Tag Futebol

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot proved everyone wrong when he successfully replaced Jurgen Klopp at Anfield one year ago and guided the Reds to the Premier League title.

The 2025/26 campaign will present new challenges, with all at Liverpool, both as a club and a city, mourning the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, but Anfield have proved time and time again their ability to come together and embrace the support of their fanbase, and vice versa.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is currently faced with an imminent approach from Barcelona for versatile forward Luis Diaz, 28, having rejected the La Liga champions’ advances last month.

But La Blaugrana have not been deterred, and having missed out on top target Nico Williams after the winger signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao, efforts have been redoubled, Diaz moving ahead of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on the list.

With Diaz having spent so much of the recent campaign filling in as Liverpool’s central striker, his sale would call for a new centre-forward, as has been a Reds priority for several months.

Especially with Darwin Nunez in the process of signing for Napoli.

The latest on Darwin Nunez to Napoli

Nunez joined Liverpool in 2022, arriving from SL Benfica in a deal billed as a club record at £85m. However, the Uruguayan’s struggles in England have seen a series of clauses left hanging, with the actual fee coming in at £71m.

He has obvious qualities: Nunez is tenacious, a maverick and, on occasion, jaw-droppingly ambitious in the final third. However, the 25-year-old has only scored 25 Premier League goals across his three terms, with just seven goals across all competitions coming last season under Slot’s wing.

Moreover, Slot remarked earlier in 2025 that he “can’t accept” the Uruguayan’s work rate, typically a staple, after a string of disappointing appearances.

Napoli, thus, projected confidence when sauntering over to make their move, but negotiations have since left a gap between the respective clubs’ valuation of the striker.

A fee is still to be agreed, but if and when this does happen – Nunez also has admirers in the Saudi Pro League – a replacement will be needed.

Liverpool in the race for new centre-forward

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool and Manchester United have registered their interest in Almeria striker Luis Suarez this summer.

This is not the famed Suarez of old, but his namesake, a 27-year-old Colombian, who has been priced at €25m (£21m) after his prolific campaign in Spain’s second division.

The one-time Watford prospect is also on Sporting Lisbon’s transfer list as they prepare to sell Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal, and it’s for this reason that the Liga Portugal’s two-in-a-row champions are felt to have the advantage in the race as things stand.

Why Liverpool want Luis Suarez

Suarez isn’t the youngest number nine on the block, but he’s certainly shown that he knows where the back of the net is, having scored 41 goals and provided 13 assists across 79 fixtures for Almeria.

And a good haul of that came last term, in the Segunda Division. Indeed, Suarez scored 31 goals across 43 matches in all competitions, albeit with 27 goals arriving in Spain’s second tier.

Although saying that, Suarez’s hat-trick over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey emphasised his natural prolificness, something which could serve Liverpool well over the season to come.

His completeness and physicality could even see him prove to be Liverpool’s own version of Gyokeres, who indeed looks set to sign for Arsenal in a deal worth less than Sporting’s original £68m asking price.

Gyokeres is one of the most dangerous goalscorers in Europe, having scored 97 goals across 102 matches in two years with Sporting. His physicality and powerful performances are rare attributes, applied as well as they are, but Liverpool could sign someone similar in Almeria’s frontman, who has been praised for his “crazy” quality by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Sporting have identified the Colombian as the perfect replacement, after all, with Gyokeres also 27 years old.

Suarez has his similarities; he’s prolific, but he’s also a veritable machine when it comes to ball-striking. As you can see below, Suarez is one of the most relentless shooters in the trade, hitting the target more times than Mohamed Salah, behind only Gyokeres and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

Suarez played the 2024/25 campaign in Spain’s Segunda division, but he’s an experienced and well-oiled player whose goalscoring ability was well received by an Almeria side who finished the term with the highest goal tally in the division (72).

Though Suarez is, of course, not on Gyokeres’ level, Liverpool could bolster their ranks with a shrewd attacking option this summer, one whose clinical nature has been underscored over the past year.

Matches (starts)

41 (41)

33 (31)

Goals

27

39

Assists

8

7

Shots (on target)*

4.1 (1.6)

4.2 (2.4)

Big chances missed

27

23

Pass completion

74%

73%

Big chances created

10

11

Key passes*

1.4

1.9

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Ball recoveries*

2.0

2.3

Duels won*

4.5

5.5

As you can see from the collated statistics above, Suarez’s sucess in duel, partnered with his dribbling ability and natural creativity, provide him with the dynamism and roundedness that aligns with Sweden striker Gyokeres’ own skill set.

The hunt for a player of Hugo Ekitike or Victor Osimhen’s standing continues, but if Liverpool and enrich their ranks with this shrewd signing, Slot will likely find that the price tag is repaid on the pitch.

