Shades of Thiago: "Incredible" star had his best game in a Liverpool shirt

Defending champions Liverpool moved up to eighth in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Goals from Alexander Isak, who netted his first league goal for the club, and Cody Gakpo secured all three points for the Reds for the first time since the 1st November against Aston Villa.

Arne Slot will surely be pleased with the win and the clean sheet to end a run of three successive losses in all competitions, whilst the Dutch boss will also be buzzing with the performances of several of his players.

Ranking Liverpool's top performers against West Ham

When ranking the team’s top performers against the Hammers, it is hard to look past Gakpo as the standout star because he was directly involved in both of the goals, with a goal and an assist.

Ibrahima Konate also deserves credit for his colossal display at the heart of the defence, winning 100% (5/5) of his aerial duels and making a team-high ten clearances, per Sofascore.

Both the France international and captain Virgil van Dijk kept Alisson quiet with their dominant performances, but Konate was the standout centre-back with four more clearances and three more aerial duels won than his skipper.

Ranking Liverpool’s best players vs West Ham

Rank

Player

1

Cody Gakpo

2

Florian Wirtz

3

Ibrahima Konate

4

Virgil van Dijk

5

Alexander Isak

As you can see in the table above, Isak also has to be in the top five performers on the pitch for the Premier League champions, as he netted his first league goal for the club with a brilliant first-time finish into the bottom corner.

You will also notice that £115m signing Florian Wirtz ranks in second place, just behind Gakpo, after he caught the eye whilst playing in a central position for the Reds.

The Liverpool star who could be their new Thiago Alcantara

Recruitment analyst Jan Riha stated that the “incredible” Wirtz made him “feel about football the same way Thiago Alcantara” did at Liverpool, after his performance against the Hammers.

It is hard to argue with that assessment because his metronomic display at the London Stadium was incredibly impressive, even if it lacked the punch of a goal or an assist to add some extra flavour to his season.

Thiago ended his playing days with a 90% pass accuracy, per WhoScored, and Reds supporters got to enjoy his midfield majesty for three seasons, with plenty of exceptional raking passes and cultured through balls, as shown in the clips below against Man United in 2022.

Wirtz may not play in a deep-lying midfield role like Thiago did, but his technical ability is comparable to the Spaniard’s, and he showed it off plenty of times in the win over West Ham.

The Germany international has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season since his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen, but his display on Sunday was a step in the right direction because it was his best of the campaign.

Florian Wirtz

25/26 PL per game

Vs West Ham

Sofascore rating

6.51

6.9

Passes completed

25

42

Pass accuracy

82%

93%

Passes completed in oppo half

18

32

Passes accuracy in oppo half

76%

91%

Passes accuracy in own half

86%

100%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the statistics above, Wirtz’s use of the ball on Sunday was on another level to what he has previously shown in the top-flight for Liverpool.

Playing centrally, rather than being out wide on the left or the right, allowed him to float around and knit play together with his technical brilliance, much like Thiago used to do further back on the pitch during his time at Anfield.

Slot must continue to play the German star in the middle of the park, rather than out wide, because he could flourish as a metronomic number ten who is able to buzz around the pitch and control the tempo of the match.

The hope, then, would be that the goals and assists naturally follow as he becomes more comfortable and confident on the pitch in the Premier League.

Big Konate upgrade: Liverpool have "one of the best young CBs in the world"

Liverpool have a blooming centre-back who could surpass Marc Guehi and Ibrahima Konate.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 30, 2025

Whilst there will be understandable disappointment that a £115m attacking midfielder is yet to provide a direct goal contribution in the top-flight, Wirtz’s performance against the Hammers was his best of the season and he appears to be on the right track to become a success at Anfield.

Chloe Kelly: How England's Euros hero found herself back on the Arsenal bench and down the Lionesses pecking order

It's hard to overstate the degree to which Chloe Kelly captured the attention of a nation this past summer. Her pivotal performances in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the 2025 European Championship helped drive England on to a second successive continental crown while also catapulting her name into the limelight like never before, even surpassing the levels achieved after her extra-time goal won Euro 2022. Yet, fans tuning into the Women's Super League this season hoping to see Kelly's magic in action for Arsenal, will have been disappointed.

