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Shaheen Shah Afridi is the only specialist fast bowler in the Pakistan XI

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-20252:31

What is Oman’s best chance of challenging Pakistan?

Toss Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first on an exceptionally hot day in Dubai. Every game in the tri-series Pakistan won last week was won by the side setting a target. Salman Agha opted to keep following the pattern that worked for his side in Sharjah.In acknowledgement of the pitch’s partiality to turn, Afridi is the only specialist fast bowler in the Pakistan XI, while both wristspinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed play.Oman captain Jatinder Singh said they would have batted first too, and also confirmed they opted to go with a “spin-heavy side”. This is Oman’s first game since February, and the first one since a pay dispute caused turmoil within the group. A large number of mainstays of the Oman side are no longer with the team.This is the first game of the tournament for both sides.Oman 1 Aamir Kaleem, 2 Jatinder Singh (capt), 3 Hammad Mirza, 4 Vinayak Shukla (wk), 5 Hassnain Shah, 6 Shah Faisal, 7 Mohammad Nadeem, 8 Zikria Islam, 9 Sufyan Mehmood, 10 Shakeel Ahmed, 11 Samay ShrivastavaPakistan 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Sufiyan Muqeem, 11 Abrar Ahmed

Manchester City might have closed the gap on Sunday, but this season feels different for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless over the last couple of months, so much so that a point away to the high-flying Sunderland feels like a defeat.

Moreover, while the Gunners finally conceded against the Black Cats, they remain unbeaten in 14 games across all competitions and are still top of the Premier League.

One of the reasons why Arsenal have been so successful is how quickly their summer signings have adapted. However, there are now reports that they could be interested in someone who could be an upgrade on Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal target world-class midfielder

Since arriving in North London for around £58m, Zubimendi has been an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s midfield.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Spaniard has already made 14 competitive appearances for the side, in which he has scored two goals and provided one assist.

However, his place in the side might not be as secure as it seems, with the Gunners now interested in another world-class midfielder.

At least that is according to a report from Caught Offside, which claims that Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

The report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Gunners are monitoring the midfielder’s situation.

However, in addition to convincing him to leave the reigning European Champions, the North Londoners would have to stump up an enormous fee of around €130m, equivalent to approximately £114m.

With that said, if this is a deal that can be done, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, even if that’s bad news for Zubimendi.

How Vitinha compares to Zubimendi

The first thing to note is that Zubimendi is doing a brilliant job for Arsenal so far this season and could be a key reason why they finally win the Premier League.

However, just because a player is performing well for a side, it does not mean they cannot be upgraded upon, so would Vitinha be that upgrade?

Well, both midfielders are capable of playing in central and defensive areas, so neither one takes the lead when it comes to versatility.

However, when it comes to their output, it’s a different story entirely.

For example, while the Gunners’ ace has two goals and one assist to his name this year, the PSG star already has a staggering tally of two goals and eight assists in just 16 appearances, totalling 1237 minutes.

In other words, he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 123.7 minutes, which goes some way to justifying respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “the Xavi of this generation.”

Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, he also comes out second best when it comes to major honours, as while he has a Copa del Rey and Euros to his name, the Portuguese star has won the Champions League, the Nations League, three Ligue 1 titles, two Portuguese League titles and a plethora of French Cups.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.24

0.13

Progressive Passes

14.7

6.25

Progressive Carries

4.02

1.06

Shots

2.29

0.86

Shots on Target

0.80

0.29

Passing Accuracy

93.6%

88.7%

Key Passes

1.84

0.87

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.84

0.87

Shot-Creating Actions

4.92

2.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.91

0.29

Tackles Won

0.92

1.06

Shots Blocked

0.23

0.10

Clearances

0.80

1.83

Carries

103.8

42.9

Finally, it is once again the former Porto star who comes out on top when comparing their underlying numbers.

For example, “the best midfielder in the world,” as dubbed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, comes out way ahead in crucial metrics such as progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and shots blocked, all per 90.

In fact, the only metrics in which the Spaniard does better are some of the defensive ones, and even then, it’s not by a significant amount.

