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This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then in Europe, they sent a warning out to the rest of the sides in the Champions League with their thumping 3-0 win over Barcelona, a game in which Estevao shone once again.

Maresca and Co will have a chance to make Chelsea’s season even better once the transfer window reopens in just over a month, not just by signing players, but by selling one who once looked like Estevao when he was a youngster.

Estevao's sensational start to life at Chelsea

The expectations placed upon Estevao have been monumental for quite some time now, to the point that respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” months before Chelsea even signed him.

Chalkboard

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

Since then, the hype surrounding him has only grown, thanks in large part to his fine form in Brazil, where he produced 17 goal involvements in 37 games last season.

Even so, few would have expected the start to this season he has had.

The youngster is not only playing a decent number of minutes, but he’s chipping in with important goals and has already shown a hugely impressive ability to get the fans on their feet.

So far, the 18-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Blues in 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes.

That comes out to an excellent average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 123.33 minutes, which would be commendable for a seasoned veteran, let alone a teenager.

The Franca-born wonderkid has been so effective this year that fans and pundits have actually spoken about him being a particular threat to league-leading Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, while Chelsea should be delighted with their new wonderkid, they also need to find a way to sell one of their biggest duds, who once looked like Estevao when he was first breaking through.

The Chelsea flop who needs to be sold

Chelsea have become quite good at moving on players they don’t want in recent years, but even then, a couple remain in the bomb squad who are proving tricky to sell, like Raheem Sterling.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in 2022, and while he’s had moments for the club in which he’s looked excellent, they’ve only ever been that, moments.

Moreover, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games isn’t terrible, he’s never really put together a string of impressive performances, which is why he was allowed to join Arsenal on loan last year.

Unfortunately, that move only made the situation worse, as he ended up scoring just a single goal and providing five assists in 28 games for the Gunners, and was labelled a “passenger” by journalist Charles Watts.

Since returning to Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old has been left to train separately from the first team, and with a weekly wage of £325k, that is far from ideal.

It is a serious shame that things have not worked out for the former England international, as before his move south, he was one of the best players in the league.

For example, during his time at the Etihad, he scored 131 goals and provided 86 assists in 339 appearances and won four league titles.

He was even a brilliant player for Liverpool, making his debut in the 11/12 season, but making his name in the 13/14 season, when, like Estevao now, he was just 18 years old.

In that season, the Kingston-born phenom managed to rack up an incredible tally of ten goals and seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 149.11 minutes.

Appearances

38

17

Minutes

2535′

740′

Goals

10

5

Assists

7

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.11′

123.33′

It wasn’t just the goals, though, as, like the Brazilian, he was a serious threat with the ball at his feet, thanks in part to his speed and close control.

Ultimately, Sterling will go down as a legend of the Premier League, but for the sake of all parties, Chelsea need to sell him in January, even if they barely get anything.

The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

Playing just his fourth IPL game, he took on an attack boasting 732 international caps and tore it to shreds

Karthik Krishnaswamy08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

Virender Sehwag was a cricketer of many extraordinary gifts, but the thing that made him so different from other players with similar gifts in his era was an ability to distil the complex art of batting into a pursuit of crystal-clear simplicity. His philosophy could be condensed into two maxims: “forget the previous ball” and “see ball, hit ball”. The philosophy existed even before anyone needed to put words to it. He didn’t need to repeat the words to himself as the bowler ran in. They were already part of his very being.When Priyansh Arya, another opening batter from Delhi, took strike Tuesday night, he could have been excused if his previous ball was playing on his mind. That ball was a jaffa from Jofra Archer that had snaked from leg to top of off at 144.6kph and bowled him for a golden duck.From all available evidence, that ball occupied no part of Arya’s mind when he faced up to his first ball on Tuesday. From all available evidence, his only thought was some verbal or non-verbal version of “see ball, hit ball”. Khaleel Ahmed’s length was okay, and he even got a bit of swing away from the left-hand batter, but he gave Arya width, and he wasn’t going to stand around and let width go unpunished. He took a short step forward, but not across, so he could extend his arms fully and carve the ball high over backward point for six.Related

