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Everton manager David Moyes has aimed a cheeky dig at Chelsea’s spending power, saying there was a billion pounds worth of difference between the two sides in Saturday’s clash at Stamford Bridge. The Scot made the remark after watching his spirited side fail to make the most of their chances en route to suffering a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League.

• Chelsea duo Palmer & Gusto score as Everton's winning run ends

  After putting together a fantastic run of results which brought about four wins in six league games, Everton travelled to Chelsea in high spirits at the weekend. Before stepping onto the field in west London, Moyes’ side had recorded impressive victories over Fulham, Manchester United, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, while drawing with Sunderland and suffering a solitary reverse against Newcastle United.

  However, in a match which saw in-form midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall forced off with a first-half injury on his return to Stamford Bridge, Everton were then put to the sword by goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto. Moyes’ men created several chances in both halves, with Iliman Ndiaye hitting the post towards the end of the game, but Everton were made to a rue their missed opportunities as they travelled back to Merseyside empty-handed.

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  Moyes was unable to snap Stamford Bridge hoodoo on Saturday

  While Everton’s recent win at Manchester United saw Moyes secure his first league victory as an opposing manager at Old Trafford, he was unable to snap a similar hoodoo at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. 

  The 62-year-old was in charge when Everton defeated Chelsea on their patch in the 2011 FA Cup, though he has never won at the same venue in the league, across spells in charge of the Toffees, Sunderland, and West Ham.

  And perhaps in a sign of frustration at the end of the match, Moyes fired a cheeky jibe towards Chelsea’s luxury of being able to spend vast sums of money on new players. Since co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital – led by Behdad Eghbali – completed their takeover of the club in May 2022, the six-time champions have spent £2 billion on transfer fees, according to the .

  When asked if Everton's defeat simply came down to fine margins, Moyes said in his post-match press conference: "Maybe a billion-pound difference? Possibly, you know what I mean?"

• Scot 'disappointed' with Everton's result but not performance

  Speaking to before his dig at Chelsea, Moyes said: "Losing Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] was a blow to us but I thought we adapted quite well. I know we've come away with a disappointing result but it wasn't a disappointing performance. We did a lot of really good things today.

  "Maybe we played one of our best games away from home, we've had some very good results away from home. But we couldn't finish it off, we just dropped a couple of runners at times when they showed quality. We pushed them close and that's what we have to try and do. Jack [Grealish] had a great chance to make it one each, then we crossed one right into the goalie's arms, he distributes it quickly and they get the goal from it right on half-time.

  "It felt a bit unfair on us because I thought for long periods we did well. I wouldn't say dominated because Chelsea had a lot of the ball as well. We played well, I've no complaints from the players except the final third stuff – if you don't take the chances you don't win the game. We stuck at it, we were never out of the game and were always a threat. We'll go away, look at it and hopefully do better next time."

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  Chelsea manager Maresca bemoans 'worst 48 hours' in charge of club

  Meanwhile, Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca also raised eyebrows with his post-match comments. The Italian head coach described the build up to his side’s win over Everton as his "worst 48 hours" in charge of the club, citing a lack of support in that time. It is not clear if the former Leicester City boss was talking about owners Boehly and Eghbali, having also said he "loves" Chelsea supporters in the same tirade.

  Speaking in his post-match press conference, Maresca said: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo (Gusto) in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club."

  Chelsea are back in action when they travel to League One leaders Cardiff City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Everton, on the other hand, play host to Arsenal in the league next Saturday.

Calling home runs on Independence Day is a little bit played out, but the Chicago Cubs truly earned such a comparison this year.

By the end of the seventh inning, Chicago was leading the St. Louis Cardinals at home 11-1 on the Fourth of July off a slew of home runs from the bats in the lineup.

Two players hit multiple home runs, Michael Busch with three and Pete Crow-Armstrong with two. But the real highlight was the franchise record being set: The eighth home run from the Cubs off the bat of Busch broke the previous team record of seven home runs in a game.

Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly all added dingers as well.

Just stunning stuff from the Northsiders.

