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Newcastle United are now reportedly preparing a move to sign an impressive striker in 2026, who has outscored Nick Woltemade so far this season.

Howe "hugely frustrated" by Tottenham draw

It may now be three Premier League games without defeat for Newcastle, but Eddie Howe couldn’t hide his frustration after Tottenham Hotspur rescued a late draw on Tuesday evening. It could have capped off the beginning of their resurgence following wins over Manchester City and Everton, but ultimately highlighted their frailties instead.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Howe said: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.

“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.

“Technically, second half, I don’t think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading. When you’re leading and you’ve got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.”

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025

The Magpies don’t have long to lick their wounds, however. Up next, they play host to Burnley in their third game in the space of a week. Victory there would represent another step in the right direction in a hectic festive period.

As each game comes, Yoane Wissa also edges closer and closer to a comeback. The DR Congo forward opted out of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Newcastle for their patience, but that may not be enough to prevent those at St James’ Park from reinforcing their frontline in January.

Newcastle preparing Igor Thiago move

While the Magpies are intent on bolstering their youth ranks, notably joining the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Cardiff’s Dylan Lawlor, they are also very much thinking about the present.

Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now preparing a move to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford in January after completing their scouting mission.

The impressive forward has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season – a number that only Erling Haaland has bettered – and could now seal a well-earned move when the January transfer window arrives.

Whilst there’s no denying that record signing Woltemade has made a fantastic start at Newcastle, Thiago has been on another level. The Brentford star has stepped up to replace Bryan Mbeumo, but could now complete a similar move in another blow for Keith Andrews.

The young manager has been full of praise for his forward this season, telling reporters last weekend: “He is a dream to work with. As a person, his hunger and appetite to get better is impressive.

“He is having a fantastic season, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. The numbers will tell you that, the performances he produces consistently well, how well he has integrated into the way they are playing and with individuals.”

Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle

Bavuma, part of the series defeats in 2015 and 2019, hails South Africa after their 2-0 sweep of India

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-20256:06

Karim: ‘Harmer’s variations upset India batters’

Temba Bavuma hailed South Africa’s “incredible achievement” as they completed a 2-0 clean sweep over India, winning their first series in the country in 25 years. Bavuma, who was part of the squad when South Africa lost 3-0 in India in 2019 – and 3-0 in 2015 – said the victory tasted even “sweeter” as he knows the feeling of being “on the other side of the result.””It’s not every day that you get to think that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win,” Bavuma said after South Africa trounced India in Guwahati by 408 runs, their second-highest margin of victory ever by runs. “I think what makes it sweeter as well for some of us within the group is the fact that we’ve been on the other side of the result.South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, have been on an incredible run in Test cricket in the last year and a bit. Since August 2024, they have lost only one out of 15 Tests, with Bavuma winning all of his 12 Tests as captain. According to Bavuma, the positive change in mindset and “guys wanting to be the men for the team” have been the biggest reasons behind South Africa’s recent success.Related

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Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

“There’s a big shift in our mindset in terms of what we want to do when we’re out there on the field of play,” Bavuma said. “We want to play what is in front of us and adapt accordingly. Guys go out there quite clear on their roles and what they’re trying to do. There’s a strong sense in each other that anyone on their day can do it for the team. As a captain, sometimes it’s very hard to take the ball out of the bowler’s hands. Everyone wants to continue bowling and you see it with the batting as well.”We don’t have the guys who go on and score big 150s and all, but we’ll have four or five different guys going on to score 60s and 70s. I can go on forever about the team, but I feel like the team is in a good space.”‘Struggled to take the ball out of Harmer and Maharaj’s hands’Bavuma also heaped praise on his two premier spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, particularly pointing out the competitiveness between the two, which in turn has boded well for the team. That South Africa won the Test series with Kagiso Rabada out due to injury impressed Bavuma even more.”Simon, as a spinner, as a player, he’s got the wealth of experience,” Bavuma said. “He complements Keshav quite well. A little bit on the taller side, a bit more guile with the ball. What I appreciate is the competitiveness between the two. They are the two guys that I have struggled to take the ball out of their hands.Simon Harmer and Aiden Markram celebrate Rishabh Pant’s wicket•Associated Press

