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In the almost six years he’s been in charge, Mikel Arteta has helped to transform Arsenal.

He’s led the North Londoners from mid-table mediocrity to genuine Premier League and Champions League contenders.

The Spaniard’s tactical nous and standard-raising philosophy have undoubtedly played a massive part in this turnaround, but so has the club’s recruitment and promotion of youth players, like Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender has gone from promising prospect to the face of Arsenal and undoubtedly their most important attacker, although, based on recent reports, the club are looking to sign someone who is playing better than him at the moment.

Arsenal target superstar star attacker outperforming Saka

Since making his debut for Arsenal in a 2018 Europa League group stage match against Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava, Saka has gone on an incredible journey with the club.

Transfer Focus

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

Despite being moved around the pitch and then spending plenty of time at left-back in his early career, the Englishman has now become the club’s go-to right-winger and the first name on the teamsheet when fit.

In all, the 24-year-old has made 280 appearances for the Gunners, in which he’s racked up a sensational haul of 76 goals and 73 assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games.

However, due in part to his injury, he has performed a little under par this season, and now it looks like the club are looking to sign someone who is outperforming him.

At least, that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Arsenal are still very interested in Michael Olise.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now preparing an ambitious plan to sign the Bayern Munich star and are willing to break their transfer record to do so, preparing an offer of around €150m, which converts to around £132m.

That’s an outrageous sum of money to spend on a player, but given Olise’s ability and potential, it might just be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s outperforming Saka.

How Olise compares to Saka

So, the first thing to say is that it seems highly unlikely that Arsenal would sign Olise to outright replace Saka.

After all, the Hale Ender has become the face of the project and probably the most beloved player of the last 20 years among the fanbase.

Instead, the Frenchman could be looked at as someone to offer competition, or, as has been the case with Noni Madueke, someone who can interchange with the Englishman during games, almost making the idea of a starting position antiquated.

With that said, it’s worth looking at how the pair have stacked up against one another since the Bayern ace’s move to Germany.

Last season, his first in Baveria, saw the 23-year-old rack up a sensational tally of 20 goals and 23 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3842 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.27 games, or every 89.34 minutes.

Appearances

55

37

Minutes

3842′

2619′

Goals

20

12

Assists

23

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.78

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvements

89.34′

100.73

Appearances

20

17

Minutes

1583′

1211′

Goals

9

6

Assists

10

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.95

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvements

83.31′

151.37′

In contrast, Saka scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2619 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 100.73 minutes.

Okay, what about this season then?

Well, the former Crystal Palace star has really taken it up a notch, already scoring nine goals and providing ten assists in 20 appearances, totalling 1583 minutes.

That comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.05 games, or every 83.31 minutes, and truly justifies analyst Filipe Sousa’s description of him being a “nightmare” for defenders.

For his efforts this season, the Gunners’ talismanic number seven has scored six goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances, totalling 1211 minutes.

That comes out to a somewhat underwhelming – for his lofty standards – of an average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 151.37 minutes.

Now, it should be said that he suffered another hamstring injury at the start of the campaign and is clearly still not at 100%, but even so, he would likely admit his output has been a little disappointing this season.

Ultimately, while it would cost an egregious sum of money, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Olise, as he could help get the best back out of Saka, and a team with the pair of them in it is a scary team indeed.

The new Rice: Berta enters race to sign £70m midfield "machine" for Arsenal

The international superstar could become Mikel Arteta’s next Declan Rice at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

Inter manager Christian Chivu refused to blame goalkeeper Yann Sommer following a disappointing derby defeat to AC Milan, instead praising his team's overall performance and spirit. The Romanian coach also strongly defended his decision to substitute captain Lautaro Martinez early in the second half of the 1-0 loss, insisting the call was tactical and within his rights as manager. Inter now sit fourth in Serie A after their fourth defeat of the season.

Chivu praises Inter spirit despite Milan defeat

Chivu's first Derby della Madonnina as Inter coach ended in a narrow defeat to city rivals AC Milan, courtesy of a Christian Pulisic goal in the 54th minute. Despite the disappointing result, Chivu expressed satisfaction with his team's effort and application. 

"The performance and focus were there, we didn't suffer any counterattacks," he said. "The only time we went for a long ball, Milan scored. But I'll take credit for the good performance from the lads who tried in every way. That's the spirit I want to see."

