One of FSG’s “best signings” looks like the new Allen & Leiva at Liverpool

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

It might not have been pretty, but Liverpool have that winning feeling again, having ended their recent rut with a deserved 1-0 win away at Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

There few highs, but also – more importantly – few lows at San Siro for Arne Slot’s side, with the reigning Premier League champions looking far more comfortable than they did just days earlier amid the chaos at Elland Road.

Perhaps that speaks to the gulf in quality that has opened up between the Champions League and England’s top flight, although, regardless, seeing off last season’s losing finalists is no mean feat. Slot needed that.

Having been vindicated in his decision to leave out Mohamed Salah for the trip to Italy, the title-winning Dutchman’s ruthless streak might well be beginning to pay off.

The issue is, the Egyptian isn’t the only problem still to be solved, with more members of last season’s glorious side still looking way off the pace.

Liverpool's worst performers against Inter in numbers

Now, this isn’t to try and pop the balloon following what was a much-needed victory for Slot and co, although the former Feyenoord boss himself would admit that his side were far from perfect on the night.

Indeed, a string of absences – and not just that of Salah – saw the Reds lineup with something of a new-look forward line, albeit with it taking a controversial Dominik Szoboszlai spot-kick to eventually settle the affair.

All eyes were on the pairing of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – with the night marking just their second start together all season – yet, perhaps as to be expected, there was little in the way of fluency or dynamism, even with the visitors posing the greater threat during the first half, in particular.

Isak, in particular, endured yet another frustrating outing to continue his Merseyside woes, with the £125m Swede regularly failing to make things stick through the middle, losing the ball on eight occasions from just 25 touches, as per Sofascore, prior to being withdrawn on the 68-minute mark.

While the price tag may suggest otherwise, the 25-year-old shouldn’t necessarily be the only avenue for concern, with it also proving a difficult outing for Joe Gomez at right-back.

Accurate passes

Jones (67)

Duels won

Mkhitaryan (8)

Aerial duels won

Van Dijk (3)

Successful dribbles

Ekitike (5)

Touches

Bastoni (94)

Key passes

Akanji (3)

Possession lost

Dimarco (17)

The Englishman was safe and steady, although he provided little attacking flair, having lost the ball 11 times himself, while failing to provide a single successful cross or key pass, having won just a solitary duel all night.

The Anfield side looked far more progressive and threatening with substitute Conor Bradley unleashed down that side, with the hope being that the Northern Ireland star can remain injury-free heading into a hectic festive period.

Slot will surely wish to bring the academy graduate into the starting lineup on a regular basis, although one man who could fall out of the reckoning is last season’s star, Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool's new Joe Allen & Lucas Leiva

Central to what made Slot’s side so impressive last term was the midfield unit, with the Dutchman reinvigorating Ryan Gravenberch in that deep-lying role, while also finally getting a tune out of Szoboszlai in an advanced, attacking berth.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It was also, however, another fine campaign for that man Mac Allister, with the 2023 summer arrival from Brighton having cemented his status as “one of the best signings” that the club had made in the FSG era, in the view of DaveOCKOP.

The World Cup winner was the key, the glue keeping it together in the centre of the park, having also showcased his attacking flair with 13 goals and assists in all competitions.

From that knack for delivering clutch moments, the Argentine has frustratingly tailed off this time around, with his effort against Real Madrid earlier this season having been his only goal to date in 2025/26.

With just two assists also added into the mix, the 26-year-old is morphing into Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen territory at present, representing a solid but unspectacular option at the heart of the midfield.

Indeed, neither man was particularly adept at making the difference in a creative sense, with Allen scoring just seven goals in 132 games during his time at Anfield, while cult figure Leiva also netted just seven times himself, albeit from 346 total games.

To compare Mac Allister to such a limited pairing might appear hyperbolic, although again on Tuesday night, he was distinctly lacking any spark or flair, having failed to provide a single key pass, nor attempt a single shot or dribble.

He did win six of his seven ground duels, while losing the ball just five times, but again, there was that risk-averse feel to his performance, echoing those sorry days of Allen and Leiva lining up in the Brendan Rodgers and early Jurgen Klopp era.

As already stated, Mac Allister’s prior work ensures he remains one of FSG’s “best signings”, not least considering his bargain £35m fee, although like many of his teammates, the former Seagulls star simply doesn’t look like the player of 2024/25.

