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Chelsea’s attack could do with somewhat of a boost if their last Premier League clash is anything to go by with Enzo Maresca’s Blues limping over the line to a slim 1-0 win over Everton.

Nicolas Jackson was thankfully the crucial difference-maker on the day from a Chelsea perspective, with the ex-Villarreal striker ending a barren run of 13 games without a goal when powering a first-half effort past a hard-to-beat Jordan Pickford.

But, it’s clear that the Blues need an injection of something fresh in the attacking areas at Stamford Bridge regardless, with a wide array of new forward players being incessantly linked with a switch to West London.

Chelsea want to sign Serie A star this summer

Despite the arrival of talented Brazilian Estevao Willian – a winger by trade – the Blues are still on the lookout for new wingers with Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens reportedly on their radar, alongside Juventus hotshot Kenan Yildiz.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, the shortlist doesn’t end there with a former Premier League wide man also being looked at.

Indeed, as per a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are planning to enter talks with one of Atalanta’s standout performers in Ademola Lookman, but are not alone in their interest of the former Everton attacker, now valued at around £55m.

Indeed, the report further goes on to name Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Arsenal as other parties from England keeping close tabs on Lookman’s situation with the clubs in question poised to begin talks soon with the explosive Nigerian.

With a £55m price-tag reportedly above the attacker’s head, Chelsea would show they mean business in the market once more by landing the in-demand 27-year-old.

How Lookman compares to Jamie Gittens

Described as a “world-class” player by BBC Sport’s John Bennett, a move to bring the Atalanta star to the Premier League could see Chelsea land an upgrade on the exciting Gittens.

Whilst Dortmund’s English sensation has regularly stunned Bundesliga defences this season with his trickery and his goals and assists to boot, Lookman has lots more experience on his side to be a success in the here and now over the Reading-born attacker.

After all, the one-time Goodison Park flop has now notched up 115 appearances for his Italian employers since his move to Bergamo in 2022, with a very healthy return of 50 strikes and 24 assists coming his way.

Gittens has impressively already reached 103 senior appearances for the Black and Yellow despite still being a tender 20 years of age, but his numbers fall flat in comparison to Lookman’s, both overall with a lesser 31 goal contributions tallied up, but also when glancing at their head-to-head statistics over the current unfolding campaign.

The Nigeria international boasts a sizeable 18 goals and seven assists for Atalanta across 37 games this season, whilst his English counterpart has an inferior 12 strikes and five assists from eight more contests across the same time span.

LW

100

29

7

SS

79

29

11

RW

62

10

11

CF

38

14

9

AM

16

2

3

LM

2

0

0

Away from being an upgrade in terms of output, Lookman has also proven across his varied career to date that he can excite supporters watching on all across the attacking positions.

Amazingly, the former Charlton wonderkid turned Serie A superstar can boast a sturdy 14 career goals from 38 games playing as an out-and-out centre-forward, meaning he could be great competition to the likes of an inconsistent Jackson away from lighting up Stamford Bridge on the left wing.

Similar to the likes of Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka too according to stats-led website FBref, Chelsea could be on to real winner if talks with Lookman escalate to being serious and a move is put is on the table, with the Blues attack undoubtedly better off with the 27-year-old available for selection.

Their next Eden Hazard: Chelsea pushing hard to sign "magic" £87m star

Chelsea are ready to improve Maresca’s attacking options in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 27, 2025

O’Rourke’s match haul of 9 for 93 is the best for a New Zealand bowler on Test debut

