Category Uncategorized

Celtic have closed the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on a potentially pivotal Sunday.

The Hoops demolished Kilmarnock 4-0 at Parkhead, with Johnny Kenny breaking the deadlock, Kieran Tierney adding a second shortly after half time, before Daizen Maeda and then Arne Engels from the penalty spot added a little gloss to the scoreline late on.

With Hearts held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United over at Tynecastle, the Hoops go into the international break now just seven points adrift of the leaders, also with a game in hand.

For Martin O’Neill, since returning to the Parkhead dugout after two decades away, he has enjoyed back-to-back 4-0 Premiership wins, as well as dumping Rangers out of the League Cup semi-finals at Hampden; the less said about Thursday’s Europa League clash with Midtjylland the better!

In this victory, for however long the 73-year-old remains in caretaker charge, he learned that one Celtic player in particular can be counted on.

Will O'Neill still be at Celtic after the break?

After Sunday’s comfortable victory, O’Neill confirmed “I genuinely don’t know” if he will still be in charge for their next fixture, adding that if the board do appoint a permanent manager during the international break that it’ll “be absolutely fine by me”.

When Celtic do return to action later this month, they’ll travel to St Mirren before facing Feyenoord in Rotterdam in a repeat of the 1970 European Cup Final, but who will be in charge of those matches?

Well, could it be Wilfried Nancy?

He is currently the favourite to land the job, reportedly one of the club’s top targets alongside Kieran McKenna, and a move to Glasgow may have edged a little bit closer this weekend, after Nancy’s Columbus Crew were dumped out the MLS play-offs by rivals FC Cincinnati on Saturday, meaning their season is now over, which could expedite any appointment, if he is indeed who they want.

Irrespective of who is sat in the away dugout in Paisley in a fortnight, they surely can’t help but be impressed by the performance of one Celtic player in particular this weekend.

Celtic star enjoys his finest day of the season vs Kilmarnock

The Celtic medical staff may need to paraphrase Police Chief Brody from Jaws: we’re going to need a bigger treatment room!

The Hoops are already without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Jota and Kelechi Ịheanachọ, before Hampden hero Callum Osmand​​​​​​​ suffered a long-term injury in Herning on Thursday, while Marcelo Saracchi was then stretchered off in the first half against Kilmarnock.

This obviously is not ideal, but does of course present opportunities for others and, in the absence of Carter-Vickers, his compatriot Auston Trusty has really impressed.

The American centre-back put in an excellent display against Rangers in last weekend’s semi-final victory, but was possibly even more eye-catching this Sunday, with the statistics supporting this assertion.

Accurate passes

98

1st

Passing accuracy %

96%

3rd

Accurate long balls

9

2nd

Dribbles success %

100%

1st

Defensive actions

9

5th

Clearances

7

3rd

Interceptions

1

6th

Duels won

9

1st

Aerial duels won

6

1st

Touches

117

1st

SofaScore rating

8.4

3rd

As the table documents, the centre-half put in a colossal defensive display on Sunday, ranked first for duels as well as accurate passes and touches.

Meantime, when only Celtic players are considered, nobody accumulated more defensive actions, clearances or interceptions.

Glasgow World documented that he ‘continued his rich vein of form’, while noting that the 27-year-old appears to be the perfect man to fill a rather large Carter-Vickers-shaped void at the back.

The defender, who was named man of the match, was also labelled “composed, dominant and aggressive”, having been “immense​​​​​​​” since Carter-Vickers suffered a long-term achilles injury against Sturm Graz.

As recognition of his form, Trusty has been recalled to the United States squad for their friendlies against Paraguay in Pennsylvania and then Uruguay in Florida next week.

Trusty has not played a single minute for the USMNT since November last year, but could well change that as Mauricio Pochettino continues to experiment ahead of the World Cup.

Back at club level, Celtic will need Trusty to remain fit, available and in form because, frankly, they don’t have any other options and, if a new manager is appointed in the next fortnight, he has really staked a claim to remain a key figure. This was undoubtedly his finest day of the campaign to date.