Inter dominated possession with 64% and managed 16 shots to Milan's eight, with five on target compared to Milan's three. They also won nine corners to Milan's one, highlighting their territorial advantage. However, wasteful finishing, including two shots hitting the woodwork and a missed penalty, ultimately cost them the points.

AdvertisementAFPChivu refuses to blame Sommer for Milan goal

Milan's goal came after Inter goalkeeper Sommer got low to stop a shot from Alexis Saelemaekers, knocking it into the path of Pulisic for an easy finish less than 10 minutes into the second half. Despite the spill, Chivu held off of criticising the shot stopper.

"I'm not talking about individuals, that's not fair. For me, my players are the best, and I could never point the finger at anyone because when you do that, it smells like failure," he said. "We're all in this situation: we could have unlocked it, done better, managed it, but the statistics are what they are. We just have the duty to get back up."

Why was Lautaro Martinez taken off?

A key talking point from the match was Chivu's decision to substitute captain Martinez in the 64th minute, just 10 minutes after Milan took the lead. The Argentine forward has been a pivotal player for Inter, and his early withdrawal drew questions.

Chivu, however, was defiant in his defence of the decision, emphasising it was a tactical choice and not due to injury or poor performance, saying: "Lautaro is fine, it was my decision. He's fine, I took him off for my own technical reasons: can't I change players? Even those on the bench deserve to contribute. It was my decision."

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Inter

The defeat leaves Inter in fourth place in Serie A with 24 points from 12 matches, three points behind league leaders Roma. Chivu acknowledged that the number of defeats is a concern for a club with title ambitions.

"It's clear that four defeats in 12 games is too many. The table is tight, we need to let go of disappointments and overcome frustration, which can leave its mark. I know how much we create and how much we concede," he added.

"Due to my team's characteristics, we attack with many men, and that exposes you to counterattacks. But today we only conceded one, which was fatal. We need to work, improve, better perceive danger, and earn a few more yellow cards."

Inter have now lost three of their last five Serie A matches, a run of form that will need to be addressed quickly to stay in contention for the Scudetto.

Following this derby defeat, Inter will look to bounce back in their next Serie A fixture against Pisa which comes right after their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Chivu's side will need to translate their dominance in possession and chance creation into goals and wins to climb back up the standings. The manager will also be looking for a reaction from his players, particularly in terms of defensive solidity and finishing, to avoid further slip-ups.

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.

New Zealand 92 for 0 (Conway 51*, Young 41*) trail Zimbabwe 149 (Ervine 39, Henry 6-39, Smith 3-20) by 57 runsMatt Henry’s 6 for 39 scythed through Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for their lowest total in seven innings and second-lowest in 2025, and their lead has already been reduced to just 57 runs by the end of the first day. New Zealand wiped off 92 of the 149 runs in the 26 overs they faced and hold the advantage in all departments. Their batting was solid and bowling was incisive where Zimbabwe’s has not been throughout their last few home Tests.Henry took wickets with the new and old ball, with full and short deliveries, and followed up perfectly from finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the T20I tri-series. He was well supported by Nathan Smith, who picked up 3 for 20 in his third Test. Those figures do justice to bowlers that had the batters completely confounded with subtle changes in line and length.Related

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According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Zimbabwe edged 22 deliveries in total, and had a control percentage of just 68.8%. Only two Zimbabwe batters, Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga, got past 30 and both were dropped before they had reached 20. They also shared in Zimbabwe’s best partnership: a sixth-wicket stand of 54. New Zealand have already surpassed that with their opening pair.New Zealand’s threat was apparent from the outset as they found the edge six times in the first three overs, which ended with the opening wicket. Brian Bennett – who inside-edged the first ball of the match, then edged one just out of the reach from short leg and then got four as another edge went between gully and the cordon – stayed back to a slightly fuller ball from Henry and this time, the edge flew to Will Young at third slip. Ben Curran, his opening partner, went the same way but only after Henry had changed angles to go around the wicket in his fourth over.Sean Williams was fortunate not to run out Nick Welch when he got off the mark with a single that chanced Mitchell Santner’s arm, but could not find any fortune against Smith. He tried to steer past third and inside-edged onto his stumps to leave Zimbabwe in a mess at 31 for 3 after the first hour.Nathan Smith took three wickets and offered good support to Matt Henry•Zimbabwe Cricket

