All posts by h716a5.icu

As Aston Villa beat Southampton 3-0 at the weekend, elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester City superstar Kevin de Bruyne was showing fans that he isn’t done at this level just yet.

He ran the show against Crystal Palace for City, scoring once, providing one assist and making four key passes in their 5-2 romp of Oliver Glasner’s side. However, the 33-year-old is set to leave City at the end of this campaign, with his next step currently unknown.

The Belgian has actually only played eight times against Villa, never losing when he’s played against the Midlands side, winning six times and drawing twice. De Bruyne has provided five assists against Villa in those eight games, but has never scored against them.

De Bruyne has insisted he still has plenty left to give elsewhere, stating, “I don’t know what is going to happen but I want to play on so we will see where I end up.”.

But if the midfield legend is to leave the Premier League, Villa could well be the team who have the heir to his throne.

How Unai Emery has crafted Aston Villa's midfield

Unai Emery has done a brilliant job at assembling one of the Premier League’s best midfield units, especially after losing Douglas Luiz in the 2024/25 summer transfer window, a player who was key for Villa in the 2023/24 campaign under the Spaniard.

However, the Villans were able to replace the Brazilian by making the big-money signing of Amadou Onana from Everton, joining the club for a fee of around £50m. He has been an inspired signing in claret and blue, scoring four times in 27 outings despite his position on the pitch.

He has been excellent alongside the likes of John McGinn – a goalscorer on Saturday afternoon – and Boubacar Kamara.

Of course, they also used Luton Town’s relegation to prise away Ross Barkley for a small fee, paying just £5m for the Premier League veteran.

But despite all of these signings, perhaps the best of the bunch this season has actually been someone who cost the club nothing. As it happens, he is slowly becoming Villa’s very own De Bruyne.

Aston Villa have found their answer to De Bruyne

De Bruyne has been one of the most creative players we’ve ever seen in not just the English top-flight but European football too. He will leave the Etihad behind in the summer, having posted a truly ridiculous 177 assists in Sky Blue.

So, who’s the creative marvel in the Villa side? Well, cast your minds back to the 2023/24 summer transfer window and the club signed their very own Belgian midfielder in Youri Tielemans on a free transfer after his contract expired at Leicester City.

Since joining the Midlands side, Tielemans has made 93 appearances, scoring six goals, providing 17 assists and totaling 6,759 minutes played.

Goals

0.08

0.31

Assists

0.19

0.35

xG

0.09

0.21

xAG

0.20

0.49

Progressive Carries

0.98

2.96

Progressive Passes

6.78

8.17

Key Passes

1.59

2.96

Shot-Creating Actions

3.29

5.97

Ball Recoveries

4.34

3.33

When comparing the two midfielders’ underlying metrics this season, you can see the disparity between the pair, mainly in terms of output.

However, considering De Bruyne is playing for Man City, who often dominate far more of the ball, Tielemans ranks very closely in many of the metrics, making 6.78 progressive passes per 90 for example, proving himself to be a creative outlet.

Tielemans has been showered with praise all throughout his time at Villa Park, notably this campaign, with analyst Raj Chohan labeling him as “one of the best midfielders in the world” this season. Considering he is still 27-years-old and entering his prime years, the best could still be yet to come for the Belgian.

So with De Bruyne on his way out, Tielemans could be the man to take the throne of the Belgian midfielder, dictating games with his brilliant passing range and adding even more goals and assists to his game.

He will do so at international level but perhaps he may also do so for a big European club in the future.

Emery struck gold on Aston Villa star worth more than Doue & Kvaratskhelia

Aston Villa made a brilliant investment with this player

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 11, 2025

It was remarkably just over six years ago that Marcus Rashford enjoyed one of the greatest moments of his Manchester United career, with the Englishman rifling home from the penalty spot to send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The United academy graduate had been the undoing of Paris Saint-Germain with that last-gasp spot-kick, while he also netted again in the Parc des Princes during the 2020/21 campaign, to clinch another famous win for Solskjaer and co.

Something about the Ligue 1 side appears to bring the best out of the 27-year-old, it would seem, with the in-form forward having again been electric when facing off with the Parisien outfit – albeit this time in Aston Villa colours.