With nine WSL games and four Champions League outings on the board, only four players in the Gunners' squad have accrued fewer minutes across all competitions than Kelly, who has started just three times since the season kicked-off in early September. Given she not only shone for England in the summer, but also made her move to Arsenal permanent off the back of an exciting loan spell in the first half of 2025, it's certainly not been what most expected.

In just a few weeks, Kelly will head to the ceremony for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award as the second-favourite to win, only marginally behind golfer Rory McIlroy, who completed the career grand slam earlier this year by triumphing at the Masters in dramatic fashion. But as her impact at Euro 2025 continues to be celebrated, can Kelly find the magic needed to spark her season into life?

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    Dealing with a setback

    It's been a weird start to this season for Kelly. The 27-year-old started Arsenal's first game of the season, against London City Lionesses, missed the next outing at West Ham due to a knock and would sport visible strapping on her right knee from there on out, up until early November, as she clearly nursed some sort of issue.

    Yet, the West Ham game would be the only one she'd miss, with a start against European giants Lyon even coming in early October despite Kelly not looking fully fit at times. Indeed, in that clash with the French champions, the England winger struggled massively to get involved in attack and didn't help out enough in defence before being withdrawn before the hour. Until Arsenal's final game before this international break, the rest of her appearances for the club so far this term have come as a substitute.

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    Showing glimpses

    While it's easy to say that Renee Slegers, the Arsenal boss, could've maybe just coped without Kelly for a few weeks while she got over the issue plaguing her, the player is always going to want to play, especially given the increased competition for places in the Gunners' wide areas this season following Olivia Smith's record-breaking arrival from Liverpool.

    Plus, despite not being at 100 per cent, Kelly has still provided some special moments. She was on the scoresheet against former club Manchester City in early October, albeit in an eventual 3-2 defeat, and has reminded everyone of the wonderful service she can provide in the Champions League. Her quick-thinking assist for Alessia Russo in the win over Benfica was brilliant while it was her wicked cross that the England No.9 tucked away to level the scores on Arsenal's way to victory over Real Madrid just recently.

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    Getting back on track

    Fortunately, that period of managing an injury seems to be behind Kelly now. Asked about the winger when she was called up by England for this ongoing camp, Slegers clarified the situation with regards to her fitness. "She missed the West Ham game and a couple of training sessions but since then she's been building back, and some things take a little bit longer than others, but she's fully fit," she explained.

    That was underlined by Slegers' team selection just before the international break, as she handed Kelly just her third start of the season against Real Madrid. The winger justified her inclusion in the XI, too. After having a significant impact in the clash with Las Blancas in last year's Champions League quarter-final, playing a key role in the Gunners' historic comeback win, Kelly was effective again in this rematch, delivering that great cross for Russo to head home and get the European champions back into things.

    It was the highlight of a performance in which Kelly, free of that strapping on her knee, generally looked back to full fitness and sharpness, too, standing out as one of Arsenal's best players on the night.

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    Ready to be reignited

    It feels like Kelly's season can really start now then. After all, we're talking about a player who lit up Euro 2025 despite not starting any of England's six games, sparking the Lionesses' into life right when they needed it. It was Kelly's brilliant delivery that allowed Lucy Bronze to get England back into a quarter-final they seemed well out of, it was her goal that defeated Italy in the next round and sent the Lionesses through to the final, and it was her spot-kick that defeated Spain to win the trophy. She didn't do it all alone, of course, but she played a massive role.

    That quality was on show for Arsenal in the second half of last season, too. Having secured a loan move to north London, freeing her from a situation at Manchester City where she was totally out of favour, Kelly starred as the Gunners enjoyed much-improved form under Slegers and won the Champions League. There's no doubting her status as one of the best wingers in England, and Europe, when she is fit and firing. Now that she is getting back to the latter, she can show that.

