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The Premier League title race may now be all but over, but the season is not lost for Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta’s side preparing for a mammoth tussle with holders Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.

Preparations for that mouthwatering meeting have been hampered by the loss of Gabriel to injury, however, with the Brazilian’s absence just the latest in a long line of setbacks for the north London side.

The top end of the pitch, in particular, has been ravaged in recent months, resulting in the bold move to deploy Mikel Merino in a centre-forward berth for the first time in his career – a decision that has since yielded five goals for the experienced Spaniard.

The Euro 2024 winner only served to enhance his growing ‘cult status’ after dropping back into his preferred midfield berth against Everton on Saturday afternoon, however, having won 14 duels and suffered a blow to the head amid a full-blooded display.

While the 28-year-old has provided a much-needed short-term solution as a makeshift centre-forward, that latest outing showcased that his future must lie in the midfield.

The question is, will there be room for him in the starting lineup moving forward?

How Arsenal's midfield could look next season

There may be a headache for Arteta as to who to select as part of his midfield trio for the long-term – we’ll come on to that – but what is set in stone is that Declan Rice will be at the heart of it.

Be it as a number six or as a number eight, the £105m man has become an invaluable presence for the Gunners since his arrival back in 2023, having notably contributed 13 goals and assists in all competitions this season.

That tally included his stunning curling effort in the 1-1 draw away at Old Trafford, with the Englishman developing a knack for making an impact in the final third – as evidenced by his surging run and assist while on international duty for the Three Lions.

With the 26-year-old a nailed-on starter, the role of Martin Odegaard – who started on the bench at Goodison – may be in doubt, albeit with it not too long ago that the Arsenal skipper was being described as “out of this world” by Rice himself.

The Norwegian playmaker, at his best, remains one of the most creative players in the division – as his tally of 18 goals and assists in the league showcased in 2023/24 – with it certainly not the time to write him off just yet.

With that in mind, the final midfield role could come down to either Merino or potential summer arrival, Martin Zubimendi – amid continued doubts over Thomas Partey’s future at the Emirates – albeit with there now another name to throw into the mix who could look to emulate Rice.

Why Arsenal may be brewing their next Declan Rice

The former West Ham United man has caught the eye over the last 18 months amid his burgeoning set-piece prowess, having produced another whipped, in-swinging corner in the early knockings against Everton, although it is his powerful runs from deep that remain the midfielder’s key strength.

Non-penalty goals

0.12

Top 27%

Assists

0.23

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

3.31

Top 18%

Pass completion

84.7%

Top 45%

Progressive passes

5.92

Top 25%

Progressive carries

2.68

Top 5%

Touches in attacking box

2.59

Top 12%

Tackles

1.90

Bottom 38%

Interceptions

0.81

Bottom 35%

Indeed, that is epitomised by the fact that Rice ranks in the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90, indicating his ability to drag the Gunners up the pitch with the ball at his feet.

That is a trait that, as Saturday showcased, looks to be shared by young Myles Lewis-Skelly, with the 18-year-old producing a magnificent carry from just outside his own box, before winning a free-kick on the edge of the opposition penalty area.

The manner in which the teenager powered his way through a sea of bodies was certainly reminiscent of his colleague and compatriot, with Rice himself having previously likened the Hale End graduate to Tottenham Hotspur icon, Mousa Dembele, due to his mix of strength and ball-carrying prowess.

Of course, Lewis-Skelly made the headlines on Merseyside for all the wrong reasons after giving away a penalty just after the break, albeit with it fair to say that the rising star was harshly penalised for his ‘foul’ on Jack Harrison. As Arteta stated post-match, it was “never a penalty”.

The fact remains that the “insane” talent – as described by analyst Ben Mattinson – had allowed Harrison to get the wrong side of him in the first place, a moment that perhaps served as a reminder that he isn’t actually a left-back by trade.

Lewis-Skelly has fended off the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Riccardo Calafiori to make that spot his own, following his debut against Manchester City back in September, although it was actually in central midfield that he largely operated during his time in the youth ranks.

