All the optimism that had been in the air surrounding Leeds United going into this Premier League season is gradually being sapped more and more as the campaign goes on.

Last time out away at Brighton and Hove Albion, Daniel Farke’s men arguably hit rock bottom, as they were resoundingly beaten 3-0 away at Fabian Hurzeler’s relentless Seagulls, in a contest where they barely laid a glove on the rampant hosts.

If they put in more empty performances like the one they served up on the South Coast, relegation will be a definite, as Leeds now languish just five points off 18th-placed Nottingham Forest, who they face next in a huge tie.

Farke will surely be feeling the intense pressures of the Whites hot seat right now, as he potentially prepares to drop Dominic Calvert-Lewin for matches to come, after his slow start out of the blocks in West Yorkshire.

Calvert-Lewin's struggles at Leeds

It was always going to be a transfer deal that would be fraught with risk, but Leeds gambled on Calvert-Lewin this summer on a free transfer, anyway, following the expiry of his long-term Everton contract.

Indeed, last season in the Premier League, the Sheffield-born striker would only fire home a weak three goals, with a high 15 games missed through injury also a concerning statistic to take in.

Thankfully, despite all these worries, Calvert-Lewin is off the mark for Farke and Co., as this header above helped Leeds to a convincing 3-1 away success at Wolverhampton Wanderers in September.

But, Leeds fans have still been left wanting more from their new recruit, with the 28-year-old now deep in a five-game stretch of no goals in league action, which has often resulted in the injury-prone number nine cutting an isolated figure.

That was very much the case on the South Coast last time out, with Calvert-Lewin only managing to test Bart Verbruggen in the home side’s goal with one effort all afternoon, having amassed just 17 touches of the ball in total.

Farke’s options off the bench aren’t plentiful either, with both Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe not the most inspired selection of understudies.

Leeds are now reportedly looking at free-scoring Coventry City striker Haji Wright as a January addition up top, subsequently. But, they could be better placed to just gift one of their own a chance, instead, with this star – who is out on loan competing with Wright’s Sky Blues – potentially putting Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time as a first team starter down the line.

Leeds loanee could put Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time

Farke’s patience regarding Calvert-Lewin’s no-shows must surely be thin already.

But, with Mateo Joseph out on loan, and Joel Piroe potentially on the move in January, he has his hands tied with what he has at his disposal up top, with forgotten striker Joe Gelhardt also currently on the books of another club temporarily.

It feels like a lifetime ago since Gelhardt was dubbed the next best thing at Leeds, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp even lauding the Elland Road prodigy as a “wrecking ball” style figure, after he bagged two goals and assisted a further four strikes from 20 Premier League games during the 2021/22 season.

Since then, his opportunities have been sparse, but he could be in for some more game time in the near future in West Yorkshire if he can keep the goals flowing right now in the Championship with Leeds’ near neighbours Hull City.

Gelhardt has rolled back the years for the Tigers, with the striker who was once also deemed as “special” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, coming back to the forefront in Hull’s distinctive orange and black, as seen in him collecting four goals from his last four second-tier outings.

With 11 goals now next to his name across two spells at the MKM Stadium, the time might be right for Gelhardt to gain chances in the Leeds first team fold once more, as persisting with Calvert-Lewin could well be the wrong move here, knowing full well his recent sketchy record with injuries and his long barren patches of form.

Gelhardt’s Championship numbers (25/26)
Stat – per 90 mins*	Gelhardt
Games played	13
Goals scored	6
Assists	1
Scoring frequency	157 mins
Ball recoveries*	4.2
Total duels won	4.9
Stats by Sofascore

On the contrary, Gelhardt could be the breath of fresh air needed to reenergise an often lethargic Leeds forward line, with a powerful 4.9 duels won per second-tier contest this season sticking out from the table above.

Of course, Leeds will also be hesitant to chuck Gelhardt back into senior action, with the 23-year-old also prone to a lack of confidence in front of goal.

