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Massimiliano Allegri made a late tactical change during AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Sassuolo, substituting U.S. international Christian Pulisic in the 72nd minute. The Milan manager said the move was dictated by the flow of the match, stressing it had nothing to do with managing minutes ahead of the club’s next fixture. Pulisic has nine goal contributions in nine league matches this season.

AFPAllegri prioritizes midfield stability

Allegri explained that Pulisic had only recently returned to full training after recovering from a fever before the Sassuolo match. Despite the American international's solid performance through 72 minutes, the coach felt compelled to strengthen Milan's midfield presence as Sassuolo began exerting increased pressure on the Rossoneri's defensive structure. The substitution brought Samuele Ricci into the match to provide additional protection in the center of the park.

“I would have done it anyway,” Allegri said, reported Football Italia. “Christian had joined us in Turin after a fever and then trained. He played well for 72 minutes, but at that moment, we needed one more midfielder. Loftus-Cheek held firm up front, but we had to defend better, especially for the second goal. We had to follow Laurienté, and it was too easy for them to score.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPulisic's performance earns praise

Allegri highlighted Pulisic's involvement in Milan's attacking play, noting his role in the team's second goal and a late opportunity he created in the final stages. The coach's assessment reflected Pulisic's continued importance to Milan's attacking structure, even as tactical adjustments became necessary.

“Today he played a good game, as in Turin,” Allegri said. “He was decisive for the second goal; he had a chance in the final minutes. He was very good. We know the team’s quality, we know we can’t win every game, and we must give consistency to the results. Today, we could have lost the match, but we took home a draw. Today it seems that we’ve thrown two points away, but in the end, it will prove to be useful.”

Pragmatic perspective on dropped points

The result leaves Milan vulnerable to being overtaken by Napoli and Inter Milan, who both have opportunities to climb the Serie A table. However, Allegri's confidence in his squad's ability to maintain consistency suggests he views the Sassuolo draw as a temporary setback rather than a fundamental problem. 

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Getty Images SportWhat lies ahead for AC Milan

Following their 2-2 draw, Allegri and Milan will now turn their attention to Thursday's Supercoppa Italia semifinal against Napoli in Saudi Arabia. After that, the Rossoneri will face Verona at home on Dec. 27 in the Serie A and then go on the road to face Cagliari on Jan. 2.

Santos boss Pedro Caixinha has hailed Neymar as a "genius", while hoping he can take after Lionel Messi on the national stage.

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• Neymar starring for Santos
• Labelled as a "genius"
• Santos boss makes Messi point

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Santos head coach Caixinha heaped praise on the 33-year-old, after finding form at the Brazilian giants since his move from Al-Hilal. He also hopes that his team can help the ex-Barcelona star "grow" and be embraced by Brazil's fans, just as Messi went on to do at Argentina following their 2022 World Cup triumph.

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  WHAT PEDRO CAIXINHA SAID

  After Santos' 3-0 win over Internacional de Limeira on Sunday, he told reporters: "Neymar is a football genius, but he is a very humble person, easy to get along with. He wants to win and compete. We have him at Santos as a cause. He could be at other levels of world football. This represents a lot of his relationship with Santos, the love he has for Santos, the confrontation zone he found here."

  He added: "Argentina did this with Messi. Brazil should do this with Neymar. Our responsibility is to help him grow, to make him feel confident, happy, that he wanted to play and make a difference. If he finds it here, he will find it in the national team. Things can happen."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following a slow start, Neymar has found his feet at Santos after signing a six-month deal with his boyhood club. The former Paris Saint-Germain star has scored two goals and bagged three assists in his last three games and if he keeps this up for a sustained period, a Brazil recall could be on the cards. That would have been unthinkable after having his contract cancelled at Al-Hilal and enduring an injury-hit year or so.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Neymar, who completed 90 minutes for the first time in his second spell at Santos at the weekend, could next feature for his side in their Campeonato Paulista quarter-final at home to Bragantino on Saturday.

