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Tottenham are believed to be at the front of a queue for one of Europe’s most exciting strikers as we slowly head into the January transfer window, according to a new report.

Tottenham poised for active January after attacking struggles

Spurs’ struggles this season have exposed a glaring deficiency that threatens to derail their campaign — the absence of a reliable, clinical striker capable of converting chances on a regular-enough basis.

As January approaches, manager Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure to address what has become the most pressing issue hampering Spurs’ progress.

Since the start of 25/26, they’ve registered the second-lowest rate of shots on goal out of every Premier League team, and currently sit 17th in the division for expected goals per game.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Their lack of attacking edge was on display for all to see during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Lilywhites barely managing to lay a glove on the home side, barring Richarlison’s out-of-this-world lob from the half-way line.

Dominic Solanke’s persistent injury troubles have crippled Tottenham’s forward line since pre-season.

The England international underwent ‘minor ankle surgery’ in October and has managed just 47 minutes of football all campaign, depriving Frank of his primary goalscoring outlet.

The absence of Tottenham’s club-record signing has left a massive void that nobody has adequately filled. His latest setback follows multiple injury problems throughout last season, with the 28-year-old’s record proving a major concern for Frank.

This, combined with Randal Kolo Muani’s own fitness problems, Richarlison’s inconsistency and Mathys Tel’s rumoured unrest, means that Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a new centre-forward.

One of their chief targets, according to multiple reports, is FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

The young Spaniard is being targeted by Spurs ahead of the January window, alongside the likes of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has reportedly held direct talks with Frank over a move to London in the winter.

Aghehowa was once close to joining Chelsea in 2024 before he pulled out of the move to Stamford Bridge, and that decision has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old has scored 36 goals in 60 total appearances in all competitions since the start of last season, with Aghehowa now having his pick of Premier League suitors ahead of 2026.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for Samu Aghehowa

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, Tottenham are currently leading the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for Aghehowa as they show the strongest interest.

This follows a report from Tuesday that Spurs are prepared to strike a deal for the forward as early as January, but Porto apparently won’t budge on his £88 million release clause.

The former Deportivo Alaves sensation, who Brus describes as ‘one of the most exciting young strikers in the game’ right now, has also been revered as a ‘madman’ number nine by other members of the press.

Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, Spurs’ new co-sporting director duo, could have more funds to play with in January thanks to the Lewis family trust’s recent £100 million capital injection.

Some of these funds could be reinvested into their recruitment drive, and the signing of Aghehowa would certainly be a mid-season statement in Frank’s hunt for silverware and a top four finish.

Ajeet Singh Dale takes 4 for 46, Ben Charlesworth 3 for 6 as Northants are bowled out for second-innings 192