But, whether it comes via a recall in January or next season, adding the lively striker back into the mix could put Calvert-Lewin on borrowed time, with ex-Premier League scout Bryan King even recently stating that the hot-and-cold attacker just isn’t the “right striker” fit for the Whites, as they desperately crave goals to beat the drop.

Worse than Aaronson: Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds dud who won 33% duels

Daniel Farke has to now drop this Leeds United star after his shocking display against Brighton and Hove Albion.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 2, 2025

The Boston Red Sox stayed red-hot on Sunday, beating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, for their 10th straight win.

While Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run home run in the sixth inning gave Boston the three-run lead that it wouldn't relinquish, the team's first run of the day came courtesy of a rare ruling by third base umpire Scott Barry.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Marcelo Mayer appeared to be picked off at third base on a throw by Rays catcher Matt Thaiss. Barry even initially ruled it an out. But then he quickly changed his mind and ruled that Rays third baseman Junior Caminero obstructed Mayer from being able to touch the bag. That meant that Mayer was able to trot home to score the game's first run.

Here's how that went down:

That's normally a call seen when a catcher blocks a runner from home plate, but it did look like Berry made the right call. Still, that's a very strange way for a team to score a run.

The Red Sox are now 53-45 on the year, and will be right in the thick of the playoff race after the All-Star break.

Every West Bromwich Albion manager who has taken on the reins since Carlos Corberan’s exit in late 2024 is undoubtedly trying to achieve success with the Spaniard’s legacy weighing heavily on them.

Corberan would turn the Baggies into regular promotion contenders in the Championship, which made his departure to Valencia last year very much sting.

To make matters worse, the wheels would come off West Brom’s 2024/25 season at a worryingly quick pace after he moved on to La Liga, with his successor in Tony Mowbray only managing to collect a paltry five victories from 17 matches before being dismissed.

Now, the pressure is on Ryan Mason’s shoulders to deliver, and the strain is already beginning to show, with two recent Championship defeats on the spin for the perpetual promotion nearly-men even seeing some Baggies natives begin to grow restless with their new 34-year-old boss.

It hasn’t been completely bleak since Corberan returned to Spain, however, with a lot of star quality still on display from some new signings.

West Brom's mixed recruitment since Corberan left

In the direct aftermath of Corberan leaving, though, there were some underwhelming flops to stomach.

Namely, Adam Armstrong would relocate to the Hawthorns on loan and fail to live up to this well-known image of him being a prolific performer in the EFL’s top league, with just a forgettable three goals falling into his lap from 16 outings in the West Midlands.

Tammer Bany, who was purchased this January for a whopping £3.3m, has also failed to get up and running in England as a post-Corberan purchase.

But, there have been some success stories to hold onto.

Isaac Price is very much the first name that springs to mind in this regard, having signed for the Championship outfit a matter of days after Mowbray was unveiled.

While he was a Mowbray capture, he has very much come into his own this season under the fresh methods of Mason, with a stunning five goals and two assists next to his name in all competitions.

Other members of Mason’s first team are also in with a shout to be the best buy since Corberan moved on, with Chris Mepham one worthy candidate, as the Welsh centre-back has become an everpresent member of his new manager’s defence to soften the blow of Torbjørn Heggem exiting for Bologna.

But, it’s a different defensive monster who could be well handed the honour…

West Brom's best signing post-Corberan

While Price has dominated a lot of West Brom conversations this campaign with his goal and assist output, he has also been prone to a quiet day at the office, frustratingly.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would go the entirety of September without collecting a single goal or assist.

During this same month, it could be argued that Nathaniel Phillips was very much settling into his new Hawthorns environment, on the contrary, with the decision to bring in the Premier League-experienced defender for just £3m already looking to be an ingenious move.

The 28-year-old is yet to miss a Championship game this season, and for good reason, with the 6-foot-3 colossus very much living up to his billing as a “lion”, as he was lauded by his former Anfield coach in Pepijn Lijnders.

