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England’s conduct in the last hour of the Manchester Test came across as moral posturing, and it’s regrettable that it came on the watch of an otherwise great ambassador for the game

Sidharth Monga28-Jul-20251:19

Harmison: ‘A little bit farcical towards the end’

It’s weird what offends cricketers.They work with an opaque internal moral code of conduct. They can legit bully players in the name of sledging after singling out who they feel are “mentally weak”, but hell hath no fury like a batter scorned by a run-out backing up, which is well within the laws of the game. They can desperately appeal for wickets when they know the batter is not out but their side is out of reviews. They can bend the laws for every last bit of advantage and then take offence at someone running the clock out or getting treatment on the field. Or someone batting on for a well-earned milestone after having batted the best part of a day to save a Test and keep his team alive in a series.Ben Stokes is an elite competitor. The game of cricket is immensely richer for him. He leaves everything out on the field even if it means he is absent for his family between Tests. This was his 12th Player-of-the-Match award in Test cricket. Only 12 men have more. Not long ago, he and his team were gracious in victory, checking on a crestfallen Mohammed Siraj practically seconds after taking the last wicket at Lord’s.Related

Injured Stokes out of fifth Test against India, Archer and Carse rested

Jamie Overton added to England squad for fifth Test against India

Weary England show their frustrations as Test ends on sour note

India's grit outlasts England's endurance to make 2-2 a possibility

Gill on the dramatic end: Jadeja, Washington 'deserved a century there'

And here they were, going on and on about India not accepting their offer for a draw at the start of the mandatory overs.The teams had been at it for hours, days. At that stage, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had withstood everything England could throw at them. They were 80 not out and 89 not out, respectively. Washington has previously run out of partners on 85 and 96 in Tests. This would be his maiden Test hundred.England went into this righteous fit the moment their offer for the draw was not accepted.There is no specific morally superior way of playing the game. The laws of the game clearly say you can’t consider a game over until the overs are bowled or both captains have agreed on ending the game prematurely.Just like England were right to offer the draw when they didn’t see another result possible, Shubman Gill, the India captain, was well within his rights to let his two rescuers go on and have a moment of personal glory on top of a gigantic effort in the absence of their best batter of the last five years, Rishabh Pant.3:12

‘Would they have walked off?’ – Gambhir on Stokes’ draw offer

The same dressing room stands up and applauds Joe Root, a great Test batter, when he gets to a hundred. They get twitchy when Root has to go to stumps unbeaten on 99.They can’t say with a straight face that personal milestones don’t matter. If they come at the expense of a team’s interests, it is that team’s problem. In this case, there was no such possibility. India would have had to live with it if they had lost wickets in pursuit of the milestones and left open a window for a daring England chase, but they were confident that couldn’t happen.The meltdown that ensued can happen in the heat of the moment. When you are at the absolute brink of physical endurance – like England were – the mind can get frayed. However, even after he had had an hour to think about his actions, Stokes still chose to virtue-signal. When asked if he would have pulled the plug on a young batter a few hits away from a maiden Test century after having batted through the day, Stokes said he couldn’t see how the extra ten runs made any difference to what Washington and Jadeja had already done.If this piece was about whataboutism, it would have pointed out the Wellington declaration, made soon after Root’s century to set New Zealand a target of 583, or the declaration with a 352-run lead against Ireland in 2023, made soon after Ollie Pope’s double-century.Those extra few runs were not making a difference to England’s team goals, but this is not about that at all.It is about not trying to impose your values on others.If this was done to gain some kind of competitive advantage, it would have still been fine. This, unfortunately, came across as moral posturing, which is highly avoidable, at all times. It is regrettable that it came on the watch of an otherwise great ambassador for the game.

Dani Olmo has dismissed claims of significant tension within the Spain national team dressing room, despite the ongoing public dispute between Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) regarding Lamine Yamal's latest injury withdrawal. The Barcelona midfielder insisted that "both sides want what's best for the player" and that the situation does not affect the squad.