Slot's own Zubimendi: Liverpool submit bid to sign "incredible" £35m star

Liverpool could sign a new centre-midfielder this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2025

Chelsea’s transfer activity has been leaked consistently over the last few days, with one club director now lifting the lid on a recent phone call as the Blues pursued another deal.

Chelsea targeting new attackers for Maresca after failed deadline deals

Enzo Maresca couldn’t quite get AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan or Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens through the door in time for their looming Club World Cup campaign (Sky Sports), with the pre-CWC deadline passing at 7pm on Tuesday.

"One to watch" – Chelsea could now sell popular international for just £17m

The west Londoners have plenty of players to get off the books.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 12, 2025

Chelsea also didn’t have enough time to strike what is a complex deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg insists that he is still one to watch, and the west Londoners remain in talks.

In the meantime, it is reported that Chelsea are prioritising a new attacker over the coming weeks, namely a left-winger, versatile attacking midfielder and second striker after Liam Delap (Simon Phillips).

Chelsea also haven’t given up hope of signing Gittens, and he could well be one they revisit later on in the window.

“The hype and briefings of bids being sent and rejected for Gittens yesterday afternoon was just all blown up and also, very delayed,” said journalist Simon Phillips in a recent Substack update.

“Chelsea walked from this way before lunchtime and the biggest offer we sent in was a £45m base fee and £10m add-ons. This was rejected and Chelsea walked. It is likely to come up again because Chelsea do rate Gittens, and it’s likely to still be a genuine pursuit for Chelsea still this summer.”

This is now being echoed by Dortmund sporting director Sebastien Kehl, who lifted the lid on their discussions with Chelsea in an interview with Tage Spiegel this week.

Sebastien Kehl reveals Chelsea phone call over signing Jamie Gittens

The Bundesliga chief shared details behind their negotiations, with Kehl also tipping Chelsea talks for Gittens to reopen.

“We spoke on the phone, in the end we did not agree, because we have different ideas about the current value of the player,” he said.

“Jamie definitely makes our team better. We are glad that he is there. We are in a good exchange and see how things are shaping in the future.

“Of course, at some point, if you take a player with it, you also have to sell. I assume that his market value will not fall. We will see to what extent we can keep it until the end of the tournament. There will be talks again.”

Dortmund and Kehl are rumoured to want as much as £55 million for Gittens, which is a steep price considering he played less of a crucial role for them towards the back end of 2024/2025.

Just three of the 20-year-old’s 12 goals last season came in this calendar year, with Gittens also registering zero assists since the turn of 2025.

While Chelsea chiefs are believed to rate him, BlueCo also must not pay over the odds for him either, even if he’s Dortmund’s most sellable asset, and they’re likely to carry on charging top dollar.

Arsenal have been one of the Champions League’s most frequent participants, but have not been able to take home the famous trophy.

The Gunners have come unstuck against Bayern Munich and PSG since returning to the competition after six seasons away, with Mikel Arteta’s side spending years in the relative wilderness of the Europa League (as well as one year out of Europe altogether) before threatening to go all the way in 2024/25.

From repeated last-16 heartache to final… heartbreak, the Gunners have had quite a journey in the Champions League over the years.

So how does Arsenal’s Champions League record shape up? While they had two European Cup campaigns in 1971 and 1991, they have appeared in 21 of the last 27 editions of the UEFA Champions League ahead of their expected entry in 2025/26.

Arsenal's top 25 Champions League moments

Arsenal have enjoyed some of their greatest European nights in the Champions League.

By
Mark Marston

May 15, 2025

Here is a complete Arsenal record in Europe’s premier club competition.

1998/99

First CL campaign ends in group stage disappointment

Arsenal secured their maiden UEFA Champions League berth after winning the Premier League title in Arsene Wenger’s first full season at the club.

Their first two seasons in the competition were marked by the Gunners playing their home games at Wembley in order to play in front of larger crowds, with the national stadium having almost double the amount of seats as Highbury.

Unfortunately, with only group winners guaranteed a quarter-final place, Arsenal were left to rue some late equalisers as they ended up finishing third on the head-to-head rule.

1999/00

Fiorentina and Barcelona win at Wembley to eliminate Gunners

Arsenal came up against some world superstars such as Gabriel Batistuta and Rivaldo in the first group stage, and while they were far from embarrassed, they fell short by a point to finish third once again.

They found solace in a run to the UEFA Cup final, where they were beaten on penalties by Galatasaray.

2000/01

Gunners suffer away goals heartbreak Pt. 1

The 2000/01 campaign was the first time the Gunners made it through the group stage – a feat they repeated for the following 16 years.

It was also the one and only time they made it past the second group stage before it was discontinued in 2003.

Qualifying comfortably from the group as winners, they survived a second group stage including would-be familiar foes Bayern Munich, before falling to Valencia on away goals in the quarter-finals despite Ray Parlour’s first-leg screamer.