Welch and captain Craig Ervine used up deliveries and time but did not get many runs for most of the second hour. It took Ervine 23 balls to get off the mark, and he did it with a push past mid-off off Will O’Rourke.Santner, captaining in place of the injured Tom Latham, brought himself on in the 20th over and the introduction of spin allowed Welch to get comfortable. He swept both Santner and Michael Bracewell, who he also reverse-swept for three boundaries in nine balls to get Zimbabwe over 50. But his fun only lasted until Henry was brought back. Welch edged the second ball of the fast bowler’s second spell to second slip to send Zimbabwe to lunch on 67 for 4.Henry completed his over after the break with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, who tried to take on the short ball but gloved it high for Tom Blundell to take a simple catch. Henry could have had Tsiga in his next over but the edge fell short. Tsiga got his own back when he flicked Henry off his pads for four and then drove Smith down the ground to show his range.Ervine was on 18 when he offered Smith a return catch but it hit him on the boot. Nine overs later, Tsiga could have been O’Rourke’s first of the match when he cut him to gully but Devon Conway put it down. Ervine brought up the 50-run stand with a well-timed punch down the ground for four.The pair looked like taking Zimbabwe to tea without further damage but it was not to be. Ervine was given out lbw when he missed a flick off Smith, though the ball seemed to be sliding down leg. With no DRS in place, he could not review. Tsiga was also out lbw, when he was beaten on the inside edge and hit on the back leg in what seemed a better decision. At tea, Zimbabwe were 138 for 7.Devon Conway and Will Young gave Zimbabwe a solid start•Zimbabwe Cricket

Henry took his fifth with a snorter, short and aimed at Newman Nyamhuri’s head. He ducked and the ball took the shoulder of his bat and was caught, again, by Young. Vincent Masekesa was run out after his partner Blessing Muzarabani did not respond to his call for a single and he had to make his way back to the striker’s end. Muzarabani only lasted into the next over, when he got a leading edge off Henry and was caught by Santner at cover to give Henry his sixth. Zimbabwe were bowled out inside 61 overs.If they gave the impression run-scoring was difficult, New Zealand swiftly dispelled the notion. They raced to 40 without loss in the first ten overs when Young hit a short, wide Muzarabani ball for four and Conway took three boundaries off Tanaka Chivanga’s fourth over: a cut, a drive and a pull.Zimbabwe had their best chance when Nyamhuri, in his second over, appealed for lbw against Young when he hit him on the boot with a yorker but it was given not out.New Zealand brought up their 50 off Nyamhuri when Conway cut him for four in the 14th over. Nyamhuri continued to cause problems for New Zealand and hit Conway on the knee – too high for lbw, but enough to cause some pain. Conway continued and reached his half-century off 83 balls with a single of Raza in the penultimate over of the day. Young is nine runs away from his and with the pitch showing few signs of bother and Zimbabwe already using the spinners, both will eye going bigger on the second day.

Moved up to open for Australia’s chase, the left hander produced one of the more remarkable innings in Test history

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025

Travis Head produced an incredible display of hitting•Getty Images

Travis Head was lauded for an “out of this world” innings by Australia captain Steven Smith, after his offer to open the batting in place of the injured Usman Khawaja produced one of the most devastating innings seen in Test cricket, but admitted he had to overcome some self doubt leading into the match.Head flayed 123 off 83 balls with 16 fours and four sixes as Australia chased down 205 in 28.2 overs to complete an astonishing two-day victory at Perth Stadium when, just a few hours earlier, England were in control of the game.Head had been lean on runs in the first part of the season with a mixture of T20Is, ODIs and one Sheffield Shield outing. He has often shown an ability to flick a switch but admitted there had been a few nagging thoughts leading into the series.Related

