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While the defeat to Aston Villa has taken the wind out of their sails somewhat, Arsenal are still having an excellent season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Champions League table, having won five of five, and still sit two points clear atop the Premier League table.

However, while most of the team are playing at the level expected, a few stars aren’t quite where the manager would want them to be.

This latter camp includes one of Arteta’s most significant signings, who, if he doesn’t start improving, could become Arsenal’s new Nicolas Pepe.

What went wrong for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal

In the summer of 2019, after Unai Emery’s first season in the dugout, Arsenal decided to go big in the transfer market, spending what was then a club record fee of around £72m to sign Pepe.

While the figure did raise a few eyebrows at the time, it wasn’t considered too outlandish as, in 41 appearances in the 17/18 season, the winger racked up a sensational haul of 23 goals and 12 assists.

Unfortunately, the Emirates faithful would never see the talented international reach that level during his time in North London.

In his first campaign in England, the former LOSC Lille star managed a reasonable, if a little underwhelming tally of eight goals and ten assists in 42 appearances.

However, as it was his first season in a new league, and he produced a goal involvement in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup, fans gave him some leeway.

Unfortunately, he also failed to hit the heady height of his Lille numbers the following season, ending it with a tally of 16 goals and five assists in 47 games, with ten of those goal involvements coming in the Europa League.

The 21/22 campaign would prove to be his last in red and white as Bukayo Saka was now well and truly Arteta’s first-choice right winger.

The 30-year-old spent the next two years on loan, first with Nice in France, and then with Turkish outfit Trabzonspor.

Arsenal finally agreed to terminate Pepe’s contract in the summer of 2024, and the player who was supposed to be the club’s superstar attacker left with a middling tally of 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 appearances.

Chalkboard

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

Since then, the Gunners have been a bit better at spending money, but there is one of Arteta’s signings who could end up following the Ivorian’s path, lest he improve, and quickly.

Arsenal's new Nicolas Pepe

Now, it’s still early in the season, so making any concrete predictions about Arsenal’s summer signings would be unwise.

However, as things stand, the attacker who has somewhat underwhelmed since his big-money move, and could go down a similar route to Pepe, is Viktor Gyokeres.

Like the Ivorian, the Swedish international joined the Gunners for a fairly sizable fee off the back of a truly sensational season in a weaker league.

For example, the “absolute steam train,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 54 goals and provided 13 assists in just 52 appearances.

Moreover, while nobody expected him to recreate those numbers in England, fans would have expected more than what he has delivered thus far.

For example, even though he hasn’t been a total flop like some other striker signings this season, the 27-year-old’s return of just six goals in 17 appearances is underwhelming.

Furthermore, all four of his Premier League goals have come against relegation candidates, and in games against the big sides earlier in the season, he looked somewhat out of his depth. As Gary Neville said earlier this term, he’s a bit of a “misfit.”

Appearances

52

17

Minutes

4248′

1130′

Goals

54

6

Assists

13

0

Finally, with Mikel Merino contributing up top, Gabriel Jesus back in matchday squads and reports that Kai Havertz is set to come right back in as Arteta’s first choice before Christmas, it’s not difficult to see a world in which the Stockholm-born powerhouse becomes a rotation option.

That was evident against Aston Villa. Arteta relied on the Swede to make a difference, bring him on at half-time for Merino. Yet, in his 45 minutes on the field, the centre-forward only had 11 touches of the ball and completed just four passes. He didn’t even have a single shot.

With all that said, there is still plenty of time for the former Coventry City star to come good, especially if he starts the next two games against Club Brugge and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ultimately, the next six months will be vital in determining whether Gyokeres becomes Arsenal’s next superstar striker or their next Nicolas Pepe.