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Minimal footwork, still head, stable base, and a gloriously unconstrained bat-swing. A flashback in a mirror.Over the next four balls Arya faced, the flip side of that lack of footwork began to make itself felt. He was nearly out caught-and-bowled off the leading edge, and another edge lobbed just wide of short third.All this, however, was out of Arya’s mind when he faced up to the fifth legal ball of Khaleel’s over. Here was width again, and another chance to free his arms. The first six had gone behind square; this one went just in front, more punch than carve.This IPL 2025 game between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kept giving Arya the chance to worry about the previous ball, or balls of comparable recency. Each time, he paid no heed, and chose instead to simply see the ball in front of him and give it a whack.PBKS had just lost their first wicket when he took strike for the first time in the second over. Mukesh Choudhary went short and erred marginally down the leg side, and Arya, standing more or less still but having enough time to shift his weight from front foot to back, hooked him for six.When he faced up in the fourth over, PBKS had just lost their second wicket, that of their captain Shreyas Iyer. It didn’t inhibit Arya in any way – it didn’t even stop him driving at catchable height through the off-side ring as he crashed Choudhary for three successive fours.

Arya’s century, which came off 39 balls, was the joint fourth-quickest in IPL history, and the quickest by an uncapped batter. If those facts didn’t make his innings special enough, throw in the fact that the others in the PBKS top six scored 0, 9, 4, 9 and 1

PBKS kept losing wickets, Arya kept playing his shots, and he didn’t stop even after he had come close to getting out. Another aerial square drive brushed the fingers of the diving point fielder, when PBKS were 49 for 2. They were 114 for 5 when a miscued loft ended up in the hands of long-off, only for the fielder to step on a boundary cushion.Arya’s instincts were keeping PBKS going at ten an over or thereabouts even when they were losing so many wickets. At the time of that fluffed chance at long-off, Arya had scored over 64% of PBKS’s runs. By the time he was out for 103 off 42 balls, he had upped that percentage to nearly 67.The century, which came off 39 balls, was the joint-fourth-quickest in IPL history, and the quickest by an uncapped batter. If those facts didn’t make his innings special enough, throw in the fact that the others in the PBKS top six scored 0, 9, 4, 9 and 1.Interviewed during the break between innings, Arya seemed to suggest that the conditions in Mullanpur demanded that he had to keep batting this way even as his partners came and went. PBKS had just set CSK a target of 220, and this is what he said when asked about the conditions and what he thought of his team’s chances: “The ball is coming on nicely. It is not turning much. We have to bowl in good areas and take as many wickets as we can in the powerplay.”Arya didn’t seem to think PBKS were safe despite the magnitude of their total, and they eventually only won by 18 runs.2:44

Is Arya’s ton the greatest IPL knock by an uncapped player?