“Simon was the man for us in this series. We’re so used to Kesh being that guy. We’re in a good space from a bowling point of view. A guy like Simon, Kesh as well on his days, them stepping up, having lost a guy like KG [Rabada] who was a big player for us, again speaks about the need for the guys to want to do it for the team.”For Harmer, this was a sweet comeback after ten years. Having toured India back in 2015, with limited returns, he finished the two-match series with 17 wickets in four innings at an incredible average of 8.94 and said he will now go back with “a lot more fond memories”.”It’s been a long road,” Harmer said after winning the Player-of-the-Series award. “Ten years later, back here, completely different feelings. I’m going to leave with a lot more fond memories than I did the last time but I think as a whole, as a team, for us to leave here 2-0, that was always the goal. And for us to get over the line against a very good Indian team, I think it was a hell of an effort.”Despite an incredible series, Harmer is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, with Maharaj being South Africa’s preferred spinner, particularly at home.”Keshav’s record speaks for itself. He’s an incredible bowler and he deserves to be the number one spinner,” he said. “I’m very happy playing the supporting role and if the opportunity presents itself for me to play, I try and take it with both hands. At the end of the day, I just need to make sure that I’m getting better, keep trying to evolve, keep trying to get better.”

Both powerhouses are through to the semis, but there is plenty to play for in Indore

S Sudarshanan21-Oct-20252:09

Preview: England’s middle order in the spotlight

Big picture: First defeat in store, but for whom?

Australia and England. Two powerhouses of women’s cricket. Two sides that know how to push oppositions back to the wall. They will clash at Holkar Stadium on Wednesday, at the end of which only one will remain undefeated at the Women’s World Cup 2025. Both teams have already secured their semi-final spots.On paper, Australia sure have the edge. But England would quietly be confident ahead of this contest for two reasons. One, they played in Indore only a couple of days ago. And two, Australia are coming back after a six-day gap.Australia trained on each of the two days leading up to the contest. Their last two games were ones where the top order (read Alyssa Healy) flexed their muscles. Healy scored back-to-back centuries but she is out with a minor calf strain she picked up when Australia had a fitness session on Saturday morning. Their senior pros in Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney have stepped up in different games.Related

• Knight and Smith stay cool in the heat of the battle

• Alyssa Healy to miss England match with 'minor calf strain'

• Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot

Only Tahlia McGrath, who has aggregated 43 in three innings, is yet to fire but captaincy could be the right potion for her. She revels under responsibility, and freed of the baggage of worrying about qualification, she could well join the party in batting-friendly conditions. There is little concern in their bowling.Which may make England rethink their strategies. Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt have had at least one big innings with the bat. But the others haven’t yet stepped up. England’s lower-middle order has been a concern: Nos. 5 to 7 average only 9.25 at this World Cup, the lowest among all teams. At the start of the year, England also lost the multi-format Women’s Ashes 16-0, unable to win a single game. But their leadership has undergone a change since and they will look to turn a leaf on that episode.Charlotte Edwards’ tactics and Sciver-Brunt’s captaincy have served them well. Their come-from-behind win against India would only act as a further boost. They will perhaps play scant respect to the fact that they have lost each of the five meetings against Australia in India.While teams often maintain that “the past doesn’t matter”, Sciver-Brunt would want to pay Australia back after her heroics went in vain at the 2022 World Cup final. A small step will be on Wednesday, when one of the teams will have a first taste of defeat at this World Cup.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWWL

In the spotlight: Phoebe Litchfield and Amy Jones

With Healy absent, the onus will now be on Phoebe Litchfield to lay the platform with the bat for Australia. She is coming on the back of 84 not out against Bangladesh. The flat surface in Indore will only play into her hands. England have a plethora of spinners, and Litchfield is a superb exponent of the sweep and the reverse sweep. She showed a glimpse of that in Australia’s opening match at this venue, now it’s time for a longer exhibition.Amy Jones was a little surprised when Edwards first mentioned that she could be back to opening the batting for England. She had played in the middle order for a good part of the last five years. She showed her hunger at home against West Indies but it wasn’t until her half-century against India that she made her presence felt at this World Cup. “I thought at the halfway stage of the tournament, it was a rocky phase,” Jones said. “I have been riding a wave of ups and down with opening, as you do in cricket. But I was pleased to get a bit of a start last game.” Australia better beware.