The A’s Failed Their Sacramento Debut, but Sutter Health Park Largely Passed

Anyone arriving to this West Sacramento neighborhood on Monday evening, both a regular Monday and unlike any other Monday here before, must have felt, among so many swirling emotions and opinions and debates, predominantly … ?

Sure, at least 14,000-some-odd souls were headed to Sutter Health Park. And not for a minor league baseball game—which, under more typical circumstances, is precisely what would have unfolded. Not Monday. Oh, no. Those fortunate enough to score seats were headed to a Major League Baseball game. In Sacramento. Make that West Sacramento. The A’s new home. Er, temporary home. Well, O.K., more like their layover stadium on a lengthy relocation trip with a very long connection between the city they have already departed (Oakland, duh) and the city where they will reside (Las Vegas).

And yet, in the neighborhood near the park, only 90 minutes before the first pitch of the A’s “home” opener, the streets nearby were not choked with, well, anything or anyone. No traffic, let alone anything resembling a “jam.” Most parking lots sat empty. The rainstorm expected earlier in the day had not materialized after a morning downpour.

My Uber driver compared this Monday to any other Monday in this neighborhood, after revealing he hadn’t followed any sports since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A cakewalk right here,” he says. “You sure there’s a game?”

Oh, yeah. On the official MLB schedule. Promise. Sold out. Secondary ticket market going bonkers, relative to normal. Just no … fans. Nobody outside the new apartment buildings, many still under construction. Nobody on the path ahead, the one pointed toward a golden overpass, the Tower Bridge which connects this neighborhood to downtown.

This wasn’t exactly a tumbleweeds scenario. It wasn’t exactly not a tumbleweeds scenario, either.

Was that a scoreboard glimmering with images and statistics in the near distance? A faint hint of bass, not yet thumping, in the same general direction?

Then: Street art, sprayed on a slab of concrete, with green dots and a long, green swirl—not unlike A’s colors, amirite?—and an apt phrase painted in pink. It read: .

Now we’re getting somewhere.

All sorts of signs peppered the Cabaldon Parkway, announcing the neighborhood that would soon host a bona fide MLB game. Right? The Bridge District. For a “home” that resembled more of a ghost town, this wasn’t a clue so much as a metaphor. That will be the juxtaposition in the next three seasons for a proud baseball franchise replete with significant players and eras and moments throughout the vast majority of MLB’s history, now in its 154th season.

Winds whipped those Bridge District banners. Nobody lingered at the intersection where visitors turn and head toward the main entrance. One guy—one!—stood at some gated-off entry that didn’t look accessible to anyone at all. One stadium worker, passing by this one guy, yelled out, “Love the A’s hat, baby! He’s VIP! Look at that face! It’s not pretty but it’s his!”

The park’s fences soon rounded into view. Then the park itself. And there it was, the next era of Athletics baseball, among so, so many eras of Athletics baseball, neatly summarized in empty streets, district banners and an innocuous comment. This park may not be pretty, at least in the traditional MLB park sense, but it’s theirs. These seasons will not be like previous A’s seasons. They will be, wait for it, bridge years for a franchise that can stay put, for years and for decades and for more than half-a-century in Oakland, and yet, this same franchise never stays in one place, not permanently. Not yet.

, then, began in earnest on Monday night.

Sunderland make decision on selling Granit Xhaka as Juventus eye January move

Sunderland have now made a decision on Granit Xhaka’s future, amid interest from Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

The Black Cats have surpassed all expectations so far this season, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table after collecting 19 points from their opening 11 games, and Regis Le Bris & co deserve major credit for the work they did in the transfer window.

It was a summer of change for the Championship play-off final winners, bringing in new additions all over the pitch, including at centre-forward, with Brian Brobbey getting off the mark courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser against Arsenal before the international break.

