All posts by h716a5.icu

Bryan Mbeumo has revealed his stance on a potential Cameroon national team call-up for the African Cup of Nations in December as the winger is determined to avoid the club vs country row. The AFCON 2025 kicks off in the last week of December, while the players are expected to link up with their respective national teams two weeks before the competition commences.

Mbeumo off to a stellar start at United

Mbeumo enjoyed a stellar campaign with Brentford in the 2024-25 season as he scored 20 league goals and provided eight assists in 38 matches and emerged as the Premier League's fourth-highest goalscorer. His impressive form for the Bees caught United boss Ruben Amorim's eye as the Portuguese coach splashed a whopping £65 million ($87m) to secure the winger's signing. Amorim identified the Cameroonian as a key part of his squad overhaul after overseeing a nightmare debut campaign at Old Trafford. 

The 26-year-old has so far had an impressive outing in his maiden season with the Red Devils as he has scored four goals and contributed with an assist in 10 league matches. Last month, Mbeumo recorded three goals and one assist, playing a pivotal role in United’s turnaround after a sluggish start to the season. His all-action displays reflected both his maturity and tactical intelligence under Amorim, who has given the 26-year-old the freedom to attack from the right-hand side while drifting into central positions. It also helped him bag the Premier League Player of the Month for October. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbeumo wants to avoid club vs country row over AFCON participation

Mbeumo is expected to receive a national team call-up next month as Cameroon are all set to take part in the AFCON 2025. The tournament starts on December 21 and according to FIFA’s international competition regulations, clubs must release players two weeks before the start of major tournaments to allow for preparation. United are scheduled to face Wolves on December 8, the day Cameroon are expected to begin their preparations. 

reports that the Red Devils will urge the Cameroon Football Association, led by legendary striker Samuel Eto’o, to allow Mbeumo to stay in England for the club's crucial fixtures against Bournemouth and Aston Villa on December 13 and 21 respectively. 

The report adds that Mbeumo is very clear about his stance on this potential conflict, as he is determined not to upset either his employers or his country and wants a clear agreement between all parties in the coming weeks.

Amorim's stance on AFCON issue

Other than Mbeumo, United will also miss key first team figures like Noussair Mazraoui and Amad, who are expected to represent Morocco and Ivory Coast respectively, at the continental competition. Speaking about missing three of their star players in December, United boss Amorim said: "We will have time to suffer. We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us. They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportUnited aim to get back to winning ways

After a brilliant run of form in October, where they won three games in a row, something United had failed to achieve earlier in the Amorim era, their form somewhat took a dip as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Forest last weekend. Despite the draw, United have moved up to the eighth position in the Premier League table, courtesy of collecting 10 points in their last four games. They will now aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to north London to face Tottenham. 

Newcastle United have the welcome distraction of the Champions League in midweek.

In Europe’s elite competition, the Magpies are two wins from three, with eight goals under their belt. In stark contrast, Eddie Howe’s men are struggling badly in the Premier League.

Their horrendous run of form has seen them secure only three victories from ten, leading to Toon icon Alan Shearer labelling the situation at the moment as “rotten.”

While they may now be without Alexander Isak, a number of their key established players are yet to really fire, including the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.

Why Anthony Gordon is becoming an issue for Newcastle

Gordon’s topsy-turvy form sums up Newcastle’s current predicament in a nutshell.

Indeed, the England international has hammered home four Champions League strikes this season and has looked at ease on the biggest of club stages. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has even selected him to start on a regular basis this term.

That said, domestically, he has been in a horror run of form that stretches back into 2024/25. To date, he has zero goals and assists next to his name from seven Premier League outings. He has also created just two big chances across those fixtures.

Usually so creative, so dynamic and so free-flowing, the winger’s form has totally deserted him in the top-flight.

There is a stale feel in the air regarding Newcastle’s stalwarts, such as the ex-Everton attacker, as they continue to underperform, with Howe perhaps now ready to look at the youth starlets rising through the ranks at St James’ Park to fix a number of his issues.

How Newcastle could solve their Gordon problem

So far this season, Howe has chucked Lewis Miley into the first team mix here and there to freshen things up centrally, with the homegrown prodigy still only 19 years of age.

