All posts by h716a5.icu

It's been a few months, but Jude Bellingham is back. After a delayed start to his season and an international break packed full of questions regarding where – and remarkably, if – he fits into England's World Cup plans, the Real Madrid man has showed in Sunday's Clasico that he remains the man for the biggest of occasions.

Bellingham has had a special relationship with Spain's biggest game ever since arriving at Santiago Bernabeu, and so it proved again on Sunday. Bellingham was everywhere, at the centre of everything Madrid did well as they battered Barcelona, even if the 2-1 scoreline told another story.

For a short time, it seemed that it wouldn't be Madrid's day as they had both a penalty and a Kylian Mbappe wondergoal overturned by VAR inside the opening 10 minutes, but Bellingham had other ideas. He received the ball just inside the Barcelona half, expertly turned away from Pedri and fed Mbappe, who had little to do other than look up, consider the angles, and smash into the bottom corner.

Barca and Fermin Lopez were gifted an equaliser by some sloppy play from Arda Guler, but Los Blancos never let up, and it was Bellingham who scored the second, ghosting into the box and side footing home into an empty net from an Eder Militao knockdown.

Everything after felt quite routine. Barca, without both Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski due to injury, lacked potency as Lamine Yamal failed to back-up his pre-match fighting words with a performance. Mbappe had a controversial penalty saved, though him netting would have given the scoreline a more accurate feeling.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Bernabeu…

AFPWINNER: Jude Bellingham

There was a sense that Bellingham needed a big performance here, if only to reassert himself. The Englishman had been strangely forgotten in the Madrid consciousness, in part due to the excellent performances of Guler while Bellingham recovered from his summer shoulder surgery.

This, though, was a game that showed the levels between the two. Bellingham was asked to play as a right-sided No.10, though covered pretty much every blade of grass. Going forward, he was dynamic, while off the ball he harassed and harried Pedri, largely marking the Spaniard out of the game. He was good value for his goal, and on another day, might have had one or two more.

This is the Bellingham paradox of sorts. He can produce this kind of performance whenever asked, but hasn't done it enough since his remarkable debut season in Spain. It is easy to forget, though, that he won't turn 23 until June.

And with his England place apparently in doubt, this was the statement showing he needed to remind everyone back home of his ability. Thomas Tuchel better have been watching…

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Lamine Yamal

Yamal is human after all. All eyes were on the Barcelona teenager ahead of kick-off in part due to him having claimed on social media that referees favour Madrid – something that didn't go down too well in the Spanish capital. Yamal then doubled down on that sentiment in the hours before the game with an Instagram story that referenced the kind of stick he regularly gets from Madridistas (tensions are no longer stoked in press conferences, it seems).

The issue is, these kinds of sentiments tend to need to be backed up by actual showings of impressive football, and Yamal failed to produce anything like his best. He has been fighting through injuries for a couple months now, and he subsequently looked a step off it in the biggest game of the season to date.

Yamal managed just two shots – neither of which were on target – and was rather limited as a creative force. In fairness, Madrid defended him well, too. Alvaro Carreras was on him from the first minute while and Dean Huijsen offered plenty of help. It is true, too, that Yamal was lacking in quality support without Lewandowski and Raphinha, but these are the kind of games you now expect the youngster to take over.

By the end of it all, he was left arguing with a furious Dani Carvajal, who claimed the teenager 'talks too much'. Maybe he's right. There will be other days for Yamal; this just wasn't a very good one.

AFPWINNER: Xabi Alonso

Madrid have now played two big games this season, winning one and losing the other. In the first, a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Atletico Madrid, Xabi Alonso didn't really change anything. He went with his version of a 4-4-2, and didn't offer much to confront the entirely predictable, long-ball football that Diego Simeone would play. Real deserved to get hammered.

But here, Alonso adapted. Eduardo Camavinga was a surprising selection but was deployed to shut down Alejandro Balde's surges up the left, while Bellingham was given a little more positional freedom and Mbappe's instructions were clear: run straight forward very fast. The result was a Madrid drubbing in the first half.

And then, in the second, Alonso tightened things up. Realising Barca were tired and lacking in ideas, he instructed his side to bunker in. Los Blancos' shape was excellent, and Barca's only real chance came from a fluffed Jules Kounde run in behind – the kind of effort you'd image Alonso would be fine to surrender.