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025

Ollie Price scored a half-century under pressure•Getty Images

Gloucestershire 241 (J Taylor 63, Broad 3-84) and 158 for 3 (Price 54, Hammond 38*) beat Northamptonshire 206 (Zaib 76, van Buuren 3-23, M Taylor 3-48) and 192 (Broad 49, Singh Dale 4-46, Charlesworth 3-6) by seven wicketsOllie Price scored a superb half-century under pressure to help Gloucestershire achieve a dramatic seven-wicket victory over Northamptonshire on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium.Set 158 to win in 27 overs, Gloucestershire reached their target with 18 balls to spare in a thrilling finale, Price top-scoring with 54 from 58 deliveries and Miles Hammond weighing in with 38 not out and Graeme van Buuren 20 not out as the home side won for only the second time this season.Resuming on 158 for 5, Gloucestershire added a further 83 runs during the morning session to establish a modest first-innings lead of 35, thanks in large part to knocks of 63 and 44 from Jack Taylor and van Buuren respectively. Justin Broad claimed 3-84 as the home side were dismissed for 241 in 64 overs.Ajeet Singh Dale then took 4 for 46 and Ben Charlesworth 3 for 6 as Northants were shot out for 192 inside 51 overs in their second innings, only Broad offering meaningful resistance in a patient innings of 49 that spanned nearly two-and-a-half hours.Charlesworth and Price set-up the chase, staging a progressive second-wicket alliance of 52 in 8.3 overs to keep Gloucestershire supporters on the edge of their seats. Characterised by rapid running between the wickets and bold stroke-play, their partnership was ended when veteran campaigner Ben Sanderson had Charlesworth caught behind for 33.Having already lost Luke Procter to injury, the visitors were further hindered when fellow seamer Broad pulled up, forcing Sanderson to bowl seven overs unchanged from the Bristol Pavilion end and spinners Calvin Harrison and Nirvan Ramesh to be deployed in tandem. Sweeping and pulling to good effect, Price and Hammond continued to score at six an over to keep the home side on course, albeit with the light beginning to fade.With 53 required off the final 10 overs, Gloucestershire looked to be in control, an appearance confirmed when Price went to a half-century from 54 balls with his fifth boundary. He fell to Rob Keogh’s off breaks soon afterwards, but van Buuren and Hammond helped themselves to a six apiece off the same bowler to ease the pressure and render the outcome a formality. Hammond hit the winning runs, hammering Harrison straight down the ground for an emphatic six.Gloucestershire claimed 19 points to move into third place in Division Two, while Northants collected three.The prospect of a thrilling conclusion appeared unlikely when Gloucestershire resumed their first innings on 158 for 5, especially when van Buuren skied a return catch to Broad and departed for a 55-ball 44. But quick-scoring Jack Taylor opened his shoulders to raise 63 from 64 deliveries, striking six fours and three sixes and adding 38 in five overs with his brother, Matt, to propel the home side into credit.Gloucestershire needed to make full use of the new ball if they were to sow seeds of doubt in opposition minds, and Singh Dale delivered, summoning late swing to bowl Lewis McManus for 9. Promoted to open in place of Procter, Rob Keogh was next to go, falling victim to confusion and being run out by Zaman Akhter for 6. Guiding a delivery from Matt Taylor to backward point, Keogh set off in pursuit of an ill-advised single and was unable to regain his ground before the opportunistic Akhter had brilliantly thrown down the stumps to reduce the visitors to 23 for 2 inside six overs.West Country tails were up and Singh Dale struck another blow in the final over before lunch, bowling Harrison via an inside edge for 25 in the act of driving as Northants slipped to 55 for 3, a lead of just 20. Worse followed for the Midlands county, James Sales pulling Shaw straight to Hammond at deep backward square and falling to a poor shot for 14 with the score 77 for 4. With Procter’s ability to bat in question and the lead only 42, Northants suddenly appeared vulnerable.When dogged defiance was needed most, the in-form Zaib and Broad dug in to defy Gloucestershire’s bowlers. Batting was now easier than at any time previously in the match, and the fifth-wicket pair capitalised on the poor ball sufficiently to raise a partnership of 62 in 14 overs, easing some of the pressure they had felt when first coming together.But Gloucestershire kept plugging away and Akhter claimed the key wicket of Zaib, slanting a ball across his body and persuading the left-hander to edge behind for 37. Gloucestershire’s cause was not helped when Akhter had to be removed from the attack after twice being warned for running onto the pitch.They were further hindered by Aadi Sharma, the new batter striking a six and three fours and scoring 22 at nearly a run a ball as Northants reached tea on 171 for 5, a lead of 136.With a minimum 42 overs still available in the final session, Northants were required to muster further resistance. But the advent of Charlesworth, bowling from the Ashley Down Road end, served to revive the home side’s hopes of forcing a result, the allrounder claiming three wickets in five overs to tip the scales in Gloucestershire’s favour. Sharma was pinned lbw, Procter caught at the wicket without scoring and Sanderson held at deep square leg, much to the delight of enthusiastic home supporters.When Broad’s resistance finally came to an end, Singh Dale removing him lbw for an obdurate 104-ball 49, Northants were deep in trouble. Singh Dale then rapped Ben Whitehouse on the shins to wrap up the innings and set up an exciting run chase under the floodlights.

Winning trophies and top-scorer awards might be routine to Erling Haaland, but this week the striker stands on the brink of what could be a once-in-lifetime opportunity: to qualify for the World Cup with Norway. Since Haaland was born in 2000, Norway have never competed on the world's biggest stage. Their six attempts have all fallen flat, only reaching the play-offs on one occasion.

Automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, however, is in their own hands. And at the feet of Haaland. The Manchester City striker is the top scorer in UEFA qualifying on 12 goals from six games, five more than closest rival Memphis Depay.

In Norway's most recent qualifier against Israel, Haaland struck a hat-trick in a 5-0 drubbing. In the previous game, he scored five and set up two more as Norway walloped Moldova 11-1. The Scandinavians have won all six of their games to take a three-point lead over Italy ahead of their final two games, Thursday's home fixture against Estonia and Sunday's showdown with the Azzurri at San Siro.

But most crucially, and in large part thanks to Haaland's insatiable hunger for scoring, they hold a 16-goal lead in goal difference, the tie-breaker in the event they finish on the same amount of points as Italy. Victory against Estonia, who have lost five of their seven qualifiers, will therefore all-but guarantee them a spot at the World Cup.