The Red Devils outcast put in a simply masterful display through the middle for Unai Emery’s side, having notably produced a breathtaking assist for Villa’s third of the night as the hosts flipped the encounter on its head. In truth, it was vintage Rashford.

Frustratingly for the Villans, they could not complete the comeback after bravely crashing out, while for those back in Manchester, such a fine individual display may have Ruben Amorim thinking twice over his decision to exile the £300k-per-week marksman.

But would a return to Old Trafford really be in the best interest of all parties this summer?

Why Rashford still needs to be sold this summer

As far as Rashford is concerned, the decision to make the move to Villa Park back in February could hardly have gone better, with the Midlands side also still in the mix for a top five finish in the Premier League, while having also reached the last four of the FA Cup.

The polarising sensation has been central to Emery’s plans in recent months, with the assist for Ezri Konsa last night taking his total tally to nine goal involvements in just 15 appearances since making the move. Jesse Lingard at West Ham United anyone?

Free from the shackles and the scrutiny of being a Manchester United player, Rashford has looked reborn in claret and blue, with Tuesday night seeing him create four big chances in total – more than any other player on the pitch.

That display backed up Emery’s decision to once again select his loan star ahead of compatriot, Ollie Watkins, in the centre-forward berth, with the Villans boasting attacking depth that Amorim can only dream of – not least with Joshua Zirkzee now sidelined with injury.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, United legend Wayne Rooney suggested that he would “love” to see Rashford back playing for the Red Devils next season, while also claiming that the player himself “wants” to be back at the Theatre of Dreams.

That said, it was only in December that the England international outlined his desire for a “new challenge” after being given the cold shoulder by Amorim, with it difficult to see any form of reconciliation occurring ahead of next season.

Indeed, having found his groove at Villa, why would Rashford risk enduring another stop-start campaign back at his parent club – not least considering three of the last four seasons have been rather underwhelming for him in a United shirt.

2024/25*

24

7

3

2023/24

43

8

6

2022/23

56

30

11

2021/22

32

5

2

2020/21

57

21

18

As for the club itself, the chance to rake in a £40m fee from Villa – a deal that would represent pure profit – is no doubt difficult to turn down, with it perhaps best for everyone that a permanent separation occurs this summer.

That said, even if Amorim and co do change their mind, at least they have only opted to loan out Rashford thus far, with the option of a homecoming still on the table. The same can’t be said for everyone that INEOS have let go…

Man Utd may have made a bigger mistake than Rashford

It appears to be a growing theme that players who have left Old Trafford have gone on to shine elsewhere, albeit with the club having largely been correct in moving those players on.

Indeed, in the case of Anthony Elanga, the Swedish speedster had scored just four goals in 55 games for United prior to departing for Nottingham Forest. David de Gea, meanwhile, was public enemy number one for his mistake in the FA Cup final, before being allowed to leave for nothing.

Equally, the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho – now on loan at Real Betis and Chelsea – had hardly pulled up any trees following their £86m and £73m arrivals, respectively, with the pair netting just 24 goals between them in 179 games.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Anthony Elanga

55

4

4

8

Amad

57

12

10

22

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

135

25

20

45

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

Even Rashford had endured a miserable 18 months after scoring just 15 goals for United following the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with few of a Red Devils persuasion having contested with any of those exits at the time.

In the case of Scott McTominay, however, it may well be a different story, with the Scotland star having actually been one of Erik ten Hag’s key men last term, before sealing a £25m move to Napoli over the summer.

Indeed, the 28-year-old was the Dutchman’s rescue act having repeatedly delivered the goods in an attacking sense, with the rampaging midfielder – who notably netted a brace at the death against Brentford – ending the season with ten goals to his name in all competitions.

The joint third-highest scorer for United in the end in 2023/24, McTominay appeared to be thriving in an advanced midfield berth, albeit with the desire to meet PSR regulations – and the pursuit of fellow midfielder, Manuel Ugarte – leading to INEOS deciding to cash in.

Ten Hag has since admitted that he “didn’t want” to sell the 6 foot 4 giant, yet was almost “forced” into agreeing to the decision due to the club’s financial constraints.

As it is, McTominay has gone on to dazzle in Naples in 2024/25 to date, with the midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – notably netting twice last time out to keep Antonio Conte’s side in title contention.

