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Everton are far enough away from the top half and the bottom three that their Premier League season is basically said and done, but there’s still something bigger to play for.

This weekend, Goodison Park will sing for the Everton Men’s team one last time. Relegated Southampton make the trip, sure to enter a cauldron of chaos as the Toffees say goodbye to their long-held home ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer.

The change of scenery represents a very real juncture in the club’s history, with David Moyes back at the helm and tasked with a rebuild that will see plenty of ins and outs before the 2025/26 campaign.

While fans are hoping to see a new striker walk through the gates, Everton need a variety of talent, with an exciting midfielder identified already.

Everton chasing new midfielder

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland’s Dan Neil is on Everton’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window, although a move would likely be dependent on the outcome Black Cats’ Championship play-off final tie against Sheffield United.

That said, Neil’s contract expires at the end of next season and his side would prefer to cash in while they can. This opens a road from which Everton can travel to claim the talented midfielder’s signature.

Due to the player’s contract situation, he may even be available for a cut-price fee of £15m this summer.

What Dan Neil would bring to Everton

Neil, 23, has played a crucial role in Sunderland’s rise from League One. His breakthrough actually came during the promotion-sealing season of 2021/22, and he’s now featured 196 times for his boyhood club, clinching 32 goal contributions.

Hailed as a “joy to watch” on the field by Sunderland reporter Phil Smith and as “phenomenal” by fellow EFL star Luke Molyneux, Neil’s all-round game is something that could really impact the Everton midfield, with his sharp eye for a pass, strong defensive qualities and knack for driving the ball forward and creating space for teammates a particular skill set that Moyes has made good use of in the past.

Indeed, Neil could actually prove to be the manager’s next version of Declan Rice, who might play for Arsenal now but made his name in east London, synonymous with West Ham United’s rise in Moyes’ system, instrumental in winning the Conference League in 2022/23.

Matches (starts)

44 (44)

33 (31)

Goals

2

3

Assists

3

7

Touches*

57.5

57.7

Pass completion

84%

90%

Big chances created

4

16

Key passes*

0.7

1.8

Ball recoveries*

5.7

4.3

Dribbles*

0.9

0.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.9

2.4

Duels (won)*

4.8 (51%)

3.4 (51%

Rice is clearly the more creative player, and he’s playing top-flight football besides, but Everton fans aren’t expecting Moyes and the board to conjure up a signing carrying the elite-level status of the Gunners’ main man in the middle.

Rather, they just want to see progress, and that is exactly what Neil would provide if placed in the Everton centre. As you can see, he’s athletic, tenacious in the duel and willing to dribble the ball forward, with a crispness in possession that Moyes will need to help with his transitional play next year.

Moyes’ man management ability is second to none, and after several years of promise in the second tier, Neil is surely ready to step into the big time as an Everton player, where he could thrive as the centrepiece of a growing project.

He'd be Moyes' next Cahill: Everton plot move for "incredible" EFL star

Everton could be about to land a player who could follow in the footsteps of a former fan-favourite.

ByEthan Lamb May 15, 2025

Not since the 1989/90 season had Manchester United lost 16 games in a single league season. That was until this campaign, one that’s seen the Red Devils plummet towards the relegation places.

Ruben Amorim’s side are perhaps fortunate that the three relegated sides, Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, were all so poor.

Indeed, after a bruising 4-3 loss at the hands of Brentford on Sunday afternoon, United now sit 15th in the league on 39 points, one point above Tottenham Hotspur who have been equally as bad.

It’s strange, therefore, that they could both meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao if all goes well on Thursday night when Amorim’s men face Athletic Club in their semi-final second leg.

It’s safe to say, despite their first-leg aggregate lead, they will need to be a lot better than they were this weekend when a certain Luke Shaw hardly covered himself in glory.

How Luke Shaw let Man United down vs Brentford

Signed as one of the most promising young players in English football back in June 2014 for £27m, it’s safe to say Shaw has been a brilliant signing.

Despite that horrific leg break and his recent injury troubles, by and large, Shaw has lived up to the hype of one of England’s best left-backs of his generation.

The trouble is, it looks as though his days at United are now coming to a sorry end courtesy of those fitness issues.

The fact of the matter is that the defender has endured a nightmare few years on the treatment table, missing 48 games for club and country through injury last season and sitting out 62 games for club and country this term.

He has only played eight times this term and his second start of 2024/25, which was against the Bees this weekend, may well have been his final one in United colours.

