O zagueiro João Victor lamentou a derrota do Corinthians por 1 a 0 para o Fortaleza, neste domingo (11), pela 11ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
Segundo o defensor, o primeiro tempo corintiano foi abaixo, mas houve melhora na etapa final, ainda que o Timão não tenha revertido o resultado construído pelo Leão nos 45 minutos iniciais.
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– Não foi o resultado que a gente queria, a gente veio para Fortaleza buscando os três pontos. O primeiro tempo foi abaixo, o segundo tempo a gente encaixou um pouco mais a marcação, conseguiu jogar um pouco mais, ficar um pouco mais com a bola, mas infelizmente a bola não entrou – disse o camisa 33 ao Premiere.
Após a partida, o Time do Povo terá uma semana livre. O clube volta a campo no próximo sábado (17), às 19h, contra o Atlético-MG, na Neo Química Arena.
– Agora é focar na próxima semana, que é livre, vai dar para descansar e preparar a equipe para o próximo jogo – pontuou João Victor.
Nas graças do técnico Sylvinho, João, que é prata da casa corintiana, foi titular nos últimos 11 compromissos, sendo que em dez atuou durante 90 minutos.
Match abandoned India were through to their first ever Women’s T20 World Cup final after torrential Sydney rain washed out any hopes of even a truncated contest against England, a side they had never beaten in T20 World Cups in five attempts. This now leaves India with the delicious prospect of playing in front of a packed MCG crowd on March 8, also celebrated as International Women’s Day.They will meet the winner of South Africa and Australia, also due to be played at the SCG, later on Thursday. In the event of that match also being abandoned, India will meet South Africa in the grand finale as the rule book favours group-toppers in case of a washout.The rain would come as a crushing blow for England, who were denied an opportunity to top their group despite having the same number of wins as South Africa. However, South Africa finished with an extra point after their Tuesday’s clash against West Indies at the Sydney Showground Stadium was abandoned without a ball bowled.Earlier that evening, Thailand were denied a chance to push for their first ever World Cup win, over Pakistan. So, the weather leading up to semi-final day was dodgy in Sydney. The absence of a reserve day would have only added to England’s anxiety.Thursday dawned dark and grey, with heavy morning showers leaving the ground staff with little or no opportunity to look beneath the covers. That meant even scheduled inspections were out of question.For India, though, the opportunity to contest in a final is in many ways an opportunity well-deserved. They played an intensely competitive tri-series in the build-up in Australia , where they beat both England and Australia in the round-robin phase. Then they topped their pool here, a no mean feat given because they had Australia and New Zealand to contend with.
Portugal legend and former Real Madrid star Pepe has brought the curtain down on his career at the age of 41.
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Pepe retires from football age 41Starred for Portugal and Real MadridEnds glittering career after 23 yearsWHAT HAPPENED?
After 23 years as a professional footballer, Pepe has announced his retirement from the sport. The centre-back racked up 742 appearances during his club career and was capped 141 times by Portugal, too. Now, he will prepare for life after football.
AdvertisementWHAT PEPE SAID
Pepe posted a snippet of a lengthy YouTube video on his Instagram page and captioned it: "Obrigado (Thank you)."
On his career, he added: "I want to thank God for giving me the wisdom to be able to continue my journey. I cannot fail to thank all the presidents who believed in me and believed in me. All the employees of all the clubs I have been to, they are the soul and essence of the national team. All my teammates and coaches, who helped me grow and compete every day. All the fans, who are the soul of football. To Jorge Mendes, to Gestifute, to my mother, who was essential in my journey by letting me fly towards my dream, which was to be a professional footballer. To all my friends and family, especially my wife, who was my home in my absence. My children for believing in me, for being a fundamental support in my life, for supporting me when I left home to play. They were the support I needed to be able to go with a clear conscience. I would like to thank everyone, give them my thanks and a hug of gratitude. Thank you all very much."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Pepe will go down as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. The longevity of his career is truly remarkable and over the decades he has won the European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, Primeira Liga and more. Pepe made a name for himself at Porto initially and he finished his career at the Portuguese club, too.
