In need of an attacking overhaul, Manchester United could now reportedly offer Rasmus Hojlund in a summer swap deal to sign an instant upgrade for Ruben Amorim and his side.
Amorim bemoans Man Utd's attacking struggles
Manchester United’s attacking problems couldn’t have been summed up much better than just how much more dangerous Harry Maguire looked when leading the line compared to the likes of Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee against Nottingham Forest.
The central defender offered the physical presence that Zirkzee and Hojlund otherwise lack and even moved with the attacking intelligence both forwards have failed to show consistently this season.
Minutes
1,479
1,328
Goals
3
3
Assists
0
1
Expected Goals
3
4.5
Amorim is well aware of his side’s attacking struggles too, telling reporters when asked what needs to change after Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat against Forest: “Yes, because if you look at some games, we cannot create situations where they create. The opponent sometimes create more opportunities and today was not the case.
“They scored one shot maybe two shots at goal and we manage not to score again. We have to improve in the last third. We are improving the way we build up. We are pushing the opponents more to their half, but there’s a lot to be given.”
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That improvement, at this stage, looks unlikely to come by relying on Hojlund and Zirkzee which is destined to end in an attacking overhaul at Old Trafford. And whilst it remains to be seen just who arrives to solve Amorim’s problems, names such as Benjamin Sesko and Samu Aghehowa have already threatened to steal the headlines once or twice.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
There’s no doubt that both would offer United instant upgrades, but there remains questions over their ability to lure such players to Old Trafford in current circumstances. Amid that doubt, the Red Devils have seemingly turned towards an option closer to home.
Man Utd could offer Hojlund in Mateta swap deal
Whilst Hojlund and Zirkzee have struggled this season, Jean-Philippe Mateta has continued to thrive and may yet find himself on his way to Old Trafford as a result this season.
According to Football Transfers, Manchester United could even offer Rasmus Hojlund in a shock swap deal to sign Mateta this summer, landing an instant solution to Amorim’s attacking problems in the process.
Dubbed “amazing” by Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, the Frenchman has outscored United’s two struggling strikers in the current campaign with 12 Premier League goals to his name providing more than enough evidence of his quality.
With talks reportedly already open over a move worth €50m (£42m), INEOS could save themselves some vital funds by ending Hojlund’s Old Trafford nightmare and signing Mateta whilst doing so this summer.
Lyon being left out of Australia’s XI for just the second time at home in his career signals a significant shift in the selectors thinking
Andrew McGlashan04-Dec-20251:12
‘Speed isn’t the be all and end all’ – Starc bemused by Lyon omission
When Nathan Lyon was left out in Jamaica earlier this year for the day-night Test against West Indies, Tony Dodemaide, the selector on tour, termed it “exceptional circumstances” and a “one-off”. Three Tests later it has happened again with Lyon left “absolutely filthy” at being benched at the Gabba with Australia fielding an all-pace attack for the day-night encounter.Lyon missing out for this Test was a notion trailed since the opening match finished; a combination of his lack of overs in that game against England’s freewheeling batters, and the fact he only bowled one over in last season’s day-night against India in Adelaide. Still, as the Test neared, it felt as though his overall day-night record – 43 wickets at 25.62 – and concerns that the ball can go soft at this ground would work in his favour.Lyon found out about 30 minutes after arriving at the ground, following a final huddle by the pitch involving Steven Smith, Andrew McDonald and George Bailey.”Absolutely filthy,” he said on Channel 7 of his reaction when told by chair of selectors Bailey. “But yeah, can’t do anything about it. So, yeah, hope I can play my role in making sure I get the guys ready and do whatever I can to make sure that we get the right result here.””To be honest I haven’t really sat down with Ronnie [Andrew McDonald] or George yet. I’m letting things settle down in my own head and trying to make sure that I’m, as I said, doing whatever I can to make sure the guys out in the middle representing Australia do the right thing and get the right result for us.”Related
