Senne Lammens has been hailed as a "massive upgrade" on Andre Onana after a "dominant" start to his Manchester United career. The Belgian was brought in from Royal Antwerp over the summer and has since made the No.1 shirt his own, with the error-prone Onana shipped off on loan to Trabzonspor after losing the faith of head coach Ruben Amorim.
Who are the players unavailable? And what have been the key takeaways?
Hemant Brar28-May-20253:45
Moody: ‘A clear gap’ in GT’s middle order
Royal Challengers BengaluruPlayers unavailable for playoffs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Lungi NgidiReplacements: Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Blessing MuzarabaniKey takeaway: Tim David sat out of RCB’s last league game with a hamstring injury and remains “a work in progress”, according to team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik. Among those who have scored at least 100 runs this season, David has the sixth-highest strike rate (185.14). If he stays unavailable, it will rob RCB of the lower-middle-order firepower. Can Liam Livingstone, who has a strike rate of 126.08 this season, up his game in David’s absence?On the bright side, Josh Hazlewood is likely to be available for Qualifier 1. He has been outstanding both in the powerplay and at the death. RCB’s flawless away record this season – seven wins in seven matches – should also boost their confidence.Related
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Likely best XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Tim David/Liam Livingstone, 8 Romario Shephard, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash SharmaGujarat TitansPlayers unavailable for playoffs: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Glenn PhillipsReplacements: Kusal Mendis, Dasun ShanakaKey takeaway: Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have scored almost 73% of GT’s bat runs. Therefore, Buttler’s unavailability leaves a massive hole for Kusal Mendis to fill. Another concern for GT is Rashid Khan’s form. No matter what parameter you look at – average, strike rate or economy – he is having his worst IPL season. In 14 games, he has picked up just nine wickets at an economy rate of 9.47. He has been hit for 31 sixes, the joint-most for any bowler in an IPL season.Likely best XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh KrishnaPunjab Kings sealed their top-two spot with a win against MI•Associated PressPunjab KingsPlayers unavailable for playoffs: Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie FergusonReplacements: Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell OwenKey takeaway: PBKS’ biggest strength this season has been their Indian core, be it in the batting department or bowling. That said, Marco Jansen’s absence will take away some sting from their bowling and lower-order batting. Can Kyle Jamieson step into those shoes? Yuzvendra Chahal missed the last two league games because of an issue with his right wrist but he is expected to be available for the playoffs.Likely best XII: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra ChahalMumbai IndiansPlayers unavailable for playoffs: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, Vignesh PuthurReplacements: Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, Richard Gleeson, Raghu SharmaKey takeaway: Despite losing two of their last three games, MI remain a formidable unit. Moreover, Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks’ unavailability should not affect them much. Jonny Bairstow can replace Rickelton at the top of the order and behind the stumps. To cover up for Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav can move up to No. 3 and one of Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs can slot in the middle order. Asalanka can also chip in with his offspin if required.Likely best XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Karn Sharma
Explosive TNPL batter eyes IPL breakthrough with fearless batting and consistency
Deivarayan Muthu16-Aug-2025He has been dominating bowlers, including Varun Chakravarthy and R Ashwin, with his explosive batting over the past two seasons of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). Apart from opening the batting, he can also keep wicket, which makes him an exciting package, especially in T20 cricket. He has also had a brief stint with Tamil Nadu’s white-ball sides and emerged on the IPL’s radar.Meet Tushar Raheja, who has earned the sobriquet ‘Rocket Raheja’ in the TNPL circles. An aggressive left-hand batter, Raheja has a wide variety of shots in his repertoire. The 24-year-old has always been proficient against pace and in TNPL 2025 he levelled up, disrupting both Varun and Ashwin during Tiruppur Tamizhans’ run to their maiden title. His franchise and state captain R Sai Kishore was so impressed with Raheja’s takedown of spin that he came out publicly and said the wicketkeeper-batter was ready for the IPL.Raheja had attended multiple trials before and during IPL 2025, including a mid-season one, but couldn’t break into the big league. He’s taken feedback and learnings from those trials and has strengthened his case for the upcoming auction with a chart-topping 488 runs in nine innings at an average of 61 and strike rate of 185.55, including 77 in the final against Ashwin’s Dindigul Dragons.”I thought I did well at the Delhi trials and then I was called again during the tournament as well,” Raheja recalls, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “That was again a good experience and that helped me evolve as well. I was amongst people who got picked in this year’s IPL like Priyansh Arya. After the auction, I tried to compare myself to them in terms