Those latest strikes – both of which were assisted by Romelu Lukaku, no less – showcased just what the Lancaster-born hero is all about. Indeed, for his first of the night, McTominay charged from deep before curling home from outside the area. For his second, the ex-Red Devil expertly headed home after towering above the Empoli defence.

The emerging Naples sensation now has eight Serie A goals to his name this season, with only Bruno Fernandes able to match that tally for league goals back in Manchester.

McTominay is then picking up where he left off last term, with INEOS having made a rare move for United by selling a player who was actually in form – unlike the exiled Rashford.

With the Red Devils now in the midst of their worst-ever Premier League campaign, that bold call doesn’t appear to have aged well…

Forget Bayindir & Heaton: Man Utd could unleash "superb" Onana replacement

Man Utd’s goalkeeping woes continued on Sunday afternoon, with a solution needing to be found…

ByRobbie Walls Apr 15, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing hard to sign an “incredible” midfielder, and they are confident they will win the race for his signature, according to a report.

Tottenham eyeing reinforcements in multiple areas

Barring an unlikely triumph in the Europa League, the 2024-25 campaign is likely to go down as a season to forget for Tottenham, with it looking increasingly likely they will finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Injuries no doubt haven’t helped their cause, but the fact Spurs have fallen way below expectations indicates several reinforcements may be needed in the summer, and they are eyeing players in multiple positions.

A new striker is of interest, with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison suffering their fair share of injury problems this season, and the Lilywhites are now making moves to sign Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while they are also stepping up their pursuit of Lille’s Jonathan David.

Tottenham may green light move for "Levy character" to replace Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou’s time in north London could be coming to an end…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

With Cristian Romero potentially in line to leave Tottenham this summer, a new centre-back may also be required, and they are incredibly keen on Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, who is set to be available on a free transfer.

Tah is not the only free agent that Tottenham are eyeing, however, with a report from The Boot Room revealing they are determined to sign Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, whose contract is set to expire this summer.

Spurs are pushing hard to get a deal for Gomes over the line, having been leading the race for his signature for quite some time, and they are confident they will be able to strike an agreement.

London rivals West Ham United have also been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, but widespread reports state he has turned down a move to the London Stadium.

Signing "incredible" Gomes could be shrewd business

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear Tottenham will have to be clever with how they operate in the transfer market this summer, saying: “We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club,”

“Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means.”

As such, it would be financially prudent to pursue free agents this summer, and signing Gomes could be a shrewd bit of business, given how impressive he has looked in a Lille shirt, notably impressing with his long-range passing last season.

The England international has also been lauded as “incredible” by Carlisle United midfielder Callum Whelan, indicating he could be a fantastic addition for Tottenham, who may be in need of at least one new midfielder, with Yves Bissouma’s future in doubt.

Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has been questioned for his side’s performance against Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White produced the perfect response to his England omission by helping Forest to their first Premier League win since the opening day of the season.

Gibbs-White was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next week’s World Cup qualifiers, but reminded the German of his talent with a decisive goal in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leeds.

The midfielder’s second-half header helped end Forest’s nine-game winless streak in the league as they secured three points for the first time under head coach Sean Dyche.

It was far from pretty as they had to come from behind, Ibrahim Sangare cancelling out Lukas Nmecha’s opener for Leeds.

Elliot Anderson’s late penalty sealed a vital triumph for Forest, who have now taken four points from their last two games and look to be heading in the right direction.

They are just two points behind Leeds, who have lost four out of their last five matches. Following their latest defeat, manager Farke has been called into question.

Farke should have made earlier changes against Forest

Since arriving at Leeds in 2023, Farke has sometimes been questioned for his decisions surrounding substitutes. Often, the German seems to bring new bodies into the game only after the majority of minutes have been played.

Against Nottingham, Leeds made no changes until the 74th minute. This is despite having lost their one-goal advantage, finding themselves 2-1 down and offering little threat to their hosts. Such a decision was noted by commentator Jon Newsome who at the time of United’s substitutions, as per BBC Sport West Yorkshire.

England midfielder Anderson killed the game from the spot in the 90th minute after the lively Hutchinson, introduced from the bench, was fouled by Jack Harrison, a natural wide midfielder who replaced left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson.

