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Tottenham’s brief unbeaten streak under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt end at home to Aston Villa last Sunday, with pundit Gary Lineker expressing concern over one star in a key role.

Tottenham's lack of creativity a concern for Thomas Frank

Spurs made an excellent start to proceedings against Villa when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who recently signed a brand-new contract, opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock, feeding off midfield partner Joao Palhinha’s knock back to hand Spurs the lead.

However, that was as good as it got for Frank’s side.

Tottenham failed to convince going forward throughout the match, ultimately paying the price against a well-organized Villa side, with summer signing Xavi Simons criticised as Spurs lacked creative spark.

From the offset, the Lilywhites found it difficult to create clear-cut chances. Tottenham’s forwards, particularly on the counter-attack when one of Palhinha or Bentancur won the ball back off Villa, lacked that cutting edge to craft anything of note.

Joao Palhinha

7.8

Boubacar Kamara

7.5

Emiliano Buendia

7.5

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.4

Morgan Rogers

7.1

via WhoScored

Ultimately, Frank’s midfield failed to provide the necessary service to Spurs’ front line, leaving them starved of quality opportunities.

While the north Londoners battled to a 2-1 win away to Leeds before the international break, there were major signs beforehand that Tottenham quite simply need to improve in the attacking areas.

They were very fortunate to nick last-gasp draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt before they travelled to Elland Road, but Spurs’ luck ran out against Villa, who stole all three points in N17 thanks to a wonder goal from Emiliano Buendia.

Particularly after Tottenham’s loss to Villa, their lack of impetus in the final third is beginning to become a real worry, if it wasn’t already.

Concerns surround Richarlison’s ability to lead the line, while Dominic Solanke’s bad luck with an ankle injury, which required minor surgery, has limited the England international to just 49 minutes of action this season.

With Simons still getting up to speed, Frank is dearly missing the attacking quality of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. He’ll be hoping to have the former back as soon as possible, with Kulusevski unable to take part since picking up a knee injury against Crystal Palace last season.

Tottenham face a tough trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League next, and Frank will have a key decision to make about who starts up front, if Solanke isn’t fit enough to make his long-awaited return.

Gary Lineker says Mathys Tel can't do basic thing right in Tottenham striker role

If Solanke proves unable to start against Monaco, Spurs could turn to Mathys Tel as his number nine once again.

Tel was handed the nod by Frank against both Leeds and Villa, opening the scoring at Elland Road, but was largely isolated and ineffective against Unai Emery’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Once tipped to eventually bag 40 goals a season by Julian Nagelsmann, the Frenchman may have some way to go before realising that prediction, and Lineker has revealed one key flaw in his game.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast this week (via GiveMeSport), Lineker says that Tel can’t do a basic thing right in the Tottenham striker role — namely that he lacks the natural runs in behind to beat the offside trap.

Ange Postecoglou played a key role in convincing the 20-year-old to join Spurs from Bayern Munich last January, on an initial loan which ex-chair Daniel Levy re-negotiated and secured permanently for £30 million.

While the Lilywhites worked hard to sign Tel, he’s racked up just six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in 28 appearances thus far.

However, it is vital to remember that the ex-Rennes sensation is still very young, and Tottenham will be banking on Tel eventually reaching his full potential after flashes of true brilliance at Bayern.

Scores were level after first innings as India were bowled out for 387, with Rahul scoring 100

Alagappan Muthu12-Jul-20251:58

Manjrekar: Rahul hasn’t put a foot wrong

India were in the middle of a careful, painstaking build. Then they got distracted by something shiny, and spent the rest of the day paying for it. Cricket may be a team sport but the events leading up to lunch on the third day at Lord’s epitomise how much individual records matter – for better or worse.KL Rahul offered a sheepish look after his clattering of a short and wide delivery proved insufficient to beat deep point. So now he was on 98 instead of 101, and facing the prospect of a nervous 40 minutes inside the change room. Rishabh Pant wanted to spare his team-mate that trouble and went for a risky single. Ben Stokes pounced.That moment coloured the rest of play on the third day, which ended with India drawing level with England’s 387. There were six minutes left. England dragged their feet. Tempers began to flare. Shubman Gill had some choice words, and sarcastic claps as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett’s delay tactics allowed for only one over until stumps.Three players earned the opportunity to take this game by the scruff of its neck. Jofra Archer summoned fire and brimstone during a four-over spell right after lunch. Lord’s lived every ball, clapping him on as he ran in, their oohs and aahs defying the physics of a wide open space to create an echo. Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy couldn’t appreciate any of this. It was all they could do to survive.Archer unleashed at this ground is addiction. On a slow pitch, with an old ball, he was generating an average speed of 150.3kph/90.3mph. He had never bowled quicker in Test cricket.2:12