Ultimately, Zubimendi has been unreal for Arsenal so far this year, but if Vitinha is attainable, the club should do everything possible to bring him in.

Arsenal star set to miss North London Derby and will be last to return from injury

The Gunners have a long list of unavailable attackers.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 11, 2025

For two seasons, signing Arda Guler looked like it might have been a mistake by Real Madrid. There were, in fact, reports that they really didn't want him in the first place, and that he was instead only brought to Santiago Bernabeu because Barcelona were so keen on signing 'The Turkish Messi' from Fenerbahce. Fast-forward, though, and that assumption now seems massively misguided.

Over the past few months, Guler has become indispensable to Xabi Alonso – and Kylian Mbappe. Rather than producing Messi-esque moments, Guler has taken on a midfield role more akin to his former team-mate and mentor, Mesut Ozil. The results have been extremely positive, as while Mbappe continues to work on his on-field relationships with fellow superstars Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, he has found a player in Guler who can provide him with the final pass and ensure that he at least keeps up his end of the bargain by banging in goal after goal.

Getty ImagesBarca hijacked

When Guler first broke onto the scene as a teenage prodigy in Turkey, it was Barca – along with Arsenal – who were most routinely linked with his signature. The Blaugrana lacked a creative player of his ilk, and there was a feeling in Catalunya that Guler could be developed into a star of the future alongside the club's homegrown talents. 

In early 2023, Barca club president Joan Laporta went on record promising that the deal was all-but done – with the condition that Guler would not arrive until the start of the following campaign. 

“Today [Barca sporting director] Deco was in Istanbul,” said Laporta. "La Liga allows us to carry out operations for next season without impacting ‘Financial Fair Play’. Arda Guler is a very talented player who Deco likes a lot, and we are trying to close the operation."

And then Madrid stepped in. Los Blancos insist that they had their eye on Guler for months before Barca made their move, but their Clasico rivals weren't so convinced. Madrid offered an initial €20 million (£17m/$22m), with the promise of another €10m in add-ons, and ensured Guler that he would be given minutes in the first team from day one. Laporta later came out, in very Laporta style, and insisted that it would have been a mistake to sign Guler anyway.

"We moved away from the Guler operation because of the magnitude it was reaching. We thought it would be a mistake on our part," he said after Madrid announced the teenager's signing. "There are more players that I think we can get without entering such a bidding war.

"We could have come to compete for Guler, but we decided not to. We have a certain line and we don't cross it. Neither with Arda nor with other players who want to come to Barca."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMade to wait

When Guler arrived into the Spanish capital, his quality on the ball could not be denied, but there were clearly physical limitations given the stage of his development, and perhaps unsurprisingly he swiftly picked up an injury which forced him to watch from the Bernabeu stands for months before he was eventually handed his debut in January 2024. Even then, though, Carlo Ancelotti seemed unconvinced.

"He did an hour well but obviously he is not at his best physically," the then-Madrid boss said. "The important thing was for him to get used to playing with the team, to show his quality. You have to be patient. He showed the quality he has in the first half. He has personality and character, it’s true. That’s a good thing. He stands out for the quality he has above all, but character is important to do well at Real Madrid."

Guler was subsequently made to wait for more opportunities, with Luka Modric preferred to him on a number of occasions while Bellingham thrived in the other advanced midfield role. The Turkey international did score six goals in his final seven La Liga appearances of the season as Ancelotti rotated in a bid to win the Champions League after sealing the league title, but that did little to convince the legendary Italian coach of Guler's capabilities, and he was trusted to start just 18 games across all competitions in 2024-25, averaging just 41 minutes per appearance.

Getty Images SportImpressive numbers

Alonso has, by contrast, had no such reservations and has instead made Guler a crucial part of his set-up from his very first games in charge at the Club World Cup. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss brought the playmaker on at half-time in Madrid's opening game against Al-Hilal, and he subsequently remained in the line up for the rest of their run to the semi-finals.

That faith has continued into the 2025-26 campaign, where Guler has started 14 of Madrid's 16 games in all competitions thus far, returning three goals and six assists. When you consider his performances for Turkey in World Cup qualifying, and he has totalled 15 goal contributions in around 1,700 minutes on the pitch.

