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Liverpool had defeated Real Madrid 1-0. It wasn’t spectacular. It was gritty and to their credit, Arne Slot’s side were by far the best team on the field.

Not bad for a team supposedly in a mini-crisis. Coming into this game, the Reds had won just two of their last eight games in all competitions.

So, are they back? Quite possibly. One man who was indeed back at Anfield was Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Merseysider, Liverpool’s great son, was welcomed home to his city of birth to a chorus of boos. His exit still stings, of course it does, and the fanbase will have achieved a sense of great comfort from seeing him suffer defeat on Tuesday evening.

Being interviewed on Prime Video post-game, skipper Virgil van Dijk was asked by Theo Walcott if he had spoken to Trent or had any desire to meet with him. The colossal Dutchman had an emphatic one-word response: “No.” Each to their own, eh, Virgil?

Trent's Anfield return in numbers

It wasn’t a great surprise to see Alexander-Arnold named among the subs for Tuesday’s encounter.

Trent is a fine right-back but hasn’t set the world alight after moving to Madrid over the summer. The defender was initially set to move on a free transfer but as Real aimed to push a move through before the Club World Cup, Liverpool ended up getting £10m for him.

Money well spent? Arguably not. The 27-year-old has battled with a hamstring injury in the embryonic stages of his Madrid career, playing just 14 minutes in this season’s Champions League and starting only twice in LaLiga.

It’s not the start Trent will have wanted and the last thing he probably needed was a return to Liverpool.

Fede Valverde started ahead of him at right-back on the night but with nine minutes remaining the Reds academy graduate finally got his chance to play at Anfield again.

While some did applaud, for the most part, he was met with a series of boos. Who can blame them?

As Xabi Alonso’s men tried desperately to score an equaliser, their efforts were ultimately in vain as Trent failed to inspire the European giants to a point.

After coming on, Alexander-Arnold managed just ten touches of the ball and was only able to complete six of his eight passes. His only cross was inaccurate and he didn’t manage a key pass.

Minutes played

9

Touches

10

Accurate passes

6/8 (75%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/1

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

3x

Shots

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

1

He had limited minutes, of course, but it was far from the heroic involvement we were used to seeing from the England international during his days in red.

As it happens, he was completely outshone by fellow right-back Conor Bradley. In the words of content creator, George Scaife, the Northern Irishman’s display was “the best performance by a Liverpool player this season” having locked down one of the best wingers in the world in the form of Vinicius Junior.

Yet, it’s not Bradley who is more closely evoking memories of Trent this term.

Liverpool's summer signing is suffering from the Alexander-Arnold treatment

In the bigger picture, Alexander-Arnold’s time in England must be celebrated. He is one of the most iconic right-backs the Premier League has ever seen.

He scored 23 goals and racked up a rather mind-boggling tally of 92 assists from defence. There have been very few like him in the modern era.

Trent was very much one of the pioneers of the modern full-back. Creative, attacking and possessing the ability to invert into midfield, he offered a great deal to both Jurgen Klopp and Slot. Except, he was always a little bit suspect defensively.

While Bradley dealt with Kylian Mbappe and Vini Jr with ease on Tuesday, on the contrary, Liverpool’s great Liverpudlian has struggled in games like these before.

Remember the quarter-final in 2021? It was Trent’s mistake that led to Marco Asensio scoring. The final in 2022? On that occasion, the full-back allowed Vini to ghost behind him and find the net.

While some of his defending was pretty inexcusable during his time at Liverpool, the threat he carried in the final third and from set-pieces always rescued him. He was a special player.

Yet, 2024/25 was a tough one as he geared up for his move to Madrid. Trent did feature in 49 matches across all competitions but he only completed 13 full 90 minutes in his 33 league outings.

Slot regularly withdrew him early from games and once it got towards the end of his time in England, he didn’t get much of a look in.

During Liverpool’s last six fixtures in the Premier League, he featured for a combined 220 minutes of the 540 that were played.

While the defender had suffered from a late-season ankle injury, his defending also hadn’t improved. After Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United back in January, Roy Keane was brutal with his criticism: “There’s talk about him going to Real Madrid, the way he’s defending he’s going to Tranmere Rovers after this. He’s got to do better.”

Well, in 2025/26, it would appear as though summer arrival Milos Kerkez is also suffering from a bout of Trent-itis.

Last season he was hailed as “one of the best left-backs in world football” by Troy Deeney and few would have disputed that claim.

