Aston Villa travel to Anfield on Saturday, with the Reds currently on a four-game losing streak in the Premier League, while Villa has won six of their previous seven games overall.
Could Villa win another significant victory, similar to Villa Park’s 7-2 victory in 2020?
For the Saturday starting line-ups quiz this week, we’ve chosen that match.
What data are gathered from this quiz?
more tests are available.
seven days ago
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October 21
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Former Cuban economic minister and others have been charged with espionage and a number of other financial crimes by the country’s top prosecutor.
Alejandro Gil, who served as Cuba’s attorney general from 2019 until his removal in February 2024, was the subject of a nearly two-year criminal investigation that the office of Cuba’s attorney general announced on Friday.
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Without specifying which nation or actors might have benefited from their actions, Gil and the others are held accountable for “espionage, acts detrimental to economic activity or contracting, embezzlement, and bribery.”
Other offenses include theft or damage of documents or other items in official custody, as well as tax evasion, influence peddling, money laundering, and money laundering.
The enumerated charges are punishable by Cuba’s penal code, which prohibits 10 years in prison and the death penalty.
In 2021, Gil was at the forefront of significant monetary reform in Cuba, including efforts to unify the country’s dual currency system, raise wages, adjustments to subsidies, and introduce new rules for cooperatives and private employment.
However, the policies caused soaring inflation, a falling national currency, and more trouble for a number of state-owned enterprises in Cuba, which was already severely contracting.
Official statements only stated that Gil, 61, was accused of making “grave errors” when he was removed from office.
When the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 debuts in Qatar on Monday, the next generation of football stars will showcase their talent on the biggest stage.
The tournament is set to produce a spectacle unlike any other thanks to an expanded field of 48 teams.
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Everything you need to know about the showpiece event is provided in this article:
What dates are crucial?
Kicking off the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be two matches between South Africa and Bolivia, and Costa Rica and the United Arab Emirates, both of which will take place in Qatar on November 3.
The 104-match tournament will come to an end on November 27th, when the final match will be played.
Stages 3 through 11 November
Round of 32: November 14 and 15
November 18th round of 16.
November 21 in the quarterfinals
November 24 in the semi-finals
Playoff for third place on November 27
Final date: November 27
Where is the location of the competition?
Starting this year, Qatar will host five more U-17 World Cups.
At the Aspire Zone complex in Al Rayyan, which is located about 9 kilometers (5,6 miles) from the capital Doha, all matches will take place until the final, which will be played over eight pitches.
The 45-meter-capacity Khalifa International Stadium, the home of six matches during the men’s FIFA 2022 World Cup, will host the final match. One of Qatar’s oldest stadiums, it was constructed in 1976.
Egypt hosted the U-17 World Cup in 1997 and the United Arab Emirates hosted the U-17 World Cup in 2013; this is the third time the event has taken place in the Arab world.
Qatar’s national football team plays at the Khalifa International Stadium. It will now host the Under-17 World Cup final [Lintao Zhang/Getty Images], having hosted major events like the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup.
How many teams are participating?
Instead of the previous biennial 24-team competitions, the 2025 U-17 World Cup will be played in a 48-team format.
The participating countries, which come from six confederations, are divided into the following 12 groups:
Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia Group B: Portugal, Morocco, New Caledonia, and Japan Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, and the United Arab Emirates are all in Group C. Group D includes Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji, and Groupe D: Group E includes England, Venezuela, Haiti, and Egypt. Group F includes Mexico, South Korea, the Ivory Coast, and Switzerland. Group G includes Germany, Colombia, North Korea, El Salvador, and Group G. Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, and Zambia are included in Group H. US, Burkinabe, Tajikistan, Czechia, and Group I Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Republic of Ireland, Group J: Group K includes France, Chile, Canada, and Uganda. Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
What kind of tournaments are there?
The round of 32 will feature the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
The tournament will then follow a knockout format, with the round of 16 quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
What is the significance of the U-17 World Cup?
Youth World Cups are fascinating to watch because they provide a glimpse into the future of football and showcase young talent before making their mark on the biggest professional stages.
The U-17 World Cup is of particular significance because it frequently serves as a launch pad for tomorrow’s stars.
Former and current players like Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos, and Phil Foden, who later won the tournament’s Golden Ball award for the best player, first attracted attention from the world as they won the trophy for it.
At the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, which England won by beating Spain in the final [Anupam Nath/AP], Phil Foden, who currently plays for English Premier League side Manchester City, was awarded the Golden Ball award for the best player.
Who will win the lottery, odds are?
The front-runners in Qatar will be Brazil, who wants to win the fifth U-17 World Cup record-equalling title. Brazil, who are the reigning South American champions, are undoubtedly the best team in the region, having won the title 14 times in a row.
The Brazilians are the most successful team at the 2025 edition because Nigeria did not earn the necessary qualification for this competition.
Portugal and France, who frequently have a strong run at major tournaments, are other potential contenders for the title. They won their third U-17 Euro title in June.
Expectations are low for Germany this year because they failed to advance past the Euros group stage despite the fact that they are the defending champions of the 2023 World Cup.
Mexico, which has won the World Cup twice, is also the title favorite as they reach the finals for the eighth time in a row, while Uzbekistan, who has won the Asian title, and Saudi Arabia could be the dark horses.
Who should you watch for the most players?
Samuele Inacio, Italy’s top scorer in the Euros finals with five goals, is a must-see at the tournament. Inacio, a player for the Borussia Dortmund youth academy, is a constant threat to the goals thanks to his incredible creativity in the forward line.
Djylian N’Guessan, a forward from France and who scored nine times in the Euro qualifying and finals, is a key player in the area known for his excellent technique, calm finishing, and link-up play. N’Guessan, age 17, also represented his country at the recent U-20 World Cup in Chile.
Italy’s Samuele Inacio scored five goals for the U-17 team in Albania this year. [Ben McShane – Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images]
Thomas de Martis, a striker for the South American U-17 Championship, was the top scorer with six goals despite Argentina’s failure to advance to the semifinals. De Martis is excellent at finishing and being incredibly talented in the box.
Along with Morocco’s midfielder Abdellah Ouazane, the player of the tournament during their first U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title run, Sadriddin Khasanov was named the most valuable player (MVP) in Uzbekistan’s U-17 Asian Cup triumph for his goal-scoring abilities and impressive skills.
Where can I purchase tournament tickets?
General sale tickets for the U-17 World Cup can be found on FIFA’s official website. A day pass, a dedicated ticket for all of Qatar’s matches, and a standalone final ticket are all available.
The price of a day pass, which includes access to six selected pitches, is about $5.50, while final start tickets start at about $4.
There have been broadcast announcements for specific nations, including Brazil, Italy, the UK, and the US.
Qatar will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup this year, and five countries will make history there.
🇸🇻 El Salvador 🇫🇯 Fiji Republic of Ireland 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇿🇲 Zambia pic. twitter.com/oiOyOwyiLj
Following a summit dominated by a call-out agreement between the leaders of the United States and China to end their trade war, the leaders of the Asian and Pacific Rim have pledged their support for trade and investment that “benefits all.”
Following a high-stakes summit held on the sidelines of the event, US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, earlier agreed to lower the temperature in the heated US-China conflict.
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Trump left South Korea on Thursday following their first face-to-face meeting since 2019, putting the Chinese leader in the spotlight during the two-day economic forum.
At the event’s opening on Friday, Xi, who has portrayed China as a proponent of multilateralism and free trade, said that nations needed to collaborate because the world is becoming more “complex and volatile.”
The APEC leaders stated in their statement that “robust” trade and investment were essential for the growth of the region and that they were committed to “deepening economic cooperation to navigate the evolving global environment.”
According to the declaration, APEC, which has 21 members, includes the US, China, Japan, South Korea, and China, will promote “market-driven” economic integration and promote “experience sharing, capacity building, and business engagement.”
Additionally, the leaders pledged regional cooperation in the areas of declining birth rates and artificial intelligence.
The summit’s host, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, warned that economies were navigating a time of growing global uncertainty before the declaration.
According to Lee, “the free trade system is experiencing significant turbulence, global economic uncertainty is deepening, and trade and investment momentum is waning.”
“Freaked exercise”
In a sign of the fraying consensus on free trade amid rising populism around the world, Saturday’s statement made no direct reference to multilateralism or the World Trade Organization.
It was “probably a miracle” that the leaders could come to a consensus on a joint statement, according to Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore.
Any agreed language that could be included in a document was a difficult task, Elms said, citing the strong positions of some APEC economies.
These are typically prepared well in advance. As officials changed wording to find a workable compromise, this one hung in the balance until the very last second.
After arranging earlier meetings with Xi’s counterparts in Japan, Canada, and Thailand, Xi and Lee met for discussions slated to include trade and North Korea’s nuclear program.
Since Xi’s election in a snap election in June, the two leaders have met for the first time since Xi last visited South Korea in 2014.
Lee has pledged to pursue a more unbiased approach to China than Yoon Suk Yeol, his conservative predecessor, who was impeached for briefly enjoining martial law last year.
South Korea has had to draw a fine line between China, South Korea’s largest trading partner and the US, its security guarantor.
The US maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea, which is bound by international law to defend it in the event of an attack. This is a testament to Washington’s support for the nation during its 1950-1953 conflict with North Korea.
In 2024, South Korea exported nearly one-fifth of its goods to China, with shipments totaling $133 billion.
With shipments worth $ 127.8 billion, the US was the second-largest export destination.
In recent years, South Korea’s relationship with China has been tampered with by a number of disputes, most notably one involving the US’s 2017 deployment of a THAAD missile defense system.
According to Rob York, director for regional affairs at the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum, Lee wants to see South Korea’s most significant relationships “main stable.” This means lowering tensions with China, preventing a drastic decline in US relations, and leveraging the diplomatic heavy lifting his predecessor did with Japan.
According to York, “for the time being, striking a friendly note with both Chairman Xi and President Trump will mean he will do so even as he steps in secret to lessen US reliance on the US to protect maritime security and to stop PRC hybrid war operations in South Korea related to maritime issues and technology theft,” according to York, who spoke in Mandarin Chinese.
Aston Villa defeated Manchester United on home soil for the first time since 1995 on November 6th, 2022, in a crowded Villa Park stadium filled with fans.
Less than a week after the work permit issues that had prevented his appointment had been resolved, Unai Emery’s debut was a dream come true.
There have been a few fleeting joys in the past, but never this, much less. After years of gloom, it appeared as though the club had finally found its footing in the open.
After the game, the dressing room was filled with handshakes, hugs, singing, dancing, and the impression that something had come of Aston Villa, the sleeping giant, had finally erupted from its slumber.
Emery and his team were more measured in the midst of the hysteria and the celebrations, and Unai’s objective analysis of the triumph was crystal clear.
And he expressed his dissatisfaction. Villa had prevailed, but the players had their terms. It had been a chaotic, uncontrolled, end-to-end affair. Unai’s intended style of play was different from this one.
In that instant, he realized that the fans’ demands for a 100-mph nonstop, frantic football were the utter opposite of the carefully planned, patient, deliberate, and dominating game he wanted to implement at the club.
Emery’s journey and how he nearly arrived in Newcastle
It was never going to be simple. With the club 16th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation spots, Emery arrived at Villa.
Emery has encountered hardship before, though. His unremarkable playing career ended in 2004 due to a serious knee injury sustained at Lorca Deportiva. Although he had the potential to improve, he instead used “fear,” an herbicide that prevents athletes from growing.
Lorca immediately began his managerial career, and he was paid in part by earning promotion right away. In his next job at Almeria, he led the Andalusian club to the top of the league for the first time in their history, and he followed that same year, taking Valencia to the Champions League three times in a row while still in his late teens.
Sevilla won three Europa League titles in a row after Spartak Moscow’s disastrous six-month stoppage. Emery’s career was put back on track thanks to seven trophies and Emery’s PSG team’s establishing points and goalscoring records, which are still in use today.
At first glance, Arsenal and Emery appeared to be a marriage made in heaven, but it was only a matter of time before the Premier League arrived. It wasn’t, either.
After a seven-game winless run, he was fired in the fall of 2019.
Villarreal, where Unai, club owner Fernando Roig, and his son Fernando Jnr, who runs the club today, immediately sparked a relationship that would give them a chance to find redemption.
Getty Images
Following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle, Emery was informed months later that the club wanted him to replace Steve Bruce, who had been recently fired.
Tell them to call me directly and not beat around the bush, he told an agent who had informed him of Newcastle’s interest.
After receiving the message, Amanda Staveley, a representative of the club’s owners, contacted him shortly afterward.
He was informed that they wanted him to become their new boss the following day.
Unai was undoubtedly interested in Newcastle’s offer, but there had never been a discussion about a deal or a contract, so it was understandable when he was questioned about it minutes after his Villarreal side had defeated Young Boys in a group-stage Champions League game.
When he learned that the English media had reported that the deal had been done and finished, with claims that he would be visiting England on Friday to train there as early as the following day, it became particularly outcryous.
Newcastle had overestimated their own importance as a club and had undervalued Unai’s commitment to Villarreal. The leak and its aftermath made his next move clearer if he had been unsure of what to do.
Unai would continue to reside in Villarreal, at least for the time being. There was still a point that needed to be established. Roig, the owner of Villarreal, called him and said, “I’m staying forever. Zero doubts.
Following that, the club advanced to the semi-finals, where it defeated the likes of Juventus and Bayern Munich before being ultimately defeated by Liverpool.
Time to “wake the giant,” you ask?
After his departure from Arsenal, both the public and the overwhelming impression that he still had unfinished business in the Premier League.
Unai learned one thing from his time in North London: that a top-flight manager needs to have a protective circle of devoted friends who are deeply aware of his needs and chart his own path.
Unai’s first contact was Damian Vidagany, one of his closest confidantes, when a meeting was held at Jorge Mendes’ Madrid home with one of the Villa owners, Nassef Sawiris.
Unai and Damian both emphasized at the meeting that time is frequently the key to success and failure.
Nasser did not offer a position. neither a project nor. He requested that Unai create one.
Unai was impressed. Aston Villa agreed to pay Villarreal his release clause of about £5.3 million when things got even worse. Unai’s departure was announced by Villarreal on October 24, 2022, and Villa confirmed him as their new manager.
He requested Damian to accompany him on this most recent adventure before proceeding with anything else.
Unai had the ability to put together a structure that would house those who were aware of his vision and who could assist him in carrying it out. Damian and his chosen people could elicit life into the atmosphere, according to Unai. Without that drive, the project would fail before it even had begun.
What he did right away at Villa
Getty Images
He first met his squad in the gym, flanked by the 10 assistants he had brought with him to the club. Even though he was a former player, he did not undervalue their significance. First impressions are not everything.
He declared, “I’m not happy, I’m not happy,” hoping that his English would stay the same. Steven Gerrard, a coworker of mine, has been fired, which saddens me.
Not just him, though, is responsible for what went wrong in this place. You have responsibility. Everyone in the club, including you. The coach is always to blame, but we can’t always.
“And a second thing. I didn’t waste my time by coming here. I’m here to win things.
Training frequently revealed habits that the squad’s approach had ingrained. When the best option wasn’t available, players would shoot crosses aimlessly without checking whether a forward was in the right position. Unai would frequently insist that a cross was a pass rather than a hopeful punt.
Some found it disorienting, while others found it terrifying to leave their comfort zone. The penny eventually dropped. Unai changed people’s perceptions of football by using his 24/7 approach, his willingness to roll up his sleeves, and his ability to carry on with his task.
Senior players embraced the change, including Lucas Digne, Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, and Emi Martinez. Their enthusiasm spread like a virus.
After discovering that hundreds of professional match officials in Turkey had betting accounts, an investigation revealed that the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) had suspended 149 referees and assistant referees.
According to the “severity of the act,” there have been bans on involvement in betting activity of eight to twelve months, with investigations into three additional officials still ongoing.
On the TFF website, a full list of the officials who had been disciplined was made available.
A five-year investigation revealed on Monday that 371 of 571 match officials had betting accounts, with 152 of those having actual gambling.
42 had wagers on more than 1, 000 football games, with one official reporting that they had placed 18 227 bets, compared to some who had only once.
Match officials are prohibited from engaging in gambling activities in the same way as players and coaches by the TFF’s disciplinary rules, as well as those of the world’s governing body Fifa and the European governing body Uefa.
Turkish football is in a moral crisis, according to the statement. There is no structure at all. The fundamental issue with Turkish football is one of ethics, according to TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, who spoke to CNN on Friday.
Ask any referee, and I’ll step down as president of the federation if even one has not received his pay. In fact, both last year and this year, their salaries improved.
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A number of Turkey’s top clubs responded on Monday after the investigation’s findings were made public.
The development, according to Besiktas, “could represent a new beginning for clean football,” while Trabzonspor referred to it as “an historic opportunity to rebuild justice in Turkish football.”
Sadettin Saran, president of Fenerbahce, stated: “This is both shocking and deeply depressing for Turkish football.