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A vitória por 3 a 0 sobre a Ponte Preta, pelo Campeonato Paulista, na quarta-feira (26), fez o técnico Abel Ferreira chamar a atenção para um jogador em especial: Jailson. O volante entrou no segundo tempo improvisado na zaga e foi bem na avaliação do treinador, que pede ao Palmeiras que abra mais os olhos para atletas como o novo camisa 30, que estava há um ano sem jogar.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel elogia primeiro tempo do Palmeiras, mas desaprova queda no segundo: ‘Temos que mudar isso’Palmeiras27/01/2022PalmeirasAbel não vê espaço para campeões da Copinha no Palmeiras e recomenda: ‘Se venderem, invistam em um CT’Palmeiras27/01/2022PalmeirasApós vitória, Scarpa elogia preparação do Palmeiras para o Mundial: ‘Importante para confiança’Palmeiras27/01/2022

– É um jogador que sabíamos que não jogava há muito tempo. Mas às vezes precisa arriscar e apostar em um jogador que precisa continuar sua carreira que foi interrompida por algum problema. Parabéns a quem contratou.

Jailson chegou ao Verdão após ficar um ano sem jogar. O jogador, revelado pelo Grêmio, estava no futebol chinês e, por conta da pandemia, não conseguiu retornar ao país asiático. Ficou sem receber salários por cinco meses e conseguiu a sua liberação apenas em novembro.

Sempre sincero, Abel foi direto. Disse na entrevista coletiva que sua prioridade era pela permanência de Danilo Barbosa, que estava no clube emprestado pelo Nice, da França, e não teve a permanência acertada para esta temporada. Com isso, o comandante português disse que conversou com Jailson e explicou sua importância para substituir também Felipe Melo, que não teve o contrato renovado.

– Nóstivemos uma conversa muito franca com o Jailson. Nós queríamos ter ficado com o Danilo (Barbosa), mas apareceram outras condições, não foi possível. O Palmeiras se pauta por valores, princípios, responsabilidade e nós fomos atrás de um jogador que tinha essas características, que poderia fazer essas duas funções. Fomos atrás de informações sobre ele, ate do caráter humano, e ele nos atende em ambas as posição, como um número 5 e como zagueiro.

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>Confira como foram as atuações do Palmeiras na vitória contra a Ponte Preta

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> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2022 clicando aqui

> Confira o caminho do Verdão no Mundial de Clubes-2022 clicando aqui

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The Dynamo are set to pay straight cash for the U.S. international, with Philly retaining a sell-on clause for the midfielder

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Jack McGlynn reportedly traded from Philadelphia to Houston21-year-old made USMNT debut in JanuaryPhilly retains large sell-on clauseGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

The Houston Dynamo have reportedly acquired U.S. international Jack McGlynn from the Philadelphia Union, with the Western Conference side paying a straight cash fee of $2M for his services. No allocation money is set to be involved, according tothe same report.

McGlynn made his USMNT debut this past January under Mauricio Pochettino, with the 21-year-old having a breakout camp on the international stage, bagging a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over Venezuela.

The report adds teams from Italy and the English Championship approached the Union, but Houston's fee was a higher valuation.

was the first to report the trade.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

McGlynn is one of the U.S.' brightest midfield products at the moment and is being touted to have a big future for both club and country on the world's biggest stage. A move within MLS comes as a shock to many, but there is still an expectation that he moves to Europe sooner rather than later, considering the sell-on clause that the Union put on to the deal.

With the Union, McGlynn made 135 appearances across four seasons. He was signed to a professional deal at age 17, becoming one of many young Union Homegrown players.

If the deal is announced before Sporting Kansas City's reported transfer agreement for LA Galaxy striker Dejan Joveljic, it will be the first deal under MLS' new rule.

DID YOU KNOW?

McGlynn was nominated for the 2024 MLS Goal of the Year, after he scored against rivals D.C. United with a long-range effort that went into the top corner of the net.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MCGLYNN?

The 21-year-old looks set to travel to Texas to seal the deal with the Dynamo, just weeks before the 2024 MLS season kicks off.

The Dynamo's campaign begins on Feb. 22 against cross-state rivals, FC Dallas. McGlynn will face his former club Philadelphia on Saturday, July 19.