This surely bodes well for the likes of Sean Neave, who continues to rip up the Premier League 2 with his goalscoring prowess. The Newcastle-born teenager has bagged 29 goals across many different youth teams, yet a senior shot still evades him.

Alfie Harrison – who was previously on the books of Manchester City – will also be hopeful of a senior opportunity shortly, with the tricky 19-year-old maverick already up to four assists for the season in Premier League 2 action, as he continues to stick out as a vibrant Gordon-like talent.

Yet, another youngster is catching Howe’s eye who could really trouble Gordon’s first team security, with the 18-year-old in question even being wildly compared to Kylian Mbappe.

Indeed, the time now feels right to introduce the hotly-tipped Seung Soo-Park to first-team football.

Having joined the Magpies academy ranks from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings earlier this year, with lots of hype attached to his name, he looks ready and raring to make an impact under Howe’s wing.

Park would become the youngest player in the history of Korean league football when he made his senior debut for Suwon, with one goal and two assists coming his way in Korean League 2 action even resulting in his Suwon head coach Byun Sung-hwan lauding him as having the “ability to go to the very top” with his front-foot approach down the left wing.

Further hailed as being “similar to Kylian Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his speed and skilful approach down the flanks, the hope will be that Park can explode onto the senior scene much like the world-class Frenchman managed, with promising displays coming his way for Howe and Co in pre-season.

Up against Espanyol, Park ended his bright 63-minute stint with three out of four of his dribbles coming off, leading further to journalist Charlie Bennett lauding him as a “real find” from South Korea.

While Park continues to impress behind the scenes – with two assists also next to his name in the Magpies youth set-up this season – Gordon is deep in a moment of crisis in the Premier League, with his lacklustre showing against West Ham culminating in Howe bringing him off at the half-time mark.

Minutes played

45

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

28

Shots

1

Accurate passes

14/16 (88%)

Accurate crosses

0/3

Successful dribbles

0/2

The previously mentioned Bennett even said at the close of the Hammers’ defeat that Gordon is “not undroppable” – and with Anthony Elanga still without a goal or assist himself in league action after a bumper £55m move – Park might well be the outside-of-the-box answer to their troubling woes.

Gordon may well be in possession of the number 10 shirt right now but this budding Newcastle prodigy looks ready to start his ascent to stardom and swipe it away from him in the coming years.

Newcastle's £100m star in the making is "all over the place" without Isak

This Newcastle United star is seriously struggling at the moment, having once been touted to be worth £100m.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 4, 2025

She’s had an impact in both the World Cup matches she has played so far and, for a brief while over the last week, was the No. 1 T20I bowler in the world

Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2024Sadia Iqbal gave Pakistan reason to believe.After they struggled to a score of 105 for 8 in the highest-profile game they will play at this T20 World Cup, against India, she removed Smriti Mandhana in the fifth over of the chase and created an opening for her team. Importantly, she also built on a plan to starve Mandhana of runs by keeping it full and on the stumps, which created a string of nine dot balls to India’s experienced opener, before offering her some width and inviting her to drive. Mandhana only managed to send the ball to Tuba Hassan at point and Pakistan had the advantage.”I know my spells are very crucial for the team,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai. “That’s why I am very focused on my bowling and getting my role right.”Related

India and Pakistan fans turn up the volume in Dubai

Fatima Sana wants to be as quick as Shabnim Ismail

Over the last two years, Iqbal’s job has been to take the new ball and it’s one she has embraced. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner has opened the bowling in all the T20Is she has played and reaped some outstanding results. With 28 wickets in 17 matches in 2024, Iqbal is the leading wicket-taker among bowlers at the World Cup this year and also has the most wickets by a Pakistan player in any calendar year. For a short period of time between the match against India on Sunday and England’s win over South Africa on Monday night, she topped the ICC bowling rankings and became only the second Pakistan player to achieve such a status.The other, Sana Mir, who was the No. 1 ODI bowler in 2018-19, is currently at the tournament as a commentator and has been spending time with Iqbal and offering advice. “I’ve learnt so much from her,” Iqbal said. “Before the match, I talked to her about the conditions and what to expect and she told me everything.”Pakistan have played at both tournament venues already and adjusted fairly well to the differences with the ball.In Sharjah, they restricted Sri Lanka to 85 for 9 in pursuit of a target of 117 – Iqbal took 3 for 17. On a surface, which was devoid of pace, she did not follow the lead of the Bangladesh bowlers, from earlier that day, sending down deliveries as slowly as 50kph, but stuck to what she knew. “I don’t usually bowl slow, I stick to my pace,” she said. “But I follow the idea of situational bowling and try to see what the batters are doing and react to that.”