Team news: Voll in for Healy?

Georgia Voll is likely to take Alyssa Healy’s batting spot against England•ICC/Getty Images

Healy’s injury makes it a straight swap for Georgia Voll at the top with Mooney to keep wickets. Australia could also bring back left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux after she was rested for the Bangladesh game.Australia (probable): 1 Georgia Voll, 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney (wk), 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath (capt), 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Darcie Brown/Kim Garth, 11 Megan SchuttEngland may consider bringing Danni Wyatt-Hodge in place of either of Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey or Emma Lamb. The trio has been low on runs and England would not want to take chances against a strong Australian team.England (probable): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb/Danni Wyatt Hodge, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell/Lauren Filer

Pitch and conditions: Another batting belter in store

A black-soil pitch will be used for this fixture. It is expected to be flat. This track is right next to the red-soil one that was used for India vs England. It is the centre pitch at the venue, so expect the square boundaries to be more-or-less equidistant. Indore is expected to be humid and a little cloudy, with a slight probability of rain. There is no threat of a washout, however.

Stats and trivia

• Mooney is 89 away from 3000 ODI runs. She will be the seventh from Australia to the mark
• Among bowlers, Megan Schutt is three wickets away from leapfrogging Lisa Sthalekar (146) to third on the ODI wicket charts for Australia. She also has 38 wickets in ODI World Cups and needs two more to go past Lyn Fullston as the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the tournament.
• Sciver-Brunt is four away from 1000 ODI World Cup runs. She will be the third from England to get there
• Sophie Ecclestone is two away from becoming England’s second-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket. Jenny Gunn has 136 while Ecclestone has 135. One more wicket will push Ecclestone into the top five among wicket-takers in all women’s internationals. She is currently level on 317 with Shabnim Ismail.

Quotes

“I don’t think there’s any special ingredient. I feel like we prepare really well. Our players are really adaptable and we try to communicate around conditions. The girls have been fantastic at adapting and being able to get us out of some sticky situations and having different players step up and perform has been really critical for us.”
“Linsey’s been brilliant. For her to get the opportunity [to open the bowling] in 50-over cricket is brilliant. It was a big goal of hers to break into the 50-over team. In the summer, there were questions around: could Linsey and Sophie [Ecclestone] play in the same team. And it’s brilliant to see how she has taken on a different role opening the bowling.”

Niko Kovac held up Manchester City star Phil Foden's 'smooth control and finish' as an example for Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi after yet another disappointing performance on the pitch. Foden starred with a brace, while Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki also found the back of the net as City thrashed the Bundesliga side 4-1 in a Champions League clash on Wednesday at Etihad Stadium.

Foden regains confidence and form

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which he struggled both physically and mentally, Foden has regained his form and confidence with consistent performances this season. The English winger already has four goals and three assists across all competitions this season and has also made a comeback in the England national team. The 25-year-old, who has not featured for the Three Lions since March, was recalled to the team by manager Thomas Tuchel alongside Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham. 

After starring against Dortmund in the Champions League, the City star told : "I'm loving it. I just need to play with a smile on my face, which I'm doing. Last year was tough, not just for myself but for everyone. There is a new togetherness this season and you can tell. Today Dortmund caused us some problems, they are a great team, but we stuck to the plan and broke them down with our talent up front. You learn a lot from it when you go through a tough patch. We have great captains in our team and we speak about how we can get back on track. And we've added great players to the squad as well and that's brought real hunger and togetherness. It was just about trying to be the team we used to be and this season we are seeing glimpses of that."

AdvertisementAFPKovac lists Man City star as example for Adeyemi

While speaking about Adeyemi's poor run of form this season, Kovac held up Foden as an example to inspire the attacker as he said: "I'd like to keep it general: City's passing quality was better than ours. With Phil Foden's goals, you could see how smoothly he controlled the ball and then finished. Karim had a few chances, but he didn't quite make it. He lacked precision and accuracy. But that's something we're working on. We need to find the net; then the chances are higher. But I'm pleased that he even created the opportunity."

