Alisha Lehmann issued a heartfelt message to Juventus after she helped Como to a shock victory over her former club in the Serie A Femminile. Having spent the 2024-25 season with the Bianconeri, the 26-year-old made a winning return with her new club thanks to team-mate Nadine Nischler’s late strike at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora on Saturday.

Lehmann spent six years in England before moving to Italy in 2024

After spending six seasons in England, representing West Ham, Everton, and Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League, Lehmann moved to Italy by joining Juventus in the summer of 2024. The forward made 22 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring two goals as they won both Serie A and the Coppa Italia last season. Lehmann left after just one season with Juventus, signing a three-year deal with Como in August. She scored her first goal for the club in a pre-season victory over Inter.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSwitzerland star helps Como secure surprise victory over her old club

And Lehmann and Como have carried their pre-season form into the 2025-26 Serie A Femminile campaign. After losing their opener against Lazio 2-1, they bounced back in fine fashion by defeating Juventus at the weekend. The result meant the champions failed to win either of their opening two league fixtures, having also been held to a 0-0 stalemate with Sassuolo on Saturday, 4 October.

Lehmann issues heartfelt message to Juventus on social media

But despite being on the winning side, Lehmann was in no mood to gloat as she shared a sincere message to Juventus on social media. In the aftermath of Como’s surprise win, the Switzerland star took to Instagram to reflect on what she called an “emotional” game against her former paymasters.

She wrote: “Emotional game yesterday again my ex club Juventus and to see all the girls again. So proud of @comowomen to believe till the end and win the game. Thanks to all the fans that came to support us.”

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Lehmann attends Milan Fashion Week and Oktoberfest with Como

One of the most recognisable names in women’s football, Lehmann has been loving life since switching to Como. Alongside a number of her new team-mates, she attended the famous Milan Fashion Week, teaming up with worldwide brands Prada and Nike during the event. Lehmann also headed to Germany to take in Oktoberfest in Munich.

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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• Getty Images Sport
  

  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.

Sunderland are yet to look fazed by the intense challenges of the Premier League.

Minus a disappointing loss away at Burnley on the second matchday of the season, Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats have collected two wins and two draws, with another encouraging display from the Wearside outfit against Aston Villa handing the hosts a 1-1 draw.

It wasn’t the prettiest overall display, as Sunderland had to dig deep after being reduced to ten men early on, but there was just enough in the Black Cats’ tank to steal a share of the points.

Again, Wilson Isidor would come to the rescue with a well-taken strike towards the dying stages of the tense contest, with both the Frenchman and his battling compatriot at the back in Nordi Mukiele key to the late draw being sealed.

Isidor & Mukiele's standout performances

Amazingly, Sunderland – at this point – boasts a sterner defensive record in the Premier League than that of Arne Slot’s table-topping Liverpool, and it’s clear to see why after Mukiele put in another combative display.

Leaking just four goals from six games, Mukiele has only given up two of those strikes since entering Le Bris’ first team plans after a summer move from Paris St. Germain.

The commanding 27-year-old would ensure the likes of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers were kept quiet throughout, despite the Villans’ man advantage, as seen in him winning seven duels and registering 12 clearances to ensure the basics were done valiantly, as per Sofascore.

Picked up for just £12m, it really does feel as if Sunderland have hit gold on an unbelievable bargain already in tempting Mukiele to Wearside.

Isidor is also proving to be a shrewd buy at the moment for just £5m, considering the ex-Zenit St. Petersburg striker is now in the Stadium of Light record books for his three strikes this season on home soil.

But, despite both the defender and the attacker sticking out once more, there is a different star buried in the senior ranks that is worth even more than both Isidor and Mukiele, who represents an even better bargain.

How Isidor & Mukiele's market values compare

Various Sunderland stars who were purchased just this summer have instantly settled into their new environment, away from just focusing on Mukiele, with Noah Sadiki running himself into the ground for the cause on Sunday, as seen in him winning three ground duels.

But, there is also the old guard that has been there since the beginning of Sunderland’s ascent, all the way from the lower reaches of the EFL to the promised land of the Premier League, that deserve equal praise, with Trai Hume being one figure still beloved by the Stadium of Light masses, despite all these flashy new buys taking over.

