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Since joining Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has overseen plenty of changes at the club.

He’s instilled a new style of play, a level of expectation that was missing for so many years, and most crucially, he’s completely overhauled the squad.

Now, not every signing the Spaniard has made has been a success, but he’s had a pretty decent track record thus far, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, David Raya, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber all massively improving the team.

However, when it comes to his most underrated acquisition, it has to be Ben White, so fans should be excited about recent reports linking the club to another star whose signing could be a repeat of White’s.

Arsenal's transfer targets

It’s going to be a massive summer of business for Arsenal, and one of the areas they look most intent on improving is left-wing, with Nico Williams one of their top targets.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Spaniard is said to have a release clause worth around £52m in his current contract, which could prove to be value for money considering he’s scored 17 goals and provided 25 assists in 77 appearances since the start of last season.

Another youngster the North Londoners are supposedly interested in signing this summer is Real Madrid’s Arda Güler.

The 20-year-old could be available for just £26m, and as he’s managed to rack up ten goal involvements in just 1170 minutes this season, that could be an incredible deal.

However, there is another, even younger prospect worth even more money that the Gunners are being heavily linked with: Dean Huijsen.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal are very interested in the Bournemouth star.

In fact, Ornstein has revealed that alongside Liverpool and Chelsea, the Gunners are a leading contender for the Spaniard, while Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have also made contact.

However, on top of beating out the competition, the North Londoners will also have to stump up a significant amount of cash to get their man, as he has a release clause worth £50m in his contract.

In all, it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Huijsen’s immense ability and potential, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he could be a White repeat.

Why signing Huijsen would be a White repeat

So, should Arsenal be able to get ahead of the chasing pack and get their hands on Huijsen this summer, what would make the deal so similar to White’s in 2021?

Well, the first and perhaps most surface-level similarity is that when the Gunners signed the Englishman, he also cost £50m and moved to the Emirates from an upwardly mobile midtable Premier League side in Brighton & Hove Albion, which is how you could describe Bournemouth.

On top of that, the Poole-born star had just made his way into the England set-up ahead of his move, and the Cherries gem won his first senior cap for La Roja last month.

However, the most significant similarity between the players is that even though the Gunners’ number four has now moved to right-back, he was initially signed as a centre-back, which is where the “extremely dominant” Spaniard, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would play should he move to the Emirates.

With all that said, there are obviously other reasons the North Londoners should be looking to sign the defender on top of the mirroring of his potential move to White’s, such as his sensational underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 4% for clearances, the top 5% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing another defender might not be high on the list of priorities this summer.

However, Huijsen looks to be an incredibly special player, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to secure his services, as he could become as important a player as White in the future.

Fabregas 2.0: Real Madrid make Arsenal's £86m "monster" a priority signing

Losing the “phenomenal” talent would be devastating for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 11, 2025

Harvey Barnes played an important role in Newcastle United’s most recent outing against Brentford, in which the Magpies won 2-1. Goals from Alexander Isak and a sublime effort from Sandro Tonali were enough to claim all three points for Eddie Howe’s side.

For that strike from the Italian, it was Barnes who provided the assist. The winger, who started on the left wing, put in a strong performance. As per Sofascore, he created three chances, completed two dribbles, and, of course, grabbed his assist.

After a performance like that, you might expect he’d keep his place in the Newcastle starting lineup for their next game against Leicester City. But, with some players returning from injury, that is not a guarantee.

Newcastle’s team news vs. Leicester

There could be some big players returning from injury for the Magpies’ clash with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester side. One of those is experienced defender Kieran Trippier, who was withdrawn from the game against Brentford.

Likewise, Newcastle’s talismanic striker, Isak, was substituted in the 66th minute. Given his injury issues at times in a Magpies shirt, they certainly do not want to risk him getting sidelined for an extensive period of time.

In his pre-match press conference, Howe gave an update on both of their availability ahead of the Monday night trip to Leicester. The Englishman explained that his squad have managed to avoid “any big injuries from Wednesday night”.

With that being said, he did imply that there was a chance they might be sidelined at the King Power Stadium. Howe explained that his side “certainly have a few niggles”, and it remains to be seen if Trippier and Isak will be available.

There is another player who could be set to return from injury in time to feature in the East Midlands. Newcastle fans would surely love to have him available.

