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With the IPL set to resume, we look back at five defining moments from the first chunk of the season

Hemant Brar14-Sep-2021Samson refuses a single
Chasing 222 against Punjab Kings, Sanju Samson scored 119 scintillating runs but it was the single he did not take that remains the abiding memory of his innings. With Rajasthan Royals needing 13 from the last over, Arshdeep Singh conceded only two singles from the first three balls. Samson hit the fourth ball for a six to make it five required from two balls, and then drilled the penultimate ball towards long-off. Non-striker Chris Morris, no slouch with bat, charged halfway down the pitch before realising Samson wasn’t interested in the run.That meant Royals needed five off the final ball. Arshdeep bowled it full outside off, almost in the slot but Samson could only slice it into the hands of deep cover.Related

• IPL returns to UAE as familiar foes Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings take centre stage

• IPL 2021 returns: Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad look to turn fortunes around

• Brendon McCullum: 'We were being paralysed a little bit by fear' at the start of IPL 2021

• The ever evolving genius of Kieron Pollard

• Jadeja is already changing games – in 3D

Jadeja tears apart Harshal
In his first four games in IPL 2021, Harshal Patel had bowled seven overs at the death at an economy rate of 5.85 while picking up nine wickets. Then came the game against Chennai Super Kings. Harshal bowled the 18th over of the innings, conceded only five runs and dismissed Ambati Rayudu. His figures at that stage were 3-0-14-3. Giving him the 20th over was a no-brainer.Ravindra Jadeja, though, had other plans. Harshal tried offcutters, yorkers and a slower bouncer but nothing came out right as Jadeja stood deep in his crease, cleared the front leg and launched everything over midwicket. The first four balls, including a no-ball, were all hit for sixes. The next produced a brace before Jadeja finished it off with another six and a four, making it the joint-most expensive over (37 runs) in the IPL.Shaw’s six fours in an over
While Jadeja’s onslaught against Harshal came in the last over of the innings with the batter well set, Prithvi Shaw did something similar to Shivam Mavi in the first over itself.Kolkata Knight Riders had set Capitals a target of 155. Not a daunting task but Shaw reduced it to a cakewalk just after one over. Mavi’s first ball was a wide down the leg side; each of the next six was dispatched for a four via an array of shots – loft, flick, punch, drive and cut. Shaw didn’t premeditate. All he did was reacted to the ball and hit it either in the gaps or over the infield. He and Dhawan added 132 for the first wicket as Capitals cruised home with seven wickets and 21 balls to spare.Kieron Pollard hammered a 17-ball half-century to pull off an improbable heist against Chennai Super Kings•BCCI/IPLBrar gets Kohli, Maxwell and de Villiers
Halfway into his third IPL season, Harpreet Brar had no wicket to his name. And then, in a single match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he dismissed Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers. All in a span of seven balls. Without conceding a run.In Brar’s earlier overs, Kohli had hit his first balls for a six and a four. At the start of his third over, Kohli once again stepped out but this time Brar shortened his length and castled him. On the next ball, he beat Maxwell’s outside edge to hit the off stump. de Villiers prevented the hat-trick but with the first ball of his next over, Brar snared him as well, caught at extra cover by KL Rahul. That all but sealed Kings’ victory.Pollard stuns Chennai Super Kings
Set a target of 219, Mumbai Indians were 81 for 3 in the tenth over when Kieron Pollard came to the crease. The asking rate was already above 13 and soon crossed 15. That’s when Pollard started the boundary-fest. He bludgeoned Jadeja for three sixes in an over and Lungi Ngidi for two before meting out similar treatment to Shardul Thakur.Still, Mumbai needed 16 from the last over, bowled by Ngidi. With Dhawal Kulkarni at the other end, Pollard decided to face all six deliveries. He refused singles on the first and fourth balls while squeezing out two fours in between. With eight needed from two, Ngidi bowled a juicy full toss that Pollard pulled for six. Then he dug out the final ball towards wide mid-on and sprinted back for the second to seal the match and finish unbeaten on 87 off 34 balls.