Sampath Bandarupalli16-Feb-20241 – It’s New Zealand’s first series win against South Africa in men’s Test cricket, ending a near 92-year wait. With this, each of the first eight teams to play men’s Tests have won at least one series against the other teams.18 – Men’s Test series played by New Zealand against South Africa. It’s the second-longest any team has had to wait for a series win against an opposition. New Zealand hold the unwanted record, too, having taken 21 series to end the drought against England.5 – Hundreds by Kane Williamson in the fourth innings in Test cricket, the joint-highest for any batter, alongside Younis Khan. Four of those five Williamson hundreds have come in successful chases, equalling the record held by Graeme Smith.172 – Innings batted by Williamson for his 32nd century in Test cricket, a record. Steven Smith was the previous fastest in terms of innings – getting there in 174 innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 – Consecutive fifty-plus scores in Tests that Williamson has converted into centuries. The last time he failed to do so was in the WTC final against India in 2021, where he finished on 52 not out. Only one other batter has a streak longer than him – Don Bradman, with 12.5 – Williamson has scored a hundred in each of his last five Tests at home, including two in the previous match in Mount Maunganui. Only Bradman (1937-1946) and Smith (2014-2015) had hundreds in five consecutive Test matches at home before him.9 for 93 – Will O’Rourke’s match haul in Hamilton is the best for a New Zealand bowler on Test debut. Mark Craig’s 8 for 188 against West Indies in 2014 was the previous best for them.13 – New Zealand haven’t lost 13 consecutive home series since their last series defeat in March 2017 against South Africa. They won ten of the 13 series played in this period, with three ending on level terms.

Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma are leading sides with modest talent but strong collective willpower

Mark Nicholas03-Mar-2022Mike Procter was lying in his hospital bed in Durban when Dean Elgar, pitch-side at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, said “We’ll bat.” The Procter heart that had just been fixed up with a new valve and a double bypass, skipped a beat. “We will whaaat?” the mighty Proc squealed from 7000 miles away, having just watched the commentators’ pitch report.”Did you see that?” he asked me on the phone later in the day, “Honestly, Marcus, the pitch had plenty of grass on it, a must-bowl, if you ask me, especially one down in a two-match series but, geez, they fought hard with the bat and look now, 230-odd, only three down… you’ve got to hand to Elgar, hey. He’s got a lot of guts that guy, he really has. If they win from here, well, what a decision to bat.”And win they did.In short, the South African team has had a remarkable season. Long outsiders in their home series against India over Christmas and New Year, and longer still away to the Black Caps in February, Elgar’s resilient men have beaten the odds, proving themselves a match for the two teams that contested the World Championship Test match final last June.Beset by political infighting and financial uncertainty, the players rose above the boardroom chaos to remind the world of the essential South African characteristics: spirit and optimism foremost among them.Related

