Ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane has admitted that he's "motivated" to silence the Chelsea fans as Bayern Munich prepare to host Enzo Maresca's side in their Champions League opener on Wednesday. Kane has kicked off another campaign in Germany on a fiery note, scoring eight goals across all competitions in just five appearances.
Kane ready to rekindle rivalry with Chelsea
Kane has reminisced about the time he spent in the Premier League with Tottenham, where he enjoyed numerous battles against London rivals like Chelsea and Arsenal. Now, ahead of Bayern's Champions League opener against the Blues, the England captain is feeling "motivated" to silence the Blues fans travelling to the Allianz Arena.
AdvertisementGettyNot worried about potential abuse from fans
Speaking to reporters ahead of Bayern's first Champions League fixture of 2025-26, Kane said: “I think the rivalry was a good rivalry we had, especially early on in my Tottenham career, from that [Mauricio] Pochettino era. And we had a lot of tough games, good games against each other, so yeah, I think playing against a Premier League opposition is always maybe a little bit more expectation around the game.
“Obviously, maybe the Chelsea fans don’t like me as much. And when we play Arsenal, the Arsenal fans don’t like me as much, but that makes me want to play better. That motivates me. There’s going to be some familiar faces that I played against, some that I played with with England, so all those things added, it just brings a little something special around the game.
“I think being at the Allianz, having an English team here, as a team, we like to try to stamp our authority on the game.”
Kane continues to shine in Germany
Kane heads into the European fixture after scoring a brace in Bayern's 5-0 thumping of Hamburg last weekend. With the double in the Bundesliga clash, Kane took another giant step towards reaching the 100-goal mark for the Bavarian side across all competitions. The English striker has scored 93 goals in 101 appearances since joining the German champions from Spurs in 2023.
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Getty Images SportChelsea's injury headache
The Blues will miss the services of new signing Liam Delap against Bayern due to a long-term injury, while star attacker Cole Palmer is also doubtful for the clash, though he did make a scoring return to action from the bench in Chelsea's last league game against Brentford.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has bolstered his options in the middle of the park with the additions of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach in the summer transfer window.
The German boss moved to add physicality to his options in midfield to go along with the technical quality that Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, and Ilia Gruev offer to the team.
Ampadu’s absence in midfield was felt in the 5-0 loss to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday, as the Gunners found it far too easy to get past Gruev to run at the Leeds defence.
The midfield area of the pitch was so important to the West Yorkshire outfit when they were last promoted to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, who led the club to a top-half finish.
Marcelo Bielsa
Leeds enjoyed a sensational first season back in the top-flight to finish well clear of relegation, and a key part of their success was having a strong midfield.
Academy graduate Kalvin Phillips played a significant role in how effective the team was in the middle of the park, with his fantastic performances in his first year in the Premier League.
How Kalvin Phillips earned an England call-up
The Yorkshire-born star started 37 times in the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign, per Sofascore, as Leeds romped their way to the title, which was clinched in lockdown.
Phillips won 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game, winning 54% of his overall duels in the division, but there was still a question mark over whether or not he would be able to handle the step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League.
Boy did he answer that question and leave no doubt. The Leeds number 23 hit the ground running in the Premier League and bossed the midfield for the Whites to help them achieve a top-half finish in the 2020/21 campaign.
In fact, after just one season in the Premier League with Leeds, Phillips was described as one of the best midfielders in world football by teammate and captain Liam Cooper.
His statistics in the top-flight for the Whites in the 2020/21 campaign show that he was among the top players in England, at least, when it came to being a defensive monster in midfield.
Tackles
2.74
Top 12%
Interceptions
1.67
Top 18%
Blocks
1.82
Top 9%
Clearances
1.96
Top 9%
Aerial duels won
1.11
Top 39%
Passes blocked
1.30
Top 15%
As you can see in the table above, Phillips ranked highly among his positional peers, and it did not go unnoticed by Gareth Southgate, who made him a key part of the England side at the European Championship in 2021.
The English star started seven times on on his country’s way to losing in the final to Italy, and the Whites are now interested in a star who could follow in Phillips’ footsteps.
Leeds eye ambitious move for England star
According to MOT Leeds News, Leeds United are eyeing up an ‘ambitious’ approach to sign Manchester United and England central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.
