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West Ham United’s issues within the final third have been evident throughout the Premier League this season, simply unable to find the goods within attacking areas.

The Hammers have scored just 40 goals in their 35 outings to date, with only four teams scoring fewer, three of which have already been relegated from the top-flight.

Only one player in the first team squad has managed to register double figures in terms of goals, highlighting the need for added investment over the summer.

Michail Antonio has missed the majority of the campaign through injury, whilst big-money addition Niclas Füllkrug has been unable to provide the goods – scoring just three goals in 2024/25.

Such scenarios have seen one player take all the responsibility in forward areas, with manager Graham Potter needing added reinforcements to help share the workload next time around.

West Ham’s leading attacker throughout 2024/25

Jarrod Bowen has frequently been West Ham’s leading star in attacking areas this season, registering 11 goals and seven assists across all competitions despite their lowly league standing.

The 28-year-old has scored various key goals throughout this campaign, with it unthinkable as to where the side would be without his contributions in recent months.

Goals against Southampton, Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur all secured points for Potter’s side, with their lack of threat in the final third an issue that desperately needs addressing this summer.

If he were to sustain an injury, it would leave the side with a real lack of threat, with Tomas Soucek currently sitting as the Hammers’ second top scorer on eight goals.

With the summer window rapidly approaching, Potter needs to make such a transfer a priority, with numerous names already entering the fold as potential options during the off-season.

Why West Ham should sign a star who’s better than Liam Delap

Liam Delap is just one name who’s been thrown into the mix over a summer move to join West Ham, with countless other sides also in the mix for his signature.

The 22-year-old, who’s scored 12 league goals this campaign, has a £30m relegation release clause within his contract, which has become active after the Tractor Boys dropped back into the Championship.

If they were to land his signature in the summer, they would face the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest for his services – potentially ruling them out of the race.

However, they should be looking elsewhere, potentially in the direction of Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha, who’s also previously been touted with a move to join the Hammers in the coming months.

When comparing the Dutchman’s stats with those of Delap, he has massively outperformed him, highlighting what a superb addition he would be to Potter’s squad.

Emegha, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored more goals to date, whilst also notching a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – showcasing his clinical nature in the final third.

He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst coming out on top in more of the aerial battles he’s entered – offering the Hammers an excellent all-round option in attacking areas.

Games played

27

35

Goals scored

14

12

Shot-on-target accuracy

57%

43%

Pass accuracy

80%

61%

Shots on target

1.4

1

Carries into penalty area

1.3

1

Aerials won

44%

43%

It’s unclear how much a deal would set the hierarchy back, but given his record in Ligue 1 this campaign – it’s a deal worth exploring with the rewards there for Potter next campaign.

If the manager is to be a success at the London Stadium, he needs to get the recruitment spot on and target young talents rather than additions like those of Fullkrug, which haven’t worked out.

Emegha has the attributes to be a success in the top flight should the club decide to make a move, taking the weight off Bowen’s shoulders and allowing for a solid partnership in the final third between the pair.

Perfect Kudus replacement: West Ham on high alert to sign PL "nuisance"

West Ham will need to replace Kudus if he leaves this summer

ByJoe Nuttall May 7, 2025

Double-World Cup winner and Ashes star, but Woakes’ everyman qualities were his defining trait

Matt Roller01-Oct-2025When a sportsman retires, it is only natural to focus on their successes, and in Chris Woakes’ case, there were many. He is a double world champion, playing in both the 2019 (ODI) and 2022 (T20) World Cup finals, won the Compton-Miller medal in one of his five Ashes series, and finished a 62-match Test career with a batting average over 25 and a bowling average below 30.Woakes became a stalwart for England across formats: he spearheaded the one-day attack throughout Eoin Morgan’s white-ball revolution, regularly ran through touring Test teams, and lent balance to every side he played in. His record in England is outstanding: in 39 home Tests, he took 148 wickets at 23.87, outstripping even James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Yet the response to his international retirement on Monday – he will play on in franchise and county cricket – has underscored the sense that Woakes’ lows were an essential part of his story. His everyman quality made him the most relatable England regular of his generation, and was a huge reason why he is so highly regarded by both team-mates and fans.Woakes was a brilliant all-round sportsman, earning his nickname ‘The Wizard’ when cleaning up at a darts tournament on an Under-19s tour. Yet as a cricketer, for all his qualities, his attributes were relatively unremarkable: a swing – and, later, seam – bowler who spent most of his career bowling closer to 80mph than 90mph, and a solid if unspectacular batter.Woakes claimed three wickets as England prevailed in the 2019 World Cup final•IDI via Getty ImagesHe was not blessed with the natural pace of Mark Wood, Broad’s height, or the freakish athleticism of Ben Stokes, but developed himself into one of England’s most loved players through resilience and determination. He is a rare example of a player who undoubtedly fulfilled his potential, turning his early promise into a stellar international career.There were plenty of challenges. The timing of Woakes’ career meant that he was often competing for a single spot in England’s Test team, with Anderson, Broad and Stokes all automatic selections. He suffered various injuries – an occupational hazard – and, perhaps most notably, he struggled away from home, finishing his overseas Test career with a bowling average of 48.93.Related