Manjrekar: ‘Pretty mediocre how England bowled in first session’

But England couldn’t break through. It was a feeling they had to get used to on Saturday morning. Stokes didn’t care for it. He had been functioning as less than himself over the last two years, his body coming in the way of his myth. The England captain used to be known for his ferocity with the ball in hand. And now, after hamstring surgery, it seems he will be able to carry on that persona.For five overs, Stokes bombarded India. Twenty-six bouncers or back-of-a-length deliveries, many of them aimed at Pant, who was nursing an injured finger which seemed to behave itself except when Stokes was close and cranking his own pace up to 90mph.It was at the tail-end of this little skirmish that India’s focus shifted from the team’s needs to an individual’s, and Stokes could feel it happening. He was hyperalert to Pant trying to pinch a single to cover and help Rahul get to his century before lunch. There was anger in the celebration of that run-out – itself an homage to Stokes’ athleticism as he swooped down on the ball, spun around and completed a markedly more difficult direct hit at the bowler’s end. He brought his cap to his mouth, a trick used to prevent the cameras from catching what you’re saying, even as the rest of the team rallied around him, rose with him.Rahul set the rhythm of this Test match. He was partly the cause of England’s frustration. He was the source of India’s calm. He secured their eighth century on tour, a new record. Repeatedly, he talks about the discrepancy between effort and reward, and when he does so, it is tempting to extrapolate he had learned that lesson the hardest way possible. Obsessing about his lack of success and doubling down on his prep work in search for a change.At some point, though, Rahul realised he needed to let go, which is funny because, one time, in South Africa, he started speaking about how letting go of the ball was where his joy was. Bit by bit, his focus turned from scoring runs to just being the best batter he can be. Well, in this series, he has made two hundreds in three Tests, and as he scurried to this one, he took time for himself, running practically all the way to the boundary as he completed a quick single, and then looking up at the sky with closed eyes. Once again, it was tempting to imagine him looking back at all the struggle and telling himself it was worth it.1:30

Manjrekar: ‘The grind’ a great facet of Jadeja’s batting evolution

All of these stirring performances, and yet the third Test of this series remains evenly poised.Stokes tried to sway it again – this time with the new ball – a seven-over spell where a dead pitch came to life just for him and helped England break the 72-run Jadeja-Reddy partnership that had been immune to their own abysmal running.Pant had tried to sway it earlier, braving time in the middle, even though he was far from 100%. But injured or not, he was still him, so it was natural that he charged down the track to Archer in the first over of the day. Or that he was irked by a stretch of 25 dots and tried to break it with a reverse scoop. Or that he turned the first ball of spin he faced into his 88th six, which means he is only two short of Virender Sehwag, who holds the India record. Frenetic. Unpredictable. And in the end, fallible.India slipped from 248 for 3 to 254 for 5 when Rahul was dismissed on 100, which was 11 balls later. That prompted Stokes to wind Archer up and let him loose. The idea was to burst through India’s allrounders into the tail just in time for the second new ball. But Jadeja wouldn’t budge. He made 72 off 131 balls. His technique – particularly the ability to discern between the balls he needs to play and those he doesn’t – is under-rated. When he’s in form, he’s as good as a top-order batter, and he seemed to be the final play, a decisive shift in the game, until he was dismissed with India 11 runs off England’s total, and they were bowled out for exactly the same score: 387.Lord’s and ties. It’s starting to get ridiculous.

Chelsea returned to action following the international break with a 2-0 win over London City Lionesses in the Women's Super League on Saturday. Australia internationals Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr netted for the Blues, who maintained their one-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table with a victory over their big-spending opponents that kept their long unbeaten league run under Sonia Bompastor going.

Erin Cuthbert was handed a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock in the opening throes, but had her goal-bound effort blocked on the line by Wassa Sangare. However, Chelsea didn't need to wait long to open the scoring, as Carpenter got on the end of fellow wing-back Sandy Baltimore's cross to net her first goal for the Blues in the sixth minute.

