Whilst there’s no doubt that Pep Guardiola the manager will go down as one of the greatest to ever step foot inside the technical area, it’s still worth noting down just how impressive Guardiola the midfielder was.

The Spaniard ended his playing career with one Champions League to his name, six Spanish titles, an Olympic gold medal and plenty more in an incredible career which largely featured success with Barcelona. It’s a credit to his managerial work that his time on the pitch is often placed second in his long list of achievements.

Not everyone has forgotten the player before the manager, however, and the late great Johan Cruyff previously took the time to praise both versions of Guardiola.

The former Barcelona star also featured in one of the most star-studded eras in football history. He shared a dressing room with Ronald Koeman, Ronaldo Nazário and Romario, whilst squaring off against the likes of Raul and Roberto Carlos.

One player he didn’t have the pleasure of meeting on the pitch or in the dressing room, however, is Wayne Rooney. Instead, Guardiola was forced to appreciate the Manchester United legend from the technical area at both Manchester City and Barcelona, which only peaked his appreciation for the former England star.

The Man City boss even went as far as describing Rooney as “one of the best” that he has seen in his career back in 2014. Yet, as impressed as he so often was by one of the Premier League’s greats, Guardiola also previously claimed that Rooney’s England teammate was, in fact, far harder to play against.

Guardiola reveals why Crouch was harder to play against than Rooney

It almost somehow feels absolutely right that Guardiola would have a special appreciation for a player like Peter Crouch. Whilst often underrated by many, Crouch can now say that he once had the full attention of arguably the greatest manager of all time.

The Man City boss wrote a series of columns about the 2006 World Cup and took the opportunity to reveal why Crouch is tougher to play against than the legendary Rooney.

In just a small insight into the mind of Guardiola even before he became the manager that he is today, Crouch received some of the highest praise of his career.

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Alas, it is certainly praise that he deserves. The former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur striker ended his time on the pitch with a total of 108 top flight goals and remains one of the most technical tall strikers that the Premier League has seen, also racking up 22 strikes for England in just 42 caps.

Harry Brook threw his head back in despair after picking out long leg but his innings of 99 set up a tantalising one-innings match at his home ground. India had three first-innings centurions to England’s one and Jasprit Bumrah completed a dazzling five-for to prove he is a class above any other bowler on show, yet only six runs separated the two teams after eight sessions.Reprieved before he had scored a run on the second evening thanks to Bumrah overstepping, Brook made India pay for their profligacy. He was dropped twice – on 46, then on 80 – but played several outrageous shots as he approached his first Headingley Test hundred, only to fall into a short-ball trap by pulling Prasidh Krishna down Shardul Thakur’s throat.Related

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But England’s lower order ensured that they raced towards parity. Where India had lost their last five wickets for 24, England added 189 in 35.5 overs, with Chris Woakes pulling back-to-back sixes to reach 2000 Test runs. Bumrah cleaned up his stumps, then Josh Tongue’s, to clinch his third five-wicket haul in England and give India a slender lead.It meant the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy would be determined by both teams’ second innings, and KL Rahul batted with characteristic class to lay the early foundations for a steep England target. But Ben Stokes’ late wicket of B Sai Sudharsan, three overs before rain brought an early close, left the match in the balance heading into the final two days.After his near-miss on Saturday night, Brook made his intentions for Sunday morning clear by cutting Prasidh for four and swiping him over midwicket for six in the very first over, and then charging down to slap Bumrah’s first ball through the covers. It was audacious batting, but underpinned by Brook’s trust in the reliable bounce of his home pitch.Ollie Pope could only add six runs to his overnight 100 not out, fiddling Prasidh behind off a short, wide ball, but Jamie Smith joined Brook and matched his attacking tempo. India rotated their seamers from one end while Ravindra Jadeja kept things tight at the other, and it was Jadeja who had Brook put down first, Rishabh Pant failing to gather an outside edge.Jasprit Bumrah has three Test match five-wicket hauls in England•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Smith was given out in single-figures, but successfully reviewed an lbw decision after being hit on the shin by a full toss; Thakur thought he had dismissed him, but remained largely anonymous and leaked 38 runs in the six overs he bowled. After three days, Shubman Gill must rue the decision to leave Kuldeep Yadav carrying the drinks.India resolved to test England’s patience with a bouncer barrage, and Smith could not resist the temptation. He crunched Prasidh over square leg for six with a vicious pull, but miscued a wider short ball two balls later and fell to a smart relay catch as Jadeja parried the chance up to Sai Sudharsan in the deep. It was an ill-timed brain fade: the new ball was due at the end of the over.Brook resolved to use it to his advantage, blazing consecutive boundaries off a fired-up Mohammed Siraj, who let him know what he thought of his aggression. Bumrah covered his eyes in frustration when Yashasvi Jaiswal shelled Brook at gully, and Siraj soon backed off when Brook launched him over long-on for a towering straight six.On 99, Brook lined up his opportunity to reach three-figures with a boundary; instead, he was left to drag himself off the field. That prompted Woakes to become the aggressor, taking only 36 balls to add 50 for the eighth wicket with Brydon Carse before Siraj and Bumrah (twice) left the stumps splayed.5:39