أجرى كولو توريه، مساعد بيب جوارديولا مؤتمرًا صحفيًا للحديث عن استعدادات مانشستر سيتي قبل مواجهة كريستال بالاس الأحد في الدوري الانجليزي.

وسئل توريه عن سبب غياب بيب عن المؤتمر الصحفي في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا”: “بيب بخير، الأمر يتعلق بظروفه الشخصية التي منعته من الحضور إلى هنا لكن بخلاف ذلك، كل شيء على ما يرام بالنسبة له، سيعود بالتأكيد ضد بالاس”.

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن ما نقوم به حالياً جيد، لأننا نلعب بشكل جيد ونجد طريقة لتحقيق بعض النتائج، اعلم أن الفريق قادر على أن يكون أفضل، نحن نتحسن ونتطور وهذا الأهم لنا حالياً”.

وتحدث بيب عن كريستال بالاس: “هم فريق من الطراز الرفيع، فريق قوي حقاً، يحتل المركز الرابع في الدوري ومن الصعب تسجيل الأهداف في مرماهم، هم ثاني أكثر فريق أقل استقبالاً للأهداف، لكن بالنسبة لنا، نركز على ما يمكننا فعله ونعلم أننا إذا لعبنا كرة القدم التي نجيدها، وعملنا بجد كفريق واحد، فبإمكاننا الفوز على أي فريق في هذا الدوري”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. قرار مفاجئ من جوارديولا قبل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وكريستال بالاس

وحول العمل مع مانشستر سيتي قال توريه: “عندما تلعب وتعمل، تدرك أهمية كل بطولة هنا، هدفنا العمل الجاد والمنافسة بقوة للفوز هنا، لا يمكننا التهرب من ذلك، بالتأكيد ولهذا السبب نعمل بجد كل يوم لضمان قدرتنا على الضغط على الفريق المنافس ومحاولة مواصلة القتال والسعي للفوز بالألقاب المتاحة لنا”.

وأكد توريه عن سباق اللقب: “نركز فقط على ما نستطيع فعله، نعرف جودة آرسنال، يمتلكون فريقًا قويًا جداً ومدربًا رائعًا لكن الأمر يعتمد علينا، لدينا أفضل مدرب في العالم ويعمل بشكل مذهل يومياً، شغفه كبير ويحب اللاعبين وطاقمه ونثق أنه سيقودنا لأبعد مدى ممكن للفوز بالدوري، نركز فقط على ما نستطيع فعله وليس على ما يفعله آرسنال، كل مباراة بمثابة نهائي بالنسبة لنا”.

وأشاد توريه بالعمل مع بيب جوارديولا: “أستيقظ يومياً وممتن للغاية، محظوظ جداً لتواجدي مع جوارديولا وليندرز، هما رائعان وشخصيان رائعان، العمل مع بيب كان حلم، فكرت في مسيرتي بمدرب واحد لم أعمل تحت قيادته بعد وهو بيب، كنت أتساءل كيف يحدث ثم أتيحت لي الفرصة وهذه نعمة كبيرة لي، كل يوم رائع”.

وحول لياقة لاعبي مانشستر سيتي، أجاب توريه: “اليوم اللاعبون في راحة وغداً، عندما يعود الجميع سنعرف المزيد عن حالتهم، ستونز؟ تعرض لإصابة في فخده، هذه مشكلته، لكنني متأكد أنها لم تكن خطيرة وأعتقد أنه سيعود قريباً”.

وسئل توريه عن موقف رودري من المشاركة: “يتدرب بشكل ممتاز ويؤدي برنامجه التأهيلي على أكمل وجه، بدنياً أفضل يوم بعد يوم لكنني متأكد أنه لن يكون جاهز لمباراة بالاس ومع ذلك فإنه يتابع عملية التعافي”.

