Category Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Após uma novela que durou quase um mês, enfim o Palmeiras deve ter a confirmação de qual empresa será a fornecedora de material esportivo do clube a partir da temporada de 2025.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasEx-presidente do Palmeiras ironiza John Textor por acusações de arbitragem: ‘1º de abril!’Palmeiras01/04/2024PalmeirasRômulo joga? Palmeiras define inscritos na Libertadores; veja listaPalmeiras01/04/2024BotafogoDono do Botafogo, John Textor acusa: ‘Temos provas de que o Palmeiras vem sendo beneficiado por dois anos’Botafogo01/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Mesmo com o forte assédio da Adidas, a Puma conseguiu vencer a batalha e deve renovar o atual contrato para seguir por mais três anos patrocinando o clube.

A informação foi dada pelo portal ‘Nosso Palestra’, e agora a empresa alemã prepara o vídeo de anúncio da renovação campeã com o Palmeiras. A parceria nasceu em 2019 e, desde então, o clube empilhou taças com a nova fornecedora.

continua após a publicidade

Mesmo diante de uma boa proposta da Adidas, a Puma foi a empresa que ofereceu um valor maior, com um reajuste de 25% em relação à quantia que é atualmente paga, totalizando R$ 50 milhões anuais – entre dinheiro e royalties.

➡️ Com apenas R$50, você pode levar mais de R$240 no Lance! Betting se o Grêmio vencer o The Strongest

O novo vínculo da empresa alemã com o Verdão contará com metas, que podem aumentar as cifras para R$ 60 milhões.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalPalmeirasPuma

Chelsea’s title ambitions were always more realistically viewed through a wider lens than the current campaign, but this recent drop in form has been concerning for Enzo Maresca’s side nonetheless.

A creditable draw against table-toppers Arsenal last weekend, preceded a bitter defeat to promoted Leeds United at Elland Road in midweek, and this one marked the perfect chance to bounce back and keep a toe in the early Premier League title race.

Bournemouth stood strong against the Blues on Saturday afternoon, but they also pulled their weight in the final third, recording an xG total of 1.37 compared to the visitors’ 0.88.

There was an undeniable bluntness to Chelsea’s attack, with a number of stars flattering to deceive on the south coast.

Chelsea's worst performers at Bournemouth

Robert Sanchez certainly wasn’t among Chelsea’s worst performers at the Vitality, having made a string of important saves throughout the contest to keep parity intact.

Neither was Moises Caicedo to blame. The Ecuadorian served the second game of his three-match suspension after seeing red against Arsenal, and his absence was keenly felt in the middle of the park.

Enzo Fernandez toiled without his dance partner in the engine room, but he was sloppy on the ball. Likewise, Cole Palmer looked rusty on his return from injury, only creating one chance and wasting a few decent opportunities before being replaced by Joao Pedro before the hour mark.

There was another attacking instrument under Maresca’s command who struggled to impose himself despite some hustle and bustle, looking like a teammate of his who has been absent for some time.

Maresca must bench Mudryk-esque Chelsea forward

Since leaving Manchester United and joining Chelsea this summer in a deal worth £40m, Alejandro Garnacho has blown hot and cold, scoring two goals and supplying two assists across 14 matches in all competitions. In the Premier League, Maresca has handed the 21-year-old six starts.

Against Bournemouth, though, he was part of a Chelsea side who succumbed to an absence of end product, hitting the woodwork and failing to build on his positive form of recent weeks.

Football.london did hand Garnacho a 6/10 match rating, acknowledging his optimism and energy on the ball, but he left much to be desired all the same, with his end product leading to a sense that he is shaping into the club’s next version of Mykhaylo Mudryk.

Mudryk is suspended at the moment, but from a footballing standpoint, his £89m transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to Stamford Bridge in January 2023 ended up a major misfire from Todd Boehly and co, with the Ukrainian’s pace and technical skill unable to be applied with efficiency on English shores.