After all, the 29-year-old struggled big time as the left-sided centre-back, hauled off after 45 minutes having nearly scored two own goals in that first period. Shaw did, sadly, find the back of the net at the wrong end of the pitch, and it was a moment that rather typified his struggles during the Erik ten Hag and Amorim eras.

Luke Shaw vs Brentford

Minutes played

45

Touches

30

Accurate passes

19/24 (79%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0

Clearances

2

Tackles

1

Interceptions

0

Duels won

1/3

Stats via Sofascore.

Evidently struggling with a lack of fitness, perhaps the current incumbent of the manager’s position at Old Trafford should not have started him.

The same could be said for Patrick Dorgu.

Patrick Dorgu's performance in numbers against Brentford

What a puzzling, topsy-turvy first few months to Dorgu’s career in the north west this has been.

Amorim’s first signing, brought in from Lecce in Serie A, as a flying wing-back he looked tailor-made for the manager’s new system at United.

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While the 20-year-old still has plenty of time to come good, in the short term, it’s certainly not looking good for the young Dane.

He’s been riddled with inconsistency, something that has been typified by a red card against Ipswich back in February, a lack of goal involvements – he has just one – and his withdrawal at half-time on Sunday.

Amorim admitted after the 3-0 win last Thursday that Dorgu was feeling fatigued and thus, it was perhaps strange to see him selected on the right-hand side of United’s attack a few days later.

Clearly still lacking a bit of fitness, just as Shaw was, it was no surprise that he only lasted 45 minutes against the Bees.

Manchester Evening news reporter, Samuel Luckhurst, was one to criticise his display, dishing out a 4/10 match rating and writing: ‘Defended dozily at the far post for Schade’s headed goal. Only started in the absence of a senior right winger.’

Dorgu vs Brentford

Minutes played

45

Touches

28

Accurate passes

12/16 (75%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Ground duels won

1/3

Aerial duels won

1/2

Clearances

2

Interceptions

0

Tackles

0

Stats via Sofascore.

Defending dozily just about sums up United’s day as they were left to bemoan their tendency to hand over straightforward chances to Brentford.

Unsurprisingly, Dorgu left the field having had fewer touches (28) than goalkeeper Altay Bayindir (57) and Shaw (30), but more alarmingly, considering he was playing as a wing-back, he didn’t have a single shot, didn’t make a key pass and lost two of his five duels. He didn’t score an own goal like one of his teammates but it was a similarly haphazard and timid display.

With Amad now back and scoring, giving him a runout at the expense of the Denmark international on Thursday certainly seems like a viable solution here.

Related He'd be amazing with Amad: Man Utd battling to sign £63m "animal"

Man Utd could be targeting a perfect partner to Amad Diallo this summer

Posts ByRobbie Walls May 4, 2025

Fresh from having been narrowly defeated by Nottingham Forest earlier this week, Manchester United are now gearing up for Sunday’s Manchester Derby – just under five months on from clinching victory in dramatic circumstances at the Etihad.

Having been trailing 1-0 heading into the final knockings of the game, an Amad Diallo-inspired comeback flipped the match on its head, with the Ivorian first winning a penalty following a clumsy foul from Matheus Nunes, before sealing the win in stoppage time with an expertly taken finish from the angle.

That euphoric finale ensured it was a fitting way for Ruben Amorim to seal his first win in the fixture, albeit – as is often the way at United – it was matters off the field that dominated the headlines both pre and post-match.

Indeed, the Portuguese coach had taken the bold decision to leave both Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford out of the matchday squad for the meeting with Pep Guardiola’s side, with the 40-year-old stressing that the pair had been omitted due to a “selection” choice, rather than due to illness or injury.

In the case of Garnacho, the 20-year-old has since forced his way back into Amorim’s good books, having notably scored in the recent win over Leicester City, although as for Rashford, the England international hasn’t been seen in a United shirt since, having subsequently moved on loan to Aston Villa in February.

From scoring the winning goal in the derby back in March 2016, the same fixture at the Etihad perhaps marked the beginning of the end for the 27-year-old’s time with the Red Devils, with a permanent exit looking almost inevitable this summer.

Marcus Rashford's rise at Man Utd in 2016

Three goals in a week have ensured that Rashford is again the talk of the town at Villa Park, with the United academy graduate having shaken off his Amorim-led exile to kickstart his stuttering career under Unai Emery.

