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He dug in when needed, but also displayed skill and nous to go in an exhilarating direction

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Jul-2023Some days, you get to be on the ground floor of something special.Before this game, Saud Shakeel had a Test average of 72.50, seven fifty-plus scores in 10 innings, and a reputation for being a little old-school. His Test strike rate was 41.66.In balls-to-the-wall 2023, this reads like a stat out of the Triassic. An object of curiosity.Related

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• Pakistan turn on the gas to play Test cricket at turbo speed

If Shakeel has not moved the needle a lot outside of Pakistan, though, that’s not really his fault. In Multan, in December last year, there was a defiant 94 off 213 in the second innings. But England won that game, narrowly, after Shakeel was out, though not without controversy.He made 125 not out off 341 (you read that right) against New Zealand in January, before following up with a 32 off 146 in the second innings. But because fellow Karachiwallah Sarfraz Ahmed hit a second-dig century to seal an excellent comeback series in his hometown, the Shakeel slow-burns were lost in the grand narrative.Innings with strike rates like 36.65 and 21.91 kinda have a habit of getting lost.In Galle, he arrived with the score on 67 for 3, and soon worsened to 101 for 5. But not long after that, Shakeel was 33 off 53, then 50 off 69, then 64 off 82. Uhhh, is this the same guy? The guy who played the innings that felt like they’d been dug up by archaeologists? Is that him slog sweeping hard and flat? Him flitting down the track, making room, blasting the left-arm spinner over cover?In between, he played a believable impression of the batter international cricket had previously known him to be. The defence against quicks was almost always organised, even if his stance more open than most, though not nearly as open as that of, say, Fawad Alam, who he replaced in the Pakistan batting order, and who also learned his craft in Karachi, but spiritually, is from outer space.Against spin, Shakeel was judicious. Moving forward quickly when the bowlers pitched too close, sliding backwards when the length was short. And crucially, between the fours, he picked the gaps like a master.Visually, you might say, there is not a lot to recommend his batting. But he doesn’t seem the type to care. The whip through midwicket, the chop square of cover, the boring old conventional sweep to the legside sweeper – the kind where the fielder moves towards the ball because even the batters know there’s only one run there – these are the Shakeel specialties.Saud Shakeel’s 208*, unlike his previous innings, won’t get lost in the grand narrative•AFP/Getty ImagesHe said as much after play on day three.Is it because of your Karachi training that you play spin so well, he was asked.”Usually, in first-class cricket in Karachi, we don’t get many turning pitches,” he said. “But my strength is I like to rotate the strike. You’ll have noticed I like to take singles as regularly as possible, and I can find singles on both sides of the ground. I tried to apply that strength, First-class cricket also helps, but the way I’ve been brought up and learned the game actually helps me way more than any first-class cricket I might have played.Essentially: It’s hard not to love.But for those of us who need the boxes, Shakeel swept exceptionally well, and scrapped when the scrapping needed to be done, which are both understood to be Karachibatting things. Most predictably of all, he stepped happily back into the defensive version of himself when he ran out of batting partners and had only the tail to work with.At one stage in his innings – in the company of Agha Salman – Shakeel made 83 off 88 deliveries. After Salman was out, slow-burn Shakeel returned, blocking out the first few balls of every over, turning down the singles on offer, pouncing on only the bad deliveries. His batting partners played bravely at the other end. The journey from 100 to 200, took 223 deliveries.

“The grand pronouncements are tempting, but in this case it is important to let the innings breathe. Let it rest in its greatness”

Oh, okay. So it him. There’s our guy.We don’t know if Shakeel will be the next great Pakisan batter, because we don’t make predictions here. We only make observations.Observations such as his having arrived at the crease during an incredibly difficult period, his having adopted a batting tactic that he’s never tried at Test level before, and his having marshalled the tail to spectacular effect on this occasion.Whatever the long-view of his career becomes, even from just this innings, it might be fair to conclude that his ceiling is outrageously high. At the end of his 11th Test innings, Shakeel went back into the dressing room on 208 not out, having faced more than four balls on average of the last 44 overs.The grand pronouncements are tempting, but in this case it is important to let the innings breathe.Let it rest in its greatness.Let those of us who saw it in person wonder for a little while longer whether we really were on the ground floor. Wonder how special this something might become.Let it coalesce gently, because while for 88 balls there was the skill and nous to go in an exhilarating direction, Shakeel seems more at home in the ebb of Test cricket, rather than its flow.More at home in its gentleness.