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The soul of that great land had been in their performance, for with it comes the need to dig deep and sit in. It is hard to think of any more impressive South African victories. The wonder of these were the relatively modest level of available talent and the willpower of the collective that overcame it. As Procter added, “It just shows what you can do if you want to do it badly enough. Fantastic!”After a chop and change or two, the choice of Elgar as captain of the Test team and Temba Bavuma of the short-form teams has proved rather brilliant. Bavuma’s calm appraisal of one or two alarming off-field situations has led to an increased sense of authority on the field. His team deserved to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the UAE last November, but having lost only one game in the round-robin stage, they fell foul of their marginally inferior run rate.In January, Bavuma’s 50-over fellows thumped India 3-0. The responsibility has moved his batting on the dial too. Increasingly, and on many levels, Bavuma is becoming a formidable cricketer.Elgar’s batting is forged in steel, but we knew that. What we couldn’t have imagined is that his captaincy would have such a clear sense of values and direction. Most of these down-to-earth, grind-’em-in men of the willow achieve their results in a bubble of self-discipline, which does not necessarily make for the broader requirements of captaincy.Not unlike Graeme Smith before him, Elgar says it as he sees it, sticks close to pragmatism and likes to spend his day wondering what the opposition would least like him to do next. Having lost the first match of both series, Elgar told his players that they had it in them to bounce straight back with a win of their own, if only they would believe it. The point being that when he says as much, they look into his eyes and immediately know that, far from loose rhetoric, this is both a show of serious business and absolute confidence in them.Temba Bavuma’s side beat India 3-0 in the ODIs in January•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the second innings of the Christchurch Test, only Devon Conway, a South African now playing for New Zealand, stood between them and the levelling of the series. One wondered what he made of it all. Five years ago, Conway left the land of his birth in pursuit of opportunity – he is not the first and won’t be the last. Sure, he is another gifted South African forced to look elsewhere but he readily admits that his inconsistent form in first-class cricket was more of an obstacle than the selection quotas that had denied others. He grew up spending hours at the wicket with his mate Quinton de Kock and the irony that neither was playing for South Africa in the most recent match in New Zealand will not have been lost on them.When de Kock announced that he was standing back from Test cricket after South Africa’s defeat in Centurion, Elgar admitted to surprise. “I sit next to him in the dressing room,” he said in a recent documentary about the India series, “and didn’t have a clue!” He was pretty disappointed, of course, but quickly turned the conversation to another man’s crack at the summit.Kyle Verreynne’s magnificent unbeaten 136 – along with an eye-catchingly assured hundred by the new boy, Sarel Erwee – set up the bowlers to strike hard and fast for South Africa’s win in Christchurch and remind everyone that opportunity does come to those who wait patiently. At the start of 2021, Veryenne cannot possibly have thought he would play Test cricket for his country anytime soon. Now, two months on, he has prominently featured in three memorable successes.His story is a lesson to those who wait less patiently: just be there, in form and ready for the moment, because if you are good enough, invariably it will come. To represent someone else’s country is a fine achievement; to represent your own is the fulfilment of a dream. David Bedingham, the 27-year-old batter from Western Province who plays for Durham in English first-class cricket, is that man right now. The whisper is that he hopes to qualify for England three years from now. One hopes the South African selectors have their eye on his every move.Kyle Verreynne’s second-innings century allowed South Africa to set New Zealand a target of over 400 in Christchurch•Getty ImagesFrankly, with the surrounding noise and the lingering undertone, it is quite something that South African sport continues to compete with the enthusiasm, vigour and glory of yesteryear. It can be reasonably argued that the achievements of today’s players outrank those of any other era, so great are the obstacles in their way. The rugby players hold the World Cup, the cricketers have just beaten the best, around ten golfers are in the world top 100. Add in sprinter Wayde van Niekerk and swimmer Chad Le Clos, along with numerous others within lower-profile sports, and you get the picture.There is an inherent competitiveness in South Africans that seems to come without arrogance or entitlement. You see it in business and even in the arts, every bit as much as you do in sport. It makes for great deeds, life-affirming stories and confirmation that the land, and the life it offers, has been hard-earned.After defeat in the first match of the India series – a game in which Kagiso Rabada looked as if the joy had gone from his cricket – Elgar took him aside. His message was simple: you are respected by us all, and we are so often inspired by your performances but we need more from you here and we need it now. We need your full engagement, your leadership, your power, your precision. In short, we cannot win this series without you at your talismanic best.In the next match, at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where India had never been beaten, Rabada moved through the gears. By the third morning, the fast-moving game was on a knife edge – India 155 for 2 in their second innings, 128 in front with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane seemingly in control. Rabada rammed the pedal to the floor. He found a beaut of a bouncing legcutter for Rahane, a break back for Pujara, and a couple of snorting bouncers for Rishabh Pant, whose response was to shimmy down the pitch and swish at the next ball, which he nicked to Verreynne behind the stumps. This was pulsating Test match cricket, moments stolen by a modern master, moments that ripped the match from India’s grasp. Of course, much was still to be done by the others but KG had opened the door for his mates to walk in and take control.It was then that Elgar played one of the innings of his life, the unbeaten 96 that took his team across the line. Like a boxer, he was spent by the time the stumps were pulled, but rarely, if ever, had he felt more satisfied. His was both a feat of endurance and an innings of excellence at exactly the moment it was needed. A kaleidoscope of bruises were the physical evidence; the chance to take the series to Cape Town its mental power point.In five Tests this season, Kagiso Rabada has taken 30 wickets at an average of 20•AFP via Getty ImagesAt Newlands two rookies added to their fast growing reputation: one slight of build, strong of mind and technically sound; the other 6ft 8in of skin and bone and a huge heart.Keegan Petersen made runs in both innings of this decider, riding Jasprit Bumrah’s high bounce and working with the sideways movement of the ball like it was an old friend. Hard on himself after mistakes cost him both his wickets in Centurion, he played relatively risk-free cricket on awkward pitches at the Wanderers and Newlands without ever allowing himself to be governed by India’s fine attack. It has been a long, slow burn for 28-year-old from Paarl but South Africa now has its own KP.Marco Jansen took 7 for 91 in 37.3 overs of high-quality pace bowling in this same decider, admitting freely that the stifling nerves on Boxing Day morning were already a thing of his cricketing past. He was the perfect foil for Rabada, hammering away mainly back of length and giving nothing to some of the most gifted strokeplayers in the game. There was something of the young Glenn McGrath in him, albeit with a different arm, and, as he fills out, one can only see a similar path to the one taken by the great Australian bowler. Like McGrath, he too was happy to mix it and one memorable exchange with Bumrah at the Wanderers proved him a worthy successor to the fine and feisty South African fast bowlers of the past – men who won’t take no for an answer.We are almost done here but a word for Mark Boucher is required to complete the story. In the documentary mentioned above, Elgar, Bavuma and others in the team speak highly of their coach, with Elgar pointing out that Boucher is starting his best work and that to lose him now would be a waste. Boucher, of course, has a racism charge to fight against the governing body – Cricket South Africa – that employs him. This comes from the findings made before Christmas by the Social Justice and Nation Building ombudsman. Imagine going to work under such pressure and delivering in the way he has! For the sake of South African cricket, the hope is that his name is cleared and the game at large can move on.The streetfighter in Boucher is exactly the sort of quality the team needs right now and the recoveries from defeat in the first matches of both the series referenced here have his fingerprints all over them. In fact, this triumvirate – Elgar, Bavuma, Boucher – is the way forward. The terrific cricket played by South Africa in the past two months is the best evidence of that.