Having failed with all three of his attempted dribbles and proved unable to even attempt a tackle, the South American left something to be desired, and though he created a chance, he also lost the ball 11 times, and that having only completed 17 passes on the evening.

Minutes played

77′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

35

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

Accurate passes

17/20 (85%)

Chances created

1

Crosses

2/3

Dribbles

0/3

Ball recoveries

3

Tackles won

0/0

Duels won

3/7

We already know that Garnacho has a penchant for the spectacular, but he needs to channel his craft and grow into the player he has been touted to be.

In this, he is not too dissimilar to Mudryk, though hopefully he has more opportunities to showcase his skills.

Mudryk and Garnacho share a likeness in that they are both athletic and dynamic wingers, but the latter needs to prove now that Chelsea are going to get bang for their buck, and perhaps a return to the bench might fuel him with the requisite aggression and focus going forward.

Shades of Sterling & Mudryk: Maresca must axe Chelsea's "pointless signing"

The highly-rated attacker has not impressed so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025

Chelsea have now reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign a rising Ligue 1 talent, who’s been billed as the second coming of William Saliba.

Maresca: Chelsea must "switch off" before Arsenal clash

Chelsea couldn’t have asked for a better warm-up before their crucial clash against Arsenal this weekend. The Blues brushed Barcelona aside as Estevao Willian stole the show in front of Lamine Yamal. Two of the world’s best teenagers commenced battle at Stamford Bridge and it was the Brazilian who came out on top.

Now, Enzo Maresca’s side have the small matter of playing host to the Premier League leaders. Victory would see Chelsea move to within three points of Arsenal and lay down a marker in the title race. Defeat, meanwhile, would leave them nine points adrift of their London rivals.

Maresca will be well aware of the importance of Sunday’s game, but has told his players to “switch off” in the build-up – telling reporters: “I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off,” he said. “Have a rest. Recover the energy.

“Because next Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing.

“Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice — and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games.”

23-year-old wants to leave Chelsea in January as clubs start to make contact

He’s eyeing the exit door.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 27, 2025

It’s also worth noting that it’s not just on the pitch that Chelsea and Arsenal are set to do battle. In the transfer market, the two clubs are also reportedly set to go head-to-head to welcome a defensive reinforcement.

Recent reports have claimed that the Blues have now joined the race to sign Stade Rennais defender Jeremy Jacquet in an attempt to deal Arsenal a frustrating blow.

Chelsea join race to sign Jeremy Jacquet

As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea have joined the race to sign Jacquet alongside Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig.

The 20-year-old defender will reportedly be available for as little as €30m (£27m) in 2026, handing those at Stamford Bridge a crucial opportunity to reinforce their backline at a bargain price.

Dubbed the next Saliba by The Standard when Arsenal’s interest emerged in August, Jacquet’s rise has been coming for a few years. His old development coach at Rennes, Pierre-Emmanuel Bordeau, even went as far to describe the defender as the “technical leader of his generation”.

It’s easy to see why comparisons have been made with Saliba. Statistically speaking, Jacquet has even outperformed the Arsenal star out of possession so far this season, whilst also impressing on the ball.

It would be quite the move from Chelsea if they didn’t just land the next Saliba, but a player capable of exceeding Mikel Arteta’s top defender in years to come. Amid so much competition for Jacquet’s signature, though, the Blues will have to act quick.

Shades of Estevao: Chelsea have another "left-footed magician" out on loan

MacKenzie Gore was dealing on Opening Day and managed to match an MLB legend in the process.

Gore made the start for the Washington Nationals against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday and was nothing short of dominant. In six innings, the 26-year-old allowed no runs, one hit, and no walks while striking out 13.

According to Sarah Langs, since 1900, the only pitchers to rack up 13 strikeouts with no walks on Opening Day are J.R. Richard in 1980 and Hall of Famer Bob Gibson in 1967.