As Mattinson has stated, while Lewis-Skelly represents an ideal solution as an inverted full-back, in the “long-term” he will most likely slot in as a defensive midfielder or in a left eight role, having shown at academy level that he is an “aggressive dueller, ball-winner [and an] exceptional ball-carrier”.

It could be the case then that a midfield trio of Odegaard, Rice and Lewis-Skelly emerges as the leading option next season, with Saturday’s Merseyside moment having shown a mere glimpse of what the teenager can offer in midfield with his Rice-like quality.

Saka's return could spell trouble for Arsenal star who's "not at the level"

The talented international has been poor for Arsenal this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 4, 2025

He’s had a horror run with injuries, but Kyle Jamieson’s return in the Champions Trophy, the PSL and IPL this year has been encouraging

Alex Malcolm26-Sep-2025In between changing nappies and cuddling his newborn son Archie, Kyle Jamieson has had some time to watch cricket as a fan. The New Zealand fast bowler hasn’t played since the IPL 2025 final in June, but for the first time in a while, his absence – from New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe in July-August – wasn’t through injury.Like any new dad, he has loved the time at home, but equally, the chance to return to cricket next week against Australia at Mount Maunganui has him champing at the bit. And having had plenty of time to watch Australia’s recent T20I series against West Indies and South Africa, he’s excited for the contest.”They [Australia] are going pretty hard, and it’s been a really entertaining watch as a fan of the game,” Jamieson said. “In a way, it’ll be cool to see it up close, how they’re going about things. And in the same way, it’s a nice little challenge for us to go about forming a plan to maybe try and defuse some of those fireworks.”Related

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Jamieson, 30, might feel like the new kid at school within his own group as well. He last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy in February. Since then, long-time coach Gary Stead has resigned and new coach Rob Walter has come in.The team made a winning start in Zimbabwe, claiming the T20I tri-series involving South Africa and Zimbabwe. The upcoming Australia series kickstarts a massive summer of white-ball cricket for New Zealand, with series against England and West Indies to follow ahead of the T20 World Cup. Jamieson is excited to see what Walter has planned for a group that will change over the course of the summer, given the number of players who will return from injury at various stages.”Having not gone on that tour of Zimbabwe, I’m yet to immerse myself in that new kind of coaching group and see what that direction looks like,” Jamieson said. “Starting next week, we’ve got a huge amount of white-ball cricket back-to-back. So it’ll be the chance, I think, for everyone to kind of sit down and kind of get a read on Rob’s vision, and kind of where he wants to take the group. And we’ll be getting some bodies back as well, and that will certainly help to build towards that T20 World Cup.”There will be a new vision for the New Zealand men’s team with Rob Walter taking over as head coach•ICC/Getty ImagesJamieson’s focus is purely on white-ball cricket at the moment. He has endured a frustrating few years since initially having back surgery to mitigate against recurring stress fractures.Out of all the success stories that New Zealand-based surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten have had repairing fast bowlers’ backs with screws and titanium cables – which include Shane Bond, Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer – Jamieson is the rarest of cases so far, with the fracture reopening at one of the screws from 2024. “They hadn’t really seen that before or at all, so they were pretty stumped,” Jamieson said.It has led to a slow rebuild. The success of his return in the Champions Trophy, the PSL and IPL this year has been encouraging. The next step is first-class cricket, but it is not a process he wants to rush.”The red-ball stuff is the next piece of the puzzle,” Jamieson said. “How do we put that into the calendar? How do we sort of dip the toes into that, as opposed to jumping in the deep end? So we’ve had a few conversations with different people around what that may look like.