His credentials as a tactician could never truly be questioned, but this was Alonso's best day yet in the Madrid dugout.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Hansi Flick

As for the other bench… Well, technically, Hansi Flick wasn't there. That was occupied by Marcus Sorg, Barca's assistant manager who stepped in for the German after Flick was sent off against Girona last week.

Flick, could be seen high in the stands, watching from afar, and he must have hated what he saw. Barca were poor at both ends, and outworked in the middle. Their signature high line was repeatedly exploited by Madrid, and even if they did successfully catch Mbappe offside on a couple of situations, it proved to be an act of suicide for the first goal.

At the other end, their attack was non-existent. Ferran Torres is an agreeable back-up striker who can tag in against lesser opposition, but he looked lost here. Fermin, meanwhile, lacked muscle in midfield and conviction in attack despite netting the equaliser.

Flick can, and surely will, point to the injury issues that have plagued Barca as part of a reason for this loss, and there's a point to be made there. But he is also now five points behind his arch rivals in La Liga, meaning their title defence is already at real risk of failing.

Former England seamer loving the challenge of getting back to shortest format with Lancashire

Andrew Miller13-Jun-2025James Anderson doesn’t have many regrets in his long and illustrious career. However, as he dives back into life at Lancashire at the age of 42, he does wish he’d had the chance to play more T20 cricket – after 11 years without a single game in the format.Anderson, who is set to feature for Lancashire against Worcestershire on Friday evening, has made a remarkable impact in his three Vitality Blast fixtures to date. He has claimed seven wickets at 10.14 and an economy-rate of 6.45, including a best of 3 for 17 in his comeback fixture against Durham at Chester-le-Street.”I’m absolutely loving it, it’s been amazing,” Anderson said at Lord’s this week, during an event for DP World.Related

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“I’ve only played three games – and my opinion might change very quickly over the next couple of weeks – but I feel like I’ve missed out over the last 10 years. It is so much fun. I wouldn’t change anything in my Test career, but it would have been nice to play a little bit more [T20] over the last 10 years.”Anderson remains England’s leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket, with a tally of 269 scalps that may never be beaten. However, he claimed just 18 in his 19 T20Is, with his last match in the format coming against South Africa at Centurion in 2009.”I was really nervous before my first game, but just being around Lancashire for the last however-many years, I’ve been dipping in and out,” he said. “It has been nice to settle in and get to know the guys properly, and try to have an impact in the team and on the squad. Hopefully, I can stay fit and keep doing it for the rest of the year.”He credits his ability to adapt to the format, despite such a long absence, to his unrelenting thirst for self-improvement: a trait that was in evidence throughout his Test career, with his mastery of the wobble-seam delivery a key example of this.”I do watch a lot of cricket. I’ve been around a lot of cricket. I was with the England white-ball team in the winter, so you do kind of learn all the time, watching different things – watching The Hundred, watching the Blast over the last ten years.”I’ve always had slower balls, but it’s getting back into nailing them down. It’s something I’ve loved throughout my career, developing skills and working at them.”Even so, it has been a curious experience watching Anderson in action in the Blast, without his habitual cordon of slips to back him up, and with his breakthroughs coming in unconventional areas of the ground.”All of my wickets have been caught either in the ring or on the boundary,” he said. “But that is the nature of the game. It is a bit different to what I’m used to, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.””The game I played [against Northamptonshire], the edges I got – you don’t have a slip in – went for four. You have to deal with that, and obviously they’re trying to hit you out of the ground. I have found it really fun. I am trying to learn all the time and tap into the other guys who’ve played a lot of T20 cricket to see where it takes me.”Anderson’s desire to extend his career was shown by his entries into both the IPL auction and the Hundred draft. Though he went unselected in both, the Hundred does have the intriguing second chance of a potential wildcard pick, which are awarded to the stand-out performers in the T20 Blast.”I have no idea,” he said, on that prospect. “I haven’t heard anything. I just keep ploughing along. What I am finding out is that there is a lot of cricket in a county season, and it is tough. We have two more T20s and then two Championship games, and I want to play in those, so it’s about trying to manage your body as well. It has been great though. I have absolutely loved it.”James Anderson was speaking at a DP World Beyond Boundaries Initiative, a mission to make the game of cricket more accessible across the globe

Ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend, Newcastle United supporters are once again excited about the future. Let’s put it this way, it’s a long time since the dreary Alexander Isak saga played out in the north east.

The Magpies enjoyed back-to-back victories prior to the international break, hammering Royale Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in Brussels in the Champions League, before beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at St James’ last Sunday; Bruno Guimarães and Nick Woltemade the scorers.

