Bayern Munich have ruled themselves out of the Mohamed Salah transfer race, with his future at Liverpool hanging in the balance. After being left out on the bench by Arne Slot for the three successive Premier League games, the Egyptian winger went on an explosive rant to the press about his treatment as he even hinted he could exit Anfield in the January transfer window.

Is Salah staying at Liverpool?

Following his snub from the Liverpool starting line for the third consecutive Premier League match last weekend, Salah had an outburst in front of the media where he slammed the club and the manager and also cast doubt on his future at Anfield. The Egypt international said: "I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep their promises. 

"I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday – you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew. Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup [of Nations]. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWill Bayern Munich sign Salah?

Following his public outburst, Salah has been tipped to move away from Anfield next month and several top clubs in Europe, including Bayern Munich, and the Saudi Pro League, have been linked with the winger.

Bayern chief Max Eberl, however, ruled out the possibility of the Liverpool star joining them as he told : "We have an outstanding talent in Lennart Karl. Putting someone ahead of him now makes absolutely no sense."

He added: "We've talked about the squad before – we have players coming back [from injury]. The transfers are coming from within. There are no plans to bring in any new players right now; the squad is homogeneous and balanced. A new player could also cause unrest because roles would shift."

Salah told he has the 'brains of a beetle'

Amid the conflict at Anfield, Slot found support from compatriot and Dutch legend Marco van Basten as the former striker slammed Salah for his behaviour. Van Basten told : "I'd say: the brains of a cockchafer. If you react like that… He did very well last year, but this season he's not good. He's just been bad these past few months. I always find Slot honest and straightforward. He doesn't shy away from a fight and ultimately doesn't say anything unwise. Salah, on the other hand, really started attacking the man and reacting incorrectly."

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AFPSlot's response to Salah's outburst

A day after Salah went public with his frustration over the lack of game time, Slot addressed the media to share his reaction, as he said: "I don't feel that my authority has been undermined. It's not the way I feel it. It's not about me, if my life is difficult, yes or no, that's not very important in a situation like this. It's if it is more difficult for the team and for the club. No one likes us to be in the situation we're in at the moment. First of all, it's difficult to see staff members who work so hard are affected by the situation we're in now. Mainly because of the results. I'm the manager, I have to pick a team so to a certain extent I'm important, but my focus is on the team and not on me." 

When asked if Salah would remain at Liverpool in the long term, Slot replied: "I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment in time."

Manchester City fell by the wayside last season. An upswing in form toward the end of the campaign saw Pep Guardiola’s side salvage Champions League football.

It was a great shock for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions, and some even clamoured for Guardiola to step down. But the legendary manager has picked his outfit back up, refashioning them into title challengers once again.

Kevin De Bruyne left at the end of his contract, but the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have joined winter recruits such as Omar Marmoush in defining a new age at the Etihad.

Man City’s tactical brand has changed, and no mistake. While an averseness to dribbling was never an accurate description of Pep’s vision, there’s no doubt a fresh emphasis has been placed on his side’s dribbling.

Pep's dribbling renaissance at Man City

Often has Guardiola been criticised for numbing the pulse of his ball carriers, Jack Grealish being a case in point. While it’s true that the sum of the Spaniard’s system is greater than its individual parts, it is a machine of many different dimensions, and fleet-footed brilliance has always been a part of that.

In the past, wingers such as Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane played instrumental roles in establishing City’s early meteoric success, the bedrock of a dynasty that rivals any across English football history.

Sane, in particular, was an incredible dribbler with searing speed, especially before an ACL injury suffered in 2019, which forced the German to reinvent himself somewhat.

Praised by Guardiola for his athleticism and “incredible quality”, Sane, now at Bayern Munich, is fondly remembered by the Sky Blues, with that particular brand of electric-paced dribbling hard to replicate.

Signing stars like Rayan Ait-Nouri and Cherki this summer underscores Pep’s desire for a faster brand of dribbling in his Citizen side once again.

