, we're going to have to sit down and think about our refereeing. Because every weekend, it's not just us. I think all the Ligue 1 teams feel there are problems. Once again, I'm baffled. What needs to be done? What needs to be done to have fair refereeing every weekend in Ligue 1? We've seen these kinds of incidents in the past. I'll go back to the Rennes match, for example. We probably got some extra points. And this evening, once again, Mr. Bastien's refereeing was a disaster. No, I didn't see the referees after the match. Anyway, they never say anything. And on Monday, the week will start without any problems."

  Lyon player Corentin Tolisso echoed the frustration, calling for more accountability: “We need better refereeing in general because there are mistakes every weekend. There’s no consistency or dialogue.”

  Despite the controversy, PSG’s late win pushed them back to first place with 27 points, narrowly ahead of Marseille and Lens with 25 points each. Strasbourg and Lille complete the top five with 20 points apiece, followed by Lyon in sixth who are left fuming but still very much in the race.

• PSG’s injury woes and Vitinha’s leadership rise

  While the headlines focused on refereeing, PSG’s own challenges are mounting. Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Nuno Mendes are all sidelined, dealing a heavy blow to Luis Enrique’s squad depth. Hakimi's severe ankle sprain against Bayern Munich could keep him out for up to eight weeks, while Mendes continues to recover from a left knee sprain.

  In their absence, Enrique has turned to his younger talents, Senny Mayulu and Kang-In Lee, both of whom impressed with composure beyond their years. Mayulu’s directness and Lee’s intelligent movement have injected new dynamism, ensuring PSG maintain their attacking rhythm despite missing key stars.

  But the standout has been Vitinha, who has quietly become the heartbeat of Enrique’s system. The Portuguese midfielder, recently voted PSG vice-captain, now leads the Ligue 1 charts for assists among midfielders with six in 11 games, alongside one goal. Enrique praised his midfielder earlier this week, calling him “a silent leader who does everything with precision and purpose.”

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  Much needed break for PSG amid injury crisis

  For Enrique, the upcoming international break couldn’t come at a better time. PSG are managing a lengthy injury list, and this two-week pause offers crucial recovery space for key players. The focus at Camp des Loges will be on rehabilitation and tactical refinement, particularly testing new combinations to compensate for missing full-backs and wingers.

  It’s also a chance for Enrique to recalibrate his system. With rotations expected and youth players stepping up, the Spaniard will aim to preserve momentum without overloading his core squad. The break allows him to reintroduce balance to a team that’s been grinding through a demanding Ligue 1 and Champions League schedule.

  PSG will resume domestic action on November 22 against Le Havre, before hosting Tottenham in the Champions League on November 26.

Newcastle United fans will be clinging onto Nick Woltemade’s electric start in England as one major positive so far this season.

Indeed, despite the Magpies only picking up two Premier League wins to date, the lofty and instinctive German has already powered home four goals in the demanding league from just five outings.

Still, while the ex-Stuttgart striker has already proven why he cost a significant £69m to bring to Tyneside this summer, Anthony Elanga, on the other hand, is in danger of looking like a major waste of money so soon into his Toon career.

Elanga's poor start at Newcastle

Woltemade ultimately stole the limelight right at the death of the transfer window when leaving Germany behind for that bumper amount.

However, there was equal excitement in the air when Elanga put pen to paper on a £55m switch to leave the Tricky Trees behind for St James’ Park, having been branded a “frightening” talent in the past by the Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.

With six goals and 12 assists under his belt for Forest last season, too, it did seem as if this was going to be a sublime bit of business from the get-go. Unfortunately, his time so far under Howe’s wing hasn’t gone to the pre-planned script.

From eight Premier League games to date this campaign, the Swedish attacker has zero goals or assists to shout about, touching the ball just 24.4 times per game across those largely forgettable league showings in black and white.

Long gone now are the days when the “electric” winger – as he was once labelled by statistician Statman Dave – was bursting forward with pace and scaring the lives out of Premier League defenders, with just 20 touches of the ball and one feeble attempted dribble against Brighton, leaving Howe with no choice but to hook Elanga at the half-time interval.

He won’t be completely written off, with the 23-year-old perhaps just needing more time to gel and acclimatise, before finding his mojo again.

But, Howe could now be looking for some left-field options on the right wing to add some depth – away from solely relying on the trusty back-up option of Jacob Murphy.

Howe's surprise Elanga replacement

Howe hasn’t shied away from gifting rising youngsters chances to impress in his senior side since taking on the Newcastle reins in 2021, with Lewis Miley only 17 years of age when he was chucked into the Premier League deep-end on his debut.

William Osula has also been handed the odd chance here and there in attack, with U21s superstar Alfie Harrison no doubt eager to leave a lasting impression too when a first-team opportunity heads his way, having once been branded a “star in the making” by football writer Thomas Hammond when first signing for the Magpies.

Coincidentally, Harrison – much like Elanga – opted to walk away from Manchester to try and kickstart his career, with the 23-year-old also well aware of how tricky it is to make that step-up from youth football to the demands of the men’s game.

Still, with 14 goals and eight assists under his belt for the Man City U18s, it was clear that the Toon had bagged themselves a gem going after Harrison when they did.

The goals have somewhat dried up in the U21 frame at Newcastle, with zero goals in Premier League 2 action for the teenager this season to date.