The report claims that the injury to Ampadu has sparked a bit of a concern at Elland Road, and that the Red Devils academy graduate has emerged as a transfer target for them late in the summer transfer window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that Leeds would like to sign one more midfielder before next week’s deadline and Mainoo is being lined up as a possible loan target for Farke’s side.
The outlet reveals that Mainoo would be open to a transfer away from Old Trafford, but Manchester United are unlikely to sanction a loan deal this late into the window.
MOT Leeds News does claim, though, that the situation could change and an opportunity could open up if the player decides to push for a move in the coming days.
Why Kobbie Mainoo should sign for Leeds United
Ditching Manchester United, even if just on loan, for Leeds may not seem like an obvious career move for Mainoo, even in spite of the situation the Red Devils find themselves in, but it could be the right one for his career.
Kobbie Mainoo
It is a World Cup year for players, with the World Cup taking place in Mexico, USA, and Canada next year, and that means that they need to be playing regularly, and playing well, to push for a place at the tournament.
Mainoo has been an unused substitute in Manchester United’s first two matches of the Premier League season, despite his team picking up just one point from those games, and does not appear to have much hope of crashing into Ruben Amorim’s two-man midfield.
However, Farke’s switch to a 4-3-3 this season could provide Mainoo with the perfect platform to excel as one of the two eights ahead of a number six, which is not something that he has the luxury of in Amorim’s system.
At the start of last season, pundit Robbie Earle said: “You hear the term generational talent when you talk about this guy. He controls the game for Man United, he’s got the maturity and ability to slow the game down and make sure people are in place.
Manchester United's KobbieMainooin action with Leicester City's Boubakary Soumare
“He plays like a 29-year-old not a 19-year-old, he’s got poise, athleticism, ability in and around the box, he’s an absolute jewel, you build a team around him.”
United did not heed these words because they then hired a manager who played a system that did not suit his talents, hence why he has now found himself as an outcast at Old Trafford.
Take-ons attempted
2.71
Top 20%
Take-ons completed
1.42
Top 18%
Take-on success rate
53.4%
Top 28%
Goal-creating actions (take-ons)
0.09
Top 4%
Goal-creating actions (shot)
0.09
Top 2%
Goal-creating actions (fouls drawn)
0.05
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Mainoo excelled in the 2023/24 campaign, prior to Amorim’s arrival and change in system, as a midfielder with the license to carry the ball and take players on.
As part of a midfield three, the England star could excel at Leeds by being given the perfect platform to showcase his best attributes in the middle of the park as a regular starter in the Premier League.
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This is why Mainoo should push to complete a loan move to Elland Road in the coming days because he could follow Phillips in using Leeds as the place to make his push for a starting berth for England in a major tournament at the end of the season.
Maharashtra’s 19-year-old allrounder scored a match-winning hundred on his List A debut
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2025Arshin Kulkarni, Maharashtra’s 19-year-old allrounder, scored a century on List A debut to lead his side to victory against Punjab and into the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Kulkarni top-scored with 107 off 137 balls as Maharashtra overcame a top-order wobble to post 275 for 6, which was 70 too many for Punjab.Maharashtra were reduced to 8 for 2 in the third over with Arshdeep Singh, who finished with a three-wicket haul that took him to the top of the wicket charts, accounting for the openers. Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was bowled by an away-swinger that pitched on leg stump and beat his outside edge to hit the top of off in the first over of the match. In the third, Arshdeep had left-hand batter Siddesh Veer nicking behind.Kulkarni and Ankit Bawne, the veteran batter, put on 145 for the third wicket. Bawne scored 60 before he fell to spin-bowling allrounder Naman Dhir. Rahul Tripathi then fell for 15 as Maharashtra stumbled.It wasn’t until the last five overs that they regained some momentum, with wicketkeeper batter Nikhil Naik hitting an unbeaten 29-ball 52. Maharashtra scored 63 off the last six overs to finish on 275.Left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary began Maharashtra’s defence with superb swing bowling to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh and Abhishek Sharma as Punjab tried to speed away. He had a third wicket in the 10th over – his fifth in a row – when he dismissed Nehal Wadhera and left Punjab 50 for 3.When Punjab’s middle order, comprising the dangerous Ramandeep Singh and Naman Dhir, failed to fire, Maharashtra were runaway winners. From 123 for 7, Arshdeep muscled a few big blows to reduce Punjab’s margin of defeat. He made his highest List A score of 49 before being the last batter dismissed as they were all out for 205.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca fears Liverpool may be “impossible to catch” after seeing the Reds invest £446 million ($603m) during the summer transfer window of 2025. Arne Slot’s side were already reigning Premier League champions and a faultless start has been made to the new season as domestic rivals worry about how to stage their own title challenges.