Here's where things get a bit crazy though. In that start, Gibson threw a complete game shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals against the San Francisco Giants, but he allowed five hits. In his game for the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Richard allowed two hits and an earned run in eight innings. Gore only allowed one hit and no runs, though he only went six innings.

Gore is a former top prospect who arrived in Washington as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. He has yet to put it all together as control struggles have plagued him, but his stuff has never been in question and he looked phenomenal on Thursday.

Things are finally looking up for Sheffield Wednesday and three takeover candidates have now reportedly taken a £50m step towards purchasing the club.

The Dejphon Chansiri era is over at long last and those at Hilsborough can finally breathe again. Fans have flocked to the club shop in support of their side and both staff and players have even been paid a day early.

Even when sat on -6 points in the Championship after entering administration, the atmosphere at Hillsborough this weekend is set to represent a club coming together to at least celebrate the end of the worst times.

A statement from Kris Wigfield, of joint-administrators Begbies Traynor, thanked fans for how they’ve supported the club and played a major part in their successful attempt to pay players and staff on time.

Survival on the pitch is largely unthinkable given that they sit 14 points adrift at the bottom of the Championship, but there’s been major concern that the Owls wouldn’t survive off the pitch in recent months. Now, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Wigfield revealed earlier this week: “As always, you get a lot of interested parties that probably aren’t going to meet the criteria, but within the numerous inquiries we’ve had, we certainly think that there are already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal.

John Textor makes Sheffield Wednesday contact as EFL prepare to relax key rule

The Owls entered administration on Friday.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 29, 2025

“There are two criteria that new owners basically need to satisfy to then open dialogue and there to be an opportunity where they can make an offer.”

What’s more, reports are now suggesting that three interested parties have taken a crucial £50m step towards buying the club.

Sheffield Wednesday candidates take £50m step

According to BBC Sheffield’s Rob Staton, three candidates have now given proof of funds to Sheffield Wednesday worth £50m in what is a vital step towards a potential takeover.

It remains to be seen who those three candidates are, but two names that have been mentioned this week are John McEvoy and John Textor.

The latter sold his Crystal Palace shares in the summer and could now make a return to English football after reportedly making contact with those at Hillsborough. That said, the Owls should act with plenty of caution after the American billionaire very nearly took Lyon to Ligue 2 thanks to financial issues.

McEvoy, meanwhile, represents more of an unknown option. The American owns ice hockey clubs and baseball clubs and would be stepping into football for the first time. Alas, with more expected to provide proof of funds, he may have to get in line to buy Sheffield Wednesday.

John McEvoy: Who is the American billionaire looking to buy Sheffield Wednesday?

A Champions League record long held by Manchester United legend David Beckham has been taken by Club Brugge star Carlos Forbs following his sparkling goalscoring display against Barcelona. The 21-year-old scored twice and bagged an assist as the Belgian side held the Spanish giants to a 3-3 draw in a thrilling encounter. And he notched a bit of history along the way, too.

• Forbs runs Barcelona ragged

  The Portugal winger put in the best performance of his young career as he tore Barcelona to shreds in the Champions League on Wednesday night. His display even stole the headlines away from Lamine Yamal, who scored a stunning goal of his own. But this game belonged to Forbs at Jan Breydelstadion.

Advertisement

• Beckham record tumbles

  For more than 25 years, Inter Miami co-owner Beckham has held the record for being the youngest player to both score and assist against Barcelona in the Champions League. But Forbs has beaten the ex-United man's personal best by nearly two years with his virtuoso display.

• Blow for Barca as credentials take another hit

  After reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, alongside winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey, Barcelona had high hopes for this campaign. But at present, they are languishing behind bitter rivals Real Madrid in the league and have had one or two setbacks in this term's Champions League. After losing to holders Paris Saint-Germain last time out, a win at Brugge was top of their agenda. But this draw leaves them 11th in the table, just outside the automatic spots to reach the last 16 of the competition. At this rate, they will have to make do with the play-offs, unless they win a few more games.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• getty
  

  What comes next for Barcelona?