Haaland and Norway are taking nothing for granted, but they are on the cusp of what the striker, who has won almost every major trophy with City, has described as the biggest objective of his career.

• Getty
  

  Family ties

  Haaland has a very close relationship with his former footballer father, Alfie, but also a healthy rivalry with him. "He never pushed me to anything, but he early knew that I wanted to become good at football," Haaland told magazine. "I said a long time ago 'Hopefully I'll become better than you'. I told him many times. That's been something that has been a motivation for me ever since I was young, to live from football and become better than him."

  It is fair to say that Erling has already had a far more impressive career than Alfie, who won zero major honours in his 20-year stint in professional football. Erling, by contrast, has won nine trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League, two Golden Boots and been named Player of the Season in both England and Germany. But Alfie can boast of one thing his son is yet to achieve: he has played in a World Cup.

  Alfie was part of the Norway side that qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., and so there is an added significance to Erling's bid to reach next summer's tournament and become the second member of his family to not only play in the world's most prestigious competition, but to do so in the same country as his father.

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• Getty
  

  'Biggest party ever'

  Norway last reached the World Cup in 1998 (Alfie didn't make the squad), and while in the U.S. they agonisingly missed out on the knockout stage by one goal after all four teams in their group finished on four points, Norway had an epic journey in France, reaching the last 16 by beating none other than world champions Brazil. 

  Granted, Brazil had already qualified as Group A winners, but they still fielded an all-star side including Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and the best player in the world at the time, Ronaldo. Norway went behind in the 79th minute but staged an incredible turnaround in the space of five minutes to snatch a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Tore Andre Flo and an 89th-minute penalty from Kjetil Rekdal. 

  Norway were beaten 1-0 by Italy in the last 16, but no one alive then will forget the achievement of beating Brazil and making it to the knockout stage. Haaland is not looking that far ahead, but he knows that just making it to the finals will be a historic achievement. "If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it," he told . "It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible."

• Getty
  

  'Sick and tired'

  Norway had something approaching the biggest party ever when they beat Italy 3-0 in June. Rain had hammered down relentlessly throughout the game, but fans remained inside the Ullevaal Stadion long after full-time, serenading their players while wearing their ponchos.

  "People didn't want to go home," said coach Stale Solbakken. "The rain was pouring, but they were there long before the game and long after the game."

  Solbakken was part of the squad at the 1998 World Cup, giving the current crop of players, the vast majority of whom were not born then, a link with the past, although it is one that Solbakken wants to break: "We are sick and tired of talking about that now, so we need to get to another tournament. It’s 25 years since we've been in a major tournament, so it's about time."

  Solbakken's experience at the World Cup is not even his most significant achievement. While training with FC Copenhagen in 2000, the 57-time Norway international collapsed from a heart attack as his heart stopped beating for almost seven minutes and he went into a coma for 30 hours. "He was clinically dead," said the club doctor who revived him. "It is a miracle that he is still alive."

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• AFP
  

  'Biggest match-winner'

  Solbakken was forced to retire at the age of 30, entering coaching in 2002. He won eight league titles with Copenhagen in two spells before becoming Norway coach in 2020. He is blessed with an incredible generation of players headlined by Haaland and Martin Odegaard (who is out injured at the moment), and backed-up by Haaland's City team-mate Oscar Bobb, Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth, RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa, Fulham midfielder Sander Berge and Borussia Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson.

  "Offensively, we have players with some X-factor now. We feel we can always score a goal," Solbakken added. "As a team, we have become much more solid defensively as well. We have a better mix. The feeling (in the squad) has always been good, but there’s an extra edge to it now that we have done so well."

  No one has quite the X-factor of Haaland, and yet Solbakken insists the striker is "easy to coach". "He is very down-to-earth in terms that he wants to do his work defensively as well," he added. "He thinks about the team before he thinks about himself. You can see that when other players score, he's as happy as he is when he scores himself. He's aware he's a leader and he's taking care of his team-mates in a very good way. The other players know that Erling is our biggest match-winner and that we have to make sure that we put him in the right areas so he can score goals and be dangerous."

The Phillies' comeback against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series fell short on Monday.

The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Phillies fought back with a run in the eighth inning. After holding the Dodgers without a run over the final two innings, the Phillies added two more runs early in the ninth inning.

The Phillies were trailing by just one run when Bryson Stott came up to the plate. With no outs and Nick Castellanos on second base, Philadelphia was in good position to tie up, if not win the game with a walk-off. Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to have Stott bunt, and though he got the ball down, the Dodgers were able to get Castellanos out at third. The Dodgers got the final two outs of the game on the next three plate appearances, and took a 4-3 win.

