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Chelsea are thought to be leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, and a January transfer is now a possibility.

The Blues bounced back from the home defeat to Sunderland with an impressive victory on the road on Saturday, defeating London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the Premier League, with Joao Pedro scoring what proved to be the winning goal in the first half.

Enzo Maresca will no doubt be happy with the result, while the manager will also be pleased that Pedro managed to break his duck, having failed to score since the 2-0 victory against Fulham at the end of August.

BlueCo invested heavily in the frontline in the summer, with Liam Delap also arriving from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman struggled with injuries at the start of the campaign, and Maresca wasn’t impressed with his red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Maresca said: “We had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary and was absolutely deserved,

“After the first yellow card I told him [Delap] four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player who, when he’s on the pitch, is probably playing the game for himself and struggles to realise and listen to those around him.”

Chelsea in pole position to sign Aghehowa

It has now emerged that Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker, having moved into pole position in the race for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, alongside London rivals Spurs.

That is according to a report from Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness), which states the Blues are in the lead in the race for Aghehowa, with Porto now willing to sanction a departure as early as January.

Club president André Villas-Boas is prepared to cash-in for a fee of €80m (£70m), so the west Londoners will need to spend big in order to get a deal over the line.

That said, there are signs the Spaniard could be worth splashing the cash on, having maintained a fantastic record in front of goal across his opening two seasons in Portugal.

Season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2024-25

45

27

2025-26

11

9

At 21-years-old, the youngster could be capable of leading the line at a top club for over a decade, with scout Ben Mattinson of the belief he is too good to be playing in Portugal.

There are question marks over whether Aghehowa would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has Delap and Pedro at his disposal, but he would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the squad.

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Chelsea are now ready to trigger the £44m release clause to sign an “unstoppable” striker, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Blues stepping up striker pursuit despite Delap scoring first goal

The Blues upgraded their forward line considerably during the summer, bringing in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and the latter is now finally off the mark in front of goal, having scored the third in the comprehensive 3-0 victory against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Pedro has been more prolific, chipping in with four goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, and the Brazilian has also displayed his versatility by featuring at both centre-forward and in attacking midfield.

With the former Brighton man able to play in a slightly deeper role, there may be room in the squad to bring in another, more natural centre-forward in the January transfer window, and the Blues are now stepping up their pursuit of a Bundesliga star.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now ready to trigger the €50m (£44m) release clause in Serhou Guirassy’s Borussia Dortmund contract, having identified the striker as a priority target.

Manchester United are also in the race for Guirassy, who is open to a move to the Premier League, with Dortmund powerless to prevent a departure if one of the interested English clubs stumps up the requisite £44m.

The Guinean forward is enticed by the projects on offer at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, and his performances so far this season suggest he would be able to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

"Unstoppable" Guirassy tearing it up in the Bundesliga

Lauded as “unstoppable” by scout Antonio Mango, the 29-year-old has already amassed 13 goal contributions across all competitions this season, particularly catching the eye for Dortmund in the Champions League.

Serhou Guirassy’s key statistics 2025-26

Appearances

Goal contributions

Bundesliga

11

6

Champions League

5

6

DFB-Pokal

2

1

The France-born striker has averaged 0.61 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 86th percentile compared to other forwards, while he is also impressive in the air, placing in the 82nd percentile for aerials won, having averaged 3.48 per 90.

As such, the Dortmund star clearly has the talent to succeed in the Premier League, but there may be some concerns about his age, given that BlueCo are known for wanting to sign younger players, and he is set to turn 30 in March.

Chelsea considering £120m double deal to sign two players from the same club

They’ve now become ‘top targets’.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

That said, with a potential title race on the cards, Guirassy could be a real difference-maker, and £44m would be a reasonable fee, given the level of his performances so far this season.

Pundit Jamie Carragher has issued an apology to Eberechi Eze after seeing the Arsenal star bag a hat-trick for the Gunners in a 4-1 north London derby victory over Tottenham. The Liverpool legend admits he has "undervalued" the transfer and now feels the former Crystal Palace man has the ability to make a real impact for Mikel Arteta's side as they bid to land the Premier League title.

Eze steals show in north London derby win

Eze was the hero for Arsenal in a 4-1 win over Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday, scoring three times and taking home the match ball as the Gunners extended their lead at the top of the table to six points. The England international, who came close to joining Spurs in the summer before making the switch to Arsenal instead, admitted after the game it was "special" to score his first professional hat-trick as he became just the fourth player to net three times in a north London derby. His performance also ensured Carragher has been forced to change his mind about the forward after initially being sceptical of his big-money move to the Gunners from Crystal Palace.

AdvertisementCarragher apologises to Arsenal and Eze

Carragher apologised to Eze after the game and explained why he was initially unimpressed with the transfer. He told Sky Sports: "I must be honest, I think in the summer when Arsenal signed him and I had my Liverpool hat on and I looked at the signings Arsenal made and besides [Victor] Gyokeres, it felt a lot of them were to strengthen the squad really. So where Arsenal had problems the year before was when Saka was out, so they bought Madueke. Odegaard was out, they got Eze. One of the centre-backs was missing so they got another couple of centre-backs. It was only really Gyokeres you felt was going to go into the team and if I’m being honest, I think if Havertz was 100 per cent fit, Havertz would have probably been the centre-forward in this team.  

"So when Eze came in, I thought 'OK maybe it’s not a game-changer' and Les [Ferdinand] knows him a lot better than me and he still said earlier in the show that there’s still more to come. But we are still seeing some of his highlights this season, a few great goals in there and then he goes and gets a hat-trick. So, apologies. I’ve certainly undervalued the importance of that signing because he looks like he could make the real difference for Arsenal this season and going on to win the title."

Eze 'could have scored four or five'

Arsenal boss Arteta was full of praise for Eze after the win and felt his summer signing could have scored even more goals against Thomas Frank's side. He told BBC Sport: "That tells you about the difficulty and what he's done today. To be fair he could have scored four or five. He's a big player who can create magic moments which unbalance a team. We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient. Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently. We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

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Getty Images SportArsenal up against Kane and Bayern next

Arsenal and Eze will now switch focus to the Champions League and a visit from Harry Kane's Bayern Munich next. The former Tottenham man heads to the Emirates in prolific form, having scored 14 goals in just 11 Bundesliga outings and five goals in four Champions League matches for Bayern so far this season. Both teams go into the match with perfect records in the competition so far in 2025-26, meaning something will have to give at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

A little over 11 points separate first from bottom as Australia’s first-class tournament resumes after the BBL

Andrew McGlashan07-Feb-2025Points table | Leading run-scorers | Leading wicket-takers | Fixtures1. South AustraliaLeading the table, South Australia can dream of playing in their first Sheffield Shield final since 2016-17 and pushing for their first title since 1995-96.After winning two of their first three matches, SA bounced back from an innings defeat against New South Wales with a hard-fought draw against reigning champions Western Australia before one of the most thrilling wins in Sheffield Shield history when they edged Tasmania by two runs off the final ball of the game. Their penultimate-round match against Victoria shapes as potentially vital.Related