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“Probably not the prep that I would have liked going into the Test, but the process was right, the method was right,” he told Channel 7. “I did a lot of training. I trained all four days here, which is unheard of for me. I just found a little bit of rhythm.”I’m never going to doubt my own ability, but I think when you have a big gap in Test cricket and you’re lying in bed a couple of nights before, you’re like, can I do it? Can you still produce it? Can you, as a cricketer each year, keep rolling out good scores in big moments? It’s not going to get much bigger than this.”I think your mind just takes you to, am I good enough to still do it against the absolute best? I’m pleased to slap around a little bit today and get a score and get into the series and to be 1-0 up is a great way to contribute. But I wasn’t worried too much.”When Khawaja suffered further back spasms late in England’s second innings it became clear Australia would again need to reshuffle the batting. Unlike the opening day when Marnus Labuschagne partnered Jake Weatherald, they opted for the aggressive route of Head, who does the role in white-ball cricket for Australia and has previous opened in Tests on the subcontinent.”I was pretty keen to do it,” Head told Channel 7. “Just felt like the moment was right. I felt like if I could get away, obviously the plans that they’ve had over the years with me, with short-pitch bowling where they’ve come to me, I thought that if I could get away with a new ball, [that could] probably take a little bit of sting out of it. [It] could help [Weatherald] at the other end…I feel like when we stack Marnus and Smudge at three and four, it just feels right. So nice that I could move up.”Felt like I got off to a great start. Weathers played beautifully. And once we sort of got 50, 60, I thought that’s a great blueprint, a great start. You see the numbers start ticking down, and you think, you’ve got two world-class batters behind you, hopefully make their job a bit easier.”At the post match presentation, Smith said the innings stood up against any that he had seen. “He played some outrageous shots, even when he shanked it he got it in the gaps. One of those days when you’re on, you’re on and you make the most of it and he got us home. We probably did quite like how it [the top order] worked in the first innings and Travis was like ‘I want to do it’ and I was like ‘go for your life’…that was just incredible to witness.”It’s right up there with knocks I’ve seen from anyone. Fourth innings, albeit day two, the wicket was probably almost at its best to bat at the end there, but the way he went about his business, played some really nice shots early, and when they went short he played the way he wanted to and was kind of toying with them I suppose.”Speaking separately to Fox Cricket, Head said he would have been all right with getting out early because it was the right decision for the team. “Quite easily could have been out first over,” he said. “It didn’t really matter. I thought that was the right process, right way of thinking, go out there, see what happens and it’s worked today.”Once the runs started to flow, Head sensed it was his moment to really unleash and produced a fearsome display of strokeplay as Australia hunted down the target at speed.”I was able to sort of get through Gus [Atkinson] and Jof [Archer] with a new ball, who were dangerous in the first innings. Then sort of seized an opportunity where I could be a little bit more aggressive in moments when they moved the field. They started with a third man, brought third man back up, and then felt like I could get away again…and ride the wave for the first 50 runs. Then once I got past then, I thought, we’ll just pin the ears back and see what happens.”

The less-experienced teams have often been challenged to sustain levels of dominance over longer periods at this World Cup. Bangladesh alone have found themselves in this situation three times. While they prevailed over Pakistan in their opening game, they haven’t been able to match England or New Zealand’s might.On Friday, Bangladesh’s moment of reckoning was when they had woven a web around New Zealand’s top order. Rabeya Khan, the legspinner, was getting them to rip and fizz off the Guwahati pitch. At 38 for 3, the moment was theirs to seize. They couldn’t. Eventually, they conceded 227 for 9, which proved to be 100 too many, as New Zealand got off the mark after losses to Australia and South Africa.Like she had done in those two games, Sophie Devine stood like a rock. And batted without the typical flair or enterprise she is known to bring. She was willing to dig in, play patiently, look ugly, and fight the conditions – both in terms of the heat and the surface – to eke out a half-century that she would consider perhaps far more valuable than the century she got against Australia in a losing cause just last week in Indore.If Devine’s half-century was the pillar, Brooke Halliday’s was the icing on the cake for the inventiveness. Like she briefly did against South Africa, Halliday negated the spin threat by sweeping the bowlers off their lengths. This isn’t to say she was over-aggressive at all times; she was measured to begin with and took calculated risks as her partnership with Devine progressed.They put on 112, and it took them 166 balls. But for much of that duration, they didn’t show the desperation to break free. Halliday top-scored with 69 before falling to trigger another mini-wobble. Her attempt to play a slog sweep led to a top-edge pouched by Nigar Sultana, and Devine was out trying to hack one over cow corner, in the same over where she had hit offspinner Nishita Akter for two sixes back-to-back.Brooke Halliday played the sweep to good effect•ICC/Getty Images

