يشهد اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 12-2-2025، مجموعة من المواجهات القوية في مختلف ملاعب العالم، حيث تتواصل منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025، بجانب مباريات الدوريين الإنجليزي والإسباني، إضافة إلى مباريات في كأس إيطاليا وكأس ألمانيا.

ويفتتح منتخب مصر مشواره في بطولة كأس العرب عندما يواجه نظيره الكويتي على ملعب البيت، ضمن الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات، في لقاء يحمل أهمية كبيرة للفراعنة الباحثين عن انطلاقة قوية في البطولة، ويدخل المنتخب الكويتي المباراة بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد عبوره من الملحق وتأهله إلى الدور الرئيسي.

وفي المجموعة الثانية، يستهل المنتخب المغربي مشواره في البطولة بمواجهة جزر القمر، في مباراة تبدو متوازنة من حيث الطموحات، بينما يترقب منتخبـا السعودية وعُمان مواجهتهما المرتقبة على استاد المدينة التعليمية، في صدام قوي بين فريقين يسعيان لحصد أول ثلاث نقاط في بداية المشوار.

وانطلقت بطولة كأس العرب أمس الاثنين بمواجهتين شهدتا فوز كل من سوريا وفلسطين على تونس وقطر بنتيجة 1-0، لتشتعل المنافسة مبكرًا في المجموعة الأولى. وتستمر البطولة في الدولة المضيفة قطر حتى 18 ديسمبر بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا موزعين على أربع مجموعات.

وعلى الصعيد الأوروبي، تتجه الأنظار إلى قمة الدوري الإسباني بين برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد على ملعب كامب نو، ضمن مباراة مقدمة من الجولة التاسعة عشرة، حيث يسعى برشلونة للحفاظ على صدارته وسط ملاحقة قوية من ريال مدريد وفياريال.

وفي الدوري الإنجليزي، يخوض مانشستر سيتي اختبارًا مهمًا أمام فولهام في الجولة الرابعة عشر، في لقاء يبحث فيه الفريق السماوي عن استعادة الصدارة ومواصلة الضغط على آرسنال، فيما يسعى فولهام لتحسين موقعه في جدول الترتيب.

طالع أيضًا | خاص | حلمي طولان يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا تجاه أحمد عاطف قبل مباراة مصر والكويت مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 2-12-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العرب اليوم

المغرب ضد جزر القمر 2:00 بتوقيت مصر 3:00 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports Open

مصر ضد الكويت 4:30 بتوقيت مصر 5:30 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports Open

السعودية ضد عمان 7:00 بتوقيت مصر 8:00 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports Open مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم

فولهام ضد مانشستر سيتي 9:30 بتوقيت مصر 10:30 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports 2 HD

بورنموث ضد إيفرتون 9:30 بتوقيت مصر 10:30 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports 3 HD

نيوكاسل ضد توتنهام هوتسبير 10:15 بتوقيت مصر 11:15 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports 4 HD مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

برشلونة ضد أتلتيكو مدريد 10:00 بتوقيت مصر 11:00 بتوقيت السعودية قناة beIN Sports 1 HD مواعيد مباريات كأس إيطاليا اليوم

يوفنتوس ضد أودينيزي 10:00 بتوقيت مصر 11:00 بتوقيت السعودية منصة Starz Play App مواعيد مباريات كأس ألمانيا اليوم

مونشنجلادباخ ضد سانت باولي 7:00 بتوقيت مصر 8:00 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “شاهد”.

هيرتا برلين ضد كايزرسلاوترن 7:00 بتوقيت مصر 8:00 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “شاهد”.

لايبزيج ضد ماجديبورج 10:00 بتوقيت مصر 11:00 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “شاهد”.

بوروسيا دورتموند ضد باير ليفركوزن 10:00 بتوقيت مصر 11:00 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق “شاهد”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

National League Cy Young Award frontrunner Paul Skenes cruised through five scoreless innings, striking out eight batters in the Pirates' 2-1 loss on Wednesday. But, to the surprise of some, Skenes was removed from the game after throwing just 64 pitches, a season-low for the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year.

So, what gives? Why did Pirates manager Don Kelly take the ball from Skenes when he seemingly had gas left in the tank?

After the contest, Kelly told reporters that he had a specific workload in mind for Skenes entering the game, with an eye on preserving the righthander for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

"Yeah. Like we’ve talked about with all the guys," Kelly said. "Just trying to make sure that we’re managing their workload, make sure that they’re going all the way through the end of the season healthy and ready to finish a full season and be ready for next year."

Skenes, to his credit, took it in stride.

"The main goal that I’ve had coming into the past two years is making every start," Skenes told . "There are opportunities to give and take throughout the season, and tonight was kind of one of those. I probably needed it, to be honest."

Limiting Skenes's workload this late in the season certainly makes sense, especially considering that the 82-loss Pirates will miss the postseason for a 10th consecutive season.

The Pirates ace now has 203 strikeouts in 2025, giving him 200-plus in a single campaign for the first time in his career. Skenes is also sporting an MLB-best 1.92 ERA in 178 innings pitched.

His 1.94 career ERA is the lowest through a pitcher's first 53 career starts dating back to 1920, according to Sarah Langs.