• Yamal withdrawal sparks confused RFEF reaction

  Olmo, a key attacking midfielder for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, has sought to defuse the growing public feud between his club and the RFEF concerning the recurring injury issues of young winger Yamal. Speaking to at the national team camp, Olmo stated that he and his teammates "don't experience that much tension from within."

  The latest controversy erupted when Yamal, who had been called up for Spain's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, underwent an "invasive radiofrequency procedure" for pubic discomfort on the same day he was due to join the squad. The RFEF expressed "surprise and dismay," claiming the procedure was done "without prior communication to the medical staff of the national team."

  Despite RFEF sporting director Aitor Karanka later assuring "fantastic" communication, national team coach Luis de la Fuente expressed his confusion, saying: "I've never experienced a situation like this before. I don't think it's very normal. It has surprised us all." This follows a previous public spat in September when Barcelona boss Hansi Flick accused the RFEF of "failing to take care" of Yamal after he returned from international duty injured.

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• AFP
  

  Olmo denies tension in dressing room

  Olmo, himself recently recovered from a muscle problem that forced him to miss the previous international call-up, offered his perspective on the often-fraught relationship between clubs and national teams, insisting the players are unaffected.

  "I don't think we experience that much tension from within. In the end, both the club and the national team always look out for what's best for the player, and I haven't seen any problems on either side," he said.

  "Ultimately, both sides want what's best for the player. If Lamine isn't at 100% right now and hasn't been able to be, then there's no problem. Lamine is a very important player for both Barça and the national team, and we need him at 100%, and if he's not, he's not.

  "Barca always generates a lot of talk, both inside and outside the club. But, as I've already said, it's not something that worries us, nor do we feel that tension that might be perceived from the outside. Inside, everything is completely normal, always looking out for the player's best interests."

• Olmo feeling 'good' after injury recovery

  The star midfielder also discussed his own meticulous approach to fitness, which includes a detailed plan involving physiotherapy, gym work, and a carefully managed diet with a personal chef. 

  "I know my body very well; I know what I need. I try to work both on and off the field, in the gym, to prevent those kinds of problems as much as possible," he explained before providing an update on his current condition. "Good, much better now. I've just recovered from the discomfort that kept me out of the last squad, and after playing three games with Barça, I'm now getting back into form. I feel great, very comfortable, training hard, and ready to return to my best.
  "

  He has been tasked with playing a different role for Spain, one which aligns more with his RB Leipzig days than it does his current responsibilities at Barcelona.

  "[I feel] good, comfortable, with more involvement in the build-up play, especially in this last match alongside Frenkie [de Jong]. It's a position I feel comfortable in. Both De la Fuente and Hansi know me and know what I can contribute in those positions, whether it's more of an attacking midfielder, a bit more centrally, or a number 10 or in more advanced positions. Ultimately, I'm lucky enough to be able to play in more than one position and I feel comfortable in all of them.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What next for Lamine Yamal and Spain?

  Yamal will use the international break to focus on his recovery from pubalgia, with expectations that he will be fit for Barcelona's league clash against Athletic Club on November 22. His long-term management will be a key point of discussion and coordination between Barcelona and the RFEF, as both entities recognise his immense talent and importance for the future.

  For the Spanish national team, their immediate task is to secure World Cup qualification in their upcoming matches against Georgia and Turkey. While Yamal's absence is a blow, the squad remains focused on achieving its objective. Spain can secure qualification in their clash with Georgia on Saturday.

  "The ultimate goal is to win, to win both. We haven't mathematically qualified yet, so the objective is to be there, at the 2026 World Cup," Olmo said.