“I watch someone like Josh Hazlewood bowl and feel like for the most part, he keeps it pretty simple. He may speak a little bit differently about that, but I sort of take a lot of inspiration around what he does and the simplicity, but how he just does it so well”

“But at the moment, it’s very much this next month with a white-ball focus, and then as we hit November, we’ll see where I’m at physically and what we think is the right plan to not just try and get back to red-ball cricket now, but I guess trying to continue to play it over the next however many years.”In the meantime, Jamieson has locked in on becoming the best short-form bowler he can be. His return to the IPL with Punjab Kings was an eye-opening experience after four years away, with the Impact Player rule changing the way T20 batters attack bowlers now.”Just in general, I absolutely loved being back there,” Jamieson said. “I hadn’t been [at the IPL] for four years, and a very different situation to when I went last time for a whole lot of reasons. I just loved being back in that arena and just watching all the world’s best go about it. And I felt like I learned a heck of a lot, even only in the two weeks that I was there.”With that Impact Player, I think teams just come harder. Guys just keep coming. So you’ve got to have a few tools. But you’ve got to, I think, make peace with the fact that what your figures may have looked like three, four or five years ago, is probably not really that relevant to what they’re going to look like now.”Jamieson last played competitive cricket in the IPL•BCCIAustralia’s batting has followed a Sunrisers Hyderabad-type blueprint in some ways, with connections through Pat Cummins, Travis Head and former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who is SRH coach as well as Australia bowling coach. Jamieson is taking inspiration from another man in Australia’s camp on how to bowl in modern T20 cricket without trying too many tricks.”Something I got stuck on early in my T20 career was just trying to do everything and doing none of it really that well,” Jamieson said. “So I just stick to my strength. I watch someone like Josh Hazlewood bowl, and feel like for the most part, he keeps it pretty simple. He may speak a little bit differently about that, but I sort of take a lot of inspiration around what he does and the simplicity, but how he just does it so well. And there’s probably a bit of a gold nugget in that you can probably get too carried away.”Just trying to maximise the new ball, a little bit of swing and movement, and if the surface has a little bit of bounce, you try and make the most of that. But it’s still hard to hit from the top of the stumps. And if you just can do that with good energy on the ball, it can be really, really effective.”

The other thing on South Africa minds will be their less-than-envious record in recent chases, which they have “spoken about and dissected” in the past week

Firdose Moonda09-Nov-20234:20

David Miller: ‘We haven’t been horrific chasing’

Now that they are in the semi-finals and second on the points table, it’s easy to forget that the South African team was effectively given this World Cup as a free hit. In January, when their automatic participation hung by a thread and a new coaching structure was put in place, the message was simple: get there and that’s all we want. “They are not going to be judged on that World Cup,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said at the time.But of course, now they will be. If not by Nkwe and the suits at CSA then by cricket fans. After the way they’ve batted and even the way they have chased (successfully, once, unsuccessfully twice), expectation has risen. So, perhaps it’s no bad thing that their final group match is essentially a free hit. The pressure is completely off South Africa, who will use the match in Ahmedabad as a dress rehearsal for a dream. Yes, even the team themselves have one eye on the final.Yesterday, bowling coach Eric Simons mentioned it when asked about what South Africa will hope to take out the last game and, today, David Miller threw in the f-word (yes, we mean, “final”) three times, in answer to three different questions about 1) the size of the stadium in Ahmedabad, 2) playing Australia in the semi-final and 3) what he could tell people from home about the experience of being a Gujarat Titan, who is based at this venue.Related

