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Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has claimed he was happy to have only given up five shots to Manchester United during their 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Saturday due to the visitors' attacking strength. The Red Devils led for much of the game before Spurs scored twice in quick succession late on, only for Matthijs de Ligt to head in a 96th-minute equaliser to ensure the spoils were shared.

• De Ligt comes up with last-gasp equaliser

  United took the lead midway through the first half through £71 million ($93m) summer signing Bryan Mbeumo, who rose highest to meet an Amad Diallo cross. Mathys Tel came off the bench to bring Tottenham level on 84 minutes, and then Richarlison thought he had won it with a deft header to redirect Wilson Odobert's shot from distance. However, one last United corner saw Bruno Fernandes plant the ball atop the head of De Ligt, whose effort crept over the line to salvage a point for the visitors.

  De Ligt's header was only United's fifth attempt of the game, with both of their shots on target going in. They accumulated 0.63 expected goals, compared to the 0.96 tally of Tottenham, who had 10 shots with four on target.

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  Frank pleased with stifling United

  Much of the buildup to this fixture centred on United's run of four straight defeats to Tottenham across all competitions, including in the Europa League final in May. But Frank denied that match or this record had any bearing on his plans, claiming Ruben Amorim has done well to make the Red Devils a more threatening outfit.

  Frank told GOAL: "I think I saw this game as one game ahead of us, to try to do everything we could to try to win it. That was the aim of the game. I spoke before the game about it's clear they have improved this season. They look, how can you say, more in sync together. But I think especially going forward they look like a big threat. That's why I actually think, I know we conceded two goals, but if you said to me before the game concede five shots in the game, I would take that. So we're all happy."

• Mbeumo comes back to haunt Frank

  The Spurs boss also came up against a familiar face in Mbeumo, who was signed by the Dane at Brentford in 2019. Mbeumo scored 70 goals in 242 matches under Frank before completing a mega-money move to United this summer, despite interest from Tottenham and his former manager.

  Though the Cameroonian has been a revelation from his favoured right-wing position this season, Amorim shifted him to the left to face Spurs, pushing Amad into the front three and dropping striker Benjamin Sesko to the bench. Nevertheless, Frank said this was a wrinkle he wasn't totally stunned by.

  "I think it's not the first time Ruben has, how can you say, played around with the front three," he added. "I think no matter where Bryan plays he's a threat, which he showed again today."

  Regarding the game in general, Frank said: "Of course, the emotions inside me are high but I take the positives out of this game. That’s what I believe and how I believe in building a good team and keep adding layers to it.

  "Overall, a fine/good performance against a good Man United team which is definitely in flow. We are talking a bit about our, how can you say, level of defensive/attacking threats and to play against a Man Utd side that play with confidence with [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo, Amad and Sesko coming on and we kept them to five shots. It's just another example on the other way around that it's not that easy to create in the Premier League even though they had all their big boys out there.

  "Second half, I was extremely happy with our response. We are playing at home and of course we all want to win and don't talk too much about (Tottenham's bad) home form and all that. I know we need to win before we don't talk about it. The way we turned it around to stay in the game, kept doing the right thing throughout the second half very happy with that. So close to winning it. On any other day, we win it."

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  Man Utd & Tottenham continue rebuilding

  Ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures, Tottenham sit third in the Premier League table, while a resurgent United, who are unbeaten in their last five games, are seventh, but only behind Tottenham on goal difference.

Travis Head returns to add more batting power but South Africa are able to call on Kagiso Rabada

Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-20252:34

The best of Cameron Green from the West Indies series

Big Picture: International cricket returns to Darwin

There was a little more riding on the outcome when these two teams met a couple of months ago at Lord’s, where South Africa wrote a new chapter in their history by claiming the World Test Championship title. This series is very much a stepping stone to the next global tournament: February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Both sides are in T20 mode. Australia have recently completed a 5-0 sweep of West Indies where their batting power stood out – and it’s been strengthened further for this series by the return of Travis Head – while South Africa were part of a tri-series in Zimbabwe where they fell short in the final against New Zealand with an experimental side.Related

• Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

• Rickelton 'won't change' approach as he looks to make T20I opening spot his own

• Should Nathan Ellis be a first-choice Australia T20I bowler?