Le Bris’ past comments about Hume being a “warrior” were spot on when assessing his gritty performance against Villa, with three tackles amassed – which included this mistimed lunge on the aforementioned Rogers – on top of eight duels being won, generating lots of cheers from the home faithful.

Yet, it’s also his attacking flair that has turned him into a major fan favourite since he sealed a switch from his native Northern Ireland to England back in 2022, with nine goal contributions last campaign very much helping Sunderland steer themselves to promotion glory.

Hume’s Sunderland record

Stat

Hume

Minutes played

137

Goals scored

6

Assists

9

Promotions

1x

Value when joining

£200k

Value now

£15.5m

Sourced by Transfermarkt/Football Transfers

He is yet to get up and running with any goals or assists in the top-flight, but that will hopefully come with time, with Hume once making the jump from Linfield to the bruising nature of the EFL look straightforward.

Subsequently, the “outstanding” full-back – as he has been glowingly labelled by journalist Josh Bunting – is now worth way more than his original measly £200k price tag, with Football Transfers now estimating that the tough Northern Irishman has a bumped up value of £15.5m.

That’s even more than both Mukiele and Isidor’s valuations on the site, with the determined centre-back worth a lesser £10.6m, while the lofty attacker comes in at £13.6m, which is a huge increase from his modest £5m price tag in January.

Still, he pales somewhat in comparison to Hume, with Le Bris hopeful he can continue to get a tune out of his full camp to keep up their fantastic early return to the top-flight.

Related 70% duels won: 9/10 Sunderland star is now as undroppable as Isidor

Sunderland battled to a well-earned 1-1 draw against Aston Villa as this brave star shone throughout.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Sep 21, 2025

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Em alta no Campeonato Brasileiro, o Botafogo se volta para não perder seus astros. O jovem Matías Segovia desperta o interesse do Barcelona, de acordo com o diário catalão “Mundo Deportivo”.

O paraguaio, que caiu nas graças da torcida alvinegra, se manifestou sobre o assunto após o empate sem gols do Glorioso com o Cruzeiro, pela décima-oitava do Brasileirão.

+ Barcelona de olho em Matías Segovia: saiba qual é a multa rescisória para tirar o atacante do Botafogo

– Eu vi, mas não estou prestando atenção nisso. Estou focado no Botafogo e vou seguir trabalhando com o meu time – afirmou, em entrevista ao “ge”.

O Botafogo volta a campo para encarar o Guaraní, do Paraguai, pelo jogo de volta das oitavas da Copa Sul-Americana. Os alvinegros jogam pelo empate após terem vencido por 2 a 1 na ida.

West Ham United have more than one potential successor for Graham Potter on their managerial shortlist, as pressure grows on the tactician following a very lacklustre start to the 2025/2026 season.

The managers under consideration by West Ham as Potter exit likely

Reports of a potential sacking for Potter are not going away any time soon, and some suggest that the 50-year-old could be shown his P45 if West Ham suffer defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday (Hammers News).

If that is the case, David Sullivan and the boardroom are believed to be assessing multiple candidates to succeed Potter, including some very intriguing names.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12, Graham Potter

27.3%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Former West Ham and Chelsea star, Frank Lampard, who’s now doing a stellar job at Coventry City and nearly guided them to Premier League promotion last season, has been linked this month.

Meanwhile, it is also reported that West Ham have their eyes on free agent Nuno Espírito Santo, who’d arguably come as the best option considering his excellent work at Nottingham Forest last season.

Nuno was shown the door thanks to a public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis, but guided Forest back to European football for the first time since 1995 after a fairytale 2024/2025 season.

José Mourinho is off the table after agreeing to join Benfica (Fabrizio Romano), though Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna was an apparent guest of the West Ham boardroom last weekend during their 3-0 London derby defeat to Tottenham.

However, in the last 24 hours, news has come to light that Sullivan favours a return for ex-boss Slaven Bilic, who could now re-join the Irons after leaving Saudi Arabian side Al-Fateh last year.

West Ham discuss appointing Sean Dyche amid Slaven Bilic interest

That is according to GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs, who reported via X that Bilic is joined on West Ham’s radar by former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, with internal discussions held.

The tactician helped to briefly steady the ship at Everton and performed wonders at Burnley in the Premier League for years, despite a serious lack of funds or squad investment compared to their top-flight rivals.