In attack, Leeds were bereft of inspiration. They had just four shots before the 70th minute and of the 10 they had across the game, as per SofaScore, only three were on target. Beren Cross of The Athletic commented on the fact that, despite Farke saying he had been in team training for a fortnight, Italian forward Willy Gnonto, who would offer a much-needed creative spark, was not in the squad against Forest.

With an international break ahead of them, Leeds will face a number of tough fixtures as they look for what will be a needed improvement in form. With four defeats within their past five Premier League games, questions may soon be asked of Farke’s future at Elland Road if such a run continues.

Leeds must unleash their "best finisher"

Once again, the San Diego Padres' bats fell silent when they needed them most.

Last October, San Diego had the Los Angeles Dodgers on the ropes, leading 2–1 in the National League Division Series with a home game on deck. Then, L.A. shut the Friars out over the next 18 innings, won the series and cruised to a World Series title. In all, the Dodgers held San Diego scoreless for 24 consecutive innings.

A year later, the same problem reared its ugly head again.

The Padres were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, dropping their NL wild-card series 2–1 after three tight games. San Diego’s batters scored five total runs in the three-game set and looked helpless against every pitcher Chicago threw at them. Perhaps most crucially, the top three in the Padres lineup, Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arráez, and Manny Machado, combined to go 4-for-33 (.121) in the series, and as a group went 0-for-11 with three strikeouts in both Game 1 Game 3.

It wasn’t a shocking outcome if you’ve followed San Diego’s offense this season. Manager Mike Shildt and his staff have focused the team on a contact-heavy, small-ball approach all year. The result was a shocking absence of power given some of the names in the lineup. As a team, the Padres slugged .390, which ranked 22nd in baseball, and they totaled only 152 home runs as a team, which ranked 28th. That philosophy has gotten them unceremoniously dumped in the postseason in back-to-back seasons.

Something has to change.

San Diego’s Approach Needs an Overhaul

The Padres don’t hit enough when it counts. They ranked 25th in OPS with runners in scoring position this season (.707), which continually bit them in big spots. In the three wild-card games against the Cubs, San Diego was 3-for-26 in those situations, including 0-for-8 in the decisive Game 3.

Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts struggled with injuries this season, and neither really got things going until late in the campaign. Bogaerts was the team's best hitter in the wild-card series and closed the season well. Merrill is too good to slash .264/.317/.457 with only 16 home runs next season. If he's healthy, San Diego can count on him to be better.

Expecting bounce-backs from those two and having trade deadline acquisition Ramón Laureano for all of 2026 should be a boost. But that won't be enough.

The impending departure of the high-contact, no-power Arráez will free up the Padres to add a first baseman with pop. Gavin Sheets far exceeded expectations this season with 19 home runs and a .746 OPS, and could take the job, but the team should aim higher. Sheets fits as a potential DH as well, and they could attempt to bring trade-deadline pick up Ryan O’Hearn back.

Tatis produced 6.1 fWAR this season, primarily as the team’s leadoff hitter. But his wRC+ (131) was down slightly from 2024 (135), and he slashed .268/.368/.446. His .814 OPS was fine, but below where a player of his caliber should be. He did have a career-high 89 walks and lowered his strikeout rate by a full 7%, but while his average exit velocity of 93.9 was in the 95th percentile, his launch angle dropped to 9.4, continuing a downward trend since he logged 13.8 in 2021. Tatis also swung at the first pitch in 42% of his at-bats—not exactly the approach of an ideal leadoff guy.

The 26-year-old isn’t the only one who needs to do some tweaking. Machado hit 27 home runs, drove in 97 runs, and slashed .275/.335/.460. His OPS was .795, down .002 points from 2024, but has significantly dropped from a high of .898 in 2022. Some of that is likely age-related, but he did produce 3.8 fWAR, his best total since 2022. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer can still get it done, but his chase, whiff and strikeout rates have continued to inch up over the past few years.

Frankly, the biggest issue isn't that Tatis and Machado haven't come through enough. The problem is that if they don't, the Padres are sunk. There simply isn't enough thump throughout the lineup to make up for it if one or both of them struggle.

That much was obvious over the past three games.