However, arguably Le Bris’ best addition has been Xhaka, with the central midfielder’s importance underlined by the fact he has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season, receiving plaudits from former defender Micky Gray after impressing against West Ham United.

Gray described the Swiss maestro as “absolutely incredible”, before going on to add: “You could see him trying to speak to everybody and calm everybody down. And when the ball came to his feet, he wasn’t rushing his passes. He was slowing everything down. So that experience is absolutely huge.”

Juventus eyeing January move for Sunderland star Granit Xhaka

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that the 33-year-old is attracting attention ahead of the January transfer window, with a report from TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), revealing Juventus are now eyeing a shock winter transfer.

The 142-time Switzerland international’s agents are said to be seeking a move, given that their client has made a fantastic start to the campaign, with the report bizarrely also claiming the Black Cats are willing to sanction a January move if he asks to leave.

Sunderland have done extremely well to be competing at the top end of the Premier League table, and they are already nearly half-way to the magic 40-point mark, but they are not out of the woods just yet, so it would, of course, be a mistake to cash-in this winter.

The Basel-born midfielder has contributed one goal and three assists in the Premier League this term, with Wayne Rooney suggesting he could be the signing of the season, given his experience and leadership qualities.

The former Arsenal man has also impressed at international level during the current break, scoring a penalty and making a number of other key contributions as Switzerland ran out emphatic 4-1 winners against Sweden on Saturday.

Granit Xhaka’s statistics against Sweden

Number completed

Accurate passes

65/77 (84%)

Ground duels (won)

4 (3)

Aerials duels (won)

2 (2)

Accurate long balls

5

In all honesty, it was a major coup for Sunderland to even sign Xhaka in the first place, and given that he remains under contract until 2028, there is no need to cash-in this January or in the summer.

Sunderland "diamond" could be Regis Le Bris' captain after Granit Xhaka

Move over Xhaka: Sunderland "diamond" is Regis Le Bris' future captain

Regis Le Bris has a future Sunderland captain on his hands in this battling star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2025

Vincent Kompany challenges Luis Diaz to step up and fire Bayern Munich to Bundesliga win with forward missing Champions League visit to Arsenal

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has called on forward Luis Diaz to step up for the club’s upcoming match against Freiburg, with the Colombian winger set to miss the midweek clash against Arsenal. Diaz was shown a red card in Bayern’s 2-1 win over Paris Saint Germain and will now serve his suspension in the Champions League fixture against the Gunners.

  • Diaz's impressive start to the season

    Diaz joined Bayern in the summer for €75 million (£65m/$84m) from Liverpool and has quickly become one of the team’s standout performers. The Colombian winger has scored 11 goals in 17 games this season, thriving on the left flank in Kompany’s 4-2-3-1 system. Diaz’s impressive goal against Union Berlin has drawn widespread praise, particularly from former World Cup–winning captain Lothar Matthaus. However, Diaz was sent off in Bayern’s match against PSG for a reckless two-footed tackle on Achraf Hakimi, which left the Moroccan full-back getting stretchered off. As a result of the red card, Diaz will now miss Bayern’s upcoming mid week Champions League clash against Arsenal.

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    Kompany's challenge to Diaz

    Bayern return to domestic action looking to bounce back from last week's draw against Union Berlin, which brought an end to their perfect record in all competitions so far this season. Kompany is hoping his side get the job done this weekend and feels Diaz has no reason to hold back.

    Speaking at a press conference, Kompany urged Diaz to give his all in Bayern's clash against Freiburg, especially with him missing the midweek fixture. He said: "In his [Diaz] case, there's no question of managing his workload. He has to go full throttle tomorrow and help us. On Wednesday against Arsenal, it will be up to the others. 

    "The match against Arsenal won't have much influence on Freiburg anyway. The lads are going into the Freiburg match full of energy. We want to win the match and aren't thinking about Arsenal yet."

    UEFA is yet to officially confirm the length of Diaz’s suspension, but Kompany revealed his understanding of the situation, saying: "My information is one match. I don't know when it will be communicated, but I would be disappointed if my information is not correct."