As bad as Isak vs Inter: Liverpool mainstay must now be axed by Slot

Liverpool secured a significant victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

Fergus O'Neill averages 20 with the ball, but can he play Test cricket?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Victoria seamer has an outstanding domestic record and he believes his chances of higher honours don’t have to be all about pace

Alex Malcolm03-Oct-2025It is a question of when, not if, Australia’s Test attack will go through a significant transition and by every metric, Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill should be perfectly placed to be part of the next phase. Every metric that is, except one.The 24-year-old can lay claim to being the best seamer in Sheffield Shield cricket for the past two seasons. His first-class record is stunning – 134 wickets at 20.37 from 34 matches, striking at 48.4 and conceding just 2.52 runs per over. He’s twice been picked for Australia A, including on the recent tour of India which shows the national selectors’ respect for what he has accomplished with Victoria.But on the eve of the new Shield season, a week after England named an Ashes touring squad with potentially their fastest-ever battery of quicks, it is very clear what metric O’Neill is perceived to be missing.Related

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O’Neill is aware of it and he’s not trying to rail against it. He knows what his strengths are but he also has a great example to follow in Victoria team-mate Scott Boland, who has shown the path of how to go from a dominant domestic bowler to a high-class Test performer without the exceptional pace that some perceive is needed.”I think for me, the air speed thing is a little bit of a myth, not completely, but I feel like Scotty, whatever he is bowling on the gun, it feels 10kph faster,” O’Neill told ESPNcricinfo.”He’s obviously still certainly fast enough, but they speak about energy on the ball and how the ball hits the bat, and I feel like, for me, I need to make sure that I still have that, and I have that for my whole spell.”Then there’s little things you need to add in here, like a little up in speed ball I’ve been trying to work in or a surprise bouncer.”It’s probably something that I haven’t really done the last two or three years. I’ve just kind of come in and bowled the ball up at the stumps and tried to seam it around, and fortunately the wickets have been in my favour.

“But a day is coming where the wickets won’t be in my favour, and at the next level they’re certainly not quite the same. So that’s where I kind of have to upskill, whether that’s just a little bit more energy on it for a little bit longer, or that up in speed bouncer, a little surprise ball, because I think that’s going to be the difference.”If conditions are in my favour, I’m going to be fine. But it’s when the conditions aren’t in your favour, and it seems to be like they’re less in your favour the higher the level you go. So it’s just being able to find little ways.”He got a taste of it in India last month with Australia A, an experience he could not speak highly enough of for all that it entailed. On a surface in Lucknow that yielded just 13 wickets over four days, he ground out 19 overs for just 66 runs, the second-best economy rate of any seamer in the match and prised out India Test wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel, albeit after he had compiled 140.O’Neill said the margin for error was small. Anything overpitched or wide went to the rope, when such misses in Shield cricket can often extract a nick due to the excessive sideways movement on offer. Watching the second four-day match from the sidelines also reinforced the issue of speed.

I don’t really look to get too far ahead. I think Baz [Boland] is a good example of that. Just keep putting your head down and keep going about your work. And if the timing’s right, it’ll happenFergus O’Neill on what the future may hold