“The big change is mindset, because every player is playing attacking cricket. It’s the approach, it’s our mindset, working with different coaches, and learning through more experiences”Sadia Iqbal

What Iqbal did in Sharjah was to ask the Sri Lanka middle and lower order to go after her, knowing she would be difficult to get away. She had Anushka Sanjeewani caught at deep midwicket trying to flick a full ball to the boundary; Nilakshika Silva caught at short fine-leg playing the sweep; and trapped Sugandika Kumari lbw attempting the same type of shot.In Dubai, where run-scoring is slightly easier, she started off with a clear plan to keep it tight, before offering some width and changing her lengths later on, as India’s urgency for runs grew.That willingness to encourage the batters to take her on and back herself to succeed comes from an overall team approach that has changed since the last T20 World Cup, Iqbal explained. “The big change is mindset, because every player is playing attacking cricket. It’s the approach, it’s our mindset, working with different coaches, and learning through more experiences.”Pakistan’s more proactive approach suits Iqbal’s style as someone who has always relished a contest. A multi-sport player, who was involved in handball and hockey, Iqbal came to cricket “late”, as a 22-year-old. At the time, she had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours in sports science. She made her debut for Pakistan two years later and has properly established herself in the side only over the last couple of years. On the evidence of her success in that time, Iqbal is on an upward trajectory and may well continue to give Pakistan more reasons to believe in the future.

Gill went past 50 for the fourth time in the series as he and Rahul helped India recover from two early wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2025

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill had a good partnership after two early wickets•Associated Press

Tea Shubman Gill and KL Rahul weathered a testing spell from England’s bowlers to produce a wicketless middle session on day four in Manchester, but it was perhaps the only thing that went India’s way after Ben Stokes’ century carried his team to a total of 669 and a lead of 311. Then Chris Woakes struck twice in the first over before India could score any runs to create incredible drama.India went to tea at 86 for 2, still 225 runs behind. They could easily have lost their captain for 46 had Liam Dawson been able to hold on to a tough catch at gully but Gill made the most of that generosity to continue his run-spree. He went past Virat Kohli’s 655 runs against England in 2016 and is chasing down Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs as an Indian captain in a Test series (732).Stokes did not bring himself to bowl any of the 29 overs so far, a sign of perhaps the workload he has already taken on. He is playing back to back Tests. He picked up a five-for in the first innings and backed it up with a century – a rare feat among players and even rarer among captains. In scoring 141, he broke a spell of 35 innings without a hundred and earned himself a spot among the best allrounders in the history of cricket. There were, prior to his efforts at Old Trafford, only two with 7000 runs and 200 wickets – Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis.England’s innings reached incredible heights – 669 was their fifth-highest total in Tests – and it ended with 15 minutes for their bowlers to target India before lunch. Woakes produced a beauty from around the wicket to trap Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck – angled in, seaming away, taking the leading edge to first slip. Then Sai Sudharsan made a mistake born out of spending 157 overs in the field, fatigue resulting in him misjudging a ball that was short and wide. In the end, he ended up getting caught at second slip trying to play the leave.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have just gotten another terrible piece of injury news.

During the sixth inning of L.A.'s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit in the left wrist area by an 88 mph sinker from Jose Quintana. He immediately took himself out of the game.

Video is below.

The Dodgers officially called it a "wrist contusion."

We'll see what happens and there's a chance this was precautionary, but the Dodgers have been on the wrong side of injury luck all season. A number of key pitchers have missed significant time, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw. Meanwhile, Max Muncy has been out for weeks with a knee injury and now Freeman may be hurt.

Here's hoping a Freeman injury isn't certain.

Enzo Maresca has revealed that star midfielder Moises Caicedo was forced to start from the bench for Saturday's Premier League tie against Burnley due to the player's late arrival in London after the international break. The Ecuadorian played every minute of his country's two friendlies against New Zealand and Canada, reporting back to the west London club on Thursday evening.

