Celtic have reportedly taken a key step in their managerial search by formally approaching the Columbus Crew about Wilfried Nancy, with talks now advancing. The Scottish champions have been led by an interim staff since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation in late October, and discussions with the MLS coach appear to be moving forward.
Chelsea take on Burnley this weekend as Enzo Maresca looks to spearhead a possible Premier League title challenge, with the Blues lying just six points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Chelsea travel to Turf Moor on Saturday looking to maintain their impressive form against the top flight newcomers.
The Blues currently sit third in the Premier League table, having enjoyed an unbeaten run of four games in all competitions before the international break. Despite some criticism, perhaps overblown at times, Chelsea are in pretty good stead right now, having lost just three times in their 12 outings.
The visitors will be strong favourites against a Burnley side languishing in 17th, with the Clarets enduring four defeats in their last six league games. They haven’t even kept a clean sheet in their previous three, and even more concerning for Scott Parker’s side, Burnley now have the third-worst defence in the division this campaign with 22 goals conceded in 11 matches.
However, Chelsea’s title challenge has been hampered by injuries, particularly to their talismanic forward Cole Palmer.
Palmer has been plagued by a niggling groin issue which even caused him problems at the Club World Cup, limiting him to just four appearances in all competitions this season. Maresca confirmed Palmer would miss another six weeks before the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest last month, though Chelsea are hoping the England international will be back from injury to face Arsenal on November 30 (Simon Phillips).
Injuries and absentees have been a key theme of their campaign so far, with Palmer, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Roméo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all missing games at various points so far.
This has prompted Maresca to make the most squad rotations of any Premier League manager so far this season with 93, and it could well be a symptom of their extensive fixture schedule last campaign.
Their current injury list includes Palmer, Essugo, Colwill, Badiashile, Lavia and Neto, with Fernandez ruling himself out of Argentina duty as well.
The latter, who has dazzled since Maresca’s arrival as a key linchpin of Chelsea’s midfield, has now become a crucial player for the west Londoners.
Fernandez is attracting interest from Real Madrid as a result, according to some reports, and supporters have been waiting for an update when it comes to his condition.
Chelsea given Enzo Fernández update ahead of Burnley
According to journalist Simon Phillips, the situation is fairly positive.
While Fernandez has been struggling with knee pain, it is believed that the 24-year-old is expected to be available for Chelsea’s trip to Lancashire this weekend in what is a big boost for Maresca’s side.
Fernandez has emerged as a ‘leader’ at Chelsea who has ‘a bit of everything’, as per Sky pundit Micah Richards, and he’s poised to play a crucial role in Chelsea’s hunt for major silverware.
With Barcelona in the Champions League just days after Burnley and Arsenal the weekend after, having Fernandez fit and firing will be absolutely pivotal.
The midfielder has been deployed in an attacking position when Chelsea are in possession, but drops back alongside Moises Caicedo to defend without the ball, creating a hybrid role that has seriously unlocked Fernandez’s true potential after initially failing to justify his £107 million price tag.
Remarkably, Fernandez is the only player at Chelsea to have 20 direct goal contributions in 2025, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists, with Maresca describing him as an ‘example’ to the team.
Glasgow Rangers made two huge decisions on Monday as they announced that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been removed from their posts at Ibrox.
Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed to Sky Sports, in the post below, that the Gers need different people in those two leadership positions moving forward in order for the club to be successful.
The Rangers chief was careful not to throw mud at Stewart and Thelwell for their work at Ibrox, but suggested that it was down to their performance in their respective roles, as he stated that they still aligned with the overarching project.
Given that Russell Martin’s tenure lasted 17 matches and several summer signings do not look up to scratch, it is hard to disagree with the club’s decision to part ways with both of them, particularly Thelwell.
Looking at the list of summer signings in the graphic above, it is easier to pick out the players who have flopped or struggled than it is to pick out the successes from the summer transfer window.
The summer signing that Thelwell may go on to be infamous at Ibrox for is Youssef Chermiti, as he arrived from his former club Everton in a big-money deal.
Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti
To preface this, supporters and those at the club will, of course, be hoping that the Portugal U21 international goes on to prove everyone wrong and becomes a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues.
However, at this moment in time, it looks like a deal that the Scottish giants should not have done, particularly for the reported money that was involved in the move.
Thelwell signed Chermiti for Everton from Sporting in a deal worth up to £15m in the summer of 2023, but he did not score a single competitive goal for the Toffees in two years during his time in England.
Then, after moving to Rangers in April, the sporting director signed the centre-forward for a second time, splashing £8m to bring him to Ibrox, in the most expensive Gers deal since Tore Andre Flo joined for £12m in 2000.
It is fair for supporters to expect a player to make an immediate impact in Glasgow when signed for that kind of money, as Chermiti is the club’s most expensive player in 25 years, but that has not been the case.
The former Everton marksman has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, which shows that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the final third.
Starts
4
xG
1.29
Goals
0
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
Pass accuracy
59%
Duel success rate
35%
As you can see in the table above, Chermiti has been incredibly underwhelming in the Europa League so far this season, failing to score from 1.29 xG after starting all four of his appearances in the competition.
The 21-year-old striker’s dismal form for the club so far suggests that Thelwell made a mistake when he signed the forward for £8m, because he has not made the kind of impact that Rangers should expect from such an expensive signing.
Chermiti, though, is not the only one of the summer signings you could argue that Thelwell should not have signed because of their performances in the 2025/26 campaign.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The former Rangers sporting director swooped to bring in Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford to bolster Russell Martin’s full-back options, as the ex-Gers boss had worked with the youngster during their time together at Southampton.
Why Rangers should not have signed Jayden Meghoma
During the summer window, Thelwell decided to cash in on the two senior left-back options at Ibrox, selling Jefte to Palmeiras and Ridvan Yilmaz to Besiktas.
Whilst those respective sales were not horrendous decisions in isolation, this issue is that Meghoma was the only signing brought in to replace those two senior players.
4 Lads Had A Dream covered Ally McCoist’s claim that Rangers have “downgraded” across the pitch since last season, and referenced Meghoma in comparison to Jefte as one of the areas in which the team have failed to improve.
It is not the 19-year-old defender’s fault that he has been brought in to be a first-choice option for a team that is expected to win consistently and compete on the European stage, when his experience last season was playing 12 matches on loan at Preston in the English Championship.
Meghoma, unfortunately, does not look ready to be a first-choice left-back at this level at the moment, as evidenced by his statistics in comparison to Jefte’s at Scottish Premiership level.
Appearances
33
9
Key passes per game
1.0
0.7
Assists
4
1
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.3
3.3
Clearances per game
2.9
1.3
Duels won per game
5.5
4.0
Aerial duel success rate
57%
25%
Error led to shot or goal
1
2
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender’s performances in the league last season were far more impressive than what the English teenager has produced in the division this term, offensively and defensively.
These statistics back up the claim that Rangers have “downgraded” by selling Jefte to sign Meghoma on loan, which adds more fuel to the fire surrounding the criticism of Thelwell’s summer recruitment.
Like Chermiti, it seems like Meghoma has been signed to fill a role that he is not ready to fill at this point in his development. They are both young players who have time to develop and improve, but neither of them look ready to be key players for Danny Rohl in the present.
Therefore, the signing of Meghoma was one of Thelwell’s worst clangers of the summer, alongside Chermiti, because he has failed to adequately replace Jefte at left-back, and it remains to be seen if either of them will end up being good enough this season.
Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers
This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.
ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025
Batter set to link up with Dubai Capitals in December but hopes to impress during Ashes warm-up fixture
Matt Roller13-Oct-2025Jordan Cox, the newly-crowned PCA men’s player of the year, will leave England Lions’ tour to Australia early to take up a lucrative contract with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.Cox missed out on selection for England’s 16-man Ashes squad after they deemed Ollie Pope to be sufficient wicketkeeping cover for Jamie Smith. He will have a chance to impress Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes first-hand when playing for the Lions in England’s only warm-up fixture but, barring an injury, will arrive in Dubai before the ILT20 starts on December 2.”We have got an agreement,” Cox said at last week’s Toyota PCA Awards. “I won’t be at the Lions as long as people think. I will be there for the first game, maybe the second. It’s mainly to help the England boys get ready for the Test matches, which is the most important thing. When they don’t need me, they will flick me off to Dubai.”The Capitals signed Cox as a replacement player before the ILT20’s recent auction and he is understood to be one of the league’s highest earners, with a contract worth around US$250,000. His exact itinerary is yet to be confirmed, but he is expected to leave the Lions tour before they play Australia A in Brisbane on December 5.After missing out on a Test debut there last winter with an ill-timed thumb injury, Cox is back in New Zealand with England’s T20I squad ahead of the start of the series on Saturday. He capped an excellent summer for Essex and Oval Invincibles with a maiden international half-century in Ireland last month, and is anticipating a busy winter.Brydon Carse hopes his injury problems are behind him, going into the Ashes•Getty Images
“There is some England stuff I’d love to be a part of,” he said, “but if not, there’s a few franchise competitions and I’ll have some fun. My aim is to play Test cricket, but I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone. If I get a chance, it would be awesome.”It will be nice to show Stokes, Baz and Keysy [Rob Key]. They haven’t watched me live much in red-ball [cricket]. They have come to Hundred or T20 games, but I don’t imagine they are coming to much four-day cricket. Maybe they will see something different that they like – or not – and I’d like to show them [what I can do] in the flesh. That would be really good.”I was close to a Test call-up but hopefully I will get closer. It will be nice to be on the Lions and try to score a few runs against the England bowlers to show them I’m capable… You always notice more outside of the nets: do they mingle well with the group? Are they polite, well-mannered? All that sort of stuff you need to be if you want to be an England player.”Related
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Meanwhile, Brydon Carse – who, like Cox, has arrived in New Zealand ahead of Saturday’s first T20I – has revealed that he has stockpiled specially modified bowling boots ahead of this winter’s tours. Carse struggled with an infected toe last winter and churned through pairs of spikes this summer as he tried to avoid cutting it back open.Carse said he had “absolutely no problems” with his toe this summer, and said that his sponsors have been an “unbelievable” help. “They’ve kitted me out with enough pairs of boots to go away,” he said. “They’ve started cutting holes into my boot for me, specifically made for me, which has been a massive help.”I’ve got a little hole in the second toe [area of the boot]… During that India Test series, I struggled in the first couple of games. I probably went through five or six pairs during the first two Tests. New Balance have been really supportive with me. As long as they keep churning out pairs of boots, I’ll be happy.”Carse spent two weeks training at Loughborough before travelling and said that Stokes and Mark Wood are progressing well in their recovery from injuries: “Ben is looking near enough 100% fit, and so is Mark. It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”
On Thanksgiving Thursday in the United States, Celtic supporters across the world are thankful that their side has finally won an away European match.
In the Europa League’s early kick off, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, Martin O’Neill’s side fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1; Yang Hyun-jun and then Reo Hatate on target in double-quick time, before substitute Benjamin Nygren lashed home a clinching third late on
Before this, the Hoops had failed to win any of their previous 16 European away matches, dating back to a 3-2 victory over Ferencváros in Budapest in November 2021; Kyōgo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada the scorers for Ange Postecoglou’s side back then.
In the context of this campaign, it takes Celts’ points tally up to seven from five Europa League games, boosting their knockout phase hopes, with fixtures against Roma, Bologna and Utrecht still to come on their schedule.
By the time the current Serie A leaders visit Glasgow in a fortnight, there could well be a new face in the home dugout, so which forgotten figure staked a claim in Rotterdam to be a key figure under Wilfried Nancy?
Reo Hatate's magical night
Plenty of Celtic players deserve praise following a famous win in Rotterdam, but Hatate was the star of the show.
The Japanese midfield maestro spectacularly set up the equaliser, before cooly slotted home the vital go-ahead goal, gently passing the ball into the net having been gifted possession by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, after some excellent, trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda.
Since arriving in January 2022, Hatate has been one of Celtic’s best and most beloved players throughout; scoring twice in a thumping Old Firm victory mere weeks after joining helps!
