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Wells was released by Sussex and did not play a game in the Bob Willis Trophy this summer

Matt Roller18-Nov-2020Luke Wells’ association with Sussex spans far longer than his 10 years on the club’s books as a professional. He played for their age-group teams since he was a boy, while his father Alan and uncle Colin scored nearly 30,000 first-class runs for the county between them.As such, it is no surprise that it is still yet to sink in that he is now a Lancashire player. “In 2019, we played them and they completely killed Sussex,” he recalls via Zoom, before tailing off and correcting himself. “I need to get used to saying ‘we’. completely killed Sussex.” It may be some time before that becomes second nature.It can only be hoped that the nature of his exit will not ruin Wells’ memories of his time at Hove. He scored 18 first-class hundreds in a Sussex shirt, all of them in first-class cricket. While the runs dried up somewhat in his final years at the club, it is only so long since he was being talked up as a potential England opener.”I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the manner in which it ended,” he admits. “I know the financial situation was difficult and tough decisions had to be made [but] it potentially could have been handled a bit better. But look, I’ve been associated with the club since forever. I’ll always have a connection with this place, and I’ll always remember the good times.”ALSO READ: Luke Wells signs for Lancashire on two-year deal after Sussex releaseIf the response on social media was anything to go by, then Wells’ release came as a surprise to many. “Surely someone must sign Luke Wells,” tweeted Rob Key. “Proper player,” noted Jofra Archer, “and can bowl too.”

“I felt quite helpless and stuck. It was challenging, there’s no doubt about it. My fiancée and I have got a little boy who will be three in February, and there’s mortgages and all the normal stuff”Luke Wells didn’t play a game for Sussex in the Bob Willis Trophy

In fact, he had seen it coming a long way off. At the start of lockdown, Wells had raised his concerns to this website about the possibility of the whole season being lost, knowing that after two lean years, he was not guaranteed a contract extension. “Normally it’s black and white: you’re judged on performance, runs and wickets are your currency,” he said. “But if we play no red-ball cricket whatsoever, what happens?”Three months later, in the days before Sussex’s first Bob Willis Trophy game, he was asked to come into training earlier than usual. “I had a sit-down meeting on the square with Ben Brown, Jason Gillespie, Jason Swift and James Kirtley,” he recalls. “I was basically told I wasn’t playing and the numerous reasons why – technical, and all sorts of other things.”That was only for the first game, but there was no second-team cricket this year. I was coming to the last year of my contract and hadn’t gone that well previously, so I needed an opportunity to prove myself. I asked: ‘What can I do to get back into the team? Am I in your plans?’ I was told: ‘Unfortunately, with such a short season, we’re unlikely to change the team’.”I felt quite helpless and stuck. It was challenging, there’s no doubt about it. My fiancée and I have got a little boy who will be three in February, and there’s mortgages and all the normal stuff [to worry about]. The lack of control and not knowing what would happen was the most difficult thing. You’re planning for when it ends, but when your career is potentially cut in half in the midst of the economic situation we’re in now, it’s scary and stressful.”Luke Wells shovels into the leg side•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWells is studying for a history degree at the Open University and doing his coaching badges, but had not banked on the prospect of finding himself without a club at the age of 29. Various counties were interested in signing him before Lancashire ramped up their pursuit, but there were stumbling blocks due to the obvious financial uncertainty.”I was staring down the barrel of having played my last game, given the situation with Covid, all the uncertainty, finances, budgets… A lot of counties were coming back to me saying: ‘We’d love to have you, but finances [are the problem]. After staring the reality of not playing again in the face, I’m so excited now to be able to continue doing what I love for a living.”Wells would normally be playing grade cricket in Melbourne at this time of year, but has instead been packing boxes ahead of his move up north at the end of this week. His first day in pre-season training is on Monday, and after signing a two-year deal, he has some level of security at the club.He will have something to prove when he pulls on the red rose for the first time. After piling on over 1,200 Championship runs in 2017, Wells averaged in the mid-20s in both of the following two seasons, and admits that his performances “haven’t been at the level I would expect of myself”.He recalls a “eureka moment” in the nets while out of the Sussex side this summer, when he worked out that a technical flaw had crept in, and insists he can get back to his best after becoming “potentially a bit stale, without really realising it”. Following two seasons without a white-ball appearance, Wells’ cause may be helped by the anticipated absence of several Lancashire players during the One-Day Cup next season due to their involvement in the Hundred, and his legspin could come in useful, too.But for now, he is simply looking forward to playing the game again. “I don’t usually say stuff like ‘things happen for a reason’ – I’m not that type of guy. But I suppose going through something like this will, hopefully, give me a fresh lease of life and a challenge to embrace at Lancashire.”It’s very doubtful that I could come across a more stressful year than what this one has been, so I’m just going to try and enjoy every moment: the ups and the downs.”

