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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

Nick Woltemade spoke with confidence after bagging both goals in Germany's 2-0 win over Luxembourg. The towering striker saved Die Mannschaft's blushes after a goalless first half against the international minnows. His manager Julian Nagelsmann praised his first choice goal scorer's work ethic, saying the 23-year-old deserved "special praise" after his tireless performance.

Woltemade saves Germany's blushes in Luxembourg

Woltemade's emergence has been a lone bright spark in a labouring World Cup qualification campaign for Die Mannschaft. A 2-0 loss to Slovakia in September has locked both sides in a fierce race for top spot in Group A. A goalless first half in Luxembourg would have given the initiative back to Slovakia after their win against Northern Ireland. 

However, the towering forward's brace nudged Germany top of the group on goal difference ahead of Slovakia's visit to Leipzig on Monday. The Newcastle striker opened the scoring when he stabbed home a Leroy Sane cross in the 49th minute, before sweeping home Ridle Baku's assist twenty minutes later. 

Despite his side's nerviness, Woltemade insisted that he remains confident in his abilities to conjure up a goal, even when he is peripheral in the game or his teammates are providing him with limited service. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWoltemade confident in his abilities

Speaking after the game, Woltemade said: "I've developed great confidence in my abilities and a really good feeling that I know: no matter how the game goes, I can still score a goal." 

He did admit that he was "served very well," for both of his goals, however. 

The 23-year-old said he was "very happy" to score vital goals for his national team. "It feels good to score goals, and these two were very important," he added. 

So sure of his talents was the ex-Werder Bremen star, that he coolly rebuffed questions about his competition as Germany's main man up front. When asked if he was worried about the return of injured forward options such as Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug or Tim Kleindienst, he replied, "no honestly, not really." This success thus far has Woltemade looking forward to next summer's World Cup. He added: "This is the biggest tournament in the world, a dream for everyone to play in. "That would be number one."

Woltemade also told the assorted press, that he intended to give his match worn shirt to his sister. "My sister already wrote to me that she's really keen on the long-sleeved jersey," said the match winner. "That's probably why I'm going to Bremen."

Nagelsmann wants "special praise" for Woltemade

Nagelsmann was effusive in his praise of his young striker after the game, praising Woltemade's tireless efforts and admitting he is going to be a key player for the national team as Germany continue to prepare for the World Cup.

"Nick deserves special praise for his work ethic," said the 38-year-old. "He covered a tremendous amount of ground, he's really good and important for us." 

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Getty Images SportCan Woltemade solve Germany's goalscoring woes?

While Nagelsmann clearly does not rate his striker purely by his goal scoring efforts, it certainly helps that the 23-year-old has started scoring vital goals for Die Mannschaft. 

The German national team has failed to replace Miroslav Klose since he retired after the 2014 World Cup. A slew of striking options have tried and failed to nail down that no.9 spot, with previous managers opting to deploy an extra midfielder or a makeshift option like Havertz to lead the line. 

Having bagged three crucial goals in his last two appearances, including the winner in a laborious 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in October, Woltemade is establishing himself as the saviour of a national side that disappointed at recent tournaments. His confidence in his won abilities will only help the Newcastle star as he progresses in his international career. 

He has another chance to prove himself in Leipzig on Monday, when Germany face off against Slovakia. A draw will be enough for Die Mannschaft to secure automatic qualification to next summer's World Cup, as they lead Group A on goal difference. 

Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood return to both the T20I and ODI squads as does the fit-again Matt Short

Andrew McGlashan30-Jul-20251:29

David, Owen pepper the stands with sixes

Mitchell Owen has earned his first ODI call-up to face South Africa in northern Australia next month following his successful start in the T20I side and fast bowler Lance Morris has been recalled to the 50-over squad.Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood return to both the T20I and ODI groups after being rested for the West Indies series while Matt Short has recovered from the side strain that ruled him out of those T20Is. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will miss both series as they continue to rest ahead of the home summer with Mitchell Marsh assuming the ODI captaincy.Related

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Owen made 125 runs at a strike-rate of 192.30 against West Indies including a half-century on debut in Jamaica as he took on a middle-order finishing role. In last season’s One-Day Cup he struck an astonishing 149 off 69 balls for Tasmania against South Australia.As flagged by head coach Andrew McDonald during the West Indies tour, Marnus Labuschagne keeps his place in the ODI side following his omission from the Test team in the Caribbean.From the squad that completed the 5-0 sweep of West Indies, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett won’t feature in the T20Is against South Africa. However, Bartlett has been included for the three ODIs.Fraser-McGurk was a late addition to the squad after Short’s injury and only played one game while Connolly made 13 and 0 in his two innings alongside claiming one wicket. Hardie put in two useful performances at the end of the series, including steering the final chase home to secure the whitewash.Lance Morris brings more pace to Australia’s ODI side•Getty Images

“As we build towards the T20 World Cup the flexibility and depth shown in the West Indies, outside of the obvious results, has been a huge positive,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “The flexibility within the batting order and ability of bowlers to bowl in different stages of the innings were particularly pleasing to see.”Mitch Owen and Matt Kuhnemann making their respective debuts and the preparation and work done by Nathan Ellis to allow him to play all five matches were highlights.”From Australia’s last one-day squad at the Champions Trophy in March, Fraser-McGurk, Connolly, Hardie, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha drop out as does the injured Spencer Johnson. The matches against South Africa will be the first ODI series since the retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell from the format.Morris, the Western Australia fast bowler who holds a Cricket Australia central contract, made his previous ODI appearance against Pakistan last November. He has been carefully managed due to a history of back injuries, but the selectors retain confidence he can be an all-format option. Last season he took 13 wickets at 20.84 in four Sheffield Shield matches and 15 in eight BBL outings for Perth Scorchers.”The smaller squad for a home series, along with the return of Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood, see some players not part of the squad for this Top End series, but all remain in the frame moving forward and we feel the entire group embraced every opportunity,” Bailey said.”We expect that to continue through this series, and the New Zealand and Indian series later this year, as we balance continued opportunities for players and the preparation for the Test summer.”The South Africa tour starts with the first two T20Is in Darwin on August 10 and 12 before the final match of the series is played in Cairns on August 16 where the first ODI will also be played on August 19. The 50-over series then concludes with two matches in Mackay on August 22 and 24.Australia T20I squad vs South Africa Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam ZampaAustralia ODI squad vs South Africa Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has responded to an approach by Juventus this week as the Serie A giants search for Igor Tudor’s replacement.

It’s been an extremely mixed start to 2025/2026 for Maresca after delivering two major trophies in the space of a few months earlier this year.

A win of four straight wins in all competitions before their damning loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend best sums up their inconsistency thus far, with Chelsea only just getting past Premier League bottom side Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The west Londoners were 3-0 up and cruising thanks to first-half goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao, but the home side seriously threatened an unlikely comeback when Tolu Arokodare and David Wolfe pulled it back to 3-2.

Summer signing Jamie Gittens was then on hand to score Chelsea’s fourth and his first ever goal for the club, which ultimately sealed their place in the quarter-finals, even if Wolfe bagged another for Wolves in added time to make Maresca’s side sweat.

The 4-3 win at Molineux was overshadowed somewhat by Liam Delap’s needless red card, with Maresca lambasting his two bookable offences as “embarrassing”.

Delap is now set to miss Chelsea’s crunch clash against Tottenham this weekend through suspension, despite only just returning to the fold after weeks on the treatment table with a hamstring injury.

Away from the pitch, Juve are believed to have contacted Maresca’s entourage on the same day that Chelsea edged past Wolves.

Enzo Maresca responds to Juventus approach with Chelsea demands clear

Reports earlier this season suggested Maresca’s long-term future at Chelsea is far from certain, with tensions existing between the Italian and his club hierarchy.

