From Dhoni and Jadeja’s CSK highs to Bumrah’s Mumbai record, all the numbers to keep an eye on
Namooh Shah21-Mar-20259:55
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19 – Runs MS Dhoni needs to become Chennai Super Kings’ highest run-scorer in the IPL. Suresh Raina with 4687 runs, currently holds the record.6 – Bumrah needs six more wickets to become Mumbai Indians’ highest wicket-taker in the IPL. If he gets there, he will dethrone Lasith Malinga (170 wickets), who has been leading the list for over a decade.Related
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8 – Jadeja is eight short of becoming the leading wicket-taker for CSK in the IPL and will surpass Dwayne Bravo who heads the list with 140 wickets for the franchise.4 – Four more fifty-plus scores this season will take Kohli to the top of the list for most fifty-plus scores in the IPL. The record is currently with David Warner who has 66 fifty-plus scores in the league.6 – Currently on 194, six more dismissals for Dhoni this season, will take his tally to 200. He is already at the top of the list, with Dinesh Karthik at 182 placed second.2 – Rohit will become IPL’s second-most capped player when he takes the field in Mumbai Indians’ first match against CSK. Rohit is also just a boundary away from completing 600 fours and be the fourth player to do so.Rohit Sharma will become IPL’s second-most capped player in Mumbai’s opening match against CSK•Associated Press142 – The runs Rohit requires in IPL 2025 to go past Shikhar Dhawan (6769) and become the second-highest run-scorer in the league. Kohli with 8004 runs heads the list.1 – Jadeja after scoring 41 runs this season will become the first player in IPL to complete the double of 3000 runs and 100 wickets.5 – Jadeja, if he plays at least five games this season, will become the second-most capped player for CSK in the IPL. He is currently third on the list, with Dhoni (234) and Raina (176) ahead of him. He is also ten matches away from becoming the fifth player in IPL to play 250 matches.3 – Kohli will become IPL’s third-most capped player if he plays six matches in the season. He will go past former RCB team-mate Dinesh Karthik who played 257 IPL games.3 – Wickets needed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL. Yuzvendra Chahal (205) heads the list, while Piyush Chawla (192) and Bravo (183) are second and third. Sunil Narine (180) and R Ashwin (180) are also not far behind.
England haven’t won in Brisbane since 1986, and their trips to the Gabba are rarely easy. Here’s a look at the moments – iconic, chaotic and brutal – that etched the myth into Ashes folklore
Matt Roller03-Dec-20252:29
Miller: England must back their approach to win second Test
“Dare I say, there would have been a very British satisfaction to it,” David Gower says, recalling the moment 39 years ago when, from the non-striker’s end, he watched Chris Broad carve the winning runs through cover-point in England’s most recent Test victory in Brisbane. “I’m not really the whooping and jumping and shouting sort… I think we’d have had a broad grin.”It was a different world. The Gabba was a cricket ground rather than a stadium, with a greyhound track running around the boundary, and the total attendance on the final day was a mere 1362 as England completed their seven-wicket win. Graham Dilley and Phil DeFreitas celebrated with champagne and cigarettes in the dressing room, and Broad’s son, Stuart, was only four months old.”The legend of the Gabba has grown since,” Gower tells ESPNcricinfo. “The concept of the Gabba fortress has grown over the last probably 20 years… It is now much bigger, and you have more of that sense of pressure from a hostile crowd. I’ve been there for Sky, standing in the middle before the toss, and it is a cacophony of sound. You are surrounded by it.”Related
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The hostility of the Queensland crowd is notorious. Along with the heat and humidity of the Brisbane climate, and the pace and bounce of the pitch, it has contributed to overwhelming countless England teams. Even accounting for their wider struggles in Australia, their record in their past nine visits to the Gabba is truly abject: lost seven, drawn two, won none.Ben Stokes insists that his team sees England’s record in Brisbane as irrelevant. “Obviously records for teams go back a long, long time,” Stokes said on Tuesday. “Many teams have gone to the Gabba and lost to Australia, but this is a brand new outfit… It doesn’t hold too much fear.”Nearly four decades of history suggest that the odds are stacked firmly against them.”The trick,” Gower says, “is to play against Australia when all their best players are playing for [Kerry] Packer.” His first Test in Brisbane, in 1978-79, coincided with the second season of Packer’s World Series Cricket. “It still felt like a contest. But we were stronger, and they had some weak links.”England won by seven wickets at the Gabba, and took the series 5-1.They were beaten four years later, but the most memorable thing that happened in Brisbane on the 1982-83 tour was the surprise appearance of a pig – with the names of Ian Botham and Eddie Hemmings emblazoned on it – on the outfield. “That was the most brilliant, imaginative thing that I’ve ever seen,” Gower says, laughing. “I’ve never seen anything like it.The England squad celebrate after winning the first Ashes Test in 1986•Getty Images”Allegedly, it was brought in by some vets who had the expertise to sedate it. They put it in an esky. At the gate, some gnarled old Queenslander said, ‘What’s that mate?’. They said, ‘lunch’. They put the lid back on and carried on, and then, at the crucial moment, revived it, gave it a stimulant, and by god, did it move! I’ve never seen anything like it.”When England returned in 1986-87, they had been written off as a team with three major problems: “They can’t bat, they can’t bowl and they can’t field.” Botham addressed his team-mates the night before the Test. “His contribution was brief, succinct, and punchy,” Gower recalls. “It was along the lines of: ‘forget about the last month. We start tomorrow.'”Botham rose to the occasion, belting 138 off 174 balls on the second day. “It was extraordinary,” Gower says. “Beefy was Beefy… If you walk out into that atmosphere and it’s inspiring rather than deflating, that’s a good sign. Ian would feel that, and I would tend to feel the same. It’s the defining thing as to whether or not you have picked the right career.”By the time England arrived in Brisbane for the start of the 1998-99 series, Australia’s unbeaten run at the Gabba had stretched to a decade – including Ashes wins in 1990-91 and 1994-95. But Mark Butcher does not recall any particular sense of trepidation: “They were redoing the place, so maybe one-quarter of it was missing… We also had a s***load of travelling support.”