Fortunately, New Zealand were helped by late cameos from Maddy Green, Lea Tahuhu and Isabella Gaze, who combined to add 49 to help give the innings a late lift. New Zealand pocketed 74 off the last ten overs to have momentum with them at the halfway mark.Any chance Bangladesh had to take the game head-on was in the powerplay. But their top order looked diffident, with their inadequacies against the swing and seam of Jess Kerr and Rosemary Mair exposed. They hardly played an aggressive shot in the first ten overs, and quickly found themselves 22 for 3. This included the wicket of Sobhana Mostary. The half-centurion from their previous game against England was out for 2, to a leading edge to short third off Jess Kerr.If Bangladesh went spin, New Zealand continued to frontload with pace. After a thoroughly impressive first spell from Jess Kerr and Mair, Lea Tahuhu showed she has still got her bag of tricks, profiting not as much from raw pace but subtle changes in length and seam movement. Bowling the hard length, she had Sumaiya Akter chipping one to cover, and then had Shorna Akter lbw with a superb nip-backer. At 33 for 6, it was only a matter of time before Bangladesh folded.Fahima Khatun and Rabeya then resisted to add 44 for the eighth wicket to prolong New Zealand’s wait. Fahima’s early reprieve, when Gaze put down a regulation chance, helped her extend her stay. She was eventually the last batter out for 34 after stonewalling her way through 80 deliveries, with Bangladesh bowled out for 127 in 39.5 overs.Despite the win, New Zealand would reflect on their top-order woes that they would want to fix heading to Colombo. Suzie Bates did score 29 off 33 on Friday, her first runs in the World Cup, but Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer were once again not able to force the pace in the powerplay. For now, Devine seems to be raising the bar with every innings, but with more trial by spin to come, they will do well to have the top order contributing more.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has done very well to navigate the club’s list of injury problems this campaign, particularly in attack.

Arsenal are currently sweating over the fitness of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as they prepare for the North London derby against Tottenham right after the international break.

Arteta, depending on developments, faces another potential selection headache in the final third, but makeshift number nine Mikel Merino has once again done well to fill the void left by Gyokeres since his injury against Burnley.

Most of the aforementioned stars are racing to be fit for their clash with Tottenham on November 23, with Havertz and Madueke believed to have impressed Arsenal rehab staff in their recoveries from knee problems.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Unfortunately for Jesus, the derby comes too soon for him, despite returning to full training, and he’ll be the last Arsenal star to make his comeback after rupturing his ACL against Man United in January (Simon Collings).

Even without a large number of their attacking contingent, Arsenal have still marked themselves out as the team to beat — thanks largely to their imperious defence and set-piece dominance.

The Gunners have scored eight goals from corners in their opening 11 top flight games this season, the most ever recorded by any team at this stage of a Premier League campaign. Their 36 corner goals since the start of last season tops all of Europe too, with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover largely credited for Arsenal’s superb dead ball threat.

They also recorded eight consecutive clean sheets before the 2-2 draw with Sunderland last weekend, equalling a club record that had stood for 122 years since 1903, and they still boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues, having conceded just five in all competitions so far.

While Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have taken a lot of the credit for being two of world football’s best centre-backs right now, you cannot underestimate the impact of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the full-back areas.

Ray Parlour has described them as two of Arsenal’s players of the season so far, with Calafiori’s form even prompting reports that Myles Lewis-Skelly could leave in January due to a lack of game time.

The last thing Arteta needs is an injury concern for the Italian, but according to TUTTOmercatoWEB, that’s exactly what he’s got.

Riccardo Calafiori nursing hip injury as Arsenal learn recovery timeline

According to the Italian news outlet, Calafiori is managing a hip problem on international duty, raising concerns ahead of Tottenham.

The Italian national team are preparing for two critical World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Moldova and Norway, but the versatile defender’s availability has been called into question.

During Italy’s training session under manager Gennaro Gattuso, Calafiori was spotted completing individual work away from the main group due to discomfort in his hip.

The 22-year-old is being carefully managed by the medical staff as they assess the severity of the issue and determine the best course of action, but there is optimism for Arsenal, as Arteta learns his expected recovery timeline.

Calafiori remains with the Italy squad rather than being sent home, suggesting the injury is not considered serious enough to warrant an immediate return to Arsenal. While the former Bologna star is expected to miss their clash with Moldova, Azzurri officials are targeting a return for Calafiori against Norway instead — allowing him time to recover.

Arsenal will be praying this doesn’t turn out to be more serious and he can in fact feature against Spurs, but all the signs appear good so far.

Arteta will be monitoring the situation closely, hoping Calafiori can avoid aggravating the injury during Italy’s fixtures. With the North London derby looming, Arsenal cannot afford to lose the key defender, particularly given the importance of maintaining their excellent defensive record that has underpinned their phenomenal start to the season.

ATLANTA — If everyone behaves logically over the next few months, Major League Baseball players will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Of course, that’s a big if.

All sides are incentivized to make this work, and they all know it. The league, which sees dollar signs—and yen signs, and won signs, and maybe even euro signs—wants the exposure. The players want the chance to compete for something even more meaningful than a World Series. And the International Olympic Committee wants—for the first time ever—the best baseball players at its event. Representatives from LA2028 have met with league and union officials here at the All-Star Game to make their case.