Manjrekar: ‘All possibilities open’ in the last two days

Woakes held his back hip while receiving treatment during his 38, and his average speed with the new ball dipped below 80mph. But Carse cranked it up to 90mph running up the hill, and struck an early blow with a snorter to Jaiswal which angled in from around the wicket, bounced steeply and took the outside edge.To the backdrop of a boisterous Western Terrace, much livelier than it had been through the first two days, Rahul was the calmest man at Headingley. He drove Carse for two fours in three balls: the first down the ground and the second pinged through the covers, and seized on Shoaib Bashir’s early drag-down.Sai Sudharsan walked out on a pair and guided his first ball to the boundary, playing late and building a substantial partnership with Rahul for the second wicket. But he fell to Stokes for the second time in the match, chipping an inswinger to short midwicket and failing to punish Ben Duckett for a drop at gully.Light but persistent rain brought the day to an early, anticlimactic ending, but with the sense that another Headingley classic is brewing.

Lennart Karl is the crown jewel of Bayern Munich, having broken through the Bundesliga heavyweights' youth academy. The 17-year-old has been enjoying a purple patch with the Bavarians, with head coach Vincent Kompany offering regular minutes to the talented youngster. Now, recent reports from Germany reveal that the club already has plans in place to secure Karl's long-term future.

Karl becomes Bayern's big bet for the future

Karl joined the Bayern youth academy as a prodigious 14-year-old in 2022. The talented youngster had a colossal impact for Bayern's Under-17 and U19 outfits in the 2024-25 season, scoring 32 goals and delivering 10 assists in a combined total of 26 games. His dramatic rise through the ranks saw him earn his first-team debut in the 10-0 win over Auckland City at the Club World Cup during the summer.

Ahead of the season, Karl was promoted to the first team. Now, according to a report from , the future looks bright for both the talented teenager and the Bavarian giants. The report claims that Bayern already have a foolproof plan in place to secure Karl's long-term future. The news comes after Karl's stunning breakthrough in the first team in the ongoing 2025-26 campaign, where he has featured in 10 of the 13 games Bayern have played in all competitions. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKarl to receive automatic extension gift on his 18th birthday

"I want to assert myself at Bayern Munich and one day play for the club in the Champions League," Karl told Bayern's official website in an interview earlier this year. He has already started proving himself in Europe's greatest club competition. Last week, he scored his first-ever professional goal in a 4-0 rout of Belgian side Club Brugge, surpassing Jamal Musiala to become Bayern's youngest ever goal scorer in the competition at the age of 17 years and 242 days. 

Karl is currently tied to the club until June 30, 2028. Per , the diminutive winger's contract will be extended automatically until 2029 on February 28, 2026, when he turns 18. With the renewal, his current contract will be converted into a professional contract, accompanied by an increase in the young prodigy's salary. There will not be an exit clause inserted, as both the club and the player want to prolong this association into the foreseeable future.

Patience the key to Karl's development at Bayern

Aided by his mentor and agent Michael Ballack – among Germany's all-time greats – Karl has shown an eagerness to learn and improve in the first few months of his life as Bayern's senior side member. His minutes have been managed carefully by head coach Kompany, handing him three starts already. Karl has clocked 291 minutes of action so far, and is on course to breach the 1,000-minute milestone if he remains injury-free. 

Kompany, however, has urged for patience with the versatile left-footed teenager. "I'm not a fan of hype, and now he will be getting some of that," the Belgian boss told reporters after the 4-0 win over Brugge last week. "I'm a fan of training and calm… Everyone knows he can score goals and if he keeps going like this, he'll get a chance and maybe at the right time he'll need a bit of calm.

