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The Braves will look to keep pace in the NL playoff picture while keeping another team out of it in the Giants.

The Giants had a successful trip to Los Angeles against the vaunted Dodgers, can the team keep it going against the Braves? The team will hope that rookie Hayden Birdsong can improve on his shaky first outing, but I'm banking on some optimism in his shaky start.

Keep reading to find out why I'm backing the Giants as big underdogs in Atlanta.

Giants vs. Braves Odds, Run Line and Total 

Run Line

• Giants: -1.5 (-118)
• Braves: +1.5 (-102)

Moneyline

• Giants: +168
• Braves: -200

Total: 8.5 (Over 100/Under -122)

Giants vs. Braves Probable Pitchers

• Giants: Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
• Braves: Raynaldo Lopez (6-2, 1.70 ERA)

Giants vs. Braves How to Watch

• Date: Monday, July 1
• Time: 9:40 p.m. EST
• Venue: Truist Park
• How to watch (TV): Bally Sports South, NBC Sports-Bay Area
• Giants Record: 41-44
• Braves Record: 46-36

Giants vs. Braves Key Players to Watch

San Francisco Giants

Heliot Ramos: Ramos appears to finally have a place to stay in the big leagues after going back and forth between the minor leagues in the prior two seasons. Ramos hit .304 in the month of June across 27 starts with eight home runs and 24 RBI’s, giving some life to the Giants mediocre lineup. 

Atlanta Braves

Marcell Ozuna: Enjoying a career year, the 33-year-old Ozuna is in shouting distance of a triple crown bid. He is hitting .300 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI’s as he has done his best to mitigate the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. in the middle of the Atlanta lineup. While the Braves offense has fallen off as a whole, Ozuna has produced at a high level, which has helped keep Atlanta firmly in the postseason mix. 

Giants vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

San Francisco will start Hayden Birdsong for the second time. While he struggled in his first start, he showcased some serious velocity (85th percentile fastball velocity) and generated swings and misses. 

Against a free-swinging Braves team, Birdsong may be in line to put together a strong start with low expectations. Meanwhile, I’m interested in fading Reynaldo Lopez, who has a 1.70 ERA but an xERA of 3.98. 

Lopez has been outperforming expectations all season long, but I expect regression to settle in as the season goes on. He still has an above average walk rate of more than three batters per nine innings and has been limited to about five innings per start this season. 

With shaky control, Lopez will put a ton of pressure on a below average Braves bullpen, and I’ll side with the Giants group of relievers to do a better job backing up Birdsong and outperform this price.

Lastly, the Giants have been doing better than the Braves at the plate. San Francisco placed 12th in OPS last month while Atlanta was 17th in the same metric. 

I’ll take the big underdog in San Francisco. 

West Ham United are facing the grim prospect of Premier League relegation and the financial fallout could be catastrophic. An expert has warned that dropping to the Championship would cost the club up to £120 million ($160m) in lost revenue from television rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships, compounding growing unrest among fans amid the club's worst league start in decades.

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  West Ham facing battle to avoid the drop

  The situation at West Ham has reached crisis point, with results and morale spiralling in the wrong direction. The Hammers’ dismal run – four points from eight matches and five consecutive home defeats – has left them rooted near the bottom of the Premier League table. It marks their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1988-89, a season that ended in relegation.

  Their 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Monday was particularly sobering. It was the first time in club history that West Ham have lost their opening four home games of a league season and only the second time they’ve suffered five straight top-flight home defeats – the last occurring almost a century ago in 1931. Their latest loss deepened discontent among supporters, who staged boycotts and protests against the club’s ownership.

  Nuno Espirito Santo, the club’s fourth manager in 16 months, has failed to spark a revival since taking over. The former Nottingham Forest boss admitted after the Brentford game that his team were "very far" from having an identity, conceding that "we have a problem". His side’s lack of fight, creativity, and defensive discipline has left them looking bereft of confidence ahead of crucial clashes with Leeds and Burnley – both of whom are direct relegation rivals.

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• Hammers warned over financial implications of relegation

  Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has painted a bleak picture of what relegation would mean for West Ham’s finances. "Relegation would be a pretty big hit for West Ham,” he told the . "They made £270m in 2024, over half of that was television money. That would drop by something in the region of £120m."