Within La Liga, Guler's average of 0.91 goal contributions every 90 minutes for Madrid puts him in the 98th percentile within the division, while the 40 chances he has created in all competitions makes him the leader among players in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

Alonso has also called on Guler to improve the defensive side of his game, and the numbers suggest he is well on his way to doing so. His 0.74 interceptions per 90 minutes are in the 74th percentile among attacking midfielders, while his tackles won, 1.78, puts him in the 84th percentile. Those numbers are hardly elite, but they aren't bad either – especially for a team that consistently has more of the ball than their opponents and has a real desire to win it back as quickly as possible. 

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AFPStrong connection

Perhaps most important for Madrid's chances of success in the coming months, however, is Guler's connection with Mbappe. The Frenchman and Vinicius might profile as a devastating attacking duo, but they are seldom on the same wavelength, and that can lead to promising attacks breaking down when the pair try to combine.

By comparison, Guler and Mbappe have developed far more of a connection. All six of the Turkey midfielder's assists this season have been for Mbappe, and Guler has spoken of how they "understand each other very well," while being compared to another devastating duo of recent Madrid past.

“I like the comparisons between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil and Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler," the 20-year-old said when asked whether he can replicate Ozil, who assisted goals for Ronald on 39 occasions during their time together at the Bernabeu. "They’ve achieved great things, but significant success is always achieved by a team, never just two players."  

Guler's ability to pick a pass has helped Mbappe maintain his central position far more this season, with the Frenchman much more keen to combine with Madrid's No.15 rather than edge away from Guler's position on the right of the midfield three and towards his favoured left-hand side. As such, Alonso's Madrid look much more balanced than they did under Ancelotti last term.

The only gap in their line-up is bowlers with the ability to hit sixes, and that’s something they might have to live with for the moment

Sidharth Monga04-Feb-20252:30

India vs the rest: quicker runs, more wickets in the middle, and more

If it hadn’t actually happened, you would struggle to imagine the kind of dominance India have displayed in T20Is. It is a fickle, high-variance format. The shorter the duration of the game, the smaller the gap in quality between opponents. India have won 43 of their 53 completed T20Is since the start of 2023. This includes an unbeaten T20 World Cup campaign during which they went from the seam-bowling paradise of New York to the flatties in the Caribbean Islands to spin-friendly Guyana and back to high-scoring Barbados, getting the better of eight different teams.Take out the first half of this unimaginable run, and we are talking of stuff beyond fantasies. Since the start of 2024, India have won 28 and lost three. Surely there should be some mean reversion around the corner? Surely India have enjoyed too much luck? Surely this run should be unsustainable?And they are missing at least two of their first XI players. Two players who are the kind of point-of-difference bowlers franchises break the bank for. It is scary to think how good India can get if you add Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav to the line-up that just beat a full-strength England 4-1. We finally have in front of our eyes a team worthy of representing a country that runs the best non-international T20 tournament. A country with hitting talent that was just waiting to be unleashed on the world should their national team dare to shed muscle-memory conservatism.However, in these three – and other strike bowlers India have – lay their only weakness. Bumrah, Kuldeep, Varun, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi – none of them can be relied upon to hit a six. The way Jofra Archer or Adil Rashid or Mark Wood can. Or Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins. Or Kagiso Rabada or Marco Jansen or even Anrich Nortje.This weakness forced Tilak Varma to tamper with his game in the Chennai chase, which he did successfully. However, you can’t go in with fewer than three strike bowlers. Especially when they are as good as Bumrah, Kuldeep, Varun and Arshdeep. It is a weakness India will have to live with unless one or two of them can do the unthinkable and build six-hitting prowess the way R Ashwin has at the fag end of his career. However, none of them has the inherent batting ability of Ashwin, so this might be too tall an ask.Yet, all things being equal, add Bumrah, Kuldeep, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to the current squad, and India should start as strong favourites in the 2026 T20 World Cup. There can still be a crucial toss lost or horrible dew or that 130 all out on a big night, but should India become the first team to successfully defend their title in men’s T20 World Cups, they will seal their status as the greatest T20 team ever assembled. To many, they already might be.