"As a young player, you don't have pressure. I want Lennart to feel that too. He has to enjoy what he's doing. If he makes mistakes, we'll discuss it. Hopefully, at some point, the pressure will be on his shoulders. But for now he should enjoy these moments without any pressure."

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Getty Images SportPremier League giants scouting Karl

Karl's gradual progression into the first-team has attracted attention from some of Premier League's biggest sides. Indeed, a report from earlier this week claimed that the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City reportedly sent scouts to monitor the teenage sensation. Adding intrigue to this report is his agent Ballack's past affiliations with Chelsea, whom he played for between 2006 and 2010. 

The focus for the rest of the reason will be to ensure that Karl continues his development with regular playing time off the bench along with occasional opportunities to feature in the starting XI. His versatility allows Kompany the luxury to hand rest to undisputed stars like Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and even Harry Kane.

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Autor do gol salvador que garantiu a vitória do Palmeiras sobre o Goiás pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, Breno Lopes provocou mais uma vez a torcida do Verdão. Após comemorar seu feito insultando o setor do estádio destinado à torcida organizada, o atacante repostou um vídeo publicado pelo pai em suas redes sociais no qual aparece proferindo gestos ofensivos aos torcedores.

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– Aí filhão, é isso aí. Abençoado. Você é abençoado meu filho. Eu te amo! Reclama aí torcida, reclama aí. Eu te amo meu filho. Eu te amo – exclamou Welington, pai do jogador, na publicação.

O camisa 19, que iniciou o duelo no banco de reservas, entrou aos 43 minutos da segunda etapa no lugar de Zé Rafael. Nervoso em campo, Lopes errou a maioria dos lances que tentou e começou a ser vaiado pela torcida. Porém, nos acréscimos, o atacante aproveitou o bate rebate na área do Esmeraldino e não desperdiçou.

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Depois do encerramento do duelo, todos os atletas e comissão técnica do Alviverde partiram em direção ao jogador para acalmar os ânimos e prestar apoio. Nas arquibancadas, a torcida deu sua resposta: “Breno Lopes, preste atenção, muito respeito com a camisa do Verdão”.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Breno Lopes volta a ser herói do Palmeiras em vitória no Brasileirão

Alvo de duras críticas, Breno Lopes não tem uma relação harmoniosa com a torcida. Herói do título da Libertadores de 2020, ele precisará trabalhar muito para recuperar seu prestígio com os palmeirenses.

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Breno LopesPalmeiras

A major injury update has now emerged on a Leeds United star, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “crucial”.

Leeds suffer several early injury setbacks

We are only six games into the new Premier League season, but Leeds have already suffered more than their fair share of injury setbacks, with Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu spending time on the sidelines, while Lucas Perri and Wilfried Gnonto remain unavailable.

Prior to the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, Farke confirmed that Gnonto was still experiencing issues with his calf, which ruled the winger out of contention, meaning Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson were given the nod on the wings.

Jack Harrison replaced Okafor in the second half, but failed to make any real impact, touching the ball just 11 times, having also been unable to register a single goal or assist in any of his five substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season.

As such, Farke would’ve been hoping for some good news about Daniel James, who was widely reported to be making progress in his recovery from an injury, which has ruled the winger out of the last two Premier League matches.

However, Adam Pope has now dropped a major update on James’ fitness, and it wasn’t good news, with the reporter saying:

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The severity of the issue is yet to be confirmed by the club, however, Graham Smyth has heard from Leeds that the 27-year-old could be out for weeks not months and has now heard from the Whites who have shared an update.

James' injury could be big problem for Farke

Farke has previously made it clear just how important the Welshman is, describing his work-ethic as “crucial” after an impressive performance against Watford during the Whites’ promotion push last season.

The £75k-a-week winger hasn’t exactly made a flying start to the season, having failed to pick up a goal or an assist, but he played a major role in Leeds’ promotion back to the top flight, picking up 21 goal contributions in the Championship.

As such, James’ likely absence is a blow for Farke. Leeds will need their other forwards to step up, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was failed to score against Bournemouth last time out, with the former Everton striker missing three big chances prior to Eli Junior Kroupi’s late equaliser.

Vincent Kompany reserved special praise for Koln’s young starlet Said El Mala ahead of Bayern Munich’s DFB-Pokal clash with the Billy Goats. The 19-year-old midfielder, already attracting interest from Manchester City and Bayern, has become one of the Bundesliga’s brightest prospects, and Kompany has added to the growing hype.