However, his position in the starting lineup has come under scrutiny, given the Celts’ do have other good central midfield options, namely Nygren, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo.
However, Hatate’s mercurial talent and exquisite ability makes him a dream for any manager and, based on how his Columbus Crew team like to play, Nancy will surely make the Japanese international a central figure in his team, once he does arrive.
Meanwhile, which usually less heralded figure will also surely have impressed the incoming manager with his display at De Kuip?
Celtic's "world class" talent stars vs Feyenoord
There were many heroes bedecked in green and white hoops during Thursday’s victory over Feyenoord.
Teenaged full-back Colby Donovan was immense, Luke McCowan was excellent out of position, despite his inexplicable early miss, while Daizen Maeda worked his socks off as always.
Meantime, one of the surprise starters when the team sheets dropped was Yang, chosen over Sebastian Tounekti, Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha by O’Neill, but the Korea Republic international certainly repaid the manager’s
Yang lashed home Celtic’s equaliser on the half-hour mark, connecting with Hatate’s looping cross, the ball squirming in between Wellenreuther and the post.
This was only Yang’s second goal of the season, also on target against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in September beforehand, but this one was rather more important.
Overall, he was a constant threat at De Kuip.
Goals
1
1st
Attempted dribbles
3
2nd
Completed passes
25
16th
Duels contested
6
15th
Touches
43
15th
SofaScore rating
7.3
4th
Since arriving from Gangwon FC in July 2023 under Brendan Rodgers, Yang has flattered to deceive, showing glimpses of quality but only doing so on a very irregular basis.
Upon making the move, Gangwon’s then-club president Kim Byung-ji stated that he had “world class” potential, backing him to become as good as the national team’s all-time leading scorer Son Heung-min.
Speaking during commentary for TNT Sports, Joe Hart, a former teammate of Yang, said that “there’s an excellent player in there”, but that he just has to show it on a regular basis, while manager O’Neill stated that he needs to now replicate his form in training in matches.
Thus, with Nancy seemingly poised to arrive, every member of the Celtic squad will have a clean slate, which will surely be good news for Yang, looking to become a key figure under the new manager, hoping to force his way into Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
Celtic's number 1 target: Nancy could sign £7m "finisher" to replace Maeda
With Daizen Maeda potentially set to leave Celtic in January, could possible new manager Wilfried Nancy sign a “really good finisher” to replace him?
ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025
NZ have lost all their last 15 completed ODIs against Australia, but captain Devine believes this stat doesn’t matter in a World Cup
Vishal Dikshit30-Sep-20253:02
Devine: ‘The wicket looks incredibly flat’
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine started her media assignments for the 2025 World Cup just like how she wants her side to play their opening game against Australia on Wednesday: with a hiss and a roar.She waltzed into the press conference room donning a White Ferns jumper in the freezing air-conditioned room. She had brought some warmth with her, it would seem. Except when she started to face some hard-hitting questions.”You haven’t beaten Australia in eight years,” she was coldly reminded straightaway of their record against the reigning champions. New Zealand have lost all their last 15 completed ODIs against Australia.Related
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“Thanks for that stat,” she retorted before quashing away such historical records. “I think it’s a great opportunity. Those stats are there and we’re aware of them, but at World Cups, it doesn’t matter. I think records and previous results go out the window for us. It’s a really exciting opportunity to take on the reigning one-day champions first up. We love any opportunity that we get to play against Australia. It’s sort of like our big sister. We’re really excited about that. And come game day, both teams start on zero. So, again, really excited for the opportunity.”Another journalist then asked something that stumped her again. “How does it feel to come out of retirement to lead your country again?” (She hadn’t, she is retire from ODIs after this World Cup).As if Devine knew that was coming, she shot back saying, “I haven’t retired. I haven’t retired,” she repeated to sear it into his memory. “Are you saying I need to retire? Is that what you’re saying? That’s okay. It’s okay.”Devine meant it all in jest though and normalcy soon resumed even when she was asked about the weaknesses in New Zealand’s middle order, which she didn’t quite agree with.Sophie Devine wants New Zealand to play ‘strong and aggressive’ at the World Cup•AFP/Getty Images