The new Rodgers: Celtic make "incredible" manager their new No.1 target

Celtic could be looking to appoint another Brendan Rodgers-type figure.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 9, 2025

South Africa started the day staring at defeat, only 63 ahead with three wickets in hand, but registered a stunning win, their first in India in 15 years and the second-smallest successful defence in Asia. The whooping and cheering among the South Africa players echoed amid a shocked Sunday crowd at Eden Gardens as the visitors bowled India out for 93 in the absence of their injured captain Shubman Gill.Temba Bavuma was ever present, scoring the only half-century of the match and taking South Africa to a lead of 123 on a pitch with extravagant sideways movement and variance in bounce. He was helped a little by some ordinary spin bowling on the third morning, but he had earned the errors after defending resolutely on the second evening.Related

• Kolkata minefield: Bavuma stands tall, Washington stands longer

• 'I don't buy this' – Pujara won't accept transition as excuse for losing Tests at home

• 'Job's far from done' – Conrad eyes series win

• With 'small hands' and strong instincts, Bavuma shows self-assurance of a player at his peak

• Stats – South Africa's first win in India since 2010

The target of 124 was always going to be tricky with Simon Harmer outbowling India’s spinners in the country where he had a forgettable tour in 2015-16. The uneven bounce made Marco Jansen a handful, causing the double jeopardy you need to defend small totals.India began the day in the ascendance but not with bowlers likeliest to take a wicket. Axar Patel opening the day was a surprise, and as the singles flowed with ease you could sense panic. Rishabh Pant, who had been excellent with his rotation of bowlers and field placements on the second evening, began to change bowlers too quickly and also took a desperate review against Bavuma when Ravindra Jadeja had clearly pitched outside leg from over the wicket.That Jadeja was bowling over the wicket in itself was a sign of desperation when all you really needed to do on this surface was bowl a good length and shut the scoring. Jadeja, who until day two was the best player of the match, just struggled to maintain that length and bowled seven overs for 21 runs. Washington Sundar, one of the three spinners in the last four home Tests, was not used at all.Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch added crucial runs in the morning•Getty Images

Bavuma’s defence found an ally in Corbin Bosch’s big hits, which he deployed mainly against Kuldeep Yadav. The two added an invaluable 44 for the eighth wicket, 25 of which came off Bosch’s bat. Eventually it was the fast bowlers that kept India alive. Jasprit Bumrah hit the top of Bosch’s off, and Mohammed Siraj, in only his second over of the innings, got the better of Harmer and Keshav Maharaj with reverse swing.It was always going to be a tough target on this pitch, but India had hope in South Africa’s selection of only two spinners, one of whom, Maharaj, had gone for 16-1-66-1 in the first innings. Jansen, though, stunned them at the start in his first two overs to send back the openers. Both these balls jumped off a length, got big on the batters, and took the outside edge.Simon Harmer was unplayable at times•BCCI

Washington, India’s newest No. 3, played resolutely again, mirroring the first half of Bavuma’s innings and facing the most balls in the match, but as it tends to happen on these pitches, Dhruv Jurel put a long hop into the hands of deep midwicket. The ball did stop on him as it tends to happen on these pitches.Harmer might have got on the board with this fortunate wicket, but he bowled beautifully to earn that stroke of luck. Ten years after a crushing tour of India, he is back a much-improved bowler. He could change his trajectory subtly, most of the times able to bowl a good length at different paces. It showed in how he completely tied up the most dangerous batter in the India line-up, Pant, and eventually earned a return catch with dip and turn.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

At 38 for 4, Washington and Jadeja added 26 runs, looked comfortable, but this is when Jadeja’s old-school method of defending with the bat behind the pad came back to haunt him. Just like in the first innings. Once again out lbw pad-first to Harmer, Jadeja ended forgettably a Test he had been largely good in, one during which he became only the fourth man to take 300 wickets and score 4000 runs.Aiden Markram reminded India of the nightmare Glenn Phillips had been on lottery pitches last year when he came on and finally got the edge of a distraught Washington, who scored 31 off 92 to go with his 29 in the first innings. Harmer then spun one past Kuldeep when he slowed it down tantalisingly.At 77 for 7, India were left needing a miracle from Axar, who threatened one when Bavuma gave him a sighter against Maharaj. He hit two sixes and a four, but when he happened to mishit he found a calm Bavuma making a difficult over-the-shoulder catch look ridiculously easy.Siraj lasted only one ball, triggering wild celebrations, the loudest from Kagiso Rabada, who has tasted only defeat on two previous tours of India and was missing this Test with a rib injury.