Kompany gives glowing review of El Mala

Bayern head coach Kompany heaped praise on Koln teenager El Mala ahead of their DFB-Pokal second-round clash on Wednesday night. The 19-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the most talked-about youngsters in Germany, impressing scouts and earning reported interest from both Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

The Belgian manager’s admiration for El Mala comes at a time when Bayern’s focus remains on maintaining their perfect start to the season. The Bavarians have won all of their competitive matches so far, and Kompany’s words suggest he’s wary of the threat Koln’s teenage sensation poses.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesKompany's praise, warning and admiration

Kompany’s remarks on El Mala reflect a mixture of admiration and caution, as the former Manchester City captain, known for his attention to detail in player development, drew attention to the young midfielder’s dynamic playing style.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Kompany highlighted the qualities that make El Mala stand out. “This kid has this initial acceleration and then a second burst of speed. That surprises many defenders,” said the Bayern boss. “He can shoot from that high speed. That feeling of being inactive and then suddenly launching a full-scale counter-attack is, of course, a quality you can use throughout your entire career.”

El Mala has already become one of the standout performers in Germany’s top flight this season. His quick feet, decision-making, and ability to drive play through midfield have not only earned him praise domestically but also put him firmly on the radar of Europe’s elite clubs. He also added a hint of competitiveness, “It’s great for him and Lennart Karl that they can still improve so much. That’s good for Bayern and Cologne; I just hope it’s better for Bayern.”

According to reports, City have joined Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, and other European heavyweights in monitoring El Mala. The teenager has reportedly been the subject of a rejected €20 million bid from Brighton earlier in the summer. For Bayern, El Mala represents both a domestic rival’s jewel and a potential long-term target.

Kompany expects 'dangerous' Koln

Kompany’s side head into the DFB-Pokal encounter in exceptional form, Bayern’s winning streak in all competitions marks a historic start to the 2025-26 campaign, reflecting the impact of Kompany’s methods since taking charge. Despite recent injuries to key players including Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer, Bayern have maintained a perfect record, a testament to the squad’s depth and discipline.

“Koln play with great commitment, they close down spaces very quickly. They are also incredibly dangerous on the counter-attack, which has hurt many teams,” Kompany warned. “But we are doing a lot of things right at the moment."

For Koln, the clash is a daunting prospect as the Billy Goats have struggled to secure results in recent Bundesliga outings. Their last victory over Bayern dates back to 2011, and they have failed to defeat the Bavarians in their last 20 encounters. Yet, with El Mala in form, they hope to cause an upset and revive their DFB-Pokal ambitions.

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Getty Images SportHistoric run so far but DFB-Pokal challenge looms

Bayern will turn their focus to two major objectives, progressing in the DFB-Pokal and maintaining their dominance in the Bundesliga, with a key clash against Bayer Leverkusen coming up this weekend. Kompany’s men, unbeaten in all competitions, will aim to avoid the kind of early Pokal exits that have haunted them in recent seasons.

For El Mala, Wednesday’s game offers a platform to test himself against the German giants and a standout performance could further amplify his reputation and accelerate interest from the likes of Bayern and Manchester City.

Birmingham City haven’t quite blown away the Championship when assessing the Blues’ recent form in the difficult division.

Pre-season expectations would have focused on Chris Davies’ men being in line for the unbelievable feat of back-to-back promotions, but after nine hit-and-miss games in the second tier, the West Midlands giants currently occupy an unsatisfactory 16th spot.

While Davies and Co. attempt to get their early-season back on track, former Birmingham star Jordan James is now strutting his stuff for a side further up the division in Leicester City, with some regret surely on the end of the second-tier newcomers for letting him go when they did.

James' fantastic start at Leicester

James is arguably a forgotten star at St. Andrew’s, having suddenly become a bright spark for the Blues when relegation was served up last year.

Indeed, despite his boyhood club falling to League One in depressing fashion, James would go on to bag eight goals during his swansong season, with a move to Rennes in France then opening up for the breakout Welshman.

He has since shown off a similar Midas touch in front of goal on the books of Marti Cifuentes’ Foxes, who he moved to this summer initially on loan, with a £4.3m fee in play if they want to make the switch a permanent one.