The Newcastle player who could feature vs. Leciester

If Newcastle have Anthony Gordon back for the game against the Foxes, it would be a huge boost. As well as his three-match suspension, the winger picked up an injury on England duty during the March international break.

Chalkboard

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Howe was quizzed about him in the press conference before the Leicester game and gave an update on his progress. It certainly seemed positive, explaining that he is being “monitored” by the medical staff, before saying they “will have to wait and see” if he can play.

It has been another excellent season for Gordon in 2024/25. He has featured 34 times for the Magpies, scoring nine goals and grabbing seven assists. Between the start of November and the end of January, the winger went on an unstoppable run, scoring or assisting ten goals in a run of 14 games. As football talent scout Jacek Kulig said, he is “having a superb season”.

He is a player who steps up in the biggest moments, scoring goals in both legs against Arsenal, in the Carabao Cup semi-final. His goal in the second leg at St James’ Park was the fourth Newcastle scored in the tie and sealed their place at Wembley.

Gordon has the potential to hurt Leicester on Monday. His pace is deadly, and the directness with which he attacks is frightening for defenders. As per Sofascore, he has completed 1.5 dribbles and plays 2.1 key passes per game this term.

Dropping Barnes for the “exceptional” Gordon, as football scout Antonio Mango called him, might be deemed harsh after his performance against Brentford. However, having the former Everton star available for the Champions League run-in will be crucial.

As he showed against Arsenal, he is a big game player, and with the skillset he possesses, he can be deadly against a fragile Foxes side. If Gordon is fit enough, he surely starts on Monday evening.

Best since Isak: Howe struck gold signing “big game player” for Newcastle

Eddie Howe hit the jackpot signing this “big game player” who’s Newcastle’s best signing since Isak.

By
Connor Holden

Apr 6, 2025

Brendan Doggett put his case forward to be a reserve quick, but has any specialist opener done enough to be in the Test squad?

Andrew McGlashan01-Nov-20253:26

McGlashan: ‘Marnus has done everything asked of him’

Western Australia vs South Australia

At the WACA, there was almost as much interest in what Cameron Green didn’t do – at least in the match itself – than what he did. The full return to bowling was put on ice for another week as he was restricted to working through his loads around the game, including a bowl in the middle after the game was completed.Related

• 'I'll be ready' – Doggett waits on an Ashes call after six wickets on Shield return

• Webster hopeful he doesn't get 'squeezed out' of Australia's XI for Perth Test

• Labuschagne welcomes opening challenge with clear head

• Green helps Western Australia to safety, then gets into bowling work

Aside from that, Green spent useful time in the middle on the final day after his first-innings duck – a drive that he absolutely nailed, but straight to the fielder – and appeared disgruntled when given caught behind. Green has often said how he is better the more he bats in a certain format, so it will be worth watching how he starts the Ashes after somewhat disjointed preparation, although there is still a chance for a long innings in round four of the Shield.A significant performance in this game came from Brendan Doggett in his first Shield outing of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury. His 6 for 48 in the first innings could well have locked him into the squad as one of the reserve quicks. He travelled for the World Test Championship final earlier this year and was due to tour the West Indies before injury.”It’s just nice to see him come out and bowl like he did – he bowed quick [and] his body pulled up all right, which is good,” South Australia coach Ryan Harris said. “But timely to get six wickets, especially with that announcement coming up in the next few days. He’s got a bit of pace and it’s going to be a bit of a pace-off in this Ashes – England are bringing some serious pace. So he’ll fit in nicely… and if he gets the opportunity, he’ll be definitely ready for it.”Cameron Bancroft fitted into the issued-a-reminder category with a century in the first innings, but his chance of further Test cricket appears to have gone. That may not be the case for Nathan McSweeney, however, even if his next opportunity has to wait a little while. The South Australia captain put together an excellent century on the third day, and chipped in with handy wickets.Beau Webster got through a good workload with the ball on his return•Getty Images

