There are no other changes to the squad that recently played Afghanistan at home

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2025Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani has been ruled out of Zimbabwe’s upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka due to a back injury. Left-arm seamer Newman Nyamhuri, yet to be capped in T20Is, has been named his replacement.There are no other changes to the squad that recently played Afghanistan at home, which Zimbabwe lost 0-3. Muzarabani, who had missed the last two T20Is of that series, picked up 2 for 41 in the first T20I.Nyamhuri, 19, has played four Tests and four ODIs, having made his international debut in December 2024. He was named in the T20I squad for the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in July but did not feature in any of the games.Led by Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe will open their campaign against hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on November 17, before facing Sri Lanka at the same venue on November 19. Zimbabwe will then travel to Lahore, where they will meet Pakistan again on November 23 and Sri Lanka on November 25. The top two teams on the points table will contest the final on 29 November in Lahore.Zimbabwe squad for T20I tri-series: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan Taylor

Craig Burley delivered an extraordinary on-air tirade aimed at Virgil van Dijk, accusing the Dutchman of shrinking from responsibility in the lead-up to Sunderland’s goal at Anfield. It was an equaliser that ultimately denied Arne Slot’s men two valuable points, and the former Chelsea player lashed out at the Liverpool skipper for his error in judgment.

• Liverpool continue to struggle for form

  Liverpool were buoyed only slightly by last weekend’s narrow win over West Ham, but produced another flat and fractured first half that left supporters restless. Their creativity was limited, the tempo was sluggish, and the home side struggled to threaten a Sunderland team that have been regularly punching above their weight this season to find themselves within touching distance of the top four. The visitors arrived brimming with confidence and struck the woodwork twice before the interval through Trai Hume and Omar Alderete. The warning shots were not heeded. Sunderland capitalised shortly after the restart when Chemsdine Talbi was afforded the freedom of Anfield’s penalty arc. The midfielder took aim, and his effort clipped the retreating Van Dijk before curling into the far corner. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s attack drifted between laboured and predictable, and Sunderland’s organised defensive line appeared increasingly comfortable as the match wore on. But fortune intervened for the hosts when Florian Wirtz slalomed into the box and toe-poked a scuffed attempt that ricocheted cruelly off Nordi Mukiele, looping over the goalkeeper for an own goal that spared Liverpool from another defeat.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Van Dijk’s season under the microscope

  Van Dijk has never hesitated to call out mediocrity. After the damaging home loss to Nottingham Forest last month, he admitted that Liverpool had become "a mess", urging teammates and himself to take accountability. Ibrahima Konate and new left-back Milos Kerkez have absorbed most of the media pressure in recent weeks. Even Van Dijk’s bizarre concession of a penalty in the subsequent defeat to PSV Eindhoven failed to ignite widespread condemnation. That equilibrium was shattered on Wednesday night when pundit Burley ripped into the Liverpool skipper in a withering outburst.

  He said: "I’m fed up sitting here and (listening to people saying) ‘it’s Mo Salah not playing well, Florian Wirtz can’t find his feet, Alexander Isak, Ekitike, the midfield's dynamic has changed’. He (Van Dijk) is the barometer of what is wrong this year. He is supposed to be the leader. All he has done all season is throw Kerkez under the bus, (and) throw his arms up in the air. He is making as many mistakes as any other player. Every game, you could watch him and go … ‘what’s he doing?’."

• Van Dijk's time to take ownership of his mistakes

  Burley reserved his harshest indictment for Van Dijk’s defending in the build-up to Talbi’s strike. He continued by accusing Van Dijk of scapegoating teammates rather than taking ownership.

  "He does everything wrong. Pass, doesn’t close it down and turns his back like a coward," he said. "It’s just absolutely crazy. He (Van Dijk) seems to be coming out of it relatively unscathed, and it is everybody else’s fault. But for me, at the back, he has been as bad as anybody else. And I think that goal and the way that he refused to close it down and the fact that he turned his back is the epitome of his performances this season."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Title defence hanging by a thread

  The draw leaves Liverpool 11 points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, a gulf that looks monumental given the inconsistencies that have plagued Slot’s team. Six defeats in the Premier League already tell the story of a squad that has struggled to find rhythm or resilience. Injuries, tactical reshuffles and a lack of fluency in key areas have played their part, but Wednesday’s setback reinforced a more worrying pattern that Liverpool are repeatedly failing to impose themselves in matches they once dominated with authority. 