Off the back of this stunner, finding the back of the net away at Swansea City last time out, on top of him collecting a further goal and assist from five other Championship appearances, James has certainly lived up to his billing of being a “Rolls-Royce” performer that was once handed to him by content creator Jordan Webber.

Yet, despite James already impressing in his new location, Birmingham arguably sold an even bigger talent than their former academy sensation when letting another star go for just £3m back in 2023.

Birmingham already sold a bigger talent than James

At least with James, Birmingham managed to get the very best out of him, even if it was for a short but sweet period of time.

In the case of Jobe Bellingham, however, the Blues prematurely gave up their former number 27 before he could blossom into the world beater he is today.

Amazingly, Bellingham would never go on to pick up a goal or assist in the senior picture at St. Andrew’s from 26 appearances, despite scoring five goals in the Blues U18s set-up previously.

It’s even more staggering to think of Bellingham somewhat struggling to adjust to the men’s game when you consider what has since followed, with the 20-year-old going on to be an overwhelming success story with Sunderland, unlike James, who struggled to kick on away from his boyhood side, before then returning to the EFL after a mixed stint in France.

With hindsight on side, Sunderland very much won themselves an unreal bargain by picking up Bellingham just for £3m, with his first full season on Wearside seeing him pick up a standout seven strikes, even as the Black Cats finished in a lowly 16th spot.

It was the following season, with Regis Le Bris at the helm, that Bellingham would mature even more into the superstar we know today, with a further seven goal contributions coming his way to seal Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the big time.

If Birmingham had exercised more patience and batted away onlookers, it is staggering to think what they could have got out of one of their own, instead of cashing in when they did, with Dan Neil even going as far as to brand his ex-teammate as a “freak of nature” for how effortlessly he became a Sunderland first-team presence.

James’ sale would have been stomached far more easily, considering he was sold on for £1m more at the £4m mark, with midfield talents such as Tomoki Iwata also being purchased that same summer, making it very straightforward for Davies’ side to sweep his move to Ligue 1 under the carpet.

Jobe since leaving Birmingham

Stat

Bellingham

Games played

103

Goals scored

12

Assists

5

Amount sold for

£3m

Amount Dortmund paid

£27.8m

Sourced by Transfermarkt

On the contrary, losing Bellingham for £3m is a major mishap looking back, with the brand-new Borussia Dortmund number seven moving to Germany this summer just gone for a whopping £27.8m.

While there will be regrets in the air about both homegrown products upping and leaving, Birmingham will not want to bathe in the past for too long, as they attempt to turn around their poor form when the international break is over.

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The Pressure is increasing…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2025

Rangers are on the brink of bringing a new manager to Ibrox, and have already agreed to four demands from the incoming boss.

Rangers manager latest

As reported by Ben Jacobs, Rangers are close to a total agreement to seal Steven Gerrard’s return to Ibrox. The Gers have identified their replacement for Russell Martin and look destined to welcome the last manager who won them the Scottish Premiership back to Glasgow.

It’s a swift decision from the 49ers, who know that they cannot afford to get another appointment so wrong after Russell Martin’s tenure to forget. The former Southampton boss won just once in seven games in the Scottish Premiership and lasted just 123 days in charge.

The first task for Gerrard will be turning things around after Rangers’ disastrous start. The Gers are already as many as nine points behind champions Celtic and 11 behind unexpected leaders Hearts. Simply put, the Liverpool legend has a monumental task on his hands.

The new manager also has the task of keeping players happy in the club’s current state. Rumours are already emerging that Nicolas Raskin has attracted interest from Turkish side Besiktas, who could make the midfielder one of Rangers’ biggest ever sales.

Losing Raskin would be a disastrous early blow for Gerrard, who could look to throw the Belgian into his strongest side to make up for Martin’s wrongoings.

It’s a tenure that the 49ers will be desperate to see go right after they agreed to one of Gerrard’s main demands.

Gers agree to backroom demands

As reported by TeamTalk, Ibrox chiefs have already agreed to Gerrard’s demands for his backroom staff. The incoming manager reportedly requested Jermain Defoe, Gary McAllister and Steven Davis return to the club with him alongside one other unnamed staff member, all four of which have been agreed to.

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Having been handed that assurance, Gerrard handed Rangers the enthusiastic “yes” that they had been searching for and should now be on his way to take charge for a second time.

The 45-year-old wasn’t afraid to admit the importance of his backroom staff in a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand and has now followed that up with his Rangers demands.