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He reflected on those challenges in a candid Sky interview on Tuesday. “[Fans] don’t see it all,” Woakes said. “They don’t see the tough days… the hard moments where you are struggling. It happens in sport, where we often put on a brave face but behind the scenes, within the dressing room and within hotels, there are some dark times.”Woakes also recognised the benefits that overcoming adversity had on his career: “It moulds you as a person, moulds your character. It certainly helped me, the fact that I’ve had those setbacks… There’s been highs, there’s been lows, but the lows make sure that, when you do get success and you get those rewards eventually, that means a hell of a lot more.”Inevitably, there has been a great deal of focus on Woakes’ final act as a Test cricketer since his announcement, and his decision to come out to bat with a dislocated shoulder at The Oval – in a valiant, if ultimately vain, attempt to get England over the line against India – deserves immense credit. It is a reflection on his selfless character that he saw it as his only option.Ben Stokes greets Woakes after his valiant effort at The Oval•Getty ImagesBut as the dust settles, it will be his late arrival in the 2023 Ashes that ought to be the abiding memory of Woakes’ England career. He had not played a Test match for 18 months before he was thrown into the series at 2-0 down with three to play; a month later, he was bowling England to a series-levelling victory at The Oval, finishing the series with 19 wickets at 18.15.It was trademark Woakes, a starring role made even sweeter by the adversity that had come before it. He had feared for his career when he returned from a disastrous tour of the Caribbean in early 2022 needing knee surgery, and he was consistently overlooked at Test level when he was fit enough to return.His comeback at Headingley brought six wickets and a priceless 32 not out to see England home; in Manchester, he took a first-innings five-for; at The Oval, he was named player of the match for his seven wickets, four of them on the final day. Even still, he was happy for Broad – who sealed the win in his final act as an England player – to take centre stage.It was telling that Woakes’ announcement provoked such a strong response, and Key summed up his contribution to England dressing rooms past and present by describing him as “a man who helped every team he played in, even before he walked onto the field”. It takes something special for a player to be so highly regarded by both team-mates and supporters – and Woakes was just that.

Shanaka is no one’s idea of a world-class bowler but he makes it work against Bangladesh with his 3 for 28

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Sep-20231:51

Maharoof: Shanaka brings balance to the team when he bowls

When your last seven scores are 5, 14*, 1, 5, 0, 5 and 1, these things tend to happen. Like a man rifling frantically through all his pockets for a misplaced key, Dasun Shanaka is reaching for deliveries he doesn’t usually reach for, lunging when he doesn’t usually lunge, and mis-hitting almost every shot in an anxious 32-ball 24 that sets Sri Lanka on track for another fizzling finish.It has been almost nine months since Shanaka struck 108 not out off 88 against India in Guwahati. Since then, he has played 14 ODI innings, averaged 10.69, and struck at a truly abysmal 73.15.Such has been the extent of his batting misery, and so desperate a figure does he cut with bat in hand, you wonder if he thinks he will ever find his old self again. Whether he still believes the thing big-hitting batters such as himself are supposed to believe: that the shot that thumps him back into rhythm – like an old TV screen that comes right when you hit it hard enough – is just around the corner.Related

