Over the years, Manchester United has been the home to numerous elite-level centre-forwards, with Robin van Persie one who captured the hearts of the fanbase.

The Dutchman joined in a controversial deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported £24m back in August 2012 – a deal that proved to be an absolute bargain.

He ended up making 105 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 58 goals, with his total of 26 league goals in 2012/13 helping Sir Alex Ferguson win his final top-flight title.

Van Persie also managed to notch 16 assists during such a period, taking his total goal contributions to 74, resulting in an average of 0.7 goals or assists per game over a three-year period.

Such a record has undoubtedly cemented his place in the Red Devils history, but numerous managers have been unable to rely upon similar talents at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and unearth his own version of the talisman, subsequently spending big on a new centre-forward during the recent summer window.

The reasons behind Benjamin Sesko’s struggles at United

After taking the reins back in November last year, Amorim had to rely upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.

However, the duo’s tally of just seven combined goals in the Premier League last season highlighted the need for reinforcements during the summer transfer window.

The board handed the manager over £200m worth of funds to make the desired changes, which resulted in three huge names making the move to Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Benjamin Sesko the player brought in to operate alongside the pair in the final third.

The latter of the trio cost a reported £74m from RB Leipzig during the summer, with real hope generated by the fans that he would be the man to solve their issues.

However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from plain sailing, as seen by his tally of just two goals in his first 11 league outings – even going four games without a goal.

His early struggles will no doubt present cause for concern, with his underlying numbers also highlighting his lack of impact in recent months after his big-money switch.

He’s only registered a total of 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, which has ranked him in the bottom 20% of all other centre forwards in England’s top-flight.

Such a figure showcases that he’s either unable to get himself into the right positions, or he’s not being provided the goods – which could explain his lowly goalscoring tally.

However, Sesko has been hugely reliant upon players around him, with his tally of 0.2 dribbles completed showcasing that he’s unlikely to create a chance on his own.

Like the aforementioned tally, it has placed him in the bottom 20% of other strikers in the league, which could also be contributing to his lack of goals at present.

The United star who could end Sesko’s Man Utd career

There’s no doubt that Sesko will need added time to flourish in England, with his big-money transfer to United in the summer presenting a huge culture change for the 22-year-old.

He’s had to move to a new country, league and surroundings, which is certainly a daunting task for a young talent – which too could be having an effect on his lack of output.

But the lack of quality in such a department has no doubt ramped up the pressure on the Slovenian international to provide the goods in front of goal at Old Trafford.

Amorim will no doubt have to manage Sesko personally to get the best out of the centre-forward, but it’s unclear how much patience the manager will present to the new addition.

The fans, too, will need to cut him some slack, but it will no doubt be tricky, especially given the form of the previous talents in such a role – including the likes of Van Persie.

However, the club may have their next talisman in the form of Chido Obi, with the young star already matching the Dutchman in making the move to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal.

At just 17, the fans will have to be patient with the Dane, but there’s no doubt excitement has been generated by his incredible goalscoring record in the youth setup.

He scored 13 times in just 11 appearances for the U18 outfit last campaign, living up to the billing he is a “goalscoring machine” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig. Such form has seen him make the step-up to the U21 squad over the last couple of months.

Obi has now made 22 appearances at such a level, scoring nine times and registering four assists in the process – even managing to thrive at an age group four years above his own.

Given the lack of quality in the centre-forward department last season, Amorim even handed the teenager his first taste of senior football in an attempt to improve the situation.

The Dane made a total of eight first-team appearances in 2024/25, but failed to find the back of the net once – however, it didn’t stop the youngster from receiving huge praise.

Teammate Leny Yoro previously waxed lyrical about the youngster, even claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best” in the years to come should he continue on his current path.

After returning to youth level, Obi has backed up Yoro’s statement, averaging a goal every 100 minutes and registering a staggering total of 2.2 shots on target per 90 this season.

He’s even completed 68% of the dribbles he’s attempted, massively starring in such an area, something which Sesko has been unable to do over the last few months.

Obi has also dominated countless backlines lately, as seen by his tally of 4.7 duels won, with his physical presence potentially perfect for Amorim’s current side.

Whilst he’s just 17, the future is massively bright for the Dane at Old Trafford, with the club desperately needing to streamline his progress into the senior ranks.

Sesko’s inability to impress could certainly hand the manager the perfect chance to allow him to stake his claim and nail down the position as his very own for many years to come.

If he can match Van Persie’s level during his own time with the Red Devils, he will certainly be a fan-favourite and a player who can take the first-team back to their former glory.

An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"

Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 18, 2025

Liverpool won at the weekend, but we have seen several times already this season that wins can prove to be false dawns as Arne Slot looks to restore consistency to his side.

Goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo snipped away the shocking run of form that had led to nine defeats from 12 in all competitions, six from seven in the Premier League, three from four at Anfield.