“…The middle order has been going considerably well,” she said. “Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze both scoring hundreds [in the warm-ups]. I know you’re probably talking about official one-day matches, but for us, we’ve built really nicely. We haven’t played a lot of cricket, especially one-day format, over the last six-nine months, but it’s certainly something that we’re aware of. We know that in this competition, especially on some of the wickets that we’re going to face over here in India, that run-scoring is going to be incredibly important. It’s up to everyone.”We can’t just rely on the top four, we need the middle order. There’s going to be crucial runs scored by the lower order as well at some stage during this tournament. I think if you look to the India-Australia series just before this, 400 nearly wasn’t enough. I think it’s really exciting. As batters, we certainly know that we want to take ownership and responsibility of being the ones that do the bulk of the work. We’re really excited to be able to play on wickets like this, which I think are really conducive for scoring runs.”New Zealand have the most unenviable task in this World Cup: starting their campaign against seven-time champions Australia. But even a win over them would not count for more than two points because each team plays seven league games and will need a consistent run of victories to make the semi-finals in the eight-team tournament.”I don’t think we can necessarily focus on one game,” she said about the clash on Wednesday. “I think for us, every match is going to be incredibly important. Absolutely, we want to start this tournament with a real hiss and a roar and make sure that we come out really strong and aggressive. And the fact that it’s Australia that we play first, I think for us, what we keep going back to is making sure that we play our style of cricket. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing against.2:02
McGrath on playing NZ: ‘We know each other’s game really well’
“Absolutely, everyone wants to win their first game, but there’s still a lot of cricket. It’s over a month of cricket to be played. For us, our focus is on making sure that we can execute to our skills for long periods of time. Absolutely. We want to beat these Aussies first up and get some points on the board, but it’s probably more important for us on how we play that game.”If New Zealand look at their trans-Tasman rivals as their “big sister,” their opponents also look at it as a not-so-intense rivalry.”We’ve got a really nice rivalry with New Zealand. We call it the friendly rivalry,” Australia vice-captain Tahlia McGrath said. “We’ve played each other a lot over the last 12 months and sort of know each other’s game really well through franchise cricket as well. And we just finished our prep meeting and think we match up really nicely. So we go ahead into this clash really, really confident and really excited.”McGrath agreed with Devine in saying that such records of a 15-0 streak in ODIs between the two teams became “irrelevant” in World Cups where the pressure is different and every game becomes “crucial.”But there’s no denying that the team that ends up winning by the end of Wednesday night will have its job of making it to the last four much easier.
On Monday, Test cricket threw Indian fans into a situation they had no idea how to live through. Who knows when, or if, we will ever experience something like this again
Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Aug-20255:30
Gill on Oval Test win: ‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’
Sometimes, Test cricket throws even its most seasoned watchers into situations they have no idea how to live through. On Monday afternoon IST, when a desperately backtracking, desperately diving Akash Deep tips Gus Atkinson’s slog off Mohammed Siraj over the boundary cushions at wide long-on, he also tips all of India’s millions of fans into unknown territory.None of us, not even the oldest among us, has lived through anything like this.England, with their last pair at the crease, need 11 to win. Two hits will do it.India have never won a Test match by a margin smaller than 13 runs. They have won once by one wicket, but they have never lost by that margin. They have been involved in a tied Test and a draw with one wicket remaining and scores level, but they batted last both times. Three last-wicket pairs have saved Tests against them, but on none of those occasions had an India defeat been possible.Related
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Holy mackerel Batman, what did we just watch?
