Category Uncategorized

They finished on 338 for 1 on day two, and it has aggregated to be one of their most substantial day of top-order batting in any format

Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2025Bangladesh have finally seemed to have found their batting chops in Sylhet after their top order put Ireland to task. That they have a 52-run lead, but more importantly, there are runs on the board without many wickets against it, says a lot.There has been some scrutiny on Bangladesh’s top order lately, given the big scores haven’t come. Before this Test, their top three averaged 23.34, the third-worst after Ireland and West Indies since the beginning of 2024. The top two stands have yielded 168 and 170-run stands, the first time that the Bangladesh top order has two 150-plus stands. Mahmudul Hasan Joy has returned to the Test side with an unbeaten 169, while Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque have both reached the eighties.Bangladesh finished on 338 for 1 on day two, and it has aggregated to be one of their most substantial day of top-order batting in any format. Bangladesh’s top three has only scored more than 329 runs just once in Tests before, when Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque put up 377 runs in the Khulna Test against Pakistan in 2015.Shadman, who added 168 runs for the opening stand with Mahmudul, said that the two big partnerships boosted the team’s confidence.”A good opening partnership always gives a good message to the team,” Shadman said. “A partnership is always helpful in any format. Our target is to build partnerships as it always helps in a batter’s scoring. We work on certain areas during practice and then during the partnerships, we talk to each other about how we can build a good stand. During this particular partnership, I think we accessed the boundary balls pretty well since the morning session. That’s what Joy and I were talking about during our partnership.”Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy put on a big stand•BCB”We are progressing according to our plans. We always wanted a good opening stand, which always helps the batters who comes afterwards. We have had both, from the openers and the one-down batter. We have batted well today, and we hope to bat well tomorrow so that we can put up a good total.”Shadman backed Joy to get to a double-century on day three. “Joy has batted beautifully. He is still at the crease,” Shadman said. “We are hopeful that he will continue to bat for a long time tomorrow, I am hopeful that he can reach more milestones. Joy has been batting well so he should be making it a bigger innings. We are on a good path, and Joy is taking us forward.”Shadman, though, regretted missing out on his own century. “I will try to score a hundred the next time I get into such a position,” he said. Shadman made 80 before edging Matthew Humphreys while trying to play a cut. He started strongly, running several singles and twos, before latching onto boundaries. Mahmudul, meanwhile, was nervous to start with, but soon began playing the strokes confidently. The pair raced to a century stand in the first session, before consolidating in the middle period.Bangladesh will be pleased that their top order has capitalised on this opportunity against Ireland. They will hopefully look to build on this when they face higher-ranked teams.

Pakistan’s attack bowled plenty of dots at the Chinnaswamy, but it was the ones that went for four and six that set the tone

Osman Samiuddin20-Oct-20232:06

Pujara: Babar succumbed to pressure

The first over of the match, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi, was a good over. It was not the great over that we have come to expect from Afridi but it was a good over. He forced Pakistan to take a slightly ludicrous review off the first ball and tried to push for another very optimistic one off the fourth, but otherwise it went well. He wasn’t straining too hard for that full-length ball that he hasn’t been able to nail right of late. He showed signs he was willing to mix his length and off five balls he conceded just one run.Off one though, the fifth ball of the over, he went a little too full. It shaped in a touch as well. No matter. This is the Chinnaswamy. The boundaries here are served Size Extra Small. The pitch is true. There may only have been four ODIs at the stadium in the last 10 years but we’ve all seen the IPL. We all know the feats of white-ball batting magic that are written here. Also, facing up was Mitch Marsh and there is no cleaner hitter of a cricket ball right now. With minimum fuss, he launched a six straight down the ground.It was a very Mitch Marsh shot. The over read: four dots, one slight error, one maximum. In not quite the way Pakistan would have wanted, the tone was set for most of the rest of this innings.Related