He added: "Karim has his own way of putting it. We're working hard, we've had a lot of games and can't train as regularly as we'd like. Sometimes balls go in that shouldn't, and vice versa. Against City, we conceded three goals from the edge of the penalty area. Karim is 23 years old, he has a lot of potential and needs to improve a few things. But we're working on that."

Kovac spoke highly of Man City

Kovac further heaped praise on Pep Guardiola's side in general as he told reporters: "We’re certainly a very good team in the Bundesliga and we reached the Champions League quarter-finals. But you have to say and acknowledge that this is a world-class team. We're not yet at that level, that has to be said. That's not a bad thing, because we have to be honest. We want to get there. To achieve that, we have to improve and work every day.

"We didn't create the chances we would have liked. Then we were simply too passive, conceding three goals from outside the penalty area. A deserved defeat. You could see the difference. City's passing was much cleaner than ours. Against teams like this, you have to defend better."

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GettyLiverpool test up next

After humbling the German opponents in Europe, Guardiola's side will now shift focus on the Premier League as they next face reigning champions Liverpool at home on Sunday. City, who are training league leaders Arsenal by six points, need to win the game at Etihad Stadium to close their gap with the high-flying Gunners, while also extending their lead over the Reds. 

انطلقت منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26، حيث خاض فريق برشلونة مباراته ضد خصمه ألافيس حيث فاز حامل اللقب بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

في حين واجه أتلتيكو مدريد نظيره ريال أوفييدو، في إطار منافسات الجولة نفسها من الدوري الإسباني، مساء يوم السبت حيث حقق فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.

وخاض ريال مدريد مباراته في ختام منافسات تلك الجولة، مساء يوم الأحد، ضد نظيره جيرونا على ملعب الأخير، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني 

1. برشلونة، 34 نقطة.

2. ريال مدريد، 33 نقطة.

3. فياريال، 32 نقطة.

4. أتلتيكو مدريد، 31 نقطة.

5. ريال بيتيس، 24 نقطة.

6. إسبانيول، 24 نقطة.

7. خيتافي، 20 نقطة.

8. أتلتيك بلباو، 20 نقطة.

9. ريال سوسيداد، 16 نقطة.

10. إلتشي، 16 نقطة.

11. رايو فاليكانو، 16 نقطة.

12. سيلتا فيجو، 16 نقطة.

13. إشبيلية، 16 نقطة.

14. ألافيس، 15 نقطة.

15. مايوركا، 13 نقطة.

16. فالنسيا، 13 نقطة.

17. أوساسونا، 12 نقطة.

18. جيرونا، 12 نقطة.

19. ليفانتي، 9 نقاط.

20. أوفييدو، 9 نقاط.

ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني محدث لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط.

Archer dismissed Jadeja early on the second day before Washington and Thakur resisted

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2025

Rishabh Pant walks out to bat despite his injured foot•Getty Images

Lunch Rishabh Pant batted with a broken foot as India put a premium on first-innings runs, pushing their total up to 321 for 6 at lunch on the second day in Manchester.England were upbeat when their captain Ben Stokes struck in the 102nd over to remove Shardul Thakur, who played a good hand, making 41 off 88. They would have thought they had a way into the tail. But it was Pant who came down the stairs, grabbing onto the railing, every step taken with extreme care. He had arrived at the ground in a moonboot. His courage was celebrated with applause ringing around Old Trafford.Jofra Archer had provided the perfect start to the day’s play for England when he dismissed Ravindra Jadeja in his first over. With the second new ball in hand, he and Chris Woakes created 12 wicket-taking opportunities in 12 overs but the ball would either just zip past the edge or take it and fall short of the cordon.Thakur and Washington Sundar did well to weather those close calls, putting the one that caused them trouble out of their mind to focus on the next. They built a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket as India continued to show lower-order resilience, having bulked up that part of their game since the first Test at Headingley.A largely uneventful session was heading to a close until Pant decided to liven things up a bit. He looked in obvious discomfort, merely walking, and when he was hurried, hopping, through for his singles. A few minutes after he made the long walk out there, he had to make the long walk back as well with rain forcing an early lunch.

