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Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.

It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.

This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.

How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta

A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.

While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.

This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.

While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.

Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.

Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.

The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.

Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.

That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.

Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time

The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.

Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.

Chalkboard

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

Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.

Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.

He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.

Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.

Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.

This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.

During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.

In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.

GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.

It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.

Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?

Fewer touches than Raya & only 7 passes: Arsenal star must be dropped

Arsenal’s title charge got a whole lot trickier after defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.

By
Angus Sinclair

5 days ago

He made the most of the new ball on a flat Ranchi pitch and kept some of the batters guessing with his variety even though he leaked runs

Alagappan Muthu01-Dec-20254:46

Takeaways – Kohli in his comfort zone, Jansen, Kuldeep and Rana sparkle

India’s best XI in any format starts with Jasprit Bumrah. He will lead the bowling attack at the 2027 World Cup, guaranteeing 10 overs of magic.Mohammed Siraj is second in charge. He can be hit or miss in white-ball cricket. He missed the Champions Trophy but was such a hit in an Asia Cup final a couple of years ago that the opposition scorecard looked like this.Hardik Pandya, who is returning to competitive cricket for the first time since his injury in September, will be crucial to balance the team in overseas conditions. That leaves one specialist fast-bowling spot open for Harshit Rana (28 List A matches), Arshdeep Singh (40) and Prasidh Krishna (75). All of them have a lot to learn but they’re still familiar with high-pressure white-ball situations thanks to the IPL.Related

• Harshit Rana reprimanded, handed demerit point, for Dewald Brevis send off

• Kohli, Harshit, Kuldeep star to give India 1-0 lead

• 'They are brilliant, and they are performing' – Kotak on Ro-Ko at 2027 World Cup

• Kohli: 'If I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120%'

Ranchi was a high(ish)-pressure situation in the appropriate format and Rana rose to it. He picked up two wickets in an over, which eventually left South Africa 11 for 3 chasing 350. Ryan Rickelton was bowled on a defensive shot and Quinton de Kock was caught behind on the drive.”I think a lot of credit to Harshit also,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said at the post-match press conference, “For taking the early wickets because I think otherwise, for them, in so much dew, they would’ve found it very easy to score runs.”Beyond those results was the process. Rana didn’t waste the brief window, under lights, when a still new, still dry ball was willing to zip around. That alone was good work. The wickets (three) and the win will perhaps reinforce it.”He was moving the ball well,” Kotak said. “He was hitting the right area early in the innings because the Kookaburra only swings for the first four or five overs and I think he made the most of it.”Rana still gave away 65 runs in 10 overs though. This happens because he bowls to unsettle. Targeting the stumps. Then the helmet. Then taking pace off. Then going wide. Then going yorker. Then going wide yorker. Or wide and slower ball. It’s basically fast bowling on shuffle. Bangers mixed in with duds.Rana commits to this role, at the expense of his economy rate, and India are happy to pay the price because they have Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav as banker bowlers capable of creating and sustaining pressure from the other end. They must also value how Rana doesn’t flinch when things go wrong. On Sunday, he took a no-look six on the chin from Dewald Brevis in one over. Dismissed him in the next. He gritted his teeth when Corbin Bosch saw through his slower ball and sent it into the stands. Then killed the momentum with a couple of good yorkers. Rana still needs a bit of refining but there’s something there.Conditions for fast bowling in India vary from those expected at the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Marco Jansen touched upon it after the first ODI when he said he had to keep reminding himself to get lower in his batting stance.Two years ago when India were in Centurion, they tried to lean into a pitch with pace and bounce by picking Prasidh in their Test team. His release from a high-arm action and ability to hit the deck hard were seen as an asset after South Africa had used a similar strategy to beat them on the previous tour. It didn’t quite pan out but not because it was poor logic.Arshdeep’s skills are more traditional and his left-arm angle can be a useful point of difference. There’s his composure at the death as well. He bowled a wicket-maiden in the 47th over when South Africa had brought the equation down to 38 off 24.The spotlight in that game and in any ODI that India play nowadays tends to be elsewhere, but these three are very different fast bowlers and the way they’re getting along makes for interesting viewing too.

Lamine Yamal has been crowned La Liga Player of the Month after a sensational November in which the 18-year-old produced goals, assists and match-winning performances that powered Barcelona to a perfect month in the league. His three goals and three assists established him as the competition’s leading creator, reaffirming his return to form after an injury-ridden start.

• Yamal wins La Liga Player of the Month award

  Yamal delivered a dominant run of form across Barcelona’s four La Liga fixtures in November, scoring against Elche, Celta Vigo and Deportivo Alaves while adding two assists in the Catalan side’s emphatic win over Athletic Club. Yamal’s standout moments included a two-assist display on Barcelona’s return to Camp Nou and another goal-and-assist performance against Alaves to close out the month.

  Yamal's decisive impact in each fixture reinforced the sense that he had fully rediscovered rhythm and confidence after a previously difficult period. The 18-year-old explosive contributions helped Barcelona win every league match during the month, propelling him past rivals including Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann in the final vote for La Liga's Player of the Month for November.

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• AFP
  

  Yamal helps Barcelona get back on top of La Liga standings

  Barcelona’s strong domestic form was driven in large part by Yamal’s resurgence, placing the Catalans at the top of the La Liga table after 15 rounds. His performances helped calm concerns following a difficult El Clasico loss, which left them five points off Real Madrid, and demonstrated his ability to shoulder responsibility at a critical moment.

• Yamal bagged six goals and assists in four games

  Yamal’s final November tally of three goals and three assists extended his league-leading creative total to eight assists, underlining a level of productivity rare for a player still in his teens. He had already shown flashes of elite output earlier in the season, but November marked his most consistent stretch yet, with decisive contributions in every match.

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  Yamal crucial for Barcelona's crucial winter period

  Barcelona now prepare for a tricky away trip to Real Betis, where Yamal’s creativity will again be central to their approach against a top-five opponent. His form will also be crucial as the club shifts focus back to the Champions League, hosting Eintracht Frankfurt in a match vital to maintaining momentum across competitions.

The Padres dropped a winner-take-all Game 3 in the National League wild-card series to the Cubs on Thursday night. And while the Padres' ninth-inning rally fell just short, the club may be left stewing all winter long about a different moment.

After a leadoff home run from Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill cut the Cubs' lead to 3-1, shortstop Xander Bogaerts stepped up to the plate. Working the count full, Bogaerts took a 3-2 fastball on the lower outer half of the plate, a pitch he surely felt was ball four. But home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called it strike three, leaving Bogaerts incensed.

Cubs relief pitcher Brad Keller proceeded to hit Ryan O'Hearn and Bryce Johnson on consecutive pitches, giving San Diego hope that they could potentially tie the game. But it was not to be, as Jake Cronenworth grounded out and Freddy Fermin flied out, ending the Padres' season.

And the club's players were still fuming about the called strike after the game, as the likes of Bogaerts and Jose Iglesias angrily confronted the umpires as they left the field and filed past the visitor's dugout.

Two things. Number one, it doesn't seem like the best idea logistics-wise to have the umpires' only path off the field and back to the locker room take them past the visitor's dugout. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Secondly, the Padres certainly have a right to be angry. The pitch seemed to be one that, had the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system been in play this season (it will be next year), could have been overturned to a ball. Plus, Umpire Scorecards, which uses MLB's advanced pitch tracking data to rate the accuracy of home-plate umpires and the impact of their calls on games, determined that Reyburn's called strike three was the most impactful missed ball-and-strike call in the contest.

But while the Padres and their fans have every right to be angry about the missed call, there's something else that should make them even angrier. The likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado, three of the club's most productive hitters, combined to go 0-for-11 with three strikeouts and a walk in a winner-take-all elimination game.

