Canada head coach Jesse Marsch admits he was deliberately spiky in the technical area during Sund...

<p>Canada head coach Jesse Marsch admits he was deliberately spiky in the technical area during Sunday's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3249123" href="https://thescore.com/news/3249123">2-1 win</a> over the United States in the Nations League third-place game.</p><p>With memories of his team being <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3247266" href="https://thescore.com/news/3247266">denied a first-half penalty</a> against Mexico on Thursday still raw, Marsch twice protested to the officials for what he believed were fouls on Canada striker <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///fran/players/159817" href="https://thescore.com/fran/players/159817">Jonathan David</a> in the box. He was sent off in the 54th minute but says he has no regrets over his conduct.</p><p>"If I had to do it again, I would," Marsch told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6226778/2025/03/24/canadas-marsch-explains-his-nations-league-red-card-id-do-it-again/">The Athletic's Joshua Kloke</a> while reiterating that he and his team were "pissed off" after the apparent missed call in the defeat to Mexico.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Marsch added: "It's not like I went into the game thinking, 'OK, I'm going to get thrown out.' But I was definitely looking for opportunities to make a point, right?"</p><p>Marsch said he wished he appealed the first incident involving David more than the second. He was dismissed as he reacted to the second incident, one that David revealed post-match involved a slip rather than a foul.</p><p>The Canada boss was keen for video review to be used during penalty calls after the pitchside monitor wasn't consulted when <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///fran/players/99764" href="https://thescore.com/fran/players/99764">Derek Cornelius</a> was kicked by Mexico's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/85188" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/85188">Edson Alvarez</a> as they fought for the ball in Thursday's Nations League semifinal. Marsch also got the impression Sunday that the officials were now prepared to use VAR more readily.</p><p>"The fourth official said to me when I was starting to escalate, 'No, we all reviewed what happened to you against Mexico and we're aware of it and we're going to look at this carefully.' And so I was like, 'OK, they're going to at least go to VAR,' and then they don't go to VAR," Marsch said.</p><p>"And then honestly, I was cursing myself. I should have freaking run over there, I should have forced a reaction."</p><p>Marsch, who took over the men's team last May, believes Canada has been on the end of many harsh decisions in CONCACAF tournaments over the years and wants to see a change in future matches. Canada takes on Ukraine and Ivory Coast in June friendlies before competing at CONCACAF's Gold Cup.</p><p>"You know what even makes me even more frustrated and happy that I did it? Did you see Panama's penalty (during <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3249256" href="https://thescore.com/news/3249256">the final</a> against Mexico)? Ours against Mexico is worse for me, right? I think it was necessary," Marsch reasoned.</p><p>"(Canada) have been through this, more than I have. So again, I'm learning what it is to be the Canadian national team coach, and certainly in this CONCACAF setting, they feel like they're getting the short end of the stick again. I get it."</p>

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 23: Jesse Marsch head coach of Canada leaves the pitch after receiving a red card during the CONCACAF Nations League third place match between United States and Canada at SoFi Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30727707/related

Canada boss Marsch has no regrets over red card: I'd 'do it again'

The Canadian men's national team's hopes of winning its first trophy in 25 years were dashed by T...

<p>The Canadian men's national team's hopes of winning its first trophy in 25 years were dashed by Thursday's 2-0 Nations League <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3247051" href="https://thescore.com/news/3247051">defeat</a> to Mexico, and an incident in just the ninth minute could rankle head coach Jesse Marsch's side for some time.</p><p>Mexico held an early 1-0 lead in the semifinal following <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engfa/players/16216" href="https://thescore.com/engfa/players/16216">Raul Jimenez</a>'s goal in the first minute. Shortly afterward, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///fran/players/99764" href="https://thescore.com/fran/players/99764">Derek Cornelius</a> tried to win possession in the area and got a touch on the ball before midfielder <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/85188" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/85188">Edson Alvarez</a> kicked the Canadian's left foot. Referee Said Martinez gave Mexico a free-kick as Canada players converged on him to appeal for a penalty. He wasn't instructed to review his decision on the pitchside monitor.</p><p>"We have a clear, clear, clear penalty, I don't know how it's not given in terms of - we have VAR. He doesn't even look at it," Cornelius told <a href="https://x.com/onesoccer/status/1903060869581271290">OneSoccer's Kristian Jack</a> postgame.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Cornelius added, "I just tried to get to the ball first to keep the attack alive and then, obviously, I got kicked at the end of it."</p><p>The defender couldn't fathom any excuses to not award Canada what he felt was "100%" a spot-kick.</p><p>"This is high-level games with high-level players. It deserves high-level refereeing," the defender added, according to <a href="https://x.com/TSNScianitti/status/1902956511715889207">TSN's Matthew Scianitti</a>.</p><p>Marsch <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3247051" href="https://thescore.com/news/3247051">described</a> the incident as "the definition of a penalty." Midfielder <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///uefa/players/134054" href="https://thescore.com/uefa/players/134054">Stephen Eustaquio</a> was similarly adamant that the referee missed a blatant call in Inglewood, California, but said the Honduran official was confident that a Mexican free-kick was the correct decision.</p><p>"We tried to talk to the ref and pressure the ref to see VAR, but he was certain from the beginning that it wasn't a penalty," Eustaquio <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/video/thats-a-penalty-everywhere-in-the-world-eustaquio-laments-missed~3100120">said</a>.</p><p>"I looked at the monitor, and I think that's a penalty everywhere in the world."</p><p>Instead of chasing its first title since the Gold Cup in 2000, Canada now falls into a third-place game against the United States on Sunday. The reigning champion U.S. was surprisingly <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3247018" href="https://thescore.com/news/3247018">beaten</a> in its semifinal earlier Thursday evening after <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///intfr/players/163642" href="https://thescore.com/intfr/players/163642">Cecilio Waterman</a>'s dramatic 94th-minute winner for Panama.</p><p>Panama was the lowest-ranked team (36th) in the final four of the Nations League but will now contest the final against Mexico shortly after Sunday's meeting between Canada and the United States.</p>

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Derek Cornelius #13 of Canada shoots against Edson Álvarez #4 of Mexico during the first half of a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal match at SoFi Stadium on March 20, 2025 in Inglewood, California.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30684505/related

Canada angry after no PK vs. Mexico: Game 'deserves high-level refereeing'

Newcastle United captured the first League Cup in their history Sunday following a 2-1 win over r...

<p>Newcastle United captured the first League Cup in their history Sunday following a 2-1 win over runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool.</p><p>Boyhood Newcastle fan <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/14564" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/14564">Dan Burn</a> gave his team the lead near the end of the first half before <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/91018" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/91018">Alexander Isak</a> doubled its advantage in the 52nd minute. Liverpool substitute <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/68002" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/68002">Federico Chiesa</a> scored in added time, but Eddie Howe's side was rarely under serious pressure at Wembley.</p><p>Newcastle's committed display earned them their first piece of silverware since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and their first major domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup final.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Liverpool, meanwhile, are strolling toward their 20th English top-flight title. But some onlookers were tipping Arne Slot's men for an unprecedented quadruple at the start of February before their FA Cup elimination to Plymouth Argyle, Tuesday's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, and now their surprise League Cup defeat to Newcastle.</p><p>Burn's aerial dominance over <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/160602" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/160602">Alexis Mac Allister</a> during corner kicks eventually proved costly for Liverpool when the towering defender excellently headed into the bottom corner. Newcastle took a deserved one-goal lead into the break.</p><p>"We couldn't believe Dan Burn scored - he didn't train like that! He was a colossus for us," Howe said post-match, per <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c62zl58dg8qt?post=asset%3A1d4ff973-63ff-42d9-a8b8-9950f7a3e229#post">BBC Sport</a>.</p><p>Isak was denied a goal when a VAR review confirmed he strayed offside by inches before poking the ball into the net following another corner. However, he doubled Newcastle's advantage under two minutes later. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/49695" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/49695">Jacob Murphy</a> nodded <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/182238" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/182238">Tino Livramento</a>'s delivery across goal, and Isak hit a slick first-time finish past <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/84917" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/84917">Caoimhin Kelleher</a>.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/cropped_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/w220xh124_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/w320xh180_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/w640xh360_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/w768xh432_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/775524/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2204902571.jpg?ts=1742148897 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Nigel French/Allstar / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/99998" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/99998">Curtis Jones</a>' smash from around 15 yards forced an incredible save from <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/16508" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/16508">Nick Pope</a> in the 59th minute, but Liverpool - 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and 23 points better off than sixth-placed Newcastle - played well below their best. Newcastle outdid the strong favorites with a battling team display and almost made it 3-0 when Kelleher pushed away Isak's close-range volley.</p><p>Liverpool scored in the 94th minute, with Chiesa slipping the ball into the corner of the net after <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/103076" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/103076">Harvey Elliott</a>'s pass caught out a briefly disorganized Newcastle backline. The goal was initially disallowed before Chiesa was declared onside following video review.</p><p>But the Magpies, who seemed to feed off the energy of the traveling Toon Army, saw out the final minutes with relative ease. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/54907" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/54907">Joelinton</a> best demonstrated how keen he and his teammates were for the fight by celebrating tackles and urging for even more noise from the black-and-white half of Wembley.</p><p>Newcastle beat Nottingham Forest, AFC Wimbledon, Chelsea, Brentford, Arsenal, and Liverpool on their victorious League Cup run.</p><p>"When you have been without a trophy for so long, it can be in the back of your head. Hopefully, it is brighter days ahead," Isak told Sky Sports, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2025/mar/16/liverpool-v-newcastle-carabao-cup-final-updates-live">The Guardian's John Brewin</a>.</p>

Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier lift the Carabao Cup trophy with team-mates following victory in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday March 16, 2025.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30630377/related

Newcastle beat Liverpool in League Cup final for 1st trophy in 56 years

During Women's History Month in March, theScore is publishing stories that illustrate how women i...

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30626518/related

Inside story of Canada's new pro women's soccer league

Manchester City's Erling Haaland became the first player to reach 100 Premier League goal involve...