Padres Face a Big Offseason

Arráez, O’Hearn, and Jose Iglesias could all bolt the team this offseason, along with pitchers Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez and Michael King. As long as the incredible Ruben Niebla is in charge of the rotation and bullpen, there isn't much room for concern there, but the team’s offense needs more pieces to be successful.

San Diego’s pitching staff will remain among the best in baseball for the foreseeable future, but the lineup needs to be upgraded to match. I’m not sure how they’ll do it, but with Bogaerts and Machado aging and after A.J. Preller has traded piles of prospects over the past few years, the franchise needs to treat this like an urgent problem.

The Friars sold out in 72 of their 81 home games this season and finished second in attendance, trailing only the Dodgers, as 3,437,201 fans entered Petco Park. Despite a long history of losing, the team has reached the playoffs in four of the last six years. By current standards, this is a wildly successful franchise that needs to continue pushing forward.

San Diego isn’t far from having a championship-caliber roster. A few more pieces could get the team over that sizable hump. For now, the reason the Padres failed in 2024 and ’25 is clear: they simply don’t have the bats or approach to compete when it matters.

That needs to change if they hope to bring the city its first World Series title.

After spending a reported £446m on new additions during the summer transfer window, the majority of pundits across the country expected Liverpool to retain their Premier League title.

Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak’s arrivals saw the hierarchy break the Reds’ transfer record on two separate occasions, subsequently sending out a huge message to the rest of the division.

However, Arne Slot has so far been unable to find the winning formula with his big-money additions, as seen by the club’s recent form within England’s top-flight.

His side have lost six of their last seven league outings, with their slump seeing the club slide down the table and all but ending their chances of regaining the trophy come the end of May.

It hasn’t derailed their recent ambitions in the transfer market though, which has led to numerous high-profile names being linked with a winter switch to Anfield.

Liverpool’s hunt for new additions in January

Over recent weeks, Liverpool have been just one side mentioned over a possible move to land AZ Alkmaar wonderkid Kees Smit in the upcoming window.

The Dutch attacking midfielder has massively impressed in 2025/26 to date, subsequently registering six combined goals and assists in his 19 appearances across all competitions.

A £25m price tag has been reported for the 19-year-old, but other sides such as Real Madrid and Manchester United also remain keen on landing his signature in the coming months.

However, Smit isn’t the only player in the Reds’ sights, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo another player who has been strongly touted with a potential move.

According to Fabrizio Romano, numerous members of the club’s hierarchy have already discussed terms with the Cherries over a deal in the January market, having made a move to understand the conditions of the player’s release clause.

He also stated that a deal is expected to cost around £65m- a fee that would activate Semenyo’s clause – but that other Premier League clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, are also closely monitoring the situation.

Why Semenyo could get Isak firing at Liverpool

As previously mentioned, spirits were at an all-time high on Deadline Day for Liverpool supporters after a deal was finally announced for striker Isak from Newcastle United.

The saga dragged on for months before it reached its conclusion, with Slot’s men having to fork out an English record £125m for the services of the Swedish international.

His tally of 23 league goals last campaign made many think the Reds had finally found the number nine they have craved to complete the club’s impressive attacking department.

However, the 26-year-old’s move to Merseyside has been nothing short of a disaster, with the striker only netting one goal in his first nine appearances across all competitions.

Isak’s recent showing against Nottingham Forest further highlighted his struggles, with the talisman only notching a total of 14 touches before being replaced in the 68th minute.

He’s massively struggled to make the desired impact at Anfield to date, but that could change should the hierarchy complete a deal for Semenyo this winter.

The Ghanaian international, who’s primarily a left-winger, has massively impressed at the Vitality this campaign, as seen by his tally of six goals and three assists in his 11 outings.

However, his underlying stats further highlight the quality he possesses, with such numbers certainly aiding Isak in his own quest for success on Merseyside.

Semenyo, who’s been dubbed “the best winger in the country” by former footballer Chris Waddle, has completed 1.9 take-ons per 90 – often able to get into dangerous areas with the ball at his feet.

Games played

11

Goals & assists

9

Take-ons completed

1.9

Chances created

1.4

Progressive passes

3.6

Passes into opposition box

1.6

Shots on target

1.3

Recoveries made

5.3

He’s also been able to add the end product to his mazy runs in the Premier League, as seen by his tally of 1.4 chances created per 90 – not to mention his goal contribution tally.