Premier League champions even stronger
With Slot overseeing little business across his debut campaign on Merseyside, huge moves were made after capturing the English top-flight crown. Liverpool drafted in the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez during an elaborate spending spree.
AdvertisementAFPPerfect start leaves rivals playing catch-up
Liverpool have started the new campaign with five successive wins, leaving them five points clear at the top of the table, and Maresca – who has Chelsea sat sixth – admits that the Reds may soon race out of sight.
Maresca in Premier League title admission
The Italian tactician said of trying to put his Blues squad in contention: “If they [Liverpool] continue in this way I think it is impossible to catch them, not just for us, but for all the clubs. They have been doing a fantastic job since last year, and the players they have decided to buy shows the intention of the club to go again for the Premier League and the Champions League, and that is quite clear.”
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AFPWill Palmer require surgery after injury?
If Chelsea are to compete, then they will need Cole Palmer at their disposal. He was forced out of a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Manchester United with a groin injury, but Maresca is confident that surgery can be avoided.
He said when asked about the possibility of England international Palmer being forced under the knife: “The medical staff, they didn’t mention to me about surgery. I don’t know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don’t think so, to be honest. But we need to protect Cole, 100%. Because of the Club World Cup, and we never stopped, we need to manage and protect different players, and Cole is one of them.
“Now we have a meeting with the medical staff and decide the best solution for him. It is not an injury which is black and white. It is an injury which on some days you can be better and the pain disappears, and sometimes you can be worse so that is why we have to manage it day by day.”
Sunderland have left Dutch club NEC Nijmegen furious after the transfer involving goalkeeper Robin Roefs, with the Black Cats supposedly breaching a “verbal agreement”.
Speakman "delighted" with Sunderland's deadline day
The Black Cats had a summer transfer window to treasure, bringing in as many as 13 players on permanent deals, as well as snapping up loan signings. One player in the latter category was Lutsharel Geetruida, who has sealed a temporary move to Sunderland from RB Leipzig, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman “delighted” with the piece of business.
RB Leipzig's Lutsharel Geetruida in action against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite plenty of positivity at Sunderland, following such a strong summer in the market, they look to have made an enemy with one club.
Habib Diarra
Strasbourg
£27.1m
Brian Brobbey
Ajax
£21.6m
Simon Adingra
Brighton
£21m
Enzo Le Fee
Roma
£19.8m
Chemsdine Talbi
Club Brugge
£17.2m
Noah Sadiki
Union SG
£14.6m
Granit Xhaka
Bayer Leverkusen
£12.9m
Nordi Mukiele
Paris Saint-Germain
£10.3m
Omar Alderete
Getafe
£9.8m
Robin Roefs
NEC Nijmegen
£9m
Bertrand Traore
Ajax
£2.5m
Reinildo Mandava
Atletico Madrid
free transfer
Arthur Masuaku
Besiktas
free transfer
Sunderland slammed by club for "breaching agreement"
As reported by Algemeen Daglbad [via Sport Witness], NEC Nijmegen are livid with Sunderland about their failure to send them Jenson Seelt as part of the deal for Roefs. Seelt was expected to head the other way once the shot-stopper moved to Wearside, but went to Wolfsburg on deadline day instead.
NEC general manager Wilco van Schaik has since revealed technical director Carlos Allbers was the angriest he’s ever seen him, regretting the Roefs transfer as a whole.
“I wasn’t happy about that. And certainly not Carlos [Allbers, techincal director]. The takeover was a done deal. We closed the deal with Roefs, and then we also made a verbal agreement with Sunderland that we would acquire Seelt for this amount. They said they’d keep him for a while because he needed to play.
Jenson Seelt for Sunderland.