Everton have now reportedly been contacted with the opportunity to sign an international striker who has been likened to Erling Haaland in recent years.

Barry reveals Everton "ambition" after first goal

When Iliman Ndiaye drove beyond chasing Nottingham Forest defenders before gift-wrapping the perfect chance for Thierno Barry to break his duck against Nottingham Forest, there wouldn’t have been a more relieved person inside The Hill Dickinson Stadium than the £27m signing.

The forward, now off the mark, has already set his sights on a key Everton “ambition” after finding the back of the net for the first time since his move from Villarreal in the summer.

Everton have every right to be thinking about European football after 15 Premier League games. The Toffees currently find themselves as high as seventh and just two points adrift of Crystal Palace inside the top four.

The January transfer window could help turn that ambition into a reality. The Friedkin Group already backed David Moyes in the summer, welcoming some of the club’s most expensive ever arrivals and could yet do the same when the winter window opens next month.

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On that front, the search for a striker is still on despite Barry’s goal drought coming to an end. The likes of Joshua Zirkzee are beginning to emerge as serious options, with Everton reportedly ready to pounce in the race to secure his signature.

What’s more, the Toffees are also reportedly among the clubs to be offered the chance to sign Evan Ferguson in the January transfer window as he looks to finally revive his career.

Everton offered chance to sign Ferguson

Everton have now been contacted with the chance to sign Ferguson, according to TeamTalk, with AS Roma likely to bring his loan spell to an end next month.

The 21-year-old was supposed to get back to his best in Italy, but has scored just once in 14 games. A much-needed move has turned into a nightmare spell.

