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Liverpool are nearing the end of a terrific season under Arne Slot and could now pounce in an exciting summer transfer deal, according to reports.

Liverpool set for an exciting summer transfer window

Last week, news of Mohamed Salah’s contract renewal at Liverpool brought a feeling of jubilation to supporters ahead of their inevitable Premier League title triumph.

The Reds could be crowned champions this weekend if Arsenal lose at Ipswich Town and they defeat Leicester City. This would likely excite the general public about the possibility of talented summer arrivals at Anfield.

Looking to make a statement, Liverpool could strike to bring in Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman and his current employers could be open to selling him, per Christian Falk.

Furthermore, RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba is on Slot’s wishlist following a scouting mission involving the 22-year-old alongside his teammates Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko.

Arne Slot is aware that change could be afoot upon the red half of Merseyside. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future is up in the air with his contract set to expire, while clubs in Saudi Arabia are keeping tabs on Luis Diaz as his deal ticks into its final two years.

Walker replacement: Man City now battling Liverpool to sign "complete" star

Walker is expected to leave this summer…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 12, 2025

Several of Liverpool’s title competitors simply haven’t been able to keep pace this term. Come the window, many will have designs on bringing in new talent to avoid a repeat scenario next time out.

FSG have gained a mixed reception among supporters, creating a feeling that this summer may be the time to go big in their quest to keep the Reds at the top of the English pyramid for years to come. Heeding that warning, Slot and company are now planning a swoop for a Premier League star that could make headlines across the country.

Liverpool line up sizeable Kaoru Mitoma deal

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are in the mix to sign Brighton & Hove Albion star Kaoru Mitoma and the Seagulls are said to be open to selling the Japan international once the window finally opens.

Fabian Hurzeler is set to demand £80 million for the 27-year-old, who may also attract further interest from Al Nassr following their failed attempts to secure his services in January.

Labelled a “special talent” by boss Hurzeler, the tricky winger has registered eight strikes and three assists in 36 appearances across all competitions as the Seagulls look to seal continental qualification.

Financially, Mitoma would cost a pretty penny to bring to Liverpool, but having a ready-made replacement for Diaz in the event the Colombia international does move on would be a wise move for all concerned.

In a summer where the Reds are set to be one of the most appealing potential destinations for players on the market, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Oita-born man join up on Merseyside.

South Africa had plans for Virat Kohli, but they unravelled as he raced to a 52nd ODI century

Alagappan Muthu30-Nov-20254:46

Takeaways – Kohli in comfort zone; Jansen, Kuldeep and Rana sparkle

It’s there. He builds it every time he gets up to bat. The bubble. Inside it, he’s king.South Africa had a plan to break into it. In the first 10 overs, they had their fielders right up. Mid-on, mid-off and cover were 10 yards in from the 30 yard circle. The idea was to cut off the singles that fuel his risk-free run-scoring.It fell apart. Because reality inside Virat Kohli’s bubble and reality outside it are often different. From inside, he could see that the pitch had the pace to hit through the line. From inside, he could see the bowlers were spraying it around. From inside, he could see other options to score runs.Sixes. He had two of them as part of his first 10 scoring shots.An entire career’s worth of information went straight down the drain for South Africa with less than an hour on the clock. Kohli was playing his 294th innings in ODIs. Only twice has his sixes count risen as high as two inside the first 25 balls. And never when batting first.Related

'They are brilliant, and they are performing' – Kotak on Ro-Ko at 2027 World Cup

South Africa find reason for ODI optimism despite top-order tangles

Stats – Kohli and Rohit smash records in Ranchi run-fest

Kohli: 'If I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120%'