of seeing what they are doing right and what I’m not.”Seeing them at trials, going back and seeing their videos and seeing them in the IPL – that gave me a lot of learning. Being amongst Hemang Badani, Rahul Dravid and other Indian cricketers gives you a lot of confidence, which I’ve tried to carry into this season.”Tushar Raheja emerged as the player of the tournament in TNPL 2025•TNPL/TNCARaheja has IPL ambitions, but he doesn’t want to look too far ahead. “I would like to focus on the Syed Mushtaq Ali [tournament], which would take me a step closer,” Raheja says. “I’m trying not to think about it but obviously, it’s human tendency again to start thinking about it. I will be lying if I say I’ve not thought about it.”When he was younger, Raheja admits to being carried away by the “adrenaline rush” but now he’s learnt to control his emotions and thoughts with help from Raymun Roy, a mental conditioning coach, who has also worked with India internationals Washington Sundar and B Sai Sudharsan.”Roy has played a big role in this aspect, where basically you are controlling your heartbeat,” Raheja says. “Like, when you are playing a match or when you are under pressure, what brings a lot of thoughts is your heartbeat and at the time, your mind will be running fast. So, I’ve tried to keep that in check and not have too many thoughts.”We do a lot of quantum breathing exercises off the field and some of these are simple exercises that I can do while batting also. So, even when I’m batting in between balls, there are a lot of small exercises that I do, which help me not think, if that makes sense.”
“From last year or even the year before that, after the powerplay, I was slowing down. Most of the time, it is spinners bowling to you after the powerplay. So, I did a lot of drills against spin, getting my bat swing a lot better against spin and trying to pick length a lot better.”Tushar Raheja
Raheja has also expanded his range, and he credits his personal coach TV Ramkumar for it. While the slog-sweep comes naturally to him, he had to spend more time on hitting straight during the off-season in the lead-up to the TNPL.”What I have put in a lot of work into is hitting straight, hitting over covers and mainly hitting straight,” Raheja says, “because if you are able to hit straight, the other things will come with your bat swing. But the hardest thing to do is hit a bowler, especially a spinner, straight. I’m looking to hit them straight on the ground, over long-off and long-on.Related
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“I’ve been training with Mr. Ramkumar for three years now and I’ve understood my game because of him. I feel from last year, every time after the powerplay or even the year before that, after the powerplay, I was slowing down. So, I tried to put in a lot of thought into how I can keep that momentum going. Most of the time, it’s spinners bowling to you after the powerplay. So, I did a lot of drills against spin, getting my bat swing a lot better against spin and trying to pick length a lot better.”When he was six years old, Raheja had enrolled himself into a tennis academy but switched to cricket after watching MS Dhoni lead India to T20 World Cup glory in 2007. Raheja idolises Dhoni and also has fond memories of watching Matthew Hayden bashing bowlers in the IPL at Chepauk. It may not be too long before Raheja himself breaks into the IPL.”I was always a fan of Dhoni,” Raheja says. “When Matthew Hayden used to play for CSK, I used to go to Chepauk to watch a lot of matches. So, I was fascinated by the way he took down fast bowlers. I was also fascinated by Yuvraj Singh but I’ve always idolised Dhoni mainly.”Tushar Raheja asked coach RX Murali to make him open the batting and since then has transformed himself into an intent machine•TNPL/TNCARaheja didn’t start as an opener at Tiruppur but was promoted to the top after coach RX Murali (also the batting coach of RCB Women) saw a spark in him during a practice game. He has since transformed himself into an intent machine.”I was batting in the middle order in the TNPL for a couple of seasons,” Raheja says. “I used to ask him: ‘Sir, give me a shot at opening’. He then gave me an opportunity and he really liked my attacking intent. He has worked with some of the top cricketers in the country. His inputs have been valuable, and it helps working with someone who has so much T20 experience.”While white-ball cricket is his calling card right now, Raheja doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed as a white-ball specialist. He has dreams of representing Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy after playing eight white-ball games for them last season.With Sai Sudharsan likely to be on India or India A duty during this season, Raheja has a chance to stake his claim for a red-ball slot in the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament, which will kick off on August 18 in Chennai. Raheja and TNCA XI will run into a Mumbai side featuring Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.”I wish to do a lot better in the red-ball format than I’m [doing] right now,” Raheja says. “I am working hard on my red-ball game as well. I don’t want to be just branded as a white-ball only player. I know I have the game for the red-ball format as well.”I have a lot more work to do, which I am working on in that format. But those ambitions are definitely there, and I want to break into the Ranji side as well. But that will come with more performances in the [first division] league and the Buchi Babu, which is coming up. I’m excited to express myself there.”A big domestic season could propel ‘Rocket Raheja’ into Tamil Nadu’s batting core and the IPL.
