The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions once again, and they won this one in style, rallying back from a 5-0 deficit in Game 5 on Wednesday night to beat the New York Yankees, 7-6. This is the franchise's eighth championship overall and its first since 2020.

The Dodgers got back in the game with a five-run fifth inning that was helped out by three brutal fielding mistakes by the Yankees, which included a horrible drop by Aaron Judge in center field.

They then took the lead in the eighth inning by scoring two runs, with Mookie Betts knocking in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to center.

Walker Buehler, who started Game 3 for the Dodgers, came in for the ninth inning and shut down the Yankees in order. He clinched it with a strike out of Alex Verdugo.

During the celebration Dodgers catcher Will Smith was approached by MLB to authenticate the ball that got the final out.

"I gotta give it to Walker," he said to the MLB official.

That moment is near the end of this video:

MLB fans loved that:

What a teammate.

Monday night was a busy night for Kansas City sports fans. The Chiefs played at home against the New Orleans Saints at the same time as the Royals faced the Yankees away in Game 2 of the ALDS.

While most Kansas City fans had split television screens or went to bars that showed both games, fans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium had to keep an eye on the Royals game from their phones.

When the Royals' 4–2 victory was official, Arrowhead, known for being the loudest in the NFL, erupted into "Let's Go Royals!" chants. It was a goosebump worthy moment.

These cheers will be heard from across the parking lot at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday when the Royals host the Yankees for Game 3. It's the first time the Royals have made the MLB playoffs since their World Series victory run in 2015.

Kansas City fans won't have to worry about any more Chiefs and Royals games being played at the same time this week as the Chiefs are entering their bye week following the 26–13 win over the Saints. They remain as one of the two undefeated NFL teams in the league alongside the Minnesota Vikings.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Coritiba recebe o Corinthians, nesta quarta-feira (6), pela 38ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola rola a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), no Couto Pereira, com transmissão do Premiere e tempo real do Lance!.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Coritiba x Corinthians

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 06/12/2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Couto Pereira, em Coritiba (PR)
Onde assistir: Premiere e tempo real do Lance!

⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
CORITIBA (Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Luan Polli (Pedro Morisco); Natanael, Thalisson Gabriel, Kuscevic e Diogo Batista; Andrey (Willian Farias), Sabastián Gómez, Matheus Bianqui, Marcelino Moreno, Kaio César (Robson); Edu.

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Caetano e Fábio Santos (Matheus Bidu); Moscardo, Maycon, Giuliano e Renato Augusto; Romero e Giovane

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Liverpool manager Arne Slot quipped after Sunday's 3-0 loss at Manchester City that the very best time to judge a team is at the end of the season. "The next best time," the Dutchman argued, "is after 19 games, because then you've all faced the same opponents." However, we don't really need to wait until the halfway point of the Premier League campaign to determine whether Liverpool are capable of retaining their title. The Reds' race is already run after five dreadful defeats in 11 games.

"It feels like too many," as even Slot conceded in his post-match press conference at the Etihad. "The last thing I should speak about is the title race, as the reality is that we are eighth."

Indeed, the only real question now is whether Liverpool can salvage their season by finishing in the top four while at same time building up enough momentum in the coming months to mount a serious Champions League challenge.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  VAR farce no excuse

  Slot was rightly bemused by the decision to disallow Virgil van Dijk's equaliser at the Etihad. However, he didn't even attempt to argue that the Reds had deserved to go in level at the break. "In the first half," Slot said, "they were better than us in every aspect of football."

  The stats certainly supported that assessment. As well as registering just one short on target during the entire game, Liverpool also lost more than 60 percent of their duels. Plenty of attention was obviously given to the way in which Conor Bradley struggled to contain Player of the Match Jeremy Doku (not least because he was given so little help by Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah), but the truth was that Liverpool lost head-to-heads all over the pitch. Not a single member of Slot's side had a good game – or played with anything like the requisite intensity for such an important and demanding Premier League fixture.