“Okay, no problem. It just took forever. Last Sunday, they said they had so many injuries that he wasn’t allowed anymore. On Friday, they called again to say they were going to buy two more defenders after all. So he’s back. Well, we’d already made the arrangements, and suddenly we saw him in the Wolfsburg shirt yesterday afternoon.
“That’s not how you should do business. This is the ugly side of football. I’ve never seen Carlos so angry. He texted them this morning saying he regretted selling Roefs to them. I know Carlos to be very honest and sincere, and I’ve never seen him so angry. He was done with it.”
It goes without saying that Sunderland are in the wrong if they agreed to sell Seelt, although it remains to be seen how concrete that claim is.
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Either way, the 22-year-old will hopefully enjoy a fruitful time of things at Wolfsburg instead, as the Black Cats potentially look to cool the situation and potentially sell him for a larger profit in the future.
Van der Dussen, who turned 36 earlier this month, has accepted that his time in the team will not be forever
Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2025While most in South African white-ball cricket see every step of the next two years as building a path to the home ODI World Cup in 2027, Rassie van der Dussen is entertaining the idea that the Champions Trophy 2025 could be his last multi-team event.Van der Dussen turned 36 earlier this month and currently plays only one format for South Africa, though he has been capped in all three. As he gets older and a younger crop of batters start coming through, he has accepted that his time in the team might be nearing an end.”It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.Related
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“It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back, Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan’s [Rickelton] only starting out now actually so there’s so many good players.”I’m not blind to the possibility that if I don’t perform that someone won’t be there to take my place. I certainly don’t expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better.”Three of the players van der Dussen mentioned – Stubbs, de Zorzi and Rickelton – are in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad and along with him are competing for, at most, two spots in the top order. One of those positions is to open alongside captain Temba Bavuma – and that role has shifted between de Zorzi and Rickelton – and the other to bat at No. 3 (though de Zorzi and Rickelton both played the tournament opener against Afghanistan as Heinrich Klaasen was out injured).Van der Dussen knows Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi are pushing him for a spot in the South Africa line-up•ICC/Getty ImagesSince 2019, van der Dussen has been South Africa’s most regular No. 3 and with good reason – he has their third-highest batting average in ODIs and has built a reputation for reliability. But over the last year, that has started to wane.Before his 52 against Afghanistan, van der Dussen had gone ten innings without a half-century and it has been 13 since the last time he scored a hundred. Though there is no suggestion of it – and him being at a press conference suggests also no danger of it – when Klaasen returns to full fitness, van der Dussen could be in the firing line if all of Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton are retained. In the immediate term, it is more likely, de Zorzi will sit out and van der Dussen could get a shot at a title he has been working towards. “For me I always wanted to get to the Champions Trophy, which is now, and then we’ll reassess after that,” he said. “My national contract is coming up at the end of April.”I’ll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I’m playing well. Physically, I’m putting a lot of time into my body. If I’m still good enough in two years, I’d like to think that I’m in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can’t keep up with the youngsters, then that’s also fine.”
“My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas. People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues”Rassie van der Dussen
Unlike some players in the twilight of their careers around the world – Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi are some examples – van der Dussen does not appear inclined to reject a national contract for league opportunities.”My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas,” van der Dussen said. “People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know. I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals so if that falls away, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. If I’m offered another contract, I’ll definitely take it and commit for that time period.”And even if that contract does not take him all the way to 2027, van der Dussen wants to play a part in helping South Africa’s ODI side move towards their best ahead of the World Cup. “I would suspect that, from a management point of view, your 2027 World Cup side has to start playing more regularly and start playing together. But there’s a lot of leagues happening in the next few months and everyone won’t be available all the time, so even if it’s in a transitional sort of role, I’ll definitely commit to that. Being here is for me the ultimate thing. Leagues are nice, but that’s not my be-all and end-all.”Rassie van der Dussen is focusing on upskilling his game and believes leagues like T10 have helped in that regard•SportzpicsHe confirmed that while he has not retired from red-ball cricket, in “the last year or two of my career, I can’t see myself playing any more red-ball cricket”, and that he turned down an offer to do so later this year. “I did have a county offer thrown my way, which I declined.”Instead, he is focusing on upskilling his short format game and seeing how far it takes him. “I’ve played in a few leagues and done well. Even leagues like T10 have taken my game forward. That’s why I’m feeling now that I’m still hungry and I’m still playing well.”As things stand, South Africa have at least one more Champions Trophy game and, depending on the outcome of the Afghanistan vs Australia match, may not even need to win it to progress to the semi-finals.They take on England, who are already eliminated, but who van der Dussen believes could still be dangerous opposition. “We were always coming into this match saying that it will possibly be a quarter-final type of situation. Whoever wins that will go through. A little bit changes for them because they can’t go through anymore but for us, it’s a match against England. We don’t need any extra motivation to play England.”