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

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that an injured Spurs star won’t be back in action for a ‘long time’, with the Dane currently minus a few key first-team players.

Tottenham battle Slavia Prague in the Champions League

Spurs welcome Slavia Prague to North London tonight seeking to reignite their automatic Champions League knockout round hopes with a victory that would edge them closer to securing a coveted top-eight finish.

Frank’s side need all three points against the struggling Czech outfit to maintain momentum after Saturday’s morale-boosting 2-0 win over Brentford ended their miserable six-match winless streak.

The Lilywhites currently sit 16th in the Champions League standings with eight points from five matches, sitting just two points behind the automatic qualification places.

Saturday’s Premier League victory will give Spurs more confidence following the chaotic 5-3 defeat to PSG in their previous European outing, with Richarlison and Xavi Simons securing all three points against Frank’s former employers last weekend.

Despite their lacklustre home form overall this year, the hosts actually boast a formidable home record in European competition, remaining unbeaten in 22 consecutive European games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Spurs have won both their Champions League home matches this campaign without conceding, defeating Villarreal and FC Copenhagen.

History also favours Frank’s side, having never lost to Slavia Prague in four previous European meetings, recording three victories and one draw.

Slavia arrive in desperate circumstances, languishing in 31st with just three points from five matches and facing the genuine prospect of early elimination.

The Czech champions have endured a torrid European campaign, failing to register a single victory while remarkably going four consecutive Champions League fixtures without scoring.

Their attacking struggles represent their most significant weakness, with just two goals across the entire league phase.

Despite domestic dominance — sitting five points clear atop the Czech First League following Friday’s 2-1 victory over Teplice — Jindrich Trpisovsky’s side have repeatedly failed to translate that form onto the continental stage.

Their 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal highlighted the gulf in quality when facing elite opposition, while goalless draws against Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao demonstrated defensive resilience without much threat going forward.

Frank faces several selection concerns heading into the clash, though.

Destiny Udogie is sidelined with a hamstring injury which will keep him out until January, while Randal Kolo Muani is doubtful after limping through Saturday’s victory.

Brennan Johnson is also ‘touch and go’ for the encounter, according to Frank, but one significant positive looked to have emerged from Monday’s training session.

James Maddison was spotted working on the grass for the first time since rupturing his ACL during August’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle, with Frank providing an update on the Englishman.

Thomas Frank shares James Maddison update out of Tottenham

Regrettably, while the £170,000-per-week playmaker sparked excitement when he was clocked in training, Frank has confirmed in quotes relayed by The Press Association, that Maddison still won’t be back for a ‘long time’.

The 29-year-old, who bagged 22 goals contributions in all competitions last term (12 goals, 11 assists), has been a sore miss for Spurs as they heavily rely on the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Simons for their creativity.

Simons’ phenomenal solo run and goal against Brentford will have done the Dutchman a world of good for his confidence following real criticism since his marquee move from Leipzig in the summer.

The pressure is on him to deliver in the ongoing absence of both Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, with Frank also remaining vague about the latter’s recovery timeline.

After Slavia, Tottenham travel to struggling Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and only a win will do there too.

Jack Leach has signed a contract extension with Somerset after revealing that he has been released from his England central contract.Leach has played 39 Tests for England, most recently on their tour to Pakistan a year ago, and was the only spinner to take 50 County Championship wickets this season. But he has slipped down the pecking order to the extent that England have opted to take the allrounder Will Jacks to Australia as their back-up spin option ahead of him.He has been centrally contracted since the start of the 2021-22 winter but will fall back onto his county deal with Somerset next year. Leach was already under contract with his hometown club until the end of next season, but the county announced on Monday that he has now signed a two-year extension until the end of 2028.Related

• Shoaib Bashir set to leave Somerset when contract expires

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• Nathan Lyon: 'In my eyes, Jack Leach is still England's best spinner'