Chicago leads the NL Central by several games and is in a flirtatious spot with the top seed in the National League. Coming into the day third in home runs with 131, the Cubs will launch all the way to first in MLB, pending the results of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers games this afternoon and tonight, the two teams ahead of Chicago.

The Cubs also join the Yankees as the only other team to hit eight or more home runs this year. New York hit nine home runs in March, breaking its own franchise record in that game.

The Cardinals attempted to rally back, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the deficit was too much. Chicago won 11-3.

The record for most home runs in an MLB game is 10, set by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. The only other team to hit eight or more home runs on the Fourth of July is the Boston Red Sox in 1977.

Has the ship already sailed? Will it ever happen for Federico Chiesa at Liverpool?

The forgotten man last season, the Italian winger has again been rather luckless this time around, having been unable to use the Mohamed Salah situation to his benefit this week.

Indeed, even with the Egyptian having been left out for the trip to San Siro, Chiesa could not pounce on that potential opening in the right-wing berth, having been forced to miss the meeting with Inter Milan through illness.

Almost halfway through his second season at Anfield, the ex-Juventus man – signed for a bargain £13m fee – remains bound to the periphery, featuring for just 29 times across all competitions in total.

Notable moments, like his crucial ‘winner’ against Bournemouth on the opening day, have seen the 28-year-old secure cult hero status on Merseyside, although the jury is out on whether he can truly emerge from the shadows.

Latest on Federico Chiesa's future

In truth, the Reds claimed Premier League glory last term without the impact of any new signing, with Chiesa – the only senior addition that summer – having been restricted to just six league outings all season.

Frequently overlooked by Slot in 2024/25, even increased influence this time around has not altered his standing in the attacking pecking order, with all of his ten top-flight appearances coming from the bench.

The man who intervened to deny Wilson Isidor from securing a potential winner for Sunderland not too long ago, there is a will for Chiesa to do well, not least with options not exactly brimming on the flanks.

That being said, Slot – such is his neglect of the one-time Fiorentina star – appears to have other ideas, such has been the winger’s limited game time, with a January exit still being mooted according to recent reports.

As reported by The Athletic, the Euro 2020 hero is said to have a ‘number of admirers’ with the winter window now looming, albeit with it said to pose a potential ‘risk’ if Liverpool do let him depart, considering their relatively small pool of attacking alternatives.

That said, Chiesa himself may wish to push for a move, should his standing not improve, with reports last month suggesting that his agent was in talks over a possible switch, amid hopes of forcing his way back into Italy’s plans ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.

A desire to depart would be no surprise considering his lack of use over the last 18 months, with Liverpool perhaps left to reflect on the wisdom of signing off on such a deal.

That said, Chiesa isn’t alone in that department…

Liverpool's pointless signing belongs in the Rodgers era

As harsh as it may be, the minimal impact of Chiesa would force anyone to come to the conclusion that he has been an almost pointless signing, with Slot showcasing little appetite to hand a regular role to the albeit injury-hit forward.

Chalkboard

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

Rightly or wrongly, ‘pointless’ may be the word that springs to mind at present regarding this summer’s marquee signing, Alexander Isak, with the misfiring Swede again looking off the pace against Inter.

Hooked on the 68-minute mark, having made just 25 touches and registered just a solitary shot, the ex-Newcastle United man was again largely a bystander to proceedings at San Siro, with the excuse of his lack of pre-season now beginning to wear thin.

With just two goals in all competitions for his new side, following that controversial, club-record switch from St James’ Park, the 26-year-old has already entered disaster signing territory, with Slot and co in need of a drastic improvement heading into 2026.

There is also a sense that, while depth is needed, was this a move that FSG truly needed to make, considering they had already plucked Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt?

While Isak has toiled, the young Frenchman has dazzled, scoring eight times already from just 22 appearances, rubberstamping the belief that he should be the starting striker.

As for Liverpool’s actual number nine, Isak looks like following in the footsteps of the notable transfer misfires of the Brendan Rodgers era, echoing the post-Luis Suarez world that saw the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke all flatter to deceive at Anfield.

The summer of 2014, in the wake of Rodgers’ near miss with regard to the title, was particularly egregious, with that centre-forward pairing of Lambert and Balotelli ultimately scoring just seven times between them during their forgettable, brief stays on Merseyside.