Two old pros putting on a show in Kolkata or one young gun taking on all comers in Chattogram? Which was better?
ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Kolkata Test moves to the round of 16.The Dravid-Laxman El Clasico – Kolkata, 2001If someone came up with a script for this kind of a match before it unfolded in reality, it would have probably been rejected for being too unrealistic and its factors too exaggerated.A Test hat-trick against the world’s top side at the age of 20. A follow-on enforced. A historic partnership to turn the tables. A record individual score by an Indian. And a thrilling end in front of a near packed stadium to level the series and end Australia’s long-standing winning streak of 16 games.But all of it did transpire. After Harbhajan Singh dented Australia with a hat-trick on the first day, Steve Waugh scored his maiden Test century on Indian soil to lead his team to a strong 445. In reply, India were bundled out for 171 and asked to follow-on.They were then 232 for 4 – still 42 behind – when VVS Laxman was joined by Rahul Dravid and the two of them played out the entire fourth day with strips of towel around their neck to beat the heat, humidity, dehydration and discomfort with regular treatment from the physio in all session breaks. They saw off nine bowlers with two chanceless knocks that were instantly stamped into the game’s history. Laxman’s 281 lasted ten-and-a half-hours, Dravid’s 180, nearly seven and a half. They helped India set Australia a target of 384. The visitors succumbed under pressure on the last day against India’s spinners as Harbhajan finished with a tally of 13 for 196.Mayers turns tables on Test debut – Chattogram, 2021Trailing by 171 runs in the first innings, batting last in Asia against four Bangladesh spinners, chasing nearly 400 when anything over 200 was preposterous, and doing it all with three debutants in the side. An inexperienced West indies batting line-up defied the odds, with debutant Kyle Mayers’ bringing up a double-century, to bat for the last four sessions of the game in a successful pursuit of 395 runs with three wickets still in hand. Mayers unbeaten on 210.The match in Chattogram started and ended well for West Indies but there were many twists and turns in between. Four wickets from Jomel Warrican had reduced Bangladesh to 248 for 6 before Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the hosts to 430 with his maiden Test hundred. Mehidy continued to shine, claiming 4 for 58 to help restrict West Indies to 259 before Mominul Haque led them to 223 for 8 declared not long before tea on the fourth dayBangladesh were the hot favourites having set West Indies a target of 395, more so when the visitors lost their top three – to Mehidy – for 59 runs, including captain Kraigg Brathwaite. Nkrumah Bonner and Mayers came together with the ball turning and bouncing nicely, and Mayers even got a life on 28 before it was stumps. The last day was nothing less than a miracle.Bonner and Mayers hung on for two wicketless sessions in a fourth-wicket partnership of 216. But the match turned again as Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood fell in quick succession. West Indies responded with a counterattack. Mayers was at his striking best in the last hour, scoring 49 of the remaining 61 runs in just 40 balls, and 80 in a century stand with Joshua Da Silva. He struck 20 fours, seven sixes and the winning runs with 15 balls left in the game to become the sixth batter to bring up a double-century on Test debut and pull off the fifth-highest successful chase in Tests.