Kohli, Harshit, Kuldeep star to give India 1-0 lead

Ranchi 2025 joined Jaipur 2013 and Pune 2017. The other two were chases. Australia and England had put on 350-plus and he ran them down with a vengeance. South Africa dared him in other ways. At least their fielders did. The bowlers were out of sync.In the first 10 overs, when Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, Corbin Bosch and Ottneil Baartman hit a good length, they gave up only 29 runs at a strike rate of 66. When they missed it, they were thrashed for 51 at a strike rate of 243.Kohli made a play. He got India ahead of the game. From there, the reality inside his bubble dictated the reality outside of it. The only accommodation he made was for his batting partner.In the 14th over, Kohli nudged one to midwicket, waited for the ball to pass the fielder, then knowing it was a slower delivery that he had hit softly to one of the longer boundaries, he began sprinting. He believed there was three. Rohit Sharma knew he believed there was three too. That’s why he had his hand up even as he brought his bat down to complete the second run. Sunday marked the 20th time they put on a hundred-run partnership. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have more.Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shared a 136-run stand•AFP/Getty ImagesSouth Africa began to pull the run rate back in the middle overs. They found their lengths against Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar and by doing that they managed to starve the set batter of strike. The third and fourth-wicket stands were 55 balls long. Kohli faced only 22 of them and hit just one four. The other end managed one six. The crowd got antsy. They were here to watch Kohli at home in India blue for the first time since February. They wanted the century.Kohli didn’t bat an eyelid. He did other things. Run between the wickets so hard the picture seemed incomplete without smoke flying off his heels. Practice chopping an imaginary short ball down onto the pitch so that the next time he faced one, it bounced over Dewald Brevis still close in at point. Note the gaps in the field and expend only the energy needed to find them.That’s how he moved from 94 to 98. Midwicket was up. Square leg was back. The ball was dug in and though it didn’t climb it was cramping him for room. Kohli was now so cozy inside his bubble that he arranged his body for a short-arm jab with a horizontal bat, knowing the outfield would take care of the rest.On 99, he took his guard again. Stretched his back out – finally a sign of what this innings against quality opposition was taking out of him. Recognised the ball wasn’t there. And just kept it out. By now the crowd was going wild… because everyone was blocking everyone else’s shot. Eventually, the glide to the deep third boundary, the jump, the punch, the scream, the kiss of his wedding ring and the raise of his bat all began to flood social media.It was a beautiful moment. No. 52. The only one Kohli spent outside his bubble. It is sacred to him. Especially now. He wants to make the 2027 World Cup. But he’s 37. That number – as much as any other from his legendary ODI career – looms large enough that every innings he plays from now until the squad is picked could be scrutinised. Even though the selectors have said otherwise.The surest way Kohli can realise his goal is to prove over and over that even in the twilight of his career he is twice the player anybody else is. He ticked that box on Sunday evening. And it will need ticking again. The pressure that must bring feels unimaginable. The way he ignores it and just goes about his business is incredible.

And who has taken the most wickets caught and bowled in Tests, and ODIs?

Steven Lynch05-Dec-2023Glenn Phillips took four wickets in his second Test, having not bowled in his first. Is this anywhere near the record? asked Kenneth Powell from New Zealand

New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took 4 for 53 (and 1 for 47) in his second Test, against Bangladesh in Mirpur last week. Phillips hadn’t bowled on his debut, which came nearly four years ago against Australia in Sydney in January 2020.The best innings return by a player in his second Test, having not bowled in his first, is 6 for 65 by Simon Katich, for Australia against Zimbabwe in Sydney in 2003-04. No one else has taken a five-for, but two others apart from Phillips managed four. Nazir Ali took 4 for 83 for India against England in Madras in 1933-34; this was the only time he bowled in a Test. And Amir Elahi collected 4 for 134 for Pakistan against India in Delhi in 1952-53. He hadn’t bowled in his only previous Test, which was for India, in a rain-affected draw against Australia in Sydney in 1947-48. The Australian offspinner Ian Johnson took 6 for 42 in the first innings of his third Test, against England in Sydney in 1946-47, having not bowled in either of his first two.The best figures at any stage of a Test career by someone who didn’t bowl on their debut are 8 for 11, by England’s Johnny Briggs, against South Africa in Cape Town in 1889 (his 16th match). The Australian Frank Laver took 8 for 31 in the 14th of his 15 Tests, against England at Old Trafford in 1909.I read that Virat Kohli once scored 1000 runs in the course of 20 innings in T20Is. Has anyone bettered this sequence? asked Amrit Naik from India