  The road ahead offers little respite. Slot takes his side to Elland Road on Saturday evening, where a buoyant Leeds United await. Daniel Farke’s team stunned Chelsea in midweek and will be relishing the prospect of meeting a Liverpool side visibly short of confidence. They snapped their four-match losing streak, and the three points took them back to safety. Another victory will definitely provide them with some breathing space in the relegation battle. 

Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel marked his Old Trafford debut by setting a new club record after scoring the winner in an FA Youth Cup tie against Peterborough on Tuesday night. The 15-year-old has been linked with Barcelona and Arsenal and nicknamed 'Kid Messi', with many believing he has incredible potential. Meanwhile, Kai Rooney, son of legendary England striker Wayne, was left out of the squad for the third-round clash.

Gabriel stars in FA Youth Cup win and sets new record

Much is expected of Gabriel, even after only just turning 15 years of age, and the teenager wasted little time making his presence known on his first competitive appearance at United's Old Trafford home. Gabriel netted the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute with a lovely sweeping finish into the far corner, earning Darren Fletcher's side a fourth-round tie against Cambridge United or Derby County, with those two teams set to meet on Wednesday. That goal saw the hyped youngster become United's youngest-ever scorer in FA Youth Cup history and also took him to 11 strikes in 12 games this season, having recently scored a hat-trick against Liverpool's Under-18s.

AdvertisementGetty Who is JJ Gabriel?

United have produced plenty of stars through their academy during the club's glittering history and Gabriel is thought to be one who could go on to become a genuinely world-class player in the future. He has received rather flattering comparisons to Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo and attracted more praise back in August when he scored an outrageously impressive goal for United's Under-18s.

His performances have caught the eye of many teams around Europe. Barcelona are thought to be keeping track of his situation as they look to find the next Lamine Yamal, while Arsenal have also been credited with an interest. However, the Gunners' admiration of Gabriel has been labelled 'premature' in recent weeks, with the current Premier League leaders not thought to have made a formal offer as of yet.

That is good news for United, who seem to be doing everything they can to keep hold of the prodigious youngster. The Red Devils are said to have even gone as far as offering Gabriel a box at the new Old Trafford stadium, which is due to be completed by 2030. He may well hope to be making his mark in the first-team squad by that point, but United's current senior stars are already familiar with the teenager's talents as he's previously been invited to train with Ruben Amorim's cohorts during the early stages of the season.

Rooney's son Kai left out of squad

While it was all smiles for Gabriel, Kai Rooney, the son of United legend Wayne, was not included in the squad for the win over Peterborough. The teenager has been recovering from injury in recent weeks and made his return for the club's Under-16s over the weekend. Jacey Carrick, son of ex-United and England midfielder Michael, was also absent from the matchday squad.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWhat next for Gabriel?

Gabriel will continue playing youth football for United for now, with the hope of breaking into the first-team squad and making his senior debut in the future. He will, however, have to be wary of the treatment some of United's recent academy graduates have received of late.

Marcus Rashford doesn't seem to have much of a future at Old Trafford after being sent on loan to both Aston Villa and Barcelona in the last year, while the curious case of Kobbie Mainoo remains puzzling to many football fans across Europe. The 20-year-old broke into the squad under former boss Erik ten Hag and scored a memorable goal against local rivals Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, but he has not made a single start in the Premier League this season.

One youngster who has been getting first-team minutes under Amorim is Ayden Heaven, who has started the Red Devils' last two Premier League matches. He was unconvincing against West Ham United, being hauled off after 45 minutes, but produced a more accomplished performance in the 4-1 thumping of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.

Veteran major league outfielder Kevin Pillar announced his retirement on Wednesday after 13 seasons.

Pillar, who was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers in late May, described what went into his decision on Wednesday's

"I guess I can officially say I'm done playing," Pillar began. "I wanted to be 100% sure. Because of things I went through last year, I kinda said it was gonna be my last year. Then I got into the offseason and my mindset kinda changed.

“I wanted to make sure that I was really done playing and it started eating at me a little bit. I kinda missed it. I didn't like the way the year ended last year for me. I had the thumb surgery in the offseason. I went through that tedious process of rehabbing it, got cleared to start playing catch and hitting and was like, 'You know what, if I don't go back and try I might have some regrets.' I'm very thankful that I went back and went into spring training and got a chance to play for the Rangers. It was unfortunate that my season was cut short when I was DFA'd. But once I got on the other side and got a chance to be home and be Dad and spend time…I wake up every morning now excited to be Dad and see what the day brings."

Pillar played 13 seasons, seven of which came with the Toronto Blue Jays. Pillar also played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers.