• Rabada excited by the new generation of South African players

A few key names have returned for this trip, notably captain Aiden Markram and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, but it also continues to be an exploration of South Africa’s depth and potential options ahead of the World Cup alongside getting further games into the likes of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka.”Zimbabwe [T20I tri-series] was a valuable exercise and we obviously want to build on the good things in particular the form of our two young batters and someone like Kwena as well to continue to grow his stocks in T20 cricket,” coach Shukri Conrad said.Australia are staggering the return of their all-format quicks with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc continuing to rest ahead of the home summer, while Josh Hazlewood is back, although he is likely to have his workload managed. However, Nathan Ellis’ performances are raising the question as to whether it’s time to permanently split up the big three in this format.The other significant aspect of the opening matches of this series is that it sees a return of international cricket to Darwin in Australia’s Top End for the first time since 2008, when Bangladesh were the visitors. The opening match is a sellout with the second on Tuesday heading that way, too. The city is a likely host of a Test match against Bangladesh next year as Australia’s home season extends into the northern summer.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW
South Africa LLWLW

In the spotlight: Mitchell Marsh and Dewald Brevis

Australia’s batting order came together impressively in the West Indies, but captain Mitchell Marsh was the one player to not make a significant contribution, with 81 runs in five innings. It won’t be a major concern with plenty of T20Is ahead for Marsh to hit his stride – and he’s locked in at the top alongside Head – but it would be an unwanted distraction should Marsh remain short of runs, especially given the plethora of top-order options available.South Africa have clearly earmarked Dewald Brevis as a likely World Cup player in the middle order•SA20

There were some promising signs for Dewald Brevis in the Zimbabwe tri-series as he finished as South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 133 at a strike rate 187.32, although he couldn’t quite see them home in the final. Those were Brevis’ first T20Is since his debut, which came against Australia in 2023, a year after he flayed an astonishing 162 off 57 balls in the domestic one-day competition. South Africa have clearly earmarked him as a likely World Cup player in the middle order.

Team news: Hazlewood likely to return, Pretorius may miss out

Matt Short continues his recovery from the side strain he picked up in the West Indies, and will miss the first two games of the series which partly eases the batting squeeze for now. Marsh confirmed he and Head would open – and are set to be the duo for the World Cup – which will see Glenn Maxwell return to the middle order and Mitchell Owen potentially being as low as No. 7. Hazlewood will strengthen the pace attack, although he may not play every match. Matt Kuhnemann is part of the squad should an extra spinner be needed.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Cameron Green, 5 Tim David, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Mitchell Owen, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa’s top order is bolstered by the return of Markram and Ryan Rickelton, which may see 19-year Pretorius squeezed out of the XI. Left-arm spinner George Linde took on an allrounder’s role at No. 6 in Zimbabwe and could continue in that capacity.South Africa (possible): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 George Linde, 7 Prenelan Subrayen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi NgidiMitchell Owen could bat as low at No. 7•AFP via Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Given Darwin is effectively starting again as an international venue after such a long gap, there is some uncertainty over what the conditions will be like, although there shouldn’t be anything untoward in the surface. The forecast, for both matches, is good with mild, dry evenings.

Stats and trivia

• The last time Darwin hosted an international, Australia were captained by Michael Clarke.
• These two teams have not met in T20Is since 2023, when Australia came out 3-0 winners in South Africa.
• Maxwell needs four wickets to reach 50 in T20Is. He will become just the fourth men’s player to score 2500 runs and take 50 wickets in the format.
• Since the start of 2024, Australia have the highest batting strike rate in T20Is.

Quotes

“They’ve some young guys that have, I guess, burst onto the scene over the last couple of years. That’s always exciting for international cricket, and provides us with a different challenge, but certainly looking forward to coming up against them.”
.”You can see these guys are raring to go. It’s great having the experience back – Aiden’s leadership and then obviously the leadership roles that someone like Kagiso plays. So, really excited about this next couple of weeks. We know it’s going to be a great challenge.”
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Chelsea got back to winning ways on the weekend.

Enzo Maresca’s side took on Tottenham Hotspur away from home, and as they tend to do in this fixture, left with all three points.

From front to back, the Blues looked back to their best, and more importantly, Joao Pedro got back on the scoresheet.

The Brazilian has the quality to be a hugely important player for Chelsea, and one of the club’s most exciting youngsters could help him one day reach Cole Palmer’s numbers, and no, it’s not Estevao.

Pedro's future at Chelsea

When Chelsea completed the £60m signing of Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion, there was plenty of understandable excitement, as sections of the fan base assumed the club had their new long-term number nine.