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“The communication is always there, I just hadn’t had it in me to sit down with the coach and George at the moment,” he added. “So that will happen. I’m not the first player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last. But, yeah, obviously pretty gutted because I know the role that I can play within Australian cricket and especially a venue like this.”Bailey termed it a “one Test decision”, although it’s now happened twice in quick succession. “Nath will disagree with the decision, and that’s perfectly okay,” Bailey said. “I think he disagreed with the decision in Jamaica, and that’s perfectly okay. I have no qualms about players feeling like they can impact the game and the fact of the matter is he could have. So we could have picked a different squad…that could have been Beau Webster, that could have been Nathan Lyon, but that’s the path we go. Allow the disappointment and then build up a preparation for Adelaide.”Very much it’s a one Test decision, Nath will play in Adelaide,” he added. “It’s just how you think you’re going to structure up the resources and how it’s going to be used, when it gets dark here, when you think you’re going to be using seam bowlers, how many overs get bowled in a day, when you think new ball will be available and that sort of stuff.”It was just the second home Test Lyon has missed since his debut – a run of 69 matches before today – with the other being against India at the WACA in 2012 when Australia fielded an all-pace attack.It meant that Michael Neser played his third Test, all them having been day-night games. He previously played two in Adelaide: against England in the 2021-22 Ashes and West Indies a season later.”This is Michael Neser’s home ground and he knows the conditions really, really well,” Ricky Ponting said on Channel Seven. “But for someone like Nathan Lyon who is such a seasoned professional with a good record at the Gabba, I think it’s a massive call for the Aussies to make.”Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, George Bailey and Andrew McDonald discuss their selection options•Chris Hyde/Getty ImagesWhat does this all mean for Lyon? In the aftermath of not playing at Sabina Park he said he ultimately understood the decision but was still disappointed, believing he can be successful in all conditions.”I believe I can play a role in any conditions, and I still honestly believe that,” he said after that series. “I want to play every game for Australia, and I’ve just got that belief that I can play a role in any conditions, as every cricketer should have that belief.”In Jamaica, conditions with the pink Dukes ball were on the extreme end; the match ended before the first interval on the third day with West Indies skittled for 27. Whether it plays out a similar way in Brisbane, time will tell.Overall, there has been a diminishing role for spinners in Australia as the surfaces offer increasing assistance to the quicks. Lyon’s tally of 122.4 overs against India last season was the lowest amount he had sent down in a home summer.”I know how important spin bowling is, but there is a degree of me that’s concerned about spin bowling around the world, not just Australia, with the wickets we’re playing on,” Lyon said earlier this year.”If you look at spin bowling and your younger spin bowlers around the country, they’re not getting the overs or the opportunities to bowl on day-three, day-four wickets, or spinning wickets, or even green seamers because the fast bowlers are dominating.”Lyon will be back for the next Test in Adelaide, a day game, followed by the contests at the MCG and SCG. But it is now unarguable, that when Australia play day-night Tests, even at home, Lyon can no longer be assured of a place in the XI. And that is quite a shift.