He finishes his career slashing .255/.293/.405 with 114 home runs and 469 RBIs.

Yusei Kikuchi started the Los Angeles Angels game against the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Kikuchi pitched five innings, giving up four runs on six hits. When he left the game after the fifth inning, his team trailed, but came back to win 6-5.

Not bad considering how things started for Kikuchi. Sam Haggerty, leading off for the Rangers, hit the ball back to Kikuchi on a 3-2 count in the first at-bat of the game. Kikuchi did not field the ball cleanly and chased after it, tripping over the mound in the process. Kikuchi tumbled and ended up on his knees, sitting feet away from the ball while Haggerty stood safely on second.

The next batter to come up, Corey Saeger, also took Kikuchi to a full count before he hit a two-run home run.

That's about as rough of a start as you can have. Two batters, 14 pitches, one home run, two earned runs, one embarassing fall. Going five full innings was downright heroic considering that start.

تلعب الآن مباراة ليفربول أمام نظيره ليدز يونايتد، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ولا زالت المباراة تلعب في الدقائق الأخيرة، حيث تشهد المواجهة إثارة كبيرة بين ليفربول وليدز يونايتد الذي يقدم مستوى رائع على أرضه ووسط جماهيره.

واستطاع ليدز يونايتد إدراك التعادل مرة أخرى أمام ليفربول وسجل الهدف الثالث، والذي جاء في الثواني الأخيرة من المباراة.

طالع.. فيديو | سوبوسلاي يسجل هدف ليفربول الثالث أمام ليدز يونايتد وجاء هدف ليدز يونايتد الثالث عن طريق تاناكا في الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع من شوط اللقاء الثاني.

واستغل تاناكا كرة ركنية نفذها لاعب ليدز يونايتد ليسددها بقوة في مرمى ليفربول ليعجز حارس ليفربول أليسون بيكر عن التصدي لها.

وفي حال انتهت المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي، فسيفشل ليفربول في تحقيق الانتصار للمباراة الثانية على التوالي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، عقب التعادل يوم الأربعاء الماضي مع سندرلاند بهدف لكل فريق.

The New York Mets continued their busy trade deadline on Thursday, as the club acquired outfielder Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for three prospects, according to multiple reports. New York's deal for Mullins comes on the heels of the club's acquisition of relief pitchers Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley as part of an effort to revamp its bullpen.

By importing Mullins, the Mets have now filled an important void in the outfield as well. Meanwhile, the Orioles netted a trio of prospects for Mullins, a pending free agent that the club may have lost this winter.

With that in mind, let's assess how both clubs made out in the trade.

Mets: A-

David Stearns's impressive trade deadline continues. Stearns completely revamped New York's bullpen without surrendering any of the club's top nine prospects on the farm. That was impressive in and of itself. Now, Stearns has added Mullins, a former All-Star center fielder, parting ways with No. 14 prospect Anthony Nunez, hard-throwing righthander and No. 30 prospect Raimon Gomez, and High-A relief pitcher Chandler Marsh, who joined the club as an undrafted free agent this past season.

Mullins has disappointed a bit at the plate this season, as evidenced by his .229/.305/.433 slash line. But he's been on a roll at the plate as of late, as he's clubbed 10 extra base hits and posted a 137 wRC+ in July while playing his usual blend of strong defense. The April 12 injury to centerfielder Jose Siri, and subsequent setback in his recovery, left a crater in center field for New York.

But Mullins, who has pop in his bat, speed on the base paths and rates as an above average defender in center, fits the bill as a grade-A upgrade, even if he amounts to a rental bat. He figures to also be the perfect addition to the bottom of the Mets batting order, which has struggled for much of this season.

Orioles: B-

It feels like the Orioles could have netted a better prospect haul for Mullins, a former All-Star, though his 104 wRC+—just 10th among all center fielders—and his status as a 2026 free agent, likely lowered his price tag more than Baltimore would have liked.

Even still, there's no shame in the trio of prospects headed to Baltimore. Nunez, a position-player-turned-pitcher, has dominated hitters at the Double-A level thanks to a four-pitch mix and his athleticism from his former days as an infielder in the San Diego Padres farm system. Gomez, is a powerful righthander who boasts a triple digits on his fastball and wicked upper-80s, low-90s slider that have proven tough for High-A hitters to handle. Walks have been an issue for Gomez though. He'll need to display better control to excel in the majors, but there's promise here for sure. Meanwhile, Marsh, an undrafted pitcher out of Georgia, owns a mid-90s fastball and slider and has posted a 3.45 ERA and 28.8 percent strikeout rate at the High-A level.

