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O início da partida entre São Paulo e Vitória, válida pela quinta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, foi marcado por polêmicas envolvendo o VAR. Antes dos cinco minutos de partida, o zagueiro Wagner Leonardo se envolveu em uma disputada com Calleri na área.

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Após revisão, o árbitro da partida decidiu por expulsar o jogador do Leão, que passou a atuar com dez atletas em campo.

Nas redes sociais, torcedores do Vitória criticaram a atitude de Wagner, que teria acertado uma cotovelada no atacante adversário. Os são-paulinos, por sua vez, comemoram a decisão da equipe de arbitragem. Confira alguns comentários a seguir.

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Campeonato BrasileiroFutebol NacionalSão PauloVitória

The Tigers had lost eight consecutive games entering Thursday night's matchup with the Guardians in Cleveland. Once up by 15.5 games in the American League Central, Detroit needed a win in order to get back even with the Guardians as the regular season enters its final weekend. A.J. Hinch turned to rookie Troy Melton to deliver in the biggest spot of the year and the young righthander rewarded that confidence by throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering a single run.

Upon getting relieved from the game, Melton savored the moment by singing along to Blink-182's "All The Small Things" as it blared throughout the stadium.

Here's that cool moment.

Detroit and Cleveland now have a three-game race to the division crown. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker so it would have been all but over had Melton not stepped in to stop the historic skid. It's a good sign for the Tigers that Melton can be this cool in such a huge moment.

And kudos to the Fan Duel Sports Detroit broadcast for catching on to what was happening.

Retiring allrounder says he agrees with decision to overlook him for Ashes tour after dislocation

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025

Chris Woakes has confirmed that his international retirement was accelerated by the shoulder injury he sustained at The Oval in July, which he quickly realised could mark the end of his England career.Woakes, 36, announced his decision to retire from international cricket on Monday after discussions with Rob Key, England’s managing director, in which it became clear that he would not be considered for selection in the upcoming Ashes. He intends to play on both in franchise cricket, starting at the ILT20 in December, and for his county Warwickshire.His decision means that the final act of his England career was to walk out to bat at No. 11 with his left arm in a sling, spending 16 agonising minutes at the non-striker’s end and grimacing in pain every time he ran through for a single. Woakes did not face a ball as England fell six runs short, but was widely praised for his courage and bravery, defying a shoulder dislocation.He sustained the injury while diving over the boundary in an attempt to save a run on the first day of that fifth Test, and admitted in an interview with Sky Sports that retirement soon crossed his mind. “Definitely, there was a part of me that thought then that this could be my last act in an England shirt,” Woakes said.Related

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“When my shoulder was in the wrong place and you’re walking off at that moment, immediately you’re thinking about the game, and thinking you’re not going to play any further part. And then once things calm down a little bit, and you get the shoulder back in place, I suppose you start to then reflect and think, ‘Actually, this could be potentially be my last act in an England shirt.'”Woakes had been preparing to take a left-handed stance if required to face a ball, and conceded that he had found the prospect “slightly terrifying”. But he said that he never doubted his decision to bat: “I would’ve never been able to live with myself if I’d have said no… It just wouldn’t have sat right with me. It felt the right thing to do, and I’m sure everyone [else] would’ve done the same.”While he would have been in contention for England’s Ashes squad if fully fit, Woakes’ recovery timeframe effectively ruled him out of the start of the series and he was ultimately not considered for selection. He said that he was confident he could have “done a job” in some capacity if available, but accepted that the severity of his injury changed the picture.”I’ve got to get this right and rehab it well,” Woakes said. “Before that, the body was feeling great, and actually got better as the [India] series went on. Physically, I felt great and I felt like I potentially could have continued, but then obviously this happened and it just did change things a little bit.”I still feel like I would’ve been good enough and had the ability to go out [to Australia] – with my experience – to be able to go and do a job for the team, but I understand the route that the team are wanting to take. We haven’t won in Australia for a long time, so it feels like we’ve got to do something a little bit different and I’m fully behind that.”There was a chance I could have been fit once we go into December, but obviously the series would’ve been well and truly underway [by then]. You’re into the third or fourth Test match by that point, and I’m generally better with cricket under my belt. That call wasn’t surprising and, to be fair, I totally agree with that decision as well.”Woakes said that he had been “overwhelmed” by the response to his retirement, and that he will leave international cricket with no regrets: “To have won two World Cups, been a part of many Ashes series and one Ashes series win, I could never have dreamt of anything more.”