Southern Brave 126 for 2 (Wolvaardt 56*, Wong 2-34) beat London Spirit 125 for 8 (Griffith 44, Villiers 3-38) by eight wicketsSouthern Brave made it seven wins in a row in this year’s The Hundred women’s competition with a resounding victory over London Spirit at Lord’s, underscored by a superb partnership of 95 between Maia Bouchier and the stylish South African superstar, Laura Wolvaardt.The result, achieved with six balls to spare, leaves the Spirit hanging on in their quest to break into the final top three. After an uneven performance with the bat – only Cordelia Griffith, Charli Knott and Georgia Redmayne managed double figures – followed by a luckless run in the field, they will have to win their final match against the Invincibles on Monday and hope that other results go their way.The Brave are a brilliantly well-drilled unit. In Lauren Bell they have one of the standout seamers of the tournament who was excellent again here, removing Kira Chathli in her opening set and going for just 18 across her 20. Mady Villiers provided control and potency with her off-breaks, picking up three more wickets; and with the bat they rarely miss.While Bouchier impressed, eventually holing out for 43 from 34 balls, Wolvaardt was irresistible. Coming together after the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, given out leg-before on review to a beauty from Issy Wong, Wolvaardt opened her account with a brace of boundaries driven down the ground, before a stunning cover drive took her into double figures.A subsequent no-look slap off Wong that went for six over midwicket, carrying 74 metres, should have been the standout shot, but that honour fell to her extraordinary one-handed six over long-on. That shot brought up her thousandth run in the history of The Hundred, Wolvaardt becoming just the fourth player to do so, and the first overseas star. Her fifty came up off 31 balls, and she was still there at the death, ensuring that the mighty Brave continued their unbeaten streak.They will now, irrespective of results elsewhere, be guaranteed to finish top of the group going into the knockouts later this week. Rock bottom last year, top this; it’s been an extraordinary turnaround for the Brave.Wolvaardt’s class was recognised with the Meerkat Match Hero award: “I’m so happy that we were able to get the win. It was a nice wicket to bat on, so we did well to restrict them to that total. On a good wicket we wanted to get ahead of the game early. We knew they had a load of world-class spinners in their attack, so we wanted to get off to a fast start. I really enjoy batting with Bouch, we rotated well, and we were both able to find the boundaries as well.”Our bowlers have been absolutely amazing all tournament. The way that Belly and Tilly [Corteen-Coleman] have set the tone up front has been awesome.”

Sadaqat picked up two wickets before hitting a 47-ball 79 not out to help defeat India A

Shashank Kishore16-Nov-2025Maaz Sadaqat, 20, has probably never been searched or spoken about as much as he was on Sunday night.Under the glare of a primetime audience in a high-stakes clash against India A, the youngster from Peshawar delivered two decisive punches. His tidy left-arm spin removed Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera in quick succession, sparking a collapse that saw India A lose 8 for 45 and crumble for 136 all out with an over left.And as if that wasn’t enough, Sadaqat then opened the chase with a sparkling statement of intent, hitting a robust 31-ball half-century in an exhilarating display of batsmanship, guiding Pakistan A to a commanding eight-wicket win with plenty to spare in their second game at the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup.This was Pakistan A’s second straight win in the competition, which assured them of a semi-final berth.

Suryavanshi fires early salvo

India A were once again propelled by the precocious brilliance of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the wunderkind who had lit up the tournament with a breathtaking 144 against UAE just two nights ago.On a crumbly surface offering grip and turn, he wasted no time in taking on fast bowler Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem, to give India A the early momentum. His intent helped the team wade through the early loss of Priyansh Arya, who top-edged a pull to mid-on. What stood out was Suryavanshi’s game awareness: he quickly sensed that this pitch wouldn’t suit premeditation, and adjusted accordingly.Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not take much time to tee off•Asian Cricket Council

By holding his shape and trusting his hands, he produced an array of eye-catching strokes: like the crisp inside-out punch over cover, a clean swing over deep midwicket, and a series of razor-sharp pick-ups against spin.His 49-run stand with Naman Dhir ensured India A found a boundary almost every over until the tenth, setting a brisk, early tempo despite the tricky conditions. Suryavanshi even took on left-arm spinner Sufyan Muqeem, before an attempt to launch him over the ropes had him fall for a 28-ball 45.