Perhaps a better comparison lies with Benteke though, signed a year later, with the Belgian – like Isak at Newcastle – looking prolific in the Premier League at Aston Villa, having scored 49 goals in 101 games for the Midlands side.

Just ten in 42 would follow under Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.

It might be too soon to write Isak off just yet, and throw him in with that trio of disastrous Rodgers signings, although on current evidence, he is looking like the Benteke of 2015.

Hopefully Ekitike can prove to be the Roberto Firmino…

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 10 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Liverpool returned to winning ways in Italy but it wasn’t all positive for Arne Slot.

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By
Matt Dawson

5 days ago

Mohamed Salah's tenure at Liverpool looks to be coming towards a bitter and sad end. Following his stunning outburst after the club's 3-3 draw with Leeds, the Egyptian King has sparked a civil war among the fanbase. Is Salah right to claim the Reds have thrown him under the bus, or is Jamie Carragher the good guy for launching a scathing attack on the forward?

• Salah's moment of madness

  After being named on the bench for a third successive Premier League game, Salah stormed through the mixed zone in the aftermath of Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road, before stopping to give an explosive seven-minute interview that left reporters stunned as he claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" by head coach Arne Slot.

  He said: I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench, and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer, and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club."

  The rant led to public criticism from Liverpool legend Carragher, who described Salah as a "disgrace" and accused him of trying to inflict "maximum damage" by throwing his toys out of the pram. The 47-year-old has since apologised, but the damage has already been done from both sides. Much of the Liverpool fanbase is split – there is a section of supporters who have taken Salah's side, pointing to the success he has helped deliver in his eight years at the club. But others have reminded the Egyptian winger that football is a team sport, and, more importantly, no one is bigger than the club. The all-important question, then, who is right?

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• No player is bigger than the club

  Salah's most recent outburst is not the only time he has opened his mouth to the media to try and force Liverpool's hand. The 33-year-old has made a habit of complaining when his demands are not met, famously acting up when pursuing a new contract last season, flexing his achievements and pointing to his numbers when arguing that he should not have to take a pay cut to remain at Anfield. But this time, it appears plenty of people think he has gone too far. One fan has had enough of the talisman's antics, labelling Salah as a "five-year-old kid" and admitting he would love to see the back of him for his petulance. His theory may have some substance as well, after Salah posted a picture of himself in the gym after being left at home for the trip to Inter with the famous 'You'll never walk alone' sign behind him.

  Jordan Chamberlain, a Liverpool fan writer, describes the Premier League and Champions League winner as "selfish" and adds: "The Egypt forward deserved his monstrous two-year contract. He was the best player in the country. But fast forward to December and Liverpool's number 11 has thrown his toys out of the pram in an extremely damaging way. Salah has had a poor season. There are lots of reasons for this, but his statements put himself, Slot and the club in an untenable position. I have no idea what will happen next, but I just wish Salah had kept his mouth shut."

  Another fan, replying to Salah's gym post, said: "Is he after some sort of sympathy? Acting like a petulant child." @MaccaLiv19 was also not happy, saying: "Apologise to the club and the manager. If not, it’s goodbye in Jan."

  A few eagle-eyed spectators have also pointed out the fact that since being dropped, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four games, and that, regardless, a player should never throw their team under the bus, particularly in a moment where they are struggling. Liverpool's form has dipped after winning the title, but not to a point where it is unsalvageable. 

  With Thierry Henry coming to the defence of his friend and fellow pundit Carragher during Tuesday's Champions League coverage, it has only placed more dark clouds over Salah's head. One fan summed up his feelings on the back of the Arsenal icon's explanation of the situation, in which he claimed players must "protect their teams at all costs."

  @JacobHorsfall__ could not believe that anyone would side with Salah over the pundit. He added: I really don’t understand how people are siding with Salah. Literally makes no sense to me. Think Carragher was pretty bang on. The RB suffering comment was about how the team sacrificed to platform Salah. The Egypt comment was to say that no team can be great with 1 star. Chelsea flop comment was to say that Liverpool did just as much for Salah as he’s done for them. No player should ever throw the club under the bus."