Maresca protects Caicedo from punishing workload

The Blues boss would always prefer to have his destructive midfield enforcer on the field, but it appears the Ecuadorian's punishing workload has forced the decision. The Italian revealed that Caicedo only arrived back in London late on Thursday evening, leaving him with just a light session on Friday to prepare for the lunchtime kickoff in Lancashire. 

Speaking ahead of the game, Maresca rebuffed suggestions he was looking ahead to a tricky week of fixtures for the Blues. Chelsea square off with Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal next Sunday. While the Blues would be excused in prioritising those marquee fixtures, it appears the strenuous travel schedule for the 24-year-old was the only factor in his starting today's game from the bench. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'The reason he is not playing is that it's impossible'

When asked if he was resting Caicedo, with an eye on those upcoming fixtures, Maresca told TNT Sports "Nothing [to do with Barcelona and Arsenal]. The reason he is not in the first eleven is that came back Thursday night from Ecuador, from the national team, then just a light session with us yesterday, and the reason he is not playing is that it is impossible. To protect him a little bit."

Caicedo a vital player for club and country

Caicedo's brilliance in the Chelsea engine room has won him even more admirers of late, prompting pundits to suggest he could be a target for Real Madrid in the summer. His importance to the team has been noted by teammates too; Robert Sanchez said the 24-year-old is the best "midfielder in the world" after his influential display in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this month. 

Obviously, the former Brighton man is just as important to his international side. Caicedo has been the main man for a side that has punched above its weight in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers. Ecuador finished second in the league table behind a ferocious defensive effort. La Tricolor conceded just five goals in their 18 qualification games. 

Such is Caicedo's influence, that manager Sebastian Beccacece saw fit to play the Chelsea man for all 180 minutes in Ecuador's 0-0 draw against Canada and 2-0 victory over New Zealand earlier this week. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportKeeping Caicedo fresh over busy festive period crucial to Chelsea's season

While Maresca may not have considered the immediate future in his decision to bench the energetic midfielder, keeping Caicedo fresh over the next month will be crucial. December is English football's busiest period. The Blues have eight games on the slate next month, including a Carabao Cup quarter final against Cardiff City and a Champions League clash away at Atalanta. To be without Caicedo for that intense period would present Maresca with a real selection headache. 

In the series of mis-steps in Australia, Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions India have made

Sambit Bal03-Jan-20252:03

Manjrekar: Secrecy diminished Rohit’s selfless act

We could have done without the intrigue, and after it has happened, we can do without the absurd soft-pedalling around the words. Rohit Sharma hasn’t rested himself, just as Shubman Gill wasn’t rested for the previous Test. He has stood himself down, and call it courageous, selfless or plain pragmatic, it certainly counts as extraordinary.In the series of mis-steps for India in Australia – confounding selections, batting-order shuffles, ill-chosen strokes at vital moments – Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions during this tour. Cricket accords massive allowances to the captain, but it was clear that Rohit didn’t make it to India’s best possible XI, and a struggling batting line-up couldn’t afford carry a non-performing captain in a must-win game. Irrespective of what happens in this Test, and whether Gill goes on to make a contribution of significance or not, this will remain the right decision for India.What makes it extraordinary, though, is that such things just don’t happen in cricket. MS Dhoni gave up captaincy and Test cricket altogether during the course of a series on these very shores, and Kim Hughes and Nasser Hussain both resigned mid-series. But for an instance of a captain dropping himself for a Test – there is every indication Rohit did this of his own volition – we need go back to England’s tour of Australia in 1974-75, when Mike Denness left himself out after a wretched run with the bat (65 runs in six innings) and with England 2-0 down.Elite athletes are hard-wired to believe in themselves. They become successful because they don’t give up, because they believe they can overcome failure and can battle through tough times. Hard-nosed obstinacy, mongrel spirit, and the ability to shut out noise are among the things that separates them from all those who can play a pretty stroke or bowl a ripping outswinger or legbreak.The last couple of months in Rohit Sharma’s career underlines the fickleness of sport.•Getty ImagesIn a fickle art like batting in which one moment, or every moment, can be a turning point, how can you blame batters, particularly those who have travelled the course, from believing that a run of scores is just an innings away? How can they, left to their own devices, give up without another tilt?In the normal course of events, the decision is out of their hands. It’s those who pick the team – selectors before and after a series, and captain and the coach during series – that make the call. It might vary from team to team and people to people, but the accepted protocol is that the captain has the last word on the ten that walk alongside him to battle.We don’t know what Rohit’s been thinking. There have been leaks suggesting disquiet in the dressing room. It would have been unusual if words hadn’t been spoken after the last-day implosion that cost India the Test in Melbourne. It was his absence due to paternity leave at the beginning of the series that necessitated the batting-order reshuffle in the first place, and forcing Gill out to accommodate a batting allrounder – the runs from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar shouldn’t obscure the fact that together they bowled fewer overs than Jasprit Bumrah’s 28.4 in the first innings alone – might have weighed heavy on him too.