“The way to combat [spin] would be to get really far forward or really far back and then using the sweep”
S Sudarshanan15-Dec-2023When you walk out of the DY Patil University campus, which houses the cricket stadium, in the evening onto the main road, there are two serpentine queues of auto rickshaws. The drivers throw two words for you to make a choice: “Nerul [or] Juinagar! Nerul [or] Juinagar!” Those are the nearest railway stations from the university.Not quite in the same tone but “footwork” and “intent” were the oft-repeated words in Nat Sciver-Brunt’s press conference on Friday.England were dismissed for 136 in reply to India’s 428 in the women’s Test match as offspinner Deepti Sharma picked up a five-for. They now trail by 478 after India finished the day at 186 for 6, not enforcing the follow-on.England knew what to expect in Indian conditions. But the practice pitches on the two days leading up to the Test were not turners. In fact, both captains felt the pitches were skiddy with Heather Knight in particular finding “spin easier to face [but] things will change”. On the first day, India amassed 410 for 7 at a run rate of 4.36.Related
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But England were tied down by India, who opted for a pace-spin combination to start with. And in the ten overs since Deepti’s introduction in the 26th, England lost 7 for 28.Sciver-Brunt, who made 59 off 70 balls, put England’s collapse down to the in-between lengths Deepti bowled. “Making the batters not sure whether to come forward or back,” she said when asked about why Deepti was so hard to deal with. “When you play spin well, [it is about] making good decisions going forward or back and not getting caught in the crease. She bowled lengths that were difficult to read, and she also attacked the stumps.”England’s batting line-up collapsed against Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana•BCCIDanni Wyatt did not press fully forward and got an inside edge onto her pad that lobbed to short leg. Sophie Ecclestone went back to a delivery she should have been forward to – a fullish-length ball spinning in a bit. Lauren Bell played for turn and ended up being bowled on the outside edge.”There was inconsistent spin, and you were not sure what to set up for as a batter,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Covering both sides of the bat was the main challenge. It is obviously a Test-match wicket that was going to deteriorate at some point. Some good bowling and obviously not brilliant footwork. The bowlers are creating indecision in the way we go about things. The inconsistency of the pitch as well [played its part].”England’s frailties against spin came to the fore in their 2-1 T20I series defeat at home against Sri Lanka in September. They lost 18 out of 24 wickets to spin in those three matches, which prompted head coach Jon Lewis to bring a select group of batters to Mumbai for a spin-training camp. It was keeping in mind not just the India tour but the bigger picture – the T20 World Cup next year in Bangladesh and the ODI World Cup in 2025 in India.It would be unfair to expect positive results immediately but Sciver-Brunt offered a template for the rest of hear team-mates to follow. She was constantly on the attack, which is not to suggest she didn’t trust her defence. Against spinners, she scored 27 off 26 balls and hit six off her ten fours but faced 17 dots, too. Of those 27 runs, she scored 18 on the leg side and laid a blueprint that she hoped the other batters could follow in the second innings.”I would speak in the change room a little bit about the surface,” she said, “and about the intent to score and the areas. The bounce from the seamers is not very high and so looking to score down the ground as much as we can will be important. The pitch deteriorated a little bit and some not-so-good footwork in the end.”When you come to India to play, you are expecting a slightly slower surface that takes turn, and face experienced spinners. The way to combat that would be to get really far forward or really far back and then using my sweep the best I can. That’s the plan.”We know when India get on a roll with the wickets, they can create a noise around that. Just try to ride that pressure and wave as a batter is the method that I will be using. Ideally, you don’t want to lose wickets in clusters.”For England’s batting train to get back on track, there is no choice but to follow the Sciver-Brunt advice of showing more intent and being assured in their footwork.
Opener puts early struggles behind him to help continue Pakistan’s flawless World Cup
Danyal Rasool02-Nov-2021A blond, strapping giant of a figure gazes across the distance of his run-up and 22 yards of a barren, glassy cricket pitch. He’s staring at a diminutive figure in green at the other end; from that distance and height, Mohammad Rizwan must have looked positively Lilliputian to Ruben Trumpelmann. At any level of cricket, this looks like a mismatch, and for a short while, an international World Cup is no different.Rizwan fends off a couple of hostile deliveries, but Trumpelmann is only just getting started. Namibia’s left-arm fast bowler, born in Durban, watched South Africa quicks Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje torment Bangladesh on the same surface earlier in the day; he was surely encouraged by that. He sends one on a length that Rizwan fidgets clumsily at; it beats the outside edge, nipping away at the last. The movement encourages him, and he goes fuller, coaxing Rizwan into a drive he can never hope to execute. It’s angling across too much, while Rizwan’s feet are rooted in place. The listless Rizwan takes a tentative stab at the fifth delivery, but has no control on what is currently transpiring. He respectfully defends the last ball; the first maiden over Rizwan has ever faced in T20I cricket. The giant left-arm fast bowler has roughed up the little opener.It is nine balls before Rizwan manages a single against the nagging Trumpelmann, much happier to watch the action from the other end. This is as unlike Rizwan as we’ve ever seen him, uncertain, underconfident, streaky and fortunate. A couple of overs later, he survives an lbw shout by the skin of his teeth; some observers facetiously remark his presence at the crease is an advantage for Namibia, others call for him to be retired out.