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England have not yet announced their central contracts for 2025-26, but Leach told the BBC last week that he had been informed by managing director Rob Key that his deal would not be renewed. “My contract was up, so he obviously told me that and at the same time, said about the Ashes squad and that I wasn’t going to be in it,” Leach said.”I was gutted about that. That was really my aim for the summer, and it wasn’t to be, so [now] it’s time to reflect and try to keep getting better and get myself back in there… I don’t know from their point of view whether they have completely moved past me, but I believe I’m still getting better and I need to keep showing that in county cricket.”Shoaib Bashir, who has leapfrogged Leach to become England’s first-choice spinner, is widely expected to leave Somerset after he did not feature for them in any format this season. He is likely to retain his central contract for 2025-26, meaning that the ECB – rather than whichever county he joins – will pay his salary.Elsewhere, Sussex have announced the signing of batting allrounder Jack Leaning from Kent on a three-year contract, while legspinning allrounder Calvin Harrison has signed a permanent deal with Northamptonshire after impressing on loan from Nottinghamshire earlier this year.

GOAL’s writers break down a solid USMNT showing as Mauricio Pochettino looks to build momentum ahead of the World Cup.

There you have it: a win. The USMNT are not, once again, at full strength. They're missing a few faces, falling short of a few pieces. This is probably half, generously, of what a starting XI might look like in seven months. But the results are good. They beat a pretty good Paraguay side, 2-1, at home. Winning is nice. It fuels momentum. It gives Mauricio Pochettino reasons to praise rather than a need to rant. 

Gio Reyna was the headline, of course, handed a surprise start, and got himself on the scoresheet. This wasn't him at his best, but he did show that there's still a player there. Leading striker Folarin Balogun grabbed another goal – and he looks in good form for his country. There were mistakes here and there, but this was otherwise an agreeable Saturday night.]

So, what do we make of all of this? Are there sweeping conclusions to be drawn about Reyna? Is Joe Scally now the center back of the future? And who might have played their way of the squad next summer? GOAL's writers get far too reactionary in the latest edition of… . 

ImagnHow significant was Gio Reyna's performance?

Tom Hindle: Immensely. It has long been said in this space that Reyna is the U.S.'s most talented player whose last name is not "Pulisic." He has struggled immensely for three clubs over the past few years now, and needed a forum to show that he can still contribute. He wasn't exactly spellbinding against Paraguay, but there were glimpses of what he can be. If Reyna's fit, he should start at the World Cup. But that is a pretty significant "if".

Ryan Tolmich: Very. It showed that, even when he isn’t at his best, he can make a difference. Does that translate to a starting gig? Unlikely given the other options. Does that give him a really strong case to make a 26-man roster? You bet, even if that means coming off the bench as an emergency option. There’s a caveat, of course, with his fitness but, as long as that goes in the right direction, Reyna has his chance.

AdvertisementGettyIf Reyna were to make it to the World Cup, who would he replace?

TH: Well, if we run off the assumption that Alejandro Zendejas isn't sniffing it, then it's one of Brenden Aaronson or Diego Luna. Pochettino seems to like Luna a lot, so it'll probably mean Aaronson gets left at home – unless he shows something special for Leeds over the next few months. 

RT: In terms of attacking midfielders, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Weston McKennie are locked in. Then there’s that second group of Reyna, Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, and Alejandro Zendejas. Only so many of those players can be on a World Cup roster, which means it’ll come down to form and fit when Pochettino ultimately has to balance it out.

Getty ImagesJoe Scally made his long-awaited return, what did you make of him as a third CB?

TH: Uhhhh sure? Scally isn't a starting-level center back in this side, but he's highly rated in Germany, and really should be a part of the U.S. setup. Sometimes you need a guy who can offer cover, and Scally can play in multiple positions. Whether that makes him a starter is up for debate, but there's a strong case to be made that he should be in the squad next summer.

RT: Seems feasible! At the very least, Scally is a good utility guy, which is always welcome in a World Cup squad. He can either start in three positions or be your defensive stopper off the bench in place of the more attack-minded wingbacks. He needs another good performance or two, but, again, there’s a walkable path there.

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Getty Based on current form, what are your expectations for the USMNT at the World Cup?

TH: Please do not be deceived by wins against Australia and Paraguay. Round of 16 exit, as per usual. Sure, you can make the argument about "kind draws" and say the U.S. could imitate a, say, Morocco in Qatar 2022, but the dirty little secret is that Morocco side was really very good. Keep expectations level, and anything else feels like a bonus.

RT: It hasn’t changed much, largely because we still haven’t seen this team in the way it will likely be assembled. Maybe the floor is a bit higher than it was a few months ago, but we still don’t really know this team’s ceiling. As always with a World Cup, though, get out of a group and see what happens.

Mousley leads response with unbeaten fifty but visitors still trail by 462 runs

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Warwickshire 140 for 2 (Mousley 54*, Davies 52) trail Essex 602 for 6 dec (Westley 134, Allison 133, Pepper 107*, Walter 86) by 462 runs Dan Mousley led the Warwickshire fightback to Essex’s mammoth first-innings total with an innings that belied the gravity of the situation facing the visitors in the Rothesay County Championship match at Chelmsford.The imposing right-hander clocked up only his third half-century of the season, but at a rate of more than a run-a-ball. It was in contrast to his more measured captain Alex Davies, who went along at half the rate in a second-innings stand of 86 that pulled Warwickshire back into the game.Though Davies departed for 52 from 116 balls, stumped by the alert Michael Pepper to give Matt Critchley a second wicket of the innings, Mousley was still there at the end with 54 from 53 balls and Warwickshire 140 for 2.It had been a chastening day and a half in the field for Warwickshire after Davies put Essex in as Essex rattled up 602 for 5 declared on an unresponsive, green-tinged pitch. Along the way there were three Essex centurions, curiously all scoring their third three-figure scores of the season. Tom Westley’s 134 was followed by Charlie Allison and Pepper, who combined in a 38-over, sixth-wicket stand of 195, the largest partnership in an innings of large partnerships.Either side of a mid-afternoon rain break, it was carnage as the pair sensed the impending declaration and went for broke. The declaration duly arrived when Allison departed after four hours, caught at deep midwicket, for 133 from 202 balls with 17 fours and two sixes. That left Pepper unbeaten on 107 from just 117 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes.It would not have escaped Warwickshire’s notice that Allison was not even in the Essex XI announced at the toss, but was drafted in at short notice, without argument, when Simon Harmer dropped out for “personal reasons”.Before his partnership with Pepper, Allison also put on 91 for the fifth wicket with Westley. 57 of them in the morning. Westley added 24 to his overnight 124 before he was finally dismissed after a stay of more than six hours, caught at short fine leg turning Beau Webster off his legs. Significantly, the pair had carried Essex to a fourth batting point with four balls to spare.Westley had laced his 278-ball innings with 17 fours, a large portion of them driven elegantly through the covers. At the other end, Allison followed closely in Westley’s footsteps, punching fours through the off-side, though also comfortable enough to reverse-sweep Corey Rocchiccioli for four. He reached his fifty from 85 balls when he turned the Australian off-spinner for a single.The incoming Pepper did not hang about. He swept Rocchiccioli for an emphatic boundary to get off the mark and added four more with a late cut off Webster. The wicketkeeper-batsman went to lunch on 33, at which point he was presented with his county cap; little more than quarter-of-an-hour after the restart he had reached his half-century with a tap into the off-side off Rob Yates.Despite his rate of scoring, Pepper was beaten to his hundred by Allison, who helped a wayward legside delivery from Mousley for his 14th boundary. After a 25-minute rain break, Pepper made it to his century, having taken just two hours and 15 minutes of improvised nudges and paddles. Two balls later he celebrated by driving Yates straight for six. Not long afterwards Warwickshire were put out of their misery.Essex found the Kookaburra ball just as unhelpful when Warwickshire set out with the initial target of 453 to avoid following on. Yates and Davies made a competent start, passing 50 in 21 overs, Davies hammering Jamie Porter for successive boundaries before Matt Critchley made the breakthrough. Given the rare opportunity to take the main spin-bowling role in Harmer’s absence, Critchley had Yates retreating on to the backfoot and lbw to one that turned and reared up.Mousley brought Critchley down to earth when he slammed him straight back down the ground for six and reached his fifty from just 46 balls.

The noise and, from many, joy from Liverpool’s wretched run of form of late is perhaps a marker of just how mighty Anfield has become over the past decade.