Would Sean Dyche be the right manager for West Ham?

If Dyche were to come instead of Bilic, the London Stadium would undoubtedly see a very well drilled, committed and hard-to-beat side.

There are question marks, though. Dyche’s style of play is often criticised as too pragmatic, which was a regular complaint of David Moyes’ methods during his final year in charge, and West Ham supporters may crave more expansive football after years of grinding results.

He has also never managed a squad with genuine top-six ambitions, so expectations could test his limits, not to mention the toxicity and fan unrest surrounding West Ham right now.

Dyche isn’t helped by his ties to Millwall either, with the tactician making 75 appearances for West Ham’s bitter rivals during his playing career and earning real admiration at The Den.

That being said, he is highly-rated by his managerial peers, like Tottenham boss Thomas Frank.

يواصل برشلونة استعداده لمواجهة إلتشي ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم بداية الأسبوع المقبل، وكان الفريق قد تلقى خبراً محزناً بإصابة بيدري وغيابه لأكثر من شهر.

واستأنف كل من روبرت ليفاندوفسكي وداني أولمو لاعبا برشلونة تدريباتهما الجماعية، وقد يحصلان على التصريح الطبي قبل مباراة يوم الأحد المقبل.

وبحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية فقد أجرى الألماني مارك تير شتيجن تدريبات خفيفة على أرض الملعب حيث يواصل تعافيه من جراحة الظهر التي خضع لها في 25 يوليو في بوردو.

أقرأ أيضاً.. هانز فليك يقترب من استعادة لاعب رئيسي قبل فترة التوقف الدولي

ويغيب قائد برشلونة صاحب الـ33 عاماً عن الملاعب بسبب إصابة طويلة الأمد تتطلب أربعة أشهر للتعافي، ولا يزال من المتوقع أنه يحتاج لشهر آخر قبل أن يصبح جاهزاً للمدرب هانز فليك.

ويتقدم تير شتيجن بشكل جيد ولكن بحذر ودون تسرع في عودته، ويمثل قيامه بالتدريبات الخفيفة خطوة تحفيزية مهمة للحارس الألماني المخضرم.

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.

• Getty Images
  

  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.

It was yet another devastating result for Manchester United. The Red Devils slumped to another defeat, this time losing 3-1 away from home to Brentford. Ruben Amorim’s side have now lost three games in the top flight this season, winning just two and drawing the other.

That is merely a continuation of the dismal form shown under their Portuguese manager. United have only won 12 games under Amorim in not far off one year, and are yet to win back-to-back games in the Premier League.

Their trip to the Gtech Community was a chance to do just that. However, two first-half goals from Igor Thiago in the first half, and a late strike from Vitaly Janelt were enough to seal the three points for the Bees.

The only real positive for United was the fact that Benjamin Sesko bagged his first goal for the club. It was a strike that showed lots of fight, scrapping for a ball in the penalty box before finally firing a shot into the back of the net.

It was another disappointing day at the office for Amorim’s side. No one really covered themselves in glory. One player who struggled was defender Luke Shaw.

Shaw’s performance vs. Brentford

One of the Red Devils’ most experienced players, Shaw, once again started as the left centre-back in Amoirm’s infamous back three system. He has certainly had better performances in a United shirt.

The England international, who is normally excellent on the ball, was surprisingly poor in possession in West London. Out of possession, he struggled against the physicality of Brentford’s forwards, including goalscorer Thiago.

In terms of his numbers from the lunchtime kickoff, the 30-year-old had 71 touches, losing the ball 17 times. He only won one duel from four attempted, and made one error, which led to a Brentford shot, per Sofascore.

Goal journalist Richard Martin seemingly agreed that the experienced defender did not put in his best performance against the West Londoners. He gave him a 5/10 for his efforts and highlighted his struggles with the ball at his feet, describing him as “sloppy in possession.”

It was certainly not Shaw’s best day at the office, although he was not United’s worst player at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The United player who worse than Shaw

Shaw was certainly not the only player in a United shirt who struggled against the Bees. Harry Maguire was at fault for the first goal, and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could have done better for the second strike.

However, Bruno Fernandes put in a surprisingly poor performance. The United captain had his afternoon summed up by Statman Dave, who called the situation a “nightmare.” Indeed, he struggled to get involved creatively and, crucially, missed a penalty.