Indeed, in West Brom blue and white so far, Phillips has won a commanding 5.5 duels on average across his 12 league clashes to date.

Games played

12

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches*

81.9

Accurate passes*

56.6 (86%)

Ball recoveries*

4.3

Clearances*

7.4

Total duels won*

5.5

Clean sheets

3

Looking at the table above in greater detail only further reinforces how much of a sterling purchase Phillips has already been, with his brute strength when rising up for duels also gifting him one goal at his new club, already, away from also cutting an assured presence on the ball with 56.6 accurate passes averaged per tense match.

EFL pundit Sam Parkin would likely agree with Phillips being one of West Brom’s best signings in recent memory, with him labelling the former Derby County loanee as “absolutely sensational” after he collected a clean sheet versus promotion rivals Stoke City.

Mason will need both Price and Phillips performing to their maximum to try and get his side out of their current sticky patch of form.

But, while the first of those named has shone in spurts and looks a top talent for the future, Phillips has been the real deal from minute one of his West Brom journey, with 19 Premier League appearances also under his belt, standing the Baggies in good stead if they can finally break their second-tier hoodoo.

West Brom have signed "explosive" star who is a bigger talent than Fellows

West Bromwich Albion have signed a new explosive star who is an even bigger talent than Tom Fellows.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025

He is set to return to action in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament and the upcoming Ranji Trophy after rehab at the NCA

Deivarayan Muthu19-Aug-2025After missing the entire 2024-25 domestic season and IPL 2025 with multiple bouts with injury and illness, tearaway Umran Malik is set to return to action in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament and the upcoming Ranji Trophy.Malik, 25, isn’t participating in the opening round of the Buchi Babu tournament, which got underway on August 18 in Chennai. However, he will be in action in the second round for Jammu & Kashmir against Baroda from August 22. Malik last played top-flight cricket in IPL 2024, but after recovering from hamstring and hip injuries, he feels his body is now ready to withstand the rigours of domestic cricket.”I’m feeling good. I haven’t played cricket for a long time,” Malik said on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament. “I was injured for seven-eight months. It was a struggling phase. It feels really good to be back. I have played a lot of red-ball and T20 matches in Kashmir. It was our registration camp. We have come to Chennai for the Buchi Babu [tournament]. It is good to play as many matches as I can. It is good for my body’s workload.  I’ve come back and will do well in the season. That’s my aim.”During his rehab, Malik spent around six months at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, working with their team, whom he credits for his return to fitness.Malik says he’s working on ‘three-four new variations’•AFP/Getty Images”Nishanta [Bordoloi, strength and conditioning coach] was helping me. Thulasi [Ram Yuvaraj, physio] sir and Suresh [Rathore, physio] sir and [VVS] Laxman [CoE chief] sir – he gave me everything [I needed]. Thanks to the BCCI.”Injury is a part of life for a sportsman. It is bound to happen. At that time, I kept myself strong. I kept my mindset right. Everything is fine now.”Malik first turned heads in IPL 2022, when he hit 156.9kph and went on to take 22 wickets in 14 matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He was fast-tracked into India’s white-ball sides in the same year, but injuries have ravaged his career since those initial appearances. Malik sees the upcoming domestic season as a way back to the India side.”Yeah, I’ll be bowling in full rhythm now,” Malik said. “I’m a sportsman and I don’t pay attention to social media. Actually, I want to play cricket. I just want to protect my body from injuries, and I want to play cricket well. I want to play for India and that’s my aim. I will play the matches after this Buchi Babu, and I think the Ranji Trophy. Hopefully, I can take wickets and make a comeback.”Malik has been working closely with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar•Associated PressMalik has tuned up for the domestic season by bowling in J&K’s training camps and also trained with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who returned to KKR’s backroom during IPL 2025, in Chennai.After he was ruled out of IPL 2025, Malik remained with the KKR set-up while continuing his rehab.”J&K Cricket Association has been supporting me. They are setting up some good camps,” Malik said. “I keep talking to Mithun Manhas [JKCA’s cricket and operations head]. I do simple things, and just like I used to bowl earlier, I do the same.”I’m developing three-four new variations. I’m also working with Abhishek [Nayar], P Krishna Kumar [J&K bowling coach] and Ajay Sharma, he is our head coach. I had a camp with Abhishek two weeks back here in Chennai and it felt good to work with him.”