وأتم توريه عن رحيل بعض لاعبي مانشستر سيتي للمشاركة في كأس أفريقيا: “إن لم أكن مخطئاً، بعد مباراة بالاس سيغادر مرموش وريان آيت نوري، هما لاعبان مهمان للغاية، لو كان الأمر بيد المدرب لفضل إشراك جميع اللاعبين، هو يحبهم ولكنه يضطر لاستبعاد أحدهم، يؤلمه ذلك كثيرا، سنفتقد عمر ونوري، لكننا فريق قوي للتعامل مع غيابهما”.

واختتم توريه عن بيب جوارديولا: “طاقته اليومية لا تصدق، مندهش للغاية من سنواته في الدوري، مازال يتمتع بهذه الطاقة، الشغف الذي يظهره في كل اجتماع وتدريب، إنه يستمتع بكل لحظة، ونحن أيضاً، لدينا روح معنوية عالية وطاقة هائلة ونقاتل على كل كرة، نحن نعتمد على الاستحواذ لكننا نستطيع القتال أيضاً، لقد طلب مني بيب عندما جئت إلى هنا أن أكون على طبيعي وهذا لا يصدق”.

The Cincinnati Reds have added rotation help as they desperately try to stay afloat in the playoff race.

The Reds are acquiring pitcher Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to a Wednesday night report from ESPN's Jeff Passan. Per Passan, the deal is a three-teamer; the Los Angeles Dodgers will get pitcher Paul Gervase, catcher Ben Rortvedt and pitcher Adam Serwinowski, while the Rays will get catcher Hunter Feduccia and pitcher Brian Van Belle.

Littell, 29, joins the Reds after eight years split between four teams. After years spent shuttling between the bullpen and rotation, the Burlington, N.C., native found a niche starting for Tampa Bay over the past two years.

In 2024, he went 8-10 with a 3.63 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 156 1/3 innings. In 2025, he has again pitched to a respectable ERA (3.72) and leads the majors with just 1.2 walks per nine innings, but also carries one significant blot on his Baseball Reference page—an MLB-high 26 home runs allowed.

Cincinnati is currently the only team within five or fewer games of the San Diego Padres, who hold the National League's last wild-card spot. The Reds are three back after both teams won Wednesday.

The Rays, on the other hand, are in the midst of a 2-8 stretch and trail the Seattle Mariners by 3.5 games for the last American League berth.

USMNT star Folarin Balogun made history by scoring in a third successive Champions League match to steer Monaco to a hard-fought victory over Galatasaray in the Principality. On an evening when both teams squandered a catalogue of inviting opportunities, the 24-year-old’s scrappy finish midway through the second half proved enough to secure a vital three points and lift Monaco level with their Turkish opponents in the league phase.

Galatasaray waste key openings before Monaco steal it

The tone of the match was set early when Galatasaray squandered a gilt-edged chance that left their travelling support groaning. Ilkay Gundogan, arriving unmarked just yards from goal, lashed a rising effort over the bar when it seemed easier to score. Minutes later, Baris Alper Yilmaz muscled past his marker to latch onto a long pass but struck the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy. Those misses offered Monaco a reprieve, but the hosts initially struggled to take advantage. Balogun nodded a free header off target from close range, and a catalogue of near-misses followed as pressure built but composure faltered.

Shortly after the break, Monaco were handed an ideal opportunity to break the deadlock when Takumi Minamino, darting into the area, was upended by former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez. Captain Denis Zakaria stepped forward but failed to convert with a meek attempt, allowing Galatasaray goalkeeper Uuurcan Cakır to stop it away with an outstretched leg. 

However, in the end, Balogun’s persistence became the story of the night. For long stretches, he looked destined to leave the field disappointed after spurning a handful of chances. Yet, when Thilo Kehrer nodded a corner into the heart of the six-yard box in the 68th minute, the American reacted fastest, bundling the ball over the line with his knee in the kind of instinctive, unglamorous finish that often separates winning sides from frustrated ones.

AdvertisementUCL record for Balogun

Balogun's goal did more than lift Monaco’s campaign – with the French outfit now up to 18th in the Champions League table – as it also carved a milestone into American football history. With his latest strike, the forward has become the first USMNT player to ever score in three consecutive Champions League appearances.