The agony, the ecstasy: 56 minutes of Test cricket at its most glorious
Never before, in short, have India’s players been on the field, together, in this situation: one wicket away from victory, and a hit or two away from defeat. Never have we, their fans, watched them deal with this and attempted to deal with it ourselves.What previous experience would we even compare with this? Brisbane 2021 felt like a fairytale all the way through that final day, but through its last ten minutes or so, we were almost certain we were winning. We had begun to pinch ourselves long before the winning hit trickled over the rope. It was magic, but not of this kind.The closest we have come to this could-go-either-way feeling was, perhaps, Mohali 2010. India were chasing then, and were a wicket away from defeat. Our hopes rested on a man with a crocked back, magic wrists, and a team-mate doing his running. It was glorious, but did it feel like this? Was this much at stake? As the first of two Tests rather than the fifth of five, did it feel this… gladiatorial?We have tasted agony and ecstasy many times before, then, but neither of the kind that is imminent. Which one will it be, and what will it feel like? And until it happens, what are we to do with ourselves?We have experienced, in the last half-century, the thrill of nine previous Tests ending with margins of ten runs or fewer, and ten with one-wicket margins. On 18 of those 19 occasions, that thrill was undiluted, or unenriched, by partisanship. Cricket won no matter who won, and we won too. India weren’t in the picture. We may have celebrated with Geraint Jones or fumed at Billy Bowden when Edgbaston 2005 reached its climax, but that is preference, a pseudo-partisanship sullied by rationality, and not the raw, pulsing ache of the real thing.3:04
Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj
This, now, is the real thing. It matters like hell who wins. It matters so much that we even feel, to some degree, how much it must matter to those out in the middle.How much it must matter to them.To Akash Deep, whose futile attempt to catch Atkinson is the latest in a series of fielding mishaps that add a tinge of both tragedy and farce to his fate of being the non-bowling member of India’s three-man strike force on this final day, spent after sending down 20 overs, fuelled by painkilling injections.To Prasidh Krishna, taker of eight wickets in the match, four in each innings, in danger of being judged not by that fact but by his last ball: a pretty good ball in most contexts, but here, too close to the batter, with too spread-out a field, allowing Atkinson to clip away the single that keeps him on strike.To Atkinson, on strike again, aware that he will have to do it off his bat and his alone, with even the act of running reducing his partner to debilitating pain.To Chris Woakes, the non-striker, for whom a dislocated shoulder is merely a problem to be solved. This right-handed man who bowls, throws and bats right-handed has decided, having explored every option in the nets, to face up left-handed should he need to – a gloriously absurd misnomer with his left hand and arm out of commission and hidden away in his jumper.To Siraj, who put the word ‘Believe’ on his phone wallpaper this morning, upon whose intensity and venom the exertions of bowling 30 overs in an innings about to enter its 86th have had no effect.This isn’t just one contest of ball and bat in lives defined by ball and bat. This is, while they live it, life itself.It does odd things to the watcher. Involuntary drummings and entwinings of fingers unused to separation from mobile devices. Restless bladders. Constricted throats. A pressure in the cheeks. A prickling in the tear ducts.1:15
Monga: India’s series was all about Mohammed Siraj
For the India fan, all this comes with context. A series of Homeric drama that is about to be lost or drawn, a scoreline that is about to become 1-3 or 2-2, to follow a shattering, unprecedented 0-3 at home against New Zealand and a what-might-have-been 1-3 in Australia. A coach, a captain, former coaches, former captains, retirements. A great fast bowler who is playing this series but not this match, a fine fast bowler who is turning into a folk hero, accustomed to heartbreak but never losing belief, always certain of his power to bend the script to his will.He hurries through the crease now, for the 181st time in this innings, the 279th time in this Test match, and the 1122nd time in this series, wides and no-balls included.Cross-seam, 143kph, into the base of off stump. A bowler, a batter, a set of stumps. A swipe, a shattering. Cricket stripped to its element. Breathtaking, literally. Exhalations all around the ground, all over the world, all in sync. Realisation before thought.The Oval 2025. We have never experienced anything like it before, and who knows when, or if, we ever will again.
Bayern Munich chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen had words of encouragement for Vincent Kompany and his players following the Bavarians' 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Dreesen admitted that it was better for Bayern to lose now than "sometime in the knockout phase." He also had words of assurance for Kompany, adding that "we're happy to be together with you".
Arsenal bring blistering Bayern down to earth
Bayern tasted defeat for the first time this season at the hands of Arsenal in a Champions League encounter at the Emirates on Wednesday. Young star Lennart Karl scored the only goal – an equaliser in response to Jurrien Timber's 22nd-minute opener – for Bayern, before Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli effectively put the tie to bed by scoring their goals in the space of eight second half minutes.