As well as this, journalist Simon Phillips reported that both Cole Palmer and Reece James aren’t fully behind Maresca’s methodology, so if results continue to be topsy-turvy, this situation is worth keeping an eye on.

Now, Phillips has provided another update on the 45-year-old’s future.

Writing via his Substack, the reporter shares news that Juve approached Maresca’s camp on Wednesday amid their search for a new manager.

However, the tactician’s response is clear — he’s not looking to leave midway through the campaign.

While a move to Turin at the end of the season isn’t ruled out, Chelsea will demand a huge compensation fee — which could reach up to £10 million.

Chelsea are braced for a crucial run of games from now till the end of November, including Spurs, Arsenal and La Liga champions Barcelona in the Champions League.

Given their pretty weak defence and lack of options, particularly at centre-back, the Blues could also look to reinforce Maresca’s ranks in January.

Chelsea hold talks with Premier League centre-back over cut-price January move.

Bob Simpson played 62 Tests and would then go on to shape one of the great eras of Australian cricket

Alex Malcolm16-Aug-2025Australian cricket has lost a giant after former Test captain and the first full-time coach Bob Simpson died in Sydney at the age of 89.Simpson is one of the most influential figures in the history of Australian cricket. He played 62 Test matches between 1957 and 1978, averaging 46.81, and claimed 71 wickets while being known as one of the greatest slip fielders of his time. Simpson had made his first-class debut for New South Wales aged 16 and would go on to amass 21,029 runs and picked up 349 wickets with his legspin.He had initially retired from the game in 1968 after an 11-year career as one of Australia’s finest openers, having played 50 Tests and captained in 29 of them. But he then made an extraordinary return as Test captain in Australia cricket’s hour of need after the World Series Cricket schism in 1977. Simpson, at the age of 41, led in five home Tests against India and five away Tests against a full-strength West Indies side then.He finished with ten Test centuries, all of them made as captain, including 311 against England in Manchester in 1964, which was his first hundred in his 30th Test, and two more double-centuries. He averaged 54.07 as captain after not making a century and only averaging 33.67 before he assumed the role from Richie Benaud during the home summer of 1963-64.Simpson formed what remains one of Australia’s most successful Test opening pairings with Bill Lawry with 382 they added against West Indies in 1965 still the record for the first wicket.Bob Simpson had initially retired from the game in 1968 but then made an extraordinary return as Test captain during the World Series Cricket schism•PA Photos/Getty ImagesSimpson was again called upon by the then Australian Cricket Broad (now Cricket Australia) in 1986 during the nadir of Australia’s on-field performance as a Test nation, having not won a series for over two years.Alongside captain Allan Border, Simpson was instrumental in instilling a culture of discipline and hard work into a younger group of players that were selected to regenerate Australian cricket, including David Boon, Dean Jones, Steve Waugh, Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes.In 1987, he was added to the selection panel that was chaired by Laurie Sawle and oversaw the start of Australia’s next golden generation with Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Mark Waugh, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting among a host players selected and coached by Simpson until he stood down in 1996.Australia won the World Cup in 1987 and regained the Ashes in 1989, which they would hold until 2005. Australia regained the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1995, a trophy they had not held since 1976, having not beaten West Indies in a series anywhere during that time. That win in the Caribbean gave them the unofficial mantle of world No. 1 Test side.”Bob Simpson was one of the greats of Australian cricket and this is a sad day for anyone fortunate to have watched him play or who benefited from his wisdom,” Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said. “Bob’s decision to come out of retirement to successfully lead the Australian team during the advent of World Series Cricket in 1977 was a wonderful service to the game, and his coaching set the foundation for a golden era for Australian cricket.”Dean Jones chats to Bob Simpson during the latter’s hugely successful stint as Australia coach•Elizabeth Dobbie/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesMany of the players, including Warne, regarded Simpson as the best coach they ever had and pivotal to their develop as international players after also coming through the Australian Cricket Academy under former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, which had been established as a breeding ground during Simpson’s early years as Australia coach. Warne credited Simpson for convincing him to bowl around the wicket more often in certain conditions.Simpson was known as a disciplinarian and famously made fitness and fielding a major priority as coach.He was succeeded as Australian coach by one of his former players, Geoff Marsh, as the more senior team shifted their approach to preparation under the captaincy of Taylor after Border had retired in 1994.Simpson went on to coach Leicestershire and Lancashire for short periods in English county cricket. He also worked as a coaching advisor for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy in India and as a consultant for India’s men’s team during the late 1990s.He coached into his 70s, including with Netherlands through a successful qualification campaign to reach the 2007 World Cup.He was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia in 1978, which was upgraded to Officer (AO) in 2007 for services to the game as a coach, consultant and administrator.He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1965. He is a member of the ICC Hall of fame and the Australian Cricket Hall of fame.