The Hungarian was a rampaging threat on the left-hand side of the Bournemouth side, ending the campaign with two goals and six assists.

Like Trent, he’s got a wicked delivery in him. He’s a great creator of chances. Yet, also like Trent, he’s suspect defensively and has been found out since his big £40m move in the summer.

Not one to mince his words, Gary Neville was particularly scathing of the full-back in October, saying: “The left back hasn’t settled in. He plays like a 10-year-old; he is all over the place.” Harsh but you’d certainly expect better of a player who cost as much as he did.

As such, Kerkez has been in and out of the team much like Trent was last season. Like Alexander-Arnold, Slot cannot trust him, particularly in the big games. Indeed, against Man United, Jamie Redknapp described the defender as a “nervous wreck”, constantly hassled by Bryan Mbeumo.

Consequently, the former Cherries full-back has completed 90 minutes on just five of his nine league starts and now finds himself out of the team. Andy Robertson has started the last two games and Liverpool have won both. That is surely no coincidence.

Kerkez will no doubt come good in a Reds shirt. He was electric for Andoni Iraola’s side last campaign but he is going to have to eradicate his haphazard defending if he is to make it at Anfield.

If he doesn’t, then he can expect further Trent-like treatment in the months to come. An unreliable figure who’s excellent in attack but suspect at the back.

Celtic clinched their place against St Mirren in the final of the League Cup on Sunday with a 3-1 win over their Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park.

The Hoops needed extra time to get past their ten-man opponents, though, with goals from Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand in the last 30 minutes sealing the win.

Interim head coach Martin O’Neill has won his first two matches in charge of the club, after beating Falkirk 4-0 in his first Scottish Premiership game last week.

Football Insider now reports that the interim boss has a chance to land the role until the end of the season if he picks up positive results in the next two games.

The outlet claims that O’Neill is closer to landing the job on a ‘permanent’ deal after beating Rangers 3-1, which would provide the club with more time to find a longer-term successor to Brendan Rodgers.

Whether Sunday was his last game or if he will be at the club for the rest of the season, the experienced manager appears to have unearthed a diamond for the next head coach in Callum Osmand.

Why Callum Osmand is an exciting prospect for Celtic

The Welsh youngster was signed from Premier League side Fulham in the summer after his contract with the English side expired at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

In the club’s official announcement post, Rodgers said: “He’s a quick and powerful striker and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

Unfortunately, though, despite those comments from the Northern Irish boss, Osmand did not play a single minute of football under Rodgers before his resignation last week.

The 19-year-old centre-forward arrived at Parkhead as an incredibly exciting prospect because of his return of 43 goals in 73 matches for Fulham at U18 and U21 level.

His complete lack of minutes under Rodgers, though, meant that supporters were unable to see his quality on the pitch, which they have now seen under O’Neill in the last two games.

Osmand scored his first goal for the club in the 3-1 win over Rangers on Sunday, sliding in to convert Kieran Tierney’s cross, and came off the bench for his Scottish Premiership debut against Falkirk in O’Neill’s first game in charge.

To come on in such a big game, at a crucial time, and make a vital impact speaks to the youngster’s maturity and his quality, which is why he looks like such an exciting prospect for Celtic at the age of 19.

Osmand is not the only teenage attacker at the club who could be unearthed as a potential future superstar by O’Neill at Parkhead, though.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The interim manager has shown that he is willing to bring young players into the first-team squad, as evidenced by Osmand’s emergence, which is why he should also look to unleash Rhys Dargie from the B team.

Why Rhys Dargie is as exciting as Callum Osmand

O’Neill could unearth another future superstar for the Scottish giants, as he has with Osmand, by bringing the versatile Scottish attacker into the senior side in the coming weeks, should he remain in post.

The 18-year-old predominantly plays on the right wing for the B team, per Transfermarkt, but he can also play on the left, through the middle as a striker, and in central midfield.

Dargie has produced four goals and three assists in ten appearances in all competitions so far this season, per Transfermarkt, whilst Benjamin Nygren (six) is the only first-team player with more than four goals.

The teenage talent is currently out with an injury, with no return date out in the public domain, but his form before his spell on the sidelines suggests that he is a player who should be on O’Neill’s radar when fit and available.

Dargie racked up nine goals in 11 matches in the Lowland League in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, whilst he also scored against Rangers in the Glasgow Cup final at the end of the season.

These statistics suggest that the young winger has the potential to provide goals and assists at first-team level if he can handle the jump up in quality, as Osmand has in recent days.