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That means he knows what to expect from a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, and possibly even from an emptier one. “It’s always a good spectacle here at this ground and I’m really excited for what lies ahead, potentially being here in the final. It will be a great, great achievement,” he said.Greater still, because few people even thought South Africa would advance to the knockouts and the way they have played so far has already earned them much praise. Now, all that may sound like South Africa are getting carried away and already looking 10 days ahead – and they might be – but they’d be cautioned not to. Afghanistan have already topped three former champions in England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and came close to downing a fourth, who are also South Africa’s semi-final opponents, Australia.South Africa have only played Afghanistan once before, at the 2019 World Cup where they beat them by nine wickets – yes, chasing. That’s important because batting second is clearly South Africa’s weaker suit, even though Miller reiterated an earlier expression from Temba Bavuma that “the guys believe they can chase anything”. They managed 271 against Pakistan, but only just, and fell 38 short against Netherlands and conceded their blueprint batting second needs work. Over the last few days “we have spoken about and dissected it and it’s just about making sure that we’ve got that platform and giving ourselves the best chance to chase down a total,” Miller said.Quinton de Kock has been at the heart of South Africa’s batting so far this World Cup•Associated PressHe emphasised that South Africa “haven’t been horrific chasing,” which is probably true, but they haven’t been good either. This year, they’ve won 10 out of 11 games batting first and four out of nine batting second. At this World Cup, both defeats have come in chases and it’s clearly an area of South Africa’s game that can be exploited and there are not too many things they can tweak in personnel to change that. The extra batter, Reeza Hendricks, played two matches when Bavuma was ill but is likely to sit out again unless South Africa are willing to go in a bowler short.Given that one of Lungi Ngidi or Kagiso Rabada is likely to be rested, that would be too big a risk to take. Andile Phehlukwayo should get a game, his first of the tournament, after being brought in as a replacement for Sisanda Magala, who was ruled out with a knee injury. Phehlukwayo’s comeback could be seen as a microcosm for South Africa’s as a whole. He lost ground to other allrounders including Marco Jansen and lost his national contract earlier this year and found his way back after injuries to Magala and Wayne Parnell. He has since done his fair share of substitute fielding, including taking three catches and dropping one, and has been a constant presence around the group. “The guys have been phenomenal off the field, really supportive and done their roles and trained really hard,” Miller said. “He’s certainly given a lot to the team and brought a lot of energy so it’s been great to see and that’s the kind of thing that we want: to still pour in and give and not just take.”At Thursday’s optional training session, Phehlukwayo was one of the few present and the only one seen padded up for a net session, which is as strong an indication as any that he’s set to play. And if he does, it will also be a free hit for him, and a chance to show what he can do without any very serious consequences. Next week, that will all change.

He has an enviable ability to dismiss the previous delivery from his mind and it accounts for a lot of his success

Aakash Chopra10-Jan-2022You remember that over from Mohammed Siraj to Dean Elgar in Johannesburg, right? It was a miracle that Elgar didn’t lose his wicket in those six balls, for every delivery seemed to have his name on it. He played and missed, he was hit on the body, and he played and missed some more.Not only did he survive, he didn’t allow that over to dent his resolve to stay in the middle for as long as possible. If South Africa were to pull off a heist at the Wanderers, they needed their captain in the middle till the end. And for that to happen, he had to take a few body blows, and more importantly, find a way as he faced up each time to forget what happened the previous ball.It’s tough to forget what just happened to you. If someone is impolite, the hurt stays with you, and you are filled with joy if someone has been nice to you. If it’s so difficult to not allow trivial things to impact your day-to-day life, imagine how difficult it must be to forget when you’re beaten all ends up multiple times by a similar sort of delivery, or when you’ve been hit on the body. It might be relatively easy to forget the mental scars momentarily – though some might rightfully disagree – but physical hurt is almost impossible to forget, for it really stings.Related

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Elgar soaked in everything – the mental and physical bruises – and played every ball as if it were a brand-new event in a brand-new game. When he hit the winning runs in the Test, it felt like the unfinished business of 2018 was resolved. The pitch at the Wanderers back then was far more torturous, and the Indian attack in that game was a tad more venomous, and while Elgar carried his bat in the second innings then, he couldn’t take his team to victory. This time it was different.South Africa tend to produce gritty left-hand openers who are not really pleasing to the eye: Kepler Wessels, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten – and you can add Dean Elgar to that list.Since most bowlers are so used to bowling to right-hand batters, sometimes they find it a little difficult to find effective ways to bowl to left-handers.The first line of attack to Elgar is to stay over the stumps and angle the ball across his body. We have not just seen him play and miss a thousand times, we have also seen the ball find the outside edge. His first dismissal in this series was an outside edge to Jasprit Bumrah in that manner. On that occasion his front foot hardly moved and the ball didn’t move enough to miss the outside edge. But ever since, the Indian bowlers have tried relentlessly to replicate that formula but found little success.