Chalkboard

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

This idea was further reinforced during the pre-season, as Maresca started him up top for three consecutive games during the Club World Cup, during which he scored three goals.

However, things quickly changed once the season began, as following the first game against Crystal Palace, the manager played the 24-year-old as a second striker for two consecutive Premier League games, in which he scored two goals and provided two assists.

Unfortunately, following Liam Delap’s hamstring injury, the former Brighton star was once again forced to lead the line.

So far, in the seven league games he has started there, he has scored just once and provided one assist.

In short, it has become abundantly clear that while hugely talented, the former Watford star is at his very best either as a second striker or a slightly more aggressive ten.

Now, for those fans who watched him on the south coast, this shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, as while he did make 16 appearances up top last season, he also made 12 between second striker, attacking midfield and left-wing.

So, if Maresca wants to get the most out of Pedro, he’ll have to start him behind another striker, and fortunately, someone who might help him reach Palmer-levels is joining Chelsea for next season.

The player who could help Pedro reach Palmer-levels

Now, while someone like Estevao could help Pedro up his output in the coming seasons, the 18-year-old is undoubtedly at his best out wide.

Therefore, what the former Brighton ace needs is another prolific forward to come in and start ahead of him, someone who will help not only boost his assist numbers, but also his own goal tally.

Fortunately, Chelsea might have just the young talent to do just that, joining in the summer: Dastan Satpayev.

The Khazak phenom is set to join the Blues at the end of this season, and while he’s still young and therefore a long way from the finished product, he looks like a superstar in the making.

With that said, why could he help Pedro put up Palmer-level numbers, though?

Well, simply put, while he can play in several positions, he is primarily a centre-forward, and a seriously exciting one at that.

For example, despite still being just 17 years old, the “future Ballon d’Or winner,” as dubbed by one analyst, scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2409 minutes last season.

That works out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.37 games, or every 100.37 minutes.

Just imagine a forward as dangerous as that competing for a place with Delap ahead of a Pedro who has had a year to get used to life at Stamford Bridge.

Ultimately, it’s still early in his career, but if Satpayev is even half the player many believe him to be, then he could certainly help the former Brighton man reach the creative and goalscoring levels of Palmer in the near future.

Maresca must drop Chelsea star who had fewer touches than Sanchez vs Spurs

Chelsea just about got over the line on Saturday evening as slim 1-0 victors at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 2, 2025

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including Freese's NYCFC making their case as a contender.

The first round of the MLS playoffs has come to a close, with a record five Game 3s and a clearer picture of who the true contenders are beginning to emerge.

While the average MLS fan might point to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami or LAFC – powered by the star duo of Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga – several other teams have shown they deserve to be in the championship conversation. And across those squads, the USMNT’s influence is unmistakable.

From the Vancouver Whitecaps, who feature Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, and Tristan Blackmon alongside German legend Thomas Müller, to Matt Freese’s surging NYCFC, American players are shaping this postseason. FC Cincinnati could yet take down Messi’s Herons, while presumed contenders like the Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew are facing tough questions.

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from USMNT players making an impact in the MLS playoffs.

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  NYCFC prove point

  NYCFC were the only team to win twice on the road in the opening round of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs – an achievement that looks even more impressive given the context.

  The Pigeons’ series win over Charlotte FC might not appear to be a massive upset – after all, it was a No. 5 seed beating a No. 4 seed – but it should still be viewed as a statement. Including the play-in games, road teams are just 5-18 this postseason. Winning twice in that environment, and against a Charlotte side that showed flashes of being a contender this year, is no small feat.

  Matt Freese was at the heart of it. The USMNT goalkeeper didn’t have much to do in a quiet Game 3 -Charlotte managed just one real chance, their lone goal on Friday – but across the series, he recorded seven saves and an 87.5 percent save rate. Next up for Freese and NYCFC: a showdown with his former club, the 2025 Supporters’ Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union. The Union will be favored, but Pascal Jansen’s team has already shown they can thrive in hostile territory.

  On the other side, questions linger for Tim Ream’s Charlotte FC. The veteran USMNT defender made 12 defensive contributions on the night, yet still struggled to contain a confident Pigeons attack. Despite high points this season – including a rout of Inter Miami – Charlotte’s attack lost a spark after Patrick Agyemang’s summer move to Derby County. It’s shaping up to be another intriguing offseason in the Queen City.

