Arsenal’s fourth Premier League win in a row yesterday has seen the Gunners take a huge stride towards finally ending their drought for a league title.

Mikel Arteta’s men secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates – a result that takes his side four points clear at the summit.

It was far from a vintage display for the Spaniard’s outfit, but the manager will be pleased that his side managed to battle through the adversity and claim three more vital points.

The likes of Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres endured quiet afternoons in North London and were unable to add to their tallies in the 2025/26 campaign.

However, one player did manage to step up to the plate and produce the goods and subsequently pop up with the vital contribution yesterday afternoon.

Eberechi Eze’s display against Crystal Palace

Back in the summer transfer window, Arsenal forked out a fee in the region of £67.5m for the signature of Eberechi Eze – in an attempt to bolster their depth and quality in the final third.

Since arriving from Crystal Palace, the England international had only netted one goal, with such an effort coming against League One side Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

Ahead of the clash, there was a sense of inevitability he would score against his former employers – and that he did, firing home a loose ball just minutes before half-time.

Alongside his first Premier League goal, Eze also impressed with his creativity, subsequently registering seven passes into the final third, which saw him create two chances in the process.

The 27-year-old also won five of the seven duels he entered, whilst also completing 100% of the duels he entered – producing a really impressive all-round showing in North London.

However, despite Eze’s showing, one other Gunner managed to impress in the triumph, with the regular starter now becoming one of the manager’s most important players.

The Arsenal star who’s becoming one of Arteta’s most important players

Gabriel has been one of Arsenal’s star men over the last couple of years, with his performances at both ends having a real impact on the club’s ability to challenge for a title.

The Brazilian’s showing against Palace yesterday was yet another example of his quality, with the centre-back hitting the woodwork and coming perilously close to his third goal of the campaign.

Out of possession, he led the Gunners to a sixth Premier League clean sheet of the campaign, after making six clearances and winning 100% of the ground duels he entered.

However, the 27-year-old isn’t alone in becoming a key man for Arteta, with midfielder Declan Rice producing a phenomenal display against Palace yesterday afternoon.

The Englishman had huge expectations placed upon him after his £105m transfer from West Ham United, but it’s safe to say he’s massively surpassed all of the supporters’ expectations.

He’s started all but one league game this campaign, with his showing against the Eagles one of his most impressive over the last couple of months.

Rice created three chances and made two tackles during the victory, both of which were the highest tallies of any player on the pitch throughout the 90-minute match.

Declan Rice – stats against Palace

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

82

Touches

72

Chances created

3

Tackles won

2

Passes completed

38

Passes into final third

12

Interceptions made

2

Aerials won

100%

Stats via FotMob

Other figures, such as 38 passes completed, with 12 being into the final third, showcase his incredible composure with the ball to dictate the play at the heart of the side.

However, out of possession, the Englishman was just as impressive, as he made two interceptions and won 100% of the aerial duels he entered against Oliver Glasner’s men.

To top off his excellent display, Rice was handed a superb 8/10 match rating by The Express’ Tom Parsons – topping off what was a phenomenal afternoon at the Emirates.

After such a showing, there’s little debate that the Englishman is once again becoming one of the club’s first names on the teamsheet in the hunt for a Premier League title.

If he can continue to perform alongside Gabriel and Eze, there’s no reason why Arteta’s men can’t go all the way and end the generational wait for a top-division title.

Related Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 5/10 Arsenal dud after Palace

Arsenal strengthened their grip on top spot after an impressive 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 26, 2025

Chelsea are working to back Enzo Maresca with the signing of a centre-back in the January transfer window, and they’ve reportedly reached out to the representatives of a Premier League star this week.

Chelsea's defensive shortage laid bare after summer failure

Maresca went public with his desire to bring in a top defender during the summer, coming after Chelsea failed with a move for Dean Huijsen and Levi Colwill was sidelined for the majority of 2025/2026.

Despite looking at their options, Chelsea couldn’t find the right profile to come in and bolster Maresca’s backline (Simon Phillips), and BlueCo are now paying the price.

Chelsea were the summer’s second-biggest spenders behind Liverpool, according to the BBC, but despite their large investment in recruitment, they failed to address key areas defensively with Maresca left extremely short.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Colwill all missed Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League through injury, and with Trevoh Chalobah suspended for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool this weekend, Maresca has just three options to choose from.

Fofana and Tosin won’t return until after the October international break, with the former undergoing concussion protocol and the latter nursing a calf problem.

This leaves Maresca with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato and Benoit Badiashile as his only central defensive choices, so it is likely the Italian will go for a pairing of Hato and Badiashile for Liverpool’s visit to Stamford Bridge.