Next up, Eddie Howe’s team take on Brighton & Hove Albion in Sussex on Saturday, before a certain José Mourinho will bring his Benfica team to Tyneside the following Tuesday.

The Magpies undeniably boast a strong squad, but would this team be even better had they kept hold of talent who’s now giving the skipper, Bruno Guimarães, a run for his money?

Bruno Guimarães' importance to Newcastle

In the Saudi ownership-era, Newcastle United have really had two marquee players.

One is better known on Tyneside as he who must not be named, after he went on strike over the summer to force through a move to Liverpool.

Thus, the actions of Isak has only served to increase the love Geordies have for Guimarães.

Since arriving from Olympique Lyonnais for around £34m in January 2022, the Brazilian has accumulated 163 appearances in black and white stripes, scoring 24 goals and registering 27 assists.

He has been instrumental in Newcastle twice qualifying for the Champions League, as well as winning last season’s EFL Cup, their first major domestic trophy for 70 years.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Nigel Reo-Coker asserts that, alongside Sandro Tonalo and Joelinton, Newcastle currently boast the best midfield trio in the Premier League, with Guimarães very much central to that.

However, would this department of Howe’s team be even more formidable had they not been forced to sell a homegrown star?

When Newcastle were forced to sell their new Gazza

Back in the summer of 2024, Premier League clubs in danger of breaching PSR found a loophole involving trading players at massively inflated fees between themselves.

Chelsea, Aston Villa, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle were all involved in such moves, but the Magpies may have proved to be the biggest victims in the long run.

They were forced to sell Yankuba Minteh to Brighton for just £30m, while a swap, of sorts, was agreed with Forest.

They paid £20m for goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, who played just 45 minutes for the club, while Elliot Anderson moved to the East Midlands for £35m.

Considering the Greek goalkeeper proved to be a burden more than anything else, currently on loan at Sevilla, essentially, Anderson was sold to Forest for just £15m, which now appears to be an absolute bargain.

His form at the City Ground led to Martin Keown describing him as a “nailed-on” starter for England at next summer’s World Cup, with Peter Crouch adding that he is a “far better player than he is given credit for”.

Anderson has started each of England’s last three matches, set to continue that streak in Latvia on Tuesday, having also started all 33 of Forest’s Premier League and Europa League fixtures since early December.

This underlines how he has become one of the first names on the team sheet for Nuno Espírito Santo and now Ange Postecoglou, as well as Thomas Tuchel, but how did his stats compare to those of Guimarães last season?

Minutes

2,742

3,282

Goals

2

5

Assists

6

6

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Chances created

1.2

1.4

Pass completion %

82%

84%

Duels contested

15.2

12.8

Tackles

3.1

2.3

Ground duel success %

49%

53%

Aerial duel success %

66%

50%

Clearances

2.3

1.1

Interceptions

1.1

0.8

Blocks

0.3

0.3

Ball recoveries

6.8

5.2

Touches

66

67

As the table documents, Anderson and Guimarães’ statistics in the Premier League last season were actually very similar across the board.

While the Brazilian scored more goals and boasts better passing numbers, the England international comes out on top for the majority of out-of-possession statistics, including duels, tackles, clearances and ball recoveries.

His form has seen an exponential increase in his valuation, with Football Transfers estimating that his current market value is around £47m, more than three times the £15m Forest paid for him.

Born in Whitley Bay, Anderson could have been Newcastle’s next Geordie sensation, had he not been sold, compared to another by Craig Hope who, speaking on talkSPORT, asserted that “there’s something of Paul Gascoigne about him”.

Gazza himself came through Newcastle’s academy before being sold to Tottenham in 1988, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented English players of all time, a key figure as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals of both Italia ’90 and Euro ’96.

Given his form for both club and country, Anderson could do something similar in North America next summer and, considering the 22-year-old’s rapid development, Newcastle must regret selling him, because just imagine how good they would be with both him and Guimarães bossing the middle of the park.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 13, 2025

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has hit back at misleading reports regarding his physical condition and mental state, claiming that a lot of what has been written and discussed is “all lies”. The 18-year-old looked fine when scoring a stunning goal in a thrilling Champions League draw with Club Brugge, but was subjected to jeers throughout that contest.

Six-goal thriller: Yamal on target for Barcelona

Barca were in Belgium for their latest European fixture, with Yamal named in Hansi Flick’s starting XI. He played a leading role in a wild contest that finished 3-3, with the Liga title holders never able to get their noses in front.