Sane might be a one-of-a-kind type of attacker, but there are similar variations with skillsets perfect for Guardiola’s teachings. Pep knows his stuff, and he might have found not just a belated superstar replacement, but someone who might actually be even better than the former City winger.

Man City's ball-carrying superstar

There’s only one man in question here: Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger has been in fine fettle indeed across the opening weeks of the campaign, with talent scout Jacek Kulig noting he has “taken his game to a whole new level”.

Man City signed the dynamic wideman from French club Rennes for about £55m in 2023, but his first two terms in the Premier League have been characterised by an ebb and flow in the final third, scoring three times each year.

However, creativity has always been one of the 23-year-old’s strongest suits, and he’s married that with a new level of completeness and gusto with has borne dividends across these early weeks.

Three assists from six Premier League matches is good going, but Doku’s skill and explosiveness on the ball have been things to behold; now, there’s a new confidence and clarity about his performances.

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Doku ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 (data courtesy of FBref), but he’s also in the top percentile for shot-creating actions, underlining his effectiveness when entering the danger area.

And this season, he leads the way in the Premier League, more accurate when progressing the ball than his attacking rivals.

Premier League 25/26 – Top Dribblers
Player	Success rate	Per 90
Jeremy Doku	54.5%	4.3
Mohammed Kudus	48.0%	4.1
Estavao	47.8%	4.0
Noah Okafor	43.5%	3.9
Rico Henry	77.8%	3.7
Data via FotMob

Might City have one of the finest dribblers in Europe? Undoubtedly. In fact, pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone as far as to claim that Doku is “one of the best dribblers in Premier League history”.

Valued at around £58m by Football Transfers, Manchester City haven’t quite got bang for their buck from a financial standpoint yet, but Doku is only 23, remember, and is showing all the signs of incremental growth which has not yet reached full bloom.

He’s the real deal, and if he maintains this level, he might even eclipse Sane and the like as the best dribbler across the entire Guardiola era at Manchester City.

Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"

Manchester City let this top talent slip through their fingers.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 3, 2025

Cam Cannarella made his professional debut this week with the Miami Marlins Advanced A club the Beloit Sky Carp. Cannarella doubled twice in his first game with Beloit, but it was what he did in the field during his second game that made him go viral.

Beloit was playing the South Bend Cubs on Thursday when Rafael Morel, the brother of Tampa Bay Rays' utility player Christopher Morel, hit a fly ball to deep centerfield. Cannarella turned and ran towards the wall, making a Willie Mays-style over-the-head catch look way too easy for the second out of the inning.

If you're wondering why Cannarella didn't make a big deal about this catch, well, it's because he's done it before.

During the 2024 Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament he made a game-saving over-the-head catch in extra innings that also drew Willie Mays comparisons.

It's been quite a summer for Cannarella, who played his final college game on June 1st against the University of Kentucky. Miami took him with the No. 43 pick in the draft a month ago and he just signed his contract on July 28th.

Now he's hitting doubles and making spectacular catches in the minor leagues.

The multi-format South Africa tour will keep India busy at the turn of the year, and there will be extra focus on the T20I series with a World Cup months away

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Nov-2023The India squads for the South Africa tour are set to be picked on November 30 in Delhi. In all, the tour will include three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests. While the primary focus will be on winning in South Africa, the selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar will also look to address some of the broader selections for the T20 World Cup, which will start in June, immediately after the 2024 IPL.With India playing only six T20Is between the current home series and the T20 World Cup, ESPNcricinfo looks at some of the tough and significant questions the selectors are likely to deliberate on.

Who leads at T20 WC – Rohit or Pandya?

