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Oliver Glasner's men made history at Wembley with a hard-fought victory in a pulsating showdown under the arch

Crystal Palace won a trophy for the first time in their 119-year history after beating heavy favourites Manchester City 1-0 in Saturday's FA Cup final.

Eberechi Eze's first-half strike was all that separated the two sides as Oliver Glasner's men became immortals among the south London faithful, who will remember the date of May 17, 2025 forever.

Despite having little-to-no possession in the opening exchanges, Palace took the lead just after a quarter of an hour. A composed goal-kick routine eventually saw Jean-Philippe Mateta hold the ball up for Daichi Kamada, whose switch of play found Daniel Munoz galloping freely down the right, and his cutback picked out Eze to sweep home.

There was a lengthy VAR check for a possible red card against Dean Henderson when he palmed the ball away from Erling Haaland just outside his box, but the striker was deemed to have been going away from goal and had defenders surrounding him, so it was not seen as the denial of an obvious scoring opportunity and the game continued at 11-v-11.

Soon after though, Palace conceded a penalty when Tyrick Mitchell felled Bernardo Silva with a lunging slide tackle, despite replays suggesting he did get a toe on the ball. Omar Marmoush stepped up but was thwarted by Henderson, who made a spectacular low save to his right.

Palace had to withstand more pressure after the break before going down the other end and putting the ball in the net again. City failed to deal with a long throw-in from Chris Richards, and Munoz's effort bounced off Ismaila Sarr and squirmed away from goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, with the Colombian crashing in to send the fans behind the goal into bedlam. However, Sarr was judged to have been offside when the first shot hit him and the effort was chalked off.

Pep Guardiola's men threw the kitchen sink at the Eagles to try and find an equaliser. Debutant Claudio Echeverri was next in line to lose a game of wits with Henderson between the sticks before the game headed into ten minutes of added time.

But Palace survived through that excruciatingly long period of stoppage time to get their hands on the club's first piece of major silverware.

GOAL rates Crystal Palace's players from Wembley…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Dean Henderson (9/10):

The protagonist of the final. Got away with swiping the ball from Haaland's toe with his hand when outside his own box, before coming up with a top save to keep put Marmoush from the penalty spot – his fourth from the last eight he's had to face. Made several other stops to thwart City.

Chris Richards (7/10):

Batted away imminent danger from down his side by clearance or header. His long throw almost proved problematic for City too, creating the chaotic conditions for Munoz's disallowed goal.

Maxence Lacroix (7/10):

Had to be alert to keep quiet Haaland as City's most central threat, and even though the Norwegian was heavily involved, it was rarely in dangerous areas.

Marc Guehi (7/10):

Defended dutifully before having to be subbed with an injury for Lerma shortly after Munoz's disallowed goal.

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Daniel Munoz (8/10):

Denied a once-in-a-lifetime moment with VAR ruling his goal out for offside. Nevertheless embodied everything about Palace's performance, flying in full-blooded with every action and coming up with an assist for Eze's opener.

Adam Wharton (7/10):

A touch of class in the midfield battle once more, bringing calmness on a frantic up-and-down day. Replaced by Hughes for the closing stages.

Daichi Kamada (7/10):

Dug in deep defensively, once more proving adept at playing in a deeper role. Swept up to allow Wharton to focus more on progressing play.

Tyrick Mitchell (6/10):

Threatened to cost his side with his foul on Silva inside the penalty area, but Henderson saved the wing-back's bacon with a superb save.

AFPAttack

Ismaila Sarr (6/10):

Less involved here than in his two-goal showing against Aston Villa in the semi-final. Gave Palace an outlet to get in behind and kept City on their toes with his trademark pace.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (7/10):

Selfless in attack, continually bringing others into play and notably playing a hand in Eze's goal. Taken off for Nketiah late on.

Eberechi Eze (8/10):

It had to be Eze. He provided the magic in the quarters and semis, it was only right he had the decisive say in the final too. An immortal of Palace whatever he does now for the rest of his life.

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Jefferson Lerma (6/10):

Came on at centre-back for the injured Guehi.

Eddie Nketiah (6/10):

Brought on for Mateta but at that point Palace had little intent on attacking.

Will Hughes (N/A):

Replaced Wharton for the final few minutes.

Oliver Glasner (9/10):

Palace were humbled 5-2 by City only a few weeks back, but that feels like a lifetime ago now judging by this much-improved performance. Glasner will never have to buy a pint in south London again.

Eddie Howe shrank to the ground, rubbed his temple. The Newcastle United manager, plainly, was dismayed by Anthony Gordon’s costly red card.

It played into Brighton’s victory in the FA Cup fifth round and weakens United for forthcoming Premier League fixtures against West Ham and Brentford. Sandwiched in the middle, Gordon will miss the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

From a positive slant, the Magpies are challenging for a place in next year’s Champions League proper and could be cup champions in less than two weeks.

But still, Gordon is essential to the way Howe plays and it is a significant blow.

Anthony Gordon's up-and-down season at Newcastle

Last season, Gordon was immense. At the end of his first full year with the Toon, the 23-year-old winger claimed Newcastle’s Player of the Season award after posting 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions.

And he’s impressed in periods this year, though hasn’t enjoyed the same level of conditions despite the restored fluency and devastating frontline Howe has constructed.

See the table below. Gordon has struggled to kick on when assessing the underlying data, and though his recent red card serves as the nadir of his Tyneside career

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

26 (25)

Goals

11

6

Assists

10

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

2.1 (0.7)

Big chances missed

9

10

Pass completion

82%

80%

Big chances created

16

6

Key passes*

1.6

1.9

Dribble (success)*

1.5 (49%)

1.3 (45%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

3.4

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.3

Total duels (won)*

5.3 (49%)

4.8 (51%)

Gordon certainly hasn’t been poor this season but he has left something to be desired. Indeed, as it happens, one Newcastle flop who was sold a decade ago is outscoring the England winger in 2024/25.

Newcastle flop is now outscoring Gordon this season

Goals aren’t the only part of Gordon’s game – far from it. However, the England international has been far more profligate in the final third, failing to match last year’s creative supplementation too.

Newcastle are a talented attacking unit, fronted by the devastating Alexander Isak.

As per Understat, they are on par through xG (expected goals) in relation to their actual output. Newcastle have scored 46 Premier League goals this season, with an xG total of 47.08. Aston Villa, conversely, are underperforming their expected output by 8.90.

Newcastle do need more goals though, seventh in the scoring charts. The likes of Gordon need to improve, especially when noting that, remarkably at the age of 34, Luuk de Jong is bagging more than him this season.

The veteran striker is still an important figure for PSV Eindhoven, having scored 15 times across 36 matches in all competitions. He has two strikes to his name in the Champions League this year, playing 120 minutes and assisting as the Eredivisie table-toppers knocked Juventus out in the first knockout stage. Sadly, he wasn’t able to help his side overcome Arsenal, who dispatched the Dutch side 7-1 on Tuesday night.

It’s a far cry from the discordant youth who failed to make it work at Newcastle during the 2013/14 campaign, bringing the Borussia Monchengladbach talent to the club in January 2014.

Newcastle finished comfortably in tenth that year, but De Jong didn’t bring the expected punch as Loic Remy’s foil, starting eight times in the Premier League but failing to score, providing one assist for Shola Ameobi in a 2-1 St. James’ Park defeat against Swansea City.

Two separate stints with PSV, a Europa League-winning spell with Sevilla and a surprisingly decent loan period with Barcelona have made up a storied post-Newcastle career. It’s not one United will regret, per se, but Alan Pardew clearly saw something in the talented Dutch striker, even if it didn’t work out on Tyneside.

While Newcastle don’t really need this old striker in Howe’s squad, he could have been an excellent option through the tumultuous pre-PIF years.

Gordon’s nine-goal haul across all competitions this term isn’t bad, and, of course, he’s principally a winger, but there’s an over-reliance on Isak’s prolific prowess, and the fact he’s being outscored by this mid-thirties Toon flop underscores his need to step up over the coming months.

88 goals since leaving Newcastle: Toon flop is now on par with Gordon

This former Newcastle United attacker would get first team opportunities if he was back on Tyneside.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 4, 2025

Planned Essex county stint falls through in a setback after allrounder’s breakout Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023Will Sutherland, the Victoria fast bowler, faces “a period on the sidelines” after scans confirmed a stress fracture in his lower back. Sutherland, 23, had a breakout Sheffield Shield season, and had signed up with Essex for the County Championship season, but that deal has been cancelled.”It’s disappointing for Will after a fantastic season. He had signed with Essex to go over and play in the County Championship – but this news will keep him at home and working on his rest and rehabilitation programme for the next few months,” Cricket Victoria’s head of male cricket, David Hussey, said in a statement.”He has put his name up in lights with some big performances through the summer and we want him to be ready for next season, so we’ll do everything we can to support him with his injury rehabilitation.”Related

Essex sign Doug Bracewell for 10-game County Championship spell

Taking the aggressive route key to Sutherland's breakout season

On the Essex website, head coach Anthony McGrath said, “It’s really unfortunate that Will has injured himself so close to the 2023 season. We were all looking forward to welcoming him to Chelmsford and we’re sorry to hear he will face a period of time recovering from his stress fracture.”Everyone at the club wishes Will a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back on the pitch soon.”Sutherland topped the Sheffield Shield wicket-takers’ table with 41 wickets in Victoria’s run to the final, which they lost to Western Australia. He’d also stood in as captain during the course of the season.In the final, Sutherland played through pain and put in a big performance, returning 5 for 75 in the first Western Australia innings, and then scoring 83 in 84 balls after Victoria had fallen behind top set a 91-run target, which was easily overhauled.

It was an evening for celebration. Manchester United defeated Leicester City 3-0 with relative ease in the Premier League. While they remain 13th, Ruben Amorim’s side are starting to rediscover their touch.

Or, perhaps, unearth new qualities for the first time, with Amorim’s teachings slowly seeping in by some process of osmosis.

With a Europa League quarter-final tie awaiting against French club Lyon after the looming international break, hope has been restored that, just like last year, something can be salvaged from this dreary campaign.

And of course, there was one man, quite literally, who was at the centre of all good at Leicester’s King Power Stadium. Bruno Fernandes truly is a marvel.

Bruno Fernandes' performance at Leicester

In a deeper berth, Fernandes went about his business impeccably in midfield, allowing the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho to take the limelight while pulling the strings in the middle.

The captain was the architect, creating both of his younger peers’ goals before getting in on the action himself in the late stages, getting his name on the scoresheet to seal the rousing victory.

Football is more than just metrics, but the Portugal star certainly gave a good statistical account of himself, dominating a range of different areas to ensure his squad take off for an international sojourn with spirits high and belief higher still.

However, not everyone shared Bruno’s individual success, with Christian Eriksen struggling to impress from a more advanced position.

Why Amorim must drop Christian Eriksen

Eriksen has been a diligent servant since joining Old Trafford’s cause on a free transfer in 2022, but at 33 he looks past his best and will depart when his contract expires in the summer.

Though Amorim will enjoy three points, there’s little doubt the experienced Dane’s performance will linger in his mind, making any number of misplaced passes early on and lacking the incisiveness or athleticism that a younger and hungrier ball-carrier could have enjoyed in his position to the left of Hojlund.

Though he hit the post with a stunning effort from range ran about, Eriksen was handed a 5/10 rating by GOAL and didn’t prove himself as a standout in the Man United side, failing to win a single duel while also being thwarted with both attempted dribbles.

Minutes played

69′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

42

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

21/29 (72%)

Key passes

1

Possession lost

14x

Dribbles

0/2

Tackles + interceptions

0

Duels won

0/4

Though Eriksen saw off the match with a bit more polish and consistency, he’s got to be aware he may be among the first names for the chopping block this summer.

INEOS have shown a ruthless streak in recent weeks, and they may want to act on that with this one. Eriksen is a household Premier League name, but he’s no longer able to produce the goods for the Reds, and needs to be axed this summer.

Amad 2.0: Amorim can ease Dorgu blow by handing Man Utd star a new role

Manchester United face Leicester City this afternoon, looking to build on their Europa League triumph.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 16, 2025

GOAL understands that Inter Miami have identified a potential replacement for Javier Mascherano after a series of poor results.

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Inter Miami identify Mascherano replacementMLS side has lost two out of their last 10 matchesHerons eye Andre Jardine from Club AmericaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Miami, who won the MLS Supporters' Shield last year under Gerardo Martino, brought in Mascherano as their new head coach ahead of the 2025 MLS campaign. The aim was to take a step forward and bring the MLS Cup home under the tutelage of the young Argentine manager.

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Things, however, have not gone as planned, as Lionel Messi and Co. have miserably failed in the current season. The Herons have won only two matches out of their last 10 outings across all competitions and are now placed seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference points table. After a series of poor results, the club are now considering parting ways with Mascherano.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Sources confirmed to GOAL Mexico that Jardine is on Inter Miami's radar should Mascherano be dismissed due to the Herons' poor run of form, having managed just two wins in their last 10 matches across all competitions.

Jardine has guided the Mexican club to three Liga MX titles. The driving force behind the Brazilian's potential arrival at the MLS team is Alberto Marrero, who is currently the director of football for the Herons and was responsible for hiring the South American coach from Atlético San Luis in 2022.

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WHAT NEXT?

Jardine's current contract with America expires in 2027 and if Miami push ahead with their plans to sign him, they will have to pay a whopping $5 million (£3.6m) in compensation to the Mexican side.

Anamul was the best batter of the week while Al-Amin Hossain and Mukidul Islam impressed with the ball, picking up five-fors

Mohammad Isam05-Apr-2023
Key takeaways – Abahani maintain clean slateAbahani remained the only team with a 100% win record after they won two matches this week. Defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club lost to Mohammedan Sporting Club while Legends of Rupganj, who had won their first five games, dropped points against Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club. Prime Bank Cricket Club, who lost to Abahani by 141 runs, fell well back in the race.Best batter – Anamul HaqueAnamul struck centuries against Dhaka Leopards and Prime Bank, making 107 and 153 in the two games respectively. He has already scored three centuries in the season, equalling his personal record from the 2019 and 2022 seasons. He has now scored 14 hundreds in the List-A era of the league.Best bowlers – Al-Amin Hossain and Mukidul IslamAl-Amin Hossain and Mukidul Islam took five-wicket hauls this week, leading Legends of Rupganj and Rupganj Tigers, respectively, to victories. Among those who took four-wicket hauls this week, Parvez Rasool added some runs to help his side Dhanmondi Club to a win, too.Best match – Brothers Union vs City ClubCity Club’s Nos. 10 and 11, Ifran Hossain and Asif Hasan, struck the winning runs with one ball remaining to help their team to a one-wicket win against Brothers Union. Brothers Union took regular wickets but Towfiq Khan and Rafsan Al Mahmud made important runs to get City Club towards the 220-run target, which they pulled off right at the close. Points to ponderCity Club have won their last three games after losing the first four. Mohammedan Sporting Club, one of the most successful teams in the tournament’s history, are languishing in eighth place with five points. Dhaka Leopards remain the only winless team after seven rounds.Players to watch – Anamul Haque and Robiul HaqueAnamul should re-enter the national selectors’ radar with his big scores, particularly the 153 against Prime Bank. Among the bowlers, Robiul Haque and Mukidul have shown match-winning abilities quite consistently.

AC Milan have told Chelsea how much they will need to pay to prise goalkeeper Mike Maignan away from the club.

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Chelsea keen on Milan stopper MaignanSerie A side name price for French starGoalkeeper into last year of contractFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues have made contact with Milan as Enzo Maresca aims to add a new goalkeeper to his squad this summer. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Rossoneri have told Chelsea they must pay €30 million (£25m/$34m) to sign Maignan this summer.

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Chelsea may well be unwilling to match Maignan's fee as he has just one year left on his contract and, as things stand, will be available for free next summer. Yet the No. 1 position is of concern at Stamford Bridge due to doubts over both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea also had three goalkeepers out on loan last season and all are due to return in the summer. Mike Penders will head back to London from Genk, Doree Petrovic spent last season with Strasbourg, while Kepa Arrizabalaga enjoyed a good campaign with Bournemouth.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA

Chelsea look set for a busy summer transfer window as Maresca continues to shape his squad. Dario Essugo has already arrived from Sporting, while the Blues are hoping to complete a deal for Liam Delap. The club are also being tipped to offload as many as 13 players before the start of the new campaign.

Ireland’s plight in such gilded surroundings is a sign of the sport’s inequality

Andrew Miller02-Jun-2023By 10am, the queue for entry at Lord’s North Gate was quite frankly eye-popping. It stretched past the Wellington Hospital, past the BP garage, down towards the road that provides a shortcut to the Beatles’ zebra crossing. But for the buses tiptoeing past those punters who had spilled off the pavements, it would have wormed all the way across the road to the aisles of Panzer’s delicatessen, from whence more than a few of today’s Nursery Ground picnics are sure to have been picked up.And to view the splendid scene that lay beyond those gates – with near-packed stands on all four sides of the ground, and the sun burning through in the early afternoon to complement that uniquely contented hum that passes for atmosphere at Lord’s – you’d be forgiven for assuming that you were watching a sport in the rudest of health. Until, that is, you drilled down into the actual details of the contest.But no! Don’t go peering behind the curtain … that’ll only spoil the illusion. And yet, everything that was right about the Lord’s experience today – the steady flow at the bars and the happy chat of reunited friends, and out in the middle, that languid sense of life gently meandering before you, like an afternoon’s fishing on a quiet corner of the Thames – was everything that’s wrong with the contemporary Test experience. And startlingly, that fact remained true even though England laid on a(nother) batting display of historic, genre-bending, dominance.Related

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Have we been spoilt by the exploits of Ben Stokes’ rebooted Test team? I’m not convinced it’s that simple, for you’d be hard-pressed to find any genuine criticism of the manner in which England have overwhelmed their opponents.In his notes for the souvenir match programme, Stokes restated his team’s battleplan in the same stark, uncompromising tones that they have so far served up for the scorecard. “We’re out here to score runs, take wickets and win games – and we like to do all three as quickly as we can,” he wrote. And on the evidence to date, there’s little reason to believe England will be detained much beyond lunch on Saturday afternoon. Job done, a round of golf and the FA Cup final awaits.Instead, the worry is that today’s exploits in particular reflect the same levels of privilege that were on display within the walls of Lord’s. It’s easy to ignore the signs that all is not well with the Test world when everything looks quite as serene as it was made to feel this afternoon. And in three weeks’ time, when Australia rock up here for the second Test of the most anticipated Ashes summer since 2005, it would be self-loathingly righteous not to get swept up by the excitement.But if Ireland’s toils on this extraordinary stage don’t give you pause for thought, and reason to reflect on the lot of the less fortunate members of Test cricket’s brotherhood, then not only are you probably dead inside, then your beloved format is likely to follow suit in pretty short order. Never mind being in possession of the most storied ground in the world, with the right to turn a vast profit from two Tests per summer. England’s opponents right now are a team that burned €1 million on hosting their first Test match in temporary facilities back in 2018, and have been so scarred by the experience, they’ve barely dared to carry any hosting costs since.And so there’s no point in complaining, either, that Ireland are not worthy of their Test status. The reasons are writ large in the back-story to this contest, and so are the wealth of mitigations. And, as one or two of the jazz-hatters in the crowd today ought to know if they’ve ever donned the black, red and gold colours of another famously nomadic team, I Zingari, if you plan to get out of the darkness and reach the light, you generally have to walk through the fire. There’s only one way for Ireland to get the experience they need to compete in the future, and that’s the hard way.”What is cricket without its fans?” Ben Stokes said in his first pre-match comments as captain•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThe cracks in the façade were clearly visible last year, even at Lord’s. Prior to England’s five-wicket win over New Zealand in the first Test of the summer – the contest that kicked off the Bazmania that followed – there was more than a little disquiet about the price of entry for that match. Most tickets then ranged between £100 and £160, and there were still some 16,000 seats unsold in the week before the game. “What is cricket without its fans?” Stokes said in his first pre-match comments as captain. “What is sport without its fans?”It is clearly to MCC’s credit that they reduced their prices for this Ireland Test – between £70 and £90 in the main, with Under-16s at £20 – although you’d have to assume that England’s style of play was the decisive factor in today being so packed out. But amid the ongoing tussle over the ICC’s future revenue distribution, there’s an onus on England in particular to provide more than just a glorious stage on which their less-well-off opponents can get beaten – because if Stokes’ fantastic team is to succeed in its mission to make Test cricket great again, they will need more than just India and Australia to give them a run for their money.This fact was brought home to the ECB in no uncertain terms during the pandemic, when many of the same England players produced mental miracles to “keep the lights on”. But they were only able to do so thanks to the goodwill of their opponents that summer – most particularly West Indies and Pakistan who endured lengthy bio-bubbles for the Test series, although Ireland were also an important factor as they, along with Australia, agreed to fulfil their white-ball obligations.The extent of England’s subsequent gratitude, however, has been mixed. Both West Indies and Pakistan benefitted from being able to host extended T20 series last year, but not before Pakistan had been outrageously fobbed off by the unilateral cancellation of England’s goodwill stop-over in 2021-22 – a shameful episode that led to the departure of the previous ECB chairman, Ian Watmore.Happily, the new chair and CEO combo, the former Surrey pairing of Richard Thompson and Richard Gould, seem to be more attuned to the true needs of the sport – with Gould acknowledging on a recent Final Word podcast that the time is nigh to pay visiting teams a fee for fulfilling their side of a bilateral agreement, to “encourage people not just to play Tests but make sure they can pay their players, and pay them well, so that they want to play Test cricket again.”It’s surely a critical step in shoring up a creaking format. But if an unprecedented run-rate of 6.34 across 82.4 overs in a home England Test is insufficient to set pulses racing, it may be that the sport has already been bled too dry to save those sides on the extremity.

Leeds United will be hoping to end their two-year Premier League exile come the end of the season, with Daniel Farke looking to complete the job in the last eight games of the campaign.

The German has led the Whites to top spot in the Championship, doing a superb job in galvanising the squad after the play-off final defeat last time around.

However, he will be hoping to go one better and avoid a play-off heartbreak repeat by helping the side achieve an automatic promotion spot, currently boasting a two-point lead over third place.

Unsurprisingly, the thought of a return to England’s top flight will be an exciting thought for the fanbase, potentially coming up against some huge clubs once again next year.

If they are to be a success in the division above, additions will be needed to ensure the side is competitive enough to avoid an immediate return, aiming to repeat a deal for one player who starred at Elland Road.

Raphinha’s time at Leeds United

Very few people could’ve predicted how well Raphinha would perform at Leeds after his £17m move from French outfit Stade Rennais during the summer of 2020.

The Brazilian would become an immediate hit with the supporters for his flair and ability to create carnage within the final third, helping the side register a top-half finish in their first year back in the Premier League.

He would go from strength to strength during his time in Yorkshire, registering 11 goals in his second year at the club, cementing himself at the top of the Whites’ goalscoring charts.

However, his second year in England would be his last, with the hierarchy cashing in his splendid form in the final third, joining Barcelona in a £55m deal, the biggest fee received by the club in their history.

His subsequent departure would have a huge impact on their league standing, with the club dropping into the Championship, a position which they are yet to get themselves out of.

Leeds also had one other player who could’ve followed on a similar trajectory at Elland Road, but ultimately he failed to live up to the hype he arrived with.

The Leeds player who's now worth £66.5m less than Raphinha

Their time in the Premier League allowed for added investment into the first-team squad, handing Marcelo Bielsa the tools to build on the promotion-winning campaign.

Directed by Victor Orta, they spent upwards of £100m during the summer of 2020, with Raphinha just one of the players to move to Yorkshire, looking to take their career to the next level.

Helder Costa was another talent to make a big-money move to the club, joining in a £16m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, making his move permanent after spending the year on loan the year prior.

The winger notched five goals and six assists in the Championship back in 2019/20, being a key member of Bielsa’s squad during their return to the top flight.

He managed three goals and three assists from his 22 league appearances in their first year back in the top flight, but it would be his final season as a consistent first-team member, with the forward dropping down the pecking order.

The 31-year-old made just two appearances in the first half of the following season, before joining Valencia on loan – but was unable to make the desired impact, making just 13 starts and failing to score a single goal.

It wouldn’t be enough to force himself back into Bielsa’s plans, subsequently being sent out on another temporary stint to Al Ittihad, before being released from his contract in Yorkshire in October 2023.

Games played

71

Cost per game

£225,000

Goals scored

8

Cost per goal

£2m

Assists registered

9

Cost per assist

£1.7m

The attacker cost a staggering £2m per goal he scored during his time at Elland Road – a staggering figure – often failing to deliver within the final third, certainly going down as a waste of money, especially considering he cost just £1m less than Raphinha.

His career has since taken a nose dive in recent years, now featuring for Yunnan Yukun in the Chinese Super League, with his time at Leeds having an impact on his career as a professional.

Costa’s decline can further be seen in his current market value, now valued at just £500k by Transfermarkt, a figure £66.5m lower than the Brazilian, who’s now valued at £67m after his splendid form at Barcelona.

Given his drop-off in recent years, it’s safe to say the club made the right call in parting ways with the attacker, but they must regret forking out £16m for his services – with the wide-man certainly not living up to the price tag.

The difference in value between himself and Raphinha in 2025 should be a stark reminder for the hierarchy this summer, with the right additions needing to be made if the Whites are to continue on their upward trajectory.

Leeds had a "superb" gem who was ahead of Gray, but Farke let him go for £0

Leeds United once had a talent who looked destined to go right to the very top.

1 ByEthan Lamb Mar 23, 2025

A small child managed to evade security and run onto the pitch at Audi Field during D.C. United’s contest against Chicago Fire

Security staff quickly retrieved childIncident occurred during 50th minuteMatch resumed after brief delay with Fire winning 7-1Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAmber Searls-Imagn ImagesWHAT HAPPENED

During the 50th minute of Saturday's Eastern Conference clash between D.C. United and Chicago Fire, play was suddenly halted when a toddler wandered onto the pitch at Audi Field. The young child had somehow managed to evade security and access the playing surface while the visiting Fire were preparing for a throw-in. Chicago defender Omar González noticed the child and alerted officials, who immediately stopped play. A member of the stadium security team quickly responded, picking up the child and returning him to a woman waiting on the sidelines.

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This is not the first such incident in MLS in recent years. Similar situations occurred in October 2024 when a young fan entered the field during a Toronto FC match against Inter Miami specifically to meet Lionel Messi, and earlier this season during San Jose Earthquakes' opener against Real Salt Lake.

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Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesWHAT’S NEXT?

Following the brief delay, play resumed and Chicago Fire ended up as 7-1 winners on the night. Dominique Badji scored the lone goal for D.C. United, who dropped to 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 4-8-6 and a concerning -19 goal differential. They face Real Salt Lake on the road next on June 14 and will be hoping to turn around their recent run of form, which includes three defeats in their last four league games.