The trade is likely to be an all-cash deal worth INR 10 crore

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-202511:57

Is time running out for Mayank Yadav at LSG?

In another deal involving a high-profile India player, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have agreed to trade Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).ESPNcricinfo has learned that it is likely to be an all-cash deal, with LSG paying SRH INR 10 crore (US$1.12 million approx.), the price Shami was bought for at the IPL 2025 mega auction.It is understood that both franchises have agreed in principle on the trade, pending Shami’s consent. The IPL has set 3pm on November 15 as the deadline for the franchises to submit the list of players they want to release from their 2025 squads.Related

• LSG set to retain Mayank but will release Bishnoi, Miller, Akash Deep

• Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor

• Shami: 'My rhythm is back to where it used to be'

• Abhishek Nayar appointed KKR head coach

• RR to trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

Shami, 35, has not regained his spot in the India team since he played the Champions Trophy final in March. While he has been playing for Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Shami admitted he was going through a “difficult phase” after he was not picked for the home Test series against West Indies in October and the ongoing two-Test series against South Africa.He was not considered for the five-Test tour of England as well this summer, immediately after he had a poor IPL season. Shami played only nine of SRH’s 14 matches and took six wickets at an average of 56.16 with an economy rate of 11.23. His economy in Hyderabad, SRH’s home venue, rose to 12.35; he also conceded 75 runs in a wicketless game there against Punjab Kings – the second-most expensive spell in IPL history.SRH had bought Shami for INR 10 crore at the auction ahead of IPL 2025 after he had made a strong impact in the powerplay during his stint at Gujarat Titans (2022-24). In IPL 2022 and 2023, he took 28 wickets in the first six overs; the next best in that phase was Trent Boult (20) and Mohammed Siraj (15). He missed IPL 2024 with injury, and his powerplay performance in IPL 2025 was woeful: five wickets in nine innings with an economy of 10.3.Mohammed Shami will team up with Bharat Arun at LSG•BCCI

With Shami struggling with his fitness, rhythm and speeds, the question about whether SRH would keep him for IPL 2026 or not had come up. It is understood the franchise’s think tank, led by head coach Daniel Vettori, had been deliberating the decision until the trade offer from LSG came this week.At LSG, Shami is set to rejoin forces with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun, who is the head of talent development at the franchise. Arun had played an important role in India developing one of the most successful bowling units of the last decade when he worked closely with the group comprising Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.It’s likely that Shami’s addition could be linked to the fitness of LSG’s Indian fast bowlers Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan. All three are currently in rehab from various injuries and not playing domestic cricket. Mayank had surgery in June to deal with a lower back injury; Mohsin is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered in December while playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; Avesh is recovering from a cartilage issue in his right knee.The Shami deal is the second big-player trade in the past week. The first involved Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who agreed to swap Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran with Sanju Samson. Like with that trade, this one also requires SRH, LSG and the player to complete the necessary paperwork before it gets ratified by the IPL. Both teams have been contacted for a response.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lavished praise on a Gunners who’s done something he never expected.

Arsenal look to extend unbeaten run against Brentford

Arsenal return to the Emirates tonight seeking to rebuild momentum against Brentford following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Arteta’s side failed to capitalize on their one-man advantage despite playing almost an hour against ten men.

The north Londoners have also seen their five-point lead atop the Premier League table reduced to two after Man City’s thrilling 5-4 win away to Fulham on Tuesday, so nothing but a win will do against one of the worst away teams in the division this evening.

Arteta faces selection dilemmas ahead of Brentford’s visit, with defensive concerns persisting following the unexpected absence of both first-choice centre-backs at Stamford Bridge.

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 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

William Saliba suffered a training ground injury in the build up to Chelsea, compounding Gabriel Magalhaes’ absence and marking only the second occasion in 162 matches both defenders have missed simultaneously.

It could well be the third time in 163 matches against Brentford, with Saliba a doubt for tonight’s clash and Gabriel still weeks away from returning to the field.

Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten streak has now reached 17 matches across all competitions, yet Arteta demands improvements following the Chelsea stalemate. The Gunners managed just eight shots at Stamford Bridge – their lowest total in any Premier League fixture this season.

Related Arsenal hold new talks with Juventus star who Alonso has recommended to Real Madrid

The Gunners are ‘captivated’ by him.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2025

Leandro Trossard, who’s been in excellent form with 10 goal contributions already this term, looks set to miss the Brentford game with Havertz also suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

Mikel Arteta says Merino has took him by surprise at Arsenal

Bearing this in mind, if Arteta doesn’t start Viktor Gyokeres, then makeshift number nine Mikel Merino could well be handed another chance to impress.

The Spain international has been nothing short of extraordinary in a very unfamiliar role, scoring 20 goals this calendar year for club and country, and Arteta has now had his say on the matter.

When asked by reporters whether he thought Merino could become a striker like this, Arteta admitted the 29-year-old has taken him completely by surprise.

Merino’s equaliser ensured that Arsenal’s unbeaten streak didn’t end in west London on Sunday, and the former Newcastle star has fast become a fan favourite.

2025 has been a real year to remember for the midfielder, who was one of Edu’s final signings before his departure as sporting director late last year.

Arteta can take a lot of the credit for transforming Merino into an attacking powerhouse and having the initiative to experiment with him up front, but the versatile star has seized that opportunity with both hands.

It is no surprise to anyone that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been in such dominant form this season. The Citizens number nine cannot stop scoring, and already has 19 goals to his name from just 16 games so far in 2025/26, chipping in with an assist, too.

His form in the Premier League has been largely unstoppable. Haaland has found the back of the net 14 times in the English top flight, coming in just 12 appearances. In two of those games, the 25-year-old didn’t score. His form has been as good as ever for City.

However, it is not just at club level where Haaland has been in fine goalscoring form. Norway are reaping the benefits, too.

Haaland’s form in the November international break

Despite only playing 48 games for his country, Haaland has 55 goals already. That makes him the top goalscorer in Norway’s history, 22 clear of anyone else. Captaining his nation in the November internationals, he added four more goals to that tally.

The first of two braces Haaland scored during the international break came at home to Estonia. Two second-half strikes, six minutes apart, helped Norway to a 4-1 win, pushing them closer to automatic World Cup qualification.

Next up was a tougher assignment against Italy. The City striker, however, helped to brush the our-time World Cup winners aside, securing another 4-1 win.

The strikes came within a minute of each other, the first an acrobatic effort in the penalty box and the second an easy goal from close range, with City teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma unable to stop Haaland from scoring.

The goals from Haaland this week will certainly please the Citizens faithful. The fact that their talismanic number nine is continuing his deadly form ahead of a huge festive period surely means they can expect to see similar results at club level.

Haaland, however, was not the only City striker who shone during the November international break.

Man City’s other in-form international striker

There is one question surrounding Haaland, and that is who City have as an alternative to the striker. There is no obvious understudy in the first team, despite the likes of Omar Marmoush being able to operate as a nine.

Well, Pep Guardiola could always turn to the academy if needs be, where the club might have the homegrown Haaland in the form of Reigan Heskey. The 17-year-old is the son of former England striker Emile and has been impressing for City’s academy for several years.

Heskey, who was born in Liverpool, can operate on either flank or as a striker. He shone for City’s under-18s last season in the U18s Premier League, a competition in which he bagged 18 goals in 19 games and assisted a further seven.

Guardiola is possibly the most important person who could take note of this impressive form of the teenager. Well, the Spaniard gave Heskey his first-team debut this season, a seven-minute Carabao Cup cameo against Huddersfield Town, along with his brother, Jaden.

It is not just his club form that has been superb, but his form for England under-17s.

Heskey has been a key member of the Three Lions U17 World Cup squad this month, with football scout Antonio Mango describing him as “unstoppable this international break.”

The 17-year-old attacker played five matches in the competition, finding the back of the net four times and assisting three. He also averaged 1.9 key passes and three successful dribbles per 90 minutes, showing just how much of a threat he is.