South Africa tend to produce gritty left-hand openers who are not really pleasing to the eye: Kepler Wessels, Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten – and you can add Dean Elgar to that list

One must wonder: how does Elgar play and miss so many balls without edging? Well, the secret to his batting is to bring the bat down in a very straight path. That is, the downswing of the bat is in a straight line. That way his bat is never angular and the hands are trying to cover for the sideways movement away from him in the air and off the surface. This method is called playing inside the line. Elgar is so committed to it that he hardly hits the ball into the covers off the front foot.Does that mean that bowling over the wicket and taking it across the batter is pointless? Definitely not. This will always remain the fast bowler’s go-to plan against Elgar when the ball is new. Perhaps, though, there’s merit in changing the line a little bit every now and then. Instead of pitching the ball within the stumps and taking it away always, the Indian bowlers could try bringing it back into him from a fourth-stump line. That way, the natural variation of the ball holding its line might take the ball closer to the outside edge. Mohammed Shami is best suited to bowling such a line.The second plan against Elgar is to go round the stumps and bring the ball into him using the angle, but mixing it up with a bouncer or two every over. Elgar doesn’t necessarily take on every bouncer that comes his way, but we have seen him be a little uncomfortable against the bouncer directed at his body, and round the wicket is the perfect angle to exploit that. Once again, since he doesn’t take them on every time, it isn’t guaranteed to succeed, but a mean bouncer is often capable of preventing a batter from committing to playing the next delivery on the front foot. And it works that way with Elgar too, once in a while.These plans may or may not work in Cape Town but one thing is certain: Elgar will start a new innings as if he hasn’t scored a run in the series thus far. Sometimes the best way to wear down such tenacious batters is to meet patience with patience. With Elgar it’s about who blinks first. The Indian bowlers must ensure that they don’t do so.

A new claim has emerged regarding who Norwich City’s next manager could be, with Kim Hellberg reportedly the subject of talks with the club recently.

The Canaries are still looking to bring in the right replacement for Liam Manning, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month, with the 40-year-old sending a classy message to the fanbase.

“I look back on being appointed head coach of my hometown club with great pride. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve the results or fulfil the plans we set out when we took over in June.​ Although my time with the fans was brief, I want to acknowledge their outstanding support during a challenging period. They continued to show up in great numbers – unsurprising given their passion and loyalty – and displayed incredible spirit despite understandable frustrations.”

“I would like to thank the players for their efforts throughout my time at the club and wish them all the best, both personally and professionally. The club welcomed me warmly, and the dedication of everyone across all departments never went unnoticed. I am truly grateful for that and I wish everyone associated with Norwich City the very best for the future.”

A host of individuals have been linked with being Manning’s successor at Norwich, including former Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, and now a new update has thrown another name into the hat.

The latest on Jon Dahl Tomasson becoming Norwich City's next manager

Is he the right man for the job?

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 16, 2025

Norwich have held talks with Kim Hellberg

According to Sky Sports, Norwich briefly spoke to Hammarby manager boss Hellebrg about taking charge at Carrow Road, but that ship appears to have sailed.

That’s because Middlesbrough are believed to have a verbal agreement in place with the 37-year-old, bringing him in to replace Rob Edwards, who has departed for Wolves.

Hellberg would have been a left-field choice by Norwich, given his lack of experience, but it is easy to see why they have looked at him as a potential strong choice.

The Swede has been lauded as the “brightest football mind” by assistant coach David Selini, highlighting his tactical acumen, and by IFK Varnamo sporting director Enes Ahmetovic for the detail he goes into, and he is at an age where he is likely to bring fresh ideas.

It looks as though Norwich will have to look elsewhere, though, whether it be Tomasson, Gary O’Neil or someone else, and the Canaries will hope that Hellberg doesn’t thrive too much at Boro, assuming he does move there.

Norwich City also had talks with manager who has 100% win record vs Manning

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting a sensational move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios and are looking to secure a cut-price move for the young midfielder. The 22-year-old has made 16 La Liga appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season and Spurs have identified him as a potential option to offer some variation to their lethargic midfield options.

• Spurs chasing Barrios

  Thomas Frank is under pressure and may have to dip into the club’s coffers in order to revitalise his squad in the January transfer window. The Dane has had a mixed start to life in north London and has been unable to get much success out of his midfield options thus far this campaign.

  Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha do not possess the ball carrying or playing abilities to play teams off the park and Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are still just teenagers. Yves Bissouma, who has apologised after being filmed using nitrous oxide for a second time, also appears on his way out of the club.

  According to , Barrios could be the man to fill the void in the Spurs midfield. The Spaniard has a €120 million release clause in his contract, but it is unlikely that the north London side will put that amount down on the table to take Barrios away from Madrid.

  The Spanish media outlet report that the club have instead floated a more modest €70 million offer in the direction of Atletico in the hope they could snatch up one of Europe’s more coveted midfielders for a more reasonable fee.

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• AFP
  

  Barrios attracting interest from England

  Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly both also interested in the Atletico man, and could look to tempt the Spanish club with offers of their own.

  The Reds have been having a difficult season and, despite splashing out on a record-shattering transfer window in the summer off the back of winning the Premier League, may have to fork out yet more money to refresh their squad. Arne Slot’s midfield has failed to match the high standards it set for itself last season. With the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister far below the levels they have been at previously and Florian Wirtz yet to start firing, Liverpool have been unable to replicate last season’s spectacular run to the title.

  As for Chelsea, the Blues look once again to be falling short of a serious title challenge. Enzo Maresca has already got two £100 million plus midfielders to call upon in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes, but finding the complimentary third option has not always been an easy task. The Italian has fielded Reece James in the centre and Cole Palmer is returning from injury, but other options Andrey Santos and Roméo Lavia have failed to make a serious impact.

• Spurs looking to move quickly

  Barrios could offer something different to all of the Premier League sides determined to secure his signature. He has been a regular in Simeone’s midfield this season, usually utilised in a midfield two alongside veteran Ateltico legend Koke.

  Barrios stood out in the Club World Club and even scored a brace against the Seattle Sounders to truly announce himself to the rest of Europe. The development of the 22-year-old in recent years has made him a highly sought-after central midfielder, and Spurs are keen to secure his services before anyone else.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A bidding war for Barrios?

  An opening bid by Spurs could be the start of a lengthy battle for the services of Barrios. The midfielder has not given any suggestion that he is seeking to leave the Spanish capital, but may be tempted should one of the big Premier League sides offer a significant pay rise.

  With three of the Premier League’s so-called ‘big six’ circling Barrios, Atletico may drive a hard bargain and look to accrue a fee as close to his lofty release clause as possible with a potential bidding war set to ensue.

Authoritative displays in Lilac Hill warm-up have ended the speculation leading into Perth Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Nov-2025The debate as to who will bat No.3 for England in the first Ashes Test has been all but settled with Ollie Pope’s standout performance in the warm-up match against England Lions locking up his familiar spot for Friday’s opener in Perth.Scores of 100 and 90 saw Pope emerge from Lilac Hills in credit, hurdling the challenge put forward by Jacob Bethell, who scored 3 and 70. Named in the England side for the warm-up match while Bethell was carded three for the Lions, Pope was comfortably the best batter on show across both innings. He looked more composed, and authoritative, even if this match was a far cry from the intensity the tourists will experience at the Optus Stadium from November 21.It effectively ended what has been months of speculation over Pope’s place in the side for the start of this Australia tour. Initial doubts were triggered by Bethell’s form at the back end of the summer, including a maiden professional century in an ODI against South Africa. They then gained momentum when Pope was ditched as Test vice-captain for Harry Brook. “I respect the decision they’ve made,” Pope said. “If they think that’s the right thing for the team going forward, and obviously Brooky captaining the one-day stuff and the T20 stuff as well, then that’s absolutely fine by me and I respect the decision they’ve made.”Perhaps spurred on further by the loss of an official leadership role, Pope reinforced his reliability on the eve of the biggest Ashes series in generations. Along with an accomplished body of work at No.3 – averaging 41.60 from 57 innings since the promotion up the order, while scoring eight of his nine career centuries – he feels confident this week has ended speculation, in his favour.”I hope so,” Pope said, when asked if he had ended the debate. “I’ve got so used to those conversations being had (about the No.3 position). I don’t go looking for them but it’s pretty hard to avoid sometimes. I’m so used to seeing it, I’ve just learned to focus on my game.Related