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Pepe, whose last game in football was a Euro 2024 quarter-final defeat to France last month, will now prepare for what comes next. It remains to be seen if he will return to football in a coaching capacity, as a pundit, or something else.
With just eight matches left to go in the Premier League, finishing in a Champions League spot is almost entirely beyond the reach of Manchester United.
This was all but confirmed on Thursday night, as the Red Devils suffered a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Chelsea, despite having the lead in the 99th minute.
Even though the Blues had 28 attempts – and ten on target – Erik ten Hag still seemed content with the way his side played, but in truth, a victory would have only masked another unconvincing performance.
However, there are certainly some positives that can be taken from the tie, with Alejandro Garnacho starring and one other player impressing even more than the Argentine.
Alejandro Garnacho’s performance against Chelsea
19-year-old Garnacho was yet again one of Man United’s most important players last night, and he so nearly became the match-winner.
In truth, the number 17 was rather quiet for his standards in spells, failing to retain the ball, as shown by his 71% pass accuracy and the fact he lost the ball 14 times.
That said, he came up with two important goals, two of which displayed different skills that the winger is slowly developing, with the first highlighting his anticipation and ability to press, and the second showing excellent movement and desire.
To further support the influence he had on the team, Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst handed Garnacho an 8/10 rating for his performance, but he still wasn’t the best on the field.
Man Utd star who earns more than Garnacho & Hojlund needs to be replaced
The United star has barely played over the last month.
ByTom Lever Mar 15, 2024 Antony’s stats against Chelsea
Since moving to United from Ajax for a whopping £86m last summer, Antony has received lots of criticism, particularly for his performances this campaign – previously dubbed "frustrating" by club legend Gary Neville.
The Brazilian has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season, starting just his 12th time last night, when he finally ended his terrible drought in attack.
Against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, Antony put on a show of intent, and despite giving away a penalty in the first half, he certainly made up for his mistake throughout the rest of the game.
Just like Garnacho, Luckhurst gave the winger an 8/10 rating, stating that 'this was one of his best performances for United', which the table below also indicates.
Assists
1
Shots
3
Key passes
2
Pass accuracy
86%
Successful dribbles
6/6
Ground Duels won
9
Tackles
2
As you can see, Antony was incredible and impactful down the right, dominating Marc Cucurella from minute one, who was dribbled past on four occasions.
The 24-year-old showed signs of the player the United faithful thought they were signing, completing six out of six dribbles and playing with the freedom to express and entertain.
Nothing provides more evidence for that than his first goal contribution of the Premier League campaign, which was an absolutely beautiful outside-of-the-foot cross that landed on a plate for Garnacho to finish.
On top of that assist, the number 21 played a huge role in the first two goals, and it’s fair to say that he was United’s most threatening attacker on the evening.
Antony was also strong in his duels and put a shift in defensively in what was a complete performance from the winger, who needed just that to revive his United career.
After that showing, Ten Hag will find it extremely difficult to put the former Ajax ace on the bench, which may indicate that as long as he continues to perform, Antony could once again cement himself as the first-choice right winger.
Tottenham are reportedly likely to make an opening bid for a new attacker in the coming weeks, with Spurs looking to land themselves a bargain.
Spurs transfer rumours
Daniel Levy and Johan Lange could once again be busy this summer after two productive transfer windows following Ange Postecoglou’s north London arrival. In fact, Postecoglou has admitted that signing another centre-back is a possibility despite the club bringing in Radu Dragusin in January.
“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at.”
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Alongside a defender, attacking additions also appear to be of interest over the coming months, with forwards such as Ivan Toney, Mohamed Amoura and Santiago Gimenez all linked.
However, another forward on the north London radar has been Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush. Rivals Arsenal have also been mooted as a destination for the striker, but it looks as if Spurs are now set to make their move.
Spurs offer for Omar Marmoush likely
TEAMtalk has relayed reports from Germany in the last 48 hours regarding Spurs and a move for Marmoush. They claim that the strongest interest from England is coming from Tottenham, who have identified him as a primary target.