That effort from 12 yards was certainly not his finest moment of the season. The second penalty he’s missed in West London this season, Fernandes struck his effort low to the goalkeeper’s left, which Caoimhin Kelleher easily managed to tip away.

It was a moment that summed up Fernandes’ afternoon. The Portugal international, once again operating deeper in a pivot, struggled to create a chance, playing just one key pass, and losing the ball 18 times.

Fernandes’ stats vs. Brentford

Stat

Number

Touches

81

Pass accuracy

78%

Passes completed

54/69

Ground duels won

3/6

Number of times ball lost

18

Long balls completed

5/11

Penalties missed

1

Key passes

1

Stats from Sofascore

Indeed, Martin seemed to agree that the United captain had a day to forget at the Gtech Community Stadium. He gave Fernandes a match rating of 4/10 and, unfortunately, did not have anything positive to discuss from his performance.

United’s number eight certainly was not involved enough creatively, either. Perhaps that is more on Amoirm rather than the reflection of a poor showing. Fernandes would surely be able to create more chances if he were playing further forward, rather than in a pivot. With that being said, perhaps you’d have expected him to create more with United chasing the game.

It was definitely a day to forget for Fernandes. Normally, such a consistent penalty taker, he missed from the spot to make it 2-2 and give United a fighting chance of getting a positive result.

Related Not just Obi: Man Utd have "dangerous" attacker who can be the next Rooney

Man United fans can get excited about this player’s talent.

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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.

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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!

West Ham United officially confirmed the departure of Graham Potter as the club’s first-team head coach with immediate effect on Saturday morning, less than 72 hours before their Premier League clash with Everton.

The English manager, formerly of Brighton and Chelsea, only won six of his 25 matches in charge of the club in all competitions, a win rate of 24%.

He can have no complaints with the decision by the board, given that record, but the timing of it, after he took the press conference ahead of the game against Everton, is slightly strange.

Former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has immediately replaced Potter in the dugout, as the Hammers look to get their season back on track.

Why Nuno Espirito Santo is a great appointment for West Ham

The Portuguese head coach led Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last term, before a fractured relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis led to his dismissal earlier this season.

Nuno has led Wolves and Forest to European football in England, which shows that he has a successful track record in the division, and his skills as a defensive coach are exactly what West Ham need.

Heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures, not taking Saturday’s results into account, West Ham were bottom of the Premier League for goals conceded (13) and 16th in the division for xGA (7.6), per FBref.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Last season, Nuno’s Forest team ranked ninth for xGA (48.9) and sixth for goals conceded (46), per FBref, which shows that he can organise a defence and make a side solid and hard to beat.

The biggest winner from Nuno Espirito Santo's arrival at West Ham

The biggest winner from Potter’s sacking and the former Forest manager’s arrival at the London Stadium could be central defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

After starting in defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea, the Frenchman was an unused substitute in the games against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace in the last two weeks.

Nuno’s arrival could revive his West Ham career because the Portuguese boss has often utilised a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 formation, which would open the door for him to return to the starting XI with the extra centre-back spot available in that system.

During his time at Wolves, the tactician explained that the 3-4-3 system allowed Conor Coady, the middle centre-back, to progress the play with his ability on the ball, which is why Todibo could thrive in that formation.

Pass accuracy

89.6%

87.9%

Progressive passes

5.09

1.87

Progressive carries

1.09

0.44

Passes into the final third

3.84

2.17

Passes into the penalty area

0.24

0.05

As you can see in the table above, the France international was far more influential in possession during his time with Nice in Ligue 1 in the 2023/24 campaign than he was with the Hammers last term.

This suggests that West Ham were not using Todibo, who was once described as a “ball-playing sensation” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, enough in possession with their build-up play.

Nuno’s 3-4-3 system, should he opt to go with that, could get the best out of the Frenchman by deploying him in the same role that Coady had at Wolves, allowing him time and space to pick out passes or to carry the ball forward as the middle centre-back in a three.

Therefore, the former Nice star could be the biggest winner from Nuno’s appointment because he may go from being an unused substitute under Potter to an influential part of the system under the new manager because of his ball-playing qualities at centre-back.