Their new Ozil: Arsenal ramp up move to sign £88m "generational talent"

The incredible talent could be a real game-changer for Arsenal and become Arteta’s own Mesut Ozil.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Arsenal midfield star Martin Zubimendi is blown away by a Gunners team-mate who has 'surprised' him the most. Zubimendi joined Arsenal this summer, 12 months after he rejected a move to the reigning Premier League champions Liverpool. The Spain international has had an immediate impact on Mikel Arteta's side, who are leading the title race this year and have been in exceptional form thus far.

Zubimendi-Rice midfield pairing key to Arsenal's success

Arsenal have endured a tremendous run of form since the start of the season as they have lost just one game in the Premier League and are sitting comfortably at the top of the table with a four-point gap over second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand. After heartbreaks in the past couple of seasons, where the Gunners missed out on the league title towards the end of the season, the 2025-26 campaign finally looks like they will finally cross the line, going by the current run of form. 

A lot of credit goes to Arteta for rebuilding the squad in the summer and making some valuable additions to the squad. One such key signing would of Zubimendi, who joined the Gunners from Real Sociedad. Zubimendi has impressed in his maiden campaign in England and has formed a formidable midfield partnership with England international Declan Rice. Rice's performance has also been elevated since the Spaniard's arrival at the club. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportZubimendi labels Rice 'a complete player'

Speaking about Rice, the Spain international told : "Once I came here one of the things that motivated me the most was playing with a player like Declan. I think he’s been a good player until this year, but I think this year, from what I see and how happy I see him, I think he’s taking a leap forward so I’m very happy to be able to help him in that regard. And he helps me too. We all know how Declan is. A very complete player, physically, technically, set pieces. And his personality is something that has surprised me. He wants to be a protagonist in the dressing room. And on the pitch for a teammate like me in midfield, I think it’s vital having someone who wants to be the protagonist who wants the ball, who helps you. It’s the perfect complement."

'The impact he has on the team, it’s huge'

Arteta also spoke about Rice's influence on the team, as he added: "Probably a year or two ago, yes, but now being with him every single day, understanding and connecting with him in the way I have done, we are going to get more. Because he wants more, the team knows him better, his role is growing around the team. The impact he has on the team it’s huge. I knew him for a long time (before signing) and I knew how he could evolve and change the team. He has certainly done it and probably improved on those expectations.

"I would have to think about it but most of the time, if you have the option to see a player live and sense him, get that energy, presence and charisma, on top of his qualities, it’s something else. Probably when he was around I said, 'Hmm, that’s a special player.' To be fair I had this one, I had another position that was a little bit further back to do something else and he can adapt to anything you throw at him. At the moment, that is what we were thinking, in front is probably much more positive for the team."

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Getty/GoalZubimendi compared to Ballon d'Or winner Rodri

Former Spain star Gaizka Mendieta drew comparisons between Manchester City star Rodri and Zubimendi as he told : "When I think of Martin Zubimendi at Arsenal, I think of Rodri at Manchester City. City can have other players that can play in that role like Nico Gonzalez but it's not the same. That's why Rodri has been one of the best players in the Premier League since he arrived. He's the kind of player that you might not see much because they're not always on the ball or not allowed on the ball. But his position, how they give freedom to teammates, how he allows other players around him to do things is not always visible, but it's very important. You can't put your finger on why it's not happening when Rodri isn’t there, but it makes a difference whether they are on the pitch or not. They allow other players to do things that they can't do when they're not there, it’s a very similar situation for both."

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O Santos se decepcionou com o desempenho do atacante Alfredo Morelos, especialmente após o Paulistão 2024, mas encontra dificuldades para liberá-lo. Com isso, a princípio, o colombiano fica na equipe para a disputa da Série B.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Segundo fontes ouvidas pelo Lance!, Morelos não sairá do Santos neste momento. A informação foi confirmada publicamente pelo presidente Marcelo Teixeira, em entrevista coletiva realizada na quarta-feira (17).