2001/02

Double winners fall short in Europe again

Arsenal won all their home games to squeeze into the second group stage, where although they defeated eventual finalists Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners were knocked out, with two defeats against then-Spanish giants Deportivo proving crucial.

Wenger’s men continued to impress on the domestic front, with another league and cup double leaving European success as the missing part in the trophy cabinet.

2002/03

Gunners draw four of six second-phase games

Experienced Champions League participants by this point, Arsenal secured a routine second group stage spot after seeing off the likes of Borussia Dortmund and PSV.

While they had their moments in the second group stage – including Thierry Henry’s hat-trick against Roma – failure to convert draws into wins saw Ajax and Valencia pip the Gunners to the two quarter-final berths.

2003/04

Wayne Bridge denies Invincibles shot at European glory

With the second group stage now a thing of the past, Arsenal were arguably at their very best and poised to bring the Champions League to N5 for the first time.

A disastrous start to the group stage was remedied by three successive victories which included their 5-1 demolition of Inter at San Siro, before easing past Celta Vigo in the last 16 and being handed a quarter-final tie with London rivals Chelsea.

Despite a rocking first 45, Arsenal were unable to make their home advantage count as the Blues snatched the tie late on, leaving the Gunners to wonder what might have been as FC Porto went all the way.

2004/05

Arsenal fall to Bayern despite second-leg win

Arsenal topped their group despite winning just two of their six matches, though their reward of meeting Bayern Munich in the last 16 (sound familiar?) saw the Gunners endure another early exit.

After a 3-1 defeat at a snowy Olympiastadion, Arsenal threatened to stage a remarkable comeback in the second leg, but their 1-0 win was not enough to advance to the quarters.

2005/06

Gunners lose in Paris finale amid historic campaign

Arsenal’s closest call to date came in what was their final European campaign at Highbury. They bowed out in style by easing through the group, and enjoyed a magical night at the Santiago Bernabeu before holding Real Madrid to a goalless draw in north London.

Their penultimate night under the Highbury lights in Europe saw Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry see off Juventus before another shutout in Turin, while there was more drama in the semi-final.

Kolo Toure scored Highbury’s last-ever Champions League goal as they took a slender advantage to Spain, where a late Jens Lehmann penalty save secured Arsenal a place in the Champions League final.

The final was also fraught with controversy, with Lehmann’s first-half sending-off leaving the Gunners up against it, though they somehow led at half-time through Sol Campbell’s header.

Barcelona’s equaliser had more of a hint of offside about it, before the 10 men’s luck ran out late on, as Juliano Belletti’s winner broke Arsenal hearts.

2006/07

PSV’s Alex nets at both ends to send Gunners out

Arsenal’s fourth-place finish the previous year – their lowest under Wenger – saw the Frenchman’s side in the unfamiliar territory of having to enter the qualifying rounds, where they defeated Dinamo Zagreb over two legs.

The Gunners topped their group once more, but their run came to an abrupt end when Alex nodded in a last-gasp equaliser for PSV in the last 16 to defeat Arsenal on aggregate.

2007/08

Contentious penalty sees Arsenal’s San Siro victory count for nothing

This was another campaign that left the Gunners licking their wounds, as Arsenal were minutes away from the semi-finals before a late, debatable penalty call at Anfield put paid to their efforts to see off English opposition in the Champions League.

Arsenal dazzled at times in the group stage, securing their biggest-ever Champions League win in their 7-0 rout against Slavia Prague. They then dispatched holders Milan with a memorable victory at San Siro before meeting Liverpool in the last eight, where the Reds’ European experience showed.

Newcastle United failed to make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon with a disappointing 1-1 draw away at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Gaining all three points would have seen Eddie Howe’s Magpies really lay down a marker when it comes to their top five aspirations, but this draw means the tussle between themselves, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest will only intensify more ahead of a thrilling May to follow.

On another day, however, the Tyneside outfit could have returned back home empty-handed, with more heroics from Alexander Isak thankfully bailing the visitors out.

Isak's heroics on the South Coast

It’s hardly a surprise now when Isak’s name flashes up as a goalscorer for the Toon, with the unerringly accurate Newcastle number 14 now up to 27 goals in all competitions after firing home a last-gasp penalty on the South Coast.

The spot-kick beating Bart Verbruggen also means Isak is now on a hefty 23 Premier League strikes, with this total being the most lethal tally a Newcastle player has managed in league action since Alan Shearer’s 22-goal haul during the 2003/04 campaign.

Amazingly, Howe’s men had actually had two penalties overturned via VAR before Isak’s was given, meaning it was crucial that the lethal Swede fired home with confidence, and he did just that to send the away masses into momentary delirium.

Away from his effort from the spot wrongfooting the Seagulls goalkeeper, it was somewhat of a quiet day at the office from Isak in open play, seen in the 25-year-old only registering two efforts on goal and 20 accurate passes, away from his last-gasp moment of quality.