Bavuma and Esterhuizen also struck half-centuries in what was the sixth-highest successful chase in India

Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2025Connor Esterhuizen showcased his impressive game against spin in a bludgeoning 52 not out that helped South Africa A beat fading light to chase down 417 five wickets in hand against India A at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This was the highest fourth-innings chase in a first-class game in India since 2016, and the sixth-highest ever in the country.Esterhuizen’s innings comprised eight fours and a six, as he helped South Africa A convert a tricky chase in the final hour into a cruise. His unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Tiaan van Vuuren was worth 65 off just 52 balls.While Esterhuizen delivered the knockout blow to India A, the chase was set up by Lesego Senokwane and Jordan Hermann. The openers put on 156, much of it during the course of a wicketless morning session where they took the attack to Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.Even Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t spared, but it also helped South Africa A that he was far from his best on a surface that didn’t aid spin as much as he would have hoped for. With the surface showing no signs of breaking down, Kuldeep hardly found turn and was easily picked off as Senokwane and Hermann didn’t allow him to settle. When he went full, he was imperiously driven. When he bowled shorter, the turn was so slow that it gave batters enough time to play him comfortably off the back foot.Hermann did the early running when he hammered an off-colour Akash Deep for four boundaries – an off-drive, two cover drives, and a square drive behind point. He soon got to his half-century, off 73 deliveries. India A’s frustration stemmed from the edges not carrying. The lateral movement that was there on the first two days and a bit also went missing.Jordan Hermann scored 91•PTI Senokwane soon followed suit, albeit sedately, getting to his half-century off 113 deliveries. Having played cautiously against the fast bowlers, he was severe on left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, whom he welcomed with a superb slog sweep. Hermann was equally punishing, using the paddle sweep as Dubey struggled to vary his pace – he was guilty of bowling too quickly.Hermann had a slice of luck on 66 when a rip-roaring bouncer that rushed him for pace lobbed off the glove only to land behind Rishabh Pant as he ran backwards. But even half-chances like those were far and few in between.Prasidh provided the breakthrough when Hermann smashed a full toss back towards the bowler. Fortunately for India A, it got stuck in Prasidh’s hand and Hermann had to walk back for 91. The wicket briefly fired India A’s seamers, Siraj, in particular, as he delivered a telling spell in the afternoon, beating Senokwane a handful of times and then exchanging some words with him.All that seemed to have affected Senokwane as he was lulled into a sweep that he missed and was lbw to Dubey on 77. This brought Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma to the crease – the only two batters from this squad to feature in the Test squad – and they added 107 for the third wicket to bring the target in the double digits.Having bagged a first-ball duck in the first innings, Bavuma was more sedate and copybook in his approach; Hamza was a bit more enterprising and looked to take the bowlers on from the get-go to make a push for the target.In between, India A had a scare when Siraj hurt himself trying to stop the ball at mid-off and immediately rushed off the field for treatment. Pant too didn’t keep for two sessions with Jurel taking over the gloves. It was established much later that the decision to take Pant off the field was keeping in mind the workload he has had over the past two games – with both bat and gloves.Hamza fell when he got an inside edge onto the stumps off Prasidh, and Bavuma fell soon after. India A had an opening with the visitors needing 89 when Marques Ackerman was bounced out by Siraj, only for replays to confirm the bowler had overstepped. Ackerman was eventually caught behind for 24 to bring Esterhuizen to the crease. The mood of the game changed considerably thereafter as he took the attack to Kuldeep and Dubey to seal victory in fading light.