Butcher’s tour had started with scores of 0 not out, 2, 5, 2 and 0 in England’s three state fixtures, and a blow on the head from Western Australia’s Matthew Nicholson. “I’d had more stitches than runs,” he says, laughing. “I had the attitude in the nets in the build-up to it that I was going to be a lot more positive.”Australia batted for five-and-a-half sessions after winning the toss, with centuries from Steve Waugh and Ian Healy digging them out of a hole. But Butcher held firm, scoring 116 in his first Test innings in Australia, and England held on for a draw despite a quickfire third-innings hundred from Michael Slater. “I honestly thought it was the best pitch in Australia,” Butcher says.It was on the first day of the 2002-03 series that the Gabba truly secured its reputation as the place where England’s Ashes dreams go to die. Nasser Hussain won the toss and infamously chose to bowl first. Ninety overs later, Australia had piled on 364 for 2 through Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting’s dominant hundreds, and England had lost Simon Jones to a ruptured ACL.When Butcher heard cheers from the Barmy Army from the Gabba’s underground dressing rooms on the first morning, he had started to pad up. “We’d all had a conclusion that we would probably bat: it was roasting hot and the pitch looked lovely. When Nass came back in and said, ‘we’re having a bowl,’ I already had my thigh pads and box on.”Matthew Hayden’s twin centuries at the Gabba crushed England in the Ashes 2002•Getty ImagesIt echoed a similar call made in Brisbane in 1954-55 by Len Hutton who, long before the Gabba had developed its notoriety, gave Australia first use of a surface on which they piled up 601 for 8 declared before an innings defeat. “If the England fielding had approached any decent standard Hutton might well have achieved his objective,” the reported.It was a similar story 48 years later: “Vaughany [Michael Vaughan] fumbled one in the first over, poor old Jonesy left his leg behind on the boundary, and that was all she wrote,” Butcher says. The redevelopment work to turn the Gabba into a multi-purpose modern stadium was largely complete, and the crowd revelled in England’s shortcomings: Jones was called a “weak Pommie b******” as he was stretchered off.Four years later, the opening day went just as badly. Steve Harmison, nervous and underprepared by his own admission, bowled the first ball of the series into the hands of his captain, Andrew Flintoff, at second slip, and another Ponting hundred took Australia to 346 for 3 by stumps. England were duly thrashed by 277 runs, and lost the series 5-0.Andrew Strauss leaves the field after the high-scoring draw in 2010•Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesFor most of the 2010-11 Test, it looked like a familiar story was unfolding. Andrew Strauss slashed the third ball of the match to gully, Peter Siddle took his famous birthday hat-trick, and a mammoth 307-run partnership between Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin gave Australia a 221-run first innings lead.But England launched a memorable fightback, declaring on 517 for 1 after hundreds from Strauss and Jonathan Trott, and 235 not out from Alastair Cook. Australia were deflated, and the final day played out in front of only 7088 fans – the vast majority of them English. “It gave us a lot of belief that this Australian side was there for the taking,” Cook told the BBC recently.No Englishman has scored a Test century at the Gabba since. In 2013-14, they were blown away by the pace and hostility of a reborn Mitchell Johnson, who took nine wickets including, twice, Trott, who left the tour citing burnout straight after. Michael Clarke infamously told James Anderson to “get ready for a broken f***in’ arm”.The local media also ramped up their scrutiny. Stuart Broad’s refusal to walk after edging to slip (via Brad Haddin’s gloves) prompted Brisbane’s newspaper to announce a ‘Broad Ban’, referring to him only as “the 27-year-old medium pacer”. After five wickets on the opening day, Broad walked into a press conference with a copy tucked under his arm.