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  FCC conquer Hell is Real playoff series

  After a shocking 4-0 defeat in Game 2, FC Cincinnati responded emphatically with a 2-1 win over their “Hell is Real” rivals, the Columbus Crew. It was a statement performance – and a bit of nostalgia – as Brenner, back at the club on loan this season, scored both goals to send FCC through.

  Pat Noonan’s side also got key contributions from its American duo, Miles Robinson and Roman Celentano. Robinson registered 10 defensive actions – including four clearances, three tackles, and two interceptions – while Celentano made four saves to keep the Crew at bay.

  The stakes now get higher for Cincinnati, who showed their ambition last offseason by bringing in Kevin Denkey and Evander on big-money deals. Next up is Messi’s Inter Miami. The Herons will be favored, but FCC can take comfort in one fact: they’ve been among the league’s stingiest defenses all season. That’s an area where Miami have shown vulnerability – and Robinson and Celentano will be key if an upset is on the cards.

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  Disappointing end for Sounders

  Given the Seattle Sounders’ track record in cup competitions and the MLS Playoffs, their first-round exit against Minnesota United feels strange. This is Brian Schmetzer’s bread and butter. Still, they went down swinging – a Game 3 thriller that finished 3-3 before Minnesota advanced 7-6 on penalties.

  Seattle’s American stars were among the standouts on Saturday night. Jordan Morris scored yet again, while Cristian Roldan made his mark on both ends – assisting and putting in a tireless defensive shift. Schmetzer can’t have too many complaints about how things ended, especially considering he never had his full squad available after Paul Arriola’s ACL injury.

  Even so, he’ll head into the offseason with three big questions. First: Can he get more out of Jesus Ferreira? Once among MLS’s brightest young strikers – with 18 goals in 2022 and a World Cup call-up that year – Ferreira managed just four this season and went scoreless in the playoffs. Second: Will Arriola’s return reignite Seattle’s attack? The winger is only a year removed from a 12-goal contribution campaign. And finally: does this squad need more investment to match the Sounders’ sky-high ambitions?

  Time will tell.

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  What comes next for Nashville and Columbus?

  On the other side of Inter Miami’s and FC Cincinnati’s victories come the season endings for both the Columbus Crew and Nashville SC – two teams featuring several American standouts.

  Max Arfsten capped a breakout 2025 campaign with another strong showing, completing two dribbles, connecting on 88 percent of his passes, and contributing six defensive actions. Sean Zawadzki impressed before leaving injured, tying for a game-high 13 defensive contributions while also completing seven passes into the final third. Patrick Schulte added three saves in goal.

  For Nashville, Walker Zimmerman endured a tough night in the 4-0 defeat to Miami, though he still led all players with eight defensive contributions.

  Both the Crew and Nashville now head into the offseason looking to retool – each showed flashes of real promise but ultimately fell short in Round 1.

The BCCI medical team has told him that the decision is in line with safeguarding his back and keeping the long-term in mind

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jul-20251:31

What attack should India pick at The Oval?

Jasprit Bumrah will not play the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval starting Thursday. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI medical team has told Bumrah that the decision is in line with safeguarding his back and keeping the long-term in mind.The development is not entirely a surprise, considering the medical team in coordination with Bumrah, the Indian team management, and the selectors had decided he would play only three of the five Tests during the England tour. Bumrah played in the first Test at Headingley, sat out in the second Test at Edgbaston, which India won, and played in the following two Tests at Lord’s and last week at Old Trafford.With Bumrah having not bowled since the fourth morning at Old Trafford, coupled with a three-day break between the final two Tests, India might have toyed with the idea of changing the original plan, especially with a possibility of levelling the series 2-2 with a win at The Oval.Related

• Injured Stokes out of fifth Test against India, Archer and Carse rested

• India gain an edge. England have the lead. What will happen next?

• Shubman Gill: Big achievement if we level the series

• Do India's bowlers have a leg-side problem?