Liverpool’s Premier League win last season may have come as a surprise to many, especially after Arne Slot took the reins from the legendary Jürgen Klopp.

There’s little denying the Dutchman massively exceeded expectations at Anfield during his debut year, which may have heaped added pressure on his shoulders for 2025/26.

The Reds turned into the hunted rather than the hunters before a ball was kicked, but the £466m spending spree during the off-season only increased the size of the target on their backs.

However, it appears as though the 47-year-old could well be on borrowed time in the managerial role, after losing a remarkable six of the last seven league outings.

It remains to be seen how much time Slot will be given to transform the club’s fortunes, but the upcoming transfer window could present an opportunity to address some glaring issues.

Liverpool’s pursuit of new additions ahead of January

Over the last couple of days, Liverpool have been one of the clubs named in the pursuit of Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson in the January window.

Slot will have had the opportunity to view the Englishman first-hand over the weekend, as the 23-year-old featured for 90 minutes in the 3-0 defeat at Anfield.

However, any deal would be yet another huge investment, as Sean Dyche’s side are currently demanding £100m for his services – with Manchester United also interested in the Englishman.

He’s not the only youngster currently in their sights, with Juventus star Kenan Yildiz another player being considered by the board ahead of the upcoming window.

According to Football Insider, the Reds are closely monitoring the progress of the 20-year-old, who has already racked up five combined goals and assists in his 11 Serie A appearances.

Their report also states that Arsenal are another side tracking the Turkish international, even though the Italian side are reluctant to offload one of their key players.

Why Liverpool’s latest target would be a better signing than Semenyo

Despite spending heavily in the summer window, Liverpool’s attempts to bolster their squad in January could come to fruition, which could see Antoine Semenyo move to Anfield.

The Ghanaian has been in tremendous form during the early stages of 2025/26, with the 25-year-old already netting six times in his first 11 outings for Bournemouth.

He’s also registered three assists, taking his total goal contributions this season to nine – with the Reds supporters able to witness his talents first-hand on Merseyside.

The winger netted twice in the Reds’ 4-2 victory at Anfield on the opening day, a performance that will no doubt have caught the eye of Slot and the hierarchy.

He currently has a £65m release clause in his deal at the Vitality, with other sides such as Arsenal and Manchester United also targeting a deal for his signature this winter.

However, Liverpool should look past a deal for Semenyo and place all their attention on Yildiz, with the Juve star undoubtedly a bigger star for the immediate and long-term future.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from the ongoing campaign, the Turkish star has dominated in numerous key areas, many of which could help correct the recent slump.

Yildiz, who’s been dubbed “the best youngster in the world” by one analyst, has registered more progressive carries and passes per 90 – showcasing his ability to get the ball into dangerous areas.

He’s also been able to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst notching more key passes per 90 – arguably being the solution to the Reds’ creative woes.

How Yildiz & Semenyo compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Yildiz

Semenyo

Games played

11

11

Goals & assists

5

9

Passes completed

78%

69%

Key passes made

2.5

1.1

Take-ons completed

43%

42%

Carries into final third

3.1

1.8

Shot-creating actions

5.1

3.2

Crosses completed

4.1

1.2

Stats via FBref

The Juve sensation’s dominance over Semenyo is further reflected in his higher take-on success rate and carries into the final third per 90 – potentially being able to star in a number ten or left-wing role.

Other numbers, such as higher shot-creating actions and more crosses completed per 90, offer yet another reason why the 20-year-old is a bigger talent – but it’s unclear how much a move would set the hierarchy back.

His talents and versatility could make him a phenomenal option for Slot and Liverpool, with such a deal adding needed quality into the club’s frontline, which could help save Slot’s job.

Semenyo would also be a superb signing, but based on the aforementioned numbers, it’s evident that Yildiz would be the perfect player to try and resurrect the club’s recent dismal form in the Premier League.

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

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

Posts 2 ByMatt Dawson Nov 23, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank only has to wait just over a month for the chance to make further additions to his squad in the January transfer window.

The Danish head coach was backed by the club during the summer window with a host of expensive signings to bolster his options across the pitch ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Mohammed Kudus for £55m from West Ham United and Xavi Simons for £52m from RB Leipzig were the headline arrivals, as the Lilywhites splashed over £100m on two attackers to transform their frontline.

Xavi, unfortunately, has no goals and one assist in eight Premier League games so far this season, but Kudus has delivered one goal and four assists in that time, per Sofascore, as he has impressed out wide.

The former Hammers star has provided real creativity and excitement on the flanks for Spurs since his £55m move, but, like Xavi, there have been some underperforming players in Frank’s attacking ranks.

One of the Tottenham stars who needs to improve his performances ahead of the January transfer window is Brennan Johnson, who is at risk of being replaced.

Why Spurs should replace Brennan Johnson

Spurs signed the Wales international from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £47.5m in the summer of 2023, and he has been a successful signing on the whole.

Johnson, of course, scored the winning goal in the Europa League final under Ange Postecoglou at the end of last season, which is why he should be considered a worthwhile signing for £47.5m, as he won the club a major trophy.

However, the underlying numbers behind his performances last season and in the current one suggest that Spurs could upgrade on him out wide if they can find the right players to improve the team.