Pooran and Pollard had won the CPL and MLC together earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025

Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran will reunite at the ILT20•Sportzpics for MLC

MI Emirates have announced Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as their wildcards for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. Pooran and Pollard will rejoin forces after winning the CPL (Trinbago Knight Riders) and MLC (MI New York) together earlier this year.Pooran is also part of MI Cape Town in the SA20, which overlaps with the ILT20. Pooran, now 30, had made a shock decision to retire from international cricket at 29, but continues to be a sought-after player in franchise leagues around the world.Pooran and Pollard add more Caribbean flavour to a MI Emirates side that already includes Andre Fletcher, who had fetched the highest bid of USD 260,000 at the inaugural ILT20 auction in October, Ackeem Auguste, who was also an auction pick, and Romario Shepherd, who had been picked ahead of the auction.Related

Kieron Pollard to captain MI Emirates in ILT20

R Ashwin goes unsold in inaugural ILT20 player auction

Pooran makes shock retirement from international cricket at 29

The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 and will run until January 4, featuring six teams who will play a total of 34 matches.MI EmiratesAuction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000).Retentions + Direct Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu Mendis.Wildcards: Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard.

Selection dilemmas, fitness concerns, and an unsettled XI – both teams begin their T20 World Cup buildup with more questions than answers

Alan Gardner09-Sep-2025Big picture: World Cup planning gets serious (sort of)And so we reach the final staging post of the England Men’s home international summer. Notwithstanding a beano to Ireland next week, which might be even more weather-challenged than three T20Is against South Africa in the UK in September.Harry Brook is the last man standing, the white-ball captain having played all of England’s 15 games across formats for the season. Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith were due to join him for the last hurrah, before England’s management had a change of heart during the ODIs and opted to give both players a rest. But Brook will have to wait for an opportunity to put his feet up, as he sits out the Ireland trip.Staying on the treadmill is tough enough, never mind keeping track of priorities. This series ought to figure more prominently than the ODIs that preceded it, since there is a T20 World Cup on the horizon – it’s over there, in India and Sri Lanka early next year, just peeking out from behind the Ashes. But England will make do and mend without a first-choice XI in any of their six games over the next 11 days, intent only on getting to the finish line. After which, there’ll be a few weeks off, then back to the grind for a white-ball tour of New Zealand followed by – hello again! – the Ashes in Australia.Related

South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

Ferreira relishes 'heater' role as Invincibles' six-hitter-in-chief

Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

Jofra Archer: 'There was an ooh or an aah every single over'