Having spoken of his desire for a “new challenge” back in December, the high-profile star – who could join the Villans on a £40m deal this summer – appears keen to leave life at Old Trafford behind, ending his lengthy association with the Red Devils.

In truth, it looks set to be a sad end to a story that started so spectacularly back in February 2016, with Rashford soaring from unknown teenager to household name overnight, following his brace against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League.

That stunning display on debut – which had come amid a remarkable injury crisis in Louis van Gaal’s centre-forward ranks – was followed by another double just a few days later on his first Premier League appearance against Arsenal, with the 18-year-old cementing his status as the new poster boy at the Theatre of Dreams.

In all, the promising striker would end that 2015/16 campaign with eight goals to his name from just 18 senior outings, albeit with few having been quite as memorable as his winner against City on the road.

On what was just his fourth league appearance for United, Rashford proved the hero after surging past the ageing Martin Demichelis, before expertly slotting the ball past compatriot, Joe Hart, and sending the travelling fans into a frenzy.

Just under a decade on, the Red Devils head into a derby without their 138-goal graduate – who has scored six times against City – to call upon. Could Amorim, however, have the next Rashford ready to be unleashed instead?

Man Utd could be brewing the next Rashford

It is easy to forget just what an incredible story it was at the time of Rashford’s emergence onto the scene at first-team level, with the local hero even going on to end 2015/16 as part of England’s squad for the European Championships in France.

That journey was somewhat mirrored last season as Kobbie Mainoo – who was handed his first league start in November 2023 – subsequently played a vital role in the Three Lions’ surge to the Euro 2024 final, having also netted what proved to be the clincher in the FA Cup showpiece in May.

The midfield maestro is unlikely to feature this weekend, however, as the 19-year-old steps up his return from his latest injury setback, albeit with there the potential for another teenage talent to make his mark in the fixture, in the form of Chido Obi.

Chido Obi

Man Utd

7

Tom Wingate

Fulham

5

Amin Nabizada

Watford

5

Mason Cotcher

Aston Villa

5

Shim Mhueka

Chelsa

4

Finlay Gorman

Man City

4

Emmerson Sutton

QPR

4

Cruz Allen

Derby

4

Matty Warhurst

Man City

4

On Tuesday evening at the City Ground, Amorim’s men failed to score for the 11th time in the league this season, with the ex-Sporting CP boss resorting to throwing on Harry Maguire as a makeshift striker at the death.

With Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund having scored just six top-flight goals between them in 2024/25, a change needs to be made one way or another, with it perhaps an opportunity for Obi to have his own Rashford-like derby moment.

Described as a “goal machine” at academy level by data analyst Ben Mattinson, the Danish starlet was absent from the midweek defeat after starting in the U18s FA Youth Cup loss to Villa on Monday night, with Adam Lawrence’s side crashing out on penalties.

Obi had scored seven times in just three appearances in the competition prior to that, with his total tally at that age group for United standing at 12 goals from just ten outings thus far.

Signed from Arsenal last summer, the 17-year-old hasn’t quite emulated Rashford yet after failing to score in any of his four substitute appearances at senior level, albeit while certainly coming close in the FA Cup clash with Fulham, after being denied by Bernd Leno from the angle.

With United’s priority for the remainder of the season now the Europa League, Amorim may deem it wise to rest the likes of Hojlund and Zirkzee regardless, ahead of Thursday’s quarter-final, first-leg tie with Lyon.

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That could then allow Obi – who is ineligible to feature in Europe – the chance to secure a first start for Amorim’s side this weekend, with there perhaps no better time for the youngster to get off the mark.

Rashford, unfortunately, now looks to be at the end of a fruitful journey at Old Trafford. For his potential successor, however, hopefully, the adventure is just beginning.

Worth more than Elanga: Man Utd have struck gold on £120k-p/w "wizard"

Man Utd have their own attacking sensation to rival Anthony Elanga

ByRobbie Walls Apr 3, 2025

And whose record of most World Cup centuries did Rohit Sharma beat?