Johnson scored 11 goals in the Premier League, to his credit, but his all-round play and lack of creativity were issues in the 2024/25 campaign for the Lilywhites.

xAG

0.10

Bottom 18%

Assists

0.12

Bottom 37%

Progressive passes

2.94

Bottom 39%

Progressive carries

2.48

Bottom 33%

Successful take-ons

0.79

Bottom 22%

Passes into the final third

1.03

Bottom 20%

Key passes

0.79

Bottom 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh forward was one of the worst-performing wingers in the top-flight when it came to progressing the ball in possession and creating chances for his teammates.

It has been a similar case this season. Johnson currently ranks in the bottom 12% for progressive passes (1.24) and the bottom 1% for shot-creating actions (1.53) per 90, whilst he does not have a single assist to his name, per FBref.

You cannot knock his knack for scoring goals, with another four in all competitions this season, but his all-round performances are why the club should look to replace him.

Spurs considering bid to sign Premier League winger

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a bid to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo when the January transfer window opens for business.

The report claims that the Ghana international has a clause in his contract with the Cherries, which means that he can be snapped up for a fee of £65m early on in the winter window, which has put a number of sides on alert.

Transfer Focus

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

Spurs were said to have been expecting a January deal to be too difficult to do before they learned of his release clause, and they are now weighing up whether or not to make a £65m offer to activate it.

TEAMtalk adds, though, that Liverpool are set to provide competition for his signature and that could make it tough for the Lilywhites, given that the Reds are the reigning Premier League champions.

If Spurs are able to win the race for the Bournemouth star’s signature at the start of next year, he could arrive in North London as a big upgrade on Johnson at the top end of the pitch.

Why Spurs should pay Antoine Semenyo's release clause

The Lilywhites, per TEAMtalk, have the financial power to pay the £65m release clause in January, and they should do so because of the quality that he could bring to Frank’s team.

Semenyo has already racked up six goals and three assists in 11 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for the Cherries, per Sofascore, whilst Johnson has produced two goals and no assists.

The chart above illustrates the gulf in class between the two players from an offensive perspective, as the former Bristol City marksman has offered far more to his team as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the top-flight.

Semenyo, who can play on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, also outperformed the Spurs winger at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

37

33

xG

9.98

10.40

Goals

11

11

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Big chances created

11

4

Assists

5

3

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old star scored as many goals as the Tottenham winger last season, but provided almost three times as many assists and averaged twice as many key passes per game.

Speaking last month, former Spurs star Chris Waddle dubbed Semenyo “the best winger in the country (England) right now”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider his form in the 2025/26 campaign.

Per Sofascore, no winger in the Premier League has scored as many goals as Semenyo (six) so far this season. In fact, only Igor Thiago (eight) and Erling Haaland (14) have scored more goals than the Bournemouth sensation.

Therefore, Spurs could improve their team and land a proven Premier League superstar by activating his £65m release clause in the January transfer window, which could leave Johnson on the fringes of the squad because the Ghana international appears to be a significant upgrade on him.

He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could end Rodrigo Bentancur’s career in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 19, 2025

It is now down to Fabio Paratici and Frank to convince the 25-year-old star to make the move to North London in the winter window, as he could be a phenomenal addition to the squad with his quality as a scorer and a creator.

His mis-step at the boundary may haunt him, but India’s biggest drop was at the selection table

Sidharth Monga03-Aug-2025

Mohammed Siraj has not opened the bowling four times in ten innings in the series against England•Getty Images

Mohammed Siraj just can’t catch the edge of Ben Duckett’s bat.Siraj is the leader of the attack who has not opened the bowling four times in ten innings in the series against England. There is a reason for this. There have been occasions when he has missed his lines – never the length – with the new ball. Also, outside Jasprit Bumrah – his beloved “Jassi “, in the absence of whom he tends to lift his performance – Siraj is the only swing bowler in India’s side. And the Duke’s ball swings more for first-change bowlers because by then the embossment on the ball comes off, giving it the perfect roundness while being shiny for swing.It is, however, Siraj’s wobble-seam ball that is the bigger threat. And his metronomic control of lengths. Even though he sometimes loses line, he hardly ever loses length. In the 19th over of England’s second innings at The Oval, Siraj beats Duckett five times on the outside edge. Stuart Broad on air starts speculating when he will bowl the outswinger, which swings into the left-hand batter. Siraj stays away, and stays honest to the process, bowling five balls on a good length and one only half a metre shorter. Three of them seam big. Siraj walks back with a wry smile on his face.Related

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• India claw back after Brook, Root tons to set up thrilling finish

All through the match, like a true disciple of Bumrah, Siraj has bowled only two balls fuller than 5m when two specialist batters have been in the middle. Both of them yorkers, both of them wickets: Jacob Bethell in the first innings, and Zak Crawley to what proved to be the last ball of the third day. Crawley’s wicket levelled him for the most wickets in the series.When Siraj comes back for the 21st over, he tries that full inswinger to the left-hand batter, and gets driven for four. Broad says he has gone to the well too early. It is uncharacteristically early for Siraj, yes, but this is also his 163rd over of the series. Only Chris Woakes has bowled more. The whole first hour goes without a wicket for Siraj. Prasidh Krishna gets his man Duckett at the other end.In 6.1 overs in the first hour, Siraj has created 13 false shots, gone for 26 runs, 13 of them off edges, but first drinks is when he should be done for a while. Try taking the ball away from him. Especially when you have only three bowlers for the conditions. On day two, he bowled eight unbroken overs in a session to help India come back into the match. Asked earlier how come he never needed workload management, he said the , the man upstairs, has kept him healthy, and he just wants to honour that gift by playing as much as he can.