Yamal did his best to keep them in the game, with another impressive strike being added to his ever-growing collection. He certainly appeared to be fit and focused after facing plenty of questions recently regarding his professional and personal lives.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALIs Yamal unhappy? Teenager reacts to rumours

He sat out seven games for Barca and Spain when nursing a pubalgia complaint, with surgery eventually being avoided, while he has split from Argentine rapper girlfriend Nicki Nicole. Unwanted attention comes with the territory of being a global superstar, but Yamal is eager to point out there is often little substance to the gossip that he generates.

Yamal told reporters when asked how he is feeling after recovering from injury and seeing his happiness in Catalunya called into question: “Very well, very calm. There has been a lot of talk about my groin injury, about me being sad, and it was all lies. I was the same as always, I was very happy, I was focused on my work, trying to get back to work and be able to play at this level, which is how I feel best and how I enjoy myself most.”

Boo who? Why jeers have no impact on Yamal

While the youngster is seemingly firing on all cylinders again, Barca boss Flick has reiterated that Yamal’s workload will have to be carefully managed. He said when delivering a fitness update on the exciting forward: “I am happy that Lamine is back on this level, but how I said also, we don't know what is tomorrow; we don't know what is next Sunday. The important thing is that he manages this situation he has now because it's not easy. He has to be focused on what he has to do, how he has to train and also the treatment. If he manages that the right way, hopefully it goes away, but it's not easy to say when with the situation.”

Yamal will want to play as often as possible for Barcelona, with a talismanic role being taken on for the Liga giants. Rivals around the world are rightly wary of what he can deliver on any given day.

That makes him an easy target for rough treatment on and off the field, with full-blooded challenges coming his way along with taunts from the crowd. Yamal has, however, learned how to turn a deaf ear to any detractors and considers boos to be a mark of respect.

He said of being jeered against Brugge: “It’s no coincidence. If it were another player, they wouldn’t boo. They boo me because they know I do my job well on the field. Little by little, the boos have stopped. That means I’ve done my job well, and I’m not worried about it.”

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Getty Images SportBarcelona fixtures: Next up for Yamal and Co

He added on Barca’s six-goal thriller in Belgium: “It’s a very difficult place to play. We are Barca and we always have to win, but now we are thinking about the next La Liga match. We knew they were a good team, especially at home. It’s very difficult to win when you concede three goals, that’s what we have to improve and what we are already thinking about.”

Barcelona, who sit second in the Liga table behind Clasico rivals Real Madrid, will be back in domestic action on Sunday when taking in a trip to Celta Vigo – with that fixture set to carry them into the next international break.

Back in the summer of 2024, very few Tottenham Hotspur supporters would have predicted the rise Djed Spence would endure in North London over the last 12 months.

He was signed by Antonio Conte in the summer of 2022, but it was a deal the Italian didn’t want – subsequently excluding him from his plans, restricting the right-back to just six first-team outings.

He was sent on three separate loans between 2022 and 2024, joining the likes of Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa respectively – but he failed to deliver, leading to a permanent move away from the Lilywhites being mooted.

However, last season’s injury crisis handed him valuable minutes in the Premier League – subsequently ending up making a total of 35 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25.

At present, he’s a regular starter under Thomas Frank and is now a full England international – potentially taking the RB role from one other member in the squad.

Pedro Porro's lack of form for Spurs in 2025/26

After registering nine assists across all competitions last season, many Spurs fans will have been expecting Pedro Porro to kick on and reach the next level under Frank’s guidance.

However, the opening months of the season have been tricky for the Spaniard, with the full-back unable to match the expectations of the Lilywhites faithful in North London.

The 26-year-old may have started all but one league outing to date, but his underlying stats show how disappointing he’s been since the Dane took the reins in the off-season.

Porro currently ranks in just the 12th percentile for passes completed in the Premier League for 2025/26, highlighting his wasteful nature, which has seen him register just one assist.

The main asset of his game in recent times has been his ability to travel with the ball into dangerous areas and provide those in the box with the ammunition to find the back of the net.

However, the full-back has only completed 18% of his crosses in the Premier League to date, which ranks him in just the 40th percentile for full-backs at present.

Defensively, Porro has been just as lacklustre, winning just 4.2 duels per 90 and 1.2 tackles, with both figures putting him in the lower end of the table compared to other defenders.