Nikesh Arora believes tech consortium can help Hundred become “multi-billion dollar product”
Matt Roller07-Aug-2025The head of the Silicon Valley technology consortium that bid £144 million (US$193 million approx.) for a 49% stake in London Spirit in January believes that the Hundred can become “a multi-billion dollar product” to rival the IPL.Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, leads Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known as the ‘Tech Titans’ – and is a newly-appointed board member at Spirit after they completed their lucrative deal for a minority stake. They will run the franchise as a joint venture with MCC, who hosted the consortium at Lord’s this week.The consortium has grown in number since seeing off significant competition from Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group in a virtual auction earlier this year, with Arora estimating that 15 of its members were at Lord’s to watch the Hundred’s opening match day – which saw Spirit’s women beat Oval Invincibles, but the men’s team bowled out for 80.Related
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They met Justin Langer and Kane Williamson at a training session on Monday, and dined in the pavilion that evening before lining a hospitality suite in the Edrich Stand on Tuesday. The CEOs of Adobe, Google and YouTube are all involved; Satyan Gajwani, the vice-chairman of Times Internet, suggested that not even the World Economic Forum could bring them all together.Arora and Gajwani walked across the outfield and posed by the pitch after Tuesday night’s games, a display of power which laid bare the new era that awaits English cricket. “This is a way to get involved with one of the most storied and hallowed grounds in the world,” Arora said at Lord’s, while watching his new team for the first time. “It’s like bringing our passions to our work.”We’ve never had buyer’s remorse. We’ve never been stressed about what we paid. I have more people who want to be part of the consortium now than I had before I made the investment, so it’s not a problem. Many of them are here; they flew from the US to come watch it. This is a passion for every one of us… It’s going to be fun.”Chair Mark Nicholas has promised MCC members a “major relaunch” of the franchise once the joint venture assumes operational control from the ECB on October 1. The London Spirit name is expected to remain for the time being but new sponsors and new kits have been lined up, potentially incorporating egg-and-bacon trim or piping as a nod to the club’s famous colours.Justin Langer, David Warner and Kane Williamson arrive before the game•Getty ImagesThe eight Hundred franchises were sold at a combined valuation of around £975 million ($1.3 billion approx.) earlier this year. Six deals have now been signed off, with Cain International and Reliance Industries expected to complete their purchases of stakes in Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles respectively after the 2025 season is complete.Arora believes that the arrival of eight new investors simultaneously can “optimise” the Hundred and turn it into a “product” that rivals the most lucrative league in the world: “The IPL started from nowhere, and became a multi-billion dollar product. Why couldn’t this be that product? It’s not just us, there are eight new shareholders, give or take, across eight new franchises.”They all have successful businesses or cricket operations somewhere in the world. If that energy, that passion, that creativity, that innovation is brought to this, imagine what they could do? The ECB incubated it, which is great. But I’m sure there are ways to optimise things a bit better. I don’t think the Hundred is a bad product… It’s about creating the excitement around it.”
Spent an incredible few days with the London Spirit ownership group at @HomeOfCricket. It's an unparalleled group that's going to take London Spirit to greater heights in @thehundred pic.twitter.com/PCfvvpZ8Hn
— Satyan Gajwani (@satyan) August 6, 2025
Gajwani, a co-founder of Major League Cricket, agrees. “Bringing in stakeholders beyond governing bodies has almost always improved products,” he said. “You’ve got eight best-in-class investors, operators; people who understand business, consumer, sport, globally, locally. You’ve got all of it in terms of the membership that’s going to be on the board of the Hundred.”Relative to almost every other sport, cricket has less private power… The NBA is run privately, the NFL is privately, La Liga, EPL (English Premier League football) are private. Generally, the influx of diverse views, different stakeholders, these are things that will bring innovation in its own form.”Gajwani believes that the Hundred’s “core” audience will always be based in the UK, rather than overseas: “It starts with a strong domestic product.” But Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, said last week that it is “a matter of time” before India men’s players feature in the Hundred, a change which would create a significant spike in the value of overseas broadcast rights.”It’s a question for some of the people in the BCCI, and maybe the ICC,” Gajwani said. “But as these leagues outside of the IPL become interesting, more meaningful and more substantial, I can tell you personally, there are a number of players in India that are super excited about the idea of playing out here. The economics, commercials, contracts and all that stuff is complicated.”Nikesh Arora heads the ‘Tech Titans’ consortium that has bought a 49% stake in London Spirit•Robert Perry/PA Images via Getty ImagesThe Tech Titans only hold three out of seven director seats on Spirit’s new board: Arora, Gajwani and Egon Durban (co-CEO of private equity fund Silver Lake) will join Robert Lawson (MCC chief executive), Julian Metherell (incoming committee member), Eoin Morgan (incoming chair of cricket) and one other MCC nominee, with Metherell acting as chair.Arora emphasised his consortium’s status as minority partners: “They [MCC] are 51% shareholders. We let them take the lead, which is good. They understand their cricket, they understand the stadium, they understand the locals. From our perspective, we bring a) passion, for sure; and b) knowledge and experience.”Arora and Gajwani followed India’s last-gasp win over England at The Oval remotely on Monday, and both describe themselves as genuine cricket fans. “I would have been the first to say everything’s moving this way [towards short-form cricket],” Gajwani said. “But the last month has shown how much frickin’ energy there can be behind Tests.Eoin Morgan is a director on London Spirit’s new board•Getty Images”Cricket has this interesting tension between history and future, probably more than other sports… They are different audiences. You look around here, I’d say the average age is younger, more family-oriented, more female. Test cricket is probably more of a classical and more traditional crowd overall, but they both have their place.”And Arora insists that his consortium’s investment in the Hundred is nothing to fear for traditionalists who have no interest in the shorter formats. “Don’t underestimate the fact that around 50% of our consortium grew up in India 30-35 years ago,” he said. “We grew up watching people like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, and we like watching Ben Stokes now.”Part of it is just being able to associate with your idols; being able to associate with a sport that you grew up watching in the middle of the night. We still watch cricket in California at 3am or 4am. This is our sport.”