It beggars belief, so diametrically opposed is Slot’s second-season system from the slick and stylish outfit that defied everyone to romp to the league title last season, sealing the deal less than a year after Jurgen Klopp raised the microphone and waved goodbye to the red half of Merseyside.

Liverpool must stay grounded, as Slot said in his post-match interview. There is a long way to go.

One of the most curious aspects of the Reds’ victory was the boss’s call to drop Mohamed Salah. This glimpse into a brand new world has also played into rumours that FSG are looking to sign a wide forward in 2026.

Liverpool planning to replace Salah

Salah did not make it off the bench at the London Stadium, the first time the Egyptian has been an unused substitute in the Premier League since 2019/20, with Klopp’s title-winning campaign effectively wrapped up when the Reds played out a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby.

Last season, he was the best player in the Premier League. But that herculean effort has depleted the veteran’s resources, and he is struggling this year.

Goals scored

0.77

0.34

Assists

0.48

0.17

Shots taken

3.23

2.43

Shot-creating actions

4.51

3.27

Touches (att pen)

9.50

6.21

Pass completion (%)

70.6

68.1

Progressive passes

3.84

4.19

Progressive carries

4.14

3.94

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.92

Ball recoveries

2.70

2.77

As you can see, there’s been an undeniable drop-off. Liverpool’s wider crew have all slipped across the decking, but time is not on the 33-year-old Salah’s side.

To try and find a like-for-like replacement would be a fruitless task. What Liverpool need instead is a sharp and athletic winger with a flair for goal. Someone like Sadio Mane, perhaps (hardly an easy endeavour in itself).

Well, as per Foot Mercato, Liverpool have opened talks with rivals Everton for one of their star forwards, Iliman Ndiaye.

The versatile Ndiaye, 25, is both athletic and potent in the final third. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested, and the Toffees would be looking to bank around £70m for their star man.

What Iliman Nidaye would offer Liverpool

Woah. From Everton to Liverpool? Blue to red? Nonsense, right?

It’s certainly unlikely, but Liverpool have held an interest in Jarrad Branthwaite for a while now, and Everton explored a move for Ben Doak in the summer before he signed for Bournemouth.

And Ndiaye would be worth the stress. Hailed for having “magic in his boots” by Everton writer Lyndon Lloyd, he ranks among the top 5% of positional peers in the Premier League for successful take-ons and tackles won, and the top 1% for ball recoveries per 90 (as per FBref).

Presenter Jamie O’Hara has even gone as far as to claim that the Senegalese is “one of the best players in the Premier League”.

Ndiaye shares a homeland with Liverpool icon Mane, but they have more in common than merely nationality. The Everton winger, who can play across the frontline, is electric on the ball, combative when against the flow of play and devastating in the box.

Though he’s spent most of his time on the right wing this season, Ndiaye is probably a left-sided forward at heart. Considering this, there’s a good chance Ndiaye would take Cody Gakpo’s starting berth from him at Anfield, with a more protean threat than the clinical Dutchman.

The African talent was Everton’s top scorer last season with 11 goals in all competitions, and that trend has not been bucked this year, Ndiaye with four goals and an assist across 13 games.

When Mane moved from Southampton to Liverpool for around £35m in 2016, he levelled up. Ndiaye could follow his countryman in this regard, having added a range of instruments to his toolbox in recent years and in an up-and-down Everton team.

Liverpool perhaps made a mistake in failing to replace Luis Diaz with a like-for-like successor this summer, and the ramifications have been felt through Gakpo’s somewhat limited attacking approach. He scored and assisted against West Ham at the weekend, but lacked the kind of dynamism that Liverpool’s previous left-sided wingers have offered.

Mane is certainly one of them, probably the cream of the crop. It would be unfair to expect Gakpo to play such a role, but if Ndiaye were signed, Slot would have a player who could match the Netherlands star’s output while bringing so much energy and enthusiasm to the role too.

Mane, now 34 and playing in Saudi Arabia, was once one of the world’s finest forwards, deadly across so many years at Anfield and blending clinical goalscoring with physicality and an unflappable mentality.

One scout even hailed Ndiaye as being “Mane all over again”, and given this is a proven formula in the English top flight, it’s surely one FSG will be enticed in completing.

With the greatest respect to West Ham, tougher tests lie ahead for the Anfield side, whose win at Eintracht Frankfurt in August preceded defeat at Brentford. The elation over that remarkable victory over Real Madrid had crumbled after the triad of recent losses.

Liverpool are nothing if not inconsistent this season, but that can change. It has to change. Liverpool need balance and security, but they also need to be bold and courageous, offering more flair than the likes of Gakpo have been providing.

And what could be more bold than signing a rival in Ndiaye, who would elevate the skill in Slot’s team and also balance the squad’s slanting spirit level.