أعرب هاني أبوريدة رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عن خالص تمنياته بالتوفيق للمنتخب الوطني الأول، الذي سيشارك في كأس أمم إفريقيا الشهر المقبل في المغرب، ويسبقه المنتخب الثاني، بالمشاركة في كأس العرب، مشددا على ضرورة بذل أقصى الجهد من أجل إسعاد الجماهير المصرية.

وأضاف أبوريدة خلال كلمته بالجمعية العمومية للاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم اليوم الخميس: “نسير بخطى جيدة في مشروع اكتشاف المواهب، حيث لدينا في الاتحاد المصري 27 منطقة قادرة عبر ممثلين الاتحاد فيها على البحث عن المواهب، كما أن لدينا أفكاراً كثيرة لتطوير المنظومة الكروية برمتها ونقوم بطرحها، وأتمنى أن يتم استيعابها وتنفيذها بالشكل المناسب”.

وأشار: “حجم الانفاق على المنتخب تضاعف بمستويات كبيرة، لأننا ندفع مبالغ طائلة مقابل التدريبات وإقامة المباريات، لذلك نقوم الآن بإنهاء الجزء الخاص بالمنتخب الوطني في مركز المنتخبات الوطنية، وأنه من غير المعقول أن يدفع منتخب مصر مقابلاً لاستخدامه ملاعب الدولة، وتحدثت في ذلك الأمر مع وزير الشباب والرياضة”.

طالع | “باستثناء وحيد”.. اعتماد بنود الجمعية العمومية لـ اتحاد الكرة

وعن تأجيل كأس أمم إفريقيا من يونيو إلى ديسمبر بسبب بطولة كأس العالم الموسعة في الولايات المتحدة، كشف أبو ريدة عن أن هذا الأمر تسبب في تلاحمها مع كأس العرب التي طالب البعض بعدم المشاركة فيها، لكننا رفضنا ذلك وقررنا المشاركة في البطولة بمجموعة أخرى من اللاعبين تحت قيادة حلمي طولان، مشيرا إلى أن منتخب كأس العرب واجه الكثير من الصعوبات في انضمام عدد من اللاعبين بسبب ارتباطات أنديتهم بالمشاركات في بطولات خارجية وعلى رأسها بيراميدز، الذي كان 7 أو 8 من لاعبيه في صفوف المنتخب.

وتمنى هاني أبوريدة التوفيق لمنتخب مصر المشارك في كأس العرب في مهمته في قطر بقيادة حلمي طولان، موضحا أنه التقى الفريق أمس ولمس مدى العزيمة والتصميم لدى الجميع في تقديم مستوى يليق بالكرة المصرية.

كما كشف: “حاولنا منذ البداية توفير أجواء النجاح لكل المنتخبات وخصوصًا منتخب تحت 17 سنة لأن هذه المرحلة السنية تتطلب مواصفات دقيقة بعد قرار الاتحاد الدولي بتنظيم مونديال الناشئين سنوياً وليس كل عامين كما كان يحدث من قبل”.

وأكد أن الاتحاد قام بإجراء التطوير اللازم والجزء التنظيمي بما يناسب المستجدات التي حدثت، كذلك في الإدارة الفنية للاتحاد.

وأضاف: “حاولنا تطوير المنظومة الخاصة بالمدربين والرخص والدورات بالتنسيق مع الاتحادين الدولي والإفريقي، حتى يتمكنوا من إدارة المباريات مع الأندية والمنتخبات دون أي مشاكل كما كان يحدث سابقاً”.