Since India lost the 2022 World Cup semi-final against England last November, Rohit Sharma has not played T20Is. In his absence, Hardik Pandya presented himself as an eligible successor to Rohit in the shortest format.However, two things happened at the ODI World Cup to force a rethink on who is best to lead India at the T20 World Cup. First, Hardik hurt his left ankle in the first half of the World Cup while trying to intercept the ball in his follow-through. A ligament tear was not detected but eventually Hardik was ruled out for two months in early November, which means he will miss the South Africa tour.The second factor was Rohit’s explosive starts at the World Cup alongside his aggressive captaincy, which led a ruthless India to 10 straight wins until Australia beat them in the final.If Rohit is able to display similar explosive intent in T20Is, it has the potential to once again set India up for big scores. Plus, Rohit’s T20 leadership acumen has never been in doubt. While Hardik earned his leadership badge by winning the IPL in 2022 with Gujarat Titans, who also made the final last season, he has never led an Indian team that has included the senior quartet of Rohit, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. It doesn’t mean he is not capable, but the question would be who is the best captain – to provide clarity of roles as well as take tough calls under pressure.

Does Kohli find a place in T20Is?

Like Rohit, Kohli hasn’t played T20Is since the 2022 World Cup. However, he was the fourth-highest run-getter in the 2023 IPL, during which he scored successive centuries that took him past Chris Gayle’s tally of most tons in the tournament’s history. “A lot of people feel my T20 cricket is declining, but I don’t feel like that at all,” Kohli had said then. “I feel I am playing my best T20 cricket again.”Despite strident criticism, Kohli, who has been the Player of the Tournament at two T20 World Cups to go with the recent ODI World Cup award, has been adamant about sticking to the anchor-style batting: starting conservatively, pushing the ball into gaps in the middle overs before the explosive finish. It is an approach adopted in the past by Rohit and Rahul, with whom he formed India’s top order at the past two editions of the T20 World Cup.Among the top Indian openers in all T20 cricket, only Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit have struck at more than 130 per 100 balls in the powerplay since October 2021. It is worth mentioning here that Shubman Gill displayed much improved intent during this year’s IPL, and went at above 150 in the powerplay. In this same period, Kohli’s first 10-ball strike rate is 113.33 while Jitesh Sharma (165.54), Jaiswal (150.12) and Suryakumar Yadav (145.50) have shown more early intent.The question then for the selectors is: does Kohli fit in as the No. 3? One way for that to happen is if both openers go aggressive before Kohli adapts based on the situation. The alternative is to consider a new batter with a faster pick-up.It could not be confirmed whether Kohli will sit out the white-ball leg of the South Africa series, but even if he does, the selectors need to make their decision quickly. It would be risky to defer the decision to closer to the World Cup. If the selectors and the team management decide to move on, they ought to inform Kohli and also identify the batter they feel can replace him at No. 3.

Who should be the two wicketkeeper-batters?

Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Jitesh have performed or been part of the T20 squads in the past couple of years to perform that role. While Rahul played a winning hand in India reaching the ODI World Cup final recently, in T20s he has struggled with slower starts, which has stunted his team’s momentum. Also, the bigger challenge with Rahul is that he has played mainly as an opener – both for India and in the IPL – for the past several years. At the last T20 World Cup, too, it was Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik who kept wicket.Since November 2019, Rahul has not batted in the middle order in any T20 game. As a middle-order batter Rahul’s numbers read: 1223 runs in 50 innings at an average of 32.18 with a strike rate of 127.66 with two centuries. As an opener, since October 2021, Rahul has made 1802 runs in 49 innings at 41.90 with a strike rate of 132.59.While his experience and keeping skills are in no doubt, can Rahul fit in to the middle order when there are more power hitters available?If Pant was fit, he would be a favourite to make the 15. However, the BCCI has not yet given an updated timeline on Pant’s return. Even if Pant were to play in the IPL, his keeping and batting form are not guaranteed. Kishan and Jitesh, who are currently playing the T20I series against Australia, are other viable options. Kishan, though, is a top-order batter while Jitesh is a finisher, a role he has performed well for Punjab Kings. Samson, who last featured on the Ireland tour, is again a top-order batter.

Who are the options for bowling allrounders (outside of Hardik)?