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Rizwan acknowledged the unusual nature of what occurred at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. “In the first six overs, to be honest, I didn’t understand what was happening,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I was struggling. Some balls were skidding, others were sliding, some inswinging, others outswinging. But instead of throwing my wicket away, I dug in.”It almost flies in the face of modern T20 wisdom, which would conclude he was having a net negative impact on his side’s chances by being out there, and advise he was better served taking on much higher risk and almost accept an early dismissal as a to allow the next batter in. By the halfway stage, Rizwan’s fortunes hadn’t improved much; he had scored 16 off 25, managing just one boundary all that time. The innings it seemed to bear greatest resemblance to at this World Cup was the one Lendl Simmons played against South Africa, limping to 16 off 35 as West Indies stumbled to a below-par total, and subsequently a convincing defeat. Unlike West Indies on that occasion, Pakistan had all ten wickets in the bank, so Rizwan’s go-slow felt even more criminal.Related
For Rizwan, though, the only crime seems to be the audacity of the idea that a wicket was ever worth throwing away, defiantly backing Pakistan’s ostensibly conservative, anchor-heavy approach at the top. “What’s important for us is to assess both the conditions and the bowling,” he said. “You’re right to say that we’re not power hitters. But thankfully, we’re cracking the code here whereas the rest of the world is still struggling with these conditions. That’s because Babar and I complement each other well and plan how to approach the innings as a partnership.”Babar Azam and I learn from each other. Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi are conditions where even if you play very well, you end up around 150 or 160. If you look at other teams in the Powerplay, teams are finishing around 35 for three or four. But our Powerplay ends around 40-42 without losing any wicket. Today, the conditions were tough, and their bowlers deserved credit because they used the pitch and bowled the right lengths. They gave us a tough time but everyone knows what a world-class player Babar is. We’d planned to take the game deep and tough out that period.”With Pakistan finding themselves in the unusually happy position of effectively having qualified for the semi-final with games against Namibia and Scotland to spare, there was even room for quirky experimentation. Having fielded first each of their first three games, Pakistan opted to bat after winning the toss, aware they might not have the choice in a crunch semi-final. When, with just over four overs to spare, and eight wickets still in hand, Pakistan sent in Mohammad Hafeez ahead of the more natural, in-form power hitter Asif Ali, it felt like they had again taken a conservative approach. Rizwan, however, insisted it was just a ploy to ensure Pakistan were firing on all cylinders.”We sent Hafeez in ahead of Asif because we want to tick all our boxes. Asif has already performed in this tournament, and so have all the bowlers – Hasan Ali bowled beautifully today, so that box was ticked today too. The one player who hadn’t yet performed much [with the bat] was Hafeez, so we wanted to give him a chance. But he found form today as well. We’re in a rhythm, and we hope to maintain that rhythm when we go to the semi-final and win it.”By the time Trumpelmann returned for his third over about 45 minutes later, Rizwan’s digging in and toughing out was done. He hoicked at his first ball, and while not quite in control, made enough of a connection to send it over the rope for six. He rounded the over out with a four, and when Trumpelmann was brought in for his final over, Rizwan ensured he signed off that personal battle by sweeping the fast bowler for another boundary. Having managed one run off his first nine balls, he plundered 14 off the four balls the 23-year old bowled to him in his return spells.In his last 18 T20Is, Rizwan has batted through the Pakistan innings eight times. When the world’s leading T20I runscorer this year finds himself in a pinch, he doesn’t bail out. He simply goes on batting.
