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The Tigers are stumbling into the end of the regular season as they cling to a one-game lead over the Guardians in the race for the American League Central crown. Tight division races are common this time of year, but usually not when the leading team held a 14-game lead in the division and was up 15 1/2 games on the team in second place in July.

Detroit was swept by the Braves on Sunday for its sixth loss in a row and ninth over its last 10 games. Luckily for the Tigers, Cleveland lost to the Twins on Sunday, which snapped an incredible 10-game winning streak during which the Guardians won 15 of 16. A 10 1/2 game lead on the Guardians at the start of September suddenly evaporated to one with six games left.

The good news for Detroit is that it still controls its own destiny with a three-game series against the Guardians in Cleveland beginning Tuesday. With Tigers fans searching for something, anything to cheer for lately, manager A.J. Hinch seems to like where his team sits and is keeping the faith.

"I don't see our guys quitting, I don't see our guys down, I don't see our guys pouting, I don't see our guys conceding," Hinch said after the loss to Atlanta Sunday via FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. "And we shouldn't. I want to remind everybody that we're a first-place team, and right now it's hard for everybody to look at us that way because the last week went the way it did.

"We're going to wake up tomorrow in first place with our destiny controlled by us against the team that's been as hot as you can get in baseball, and we get to play them in a three-game series. Like, sign me up."

He's right, but it's certainly a uniquely optimistic outlook when you consider the troubling recent stretch for his team. You can't change the past, though, and Hinch's Tigers can either leave Cleveland with the division clinched or with their once large lead officially gone.

Their ace and AL Cy Young Award frontrunner, Tarik Skubal, is slated to get the ball in the series opener against the Guardians. We'll see if Detroit's luck can finally turn around against the hottest team in baseball.

The WPL has decided to have an auction purse of INR 15 crore for the auction, with deductions based on the number of players retained

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Oct-2025Franchises can retain a maximum of five players ahead of the mega auction for the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). ESPNcricinfo has learned that the deadline for announcing retentions is November 5, which has been communicated to the teams, and the auction window will be between November 25 and 29.In an email to franchises on Thursday, the WPL said a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players, and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players can be retained by each team. And if a franchise opts to retain five players, then at least one should be an uncapped Indian player. The WPL has also for the first time decided to allow franchises to activate the right-to-match (RTM) option at the auction to buy back a player that was part of their squad in 2025.The WPL has decided to have an auction purse of INR 15 crore for the auction and has listed the guideline prices for the retention slabs (check graphic below). The slabs listed are: INR 3.5 crore (Player 1), INR 2.5 crore (Player 2), INR 1.75 crore (Player 3), INR 1 crore (Player 4) and INR 50 lakh (Player 5).If a franchise opts to retain five players, INR 9.25 crore would be deducted from its purse, while for four, the deduction would be INR 8.75 crore; for three it would be INR 7.75 crore; four two INR 6 crore; and for one INR 3.5 crore. A franchise can use a maximum of five RTMs, but in case it retains five players, then the RTM option would be lost. In case a franchise retains four players, it will be left with one RTM; for three, there will be two RTMs; for two, three RTMs; and for one, four RTMs.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe WPL has said franchises can negotiate a different amount to the guideline price listed in the retention slabs, but if the actual amount paid is higher than the slab, then that amount would be deducted from the auction purse. A minimum of INR 50 lakh has been set for an uncapped India player, but that could be higher based on the agreed amount between the franchise and player.The WPL has also announced the timelines for various steps in the lead-up to the auction. The player retention list must be submitted by November 5. The franchises must then share their lists for the players at the auction by November 7. The last date for player registration is November 18. And November 20 is when the BCCI will share the list of players at the mega auction.

Sonia Bompastor has claimed the eight-minute delay caused by a technical fault during Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Barcelona was "not good enough". The French manager fumed during her post-match press conference, claiming the problem caused her side to lose momentum, and that she believed the VAR was not used to rule out Catarina Macario's disallowed winner.

Bompastor left angry by delay at Stamford Bridge

The game was paused shortly before half-time, as all streams and video feeds, including the footage used by UEFA official for VAR were not working. reports that generators which power the technology went down, causing the fault.

Bompastor claimed the delay caused her side to lose momentum, before also alleging that Macario's effort which came just seconds after she entered the game as a second half substitute, was ruled out without the use of VAR.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBompastor: 'It's not good enough at this level'

Speaking at her post-match press conference, Bompastor said: "It was really frustrating, we were in a really good momentum, when this comes from something you can't control, I think, at this level, it's not good enough.

"I don't know if this has happened in the men's game but that's the first time I've seen that.

"To be honest with you I'm not even sure if the VAR was on in the second half. As you could see, in the first half we had almost a 10-minute break, the TV went off.

"It's something I didn't really like because we were in a really good momentum and when you have to stop the players, I think it's not good enough at this level. Maybe it's something no one can control. In the second half I'm not even sure the VAR was on.