But, any negatives from his overall game were quickly brushed under the carpet after the penalty trickled in.

Whereas, one of Isak’s attacking teammates might well find his starting spot is up for grabs after an entirely unmemorable performance against Fabian Hurzeler’s hosts.

Chalkboard

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

Expand Collapse The 5/10 Newcastle star who could now be dropped

It’s clear when reading over the match numbers that there were a whole host of underperformers from Newcastle’s perspective.

Indeed, having posted two assists last weekend, Kieran Trippier was nowhere near his rampaging best down the right flank when squandering possession 15 times, whilst Joe Willock struggled too in an attacking capacity when making just 17 accurate passes, also booked for diving.

But, Jacob Murphy would be the biggest letdown for Howe, considering the usually electric number 23 has eight goals and 11 assists next to his name across 32 Premier League outings this season, but offered virtually nothing when bombing forward against the Seagulls.

This would result in Howe putting Murphy out of his misery on the 56th minute mark, with the Magpies boss clearly fed up by the fact the 30-year-old had registered just one effort on Verbruggen’s goal when still on the pitch, among other lacklustre numbers.

Murphy’s performance in numbers

Stat

Murphy

Minutes played

56

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

30

Accurate passes

17/22 (77%)

Accurate crosses

0/2

Accurate long balls

0/1

Shots

1

Successful dribbles

1/2

Total duels won

1/4

Stats by Sofascore

Frustratingly, Murphy would also tally up no accurate crosses, no accurate long balls and just one successful dribble when attempting to create an opening for the visitors, on top of also failing to be aggressive when needed when winning just one duel from four attempted.

Arguably, the 30-year-old’s replacement in Anthony Gordon offered more from his limited minutes on the Brighton turf, with one of the overturned penalties on the day coming about from the ex-Everton man’s burst of pace, alongside the lively attacker winning four of his own duels.

Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson would hand out a low 5/10 rating to the former Norwich City winger subsequently stating that his afternoon was defined by a number of promising crossing opportunities being ‘wasted.’

It could well be time for Howe to axe Murphy from his starting lineup to freshen up proceedings, therefore, with the Magpies boss hopeful that both Gordon and Harvey Barnes next to Isak can cause Chelsea all sorts of bother in a huge Premier League clash up next.

Related In-demand player would rather join Newcastle despite offer from Barcelona

The Magpies could land his signature…

Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford May 4, 2025

Thanks to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s reverse-swing heroics, they might just have found the blueprint to win even outside spin-friendly conditions

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2025Twenty wickets. Pakistan captain Shan Masood has concerned himself with no other number ever since England inflicted a chastening innings defeat on his side a year ago, running up the fourth highest total in Test history in the process. It was, according to Masood, the only way to win Test matches, and thereafter, Pakistan began preparing spin tracks which would just about guarantee the fall of 20 wickets.It has turned around the fortunes of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who took almost every one of those wickets in the past four home Tests, but Masood will take those wickets however they come. The denouement to the first Test, which Pakistan won by 93 runs, was dominated by Shaheen Afridi, who exploited the old, reversing ball, taking four in the innings – more than Pakistani pace bowlers have taken in the last four home Tests combined. It included the final three, Afridi trapping Kyle Verreynne before making a mess of the stumps for the final two.Related

• Plot intact, result missing: South Africa's Test revival still a work in progress

• Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan

For Masood, this offered evidence that there was more than one way of breaking through on this surface. “It’s simple for me,” he said after the game. “Shaheen took four wickets [in the fourth innings]. He’s put in the effort and bowled extraordinarily well. He’s shown why he’s in the world’s best fast bowlers. On these pitches, fast bowlers don’t vanish, their role changes.”The World Test Championship will not be played in uniform conditions; they will be played in different conditions against different teams. We can’t look at one Test and extrapolate to the next two years. We have to play in England and the West Indies with the Duke ball. Bangladesh beat us in seam-friendly conditions so maybe they’ll give us seaming conditions there too. Fast bowlers’ role is not being phased out; we’re expanding the ways we can win Test matches. That’s why we played two fast bowlers, and Shaheen showed us exactly how.”On more than one occasion in the fourth innings, Masood admitted to some degree of “anxiety” after Pakistan had repeatedly failed to put the visitors away once and for all. Overnight, Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi had gutsed their way to an unbeaten overnight stand after the pair offered the most potent resistance in the first dig. Masood started the day with Afridi, who found reverse to bring the fourth ball in, hitting de Zorzi dead in front.Three hours later, South Africa had begun to sneak back into contention with another little stand for the eighth wicket, compiling 29 runs as the target neared double digits. Once more, Afridi’s introduction brought immediate relief; he would need 11 balls to take three wickets.”When we were discussing the game on the field, Shaheen said “I will turn this match around for you”. We waited for the ball to get older. Obviously not bowling him with the new ball is a big decision. We trusted him, and he demanded the ball, and then he delivered for us. The way he bowled, we’re all excited; it was a superb fast bowling display.”Masood also pointed to his team’s composition as evidence that Pakistan were not looking only to spin their way to victory. He said they had unwittingly ended up going overboard in the series against the West Indies, where prodigious turn on surfaces in Multan that broke up right from the outset ended up with the side that won the toss winning the game. Spin operated almost exclusively from start to finish that series, which ended square 1-1.In Lahore, Pakistan believed there was enough in it for the quicks to field two of them, with Hasan Ali also taking part. It is a combination Masood hinted they might stick with for the second Test in Rawalpindi, calling them “the best exponents of reverse swing in Pakistan.””We’ll collectively admit that the conditions against the West Indies were too extreme. The bowling attacks were evened out because of the conditions. Batting was difficult, and the toss and the first innings lead mattered a lot. This pitch was very similar to the Test we played in Pindi. When a batter set himself he had an opportunity to go on and get good runs here. South Africa also showed when batters are set, it looks like batting is straightforward.Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early on day four•Getty Images”When Brevis and Rickelton were batting and the target dropped below 150, that felt like a stressful situation. But the bowler’s always in the game. Our pacers also contributed. Shaheen bowled extraordinarily well. If you want to do well in the WTC and the Test team, we will need performances from all departments, and we got that this Test.”Masood knows the challenge his side has just overcome, and while much of it does come down to the toss, South Africa are coming off the best winning run in their team’s history. They had won 10 Tests on the trot, including two against Pakistan at home as well as the World Test Championship final against Australia, and gave Pakistan the biggest fright of a side losing the toss since Pakistan started preparing wickets of this nature.For the Pakistan captain, it was proof both of the strides he is convinced his side is making, as well as the notion that the toss does not decide the game. “Our focus has always been on how we’re improving as a side. Getting a result is a huge deal. We’ve taken a strong start in the WTC final, and we need to build on it.”In the last year, when we played against England in Multan, we won the toss on a used pitch. When we won the match, England said it’d be interesting what happens when Pakistan lose the toss, and then we still beat them. The toss isn’t in our hands or South Africa’s hands. It evens out in cricket long-term. In Pindi, I challenged the side to reveal their character even if we lost the toss. And we did showcase that with one of our best Test performances last cycle with Saud Shakeel playing an excellent knock and the lower order complementing him. I’ll always tell the side to show how we can play our first innings well even when we lose the toss. If we lose the toss, we’ll have a plan for how to win the next game.”Whatever that plan is, 20 opposition wickets is set to be at the heart of it.

Pakistan’s attack bowled plenty of dots at the Chinnaswamy, but it was the ones that went for four and six that set the tone

Osman Samiuddin20-Oct-20232:06

Pujara: Babar succumbed to pressure

The first over of the match, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi, was a good over. It was not the great over that we have come to expect from Afridi but it was a good over. He forced Pakistan to take a slightly ludicrous review off the first ball and tried to push for another very optimistic one off the fourth, but otherwise it went well. He wasn’t straining too hard for that full-length ball that he hasn’t been able to nail right of late. He showed signs he was willing to mix his length and off five balls he conceded just one run.Off one though, the fifth ball of the over, he went a little too full. It shaped in a touch as well. No matter. This is the Chinnaswamy. The boundaries here are served Size Extra Small. The pitch is true. There may only have been four ODIs at the stadium in the last 10 years but we’ve all seen the IPL. We all know the feats of white-ball batting magic that are written here. Also, facing up was Mitch Marsh and there is no cleaner hitter of a cricket ball right now. With minimum fuss, he launched a six straight down the ground.It was a very Mitch Marsh shot. The over read: four dots, one slight error, one maximum. In not quite the way Pakistan would have wanted, the tone was set for most of the rest of this innings.Related

