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In our first batch of team report cards for 2024: Sri Lanka, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, the Associates

28-Dec-2024Englandby Andrew Miller
Ben Stokes once claimed his captaincy role model was Brad Pitt’s tank commander in the World War 2 film . At times in a tetchy 2024, he bore more resemblance to Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise’s slick sports agent, in the midst of a locker-room meltdown.”You don’t know what it’s like to be me out here for you!” Stokes more or less implored, as a distinct lack of gratitude greeted England’s one-team mission to make Test cricket fun again – including widespread criticism of their eight often-thumping defeats out of 17 Tests played, and the ICC’s intransigence towards their tardy over-rates, which left Stokes cocking a snook at the World Test Championship in response.And yet, with apologies to a low-key home summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka, and tours of Pakistan and New Zealand that were a little bit samey, given the thrills of Bazball 1.0 only 18 months earlier, this was primarily a year of repositioning for England’s teams – red and white alike.The Test squad’s major objective, victory in India, had gone south by the end of February, taking with it the careers of James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, to name but three key casualties. Likewise, head coach Matthew Mott carried the can for a T20 World Cup defence that was considerably less inspired than England’s semi-final finish would suggest.The future looked bright from the get-go, however. Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell were just some of the Test debutants who immediately seized their stage, while Harry Brook and Joe Root’s 454-run stand in Multan was the prelude to them taking turns at topping the ICC’s batting rankings.With a home rematch against India looming in the summer, and the 2025-26 Ashes thereafter, England’s sins of 2024 will be amply forgiven if 2025 turns out to be a year to remember.Much the same will apply to England’s women, with the Ashes awaiting in the new year. Their unbeaten home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand was swiftly forgotten thanks to their catastrophic failure at the T20 World Cup, where West Indies booted them out in the group stages. Heather Knight’s team did, however, end the year with a first Test win in ten years, to cap a successful multi-format tour of South Africa, and warm up for their main event in 2025.High point
Two of England’s nine Test victories were truly astonishing, including their run-romp in Multan. But nothing could compare with the heist in Hyderabad in January, where Ollie Pope swept and reverse-swept his way to arguably the greatest innings by an England batter in Asia. He overturned a 190-run deficit to put England 1-0 up, and the Bazball effect seemingly knew no bounds.Low point
It wasn’t the most damaging defeat of the year, but it was the most roundly condemned. England’s attitude stank during their dead-rubber loss to Sri Lanka at The Oval, particularly in a slap-happy second innings that opened the way for Pathum Nissanka’s fourth-innings victory march. The team could have been gunning for a first home summer Test sweep for 20 years. Instead they got bent over Mother Cricket’s knee for an eight-wicket spanking.Results
Men
Tests: P17 W9 L8
ODIs: P8 W3 L5
T20Is: P17 W10 L5 NR2Women
Tests: P1 W1
ODIs: P15 W11 L3 NR1
T20Is: P22 W19 L3Pakistan marked a surprising resurgence in ODIs towards the end of the year with a 2-1 ODI series win in Australia•Getty ImagesPakistanby Danyal Rasool
If it wasn’t for the last couple of months, Pakistan’s 2024 would be about as bleak as a Kafka novel. There was disaster at the T20 World Cup, and an embarrassing 2-0 home Test defeat against Bangladesh. There was bedlam at the administrative level, where PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has held on to power but little else is stable. Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Mohammad Hafeez left their coaching positions in January, before Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie were appointed in April. Before the year was out, both had quit in frustration.The year was salvaged slightly by a surprising turnaround to defeat England 2-1 in a home Test series, and by Pakistan’s ODI form, which saw them win three away series in a row, over Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.There was little to cheer for Pakistan supporters in the women’s game. The side won just five of 25 matches across formats, failing to win a single ODI of the six they played. There were series losses to West Indies and England in ODIs and T20Is, and they struggled to break through in multi-team competitions too, running Sri Lanka close but failing to make the Asia Cup final. At the Women’s T20 World Cup, an impressive win over Sri Lanka was a false dawn, and they lost their next three matches heavily. Moreover, the women’s PSL that the PCB has frivolously name-dropped, appears further away than ever.High point
All of Pakistan men’s sustainable gains appear to have come in ODIs – decent timing, with a home Champions Trophy around the corner. They played no ODI cricket between last year’s World Cup and November this year, but they show signs of having stumbled into assembling a 50-over team that can take on the best, and a four-pronged pace attack put Australia to the sword in a thrilling 2-1 series win. Saim Ayub’s explosive form up top marks him as arguably the best ODI opener in the world currently, and Pakistan’s resurgence in the format is as unexpected as it is welcome.Low point
Perhaps the Test defeat at Bangladesh’s hands at home was a graver sign of decline, but what happened at the T20 World Cup trumps it for sheer shock value. Pakistan began with one of their worst ICC tournament performances in history, scraping to a tie with the USA before losing the Super Over. They followed up with a stutter of monumental proportions against India, when they somehow found a way of messing up a chase where they required 48 in eight overs with eight wickets in hand. Days later, they had marked their earliest exit in T20 World Cup history.ResultsMen