واختتم: “تعاقدنا مع رئيس لجنة حكام على أعلى مستوى وصاحب تصنيف في الاتحاد الدولي، وذلك للحد من شكاوى بعض الأندية من الحكام والكل لاحظ التطور الواضح في المستوى منذ بداية الموسم الحالي”.

The Detroit Tigers are in a predicament.

They had an incredible first half of the season and were the first team in Major League Baseball to reach 60 wins. The hot first half comes off an improbable run to the postseason last year, where they earned one of the final wild card spots before they were eliminated by the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series.

American League Cy Young Award winner and this year's All-Star Game starter Tarik Skubal was a major force behind that run, which has continued into his dominant 2025 campaign. Through 21 starts this year, he has a 10-3 record with a 2.09 ERA and 171 strikeouts. The bad news for Detroit, though, is that they are in the midst of a serious slide while Skubal only remains under team control through the '26 season, when he's likely in store for the largest free-agent contract for a pitcher ever.

Still gripping onto an eight-game lead in the AL Central after losing 12 of their last 14 games, the Tigers need to go for it this year and add some talent ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Their biggest need is for a high-leverage relief pitcher, maybe even two, to help support their 4.18 team ERA amongst relievers this season. But they could also use a big bat to lift their slumping offense. And if the price is right, they could even use another starter behind Skubal if Jack Flaherty, who had a solid outing Sunday, continues his disappointing season down the stretch.

That's a lot of needs, but their top-tier farm system could certainly help bring in some high-level talent at the deadline. That is, if the Tigers are willing to part with any of their top prospects which is a big risk, especially when you take Skubal's uncertain future into consideration. MLB Pipeline's No. 6 prospect Kevin McGonigle is likely off limits, but they also have No. 10 prospect Max Clark should they be open to including him in a trade for a big return. There's also No. 34 prospect Bryce Rainer, No. 51 Josue Briceño and No. 77 Thayron Liranzo who round out Detroit's top-five. Rainer is likely off limits too as he was just drafted last year, but Briceño and Liranzo could be included in deals for the right price.

With plenty of top farm talent to help them get one or multiple win-now pieces, here are four targets that make sense for the Tigers as the trade deadline quickly approaches:

Eugenio Suárez — Third Baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks

Suárez has heard his name in trade rumors all season and he enters the deadline as the best bat on the market. His 36 home runs on the year trail only Cal Raleigh, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge for the most in the MLB. He started his career as a Tiger back in '14 before Detroit traded him to the Cincinnati Reds after just one season. Suárez recently told Evan Petzold of the that he'd be interested in a return and that it would mean a lot to finish where he started. But that's currently Arizona's decision, and the D-Backs are likely to take the highest offer with many suitors interested in the 36-year-old slugger. The price will be high, but the Tigers could put together a package that may make the D-Backs bite.

Jhoan Durán — Relief Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

The Twins may not be willing to deal Durán, especially to an AL Central rival. They are currently 5.5 games back of the last wild card and 10 games behind the Tigers in the division. But if they do decide to sell, he could fetch a solid haul on the open market. In 47 games this year, Durán has a 1.90 ERA with 52 strikeouts and just 10 earned runs allowed in 47 1/3 innings pitched. Those numbers would instantly push him to the front of the Tigers' bullpen ahead of Will Vest, who has a 2.58 ERA in 45 1/3 innings this year. Durán is under team control through the '27 season which could bring the Tigers to justify the competitive package they'd need to offer.

David Bednar — Relief Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar would immediately help the Tigers' bullpen and is likely more gettable compared to other targets like Durán. The Pirates demoted Bednar to Triple-A Indianapolis early this season after three rough outings, but he has bounced back nicely following his return to Pittsburgh. He hasn't given up an earned run in June or July, making 19 appearances and throwing 18 1/3 innings in that time. On the season, he has a 2.19 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 37 innings. He remains under team control through the '26 season, making a reasonable $5.9 million this year.