Until Sunday, the 12 teams in playoff position at the All-Star break were the same 12 teams holding playoff spots with one week to play. No more. The Reds leapfrogged the sagging Mets, and the molten-hot Guardians can replace the Tigers as soon as Tuesday. You want chaos? This is your week, when baseball becomes a high-stakes, minute-by-minute sprint.
The third wild card is proving its intention: inject sizzle back into September. And don’t worry about a watered-down playoff field. The six No. 6 seeds in three years of the 12-team format have won between 84 and 89 games with an average of 86.9 wins. We again should see the last two teams qualify in that range.
How crazy is the tournament? In the three seasons with six playoff teams in each league, the No. 6 seeds (32–26) have won as many postseason games as the No. 1 seeds (32–22). Just get in, baby.
Wild card spots are not all that’s at stake this week. We’ve got playoff seedings, major awards and MLB records also up for grabs. Here’s your guide to what’s on the line in Chaos Week:
The collapse of the Mets
They no longer control their playoff fate now that the Reds, who hold the tiebreaker over the Mets, caught them for the third wild card.
Since Aug. 19 the Mets are 13–18, including 3–8 against the Marlins and Nationals. But this is not just a late fade. From 45–24 in their first 69 games to 35–52 in their next 87, the Mets have been a bad team longer than they’ve been a good team.
They have used more pitchers than any team in history, received the fourth fewest innings from starters, lost more games out of the bullpen than any playoff contender, walked far too many batters, not once rallied to win after trailing after eight innings and whiffed on trade deadline acquisitions Cedric Mullins and Ryan Helsley, who had been in one organization for a decade before they were dropped into the heat of a New York pennant race.
This week the Mets play three games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs (where they see pitchers Cade Horton, Matt Boyd and Shota Imanaga) and three games in Miami against the Marlins, while asking three kids in their rotation to save their season.
The Reds have three at home against Pittsburgh (including one start by Paul Skenes) and finish with three at Milwaukee against the Brewers. Cincinnati has the edge because of its starting pitching. It also has the tiebreaker advantage over Arizona, which still lurks in the wild card race.
The Tigers in freefall
Detroit takes a six-game losing streak into Cleveland for a huge series against the Guardians that starts Tuesday, then goes to Fenway to finish against the Red Sox, another team hanging on by its fingernails. The Tigers are in a 7–18 freefall in which their 11.5-game AL Central lead has shrunk to one.
The length of the season has exposed the flaws of the Tigers. They strike out too much, their bullpen has the worst strikeout rate in baseball and they are a 46–54 team when anybody other than Tarik Skubal or Casey Mize starts.
American League musical chairs
The Tigers (85–71), Red Sox (85–71), Guardians (84–72) and Astros (84–72) are separated by one game with six to play and three spots up for grabs. One spot will go to either Detroit or Cleveland as the AL Central winner (Cleveland wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with one more win). That leaves three teams for two wild card spots. Here is the skinny on the race:
Tigers: The good news is by finishing against Cleveland and Boston they don’t need help. Their fate is smack in front of them. But that schedule—finishing on the road against two contenders—is also the bad news, especially after Detroit hit .182 against the Guardians while getting swept in three games last week. The Tigers are in trouble, especially if they lose with Skubal on the mound Tuesday in Cleveland.
Red Sox: They are 3–10 against Toronto and Detroit, their opponents this week. They see veteran pitchers Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber in Toronto. Holding tiebreakers against Cleveland and Houston and with head-to-head games with Detroit, Boston still has a good chance of getting in.
Guardians: Manager Stephen Vogt went to a six-man rotation to survive 17 games in 17 days. It worked, not just to keep his starters fresh, but also because pitching coach Carl Willis had them throw two bullpen sessions in between starts to dial in mechanics and pitch shaping. Cleveland is 16–5 with a 2.32 ERA this month. Cleveland is the only one of these four bubble teams to finish all this week at home. If they take two of three from Detroit, the Guardians will be in first place (by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker) and control their fate entering a series against Texas.