Sjoeke Nusken should have doubled the lead after 20 minutes when she headed over from close range, and the Germany midfielder almost compounded her error when she lost possession on the edge of her own box later in the first half, only for Izzy Goodwin to fire over the crossbar under little pressure.

Bompastor's decision to deploy a 3-5-2 formation following the return to the line-up of Lucy Bronze meant numerous Chelsea players were getting used to new roles, and it showed in what was a sluggish display at times. Cuthbert, Aggie Beever-Jones and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd came close to doubling their advantage in the second half, before substitute Kerr made the points safe in stoppage time with a delightful chipped finish.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Came into the match under scrutiny following recent headlines but wasn't overly stretched. Did well to come off her line and sweep up on more than occasion, most notably when denying Goodwin a chance inside the final 20 minutes.

Lucy Bronze (6/10):

Deployed as a right-sided centre-back which limited her attacking output, but she did a good job in keeping former Lyon team-mate Nikita Parris quiet.

Nathalie Bjorn (8/10):

Made numerous blocks and won plenty of headers inside her own penalty area. A commanding presence at the heart of the backline.

Millie Bright (6/10):

Dragged out of position on more than one occasion as she got to grips with playing in a back three. Did use her physicality to her advantage to diffuse attacks, too, though.

AdvertisementMidfield

Ellie Carpenter (8/10):

Got herself on the end of Baltimore's cross to score her first Chelsea goal and was always an option in attack. Tracked back to do her defensive work as well.

Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

Will be wondering how she didn't open the scoring with the goal gaping but didn't let it affect her as she was constantly on the move in midfield. A pressing monster, though that did lead to her picking up a booking.

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Controlled things effectively at the base of the midfield. Always an option for the defence to pass into and very rarely gave the ball away.

Sjoeke Nusken (5/10):

Showed off her passing range when given time in midfield. Wasted a big opportunity to make it 2-0 with a header before gifting Goodwin a huge chance to equalise. Replaced early in the second half.

Sandy Baltimore (6/10):

Showed good patience and skill to lay on the opening goal and delivered some more good balls into the box. However, could have done more tracking back to deal with Asllani, and that perhaps led to her half-time substitution.

Getty ImagesAttack

Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Did well with her back to goal and when carrying the ball forward. Couldn't get a clear sight of goal until midway through the second half when she fired wide, but an effective outlet up front nevertheless.

Guro Reiten (6/10):

Excellent movement and vision opened things up for Chelsea to break the deadlock, but that was her biggest impact on the game before her substitution early in the second period.

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Niamh Charles (6/10):

Gave the Blues more defensive solidity after replacing Baltimore at half-time, even if her output in the final third was lacking.

Oriane Jean-Francois (6/10):

Replaced Nusken and was solid without being spectacular in midfield.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (7/10):

Gave the hosts a useful attacking outlet with her willingness to run in behind.

Sam Kerr (7/10):

Still working her way back to full fitness but showed she still has an eye for goal with a supreme chipped finish in added time.

Wieke Kaptein (N/A):

On for Beever-Jones in the 85th minute.

Sonia Bompastor (6/10):

Will have been thrilled to see one wing-back provide for the other to score following her formation switch, but it's clear her new system needs work given how open Chelsea were in transition at times. Second-half changes did tighten things up, to be fair, though they also led to less attacking edge.

Chelsea cruised to a 6-0 win over Austrian side St Polten on matchday three of the Women's Champions League league phase on Tuesday night, which included a landmark 150th goal scored by the club in European competition. Sonia Bompastor's Blues move up to second in the standings, at least for the next 24 hours, with Sam Kerr working hard and rewarded for her efforts.

Kerr lacked conviction with a great early chance only a few yards from goal, but Wieke Kaptein made sure to put a similar opportunity away to break the deadlock after 12 minutes. Naomi Girma's bundled would-be second for Chelsea just over half an hour in was chalked off due to Kerr being offside as she knocked the ball across goal to the American, but there was nothing wrong with Catarina Macario's low strike from the edge of the box just before the interval.

A top Schluter save denied Macario a quickfire third right after the restart. But Alyssa Thompson soon drew a penalty by bamboozling Izabela Krizaj, that Macario made no mistake converting. Thompson had a goal disallowed with Kerr again offside in the build-up.