25/26

8

0 + 4

24/25

22

3 + 7

23/24

10

0 + 3

But, it’s clear when assessing his numbers above that he has a laser focus on picking up assists after bursting forward with pace from down the right wing, or in a more central spot on the pitch, which are two trademark parts of Elanga’s game when he’s at the peak of his powers.

Woltemade will surely already be dreaming of lining up next to such an assist-heavy presence, with the German very rarely needing a second bite of the cherry to score.

Further lauded as an “electric” talent this summer by Magpie Media, it only feels like a matter of time before Harrison is making waves in the senior scene, with Howe perhaps ready to test him out imminently if Elanga continues to falter.

Newcastle man who was "tough to watch" is now on borrowed time under Howe

Newcastle United’s defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion has highlighted some issues for Eddie Howe.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 19, 2025

Chelsea have held talks about signing a “big name” player this month, with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich believed to be “really worried”, according to a new report.

Chelsea brought back down to Earth after Sunderland defeat

After a run of four straight wins in all competitions, Enzo Maresca would be forgiven for thinking they were on for a fifth when summer signing Alejandro Garnacho brilliantly opened the scoring against Sunderland with his first goal for the club.

However, much to the surprise of on-lookers, it was all downhill from that moment.

Sunderland, who have made one of the best starts to a Premier League campaign by a newly-promoted side in years, levelled the score just under 20 minutes later through Wilson Isidor — staying in the game before Chemsdine Talbi fired a glorious winner in added time.

For Regis Le Bris’ side, the fairytale start continues, but for Chelsea, it’s a stark reminder that they’re far from the finished article.

Chelsea haven’t been helped by injuries lately, but going by Maresca’s post-match verdict, he is still far from satisfied with the Blues’ defensive options.

Chelsea absentees

Problem

Potential return date

Cole Palmer

Groin

December

Benoit Badiashile

Muscle

December

Dario Essugo

Thigh

Early 2026

Liam Delap

Hamstring

October 29

Levi Colwill

ACL

Spring 2026

Malo Gusto

Suspended

October 29

Maresca publicly urged Chelsea to sign another centre-back in the summer window, and reports suggest that Chelsea are set to prioritise a defensive signing in the January transfer window.

It is also believed that Chelsea have held discussions with Marc Guehi’s camp about a cut-price winter move with his deal expiring next summer, but as per journalist Graeme Bailey, they’re considering another “big name” option for 2026 too.

Chelsea hold discussions this month about signing Dayot Upamecano

That man is apparently Bayern star Dayot Upamecano, who has seriously impressed at the heart of Vincent Kompany’s defence.

While the Bavarians are trying to tie him down with an extension, Upamecano is poised to leave on a free transfer as things stand with his current contract expiring at the end of the season, similar to Guehi.

Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, reports that Chelsea have held discussions this month about signing Upamecano on a free transfer next year — expanding on his point that Bayern are “really worried” he could leave.

The 27-year-old France international is a world-class defender on his day, but it is worth noting that Upamecano was limited to just 20 Bundesliga appearances last season due to a combination of various injury issues and suspension.

That being said, snapping up the former RB Leipzig star on a Bosman poses very little risk for Chelsea financially, even if they could be forced to make him one of Chelsea’s top five best-paid players — given Upamecano’s current terms of around £168,000-per-week.

How important will events in Cardiff over the next four days prove to Australia’s plans for the World Test Championship final? After his twin failures against Northamptonshire, Marnus Labuschagne has one more outing, against Middlesex, to find some form before decision day draws closer for the selectors over the make-up of the batting order.With Cameron Green’s strong showing against Kent, it feels like his recall for the final against South Africa is becoming increasingly assured even though he won’t be able to bowl. Therefore, the last call to make – providing Beau Webster’s overs are wanted and Josh Hazlewood’s shoulder doesn’t become an issue – would appear to be between Labuschagne and Sam Konstas, with Josh Inglis an outside option given chair of selectors George Bailey put his name in the mix. Whoever gets the nod will be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.Related

• IPL, county cricket or nets at home: how the Australians have prepared for the WTC final

• Green has 'all bases covered' amid Australia's WTC final selection debates

• Konstas and Green named in Australia's World Test Championship final squad

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It may be that the selectors are not swayed massively by what happens in a pair of County Championship matches but Labuschagne, while being an incumbent Test player with an average of 46.76 and 11 hundreds, is not coming into the debate from a position of strength. His Test figure in this WTC cycle is 28.33 with just one century which came 29 innings ago against England during the 2023 Ashes; his last hundred in all first-class cricket was in June 2024.There was a similarity in his pair of dismissals against Northamptonshire last week: squared up and edging to third slip, firstly against fellow Australian Harry Conway, who has recently lost his state contract, and then to Ben Sanderson in a small chase. There wasn’t much to gain with Glamorgan needing 66 to win, but the chance of red-inker 30 went missing. As the catch was taken, Labuschagne lingered at the crease with the expression of someone pondering his lot.The selectors will deliberate long and hard before moving Labuschagne aside. Even when not at his best, the three half-centuries against India last season all came at crucial stages of the series. Unlike Konstas, Labuschagne also has considerable experience batting in England. But it would continue a strange time at the top of Australia’s order if they opt to effectively manufacture another opener.