Thierry Henry offered a measured assessment of the United States’ World Cup prospects, acknowledging that Group D is favorable but still far from simple. He noted that host nations often ride energy and momentum to deep runs, and said a fast start and a strong connection with home support could tilt the tournament in the USMNT’s favor.
Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.
It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.
This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.
How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta
A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.
While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.
This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.
While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.
Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.
Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.
The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.
Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.
That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.
Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time
The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.
Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.
Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.
He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.
Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.
Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.
This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.
During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.
In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.
Mins played
90
90
Touches
66
68
Pass accuracy
94%
82%
Tackles won
3/3
1/3
Interceptions
2
1
Clearances
3
7
Recoveries
4
6
Duels won
4/8
6/9
GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.
It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.
Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?
Fewer touches than Raya & only 7 passes: Arsenal star must be dropped
Arsenal’s title charge got a whole lot trickier after defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.
ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago
Leeds United have been in excellent form over the last few weeks. The Whites suffered a last-minute defeat against Manchester City, before beating Chelsea 3-1 and then drawing with Liverpool 3-3 in consecutive games at Elland Road.
The number of goals scored across those three games is a real positive. They scored twice in East Manchester and bagged another six combined in the games at Elland Road.
That takes the West Yorkshire outfit up to 19 goals for the season, better than six sides in the Premier League.
There has been a real upturn in form for two of their strikers, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.
How Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha have turned it around
Leeds were savvy in the summer when it came to their business. Their two new number nines were a prime example of that, both of whom came on a free transfer.
Calvert-Lewin joined upon the expiry of his Everton contract, and Nmecha his Wolfsburg contract.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
26-year-old Nmecha has begun the season strongly. He already has four goals in 14 games for the Whites, including a goal against City.
He went on a run of three goals in as many games during November.
As for Calvert-Lewin, it was a slow start to life at Elland Road for the Sheffield-born attacker, but his form has really picked up of late.
He also has four goals in 13 appearances this term, bagging in each of the games against their last three opponents.
Someone who has been full of praise for the striker is his ex-teammate at Everton, Conor Coady. The defender described him as an “outstanding footballer” and said playing in a front two is beneficial for him.
However, this upturn in form in front of goal isn’t great news for all Leeds players, with someone on the periphery now seemingly set to struggle even more for a spot in the side.
Leeds' "best finisher" is now out of favour
It has certainly not been an easy campaign for a few of Leeds’ promotion heroes. Daniel Farke has not been able to find a regular place in the side for Ao Tanaka or Daniel James, who have become squad players.
However, it has perhaps hit Joel Piroe the most out of any Leeds star.
Last season, the former Swansea City striker was pivotal as Farke’s side got promoted at the second time of asking. Piroe bagged 19 times and assisted seven in 46 appearances.
His form last term in the Championship was summed up by some impressive underlying stats.
For example, the Dutchman averaged 0.8 goals and assists and created 1.1 chances per 90 minutes.
Goals and assists
0.8
26
Key passes
1.1
39
Dribbles completed
0.4
14
Aerial duels won
0.9
31
Expected goal involvements
0.59xGI
20.44xGI
He had some huge moments in the Whites’ title-winning season, too.
Perhaps the standout was when he bagged four goals inside the first half against Stoke City in the third-to-last game of the season, helping them to a 6-0 thrashing.
Things have not been so straightforward for the former PSV Eindhoven attacker. Piroe has only played eight times in the Premier League, racking up just 197 minutes in that time.
That is a surprise given his form last term, but even more so when you factor in Farke calling him “the best finisher” he’s ever coached.
Yet, it seems like time could be up for the 26-year-old in a Leeds shirt. The fact that he has played so little this term, combined with how well both Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha are playing, does not bode well for his future.
Leeds paid Swansea a reported £16m, including add-ons for the striker, back in 2023. He has certainly justified that price tag with his performances in the second tier, but the fact that there has been no opportunity for him this season is worrying.
It certainly seems as though the man who helped steer Leeds back to the Premier League might not have a future at Elland Road much longer.
Best signing since Raphinha: "Underrated" Leeds star must start every game
Daniel Farke must now start this Leeds United star for every game, who could be considered their best signing since Raphinha.
