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

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.”

Manchester United believe they can sign Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson for a cut-price fee in 2026.

Man Utd linked with Anderson amid Tuchel praise

Since making the move to the City Ground from Newcastle in 2024, Anderson has gone from strength to strength and is now viewed as one of the best players in the Premier League.

He’s also now a regular on the international stage under Thomas Tuchel, and it looks as if Anderson and Declan Rice will be the Three Lions’ starting midfield duo at the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel has recently praised Anderson, calling him an elite player. “Anderson is a key player for us at the moment. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, that’s why he is with us and starting for us. He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent.”

Anderson’s displays have caught the eye of Man Utd, who have been heavily linked with a move for the midfielder, however, they aren’t the only Premier League side who are keen.

Former club Newcastle are thought to have an interest in bringing Anderson back to St James’ Park, whereas Chelsea have also been linked. Now, a new update has emerged over a transfer to Old Trafford and the potential fee involved.

Man Utd “confident” of signing Anderson for £60m

According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd think they can sign Anderson for a bargain fee of just £60m, which is £40m less than Forest’s initial £100m valuation that has been mooted in the media.

Anderson being under contract at the City Ground for another three-and-a-half years could complicate matters, so if Man Utd do snap him up for £60m as they feel they can, it may prove to be a shrewd deal.

Latvia 0-5 England

8.14/10

Nottingham Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

7.77/10

Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest

7.66/10

England 2-0 Andorra

7.45/10

Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford

7.40/10

The 23-year-old also shares the same agency as United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has actually been linked with the Old Trafford exit.

Casemiro’s contract is also set to expire in 2026, whereas Manuel Ugarte came in for criticism from Amorim after the Europa League final last season.

Man Utd now very keen on signing "amazing" midfielder likened to N'Golo Kante

Ruben Amorim’s side have identified another target in the middle of the park ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 20, 2025

All signs point towards a new marquee midfielder being required, and that could be Anderson if the Red Devils get their way.

Man Utd now racing Arsenal to sign "complete" £45m Bundesliga attacker

Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play between England and India at Lord’s

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes was one of 12 England wickets to fall bowled at Lord’s•Associated Press

607 – Shubman Gill’s run tally in this series is already the highest for India in a Test series in England, surpassing Rahul Dravid’s 602 in 2002.12 – Bowled dismissals for India in the Lord’s Test – the most for them in a Test . Seven of the 12 bowleds came in England’s second innings – the first time India have bowled seven batters in a Test innings.The last time a team had 12 or more bowled dismissals in a Test was in 1955, when New Zealand got 13 against England in Dunedin. The 12 bowled dismissals for England at Lord’s are the second-highest in a Test in the last 110 years.4 for 22 – Washington Sundar’s figures in England’s second innings are the second best for an India spinner in men’s Tests in England in the last 40 years.Washington is also the first India spinner to take four or more wickets at Lord’s since Bishan Singh Bedi’s six-wicket haul in 1974.36 – Byes conceded by India in the Lord’s Test. Only twice have they conceded more in a men’s Test – 47 against Pakistan in Bengaluru in 2007 and 40 against England at The Oval in 2018.3 – Number of Tests in which a team defended a sub-200 target at Lord’s. England lost chasing 124 against Australia in 1888, but defended 182 against Ireland in 2009 and 183 against South Africa in 1955.A target of 150-plus has been successfully chased eight times at Lord’s, most recently by England against New Zealand in 2022 and by South Africa against Australia in the World Test Championship final last month.

Leeds United are struggling to string together a run of form, and they may now have identified a successor to replace Daniel Farke at Elland Road.

The Whites came back off the back of the international break keen to find an upturn in form. However, a Morgan Rogers double condemned them to a damaging defeat at home to Aston Villa despite taking the lead early on in West Yorkshire.

If it wasn’t already tough to make a case, pressure has now cranked up on Farke as Leeds sit inside the Premier League relegation zone before the daunting reality of a trip to face Manchester City this weekend.

However, the former Norwich City coach doubled down on frustration from supporters when opting to take off substitute Ao Tanaka against Aston Villa, claiming that despite discontent in the stands, he had to withdraw the midfielder as he was on a final warning before being red carded.

He told BBC Sport: “It is totally OK for fans to chant for subs – everyone has views on changes and game management. But I will not do a round table or poll before each match. I can’t be driven by emotions, I can’t make subs on 55, 60 minutes just because someone is singing.”

While Farke could be backed with the arrival of Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia, it is becoming more likely that he could be about to part ways with the club after a series of frustrating results.

Making changes in mid-season can have varied results, but there is definitely an appetite for change at the club, and this isn’t the first time the 49-year-old has come under scrutiny. Who could replace him at Elland Road? Fans could be about to find out.

Leeds identify Brendan Rodgers to replace Daniel Farke

According to TEAMtalk, former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is in line to replace Farke at Leeds, with the Whites’ current boss now at increasing risk of being sacked following his side’s poor form.