There is no guarantee that academy form will translate to senior level, of course, but Dargie’s performances at youth level suggest that he is as exciting a talent as Osmand is.

As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old forward has scored and assisted goals at a fairly similar, albeit slightly worse, rate at youth level, which is impressive when you consider that Osmand is a striker and the Scottish forward mainly plays on the wing.

This is why O’Neill should look at Dargie as a potential option on the right flank in the coming weeks, if he is fit enough to come into contention, as he could emerge as a surprise star for the club.

Osmand’s big moment against Rangers on Sunday shows that a change in management can unearth talent that was not being utilised by the previous coaching group, which could also be the case for Dargie if he is given an opportunity to shine.

O’Neill, therefore, could provide the next permanent Celtic manager with two incredibly exciting talents who could be future superstars for the Hoops by offering Osmand and Dargie first-team experience.

What "VAR said" about Auston Trusty's kick on Jack Butland in Celtic v Rangers

It was a big talking point at Hampden Park.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 2, 2025

Owen also revealed that his game plan in an unfamiliar role at No. 6 was no different to when he has dominated as a franchise opener

Alex Malcolm21-Jul-2025Mitchell Owen says he was more nervous with the ball than he was with the bat in his dream T20I debut against West Indies in Jamaica, revealing that his game plan in an unfamiliar role at No. 6 was no different to when he has dominated as a franchise opener.Owen, 23, joined Ricky Ponting and David Warner as the third Australian man to score a half-century on T20I debut, clubbing 50 off 27 balls to help Australia to a three-wicket win over West Indies in the opening match of a five-game series at Sabina Park.He earlier took his maiden T20I wicket in his first and only over, removing Shai Hope for 55 at a crucial moment in the innings which sparked a West Indies collapse of 6 for 30 that was critical in Australia’s win.Related

'Not much will change' – Owen plans to bring his T20 approach to ODI cricket

Short out of West Indies series as Marsh's bowling remains 'offline'

Australia to trial new combinations as T20 World Cup build-up begins

Mitchell Owen, Cameron Green fifties put Australia 1-0 up

Owen admitted he was very nervous in his first over, especially after Shimron Hetmyer launched his first ball for six.”I thought I was on 36 off the over there when he smacked me for six first ball,” Owen said after the match. “But I was lucky Shai hit one up the shoot and got my first wicket. I was pretty nervous running in those first six balls, but nice to get it out of the way.”Owen’s innings with the bat was even more remarkable given it was his first half-century in T20 cricket batting in a middle-order position. He had earned his call-up to the Australia squad on the back of stunning returns as an opener in the most recent BBL where he made two centuries for Hobart Hurricanes. Prior to Sunday, in 16 career T20 innings batting from No. 3 to 8, he had scored just 174 runs at 14.50, with a strike-rate of 148.71 and a highest score of 34, and had only twice batted at No. 6.Owen said he was unperturbed by starting against spin with five men on the rope.”I honestly tried not to look at the field too much and just sort of react to each ball, which I think held me in good stead,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but I think my process, my game plan, wasn’t too different to opening the batting coming in at six. We had to strike at 10s or nines when I came out. So I still had to be nice and positive. If I took my time to sort of try and get into innings, I feel like I sort of dig myself a hole. So, yeah, just try and get after them from ball one.”With captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head likely to be Australia’s first-choice openers for T20 World Cup next year, and Matthew Short the first-choice back-up, the selectors were keen to trial Owen in the middle-order and will be delighted with the early returns.

“I’ve been on the receiving end of this bowling to him over the past nine months, and he’s just in a different world at the moment. I think anything that’s remotely missed the mark from a bowling point of view, he seems to to clear the rope. You see zero fours and six sixes. I think that shows that he’s ultra aggressive and if you miss your line and length, he’s going to make you pay.”Ben Dwarshuis on Mitch Owen’s debut