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Ollie Pope puts selection talk to bed with warm-up century

Pope shines again as Root, Brook tune up in England win

“I’m just trying to become a better player each time I step out and that’s all I can do. Fingers crossed to get the nod, but all the trust is in those guys and I respect the decision they make.”Pope revealed he had made a few technical tweaks which he was workshopping this week, though was unwilling to disclose what they were ahead of the series. However, he did acknowledge the challenge posed by Bethell had narrowed his focus.Both have been pitted against one another since Bethell impressed on his maiden tour of New Zealand in 2024. That opportunity was ultimately provided by Pope, who ceded the No.3 position so he could bat lower and keep wicket after an injury to Jordan Cox in the lead-up to the series, with Jamie Smith on paternity leave.It was a selfless act from Pope that, in hindsight, looked a grave error. But he believes dealing with the extra scrutiny and fighting for his place will serve him well. Amid the huge clamour for Bethell to start against India last summer, Pope struck 106 in his first innings of the series. “It’s been good for me that I’ve learnt that, under the most pressure, I’ve been able to deliver, especially in that Headingley Test. I know that I can learn how to deal with that and get the best out of myself at times.”Everyone wants to be the first name on the team sheet, that’s pretty clear. But at the same time we’re playing international sport. I’ve got to remind myself of that at times – there’s always going to be someone on your heel if you haven’t quite scored the volume of runs that you would have liked.”I’ll try and use the pressure I’m under to get the best out of myself. I think I’m a far better player than I was the last time I came out to Australia. I’ve got those experiences behind me and I know how I want to go about it. So fingers crossed that I can deliver with a lot of runs.”In truth, Pope only really had one way to go after that last tour. A torturous 2021-22 campaign saw him average 11.16 from six innings. He played the first two Tests before being axed, only to be brought back for the last match in Hobart, which Australia won to confirm a 4-0 hammering.Can Pope make this tour count? Time will tell, but the signs are promising. He has faith in the batting improvements he is keeping close to his chest, and, for the first time in a year, has certainty over his place. He may also enjoy the liberation of not having to wonder if he might have to captain, in the event Stokes gets injured, having done so five times in the space of 12 months. Whatever happens, he is raring to go again.”Everyone is just so excited for it,” he said. “There’s obviously a lot of chat from the media, everywhere you look it’s Ashes, and for us it is enjoy that, enjoy the experience of it. But let’s just remember what’s made us a real good side over the last few years, and hopefully if I do get the nod on Friday, then it’s going to be an amazing series to be a part of.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy complained of back stiffness which has impacted his recovery and mobility; Shivam Dube is in the XI for the first T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025

Fast-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s return to action has been set back by neck spasms, which has “impacted his recovery and mobility”, according to a BCCI update on Wednesday morning.Reddy, 22, had sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI against Australia on October 23. He missed the following ODI in Sydney, which India won by nine wickets to cut down the series margin to 2-1.India are already without their premier allrounder Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury of his own. Without Hardik, India have looked unbalanced, but the good news for them is that Shivam Dube, the other seam-bowling allrounder in the touring party, is fit and was picked in the XI for the first T20I in Canberra after being sidelined from the opening round of the Ranji Trophy with back stiffness.Reddy has had a difficult time with injuries, especially this year. In July, he had been ruled out of the fourth and fifth Tests in England with a knee injury. He had suffered the injury while training in the gym before hurting his quadriceps in Australia.He has played 15 internationals for India so far, since making his debut in the Perth Test in November 2024.In the first T20I in Canberra, India picked three spinners in Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, sticking to their successful template from the Asia Cup, which they won in late September.