  • Kompany's assessment of the season

    Bayern's 2-2 draw against Berlin meant Kompany couldn't equal the record Kompany equal his mentor Pep Guardiola’s record of 10 consecutive victories in his first 10 Bundesliga matches of a campaign, a milestone the former Barcelona boss set during the 2015-16 season. Bayern have launched their season in stunning form, stitching together a 17-match unbeaten streak spanning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup and Champions League. The run looks even more remarkable when you factor in the squad changes: the departures of key attackers such as Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Muller, along with unsuccessful attempts to sign players like Nick Woltemade and Rafael Leao.

    Yet Kompany has turned those challenges into clarity. He has established a well-defined, tightly coordinated system built on persistence, collective movement and fluid attacking rotations. The structure has brought out the best in Harry Kane, who is operating at an extraordinary scoring rate of 23 in just 17 matches.

    "We didn't win the last game against Union, I haven't forgotten that," Kompany said. "It doesn't feel like the perfect season. Above all, you have to be strong at the end, otherwise you won't get anything. Our great start is just a bonus for now. Our goal is to be even stronger at the end of the season than we are now."

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    Bayern's challenge against Freiburg

    During the international break, Kompany would have taken the opportunity to reassess his squad and explore tactical variations to ensure Bayern maintain their intensity across the entire campaign. He will also hope that Díaz returns with the hunger to make amends for his suspension and play a decisive role when Bayern face Freiburg on Saturday.

Paul Skenes Provides Explanation for Deadpan Facial Expression That Became a Meme

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes burst onto the scene in 2024, quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball upon his midseason call up to the big leagues from the minors.

Skenes, who was widely regarded as a can't-miss prospect, proved to be every bit of the pltcher the scouts were imagining he would be when he arrived to Pittsburgh's big league club. Skenes won National League Rookie of the Year, started the MLB All-Star Game for the National League and was named a finalist for the Cy Young Award after posting an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts over 133.0 innings pitched.

Skenes also became a bit of a meme on social media thanks to his deadpan reaction to news that he was the National League Rookie of the Year. Skenes, who was staring dead into the camera, didn't have much of a reaction while his girlfriend Livvy Dunne reacted with excitement.

Skenes cleared up the viral moment in an appearance on

"Yeah I think people mistook the facial expressions and all that for indifference. I would say it was composure for sure," Skenes said with a smile.

Skenes will be on the cover of when the video game hits stores in March, and is certainly in for a big second season as he enters 2025 as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is only worried about arresting his side’s worrying slump amid reports of him signing a new contract.

The Dutchman is facing the first real test of his Anfield reign as the Premier League champions have suffered four successive defeats as part of a wider run of six losses in seven games in all competitions.

Despite that, reports suggest Slot is in talks over a new deal, but that is not where his focus is.

Slot shocked at Liverpool question before Aston Villa

Asked about a possible new contract, he said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa:

Serious questions are being asked of Liverpool and the cause of their severe drop off from the side that coasted to the title last season and won their opening seven competitive games this term.

Slot, who was keen to steer away from “excuses” for his side’s poor run but did cite injuries and a packed schedule, is confident his side have the quality to end their alarming slide.

“The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players,” he added.

“We have to address certain other things, but if I’m speaking about what we have to improve, people then tell me I’m using excuses.

“So maybe it’s better now just to say we need to address certain things. But there are a lot of positives to go into this week as well.

“We miss nothing. I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have.

Arne Slot sends message about Anfield atmosphere after Liverpool fans spotted leaving early

“But that makes the issue – if you call it an issue – is not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.

“When three or four are injured you go back to 16 players. I am a firm believer that 20 or 21 players is enough but you have to keep them fit as we did last season.

“It has been more difficult than last season to keep them all available and if a few of them are not available, it comes down a lot to the same players.

“Maybe last season we were more lucky and now we are more unlucky.