Hato is regarded by Chelsea as more of a left-back to support Marc Cucurella (Ben Jacobs), while Badiashile is himself only just coming back from a long-term injury — having made a first start in three months against Benfica on Tuesday night.

It is a dire situation, and one which will undoubtedly frustrate Maresca behind-the-scenes after he was clear that the club need more central defensive options.

According to reports, Chelsea and Maresca are in agreement that the signing of a centre-back should be prioritised for January, with the west Londoners now at work on finding the right profile (Pete O’Rourke).

Chelsea hold talks with Marc Guehi ahead of potential January deal

Now, as per journalist Simon Phillips, Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is being discussed as an option for January.

The England international, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool in a summer deadline day move, could leave for a very cheap fee mid-season or for free next summer, and Chelsea are thinking about luring Guehi away from Selhurst as soon as the next window.

Phillips reports that Chelsea have reached out to Guehi’s camp for discussions this week as they make centre-back enquiries, and Palace would rather sell in January than lose him for nothing later in 2026.

The “sensational” defender, who left Cobham for Palace in 2021, would be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s defensive crisis.

January could be too soon for Marc Guehi's Palace exit

Guehi has established himself as an England regular and Premier League stalwart during his time at Palace, and he could be one of the snips of 2026 as his contract ticks down towards expiry at the end of this season.

However, it is very debatable whether Oliver Glasner would be happy with chairman Steve Parish selling his star defender midway through the campaign, and this would certainly threaten to cause a stir considering just how crucial Guehi is to Palace.

The Eagles are currently on an 18-game unbeaten run and Glasner really won’t be keen on losing a player who’s so vital to his set-up, unless Palace manage to source a quality replacement.

Reports in the summer even suggested that Glasner threatened to leave Palace if Guehi was sold to Liverpool, with the transfer later called off, but this has since been denied by the tactician.

Arne Slot’s contentious selection decision for Liverpool’s latest in a long litany of defeats was a gamble, alright, but whether it has paid off is anybody’s guess at this stage.

Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 win at Anfield against a second-string home side, and Liverpool are now out of the Carabao Cup. But the tactical fault lines run far deeper, and the Reds know that their upcoming run of games will prove decisive in exactly how the club emerge from this dismal run of form.

Aston Villa travel to Merseyside at the weekend, and then next week’s double header of Real Madrid and Manchester City will perhaps show exactly how Slot will fare over the coming months.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Liverpool have one of the most talented and expensive squads in the world, after all, and have seen a few stars go from strength to strength over the past several months.

Chief among them is the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai, but, despite his smaller role, Federico Chiesa has been just as impressive.

How Chiesa is rebuilding his Liverpool career

Liverpool only signed one player during the 2024 summer transfer window: Chiesa. What a contrast to the window just passed. The Italian arrived for a cut-price £12.5m fee, but injuries and Slot’s wariness kept him on the fringes.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed quite the revival this season, among the most prolific players in Slot’s squad. Despite starting only two matches in all competitions (both of the Reds’ domestic cup fixtures), he has notched two goals and three assists.

And still he waits for his first Premier League start of the season. Chiesa is earning starts on tournamental fronts but will perhaps feel somewhat aggrieved by sitting in the centre on Wednesday evening, flanked as he was by teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison.

Hugo Ekitike

13

6 (1)

Mohamed Salah

13

4 (3)

Cody Gakpo

13

4 (3)

Federico Chiesa

10

2 (3)

Alexander Isak

8

1 (1)

Florian Wirtz

13

0 (3)

Rio Ngumoha

7

1 (0)

Chiesa has in the past proved he has the talent to sit alongside the world’s best forwards. He has been deeply unfortunate with injuries, but his mental fortitude and underlying talent are beginning to shine, and there is a real chance for him to lay down a marker over the coming months, especially when you consider Mohamed Salah will be away at AFCON come January.

Liverpool's new version of Chiesa

Last season, Chiesa drifted through Liverpool’s title-winning campaign. Clearly, he was a talented player who had the skills to make a mark, but for whatever reason, Slot opted against unleashing him.

Now that he’s seen Calvin Ramsay put in a fine showing against Crystal Palace, the Dutch coach may want to avoid repeating that same mistake. Right-back Ramsay has not played much football over the past several years, but he showed what he can do against the Eagles.

The 22-year-old was composed on the ball and looked to progress play forward when the chance arose. In the first half, he played a Trent-esque diagonal cross over to Ngumoha, demonstrating a range of strings on his bow.