Virat Kohli’s golden run in T20Is came between March 2014 and March 2016, when he scored 1018 runs in 20 innings, with 12 scores of 50 or more, and averaged 92. Suryakumar Yadav is next for India, after scoring 919 runs in 20 innings in T20Is between October 2022 and November 2023. Depending what he does in his next few matches, Suryakumar could improve this number.I rather expected Kohli to be top of this list – but actually there is someone above him. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan collected 1061 runs – with ten scores of 50 or more, at an average of 88.50 – in a sequence of 20 innings between December 2020 and November 2021. And there’s a surprise in third place: UAE’s Muhammad Waseem collected 920 runs in 20 T20I innings (half of them against non-Test nations) between February 2022 and September 2023.Kane Williamson has scored centuries in each of his last four Tests – how many people have managed this? asked Michael Kirkpatrick from New Zealand

Kane Williamson’s 104 against Bangladesh in Sylhet made him the first New Zealander to score centuries in four successive Tests: he previously shared the national record of three with Mark Burgess (between 1969-70 and 1971-72) and Ross Taylor (2013-14).Williamson has a chance, in the second Test that starts later this week, of joining the three men from all countries who have reached three figures in five successive Tests – Jacques Kallis (2003-04), Gautam Gambhir (2008-09 to 2009-10) and Mohammad Yousuf, who actually crammed in six hundreds in a five-match run during 2006.But there is one man who once scored hundreds in six successive Tests. You won’t be too surprised to hear that it was Don Bradman, who did it over two Ashes series in 1936-37 and 1938. His sequence was ended by a match (at The Oval in 1938) in which he was unable to bat through injury; hundreds in the first two games of his next series, after the war in 1946-47, mean that Bradman scored centuries in eight successive Tests in which he actually batted. For the full list, click here.Muthiah Muralidaran has had 35 caught-and-bowled dismissals each in Tests and ODIs•AFPWho has taken the most wickets caught and bowled in Tests and in ODIs? asked Tim Morgan from England

Two bowlers collected 35 caught-and-bowleds in their Test careers: Anil Kumble and Muthiah Muralidaran. They are a long way clear at the top: Daniel Vettori and Shane Warne held on to 21 return catches, and Derek Underwood 20. Australia’s Nathan Lyon has 18 so far.Aggregate lists like this naturally favour players with long careers. If we look at percentages, then top among those with 50 or more Test wickets is the 19th-century Nottinghamshire and England seamer Billy Barnes, with eight out of 51, or 15.69% caught and bowled. The New Zealand slow left-armer Hedley Howarth’s 86 Test wickets included 12 c&bs, or 13.95%. The highest percentage among those with 100 or more wickets is 10.64, by the Australian Hugh Trumble (15 of 141).Murali leads the way in ODIs too with 35, ahead of the deceptive New Zealander medium-pacer Chris Harris (29) and the Pakistan pair of Shahid Afridi (24) and Saqlain Mushtaq (20). . Percentage-wise, 15 of Allan Border’s 73 ODI victims (20.55%) were caught and bowled, while the West Indian Roger Harper had exactly 100 wickets, 16 of them through return catches.In 1972, who played first-class cricket on the same ground where he played home games in the Football League? asked Hedley Dye from England

There were a few people from that time that could be the answer here: for a start, Chris Balderstone, who the following year played two Tests for England, played a County Championship match (for Leicestershire) and a Football League game (for Doncaster Rovers) on the same day in September 1975. Two other England cricketers of this approximate era also played League football – David Bairstow for Bradford City, and Ian Botham for Scunthorpe United, where a team-mate was the long-serving Worcestershire cricket captain Phil Neale.But it’s another Worcestershire player who’s the answer to this specific question. Ted Hemsley scored nearly 10,000 runs over a 20-year county career, and also played more than 500 Football League games for Shrewsbury Town (1961-68), Sheffield United (1968-77) and Doncaster Rovers (1977-79). And in 1972, Worcestershire’s Championship match against Yorkshire was played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s home ground. Hemsley played four first-class games in all at Bramall Lane, but familiarity with the place didn’t help much: his highest score there was 38 in 1969. The ground had hosted an Ashes Test in 1902, but Yorkshire stopped playing there in 1973, when the ground was redeveloped to concentrate on football, with a new South Stand being built across the old cricket square.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

While Harmer and Maharaj have done the bulk of the bowling for the home side, the visitors’ quicks have shared 11 wickets