Overall, Baltimore's front office was able to take advantage of both Mullins's stellar July and a sellers' market to net a solid return for a pending free agent, even though it had to be tough to part ways with the longest-tenured Oriole. Plus, the club addressed its farm system's biggest weakness: its stash of young pitchers.

UConn Huskies women's basketball star Azzi Fudd is having herself an excellent couple of days. Last week, she announced her new podcast , co-produced with Steph Curry's Unanimous Media.

And on Monday, the Arlington, Virginia, native threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Fudd rolled up to the mound in a custom Nats jersey, and showed off her athleticism with a pretty decent—albeit seemingly short—throw.

Check that out below:

Although she was a projected first-round pick, Fudd opted against the 2025 WNBA Draft for another year at UConn, where she'll have one last chance to study under the tutelage of Geno Auriemma.

Still, she'll have access to the WNBA and its spoils via her recently confirmed girlfriend Paige Bueckers, currently in her rookie year with the Dallas Wings.

So it's the best of both worlds for everyone. And we can't wait to see what this DMV native does next season.

West Ham United are now preparing the documents to sign a “special” attacker, who could be Nuno’s first signing.

Nuno still searching for first win as West Ham boss

After Graham Potter became the second managerial casualty of the Premier League season, West Ham thought Nuno would be the man to turn things around, but the former Nottingham Forest boss hasn’t made the greatest of starts.

The 51-year-old is still searching for his first win since replacing Potter in the dugout, with the Hammers losing their last three games on the spin in the Premier League, which leaves them in 19th place and four points adrift of safety.

The most recent result is likely to be the most concerning, with the Irons falling to a 2-1 defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road, in what could prove to be a real six-pointer come the end of the season.

It was a very poor performance from Nuno’s side, who recorded an xG of just 0.65, which suggests they need to bolster their forward line in the January transfer window if they are to stave off fears of relegation.

According to reporter Alan Nixon (via Caught Offside), West Ham are now preparing the documents to sign Barcelona attacker Dro Fernandez, with a major January recruitment drive now on the cards as a result of their very poor start to the season.

Nuno offered "world class" West Ham signing on loan and it isn't Toney or Endrick

The Hammers need reinforcements in January.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 24, 2025

Fernandez has now emerged as a serious target for the Hammers, and they are looking to be savvy by getting a deal done before his valuation goes through the roof, with the attacker in line to become Nuno’s first signing as manager.

However, the La Liga giants are well-aware of the 17-year-old’s potential, meaning he is likely to have a high valuation, which could potentially be prohibitive.

"Special" Fernandez could be destined for the top

It would perhaps be a surprise if Barca were willing to sanction the teenager’s departure, considering he clearly has a lot of potential, having received very high praise from former coach Javi Roxo in the past.

Roxo said: “Dro was always very special, he has a gift for touching the ball and has always been very creative.

“Dro is capable of everything and if Flick puts him on the wing he can also do well, it won’t be Raphinha but he can look like the Iniesta who played on the left. If he relieves himself of pressure and plays freely, he is capable of anything, his talent is infinite.”

Despite his age, the young Spaniard has already forced his way into first-team contention too, with scout Jacek Kulig left impressed after his recent display in the Champions League.

That said, it would be a gamble for West Ham to sign Fernandez in an effort to get them out of relegation trouble, given his lack of experience, and it may be a better idea to target proven Premier League players.

Tigers ace and American League Cy Young Award front-runner Tarik Skubal rarely gives up the long ball.

As he made his 26th start of the season Monday night, the Athletics' stadium production crew thought their team accomplished the rare feat. He let up a long fly ball to A's catcher Shea Langeliers that hooked outside of the left-field foul pole.

Unfortunately for the staff at the A's temporary home of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., someone thought the ball was fair. The lights flashed off and on to celebrate what was thought a home run, but was just a long foul ball.

Skubal ended up striking out Langeliers and he apparently took exception to the unwarranted light show as he walked back to the dugout. The dominant lefthander struck out seven batters over his first three innings and let the road crowd know about it, sarcastically motioning to play the lights again:

Last season's AL Cy Young Award winner is 11-3 this season with a 2.32 ERA—second across the MLB trailing only Pirates star Paul Skenes (2.07). Skubal had 200 strikeouts on the year as he went to the mound Monday night and he's only adding to that total, and he's doing so in quite entertaining fashion.