Baseball was a full Olympic sport from 1992 through 2008, but major leaguers were never involved—first because their presence violated the IOC amateur policy, and then because the league declined to pause the season to send them. So as leagues in Cuba, Japan and South Korea sent their best players, MLB allowed only minor leaguers and college players to join up. The IOC voted in ’05 to eliminate baseball and softball from the program; IOC president Jacques Rogge cited the lack of major leaguers as the main issue. 

But beginning in 2019, IOC rules have allowed host nations to add sports popular with their citizens as one-offs, so Japan brought back baseball for the Tokyo Games, held in ’21, in which major leaguers did not participate, and the United States is expected to do the same in Los Angeles in ’28. In so many ways, this is a perfect fit: They can play at Dodger Stadium; they don’t have to commit to Brisbane in ’32 or beyond; they can slot it in instead of, or perhaps in addition to, the All-Star Game.

So what’s left? The details, of course. How would an Olympic baseball tournament spliced into the middle of the regular season affect the schedule? Who would play on the teams that would qualify for the event, and when would those qualifiers take place? How would the players get to Dodger Stadium and where would they stay? Who would insure the contracts so that if someone gets hurt in Olympic play, their MLB team does not eat the cost? And who is going to break the news to Fox that the league will be watering down its annual MLB jewel event, the All-Star Game, in order to give all its best players to a competitor, NBC?

“Let me define possible,” said commissioner Rob Manfred in a 45-minute press conference with the Baseball Writers of America on Tuesday. “It is possible to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, having a single break that would be longer but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. That’s possible. It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.”

He added, “I think it’s an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. I think, obviously, because it’s in the U.S., the logistics of it are easier.”

Well, that sounds pretty good. And what about the players?

Big names such as Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper and Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani have thrown their support behind the idea, with both vowing to play if they get the chance. And they’re not alone. 

“Players are interested,” Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark during his own BBWAA press conference. “There’s going to need to be—and we’ve had, even, some dialogue while we’ve been here the last few days—a lot of discussion about how it would all work. … In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean, what does that look like, and perhaps just as important, what does that mean for those players who aren’t participating?”

Those are all important questions. But this is one of the few times in baseball negotiations that all constituencies agree on something. So there’s no reason they can’t work it out.

U.S. international Christian Pulisic, battling the flu, came off the bench and scored twice in 10 minutes on Monday night to spark AC Milan’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Torino, sending the Rossoneri back to the top of Serie A. His introduction in the 66th minute proved to be the catalyst for a remarkable turnaround at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

Getty Images SportAmerican makes immediate impact with equalizer

With the visitors trailing 2-1 despite Adrien Rabiot's spectacular first-half strike, the 27-year-old American needed just 60 seconds to make his mark on the contest. After Alexis Saelemaekers delivered a precise cross from the left flank, Pulisic showed his predatory instincts by arriving at the perfect moment to fire home the equalizer.

AdvertisementPulisic completes remarkable turnaround

The American's decisive contribution came just 10 minutes later when he fired Milan into a 3-2 lead with another clinical finish. In the 77th minute, midfielder Samuele Ricci found Pulisic inside the Torino penalty area, and the forward made no mistake with his left foot, beating goalkeeper Franco Israel to complete the comeback. The goal sent the traveling Milan supporters into raptures and silenced the Torino faithful who had been celebrating what seemed like a comfortable lead earlier in the match.

The dramatic comeback seemed unlikely after Torino had established a commanding 2-0 lead within the opening 17 minutes. Croatian international Nikola Vlasic opened the scoring in the 10th minute from the penalty spot after a Milan defensive error. Then veteran Colombian striker Duvan Zapata doubled the advantage just seven minutes later with a clinical finish that left goalkeeper Mike Maignan with no chance.

Milan appeared disorganized defensively until Adrien Rabiot provided a lifeline with a spectacular long-range strike in the 24th minute that reduced the deficit to 2-1. Despite this boost, the visitors continued to struggle creatively until Pulisic's introduction.

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Getty Images SportVictory propels Rossoneri back to Serie A summit

The dramatic win carries significant implications for Milan's title aspirations, propelling them back to the top of the Serie A standings with 31 points from 14 matches, level with Napoli but ahead on goal difference. The Rossoneri face Sassuolo next on Dec. 13 before going on the road to face Napoli on Dec. 18 in the Supercoppa Italiana semifinal.

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.

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