“If you are Brendon McCullum or Ben Stokes then you’ll do your best to ignore any talk about the Gabba as a ‘fortress’ and you’ll highlight the other teams who have come here and have won and how they did it – which is just playing good cricket – and stress that whatever happened in Perth was probably an aberration”David Gower
Stokes’ nightclub brawl ahead of the 2017-18 series meant more fertile ground for the Australian press, and Strauss – as director of cricket – found himself insisting that the players were “not thugs” as a result of a bizarre story involving Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft. “They were taking every opportunity to try and derail us,” recalls opener Mark Stoneman.It was Stoneman’s first overseas Test, and his memories reveal the challenge that the Gabba provides for English batters raised on slower surfaces: “I remember standing at the non-striker’s end with Cooky taking the first ball, and thinking, ‘Why are the slips and the keeper so far back?'” He soon found out, when Cook’s edge flew to a tumbling first slip in the third over.Stoneman and James Vince took the sting out of the game with a 125-run partnership on the opening day, but the Test ultimately followed the same pattern as many England defeats in Brisbane. The 2021-22 defeat was even worse, and the Australian celebrations that followed Rory Burns’ first-ball dismissal reflected the absence of travelling fans, locked out by Covid restrictions.There are morsels of hope for England this week. Australia have lost two of their last five Tests at the Gabba – to India in 2020-21, and West Indies in 2023-24 – and the dynamics are different. For the first time since 1982-83, Brisbane is hosting the second Test rather than the first, and the day-night aspect introduces several unknowns.”If you are Brendon McCullum or Ben Stokes,” Gower suggests, “then you’ll do your best to ignore any talk about the Gabba as a ‘fortress’ and you’ll highlight the other teams who have come here and have won and how they did it – which is just playing good cricket – and stress that whatever happened in Perth was probably an aberration.”If you have another crazy half-hour where three of your best batsmen get out playing egregiously bad shots, then you’re going to struggle. But if you eradicate that, and someone in the top six takes the game by the scruff of the neck, then you’re in the game.”Even that would mark a significant improvement on England’s usual efforts in this city.
Manchester City are now expected to sign an “unbelievable” Premier League star, having moved into pole position in the race for his signature.
Man City keen to strengthen amid defensive struggles
Man City have looked potent from an attacking point of view this season, having already scored 32 Premier League goals, five more than any other club, with talisman Erling Haaland leading the way at the top of the goalscoring charts.
However, there have been some defensive frailties on display, with the Blues only just managing to edge out Fulham in a 5-4 thriller last time out, and pundit Clinton Morrison has made it clear that it is an issue Pep Guardiola will need to rectify.
Speaking after the victory at Craven Cottage, Morrison said: “You would never see this Arsenal team be 5-1 up and concede three goals. They need to get that sorted out.”
“Maybe, if they have a bit of money to spend in January, they need to look to strengthen at the back, especially in the right full-back area.”
A new right-back is of interest, with the Blues now ready to snap up Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, but they may also look at strengthening at centre-back.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, who recently told Football Insider that Man City have moved into pole position in the race for Marc Guehi’s signature.
Wyness said: “I think that he will end up at City and I think that’s where I expect him to be. There is a lot of interest but I think he’s actually shown me that he’s actually thought things through and acted quite sensibly and taken some decent advice. He handled the Palace thing quite well.”
“And so I would expect him to move to City and I think he would be a great replacement, basically for John Stones is what we’re thinking about now.”
Man City now favourites to sign "incredible" £88m star, Pep's captivated by him
City have taken the lead in the race for a Premier League star, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.
ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025 Guehi could be "unbelievable" Stones replacement
Stones’ contract is set to expire next summer, and City may be in two minds about offering him an extension, given the centre-back’s terrible injury record over the past four seasons, missing a plethora of games for club and country.
Season
Games missed due to injury
2022-23
13
2023-24
12
2024-25
36
2025-26
3
Guehi, on the other hand, has been very reliable for Palace, having made 145 Premier League appearances over the past five campaigns, and he received high praise from football writer Ed Aarons amid links to Liverpool in the summer.
Ultimately, the move to Anfield fell through, despite Guehi completing a medical, and with the Reds enduring a torrid campaign, most recently drawing 1-1 at home to Sunderland, City should seize the chance to get one over on their rivals by signing the England international.
