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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…

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  Goalkeeper & 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.

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  Midfield

  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.

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  Attack

  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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  Subs & Manager

  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.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will have known what he was getting himself into when he took the opportunity to join the club earlier this week.

As shown in the graphic above, Russell Martin only won five of his 17 matches in charge and his side conceded a staggering 24 goals in that time.

That is why Rohl may not have been too shocked when his team conceded three goals in a 3-0 loss to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The manager will have learned a bit more about some of his players, though, and he decided to withdraw Oliver Antman from the game after just 45 minutes.

Why Oliver Antman should not be dropped

Despite being hauled off at half-time, the Finland international should not be dropped for the weekend because he showed more promise in his performance than some of the other attackers on the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Antman completed 88% of his attempted passes, completed one of his two attempted crosses, and created one chance for his team. The cross that he did not ‘complete’ was also a brilliant ball across the face of the goal that Youssef Chermiti was unable to get on the end of.

Meanwhile, per Sofascore, Djeidi Gassama completed 60% of his attempted passes, did not complete any crosses, and created one chance for the team, whilst giving the ball away 14 times, nine times more than Antman did.

Chalkboard

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

This is why the Finnish winger should not be dropped, and why he was unfortunate to be withdrawn, as he offered more out wide than the Frenchman did.

Meanwhile, a Rangers attacker who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up for Sunday’s clash with Kilmarnock is centre-forward Chermiti.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Youssef Chermiti

Rohl should take the £8m summer signing from Everton out of the XI to bring Bojan Miovski into the side this weekend, because the Portuguese dud did not offer enough up front against Brann.

Speaking on TNT’s live coverage of the match, former Gers striker Ally McCoist claimed that the forward is “showing nothing” to prove that he is worth the £8m that the club paid for him in the summer.

RangersReview writer Derek Clark also stated that the young attacker is “nowhere near ready to lead the line” for the Ibrox giants, and it is hard to disagree with Clark and McCoist’s assessments of the forward.

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti offered little to the side as a passer, as a creator, or as a physical presence in the number nine position, which is why he was even worse than Antman, who was reliable on the ball and created a chance for the team.

His 0.38 xG chance came from a brilliant ball to the back post that he softly headed in the direction of the goalkeeper, instead of directing it back across to the other corner, as McCoist suggested that he should have done on TNT’s commentary.

Chermiti, whose last club career goal came for Sporting in the 2022/23 campaign, has now failed to provide a goal or an assist in seven appearances for the Light Blues since his £8m move to the club.

Meanwhile, Miovski has scored two goals for the Gers since his switch from Girona, with strikes against Hibernian in the League Cup and Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

"Disgrace" – Cavenagh told who to "fire" after Rangers defeat to Brann

Gers fans are furious after Danny Rohl’s first match in charge.

1

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 23, 2025

This suggests that the Macedonia international is more likely to make an impact in the final third if selected against Kilmarnock on Sunday, which is why Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Chermiti from the XI in order to bring the left-footed attacker into the side.

Surprise!

On Friday, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Roki Sasaki announced on Instagram that he would ply his trade for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.

The news ended months of speculation over Sasaki's fate, during which the Dodgers were regarded as a favorite all along. It also reunites Sasaki with two of his teammates on Japan's World Baseball Classic-winning team of 2023—designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

This is thrilling news if you're a fan of Los Angeles, who can reasonably claim they're set up better than any defending World Series champion this century. If you're a fan of baseball's 29 other teams, not so much.

The jokes wrote themselves.

Dodgers fans reveled in another red-letter signing.

After all, Los Angeles sports has been short on good news this decade.

Opposing fans compared him to Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, whose 2016 move to the Golden State Warriors has become (fair or not) a byword for taking the easy way out in sports.

Many fans rolled their eyes at early reports that suggested Sasaki was willing to start out in a small market to develop his game.

Kudos to the pitcher and his representation for keeping fans guessing.

Baseball is a funny game and twists between now and October will be many, but it's clear at the moment that the 2025 World Series is the Dodgers' to lose.

Tottenham Hotspur have made a decent start to the campaign under Thomas Frank and could now be set to make a play for one of the world’s most renowned attackers to bolster their forward line, according to ex-Everton CEO Keith Wyness.

Admittedly, striking a balance has proved tricky for Spurs this season when it comes to maintaining Premier League consistency. Five victories, three losses and three draws have led to a respectable return now that the international break is here.

Still, there is an acknowledgment that Tottenham are struggling to put together free-flowing attacking moves, as evidenced by the fact they have kept the ball for a modest 53.7% of the time in top-flight action.