It is believed that Spurs are likely to make an opening offer over the coming weeks in the region of €30m (£25.7m). That appears to be an extremely cheeky proposal, with Frankfurt recently valuing at Marmoush up to €60m (£51.4m), double Spurs’ expected offer.
Frankfurt will not stand in Marmoush’s way this summer, however, the two clubs may need to come to a compromise over the coming months.
The 25-year-old is primarily a centre-forward but can also play on either wing. The Egypt international has spent the majority of his club career in Germany but only joined Frankfurt last year.
He has made quite an impact in the current campaign, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists which has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket to a career-high €22m.
Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 Bayern Munich
9.13/10
Egypt 2-2 Ghana
8.68/10
Union Berlin 0-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
8.51/10
Freiburg 3-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
8.37/10
Hoffenheim 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
8.28/10
Marmoush’s agent, Michael Reschke, waxed lyrical over his client earlier this year, saying:
“We have good plans for Marmoush. Marmoush has been delivering outstanding performances recently and a bright future awaits him.
“He currently has a global market, so we do not rule out receiving offers from all over the world. This is not a strange matter, and we should all expect it because his performance, level, and name have become like gold currency and the energy he possesses on the pitch promotes him.
“Marmoush is greatly loved within Eintracht Frankfurt, so offers are not only expected from within Germany but from all over Europe. He has a completely distinctive style, his eyes are sharp, and I cannot compare him to anyone else. He is a wonderful and special player.”
Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are under the impression an unseen teenager of theirs is a "star in the making".
Postecoglou wants Spurs academy improvement
The N17 academy has birthed some noteworthy talents in recent seasons. The likes of Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Oliver Skipp and Jamie Donley stand out as just a few examples from the past two-three years, with the latter being handed his senior debut by Ange Postecoglou earlier this season.
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He won’t be available for the foreseeable.
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Parrott is currently enjoying a productive loan spell at Excelsior in the Netherlands, while Skipp is sometimes called upon by Postecoglou as a solid back-up option for his Spurs matchday squad.
Scarlett has drawn comparisons with Man United star Marcus Rashford in past seasons as well, but Postecoglou has stated that Spurs' academy could still improve despite the production of some fine talent.
Tottenham's best-performing players per 90 in the league
Average match rating (via WhoScored)
James Maddison
7.45
Son Heung-min
7.44
Pedro Porro
7.19
Cristian Romero
7.11
Dejan Kulusevski
7.08
"We've still got a lot of work to do at academy level," said Postecoglou earlier this season. "We've got a great man there in Simon [Davies] who has worked at some of best academies going and he knows what’s needed. We've got some good coaches in there now. This year has been better but in terms of a production line of young players I think we’re still well behind other clubs.
"There was already a process in place before I came in and yeah like I said, some of it is around the methodology we use, but also a little bit of opportunity. I guess if young players don't feel there is an opportunity here maybe we don't get the best ones or maybe we don't provide the opportunities for the best ones, so my role in that is to make sure the good ones we have do get an opportunity.
"And secondly, other young good young players around the country, not just around the world, see this as a club where if you are talented, you will get an opportunity."
Spurs are making an effort to bring in some of Europe's most bright talents from elsewhere as well, with the club beating Barcelona to Djurgardens IF sensation Lucas Bergvall in the January window.
A highly-rated talent currently at N17, though, is young midfielder Callum Olusesi. Spurs recently agreed a new deal for Olusesi, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, with fellow journalist Pete O'Rourke now detailing how Spurs feel about the teenager.
Tottenham think Olusesi is a "star in the making"
Indeed, according to O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, Tottenham chiefs think Olusesi is a "star in the making".
Spurs fended off interest from Man United to keep their talented youngster, and it is believed those within the club think he's going to be world-class. Olusesi, who's scored six goals and assisted four others in the Under-18 Premier League this season, also boasts seven England Under-17 caps.