Chennai Super Kings have named West Indian allrounder Dominic Drakes as injured Sam Curran’s replacement for the remainder of the IPL. Curran was ruled out of the ongoing IPL and the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup on Tuesday with a lower-back injury.Drakes, who was with Mumbai Indians as a net bowler in the UAE, will join Super Kings – who have qualified for the playoffs – ahead of their last league match, against Punjab Kings on October 7. The 23-year old, who was part of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots led by Dwayne Bravo in the CPL, played a crucial role in their successful campaign this season.The left-arm quick picked 16 wickets in 11 matches, but his most important contribution of the season came with the bat – he hit an unbeaten 48 off 24 in the final against St Lucia Kings and was named the Player of the Match. In 19 T20s so far, he has picked 20 wickets and has scored 153 runs at a strike rate of 159.37.Curran, meanwhile, played only two matches for Super Kings in the UAE leg. He had a poor season with the ball, leaking 56 runs and 55 runs in the matches against Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively in addition to remaining wicketless. Overall this season, he picked nine wickets in nine games and scored 56 runs in four innings.

Peterborough's chairman has blasted fans calling for Darren Ferguson to be sacked over his decision not to bring on Tyler Young against Everton.

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Tyler was left as an unused substituteFerguson defended his selection decisionsPeterborough chairman backed his managerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Football fans were left disappointed on Thursday when a historic FA Cup moment failed to materialise. The clash between Everton and Peterborough at Goodison Park had the potential to see veteran full-back Ashley Young and his son, Tyler, become the first father-son duo to compete against each other in the competition’s 154-year history. However, Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson’s tactical decisions prevented this milestone from taking place.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ashley, the 39-year-old former England international, came on as a substitute for Everton in the 73rd minute, with his team leading 1-0. Despite the sentimental opportunity, Ferguson opted not to field 18-year-old Tyler, citing the competitive circumstances of the match. By the time Everton sealed their victory with Iliman Ndiaye’s stoppage-time penalty, all of Peterborough’s substitutions had been made, leaving the younger Young on the bench.

"The last substitution was a difficult one because I did want to get Tyler on. As much as I wanted to get him on with his dad, I had to do what’s right for my team," Ferguson said after the match.

"It was very difficult, but I’ve got to do what’s best for the team. If the game had been 2-0 at that point, I would have put him on, but at 1-0, I couldn’t. If I sent a central midfielder on at 1-0, I’ve got three forwards sitting on the bench wondering what’s going on."

WHAT DARRAGH MACANTHONY SAID

On Friday, the Everton star posted on social media that he was "gutted" and Ferguson’s decision drew ire from fans, some of whom called for the manager’s dismissal. However, Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony staunchly defended Ferguson, labelling the criticism as unwarranted and irrational.

In a strongly worded tweet, MacAnthony stated: "This nonsense has to stop. My manger was 100% correct in his actions. This wasn’t some friendly or exhibition event. Tyler is doing fantastic with our 21’s & progressing phenomenally with bright future but bringing him on at that time considering circumstances around game with us one down with minutes left was not right thing for team. Putting stupid tweets out asking for him to be sacked is unintelligent & frankly moronic. In time even Ashley will appreciate this as opposed to his current feeling around it."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Young, who has been on the fringes of Peterborough’s first team, has only made one senior appearance so far. That came in an EFL Trophy match against Stevenage in October 2024. The teenager is regarded as a promising talent and has been making steady progress in Peterborough’s U21 setup. Despite his inexperience, fans were eager to witness the symbolic moment of father and son facing each other on the pitch. However, Ferguson’s decision highlighted the balance managers often need to strike between emotion and practicality.

Mikel Arteta could now drop a big-name member of his Arsenal team for their looming blockbuster clash against Premier League title rivals Man City.

Arteta dealt selection headache for Arsenal before Man City

The Gunners have come through a tough week unbeaten, clinching a North London Derby win away to Tottenham last weekend before holding Europa League champions Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in Bergamo on Thursday.

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Arsenal did well to cope without star midfielder and club captain Martin Odegaard against Tottenham, but his absence was a bit more noticeable in the Champions League, as Arteta’s side struggled to impose their usual attacking flair.

It took an absolutely outstanding double-save from goalkeeper David Raya to ensure that they did not leave Italy empty-handed, and it is likely to be one of the best pieces of shot-stopping you’ll ever see.