Thomson explained the unpopular choice to have Stott bunt after the game, saying, “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs."

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play," Thomson added. "We teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash because you're getting all kinds of room in the middle. Mookie broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up."

The Dodgers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after Philadelphia failed to win either of their first two home games. The Phillies will head to Los Angeles where they'll face elimination when they play on Wednesday.

Manchester United are now on red alert in the race to sign a Real Madrid star ahead of Manchester City in a shock £69m deal next year.

Amorim "angry" at "frustrating" West Ham draw

Like the rest of Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim was left angered by Man United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham. The Red Devils were in control for the large part and deservedly got their opener through unlikely goalscorer Diogo Dalot in the second-half, but that’s when things started going wrong.

With seven minutes remaining, the visitors sent a timely reminder of United’s struggles courtesy of Soungoutou Magassa, who scored his first Premier League goal to snatch a point for West Ham.

Amorim, left frustrated at full-time, told reporters: “Yeah, it’s frustrating, it’s angry. That’s it.”

The former Sporting CP manager also pinpointed where things went wrong, saying: “Yeah, but there are second halves that we lose control of the game.

“Today, I think it was not that case. Maybe after the first goal, we lost some second balls and Matheus [Cunha] won one or two second balls there and made it a transition.

“We try to defend all the time far from the goal because we knew it. They tried to make a cross, win a corner. Like it happened, long ball, they win a second ball against three guys of us in the defence. So, we need to be better in the second half.”

Any assumption that United have turned a corner under Amorim is quickly evaporating and the Old Trafford boss desperately needs further reinforcements in 2026.

Midfield stars such as Conor Gallagher and Elliot Anderson have already been mooted, but United could still set their focus on welcoming Rodrygo from Real Madrid. The Brazilian is attracting plenty of interest and could yet swap the Bernabeu for the Premier League.

Man Utd on red alert in Rodrygo race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now on red alert in the race to sign Rodrygo next year and could land the talented winger ahead of rivals Man City, as well as a number of other Premier League sides.

The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso – starting just three La Liga games all season – and looks destined to leave Real Madrid next year.

Sparking a flurry of interest, Madrid reportedly value their winger at around €80m (£69m). Whether INEOS and others deem that fee reachable for a player who’s yet to impress Alonso remains to be seen, however.

Man Utd now rivalling Liverpool to sign £87m forward who Klopp loves

The Red Devils have joined the race for a new attacker, who has made an impressive start to the campaign.

By
Dominic Lund

Dec 5, 2025

At his best, Rodrygo played a key part in Madrid’s success in the Champions League and in La Liga. Now, he’s been cast aside to hand United the opportunity to land arguably their best signing yet under Amorim.

Dubbed “spectacular” by former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in 2023, Rodrygo is still just 24 years old and is full of potential – even if he’s forced to realise it with a move to Old Trafford in 2026.

Amorim's £150k-p/w star just had his worst game for Man Utd vs West Ham

Eddie Howe didn’t name a weakened Newcastle United side against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday in the Champions League, despite the Tyne-Wear Derby looming large.

Indeed, the 48-year-old went full strength, as he picked the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon, even as his team’s tense showdown with Sunderland comes onto the overloaded fixture list on Sunday.

Going all out with his team selection didn’t mean a convincing win was forthcoming, though, as Newcastle’s frailties away from St James’ Park reared their ugly head once more in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.

Unfortunately, many of Howe’s top performers throughout the season struggled in Leverkusen, as an 88th-minute equaliser from Alejandro Grimaldo proved to be a sickening end to a night that was meant to boost the Toon’s confidence, before travelling to the Black Cats.

Newcastle's worst performers vs Leverkusen

It was a well-worked move that saw the Spanish defender slot home past Aaron Ramsdale, but the lax marking of the full-back will have angered Howe at the full-time whistle, as Tonali looked nowhere near his energetic best once more.

The Italian just casually jogged about the pitch when the move was being orchestrated, with the ex-AC Milan man also falling victim to a sluggish display on the ball when giving up possession eight times.

As journalist Luke Edwards put it at the close of the 2-2 draw, he’s meant to “bring control” to contests late on, but looked haphazard on the flip side.

Moreover, Howe could now be second-guessing whether Malick Thiaw should start what will surely be a heated contest at the Stadium of Light, with the clumsy German fortunate not to receive a red card when bringing down Patrick Schick early into the first half, just before he could fire a shot at Ramsdale’s net.