Tests: P6 W2 L4
ODIs: P9 W7 L2
T20Is: P27 W9 L17 NR1Women
ODIs: P6 L5 NR 1
T20Is: P19 W5 L14Chamari Athapaththu led from the front again to give Sri Lanka women their first Asia Cup title•Sri Lanka CricketSri Lankaby Andrew Fidel Fernando
For the first time since 2014, perhaps, Sri Lanka fans can reflect on a year of cricket and mark it down as “mostly good”. Both the men and the women crashed out of their T20 World Cups at the first opportunity, so let’s temper the good vibes with some hard truths. But still, there is reason to look to the future with optimism, for now at least.The men’s greatest triumphs came in the second half of the year. They beat India in an ODI bilateral series for the first time in 27 years, before triumphing in limited-overs series against New Zealand and West Indies (all at home). In Tests, their best performance was in the third Test against England, at The Oval, in which their four-pronged pace attack scythed through the home team in seaming conditions. There were, additionally, 2-0 wins against both Bangladesh (away), and New Zealand (home).The women lit up the early parts of the year. They won a T20I series in South Africa, before drawing the ODI series there. They then surged through the WT20 Qualifier before, in July, winning six T20Is in a row to lift the Asia Cup. Though the team are still heavily reliant on Chamari Athapaththu, who keeps dropping hints that she is retiring soon, 2024 was the year in which Harshitha Samarawickrama broke out, while teenager Vishmi Gunaratne also made strides.High point
There’s very little in cricket to match the fun of winning a multi-team tournament, and Sri Lanka Women’s Asia Cup triumph was especially sweet for having come in front of an adoring crowd in Dambulla. Packed stands and grass banks roared for Sri Lanka in their tough final against India. The images and emotions from that win will last those players – and many fans – a lifetime.Low point
While the women failing to win a single match at the World Cup was a shock, the men’s tumbling out of their World Cup within the first few days was especially facepalm-worthy. There was also the 42 all out in Durban – the lowest Test total Sri Lanka have ever made in Tests.Men
Tests: P10 W6 L4
ODIs: P18 W12 L3 T1 NR2
T20Is: P20 W10 L10 Women
ODIs: P9 W5 L3 NR1
T20Is: P23 W15 L8The 2024 T20 World Cup was New Zealand Women’s first global title in the format•Getty ImagesNew Zealandby Deivarayan Muthu
The year 2024 was one of unprecedented highs and lowly lows for New Zealand cricket. The Black Caps pulled off the unthinkable by not only securing their first-ever Test series victory in India but handing India their first-ever whitewash at home in a series of three or more matches. Hours after the men’s side had won the first Test, the White Ferns hit similar heady highs when they clinched their first T20 World Cup, toppling South Africa in Dubai.However, soon after conquering India, New Zealand men suffered back-to-back crushing losses at home against England’s Bazballers and eventually fell out of the race to make it to the World Test Championship final. Their 323-run drubbing in Wellington was their worst defeat at home in terms of margin of runs. Earlier in the year, in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, New Zealand’s men failed to make it out of the group stage, with their prep – or lack thereof – coming into sharp focus.The women’s side did deliver a T20 World Cup title but there was no indication that success was coming. Before that tournament, they lost ten T20Is in a row, their longest losing streak in the format.It was also a year where the cricketing landscape changed in New Zealand, with Neil Wagner and Tim Southee retiring from international cricket and Trent Boult signing off from World Cups. Kane Williamson, Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne all gave up their central contracts to become freelancers. With the mushrooming of T20 – and T10 – leagues, the likes of Tim Seifert and Doug Bracewell even knocked back their domestic contracts to go the same route. Before the triumphant tour of India, Tom Latham took over from Southee as full-time Test captain and towards the end of the year, Mitchell Santner assumed charge as full-time white-ball captain.Speaking of changes, an unknown, uncapped domestic player, Bevon Jacobs, was plucked out from the Super Smash to turn up for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.High point
The New Zealand men’s side came to India with just two wins in 12 Test trips from 1955. In just six days in 2024, they turned that into five wins and swept India 3-0. “I think there’d be not many pundits around the world [who] would say that you would go to India and win 3-0 and probably deep down, I’m not sure if we even believed that it was possible ourselves to do this, considering it’s never been done in history before,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.The White Ferns staged a stunning turnaround of their own to hand New Zealand their first world T20 title.Low point
Though the women lurched from one defeat to another in the early half of 2024, and the men were walloped in Wellington towards the end of the year, the Black Caps’ T20 World Cup performance in the Caribbean in June was the performance that left them red-faced.Men
Tests: P12 W6 L6
ODIs: P3 L2 NR1
T20Is: P19 W9 L9 NR1
Women
ODIs: P11 W2 L9
T20Is: P19 W6 L13Ireland’s six-year wait for a Test win ended this year, in Abu Dhabi•ACB MediaIrelandby Andrew Miller