• Bond on Bumrah: 'Wouldn't play him in more than two Tests in a row'

However, a combination of a slowish, flat surface and the workload had impacted Bumrah’s pace in the fourth Test. He picked two wickets in 33 overs, which was the most he has bowled in an innings, and for the first time, his runs column had breached 100. As the series progressed, the number of balls he bowled above 140kph in the first innings of each Test also reduced from 42.7% at Headingley to 22.3% at Lord’s to 0.5% at Old Trafford.Bumrah is currently the joint-second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in the series alongside Mohammed Siraj. After the draw in Manchester, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir had said Bumrah was available for the final Test, but two days later, India have decided to rest him.Gautam Gambhir chats with Akash Deep during India’s practice session•PTI

Akash Deep likely to replace Bumrah

Who will replace Bumrah was evident at India’s optional training session on Tuesday. Akash Deep, who missed the fourth Test with a groin niggle, found his rhythm easily as he seamed the ball appreciably on the greenish practice pitches. In the second Test at Edgbaston, which was his first Test since Melbourne in December, Akash Deep picked up a ten-wicket match haul, including a career-best 6 for 99 in England’s second innings, extracting movement from a benign surface.In the following Test at Lord’s, though, Akash struggled for consistency, especially bowling down the slope from the Pavilion End. He picked up just one wicket in the Test, but the seamer-friendly conditions at The Oval could help Akash get back in the saddle quickly.Still, Gill and Gambhir will have to deal with finding the right balance in the bowling attack. That it is a challenge is primarily because of the below-par performances from three other fast bowlers who have featured so far in the series: Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj. Prasidh has not played since the win in the second Test, while Thakur and Kamboj barely got to bowl after their first spells at Old Trafford.In the absence of Bumrah, Siraj, the only fast bowler to play all the Tests, will once again lead the pace attack. Siraj has bowled the fourth-most overs among seamers this series – 139 – but hasn’t let his intensity down. India will be worried about his workload and fitness but they have little choice other than playing Siraj. Even then, India will have to make a call regarding the third seamer.1:20

Manjrekar: Kuldeep has to come in for the Oval Test

It is likely to be one of Prasidh and Arshdeep Singh, who bowled and batted without any discomfort, showing he had recovered completely from the freak injury he picked up on his bowling hand in the days leading to the fourth Test while trying to intercept a ball on follow-through.With Rishabh Pant ruled out of the Oval Test, Dhruv Jurel will keep wickets and bat in the middle order. Despite the boldness of his batting, which can turn eyes, Jurel’s inexperience, especially of playing in England, might tilt India to focus on retaining Thakur to provide the batting depth. That would mean there will be no room once again for Kuldeep Yadav.India might also believe Kuldeep could be surplus to the requirement, especially keeping in mind the pitch and the cloudy conditions that are likely to play a role during the Test. Two days ahead of the match, the pitch had enough greenish patches, so India could continue with the spin pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.Apart from that, the bowling numbers at The Oval this domestic season are predominantly favourable to the seamers: fast bowlers have picked up 131 of the 150 wickets in five matches. Surrey have won twice at home with three draws, including the last round against Durham, where the fourth-highest score in county cricket was registered. Surrey made 820 for 9 declared on the back of Dom Sibley’s triple-hundred, but that match was played with Kookaburra balls as part of the ECB’s drive since last year to upgrade the bowlers’ skills.

Players like Deandra Dottin, Sneh Rana and Heather Knight could fill some vacant spots

S Sudarshanan12-Dec-2024

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Slots remaining: 4 (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 2.5 crore
Retained players: Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Marizanne Kapp, Titas Sadhu, Alice Capsey, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Jess Jonassen, Sneha Deepthi, Arundhati Reddy, Annabel SutherlandWhat they need at the auction
A back-up wicketkeeper and a spare hard-hitting batter. They could also do with a frontline fast-bowling option as a back-up for Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey. One of Lauren Bell and Kim Garth, or the left-arm angle of Lauren Cheatle, could fit the bill. The legspin of Alana King will also be on their mind since they have let go of Poonam Yadav.Related

• Mithali Raj, Nooshin Al Khadeer part ways with Gujarat Giants ahead of WPL 2025

• All you need to know about the WPL 2025 mini-auction

• WPL 2025 auction – Full list of 120 players

• Dottin, Knight, Rana among big attractions at WPL 2025 auction

• WPL 2025: Mini auction on December 15 in Bengaluru

Gujarat Giants (GG)

Slots remaining : 4 (2 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 4.4 crore
Retained players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Tanuja Kanwar, Shabnam Shakil, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Meghna Singh, Mannat Kashyap, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare, Bharti FulmaliWhat they need at the auction
Strong bowling options. GG were the least economical bowling unit in WPL 2024 (8.53) and significantly expensive at the death – they had an economy rate of 11.11 with the second-poorest (Mumbai Indians) at 9.75. That partially explains why they released four bowling options in Sneh Rana, Lea Tahuhu, Kathryn Bryce and Cheatle. That could bring Darcie Brown and Tess Flintoff into contention – the former for her pace and abilities specially with the new ball, the latter for her hard-hitting apart from her seam-bowling.