Manchester United have endured a dismal time on the pitch as of late, as seen by their unacceptable 15th-place finish in the Premier League back in 2024/25.

The hierarchy’s answer to such a year was to splash yet more cash in the transfer window, with Ruben Amorim handed over £200m to make the additions he desired.

The recent window has now seen the Red Devils hierarchy spend upwards of £800m since the summer of 2022, with the club only having an FA Cup and Carabao Cup to show for it.

After the first six games of the new campaign, the club have once again failed to deliver, currently sitting in a measly 15th place once again – with Amorim’s side losing nine of their last 15 league matches.

Big money additions like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have all been added to the squad, but the £200m trio have so far only notched two top-flight goals between them.

Big-money additions don’t necessarily equal immediate success, but one of their previous mammoth additions has proven his worth over the last few years.

Why Bruno has been United’s talisman in recent years

Given the failures of United on the pitch last season, it no doubt made it hugely tricky for any player to produce their best performance levels to help get the side out of trouble.

However, it didn’t stop Bruno Fernandes from thriving for the Red Devils, with the midfielder producing one of the best campaigns of his professional career.

The Portuguese international ended 2024/25 with a total of 37 combined goals and assists, by far and away the most of any player in the first-team squad.

However, despite his impressive form last year, the 30-year-old has struggled to match such heights in the opening weeks of the new campaign – only being able to score twice in his first six outings.

He’s usually been Mr Reliable from the penalty spot during his five-year spell at Old Trafford, but he’s already racked up two misses from the spot – with the most recent costing Amorim’s side a point against Brentford.

Bruno, who’s the manager’s captain of choice, is still a phenomenal talent, but it’s clear that he’s lacking huge amounts of confidence at present – along with the rest of the first team squad.

However, the same can’t be said for one former player, who has managed to take his career to the next level after departing the Red Devils a number of years ago.

The former United star who’s outperforming Bruno

Players leaving United and furthering their careers is nothing new to the fanbase, with numerous talents reaching the next level in their development after departing.

Anthony Elanga is arguably the biggest example in recent years, leaving in a £15m transfer to join Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 after emerging through the ranks at Old Trafford.

The Swede managed 82 appearances at the City Ground, scoring 11 and registering 21 assists – before completing a big-money move to join Newcastle United this summer.

He cost a fee in the region of £60m, with the Red Devils selling him for a quarter of the price he generated for Evangelos Marinakis’ side during the off-season.

However, he’s not alone in such an aspect, with Brazilian star Andreas Pereira another talent who has managed to thrive with regular minutes away from the Theatre of Dreams.

He spent nearly a decade as a Red Devil, racking up 75 senior appearances in the process, but many of which were off the substitutes bench – leading to limited first-team action.

As a result, he left in a £10m deal to join Fulham in the summer of 2022, spending three years at Craven Cottage and finally thriving in England’s top-flight.

The 29-year-old racked up 10 goals and 19 assists in his 110 outings for Marco Silva’s men, leading to one analyst labelling the Brazilian international as “sensational”.

However, Pereira has once again been on the move this summer, leaving the Cottagers and joining Brazilian outfit Palmeiras – allowing him to return to his homeland.

He may have only played four games for his new club, but it has not stopped him from having an immediate impact – already scoring twice and registering a further assist.

Such a tally of three goal contributions is higher than that of Fernandes, with the Portuguese international missing the chance to outperform him with his two penalty misses.

Given the issues United have had in the middle of the park over recent months, there’s no reason as to why Pereira wouldn’t have been able to play a key role had he not been sold.

However, his story at the Red Devils will always finish with a what if, given his bargain departure a few years ago – with the Brazilian yet another player who got away from their grasp far too soon.

Man Utd flop who had a "nightmare" was even worse than Shaw vs Brentford

The Man Utd player lost the ball 18 times and was even worse than Luke Shaw.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 28, 2025

Aaron Boone and his Yankees are heading north of the border for the AL Division Series after taking care of the Red Sox. Now, they have another rival in front of them in the AL East champion Blue Jays.