Liverpool signed Ramsay from Aberdeen in July 2022, adding him to the squad for an initial £4m fee. Jurgen Klopp once said “the sky is the limit” for the one-cap Scotland international, but a low-hanging fog has clouded his potential over the past three years, restricting him to just three first-team appearances for the Merseysiders and a string of unsuccessful loan spells.

But there’s a real player in there.

Against Palace, the Scotsman won six duels, made seven recoveries and four clearances, as per Sofascore. Promising stuff, even if the rust was clear to see, losing the ball 19 times despite not creating a chance.

Like Chiesa, Ramsay has been shaken by injuries over the past several years, and at the early stage of his career, this has had a detrimental impact on his hopes of getting going at the highest level.

Liverpool have lost six of their past seven matches in all competitions, with that emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League an outlier born from the Germans’ own deep defensive deficiencies.

Analytical Reds writer Sam McGuire even said that Slot’s decision to exclude Ramsay previously is “a sackable offence”. Of course, we must take this as tongue in cheek, but it does underline the quality of talent Liverpool have in this Scottish defender, and it’s certainly frustrating that he is now unavailable for the men’s team over the next few months.

Chiesa stands a real chance of continuing to go from strength to strength in Liverpool’s senior squad this year, adding a dimension that Slot simply cannot ignore.

With Jeremie Frimpong not quite a natural full-back and Conor Bradley’s performances leaving something to be desired, might there not be a chance for Ramsay to sneak his way into the club’s plans too?

The defeat to Crystal Palace, the third of the campaign, emphasised the scale of Liverpool’s plight at the moment, with wholesale changes and a bench full of youngsters backing firing on a head coach who now stares down the barrel of a gun, preparing to take on some of Europe’s most threatening outfits.

He will need every tool at his disposal, and allowing Ramsay to taste some more action might not be the worst thing in the world for a side currently lacking solutions.

Van Dijk's new Matip: Liverpool now chasing "sensational" Guehi alternative

Liverpool are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements in 2026.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

أعلن أحمد الكأس، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، تشكيل الفراعنة لمواجهة منتخب فنزويلا، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم الجمعة.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع فنزويلا، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من عمر مباريات المجموعة الخامسة لبطولة كأس العالم للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا.

طالع | موعد مباراة مصر وفنزويلا اليوم في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا

وافتتح منتخب مصر مشواره في بطولة كأس العالم، يوم الثلاثاء الماضي أمام منتخب هايتي، وحقق الفوز بنتيجة 4-1.

منتخب مصر يتواجد في المجموعة الخامسة من بطولة كأس العالم المقامة بدولة قطر، بجانب منتخبات فنزويلا وهايتي وإنجلترا.

ويتصدر منتخب مصر، ترتيب المجموعة من بطولة كأس العالم، برصيد 3 نقاط، ويأتي منتخب فنزويلا في الوصافة بنفس عدد النقاط، فيما يحتل منتخبا إنجلترا وهايتي المركزين الثالث والرابع دون نقاط. تشكيل مصر اليوم أمام فنزويلا في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا

حراسة المرمي: عمر عبد العزيز.

خط الدفاع: نور أشرف، حمزة الدجوي، أدهم فريد ومهند الشامي.

خط الوسط: عمر كمال، باسل مدحت ومحمد حمد.

خط الهجوم: بلال عطية، عبد العزيز الزغبي وحمزة عبد الكريم.

Anthony Gordon has become the centre of social media scrutiny after the England international failed to find the back of the net in yet another Premier League game. The winger has had a grip on the left of the Magpies and Three Lions' attacks in recent months, but both Eddie Howe and Thomas Tuchel may be growing concerned at Gordon's lack of output.

• Gordon under fire for West Ham defeat

  Gordon was disappointing once again for Newcastle in the Premier League as the Magpies slumped to a shock 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium. The Hammers recorded just their second win of the season, and their first under Nuno Espirito Santo, to leave Newcastle a disappointing 12th after 10 games.

  The afternoon started brightly for the away side when Jacob Murphy put the visitors in front after just four minutes. The right-winger weaved in and out of the Hammers defence before striking hard into the bottom-left corner.

  Yet, the Magpies could only hold onto their lead for half-an-hour when Lucas Paqueta, looking to lead West Ham to safety, curled an effort from distance past the diving Nick Pope. Ten minutes later, a Aaron Wan-Bissaka cutback was turned into his own net by Sven Botman to give the hosts the lead. Newcastle pushed, but were unable to find a way back into the game and Tomas Soucek bundled home in injury time to seal the three points.