Liam Rosenior was left "particularly angry" at a referee decision as he claimed that Marseille's Nayef Aguerd should have been sent off for a foul on Emanuel Emegha. Friday night at the Meinau turned into heartbreak for the hosts, who saw their 1-0 lead evaporate in a cruel late collapse in the Ligue 1 encounter against Marseille.
Comeback win for Marseille
Abdoul Ouattara’s strike straight after the interval had lifted Strasbourg temporarily to the top end of Ligue 1, but it all fell apart as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled on 78 minutes before Amir Murillo smashed home in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for OM.
AdvertisementAFPAnger at the officials boils over
Rosenior went after referee Jeremie Pignard, accusing him of making a game-changing blunder. Early in the second half, Racing forward Emegha looked through on goal when he was brought down by Marseille defender Aguerd. Rosenior is adamant that the Moroccan should have seen red.
"I didn't see the action again, but for me it deserved a second yellow for Aguerd. It was a key moment," he claimed.
Rosenior’s fury reached boiling point when recalling the 70th-minute incident involving Joaquin Panichelli. The young forward was struck in the head and left sprawled on the turf, but referee Pignard allowed play to continue.
"I was especially angry when the referee didn't stop play while Joaquin Panichelli was on the ground, hit in the head. He was knocked out," Rosenior added.
Decisions piling up against Strasbourg
It wasn’t the first time Strasbourg have felt hard done by this season, and Rosenior made sure everyone knew it. He reminded reporters of a similar controversy in the loss to Monaco, calling it another decision that swung against them. His voice dripped with exasperation as he added: "We lost in Monaco and against OM, with two controversial decisions against us."
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AFPEuropa night looms
For Strasbourg, the defeat leaves them sitting in fifth place in the league, respectable, but with the bitter taste of wasted opportunity. Their attention now shifts quickly to European matters. On Thursday, they travel to Slovakia to take on Slovan Bratislava in the Conference League, a chance to channel their frustration into something positive.
Too often, issues off the pitch can impact what happens on the pitch in football. Glasgow Rangers are no strangers to that being the case at Ibrox, with players, supporters, managers, and higher-ups.
For example, Russell Martin noted after the 2-0 defeat to Hearts that the players are struggling to deal with the current situation and the expectations at Ibrox.
The Gers boss told BBC Scotland: “There is a lot of anxiety, a lot of difficulty managing expectation. We have so many players trying to feel their way into their Rangers career in a really difficult situation.”
It is a Catch-22 situation, though, because it is down to the team to deliver good enough performances on the pitch to earn the full backing of the fanbase and the media.
However, there can also be problems caused by contractual issues or relationships behind the scenes that can also affect what happens on the pitch for the Gers, as was the case with Ianis Hagi last season.
Why Rangers made a mistake with Ianis Hagi
After spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Alaves, the Romania international returned to Ibrox in the summer of 2023 only to be banished from the first-team and sent to play for the B team.
He had to train and play with the young Gers players, instead of with his peers, and that meant that he did not take part in the European qualifiers or the opening Premiership games.
Philippe Clement revealed that it was down to a contractual issue that was not resolved behind the scenes until October, which meant that the attacking midfielder missed pre-season and the first two months of the campaign.
Appearances
33
Starts
23
Goals
7
Assists
11
Big chances created
6
Key passes per game
1.0
Key passes
33
As you can see in the table above, the Gers playmaker was a key player in the 2020/21 title-winning season under Steven Gerrard, making him a proven player in the top-flight.
Hagi then, unsurprisingly, scored four goals, created six ‘big chances’, and assisted five goals in 16 starts in the Scottish Premiership, per Sofascore, after returning to the first-team fold, which shows that they missed a top-class player for months because of a non-footballing issue.