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

Which one do you pick: the Ben Stokes epic at Headingley against Australia, or the time New Zealand overturned a follow-on to trump Bazballin’ England?

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2019 Leeds Test moves into the quarter-finals.The Stokes show at Headingley, 2019A Test that might not have otherwise stayed for too long in the memory, it was the unbroken 76-run stand for the last wicket between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach that lifted it to where the greatest Test matches in history are clubbed together.And, of course, the fact that in those 76 runs, one batter scored 74 (in 45 balls) and the other 1 (in 17 balls)! Not to forget that the winners had scored 67 in their first innings and then hit 362 for 9 in a Test where 246 was the next-best total.Australia won the first Test and the second was drawn, so England wanted to win this one at Headingley to stay in the Ashes contest. But after Australia were bowled out for 179 in the first innings, all England could put up was 67, with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. Back to Australia, and this time they put up 246.Was the pitch getting better for batting? It didn’t seem so when England were 15 for 2 in their chase of 359, and then 159 for 4 with Joe Root gone, and then 286 for 9. Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61 at the time. Off 174 balls.But with last-man Leach for company, Stokes switched something on. He hit four fours and seven sixes from that point, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Pat Cummins. Done and dusted!New Zealand go from follow-on to victory – Wellington, 2023New Zealand became only the fourth team in Test history to win after being asked to follow-on when they beat England by one run in Wellington.With Harry Brook and Joe Root scoring hundreds, England Bazballed their way to 435 for 8 declared. In response, New Zealand slipped to 103 for 7 before folding for 209, and were asked to follow on.The second innings was completely different. Led by Kane Williamson’s 132, Tom Blundell’s 90 and Tom Latham’s 83, they set England 258 to win.With more than a day left, England would have still fancied their chances. But they collapsed to 80 for 5 within 22 overs. Ben Stokes decided to drop the anchor, while Root did the bulk of the scoring. They took England past 200 but fell soon after.It came down to the last pair with seven to get. Jack Leach got off the mark with a single, as he had during the famous Headingley Test of the 2019 Ashes. But this time it was James Anderson, and not Stokes, at the other end. Anderson did smash a four but then edged Neil Wagner down the leg side for Blundell to complete a diving catch and the win.

It was raw, it was visceral, and it may well become the defining image of this Border-Gavaskar series

Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-20245:02

Head: ‘Disappointed with my reaction but also going to stand up for myself’

At 6.51 pm in Adelaide, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy took a back seat to a cheap, and therefore very human, thrill. Mohammed Siraj had just picked up a wicket. India have roamed all over this planet in search of it. London. Ahmedabad. Here. So it wasn’t relief the bowler felt when he picked it up. It was something more.Siraj punched down on the air with both fists. He screamed. And as the batter was walking off, with 140 off 141 against his name, Siraj averted his eyes, as if he was sick of the sight of him. If he had stopped there, it would have all been fine. But he sent him off. Twice.Related

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After the Australia of their dreams, India meet the Australia of their expectations