Thankfully, the 24-year-old evaded the referee’s wrath, with the hope that he can get back to his rock-solid best on Wearside, having further come up short uncharacteristically on three of his eight duels away from St James’ Park.

Guimaraes was also left red-faced during the clash when he unfortunately put an own-goal past an unsuspecting Ramsdale, but he did more than enough at BayArena to keep his first-team spot, as seen in him notching up a hefty five key passes, as per Sofascore.

The same, however, can’t be said for one of his declining teammates…

The Newcastle star who must now be axed

Hailed as an “unbelievably frustrating” night from a Toon persuasion by Sky Sports’ Andy Sixsmith, it will be intriguing to see what changes Howe makes to his starting XI now for the demanding Tyne-Wear face-off to come.

Chalkboard

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

Joelinton dropping out feels like an obvious alteration, as the underperforming number seven limped off with a clear injury issue on the hour mark.

To make matters worse for the waning Brazilian, his replacement, Lewis Miley, scored within 14 minutes of his introduction into the lively game, leading one content creator to state that the young Englishman has now “claimed his starting space.”

Minutes played

60

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

33

Shots

1

Accurate passes

20/23 (87%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

2/9

Even if the lethargic South American didn’t have his injury issue to contend with, he would likely be fearful of the axe when looking at his poor numbers from the Leverkusen score draw in more detail, as the 29-year-old, who used to be known for his verve and determination centrally, ended up only winning two of his nine duels on the night.

On top of that, he also very much fell victim to fading in and out of the match, having come off at the hour mark with only 33 touches accumulated, unlike his midfield partners in Guimaraes and Tonali, who amassed a weighty 121 touches between them.

Even Ramsdale in between the sticks would tally up more touches, ending the 2-2 affair with a slightly higher 39.

Having lost his spark in the Premier League this season, too, with zero goals or assists next to his name from 13 league outings, it does feel like a straightforward swap to bring in Miley for some freshness against Sunderland, as the homegrown prodigy licks his lips at the prospect of facing the Toon’s fiercest rivals.

Dropping Joelinton is unlikely to be the only tweak at the Stadium of Light, as Howe does everything in his power to pick the strongest XI that hands his team the bragging rights on Sunday.

As bad as Tonali: £75k-p/w star had his worst game in a Newcastle shirt

This Newcastle star struggled in their 2-2 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen

ByJoe Nuttall 1 day ago

Beth Mooney’s masterful maiden World Cup century rescued Australia from 76 for 7, set up a match-winning total of 221 and denied Pakistan the opportunity to pull off the first upset of the tournament. Australia are now at the top of the points table, with two wins and a washout while Pakistan remain winless in last place.Mooney continued a magnificent 2025, in which she now averages 63.42, with an innings that was a class above anyone else on a slow, low turner in Colombo. Only two other batters, Alana King and Sidra Amin, got more than 20; King’s innings came with Mooney at the other end. The pair shared a 106-run ninth-wicket stand and King’s 51* was the highest score for a player batting at No.10 or lower in women’s ODIs. They completely eclipsed the efforts of Pakistan’s spinners, who shared six wickets for 98 runs in their 30 overs and gave their side real hope before the batters completely faded away.Pakistan were bowled out for 114, undone by seam and swing. As much as Pakistan will need to question their batting, they will wonder how they squandered the opportunity to bowl Australia out for one of their lowest World Cup scores after getting themselves into a position of such advantage. The answer lies in Mooney’s approach.Beth Mooney’s hundred rescued Australia•ICC/Getty Images

Unlike all the other batters, she demonstrated an ability to play late and move in the crease and showed patience in the face of extreme pressure. All told, Mooney hit 11 fours in her century and ran 44 singles, nine twos and a three. She earned the right to play with freedom at the end and Australia’s final flourish of 81 runs in the last 10 overs including 53 off the last four, iced the cake.Their takedown of Diana Baig, who conceded 74 in her 10 overs, will also ask questions of Pakistan’s bowling options. They only had five at their disposal and while four had an excellent day out, they could not close things out quickly enough after Fatima Sana chose to bowl in hot, humid conditions because she suspected spin could play a role. She was proved right almost immediately.Sana introduced spin in the form of Sadia Iqbal in the fifth over, Iqbal ended it by drawing Alyssa Healy forward as she tried to flick. Healy gave Baig a simple catch at midwicket.Four balls later, Sana, after bowling 12 dot balls and with her hero Ellyse Perry at the other end, had Phoebe Litchfield playing across the line and skying it straight up. The Pakistan captain kept her composure to take a good catch. In the end, Sana did not get to bowl to Perry at all as she took herself off to go all spin.Ellyse Perry was beaten and Sidra Nawaz completed the swift glovework•AFP/Getty Images

