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Worcestershire close second day five down after Tongue takes out top three in fiery burst of 9-1-24-3

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025

Josh Tongue celebrates dismissing Jake Libby•Getty Images

A searing burst from Josh Tongue put Nottinghamshire back in the box seat after Worcestershire fought back well on the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Nottinghamshire’s first-innings lead was restricted to 25 after they were bowled out for 207. Freddie McCann defied for 56 (106 balls) but Tom Taylor took 4 for 70 and Ben Allison 3 for 41 while wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick took five catches.The game had evened right up but Worcestershire closed the second day on 93 for 5 after Tongue took out the top three in a fiery burst of 9-1-24-3. With the pitch still helping seamers, Nottinghamshire won’t want to chase many in the fourth innings, but are well-placed to push for a win to keep them on the shoulders of leaders Surrey ahead of their mouth-watering meeting at The Oval next week.Nottinghamshire resumed on the second morning on 46 for 1 to find the pitch still lively. Allison soon produced a perfect away-cutter that Ben Slater edged to Roderick.McCann and Joe Clarke added 50 in 17 overs before McCann, having gritted out a valuable half-century, drove at a wide ball from Matthew Waite and Roderick accepted another catch. The slip cordon remained on high alert. Jake Libby, at second, pouched Jack Haynes off Allison. Clarke dug in for 122 minutes before nicking a waft at the same bowler.From an uneasy 121 for 5, the title-chasers were rebooted by Lyndon James’ punchy 42-ball 35 but Taylor ended the counter-attack by inducing another nick and pinned Liam Patterson-White lbw two balls later. Kyle Verreynne steered his side in front then edged Taylor to second slip.Former Pears pair Dillon Pennington and Tongue added a handy 23 before falling in five balls, the former lbw to Allison and the latter supplying Roderick with his fifth catch, off Waite.With the game so evenly-poised, a mammoth evening session – 49 overs – promised to be pivotal. Only 36 were possible before bad light intervened but Nottinghamshire made serious inroads.Tongue trapped Rehaan Edavalath lbw and dismissed Libby, caught at second slip, with a lifter so brutal it invoked comparison with Allan Donald, Curtly Ambrose and Percy Jeeves. Catching of similar quality followed from McCann, a one-handed, diving grab at second slip to remove Dan Lategan off James that invoked comparison with Graham Roope, Rikki Clarke and Ashley Giles.Tongue then knocked out Kashif Ali’s off-stump and James hit Brett D’Oliveira’s. At 68 for 5, Worcestershire were in danger of speeding to a defeat which would pretty much seal their relegation but Roderick and Ethan Brookes stayed firm until the light closed in to keep this fascinating match very much alive.

TORONTO — More than an hour after his season ended in a heartbeat and winter took hold, Ernie Clement sprawled in his chair in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, still in full uniform, nursing a Labatt Blue. His sliding shorts featured a hole in the right knee. His eyeblack stickers barely clung to his cheeks. His eyes brimmed with tears. 

He struggled to reckon with his loss. Not of Game 7, in which the Blue Jays fell, 5–4, in a shocking, back-and-forth, 11th-inning defeat to the Dodgers. Not of the World Series, which they at one point led three games to two, and on Saturday were two outs away from clinching. What hurt most, he realized, was that he wouldn’t get to come to work tomorrow. 

“Even if we’d won,” he mused, “I’d still be sad that it was over.”

That was the message the Blue Jays repeated over and over in their quiet clubhouse as Saturday night bled into Sunday morning. 

“Everybody loves each other in here,” said center fielder Daulton Varsho. “We enjoy being around this group, and that’s probably going to be the most hurtful thing.”

That they were so close only makes it worse. 

“It took them seven games to beat us,” said Kevin Gausman, who started Games 2 and 6. “I think if we play tomorrow, we beat ’em, but we’re not playing tomorrow.”

They had so many chances for a different ending. They loaded the bases with two outs in the second. They had runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, and a runner at third with no outs in the fifth. They loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, and they had runners at the corners with one out in the 11th. But they could not come through with a hit to put the Dodgers away, and the Dodgers clawed back with solo homers in the eighth, off Trey Yesavage, who started Games 1 and 5; in the ninth, off closer Jeff Hoffman; and in the 11th, off Game 4 starter Shane Bieber. 