“What I learned from being over there is, especially in India, on those pitches, ball speed holds a bit of weight,” O’Neill said. “Henry Thornton was probably the main one that had some success in that second game. He just had that little bit more speed. And I don’t think it necessarily has to be every ball. You’ve got to have an element of [going] up in speed, or an element that you can hit someone on the pad.”Mohammed Siraj kind of did that when we were watching. It look liked for three overs he was bowling my pace. And then for three overs he decided to really ramp it up and crack in. “So it’s interesting. I think it goes to show how good the Aussie boys are. Whether they’re playing on a flat wicket like that in 40-degree heat in India, or they’re playing on a green seaming wicket somewhere in England or South Africa, they’re certainly well-equipped wherever they go.”O’Neill will never match the physical capabilities of Australia’s big three. But he is following Boland’s advice on strength training and doing some minor technical things to create an “up speed” ball.He is also a victim of his own success. His Victoria coach Chris Rogers calls him a captain’s dream because he can lock in for long spells without fail and says “he never lets you down”. But O’Neill thinks he could play a different role if conditions asked for it.Fergus O’Neill has spent the off-season working on a change-up in pace•Getty Images”Another one is probably effort,” O’Neill said. “Some of these games that I’ve played, I’ve just bowled seven overs in a row and just kind of dawdled in and gone about my business, and that’s been good enough. But if you’re going to go somewhere else, it might be four overs at a bit higher intensity, a bit more effort. It’s all things I’ve got to figure out. But certainly by maybe making some technical tweaks, biomechanically, and then adding physical attributes, improving that is not going to do me any harm.”Rogers, with five Test centuries to his name opening the batting for Australia, knows what great Test bowling looks like and he thinks O’Neill can perform at that level without necessarily needing to add any speed.Rogers referenced two former opponents in Mohammad Abbas, who in a neat convergence of styles followed O’Neill at Nottinghamshire in the recent County Championship season, and Vernon Philander as great models for O’Neill, who were both unrelenting in their accuracy.”Mohammad Abbas at his best, he never missed,” Rogers told ESPNcricinfo. “Probably the better reference point is Vernon Philander. I think that’s his model. He’s still a relatively young man. When he gets to his absolute peak, if you put conditions in his favour, he’ll absolutely strangle sides.”That’s his challenge because his skill level is exceptional and he’s a little bit of a point of difference to everyone else that’s going around. And certainly I think he’d do a really good job if he got picked for Australia, particularly in the right conditions.”Those conditions may present themselves in 2026 and 2027 when Australia tour South Africa and England. O’Neill has already built his away Ashes case with 21 wickets at 17.90 with two five wicket hauls in his four-game early-season stint with Nottinghamshire this year and is set to head back to Trent Bridge for a longer stay next summer to try and help the county win back-to-back titles.Can Fergus be Vernon? Chris Rogers cited Philander as a prime example of a bowler in O’Neill’s style•Getty Images”It was so much fun,” O’Neill said. “I learnt that I like the Dukes ball a bit more than the Kookaburra, and certainly a lot more than the SG.”But with the fitness of Pat Cummins currently under question and the age and injury history of Boland and Josh Hazlewood, there may be spots up for grabs in this summer’s Ashes series.Where Australia turn beyond the big four is a major talking point, with Brendan Doggett to miss the opening Shield round with a hamstring niggle having missed the tour of the Caribbean with a hip problem. Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris are injured. Michael Neser is 35 coming off a significant hamstring injury last summer.Rogers believes O’Neill should be seriously considered if injuries occur.”Yeah, I do. He will challenge the top of the stumps,” Rogers said. “And, yes, England might attack him. But that means they are going to have to take a lot of risks. At least he’ll say if you’re going to hit me, you’ve got to hit my best ball and then that hopefully will create chances.”O’Neill has a different focus coming into the summer, parking the desire to play at the highest level and instead focusing on the task at hand with Victoria as they chase an elusive Shield title that has been within reach over the past three years.”My desire is to win,” O’Neill said. “That’s my main objective. I don’t really look to get too far ahead. I think Baz [Boland] is a good example of that. Just keep putting your head down and keep going about your work. And if the timing’s right, it’ll happen.”I think there’s a lot of players that you could make an argument for to come in if there’s an injury. A lot of players who have had a lot of success for longer than me. So maybe they will get to go first. Maybe they don’t, who knows. But I’m not worried about that. I’m just looking to play and win this first game at Adelaide Oval.”Knock off the champions, South Australia, and then get the ball rolling.”

Kohli: I've not played at this level for two-three years

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

After finishing the series with an average of 151, Kohli said he wants to push his boundaries and see where he goes

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2025Virat Kohli feels his “whole game is coming together nicely” and is batting at a level he hasn’t in the last two-three years. Kohli stayed unbeaten on 65 in the ODI series decider against South Africa, which India sealed by a comfortable nine wickets with more than 10 overs to spare in a chase of 271.Kohli’s half-century came after he struck back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs to finish the series with a tally of 302 and a staggering average of 151. Kohli now has four straight 50-plus scores after he had bagged two consecutive ducks in the ODIs in Australia, which was his first series since the IPL finished in June.”Honestly, just playing the way I have in this series has been the most satisfying thing for me,” Kohli said at the presentation. “I don’t think I’ve played at this level for a good two-three years now and I feel really free in my mind and just the whole game is coming together nicely, [it’s] very exciting to build on. And something that I’ve always tried to do as a player, maintain my own standards that I’ve set for myself and play at the level that I can make an impact for the team. I know when I can bat like that out there in the middle, then it of course helps the team in a big way because I can bat long, I can bat according to the situation and just being confident makes me feel like any situation out there in the middle, I have what it takes to handle that situation and bring it in favour of the team.”Related