The price of being Babar Azam

Warner still the GOAT-to option for Australia at World Cups

Warner and Marsh secure two vital points for Australia

Stats – Warner and Marsh's record stand in a six-hitting blitz

From sickbed to match-winner – Cummins and Stoinis laud Zampa

Hasan Ali bowled eight dot balls in his first two overs. He began his second over from round the wicket though with such a floaty leg-stump half-volley it would’ve been rude had David Warner turned down the invite to scoop it over fine leg for six. He ended the over with a wide length ball that Marsh crunched through point. In between there were three dot balls.Iftikhar Ahmed, called up far earlier than he might have been expecting and turning out to be a far better part-time option than anyone expected, bowled a decent eighth over. Good lengths, nice darts, some dots. Apart from the third ball which was a tiny bit short, a teensy bit wide, and bam, meet Warner’s cut shot. He may be cuddlier now but that cut shot is still mean as hell.Usama Mir came on for the 11th over and bowled a decent one. Mixed the flight, mixed the pace a little, got some turn, bowled three dot balls. He also bowled one that was a tiny bit short, a teensy bit wide and bam, meet the Warner cut. Again. It’s still mean as hell.This pattern would repeat itself time and time again in the first 35 overs of the Australia innings. Lots of dot balls, lots of boundary balls. Instinctively this feels like a very Pakistani malaise, especially of this attack: good enough bowlers to bowl good balls, but not enough of them for long enough. In Bengaluru though, this pattern formed in record-breaking extremis: Australia’s total was the highest made by a team (since we began our ball-by-ball records in 2002) where 50% or more of the balls they faced were dot balls. Pakistan bowled 152 dot balls. But, they also conceded 10 sixes in the first 25 overs, the most they’ve conceded in the first half of an ODI innings. Two games ago, against Sri Lanka, Pakistan bowled 144 dot balls – 47.8% – and still conceded 345.Shaheen Shah Afridi had to shoulder the burden again•ICC via Getty ImagesIt’s difficult to be too harsh on the bowling especially on a ground that is always very harsh on bowlers. Pakistan were playing here for the first time. They had clocked the smaller dimensions in training. They knew it would be tough. Their fast bowlers worked on hitting the right lengths in training, ideally somewhere around back of a good length and at the stumps always.By all accounts those sessions went well, but in the heat of a World Cup game, it didn’t translate. We’re talking a fairly tiny area of this pitch you can hit and not be taken for runs off. And even then the line must be super tight: width is a sin, too straight a folly. In those first 20 overs, where much of the game was shaped, though Pakistan tried they didn’t hit that spot often enough and the margins were cruel. When they hit back of a length (as recorded by our ball-by-ball data), they conceded at a strike rate of 84.61; when they hit length, they went at nearly 140. It’s not a massive difference in terms of feet, but the costs of missing it is significant.”We knew this ground is famous for a boundary festival,” Pakistan’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said later. “Upfront we leaked some soft boundaries – that was one of our key discussion points, to keep hitting the deck and keep the stumps in play. We know in India any bit of width you can throw your hands through the line. That was one area we lacked.”If they hit or forced some good shots, we can live with that. But we couldn’t string enough balls on the stumps, that’s the learning we will take, the improvements we need to make. Those are the small margins. They will hit your good balls for four, but can we eliminate our bad balls and bowl less percentage of bad balls especially upfront?”The one man – well, boy really – who was bringing that control this year, who was hitting the right lengths for the pitches he bowled on more consistently is, of course, not here. A number of sides are dealing with the absence of big names in this tournament, so Pakistan are hardly alone in that misfortune, nor can they afford to dwell on it.But the loss of Naseem Shah, in a side where depth and the readiness of that depth has always felt thin and stretched, hits doubly on days like this. It has put a greater burden on Afridi (who at least confirmed here he can carry it) and asked Hasan and Haris Rauf to bowl outside their comfort zones.”Naseem Shah is a quality bowler and if you look at his stats, the consistency he gave us with the new ball upfront was amazing,” Morkel conceded. “The partnership he formed with Shaheen was fantastic. It’s meant slightly new roles for Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf with the new ball in the powerplay.”If you look at their stats, they are guys used to bowling outside the powerplay. They’re learning, they’re trying their heart out, but Naseem obviously is a big loss.”In the final reckoning, Pakistan’s comeback in the field and then the chase until fairly deep into the game should provide some solace. This was – as Mir dropped an early, crucial, all-time dolly, as Rauf conceded 24 in his first over, as Warner took full toll of the chance, as Marsh celebrated his birthday with a hundred (he hit an Ashes hundred this summer for his brother Shaun’s birthday too) – shaping up to be one of those operatically bad Pakistan days. In the end it was bad in just an underwhelming kind of way.Except a bad day at a World Cup is a bad day no matter the scale and Pakistan cannot afford too many more now.

