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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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.

​​​​​​​

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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• Getty Images Sport
  

  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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• Getty Images Sport
  

  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."

Glenn Maxwell is optimistic he can still play a part in Australia’s upcoming T20I series against India despite having surgery on his fractured right wrist last week.Maxwell suffered the fracture when he was hit on the wrist by a powerfully struck shot from Mitchell Owen while bowling in the nets in the lead-up to the T20I series against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.He was immediately sent home to see a specialist and opted to have surgery to try and hasten the recovery time down to four weeks to give himself a chance to play against India.Related

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Maxwell was not named in Australia’s squad for the first two T20Is on October 29 and 31 in Canberra and Melbourne, but speaking in Melbourne on Thursday, he hoped to be fit to play a part in the final three matches, with the third match of the series on November 2 in Hobart, the fourth on November 6 on the Gold Coast, and the final match in Brisbane on November 8.”I think having the surgery last week sort of gives me a little bit more hope of playing some part in that India series, if I can get myself right,” Maxwell said. “The only reason I had the surgery was the options they gave me were miss that series completely and no surgery, or have surgery and it gives me a slim chance to hopefully play a part. And if not, I’ll be ready earlier for the BBL, and I think it leaves me in good stead to get the rest of my body right.”Maxwell said he had a cast removed on Wednesday and will now wear a moulded plastic splint to protect it for a period of time, but he had been given the all-clear to start moving the wrist again. “I only met with a hand therapist yesterday,” Maxwell said. “He only gave me some really basic movements, things that look really boring, but I suppose they’re going to strengthen the wrist.”Returning early for the back-end of the India series is unlikely to come with any added risk in terms of further injury. Maxwell said the main concern will be pain management depending on how it feels when he bats.It is yet another freak injury to add to Maxwell’s bizarre catalogue, that includes a broken leg at a birthday party and a concussion from falling off a golf cart.”I was probably just a bit unlucky with the position that it hit me on the arm,” Maxwell said. “When it hit me, I thought I was lucky that it hit just bone and it wasn’t too much flesh, and it was going to be right.”But, yeah, another unlucky one.”The injury has made him rethink bowling in the nets to power hitters like Owen and some of his other team-mates. “I try to avoid bowling to those guys,” Maxwell said. “Guys like Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Mitch Owen and Cam Green, long levers, strong, it just comes back too quick. It’s not fun, But I should know better. I should know better to bowl into the hip and I’ll be doing that I think come BBL time.”Maxwell was frustrated to miss the series against New Zealand given he was in excellent form. In his last T20I innings in August against South Africa, he steered Australia home to a series win with a remarkable 62 not out from 36 balls in a nail-biting chase. Then in late September, despite retiring from ODI cricket earlier in the year, he played two Australian domestic One-Day Cup matches for Victoria to prepare for the New Zealand tour and smashed 107 off 82 balls against Queensland.Glenn Maxwell pulls behind square•Getty Images

He was asked whether he had a timeline on the end of his T20I career and if the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles were in his mind, but he said he had not thought past December.”I’m literally thinking about round one of the BBL at the moment,” Maxwell said. “Let’s just get there first. If I’m still enjoying my cricket by then… I’m not setting dates or anything.”Maxwell is excited about the upcoming BBL season where he hopes to help Melbourne Stars to an elusive BBL title, having been equal Player of the Tournament last season as they played the finals for the first time since losing the 2019-20 final under his captaincy in heartbreaking fashion to Melbourne Renegades.He said the arrival of former India spinner R Ashwin is going to supercharge the BBL season.”That’s really exciting,” Maxwell said. “It’s great for the competition. I think anytime you can get world-class superstars who have got the career that he has as a part of the BBL is a massive bonus for us. He’s been extremely successful. He’s got a hell of a lot of wisdom in the game. I think he’s going to give back a lot to the players in the BBL. I don’t think it’s just the Sydney Thunder, I think the guys that are playing against him will probably ask him a lot of questions, and he’s certainly going to bring in a lot of fans as well.”

Arsenal are preparing a £70m offer for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is now unhappy with manager Xabi Alonso, and keen to play under Mikel Arteta.