Victoria vs Tasmania

Beau Webster has been assured of his place in the Test squad by chair of selectors George Bailey (the XI may be another matter) and the most important aspect of his outing against Victoria was the 23 overs he sent down after an ankle injury. However, he would have liked more time in the middle as he made just 11 and 6 in Tasmania’s defeat. But Webster will likely play the opening Test if there are any doubts over the volume of overs Green can send down.Jake Weatherald will be one of those hanging by the phone this week. He missed the opportunity to add further weight to his case for a maiden call-up although his two dismissals were against excellent deliveries. He may bemoan the life of an opener, having to twice come out with short periods to face before the close.Three half-centuries prior to this game, including his decisive 94 against Western Australia, arguably still makes him the most compelling option among the specialist openers, although Campbell Kellaway’s 147 further enhanced his reputation. It’s unlikely he’ll be in the frame yet, but the selectors went for Sam Konstas last season, so the precedent is set for picking a youngster.Fergus O’Neill probably won’t come into contention this home season, but he can’t do much more to push his claims than with four second-innings wickets to secure victory.Steven Smith looked in fine touch•Getty Images

Queensland vs New South Wales

Despite the selection race being tight, it’s unlikely a single innings will make a difference. However, Matt Renshaw missed a chance to build on a start against NSW to back up a strong week with the Australia ODI squad against India. Still, his versatility as a batter could work in his favour especially if the selectors want a player to cover a variety of positions in the squad. Renshaw’s dismissal came after Konstas had shouldered arms against Hayden Kerr to continue his tricky season.Usman Khawaja, who endorsed Renshaw for the opening role, put together an encouraging 87 to tune up for the first Test where the spotlight will be on him as the senior opener. If he starts poorly against England, there is a world where his position comes under scrutiny midway through the series.Marnus Labuschagne is certain of a recall, although where he bats may well not be answered until closer to the first Test. However, the manner of his dismissal at the Gabba may have caught the attention of England’s analysts. He flicked Liam Hatcher firmly off his hip to a well-placed deep leg gully. It was a well-timed shot, and he may be viewed as a little unfortunate, but it’s a manner in which he has fallen before.Steven Smith, who will captain Australia in Perth and perhaps beyond depending on Pat Cummins’ fitness, declared he was already ready for the Ashes before playing a game after arriving back from New York. After taking 20 balls to open his account, he looked in terrific order during a classy century, albeit against a much-weakened Queensland attack.Something that is worth keeping an eye on is the form of Nathan Lyon. He took 2 for 120 in this match, his wickets coming late in Queensland’s innings, leaving him with six at 45.66 so far this season, although conditions have favoured the quicks.

The Dodgers are one win away from returning to the World Series to try to defend their 2024 title after defeating the Brewers 3-1 on Thursday evening in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have completely silenced the Brewers' offense, allowing just nine hits across the first three games. That's the fewest amount of hits through three games in a playoff series in nearly 120 years, according to TNT.

Dodgers star infielder Mookie Betts has been here before. The three-time World Series champion knows that this NLCS is not over yet, and refused to treat Thursday's decisive Game 3 win as anything other than another step in the process.

Betts channeled his inner Kobe Bryant when speaking to the media after the victory.

"I have zero emotions," Betts began. "We're up, but like Kobe said—job's not done."

Betts and the Dodgers will be back on the field Friday, looking to complete the sweep and head back to the World Series.

Sabina Park collapse symbolises West Indies’ Test malaise, but what is the way ahead?

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2025

AFP/Getty Images

There’s never a good time to be bowled out for 27. Monday at Sabina Park felt like a particularly bad one for West Indies.At 11 for 6, New Zealand’s 70-year record of 26 all out was under threat. When Scott Boland took his hat-trick, there was a realistic chance they would at least have someone to share it with. There won’t be many people across the Tasman shouting Sam Konstas a beer after his misfield.Less than 24 hours later, Cricket West Indies has called an emergency summit with invites to a host of former greats for help. But there will be skepticism about whether it will make any difference.Related

• West Indies 'hedging our bets' as fear over two-tier WTC grows

• Clive Lloyd: 'We have to examine all aspects of West Indies cricket'