On day one in Cape Town, he showed why South Africa are keen to stick with him

Firdose Moonda11-Jan-2022Marco Jansen is not a gentle giant. Just ask Jasprit Bumrah. At the Wanderers, Jansen hit him twice in the three balls on the same spot with short-pitched deliveries that Bumrah wore on his right shoulder. When Jansen delivered a fourth short ball and Bumrah again defended with his body, Jansen sprayed him with a choice selection of unpleasantries.But Jansen is also not a towering brute. He’s better than that. Just look at the way he bowled to Cheteshwar Pujara at Newlands. He started his third spell with a full delivery that angled in and Pujara flicked him for four. Immediately, pulled his length back and got the ball to move in and find the top of Pujara’s pad. Pujara offered no shot and while any lbw appeal was smothered by the height of impact, Jansen had issued a warning. With his next ball, he adjusted the line and had Pujara playing around fifth stump to find an edge.Related

Mastery is mastery: Kohli shows unwavering discipline in challenging circumstances

Rabada four-for makes it South Africa's day as India fold for 223 despite Kohli 79

Stats – Cape Town more pace friendly than Centurion, Jo'burg?

How South Africa won the pace-bowling battle at the Wanderers

That wicket was particularly important because South Africa had let the half-hours either side of lunch drift. Pujara and Virat Kohli’s third-wicket stand had grown to 62 and loose deliveries were being offered at least once an over. On a pitch that offered less bounce than the Highveld surfaces that the teams have just come from, the bowlers had to call on other skills and Jansen showed that he has them.”He has got a burning desire to play here. He has got X-factor and he is a tough character,” Kagiso Rabada said. “That’s what you are looking for. And then natural talent is there. He has the ability to win matches. He is an exciting prospect.”Today’s play underlined exactly why South Africa have stuck with Jansen instead of go back to batting allrounder Wiaan Mulder. Jansen started searching for swing after India lost their openers early and pressure had to be applied. He moved the ball slightly away from Kohli and Pujara, who took time to settle but were able to leave well on length. Finally, at the end of that five-over spell, Jansen found the delivery he had been looking for when he beat Kohli with a ball that pitched on leg stump, swung late, veered towards off and beat his back-foot defence. Kohli’s ribs were spared the hit but he was surprised. Then Jansen changed ends.From the Wynberg side, Jansen chose to go around the wicket to bring the ball into the batters from outside off and force them to play more. Kohli left the first one but it was close to his off stump, he ducked under the second one, and blocked the third. In Jansen’s next over, the last of the morning session, he only allowed one ball to be left alone, compared to 18 in his first five overs. His change of angle allowed him to get closer to the batters and demanded more from them than shouldering arms, ducking or watching the ball go through. That’s what he used to dismiss Pujara after lunch.Jansen could have had a second wicket two balls later when Ajinkya Rahane lunged to defend and edged but the chance was wide of slip. Three balls after that, Rahane was forward again but found the middle of the bat and pushed the ball through the covers for four. Kohli was able to play a similar shot and another straight past Jansen for four but the impressive aspect of that spell was how Jansen kept at it. While he punctuated his overs with short balls, he didn’t appear to default to them just because. Instead, he worked on his cutters, tried to find the right line outside off that could capitalise on a mistake from the batters, and showed he understood the importance of small margins when it comes to length.Marco Jansen celebrates R Ashwin’s wicket•AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Jansen bowled too full, he conceded 39 runs off 14 balls. But when he adjusted to a good length, he gave only six runs in 44 balls and took two wickets. The second of those was in his final spell of the day when R Ashwin was set up similarly to Pujara. First, Jansen tempted him by dangling a delivery outside off and Ashwin left, then Jansen changed his angle, got the ball to nip away from Ashwin and got a faint edge through to Kyle Verreynne.Before that, Jansen completed a dismissal that may be more expected for a bowler of his height. He had Rishabh Pant undone by extra bounce as he tried to steer a delivery over gully but was caught there instead.Those two wickets showed the versatility of Jansen, much like the kind of bowler Morne Morkel matured into towards the end of his career. After years of being known for bringing bounce to Steyn’s swing, when Steyn was injured, it was Morkel who put in performances laced with reverse swing, starting with the tour to India in 2015. From that series onwards, Morkel enjoyed some of the biggest successes of his career, taking 91 wickets in 22 Tests at 22.90 compared to 218 wickets in 64 Tests at 29.66 before that series.Jansen is also not Morkel. He is 10 centimetres taller (2 metres, 6 cms to Morkel’s 1.96) playing in a team that is probably 10 steps behind where South Africa were when Morkel debuted. As a result, he might have to grow 10 times more quickly. Rabada thinks that’s already happening. “Look at Marco, who has just come in. He is playing against Virat who has been one of the best players of this generation. What better learning can he take? Not much.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) adiou jogos de Internacional, Grêmio e Juventude até a próxima segunda-feira (6). A medida vale para partidas dentro e fora de casa, porque os treinamentos também foram comprometidos.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