USA Cricket (USAC) has described the ICC’s decision to suspend it as “one of the most difficult moments” in its history and “difficult to comprehend”. In a statement on Friday, USAC said it remains committed to navigating this “challenging” period and will hold elections in line with the timeline agreed upon with the ICC.The statement came after the board filed for bankruptcy on October 1. Calling the suspension “aggressive”, USAC stressed that the financial restructuring was necessary to secure the organisation’s future.USAC’s decision to file for bankruptcy came as a surprise to the ICC as it was after the ICC had moved to suspend the organisation on September 23. The statement on Friday, USAC pointed out, was part of a “series of communications” it would share to explain its decision-making in recent weeks.”The recent suspension of USA Cricket by the International Cricket Council has been one of the most difficult moments in our history,” the statement said. “It has caused uncertainty and disappointment for players, members, volunteers, and supporters. Yet this moment must not be mistaken for dysfunction. It is the result of difficult but necessary decisions taken to protect the game, the organization, and the future of cricket in the United States.”Related
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At its annual general meeting in July, the ICC said USAC would continue to be “on notice” but asked the latter to conduct elections within three months and carry out governance reforms.In August, USAC terminated its long-term contract with American Cricket Enterprise (ACE), its principal commercial partner and owner of Major League Cricket (MLC). This was followed by the move to initiate the financial restructuring. ICC chairman Jay Shah had warned USAC, in the suspension letter, to “not take any steps to undermine the ICC or its Normalisation Committee in all aspects of the ICC’s work related to the USA, including the LA28 Olympic Games”.On Friday, USAC said the ICC decision was difficult to comprehend because the ACE termination was taken “to protect integrity and independence rather than to harm it”. USAC chair Venu Pisike reiterated the same, saying the ACE contract was “one-sided” and the stand should not be seen as a “defiance” of ICC. “We chose principle over convenience. Our decisions were driven by the need to safeguard the game’s future, not to surrender its control,” Pisike said. Tensions between USAC and ACE have simmered almost since the two parties signed a 50-year commercial agreement in 2019, which included current chair Pisike. As part of the deal, ACE committed to providing USAC with a minimum of US$1.2 million annually to fund national team contracts, including those of the support staff. However, USAC has since said the deal undervalued the national team’s commercial rights, which it claims are worth over US$5 million per year.In a section titled “Years of strain and commercial overreach”, USAC said it had “operated under immense pressure” from ACE and its ownership group. Despite never managing to create a “balanced, long-form” agreement”, USAC said ACE never met its financial and operational targets while “attempting to control” the organisation’s “governance, operations, and programs”.Despite the divide with ACE, USAC said it tried to comply with the ICC requirement, including the “directive” issued in August (following the ICC’s annual general meeting) to conduct the elections by October 20 this year.USAC also accused ACE of “continuous acts of intimidation and interference” stretching from grassroots cricket to the USAC Board. The statement on Friday alleged that ACE “attempted to pressure” the national selectors “into choosing players aligned with their interests, displacing home-grown talent and threatening participants who sought to participate in non-MLC tournaments”.It also alleged that ACE had “imported” over 100 overseas players “under the guise” of involvement in cricket in the country, but many of those players were left unsupported and there were “promises left unfulfilled”. USAC also alleged that ACE had attempted to influence its board members by promising them team owner or other roles in associated leagues. USAC said it was legally challenging ACE’s conduct.The decision to file for bankruptcy was taken after the USAC Board met on September 30 with nine directors including Pisike in attendance. However, it is learned those four directors – Nadia Gruny, Atul Rai, Arjun Gona and Kuljeet Singh Nijjar – left the meeting in protest, with one saying the members were being “muted” by Pisike before being able to complete what they wanted to say.In a statement on Saturday, ACE blamed the remaining five directors and alleged that they had “hijacked” the USAC Board, which resulted in ICC suspension. “USA Cricket was put on notice by the ICC in July 2024, so they have had plenty of time to address ICC’s legitimate governance concerns,” ACE said. “Five directors appear to have hijacked the Board and refused to comply with the ICC’s and USOPC’s six-step roadmap for reform. Not only have the acts of these five directors resulted in the suspension of USA Cricket by the ICC for clear governance and management failures, they have also placed the organisation in bankruptcy court.”ACE also said the USAC statement issued on Friday was “false” and “inaccurate”. “ACE considers this a thinly veiled attempt to avoid being answerable for their actions in a court of law. ACE strongly refutes all the allegations made in the recent false and inaccurate statement by USAC. USAC continues to show zero regard for the best interests of cricket and its players, and is only motivated by politics and the personal agendas of these five directors.”These developments come even as the ICC has been working closely with the US Olympics and Paralympics Committee (USOPC) to help USAC secure national governing body (NGB) status from USOPC, which is mandatory for all sports that are a part of the LA28 Games. As part of that process, the ICC has sent a six-step “roadmap” to USAC to “restore the integrity and credibility” of the board.The statement on Friday, USAC said, was being issued “not in blame, but in belief, the belief that American cricket can emerge stronger, fairer, and more inclusive”. It said that it was taking a “principled path” to ensure “control of cricket in the USA remained with the USAC as well as the local cricket community and not outside commercial interests”.
Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was praised for his display against Fulham in the Premier League.
Everton 2-0 Fulham
Gueye and Michael Keane supplemented Everton’s misfiring attack in a 2-0 win which extended Fulham’s woes on the road to a fifth successive match.
With the Toffees’ two strikers Beto and Thierno Barry scoring just one Premier League goal between them so far this season, there is an imperative for others to chip in. But in a team boasting the attacking talents of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it was their defensive midfielder and centre-back who made the difference.
The two teams had scored just 22 between them in 20 combined Premier League matches so the first goal was important and Gueye’s intervention, in the fourth minute of first-half added time, was even more crucial as an offside flag denied Everton on three occasions in a match they should have won more comfortably.
