If there's one silver lining from Liverpool's deeply disappointing 3-3 draw against Leeds United on Saturday, it's that Hugo Ekitike has firmly established himself as the striker who should feature in Arne Slot's Starting XI whenever he's fit. Following a first half marked by wasted chances and the Reds' ongoing lack of clinical edge, Ekitike scored twice in quick succession after halftime to give Liverpool a 2-0 lead that should have set them on course for three points. It would have been a result that would have lifted them to fifth place, a position supporters would've gladly taken given this season's horrid form.
West Ham United's 15 million summer signing Mads Hermansen is facing increased scrutiny just months into his Premier League career, with Denmark manager Brian Riemer openly expressing concern about the goalkeeper's situation What was expected to be a major step forward for the 25-year-old has instead turned into a period of uncertainty, as Hermansen struggles to secure playing time under new Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo. Hermansen endured a difficult introduction to Premier League football after arriving from Leicester City.
Earlier this week, some reports out of England suggested that Bayern Munich might very well look to offload Nicolas Jackson as early as this January, when he would be participating in the African Cup of Nations with Senegal. His loan spell from Chelsea with the German Rekordmeister is set to run through the remainder of this season and, despite the rumors of a potential January departure, he looks set to stay at Bayern and see through the entirety of his loan spell.
Manchester City defender Nathan Ake is said to be 'bothered' by his situation at the Etihad Stadium. The Netherlands international has started just one Premier League game so far this season, with manager Pep Guardiola choosing to often partner Ruben Dias with Josko Gvardiol at the heart of his defence. Ake has since been called up to represent the Netherlands during the November international break, but has made it clear he is not best pleased with his situation under Guardiola at Manchester City.
Vinicius Junior is weighing up a future away from Real Madrid, according to Diario AS. The 25-year-old winger, long viewed as a cornerstone of Madrid's attack, has endured a turbulent start to the season under Xabi Alonso, and sources indicate he could even consider a January exit if his status does not improve. Reports add that Vinicius was left out of the starting XI three times and has been substituted regularly in recent weeks, culminating in a flashpoint during El Clasico.
As the clock ticks by, Santiago Gimenez remains without a league goal for the season, and eventually he might run out of time. As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, a quarter of the season has practically gone by and Gimenez hasn't scored a single goal in Serie A. He's spent 627 minutes on the pitch, over ten hours of play, but hasn't scored a single goal: an eternity for striker.
The Miami Heat have a real chance to surprise folks during the 2025-26 NBA season. Now, that's partly due to the relative lack of expectations for this team, but it's also a belief built around real, tangible excitement for a young core that impressed all offseason. Pelle Larsson had a sensational summer. Nikola Jovic starred at EuroBasket. Kel'el Ware looked unstoppable in the preseason. All three, plus first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis, figured to play a massive part in Miami surprising all the skeptics this season.
Through five games, the 24-year-old Swede has averaged just 11:45 TOI - more than five minutes below last year's season average of 16:52. Holmstrom has recorded an assist on opening night, but has been held pointless since, and is a -4 on the season. Perhaps the most discouraging statistic for Holmstrom is his two shots on the season. While some may be worried about his inability to get pucks through towards the net this season, Patrick Roy sees no cause for concern.
"As things stand, he [Kimmich] will return to the number six position because he is simply one of two or three players who will always play for their club," Nagelsmann said.
The club didn't want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer. I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me. Arteta didn't want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted. The decision to leave was entirely mine. I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.
Quinn found the right formula. The Commanders recovered from a slow start to completely overwhelm the Chargers, scoring 27 unanswered points to come away with a comfortable victory on the road. This was a massive confidence boost when the team needed it most. But for one underperforming veteran, the outlook wasn't nearly as positive. Noah Igbinoghene is quickly becoming a Commanders afterthought. The Commanders made their stance on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene crystal clear.