Australia scorch India after Head ton and Boland-Cummins spells

South Australia is not the place to be seen working against Travis Head. He is one of their own and he is everywhere. He is on their buses inviting them to the BBL. He is on their shirts. He is, forever, sitting on that olive green chair, wearing his ODI World Cup winner’s medal, flashing those double finger guns.”Booooooooooooooooooo.” One single syllable from the throats of 51,642 people sounds a little like a Roman amphitheatre. And these guys have had a lot of practice backing up their players, and pulling down their rivals. Aussie Rules Football takes care of that. Back in the day, the Victorian team would arrive into the airport to signs and T-shirts that said “Kick a Vic” over a picture of Football Park.Author and football historian Francis Doherty told , “That parochial South Australian Football Park crowd, if you’ve ever been there and experienced it first-hand, it’s probably one of the most parochial crowds if not the most scary place [for] an opposition supporter to be, in the whole of Australia.”Mohammed Siraj sends off Travis Head in front of his adoring home crowd•Getty ImagesIndia were behind enemy lines. When Mitchell Starc came out as the new batter and hit Siraj for four first ball, the crowd, too busy getting on the bowler’s case as he ran up, were caught unawares. This time the roar was illegible. Two emotions stitched into one.”Boooooooooooyyyaaaaaaaaayyyyyy”Siraj spent that whole over being public enemy No. 1. When it ended, Harshit Rana and Rishabh Pant came over to congratulate him on taking the wicket, to remind him that he had done a good thing.Siraj was preparing to go down to deep third and prepare to field. The boos rang out again, getting steadily louder with every step he took towards the rope. India heard it and pulled him up to field at point. South Australians aren’t the only ones who know how to get behind their man. All of this happened at the back end of a period where India were losing control of the game. There were even a few torturous minutes where their biggest hope to win this series, Jasprit Bumrah, went down clutching his groin and needed several minutes’ attention from three different people to be set right enough to bowl again. There were dropped catches. There were edges that flew into gaps because slip was too wide. The second ball with the new ball had produced a play and miss from Head where his feet retreated to leg and his hands hung outside off and the hundred that he was on looked like a typo.The hometown hero soaks in Adelaide Oval’s adulation•Getty ImagesIndia’s plan was to stay in the game on Saturday; to be careful and balance attack with defence. But every time they run into Head, it seems they just can’t do anything right. When the entire country was still heaving a sigh of relief at seeing Bumrah back on his feet, Head was busy depositing him for four wide of mid-on.Rana in Perth did the impossible and recorded possibly the first instance of an Indian fast bowler actually enjoying beating Head’s outside edge because this time the ball didn’t just wobble on through to the keeper, it crashed into off stump. Rana in Adelaide (16-2-86-0, economy rate 5.37) was flogged all over the park. Head and Marnus Labuschagne hit him for three fours in an over each. And they were really playing the same shot over and over.India bowling coach Morne Morkel felt there were other options that the team could have taken once they fell behind in the game. “I felt as soon as the ball got a little bit softer this afternoon in terms of maybe going defensive, more defensive for a longer period of time, it was maybe an option to consider, but we want to play that aggressive brand of cricket and credit to Travis, I don’t want to take anything away from a great hundred. He really put us under pressure and he got the runs.”Head also got the crowd back on Australia’s side and his send-off gave the fast bowlers one more reason to run in that little bit harder at India in the night session. At 6.51 pm, this Border-Gavaskar Trophy might just have got its defining moment. This series may just feel a whole lot different going forward.

Leeds United need to improve their offensive output if they want to stand a chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League this season.

Last season, every team that avoided the drop scored at least 42 goals, with Spurs in 17th place scoring 64 times, whilst all three of the teams that went down averaged less than a goal per game.

The Whites are currently in the middle of that, with 11 goals in 11 matches in the Premier League, which shows that they need to improve their output at the top end of the pitch.

11 games into the season, no Leeds player has scored more than two goals in the division, with three players leading the way for goals, and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

Leeds’ top Premier League scorers since 20/21

Season

Top goalscorer

Goals

25/26

Noah Okafor

Joe Rodon

Lukas Nmecha

2

22/23

Rodrigo

13

21/22

Raphinha

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

17

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, at least one player hit double figures for goals in each of the three seasons that the club were in the Premier League during their last stint.

In their run in the division before that, Australian forward Mark Viduka hit double figures in four successive seasons, including 17 and 20-goal hauls in two of them, per Transfermarkt.

Why Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward

Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the January transfer window because none of their current options look likely to be their next Viduka.