  "You can't be considering Liverpool for the title. The decision [on the disallowed goal] might have gone against them, but overall, City looked technically and physically better than Liverpool," ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane told . "They have still got that attacking quality and, at times, they'll cause teams problems, but defensively, the goals they've given away, the decision-making, lack of intensity and energy, chopping and changing by bringing subs on – they still looked really flat."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Refusing to blame players

  Slot insisted that Liverpool didn't want for effort at the Etihad and that he had no concerns over his players' attitude or application.

  "It's easy to win duels if the game plan and the tactics are working and I think that’s what happened against [Aston] Villa and [Real] Madrid," the former Feyenoord coach said, alluding to last week's morale-boosting wins at Anfield. "But we struggled a lot with them bringing so many players into the centre of the pitch and it was difficult then for some of our players to make the right decisions. So I think it wasn't about my players not wanting to make the duel, they had to run a lot because they [City] were so much better on the ball than us.

  "I would first and foremost, then, always look at the game plan of us and them and not blame my players at all because, in the second half, when we were doing better, I think you could also see that they were able to win much more duels. In that period of time, I think we definitely deserved a goal."

  Keane ridiculed Slot's assessment of the second half by arguing that, "the game was over! It's easy to play well when you're not playing for anything." That's not strictly true, though. Had Cody Gakpo taken a glorious chance to halve Liverpool's deficit shortly after coming on, the visitors would have been right back in the game. 

  However, there is simply no denying that the Reds are not the relentless force they were last season.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  £400m spent to look weaker

  Too often this season Liverpool have started games in second gear, thus resulting in the concession of a succession of costly early goals. We're also still awaiting an adequate explanation as to why Slot's side look like a "weak team", as Keane put it, after spending more than £400 million ($525m) strengthening their squad during the summer. 

  Slot has a point when he says that Liverpool have been hindered by fitness problems. Bradley and Alexis Mac Allister are only now getting back up to speed after missing pre-season and their issues have undoubtedly affected the overall balance of the team, while new signings Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak have endured injury-interrupted starts to their respective Anfield careers.

  However, Florian Wirtz has yet to make any kind of impact on the Premier League, and while Hugo Ekitike has shown off his Kop icon credentials, former Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez has been so poor that he's lost his place in the starting line-up to an Andy Robertson in decline.  The net result is a complete absence of cohesion in a once-settled side, as underlined by their Premier League record of six wins and five defeats.

  "I think last season they had a lot more consistency, and Slot's job was easier, because he was inheriting a squad from Jurgen Klopp," former Liverpool striker Dean Sturridge argued on . "But this season, they have made new signings, some players have hit the ground running, but other players haven't got there yet.

  "It's an unforgiving league. This expectation is for the players, just because of the price tag, to come here and be world-class footballers straight away. But it's rare that happens in the Premier League because the demands are high and the intensity of each team they're facing is better than around the world. I think some of the players are surprised by the intensity of the league – Florian Wirtz is one of them – so the chemistry the team had last season has clearly disappeared." The question is, what is Slot going to do about it?

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Existing issues and new problems

  Liverpool obviously haven't become a bad team overnight. For starters, their struggles actually pre-date – and unquestionably drove – their summer spending spree.

  The Reds have played 47 times in all competitions since the turn of the year and won only 21 of those games, losing 16 in total. There are, of course, mitigating circumstances, with two of their Premier League defeats coming after they'd wrapped up their record-equalling 20th English title. But fatigue was undoubtedly a factor during a somewhat shaky second half of last season – and played a pivotal role in a trying week in March during which they were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain before being upset by Newcastle in the final of the Carabao Cup.

  There was, then, an acceptance that Liverpool required greater strength in depth in defence ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, as well as more creativity in midfield and a more clinical finisher up front. For all the money spent, though, Liverpool still have issues in every department.

  Because of his issues adjusting the pace and physicality of the Premier League, Wirtz has been moved onto the left, where the inconsistent and often one-dimensional Gakpo has failed to fill the void left by Luis Diaz, whose incisive dribbling skills are being badly missed.