  It marks another poor result and performance from Newcastle, whose dreams of qualifying for the Champions League for another season already look under threat, with much of the blame for their inconsistent and wasteful attack being levelled at Gordon, who was substituted at half-time.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fans fume at wasteful winger

  The Newcastle United fans are growing tired of the winger, who has now gone 19 games in the Premier League without scoring or providing an assist for one of his team-mates. On X, @Regista10_ declared the stat as, "one of the worst stats" they had ever heard.

  Gordon was also fortunate that his lackadaisical performance escaped punishment. @KHeneage said that "Anthony Gordon [is] far too casual on the ball in the wrong areas," in reference to the winger being robbed of possession leading to a West Ham attack. Looking to pounce on Gordon’s error, the hosts poured forward and, when Jarrod Bowen went over in the box, looked as if they would take advantage of the winger’s complacency in midfield. Luckily for Gordon, the awarded penalty was overturned by VAR.

  On the same incident, @Will44s added: "Anthony Gordon is very light weight and also gives the ball away far too much for somebody that’s meant to be this good a player."

  Taking things further, @swamoil wanted the club to not only drop the wide attacker from the starting line-up, but to expel him from the entire club. They posted: "Anthony Gordon needs to be released. Spent £500m and Jacob Murphy from nearly a decade ago is still our best winger."

  Also looking for the Magpies to move Gordon on, @GetAHurrCutMan_ said: "Anthony Gordon is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. Would snap your hand off if a bid of any significance arrived."

• Gordon to move back to Merseyside?

  Interest in Gordon from other clubs has been well-documented. Liverpool have long-been-linked with the winger who has reportedly been open to a move back to Merseyside.

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• AFP
  

  Shooting boots are on in Europe

  Champions League nights return to the Northeast this week as Athletic Club visit St. James’ Park. Fortunately for Gordon, he has been excelling in European football and even drew praise from Benfica manager Jose Mourinho after the Englishman put the side from Lisbon to the sword. He will want to add to the four goals in three games he has scored in the competition already.

Lancashire chase fizzles out despite half-century from Jos Buttler

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jul-2025

Jonny Bairstow acknowledges his century•ECB via Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow hit 10 sixes in a stunning career-best 116 off 54 balls as struggling Yorkshire shocked high-flying Lancashire Lightning by claiming an entertaining 19-run Roses Vitality Blast win at Emirates Old Trafford.Yorkshire won in Manchester for the first time since 2014, claiming only their fourth win in 11 North Group games this season on the back of 236 for 6.Opener Bairstow shared 167 with up-and-coming Will Luxton, who finished 90 not out off 46 balls with seven sixes. Their second-wicket partnership was Yorkshire’s highest ever in Blast history and helped maintain their slim quarter-final hopes.Lancashire dropped out of the top two places in the group courtesy of a fourth defeat in 11, despite former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler’s season’s best 55 off 33 balls. Lightning finished on 217 for 7, with Jordan Thompson striking twice.Yorkshire, who lost Dawid Malan early to Luke Wood, started brightly by reaching 33 for 1 after three. Bairstow pulled James Anderson for an early six and later launched him over long-on as he reached 50 off 24 balls inside the powerplay, which ended with Yorkshire 72 for 1.The charge continued as Bairstow and Luxton, who also posted a career-best score, increased the pressure on the home attack, particularly England white-ball spinner Tom Hartley, whose only two overs went for 39. The pair took him on successfully down the ground, hitting three sixes as 24 came from the 10th and Yorkshire reached halfway at 115 for 1.Bairstow was at his belligerent best, savage on anything full or short. He was struck a nasty blow to the neck by a Jack Blatherwick bouncer, but it was only a minor inconvenience en-route to a 49-ball century – the fifth of his career.Meanwhile, Luxton was dropped three times as Lancashire’s fielders struggled to deal with the sun. Luxton was equally as dynamic as Bairstow, though obviously had more fortune. He was noticeably dominant down the ground.After Bairstow was caught at deep midwicket off Chris Green’s offspin, Luxton was starved off the strike late on and was unable to follow his partner to three figures.Australian Green claimed three of four wickets to fall in a final over which went for only three runs, finishing with 4 for 34.There was no doubt, however, that Yorkshire were in pole position in front of a crowd just shy of 15,000. Lancashire also started brightly with the bat, but Keaton Jennings was the subject of a smart back-peddling catch from Dom Bess at mid-on off Will Sutherland – 31 for 1 in the third over.Buttler and Salt then shared 72 in seven overs to raise home hopes, but the latter was caught at long-on by Bess off Thompson’s seam as the score reached 106 for 2 after 10 overs.Thompson and Bess, with his offspin, then struck twice in as many overs as Yorkshire took control. Buttler was caught behind off a top-edged pull and Luke Wells brilliantly held by James Wharton diving forwards at long on – 133 for 4 in the 13th.From there, Yorkshire comfortably wrapped up a third straight Roses win following two in the last two seasons at Headingley. One key factor was the visitors hitting 18 sixes to Lancashire’s nine.Bess claimed one wicket, two catches and half a hand in a run out.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com menos de uma semana no comando do Corinthians, o técnico Mano Menezes admitiu que o elenco do clube alvinegro pode entregar mais. Nesta terça-feira (3), o Timão foi eliminado na Sul-Americana, ao perder para o Fortaleza na semifinal.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCássio pede desculpas à torcida do Corinthians após eliminação na Sul-AmericanaCorinthians04/10/2023Fora de CampoPresidente do Corinthians sofre pressão na web após eliminação na Sul-Americana; acompanheFora de Campo04/10/2023