Astros: This is the bubble team in the most trouble, if only because they lose the tiebreakers to the Tigers, Red Sox and Guardians and they don’t have Yordan Alvarez (ankle) in the lineup. The Astros are 12–16 in August and September without Alvarez. They need to go at least 4–2 on the road against the Athletics and Angels.
Will Cal Raleigh’s historic year be enough to propel him past Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race? / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The AL MVP race
If you like positional importance, you like Cal Raleigh (118 games behind the plate) over Aaron Judge (89 games in the outfield). But when it comes to impacting games at bat, Judge has the significant lead.
Raleigh is having a historic season when it comes to comparisons to switch hitters, hitters who have played for the Mariners and catchers. Judge is having a historic season compared to … well, everybody, especially dead legends. He is likely to join Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle as the only players to hit 50 home runs and win a batting title. He leads in all three percentage triple crown categories—. He has been better than Raleigh with runners in scoring position (.327 to .242) and better in September across all three slash categories, including an absurd .506 OBP.
The slight edge overall goes to Judge. But it’s close enough for Raleigh to make one last push this week to steal it. How about four more home runs to get to 62?
The 50-150 club
Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers needs nine runs to become the second player since Ted Williams in 1949 to score 150 runs (Jeff Bagwell had 152 in 2000.) Only two players have hit 50 homers and scored 150 runs: Babe Ruth (four times) and Foxx.
The (crowded) 30-30 club
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jose Ramírez, Juan Soto and Corbin Carroll are in. Julio Rodríguez (two stolen bases), Pete Crow-Armstrong (one home run) and Francisco Lindor (two home runs) are close. There has never been a season with five players reaching 30-30.
The (sparse) 200-inning club
Garrett Crochet of Boston and Logan Webb of San Francisco are getting there. Skubal may get there if the Tigers need him to pitch Game 162 on Sunday. And that’s likely it. That would mark the fewest 200-inning pitchers in any season in history.
The (closed for renovations) 100-win club
Unless the Brewers go 5–1 this week, this will mark the second straight season no team has won 100 games. There were 22 100-win teams in the previous eight full seasons.
These things run in cycles. There were no 100-win teams from 2012–14. The talent gap between teams has shrunk. And the incentive to max out wins has declined with the expanded playoff format and the conservative use of pitchers to try to keep them healthy.
The single season strikeout record
With 215 strikeouts, Nationals outfielder James Wood is just eight strikeouts short of tying the record of Mark Reynolds that has stood for 16 years. The Nationals have six games remaining.
Paul Skenes could become the first pitcher to win the Cy Young with a losing record. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
One more win for Paul Skenes
No starting pitcher has won the Cy Young Award without a winning record. Only two were one game better than .500 over a full season: Félix Hernández (13–12) in 2010 and Jacob deGrom (10–9) in 2018. Skenes is 10–10 with one start remaining: Wednesday in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Rock bottom for the Rockies
Colorado needs to go 4–2 to avoid a 116th loss, which would put it behind only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (134) and 1962 New York Mets (120) as the third worst team in NL history. The Rockies already have clinched the worst run differential in MLB (-406), blowing away the 93-year-old record of the 1932 Red Sox (-345).
Bayern Munich were forced to come from behind to beat Sporting CP 3-1 at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday in the Champions League. A Joshua Kimmich own goal gave the visitors a shock lead in the game but the hosts hit back through Serge Gnabry. Teenage superstar Lennart Karl then sealed another impressive performance by firing Bayern ahead before Jonathan Tah wrapped up another European win for Vincent Kompany's side.
Karl the star as Bayern come from behind
Bayern thought they had broken the deadlock just minutes into the encounter. Karl controlled the ball and swept home a fine finish from just inside the penalty area, but the goal was chalked off as Gnabry had strayed fractionally offside. The hosts went on to have the better chances of the opening 45 minutes but couldn’t find a way past goalkeeper Rui Silva. Harry Kane was denied by the post, while Karl went even closer just before half-time after a jinking run but saw his effort palmed away by Silva.