O motivo é a situação emergencial existente no Rio Grande do Sul, que sofre com inundações, quedas de barreiras e deslizamentos de terra, tragédias derivadas das fortes chuvas. Até o momento, são 10 mortes confirmadas.

O confronto entre Internacional e Juventude, válido pela Copa do Brasil, já tinha sofrido adiamento anteriormente. A partida aconteceria às 21h30 desta quarta-feira (1).

continua após a publicidade

No sábado (4), o Inter enfrentaria o Cruzeiro, em Belo Horizonte. O Juventude receberia o Atlético-GO, no Alfredo Jaconi, na segunda (6).

Enquanto isso, o Grêmio receberia o Criciúma no domingo (5). O Imortal já entrou em campo pela Copa do Brasil, na terça (30), e empatou em 0 a 0, fora de casa.

Além dos jogos das equipes da Série A, como Internacional e Grêmio, partidas das categorias de base, divisões inferiores e do futebol feminino sofreram adiamento.

continua após a publicidade

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo chegou à conclusão de como proceder sobre Gabigol, que teve foto vazada utilizando uniforme do Corinthians. A partir de agora, o jogador não usará mais a camisa 10 rubro-negra e acabou multado pela diretoria.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Em comunicado oficial, o clube informou que a decisão foi tomada após reunião do vice-presidente de futebol, Marcos Braz, e outros integrantes da diretoria.

– O Clube de Regatas do Flamengo informa que, após reunião com o vice-presidente de futebol, Marcos Braz, e demais diretores do departamento, o atleta Gabriel Barbosa foi multado e comunicado pelo dirigente de que não usará mais a camisa 10 rubro-negra nas competições possíveis de alteração da numeração – diz a nota oficial.

continua após a publicidade

Ao Lance!, na noite de quinta-feira (16), a assessoria afirmou que a foto de Gabigol com a camisa do Corinthians não era verdadeira.

HISTÓRICO

No início de 2024, o Corinthians tentou a contratação de Gabigol,mas a negociação com o Flamengo não avançou. Um dos obstáculos foi a blindagem rubro-negra, que não tinha interesse em se desfazer do atleta.

Depois disso, o próprio Gabigol entrou em impasse com a diretoria do Flamengo. Isso porque as partes chegaram a avançar por um acordo de renovação contratual, mas recuaram. No momento, as tratativas estão paradas.

continua após a publicidade

O vínculo do camisa 10 vale até dezembro deste ano e, a partir de junho, ele pode assinar pré-contrato e se transferir de forma gratuita para outra equipe em 2025.