Rahul Dravid and Rohit have both stressed on the importance of having batting depth balanced by bowling depth. That was one reason Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel were part of the original 15 for the World Cup. Both will again be part of the set of bowling allrounders the selectors will look at along with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Chahar.While Jadeja and Axar are primarily middle-overs specialists, Chahar and Washington can make an impact in the powerplay. Both of them can also play useful batting cameos. While Washington can bat anywhere, Chahar has the capability to bat No. 8 or 9, which means Indian tail won’t be that long.

Who will be Bumrah’s partners?

Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya will be automatic first picks. Both can deliver in all three phases in an innings. However, the squad will need two other fast bowlers. The contenders are Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan and Chahar, who was added for the final three T20Is of the ongoing Australia series.

Tottenham Hotspur recorded possibly their most impressive win of the season on Tuesday night as they beat Copenhagen 4-0 with ten men in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s side hit a seasonal high of eight ‘big chances’ created throughout the game, which shows that they were incredibly effective offensively.

Micky van de Ven scored the pick of the goals with his incredible solo run from one box to the other to score his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions.

Randal Kolo Muani led the line for Spurs as their number nine and was unable to get on the scoresheet, but he did provide an assist for Wilson Odobert’s goal.

The PSG loanee has yet to score in seven appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and has missed three ‘big chances’ in front of goal in that time.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to retain his starting spot once Dominic Solanke is fit and available for action.

Why Dominic Solanke may be on borrowed time at Spurs

The England international has been out of action since August with an ankle injury, and is expected to be back and available for selection by the end of November.

Solanke will have to compete with Richarlison and Kolo Muani for a place in the starting line-up when he is back, and he may need to improve upon his form from his first season with the club.

The Lilywhites made him their club-record signing for a fee of £65m when they signed him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to justify that outlay.

Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which was a decent return. However, his performances in the Premier League left a little bit to be desired.

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the English centre-forward underperformed his xG by roughly two goals and missed three more ‘big chances’ than goals scored.

A goal every 245 minutes for a club-record signing, who should be in the prime of his career at 27, does not suggest that Spurs have had much value for money so far.

Football Insider recently reported that Frank has been disappointed with the striker’s performances and injury problems, which does not bode well for his future in North London.

That report and Solanke’s underwhelming statistics, given the money paid for him, suggest that he may be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Kolo Muani’s start to life in England has been fairly unimpressive, with no goals in seven games, but Spurs do have another striker on the way who could end Solanke’s career in North London.

18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia is due to arrive at the club to complete his move from St. Patrick’s Athletic when the January transfer window opens for business, after a deal was agreed in February before his 18th birthday.

Why Mason Melia could end Dominic Solanke's Spurs career

Frank will have a decision to make on the teenage marksman for the second half of the season, because he will have the option to bring the Irishman into the first-team squad.

Given that the Danish head coach is reportedly unimpressed by Solanke, the January transfer window would also provide Spurs with an opportunity to shuffle the pack by attempting to move their club-record signing on from the club.

With Kolo Muani and Richarlison already at the club, Melia’s arrival at the start of 2026 would mean that Frank has enough options in the number nine position to part ways with the English striker.

Whether or not Melia is ready to make the step up to the Premier League with Spurs remains to be seen, but his performances at a young age in Ireland have been impressive.

The 18-year-old marksman, who only turned 18 in September, has scored 25 goals in 98 appearances in all competitions for St. Patrick’s Athletic at first-team level to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has plenty of senior experience despite his age.

Melia’s composure in the clip above for one of his goals against Cork City is evidence that he has maturity and composure that belies his years. This suggests that he may be able to handle the pressure that would come with stepping into the first-team with Spurs next year.

Appearances

35

Starts

29

Goals

13

Minutes per goal

199

Conversion rate

15%

Big chances created

5

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 league goals for his club in the 2025 campaign, averaging a goal every 199 minutes, which is more impressive than Solanke’s aforementioned minutes per goal rate last season in the Premier League.