On Friday, the rumors became official: Wrigley Field will play host for the MLB All-Star Game in the near future.

After a few months' worth of reports connecting the famous ivy wall to All-Star festivities, commissioner Rob Manfred announced at the ballpark that the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field would host the 2027 All-Star game. It is an exciting time for the city and especially the fans who will get to enjoy Wrigleyville throughout the All-Star week.

The social media account for the ballpark released a video celebrating the occasion shortly after Manfred's announcement.

The 2027 game will mark the fourth All-Star Game the Cubs have hosted, with the three previous occasions coming in 1947, 1962 and 1990. Chicago's game will come on the heels of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia hosting the 2026 All-Star Game.

Fans and players both have much to look forward to in 2027, as one of MLB's most historic ballparks plays host to All-Star festivities.

West Indies had their own struggles on a tough day in Barbados, but Australia’s next-gen batting remains a long-term gamble

Andrew McGlashan26-Jun-20253:33

Shamar Joseph: ‘One of the best deliveries I’ve bowled in my life’

Things may yet turn out alright on the night for Australia in Barbados in terms of the result – although that remains far from certain – but the opening day of the series shone a further light on the task of reshaping the top order with an eye to the future.Firstly, a qualifier: these were not comfortable batting conditions. Travis Head, who produced the most dominant innings, said that Australia had been taken by surprise with how tough they were, but Jayden Seales suggested West Indies had an inkling of what to expect after the pre-series training camp here.Still, Australia’s 22 for 3 – and a later collapse of 7 for 69 – followed on from the difficulties they had in the World Test Championship final against South Africa when they couldn’t find a way through tricky periods. West Indies had struggles of their own, but it was a reminder that the next generation of Australia batting could be a longer-term project riddled with uncertainties.Related

'Enough chances being created' – quicks could call the shots on third day in Barbados too

Seales, Shamar scythe through Australia before quicks return fire

Cummins backs Green as 'long-term' No. 3 amid Australia's batting reset

You only need to show Shamar Joseph an Australia batting line-up for him to put on a display. He had not quite hit the heights of the Gabba since that heady day (although, after his struggles in England last year, the numbers had been far from dire) but this brought back memories of Brisbane.His opening spell, and specifically the dismissal of Sam Konstas, set the tone for a well-planned West Indies bowling performance which held its nerve as Head and Usman Khawaja forged the best stand of the day, 89 runs, although it could have been better with safer catching.Konstas was beautifully set-up by Joseph, falling in a manner that has been seen before at Australia Under-19 level and in his early domestic days with the ball shaping back at him.”I think I set it up perfect towards him; a few outswingers, and then get the ball to nip back, because he’s just looking to get beaten outside off and then to nip back through the gate,” Joseph told ESPN’s , while speaking of the importance of the work he had put since the white-ball tour of the UK.Cameron Green lasted just 21 balls•Associated PressJoseph followed by giving Cameron Green a working over at No. 3, having him dropped second ball in the gully before he edged low to second slip. Ahead of the match, Pat Cummins said he saw Green as a long-term option at No. 3 but, while he’s had some tough conditions to face – firstly Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s and now another good pace attack – he will need a more convincing second innings to quieten the debate.The best of the lot, though, was saved for Beau Webster who was completely turned around by a magnificent delivery that took the top of the stumps. “That’s probably one of the best deliveries I’ve ever bowled,” Joseph said.Without Steven Smith (albeit temporarily) and Marnus Labuschagne, this batting order is without nearly 15,000 Test runs and it was something West Indies had taken note of.”We spoke about it,” Seales said. “We knew that coming into the Caribbean, pitches are a lot slower than what they were accustomed to in Australia. And especially this pitch, with the grass being how it is and the colour of the pitch, we knew that there was vulnerability within the batting line-up and more so with the pitch, so we just tried our best to exploit it.”