****

Siraj goes on for two more overs, gets Ollie Pope out with the wobble-seam ball, and finally goes out of the attack and straight to the change room for running repairs. All the way up three floors’ worth of stairs at The Oval.Just the time to think about how it has taken Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain to make it mainstream what a skilled bowler Siraj is, and not just a workhorse that he is usually given credit for. He bowls outswing and wobble seam, the occasional inswinger, his pace always remains up, he hardly ever bowls a half volley, hardly ever bowls short without meaning to bowl a bouncer, and keeps on going and going. He still averages 31.75, which doesn’t quite put him in elite company. Is it possible he doesn’t have the mythical X-factor?Mohammed Siraj stepped on the fine-leg boundary to hand Harry Brook a reprieve•Getty ImagesSiraj has been fielding at mid-on in the absence of Bumrah to keep helping out Prasidh and Akash Deep. Bowling coach Morne Morkel says Siraj doesn’t lead by words, but by example and actions. He comes down the steps after the breather, but now fields at long leg. The short-ball plan is on, and Harry Brook hits the first ball straight to him. Siraj takes the catch, but has overestimated how far he came in to take it. The backward momentum carries his back foot on to the boundary triangles.If it is just a rope, Siraj’s foot just hovers above the rope and lands safely inside. Reminiscent of Dion Nash stepping on the rope where it overlapped in a thrilling finish to an ODI in Australia. It is not an excuse because they all know there are triangles, and not just the rope. It is the cruelty of it all. That it comes to him even before he has found his bearings and has become comfortable with his whereabouts vis-à-vis the triangles.Siraj turns around with his face in his hand. Not sure what he sees when he opens his eyes again, but there is an England fan just to his left clapping in his face. Minutes later, Siraj is back to his customary mid-on when they show the slow-motion replay on the big screen. The crowd goes ooooooo-ah at the replay. Can it get more cruel? Siraj knows what is going on, but doesn’t react.

****

Reprieved on 19, Brook has run riot. At lunch, he is on 38 off 30 balls. Siraj, who is at mid-on towards the pavilion at lunch, walks in the opposite direction. All the way to Prasidh, who is walking towards the pavilion from fine leg at the opposite end of the ground. The two share a low-five, a hug and a smile. Nothing needs to be said. They walk off together. Siraj keeps patting Prasidh on his head. The rest of the team is waiting for them at the gates, and clap them off. These are the two with a big job to do. Akash Deep has been fighting a niggle from day two. He has had what seems like a pain-killing injection.The three bowlers practically bowled a whole session between them on the second afternoon to keep India alive in the series. All bar two overs. India have selected poorly again. Since the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India have chosen not to play four strike bowlers for the given conditions in favour of batting depth. They have lost five of the matches, and won two. The absence of the fourth fast bowler in the XIs in Australia has perhaps played a role in Bumrah breaking down, which has now left him a three-out-of-five-Tests bowler.Once again, Siraj, Prasidh and Akash Deep are asked to bowl through a session because bowling any spin to the Bazballing Englishmen on this pitch can quicken India’s exit from the series. Siraj’s pace stays up but he is human; his spells get shortened. To just six overs now. Then three at the end of the session. This is the lowest average seam he has drawn all match. In the middle of his first spell, he throws away the tubigrip on his calf: execution over protection.4:24

Morkel: ‘Siraj is a natural leader’

Prasidh’s average pace drops by 4kph, as does his swing and seam. He bowls only six overs in the session. Akash Deep’s average pace goes down by 3kph. He bowls only five overs. The ball is getting older, and Brook and Joe Root put India to the sword. A whopping 153 runs come in the session for the wicket of Brook, caught at mid-on by Siraj, but after having added a further 89.Siraj ends the session lying prone on the pitch, trying to field a hit back down the ground. He dusts himself up, wipes his face on his shirt, exposing his black undershirt as he walks off. This time, Prasidh consoles him and pats him on the back, but the belief seems to have evaporated. Siraj has been leading what seems the proverbial “one final push” for long enough for it to be Groundhog Day. At tea, another push seems beyond even him.

****

A drizzle during tea, probably not hard enough to stop play but hard enough to not start already stopped play in, gives India slightly longer to recharge: 15 minutes to be precise. The shower has perhaps spiced the pitch a little bit. The break has perhaps given them a bit of succour. Prasidh picks his pace up again. Siraj doesn’t dip. A nervous Bethell leaves them an opening. Prasidh hits the top of middle.Now, with 42 runs still needed, Siraj takes up the role of conducting the crowd. It is a lovely split in the crowd. When England are playing well, it seems the crowd is predominantly English. When India get on a roll, it seems the opposite.Siraj and Prasidh start hunting the front pad of Root and Jamie Smith like men possessed. The seam has gone up even with the older ball. Only 12.3% balls seamed more than 0.75 degrees in the middle session. Now the number is up to 17.4%. When he is not geeing up the crowd, Siraj is bowling a clever mix of wobble-seam balls and the odd outswinger.This atmosphere and tension is as good as it has got all series. Siraj and Prasidh are now running on hope and adrenaline. Incredibly, Siraj has allowed batters only 69% control, but has only two wickets after 26 overs. At 181.2 overs, he has now overtaken Woakes as the most worked bowler in the series. At 20 wickets, he is the most prolific as well.2:11