Paul Scholes has shared details on how Manchester United have treated club legends at Old Trafford in what he described as a “very different” club under INEOS.

The Old Trafford legend retired in 2013 and has since watched on as both a pundit and fan as the Red Devils continue to struggle. Whilst his generation stole headline after headline by winning Premier League title after Premier League title, current stars are simply hoping to take United back into the top four.

Mbeumo upgrade: INEOS want to sign "best player in the world" for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to target another elite-level talent for Ruben Amorim in the months ahead.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 25, 2025

There’s no doubt that Ruben Amorim would love to have a player of Scholes’ calibre these days. Where there was a big occasion, there was so often a big moment from the legendary midfielder.

Legends don’t get much bigger than Scholes at Old Trafford, but as Nicky Butt revealed, the Red Devils haven’t always treated their former players well in recent years.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Butt revealed: “I’ve had an email saying ‘you’re having your ticket taken off you’. So I rang them up and said can I speak to somebody about this please? And they go ‘who am I speaking to please?’, and I go Nicky Butt and they go, ‘OK, well who’s that?’”

It’s not the first time that Man United have cut former players off, either. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS reportedly cut an annual £40,000 charity donation to the Association of Former Manchester United Players last December in a controversial decision.

INEOS then went and spent over £120m on reinforcements in the summer transfer window to add insult to injury for those former players.

Now, Scholes has shared a problem that he’s had with the club to follow on from Butt’s admission and INEOS’ decision to end United’s charity donation.

Scholes shares disappointment at "very different" Man Utd

Also speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes admitted that he has to use ticket touts for some Man United games after running out of season tickets to use.

Some would argue that the midfielder’s goal against Barcelona should have been enough to ensure free entry for life, let alone his 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League wins, but his struggles beg a greater question.

If a club legend is struggling to attend games, then how much are the fans struggling? The last thing that INEOS need is to potentially shut their own fans out, and that includes the likes of Scholes and Butt.

Man Utd surge into race against Liverpool and Arsenal to sign £123m superstar

Stats highlights from India’s thrilling victory against England at The Oval

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Aug-2025

Mohammed Siraj was named Player of the Match•Associated Press

6 – India’s margin of victory in the fifth Test against England at The Oval, is their narrowest in Tests in terms of runs. The previous record was 13 runs while defending 107 against Australia in Mumbai in 2004.The six-run margin is also the joint-third-narrowest defeat for England in Tests.332 – England’s score at the fall of their fifth wicket in their chase of 374. Only once before has a team scored so many runs for their first five partnerships and still lost. England were 346 for 5 in a 463-run chase against Australia at the MCG in 1977, but lost by 45 runs.Related

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How Woakes defied injury to front up in England's hour of need

2 – Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are the second India pair to take four or more wickets in both innings of a Test. Bishan Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna did it against Australia in Delhi in 1969.Siraj and Prasidh’s performance at The Oval was the 15th instance of two bowlers taking four-fors in both innings for a team, and the first since Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann for England against India in Mumbai in 2012-13.23 – Wickets for Siraj in the series against England, the joint-highest for an India bowler in a Test series in England, level with Jasprit Bumrah’s 23 wickets in 2021-22.Harry Brook walks back after making his maiden fourth-innings hundred•Getty Images195 – The partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is the second-highest in the fourth innings of a Test to end in a defeat. The highest is 204, between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant against England in 2018, also at The Oval.Root and Brook are only the seventh pair to score hundreds in the fourth innings of a Test and end on the losing side. Rahul and Pant in 2018 were the last of the previous six.4 – Consecutive Test series that England have failed to win against India. Their previous series win against India came in 2018, when they won 4-1 at home. England’s longest streak without a series win against India is five, between 1996 and 2011.1-10 – India’s win-loss record in the fifth and sixth matches of an away Test series. Before the six-run win at The Oval, India had lost ten of 17 such matches, while seven ended in draws. At home, India have a 7-4 record in 27 such Tests.