Bangladesh, who swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series, will go into the ODI series high on confidence

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025

Big picture: a rare ODI face-off after deluge of T20Is

Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to fight the same adversary in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday: rustiness.Afghanistan last played an ODI eight months ago, in the 2025 Champions Trophy, and even that game was washed out, so they have played just two ODIs this year. Bangladesh have played six, but the last one was in July. Not as bad as their opponents, of course, but they have lost four of these games and won just one.This irregularity in playing ODIs affects how the XIs are chosen.Afghanistan have dropped Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad based on their Asia Cup – in the T20 format – performance. Hashmatullah Shahidi continues to lead, with Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal forming the batting core.Azmatullah Omarzai is their ODI star with bat and ball, so he will have to shoulder a significant workload. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi will lead the bowling attack, alongside newcomers like Bashir Ahmad and Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made their T20I debuts earlier this week.Related

• Rishad: Looking forward to working with Ponting at Hobart Hurricanes

• Simmons happy with Bangladesh's 'exciting, aggressive' style

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have a squad that’s based on their big-picture plan for the 2027 ODI World Cup. It means Mehidy Hasan Miraz continues as captain, with Najmul Hossain Shanto back in the picture. There will be hope that some of the batters bring their T20I form into the ODI arena. Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan looked good in the recent 3-0 win against Afghanistan and will be relied upon.The battle will be between Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan for the three middle-order spots. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman will lead the bowling attack, while it will be interesting to see whether Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam are both picked in the XI or not.Bangladesh would like to ride on the momentum of the T20I series sweep, while Afghanistan must get out of their five-match losing streak across formats. It is likely to be a closely fought series, but the rustiness could mean a lot of errors – in the planning and in the field – as they go adjusting to the format.

Form guide

Afghanistan WLWWW
Bangladesh LWLLLRashid Khan will depend a lot on Azmatullah Omarzai in either innings•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Saif HassanAzmatullah Omarzai has scored 896 runs and taken 31 wickets in the last two years in ODIs. No wonder he is currently No. 2 in the allrounders rankings. Omarzai will bat in the lower-middle order to provide cushion as well the finishing touches, and also play as the second seamer. He was one of the few to show good form in the T20Is against Bangladesh, although he would be disappointed with the way he got out in the third game in Sharjah, a wild swing that ended in a top edge that was taken by the backward point fielder.Saif Hassan will be the most anticipated ODI debutant for Bangladesh in a long time. His scintillating form in T20Is in the last two months has forced the selectors to bring him into an ODI set-up that’s crying out for a fresh approach. Saif’s attacking shots are great to watch, but as he showed in the third T20I on Sunday, he can also be clever: he played out a maiden over from Rashid Khan knowing it was the legspinner’s last and went on to score an unbeaten 38-ball 64 to take Bangladesh home.Darwish Rasooli is likely to get into the playing XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: middle-order changes in the offing

Darwish Rasooli is likely to get into the XI while either Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar is expected to join the attack. Bashir could make his ODI debut.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Darwish Rasooli, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Mohammad Nabi, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Bashir AhmadSaif is likely to open the innings with Tanzid, while Nurul will fight for a place with Hridoy. Mohammad Naim has not reached UAE yet due to visa issues. Parvez Hossain has been added to the ODI squad as a back-up batter. Nurul Hasan is likely to keep wicket in the first ODI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanNurul Hasan will have to fight for his spot•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: bat first, win the game?

The side batting first has won four out of the last five day-night ODIs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The average score batting first in these matches is 274. The forecast in Abu Dhabi is of extreme heat, with some breeze expected in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Afghanistan and Bangladesh are tied 2-2 in the bilateral series stakes, although it’s the latter that leads 11-8 overall
• Nabi is the only survivor of the first ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan, held in 2014 in Fatullah
• Tanvir Islam’s five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh’s previous ODI series was the first five-for by a Bangladeshi spinner in two-and-a-half years.