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Slots remaining: 4 (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 2.65 crore
Retained players: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Saika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Shabnim Ismail, Sajeevan Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, SB KeerthanaWhat they need at the auction
MI have been far too reliant on their top order and should look to add a strong lower-middle-order batting option, essentially a finisher. Having released Issy Wong, they could look to target Nadine de Klerk, who bowls seam and adds firepower to the lower-middle order, or West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. An injury-ridden season for Bhatia could also prompt them to look for a back-up wicketkeeper, possibly Uttarakhand’s Nandini Kashyap, who raked up runs at a quick rate in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy as well as the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy.RCB are the defending WPL champions•AFP/Getty Images

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Slots remaining: 4 (0 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 3.25 crore
Retained players: Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Sobhana, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Ekta Bisht, S Meghana, Sophie Molineux
Traded in: Danni Wyatt (from UP Warriorz)What they need at the auction
Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine combined for over 50% of the overs pace bowlers bowled for RCB in their title-winning campaign in WPL 2024. Perry and Devine shoulder much lesser bowling loads for their national sides, so RCB could look at a frontline fast bowler to partner Renuka Singh. They could look at S Yashasri or Falak Naz, both part of the Under-19 T20 World Cup win last year. Mandhana’s Maharashtra team-mate, Shradda Pokharkar, a replacement for them last year, could also offer a left-arm angle. A middle-order batting option could be handy, too, with Bengal’s Tanusree Sarkar or Maharashtra’s Tejal Hasabnis possible options.

UP Warriorz (UPW)

Slots remaining: 3 players (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 3.9 crore
Retained players: Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana, Chamari Athapaththu, Uma ChetryWhat they need at the auction
Firstly, a few Indian batters to reduce UPW’s over-reliance on their overseas names. They also need a finisher to reduce the load on Deepti Sharma. Having released Bell, they should also target a pedigreed fast-bowling option. They could look at Dottin for the power down the order and her seam bowling. Chinelle Henry could be another option, if they don’t manage to buy Flintoff. UPW also have the option of going left-field with Ireland’s Orla Prendergast, who has had an impressive all-round year in T20Is.

After leaving Tuesday's game early, Juan Soto will be held out of the New York Mets' lineup for Wednesday's matchup against the San Diego Padres. On Tuesday, Soto fouled a pitch off his foot in the third inning and was immediately in visible pain. He finished his at-bat, but was limping and would be replaced at right field in the bottom half of the inning.

X-rays on Soto's injury came back negative. He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion, and is expected to be playing for the Mets again in the coming days, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Soto will not play Wednesday, and the Mets are off Thursday, meaning that he could at the earliest return for Friday's game versus the San Francisco Giants.

"I think it’s going to be good,” said Soto, via DiComo. “We’ve just got to get the swelling down. Whenever the swelling is down, I think we’re going to be fine.”

With Soto out, Jeff McNeil will play right field for the Mets in their final game of the series at Petco Park. The Mets are looking for their first win of the series, and to keep their narrow lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.

Manchester City have hit some extraordinary heights under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage. The Spanish coach will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his Citizen side have written themselves into the English and European history books.

Last season, City fell off a proverbial cliff, their four-in-a-row domination of the Premier League coming to an end. They rallied, but it was a campaign to forget about, and many felt that it marked the end of Pep’s illustrious tenure.

But he’s not done yet, rebounding emphatically after signing a two-year contract extension last November. And Guardiola isn’t the only one who is resurgent at the Etihad, with this optimistic new season coinciding with the tentative resurgence of Phil Foden.

Why Foden is improving for Man City

There’s no denying it: Foden fell by the wayside last season. But he’s picked himself back up. The Three Lions superstar still has gears to shift through before he recalls his finest form, but this is an essential comeback, should City hope to reclaim their Premier League title and ensure the peerless Erling Haaland has a strong complementary force in the final third.

He hasn’t found prolific form yet this season, but the 25-year-old is undoubtedly producing more polished and cultured results, having been placed deeper to influence and dictate play.

He has been more convincing in the duel and is seeing more of the ball on average. There is also a clear tactical maturity, Pep’s teachings seeping into Foden’s brain. He might not be the headline stealer at this stage, but Foden is unquestionably operating at a higher level, and City’s wider system are feeling the benefits.