“But, no excuses for our results before people say this. We have had to play a lot of away games with only two days rest in-between and that would have been difficult for our players last season and players that have been fit all pre-season but that has not been our situation.

“It is nothing to do with the squad depth, it is how we’ve gone throughout the season in terms of injuries and availability.”

Alexander Isak and Allison Becker will again be missing for the Reds against Villa while Ryan Gravenberch will be assessed ahead of the match having returned to training.

'It's for Lamine Yamal's benefit' – Spain director explains Barcelona teenager's shock exit from national team and stresses 'fantastic' communication with La Liga champions

Aitor Karanka, sporting director of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), assured that there were no tensions between the organisation and Barcelona following Lamine Yamal's shock exit from the Spain squad on Tuesday. Karanka quashed any speculation suggesting further bad blood between the two entities, claiming that the communication with the Catalans is "fantastic."

  • Spain and Luis de la Fuente shocked by Yamal exit

    The Spanish national team and head coach Luis de la Fuente, were handed a hammer blow on Tuesday morning following the release of Yamal from the Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey on November 15 and 18. The Barcelona superstar underwent invasive radiofrequency therapy to battle with his ongoing struggles due to pubalgia. He is set to be out for the next seven to 10 days. 

    The medical procedure Yamal underwent left the Spanish football federation (RFEF) "surprised", claiming in their official statement that the "procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team's medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 10:40 p.m. last night."

    On Tuesday, De la Fuente shared his thoughts and was perplexed because of the situation. “There are procedures that take place outside the Federation's control," he told . "That's what happens, we have to accept it. I've never experienced a situation like this before. I don't think it's very normal. It has surprised us all. You don't have any news, you don't know any details, and on top of that, it's a health issue, so you're left surprised.”

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    Spanish FA director confirms there's no anger over Yamal's release

    Karanka, who serves as the sporting director of the RFEF, downplayed the noise surrounding Yamal's shock withdrawal from the Spain squad. He assured that the communication between the federation and all the clubs was top-notch, adding that it was in Yamal's best interests to focus on his recovery.

    “Discomfort? That’s no longer my concern, it’s a matter for the doctors," he said. "I’ve always said, even yesterday, that communication with all the clubs has been fantastic. I was in contact with Deco until this morning, when the decision was made. And it was done for the boy’s benefit, so that he recovers as soon as possible. The better he is at his club, the better he’ll be for the national team. The national team coach was with him last night and this morning, before he was dropped from the squad.”

    “We were happy because Lamine was getting back to his best; he played a great game against Club Brugge and scored in Vigo the other day. We were eager to see him again, but he has these niggles and what we want, both the national team and Barça, is for him to return to being the player who dazzled us not long ago.”

  • Karanka addresses Hansi Flick's words

    Flick was infuriated after Yamal suffered a knock in the September international break and publicly voiced his frustrations over the national team and De la Fuente's handling of the player. "Lamine Yamal will not be available. He went with the national team in pain and did not train," Flick said at the time. "They gave him painkillers to play. They had at least a three-goal lead in every match, and he played 73 minutes and 79, and between matches he couldn't train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this."

    Later, in October, he defended his comments from earlier, adding: "I want to protect my player, support him, this is what it is. A lot of things happened. This is, for me, done. I have no bad things about this situation. I know it from the other side. It's not easy for me. It's not easy for [De la Fuente]. I must protect my player; this is the reason I made it a little louder than normally I want to do it. I don't regret this. Now, the important thing is managing this together. The players, the clubs and the Spanish Federation [RFEF]. We have to manage it together."

    Karanka, however, was not too keen on adding fuel to the fire, opting to be diplomatic instead. When asked to address Flick's statements, the former Real Madrid defender said: “That's already happened. Today's situation demonstrates that the national team takes care not only of Lamine, but of all its players. When a medical report indicates a potential risk of injury, the player is sent back to his club.”

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    When is Yamal expected to play again?

    The 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up will dedicate the international break to recovery work, as persistent pubalgia threatens to prolong his battle for full fitness. However, it is likely that he will be available for the league clash against Athletic Club on November 22.

Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Mets vs. Brewers Moneyline Pick, Run Total Goes Over)

There's only one game on the slate today after the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals punched their tickets yesterday in two-game sweeps. 

The New YorkMets-Milwaukee Brewers matchup has been so much fun, and I can't wait to see this one play out today.

Let's follow the trend of backing the underdog!

If you had bet the underdog in every MLB playoff game so far, you would be 5-3, and your bankroll would be growing nicely. 

We're also going to follow the trend of this series going over.   Most playoff games tend to be low-scoring, but both games in this series have gone over, and with the season on the line, I trust these bats more. 

MLB Best Bets Today for Mets vs. Brewers Game 3

  • Mets ML +114
  • Over 7.5 +104

The Mets will start Jose Quintana tonight, who has an ERA of 3.75 this season, though his xERA is 4.49, according to Statcast. In two games vs. the Brewers this season, Quintana has allowed 11 hits, a .314 batting average, and four runs with an ERA of 4.00.

Quintana's 3.33 walks per nine could get him into some trouble with the Brewers' 9.7% regular-season walk rate, the second-best mark in the league. 

Tobias Myers starts for the Brewers. Myers has an ERA of 3.00 this season with an xERA of 4.11.  In his single outing vs. the Mets, he faced 14 batters and allowed only one hit and no earned runs.  

That's why we are getting another low game total, and the Brewers are favored.

Both bullpens have an ERA of 4.50 in this series. Managers will quickly make moves with their starters with the season on the line, but I don't have extreme faith in either team's relievers.

In just two playoff games, the Mets have hit .389 with a .958 OPS and 11 RBI with runners in scoring position. The Brewers have hit .250 with five RBI. That stat has me backing the Mets and the over in Game 3. 

The Mets have also scored the most runs and had an 11.5% walk rate with one stolen base. The Brewers have an uncharacteristic 2.9% walk rate over the last two.

Let's root for the bats today, with the underdogs coming out on top. 

Former A's Closer Slams Owner's Letter to Oakland Fan Base: 'Be an Adult'

Former Oakland Athletics reliever Trevor May didn't hold back Monday after he read owner John Fisher's letter to the fan base ahead of the franchise's final series at the Oakland Coliseum.

In the letter sent via email Monday, he apologized to A's fans for moving the franchise out of Oakland and saying that the ownership "tried" to work something out in the East Bay. Starting next season, the A's will play their games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento as a temporary home as the franchise aims to relocate to Las Vegas by 2028.

"With all due respect, which is more than you likely deserve, save it," May wrote on social media. "Be an adult. Get in front of a camera and say it with your chest. Releasing a letter, clearly written by someone else, and including a bunch of names you DEFINITELY do not know, is just disrespectful to those that love the team.

"'We tried.' lol. The fact that you STILL think that anyone cares about that at this point shows, once again, your lack of understanding of WHY people love the game. You love owning stuff, just not your actions. Either stand up with pride or keep hiding. Pick one, we're tired."

May signed a one-year contract with the A's ahead of the 2023 MLB season. In 49 games (46 2/3 innings) for Oakland, May registered a 3.28 ERA and a team-high 21 saves in 24 opportunities. He officially retired from baseball in October 2023, wrapping up a career that spanned 10 years with the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and A's.

Since his retirement, May has spoken out against Fisher attempting to relocate the A's.

“Sell the team, dude," May said of Fisher last October on a Twitch stream. "Sell it, man. Let someone who actually, like, takes pride in the things they own, own something. There’s actually people who give a s— about the game. Let them do it. Take mommy and daddy’s money somewhere else, dork."

Fisher, 63, purchased the A's in 2005 along with minority partner Lewis Wolff. Last summer, Fisher secured $380 million in Nevada taxpayer money to build a $1.5 billion ballpark in Las Vegas he hopes will open in 2028, but construction still has yet to begin in Southern Nevada.

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