Tudo sobre

FlamengoGabigol

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has now dropped a fresh injury update on Cole Palmer ahead of the tough Champions League clash against Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The Blues are gearing up for a difficult fixture in mid-week, taking on reigning La Liga champions Barca in their fifth Champions League fixture this season, and Maresca’s side will be aiming to put things right after only being able to muster up a 1-1 draw against Qarabag last time out.

However, the west Londoners have been struggling on the injury front for quite some time, which will be a concern for the manager, with the likes of Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Palmer still sidelined, missing the 2-0 victory against Burnley at the weekend.

The Italian will no doubt be frustrated the England international has missed large parts of the campaign, having said back in January: “His team-mates see him as a top player so at the moment when we have some difficulties and we are looking for the closest one to help us, we need Cole to step forward in that moment.

“In that moment, in the second-half against Wolves, he showed his team-mate he is a leader inside the pitch.”

However, there has now been a promising update on the 23-year-old’s injury ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Barcelona…

Enzo Maresca drops injury update on Cole Palmer

As relayed by Football London, Maresca has now confirmed Palmer has already returned to training, saying: “Yeah, we don’t know when, but for sure, it will be soon. He is already on the pitch, touching the ball and the feeling is good.”

The 45-year-old stopped short of confirming whether the £130k-a-week star will be available for the tough test against Barca, but a swift return appears to be on the cards, which will be welcome news, heading into a tricky run of fixtures.

Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Barcelona (h)

November 25th

Arsenal (h)

November 30th

Leeds United (a)

December 3rd

AFC Bournemouth (a)

December 6th

Atalanta (a)

December 9th

The Blues may have an outside chance of winning the Premier League title, having moved into second place courtesy of the victory at Turf Moor, and they could make a major statement by defeating league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this Sunday.

However, Maresca will need his best players available if Chelsea are to stand any chance of beating the Gunners, and the former Manchester City man is certainly in that category, having contributed 45 goals and 29 assists in 101 appearances since moving to west London.

Palmer will also be eager to receive consistent game time to ensure he is on the plane to the World Cup with England, having proven his ability to deliver in big games by scoring against Spain in the final of Euro 2024.

Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" Chelsea have Palmer 2.0 with a "left foot made of gold" & it's not Estevao

The promising talent could be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer problem.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2025

Sometimes a press conference comes around and you just need to fly under the radar; that’s never been more apparent than at Tottenham Hotspur in the last six months.

As Spurs celebrated the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou triumphantly declared that season three is always better than season two. He was sacked just weeks later.

For Thomas Frank, he’s also found out that perhaps just staying quiet is the best form of approach in the media. Last week, he was asked about the club’s failed move for Eberechi Eze.

“Who’s Eze?” That was Frank’s reply, and although he said it with a wry smile and to make a joke, it’s come back to bite him.

He found out just who Eze is on Sunday as the boyhood Gooner scored a devastating hat-trick to seal a 4-1 win for Arsenal over their distraught neighbours.

Spurs came to frustrate but in doing so, failed to come up with any inventive attacking play. Their creativity was abysmal, and if it wasn’t for a brilliant yet flukey Richarlison strike, they’d have left the Emirates Stadium without a goal.

What went wrong for Spurs at the Emirates

On paper, Frank’s game plan in north London on Sunday made sense. They were the only team in the Premier League this season not to lose on the road. The Dane clearly knows what he’s doing when Spurs play away.

Yet, against Arsenal, if you’re putting all 11 men behind the ball, then it does rely on you frustrating your opponents for longer than the 36 minutes it took for Leandro Trossard to score the opener.

To Frank’s credit, Spurs had sucked the life out of the Emirates during the opening half an hour. Arsenal created openings, notably when Declan Rice was played in by Eze, but the visitors frustrated and made it difficult to play between the lines.

Yet, once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping Arsenal, particularly as Spurs had a total lack of creativity once again.

Despite scoring courtesy of Richarlison, they failed to create a single big chance, had just three shots and provoked only a solitary save from David Raya. Arsenal, by contrast, had 17 shots. Worryingly for Spurs, the home side simply wanted it more.