In attack, Randal Kolo Muani’s struggles and Dominic Solanke’s injury problems have left Frank without a prolific goalscorer to rely on, with Joao Palhinha, Richarlison, and Brennan Johnson tied as their best contributors on four strikes apiece.

Wales international Johnson divides some segments of the Spurs support and doesn’t always set the heather alight, though his knack of scoring crucial goals is something to take real encouragement from.

Regardless, Athletic correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke told the BBC that he believes the former Nottingham Forest man is stuck between a rock and a hard place in North London.

With that in mind, Spurs could well now turn to a high-profile alternative to bolster the wide areas, per Wyness.

Wyness: Tottenham could sign Real Madrid star Rodrygo

According to the former Premier League official, in conversation with Football Insider, Tottenham could make a move for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo despite Liverpool also being in the hunt to sign the Brazil international.

Wyness even moots the possibility of a sensational Liverpool swap deal involving Florian Wirtz after hearing ‘whispers’, but believes that, if any Premier League side are going to win the race, then Spurs are most likely and will pay the money required.

This campaign, Rodrygo has completed ten dribbles on league duty and also directed five of his ten shots on target, proving that he is a livewire despite having to contend with premium talent such as Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr.

At 24 years of age, it is suspected that he may consider a move to the Premier League after falling out of contention as an automatic starter, and Spurs may be at the front of the queue given he would likely step straight in as a key member of their squad.

U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter delivered an impressive opening spell in the Americans’ friendly against Uruguay, scoring his first national team goal from a well-placed set piece in the 17th minute. Minutes later, he set up Alex Freeman for his first international goal, assisting on a driven header to give the U.S. an early boost.

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  Two MLS stars deliver big

  Freeman’s goal came in his 13th cap for the U.S., with Berhalter’s assist marking his third for the national team. Freeman added another in the 31st minute to complete a strong first-half showing.

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  What comes next?

  The fixture is Mauricio Pochettino and Co.'s last of 2025. They will resume action next March. 

New York Yankees fans in attendance in the Bronx on Wednesday night were treated with an exciting 4-3 victory by their team over the Kansas City Royals. Aaron Judge provided the game-deciding, go-ahead home run with a towering blast to right-centerfield in the bottom of the 7th. Which everyone who pulls for the pinstripes found awesome but was probably even more cool for those seated in proximity of the blast.

What makes us say that? Well, the reaction from two fans seated right behind home plate who appeared as though they were either about to go over the hill on a roller coaster or in the early throes of a time-traveling event.

This is what the blast looked like to those watching at home.

It was Judge's seventh home run of the season and the latest entry into what has been a spectacular April as he's picked up right where he left off with 2024's incredible campaign. The Yankees slugger leads the league in WAR, runs, hits, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

Bad news for Garnacho: Chelsea submit bid to sign £62m "level-raiser"

The game-changing forward could be brilliant for Chelsea but bad news for Garnacho.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 24, 2025

Jamie Vardy’s new family home in a picturesque part of northern Italy was broken into by three burglars over the weekend, while the former Leicester City and England striker was playing for Cremonese in a home Serie A clash with Roma, with wife Rebekah in attendance at the game. Cremonese were soundly beaten 3-1, but that was the least of Vardy's problems.

• £80,000 worth of valuables stolen

  The has reported that three men gained entry to the Vardys' £2 million property by the shores of Lake Garda in the town of Salo – around an hour's drive from Cremona – via a window. The break-in happened on Sunday, when Cremonese were hosting Roma at the intimate Stadio Giovanni Zini.

  The report states that £80,000 worth of valuables, including jewellery and cash, were taken from the house. However, security cameras are believed to have picked up the thieves, who are likely to have scouted the house to learn when it would be empty, coming and going via their chosen entry point.

  Local police captain Giacomo Tessarolo told the: "We have CCTV which shows the individuals entering the house through a window that was left open. They were on the premises for several minutes before escaping with the [Patek Philippe] watch and several other high value items. There was a woman inside, not his wife but the baby sitter. The theft was discovered when some of Vardy's friends returned to the house and found items on the floor and it had evidently been broken into."

  Rebekah Vardy was at the Cremonese game when the incident took place.

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  Serie A raises awareness of domestic violence

  Over the weekend, Cremonese were among a handful of Serie A clubs given permission to promote the 'A Red to Violence' campaign, dedicated to fighting domestic abuse. Each player was able to change the name on the back of his shirt to that of an important woman in their life. Vardy opted to have 'Becky' printed above the number 10 on his jersey, in tribute to his wife. Players also took to the field with a streak of red face paint, again to raise awareness and put the issue of domestic violence in the spotlight.