The Romania international was a proven Premiership performer who could deliver goals and assists at an impressive rate and they had him sitting on the sidelines because of a contractual issue behind the scenes.
Whilst it is not an identical situation, Rangers are now repeating the big mistake they made with Hagi by leaving Nicolas Raskin out of the squad.
Why Rangers need to play Nicolas Raskin
The Belgium international was not involved in the squad to face Hearts or Celtic in the last two league matches, because Martin claims that he has to earn the “trust” of his teammates.
Raskin was back in training with the first-team after the international break but had to look on from the sidelines as the Light Blues lost 2-0 to Hearts, which has left the club with their worst start to a league season in 47 years.
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Speaking about the situation, former Rangers striker and manager Ally McCoist said: “Now, there’s obviously a problem with Raskin, there’s no doubt about that, something’s happened. But from where I’m sitting, you cannot bite your nose off to spite your face.
“If you’ve got a problem with Raskin, and he clearly has, I think he’s got to let the public know what that problem is, because we’re all sitting there watching that game at the weekend, and Raskin walks into that team.”
McCoist is essentially saying that Rangers are hurting themselves by not selecting Raskin in recent games. It is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider how well the central midfielder performed in the 2024/25 campaign.
The former Standard Liege star won the Player of the Season and the Players’ Player of the Season awards, which speaks to how highly he is rated by both supporters and his teammates.
Appearances
33
12
Tackles per game
2.8
3.7
Interceptions per game
0.6
1.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.6
7.4
Ground duel success rate
57%
50%
Aerial duel success rate
56%
55%
As you can see in the table above, Raskin was an incredibly combative figure in the middle of the park for the Light Blues in both the Premiership and the Europa League, making plenty of tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per match.
On top of that, the Belgian star has the quality on the ball to be a difference-maker for the Scottish giants, who have failed to score in the two games that he has been excluded from.
Raskin, once hailed as “unbelievable” by ex-Rangers forward Kris Boyd, delivered five goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term, per Sofascore, and one of those goals came against Celtic, who the Gers failed to score past without him before the international break.
This shows that the Light Blues are repeating their big mistake with Hagi in the present day, because they are allowing a non-footballing problem to affect their results on the pitch.
Raskin, as evidenced by his performance data and the awards he collected, is an influential and integral member of the club’s best starting XI. If fit and available for selection, he should be lining up in the middle of the park.
As McCoist said, it feels like Rangers are biting their nose off to spite their face by pulling him out of squads, which was also the case when Hagi was jettisoned from the team at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
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Therefore, Martin should bring Raskin back into the team as soon as possible in the hope that the Belgian star’s qualities can turn the club’s dismal form around, lifting the mood and taking some of the pressure off the new signings and young players.
Chloe Kelly was trying her best to get the last laugh against Manchester City, as she cheekily replied to the taunts of a fan account with a photo of her celebrating Arsenal's Champions League victory last summer. Kelly had come off the bench to level the scores against her previous employers on Saturday, but her dreams were dashed by Iman Beney's late winner, giving City a 3-2 win.
Kelly fires back at scorned City fans
While the bulk of the football world has celebrated Kelly's spectacular turnaround in the past year, the tenor of their split clearly left a sour taste in some City fan's mouths. Eager to rub salt in the wounds, one Sky Blues fan account on X posted a sly dig. Their message read, "What's the score, Chloe?", To which, the 27-year-old responded with an image of her making snow angels in the confetti on the Estadio Jose Alvalade pitch after the Gunners 1-0 win over Barcelona in last May's Champions League final.
AdvertisementSuper-sub performance from Kelly not enough for Arsenal
Kelly has been something of a bit part player for Arsenal so far this season, making three of her WSL appearances from the bench and logging just 126 minutes. Given her heroics over the summer, she's more than capable of making an impact in the closing moments. Again, it looked like she was the hero, when her 83rd minute equaliser appeared to keep the Gunners unbeaten start to the season intact.
Beney's winner was an early hammer blow for Arsenal's title push. After just five games, the Gunners are already five points back on defending champions Chelsea who have quickly taken their perch on top of the WSL table.
GOAL gave Kelly a 6/10 for her performance from the bench, the joint best mark alongside Caitlin Foord. Record signing Olivia Smith scored just 5/10, with her final delivery – arguably Kelly's most valuable asset – questioned.