Foden is one of the best in the Premier League, and he is on his way to reminding everyone of that fact. However, he’s not the only member of City’s squad doing such a thing right now, with his younger countryman emerging as the latest starboy fashioned under Guardiola’s wing.

Man City's homegrown talent is now one of PL's best

Manchester City’s academy is a thing to behold. Truly, the dominant Premier League force have welcomed some of the country’s most exciting talents to the scene, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are among those plying their trade elsewhere, such is the bloated nature of the club’s youth scene.

But City learn from their mistakes, and when Chelsea came calling for Nico O’Reilly in January, they were flat-out rebuffed in their advances, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming the interest was very much genuine.

This time last year, the 20-year-old was on the fringes of Guardiola’s outfit. Now, he is emerging as the first-choice left-back for club and country.

He impressed for the Three Lions after making his debut last week, playing 90 minutes against Serbia and then Albania, keeping clean sheets on both counts. As per Sofascore, he lost only one duel across those two clashes, recovering eight balls and completing 92% and 93% of his passes.

Already, he has nailed down a prominent position in City’s first team. Naturally a centre-midfielder, the boss has repeated hisown spectacular trick and redefined his technically sound up-and-comer into a dynamic, inverted full-back. O’Reilly has started seven of the last eight Premier League matches, defending resiliently and getting forward and arcing inward to create overloads and help service Haaland.

Continuing to look at it from a wider scope, the 6 foot 4 star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive carries and touches in the attacking box, and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

He’s only going to get better, and given the high regard he is held in by Guardiola and for the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel, there’s little question that City have found their latest superstar in the making.

It is important, typically, not to overburden up-and-coming prospects. But O’Reilly is different, so cultured and convincing across the various phases of play.

One Man City content creator was left speechless after the club’s recent win over Liverpool, hailing O’Reilly as “our best academy graduate since Phil Foden”.

That might just be the case. Even Roy Keane agrees. The Manchester United legend remarked that the versatile defender “could surprise everybody” by securing a starting berth at the 2026 World Cup next year. Clearly, this is a player becoming one of the best in the Premier League, if not the world.

Perfect for Haaland: Man City can sign Foden 2.0 in "Ballon d'Or level" star

Another Phil Foden-esque talent could elevate Man City’s final third quality even more

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 20, 2025

“I’ve waited 15 years for this moment. This feeling, there’s no words to describe it”

Deivarayan Muthu22-Sep-2025After leading Trinbago Knight Riders to their first CPL title in five years, and earning his first CPL title in 12 seasons, Nicholas Pooran has put their success down to belief.While TKR were also tactically superior to Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday – Andre Russell bounced Quentin Sampson out with Kieron Pollard swooping in on a catch at short leg and their left-handed batters countered Gudakesh Motie – Pooran said that it was their immense self-belief that led them to CPL glory.”Nah [not tactics]. It’s just belief. Team belief,” Pooran said after TKR squeezed past Amazon Warriors in the final. “I’ve waited 15 years for this moment. This feeling, there’s no words to describe it. But before we talk about anything else, I just want to say thank you to all my guys here, every single person in the TKR team, all the squad members, every single one of our fans. Thank you for the love and support.”Related

• Pollard: The booing is boring now

• All-round Hosein takes wobbly TKR to fifth CPL title in thrilling finish against GAW

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TKR’s victory capped a banner week for Trinidad & Tobago sport. Earlier this week, Keshorn Walcott had won the gold in the men’s javelin while Jereem Richards had claimed silver in the men’s 400-metre race at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.”We weren’t only doing it for ourselves, but we were doing it for the people of Trinidad & Tobago,” Pooran said. “They came out and supported us. The government supported us. Even the minister is here. I hope he’s going to reward us as well, right (laughs)?”But again, we did it for the people of Trinidad & Tobago. This week was a really important one where Keshorn Walcott and Jereem Richards won in the World Championship and then us coming to win the CPL.”TKR were pilloried for picking a number of players over the age of 30, but they turned their perceived weakness into their biggest strength. Fittingly, 32-year-old Akeal Hosein bagged the Player-of-the-Match award for his all-round effort while 38-year-old Pollard, the oldest West Indian in the TKR squad, won the Player-of-the-Tournament award.”First of all, it’s all about getting the ego out of the way,” Pooran said. “We’ve lost in the last five years and a lot of things were said: ‘The guys are old and time has passed’. I guess every single person, they answered and they proved everyone wrong. I want to start with Polly, 38 years old or young I should say, right (laughs)? MVP in a tournament like this. Dre [Andre Russell], every single person, day in and day out. These guys really did it for us. For me as a captain, I can’t ask for anything else.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