Steven Lynch24-Oct-2023Was David Warner’s 163 against Pakistan the highest score for Australia in a World Cup? asked Zack Kellogg from Australia

David Warner’s rampaging 163 against Pakistan in the group game in Bengaluru last week puts him third on the Australian list – but since he occupies the top two places as well, he is their men’s record-holder!Warner clattered 178 against Afghanistan in Perth in 2015, and 166 against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2019. The next-highest for Australia as I write is Matthew Hayden’s 158 against West Indies in Antigua in 2007.There is a higher score for Australia in the women’s World Cup, though. Belinda Clark hit 229 not out against Denmark in Mumbai in December 1997. Alyssa Healy hammered 170 in the final against England in Christchurch in April 2022.Who scored the first century in a World Cup, and who took the first five-for? asked Ken Wallace from Australia

You probably didn’t mean this, but since the first women’s World Cup predated the men’s by two years – it was held in England in 1973 – the first World Cup century was actually scored by England’s Lynne Thomas, against an International XI in Hove. Thomas was eventually run out for 134 after an opening stand of 246 with Enid Bakewell, who finished with 101 not out. Bakewell made another century later in that inaugural competition, as did Rachael Heyhoe Flint. The first five-for was by the Australian seamer Tina Macpherson, who had figures of 12-7-14-5 as Young England were skittled for 57 in Bournemouth, a few hours before New Zealand slow left-armer Glenys Page took 6 for 20 against Trinidad & Tobago in St Albans.Turning to the men, identifying the first century isn’t quite as straightforward as it might sound. The first men’s World Cup began with four matches on the same day – June 7, 1975 – all starting at 11am. Dennis Amiss scored 137 for England against India at Lord’s in one of the opening games, while New Zealand’s Glenn Turner tucked in for an unbeaten 171 against East Africa at Edgbaston in another. They still stopped for lunch in ODIs in those days, and when the players trooped off at 1pm Amiss had 98 (after 35 overs of the eventual 60) and Turner 82 (after 40). We don’t have precise ball-by-ball details, but Amiss got to three figures first – just. He reached 100 in the 37th over, and was out in the 51st.The first men’s five-wicket haul is easier to pin down: also on that opening day in 1975, Dennis Lillee took 5 for 34 for Australia against Pakistan in their group game at Headingley. The only other five-fors in that tournament were by Lillee’s team-mate Gary Gilmour, who collected 6 for 14 as England were bundled out for 93 in the semi-final at Headingley, and 5 for 48 in the final against West Indies at Lord’s.Sachin Tendulkar has six centuries from 44 World Cup innings•Getty ImagesIt’s David Warner’s 37th birthday this week. Was he the oldest man to score a century in a World Cup match? asked Tess McKenzie from Australia

Warner is due to turn 37 on Friday (October 27), and a week before that hit 163 against Pakistan in Bengaluru.Six men older than Warner have scored centuries in the World Cup. Leading the way is Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was 38 years 148 days old when he made 104 against Scotland in Hobart in March 2015. Sunil Gavaskar was 35 days younger when he scored 103 not out – his only ODI century – for India against New Zealand in Nagpur in October 1987.Sachin Tendulkar (2011) and the distinguished Sri Lankan trio of Sanath Jayasuriya (in 2007), Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara (both 2015) were all 37 when they made their last World Cup hundreds.New Zealand’s Barb Bevege was 39 when she scored 101 against the International XI in Auckland during the 1982 women’s World Cup, while England’s Jan Brittin was 38 when she made 138 against Pakistan in Vijayawada during the 1997 tournament. For the women’s World Cup list, click here.Is it right that Rohit Sharma now has the most World Cup centuries? Whose record did he beat? asked Matthew Mitchell from New Zealand

It is right, yes. Rohit Sharma’s 84-ball 131 against Afghanistan in Delhi was his seventh century in World Cup matches, which included one in 2015 and a record five in England in 2019.The previous record of six was held by Sachin Tendulkar; next with five come Ricky Ponting and David Warner of Australia and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka. Rohit’s seventh century came in his 19th World Cup innings: Tendulkar finished with six from 44.Six Multan players scored centuries in a first-class innings the other day. Was this a record? asked Zahoor Afzal Khan from Pakistan