****

If anything, the last couple of months in Rohit’s career underlines the fickleness of sport. It’s now almost forgotten that 2024 was among Rohit’s greatest in India colours. Coming on the back of him leading India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where his scorching starts not only gave India the momentum for big scores but set out a marker for the brand of cricket for his team, he started the year with a come-from-behind series win against England, to which he contributed two match-defining hundreds, and went on the win India’s first ICC world title since 2011 at the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, where his runs in difficult conditions were vital.He began the home season in September with Test wins against Bangladesh, one of which was manufactured with breathtaking audacity, led by Rohit himself.Just the other day, Rohit Sharma’s leadership was seen as transformational•Associated PressSo it was not long ago that Rohit’s leadership was seen as transformational. He was hailed as a calming and uniting presence off the field, engaging with players, involving himself alongside Rahul Dravid in the players’ wellbeing, and communicating with selectors in planning for the future. And on the field, he rallied them to the cause of team over personal milestones.It’s remarkable how the wheels have come off for Rohit. It began with choosing to bat on a greenish pitch under murky skies in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, and since then India have spiralled downhill, the only thing further south being Rohit’s own returns with the bat.So, did Rohit come to that point where the abyss felt too deep to climb out of, where an upturn seemed impossible, and as a leader, his own baggage seemed too much a burden for the team? Denness had later described his decision to opt out as the lowest point of his life. It’s hard to imagine it being any different for Rohit. It is understood he had contemplated sitting out at Melbourne too, and this incredibly tough decision must be seen in the light it merits: a decent man doing the decent thing.But it must be said that he has done himself a dis-service by cloaking the decision in such secrecy that it led to fervent speculation. Denness had the chance to come back and sign off from the series with a 188. Rohit would have been painfully aware that this might be his last act as a Test player, so why sign off this way?Why is the word “dropped” such a stigma in Indian cricket when it’s a such a fundamental part of a team game? Why the charade at the pre-match press conference? It is inconceivable that the team didn’t know, so what was there to protect? And what’s dishonourable in fronting up when the truth is honourable?

Champions post second-highest score in women’s Hundred thanks to Harris and Griffith knocks

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2025Grace Harris powered London Spirit to victory on the opening day of the Hundred, smashing 89 from just 42 balls to give the defending champions the perfect start in front of 15,640 fans at Lord’s.Harris, preferred by Spirit to Meg Lanning in the draft this winter, won the battle of the two world-class Australian batters, but Lanning could scarcely have done more in reply – making 85 off 51 balls to take Oval Invincibles close in their chase.Until Lanning was dismissed, the South London team were very much in the game but it was to be Harris and Spirit’s day. The big-hitting Aussie was ably supported by Cordelia Griffith in her side’s total of 176 for , Griffith contributing a 29-ball 50 to help Spirit to the second-highest score in the history of the women’s competition.England’s Ryana Macdonald-Gay was possibly the pick of the away team’s bowlers, but there was cheer for Tash Farrant who took her first wicket in the Hundred for 1450 days following injury.For Invincibles, no one player was able to support Lanning in the same way Griffith had backed up Harris, with cameos from Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp providing hope but ultimately not doing enough to overhaul such an imposing total.For Spirit, without last year’s winning captain Heather Knight, the 17-run win and the bragging rights over their London rivals signals the perfect start to their trophy defence.Meerkat Match Hero, Harris, said: “You always want a win on the board, especially in a format like this when it’s so fast. And it’s great to come up against our cross-town rivals and get the wood on them, too.”Pretty early on [it was clear it was a good wicket]. There was some good comms from the openers back to the bench and they said it wasn’t doing much; bit of swing in the air but outside of that it was playing nicely. With that role in the middle you’ve just got to capitalise on however many balls you’re going to face and we might have pinched a few singles there and it was good for us.”I’m pretty easy [as to where she bats in the order]. I’d love to open because you get to bat for the longest but I don’t really care where I end up and it’s pretty good to cash in at the end so I’ll take it.”

