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Having already welcomed Lukas Nmecha and Jaka Bijol, Leeds United are now reportedly targeting a move to sign an alternative option to recent target Noah Sadiki.

What Leeds are planning next after Bijol

After splashing out to sign Bijol from Udinese, reports suggest that the 49ers are not done. Names such as Habib Diarra and Sadiki have found themselves on Leeds’ radar as of late and it looks as though adding another midfielder to Daniel Farke’s squad will be among the priorities in the coming months.

The Whites have even reportedly made an official offer worth as much as £24m to sign Diarra and could be closing in on their target sooner rather than later if reports are to be believed. Meanwhile, Sadkiki has also been the subject of a reported bid with the 49ers clearly ready to follow up the signing of Bijol by spending big again.

The Union St.Gilloise star would be another impressive signing and could partner Ao Tanaka at the heart of Farke’s side to form a midfield duo capable of achieving Premier League survival and more next season.

What may help their pursuit to sign Sadiki is the news that rivals Lyon have been relegated to Ligue 2 amid financial problems. Without a direct rival for the midfielder’s signature, those in the Midlands could have a simple route towards his arrival.

He'd be unstoppable with Tanaka: Leeds make offer to sign "complete" star

Leeds are looking to sign a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 26, 2025

If that does not prove to be the case, however, then it could be another interesting midfield talent who arrives to offer those at Elland Road an instant boost.

Leeds targeting Mahdi Camara

According to Footen France, the 49ers and Leeds are now targeting a summer move to sign Mahdi Camara, who could arrive as an alternative to Sadkiki. The Stade Brest midfielder is reportedly available for as little as £13m this summer in what could quickly turn into a bargain deal in Yorkshire.

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5.90

3.32

Whilst Camara struggled to match Tanaka in possession last season, the Frenchman did showcase his goalscoring ability from midfield in what could offer Farke an unexpected threat going forward.

Forming a midfield partnership capable of scoring 10 goals between them would certainly go a long way towards survival for those at Elland Road given how the Premier League has a history of blunting previously sharp Championship frontlines.

What’s more, the fact that Camara is represented by the same agent as Sadiki may help any deal this summer. If the latter fails to complete a summer move to Elland Road, then it could be an easy transition to negotiate for Camara, who would be an excellent alternative option.

Despite concerns that they may lose their Europa League spot, Crystal Palace are pushing ahead with their transfer business and have now reportedly joined the race to sign a £150,000-a-week midfielder.

Latest on Crystal Palace's Europa League status

Crystal Palace not only sealed history by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, they also sealed their place in next season’s Europa League. Or so they thought. The Eagles could yet have their bubble burst by UEFA, whose rules state that owners cannot have multiple clubs in the same competition.

John Textor is the majority owner of Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League in France, and the solution to the matter is a complicated one. The South London club are also unable to drop into the Europa Conference League after David Blitzer, who owns a stake in both Palace and Danish side Brondby, saw the latter qualify for UEFA’s third competition.

UEFA has reportedly rejected Crystal Palace’s offer to place Textor and Blitzer’s shares into a blind trust – following the route that Manchester City and Manchester United took to avoid the same situation – after those at Selhurst Park missed the deadline to register the trust.

Whether a solution comes to the fore remains to be seen. Chairman Steve Parish and Textor reportedly held a meeting with UEFA on Tuesday in an attempt to reach a resolution but, as things stand, Crystal Palace’s European place is at serious risk.

Crystal Palace hold strong interest in £30m defender also wanted by Bayern

The Eagles have now identified a defensive “phenomenon” as a priority target.

ByDominic Lund Jun 5, 2025

The part that UEFA’s verdict could play both on and off the pitch for Palace is undoubtedly important. Without their Europa League place, the Eagles will undoubtedly struggle to welcome the same calibre of stars and may even lose some of Oliver Glasner’s key men. Whilst the situation rumbles on, however, so is their transfer business.

Crystal Palace battling to sign Kalvin Phillips

According to Caught Offside, Crystal Palace are now battling to sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City this summer. The midfielder is once again on the move – this time potentially permanently – and could finally revive his career following mixed fortunes on loan at West Ham United and Ipswich Town.