– Morelos tem contrato. Já vinha com um contrato anterior. Ele, o próprio Dodô. Permanecem no plantel, aguardaremos as reposições. Temos jogadores da base de muito potencial. O Morelos é um jogador que, como está definindo a comissão técnica e a diretoria, caberá a fazer o seu trabalho. O jogador tem histórico e potencial muito grande, jogos no exterior. Foi contratado na gestão passada com essa razão – disse Teixeira.

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Morelos chegou ao Santos em 2023, como uma das maiores contratações da temporada. Ele tem vínculo até agosto do ano que vem e aceitou redução salarial para seguir no Peixe, mesmo com uma cláusula contratual que facilitava sua saída em caso de rebaixamento no Brasileirão.

Apesar da possibilidade da comissão técnica de Fábio Carille não contar mais com o jogador, a situação contratual dificulda uma saída.

– Enxugamos uma máquina, diminuímos a folha e qualificamos o elenco para 2024, assim continuará. Entre tantas saídas, alguns permaneceram. Pode ser que continuem, têm contrato a ser obedecido. Não posso ser irresponsável e rasgar. Não farei isso, nunca. Terei que arcar, como estamos arcando, com ônus e bônus. Temos até julho, a janela atual é curta, para times do Brasil. Temos que estar no mercado no devido momento – concluiu Marcelo Teixeira.

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Além disso, o próprio Morelos garantiu que não cogita deixar o Santos.

– Não estou pensando em ir embora. Tenho contrato vigente e estou treinando o máximo possível para dar a minha melhor versão. Tenho consciência que devo dar um extra e por isso estou trabalhando com o clube e com um preparador físico particular para estar 100% – afirmou o atleta, ao jornalista César Luis Merlo.

Com dificuldade de ter sequência, Morelos soma apenas 14 partidas, dois gols e uma assistência pelo Santos.

Tudo sobre

Alfredo MorelosSantos

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians se despediu oficialmente do Paulistão no domingo (10), após empate com o Água Santa, última partida do time no torneio. O Timão já estava eliminado antes mesmo da bola rolar.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Corinthians

Com isso, a equipe treinada por António Oliveira terá longo tempo livre nas próximas semanas, pois não irá disputar o mata-mata do Estadual. Apenas na quinta-feira (14), enfrenta o São Bernardo pela Copa do Brasil, em jogo único eliminatório.

Para ocupar a lacuna de calendário, a diretoria do Corinthians planeja realizar uma “intertemporada”, com partidas amistosas e de exposição para torcedores que não moram em São Paulo.

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Dentro dos planos estão dois jogos fora da capital paulista, para prestigiar corintianos que moram em outras regiões do país. Também são cogitados amistosos fora do Brasil, contra times da MLS (EUA) e Arábia Saudita.

Tudo dependerá do aceite de António Oliveira e sua comissão técnica. A intenção é disponibilizar maior entrosamento, tempo de jogo e familiaridade do elenco com as ideias do treinador português. Caso fique tudo combinado, as definições devem acontecer durante a Data Fifa, de 18 a 26 de março.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

T20I captain Litton Das has expressed his unhappiness with the Bangladesh selectors’ decision of dropping Shamim Hossain from the squad for the first two T20Is against Ireland. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said last Friday that they were dropping Shamim to give Mahidul Islam Ankon a chance in the middle order.Litton, however, said that the selectors didn’t inform him or coach Phil Simmons about such a decision.”I think it would have been better if [Shamim] was in the team. But this is not my call, [it is] totally the selectors’ call,” Litton said. “I don’t know why, but the selector dropped Shamim without giving us notice. I have known that a captain would know which player would be in the team, and which player would be out of the team. I don’t see any reason behind Shamim getting dropped. It would have been better if he was in the team.”Related