Mohammad Isam03-Apr-2022The standard fare in a South Africa-Bangladesh Test match is pace, movement and bounce. It is usually the home side that has blown away these infrequent visitors with these weapons. These ingredients have, of course, been on display in the Durban Test, but it has come from the opposite direction.It is to the Bangladesh fast bowlers’ credit that they have so far outbowled South Africa’s fast bowlers. They have taken 11 wickets collectively, as Bangladesh took 20 wickets in an overseas Test for only the eighth time in their history.Related

• Elgar: Maharaj and Harmer helped us play a 'style of cricket we're not used to'

• Bangladesh to lodge formal complaint with ICC against Durban Test umpiring

• Bangladesh eye South Africa success after Mount Maunganui miracle

• Mominul backs Bangladesh quicks to 'play a big role' in South Africa

• 'Four wickets doesn't mean I'm good enough at this level' – Simon Harmer

Just as out of the ordinary, however, has been South Africa’s almost total reliance on their spinners in this Test match. Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Dean Elgar have combined to bowl 84 overs so far, the most by South Africa’s spinners in a home Test in 57 years. Thanks to Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s efforts, the total from both sides is the highest number of overs of spin in South Africa since 1998.Harmer, playing his first Test in seven years, led the South African attack with four wickets on the second evening while Maharaj supported him with inch-perfect lengths for 37 overs, albeit wicketless. Maharaj and Harmer, who became the first spin pair to open the bowling in South Africa, then took three Bangladesh wickets within the first five overs of the fourth innings.Spin will continue to play a major role on the fifth day, and not just because of how the Kingsmead pitch has played. South Africa have a severely depleted pace attack in the absence of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, who are playing the IPL, and Anrich Nortje, who is injured.Bangladesh, meanwhile, have begun developing a good fast-bowling unit. They didn’t even miss Shoriful Islam, who has been critical to their recent success, as Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed combined brilliantly twice in the game.The role reversal has left both camps slightly bemused. South Africa batting coach Justin Sammons said the team had expected the Bangladesh fast bowlers to do well after their exploits in the ODI series, given their ability to bowl hard lengths and use reverse-swing.”It is interesting, it is quite funny actually,” Sammons said. “You’d think it will be the other way around. From our perspective, the guys have put in a lot of work against spin. We do back ourselves in turning conditions. Their seamers hit good lengths. They made scoring tough for us.”There was an expectation that their seam attack was going to be a challenge. We knew we had to bat really well against them. Their seamers bowled brilliantly in the ODI series. Their lengths were brilliant in the ODIs, and they showed that skill in this game. They also showed the ability to tail towards the end. We also can’t take anything away from Mehidy at the way he bowled. He has shown great discipline and control. We couldn’t underestimate any of their bowlers.”Simon Harmer has already bowled 43 overs and picked up five wickets in Durban•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud said the visitors had come prepared to face a battery of fast bowling, but ended up succumbing to good bowling from the South African spin twins.”Certainly we didn’t expect it if you consider how the last few series panned out here,” he said. “We trained on bouncy and pacy pitches back in Bangladesh thinking we will obviously get those conditions here. A team however has to accept the conditions and adapt itself. We are used to spin conditions. I think [Yasir Ali] Rabbi’s run-out [in the first innings] was very costly. We may have taken the lead if he was around for a bit longer.”We didn’t execute well against their spinners. Harmer and Maharaj are really good bowlers. I don’t want to think too much about the three wickets today. We want to be as positive as possible tomorrow.”Mahmud said Bangladesh would have always picked the extra batter given Shakib Al Hasan is not around, but they don’t regret picking only one specialist spinner, and pointed out that they had picked the same combination when they had beaten New Zealand in Mount Maunganui earlier this year.”I think the bowlers came back strongly today,” Mahmud said. “Despite his shoulder injury, Taskin bowled really well today. He taped up his shoulder and took painkillers.”I don’t think we misread the conditions. They have picked three seamers and two spinners. We are missing Shakib quite a lot. Whenever he is not playing, we usually play an extra batter. We also had Taskin injured, so thankfully we picked three seamers in total. We also picked three seamers and one spinner in Mount Maunganui.”