• CWI calls for emergency meeting with legends after 'deeply hurting' loss

• Stats – WI post second-lowest Test total; Starc takes five in 15 balls

As impressive as Mitchell Starc and Boland were, it was a woeful display. They couldn’t even say it happened in the night session. There had been warning signs in the first two Tests when their second innings fell apart rapidly; their last performance of the series was the sum of all fears. Within six balls, there was the sense it could be a horror show.John Campbell can be excused somewhat as he edged a perfect outswinger from Starc. He had shown some gumption in earlier innings. You also need to have some sympathy for debutant Kevlon Anderson padding up to an inswinger and then reviewing, a clear sign of a frazzled mind. Brandon King, who had performed encouragingly, decided a booming drive was the best option despite having seen Starc curving the ball late.King made West Indies’ one half-century of the series – his 75 was also the highest individual score on either side – but no one else, barring Anderson Phillip who played a single match, averaged over 20. Batting was tough, for sure, and Australia weren’t immune from their own problems, but there were numerous techniques exposed. No doubt the game in West Indies needs help, but it also needs to help itself.Since February 2023, when Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul each score hundreds in a 336-run stand against Zimbabwe, West Indies have had two centuries: Kavem Hodge against England and Justin Greaves against Bangladesh. There have been some fallow periods in West Indies’ batting over the last 25 years – they started the 21st century by making totals of 54, 61 and 82 in 2000 – but this might be the lowest point, and not just statistically.This performance also comes at a time when the future structure of Test cricket is at the forefront of debates. Nothing is yet decided, although some plans may be outlined at the ICC’s annual conference in Singapore this week, and while it can be easy to be drawn into sweeping statements after events such as Sabina Park, the problems facing West Indies in the format are as acute as any of the Full Members.They have managed a couple of landmark victories in recent times – defeating Australia at the Gabba and Pakistan in Multan – but they look like outliers. The win in Brisbane persuaded administrators to add a third Test to this series, which became the Sabina Park day-nighter.Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph troubled Australia all series with the ball•AFP/Getty ImagesThat they competed with Australia for the first two days of each Test is worthy of note, but that was largely down to the fast bowlers. Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and latterly Alzarri Joseph performed superbly, supported by Greaves’ brisk medium pace, and made life very uncomfortable for the visitors. They are carrying the team but are being asked to perform miracles.It needs to be questioned whether a factor they are taking advantage of – the pitches – has veered too far one way; although, with something of a grimace, Roston Chase said the Jamaica pitch was the best of all three.It’s all well and good playing to your strengths, the bowlers making the most of a ball zipping around, but when your weakness is so weak it makes everything futile. Since the start of 2023, the West Indies, as a venue for Tests, has the lowest collective batting average where more than a single match has been played. West Indies, themselves, average just 18.39 in that period, by far the lowest for a home side.Clearly, the problems in West Indies run deeper than the 22 yards but after the second Test in Grenada, coach Daren Sammy spoke about the surfaces around the Caribbean and how batters even at domestic level are unable to trust their games. Slightly counter to that, Chase said it was hard to judge players properly as each team had a couple of good bowlers.West Indies have away tours of India and New Zealand next where the batters are likely to be severely challenged again. Their other away series in this WTC cycle is in Bangladesh. Back at home they will face Sri Lanka and Pakistan, teams they may believe they can compete with.After the match had raced to its hasty conclusion and the presentations were completed, Starc delayed his return to the Australian celebrations to chat with uncapped West Indies quick Johann Layne who is highly regarded as part of the next generation. Layne appeared to be lapping up all the tips from one of the game’s greats. It can only be hoped that he has a viable Test team to be part of, and a chance to face Australia in the future.

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has revealed he once broke the club's “body fat record”, admitting he has always loved food and struggled to stay within strict limits at the elite level. The veteran says Robert Lewandowski jokingly mocked him over his physique, adding to a brutally honest reflection on his fitness, longevity and the pain he's endured throughout his career.

• Szczesny reveals he broke Barca's 'body fat record'

  Szczesny opened up about his physical condition during a wide-ranging interview, where he admitted he once registered Barcelona’s highest-ever body fat percentage. The goalkeeper explained that footballers face strict weight clauses and financial penalties, and despite staying inside the weight limit, his body fat result “broke the record.” He also revealed that Lewandowski once mocked him during a Poland camp, highlighting how teammates used humour to react to his surprising numbers.

  Szczesny further discussed how he has never been the hardest trainer, but has maintained a consistently high level across an 18-year career. His comments come after an extraordinary period that saw him retire at Juventus, then return months later to join Barcelona as an emergency signing during their goalkeeper crisis. Despite this unusual comeback, the 35-year-old remains a key figure for the Spanish champions, continuing to compete at the highest level.

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  Polish goalkeeper admits Lewandowski once mocked him

  Speaking to GQ Poland, Szczesny revealed: “Footballers aren't allowed to gain weight. Their contracts include severe financial penalties. I like to eat, and although I manage to stay within the weight limit, I broke Barcelona's body fat record. Once, ‘Robert Lewandowski,’ mocking me in the Polish national team's dressing room, said: ‘How could Szczesny have had such a career with that body?’”