Everton, however, know all about getting players back to their best. Jack Grealish was becoming a forgotten star at Manchester City. Now, he’s thriving under Moyes. The same can be said for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has become one of Everton’s most important players despite struggling at Chelsea last season.

Now, Ferguson could be next in line. The potential is certainly there, too. At 21 years old, the Republic of Ireland international is still a few years away from his peak and Everton should look to land what could prove to be an undeniable bargain next month.

Style-wise, Ferguson would arguably suit the current, physical version of the Premier League, especially given that Gary Lineker once compared him with Haaland – saying: “I don’t want to get carried away but I do see a hint of Haaland about him. His stature and his movement and stuff like that. His youth, as well.”

Dewsbury-Hall repeat: PL talent ready to leave his club with Everton keen

Everton are now preparing a club-record bid for Napoli star Scott McTominay, amid doubts over the future of a first-team star.

The Toffees’ interest in signing a new midfielder perhaps also stems from the fact Idrissa Gueye is now in the twilight years of his career at 36-years-old, with the 120-time Senegal international’s contract set to expire in the summer, although there is an option to extend it by an extra year.

Based on recent performances, it may be worth triggering the extension, with the central midfielder scoring the opening goal in the 2-0 victory against Fulham last time out, while also winning three duels and making three clearances.

Not only is Gueye’s future up in the air, but there is also doubt over whether James Garner will remain at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest making contact over a deal for the 24-year-old, who has impressed at times this season.

Everton preparing club-record bid for Scott McTominay

According to a report from Spain, McTominay could be a game-changing signing for Everton in midfield, should Garner leave or lose his place in the starting XI, and the Merseyside club are now preparing a club-record bid in the region of €70m (£62m).

David Moyes is an admirer of the Napoli star, who could be the manager’s new Marouane Fellaini, given his physicality and ability to arrive into the opposition penalty box from deeper areas, and the former Manchester United man may be tempted by an enticing offer to return to the Premier League.

With the Toffees looking to bring in an experienced, versatile midfielder, the Scotland international fits the bill, and there are signs he could be a fantastic addition to Moyes’ squad, having been lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner in the past.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old is also vastly experienced in the Premier League, having made 255 appearances for Man United, and he has since really kicked on since moving to the Serie A, chipping in with 12 goals and six assists during Napoli’s title-winning 2024-25 campaign.

Everton should look to secure the futures of Gueye and Garner regardless, but McTominay could be a real statement signing, as they look to start competing for the European places again, rather than looking over their shoulders at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

Everton now battling Newcastle for South American midfielder Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

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1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 16, 2025

It’s been an incredible week to be an Arsenal fan.

On Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side demolished Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

And then, if that wasn’t enough, the Gunners brushed aside the excellent Bayern Munich to go top of the Champions League table.

There were sensational performances across the pitch for Arsenal, including from someone who is becoming something of a hybrid between Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

Eze & Saka's performances vs Bayern

While the likes of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are getting most of the praise following Wednesday night, and rightly so, Saka also put in a performance to be proud of.

Now, it’s true that he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, but he did provide the assist for the opening goal and was a constant threat throughout his time on the pitch.

At certain points, he had to deal with three Bayern players on his own, but still managed to create two big chances, complete three of four crosses, take one shot on target and recover the ball twice.

It’s clear that the Hale End superstar is still not quite at his very best, but even without a goal to his name, he’s impacting games in a big way.

Likewise, Eze didn’t score a fourth goal in two games, but once again showed why he is one of the best number tens around against the German giants.

It was just before the visitors scored that he helped create a chance with some tidy footwork, only for him to just overhit the pass into Saka.

Then in the second half, every time he had the ball at his feet, he was looking to do something positive.

It was this mindset that saw him play an excellent ball over the top for Gabriel Martinelli to knock around Manuel Neuer and secure all three points.