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Opening batter Henry Hunt is currently the leading run-scorer for the season with 537 including three centuries.Who will they be missing?Travis Head, Alex Carey and captain Nathan McSweeney are all in the Sri Lanka, although the latter should be available for the round seven match against Tasmania and the remainder of the season. Head and Carey will both be at the Champions Trophy and how deep Australia will progress will determine which games they may be available for in March.Carey, in theory, should make the last round and be available for any potential final but there will be interesting decision looming around Head, and others with IPL deals, as that tournament starts just before the final although a precedent was set last season when Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green were in India while WA were playing the decider. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson have been called up to Australia’s ODI squad and could both feature at the Champions Trophy before heading to the IPL.Scott Boland could add crucial firepower for Victoria after the Sri Lanka tour•Getty Images2. VictoriaSitting a little over a point behind SA, Victoria are again well-placed for a spot in the final for the third time in four years having narrowly missed out last summer.They lost out on a chance to go top when they fell to Queensland by 23 runs in the round before the BBL having overturned a deficit of 109 to beat the same opponents in Brisbane. They have three away trips in the final four rounds.Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris have led their run-scoring with over 400 runs apiece and Campbell Kellaway struck a maiden first-class century in the last round. Fergus O’Neill is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker with 22 at 19.31Who will they be missing?Scott Boland and Todd Murphy will miss this round of games but should be available after that following the Sri Lanka tour although there may be some workload management for Boland. Matt Short is part of the Champions Trophy squad so will miss at least two rounds and potentially three.Kurtis Patterson has been prolific since returning to the NSW side•Getty Images3. New South WalesHow vital will their victory over Western Australia at the SCG with minutes to spare prove? They dominated the game throughout but nearly ran out of time before Jack Edwards finished the job.NSW were declared champions in the Covid-disrupted 2019-2020 season but have not won the Shield in a full campaign since 2013-14. The game against Victoria in Sydney in round eight could be critical for them.Kurtis Patterson’s return to the side with 527 runs at 105.40 has been one of the stories of the domestic season but they will need more from the rest of the top order. Jackson Bird is equal with O’Neill with 22 wickets at 14.86 although will miss the Queensland game due to injury.Who will they be missing?Sam Konstas has been released from the Sri Lanka tour early so that he can face Queensland at the Gabba and should be available for the rest of the season in a boost to NSW’s hopes. However, Sean Abbott is still in Sri Lanka and may also be added to the Champions Trophy squad. Nathan Lyon could potentially be available after the Sri Lanka tour although he has been carrying a hip injury this season. Tanveer Sangha is currently on tour and may travel to the Champions Trophy as a reserve, which would rule him out of at least two rounds.There is a tantalizing prospect of Steven Smith being available for the last round and the final should NSW qualify. Mitchell Starc played a Shield game earlier this season but has an IPL deal, as do Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood although that duo are currently carrying injuries.Western Australia’s depth will be tested as they hunt for another final•Getty Images4. Western AustraliaThe defending champions have given themselves a bit to do if they want to make it four titles in a row after suffering two defeats in their first six matches.They had been looking good after an opening-round draw was followed by big back-to-back victories against Tasmania (who they beat in last season’s final) but Victoria toppled them in Melbourne and they were just unable to hang on in Sydney.Hilton Cartwright has led the way in the runs with 530 at 53.00 and Cameron Bancroft had managed to turn a corner with a century after a horror start to the season although was part of that awful collision in the BBL. Joel Paris has been impressive in his three outings with 15 wickets 12.80 but they may have hoped for more from Corey Rocchiccioli whose 14 wickets have come at 44.14.Who will they be missing?Marsh (back) and Jhye Richardson (shoulder) are out for the remainder of the season, Bancroft (shoulder) is still recovering from the injury sustained at the BBL and captain Sam Whiteman has a foot infection. Josh Inglis will go from Sri Lanka to the Champions Trophy while Aaron Hardie is also part of the ODI squad as is Cooper Connolly at least for the two games in Sri Lanka. There is, however, the prospect of Green being able to play as a batter in the final round.Michael Neser will hope for an injury-free end to the season•Getty Images5. QueenslandQueensland kept their season afloat with the 23-run victory over Victoria at the MCG but there remains a significant gap to make up to reach the top two.They had the better of a draw against NSW in Sydney where they weren’t helped by the weather but were on the back foot against Tasmania after being made to follow-on. They have two home games during February before finishing on the road in March.Angus Lovell has impressed since coming into the side but so far only Ben McDermott has scored over 400 runs. Quick bowler Tom Whitney has started with 10 wickets in his first two Shield matches and a fit-again Michael Neser will be a big boost.Who will they be missing?Marnus Labuschagne is in Sri Lanka and then part of the Champions Trophy group but, given his hunger for batting, it would not be a surprise if he is available after that even if Queensland aren’t in the mix for the final. In theory, Usman Khawaja will be available after the Sri Lanka tour although he has managed his workload in recent seasons.Finalists last year, Tasmania are currently bottom but Tim Ward has impressed•Getty Images6. TasmaniaThree defeats, including the last-ball meltdown against South Australia, and just one win in six leaves Tasmania at the foot of the table the season after they reached the final last summer.Back-to-back defeats against Western Australia hurt them early in the season but they played superbly to beat NSW in Sydney with only 13 minutes remaining on the final day. In their favour for the latter part of the summer is that they have three home games out of four.Jake Weatherald is the leading run-scorer with 424 at 42.40 while Tim Ward is averaging 77.60 from three matches. Matt Kuhnemann stands as their leading wicket-taker while Riley Meredith’s 15 wickets have come at 20.00.Who will they be missing?Kuhnemann and Beau Webster are part of the Test squad in Sri Lanka but both should be available for round seven onwards unless Webster is a late addition for the Champions Trophy. Nathan Ellis hasn’t played a first-class game since 2023 so isn’t part of Tasmania’s red-ball plans. BBL breakout star Mitch Owen will miss this round as he’s at the SA20.

We count down the best female players of the last 25 years

27-Sep-20241:21

Nat Sciver-Brunt builds her ultimate cricketer

Everyone loves a ranking list, right? Following on from our colleagues in ESPN, who have been running lists of the top athletes of the century on their platforms, we thought the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup was a good time to look back over the 21st century so far and select the top 25 female cricketers.Will the player you expect to finish No. 1 finish here? Will a player be ranked too high? Will your favourite player be ranked too low or not make the list (sorry if that’s the case). Here are the final five.A group of ESPNcricinfo writers came up with a longlist of 50 names, which were then put into a voting system that played off pairs against each other. Once that was completed, a smaller group then assessed the list for anomalies or glaring omissions.Here are Nos. 25-16 and 15-6</a.Note: only achievements posted after January 1, 2000 are taken into consideration, even if the athlete’s career ran either side of the millenniumStats for 2000 and beyond
Test batting | Test bowling | ODI batting | ODI bowling | T20I batting | T20I bowling | All T20 batting | All T20 bowling

5: Jhulan Goswami (India)

Jhulan Goswami walks out to a guard of honour from her team-mates at Lord’s•ECB/Getty ImagesGoswami’s rise and the way she made a place for herself at the very top of the women’s game is a celebration of the potential that lies in India’s small towns and villages. Her two-decade long career was studded with several milestones, none bigger than her record for most ODI wickets. In 2017, she was part of a team that nearly brought home India’s first world title.Until her retirement, which fittingly came at Lord’s, also the scene of her (and India’s) biggest heartbreak, her career was marked by deep commitment, an abiding quest for perfection, and a willingness to fight the odds. She prevailed over injuries to her back, heel, shoulder, ankle and knees.Goswami was among the quickest bowlers on the women’s circuit. Her height allowed her to extract steep bounce, and her ability to nip the ball off the seam, alongside her unerring accuracy made for a potent combination. Ask Meg Lanning, to whom she bowled arguably the women’s cricket version of Shane Warne’s “ball of the century” to Mike Gatting’, at the World Cup semi-final.In her post-retirement career, Goswami is actively involved in coaching, at the grassroots in Bengal, and as bowling coach for inaugural Women’s Premier League champions Mumbai Indians.

4: Alyssa Healy (Australia)

Alyssa Healy has often been at her best in World Cups•Getty ImagesBig players, they say, own big moments, and that makes Healy – ironically nicknamed Midge – a giant of the game. Her 170 in the final of the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup set Australia up for their seventh title in the 50-over format, and underlined their status as pace-setters of the sport. Healy was the leading run-scorer at the event and her 509 runs were also the most by a batter in any single edition of the tournament.Healy has been part of two ODI World Cup-winning teams and six T20 World Cup champion sides, and has been a major contributor in those wins. She was the leading run-scorer at the 2018 T20 World Cup, the second-highest at the 2020 tournament and the fourth-highest in 2023.Her unbeaten 148 against Sri Lanka in 2019 was the second-fastest century in women’s T20Is, and at the time, the highest score in the format. Healy’s ability to take the game away at clutch moments was best demonstrated against India in the 2020 T20 World Cup, in front of more than 86,000 people, where she struck 75 off 39 balls to all but decide the title. The move to permanently opening in ODIs in 2017 was a gamechanger for her: from that point on Healy has averaged 44.92 with a strike-rate of 99.25.Healy won the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year title in 2018 and 2019. She is one of six Australians to have scored more than 3000 ODI runs and is the second-highest run-scorer for them in T20Is. She also is their most-capped T20I player and has the most catches in women’s T20Is: 61. She was named Australia’s all-format captain in December 2023, replacing the retired Meg Lanning, having led them to Ashes retention earlier that year.Perhaps the only thing missing from her CV is a Test hundred, but she has come as close as it gets, with 99 in her last outing, against South Africa.