“I feel for everybody in here,” said Clement. “We grinded so hard. I’d go to war with Jeff Hoffman every day of the week. I want him on the mound. I want Biebs on the mound. Those are guys who I would take a bullet for. And 99 times out of 100 those guys get the job done. Obviously, this wasn’t our night here. But I feel for those guys so much.”

The core has been here for a while, but it took them some time to grow into a team that understood its responsibility to its fan base and to one another. A year ago, nearly the same roster finished 74–88. That club did not lack talent, its members say, but it lacked accountability. 

“We had too many excuses built in,” pitcher Chris Bassitt said earlier this week. “We had too many issues internally. We had too many people complaining, including myself, about the way things were being run or handled and things like that.

“And as a group, it’s a maturing process. Everyone wrote us off, obviously, after last year, and rightfully so. I don’t discredit that. But the reality is that I think we’ve learned a lot from that. We learned that all those stupid things that we were doing or saying or whatever—it’s not gonna happen. So we [stopped] that this year.” They would spend the period after losses making excuses and then trying to do too much. They struggled to choose an identity or an approach. When things went wrong, they panicked. They didn’t know who they were.

This year they knew: They were an old-school team. They chased innings on the mound and contact at the plate. Their pitchers would take strikeouts when they could and their hitters were happy to homer, but they tried not to make those outcomes the focus of every plate appearance. They trusted one another. They won 94 games and the American League pennant. 

Even 366 days ago, when he was handing out candy in his neighbor’s driveway while the Dodgers celebrated their last title, manager John Schneider believed that team could grow into this team. In some ways, that’s what made this group so special, and what made the end so hard: It was basically the same group. 

They made additions, of course, but always with an eye not just toward talent but also toward temperament. They signed righty Max Scherzer and outfielder Anthony Santander in part because those players are adults who do things the right way. 

“It would be easy to kind of knee-jerk react to last year,” said Schneider. “I don’t think [general manager Ross Atkins] did, I don’t think I did, I don’t think we did. I’m thankful for that. You trust people and you trust that what you’re preparing for is right. Players have to go do it, and they have answered the bell.”

Even when their bodies didn’t want to allow them to. Second baseman Bo Bichette sprained his left knee in early September and spent the next seven weeks racing through rehab to get back in time. He knew a further injury could cost him in free agency, which he will reach on Sunday. “It’s the World Series,” he said before Game 6. “None of that stuff really matters.” DH George Springer, 36, took a similar approach when he hurt his right side on a swing during the 18-inning Game 3 loss; he could barely walk, and he was still recovering from knee and wrist injuries after being hit by pitches this month, but he went 5-for-10 in Games 6 and 7. 

After Game 7, Schneider held his first team meeting of the year. “I said thank you,” he said. “I said thank you probably about 10 times.” First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the face of the franchise, told each teammate individually that he was proud of him.

Bassitt, who will become a free agent on Sunday, was asked if he had learned anything from this team that he hoped to take wherever he ends up. 

“I think it’s hard to replicate true love,” he said. As for himself, he said, through tears, “You never know, but I would love to have another shot with this group.”

Of course, it won’t be this group. In addition to Bassitt, Bichette and Scherzer will be free agents, and Bieber carries a $16 million player option. 

None was sure after the game what the future held for them, although Bichette said, “I’ve said I wanted to be here from the beginning,” and Scherzer said, “There’s no way that was my last pitch.”

This was Scherzer’s seventh major league team, but he said it had meant as much to him as any of them. “Me being 41 years old, I never thought I could love baseball so much,” he said, choking back tears. “I’m just so proud of everybody. My love for the game is so strong because of their love for the game.”

Clement loves the game, and he loved this team. So as his friends hugged and said goodbye and gathered their belongings, there he sat at his locker. He wasn’t sure when he would shower and get dressed. He didn’t want to leave. 

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and BlueCo are gearing up for what could be an intriguing January transfer window, as one player reportedly eyes the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The west Londoners could be genuine Premier League title contenders, and their 3-0 statement win over Barcelona in midweek absolutely supports that theory.

Chelsea’s triumphant Champions League victory against the La Liga champions was the perfect way to prepare for their blockbuster face-off at home to Arsenal, and victory would see them close the gap to just three points.