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But this is not your run-of-the-mill plunge into despair. There are other statistics. Under Shanaka’s leadership, Sri Lanka have now won 13 consecutive ODIs, something only the greatest ODI team of all time has ever done before. They’ve bowled out their opposition in all 13 of those matches, despite their best fast bowler – Dushmantha Chameera – having been injured for most of that run. Wanindu Hasaranga has played no part in their three Asia Cup victories so far. Promising left-armer Dilshan Madushanka has not been available in this tournament either.There are huge caveats to these numbers, of course. Of the teams playing in this year’s World Cup, Sri Lanka have defeated only Afghanistan (three times), Bangladesh (twice), and Netherlands (twice) during this stretch. None of these sides are what you would call long-standing cricketing powers. But still, Sri Lanka have won 22 matches and lost only 13 under Shanaka. In ODIs since 2016 in which he was not captain, Sri Lanka won just 28 and lost 63.A quick vibe check, as we can’t be all about numbers: it doesn’t feel as depressing to be a follower of Sri Lankan cricket since Shanaka took over the white-ball teams. Even if he himself barely looks like he can hold a bat right now.What Shanaka can do, however, is contribute with the ball. It is, by a distance, his second skill. Maybe even his third, given his fielding in the circle is routinely outstanding. On Saturday, having seen Bangladesh’s batters go after Maheesh Theekshana early, and sensing that perhaps this was a plan they had hatched, Shanaka brought himself on to bowl the fourth over and, however gentle his pace, began making the ball curve late enough through the air to trouble batters.He raised a mild lbw appeal in his first over, conceded just five runs across his next three overs, and eventually created the pressure that yielded two wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz pulled a shortish ball straight to midwicket. Mohammad Naim top-edged what in Shanaka’s world is a bouncer, which eventually settled in the gloves of the wicketkeeper. By the end of his first spell, Shanaka had given away 15 from six overs. It was, in effect, a tone-setting effort.Dasun Shanaka dismissed Bangladesh’s openers in his back-to-back overs•Associated PressBangladesh never truly recovered from these six overs, delivered by a captain who does not usually operate in the early stages of an innings but, perhaps because so much else was going wrong for him, felt he needed to find responsibilities elsewhere.Shanaka is no one’s idea of a world-class bowler. Just as Sri Lanka is no one’s idea of a world-class ODI team, at present. But together, for now, they are making it work. Kind of. In their previous win, against Afghanistan, they had kind of tumbled into like a drunk crashing into a soft haystack.And his problems will persist beyond this match. There are lots of things a captain can’t really do when they’re in this much of a personal chasm. They can’t comfortably make the kinds of tough selection calls on match day that are sometimes required. They can’t twist arms and draft players that are not on the selectors’ radar. They can’t talk tough within the team, and certainly not in public. They can’t take strong stands, which is a thing you often need to do when your board is Sri Lanka Cricket.You suspect Shanaka is not a natural arm-twister/tough talker/stand-taker anyway. But in men’s elite sport, which even in 2023 rewards the more brusque expressions of masculinity, it would be nice to have the option of being a generalissimo, even just occasionally.That ODIs have been Sri Lanka’s worst format since their batting Valar (TM Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardana etc) retired is pretty well understood. But right now, it feels like a side that is spinning like a top – beautiful in its current motion, but susceptible to collapsing with the lightest gust, a glancing touch of a finger.Shanaka is at least partly responsible for this revival. On Saturday, his batting failed again. But he took 3 for 28 from nine overs, and led Sri Lanka to another victory.

The Delhi Capitals yorker specialist talks about his rapport with Rishabh Pant, earning Ricky Ponting’s praise, and some key wickets he has taken this season

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi12-Oct-20213:52

‘It’s good for me that the team management, especially Rishabh, has belief in me’

Avesh Khan was the most expensive Delhi Capitals bowler in their qualifier against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, taking one wicket for 47 runs. Though he still is the second highest wicket-taker this season, that innings pushed his season economy rate to 7.50. Before the game he was the only bowler among the top five wicket-takers this season under 7 on ER, and he has been key in Capitals making the playoffs and finishing on top of the points table at the end of the league phase. In this conversation, which took place on October 7, Avesh opens up about his bowling mind.You have been with Delhi Capitals since 2017, but this is the first season where you have played every match. That confidence of playing every game is big, isn’t it?
Yes. The budding players who want to play for India look at the IPL as a doorway. So this year, having got the opportunity in every game has given me added confidence. Every year I would prepare with the mindset that I would play from the first match, but unfortunately I did not get chances. Last two years I got one match each. This season [Kagiso] Rabada and [Anrich] Nortje were not available for the first two matches and Ishant [Sharma] was injured. Then Rishabh [Pant] trusted me, so my aim was, if I am getting a chance from the first match, I should grab it wholeheartedly, and bring out a performance which will help the team win.We have lost only three matches out of 13 [at the time of the interview] and those too have been close defeats. None of those was one-sided.Related

