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Arsenal star Beth Mead has made her return to the Lionesses after coming on as a substitute against Netherlands.

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Mead suffers ACL injuryReturns after one yearSparks England comebackGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mead, 28, was brought on by Sarina Weigman at half-time during their UEFA Nations League clash, with her team down 2-0 at the break to the Netherlands.

Mead's return to the pitch in an England sparked a dramatic comeback in the must win game, with England levelling the score-line just after the hour mark, thanks to goals from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp.

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The return arrives just over a year since her last appearance for England, which was a 4-0 victory against Japan in November 2022, after suffering a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

WHAT MEAD SAID

Speaking to last month regarding her comeback from injury, Mead opened up on her struggles throughout the last year. “In January I lost my Mum and because of the injury I couldn’t play football, which was always my escape, my happy place," she said. "Moments when people thought I was fine because of my outgoing personality, were very dark.

“It’s been a tough process to understand. Teammates, people at the club, family and friends that supported me were so important, without them I could have been in a far darker place. I want to help create an environment in which it’s totally normal to address mental health. There’s not a perfect way of dealing with it, but if you feel you’re not alone it helps so much. We need to normalise mental health and in doing so that would go a long way.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD

Following the Nations League fixtures with England against Netherlands and Scotland, Mead will return to Arsenal and prepare for the upcoming clash against Chelsea on December 10. Emma Hayes' squad currently sit at the top of the Women's Super League, with a three point gap on Arsenal in second.

Goal takes a look at the players who proved to be the best new piece of business in the transfer market this term

GettyPascal Gross | Brighton

The German midfielder fled the sinking ship at Ingolstadt to join high-flying Brighton and has been one of the star men for Chris Hughton's side.

The 26-year-old's seven goals and eight assists proved pivotal in keeping his side in the English top flight and another key role awaits him next season.

AdvertisementFRANCK FIFE/AFP/GettyDani Alves | Paris Saint-Germain

The 35-year-old upset Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when he snubbed a move to England to join Paris Saint-Germain and has shown why there was such a high demand for him despite his age.

An important figure for the French side on and off the field, he is a magnet for success and has no doubt had a key role in Neymar's quick adaptation to the capital city.

GettyMariano Diaz | Lyon

Lyon snapped up a superstar when they lured Mariano Diaz from Real Madrid. The Spaniard’s 18 goals have been vital in keeping them on track for a Champions League qualifying place as well as thrusting him into the limelight after being hidden away at Madrid for so long.

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Getty ImagesKylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain

The French teenager turned Ligue 1 on its head when he swapped Monaco for Paris Saint-Germain.

The 13-goal forward has been one of his side's top performers this term to win a second straight Ligue 1 title and great things are expected in the coming years.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has hit out at the media over reports about his salary and a potential summer exit.

De Jong angry with recent speculationLinked with move away from Barcelona againInsists he wants to stayWHAT HAPPENED?

De Jong hit out at the media amid speculation that he may be sold in the summer to help ease the club's difficult financial situation as he's Barcelona's highest earner. The midfielder once again reiterated his desire to stay with the Catalan giants and insisted recent reports about his salary are wide of the mark.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FRENKIE DE JONG SAID

He told a press conference: “If I’m honest, I am getting quite irritated lately. I am very angry at what you (media) write or say about me. There are a lot of stories that are simply not true. I simply can’t get my head around it. Some of you write lies all the time and I don’t get how you are not ashamed about it.

“There’s a lot of talk about my contract situation and my salary. There’s a lot of smoke in there and plenty of lies. You the media are saying that I earn around €40m per year… this is really far from the truth. I am not going to reveal figures, but that’s simply lying. I am really happy here. Barcelona was and is the club of my life, it was my dream to play here and it still is. I am not happy with the press and everything that surrounds the club because, as I’ve been saying, it’s full of lies.”

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Reports in Spain have claimed Barcelona have told De Jong to sign a new contract or bring an offer so they can sell him in the summer. Tottenham, Manchester United and PSG have all been linked with the Netherlands international but it seems he has little interest in a move as things stand. Yet Barcelona's financial situation will make the club vulnerable to large offers for key players as they need to raise revenue to comply with La Liga's financial rules for the 2024-25 campaign.

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WHAT NEXT FOR DE JONG AND BARCELONA

Xavi's side are currently in Italy preparing for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie with Napoli on Wednesday. The Nerazzurri changed managers just 48 hours before the game, sacking Walter Mazzarri and bringing Francesco Calzona.

Erik ten Hag has taken to publicly criticising Jadon Sancho as a “last throw of the dice”, says Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.