During the encounter, Arteta fielded striker Gabriel Jesus up front in place of usual option Kai Havertz, despite the German thriving in that role for the best part of 12 months.

Odegaard will be sidelined for weeks after sustaining ankle ligament damage during the international break, and Arteta can’t call upon Mikel Merino to fill the numbers in midfield either, with the Spaniard also set to be absent for a while after fracturing his shoulder in training.

Appearances

156

Goals

35

Assists

25

Yellow cards

12

Red cards

0

Minutes played

12,108

Against Tottenham, Arteta opted to play a 4-4-2 formation with both Leandro Trossard and Havertz leading the line, so that could be an option for the Arsenal boss as he ponders how best to set up his Premier League title chasers.

“We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s hectic fixture schedule lately.

“Obviously, we knew the schedule and we knew that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days, but it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically. We’re making sure that everyone is ready for it, because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break.”

Arteta likely to drop Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus for Man City

According to GiveMeSport, Arteta has already made a decision on Jesus, and whether the Brazilian will start right from the off against his former club.

It is believed Jesus is likely to be dropped against Man City, with his carelessness in retaining possession against Atalanta set to be a crucial factor in this, as Arsenal look to go toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s Tika-Taka masters at the Etihad.

The £265,000-per-week striker was given the captain’s armband against Atalanta, but was hauled off early in the second half after proving ineffective against Gian Piero Gasperini’s men.

Arteta is apparently poised to name Jesus on the substitute’s bench tomorrow, so it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will play Raheem Sterling up front or return Havertz to his preferred forward role.

In the last four to five years, Arsenal have been utterly transformed, both on and off the pitch.

The North Londoners have gone from languishing down in eighth and breaking their transfer record on players like Nicolas Pepe to fighting for the title and bringing in stars like Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have been instrumental in this overhaul, and as such, their signings in recent windows haven’t been met with too much scrutiny, but that cannot be said for their business a few years ago.

In fact, back in 2021, one of the club’s newest players was torn into by Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville following his debut, and to say he has since proven them wrong would be an understatement.

Ben White's debut

Yes, the player in question is right-back extraordinaire Ben White.

The 26-year-old played as a centre-back in his first season at Arsenal following his £50m move from Brighton & Hove Albion and made his debut in the club’s opening game of the 21/22 season away at the then newly promoted Brentford.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, he struggled during the match and was one of the more disappointing players in what was an embarrassing 2-0 defeat for the visitors.

Following the game, Sky Sports’ Carragher and Neville then analysed the performance, going particularly hard on the new signing, focusing on his height, lack of experience, and naivety at the back.

Now, while the pair were indeed right to label it as a disappointing debut from the Pool-born ace, the suggestion that he would continue to struggle for the North Londoners has since been proven very wrong.

Moreover, while fans might point to his positional switch as vindication of the criticism, that was mainly down to the arrival of William Saliba, as in March 2022, he played 90 minutes for England as a centre-back, and losing your place in the lineup to the sensational Frenchman is nothing to be ashamed of anyway.

White's Arsenal career since

So, while Sky’s punditry tag team was certainly right to flag some issues with White’s debut back in 2021, it would be fair to say that in the three years since, he has wholly quashed any concerns people might have had about his ability to play for a top team.

In fact, the Gunners’ defensive “warrior”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, hasn’t just become an important player for the club; he’s become practically undroppable.

According to the Standard, his form has forced Jurrien Timber to play more on the left this season, when the initial plan last summer was that he would offer the Englishman more competition on the right.

Appearances

138

Goals

6

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

In all, the fan favourite, who isn’t so well-liked by other fanbases for his on-field antics, has now played 138 games for the North Londoners, starting 39 at centre-back and 94 at right-back, with the other five being substitute appearances.

He has also become more of an attacking threat alongside Bukayo Saka and Odegaard down the right flank and has ten assists and six goals to his name, including the club’s 10000th in all competitions.

Ultimately, while his start to life as an Arsenal player was shakey, White has since more than justified his original price tag and new £150k-per-week deal while establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the country.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be able to call upon a "warrior" in his squad for the rest of the 2024/2025 Premier League season, with a decision on the matter seemingly looming.