"I think the VAR was off so they didn't have any screen to check the VAR so I think this was the reason why." 

Blues boss proud of Chelsea performance

While she was clearly angry with proceedings at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor also spoke glowingly about her players' efforts. 

Chelsea took the lead in a pulsating encounter as full-back Ellie Carpenter unleashed a thunderous finish in the 16th minute. Barcelona found a reply just eight minutes later, when Ewa Pajor powered home a close-range effort after the Blues failed to clear a corner. 

Macario's disallowed effort would have given the Blues a well deserved victory over a side that just six months ago, beat them 8-2 over two legs in last season's Women's Champions League semi-finals. Bompastor urged her side to take confidence from their performance. 

"I think we were the better team tonight, we had a really good performance and created a lot of opportunities", Bompastor said. "We scored a great goal. I'm happy but frustrated because we could have won the game.

"Any time we play with this mindset and mentality, the players need to now how good we can be. We played against a strong opponent, everybody knows Barcelona's qualities. To be able to have this performance against them was really positive.

"The team need to be proud of the performance today, but also take belief and confidence from this performance."

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Getty Images SportChelsea push for top-four finish

This performance will give Bompastor's side confidence in their push for automatic qualification for the quarterfinals of the competition. The top four sides in the league stage progress to the final eight, with the fifth to 12th-placed sides will face a play-off round. 

Chelsea currently sit in sixth, with two games left to play. On December 10, they host Roma before facing a tricky away assignment against Wolfsburg. The two-time European champions currently sit in third in the league table, 

Just like Rohit did it all those years ago, Samson is reviving his career after being promoted to open

Ashish Pant09-Nov-2024A primarily middle-order batter who was expected to be the next big thing in Indian cricket but failed to latch on to the chances before a move to the top of the order changed his fortunes.Rohit Sharma of 2013, meet Sanju Samson of 2024.It was before the first game of the 2013 Champions Trophy when Rohit was asked to open the innings. He had opened the batting a few times before in T20Is and ODIs, but it was that push in 2013 that gave his middling career a second wind and he became India’s permanent opener across formats. So critical was that move to the top that Rohit in a press conference in 2018 even told the media to forget whatever had happened in his career before 2013 and ask only about after 2013.Although the format is different, Samson could well be saying the same about 2024.Related

SA look to break spin stranglehold while India worry about depth

Sanju Samson century, spinners hand India big win in T20I series opener

Samson, in the 30 T20I innings since his debut nine years back, has batted in every position in the top seven at least once. While he’s not done himself any favours with his inconsistency, not having a set batting number in the XI hasn’t helped either.That changed ahead of the T20I series against Bangladesh in early October. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill rested, Samson was promoted to open the batting in the series. More importantly, it was a chance to revive his India career just like Rohit did all those years back.Though not an entirely new position for Samson, it had been a while since he opened in a T20 game. He began the Bangladesh series with two lukewarm performances before flicking a switch and walloping a 47-ball 111 in the final T20I in Hyderabad. On Friday, he showed signs of making the position his own by becoming the first Indian batter – and fourth overall – to smash successive T20I centuries, with a 50-ball 107 in the opening T20I against South Africa in Durban.It was a classic Samson innings, the kind he has shown glimpses of in the IPL – start sedately, gauge the nature of the surface, get a few boundaries in before running the opposition ragged. He went at a strike rate of 100 in his first six balls. Then came a Keshav Maharaj over, the third of the innings, and he went four and six to give his innings the impetus before giving Marco Jansen the same treatment. By the time the powerplay ended, Samson had raced to 35 off 20 with three fours and three sixes, but it was what he did after the powerplay that stood out.Sanju Samson used the crease well against spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesIntent has been an over-used term in the Indian T20I dictionary of late. Samson made sure to walk the talk, picking up 72 runs off just 30 balls in the middle overs (seven to 16). While his first fifty took 27 balls, his next set took just 20 as he brought up a century off 47 balls, the fastest for an India batter against South Africa.The highlight of Samson’s knock was the use of his crease against spinners. He went right back at times, converting the good-length balls into short as he peppered the on side, and whenever he saw the ball flighted, he ran down the track, reached the pitch and went downtown in the V.The pull (coincidence much?) was Samson’s most productive shot of the day as he collected 43 runs through the deep-midwicket region alone. In all, Samson smashed the spinners for 58 runs off 27 balls, while the fast bowlers went for 49 off 23. By the time he fell, India were well on course for a 200-plus total.Few players have divided opinions like Samson has over the years. When in flow, he makes batting look ridiculously simple, like he did on Friday. He hit ten sixes during his knock, but there wasn’t a shot played in anger. But his career has had more misses than hits. He made his India debut in 2015 but did not get another game for five years. In between, he scored decent runs for Kerala and in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Rajasthan Royals and was even handed the Royals captaincy in 2021, but the India appearances remained few and far between. Even when they did come, Samson failed to create much impact, which he admits led to plenty of self-doubt.”In my career, I have had more failures than success,” Samson said after the game. “When you go through those failures, you start doubting yourself. People obviously say things, social media definitely plays its role, and then you also start thinking about it.”‘Sanju, are you not made for international level? You are doing well in the IPL, why is it not happening in international [cricket]?’ But after so many years of experience, I know my abilities. If I spend some time in the middle, I know I have the shot-making abilities against spin and pace. And I know I can contribute to the team’s success and help them win a match.”I kept telling myself, ‘No, it’s not like that. This is also a reality. There are lots of downs happening, but the upside is also really good.'”Samson also heaped praise on captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, particularly the way they communicated with him after his back-to-back ducks against Sri Lanka in July.”Communication during the time of failure is also very important,” Samson said. “A player can get lost during his negative phase.”During that time [after the ducks against Sri Lanka], I received a lot of phone calls from Gautam and Surya, telling me what to work on. They said, ‘Your game against spin is looking dicey, so gather the spinners in Kerala and practise on the rough wickets.'”If the captain of the Indian team is calling and telling you how to practise after two ducks, then you know that the captain is confident about you and he wants you to do well. All those small things play a huge role. I am very grateful for the trust shown in me. I think I have been able to give it back to my team management.”Samson has potentially three more chances in this series, and if he can continue his form, the selectors might have a fresh headache when picking a full-strength T20I squad. Gill and Jaiswal are the incumbents, while Abhishek Sharma is also around, but if Samson manages to resurrect his India career as an opener, in a way it will be poetic that he does it in the spot vacated by Rohit.

Well, that was about as perfect a night of Champions League action as Arsenal could have hoped for.

Mikel Arteta’s side travelled to Czechia to take on Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, and while they were without the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, they came away with all three points.

More than that, though, the Gunners scored three goals, fielded the youngest player in the competition in Max Dowman, and most crucially of all, kept another clean sheet.

There were standout performances across the pitch, including one player who’s starting to look like Arsenal’s new Gabriel Magalhães.

Arsenal's standout stars vs Slavia Prague

Starting up top, and while he had a quiet first half, Mikel Merino once again found himself on the scoresheet in the second half. In fact, he ended up there twice.

The Spaniard’s first came just 35 seconds into the second 45 when he got on the end of a wonderful Leandro Trossard cross.

Then, 22 minutes later, he put the game well and truly to bed by heading home another cross from Declan Rice.

However, it wasn’t just the Merino show, as other starters like Jurrien Timber and Gabriel looked exceptional once again.

The former was as sturdy at the back as ever, but also, as he has all season, was a massive threat going forward.

One moment, he was overlapping on the right, and then the next, he was surging through the middle of the park.

Likewise, while he failed to get his customary goal from a corner, Gabriel was as imperious as ever.

In his 95 minutes of action, he made four clearances, blocked two shots, recovered the ball three times and won four of six aerial duels, which is impressive considering the absurd size of Slavia’s centre-forward.

There can be no doubt that the former LOSC Lille monster is now one of Arsenal’s most important players, and so it’s a good thing that another starter on Tuesday is starting to look just like him.

Arsenal's new Gabriel

If he could, Arteta would undoubtedly have a team of 11 Gabriels.

Chalkboard

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

Alas, unfortunately for him, or fortunately for opposition set-piece coaches, cloning is yet to be invented.

However, there is one summer signing who is starting to look more and more like the Brazilian: Piero Hincapie.

Yes, the tough-tackling Ecuadorian “warrior,” as dubbed by one analyst, might still be finding his way in English football, but he’s already looking like another masterful addition to the Gunners’ defensive unit.

The same analyst points out that the 23-year-old shares several similarities with the Gunners’ number six, including his mobility, aggressiveness, aerial threat, and the fact that he’s a left-footer.

With all that in mind, it was hardly a surprise to see him put in such an impressive performance on Tuesday night.

For example, in his 73 minutes of blood-pumping action, he won 100% of his tackles, made one interception, won 100% of his aerial and ground duels, made one clearance, recovered the ball once, took 42 touches and completed 100% of his dribbles.

Minutes

73′

Tackles (Won)

2 (2)

Interceptions

1

Clearances

1

Recoveries

1

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (6)

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (2)

Long Balls

1

Touches

42

Dribbles Completed

1/1

Ultimately, it truly was as complete a defensive performance from Hincapie as could’ve been asked for, and one that should see him get more minutes.

Moreover, his fiery Gabriel-esque attitude and desire are going to make him a fan favourite very quickly indeed.

Arsenal star is starting to play like Cazorla & he's not even a midfielder

The incredible international is starting to show shades of Cazorla for Arteta and Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 4, 2025