• Bangladesh look to fine-tune their prep for T20 World Cup

• Saifuddin returns but no Taskin for first two T20Is vs Ireland

Litton also said that he has received a directive that he would have little say in squad selection. Litton, however, did not say where the instructions came from or when he got them.”The selection panel and board has told me that I have to totally work with whatever team they have selected,” Litton said. “I can’t have a say about which player I want or don’t want. I have known for a long time that a captain has a planning for organising the team. Recently, I have been informed that my job is to deliver something good from the field with [the] team that I have been given.”Litton, however, said that he will continue leading the side despite such conditions given to his leadership. “I won’t say it is insulting, but I think the captain and coach must be informed. We don’t know anything about [the selection]. If the same thing happens during the World Cup, I will try to implement with the team to the best of my ability.””Why not Shamim [Hossain]? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series” – Litton Das•AFP/Getty Images

Litton also said “sorry” to Shamim, calling it a disappointment for the player.”It won’t disturb the team but [the situation] is disappointing,” Litton said. “You can’t expect the same performance in every series from every player. We have been trying to build a team for a long time. Why not Shamim? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series. Getting dropped from there, it is disappointing for Shamim.”As a captain, I can’t say anything more than sorry to Shamim. I don’t expect all 15 players in my squad to perform at the same level. We have to back a player when he doesn’t perform in two or three series. I am really sorry that I couldn’t back him.”Shamim has had only single-digit scores in his last three T20I outings for Bangladesh, which may have prompted the selectors to drop him. Shamim, however, has made some important contributions in Bangladesh’s T20I revival this year. He made 48 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in July. That innings took Bangladesh to a massive win, which is now considered as a turning point for them.Shamim also contributed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. His 22-ball 33 against Afghanistan in early October was the last time he reached double figures, before his run of three successive single-digit scores in T20Is.Meanwhile, chief selector Gazi made a statement after Litton’s comments on the non-selection of Shamim.”Our focus should be on the Ireland series that’s coming up, but because of what our captain Litton Das said at a press meet, I wanted to say a few things,” Gazi said. “We held a brief meeting with the captain and coach before the Bangladesh squad for the Ireland T20Is was announced. When we asked about his opinion about Shamim Hossain, Litton Das told us that he wants Shamim in the team against Ireland. He also informed us that he spoke to the coach [Simmons], who said he also wants the same batters who played against West Indies, in the next T20I squad.”After discussing with Hasibul Hossain [another selector], we decided to leave out Shamim from the squad. We thought that we will announce the squad for the first two matches so that if we win the series by then, we can do some experiment in the third T20I. We announced the team following the rules, after going through cricket operations and the board. The selectors don’t always have to agree with the captain and coach when making selection calls. We don’t have to take any permission. We are accountable to the board.”

Leeds United need to improve their offensive output if they want to stand a chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League this season.

Last season, every team that avoided the drop scored at least 42 goals, with Spurs in 17th place scoring 64 times, whilst all three of the teams that went down averaged less than a goal per game.

The Whites are currently in the middle of that, with 11 goals in 11 matches in the Premier League, which shows that they need to improve their output at the top end of the pitch.

11 games into the season, no Leeds player has scored more than two goals in the division, with three players leading the way for goals, and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

25/26

Noah Okafor

Joe Rodon

Lukas Nmecha

2

22/23

Rodrigo

13

21/22

Raphinha

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

17

As you can see in the table above, at least one player hit double figures for goals in each of the three seasons that the club were in the Premier League during their last stint.

In their run in the division before that, Australian forward Mark Viduka hit double figures in four successive seasons, including 17 and 20-goal hauls in two of them, per Transfermarkt.

Why Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward

Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the January transfer window because none of their current options look likely to be their next Viduka.

As aforementioned, no one in the squad has scored more than two goals in the Premier League after 11 matches, and summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a particular disappointment so far this term.

The experienced number nine, who was signed on a free transfer from Everton in the summer, is reportedly the highest earner in the squad on £100k-per-week, but has not done enough on the pitch to justify that.