Melia, who was described as “relentless” and a “hidden gem” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has yet to prove himself in a major league, like the Premier League, but his goal output and composure at such a young age in Ireland are incredibly promising.

Tottenham clearly saw big potential in him, hence why they agreed to sign the forward in February, and Frank will have the chance to assess him up close in January when he arrives in North London.

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ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

If Melia is able to impress the manager and fight for a place in the first-team squad, it could be the end of Solanke’s career at North London, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Manchester United have now entered concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and a move could be possible in the January transfer window.

Man United have a reputation of bringing through young players, having named at least one academy graduate in every first-team squad since October 1937, and they have continued to rely on youngsters in the early stages of the new Premier League season.

Senne Lammens appears to have taken Altay Bayindir’s shirt and established himself as the new starting goalkeeper, with Ruben Amorim also regularly calling upon the likes of Leny Yoro, Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko’s arrival at the club was met with scepticism, given that on paper the Slovenian looked like another Rasmus Hojliund-type signing, considering he is just 22-years-old and arguably doesn’t have the experience to lead the line for a club like United.

However, after taking a while to get going, the striker has now started to prove his worth, picking up two goals and an assist in his last four matches, most recently setting up Bryan Mbeumo’s first goal in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Man Utd enter talks to sign Kevin Filling

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Man United are now in “concrete” negotiations to sign another young striker, entering talks to sign AIK Fotboll’s Filling, who is valued at around €3m (£2.6m).

The “talented” youngster could be on the move as early as this winter, suggesting the Red Devils could get a deal done in the January transfer window, but there may be competition for his signature, as some unnamed Bundesliga clubs also find the centre-forward “interesting”.

At just 16-years-old, the striker is very much one for the future, but he has already made a breakthrough at senior level with AIK Fotboll, chipping in with two Allsvenskan goals in seven appearances so far this season.

The young Swedish forward has also started to make an impression at international level, making three appearances for Sweden U18s, and he netted a brace in an international friendly against Wales U18s earlier this month.

Of course, at just 16-years-old, Filling is likely to be some way off first-team level at a club like Man United, so it would make sense if he was sent back on loan to his current club or perhaps a smaller English club to gain more experience.

However, at around just £2.6m, it is definitely a risk worth taking for Man United, who should definitely try to get a deal done this winter.

Manchester United are also showing interest in Bayern Munich star Harry Kane £86m striker who Harry Maguire called "world-class" now key target for Man Utd

A top striker has now emerged as one of the Red Devils’ main targets.

ByDominic Lund Oct 16, 2025

Shrubsole said there was no place for Healy in their top five, while Nayar of UPW called it “unfortunate”

Sreshth Shah27-Nov-2025At the WPL 2026 auction, one of the biggest talking points was Australia’s Alyssa Healy going unsold. She was the first name drawn from the eight-player marquee list to start the auction in Delhi but received no bids.At that point, it was possible teams were holding off, prioritising other players and planning to revisit Healy later in the accelerated round. But when the re-run took place, no team listed her on their wishlist and, therefore, her name did not come up again.After the auction, Anya Shrubsole, assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW), explained why they did not bid for Healy. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Jonathan Batty said Healy was on their list, but squad “flexibility” took priority.”Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons,” Nayar said. “When you’re allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It’s a tough situation for someone of her stature.”Shrubsole said Healy did not fit RCB’s combination. “We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well,” she said. “With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn’t make sense for us.”Healy entered the auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh after being released by UPW, who had signed her for INR 70 lakh for the first two seasons. A foot injury kept her out of last season. She has 428 runs in 17 WPL games at an average of 26.75 and a strike rate of 130.48. She is currently playing for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and recently scored consecutive ODI World Cup hundreds against India and Bangladesh.While opening batters and potential captains were not in high demand, wicketkeepers surely were. Gujarat Giants (GG) had retained wicketkeeper Beth Mooney but also bought Yastika Bhatia (currently injured) for INR 50 lakh. DC bought South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and Taniya Bhatia for a combined INR 60 lakh. UPW opted for an inexperienced Shipra Giri as their lone keeper for INR 10 lakh. Mumbai Indians (MI) had retained G Kamalini and RCB had retained Richa.Other overseas players to go unsold included the England pair of Heather Knight and Alice Capsey, Australia’s trio of Alana King, Amanda Jade-Wellington and Darcie Brown, and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu.Amelia Kerr was the highest-paid overseas player, signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore. She was followed by Sophie Devine (Gujarat Giants for INR 2 crore) and Meg Lanning (UP Warriorz for INR 1.90 crore).

Good friend Jos Buttler gave a moving address to mark the milestone before England’s win over India

Valkerie Baynes16-Mar-2021Eoin Morgan has revealed that he was moved to the verge of tears by Jos Buttler’s words to mark his 100th T20I, before England took the field for their eight-wicket defeat of India on Tuesday.Morgan became the first England men’s player to reach the milestone – Danni Wyatt and Jenny Gunn had already done so for England Women – and the fourth man overall after Shoaib Malik, Rohit Sharma and Ross Taylor.Morgan, who led England to victory in the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and now has his sights set on the T20 World Cup in India in October, was applauded by his team in a huddle after a short presentation by Buttler before the start of play.Related

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“It nearly brought me to tears to be honest,” Morgan told the host broadcaster after England romped to victory with 10 balls to spare, thanks to a seriously quick display from Mark Wood and a stunning 83 not out off just 52 balls from Buttler.”It meant a huge amount, He’s a great friend of mine, our families are quite close, and playing in 100 games is a proud moment for me. But just the words that he said, really did sort of warm my heart and I’m very grateful for it.”Morgan was pleased with the start his quicks, Wood, Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan, gave the side after a solid first over from spinner Adil Rashid, opening the bowling for the second time in three matches this series.”The carry that we saw throughout the whole game was a bit of a surprise to us, ” he said. “Our guys don’t find that too hard to adjust to and enjoy it when there’s a bit of pace and bounce, so I thought the first half of our bowling was exceptional. When you look at the lines and lengths that we bowled, the plans that we had, and obviously taking early wickets as well in such a long batting line-up, makes a huge difference in the game.”Today, probably of all the games, the wicket stayed very similar, but I do think there is another challenge with setting a total, particularly when there’s one short side on the ground, you just don’t know what a good score is going to be. And I think if you lose early wickets on top of that, that raises another question, Obviously you have to play well to be in the game, and then take advantage of it.”It’s just the dynamics of T20 cricket, it just goes to show how strong every side in the world has to be and the preparation that goes into every series, obviously with the World Cup in seven months’ time.”And he spoke highly of Buttler, who took on spinner Yuzvendra Chahal with two sixes in his first over and two fours in his second, helping himself to 14 runs off Shardul Thakur in between as he moved to 43 off just 17 balls by the end of the powerplay.”Jos is a world class player,” Morgan added. “We’re very lucky to have him. Since he’s taken on the role at the top of the order, he’s averaged upwards of 50 and striking at 150, so he competes with the best in the world when it comes to opening the batting. He’s been in incredible form, he’s a great leader within our group. He’s been around for an incredibly long time, and in the change-room obviously he has a huge influence.”Buttler, who shared an unbroken 77-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow, hailed the win as “a great team performance”.”Any time you take early wickets in a powerplay really sets you up, and we’ve got some good partnerships together to see us home,” Buttler said.”In a little way sometimes people don’t expect me to attack the spin as well so I thought I’d like to try and take it on. Chahal’s a fantastic bowler, had some good battles against him. But it’s nice to chance my arm a bit today.”As for what he said to Morgan before the match, Buttler added: “I tried to get across what a special achievement it is and what he’s done for English white-ball cricket.”Today is about him and reaching that milestone. He’s been a pioneer for England white-ball cricketers. As a leader he has taken English white-ball cricket to a place it’s never been before.”He’s always been ahead of the curve, alongside Kevin Pietersen. They were the two guys that I always looked to in white-ball teams who could do it a bit differently.” Wood finished his first two-over spell with 2 for 10, as India limped to 24 for 3 in the powerplay, and ended with match figures of 3 for 31 off four, after Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 77 had lifted his side to 156 for 6.”I was just trying to bang into the wicket on a good length as fast as I can, trying to make something happen,” Wood said. “He [Kohli] is a fantastic player, very hard to bowl at. Even some of my plans at the end, he played great shots off those and sometimes you have to say, ‘well played’.”