His form will likely be a concern to Frank, with the Dane desperately needing to find an immediate solution to the problems facing him in the right-back area.

How Spurs can solve their Porro problem

Given the huge spending from the Spurs hierarchy in recent years, they will no doubt have huge expectations in Frank to guide the club up the league table in 2025/26.

After the first eight outings, the Lilywhites currently occupy eighth place, losing on just two occasions, but there’s no disputing the side could be in a much healthier position.

His men threw away a one-goal lead against Aston Villa in North London on Sunday, with such a result taking them just a couple of points off the summit had they held on.

The sheer volume of games that face the club this campaign will result in a serious rotation of players – with Archie Gray taking full advantage of his own opportunity on Tuesday.

Eyebrows were raised last summer when the board paid £40m for the 19-year-old’s signature – especially after he had just ended his only previous year as a professional with Leeds United the season prior.

Despite his tender age, he mirrored Spence in taking advantage of the injury crisis, subsequently making 46 appearances across all competitions – many of which were in an unfamiliar centre-back role.

However, despite his lack of action in his regular midfield role, he’s been hugely praised for his immediate impact in North London, with analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him a “future £100m” talent.

Gray was handed his first Champions League start against Monaco earlier this week, operating in a left-back role, but once again showcasing his unbelievable quality.

The teenager won 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst also making four clearances and two interceptions – highlighting his incredible ability out of possession.

He was just as impressive with the ball at his feet, completing 90% of the passes he attempted, with three of which going into the final third, leading to him creating two chances in the process.

At just 19, there’s no denying Gray is a world-class talent with the world at his feet – but his versatility is one asset that could allow him to go one step further than most youngsters in the modern game.

He often featured at right-back during his time at boyhood club Leeds, with Frank desperately needing to utilise him in such a role going forward and drop Porro out of his immediate plans.

The Spaniard has been an excellent addition for the club, but it may be time for fresh blood to stake their claim for a regular starting role to help take the Lilywhites to the next level.

Spurs star was as big a problem as Richarlison, now he looks undroppable

Tottenham Hotspur have found a new top-level talent despite drawing 0-0 with Monaco in the Champions League.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 23, 2025

India captain Shubman Gill was visibly upset with the ball they were given by the umpires after the second new ball had to be changed in the first hour

Sidharth Monga11-Jul-20255:19

Kumble: There can’t be so many ball changes in a Test

The Dukes balls were at the centre of attention once again as India were unhappy with the replacement ball for the second new ball, incredibly just 10.3 overs into its life on the second morning of the Lord’s Test.The difference in results was stark. Jasprit Bumrah had wreaked havoc with the original ball, taking three wickets in his first 14 deliveries, but India went the rest of the first session without another wicket despite bowling to England’s Nos. 7 and 9. After plenty of remonstrations the ball was changed once again, 48 balls after the first ball change.The second new ball, which went out of shape in just 10.3 overs and didn’t pass through any of the rings on the gauge, had swung 1.869 degrees and seamed 0.579 degrees on average. The replacement ball swung 0.855 degrees an average and seamed 0.594 degrees. More than the data perhaps it was the softness and the age of the ball that irked India.Bumrah said he didn’t want to invite sanctions but also later said he didn’t remember having to ever get the ball changed on his previous two tours of England.Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who has been a critic of the balls used in England since 2020, said on the broadcast that the replacement ball looked like it was 18-20 overs old. He also expressed his displeasure on X.”The cricket ball should be like a fine wicketkeeper. Barely noticed,” Broad wrote on X. “We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue & being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable. Feels like it’s been five years now. Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it. A ball should last 80 overs. Not 10.”Former England captain Nasser Hussain said there was a “serious issue with the Dukes ball” but felt they were also changed “too often” as players search for the perfect ball.”The first thing is that there’s a serious issue with the Dukes ball,” Hussain said on . “Both captains talked about it before the game. We’ve seen it in this game: in this session, it’s been changed twice. We’ve seen it in the last few years, really, the Dukes ball going out of shape.”The second point at play here is that I think the ball is changed too often. I think we’re getting a bit precious about cricket balls. In the history of the game, the cricket ball gets old, and the cricket ball gets soft. I think we’re getting a bit addicted to having the perfect cricket ball for 80 overs.”The third thing at play is that they got through in that first hour and Bumrah was unplayable … I looked up from my laptop at the back of comms box and went, ‘They’re changing the ball: why would you change the ball that is doing something to a random box of balls?’ You know nothing about that, you know everything about this … I get why they’re getting upset – it did look older, it did look softer — but why change? Why take the gamble? I thought that was a real bizarre thing to do when you’ve got something, especially in this time when the Dukes ball is so all over the place, when you’ve got something, stick to it. They didn’t.”The Dukes ball has been in the eye of a storm since 2020 as it has been going out of shape and soft too soon. The ECB’s decision to introduce Kookaburra balls for four rounds of County Championship matches has also brought the Dukes ball in focus.This series has featured regular complaints from the fielding captain – starting as early as the first session of a Test – and regular ball changes around the 43rd over. During this series, a combination of pitches and the balls has resulted in dramatic results. Wickets have come at an average of 86.09 between overs 31 to 80, the highest average in England since we have maintained ball-by-ball records. It is also marginally the third highest in all Test series we have ball-by-ball-records for, overwhelmingly behind Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan in 2008-09 and trailing Zimbabwe’s tour of New Zealand in 2000-01 by just 0.57.