Newcastle United will need to show they can pick up results on the road consistently to continue their fine start to December.

At St James’ Park so far this month, which is the Magpies’ dependable fortress, Eddie Howe’s men have collected a draw and a win, with only two losses from eight matches coming their way on their own turf this season so far.

In stark contrast, three losses have been tallied up away from home, with only one away win next to their name sticking out as a worrying fact.

In their defence, the only success on the road this season saw them emphatically get the better of Everton 4-1 in the Premier League, which might well stand them in good stead against Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland to come.

Howe will hope his team’s up-and-down nature has been rectified by the time the January transfer window swings back open, with a potentially busy month ahead for the Toon in terms of incomings.

Newcastle looking to sign new midfielder

The unpredictability of January could also see Newcastle offload a couple of players, too, with reserve centre-forward option William Osula alleged to be keen to move away from St James’ Park.

There are also rumours bubbling away about fresh faces joining the building, with former Leicester City ace Bilal El Khannouss just one of many options catching the Toon’s eye in the middle of the park. On top of him, a cut-price £13m move for Ferencváros TC star Alex Tóth could be on the agenda.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has added more fuel to the fire by revealing that Howe and Co are set to make a move for rising AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit, with the reported transfer fee floating about for his services coming in at the £30m price range.

The inconsistent Toon have long been admirers of the well-rounded Dutchman, and with Manchester United and Liverpool circling, this would be seen as a statement move in January, as Newcastle prepare to spend the big bucks once more. Hope has already described the youngster as “one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers” so this one is certainly something to kick and scream about.

How Smit can be Howe's future Guimaraes

Howe will hope, by landing Smit, that he wins himself a future Bruno Guimaraes, which will be music to the ears of the devoted Tyneside fanbase, after the much-loved Brazilian only affirmed his legendary status at the club more with that audacious strike versus Burnley.

The 28-year-old is now synonymous with Newcastle, with his corner kick effort sailing straight over the head of Martin Dubravka, further backing up comments by his manager that he is a “difference-maker”.

Of course, Smit has some way to go before he’s pulling off screamers like Guimaraes’ ingenious effort regularly in the Premier League, but the 19-year-old does have a powerful effort up his sleeve, with his ability to conjure up a moment of magic from a very early age also seeing scout Jacek Kulig laud him as a “super talent.”

Indeed, this sumptuous effort in the U19 Euros in the summer shows off a star who is incredibly confident and assured in front of goal, with Smit now up to ten goal contributions in the senior ranks at AZ. Newcastle’s beloved captain is up to 27 goals and 29 assists himself in the senior picture at St James’ Park, with Howe hopeful that Smit could reach these levels in time, so he can replace the 28-year-old down the line.

It’s not just their output in terms of goals and assists that makes the two talents in question similar, however, with Smit’s energy and determination centrally also placing himself on the same pedestal as the industrious South American, which has led to the AZ number 26 even being branded as a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, a tag regularly placed on Guimaraes’ shoulders.

Games played

18

14

Goals scored

0

2

Assists

0

2

Touches*

38.8

62.7

Accurate passes*

23.3 (85%)

42.7 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Big chances created

3

3

Ball recoveries*

3.3

5.7

Total duels won*

2.9

3.3

Smit has certainly grown into being more of a lively performer centrally this season in the Eredivisie, when looking at the table above, making 5.7 ball recoveries and winning 3.3 duels per game.

In constract, the Newcastle skipper has made 5.1 ball recoveries, but he does blow Smit out of the water in the duels department, having won a fierce 5.4 duels so far this campaign in the demanding Premier League.

Still, with the upward trajectory the table outlines, he could reach Guimaraes’ commanding levels very soon, as Howe prepares to win himself a standout talent for the future in January, by securing Smit’s coveted services.