His fearlessness against spin would have pleased them most given Australia’s middle order has often been bogged down by left-arm spin and legspin through the middle stages in the past. Owen blasted three sixes in four balls off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the 12th over. He also launched two sixes off Andre Russell and one off Alzarri Joseph.Owen combined beautifully with new No. 4 Cameron Green, who himself worked two twos of Gudakesh Motie in the middle phase before smashing him for a six and a boundary to go with the four other sixes he hammered off Joseph and Jason Holder. The pair added 80 off 40 balls after coming together at 78 for 4 in the ninth over.”It was a lot of fun,” Owen said. “It’s the first time I’ve been on the same side as Greeny. So it was nice to be out there with him and contribute to a pretty good partnership. We kept each other nice and calm and just stuck to our processes.”Mitchell Owen and Cameron Green put up a match-winning stand•Getty ImagesBen Dwarshuis, who starred with the ball in Australia’s win taking 4 for 36, told ESPN’s Around the Wicket that Owen’s batting is on a different planet at the moment.”I’ve been on the receiving end of this bowling to him over the past nine months, and he’s just in a different world at the moment,” Dwarshuis said. “I think anything that’s remotely missed the mark from a bowling point of view, he seems to clear the rope. You see zero fours and six sixes. I think that shows that he’s ultra aggressive and if you miss your line and length, he’s going to make you pay.”It capped a dream debut for Owen after he received his T20I cap from close friend and Hobart Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis, with his parents and his partner at Sabina Park to watch it.”Really special,” Owen said. “He had some really nice words for me. I was obviously stoked to get the hat and stoked to have my parents over here. Obviously, it’s a bit of a messed up travel getting to the West Indies, but yeah, they’ve sacrificed a lot my whole life, and this trip’s only just another one. So super grateful that they got to experience that.”

U.S. international Timothy Weah set up Mason Greenwood to give Olympique de Marseille an early lead against RC Lens, but OM eventually fell 2-1. The American winger’s first-half assist highlighted another strong showing in his growing role with the club. His club, however, fall to third following the result.

AFPWeah's playmaking shines early

The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Weah combined in transition, driving into the final third before threading a decisive pass that Greenwood converted to open the scoring.

AdvertisementAFPRC Lens produce a comeback to win 2-1

Despite Weah’s contribution, Lens hit back quickly as Odsonne Edouard equalized from the penalty spot just six minutes later. They continued to press after the break and found a winner through a Benjamin Pavard own goal eight minutes into the second half. Marseille dominated possession late on but struggled to create clear chances, ultimately falling short.

An up and down season for Weah

Weah’s assist against Lens arrives after an eventful opening months at Marseille. The American has made 11 appearances for the Ligue 1 side but has only contributed to two goals so far, including his assist against Lens and his stunner against Real Madrid. 

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AFPLooking ahead

Marseille will look to turn their momentum around in their upcoming league fixtures as they'll face Angers and then Auxerre in the Ligue 1 on Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, respectively. 

Oftentimes in football, a team considered out of sorts need to get three points on the board before worrying about the slickness and style of the performance.

This isn’t the case for Liverpool, whose start to the season has seen them win plenty of matches, but lack any semblance of the control or snap of the previous title-winning campaign under Arne Slot’s wing.

So, against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, the Reds need to bounce back from back-to-back defeats with a strong performance, especially with the Blues’ backline ravaged by injuries and suspensions.

Liverpool avoided any real fitness setbacks across Slot’s first year, but a few issues have crept in over the past few weeks, with Giovanni Leoni out for as long as a year after rupturing his Achilles against Southampton, and Alisson Becker now back for his habitual stay in the infirmary after landing awkwardly during the recent defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Less severe is the issue that Hugo Ekitike is dealing with after that midweek match, but it’s a concern all the same for Slot, who needs the in-form Frenchman as he looks to build consistency.

The latest on Hugo Ekitike

Since leaving Eintracht Frankfurt this summer and joining Liverpool in a £69m deal, Ekitike has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Premier League.

Nine games into his Merseyside career, the France star has scored five goals and assisted one. He has only played 582 minutes for the Reds, marking a direct contribution every 97 minutes.

However, the 23-year-old overreached for the ball in Istanbul after the hour mark and left the field with muscular discomfort. Fears that he has suffered significant damage have been allayed, but there is certainly concern over his availability for the weekend.

When Liverpool completed their summer of spending with the addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a record-breaking £125m fee, it was widely expected that he would be at the top of the pecking order.

Perhaps the Sweden striker still is, but his positional rivals incredible start will certainly have provided Slot with food for thought.

And with Isak, 26, still not quite match fit after his turbulent summer transfer window, Slot might even be inclined to keep the deadly number nine on the bench, instead unleashing another in his place at centre-forward.

Liverpool's left-field Ekitike replacement

Isak scored his first goal for Liverpool during the win over Southampton, and many more euphoric moments are sure to come for the Sweden star, but the Reds do have an alternative pick for this upcoming clash against Chelsea, should Slot choose to utilise them.