Monaco manager lavishes praise on Balogun

Balogun toiled hard, constantly got into the right places, and was finally able to break the deadlock. Moanco manager Sebastien Pocognoli was euphoric after grabbing a narrow victory and hailed the USMNT star for bailing out his side at home. 

He said: "Players are like sponges. If you’re nervous on the sideline, they will feel it. Balo does work off the ball, which is very important for us. He responded after the misses, and I am very happy for him. It shows his strength of character, and it shows that he can get back up."

Balogun knows the importance of continued efforts, as he said in an interview with GOAL in October. 

"I think the hardest part is that we all work our whole lives for something," Balogun said. "But I always have a slightly different outlook. You do that work your whole life, and it is a constant pursuit of greatness. At the end of the day, I think it all comes down to definitive moments. Each of those moments makes a great career. There are certain moments that allow other moments to happen. You get to do something you've dreamed of as a kid and, if you keep scoring, you allow yourself to get that opportunity again and again."

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AFPWhat comes next?

For now, Balogun’s attention shifts back to domestic duties, with Monaco preparing to face Mason Greenwood’s Marseille on Sunday in Ligue 1. His European exploits have raised expectations once more, and Monaco will hope that the confidence of another Champions League contribution fuels him into the weekend.

Big picture – India, South Africa on the cusp of history

The two finalists at this World Cup have crossed many barriers in the last decade or so and even over the last month.South Africa pulled themselves together after the embarrassment of 69 all out and 97 all out, while India made it to the knockouts without beating any of the three teams that finished above them on the points table. South Africa unearthed new finishers. India unearthed new heroes. Both teams took on their nemesis in the knockouts, with South Africa breaking the hoodoo England have had over them and India enthralling the home crowd by overpowering the Australians.So now we have the first ODI World Cup final that features neither Australia nor England and the prospect of a brand new world champion.Related

• Laura Wolvaardt reckons home World Cup final will turn up the heat on India

• It's India's party, but the artistic hunters will come with their dancing shoes on

• India Women's most memorable ODI wins this century

• Rodrigues completes her redemption arc

• Wolvaardt and Kapp sing a song of ice and fire

By sending back two of the strongest teams in history, both India and South Africa stand of the cusp of history. The winner could reshape the contours of the women’s game in their homeland, if not globally. Both countries are still grappling with deep-rooted issues that hinder women’s access to education, employment and much else. Irrespective of the outcome on Sunday, the occasion has the power to establish players like Nonkululeko Mlaba and Kranti Gaud – who overcame enormous hurdles growing up in under-resourced regions – as household names and encourage young women, and their parents, to make them the next Smriti Mandhana or Marizanne Kapp.South Africa will be tasked with the challenge of not only quieting a 30,000-plus crowd, but also adapting to the conditions in Navi Mumbai, where they have yet to play a game this World Cup. India, on the other hand, will turn up at DY Patil stadium for their fourth game in a row. They won the previous three. South Africa have had more time to recover from their semi-final high. India not quite as much. In a game with this much at stake, even the finest margins matter.The last time a women’s World Cup was staged here, the marquee event was relegated to smaller grounds because men’s domestic cricket was more popular. The prize money was hardly comparable with that in the men’s game, and bringing in crowds was a major task. The Lord’s final in 2017 was the first big break for women’s cricket. MCG took things to a different level in 2020. Navi Mumbai has a lot to live up to and early signs are that it will not disappoint.2:43

WWC final: Who are the players that can change the game?