Both teams have two points each and are looking to add to it in their push to make the knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Oct-20252:39

Preview – Sri Lanka can’t control their fate

Big picture: SL move from wet Colombo to dry Navi Mumbai

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka head into their clash with two points each, yet their campaigns couldn’t have been more different. For Sri Lanka, those two points came courtesy washed-out games in Colombo. They have now moved to hot and humid Navi Mumbai, where they will begin their final leg with an outside chance to make the top four.Bangladesh had started brightly with a win over Pakistan, but have struggled since. They have run top sides close, but have fallen short at crucial junctures. Though Bangladesh are yet to beat Sri Lanka in ODIs, they will fancy their chances, given their spin attack has troubled established batting line-ups. The loser of Monday’s fixture will be knocked out of contention for the semi-finals.The two sides have met each other four times in ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning two and the other two being washed out. It will be a long shot for Bangladesh to make the semi-finals, but they can get there if they win their next two games and hope other results go their way. Even a top-five finish will be significant for Bangladesh, their senior spinner Fahima Khatun said on the eve of the match, in what is only their second appearance at an ODI World Cup.While Bangladesh’s batting remains a concern, their bowling, led by spinners, has been their strength. But it was a different story against Australia, who razed down their target of 199 with ten wickets to spare.Sri Lanka have had similar issues. While their batters have often made promising starts, they’ve lost wickets in clusters. But the washed-out match against New Zealand, where they posted 258 before rain had the final say, showed a glimpse of what they can do. In this match, it will come down to how well they operate against Bangladesh’s spinners, while Bangladesh will want to show some of their batting capabilities in their quest for a first win against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

In the spotlight: Harshitha Samarawickrama and Sobhana Mostary

Harshitha Samarawickrama has quickly risen through the ranks for Sri Lanka to become one of their batting mainstays. Since her 53 against India in the tri-series earlier this year, she has not scored a half-century in six innings though she’s got starts. Against England, she looked well set in the chase of 254 with a 58-run stand with Hasini Perera but lost her wicket to Sophie Ecclestone, which triggered a Sri Lanka collapse. Sri Lanka will be expecting more runs from their No. 4 as they look to finish their campaign on a high.Sobhana Mostary has been the most impressive Bangladesh batter in the tournament so far. She has two fifties, both coming against top oppositions in Australia and England. In a tournament where most other Bangladesh batters have struggled, the 23-year-old has stood out at No.5. She is adept at rotating the strike and finding the gaps. Against Australia, she was circumspect against Alana King but took on Annabel Sutherland and Darcie Brown, her 66 not out taking Bangladesh to a respectable 198.1:24

Fahima Khatun: We’ve lost games, but gained a lot of positives

Team news: Marufa Akter set to return

Fast bowler Marufa Akter, who was rested for Bangladesh’s previous match against Australia, is expected to return to the side. “Marufa is better now, she has been training hard the last couple of days and I think we will have her fully fit for the next match,” Khatun said at her press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Fargana Hoque, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Rabeya Khan, 9 Ritu Moni, 10 Nishita Akter Nishi, 11 Marufa AkterVishmi Gunaratne was on 12 when she was stretchered off the field against South Africa, after being struck by the ball on her left knee while completing a run. She, however, returned to bat and finished with 34 off 33 balls. Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake said she was “okay for selection” against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Vishmi Gunaratne, 4 Harshita Samarawickrama, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Piumi Wathsala, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Malki Madara, 11 Inoka RanaweeraChamari Athapaththu is one away from 4000 ODI runs•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: DY Patil Stadium gears up to host its first ODI

This will be the first-ever ODI at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The stadium has hosted 14 Vijay Hazare (List A) games in the last three years. The average first-innings score has been 252 with teams chasing winning nine games. Dew is expected to play a role at the ground.The forecast is clear for the entire day, with temperatures set to hit a high of 36 degrees. On the eve of the match, Bangladesh’s Khatun said she expects it to be a “sporting wicket with batters and bowlers expected to benefit from it”. Sri Lanka coach Ratnayake echoed her views.

Stats and trivia

• Chamari Athapaththu is one run away from 4000 ODI runs and four wickets away from 50 ODI wickets
• Fargana Hoque is 79 runs away from 2000 ODI runs
• Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani will play her 50th ODI match on Monday.

Pep Guardiola made ten changes for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, Nico González the only man to keep his place and, well, this certainly did not pay off.

Manchester City were beaten in a home group stage tie for the first time since defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in September 2018, with Leverkusen leaving the Etihad comfortable 2-0 winners.

Nico O’Reilly, Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden were all introduced at half time, with Rayan Cherki and Erling Braut Håland thrown on soon after, but they still rarely threatened die Werkself’s goal.

Thus, the Sky Blues’ top eight spot in the Champions League is now somewhat under threat, traveling to Real Madrid in a fortnight, before rounding out the league phase against Bodø/Glimt in the Arctic Circle and then Galatasaray at home in late January.

After the match, Guardiola bemoaned his lack of squad depth, so could it spark him to go into the January transfer market, potentially set to make a move to sign the “best winger in the country”?

Manchester City targeting attacking reinforcements

In January this year, Manchester City splashed around £180m, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, the aforementioned Nico González and Omar Marmoush, thereby spending more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined.

Well, according to reports in Spain, similar heavy investment is forecast this winter, with the Citizens having made Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo a ‘priority target’.

They add that Man City are among those ‘considering’ making a January move for the Ghanaian attacker, alongside Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and others.

Well, earlier this month, it was reported that Semenyo’s contract contains a £65m release clause that becomes active on 1 January, meaning the winger could have his pick of clubs, and Bournemouth would be powerless to prevent him departing.

So, could the 25-year-old soon swap Dorset for East Manchester?

How Antoine Semenyo would improve Manchester City

So far this season, former England international Chris Waddle has asserted that Semenyo is the “best winger in the country”, while Anantaajith Raghuraman of The Athletic took it a step further, arguing that he is ‘the best player in the Premier League right now’.

These are certainly not outrageous claims, considering the Ghanaian international has scored six goals and registered three assists already in this campaign.

More broadly, the Bournemouth attacker has been one of the stars across the whole league so far, as the table below highlights.

As the table documents, Semenyo has been one of the most outstanding players in the Premier League this season.

Only Håland, Igor Thiago and Danny Welbeck have scored more goals while, of all players who’ve mustered ten or more shots on target, Håland is the only one to boast a higher shots on target percentage, underlining his newfound clinical nature.

Lifting some of the burden on Håland would be a key benefit of signing Semenyo in January.

In the league thus far, the Norwegian already has 14 goals to his name, but the only other player to have netted more than once for the Citizens is Maxime Estève, who scored two own goals when Burnley visited the Etihad in September.

Players such as Foden, Cherki, Doku, Savinho and others have shown glimpses of brilliance, but nothing on a consistent basis on par with what Semenyo has been producing by the South Coast.

Thus, alongside Håland, he could form an unstoppable partnership that could bring the glory days back to the Etihad, as they seek to chase down Premier League leaders Arsenal once again.

4/10 Man City duo who "offer nothing" must now never start together again

This pair struggled in Man City’s 2-0 home loss to Leverkusen

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 26, 2025

After six matches in charge, Danny Röhl is already starting to figure out which members of the Rangers squad he can trust, and which he cannot.

So far, the German has won all three Premiership matches in charge, most recently demolishing Dundee 3-0 at Dens, looking to keep that streak going when bottom of the table Livingston visit Ibrox on Saturday.

However, the Gers remain rooted to the foot of the Europa League standings, yet to pick up a single point at the mid-way mark of the league phase, and were dumped out of the League Cup semi-finals by Celtic, underlining that there is still plenty of work for Röhl to do.

Having seemingly decided that one of the Light Blues’ many summer signings is not for him, should the German head coach give a “big talent” a chance to stake a claim?

Joe Rothwell's start to life at Rangers

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell has come under serious scrutiny from supporters, given the club’s expensive but underwhelming summer recruitment, with Joe Rothwell among the least popular additions.

The 30-year-old defensive midfielder arrived from Bournemouth for around £400k to plenty of excitement, with Joe Donnohue describing him as “assured, energetic and accomplished”, while Kai Watson asserted that he would be a “very smart signing” given that he’s an “excellent passer and progresser of the ball, exactly what this Rangers midfield needs”.

However, this has certainly not been the case, with the Englishman putting in numerous sluggish and slow performances during the early weeks of the season when the team were massively struggling under Russell Martin.

During August’s 1-1 draw at St Mirren, speaking on Sky Sports commentary, Neil McCann noted that Rothwell looked completely “cooked”, while Kenny Macintyre of BBC Sportsound agreed, exclaiming that “Joe Rothwell… has looked knackered in every game”.

Well, even at this early stage of his tenure, Röhl has seemingly been unimpressed, with Rothwell starting the German’s first match in charge, the 3-0 drubbing in Bergen, but not doing so again since, an unused substitute for all three Premiership matches, as well as the most recent Europa League game against Roma.

So, with Rothwell not in Röhl’s plans, Mohamed Diomandé alongside Nicolas Raskin is the first-choice midfield pairing, which is strong, but that duo cannot play every minute of every game, so should the new manager give his “big talent” an opportunity?

Rangers youngster who deserves more opportunities

A young player Rangers supporters were excited about not so long ago is Bailey Rice, but he might as well be added to Interpol’s missing persons list this season.

After jumping ship from Motherwell’s academy, he made his senior debut at Almondvale against Livingston in February 2023, thereby becoming the second-youngest player to feature for Rangers post-World War II.

Derek Ferguson

1983

Bailey Rice

2023

Tom Walsh

2012

Paul Nsio

2022

Zak Lovelace

2022

Alfie Conn

1968

Archie Stevens

2022

John Fleck

2008

Leon King

2020

Derek Johnstone

1970

Danny Stoney

2013

Alex O’Hara

1973

As the table documents, only Derek Ferguson, against Queen of the South in 1983, debuted for Rangers at a younger age but, at the age of 16 years and 137 days, Rice is the youngest player to feature for the club in a league match.

After arriving on the scene, the teenager started to see regular minutes under Philippe Clement and then Barry Ferguson during the second half of last season, introduced at half time against Manchester United at Old Trafford, before starting the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, albeit his big night was curtailed early due to a nasty head injury sustained during a collision with striker Maroan Sannadi.

At that point, he was earning rave reviews, with former Rangers right-back Alan Hutton, speaking on Premier Sports, stating that the youngster was “more than capable” of establishing himself in the first team, adding that he’s “ready for the next step”.

However, this season, since starting a League Cup tie against third-tier Alloa Athletic in August, hooked at half time, Rice has not been seen, an unused substitute for all four Europa League matches, with 12-man benches allowed by UEFA, but yet to feature in a Premiership matchday squad.

The Rangers Journal believe that Rice’s contractual situation is to blame, given that he will be a free agent next summer, hence why the club don’t want to invest time into him, but this isn’t going to convince him to sign a new contract, thereby leaving the player at a crossroads.

Thus, it appears as though the teenager will depart Ibrox next June, but there is still time to salvage his Rangers career, if Röhl is able to prove there is a pathway for him into the first time.

With senior defensive midfield options continuing to fail to impress, namely Rothwell, Rice certainly deserves an opportunity to showcase his obvious talent, bringing to an end this stand-off that is not benefiting anyone.

Well, Blair Malloy has reported on Friday that Rice is currently injured, so his return will have to wait a little while, but he should be seen donning a light blue jersey again soon.

Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

With Danny Röhl in need of defensive reinforcements, could Rangers sign an “aggressive” £8m-valued star better than John Souttar and Nasser Djiga?

ByBen Gray Nov 20, 2025

Wolves chiefs may “cash in” on key midfielder Joao Gomes in the January transfer window, which would be an immediate blow to Rob Edwards’ chances of keeping his side in the Premier League.

Edwards made a losing start to life as Wanderers boss last weekend, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday and admitting it isn’t going to be a quick fix for the top flight strugglers.

“It’s not going to be done in a week. We knew it was never just going to be a click of your fingers and that’s it. There’s probably quite a lot there that has been the story of our season so far, fairly tight, maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence and belief, but not much in the game, and then you get punished.

“We need to try and find that first goal, and you can’t just say, ‘Right lads, we need to score first’. We’ve got to make sure that we do everything right, do the basics really well, and work hard and work harder. We’ve definitely tried to up the intensity, but it was quite a bitty week, we’ve not had all the players in.”

Edwards will know the importance of new signings when January rolls around, but equally it is vital to keep hold of key players, and a new update suggests that one star man could be on his way out of Wolves.

David Ornstein talks up potential Joao Gomes exit

Speaking to NBC Sport, journalist David Ornstein claimed that Wolves may look to sell Gomes midway through the season, in order to receive good money for him, amid rumoured interest from Manchester United.

Losing Gomes, Wolves’ highest earner on £105,000-a-week, is clearly something that Edwards won’t want to happen, but those high up at the club will be looking at the bigger picture, in terms of receiving the highest amount of money possible for him.

The 24-year-old is such an influential figure at the heart of the midfield, starting 10 Premier League games this season, and Mathues Cunha has made it clear that he would love to see him at United.

Related Wolves register interest in January loan deal for Real Madrid "goal machine"

The Old Gold have made an approach for a forward, following the 2-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 24, 2025

Ultimately, it does feel as though Gomes’ future lies away from Wolves, unless drastic improvements are made, but selling him in January would feel like a defeatist attitude in the relegation fight.

Before Gomes: Edwards must sell Wolves star who's made them a "worse side"

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed that the intense protests and backlash over the summer signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea sparked a fierce determination in the 23-year-old. Having only just returned from an extended injury layoff, Madueke is beginning to win over the Arsenal faithful, with Arteta admitting he made it his personal mission to support the winger through the challenging period.

Arsenal supporters disapproved Madueke's transfer from Chelsea

Arsenal had a blockbuster summer transfer window, signing the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapie. However, one particular signing received severe backlash from a large section of Arsenal fans online. 

In July, reports surfaced that Arsenal – who were also linked to Real Madrid star Rodrygo – were interested in signing Madueke from their London rivals Chelsea. The news didn't go down well with Gooners, who voiced their disapproval of the move. A fierce campaign was launched on X (formerly Twitter), with the hashtag "#NoToMadueke" quickly trending. In fact, a petition to protest against the signing of the ex-PSV Eindhoven winger was signed over 4,000 times, too.

Eventually, Madueke switched the Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in a £52 million (€60m/$70m) move. He made a good first impression in his first couple of appearances for Arsenal, but his momentum was halted after suffering a knee injury against Manchester City in September. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta's determination to help Madueke

The cruel social media campaign against Madueke saw several former Premier League stars leap to the player's defence. Anders Limpar, a part of Arsenal's title-winning squad of 1990-91, posted a lengthy message on X in the aftermath of the backlash directed towards Madueke, claiming that it was "sad when fans are making a player's life difficult."

Rio Ferdinand, one of Premier League's all-time greats, echoed the sentiments of Limpar, labelling the section of the Arsenal fan base as an "utter disgrace" for their "vulgar behaviour" on social media.

On Friday, Arteta addressed the hate Madueke was subjected to ahead of his move and claimed that he used the reaction of the fans to fuel his own desire to win them over.

"If anything, it gave me more conviction and more will to help him and do everything we possibly could to make this relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way," he told reporters.

"I think that [campaign] lasted a short period of time and immediately we had the complete opposite reaction which I think he valued, respected and it was like fuel to him. It did not affect him."

Madueke not worried about criticism from Arsenal fans

Madueke spent nine weeks on the sidelines following his untimely injury against City two months ago. He marked his return to the pitch after coming on as a 78th minute substitute in the 4-1 win in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. 

This week, he reflected on the strong wave of criticism that came his way ahead of his move to Arsenal. The 23-year-old explained that he doesn't pay attention to external noise, but admitted that he was buoyed by the reception he received from the Arsenal faithful inside the Emirates Stadium last weekend.

"You are in the public eye, people can say whatever they want about you," he said. "But being in the stadium, and how the fans have taken to me in the stadium, is unbelievable. I am not really worried about all of that. It is in the distant past. The last game versus Tottenham was incredible and that gives me such a boost. I play on the side of the pitch, I can feel [the fans], I can hear them. When they are that positive about me it gives me a massive boost. Honestly, I am made up about it."

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Getty Images SportMadueke in line for a start against ex-employers Chelsea

Arsenal will visit the Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon to take on Enzo Maresca's high-flying Chelsea team. The Blues are currently second on the Premier League table, six points adrift of Arteta's troops. It promises to be a mouth-watering encounter, given what's at stake. 

After scoring his first Arsenal goal in the 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich earlier this week, Madueke could be in line for a start against his former side, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of Leandro Trossard after he limped off the field against Bayern. 

Asked if any love will be lost between him and the Chelsea fans when he returns to the Stamford Bridge, Madueke said: "It might be a little bit hostile, it might not be, but I am a professional footballer. I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don't know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task."