The match you’re talking about was in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s domestic first-class competition, in Lahore last week. After their side was put in, six Multan batters scored between 101 and 118. Captain Zain Abbas (118) and wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan (101) started with an opening stand of 204, then Sharoon Siraj made 114 and Mohammad Basit Ali 105, before Saim Ayyaz (117) and Ali Usman (105 not out) put on 186 for the seventh wicket. Zahid Mahmood, the legspinner who played two Tests against England last December, might be irritated at bagging a duck on a pretty friendly pitch at the Gaddafi Stadium: after Multan declared at 718 for 8, Lahore Blues made 578 for 6 before a draw was agreed. Imran Butt scored 255 and his fellow opener Hashim Ibraheem 120 for them.There had been only one previous first-class innings that contained six individual centuries. In a Ranji Trophy semi-final in Indore in 1945-46, Holkar ran up the little matter of 912 for 8 declared: their six centurions included the 50-year-old CK Nayudu, whose first-class career still had 17 years to run.There have been four cases of five centuries in an innings, one just a couple of weeks before on the same ground in Lahore, when Karachi Whites reached 784 for 5 against Lahore Whites, with Sarfaraz Ahmed making 200 not out. The others were by New South Wales (918) against South Australia in Sydney in 1900-01, and two in Tests, by Australia (758 for 8 declared) against West Indies in Kingston in 1955, and Pakistan (546 for 3 declared) against Bangladesh in Multan in 2001-02.And there’s an update to last week’s question about players who have bagged a golden duck but took a wicket with their first delivery in the same World Cup match, from the Melbourne statistician Charles Davis

“There’s one other case in a World Cup: Phil DeFreitas did it against New Zealand in Wellington in March 1992. In the opening match of the same World Cup, Australia’s Craig McDermott took a wicket with his first legal ball and was run out for one after facing one delivery, against New Zealand in Auckland. He was not run out first ball though.”Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Bangladesh’s catching has been ordinary since 2018, and has become more problematic in 2021, as the data suggests