Toronto and New York finished the regular season with the same record (94-68), but the Blue Jays took the division and a bye to the ALDS thanks to owning the tiebreaker over the Yankees. During the division race, Blue Jays broadcaster and former big leaguer Buck Martinez didn't hold back his true thoughts on the Yankees.

"Ya know, the Yankees, they're not a good team," Martinez said on a broadcast Sept. 9. "I don't care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, they don't run the bases very well. If they don't hit home runs, they don't have a chance to win."

Boone certainly recalled those choice words and is using them as motivation ahead of Game 1 against the Blue Jays Saturday.

"I feel like the last couple months, we started to play really well. Contrary to some thoughts up here, we're a really good team," he said to reporters Friday via SNY.

After a follow-up question, the Yankees manager addressed Martinez's shade directly. "I know Buck had some thoughts, that's all I was responding to. He's wrong," he continued.

The Yankees won a decisive Game 3 against Boston Thursday at Yankee Stadium to keep their season alive. And ironically, they didn't hit a home run in the big 4-0 win. Now, Boone's squad has an opportunity to prove Martinez wrong with a trip to the ALCS on the line.

This current Celtic team are insipid, uninspiring and lifeless in attack, so just imagine how much Matt O’Riley would improve everything.

When the 20 year old arrived from Milton Keynes in January 2022 for a reported fee of £1.5m, no one could’ve forecast just how good he would be.

In the end, the Danish international is in the conversation to be Celtic’s best attacking midfielder of modern times, scoring 27 goals and registering 35 assists in 124 appearances for the Hoops, named the club’s player of the year and players’ player of the year in 2023/24.

He was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m just 13 months ago, before joining Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan this summer, starting les Phocéens’ Champions League opener against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Tuesday.

As replacements Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren struggle to hit the heights O’Riley reached in Glasgow, did Celtic sell their own homegrown version, whose value has increased by almost 1,300% since leaving?

A lack of pathways for Celtic youngsters

Most top-flight Scottish clubs, not just Celtic, are often criticised for not giving academy graduates an opportunity.

Of course, current squad members Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and, to a slightly lesser extent, Anthony Ralston have managed to come through the academy and become first-team regulars, but the vast majority do not.

The table below documents a selection of Celtic academy youngsters who have been forced to depart in search of regular first-team action.

As the table documents, none of the players listed made more than ten appearances for Celtic’s first team, all sold for, at most, nominal compensation fees.

Karamoko Dembélé was the most-hyped, but Ben Gannon Doak is the name that leaps off the page, given that he just joined Bournemouth from Liverpool in a deal worth £25m, and is a starter for Steve Clarke’s Scotland side.

Due to post-Brexit rules, English clubs in particular are looking north of the border for talent, given that it is now more difficult to bring youngsters in from the EU.

Thus, is there another Celtic youngster who departed seven years ago who they may rue selling most of all?

Forgotten former Celtic youngster starring in Italy

During the 2010s, brothers Liam and Ewan Henderson were both coming through the Celtic young ranks together to plenty of excitement.

Liam, the older of the duo, made his senior debut against Motherwell in December 2013, actually accumulating 37 appearances in total, albeit 23 were as a substitute.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

He spent six months on loan at Rosenborg, before also being loaned out to Hibernian, etching himself into club history by helping Hibs win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years, coming off the bench to provide two assists against Rangers in the final.

Ian Crocker’s commentary line, “it’s Liam Henderson to deliver”, now a core part of Hibs’ folklore.

However, he did not manage to have quite the same impact at Celtic, despite the fact Brendan Rodgers said “as time goes on, he impresses me even more… what I love about Liam, he’s got great personality”.

Nevertheless, he was sold to Bari in January 2018 for just £115k, and has called Italy home ever since.

After making just 19 appearances for I Galletti, he spent time at Hellas Verona, Empoli on loan and Lecce, re-joining Empoli permanently in 2021, featuring 119 times for the Azzurri, a key figure during their stay in Serie A, racking up 15 assists.

This summer, he finally departed Stadio Carlo Castellani, joining fallen giants Sampdoria, scoring on his debut for I Blucerchiati against Spezia in the Coppa Italia, starting their first three Serie B matches subsequently.

Thus, Football Transfers estimate that his current market value is around £1.6m, which represents a 1291% increase on the £115k he departed Celtic for.

Also, according to Global Football Rankings, Serie A, where Henderson has played the vast majority of his football, is the second-strongest league in the world, while his current home Serie B is 30th, just three spots below the Scottish Premiership.