It is ten years since Jurgen Klopp took the reins from Brendan Rodgers, the last Reds boss before Arne Slot to succumb to a four-game losing run.

But Liverpool are vastly different to that long-forgotten iteration, and Slot has within his grasp some of the best players in world football. The 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League served as a reminder that this is a team capable of winning all the biggest prizes – again.

However, some individuals are struggling, and the team as a unit has struggled to find fluent form. One of the biggest culprits would be Alexis Mac Allister, whose grace ability and determination in the engine room is crucial for the performance of the Slot machine.

Mac Allister's form for Liverpool

Mac Allister is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Certainly, he is among the most complete, the most spirited, the most inventive.

But he hasn’t been quite right this year, with Sofascore recording he has lost 57% of his ground duels in the league thus far, only making one tackle per match.

Whereas the Argentine has been virtually undroppable across his first two years in a Liverpool shirt, he now looks more vulnerable in the starting line-up, and the midweek win over Frankfurt emphasised this, for he was left on the bench after lasting only an hour against Manchester United.

Mac Allister’s form has been a concern this season, but he is an elite player and crucial to Liverpool’s success. The 26-year-old has, in some ways, given Slot his own version of Thiago Alcantara, whose career was cut short right before the Dutchman’s arrival. But, as with Thiago, Liverpool seem to be finding a way to perform without the star in the mix.

The tempo-setting, line-breaking maestro offered something unique in the Liverpool engine room, and in this, Liverpool evolved in that later Klopp team.

The problem, of course, is that the retired 34-year-old was rarely fit. Across four campaigns on Merseyside, the Spain star managed only 98 appearances across all competitions.

But his technical quality, vision and awareness were faculties unlike anything else Liverpool had. In Mac Allister, the Reds have a midfielder with stylistic similarities, but there’s actually another man in Slot’s first team who could be Liverpool’s new version of their former superstar.

Liverpool's new version of Thiago

Sometimes in football, the timings just don’t work out. Steven Gerrard missed the Klopp era by a whisker, leaving for LA Galaxy only months before the German’s historic appointment.

Likewise, Thiago would retire from football prematurely at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, having made only one appearance that year due to non-stop injury setbacks. He was 33 years old.

Thus, he missed the incipient Slot era and the Premier League title that would arrive at Anfield’s doorstep just one year after he hung up the boots.

The greatest travesty of it all is that the stylish Spaniard boasted a playing style which is tailor-made for the calculated, composed build-up Liverpool have developed since Klopp’s departure. Gone (last season, at least) is the frenetic, out-of-control football that Slot’s predecessor employed – emphatically and to silver-laden success.

Thiago is one of the greatest technicians of his generation. He would have been the linchpin for this version of Liverpool. But Slot may have an heir in Curtis Jones.

Yes, you read that right. No, this argument does not centre around the basis that Jones is on the same level as the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich sensation in his prime.

But the Liverpool-born star shares certain qualities with his one-time teammate, with both among the squad’s most reliable players on the ball and bearing combative sides, emphasised through robustness in the challenge and tough-tackling defensive contributions.

Jones graduated from Liverpool’s academy and has been with his boyhood outfit ever since, and though he played a role under Klopp’s wing, Slot’s tactics have given rise to his skillset and seen him become “one of the most underrated players in England”, as said by one Premier League analyst.

Jones is an effortless passer. He’s intelligent with his decision-making, and he is tactically disciplined. As per FBref, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 8% for goal-creating actions, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90.

He’s also well-seasoned within this Liverpool team, and when the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk depart, both into their penultimate years on Merseyside, he will be among the leading figures at the club.

Mohamed Salah

33

413

Andy Robertson

31

349

Virgil van Dijk

34

331

Alisson

33

307

Joe Gomez

28

245

Curtis Jones

24

190

Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich for £20m in 2020 and would ebb and flow. Never in doubt was his technical quality, nor the fact that he could have been a divisional great with better luck on the injury front.

There’s no question that he would have been a sublime component in Slot’s system, but in Jones, the Netherlands native has found a like-styled player who could now take the next step in his development and play a crucial deep-lying role to promote Liverpool’s ball-playing abilities.

At Frankfurt, Jones took a staggering 139 touches of the ball, linking play together and completing 122 of 127 attempted passes. This is his strength, and Slot must give him free rein from the outset to rise to the next level and take Liverpool with him.