McCullum: England must 'find ways to deal with' packed schedule

Brendon McCullum admitted after the third and final ODI, which England won in record-breaking fashion despite already conceding the series, that they were still getting to grips with easing their multi-format players through a punishing schedule. Throw in the ever-increasing demands of the franchise T20 circuit – and for some of the players involved here, the SA20 auction is the biggest event happening this week – and the balancing act only gets harder.(South Africa’s solution to fixture pile-up has been to programme an entire home season without a Test – although they still have upcoming red-ball commitments in Pakistan and India. Wherever you look, the stresses and strains are apparent.)This will be South Africa’s third T20I engagement in recent months, having toured Australia and Zimbabwe, where they played a tri-series with New Zealand – though some hotchpotch selection means they only won three games (two of them against Zimbabwe) out of eight. They were expecting to welcome back David Miller against England, after allowing him to play the Hundred as a precursor; but a hamstring strain sustained in Northern Superchargers purple means he will instead miss the entire series.There are also question marks over the fitness of Kagiso Rabada, after he sat out the ODI legs in Australia and England with ankle inflammation. Shukri Conrad has said previously that South Africa would be taking a “conservative approach” with Rabada, with T20Is currently higher up the pecking order.All of which means there is an air of uncertainty over proceedings, which are due to commence in Cardiff on Wednesday evening (weather permitting). England will expect a sterner test than that provided by West Indies earlier in the summer, as Brook began his tenure with a 6-0 sweep across formats. South Africa, finalists at the last World Cup, look to be further ahead with their planning – even if it is only three months since Heinrich Klaasen’s sudden retirement left a big hole to fill in their middle order.Both sides will be looking for answers. Don’t be surprised if the series only throws up more questions.Form guideEngland WWWLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LWLLLIn the spotlight: Sam Curran and Dewald BrevisIs the Bazball revolution big enough to include Sam Curran? We may be about to find out. Having seemingly been cast as someone who did not “fit the mould” of what McCullum was after with the Test side, he slipped down the pecking order in white-ball cricket, too, last playing in the Caribbean at the back end of 2024. That was under the guidance of an interim coach in Marcus Trescothick, so this will be Curran’s first chance to impress McCullum, who took charge across formats at the start of the year. If he can continue his good form from the Hundred and T20 Blast, and Make Things Happen in the manner of his first coming in international cricket, he could soon offer a solution to some of England’s ODI problems, too.Sam Curran was back in the England set-up•Getty ImagesIt is now more than three years since Dewald Brevis, South Africa’s “Baby AB”, burst into public consciousness by earning an IPL deal before having even played a first-class game. But until June of this year, his only mark on international cricket were innings of 5 and 0 in two T20Is against Australia back in 2023. A fifty on Test debut in Zimbabwe augured well, but the full range of his abilities shone through in remote Darwin last month as he smoked South Africa’s highest T20 international score – 125 not out off 56 balls – and second-fastest hundred, in only his ninth innings. That innings, no doubt, contributed to Brevis being the No. 1 draw at Tuesday’s SA20 auction, where he went past his captain, Aiden Markram, as the tournament’s most-expensive ever signing at R16.5 million (US$940,000). The spotlight won’t be going elsewhere for a while.Team news: Miller ruled out of seriesEngland named their team a day in advance, with Jos Buttler moving back up to open in the absences of Smith and Duckett. He is reunited with Phil Salt, who missed the West Indies series on paternity leave. Tom Banton and Will Jacks, both T20 openers by trade, are carded down at Nos. 6 and 7, with Curran a place above. He will be one of three pace-bowling options, alongside Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer, with four spinners – Jacks, Jacob Bethell, Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid – also at Brook’s disposal.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Sam Curran, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil RashidSouth Africa have opted not to call up a replacement for Miller, whose absence is likely to open up a spot for Donovan Ferreira – Oval Invincibles’ “heater” – to play just his seventh T20I and first since December. Keshav Maharaj returns as the frontline spin option after missing the two previous series, while Marco Jansen is set for his first appearance since the World Test Championship final in June after suffering thumb surgery. If Rabada is being kept in cotton wool, then 19-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka is primed to take his place.South Africa: (Possible) 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickleton (wk), 3 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditions: Seamers bang it inCardiff can be a tough place to bowl spin, because of the short straight boundaries – and will prove a challenge if England stick to their World Cup-orientated strategy of packing in the slow-bowling options. The surface was green a day out, but is expected to get a trim. However, a forecast for steady rain through the next 24 hours, and potentially on into the evening, might render such concerns moot.Stats and trivia South Africa have won four of their last five T20Is against England, which includes victories at the 2021 and 2024 World Cups and a 2-1 bilateral series success in 2022. The trip three years ago saw South Africa win comfortably in Cardiff, by 58 runs – although only four members of that side (Stubbs, Maharaj, Rabada and Ngidi) are involved this time around. Brook led England to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in his first outing as T20I captain. In all T20, he has captained 23 times – with England, Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers – and been victorious in 15 for a win/loss ratio of 2.50. Barring washouts, Brook will win his 50th T20I cap in the third game of the series at Trent Bridge.Quotes”We’ve got to make sure we do what we do as a team. We’re not too concerned about putting a statement out for others to see. It’s for our own selves, making sure we are true to our own selves cricket wise – batting, bowling, fielding – and letting our cricket do the rest. Hopefully we can put a show on.”
“They are always a good team. Expecting it to be a really good challenge for us. They’ve won heaps of white-ball tournaments and were the trendsetters at one stage. Looking forward to facing them and the strengths that they bring to the table, and seeing where we are as a team against really good opposition.”

Raza had valiantly revived Zimbabwe’s chase through the middle overs but he could not take them over the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2025A spectacular Dilshan Madushanka hat-trick derailed a scintillating Zimbabwe chase in the final over, which Sikandar Raza had valiantly revived through the middle overs.Raza had brought Zimbabwe to the cusp of what would have been a famous victory. They needed ten off the last over, he himself was on strike and batting beautifully on 92 off 86 balls, and at the other end was Tony Munyonga, with whom he’d shared a 128-run stand.But Madushanka backed his speed and went for the stumps. Raza attempted an over-the-shoulder scoop with the fine leg in the circle. But he could not get a touch on the ball, which sent middle stump flying.With ten now needed off five, Zimbabwe were still in with a shot if someone could find the boundary. But Madushanka kept going full and fast, and kept finding wickets. Brad Evans tried a scoop as well, but wound up only giving short fine a catch. Richard Ngarava tried to swipe across the line next ball, and also found his stumps rearranged. Only two runs were possible off the last three deliveries – Madushanka sticking to fuller lengths and staying tight on the stumps. Though he had been expensive earlier, he had produced the defining over of the match in his first ODI this year. He took 4 for 62. Asitha Fernando took 3 for 50 from his ten overs.Tony Munyonga and Sikandar Raza put on a century stand for the sixth wicket but it wasn’t enough•Zimbabwe Cricket