Bangar: Mohammed Siraj will fancy the new ball

There is a lot of acknowledgement that Siraj has bowled better than 20 wickets at 36.85 suggests. In cold blood, at least in the third session, he has strayed down leg 30%, which, despite all the excitement created, fails to get him an lbw. Then again, it is a miracle he is running in and bowling just as quickly as he did in the morning.Also, in cold blood, India have made inefficient use of their bowling resources all series. An inhumane 92% of their overs in this Test have been bowled by just the three fast bowlers. In no Test have England strained their main bowlers as much. Even in the absence of Ben Stokes, who does give you a cheat card in English conditions, and the injury to Woakes, England have, despite picking no spinner, bowled as much spin as India.In the corresponding fixture of the similarly epic Ashes series 20 years ago in this country, the leading wicket-taker of the series dropped a catch to lose the series nobody felt he deserved to be on the losing side of. Siraj is no Shane Warne, but his predicament put Atherton on air in the mind of Warne in the 2005 Ashes.If India go on to lose on the fifth morning, especially if Siraj gets them any closer, that catch will become a memory difficult to live down. In cold blood, though, it should never come down to just one catch. The India team management need to do their fast bowlers a favour and start selecting better.

The chairman of selectors also said Rohit and Kohli had retired from Tests to make way for younger players ahead of a new WTC cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20252:16

What to expect from Rohit, Kohli in this phase of their careers?

Will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli play the 2027 World Cup? Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar feels it’s too early to take any calls about that event, but he has made it clear Rohit and Kohli will not be “on trial” during India’s three-match ODI series against Australia, which begins in Perth on Sunday.”Look they [Rohit and Kohli] are part of the squad at the moment for Australia,” Agarkar said during on Friday. “In two years’ time, we don’t know what the situation is going to be. So why just them two? It could be some other younger players [who might miss out on the tournament].”Related

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The wait for 'Ro-Ko' is over and it's okay to be a bit emotional about it

Axar: 'It's perfect that Rohit and Virat are here to help with the transition'

Rohit and Kohli are now ODI-only players for India, having retired from Tests and T20Is. Rohit, ahead of this Australia tour, also lost the ODI captaincy, with the baton passing on to Shubman Gill. With both senior players now in their mid-to-late 30s, and with little chance for match practice between ODI series, there is a sense that their presence in the ODI team could depend on churning out performances in every series they play.”That would be a bit silly, isn’t it, when one averages over 50 and the other averages close to 50?” Agarkar said, when this was put to him. “You are not going to put them on trial in every game. But 2027 is a long way away, both of them play one format […] they haven’t had a lot of cricket [in recent months]. Once they start playing, then you assess as you go forward.”They are not on trial, they’ve achieved all they had to achieve, not just winning trophies but runs [as well], so it’s not that if both of them don’t get runs in this series that will be the reason they won’t be there, or if they get three hundreds, [that will be] the reason they play 2027.”It’s still a long way away, we’ll see how the team shapes up, but we have some ideas, and as we go along we’ll probably have a better idea of where the team is progressing.”Rohit and Kohli retired from T20Is after helping India lift the T20 World Cup in 2024, and called time on their Test careers after the 2024-25 tour of Australia. The Test retirements came in the weeks leading up to India’s tour of England, which began in June 2025, and Agarkar said both Rohit and Kohli had wanted to make way for younger players at the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The selectors, he said, were keen to have their experience in England, where Gill led the Test team for the first time. A young India team drew the five-Test series 2-2.”Both [Rohit and Kohli] have been stalwarts of Indian cricket. They felt it was a new WTC cycle, and whatever people might think or not think, that is the reality,” Agarkar said. “Both were very aware, perhaps they may not have gone [on] for those two years as Test players for the WTC cycle.”And look, England was a series where we would have loved some experience, frankly, and the performance was incredible even though we didn’t win, under a young captain, which would have always been difficult. We would have liked some experience, but they had made their decision, and once you have played for as long as they have and they are sure about what decision they want to make, to walk away from a particular format, you’ve got to respect that.”Agarkar on Shami: ‘Our domestic season has just started, and we’ll see if he’s fit enough’•PTI On Shami: ‘My phone is always on’The selection for the Australia tour ruffled at least one player’s feathers. Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played for India since the Champions Trophy in March, wasn’t picked on fitness grounds; the fast bowler, who is currently playing for Bengal against Uttarakhand in the first round of the Ranji Trophy, disputed the idea that he wasn’t fit. “If I can play four-dayers [Ranji Trophy], I can also play 50-overs cricket.” Asked about this, Agarkar said the domestic season had only just begun, and that the selectors would keep an eye on Shami’s fitness as the Ranji Trophy progresses.”If he says that to me, I’ll probably answer that,” Agarkar said. “I’m not quite sure what he said on social media. Maybe if I read that, I might give him a call, but my phone is always on for most players, and I’ve had multiple chats with him over the last few months.”Look, he’s been an incredible performer for India. If he’s said something, maybe that’s a conversation for me to have with him or him to have with me, but [if he was fully fit] he would have been on that plane. Unfortunately he wasn’t, and our domestic season has just started, and we’ll see if he’s fit enough, and we’ll see where it goes, because this is the first round of Ranji games that’s going on. We’ll find out in a couple more games if he’s fit.”Look, with his quality, if he’s bowling well, why would you not want to have someone like a Shami? But what we found in the last six-eight months to a year, even leading up to the Australia tour, which we were desperate to have him on, unfortunately his fitness wasn’t there. If he does keep fit over the next few months, who knows, the story might be different. But at this point, as far as I know, he wasn’t fit enough for that England tour.”

