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Leeds United fans won't look back too fondly to the times before Marcelo Bielsa whenever they take a trip down memory lane, the Whites having a whole host of players that showed signs of their quality but never a full collective side that sealed promotion up to the Premier League.

Bielsa would break that promotion hoodoo as a much-loved boss in the Elland Road dug-out, but there are some star individuals from squads gone by before the Argentine boss pulled off the unthinkable that will still have a special place in the hearts of Leeds fans.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga in particular stands out as a Leeds cult hero from yesteryear, the German striker only having a short stint in West Yorkshire during the 2017/18 campaign but endearing himself to the Whites masses all the same.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga's statistics at Leeds

Leeds fans would have wanted the Whites hierarchy at the time to extend the bulky 6 foot 2 striker's contract past a loan deal for the season, the former Hertha Berlin centre-forward taking the Championship by storm.

In truth, the goalscoring exploits of the imposing striker was a rare glimmer in an otherwise flat campaign at Elland Road.

Leeds would end up finishing in an unremarkable 13th spot at the end of that 46-game season, going through both Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom in the manager's hot seat in the process.

Lasogga would allow the despondent Whites supporters to smile however with his displays, bagging ten goals from 31 second-tier appearances before returning back to his native Germany.

Leeds would have gotten over Lasogga not coming back rather quickly in the end – owing to Bielsa joining the season directly after the lofty striker impressed in the second tier – but he's one player fans can look back on with fondness from a dire spell in the history of the West Yorkshire titans.

Whilst the Whites went from strength to strength under Bielsa in the aftermath of Lasogga's exit, the towering striker's career ended up fizzling out somewhat after his heroics in England with the ageing striker now playing in the German fourth tier for Schalke II.

Lasogga's career since leaving Leeds

Lasogga would return back to his parent club Hamburg and show off his goalscoring prowess in the 2. Bundesliga during the 2018/19 campaign, however – scoring an impressive 19 goals in all competitions from just 31 appearances.

Yet, another club wouldn't put up much of a fight to keep him with the former Leeds one-season wonder then offloaded surprisingly to Qatar after returning to Germany.

Lasogga would score a combined ten goals for both Al-Arabi and Al-Khor when making the lengthy journey to play out in the Middle East, before crashing back to reality now in the German fourth tier with Schalke II.

It does feel like an almighty fall from grace for a striker that ex-Leeds boss Christiansen once referred to as a "goal-getter", now reduced to playing in the Regionalliga West.

The 32-year-old looks to still be enjoying his football even as his lengthy career begins to tail off, scoring four times from 11 appearances for his new employers this season, coincidentally the same tally as a certain Patrick Bamford, albeit in far fewer games.

Leeds have come on leaps and bounds since Lasogga was last donning a Whites strip – winning promotion up to the Premier League and now flirting with an immediate return this campaign – but those with connections to the club will still remember the goalscoring heroics of their past cult figure with affection when times were tough.

Lancashire skipper hits the Championship’s highest score in two years to put his side in the ascendancy

ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2019

Dane Vilas of Lancashire batting•Getty Images

Dane Vilas, the Lancashire captain, hit the highest score of the Championship season with a quite magnificent career-best innings of 266 on the second day of their game against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay, guiding his team into a commanding lead.With two days remaining and a favourable weather forecast, the visitors are well placed to return to Division One especially as they are likely to gain maximum points from this game.After Keaton Jennings had anchored the innings with his innings of 86 from 191 balls spread over four hours and 20 minutes, Vilas came to the crease at the fall of the fourth wicket, and on a placid pitch where there was minimal assistance for the bowlers, he dominated the Glamorgan attack.He soon passed fifty, before reaching his second successive Championship century and his sixth for Lancashire from 102 balls, reaching three figures with successive sixes off Charlie Hemphrey ‘s occasional offspin.He quickly passed 150, before turning his attention to Lukas Carey, striking the medium pacer for 20 in an over before racing to his double century by guiding Graham Wagg for a single.It was the highest score in the Championship since Sean Dickson’s 318 on a flat Beckenham pitch two summers ago, and passed Dom Sibley’s 244 at Canterbury to become the highest of this season.Earlier, Michael Hogan had given Glamorgan hope shortly after play began by taking 2 for 5 in five overs, with Josh Bohannon nicking to the wicketkeeper and Liam Livingstone taken at second slip. Glenn Maxwell threatened with some early aggression, before he was well caught on the long leg boundary by Nick Selman.Rob Jones gave Vilas useful support by adding 115 with his captain for the fifth wicket, and scoring 33, before he was run out by Hemphrey whilst attempting a risky single to mid-off. Danny Lamb, the promising young allrounder who took four wickets the previous day, then shared a partnership of 111 with Vilas before being bowled one short of a maiden fifty.Tom Bailey came and went quickly, but there was no stopping Vilas who passed his previous best score of 244, scored against Hampshire at Old Trafford two years ago. Saqib Mahmood contributed just four runs to a 55-run partnership, as Vilas continued to plunder the attack.He was eventually bowled, heaving at David Lloyd’s medium pace, having faced 240 balls with 35 boundaries and six sixes, two of which threatened the cars travelling down Penrhyn Avenue.

With five wins on the bounce, Arsenal are flying again.

After a dodgy festive period in which it looked like they would entirely fall away, Mikel Arteta has got his side firing on all cylinders and firmly back in this season's Premier League title race.

Competition

Opponent

Result

Premier League

Crystal Palace

5-0 Win

Premier League

Nottingham Forest

2-1 Win

Premier League

Liverpool

3-1 Win

Premier League

West Ham United

6-0 Win

Premier League

Burnley

5-0 Win

The Gunners have won their last five games by a margin of 21-2 and, in the process, have claimed the best goal difference in the league.

While Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard deserve the praise they're receiving for their effectiveness in recent games, another forward also deserves some recognition, a striker whose value has increased impressively since joining the club.

Gabriel Jesus's pre-Arsenal valuation

The player in question is none other than former Manchester City ace Gabriel Jesus, who joined the Gunners in summer 2022.

Now, before the Brazilian donned the red and white of Arsenal, he enjoyed quite a meteoric rise from an undiscovered gem in Brazil to a multiple league winner in Manchester.

He made his debut for Palmeiras in 2014, and after making 63 appearances for the side, in which he scored 24 goals and provided seven assists, he earned a £27m move to the Etihad.

An injury-disrupted first season in England led to him making just 11 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's sides. Still, the promising forward scored seven goals and provided five assists in those games, so it was a successful start to life in the northwest.

The "generous" forward, as described by Guardiola, left City as a consistent, if not spectacular, goalscorer for the side, with 95 goals and 46 assists to his name in 236 appearances.

However, the tendency for him to start wide in his final two campaigns at the club and the introduction of Erling Haaland spelt the end for his time in Sky Blue, so he secured a £45m transfer to Arsenal.

Gabriel Jesus' Valuation at Arsenal

Once in north London, it didn't take long for Jesus to show the Emirates just how good he was, as in just his second competitive appearance for the club, he scored a brace and provided two assists in the same game to help sink Leicester City 4-2 in the Premier League.

The good times kept coming for the "unreal" dynamo, as dubbed by pundit Rio Ferdinand, as he would score five goals and provide seven assists before the winter break for the World Cup, where he would unfortunately injure his knee.

That injury would see him miss 99 days of football and 17 games for club and country, but he still finished the season with a respectable tally of 11 goals and eight assists.

This year, the 5 foot 9 machine has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 23 games, but just like last year, he has been unlucky with injuries, missing 13 games and counting through knee and hamstring problems.

The former City ace might not have been quite as prolific as Arteta would've wished, but he has still been dazzling at times, and the good news is that his value has not decreased at all; in fact, it's increased in the last year and a half.

Gabriel Jesus' time at Arsenal

Appearances

59

Goals

19

Assists

13

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

All Stats via Transfermarkt

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the 64-capped international is now worth around €80m, which is about £68m, or £23m more than the Gunners paid for his services.