  “I've never been a player who trained harder than others, but I've managed to maintain the same high level throughout my 18-year career. I may never have been in the top ten, but I've never dropped below eighth either. If I had played at my absolute best, I would have alternated between tens and sixes, but I maintained eights the whole time.”

• Unbearable pain caused his earlier retirement from football

  Szczesny also revealed how his career-long arm injury continues to cause him severe pain, even after multiple surgeries and the insertion of metal plates that were never removed. He explained that the issue sometimes becomes so intense during training that he loses feeling in his hands and cannot even hold a water bottle. The goalkeeper admitted this was one of the reasons why he originally retired, saying he had “had enough of this suffering” before being persuaded back into football by Barcelona’s crisis.

  He described the pain as unpredictable and particularly bad during demanding pre-season workloads, where the discomfort traveled from his wrist to his elbow “as if everything inside my arm is trying to get out.” Despite that, Szczesny still returned to action and played an entire season “for free”, explaining that his Barcelona salary simply covered the fee he owed Juventus for ending his contract early. The veteran ultimately helped the Catalan giants win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, cementing his extraordinary yet unexpected comeback.

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  Szczesny no longer No. 1 but future remains open

  Szczesny remains under contract with Barcelona until 2026; however, this season, he has lost his starting spot to new signing Joan Garcia, somebody he has claimed boasts an enormous talent. The Catalan goalkeeper is currently No. 1 at Barcelona with Szczesny as his backup until Marc-Andre Ter Stegen returns from his injury.

  While it is expected that this could be Szczesny's final season as a professional, the question marks surrounding Ter Stegen's future following his summer fallout with the hierarchy could open the door for the Poland legend to continue on for yet another season.

U.S. international Christian Pulisic said AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan underlined the team’s determination and showed they can be serious contenders in Serie A this season. He also praised goalkeeper Mike Maignan, calling the France international’s display “one of the best goalkeeper performances” he has seen in his career.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'I can improve even more'

  Pulisic scored the decisive winner for Milan in the second half, while Maignan had six saves in the contest. 

  After the final whistle, Pulisic underlined the personal and collective significance of the derby triumph, saying the victory “means everything” for the group. He admitted that he is not yet back to full match sharpness following a recent injury layoff, but stressed that hard work and resilience had helped him contribute when it mattered. The forward framed the goal as validation of effort and a boost for the dressing room.

  “It means everything, honestly, just the result today,” Pulisic said in his post-match interview with CBS Sports. “It just puts us in a good place, and yeah, I’m really happy to come back after some tough moments in the last month to come back and help the team to win.

  “I mean, honestly, I think I can improve even more,” Pulisic added. “I don’t feel a 100 percent sharp after coming back from an injury and some time out. But it just shows the resilience, and I work really hard and happy a moment like today can come; it means a lot to me.”  

  Pulisic singled out his teammates’ determination in the closing stages, praising Milan’s defensive resolve and team unity. He pointed to the way the side defended the lead in the last half hour as evidence of a strong collective mentality, adding that confidence gained from such wins can carry through the season. The striker also reflected on his own standards, saying there is still room to sharpen his performances despite the decisive contribution.

  “Honestly, just the way this team has suffered even when we’re up goals and you can see in the last 30 minutes the way we defend,” Pulisic explained. “I just think we have a really good team spirit, the team’s will is incredible no matter what happens, we’ve gone down, we’ve come back, we’ve gone up and we’ve defended. I think we’ve just seen the games through and yup, we feel confident going into the games.”

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  Milan's title credentials

  Milan now sit just two points back from Roma on the Serie A summit, and Pulisic stressed the club has higher ambitions. 

  "For us, you know, we're not looking at, you know, right, where we want to be at the top of the table the whole season. It's when it comes down to it, we have to be there, so we take it game by game," he said. "Big performances like this against big teams helped us a lot. Yeah, sends a message to hopefully the rest of the league, but we just have to keep going and finding consistency."

• AFP
  

  'Over and over again, he's saving us'

  Pulisic reserved special praise for Maignan after a world-class performance from AC Milan's goalkeeper. 

  "I mean, one of the best goalkeeper performances I've seen in my career, truly, not just the penalty," he said. "I mean, that was amazing, but in the first half, some big saves, some I mean, just over and over again, he's saving us. So it was a really amazing performance."

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  Next steps for the Rossoneri

  The Rossoneri will face Lazio next in the Serie A on Nov. 29 before facing them again in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia on December 4.

Fans queued up for tickets with Gill training not far from home and all four teams assembling for the playoffs

Shashank Kishore28-May-20259:02

Moody: ‘Two in-form teams, we’re in for an absolute cracker’

A long line, spanning the entire stretch of the IS Bindra Stadium’s outer boundary around the main entrance, stood to buy tickets for Thursday’s Qualifier 1 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But as Gujarat Titans (GT) entered the venue for a training session, the noise level went up manyfold.The cheer intensified further when Shubman Gill emerged. The fanfare when teams train isn’t new, but this one carried extra warmth. It was an ode to Gill, the local boy who has grown up playing here in Mohali, from his mid-teens after arriving in the city from Fazilka, a hamlet some 300km away, in Punjab.Wednesday’s appearance was his first in the region since he had been named the India Test captain. So there was this obvious interest around the prodigal son, even though the real home team – PBKS – were in the midst of their own training session about 30km away in New Chandigarh, which houses the new stadium.Related

• IPL playoffs: How the four teams stack up

• Evenly matched Punjab Kings and RCB fight for ticket to finale

Several police personnel manning the main entrance also queued up to click pictures, but their hero had given them the slip as he made his way into the main block, and to the nets behind the stadium, where he watched GT’s young batters go through their drills.Gill stood there observing, giving them words of encouragement, while gently warming up himself. He shadow-batted, and then faced some throwdowns – checking if his feet movement, bat follow-through, and everything else was in order. Ten minutes later, he was out and saw the rest of the session with his pads on, playing the role of a senior figure, as some of the others trained at the centre wicket.There was no sign of some of the other big stars, among them Rashid Khan and B Sai Sudharsan. Ishant Sharma huffed and puffed his way through an intense 40-minute spell, head coach Ashish Nehra conducted a catching drill, and the team’s physios made Instagram reels for players who came up to them requesting to time their sprints.The intense net session was done away with following the one they had on Tuesday night in New Chandigarh. This seemed like a quiet stroll in the park – just to get the body moving, give players the feel, and get them adjusted to fielding in the evening heat.Fans queue up outside the IS Bindra Stadium for tickets to the playoff matches•Shashank Kishore/ESPNcricinfo LtdA few hours prior to GT’s training, it took a good 30 minutes to drive over from central Chandigarh to the new stadium, where queues for tickets seemed even longer, with fans calling online tickets “inconvenient” because of the need to exchange them for physical ones at the venue later. Even worse, the exercise had to be completed on a non-match day. Good luck if you’re turning up on match day looking for the physical version of the tickets you had already bought.Inside, Mumbai Indians (MI) went through their drills exactly like GT did. Except, some of the big boys were in attendance. Among them, Jasprit Bumrah the most excitable – as he challenged his mates, bowling his heart out for a good 45 minutes in near 40-degree afternoon heat. Bumrah and Trent Boult competed with each other with cranked-up intensity, troubling K Shrijith, Robin Minz and new recruit Jonny Bairstow. Then Mitchell Santner arrived and smacked the ball around.All this as the ground staff carefully cordoned off the main squares and covered it with two layers of hessian, making the process of taking a peek at the deck virtually impossible.1:46

‘This is the new Punjab’

The evening seemed like a blockbuster if you’re a keen nets-watcher. Arshdeep Singh swung it sideways; Priyansh Arya gave scant respect to seniority as he bashed the ball; the PBKS coaches stood there applauding, while also engaging in some quiet chats with players by the side after their respective sessions.While all of this happened, RCB were blissfully mid-air, recovering from a late-night finish, and only arriving on Wednesday evening. They will need to hit the ground running on match day, banking on intel from their analysts and their own experience of having played and won in New Chandigarh when they last played PBKS.Come Thursday, the mood is unlikely to be this relaxed and friendly. The IPL is bracing for a full house, and hope it will be a spectacle. PBKS are playing a playoff match at their home venue for the first time. Never before have they had the kind of fanatical support like they do this year. Even during their peak year in 2014, Mohali didn’t always sell out. But their exceptional season has led to a turnaround.Over to the playoffs then. From all of this being a non-starter two weeks ago, here we are, this close to seeing if the IPL throws up a new champion. The next two days will give us some sort of an inkling.

While their performances last year and at the start of the season suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a talented squad.

The likes of Freddie Potts, Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are all good to great players who will help move the East Londoners away from a Premier League relegation scrap as the season goes on.

However, one area of the team that the Hammers have consistently failed to address is up top, with neither Niclas Füllkrug nor Callum Wilson good enough to lead the line.

Fortunately, West Ham are now being linked with an inform number nine who could end their striker curse and was even linked to Harry Kane as a youngster.

West Ham target Füllkrug and Wilson upgrade

Before his injury, Füllkrug had made seven appearances for West Ham this season, in which he failed to score or assist a single goal, which makes news of his likely departure in January rather welcome to most fans.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Wilson, on the other hand, has been able to find the back of the net twice, in fact, but even so, he has hardly blown anyone away in his nine appearances so far this season, and with his injury record being what it is, he cannot be relied upon.

So, with all that in mind, it’s clear that the East Londoners are in desperate need of a new striker once the window opens, and fortunately, that might happen.

According to a recent report from Turkey, West Ham are among several sides interested in man of the moment, Troy Parrott.

Alongside the Hammers, the report claims that Everton, Leeds United and Stuttgart are keen on signing the Irish international from AZ Alkmaar, who want at least €30m for him, which is about £26m.

It could be a tough transfer to get over the line, but with how well Parrott has played in recent years, and how much of an upgrade on Füllkrug and Wilson he’d be, it’s one worth fighting for.

Why Parrott would be massive upgrade on Wilson & Füllkrug

It’s the obvious place to start, but it’s also the most important: Parrott would be a huge upgrade on Wilson and Füllkrug because he’s simply the better goalscorer.

For example, while the two West Ham strikers have just two goals between them this season, the Irishman has already racked up an astounding tally of 13 goals and two assists in 14 appearances, totalling 928 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.07 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.86 minutes.

Such an incredible rate of return makes the claim of one analyst, made over five years ago, that he was “reminiscent of Harry Kane” as a youngster look rather reasonable today.

It’s not just this season that the former Tottenham Hotspur gem has been on fire, though, as he ended last season with an excellent haul of 20 goals and five assists in 47 games.

With that said, the second reason he’d be an excellent upgrade on the Hammers’ ageing forwards is that he’s still just 23 years old, and therefore has plenty left in the tank.

Moreover, while he did have some injury problems early on in his career, he has not missed more than nine games for club and country in any of the last three campaigns.

Finally, as was made quite clear over the last week or so, the Dublin-born game-changer is someone for the big occasions.

For example, he scored both goals in Ireland’s 2-0 win over Portugal, and then followed that up with what is already a legendary hat-trick against Hungary, securing the country’s place in the World Cup play-offs.

Moreover, his third goal was practically the final kick of the game, suggesting he isn’t someone to flap under the most immense of pressure.

Ultimately, while it might be difficult to get ahead of the other interested parties, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign Parrott in January, as he might be the man to end their striker curse.

£67m spent & no Wilson or Fullkrug: Nuno's dream West Ham XI after January

This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 15, 2025

The tournament, earlier known as the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, will be played in the T20 format

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2025Pakistan and Oman will kick off the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Rising Stars T20 tournament in Doha, Qatar, on November 14, with the showpiece India vs Pakistan match slotted for November 16. On Friday, the organisers announced the two groups: Group A has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, while Group B has India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE.The tournament, earlier known as the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, will be played in the T20 format and pit the ‘A’ teams of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The three Associate teams, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE, will field their main teams. Two games will be played each day from November 14 to November 19, before the semi-finals are played on November 21 and the final on November 23.This will be the first cricketing exchange between the men’s teams of India and Pakistan since the senior Asia Cup in September, though the senior women’s teams faced off at the ODI World Cup earlier this month.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

When the men played the Asia Cup, there were no handshakes or any other form of greetings between the players of the two countries, and it ended with India, the tournament champions, leaving Dubai without the trophy. It emerged that they had decided not to receive the trophy from the ACC chief, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also a parliamentarian in Pakistan and the chairman of the PCB. An ACC official removed the trophy from the dais after a long delay once it became clear that the victors would not be coming up to collect it.The Emerging Teams tournament began in 2013 and has had six editions so far, having started as an Under-23s tournament before being switched to a competition featuring ‘A’ teams. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have won it twice each, while India and Afghanistan have won it once apiece – Afghanistan won the last edition, in 2024 in Oman, beating Sri Lanka in the final by seven wickets.