Before that Madushanka finale, Raza had Zimbabwe sailing through the death overs. He and Munyonga had come together when Zimbabwe still needed 138 for victory off 120 balls, and the pair had produced a dynamic partnership, Raza always leading the way, manipulating the field expertly as the early assistance the pitch had offered died out. (Sri Lanka’s lower middle order had also found batting conditions improved substantially as the ball wore.)Raza largely milked the spinners and reserved his big shots for the seam bowlers, punishing them severely when they missed their lengths. Sri Lanka’s fielding was sloppy through this period, and their over rate also suffered to such an extent that they were punished with having an extra fielder in the circle for the last two overs. Raza kept the singles and twos flowing, and in Munyonga had a partner who could turn the strike back over to him fairly efficiently.Munyonga was dropped on 35 at deep point, with Zimbabwe needing 32 off 22 balls, and from there Zimbabwe’s victory felt fairly assured, as Raza continued to whittle down the score with boundaries and sharp running. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka had his more reliable quicks – Dushmantha Chameera and Fernando – bowl out by the end of the 49th over, hoping one of them could take the breakthrough wicket. In the end, they left Madushanka with enough runs to defend that batters still had to hit a boundary in that over.Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis put on 137 off just 83 balls•Zimbabwe Cricket

Sri Lanka’s innings had also centred around their sixth-wicket partnership, and those batters had – like Raza and Munyonga – been joined with the score 161 for 5. Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis added 137 off 83 balls to electrify what had been a slow Sri Lanka innings until that point. Of those runs, Liyanage hit 70 not out off 47 balls, and Kamindu 57 off 36 before being bowled by Richard Ngarava off the last delivery of the innings.Although batters above them had been watchful, Liyanage and Kamindu were more severe on the bowlers’ errors in length, as the spinners attempted to continue rushing through the overs, and the seamers tried to exploit the extra bounce in the surface. They found boundaries square of the wicket – Liyanage favouring the offside – and the two were also excellent between the wickets.Kamindu was the busier of the two, but Liyanage got more strike towards the end of the innings, and did not fail to land some big blows, hitting an especially memorable helicopter-shot six off Ngarava in the final over. Trevor Gwandu had earlier conceded a 23-run over to the pair.There had been good top-order contributions in both innings. For Zimbabwe, Sean Williams and Ben Curran both hit fifties in their 118-run partnership, having come together with the score at two wickets for no runs. For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka had struck a patient fifty.

Manchester United desperately needed attacking reinforcements during the summer window, after netting just 44 league goals in the Premier League during 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim wanted an overhaul in such a department, with incomings and outgoings needed to help change the club’s fortunes in England’s top-flight.

INEOS went into the transfer market and spent around £200m on an attacking trio of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, whilst allowing the likes of Rasmus Hojlund to depart.

Mbeumo has already wasted no time in hitting the ground running at Old Trafford, as seen by his tally of five goals in his first 12 league outings – the most of any player in the squad.

However, that hasn’t stopped the board from targeting added reinforcements, with numerous attacking talents still on the club’s radar ahead of the January window.

The latest on United’s hunt for reinforcements in January

Over the last couple of days, United have once again been touted with a move to land Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the upcoming window.

The Red Devils are just one side who are currently in the race for the Cherries star, with the Ghanaian international currently having a £65m release clause in his deal at the Vitality.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all keeping a close eye on his situation at present.

He’s not the only attacker currently on their radar, with Borussia Dortmund talisman Serhou Guirassy another option being targeted by INEOS and Amorim ahead of January.

According to Sky Sports in Germany, United have been offered a €50m (£44m) deal to land the Guinean international, after his release clause became active.

It also states that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City are just a handful of teams who can activate such a clause, but it’s unclear if the player himself would entertain a winter move.

Why United’s latest target would be Amorim’s own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who many United supporters have envied over recent years, with the Norwegian talisman constantly providing the goods for local rivals Manchester City.

It could have been so different, especially considering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pleaded with the board to sign him during his tenure in charge at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old has since moved to the Etihad, with such a transfer allowing the forward to take his career to the next level – as seen by his remarkable goalscoring record since his move in 2022.

Haaland has racked up a staggering 143 goals in just 163 appearances, including a mind-boggling 22 goals in just 21 outings across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s men.

During his time in England, he’s played against the Red Devils on nine separate occasions, finding the net eight times – with such a record one of the best for teams he’s faced.

However, Amorim could be about to land his own version of Haaland with a winter deal to land Guirassy, with the pair possessing numerous similarities.