• Salah has earned the right to make demands

  On the other hand, Salah retains the support of plenty on Merseyside. In the eyes of many, their Egyptian King can do no wrong, and they believe his contributions have earned him the right to make demands. Perhaps Salah is well within his rights to be upset at suddenly being dropped by Slot. He has recorded six goal contributions in 13 Premier League games for the Reds this season, and bagged 29 goals in Liverpool's title-winning campaign last term before penning a new deal. 

  Fans have not forgotten that, and among the 20,000+ replies to his latest gym post, the response was overwhelmingly in support of the forward. One account, @the_Lawrenz, reminded Salah of his lasting impact on the club, posting: "You changed Liverpool’s life." Another, @guineasfinest, added: "There’s more legacy in Salah’s left toe at Liverpool than in Carra’s entire career."

  It seems Carragher succeeded in blowing Salah's interview out of proportion and ramping up the swirling rumours about his future. Part of his monologue on Monday night included a statement that saw the ex-defender suggest his Serie A career and time at Chelsea were both failures, and plenty have sympathised with the winger when it comes to his past endeavours. @TheImmortalKop said: "That Carragher segment really showed he doesn’t respect anything outside of the Premier League. Salah was great for Basel, Fiorentina and Roma and has sent his club to the World Cup twice. Belittling all that by calling him a failure before joining Liverpool is just ridiculous."

  Even if we isolate Salah's achievements to his time solely in a Liverpool shirt, he has scored 250 goals in 420 appearances, won nine major pieces of silverware, and been the guy to dig the club out of a hole on more than one occasion, ultimately driving them to one of their most successful periods in the Premier League era.

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  Have your say on Salah's future

  With Salah missing the Inter clash and soon to be jetting off to AFCON until January, there is a real possibility the club legend may have played his last game in England. With recent events in mind, should the Reds cash in on him if a suitable offer arrives in the winter transfer window or should they stand by their main man? Vote in the poll below and make sure you leave a comment! 👇

A.J. Preller was never going to sit this one out.

You knew the San Diego Padres’ wheeling, dealing general manager was going to have his say, and shock in the process. But this time, the big deal he swung may have hurt his franchise in the long run.

The Padres landed All-Star closer Mason Miller from the Athletics on Thursday, along with lefty starter JP Sears. In exchange, they sent Leodalis De Vries, Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Núñez.

De Vries is the real headliner here. An 18-year-old shortstop who is the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, De Vries earned a $4.2 million signing bonus from the Padres in 2024. He was the top international prospect in his class and has lived up to that billing in the minor leagues. This season at High A, De Vries is slashing .245/.357/.410 with eight home runs, 46 RBIs and a wRC+ of 115. He’s doing that against players who are, on average, four years older than he is. He has “star” written all over him.

Nett is a high-velocity starting pitcher who is the franchise’s No. 3 prospect and appears on the verge of the big leagues. Baez is San Diego’s No. 13 prospect, a righty starter who carries a 1.96 ERA in Double A, and Núñez is a 26-year-old reliever who has debuted after having a big year in the minors.

Miller is an outstanding closer with big-time stuff, including a fastball that averages 101.1 mph. In 38 appearances this season, he is 1–2 with a 3.76 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 59 strikeouts against 18 walks in 38 1/3 innings. He has 20 saves in 23 chances. The 26-year-old will be under control through the 2029 season. Miller also came up as a starter, but a sprained UCL in his elbow led the A’s to put him in the bullpen. Sears also has multiple years of control, but shouldn’t get anyone too excited. The 29-year-old is 7–9 with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP with 97 strikeouts in 111 innings.

The issue here is that the Padres already have one of baseball’s best bullpens and an All-Star closer in Robert Suárez. Yes, Suárez can walk after this season, but there are several players under team control lined up to replace him. They didn’t need another reliever or a backend starter like Sears. The trade doesn’t solve their biggest problem, which is the massive hole in left field and their lack of offense from their catchers. Teamwide, they have a .698 OPS, which ranks 22nd in baseball.