It brought an end to Bayern's 18-game unbeaten streak since the 2025-26 season began, during which they won 17 games and drew once. They even broke AC Milan's 33-year-old record of 13 consecutive wins at the start of the season, going on to win the opening 16 games this campaign.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBayern CEO encourages 'fantastic team' to continue making fans happy
In the aftermath of the game, Bayern CEO Dreesen shared a heartfelt speech at a banquet in London, expressing gratitude for how far the team has come and encouraging Kompany and Co. to keep their heads high.
"I did a little Googling, some dark memories, and [the last defeat] was exactly 144 days ago in the quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup," he began. "And of course, in the last 18 competitive matches, which we haven't lost, with 17 wins and one draw, we've gotten used to winning. And so, naturally, it's hard to accept something like that.
"Of course, we played a first half, I think, on equal terms. We saw a fantastic equaliser in that three-man combination between Josh [Kimmich] and Serge [Gnabry], and then Lennart with the finish. That was fantastic. We could perhaps have had a few more chances, but in the second half we were certainly the weaker team. And that's part of the game, and you have to acknowledge it. And that's why you have to give Arsenal credit; we deserved to lose in the second half, and that's why Arsenal rightly won. And that has to be accepted. So, congratulations to Arsenal at this point."
Dreesen also admitted that it's better for Bayern to lose now than when it matters the most.
"Some people said today, better now than sometime in the knockout phase. And there's definitely something to that," he conceded. "We've had a wonderful journey with you, dear team, so far in these 18 games, and we've been thrilled by your play, most recently in Paris. And that's what we should perhaps keep in mind going forward, because you're a fantastic team, you play outstanding football, inspiring football, and that's what makes us happy, what makes the fans happy, and that's what will last. And so, a day like today is just an interim step.
"We might be a little downcast today, but ultimately we know what we have in you. We trust you, you're a top team and you know it, and that's a good thing. So, dear Vincent, it's a shame today, but we're happy to be together with you and we're looking forward to the next game on Saturday against St. Pauli."
Kompany not making any 'excuses' after being humbled by Arsenal
It was the Gunners' first win over Die Roten after 10 years. Much of the build-up to the game focused on Arsenal and Bayern being the top two strongest teams in Europe at the moment. However, Mikel Arteta's side now remain the only team in the Champions League to register five wins out of five this season, firmly establishing themselves as one of the favourites to lift the trophy come May 30.
As for Bayern, the defeat exposed major chinks in their armour. For a team that is supremely loaded in attack, thanks to the presence of world-class names such as Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Diaz.
"I don't like excuses," Kompany told reporters, accepting that Bayern were second-best all evening. "We've lost now, and let's be honest: Arsenal were better today, and we have to fix that from Saturday onwards.
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Getty Images SportBayern turn focus to St. Pauli
Bayern will be eager to ensure the loss to Arsenal reflects a one-off lapse rather than a trend that could unravel their form in the coming weeks. They hold a healthy six-point lead atop the Bundesliga table and will have a chance to extend it on Saturday, when they host St. Paul at the Allianz Arena.
It doesn't matter what you do for work, the absolute last thing you want to do after a long day is take out the trash. Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto must feel differently, though.
After pitching what was his second consecutive complete game in Los Angeles's Game 2 World Series win on Saturday, Yamamoto stayed behind and apparently cleaned up the trash in the Dodgers' dugout before heading back into the clubhouse, according to MLB analyst Ben Verlander.
Not what you'd expect a tired pitching superstar to do after the game of his life, but pretty cool he did it anyway—especially because the Dodgers were visitors at Rogers Centre on Saturday night.
Not only was Yamamoto's performance great news for Los Angeles, who evened the series at 1–1 with a 5–1 victory, but it was also historic. He is now the first pitcher to throw a complete game in the World Series since 2015, and joins an elite club of just 11 pitchers to have gone the distance in a Series game dating back to 1990.