The 25-year-old has registered 3.6 progressive passes and 1.6 passes into the opposition box per 90, with such numbers potentially falling perfectly into the hands of Isak to turn around his dismal start to life at the club.

£65m in the modern market is an excellent price for a player of Semenyo’s quality, but it remains to be seen how much the board are willing to spend in January after their recent spending spree.

However, if the club are to get Isak fully up to speed in the near future, he will desperately need added support, which could make the Bournemouth star the perfect man to ignite his stint in the North West.

Worse than Konate: Slot must drop 2/10 Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels

Ibrahima Konate was not the only culprit during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

2 ByMatt Dawson Nov 23, 2025

Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar made one of the best catches you'll ever see Saturday to steal a home run from Marlins designated hitter Agustín Ramírez.

In the top of the fourth inning, Ramírez sent a deep shot to left that appeared to be headed straight over the wall for Miami's first run of the game. Profar wouldn't let that happen though as he climbed the wall and reached his glove as far as he could into the bullpen, timing the play perfectly to make an immaculate grab for a long out.

Braves starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep held his hands on his head with his jaw on the floor, unable to believe what he just saw. Profar threw the ball back in with a huge smile on his face and flexed his throwing arm, knowing he just made potentially the catch of the year.

Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke made a similar home-run robbery earlier this season where he climbed up the wall at Angel Stadium for a spectacular catch. The impeccable saves are just a part of a long list of the best catches over the season.

Profar's play indisputably has a case for the best catch thus far through the year, though. And maybe one of the greatest you'll ever see.

He joined the Braves over the offseason and has a .741 OPS with six homers and 14 RBIs in 35 games this year. He was suspended for 80 games because he violated Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drugs policy and made his return in early July.

Head coach says team is not dwelling on the past, and backs captain Sciver-Brunt to play full part with ball

Valkerie Baynes01-Oct-20252:05

Edwards: Just as excited in 2025 as I was in 1997

England have touched upon some strong form heading into their World Cup campaign, now head coach Charlotte Edwards wants to see them translate it onto the big stage.Edwards took over ahead of the English summer, which consisted of 14 games – six of them ODIs – in a dominant performance against West Indies before twin white-ball series defeats at the hands of India.But a training camp in Abu Dhabi combined with four wins from as many warm-up games – against New Zealand, India and Australia – has Edwards’ team right where she wants them heading into their World Cup opener against South Africa on Friday.”The players are really responding well, certainly to a slight change of style,” Edwards said on Wednesday. “Hopefully we’ve seen the results over the last four games, which have been really positive. We’re not getting carried away, don’t worry, but we know that we’re on the right track and we’re tracking really well moving into the first game.”England followed two tight wins against New Zealand by beating co-hosts India by 153 runs and Australia, the defending champions, by four wickets.Among the most notable performances for England were Heather Knight scoring runs in her first match since tearing her hamstring in May. Knight made 41 off 48 in the first warm-up with New Zealand and Edwards described her as “vital to our success out here”.Middle-order batters Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey and Emma Lamb all made runs, Lamb particularly impressive with three half-centuries in four outings.England head coach Charlotte Edwards and Alice Capsey spare time during training•ECB via Getty ImagesNat Sciver-Brunt, who took over the captaincy from Knight this year following the Ashes defeat that also cost then-head coach Jon Lewis his job, proved she would be key for England by retiring out on 120 as her side amassed 340 for 9 in their win against India.Legspinner Sarah Glenn shone with 5 for 32 from seven overs to help reduce Australia to 247 all out from 34.4 overs. Prior to that, she had played just twice for England during their home summer, in one ODI and one T20I against West Indies before being overlooked for India’s tour.”There’s never a friendly against an international opposition, so I think we’ve taken a lot of confidence, not necessarily around the result, but the way we’ve played,” Edwards said. “I feel we’re really nicely placed.”England’s struggles in the field and their ability to cope under pressure had been talking points since their group-stage exit at last year’s T20 World Cup and the Ashes, where they lost all seven matches contested in the multi-format series. But Edwards insisted there were no lingering scars from those experiences.”You’ll be pleased to hear we’ve been fielding really well, that’s something that we obviously wanted to work on,” she said. “So I’m really pleased with how the four games have gone and we’ve been put in some pretty tough situations at times as well. Under pressure, the players have responded really well.Related