Selhurst Park could make perfect sense too. Rumours have been coming thick and fast regarding Adam Wharton’s Crystal Palace future and they’re only likely to intensify if the Eagles lose their Europa League place. The South London club must, therefore, prepare for the worst and that’s where Phillips could prove to be a top candidate to arrive, especially since he reportedly wants to leave The Etihad this summer.

An experienced midfielder who even has two Premier League medals to his name, the main stumbling block for Phillips this summer could be his reported £150,000-a-week salary. What may make those negotiations easier, however, is the fact that Phillips is represented by the same agency as Palace shot-stopper Dean Henderson.

Newcastle United are in the market for new blood this summer and could now have taken one step closer to landing a reported target following a recent scouting mission.

Newcastle's Champions League hopes set to define summer window

Over the weekend, the Magpies defied pressure on their shoulders by claiming a vital three points over Chelsea that has put them in pole position to seal a Champions League qualification slot. Eddie Howe knows that a victory over Arsenal next weekend will effectively clinch their place in Europe’s Premier competition before a final day at home to Everton that will be savoured by supporters.

Crucially, Newcastle’s return to the Champions League will provide greater scope to bring marquee arrivals to the North East to join PIF’s ambitious vision for the club. Per reports, Bryan Mbeumo is said to be their top target after a brilliant campaign for Brentford that has also drawn the attention of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Harvey Elliott is another high-profile star on Newcastle’s radar and there is growing suspicion that the Magpies are now set to put forward a formal proposal for the England Under-21 international.

As good as Tonali & Bruno: Newcastle star is proving he's the new Solano

Newcastle United eased past Chelsea 2-0 with this star proving he could be the club’s next Nolberto Solano.

1 ByKelan Sarson May 11, 2025

For now, finishing as high in the Premier League table will take precedence for the Magpies. They still have a chance of sealing an impressive achievement of claiming second place, which would stack up nicely next to their EFL Cup triumph.

Moving towards regular title challenges will be the eventual aim for Newcastle, who now have a talented defender in their sights that could help them on their journey.

Newcastle send scouts to watch Brentford defender Nathan Collins

According to TBR, Newcastle sent scouts to watch Brentford defender Nathan Collins against Ipswich Town on Saturday as he helped the Bees keep a clean sheet in a vital 1-0 victory that has kept their European hopes alive.

Sending representatives to take in his performance is a sign of growing interest in the 28-cap Republic of Ireland international, who is also wanted by Arsenal following a string of excellent displays this term.

Nathan Collins’ impressive season for Brentford – Premier League

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22

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Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is another on the radar heading into the summer, which won’t come as too much of a surprise due to Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar heading towards the latter stage of their respective careers.

Labelled “fantastic” by John O’Shea, Collins has registered an impressive two goals and five assists in 40 appearances across all competitions this season. With room to develop further at 24-years-old, the Leixlip-born man would be an ideal addition for the Geordies to add strength in depth at the back as they look forward to another exciting campaign under Howe.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now considering the possibility of poaching a star from Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca now prepared to let him go.

Ange Postecoglou faces crucial Europa League quarter-final

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is currently preparing for his most important match since taking over as manager.

Collymore urges title-winning manager not to join Tottenham after Levy talks

The pundit thinks he’d be making a big mistake.

5 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 5, 2025

The Lilywhites take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, and many see the tie as pivotal in determining Postecoglou’s long-term future at N17.

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It is truly Europa League or bust for the Australian, who is relying on a good run in Europe to have anything to shout about from this campaign. Sitting 14th in the table after 16 defeats in the league alone, Postecoglou is statistically on course to become Spurs’ worst ever Premier League manager.

He’ll be desperate to make history in the Europa and restore some of his reputation, amid protests surrounding the club’s unpopular ownership by supporters. Large sections of the Spurs fanbase rallied against Daniel Levy and ENIC again on Sunday, so there is continuous pressure on the board to start delivering on-field success.

They warmed up for their clash with Frankfurt in solid fashion, relegating bottom side Southampton, with goals from Brennan Johnson (2) and a late Mathys Tel penalty handing Spurs all three points.

As Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is repeatedly linked with becoming the new Tottenham manager to replace Postecoglou, major uncertainty surrounds the 59-year-old’s future, but the Spurs recruitment team are also planning for new players ahead of next term.

Tottenham planning "surprise" move for Chelsea star Noni Madueke

According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea winger and England international Noni Madueke is on their radar.

Tottenham are planning a “surprise” move for Madueke this summer, while it is also believed that Maresca will sanction his exit, which would free up a move for the north Londoners to strike a deal for PSV Eindhoven’s ex-starlet.

At his best, Madueke has really shone as part of Chelsea’s front three this term, especially during the first half of 2024/2025, but Maresca apparently has doubts whether the 23-year-old can fit into his system long-term.

As a result, Tottenham could look to re-sign Madueke seven years after he departed their youth set-up for PSV.

“He is top,” said personal technical coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst to Sky Sports.

“For me, he is one of the best young forward players in Europe, easily. A lot of focus has been on Cody Gakpo at PSV, because of the World Cup, but Noni is up there.

“He is one of the best, if not the best, because he is so dynamic, so strong in one-v-ones, so technically gifted, so athletic.”

According to GiveMeSport, Chelsea would sell for a “marginal profit” on the £29 million they paid to initially sign Madueke, so Levy wouldn’t have to break the bank. However, they also report that Aston Villa and Newcastle are in the race.

Ashwin, Jadeja and a group of quality fast bowlers have made India near-unbeatable in home Tests, but it won’t last forever

Sidharth Monga19-Jan-2024Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed cussedly saw off 50 of the 150 overs England needed to bat out to save the Visakhapatnam Test of 2016-17. England went into the final day needing to bat out 90 overs with eight wickets in hand. An hour of intense interrogation of technique and luck later, England were two wickets poorer and still looking at having to bat out another 90 overs, or possibly more, because India had bowled 21 overs in that one hour. And there wasn’t a cloud in sight.Just imagine how dispiriting it can be to take a brief break after 21 overs of breathless concentration and application, of trying to keep out two of the greatest spinners of all time, and finding out you have actually not moved anywhere in terms of bringing down your target. That’s Test cricket in India. Or, to be more precise, just one hour of Test cricket in India.Related