Na noite deste domingo, Botafogo e Nova Iguaçu empataram em 0 a 0, no estádio Nilton Santos, em partida válida pela semifinal da Taça Rio. Após o duelo, o meio-campo Pedro Castro, em entrevista à Cariocão TV, analisou o jogo. De acordo com ele, o Glorioso criou boas chances e foi superior no primeiro tempo. No entanto, o camisa 33 admitiu uma queda de rendimento na etapa final.
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> Veja quem entrou em campo pelo Botafogo na temporada de 2021
– A gente já sabia da vantagem do Nova Iguaçu desde antes do jogo começar. Acredito que fizemos um bom primeiro tempo, criamos bastante chances de gol, mas infelizmente não entrou. No segundo tempo, deu uma caidinha, depois voltamos a criar chances. São dois jogos, e a gente vai estar pronto para o segundo jogo – comentou.
Agora, o Botafogo terá mais uma semana cheia para trabalhar. O Alvinegro volta a campo no próximo domingo contra o Nova Iguaçu pelo jogo da volta da semifinal da Taça Rio. O time da Baixada Fluminense terá a vantagem do empate.
Jack Leach’s maiden Test fifty took plenty by surprise. It came as an opener – he faced the final over on Wednesday evening as a nightwatchman – on a difficult batting pitch, and his slightly ungainly style coupled with a first-class average a shade below 11 going into this game did not suggest a man with much natural talent.When he was finally taken at slip off Tim Murtagh for 92, he had produced the second-highest score by an England opener since the retirement of Alastair Cook. Although he fell short of getting his name on the Lord’s honours board, Leach was roundly applauded from the pitch after helping to erase England’s 122-run deficit and give them a chance in the Test after being bowled out for 85 in the first innings.Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, Leach was proud but crestfallen at getting so close to an extraordinary slice of Lord’s history. “I was telling myself not to think about it, which probably means I was thinking about it,” he said. “Yeah, it wasn’t to be but I tried my best and that was all I could do.”Despite spending most of his career as a tailender, Leach has worked hard on his batting over the past three years in particular, revealing in interviews with BBC Somerset that he had been focusing on improvement since becoming an England contender.”It was nice to be out there this morning, trying to eat up some balls and take the shine off the ball and make it easier for the batters coming in,” he said. “That’s what I was looking at, and then it was just about seeing how far you can take it. You just take it one ball at a time, one ball at a time.”Leach has one career hundred to his name in senior cricket, and unbeaten 123 off 178 balls against Nottinghamshire’s 2nd XI back in 2015. He has also scored a pair of first-class fifties, both against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2017 and 2018.On his Test debut in Christchurch in 2018, he scored 16 in a partnership of 48 with Jonny Bairstow to help his partner reach a hundred. In the second innings Joe Root declared with him unbeaten on 14.”I said I was on for my first Test hundred, and he declared on me!” Leach said shortly after that innings. “We can save that for another day. I want [my average] higher than 30.”Everyone’s been saying how good my batting was looking, and it’s an area I work really hard on. It was nice to form a partnership with Jonny and get him to his hundred, and just be annoying to New Zealand, so it’s an area I want to keep moving forward on, and it’s important that I keep contributing.”It shows I haven’t really scored the runs I should have done for Somerset, but I’m still learning.”In a previous interview at the start of the 2017, Leach revealed he had been working on his batting as a possible route into Somerset’s white-ball teams, after a difficult winter in which he had to remodel his bowling action.”It is something I’ve been working on over the winter,” he said. “I did quite a bit with [then Somerset coach] Matt Maynard on my power-hitting, because I feel like that’s a big area to improve on if I want to get myself into the white-ball teams for one-day cricket and T20 cricket, and that went quite well over the winter.”It is something I’m working on, and it’s a good feeling hitting it for six.”This was only his second innings opening the batting in first-class cricket, and the first had also come in a Test – against Sri Lanka in Pallekele last winter. Leach’s achievement at Lord’s was all the more remarkable having not reached double-figures in his 19 previous innings, going back to that Pallekele Test.As for the match situation, Leach’s own batting effort, as a regular No.11, suggests that Ireland are firmly in command, with a minimum of 182 to chase and one wicket left to claim. But he was confident that England’s fight was far from over – and cited a thriller against India last summer as evidence.”We talked about last summer against India where, at Edgbaston, the boys feel the wicket was better there than it is here,” he said. “They defended 180 [194], and they finished 30 short, so I think you always have to keep believing, and we will definitely be doing that tomorrow.”