While the deadline hasn’t passed, and more could come of this, Preller has spent his largest chip to strengthen a strength. This is the kind of haul a team gives up for an All-Star hitter with multiple years of control, not a closer who injured himself when he tried to start.

De Vries was arguably San Diego’s best prospect since Fernando Tatís Jr., and trading him is more proof that the future and development simply do not matter to Preller. He can find elite talent in the draft and on the international market, but struggles to let those players mature and join his big league roster. He is constantly in win-now mode, and it could be argued that that attitude has hurt the Padres.

The list of players Preller has traded who have become outstanding big leaguers is long and depressing if you’re a Padres fan. Trea Turner, Max Fried, James Wood, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, David Bednar, Emmanuel Clase, Josh Naylor, Andres Muñoz, Zach Eflin, Xavier Edwards and more have all been dealt in win-now moves. The best the Padres have to show for it is a 4–1 loss to the Phillies in the 2022 NLCS.

It has always felt like when Preller zeroes in on a player he likes, he’ll give up whatever it takes to get him, regardless of the cost. He did that in deals for Juan Soto, Mike Clevinger, Austin Nola and Justin Upton, among others.

Some will suggest the Padres have to be all-in now while Manny Machado and Tatís are in their primes. However, De Vries would likely have been called up in the next two years and could have been the kind of player to create a new long-term core alongside Tatís and Jackson Merrill. Instead, he’ll be playing elsewhere.

Preller is always cooking up something, so it’s likely more deals will come before the deadline. But the move for Miller is more of the same from his front office: Sacrificing future stars in an attempt to get marginally better in the short term.

If the Padres win a World Series, Preller will have been right. If they don’t, the franchise seriously has to consider reworking its philosophy.

Enthusiasm of Bangladeshi community drives delivery of new fine-turf wicket in Victoria Park