‘Sometimes you have to throw the first punch’ – Pollard on his battle with Tahir

In front of a partisan Providence crowd that even booed him, Pollard played a vital cameo and took down Imran Tahir, the top wicket-taker in CPL 2025. Pollard pounded Tahir for 20 off six balls, including three sixes, before the Amazon Warriors captain burst through his defences with a wrong’un.”As much as you guys talk about him being a match-up for myself on the television, I back myself to hit the spin,” Pollard said. “In a situation like today, what we needed was a quick cameo to settle the nerves.”Throughout the entire tournament, the competition between Tahir and myself all over the world has been immense. Sometimes you have to take the first step and try to make the first punch. Once I show that sort of intent early on, I’m always going to be on top. There are other times where I have to just block him out. But you have to have the discipline and the want to do that because that’s what the team requires.”While Pollard was tight-lipped about his CPL future as a player – he has already retired from the IPL and forayed into coaching there – he confirmed that he will play in the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE.”I can’t tell you the future,” Pollard said. “I can only deal with what’s in front of me. I have a flight coming up and I’m getting home to the kids. I’m just trying to enjoy some time at home. I’ve been on the road for the entire year. So, I think I owe it to them. Let’s see what happens. At the end of the year, I’ll still be playing in the ILT20 in Dubai. So that’s the only thing I can tell you at this point of time.”

Akeal Hosein overcomes illness to win it for TKR

Hosein, who iced the chase with an unbeaten 16 off seven balls, was ill in the lead-up to the final but overcame that and embodied TKR’s belief. He had also contributed handsomely with the ball, dismissing both Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope, the highest run-getter this season.”Very special. This win has eluded us for five years and we were really hungry,” Hosein said. “We had an experienced group and there were lots of talks about the ages in our group, but experience beat old talk and I’m really happy to get this win.”I told one of my team-mates yesterday that I’m gonna get the Man of the Match [award] today and that’s what I set my mind to. And no matter what condition I’m in, I’m gonna go out there and give it my all for my team and I’m really happy that I did that today.”Hosein has also been working behind the scenes to expand his range as a lower-order batter. Two months after he hit his maiden T20 fifty, for Texas Super Kings from No.6 in the MLC, he secured the CPL title for TKR with the bat and sparked wild celebrations in their camp.”I think there’s some work to be done [with the bat], but it’s always good to look up on the board and get recognised as an allrounder,” Hosein said. “So hopefully, more opportunities come along like that. I’ve been working really hard with Polly as well. So why not? I have the best in the world in my team. Why not pick their brains, rub shoulders with them and try and become a better player?”

The Yankees have had a tumultuous start following the trade deadline where they reworked their bullpen and acquired Ryan McMahon to help address their need at third base.

On Friday, new Yankees relievers gave up nine runs in three innings which led to a devastating 13–12 loss to the Marlins on a dribbler that brought in the walk-off run. Then, on Saturday, they were shutout by the Marlins 2–0 where they saw unfortunate mistakes on the base paths.

Major League Baseball held the Speedway Classic Saturday which pitted the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves in the middle of the track at Bristol Motor Speedway. The first-ever MLB game in the state of Tennessee started in a rain delay which allowed the Fox broadcast crew plenty of time to discuss the happenings across the league as they waited out the weather. As part of the broadcast crew, Yankees legend and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter didn't hold back on the team's recent struggles.

"They make way too many mistakes. Way too many mistakes," Jeter said Saturday. "And you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams, it just doesn't happen. They had a baserunning mistake today, we saw the guy get thrown out at home plate.

"You can't continue to do it. You have to clean it up. I mean, it's that simple, there's no excuses. You have to play better. If you don't play better, you're not going to go very far."

Unfortunately for the Yankees, their AL East rival Red Sox won Saturday which moved them ahead of New York in the division standings by half of a game and into the AL's top wild-card spot. With many new deadline additions, it will take some time. After winning the final three games of their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays during the week, the Yankees dropped the first two in Miami. They have a chance to avoid the sweep in a Sunday matinée at LoanDepot Park.