After posting MLB's best record during the regular season and getting off to a 2–0 lead against the Cubs in the National League Division Series, the Brewers are hopeful they can bring home their first World Series title to Milwaukee this year.

The Brewers have made the playoffs for the third consecutive season and seventh time in the last eight years, but the franchise historically doesn't have a ton of success come October.

As Milwaukee looks to change their playoff fortunes, here's a look at their postseason history.

Have the Brewers Ever Won a World Series?

The Brewers have never won a World Series title. They are one of five teams still seeking their first championship, along with the Padres, Rays, Rockies and Mariners. Seattle is the only other of those teams alive in the 2025 MLB playoff race.

What Is the Furthest the Brewers Have Gone in MLB Playoffs?

The furthest Milwaukee has advanced in the playoffs is the World Series, which they reached in 1982. They lost to the Cardinals in seven games in that series, and have not returned to the World Series since. The Brewers won three of the first five games of the series, but St. Louis rallied to win Games 6 and 7 to claim the title.

Milwaukee Brewers Full Playoff History

Here's a look at the Brewers' postseason history since the franchise first began play in 1969. The '25 season marks their 11th playoff berth.

Playoff Result

Times Occurred

Last Year Occurred

Missed Postseason

46

2020

Lost in Wildcard Series

4

2024

Lost in Division Series

3

2022

Lost in Championship Series

2

2018

Lost in World Series

1

1982

Can the Brewers Win a World Series This Year?

Milwaukee is certainly a contender to win the World Series this year. The Brewers currently hold a 2–0 lead over the Cubs in the NLDS, and if they can win at least one more game, they will already be within one round of the franchise's second World Series berth.

Milwaukee finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, and proved throughout the year they could beat some of the top teams in the sport. They went 6–0 against the Dodgers, and 2– vs. both the Mariners and Blue Jays during the regular season. The Brewers will of course need to replicate that late in the postseason, but they definitely have the potential to win it all.

Rafael Devers is now a member of the San Francisco Giants after the Boston Red Sox shocked Major League Baseball by trading him on Sunday. One MLB insider claims teams across the league were "appalled" at how Devers handled himself before the trade.

On the podcast, ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney pulled back the curtain on the deal, and how other front offices viewed Devers's behavior before it went down.

"Within the sport, people with other teams are appalled at how he handled that," Olney said. "I had one person say to me, 'Look the team's handling of this on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being bad, was a six.' This person said, 'Devers? It was a 10 out of 10 at how badly he handled this.'"

The Red Sox moved Devers off third base to full-time designated hitter when they signed Alex Bregman this offseason. A few weeks into the campaign, they approached him about playing first base, and he flatly refused, then publicly criticized the organization.

While things sound toxic all-around in Boston right now, it seems most people around the league think Devers was a problem with the Red Sox.

There was good enough reason for everyone at Chelsea to feel positive about their prospects this season as November rolled into December. Enzo Maresca had just led his young side to a seismic 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League, while they held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a credible 1-1 draw days later despite playing much of the match with one fewer player after Moises Caicedo's red card.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks, however, and the mood in west London has considerably soured. The Blues have taken one point from the six available to them in the Premier League since clamping the title-favourite Gunners, drawing away to an out-of-form Bournemouth after losing to Leeds United. They were heading towards redemption in Europe away at Atalanta on Tuesday, but were beaten 2-1 in Bergamo and lost control of a place in the top eight of the league phase in the process.

Once again, there is the prospect of a harsh winter hurrying over the horizon. Chelsea, however, had ample warning time and ought to have prepared better. Instead, their stubborn attitude towards their 'project' has set them up for a transitional season rather than one of glory.

Getty Images SportSimilar drop-off

Maresca's Chelsea have prior form when it comes to suffering through the festive period. Though they began December 2024 with six successive wins across all competitions, they embarked on a run of five Premier League matches without a win afterwards, with their only respite in that period coming in an FA Cup tie against Morecambe.

When the Blues beat Brentford 2-1 before that rot set in, they moved to within two points of Liverpool at the top of the table. Yet the message coming out from the club was clear – they didn't want to be considered title contenders. It was the overriding narrative that may as well have been printed above the Stamford Bridge tunnel in the same way Anfield's is adorned with 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

"I don't even know what that is," then-Chelsea winger Noni Madueke responded when asked about winning the league before his side dropped points at Everton to begin their winless run. They may have become the first team in history to talk themselves out of contention.