Kerr kept at it and eventually got her reward with a well-taken goal to make it 4-0. A heavily deflected Lauren James effort on her return from four months out handed Chelsea a late fifth, officially recorded as an own goal. A heavily deflected Lauren James effort on her return from four months out handed Chelsea a late fifth, officially recorded as an own goal from Lisa Ebert, before Kerr’s second of the night wrapped up the 6-0 win.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the NV Arena…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Livia Peng (6/10):

Standing in for the injured Hannah Hampton, although she may have got that nod anyway due to the Lionesses number one being rested on matchday one. Largely a spectator.

Ellie Carpenter (8/10):

Chelsea had so much of the ball in advanced areas it was the perfect opportunity to get forward, playing like an extra winger at times, and she laid on the early breakthrough for Kaptein with a smart cutback. Defensively strong too.

Lucy Bronze (7/10):

Obviously not known for playing at centre-back, but it was a repeat of the recent WSL win over London City Lionesses, affording Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn a rest after the Arsenal game.

Naomi Girma (7/10):

Didn't know much about she managed to get the ball in the back of the net, after an initial header came back off the post and rebounded in…not that it mattered because of an offside flag.

Sandy Baltimore (7/10):

Freed up to move higher up the pitch once Niamh Charles was brought on in the second half.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Catarina Macario (9/10):

Always a threat with exceptional delivery in to the danger area from both set-pieces and open play. Finished her chance with great precision to double the lead at a key moment right before the break and showed composure from 12 yards to send Schluter the wrong way for 3-0. The width of a post away from a hat-trick after striking the woodwork with a late free-kick.

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Probably wishes opposing players would stop flying in on her ankles, after Arsenal's Victoria Pelova at the weekend and now Fanni Nagy here. hardly misplaced a pass all night to help exhaust St Polten.

Wieke Kaptein (7/10):

It was a case of a well-timed run that got her into the right place at the right time to score early on. Tidy on the ball throughout.

Getty Images SportAttack

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (7/10):

Ought to have made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage-time, but denied one-on-one by Carina Schluter's outstretched right foot. Otherwise a source of decent creativity on the right.

Sam Kerr (9/10):

This was her first start in almost two years – since December 2023 – after coming through injury hell. Got into the right positions constantly, but should have done better with an early opportunity and put a great headed chance wide. Eventually scored, setting the chance with a brilliant first touch, and arguably a sharper and more match-practiced version of Sam Kerr would have scored a hat-trick on another night.

Alyssa Thompson (7/10):

Won the second half penalty that really put the game beyond doubt and was unlucky that her goal was chalked off due to Kerr being offside.

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Veerle Buurman (6/10):

A nice opportunity to give the Dutch teenager meaningful minutes, replacing Girma at half-time.

Niamh Charles (8/10):

A very impressive half hour.

Lexi Potter (7/10):

Another youngster to get a chance on the big stage.

Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

Almost got a Chelsea seventh in stoppage time at the end, drawing a good save from Schluter.

Lauren James (7/10):

First Chelsea appearance since last season for the final 15 minutes. Deflected late shot goes down as a Lisa Ebert own goal.

Sonia Bompastor (8/10):

Kept key players Millie Bright, Nathalie Bjorn and Erin Cuthbert on the bench to provide at least some rest, and made good use of the wider squad. The result never really should have been in doubt.