After 40 years, it appears a chapter of the Minnesota Twins' history is set to close.

The Pohlad family is exploring the sale of the team, according to a Thursday morning report from Phil Miller of . Per Miller and other reporters, the Pohlads have retained Allen & Company—an investment bank—to that end.

"Our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins," executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Thursday via Miller.

Minnesota has been in the family since 1984, when financier Carl Pohlad purchased the team from Calvin Griffith for a quaint $44 million; the franchise had been in the Griffith family since 1920, when Clark Griffith bought a controlling interest in the Washington Senators.

The Twins have won two World Series titles under the Pohlads' stewardship, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 and the Atlanta Braves in 1991. They also survived rumblings of contraction in the early 2000s, ultimately becoming one of that decade's most successful clubs.

Minnesota—valued by at a little under $1.5 billion in March—went 82-80 and missed the playoffs in 2024.

Esmae MacGegor takes 3 for 19 but Essex succumb in final over

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jul-2025Amanda-Jade Wellington played a match-winning innings under pressure as Somerset beat Essex by four wickets at Taunton’s Cooper Associates Ground to register their first win of the Vitality Blast T20 campaign in their tenth game.The Australian international raised 29 from 23 balls, struck four fours and shared in a crucial stand of 45 off 29 balls for the fourth wicket with Fran Wilson, who contributed 41, as the home side chased down a victory target of 156 with three balls to spare.Esmae MacGregor claimed 3 for 19 to keep Essex in the hunt, but Wellington and Alex Griffiths, required to score 16 runs off the final 17 balls, held their nerve to carry the cider county to their first win of the season at headquarters.Returning from England A duty, Jodi Grewcock top-scored with 45 from 34 balls and shared in a stand of 58 for the third wicket with Cordelia Griffith, who contributed 31, as Essex posted 155 for 5 after being put into bat. The pick of the Somerset bowlers, Wellington returned figures of 1 for 25 from four overs.Deputising for the injured Sophie Luff, stand-in Somerset captain Niamh Holland won the toss, inserted the opposition and watched her bowlers reduce the visitors to 30 for 2 in 4.1 overs. Lauren Winfield-Hill plundered three boundaries in moving effortlessly to 19 from 14 balls, only to be cut down in her pomp by an Olivia Barnes delivery that pinned her in the crease. Three balls later, fellow opener Grace Scrivens followed the former England batter back to the pavilion after pulling a shortish ball from Erin Vukusic to midwicket for 6.Charged with the task of repairing the damage, Griffith and Grewcock advanced the score to 40 for 2 at the end of the powerplay and 66 for 2 at the halfway stage, despite finding boundaries hard to come by. The 50 partnership occupied 45 balls and Griffith, having raised 31 from 29 balls, was beginning to accelerate when she attempted to pull Mollie Robbins to the deep midwicket boundary and succeeded only in finding Griffiths with the score 88 for 3.That was the cue for Grewcock to take centre stage, the England A batter opening her shoulders to harvest three successive fours in an over from Barnes as the fielding side came under real pressure for the first time. Grewcock had made 45 from 34 balls and was eyeing a half-century when she gave the charge to Wellington’s legspin and holed out to Vukusic at long-on.Essex were 115 for 4 in the 16th over with work still to do as Jo Gardner joined Maddie Penna in the middle. These two staged a useful stand of 40 from 27 balls, Australian Penna scoring 21 at a run a ball and the forthright Gardner 22 from 12 deliveries, to hoist Essex to a competitive total.Somerset required the reassurance of a good start and Bex Odgers and Holland provided exactly that, adding 41 in five overs before the former blotted her copybook and top-edged to short third for 20 off the bowling of Eva Gray. Holland had also scored 20 when she surrendered her wicket in similar fashion next over, skying a catch behind off MacGregor as the home side slipped to 41 for 2.Buoyed by her half-century against Hampshire last time out, Wilson hit the ground running as Somerset passed 50 in the seventh, while debutant Ruby Davis calmed any nerves by straight-hitting Gray for four as the third-wicket partnership began to profit. These two added 46 in 36 balls and were threatening to take the contest by the scruff of the neck when Davis, having raised 19 from 16 balls, attempted to reverse sweep MacGregor and was adjudged lbw with the score 87 for 3 in the 12th.Wellington drove Grewcock down the ground and pulled Sophia Smale for four to serve notice of her intentions, but Abtaha Maqsood and MacGregor kept things tight to push the asking rate above eight. Somerset’s fourth wicket pair took 15 off the 15th, bowled by Smale, at which point they required 35 off the last five.Victory looked to be a formality, only for Wilson to dance down the wicket and lose off stump to MacGregor with 24 needed off 22 balls. Wellington then hit Scrivens to long-on in the final over, but Griffiths and Chloe Skelton saw the job through.