  For all Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive deficiencies, the right-back's absence is being keenly felt from an offensive perspective (and most keenly by Salah). Bradley is simply not capable of the same line-splitting passes from deep nor can he serve as an auxiliary midfielder – or at least not as effectively as Alexander-Arnold.

  A fully-fit Isak should obviously end up providing the kind of cutting edge that Slot has repeatedly claimed has cost Liverpool points this season (despite Ekitike's promising start), but Konate's calamitous form is making the failure to get a deadline-day deal for Marc Guehi over the line looking like a potentially ruinous mistake. 

  Basically, the new signings have failed to solve existing problems – and actually created new ones.

Vitor Pereira had penned a new contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers back in September.

Yet, as we now enter November, the Portuguese boss is no longer occupying the Molineux hot-seat, with the Old Gold yet to collect a Premier League win this season from ten matches.

It is going to be a huge task for whoever takes on the reins after Pereira to try and turn around Wolves’ miserable season, with a surprise return for Gary O’Neil reportedly once on the cards.

However, despite allegedly entering talks about coming back to the top-flight’s basement club, the ex-Wolves manager pulled out of a shock reunion.

This could be a blessing in disguise in the West Midlands, with O’Neil enduring a tough end to his previous Old Gold spell…

Where things went wrong for O'Neil at Wolves

Going back in for a previous manager to try and turn around a sinking ship very rarely works out.

O’Neil did manage to keep Wolves up during his first campaign in charge during the 2022/23 season, as a depleted Old Gold side that no longer had the likes of Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez on their books soared to 14th in the league standings.

It’s the woeful start to his second campaign in charge that would likely have not made this an appointment to go down well with the already disgruntled Molineux masses.

Indeed, Wolves only managed to collect a dire two wins from 16 games before he was given his marching orders, having also conceded a calamitous 40 goals along the way.

O’Neil’s Wolves record
Games managed	100
Wins	31
Draws	17
Losses	52
Goals scored	135
Goals conceded	178
Points accumulated	110
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Therefore, expecting O’Neil to return and be a transformative appointment would have been viewed as far-fetched, with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi even admitting when he got rid of the 42-year-old that he had “cut ties too late.”

Thankfully, Pereira worked out in the short term. But, now, Wolves need another fresh set of ideas to get them out of a similar mess, as a former Old Gold player turned successful manager continues to be linked with the vacancy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Wolves' outstanding O'Neil alternative

Wolves have been linked with a whole host of different and unique names, with ex-Molineux goal machine Robbie Keane even throwing his hat into the ring.

But, it appears now that current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is high up on the priority list to replace Pereira, with talkSPORT naming Edwards as a ‘strong contender’ to get the job.

It’s noted that former Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, is also on their radar, although Edwards is currently ahead of the Dutchman to get the job.

The current Boro boss has a release clause in his contract at the Riverside and could soon make a return to the Premier League.

Immediately, with his previous connections to the club as a player and as a former U21 coach, it could be a good fit.

That’s before you even take into account the admirable job he did at Luton Town, who were rooted towards the foot of the Premier League division throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Against all the odds, the much-loved Edwards nearly kept Luton afloat in the Premier League, as the Boro boss made the Hatters a stern team to try and break down.

That led to the minnows picking up a 1-1 draw against Liverpool that season, and saw them compete with Arsenal all the way at Kenilworth Road in a 4-3 defeat. Remarkably, that is the last time the Gunners have shipped three goals in any game of football.

Mikel Arteta even commended Edwards for how “difficult” he had made Luton to beat, with Wolves in some dire need of the same grit and application to try and get them out of their horrible hole.

It wasn’t all just attritional performances, though, as Edwards also managed to turn Carlton Morris into an 11-goal hero in the top-flight. That will be music to the ears of a misfiring Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has only one league strike next to his name this season.