Intriguingly, the Irishman would be open to taking charge at Elland Road, with his ability to galvanize struggling sides making him a fit that is hard to ignore.

Stiliyan Petrov praised Rodgers’ player development skills during his time in Glasgow, something which is sure to endear him to a Leeds support who are used to seeing local and academy talents emerging from Thorp Arch.

Brendan Rodgers’ second spell at Celtic

Matches

123

Wins

83

Draws

20

Losses

20

Trophies

Scottish Premiership x2, Scottish Cup x1, Premier Sports Cup x1

Only last season, he saw off the likes of RB Leipzig and guided Celtic through to the knockout playoff round of the Champions League before a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich across two legs, albeit his side were unlucky not to progress.

Nevertheless, a public fallout with Dermot Desmond means he is a free agent, something that Leeds could now take advantage of as they look to his previous Premier League experience at Swansea City, Liverpool and Leicester City to guide them out of trouble.

Ruben Amorim has now been Manchester United manager for just over one year, but there hasn’t exactly been much for Red Devils fans to shout about.

The Portuguese manager failed to bring them European football, and has a frankly poor record during his 12-month stint at Old Trafford.

The former Sporting CP manager has taken charge of 55 games for the Red Devils so far, winning 22, losing 22 and drawing 11.

His record in the Premier League is even worse, with United winning just 12 times under his tutelage in the top flight, suffering defeat 18 times.

One of the issues Amoirm has struggled with is profiling players in his infamous 3-4-2-1 system. There are still question marks over the suitability of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in a pivot.

The continued struggles of Fernandes and Casemiro

In modern football, having athletic midfielders is essential for success. A pivot of Casemiro, now aged 34 and still a brilliant ball-winner, next to Fernandes, who has been shoehorned into a deeper role by Amorim despite being one of the best number tens in the Premier League, has struggled.

That particular pairing has been Amorim’s go-to this term, but there is nothing to suggest it is optimising them. In fact, with Fernandes so deep, there is a case to be made that it is hurting the team.

United great Paul Scholes said earlier in the season that “there is no doubt” United’s captain should be playing as a ten.

He excels close to goal, with this goal in his recent hat-trick for Portugal a prime example of how effective he is in the final third.

As for Casemiro, the Brazilian is certainly lacking physically, despite being such a good ball-winner, averaging 3.62 tackles and interceptions per game this term.

As far back as 2023, Jamie Carragher said his “legs have gone.” He certainly needs someone more physically dominant playing next to him.

It is not just Fernandes and Casemiro who are being misprofiled by Amorim, though.

The two players struggling under Amorim

You certainly need to sign very specific players for Amoirm’s system to be a success. Indeed, the misprofiling of Fernandes as a deep-lying playmaker is just one example of making square pegs fit into round holes.

An area similar to that is at wing-back. They are, essentially, wingers, often the highest players for United, in one-vs-one situations with opposition full-backs. Amad is a player who fits the mould, but Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui do not.

Premier League Panel, an account on X, said their efforts in Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Everton were “plain garbage.” Indeed, it wasn’t their best night at the office, but the roles they are being asked to perform, acting as wingers, are not playing to their strengths.

The fact that they are full-backs by trade certainly shows. Dorgu has just one assist playing high and wide on the left under Amorim. Mazraoui has also managed just the one, although he has played at centre-back, too.

Looking at their creative stats, you get a clear picture of the fact that they are misprofiled.

For example, focusing on the Premier League from last season and the start of 2025/26, Dorgu averages 0.3 crosses per game compared to 0.2 for Mazraoui.

Key passes

1.24

0.58

Expected assists

0.12xA

0.06xA

Crosses

0.3

0.2

Take-ons completed

0.36

0.87

Goal-creating actions

0.18

0.06

United lack an attacking threat out wide at the moment. Playing two full-backs at wing-back, who, it is worth noting, are good players when used correctly, is not helping.

It is certainly something Amorim should look to address in the coming weeks.

His time at United has been one to forget so far, but there is still time to salvage the season. It will be interesting to see if he keeps Dorgu and Mazraoui out wide, or switches them up for more attacking players.

Cunha upgrade: Man Utd could see £80m bid accepted for world's "best player"

This attacking star could improve Man Utd going forward

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 26, 2025

Alan Gardner speaks to Andrew Miller and Firdose Moonda about the Trent Bridge Test, while Matt Roller joins to preview the West Indies series

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2025England’s first Test meeting with Zimbabwe in 22 years ended in a comfortable three-day victory for the home side. In this week’s pod, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Firdose Moonda to reflect on an eventful match that may or may not tell us much about England’s big year in Tests to come. Matt Roller also jumped on to help preview the upcoming white-ball series against West Indies, which will be Harry Brook’s first since being appointed permanent captain.