  Hansi Flick's Barca will hope to return to winning ways in their next Champions League encounter when they take on Club World Cup champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on November 25. Before then, though, they travel to Celta Vigo on Sunday in La Liga, followed by a home match against Athletic Club on November 22.

Liverpool are said to be interested in signing a “tough-tackling” defender, but the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid are also mentioned for the player who has been compared to Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool injury concern before Man Utd

The Reds’ international players will return to club duty this week, as they prepare for a huge Premier League clash at home to Man Utd on Sunday afternoon.

One player who is facing a race against time to be fit for the game is Ibrahima Konate, with the 26-year-old returning to Liverpool early from France duty, with his international side revealing his injury: “Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday but will not be able to take his place against Iceland.”

This is clearly a concern heading into a big game, even though Konate has struggled for top form so far this season, and the Reds’ centre-back options are starting to feel worryingly sparse.

New signing Giovanni Leoni is already out for the season with ACL damage, while Liverpool also cruelly missed out on signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on deadline day, so they do feel slightly short at the heart of their defence.

Liverpool "like" £50m+ Bundesliga defender

According to journalist Mark Brus for Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing £52m-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba, with some other huge clubs also in the mix.

“Lukeba has a release clause worth €90m, which clubs see as too high, but it’s largely symbolic anyway – the real asking price is more like €60m. Liverpool like him, but you can add Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Real Madrid to that list.”

Liverpool need to focus on a new centre-back signing next summer, and frankly, an addition there could be needed in the January transfer window if their injury problems persist.

In Lukeba, the Reds would be signing a fantastic young player who is already a key man for Leipzig, making 79 appearances and also winning six caps for France.

At 22, he is playing with a level of maturity beyond his years, with Max Eberl heaping praise on his ability: “He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”

The versatility that Eberl points out is a big positive with Lukeba, giving Liverpool depth in various areas, and he should be looked at as a leading centre-back option. In fact, Football Transfers say he is similar to Reds icon Van Dijk, which is an eye-catching comparison.

National team manager defends Liverpool star as key fact exposes real "truth"

He’s shared his verdict.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 12, 2025

That said, Guehi still feels like the No.1 choice, having been so close to joining last month, and the hope is that they are still his preferred club, rather than the many others who have been linked with signing the England international.

Heading into added on time at Fulham, Leeds United looked as if they were going to have to make do with a second successive stalemate in the Premier League.

A point would have likely been taken as well after a valiant defensive display in West London saw Joe Rodon win a commanding five aerial duels, while Karl Darlow in between the sticks stayed alert throughout, with three big saves registered.

Unfortunately, an own-goal right at the death from Gabriel Gudmundsson would hand the Cottagers all three points, as the summer purchase from Lille accidentally placed a header past Darlow – after stopping a Fulham attacker from connecting with a late corner-kick – to break Leeds hearts.

This sucker punch shouldn’t detract too much from the otherwise committed defensive display on Leeds’ travels, but the loss did definitely highlight the lack of cutting edge Daniel Farke’s relegation-threatened side possesses in attack, as another goal-shy performance was served up.

Leeds' poor displays in attack

Since the opening day victory over Everton at Elland Road, Leeds have failed to score a single goal from open play, with that worrying trend continuing away at Marco Silva’s fortunate hosts.

Not even the added presence of new signing Noah Okafor to the starting XI could inspire an improved performance in the forward areas, with the former AC Milan winger failing to hit a single on-target effort at Bernd Leno’s goal, before being hauled off just shy of the 70-minute mark.

Brenden Aaronson did show occasional glimpses of quality down Okafor’s opposing right-hand side, with one big chance unfortunately squandered by the hot-and-cold American, but it was another flat display that will seriously worry Leeds in their hunt for more wins near the foot of the division.

In particular, one underperformer up top at Craven Cottage will have irked Farke to the point where he feels his spot in the first team is no longer concrete, with a huge clash at the bottom of the table coming Leeds’ way next against Wolverhampton Wanderers, demanding a more potent display in the attacking areas.