Form guide

India WWLLL
South Africa WLWWW

In the spotlight – Shafali Verma and Nadine de Klerk

Shafali Verma was plucked out of domestic T20s and put in as India’s opener in the semi-final. She bashed a couple of boundaries but Australia found a way through her soon enough. She will want to do better against South Africa, and previous evidence suggests she could. Shafali smashed a 53 off 46 against them at the 2022 World Cup. In 2024, she also hammered a Test double-century. The conditions are ripe and the time is apt for Shafali to put up a score and put the World Cup snub – she wasn’t picked in the original squad – behind her.Nadine de Klerk took this World Cup by storm with a stunning knock against India – 84 not out off 54 balls – in the league stage and hasn’t looked back. She has struck ten sixes this tournament (joint-highest with Richa Ghosh), dispatched a boundary every 4.8 balls (joint-highest with Alyssa Healy) and boasts the best strike rate, of 136.69. South Africa may want to give her more time in the middle than the six balls she faced in the semi-final. Navi Mumbai offers good batting conditions and she can do a lot of damage.3:12

WWC final – Will India go with Radha Yadav or Sneh Rana?

Team news: Extra bowler for South Africa?

India may have finally found their best XI in the semi-final, with batting depth till No. 8 and six bowling options. Radha Yadav was expensive on Thursday and Sneh Rana might be an option to replace her, except South Africa’s entire batting line-up is right-handed, so holding onto the left-arm spinner might work better than swapping her out for an offspinner.India (possible): 1. Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Radha Yadav/Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10, Shree Charani, 11 Renuka SinghHard-hitting opener Tazmin Brits hurt her shoulder on Wednesday in Guwahati but insisted she would play the final, which leaves South Africa with a combination question. They batted till No. 9 against England, and reducing a batting option – Anneke Bosch or Annerie Dercksen – for a bowler – Masabata Klaas – may not be a bad idea if the pitch is flat.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Anneke Bosch/Masabata Klaas, 4 Sune Luus, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Annerie Dercksen, 8 Chloe Tryon, 9 Nadine de Klerk, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba

Pitch and conditions: Reserve day available

It’s a bit incomprehensible that it’s still raining in and around Mumbai in November. Unseasonal rains have been experienced over many parts of the country recently and more is expected on Sunday, especially after 5pm.Conditions in Navi Mumbai will likely favour the batters, as they have so far, with dew possibly coming into the picture as well. There is a reserve day in case even a truncated match cannot be completed on Sunday. Play will resume on Monday, instead of starting over from the beginning, if the action spills over.2:27

WWC final – Can India come down from their high in time?

Stats and trivia: SA have the edge over India in recent World Cup games

• Nonkululeko Mlaba has kept Smriti Mandhana fairly quiet in ODIs, conceding 67 runs off 81 balls while also dismissing her three times.
• Jemimah Rodrigues facing her Delhi Capitals team-mate Marizane Kapp could be a battle to watch out for. Kapp has dismissed Rodrigues twice, while giving away only 16 runs in 40 balls
• Kapp has also troubled Harmanpreet Kaur, having removed her four times for 67 runs in 80 balls
• Deepti Sharma will be looking to restrain the in-form Laura Wolvaardt, who has a strike rate of only 54.91 (95 runs off 173 balls) in this head-to-head. Deepti has also dismissed Wolvaardt thrice.
• South Africa have beaten India in each of their last three World Cup contests
• India are set to play their third ODI World Cup final, after 2005 and 2017. No team has played three finals and not lifted the trophy
• South Africa have struck 31 sixes this World Cup, the most by any team
• Wolvaardt (470) is 40 runs away from becoming the top-scorer in a single edition of a World Cup. Alyssa Healy holds the record with 509 during the 2022 edition

Varun Chakravarthy also made the cut as India picked three spinners for their Asia Cup opener

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-20252:34

Bangar: Samson deserves a slot in the top three

India won their first toss in 16 attempts across formats, and chose to bowl first in their Asia Cup opener against UAE. Suryakumar Yadav, the India captain, felt there was a chance of dew later in the match on a humid evening in Dubai.Muhammad Waseem, the UAE captain, said he would have preferred to bowl first too, and expected a bit of early help for the seamers.India sprang a few surprises with their selection. They retained Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, despite the return of Shubman Gill to the top of the order displacing him into a middle-order role more familiar to Jitesh Sharma. They also picked both their wristspinners in Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.This left the issue of whether they would prioritise depth in their batting or their seam attack. They went with the former, picking the allrounder Shivam Dube rather than a second frontline quick in Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana. Jasprit Bumrah starts as the only specialist quick, with Hardik Pandya expected to partner him with the new ball.Related