Nashra Sandhu struck with her fifth ball when Perry came down the track, was beaten by turn and Sidra Nawaz did some excellent work behind the stumps to break them. With that, Sandhu became the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODI World Cups, going past former captain Sana Mir and she showed no signs of stopping. In her next over, Sandhu deceived Annabel Sutherland with the one that held its line and beat the inside edge to bowl her.Though left-arm spin has been the discipline of destruction at this tournament, offspinner Rameen Shamim was not to be denied a share of the spoils. Ash Gardner chipped Shamim straight to Sana at midwicket. Then, Sandhu sent one down slow, Tahlia McGrath tried to get it over extra cover but could not get to the pitch of the ball and sliced it to Baig, who lunged forward to take the catch in the infield.When Georgia Wareham was done in by extra bounce and gave Shamim a return catch, Australia were 76 for 7 – the second lowest at the fall of the seventh wickets since 67 for 7 against New Zealand in 1993. Sandhu thought she had the eighth in the 23rd over when Garth missed a straight one and was given out lbw but she reviewed and replays showed she had hit the ball.Alana King and Beth Mooney added 106 off 97 balls for the ninth wicket•ICC/Getty Images

That proved crucial as it allowed Australia to rebuild, in a similar fashion to the way they did after being 128 for 5 against New Zealand. This time, they were able to do it against a Pakistan attack that had to go back to their seamers, in the absence of another spin option. Sana brought herself back on in the 28th over and should have run Garth out but got herself into a poor position at the non-striker’s end. She also had to go back to Baig, and Australia’s 100 and Mooney’s fifty both came off her in a sign of things to come.The eighth-wicket stand between Mooney and Garth grew 39 before another Nawaz special behind the stumps. Baig sent a full ball down leg, Garth missed the flick with her front foot out of the crease and back heel lifted. Nawaz reacted quickly to collect, stay low and break the stumps. Australia were 115 for 8 and again, Pakistan could not close things out.King did a sterling job of holding her end and helped Mooney drag the innings into its latter stages. Mooney was on 85 when she was given lbw to Iqbal, against a delivery that turned in and pinned her on the back leg. She reviewed and ball tracking showed it was doing too much and would have missed leg stump. King was 17 off 35 at the time.Mooney entered the nineties when she whipped Baig behind square and moved swiftly to 94 with a cut that went to the deep-third boundary. Her hundred came with a single off Sana, and then she let King have some fun. King took 13 runs off Baig’s final over and then back-to-back sixes off Sana’s last over to bring up 50 off 48 balls. Mooney then smashed two more fours before being dismissed off the last ball as she cut Sana to cover.Ashleigh Gardner got Sidra Amin, the only top-six batter who got into double figures•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s demoralisation with how they fielded showed in their batting. Sadaf Shams looked nervy initially, edged Megan Schutt between the keeper and slip and then nicked off against Garth. Schutt got on the board three overs later when Muneeba Ali was caught low by Sutherland at mid-off, in a dismissal that looked eerily similar to Heather Knight’s not out against Bangladesh yesterday.Nawaz, promoted to No.4, had no footwork when she edged Garth to Healy, Schutt had Natalia Pervaiz caught by Mooney at slip and then Garth bowled Eyman Fatima, playing and missing as she attempted a slog. Pakistan were in a mess at 31 for 5 and it didn’t get much better.Sana chopped a short Sutherland ball onto her stumps before Sidra Amin and Shamim put on 29 in 52 balls, which was Pakistan’s best stand. Spin ended it when Amin picked out Sutherland at long-on. Pakistan were 78 for 7 but had no batters to take them close. Shamim and Sandhu delayed the inevitable for 68 balls in a 25-run stand. Pakistan were dismissed in 36.3 overs and their net run rate plunged to -1.887.

Chelsea picked up their second Premier League win in a row after a 3-0 home thrashing against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Blues put in a clinical second-half display to pick up another three points and propel them up to second in the top flight.

The first 45 minutes went by without anything of note happening, although it was a half dominated by Enzo Maresca’s side. It took them just six minutes of the second half for them to break the deadlock.

Malo Gusto scored his first goal for the club, heading home a cross after finding himself unmarked in the penalty box.

14 minutes after the Frenchman’s goal, Chelsea found the back of the net again. This time, it was Joao Pedro who scored, firing home a loose ball from 12 yards out. It was brilliant play from substitute Estevao just seconds after coming on, who took the ball on the outside and sent a low cross into the box.