The "bang average" Leeds star who must now be axed

It’s not as if Fulham blew away the visitors either, with Silva’s men being restricted to just five efforts all afternoon due to a tight-knit Leeds defence routinely keeping them at bay.

However, there is always a possibility that a side will come back into a game if your own finishing is so wasteful, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin endured another frustrating day at the office, leading the line for the away team.

Having missed four big chances on his debut as Leeds were dumped out of the EFL Cup at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Calvert-Lewin would have been looking for a swift change of fortunes, lining up for Farke’s men on Saturday. Instead, the ex-Everton marksman would trudge off the pitch after 69 minutes, looking rather dejected by his unmemorable efforts.

Indeed, the 28-year-old’s overall numbers from the 1-0 defeat don’t paint a pretty picture, with Calvert-Lewin giving up the ball every three touches, just one glaring statistic of many that makes for some pretty grim reading.

Minutes played

69

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

15

Shots on target

0

Accurate passes

5/8 (63%)

Total duels won

6/6

Possession lost

5

The brand-new number nine did throw himself about valiantly with all six of his duels won, but it’s clear that Calvert-Lewin is still bereft of confidence in front of goal, with zero shots on target being registered at Leno’s goal, despite his commanding presence in the air.

His passive showing in terms of peppering Leno’s net would even see Sky Sports’ Michael Dawson, when speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday, state that Calvert-Lewin was “bang average” throughout, with a starting spot now not looking so secure.

Further handed a low 6/10 rating post-match by the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who bemoaned Calvert-Lewin ‘needlessly’ finding himself offside throughout the tense affair, it will be interesting to see who the German picks for the crunch clash at Molineux.

With Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha also at the former Norwich City’s disposal up top, it could well be that one of those reserve faces gets the nod over the former England international shortly, as Calvert-Lewin has depressingly failed to hit the ground running in West Yorkshire.

£2.5m Leeds player now house-hunting to seal permanent Elland Road exit

The Whites appear set to swiftly offload the man in question.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 12, 2025

The RR opener batted fearlessly on IPL debut to scored34 off 20 balls

Shashank Kishore19-Apr-20252:53

Boucher: Suryavanshi must be ‘special’ to be selected at 14

At 14 years and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the IPL’s youngest debutant when he was brought in as an Impact Player in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) chase of 181 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur on Saturday. He began his IPL career with a six off his first delivery, bowled by Shardul Thakur.Suryavanshi, who hails from Samastipur, a city about 100 kilometres north east of Patna, made his first-class debut at the age of 13 in January last year, and was picked for INR 1.1 crore at last November’s mega IPL auction. He had attracted the attention of IPL scouts when he made a 58-ball century for India in a youth “Test” against Australia in September last year. Having sat on the RR bench for the first half of IPL 2025, he got his opportunity because of an injury to Sanju Samson.”Playing IPL at 14 is unimaginable,” Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut before the chase once it became clear that Suryavanshi would be getting a go. “He must be a special cricketer,” Mark Boucher said.Related