The ex-Spurs str had a truly stunning season with Bayern Munich and could not be in a better position to lead his country to glory in Germany
Cast an eye over the list of winners of the European Golden Shoe award and you will come across some of the greatest strikers in football's history, from legends of the past whose mere mention will bring your grandfather to tears, to the modern greats.
The award, given to the highest scorer in European league football each season, was first won by Portugal and Benfica hero Eusebio, while the third edition was won by the legendary German striker Gerd Muller, whose shot was so lethal he was was known as 'the nation's Bomber'.
Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez have won the prestigious award twice, Cristiano Ronaldo lifted it four times, while Lionel Messi has a record six gongs. But the latest winner is a player who has long been knocking on the door of greatness and has finally been let in: Harry Kane.
Kane did not just win the award, he left his rivals in the dust, scoring a sensational 36 goals in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, eight more than his closest rival Serhou Guirrassy and nine more in league football than Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. His timing could not have been better as he heads to the European Championship as the continent's top scorer and, by extension, will be the best striker at the tournament.
Yet there is still one thing that continues to haunt Kane: his failure to win a single trophy in his career. And it is a subject that will be discussed throughout the tournament and long after unless he can fire England to glory in Germany.
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Breaking records for fun
Kane had long been lauded in England for his heroics with Tottenham, but never quite got the same acclaim in Europe. But that has changed dramatically since moving to Bayern. Despite the challenge of moving away from the club he had been at for his entire life and moving abroad, facing cultural and language barriers, he has exceeded all expectations, sending all sorts of records tumbling.
The striker scored on his Bundesliga debut, having set up a goal within his first four minutes on the pitch. After bagging a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Bochum in September, he had scored seven goals in his first five games and made the best start to a season in Bayern's history, surpassing Miroslav Klose, Mario Mandzukic and the legendary Muller. After 10 games, he had 15 Bundesliga goals, toppling the previous record held by Klaus Matischak which had stood for 60 years.
After 11 matches, Kane had scored more goals than the previous season's top scorers in the Bundesliga, Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug. And after bagging back-to-back hat-tricks against Darmstadt and Borussia Dortmund plus a brace against Stuttgart, he became the fastest player ever to reach 20 Bundesliga goals in a season, toppling another 60-year record, this one held by Uwe Seeler.
Kane bettered Erling Haaland by scoring 30 goals after 25 games, with the Norwegian needing 32 games to get to that milestone when he was at Borussia Dortmund. He finished with the fourth-highest goal tally in a season in Bundesliga history, only falling short of Muller's totals of 38 and 40 in 1969-70 and 1970-71, respectively, as well as Robert Lewandowski's record of 41 goals in the 2020-21 season.
If it was any consolation, he at least holds the record for the greatest debut season in the league's history. And there is always next season.
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League of his own
Kane will be battling other modern greats for the Golden Boot at Euro 2024, but he can comfortably claim to be the best striker at the tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo is playing his 11th major tournament and has warmed up for it by scoring 35 goals for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, but his tally has to be caveated by the fact the league is ranked by as the 27th best in the world. The Bundesliga, by comparison, is second. Ronaldo is also nine years older than Kane, and whilst he would never admit it, he is well past the peak of his powers.
Mbappe is his closest challenger and pound-for-pound a better footballer than Kane, but is mostly considered a wide forward rather than a centre-forward like the Englishman. And Kane contributed to more goals than the Frenchman both in the league and Champions League.
Kane's like-for-like rivals at the tournament all had poor seasons compared to his remarkable campaign. Romelu Lukaku scored 13 times in Serie A, Alvaro Morata got 15 goals in La Liga, Fullkrug got 12 in the Bundesliga while Rasmus Hojlund finished with 10 Premier League goals.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, who Kane will come up against in England's opener against Serbia, has had a prolific season, firing Al-Hilal to the Saudi Pro League title with 28 goals, but, as with Ronaldo, that tally is far less impressive than Kane's.