That streak without a Premier League victory ended on January 20 with a 3-1 triumph at home to Wolves, but Chelsea then lost three of their next four matches to plummet them back into a top-five fight. They only just about recovered and finished fourth on the final day of the season after beating fellow European contenders Nottingham Forest.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDifferent reasons for new slump?

The first half of 2024-25 went swimmingly for Chelsea for a couple of key reasons. Maresca, perhaps most importantly, built on the foundations laid by predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, whose own iteration of the Blues ended up finishing only five points off a Champions League spot despite the mixed reviews of his one-season tenure. The west Londoners lost only twice in the Premier League before Boxing Day – at home to champions Manchester City on the opening weekend, and then away at eventual title-winners Liverpool in October.

But Chelsea were also boosted by playing in the six-match league phase of the Conference League, rather than the eight-match gauntlet of the Champions League this term. While their domestic contemporaries were away battling the continent's best, Maresca was able to rotate en masse to face the likes of FC Noah, Astana and Shamrock Rovers. His first-teamers were fitter and fresher than the others at the top of the Premier League, while Cole Palmer wasn't even registered in Europe until the knockout stages.

This term, Maresca has found it tough juggling with the increased importance of fixtures every three or four days as opposed to splitting his squad into two for different competitions. That's before we even begin to think of the repercussions of their lengthy Club World Cup campaign over the summer, which left them without much of a pre-season to build up fitness and sharpness again.

have calculated that Maresca has already made a whopping 119 changes to his starting line-ups in 23 games to date this season, which is a high among Premier League clubs, and the squad is already wilting physically.

"I think tonight, first XI, we had inside the pitch eight, nine players that they play against Tottenham, they play against Barcelona, they play against Wolves, Arsenal," the Italian said after Tuesday's defeat to Atalanta. "So if you see the five changes that we did compared to Bournemouth, it's different. The ones that play tonight are the ones that are playing almost all the games."

Getty Images SportMess of their own making

Chelsea knew this sort of problem would be awaiting them this season. The club and its decision-makers were aware of how many matches the team would be playing off the back of a gruelling and extended 2024-25 campaign. They brought in eight players over the summer who have gone into Maresca's squad right away (Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Estevao Willian, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buanonotte), but sold off six who played significant minutes last term (Madueke, Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson). They didn't add enough bodies ready to compete at the highest level.

Of their most recent acquisitions, you could only make cases for one of Pedro and Delap being in their strongest starting line up. Even then, they aren't players who particularly move the needle when compared to last season's team. Add in that Chelsea have again plundered away millions on prospects who may or may not even play a competitive minute for the club and it leaves you wondering how many more, top-line reinforcements they could have added instead.

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Getty Images SportReliance on Palmer and Caicedo

For all of the millions and billions that Chelsea have spent in the BlueCo era, only two of their signings are bonafide 'world-class', with Caicedo and Palmer well clear of their peers. The Blues have been up-and-down without their 'cold' superstar, but are winless since the Ecuadorian was sent off against Arsenal (though even his return against Atalanta was marked with a loss).

That is an absurdly low hit rate for a club that has boasted of its 'trading model'. At £105 million ($140m), World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez should be more than a good-not-great stalwart. Options in either box are mostly middling at best. Their rotating cast of wingers are all of a similar standard without a standout option, bar the moments the incredibly raw Estevao decides to go Super Saiyan.

The only saving grace in this regard is Chelsea have managed the return of Reece James well, with the injury-prone captain now regularly fit and able to play in their most important matches. Nevertheless, they still lack the star power which should be requisite for a club of this size and outlay.