Overall, Saka and Eze weren’t necessarily the best players on the pitch against Bayern, but they put in strong performances, and now it looks like Arsenal have a player who is becoming a hybrid of both.

Arsenal's Saka & Eze hybrid

With Saka undoubtedly being Arsenal’s most important player and Eze proving to be one of their best signings from the summer, a player would have to be pretty special to be described as a hybrid of the two.

Chalkboard

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

Fortunately, despite certain sections of the fanbase clearly thinking otherwise in the summer, Noni Madueke has proven himself to be just that.

Now, nobody is saying the former Chelsea ace is as good as his compatriots, but he certainly shares some similarities with them.

For example, like the former Palace star, he is someone who can make something happen from nothing.

Granted, that hasn’t necessarily translated into a goal or assist this season, but he is such a direct attacker that, with the ball at his feet, he can make opposition defenders panic.

Moreover, like the 27-year-old, given his ability to make something of nothing, Arteta seems to have given him more freedom to try things on the ball.

Arsenal writer Adam Keys perhaps put it best when, after his goal against Bayern, he described the 23-year-old as an “agent of chaos,” which is just the sort of player the North Londoners have been missing in recent years.

Expected Assists

0.26

0.27

Progressive Passes Received

12.9

12.4

Key Passes

2.29

2.21

Live Passes

32.9

33.5

Tackles Won

0.57

0.58

Successful Take-On %

42.1%

40.5%

Carries

26.9

29.5

Now, when it comes to Saka, the similarities come down to their left-footedness, their close control, and the fact that FBref ranked the Hale Ender as the sixth-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Madueke in Europe’s top five leagues.

The best way to understand how they came to this conclusion is to look at the underlying metrics they rank closely in, metrics like expected assists, key passes, tackles won, successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while his signing was not universally celebrated across the fanbase, Madueke has proven himself to be a more than useful player for Arsenal, and the fact that he shares so many traits with Saka and Eze can only be a good thing.

As good as Rice: Arsenal star has proven he's one of the best "in the world"

The outrageous Arsenal star was as good as Declan Rice in the Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025

As fans clad in red and blue danced in the Sharjah aisles, the result was a foregone conclusion: Zishan Morata was the last man out, caught in the deep by Karan KC, and West Indies had been bundled out for 83. Three days ago, Nepal had never played a T20I series against a Full Member nation. Now, they had sealed it 2-0, with one match to spare.West Indies struggled to move beyond single-digits in the powerplay. Only thanks to a boundary in the sixth over did they reach 16 for 2. By then, Dipendra Singh Airee had scalped the first wicket when he bowled Jewel Andrew (2), while Kushal Bhurtel had taken a stunning catch at cover to send back Keacy Carty (1).Nepal’s vice grip over the scoring rate was the result of their slower balls and full deliveries in the blockhole, with their quicks often marrying the two to great effect. An inexperienced West Indies unit kept mistiming their shots on a pitch where none of their batters, barring Jason Holder’s 15-ball 21, played with any degree of comfort. Eight-three all out represents the former T20 World Champions’ sixth-lowest total. The 90-run defeat is their joint fourth-biggest by runs.Medium pacer Mohammad Aadil Alam – who ended with figures of 4 for 24 – was the next bowler to get on the scorecard, thanks to the biggest point of difference between the two sides: Nepal’s fielding. Nineteen-year-old Gulsan Jha’s diving catch at sweeper cover in the eighth over bettered their previous effort, and sent Kyle Mayers back after a sluggish 6 off 16 balls.The going never got better for West Indies, as they kept losing wickets in the middle overs and found gaps in the field plugged by a Nepal team who threw themselves at the ball. Alam sent back Ackeem Auguste (17) and Amir Jangoo (16) in back-to-back overs. By then, West Indies had slipped to 63 for 5 and the required rate had leaped to above 13.Kushal Bhurtel took three wickets to mop off the West Indies tail•ICC/Getty Images