Chelsea made it 3-0 with 17 minutes to go. It was former Wolves attacker Pedro Neto who scored, coming back to haunt his former club. He finished off an incisive counter-attack to secure the points for his side.

It was a strong performance from the Blues, with a couple of players really standing out.

Chelsea’s best players vs. Wolves

One of the standout players in Blue was summer signing Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine set up two of the three goals at Stamford Bridge, and has now scored or assisted three goals in his last two games across all competitions.

His work for both assists was impressive. For Gusto’s goal, Garnacho stood a cross up to the back post, making it easy for him to head home.

He perfectly executed the counter-attack for the Blues’ second goal, putting an inch-perfect cross on a plate for Neto to score.

The other man who stood out for Maresca’s side was Garnacho’s fellow Argentine international, Enzo Fernandez. He controlled the midfield once again, just as he did in the Blues’ last Premier League game away to Tottenham Hotspur.

It was, in many ways, effortless from the Chelsea midfielder, who took the captain’s armband with Reece James on the bench. He created two chances, completed 97% of his passes and completed four out of four long balls.

As well as the likes of Garnacho and Fernandez played against Wolves, there was one Chelsea star who didn’t look at his best.

The Chelsea player who struggled vs. Wolves

This was certainly a game that you would have expected Chelsea to win. The Old Gold are in dire straits at the moment, currently without a manager and with just two points to their name in the Premier League.

However, one player who could not capitalise on that poor form was striker Liam Delap. The former Ipswich Town star was starting his first top-flight game since the 30th of August, but looked far from his best.

It was a game that Delap simply couldn’t get into. He played just over an hour before being replaced by Estavao.

In that time, the 22-year-old managed just 15 touches, fewer than goalkeeper Robert Sanchez (30), completed six from seven attempted passes, and had two shots.

Touches

16

Passes completed

6/7

Ground duels won

2/3

Touches in Wolves box

2

Shots

2

Expected goals

0.12xG

Dom Smith of The Standard, noted how lacklustre Delap’s performance was against Wolves. He gave him a 5/10 for his efforts, explaining that he ‘struggled with the physicality’ of the Old Gold backline.

It will be interesting to see if Maresca keeps faith in Delap or decides to rotate him out of the side after the international break. The Blues have options up front, with Marc Guiu and Joao Pedro capable of leading the line, and Neto operating there late in the game.

It may well take the Englishman a few games to get back up to speed. After such a long lay-off with injury, perhaps there was too much expectation for him to hit the ground running.

However, against what is a Wolves team in disarray, this felt like a good opportunity to make a nuisance of himself and even bag a goal.

Chalkboard

Maresca has some alternative options if he does decide to switch things up at centre-forward. Delap certainly left a lot to be desired with his showing against the Old Gold.

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كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الخميس، عن خطوة هامة قام بها مدرب نادي ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، من أجل تصحيح الوضع الحالي الذي يمر به الفريق الملكي هذا الموسم.

ريال مدريد يمر بفترة صعبة خلال هذا الموسم، والتي تمثلت في عدم تحقيق الانتصار في ثلاث مباريات متتالية، قبل تحقيق الانتصار على أولبيماكوس.

ريال مدريد استطاع أن ينتصر على أولمبياكوس بأربعة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة أمس الأربعاء، في الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وورد أن هناك خلافات كبيرة بين غرفة خلع ملابس ريال مدريد وألونسو، حيث ذكرت تقارير إعلامية أن بعض اللاعبين طلبوا رحيل المدرب الإسباني.

وأفاد إيدو أجيري، الصحفي الإسباني الشهير أن ألونسو قد أجرى عدة إجتماعات مع لاعبي ريال مدريد من أجل محاولة التقرب منهم وإصلاح الوضع داخل غرفة خلع ملابس الفريق الملكي.

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وقال أجيري في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الشيرينجيتو”: “يمكننا الحديث عن نقطة تحول مهمة في علاقة تشابي ألونسو ببقية غرفة الملابس في الساعات القليلة الماضية”.

وأضاف: ”في اليومين الماضيين كان يجتمع مع لاعبين مختلفين، قيل لي إن هناك اجتماعات صغيرة في مجموعات من ثلاثة أو أربعة لاعبين، في محاولة من تشابي للتقرب منهم”.

وأوضح: “أخبرهم كيف يمكنهم تحسين علاقته معهم وكيف يمكن تحسين الأجواء، كان هناك تقارب في وجهات النظر، اليوم فقط في الفندق التقى ألونسو بستة أو سبعة لاعبين، وقد تقبلوه بشكل جيد للغاية”.

واختتم أجيري في حديثه عن ألونسو: ”لقد تحسن الشعور، على الأقل في اليومين أو الثلاثة أيام الأخيرة بعد مباراة إلتشي بشكل كبير، حتى مع اللاعبين الكبار”.

South Zone will count on a few big names to drive the batting, while the bowlers will have their task cut out against a confident North Zone top order

Ashish Pant03-Sep-2025Big Picture: Both teams missing major namesA depleted South Zone without several key players due to injuries and national duty, will face North Zone in the semi-final of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy in Ground A of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Already missing captain Tilak Varma (Asia Cup selection) and R Sai Kishore (finger injury), South Zone have been dealt another setback with fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak ruled out of the semi-final due to a side strain. Fast bowler Vasuki Koushik has replaced him in the squad.With KL Rahul also not around, South Zone will count on Devdutt Padikkal, N Jagadeesan and captain Mohammed Azharuddeen to drive the batting, while the bowlers will have their task cut out against a confident North Zone top order.North Zone come into the semi-final after a stellar quarterfinal where they qualified after a first-innings lead against East Zone. They scored 405 in the first innings and then bowled East Zone for 230. Having taken a 175-run lead, the North Zone batters piled on the runs in the second innings, with captain Ankit Kumar and Yash Dhull recording centuries and Ayush Badoni scoring an unbeaten double ton.While the batting unit is likely to remain unchanged, North Zone will be without two of their primary fast bowlers in Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, with the duo part of India’s Asia Cup squad. Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar and Haryana’s Anuj Thakral have been added to the squad as replacements.Related

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South Zone have made a direct entry to the semi-final by virtue of playing the Duleep Trophy final the last time the tournament was played in the zonal format in the 2023-24 season. The semi-final will not be televised.In the spotlight: Padikkal, Nabi, BadoniDevdutt Padikkal came back from an injury layoff and finished as the highest run-scorer at the recent Maharaja T20 Trophy. He will be looking to get back into the red-ball grind, with a busy season coming up. Padikkal hasn’t played for India since November 2024, when he played the Perth Test against Australia, and will want to return to the fray by scoring big.Despite Arshdeep and Rana in action, it was the four-in-four man Auqib Nabi who turned heads in the only innings North Zone bowled in the first game. He was nippy, extracted plenty of bounce off the surface and got the ball to move both ways. Nabi was the highest wicket-taker at the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy for a fast bowler and has retained that form at the start of the season. He will lead the North Zone bowling attack and could prove to be a handful against a weakened South Zone batting unit.Ayush Badoni scored a double century for North Zone in the quarterfinal•PTI Ayush Badoni was Delhi’s highest run-scorer in the last Ranji season. While he didn’t have the most productive Delhi Premier League 2025, his red-ball form has been on point. He made a counterattacking 60-ball 63 in the first innings of the quarterfinal and then an unbeaten 204 in the second. Having had the hang of the surface at Ground A of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, he will want to build on his form.Team news North Zone could bring in Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Yudhvir Singh Charak and Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar into XI to replace Arshdeep and Harshit. The rest of the unit is unlikely to change from the first game.North Zone (probable): 1 Ankit Kumar (capt), 2 Shubham Khajuria (vice-capt), 3 Yash Dhull, 4 Ayush Badoni, 5 Nishant Sindhu, 6 Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), 7 Sahil Lotra, 8 Mayank Dagar, 9 Auqib Nabi, 10 Yudhvir Singh Charak, 11 Gurnoor BrarTanmay Agarwal, Padikkal, Ricky Bhui and Jagadeesan are expected to form the top four of the South Zone XI, while they could go with three fast bowlers and two spinners in the mix.South Zone (probable): 1 Tanmay Agarwal, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Ricky Bhui, 4 Narayan Jagadeesan (vice-capt), 5 Mohammed Azharuddeen (capt & wk), 6 Shaik Rasheed/Salman Nizar, 7 Ankit Sharma, 8 Tanay Thyagarajan, 9 Vasuki Koushik, 10 Gurjapneet Singh, 11 Basil NP / MD NidheeshPitch and conditionsThere was some seam movement and bounce in the morning on all four days of the quarterfinal for the fast bowlers in Ground A at CoE, but the pitch eased out as the day progressed. Expect much of the same for the semis as well. There has been plenty of rain in and around Bengaluru over the last few weeks, and with cloudy conditions expected all through the semis, fast bowlers should get some help off the surface.