That would be Federico Chiesa, who missed out against Galatasaray due to an injury precaution but is raring to go ahead of the weekend. The Italian, 27, is enjoying something of a resurgence in England, having already scored two goals for the club this season in the Premier League, assisting both strikes against Saints too.

Described by journalist Carlo Garganese as one of Italy’s “generational talents” before devastating knee injuries, the versatile forward looks like he’s bouncing back, having sat on the fringe for most of the 2024/25 campaign, arriving last summer for a bargain £12.5m fee.

Given Liverpool’s proclivity for late goals at the moment, Isak might find that another cameo might not be the worst thing in the world, entering the fray with the Reds possibly seeking out a winner.

Chiesa, of course, has proven himself to be something of a menace in the last embers for Liverpool so far this season, but he was immense during the win over Southampton and could apply his energy and creativity and dynamism from the outset, ensuring Liverpool don’t toil their way through the first half of the tie in west London.

Revived and hungry to leave his mark on the English game, Chiesa has been deployed three times off the bench as a striker in the top flight this term, and he scored on the first and last of those appearances.

The £150k-per-week talent played a central role for Juventus across the 2023/24 season, before moving to Liverpool, and FBref record that he complemented his steady goal return with some interesting underlying numbers, ranked among the top 2% of positional peers in Serie A for shot-creating actions and progressive carries per 90.

Given that he has played such limited football this season, albeit more than he was receiving each week across his first year at the club, there’s every reason for Slot to hand his utility weapon a first Premier League starting berth of the year, perhaps knocking Chelsea’s tactical preparations out of kilter while doing so.

Hugo Ekitike

9

5 (1)

Mohamed Salah

9

3 (3)

Federico Chiesa

6

2 (2)

Alexander Isak

5

1 (0)

Cody Gakpo

9

1 (2)

Rio Ngumoha

5

1 (0)

Hailed for having a “finisher’s DNA” by sports editor Danny Gallagher, Chiesa is the perfect alternative option for Liverpool to deploy at the front of their ship.

In fact, Chiesa has registered a goal contribution every 96 minutes at Liverpool, underlining his natural potency. Whether this is sustainable in the longer stretch remains to be seen, but it’s curious to note that this eclipses even Erling Haaland’s record at Manchester City, with the unstoppable Norwegian having scored 135 goals and supplied 22 assists across 154 games in sky blue, equating to a rate of 1.01 contributions per game.

Given that Salah was dropped to the bench against Galatasaray, it goes without saying that Liverpool will start with the Egyptian King on the right flank.

And with Florian Wirtz perhaps being placed down the left channel to bring Dominik Szoboszlai into the midfield, restoring a measure of robustness to Liverpool’s engine room, this could be a move to finally restore Liverpool’s form, with Isak gearing up to enter the fray after a lively opening-half display from the Italian.

Not Isak: Liverpool star is their own version of Arsenal icon Thierry Henry

Liverpool have enjoyed incredible success with this talent in their mix.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 29, 2025

When it comes to summer transfer windows, Arsenal haven’t always been a club that like to go big.

However, this year saw the thrice Premier League runners-up smash open the war chest and make the addition that could finally get them over the line come May.

Andrea Berta oversaw the arrival of eight first-team quality players, and while several of them have the potential to be real game-changers, Viktor Gyokeres might just be the most exciting.

The Swedish shot-stopper could be the missing piece in Mikel Arteta’s attack, but he’ll have to take the league by storm to see his valuation match that of one of his new teammates.

Gyokeres' start to the Premier League season

To describe Gyokeres as prolific during his time with Sporting CP would be a colossal understatement.

In 102 appearances, totalling 8417 minutes, he scored 97 goals and provided 28 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.22 goal involvements every game, or one every 67.33 minutes.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Arsenal spent £64m on him and why there are such high expectations about what he could do at the club.

Yet, while it is still early days, it would be fair to say that he’s not exactly got off to a flyer in red and white.

For example, in the games against Manchester United and Liverpool, he failed to have a single shot, let alone one on target.

Moreover, while his teammates weren’t providing him with adequate service, he was not helping himself with some lacklustre runs and heavy touches.

Fortunately, we got to see what he can do in the game against Leeds United, as he opened his account with a lovely run early in the second half and then doubled his tally with a thunderous strike from the penalty spot towards the end of the game.