This, increasingly, is the way of T20 – or certainly the way of the IPL. Teams batting first are loath to let early wickets – PBKS lost five in the first eight overs here – curtail their ambitions. Better lose big in the pursuit of possible victory than lose by a respectable margin having given up the chance of winning.Embracing this thinking takes doubt away from players like Arya, and gives them the license to be themselves, no matter what. After the match, PBKS captain Iyer said he had reinforced this message to Arya after his first-baller against Archer.”When I had a chat with him in the last game, he was a bit timid in terms of his decision-making when he faced Jofra,” Iyer said. “Today, when he went out to bat, he was like, ‘I’m just backing my instincts – I saw the ball pitched in my area and I was just free-flowing’. And that’s the mindset I want each and every individual playing in the team to have. One odd day, you don’t have it your way, but today he kept on going, he was fearless, and it basically was one of the top knocks I’ve seen in the IPL so far.”In his post-match press conference, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming noted how Arya’s willingness to take on risk, in the circumstances PBKS were in, had shifted pressure back onto the bowlers.”It’s very brave, when you come off a first-ball dismissal, to look to play a shot like that,” Fleming said. “Our fault was we were too wide. The plan was to bowl straight, at the stumps, and create some pressure that way. The first ball we bowled straight, we created a caught-and-bowled chance, and that [had it been caught] changes the night quite drastically.Priyansh Arya made a 39-ball hundred•BCCI”So we were just a little sloppy. We were put under pressure, and the young man hit some amazing shots. We succumbed a little bit to that pressure by putting the ball in areas that he was stronger in, and we just didn’t adjust quick enough. He countered us, he played some beautiful shots.”When batsmen at the other end are faltering, it’s pretty special to go out and create the innings yourself, and that was what he was doing for a majority of the game.”As Fleming observed, Arya’s innings was special not just for his uncluttered, unfettered mindset but the quality of his shot-making too. PBKS wanted both these things when they fought off furious interest from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to sign Arya for INR 3.8 crore, more than ten times his base price, at the last auction.At times on Tuesday, Arya deceived you into thinking he was merely putting bad balls away, so simple did he make his stand-and-deliver method look. But every so often he played a shot that made you gasp.He went from 47 to 53, for instance, by exposing all his stumps against a ball that R Ashwin fired towards middle and leg, and flat-batting it over wide long-off.Priyansh Arya hit seven fours and nine sixes in his 42-ball 103•BCCIThen, on 80, Matheesha Pathirana slung a low full-toss across Arya from over the wicket. It was just inside the wide guideline when it reached the batter. It was close to being a well-executed wide yorker, and Arya opened his bat face and sliced underneath the ball to send it flying flat and effortless over the backward-point boundary.And he hit an even better shot next ball. This was a genuinely good ball from Pathirana, skidding towards Arya’s left hip from just short of a length, giving him barely any room to work with and barely any time. Or so you thought until his bat came scything across the ball and slightly underneath it to half-pull, half-shovel it over the midwicket boundary.A relatively regulation pull brought him another six off the next ball, and the century came up off the ball after that, via an edged four to third. He was batting on 102 off 39 balls, and the other six PBKS batters who had batted up to this point had, between them, scored 46 off 40 balls. This 24-year-old playing just his fourth IPL game, with no first-class experience and just 25 domestic white-ball games coming into this tournament, had taken on an attack boasting 732 international caps and torn it to shreds.

There were nods of approval and even a sigh of relief after the World Cup draw was concluded and England appeared to have avoided some of the major potential banana skins as the pots were drawn to decide the group stages. But, as the dust settled, it became clear that England’s route to the World Cup final in New Jersey next July would be anything but straight forward. GOAL plots the path Thomas Tuchel's side will (most likely) need to navigate on their way to the ultimate title glory.

• England’s Group L opponents

  Ghana secured automatic qualification for the by finishing as winners of Group I in the African qualifiers. They had a dominant campaign, winning eight, drawing one, and losing only one of their ten matches to accumulate 25 points. The final qualifying match was a crucial 1-0 victory over Comoros in Accra in October where Mohammed Kudus scored the decisive goal. Croatia secured automatic qualification by finishing top of UEFA qualifying Group L. They completed their campaign with an impressive record of seven wins and one draw in eight matches, going undefeated throughout the qualifiers. And Panama secured their spot as the winner of Group A in the third round of CONCACAF qualifying. Their final win, combined with Suriname's final-day loss to Guatemala, allowed Panama to leapfrog Suriname for the top spot and automatic qualification.

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  Into the knockout stages

  If England finish top of their group, here’s how things will most likely fare for them in the early knockout stages. The Three Lions could face Senegal in the Round of 32 if they win their group and Senegal qualify in third place in Group I. Senegal had a strong qualifying run, finishing top of their group with an unbeaten record of seven wins and three draws, ensuring automatic qualification. Key Senegal players include Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr, Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson – who's on-loan at Bayern Munich – and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr. 

  Into the last-16 and there would be a huge test against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City. El Tri automatically qualified as hosts and will have a number of familiar faces, including Fulham striker Raul Jimenez and West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce. 

• Three Lions' foes in quarters and semis

  If they can overcome Mexico in their own backyard, England are looking likely to have to beat Brazil in the quarter-finals. Vinicius Junior and Co finished fifth in their qualifying table but were still good enough for an automatic spot at the tournament. This path, where both countries win their groups would see them face-off in Miami. Alongside Vini Jnr, the Chelsea youngster Estevao could take the world stage by storm and there’s Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta.  

  If England can swat the Selecao aside they will most likely face their foe for the ages, Argentina in a Dallas semi-final. The storied head-to-head has an infamous handball, dubious red card, and heart-breaking penalties among its chapters. And the two countries could battle it out once again, this time for a place in the World Cup final. Argentina topped their CONMEBOL qualifying group convincingly, securing their automatic place with only two losses, and are, of course, the defending champions. 

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  Into the final… who stands in England’s way?

  There are many, hugely daunting hurdles to overcome to reach this point but, if the Three Lions are still roaring at this point they are tipped to face Spain, the team who beat them at the last Euros to the European title. This path keeps them on opposite sides until the final match in New Jersey. Spain topped their UEFA qualifying group comfortably, securing their spot with seven wins and one draw. Familiar Spanish players in the Premier League include Manchester City's Rodri, Marc Cucurella at Chelsea, and Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.

New Zealand allrounder Zak Foulkes is set to his play first home Test, in front of family and friends, in Christchurch

Deivarayan Muthu01-Dec-2025New Zealand allrounder Zak Foulkes has had a whirlwind few months. The 23-year-old bagged 9 for 75, the best figures by a New Zealand bowler on Test debut, in Bulawayo in August and then in his first ODI bowling innings, made Joe Root look silly with his inswinger in Mount Maunganui in October. He is set to close out the year with his first Test, against West Indies, at Hagley Oval, his home ground for Canterbury in domestic cricket.Foulkes’ family has made plans to come down to Hagley Oval and savour the occasion. “Yeah, a few friends and family coming down tomorrow, which will be cool,” Foulkes said. “Yeah, obviously first Test match out in front of them, which will be really cool. A really special moment for me and my family.”Obviously watched a lot of Test cricket out on this venue. Yeah, being on the other side of the road this time would be very cool, very rewarding.”Related

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Foulkes hails from a cricketing family – his father Glen and his brothers Liam and Robbie have all represented Canterbury Country. Robbie, a top-order batter, also played for New Zealand in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. Liam now works for Cricket Ireland as their national game development manager.Zak was also a top-order batter before bowling, more specifically swing bowling, became his primary skill. He opened the batting for Canterbury on first-class debut, but that didn’t go down too well. He has since climbed up the ranks in domestic cricket and emerged as a genuine swing bowler in international cricket.”There’s a running joke at the moment that Jacob Duffy is actually developing a wee inswing,” Foulkes laughed. “So yeah, just trying to tell him to stay in his lane a little bit. Yeah, definitely a little bit of a point of difference between the other guys [with my ability to swing the ball].”That swing has brought him success for Canterbury at Hagley Oval and he’s now preparing to harness it for New Zealand in Test cricket. “I think Test cricket is probably my No. 1 goal,” Foulkes said. “It has been for a while. I think there’s just nothing more rewarding than a red-ball win. All the toil, all the hard work that goes into it. Yeah, it’s very rewarding when you get a win.””Obviously when everyone is available there’s not too many spots up for grabs,” Zak Foulkes says of the future•Getty ImagesNo Kyle Jamieson. No Will O’Rourke. No Ben Sears. No Matt Fisher. No problem for New Zealand. Foulkes and Duffy, who also made his Test debut in Zimbabwe, have made a fairly seamless transition from domestic to international cricket while Central Districts fast bowler Blair Tickner has made a remarkable comeback after being out in the wilderness.”Yeah, I think we’re in a great space,” Foulkes said. “Obviously when everyone is available there’s not too many spots up for grabs. It sort of fits itself, almost. Yeah, but I guess being fast bowlers, we know there’s going to be injuries. So we have to build that depth and I think we’re in a good spot at the moment as New Zealand cricket.”Does the rise to the top feel like a blur for Foulkes? “It’s all happened pretty quickly really,” he said. “I had a big winter, had a few A tours and ended up in the UK. And then Zimbabwe obviously, where I debuted, which was cool. And then we’ve been on a little bit of a white-ball diet from then. Yeah, it’s now going to be nice to strap on the whites and bowl with the red ball for a change.”Foulkes suggested that he wasn’t expecting to play this home Test, but a surfeit of injuries has opened up another opportunity for him. He’s ready for it, with support from a cricket-mad family.