3: Meg Lanning (Australia)

Meg Lanning’s trademark•Getty ImagesNothing about Lanning, a non-muscular, 5’6″ tall slim-built woman resembles a butcher. Except when she plays the cut shot to pierce the smallest gaps at backward point.Lanning had an incredible international career, spanning over a decade, in which she scored a plethora of runs and rewrote captaincy records. Thrust into the top job at 21, she led Australia to one ODI World Cup and four T20 World Cup titles during her ten-year tenure. Australia won a record 24 consecutive ODIs under Lanning’s captaincy, the longest winning streak for a captain across genders in the format. She grew in her role as captain and formed a potent combination with head coach Matthew Mott, making Australia the world-beaters they became after the disappointment of the 2017 ODI World Cup.Apart from the raw numbers, Lanning’s ability to step up in key moments and deliver notable performances made her stand out. Her stunning 152 not out in the 2017 ODI World Cup against Sri Lanka in a tall chase was an example. Or her unbeaten 133 in a T20I during the Women’s Ashes of 2019. Her ability to drag the team through to winning positions from tight corners calmly was remarkable; her consistency while doing it made her achievements all the more incredible.Lanning’s retirement last November was something of a shock; at only 31, there was a feeling she had a lot more to give at the top level. But perhaps it speaks of the demands placed on her in a decade where the women’s game grew exponentially. Opportunities on the T20 league circuit mean the world will get to see moer of Lanning, even if it is not in the familiar Australian yellow.

2: Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)

Nat Sciver-Brunt has developed into one of the game’s leading players•ICC via Getty ImagesSciver-Brunt’s value to any team she plays in is there for all to see. England’s win percentage in T20Is when she is playing is 75.21% compared to 58.82% when she isn’t in the side. In ODIs it’s 74.47% when she’s playing versus 46.25% when she’s not.But it is useful to look beyond numbers to gauge her influence on England. Team-mates have repeatedly spoken of the calm, quiet, lead-by-example impact she has as a player, vice-captain, and at times stand-in captain.It’s also worth taking a qualitative approach over a purely quantitative one when considering her on-field performances. Twin unbeaten centuries in what turned out to be futile chases against the Australians at the last 50-over World Cup, including in the final, and two more hundreds on the ODI leg of the 2023 Ashes for one defeat and one series-levelling win show what she can do when the stakes are highest.England faced a stretch of time without her, when she took a mental-health break in 2022, which helped pave the way for other players to feel comfortable saying they need to take time out – relevant amid the rapid growth of women’s franchise cricket.Sciver-Brunt was Player of the Match when her Mumbai Indians side won the inaugural WPL last year, and she was the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer and eighth-highest wicket-taker, having drawn the joint-highest bid for an overseas player in the auction. She also topped the run charts in the 2024 Women’s Hundred.Sciver-Brunt missed the start of England’s home summer in 2024 after undergoing an egg-freezing procedure but ended Pakistan’s visit by scoring another unbeaten ODI century and taking 2 for 11 from five overs; she was making her bowling comeback after a long-term knee injury. Sciver-Brunt’s candour about her brief absence and her return to prominence afterwards can surely open another door for women and highlight her trailblazer status in the game.

1: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

There isn’t much that Ellyse Perry hasn’t achieved in the game•Getty ImagesPerry is the complete cricketer. She was Australia’s youngest international at 16, and having begun with bowling as her primary weapon, developed into one of the game’s greatest allrounders. Her landmarks include a Test double-century and Australia’s best ODI bowling figures, 7 for 22. It was after that haul during the 2019 multi-format Ashes that former England captain Charlotte Edwards hailed her as “the greatest female player we’re ever going to see”. Early the following year she was named the ICC’s Women’s Cricketer of the Decade.Perry’s career is rife with numerous highlights and match-winning displays. They include a nerveless 3 for 18 in the 2010 T20 World Cup final, where she intercepted the final delivery with a right boot, serving as a reminder of her dual-international status: she scored at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Then there was an injury-defying performance in the 2013 ODI World Cup final, with 3 for 19 against West Indies.One of her most iconic moments was the double-hundred against England in 2017, her first hundred in international cricket. Two years earlier she had taken nine wickets in the Ashes Test, including 6 for 32 in the second innings. Perry’s Ashes Test batting average is 67.25 and bowling average 19.11.There was agony in 2020 when a severe hamstring injury ended her T20 World Cup on home soil, but she fought her way back, and having lost her place in Australia’s T20I, side she quashed talk about whether the format was moving ahead of her by bringing a new level to her batting. If someone does eventually challenge Edwards’ claim about Perry, she will be a remarkable player. ESPNcricinfo’s top 25 women cricketer’s of the 21st century: Nos. 1-5 | 6-15 | 16-25

Death-overs menace, middle-order rock, and a champion in crisis, the Australia allrounder has enjoyed a defining World Cup

S Sudarshanan29-Oct-2025No one at Women’s World Cup 2025 has taken more wickets in the last 10 overs than Annabel Sutherland. She has nine of them, nearly twice as many as the next-most-prolific bowler in this phase, Deepti Sharma (5).The bulk of Sutherland’s death-overs wickets have come courtesy one of the most deceptive weapons in the women’s game, her deadly back-of-the-hand slower ball. Even set batters have struggled to read it. Take for example Sophie Devine, who had scored a fine century in New Zealand’s run-chase against Australia in Indore. Looking to heave Sutherland over the leg side, Devine was far too early into her shot, the ball beating her for lack of pace to hit middle stump.Related

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“I know my game pretty well and can read the batter,” Sutherland tells ESPNcricinfo in Navi Mumbai, on the eve of Thursday’s semi-final against India.”It’s a bit of cat and mouse, trying to disrupt the batter’s swing as much as possible and make it really hard for them to get a read on what I’m going to be delivering. It is more about game awareness and trying to just disrupt the batter’s swing. That’s the main part of it.”You could see this happen in Visakhapatnam, where Sutherland’s slower ball made Jemimah Rodrigues lose her shape and spoon a catch to mid-off just when India seemed set for a final-overs explosion.And two other things make Sutherland’s slower ball especially tricky to handle. One, her pace-on delivery is a weapon too; not too long before she dismissed Richa Ghosh and Rodrigues with the slower one, she had prised out Pratika Rawal with a sharp bouncer that cramped the well-set opener for room and got her hooking straight to long leg.And the change-up, when she does bowl it, comes with little to no change in Sutherland’s bowling action.”It sort of comes pretty natural to me,” she says. “[I am] pretty lucky that I’ve got enough mobility to be able to get my arm around and, sort of, bowl it right at the back. I’ve been bowling it for a number of years now, so it comes pretty naturally, which is nice.”Sutherland’s unbeaten 98 against England was one of the innings of the tournament•Getty ImagesSutherland’s five-wicket-haul in Visakhapatnam was a major factor in Australia hauling India back; they only scored 43 runs in their last seven overs, ensuring Australia had to chase 331 rather than something truly gargantuan.And she had made an impact before the death overs too, with a first spell of four overs that cost just 16, and a second of three overs for eight, including the wicket of Rawal in the 31st over. Here, the key weapon was Sutherland’s control of length.”It’s more of a feel thing, to be honest, and it’s your responsibility as a bowler to work out what’s working, what the conditions are, trying to assess really quickly,” Sutherland says about finding the right lengths. “It’s different in every game. Bowlers in ODIs that can really settle in early on the right areas are the ones that are successful consistently. It’s something we’ve spoken about as a team and really trying to hone in on that length. That’s my strength as a bowler and then I’ve got variations to mix in with that.”Sutherland would already be having a spectacular World Cup if all she’d done so far was take 15 wickets at 13.33, putting her second on the wicket-takers’ chart. But she’s also played one of the innings of the tournament, against England in Indore.In that match, Australia were 68 for 4 in a chase of 245. The seamers had found movement with the new ball. The spinners were getting the ball to hold on the surface. Sutherland was unfazed, stitching an unbroken 180-run partnership with Ashleigh Gardner, and finished 98 not out as Australia romped home with nearly 10 overs to spare.’At the end of the day, I’m a competitor and I just really enjoy getting out there and playing a role, whatever that looks like on the day’•Getty Images”Those big moments are why you do all the work and all the training, long pre-seasons, and put in the hours really to try and be best prepared to be able to stand up in the big moments,” Sutherland says. “I certainly put a lot of time and effort into my preparation whether it’s planning with a bit of tactical stuff or your mental mental skills and your physical prep as well.”At the end of the day, I’m a competitor and I just really enjoy getting out there and playing a role, whatever that looks like on the day and putting my hand up for the team, whether it’s with the bat or ball. I really enjoy the moments under pressure as well.”Sutherland is no stranger to India. She has toured the country for international series at the turn of 2023-24 and just before this World Cup. She has been a constant in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) set-up in the WPL. She was a vital cog in their reaching the final of WPL 2025; only Jess Jonassen (13) and Shikha Pandey (11) took more wickets than Sutherland’s nine for DC. Exchanging notes with the likes of Ellyse Perry in the Australia dugout and Marizanne Kapp at DC have also helped round out her skills and awareness.”One of the things I pride myself on is always trying to find ways to get better and learn,” Sutherland says. “Whether that’s leaning on different coaches or players in franchise cricket that you get the chance to play alongside or in different conditions. All those different experiences really add to your game.”Australia go into Thursday’s semi-final on a run of 15 straight wins in ODI World Cups. Their line-up is full of multiple World Cup winners, and Sutherland has one in her bank too, but there’s one thing she hasn’t done yet. She played six matches in the 2022 edition but wasn’t a certainty in Australia’s XI, and when Perry returned for the final after missing the semi-final win over West Indies with back spasms, it was Sutherland who made way.Sutherland will be determined to make up for that now, but there’s one other hurdle to cross first. India, watch out.

The Mets ended their losing streak in fashion on Tuesday night, beating the Braves 13–5. New York came into the game having lost 11 of their last 12 and broke out with six home runs, including two from Pete Alonso as he became the franchise's all-time leader in the category.

The Mets hit so many home runs that the crew at Citi Field didn't have enough fireworks to celebrate them all properly. By the time Brett Baty hit the team's sixth homer of the game to tie the franchise record for home runs in a home game, the Home Run Apple appeared too tired to rise.

If only Baty had waited a couple pitches so the apple could catch its breath. Things got so bad that Citi Field had to put an announcement on the scoreboard apologizing for running out of fireworks.

In addition to Alonso and Baty, Francisco Alvarez added two of his own and Brandon Nimmo hit the other home run.

The Mets record for home runs in a game remains eight.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking at signing a Manchester City player in the January transfer window, it has been revealed.

Edwards calls Wolves return a “dream”

Rob Edwards’ return to Molineux as Wolves manager was sealed during the international break, with the 42-year-old costing around £3m in compensation from Championship side Middlesbrough.

The former Old Gold defender, coach and interim head coach has signed a deal in the Midlands until 2029 and is now preparing his side for a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Talking to Wolves’ official media, Edwards revealed that a return is a “dream” and that he is “ready” to try and take the club off the bottom of the table.

“It means a lot. This club’s really special. It’s special anyway, but it’s special to me because it’s where I’ve spent most of my professional career and where I played most of my football.

“Then to have done a lot of the roles that I’ve done, I’ve got to be honest, this job was always my aim. This is the dream.

“I know the situation that we’re in right now, but this is just something that I’ve always wanted, and I’m ready for it. I’m ready for the challenge, I’m up for it, and it’s been great getting around everybody, seeing so many faces that I know, and new faces as well.

“The staff are all up for it and we’ll meet the players next week when everyone arrives back, and I know the lads will be as well.”

To help Wolves try and avoid the drop, Fosun are ready to back Edwards in the January transfer window with the necessary funds to make new signings.

Now, another transfer target has emerged for those in the Midlands.

Wolves looking to sign Kalvin Phillips from Man City

According to Football Insider, Wolves have set their sights on signing Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

It is claimed that Wolves ‘will explore both loan and permanent deals’, with Edwards ‘eager to add some top-flight nous to his ranks’.

Phillips, on £150,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium, looks set to leave Pep Guardiola’s side in the New Year after failing to get a move away in the summer.

He has been called a “monster” in the past and has the experience of a relegation battle with Leeds United, avoiding the drop with the Whites in the 2021/22 season before earning his move to Manchester.

However, nearly four years on, the England international could be set for a permanent return to a side battling at the bottom, rivalling the likes of Andre, Joao Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Marshall Munetsi for a starting role in Edwards’ side.

Wolves offer for "world-class" Real Madrid player, want deal done quickly

Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, viewing him as an ideal fit in Thomas Frank’s system.

Frank has set out to improve Tottenham’s defence since succeeding Ange Postecoglou as manager in the summer, with Gary Neville claiming they have made improvements at the back after the recent 3-0 victory against Everton.

Neville said: “They did things certainly last season they weren’t capable of doing, and that’s being reliable when they’re not playing well.

“Can they withstand pressure? Can they soak up teams putting balls into their box? They did that today. I think they defended really well.”

Spurs are faring much better than last season in the Premier League, despite the 1-0 loss against Chelsea on Saturday, having taken 17 points from their opening 10 games, and Micky van de Ven has caught the eye, scoring a brace against Everton.

However, Van de Ven is now attracting attention from elsewhere, which could pose a problem for the north Londoners, who have set a minimum asking price of £88m amid interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Tottenham closely monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite

With their captain being linked to other clubs, Tottenham are now looking to sign a new centre-back, and a report from Caught Offside has revealed they are closely monitoring Branthwaite, viewing the defender as an ideal fit in Frank’s system.

The Toffees are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but they have set an asking price of £70m, which means a deal could be possible if Spurs are willing to break their existing transfer record.

The 23-year-old, who remains under contract until 2030, is happy at Everton for the time being and not pushing for an exit, but interest is growing, with Manchester United also in the race for his signature.

Injuries have hampered the Englishman as of late, meaning he is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League this season, but he has certainly caught the eye in the past, notably putting in a top performance against Spurs in 2024.

The Carlisle-born defender is now very experienced in the Premier League, having made 75 top-flight performances, and he averaged a 7.02 SofaScore match rating last term, the fifth-highest of any Everton player to feature in at least 50% of their matches.

Branthwaite is at a good age to be a long-term success at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium, but £70m would be a lot to spend on a player who hasn’t proven himself at the highest level, with the centre-back yet to play for England or in the Champions League.

What Thomas Frank said after snub from van de Ven and Spence

What Frank said on snub from van de Ven and Spence after Tottenham loss

It was an evening to forget for Spurs.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 2, 2025

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Os torcedores do Botafogo que estavam presentes no Estádio Metropolitano, na Colômbia, foram retirados do estádio 15 minutos antes do término do confronto contra o Junior Barranquila, na Fase de Grupos da Libertadores, pela polícia local.

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”O Botafogo vai relatar à CONMEBOL o tratamento imposto aos seus torcedores por parte da Polícia de Barranquilla, que os retirou do estádio cerca de 15 minutos antes do término da partida. O Clube aguarda providências e lamenta o desrespeito. O Botafogo agradece a cada um dos alvinegros que estiveram presentes na Colômbia”, diz o comunicado divulgado pelo Botafogo.

Artur Jorge lamentou o ocorrido, em coletiva de imprensa.

”Fico desiludido pelo o que os torcedores passaram aqui na arquibancada e tiveram que abandonar o jogo faltando 15 minutos, quando era o momento que precisávamos deles. Foram exemplares hoje. Poderiam ter sido importantes para a parte final da partida”, disse o treinador.

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