The Local Organising Committee will be tasked with the roll-out of the flagship tournament being co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025Experienced former South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel has been named chair of the 2027 Cricket World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) board, unveiled by Cricket South Africa on Thursday. The 15-member board also has two provincial presidents, a CSA board member, seven independent directors, two appointees made by the South African sports ministry and three CSA executives, including CEO Pholetsi Moseki. The LOC will be tasked with the roll-out of the flagship tournament being co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Among the independent directors are South Africa’s former deputy president Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and industry leaders in banking and business, such as Nomfanelo Magwentshu who was the chief operating officer of the 2010 Football World Cup hosted in South Africa.A familiar name to some cricket circles is that of Dr Stavros Nicolaou, CSA’s former interim board chair, who was in office as the organisation made the move to a majority independent board. The 2027 LOC mirrors that. “We deliberately went with a lot of independents in order to bring in a variety of skills. The operational matters will be covered from within the CSA perspective,” Rihan Richards, CSA’s members council president said at a press conference in Johannesburg.Manuel, who was part of South Africa’s first democratically elected parliament, served as minister of trade and industry, minister of finance and minister in the presidency and has been involved in various business endeavours. This is his first foray into sport.”I’ve done many different things in my life. Sports administration is not one of them,” he said at a press conference in Johannesburg. “Trying to do this late in my life is not easy for me. We have seven independent non-executive directors, two of whom served on the LOC for 2010, very good legal people, strong financial people and representatives of the minister and the presidency. We must make that commitment to South Africa, to sport, to the durability of the exercise. This is a nation-building exercise.”Unathi Matthew Tshotwana, one of the non-independent directors appointed, was named in the Fundudzi report which resulted in the sacking of former CSA CEO Thabang Moroe in 2019, as the director of a company that CSA paid R3 million (approx US$170,000) to without evidence of service provided. CSA have clarified that Tshotwana’s appointment, which was recomended by the ministry, was cleared by their legal team.The two provincial presidents are Johannes Adams from Western Province and Yunus Bobat from Kwa-Zulu Natal. Adams is a curious choice given that he already has his plate full with attending to issues at his own union, which faces a severe financial crisis. In September last year, it was revealed that the Western Province Cricket Association, which is based at Newlands, suffered losses in excess of R15 million (approx US$850,000) and the venue is in a concerning state of disrepair, some of which is being attended to.Newlands is among the grounds receiving new floodlights as part of the 2027 World Cup upgrades project. Along with the Wanderers, SuperSport Park and Kingsmead, Newlands will also make use of drop-in pitches, which are already in development. CSA opted for drop-in surfaces as a more cost-effective solution to full relaying of the squares at the venues. These are expected to be ready to be played on next season – 2026-27 – a full year ahead of the World Cup.2027 World Cup LOC: Trevor Manuel, Independent Chair
CSA members’ council and board appointments
Johannes Adams, President of Western Province (non-independent)
Yunus Bobat, President of Kwa-Zulu Natal (non-independent)
Vuyani Jarana, (CSA Board member – non-independent)
Ministry Appointments:
Advocate Philip October, Non-Independent Director
Unathi Matthew Tshotwana, Non-Independent Director
Independent Directors:
Herman Bosman, Independent Non-Executive Director
Nomfanelo Magwentshu, Independent Non-Executive Director
Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Independent Non-Executive Director
Ravi Naidoo, Independent Non-Executive Director
Dr Stavros Nicolaou, Independent Non-Executive Director
Advocate Karrisha Pillay SC, Independent Non-Executive Director
CSA staff:
Pholetsi Moseki CSA CEO
Refentse Shinners, CSA Public Affairs Executive
Tjaart van der Walt, CSA COO

Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, viewing him as an ideal fit in Thomas Frank’s system.

Frank has set out to improve Tottenham’s defence since succeeding Ange Postecoglou as manager in the summer, with Gary Neville claiming they have made improvements at the back after the recent 3-0 victory against Everton.

Neville said: “They did things certainly last season they weren’t capable of doing, and that’s being reliable when they’re not playing well.

“Can they withstand pressure? Can they soak up teams putting balls into their box? They did that today. I think they defended really well.”

Spurs are faring much better than last season in the Premier League, despite the 1-0 loss against Chelsea on Saturday, having taken 17 points from their opening 10 games, and Micky van de Ven has caught the eye, scoring a brace against Everton.

However, Van de Ven is now attracting attention from elsewhere, which could pose a problem for the north Londoners, who have set a minimum asking price of £88m amid interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Tottenham closely monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite

With their captain being linked to other clubs, Tottenham are now looking to sign a new centre-back, and a report from Caught Offside has revealed they are closely monitoring Branthwaite, viewing the defender as an ideal fit in Frank’s system.

The Toffees are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but they have set an asking price of £70m, which means a deal could be possible if Spurs are willing to break their existing transfer record.

The 23-year-old, who remains under contract until 2030, is happy at Everton for the time being and not pushing for an exit, but interest is growing, with Manchester United also in the race for his signature.

Injuries have hampered the Englishman as of late, meaning he is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League this season, but he has certainly caught the eye in the past, notably putting in a top performance against Spurs in 2024.

The Carlisle-born defender is now very experienced in the Premier League, having made 75 top-flight performances, and he averaged a 7.02 SofaScore match rating last term, the fifth-highest of any Everton player to feature in at least 50% of their matches.

Branthwaite is at a good age to be a long-term success at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium, but £70m would be a lot to spend on a player who hasn’t proven himself at the highest level, with the centre-back yet to play for England or in the Champions League.