<p>Manchester City's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/159222" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/159222">Erling Haaland</a> became the first player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements in fewer than 100 matches after opening the scoring with a penalty in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.</p><p>It was the striker's 84th goal in his 94th appearance in England's top flight. He's also provided 16 assists since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.</p><p>Haaland reached three figures in goal involvements in six fewer matches than the previous record holder, Alan Shearer. Liverpool's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engcc/players/17673" href="https://thescore.com/engcc/players/17673">Mohamed Salah</a> and Manchester United icon Eric Cantona both required 116 Premier League games to log their 100th goal involvement.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Sergio Aguero reached 100 goal involvements (77 goals, 23 assists) in his 118th Premier League outing for Manchester City.</p><p>Haaland, 24, is just one strike shy of 85 Premier League goals, which would equal Eden Hazard, Louis Saha, and Fernando Torres' individual tallies in the competition. He's currently level with former Manchester City standout Carlos Tevez on 84 goals.</p><p>The Norwegian holds the record for the most prolific season in Premier League history after cramming 36 goals into 35 appearances during his first season at Manchester City.</p>

Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his team first goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 15, 2025.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30612925/related

Haaland races to 100 Premier League goal involvements in record time

<p><em>During Women's History Month in March, theScore is publishing stories that illustrate how women in sports lead, inspire change, and navigate their careers.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><p><span style="float: left; width: 0.65em; font-size: 340%; font-family: serif; line-height: 90%; color: #f39b18;">F</span>rishta Qasemi didn't know Farkhunda Muhtaj, but she put her life in her hands.</p></figure><p>"I was scared for my life. If the Taliban knows that I'm a soccer player, they're going to kill me, of course. I think that Farkhunda was the only choice," said Qasemi, who was just 15 when the democratically elected Islamic Republic of Afghanistan fell in August 2021. "I had to trust her."</p><p>Muhtaj - born to Afghan refugees in Pakistan before the family moved to Canada when she was 2 - proudly captained the Afghanistan women's national team before the Taliban took over. In April, she'll be among the trailblazers who kick off the inaugural season of Canada's first professional women's soccer league, the Northern Super League (NSL), when she suits up for Calgary Wild FC. Muhtaj was the club's first official signing last year.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Her work to help Afghan youth team members flee their homeland means her NSL journey will be followed by many much further afield than Calgary.<strong> </strong>The Afghanistan Football Federation asked Muhtaj, along with other Afghan players based around the globe, to coordinate the evacuation missions from Kabul four years ago. The dedication and dependability of Muhtaj, who was then a 23-year-old playing semi-professionally in Ontario, was undeniable, but her relative inexperience in such matters indicated how desperate the situation had become.</p><p>"I had no clue what to do, if I'm being honest," she told theScore.</p><p>"There's no commercial flights leaving the country, all borders are closed, there's Taliban checkpoints throughout the country, and the political landscape kept shifting as well," she explained of the hurdles that threatened to derail the evacuation efforts.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/cropped_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/w220xh124_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/w320xh180_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/w640xh360_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/w768xh432_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772469/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1701278480.jpg?ts=1740601339 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Muhtaj playing for Dutch side Fortuna Sittard in 2023 <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Soccrates Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>It took time for Muhtaj to find the support she needed. Certain organizations and humanitarian lawyers she felt would be well connected didn't provide the response she hoped for. It wasn't until she formed a team featuring government officials from the United States that her drive gathered momentum.</p><p>As the leader of her national team, Muhtaj would be a hero to thousands, or more likely millions, of girls in most parts of the globe. Afghanistan was different. "Many of them didn't even know who the hell I was," she said, detailing the lack of exposure given to the team while so many considered soccer unsuitable for women - even when Afghanistan wasn't under the Taliban's glare. Muhtaj also didn't have any social media presence until 2021.</p><p>But Qasemi and the other youth players had no choice. A stranger was their only possible path to freedom. Qasemi made the emotional decision to travel alone, without her mother or any of her four younger siblings - the eldest aged 10 and the youngest just six months - because they could bring no more than three family members with them. Despite this distress, she and her teammates keenly followed Muhtaj's updates over WhatsApp; they observed instructions to move around the country's capital and venture into remote locations for various escape plans.</p><p>"These girls were heavily at risk. Anything could have happened to them. I was really fearful," Muhtaj said. "And you know what? We failed miserably dozens and dozens of times within each plan that we had."</p><p>Qasemi remembers one failed plan two days before the Taliban's deadline of Aug. 30, 2021 for evacuees to leave the country. Muhtaj supplied the coordinate points to an unmapped gate at the back of the airport, but the girls found on their journey that the Taliban had recently opened a checkpoint on the only route to get there. Some girls, along with Qasemi, and their family members left their cars and still tried to reach the gate on foot through challenging terrain. They walked through the night and needed to wait until the darkness receded to see their target.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/cropped_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/w220xh124_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/w320xh180_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/w640xh360_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/w768xh432_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/772470/w1080xh607_IMG-20250213-WA0015.jpg?ts=1740602006 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Qasemi, at 13, winning MVP following a tournament in Mazar-i-Sharif <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Frishta Qasemi</span></figcaption></figure><p>"I was walking five, maybe six or seven, hours on the mountains to find a way to the door," Qasemi told theScore. Except, when they eventually saw the gate, it was now blocked by the Taliban. They were firing their guns into the air to deter people from moving closer.</p><p>Qasemi started to doubt Muhtaj.</p><p>"I was so mad. I was crying so bad. I was like, 'Maybe she's just playing with us,'" Qasemi recalled.</p><p>Questions kept rolling around in her head: "Why am I doing this? Am I leaving the country or not? Is Farkhunda helping me or not?"</p><h3>Losing trust</h3><p>Muhtaj had the difficult task of keeping everyone on board with the ever-shifting operation to get them out of Afghanistan, while also ensuring their safety and maintaining their trust. In many instances, hope burned out - and it didn't help that the militant rulers' deadline for evacuees to leave had expired.</p><p>Belief was dwindling. Over 220 people were part of the original group Muhtaj was working to help evacuate. By the time she asked them to board buses for an eight-to-10 hour journey north from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif, more than half had decided to stay behind.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Afghanistan map" aria-label="Locator map" id="datawrapper-chart-0eAuz" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0eAuz/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="300" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>Muhtaj attributes the loss of faith to malicious rumors that she was selling their passports and visas, deliberately feeding incorrect information, and planning to profit from the vulnerability of the girls and their desperate families.</p><p>"We never took a dime, ever," Muhtaj said. "We actually supported them financially as well, because all banks were closed, and so we tried through the partners that were on the ground (to give) them cash support to buy basic needs."</p><p>The party of over 80 that remained stayed in safe houses in Mazar-i-Sharif for 20 days. The delay was longer than expected as Muhtaj dealt with another rush of issues, including more airport chaos and bordering countries unwilling to let the group in without asylum.</p><p>They could only wait. Going outside risked attracting the attention of many Taliban stalking the streets.</p><p>"It was really hard for everyone to be in the same room with more than 20 or 30 people," Qasemi, who was born and raised in Mazar-i-Sharif, said. "It was really tough. Everybody was very bored and tired."</p><p>A breakthrough occurred when Muhtaj and her team managed to secure the group a place on a chartered flight out of Afghanistan, a rarity after the Taliban regained control of the country. It was 22 days after the deadline to evacuate. Buses were quickly sent to the safe houses for transport to the airport to capitalize on the small window of opportunity. Concerns over documentation and other security-related problems at the airport evaporated as the plane took off for the Portuguese capital of Lisbon via Tbilisi, Georgia.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/cropped_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/w220xh124_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/w320xh180_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/w640xh360_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/w768xh432_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770441/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1343905100.jpg?ts=1739479237 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Muhtaj gives refugees surprise welcome after asylum was granted in Portugal <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Horacio Villalobos / Corbis News / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>There were mixed emotions as the girls left their homeland. From the bus window, Qasemi had soaked in the views of Mazar-i-Sharif; most of all her eyes studied the streets where she refused to surrender to oppressive cultural expectations, soldiering on through bruises and abuse to hone her soccer skills with local boys. Her defiance, and her talent as a skillful winger, ultimately led her to safety. She was still only 15 and without her family. But she was safe.</p><p>The eventual success of Muhtaj's first evacuation attempt led to another mission in November. During the second wave, 225 people landed in Portugal. Overall, Muhtaj has helped over 300 escape Afghanistan.</p><h3>'She's like a mother for us'</h3><p>Muhtaj's humanitarian efforts aren't restricted to moving people from Afghanistan. She's the co-founder of the Scarborough Simbas, based in the east Toronto district where she grew up, which was an idea spawned from when she saw "how disproportionately affected the newcomer and refugee community was" during COVID-19. Coaching soccer to children from refugee families is at the organization's core, but it crucially acts as a support hub for local immigrants, too. Meals and gatherings are held at the Simbas' base. Grocery store vouchers are sometimes available to further combat food insecurity.</p><p>Muhtaj's relationship with the footballers she saved also remains strong. Qasemi cherishes the times she plays with Ayenda FC, an Afghan youth national team. The squad is named after the word for "future" in Farsi and serves as an unofficial replacement for international soccer since playing sports is among the many basic human rights that the Taliban denies women. Qasemi and other girls who fled the deeply oppressive regime have competed at prestigious youth tournaments including Sweden's Gothia Cup and Denmark's Dana Cup, with Muhtaj on coaching duties.</p><p>"All of the girls on your team were the friends (from when) you were in the bad days. We know what we have been through," Qasemi said of the team spirit. "It's very special for me."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/cropped_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/w220xh124_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/w320xh180_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/w640xh360_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/w768xh432_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770628/w1080xh607_File_010.jpg?ts=1739561018 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Team Ayenda <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dana Cup</span></figcaption></figure><p>Qasemi's ties to her homeland were strengthened further when, after three testing months alone in Portugal, her mother and four siblings joined her on the Iberian peninsula. She's now on a scholarship in Wisconsin, but she travels back to Portugal to spend time with her family during breaks in her studies.</p><p>Muhtaj's influence promises to endure in Qasemi's life. The Calgary Wild attacking midfielder and the young Afghan footballers don't get to see each other face-to-face regularly, but they keep in touch over WhatsApp and via video calls every two or three weeks.</p><p>"She's like a mother for us," Qasemi, now 19, said. "She always inspires us and motivates us to continue and to achieve the goals that we have."</p><p>The evacuations from Afghanistan and continued projects with the Simbas and Ayenda have highlighted to Muhtaj how much of an impact she can make as a professional player.</p><p>"I feel like now as a footballer, I feel a greater sense of responsibility, and I know the power of what we can achieve on and off the pitch," Muhtaj shared.</p><p>And, like Muhtaj, perhaps it's off the pitch where some of the girls will make the most meaningful impact.</p><p>"I always like to help people, especially refugees," Qasemi said.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30518246/related

Meet the women's soccer trailblazer who helped hundreds flee the Taliban

<p><em>During Women's History Month in March, theScore is publishing stories that illustrate how women in sports lead, inspire change, and navigate their careers.</em></p><p>Christine Sinclair watched the United States more than Canada in women's soccer as a kid. She found the rival team's matches more accessible, even north of the border in her home province of British Columbia.</p><p>"I had a Mia Hamm jersey, (it's) sad to say," Sinclair, whose 190 international goals are most by any female or male player in history, told theScore.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Like watching the USWNT on television, the shirt wasn't her first choice.</p><p>"(I) couldn't find a Canadian jersey anywhere," Sinclair remembered. "Especially a women's one."</p><p>Times have certainly changed. The difference between the Canadian women's soccer landscape then and now, Sinclair says, is "night and day." The beloved ex-striker who captained Canada to three successive Olympic medals from 2012 to 2021, culminating with a historic gold in Tokyo, deserves plenty of the credit for the growth and increased popularity of soccer in the country. Today, the considerably brighter outlook also owes much to the Northern Super League (NSL), the nation's first professional women's soccer league that begins its inaugural season April 16.</p><p>Sinclair recognized that Canada's success couldn't last without a pathway for the next generation to flourish. She was concerned the good times would fizzle out.</p><p>"I thought, without a professional league, our national team would get passed by sooner or later by these other countries that were investing in their domestic leagues," the co-owner of the NSL's Vancouver Rise explained.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/cropped_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/w220xh124_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/w320xh180_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/w640xh360_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/w768xh432_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771842/w1080xh607_GettyImages-149912936.jpg?ts=1740258364 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Sinclair with Jonelle Filigno and NSL co-founder Diana Matheson at 2012 Olympics. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">AFP / AFP / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Sinclair spent 12 years with the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) before retiring in November at 41. She has first-hand experience of how the U.S. league presented extra chances for women to forge careers in the professional game. Players who otherwise might have dropped out of the sport suddenly had more scope to develop and eventually shine in a professional environment, possibly earning international recognition with their country. Crucially, many of those footballers were American.</p><p>The NSL now opens that same avenue to Canadians.</p><p>"We're women, we're always gonna be fighting for stuff, but the opportunities that these guys will have now - whether it's going overseas, whether it's wanting to stay at home, whether it's playing in America - they can have the choice," Sinclair said, noting that she never had the chance to play professionally in Canada.</p><p>She added, "I fear that we lost a lot of talent, a lot of young players that at some point had to move on with their lives and move on with another career because there weren't opportunities."</p><p>In addition to no professional league being at home until this year, squad restrictions in the United States and overseas also denied talented Canadians access to the pro game. The NWSL, for instance, had only seven non-U.S. roster spots in a squad of up to 26 players last season. Jessie Fleming was among the high-profile acquisitions in 2024 as she swapped English champions Chelsea for the Portland Thorns, but there wasn't an influx of Canadians. The huge impacts of fellow newcomers Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji (both Zambian), Ann-Katrin Berger (German), Temwa Chawinga (Malawian), Leicy Santos (Colombian), and many others emphasized that the whole world is competing for the NWSL's coveted few international player slots.</p><p>By contrast, between 68% and 100% of NSL rosters will be homegrown. However, Sinclair believes the league could promise Canadians much more than just regular minutes. Female athletes' playing salaries were 21 times smaller than the contracts of their male counterparts in 2022, leading women to take 82% of their annual income from off-field arrangements such as sponsorships and endorsements, according to research by <a href="https://www.teamwass.com/news/the-new-economy-of-sports-study-by-the-collective-defines-the-unparalleled-value-of-pro-women-athletes/">Wasserman</a>. Sinclair anticipates Canadians will get better chances to boost their profiles and therefore supplement their earnings at home rather than in leagues such as the NWSL.</p><p>"The opportunities that these players will get financially to play at home for sponsorships, the opportunities that will present themselves in each market - it's not the same that you have in the U.S. No offense, (but) if you're a Canadian player playing in the U.S., no one cares about you," Sinclair, a winner of three NWSL championships with Portland, observed.</p><p>"(The NSL is) an opportunity for these players to make a name for themselves."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/cropped_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/w220xh124_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/w320xh180_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/w640xh360_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/w768xh432_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771845/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1244337998.jpg?ts=1740258584 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Sinclair celebrates her third NWSL Championship with Portland Thorns in 2022. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ira L. Black / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>But the biggest benefit of the NSL is long term: to inspire the next generation. The six founding teams - Calgary Wild, Halifax Tides, Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid, AFC Toronto, and Vancouver Rise - will deliver a constant stream of professional women's games between April and November, available to watch on linear television, digital streaming platforms, and in the stadiums themselves. More visibility creates more role models for youngsters to follow. Watching professional Canadian women is no longer strictly for international windows or club competitions in other countries.</p><p>Sinclair had little choice but to wear a Mia Hamm jersey. The next Canadian superstar-in-the-making won't face the same predicament.</p><p>"With this league, there's going to be so many benefits, but that is going to be one of them: there's a place for young girls to dream and aspire to reach," Sinclair said.</p><p>Lesser-known players are melding with established names in the NSL squads. Sinclair is delighted to have former international teammate Quinn in Vancouver after the 29-year-old midfielder left the NWSL's Seattle Reign. Other Canadian icons such as Erin McLeod (Halifax Tides) and Desiree Scott (Ottawa Rapid) were encouraged to put their retirements on hold to play in their homeland.</p><p>Just don't expect to see Sinclair on the pitch alongside them.</p><p>Despite the best efforts of Vancouver sporting director Stephanie Labbe, the former goalkeeper who backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2021, Sinclair won't be joining the lineup of players gracing the NSL.</p><p>"Absolutely not. Nope. I see Erin doing it, I see Desi (Scott) doing it, and Steph Labbe, she's like, 'Just play one season.' And I'm like, 'Dude, no,'" Sinclair said.</p><p>"I played as long as I could. I don't want to play anymore. I want to stay involved in the game and help grow the game, but I have not touched a soccer ball since my last game in Portland and I am A-OK with it."</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30464871/related

Sinclair elevated women's soccer; she's helping Canada's new league do the same

Manchester City will need to get past Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinals to have any chance ...

<p>Manchester City will need to get past Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinals to have any chance of collecting silverware in the 2024-25 season.</p><p>Elsewhere in Sunday's FA Cup draw, Fulham were rewarded with a visit from Crystal Palace immediately after their <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3231454" href="https://thescore.com/news/3231454">penalty shootout victory</a> over holders Manchester United. Preston North End, the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, will entertain Aston Villa in Lancashire.</p><p>Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town play Monday to determine who will face Brighton &amp; Hove Albion on the south coast.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Manchester City won the competition in 2023 and were beaten finalists in 2024, but the other teams still standing have an opportunity to become a first-time winner or end a long FA Cup drought.</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Last FA Cup win</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>1957</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brighton &amp; Hove Albion</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>N/A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ipswich Town*</td>
<td>1978</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>2023</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nottingham Forest*</td>
<td>1959</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Preston North End</td>
<td>1938</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>* <em>Yet to qualify for quarterfinal stage</em></p><p>Manchester City are favorites to win the tournament but Pep Guardiola's team isn't as strong as previous campaigns. The club is fourth in the Premier League table, failed to reach the Champions League knockout rounds after losing its two-legged playoff with Real Madrid, and was booted from the last 16 of the League Cup by Tottenham Hotspur.</p><h3>Draw in full</h3><ul>
<li>Fulham vs. Crystal Palace</li>
<li>Preston North End vs. Aston Villa</li>
<li>Bournemouth vs. Manchester City</li>
<li>Brighton &amp; Hove Albion vs. Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Town</li>
</ul><p>The quarterfinal matches will take place around the weekend of March 29-30.</p>

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Erling Haaland of Manchester City hits the post during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City FC at Vitality Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Bournemouth, England.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30456385/related

FA Cup QF draw: Man City go to Bournemouth, Preston host Aston Villa

Jose Mourinho could face a criminal complaint after Galatasaray vowed to initiate proceedings aga...

<p>Jose Mourinho could face a criminal complaint after Galatasaray vowed to initiate proceedings against Fenerbahce's head coach for "racist statements."</p><p>Mourinho, during a post-match press conference that followed Monday's goalless draw between the Istanbul rivals, <a href="https://x.com/SkySportsNews/status/1894169670711665023">accused</a> the Galatasaray bench of "jumping like monkeys" to appeal for a decision. He also expressed more disdain for Turkish officiating.</p><p>Galatasaray's statement, which was accompanied by a #SayNoToRacism tag, read:</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><blockquote>
<p>Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric.</p>
<p>We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA. Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce — an institution professing to uphold "exemplary moral values" — in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.</p>
</blockquote><p>"After the big dive in the first minute, their bench, jumping like monkeys on the top of the kid," Mourinho said when highlighting an early incident involving Fenerbahce's 19-year-old defender <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///uefa/players/209751" href="https://thescore.com/uefa/players/209751">Yusuf Akcicek</a>, "with a Turkish referee we'd have a yellow card after one minute."</p><p>Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who Mourinho said he thanked for coming to Turkey at the end of the game, was appointed for the fixture after a request by both clubs, according to <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/43951308/fenerbahce-galatasary-foreign-ref-complaints">ESPN's Adriana Garcia</a>. Mourinho said after thanking Vincic that he told the Turkish fourth official that the "match would be a disaster" if it had been overseen by him.</p><p>"And when I say him, I mean the general tendency," Mourinho added.</p><p>Mourinho declared the Turkish Super Lig should use foreign referees for every match.</p><p>The world-renown manager, who's won major honors with numerous clubs including Chelsea and Real Madrid, was punished in November for his conduct after a dramatic win over Trabzonspor, which included strong criticism of the officiating standards in the country.</p>

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - FEBRUARY 24: Head coach Jose Mourinho of Fenerbahce makes statements to press following the Turkish Super Lig week 25 football match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce at RAMS Park in Istanbul, Turkiye on February 24, 2025.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30368866/related

Galatasaray accuse Mourinho of racism, will 'initiate criminal proceedings'

Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developmen...

<p><em>Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 25 of the 2024-25 season.</em></p><h3>What's behind rise in goalkeeper assists?</h3><p>Ederson became the goalkeeper with the most assists in Premier League history (six) and broke the record for the most in a single campaign (three) when his searching ball culminated with the first of Omar Marmoush's three goals in Manchester City's 4-0 win over Newcastle United. Brighton &amp; Hove Albion's Bart Verbruggen got an assist Friday when his whack upfield was excellently tamed by Kaoru Mitoma and then steered into the bottom corner of Chelsea's net.</p><p>Brentford's Mark Flekken, Fulham's Bernd Leno, and Everton's Jordan Pickford have also supplied assists this season.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Taking such a direct route to goal appears to be a trend rather than an anomaly. The current number of assists by a goalkeeper this season is seven, which is the most since eight were tallied over the full 2007-08 campaign. The season average was just two over the 10 years preceding this term.</p><p>It's not hit-and-hope, ugly, mid-1900s English hoofball, though. Goalkeepers playing it short rose in popularity after Pep Guardiola dumped Joe Hart for the ill-fated Claudio Bravo at City in 2016, and that tactic remains popular in the Premier League. However, modern goalkeepers now have the ability and vision to pick their moments to send raking, and often accurate, passes toward their attackers.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/cropped_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/w220xh124_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/w320xh180_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/w640xh360_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/w768xh432_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770705/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2199064338.jpg?ts=1739639419 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ball-playing 'keepers aren't the only factor behind the rise in route-one assists. Long balls would be aimed at physical, but not necessarily quick, target men in the more traditional form of English football; now, teams are trying to catch out the high defensive lines regularly deployed in the top flight with deliveries over the top that pacey and technically gifted forwards can race onto and control.</p><p>Perhaps this trend is also a byproduct of the congested schedule: There's less time on the training ground to compose intricate playing patterns. As a result, more balls are simply being pinged from goalkeeper to attacker, quickly toward the wingers (like at Nottingham Forest), or, at the other end of the scale, straight to the other team or out of play (Crystal Palace). And, obviously, direct passing can be an effective way to prey on the mental and physical fatigue of opponents.</p><p>The rise of goalkeeper assists is a modern take on an English classic. Somewhere, Sam Allardyce is patting himself on the back.</p><h3>Quick free-kicks 📝</h3><p><strong>Arsenal holding it together</strong></p><p>The "how" doesn't matter right now for Mikel Arteta. Injury-ravaged Arsenal need wins any way they can secure them to keep pace with Liverpool. Some days that'll mean getting a late brace off the bench from makeshift striker Mikel Merino to beat one of the league's worst teams. Three points is three points. It's fair to question and critique Arsenal's decision not to sign another No. 9 in January, but any team would struggle to score with all four of its best forwards sidelined simultaneously with long-term ailments. That the Gunners labored in their 2-0 win over Leicester City wasn't a surprise. At this point in the season, and with a title on the line as Liverpool start to show the first signs of vulnerability, the process is largely irrelevant. Just win, baby.</p><p><strong>... but Liverpool pulled off the same trick</strong></p><p>Wolverhampton Wanderers were much better than Liverpool after the interval Sunday. The visitors pulled a goal back through Matheus Cunha's beautiful curler from the edge of the area and had nine more shots in the second half as they tried to level. Liverpool didn't record a single shot after the break - the first time that's happened to the Reds in a Premier League fixture since Opta started tracking efforts on goal in the 2006-07 campaign. But aside from the morale boost that a positive display can give Wolves for the rest of their survival mission, nothing else matters aside from a 2-1 win that maintained Liverpool's seven-point lead at the summit. "It says a lot (that) we kept fighting and kept going and got the three points," captain Virgil van Dijk told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c78w071g71gt?post=asset%3Aec82f650-fe31-48d5-b31b-3b44925ed00a#post">BBC Sport</a> post-match.</p><p><strong>'Light at the end of the tunnel'</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/cropped_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/w220xh124_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/w320xh180_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/w640xh360_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/w768xh432_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/767178/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2195299774.jpg?ts=1737835587 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Yui Mok - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>After three wins in 19 matches, Everton were sitting just one point clear of the relegation zone when David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in January. What a turnaround he's engineered upon returning to the club. Saturday's win over Crystal Palace gave the Toffees 13 points since "The Moyesiah" took over. No team in the Premier League has more in that time. Moyes' tally of four wins is <em>already</em> more than Dyche managed to procure this season. Previously braced for a nervous race to avoid the drop, Everton supporters can instead look ahead to next season and the promise of greener pastures in their new stadium. The outlook has flipped entirely. "Everton have had a difficult period, but I certainly think there's light at the end of the tunnel now," Moyes said.</p><p><strong>Traore revives Fulham's European bid</strong></p><p>Fulham used Nottingham Forest's specialty against them to reignite their bid for European football. Entering the weekend as the lowest-scoring Premier League side from set-piece situations, the Cottagers nodded in one sublime delivery and another corner kick to earn back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since November. The 2-1 result also gave them their first home win in six league matches. Fulham are now four points behind the European places and could close the gap if Adama Traore continues to energize their attack. Traore whipped in the cross for Emile Smith Rowe's opener, and his runs down the right flank put defenders in danger. He accounted for nine of Fulham's 33 crosses, and it's that kind of direct game that's won Fulham points this season.</p><p><strong>Spurs must kick on from here</strong></p><p>Ange Postecoglou promised over and over that Tottenham would turn a corner once their best players returned from injury. While they didn't always look their best during Sunday's 1-0 win over Manchester United - allowing the kind of chances a more polished opponent would've put away - Spurs were able to get a result thanks in part to the performances of fit-again Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison. Vicario made six saves, including a couple of difficult diving efforts, to keep Tottenham's first clean sheet at home in the Premier League since August. Maddison, of course, scored the winner off a rebound, but most importantly, he gave Spurs a level of confidence and creativity on the ball that they'd missed in the five games he sat out. Tottenham still have six key players out injured but have enough back to make it three Premier League wins in a row when they face Ipswich Town next Saturday. They haven't put three league wins together since December 2023.</p><h3>Star performer 🌟</h3><p><strong>Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)</strong></p><p>Marmoush joined Manchester City at the most difficult period of Guardiola's reign - and that dour spell still isn't over - so it was no surprise that the Egyptian's first goal (and second, and third) didn't come until his fifth appearance.</p><p>There were glimpses of how dangerous Marmoush could be before Saturday's visit from Newcastle. He had some promising link-ups with Erling Haaland in his debut against Chelsea and provided a team-high three key passes in the otherwise disastrous 5-1 defeat at Arsenal.</p><p>But a hat-trick crammed into 14 first-half minutes truly announces Marmoush's arrival. He opened the scoring with a sumptuous lob after latching onto Ederson's missile and shrugging off Kieran Trippier, followed that goal with a deflected finish, and tapped home Savinho's cutback to complete his treble. Marmoush should take a lot of the scoring burden off Haaland's shoulders; he'll explore areas all around the attacking third, but his positioning on the penalty spot for his third goal clearly showed he's comfortable taking up spaces usually occupied by No. 9s.</p><h3>Best XI 😎</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025" srcset="https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025 220w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025 320w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025 640w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025 768w, https://www.fotmob.com/api/lineup-builder/team?players=643228:Palmer,1400227:Minteh,263653:Stones,877401:Bassey,894803:Spence,439369:Christie,1280132:Gonz%C3%A1lez,493647:Traor%C3%A9,1128965:Alcaraz,839204:Marmoush,574645:Merino&amp;formation=4-2-3-1&amp;lineupTitle=Matchweek%2025 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><p>(Source: <a href="https://www.fotmob.com/">FotMob</a>)</p><h3>Stat of the weekend 🔢</h3><p>Ay, caramba! Brighton goalkeeper Verbruggen's assist strengthened Barts' creativity superiority over footballing Simpsons like Danny, Fitzroy, and Paul.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">players with Bart in their name now have four times as many PL assists as those with Simpson in theirs</p>— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) <a href="https://twitter.com/oilysailor/status/1890520645001216445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Social media moment 📱</h3><p>No matter where they are, Evertonians continue to savor the thrilling midweek result in the Merseyside derby.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Went the ice cream museum in New York earlier… couldn’t resist 🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/EEdCtKJXo3">pic.twitter.com/EEdCtKJXo3</a></p>— Neilo (@Neilo_m) <a href="https://twitter.com/Neilo_m/status/1890551542433886468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Where we stand 👀</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>Played</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Liverpool</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+36</td>
<td>60</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2.</td>
<td>Arsenal</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+29</td>
<td>53</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3.</td>
<td>Nottingham Forest</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+12</td>
<td>47</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4.</td>
<td>Manchester City</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+17</td>
<td>44</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5.</td>
<td>Bournemouth</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+15</td>
<td>43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6.</td>
<td>Chelsea</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+14</td>
<td>43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7.</td>
<td>Newcastle</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+9</td>
<td>41</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8.</td>
<td>Fulham</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>39</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9.</td>
<td>Aston Villa</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>38</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10.</td>
<td>Brighton</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>37</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11.</td>
<td>Brentford</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12.</td>
<td>Tottenham</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>+13</td>
<td>30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13.</td>
<td>Crystal Palace</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14.</td>
<td>Everton</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15.</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16.</td>
<td>West Ham</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-18</td>
<td>27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17.</td>
<td>Wolves</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-19</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18.</td>
<td>Ipswich Town</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-27</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19.</td>
<td>Leicester City</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-30</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20.</td>
<td>Southampton</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>-38</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>View more stats <a href="thescore:///epl/leaders">here</a>.</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30271973/related

EPL Review: Goalkeeper assists, winning ugly, and Bart Simpson

Manchester United's scouting network is expected to be targeted in Sir Jim Ratcliffe's next round...

<p>Manchester United's scouting network is expected to be targeted in Sir Jim Ratcliffe's next round of up to 200 redundancies, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/feb/15/manchester-united-likely-to-slash-scouting-network-next-redundancies-jim-ratcliffe">The Guardian's Jamie Jackson</a>.</p><p>British billionaire Ratcliffe has tried to cut costs at United since he became co-owner in February 2024. The club has lost £313 million over the past three years and Ratcliffe has tried to plug the financial drain via means as varied as raising ticket prices and calling an end to free cereal bars for matchday stewards. There have been around 250 redundancies so far.</p><p>United employ 30 full-time scouts globally and 50 on a part-time or casual basis. A significant number of them are likely to be axed, which could impact United's recruitment at the senior and youth levels, reports Jackson.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>United's recruitment to the senior squad has been widely criticized in recent years, with moves for <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///liga/players/166123" href="https://thescore.com/liga/players/166123">Antony</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/17430" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/17430">Casemiro</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engfa/players/94369" href="https://thescore.com/engfa/players/94369">Jadon Sancho</a>, and many others representing huge hits to the club's finances for very little on-pitch reward. However, United have a proud tradition of spotting young talent, which continues today as academy graduate <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/190670" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/190670">Kobbie Mainoo</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/163335" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/163335">Amad Diallo</a>, signed from Atalanta at 18 years old, are fixtures in the first team and the likes of Chido Obi-Martin and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/206276" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/206276">Ayden Heaven</a> put pressure on Ruben Amorim to include them in his squad.</p><p>Amorim is aware of the financial restrictions as he tries to address Manchester United's underperformance. His team is 14th - 15 points below the Premier League's top four - before it faces Tottenham Hotspur in north London on Sunday.</p><p>"Here is simple - to do something we need to sell players," Amorim <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3218289" href="https://thescore.com/news/3218289">said</a> of the club's recruitment challenges Friday.</p>

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: General View of Manchester United kit in the away dressing room prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester United FC at Craven Cottage on January 26, 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30258678/related

Report: Man United to cut back scouting network

Kaoru Mitoma put Brighton & Hove Albion ahead in Friday's Premier League visit from Chelsea in se...

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/185551" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/185551">Kaoru Mitoma</a> put Brighton &amp; Hove Albion ahead in Friday's Premier League visit from Chelsea in sensational fashion.</p><p>The Japanese winger settled goalkeeper <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/193628" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/193628">Bart Verbruggen</a>'s long hoof upfield with a sumptuous and scarcely believable first touch before evading his marker and steering the ball into the bottom corner.</p><p><em>(Available to view in U.S. only)</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">KAORU MITOMA THAT IS BRILLIANT. 🔥<br><br>Brighton strike first and lead Chelsea 1-0!<br><br>📺 USA Network | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BHACHE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BHACHE</a> <a href="https://t.co/K0Xyp9OrgW">pic.twitter.com/K0Xyp9OrgW</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1890499193820578006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>(Available to view in Canada only)</em></p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kaoru Mitoma SCORES!!<br><br>⚽ 1-0 Brighton vs Chelsea FC<br><br>WATCH EVERY GOAL 👉 <a href="https://t.co/2w98QqADfX">https://t.co/2w98QqADfX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PremierLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PremierLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/05jY0FkrqF">pic.twitter.com/05jY0FkrqF</a></p>— FuboCanada 🇨🇦 (@fuboTVCanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/fuboTVCanada/status/1890498824004616584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/101870" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/101870">Georginio Rutter</a> summed up the mood of many viewers as he pursued Mitoma in celebration:</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Georgi is all of us right now! 😆 <a href="https://t.co/cvnxqzTbhV">pic.twitter.com/cvnxqzTbhV</a></p>— Brighton &amp; Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialBHAFC/status/1890499026199405022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

Brighton's Japanese midfielder #22 Kaoru Mitoma (C) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on February 14, 2025.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30245925/related

Watch: Mitoma gives Brighton lead over Chelsea after jaw-dropping 1st touch

Plymouth Argyle were rewarded with an FA Cup fifth-round trip to Manchester City following their ...

<p>Plymouth Argyle were rewarded with an FA Cup fifth-round trip to Manchester City following their <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3214376" href="https://thescore.com/news/3214376">shock elimination</a> of Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.</p><p>Manchester United were also handed a home fixture against Fulham in Monday's draw. League Cup finalists Newcastle United will face Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.</p><p>League One's Exeter City must beat high-flying Nottingham Forest in Tuesday's final fourth-round fixture to earn a home clash with Ipswich Town.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Draw in full</h3><ul>
<li>Preston North End vs. Burnley</li>
<li>Aston Villa vs. Cardiff City</li>
<li>Crystal Palace vs. Millwall</li>
<li>Manchester United vs. Fulham</li>
<li>Newcastle United vs. Brighton &amp; Hove Albion</li>
<li>Bournemouth vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers</li>
<li>Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle</li>
<li>Exeter City or Nottingham Forest vs. Ipswich Town</li>
</ul><p>The matches are scheduled to take place on the weekend of March 1-2.</p>

PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 09: Plymouth Argyle players and staff celebrate post patch during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Plymouth Argyle and Liverpool at Home Park on February 09, 2025 in Plymouth, England.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30198414/related

FA Cup draw: Plymouth visit Man City in 5th round after beating Liverpool

With the January transfer window officially shut, theScore ranks the 10 best moves made across th...

<p><em>With the January transfer window officially shut, theScore ranks the 10 best moves made across the game's top leagues.</em></p><h3>10. Neymar ➡️ Santos</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/cropped_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/w220xh124_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/w320xh180_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/w640xh360_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/w768xh432_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768912/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2196376675.jpg?ts=1738694765 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Sports Press Photo / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Details:</strong> Signed as free agent following release from Al-Hilal</em></p><p>Neymar was one-third of arguably the greatest strike force in club football history at Barcelona, remains the most expensive player of all time, and is the leading scorer of Brazil's men's team. But you probably knew that stuff already. So let's look at this from Santos' perspective: The once proud club isn't the power it once was, suffering a relegation in 2023 that added to the city's gloom following Pele's death the previous year. But now the club has recovered from the misery of its only spell outside the top flight, and Neymar has miraculously returned to provide hope of better times ahead.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>9. Cesare Casadei ➡️ Torino</h3><p><em><strong>Details:</strong> Signed from Chelsea for reported €15M fee</em></p><p>One of the most intriguing deals of the window. Casadei, 22, was a genuine phenom at various youth levels, but his career totally stalled out after moving to Chelsea - not an uncommon sentiment in recent years. For just €15 million, Torino are getting a midfielder who still has enormous potential, and a familiar environment might just be the key to unlocking it. It also represents shrewd planning by sporting director Davide Vagnati, who now has an in-house replacement should budding star Samuele Ricci depart in the summer.</p><h3>8. Enzo Le Fee ➡️ Sunderland</h3><p><em><strong>Details:</strong> Loan from Roma until end of season</em></p><p>Le Fee's virtuoso performance in Monday's 3-2 Championship win at Middlesbrough shouldn't be too surprising. He created two goals, glided past players, and conducted play from the left flank in a manner you should expect from a playmaker who cost €23 million only last summer. His connection with Wilson Isidor, a former teammate in France's youth ranks, promises to be extremely fruitful. Well, perhaps there was one surprise about Le Fee's Teesside outing: Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris' ominous claim that the loanee is only 70% fit.</p><h3>7. Randal Kolo Muani ➡️ Juventus</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/cropped_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/w220xh124_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/w320xh180_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/w640xh360_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/w768xh432_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768911/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2197069441.jpg?ts=1738694691 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Marco Canoniero / LightRocket / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Details: </strong>Loan from Paris Saint-Germain until end of season</em></p><p>January isn't the time for total squad overhauls. The winter window is all about being wise to market opportunities. Juventus' business in recent years has been patchy overall, but plucking Kolo Muani off PSG's bench was a savvy move for a team that struggles to score goals and relies too heavily on streaky striker Dusan Vlahovic. Kolo Muani, who already has three goals in his first two Juve appearances, is an established French international with a proven track record of production when given the opportunity to play.</p><h3>6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ➡️ Paris Saint-Germain</h3><p><em><strong>Details: </strong>Signed from Napoli for reported €70M fee</em></p><p>Paris Saint-Germain landed the biggest fish available in the pond, and they did it for a very reasonable fee, especially considering Kvaratskhelia was widely viewed as a €100-million player just six months ago. In a vacuum, this was an excellent deal. The reason it's not higher on the list is simple: PSG are already well-stocked with wide forwards. They didn't really <em>need</em> him. He was a luxury signing, which is what the club seemed to be veering away from.</p><h3>5. Romain Esse ➡️ Crystal Palace</h3><p><em><strong>Details:</strong> Signed from Millwall for reported £12M fee</em></p><p>Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, and Michael Olise proved Crystal Palace are a good next step for players starring in the Championship. Esse, a rare success story for Millwall's academy, is next in line. The 19-year-old is immense in one-on-one situations but needs to work on his decision-making to truly make the Premier League grade. A goal with the first touch on his debut - and just 25 seconds after being introduced off the bench - ensured a strong start to his Palace career.</p><h3>4. Santiago Gimenez ➡️ AC Milan</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/cropped_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/w220xh124_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/w320xh180_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/w640xh360_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/w768xh432_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768910/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2195985841.jpg?ts=1738694602 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Details:</strong> Signed from Feyenoord for reported €30M initial fee</em></p><p>A prolific Eredivisie striker doesn't necessarily work out in one of Europe's top leagues. For every Luis Suarez or Ruud van Nistelrooy there's a Vincent Janssen or Afonso Alves. But there's a lot to like about Gimenez's move to Italy, especially the affordable fee and how the Mexican's qualities seem to be a neat fit for Milan's lone striker role. "He's as strong as Ibra, on another level," said club adviser Zlatan Ibrahimovic, predictably referring to himself in the third person.</p><h3>3. Marcus Rashford ➡️ Aston Villa</h3><p><em><strong>Details: </strong>Loan from Manchester United with reported £40M option</em></p><p>Aston Villa are taking a calculated gamble that Unai Emery can help Rashford rediscover the form that once made him look like a future Manchester United legend. The talent is still there - he scored 17 Premier League goals in 2022-23 - but it needs to be reawakened. Rashford will be supremely motivated to silence his doubters and should fit in well playing together with Ollie Watkins. If it doesn't work out for any reason, Villa can simply send him back to Old Trafford. Low risk, big reward.</p><h3>2. Stefanos Tzimas ➡️ Brighton &amp; Hove Albion</h3><p><strong>Details:</strong> <em>Signed from Nurnberg for reported €25M fee</em></p><p>Brighton have protected themselves from the potential disappointment of Evan Ferguson never realizing his huge potential with the signing of Tzimas. Like Ferguson, the 19-year-old striker is blessed with strength, deceptive pace, and composure in front of goal. He crammed in 10 goals for a distinctly average Nurnberg before his transfer was confirmed and will stay with the German side, learning under head coach and iconic marksman Miroslav Klose, for the rest of the season.</p><h3>1. Mathys Tel ➡️ Tottenham Hotspur</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/cropped_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/w220xh124_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/w320xh180_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/w640xh360_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/w768xh432_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768909/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2165706083.jpg?ts=1738694506 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bradley Collyer - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Details: </strong>Loan from Bayern Munich with reported €55M option</em></p><p>This was an exercise in persistence. Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou persevered, working hard to convince Tel that he should join the club after the teenager rejected their initial advances amid interest from other suitors. The Frenchman, 19, can play multiple positions across the front line, a trait that's particularly valuable for a Spurs side ravaged by injuries all year. The option to make the move permanent puts this signing over the top. Tel, Bayern's youngest-ever scorer, was widely coveted, but Spurs won a fierce race.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30121997/related

Ranking the 10 best transfers of the January window

Alphonso Davies ended speculation about his future by agreeing to a new Bayern Munich contract th...

<p><a href="https://thescore.com/bund/players/69320">Alphonso Davies</a> ended speculation about his future by agreeing to a new Bayern Munich contract that runs until 2030, the club announced Tuesday.</p><p>"Phonzy has been playing for FC Bayern since he was 18 and quickly embraced the club," sporting director Max Eberl said. "We see him as one of the figures in the new generation of our team who are increasingly taking on responsibility. He's grown up here and will continue to grow with the team."</p><p>Real Madrid <a href="https://www.thescore.com/esp_fed/news/2854354">reportedly</a> had a verbal agreement with Davies in February 2024 to bring him aboard, with the major question at the time being whether he would join that summer or the summer of 2025. However, those talks never became anything more despite the Spanish giants' long-term interest. Clubs in the Premier League were also reportedly pursuing the 24-year-old, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6072853/2025/02/04/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-contract-new/">The Athletic's David Ornstein</a>.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Davies, the captain of Canada's national team, could be sidelined for a significant spell after tearing his hamstring Jan. 22 in a 3-0 Champions League loss to Feyenoord. He made 25 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once and assisting three times, before his injury setback.</p><p>The left-back has won five Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, two DFB-Pokals, three DFL-Supercups, the Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup with Bayern. Davies joined the Bavarian outfit from Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps for $13.5 million in January 2019.</p>

20 December 2024, Bavaria, Munich: Soccer: Bundesliga, Bayern Munich - RB Leipzig, Matchday 15, Allianz Arena. Munich's Alphonso Davies (l) celebrates his goal to make it 5:1. IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL German Football League and the DFB German Football Association, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or of the match in the form of sequential images and/or video-like photo series. Photo: Tom Weller/dpa

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30109438/related

Davies extends Bayern Munich contract until 2030: 'Here to stay'

Manchester City turned to Nico Gonzalez in an effort to address their vulnerable, Rodri-less midf...

<p>Manchester City turned to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///uefa/players/184019" href="https://thescore.com/uefa/players/184019">Nico Gonzalez</a> in an effort to address their vulnerable, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///engfa/players/67114" href="https://thescore.com/engfa/players/67114">Rodri</a>-less midfield.</p><p>The underperforming Premier League champions confirmed the signing of the Spanish midfielder right as the January transfer window closed Monday. Financial terms of the deal were not released, but transfer insider <a href="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1886415955363819810">Fabrizio Romano</a> reports that City triggered the €60-million release clause in his Porto contract.</p><p>Gonzalez signed with Pep Guardiola's side until 2029.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>City were considering a move for Juventus' <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///seri/players/94864" href="https://thescore.com/seri/players/94864">Douglas Luiz</a>, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6109138/2025/02/03/man-city-transfers-nico-gonzalez-agreement/">The Athletic's David Ornstein</a>. Luiz was previously on the club's books but never made an appearance for Guardiola's outfit. However, Gonzalez was identified as the top target in the final days of the window.</p><p>Like Luiz, Gonzalez can operate as both a No. 6 and No. 8 in midfield. The Barcelona academy product has contributed six goals and five assists in all competitions for Porto this season and is an elusive dribbler. </p><p>His physical presence - he stands at over 6-foot-2 and doesn't shy away from an aerial duel - and ball retention are likely to offer immediate relief to Guardiola's ailing midfield.</p><p>Gonzalez is the fourth marquee signing of the January window for Manchester City, who also added Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Omar Marmoush, reportedly spending over €200 million in total on the quartet.</p>

PORTO, PORTUGAL - DECEMBER 16: Nico Gonzalez of FC Porto celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Liga Portugal Betclic match between FC Porto and CF Estrela da Amadora at Estadio do Dragao on December 16, 2024 in Porto, Portugal.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30097984/related

Man City finally bolster midfield, beat deadline to sign Porto's Gonzalez

Jhon Duran joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in a big-money move from Aston Villa on Friday. ...

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///epl/players/187782" href="https://thescore.com/epl/players/187782">Jhon Duran</a> joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in a big-money move from Aston Villa on Friday.</p><p>The deal is worth €77 million plus add-ons, according to transfer insider <a href="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1885390431837466919">Fabrizio Romano</a>.</p><p>Duran supplements an attack that already features <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///natleaguefnl/players/1310" href="https://thescore.com/natleaguefnl/players/1310">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///wcqcaf/players/20486" href="https://thescore.com/wcqcaf/players/20486">Sadio Mane</a>, and former FC Porto playmaker <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///natleaguefnl/players/54606" href="https://thescore.com/natleaguefnl/players/54606">Otavio</a>. The squad also features <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///natleaguefnl/players/49850" href="https://thescore.com/natleaguefnl/players/49850">Aymeric Laporte</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///natleagued/players/49365" href="https://thescore.com/natleagued/players/49365">Marcelo Brozovic</a>, and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///gerdfbp/players/101664" href="https://thescore.com/gerdfbp/players/101664">Mohamed Simakan</a>. Stefano Pioli, who led AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2022, is the team's head coach.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A number that carries history and glory at AlNassr 🌟<br>The iconic No. 9 is back! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dur%C3%A1nIsYellow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DuránIsYellow</a> <a href="https://t.co/PTyvfllhTS">pic.twitter.com/PTyvfllhTS</a></p>— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlNassrFC_EN/status/1885388222777139606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Al-Nassr's capture of Duran is expected to end their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///chlg/players/190240" href="https://thescore.com/chlg/players/190240">Victor Boniface</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6096416/2025/01/29/jhon-duran-transfer-al-nassr-villa/">The Athletic's David Ornstein</a> reported Wednesday. Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso said Monday that the Nigerian striker was in talks to leave the club during the January transfer window amid reports of an Al-Nassr bid exceeding €50 million.</p><p>Duran's switch from England to the Middle East could increase Aston Villa's determination to retain fellow striker <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///chlg/players/35483" href="https://thescore.com/chlg/players/35483">Ollie Watkins</a>. The Englishman was the subject of a reported £60-million bid from Arsenal that Villa rejected Tuesday. Villa boss Unai Emery has since <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3205790" href="https://thescore.com/news/3205790">insisted</a> that Watkins wants to remain at the club.</p><p>Colombian marksman Duran has 12 goals over 29 Villa appearances in all competitions this season but started only seven of those matches. His overall Premier League record stands at 12 goals over 55 outings.</p><p>He cost the English club up to £17.75 million to sign from Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire in January 2023.</p>

Aston Villa's Jhon Duran celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at The City Ground, Nottingham. Picture date: Saturday December 14, 2024.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30031475/related

Aston Villa sell Duran to Al-Nassr for reported €77M initial fee

Wednesday's conclusion of the Champions League's opening round had plenty of thrills and spills. ...

<p><em>Wednesday's conclusion of the Champions League's opening round had plenty of thrills and spills. Matchday 8 was no different in the Europa League. theScore covers the major storylines as the league phase in Europe's secondary competition wrapped up with Thursday's 18-game bonanza.</em></p><h3>The best</h3><p>An octet of big clubs secured their progression into the Europa League last 16.</p><p><strong>Lazio</strong> finished atop the 36-team league despite losing 1-0 in their final match at Braga. <strong>Olympiacos</strong> and <strong>Rangers</strong> both rose five positions to squeeze into the top eight. The Greek side hit three unanswered goals past Qarabag and Scottish Premiership side Rangers eked out a 2-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><strong>Athletic Bilbao</strong>, <strong>Manchester United</strong>, <strong>Tottenham Hotspur</strong>, and <strong>Eintracht Frankfurt</strong> safeguarded their places in the top eight with wins. <strong>Lyon</strong> also stayed among the leading bunch despite their 1-1 home draw with Bulgaria's Ludogorets.</p><h3>The rest</h3><p><strong>Anderlecht</strong> and <strong>FCSB</strong> tumbled out of the top eight and into playoff positions. The former's late comeback fell short in a 4-3 home defeat to underperforming German side Hoffenheim and the latter lost 2-0 to illustrious visitors Manchester United.</p><p><strong>Bodo/Glimt</strong>, <strong>Ajax</strong>, <strong>Real Sociedad</strong>, <strong>Galatasaray</strong>, <strong>Roma</strong>, <strong>Viktoria Plzen</strong>, <strong>Ferencvaros</strong>, <strong>AZ Alkmaar</strong>, <strong>FC Midtjylland</strong>, <strong>Union Saint-Gilloise</strong>, <strong>PAOK Thessaloniki</strong>, and <strong>Fenerbahce</strong> all started and ended the day in the 16 playoff places.</p><p><strong>FC Porto</strong> and <strong>FC Twente</strong> clambered out of the elimination zone. Porto, who competed in the Champions League last 16 in each of the two previous seasons, climbed from 25th to 18th courtesy of a 1-0 success at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Twente stayed alive while simultaneously dumping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Besiktas out of the competition thanks to winger Daan Rots' 76th-minute finish.</p><p>Other notable names booted from Europe include Hoffenheim and Nice. The French side, which currently sits fourth in Ligue 1, recorded a miserable 35th-place finish after a 1-1 draw against Bodo/Glimt on the Mediterranean coast left it with three points from eight matches.</p><h3>What's next?</h3><p>The top eight won't continue their bid for Europa League glory until the last 16 commences on March 6.</p><p>The teams positioned ninth to 24th enter playoffs to determine who gets into the round of 16. The first legs are set for Feb. 13 and the return fixtures are held the following week.</p><p>The playoff-bound teams already know they'll face one of two possible opponents. Their final position in the league phase whittled it down to two possibilities before Friday's draw (7 a.m. ET) locks it in. For example, Fenerbahce, who took the final 24th playoff spot, will take on Bodo/Glimt (who finished ninth) or Anderlecht (10th).</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Who could face who 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> draw tomorrow 🔜 <a href="https://t.co/TQO1HjhI20">pic.twitter.com/TQO1HjhI20</a></p>— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/1885101361336832259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>The matchups understandably lack the heavyweight clout of the Champions League playoffs. Among the more appealing matchups is Claudio Ranieri's Roma taking on either Robbie Keane's Ferencvaros or Martin Anselmi's Porto.</p><p>In the round of 16, the two who progress out of AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Real Sociedad, and Galatasaray will face Manchester United or Tottenham.</p><h3>The final table</h3><p><strong>Bound for round of 16</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Lazio</td>
<td>+12</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Athletic Bilbao</td>
<td>+8</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Manchester United</td>
<td>+7</td>
<td>18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Tottenham Hotspur</td>
<td>+8</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Eintracht Frankfurt</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Lyon</td>
<td>+8</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Olympiacos</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Rangers</td>
<td>+6</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Bound for playoff round</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Bodo/Glimt</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Anderlecht</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>FCSB</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Ajax</td>
<td>+8</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Real Sociedad</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Galatasaray</td>
<td>+3</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>Roma</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>Viktoria Plzen</td>
<td>+1</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>Ferencvaros</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>FC Porto</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>AZ Alkmaar</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>FC Midtjylland</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td>Union SG</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td>PAOK</td>
<td>+2</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td>Twente</td>
<td>-1</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>Fenerbahce</td>
<td>-2</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Eliminated</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Pos.</th>
<th>Club</th>
<th>GD</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td>Braga</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>26</td>
<td>Elfsborg</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>27</td>
<td>Hoffenheim</td>
<td>-3</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>28</td>
<td>Besiktas</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>29</td>
<td>Maccabi Tel Aviv</td>
<td>-9</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>30</td>
<td>Slavia Prague</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>31</td>
<td>Malmo</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>32</td>
<td>RFS</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>33</td>
<td>Ludogorets</td>
<td>-7</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>34</td>
<td>Dynamo Kyiv</td>
<td>-13</td>
<td>4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>35</td>
<td>Nice</td>
<td>-9</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>36</td>
<td>Qarabag</td>
<td>-14</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>

22 February 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Freiburg im Breisgau: Soccer: Europa League, SC Freiburg - RC Lens, knockout round, intermediate round, second legs, Europa-Park Stadion. Europa League match ball. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/30045734/related

Everything you need to know as Europa League heads into knockout rounds

The transfer window is a time of hope and excitement. It's a time to make transformative addition...

<p><em>The transfer window is a time of hope and excitement. It's a time to make transformative additions that can revive a struggling team or put trophy-chasing sides over the top. It's also a time when expensive, crippling mistakes are made. For every brilliant deal and shrewd piece of business, there are dozens of signings that go bust for one reason or another - some in spectacular fashion.</em></p><p><em>This week, while the wheeling and dealing is in full swing, we're ranking the 30 worst signings in soccer history. Compiled by theScore's soccer editors, our list features prototypical high-priced flops and some mystifying moves that ruined careers, damaged reputations, and set clubs back several years. The three-part series concludes below with the 10 most egregious transfers ever.</em></p><p><strong>Review the entire series</strong>:</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Part I</th>
<th>Part II</th>
<th>Part III</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3161825" href="https://thescore.com/news/3161825">30-21</a></td>
<td><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3161826" href="https://thescore.com/news/3161826">20-11</a></td>
<td><strong>10-1</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3>10. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/cropped_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/w220xh124_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/w320xh180_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/w640xh360_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/w768xh432_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/387730/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1190519167.jpg?ts=1577464085 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Martin Rickett - PA Images / PA Images / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Signed from Juventus for €105 million in 2016</strong></em></p><p>Manchester United paid a record fee to re-sign a player they had let go for nothing. That alone was difficult enough to swallow. Pogba left the club in 2012 for Juventus and won four championships in Italy. But he ultimately returned to England, feeling he had unfinished business there. He most certainly failed to accomplish whatever he sought to do. Pogba became a lightning rod for criticism and a scapegoat for United's failures. He was also injured for large stretches of his six seasons there. Pogba rarely hit the pitch for United with the vigor he showed for France. <em>- Anthony Lopopolo</em></p><h3>9. Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)</h3><p><strong><em>Signed from Lille for €80 million in 2019</em></strong></p><p>"Arsenal spent a lot of money on me, and I paid the price for it," Pepe <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5934816/2024/11/25/nicolas-pepe-interview-arsenal-emery-villarreal/">said</a> in November about how he was harshly judged during his time in English football. Arsenal ripped up Pepe's contract one year early following a four-season spell that featured a few highlight-reel moments and little more. The staggeringly inconsistent winger scored 16 times and provided nine assists over 80 Premier League appearances, and he was rumored to be a disruptive presence in the squad. The transfer would've been more damaging for Arsenal without the timely emergence of academy graduate Bukayo Saka, but it was still an abject failure; Pepe remains the second-most expensive player in Arsenal history. - <em>Daniel</em> <em>Rouse</em></p><h3>8. Kaka (Real Madrid)</h3><p><strong><em>Signed from AC Milan for €67 million in 2009</em></strong></p><p>For a little while, Kaka was the most expensive player in the world before Cristiano Ronaldo joined him at Real Madrid. And rightly so. The Brazilian playmaker was an elite talent for years at AC Milan, becoming the last player to win the Ballon d'Or in 2007 before Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the award for the next decade. Yet, when he changed allegiances, his best years were clearly behind him, as injuries and inconsistency plagued his Madrid career. After losing his place to Mesut Ozil, Madrid sent Kaka back to Milan four years later for a huge loss on the initial transfer. - <em>Gordon Brunt</em></p><h3>7. Neymar (Al-Hilal)</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/cropped_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/w220xh124_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/w320xh180_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/w640xh360_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/w768xh432_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/755040/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2182914650.jpg?ts=1731456160 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong><em>Signed from Paris Saint-Germain for €90 million in 2023</em></strong></p><p>Al-Hilal are too rich to care about the money they've wasted on Neymar. To the rest of us, it's truly sickening. Not only did the Saudi outfit pay €90 million to break the Brazilian's contract with PSG, but they agreed to pay him an estimated €101 million annually. But the oft-injured forward has only played seven games for Al-Hilal in one-and-a-half seasons and is currently unregistered for the Saudi Pro League. He's yet to score a league goal during his time in Saudi Arabia, which was blighted by a serious knee injury. If reports ring true and Neymar ends up leaving in January and returning to Brazil, he'll have earned €28.8 million per match, or around €472,000 for each minute he's played. <em>- Lopopolo</em></p><h3>6. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)</h3><p><strong><em>Signed from Athletic Bilbao for €80 million in 2018</em></strong></p><p>Arrizabalaga remains the most expensive goalkeeper of all time. While he achieved some success at Chelsea and helped them win the Europa League in 2019, he ended up on the bench more often than not and was an unused substitute during the 2021 Champions League final. Arrizabalaga is best remembered for furiously refusing to be substituted during the 2019 League Cup final, which Chelsea eventually lost in a shootout to Manchester City. Now he's on loan at Bournemouth after again failing to convince Chelsea he deserved minutes ahead of No. 1 starter Robert Sanchez. <em>- Lopopolo</em></p><h3>5. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)</h3><p><strong><em>Signed from Inter Milan for €113 million in 2021</em></strong></p><p>Lukaku heralded his return to Chelsea as the endpoint of his "long journey" home. Even though he had just won Serie A with Inter - finishing behind only Cristiano Ronaldo in scoring - Lukaku couldn't pass up the opportunity to rejoin his childhood club. But the honeymoon was over after five months. Thomas Tuchel dropped Lukaku from his squad after hearing his striker wax lyrical about returning to Inter in an unauthorized interview with Italian TV. The Belgian complained about Tuchel's tactics, and while he would play for the Blues again, his relationship with the club didn't recover. A loan move back to Inter didn't kick-start his career. He moved to Roma for one season before reuniting with former Inter coach Antonio Conte at Napoli in the summer. Chelsea spent over €100 million on Lukaku and, in return, got eight league goals and plenty of headaches. <em>- Lopopolo</em></p><h3>4. Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/cropped_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/w220xh124_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/w320xh180_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/w640xh360_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/w768xh432_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/400807/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1206470184.jpg?ts=1587145288 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Quality Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Signed from Atletico Madrid for €120 million in 2019</strong></em></p><p>It's not Griezmann's fault that Barcelona's recruiting department was tactically inept. They signed a left-footed playmaker with an appetite for goals despite already having the best player in the world occupying the same role in Messi. Griezmann's scoring output was decent for someone who regularly played on the left wing, away from his preferred central position where he was so lethal for Atletico Madrid. But tactics weren't the only problem. The massive financial commitment it took to sign Griezmann set the club back years, directly contributing to Messi's once unthinkable departure in 2021. Barcelona couldn't afford Messi due to the financial mess caused, in part, by matching Griezmann's release clause. Things didn't get any better after Messi's exit, and Barcelona sold Griezmann for a loss to Atletico. He, of course, has gone on to revive his career back in Madrid. - <em>Brunt</em></p><h3>3. Ali Dia (Southampton)</h3><p><strong><em>Free transfer from Blyth Spartans in 1996</em></strong></p><p>Dia is different from everybody else on this list: He wasn't a professional footballer. Somebody called Southampton's then-manager Graeme Souness and claimed to be 1995 Ballon d'Or winner George Weah, saying his cousin, Dia, would be a good signing. Dia was actually a 31-year-old university student. Then, a miracle happened. The phony footballer was brought in on trial, named on a Premier League bench against Leeds United, and brought on to replace an injured Matt Le Tissier in the 32nd minute of an official match. He lasted 53 minutes before he was hastily subbed off and never seen in the professional game again. - <em>Rouse</em></p><h3>2. Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)</h3><p><strong><em>Signed from Chelsea for €100 million in 2019</em></strong></p><p>Around 50,000 fans packed the Santiago Bernabeu to celebrate Hazard's unveiling in 2019. He told the crowd he'd been dreaming of this moment since he was a child playing in his "family's garden." Madrid went trophy-less the previous season and were hoping Hazard would lead them out of their post-Ronaldo drought. But he arrived overweight and went a year without scoring for the club. Then came the injuries. Hazard missed a total of 518 days due to injury, according to estimates from transfermarkt.com. Vinicius Junior eventually took his place, and the Belgian terminated his contract with Madrid in June 2023 after scoring just four league goals in four years. Hazard retired from football altogether three months later. <em>- Lopopolo</em></p><h3>1. Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/cropped_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/w220xh124_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/w320xh180_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/w640xh360_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/w768xh432_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/344537/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1134734947.jpg?ts=1553271684 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Quality Sport Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><em><strong>Signed from Liverpool for €160 million in 2018</strong></em></p><p>For the second time in less than a year, the search for Neymar's replacement was supposed to be over. Barcelona moved on quickly after Ousmane Dembele flopped, certain that Coutinho was the answer. The expensive January move to the Camp Nou was a no-brainer at the time for Coutinho, who didn't win anything in six seasons with Liverpool. Almost a decade later, the transfer is viewed as a watershed moment that triggered the drastic shift in fortunes for both clubs. While Liverpool went on to enjoy one of the most successful periods in club history, Barca started to go into a tailspin as Coutinho struggled to live up to his huge price tag. They won La Liga in his first full season, but the primary goal to reconquer Europa fell short. Barcelona loaned him to Bayern Munich shortly after, only to have Coutinho play a direct role in eliminating them from the Champions League while he was still on their payroll; he scored twice for Bayern in the infamous 8-2 drubbing in 2020 that remains one of Barca's most humiliating losses of all time. Off the pitch, Coutinho was a huge financial burden who was unsellable due to his gargantuan wages. It was a truly terrible transfer from all angles. - <em>Brunt</em></p><p><em><strong>What are the worst deals your favorite club has ever made? Let us know in the comments below!</strong></em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29961773/related

The 10 worst transfers in soccer history, ranked

The supersized Champions League resumed this week, with all 36 teams back in action over 48 frene...

<p><em>The supersized Champions League resumed this week, with all 36 teams back in action over 48 frenetic hours. Below, theScore's soccer editors reflect on Matchday 7, the penultimate set of games in the opening round of Europe's premier club competition.</em></p><h3>Key takeaway from Matchday 7 📝</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/cropped_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/w220xh124_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/w320xh180_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/w640xh360_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/w768xh432_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766755/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2195355879.jpg?ts=1737592376 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mike Hewitt / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Daniel Rouse</strong>: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia might be wondering why Paris Saint-Germain bought him at all. The €70-million January signing watched from the stands as Bradley Barcola starred in Wednesday's 4-2 win over Manchester City. The 22-year-old stormed down the left flank before setting up Ousmane Dembele's goal, scored himself with a controlled finish into the bottom corner, and completed over 95% of his passes despite his attacking role. Kvaratskhelia and Barcola could give Luis Enrique a similar headache to the one that's troubled Carlo Ancelotti while he's dealt with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid, and most PSG fans will be asking the same question: Why didn't the club invest that money on a striker instead?</p><p><strong>Gordon Brunt</strong>: In classic Real Madrid fashion, they left it late to shine in the Champions League. They're finally playing like the powerhouse that everyone expected them to be before the season. Madrid continued the healing process after their recent loss to Barcelona by beating Red Bull Salzburg 5-1, jumping to 16th in the Champions League table. They've now outscored opponents 14-4 in three straight wins following the heavy defeat in the Super Cup final. But the turnaround started long before with an eight-game unbeaten run at the end of 2024. Even more encouraging now are the performances of Madrid's biggest stars. Kylian Mbappe has overcome an excruciatingly slow start, while Jude Bellingham is back to his best. Vinicius Junior scored a late brace to match Rodrygo, who stayed hot with two of his own in the first half Wednesday. It should go without saying, but all of the top Champions League teams will be desperate to avoid Carlo Ancelotti's "midtable" side in the next round.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p><strong>Gianluca Nesci</strong>: The new tournament format is really starting to hit its stride, and it'll result in some spectacular matchups in the early knockout stages - including the inaugural playoff round - that wouldn't have arrived until the end of the tournament under the old system. That's an unequivocal win for UEFA. In a scheduling move akin to a major international competition, Matchday 8 will see all 36 teams play their final league phase games at the same time. That has the potential to be pure, unfiltered chaos. With several overachieving teams forcing perennial contenders like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City down the pecking order, this could end up working out even better than the governing body could've possibly expected. Once the dust settles, the bracket for the round of 16 (and beyond) will be fascinating. We don't say this very often - for good reason - but: Well done, UEFA. The Champions League feels alive again.</p><h3>This week's crisis club 😬</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/cropped_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/w220xh124_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/w320xh180_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/w640xh360_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/w768xh432_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766574/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2194577734.jpg?ts=1737497661 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Rouse</strong>: Manchester City. It'll take more than signing defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, as well as the anticipated arrival of attacker Omar Marmoush, to fix this mess. The cracks in Manchester City's midfield are still glaring and transfers aren't a natural antidote for the fear and indecision blighting the squad. City are playing more vertically than at any point of Pep Guardiola's reign because trust in the hallmarks of his approach - passing, patience, control - is gone. Even if 25th-placed City somehow emerge from the league phase and playoffs, on this form, it'd only delay an inevitable flop in one of the early knockout rounds.</p><p><strong>Brunt</strong>: Benfica. Manager Bruno Lage's dramatic postgame tirade said it all. Instead of denying Barcelona an automatic last-16 berth, his Benfica squad damaged its own Champions League aspirations in one of the most painful ways imaginable. The team led by two goals at two different times Tuesday. But it still wasn't enough, as the visitors overcame Benfica's strong start and embarked on a memorable comeback after scoring three second-half goals to win 5-4 and qualify for the next round. It was a collapse worthy of the tongue-lashing that Lage delivered after his team failed to win for the fourth time in five games. The task doesn't get any easier for 21st-placed<strong> </strong>Benfica, who visit Juventus in their final game of the opening stage.</p><p><strong>Nesci</strong>: Borussia Dortmund. A blown lead and loss to lowly Bologna on Tuesday - Dortmund's fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions - cost Nuri Sahin his job. Worse yet, Erik ten Hag is being touted as a potential replacement. BVB are tumbling down the Champions League table and sit 10th in the Bundesliga, a full 20 points adrift of the top spot. The club has been in steady decline since Jurgen Klopp departed in 2015, with seven different coaches since then. Only one in that time, Lucien Favre, stayed for longer than two years (Edin Terzic had two separate spells on the touchline). Dortmund, once adept at shrewdly restocking after selling superstar talent, have failed to do that in the wake of Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham departing and are now mired in mediocrity.</p><h3>Player of the week 🌟</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/cropped_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/w220xh124_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/w320xh180_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/w640xh360_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/w768xh432_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/766756/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2194622799.jpg?ts=1737592458 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Soccrates Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Rouse</strong>: Julian Alvarez. The forward is increasingly influential for Atletico Madrid. Alvarez's selflessness and persistence were best demonstrated by a prolonged battle he alone had with three Bayer Leverkusen players as he drove from his own defensive third to near the visitors' 18-yard box. He eventually lost the ball but, undeterred, immediately bit back and won a foul to relieve pressure on his team. That squabble occurred shortly after Atleti were reduced to 10 men, but Alvarez doggedly dragged his depleted side to a 2-1 victory with two clinical finishes. He's the perfect Diego Simeone attacker.</p><p><strong>Brunt</strong>: Vangelis Pavlidis. It took less than an hour for the Greek forward to turn his season around. After a rough start at Benfica, Pavlidis scored a lightning-quick hat-trick in the opening 30 minutes before disaster struck in Tuesday’s defeat to Barcelona. He scored 106 seconds into the game and recorded the third-fastest hat-trick in Champions League history with a penalty less than 10 minutes after Wojciech Szczesny's horrendous blunder left the net wide-open for his second goal. It was by far the most productive game of the campaign for the 26-year-old, who'd failed to impress after scoring just seven goals in his previous 29 games following his arrival from AZ Alkmaar last summer.</p><p><strong>Nesci</strong>: Justin Bijlow. Striker Santiago Gimenez made a strong case with a brace in Feyenoord's surprising 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, but it was the Dutch goalkeeper who shined brightest on a rainy evening inside De Kuip. Bayern unleashed 30 total shots, attacking in a variety of ways, but they couldn't get past the 27-year-old netminder, who made seven saves. His impressive outing included an outstanding stop on Harry Kane, and even when one of his own teammates threatened to score a late own goal, Bijlow's quick reflexes saved the day and maintained the clean sheet.</p><h3>Highlight of the week 🎥</h3><p>This deceptive backheel assist from Bellingham was a work of art. Rodrygo's pinpoint finish wasn't bad, either.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🤯 <a href="https://twitter.com/BellinghamJude?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BellinghamJude</a> did a MADNESS... and so did <a href="https://twitter.com/RodrygoGoes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RodrygoGoes</a> 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/4fu1ZwJt4l">pic.twitter.com/4fu1ZwJt4l</a></p>— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/1882397882244104285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Stat of the week 🔢</h3><p>Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse for Manchester City right now, it does.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">115 - Tonight was the first time in the last 115 occasions that Man City have lost a game in all competitions where they led by 2+ goals. Shock. <a href="https://t.co/fwadG7iQoh">pic.twitter.com/fwadG7iQoh</a></p>— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaJoe/status/1882190924983464297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/29943157/related

Champions League, Matchday 7: Key takeaways, top players, and more 

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/daniel-rouse/content_cards

Daniel Rouse

Senior News Editor

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/anthony-lopopolo/content_cards

Anthony Lopopolo

News Editor

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/gianluca-nesci/content_cards

Gianluca Nesci

Supervising Editor

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/gordon-brunt/content_cards