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Missed opportunities
But one thing Kane failed to do, in keeping with the theme of his career, was win a trophy. And while his lack of silverware could have been forgiven at Tottenham, it is most damning that he could not win anything at Bayern.
The Bavarians had not failed to win a trophy since 2012, when Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund were in their pomp and swept to the double. They had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles since then, as well as five DFB-Pokals and two Champions Leagues.
The fact Bayern could not win one competition after signing the England captain led to predictable talk that they had been struck by the Kane curse. As with most social media discussions, it has mostly been said with tongues firmly planted in cheeks. Dimitar Berbatov put it best when he said: "Harry Kane curse? F*ck off, that sounds stupid and it’s disrespectful! Football can be f*cking cruel."
But jokes aside, the fate that befell Kane and Bayern this season was remarkable. He completed his £82 million ($104m) move from Spurs and signed his contract with Bayern on the same day they faced RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup, a competition the club had won six out of the previous seven occasions. But from the bench, Kane watched his side go 2-0 down, conceding a third goal minutes after he had come on to make his debut.
More strange happenings occurred when Bayern played Saarbrucken in the DFB-Pokal. Kane was part of the squad that travelled to the third-division outfit as Thomas Tuchel heavily rotated his team and saw his side throw away the lead and lose to a stoppage-time goal.
Bayern's 11-year grip on the Bundesliga, meanwhile, came to an emphatic end as Bayer Leverkusen stormed to their first-ever title while remaining unbeaten, hammering the Bavarians 3-0 in February to move five points clear. Xabi Alonso's side finished with a sensational 90 points, 18 more than Bayern, who ended up finishing third – behind Stuttgart – for the first time since 2012.
The biggest disappointment, though, was the way Bayern exited the Champions League in the semi-finals, taking a 1-0 lead in the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu and holding on to it until the 88th minute, when Real Madrid's voodoo in the competition set in and substitute Joselu stepped up to win the tie with two goals in four minutes.
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Not to blame
But the idea that Kane was responsible for Bayern's failings is absurd. He was helpless to stop that disaster against Madrid as he had been taken off by Tuchel while his side were 1-0 up, while he played just 27 minutes against Leipzig in the Super Cup and didn't get on the pitch against Saarbrucken.
Nor could he be blamed for Bayern surrendering the title. With 36 goals and eight assists, he certainly held up his part of the bargain. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich underperformed in the Bundesliga, while the usually reliable Manuel Neuer was at fault in the Champions League, with a suspect offside call also playing a role in their exit. There is also a sense that Bayern were never the right fit for Tuchel.
Kane's inability to win a trophy was also used against him when he was at Tottenham, although he undoubtedly left the club in a far better place than when he broke through from their academy in the 2013-14 season. Kane had been the talisman in Spurs' greatest era since the 1980s, having left a much bigger mark on the club than their previous trophy wins, the League Cups of 1999 and 2008.
He was the main reason they qualified for the Champions League five times, reaching the final in 2019. He departed as Spurs' all-time top scorer after helping make them one of the most popular teams in the world.
Manchester United pushed up into the top six in the Premier League on Sunday as they secured an emphatic 3-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford.
Two goals from Alejandro Garnacho came after a terrific opener from Rasmus Hojlund to send the Red Devils above the Hammers and up to sixth in the table.
Erik ten Hag's side are now five games unbeaten in all competitions and have scored 11 goals in their last three games; three against West Ham, four against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and four against Newport County.
However, United were hit with what could be a major blow during the win over David Moyes' side as Lisandro Martinez was forced off with a knee injury during the second half.
After an awkward landing with Vladimir Coufal, the Argentina international was unable to continue and ten Hag has since confirmed that there is a "bad concern" around this issue, although the club are waiting for the extent of the blow to be confirmed in the days to come.