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To travel to India and win a Test series is possibly the toughest challenge in competitive sport. In cricket it definitely is. It’s easier to win an ODI World Cup. There have been three of them since the last time a visiting team won a Test series in India. It’s easier to win a World Test Championship: the two WTC champions have not even come close to winning in India in their championship cycles.It has been more than 11 years since India lost a Test series at home, a period during which Australia have lost three at home, England two, New Zealand two and South Africa four. India’s domination has gone deeper than just winning series. There have been zero drawn series over this period, and only one has gone into its final Test still alive: against Australia in 2016-17, at the deep end of a long, exhausting season for India. In more than 11 years, India have lost just three home Tests, achieving a win-loss ratio of 12, nearly twice that of the next-best home team in this period, Australia.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis dominance is primarily down to two all-timers. It seems like an age ago when we questioned the future of India’s spin bowling in the aftermath of India’s last series defeat at home, against England in 2012-13. R Ashwin kept getting cut frequently, averaging 53 in that series. Ravindra Jadeja had just made his debut as a batting allrounder at No. 6. These were spinners who had already made themselves names in the IPL. We worried who would carry India’s proud spin legacy forward.More than a decade later, we are looking at two of Indian cricket’s greatest match-winners, who have shown the craft, the fitness, the longevity and the hunger for excellence to make India the most formidable force at home in the whole of Test history. Captains have changed – three full-time ones – and coaches – four of them – have come and gone, but these two have remained the constants.They have played 49 Tests together, taking exactly 500 wickets between them in those Tests at an average of a little over 20 and an economy rate of well under three. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh took 501 together.Forty of the 49 Ashwin-Jadeja Tests have come at home. In these matches a wicket has cost India nearly 19 runs less than it has the opposition. That’s only a little over half the story. The real cheat code is for bowlers of this ability to have averaged nearly 40 and 22 with the bat in these Tests, on consistently testing, result-oriented surfaces.ESPNcricinfo LtdOppositions have sometimes managed to compete to the extent of having India four or five down at a similar score to theirs, but that’s when the worms almost always start diverging. India’s spinners maintain the intensity for longer with the ball, and they make more runs with the bat.There have been duos more prolific (Vaas and Murali with 895 wickets together), more versatile (McGrath and Warne with 1001), more storied (Wasim and Waqar with 559), more intimidating (Ambrose and Walsh with 762), or more enduring (Broad and Anderson with 1039), but none of them have featured two allrounders helping free up an extra bowling position. Ashwin and Jadeja have been so good it should be illegal.It can be argued that these two have been so good that at least three of the countries they travel to have started preparing pitches that eliminate their whole discipline of bowling. In the recently concluded series in South Africa, the hosts didn’t bowl a single delivery of spin. New Zealand has historically been a tough place for spinners, and England is moving more and more towards pitches that hardly need spinners, especially when India are visiting.Because India have a good fast-bowling attack to go with these two great spinners, the pitches in India don’t eliminate the fast bowlers as drastically. Nearly a third of the 852 wickets India have taken at home during this dominant period belong to fast bowlers. No other venue offers so much to its team’s weaker suit.ESPNcricinfo LtdWeaker they might be compared to the spinners, but India’s fast bowlers have been far superior to the visiting pacers in these conditions. If India’s spinners have been roughly 20 runs per wicket better than those of the visitors, the fast bowlers are not far behind with a difference of 17 runs per wicket. This is what happened when, for once, Australia’s Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe matched India’s spinners in 2016-17. The fast bowlers proved to be the difference.Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav have been phenomenal at home. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma have been more than serviceable when they’ve featured. Jasprit Bumrah has hardly played at home, which might be a relief to oppositions because he averages less than 16 here. Mohammed Siraj has the attributes that should make him a dangerous bowler at home.ESPNcricinfo LtdWe must celebrate and cherish this dominance because not long from now a team will come to India with two exceptional spinners and a sturdy pace attack, and will catch the hosts in transition and put an end to the greatest series-winning streak at home.There are already signs that the dominance is waning. India last clean-swept a series of more than two Tests back in 2019. They have lost two Tests over their last four home series, after going 12 series with just one Test defeat. They registered their narrowest win since 2013 – even if it was by six wickets – last year. In the last home series, the unimaginable happened when they won a toss on a square turner and still lost the Test.The bowlers England bring to India this season don’t have the pedigree that Australia’s did in 2022-23, but their new style of batting might pose a challenge to a great duo that is showing signs of wear and tear. Bangladesh and New Zealand will visit later in the year. India cannot take this year for granted, but we will have seen some enthralling cricket if they have stretched their series-winning streak at home to 19 by the end of it.

Gamble on brand-new approach pays out big at first spin, says Vithushan Ehantharajah

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Jun-20224:04

#PoliteEnquiries: Can India play last year’s England instead?