Sadaqat’s Act-I

After Suryavanshi’s dismissal, India A went 29 balls without finding the boundary. That lull coincided with the introduction of Sadaqat, whose thrifty left-arm spin tightened the screws almost immediately. Using his angles cleverly, he coaxed the ball to drift, grip and occasionally rear up, while subtle changes of pace denied the batters any rhythm.Jitesh, coming off a blistering 32-ball 83 not out against UAE, miscued a lofted attempt to long-off, and Wadhera was stumped after being lured out by one that drifted away late. Between those two blows, Ashutosh Sharma was unfortunate to be given lbw to a delivery that skidded on but appeared to strike him outside the line.Sadaqat finished with figures of 3-1-12-2, setting the stage for right-arm seamer Shahid Aziz to return and wipe out the lower order. From looking set to score 180, India A collapsed to 136 all out.The Irfan Khan-led Pakistan A struck regularly in the second half•Asian Cricket Council

Sadaqat’s Act-II

On a surface where run-making seemed progressively difficult as India A found out, Sadaqat had clean plans: of taking the attack to the bowlers with the new ball inside the powerplay. And on Sunday, nothing was going to stop him.Reprieved second ball when Wadhera put down a tough chance at backward point, Sadaqat took the attack to left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh in his first over. Then with spin introduced in the fourth, he laid into leg spinner Suyash Sharma, hitting him for back-to-back boundaries.Jitesh persisted with Gurjapneet for a third straight over inside the powerplay, but Sadaqat snuffed out any fight from India A by clobbering him for 18 – including a flat-bat six over long-on as Pakistan A brought up their 50 inside five overs. This turbocharge meant Pakistan A didn’t lose momentum even with the loss of Mohammad Naeem.As good as Sadaqat was in front of square, there was so much more to his batting. He welcomed the offspin of Dhir by reverse-sweeping him for a six, racing to a half-century off just 31 balls.On 54, he top-edged Suyash, only to be dropped by Suryavanshi at point. Then on 56, he swung one over long-on, only for Wadhera to sensationally intercept the ball and throw it back into the field of play for Dhir to take the relay. However, the third umpire ruled it in favour of Pakistan. Strangely though, he did not rule it a six and it was given as a dot ball instead.Those two chances aside, there were hardly moments on the field where India A had any semblance of control. Sadaqat remained unbeaten on 79 off 47 as Pakistan A cruised home in style.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are growing comfortable in Colombo conditions and hoping to challenge New Zealand

Madushka Balasuriya17-Oct-20251:08

Omaima: ‘The main challenge is playing the new ball’

Neither New Zealand nor Pakistan have had an ideal World Cup. The former is on three points after four games with just a solitary win, while Pakistan’s sole point has come courtesy a washout against England.That match, for all intents and purposes, should have been firmly locked under the wins column for Pakistan, but such has been the weather in Colombo that any result has been firmly at the behest of the weather gods.”I’ve been around this a long time and there’s lots of things you can’t control, and weather’s one of those. It’s just something that we’ve got to roll with,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said ahead of Saturday’s match against Pakistan.Related

• Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

• New Zealand look to stay in semi-final hunt against winless Pakistan

Rains have been forecast throughout the day for Saturday as well, but for Sawyer, the preparations remain the same with the past few days also allowing some time for reflection on their washed-out game against Sri Lanka.”I thought we bowled really well,” Sawyer said. “It was a target that we thought we could chase. We just didn’t get the chance to do that. So practised really hard the last couple of days and yeah, ready to go for Pakistan tomorrow.”For Pakistan too, the weather has proved an unwelcome guest, bringing their victory charge against England to an abrupt end. It was the first time this tournament that they had managed to produce a complete performance with the ball, and before rain ended play they were looking quite comfortable with the bat as well – an area they had struggled with in the lead-up to the game.”The pitches are supporting the bowlers, especially spinners. Our spin department and fast bowling department are also doing great,” Pakistan opening batter Omaima Sohail said. “But we need to step up in our batting.”Pakistan’s improvement is not something that has evaded Sawyer and New Zealand, who are acutely aware of what they are capable of.”Their top order is, they made it look like light work of maybe chasing down that total the other night,” he said. “So, they’ve been impressive. They’ve really challenged a couple of weeks or two of the top nations. So, been impressed in particular with their bowling.”2:14

Sawyer: ‘We’ve got to be really wary of the Pakistan attack’

One reason for this uptick has been their increasing familiarity with the conditions in Colombo, where batting hasn’t been the easiest. This will be just New Zealand’s second game at the Khettarama this World Cup, though the rains ensured they were unable to bat against Sri Lanka.”We played here four matches, so now we know what the situations and what the pitch acts [like],” Sohail said. “So, we know what to do in upcoming matches. We will do better hopefully.”For New Zealand their focus will be on trying to put up more complete performances. Their batting has been bolstered almost solely by runs from Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday, who have struck 260 and 142 runs respectively over their four matches. Sawyer however is confident that the rest of the team will come good sooner rather than later.”They’ve [Devine and Halliday] looked great and to me, I know it might sound a bit silly, but it’s really exciting,” Sawyer said. “Yeah, we have had probably two batters do the bulk of the work for us at the moment, so if we can get three or four firing at once, I think we can post some huge scores.”It’s a long tournament; it goes for a month. I think we’ve already been on the road a month, as every other team has, and you’re going to have people firing at different times and hopefully we’ve got some that are really going to fire towards the back end. So I’ve got no doubt those runs are coming.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.

The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.

Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).

Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).

The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.

However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.

Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.

Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt

As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.

After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.

With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.

If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.

The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte played down talk of leaving after the club president made a controversial 'taking the team back' social media post following their win over Atalanta on Saturday. Conte reaffirmed his commitment to the club he had led to a title win only six months back. With the 3-1 victory over Atalanta, Napoli have climbed back to second position in Serie A.

Napoli chief's controversial post

Just hours after Napoli's triumph over Atalanta, courtesy of a brace from David Neres and a goal from Nao Lang, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis shared a social media post congratulating the manager and the team but his message was misconstrued by many. De Laurentiis' X post read: "Bravo Antonio Conte, who has taken the team back in time. Well done to the players who followed his instructions."

The 'taken the team back' statement came across as a wrong message, although the club chief wanted to convey that he had taken back control of the team after briefly losing it at the start of the season. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesConte confirms commitment to Napoli

Amid talks of him exiting Napoli, Conte told reporters: "There are aspects that are more concerning to those on the outside. I have a strong relationship with the players, we always tell each other the truth, I'm very honest and don't wear masks. I didn't need to take the team back. They were with me, they are with me, and they always will be with me. And I will always be with them, regardless of everything and everyone. They know they're dealing with an honest person who doesn't wear masks. I'm someone who exposes himself, something many don't have the courage to do. They know that nothing and no one will ever damage our relationship.

"A lot of things can happen, but our relationship will always be very strong. After Bologna, I thought I wasn't able to get the best out of them, and I took responsibility. Often, Anguissa, Lukaku, Gilmour, and De Bruyne are forgotten about. These things aren't taken into account; we try to focus more on gossip than on the real fact."

De Laurentiis praised Conte

Earlier this month, in another social media post, De Laurentiis had hailed Conte as the 'real man' as he wrote: "I came across the fairy tale of Conte's resignation on the web. I love social media a lot because they're a contemporary and fast way to spread thoughts. But you know that thoughts aren't always right or shareable. Between me and Conte there has always existed a special harmony that unites men who use the 3 "C"s [Character, Competence, and Courage]… which are very popular with Neapolitans and not only. 