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Mano foi contratado entre as duas partidas contra o Leão do Pici e fez a sua estreia na derrota por 2 a 0, no Castelão. Ele admitiu que não teve tempo para colocar a sua cara na equipe corintiana no jogo contra o Tricolor de Aço e negou que o problema seja de preparação mental.

– A gente só preparou o jogo em si, porque não tivemos muito tempo para fazer algo diferente. Observamos algumas coisas que tinham feito até então. Respeitar algumas coisas que trouxeram a gente até aqui. Tentamos analisar o adversário e tomamos as decisões. Não acho que a equipe tem problemas de motivação e preparação mental. A equipe tem algumas dificuldades para jogar, que são claras – disse o treinador na entrevista coletiva após a partida.

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Mano Menezes também ressaltou que a troca de técnicos durante a temporada foi prejudicial para o desenvolvimento dos jogadores. Foram quatro treinadores durante o ano, com membros de comissão, como auxiliares e preparadores físicos diferentes.

– Esse dado estatístico assustador me dá razão sobre os atletas, como a gente precisa ter cuidado de avaliação para com os atletas. Difícil passar por várias ideias diferentes num curto espaço de tempo e isso acabar bem. Quero passar algo simples. Não poderá ser algo muito complexo, porque eles não vão conseguir fazer em um curto espaço de tempo, mas eles vão conseguir – disse o atual comandante corintiano.

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+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Mesmo assim, Mano destacou que quer estar no Timão e que considera um trabalho a longo prazo.

– Estou aqui porque quis estar. Sei que não são muitos profissionais que aceitariam um convite nesse momento, porque, mesmo sendo um jogo só, você acaba perdendo junto. Mas quis estar aqui, pois considero a possibilidade de um trabalho a longo prazo no Corinthians – pontuou o técnico.

The defeat in the final league match of MLC 2025 meant San Francisco Unicorns finished third on the table, and will have to play the Eliminator

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2025Los Angeles Knight Riders notched up only their second win of MLC 2025, but did it at the worst possible time for San Francisco Unicorns, denying them a chance of making the top two on the points table.Unicorns gave the massive chase of 244 their best shot, but it was firstly too many runs, and secondly, they missed the services of Romario Shepherd with the bat, after he hared in off the boundary line to try and take a catch in the first half, hurt his ankle, and wasn’t available for the rest of the game.Sanjay Krishnamurthi kept Unicorns in the chase with a 40-ball 92•Sportzpics for MLCThe total of 676 runs scored in this, the last game of the league phase, was way ahead of the norm in Lauderhill – the top innings score in the other eight games had been 188 – and it was all thanks to Andre Fletcher, Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford in the first half and Sanjay Krishnamurthi in the second.For a while, Krishnamurthi threatened to eclipse Fletcher’s 118, getting to 92 off just 39 balls with seven fours and seven sixes by the end of the 14th over. At that stage, 68 were needed off five overs, the game having been reduced to a 19-overs-a-side affair after a rain delay more or less halfway into the Knight Riders innings. But Jason Holder sent Krishnamurthi back first ball of the 15th, and despite some lusty hitting from Xavier Bartlett, who hit Corne Dry for three sixes and a four in the 16th, Unicorns ran out of steam. Shepherd was missed a great deal.The chase had started badly for Unicorns, though. Karthik Gattepalli, the left-arm spinner on MLC debut, opened the bowling with Dominic Drakes and, after Drakes had removed Finn Allen in the first over, accounted for Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the second on his way to returns of 3 for 31.

A legendary start for Gattepalli, taking two wickets of SFU Skipper Matt Short and batting powerhouse Jake Fraser-McGurk in his first ever MLC over. pic.twitter.com/K6VbSNuxyV

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) July 7, 2025