There were several folks in white to blame. In attack, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus were completely marked out of the game by Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Richarlison, for the most part, was bullied by William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. The Brazilian only completed five passes all evening and won just one of his five aerial duels.

In defence, Bukayo Saka regularly had the beating of Destiny Udogie down Arsenal’s right flank while Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were uncharacteristically poor. Van ve Ven notably completed just 71% of his passes and won only six of his 13 duels.

But, the biggest culprit of all was a man who, ironically, was sent off during the international break. He’s becoming something of a Serge Aurier to Frank.

Spurs' new Serge Aurier

Mention Aurier’s name around those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it’s likely to send a shiver down spines.

Signed for £23m in August of 2017, he arrived at White Hart Lane from PSG after a rough time in France, where he was handed a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer.

“You will see the real me,” he declared upon arrival. Well, if the real Aurier was a gluttony of mistakes, we certainly did.

The Ivory Coast international had another tricky stint at Spurs, but this time it was all unravelling on the pitch, rather than off it.

Chalkboard

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

Where to even begin with the mistakes? The right-back committed a hat-trick of foul throws against Crystal Palace in 2018. While that may not have cost Spurs greatly, his clumsiness meant that he always had a moment of madness in him.

He notably gave away a penalty against Leicester City in December 2020 from which Jamie Vardy scored, but his most costly blunder came against Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final when he committed a needless foul on Raheem Sterling. The end result was a free-kick from which Pep Guardiola’s side scored the winner.

Speaking at full-time, Jamie Redknapp commented: “Aurier does well to start with – he follows the one-two and then just makes the most ridiculous and rash decision, which we see him do so often. Just stand up, don’t dive in, don’t give the foul away – elementary mistake.”

It wasn’t the first time the Ivorian had attracted criticism during his time in England. Two years prior to that moment, Rio Ferdinand stated: “As a defender I have never really rated Aurier. He’s rash and he’s let his team down far too often.”

Simply a giant liability in that Spurs team of back then, unfortunately, Frank has found another rash and unreliable figure in his team; Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguayan was signed for £22m from Juventus in January 2022 and has featured 131 times for the Lilywhites since.

However, while he’s flirted with some impressive performances here and there, for the most part, he’s been a letdown.

He has become a symbol not only for Spurs’ lack of creativity but their lack of robustness and dynamism from the middle of the park. Despite that, he has started nine times of the 12 Premier League games Spurs have competed in this term.

The fact of the matter is that he shouldn’t be starting with that regularity.

Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the beginning of the month saw him avoid a red card. In the words of the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill, it was a “terrible” challenge.

Things went from bad to worse when Spurs visited Arsenal on Sunday. The tone was set when he brought down Saka on the edge of the box in the first half and was brandished with a yellow card as a result.

While he was nowhere to be seen as Mikel Merino clipped a delightful ball into the box for Trossard’s opener, he was particularly poor for Eze’s first.

Minutes played

66

Touches

27

Accurate passes

16/17 (94%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

2

Duels won

0

The attacking midfielder skipped beyond Bentancur all too easily as the Uruguay international went to ground inside the area.

He was handed a 3/10 match rating by The Standard as a consequence, with the publication writing he was ‘doing nothing to give Spurs some much-needed control’. The very fact that Guglielmo Vicario received 15 passes – six more than Palhinha and Bentancur combined (9) – in the first half said it all.

All that said, it’s perhaps no surprise that analyst Raj Chohan has described him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

Like Aurier, he’s a major underperformer. He’s a liability and a player that Frank cannot trust. He shouldn’t be starting regular games for Spurs any more.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

In search of an attacking spark, Everton have now reportedly joined Newcastle United in the race to sign young Brazilian star Allan Elias from Palmeiras in 2026.

The Toffees have endured an inconsistent season so far, but entered the international break off the back of a routine 2-0 victory over Fulham. For the most part, David Moyes’ side have shown potential, albeit without blowing teams away.