• The price of being Babar Azam

• Warner still the GOAT-to option for Australia at World Cups

• Warner and Marsh secure two vital points for Australia

• Stats – Warner and Marsh's record stand in a six-hitting blitz

• From sickbed to match-winner – Cummins and Stoinis laud Zampa

Hasan Ali bowled eight dot balls in his first two overs. He began his second over from round the wicket though with such a floaty leg-stump half-volley it would’ve been rude had David Warner turned down the invite to scoop it over fine leg for six. He ended the over with a wide length ball that Marsh crunched through point. In between there were three dot balls.Iftikhar Ahmed, called up far earlier than he might have been expecting and turning out to be a far better part-time option than anyone expected, bowled a decent eighth over. Good lengths, nice darts, some dots. Apart from the third ball which was a tiny bit short, a teensy bit wide, and bam, meet Warner’s cut shot. He may be cuddlier now but that cut shot is still mean as hell.Usama Mir came on for the 11th over and bowled a decent one. Mixed the flight, mixed the pace a little, got some turn, bowled three dot balls. He also bowled one that was a tiny bit short, a teensy bit wide and bam, meet the Warner cut. Again. It’s still mean as hell.This pattern would repeat itself time and time again in the first 35 overs of the Australia innings. Lots of dot balls, lots of boundary balls. Instinctively this feels like a very Pakistani malaise, especially of this attack: good enough bowlers to bowl good balls, but not enough of them for long enough. In Bengaluru though, this pattern formed in record-breaking extremis: Australia’s total was the highest made by a team (since we began our ball-by-ball records in 2002) where 50% or more of the balls they faced were dot balls. Pakistan bowled 152 dot balls. But, they also conceded 10 sixes in the first 25 overs, the most they’ve conceded in the first half of an ODI innings. Two games ago, against Sri Lanka, Pakistan bowled 144 dot balls – 47.8% – and still conceded 345.Shaheen Shah Afridi had to shoulder the burden again•ICC via Getty ImagesIt’s difficult to be too harsh on the bowling especially on a ground that is always very harsh on bowlers. Pakistan were playing here for the first time. They had clocked the smaller dimensions in training. They knew it would be tough. Their fast bowlers worked on hitting the right lengths in training, ideally somewhere around back of a good length and at the stumps always.By all accounts those sessions went well, but in the heat of a World Cup game, it didn’t translate. We’re talking a fairly tiny area of this pitch you can hit and not be taken for runs off. And even then the line must be super tight: width is a sin, too straight a folly. In those first 20 overs, where much of the game was shaped, though Pakistan tried they didn’t hit that spot often enough and the margins were cruel. When they hit back of a length (as recorded by our ball-by-ball data), they conceded at a strike rate of 84.61; when they hit length, they went at nearly 140. It’s not a massive difference in terms of feet, but the costs of missing it is significant.”We knew this ground is famous for a boundary festival,” Pakistan’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said later. “Upfront we leaked some soft boundaries – that was one of our key discussion points, to keep hitting the deck and keep the stumps in play. We know in India any bit of width you can throw your hands through the line. That was one area we lacked.”If they hit or forced some good shots, we can live with that. But we couldn’t string enough balls on the stumps, that’s the learning we will take, the improvements we need to make. Those are the small margins. They will hit your good balls for four, but can we eliminate our bad balls and bowl less percentage of bad balls especially upfront?”The one man – well, boy really – who was bringing that control this year, who was hitting the right lengths for the pitches he bowled on more consistently is, of course, not here. A number of sides are dealing with the absence of big names in this tournament, so Pakistan are hardly alone in that misfortune, nor can they afford to dwell on it.But the loss of Naseem Shah, in a side where depth and the readiness of that depth has always felt thin and stretched, hits doubly on days like this. It has put a greater burden on Afridi (who at least confirmed here he can carry it) and asked Hasan and Haris Rauf to bowl outside their comfort zones.”Naseem Shah is a quality bowler and if you look at his stats, the consistency he gave us with the new ball upfront was amazing,” Morkel conceded. “The partnership he formed with Shaheen was fantastic. It’s meant slightly new roles for Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf with the new ball in the powerplay.”If you look at their stats, they are guys used to bowling outside the powerplay. They’re learning, they’re trying their heart out, but Naseem obviously is a big loss.”In the final reckoning, Pakistan’s comeback in the field and then the chase until fairly deep into the game should provide some solace. This was – as Mir dropped an early, crucial, all-time dolly, as Rauf conceded 24 in his first over, as Warner took full toll of the chance, as Marsh celebrated his birthday with a hundred (he hit an Ashes hundred this summer for his brother Shaun’s birthday too) – shaping up to be one of those operatically bad Pakistan days. In the end it was bad in just an underwhelming kind of way.Except a bad day at a World Cup is a bad day no matter the scale and Pakistan cannot afford too many more now.

David Frith’s updated autobiography is a journey to the very heart of the game he devoted his life to

Paul Edwards26-Dec-2021An Ashes series is taking place in Australia and things are going badly for the old country. The selectors have picked the wrong team twice in two attempts, chances are being muffed and one of English cricket’s narrow-eyed folk villains is settling some not-so-old scores. All this against the background of a pandemic. There’s not been a series like it. “Maybe not exactly like this,” one imagines David Frith saying, “but you might remember that Test when…”Perhaps that’s the point. You remember; Frith almost certainly . Ashes cricket has been one of his passions since, aged 11, his reverie on Rayners Lane railway bridge in 1948 was interrupted by the news that Australia had skittled England for 52 at The Oval. That experience is recalled in characteristically needle-sharp detail in chapter three of , Frith’s updated and considerably revised autobiography. His first attempt, , was published in 1997 and its title reflects the intriguingly blended identity of a Londoner who spent his childhood in England and adolescence in Australia, only to return home in April 1964 accompanied by a wife and three children and nurturing the daft idea that he might make it as a cricket writer.Frith succeeded to the extent that he is now regarded as one of the game’s finest historians. , his pictorial history of the game, has no equal; his book is the best in an absurdly crowded field; his biographies of AE Stoddart, Archie Jackson and Ross Gregory mix sympathetic insight with tough analysis and are the products of proper research; his original book on cricketers’ suicides in 1990 turned fresh turf decades before counselling was a thing.Related

• A memento from another age

• Oval moments with David Frith

• Which are the finest cricket books?