Pretty sweet stuff. Now, the Dodgers will head back home to California for Game 3 with a win in their pocket.
تحدث مراسل نادي ليفربول، آدم باتل، عبر شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية عن التصريحات النارية التي أدلى بها النجم المصري محمد صلاح، ضد الإدارة والمدرب آرني سلوت بسبب وضعه الراهن.
ويعاني محمد صلاح من التهميش حيث قرر المدرب آرني سلوت إجلاسه على دكة البدلاء، في المباريات الثلاث الماضية، ولم يلعب إلا شوطًا واحدًا طوال تلك اللقاءات.
ولم يعد محمد صلاح قادرًا على تحمل ما يحدث معه حيث خرج إلى وسائل الإعلام وأدلى بتصريحات هجومية صريحة ضد إدارة ليفربول وآرني سلوت، أمس.
وعن ذلك، قال آدم باتل، مراسل ليفربول عبر شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “إذا كان محمد صلاح قد خاض مباراته الأخيرة مع ليفربول، فسيُخلد الملك المصري كأسطورة من أساطير النادي، منذ انضمامه مقابل 34 مليون جنيه إسترليني من روما عام 2016، سجل اللاعب البالغ من العمر 33 عامًا 188 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وحده”.
وأضاف: “فقط آلان شيرر (260)، وهاري كين (213)، وواين روني (208) يتفوقون على محمد صلاح في عدد الأهداف البالغ 190 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث سجل هدفين مع تشيلسي خلال فترة وجوده هناك في موسم 2013-2014، كما اختير كأفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي من رابطة اللاعبين المحترفين للموسم الماضي بعد تسجيله 29 هدفًا و18 تمريرة حاسمة في طريقه إلى الحذاء الذهبي ولقب الدوري مع ليفربول”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: ليفربول يحدد مدربًا مؤقتًا لخلافة سلوت.. ومرشح دائم مفاجئ
وواصل: “لكن خلفية ذلك الموسم كانت قصة عقده، حيث كان من المقرر أن ينتهي عقده الذي وقّعه عام 2022، ليصبح اللاعب الأعلى أجرًا في تاريخ ليفربول، في صيف 2025، وفي أبريل الماضي وقع عقدًا جديدًا لمدة عامين، منهيًا بذلك شائعات رحيله مجانًا، لكن إنتاجيته كانت أقل هذا الموسم، حيث لم يسجل سوى خمسة أهداف في 19 مباراة”.
واسترسل: “بعد أن بدأ أساسيًا 53 مباراة متتالية في الدوري الإنجليزي مع ليفربول، جلس محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء في آخر ثلاث مباريات تحت قيادة آرني سلوت، حيث لا يزال مدرب الريدز يصفه بأنه محترف من الطراز الرفيع، ويصر على أن صلاح كان لديه رد فعل تجاه ما يحدث معه كأي لاعب محترف”.
وأوضح: “مع ذلك، فإن اختيار محمد صلاح التوقف والتحدث في المنطقة المختلطة مع الصحفيين في ملعب إيلاند رود له دلالة، من الواضح أنه كان لديه ما يقوله، فمن غير المعتاد أن يتوقف صلاح في تلك المنطقة، لقد فعل ذلك بعد فوز ليفربول على ساوثهامبتون في نوفمبر من العام الماضي، حيث ظهر وصرح بأنه “ربما يكون خارج النادي أكثر منه داخلًا”، بعد كشفه أن ليفربول لم يعرض عليه عقدًا جديدًا بعد”.
واعترف: “في ذلك الوقت، صُدم زملاؤه برؤيته يبحث عن الصحفيين، وسيشعرون بالشيء نفسه بعد تصريحاته الاستثنائية الأخيرة، ومع ذلك، ما لم يجد صلاح مخرجًا من الجلوس على مقاعد البدلاء، يبدو أن نهاية مأساوية لأسطورة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ستحدث”.
واختتم: “في نهاية الأسبوع المقبل، سيغادر محمد صلاح للمشاركة في كأس الأمم الإفريقية، والسؤال المطروح الآن هو: هل سيعود في يناير كلاعب في ليفربول”.