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Winger dropped for trip to ArsenalTraining effort called into questionMay be punished for speaking outWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils boss stated after leaving Sancho out of his matchday plans for a Premier League clash with Arsenal that the England international had been overlooked due to poor performances in training. Sancho responded with a statement of his own, in which he claimed to be being made a “scapegoat”, but this is not the first time that he has been dropped or had questions asked of his application behind the scenes.

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Former United played and coach Giggs has told the of why the man calling the shots at Old Trafford feels the need to generate a response from his underperforming £75 million ($94m) winger: “It looks like Ten Hag has tried everything with Sancho, really. It seems like it was the last throw of the dice – 'I've tried everything, let's call him out publicly and see how he reacts'. When he came to the club, I was actually a fan. I thought he could get better, he could improve, which he's not really done in the short space of time he's been at the club. For me, he always made the right choices in that final third, which is rare for a young winger.

“But it just hasn't happened and he's sent him away to get fit, he's tried him in different positions and, for me, calling him out publicly is the last straw or the last thing to try to get the best out of Sancho. The player can react and think 'Right, I'll show him, I'll show the manager what I'm capable of' or he can sulk and he probably won't get anywhere. So it's up to Sancho now. I know a lot has been made of his training and for me, with my experience of United when I was a player, training was harder than the games. So you have to have those performances in training, to get yourself on that pitch on a Saturday, so he's got to improve, I think that's the bottom line.”

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With Ten Hag now on his case, Giggs hopes Sancho’s team-mates will also start to call him out if he his attitude in training becomes a cause for concern. The ex-Wales boss added: “If that is true, that the training performances haven't been good enough, then you're not going to play on a Saturday. I keep banging on about it, but you can only get it back on the training ground – build your confidence, build your fitness, build your physicality and do everything you can. Don't give the manager any excuses to call you out. When the manager calls you out, I don't know if it's the end, but he's probably at the end of his tether where he's thought 'Right, this is the last thing, see if this works'. So we'll see.

“I think it goes deeper than that though, I think it's a responsibility to the dressing-room as well, for his team-mates, Sancho, to make sure that he is performing every day in training. We drove each other every day. Sometimes the manager didn't have to do a lot, because the standards were already there in the dressing-room and the training pitch. The players have got to take responsibility as well. If your team-mate isn't pulling his weight – if that is true – then they have to call him out. They have to make sure he does perform, because he's got ability, we've all seen that. There's only one person who can change it.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Sancho joined United from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021 and was expected to become a talismanic presence for the Premier League heavyweights. He has, however, struggled for form and fitness – with just 12 goals and six assists recorded across 82 appearances in all competitions.

Who are the continent’s top goal-getters in Europe’s premier club competition?

Getty Images8. Vincent Aboubakar

Golden Boot winner at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Aboubakar is a former African champion and has scored goals wherever he’s gone.

As well as respectable league hauls in France, Portugal and Turkey, he’s also impressed consistently in the Champions League.

To date, the 30-year-old has scored 14 UCL goals across campaigns with both FC Porto and Besiktas.

AdvertisementEpsilon / Getty Images Sport=6. Seydou Doumbia

Perhaps the least celebrated name on this list, Ivory Coast forward Doumbia is also a former Africa Cup of Nations champion—having clinched the title in 2015—and like Aboubakar, has proved he can cut it against Europe’s top defenders.

After initially tasting UCL action with CSKA Moscow, he subsequently also found the net in the competition with FC Basel and Sporting Lisbon, putting his current total at 15.

Getty=6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Tied with Doumbia on 15 goals, Auba hasn’t featured in the Champions League since his time with Borussia Dortmund, with Arsenal having consistently failed to qualify for the competition during his time with the club.

Now at Barcelona, he’s still being made to wait to return to the UCL, but with the Catalan giants having rediscovered their mojo In La Liga, next season could see Aubameyang adding to his tally.

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Getty5. Riyad Mahrez

Still in contention to add to his haul of 16 goals this season, Mahrez has featured in Europe’s premier club competition with Leicester City and Manchester City.

While he’s won three Premier League titles and the Afcon crown, the Champions League has remained elusive for Mahrez and Pep Guardiola’s City.

Endrick pulled out the iconic 'griddy' celebration after scoring another vital goal to fire Palmeiras to their 12th Brazilian league title.

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Endrick in stellar form for Palmeiras Scored against Cruzeiro to seal championship Hit the Griddy to celebrate his goal WHAT HAPPENED?