Gueye stabbed home his second of the campaign after Tim Iroegbunam had completely fluffed his shot in front of goal from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar.
After failing to score at all last season, Gueye is well on his way to beat his best return of four in an Everton shirt from 2023-24. Keane flicked home a Dewsbury-Hall corner with 10 minutes to go to banish any late anxiety. They were contributions gratefully received by boss David Moyes, whose side ended a run of one win in eight matches in all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, Gueye’s performance against the Cottagers was highly praised in the aftermath of the game.
Gueye was "brilliant" against Fulham
After opening the scoring against Fulham, pundit Sue Smith, as per Sky Sports, said of Gueye:
Idrissa Gueye Stats vs. Fulham
Minutes Played
90
Goals
1
Assists
0
Passes Made (Accuracy)
41/48 (85%)
Recoveries
3
Clearances
3
Interceptions
1
Aerial Duels Won
1/1 (100%)
Times Dribbled Past
0
All stats are from SofaScore
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Everton Extra noted that Gueye was “very, very good” in the first half against Everton, form that continued after the half-time break. Initially alongside Iroegbunam until the 22-year-old was replaced by Merlin Rohl in the 67th minute, Gueye helped Everton limit their visitors as they maintained their impressive start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
In six Premier League games at their new home, Everton have lost just once, picking up 11 points from an available 18. Everton will not play now until after the November international break, which they enter with a win that Gueye contributed heavily towards.
It would be fair to say that it’s not exactly the best time to be a West Ham United fan at the moment.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have lost their last three games and currently look on track to be relegated from the Premier League.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom as it’s still early in the season and the Hammers do have a number of very talented players in their squad.
Moreover, while they sold one of their star players, Mohammed Kudus, in the summer, the manager has another player who is far better than he’ll ever be, and it could even be said that it was the right decision to sell the Ghanaian.
Why selling Kudus was the right decision
Now, the first thing to say is that on his day, Kudus can be a real game-changer, and during his first campaign for West Ham, he was exactly that.
For example, across 45 appearances for the Irons in 23/24, he racked up an impressive tally of 14 goals and nine assists, which works out to a goal involvement every 1.95 games.
However, as many a West Ham fan will report, the former Ajax star was only a useful player to have when the going was good, as in challenging moments he’d often go missing entirely.
This is exactly what happened in his second season at the club.
For example, in 35 appearances across all competitions last season, the Accra-born international was only able to score five goals and provide four assists.
Appearances
45
35
Goals
14
5
Assists
9
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.51
0.25
That means his average dropped from a goal involvement every 1.95 games to one every 3.88 games, and worse yet, his fifth goal of the season came in the final league game against an already relegated Ipswich Town, when nothing was on the line.
Moreover, his underlying numbers were just as unimpressive, so he wasn’t just getting unlucky.
According to FBref, he only ranked in the top 32% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league for shot-creating actions, the top 37% for non-penalty expected goals and progressive carries, the top 43% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and more, all per 90.
In short, while he might have been useful this season, West Ham were probably smart to sell him for £55m, especially as Nuno has another more talented star who will give his all for the badge when things get tough.
The West Ham star miles better than Kudus
Now, West Ham do have a few players who could help them get out of trouble by the end of the season, including Lucas Paqueta, El Hadji Malick Diouf, and Mateus Fernandes.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, when it comes to the most important star of all, and the one who is still comfortably better than Kudus, it’s obviously Jarrod Bowen.
The modern legend has already cemented his name in club folklore with that Conference League Final-winning goal, but he continues to be the most dangerous attacker in the squad.
For example, since joining the Hammers in January 2020, the former Hull City ace has racked up a sensational tally of 77 goals and 53 assists in 248 games, averaging a goal involvement every 1.90 games.
Moreover, while Kudus was letting the fans down with his performances and output last season, the Englishman was picking up the slack and consistently delivering, scoring 14 goals and providing ten assists in 36 games, which is a goal involvement every 1.5 games.
What about this year, though? How does the Leominster-born star’s output stack up to the Ghanaian international’s?
Well, in 13 appearances for his new side, the former Hammer has scored one goal and provided five assists.
That comes out to a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games.
For his efforts, the Irons’ “unplayable” talisman, as dubbed by Thomas Frank, has scored three goals and provided two assists in ten appearances.
Appearances
10
13
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.50
0.46
Amazingly, that means that, despite playing for a team threatened with relegation, Bowen has maintained a better average of a goal involvement every other game.
Therefore, while Nuno might have been able to tune out of Kudus at West Ham, he already has a far better player at his disposal, and one that will fight to the end for him and the team.
Nuno must now finally ditch West Ham man who's "national league standard"
Nuno has to make some changes to save West Ham’s Premier League status, and one of them is to drop the poor performer.
It might not have been vintage Bruno Fernandes this season, yet, even so, the Manchester United skipper is still the heartbeat of Ruben Amorim’s side, as was evident again on Monday night.