  Maguire also warned that the club’s commercial and matchday revenues would take a substantial blow. "They would struggle to sell 60,000 tickets each week, especially if they don’t have a great season. They’d have substantial reductions in commercial revenue as well," he explained.

  The expert added that the club’s financial structure could further complicate recovery efforts. "My concern would be, while they don’t have any borrowings, the elephant in the room is that West Ham owe £191m in instalments for players they have already signed," Maguire noted. "That has got to come out of future cash. That would put pressure on the owners, who presumably would have to go down the borrowing route."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Unrest behind the scenes at London Stadium

  Relegation would trigger a cascade of financial repercussions beyond the immediate loss of revenue. Most of West Ham’s senior players are understood to have relegation wage clauses, which would automatically reduce salaries but still strain the budget. The club would almost certainly have to sell its most valuable assets – including Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta – to balance the books.

  There are also ownership implications. The late David Gold’s family, who own a 25% stake, have been exploring a partial sale, but relegation would drastically reduce the valuation of those shares. Potential investors would be reluctant to buy into a Championship club facing reduced income and instability. Such uncertainty could delay much-needed structural reform behind the scenes, particularly in recruitment and squad management.

  Fan frustration has already reached boiling point. The supporters’ group Hammers United claim more than 20,000 season-ticket holders boycotted the Brentford game, and further demonstrations are planned, including a sit-in protest after the next home fixture against Newcastle. The relationship between the fanbase and ownership – particularly co-owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady – has deteriorated to new lows amid accusations of mismanagement and poor communication.

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• Fellow relegation battlers up next

  On the pitch, the Hammers’ immediate focus must be survival, but their upcoming fixtures offer little comfort. Trips to Leeds and a home clash against Burnley loom large as season-defining encounters. Failure to secure victories in those games could see the club further adrift, intensifying pressure on Nuno to deliver results amid growing fan hostility.

There has been a general acceptance across the opening weeks of the 2025/26 season that Liverpool have not quite clicked into gear yet.

Arne Slot’s side have struggled to control games and win comfortably, instead drawing upon their deep-rooted winning mentality to come up trumps in the late stages of fixtures.

But against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend, the Reds were on the receiving end of a last-minute winner, ending their flawless start. And in the Champions League on Tuesday night, in Istanbul, Liverpool were soundly beaten by Galatasaray.

Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been pillars of strength for so many years for the Anfield side, but these veteran talismans need some support. They need some younger Liverpool superstars to step up and accept some responsibility.

Liverpool's leaders need more support

Much has been made of Liverpool’s defensive fragility this season, but the blame cannot be attributed to the captain. Van Dijk has been as redoubtable as ever at the rear, but he’s been failed by unpolished full-backs and an error-stricken partner in Ibrahima Konate, who was woeful once again against Galatasaray.

Salah is 33 years old, and he practically hauled Liverpool’s frontline to the Premier League title last season, scoring 34 goals and supplying 23 more across all competitions.

Yes, he’s not been at his sharpest or liveliest this season, but he hasn’t exactly been helped out by a fully functioning frontline and a robust and active build-up system behind him.

The Egyptian King was benched for the midweek European clash, but this shift mattered little as Liverpool toiled away and lacked any sense of fluency.

There was one man whose poor performance perhaps went under the radar, but whose performance was the most detrimental of the lot.

Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation under Slot’s wing, but he suffered a truly wretched showing against Galatasaray.

Gravenberch's worst game under Slot

Gravenberch has been incredible since Slot replaced Klopp in the Liverpool dugout. The disparity in performance between the Dutchman’s first two terms in the Premier League bears testament to that.

Already the 23-year-old has scored two goals and assisted one more in the Premier League this term, making gains in advancements and beginning to add an invaluable dimension to his game.

It goes without saying that Gravenberch, the 24/25 Hublot Young Premier League Player of the Year, is crucial to the Slot machine operating at full capacity.

And so it’s no surprise that his poor showing in Turkey directly impeded Liverpool in their build-up play and their control – or lack thereof – in the centre of the park.

Indeed, courtesy of data from Sofascore, Gravenberch lost 85% of his duels on the evening (five out of six), and failed to make even a tackle or interception in spite of the hosts’ relentless press.