Sandy Alcántara — Starting Pitcher, Miami Marlins

If the Tigers look to boost their starting rotation, they could bring in another former Cy Young Award winner in Alcántara, who won the National League honor in '22, to put behind their ace in Skubal. Alcántara hasn't had a strong season for the Marlins by any means, posting a 5-9 record with a 6.66 ERA through 20 starts, but he threw seven scoreless innings in his most recent start and could provide depth for a team who relied on bullpen games during last year's playoff run. That method won't be sustainable if the Tigers are serious about winning while Skubal remains under team control. If Alcántara can return to his dominant form, he'd certainly be a welcome addition for any playoff team. Plus, he's under contract through the '27 season, with a club option on the final year of his deal.

The need for results over the coming weeks has been heightened. Arne Slot made a telling comment on his hopes of Liverpool progressing deep into the Carabao Cup when fielding a much-rotated team with a bench full of youngsters (average age of 19) against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening.

The Eagles won 3-0, their third win over the Reds this term, and that’s now six losses from seven matches in all competitions for Slot’s side, who are very much in crisis mode.

The Dutch boss had turned his attention toward the daunting run of upcoming fixtures before the opening whistle screeched in midweek, and now there is not an emphasis but an expectation that wins will be struck to stop the rot and turn back toward the compelling title defence that was anticipated after a summer of record-breaking spending.

01/11/25

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

04/11/25

Champions League

Real Madrid (H)

09/11/25

Premier League

Man City (A)

22/11/25

Premier League

Nott’m Forest (H)

26/11/25

Champions League

PSV (H)

If we can take a sliver of optimism from this abject run of form, it’s that, having played an overload of matches away from home, four of the next five take place down Anfield Road, having lost on home soil to Palace on Wednesday too.

There simply has to be a swift upswing. Looking at it from a wider lens, though, it may well be that some Redmen have entered the final phase of their careers on Merseyside.

The Liverpool players Hughes needs to sell

Sporting director Richard Hughes was lauded after his emphatic summer transfer window, overseeing a staggering rebuild at Liverpool after Slot defied expectations to win the Premier League in his first year at the helm.

But the summer upheaval has sent it all in a bit of a spin. Still. Though we must reserve judgement on under-firing newbies such as Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, there are certain veterans at the club who aren’t pulling their weight.

Take, for example, Joe Gomez, who is Liverpool’s longest-serving player but now shows the rust of a man who has been afforded few chances to impress in recent years, with injuries and superiorities elsewhere in defence keeping him on the fringe.

Against Palace, the England international struggled to impress, lacking any semblance of command in a backline that was without the calming presence of Virgil van Dijk.

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

3

Errors made

1

Touches

92

Accurate passes

69/76 (91%)

Possession lost

9x

Recoveries

5

Tackles

1/1

Interceptions

3

Clearances

8

Ground duels

1/3

Aerial duels

3/4

Wataru Endo has been something of a stalwart since arriving at the club for a smart fee in 2023, but the 32-year-old’s role has diminished as his time in England has dragged on.

Stodgy athleticism and limitations on the ball have kept the Japan captain from being anything more than a tackle-first substitute under Slot’s wing, and now it appears he is approaching the end of an illustrious couple of years in Liverpool, unable to offer a viable solution at number six.

Liverpool should have better options in the middle of the park, in any case, but that doesn’t appear to be so as the 2025/26 campaign rolls into its fourth month.

The Liverpool midfielder who's failing Slot

We’ve been here before. Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit Premier League champions were overwhelmed across the 2020/21 campaign, and scrambled to salvage Champions League football toward the end of the term.

But the deterioration of 2022/23 was more concerning, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho flattering to deceive in the middle of the park. The Reds needed to rebuild, and so fashioned together the title-winning engine room of the past few years.