After seven defeats out of seven in their first five years as a Test nation, Ireland landed not one but two Test victories in 2024, against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. They were made to toil, with crippling top-order collapses in each of their meagre chases, but at least the struggle was in keeping with the straitened circumstances that continue to dog the poor men of Europe.That latter contest, Ireland’s first home Test since 2018, came close to being canned due to the prohibitive cost of erecting temporary facilities. Australia’s planned white-ball stopover in August was abandoned instead, but not before an unseemly rumpus concerning the purchase of two costly Tesla cars for Cricket Ireland’s senior executives, one of which was subsequently returned.Ireland did manage a three-match home series against Pakistan in May, as preparation for their T20 World Cup campaign, but they subsequently outsourced their next “home” series, against South Africa in September, to the UAE. By then they had at least had the good news that their administrators had long been praying for: approval from the Irish government for the development of a permanent cricket stadium and High Performance Centre in Dublin.The cricket itself was hit-and-miss. The T20 World Cup – Ireland’s qualification for which had been their high point of 2023 – was a disaster: three heavy defeats included an embarrassing loss to Canada, while their potentially diaspora-engaging clash with USA in Lauderhill was a long-foreseen washout.They did at least prove their mettle with a spirited T20I victory over Pakistan in Dublin – their first in the format – and two wins out of five across formats against South Africa, including a series-squaring ten-run win in the second T20I, in which Ross Adair crashed nine sixes in his 57-ball hundred, and his brother Mark faced down South Africa’s own big hitters with four wickets.Ireland’s women had a mixed time of it too. Scotland pipped them to a T20 World Cup place by winning their crucial semi-final at the Qualifier, but Ireland beat Sri Lanka in a home ODI series, then followed up with a pair of gripping wins (one in each white-ball format) over an admittedly under-strength England in September. A clean sweep followed on the T20I leg of their tour of Bangladesh – all the more impressive given that their tour had begun with a record 154-run thumping in the first ODI.High point
The debate will rage about the importance of Test cricket to Ireland’s future, but Andy Balbirnie’s emotional reaction to that first win in the format spoke volumes. It was good, he said, to “get that monkey off our backs”, after he steered his team over the line with an unbeaten half-century against Afghanistan. A chase of 111 hadn’t looked so straightforward when the first three wickets tumbled in the space of 4.3 overs, but the earlier dominance of Ireland’s own seamers, who claimed 19 wickets, did not go unrewarded.Low point
Fortunately for Ireland, the USA’s stunning win over Pakistan was the result that captured the imagination during the New York leg of the World Cup. However, 24 hours later, they too suffered the ignominy of being unseated by an Associate nation, as Canada held their nerve to win another low-scoring thriller by 12 runs. Ireland slumped from 26 for 0 to 59 for 6 in the space of seven overs.Men
Tests: P2 W2
ODIs: P5 W1 L4
T20Is: P14 W6 L8Women
ODIs: P12 W5 L6 T1
T20Is: P18 W15 L3Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh celebrate USA’s milestone win against Pakistan•AFP via Getty ImagesUSA, Nepal, Netherlands, UAE, Namibia, Canada, Scotland, Oman, Kenyaby Ashish Pant
It was a year where USA cricket touched great heights. They won a T20I series against Bangladesh, their first series win against a Full Member team, and then outclassed Pakistan at the men’s T20 World Cup to qualify for the Super Eight, which also guaranteed them automatic qualification for the next T20 World Cup, in 2026.Nepal couldn’t quite replicate the highs of 2023, and weren’t as consistent this year as last, but they showed fight at the T20 World Cup, their first time at the tournament in a decade. They ran Bangladesh and South Africa close in the tournament. Elsewhere, Dipendra Singh Airee’s six sixes in an over against Qatar was a highlight.Netherlands, like Nepal, gave South Africa a scare at the T20 World Cup, but on the whole were unable to string together consistent performances like they did in last year. They did win more games than they lost: ten wins against nine losses in T20Is, and 7-5 in ODIs. And Sybrand Engelbrecht’s superhuman save against Sri Lanka got them some social media buzz.UAE had a contrasting year in terms of ODI and T20I results. They played 11 ODIs and managed just two wins, while in T20Is, they won 20 out of 26 matches, which included winning the ACC men’s Premier Cup and the men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B.Namibia had a grand start to the year with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton smashing the fastest century in T20I history at the time, against Nepal, but Namibia’s results nosedived as the year progressed. They secured a solitary win at the T20 World Cup, against Oman, and generally had a less than ideal time in ODIs and T20Is.Canada recorded their first win in T20 World Cups when they brushed aside Ireland by 12 runs in New York. Apart from that, it was a pretty average year, where they only managed five wins in 15 T20Is and eight wins in 15 ODIs.Off-field issues continued to plague Scotland’s cricket board, but on the field, the men’s and women’s teams fared well. The men’s team gave a good account of themselves in T20Is against England and Australia, while the women’s side made their maiden appearance at the T20 World Cup.Oman made it to the T20 World Cup but failed to win a single game and struggled consistently in both ODIs and T20Is this year.Kenya had a consistent run in T20Is this year, winning 14 of the 19 matches they played.High point
USA caused one of the upsets of the year when they shocked Pakistan at the T20 World Cup. The game went into a Super Over and the USA players held their nerve. They then also secured a Super Eight berth ahead of Full Member nations such as Pakistan and Ireland.The Nepal women’s team also chalked up a first when they beat UAE to claim their first win in the Women’s Asia Cup .Low point
Sandeep Lamichhane was sentenced to eight years in jail for rape and fined Rs 300,000 (about US$ 2255). Though he was acquitted of the crime a few months later for lack of evidence, Lamichhane was twice denied a visa to the USA for the T20 World Cup and only played the Caribbean leg of the tournament.More in our look back at 2024Stats current as on December 27, 2024