Gill and Abhishek begin new chapter in old bromance

UAE made one change to the XI that played their last match, the four-wicket loss to Afghanistan in the recent home tri-series, bringing in the offspin-bowling allrounder Dhruv Parashar for the legspinner Muhammad FarooqIndia: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahUAE: 1 Muhammad Zohaib, 2 Muhammad Waseem (capt), 3 Asif Khan, 4 Alishan Sharafu, 5 Rahul Chopra (wk), 6 Dhruv Parashar, 7 Harshit Kaushik, 8 Haider Ali, 9 Muhammad Rohid, 10 Junaid Siddique, 11 Simranjeet Singh

Wolves and their search for a new manager took a dramatic twist on Saturday with news of Rob Edwards standing down from the dugout for Middlesbrough’s clash against Birmingham, but he hasn’t been the only tactician on the Old Gold’s shortlist.

Their disastrous season has plunged from bad to worse, with the club now desperately scrambling to appoint Edwards after Vitor Pereira was sacked on November 2.

Wolves’ winless start has left them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, and they remain the only side without a victory in England’s top four divisions, having taken just two points from their opening 10 top flight games.

History is firmly against them – no club has ever survived with two or fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season — a stat which seriously threatens to condemn Wolves to relegation after eight straight years in the top tier.

Wolves results in the Premier League so far

Wolves 0-4 Man City

Bournemouth 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Everton

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 1-3 Leeds United

Tottenham 1-1 Wolves

Wolves 1-1 Brighton

Sunderland 2-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Burnley

Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Wolves have also become only the third side in Premier League history to concede 20 or more goals in their opening 10 games of two consecutive seasons, shipping 27 last season and 22 this campaign.

After Pereira’s dismissal, and following their week-long managerial search, Fosun have now turned their attention to Edwards.

The 42-year-old was once part of the club’s coaching staff, working with the U18s in 2014 before being promoted to a first-team coaching role in 2015. Since then, Edwards guided Luton Town to Premier League promotion in 2023, and made a fine start to life at Boro this season.

However, he could now be on the move just months after signing a three-year contract.

The situation reached breaking point today when Edwards was stood down from taking charge of Boro’s home game against Birmingham amid continued interest from Wolves. Edwards also didn’t take Boro training on Friday, and his pre-match press conference was cancelled, after Boro rejected Wolves’ approach seeking permission to hold talks on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Now, it is believed that Edwards is “looking likely to join Wolves” as he eyes a return to the top flight.

Boro released a statement today too, confirming that they’ve now granted Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

All of this comes after Wolves initially explored bringing back former manager Gary O’Neil, but he withdrew from the race citing a timing issue.

Major twist on Gary O'Neil's future after advanced talks to re-join Wolves

Now, as per TEAMtalk, there’s been a “major twist” on O’Neil’s own future after his “advanced talks” to re-join Wolves.

According to their information, following a “dramatic U-turn” over returning to Molineux, with O’Neil once believed to be closing in on an agreement, it is now believed that Southampton is his most likely destination.

The Saints have made an approach to O’Neil, and talks are expected to intensify in the coming days as all parties seek to reach a swift deal.

Taking this into account, it is a wonder why O’Neil ruled himself out of the Wolves job but could now take up a position with the struggling Championship side.

O’Neil was appointed Wolves head coach in August 2023 and led the club to a 14th-placed finish and the FA Cup quarter-finals in his first season. More impressively, despite inheriting a squad in turmoil just days before the season began following Julen Lopetegui’s abrupt exit, and with minimal transfer backing, he steered the side to a respectable finish and earned plaudits for steadying the ship.

His first season included victories over Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Wolves reaching eighth at their peak that campaign.