Thus, it is unquestionable that Henderson possesses the talent and the quality to have been a key contributor at Celtic, had things panned out differently, or at the very least been able to bring in a significantly higher transfer fee.

A creative midfield star at a string of clubs since departing Parkhead, there is a sense that the Glasgow side have perhaps let a homegrown O’Riley slip from their grasp.

Rodgers must finally bin Celtic flop who earns more than Iheanacho

Celtic must finally part ways with this flop who earns more than Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 17, 2025

Four years after Brandon King shot to fame with Guyana Amazon Warriors, he stands poised to play a key role in West Indies’ bid to qualify for this year’s ODI World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu17-Jun-2023This was how Ian Bishop introduced Brandon King to the wider world on commentary after the batter had smashed a 60-ball century for Guyana Amazon Warriors in front of a full house in the first CPL Qualifier in Guyana four years ago. King went on to convert it to an unbeaten 132 off 72 balls, which is still the highest individual score in CPL history. Shoaib Malik, who was King’s batting partner and captain at the time, patted him on his head as part of the celebrations while Shimron Hetmyer and the rest of the Amazon Warriors’ dugout gave him a standing ovation. The hundred left Johan Botha, who was the coach at the franchise at the time, in tears during a pitch-side interview.It was Botha who had transformed King into an opening batter in the CPL although King had done the job for Jamaica in regional cricket previously. Before CPL 2019, King had never opened in T20 cricket and had fairly modest returns as a middle-order batter. After being bumped up to the top, King responded with a chart-topping 496 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.11 and strike rate of nearly 150.King was immediately elevated to West Indies’ white-ball sides after CPL 2019, but he largely batted out of his (best) position in the middle order, which exposed him to spinners and slower bowlers. King is a pace-hitter who is adept at maximising the powerplay – traits that had made him a batting royalty in the CPL but in the West Indies middle order, he was far from it.ESPNcricinfo LtdKing was expected to open the batting for West Indies more recently in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, but the return of Evin Lewis prompted the team management to separate King and Mayers, with King dropping down to the middle order. Lewis also slid down the order during that tournament, another move that shook up West Indies’ balance even further.But, in the lead-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe, there is a greater sense of stability around West Indies’ batting line-up. Shai Hope has been the leading run-getter in ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup, with 1967 runs at an average of over 50. But he has had a strike rate of only 75.45 during this period – the lowest among batters from Full-Member nations with at least 1000 runs.With captain Hope selflessly demoting himself to No. 4 and taking on the spinners, King has moved up to the top and has been given freedom by the new team management, under Hope and Daren Sammy, to do his thing. He also works particularly well with the left-handed Mayers, who is fresh off a successful IPL stint with Lucknow Super Giants.”His [King’s] role is a lot more important now because he’s now opening the batting for us, so he has his work cut out for him,” Hope had said ahead of the three-match ODI against UAE in Sharjah. “I’m very sure he’s capable of doing the job for us and hope he can continue in this way.”King marked his promotion to vice-captaincy with his maiden ODI hundred in the series opener in the Emirates. Rovman Powell will take back ODI vice-captaincy for the World Cup Qualifier, but King has been identified as a future leader in the Caribbean. After Jamaica Tallawahs had beaten the odds to win CPL 2022, their then captain Powell publicly said that King was part of the leadership group and now with Powell shifting to Barbados Royals, King could be among the contenders to take over as Tallawahs’ captain in their quest to defend the title this year.Brandon King acknowledges his maiden ODI hundred•Emirates Cricket BoardKing has reeled off scores of 72,112 and 64 in his last three innings as an ODI opener and has also been working on improving his game against spin to become a more rounded batter. In the CPL 2022 final, he countered mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman with sweeps and earlier this month in Sharjah, he threw wristspinner Karthik Meiyappan, who has also had an IPL stint with Chennai Super Kings as a net bowler, off his lengths and lines with sweeps as well as down-the-track swings.”As a batsman and as a professional, you’re always looking to improve,” King told CWI media in Sharjah. “I have conversations with other batsmen and coaches. I watch footage of myself in games and see what can be improved through discussion and put into practice. I think [when] batting [against] spin, it’s important you put them under pressure, and you don’t want them to settle and bowl to you. So that’s something I try to apply in my game.”King also credited Hope for helping him ease back into the role of an opening batter. “Listen, Shai has been opening for West Indies for a number of years successfully,” King said. “I have a lot of conversations with him about cricket and how he approaches it [the game]. I try to take what I can and put it into my game. We’re obviously different types of players but nothing is better than the experience of doing it yourself. We have regular conversations, and he has given me advice on what he thinks it takes to be successful opening and I’ve tried to put those into my game as well.”West Indies had failed to make it out of the Qualifier to the tournament proper of the 2022 T20 World Cup, but they look in much better shape for the ODI World Cup qualifier.”The atmosphere is good,” King said. “We’re building towards something, and I think this group has a lot to offer – even coming from the last series we played in South Africa. We’re playing really well together and we’re gelling well, and the camp is very positive. We have new staff as well that’re bringing a lot of positive energy, so I’m very excited to be amongst this group.”Johnson Charles is also back in West Indies’ opening mix, but King and Mayers are set to start the Qualifiers as West Indies’ first-choice openers. Mayers has already graduated from the CPL to IPL. If King flourishes at the top, in a cut-throat tournament which allows just two teams to progress to the World Cup in India, it could well mark the beginning of his reign as an elite international opener.

Ronaldinho's son, Joao Mendes, has claimed that he is not burdened by the pressure to emulate his legendary father and is working hard to make a name for himself with Hull City. He featured in the Premier League Cup against Bournemouth last month, and the youngster is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as tougher challenges await him in the EFL.

• From Barcelona spotlight to Yorkshire’s grit

  Mendes’ journey to Hull has already taken him through a couple of continents. After spells at Cruzeiro and Barcelona, he moved to Burnley last season before joining Hull in September on a short-term deal running until the end of the campaign. His arrival in Spain in 2023 made global headlines, not because of his talent, but for following in his father’s footsteps at the club where Ronaldinho’s magic once lit up Camp Nou. The former Brazil star won two La Liga titles and a Champions League during his time in Spain, and many hoped that Mendes would also go on to shine with the Blaugrana. But for Mendes, that link was precisely why he needed to step away.

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• Mendes wants a name of his own

  At Hull, Mendes is determined to carve out his own story and not one defined by the golden legacy of his famous father. "I don't feel any pressure. I've always had it clear in my mind that I'm me and he's him," he told BBC Radio Humberside. "It's normal that you're going to see me as his son but that doesn't affect me or the way I play. I don't care at all. All my family always say to me it is just noise and I don't need to listen to any of it. I just need to be happy playing football."

  At Hull, Mendes is currently part of the Under-21 squad. He can operate both as a winger and an attacking midfielder and is determined to prove his mettle, which will open doors to the first team.

  "I'm just working hard to earn my spot. The main objective is to make it to the first team," he said. "The fitness level wasn't there when I joined so I'm working on that. The coaches understand and help me a lot."

• Growing up in football’s harsh spotlight

  Ronaldinho’s career is the stuff of legend as he has scored 236 club goals and won 12 major trophies. But while his father’s smile once lit up the world’s biggest stages, Mendes' journey is only just beginning. However, he remains determined to write it on his own terms.

  "I want to be Joao, regardless of anything," he said in an earlier interview with. "I never tried to be my father, I never wanted to be my father. So to get away a bit from where he played [Barca] and what's close, I think it was a good start and a good step for me. I think people on the outside want you to be something you're never going to be, whether you like it or not, right? It's good to be here."

  Being the son of a global superstar means the camera follows you everywhere. Every touch of the ball, every pass, and every miss carries extra scrutiny. Mendes knows this better than anyone, and so did his parents.

  "My father and mother never really wanted me to pursue it, because they already knew what was going to happen. But when passion speaks louder, you can't help it," he had said

  When asked if he feels burdened by his father’s name, he replied: "It's a fine line, because there are people who cross it, there are people who don't, but I've always been proud to be the son of who I am. My father was one of the best, if not the best, to ever play the game. So being his son, being able to talk about him, is a source of pride. And I try to do my own thing, I try not to put my father in the middle of things, I try to play my football my way, without pressure."

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  Adapting to life in England

  Swapping Brazil’s beaches for English winters has been an adjustment, but Mendes has taken it in stride. "It's difficult at first, there's no denying that. Even more so now in winter, it's a bit worse," he said. "If you put on a glove, two socks, we can manage."