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Kohli took home the Player-of-the-Series award for a record 22nd time in international cricket, and 12th in ODIs. He also smashed a record 12 sixes in the three games, easily his personal best in any ODI series, including World Cups. His series strike rate of 117.05 was also his best in an ODI series since January 2023.”Well, you know, when I play freely then I know I can hit sixes,” he said. “So I just wanted to have some fun because I was batting well, just take a bit more risk, just push my own boundaries and see where I go. There’s always levels you can unlock and you just need to take a risk.”Kohli further said that since he has been around for more than 15 years in international cricket, he has gone through “many phases where you doubt your ability” because as a batter it comes down to making one mistake. It is, he said, “a whole journey of learning”.”You tend to go into a space where you feel like maybe I’m not good enough, the nerves take over and that’s the beauty of sport, especially a skill like batting where you have to keep overcoming that fear every ball that you play and eventually play long innings and get into a zone again where you can start playing confidently. It’s a whole journey of learning and getting to know yourself better and becoming better as a person along the whole way. I can surely vouch for the fact that being a batsman and realising so much about myself, what kind of negative thinking patterns I have, where I can get into a zone where I don’t feel confident or when I’m feeling like myself, what are those small little details, it just improves you as a person in general and your whole temperament becomes much better and balanced over so many years. So, yes, I’ve had many phases where I’ve doubted myself and I haven’t been shy to admit that.”

Mikel Arteta says “very powerful” Arsenal star has took him completely by surprise

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

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.

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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.

Bavuma: Win sweeter because we have been on the other side

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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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“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.”

Roy Keane lays into 'frightened' Man Utd and claims Red Devils 'weren't nasty enough' in West Ham draw

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Roy Keane has accused Manchester United of being “frightened” when presented with Premier League challenges, with the Red Devils not “nasty enough” to grind out wins in games where collective standards are allowed to slip. That was the case in a home date with West Ham, as the Hammers were able to leave Old Trafford with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

  • Two points dropped: Man Utd held by West Ham

    Ruben Amorim’s side looked to be in control of a meeting with relegation-threatened West Ham when Diogo Dalot fired them in front just before the hour mark – with the ball breaking kindly for the Portuguese defender inside the box as he registered his first Premier League goal on home soil.

    United were, however, unable to see the game out – with a lack of control costing them dear. Noussair Mazraoui produced a goal-line block to keep Jarrod Bowen out in the 83rd minute, but Soungoutou Magassa was on hand to slot in the rebound and snatch a priceless point for the visitors.

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    Keane delivers scathing assessment of Man Utd

    Ex-Red Devils captain Keane was scathing in his post-game assessment, with the Irishman less than impressed with the collective effort being put in by United – with too many players hiding when the going gets tough.

    Keane told : “After they get the goal, you are playing against a team in the bottom three, they take their foot off the gas. You're 1-0 up! Take nothing away from West Ham, and they just about deserved the equaliser. You are just putting yourself under pressure. Every time I watch this United team, they are disappointing. They aren't clinical, they weren't nasty enough to get the job done.

    “People will be scratching their heads. One minute they are making progress, win and you go fifth. There will be a lot of frustration. Show your quality. In their last three or four games, I think it has been desperate. Really poor. An opportunity to get the job done and they were almost frightened. We are talking about fifth here by the way. Same old problems.”

    Keane added on United’s lack of intensity, with Amorim contributing to that: “United are making substitutions, and he is entitled to do that, but I was watching people come off and it was like they had won the league! Show some intensity. It was all a bit, 'this is cool'. You cannot be cool when you're 1-0 up. Get the job done! United have better players than West Ham but this is not a good United team. It was too relaxed, get the job done!”

  • Amorim angry with performance against the Hammers

    Amorim told reporters when offering his take on a third stalemate for United in their last five games: “Frustrated, angry, that is it. After the first goal, we lost some second balls. We tried to defend all the time far from the goal. It happened long ball, they win the second ball against three guys of us so we need to be better in the second half. We are losing because of the second balls, sometimes it is not more men in front. We are really inconsistent but if you look at the goal, we have a long ball, we have everything under control, we need to do better. I always have the feeling that we have to score more goals and I'm sure about that.”

    He told : “We should have closed the game with the ball because the game was there to win. I think the overall performance was not perfect. We had our moments but we lost control in the game in some minutes in the first half and in the second half, especially after the goal. The game was clearly ours to win and we had an opportunity with Cunha to finish the game off. It is really frustrating because you look at the game, you have the game under control and we didn't win.”

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    Man Utd fixtures 2025-26: Rock-bottom Wolves next up

    United will face lowly opposition again when returning to Premier League action on Monday, with a trip to Molineux for a meeting with rock-bottom Wolves next on the agenda for Amorim’s troops.

Mack, Mills, King star as Scorchers set up Challenger with Sixers

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Stars’ season ended on Tuesday night at the WACA with four straight losses

AAP09-Dec-2025Perth Scorchers rallied superbly to kill off the Melbourne Stars’ run chase and convincingly win their WBBL knockout final by 28 runs.After briefly holding top spot, Stars’ season ended on Tuesday night at the WACA ground with four straight losses, while Scorchers have won five of their last six.Scorchers will now head to Sydney to play Sixers in the Challenger final, and the winner will face top side Hobart Hurricanes in Saturday night’s title decider.Related

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  • Perry stars with 111 as Sixers enter WBBL finals with thrilling win

Stars needed a record WBBL finals run chase to win after the home side made 5-173, but reached 1-86 at halfway and looked capable. They then lost 8-59, including the crucial wicket of Meg Lanning, and ended on 9-145.Stars’ chase had a disastrous start when Rhys McKenna was run out for seven. Lanning only scored three from her first 13 deliveries as Chloe Ainsworth had an excellent opening spell.Lanning had made 11 when she tried to sweep Alana King and was nearly out stumped, with the ball rebounding off ‘keeper Beth Mooney and just missing the stumps. But steadily, Lanning and Amy Jones put the pressure back on Scorchers. They combined for an 87-run stand that took them to 1-101 in the 13th.Scorchers did not panic, rallying after halfway as spinners Amy Edgar and Ruby Strange in particular bowled tightly. Eventually the pressure told and King had Jones stumped for 43 from 33 balls.Lilly Mills then took two wickets in an over as the momentum swung back to Scorchers.Amy Jones and Meg Lanning put up a strong stand•Getty Images

As long as Lanning was in, Stars were a chance and Ainsworth dropped a straightforward chance off her when she had made 41. But Ainsworth had the perfect response at the start of the next over, having Lanning caught behind to leave Stars’ chances shot at 6-126. Lanning top-scored with 49 from 45 balls, while King, Sophie Devine and Mills took two wickets apiece.After Scorchers won the toss, openers Katie Mack and Mooney posted the Scorchers’ highest partnership of the season. Their 107-run stand threatened to take the match away from Stars, before Rhys McKenna made the breakthrough in the 13th over. She dismissed Mack, caught by Maisy Gibson, for a top score of 52 from 39 balls.Mooney, who looked set for another big score, fell in the next over for 45 when Gibson also caught her off Kim Garth.Stars were right back into the game, especially when danger player Sophie Devine came in at No.3 and only managed one before McKenna claimed her second wicket. That left Scorchers 3-128 in the 16th over.But Freya Kemp made the most of two dropped catches from Georgia Prestwidge. She belted 35 from 19 balls, with three fours and two sixes, in a crucial knock.Gibson took her third catch of the innings as Stars captain Annabel Sutherland dismissed Kemp for her 100th WBBL wicket.Gibson also snared 1-15 from two overs and McKenna was the pick of the Stars bowlers, claiming 2-26 off three overs.

‘It would mean everything’ – How Brian White, Sebastian Berhalter and Thomas Muller are pushing the underdog Whitecaps to the brink of MLS Cup despite an uncertain future

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Canadian side, who might not even play in their home country next year, are just one away from a title – and that is no accident

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Thomas Muller jumped straight in on the banter. At least, that's what Brian White said. The German star, when he signed for Vancouver Whitecaps upon the conclusion of his contract at Bayern Munich, wasted no time in getting to know his teammates. There was no superiority, no gravitas, no sense that he, a World Cup winner who has beaten Lionel Messi seven times, was better – or even different – to them.

"He's that goofy guy. He's involved in the chats, involved in the banter and the team, and ever since he's come in, he's wasted no time getting involved. And I think you know that meant a lot to the group," White told GOAL. 

And it was at that moment, when Muller was just as down to earth as the rest of the soccer world assumed, that White knew that everything would be well in Vancouver. His arrival, on Aug. 6, came at a critical juncture for the Whitecaps. The Canadian side had enjoyed an excellent start to the season, but was fading slightly. And while LAFC strengthened, San Diego held steady, and Inter Miami picked up steam, Vancouver needed a lift. 

What might have been a destabilizing presence instead became an excellent asset, White said. 