Both would have moved to the Premier League from Bundesliga side Dortmund, whilst both have showcased their phenomenal goalscoring feats in recent years.

When comparing their respective stats from the current campaign, the Guinean international has managed to outperform the City star in key areas despite his own record in front of goal.

Guirassy, who’s been dubbed “one of the best strikers in Europe” by Lothar Matthaus, may have been outscored to date, but has posted a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate.

Games played

10

12

Goals & assists

6

15

Shot on target accuracy

59%

57%

Pass accuracy

72%

64%

Passes into final third

1.1

0.6

Carries into final third

0.8

0.7

Aerials won

2.9

2.6

Fouls won

1.3

0.7

Such a tally highlights his impressive ability in the final third, arguably taking advantage of more of the opportunities that have fallen his way in front of goal this season.

The Dortmund star has completed more passes this campaign, with more of his efforts being made into the final third – which could hand the United side an added creative threat in attacking areas.

His all-round dominance over Haaland is further reflected in his higher tally of carries into the final third and aerials won per 90 – both of which would improve the Red Devils’ attack tenfold.

£44m for a player of his quality in the current market would be an excellent deal for a striker who has consistently found the back of the net in the last few years.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by Haaland in the Premier League, it would be a sensational deal and one that could help Amorim in his quest for success.

Best January deal since Bruno: INEOS make PL "warrior" Man Utd's top target

Manchester United have a new top target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to welcome London rivals Fulham to North London on Saturday night.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their last two games, losing 5-3 to the French giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites have not won in the Premier League since they beat Everton 3-0 at the end of October, with one win in six in all competitions since, which is why it is so important for Thomas Frank’s team to win this weekend.

They will have to get one over Fulham in order to do so, though, and it is a club that they have many connections to through players who have played for both.

Ranking Fulham players who have played for Spurs since 2010

Counting all players who played for Spurs since 2010, there have been ten players who either played for Fulham before or after their time in North London.

Perhaps most notably, given that Dimitar Berbatov left Tottenham in 2008, is central midfielder Mousa Dembele, who played 240 matches for Spurs between 2012 and 2018, after signing directly from the Cottagers.

1

Mousa Dembele

2

Scott Parker

3

Clint Dempsey

4

Joao Palhinha

5

Carlos Vinicius

6

Lewis Holtby

7

Paulo Gazzaniga

8

Manor Solomon

9

Josh Onomah

10

Ryan Fredericks

As you can see in the table above, academy players like Ryan Fredericks and Josh Onomah rank at the bottom, with several less notable Spurs players before the top four.

It is hard to say anyone other than Dembele should be at the top, given that the Belgian star, renowned for his ability on the ball, is the only player on the list to play more than 100 games for the club, with 240, per FBref.

He was once ‘irreplaceable’ for Spurs, as shown in the post above from 2018, and Frank can unearth his own version of the midfielder by playing Lucas Bergvall on Saturday night.

Why Lucas Bergvall could be Tottenham's next Mousa Dembele

One of Dembele’s most notable attributes during his time with Spurs was his dribbling. Speaking about his former international teammate, Youri Tielemans once said: “His dribbling was amazing, you just couldn’t take the ball off him.”

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He was brilliant at carrying the ball up the pitch from the middle of the park, and Bergvall is a central midfielder who can offer similar qualities for Spurs in the present day.

Per FBref, the Sweden international ranks within the top 9% of his positional peers in the Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries per 90 (2.30) and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.55).

This shows that he is one of the most productive dribblers among central midfielders in Europe, which is why he could develop into being Frank’s own version of Dembele in the middle of the park.

Bergvall, like the Belgian, does not carry a huge goal threat, having scored once in the Premier League this season, but he can get the team up the pitch with his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

The Swedish star, who was dubbed a “generational talent” by the club’s head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, started as part of a box midfield against PSG earlier this week, but playing further up the pitch ahead of Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur restricted how much he could drive from deep.

Therefore, unleashing him in a midfield three against Fulham on Saturday could allow him to provide supporters of both teams with a reminder of a player who once starred for them.

Own Kvaratskhelia: Spurs could see £50m bid accepted for PL "superstar"

Tottenham have been told that they could have an offer accepted for their own Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January.

ByDan Emery Nov 28, 2025

Bergvall only attempted one dribble, which he completed, against PSG, and playing him further back on the pitch to use as a threat in transition could help Spurs to win their first Premier League game of the month this weekend.