But, as can be seen watching the highlight reel above, the imposing Norwegian did manage to fire home 14 goals last campaign, as he attempts to become Edwards’ next focal point, if the ex-Luton manager is handed the reins.

Described as an opportunity that will be “hard for him to say no to” by journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see if Edwards does end up swapping a top-of-the-table position in the EFL for another basement battle in the league above.

With a bit between his teeth now at the Riverside Stadium, it could be time for Edwards to mount a Premier League return, having also previously been lauded as “one of English football’s brightest and best young coaches.”

Doesn’t that sound good, Wolves fans?

Robbie Keane in talks with Wolves as Steven Gerrard gives clarity on future

The Old Gold are looking for a new successor and one of their former players has put their hat in the ring.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 4, 2025

Glasgow Rangers are inching ever closer to finally appointing their next head coach after they decided to relieve Russell Martin of his duties before the start of the international break.

The Light Blues made the decision to part ways with the former Scotland international after a poor run of form that saw his side win five out of 17 matches.

Martin’s side, as illustrated in the graphic above, were simply not good enough across his time in charge of the Scottish giants, conceding a whopping 24 goals in 17 matches.

RangersReview reports that Kevin Muscat is close to finalising a deal to join the club from SH Port, and that an announcement could come this weekend.

The English-born tactician is set to see out the last three matches of the Chinese Super League season, with his team sat at the top of the table, before coming in as the long-term replacement for Martin next month.

Youth team coach Steven Smith will be in interim charge for the clash with Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday, but it remains to be seen who will be in charge after that and before Muscat comes through the door.

What Rangers fans can expect from a Kevin Muscat team

Based on SH Port’s performances this season in the Chinese Super League, Rangers fans can expect a winning culture and entertainment from a Muscat team.

In the Super League, his side are top of the league with 60 points from 27 matches in a 30-game division, and have scored 67 goals in that time, eight more than any other team, per Sofascore.

Interim boss Steven Smith claimed that Rangers need a winner in the dugout in his pre-match media duties on Friday, which suggests that Muscat is the perfect man for the job.

The SH Port manager is on course to win a league title for the third time in his last four seasons as a manager, with his team sat four points clear with three games to go.

2025 (27)

2.22

1st

2024 (30)

2.60

1st

2023 (34)

1.88

2nd

2022 (34)

2.00

1st

2021 (18)

1.83

2nd

As you can see in the table above, Muscat is used to managing teams that are competing for league titles every season, and he has shown that he can coach a side to get over the line and win silverware.

However, supporters who were not too keen on the defensive set-up and record under Martin may not be too pleased to learn that SH Port have conceded 41 goals in 27 league games this season.

Muscat’s strengths are clearly in structuring a team to attack and score goals, rather than defend and cling on to 1-0 or 2-1 leads, and supporters will hope that that approach will be enough to turn the tide in Glasgow.

Whilst he may not officially link up with the team until next month, there are things that Steven Smith, or the next interim, could do to prepare the squad for Muscat.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

For example, the SH Port manager typically deploys right-footed forward Ruofan Liu on the right wing to provide creativity at the top end of the pitch.

The 24-year-old has created nine ‘big chances’ and delivered five assists in 17 league starts in 2025, per Sofascore, and Smith must unleash Oliver Antman against Dundee United to be Muscat’s next Liu in the making.

Why Rangers must unleash Oliver Antman against Dundee United

Mikey Moore has started three of the last five Scottish Premiership matches for the Light Blues on the right wing, including the 1-1 draw with Falkirk last time out.

The 18-year-old attacker, however, has failed to provide much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch for the Gers, with no goals and one assist in ten appearances, per Transfermarkt.

His only assist for the club to date was a short pass to Nedim Bajrami, who scored a screamer from distance against League One outfit Alloa Athletic, which suggests that he has yet to provide any moments of genuine quality in front of goal.

Antman, on the other hand, is a right-footed right winger who has shown glimpses of the creative quality that he can provide when he is at his best.

The Finland international has delivered three assists in 13 matches for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, since his summer move from Go Ahead Eagles, including one for James Tavernier in the Premiership in the clip below.

Antman, who reporter Chris Jack claimed has “feet like drumsticks”, also showcased his creativity in the Netherlands with Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old wing wizard ended the season with a return of six goals and 15 assists in 32 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch outfit before his move to Ibrox in the summer transfer window, per Sofascore.

xAG

0.34

Top 3%

xA

0.24

Top 16%

Assists

0.56

Top 1%

Key passes

1.87

Top 21%

Passes into the penalty area

1.42

Top 36%

Crosses into the penalty area

0.37

Top 32%

As you can see in the table above, Antman ranked as one of the most creative attacking midfielders or wingers in the league for Go Ahead Eagles last term.

This shows that he has the potential to be a Liu-type player for Muscat if he can unlock his best form in a Rangers shirt, as he has the creative potential to be a consistent threat as a right-footed right winger in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 system.

Therefore, Smith can warm him up for the next Gers head coach by playing him from the start against Dundee United this weekend, so that he can start to find his feet and gain confidence in Scottish football.

52 y/o who worked with Postecoglou now set to join Kevin Muscat at Rangers

The Gers have almost solved their manager problem.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 17, 2025

The New York Yankees are altering their strict facial hair policy heading into the 2025 MLB season.

"In recent weeks, I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees—spanning several eras—to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback," managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement Friday. "These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward.

"It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy."

The legend of the Yankees' facial hair policy dates back to 1973 shortly after George M. Steinbrenner bought the franchise from CBS. As the story goes, Steinbrenner gazed at the Yankees' lineup on Opening Day and couldn't identify the players by their faces yet and instead focused on their unkempt facial hair. Steinbrenner ordered manager Ralph Houk to tell his players to get a haircut.

"All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches [except for religious reasons], and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar," the Yankees' player manual stated. "Long sideburns and mutton chops are not specifically banned."

New York's facial hair policy remained in effect for decades despite multiple protests from employed players. In 1991, Don Mattingly was benched and fined for refusing to trim his mullet. Any player who previously sported facial hair and joined the Yankees—famously the shaggy Johnny Damon in 2006—had to clean up their hair and facial hair before donning the pinstripes.

But now, the Yankees' outdated policy is behind them. Hopefully, this year's roster packed plenty of beard oil for their spring training tenure in Tampa, Fla.

Cody Bellinger was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees on Tuesday, joining the team his dad, Clay, spent most of his career with, winning two World Series titles along the way in the '90s. As it turns out, getting to the Bronx has been high on Bellinger's priority list.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told the media Wednesday that Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, told Cashman that Bellinger's desire to play for New York was so pervasive Boras said he was "driving me crazy" with his attempts to get to the Bronx.

Last season, there were plenty of rumors leading up to the trade deadline that a Bellinger trade to New York could be in play. No such trade materialized, and there were some blockers on the way to getting a deal done now that were resolved by the Cubs sending $5 million in cash to the Yankees as a part of the deal ($2.5 million to cover part of his contract in 2024 and '25).

Bellinger did not secure a large deal during free agency ahead of the 2024 season as was largely anticipated. Instead, he signed a three-year contract that contained opt-outs after each year of the deal, allowing him to re-enter free agency if he wanted to. Bellinger's play regressed (though he was still an above average batter in terms of OPS), an unfortunate outcome for the Cubs who were then stuck with the contract for a player not playing up to expectations.

At the time, the deal was viewed as savvy for the team, but his struggles at the plate last year created some tension. The Yankees hope that a short right field at Yankee Stadium (and on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays, as Cashman pointed out) will be beneficial for him getting back in a groove similar to what he produced in 2023. Bellinger is a former MVP and has had an above-average OPS in six of his eight big-league seasons.

Arne Slot is not only facing an uphill battle to save Liverpool's season, but also his job. That is a sentence no Liverpool supporter would have imagined reading barely six months on from seeing the Dutchman deliver the club's second Premier League title, and yet it is no exaggeration. The Reds have plummeted to 11th in the table after losing six of their first 12 games in the 2025-26 campaign, which leaves them a whopping 11 points behind early pace-setters Arsenal already.

It's easy to forget now that Liverpool ended September three points clear at the summit, but a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace marked the beginning of an unprecedented downturn. Slot's men have only picked up three points from their last seven matches, with a 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest marking their latest setback, and look like a shadow of the team that dominated the division last term.

Despite a record-breaking £450 million ($589m) spend in the summer transfer window, Liverpool have gone backwards. New faces such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have all failed to make an impact, and their presence, along with the departure of academy talisman Trent Alexander-Arnold, has upset the balance of Slot's line up. The tragic death of Diogo Jota has also clearly taken its toll on the other players who were so instrumental to the club's 2024-25 success.

Liverpool can take a sliver of hope from Manchester United, who were only one point better off at this stage but went on to defend their crown in 1996-97. However, the Red Devils' final haul of 75 points remains the lowest-ever for any Premier League champions. A closer look at the history books suggests that the Reds won't be able to claw back Arsenal, or even come back to mount any kind of challenge.

The reality is, it will now take a monumental effort for them to avoid joining the list of the worst Premier League title defences ever. Below, GOAL has ranked the six teams that regressed furthest after lifting the hallowed trophy…

Getty6Liverpool 2020-21

The Liverpool faithful actually experienced a similar situation after celebrating their maiden Premier League triumph. Jurgen Klopp's side amassed 99 points to win the title in 2019-20, finishing 18 points ahead of Manchester City. However, they reached just 69 the following season after an injury-plagued year that saw the majority of games played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That was only enough for third place, with City regaining their crown at the canter ahead of Manchester United.

Klopp had to make do without key players such as Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah for lengthy periods, and Liverpool completely unravelled after the festive period. Burnley ended the Reds' 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield on January 21, 2021, which started a miserable run of six successive home defeats.

Liverpool were down in eighth by March, and although they won eight of their final 10 games to qualify for the Champions League, including a memorable victory over West Brom that saw goalkeeper Alisson head in a stoppage-time goal, it wasn't enough to paper over the cracks of a disappointing campaign. The Reds' misery was compounded by a shocking 7-2 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa and a 4-1 loss to Man City, the latter of which prompted United legend Roy Keane to dub Klopp's flops as "bad champions" on . 

AdvertisementGetty Images5Blackburn Rovers 1995-96

Blackburn Rovers' rise from second division strugglers to champions of England is one of the greatest Premier League stories of all time, and their swift fall is among the saddest. Ray Harford had a huge job on his hands to follow the act of Kenny Dalglish, who resigned from his managerial post after masterminding the club's glorious 1994-95 campaign, but few could have predicted Rovers would start a new era in such abject fashion.

Blackburn were down in 17th just six games into the new season, with a 3-0 defeat at Liverpool effectively ending their title defence. Consistency would continue to prove elusive for Harford, whose lowest point came after a 5-0 thrashing by Coventry City in December. He did gradually turn things around thereafter as Blackburn only suffered five more losses en route to a seventh-placed finish, but the damage was already done.

That was not enough to secure European football for another year and Alan Shearer's head was subsequently turned by Newcastle. Blackburn sold their top scorer off to St James' Park for a British-record fee, before falling to 13th in the table the following season. In the end, Rovers were nothing more than a flash in the pan.

Getty Images Sport4Leicester City 2016-17

Leicester City eclipsed Blackburn's fairy-tale story by clinching the Premier League trophy as 5000-1 underdogs in 2015-16, which gave beloved manager Claudio Ranieri legendary status at the King Power Stadium. But the euphoria didn't last long; the Foxes suffered a major hangover, partly due to the sale of star midfielder N'Golo Kante, and were only six points clear of the relegation zone in 15th by the end of 2016.

They fell to 17th by mid-February, and Ranieri was ruthlessly sacked. Former Leicester striker Gary Lineker described that decision as "unforgivable", but the Italian's temporary replacement, Craig Shakespeare, immediately galvanised the team. He won all of his first five games and guided the Foxes to a comeback victory over Sevilla in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid ousted Leicester in the quarter-finals, but they eventually climbed to 12th in the Premier League to beat the drop. Statistically, though, it was by some distance the worst title defence ever, and a 6-1 loss to Tottenham at the King Power in their penultimate game summed up a turbulent year that saw supporters' dreams give way to nightmares.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Hulton Archive3Leeds United 1992-93

Leeds were not technically defending the Premier League title in 1992-93, because that was the season the old First Division was rebranded, but they still started the campaign as English champions, and thus cannot escape the ignominy of a place on this list. The Whites capitalised on Liverpool's implosion to top the table in 1991-92, led by hotshot striker Lee Chapman and winter signing Eric Cantona, the latter of whom also scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 Charity Shield victory over the Reds that August.

But Howard Wilkinson's side only won three of their opening 10 Premier League games in the new season, and Cantona departed for Manchester United in November after boycotting training and handing in a transfer request. His arrival at Old Trafford propelled the Red Devils to their first domestic crown in 26 years, while Leeds descended into a full-blown crisis without their star man.

The Whites did not win a single away game all season, and finished 17th in the table of 22 teams, just two points clear of the relegation places. They lost 15 of their 42 fixtures and conceded 62 goals, the joint-fifth worst defensive record in the league. Supporters invaded the pitch after a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Coventry on the final day, but more out of relief that the pain was finally over.

It was a fall from grace for the ages, and to make matters worse, Leeds were also knocked out of the Champions League second round in a 'Battle of Britain' clash against Rangers. 

Manchester United are now fighting one of their Premier League rivals for the signature of Christian Pulisic, who has recently entered talks over a new contract at AC Milan.

Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in a new forward, despite both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo making encouraging starts to life at Old Trafford, being praised by Gary Neville, who said: “With Cunha and Mbeumo, the risk of those signings was removed because in the sense they had played in the Premier League before and they had the hunger to deliver at a different level.

“Mbeumo looks like he belongs. He looks hungry and that he wants to score goals.

“Cunha and Mbeumo will win a lot of matches for Manchester United.”

Indeed, the two summer signings had already proven themselves in the Premier League, which meant they were low-risk additions, unlike Jadon Sancho, who flattered to deceive despite tearing it up with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

However, it has now been revealed that United are in the race for a forward who didn’t exactly set the world alight during his previous stint in England.

Man Utd fighting Aston Villa for AC Milan star Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now fighting Aston Villa for the signature of Pulisic, despite the forward recently entering talks with AC Milan over a new deal to extend his stay at the San Siro.

The Red Devils are keen to improve their forward options even further, despite adding Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko in the summer transfer window, and there is a belief the American could help them in their push for Europe for this season.

The 27-year-old’s contract situation is the ‘biggest obstacle’ for Amorim’s side to overcome, given that he is currently tied down until 2027, with an option to extend, and the Italian club are eager to keep hold of one of their key players.

The 82-time USA international was unable to establish himself as a Premier League star during his stint with Chelsea, registering just three goal contributions in all competitions during his final season at Stamford Bridge, but he has since taken his game to the next level.

Former USA defender Alexi Lalas has been left particularly impressed by the winger’s performances since moving to AC Milan, saying: “What is world class? Well, you’ve got your definition, I have my definition. But if you want to know what world class is, it’s Christian Pulisic.

“I think he’s playing his best soccer of his career. And I’m telling you right now, Christian Pulisic at this moment is one of the top 25 players in the world. He just happens to be American.”

Having already picked up eight goal contributions in all competitions this season, Pulisic could be ready for another crack at the Premier League, and he could be a real difference-maker for Man United in their push for Europe.

Man Utd set to make £52m bid for "the best winger in the country"

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