Of course, it takes more than the arrival of a decorated superstar to take a team to the MLS Cup. Vancouver's journey here has been one of the stars aligning, the outsiders coming good, and showing that what might have been perceived as early-season overperformance was in fact the reality of a team ready to compete for everything. And now, that team is just one win away.

"It's been awesome to see just the club grow and gain this kind of national attention. So it would mean everything culminates with the MLS Cup," he said. 

Getty Images SportAn offseason of change

Most had written Vancouver off before the season. And it was fair to see why. Consider everything about the team, and they, on paper, shouldn't have been playoff contenders – never mind MLS Cup. It had been rumored for some time that ownership was looking for outside investment. And in December 2024, a week after watching the playoffs from home, the Whitecaps owners officially started the process of putting the club up for sale. 

At the same time, it became clear there was little apparent movement on the possibility of the team securing a new stadium. The Whitecaps do not own BC Place, where they play week in, week out, and their agreement is up at the end of the calendar year.

And then, there was the coach. Previous manager Vanni Sartini was let go in the fall, with the Whitecaps having no apparent replacement immediately lined up. Instead, they went without a manager until the spring, when they appointed Jasper Sorensen, a seasoned manager, but one who lacked MLS experience. It all seemed primed for disaster – or, at least, mediocrity. 

AdvertisementImagn'Constant strive for almost perfection'

But White didn't buy that. At least, that's what his play suggested. The American showed in 2024 that he has a fine scoring touch. And in 2025, that continued in style. He started hot pretty much from day one, and after bagging four against Austin FC on April 12, he topped the Golden Boot race. 

And he is the prototype here. White is 29 and spent nearly four full seasons plugging away for the New York Red Bulls without fully realizing his potential. To be sure, there were flashes of quality. But this year, under Sorensen, he found his touch. 

"He's raised the demand and the intensity and training the demands [even] after wins. Where can we improve? How can we get better? They even got like, a couple shots on goal. Like, why did that happen? You know, how can I think it's all been a constant strive for almost perfection, and I think that's really what's pushed this team to such heights this year," White said.

Pieced together, White pushed his way into the USMNT picture and was named an MLS All-Star. In a packed No. 9 pool for the national side, there was a real chance that he could make himself the go-to. But then, disaster struck. It started with a little tweak in the hamstring, but White was out for the best part of two months. Not until last week in the Western Conference finals did he fully return.

But there, of course, he found his best, scoring twice in a 3-1 romp.

"It felt really good. The end of the year has been frustrating with injuries, dealing with that, coming back and then getting hurt again. It's always frustrating as a player, when you just want to be on the field, helping the team. But to be involved in the LA game and then to help the team win against San Diego, it meant a lot," he said.

Getty Images SportSorensen, the new coach who has stayed the course

Part of the credit here has to go to Sorensen, of course. Until Muller arrived, Sorensen had, in effect, done a lot with a little. Sure, there are fully fledged internationals in Tristan Blackmon and Sebastian Berhalter. But Sorensen still had to make the most out of them. Berhalter, along with White, has made his impact known with 11 assists and four goals in MLS play, and now might be in Mauricio Pochettino's best XI. If not, he's certainly among the best central midfielders in the league.

"He puts in the work every day. And I think Sebastian has, has really, is really easy for him to pick up advice. He wants to get all the information he can get. And he also wants to, you know, so badly, to develop," Sorensen said.

But outside of that, the Whitecaps are lacking in star power – especially after designated player Ryan Gauld went down with a long-term injury. 

Yet Sorensen never panicked and trusted the system.

"There's always a constant demand for quality and discipline, and focus every training session, every game. So I think that's what's helped push us all year long to be as good as we had been," White said. 

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Getty Images SportTurbulence in the background – but fans remain loyal

Yet there’s an unavoidable truth behind this run: Vancouver’s future is uncertain. For all of Sorensen’s changes and Berhalter’s improvements, the club might not look anything like this in a few months. Ownership is actively exploring a sale. A new stadium lease remains unresolved. MLS has long pushed for a soccer-specific venue, and while nothing can be built by next season, commissioner Don Garber made it clear the clock is ticking.

“We’re in the business of delivering for the people that really, really want to have an MLS team,” Garber said in his State of the League address. “We need to wait and see if the cities and provinces want to do that. If they don’t, we’ll have to make some tough decisions.”

And yet, fan support has never been stronger. Winning helps, of course, but BC Place was sold out for the Western Conference semifinal against LAFC. Once a temporary stopgap while the Whitecaps waited to move out, the stadium now feels like a fortress.

Whether they stay there or not, Canadian soccer has wind at its back. The country will host the World Cup in just over six months. Under Jesse Marsch, the men’s national team finally looks revitalized. The momentum behind the sport across Canada is impossible to ignore.

“For Canadian soccer, it’s important that the teams here represent that part of Canada, that soccer culture. It’s a special, special city, and the way the whole city supported us throughout this year, it means a lot," White said.

The evidence is visible in Miami alone. This is technically a home game for Inter Miami, yet Vancouver fans have travelled in force. There will be pink shirts in the stands, but white and blue won’t be hard to spot either.

“It’s not natural that we have this kind of support. It’s not natural that this kind of hype is around the Whitecaps in the city, and we really feel that everybody’s behind us, and, you know, that’s what you want to create,” he said.

There is, of course, a certain irony. The biggest names driving Canadian soccer in MLS are American. Marsch, once considered for the USMNT job, is arguably the highest-profile American coach on the continent. Berhalter, White, and Blackmon are all U.S. internationals. For a club flying the Canadian flag, there’s a lot of Americanness at the core.

White sees that as an asset, not a contradiction.

“Seeing three American guys thrive on a Canadian team is a little bit different, and I think it’s been special. We’ve been each other’s biggest cheerleaders,” he said.

Australia set new record for highest successful ODI chase

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Only once has a Women’s World Cup game seen more runs than the 661 that India and Australia put up on Sunday

Deep Gadhia12-Oct-20253:54

Review: Healy was Australia’s bedrock

331 – The target Australia chased down against India in the Women’s World Cup 2025 on Sunday. This is the highest successful chase in women’s ODI history, going past Sri Lanka’s chase of 302 against South Africa at Potchefstroom in 2024.142 – Alyssa Healy’s score, which is the third-highest by a captain in the World Cup after Belinda Clark’s 227* in 1997 and Meg Lanning’s 152* in 2017. This was Healy’s first century leading Australia in ODIs.Healy’s 142 is also the second-highest score against India in ODIs, and the highest in World Cups.Related

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661 – Runs aggregated by both teams in Visakhapatnam, the second-highest for a World Cup game, bettered only by the 678 that England and South Africa made in Bristol 2017.82 for 0 – Australia’s score in the first powerplay, the highest they have scored in the first 10 overs of an ODI (where ball-by-ball data is available). It is also the second-highest in World Cups after New Zealand hit 84 for 1 against Pakistan in Taunton in 2017.ESPNcricinfo Ltd330 – India’s score in the first innings, which is their highest in the World Cup, going past 318 for 7 against West Indies in Hamilton in 2022.It was also the first instance of a team scoring over 300 against Australia in World Cups. There have only been two scores of 300 or more against the defending champions, with India scoring both of them in consecutive ODIs, in Delhi last month and in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.5022 – Smriti Mandhana’s ODI run tally. She became the second Indian, after Mithali Raj, and the fifth batter overall to breach the 5000-run mark in ODIs. She completed the milestone in 112 innings, making her the fastest of the five. West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor (129 innings) was the previous fastest.1062 – Mandhana’s ODI run tally in 2025. She became the first batter to score 1000-plus runs in ODIs in a calendar year. Mandhana had gone past Belinda Clark’s mark of 970 runs in 1997 in the previous match against South Africa and was 18 away from the milestone when she started bating against Australia. She made 80 off 66 on Sunday.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – consecutive fifty-plus scores for Mandhana against Australia in ODI cricket. She has aggregated 485 runs in these last five innings, including three hundreds and two fifties. Mandhana also has five fifty-plus scores against West Indies between 2017-2024, making her the only batter to do this against multiple opponents.155 – Runs that Mandhana and Pratika Rawal put on together, making it the highest opening partnership against Australia in ODIs. This was the fourth century stand for the first wicket for India in World Cups, the first since Mandhana and Punam Raut’s 144-run stand against England in the 2017 edition.5 for 40 – Birthday girl Annabel Sutherland’s figures. She registered her maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket on the day she turned 24. She also became the first woman to pick up a five-for on her birthday.

جوارديولا بعد الفوز على ريال مدريد: خسرت أمامهم حين لعبت أفضل.. ولا تسيئوا فهمي

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

تحدث بيب جوارديولا، مدرب مانشستر سيتي في أعقاب فوز فريقه على ريال مدريد ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث حقق الفوز بهدفين لهدف.