In all, Gyokeres could be a huge difference-maker for Arsenal this season, although there is already someone in the team competing with him who is worth millions more.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Gyokeres

Even before this summer’s spending spree, Arsenal could boast a team overflowing with sensational talent.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

From William Saliba in defence, to Declam Rice in midfield and Bukayo Saka in attack, there are superstars all over this team.

However, in this instance, the attacker in question is none other than Kai Havertz, and while he might divide opinion at times, his valuation remains incredibly high.

For example, the CIES Football Observatory prices the German international at a whopping €91m, which is about £79m, or £15m more than Gyokeres cost the Gunners.

That might sound like an awful lot of money for a player who has quite the reputation for being wasteful in attacking situations, but contrary to how many view him, the 26-year-old has quite an impressive record for the club.

For example, since making the move to North London, the former Chelsea ace has scored 29 goals and provided 13 assists in 88 appearances, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.09 games.

However, when you look purely at the games in which he played as the team’s striker, the numbers become even more impressive.

In those 48 matches, totalling 4004 minutes, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists.

In other words, when he has played as a striker, the Aachen-born monster averages a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 125.12 minutes, which is a brilliant rate of return.

Ultimately, he might still divide opinion among fans and pundits alike, but Havertz’s numbers are undoubtedly impressive and help to explain why he currently has a higher valuation than Gyokeres.

Arsenal sold homegrown Gyokeres for £4m, now he's one of the best in Europe

Arsenal had a promising talent in their ranks who could have been their own homegrown Gyokeres.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 3, 2025

Arsenal youth coach David Horseman has been handed a UEFA ban for an 'insulting' offence. Horseman, who recently joined the Gunners from Manchester United's youth team, was found guilty of insulting the opposition during Arsenal Under-19's UEFA Youth League clash against Athletic Club on September 16. The English side suffered a 3-1 loss away from home.

UEFA suspend Arsenal youth coach

Horseman, who took charge of the Arsenal U19 side earlier in September, has been handed a suspension by UEFA for "Insulting players or others present" during a UEFA Youth League clash between the Gunners and Athletic Club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHorseman joined Arsenal from Man Utd

Less than three months after serving the Manchester United U21 side as their assistant coach, Horseman moved to north London to take charge of the Arsenal U19 team. He was hoping to sit on the bench for the club's upcoming clash against Olympiacos on Wednesday, only to find himself suspended by UEFA.

Arsenal thrashed by Athletic Club

Athletic Club comfortably clinched the clash at home as they beat the Gunners 3-1, courtesy of a brace from Manex Lozano Carmona and a penalty converted by Elijah Gift. Brando Bailey-Joseph scored the only goal for the visitors.

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AFPHectic week ahead for senior team

After picking all three points against Newcastle in a closely fought encounter in the Premier League last weekend, Mikel Arteta's side are now gearing up to face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday before hosting West Ham in a league clash on Saturday.

Both teams are coming in fresh off defeating defending champions RCB on their home ground

Sruthi Ravindranath25-Feb-2025Who’s playingMumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 7.30pm IST
What to expect: two in-form teams at the ChinnaswamyFacing the defending champions in their home in front of a full house? It’s been no problem for Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz. Two teams that have beaten RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium come up against each other in what is expected to be a high-octane clash, one that would probably have been considered one-sided in favour of MI before the tournament, but not after Warriorz’s last two games.That said, Warriorz’s batting order doesn’t look solid yet; they have been saved by lower-order hitting in the last two games. Individual performers have given them the two wins – Chinelle Henry and Kranti Goud in the match against Delhi Capitals and Sophie Ecclestone in the Super Over win against RCB. Ecclestone has been one of their key bowlers as well – though she has gone wicketless in the last two games, her economy hovers around 7 and she defended eight runs in the Super Over.MI will be coming into this game feeling refreshed after a four-day break. One of their key problems has been the opening pair, whose highest partnership is 22 this season. Yastika Bhatia has returned scores of 11, 8, 8 in the last three matches. Will they make G Kamalini open in place of Bhatia to add more firepower to the top order?Recent resultsMumbai Indians WWL
UP Warriorz WWLTeam newsWith Vrinda Dinesh not firing at the top of the order, Warriorz could bring in Chamari Athapaththu but that would also mean Tahlia McGrath will have to sit out. Poonam Khemnar could also be given a go in the middle order.UP Warriorz (probable): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh/ Chamari Athapaththu, 3 Deepti Sharma (capt), 4 Tahlia McGrath/ Poonam Kemnar, 5 Shweta Sehrawat, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Chinelle Henry, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti GoudMI are likely to go in with the same line-up, unless they decide to open with Kamalini.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 G Kamalini, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika SisodiaPlayers to watch: Amanjot Kaur and Sophie EcclestoneIt was Amanjot Kaur’s day at the Chinnaswamy when MI faced RCB. After finishing with 3 for 22 in three overs with the ball, which included the wickets of Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh, Amanjot scored a crucial 34* in the chase and walked away with the Player-of-the-Match award. Having been sidelined by injuries over the past eight months, she will be among those looking to make an India comeback with impressive performances in the WPL.Sophie Ecclestone proved how valuable she can be in a T20 line-up, also showing she is capable of contributing quick runs from the lower order. She’s previously done it for England and in the Hundred for Manchester Originals as well. Should Warriorz try something whacky and float her up the order?Stats that matter Ecclestone has gone wicketless in her last two matches. Before that, only once in her previous 19 matches in the WPL did she not take at least one wicket. There have been 11 instances of a player scoring 30-plus runs and also taking three-plus wickets in a WPL match. Six of those have been by MI players, including Amanjot Kaur in their previous match. Chinelle Henry has hit 12 sixes in the 44 balls she has faced in WPL 2025 so far. These are already the joint-fourth-highest by anyone in one edition of the WPL.