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England boss Thomas Tuchel and his assistant Anthony Barry have opted to skip the chance to watch Jude Bellingham in action for Real Madrid against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League in another blow to the 22-year-old just days before the latest England squad is announced. Bellingham was omitted from Tuchel's most recent squad and will have to wait and see if he's done enough to earn a recall.

Another blow for Bellingham

Bellingham is back in England with his Real Madrid team on Tuesday and will be hoping to continue his recent good form. The England star has scored in Real Madrid's last three games and seems to have hit form after returning to action following a layoff after undergoing shoulder surgery. The game offered Tuchel the chance to watch Bellingham live and speak to the Real Madrid man at Anfield after the game, but the England boss is not expected to attend, according to . Tuchel is currently finalising his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, and it's not clear yet if he will recall Bellingham to his squad for the upcoming fixtures.

AdvertisementAFPTuchel's complicated relationship with Bellingham

Bellingham has emerged has one of England's most talented players but is no longer guaranteed a place in Tuchel's squad. He hasn't been selected by the England boss since June, while Tuchel has also raised eyebrows by saying his mother is "repulsed" by the midfielder's actions. The German did subsequently apologise to Bellingham but has also warned big stars such as Bellingham and Cole Palmer than he is prepared to leave his 'most talented' players out of his World Cup plans. Tuchel says "the team" is more important than the individual as he aims to guide the Three Lions to glory at the tournament in North America, Mexico and Canada in 2026.

Backing for Bellingham

New Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has been full of praise for Bellingham after seeing him shine for Los Blancos after being left out of England's last squad by Tuchel. 

"He’s had three very good games," he told reporters."We knew before the last break that he needed time, minutes, to get going. He’s done better than we expected after the last break. Jude is all about feeling, communicating, and connecting. That’s why he’s had some very good games."

Meanwhile, Bellingham has spoken of his desire to kick on from a trophyless season with Real Madrid last year. He told: "I didn't think last year was a disaster. [It was] still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we didn't play as well last year. There were still good moments, but not the level I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I've had my shoulder surgery, a new manager [Xabi Alonso], he's got that shape, how we want to play. You have to learn from it."

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Getty Images SportTuchel tipped to spring surprises

As England have already qualified for the World Cup, Tuchel is being tipped to experiment with his latest squad. Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck is under consideration for a shock recall after a fine start to the Premier League season. The former Manchester United man has six goals in 10 games, and ex-England captain Wayne Rooney thinks it's a good time to give him a chance.

He told his self-titled podcast : "The next couple of England games, I wouldn’t even call Harry Kane up. Give him a rest. There are not many opportunities from now until the end of the season when he gets a rest. Let him rest and go and look at (Danny) Welbeck, or (Ollie) Watkins or Ivan Toney. Whoever it is he wants to look at, give these players the opportunity to try and play."

England take on Serbia on Thursday, November 13, at Wembley and then head to Albania three days later. Tuchel will announce his squad at 10am on Friday, November 7.

Cameras picked up Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as Arsenal hosted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The American entertainer is known to be a huge sports fan and his presence at the game, given his alter ego's place within modern football culture, was an amusing side-note for fans of the world famous show.

• Ted Lasso at the Emirates again!

  Sudeikis was there as himself, rather than some kind of Ted Lasso cameo, dressed in a jacket and tie, flat cap and dark glasses. Richmond gear was nowhere to be seen. It's not the first time this season that he's been seen at an Arsenal game, attending August's season opener against Nottingham Forest, and is increasingly a known fan of Mikel Arteta's side. Still, Brendan Hunt, known for playing Lasso's assistant, Coach Beard, was alongside him.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Arsenal's good luck charm

  Atletico Madrid have forged a reputation in the decade-plus that Diego Simeone has been at the helm as being one of Europe's toughest teams to beat. So for Arsenal to put four goals past them and prompt a full-on collapse – just 13 minutes elapsed betwen Gabriel putting the Gunners ahead and Viktor Gyokeres making it 4-0 – was certainly worthy of a few raised eyebrows.

• Not a fan before Ted Lasso series began

  Ted Lasso was born when Sudeikis starred as the character in a series of TV commercials advertising NBC's coverage of the Premier League in 2013, ironically depicted as the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach. But it wasn't until 2019 that a full series was commissioned, airing in 2020.

  Sudeikis wasn't a soccer fan before taking on the role, but it has introduced him to the world's most popular sport. "I like it, yeah," he remarked in 2024. "I don't understand everything, but after the show, I started to enjoy it even further."

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• Getty Images
  

  Solskjaer also attends

  Sudeikis wasn't the only famous face spotted among the crowd. Ex-Manchester United boss and Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also seen watching on. The Norwegian was recently dismissed by Besiktas following successive Europa League and Conference League qualifying eliminations, only eight months after taking the job in Istanbul. It was Solskjaer's first role since leaving United in 2021.

The trophies haven’t necessarily flowed, but Arsenal have made some unreal signings in the 20 or so years since they moved to the Emirates.

Players like Alexis Sanchez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Santi Cazorla all more than made their mark after joining under the legendary manager Arsène Wenger.

The good signings didn’t stop when the Frenchman left the dugout, though, as Mikel Arteta has made his fair share as well.

Moreover, he looks like he may have done it again, with a certain player looking like he could be the best signing of the Emirates era since Declan Rice.

Best Emirates era signings made under Arteta

So when talking about some of the best signings made under Arteta, it’s hard not to start with Rice.

The Englishman joined Arsenal for a club-record £105m in the summer of 2023, and to say he’s been a success in red and white would be quite the understatement.

So far, the former West Ham United captain has made 108 appearances for the Gunners, seen his position shift from six to eight and racked up a tally of 38 goal involvements while being a lean, mean ball-winning machine in the middle of the park.

Another Arteta signing who has helped to make the team far tougher to play against is Gabriel Magahelese, who joined the team for around £23m in the summer of 2020.

It’s easy to forget that some saw the Brazilian as accident-prone during the first couple of seasons at the club because, over the last three years or so, he has become one of the very best and most dependable centre-backs in world football and has even captained the side on multiple occasions, including last night.

Appearances

215

Starts

206

Minutes

18485′

Goals

20

Assists

5

Points per Game

1.98

Last but not least, David Raya, who joined a loan in the summer of 2023 before joining permanently the year after, has to be considered as another of the manager’s best signings.

The Spanish shot-stopper has now made 101 appearances for the North Londoners, in which he has conceded 82 times and managed to keep a staggering 43 clean sheets, which has seen him win the Premier League Golden Glove award in the last two seasons.

In short, while he has made his fair share of dud signings, Arteta has made plenty of incredible ones, and from what we have seen so far this season, he may have just made his best since Rice.

Arteta's best signing since Rice

When it comes to working things like who might be the best signing since someone like Rice, several factors come into it from the price the club paid, the performances the player has put in and the potential they have.

Chalkboard

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

When factoring in all three, it’s hard to look past the incredibly gifted Cristhian Mosquera.

The Spanish centre-back joined the club for just £13m in the summer from Valencia, and at the time, most fans and pundits alike saw him as someone who’d get some game time here and there, but generally not feature too much.

Instead, there is now genuine discussion among some sections of the fan base about him potentially retaining his place in the starting lineup for the game against Manchester City on Sunday.

Such talk would have been utterly preposterous only a month or so ago, but since coming into the team in the Frenchman’s absence, the youngster has massively impressed.

For example, he was forced into playing 85 minutes of football away to Liverpool in just his second Premier League appearance, and instead of wilting under the pressure, he looked like a seasoned veteran, making three clearances, blocking two shots, making four tackles and completing 47 of 51 passes.

Then at home to Nottingham Forest, in his first league start, the Alicante-born titan was even better, winning 100% of his ground duels, taking 92 touches, completing 75 passes and helping to keep a clean sheet.

With back-to-back performances like these, it wasn’t even really a surprise when the “insane” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put in another brilliant showing away to Athletic Bilbao last night.

The 21-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, was a rock at the back, making six clearances and one tackle, taking 93 touches, completing a staggering 75 of 79 passes and winning five of eight aerial duels.

It was the display of a seasoned pro and one that makes Mattinson’s claim of him being a “10/10 signing” increasingly hard to dispute.

Ultimately, it might still be a little early, but Mosquera looks like he’s going to go down as one of the best purchases made by Arteta and is a player who could well become a superstar at Arsenal.

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6 ByMatt Dawson Sep 17, 2025