Bangladesh coasted home in just 13.1 overs, achieving their third-quickest T20I chase

Abhimanyu Bose01-Sep-2025Bangladesh surged to a 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Netherlands with another comfortable win in the second T20I in Sylhet. Netherlands’ batting failed once again, failing to punish the hosts for some sloppy fielding, and seven of their batters were dismissed for single-digit scores as they slumped to 103 all out.Nasum Ahmed, who replaced Rishad Hossain for this game, finished with three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman continued their wicket-taking form with two apiece.Tanzid Hasan then hit an unbeaten half-century as Bangladesh romped to victory in 13.1 overs, making it their third-quickest chase in T20Is (where overs weren’t reduced).

Nasum deals early double-blow

Even though Max O’Dowd flicked the first ball for a boundary, it was a cagey start for Netherlands, including a missed run-out chance when Mahedi Hasan failed to collect a throw cleanly at the non-striker’s end in the first over with Vikramjit Singh short of his crease.Nasum’s introduction in the third over brought Bangladesh their first breakthrough, and then another.It was more poor execution of shots than the quality of bowling that brought about the wickets, as O’Dowd skied a half-tracker to mid-on and Teja Nidamanuru miscued a cut off another short ball to short third to give Nasum two in two.Vikramjit kept the boundaries coming, cover-driving Mahedi and sweeping Nasum fine before punching the left-arm spinner through point.But he tried to ramp a slower ball from Taskin in the sixth over, got cramped for room, and ended up spooning a catch to short third.

Bangladesh sloppy in the field

Taskin could have had his second off the next ball when Shariz Ahmad skied the ball attempting a swipe across the line but Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who had taken a good catch off the previous delivery, slipped at deep third and spilled the chance.Bangladesh’s sloppiness in the field continued next over, when they failed to capitalise on a mix-up: Towhid Hridoy first tried to run to the stumps from extra-cover, with the ball, and then sent an underarm throw off-target.But Netherlands couldn’t capitalize as Scott Edwards failed to clear mid-on in the ninth over, with Parvez Hossain Emon taking a good catch running back to give Mustafizur his first wicket.Where Bangladesh let simpler chances go, Saif Hassan produced a moment of brilliance to leave Netherlands five down in the tenth over. He dived to his right to stop a flick from Shariz, leaving non-striker Noah Croes, who had set off for a single before turning back, short of his ground with a direct hit.Taskin Ahmed was among the wickets again•BCB

Dutt resists, but bowlers have final say

Five became six next ball as a Tanzim bouncer cramped Shariz, who could only glove it behind down the leg side.Sikander Zulfiqar, brought into the XI to bolster Netherlands’ batting, made just two before Mustafizur hit the top of his off stump for his second wicket of the evening.Taskin and Nasum then added to their tallies before Aryan Dutt hauled Netherlands past 100, hitting the only six of the innings off Taskin in the process. But he bottom-edged Mahedi onto his stumps as he tried to go for another big shot, ending Netherlands’ innings on 103 with 2.3 overs left unused.Dutt top-scored with 30 and was one of only three Netherlands batters to record double-digit scores.

Emon navigates tricky powerplay

Bangladesh openers rode their luck in the first couple of overs, with Emon top-edging a reverse-sweep over the keeper and missing out on a conventional sweep.But they enjoyed pace on the ball, with both Emon and Tanzid launching medium-pacer Kyle Klein over mid-off for boundaries.Emon was given out lbw off Paul van Meekeren, but he survived upon reviewing and responded by whipping him behind square leg for four and launching him down the ground for Bangladesh’s first six.However, Klein struck in the final over of the powerplay as Emon lost shape trying to hit a length ball down the ground and ended up edging behind.

Tanzid, Litton finish the job

Emon’s wicket came during a spell of 15 balls without a boundary, and Litton broke it with a reverse-sweep behind point off Daniel Doram.When O’Dowd was introduced in the ninth over, Tanzid welcomed him with a six down the ground. In the next over, Tanzid tried to go down the ground again off Doram and was given a life with O’Dowd spilling the chance at long-on.Tanzid slogged O’Dowd over midwicket for a four and a six in his next over, the 12th of the innings, and brought up his half-century off 39 balls in the 13th. The rest of the chase was a formality, and Tanzid sealed the win with a slap down the ground.

Newcastle United have a tough run of fixtures to contend with for the rest of November, before the bumper Christmas schedule weighs heavily on the calendar.

Indeed, the up-and-down Magpies have a tricky home clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City up next, as Eddie Howe no doubt worries already as to how his porous defence will deal with a free-flowing Erling Haaland.

Then, it’s back-to-back away fixtures at Marseille and Everton in the Champions League and Premier League, with Howe, presumably, under even more intense pressure if he fails to pick up a win or two across this stretch of contests.