Arsenal “could make a move” for a “world-class” forward, who Mikel Arteta is known to be a big fan of.

Gunners eyeing new forward after "painful" Aston Villa defeat

Arteta’s side suffered one of their first real setbacks of the season on Saturday, with Aston Villa emerging as 2-1 winners after Emiliano Buendia’s late winner, and the manager was left frustrated by the manner of the defeat.

The Spaniard said: “Last kick of the game we have the chance with the cross from Declan for Noni and Viktor. We don’t score. Goal kick long, second ball, clear the ball, individual action. The ball comes inside the box and you end up losing it. It is painful.”

On the brighter side, the Gunners remain two points clear of nearest rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, and a number of Arteta’s summer signings have hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium.

Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke have received praise for their performances, with Eberechi Eze also catching the eye, most notably scoring a hat-trick in the emphatic 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Despite signing Eze and Madueke, however, Arsenal remain interested in signing another new forward, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed they “could make a move” for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke confirmed that a number of top Premier League clubs are in the race for Semenyo’s signature, namely Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Ghanaian’s £65m release clause will become active in the January transfer window, but the interested clubs may also choose to wait until the summer, at which point he will be available for just £50m.

Arsenal make strong move to sign "special" £111k-p/w Paris Saint-Germain star

The Gunners are looking to sign a new forward, who has been in impressive form this season.

ByDominic Lund 5 days ago "World-class" Semenyo may be ready for Emirates move

Lauded as “world-class” by Bournemouth teammate Justin Kluivert, the 25-year-old got off to a very impressive start to the campaign, and ranks third in terms of total goal contributions in the Premier League.

Player

Club

Goal contributions

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

18

Igor Thiago

Brentford

11

Antoine Semenyo

AFC Bournemouth

9

Arteta is known to be a big fan of the London-born forward, who is also impressive in the air, averaging 2.14 aerials won per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 97th percentile, compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

The former Newport County man has been impressing in the Premier League for quite some time, scoring a remarkable solo goal against Burnley during the 2023-24 campaign.

Clearly, Semenyo could now be ready to make the step-up to a top club, but having signed the likes of Madueke, Eze and Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, there are question marks over whether Arsenal need to bring in another new attacker next month.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، تطورات جديدة بشأن النجم المصري محمد صلاح، بعد تصريحاته التي أثارت الجدل حول مدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت.

وبحسب “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية، فقد التقطت صور لمهاجم ليفربول محمد صلاح وهو يغادر ملعب تدريبات النادي لأول مرة منذ تصريحاته.

وقد أدلى النجم المصري بتعليقات حول عدم شعوره بالسعادة في أنفيلد، بعد جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي.

ولم يشارك محمد صلاح كبديل في مباراة التعادل بين ليفربول وليدز يونايتد، بثلاث أهداف لكل فريق، ولعب سوبوسلاي بدلاً منه، ومع ذلك فقد فرط الريدز في تقدمه مرتين.

اقرأ أيضًا.. “شعور صادق وإشارة مزيفة”.. خبير لغة جسد يُحلل تصريحات محمد صلاح ضد سلوت وليفربول

ويواجه النجم المصري صاحب الـ33 عامًا، مستقبلًا غامضًا، حيث سينضم صلاح لزملائه في المنتخب الأسبوع المقبل للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتراقب أندية سعودية وضع محمد صلاح في ميرسيسايد، والذي شوهد يصل إلى مركز تدريبات ليفربول، في ظل استمرار الضجة الإعلامية التي أعقبت تصريحاته.