Up against an undoubtedly poor Wolverhampton Wanderers side, the 31-year-old was arguably the deciding factor, netting twice himself, while providing a delicious assist for Mason Mount to convert for United’s third.
Two missed penalties earlier in the campaign may have highlighted a drop in standards, although Fernandes still ranks third in the Premier League for goals and assists in 2025/26, while leading the way again for chances created (45).
The hope will be that the Portugal star can replicate last season’s heroics, which saw him overcome a slow start – having failed to score until Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim appointment – before going on to rack up 38 goals and assists in all competitions.
Suitable for a midfield two or not, the ex-Sporting CP playmaker remains so influential to United’s fortunes – but what will happen if the club are left to make do without him?
Latest on Man Utd's search for a midfielder
It’s worth noting that Fernandes, speaking ahead of his 300th United appearance earlier this season, gave no suggestion that he was angling for a move away from Old Trafford, having openly discussed the decision to turn down a move to Saudi side Al Hilal over the summer.
Nor, however, did the £300k-per-week sensation completely shut down the topic of his long-term future, having relayed that he won’t discuss any potential plans until after the World Cup, with just 18 months left to run on his existing deal.
There have been suggestions that INEOS could even look to cash in on their talisman in order to help fund a midfield overhaul in 2026, with potential replacements seemingly being eyed up.
With that in mind, reports in Spain have claimed that the Red Devils are among the clubs pursuing a move for Real Madrid sensation, Arda Guler, with both Arsenal and Liverpool also in the frame.
The report suggests that United have already ‘accelerated initial contacts’ regarding a possible swoop, with the 20-year-old’s ‘versatility’ noted as a selling point for Amorim and co.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Whether the LaLiga giants would be willing to sell the Turkish starlet remains to be seen, although prior reports indicate he could command a fee of around £88m.
Why Guler could be the perfect successor to Fernandes
It was a moment that epitomised the genius of Bruno Fernandes.
Picking the ball up just outside the Wolves box, the midfielder – who had been sent off at Molineux just over a year ago – had the vision and the quality to pick out Mount with a stunning dinked pass, building on the two inventive assists he produced at Selhurst Park late last month.
Even when not at his free-flowing best, the majestic talent can still unlock a defence in an instant, possessing the type of creative quality that few can match across the global game.
Finding a successor to such a figure thus appears almost impossible, if not improbable, yet Guler would be a more than worthy option, having been hailed as the “best CM/AM prospect in world football right now” by writer Neal Gardner.
That praise is not without merit, with Como’s Nico Paz the only attacking midfielder under the age of 21 to have registered more goals and assists (ten) than Guler in Europe’s top five leagues this season, as per Transfermarkt.
A key beneficiary of Xabi Alonso’s arrival at the Bernabeu, the rising star has already chalked up ten goals and assists in 22 games in all competitions this term, the same number of goal involvements that Fernandes has achieved back in Manchester.
Like Fernandes, the former Fenerbahce man has the flexibility to flourish in a more advanced role, or on the flanks, although he has blossomed in a slightly deeper role of late, averaging 2.3 key passes per game and creating eight ‘big chances’ in LaLiga this season, as per Sofascore.
For context, back at United, Fernandes has created seven ‘big chances’, albeit while averaging three key passes per game, with the pair both representing the creative hubs for their respective sides.
Interestingly, too, the Red Devils skipper is noted as the fifth most similar midfielder to Guler across Europe’s top five leagues, with regard to their stylistic and statistical likeness, as per FBref, further reinforcing why the Madrid man could fill that possible void in Amorim’s future side.
Fernandes vs Guler – Key stats
Stat (per 90)
Fernandes
Guler
Non-penalty goals
0.18
0.20
Assists
0.31
0.41
Shot-creating actions
6.40
6.08
Pass completion
76.3%
85.4%
Progressive passes
9.67
7.91
Progressive carries
2.18
2.00
Successful take-ons
0.71
1.06
Touches in opposition box
2.65
2.94
Prog passes received
3.45
5.43
Stats via FBref
As indicated above, the pair – across the last 365 days – have enjoyed a particularly similar record with regard to assists, shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, all key attributes for a playmaking midfielder in their pomp.
In truth, United have rarely seen a side without Fernandes in it, such is his remarkable reliability and availability, although if the day comes where he opts to move on to pastures new, Guler must surely be at the top of the list with regard to replacements.
Prising him from the Spanish capital might not be easy, although with Alonso’s place at Los Blancos seemingly under threat, now could be the time to pounce.
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Dominik Szoboszlai was at a loss to explain Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds United, saying he cannot “understand” how his side managed to twice throw away the lead to drop more points in the Premier League. Arguably the Reds’ best player in what has been a torrid season so far, the midfielder thought he netted the winner at Elland Road before the hosts equalised once again in stoppage time.
Liverpool were in cruise control before Konate conceded penalty
Looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with high-flying Sunderland, striker Hugo Ekitike scored twice as Liverpool took a two-goal lead early in the second half against Leeds. Handed a start ahead of fellow forward Alexander Isak, the France international netted his first league goals since bagging in September’s 2-1 victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby.
However, with Liverpool cruising in Yorkshire, defender Ibrahima Konate gave Leeds a route back into the game from the penalty spot when he brought down winger Wilfried Gnonto inside the area. Dominic Calvert-Lewin successfully converted the spot-kick before Daniel Farke’s Leeds found an equaliser just two minutes later when midfielder Anton Stach sent the home supporters into raptures.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSzoboszlai has been rare shining light in difficult season for Reds
In a season which has seen several Liverpool players struggle to replicate their form from the 2024-25 title-winning campaign, one man who has led from the front has been midfielder Szoboszlai. Whether operating as a makeshift right-back or as a midfielder, the Hungary international has performed regardless of his position on the pitch in 2025-26.
And the former RB Leipzig ace thought he had scored the all-important winner for Liverpool when he raced into the box before coolly slotting the ball past Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri after 80 minutes.
But in a final twist in what was a breathless affair, Leeds scored a last-gasp equaliser through man-of-the-moment Ao Tanaka, who also found the back of the net in his side’s impressive 3-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek.
Hungary ace unable to explain how Liverpool conceded momentum
Understandably devastated after watching his side drop more precious points, Szoboszlai was unable to put his finger on why Liverpool conceded momentum in a game they were in complete control of.
Speaking to after the final whistle, he said: “I don't know what happened after 2-0. I think we thought the game was over and we just made sure at the beginning of the game that this is the kind of game where you can never underestimate the team. Maybe after the penalty they [Leeds] just had the momentum. We came back which showed a good reaction but we conceded again from a set-piece which is not the nicest way.
“I don't know [if there is a confidence issue], maybe you're right but after 2-2 we showed a great reaction and showed our mentality. We knew we made a mistake by letting them come back to 2-2 but I have nothing to say about the result."
When asked what was said in the Liverpool dressing room after the game, Szoboszlai added: “What is in the dressing room stays in the dressing room, it is not for the public. We have to manage it, we have to find solutions.
“I can always come up with the opportunity on Tuesday or on the weekend again but there are also times where you have to look at yourself. You have to go home and think if you did everything what was possible and if the answer is yes then we just keep going and the momentum will come.”
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AFPSlot's Liverpool aiming to bounce back against in-form Inter Milan
Liverpool will look to bounce back when they lock horns with Italian giants Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. While Arne Slot’s side sit eighth in the Premier League table, they are currently 13th in the Champions League standings.
Inter, meanwhile, should provide a difficult test for the Merseysiders. Cristian Chivu’s side are fourth in the Champions League table, having won four of their five fixtures. They are also top of Serie A after winning 10 of their 14 league games this term.
Fisher, whose only Test so far came against West Indies in 2022, is already in Australia with England Lions
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-20251:06
Is this the end for Mark Wood with England?
Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series following a recurrence of the left-knee injury he sustained during the first Test in Perth. Matthew Fisher has been named his replacement.Fisher, whose only Test so far came against West Indies in 2022, is a six-foot-two seamer with a high release point. He is already in Australia as part of the England Lions side and will link up with the senior team this week. The third Test in Adelaide starts on December 17.Wood, who turns 36 in January, was hoping to be available for the last two Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney, but at the same time, he admitted that age was catching up with him. “Wood will return home later this week and will work closely with the ECB medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery,” an ECB statement said.Related
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“Gutted to be out the remainder of the Ashes,” Wood wrote in an Instagram post. “After extensive surgery and seven long, hard months of work and rehab to get back into the Test arena, my knee just hasn’t held up. None of us expected this. I came here with high expectations about making a big impact. I’m desperately disappointed that despite yet more injections and intensive medical treatment, it has become clear that the flare-up in my knee is worse than feared.”I’m really sorry that it has left me unable to perform as expected but it is not for want of trying. Whatever happens, I will continue to push the limits to get back again. It has been a tough road these past few months but I remain determined to give it another proper go. I still believe we can turn things around. Never give in. Come on, England.”Wood had surgery on his left knee after hobbling out of England’s Champions Trophy campaign in February. The series opener in Perth was his first Test match in 15 months. He bowled 11 wicketless overs across the match and was sent to a specialist after reporting pain in his knee. He missed the second Test in Brisbane, which Australia won by eight wickets to take a 2-0 lead.Earlier in the day, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was also ruled out of the series. But the hosts will be bolstered by the return of their captain Pat Cummins. Usman Khawaja, who missed the second Test with a back issue, is also expected to be fit and available for the third Test.
India’s stand-in captain wants to keep it simple during a Test they must win to avoid losing the series to South Africa
Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Nov-20252:06
What will Rishabh Pant’s Test captaincy style be like?