He was hooked shortly after the hour mark. While Slot will have had one eye on the strip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, it also begs the question as to whether the coach had seen enough and felt a tactical change was needed too.

Journalist Beth Lindop remarked only a few weeks ago that “he’s on par with Salah and Van Dijk as Liverpool’s most important players.”

This remains true, but perhaps shines a brighter light on his importance. If Gravenberch has an off-day, Liverpool are currently lacking the answers to overcome that ever-larger hurdle.

Not Isak: Liverpool star is their own version of Arsenal icon Thierry Henry

Liverpool have enjoyed incredible success with this talent in their mix.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 29, 2025

Manchester United hero Wayne Rooney remains one of the deadliest strikers to have played at Old Trafford, and it appears that he hasn’t lost his ability to score stunning goals, even after his retirement.

Wayne Rooney scores blockbuster goal in Nexon Icons match

While the Premier League begins to heat up again after the conclusion of the international break, football fans on the other side of the world were able to take in a thrilling match-up of legends in Seoul on Sunday.

In the latest instalment of the Nexon Icons 2025 Series, FC Spear and Shield United went head-to-head for the Nexon trophy and plenty of the world’s best at their craft were on show in front of their adoring crowd.

Rooney led the line for FC Spear, followed up by a support act of epic proportion, including Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry, Kaka and Steven Gerrard, among other star-studded faces.

On the other side, Carles Puyol, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Iker Casillas were just some of the names on display, but former Manchester United star Rooney grabbed the headlines, even if his side went on to lose 2-1 courtesy of strikes from Maicon and Joo Ho Park.

As seen below, the Three Lions icon delivered a magnificent effort from outside the area to level the scoring, one that bore striking similarities to his strike in Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat against Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley.

Forever a legend at both Everton and Manchester United, he is enjoying life after his playing days and still has a God-given talent most footballers would kill to replicate. Now, it remains to be seen whether he dips his toe back into management.

Full transcript of line-ups from Nexon Icons match

Shield United: Young Kwang Kim, Iker Casillas, Alessandro Nesta, Michael Carrick, Marchisio, Gilberto Silva, Joo Ho Park, Sol Campbell, Claude Makelele, Ashley Cole, Maicon, John Arne Riise, Nemanja Vidic, Carles Puyol, Young Pyo Lee, Rio Ferdinand.

FC Spear: Bum Young Lee, Gianluigi Buffon, Ja Cheol Koo, Ki Hyon Seol, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Clarence Seedorf, Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale, Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Ji Sung Park, Didier Drogba.

What next for Wayne Rooney in management?

On the management front, Rooney is without a club after leaving Plymouth Argyle in 2024 after a run of five wins, six draws and 14 losses in 25 matches across all competitions.

Previously, he has also enjoyed spells in charge of Derby County, DC United and Birmingham City, albeit the Manchester United hero has enjoyed varied degrees of success at all four clubs.

Wayne Rooney picks between Celtic and Rangers, wished he played for them

The former England striker wanted to head to Scotland during his career.

By
Charlie Smith

Sep 11, 2025

Speaking to The Rest is Football earlier this year, Rooney admitted he would like to take on a new challenge in the dugout, but only if it comes in the right set of circumstances.

“I would like to go back in (to management). But it would have to be the right club. Certainly the right club. I think you always have that ego, don’t you? You always have that confidence you could go in and get the best out of a bad or difficult situation.”

Coaching vacancies will become available throughout the next few months, though some would suggest that Rooney putting his boots back would be an even better use of his time!

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 14 teams across the National Women's Soccer League

Matchday 24 of 26 reminded fans that NWSL is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Of five teams eligible to claim spots in the playoffs, only Orlando Pride secured their berth. At the other end of the table, three teams jockeyed to avoid elimination – and only the Utah Royals succumbed to an end-of-season blow.

INDIVISA presents the latest 2025 NWSL Power Rankings.

• 14Chicago Stars

  Prior Ranking: 14

  Result: Drew Racing Louisville 1-1

  Ramifications: Jameese Joseph scored her third goal of the year to give Chicago a 1-0 lead over Louisville, and – were it not for Bethany Balcer’s stoppage-time equalizer – they might have secured three points. Alyssa Naeher’s eight-saves were massive in this game for Chicago, no matter the result.