Those misses proved to be costly as Sporting stunned the Allianz Arena at the start of the second half. A quick break down the left flank saw Joao Simoes beat Tah and fire a ball across goal. A lunging Kimmich tried to block the shot but succeeded only in diverting the ball past Bayern stopper Manuel Neuer to hand the visitors a shock lead.
Bayern hit back within 10 minutes courtesy of some criminal defending by the visitors. A corner in from the right by Michael Olise found Gnabry completed unmarked at the far post and left with the simple task of hooking the ball home to make it 1-1.
Four minutes later, Bayern were in front and it was no surprise to see the irrepressible Karl netting. The 17-year-old ran onto a ball in the box, cushioned it perfectly on his left foot before lashing home with his right to put Bayern in front for the first time in the game.
Sporting's resistance was broken and Bayern went on to seal the win through Tah. Kimmich went some way to making amends for his earlier own goal by pinging a ball from deep into the penalty area for Olise to head back into the danger area. His header found an unmarked Tah with all the time in the world to poke home Bayern's third to seal the win.
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Karl enhanced his growing reputation with another stellar performance and a vital goal to ensure Bayern took all three points. Even with Harry Kane on the pitch, Karl looked Bayern's most likely source of a goal against Sporting and it was no surprise to see him pop up with the goal that put Bayern 2-1 up. Karl also wrote his name in the history books with his latest strike, as he becomes the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive games at 17 years and 290 days.
The big loser
Kimmich had an evening to forget against Sporting. A poor moment saw the 30-year-old inadvertently hand the visitors the lead as he put through his own net in the first half. Kimmich's frustrations then boiled over in the second half when a brief brawl erupted between both sets of players after Bayern had equalised. The Germany star was booked for his part in the proceedings to compound a less than impressive showing from the veteran.
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The day-long elections, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka on Monday
Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2025
Aminul Islam will serve a four-year term as BCB president•BCB
Aminul Islam has been re-elected as the BCB president at the board election on Monday. He will serve a four-year term, after having been in the same role for the last four months. Faruque Ahmed, the former president who Aminul had replaced in May, and Shakhawat Hossain, will be the vice-presidents.The day-long election, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka. A total of 23 directors were elected and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body. The election commission said 115 votes were cast out of the 156 eligible voters.The election process is two-fold. The voters, called councillors, elect 23 board directors in three separate categories. Aminul was one of ten directors elected from the first category, which includes only the divisions and districts of the country. The second category is the all-powerful Dhaka clubs who elect the majority of 12 directors. The third category includes representatives from different institutions, former cricketers, captains, and several other organisations.The election commission announced the names of the board directors at 6.30pm, before the new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. Aminul, Faruque and Shakhawat were elected unopposed in these posts.Three former captains are now in the board of directors, including Aminul, Faruque and Khaled Mashud. Former Bangladesh cricketer Abdur Razzak was nominated from the Khulna sub-category unopposed, becoming a board director. He had left his job as a senior men’s selector recently.While the voting was held without major incident on Monday, the election commission representatives made allegations of “intimidations”. The build-up to the election, too, had several controversies. Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, had withdrawn from the race after complaining of interference, when BCB chief Aminul issued a letter asking for fresh nominations for the elections’ first category. The letter was cleared by the country’s courts the day before the elections.After he was confirmed as the new president, Aminul said he wanted to continue in this role after “falling in love with Bangladesh cricket’s development”. When he was elected on May 30, Aminul had said that his short-term role would be like a “quick T20 innings”.Aminul played 13 Tests and 39 ODIs, and led the side during their maiden World Cup appearance in 1999.Category 1 directors: Aminul Islam, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, Asif Akbar, Abdur Razzak, Julfiker Ali Khan, Mukhlesur Rahman, Hasanuzzaman, Rahat Shams, Shakhawat HossainCategory 2 directors: Ishtiaque Sadeque, Adnan Rahman, Fayazur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Amzad Hossain, Shanian Taneem, Mukhsedul Kamal, Nazmul Islam, Faruque Ahmed, Manjur Alam, Mehrab Alam Chowdhury, Iftekhar RahmanCategory 3 director: Khaled MashudGovernment representative directors: M Ishfaq Ahsan, Yasir Mohammad Faisal Ashique
Bangladesh succumbed to the pressure of a high-stakes game, losing their way in a chase of only 136
Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20253:15
Why do Bangladesh struggle in pressure situations?