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2021Bangladesh’s poor catching in 2021 has literally caught up with them in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Their three dropped catches and a missed stumping cost them heavily in the three-run defeat against West Indies on Friday. It also took their dropped catches tally to nine in six matches in the tournament.After Mahedi Hasan dropped Roston Chase twice, Afif Hossain shelled a chance of Jason Holder, who hit two crucial sixes in the last over to help West Indies post 142. And Liton Das’ missed stumping allowed Nicholas Pooran to hammer his 22-ball 40. It was a repeat of how Liton’s dropped catches in the outfield cost Bangladesh against Sri Lanka too.Liton put down both top-scorers Bhanuka Rajapakse, on 14, and Charith Asalanka, on 63, allowing the pair to add 86 for the fifth wicket, which lifted Sri Lanka from 79 for 4 to a winning position while chasing 172. Five days earlier, captain Mahmudullah’s dropped skier could have been costlier had Oman’s Jatinder Singh batted for a little bit longer.Seven out of the nine dropped catches were skiers; Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Liton, Mahedi and Afif, regarded as generally safe fielders, dropped these chances.Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo LtdToo much chatter from inside and outside
Dropping so many catches is a general reflection of a collective lack of concentration among Bangladesh’s fielders. Add Bangladesh’s kryptonite in big tournaments – the fear of failure and consequences – and you have a recipe for disaster.Dark clouds have hovered over the Bangladesh camp from the start of their T20 World Cup campaign in Muscat, darkening still after almost every game. Comments from the BCB president, retaliation from senior players, former captain blaming the South African coaching staff; all the outside chatter hasn’t helped Bangladesh’s catching, powerplay batting and death bowling.The team has given mixed messages on the problem during the World Cup.”Catches get dropped,” reasoned fast bowling coach Ottis Gibson before their match against England. “In every cricket match, one or two catches go down. Obviously, when the catches play a part in the results in a game, it is highlighted more. We do a lot of catching practice. Ultimately, when the guys are out in the middle under pressure, then mistakes like catches going down happen.”Is it a concern? I wouldn’t say it’s a concern because we practice it every day. But the fact is, obviously, when it gets dropped, when catches go down, then at the end of the game, that’s the thing that gets highlighted. We work very hard on our skills, catching being one of them.”Habibul Bashar, the selector traveling with the team, acknowledged the problem, and explained that when good fielders put down catches, the focus should be on the team’s overall psychology in pressure situations.”You can have a bad day in batting or bowling, but we have to be more consistent in our fielding,” Bashar said in a video released by BCB. “It becomes more pertinent in big tournaments. Misfielding ruins the team’s tempo. We are a better fielding side, but I really want to see a lot of improvement in this area.”We do a lot of fielding during training. When we play at home or in a big tournament, it is important to handle the psychological pressure. I think we miss out on handling that pressure. Some of our best fielders dropped the catches. We have to work on how to handle pressure moments, and take important catches in these moments.”A year of drops
It is no surprise that Gibson didn’t offer a better explanation. But dropping catches isn’t an opinion. Bangladesh’s catching has been ordinary since 2018, becoming downright problematic in 2021.Including their T20 World Cup matches so far, Bangladesh’s poor catching has directly impacted at least eight matches this year. It started from the white-ball series against New Zealand in March, where they dropped 12 catches in six matches. They missed catches at crucial moments in two ODIs, and among their seven drops in the three T20Is, they shelled four chances from Finn Allen in one game in Auckland.Upon arrival in Dhaka, rookie Nasum Ahmed claimed that they were unsighted by the clear skies in New Zealand. His quote is an occasional punchline whenever Bangladesh drops catches.In the following month, they dropped Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne repeatedly in the two Tests, allowing him to score a double-hundred in the first Test, and a century and fifty in the second. Bangladesh lost the Test series 1-0. When Sri Lanka visited Bangladesh in May, they dropped captain Kusal Perera on 68, 80 and 99 on his way to a century in the third ODI. In the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in July, they dropped six catches, and a few more in the white-ball matches.The damning data of 2021
Mahmudullah and Shakib, Bangladesh’s top two catchers in international cricket currently on 148 and 99 catches in cricket, have dropped five catches each this year. Mushfiqur has dropped three as wicketkeeper, while good fielders such as Afif, Mahedi and Soumya Sarkar have also spilled three each. In total, 20 fielders and wicketkeepers have dropped at least one catch.Year-wise numbers for Bangladesh’s international matches•Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo LtdBangladesh have dropped one-third of their chances near the pitch: the bowler, keeper and slip fielders have combined to drop 16, roughly 34% of all their drops. They have also dropped 12 straight down the ground: at mid-on, mid-off, long-on and long-off. Strangely, they have dropped three sitters at short fine leg as well.Taskin Ahmed has suffered the most among the bowlers, seeing 10 catches go down off his bowling. Six catches each have been dropped off Mustafizur and Shakib while five have been dropped off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.In all international cricket this year, Bangladesh have dropped the second most number of catches (47) behind Sri Lanka (55). Among teams to have created more than 200 chances (catches taken + catches dropped), Bangladesh’s 3.87 catch-to-drop ratio and 20.52 drop percentage is the third-lowest, above Sri Lanka and India.One purpose vs many thoughts
Bangladesh’s downward trend in results in the last three years could also be correlated to their declining catching standards. Their progress from 2015 to 2017 slowly gave away to defeats at home and continued failures abroad. In at least 11 matches in 2019, dropped catches had a direct impact on results. Bangladesh lost in the World Cup against Australia, India and Pakistan after dropping David Warner, Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam, respectively, before they went on to make big scores.It is worse in this T20 World Cup when they are giving away strong positions in matches due to their poor catching. This aspect of cricket can’t just improve in training. Fielding is down to the individual level, where enthusiasm, athleticism and game awareness are as important, if not more than, technique and experience.When the fielder is under a skier, the time it takes for the ball to balloon high and then descend quickly towards the ground can be a few seconds. Many thoughts could pass through your mind at that time. The catch often goes down when these thoughts outweigh the singular purpose of catching the ball. Bangladesh seem to have a lot on their mind, except catching the ball.

The Phillies' comeback against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series fell short on Monday.

The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Phillies fought back with a run in the eighth inning. After holding the Dodgers without a run over the final two innings, the Phillies added two more runs early in the ninth inning.

The Phillies were trailing by just one run when Bryson Stott came up to the plate. With no outs and Nick Castellanos on second base, Philadelphia was in good position to tie up, if not win the game with a walk-off. Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to have Stott bunt, and though he got the ball down, the Dodgers were able to get Castellanos out at third. The Dodgers got the final two outs of the game on the next three plate appearances, and took a 4-3 win.

Thomson explained the unpopular choice to have Stott bunt after the game, saying, “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs."

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play," Thomson added. "We teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash because you're getting all kinds of room in the middle. Mookie broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up."

The Dodgers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after Philadelphia failed to win either of their first two home games. The Phillies will head to Los Angeles where they'll face elimination when they play on Wednesday.

Vincent Kompany has explained why it's a "luxury" for Bayern Munich to have Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson at their disposal. The Belgian coach is pleased with how Jackson is contributing to Bayern's assault on three trophy fronts, but has also confirmed he will be heading to the AFCON with Senegal.