Heskey is certainly showing deadly form in front of goal, which Guardiola has already rewarded with minutes in the first team. If he continues on this upward trajectory, there is no reason to suggest he cannot break into the squad permanently a bit further down the line.

Haaland was not the only City striker in form for his country this month. Heskey has been on fire, and would love to keep this form going when he returns to club football.

No Rodri & the "next Kroos" signs: Man City's dream lineup after January

Here is how Man City could line up if they can get their January targets

2

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 16, 2025

Making sense of the big talking points at the end of the first day of the auction

Dustin Silgardo and Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-20243:43

Moody: PBKS paid dearly for Shreyas and Arshdeep

How did Shreyas Iyer get such a massive payday?

It might strike some as strange that a batter who has not played a T20I in almost a year should earn more than the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen, not to mention Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But that’s the nature of the auction, where supply and demand dictate bids, and objective valuation is sometimes incidental.Related

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Delhi Capitals (DC) had Shreyas Iyer as their captain from 2019 to 2021 and reached the playoffs in all three seasons, making the final in 2020. The DC coach at the time was Ricky Ponting, now head coach at Punjab Kings (PBKS). Both DC and PBKS needed a captain going into the auction and focussed on Shreyas, who had won IPL 2024 as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both teams had big purses in hand and were willing to spend up to a third of that on a captain – remember that there have been just eight captains who have won the IPL, and Shreyas is one of them.As a batter, while Shreyas was somewhat overshadowed by KKR’s hard-hitting top-order batters, he has struck at 140-plus over the past three seasons while averaging close to 35, so he is up there with some of the most effective top-order bats in the IPL.

Why did KKR spend INR 23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer?

It was one of the most befuddling sequences in IPL auction history in a long time. Especially because KKR had the option of retaining Venkatesh Iyer as a fifth capped player for INR 14 crore. They instead chose to retain the uncapped Ramandeep Singh for INR 4 crore.To be fair to KKR, their retentions of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Rinku Singh plus the two uncapped players – Ramandeep and Harshit Rana (who hadn’t played for India at the time of the deadline) – looked sensible, since Venkatesh wasn’t expected to be at the centre of such a big bidding war – between KKR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But, again, what caused the bidding frenzy was the demand vs supply dynamics.4:23

INR 23.75 crore for Venky Iyer – Moody ‘shocked’

When Venkatesh’s name came up, RCB were desperate for a big buy after falling short in their bids for Mitchell Starc and KL Rahul, among others. They had only bought Liam Livingstone at that point, and they still had INR 74.25 crore remaining. KKR had failed to bring back Shreyas and had also fallen short in their bid for Rahul. They had INR 51 crore left. Both teams needed a top-order Indian batter, and most of the big names were not available to fight over.While not the biggest name, Venkatesh is one of just seven Indian batters to have scored 500-plus runs at an average of over 30 and a strike rate over 150 in the past two seasons. The other six had all been retained. That might explain why RCB, who withdrew before reaching the INR 11 crore mark in the bidding for Rahul, were willing to go so much higher for Venkatesh.Also, KKR wanted to retain as much of their IPL 2024 winning squad as possible, and having missed out on both Starc and Shreyas, they really wanted Venkatesh, who might also be a captaincy option.

How did the new RTM rule impact the auction?

For one, it assured Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, as many had predicted before the auction.Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had the initial bid for Pant at INR 20.75 crore in their favour, but DC triggered their right-to-match (RTM) option. With the new rule, LSG had one further opportunity to raise their bid, which they did to INR 27 crore (US$3.17 million approx.), and DC felt that figure was too high.ESPNcricinfo LtdShashwat Goenka, one of the LSG owners, explained that INR 27 crore was not a “magic number” but a figure arrived at after much thought that ensured DC would not buy back Pant.The new RTM rule was brought in to ensure players get what they deserve, though several franchises were not in favour of it. And there were several other beneficiaries of the new RTM rule.Noor Ahmad saw his price doubled as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) upped their final bid of INR 5 crore to hold Gujarat Titans (GT) away. Jitesh Sharma fetched an extra INR 4 crore as RCB went up to INR 11 crore to make PBKS withdraw their RTM option. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) raised their bid of INR 15.75 crore to INR 18 for Arshdeep Singh, which PBKS matched. And it was PBKS doing the raising for Jake Fraser-McGurk, from INR 5.50 crore to INR 9 crore, which DC matched. Uncapped seamer Rasikh Salam went for INR 6 crore after DC used their RTM option and RCB raised their bid from INR 2 crore to INR 6 crore. Similarly, Harshal Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Naman Dhir also saw their prices go up after the RTM option came into play.1:35