What Thomas Frank said after snub from van de Ven and Spence What Frank said on snub from van de Ven and Spence after Tottenham loss

It was an evening to forget for Spurs.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 2, 2025

It turns out teams other than the Los Angeles Dodgers are allowed to make MLB offseason moves.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that former San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar is heading to the Atlanta Braves in free agency. The Braves would announce soon after that the deal was for three years and $42 million.

The move comes after Profar’s breakout season in 2024, which saw him post career highs in home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, and OPS at 31 years old in San Diego—making his first All-Star Game and winning his first Silver Slugger while helping the Padres push the Dodgers to five games in the NLDS.

While Atlanta fans were quick to celebrate the signing, San Diego fans were understandably disappointed. After nearly reaching the NLCS just a few months ago, the Padres have now watched stars like Profar leave in the offseason—while also missing out on the sweepstakes for star free agents like pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Profar is set to join Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuna Jr. in the Braves outfield, immediately making the trio one of the best in all of baseball.

He won’t have to wait long to face his old team—Atlanta opens its 2025 season in San Diego on March 27.

Jamie Smith joins Ben Duckett in sitting out T20Is with World Cup just six months away

Matt Roller08-Sep-2025England will go into their T20I series against South Africa without both Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith this week, prompting head coach Brendon McCullum to concede they must learn how to cope better with their busy international schedule.Duckett, Smith and Harry Brook have been ever-present for England across their 15 international fixtures to date this summer, and all spent August playing in the Hundred. All three players will miss next week’s brief tour to Ireland, and McCullum has prescribed an additional week’s rest for his ODI openers so they can “freshen up” ahead of a busy winter away.It means that Duckett and Smith will miss consecutive T20I series less than six months out from a World Cup in the format, when better planning would have seen them skip the ODIs instead. In their absence, Phil Salt – who missed England’s most recent T20Is on paternity leave – looks set to open the batting alongside either Tom Banton or Will Jacks.Related

South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

ECB chair says crammed Hundred schedule is 'short-term issue'

Bethell admits he 'probably should have played more' this summer

Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

England face a tight turnaround between the Ashes and the T20 World Cup this winter, interspersed with white-ball tours to New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Rob Key, England’s managing director, claimed last year that their upcoming schedule was “easing” when expanding McCullum’s role to cover white-ball cricket but it shows few signs of doing so.A one-day gap after the Hundred final meant that England’s players did not train together as a full squad ahead of Tuesday’s first ODI in Leeds, in which they were thrashed by seven wickets. ECB chair Richard Thompson acknowledged the crammed fixture list was an issue on Sunday, but admitted that it is unlikely to change significantly within the ongoing broadcast rights cycle.”The scheduling isn’t ideal,” McCullum said after England’s consolation win in Southampton. “That’s just the way it is and it’s not going to change, so we’re going to have to find ways to deal with it… We’re just going to have to find ways to be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than what we did in this one.”I spoke to [Duckett] and I said, ‘I think you need to freshen up. You’ve played so much cricket and you’re such an influential player for us over the next few months.’ He’ll have a decent break at home, as will Jamie Smith… It gives the other guys opportunities, and it’s exciting, too. If we just rely on 11 players, then we’re not really going to be competitive.”One of those “other guys” is Sam Curran, who will bat in the top six against South Africa after winning a recall through his performances for Surrey and Oval Invincibles. McCullum has never previously picked Curran for one of his teams, and told him in an “honest conversation” over breakfast earlier this summer that he needed to “bang the door down” as a batter.”The message to Sam was that a lot’s come to you quickly and you’ve had a lot of success and a lot of fame, and a lot of things have fallen your way,” McCullum said, “but, of late, your performance had just tailed off a bit… With us resting both Jamie and Ben, it gives us the opportunity to bring Sam in and he’ll get his chance to bat in the top six.”England are expected to stick with the spin-heavy strategy they trialled against West Indies in June for this week’s series as they prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Curran will likely be their third seamer, with Jacob Bethell and Jacks supplementing Adil Rashid and either Liam Dawson or Rehan Ahmed as spin options.Bethell and Jacks acted as England’s fifth bowler in the ODIs against South Africa but their combined 10 overs in a tight defeat at Lord’s were hammered for 112 runs. McCullum said it was “really hard” to balance the side without a genuine allrounder, but has already spoken to Brook about how to give his part-time options “slightly more in their favour”.”We’ve just got to be a bit smarter with it… Utilising the big side of the ground, or also trying to set slightly more defensive fields,” McCullum said. “They don’t need to take 3 for 30 off 10 overs. They’ve just got to find a way to be able to create pressure and hold for a period so that our attacking guys can come in.”We won’t always be married to that [balance] but at the moment, we want to make sure that we’ve got that familiarity within our batting group – particularly in the middle order, as they adjust to some new roles so that they get more and more comfortable with how each of them is going to play.”McCullum said that England’s record 342-run thrashing in Southampton had provided them with “an incredible blueprint” in ODIs during an “oscillating” series. “We got hammered in the first one, we were within one blow in the second, and we dished out a pretty good performance in the third… It shows that there’s not a huge gulf between the two teams.”