Inside Kelly's acrimonious split from Man City
The Lionesses star's time in Manchester came to an acrimonious end earlier this year. Kelly struggled for game time with City in the first half of the 2024-25 season, prompting her to make an emotional statement as the January transfer window ticked down, as she said her lack of action was having a negative effect on her mental wellbeing.
Kelly went as far as to allege her employers were planting negative stories about her in the press, while suppressing her ability to pursue the move of her choice.
Her statement read: "So disappointed to find out tonight that people at the club are briefing journalists against me if I am to sign at a club before the window shuts. They've called reporters to assassinate my character and tried to plant negative stories about me in the football media, which are false accusations. Women should look after each other and build each other up… not shoot them down to protect their employers. To those responsible, I am disappointed in this. As stated in my previous statement, I just want to find happiness again."
She was hastily snapped up by the Gunners on loan, before signing with the north London club on a permanent basis in the summer. That move instantly paid off, as Kelly became a key part of the Arsenal side that would go onto win last year's Champions League, setting her up to score crucial goals off the bench in England's defence of their European Championships.
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Getty Images SportCan Kelly inspire Arsenal turnaround?
Kelly will be hoping she can re-establish herself in Arsenal's starting XI going forward. Her next opportunity will come as the Gunners start their defence of their European crown against Lyon at the Emirates. That starts a busy run of fixtures for the winger and her teammates, as Arsenal then host Brighton, before travelling to Lisbon to take on Benfica on October 16.
Queensland were bundled out for 95 before 19-year-old Vidler responded with 4 for 33 to curb South Australia’s lead
Alex Malcolm26-Mar-2025The fringe and the future of Australian fast bowling was on display on day one of the Sheffield Shield final with Brendan Doggett taking six wickets to roll Queensland for 95 before 19-year-old Callum Vidler took four to ensure South Australia did not run away with the game on a dramatic day at Karen Rolton Oval where 16 wickets fell.Doggett tore through Queensland’s line-up to bowl them out for the lowest first innings total in Shield final history. He took his best ever figures in Shield cricket of 6 for 31 and his second five-wicket haul in a final, having done it previously for Queensland in the 2017-18 decider. He also became the 10th bowler to take multiple five-wicket hauls in a final. Queensland’s total was also the third-lowest in Shield history in any innings.Related
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Vidler then responded with a stunning display that was reminiscent of Pat Cummins’ breakout performance in a Shield final as a 17-year-old in 2011. Vidler showcased high pace, swing and accuracy in just his third first-class game to claim 4 for 33, including Test batters Alex Carey and Nathan McSweeney.But when Vidler ran out of gas late in the day, Jake Lehmann continued his phenomenal form to finish 42 not out at stumps, sharing an unbeaten 45-run stand with Ben Manenti, who finished 36 not out to push the hosts to 158 for 6 and a priceless lead of 63 that had been earned by some hard work from opener Conor McInerney who made a vital 38 against the new ball.Doggett made the most of some excellent morning bowling conditions after McSweeney made the unusual decision to bowl first at Karen Rolton Oval given the surface looked far more seam-friendly than usual. The ball swung consistently with Queensland’s batters unable to handle it.Nathan McAndrew celebrates the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne•Getty ImagesDoggett made the first breakthrough after coming on first change, removing Usman Khawaja for a tortured 2 off 28 deliveries when he pulled a short ball down fine leg’s throat. But Khawaja should not have survived that long.Nathan McAndrew had him dropped twice in the slips. He edged the third ball of the match to Manenti at second and he failed to hold onto the low chance. In the seventh over, McAndrew’s fourth, Khawaja edged a near identical delivery that angled in and swung away. It floated waist high to McSweeney at first slip and he grassed the simple chance.The weight of the 29-year Shield drought looked heavy on the entire team at that point. But the tide quickly shifted after Khawaja holed out.McAndrew endured more bad luck when Marnus Labuschagne defended a ball onto his heel and it rolled into leg stump at speed but did not knock off the leg bail. However, McAndrew’s frustration turned to elation next ball when Labuschagne glanced a catch to Lehmann at a well-placed leg gully to fall for a seven-ball duck.The next delivery Jack Clayton made a bizarre call. He defended a ball into the offside and took off for a single that was never. Opener Angus Lovell, who was a late inclusion for Queensland after Matthew Renshaw had to fly home for the birth of his second child, rightly sent Clayton back. Liam Scott swooped having been stationed very close at mid-off to prevent the single and produced a direct hit before Clayton could scramble back.How a drawn final is decided
In the event the Sheffield Shield final ends in a draw, the title will be decided on first-innings bonus points which are accrued across the first 100 overs.