India

For India to be sure of qualifying, they need to win both their remaining Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. Then they would finish on 60.53, which would be more than Australia’s 57.02 even if they were to win their upcoming two-Test series 2-0 in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s points ceiling for this cycle is 53.85 – a tally they would end up with if they were to sweep Australia at home.If India win one Test and draw the other, they’ll finish on 57.02; in such a case, they could lose out on the second spot to Australia, who would finish on 58.77 if they were to also win both Tests in Sri Lanka. For India to qualify with 57.02, Australia would need to get no more than 16 points in Sri Lanka (a win and a draw).A win and a defeat in Australia would put India on 55.26, which would leave them pinning their hopes on Sri Lanka beating Australia by at least a 1-0 margin.Two draws would leave India on 53.51. Sri Lanka can go past that with a 2-0 win, while Australia would need at least one win in Sri Lanka to beat it.If India draw a Test and lose the other they would finish on 51.75 and be out of the race; in such a case Australia would finish ahead of India even if they were to lose 2-0 in Sri Lanka.India still have plenty of work to do in Australia•AFP/Getty Images

Australia

If Australia were to win the Melbourne and Sydney Tests against India, they would be certain of qualifying for the WTC final – in such a case, they would finish on 57.02 even if they were to go on to lose 2-0 in Sri Lanka.A win and a draw against India would leave them ahead of India even if they were to lose both Tests in Sri Lanka, but then Sri Lanka could go past Australia with a clean sweep.If Australia were to win one and lose one against India, they would need at least one win in Sri Lanka to stay ahead in the race. The same applies if both Tests against India are drawn.If they were to draw one and lose the other against India, they would need two wins in Sri Lanka.Defeat in both Tests against India would push Australia out of contention.Sri Lanka cannot afford any more slips, and still need Border-Gavaskar Trophy results to go their way•Associated Press

Sri Lanka

The maximum Sri Lanka can finish on is 53.85, if they beat Australia 2-0. For that to be enough for a second-place finish, one of two scenarios have to play out in the remaining Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests:

• Both Melbourne and Sydney produce draws
• Australia win one of the two home Tests, while the other is drawn

In any other scenario, either Australia or India will finish higher than 53.85 and knock Sri Lanka out.

Mitchell and Young hit half-centuries for New Zealand, while India lost three wickets in two overs just before stumps

Sidharth Monga01-Nov-2024

Stumps Ravindra Jadeja bowled 22 unchanged overs in the oppressive heat and humidity of Mumbai to pick up his 14th Test five-wicket haul and help bowl New Zealand out for 235. However, India threw away the advantage with the loss of three wickets in the last two overs of the day to end at 86 for 4.Jadeja had to work much harder for his wickets than New Zealand did at the fag end of the day. It included bowling through the whole middle session, during which Washington Sundar, who took four wickets, went off the field to rehydrate, and the batters got drinks almost every three overs.Jadeja’s was a timely intervention, as Daryl Mitchell and Will Young, half-centurions both, threatened to run away to a big total on a pitch that showed enough signs – with puffs of dust and variable turn – that it was going to be a nightmare for the side batting last. Mitchell and Young added 87 runs in a fourth-wicket partnership that looked under more threat from dehydration than the bowling.The collapse from 159 for 3 to 235 all out brought some respite for India, playing to avoid their second-ever series whitewash at home (of two or more Tests) and also vital WTC points. However, the last two overs – Yashasvi Jaiswal bowled to a reverse-sweep, the nightwatcher Mohammed Siraj burning a review, Virat Kohli running himself out – were a downer for them.Virat Kohli was run out looking for a quick single•BCCI