Standing in as captain is never straightforward, and Rishabh Pant may have it trickier than most when he becomes India’s 38th Test captain on Saturday. He won’t just be leading a side without its regular captain and superstar No. 4. He’ll be leading an India team that’s 1-0 down in a two-Test series, which means they either win this Test match or lose the series.Roughly a year ago, India hadn’t lost or even drawn a home series in 12 years. Since then, they’ve lost one to New Zealand, 3-0, and could now lose this one to South Africa.Pant will be leading India at a home venue they may not feel entirely at home in. This is Guwahati’s first Test match, and conditions are a bit of an unknown, with the added twist of geographical considerations that will mean unusually early starts that may not fully mitigate the effect of early sunsets. So much could hinge on decisions made while still getting to grips with these conditions.Related
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There’s a lot, in short, for Pant to think about – or to avoid thinking about.”See, we feel at this top level, playing international cricket, you are going to be put under pressure like this, that you might be 1-0 down in the series,” Pant said in his pre-match press conference on Friday. “But at the same time, as a team, we don’t want to dwell too much on the result every time we play cricket because we need to have a clear mindset that, regardless [of whether] we are one up or they are one up, we still have to give our 200% when we [get] on the field.”Taking that undue pressure is not required to play cricket, I feel. You’ve got to keep it simple. Just go out there and try to do your best, and eventually, the team who is going to play better cricket will win the match.”This was the broad, recurring theme of Pant’s first press conference as captain. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself. Focus on the controllables.Pant knows that even the controllables are only so controllable. He was asked, for instance, about his decision to start day three of the Kolkata Test with Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in tandem rather than one of the two left-arm spinners and Jasprit Bumrah, and whether he might have chosen differently in hindsight.
“I feel, especially in red-ball cricket, because it goes [on for a] longer period of time, small tactical changes you can overcome because it gives you time in the game”Rishabh Pant ahead of leading India in the Guwahati Test
On that morning, India endured a frustrating wait for a wicket, with Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch putting on a match-turning partnership for the eighth wicket.”A lot of discussion happened as a team, and we felt going with a spinner was that thought process for us,” Pant said. “Yes, there is always a chance [you could have brought] a fast bowler in, that’s for sure; [that thought comes in] when someone gives you a wicket afterwards.”But that’s the challenge as a captain [which] you want to face each and every day. You are going to be questioned, but eventually you are going to do what you believe is right in that given frame of mind. And trust that that person who has the ball will do the job for the team.”As the Bavuma-Bosch stand stretched on, India’s fans may have harboured conflicting thoughts, because it was equally possible to think that Pant was keeping Axar on for too long, and that he was changing bowlers too frequently and not allowing them to settle. It’s one of the classic conundrums of Test-match captaincy: there’s a lot of time in the game, but it can get away from you in no time.”I feel, especially in red-ball cricket, because it goes [on for a] longer period of time, small tactical changes you can overcome because it gives you time in the game,” Pant said. “But at the same time, you have to keep your emotions in check and [not] let the game drift away from you for too long. You try to be as close as possible to the game during the pressure situation.”In Kolkata, Rishabh Pant looked uncertain when he faced Simon Harmer•AFP/Getty ImagesBy this, Pant probably meant stay in the game for as long as possible, and take decisions that give you the best chance of doing so. He often does this brilliantly when he bats. He takes calculated risks when the bowlers are dictating terms, putting pressure back on the bowling team by upsetting their plans and field placements. In good batting conditions, when he knows runs will come if he stays in, he often makes some of his most measured, risk-free starts.Either way, when Pant bats for any length of time against any bowler, you usually know he has a plan, whether it’s a conventional one or something only he could have conceived and backed himself to execute.In Kolkata, however, Pant, for once, looked uncertain when he faced the offspinner Simon Harmer, seemingly unsure of his ability either to attack or defend in those conditions. Across the two innings, in which he made 27 and 2, Pant faced 23 balls from Harmer, and played nine false shots.Before this match, Pant had played nine or more false shots against a spinner in six other Test matches. The false shots came over far longer periods in those six games; he scored at least one half-century in each of them.When Rishabh Pant bats for any length of time against any bowler, you usually know he has a plan•Getty ImagesYou can, of course, only read so much into numbers like this from a one-off Test on a pitch of extreme variability. Guwahati’s conditions, from all pre-match indications, should be far more reasonable to bat in. No bowler, if this is so, should look nearly as unplayable as Harmer did at Eden Gardens against India’s left-hand batters, and in particular Pant.But Harmer’s threat in Kolkata wasn’t all to do with the pitch. He bowled with exacting control of length while varying his speeds and trajectories effortlessly. He will continue to pose problems even in decent batting conditions. Pant probably knows this, and is probably already formulating his response.And this could well turn out to be a key contest in Guwahati. South Africa know all about Pant’s ability to change games quickly, having seen it even in Kolkata when he took Keshav Maharaj for 22 runs in just ten balls in the first innings. They will bowl as much of Harmer to Pant as they possibly can when he’s at the crease.How Pant handles those spells, and how well his batting partners help him in this task, could have far-reaching knock-on effects on the Guwahati Test. Effects that could go a far greater distance towards winning India the Test match than any captaincy call he makes.