Devine lauds NZ's fighting spirit on 'physically and mentally draining' day

Gardner upstages Devine as Australia kick off with a win

Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'We are a very different team since the Ashes'

Whisper it, but this could be India's best chance of winning a World Cup

Kate Cross questions future after losing England contract

“I’ve not spoken about anything about the past,” she added. “It’s all about looking forward with this group now. We’ve created an environment where it’s about taking accountability now and we’ve got real clarity on how we want to play the game.”Hopefully that clarity is going to help this team under pressure, because I don’t think we’ll leave a stone unturned in terms of our prep. The signs have been really strong so far in terms of the development I’ve seen in the last six months. I’m just hoping we can take that now onto the big stage.”Edwards has vast World Cup experience in India, having made her first and last appearances at the tournament there, in 1997 and 2013. More recently in Indian conditions, she has coached WPL side Mumbai Indians to two titles in three years of the competition.And while Sciver-Brunt has been her standout self with the bat, it is her ability to bowl that remains under the spotlight. Because of a long-standing Achilles injury, Sciver-Brunt has bowled just 9.3 overs since the WPL final in mid-March, in which she took 3 for 30 in an eight-run victory over Delhi Capitals.She took 2 for 23 in 5.3 overs during the second warm-up with New Zealand on September 20 and conceded 22 off four wicketless overs against India five days later.The luxury of a four-pronged spin attack reduces England’s reliance on the seam bowling of Sciver-Brunt, whom Edwards expected to be able to bowl a full match allocation of ten overs if required.”We are very lucky, we’ve got four of the best [spinners] in world cricket in my opinion,” Edwards said. “We knew that they were going to play a big part when we selected this squad. That comes from my experience of coaching out here, that spin’s played a massive factor even in T20 cricket and WPL cricket.”Nat’s ready to go. She’s bowling. She hasn’t bowled in every warm-up game, but she’s doing lots of training overs as well. She’s in a really good place physically, so we are hoping to get ten overs out of Nat.”We’re going to have to really monitor her workloads throughout this tournament clearly, like any of the fast bowlers, depending on how hot it gets,” Edwards added. “Nat loves bowling and I think it helps her batting. She’s been probably one of the most successful bowlers in the WPL over the last few years. So we’re hoping to continue that form into ODI cricket.”

Coles half-century not enough for Sussex as visitors take early control with the ball

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Essex 152 for 4 trail Sussex 204 (Coles 52, Porter 4-30) by 52 runsEssex produced an opening day performance against Sussex which belied their disappointing season to date, bottom but one of the championship’s first division, with just one victory. They bundled out Sussex – third in the table – for just 204 in only 52.4 overs and at the close were powerfully placed at 152 for four.Essex’s inability to pair up their opening attack of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook has been a major factor in their poor campaign. Cook has been involved with the England set-up and Porter, on paternity leave, missed the last championship match against Yorkshire.Here, though, they were back in tandem, both hitting a length on a relentless line of third or fourth stump and Porter, with four for 30, was the star of the show. Sussex, though, knowing the Kookaburra ball gets softer, and batting easier, showed a lack of application.Essex won the toss and bowled on a grassy pitch, with a canopy of clouds also promising to assist their seamers.Sussex, who had dropped Tom Clark for the fit-again Tom Alsop, and brought in Ari Karvelas for the rested Ollie Robinson, struggled to overcome the conditions but were also guilty of some indulgent strokeplay.Porter broke through in the ninth over when Daniel Hughes, going for a lavish drive, edged to keeper Michael Pepper. And it was 31 for two in the next over when Alsop, playing forward defensively, edged Cook behind.The relatively inexperienced Khaleel Ahmed replaced Cook at the sea end but there was no let-up for Sussex. Khaleel pitched one up to Tom Haines who went for the drive. But the ball nipped off the pitch and Simon Harmer took the catch at second slip. And it was 64 for 4 in the 18th over when Dan Ibrahim attempted an expansive drive against the same bowler and was caught behind. The players took an early lunch at 69 for four when a second, heavier shower swept over the ground.The in-form James Coles and John Simpson launched a mini-revival with a stand of 56. Coles showed some of the fluency that had brought him 150 against Warwickshire in his previous championship innings. When he played Cook to backward point for a quick single he had reached his half-century from 62 balls, with seven eye-catching fours. But then he played forward to Porter and edged to first slip, and four balls later Fynn Hudson-Prentice nicked off for a duck.Yet again Simpson was required to make the most of diminishing resources. He added 49 for the seventh wicket with Jack Carson, whose five fours included a straight drive off Noah Thain that might have been the shot of the day.The introduction of fourth seamer Thain saw the first drop in the keen accuracy of the Essex attack. But he, too, was good enough to get among the wickets. Carson had made 25 when he edged to Pepper and next ball it was 169 for eight when Simpson prodded only half-forward to Harmer and was caught at slip.When Karvelas flayed to cover for one Sussex had lost three wickets for two runs but last pair Henry Crocombe and Gurinder Sandhu put on 33.When Essex batted Dean Elgar was caught at midwicket, Paul Walter, half forward, was lbw to Carson, Tom Westley was yorked by Sandhu and nightwatchman Cook was caught at leg slip. But they could still be in a very strong position by the second afternoon.