Can Rob Edwards save Wolverhampton Wanderers from relegation?

During the international break, the 42-year-old controversially left Middlesbrough, currently second in the EFL Championship, to take over the reins at Molineux, returning to the club for whom he made 111 appearances as a player, but he has a massive task on his hands.

Wolves currently have just two points on the board after 11 matches, no side in Premier League history has ever survived from this position, losing four on the spin ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to the Black Country on Saturday afternoon.

The Old Gold’s eight-year stay in the top-flight is under serious threat, so if Edwards harbours any realistic hopes of leading Wolves to a great escape, he must surely unleash a new-look forward line in attack.

Jørgen Strand Larsen's downturn in form

Last season, his first after arriving from Celta Vigo, only nine players scored more Premier League goals than Jørgen Strand Larsen’s tally of 14, an impressive figure considering Wolves finished 16th.

This saw Newcastle make multiple bids to sign the 25-year-old, the highest of which was £55m, despite the fact he had cost the Old Gold only €30m (around £26m).

Wolves rejected all of these bids, with Strand Larsen instead signing a new five-year contract, but now they desperately need him to rediscover his best form.

So far this season, the striker has just three goals to his name, bagging a Carabao Cup double against West Ham in August, while his only goal in the Premier League thus far was a penalty during the infamous 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Burnley that ultimately cost Vítor Pereira his job.

Strand Larsen did find the target last Sunday as Norway crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro, officially confirming his country’s place at next summer’s World Cup, so will be hoping to take confidence from that back into his club form.

Nevertheless, Wolves could be doing more to get the best out of their number nine, underlined by the fact that Strand Larsen’s shots and shot on target per 90 statistics have significantly decreased this season, so could partnering him alongside a “huge talent” be the solution?

Rob Edwards must unleash Wolves' next Jimenez

Wolves only made five senior summer signings, all of whom have had varying degrees of little impact, namely Fer López, Jhon Arias, David Møller Wolfe and Jackson Tchatchoua.

The last of the additions, arriving on deadline day, was striker Tolu Arokodare, joining from Genk for £24m, and he is possibly the most exciting of the quintet, even if the Wolves faithful have seen very little from him thus far.

The 24-year-old has taken an unusual route to the Premier League, beginning his senior career at Latvian club Valmiera, scoring 22 goals in just 34 appearances, hence why Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described him as “simply too good” for the Virslīga, currently ranked the 36th best league in Europe.

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After a brief and unsuccessful stint at Köln, scoring no goals for die Geißböcke, Arokodare​​​​​​​ rediscovered his mojo at Amiens, netting 21 times across two seasons for the Ligue 2 side, earning a move to Genk, scoring on 41 occasions for the Smurfs.

Of these goals, 21 came in last season’s Jupiler Pro League, which Global Football Rankings believes to be the sixth-strongest league in the world, and the Nigerian international’s statistics make for impressive reading.

Tolu Arokodare 2024/25 Belgian league statistics
Stats	Arokodare	League rank
Goals	21	1st
Goals inside the box	21	1st
Headed goals	3	3rd
Expected goals	28.53	1st
Shots	158	1st
Shots per 90	4.9	1st
Shots on target	52	2nd
Big chances missed	34	1st
Assists	5	17th
Big chances created	7	32nd
Key passes	32	52nd
Shot-creating actions	77	16th
Goal-creating actions	9	13th
Aerial duels won	156	3rd
Touches in the box	217	1st
Stats via FBref and SofaScore

The table makes for interesting reading, emphasising the fact that Arokodare is a penalty box presence, considering all 21 of his goals came inside the area, while also ranking first for shots, shots per 90 and touches in the opposition area.

Meantime, he is also excellent in the air, scoring three headers while also ending up third for aerial duels won, behind only Daan Heymans​​​​​​​ and Aurélien Scheidler​​​​​​​; the former joined Genk to replace Arokodare, while the latter moved to Royal Charleroi to replace the former.

The statistic though that leaps off the page most is the fact that Arokodare missed 34 Opta-defined big chances.

For comparison, the leaders in this metric across other European leagues last season were Ollie Watkins in the Premier League (27), Kylian Mbappé in La Liga (29), Serhou Guirassy in the Bundesliga (21) and Roberto Piccoli in Serie A (26), so no one came close to the Nigerian’s 34, which shows he is often in the right position, albeit is regularly an erratic finisher.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Despite this, Arokodare is still highly rated, with journalist Graeme Bailey​​​​​​​ labelling him a “huge talent”, while the aforementioned Kulig notes that “physicality, heading and link-up play” are his primary assets.

This all sounds rather reminiscent of Wolves’ best striker of their current stint in the Premier League, Raúl Jiménez, who is the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition with 40.