O’Neil apparently remains “highly respected” in Premier League circles too (Miguel Delaney), but after his rejection, Edwards appears to be closing in on the role.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been afraid to splash the cash in their attempts to catapult themselves closer towards Premier League glory.

However, they’ve found out first hand that spending big money doesn’t equal immediate success, with numerous players unable to have the desired impact in North London.

In the summer of 2019, the Lilywhites hierarchy forked out a then club-record £62m for the signature of French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele – but it would be a deal that proved to be a disaster.

He racked up 91 appearances during his five-year spell in England, but he was massively questioned over his lack of fitness and constant attitude problems under various managers.

As a result, the club let him leave for nothing last summer, subsequently joining Nice on a free transfer and departing as one of the club’s worst signings in history.

However, one other huge addition will be hoping he doesn’t endure the same fate after his own transfer to join Thomas Frank’s side during the recent transfer window.

Mohammed Kudus' immediate impact at Spurs

In one of his first moves as Spurs manager, Frank decided to fork out a reported £55m for the signature of winger Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian featured for the Hammers over a two-year period before moving across the capital, with real hope he could provide a new dimension to the Lilywhites’ attack.

He may have only featured in nine games to date, but the 25-year-old has already made an immediate impact in North London throughout 2024/25.

The attacker has registered four assists to date – the most of any player in the squad – highlighting his ability to create endless opportunities for those around him.

However, he also recently netted his first goal for the club in the last outing against Leeds United, with such a strike securing all three points for Frank’s men.

It may only be early days in his career with Spurs, but Kudus has already demonstrated his quality and is arguably making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet.

However, despite his impressive form in North London, he’s now valued lower than one player who joined the club for a fee lower than his in recent times.

The Spurs star who’s valued more than Kudus

Spurs’ Europa League triumph last campaign is evidence that their work in the transfer market has been hugely effective, despite also wasting huge amounts of money on players not at the level required.

Bargain additions such as Lucas Bergvall had huge parts to play in their recent European triumph, with the Swedish international exceeding everyone’s expectations throughout 2024/25.

He only joined last summer for a reported £8.5m from homeland club Djurgarden, with very few supporters expecting the 19-year-old to have an immediate impact in the first-team.

However, the injury crisis allowed the youngster to stake his claim for a regular starting role, racking up 45 appearances across all competitions in his debut year.

His talents catapulted the club to the Europa League title, which has seen them qualify for the Champions League – allowing them to attract world-class talents to Frank’s side.

As a result, the hierarchy completed the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in the closing stages of the summer window – finally ending their hunt for a new number ten.

The Dutchman arrived with huge expectations after his form in the Bundesliga last campaign, subsequently ending the year with 17 combined goals and assists in just 25 outings.

However, his time in England is yet to take off, only registering one assist in his first seven outings – but he will certainly need time to settle, given he’s just 22 years of age.

It’s not stopped Simons from receiving heaps of praise from numerous high-profile names, with one analyst even labelling the youngster as a “phenomenal” talent.

Games played

7

Minutes played

420

Assists

1

Shots taken

1.4

Pass accuracy

88%

Successful passes

30

Chances created

1.8

Dribble success

55%

Dribbles completed

1.8

Fouls won

1.4

He’s also seen his market value soar in recent months after his transfer, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing the sensation at a staggering £97.3m.

Such a figure is nearly two times higher than the fee paid for Kudus this window, further highlighting how highly rated the Dutchman is despite his early struggles in the Premier League.

Whilst Kudus has hit the ground running, he does have prior experience in England’s top-flight, with Simons likely to have the same impact in the near future once he’s settled.

However, there’s no denying the Lilywhites have a potential world beater on their hands, with the prospect of the aforementioned starring together for years to come a hugely exciting one for the fanbase.

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Paul Merson slammed a Chelsea star after the bitterly disappointing 2-1 defeat against Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

Blues suffer setback against newly-promoted Sunderland

Sunderland have surpassed expectations so far this season, but the Blues would’ve been expecting to take all three points against a newly-promoted side, and the 2-1 defeat is a setback, especially after winning their previous four games on the bounce in all competitions.

Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring for Enzo Maresca’s side after just four minutes, with the winger netting his first goal since arriving at Stamford Bridge, but Wilson Isidor’s equaliser and a stoppage-time winner from Chemsdine Talbi turned the game on its head.

A number of the home side’s players struggled, with Marc Guiu failing to make any impact on the match, and there have since been calls for Maresca to drop the striker, who touched the ball just ten times prior to being withdrawn on the 75-minute mark.

Guiu was given the nod at centre-forward, in order to accommodate Joao Pedro in an attacking midfield role, despite the Brazilian starting almost exclusively at striker so far this season.

Maresca would’ve been hoping the position change would allow the 24-year-old to rediscover his top form, but it wasn’t to be, with Merson left very unimpressed by his performance.

Speaking on Sky Sports (via Metro), the former Arsenal man said: “They need Delap back badly, they need a focal point.

“Guiu played up front and I think he touched the ball nine, ten times. You can’t do that in a team that are supposed to be dominating the ball.

“Chelsea ran out of ideas. They had winger after winger but half of them don’t go past anyone. Joao Pedro looked lost as a number ten. They struggled and were pretty poor.”

Injury may have impacted Pedro's performance

The Blues have been forced to deal with a number of injury issues in the early stages of the campaign, and Maresca revealed the former Brighton & Hove Albion man is one of many players not at full fitness.

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The Italian said: “Joao is not training every day because he is managing an injury problem. Moi is the same, Enzo is the same,

“We have four or five players that have some problems and cannot work every day. They try to make the effort and play the game. Joao struggled a little bit today but all of the players did today, so it’s not just Joao.”

That said, there will rightfully be concerns about the display, with the forward losing possession nine times and failing to get a single shot away throughout the match.

Pedro’s performance levels have been going downhill for some time now, having failed to register a Premier League goal or assist since September, and Maresca will be hoping the £125k-a-week forward can turn the corner soon.

تسعى إدارة نادي ريال مدريد لخطوة هامة تجاه المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، ولاعب الفريق فينيسيوس جونيور، بعد أحداث الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة.

وقاد تشابي فريقه ريال مدريد للفوز على برشلونة بهدفين لهدف، في أول كلاسيكو له كمدير فني للنادي الملكي، في إطار مباريات الجولة العاشرة لبطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وانفعل فينيسيوس غاضبًا على مدربه تشابي، حين قرر استبداله قبل 20 دقيقة من نهاية المباراة، لتزداد العلاقة توترًا بين الطرفين.

وبحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية في تقرير لها اليوم، فإن إدارة ريال مدريد وضعت إعادة بناء العلاقة بين ألونسو وفينيسيوس ضمن أولوياتها بعد التوتر الذي نشأ خلال الكلاسيكو.

ولم يُخفِ فينيسيوس استياءه من استبداله، بل توجه مباشرةً إلى غرفة الملابس قائلاً “سأغادر”، قبل أن يعود في النهاية إلى مقاعد البدلاء.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يفرض قرارًا على لامين يامال بعد أزمة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد

ومنذ ذلك الحين، أشارت التقارير إلى أن الأمور ليست على ما يرام بين فينيسيوس وتشابي، مما قد يؤدي إلى رحيل اللاعب البرازيلي البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا خلال انتقالات يناير، إذا استمر الخلاف بين الطرفين.

ويرى كبار المسؤولين في ريال مدريد، أن علاقة فينيسيوس وتشابي يجب أن تكون على ما يرام، وهو ما يخدم مستقبل الفريق.

وسيلتقي تشابي وفينيسيوس غدًا في تدريبات ريال مدريد، للمرة الأولى عقب أزمة الكلاسيكو، وذلك بعد فترة الراحة التي منحها المدرب للاعبين عقب الفوز على برشلونة، وتأمل إدارة النادي في مصالحة الطرفين بلقاء الغد.