It must be said, however, that their weakness has been clear since the beginning of the campaign. Everton just can’t get their strikers going on the goal front. After making Thierno Barry one of their most expensive signings, those in Merseyside would have at least expected a goal or two by now. So far, though, he’s yet to find the back of the net.

Meanwhile, Beto is also struggling. The towering forward showed glimpses of promise last season – especially under Moyes – but has so far scored just two goals in 13 games in all competitions.

The Friedkin Group are seemingly running out of patience with their strikers, too. Recent reports have claimed that Everton are interested in adding to their attack in the January transfer window, with Joshua Zirkzee and Daizen Maeda both linked.

The latter would be a particularly impressive signing, given that he scored 33 goals for Celtic at his best last season. Now apparrently keen to leave the Scottish club, Everton could reportedly land a deal for just £15m.

Everton officials scout Ireland star who shocked Cristiano Ronaldo

He could solve their striker problem.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Alas, the Japan international isn’t the only attacking spark on the Toffees’ shortlist, and they could also make some improvements to those providing the service for Beto and Barry. Fresh headlines in Brazil have suggested that those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium now want a South American gem.

Everton join race to sign Allan Elias

According to reports in Brazil, via Sport Witness, Everton have now joined the race to sign Allan ahead of Newcastle. The 21-year-old has impressed for Palmeiras, assisting eight goals in the current campaign, and could yet ignite Moyes’ frontline.

For many, Allan will be an unknown talent, but it’s worth noting the impressive performances that he enjoyed from the bench at last summer’s Club World Cup. Squaring off against the likes of Chelsea and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the young Brazilian more than held his own.

The 21-year-old has also earned plenty of praise during his time at Palmeiras, with manager Abel Ferreira telling reporters: “It’s difficult to leave names like Veiga, Mauricio and Murilo out, but Allan comes in and gives a great dynamic. A machine.”

Claims that Palmeiras have inserted a release clause worth as much as €100m (£88m) in Allan’s contract shows just how highly they rate him and that could provide a problem for Everton.

As much as Friedkin were willing to spend big last summer, they mainly spent on proven European talent rather than gambling on the unknown. At this stage, it seems unlikely that the Toffees would spend £88m on Allan.

"Brilliant" Everton target asks to leave Celtic as Friedkin enter £15m race

Brian Cashman did not watch the playoffs last year. It was the first time in seven seasons, and only the fifth since he took over as New York Yankees general manager in 1998, that his team did not make it to October, and as a consequence, he found himself with less time than ever. 

“I was too busy being audited,” he says wryly. 

Whether the 82–80 record, the club’s worst since 1992, sparked a reckoning depends on whom you ask. In the days after a season that led fans to call for owner Hal Steinbrenner to sell the team, wear FIRE CASHMAN T-shirts to Yankee Stadium and boo manager Aaron Boone, the decision makers—among them Steinbrenner; Cashman; Boone; assistant general manager Mike Fishman; vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring; vice president of player development Kevin Reese; and special assistants Brian Sabean, Jim Hendry and Omar Minaya—gathered at the organization’s offices in Tampa. 

Cashman stayed calm, says Hendry. “His opening speech was: ,” he recalls. “He didn’t panic.”

The week after the meetings, Steinbrenner said he had told his executives, “I want you to challenge everything, all of our philosophies, all of our practices, but more importantly, in a respectful way, I want you to challenge each other. I want you to critique each other. Check your egos at the door.”

Steinbrenner described the meetings as productive. “At times it got a little dicey, but it was respectful the entire time,” he said. “And there wasn’t one stone we left unturned, from health of the team, what we’re doing in the clubhouse, clubhouse culture, what we do in the weight room, analytics, pro scouting, biomechanics, is there enough communication between everybody.”

Underneath the stones they found a variety of answers. Captain and right fielder Aaron Judge lobbied for more contact and athleticism. Naehring wanted to balance the lineup and add players with more level swing paths. Minaya believed they had gotten too pull-happy. Assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes thought the answer was just improved health. 