25/26

1.62

1

24/25

8.85

3

23/24

13.63

7

22/23

6.50

2

21/22

6.22

5

20/21

18.21

16

19/20

16.11

13

18/19

6.17

6

17/18

5.44

4

16/17

1.25

1

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has historically been a poor finisher in the Premier League, mostly for Everton, and arrived at Elland Road in the summer off the back of four successive seasons without scoring more than seven goals in a league campaign.

It should, therefore, not be a surprise that he has struggled for form for the Whites in front of goal, with one goal and ten ‘big chances’ missed in all competitions so far this season, per Sofascore.

Nmecha, meanwhile, has scored two Premier League goals this season, but has not scored more than eight goals in a league season, per Sofascore, since he plundered 18 goals in the Pro League for Anderlecht in the 2020/21 campaign.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

The unlikelihood of Calvert-Lewin or Nmecha pushing on to hit double figures for goals in the Premier League has reportedly prompted the club to pursue another option in their position.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TEAMtalk, the club recognise that they let Daniel Farke down in the summer transfer window and plan to rectify that mistake by adding more firepower to his squad in January.

The report claims that Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is one of the players they are plotting a possible move for, alongside Coventry’s Haji Wright, AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia.

It adds that the Scottish Premiership forward has told the Hoops of his desire to move on from Parkhead in the next transfer window, which will come as a boost to Leeds, as well as Everton and Brentford, who are said to be leading the race for his signature.

Maeda was reportedly valued at around £21m by Celtic in the summer, amid interest in his services at the time, but it remains to be seen if that valuation has changed ahead of January.

Why Daizen Maeda could be Leeds United's new Mark Viduka

As aforementioned, Viduka had great success in the Premier League during his time at Elland Road, with 72 goals in 166 matches in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

That impressive form for the Whites came after he made a move from Celtic, where, per Transfermarkt, he scored an eye-catching 27 goals in 37 games in the 99/00 season, before his switch to West Yorkshire in the summer of 2000.

Maeda, who is currently shining for Celtic, could follow in Viduka’s footsteps by making a similar move to be a goalscoring sensation for Leeds in the second half of this season, and beyond.

The Japanese forward, who can play on either wing or as a number nine, scored 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has scored four goals so far this term.

These statistics show that Maeda has been an incredibly prolific goalscorer for the Scottish giants, which is exactly what Leeds are lacking in their current squad.

xG

12.76

Top 1%

Goals

16

Top 1%

xA

5.99

Top 6%

Assists

10

Top 1%

Duels won

104

Top 23%

Tackles won

44

Top 6%

Possession won in the final third

13

Top 16%

Perhaps most interestingly, though, the Japan international ranked within the top 16% of his positional peers in the Premiership last season for winning possession back in the final third, despite Celtic being an incredibly dominant team who won the title.

At Leeds, Maeda would be in a team that is under pressure a lot in matches, as they are fighting relegation, which would give him even more opportunities to use his incredible pressing skills and speed to win the ball off the opposition to spark counter-attacks.

The Celtic star, who ex-Rangers boss Barry Ferguson claimed is “built like a brick”, could be the perfect signing for Leeds because he has the goalscoring record to suggest that he can provide the threat that they are currently missing, whilst also possessing the out-of-possession attributes that you need a player to have in a relegation scrap.

Maeda’s relentless running and pressing could be invaluable to the Whites as they battle to avoid the drop, and his goalscoring quality could make him Viduka 2.0 at Elland Road.

Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds

Leeds United are lining up a January swoop for a star who could be as exciting a signing as Raphinha once was.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The Impact Player has marginalised players like him, but Sunday night gave him a chance to remind the IPL of his quality

Sidharth Monga06-Apr-20251:55

Bishop: ‘Surprised by how dominant Washington was’

Washington Sundar has had a curious career arc. He first drew attention at the senior level with his tight powerplay bowling during IPL 2017, which didn’t last when he landed in other teams with other ideas. The next big step was in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when a surprise debut as India’s lone spinner ended up as a showcase for his batting ability against a top Test attack in an unforgettable series win. He plateaued again before becoming more of a regular last year as India began preparing for life after R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.And yet, among the 20 or so players playing T20Is regularly for India, Washington was the only one struggling to get an IPL game. Put it down to the Impact Player rule. Not only does it disincentivise developing allrounders, it takes out of the game the imperfect allrounder, the nearly-there jack of all trades. Washington might disagree but he is not quite a specialist batter and arguably not in the league of Ashwin to play as an offspinner alone.The nearly man played just two IPL matches last year. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) then let him go, and his new team Gujarat Titans (GT), already a strong bowling unit, again didn’t have a slot for him. He nearly played against Mumbai Indians (MI), though, when he was padded up all innings as a possible Impact Player when GT batted first, but they eventually chose a specialist bowler in Ishant Sharma. The story of Washington since the introduction of the Impact Player: losing out to a combination of players – Ishant and Sherfane Rutherford – whom he might have edged out if it was an 11-man team and not 12.Related

Rayudu: Sai Kishore 'as good as anybody' in the Indian team

Siraj returns fresher, sharper and hungrier after Champions Trophy snub

Siraj, Gill and Washington hand Sunrisers fourth successive defeat

It was when Washington’s former team SRH rolled out a dream pitch for the visitors – slow and low – that GT went in for the extra spinner, which brought Washington in. This may have also been driven by match-ups, with three left-hand batters in SRH’s top three. Even so, GT realised the pitch was doing more for tall, into-the-pitch quicks than spinners, so Washington didn’t get a bowl even as GT restricted SRH to 152.Washington Sundar hit Simarjeet Singh for two fours and two sixes in a match-defining sixth over•BCCIThen fate took a turn. GT lost two early wickets, their captain was out in the middle, and their coach asked Washington to go in at No. 4. Possibly because they wanted to keep the right-left combination going, or perhaps because Washington’s Tamil Nadu team-mate Shahrukh Khan hasn’t had a great start to this year’s IPL. Whatever it was, Washington saw an opportunity and grabbed it with an innings that was head and shoulders above any other on a testing pitch bar that of Rutherford, who arguably batted when the game was almost over and dew had made things easier.Three balls into his innings, Washington started to exploit the powerplay fields, displaying both classic batting chops and T20-style innovation. The 20 he took of Simarjeet Singh in the sixth over put GT on their way. He dominated the third-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill, scoring 49 in a 90-run stand and giving Gill time to get a measure of the pitch. According to ESPNcricinfo’s smart stats, Washington played the most valuable innings of the match, although Mohammed Siraj was rightfully adjudged Player of the Match for his 4 for 17.Washington will hope he has shown enough to convince GT to make him more of a regular, but he will also know that they are a team driven more by process than results. A certain set of conditions brought Washington in, which suggests they look at him more as a bowler than a batter. Their next game is at home against Rajasthan Royals. If they play on a black-soil pitch again – they did so against MI and it turned out to play slow and low – he could stay in and keep the extra fast bowler out.

The Detroit Tigers have been the best team in MLB through the first half of the season, and that's been represented in the team's litany of All-Star selections.

After a late All-Star roster shakeup, the Tigers now find themselves in a deadlock with the Los Angeles Dodgers with the most representatives at the midsummer classic. Houston Astros infielder Jeremy Peña won't be able to participate due to a rib injury, and MLB announced that Detroit's Zach McKinstry would be selected as his replacement.

McKinstry becomes the Tigers' fifth All-Star, joining the likes of starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Baez. Only the Dodgers, who are sending Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw to Atlanta, have as many representatives.

McKinstry, 30, is enjoying his best MLB season to date. He's slashing .283/.357/.460 with seven home runs, 27 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

Former USMNT star Brad Friedel has, in an exclusive interview with GOAL, explained why “workaholic” Mauricio Pochettino could walk away from international management after the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine tactician holds the honour of leading the United States into another major tournament on home soil, but inevitable questions are being asked of his future.