New RTM rule makes Noor Ahmad’s price zoom

In all, just four RTM options were used successfully on day one of the auction, since many teams were priced out by the last bidders. Expect that to be a factor again on the second day.

Why did Starc get less than Hazlewood, Boult and Archer?

Starc, the most expensive buy at the IPL 2024 auction at INR 24.75 crore, went for just INR 11.75 crore (US$1.40 million approx.) this time. While he did leak runs at times last season, Starc did produce the key breakthroughs in the playoffs for title-winners KKR. That he and Kagiso Rabada (INR 10.75 crore or US$1.28 million approx.) went for less than some of the other overseas quicks probably had more to do with their entry point at the auction than quality. Starc and Rabada were in Set 1, when teams were still saving their purses for the big Indian names coming up in the next few rounds.RCB, who eventually bought Josh Hazlewood for INR 12.50 crore (US$1.49 million approx.), were clearly waiting for KL Rahul and Venkatesh and therefore stopped their bidding after a point for Starc. Once they could not secure those Indian players, though, they went all-in for Hazlewood.Similarly, Mumbai Indians (MI), who were bidding for Rabada, were waiting for Indian players such as Ishan Kishan. Once they hit the fast bowlers’ set with no buys yet, they bid hard for Hazlewood, Jofra Archer and finally Trent Boult, whom they got at INR 12.50 crore.2:26

‘Combination of Boult and Bumrah is mouth-watering’

Did overseas quicks go at a premium again?

As usual, overseas quicks were in high demand. This is despite there also being a good supply of Indian quicks. Apart from Arshdeep, who was the first player to go under the hammer at the auction and on whom PBKS used an RTM, only Mohammed Siraj (INR 12.25 crore) broke the INR 12-crore barrier among Indian quicks on day one. T Natarajan, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna earned deals in the INR 9-11 crore range, all falling outside the top-six most expensive pacers.As a result of teams targeting overseas quicks, overseas top-order batters appeared to go at budget prices. Apart from Jos Buttler, who went to GT for INR 15.75 crore (US$1.88 million approx,), and Phil Salt, who went to RCB for INR 11.50 crore (US$1.37 million approx.), no overseas top-order batter crossed the INR 10-crore mark. Only one other top-order batter made the overseas top ten on day one – Fraser-McGurk, on whom Capitals used an RTM to get him for INR 9 crore (US$1.07 million approx.).The rest of the overseas top ten included allrounder Marcus Stoinis, Noor, and five seamers. Glenn Maxwell, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra all went in the INR 4-7 crore range, while David Warner went unsold.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Did big-name Indian players command a premium?

Indeed. Perhaps even more than expected.Just the top five Indian buys – Pant, Shreyas, Venkatesh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep – went for INR 113.50 crore (US$13.4 million approx.) combined. Add in the next five – Rahul, Siraj, Kishan, Jitesh and Natarajan – and that made it 36.92% of the total spend by the teams on day one of the auction.That’s more than a third of the total spend on just ten players.In contrast, the top-ten overseas players went for 25% of the total spend on day one.Clearly, a lot of teams had come in aiming to spend big on a few players and fill in the squad with budget buys later. PBKS, the team with the biggest purse coming into the auction, had this strategy. They used around 57% of their INR 110.5 purse on just three players: Shreyas, Arshdeep and Chahal.LSG spent nearly 40% of the purse on Pant, while KKR spent more than 46% of theirs on Venkatesh. Even SRH, who came in with one of the smallest purses, were willing to fork out nearly half that on the duo of Shami and Kishan.