The Gers have handed Gerrard what he requested and now, he must play his part in turning things around at Rangers following such a poor start to the season.

Dermot Gallagher has now revealed why one Arsenal star wasn’t sent off in a controversial moment during the 2-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Gunners come from behind to win at St. James' Park

Prior to Sunday’s encounter, Newcastle had won four of their previous five matches against the Gunners at St. James’ Park, but Mikel Arteta’s side sent out a statement by ending their hoodoo, picking up all three points in dramatic fashion.

Arteta has received widespread criticism for his decision to persist with Mikel Merino in recent weeks, but the Spaniard rewarded his manager for his faith by bagging a late equaliser, before Gabriel headed home in stoppage time to secure an important victory on the road.

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Speaking after the match, Arteta insisted his side thoroughly deserved the victory, saying: “When you get what you deserve at the end there’s no better feeling. I’m so proud of the team and the way we controlled our emotions and navigated through the different stages of the game. We showed the conviction, the courage the desire and the quality we need to get where we want to be.”

However, things could’ve been very different. Gabriel may not have even been on the pitch to bag the late winner if Nick Woltemade had made more of a bust-up with the Brazilian earlier in the match, where the defender appeared to punch the Newcastle striker away from the ball.

Speaking Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher said: “I think he’s lucky he didn’t actually strike him properly, because where he’s got lucky is is the referee hasn’t seen it, it’s gone to VAR and the VAR say red card or nothing, and it’s decided it’s not a red card. I don’t think it’s a red card, but I think if the referee sees it he’s certainly going to get a yellow card.”

Gabriel fortunate Woltemade didn't go down

Had the Newcastle striker made more of the incident and gone to ground, the Arsenal centre-back could have been in trouble, given that he clearly makes contact with the German’s face, albeit without a great deal of strength.

That said, the Magpies can also consider themselves fortunate that the decision to award Arsenal a penalty in the first half was overturned, with VAR getting involved after Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot for what he perceived to be a foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

Decisions went against both teams during the match, but Arteta’s side ultimately showed great character to come out on top, moving just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool in the process.

Turning into quite the saga, Rangers have now reportedly launched a move to sign another fresh managerial candidate as they look to find their replacement for Russell Martin.

Latest on Rangers' manager search

It’s been a hectic few days for those at Ibrox, who have gone from Steven Gerrard all the way back to the drawing board. By this stage of the international break, the Gers would have been hoping to have their new manager signed and sealed, but their top candidate quickly spoiled those plans. With their next game against Dundee United on the horizon, Rangers are set to be manager-less.

That’s not to say work isn’t being done in pursuit of certain candidates, however, and Kevin Muscat is one of the favourites. The 52-year-old, who has won everywhere he’s been, is currently in charge of Shanghai Port but could ditch the Chinese club in favour of Rangers when the Chinese Super League campaign concludes in mid-November.

Whether the 49ers deem Muscat worth the wait remains to be seen. Of course, if the answer is a resounding no, then they will have to look elsewhere entirely after Danny Rohl removed himself from the running.

The 36-year-old wasn’t the most inexperienced name on the list, but was admired by many for the promise that he has after a successful spell in the chaos surrounding Sheffield Wednesday.

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So much so that current Owls star Barry Bannan recently told reporters when asked about his former manager: “If he’s appointed, I definitely think he’ll go in there and get results right away. For me, he’s up there with the very best I’ve worked with during my career.”

Once again though, it’s not an appointment that would come without question marks and if the 49ers really want to avoid more controversy, then they should turn towards a former Premier League manager.

Rangers launch Ole Gunnar Solskjaer move

As reported by Fotboll Direkt and relayed by Sports Witness, Rangers have now launched their move for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is still a free agent after leaving Besiktas in August. The two-time Eliteserien title winner and former Manchester United boss has reportedly received contact from the Gers and now has a decision to make.

Whilst some may look back on his time at Old Trafford as a failure, Solskjaer is still a manager who showed plenty of promise as a winner at Molde and when asked to steady the ship at United. Whether he’d do the same at Ibrox is something that the 49ers may find out.

Many have had their say about what Solskjaer should do next as a result, including ex-Man United player Nicky Butt, who advised him not to take the Old Trafford job if INEOS sack Ruben Amorim.

After being sacked by Besiktas, the next stage of the 52-year-old’s manager career could be his most important one yet. Fail and he may fall into the abyss of free agent managers. Succeed at Ibrox, however, and he could be a legend.