Andrew Miller19-Nov-2024Towers Hamlets in East London is one of the most densely populated boroughs in England. It’s one of the most socially deprived as well, with more than a third of its 320,000 population comprising the British Bangladeshi community that first moved to the area back in the 1970s.Last week that community, and the area at large, was presented with a slice of sporting infrastructure that has been several decades in the making. An eight-strip cricket square – unveiled by Mayor Lutfur Rahman at the eastern end of London’s historic Victoria Park and set to be ready for use in June – is the first fine-turf pitch ever to have been laid in the borough.With the exception of its neighbour, the City of London, Tower Hamlets is believed to be the last borough in the whole of England to gain access to such a facility. There are three Non-Turf Pitches (NTPs) in Victoria Park – weather-beaten strips of tarmac and synthetic carpet that are in near permanent use throughout the summer months and, as often as not, through the off-season too, with the keenest players unafraid to dodge round football goalposts to get their fix whenever possible.But there’s never been an investment in the borough quite like this. The new home ground of Tower Hamlets CC will be a publicly accessible facility, comprising a curated outfield, permanent sightscreens, and even landscaped grass mounds to frame the outfield, thereby encouraging spectators to gather and passers-by to respect the sanctity of what is intended to be more than just another shared patch of ground in one of London’s most-popular parks.”The latent interest in cricket in this borough is second-to-none, but it has been severely undersupplied with both facilities and with traditionally operating cricket clubs,” says Josh Knappett, Facilities and Project Lead at Middlesex Cricket in the Community, whose community outreach scheme has been a key driver of this initiative. “This has been a big project that’s taken a long time to get here, and we’re very excited. This is a site that’s going to have a long-lasting impact to grow the game for men, women, boys and girls in this area.”Over the next two years, up to £150,000 is set to be ploughed into cricket in the borough by Towers Hamlets Council and its partners, among them the ECB, Middlesex Cricket in the Community, and London Cricket Trust. That money will go towards such projects as the renovation and expansion of the borough’s existing NTPs, as well as a new set of all-weather nets in Stepney Green Park in Bow.Shahidul Alam Ratan has been a driving force of cricket in East London•George Watson / VPCCLThere is, however, an under-current of controversy attached to the project. Mayor Rahman, who turned the first sod at Wednesday’s opening ceremony, is currently facing government intervention into what the Guardian recently described as a “toxic and secretive” decision-making culture, having previously been barred from public office for five years after being found guilty of election fraud in 2015.Nevertheless, Rahman was propelled back to power in 2022 on the strength of his support from within the Bangladeshi community, and irrespective of any wider concerns about his management style, there appears to be broad local consensus that this investment in the borough’s cricketers is as essential as it is overdue.”The club has needed a ground since the day it was founded,” Shahidul Alam Ratan, a founder member of Tower Hamlets CC and CEO of the charity Capital Kids Cricket, tells ESPNcricinfo. “We were campaigning since day one, but there was no movement whatsoever, because the council was entirely focused on football. But in the last two decades, cricket has become the most popular sport in Bangladesh, and it’s started to shift the interest [in East London].”Through Capital Kids Cricket, which was founded in 1989 and with whom Middlesex recently entered a two-year schools partnership, Ratan has become a major part of cricket’s story in the area. In 2019, he oversaw a Guinness World Record for the largest cricket lesson at a single venue, when scores of local primary schools were invited to Hackney Marshes on the eve of the ODI World Cup. And, in 2020, the Kia Oval was renamed in his honour for 24 hours in recognition of his efforts to keep children active during lockdown.Now, however, he is hopeful that this proper investment in Tower Hamlets can unlock the full potential of cricket in East London, not least thanks to the full application of its Clubmark-accredited status, which offers the sort of safeguarding guarantees that cannot be replicated by other more ad-hoc teams in the local area.City Boys CC, from Tower Hamlets, won the inaugural Victoria Park T20 Blast in August 2024•George Watson / VPCCL”A lot of people play cricket in Victoria Park in the summer, but we don’t have that safe environment for young people, or for women and girls to come and play,” Ratan says. “If, as a club, and as a local authority, we can offer a controlled zone, and a safe space, that will be a game-changer for the local community.”The growth of cricket’s popularity in Tower Hamlets hasn’t just been limited to the Bangladeshi community. The Victoria Park Community Cricket League (VPCCL) takes place on the existing NTPs, and plays host to a hugely diverse range of teams, including across its nascent women’s competition, while the thriving North-East London Cricket League (NELCL) takes place at weekends across the council-maintained turf pitches of neighbouring Hackney, albeit with minimal oversight at county or ECB level.However, with the ECB’s recognition that between 30-40% of recreational cricketers in the UK are South Asian, there can be no denying the extent to which the Bangladeshi community is Tower Hamlets’ driving force. What’s more, harnessing that potential is recognised as a vital means for English cricket to address the many criticisms that were laid out in last year’s damning report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).One of the longest-standing complaints is that county age-group pathways have been notoriously difficult for minority ethnic players to penetrate, with British Asians representing just 5% of the cricketers at the top level of the men’s game. And while none of the local participants have yet progressed to professional level, Ratan estimates that some 30 former Tower Hamlets players have already gone on to forge coaching careers within cricket. These include Shakeel Ahmed, who worked at Middlesex for five years before returning as development manager at Capital Kids Cricket, and Tanvir Ahamed, who was named Middlesex’s coach of the year in 2022.”To my knowledge, there aren’t many clubs in Middlesex, or probably even nationally, that have had the same level of engagement for ongoing careers within cricket,” Knappett says. “They’ve had a phenomenal track record of players coming through, then staying within the game, and continuing to give back to their local community.”As for the wider interest in the sport, that was made abundantly clear two summers ago, when neighbours Essex hosted three ODIs between Bangladesh and Ireland at Chelmsford – half an hour’s drive up the very A12 that backs onto Victoria Park – and were inundated with some of the most passionate support imaginable at an ostensibly neutral venue.Women’s cricket in Victoria Park during the Mayor’s Cup, in September 2024•George Watson / VPCCLNevertheless, it is still early days for the full harnessing of East London’s potential. Up until now, the region’s most talented players have relied almost entirely on luck to be noticed, and even then – as was the case for Essex’s Jahid Ahmed, a graduate of the University of East London and first British Bangladeshi to play county cricket – that was not sufficient for them to be able to reach their potential. Jahid’s exposure of the racist abuse he suffered between 2005 and 2009 was a key factor in Essex being fined £100,000 by the Cricket Discipline Commission earlier this year, at the culmination of a lengthy independent inquiry.Middlesex’s own shortcomings have avoided quite the same levels of scrutiny, although the gauche comments of their former chair Mike O’Farrell at the DCMS hearings in 2022 seemed to epitomise county cricket’s long-standing failure to address the needs of the game’s marginalised communities. In the wake of the ICEC report, however, there has been a renewed drive towards collaboration – not least when it comes to Essex’s and Middlesex’s invisible boundary, which runs almost directly behind the eastern boundary of Tower Hamlets’ new pitch.As Ratan acknowledges, this historic divide has been “a bit challenging” when it comes to delivering cricket across East London’s green spaces, with parts of Hackney Marshes and the Olympic Park falling under Essex’s jurisdiction. However, the relationship between those two traditional counties will become increasingly important to London’s cricket community in the coming years, especially now that Essex has been chosen ahead of Middlesex to be the region’s Tier 1 representative in the new Women’s County competition from 2025 onwards.”Clearly, we will still aspire to Tier 1 status in 2029,” Knappett says. “But ultimately it’s irrelevant whether players progress on the Middlesex side or the Essex side, because whatever’s right for those girls is something that we’re happy to support. It’s about enabling the game to thrive, and to give talented players the optimal provision to be professional cricketers.”It may yet take several more years for this investment to come to full fruition, but for the first time in forever, Tower Hamlets has the recognition that its enthusiasm has long been crying out for.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays delivered a thrilling 2025 World Series that came down to the wire, with Los Angeles coming from behind late Saturday night to capture a winner-takes-all Game 7 for their second straight crown. was on site throughout the Fall Classic in both Los Angeles and Toronto. Here are some of our favorite images from the World Series.

1. Dodgers Win Back-to-Back World Series Titles
2. All Eyes on Shohei Ohtani
3. Blue Jays In First World Series Since 1993
4. Epic Game 3
5. Fans Pack Rogers Centre and Dodger Stadium

Dodgers Win Back-to-Back World Series Titles

At long last, Rangers have got their next manager after officially announcing the appointment of Danny Rohl. The former Sheffield Wednesday manager was not their first choice, that’s no secret, but one former Ibrox star has already pointed out one similarity with club legend Walter Smith.

Danny Rohl: "No time to waste" at Rangers

It’s not Steven Gerrard, it’s not Kevin Muscat, but it is Rohl. Rangers have finally filled their managerial vacancy and must now put full faith in their 36-year-old coach to turn things around after a disastrous start.

For all his inexperience, it’s worth noting that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss has worked with the likes of Hansi Flick and was Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant when his Southampton side were at their very best. He is one of the best young managers around and has been handed the biggest job of his career to date.

In an ideal world, Rohl would have all the patience needed to make his mark in Scotland. However, the reality is that he must get off to a solid start following the disaster of Russell Martin’s tenure.

The German is well aware of how urgent things are at Ibrox, though, having told the club’s official website: “We have no time to waste, we start straight away.

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By
Ben Gray

Oct 21, 2025

“I respect that trust is earned and understand we have to give the supporters confidence in what we are doing by showing it on the pitch from the start. The expectations are huge and I love this challenge because I set high standards for myself and the team too.”

Some have already hit out at his inexperience, but one former Rangers star has highlighted a key similarity with Walter Smith which may just buy Rohl some time.

Andy Halliday reveals similarity between Rohl and Walter Smith

Speaking on Clyde1 Superscoreboard, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday revealed a similarity between Rohl and the legendary Smith.

Indeed, Rohl has no experience as the main man in the pressure environment of a top level club with huge support, but cut his teeth behind the scenes at Bayern Munich as Hansi Flick’s assistant. Similarly, Smith arrived at Ibrox with no senior managerial experience, but had coached Scotland’s youth sides.

Of course, Smith is a once in a generation manager, but Halliday’s point stands. The jury should not deliver their verdict until Rohl has had a chance to impress at Rangers.

There will be many who have been left scared by Martin’s time in charge, but Rohl’s reputation suggests that he is a different calibre to the former Southampton boss.