The standout of that rebuild has been Alexis Mac Allister, instrumental to lifting Liverpool back off the ground in 2023/24, after joining from Brighton for around £35m, and then revelling in winning the Premier League last season.

Now, he’s fallen off a proverbial cliff, with his sedentary performances in midfield not those of an elite, robust midfielder. One Liverpool content creator actually said it “looks like Fabinho’s season”, when the Brazilian slumped from his formerly imperious level as the midfield anchor, his legs gone.

Goals

0.17

0.00

Assists

0.17

0.19

Touches

64.41

63.09

Pass completion (%)

83.5

83.5

Shot-creating actions

4.16

2.84

Progressive passes

6.13

3.60

Progressive carries

1.25

2.27

Successful take-ons

0.55

0.00

Ball recoveries

5.13

4.74

Tackles & interceptions

4.05

2.65

The data does suggest that Mac Allister lacks his former vim and vigour, but given that he is only 26 years old and regarded as a “superstar” of a midfielder, as has been said by pundit Joe Cole, this is deeply worrying for those of a red persuasion.

For Fabinho, though only 29 at the time of his £40m transfer to Al-Ittihad, had played 219 high-octane, turbo-charged matches as the heartbeat of Klopp’s Liverpool team, and going from 1.25 carries per game in his first season in England to an average of only 0.51 in 2022/23 emphasises his loss of athleticism.

For a player of Mac Allister’s all-encompassing midfield quality, it’s imperative that Slot gets a tune out of him once again. If the Argentine does not click into gear this season, Liverpool will struggle to hit their stride.

There will be an expectation around Anfield that Mac Allister’s dip in form is not permanent, and that he’s back on his A-game before long.

However, this startling drop-off dredges up unwanted memories of Fabinho’s own fall from grace at Anfield, and Slot will be gravely hoping that lightning hasn’t struck twice on the Liverpool squad.

Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Naim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related

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Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.

Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:

Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan
OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim

It will be Trent Rockets, not Northern Superchargers, who face Oval Invincibles in Sunday’s Hundred final at Lord’s after a soggy night in south London ended in an abandonment. Showers delayed the start by 20 minutes, prompted two hour-long interruptions, and eventually wiped the game out altogether, with Rockets progressing by virtue of their higher group-stage finish.The final call came at 9.52pm, nearly four hours yet only 80 legal balls after the scheduled 6pm start. Rockets twice started to chase adjusted targets – 134 off 75, then 105 off 55 – only for the drizzle to turn into rain, and the crowd had thinned by the time a final heavy downpour prompted umpires James Middlebrook and Martin Saggers to finally pull the plug.The final will start barely 20 hours after the Eliminator ended, and a stop-start night hardly served ideal preparation. “It’s been a long day… I thought you had to wait until the rain stops before you start,” reflected Rockets’ Marcus Stoinis, who removed Harry Brook and David Miller before the rain took over. “It’s a bit of chaos, but I think it will be fine.”Invincibles, by contrast, have had since Monday to prepare for Sunday’s final as table-toppers, and will welcome back Stoinis’ close friend Adam Zampa as a handy replacement for Rashid Khan. Jordan Cox and Sam Curran helped them to surge home against Rockets in the stand-out match of the group stage, and they are gunning for a third successive title.David Willey struck with his third ball to remove Zak Crawley•ECB/Getty Images

“It was a good contest last time,” Stoinis said of their meeting at The Oval earlier this month. “We probably had the better of them for the majority of that game and they played really well. Credit to them for winning… It was some of the best hitting that there’s been in any cricket, really. But to be honest, we haven’t really thought about it – we haven’t had a chance!”This was a cruel end for Brook’s Superchargers, but one they could have avoided. These two teams were level on points heading into the final week of the group stage, but Superchargers lost their last fixture on Tuesday, and Rockets clinched second place with a win on Wednesday. With no reserve day for the Eliminator, it proved enough for them.”I think everybody in the world knew that was going to happen,” Brook said, ruefully. “Everyone saw the forecast was going to be shocking from about five or six o’clock. It is what it is. We can’t do anything about it.”It’s easy to say loads of things when you’re sat on the losing side. You could say we could have played last night, knowing that it was going to rain tonight; or we could have brought the game earlier, say the girls play at 11 and we play at 2. But this is how they’ve set the schedule… There’s so many things you could say.”Harry Brook was cleaned up by Marcus Stoinis•ECB/Getty Images