Arsenal fumbled their own dream homegrown Rice partner for £0

The 21-year-old has been impressing on the continent in recent years.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 19, 2024

Ultimately, it would be hard to look at his move as anything other than a success at this point, even if his goal return is lower than some fans might've hoped for, and with half a season still to go, he could prove crucial as the title race heats up.

Looking to seal their place in the Premier League just one season after earning promotion to the Championship, Ipswich Town have enjoyed a busy transfer window so far. Kieran McKenna has welcomed two fresh faces in the form of Brighton & Hove Albion's Jeremy Sarmiento and Blackburn Rovers' Lewis Travis. Now, however, the Tractor Boys have turned their attention towards the summer transfer window and a future star.

Ipswich transfer news

As things stand, Ipswich sit just one point clear in the automatic promotion place after enduring a run of just one win in their last seven Championship games, which came against Sunderland. More at risk of conceding their promotion spot than ever, McKenna will hope that his reinforcements will be enough to fend off the challenge of Southampton and Leeds United.

Speaking about the arrival of Sarmiento, who recently scored his first goal for the club to earn a late 1-1 draw against Leicester City, McKenna said via Suffolk News: “We’re really pleased to have him. He’s a player that we feel that we know pretty well. We’ve watched him for a long period of time, both for Brighton last year and for West Brom this year and we’ve spoken to him for a considerable period of time."

Since adding Travis alongside the Brighton man, the Tractor Boys have now shifted their focus towards the summer. According to The Daily Record, Ipswich have been scouting Lewis O'Donnell during his loan move from Dundee United to Kelty Hearts. Any move for the 18-year-old midfielder would be done in the summer window when he is out of contract in Scotland.

Ipswich aren't alone in their interest, however, with arch-rivals Norwich City also eyeing a move for the midfield gem alongside fellow Championship side Watford, in what could be a busy race for O'Donnell's signature.

O'Donnell is a "real talent"

At 18-years-old, the fact that O'Donnell is attracting the interest of Championship sides shows just how talented he is. Operating mainly as a central midfielder, O'Donnell's versatility stands out as something to watch. The young Scotsman can play in the heart of midfield, on the left or right, as well as in attacking midfield, potentially handing McKenna the ultimate option for years to come if Ipswich make their move. O'Donnell certainly has fans at Dundee United too…

From O'Donnell's perspective, a club like Ipswich could be an ideal next destination. McKenna's side are on the up, whether that be this season or in the near future, and playing a part in such a side would only accelerate the teenager's development. First, Ipswich must beat Norwich and Watford in the race, however, as they look to land a future star to work under the guidance of McKenna.

Ben Tozer has shared some behind-the-scenes snapshots from Wrexham's latest promotion party in Las Vegas as he bids farewell to the club.

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Wrexham promoted to League OneRed Dragons squad enjoy Las Vegas partyReleased Tozer bids farewell with trip snapsWHAT HAPPENED?

Mere days after Wrexham were promoted to League One, the Welsh side released eight players – including centre-back Tozer. Before becoming a free agent, he and his team-mates enjoyed a promotion party trip to Las Vegas earlier this month and now the 34-year-old has taken to social media to give an insight into what it meant to him – and the fun they had.

AdvertisementWHAT BEN TOZER SAID

Alongside posting multiple photos and videos of the trip, the former Cheltenham Town man wrote: "Viva Last Vegas 🕺🏻. So unbelievably lucky I’ve been able to experience what I have. Never laughed so much! Thanks lads ❤️."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Tozer played a huge role in getting Wrexham out of the National League, where they resided for 15 long years, and into the English third-tier with back-to-back promotions. Despite being released, his contribution to the cause will not be forgotten.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Former Newport County defender Tozer will now enjoy the rest of his summer break while looking for a new club to join for the 2024-25 season. It remains to be seen where he will end up for next season, although fans have suggested that MLS clubs should take the chance to snap up the Red Dragons stars who have been released.

Manchester City fans staged a pitch invasion to celebrate their Premier League title win before their match with West Ham was over.

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City secure fourth PL title in a rowSupporters tried to enter pitch before full-timeAnnoyed players force them backWHAT HAPPENED?

City were well on their way to securing a record fourth consecutive crown as they led 3-1 against West Ham heading into added time. But some fans could not wait to celebrate and started to get on to the pitch before the full-time whistle had gone, prompting an angry reaction from the players.

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva were among the players who forced the supporters back behind the barriers so play could continue. Moments later, the full-time whistle went and the fans poured onto the pitch en masse, despite repeated warnings from the stadium announcer and messages on the screens at the Etihad Stadium.

DID YOU KNOW?

City fans have invaded the pitch to celebrate Premier League title wins on multiple occasions. The first and most famous one was after Sergio Aguero scored the 94th-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers to snatch the title away from Manchester United in 2012. Hundreds of supporters also got on the field when they clinched the title on the final day of the 2022 campaign by beating Aston Villa.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

City will be celebrating their historic achievement and will be likely to earn a day off but they cannot get carried away as they face Manchester United in the FA Cup final next Saturday with the chance to secure a second successive double.

Newcastle United travel to Anfield on New Year's Day to take on Premier League leaders Liverpool, hoping to avoid a seventh loss in eight games.

The Geordie outfit have been ravaged by injuries to some key players throughout the campaign which has caused the Magpies to free-fall in the table, even lower than Manchester United, who have suffered their worst start to a season since the competition commenced in 1992.

If Eddie Howe is to avoid yet another defeat on Monday, the manager will need to pick the right starting lineup to ensure that the side isn’t carved through, so a couple of changes could be on the horizon.

1 GK – Martin Dubravka

Newcastle have desperately missed Nick Pope since the team’s number ‘1’ picked up a nasty shoulder injury at the beginning of December which is set to keep him out of action until March at the earliest.

Martin Dubravka has been in goal in each of the side’s last six defeats and hasn’t always covered himself in glory, but Howe will likely persevere with his backup option in Pope’s absence.

2 RB – Kieran Trippier

It was a mixed-bag performance from Kieran Trippier on Boxing Day. The England international created two chances for Newcastle, whipped 19 crosses into the box and played the ball into the final third 15 times throughout proceedings, eventually ending the game as a centre-back. However, he was also dribbled past three times and lost 64% of his total duels, as per FotMob.

Nevertheless, while the fullback has struggled in recent weeks, Howe should stick with Trippier and play him through this sticky run of form.

3 CB – Fabian Schar

Like the rest of the backline, Fabian Schar struggled to cope with Nottingham Forest’s attack on Tuesday, particularly hat-trick hero and former teammate Chris Wood. The Swiss centre-half won merely 43% of his aerial duels during the game and committed two fouls.

Regardless, Howe has limited options at centre-back right now and it's unlikely that will Schar find himself out of the team.

4 CB – Sven Botman

Sven Botman was superb for the Magpies right up until he picked up a knee injury in September which kept him sidelined until two weeks ago. Having initially been eased back into the side, Howe has been forced to throw the Dutchman into the deep end as Jamaal Lascelles is not expected to return until mid-January.

The £35m man didn’t look fully match fit on Boxing Day against Forest and struggled to deal with Wood and Anthony Elanga running off of him while failing to win a single tackle or ground duel throughout the match before being substituted in the 79th minute.

Nonetheless, Howe may have no other choice but to keep Botman in the lineup at Anfield due to a lack of depth in defence.

5 LB – Tino Livramento

The first and arguably most important change Howe could make to his starting eleven is dropping Dan Burn for Tino Livramento. Burn looked lost against the pace of Elanga on Tuesday and was skinned by Wood for Forest’s second goal, earning a 3/10 match rating by Chronicle Live for his display.

Tasked with going one-versus-one against Mohamed Salah, keeping Burn in the team could be a recipe for disaster, hence why Livramento should start.

Having been described this season as a “Rolls Royce” player by club legend Malcolm Macdonald, the £50k-per-week star's pace, combined with his right-footedness will be important in stopping Salah from getting in behind and cutting inside on his left.

6 DM – Bruno Guimaraes

It wasn’t a vintage performance by Bruno Guimaraes on Boxing Day, the type that Newcastle supporters have come to expect from him. The Brazil international lost possession 17 times and made merely two passes into the final third throughout the match.

However, the 26-year-old has been a key player during Howe’s reign at St. James’ Park and is possibly Newcastle’s most technically gifted midfielder, meaning there’s very little chance he finds himself on the bench.

7 LCM – Joelinton

Boyhood Mags fan Sean Longstaff capped off a string of poor performances with another dismal display in Newcastle’s last outing at home to Forest. The midfielder failed to create a single chance, was dribbled past twice and didn’t win a single tackle or duel in his 71 minutes on the field.

Joelinton has been Howe’s first-choice this term, having started 13 of the side’s 19 Premier League matches in this position and will likely take his rightful place in the middle of the park once more at Anfield.

8 RCM – Lewis Miley

Lewis Miley has been a pair of goggles in a blistering sandstorm for Newcastle United in recent weeks. Even on Tuesday, the 17-year-old created one chance, had five shots, played a helping hand in his side being awarded a penalty for their only goal of the game and even boasted a 95% passing accuracy throughout the match, as per FotMob.

A start at Anfield would be a true test of his guile and one he could pass with flying colours.

9 RW – Miguel Almiron

In 19 Premier League appearances this season, Miguel Almiron has merely three goals and one assist. The Paraguay international struggled once more last week against Forest and came off in just the 55th minute, having recorded a measly xG of 0.06.

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old’s consistent run of games over the past month is a product of Newcastle’s lack of depth due to injuries and this trip to Anfield won’t be any different.

10 LW – Anthony Gordon

Despite the Magpies boasting 62% of the ball, Gordon didn’t create a single opportunity for his teammates on Boxing Day and failed to complete one cross. Furthermore, he lost 75% of his attacking duels, according to FotMob, and looked well off the pace.

Regardless, like Almiron, Howe has no other choice but to stick with his £45m January signing, unless Matt Ritchie comes back into the fold.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco foi goleado, nesta quarta, pelo RB Bragantino por 4 a 1, no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid e voltou a se aproximar da zona de rebaixamento. Durante a coletiva de imprensa, o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo explicou a ausência de Martínz Benítez na partida e garantiu que o argentino irá iniciar entre os titulares no duelo diante do Atlético-MG, sábado, às 21h (de Brasília), em São Januário.

> Confira a tabela atualizada do Brasileirão 2020 e simule os resultados

– Foi uma escolha de usá-lo (Benítez) contra o Coritiba, em casa. Acho que a expulsão do Henrique prejudicou a equipe como um todo. E também prejudicou o Benítez, pois eu tive que colocá-lo em um jogo em que ele não estava pronto para jogar tanto de tempo. Mas ele poderia achar uma bola e começou bem os 10, 15 minutos. Ele acha uma bola, um drible. Então, eu tentei usar isso. Mas ele jogou mais tempo do que devia – disse Luxemburgo.

– Eu vi que trazendo ele (Benítez) para cá, em um jogo difícil contra o Bragantino, teria um risco. Preferi deixá-lo no Rio de Janeiro para treinar e no próximo jogo iniciar a partida contra o Atlético-MG – completou.

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Com o resultado, o Gigante da Colina pode retornar ao Z4 nesta quinta, caso o Fortaleza pontue diante do Santos, no Castelão. Ambas as equipes somam 32 pontos, porém o time carioca tem um jogo a menos, que será contra o Palmeiras, válido ainda pela primeira rodada do campeonato.

Na próxima rodada, o Vasco volta a campo no sábado, às 21h (de Brasília), diante do Atlético-MG, em São Januário. O Gigante da Colina terá o retorno dos jogadores que não atuaram nesta quarta por estarem suspensos: Henrique e Bruno Gomes.

Yasir Shah has returned to the top ten after his 14-wicket haul, while Jonny Bairstow and Mominul Haque made gains in the batting rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2018

Kagiso Rabada gets a high-five from Vernon Philander•AFP

Kagiso Rabada has returned to the No. 1 spot in the ICC bowling rankings, moving above James Anderson after the England bowler sat out the third Test in Colombo. Anderson, who had claimed the top ranking in August after taking 9 for 43 against India at Lord’s, lost 10% of his points, falling behind Rababa, who is next in Test action against Pakistan in December.Yasir Shah has returned to the top ten, following his career-best 14-wicket haul in Pakistan’s victory over New Zealand in Dubai. Yasir is now ranked 10th, with Neil Wagner dropping to 13th in the world.There were also moves in the batting rankings, following match-defining hundreds from Jonny Bairstow, in Colombo, and Mominul Haque, in Chattogram. Bairstow moved up six places to 16th, while Mominul leapt 11 places to be ranked 24th in the world. Azhar Ali, who made 81 in Dubai, moved up three spots to 12th, while Kusal Mendis is now ranked No. 20 after making 86 in Colombo.Ben Stokes, who scored 99 runs and took 4 for 55 at the SCC as England completed a 3-0 series win, has moved up one place in the allrounder rankings to No. 5.

Celtic opted to bring Brendan Rodgers back for a second stint at Parkead over the summer to replace Ange Postecoglou in the dugout in Glasgow.

The Northern Irish tactician was afforded the opportunity to bolster his squad with nine new faces throughout the summer transfer window as Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Nat Phillips, Luis Palma, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, and Hyun-jun Yang were all snapped up.

Despite three central defenders being brought in, Liam Scales, who was on loan with Aberdeen last season, has emerged as a key figure at the back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.

His current performances for the Hoops suggest that Postecoglou struck gold when he swooped to sign the Irish talent from Shamrock Rovers in 2021.

How much was Liam Scales worth at Shamrock Rovers?

At the time of his move from Ireland, Transfermarkt valued the left-footed defender at €100k (£87k) after spending just over two years with Rovers.

Scales racked up 51 appearances in all competitions and contributed with five goals and seven assists for the Irish side, as a versatile gem who featured at centre-back, left-back, and left-midfield.

His form in his home country convinced Celtic and Postecoglou to swoop for him and, on current form, that has turned out to be a fantastic piece of business.

How much is Liam Scales worth now?

At the time of writing (22/11/2023), Transfermarkt value Scales at €650k (£567k) and this is a staggering 550% increase on the initial €100k that he was valued at in 2021, which shows that the towering ace has progressed considerably over the past two years.

Last season, the 25-year-old battler played 31 Scottish Premiership matches for Aberdeen on loan and caught the eye with an average Sofascore rating of 7.01.

He made 2.9 tackles and interceptions, along with 5.1 clearances, per game to help his side at the back. Although, the Irish defender also made two errors that led to shots for the opposition and conceded three penalties, which suggests that he was liable to make a mistake on occasion.

Scales returned to Celtic over the summer and has risen to prominence under Rodgers. He has started 11 Premiership matches so far this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.59.

The left-footed colossus has made 2.6 tackles and interceptions along with 7.2 ball recoveries per outing for the Scottish giants, and is yet to make a single error or give away any penalties, in those 11 games.

He has come out on top in 63% of his duels and this shows that the Hoops titan, who Rodgers lauded as the "perfect example" for players fighting for their place, has been able to dominate opposition players with his physical strength.

Scales has also completed 89% of his attempted passes and averaged 115 touches of the ball per game. This shows that he has been reliable in possession and rarely given the ball away, which helps his side to build up attacks from the back without creating counter opportunities.

Overall, it is clear to see that Postecoglou struck gold with the Irish talent as his market value has skyrocketed over the last two years and he now looks set to be a key player for Rodgers for years to come, if the enforcer can maintain current form.