However, a few players may not be along for the ride this season.

Chelsea are reportedly preparing for potential departures in January, as several current squad members seek routes out of London.

Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain the most problematic situations. Both players have been completely frozen out by Maresca, training separately from the first team in what has been dubbed the club’s “bomb squad.”

Sterling, who earns £325,000-per-week, and Disasi have been denied access to standard first-team facilities this term and will be desperate for January moves to resurrect their careers.

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Sterling’s substantial wages and Disasi’s apparent lack of suitors complicate matters significantly, but Maresca has confirmed that the latter has actually been assisting young players and helping with the ‘second team’.

There is also the matter of second-string goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Jorgensen has emerged as the highest-profile exit candidate among active squad members. The Danish goalkeeper is reportedly considering a January departure after finding himself firmly behind Robert Sanchez in the pecking order.

Jorgensen wants regular playing time to secure his spot in Denmark’s 2026 World Cup squad, with national team bosses making clear he needs consistent minutes.

However, Chelsea are reluctant to sanction a loan, and any departure would need to be permanent.

Filip Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea as clubs make contact

That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who reports via his Substack that Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea and clubs are now starting to make contact.

The 23-year-old, who’s started just one Premier League game, one Champions League and two Carabao Cup matches, finds himself stuck behind Sanchez and a move could be the best solution for all parties.

Promising young shot-stopper Mike Penders is also due back from his loan at Strasbourg in 2026, acting as a ready-made replacement for Jorgensen, and there are reports that Chelsea have reopened talks with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

If the latter were to arrive, Jorgensen’s game time would be even more limited, so it is hard to envisage a future where the Dane is playing regularly enough in a Blues shirt.

An ego-free, hard-working opening batter will be playing his 100th Test match this week. And he might be one of the very last of his kind

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Feb-2025Since the start of 2015, no Test opener has scored as many runs as Dimuth Karunaratne. He has 15 hundreds, which is the equal highest among openers. He has struck 34 fifties, easily the best – that tally in some senses making him the most consistent opener to be continuously active through the last ten years. Over the course of this, he has also made the ICC Test XI three times, which no other opener has managed.This week, as he plays his 100th Test, there is reason to give the man his flowers, because when else was cricket going to find the time? His is a career that has floated on the fringes of the sport’s consciousness. You can still make a serious name for yourself as a Test opener in this age, but you have to crash a lot of boundaries to get that kind of attention, and ideally your country belongs to one of cricket’s bigger economies. Grinding out half-centuries on dustbowls, hunkering down for the new-ball spells, manipulating spin so you’re tracking at roughly three runs an over without risks – these are all nice things to be good at. But as far as the modern cricket ecosystem goes, this is like saying you’re the world’s top air-conditioner repair mechanic. Other people are doing way more glamorous things.For much of Karunaratne’s career, opening has been especially difficult. Since the start of 2015, men’s openers around the world have averaged 33.71 – significantly lower than they did in the aughts (37.17), and less than in the nineties (35.50), and eighties (34.76). You were always at the greatest risk of falling to the swinging and seaming ball as an opening batter, but in the last 10 years of Test batting, fresh terrors have snuck into nightmares, with the wisdom that spinners gain more bite out of a hard new seam taking hold stronger than it ever has before. In the 2020s, a 140+kph quick and an experienced finger spinner sharing the new ball is a pretty standard challenge for an opener, especially in Sri Lanka, where new balls can swing through humid air almost as well as they can explode off dry surfaces. Take away Karunaratne’s runs, and openers have averaged 33.6 on the island since 2015.

Karunaratne was ever the jobbing opener, and rarely believed to be deserving of the care that batters marked out for stardom tend to receive from coaches and staff, though he has outlasted virtually all of them

There are also few who have lit so steady a fire for Sri Lanka’s place in the Test world. This is, after all, a country that has let its Test-match win-loss ratio slip from 1.31 between 2005 and end of 2014, to 0.81 since the start of 2015. Much of this has been about Sri Lanka’s failure to replace great players. There are no spinners to rival Muthiah Muralidaran and Rangana Herath, no seamers to match Chaminda Vaas or Lasith Malinga, no top-order batters that are on the level of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Aravinda de Silva. But when it comes to openers, there is a case to be heard. Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan did it with more verve, and Marvan Atapattu was more technically correct. But none of them did it as prolifically as Karunaratne, or scored anywhere near his 7079 runs at the top of the order.Related