• A generous, sometimes sentimental, critic

We could go on, and maybe we should. For, bizarrely, Frith has not been sufficiently honoured in either of the countries he called home. One could name about 20 young cricket writers, most of them with a decent knowledge of the game and some awareness of its history, who would benefit from an afternoon with him at his house-cum-library in Guildford. That shrine to one man’s devotion to the game is decorated with such glorious pieces of memorabilia as Bert Oldfield’s blazer from the 1930 Ashes tour and a ball from that year’s Trent Bridge Test, both of which were given to the near-obsessed youth in the 1950s, a decade in which he also frequented the sports shops owned by Stan McCabe and Alan Kippax.Frith’s autobiography contains accounts of those meetings and also of his later conversations with players like Wilfred Rhodes, Sydney Barnes and Percy Fender. By then, Frith had established himself in the cricket world and was determined to waste no opportunity to interview old players while he still could. To a degree, his journalistic reputation was made by his coup in getting an interview out of Jack Gregory, who never talked to reporters until Frith drove 200 miles in the hope he might chat to this one.While all this is lovingly recounted in , the book would be a lesser thing if it was simply a chronicle of personal achievement. One of the reasons why Frith’s work will live on for as long as cricket is valued is that he sees beyond the statistics and the accomplishments that satisfy others in his trade. He knows he will never write properly about the cricketer if he doesn’t understand the person, and that principle is also exemplified in the many passages of self-analysis where Frith reflects on the influences and events that formed his own character.For example, here he is on the afternoon when his ambition to be a cricket writer was probably conceived. It is January 8, 1951 and he is paying his first visit to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch the third day of the third Test against England:

“I looked around me in wonderment, at the enchanting green 19th-century pavilion with its ornate roof and clock-tower, at the roomy and elegant Ladies’ Stand, and the long, cosy Brewongle Stand… The Hill was packed. Beer-cans were a future invention still. Hundreds of men sat on that great grassy expanse, almost all of them wearing wide-brimmed hats, some of them yelling encouragement to the Australians, not that they were in need of it, some directing ribaldry and gentle derision at the Englishmen. It was a momentous baptism, a revelation, destiny-making.”

Two years later and the 16-year-old Frith is at home: “The diary records my listening to the Hassett testimonial match on radio, bowling alone against the school wall, noting the deaths of Warren Bardsley and Fred Root, and being concerned at England’s performance in the first Test in the Caribbean.” is packed with such evocative passages but it is much more than a cricket writer’s autobiography. It is a rich account of what it was like to be a boy during a war in London and then grow to manhood in 1950s Australia. It is the story of how a young bloke eventually built a career for himself and a life for his family in England and developed into one of cricket’s most indefatigable researchers. And it is also a moving love story about Frith’s long marriage to Debbie, who passed away less than three years ago. The final chapter contains Frith’s honest attempt to cope with the loss of someone whose presence could light a room.CricMASHThere are other tough chapters in the book; Frith’s life has not been a ride up sunshine mountain. Having been appointed editor of the , he was removed from that post in 1978. The following year he founded and edited , a vibrant competitor to its increasingly staid competitor, and was then replaced as its editor in 1995. This latter blow hurt him deeply and it still does. Disingenuous conciliation is not his style and readers of should be grateful. This is a very honest book and its author does not spare himself. He is still bitter because he still cares.And so you can bet that dark mornings in Guildford will find one octogenarian following yet another Ashes series, even if its outcome appears as inevitable as that of his first, in 1948. But if you read this deeply scrupulous and rather wonderful autobiography – and you certainly should – you will find that the boy who leant on a railway bridge over 73 years ago is still alive in the book’s eminent author. For some reason, I imagine Bert Oldfield would be quietly pleased by that, and I’m certain Debbie was already very proud.Paddington Boy
By David Frith
CricketMASH
448 pages, £17.95

Christian Yelich is using a custom Bob Uecker bat for the Brewers' MLB Players Weekend series against the Reds. On Friday night, Yelich and the bat did Uecker proud going 4 for 5 at the plate with two home runs as Milwaukee won their 13th consecutive game, tying the longest winning streak in franchise history.