• Pochettino contract: When USMNT deal ends

  Ex-Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino stepped into a prominent post on American soil in September 2024. He was charged with the task of ensuring that a so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of talent is ready to fulfil undoubted potential on the grandest of stages.

  That process has not been without the odd challenge, but the USMNT are confident that they can compete with the very best in the business when the global elite descend on their own backyard. Pochettino is only under contract until the World Cup finals come to a close.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Stay or go: What will Pochettino do after the World Cup?

  Coaches in international football tend to work on tournament cycles, with clear beginnings and ends to any given era being easy to find, so will Pochettino follow that trend and bow out when his current deal comes to a close – regardless of how the U.S. fare next summer?

  When that question was put to Friedel, the ex-USMNT goalkeeper – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “That’s a great question. I’m quite close with one of his assistant coaches. I think that because he has had to come in and change the culture in the States, if they do well then I could see him staying for another cycle.

  “I know he is a guy that likes to build, he likes to have continuity and stability. But he also likes to know that he has quality. I don’t know what he thinks of the next four years on his paper, of what’s going to happen when – as happens with national teams – a few people age out, and are the wrong people ageing out to be successful for the next four years.

  “It’s a really good question. I would probably say this: If it doesn’t go well, probably ‘no’. If it goes incredibly well and they win it, I don’t think he stays. If it’s somewhere in the middle and it’s good and building, then I think there is probably a chance. That would be my guess.”

• Premier League return? What Pochettino misses

  Pochettino has admitted that he intends to head back to club management at some stage, telling : “The Premier League is the best league in the world. Of course I am missing it. I am so happy in America but also thinking one day to come back to the Premier League. It's the most competitive league.”

  On missing the day-to-day interaction of working at domestic level, with international camps often months apart, Friedel added on Pochettino’s professional drive: “He’s a workaholic, and his whole staff are. I can say from personal experience, not at the senior level but the U19 national team, you do miss the day-to-day because you are scouting and meeting with people and talking a lot more than you are on the pitch.

  “I can see how any manager, especially on the younger side, would miss club management. When the tournament comes around, then you want to be nowhere else except for there because it’s the big stuff. I can see two things. I can see, one, big clubs wanting him. And two, I can understand him wanting the day-to-day because he is a workaholic and very good at his job.”

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  World Cup focus: Pochettino and USMNT looking at draw

  Pochettino’s stock remains high, so there is every chance that a “big” club will come in for him during the summer of 2026. Teams around the world will be assessing their options at that stage, with many opting for a change in the dugout.

  The USMNT will not be worrying themselves about interest from afar just yet, though, as collective focus there is locked on the group stage draw for the 2026 World Cup – which is set to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on December 5.

The Guardians nearly managed to pull of what would've been a signature comeback against the Tigers in Game 1 of the American League wild card series. In the bottom of the ninth inning, down 2–1, José Ramírez managed to reach third base with nobody out due to a throwing error, but Cleveland wasn't able to capitalize.

That's in part due to a costly mistake Ramirez made at third, which resulted in him getting caught between bases after Kyle Manzardo hit a ground ball to the pitcher's mound. Ramirez, for whatever reason, had an unusually large lead off third base. As such, when the ball was hit weakly in the infield, he was stranded in between third base and home plate, and was easy prey for Tigers pitcher Will Vest.

Ramírez was already halfway down the line by the time Vest fielded the ball, but rather than continue heading for the plate, he stopped short and tried to retreat. Vest noticed he was in No Man's Land, and reacted accordingly to secure the critical second out of the inning.

The baserunning gaffe from Ramírez moved the potential game-tying run from third base to first base, and the Guardians weren't able to even up the score after that, and the Tigers finished off the 2–1 win.

Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 1:08 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland.