Red Hot

Tolu Arokodare, Kelechi Iheanacho and Gift Orban were on target for their clubs over the weekend, while Josh Maja scored twice off the bench for Le Havre in a 4–3 defeat at Marseille. Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey helped Fulham win away to Coventry City, while Ademola Lookman was again substituted at half-time for Atlético Madrid, writes PETER AKINBO

NETHERLANDS

TOLU AROKODARE (AJAX)

Arokodare scored the goal that won the game as Ajax beat Sparta Rotterdam 2–1 away in the Eredivisie to move up to second.

Abdellah Ouazane put Ajax ahead in the 22nd minute and Jens Toornstra, playing his 500th Eredivisie game, levelled in the 43rd. Arokodare restored the lead in the 45th minute, slotting into the far corner after Julian Brandt led a counter-attack. He later hit the woodwork.

It was his fifth Eredivisie goal of the season and his ninth in all competitions. Ajax are three points behind leaders Feyenoord and face AZ on October 31.

The 25-year-old is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

TURKEY

KELECHI IHEANACHO (BURSASPOR)

Iheanacho scored in a 12th successive league game as Bursaspor won 4–2 away to Keçiörengücü to go top of the Trendyol 1. Lig.

Emirhan Başyiğit’s own goal gave Keçiörengücü an early lead, but Amine Boutrah and Lewis Baker put Bursaspor 2–1 up before Oğuzcan Çalışkan levelled in the 43rd minute. Iheanacho made it 3–2 in the 50th minute, and Lincoln Henrique added a fourth in the 66th before being sent off in the 87th.

The goal was Iheanacho’s 16th of the season in the second tier. He has extended his own record for consecutive league games with a goal in Turkish football.

England

SEMI AJAYI (HULL CITY)

Ajayi played the full game as Hull City were held to a 1–1 draw at home by Brentford in the Premier League.

Oli McBurnie put Hull ahead from the penalty spot in the 24th minute. Dango Ouattara equalised in the 63rd minute to earn Brentford a point.

Ajayi has scored once in seven league appearances this season. The result leaves Hull 10th with 10 points from 10 matches, while Brentford move up from seventh to sixth.

ITALY

AKOR ADAMS (VENEZIA)

Adams had two shots on target as Venezia lost 1–0 away to Genoa in Serie A despite 19 shots to Genoa’s seven.

Mikael Ellertsson, a former Venezia player, scored the only goal in the 25th minute with a left-footed strike from outside the area. Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow made five saves, including one from Adams in added time, to preserve the lead.

It was Venezia’s first defeat under Davide Nicola, who won his opening game against Napoli.

FRANCE

JOSH MAJA (LE HAVRE)

Maja scored twice off the bench as Le Havre came from 4–0 down to lose 4–3 away to Marseille in Ligue 1.

CJ Egan-Riley, Timothy Weah, Igor Paixão and Himad Abdelli had put Marseille 4–0 up by the 55th minute. Maja converted a penalty in the 77th minute, Mouhamed N’Diaye made it 4–2 in the 86th, and Maja headed in Kaito Mizuta’s cross in the 89th. All three of his shots were on target.

The result lifted Marseille from 13th to eighth. Le Havre face Paris Saint-Germain next.

• Nigerians missing as 2026 Ballon d’Or winner emerges today
• Arokodare reacts to joining 100-goal club
• Lookman reacts to 50th career assist

GERMANY

TELLA BONIFACE (BAYER LEVERKUSEN)

Nathan Tella came on in the 64th minute, and Victor Boniface was an unused substitute again as Leverkusen lost 3–0 away to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Andrej Kramaric scored a penalty in the 79th minute, and Alexander Prass added a second in the 89th before being sent off for removing his shirt in celebration. Max Moerstedt struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The defeat ended Leverkusen’s six-game winning streak and left them fourth.

SATURDAY

TURKEY

GIFT ORBAN (AMEDSPOR)

Orban scored and set up the winner as Amedspor came from behind to beat Samsunspor 2–1 and go top of the Süper Lig.

Logi Tomasson put Samsunspor ahead in the 21st minute, and they went down to 10 men in the 37th when Sousa received two yellow cards. Mbaye Diagne, who came on at half-time, was sent off in the 61st for two bookings, but Orban levelled from the penalty spot in the 73rd. Dia Saba scored the winner in the 83rd from Orban’s assist.

It was Orban’s eighth league goal, level with Trabzonspor’s Mohamed Salah at the top of the scoring chart. Amedspor have 20 points from nine games, one ahead of Galatasaray, and host Eyupspor next.

Orban is 24. He is on a season-long loan from Hoffenheim.

ENGLAND

IWOBI, BASSEY VS AWONIYI, ONYEKA (FULHAM/COVENTRY CITY)

Iwobi and Bassey started as Fulham won 1–0 at Coventry City, with Taiwo Awoniyi and Frank Onyeka on the opposing bench.

Oscar Bobb scored the only goal in the 80th minute after a brief VAR review. Bassey played the full game and made seven clearances. Iwobi was substituted in the 74th minute.

It was Iwobi’s 328th Premier League appearance, which puts him joint-second among African players with Mohamed Salah. Only Kolo Toure, with 353, has more. Fulham have now won back-to-back league games and travel to Aston Villa on October 31.

Awoniyi and Onyeka came on in the 67th minute for Coventry.

SPAIN

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATLÉTICO MADRID)

Lookman was substituted at half-time for the third time in four La Liga games as Atlético beat Deportivo La Coruña 1–0.

He had no shots and created no chances in his 45 minutes before Diego Simeone replaced him. It came days after he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

FRANCE

MOSES SIMON (PARIS FC)

Simon came on in the 67th minute as Paris FC lost 2–1 away to Lens in Ligue 1.

Luca Koleosho put the visitors ahead in first-half stoppage time, finishing a counter-attack set up by Lassine Sinayoko. Florian Thauvin levelled in the 63rd minute, and Thorgan Hazard scored the winner in the 83rd from Thauvin’s pass.

Simon replaced Adama Camara four minutes after the equaliser but could not turn the game around. Paris FC stay on 14 points after eight games, while Lens move up to 16.