Milwaukee also came back from a seven-run deficit in the game thanks in no small part of the work of Yelich and that special bat.

Yelich hit a home run to lead off the second inning and tie the game at 1-1. After the Reds scored seven runs in the 2nd inning, Yelich doubled in a run in his second at-bat and then drove in another with a single in the 4th. By the time he came back to the plate in the 6th the game was tied and he only needed a triple for the cycle.

Instead he hit another home run.

The former MVP also paid tribute to Uecker with his outfit on opening day. The legendary Brewers announcer passed away in January.

What a night for a number of reasons.

Arsenal made it six wins from six in the Champions League on Monday night as Mikel Arteta’s men secured a 3-0 win over Club Brugge.

The Gunners tasted defeat against Aston Villa only a few days ago, but a much-changed team responded in emphatic fashion, with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli both on the scoresheet.

Madueke scored a fierce opening goal, running through the heart of the Brugge team before unleashing a devastating effort from outside of the box that crashed in off the bar.

His second, a header from close range, was a lot simpler but there was nothing simple about Martinelli’s strike.

The Brazilian cut inside from the left and bent the ball into the far corner to cap off a phenomenal 3-0 win on the road in Europe.

Understandably, Arteta was delighted with what he saw from his players.

Arteta raves over Arsenal's attacking performance

Martinelli and Madueke have both struggled with injury this term but certainly made their chance count in Belgium on Wednesday night.

Speaking to the press after the game, Areta waxed lyrical over the two wingers, saying: “Madueke and Martinelli were outstanding today, the level of threat and two finishes spectacular. Jesus back after 11 months, to see him perform in the manner he did was really positive.”

Perhaps the biggest positive for the Gunners was Gabriel Jesus’ return to the side. The Brazilian hasn’t been seen in the first team since suffering a horrific ACL injury against Manchester United back in January.

While the striker didn’t score, he managed more touches than the man he replaced, Viktor Gyokeres, despite playing just half an hour.

Arteta was ecstatic to see the forward back in action, saying: “For 11 months, he’s been fighting against another very difficult injury and to see him back with that smile, with that energy and with that quality in his first performance back with us is really impressive and we’re all delighted for him.

“You can see how much we love him! If he continues to perform in that manner, he will bring something else to the team and I am really happy to see that.”

Arteta praises underrated Arsenal star

While the forward line grabbed the headlines in Brugge this week, praise must be handed to the lesser-spotted Christian Norgaard.

The Danish midfielder has barely kicked a ball since signing from Brentford in the summer but more than took his chance on Wednesday, albeit in an unfamiliar role.

Due to injuries to Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera, Norgaard played at centre-back and looked very solid, helping his team keep a clean sheet.

The manager was delighted with his performance, stating: “Christian Norgaard is someone who probably prepares the best out of all of them. He is somebody who makes us better every day. Any position, any condition, his attitude is always immaculate.”

Arsenal star was playing like Saka, now he's being treated like Smith Rowe

The incredible Arsenal talent could end up following Smith Rowe’s trajectory instead of Saka’s.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

It’s understood that the MPCA was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success

Shashank Kishore07-Oct-2025

Rajat Patidar has been handed Madhya Pradesh’s all-format captaincy ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season that begins with the Ranji Trophy on October 15.Patidar got the job to replace Shubham Sharma after getting from MP director of cricket Chandrakant Pandit. It’s understood that the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success.The 32-year-old Patidar was first trialled as captain during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season after he had spoken to Pandit over a similar possibility arising in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He was given the job and repaid the faith by leading MP to the final, where they lost to Mumbai.Related

Tireless Bawne will 'put the body on the line' again to try and win the Ranji Trophy

Flower: 'Tremendous respect' for how Patidar remained calm despite all the scrutiny

Patidar hails spinners Kartikeya and Jain in Duleep Trophy victory

Patidar has since led RCB to their maiden IPL title and recently helmed Central Zone to a title win in the Duleep Trophy, for the first time since 2014-15.Last week, Patidar led a strong Rest of India (RoI) squad, comprising big names like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran – all state captains – at the Irani Cup in Nagpur, where they lost to Vidarbha by 93 runs.He made 529 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.09 in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, with one hundred and two half-centuries. This was the second-highest runs tally for MP that season, behind Shubham’s 943 runs at 104.77.Patidar has been in excellent form already this season, hitting two centuries and three half-centuries in seven innings. One of his hundreds was in the final of the Duleep Trophy that helped Central Zone set up a massive first-innings lead, and eventually a six-wicket win, over South Zone.MP open their Ranji Trophy campaign with a home game against Punjab in Indore. The Ranji season will be played across two phases – the first will be played from October 15 to November 19, before the season takes a break for the white-ball tournaments. The second leg will be played from January 22 to February 1 next year, with the knockouts from February 6 to 28.