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With most other positions in the XI, you can look back to the Lankan men’s team of the late aughts and early 2010s – the golden generation – and mostly conclude that Sri Lanka do not produce cricketers of the same quality. Karunaratne gives you reason to pause.And at no point, by the way, was he ever Sri Lanka’s golden boy. Where it had been suggested of others that they were the next great Sri Lanka batter, Karunaratne was ever the jobbing opener, and rarely believed to be deserving of the care that batters marked out for stardom tend to receive from coaches and staff, though he has outlasted virtually all of them. Karunaratne’s has been a short leash, and he’s got the struggling thirties, and the dirty half-centuries to prove it. No one will call it a pretty career. But fifties didn’t need to be pretty – they just needed to be fifties. And Karunaratne was adept at providing them. Those prods outside off stump, those strong lbw shouts, and inside edges into pad were all in strong supply. But so were Karunaratne’s runs.There is an obvious skew to his record. He is exceptionally good against spin, which explains why 81% of his hundreds have come in Asia, though he’s also got hundreds in South Africa and New Zealand.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin presented the greatest spin-challenging of this last era, then few batters have denied them as effectively, with Karunaratne hitting hundreds at the SSC in 2017, and Bengaluru in 2022. These were classic Karunaratne innings, in that he obviously scratched his way through portions of them, rarely struck the kinds of authoritative boundaries that suggested he was dominating the bowling, and yet he found ways to avoid getting out, while pinching another 10 runs. He has added a few new shots, and refined his defence, but this, essentially, has been his mode of operation for 12 years. There is also a strikingly ego-free quality here. For bowlers, beating a batter’s edge is a small victory; for Karunaratne, it is an opportunity to face the next ball.It is a career worth celebrating all the more, for it being in its last days. Karunaratne has just said he will retire after his 100th, but the signs were there. He averaged 29.66 across 2024, and was terrorised by Kagiso Rabada in South Africa, just as he is again being hounded by Mitchell Starc – a bowler who has now dismissed him nine times in Tests. But his own performance is almost irrelevant. Even if Karunaratne throws off a career’s worth of precedent and clubs 100-ball double-centuries in his next Test encounters, Sri Lanka will only still be playing four Tests in 2025. Their next World Test Championship schedule will still feel sparse.If a little navel-gazing is permitted, you do have to wonder how many more Sri Lanka cricketers will get to 100 Tests. Another Sri Lanka opening batter? This could be a last chance to see.Karunaratne is the seventh Sri Lanka cricketer to this milestone, to follow Jayasuriya, Muralidaran, Vaas, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, and Angelo Mathews. He is probably the least-celebrated of that crowd. But no one could say he does not deserve his place among them. Others have had the benefit of hype, legend, and aura. Karunaratne’s only medium has always been hard, pragmatic runs.

Gill had suffered a neck injury during the first Test against SA, while Hardik had injured his left quadriceps during the Asia Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2025Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya “are looking healthy and fit” ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said ahead of the series opener in Cuttack on Tuesday.”Both [Gill and Pandya] are looking healthy and fit,” Suryakumar said. Gill had suffered neck spasms during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, while Hardik was out with a quadriceps injury he suffered during the Asia Cup in September.Gill is yet to play since his injury, but Hardik made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Baroda, he picked up a wicket in each game, but more importantly, bowled four overs both times. With the bat, his 77 not out off 42 against Punjab helped his team chase down 223.”What you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he [Hardik] was bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options, combinations for us with respect to the playing XI,” Suryakumar said. “That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done well in all big games, all ICC events, ACC events. I think that experience will count a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side.”With Gill back in the side, Suryaumar made it clear that Sanju Samson would have to compete with Jitesh Sharma for a spot in the middle order. He also emphasised that all batters apart from the openers need to be flexible with respect to their position in the order.”Sanju, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order,” he said. “Now the thing is, other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserves to take that spot.”But we gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which is actually good to see a player being flexible to bat anywhere from No. 3 to 6. That’s one thing I have told all the batters that other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. Both [Samson and Jitesh] are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have lovely players like both of them. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. In fact, both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to the team and a good headache to have.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be looking to mastermind his first-ever win in European football against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday night.