That’s because they had got into a desirable position after Tom Latham won another important toss and got the right to bat in the best batting conditions of the match. He led New Zealand’s initial progress even though he lost Devon Conway to Akash Deep from around the wicket. A pace attack missing Jasprit Bumrah was only going to go so far. R Ashwin came on to bowl as early as the eighth over, the last time of the day he would be considered the likeliest spinner to get wickets.Latham scored 28 off 44 before a vexing one-two from Washington sent him back. From a near identical spot, with near identical seam orientation, Washington beat the inside edge one ball and the outside edge next ball to take out top of off stump. For the third time in three times of asking, Washington hit the off stump of Rachin Ravindra with a near identical delivery to leave New Zealand delicately poised at 72 for 3.The half-an-hour to lunch was a nervous period for Young and Mitchell as both their edges were threatened regularly. Post lunch, though, the pitch settled down for an hour and a bit. With the temperature hitting 37 degrees, the high humidity of the coast and little breeze, this session tested everybody’s fitness. The batters got a drink every couple of overs to go with iced towels or ice packs around their necks.Every now and then, the ball turned if Jadeja slowed it down, but he was looking for quick turn. Young and Mitchell, though, looked at ease. The sweeps and reverse-sweeps were employed to good effect, but Young also danced down the wicket to languidly loft the ball. This was Young’s first fifty of the series even though he has given the impression he has been the most comfortable batter on either side.Ravindra Jadeja acknowledges the cheers after his 14th Test five-for•BCCI

Washington, Siraj and Ashwin bowled from the other end, but Jadeja kept going from his. Towards the end of the session, he got what he wanted: turn at high pace. Now he was in it. Young edged to slip one that turned at 94kph. Three balls later, Blundell saw one pitch on leg and hit off at 92kph. Puffs of dust started making more regular appearances.Now Jadeja took full control. He kept attacking the stumps with subtle changes of pace and the occasional undercutter. He took out Glenn Phillips with one that didn’t turn to go past Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma into the list for top-five wicket-takers for India.India began the final session with Jadeja and Washington again, something that will hurt the competitor in Ashwin. Jadeja wasted little time to dismiss Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry in the same over. Sodhi fell to one that turned and stayed low, and Henry was bowled on the off to Jadeja’s slowest wicket-taking delivery: at 90kmph.Whatever the support staff did to Mitchell during the tea break worked wonders as he found enough energy to hit three sixes in three Washington overs after having struggled to run during the middle session.Mitchell didn’t farm the strike with the No. 10 for company, but eventually made a mental error by guiding a flat delivery straight to slip just like how coaches do during catching drills. Not before having scored 82, though. Ajaz Patel, on whom lay the onus to improve dramatically from Pune, hit a six before padding up to one that didn’t turn, giving Washington his fourth wicket.Daryl Mitchell celebrates his fifty•Getty Images

Rohit Sharma enjoyed some early luck as Will O’Rourke dropped him at long leg, but his attacking mindset meant he had committed too much to a forceful shot when Henry seamed one ball away. The Rohit that went to England in 2021 would have had time to bail out, but now he just edged it to second slip.Jaiswal and Shubman Gill weathered the storm to assuage fears of a repeat of what happened in Pune. They even began to dominate the bowling in a 53-run second-wicket stand. Then, with about ten minutes to stumps, Jaiswal was beaten on the reverse-sweep, the first time he has got out to the shot in Test cricket having tried it 14 times previously for 36 runs. Ajaz then bowled perhaps his best delivery to Mohammed Siraj first up, pitching on leg and hitting off. For some reason, though, Siraj decided to review it.Amid the DRS drama, Kohli walked in for the first time this series without an applause for the wicket preceding him. Part-time spinner Ravindra tried the old left-arm-spinner-full-toss trick but Kohli got past the lethal delivery – it had been his downfall in the previous Test – with a boundary. However, he couldn’t get the better of his own instinct of running with the shot despite hitting the ball firmly enough to mid-on. The only way Kohli could survive this was if Henry misfielded or missed. He did neither.