The squad includes 10 players from last year’s campaign, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2025

Darwish Rasooli will once again lead Afghanistan A team at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, previously the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. The squad includes 10 players from last year’s tournament, which Afghanistan won, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad.Atal will have fond memories of the tournament, having scored a half-century in the final to beat Sri Lanka A last year. He is a regular presence in the Afghanistan senior team as well, with 22 T20Is, 12 ODIs and one Test to his name.Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut in September and was part of all three games in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, will lead the Afghanistan A fast bowling attack.ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Mystery spinner Ghazanfar, 19, came through as a bright prospect and has played all formats for Afghanistan since his debut last year. But he was left out of the T20I squad against Bangladesh in September after average returns. Qais, meanwhile, last played for the Afghanistan national side in 2024. The likes of Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq and Nangeyalia Kharote, who have all played for the senior side, also feature in this squad.Afghanistan A have been placed in Pool B, alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong on November 19.Afghanistan A squad:Darwish Rasooli (capt), Sediqullah Atal (vice-capt), Noor Rahman (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab

Sunderland have a habit of finding gems in the transfer market and could now look to sign another Moroccan star following their summer capture of Chemsdine Talbi.

The Black Cats have been the surprise package of the Premier League campaign, and the example they have set is up there with the best newly-promoted sides to enter the top-flight.

Regis Le Bris has been a breath of fresh air against the elite in English football, and his side maintained their unbeaten home record in some style on Saturday evening, claiming a dramatic last-gasp draw against Arsenal courtesy of Brian Brobbey.

Sparking scenes of jubilation at the Stadium of Light, the Frenchman’s post-match interview paid tribute to his players and supporters as they battled until the end against one of Europe’s in-form clubs.

He told Match of the Day: “The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. Our fans helped a lot. We showed before that it was possible, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible.”

Admittedly, it would be difficult to imagine a better start for Sunderland in their long-awaited return to the Premier League. Granit Xhaka’s leadership in midfield has offered an excellent base to build from, while figures such as Dan Ballard, Wilson Isidor and Enzo Le Fee have led the charge.

Whether from the start or off the bench, the Black Cats have a healthy balance to their squad and will be keen to bolster the ranks in January, something that could see them enter an untapped market for a player who retains considerable potential.

Sunderland bid for Moroccan talent Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Sunderland have submitted an official offer for Union Touarga Sport midfielder Hossam Essadak after his leading role in Morocco claiming glory at the recent Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

Leading his side all the way to the final and collecting the trophy from Gianni Infantino, the 20-year-old is also wanted by Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, and there could be scope for a transfer battle between two of British football’s notable clubs for his services.

Should he opt for Sunderland, Essadak may follow similar footsteps to those of compatriot Chemsdine Talbi, albeit he would likely be viewed as one for the future in the North East.

Amid growing speculation over the prodigious star, scouts from both the Black Cats and Celtic are set to watch him in action before the January window.

Either way, Essadak has two attractive options to pick from after a run of four goals and four assists in 35 appearances for Union Touarga Sport. Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane have also expressed their interest, but he is likely to be sold to a European counterpart.

أنهى منتخب مصر الأول استعداداته لمواجهة منتخب أوزبكستان غدًا الجمعة، ضمن منافسات البطولة الودية المقامة في الإمارات.

واختتم منتخب مصر تدريباته على ملعب نادي العين، استعدادًا لمواجهة منتخب أوزبكستان غدًا الجمعة في السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، ضمن منافسات البطولة الودية المقامة في الإمارات.

بدأ المران بفقرة الإحماء، تبعها تنفيذ بعض الجمل الفنية والخططية، قبل أن يختتم الجهاز الفني المران بتدريبات على تسديد ركلات الترجيح تحسبًا لأي سيناريو محتمل في اللقاء.

طالع.. خاص | سر غياب عمر مرموش عن معسكر منتخب مصر.. وموقفه من مواجهة أوزبكستان

وشهد التدريب حضور المهندس هاني أبو ريدة، رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم والمشرف العام على المنتخب، إلى جانب أعضاء المجلس مصطفى أبو زهرة، ومحمد أبو حسين، وطارق أبو العينين، لدعم اللاعبين قبل المباراة.

ووفقًا لنظام البطولة، سيواجه الفائز من لقاء مصر وأوزبكستان منتخب إيران يوم 18 نوفمبر، بينما يلعب الخاسر أمام الرأس الأخضر في 17 من الشهر ذاته على ملعب هزاع بن زايد، بعدما حسم المنتخب الإيراني تأهله بركلات الترجيح أمام الرأس الأخضر في المباراة الافتتاحية.