After a 3-0 win against Kilmarnock away from Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night, the German boss will be hoping that his players are full of confidence and ready to secure that first win of the league phase.

Several players will need to raise their levels, though, because too many members of the squad have failed to perform on the European stage this season.

The worst Rangers performers in the Europa League this season

When looking at the worst performers for the Gers in the Europa League, it is impossible to look past Mohamed Diomande as the standout player for the wrong reasons.

The Ivorian central midfielder has been sent off two times in three appearances in the competition, remarkably, and it is hard to get much worse than that.

Youssef Chermiti, who was signed for £8m from Everton, has challenged Diomande for that spot, though, with no goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in five starts, per Sofascore, in the league phase.

1

Mohamed Diomande

2

Youssef Chermiti

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Oliver Antman

5

Jayden Meghoma

Summer signings Thelo Aasgaard and Oliver Antman also rank in the worst five performers, as they have both failed to deliver a goal or an assist and both average under one key pass per game, per WhoScored.

The attacking duo have also struggled in the Premiership, with one goal and two assists combined, but they are not the only attacking players who have underperformed, as Djeidi Gassama must be dropped for Thursday’s game.

Why Djeidi Gassama should be dropped by Danny Rohl

The summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday made an electric start to his career at Ibrox with four goals in six games in the Champions League qualifiers.

Since then, though, the French forward has found it tough to make an impact on a regular basis, with one goal in 15 Premiership games and one goal in five outings in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

At the end of last month, Rangers fan and scout Kai Watson posted that Gassama “deserves just as much criticism as Antman & Aasgaard”, which is a fair comment when you look at their respective performances in the Premiership.

As aforementioned, the Frenchman has not delivered much in the way of quality in the league for the Gers, and he blanked again in the 3-0 win over Kilmarnock, with no goals, assists, or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore. He also lost the ball a whopping 23 times.

Games

15

22

Goals

1

1

Big chances missed

3

3

Big chances created

1

2

Assists

1

2

As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard and Antman’s combined output in the Premiership is better than Gassama’s, which shows that he has not been at a level above the pair this season in the league.

These statistics show that all three of those summer signings have failed to provide goals and assists on a regular basis for the Light Blues, and that is also reflected in their combined return of one goal and no assists in the Europa League.

With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Gassama from the starting line-up for Thursday evening’s clash with Ferencvaros because he has not offered enough quality in the final third of late.

Instead, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday manager should bring Mikey Moore back into the fold after he marked his return from injury with an impressive goal against Kilmarnock.

The Spurs loanee has scored two goals in his last two appearances for Rangers, and it would have been three if not for VAR ruling out his second goal against Killie for an innocuous foul in the build-up.

Moore is starting to show that he can be a difference-maker in the final third, with two goals and one assist in the league, and should be given an opportunity to shine from the start ahead of Gassama on Thursday.

Rangers dud was as "rotten" as Miovski, now he's Rohl's most improved player

This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.

ByDan Emery 4 days ago

Manchester United have been known to splash the cash in the transfer market over the last couple of years, with INEOS backing various managers in their quest.

Since the summer of 2022, over £800m has been spent on new additions at Old Trafford, but their spending has failed to catapult them to Premier League glory in recent years.

The Red Devils kept up their spending spree under Ruben Amorim during the recent summer window, with over £200m being spent on new additions to help bolster the squad.

The vast majority of the funds were injected into the attacking department, handing the manager a new infamous trio to help him in his quest for silverware at the Theatre of Dreams.

However, the hierarchy look set to continue their mammoth backing in the months ahead, resulting in numerous big-money talents being touted with transfers for the January window.

United’s hunt for new additions in the January window

With the window rapidly appearing on the horizon, United have already been heavily linked with a move for Nottingham Forest sensation Elliot Anderson this winter.

The Red Devils have been reportedly targeting a move for the 23-year-old, but it could be an expensive one, with Sean Dyche’s men currently demanding £100m for his signature.

Whilst the window is currently closed, it’s not stopped Amorim’s men from making their move, with the club already making contact with his current employers over a potential deal.

However, he’s not the only player in their sights, with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo another player that is reportedly they’re hunting for in January.