Thursday’s game against Brann in the Europa League hands the young manager the perfect opportunity to prove Halliday right and get his era off to the best possible start.

Chase DeLauter is making some history on Wednesday.

The Guardians have decided to call up their No. 2 prospect to make his first MLB start in Game 2 of their wild-card round matchup with the Detroit Tigers. Trailing 1-0 in the series, Cleveland has added DeLauter to the lineup for a do-or-die game.

DeLauter will start in center field and bat seventh in the lineup. The 23-year-old will become the sixth player in MLB history to make his debut in the postseason. It's a huge move in a big spot for the franchise, but after losing Tuesday's series opener 2-1, the team is looking for a spark. Maybe the rookie can provide it.

Everything you should know about Chase DeLauter

The Guardians selected the 6'3" 235-pound DeLauter with the 16th pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft. He was not a highly recruited prep player, but he crushed pitching at James Madison for three years, including posting a 1.404 OPS as a junior. In that season, he slashed .437/.576/.828 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.

While his college numbers were huge, DeLauter made a name for himself during the 2021 Cape Cod League, where he led the circuit with nine home runs and a .589 slugging percentage. That boosted his stock entering his draft year and led to his selection. He broke his foot midway through the 2022 season, but it didn't hurt his stock. Cleveland inked him to a $3.75 million signing bonus, but he reinjured his foot, stunting his rise.

After making his minor league debut in 2023, DeLauter absolutely raked, which helped him jump three levels in one season. He slashed .355/.417/.528 with five home runs, 22 doubles, and 39 RBIs, reaching Double-A by the end of the campaign. He re-broke his foot in April 2024, and his hitting fell off, but he did reach Triple-A by the end of the season.

In 2025, he opened the season in Triple-A, but underwent surgery for a right hamate fracture and hasn't played since July 11. So far in 2025, he's hitting .264 with a .379 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage, with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 42 games.

During his three-year career, DeLauter has played only 138 minor league games due to his multiple injuries. Over that time, he's slashing .302/.384/.504 with 20 home runs and 87 RBIs.

MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked as the 54th-best prospect in all of baseball.

It will be quite a jump for DeLauter to go from the injured list to starting an MLB playoff game. The Guardians clearly have faith in him.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim could now be without one Red Devils star for their next five Premier League games.

Man Utd injury latest on Martinez, Mainoo, Maguire

The Red Devils have been without Lisandro Martinez for the majority of 2025 due to an ACL injury, however, the Argentine defender appears to be closing in on a return.

Back in full team training, Martinez wanted to travel with the side for the draw against Nottingham Forest and has since been training with his national side during the international break.

Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo missed the 2-2 draw with Tottenham last time out, whereas Harry Maguire was replaced with a hamstring issue, however, both could return in time as Man Utd host Everton at Old Trafford on Monday.

Summer signing Benjamin Sesko also joined the injury list prior to the international break after being replaced late on against Spurs. Amorim admitted that he was “concerned” with Sesko’s injury and not his form.

“That [his recent form] is not the biggest concern now. I’m concerned with an injury, because it is in the knee, and I don’t know. We need Ben [Sesko] to be a better team. We have to check. He has something in his knee. Let’s see.”

Now, Amorim has found out how long the Slovenian will be missing for.

Man Utd handed Sesko injury update

As reported by Sky Sports, Sesko has avoided a major knee injury after further scans.

The forward will now undergo a period of rehab running into December and is expected to be sidelined for a month.

Should that prove accurate, Sesko will miss United’s next five Premier League fixtures and could return just before Christmas against Aston Villa on December 21.

This will come as a blow to Amorim, who hailed the £160,000-a-week striker following his performance and goal in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.

“He has time, he’s going to stay here for a lot of years. The media puts a lot of pressure on the goals for the striker but for me it’s the effort that is the most important thing. Every time we kick the ball he’s fighting for it, that’s massive for us. To win the second ball and give us time to breathe. I’m really happy with that.”

Now, Amorim will have to find a way to cope without the towering striker, whether that be by bringing back someone like Joshua Zirkzee or using Matheus Cunha as a forward with captain Bruno Fernandes playing in a more advanced midfield role.

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