After bouncing around Club América, Atlético Madrid and Benfica, the Mexican really flourished at Molineux, very much considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the division prior to suffering a horrific fractured skull in November 2020.

Arokodare certainly possesses all the raw attributes to be as good as Jiménez, so now is the time for him to prove this.

Well, Wolves supporters have been treated to a mere amuse-bouche of what their new striker could offer so far, scoring in EFL Cup ties against Everton and Chelsea, starting only once in the Premier League thus far, not doing so in any of Wolves’ last six.

So, pairing him with Strand Larsen would certainly give opposition defences something to think about, with the duo possessing similar but also complementary skillsets.

With Palace captain Marc Guéhi a doubt due to a foot injury, surely Wolves’ best hope of claiming a first win of the season is to deploy the two strikers together.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

This is the dream Wolves starting line-up that Rob Edwards could build in the January window.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 11, 2025

The stands will be inaugurated ahead of India’s next World Cup game, against Australia on October 12

Edited PTI copy07-Oct-2025

Mithali Raj poses with the Women’s ODI World Cup trophy in Bengaluru•AFP/Getty Images

Former India captain Mithali Raj and wicketkeeper-batter Ravi Kalpana will have stand named after them at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The stands will be unveiled on October 12 ahead of India’s women’s ODI World Cup match against Australia.The decision was taken after India opener Smriti Mandhana made the suggestion to Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh during the chat in August.”The ACA’s tribute to Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana reflects a deep commitment to honouring the trailblazers who have redefined women’s cricket in India while inspiring the next generation to dream bigger,” the ACA said in a statement.”Smriti Mandhana’s thoughtful suggestion captured a wider public sentiment,” minister Lokesh said. “Translating that idea into immediate action reflects our collective commitment to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of women’s cricket.”Raj, a former India captain and a stalwart of women’s cricket, holds the record for the most runs in women’s ODIs. She scored 7805 runs from 232 ODIs at an average of 50.68 with seven centuries.In 89 T20Is, she scored 2364 runs with 17 fifties at 37.52, while in 12 Tests, Raj scored 699 runs in 19 innings at 43.68 with a highest score of 214, the best for an India batter in the format. She retired from all formats of the game in 2022, bringing down the curtain on a career that spanned 23 years.Kalpana played seven ODIs between 2015 and 2016, and her rise to the India team has inspired several cricketers from the region, such as Arundhati Reddy, S Meghana and N Shree Charani.

With just under 20 minutes to go in the first Clasico of the current campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made a double substitution with his side 2-1 up on Barcelona. Federico Valverde accepted his withdrawal with good grace; Vinicius Jr did not. Five times he incredulously asked "Me?!", to the understandable bewilderment of his manager. "Come on, Vini, damn it!," Alonso pleaded. But there was no calming the winger down.

"Always me! I'm leaving the team! I'm leaving!" Vinicius said as he walked off the field and straight down the tunnel. "It's better if I leave, I'm leaving." At this stage, that might well be for the best for everyone concerned, because Vinicius' shameful show of insubordination wasn't the least bit shocking. 

On the contrary, it was entirely in keeping with his combustible character, just another temper tantrum from a player who is now effectively refusing to sign a new contract with the club if Alonso is allowed to continue as coach. Is this, then, a power play likely to pay off for Vinicius? Or might Madrid decide that he's become more trouble than he's worth?…

AFPThe Ballon d'or debacle

Not so long ago Madrid were willing to tolerate Vinicius' egotistical behaviour – and sometimes even support it.

The winger was utterly convinced he was going to win last year's Ballon d'Or and even brought up his seemingly imminent triumph during a heated exchange with Gavi towards the tail end of Madrid's 4-0 loss to Barcelona just two days before the ceremony in Paris. 

It was a rather revealing insight into his mindset. Vinicius clearly felt that boasting about his Ballon d'Or bid while his team were being humiliated on home soil by their most hated rivals was some kind of zinger; that individual glory was somehow more significant than collective failure in a team game like football. But the joke was on the Brazilian – because Vinicius didn't win the Ballon d'Or, and he took it very, very badly.

Even though Rodri made for a most deserving winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Vinicius refused to attend the Manchester City midfielder's coronation.

Of course, not a single representative from Real Madrid turned up either. "It is obvious that the Ballon d'Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid," an unnamed source told . "And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected."

As hissy fits go, it was pretty hysterical, the unintentional irony almost overwhelming. Madrid and Vinicius felt disrespected – and yet it was they who had disrespected Rodri.

Still, at least a Ballon d'Or boycott was something that los Blancos could easily get behind. Vinicius' very obvious personality clash with Alonso is far more problematic for Florentino Perez & Co.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe arrival of Alonso

Alonso is a likeable leader – as Bayer Leverkusen double-winners would attest – but the Spaniard does not have anything like the same laissez-faire approach to man-management or team tactics as his predecessor as Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, whose father-like relationship with Vinicius and the other Brazilians in the Bernabeu dressing room undoubtedly played a part in the Italian's appointment as Selecao coach.

Consequently, the arrival of Alonso was always likely to ruffle some feathers at Real – at least initially – but that wasn't considered a bad thing. The feeling was that after a disastrous final season under Ancelotti, Madrid's superstars would benefit from less freedom and more structure.

Kylian Mbappe is certainly thriving under the new boss. The Frenchman won the European Golden Shoe last year, with 31 goals in 34 Liga games, but his strike-rate has actually improved this season, while there's also a greater dynamism about his all-round play.

Mbappe is now, without a shadow of a doubt, the leader of Madrid's attack, as well the club's poster-boy – which was Perez's plan all along. It's why he invested so much time, money and effort in convincing Mbappe to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Madrid.

The knock-on effect, though, is that Vinicius no longer feels as appreciated as he once did at the Bernabeu.

Getty Images SportRising tensions between player and coach

Vinicius' current contract expires in two years' time and it could yet be renewed. However, whereas an extension was considered a given as recently as last season, the forward's future is now shrouded in uncertainty – and Vinicius' strained relationship with Alonso is the reason why.

The first signs of tension between the two appeared during the Club World Cup, when Alonso informed Vinicius that he would not be starting the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, which did not go over well at all with the forward.

In the end, Vinicius started the game in East Rutherford – but only due to an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and even then the 25-year-old was less than impressed at being deployed 'out of position' on the right wing. Vinicius nonetheless played his part in Madrid's strong start to the 2025-26 season. 

However, it quickly became clear that he was not happy with being occasionally rotated and regularly subbed by Alonso. With 13 minutes to go in the 2-0 win over Espanyol on September 20, Vinicius was replaced by Rodrygo. He responded by waving his arms around in disbelief before throwing a water bottle to the floor in frustration.

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Getty Images Sport'I won't make a big deal out of something small'

Vinicius and his entourage would likely disagree vehemently, but he's actually very lucky that he has a coach as composed as Alonso, who has handled his childish conduct with the same kind of class he exuded during his playing days.

After the Espanyol outburst, Alonso pointed out that Franco Mastantuono, who had come off at the same time as Vinicius, was disappointed by his withdrawal too.

"Franco said to me, ‘Are you taking me off?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ Something similar happened with Vini, but it happens to everyone," Alonso rather reasonably explained. "But I'm very happy with Vinicius' performance. The only thing he was missing today was a goal.

"It’s true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best, so I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going like this."

When Alonso was pressed on the matter again just a couple of days later, he struck an even more empathetic tone.

"I've been a player too," he pointed out on the eve of his team's game against Levante. "When I was substituted, it wasn't always the nicest moment. So, [frustration], it's normal, it's natural.

"We talked about things after the game, as I like to be close to the players, and I won't make a big deal out of something small."

Vinicius, though, is evidently incapable of such restraint.

Thomas Frank says Tottenham's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal was the "complete opposite" of what he had intended for this north London derby. Eberechi Eze grabbed a hat-trick in a very one-sided encounter at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as Spurs barely laid a glove on their bitter rivals. Now, manager Frank has apologised for this "painful" defeat.

• Frank apologises to Tottenham fans

  Tottenham put in one of their worst performances of the season in arguably their biggest game of the campaign. They mustered an Expected Goals tally of just 0.07 and a paltry three shots on goal to Arsenal's 17. Other than Richarlison's wonder goal, there was very little to be positive about. Spurs approached the game with a 'try not to lose' attitude but ended up being ripped apart by the Gunners. And after the contest, the former Brentford boss struck a contrite tone. 

  He told Sky Sports: "I think it is extremely painful. I won't talk away from that. It was a bad performance. It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here. We can only apologise to the fans for the performance. I think no matter if both teams wanted to play shirt, they got more out of that and we couldn't get out. When the team went long, we didn't win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players. Bad performance and we lost. I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn't win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn't win enough."

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  Tottenham's creativity issues continue

  In Tottenham's 1-0 loss to Chelsea earlier this season, Spurs were widely criticised for producing next to nothing in attack. That happened again against Arsenal, but the scoreline was much less flattering. And Frank stressed they need to address this problem right away.

  He said: "That [lack of creativity] has been an ongoing theme that we are working hard to improve. It doesn't look good today or against Chelsea. We need to keep working on it. There were a lot of things in this game we need to do better. We are four months into it and they are further in their journey as a team and that was very obvious today. Of course there will be noise. We played against our biggest rivals and we lost badly. But we keep noise out and we focus. I know this tam is very competitive. I know this team is competitive and we showed that against Man City and PSG. Of course it looks bad today and it was not good enough."

• Tottenham's plan failed to deliver

  Frank also took full responsibility for getting his approach to the game wrong. However, he felt the way his players performed would have meant that any strategy would have come unstuck against Arsenal.

  The Dane added: "I tried to play a 5-4-1. I will always take responsibility as my choice in the end to take the system then and we changed it at half-time. My view is that no matter what formation we play today, we don't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, and it is very difficult to win a football match. The goals I want to see more in detail. The whole game I need to watch tonight an it will be a difficult watch. We were not aggressive and stepped forward when we could and they played it round us."

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  Daunting PSG test looms

  For the Arsenal game, Frank admitted that he tried to replicate the tactics Tottenham deployed so well in their narrow UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain in August. But as they fell well short of that against the Gunners, this trip to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday may be quite daunting. 

  He said: "That's an extremely hard defeat to take. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to look at it with calm heads. I was very confident going into the game that we could be competitive and we weren't, which was disappointing. We tried to do something different that was very successful against PSG. Today it wasn't and I always take responsibility for my decisions and then when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, that's on me."