"To the fans who've read some nonsense, I say: I'm proud to have by my side, and by the side of Napoli and the players, a real man like Antonio Conte, capable of sacrificing every second of his life for his profession, with extreme generosity and dedication. This is the most important guarantee that can be given today to a club, to the players, and to demanding fans like those of Napoli."

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Getty ImagesHow is Conte doing at Napoli?

Conte took charge of Napoli at the start of the 2024-25 season, stepping in to steady the ship after a disappointing campaign that had left the club in disarray. His tenure began on a poor note with a 3-0 home defeat to Hellas Verona, but Conte quickly adapted. Breaking away from his trademark 3-5-2 formation, he switched to a 4-3-3 system to better suit Napoli’s attacking strengths and the players at his disposal. The tactical adjustment paid off brilliantly as Napoli went on an incredible run, eventually clinching the Scudetto on the final matchday with a decisive victory over Cagliari. One of Conte’s most inspired moves was signing Scott McTominay from Manchester United, who thrived under his management and was named Serie A’s MVP in his debut season. 

Now competing in both Serie A and the Champions League, Conte's team have struggled to adapt to the new demands. Star striker Romelu Lukaku was ruled out with a long-term injury at the start of the season, while playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has now been sidelined for the time being. 

The reigning Italian champions next face Qarabag FK in a Champions League fixture at home on Tuesday.

Harry Kane has praised Luis Diaz and his wonderstrike in Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. Diaz scored a goal of the season contender in the first half of the stalemate in the capital while Kane was on hand to rescue a late result to maintain Bayern's unbeaten start to the campaign. The striker also held his hands up and admitted his mistake in Union's second goal.

AFPDiaz and Kane both net in stalemate

Centre-back Danilho Doekhi put Union Berlin ahead midway through the second half against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon. However, Bayern were level shortly before the break as Diaz scored a stunning individual goal as the pair went in at the break all-square.

Doekhi scored his, and Union Berlin's second in the 83rd minute, and they must have felt that was enough to secure a huge win in their bid to beat the drop. FC Hollywood levelled matters late on for the second time in the 93rd minute as Kane headed in his 13th league goal of the campaign.

After the stalemate, Kane praised Diaz's strike, where he fired past Frederik Ronnow from an incredibly tight angle, as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

Advertisement'I reckon that's probably his best'

On the Diaz goal, Kane told ESPN after the stalemate: "Incredible to be honest. The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

Kane, meanwhile, admitted that he was at fault for Doekhi's second strike that almost cost Bayern the game. And the 32-year-old held his hands up and owned up to his mistake before he made amends deep into injury time, adding: "Obviously it was my mistake for the second goal. So I was itching to get the chance at the end there and put it away and thankfully Tom (Bischoff) put a great ball in and I snuck it past the keeper.

"I've been playing football long enough to know, this is part of it, mistakes are going to happen. It's just nice to be able to help teams out."

Getty Images SportKane aimed dig at Union Berlin

Post-match, Kane also aimed a dig at Union Berlin for their tactics in the stalemate. The capital side have proven tough to visit this season losing just the once at home. And while Kane admitted that Bayern were in for a tough game, the England captain took aim at the Iron Ones for the way they set up on home turf.

On the match itself, the forward said: "It was a tough game. We expected a battle and a lot of long balls. Many decisions and small fouls went against us today. It wasn't our best game, but we stayed focused and managed to equalise. That's football, there are games like today where things go against you. We'll take the point."

The result, though, ended Bayern's winning start to the campaign. Vincent Kompany had overseen nine successive league wins heading into Saturday's game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei as they failed to fully capitalise upon both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

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What comes next?

Even so, Bayern go into the international break top of the Bundesliga, and six points clear of RB Leipzig, who fell to a 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, were forced to share the spoils with Hamburg after they conceded a 97th minute equaliser at Volksparkstadion.

Bayern return to domestic duties later this month with the welcome of Freiburg before they take on Arsenal in a huge Champions League clash later this month. Both Bayern and Arsenal boast a 100% start to the Champions League campaign, while the pair were also held to 2-2 away draws in their respective leagues at the weekend.

While the draw on Sunday was less than ideal, this season is shaping up to be a special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have looked imperious in the Champions League, winning all five games, and are far and away the best team in the Premier League.

While the whole squad has played a role in the Gunners’ incredible form, one player who has been one of the most important has undoubtedly been Declan Rice.

In the words of creator Jamie Kent, the Englishman is looking like “the best midfielder in Europe,” and therefore, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to someone who could be their new Rice.

Arsenal target their new Rice

The transfer window is now less than a month away, and, as a result, Arsenal are starting to be linked with a host of tremendously exciting players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Real Madrid’s incredible £70m Rodrygo, for example, has once again been touted for a move to the Emirates, as has Bayern Munich’s £100m+ Michael Olise.

However, while both of these wingers would help to raise the Gunners’ ceiling, neither could really be described as being Rice-esque, unlike Eduardo Camavinga.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the Real Madrid monster.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Liverpool are keen on the French international, who is valued at €80m by the Spanish giants, which is about £70m.

It could therefore be a costly and rather complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Camavinga’s immense ability, Arsenal should be pursuing him, especially as he could be another Rice.

Why Camavinga would be another Rice for Arsenal

So, the first and most obvious similarity between Rice and Camavinga is the fact that they are midfielders who can and have played as a six and an eight in recent years.

Moreover, the pair of them are currently plying their trade at two huge clubs, and while Real Madrid is less important to his team than the Englishman, he’s still racked up 194 appearances for them in which he’s provided 16 goal involvements.

The last clear comparison between them at this point is that they’re both regulars for a top international team as well.

For example, the former Stade Rennes star has now won 28 senior caps for France and featured in the last Euros and World Cup.

Now, it’s all of these reasons that the 23-year-old could become another Rice-type player for the Gunners, in addition to the fact that, when playing, he is a sensational talent and someone who could massively improve the team’s midfield options in a way the former West Ham United captain did when he arrived in 2023.

Don’t just take our word for it, though; Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has described the versatile international as someone with “enormous potential”, and his underlying numbers back that opinion up.

According to FBref, the Cabinda-born “war machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and tackles won, the top 4% for blocks, the top 8% for progressive carrying distance and more, all per 90.

Camavinga’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Tackles	4.19	Top 1%
Tackles Won	2.72	Top 1%
Tkl+Int	5.44	Top 1%
Blocks	1.87	Top 4%
Goals/Shot on Target	0.67	Top 5%
Passes Blocked	1.42	Top 6%
Pass Completion %	90.8%	Top 6%
Progressive Carrying Distance	122.51	Top 8%
Passes into Final Third	6.40	Top 12%
Successful Take-Ons	1.13	Top 12%
All Stats via FBref

Add to that the fact he has helped Los Blancos win two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and a smattering of other cups, and it’s hard to disagree with the notion he’s one of the best midfielders in Europe.

Ultimately, Camavinga already shares plenty of similarities with Rice, and were Arsenal to sign him, he could have a similar transformational impact on the midfield.

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The work done by Glasgow Rangers during the summer transfer window has come under plenty of scrutiny after a fairly dismal start to the season for the Scottish giants.

One win in the first seven games of the Scottish Premiership campaign led to head coach Russell Martin losing his job, having only been appointed in the summer as the long-term successor to Philippe Clement.

Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox last month and has already delivered four wins from four matches in the Premiership, but he has also lost both of his Europa League games in the dugout.

The former Sheffield Wednesday tactician has won 100% of his league games in charge, most recently beating Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox thanks to goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande.

Despite this upturn in results in the league, there will still be question marks over the summer recruitment due to poor form on the European stage from the Light Blues under both Martin and Rohl.