Bhurtel added to his contributions in the field with a three-for that swept up the tail. Holder – the last nominal hope for West Indies – fell to Lalit Rajbanshi in the 17th over, when Jha took his second screamer of the day. Soon after, Bhurtel came back to toss up a legbreak and fount it caught on the outfield once again. This was a day when West Indies kept finding fielders at the rope instead of clearing them.Earlier in the day, Nepal’s own innings had been one of two distinct halves: in the first ten, they did not hit a single six, but opener Aasif Sheikh had established a burgeoning partnership with Sundeep Jora, and a productive powerplay had taken them to 74 for 3 at the midway point of the innings.In the next ten, the pair raced away and put on what would end up being a 100-run partnership. Jora’s 39-ball 63 eventually ended in the 18th over. He had hit five of the nine sixes Nepal hit in the second half of the innings.Sheikh remained unbeaten on 68 off 47 himself. At the other end, Alam’s 5-ball 11 took Nepal’s total to 173. Alam was playing his first match for Nepal after more than three years, having last appeared for them in August 2022. His cameo would become a footnote to his starring role in the second innings.It would also overshadow the efforts of West Indies’ best bowler on the day – their captain Akeal Hosein – who took 2 for 21 and had reduced Nepal to 14 for 2 in the fourth over. However, any hopes of a rally after their loss in the first T20I were soon left far behind, as his team slipped to 83 all out – the lowest total by a Full Member team against an Associate nation – as well as a 90-run loss – the biggest margin by which an Associate team has defeated a Full Member nation.What makes this result more significant is that Nepal have secured it ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup qualifiers next month, and in the absence of their lead spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who has sat out both matches of the series. Nepal coach, Stuart Law, said Lamichhane excused himself citing personal reasons.Nepal now know they will be favourites to win the third and final match of the series, to be played on Tuesday, having sealed the most significant series win in their cricket history.

Ice Cube was the opening act for Game 2 of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. Minutes before the first pitch, the founding member of N.W.A. performed heavily edited parts of two songs as he strolled from the fence in center field to home plate.

Cube began with Westside Connection's "Bow Down" and then did a version of "It Was a Good Day" where he messed around a hit a double. He also worked some new lyrics in about the Yankees.

The two songs came out in the early 90's which explains why Dave Roberts was one of the few people in the dugouts who was truly appreciating the moment. Well, him and Alex Verdugo – who was born the same year Bow Down was released. This just goes to show you that some music is timeless.

Stay tuned to see if Verdugo was truly inspired by the performance.

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O Atlético-MG tem vivido uma boa fase dentro de casa. O time mineiro se mantém invicto na Arena MRV, porém os placares baixos tem ligado o alerta de Felipão.

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Na última partida do Galo, Paulinho marcou aos 41 minutos do primeiro tempo e o jogo terminou em 1 a 0 sobre o Cuiabá. O time mineiro finalizou sete vezes, e levou perigo em três, porém não conseguiu ampliar o placar. O foco de Felipão agora é melhorar as finalizações e garantiu que vai trabalhar atrás de mudanças.

+ Arena MRV nega procura do Cruzeiro para jogar no estádio do Atlético-MG

– Quando vamos ter um dia de folga com 2 ou 3 a zero? A gente sempre sofre até o fim. Mas sofre e vence. Se sofrer e vencer, está ótimo. Hoje, se somarmos as chances vivas de gol, tivemos pelos menos três ou quatro. Já estimula a gente para trabalhar mais forte na criatividade. As coisas vão sendo acrescentadas e vamos ganhando confiança – declarou o técnico.

+ Próximos jogos do Atlético-MG: onde assistir e calendário com datas e horários das partidas

Desde a chegada do treinador, o Galo marcou mais de um gol em apenas três jogos. Scolari já comandou 14 partidas pelo Atlético-MG no Brasileirão, entre elas foram cinco vitórias, quatro empates e cinco derrotas.