Pakistan fast bowler suffered the same penalty as India captain Suryakumar Yadav

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during the Super Four game against India in the Asia Cup on September 21. Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee by ICC match referee Richie Richardson.It is understood that Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan was not fined and let off with a warning by Richardson on Friday.During an ill-tempered game in Dubai, Rauf was seen responding to heckling from Indian fans by signalling 6-0 with his hands and making gestures depicting the downing of aircraft, in an apparent reference to the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. Farhan had celebrated his fifty by mimicking a gunshot.India captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30% after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct for making comments that alluded to the military conflict after the group game against Pakistan on September 14. India had appealed against the verdict.The PCB had filed a complaint against Suryakumar, while the BCCI had done the same against Rauf and Farhan. All three players had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which necessitated hearings with Richardson.There was heightened tension between India and Pakistan during their group game on September 14, with India refusing to shake hands with Pakistan at the toss and after the game, which India won by seven wickets. In the Super Four match between the sides, there were a number of confrontations between Pakistan’s bowlers and India’s openers. Abhishek Sharma later accused Pakistan of “coming at us for no reason”.The two teams are set to play each other for the third time in the tournament, in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.

Since INOES took over the club, Manchester United have not been afraid to make some major sales in the transfer market. Be it academy players or big-money stars leaving for less than they cost, Ruben Amorim’s squad has a new look.

Perhaps the biggest name to leave, albeit only on loan, was Marcus Rashford. He is thriving at Barcelona, where he has 15 goal involvements in just 16 games. The likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony were moved on permanently over the summer too.

It will be fascinating to see who leaves over the next few transfer windows. If United are looking to cash in on stars who don’t fit Amorim’s system, Diogo Dalot could be on that list.

Dalot's limits in Amorim's system

It has not been easy for Dalot to adapt to Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. The Portuguese is a right-back by trade, but can operate on the opposite side, too. This means the Red Devils boss has relied on him playing as a wing-back.

In principle, this is fine, but the wing-backs in United’s current system are essentially wingers. Often, they are the furthest players forward when attacking, which is why traditional full-backs like Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazroui have struggled more than wingers like Amad.

Dalot certainly fits into this category. The 26-year-old has played 45 times under his countryman at Old Trafford, with every single one of those appearances coming as a wing-back. To break that down further, 22 have come on the right, and the other 23 on the left, so it is an almost equal split.

Certainly, the United number 2 has left a little to be desired creatively. He’s only scored and assisted seven goals, with his strike against Lyon in the famous 5-4 Europa League win an example of how high he can get as a wing-back.

Whatever Dalot’s future is at United due to his suitability for the system, there is another player who should be taking his leave before too long.

Not just Dalot: Big-money flop must leave Man Utd

INEOS have certainly worked hard in the transfer market, cashing in on players who either aren’t good enough for the club or are not a good fit for Amoirm’s system. However, their work is not done yet.

One of the names who could be top of the sales list at Old Trafford is Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Their number 25 has yet to find his best form at Old Trafford since his big-money £42m move last summer.

His time as a Red Devils player has been incredibly disappointing, given the price United paid. He’s played 55 times for the club so far, even chipping in with two goals and five assists, but has looked off the pace in the Premier League.

One of the biggest issues with Ugarte is his lack of technical ability on the ball. The former Sporting CP star, who played under Amorim in Portugal, does not excel at progressing the ball forward, which is a real drawback to his game.

The numbers are there to support that theory as well. In the Premier League last season, Ugarte averaged just 3.08 progressive passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 18th percentile for midfielders.

Off the ball, he can be an effective ball-winner, but is rash, and committed 2.07 fouls each game last term.

Passes completed

45.88

46th

Key passes

0.5

13th

Passes into final third

2.97

36th

Passes into penalty area

0.45

20th

Progressive passes

3.08

18th

There are certainly lots of negatives to Ugarte’s game. He is certainly ineffective on the ball, and at times, can be too lightweight without it, leading him to recklessly dive in.

It feels like he is yet to win over the fans, with Red Devils social media presence Alex Turk calling him “embarrassing” earlier this season.

With these things in mind, it would not be a surprise if United looked to cash in on the midfielder. They may not recoup much of the £50m fee, but would at least save on his £120k per week wages. In any case, they would be able to strengthen in midfield with a more progressive player.

Man Utd flop who looks "miles off it" is in danger of being the new Antony

This Manchester United flop is in danger of becoming the next Antony.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 10, 2025