New Zealand allrounder Zak Foulkes is set to his play first home Test, in front of family and friends, in Christchurch

Deivarayan Muthu01-Dec-2025

Zak Foulkes claimed the best-ever figures for a New Zealand bowler on Test debut•Zimbabwe Cricket

New Zealand allrounder Zak Foulkes has had a whirlwind few months. The 23-year-old bagged 9 for 75, the best figures by a New Zealand bowler on Test debut, in Bulawayo in August and then in his first ODI bowling innings, made Joe Root look silly with his inswinger in Mount Maunganui in October. He is set to close out the year with his first Test, against West Indies, at Hagley Oval, his home ground for Canterbury in domestic cricket.Foulkes’ family has made plans to come down to Hagley Oval and savour the occasion. “Yeah, a few friends and family coming down tomorrow, which will be cool,” Foulkes said. “Yeah, obviously first Test match out in front of them, which will be really cool. A really special moment for me and my family.”Obviously watched a lot of Test cricket out on this venue. Yeah, being on the other side of the road this time would be very cool, very rewarding.”Related

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Foulkes hails from a cricketing family – his father Glen and his brothers Liam and Robbie have all represented Canterbury Country. Robbie, a top-order batter, also played for New Zealand in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. Liam now works for Cricket Ireland as their national game development manager.Zak was also a top-order batter before bowling, more specifically swing bowling, became his primary skill. He opened the batting for Canterbury on first-class debut, but that didn’t go down too well. He has since climbed up the ranks in domestic cricket and emerged as a genuine swing bowler in international cricket.”There’s a running joke at the moment that Jacob Duffy is actually developing a wee inswing,” Foulkes laughed. “So yeah, just trying to tell him to stay in his lane a little bit. Yeah, definitely a little bit of a point of difference between the other guys [with my ability to swing the ball].”That swing has brought him success for Canterbury at Hagley Oval and he’s now preparing to harness it for New Zealand in Test cricket. “I think Test cricket is probably my No. 1 goal,” Foulkes said. “It has been for a while. I think there’s just nothing more rewarding than a red-ball win. All the toil, all the hard work that goes into it. Yeah, it’s very rewarding when you get a win.””Obviously when everyone is available there’s not too many spots up for grabs,” Zak Foulkes says of the future•Getty Images

No Kyle Jamieson. No Will O’Rourke. No Ben Sears. No Matt Fisher. No problem for New Zealand. Foulkes and Duffy, who also made his Test debut in Zimbabwe, have made a fairly seamless transition from domestic to international cricket while Central Districts fast bowler Blair Tickner has made a remarkable comeback after being out in the wilderness.”Yeah, I think we’re in a great space,” Foulkes said. “Obviously when everyone is available there’s not too many spots up for grabs. It sort of fits itself, almost. Yeah, but I guess being fast bowlers, we know there’s going to be injuries. So we have to build that depth and I think we’re in a good spot at the moment as New Zealand cricket.”Does the rise to the top feel like a blur for Foulkes? “It’s all happened pretty quickly really,” he said. “I had a big winter, had a few A tours and ended up in the UK. And then Zimbabwe obviously, where I debuted, which was cool. And then we’ve been on a little bit of a white-ball diet from then. Yeah, it’s now going to be nice to strap on the whites and bowl with the red ball for a change.”Foulkes suggested that he wasn’t expecting to play this home Test, but a surfeit of injuries has opened up another opportunity for him. He’s ready for it, with support from a cricket-mad family.

Are Newcastle United finally clicking into gear this season?

It appears that way, with Eddie Howe’s Magpies now three wins from their last three matches in all competitions, which included an excellent 2-0 EFL Cup win being picked up over Thomas Frank’s challenging Tottenham Hotspur last time out at St James’ Park.

Still, the Toon only have three wins next to their name in the Premier League from their opening nine clashes, meaning more positive results need to be picked up in the bread and butter of the top-flight soon, with away trips to West Ham United and Brentford now on their agenda.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men will, no doubt, be fearful of Newcastle’s attack as they loiter near the bottom of the tough division, with Nick Woltemade helping himself to yet another goal against Spurs to add to his ever-increasing Magpies back catalogue.

Woltemade's unbelievable Newcastle start

Woltemade would ensure his new side would progress through to the quarter finals of the EFL Cup when he headed this effort past a hapless Antonín Kinský.

He hasn’t just reserved his goals this season for when he comes up against stand-in goalkeepers, however, with Woltemade also boasting a mightily impressive four strikes back in league action, which has even led to opposition managers such as the Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler hailing him as “special” in what he can uniquely offer the Tyneside giants.

Indeed, it isn’t just a lethal edge that the 6-foot-6 marksman can provide, whether that be when he’s racing through on goal, or being positioned intelligently to head home a cross, with Woltemade also often in the correct spaces to progress his side’s efforts going forward with a killer pass.

He was at the heart of Harvey Barnes’ goal against Benfica in the Champions League, for example, as his ingenious flick then led to the number 11 firing home, after Anthony Gordon had played it into his path.

To put it simply, acquiring the ex-Stuttgart striker for £69m – although looking rather steep at the time – has now gone down as a “first class” signing, as his manager has recently stated.

Howe and Co. could well look to this coming January in trying to win more attacking firepower in a similar vein to their new star-man, as one move is reportedly eyed up…

Newcastle's search for another striker

After all, although William Osula has looked dangerous off the bench for Newcastle in recent matches, there is a lack of depth in the striker spot at St James’ Park – with Yoane Wissa still sidelined.

This might spark the Magpies into attempting to seal Alexander Sorloth’s signature in January, as Ross Wilson plots what his first bit of business at his new club will be as the fresh sporting director.

Newcastle could do far worse than landing Sorloth if rumours are to be believed, with Spanish outlet Marca – via Sport Witness – that eyes are very firmly on the Norwegian’s exploits at Atletico Madrid between now and the transfer window swinging open, with scouts from Newcastle previously watching the 29-year-old in action back in September.

The similarities between Woltemade and the Scandinavian are immediately obvious, with Sorloth coming in at a gigantic 6-foot-4 frame himself.

On top of that, despite some wobbles this season under Diego Simeone, he has been a reliable source of goals for most of his stay in Spain to date, leading to the fiery Simeone lauding him as a “phenomenal” finisher.

25/26

9 (3)

2 + 0

24/25

35 (15)

20 + 2

23/24

34 (30)

28 + 6

22/23

34 (28)

12 + 3

21/22

33 (20)

4 + 0

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Sorloth possesses the same split-second instinct Woltemade possesses when finishing off chances, with this season seeing him bag three goals, despite only averaging 40 minutes of action in La Liga per game.

In total, the 66-time Norway international now has 61 Spanish top-flight strikes next to his name, which far outweighs his German counterpart’s Bundesliga tally of 14 goals.

Away from clearly being potent, Simeone has also noted that Sorloth is “important in every moment and context of the game you can imagine”, with an eye for an assist and carving out an opening also clear, with Howe very much ready to use him as a focal point like Woltemade, knowing he’s a similar team player.

It’s unlikely that he would usurp Woltemade from the get-go, but as another second-in-command option for a potential £27m fee, it feels like a no-brainer to chase after.

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