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

Kylian Mbappe’s withdrawal from France’s squad due to ankle inflammation has ignited controversy once again after the Real Madrid star was spotted in Dubai during the international break. Instead of returning to Madrid for medical checks, the forward spent several days at a luxury hotel and visited a local padel club, reopening old debates in France about his absences.

Mbappe sparks new storm after Dubai trip

French captain Mbappe’s absence from France’s final World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan has created renewed tension after the forward travelled to Dubai shortly after being released from national team duty. Declared unavailable by Didier Deschamps, the Real Madrid star was expected to undergo medical examinations in Madrid before rejoining his club’s training schedule. Instead, luggage tags posted by the Instagram account Drikcfootball showed the forward departing Paris for Dubai last Saturday morning.

As reported by Mbappe stayed several days at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal hotel and visited the “Padel One” club, though it remains unclear whether he played or simply attended. His trip came just 24 hours after the French Football Federation (FFF) issued a statement explaining that he was suffering “from inflammation in his right ankle, which requires further examination,” following his brace against Ukraine, a match that secured France’s qualification for the next World Cup.

This sudden detour to Dubai, without stopping in Madrid for evaluation, has posed tough questions, recalling the autumn of 2024 when Mbappe’s recurring absences for Les Bleus had already caused friction shortly after he signed for Real Madrid. It has once again left many in France questioning the management of his fitness, his communication, and the timing of his personal activities during international breaks.

AdvertisementAFPDeschamps explains injury concerns amid ‘chronic’ issue

France coach Deschamps attempted to calm tensions but ended up adding more layers to the debate. Speaking to, he clarified the long-standing ankle problem that forced him to release the player, saying: “He has almost chronic inflammation because he's had this ankle problem for a while now. Even if it doesn't prevent him from playing. I believe there's no risk to take given that we've already qualified, and I've made him available to Real Madrid.”

The president of the FFF, Philippe Diallo, added historical context when reflecting on the forward’s importance, saying at the time: “He is currently going through a delicate sporting moment. When he is the best player in the world, he becomes an irreplaceable asset for the French national team. My only wish is for him to return to his best and rejoin us in March for the next call-up, bringing everything he has always given us.”

Recurring issues, distractions and national team frustration

Mbappe has been managing ankle discomfort since October 4, when he suffered a knock against Villarreal. While he has continued playing, the pain has not fully subsided, and Deschamps admitted the issue is prone to relapses.

But the controversy extends beyond injuries, as the Real Madrid star also endured a six-month spell without playing for Les Bleus coinciding with an alleged sexual assault case in Stockholm, an accusation he has firmly denied. For French authorities, such off-field turbulence, combined with the recurring “ankle problem,” continues to place the player under intense scrutiny at a time when every absence becomes part of a larger narrative.

This latest incident, withdrawing from France due to inflammation only to appear in Dubai days later, has deepened frustration

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GettyReal Madrid return for Elche showdown

Despite the noise around his absence, Real Madrid are not expected to conduct any further medical examinations on Mbappe, as nothing has been planned yet. The forward is due back at Valdebebas on Wednesday for treatment. If he trains as planned on Friday, with no session scheduled Thursday, he is expected to start against Elche on Sunday, as Xabi Alonso aims to manage workloads during a demanding season.

Inside Real Madrid, the focus appears less on the ankle complaint and more on the psychological strain linked to Mbappe’s ongoing legal dispute with Paris Saint-Germain. Still, in sporting terms, Mbappe remains crucial as Madrid navigate a packed run of fixtures in La Liga and Europe.

For France, all eyes now turn to March’s international window, and Should Mbappe return fully fit and available, this controversy will fade. But if more absences follow, old tensions will resurface once again.