Avesh sticks to his guns to win a Russian roulette of yorkers

Ice-man Avesh holds his nerve as LSG edge past RR in last-over classic

IPL's youngest debutants: Vaibhav Suryavanshi makes history

“Everybody has been anticipating this day this year right from the auction when he was picked,” Rayudu added. “Everybody was quite curious to know who this kid was. The only other guy that the whole of India saw at 16 was Sachin Tendulkar and from then on we know what he has achieved. So everybody is expecting big things from Suryavanshi as well.”Opening the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryavanshi did not hold back. He launched the first ball he faced – a length delivery from India international Thakur – by making room and lofting on the up over the extra-cover boundary.His fearlessness and intent to keep on attacking became evident when he cleared his front leg and swung at his third ball, hitting another India international, Avesh Khan, down the ground for six. He earned a reprieve off his fifth delivery, when Prince Yadav put down a high catch running back from midwicket.As LSG brought in spinner Digvesh Rathi in the fourth over after RR had raced to 39 for no loss, Suryavanshi focused on defence. There was a clear plan to hit anything pitched short or full, like the time he climbed into Rathi when he dropped short, or when he launched legspinner Ravi Bishnoi straight down the ground.Suryavanshi scored 34 off 20 – 26 in boundaries – on IPL debut before Aiden Markram had him stumped when he got one to rip off the surface to beat him in flight. Suryavanshi had overbalanced and lifted is back foot, giving Rishabh Pant the chance to complete the stumping and break the 85-run opening stand that came off 8.4 overs. At that stage, RR were well placed for victory, but a dramatic turn of events in the last three overs sent them crashing to their fourth consecutive defeat.

Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and Tom Brady should have plenty of cause for celebration in the coming years, claims Alan Shearer, with Wrexham and Birmingham City being told that they will "both be in the Premier League in the near future". Two ambitious projects that see A-list investors heavily involved have captured the imagination of a global audience and continue to generate plenty of drama.

Wrexham & Birmingham chasing the Premier League dream

Wrexham have rewritten the EFL history books by enjoying three successive promotions, with a meteoric rise out of the National League and into the Championship being enjoyed. Birmingham took a step backwards following a failed managerial experiment with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, but captured the League One title in historic fashion last season.

The Red Dragons and Blues are now plotting a course through the second tier of English football. Big money has been spent on chasing the dream, with Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and Mac helping to fund a £30 million-plus ($40m) spending spree during the summer of 2025.

AdvertisementGettyParkinson & Davies charged with delivering results

Wrexham did endure a slow start to the new season, with untimely injuries doing little to aid their cause, leading to questions being asked of Phil Parkinson’s future. He retains the full support of his board, while Chris Davies will be given time to get things right at St Andrew’s after also overseeing an inconsistent opening to the 2025-26 campaign.

Both teams – who have starred in their own documentary series – are aware that they need to build on solid foundations and cannot expect to blaze a trail through a division as competitive as the Championship. They are, however, being tipped to hit their ultimate end goals by adding top-flight fixtures to their respective schedules.

Shearer's promotion prediction for Wrexham & Birmingham

Ex-England captain Shearer, who remains the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, has told of promotion bids in North Wales and the West Midlands: "Ryan Reynolds and Tom Brady are chasing the dream of Premier League football, I guess. They're looking at huge football clubs which Wrexham and Birmingham are to try and chase the dream of getting to the promised land. Certainly, in Ryan Reynolds' view, they're closer to it than they thought they would be.

"They're not far away now albeit I don't think they'll get promoted this season, but they all want a bit of the Premier League because wherever you are, it's remarkable. I was in Kansas City last weekend and the reaction to the Premier League is something you've never seen before. It's off the charts. So that's what they all want, they've seen it on TV, they're all very wealthy, want to invest and get a piece of the pie.

"I think they will both be in the Premier League in the near future, I do. If they continue to invest like they have done, how they get around PSR is a different matter, but they look at clubs who have been drifting, but look at the history, how big they are and how big they can become in the area that they're in and both Birmingham and Wrexham are huge. There's a chance to grow them even bigger and there's also a chance they get what they want and reach the Premier League."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyHollywood derby: Wrexham face Birmingham at the Racecourse

Shearer is not the first to suggest that Wrexham and Birmingham will soon be rubbing shoulders with the big boys. Ben Foster, who was talked out of retirement by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2023, has backed the Red Dragons to secure promotion "within five years". David Dunn, meanwhile, told GOAL back in May that Brady and the Blues are capable of "bouncing again" and going up this season.

There is clearly work for both sides to do in order to position themselves among the Championship frontrunners, but they will get another opportunity to establish momentum heading into the latest international break when facing one another at SToK Racecourse on Friday – with there set to be plenty of eyes, including a few famous ones, on that fixture.