As aforementioned, no one in the squad has scored more than two goals in the Premier League after 11 matches, and summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a particular disappointment so far this term.

The experienced number nine, who was signed on a free transfer from Everton in the summer, is reportedly the highest earner in the squad on £100k-per-week, but has not done enough on the pitch to justify that.

Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League career

Season

xG

Goals

25/26

1.62

1

24/25

8.85

3

23/24

13.63

7

22/23

6.50

2

21/22

6.22

5

20/21

18.21

16

19/20

16.11

13

18/19

6.17

6

17/18

5.44

4

16/17

1.25

1

Stats via Understat

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has historically been a poor finisher in the Premier League, mostly for Everton, and arrived at Elland Road in the summer off the back of four successive seasons without scoring more than seven goals in a league campaign.

It should, therefore, not be a surprise that he has struggled for form for the Whites in front of goal, with one goal and ten ‘big chances’ missed in all competitions so far this season, per Sofascore.

Nmecha, meanwhile, has scored two Premier League goals this season, but has not scored more than eight goals in a league season, per Sofascore, since he plundered 18 goals in the Pro League for Anderlecht in the 2020/21 campaign.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

The unlikelihood of Calvert-Lewin or Nmecha pushing on to hit double figures for goals in the Premier League has reportedly prompted the club to pursue another option in their position.

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According to TEAMtalk, the club recognise that they let Daniel Farke down in the summer transfer window and plan to rectify that mistake by adding more firepower to his squad in January.

The report claims that Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is one of the players they are plotting a possible move for, alongside Coventry’s Haji Wright, AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia.

It adds that the Scottish Premiership forward has told the Hoops of his desire to move on from Parkhead in the next transfer window, which will come as a boost to Leeds, as well as Everton and Brentford, who are said to be leading the race for his signature.

Maeda was reportedly valued at around £21m by Celtic in the summer, amid interest in his services at the time, but it remains to be seen if that valuation has changed ahead of January.

Why Daizen Maeda could be Leeds United's new Mark Viduka

As aforementioned, Viduka had great success in the Premier League during his time at Elland Road, with 72 goals in 166 matches in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.

That impressive form for the Whites came after he made a move from Celtic, where, per Transfermarkt, he scored an eye-catching 27 goals in 37 games in the 99/00 season, before his switch to West Yorkshire in the summer of 2000.

Maeda, who is currently shining for Celtic, could follow in Viduka’s footsteps by making a similar move to be a goalscoring sensation for Leeds in the second half of this season, and beyond.

The Japanese forward, who can play on either wing or as a number nine, scored 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has scored four goals so far this term.

These statistics show that Maeda has been an incredibly prolific goalscorer for the Scottish giants, which is exactly what Leeds are lacking in their current squad.

24/25 Premiership

Daizen Maeda

Percentile rank vs positional peers

xG

12.76

Top 1%

Goals

16

Top 1%

xA

5.99

Top 6%

Assists

10

Top 1%

Duels won

104

Top 23%

Tackles won

44

Top 6%

Possession won in the final third

13

Top 16%

Stats via FotMob

Perhaps most interestingly, though, the Japan international ranked within the top 16% of his positional peers in the Premiership last season for winning possession back in the final third, despite Celtic being an incredibly dominant team who won the title.

At Leeds, Maeda would be in a team that is under pressure a lot in matches, as they are fighting relegation, which would give him even more opportunities to use his incredible pressing skills and speed to win the ball off the opposition to spark counter-attacks.

The Celtic star, who ex-Rangers boss Barry Ferguson claimed is “built like a brick”, could be the perfect signing for Leeds because he has the goalscoring record to suggest that he can provide the threat that they are currently missing, whilst also possessing the out-of-possession attributes that you need a player to have in a relegation scrap.

Maeda’s relentless running and pressing could be invaluable to the Whites as they battle to avoid the drop, and his goalscoring quality could make him Viduka 2.0 at Elland Road.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025