“Some good convos,” Judge says. “Some bad convos.” Did his calls with Cashman get contentious? “I think it’s just us both being passionate about what we believe,” Judge says. “I think that what it comes down to is he listened to us, he did what he thought was best and now we’re in this position.”

The changes the organization made were powerful enough to get the team to the World Series, which begins on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but subtle enough for Cashman to insist he was right all along.

“We executed our philosophy [in 2023],” he says. “But then I think that, because we had a poor season, the philosophy was challenged. So we stayed true to our philosophy, which has consistently paid off for us for feels like 30 years, but the philosophy was questioned and challenged and dissected and turned upside down and inside out, by outside and inside forces. And we stayed the course.”

He adds, “We’re either going to double down on everything we do and how we do it, or make some adjustments. And for the most part, we doubled down on most of what we do.”

As he speaks, on the cusp of the World Series, does he feel vindicated? He rejects the question. He knows how this goes. If the team wins, they’ll all be heroes. “If it doesn’t,” he says, “Then it goes into the same category of all the other teams that tried and failed, right?”

A few dozen feet away, the team’s most obvious adjustment takes batting practice, ripping line drives to center field. It all comes back, everyone agrees, to Juan Soto.

“We knew he was one of the elite guys in the game,” says Hendry. “You put him together with Judge, and you just saw things that go back to Ruth and Gehrig, and Mantle and Maris.”

“It’s nearly like the young Virat Kohli coming out of him, just celebrating and rejoicing in an emotional way,” Tom Moody said after RCB’s maiden IPL win

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-20252:28

Moody: Kohli’s cricketing career was nearly born at RCB

After almost two decades of waiting, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally became IPL champions, it wasn’t just a title triumph for Virat Kohli. It was the culmination of a journey that began in 2008 when he was a fiery young batter who would go on to become one of the most influential cricketers of his generation. It was also a full-circle moment for a player and a franchise that have become one and the same over time.As former RCB pacer Varun Aaron put it on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, “He [Kohli] has been the king of the castle in RCB for 18 years.” Aaron went to say, “At the end of the day, if they haven’t won a trophy, the first person they’re going to look at is Virat Kohli. And Virat Kohli, he loves to win. He can’t take second as even an option. So this is huge for him. Also, the kind of adoration and love he gets from the fans, from the franchise, is just huge.”And this is what they’ve been expecting for the longest time. It has come good. RCB have been the most loved team in the Indian Premier League by far. And now I don’t know where Virat’s going to go after this.”Tom Moody summed up Kohli’s IPL journey, saying it was a story of how a career was born, shaped, and lived out within a single franchise.”His cricketing career was nearly born at RCB,” Moody said. “So that’s why I think he’s so emotional, because he’s been so invested as a young player with a young mind, without knowing the body of work that he’s going to do in the game and that status that he was going to get in the game.”So you can see the connection that this has to him, because he’s been through all those ups and downs. We saw the stats earlier on about how many times RCB have made the finals in the 18 seasons. Ten times [in the playoffs]. Four times final. You can see why he’s emotional.”It’s nearly like the young Virat Kohli coming out of him, just celebrating and rejoicing in an emotional way.””When fans see the main player give everything on the field, they’re obviously going to feel that this guy deserves something”•AFP/Getty ImagesKohli has grown, faltered, risen and roared – all in RCB colours. With 8661 runs in 259 innings at a strike rate of 132.85 and an average of 39.54, he is the highest run-getter in IPL history.Between 2011 and 2023, he led RCB 143 times, the third-highest number of matches played as a captain in the IPL. He led RCB to the final in 2016 where they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His 973 runs in that massive season still remains a record in the IPL.”The biggest Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar, I would say, who’s played day in day out for 18 years, he’s hardly ever missed matches, he’s hardly ever missed IPLs, he’s turned up season after season,” Aaron said looking back. “And given everything, when fans see the main player give everything on the field, with bat and even on the field, they’re obviously going to feel that, you know what, this guy deserves something.”While RCB gave Kohli a stage, it’s equally true – as Aaron put it – that “RCB has had its role in making Virat, but Virat has also made the franchise.”