The 2025 MLB season has rounded the All-Star break turn and is headed for the home stretch. There is a glut of teams still in contention for playoff spots, which means the July 31 trade deadline could get hectic.

There are contending teams with glaring holes that must be plugged over the next couple of weeks. Here's a look at the biggest needs among the leaders in the American League—we’ll follow up with the National League on Friday.

New York Yankees: Third base

The Yankees moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base and released DJ LeMahieu. It was a dramatic shift for a team battling for first place in the AL East. The third base job is now open and there is no good fit at the position currently in the Bronx. It may be the most obvious hole a contender has. Oswald Peraza isn't the solution.

General manager Brian Cashman is almost certain to go all-in this season after his team fell three games short of a championship in 2024. There should be several options available to to fill the spot before the deadline, and first among them is Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez. The veteran third baseman is in the final year of his contract and has 31 home runs and 78 RBIs. But there are several guys who could fill that role if the Yankees look elsewhere.

Detroit Tigers: High-leverage relief pitcher

The Tigers entered the All-Star break with the best record in baseball but they're not a finished product. Detroit's offense is fantastic and doesn't need help, other than maybe a bench bat. The front office's focus over the next few weeks should be finding help for the relief corps. The Tigers' bullpen carries an ERA of 4.13, which ranks 21st in the league, and has the third-lowest strikeout rate (19.6%). Other than Will Vest (2.30 ERA) the team's bullpen arms have all been shaky at times.

Detroit should attempt to find at least one big-time relief pitcher, and perhaps another arm for depth. Chatter around the league is that the price for pitching will be exorbitant this season, so the Tigers will have to pick their targets well.

Toronto Blue Jays: Starting pitching

The Blue Jays enter the second half one game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. While José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman have been solid, Toronto needs another starter for the stretch run. As a group, the team's starters have a 4.60 ERA, which ranks 25th in baseball. The Blue Jays simply don't have the depth to compete down the stretch as the season wears on, and another top tier guy could push them from a nice, surprising story to a true contender.

Even if Toronto isn't willing to give up what it takes for a top-of-the-rotation guy, it must find at least one starter to lengthen the rotation. Again, prices will be high, but it could be worth it.

Houston Astros: Starting pitching

Yes, another team in need of pitching (maybe you're starting to understand why prices will be so high). It will be an extreme seller's market this year. Houston's starters have been pretty good this season, as they rank 11th in MLB in ERA (3.80) but they don't have the depth they'll need in October. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have been elite this year, but Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier have both dealt with injuries, while Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski are out for the year.

Getting another starter they’re confident turning to in October to add to Brown and Valdez could make the AL West-leading Astros a favorite in the AL.

Seattle Mariners: Corner infielder

The Mariners enter the second half holding on to the final wild-card spot, but with Cal Raleigh having a potentially record-breaking season, rumors suggest they'll be aggressive. If that's the case, upgrading the corners is what they need to do. Ben Williamson (79 wRC+) isn't good enough at third base, and Luke Raley (0.7 fWAR) could be improved upon at first. One of those spots has to be upgraded.

Like the Yankees, Suárez makes sense for the Mariners, as does Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor.