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David Moyes has turned Goodison Park into a fortress, with Everton’s hard-fought draw against Arsenal marking the sixth Premier League game in a row that defeat has been avoided on home turf.

Everton were breached after a prickly opening half hour when Raheem Sterling played Leandro Trossard into space and the Belgian dispatched a cool finish past Jordan Pickford.

However, this new version of Everton has confidence in abundance, and Moyes’ half-time team talk appeared to stir his squad into life, for Iliman Ndiaye slotted home from the spot after Myles Lewis-Skelly brought Jack Harrison down in the box.

Ndiaye’s return is significant, sparking attacking zest back into the Toffees team.

Why Iliman Ndiaye's return was important

Ndiaye has probably been Everton’s standout player this season, but he’s missed the past month-and-a-half of action due to injury and has been sorely missed, even though Moyes’ side have done alright.

However, his return to the starting line-up today reminded the Blues of the quality of player they have in their midst, with Ndiaye’s coolly-taken penalty marking his ninth goal of the season.

However, his second-half spot-kick didn’t tell the full tale of the tape, with the Senegal winger also winning six duels and making two tackles, as per Sofascore, to help his team go punch for punch with a combative Arsenal side.

The balance and electricity that he brings to the table will help Moyes’ side to no end over the closing weeks of the campaign.

However, not all of Ndiaye’s teammates can say they matched his levels on Saturday afternoon, with Abdoulaye Doucoure in particular beginning to look like a man playing on borrowed time.

Abdoulaye Doucoure needs to go

Everton are changing scenery this summer, and Doucoure needs to be part of the exodus. Moyes has surprised even himself with the incredible turnaround on Merseyside since he replaced Sean Dyche in January, but with so many first-team players out of contract this summer, there’s plenty to do in the transfer market.

The anticipated returns of Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil, who came on for Jack Harrison in the closing stages this afternoon, suggest that Doucoure, who is 32, seemingly declining and entering the last few months of his contract, is set to depart.

Couple that with the winter loan signing of Charly Alcaraz, who will sign on a permanent deal if he features across three of Everton’s last seven games of the season, and it’s clear that Moyes must ensure the veteran is not playing at Bramley Moore.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

22

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

6/9 (67%)

Key passes

0

Dribbles

0/0

Tackles + interceptions

2

Duels won

3/12

Dribbled past

2x

Against Arsenal, he brought his usual huff and puff and forced David Raya into one second-half save, but it wasn’t enough to suggest he’s got enough left in the tank to play an important part over the coming campaign.

It was a flat and uninspiring performance, Doucoure only completing six passes all game, losing nine of his 12 contested duels and failing to even attempt a dribble.

Given that the Malian midfielder is currently Everton’s highest-paid player at £130k per week, it feels like a no-brainer that he should be cut loose this summer.

Move over Branthwaite: Moyes has now unearthed Everton's new Heitinga

There’s a nostalgic feel to David Moyes’ new Everton unit.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 4, 2025

Peshawar Zalmi, meanwhile, have an impressive-looking top order, but are short of fast-bowling pedigree

Danyal Rasool09-Apr-2025Karachi KingsKarachi Kings are in the kind of rut Lahore Qalandars found themselves in during the PSL’s early years. Three successive finishes outside the playoffs have seen their squad go through a bit of an overhaul. Shan Masood has been replaced as captain by David Warner, arguably the marquee signing of the league this year. Kane Williamson, Aamer Jamal and Adam Milne also come in, during a season in which home advantage will be limited; just five games take place at the National Stadium in Karachi across the league.Best result: Champions [2020]2024 finish: FifthStrengths: There’s greater variety in Kings’ fast-bowling attack than there was last season, with the extra pace of Milne and the acquisition of the regularly prolific Abbas Afridi. The batting line-up boasts experienced international star names, with Tim Seifert’s recent form against Pakistan’s bowling attack a potential point of difference.Related

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Weaknesses: Kings have a number of players with a large variance between their ceiling and floor. Warner, Khushdil Shah, Hasan Ali, James Vince and Jamal are more explosive than they are consistent, meaning short-term form could decide the Kings’ fate. The spin department looks light, with 40-year-old Mohammad Nabi and 36-year-old Zahid Mahmood the only established options.Peshawar ZalmiPeshawar Zalmi were among the standout teams in the early years of the competition, winning the title in 2017. Under Daren Sammy’s leadership, this was the side that came to be associated most with the light-hearted joy of the PSL in its honeymoon years, and was instrumental in the return of the league to Pakistan itself. They continue to boast Pakistan’s biggest stars; Babar Azam is the captain, but their explosiveness has been replaced by a middling consistency. Every team has won the PSL since Zalmi last won one, but they remain the only side never to miss out on the playoffs.Babar Azam and Saim Ayub are part of Peshawar Zalmi’s enviable top order•Pakistan Super LeagueBest result: Champions (2017)2024 finish: Second (Lost Eliminator 2)Strengths: The top-order batting combination is among the most desirable, featuring in Babar a reliable anchor alongside high-quality power hitters. Zalmi boast two local players who come into the tournament in hot form: Saim Ayub, returning from injury, and Sufiyaan Muqeem.Weaknesses: Corbin Bosch’s withdrawal leaves Zalmi short of allrounder options, with Hussain Talat and Maaz Sadaaqat the only available options. Aside from Mohammad Ali, Zalmi’s fast-bowling options have little to no PSL pedigree.Lahore QalandarsNo franchise embraces Pakistan’s all-or-nothing philosophy quite like Lahore Qalandars. Qalandars have the largest fanbase and the most enigmatic journey of all sides. They were the laughing stock in the first four years, finishing bottom each time despite stuffing their side with superstars ranging from Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum. But the pendulum swung violently the other way; they remain the only side to have defended a PSL title, going back to back under Shaheen Afridi before finishing outside the playoff positions once more in 2024. The core of the squad remains unchanged but that doesn’t make anticipating what they do any easier.Can Shaheen Afridi lead Lahore Qalandars back to glory?•AFP/Getty ImagesBest result: Champions (2022, 2023)2024 finish: SixthStrengths: A fast-bowling trio of Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan is about as impressive as any PSL side can muster without using up an overseas slot. Qalandars were often top heavy in the past, but the presence of Daryl Mitchell, Sikandar Raza, Sam Billings and David Wiese gives them plenty of post-powerplay firepower.Weaknesses: Form and fitness remain concerns for Qalandars’ star players. Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen are in a bit of a rut, while Fakhar Zaman and Zaman Khan have been plagued by recent fitness issues. Qalandars haven’t come close to properly replacing Rashid Khan, with Sikandar Raza as close as it comes to a recognised specialist spinner in their squad.

Gifted batter, exceptional fielder and an all-round talent, he represented the very best of Australia’s golden cricketing era

Ian Chappell23-Apr-2023With little fanfare Ken Archer’s recent death saw Robert Neil Harvey become Australia’s oldest living male Test cricketer.It’s a distinction that Harvey, a talented sportsman born on October 8, 1928, probably didn’t want. However Harvey, as the last living Invincible – Don Bradman’s brilliant unbeaten 1948 touring side – was always likely to attain the title as he was easily the youngest team member. He has retained his alert brain and apart from general ageing ailments has remained in reasonable health.Harvey, who also played for New South Wales, was the most successful of six sporting brothers, four of whom represented Victoria at cricket. He followed his older brother Merv into Test cricket and in only his second match, became the youngest Australian male to score a Test century.Related

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As a youngster in Bradman’s side, he once asked his pal Sam Loxton – later a fellow selector – to seek advice from the legendary batter. The answer came back: “Tell Harvey, if he doesn’t hit the ball in the air, he’ll reduce caught as a method of dismissal.”Harvey took note of Bradman’s astute advice and became arguably one of Australia’s three best batters following the master run-getter’s retirement – in chronological order, I have Harvey, Greg Chappell and Ricky Ponting.I can vouch for Harvey’s greatness as a batter. Playing in his final Sheffield Shield match at the SCG in 1963, I fielded as he made a masterful 231 not out.Years later I said that Viv Richards, Mark Waugh, Mohammad Azharuddin and Greg Chappell were the best all-round fielders I’d seen. Former Australia captain Richie Benaud quickly interjected: “You’d better add Neil Harvey to that list.”I mostly remember Harvey’s brilliant fielding in the slips, but I had heard about his prowess in the covers in his younger days. In fact, I become aware of Harvey at a very young age: my father, Martin, returned from the 1947 Claxton Shield baseball carnival raving about Victoria’s “young Harvey”, who was brilliant in the field and an equally good hitter.I didn’t play Test cricket with Harvey but he was an Australia selector while I was captain. After retirement I was drinking with Neil at the Pennant Hills Golf Club once. There were only the two of us left in the club when I asked Harvey how I became captain, as I was pretty sure I didn’t have Bradman’s vote.

Neil Harvey became arguably one of Australia’s three best batters following Don Bradman’s retirement. In chronological order, I have Harvey, Greg Chappell and Ricky Ponting

In his most colourful language, Harvey told me, “It was ****** me [that] got you the captaincy.” He had persuaded his mate Loxton, a renowned Bradman supporter, to vote for me as captain.I always felt a bit uncomfortable talking cricket with Harvey, who despite his expert knowledge only ever captained his country in one Test. It was a mark of his typical determination that Australia won that Test, at Lord’s, in a tough encounter.He was a popular and successful skipper because he always played for a win. As captain of Sydney’s Northern Districts club in 1966-67, he scored a blistering century in helping to win the final.Having worked with Benaud for many years, I know he was extremely grateful for Harvey’s valuable input as a long-time vice-captain.In later years Harvey gained a reputation for being outspoken about modern cricketers. He was a man who said what was on his mind. Some players should be thankful he wasn’t still a selector when their careers began to wane.Much of Harvey’s reputation as one of Australia’s greatest batters was gained because of his fleet-footed play against the best spinners. As a player who was never stumped in Test cricket, this is understandable, but he was also a very good player of fast bowling and retained the crucial No. 3 slot for much of his career.Many people only know Harvey as the oldest living Australian male Test cricketer. However, for those who didn’t see him play, he was a great batter and an exceptional all-round fielder, with a vibrant cricket brain.

Promoted to open, Malan nails his match-up with Hasaranga to propel England to 3-0 win

Matt Roller at the Ageas Bowl26-Jun-2021The long-standing debates over England’s best batting line-up in T20 international cricket will roll on and on until October’s World Cup but this 3-0 thrashing of an abject Sri Lanka side has been a reminder of the oddity of the tournament itself.The draw for the World Cup – initially scheduled for Australia last year, but since shifted to India and now the UAE and Oman – took place 18 months ago, and in the intervening period it has become apparent that England have done well out of it: they have avoided West Indies and New Zealand, both of whom will be significantly stronger than their ICC ranking implies, and will see themselves as favourites against both South Africa and Afghanistan.The result is that even if they are beaten heavily by India in the group stage, they need only beat those two teams, plus the two qualifiers from the preliminary phase, and they will reach the semi-finals, and be two wins away from their long-standing ambition of becoming the first men’s team to hold both World Cups simultaneously.This series proved that, while there are decisions to be made about the side’s best combination and structure, the most important thing for England is that they have a deep, versatile batting line-up which is filled with players that can single-handedly win a game on their day. For Saturday’s thrashing at the Ageas Bowl, they were without three of their first-choice top six – Jos Buttler (calf), Jason Roy (hamstring), Ben Stokes (returning from a hand injury) – while their first-choice No. 3 and No. 4 opened the batting and their back-up finisher came in straight after, yet their win was still a procession.England’s collapse from 143 for 1 after 15 overs to an eventual total of 180 for 6 looked for a fleeting moment like it might cost them after Danushka Gunathilaka punched the first ball of the chase through cover; as it turned out, it would have taken a declaration with five overs left to turn this into a competitive game, as Sri Lanka’s batters collapsed in a heap. This was the sort of clinical performance that should help them annihilate the weakest teams in their World Cup group; unless they come unstuck in two of the other three games, they will cruise through to the semis.Only then will their answers to the important questions come under real scrutiny. Where should Jonny Bairstow bat? How can they get more out of Stokes? Should Mark Wood bowl mainly in the Powerplay, at the death, or a bit of both? And the randomness of certain events – in particular the importance of the toss in floodlit games in the UAE, bearing dew in mind – could render such discussions useless anyway.Related

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And so to Dawid Malan. Countless column inches have been filled, including on this website, by debates over Malan’s value to England’s side: nobody has ever started their T20I career with such compelling numbers and he has ensconced himself at No. 1 in the ICC’s player rankings, but with such a strong set of batting options available to them, his slow-starting method and his occasional struggles on slower pitches, such as the ones expected in the UAE in October, has come under intense – and perhaps unfair – scrutiny.This series has encapsulated the debate: his two low scores on two-paced Cardiff pitches were wholly unconvincing, but his dominant innings of 76 off 48 balls on a better pitch at the Ageas Bowl was one of high class: the other 72 balls in the innings brought only 92 runs off the bat. Even if his form “only has one way to go”, as Eoin Morgan put it at the toss, his rate of success in T20I cricket has been phenomenal.On Saturday, Malan managed what no other England batter has in this series by getting after Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka’s blond-haired, bright-booted rockstar of a legspinner. Realising that ball spinning into his arc towards the shorter boundary represented a favourable match-up for him, Malan treated Hasaranga with disdain, thumping him for two fours and three sixes and scoring 34 off the 10 balls he faced from him; Roy was the only other man to hit him for four across the whole series.The slog-swept sixes were brutal, but there was a touch of class, too: on 18 off 15, he reverse-swept him into the gap between short third and backward point, and in the same over nailed him over deep backward square leg and lofted him inside-out through the gap in the covers that his reverse-sweep had created.”When you do your match-ups and look at the dimensions of the ground, with a right-hander in [at the other end], my match-up is to take down the legspinner towards that shorter boundary,” Malan explained afterwards. “Even though it was into the wind, that was my role: to take the positive option against him.”If that was an offspinner on that side, Jonny would probably have been over-aggressive against him because that was his match-up. I faced him the other night at Cardiff and didn’t see him that well, and my movements weren’t very good, so it was nice to face him a couple of days later in different conditions and get on top of him.”During his difficult series in India, it seemed as though the drawbacks of Malan’s method outweighed the benefits, but in this innings, the opposite was true. He may not mind the debate rolling on: “I quite like proving a point so when I do get criticism I do like going out there to show those people that seem to have their opinions,” he said.There are similar questions to weigh up in the bowling attack: are Chris Woakes and David Willey viable options as new-ball specialists? Is Chris Jordan still a banker at the death? The absence of much new information from this series means they will not be answered definitively until the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup – and even then, there is another one to follow only 12 months later.

MLB announced on Tuesday that Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras will be suspended for six games, and he will be fined an undisclosed amount for his actions against an umpire on Monday.

Contreras has elected to appeal the suspension and will play until the appeal is resolved.

The incident between Contreras and plate umpire Derek Thomas occurred in the seventh inning of Monday night's 7-6 St. Louis win over the Pirates. The first baseman didn't agree with a called third strike during an at-bat, prompting him to look at Thomas. The umpire then ejected Contreras from the game, which sparked a heated reaction from the Cardinals player. As he was pushed back by the Cardinals staff toward the dugout, Contreras tossed his bat toward the field as he continued to yell at Thomas, and the lumber hit one of his own coaches.

The scene didn't end there. Once Contreras returned to the dugout, an entire bucket of Hi-Chew was thrown onto the field, but i's unclear whether Contreras tossed the bucket of candy or not.

As of now, Contreras will compete in Tuesday night's game vs. the Pirates as he's appealing his suspension. Hopefully he can keep his temper under control during this game.

The Cubs franchise and fanbase was shaken on Monday when legendary player Ryne Sandberg died at the age of 65 from cancer.

The Cubs and MLB world alike have honored Sandberg in various ways this week. The Cubs are even introducing a No. 23 patch to their jerseys for the remainder of the 2025 season to memorialize "Ryno."

This isn't the only way the Cubs are honoring the late legend. On Saturday in their home game vs. the Orioles at Wrigley Field, all Cubs players will wear a Sandberg No. 23 jersey without their names on the back. The team will wear the iconic pullover blue jerseys that Sandberg used to wear during his time with the team in the 1980s.

Cubs executive Crane Kenney shared the news on 670 The Score on Thursday, also noting that the jerseys will be auctioned after the game and all the proceeds will be donated to cancer research. The organization plans to celebrate Sandberg's legacy and life all day on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

It will be an emotional day in Chicago on Saturday.

Man United are reportedly planning a bold move to sign one Arsenal sensation who’s now shot to the very top of Ruben Amorim’s transfer agenda.

Arsenal maintain perfect Champions League record after Brugge win

Arsenal extended their flawless Champions League campaign to six consecutive wins after dismantling Club Brugge 3-0 at the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday evening, moving three points clear atop the league phase standings.

Noni Madueke delivered a match-winning performance with a sensational brace, whilst Gabriel Martinelli added a spectacular third to virtually guarantee automatic qualification for the last 16 with two fixtures remaining.

Mikel Arteta made five changes from Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, with Christian Norgaard deployed as makeshift centre-back alongside Piero Hincapie due to Arsenal’s current defensive injury crisis.

Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera were all unavailable, forcing Arteta to improvise.

Madueke opened the scoring with a piece of absolute brilliance after 25 minutes, collecting the ball just inside the Belgian side’s half before embarking on a mazy run, shrugging off multiple challenges and unleashing a venomous long-range strike that crashed off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.

The England international doubled Arsenal’s advantage just 80 seconds into the second period, arriving unmarked at the back post to power Martin Zubimendi’s cross beyond goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel.

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Martinelli then etched his name into Arsenal history nine minutes later by becoming the club’s first player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches.

The Brazilian cut inside from the left touchline, weaved past a Brugge defender and curled an exquisite right-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area into the top corner.

David Raya preserved Arsenal’s sixth clean sheet of the competition with seven saves, dealing comfortably with Club Brugge’s pressure despite the hosts creating numerous opportunities throughout the encounter.

The Belgian champions, under new manager Ivan Leko following Nicky Hayen’s surprising Monday dismissal, tested Arsenal’s makeshift defence regularly but lacked clinical finishing.

Gabriel Jesus also made his emotional competitive return after 332 days sidelined with an ACL injury, entering as a second-half substitute.

The Brazilian striker nearly marked his comeback with a goal too, smashing the crossbar after being found by Ethan Nwaneri.

Speaking of Nwaneri, who was introduced by Arteta to replace Martin Odegaard in the second-half of their Brugge triumph, a surprise report has emerged on his long-term future.

Man United plan 'audacious' move for Arsenal gem Ethan Nwaneri

The Hale End sensation is now attracting serious interest from Old Trafford, according to a report by CaughtOffside in their Daily Briefing.

Nwaneri has struggled for consistent minutes this season, starting just three matches so far with two of them coming in the Carabao Cup.

He’s an incredible player, one hailed as “Arsenal’s version of Phil Foden and Jamal Musiala” by one analyst on social media, but Arteta is also yet to hand the 18-year-old a single Premier League start this term, with Nwaneri said to be growing ‘frustrated’ and ‘fed up’ with his lack of opportunities.

CaughtOffside state that United are planning an ‘audacious’ January move for Nwaneri to take full advantage of this, with the Englishman now among their top winter transfer priorities.

The report also claims that Arsenal’s ‘financial position has quietly become far more precarious’ than they’re publicly admitting, and they may be ‘forced’ into a high-profile sale.

United believe that they can prise Nwaneri away from the Emirates as a result of this and the player’s own desire for game time, but it is very hard to imagine Arsenal greenlighting any permanent transfer to a direct rival.

There are far better candidates to balance the books, and if Nwaneri is to leave, the far more likely scenario is a dry loan to help further his development elsewhere.

Liverpool are plumbing the depths of a crisis right now, with no respite from the staggering fall-off that has given rise to questions about Arne Slot’s capacity to lead this team forward from the dugout.

PSV Eindhoven rocked up at Anfield and won 4-1 in the Champions League. Only days after Nottingham Forest sent the Reds in a spin after winning 3-0 at Anfield. This is new and dangerous territory.

This palatial stadium, so feared throughout the years, has become a feasting ground for visitors this season. Slot believes he has the backing of FSG even against the backdrop of Liverpool’s worst run of form in 71 years – and, in fairness, the Dutch coach’s side are the reigning Premier League champions – but this the nadir, far more than just a calamity.

On Sunday, Liverpool meet West Ham United in London, desperate to turn a corner and get their domestic campaign back on track. To say the Merseyside outfit need to go back to basics would be redundant. To say they need to stop making silly errors would underline a theme that can be traced back to the opening day of the campaign.

Liverpool are in big bother, and Slot doesn’t appear to have the answers. There are so many different parts of this mess to dissect, but Mohamed Salah’s struggles have raged on, and surely he now needs to be dropped?

Why Slot should consider dropping Salah

Federico Chiesa has not been handed a starting berth in the Premier League this season. In fact, the Italian has only played from the opening whistle in the Carabao Cup.

Salah is only one month away from pausing his club campaign and jetting off to Morocco for the 2025 African Cup of Nations. Then Slot will need to find new wide solutions, so why not help create some coherence beforehand?

Because make no mistake, Liverpool’s legendary forward has been so far out of sorts this season it beggars belief.

The 33-year-old isn’t faring much better on the continent, albeit the less physical style of the Champions League allows the Egyptian to play with a measure more freedom. As per Sofascore, Salah has won only 29% of his duels in the Premier League this season, completing just 30% of his dribbles besides.

Is an element of laziness creeping into his game? In fairness, the veteran winger has never been the most combative of defenders, and his incredible levels of prolificness have allowed him to operate in a looser manner, sticking forward when on the transition, for example.

But now that the goals and assists have dried up, Salah is toiling, and it’s raising questions as to whether he should be dropped.

Of course, he’s not the only one. Another of Slot’s mainstays from last year has fallen well out of form, and there’s a case to be made that his position is one that needs attention.

Liverpool superstar has become "lazy"

Last season, Ryan Gravenberch was the unlikely catalyst in a midfield that went on to lift the Premier League title. For his efforts, the Dutchman was awarded the division’s Young Player of the Year.

Gravenberch is not the problem, but his fall-off this season is symptomatic of the deeper chasm that Slot’s side have fallen into. After the defeat against PSV, Liverpool World branded the 23-year-old with a 4/10 match rating, writing of how he failed to give the struggling defenders any protection, albeit catching the eye with his passing in the first half.

On the face of it, Gravenberch didn’t play that badly. He completed 88% of his passes, created a chance, won all three of his ground duels and recovered five balls (data via Sofascore).

But the Netherlands international’s lack of physicality undercut his technical strengths, lacking the requisite aggression and positional value to hold down the fort at number six.

Journalist Jan Riha picked up on this, remarking that he “became the lazy old version of himself” against PSV. For sure, Gravenberch floated through his first Jurgen Klopp-led season at Liverpool, before Slot came along and turned him into a superstar.

FSG have known that Liverpool’s holding midfield position could do with reinforcing for some time. In 2023, a British-record bid was tabled for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian joined Chelsea instead and Wataru Endo was signed as a stop-gap.

Then, at the start of Slot’s reign, Liverpool fought and failed to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Gravenberch’s emergence eased the frustration from that one, but it’s clear that an anchoring midfielder has been desired for some time, and Liverpool have not succeeded in bringing such a player in.

With Alexis Mac Allister so horribly out of sorts, Gravenberch cannot afford to dart around the midfield in a box-to-box manner. Liverpool need him to be stronger and more commanding in his deep-lying berth.

Slot needs more energy and more intensity from all of his players, but Gravenberch is the nucleus in the centre, and while Salah is rightly facing plenty of criticism for his abject campaign, the Dutch midfielder’s own woes have fallen somewhat under the radar.

Consistently this season, teams have found it far too easy to play through Liverpool, carving them open like a Christmas turkey. Gravenberch needs to be stronger, Liverpool need to be stronger. That’s it for the short term, but is it not becoming clear that FSG are going to need to sign a Fabinho-esque number six going forward?

Slot must drop 3/10 Liverpool flop who was just as bad as Konate vs PSV

Arne Slot must now axe this Liverpool flop after he put in an extremely poor display at Anfield against PSV Eindhoven.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 27, 2025

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.

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.