  The Vardy family are said to have immersed themselves in their new Italian adventure, making themselves a visible presence in the town of Salo, population: 10,500, by going out for walks and eating dinner in local restaurants, as well as trying to learn the language. It makes it doubly cruel that they have now been the victims of an unsettling burglary.

• Vardy's Serie A inspiration

  Vardy was linked with other clubs after leaving Leicester in the summer, including Wrexham, but eventually settled on a new challenge in Italy and has adapted quickly to life abroad. "Once I made my decision, that was it. I was coming here," Vardy explained in a September interview. "I'm settling in really well and just can't wait to get going now. It's all about match days and wanting to pick the results up, so now it's about just knuckling down when I get given the opportunity, helping my teammates out as much as I can and hopefully chipping in with some goals."

  He also noted that his favourite Serie A player to watch growing up was Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero: "You watch him play – he was unbelievable. Watching him score most weeks was really encouraging for me. Having watched that, me coming here and trying to do exactly the same – it’s really exciting."

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  Vardy contract extension looks likely

  Having left Leicester at the end of last season when his contract expired, 38-year-old Vardy signed an initial 12-month deal with Cremonese to cover the 2025-26 campaign. However, the terms of that contract also include a 12-month extension to the summer of 2027 if the club avoids relegation. So far, at least, that looks a plausible eventuality, given their mid-table safety after 12 games.

  The defeat to Roma was a third on the bounce in Serie A, but Cremonese still sit 11th, with a healthy six-point cushion between them and the relegation zone. The team has lost the same number of games as European powerhouse Inter (4), but needs to be able to turn draws into wins, having taken maximum points from only three league matches. Still, for a newly-promoted provincial club navigating just a second season in the top flight in the last 30 years, it has been a strong start.

J.T. Realmuto suffered a pretty painful injury on Wednesday night.

While he was catching for Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jordan Romano in the bottom of the ninth inning, a 94-mph fastball just barely went off of Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette's bat and hit Realmuto in the groin.

Realmuto doubled over with pain. He sat in the batters box for some time before leaving the game, and struggled to walk when he finally did make it to his feet.

The full video of the pitch and injury can be viewed here, but watch at your own discretion.

On top of losing Realmuto in the ninth inning, the Phillies ended up losing the game thanks to Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scoring a game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth, shortly after Realmuto's exit.

The Phillies will face the Toronto Blue Jays again on Thursday afternoon, so we'll know pretty soon if Realmuto can return to the lineup or not.

Bayern Munich are now in contact with the representatives of a Manchester United star, who has been told to leave the club by Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes.

Man Utd targeting midfield addition in 2026

The January transfer window is now less than a month away and Man United could once again be active on the hunt for reinforcements. In the summer, it was their frontline that took the focus as they welcomed Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha. Now, however, INEOS are looking to add to Ruben Amorim’s midfield.

It’s not a major surprise that the Red Devils are after a midfielder. Casemiro is an ageing option, Manuel Ugarte has proved to be an unreliable option and Mason Mount’s injury history speaks for itself. As such, a move for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton would make perfect sense.

According to The Mirror, the England international sits at the very top of United’s wishlist even though he wants the guarantee of Champions League football next season.

Bad news for Mainoo: INEOS make £70m "passing machine" Man Utd’s no.1 target

Man United’s need for a new centre-midfielder is as pressing as ever.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 8, 2025

For those at Old Trafford, it could be a case of one in one out if they sign Wharton but allow Kobbie Mainoo to leave in 2026. The Carrington graduate has been left aside by Amorim this season, despite the fact that the manager blocked his attempts to leave in the summer and told him to fight for his place.

The midfielder could now follow the path of Scott McTominay and others by thriving away from Old Trafford, especially if it is Bayern Munich who secure his signature.

Bayern Munich make contact with Mainoo

According to TeamTalk, Bayern Munich have now made contact with Mainoo over a 2026 move away from Man United. The German giants have joined the likes of Napoli in the race to sign the 20-year-old, who is increasingly desperate to leave his boyhood club when the chance arrives.

Mainoo isn’t the only one frustrated by his current situation, either. Man United legend took the Instagram after the midfielder was an unused substitute against West Ham United to say: “Bulls**t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can’t control a game of football. Hate seeing home grown players leave but it’s probably best for him now. Enough is enough.”

At his best, meanwhile, the academy graduate has earned high praise from teammate Bruno Fernandes, who described him as “great” after he first burst onto the scene while journalist Alex Turk has even described him as a “future £100m+ footballer.”

Praise from his captain isn’t enough for Amorim, however, who has not given Mainoo a fair chance since blocking his late loan move away from the club in the summer.

He's "like Reijnders": Old Trafford chiefs pushing Man Utd to sign "elite" star