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For a budding player, if you are getting to play from the first match, the confidence is different because you are one of the main players in the team. You are then not playing to make a spot for yourself but to make the team win. You are playing to perform because if you perform and the team wins then personally it is good for you for future matches.In our first match, against Chennai, I did well and then my rhythm was good and I continued. I did not overthink. Mentally I was stable and focused on going match by match, along with the bowling plans for the opposition batsmen. Slowly I have now started bowling in the slog [overs], and also in the powerplay.Let’s talk about that first match against Chennai and the wicket of MS Dhoni, which you took with the second ball you bowled to him. It was on a hard length outside off, and he ended up pulling it on to his stumps.
When Mahi walked in, Rishabh told me to bring in the mid-on and mid-off. He said if he [Dhoni] hits you over them, that is fine, but don’t pitch fuller, bowl your length. At first I disagreed with him and asked him not to bring in five fielders and leave only four inside [the 30-yard circle], but he insisted. So I did that and the second ball, he [Dhoni] attempted to hit over when he saw both fielders [mid-on and mid-off] inside the circle. He had not played for a while, and Rishabh took advantage of that and we got the wicket.You got Dhoni once again in the repeat match in Dubai recently with a similar ball.
Once again I had a chat with Rishabh. Basically he said to pitch a hard length and let him [Dhoni] hit from there because it is tough to do that. And that is what I did and he edged.”If I get hit in my first two overs, I can come back, I can get wickets and bring the team back, because in IPL the game changes every over”•BCCIThree of the balls you bowled to Ambati Rayudu in the rest of that over were fast and full outside off stump. Tell us a bit about the plan there.
I had already had a chat before the over with Rishabh about bowling wide yorkers. For Mahi the plan was different. For Rayudu , he told me he would set the field and then point out what delivery to bowl. Against Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja], I wanted to use the long boundary on the on side. I told Rishabh that since Jaddu was in good touch, he could make use of pace, so I would go for the slower delivery. He took a single. Then Rishabh told me that Rayudu will try to hit you on the leg stump, using the pace, so he said to set the field for the wide yorker and bowl that.Now when I am at the top of my bowling mark, I only think of executing the ball I have in mind. I do not think about what shot the batsman will play, whether he will sweep or play the lap shot. I don’t have any apprehensions. I back my instincts and focus always on the ball I want to bowl.Can you talk about the Hardik Pandya wicket in the game before the CSK one? The field was set for the wide yorker but you surprised him with a 143kph straight yorker and got him bowled.
In that match the ball was reversing a bit and I took advantage. If you see it again, you will see the ball starts from the fourth stump as it leaves my hand and then swings into his legs before tailing into his leg stump.In my third over [16th of the innings] I had noticed that the ball was swinging late, and I beat Krunal [Pandya] on two deliveries. We can’t apply saliva, but I used sweat to make it swing. In the death overs if the ball swings even a bit, it affects the batsman’s timing. And I know that I can take advantage with my ability to get reverse swing. That was my intention.In the team meeting Ponting asked Rabada, Nortje and me what was our plan for Hardik. I said, if I bowl against Hardik , I will bowl to take his wicket. In such a situation to be defensive is difficult because he is such a good hitter and if I miss the length, he can hit me for six or four. We needed to go for the wicket because the next over [20th] Ashwin was going to bowl.ESPNcricinfo LtdWould you say that Hardik Pandya wicket was your most enjoyable one this IPL?
Yes, I enjoyed that wicket a lot. When I watch the video, I get a very good feeling – I have bowled a good ball, a yorker. In the first half of this IPL, I was bowling yorkers and giving four-six runs an over, but I was not getting wickets. So when I see a ball that makes an impact – you bowl a yorker and the batsman is bowled – that feel was different.Harshal Patel and you are the leading wicket-takers so far this IPL. Both of you bowl at the death and bowl a large number of yorkers in this phase. Clearly you have worked on how to bowl the yorker, especially at death.
It depends on what the match situation demands. For example, in my third over [against Mumbai] I did not bowl so many yorkers but in the last over I bowled four [including the Hardik Pandya wicket ball]. Also, it was Sharjah, where the wicket is slow, so you can mix slower balls with yorkers and slow bouncers. But on flat wickets, yorkers are very necessary – like in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, where it is pretty flat. If you bowl slower and it does not grip the surface on those wickets, the batsman has time to hit the ball.You have bowled the 20th over six times [and once more since the interview], the most for your team this year. You must feel proud that the team trusts you to bowl at the death?
It is good for me that the team management, especially Rishabh, has belief in me. I give full credit to him.Our plans are very clear. For example, if I want to bowl a stump yorker at Rayudu , he might refuse and say, “Bowl wide yorkers.” I don’t argue with him. I want to become a flexible bowler who can talk with the captain and listen to him. We have played together since our Under-19 days. We sit together – Rishabh, Axar [Patel] and me – and discuss matches late into the night. From behind the wicket he makes a signal and I understand what he wants and then I focus on executing the ball. Our conversations are very clear. All this is not visible on TV. When I stand at the top of my run-up I look at him, not the batsman. What he [Pant] is thinking, what ball he wants me to deliver. If he says nothing, I go with the ball I want.With Rishabh Pant: “When I stand at the top of my run-up I look at [Pant], not the batsman”•BCCIAmay Khurasiya, your mentor, told one of my colleagues in an interview: “When you come back consistently after getting hit, you start becoming a good bowler.” Do you agree?
The last match [vs Super Kings in the league stage] is a good example. I did not feel like I bowled as well as I usually do. There was room for improvement. Amay sir is right. If you look at the match, I had gone for 32 runs in my first three overs. I did not think about myself at that point when I went for the final over. I wanted to ensure the opposition should not score more than 140 runs. They were about 132 after 19 overs. James Hopes [Capitals bowling coach] has repeatedly said that you might go for no runs in three overs, but you still need to focus on bowling that one last crucial over. And I was bowling that crucial over, the last over. We won that match in the last over. If I had given 10-15 extra runs, they could have made 145-150 and the result could have been different.I had removed from my mind that I had gone for 32 runs in three overs. If I thought, “Today is not my day, I am being hit for runs, I am not bowling well”, then that would have been wrong. I would have been in a negative mindset. But I only told myself, I have just this one over left and the fewer runs I give, it will restrict our target and benefit my team. I gave only four runs. I felt pretty good.In the past I would have been thinking about the early overs of the spell, where I might have gone for runs, and that would have had an effect on the later overs. So that over against Chennai, where I managed to restrict them, has helped with my mental confidence. I learned a lot from that experience – if I get hit in my first two overs, I can come back, I can get wickets and bring the team back, because in IPL the game changes every over.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier in the season, the game ended in a Super Over. You were hit for a four and six at the start of the sixth over, but you responded well.
It was a low-scoring game. Jonny Bairstow is someone who wants to make full use of the powerplay and attacks straightaway. That six was pretty good. The sound that came off his bat – as a bowler you are a bit stunned. Still, my aim was to get his wicket somehow. The pitch was on the slower side, so I bowled a slower delivery and he missed his timing and was out [caught at mid-on]. I knew that the more pace I gave him, the quicker he would hit. So I cut down on pace and got his wicket.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the past Rabada had delivered the Super Over for Capitals. Now Pant and Ponting have confidence in you too.
The backing of the team, especially the coach and captain, is important. But I also want to say this: you can’t judge a player in one or two matches. You have to give a player a minimum of four-five matches to judge whether he has the capacity to perform. Earlier in the season Rishabh told me he would give me two-three matches and it would be upon me to grab the opportunity.After the match against Kolkata Knight Riders where you took 3 for 13, Ponting in the post-match dressing-room briefing said you are no more an “unsung hero” but are rather a “sung” hero. Did that make you feel proud?
He knows me for four years now. After the third match this season, he said: “You are the unsung hero.” In the KKR match I got a wicket in my first over, and then I got Dinesh Karthik’s wicket in the next over. I felt good listening to him compliment me in front of everyone.You get goosebumps listening to him. He talks about what you are playing for: for pride, to win, for yourself, for your team members. On match day he puts his hands on both my shoulders and says: “Keep it simple. Do your thing.”Ponting hands out badges in the dressing room to reward players for their efforts on the field, regardless of the result. How many have you got so far?
In five matches in the second half so far this IPL, three badges, and in the first half, in the eight matches I got five badges.

Shohei Ohtani took the mound at Angel Stadium for the first time in nearly two years, pitching into the fifth inning for the first time this season in the Dodgers' 6-5 loss to the Angels on Wednesday night. And a return to the pitching rubber at his old stomping grounds meant Ohtani faced off against some old friends, such as three-time American league MVP Mike Trout, whom he struck out twice.

It also meant that Ohtani took the time to reflect on being back in the ballpark he called home for the better part of his first six big league seasons.

And while it wasn't surprising to see Ohtani looks back fondly on Angel Stadium, it was perhaps a bit surprising to see just how highly he spoke of the park.

"I had a lot of good memories being in this stadium," Ohtani told MLB.com. "It’s one of my favorite stadiums to play in. So it was a really important mark for me to be able to pitch on this mound again."

At face value, Ohtani saying that Angel Stadium was one of his favorite stadiums to play in isn't too surprising. But when you consider the general perception of the park, his high praise becomes a bit more surprising.

While Angel Stadium has good weather and sunshine on its side, its close proximity to highways, apartment complexes and parking lots dampens the vibe just a bit—and earned it a ranking of 23rd out of 30 ballparks in stadium rankings for the 2025 season.

Stadium nostalgia aside, Ohtani's Dodgers were swept by the Angels in the season series, which spanned six games. So admittedly, his club has bigger fish to fry, namely its upcoming series with the now-first place San Diego Padres.

But it's always fun to restart a conversation about which MLB ballparks are—and maybe aren't—the best.

England’s key batter won’t dwell on Perth dismissals, despite poor head-to-head record

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2025

England’s first training session at the Gabba on Sunday, ahead of the second Ashes Test, featured a couple of unfamiliar “dog-throwers”.With the Lions taking part in the Prime Ministers’ XI match in Canberra, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue with them, and the bowlers resting up after Saturday’s session at Allan Border Field – only Ben Stokes sent deliveries down – net bowlers and coaches were working overtime. As were two new faces in England stash.They were drafted in from the Sunshine Coast by bowling coach David Saker as reinforcements. And it was no coincidence there was a left-hander in there.After Mitchell Starc blasted through England in the first Test at Perth to put Australia 1-0 up, the extra focus was a no-brainer. The tourists had no answers for Starc’s brilliance as he finished with 10 in the match. They will need to find some ahead of the day-night Test, because no one does it better than the 35-year-old in this novelty off-shoot of the longest format.Related

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Stokes: Calling England arrogant is a step too far