• Jackson slowly adapting to new conditions

  The Senegalese striker joined the German champions on a year-long loan deal for a fee of £14.2m on the summer transfer window deadline day. Initially, Bayern fans were not pleased to see Jackson in their club colours as they were sceptical of his abilities, especially after it was revealed that the deal had a €65 million (£57m) obligation for Bayern to buy the player permanently next summer.

  However, it has now been revealed that the obligation can only be triggered if the ex-Villareal forward starts in at least 40 matches across all competitions for the Bavarian side. So far, the 24-year-old has featured in 17 matches across all competitions, out of which he has started only six and has clocked 525 minutes on the pitch, scoring five goals. 

  While Jackson is not a regular starter under Kompany due to the presence of star attackers like Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise in the club's ranks, the striker has delivered a decent level of performance whenever he has had an opportunity. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'I have a very positive impression of Nicolas'

  Despite not handing him regular starts, Kompany heaped praise on Jackson as he told reporters: "I have a very positive impression of Nicolas. He’s helped us a lot – his goals-per-minute ratio is good. Of course, with Harry Kane up front, you have a bit of competition, and that’s part of the game. So, as a coach, it’s a real luxury to see how Nicolas is handling that. What many people don’t see is what Nicolas does in training and every time he comes on. Against Sporting, I was planning to sub him on, but then Lenny scored, and I had a completely different game plan. Hopefully, he’ll continue to capitalise on the chances he gets."

  Jackson, like many other African footballers from Europe, will be busy with their national team commitments later this month as AFCON 2025 is all set to kick off on December 21. Jackson has been called up by the Senegal national side and Kompany revealed when the striker will leave for Morocco.

  The Belgian coach added: "My understanding is that he will travel after the game against Mainz. We hope he goes as far as possible. Of course, I hope Congo will win the cup, but otherwise I wish him all the best. The importance of this competition for African players shouldn’t be underestimated."

• Will Jackson return to Chelsea?

  Jackson is likely to return to Chelsea next season as he still has to start in 34 matches for the obligation in his contract to get triggered. Bayern would roughly play around 30 more matches across all competitions, which means the Blues can't force the German giants to make the purchase. The only way Jackson can stick around at Bayern is if he shows exceptional form in the second half of the season and wins over Kompany and the club management's trust.  As of now, it seems Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge next summer.

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  What comes next for Jackson?

  As revealed by Kompany, Jackson's final game for Bayern in 2025 will be against Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The German champions will then play one more game on December 21 against Heidenheim, before the winter break in Germany kicks in. 

Real Madrid have now informed Liverpool about their final decision on Ibrahima Konate as 2026 approaches.

Arne Slot reveals "conversation" with Liverpool hierarchy

Arne Slot’s dream Anfield move commenced with a Premier League title in his debut season, but since then he’s endured the ultimate nightmare. The Reds are in historically bad form, losing nine of their last 12 games in all competitions, and serious questions are beginning to be asked about the Dutchman’s tenure.

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Liverpool have never been a sacking club, but recent reports have dropped names like Ange Postecoglou and Andoni Iraola as the pressure continues to grow on Slot. Whether Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes decide to pull the trigger on either of those names remains to be seen, however.

Slot’s had his say on the matter, revealing conversations with Liverpool’s hierarchy and telling his squad to “fight on” in the face of their disastrous run.

Up next, the Premier League champions travel to West Ham United in desperate need of three points. It is simply a must-win game for Slot, who will only have the backing of the club’s hierarchy for so long.

Ahead of their trip to the London Stadium, fixing their defensive issues should be Liverpool’s priority – starting with solving Konate’s form just days after he’s been informed about Real Madrid’s final transfer decision.

Real Madrid inform Liverpool about final Konate decision

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Real Madrid have now told Liverpool that they have no interest in signing Konate, despite rumours that they were set to pursue the Frenchman at the end of his contract next summer.

The Reds looked destined for a Trent Alexander-Arnold repeat, but Konate has seemingly played himself out of a move to the Bernabeu next summer – leaving the ball firmly in Liverpool’s court.

Whether both parties can now strike an agreement over a new contract is the big question. Konate’s recent form has left him in a weaker negotiating position, but there’s no doubt that he’s an important member of Slot’s backline at his best.

Dubbed “tremendous” by former Manchester City star Micah Richards last season, the Frenchman simply has to get back to his best if Liverpool are to turn their torrid run of form around.

He’s one of just two fully fit central defenders, with Joe Gomez not yet ready to step in, so has no choice but to play himself into form – especially if he’s after a pay rise up from his current £70,000-a-week deal.