The Dutch head coach could now be forced to alter his side once again, having only recently had the centre-back available after a lengthy foot injury, and could find a surprise replacement by bringing Willy Kambwala back in from the U23s.
Kobbie Mainoo is a perfect example of how United can find solutions to their first-team problems by dipping into the academy to unearth fresh talent.
Kobbie Mainoo's emergence this season
The 18-year-old talent whiz worked his way into the starting XI this season and has started all nine of his Premier League appearances so far.
Ten Hag has placed his faith in the teenage gem and been rewarded with a string of impressive displays at the heart of the Red Devils midfield.
Mainoo has made his presence felt defensively with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match and a duel success rate of 53%. This shows that he can put his foot in to cut out opposition attacks and, despite his age, has the physicality to hold his own in physical contests.
He has also completed 85% of his passes and recently had his name in the headlines after a stunning winning goal in the dramatic 4-3 victory against Wolves.
Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo.
The English dynamo beautifully beat several defenders around the box before driving into the area to unleash a perfect finish into the far bottom corner in the 97th minute to secure all three points for his side.
Mainoo stepped up when it mattered most to win the match for his side, at the age of 18, and the exceptional youngster is a fantastic example to the club's current crop of U23 players of what they can achieve if they take their chance when it comes along.
Kambwala, if given the opportunity, could step in and be Mainoo 2.0 as another academy prospect who could emerge as a first-team option due to this injury to Martinez, who is an important player for United.
Lisandro Martinez's importance to United
The World Cup winner has been restricted to eight Premier League appearances this season but has been a typically impressive performer when fit.
Martinez has averaged 1.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game across those eight top-flight outings, and completed 94% of his attempted passes.
The 26-year-old also ranks within the top 28% of centre-backs in the division for progressive passes (4.52) per 90, the top 15% for progressive carries (1.29) per 90.
Last season, Martinez played in 27 of the club's 38 Premier League matches and caught the eye with his solid performances at the back for the Red Devils.
He dominated opposition attackers in physical contests with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that forwards struggled to get the better of him throughout the campaign.
The United star also made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a pass success rate of 87%, as he showcased his defensive capabilities and quality on the ball to regularly find teammates in possession.
Why Kambwala could be a surprise Martinez replacement
With Raphael Varane out of contract in the summer, it could make more sense for United to look to the future with a partner for Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire whilst Martinez recovers from this latest injury blow.
If the France international is not going to be at Old Trafford next season, then tag Hag should offer Kambwala the opportunity to show that he can be part of the long-term picture.
The 19-year-old was handed his Premier League debut earlier this term and there were glimpses of the quality that he could provide at centre-back, despite a 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium.
Kambwala completed five progressive passes and two progressive carries in 84 minutes on the pitch against the Hammers. Whereas, Martinez averaged 3.53 progressive passes and 0.51 progressive carries per 90 throughout the 2022/23 Premier League season.
There is no guarantee that the youngster would be able to do that consistently over the course of a top-flight campaign but it does suggest that he is a forward-thinking defender, like the Argentine titan, who likes to progress play with the ball at his feet.
As well as being composed and progressive in possession, Kambwala also has the potential to be a strong defender who can win the ball back and dominate opposition attackers.
Appearances
Three
Tackles per game
2.0
Interceptions per game
1.7
Ball recoveries per game
9.3
Duel success rate
76%
As you can see in the table above, the teenage colossus, who ten Hag claimed has a "bright" future, can make an impressive contribution at the back by coming out on top in the majority of his battles and making multiple tackles and interceptions per game to stop attacks.
Kambwala recently showcased his physical attributes in a first-team setting as he came off the bench to win five of his six duels, including all four of his aerial battles, in the 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup.
Ten Hag could, therefore, unearth a surprise replacement for Martinez, instead of going for an experience option in Varane, by offering the U23 starlet regular minutes to develop and emerge as a first-team starter, in the same way that Mainoo has in recent weeks.
The aforementioned statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be a useful operator for the Red Devils and it will be interesting to see how he gets on if given the chance to impress.