  As Hull’s first team sits fifth in the Championship, chasing promotion to the Premier League, Mendes knows opportunities could open up. He is focused on proving his credentials with the U21s, and comparisons with his father don't bother him at all.

England captain says England will lick their wounds and try to come back stronger at Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025

Stokes consults with his senior team-mates as the Perth Test runs away from England•Getty Images

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he and his team had been left “shellshocked” by Travis Head’s stunning 69-ball century, as Australia transcended the chaos of the first three innings of the first Ashes Test at Perth to romp to victory by eight wickets and with three whole days to spare.Head left the field to a standing ovation after his stunning knock of 123 from 83 balls had ripped the momentum away from an England team that seemed to have the contest in their grasp when they went to the second-day lunch break on 65 for 1, with a lead of 99 and nine wickets in hand.But a calamitous collapse of 4 for 11 in 19 balls, initiated by a fine spell from Scott Boland, turned the contest back in Australia’s favour. Though England’s lower-order rallied to set the hosts 205 for victory – the highest innings total of the game – Head’s promotion to the top of the order, in the absence of the injured Usman Khawaja, proved a blessing in disguise as he came out swinging, to blaze Australia to their target in a mere 28.2 overs.It was an example of England being comprehensively beaten at their own hard-hitting game, and Stokes was in awe of Australia’s matchwinner at the post-match presentations.”We’re a little bit shellshocked there,” Stokes told the host broadcaster. “That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It’s quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It’s knocked the wind out of us.”Asked if he regretted England’s approach to their own second innings – in particular a trio of big shots from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root in the midst of that post-lunch collapse – Stokes insisted that England’s approach had not been the wrong one, as Head’s own success demonstrated, but their execution had been lacking.”If you look at the way the game eked out, the guys who seemed to have success out there with bat in hand were the guys who were really brave and took the game on,” Stokes said. “Anyone who tried to stay around there and try and occupy the crease didn’t really seem to have too much success.Related

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“On wickets like this, you never think you’ve got enough, so if you find yourself in a position where you’re the guy who’s managed to get in, try and give yourself the best chance of going on. There was a lot of assistance there when the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. The guys who were brave enough to knock the bowlers off their lengths seem to find success on that.”Ultimately, however, England were blown away by Head’s extraordinary onslaught. Asked what more he could have done to contain such an aggressive innings, Stokes said: “We tried three or four different plans at him. When he was going like a train, those plans can change quite quickly, because those runs were coming down quickly.”I’ve seen Travis play a lot of knocks like that, whether it be in Test cricket or white-ball cricket. He’s very hard to stop.”Because of the two-day finish, England now have close to a fortnight to prepare for the day-night Test in Brisbane, beginning on December 4. Stokes admitted that his team would have to lick their wounds after such a bruising defeat, but said that the performance of his five-man pace attack in the first innings was proof that there will be some positives to take into the rest of the series.”The way in which we bowled yesterday was simply phenomenal,” Stokes said. “A lot happened on day one, 19 wickets fell, so it was a good day for the bowlers.”This is a very tough one to get the series going when we felt we were in control of the game, and we were coming out there to bowl in that fourth innings. We’ve got four more games here.”We’ll obviously let this sink in. Obviously it hurts extremely, but we got to get our heads round and move on to Brisbane, and then hit the ground running there.”

Arsenal had to sit on the sidelines and watch the FA Cup action over the weekend, but following their thumping 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last time out, spirits are high.

That said, the arrival of a new face before the transfer window slams shut this week could help further lift the mood, especially as the latest name touted for a move to N5 could mimic Leandro Trossard's fantastically successful move last January.

What's better is that this player's finishing ability has been compared to arguably the greatest Premier League player of all time: Thierry Henry.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Conducting the right transfer has become something of an art form in the modern game, with a plethora of different strategies and ways of looking at the market, but in this case, it seems as if Arsenal are simply looking to repeat the same trick they pulled last year and head to the Amex for their latest star.

According to reports from Spain, the Gunners are keen on signing Brighton & Hove Albion ace Karou Mitoma, either this month or in the summer if it comes to that.

The report has revealed that it is Mikel Arteta himself who is pushing for this transfer, although the club are set to face some stiff competition, with Manchester United and Manchester City both big fans of the Japanese international and keen to add him to their ranks this year.

If the north Londoners can get their man this month, it would be the second January in a row in which they have signed the Seagulls' premier winger. However, with the Mirror reporting last month that any deal would cost in the region of £70m, it would be a far more expensive transfer than the one for the Belgian.

How Mitoma compares to Arsenal's left-wingers

The Gunners are blessed with an incredibly talented team – of that there can be no doubt – and while this talent certainly extends to the left wing in the shape of Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, it stops there, and neither one has lit the league alight this season.

On a pure league goals and assists basis, the Japanese superstar has his potential new teammates beat, registering three goals and four assists in just 17 appearances.

In comparison, the Belgian has scored four times and assisted once in 17 appearances, and the Brazilian has four goals and two assists in his 19 league appearances.

The "insane" 26-year-old, as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, isn't just impressive because of his numbers, though, as in his short time in the Premier League, he has already racked up quite the catalogue of impressive goals and mazy runs.

In fact, his finishing was something that former teammate Christian Burgess flagged to Sky Sports, with the Englishman claiming that Mitomoa "finishes like Thierry Henry," which could be just the thing to convince Arsenal fans that he is a player worth signing, and when you watch his goal compilations, it's impossible to miss.

Ultimately, with the opportunity to end the club's two-decade title drought still within reach and Martinelli and Trossard not quite at the races this season, signing Mitoma should take precedence as one of the Gunners' critical objectives before the window ends.

Moreover, the sight of a left-sided forward bursting down the wing before gently guiding the ball into the far corner has been missing from the Emirates for far too long.

Julian Gressel says the return to action of Lionel Messi after injury should have Inter Miami’s MLS rivals feeling “a little bit scared”.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• All-time great recovering from ankle knock
• No risks being taken on his fitness
• Could return after the international break

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has not taken in a club appearance since mid-June, when he left Tata Martino’s camp in Florida and linked up with the Argentina national team for Copa America duty. He lifted the trophy at the end of that competition, but suffered an unfortunate ankle injury in the final.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi has been eased back to fitness since returning to Chase Stadium, with no risks being taken, and Inter Miami have continued to fare admirably without him. Martino has, however, indicated that his talismanic No.10 could return to action against the Philadelphia Union on September 14.

• Getty
  

  WHAT GRESSEL SAID

  Argentina left Messi out of their latest World Cup qualification squad, giving him time to work on his recovery in the United States, and Gressel has told of welcoming the all-time great back: “It’s Lionel Messi, I don’t think I really need to say much on what contribution he brings here. We’ve been very good without him, now you add a player like him into this team, and I’m sure other teams are looking at that and are a little bit scared of us. He has a couple of weeks to get back to game fitness, and hopefully he can join us on the field for the next game.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Inter Miami have pulled eight points clear at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference, as they chase down the Supporters’ Shield, and will hope to have a fully fit Messi firing on all cylinders when entering the post-season play-offs.

Rest of India lost a wicket off the first ball of the third day of the Irani Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2025
Vidarbha strengthened their grip on the Irani Cup fixture by taking a sizeable first-innings lead against Rest of India and then extending it to 224 on the third day in Nagpur.The day began with Rest of India on 142 for 5 in response to Vidarbha’s 342, with their captain Rajat Patidar and Manav Suthar at the crease. Vidarbha fast bowler Aditya Thakare struck with the first ball of the day, dismissing Suthar lbw after successfully reviewing the umpire’s not-out decision.Yash Thakur took the next two wickets, bowling Saransh Jain with a yorker and having Akash Deep caught at cover. Patidar had resumed his innings on 42 and got to 66 with ten boundaries before he was the penultimate wicket to fall – caught off fast bowler Harsh Dubey while trying to clear the long-off boundary.Thakur picked up the final wicket to dismiss Rest of India for 214, finishing with figures of 4 for 66 and giving Vidarbha a first-innings lead of 128.Vidarbha’s openers Atharva Taide and Aman Mokhade put on 42 for the first wicket in the second innings before Taide holed out to deep midwicket off Suthar. Mokhade fell for 37 in the 24th over, caught behind while trying to hook Gurnoor Brar. From 64 for 2, Dhruv Shorey and Danish Malewar steered Vidarbha to 96 at stumps, ahead by 224 runs with eight wickets in hand.