وظهر النجم المصري محمد صلاح بسيارته “الرولز رويس السوداء” مبتسمًا للكاميرات المنتظرة خارج ملعب التدريبات، وقد انضم لزملائه في جلسة تعافي بشكل طبيعي بعد التعادل مع ليدز يونايتد.

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav agreed that selecting a squad of 15 can sometimes gets challenging, with multiple options in the race for one slot, but said that the players understand the team’s needs and have their focus on one simple goal: to help India win matches.”It’s a good headache to have so many options, [whether] fast bowlers, [or] spinners,” Suryakumar said ahead of the first T20I against Australia in Canberra. “From the top to No. 7, everyone is flexible; anyone can bat anywhere. It is a little difficult during squad selection, but in this team, the atmosphere is such that everyone knows that the goal is to win.”If we want to win the match, then never mind the combination. So, even if someone has done well in the last two matches, but he is not fitting in the combination for the next game – for example, if we want to play an extra spinner or play an allrounder instead of a fast bowler – the player understands. We have reached that situation.”Related

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Suryakumar jokingly suggested that he maintains “a good friendship with everyone”, making it easier to tell them when they are not playing. But he has asked all 15 members of the squad to be ready at all times.”See, only 11 people can play, 15 cannot play, but according to me, anyone can get an opportunity at any time,” he said. “In the Asia Cup, Rinku Singh did not get the opportunity till the final, but he got a chance at such a time, when he needed 3-4 runs to win [the match] and he hit the boundary. I keep telling everyone to keep preparing and you never know when your opportunity can come. It can come in an important game; anything can happen.”Suryakumar was also glad to have Jasprit Bumrah back in the India squad after the fast bowler was rested for the ODI series and expected him to be the “guy who will take charge” against Australia, particularly in the powerplay.”As you saw in the Asia Cup, he took the responsibility of bowling two overs minimum in the powerplay,” Suryakumar said, “It is good that he is raising his hand. It is going to be a good challenge against the Aussie team in the powerplay.”The way he has played his cricket for the last so many years, he has kept himself right on the top, and he knows how to prepare for a good series. He knows how to come and play cricket here. I think he has visited this country the most of all the guys. So all of them have spoken to him. He is very open and very helpful in that, but yeah definitely when he takes the ground, starting from tomorrow, it will be a good thing. Good to have him in the squad, when we play in Australia.”Jasprit Bumrah will make a return to the India squad•Getty Images

India haven’t had recent success in Australia. They lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 in December-January and then went down in the ODI series 2-1 earlier this month. But Suryakumar doesn’t feel the recent losses will have any bearing on the T20I series, particularly considering India’s form, having lost just two of their last 15 T20Is.”According to me, it’s a different format,” he said. “The team is the same, but the format is almost different: Test, one-day and T20. And [as for] the brand of T20, we will continue playing the brand of cricket that we have been playing. There is no need to change anything and according to me, there are always challenging conditions, when you go to Australia, England, South Africa, [or] New Zealand. There is challenging cricket in all these countries, but at the same time, how you adapt to it and how you think about how to play shots, how to make runs.”I think it is non-negotiable at this level, you do your preparation and come. I feel it’s a good thing, good challenge to have going forward and we are playing five T20s, so I think it will be more fun.”Suryakumar Yadav has not scored a half-century in his last 14 innings•AFP/Getty Images

Suryakumar’s own form has been under scrutiny. He had a lukewarm Asia Cup 2025, managing just 72 runs in seven innings at an average of 18.00. The 35-year-old, however, isn’t fussed about his form as long as India keep winning.”I feel I have been working really hard,” he said. “I have had good few sessions back home, good two to three sessions here, so I am in a good space. I think that is really important… runs, it will come eventually but I think working hard towards the team goal, it’s more important what team wants from you in different situations. I take one game at a time and if it starts then I think it will be a good thing.”The one area where India have struggled in recent times has been their fielding. They were guilty of dropping many chances in the Asia Cup, and while Suryakumar reckons that fielding lapses are a part of the game, he wants the team to give the fielding department special attention.”See, catches do get dropped,” he said. “As a fielder, when you attempt a catch, sometimes you spill it. A batter gets dismissed, a bowler at times doesn’t get wickets. This is a part of the game. But, according to me, what you do after that is important. It was an optional session today, but everyone came to work on their fielding.”That means the team is working towards something really special. This is a department which I have told them we have to work really hard if we want to be the best fielding unit in the world. You have seen teams taking good catches, saving runs… they win matches through their fielding.”Sometimes the batting and bowling go awry, but you can also win matches through fielding. We are working hard. But there is no guarantee that if you take 25 catches today, then you won’t drop one tomorrow. You can drop, it’s part of the game but how much you want the ball to come to you, how much intent and opportunity you create, that is important for me. If someone drops a catch, it’s not a problem. There is disappointment, but at the same time, if you put in the effort, then there’s no problem.”