Shades of Thiago: "Incredible" star had his best game in a Liverpool shirt

This Liverpool star could become the new Thiago at Anfield after his best Premier League showing for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

It’s a unique Monday in Major League Baseball with a lot of teams moving to the following series to start this week with every team in action on July 4, a Thursday this season. 

So, we only have three games to digest on Monday, but still plenty of betting intrigue across the condensed slate, including assessing the Houston Astros, fresh off a scorching June that has put the team back in the postseason mix. 

Can Houston keep it rolling on Monday in Toronto? 

Here’s our look at the three game card on Monday with odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Astros (-145)

Houston is fresh off tying the big league high for wins in the month of June as the team is back over .500 on the year. 

The Astros should keep it rolling against the Blue Jays as the team sends out Hunter Brown, who is starting to look like the promising pitching prospect the club had hoped for. 

Brown was excellent in June, pitching to a 1.16 ERA in five starts while allowing only four earned runs (three on home runs). 

The right hander is still due some positive regression, posting an xERA that is more than one run less than his actual ERA (3.33 vs. 4.37), so I’ll ride with the streaking Astros. 

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mets (-115)

While MacKenzie Gore has emerged as a key piece in the Nationals pitching staff, the Mets present a challenging task for the lefty arm. 

New York ranks fourth in OPS against southpaws this season, which should play at nicely in D.C. on Monday as the team counters with fellow lefty David Peterson. 

The Nationals struggle a ton with lefty pitching, ranking 28th in OPS. 

Give me the Mets in a coin flip matchup. 

Brewers vs. Rockies Prediction and Pick

Pick: Rockies (+135)

The Rockies are a live underdog on Monday against the Brewers given the pitching matchup. 

Austin Gomber, a lefty, will face a strong Brewers lineup but one that has struggled against left handed pitching, ranking bottom 10 in OPS on the year. 

Further, Gomber thrives at home, posting a 3.57 ERA at the typical hitter friendly Coors Field, far better than 5.44 on the road. 

I’ll take a shot on the home underdogs. 

The New York Yankees woke up just in time to mount a furious comeback to overcome the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday night and a likely hero provided the big blast. Aaron Judge's mammoth three-run homer managed to stay fair and collide with the foul pole, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. Aaron Boone's much-maligned bullpen was stellar and held on for a 9-6 victory to set up another brink-of-elimination test on Wednesday night.

If New York is able to come back and win the series then Judge's homer will be replayed in highlight packages for years to come. But the blast is already surely being replayed on countless computers in the Tri-State area and will probably hinder workplace productivity.

Especially when those pinstripe enthusiasts see this alternate angle shared by the team.

It is pure cinema.

Man, that looks like fun. Imagine being in that exact seat and seeing the ball slowly make its way in your direction, hoping against hope that it would be a game-changing dinger and not simply a loud foul ball.

Magic.

That Miandad six, Saleem Malik’s miracle, Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s moment of glory, and more magic moments from one of the world’s great sporting rivalries

Shamya Dasgupta08-Apr-2020Sharjah, March 1985, Four Nations Cup

India had just beaten Pakistan comfortably in the final of the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia, and one-day cricket was beginning to replace Test cricket as the most popular format. That’s when we got this magical low-scoring contest – with a match aggregate of 212 runs – in a tournament also featuring Australia and England, held in a shiny new part of the world. Imran Khan took 6 for 14 to bowl India out for just 125, but then Kapil Dev and the mesmerising L Sivaramakrishnan ripped through Pakistan, who lost their last four wickets for two runs to finish with 87. It left us stunned….Sharjah, April 1986, Austral-Asia Cup, final

… till we got Javed Miandad and that six! India and Pakistan met in the the final of a five-team tournament that also featured Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Both sides scored at nearly five an over – a big deal then – with India getting half-centuries from K Srikkanth, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar. Pakistan faltered in the chase but were steadied by Javed Miandad, who made a run-a-ball century despite wickets falling around him. He brought down the equation to a boundary needed off the last ball with one wicket in hand. Chetan Sharma looked to bowl a yorker, which turned into a low full-toss that Miandad hit for six over midwicket. Miandad was already a hero. This audacious innings made him an icon, and not only for Pakistan fans.Calcutta, February 1987, bilateral series

Not to take anything away from what Miandad achieved in Sharjah, but the defining ODI innings of the ’80s for me came from Saleem Malik in a game I watched from the stands at Eden Gardens. Back then you just didn’t see batsmen score 72 runs at a strike rate of 200. Pakistan were chasing 239 in 40 overs. Malik came in at 161 for 5 and seemed to smash every single ball exactly where he wanted to. At 174 for 6, when Imran Khan fell, we started celebrating in the stands. Malik scythed us down to size with his 11 fours and a six. For me, it’s still the greatest ODI innings ever.Venkatesh Prasad’s dismissal of Aamer Sohail in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final has become an iconic India-Pakistan moment•Getty ImagesHyderabad, March 1987, bilateral series

Those were the days when a Pakistan team could spend two months playing in India. And the days when the third ODI of a series could be played over a month after the second with three Tests filling the space in between. Pakistan had already won the first two games of the six-match series by the time the two teams met in Hyderabad. Abdul Qadir faced the last ball with Pakistan needing two to win. But after completing the first run, thus tying the scores, he attempted an impossible second and was run out. His dismissal meant Pakistan had lost seven wickets compared to India’s six, which, according to the rules for that series, gave India the win. Pakistan eventually won the series 5-1.Bangalore, March 1996, World Cup, quarter-final

India and Pakistan have faced off in all but one World Cup since 1992, but none of them have really been classic contests. Of the lot, this one from 1996 was the most dramatic. There was Ajay Jadeja’s exhilarating attack against Waqar Younis and the Aamer Sohail v Venkatesh Prasad face-off. It certainly was eventful and, for a while, looked like it could go either way.Chennai, May 1997, Independence Cup

It wasn’t really much of a contest, not after Saeed Anwar’s record-setting 194, but this match remains memorable because of that innings. Anwar was the dasher-who-didn’t feel-like-one and the double-century was definitely on. What a shame that he didn’t get it when, with more than three overs left in the innings, he was caught off the top edge sweeping Sachin Tendulkar, who would go on to get that record just under 13 years later.Shahid Afridi’s late hitting took Pakistan to a one-wicket win in a 2014 Asia Cup match against India•AFP Dhaka, January 1998, Independence Cup, 3rd final

I pick this one over India’s win in Karachi a few months earlier because of the occasion (the decider of the Independence Cup), the drama in fading light, the record (at the time the highest ODI chase), some outstanding innings, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s moment of glory in the end. It had looked like Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed had batted India out of the contest, but Sourav Ganguly fought back with a century and a 179-run stand with Robin Singh, and Kanitkar sealed it with a four off the penultimate ball.Karachi, March 2004, bilateral series

This was the first match of a historic tour and it suitably set the tone for what would be a riveting series. Close to 700 runs were scored in all; Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid played top knocks; Inzamam-ul-Haq got a century in the chase; and some really special bowling from Zaheer Khan, L Balaji and Ashish Nehra at the death stopped Pakistan just short.Dhaka, March 2014, Asia Cup

This was edge-of-the-seat stuff. India put 245 on the board and then applied the choke. Mohammad Hafeez led a professorial fightback, planned and calculated, but it needed Shahid Afridi to strut out and start biffing it around to give Pakistan the advantage. They needed ten off the last over and two typical Afridi sixes, off R Ashwin, sealed the deal.The Oval, 2017, Champions Trophy, final

This one will be fresh in the memory, of course. Was it a great game? No, it was one-sided. Why was it memorable then? Firstly, because it was the Champions Trophy final and Pakistan won it despite all pre-match logic favouring India, who had dominated Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament and only lost to them twice* before in a major ICC event. More than that, though, it was memorable because of Mohammad Amir. Fakhar Zaman’s century had set up a challenging chase for India, even with their mighty batting line-up. But Amir left no room for doubt in one dizzying spell that accounted for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. It was a masterful display against a top-notch top order. One of the best you’ll ever see.*04:18 GMT, April 9, 2020: It was incorrectly stated that India had only lost once to Pakistan in a major ICC event before the 2017 Champions Trophy. This has been corrected.

On Shakib’s 33rd birthday, we look at his excellent batting and bowling numbers

S Rajesh24-Mar-2020Shakib Al Hasan turns 33 today. He is currently serving a one-year ban for not reporting suspected match-fixing approaches, but that doesn’t take away from the fact he is one of the best allrounders to play all formats of the game, and arguably the best cricketer Bangladesh have ever produced. Here are some numbers to show why:Batting average minus bowling average
This is always a good measure to evaluate the quality of an allrounder, especially in Test cricket, where scoring rates/economy rates usually don’t matter as much. With a batting average of 39.4 and a bowling average of 31.12, Shakib is easily the best among the current crop of allrounders with a difference of 8.27; Ben Stokes is next with a difference of 3.86. Going back to the beginning of 2000, only Jacques Kallis is ahead of Shakib, among allrounders who have scored 2000 runs and taken 100 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdEven if you go back further for an all-time list with the same cut-offs, Shakib still finds a place among the elite. Only five allrounders have a higher difference between the batting and bowling averages. And here is a selection of those he leaves behind: Tony Greig (difference 8.23), Ian Botham (5.14), Richard Hadlee (4.86), Chris Cairns (4.13) and Kapil Dev (1.4).