At 2.23pm, as Tim Southee began his 19th over of the second innings. England needed 21 for victory: Joe Root was at the nonstriker’s end on 80, Jonny Bairstow facing up with 60. And the chatter in the stands and on social media for those watching elsewhere was whether Root would make it to Test century number 28 or would Bairstow, having just registered the fastest half-century by any Test batter in England, chow down on the remainder leaving nothing for his former captain.The result, by this point, was a foregone conclusion. As it had in been on the fourth evening when England were 183 for two, even before that when Root and Ollie Pope were into the guts of their work having joined up with a mildly precarious 51 for two on the board in pursuit of 296.By 2.34pm, we had our answer, as Bairstow struck a four and then six to finish on 71, while Root had only managed six more. The only person helped to three figures was Blackcaps off spinner Michael Bracewell. Just 64 minutes after the delayed start of 1:30pm, the final 113 runs had been bashed about with ease, Root and Bairstow with 111 of them in a remarkable 14.3 overs.It couldn’t have ended any other way. Could it? Once you talk a big game, you’ve got to front up. But perhaps the biggest takeaway from the manner in which this third and final Test at Headingley was won, in keeping with the previous two at Lord’s and Trent Bridge, was that it spoke more of conditioning than sticking to a promise.It might have been nice for Pope to have been there at the end, and not even Bairstow could have trumped Pope’s century had he done so. Alas he was only able to add a solitary run to his overnight score of 81 before losing his off stump to Southee. Even so, 82 is comfortably his highest score in the second half of a Test. His previous best in either the third or fourth innings had been his 20 not out during the Lord’s refusal of 2021, when England had failed to go for a target go 273, also against New Zealand. They’ve chased higher three times in the last month alone.Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root are all smiles after England registered a comprehensive seven-wicket win•Getty ImagesIn fact, England’s 277 at Lord’s, their 299 in Nottingham and now the 296 in Leeds are all in the top 12 of the team’s highest-ever chases. And who knows how many more they may shoehorn into the list while in this mood. Not that they’re in the record-breaking business, . “Yesterday, no one really even noticed the scoreboard about [New Zealand’s] runs ahead,” said a proud Ben Stokes in his press conference at stumps. “Because when it was our turn to bat we were always going to look to try and chase it down. When you’re not worried about how many runs ahead, and you’re just worried about taking wickets, it’s obviously going to put you in a really good place.”We may never know quite how everyone has bought into this project individually at this point. But the sum of the whole has clearly been enough to carry each other over the threshold. Let’s not forget: England were 55 for six after New Zealand posted 329, then 243 behind as Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell combined to blunt and frustrate yet again, with five second-innings wickets still to go.Jack Leach spoke on day four that his ten-wicket haul came about how ridding his mind of negativity, whether that manifested itself as a defensive line or pushing the odd fielder back. At the other end of the spectrum is Zak Crawley, who finishes the series with an average of 14.50 and heads into this week’s Test against India with unwavering support from those in the dressing-room and immeasurable doubt from countless outside.Crawley may well go on to be the best control experiment imaginable, the means by which to check just how therapeutic the McCullum-Stokes axis truly is. Both back him unequivocally, to the extent that there was no thought put to replacing him in the squad for India, almost treating him a bit like a slot machine on the cusp of paying out big.Right now, the example of Bairstow is the most applicable, even if he did arrive into the summer as the only batter besides the ubiquitous Root with two centuries already this year. But three innings into the series he had 25 runs to his name. Three innings later, it was 394 (at 78.8) and an absurd strike rate of 120.12. He was unlucky to miss out on the two gongs given out on Monday evening: despite 233 runs in the third Test, the player of the match award went to Leach, and the player of the series award to Root for scoring 396 across these fixtures.There is no doubt, though, the man at the centre of it all is Stokes. He will go out of his way to avoid the credit, which goes back to his call for selfless cricketers when he first took the gig. And he has led the way in aggression these last few weeks, from the fields he sets, the two-step he’s now incorporated into every attack on all bowlers, to his team talks, which at times have even caused McCullum to blush.Related

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Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root rampage to England's seven-wicket win, and series clean-sweep

“I think he might have me covered to be honest,” McCullum laughed to Sky, before revealing how Stokes came into the dressing-room at tea on day four, by which point England were already on course for their target of 296 with 40 overs remaining in the day. “He’s like, well we’ll just knock it off tonight.” When McCullum went to interject, Stokes went on: “Well, you get the extra half hour as well, it’s 47 overs, so that’s only seven an over. Let’s see how we get on”.They had to come back the next day, of course, though they did not need much more than an hour to get it done in the end. With that, Stokes’ England became the first Test side to successfully chase targets of over 250 three times in a single series. All three of them canings for the inaugural World Test Champions.Truth be told, this might be as good as it gets. The reason for this approach to Test cricket is purely down to the fact that everything England had tried previously produced the same, lacklustre results. And its crux is simply to embolden streaky players and, ultimately, kid them into not regarding themselves as streaky at all. Chasing, as tough as it is usually regarded, feeds into the clarity, of knowing exactly what you need to get to win. Setting up a match and having to bowl a team out to win will be an altogether different test. And surely no opposition will be as obliging as the Blackcaps have been here.How long this lasts, how robustly it holds up to higher quality questioning and harsh criticism remains to be seen. But as they stayed in the home dressing-room at Headingley to cheer to each other’s successes ahead of another night out on the town, it is clear this is a group of cricketers expressing themselves, having fun and winning while doing so. In any walk of life, that is a beautiful place to be.

BRISTOL, TENN. — On Sept. 2, 1961, just 41 days after the Bristol Motor Speedway opened in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the race track hosted an exhibition NFL game on land that had previously been a dairy farm. Billed as the “First Annual Pro-Bowl Football Game,” the clash between Philadelphia and Washington attracted just 8,500 fans and failed to generate a profit. One of the players would later call it “the worst field I had ever seen.” There was no second iteration. 

R.G. Pope, one of the three original co-owners of the track—and my great, great uncle—sold his stake in Bristol Motor Speedway due to his disappointment not long after. It’s safe to say he should've been more patient with his investment.

Bristol Motor Speedway has become known as The Last Great Colosseum, one of the country’s crown jewel stadiums. It hosts two NASCAR Cup Series events per year and is renowned in racing for its speed and high, 30-degree banks on the curves that allow it to lay claim to being the “world’s fastest half-mile.” Its capacity ballooned to over eight times its original figure over the course of several expansion projects, making it second to only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway among U.S. racing venues in terms of capacity. And in a reversal of fortune on the gridiron, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted a 2016 clash between the Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies that drew 156,990 fans, a college football record. 

This weekend, the track helped MLB set a regular-season attendance record, as the Speedway Classic between the Braves and Reds sold 91,032 tickets, topping the 84,587 fans who watched Cleveland host the Yankees on Sept. 12, 1954. Unfortunately, the event may be remembered by fans as more trouble than it was worth, partially due to circumstances beyond MLB’s control and partially due to some mismanagement amid what was an extraordinary lift on the production side to put on the first-ever major league game in a NASCAR stadium. 

“Honestly, my first thought is I can’t believe they did all this for one game,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said Saturday before the game’s postponement. “To be able to set all this up, get a playing surface ready … It's pretty incredible.”

The artificial playing surface was heavily tested by a slow-moving storm that lingered in Bristol throughout Saturday and started dumping rain at a far greater pace just minutes before the scheduled start time of 7:15 p.m. After a two-hour, 17-minute delay, the teams took the field, but couldn’t even make it through a full inning before the skies opened up again and the tarp came back out. Less than an hour later, the game was suspended until Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a tough situation. We live in this part of the country where those [storms] pop up and the rain is unpredictable, and you can see a window [to play] and then it shuts right there in front of you,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said Sunday. “I thought Major League Baseball did a great job. They tried to get it through. Terry and I both wanted to put it to bed last night; it didn’t happen. … Everybody that was making those decisions, it’s not easy. When you’re in those rooms, and it’s a game of this magnitude, those aren’t easy decisions.”

The stands were noticeably thinner Sunday, at least at the outset. Perhaps that was due to fans’ pre-booked travel plans to leave that morning. Perhaps it was because they were frustrated by having to wait out Saturday’s delay as concession stands ran out of supplies. (MLB allowed fans to bring in food and soft drinks Sunday, seemingly an admission of the dreadfully long lines that plagued Saturday). Or perhaps they were discouraged by the arduous late-night exit process, as a location bereft of adequate public transportation and rideshare drivers forced most fans to walk long distances in the rain to their car or a suitable spot to be picked up.

The attendance milestone should perhaps come with an asterisk, anyway—even with some sections blocked off, thousands of fans had terribly obstructed views due to the press box along the third base line, a rather careless oversight seemingly born from the league’s desire to set an attendance record. That being said, there were plenty of open seats and tickets weren’t being checked at section entrances, so if fans wanted to upgrade their views the old-fashioned way, the opportunity was there—and many clearly took it. 

As it were, the home of racing’s fastest half-mile ended up hosting baseball’s slowest half-inning. The Reds scored once in the bottom of the first before the game was called Saturday. Braves youngster Hurston Waldrep, who was supposed to pitch in Triple A on Sunday, was instead called up overnight and relieved starter Austin Cox upon the resumption of play Sunday. He retired the side before going on to earn his first major league win. “One inning down!” one fan sarcastically yelled upon the completion of the near 16-hour opening frame. 

Liam Scott made 53 to go with his five wickets while Ben Manenti finished 49 not out as South Australia won by three wickets in a tight fourth innings chase

AAP12-Nov-2025

Beau Webster dismissed Alex Carey and took eight wickets for the match•Getty Images

Australia’s incumbent Test allrounder Beau Webster has taken eight wickets, including Travis Head twice and Alex Carey once, but it wasn’t enough for Tasmania as Liam Scott and Ben Manenti guided South Australia to their first win of the Sheffield Shield season in Hobart.Needing to manufacture the highest innings of a bowler-dominated match, the reigning champions recovered from 88 for 5 to chase down the target of 217.Cult hero Manenti was one of the heroes, scoring an unbeaten 49 from No.8. Manenti also took the crucial wickets of Beau Webster, Tim Ward and Brad Hope in Tasmania’s second innings to help bowl the Tigers out for 184. He put on a crucial 71-run stand with player of the match Scott to steer the visitors out of trouble.Related

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South Australia were winless from their first three games of the season, losing two and drawing the other. The result came against stiff opposition, with Australia’s incumbent Test No.6 Beau Webster starring with the ball to ensure he remains in contention to keep his spot.After claiming 5 for 50 in the first innings, Webster backed it up with 3 for 73 in the losing cause.Two of his victims were Travis Head and Alex Carey, his Australian teammates. Head edged Webster to slips on 15 from a ripping off-cutter, continuing his disappointing run of form leading into the Ashes.Since smashing a blazing ODI century against South Africa in August, his highest score has been 31 in 11 innings.Although Webster got the better of his Test teammates, he was taken apart by Manenti and Scott, with his wickets coming at more than six runs an over.Manenti was thrilled with the win.”We’ve been pretty successful down here the last couple of years. It’s a place we love to come and play at,” he said. “Probably rode the game a bit, it was a tricky wicket early.”We needed it. We’ve been close the last couple of weeks, playing some really good cricket, we’ve just lost patches.”South Australia will return to Adelaide Oval for their next match against Western Australia, starting on November 22.

There has now been a major injury update on West Ham United star Crysencio Summerville ahead of the Premier League fixture against Liverpool this Sunday.

West Ham had to make do without the winger for the trip to AFC Bournemouth at the weekend, with Nuno’s side taking a point at the Vitality Stadium, although they will be frustrated they were unable to take more from the game.

The Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead against the Cherries, courtesy of a Callum Wilson brace before half-time, but Bournemouth fought back to earn a point, with Marcus Tavernier and Enes Unal getting on the scoresheet.

With Leeds United falling to a 2-1 defeat at home against Aston Villa, the Irons remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference, but they will need all the help they can get in the coming weeks, as there are some tricky fixtures on the horizon.

West Ham United’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Liverpool (h)

November 30th

Manchester United (a)

December 4th

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

December 7th

Aston Villa (h)

December 14th

Manchester City (a)

December 20th

Injury update on West Ham's Crysencio Summerville ahead of Liverpool

As reported by The Standard, Nuno has now been handed a boost heading into this weekend’s fixture against Liverpool, with Summerville expected to return to training this week, having seemingly made strides towards recovering from a calf strain.

The 24-year-old is set to be in contention for the game against Arne Slot’s side, which will be welcome news for West Ham, given that Niclas Fullkrug is out due to a thigh issue, and they are keen not to overuse Wilson, despite the striker bagging a brace last time out.

Former Leeds United U23 manager Andrew Taylor has waxed lyrical about the Dutchman in the past, saying: “Everything going forward he’s fantastic at, but he doesn’t just stop there, he does the defensive work as well, he works really hard.”

Since moving to the London Stadium, however, the Rotterdam-born winger’s progress has been hampered by a number of injuries, having spent large parts of the 2024-25 campaign on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue.