Who were the worst signings of the summer window by sporting director Kevin Thelwell before he was dismissed from his role on Monday? Here are our worst three…

3 Youssef Chermiti

It is almost impossible not to mention Youssef Chermiti as being among the worst signings made by Thelwell when you consider the context of the signing and the fee that was paid for him.

Firstly, Rangers had already signed proven Premiership goalscorer Bojan Miovski from Girona for a fee of up to £4.2m, which suggested that Martin already had his first-choice striker in the building.

Secondly, Chermiti cost a staggering £8m to sign him from Everton. That made him the most expensive Rangers signing in 25 years, since the £12m that was spent to land Tore Andre Flo in 2000.

Paying £8m to sign a 21-year-old striker who failed to score a single competitive goal in two years at Goodison Park is bad enough on paper, but even worse when you consider that Thelwell was the man behind the £15m deal to take him from Sporting to Everton in 2023.

The Toffees had to take a £7m hit on the striker without getting a single goal out of him because of Thelwell’s investment, and now Rangers look set to suffer a similar fate if his fortunes do not improve.

Chermiti has scored one goal and provided one assist in 13 outings in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has already offered more than he did for Everton, but it is still not enough to justify the huge outlay.

Starts

4

xG

1.29

Goals

0

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

59%

Duel success rate

35%

As you can see in the table above, he has particularly struggled in the Europa League this season, failing to offer quality in front of goal, in his general play, or physically, which is a big concern.

For the amount of money paid, the signing of Miovski made before his arrival, and how he failed when Thelwell signed him for Everton, he has to be among the ex-Gers man’s worst deals.

2 Joe Rothwell

Joe Rothwell also currently looks like one of the worst signings of the summer transfer window, in a move that was very different to the one that brought Chermiti to Ibrox.

Whilst the Portugal U21 international was signed for big money as a 21-year-old talent with room for improvement and potential to eventually hit, the English midfielder came in as an experienced 30-year-old operator who should have made an immediate impact.

Instead, the summer signing from Bournemouth has failed to hit the ground running at Ibrox and now looks to be out of favour under new head coach Rohl, after being brought in by Martin, whom he played for at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

Livingston

0

Celtic

18

Hibernian

0

Kilmarnock

0

Brann

64

Dundee United

83

Falkirk

70

Sturm Graz

21

Livingston

17

Genk

10

As you can see in the table above, the Englishman has become a bit-part player for the Gers, failing to get on the pitch in the three league games that he has been available for under Rohl.

Given he was brought in as an experienced player for the here and now, it is hard to look past him as another one of Thelwell’s worst summer signings.

1 Thelo Aasgaard

Thelo Aasgaard looks to be another one of Thelwell’s worst pieces of business from the summer transfer window, as he has been as ineffective as Chermiti and Rothwell.

Rangers swooped to sign the Norway international from Luton Town for a fee of £3.5m to bolster their ranks in the attacking midfield positions, but he has been unable to provide a regular threat at the top end of the park.

Per Transfermarkt, Aasgaard has only produced one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, whilst Chermiti has one goal and one assist to his name in 13 outings for the club.

What makes that return even less impressive is that his assist was the pass to Djeidi Gassama in the clip above, where the winger does the majority of the heavy lifting for the goal.

The English-born number ten has not shown enough quality in his performances to suggest that he can be a difference-maker, aside from his stunning solo goal against Dundee United, which currently looks like it was a flash in the pan.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described Aasgaard as “rotten” at the start of this month, and it is hard to disagree with that when he has many red cards as goals this season.

Aasgaard’s red card against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup is far from the only poor moment he has had in a Gers shirt, though, as the £3.5m signing was also hauled off at half-time against Livingston last weekend.

Rohl was clearly unhappy with his contributions in the opening 45 minutes, and it is hard to be happy with his contributions over the entire season so far, which is why he has been just as bad as Chermiti and Rothwell.

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