Far too many players Howe has relied on over the years have failed to deliver the goods across recent matches, with many of those underperformers also falling into the high earners bracket at St James’ Park.

Assessing Newcastle's current wage bill

Newcastle’s highest earner currently continues to lead by example for the most part in club captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Understandably, during losses on the road against West Ham United and Brentford, the Brazilian wasn’t at his liveliest.

But, the £160k-per-week “talisman” – as he has been recently labelled by Michael Carrick – does still have three goals next to his name this season, when bailing his topsy-turvy side out of some sticky situations, which included this wonderfully taken strike breaking the deadlock against Nottingham Forest last month in a much-needed 2-0 win.

The same adoration isn’t being extended to Joelinton and Anthony Gordon – who both take home a hefty £150k-per-week pay packet – with the pair notably struggling in league action this season. Neither player has scored a single goal or registered an assist from a combined 16 Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Nick Woltemade has lived up to his club-record £69m price tag, and his high £132.5k-per-week wage, on the contrary, with four league goals already next to his name.

There will be some grumbles about Anthony Elanga’s £55m fee and £100k-per-week wage, though, with the ex-Manchester United attacker dubbed a “massive overpay” by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Swede yet to show off his exhilarating best on the wings. He remains goalless so far on Tyneside.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The likes of Elanga and Gordon are not the only players being hounded.

A "legendary" star must be ditched by Newcastle

Elanga will also surely have the benefit of patience on his side, with the 23-year-old only 17 games down for his new employers. In time, the hope will be that the expensive £55m purchase does come good.

Whereas, in the case of Joe Willock, the peak of his Newcastle career looks to be very firmly behind him now, with his drop-off in form on Tyneside a very concerning tale.

Towards the start of his Newcastle playing days, Willock perform the role of a bright spark in front of goal from the midfield ranks expertly, much like Guimaraes now provides Howe and Co.

Staggeringly, he scored in seven straight Premier League matches during his initial loan spell from Arsenal during the 2020/21 season, as Willock lived up to Mikel Arteta’s words of being a “special” talent.

Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even went as far as to state that Willock had achieved “legendary stats” at St James’ Park with this unbelievable goalscoring run, further hailing the number 28 as “god-like” to the Tyneside masses.

Willock after his permanent move
Stat	Willock
Games played	133
Goals scored	10
Assists	9
Transfer fee	£25m
Wage per week	£80k-per-week

Willock has, arguably, become a victim of his own successes at Newcastle, with the former Arsenal midfielder only managing to cough up two more goals across 133 games, away from exploding onto the scene with a breakneck eight goals during his first 14 outings.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has simply labelled the 26-year-old as a major “disappointment” over the past couple of seasons, with only 100 minutes of Premier League action handed his way this campaign, really bringing into view his lavish £80k-per-week wage.

Wildly, that means summer arrival Malick Thiaw earns less than Willock, despite being an ever-present part of Howe’s defensive unit in the Premier League so far this season, with the German only banking a £70k-per-week salary.

It’s far from the most uplifting story seeing the decline of Willock in real time, but if Howe is to turn around his side’s fortunes right now, he will have to consider shelving the EFL Cup-winning midfielder for good very soon, alongside other previous regulars who have now fallen off the horse.

Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 16, 2025

Shohei Ohtani might not be performing up to his lofty standards at the dish thus far for the Dodgers this postseason, but there was a welcome—and rare—sight at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night.

For the first time since March, Ohtani was out on the field taking batting practice, and the Dodgers star not only got some extra hacks in, but put on a show in the process.

Ohtani's batting practice session got off to a slow start, to the amusement of his Dodgers teammates.

But it's not how you start, it's how you finish. And on one of Ohtani's last BP swings, he crushed a ball out of Dodger Stadium. The home run caromed off the top of the roof in the pavilion section en route to traveling all the way out of the park.

Even though it came in a practice session, the homer had to be a good sight for the Dodgers, given that Ohtani hasn't gone yard since Game 1 of the wild-card round against the Reds, when he belted two homers. The presumptive 2025 National League MVP has struck out 12 times in his last 25 at-bats, collecting just a pair of hits in that span as the likes of the Phillies and Brewers have been determined to either attack Ohtani with a steady diet of breaking balls or not let him beat them by intentionally walking the slugger.

Perhaps a return to Dodger Stadium, as evidenced by one batting practice swing, will be good for Ohtani. Game 3 of the NLDS is set for Thursday at 6:08 p.m. ET.