No bowler has anywhere near as many as Starc’s 81 pink-ball wickets at 17.08, nor his experience of 14 Tests with various iterations of the lighter Kookaburra. Like cocktails on a beach, he is a class apart when the sun sets. And with half of each day’s play expected to take place under lights, there is unlikely to be a period not suited to his game.As is England’s way, the onus is on individuals to work out their own ways of combating Starc. And it was noteworthy that one of England’s greatest problem-solvers, Joe Root, hogged a left-handed thrower during the afternoon session, trying to workshop a method against a familiar foe.The pair have played each other 23 times – red and pink – and Starc has the slight upper hand in their ongoing battle.Test cricket’s second-most productive run-scorer averages 34.9 against Starc, who has removed Root 10 times in Tests, including twice last week.”I think the first innings, to be honest, it was a pretty good ball,” Root said of his dismissal for a duck on day one, twisted around and edging to third slip. “Nipped across you from straight in. I wasn’t looking to whip it through square leg or anything like that. It was just one of those things you can get on a lively wicket. In England that probably doesn’t carry, it drops short with soft hands. It’s just one of the things you have to wear.”In the second innings, Root felt he started well “being quite busy and proactive” before edging a drive onto his stumps for 8 from 11 deliveries. The third batter dismissed in a run-less six balls that turned the Test on its head. “I just made a slight error of judgement and it costs you. You could play and miss at that, or it goes between stumps and keeper and goes for four, and you never think about it again.”Joe Root trains at the Gabba•Getty Images

Fine margins? Or, whisper it – does Root have a Starc problem? Both can be true, of course. Likewise, the fact that since adding the wobble seam delivery to his repertoire, Starc has been able to challenge both edges of the bat, regardless of whether he is faced with a right- or left-hander. Supplemented by his pace, angle and swing, he was able to cover for the loss of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the first Test, and may do again in the second.”Clearly the more he’s played, the more experience he’s getting, and the more skills he’s developed,” Root said. “He’s a fine bowler and has been for a long time – and that’s never changed. They’ve had a couple of injuries, and he’s had to step up and he did that very well in the last game. Our challenge will be, can we counter that this week?”Root is optimistic solutions can be found, even in Starc’s day-night domain, and sees no reason why the bowler’s strengths cannot be managed to a degree. It is worth noting, Starc’s average with the pink ball at the Gabba is a solid yet unspectacular 29.00, with 14 dismissals across six innings.”It’s understanding all of the different tools he might have and then how are you going to counter that both in a positive manner and in allowing yourself to do it for a long period of time. Just being clear individually in how you want to go about scoring your runs and readying yourself as best you can is going to be the key.”With two days of practice, and information due to come their way from Canberra, England are fairly happy with the current batch of pink balls, even if Root thinks day-night matches are unnecessary for an Ashes series. Having played in all seven of England’s previous ones, he will need to draw on that experience, and share it with team-mates, if the tourists are to dent Australia’s impressive record in the side-format, which currently reads 13 wins out of 14. That one loss came here at the Gabba, against West Indies in 2024.”It felt pretty good when facing it. I think it’s [the black seam] actually a nice way of really focusing on the ball. Look hard at that seam and give you as many cues as you can from that point of release.”Of course, it’s going to have its different challenges and nuances from the red ball, but that’s all part and parcel of it. Can we be better at it than Australia? That’s the question and the challenge ahead of us.”

حلل إريك جارسيا، مدافع نادي برشلونة، خسارة فريقه أمام تشيلسي في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موضحًا أن البلوجرانا عانى كثيرًا ضد النادي الإنجليزي بسبب ضغط لاعبي البلوز، متطرقًا إلى إكمال البرسا اللقاء بعشرة لاعبين كذلك.

برشلونة تعرض إلى خسارة مذلة أمام تشيلسي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل لا شيء يوم أمس الثلاثاء، ضمن دوري أبطال أوروبا لحساب الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري.

وفشل برشلونة في تقديم أي شيء يذكر أمام تشيلسي، والذي كان الطرف الأفضل بوضوح في لقاء الأمس، وقدم مباراة مثالية استحق خلالها الانتصار.

ويرى جارسيا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، أن طرد لاعب برشلونة، رونالد أراوخو، كان له دور كبير في خسارة الفريق أمس.

أراوخو طرد في نهاية الشوط الأول، عقب تدخل عنيف على مارك كوكوريلا، لاعب تشيلسي، ما جعل حكم اللقاء يشهر في وجهه الإنذار الثاني ومن ثم البطاقة الحمراء.

اقرأ أيضًا .. مدرب تشيلسي بعد الفوز بثلاثية على برشلونة: جعلناهم يفقدوا الشعور بالراحة

وقال جارسيا: “كانت مباراة صعبة، بل صعبة بالفعل مع 11 لاعبًا ضد 11، ثم مع وجود نقص عددي حاولنا القتال من أجل الفوز، إنهم يمتلكون الكفاءة ويعرفون كيف يجدون المساحات”.

وأضاف لاعب مانشستر سيتي السابق في حديثه: “كانوا يكسرون ضغطنا ولم نتأقلم جيدًا على ما حدث في المباراة، كانوا يلعبون من الخلف بثلاثة لاعبين، وكنا نحاول الاختراق مع الظهيرين. كانوا يجدون اللاعب الحر وكنا نطارد الكرة باستمرار”.

واختتم: “علينا أن نكون أكثر تنافسية في هذا النوع من المباريات، إن لاعبي الفريق المنافس يلجأون إلى الصراعات الثنائية والكرات الثانية، إذا لم تضع لنفسك حضورًا قويًا، فسيكون تحقيق الفوز شبه مستحيل”.

ثم تحدث زميل إريك جارسيا في برشلونة، خوان جارسيا وقال: “إنها هزيمة نكراء، بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد ثم استقبلنا هدفًا من ركلة ثابتة، وفي الشوط الثاني أردنا الصمود وإيذاءهم بهجمة مرتدة، الهدف الثاني مؤلم”.

وأضاف: “يضغطون بقوة في منطقة الجزاء ويلعبون بكثافة، أتيحت لنا فرصنا بتشكيلة من أحد عشر لاعبًا ضد أحد عشر، وفي النهاية لم يكن ذلك كافيًا”.

وأوضح: “كانت الرسالة في الشوط الأول هي بذل الجهد واستغلال الفرص المتاحة لنا، لكن هدفهم المبكر أربك إيقاعنا”.

واختتم حارس مرمى إسبانيول السابق: “نريد الحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا قدر الإمكان، لم نتمكن من ذلك في المباريات القليلة الماضية ولا يزال أمامنا طريق طويل”.

تمكن فريق الوداد المغربي، من تحقيق الفوز على عزام التنزاني، في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

وواجه الوداد نظيره عزام التنزاني، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب عزام التنزاني، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة الزمالك في الكونفدرالية بعد فوز المصري على زيسكو الزامبي

ويقع الوداد في المجموعة الثانية في مجموعات الكونفدرالية الإفريقية رفقة أندية عزام التنزاني ومانيما يونيون ونيروبي يونايتد الكيني. 

وحقق الوداد الفوز بهدف دون رد على عزام التنزاني، أحرزه اللاعب نور الدين أمرابط في الدقيقة 57 من عمر المباراة. 

هذا الفوز يجعل فريق الوداد يتربع على صدارة ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 6 نقاط، بعد الفوز في مباراتين من الجولتين. 

وضمن نفس الجولة لمنافسات المجموعة ذاتها، فاز فريق مانيما يونيون الكونغولي على نيروبي الكيني بهدف دون رد، ليتساوي في عدد النقاط مع فريق الوداد المغربي. ترتيب مجموعة الوداد في الكونفدرالية 

1- الوداد – 6 نقاط. 

2- مانيما يونيون – 6 نقاط. 

3- عزام – بدون نقاط.

4- نيروبي يونايتد – بدون نقاط. 

Arsenal are now open to January offers for one Gunners star, with it being revealed Mikel Arteta will need to offload players and free up space in the squad.

The Gunners are well-stocked in the striker department, with Viktor Gyokeres adapting to life in the Premier League very well since making the move from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window, receiving high praise from Arteta after bagging a brace against Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard said: “All of us [appreciate Gyokeres] because he makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable,”

“He’s so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, it’s just phenomenal.”

The 27-year-old, who bagged his fourth Premier League goal of the season against Burnley earlier this month, has certainly started well, while Kai Havertz is now closing in on a return from injury, having not been involved since the 1-0 win against Manchester United back in August.

Consequently, there may be little game time available for Arteta’s other striker, Garbiel Jesus, and there has now been a major update on his future at the Emirates Stadium…

Arsenal now open to January offers for Gabriel Jesus

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now open to offers for Jesus in the January transfer window, as they need to offload players and free up space in the squad, and the Brazilian is no longer a part of Arteta’s plans.

Persistent injuries have meant the 28-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, and a return to Palmeiras could now be on the cards, with the Brazilian club willing to bring him back, potentially on a loan-to-buy deal.

The 64-time Brazil international has received high praise from Arteta in the past, with the manager saying back in September 2023: “He is a tremendous player, a really important player for us. He changed our world last season. You could all see that.”

That said, it is probably the correct decision to offload the centre-forward, given that he has been unable to put his injury problem in the rearview mirror, missing a number of games for club and country over the past few seasons.

Gabriel Jesus’ injury record by season

Games missed

2022-23

17

2023-24

17

2024-25 onwards

56

It has recently emerged that the £13.7m-a-year striker has returned to training after an extended period of time on the sidelines, which could be a boost for Arteta, given that the manager has been left light on options at times this season, with Gyokeres and Havertz suffering setbacks.

With Arsenal looking to compete on all fronts, faring well in the Champions League and through to the EFL Cup quarter-final, Jesus may still have a role to play in the short-term, but it would not be the end of the world if Arsenal sanction a January departure.

Gabriel Jesus makes admission on Arsenal's future Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him

He’s responded to the speculation around his future.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025

India were 0 for 2 after England piled on 669, but KL Rahul and Shubman Gill batted out two sessions to give India hope of survival

Alagappan Muthu26-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes made 141 to take England to 669•PA Images via Getty Images

Stumps Music echoed around Old Trafford this morning. The trumpeter had chosen well. The things Ben Stokes was doing out there was beyond the realms of normal men. So they picked up their instrument, put it against their lips, and belted out the Superman theme. Paaaa-pa-pa-pa-paaaaaa…England ended day four with 137 runs and two Indian wickets in the bank and it’s largely because of their captain’s exertions. A century and a five-for in the same Test match. Leading his team to their fifth-highest total in the format ever. Gatecrashing a club of only two. The big two. The ultimate two. Before Saturday, only Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis could puff their chests out and say they had 7000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests. Now they have to scooch over. Cricket’s rosy old past and its complicated present have clashed a lot over the past 48 hours thanks to Joe Root and his successor.Related

Batting time, battling time – Gill and Rahul duel with the clock

Root revels in 'pinch-yourself moment' after moving to No. 2

A rare double for Stokes as England break Old Trafford record

A lead of 311 looked match-winning-well-ahead-of-time, particularly with Chris Woakes daring to be on a hat-trick in the very first over he bowled. India had spent 943 deliveries on the field. The fatigue that sets in as a result undid two of their top order in five. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul came together with the score 0 for 2 and strung up back-to-back wicketless sessions (which suggests the pitch has flattened out) to make sure their team could push the fight to the final day, when there’s rain expected in the morning. The forecast says it will clear up by the afternoon.So England remain in command, although there might be worry about how Stokes did not bring himself on to bowl any of the 63 overs in the day. He’d done a fair bit of leg work earlier, meeting even the slightest sign of the balance shifting with extreme prejudice. Mohammed Siraj thought India had run Stokes out in the first over of the day. Stokes punished his optimism by charging at him the next over. The four runs were incidental. The disdain was the point. Stokes spent a few nervy moments in the 90s, but as soon as he got one on his hips, he was able to deflect it off to the boundary behind him – which was the cue for the trumpeter in the crowd to make their mark on this game – and celebrate it with a look up to the heavens and a sign of tribute to his father, Ged.England’s ninth-wicket stand racked up 95 runs in 97 balls with Brydon Carse almost scoring back-to-back fifties. Their highest total at Old Trafford fell. Then highest total at Old Trafford fell. Eventually England finished with 669, their fifth-highest in Tests and their best since, oh, scoring 823 against Pakistan in October 2024. Stokes made the last 41 of his 141 runs in 34 balls including all three of his sixes. He hit one of them so hard – the deterrent at long-off be damned – his follow through had him spinning around and almost facing the wrong way on the pitch. He seemed emotional getting to his first hundred in 35 innings, and vengeful after it.Chris Woakes struck twice in the first over of the third innings•AFP via Getty Images

India had 15 minutes to see off before lunch. England clearly wanted to make the most of them. Woakes went around the wicket straight away and that decision yielded great results. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn’t leave the ball alone. Not with the angle coming into him. He played for it, closing the face, and a peach of a delivery, nipping away off the seam, took the edge through to Root at first slip. He fumbled the first time but not the second. In walked B Sai Sudharsan to become an advert for what happens to a team when they spend 157.1 overs in the middle. He was undecided against a short and wide delivery and in the end got caught trying to leave it.Gill looked troubled at the start. His front pad was a big target. Thirty-seven per cent of his dismissals in Test cricket are lbw and bowled and England went after one more. Jofra Archer produced an inswinging yorker that nearly took Gill out only for DRS to reveal that the ball hit both the inside edge of his bat and the outside of his front pad almost at the same time. In the middle of this examination, Gill played a shot away from his body and immediately looked like he hated himself. Eventually, he looked up and realised it had raced away towards the cover boundary. And from there, he just decided to trust his game and play his shots. Not in the same way as throwing the bat around and hitting himself out of trouble, just backing himself to play to his strengths.Out came the drives, and when Gill went down the ground, he evoked the history of the bat he was holding. A couple of guys with MRF-sponsored equipment were good with that particular stroke. He cut the ball well, gaining a little payback over Archer, who had hit his hand, which had been bandaged up. There were also several drop-and-runs to rotate strike and share the pressure with his partner, Rahul. It was a good innings, which could easily have been cut short at 46 when Carse had him playing away from his body again only for Liam Dawson to drop a tough catch at gully.Shubman Gill and KL Rahul revived India from 0 for 2•AFP/Getty Images

Gill made the most of that generosity to continue his run-spree. He went past Virat Kohli’s 655 runs against England in 2016 and is chasing down Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs as an India captain in a Test series (732). Crucially, he became confident of his defence, too. From being 46 off 52 with eight fours, he went to stumps scoring a further 32 off 111 with two fours.Rahul was old-school, too, right from the start. He backed his technique even when the new ball drew plenty of life out of the pitch. This was a thrill for him. He shared smiles with Archer when an absolute seed snaked past his outside edge.Rahul’s judgment on what to play and what to leave was all the more impressive considering the time India were stuck in the field and how they were trailing the game. He was 20 off 71. Perfectly content, then bit by bit he accepted the rewards of his patience, scoring 67 off the next 139 balls and going past 500 runs in a series for the first time in his career. Rahul, too, had a little luck break his way when on 36, as an inside edge off Dawson skirted just wide of his leg stump.A day five with immense possibility awaits.