Rockets shaded the limited action there was, with captain David Willey setting the tone after winning what looked like an important toss. He struck with his third ball, which Zak Crawley edged to slip, and frontloaded his 20-ball allocation into the first 40 in the knowledge that the innings was unlikely to last its scheduled duration.Dan Lawrence top-scored with an unbeaten 44 from No. 3 around cameos from Dawid Malan and David Miller as Superchargers reached 76 for 3 after 50 balls at the first rain break, and 119 for 5 after 75 at the second. Lawrence was unusually due to keep wicket, but the discarded Michael Pepper took the gloves as a substitute fielder after Malan tweaked a muscle.After the first long delay, Jacob Duffy pushed the first ball of Rockets’ chase past Tom Banton’s pad; after the second, Banton slashed him over slip for four and picked up four leg-byes from an attempted scoop. But no sooner had Matthew Potts removed his cap to bowl the second set, than the rain returned with a vengeance, sending Superchargers’ season down the drain.

Tournament opener to be held in Guwahati; Navi Mumbai to host second semi-final and, potentially, the final on November 2

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Aug-2025

Bengaluru, and the Chinnaswamy Stadium, have been under scrutiny since the stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations•Associated Press

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai has replaced Bengaluru as the fourth Indian venue for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup starting September 30, the ICC announced while issuing the revised schedule for the eight-team tournament on Friday. According to the updated itinerary, Guwahati will now to host the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka.Navi Mumbai will host two group fixtures involving India (against New Zealand on October 23 and against Bangladesh on October 26), the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game (originally slotted for Colombo on October 20), the second semi-final (October 30) and potentially the final, on November 2, if Pakistan don’t qualify. One other game – Sri Lanka vs England (October 11) – has been switched from Guwahati to Colombo. The Bangladesh vs New Zealand game on October 10 has moved from Visakhapatnam to Guwahati, while England vs New Zealand on October 26 – the only day game in the tournament – has gone the other way, Guwahati to Visakhapatnam.The changes became necessary after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) failed to obtain police clearances to host games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the wake of the stampede that led to 11 deaths and many injuries during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory celebrations on June 4.Prior to Navi Mumbai, the BCCI had identified Thiruvananthapuram as a potential replacement for Bengaluru. While the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) expressed its readiness to host, it’s believed that the lack of direct flights from the city to some of the other venues proved a hurdle.Related

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In June, the ICC, while announcing the dates for the tournament, had listed Bengaluru as one of the five venues for the tournament. Along with the opener involving hosts India, the city was also scheduled to host the October 30 semi-final and the final on November 2 (if Pakistan didn’t make it).This is the latest setback for the KSCA, which has been involved in several issues with the police and Bengaluru’s civic authorities as well as the electricity department, which has cut off power supply to the venue owing to non-compliance with fire-safety regulations.Bengaluru hasn’t hosted any top-flight cricket since May 17, when the RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 game was washed out. In the aftermath of the stampede, the state government had held the franchise and KSCA responsible for the mismanagement of the parade, and instituted a one-member committee to investigate the incident. The committee subsequently deemed the stadium “unsafe” to host large-scale events. Since then, the police has refused to give permission to the KSCA to host matches at the Chinnaswamy.This forced the KSCA to shift the Maharaja T20 – the state’s premier franchise tournament – from Bengaluru to Mysuru. The KSCA had offered to host the tournament behind closed doors, but even that wasn’t allowed by the authorities.