Millie Bright had one of the best seasons of her career in 2024-25. Sporting the captain's armband, the Chelsea star guided the club to an incredible domestic treble in which they didn't lose a single game in the Women's Super League, FA Cup or League Cup, lifting all three trophies and breaking plenty of records along the way. In the last few weeks, though, as the Blues have endured a surprising run of just one win in five games, the former Lionesses defender has found herself on the outside looking in.
It didn't feel like a big deal when, for the first time since January, Bright was an unused substitute as the Blues' took on Champions League minnows St Polten last month. But after being hooked at half-time in the subsequent 1-1 draw with Liverpool, the side bottom of the WSL, the defender hasn't played a minute, sitting on the bench for last month's blockbuster showdown with Barcelona and Sunday's defeat to Everton – that Chelsea's first WSL loss under Sonia Bompastor, in her 35th game in charge in the competition.
With Bright's contract expiring at the end of the season, albeit with an option for an extra year included in the deal, her recent absences have raised questions about her Chelsea future. Can she battle back to retake her place in this team? Or are we watching a changing of the guard in the Blues' backline?
Getty Images SportAll for Chelsea
When Bright called time on her England career back in October, it felt like a huge boost for Chelsea. One of the team's most important players, as both a footballer and the captain of the club, was going to be able to put all her energy into representing the Blues. It could be massive, especially as their quest for that elusive Champions League title ramped up another notch.
"That's crucial, having a player like Millie who will be now 100 per cent focused on the club and all the trophies we are competing for," Bompastor said at the time. "It's really, really important. I know she is a player who is always, on the pitch, first thinking about the team. She will always give 100% and even more to the team.
"I think she just leads by example and having this type of leader, this type of captain in the team, is the best thing you can have when you are a manager, so I'm grateful for that and I know she will bring all the good energy to her team-mates, to the players on the pitch, to make sure we achieve the best season possible."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesUnfamiliar situation
But the situation appears to have changed a little in the two months since, and especially in the last four weeks, during which Bright has found herself watching on from the sidelines for three of Chelsea's last four games.
Prior to the first instance, that 6-0 thumping of St. Polten, Bright had been an unused substitute just three times in the last 53 games she had been available for, with one of those occasions only occurring because the defender had just returned from five months out due to a knee injury. She wasn't ready to take to the pitch at that point, but Chelsea were facing Barcelona in another Champions League semi-final and then-manager Emma Hayes wanted her captain in the squad for her leadership.
Take that instance out, and only count games where Bright was fit enough to play minutes, and the 32-year-old hadn't been called upon on just three occasions in her last 72 Chelsea games prior to the St. Polten win, a run that stretched back to December 2022.
Getty ImagesConcerning selections
For the clash with Barcelona, a huge game that Bright would have been desperate to play in, Bompastor instead opted to pair Naomi Girma with Nathalie Bjorn, whose fantastic partnership with Bright was the bedrock of Chelsea's success last term. Girma became the most expensive player in the history of the women's game back in January when the Blues secured her services for a fee that, for the first time in the sport, surpassed the $1 million mark, though niggling injuries prevented her from making a serious impact on the team in the second half of last season.
This term, it always felt like she would emerge as a key starter, because of her world-class quality and how highly Chelsea clearly rate her, as evidenced by the transfer fee, and the pecking order at centre-back would be different. As such, Bompastor's team selection for that Barca clash wasn't particularly shocking, even if it was one that "frustrated" Bright, the manager admitted. "That's normal," Bompastor added. "That's the reaction I expect from her."
But Sunday felt different. With Bjorn missing from the squad, many might've expected Bright to return to the starting line-up as Chelsea hosted Everton. However, Bompastor went in a different direction entirely, choosing Lucy Bronze, a right-back, to partner Girma while Bright sat on the bench for the entire game.
Bronze's main task was to keep tabs on Kelly Gago, Everton's imposing centre-forward. It was the kind of individual battle that Bright tends to relish. For her manager to choose Bronze for the challenge here, though, felt like the most worrying sign yet for Bright, her status in the team right now and, ultimately, her future at the club.