There are arguably question marks over whether the Gunners need to bring in another forward, off the back of a fantastic attacking display in the 4-1 rout against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with Eberechi Eze bagging a hat-trick.

Such is the depth of the attacking options Arteta has at his disposal, Gabriel Martinelli was unable to get off the bench against Spurs, with Leandro Trossard bagging his fifth goal of the season in all competitions, while also setting up Eze’s third goal.

Arteta has also confirmed that Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres were close to being involved in the North London derby, and added: “Unfortunately, [Odegaard] wasn’t 100% to be involved in such a game, but Noni [Madueke] is back and Gabriel [Martinelli] being back is a boost for us.”

However, with the Gunners perhaps keen to seize the chance to finally win the Premier League title, they are now lining up a move for a new forward ahead of the January transfer window.

Arsenal preparing offer for Rodrygo

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now preparing a package worth a total of €80m (£70m) to sign Rodrygo, with the Brazilian now unhappy with Alonso and keen to leave Real Madrid before the 2026 World Cup.

The 24-year-old is eager to receive consistent game time ahead of hopefully heading out to North America with Brazil, and he is keen to play under Arteta, alongside the likes of Eze, Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

Having already tried to sign the Madrid forward in the past, Arteta remains in ongoing talks with his representatives, which means they could be the favourites in the race for his signature, ahead of Liverpool.

Although game time has been hard to come by this season, the Brazil international has certainly impressed in a Real Madrid shirt in the past, receiving particularly high praise from journalist Bence Bocsak back in July.

Since then, the versatile forward, who can play at striker and on both wings, has continued to impress in Europe’s elite competition, picking up two assists in three Champions League outings this season.

The report makes it clear that Rodrygo is being targeted amid Martinelli’s uncertain future, and it would certainly be worth pursuing the Real Madrid ace if his compatriot were to move on next year.

However, Arsenal are currently very well-stocked in attacking areas, and £70m would be a huge fee to pay for a player who may not be a necessary addition.

Rodrygo has been named as one of the best wingers in the world The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

Also includes the ball used, team and venue details, and more on the first WTC final to not feature India

Vishal Dikshit09-Jun-20256:55

Philander: ‘SA will put up massive fight against favourites Australia’

What exactly is this WTC final?It’s the game deciding the winner of biggest title in Test cricket. The ICC started the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2019 that would run on a two-year cycle with nine teams competing in a league. At the end of the cycle, the top two teams on the points table face off in the final to get their hands on the ICC mace.So which two teams are playing this time?The defending champions Australia and South Africa, who will play their maiden WTC final. South Africa topped the table for the 2023-25 WTC cycle by winning their last seven Tests on the bounce that helped them overtake at least four other teams.Related

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Australia are the current title-holders, having thrashed two-time finalists India in the 2023 final at The Oval. Australia had won by a massive margin of 209 runs with centuries from Steven Smith and Travis Head in the first innings, before their bowling attack restricted India to sub-300 totals in each innings. Head was named the Player of the Match, just a few months before he repeated the feat against the same opponent in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023 in India.When and where is the WTC final 2025?After Southampton in 2021 and The Oval in 2023, the 2025 final is set to be played at the historic venue Lord’s, June 11 onwards. It’s for the third time in a row that the venue has turned out to be a neutral ground for the finalists, as the first WTC final was played between New Zealand and India. The 2025 WTC final will start at 10:30am local time, which is 09:30am GMT.Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins with the Test mace ahead of the WTC final•ICC via Getty ImagesWho are the captains of the finalists and what do the squads look like?Pat Cummins will lead Australia whereas Temba Bavuma will captain South Africa.There is a lot of intrigue around who will open with Usman Khawaja for Australia. The 19-year-old Sam Konstas was named in the side, but he was left out in Sri Lanka earlier this year. The other option is to open with Marnus Labuschagne, which seems like the likeliest option right now, with Cameron Green set to slot in at No. 3 as a batter only. The bowling attack looks more straightforward with Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all set to start, with Scott Boland also in the side, and Matt Kuhnemann as Lyon’s cover.Australia squad: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann. Travelling reserve: Brendan DoggettSouth Africa also named a familiar-looking side featuring senior players such as Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj. Rabada recently returned after completing a one-month suspension for failing a drug test, after which he played in the IPL in India and then the four-day tour game against Zimbabwe in Arundel. Rabada will lead a six-man pace pack at the WTC final which includes Lungi Ngidi, who has not featured in Tests since August last year. There was, however, no place for Gerald Coetzee, who was ruled out of the home summer with an injury, 19-year-old left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and Nandre Burger. The two spinners in their squad are Maharaj and allrounder Senuran Muthusamy.South Africa squad: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran MuthusamyWhat is the prize money for the WTC winners?The prize money for the 2025 winners has more than doubled compared to the last two editions, from US$ 1.6 million to $3.6 million. The 2025 runners-up will take home $2.1 million this time, compared to $800,000 in the last two editions. While announcing the increase in prize money last month, the ICC had stated in a release it was their effort “to prioritize Test cricket.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat happens if the Test is drawn, tied or abandoned?In any of those scenarios, Australia and South Africa will have to share the WTC trophy. However, to reduce the possibility of a draw, the match has a reserve day in place.So will they use the reserve day if there’s no clear winner in five days?That’s not quite it. The sixth day after the match starts – June 16 – has been kept as a reserve day. It will be used only if time has been lost to bad weather across the five days and they are unable to make up for it in those five days, and no result has been reached by the end of the fifth day.This was the case in the 2021 final when the first day’s play had been washed out in Southampton and the reserve day was used to cover for the time that had been lost. There were bad light and rain interruptions on other days, too.So tell us now what’s the weather forecast like?The first day is likely to be a little overcast but there is some rain forecast on the second day, June 12. The three days after that should be a lot better to play with sunny conditions and some clouds thrown in.What ball will they play with in the final?As was the case in the last two finals, it will be the Dukes ball again, which is used primarily in England, Ireland and the West Indies for Test cricket. Australia and South Africa both are used to playing with the Kookaburra at home.Where can we watch the WTC finalThere are different international broadcast partners who will bring the live coverage and the highlights to you. Here’s the list:India: Star Sports & Jiostar
Australia: Amazon Prime Video
South Africa: SuperSport TV
UK: Sky Sports Cricket
USA & Canada: Willow TV and Willow TV app
Caribbean & South America: ESPN Caribbean and ESPN Play Caribbean
New Zealand: Sky Sport Network
Middle East & North Africa: TSM via Nagorik TV, e&
Pakistan: PTV and Ten Sports
Afghanistan: Ariana Television
Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV
Singapore: StarHub
Malaysia: Astro
Hong Kong: PCCW
Pacific Islands: PNG Digicel
Rest of the World: ICC.tv

Another week, another dollar for Liverpool. Up next is an Anfield clash against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, and Arne Slot knows he has to win this one.

That should go without saying, of course, but the fact of the matter is that Liverpool have lost eight of their past 11 matches across all competitions, and two of their past three at Anfield.

A big response is needed, and curiously, it feels like there’s a good chance that will be delivered against the Dutch side. Whether it will be sustained is another matter, though, and Slot needs to find and instil a formula that can be carried back over to the Premier League, with West Ham United waiting in London on Sunday.

The Reds have to overcome their current malaise, and maybe they need to start Alexander Isak once again.

Why Isak should start vs PSV

Hugo Ekitike is waiting in the wings, and having been Liverpool’s most efficient forward this season, may well be disheartened by being benched once again here, especially after his side and Isak produced a staggeringly bad performance at the weekend against Nottingham Forest.

Minutes played

68′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

14

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

5/7 (71%)

Possession lost

7x

Chances created

1

Dribbles

0/1

Tackles won

0/0

Duels won

0/7

The Sweden striker, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for a British record £125m fee on transfer deadline day this summer, has not yet scored in the Premier League, his only goal coming against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

The 26-year-old is one of the best strikers in the world and a proven behemoth in England. But it’s not worked out thus far, and Slot has to find some answers – quickly.

Liverpool cannot allow this rut to devolve into something more permanent. Already, chatter concerning the boss’s future is rising, and he needs to prove he can rewire his team to overcome their many problems.

The free-scoring success of Isak will be essential in righting the wrongs of recent months.

If Isak is to be handed another chance to develop his fitness levels under the European lights on Wednesday, Slot should also consider handing another rarely-seen star a role from the opening.

Slot must unleash Liverpool's Semenyo-esque talent

While Cody Gakpo has played many minutes off the left wing this season, there is a sense that Liverpool need a contrasting profile. Someone like Luis Diaz.

But, with Diaz sold to Bayern Munich, rumours are rising regarding Liverpool’s interest in Antoine Semenyo, who has been in fine fettle for Bournemouth this season.

Semenyo, 25, has notched six goals and three assists from 11 Premier League matches this season, and he has been hailed as a “world-class” forward by his teammate Justin Kluivert.

He’s available in January, his £65m release clause then becoming active, but whether Liverpool should strike a deal for the Ghanaian when they have a talent like Rio Ngumoha in their ranks remains to be seen.

Ngumoha, 17, announced himself and then some earlier this season when scoring a last-gasp winner away at Newcastle in August, but Slot has since proved reluctant to hand him minutes on the biggest stage.

Given that Liverpool opted against paying out for a direct Diaz heir to keep a pathway open for the England U19 star, whose five Premier League cameos this term combine for a total of 42 minutes of action, this is questionable.

Now, while Liverpool need to win against PSV, Ngumoha could be handed a significant show of faith by starting in the Champions League, with his pace and potency and willingness to be direct potentially perfect for Isak. Just look at the connection the Swede forged with Anthony Gordon over the past few years on Tyneside.

Described as a “generational talent” by journalist Kevin Fernandes, Ngumoha was given 12 minutes off the bench at the weekend, and while he was unable to turn the tide against the Tricky Trees, he certainly offered more than Gakpo, with Sofascore recording that he completed all three attempted dribbles and won three duels.

This could be a move that not only bears dividends for Isak and Ngumoha, but also rekindle the belief in Slot’s vision. Liverpool fans are passionate, and the rise of a homegrown hero could project the kind of shining light Slot needs to prove he has what it takes to lead this club forward in the long run.

After all, Ngumoha has already demonstrated this season his capacity to succeed in the Premier League, and that winner at St. James’ Park established him as one of the competition’s youngest goalscorers of all time.

#

Player

Age

1

James Vaughan

16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days

2

James Milner

16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days

3

Wayne Rooney

16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days

4

Rio Ngumoha

16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days

5

Cesc Fabregas

17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days

He might be a raw and unpolished prospect, but Ngumoha is the real deal, and while we are not advocating for him to start every single match, it might be worthwhile to enforce a degree of rotation here ahead of Sunday’s must-win Premier League match at West Ham.

It would also help stabilise Isak, providing a presence to dart forward and stretch lines, playing into the record striker’s fast-running and line-breaking style of play.

The rumours concerning Liverpool’s interest in Semenyo are only going to intensify as the winter transfer window draws nearer.

But Liverpool already have a prodigious talent whose talent left FSG and Hughes opting against sourcing a direct Diaz replacement. Now it is time to unleash him.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

For the first time in 24 years, baseball fans in Seattle have experienced the taste of a postseason victory at home.

The Mariners defeated the Tigers 3–2 in Game 2 of the ALDS on Sunday night, evening up the series 1-1. The victory marked the first time in almost a quarter of a century that the Mariners won a playoff game at their home stadium.

As a result, it was an emotional scene at T-Mobile Park, as fans in Seattle soaked in the feeling of an October win. The Fox broadcast captured the scenes in the Pacific Northwest to perfection, showcasing some excited fans as they finally experienced the long-awaited moment.

One fan was captured on the broadcast tearing up and exchanging a wholesome embrace with a loved one.

The last time the Mariners won a home playoff game was October 15, 2001, when they defeated Cleveland 3–1. That season, they advanced to the ALCS but were ultimately defeated by the Yankees in a five-game series.

Fans are hoping this year will be different. Seattle is one of five MLB teams to never win a World Series, and it's clear that the team's supporters are ready for the drought to snap.

Game 3 is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 7 from Comerica Park in Detroit. The series could potentially return to Seattle for a Game 5, if necessary.