Newcastle star was entering Obertan territory, now he's their "best player"

This Newcastle United star is now beginning to turn around his underwhelming Premier League season.

ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

The Saudi PIF takeover at Newcastle United in recent years has allowed a new generation of supporters to witness unthinkable levels of success on the pitch.

Eddie Howe has led the Magpies to multiple seasons competing in the Champions League, something which was a far-fetched dream under the ownership of Mike Ashley.

The hierarchy has invested serious money into the first-team squad over the last couple of years, which has allowed for numerous high/profile international names to move to St James’ Park.

Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes are just two players who are Brazilian internationals but also operating at the heart of the Magpies squad – something which was once an unthinkable sentence.

However, one other player could be set for a spell in the national team in the months ahead, especially if he keeps up his tremendous form in the Premier League.

Why Barnes could start at the World Cup

Over the last couple of weeks, winger Harvey Barnes has hit a tremendous run of form that has seen him nail down the left-wing role in Newcastle’s starting eleven.

The 27-year-old has started seven matches in the Premier League this campaign, already netting on three occasions, with his showing against Manchester City his best to date.

He scored a double against Pep Guardiola’s men at St James’ Park at the end of last month, subsequently securing a vital win for the Magpies on Tyneside.

Barnes has also thrived on the European stage, as seen by his tally of four Champions League goals in just five appearances – with two of which coming in just 27 minutes against Benfica.

As a result, rumours have been circulating over a potential call-up to the Scotland national team, with the winger potentially able to represent the nation through his grandparents.

He could feature at the World Cup in 2026, but he may even do so for England, with Barnes currently keeping international star Anthony Gordon out of the Magpies’ starting eleven at present.

It will certainly be a key few months for the winger, but it’s an exciting one for sure, which could see him reap the rewards of his recent success for Howe’s men.

The Newcastle star who has to start at the World Cup

As previously mentioned, the current Newcastle squad is littered with international stars, many of whom have taken their careers to the next level since their moves to the North East.

Dan Burn arrived in a fairytale return to St James’ after growing up in the area as a boy, but his move to the Magpies from Brighton in 2022 has seen the 33-year-old reach unimaginable heights.

The centre-back has been a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England international setup, as seen by his tally of five appearances to date – with his debut coming back in March of this year.

It remains to be seen if he will have done enough to go to the World Cup in around six months’ time, but the defender has certainly done his chances no harm in recent times.

There is also a huge argument that Lewis Hall should be England’s starting left-back in the USA next summer and rightfully so given his recent form in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries at times in 2025/26, but it’s not stopped him from starring when handed the chance to start within Howe’s first-team squad.

The £28m man been selected to play in seven league games to date, with Hall making his comeback from an injury layoff during the Champions League victory over Athletic Bilbao back in November.

Hall has since started all four league games for the Magpies and has subsequently produced some incredible numbers, which could solve England’s long-standing left-back issue.

The £45k-per-week full-back, who’s been dubbed an “absolute baller” by scout Antonio Mango, has completed 2.1 dribbles per 90 whilst achieving a success rate of 69% to date – showcasing the incredible ability he possesses in possession.

He’s also completed 85% of his passes to date, even registering his first assist of the season against Everton, which magnifies his ability to cause chaos to the opposition.

Games played

7

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Successful dribbles

2.1

Dribble success

69%

Tackles made

3.4

Duels won

7.8

Recoveries made

4.7

However, without the ball, Hall has been just as impressive, as seen by his tally of 3.4 tackles made and 7.8 duels won per 90 – subsequently offering a huge threat at both ends of the pitch.

Such a skillset would be perfect for Tuchel’s current squad, with the youngster needing to continue on the same trajectory over the next few months if he is to go to the World Cup.

If he manages to continue his recent success, there’s no reason why Hall and Barnes could be starting alongside one another down the left-flank for their country, with the younger man already regarded as “one of the best” in the Premier League in his position.

There is certainly a long way to go until the tournament commences, but the duo’s recent success at St James’ could certainly hand the German a huge decision to make.

Eddie Howe has already found a bigger talent than Anderson at Newcastle

Howe’s Newcastle side are showing green shoots after a difficult start to the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2025