On the TNT Sports panel for Liverpool’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, Steven Gerrard was hesitant to say that Arne Slot’s side are in a crisis.

But after being dispatched 4-1 by Peter Bosz’s Dutchmen, it’s difficult to argue anything even bordering the contrary. That was Liverpool’s ninth defeat in 12 matches across all competitions, and the crisis – yes, crisis – is deepening.

The most concerning thing is that there is so much talent in this side. Liverpool are chock-full of elite talent. But synergy and belief are in short supply at Anfield.

Slot is steadfast in his belief that he can craft an exit from this rut with the tools at his disposal, but sporting director Richard Hughes is gearing up for a January signing nonetheless.

Who Liverpool need to sign in January

There has been plenty of chatter relating to the need for a centre-back at Liverpool. It’s true. Despite Real Madrid ending their interest in Ibrahima Konate, the Reds are still short at the back after missing out on Marc Guehi last summer.

However, Slot has suggested that Liverpool have another area of the field on their mind, his frontline so imbalanced this season.

As per i News, Liverpool are leading the race for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, following initial enquiries, with David Ornstein previously confirming the Reds’ interest and that the Ghanaian winger has a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active this January.

Semenyo is also courting intrigue from the likes of Manchester City, but Liverpool feel they have a good chance of bringing him over to Anfield after opting against signing a like-for-like Luis Diaz replacement this summer.

What Semenyo would offer Liverpool

It is promising to note the incremental progress Semenyo has made since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship for about £10.5m in January 2023.

Last season, he was lauded for going to “another level” in the Premier League by teammate Lewis Cook, growing into his skin under the tutelage of Andoni Iraola, instrumental in the Cherries’ 56-point finish.

Ferocious and powerful, he has only gotten better since the summer, notching six goals and three assists across his first 11 matches in the division this term.

There is far more to the 25-year-old’s game than just goal contributions, but he has still managed to post more than all of his teammates at the Vitality Stadium.

His talismanic qualities and “world-class” form, as said by another teammate, Justin Kluivert, underscore Semenyo’s suitability at Liverpool, especially as his pace and power and burgeoning prolificacy has led Reds analyst Josh Williams to dub him “the closest you’ll find to peak Mane right now”.

This, and Semenyo’s big-game ability, suggests he could be one of the Anfield side’s finest signings in a long time, perhaps even since £60m was paid to RB Leipzig to bring Dominik Szoboszlai over from Germany.

Szoboszlai has had his ups and downs in a Liverpool shirt, but has bloomed into a superstar of a midfielder this season, stepping up and becoming a leader of men while applying his tireless energy and sharp technical skills at a time when ailing Liverpool desperately need them.

Liverpool’s Hungarian general is a masterful midfielder, cut and dry as the outfit’s best player this term; it is not even close.

While he is a wholly different type of player from Semenyo, they share an athletic likeness and have both established themselves as leading lights at their respective sides.

If Liverpool can both add balance to their side while infusing the squad with more in-form ability than has been on show this year, it will only be a good thing as Slot and Szoboszlai and the rest fight to steer the club out of the ditch they have slipped into.

Such a signing could be a catalyst for change, and at a comparatively shrewd £65m figure, Semenyo might just prove to be one of Liverpool’s best signings in a number of years.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 28, 2025

Being a home plate umpire at the major league level isn't the easiest job in the world and mistakes are often made thanks partly to pitchers throwing really nasty stuff these days and, well, the element of human error.

The latter of that was on display during Wednesday's Diamondacks-Rangers game in Arlington when Derek Thomas messed up something that should be easy for home plate umpires to keep track of—the count.

Arizona's Adrian Del Castillo was up in the fifth inning with two runners on. Thomas then rang him up on a called strike, only to quickly realize that was just the second strike of Del Castillo's at-bat. Thomas quickly corrected himself and let everyone know that it wasn't a strikeout.

The announcers had a good laugh over this:

Del Castillo lined the next pitch to right field for a hit and then Thomas redeemed himself by making an easy call at home plate as Ketel Martel was thrown out trying to score.

Still, you have to think Thomas might hear a thing or two from his umpiring buddies over that glaring mistake on what was strike two.

Visitors ensure third-placed finish, while Kent pick up the wooden spoon

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec (Reece 211, Madsen 198, Andersson 85, Donald 55, Dal 52*) beat Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 198 (Compton 65, Evison 53, Reece 5-63) by an innings and 229 runsDerbyshire routed Kent by an innings and 229 runs in their final Rothesay County Championship match of the season at Canterbury.Luis Reece, who scored 211 in Derbyshire’s only innings, took 5 for 63, while Ben Aitchison and Zak Chappell both took two wickets apiece as the visitors sealed third place in Division Two. Ben Compton was Kent’s top scorer with 65 but the home side already knew they would finish bottom, regardless of the outcome.Kent began day four on 135 for 5 in their second innings, 291 behind, and their tissue-paper thin hopes of avoiding defeat faded when they lost Harry Finch in the fourth over of the morning, lbw to Aitchison for 14.Aitchison, whose sister Holly is in the England squad for today’s Rugby World Cup final with Canada, then got the key wicket of Compton, again lbw and although Corey Flintoff hung around for 35 balls, he eventually pulled Chappell straight to Aneurin Donald at square leg and was caught for 11.Grant Stewart gave a sparse crowd some entertainment, hooking Chappell for six, but the bowler than had Matt Parkinson caught by Donald at short leg for a six-ball duck.The visitors concluded a win that had looked inevitable for the best part of three days when Michael Cohen flashed at Reece and was caught by a diving Brooke Guest, also without scoring. The wicket meant Reece became only the 51st person worldwide to score a double-century and take five wickets in a first-class match.

Mumbai Indians upped their six-hitting on the big night, to knock Gujarat Giants out

Namooh Shah13-Mar-20257-0 – Mumbai Indians’ (MI) record against Gujarat Giants, MI are the only team to remain unbeaten against an opponent in the WPL.213 for 4 – MI registered their highest total in the WPL, going past the 207 for 5 they made against the same opponent in 2023. It is also the third-joint highest total across WPLs.5 – Fifty-plus scores by Natalie Sciver-Brunt in this WPL so far, the most by any batter in one season. Three other batters have four fifty-plus scores in one edition of the WIPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd122 – Total runs scored by MI during the middle overs (7-16) in the Eliminator – the most by any team in a WPL innings, bettering the 121 runs scored by UP Warriorz against RCB last week.133 – Partnership runs between Hayley Matthews and Sciver-Brunt in the Eliminator – the joint-highest stand for MI, equalling their own record against UPW this season in Bengaluru. It was also the third century partnership between the pair, the joint-most by a pair in the WPL alongside Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning for Delhi Capitals.9 – Sixes hit by MI – the most they have hit in a WPL match. The MI batters hit a six every 13.33 balls on Thursday, nearly three times their ratio of 43.28 during the league stage. They were able to hit only 21 sixes in the league matches, the least by any team, and they hit no more than four sixes in any of those eight matches.4 – Number of boundaries Giants conceded through misfields in the Eliminator. In addition, they also put down four catches and missed a run-out chance.22 – Runs Priya Mishra’s drop of Harmanpreet Kaur in the 17th over cost Giants, as per ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index. Harmanpreet had faced only three balls for two runs at that point, including a run that came from the dropped chance.In the next nine balls, she scored 34 runs with four sixes and two fours. According to the algorithm, the other MI batters would have scored only 13 runs in the nine balls that Harmanpreet faced after the reprieve.Giants dropped Matthews twice – when she was on 5 and 42. Those two catches cost them 9 and 12 runs respectively, as per ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index.

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

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 16, 2025