ByKelan Sarson 3 days ago
Shai Hope and Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored fifties, but no other batter made a big contribution as West Indies fell 64 behind in the first-innings exchanges
Hemant Brar03-Dec-2025
Jacob Duffy leads the team off the field after completing his first five-for in Tests•Getty Images
Jacob Duffy’s maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket gave New Zealand the upper hand on the second day of the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch. Matt Henry also chipped in with a three-for as West Indies folded for 167 in response to New Zealand’s first-innings total of 231. This despite New Zealand dropping four catches, three of those off Henry, and giving away 28 extras. For West Indies, Shai Hope and Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored half-centuries but only two others reached double-digits. At stumps, New Zealand were 32 for no loss in their second innings, extending their lead to 96.In the morning, West Indies needed only three balls to take the last New Zealand wicket, Zak Foulkes edging Jayden Seales down the leg side. But they themselves lost an early wicket as Foulkes struck with the first ball of the second over. Bowling around the wicket, he induced an outside edge from John Campbell, and Will Young took the catch diving to his left at third slip.However, a few overs later, Young dropped a much easier chance when Henry got Alick Athanaze to edge one. Henry wasn’t to be denied for long, though. In his next over, he got the ball to jag back in from around the wicket to make a mess of Athanaze’s stumps. All this while, the scoreboard moved at a snail’s pace. After 12 overs, West Indies were 10 for 2.Shai Hope batted in sunglasses because of an eye infection, and scored a half-century•AFP/Getty Images
Hope and Chanderpaul, though, hung around without worrying about the scoring rate. The first boundary of West Indies’ innings came in the 23rd over when Hope, batting in sunglasses because of an eye infection, drove Duffy through the covers. In the next over, he drove Nathan Smith through mid-on for another boundary.Chanderpaul, meanwhile, enjoyed his luck. He was dropped twice, on 5 and 24, both times by Devon Conway at leg slip, first off the bowling of Smith and then Henry.Hope brought up his fifty after lunch. With Chanderpaul also looking comfortable, New Zealand were forced to change their plan. Duffy went short against Hope and had him hopping around. Once a short leg was deployed, Hope’s problems increased. Eventually, he ended up gloving a short ball from around the wicket to Tom Latham, who was keeping in place of Tom Blundell. Blundell had hurt his hamstring while batting on the first day and didn’t take the field in the morning.New Zealand dropped four catches – here, Devon Conway reacts after giving Tagenarine Chanderpaul a reprieve•Getty Images
Once Duffy broke the 90-run stand, Henry returned to pick up two in one over. Bowling awayswingers just around off stump, he had Roston Chase and Justin Greaves caught behind for ducks, leaving West Indies on 106 for 5.It didn’t affect Chanderpaul, though. He carried on in his unhurried manner and brought up his half-century. He and Tevin Imlach added 34 for the sixth wicket, a stand that was broken when Conway finally held on to a catch. Chanderpaul pulled Foulkes aerially towards square leg, where Conway flung himself to his left, went with both hands, and landed with the ball in his left.Henry forced Kemar Roach’s outside edge soon after. The ball was going straight to first slip but Michael Bracewell dived across from second and spilled it.Soon, it became dark enough that only spinners were allowed to bowl. But after a short rain break, the sky brightened up again. When play resumed, Duffy did not take long to mop up the remaining four wickets. With the first ball after resumption, he had Imlach caught down the leg side. The batter reviewed the on-field decision only for replays to show he had gloved the bouncer. Johann Layne was caught and bowled in the same over. Duffy then went full and bowled Seales and Ojay Shields to complete his five-for.
England’s Ollie Robinson has emerged as an unlikely figure in Australia’s Ashes preparation after bowling to his former Sussex team-mate Steven Smith in the New South Wales nets on Thursday.Robinson has taken 21 wickets in seven Ashes Tests but has not featured for England since February 2024, falling out of favour after his body let him down in one match too many. He took 39 wickets at 24.74 for Sussex in the County Championship this year, but never appeared in serious contention for a Test recall and was also overlooked by England Lions.
Instead, he has signed for Sydney University for a stint in grade cricket and was seen bowling at NSW batters at the SCG on Thursday ahead of their Sheffield Shield game against Victoria. The reported that Robinson bowled for “about 45 minutes” to batters including Smith and Sam Konstas, and later spoke at length to NSW coach Greg Shipperd.While Robinson was bowling in Sydney, the first arrivals among England’s Ashes squad trained at Lilac Hill in Perth. They included Ben Stokes, England’s captain, who has not played competitively since sustaining an injury to a shoulder muscle against India in July but is confident of playing a full role in the first Test at Optus Stadium on November 21.Related
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Stokes was welcomed to Australia by a front-page story in the which dubbed him “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer”, and the same newspaper reported that he had bowled in training on Thursday. Stokes stopped off in New Zealand to visit family before arriving in Australia, where he trained in the nets at Lincoln, Christchurch.Around half of England’s 16-man squad have already arrived in Perth, with the remainder due to follow this weekend. England’s only warm-up fixture – a three-day match against England Lions – starts on Thursday at Lilac Hill.
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