‘I don’t think there’s one solid way of going about things on those sort of wickets. You’ve just got to double down on your plan and your blueprint and what you play best’Travis Head

It took Australia 16 overs – and three wickets – to find the boundary, but Head defended the approach of the top order, backing each player to work out their own method.”I thought Usman applied himself really well in the partnership and batted completely different to what I did, and both were as effective as each other,” he said. “Guys will want to learn, you always want to try to adapt to the conditions the best way we can. We battled hard against a really quality attack, so on another day, you hope you get through it.””I don’t think there’s one solid way of going about things on those sort of wickets. You’ve just got to double down on your plan and your blueprint and what you play best. Naturally, I like to try and put as much pressure back on and there’s going to be times where it works and not.”Seales, who had claimed his first wicket when he removed the recalled Josh Inglis to a pull shot, was able to beat his team-mate to a five-wicket haul. He termed it the “most special” of the three he has bagged because he never quite felt at his best, but ensured Joseph took the acclaim as he left the field.”I think that’s what opened the game right up for us,” he said of Joseph’s early spell. “Blowing away the top order is the most important thing in Test cricket and then that made it a lot easier for us in the middle and in the back end of the innings.”Between them, their nine wickets left Australia needing the bowlers to keep them in the contest which, for the final 20 overs of the day, they did commendably as they so often have. But all eyes will be on that top order again come the second innings.

Antony has revealed the anguish he is suffering in the wake of being sent off at the weekend is causing him sleepless nights. The ex-Manchester United winger was given his marching orders after an acrobatic overhead kick attempt saw his boot accidentally connect with the face of a Girona player and, after a VAR review, he was shown a straight red. The sending off means he'll miss a derby date with Sevilla next time out for Betis.

Antony handed red card after VAR check

The incident occurred in stoppage time when the Brazilian attempted an overhead kick and his boot accidentally caught Girona's Joel Roca in the face. The referee initially did not stop play, but a VAR review prompted a pitchside review, after which the red card was issued for dangerous play. Antony made apologetic gestures to the home fans as he left the pitch and the club is appealing. As it stands the red card means he is suspended for Betis' upcoming derby match against Sevilla.

Speaking on social media following the game, Antony apologised to Betis fans, saying: "Very sad about the red card. All I wanted was to help my team win. A completely unintentional move … sorry to all the fans that have always supported me."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAntony: 'I stayed at home thinking all night'

Speaking a couple of days after the event, Antony was spoken of how he's still upset about the incident: "I had no intention. That's why we’re going to try to appeal. I won the ball. When I did the (overhead) there, I didn't see it, I was looking at the ball. It was the VAR decision, the referee knows that I had no intention. It was very hard to sleep. I stayed at home thinking all night, I slept very little."

Antony is still hopeful of winning the appeal and being able to face Sevilla, he added: "Yes, of course. We have to try. I know how important this game is and I want to play it.”

New life in Spain after Manchester nightmare

Antony's career has been revitalised after a challenging spell at Man Utd. He initially joined on loan in January this year and the winger quickly rediscovered his form, becoming a key player and fan favourite. During his initial six-month loan, Antony bagged an impressive nine goals and five assists in 26 appearances, helping the team secure qualification for the Europa League and reach their first-ever European final. 

He attributed his success to finding happiness and confidence in Seville, a stark contrast to his "very difficult" time in Manchester. Real Betis made the transfer permanent in September 2025 for a reported fee of £20 million ($29.1m). Since the permanent switch, he has continued his strong performance, with four goals in his first nine league games  this term and has expressed immense satisfaction with his move, stating he "wakes up every day with a smile". 

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Getty Images SportHigh praise from boss Pellegrini

Aside from the fantastic match stats and statements backing his love for life in Spain with Betis, Antony has also drawn praise from his manager, former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini. Speaking earlier in the season, Pellegrini said: "He's matured significantly, he's working really hard in games, with and without the ball, with 40-metre runs, changes up front, getting into the box, working on recovering. And that's what has helped him to make up for some of that lack of precision. 

He added: "I spoke with him before he came to Betis. He told me that he was not playing because he was not happy, but he had a lot of complaints about what he has done also. He wanted revenge, and here in Betis, I think he had it, and he did it in the way we know he can do, because it's not easy for you to play as a 100 million player. And Antony is a very good player. I am absolutely sure that this is a huge time for him here in Betis to help improve his career."

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against PSG in the Champions League last night was the second time in a matter of months in which Thomas Frank’s men have been bettered by the French side.