Batting teams earn 0.01 of a bonus point for every run scored over 200 in the initial 100 overs; bowling sides get 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket in the first 100 overs. For example, the batting side scores 350 all out in 90 overs they earn 1.5 points and the bowling side 1 point.
Should bonus points be tied and the match drawn, SA will win the Shield given they finished top of the ladder and earned hosting rights for the final.
Queensland quickly slumped from 16 for 3 to 22 for 5. Lovell had survived two very close lbw shouts and having hit the pad with a sharp offcutter, Doggett found Lovell’s outside edge with a perfect outswinger to have him caught behind.Three overs later Ben McDermott chipped a poorly executed drive back to Jordan Buckingham who held on with two bites. Replays were needed to examine if Buckingham had overstepped the front line but the inconclusive evidence meant McDermott was given out.Michael Neser and Jimmy Peirson dug in just as they had done a week ago when they rescued Queensland from 86 for 5 to ensure a draw that got them into the final. Neser struck six boundaries in an excellent counterattack given the ball was still swinging consistently. But after a 46-run stand that got Queensland past lunch, Doggett struck twice in two overs.Peirson shuffled across too far to a ball that thundered into his front pad and was adjudged lbw. Neser had played and missed a few times in between playing some glorious drives but finally nicked a lovely outswinger from Doggett to McSweeney at first slip who let out a sigh of relief after holding on.McAndrew claimed a richly-deserved second when he lured Jack Wildermuth into a leaden-footed drive to have him caught behind.Doggett completed his five-wicket haul by cleaning up Mitchell Swepson and closed out the innings when Mark Steketee clubbed to deep mid-onNineteen-year-old Callum Vidler was outstanding with the new ball•Getty ImagesVidler, 19, then copied the Doggett blueprint to keep Queensland in the game, showing that high-pace outswing is a method for success on this surface. Playing just his third first-class game, he was trusted to open the bowling ahead of Steketee and did not let his captain down.He bowled 11 straight deliveries at opener Henry Hunt without letting him score, although one ran off the pad for four leg byes. Off the 12th, in Vidler’s third over, Hunt’s eyes lit up at a fuller length but some late shape at pace caught the edge and Lovell held the sharp chance at third slip.He bowled 12 deliveries to McSweeney without letting him get off the mark before scratching his outside edge with an even better delivery. Vidler went slightly wider of the crease, angled in and shaped away as McSweeney tried to defend on the crease. It wasn’t going to carry to first slip and Peirson took a blinder diving full length to his right with one glove. At that point, Vidler had bowled five overs, four maidens and had 2 for 2.But the scoreboard was moving at the other end thanks to McInerney. There was some luck involved. He edged Steketee on 14 but McDermott failed to lay a hand on the sharp chance and Steketee’s poor luck continued when Jason Sangha offered a similar edge high to Lovell’s left.Ben Manenti added valuable lower-order runs•Getty ImagesSangha edged a wide half volley from Neser to leave SA vulnerable at 41 for 3, but Carey and McInerney learnt from the mistakes of their team-mates and went on the offensive.Carey struck two fours and a six to put pressure back on Queensland’s attack. McInerney gloved an attempted pull down the leg side off Wildermuth to leave SA 65 for 4.But Lehmann and Carey kept the pedal down. Lehmann created width at every opportunity carving several balls from a fourth stump line behind point. He also benefited from some strange captaincy from Labuschagne who bowled part-time medium pace and gave up 18 runs in four overs, including three boundaries and a six.Vidler returned from the other end to wreak more havoc. Carey chopped on for 24, hurried by the extra pace trying to pull. Liam Scott was also done for pace, gloving a short ball down the leg side.But Vidler understandably tired at the back end of a second six-over spell. Manenti clubbed a pull shot for six to get himself going before he and Lehmann cashed in on some slower and more wayward offerings from and under par Neser and Wildermuth to put South Australia in a strong position at stumps.