Arsenal prepare for Tottenham after 1-1 draw with Brighton

The north Londoners have two vital Premier League games awaiting them right after the international break, with trips to both north London neighbours Tottenham and title rivals Man City on the horizon.

Sporting director names Tottenham as potential 2025 move for £25m star

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 3, 2024

Arsenal will also be looking to put their first dropped points of the season behind them, following their disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Brighton last weekend, when they also lost star midfielder Declan Rice to suspension.

Rice picked up two yellow cards during the encounter, and was perhaps harshly sent off, after his second bookable offence for kicking the ball away. The England star will therefore miss Arsenal's all-important clash against Tottenham, dealing a big blow to Arteta who must now cope without such a crucial player in his starting eleven.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

As well as Rice, Arsenal will be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, after the Spaniard fractured his shoulder in his first ever training session at London Colney – not exactly the ideal start to life in London for him.

Arteta now has to decide how they will cope without both Rice and Merino. Some reports suggest that Arsenal are planning to slot Havertz into midfield with Sterling as a false nine, and as Arteta contemplates this tactical tweak, he must also decide on his final squad for the season.

Kieran Tierney could be ineligible for the rest of Arsenal's season

The deadline for each club to submit their full and final Premier League squad is September 13, and left-back Kieran Tierney will be a point of much debate within the club in this regard.

While the former Celtic star has now been included in their Champions League squad, which was seen as a shock choice considering he hasn't played for them for a year, Arteta still has some thinking to do in regard to Tierney as a domestic choice.

As relayed by London World, Tierney may not be included in Arsenal's final Premier League squad, and that would make him ineligible for the rest of this Premier League season domestically.

While the £120,000-per-week ace could return from his hamstring injury after the international break, and could be available for Spurs, it is a point of contention whether Tierney will even be selected in Arteta's final Premier League draft.

If Arsenal opt to leave the Scotland international in Premier League limbo, they must inform him soon, so he could potentially decide to chase up a move to Greece or Turkey if he doesn't want to solely be a squad player for Europe.

The Turkish and Greek windows remain open until the end of next week, so a loan move abroad would be a solution for the 27-year-old who's suffered from a plague of fitness issues in recent years – despite some praise.

"He has been solid," Ashley Cole told Sky Sports in 2021 (via The Metro). "I think he would have liked to see more game time, he’s had a few injuries that hampered his season. When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.

"There were those questions marks over him and his ability to come from Scottish fooball and adapt to the Premier League. But I think he’s adapted very well.

"He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left. for me, he can defend which is a plus."

Phil Foden admitted that Manchester City will come up against a "frightening" Liverpool team on Sunday, but insists his side are up to the challenge.

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• Liverpool on six-game winning run
• City winless in as many matches
• Foden sure they can turn it around

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City went on a five-game losing streak before squandering a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday. Their dismal domestic results leave the Premier League champions eight points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of the Anfield showdown between the two sides on Sunday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In contrast, Liverpool are on a six-game winning streak and have failed to win on just two occasions in all competitions this season. They head into the game off the back of a 2-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Foden is aware his team face a massive challenge.

  "Yeah, they look frightening to be fair," he told . "They’ve gone under the radar a bit because everyone was talking about City and Arsenal but we know how good they are. [Sunday’s match] is going to be a challenge and we’re up for it."

• WHAT FODEN SAID

  City's dismal form has sparked talk of a crisis at the club under Pep Guardiola. Defeat on Sunday would see City fall 11 points behind their rivals, which Guardiola conceded would likely put his team out of contention for the title.

  However, Foden is confident of turning the situation around as he believes the players are mentally strong enough.

  "Obviously, we’ve had a blip. We’ve had injuries and niggles," he said. "We can’t make that an excuse but we do know if we had the full team fit and key players, maybe the results would have been different. It’s about just getting over it. I’m pretty sure we’ll be OK once we start picking up the results again."

  He added: "It’s just the way we are. When we lose, we have meetings as a team, you know: ‘It’s not right, we need to put things right,’ so it’s just our mentality. I know when I look around the changing room, the mentality is right. Our hunger is still there, which is nice to see after us winning so much. It could easily not be — but the hunger is definitely still there."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FODEN?

  Yet to score in the Premier League so far this season, Foden will hope to open his account when City line up against Arne Slot's team.