The UEFA Super Cup final back in August was the Dane’s first competitive match in charge of the Lilywhites, but he was unable to get one over Luis Enrique’s side.

Such a result once again appeared at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, with the host’s 5-3 win inflicting the club’s first loss of the current European campaign.

Both fixtures could have fallen in Spurs’ favour, especially after taking the lead in both contests, but ultimately the defensive frailties have cost Frank’s men in each of the meetings.

The inability to keep one player out in Paris last night ultimately contributed to their downfall, with one opposition star constantly tormenting Frank’s men in the defeat.

Vitinha’s stats against Spurs in the Champions League

PSG’s success in the Champions League last season was no doubt down to the quality side Enrique has built over recent years, with Vitinha central to the Parisians’ European triumph.

The Portuguese international has continued his phenomenal form in the current campaign, as seen by his performance against Spurs on Wednesday night.

He featured for the entirety of the contest at the Parc des Princes, scoring a hat-trick during the triumph – achieving such a feat for the first time in his professional career.

The 25-year-old’s first strike was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch, with the midfielder firing Quentin Ndjantou’s perfectly weighted pass into the top corner via the crossbar.

His underlying stats from the contest also reflect his impressive display, with Vitinha completing 87 passes – the most of any player – whilst also completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

Such a performance led to Spurs boss Frank heaping huge praise on the midfielder, labelling him as the “best midfielder in the world” and that he’ll be the “next Ballon d’Or winner”.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s answer to Vitinha

After the North London Derby defeat against Arsenal, it was imperative that manager Frank switched up his midfield department for the Champions League clash.

The Dane started with a two-man pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur at the Emirates, with such a partnership far too negative – which no doubt contributed to the 4-1 hammering.

For the defeat against PSG, the 52-year-old opted for a younger base of the side, with Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall just two of the youngsters who featured in the middle of the park.

The duo were unable to produce a winning display, but they did offer a reason to be positive despite falling to a third consecutive defeat under Frank’s guidance.

However, the shining light in the middle of the park was certainly Archie Gray, with the 19-year-old taking full advantage of the rare start handed his direction.

The Englishman joined in a £40m deal from Leeds United last summer but has often had to bide his time for a regular run of first-team appearances since Frank’s arrival.

Yesterday was just his fourth start of the 2025/26 campaign, but he did manage to thrive, even against the defending European champions last night.

Gray featured for 76 minutes before being withdrawn, even linking up excellently with Bergavll in the first half as the Lilywhites took a one-goal lead.

He also won 100% of the tackles he attempted, whilst making two clearances and two recoveries – in what was an exceptional defensive performance at the Parc des Princes.

Minutes played

76

Touches

20

Passes completed

7

Passes into final third

2

Tackles won

100%

Clearances made

2

Recoveries made

2

Aerials won

100%

Other stats, such as 100% aerials won and two passes into the final third, also showcase his all-round quality – backing up Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s a “future £100m” star.

However, if he is to reach such levels and become the club’s very own Vitinha, it’s crucial that Frank hands him the needed game time to help him continue his development.

The player will no doubt be immensely proud of such a showing in Paris, with his efforts no doubt giving the manager a selection headache against Fulham this weekend.

As bad as Romero: Frank must instantly drop 5/10 Spurs flop after PSG

Thomas Frank will have some huge calls to make on some players after Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 27, 2025

Despite poor ODI record against opening opponents, success in T20 World Cups augurs well

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2025Two wins from South Africa’s last eight ODIs against England does not make for pretty reading but allrounder Chloe Tryon isn’t bothered by that record.Ahead of her team’s Women’s World Cup opener in Guwahati on Friday, Tryon said those results don’t reflect the reality of a South African side that has reached two T20 World Cup finals since they last met England in the 50-over version, including a memorable semi-final victory at Newlands in 2023.”The team has changed a lot over the last couple of years,” Tryon told the media on Wednesday. “We’ve got some young players coming in and we’ve got a lot of experienced players, and everyone’s just taken up their role really beautifully. And the way that we’ve worked behind the scenes has been really good, so I’m not looking at too much of the stats.”South Africa’s World Cup squad is missing three of the players that lost 2-1 to England in their home ODI series last year. But they have five changes in personnel from the squad that beat England in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup before losing to them in the semi-final.Since then, South Africa have a new captain, a new wicket-keeper, a new pace spearhead, a new coach and most importantly, a new frame of reference, thanks to their progress in the shorter format. They’ve also got far more experience of their opposition than was the case three years ago. Tryon is one of three South Africans in this squad – Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp are the others – who are fresh off the Women’s Hundred.Though Tryon herself didn’t have a good tournament, making just 31 runs in nine matches, she benefitted from first-hand experience of her English opponents which she hopes she can use to South Africa’s advantage.”It’s a really good tournament to be part of and I obviously got to play with a couple of the England girls, which was pretty exciting,” she said. “Just watching them, how they go about their skill and how they go about their business is really good, so hopefully I can give a lot of insight to the team.”Tryon and Wolvaardt’s team-mates at Southern Brave included Lauren Bell and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, two of the “matchwinners” of which Tryon is wary, in an England side laden with superstars.”As a unit they’re just really that strong,” she said. “They’re led by one of the best all-rounders in the world (Nat Sciver-Brunt), and everyone just feeds off her. Every single one of them are matchwinners. We have to make sure that we show up with a lot of presence and we give 200%. We’ve shown that we can beat them in the past and we have, so we need to be really positive going into the first game.”Related

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From Kappie to Dercky: South Africa's pace-bowling allrounder's torch is being passed

Gardner upstages Devine as Australia kick off with a win

Charlotte Edwards takes confidence from England's strong warm-up displays

South Africa have turned their 50-over fortunes around since losing eight out of 10 ODIs between June 2024 and May 2025, and have won four of their last six games. Admittedly, these came against West Indies (who are not at this tournament) and Pakistan (who had to qualify) so they need to be understood in context, but they also hinted at a succcessful adjustment to a new style under coach Mandla Mashimbyi.Mashimbyi has been in charge for nine months now, in which time the team has bought into his aggressive style of cricket. They have bulked up their middle order with Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus, Tryon, Nadine de Klerk and the option of Karabo Meso from No.3 to 7 or 8. “We bat really deep which is really important in a 50-over tournament like this,” Tryon said. “As a batting unit, we’ve come a lot of strides over the last couple of months, you can see that there’s a big difference in our batting and our approach in our batting department.”On flat pitches, this is expected to be a World Cup of high scores. However, South Africa’s early observations from the India-Sri Lanka match were that “it takes a little bit of turn,” as Tryon put it.Her allround abilities could be crucial to South Africa’s fortunes, but so too her experience. Tryon and Luus are both playing at their fourth World Cup, while Kapp is entering her fifth. Each has the knowledge that this could be their last, and they want to make a statement.”As a senior group we just want to lead the way for the team,” Tryon said. “We’ve got some girls that haven’t played a 50-over World Cup before, so for us, it’s making sure that we’re taking a lot of the responsibility in the middle and creating really good environments within the squad. It’s been really good so far. The way that everyone has gelled together has been so good. We’re really excited for the first game and we want to lead the way as a senior group by just making sure that we keep everyone as a tight unit.”

The 2025 World Series may have turned on a wedgie. The Dodgers held on to beat the Blue Jays 3–1 on Halloween thanks to a ball getting stuck in the outfield padding right as Toronto looked like it was about to make a comeback.

The Blue Jays trailed the Dodgers 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Addison Barger hit a ball deep to left-center field. The ball landed right at the foot of the wall and wedged itself there. Outfielders Enrique Hernández and Justin Dean threw their arms up to signal it should be a ground-rule double, and the umpires agreed.

What should have been a run-scoring play for the Blue Jays ended up plating zero runs. The Blue Jays had runners on second and third with no outs, but Tyler Glasnow came in and got three outs with just three pitches with the game ending on an epic double-play.

When Barger hit the ball and it became clear it wasn't going to be caught the Blue Jays looked like they were on their way to a comeback and maybe a World Series. The second the ball got stuck everything changed.

Game 7 is Saturday night on Fox. All because of a wedgie.