AC Milan have stepped up their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski, scheduling a new round of talks with his agent Pini Zahavi as the Barcelona striker weighs his future as his contract nears its end. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic pushing internally to bring the 37-year-old to San Siro and Milan rebuilding under Max Allegri, the Rossoneri sense an opening, but salary demands remain a major hurdle.

• Milan accelerate pursuit as Lewandowski weighs future

  According to , Milan are preparing a fresh approach for Lewandowski, with a new meeting scheduled between sporting director Igli Tare and the striker’s agent Pini Zahavi in the coming weeks. The Rossoneri have made the 37-year-old a priority target for June, convinced that his arrival could transform the club’s rebuild under Allegri. Lewandowski’s contract with Barca runs until June 2026, but uncertainty around his long-term role coupled with the club’s plan to sign a new No.9 next summer has placed his future firmly in play.

  Milan rejected the idea of approaching him last year due to salary constraints, but with Champions League qualification now a central objective, the Rossoneri believe the timing may be right to formalise negotiations. The San Siro hierarchy have already tested the waters with Lewandowski’s entourage. This next meeting is expected to focus on possible salary parameters, with the Pole currently earning €20 million (£17m/$22m) net at Barcelona, almost triple the wages of Milan’s highest earner, Rafael Leao.

  With Barcelona evaluating replacements and Lewandowski keeping all options open, the situation is edging into a crucial phase, one that could reshape the summer transfer market.

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• Getty
  

  Ibrahimovic’s influence and Barcelona’s search for a new No.9

  This renewed push from the Rossoneri comes with the backing of their former striker Ibrahimovic, now a senior advisor at RedBird and one of the most influential voices behind Milan’s sporting strategy. He views Lewandowski as the type of elite striker who can immediately elevate the squad, much like his own transformative return to the club in 2020.

  On the Barcelona side, their search for a new striker highlights how the club is preparing for life after Lewandowski. Reports indicate that Harry Kane sits at the top of their shortlist, with the England captain scoring 108 goals in 113 games for Bayern Munich since 2023. Other names include Julian Alvarez, long admired by Barca, and even a dream move for Erling Haaland, described internally as Joan Laporta’s “obsession”. Financial realities, however, mean the Catalan giants are also analysing cheaper alternatives such as Etta Eyong, underlining the scale of the transition being planned.

  Lewandowski’s reduced role this season, a result of injuries and the emergence of Ferran Torres has only added to uncertainty. Despite this, he remains Barca’s leading scorer with seven goals in nine La Liga matches, second only to Mbappe in the Spanish scoring charts.

• Lewandowski speaks out and Milan’s project takes shape

  The ex-Bayern striker has been open about his indecision regarding the next step in his career. While on duty with Poland, he made it clear that he does not intend to rush any decision: “I still don’t know the answer. That’s why I’m not in a hurry, I’m at peace with myself. Even if, for example, the club contacted me now, I still wouldn’t answer that question. Because I also have to feel what’s best for me. Now I’m calm, I’m not in a hurry and, at the moment, I don’t expect anything else.”

  His stance aligns with Milan’s long-term approach under Allegri and Tare, who are intent on recruiting experienced leaders to stabilise the squad. Zahavi’s strong relationship with Milan further strengthens their position. For Milan, landing Lewandowski would represent both a sporting coup and a symbolic statement that their project is entering a new era.

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  The next meeting could shape the summer market

  The Rossoneri's upcoming talks with Zahavi will be pivotal. If the two sides can find common ground on salary structure, potentially through bonuses or multi-year guarantees, negotiations could accelerate rapidly ahead of June. Barcelona, meanwhile, are expected to continue planning for a major reshuffle in the forward department, with the Lewandowski decision acting as the first domino.

  As interest from multiple European clubs quietly grows, all eyes now turn to Milan’s next meeting. The battle for Lewandowski is only just beginning and the outcome could define one of the summer’s biggest transfer sagas.

The Tigers' slide heading into the end of the regular season has made manager A.J. Hinch's job a bit tricky.

They snapped an eight-game skid Thursday with a win over the Guardians in their series finale in Cleveland where the AL Central lead officially changed hands. With the 4-2 win Thursday, the Tigers evened things back up in the division with Cleveland, although the Guardians hold the tiebreaker.

Detroit's final regular-season series began Friday against the Red Sox against Fenway Park. They can clinch a playoff berth with a win and an Astros loss, but there's a chance that the Tigers can go into Sunday's finale still looking to get into the playoffs. If that comes to fruition, the good news for Detroit is their ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to pitch Sunday following his most recent start Tuesday in Cleveland.