The teenager, who will head to Real Madrid in the summer, once again proved his mettle at the highest level as it was his strike in the 21st minute against Cruzeiro that sealed the second successive Brazilian championship for the . It was his fifth goal in the last seven matches and after hitting the Bull's eye, Endrick pulled out the Griddy which sent fans into a frenzy at Estadio Mineirao on Wednesday evening.

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Endrick's performance this season for Palmeiras vindicates Real Madrid's decision to pay €60 million (£52m/$64m) for the youngster, with €35m due upfront and a further €25m in add-ons. The Spanish giants even congratulated the player on their social media handles and wrote: "Congratulations, @Endrick, on winning your second consecutive Brasileirão! Your goal in the last match helped your team @palmeiras win a much-deserved title. We’re very proud of you!"

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Cesar Greco/PalmeirasWHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

Endrick finished with 11 goals to his name to surpass Neymar's tally of 10 strikes and remained just one shy of Ronaldo Nazario's record of 12 goals in a single campaign as a 17-year-old. Madrid feels that the teenager is destined for greatness and the Santiago Bernabeu awaits with bated breath for his arrival in June. His contract runs until 2027 but there is a clause which can see it extended through to 2030.

Chamari Atapattu will the lead Sri Lanka women in their home series against West Indies while allrounder Eshani Kaushalya has been named her deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2015Chamari Atapattu will lead a 14-member Sri Lanka Women squad in their home series against West Indies. Allrounder Eshani Lokusuriyage will be her deputy for the four ODIs and three T20Is.West Indies have not played 50-over cricket since November 2014, when they lost to Australia 0-4. Sri Lanka have their own concerns against rust – the last time they played was in January and were beaten 3-0 by Pakistan.Sri Lanka lead West Indies in the head-to-head battle – 13 wins in 24 games – but they have lost seven of the last 10 matches. Their T20 record against West Indies is a little more clear cut – 12 losses in 15 games.The last three ODIs on the tour will account towards the ICC Women’s Championship, where West Indies are ranked fifth on the points table and Sri Lanka are at seventh.Sri Lanka squad Chamari Attapattu (capt), Prasadini Weerakkody, Nipuni Hansika, Sanduni Abeywickrema, Dilani Manodara, Shashikala Siriwardene, Eshani Kaushalya, Sripali Weerakkody, Ama Kanchana, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Lasanthi Madushani, Chathurani Gunewardene, Maduri Samuddhika.Stand-by players Yasoda Mendis, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasooriya, Hasini Perera, Chamari Polgampola, Nilakshi de Silva

The Norwegian striker returned from injury to net the stoppage-time winner on Saturday after Joao Cancelo had seen red

Erling Haaland rode to the rescue once again on Saturday as the Premier League’s top scorer netted a 95th-minute winner for 10-man Manchester City against Fulham.

Pep Guardiola’s side looked set to drop points at home for the first time this season until Haaland smashed home Premier League goal number 18 from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Kevin De Bruyne had won the penalty after being felled by a challenge by Antonee Robinson, and Haaland did the rest, prompting wild celebrations from the City bench.

In truth, City had made hard work of it until Haaland's latest heroics. An early goal from Julian Alvarez had set the hosts up for a straightforward win until Joao Cancelo conceded a penalty and was sent off in the first half.

Andreas Pereira equalised from the spot and a determined Fulham looked set to hang on for a point until Haaland struck once again to send the champions back to the top of the table.

Getty ImagesWinners

Erling Haaland:

There was a sense of inevitability when Haaland arrived on the pitch with 30 minutes still to play. City needed a goal and who better to call upon? The only surprise was that it took him until the 95th minute to score. The Norwegian had managed to put the ball in the back of the net before then, only to see it ruled out for a very tight offside. He was then presented with another chance deep into stoppage time from the spot and duly took it, although questions may be asked of Bernd Leno, who went the right way only for the ball go under his body.

Julian Alvarez:

The summer signing followed up his excellent performance against Sevilla with another goal for City that broke the deadlock at the Etihad Stadium. It was a fine effort too by the Argentine, who spun away from his marker and then ran through on goal. Alvarez still had work to do but made no mistake with the finish, smashing the ball past Leno and in off the underside of the crossbar. He had some threatening moments in the second half before he was replaced by Haaland.

Andreas Pereira:

The former Manchester United man was certainly up for the challenge of taking on the Sky Blues, as evidence by an early challenge on Rodri that brought a deserved yellow card. Pereira was a lively presence throughout the match and brought Fulham level from the penalty spot, sending Ederson the wrong way with his spot-kick. That’s now two goals and three assists in his last six matches for the in-form Brazilian.

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Joao Cancelo:

The full-back's early sending off turned the game as City had been in complete control until the Portugal international barged over Harry Wilson and conceded a penalty. It was a rash moment from Cancelo that brought Fulham right back into proceedings. The full-back also received an earful from Pep Guardiola as he came off the field, as the City coach was clearly not impressed with Cancelo’s contribution and made it crystal clear on the touchline. City did go on to win the game and you suspect Cancelo was the most relieved man in the stadium when he saw Haaland's penalty go in.

Jack Grealish:

The England international was in from the start but lasted only an hour after an ineffective showing. Grealish offered very little on the left of the attack and didn’t appear willing to even try and take on his man. Cancelo’s red card obviously had an effect on City’s line-up, but the hosts looked a far more threatening proposition when Phil Foden and Haaland had arrived for Grealish and Alvarez in the second half.

Arsenal:

Haaland's late winner has knocked Arsenal off the top of the table ahead of the Gunners' trip to Chelsea on Sunday. The match at Stamford Bridge already looked like being a tricky test for Mikel Arteta's side and there will now be a bit more pressure on the visitors after City's late winner. A victory will put Arsenal back on top, but anything less will keep them second with just one more round of Premier League fixtures to come before the World Cup break.

Getty ImagesMan City Ratings: Defence

Ederson (6/10): Was sent the wrong way by Pereira for the penalty but didn’t have much else to do.

John Stones (7/10): Solid in defence and did get the ball in the back of the net but saw it ruled out for offside.

Manuel Akanji (6/10): Should have scored just before half-time but planted a header straight at Leno.

Nathan Ake (5/10): Not great defending which led to Cancelo’s challenge for the penalty and was guilty of a few other sloppy moments. Moved to left-back after the red card.

Joao Cancelo (3/10): City were in complete control until he was sent off for a barge on Wilson after 25 minutes.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Rodri (7/10): A dominant presence in midfield for City early on and then in defence as he dropped back alongside Akanji after the red card.

Kevin De Bruyne (8/10): Always looked the man most likely to conjure up a chance and won the penalty from which City won the game.

Ilkay Gundogan (7/10): Teed up Alvarez for the opening goal with a precise pass.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned Alejandro Garnacho that he was "not good enough" in his previous starts this season.

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Garnacho scored against Crystal PalaceWinger has made three starts this termTen Hag warns 19-year-oldWHAT HAPPENED?

The 19-year-old has made six appearances this season and he scored his first goal of the campaign in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace. His start against the Eagles marked his third of the season, having started the opening two Premier League games, and been benched since.

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Ten Hag has now warned the teenager that his performances earlier this season were not up to scratch, insisting that he simply was not good enough. It comes amid an ongoing spat with Jadon Sancho; Ten Hag publicly called the England international out, and he responded by insisting he was being made a "scapegoat".

WHAT THEY SAID

Ten Hag said after the win over Palace: “You have seen at the start of the season we played him and then his contribution was not good enough.

“But he also had some good actions. You see always he is a threat in the game even when he is not playing that well.

“He has to learn when he does his job in defending he will always have his moment and he will always be decisive because he has great qualities.

“As well, it’s not only off the ball. But I want to see like today, he is entering the box in the right spot to finish. But I think it is quite normal for a player of his age that there is space for a lot of improvement.

“Everyone likes him, the fans like him, the team likes him, I like him but we also have to demand from him and push him because he can act on a very high level but he has to show it every day.”

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United face Palace again in the Premier League this weekend.

Xavi angrily punched his seat after seeing his Barcelona side concede an equaliser against Granada just two minutes before half-time.

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Lamine Yamal gave Barca leadRicard Sanchez levelled proceedingsXavi erupts with furyGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Lamine Yamal put Barca ahead after just 14 minutes in the La Liga clash, and Xavi's men dominated possession thereafter, albeit while struggling to create any further clear chances. They were eventually made to pay for a lack of cutting edge when Ricard Sanchez capitalised on some static defending to turn home a brilliant first-time volley, and Xavi couldn't contain his frustration in the dugout.

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Xavi announced his decision to step down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season after his team's 5-3 defeat to Villarreal last month. He also described coaching the reigning La Liga champions as "cruel and unpleasant" amid persistent criticism of his tactics and selections, with his impressive first full season in charge now a distant memory as the Blaugrana scramble for consistency.

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR BARCA?

Barca have already begun to search for Xavi's successor, with Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso among those reportedly in the frame, but the Spaniard is clearly still struggling with the stress of the job. His team are already way behind Real Madrid in the La Liga title picture this season and suffered a quarter-final exit in the Copa del Rey, which leaves the Champions League as their only route to a trophy left.