"Oh my god", "Sackable" – Carragher rips into Liverpool star in behind-scenes footage

Mark Goldbridge has commented on how Arsenal look when managing the absence of a key part of their attacking line.

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Brian Brobbey scored a last-gasp equaliser as high-flying Sunderland held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.

A stop-start first-half suddenly sparked into life when former Arsenal academy product Dan Ballard sent the hosts ahead with a thumping finish, ending the Gunners’ run of eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.

Bukayo Saka levelled with a low effort after the break and, with Arsenal having controlled most of the game for the second half, Leandro Trossard sent the visitors ahead with a stunning effort from outside the area.

Late drama followed as Brobbey stabbed home from Ballard’s header to earn a point for the hosts against the division’s top side.

Roefs then denied Calafiori at the death, with Ballard blocking Merino’s follow-up after the save, as the Black Cats held on for the point.

During the game, a comment was made about the Gunners going forward when they are without one of their summer additions.

Gyokeres "massively" missed by Gunners

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Goldbridge noted how much Arsenal were missing Gyokeres, who picked up an injury in their game against Burnley. The content creator said:

Signing in the 2025 summer transfer window, much has been said about Gyokeres since he arrived at Arsenal, having been signed to solve their striker problems. The Swede has not yet found a consistent string of goalscoring form, but has had a positive impact on the team in other ways.

Against Sunderland, Mikel Merino picked up an assist for Saka’s opener, having been deployed as a makeshift striker. Otherwise, however, the Spaniard, who is a natural midfielder, struggled to have much of an impact, with Arsenal facing initial struggles in breaking the Black Cats down.

Unflinching at their status as a newly-promoted team, Sunderland’s stoppage-time equaliser against the Gunners ensured a point that, based on their display, was certainly deserved. Arsenal can only hope that it does not go onto hamper their Premier League title hopes.

It is apparent, however, that the club lack a certain fluidity in attack when Gyokeres is absent from the first team, which was a contributing factor in them failing to come away from the North East with three points.

Arsenal have best finisher since van Persie for Arteta

There’s reportedly no way back for one West Ham star as Nuno Espírito Santo ultimately decides that he doesn’t want the player, and a January exit is now described as inevitable.

The pressure on Nuno’s shoulders has slightly eased following back-to-back victories against Newcastle and Burnley, which also gifted the Hammers some much-needed encouragement over surviving the relegation dog scrap.

Before their only consecutive home wins since October last year, West Ham looked nailed on for a drop to the Championship for the first time since 2011, but six points from Nuno’s last two matches have suddenly flipped the narrative on its head.

However, things don’t get any easier for West Ham from this point onward, with Nuno braced for a tough round of fixtures just after the international break.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley

The east Londoners take on Bournemouth and Liverpool before travelling to Man United, who are enjoying a resurgence under Ruben Amorim, with Aston Villa and Premier League title contenders Man City awaiting them over the festive period as well.

After that, the January transfer window does represent a major lifeline for West Ham, and reports suggest the club are set for a very active winter when it comes to incomings and outgoings. Sky Sports report that West Ham are targeting a new defender, midfielder and striker in January, with Nuno given assurances that David Sullivan and co have money to spend on fresh talent.

We’re also likely to see a fair few players head out the exit door, not least striker Niclas Füllkrug, who has apparently been given the green-light to leave after a lacklustre spell marred by injuries and a lack of form.

West Ham could also sell Guido Rodriguez for pure profit after signing him on a free transfer from Real Betis last year, but one player who looks the most likely to depart by far is midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The 31-year-old was axed from West Ham’s matchday squad immediately after Nuno’s arrival, despite being vice-captain under Graham Potter and a “quiet leader” of the team.

James Ward-Prowse "almost certain" to leave West Ham after Nuno decision

For anybody wondering, there is basically no chance for Ward-Prowse to play his way back into contention, with Nuno fully deciding that he’s surplus to requirements.

That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who told TEAMtalk this week that the Englishman is “almost certain” to leave as David Moyes’ Everton take real interest.

The question for West Ham is how much money they can recuperate from Ward-Prowse’s sale, and how much could be reinvested into bolstering key areas when the January window opens for business.

Sullivan will also be keen to get the former Southampton star’s £115,000-per-week wages off the books, as he is currently the club’s fourth-highest earner behind Alphonse Areola, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen.