Tottenham Hotspur are set to face bitter North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates this afternoon, with the clash against the Gunners no doubt the biggest of the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Thomas Frank will be getting his first taste of what the Derby has to offer, but he will undoubtedly be hoping to be on the winning side later on this evening.

However, he faces a huge challenge ahead of him, with Mikel Arteta’s team currently sitting top of the Premier League and remaining unbeaten on home soil after their first five encounters.

To make things worse for the Lilywhites, they have only beaten the Gunners once away from home in the last 32 matches, with Frank potentially writing himself into the history books this afternoon.

If his men are to claim all three points against their bitter rivals, the manager desperately needs to drop one player from his starting eleven after his recent dismal form.

Why Brennan Johnson needs to be dropped against Arsenal

Brennan Johnson has endured a massive decline over the last couple of weeks, with the Welshman unable to match his form from the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old has only found the net twice in his first 11 outings of the league season, with his last effort coming way back in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of August.

However, he did start the last outing against Manchester United before the international break, but failed to deliver and made it nine games without a goal in England’s top-flight.

His underlying stats showcase his lack of impact against the Red Devils, with the Welshman only able to complete 50% of the dribbles he attempted in North London.

Johnson also only managed to find a teammate with one of his five crosses, whilst also failing to register a single shot on goal during his 90-minute display.

He gifted possession back to the opposition on 18 separate occasions – the most of any player in the squad – further highlighting his lack of success in the meeting.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to drop him from his starting eleven, with one player deserving of the opportunity to thrive against the club’s bitter rivals.

The Spurs player who can secure bragging rights over Arsenal

During the recent draw with Ruben Amorim’s men, Frank made some crucial substitutions that managed to save the game and secure a vital point in the Premier League.

Mathys Tel was brought off the substitutes bench in the 79th minute against the Red Devils and made an immediate impact on the meeting – as he scored just five minutes after stepping onto the field.

He wasn’t alone in thriving after his addition, with winger Wilson Odobert grabbing the assist for Richarlison’s stoppage-time effort, with both massively staking their claim for a starting role.

However, it’s unclear whether the manager will decide to hand any of the aforementioned stars a rare start – but they are massively deserving of an opportunity from a starting role.

Instead, Frank should look to recall a man who was billed as “Arsenal’s perfect Saka replacement” by pundit Adrian Clarke. Indeed, that man is Mohammed Kudus who must return to the starting eleven after missing each of the last two outings in all competitions with a minor injury.

The £150k-per-week Ghanaian only joined the Lilywhites in a £55m deal from West Ham United in the summer, but he’s wasted no time in impressing and is arguably one of the club’s most important players.

He’s already opened his account for the Lilywhites, whilst laying on four assists in the process – a tally which is the joint-highest of any player in the division.

Johnson has had the opportunity to fill the void in recent weeks, but he’s been unable to do so, with the manager needing to recall the 25-year-old this afternoon.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has only lost once to the Gunners in his four previous meetings – even finding the net in the Carabao Cup win back in November 2023.

xG generated

1.39

3rd

xA registered

1.26

1st

Assists

4

1st

Big chances created

2

1st

Key passes per game

1.9

1st

Dribbles completed per game

3.6

1st

His numbers from the ongoing season, coupled with his previous wins against today’s opponents, showcase his ability to cause carnage in attacking areas when having the chance.

Given such numbers in recent history, Frank desperately needs to start the winger at the Emirates, with his pace and quality on the ball a real danger to any side that dares to stop him.

It’s a massive game and one that the supporters always want to win, with their chances of claiming a rare victory potentially falling into the hands of Kudus.

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خاض فريق مانشستر سيتي، بقيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا، مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم مساء يوم السبت، وذلك ضد خصمه سندرلاند.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسندرلاند، في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، 2025/26، حيث حقق السكاي بلو فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسندرلاند في الدوري الإنجليزي

وحاول مانشستر سيتي تهديد مرمى سندرلاند في الدقيقة 10 من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق تسديدة من برناردو سيلفا، ولكنها جاءت بعيدة عن المرمى.

وشن سندرلاند أول هجمة على مرمى مانشستر سيتي، في الدقيقة 16، بعد تسديدة قوية بجوار قائم الحارس جيانلويجي دوناروما.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل هدف أول في شباك خصمه سندرلاند، في الدقيقة 31، عن طريق روبن دياز، بعد تمريرة من ريان شرقي، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى البرتغالي الذي سددها بطريقة صاروخية من خارج المنطقة، لتهز شباك الضيوف.

وفي الدقيقة 35، تمكن مانشستر سيتي من تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك سندرلاند، بعد رأسية من جفارديول، ليعزز تفوق كتيبة بيب جوارديولا.

وأهدر مانشستر سيتي فرصة تسجيل الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 51، بعد تسديدة من جيريمي دوكو اصطدمت بالقائم، ثم ارتدت لتصل إلى فيل فودين الذي سددها في الدفاع.

وتصدى دوناروما لفرصة هدف محقق لصالح سندرلاند، في الدقيقة 53، بعد خطأ من روبن دياز، وسدد لاعب الخصم الكرة ولكن الإيطالي تصدى ببراعة.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك سندرلاند، في الدقيقة 65، عن طريق فيل فودين، بعد تمريرة مثالية من ريان شرقي، لتصل إلى الإنجليزي الذي سددها برأسه في الشباك، معلنًا عن هدف ثالث لكتيبة بيب جوارديولا.

ودفع المدرب بيب جوارديولا بالنجم المصري عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 69، بعد خروج إيرلينج هالاند.

وتحصل لاعب سندرلاند، لوك أونين، على بطاقة حمراء عقب تدخله القوي على ماتيوس نونيز، حيث تدخلت تقنية الفيديو قبل اتخاذ القرار من جانب الحكم.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى 31 نقطة في المركز الثاني، بفارق نقطتين فقط عن آرسنال الذي تعرض لهزيمة قاتلة على يد أستون فيلا بهدفين لهدف، بينما تجمد رصيد سندرلاند عند 23 نقطة في المركز السابع.

In the MLB postseason, teams have to be ready to adjust on the fly. This is doubly true for do-or-die elimination games, such as Friday night’s decisive Game 5 between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.

In a game where one run might decide the difference between your season ending and your quest for the World Series carrying on, a team might have to pinch run for a better player than you normally would, or bring in a starting pitcher out of the bullpen to keep the game going, or any number of other bold strategies we only see in the playoffs.

And sometimes, in extreme circumstances, you have to let the loser fish win the mascot race.

The Mariners have hosted the Salmon Run—a mascot race around the warning track—at every home game at T-Mobile Park since the start of the 2024 season. Like many mascot races, the Salmon Run includes a lovable loser, who earns their status as a crowd favorite despite never coming in first. In Seattle, that’s Humpy.

As Friday’s game carried into the 14th inning, someone high atop the production team made a call—there would be a second “Salmon Run.” And this time, Humpy would win.

With the initial Salmon Run taking place before the game went to extras, it was decided that a second race would be run in the middle of the 15th inning, at which point the game was still tied 2–2 with the Mariners up to bat.

Despite falling behind early, the other salmon contenders ran into each other late, and Humpy was able to sneak through for their first ever victory. The crowd was electric.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Mariners would finally score the walk-off run that sent them to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001.

Obviously, it’s the players on the field that deserve the most credit for the win, but I do think it’s worth shouting out Humpy and whatever production staff was behind the decision to run a second race.

Before Humpy’s victory, things at T-Mobile Park were . The Mariners had gotten runners in scoring position several times in extra innings, but never able to bring them home. The ballpark was still packed despite the game nearly entering its sixth hour.

When you have a loser in the mascot race and you want them to win, you can only fire that bullet once, but given the circumstances, there was simply no better time for the Mariners’ stadium ops team to pull the trigger. The result was an explosion of joy across the tens of thousands of fans at T-Mobile Park, which also served as a collective exhale after two hours of baseball that were as edge-of-your-seat as the sport can get.

The gambit worked. Humpy and the Mariners left Friday’s game as winners. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?

MLB announced the winners of the first major annual award on Monday, revealing the winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year award for both the American and National League.

The Rookie of the Year awards are annually voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America, with 30 voters determining who was the top rookie in MLB during the season. The reigning Rookie of the Year winners are Yankees pitcher Luis Gil and Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

Here’s a look at the 2025 Rookie of the Year winners.

American League Rookie of the Year Winner

Winner: Nick Kurtz, Athletics 1B

Finalists: Roman Anthony, Red Sox OF and Jacob Wilson, Athletics SS

Nick Kurtz made his debut for the Athletics on April 23, 2025 and finished his stellar rookie campaign slashing .290/.383/.619 with 122 hits, 90 runs, 36 home runs, 86 RBIs and a 1.002 OPS. Kurtz, nicknamed the “Big Amish” and known for his butter churning celebration, finished 10th in MLB in home runs and led all rookies in 2025 in home runs, RBIs, runs and walks.

Kurtz’s finest performance of the season came on July 25, when he went 6-6 with four home runs and eight RBIs against the Astros, becoming the first rookie ever to hit four home runs in a single game.

He is now the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Teammate Jacob Wilson finished second in the voting with 23 second-place votes while Roman Anthony comes up in third after receiving three second-place votes and 15 third-place votes.

“It’s a great ending to the first year,” Kurtz told MLB Network. “Like Jacob said earlier, use this and keep on grinding and come back better next year.”

National League Rookie of the Year Winner

Winner: Drake Baldwin, Braves C

Finalists: Caleb Durbin, Brewers 3B and Cade Horton, Cubs pitcher

Drake Baldwin made his MLB debut at the start of the season on March 27, 2025. Over the course of 124 games during his first season, he slashed .274/.341/.469 for 111 hits, 56 runs, 19 home runs, 80s RBIs and a .810 OPS. Baldwin finished the season leading all National League rookies in RBIs, second among NL rookies in home runs and second on the Braves in WAR.

He has been one of the star performers in the domestic circuit in the recent past, and has done his bit to put Central Zone in pole position to win the Duleep Trophy title

Ashish Pant15-Sep-2025In the last 12 months, no offspinner has more wickets in first-class cricket in India than Saransh Jain’s 44. Add to that his 311 runs, and he is one of just four players with the double of 300-plus runs and 40-plus wickets in the last one year. In a country with an abundance of left-arm orthodox spinners, Jain falls in the rare category of an offspin-bowling allrounder. And often, he’s been the difference in bowling attacks for whichever team he has played for.Think back to the Irani Trophy last year when, playing for Rest of India, he picked up 6 for 121 in Mumbai’s second innings, which included the wickets of Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan.Or in the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy semi-final, where he beat Ruturaj Gaikwad in flight and had him stumped on 184, finishing with eight wickets for the match.Related

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How Kartikeya turned the Duleep final on its head

In the final as well, Jain’s flight and dip, coupled with his high-arm action, troubled the South Zone batters in the first innings as he returned 5 for 49. And then, in the second innings, he added three more to his tally to make it 16 wickets for the tournament, taking Central Zone to the doorstep of a first Duleep Trophy title in 11 years.”I am pleased that I have given a good performance in both these matches because it is very important,” Jain, now 32, told ESPNcricinfo after the fourth day’s play in the final. “The season starts with the Duleep Trophy, so the momentum that you get here carries through the season.”If you remember, I also had a good performance in the Irani tournament last year. See, the thing is, if you want to get highlighted, you need to give back-to-back performances. Only then will the national selectors look at you and select you.”A key feature of Jain’s bowling is adapting to different situations. In the semi-final on the black-soil surface of Ground B of the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, he varied his pace and got the ball to skid, apart from deceiving the batters in the air.On the opening day of the final, on realising he was extracting extra bounce, he gave the ball a lot more air, getting it to grip and jump. Then, on the fourth day, when Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth were involved in a 192-run seventh-wicket stand, he was prepared to take a step back and play the containing role, waiting for the batters to make a mistake.

“When I bat, I compare myself with Rajat [Patidar] and other good batsmen. In bowling, I know what I have to do. But in batting, I try and see how these top-order batters go about their innings and I play accordingly”Saransh Jain

“I have been playing cricket for a long time, so I have faced such situations,” Jain said of his fourth-day tactics. “We were not panicking. This happens in cricket. We can’t always have all five days going our way. One session, one-odd day, can belong to the opposition as well.”We were fine with them having a few sessions going their way. It is not that tough a wicket where the runs wouldn’t get scored. Our main aim was to not leak too many runs. We just wanted to take the game as deep as possible as we were already on top.”A major reason behind Central Zone’s dominance in the final has been the partnership between Jain and Kumar Kartikeya, the duo – who have played for Madhya Pradesh together for a long time – picking up 16 of the 20 South Zone wickets to fall.”We have a clear mindset,” Jain said. “If he bowls well, I support him. And vice-versa. And if he is having an off day, or I am having an off day, we tell each other where we are going wrong. We give each other a lot of input.”Like Rajat [Patidar] and Shubham [Sharma] are my batting partners, Kartikeya is my bowling partner, and has been for a long time.”Saransh Jain punches the ball away during his half-century in the Duleep Trophy final•PTI While bowling is Jain’s stronger suit, he takes a lot of pride in his batting. He said he talked a lot with his Madhya Pradesh team-mates Patidar and Shubham on how to improve his skills and trained a lot. In the last 12 months, Jain has scored three first-class fifties, including back-to-back half-centuries in the Duleep Trophy semi-final and final.”I have liked batting since childhood. If you want to play cricket as a spinner, you can’t just be a bowler. You have to be a proper batter,” Jain said. “I have opened the batting, played at No. 3 in the Ranji Trophy, in a semi-final [against Bengal in 2022-23], and have scored runs.”When I bat, I compare myself with Rajat and other good batsmen. In bowling, I know what I have to do. But in batting, I try and see how these top-order batters go about their innings and I play accordingly.”Jain had won the Lala Amarnath Award for the best allrounder in the Ranji Trophy after the 2022-23 season. With the next Ranji season a month away, it’s a feat he said he wanted to repeat in his quest for the bigger goal, which is “to see the India logo on my jersey”.

India will eye a series win and may not want to tinker much with their XI after a close match

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-2025Big picture – Raipur’s second ODI everThere is a reason why ODIs are a format after India’s heart. Why, at a time when ODIs fight for relevance outside the World Cup, do Indians still sell out stadiums to watch their team in action? It doesn’t demand as much devotion as Tests do, but still provides enough time and certainty for their heroes to showcase their skill and fitness. And when two of the greatest of all time, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, find the form they did during the first ODI between against South Africa, it’s all the more reason for a three-match series to be frenzied.While ODIs are less reliant on luck than T20Is, the first ODI was also an example of how much heavy lifting the side losing the toss has to do. Despite all the pedigree they have, India came within a couple of connected full tosses of possibly losing to a side that has been chopping and changing, and has played 37 players in this year alone.Ranchi was India’s experience and skill coming up against the conditions and the incredible hitting depth in the South Africa line-up. You’d expect the same for the rest of the series if India keep losing tosses – they have now lost 19 in a row – but the only ODI Raipur has ever hosted was a bit of a dream for seam bowlers, who bowled New Zealand out for 108 in early 2023.Related

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It happened to be the match immediately after one that mirrored this series’ Ranchi ODI. Asked to bat first back then, India rode on Shubman Gill’s double-century to post 349 for 8 – exactly what India got against South Africa in Ranchi – and had New Zealand reeling at 131 for 6, but the lower order gave India a scare once the dew came in, getting to within 12 runs of the score.This time, you’d hope Raipur gives us a closer contest than the Ranchi thriller. Not least because if India are on the dealing end of a one-sided game, the series will then have to feature a dead-rubber in Visakhapatnam.Form guideIndia: WWLLW
South Africa: LLWLLIn the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Nandre BurgerIndia had only a brief window of movement in Ranchi before the dew turned bowling into a nightmare. But Harshit Rana took two wickets in that small window to put India ahead. He has now shown that not only can he be effective in hitting the pitch hard with the old ball, but also with the new ball. Rana’s next challenge might be taking the new ball in the afternoon, when it tends to do little.Unlucky to not be a regular part of the Test set-up just yet, Nandre Burger took on that challenge in the afternoon in Ranchi, and came out with credit. He bowled at consistent high pace, and found a way to challenge the batters. If Burger can find a way to do even better, he will be a theme in the rest of the series.Team news: Bavuma, Maharaj should be backIndia will not want to be fickle with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Now that they have started the series with them there, one match against a soft ball shouldn’t be enough to push the two players out.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaTemba Bavuma should be back after resting in the first ODI•ICC/Getty ImagesSouth Africa rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj for the first ODI, but they were both quite active. Bavuma spoke to the players during drinks breaks, and Maharaj served as a substitute fielder for a while. So they should come right back in. Maharaj is an easier swap for Prenelan Subrayen, while Bavuma should replace one out of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, both of whom scored ducks in Ranchi.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock/Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Tony de Zorzi, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Ottneil BaartmanPitch and conditionsThe India vs New Zealand match from 2023 remains Raipur’s only day-night List A game, so there isn’t much history to go by. But the endeavour generally is to not produce a pitch too loaded in favour of the bowlers. So that 108 all out of nearly three years ago will likely be an aberration more than the trend. The weather promises to be pleasant for cricket, with temperatures not likely to go higher than 27 degrees celcius or lower than 14.Stats and trivia Rohit Sharma now holds the record for most ODI sixes: 352. The 681 runs scored in Ranchi was the highest aggregate for an India-South Africa contest.

Xabi Alonso has taken a massive gamble on Kylian Mbappe as the Frenchman has been included in the Real Madrid squad to face Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The manager is fighting to save his job in the Spanish capital and needs a positive result to ease the pressure. Mbappe missed training on Tuesday due to an injury, but is still in line to feature against City at the Bernabeu.

• Mbappe named in matchday squad for City clash

  Mbappe, who has been the club’s talisman this season, sat out Tuesday’s public session alongside compatriot Eduardo Camavinga, prompting speculation about whether the forward would be available for selection. Spanish radio outlet reported that Mbappe had suffered a problem in his left leg, which further spread panic among fans. But Real boss Alonso has moved to quash the uncertainty by including the 26-year-old in the official matchday squad, confirming he will at least take a place among the substitutes at the Bernabeu.

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• Getty Images
  

  Mbappe's dominance and Madrid’s dependence

  Mbappe has been Madrid’s heartbeat in the 2025-26 campaign. With 25 goals across all competitions, plus four Champions League assists, he is on track to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals (69) in a calendar year for the club. In La Liga, he has been responsible for half of Madrid’s total goals, and a scarcely believable 75 per cent  in Europe. His last Champions League outing was a four-goal masterpiece against Olympiacos, underlining both his brilliance and Madrid’s reliance on him. 

  Alonso’s decision to include Mbappe in the squad comes at a moment when his own position is under intense scrutiny. Madrid’s 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo on Sunday was catastrophic, extending a bleak run of just two wins in seven matches across all competitions. The loss was compounded by two red cards, shown to Alvaro Carreras and Fran García, and a serious muscle injury to centre-back Eder Militao, who is expected to be sidelined for up to four months. The result widened the gap to Barcelona at the top of La Liga to four points and ignited further speculation that Alonso’s reign could be terminated if City inflict another damaging defeat. Reports in Madrid suggest this match, against Pep Guardiola’s side, may be his final chance to steady a season veering off course. 

  However, a defiant Alonso is not ready to throw in the towel. He said: "We are all in the same boat. We have to go through positive and negative times. We need to believe the next game is an opportunity, and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us, and we need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees. Communication [with the board] is constant. We are united, we are all together in this, and I have a good relationship with them."

• Plan 'Endrick’ prepared as cover for Mbappe

  With Mbappe missing training and doubts lingering over his physical condition, Alonso spent Tuesday working closely with teenage forward Endrick. The Brazilian, who has struggled for minutes since arriving in the summer, received special tips from the manager, which indicated that he could play a meaningful role against City. dubbed the tactical contingency "Plan Endrick" with the 18-year-old expected either to start or come from the bench for his first appearance since November 1. Gonzalo García, who has featured more regularly this season, is another attacking alternative if Mbappe is unable to lead the line. But the focus remains firmly on the Frenchman. Without him at full tilt, Madrid’s prospects appear worryingly diminished.

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  Madrid aim for collective strength amid injury crisis

  Whether Mbappe will feature from the start is still unknown. Alonso, under enormous pressure and staring down a make-or-break moment in his turbulent reign, may yet opt to gamble on the fitness of a player who has carried his team almost single-handedly through the season. He is already missing several defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Militao as Madrid’s back line has been ravaged by injury. Hence, it was no surprise when midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni acknowledged the challenge of containing City’s attacking threat, especially that of Erling Haaland. 

  "If we don't win games, it's because we have to do things better with and without the ball, with commitment from everyone and play better in defence and attack. We hope to improve and win more games because what's happening now cannot go on," he said.

  "We're all together. If we want to win games, we all have to fight, coach and team in the same direction. It's us who are on the pitch, and we have to do things better out there. We have a good opportunity to change the dynamic and pick up more points in the Champions League."

Well, given the circumstances, that was an exceptional result for Chelsea.

Sure, Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone out there looking for a win, but considering Arsenal are the Premier League leaders, a point is not bad and has kept them within touching distance.

Moreover, when Moises Caicedo got himself sent off in the first half, it felt like only a matter of when, not if, the Gunners would take the lead.

There were sensational displays across the pitch for the hosts, including one monster that saved the Ecuadorian international from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea's standout stars

One of Chelsea’s best players this evening, and all season for that matter, was Robert Sanchez.

Chalkboard

The Spanish shot-stopper has come in for some harsh criticism over recent years, but against the Gunners, he was superb.

On top of his passing generally being on point and his collection of crosses being efficient, he also made several top-quality stops, like the one from Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the first half.

Another hugely important player for the Blues was captain fantastic, Reece James.

The Englishman once again started the game in the middle of the park and was, in the words of presenter Olivia Buzaglo, “gargantuan.”

In his 94 minutes of action, he provided an assist, played two key passes, won 100% of his tackles, won 11 of 12 duels, didn’t get dribbled past at all, recovered the ball twice, and completed 100% of his dribbles.

It was just the sort of performance the team needed from their captain after Caicedo was sent off in the first half.

However, there was another starter who was just as vital to the win, and truly saved the Ecuadorian’s blushes.

The Chelsea player who saved Caicedo

Once Caicedo was sent off, there was an expectation that Arsenal would eventually wrestle control back from Chelsea and stamp their authority over proceedings.

However, the Blues clearly had other ideas.

Just three minutes into the second 45, James delivered an incredible corner into the Gunners’ penalty area, and Trevoh Chalobah rose to meet it and head it home.

It was a well-worked set-piece and a brilliant header that seemed to shock the visitors and gave the Stamford Bridge faithful something to cheer about and take their minds off the red card.

However, while that was the most memorable moment of his game, Chalobah did far more than just score, as he was superb at the back and showed some great on-the-ball skill, coming out from the back on multiple occasions.

He unsurprisingly made quite the impression on the watching press as well, with the Standard’s Dom Smith awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

The 26-year-old’s statistics more than justify such a rating as well.

Minutes

94′

Goals

1

Tackles (Won)

1 (1)

Clearances

6

Recoveries

4

Ground Duels (Won)

2 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Dribbled Past

0

Touches

52

Shots

1

Fouls Won

1

In his 94 minutes of hard-fought action, the academy graduate won 100% of his tackles, made six clearances, recovered the ball four times, won five of seven duels, didn’t get dribbled past, took 52 touches and won one foul.

It was another performance from the Englishman that proves he’s more than just a stopgap until the club splashes the cash on a new defender.

Or, as Gary Cahill said in an interview that came out a few hours before the game, he is “the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.”

Ultimately, they might not have won, but Chelsea put in a sensational performance to claim a point against Arsenal, and alongside the likes of Sanchez and James, Chalobah saved Caicedo from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea have already signed their own Saka & he's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea are building a team of young superstars, and they have their latest talent waiting in the wings.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2025

From reverse to paddle, she used all sorts of sweeps to counter Bangladesh’s spinners and help her team register their first win of the World Cup

Sruthi Ravindranath10-Oct-20253:24

Devine finds support as New Zealand open account

For the third consecutive game in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, New Zealand found themselves in strife. They were 38 for 3 and Bangladesh’s spinners on top when Brooke Halliday walked in. It wasn’t the first time they had relied on her to stabilise things this World Cup. Tentative at first, she scratched her way to 8 off 21 balls, probing forward, going back, trying to find her rhythm.Then came the release.Fahima Khatun floated one wide outside off, and Halliday pounced. A reverse sweep, perfectly placed past short third, for four to break the pressure. From there, she swept with authority – conventional, reverse, paddle – nullifying the threat of Bangladesh’s spinners, who have been excellent all tournament. Her 69 off 104 balls became the backbone of New Zealand’s first win of the competition.Related

• Devine, Halliday, bowlers give NZ their first win of the World Cup

It wasn’t a shot pulled out on instinct. She has been trying to perfect the sweep over the past year. It was pivotal during her tour of India in late 2024, where she posted her career-best 86 in the third ODI in Ahmedabad, collecting 22 runs off 11 sweep shots, including two boundaries and a six. Earlier this week, against South Africa, she again turned to it, sweeping Chloe Tryon twice to the boundary during a 37-ball 45.With New Zealand not playing an ODI in the last six months, Halliday spent the winter at the CSK academy in Chennai, honing the sweep against spin. Ahead of this clash, she worked with net bowlers to sharpen the shot. On Friday, all that prep came good.Brooke Halliday and Sophie Devine put on a century stand•Getty Images”That [sweep] is something I did try and practice a lot in Chennai just with the turning ball,” she said during the presentation, after collecting her Player-of-the-Match award. “The perks of the last couple of days is that we’ve had a lot of net bowlers who actually bowled quite similar to what we got today. Being able to figure out how we were going to play certain bowlers and then just today going out there and watching the ball and just having an idea of how things were going to go.”In a batting line-up stacked with right-handers, Halliday’s presence as the lone left-hander was always going to be pivotal, especially against Bangladesh’s spin-heavy attack featuring a left-arm spinner and two legspinners. Her ability to play the sweep and disrupt their rhythm proved invaluable.With Sophie Devine at the other end, Halliday kept the scoreboard ticking. The left-right combination forced field changes and unsettled Bangladesh’s bowlers. While Devine preferred hanging back and playing off the back foot, Halliday played sweeps of all kinds. The two added 112 for the fourth wicket, during which Halliday also passed 1000 career ODI runs.Her third boundary of the day, against offspinner Nishita Akter Nishi, came with a paddle sweep. And when Shorna Akter tossed one into the slot, Halliday got down and slog-swept it for a six over midwicket. In all, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, she played 15 sweeps, scoring 29 runs off them. No batter at this World Cup has scored more runs via the sweep shots of all types than Halliday. She now has 45 off 21 deliveries with the shot, well ahead of India’s Richa Ghosh, who has 28 off eight.But the sweep remains a double-edged sword, also bringing her downfall. She was dismissed sweeping in Ahmedabad off Deepti Sharma, then again against South Africa off Nonkululeko Mlaba. On Friday, it was the same script: having just swept Fahima for four, she attempted the shot again, only to top-edge to the wicketkeeper.”It wasn’t easy to bat out there”•AFP/Getty Images”I’ve got out to it a couple of times now but I’ve also been able to hit a few runs with it,” she said. “So there’s a lot of perks with being able to expand my game and just get a little bit better.”New Zealand are headed to Colombo, where they play Pakistan and Sri Lanka, two more spin-heavy sides. Halliday hopes to take the learnings from her last two innings into those games.”The biggest thing over the last couple of days after that last match was being okay with getting ones and being quite boring. I went out there again with Sophie, so we kind of knew what the plan was: to just try and bat for a very long time to that 40th over and then from there hopefully we can have a bit of a party time, which I failed to get to but Sophie was able to capitalise a little bit.”It wasn’t just Bangladesh’s spinners that Halliday had to negotiate. The heat and humidity in Guwahati added to the challenge. Dripping with sweat, she dug in for what turned into one of her most important ODI innings.”It wasn’t easy to bat out there,” she said. “I think the mental side of it was very tough and then also the physical side kind of hit us a little bit later on. There was a time when Sophie and I both were going, ‘Oh my goodness, single hitting is actually quite hard.’ There’s always a part of us that actually just wants to hit a boundary or two. Sophie is really clear and keeps it really simple, which kind of works for me.”Since her debut in 2021, Halliday has occupied the middle order quietly, operating under the radar in a side where the spotlight usually falls on Suzie Bates, Devine, or Amelia Kerr. But she has made a habit of standing up when it counts. Her 38 off 28 against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final was one such occasion. On Friday, she delivered again, batting New Zealand out of trouble to put their campaign back on track.

Bangladesh seamer claimed that a former selector approached her inappropriately during the 2022 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

The BCB has announced that it will form a committee to investigate allegations made by fast bowler Jahanara Alam, claiming that a former selector approached her inappropriately during the 2022 ODI World Cup. The board has instructed the committee to submit its findings and recommendations within 15 working days.In a statement released on Thursday, just before midnight, the BCB stated that it would take appropriate action based on the investigation’s findings.”The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has noted with concern the allegations reported in the media made by a former member of the Bangladesh national women’s cricket team regarding alleged misconduct by certain individuals associated with the team,” the statement read. “As the matter is of a sensitive nature, the BCB has decided to form a committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly. The committee will submit its findings and recommendations within 15 working days. The BCB is committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and professional environment for all its players and personnel. The board takes such matters with utmost seriousness and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.”Related

BCB 'refutes' allegations of physical abuse against Nigar Sultana

Jahanara, who now resides in Australia, stated in an interview with journalist Riasad Azim that a former selector behaved inappropriately toward her when he was the women’s team selector and manager. She claimed that he asked her lewd questions. Jahanara also alleged that a couple of BCB officials acted inappropriately with her. She said she reported the incident to former BCB director Shafiul Islam Nadel and the board’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury.These allegations come shortly after Jahanara made similar claims in another interview, in which she accused Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana of physically abusing her team-mates. However, the BCB called them “baseless”.Jahanara has taken 48 wickets in ODIs and 60 in T20Is across 135 white-ball matches for Bangladesh. She is also the only Bangladesh player to have competed in the Women’s T20 Challenge in India and the FairBreak Invitational T20.