Are Arsenal now ready to bring the biggest trophies back to North London?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners sent out a serious statement by smashing Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League, all the goals coming during a 12-minute second-half scoring spree.

New striker Viktor Gyökeres scored twice, easing some of the pressure on his shoulders, while fellow summer signing Martín Zubimendi put in another eye-catching display.

Thus, the additions made this summer have elevated Mikel Arteta’s team to another level, but is balance one of the under-the-radar reasons why the Gunners have found red-hot form of late?

Arsenal's right-sided bias

During their previous title challenges, a high proportion of Arsenal’s attacks have come down their right flank.

The Gunners’ peak form under Arteta came during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, winning 16 of 18 Premier League matches, with the Benjamin White, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka attacking trident down the right-hand side, by some distance, their most dangerous outlet.

As documented by the Athletic, the most common combination would see White overlapping, thereby making space for Saka, with Ødegaard’s primary task to find one or the other, this functioning thanks to White’s ‘energetic and well-timed runs’ alongside Ødegaard’s ‘exquisite passing’ as well as Saka’s ‘dribbling ability [which] forces teams to double up on him’

Meantime, the Telegraph outlined that a whopping 45% of their attacks last season came down the right flank, up from 38% and 41% the previous two campaigns, making this a clear pattern across an elongated period of time, something they describe as an issue when the opposition are able to nullify this.

We could have included dozens of goals to demonstrate the threat Arsenal pose down their right-hand side, but Kai Havertz’s late winner against Brentford in March 2024 illustrates it nicely.

Now, recent acquisitions have made Arteta’s team significantly more balanced, no longer solely reliant on some Saka magic, while neither White nor Ødegaard have featured particularly much, for various reasons, so far this season.

Thus, Arteta has reshaped his left side, so has this become equally as effective?

Arsenal's new look creative left-side

Where once Oleksandr Zinchenko stood as Arsenal’s marauding left-back, Riccardo Calafiori is the current occupant of that position.

The Italian has started all eight Premier League games so far, paradoxically described as both ”defensively very solid’ and “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” following last weekend’s 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The table below documents Calaifori’s importance this season.

Stats

Calafiori

PL rank

Minutes

614

6th

Goals

1

5th

Assists

2

1st

Shots

16

2nd

Shot-creating actions

17

4th

Goal-creating actions

5

1st

Progressive carries

16

4th

Tackles

12

3rd

Clearances

20

3rd

Ball recoveries

30

2nd

As the table notes, amazingly, only Gyökeres has attempted more shots among Arsenal players in the Premier League this season, while the Italian is contributing across all areas of the pitch, including the fact he’s second only to Declan Rice in terms of ball recoveries.

However, as White can testify from the other flank, a full-back going forward is only as good as the players he has in front of him, so could Eberechi Eze be that man for Calafiori?

Right now, the England international is being deployed more towards the right, deputising for Ødegaard, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, both of whom have scored crucial goals this week, time-sharing on the left flank.

Chalkboard

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

Nevertheless, Eze’s natural tendency is to drift to the left, something he’s having to fight against at the moment.

Thus, analyst Ben Mattinson posited back in 2024 that the pair could be something of a “left-sided White and Saka”, noting that there are “a lot of similarities”, adding that Calafiori is a “better carrier” and Eze is “creative”, concluding that this could be enough to fire Arsenal to the Premier League title.

The man who arrived from Crystal Palace, too much excitement, in August notched his third assist for Arsenal on Tuesday, setting up the first of Gyökeres’ two goals, while he himself opened his Gunners account at Port Vale in the EFL Cup last month.

As Arteta searches for more central creativity, Eze has regularly been deployed through the middle so far, but has started on the left too.

The best example of what he is capable of from a wider position came against Nottingham Forest, bursting in behind to get on the end of a driven ball over the top by, you guessed it, Calafiori, before squaring it for Gyökeres to tap home.

This goal could prove to be just an amuse bouche of what this £110m pair are able to contribute this season so, if Arsenal’s left side becomes anywhere near as potent as their right, supporters have every reason to believe that this genuinely could be their year.

Gyokeres can help Arsenal's "unbelievable" star reach Mesut Ozil's level

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2025

Wrexham held on to a valuable point away from home as the Red Dragons extended their unbeaten Championship run, thanks to some heroic defending in a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth. Phil Parkinson's men went to the south coast on the back of a thrilling 3-2 win over league leaders Coventry, and they put in a gritty performance on Wednesday evening to snatch a point from the dominant hosts.

Wrexham lucky to get away with a point

If three words could sum up the opening 45 minutes at Fratton Park, they’d be tight, cagey, and combative. Wrexham began the brighter of the two, showing flickers of the fluid, attacking football that has become Phil Parkinson’s trademark. But for all their energy, clear-cut chances were scarce. The travelling fans urged their side forward, but Portsmouth, resilient and well-drilled, refused to buckle. 

The best early opportunity came when Lewis O’Brien let fly from the edge of the box after clever interplay between Liberato Cacace and Ben Sheaf. His strike was destined for the bottom corner until Josef Bursik, Portsmouth’s alert shot-stopper, flung himself low to tip it around the post. Moments later, Kieffer Moore rose highest from a corner, powering a header goal-ward, only to see Bursik once again deny him with strong hands.

If Wrexham had their spells of promise, Portsmouth grew stronger as the half wore on. Josh Murphy, a constant menace down the flank, began to stretch the home defence. His whipped cross almost paid dividends when Regan Poole ghosted in at the back post, but the defender’s effort fizzed narrowly wide. 

After the break, Portsmouth emerged with a fire in their bellies and immediately seized control. The momentum shifted, and the visitors found themselves pinned back under relentless pressure. Murphy was at the centre of everything as he orchestrated most attacks from the left flank. Pompey came close when Jordan Williams whipped in a teasing cross that sent the Wrexham backline into disarray. The ball pin-balled around the box, and Murphy twice came within inches of scoring, but both his efforts were blocked. 

Against the run of play, just after the hour mark, Wrexham's O'Brien found himself through on goal, following a quick free-kick, but the forward was denied by Bursik in a one-on-one with the keeper. As the match continued to wear on, Werxham dug in their heels as Portsmouth continued their onslaught. However, John Mousinho's men could not breach the Wrexham walls and were forced to share the spoils despite a spirited display in the second half.  

It was a game of two halves. By the final whistle, both teams had given everything. Wrexham had the bite, Portsmouth the flair, yet neither could find that crucial cutting edge. Parkinson’s men will take heart from their resilience, while Portsmouth will rue their missed chances, especially after dominating long stretches of the second half. Wrexham are currently 14th in the standings with 18 points and will get back to action against Charlton on Saturday. Meanwhile, Portsmouth remain winless in their last five games, which includes three losses. They came close to clinching the three points here, but some resolute defending from Wrexham denied them to get back on the winning track. They are 20th in the standings and will play Hull City next. 

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Murphy was the best player on the pitch by a mile. Max Cleworth and Issa Kabore doubled up on him, and yet the duo struggled to contain him. His deliveries from the corner kicks were menacing, but on some days, the ball just won't bulge the net. 

The big loser

Parkinson got it right in the first half, but his team surprisingly went into a shell in the second. This allowed Portsmouth to relentlessly pursue the winner, and the manager was fortunate to walk away with a point from the South Coast despite a thoroughly unimpressive display in the second half. 

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