If Detroit's season is on the line, there's certainly nobody else they'd rather have on the bump. However, if they are able to clinch before Sunday, Hinch can save Skubal for Game 1 of their three-game wild-card series. On Friday, Hinch left nothing up for debate on the plan for Skubal. He'll pitch Sunday if needed. If not, he'll be on the shelf for the playoffs.

"It’s pretty clear," the Tigers manager said Friday via 's Cody Stavenhagen. "If we need to get into the playoffs, we’re going to pitch Tarik. If we’ve clinched a playoff berth, then we won’t pitch him."

Hinch and the Tigers did schedule gymnastics last year during their magical run to the postseason to ensure they could have their ace available for critical moments while on optimal rest. Last year, Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award with an 18-4 record and a 2.39 ERA while striking out a league-high 228 batters. This season, he's the Cy Young Award frontrunner with a 13-6 record, 2.21 ERA and 241 punchouts.

It's not a surprising move to play Skubal's Sunday start by ear, but opponents can be certain they'll see the dominant lefthander when it matters most.

After missing out on an extra forward in the summer, BlueCo have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Chelsea in 2026.

Maresca reveals Marc Guiu warning

Following a strong start on the transfer front in the summer, Liam Delap’s injury threw Chelsea’s final week into chaos. Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich was off then back on again, Marc Guiu was recalled from his Sunderland loan before he could truly get going and a number of rumours emerged. Ultimately, however, Enzo Maresca was forced to settle for his current attacking options.

Guiu’s recall caused particular debate. From a likely starter at Sunderland, the young striker has since found himself forced to watch on from the bench at Chelsea in frustrating fashion. What’s more, it’s only in recent weeks that he’s had the chance to impress for the Blues again.

Having his say, Maresca revealed earlier this week that the forward simply was not training well enough to earn the game time that he desires at Stamford Bridge.

There have been rumours that Sunderland could yet return for Guiu in January, but that may depend on Chelsea’s own movements. Ahead of the winter window, a number of names have already been linked with a move to West London.

That includes both Guela Doue and Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who would certainly add more firepower to Maresca’s side. Whether BlueCo will be willing to spend big or look to hijack Barcelona’s move to sign a Bundesliga alternative is the big question ahead of 2026.

Chelsea launch approach to sign Asllani

According to reports in Spain, BlueCo have now launched their first approach to sign Fisnik Asllani for Chelsea in 2026. The deal would see them beat Barcelona to one of the most in-form forwards that the Bundesliga has to offer.

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In a formal move, the Blues have turned their focus towards the Kosovo international in an attempt to add further depth to their frontline behind one of their most expensive signings, Joao Pedro. After scoring five goals in eight games in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, there’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has the quality to seal a big move.

Dubbed “clinical” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Asllani is certainly one to watch. Whilst his name is not as well-known as Omorodion, his numbers speak for themselves and Chelsea have the chance to get one over on Barcelona by securing his signature. Whether they choose to do so as soon as January remains to be seen, however.

Newcastle United dropped more points in the Premier League on Tuesday night, drawing 2-2 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in a chaotic game.

Eddie Howe’s side were the dominant team at St. James’ Park, but could not prevent Spurs’ only two shots on target from going in the back of the net.

After a goalless first half, it took until the 71st minute for the deadlock to be broken. It was Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes who opened the scoring. He strolled onto Nick Woltemade’s layoff and fired home to give his side the lead, after good play by Anthony Gordon.

Just six minutes later, Spurs had their equaliser. Cristian Romero got in front of Dan Burn to score a clever diving header at the near post.

However, it did not take long for the home side to get back in front. They won a contentious penalty, which Gordon emphatically scored, his first Premier League strike since January.

Just as it looked like the Magpies might hold on, Spurs equalised, five minutes into added time. It was their captain, Romero, again, whose acrobatic overhead kick somehow found its way through a mass of Newcastle shirts and into the back of the net.

It was a disappointing result for the Magpies in a game they dominated. Indeed, their attack left a little to be desired.

Newcastle’s misfiring attack vs. Spurs

After scoring four goals at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Everton last weekend, the Magpies might have expected to continue that sort of form.

However, they could only turn their 19 shots, and seven on target, into two goals, which proved to be too few.

One man who struggled to get into the game was Woltemade.

Although he grabbed the assist for Guimaraes’ goal, a neat lay-off into the Brazilian’s path, it was a tough night against the physicality of Romero and Mickey van de Ven.

The summer signing only had 36 touches of the ball and lost possession 12 times, as per Sofascore. He could only muster two shots and was often left fairly isolated against the Spurs centre-backs.

Another attacker who struggled for the Magpies was Jacob Murphy. The winger was unusually sloppy in the final third, completing just three out of ten attempted crosses.

Jordan Cronin, journalist for Newcastle World, said he ‘lacked conviction and concentration’ during the game.

However, it was not just Woltemade and Murphy who struggled against the Lilywhites.

Newcastle’s most disappointing player vs. Spurs

For all their domination, the Magpies struggled to get a real grip on the game. Indeed, Joelinton was another player who looked off the pace and did not have the sort of impact going forward that Howe might have wanted from him.

It was notable just how poorly the Brazilian performed on Tuesday night. Cronin was one of the people who criticised him, giving him a 5/10 for his efforts and explaining that he ‘needlessly gave the ball away’ too many times.

His fellow journalist, Charlie Bennett, also noted that Joelinton was “very sloppy” on the ball. The stats back that theory up, with Newcastle’s number seven losing the ball 11 times out of 49 touches, and having a pass accuracy of just 83%.

Joelinton vs. Spurs

Stat

Record

Touches

49

Pass accuracy

83%

Possession lost

11

Ground duels won

3/10

Number of times dribbled past

3

Key passes

1

Stats from Sofascore

It feels like Howe has an interesting selection call to make ahead of Newcastle’s next game, at home against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

It is a game you can expect the Magpies to dominate, so perhaps their manager will want midfielders who look after the ball better.

Chalkboard

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There are options, too. It seems almost certain that Guimaraes will slot back into the side after he only played 45 minutes on Tuesday, replacing Sandro Tonali.

Lewis Miley would deserve to keep his place in the starting lineup, and Jacob Ramsey is another player who could come into the fold.

Joelinton’s poor showing against Spurs may well have cost him his place in the side. Howe has other players at his disposal, all of whom may offer him extra quality on the ball.

It would certainly not be a surprise if Joelinton was rotated out of the side against the Clarets.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The Yankees faced elimination and advanced, knocking off their biggest rivals and putting them atop the World Series odds alongside the team that beat them in the World Series last year. 

The Yankees went from +700 to +410 in the World Series odds at FanDuel after dispatching the Red Sox in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card last night. That is tied for the shortest odds on the board with the Dodgers. 

The Yankees face another division rival in the ALDS, taking on the Toronto Blue Jays in a five-game series starting on Saturday. Toronto is +800 at FD to win the World Series. 

The Blue Jays held off a furious late-season rally from the Bronx Bombers to win the AL East and secure home field advantage in the series. However, they’re +132 to win the ALDS at FD, underdogs to the Yankees, who are -156. 

Similarly in the NL, the Phillies have home field against the Dodgers, but are set as underdogs to win their NLDS series. Philly is +106 while the Dodgers are -124. The Phillies have the third-shortest odds to win the World Series at +500 on FD. 

The Brewers won the most games in baseball this year and are +700 at FD to win the World Series. They are small -116 favorites in their series against the division-rival Cubs, who are even-money +100 to advance. Chicago is +750 to win the World Series. 

The Tigers, who at one point had the best record in baseball, have the longest odds to win the World Series. They’re +1300 at FD. 

Detroit faces the Marines in the other ALCS. Seattle is the biggest betting favorite in the division series odds, sitting at -172 to advance against +146 for Detroit. The Mariners are +550 to win the World Series. 

The Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series last year. The difference is Los Angeles was a big favorite to win it all even at this point in the postseason. Oddsmakers aren’t quite as sold on them this year. 

The odds showcase this year’s playoffs are as wide open as any in recent memory. There’s no clear-cut favorite, even with two big-name franchises sitting atop the odds. 

Here are the odds at FanDuel for each team to win the World Series. 

World Series OddsNew York Yankees +410Los Angeles Dodgers +410Philadelphia Phillies +500Seattle Mariners +550Milwaukee Brewers +700Chicago Cubs +750Toronto Blue Jays +800Detroit Tigers +1300

Kyle Schwarber had a monster night at the plate on Monday as he crushed his 39th and 40th home runs of the season, with the latter being a grand slam hit at Citizens Bank Park.

Schwarber's first homer of the night made him the HR leader in the National League, so Phillies fans were prepared when he came up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning when the bases were loaded. The baseball park erupted in "MVP" chants for Schwarber, and he answered their cheers by providing an electric grand slam.

A video was posted by MLB on Monday night highlighting the sounds at Citizens Bank as Schwarber was up at the plate, and then it showed how loud the stadium became once the 390-foot homer soared in the air.

Chills.

Schwarber currently has the third-best odds in the NL for winning the MVP award this season. Shohei Ohtani is leading the race to win his third-straight MVP title (-700) with Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong in second with +900 odds, via ESPN. Schwarber follows them with 10-1 odds.

Monday night's game definitely helped Schwarber's MVP case, that's for sure.