According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are set to make a €60m (£52m) bid for the Ghanaian international who’s already registered nine goal contributions in the Premier League this season.

Such a report also confirms that the Red Devils see the 25-year-old as a primary target to improve the front line, potentially linking with one talent as a result of his potential transfer.

Why United’s £52m target would be an Mbeumo repeat

During their recent summer spending spree, United forked out a staggering £71m for the services of Bryan Mbeumo, with the attacker joining from fellow Premier League side, Brentford.

Eyebrows were raised about the deal, undoubtedly because of the reported price tag, but a couple of months on, it’s safe to say it’s been a phenomenal piece of business.

The 26-year-old has already scored five times and registered one assist in his first 11 league outings, with such a tally the highest in the current first-team squad.

Within such efforts, numerous of which have been crucial, with the big-money addition scoring in the clash against Liverpool at Anfield – subsequently securing the club’s win at such a ground for the first time in nearly a decade.

However, despite his record, the hierarchy are still targeting attacking reinforcements, which could lead to their pursuit of Semenyo in the months ahead.

The similarities are there for all to see, with both players operating in wide roles, but often wanting to cut inside onto their favoured foot – Semenyo going so from the left, whilst Mbeumo features off the right.

Like the Cameroonian, the Ghanian has been the shining light for a less-established top-flight club, which could see the Cherries star make his own step to a “big six” outfit.

When comparing their respective stats from the ongoing season, Semenyo has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, showcasing how much of a sensational addition he would be.

The 25-year-old, who’s been labelled “the best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, has already racked up more combined goals and assists – arguably being a more threatening option in the final third.

Games played

11

11

Goals & assists

9

6

Shot on target accuracy

61%

54%

Successful dribbles

1.9

0.8

Dribble success rate

47%

42%

Duels won

6.6

2.8

Aerials won

2.4

0.2

Possession won in final third

0.9

0.7

His underlying figures also highlight his quality in 2025/26, with Semenyo even registering a higher shot on target accuracy rate – making him a more all-round option in attacking areas.

He’s also completed more dribbles per 90, along with a higher success rate – further highlighting his quality with the ball at his feet, but Semenyo’s talents don’t end there.

The winger has dominated out of possession, winning more duels and more aerial battles, which could make him the perfect option for Amorim at Old Trafford.

£52m would be another huge investment from the hierarchy, but it’s a transfer that would add further firepower to the club’s already potent attacking department.

Given the success of Mbeumo since his own transfer, the hierarchy should be all over a deal for Semenyo, with the forward one of the most in-demand players in the division at present.

The new Ronaldo: Man Utd preparing British-record bid for £200m superstar

Manchester United are looking to make further attacking investments after this summer’s spending.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

Arsenal are currently waiting to discover the extent of Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury after the star centre-back sustained a thigh injury during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal, and he’s now a doubt for this weekend’s crunch North London derby clash against Tottenham as a result.

The league leaders head into Sunday’s derby aiming to rediscover their winning touch after Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp equaliser saw Sunderland snatch a 2-2 draw in their last Premier League game, a result that halted their imperious eight-game winning run without even conceding a single goal.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

The Gunners’ head-to-head record against their arch rivals makes for pretty reading, and they haven’t lost a single league game against Tottenham at the Emirates for 14 years. However, that being said, Mikel Arteta faces a significant defensive concern with Gabriel’s likely absence.

No detailed prognosis has yet been made available, though it is expected that the centre-back could miss at least a short stretch of games, including Spurs, with Gabriel a major injury doubt.

The Brazilian has been instrumental for Arsenal this season, both defensively and as a set-piece threat going forward, so his absence is poised to be a considerable blow.

The injury concerns don’t end there. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke (all knee) are out but pushing for a return to the side in time for Tottenham, while summer signing Viktor Gyokeres and winger Gabriel Martinelli also face potential late fitness tests.

Riccardo Calafiori was also nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta starts the left-back who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far, even keeping Hale End sensation Myles-Lewis-Skelly out of the side.

Now, as per The Independent, there’s been an update on Gyokeres’ condition.

Arsenal given Viktor Gyokeres injury update ahead of North London derby

According to the news outlet, the Sweden international could also miss this weekend’s vital clash.

Gyokeres is described as another Arsenal injury doubt to face Tottenham, with Gyokeres missing their last two matches against Slavia Prague and Sunderland after picking up a muscle injury in the 2-0 win away to Burnley at the very start of November.

After a barren goalless run, the 27-year-old was just beginning to find his feet with three goals in his last three appearances.

While Mikel Merino has performed impressively as a makeshift striker once again, having scored more league goals than any other Arsenal player this calendar year and bagging a brace against Slavia Prague, Arteta will be hoping that he can call upon Gyokeres once again to take on Thomas Frank’s side.

Gyokeres is their top scorer in the league with four thus far and six in all competitions, but his impact extends beyond goals.

According to WhoScored, only Eberechi Eze has averaged more shots per 90 than Gyokeres in Arsenal’s squad, with Arteta praising how he brings something unique to the side.

Tottenham are in the midst of an injury crisis of their own with a host of their players missing, and Arsenal know victory would tighten their grip on the title race.

However, derbies rarely follow the script, and Arteta will need his squad depth to compensate for any absences if they are to claim local bragging rights once again.

While his team-mates have fallen to flashy shots, the India opener has built his innings on leaving the ball

Alagappan Muthu17-Dec-20241:58

Pujara: Rahul’s preparation is the reason he’s being successful

To leave or not to leave? And how much to leave?Marnus Labuschagne was chided for overdoing it in Perth. Virat Kohli has been chided for not doing enough of it all series. KL Rahul was almost ridiculed for one in the tour game ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He played no shot and let the Australia A offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli bowl him between his legs.If trying him out in that match – a last-minute decision after India lost 3-0 to New Zealand – was to gather information on whether Rahul was still good enough to merit a place in the side – he was no longer an automatic pick, missing two of India’s six home Tests this year – the only thing they would have learned was face-palming can hurt. Prior to his opening the batting in Perth, Rahul had made only four fifty-plus scores in 21 innings since the start of 2022; 16 of them ended before he could reach 25. The idea that he would be India’s best batter in Australia clearly took the scenic route towards making sense.Central to Rahul’s success has been his ability to judge which balls to play and which to leave, and considering where he was at the start of November, maybe the only way it could have gone was up. He has left 102 balls so far in five innings this series. It’s exactly how he produced two of India’s best centuries away from home in 2021. Those tours – to England (223 leaves) and South Africa (189) – are the only times he’s left more balls, and considering he could have five more innings in Australia, he has time to set a new benchmark.The 84 Rahul made in Brisbane on Tuesday deserves a place next to his 129 at Lord’s and his 123 in Centurion because he was the only Indian top order batter who could impose himself on the Test match.Related

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Australia had great success pitching the ball up at the Gabba because immediately it gave the batter the cue that they could come forward and drive. That’s hard-coded muscle memory. Only the bounce here is different. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s flick that led to his dismissal was to a full ball but it hit high on the bat. Kohli’s nick to the wicketkeeper was to a full ball that rose well past the middle of his diagonal bat and took his outside edge. Shubman Gill could have left the ball he fell to on line. Rishabh Pant could potentially have left the ball he fell to on length.That was the way this Test match was going, except when Rahul was on strike. You can impose yourself on the game by being defensive too.Rahul was extremely choosy about when he was willing to go on the front foot and drive. The ball couldn’t just be on a good or full length. It had to be a shameless, unconscionable, blatant half-volley. Otherwise, he tried not to engage. And if he had to, if the ball was in line with his stumps, he didn’t just meet it with soft hands, he almost pulled the bat away on impact so that the likeliest place the ball would end up is straight back on the ground instead of in the hands of the Australian slip cordon. Once, he actually overdid it and had to protect his stumps from danger as the ball rolled backwards.”He knows his gameplans really well and that is the example he is setting for the other batsmen to follow,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo. “Because if you can bat like KL Rahul, the way he is defending the ball, the way he is leaving the ball, he’s playing close to the body. He’s picking the right balls to hit for four because whenever the ball is pitched up, which is right under his eyes, that’s when he’s driving. So he’s picking the right balls and that’s how you should be batting in Australia.”The rest of India’s top six tried to impose themselves as well. They came away with scores of 4, 1, 3, 9 and 10. Jaiswal, Gill and Kohli fell trying to hit boundaries and throw Australia off their lines and lengths. But in these conditions, success depends on seeing off the new ball, not taking risks against it.”The only thing you can do in the first 30 overs is to tighten up your defence,” Rahul said after India had scraped past the follow-on mark. “Try and respect that the first 30 overs is the bowler’s time and give them their time, leave balls, try and play as tight as possible and then really try to cash in once the ball gets older. So that’s my plan and that’s pretty simple.”That’s a good thing about playing here in Australia. If you get used to the pace and bounce, you can trust the bounce and you can leave balls on bounce and that’s something that they showed us in the last game and they did that really well. Yeah, so for me, I mean, [leaving the ball] as important [as scoring runs].”Rahul has an unusual leave. He brings the bat down from his back-lift inside the line of the ball and hides it behind his pad. He teases even his own bowlers with it in the nets. In Brisbane, he dealt it out to Jasprit Bumrah, who is better than most at making sure he keeps the stumps in play, and made the bowler grunt in frustration. The sound off the bat as the ball goes for runs is pretty cool. But the satisfaction of making all these world-class bowlers feel just a little bit annoyed with him has to feel pretty good too.

The Premier League season is only 15 games old, but it’s already been something of a roller coaster for West Ham United.

For the first couple of months, with Graham Potter in charge, it looked like the East Londoners were destined for relegation and unable to buy a win.

However, over the last few weeks, new boss Nuno Espírito Santo has helped to turn the ship around, and while they’re still in the relegation zone, the Hammers have lost just one of their last six games.

However, there are still problems on and off the pitch, including the fact that they’ll likely have to sell Lucas Paqueta in the summer, but before they do that, West Ham should get rid of someone else in the winter window.

Why West Ham should sell Paqueta

Now, the first thing to say here is that, at his very best, Paqueta has a claim to be one of the most exciting and talented attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

However, the problem is that he hasn’t been at, or really anywhere near, his scintillating best for quite some time.

For example, while he managed a brilliant haul of 15 goal involvements in 23/24, he then followed that up with just five last season, and so far this year, he’s produced just four.

Appearances

36

14

Minutes

2536′

1217′

Goals

5

4

Assists

0

0

In other words, it’s hard to make a case that his performances over the last year and a half have justified his sizable £150k-per-week wage.

Speaking of his contract, the next reason the Hammers should probably be looking to sell the former Lyon star is the fact that he’ll have just a year left on his deal in the summer.

Therefore, he’ll either need to be handed another bumper contract or be sold to protect his valuation.

Finally, the 28-year-old revealed that he almost forced a move back to Flamengo in the summer. So it’s not impossible to imagine he’ll want to leave sooner or later, which comes back to the idea that the Hammers should be the ones to instigate his departure at the end of the season and protect his value.

With all that said, there is another player, someone far less important to the side, that West Ham should look to move on before Paqeuta.

The West Ham flop Nuno has to sell

With West Ham improving over the last month or so, fewer players are sticking out for the wrong reasons, but one who continues to disappoint is Max Kilman.

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The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star joined the Hammers for a whopping £40m fee in the summer of 2024.

Since then, while there have been the odd moments in which he’s looked like a quality centre-back, the Englishman has largely been a flop and someone who has been more of a hindrance at the back than a help.

For example, in the 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford earlier this season, the 6 foot 4 titan was partly to blame for both goals and looked miles off the pace and, in the words of one content creator, was “shocking.”

Worryingly, his former manager, Gary O’Neil, went into detail about some of his weaknesses and described him as someone who likes to “switch off” during games.

That does not sound like the kind of defender you want in the backline when fighting to stay in the Premier League, and, based on reports, it seems Nuno would agree.

According to a story from earlier this week, the Irons would be willing to part ways with the centre-back should someone make an offer of around £25m, and reports from earlier in the season claimed that Crystal Palace were interested in the defender.

On top of the eye test, another reason the club should perhaps lower their asking price is the fact that his underlying numbers are dire.

According to FBref, the Chelsea-born dud ranks in the bottom 45% of centre-backs in the Premier League for pass completion, the bottom 18% for tackles, the bottom 14% for progressive passes, and the bottom 9% for interceptions, all per 90.

Ultimately, while West Ham will likely need to sell Paqueta in the summer, they must sell Kilman first, as he simply isn’t good enough.

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