والتقى الفريقان على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن مباريات الجولة السادسة لمرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا، ونشرت شبكة “بي بي سي” البريطانية، والموقع الرسمي لليويفا، تصريحات جوارديولا.

وقال جوارديولا: “في كل مرة كانت الكرة بحوزتهم، عاقبونا، وخاصةً مع رودريجو، لم نتمكن من الدخول في أجواء المباراة حتى جاء الهدف، بالنسبة للعديد من لاعبي فريقي، كانت هذه هي المرة الأولى التي نأتي فيها إلى هذا الملعب، ربما يكون هذا في صالحنا؛ ربما نكون في فبراير أكثر استعدادًا بفضل هذه التجربة”.

وأضاف: “كان ريال مدريد أفضل منا بكثير في بعض المراحل؛ كنا نركض باستمرار، لكننا كنا نتأخر في كثير من الأحيان في استغلال الفرص، لكننا سنتعلم من أخطائنا، سنتحسن في الظروف الاستثنائية”.

وأردف مدرب مانشستر سيتي: “لقد تعاملنا مع مباراتي سندرلاند وفولهام بشكل مختلف تماماً، لكن هذا هو أسلوب ريال مدريد المعتاد، ملعبهم يعشق مثل هذه المباريات”.

وتابع بيب حديثه: “أدرك الواقع، وأنا سعيد بهذه النتيجة، لكنني أعلم أن علينا تقديم أداء أفضل بكثير، التعامل مع مثل هذه المواقف سيجعلنا أقوى، نيكو هو الظهير الأيسر للمنتخب الوطني، ويتمتع بسرعة فائقة، إنه لاعب من طراز رفيع”.

اقرأ أيضًا | هالاند: لست سعيدًا بغياب مبابي.. وأعجبني افتعال ثنائي ريال مدريد للمشاكل معي

واسنطرد: “راضٍ تمامًا بشكل عام، لدينا ثلاثة عشر نقطة مع تبقي مباراتين، بإمكاننا إنهاء الموسم ضمن المراكز الثمانية الأولى، هذا هو هدفنا، والفوز هنا بعد مباراة ليفركوزن أمر جيد”.

وأشار: “يجب أن أكون ممتنًا وسعيدًا، خضتُ العديد من المباريات هنا على مر السنين أمام ريال مدريد، ولعبتُ بشكل أفضل بكثير، لكننا لم نفز، أتيحت لنا فرصٌ لتسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، وبذلنا جهدًا أكبر، في الشوط الثاني، لكن قبل ذلك كانوا أفضل منا بكثير”.

وعلّق جوارديولا: “كان ماتيوس نونيز جيدًا، الظهيران، ريان شرقي يلعب هنا لأول مرة، نيكو أوريلي قدم أداءً مذهلاً، جيريمي دوكو ساعدنا كثيرًا في جوانب عديدة، بدأنا المباراة بخطأ، لكنني كنت أتوقع منهم الضغط أكثر، لكنهم تراجعوا، ووجدنا صعوبة في مواجهتهم، لكننا تقبلنا النتيجة”.

وواصل: “يمتلك ريال مدريد لاعبين سريعين في العمق؛ والهجمات المرتدة قد تحسم المباراة، لكنهم يتمتعون بجودةٍ مذهلة، ويرسلون العديد من اللاعبين إلى منطقة الجزاء، رودرجو، فينيسيوس، بيلينحهام، لاعبون رائعون، سرعة هجومهم خطيرة للغاية، ولهذا السبب لا يمكنك البقاء في منطقة الجزاء، بل عليك الالتزام بالدفاع، افتقرنا لبعض الجوانب، لذا يمكننا التحسن”.

وعن لاعبه إيرلينج هالاند، أشاد: “أرقامه تتحدث عن نفسها، علينا أن نجعله أكثر فاعلية، يجب أن يكون جزءًا من المباراة، في المباراتين الأخيرتين لم يكن حاضرًا، لذا علينا إيجاد طريقة لإشراكه بشكل أكبر”.

وإذا كان هذا الفوز يعزز الثقة للفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا، اختتم: “لا تسيئوا فهمي؛ الفوز هنا أمر صعب للغاية، لقد أعجبت بروحهم وإصرارهم اليوم، ولكن لكي يفوز فريقي في نصف النهائي أو النهائي، ولكي نلعب ونفوز في باريس أو أنفيلد أو برشلونة، علينا أن نكون أفضل بكثير”.

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