It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the title clash after defending 135 against Bangladesh in Dubai.After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Saim Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh’s batting spiralled out of control.It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up losing. Pakistan had managed just five sixes and Bangladesh had matched that tally by the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but as they searched for more on a pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style, they kept holing out.Pakistan’s batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz did enough to drag them to 135 on a used surface, a total that at the end of the day was enough by 11 runs.Pakistan’s go-slowTaskin Ahmed, rested for Wednesday’s game against India, hit the ground running by dismissing the in-form Sahibzada Farhan for 4. He became the third Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.In the next over, offspinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub flapping a catch to mid-on for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has bagged more for Pakistan.Fakhar Zaman was also going nowhere, managing only 12 off 18 balls in a powerplay that saw Pakistan score only 27. Only Hong Kong had scored fewer runs in a powerplay in this Asia Cup.After taking the catches of Farhan and Ayub, wristspinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Fakhar (13 off 20 balls) and Hussain Talat (3 off 7) in successive overs. When Mustafizur had captain Salman Agha inside-edging behind with his trademark offcutter, Pakistan were 49 for 5 in the 11th over.2:24
Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’
Haris, Nawaz bail Pakistan outThe first six of Pakistan’s innings came in the 13th over when Afridi launched Tanzim Hasan Sakib into the top tier over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before miscuing a full-toss to the keeper. After being dropped on 1 and 3, Afridi got to 19 off 13 balls.Nawaz could have been dismissed on 0 had Parvez Hossain not dropped a regulation catch. He went on to make 25 off 15 balls. Haris also played his part, taking on both Rishad and Mustafizur during his 31 off 23 balls. Pakistan crashed 80 runs in their last eight overs.Bangladesh fade away in chaseWhile Afridi was on the money with the new ball at one end – his powerplay figures read 3-0-11-2, including a customary first-over strike – Bangladesh went after the bowlers at the other end. When Faheem Ashraf erred too full, Saif Hassan pounded him over mid-on for six. In the next over, he picked Haris Rauf away for a six and a four. In his next over, however, Rauf bounced back to draw a leading edge from Saif, which was grasped by Ayub at point.Nurul Hasan then started with a first-ball six, though off a top edge, but Bangladesh couldn’t sustain their hitting and kept finding the boundary riders. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to pass 20.Bangladesh’s slim hopes faded away when Afridi returned with the old ball and had Shamim caught by Talat, who was not needed with the ball on the day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das who was on the sidelines for a second successive game with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who holed out while attempting to clear the boundary.Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf collapsed in his follow-through in the 18th over, but he continued to bowl, finishing off his spell, and locked in an India-Pakistan final on Sunday.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.
The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.
Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.
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
Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).
Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).
The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.
However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.
Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.
Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt
As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.
After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.
With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.
If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.
The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.
Fan of the Philadelphia Phillies didn't have much patience on Sunday.
It didn't take long for Phillies fans to jump on their team during Game 2 of the NLDS against the New York Mets. After their team fell behind 2-0 early, Philadelphia's fans began booing their own players after they went scoreless in the first four innings. The boos were not subtle and came on every at-bat.
Nick Castellanos seemed to get it the worst.
Say what you want, but it appeared to work. The Mets were up 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Bryce Harper launched a two-run home run and Castellanos followed that up with a solo shot to tie the game at 3-3.
The Phillies led 1-0 for most of Game 1, but a five-run eighth inning rally helped the Mets take the lead for good in a 6-2 victory. Game 2 is still up for grabs.