That said, the former Leeds man has exhibited some promising signs this season, having already registered two assists in the Premier League, albeit both came in the 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest at the end of August.

Summerville still retains the backing of Nuno, however, who said last month: “I think he can be really important. Against Brentford, he started really well and, in terms of distance, in terms of work rate, it was a good 90 minutes for him.

“So we expect, as time goes by, to elevate his fitness, because to produce all of the actions he has to be on his top level.

The West Ham boss will be hoping for a similar performance this weekend, with his side taking on Liverpool at a good time, given that they have lost six of their last seven Premier League games.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 25, 2025

The best teams in football have always been built on at least a few brilliant partnerships, and this Arsenal side are no different.

Mikel Arteta’s side is full of duos who complement and perfectly understand one another, with the most obvious example being the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

The two centre-backs have played a massive part in making the Gunners the best defensive side in the Premier League, if not Europe, and have appeared in 129 competitive matches together, averaging 2.16 points per game.

However, as exceptional a pairing as they are, Arsenal’s Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night made it clear that Arteta might have already created an even better one.

Arsenal's standout performers vs Bayern

It wouldn’t be an overreaction to say that, given the opponent and competition, Wednesday night was one of Arsenal’s most impressive performances under Arteta’s reign.

Chalkboard

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

In other words, there were sensational displays from practically everyone donning the red and white, but someone who really stood out was Jurrien Timber.

The former Ajax gem was the one who opened the scoring, heading home from a corner, but he did far more than that.

Minutes

81′

Expected Goals

0.52

Goals

1

Tackles (Won)

2 (2)

Interceptions

1

Recoveries

4

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (3)

Long Balls

1/1

Dribbles

1/1

For example, in addition to providing a constant threat down the right-hand side and linking up nicely with Bukayo Saka, the Dutch international was almost perfect from a defensive point of view.

In his 81 minutes of action, he won 100% of his tackles and aerial duels, made one interception, recovered the ball four times, and more than justified The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid claim that he’s “the best right-back in the world at the minute.”

Another starter who deserves praise is Eberechi Eze, as while he was quieter than on the weekend, he still provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli.

Moreover, he had some real moments of quality in and around the Germans’ penalty area.

Finally, Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke made quite the impact coming off the bench, with the former setting up the latter to score his first goal for the club.

With all that said, one of the reasons these players were able to shine is the efforts of a partnership within the side that might just be better than Gabriel and Saliba’s.

Arsenal's new best partnership

While Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera looked great on Wednesday, as did Eze and Mikel Merino, neither of those pairings is shaping up to be Arsenal’s best new duo.

Chalkboard

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

Instead, that title goes to the brewing partnership between Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice.

Yes, while the Englishman was already performing at a world-class level for the Gunners over the last two years, the arrival of the Spaniard has helped him to further improve.

The former West Ham United captain has even said as much after Wednesday’s game, telling TNT Sports that the side “all trust him with the ball.”

The addition of the former Real Sociedad star has allowed the 26-year-old to maraud forward more freely, which is precisely what he did on multiple occasions against the Baverians.

However, he also still drops deeper on occasion and continues to do plenty of the dirty work, which is one of the reasons they’re such an incredible pairing, and why content creator Jamie Kent has dubbed the Englishman “the best midfielder in Europe.”

The watching press were unsurprisingly impressed with the two midfielders on Wednesday, with the Express’ Tom Parsons awarding both 9/10 match ratings.

That might sound slightly over the top, but it’s really not, and their statistics prove as much.

For example, in his 94 minutes, the Spaniard took 50 touches, completed 40 passes, was accurate with 100% of his long balls, recovered the ball three times, blocked one shot, and didn’t get dribbled past once.

In his 94 minutes, the £105m man produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.61, played three key passes, took one shot on target, won 100% of his tackles, made one interception, took 66 touches, completed 39 passes, blocked one shot and recovered the ball five times.

Ultimately, while it was just the 16th competitive game Rice and Zubimendi have played together, Arsenal’s win over Bayern Munich was just more evidence that they could well be the Gunners’ new most important duo.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025