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Getty ImagesCompetition aplenty
Centre-back is one of Chelsea's deepest positions. As well as Bright, Bjorn and Girma, the Blues can count on the adaptability of players like Bronze and Ellie Carpenter, they have an extremely exciting young prospect in Veerle Buurman, the 19-year-old Netherlands international, and they will hope to have Kadeisha Buchanan, a five-time Champions League winner, back from injury soon. It's a position where players have to perform in order to earn minutes, and there have been some questions and criticisms of Bright's form this season, with the 32-year-old also lacking the pace of some of her fellow centre-backs.
That said, from a statistical perspective, while Bright is down on some of her numbers from last year, with her tackle win percentage one of the most notable ones, she is also up on a lot of them, including her aerial duel win rate and the number of interceptions, tackles and blocks she is making per 90 minutes. Chelsea not being quite as secure at the back this year, and thus seeing their defenders called into action more often, could be a factor to consider, but it is interesting to note nonetheless.
For the first time in a long time, potentially ever, there is a strong argument to be made that Arsenal are the best team in the world at the moment.
Mikel Arteta’s side are clear atop the Premier League table and, following their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, are now clear atop the Champions League table as well.
This incredible run of form probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as the club have built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent, and even then, their most important player, Bukayo Saka, is yet to find his best form.
At his best, the Hale Ender is a total game-changer, and so fans should be hugely excited about reports linking Arsenal to another attacking monster who has been compared to him.
Arsenal target another Saka-type star
With the winter transfer window now rapidly approaching, Arsenal have started to be linked with a host of brilliant players.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, for example, has been touted for a £100m move to the Emirates, as has Porto’s £79m Samu Aghehowa.
Yet, while both of these brilliantly talented players would improve the Gunners’ squad, neither one can be compared to Saka, unlike Michael Olise.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are now one of a few teams plotting to sign the Bayern Munich monster next year.
Alongside the North Londoners, Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly keen on the French international, who has been nothing short of world-class since his move to Germany.
However, on top of the immense competition, the Gunners will have to stump up a massive fee of up to €140m to get their man, which is about £123m.
With that said, while it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Olise’s immense ability and similarity to Saka make it one Arsenal should fight for.
How Olise compares to Saka
One of the most significant comparisons between Saka and Olise comes from FBref, which ranks the Englishman as the eighth-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman across Europe’s top five leagues.
The best way to understand how this conclusion has been reached is to examine the underlying numbers in which the pair rank closely.
In this instance, the metrics include non-penalty expected goals, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, successful take-on percentage, and more, all per 90.
Progressive Passes Received
12.5
12.4
Goals per Shot
0.14
0.11
Goals per Shot on Target
0.30
0.22
Key Passes
2.53
2.21
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.42
0.35
Tackles Won
0.53
0.58
Carries into the Final Third
2.84
2.56
On top of these statistical similarities, they are both seen as two of the best players for two massive clubs.
However, while it’s great that the former Crystal Palace star can be compared to the Gunners’ talismanic number seven, there are other reasons the North Londoners should be looking to sign him, such as his output.
For example, while he failed to score on Wednesday night, the 23-year-old has racked up a tally of nine goals and ten assists in 19 appearances this season, totalling 1538 minutes.
That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every game, or every 80.94 minutes, which more than justifies Oliver Glasner’s former claim that he’s “one of the best talents in the world.”
It’s not just this year that the 13-capped international has been an output machine, though, as last year he was just as dangerous.
In 55 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3842 minutes, he produced 43 goal involvements, which comes out to an average of one every 1.27 games, or every 89.34 minutes.
Ultimately, it would cost an arm and a leg, but Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Olise next year, as, like Saka already is, he could be a real game-changer.
Arteta now has an even better duo than Gabriel & Saliba at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has created an Arsenal team full of incredible partnerships, including one better than Saliba & Gabriel.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025
The Colorado Rockies were cheered heartily by fans at the 2025 MLB draft after Rob Manfred announced that the organization had selected Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the first round.
Holliday, 18, is the youngest son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, who played the first six seasons of his career in Colorado and was a fan favorite.
After Ethan followed in his father's footsteps as a Rockies draft selection, some old photos of him supporting the organization throughout his youth emerged on social media, courtesy of both the Rockies and MLB.
Ethan has been making trips to Coors Field since his youth, and now he'll get to look forward to playing there on a daily basis in the future.
Matt played in Colorado from 2004 to '09 and finished his career with the team in 2018. He was a seventh round pick by the organization in 1998 and rose to stardom at Coors Field, where he earned three of his six career trips to the All-Star Game.
Ethan is a standout shortstop and third base prospect who played high school baseball at Matt's alma mater, Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. He launched 16 home runs and had a stunning 1.309 slugging percentage in 32 games during his senior year.