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• 13Bay FC

  Prior Ranking: 13

  Result: Drew Seattle Reign 1-1

  Ramifications: The fact that Bay FC is already eliminated from the postseason doesn’t stop them from being competitive. While playing playoff-contending Seattle, Bay looked ready to take all three points on the road – and they nearly did before Jess Fishlock’s late equalizer.

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  12Houston Dash

  Prior Ranking: 9

  Result: Lost to Angel City 2-0

  Ramifications: Technically, Houston can still make the playoffs. But losing to Angel City was a big blow for the Dash, who are winless in their last three games, with two defeats and one draw. They’ve got table-topping Kansas City up next, which will almost certainly spell the end of their postseason hopes.

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• 11Utah Royals

  Prior Ranking: 12

  Result: Lost to 3-2 to San Diego

  Ramifications: The Royals finished their year in incredible form, going eight-games undefeated before the loss on the weekend. They fended off elimination as long as they could, but after falling to San Diego at home, the Royals are officially out of this year’s postseason.

Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund are exploring defensive options in case star defender Nico Schlotterbeck leaves the club for Bayern Munich next summer. They have identified one strong candidate in the form of Chelsea defender Axel Disasi and a past connection with Dortmund coach Niko Kovac might help them in securing his services.

• Dortmund target Disasi

  Disasi was considered a big signing at Chelsea back in 2023, when the Stamford Bridge-based outfit paid a reported €45 million to bring the player to London from Monaco. However, the five-time French international, now 27, has not been able to make a mark at the Blues and manager Enzo Maresca is not looking at him as a potential starter. Dortmund have been monitoring his situation and have seen his performances both at Chelsea and at Aston Villa, where he spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign. 

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• AFP
  

  Schotterbeck hesitant for new contract

  Dortmund might capitalise on this situation to sign the player, in case Schlotterbeck leaves the club. As per , Bayern have their eyes on the former Freiburg defender. His contract at Dortmund runs until 2027, but there seems to be no developments regarding an extension despite the club's desire to tie him down for the long term. As a result, the Black and Yellows might be compelled to sanction a sale next summer and pave the way for a new signing. 

• Apart from Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule also sees his contract end next summer. And if he wants to stay at Dortmund, he'll have to take a pay cut. Disasi will emerge as a potential replacement for either of the aforementioned Dortmund stars, and fans can expect him to reunite with his former manager, having worked with him for two years at Monaco.

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  Dortmund to face Bayern this week

  With the international break over, the Bundesliga, along with other domestic leagues, is set to return this weekend. The first assignment for Dortmund will be against Bayern in Der Klassiker at the Allianz Arena on October 18.

This season feels like it’s set to be a pivotal one for this Chelsea project.

Enzo Maresca has a season under his belt, the players from last season are that bit more experienced in the Premier League, and they looked unreal in pre-season.

Add to that the impressive signings the club made in the summer, and it’s not unreasonable to expect a genuine title challenge from the West Londoners this year.

There are several players who will play a key role in that challenge, including one who cost them even more than their old transfer target, Xavi Simons.

Chelsea's potential difference-makers this season

It should really go without saying at this point, but so long as he’s fit and available, Cole Palmer will be one of Chelsea’s most important players this season.

After all, in just two years, the Englishman has managed to rack up a simply incredible haul of 43 goals and 29 assists in 98 games.

Another key player for Maresca this year is going to be Trevoh Chalobah.

The defensive stalwart was an important player for the Blues upon his return from Crystal Palace mid-way through last season, but with Levi Colwill now out for most of the campaign, he’s become even more critical to the team.

Fortunately, he’s made an impressive start to the season, with three starts, two clean sheets and a goal to his name.

Finally, the first few games of the season have shown us that, despite still being just 18 years old, Estevao looks ready to play an important role in this team.

He might not start too many games when everyone is fit, but his direct approach means he could be incredibly effective as an impact sub, someone who could terrify settled defences.

Yet, there is another player who has impressed even more this season, someone who could be a serious difference-maker for Chelsea and cost more than Simons did.

The Chelsea star worth more than Simons

While they eventually decided against signing him, it was widely reported that one of the players Chelsea were keenly interested in for much of the summer this year was Simons.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

However, when the Blues made it clear they were no longer interested, Tottenham Hotspur swooped in, paying around £51m plus add-ons to RB Leipzig for the talented Dutchman’s services.

Now, that may well end up being a brilliant deal for the North Londoners, but the Pensioners probably don’t care, as they made a game-changing attacking signing of their own, splashing £60m on Joao Pedro.

So far, it would be fair to say that the World Champions made the right choice in signing the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, as he has looked like a player worth twice as much.

For example, he scored three goals in three games in the USA, bagged another two in the pre-season friendlies and already has two goals and two assists in three Premier League games.

Moreover, FBref place him in the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s top-five leagues for expected assisted goals, the top 5% for passes into the penalty area and the top 7% for carries, all per 90, which suggests he’s not just getting lucky.

Finally, if we compare his output from last season to that of Spurs’ new star, it becomes quite clear that BlueCo got the better deal.

For example, the “insane dribbler,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2299 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.65 games, or every 114.95 minutes.

In contrast, the former Leipzig gem scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in as many appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

Ultimately, while Simons may well be a hit for Tottenham, Chelsea look like they have the better and more valuable player in Pedro.

Alongside Lopez: Chelsea join race for Barcelona gem with "infinite" talent

The Blues have set their sights on another Barcelona attacker…

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 8, 2025

Chelsea have now held talks to sign a “1v1 specialist” forward, and they are tempted to trigger the €40m (£35m) release clause in his contract.

Maresca keen on new attacker after Simons blow

After missing out on Xavi Simons to Tottenham Hotspur, the Blues have now been forced to move on to alternative options in attacking midfield, and Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez is rapidly emerging as a major target.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that contact has now been made with the La Liga club over a deal, with an opening offer already being submitted.

However, reports from elsewhere have detailed that Lopez is unlikely to be sold unless the Spaniard makes it clear he wants to leave Barcelona this summer, so it could be difficult for the west Londoners to get a deal over the line.

That said, Enzo Marezca clearly remains keen on adding another forward to his ranks before the transfer deadline, with talks now being held over a deal for SC Braga star Roger Fernandes.

That is according to a report from A Bola, which states Chelsea have now initiated contact over a deal, with the Premier League club now weighing up whether to trigger the €40m (£35m) release clause in Fernandes’ Braga contract.

Better than Buonanotte: Chelsea hold talks to sign £86m gem after Garnacho

Chelsea look set to delve back into the transfer market after deals for Facundo Buonanotte and Alejandro Garnacho.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 31, 2025

Braga would not be willing to settle for anything less, with the Blues planning to sign the 19-year-old now, before immediately loaning him out to sister club Strasbourg, where game time would perhaps be more of a guarantee.

"1v1 specialist" Fernandes is one for the future

Scout Ben Mattinson lauded the youngster when he first burst onto the scene, saying: “Roger Fernandes is another player I love at Braga. 1v1 specialist with great whipped cross on him. A creative, unselfish winger. Also his maturity for only 17 is crazy, you can tell why he’s played so much already.”

Despite still being a teenager, the Braga starlet has amassed an impressive number of goals and assists in his opening two full Liga Portugal campaigns.

That said, the right-winger is still very young, and Chelsea are already well-stocked out wide, most recently confirming the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.

As such, while Fernandes could be a fantastic long-term addition to Maresca’s squad, the main focus should be to bring in a new attacking midfielder to provide competition for Cole Palmer, while a new striker may also be needed to replace Nicolas Jackson and the injured Liam Delap.

Tyler Morton scored his first goal for Lyon to secure a 1-0 victory and continue his bright start to life in Ligue 1. The former Liverpool midfielder, making his return after serving a suspension for a red card against Rennes, praised coach Paulo Fonseca for his tactics and highlighted team-mate Nicolas Tagliafico’s assist for the decisive strike.

• Morton’s winner against Lille

  Morton, making a box-crashing run into Lille’s penalty area, slipped between two defenders to finish off Tagliafico’s cross. It was his first game back from suspension after being sent off in Lyon’s 3-1 defeat to Rennes, where he had received a red card for what he described as a typically ‘English’ tackle.

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• Morton's praise for coach and teammates

  In his post-match interview, Morton praised coach Fonseca for the clearly defined roles within the team, saying: "The coach helps us enormously with tactics. Everyone knows exactly what they have to do and when they have to do it."

  He also credited Tagliafico for his assist and explained the reasoning behind his celebration: "Nico gave me an incredible cross, I'm very happy. I also remembered that there were the fans, so I went to celebrate in front of them."

  Taking to Instagram afterwards, he wrote: "Massive 3 points away against difficult opposition! We fought until the end thanks to our fans. A very proud moment to score my first goal for this club."

• Morton’s praise for Klopp

  Morton left Liverpool at the end of the summer window to join Lyon in search of playing time after current coach Arne Slot. However, he was full of praise for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who believed in him, handed him his league and Champions League debuts, and sent him out on loan to aid his development.

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  Morton’s mid-week test against Salzburg

  Morton hopes to use his time at Lyon to further develop his game after a lack of minutes stalled his progress at Liverpool. His goal will have given him a confidence boost, and he will now be eager to face RB Salzburg on Thursday in the Europa League.

It’s been a very frustrating season for Arsenal supporters, but it could still end with the ultimate glory.

On Wednesday night, goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli saw the Gunners win 2-1 at the Bernabéu, actually smashing Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the end, despite all the talk of a remontada.

The Gunners will now take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, just the third time the club have ever reached the Champions League’s last four, with Gooners worldwide dreaming of making the pilgrimage to Munich for the final on 31 May.

Before PSG visit North London on Tuesday week, Mikel Arteta’s team do have two Premier League fixtures to fulfil, which started with a trip to Ipswich on Sunday and then Crystal Palace in midweek with this huge European tie in mind.

Thomas Partey's importance

With only five minutes remaining on the clock in Madrid, Thomas Partey, needlessly and stupidly, got himself booked by referee François Letexier, which was his third caution in as many Champions League appearances, meaning he will be suspended for the first leg against PSG.

Alex Howell of BBC Sport describes this as a ‘big blow’ considering how ‘important’ he has been this season, with James Olley of ESPN adding that, arguably, the Ghanaian has enjoyed his best campaign for the club, managing to stay injury-free.

The table below underlines how important Partey has been since arriving from Atlético Madrid for £45m on deadline day in the summer of 2020.

Meantime, Toby Rathborne of Breaking the Lines believes Partey is amongst the best in the world when it comes to ‘technical skill and physical dominance’ as well as his ability to operate in tight spaces.

Thus, he will be a major miss as Arsenal seek to combat les Rouge-et-Bleu’s midfield trio of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, which Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show believes to be the ‘best in the world’.

So, how will Arteta fill the Partey void against PSG? He faces quite the conundrum.

Arsenal's alternative midfield options

The most obvious Partey deputy would be the vastly-experienced Jorginho however, he suffered a suspected broken rib against Brentford last weekend, therefore the Italian did not travel to Madrid in mid-week, with his participation against PSG currently in serious doubt.

Thus, alternatively, Arteta could move Mikel Merino back into midfield, with Leandro Trossard therefore coming into the side as the false nine but, speaking on the Arsecast, Andrew Mangan and Ryan Hunn both agreed they would not want to tinker with the Spaniard’s position, given his excellent form as the makeshift centre-forward.

So, if Jorginho is injured and moving Merino is off the table, what options is Arteta left with?

This may feel like a rogue suggestion, although it really shouldn’t be, but should Arteta consider using Oleksandr Zinchenko in midfield something, as noted by Andrew Mangan and Phil Costa on the Arsecast, we have ‘almost never seen’?

The Ukrainian international’s importance at Arsenal has significantly diminished this season, starting only six matches across all competitions, although he did get the nod to deputise for Martin Ødegaard as an attacking midfielder during recent home draws with PSV Eindhoven and Brentford.

Teammate Saka has previously praised Zinchenko’s “quality”, adding that “he’s an outstanding player” who “controls the game”. He was also previously described as “absolutely unbelievable” by Armand Traore upon his arrival at the Emirates.

Furthermore, Sam Dean of the Telegraph exclaims that he is a “playmaking warrior”, while James Lloyd of Breaking the Lines believes there are few better in world football when it comes to ‘ball circulation and line-breaking passes’.

Thus, despite his lack of match action, Zinchenko has to be under serious consideration to start against PSG so, given this, Arteta should certainly trial him in midfield.

He's like Isak & Mbappe: Arsenal chasing Europe's "most inform player"

The incredible international would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 18, 2025