Tottenham Hotspur improved their chances of securing automatic qualification from the Champions League table after a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague.
Thomas Frank’s men produced a dominant display in North London last night, as seen by the incredible stats behind the three-goal triumph over their Czech opponents.
The Lilywhites registered a total of 10 shots on target during the victory, subsequently achieving an xG of 2.56 and having five big chances fall their way in front of goal.
Frank’s side also registered over 50 passes than the visitors, whilst notching nearly double the amount of touches in the opposition box – reaffirming the dominance during the win.
The result was an excellent team performance, one that was certainly needed after the last European outing against PSG, with two players massively shining in the win.
How Simons & Kudus downed Slavia Prague
After scoring against Brentford in the Premier League at the weekend, Xavi Simons was rewarded with another start for Spurs – something which he took full advantage of.
The Dutchman featured for 90 minutes in the triumph, impressing throughout and managing to get on the scoresheet for the second successive match.
His underlying stats further highlighted his superb showing, with the 22-year-old completing six passes into the final third, whilst being fouled three times – the most of any player on the pitch.
He wasn’t alone in starring in North London against Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men, with Mohammed Kudus having yet another night to remember for the Lilywhites.
The Ghanaian international started for the fourth successive match and managed to net his second goal for the club, after tucking home a penalty in the 50th minute.
Like Simons, he also produced some magnificent figures, subsequently completing two successful dribbles, whilst registering six touches in the opposition box – offering a constant threat to the visitors.
Spurs star is becoming a future £100m talent
Spurs have a plethora of young talents on their hands who can certainly make a huge impact on their chances of success between now and the near future.
Simons is no doubt a player who can thrive for many years to come in North London, especially if he can adapt to the demands of the Premier League after his big-money transfer.
Kudus is another player who has the quality to be a leading talent for the Lilywhites, with his tally of eight combined goals and assists in 21 matches evidence of the levels he’s capable of producing.
Frank has already assembled a young and promising squad, especially after forking out a reported £100m for the aforementioned duo during his first window.
However, numerous other youngsters were already on the books before the Dane’s arrival, with Archie Gray one player who has had to patiently wait for his chance to shine for the Lilywhites.
The 19-year-old joined in a £40m deal back in the summer of 2024, but has often had to bide his time under Frank, with the Englishman finally getting the run he deserves in the first-team.
He’s now started the last two games in a row, just like Simons, with the teenager now deserving of an extended run as a regular starter to help aid his development.
Gray’s showing against Slavia Prague was yet another example of the talent he possesses, but it’s safe to say he’s only going to get better as he progresses in his career.
He featured for 59 minutes against the Czech opposition, but managed to produce numerous incredible figures which should keep him in the side at the weekend.
Minutes played
59
Touches
34
Passes completed
92%
Tackles won
2
Long ball accuracy
100%
Recoveries made
2
Duels won
75%
Interceptions made
1
The youngster completed 92% of the passes he attempted, whilst posting a 100% long ball accuracy rate – showcasing his incredible ability with the ball at his feet.
He also won two tackles, made two recoveries and came out on top in 75% of the duels he entered, even managing to dominate without the ball despite his tender age.
Gray’s 34 touch display wasn’t one that will set the world alight, but it’s one that should certainly keep his starting position at the base of Frank’s side in the months ahead.
He’s previously been labelled a “future £100m” star by Ben Mattinson, which is certainly a bold statement, but one that can come true if he continues on his current trajectory.
Simons and Kudus will no doubt get the majority of their credit after their respective goals, but Gray is also deserving of massive credit for his recent form – especially after barely featuring in the early months of the season.
Frank's new Mbeumo: Paratici set to make Spurs bid to sign "world-class" CF
Tottenham Hotspur could be about to land a new talisman in the upcoming January window.
ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago
England’s top order struggled again in ideal seam-bowling conditions in Wellington
Alan Gardner01-Nov-2025New Zealand scrambled to a tense two-wicket victory in Wellington to seal a 3-0 sweep of the ODIs after England’s top-order was filleted once again. Jamie Overton slammed 68 off 62 from No. 8 to help England make a game of it but the armchair Ashes critics were given plenty more ammunition by another misfiring display before they hop across the Tasman.It had appeared New Zealand would get the job done in routine fashion, as Daryl Mitchell anchored their chase of 223. But from 188 for 5 they slid to 196 for 8, with Mitchell the eighth man out for 44, edging Sam Curran behind. With more than 10 overs still to be bowled, however, there was time enough for Blair Tickner and Zak Foulkes to tick off the runs required in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand.Related
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Tickner had earlier claimed his second consecutive four-wicket haul after new-ball pair Jacob Duffy and Foulkes had knocked over the England top five inside 10.1 overs.New Zealand’s chase was given a solid start by a 78-run opening stand between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. The run-out of Conway backing up – one of two such dismissals in the innings – triggered a mini-collapse, with three wickets falling in as many overs, but Mitchell once again provided the steady hand in another small chase, following up scores of 78 not out in Mount Maunganui and 56 not out in Hamilton.Conway had replaced Kane Williamson, absent with a groin niggle, and endured some testing moments against Jofra Archer, who regularly touched 90mph/145kph during his opening spell. A checked drive for six over extra cover got him going, while Ravindra eased into gear with a series of boundaries off Brydon Carse. When Archer switched ends for the final powerplay over and saw it disappear for 24, New Zealand were 64 for 0 and coasting.The stand was broken by a moment of fortune for England, with Overton again the catalyst as he attempted to field a drive from Ravindra only to see the ball deflect off his wrist, through his legs and into the non-striker’s stumps with Conway stranded. Ravindra was then bowled through the gate by Curran, before Overton ended Will Young’s unproductive series by having him caught behind off a steepling top edge.Devon Conway took on Jofra Archer•Getty ImagesTom Latham, remarkably, was also run out when failing to get his bat back after Carse this time redirected a Mitchell drive into the stumps at the other end. Adil Rashid, having been held back until the 30th over, then struck with his second ball as Michael Bracewell holed out to deep midwicket with New Zealand still requiring 76.Mitchell Santner struck two fours and two sixes in a breezy knock to bring victory in sight, but England kept chipping away. Santner holed out off Carse, Overton brought one back sharply to castle Nathan Smith, before Mitchell’s push at Curran left New Zealand having to scrap for the last few runs.In a series billed in some quarters as an extension of England’s Ashes warm-ups – as many as seven of this XI could play the first Test in Perth in three weeks’ time – the batting suffered another malfunction. Having already conceded the series, there was to be no revival in fortunes, despite showing fight until the very end at Sky Stadium.Inserted for the third game running, they plunged to 44 for 5 with none of the top four reaching double-figures. Two fifty stands – between Jos Buttler and Curran, then Overton and Carse – helped save face. Overton struck 10 fours and two sixes in his highest List A score, but the target for New Zealand still looked light.England had actually been in a worse position in the first ODI when falling to 33 for 5, only for Harry Brook’s incendiary 135 to give them a similar score to bowl at. Here Brook was caught at second slip looking to defend as England were again found wanting in ideal conditions for seam and swing.Foulkes continued his impressive maiden ODI series by striking with his fourth ball, Jamie Smith feathering a cut behind the ball after almost being bowled by an in-ducker – although it required DRS to detect the edge.Blair Ticker celebrates the wicket of Jos Buttler•Getty ImagesBen Duckett heaved Duffy into the boundary boards for a six in the third over, but Foulkes was at it again in his next, pinning Joe Root with an inswinger. Duckett then toe-ended a swipe off Duffy to mid-on and when Brook nicked a Duffy outswinger, England were 31 for 4 inside the powerplay.It meant that England set a world record for the fewest runs scored by a team’s top four batters (84) in an ODI series, where they batted at least three times.Buttler was lucky to survive another peach from Duffy first ball, while Jacob Bethell almost ran himself out looking for a non-existent single. Bethell became the first England batter into double-figures, but an impetuous slash at the first ball outside the powerplay saw him off, courtesy a flying catch from Mitchell at slip.With Duffy and Foulkes bowling unchanged through the first 14 overs, England had to retrench. Buttler then shifted through the gears against the change bowlers, as he and Curran brought up the fifty stand from 62 balls.Tickner broke through, a combination of pad and inside edge taking the ball on to Curran’s stumps. He then bowled Buttler in more emphatic fashion, nipping a full delivery inside an expansive drive to topple off stump.Overton had got off the mark with a pulled four, and his third scoring shot was a flat six that punched a hole in the low wall around the boundary. Carse joined the counterattack, hitting four towering sixes in 36 off 30 balls before top-edging a swipe at Tickner high into the covers. Archer managed a couple of boundaries before holing out to mid-on.By then Overton was motoring, back-to-back thumps off Tickner helping to raise a run-a-ball half-century – his first in List A cricket, coming off the back of a career-best 46 in the first ODI. England’s last-wicket yielded 36 runs, but again the top-order deficiencies proved decisive.