There is an opportunity for both teams to use this series as a kind of laboratory ahead of the Champions Trophy

Alagappan Muthu08-Feb-2025

Virat Kohli hit the nets ahead of the second ODI•Associated Press

Big picture: Kohli fit againCricketers. They’re just like us, from having for lunch to cueing up Netflix with dinner. This deeply normal kind of life may be beckoning a first-choice Indian team member as they continue on their Champions Trophy fact-finding mission.Shreyas Iyer usually plays entertainer, and he did this on Thursday night, his strokeplay containing everything but a backwards step even against extreme pace. He’s got his IPL coach, Ricky Ponting, sitting bolt upright in his seat saying things like “If Shreyas is out in the middle, then he’s as good as anyone” on the ICC review. India can’t keep him on and bring Virat Kohli in and explore the possibilities that Yashasvi Jaiswal presents them as a left-handed, top-order basher. Someone will have to switch to being the one that gets entertained.Related

Virat Kohli fit to play second ODI against England

India's left-arm orthodox spin twins give them a good headache to have

Despite their loss in Nagpur, England will be pleased with the work of Jacob Bethell, the 21-year-old displaying the kind of level-headedness that could prove invaluable over the coming weeks. Another ICC trophy comes up for grabs starting February 19 and although the pressure there will be significantly higher, this bilateral series, with the quality of players involved, should be able to replicate some of it.Performances like Bethell’s, or Shubman Gill’s in the No. 3 role, or Axar Patel’s as a disruptor at No. 5, are important beyond the context of winning and losing, because they offer exactly what all teams want going into a world event – options, a way to stand out, a way to surprise.Form guideIndia WLLTW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LLWLLIn the spotlight: Harry Brook and Virat KohliNinety-one runs in six innings on tour is not the performance England wanted from a player in whom they have made a serious investment. Harry Brook plays all formats for them. He’s captained them. And when on song, he absolutely smashes it for them, but once again he has been unable to find a repeatable and consistent method of handling high-quality spin on pitches that are slower than he is used to. Fifty-over cricket offers batters a little more time and Brook could leverage that to get himself back in form.Harry Brook has struggled against spin on this tour•BCCI

The last time Kohli batted for India, he left the field in a fury, mistaking his thigh for a punching bag. It is unlikely that he thinks he is in decline. At least not to the extent that things can’t be turned around. His fans know things absolutely can turn around, and the switch in format could be just the break he needs to get the good times rolling again. India are weighing upsides. Iyer is already in form, and they know what he can do. If his making way means they get to arm an all-time great with game time and simultaneously find out if Jaiswal can be an asset in ODIs too, that’s probably a win.Team news: A chance to experimentThis trophy doesn’t matter as much as the next one these two teams will be playing for so there is an opportunity to see this series as a kind of laboratory to know what works and what doesn’t. India picked Arshdeep Singh over Mohammed Siraj in their Champions Trophy squad and maybe they’re thinking of bringing him into the XI too. Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to give Rishabh Pant some match practice either.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami.England rested Mark Wood from the first ODI. His pace has always been a point of difference and so there is always a temptation to stick him into a starting XI.England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood/Saqib Mahmood.Pitch and conditions: A reprise of the 2017 thriller?Cuttack hasn’t hosted any ODIs in half a decade but when it last did, it presented itself as a batting paradise. India and England have already experienced these highs when they put up totals of 381 and 366 in 2017. The game is unlikely to come under any threat from the weather with clear skies expected; there might be dew though, given the temperature drops from 30C at 5pm to 23C at 9pm.Stats and trivia: In the last 20 years, England have beaten India in India only five times in 31 ODIs. Cuttack offers more or less equal help to pace (137 wickets at an average of 40.86 and economy rate of 5) and spin (88 wickets at an average of 36 and economy rate of 4.74). Gill has found incredible consistency in ODI cricket. He’s been good enough to score a fifty roughly once every 2.4 innings. Jos Butter is such a regular, and rapid, run-scorer in this format that he’s part of a pretty exclusive club: 5000 runs and a strike rate of 100-plus.

USMNT icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan have both praised New York City FC's decision to sign goalkeeper Matt Freese to a contract extension through 2030. The 27-year-old shot-stopper, who has established himself as a key player for both club and the U.S. over the past year, reportedly becomes the third-highest paid goalkeeper in MLS with this new deal.

Getty Images Sport'Glad he got paid'

Howard specifically highlighted the goalkeeper's national team trajectory, stating that Freese has as good a chance as any to be the starting goalkeeper at next year's World Cup.

“Congratulations, get paid, get paid bro," Howard said on podcast. "That’s a nice long contract, and oh, by the way, he saved another penalty kick this weekend as well. Because, as he says, from his own mouth, 'it’s what he does,' which is incredible. So I’m starting to believe it’s what he does.

“Look, I’m glad he got paid, it’s actually the right time. I think he’s earned it, I think there’s a good chance, or as good a chance as any that he’ll be No. 1 at the World Cup. Smart by them [NYCFC] because if he then gets sold on or has a good World Cup or whatever the situation is, they’ll be compensated on the back end for that."

AdvertisementStrategic benefits for both player and club

Howard pointed to the multiple advantages the contract extension creates for both Freese and NYCFC. The former USMNT goalkeeper noted how the long-term agreement provides Freese with stability moving forward in his career while simultaneously protecting the club's interests.

“For Matt, this’ll give him really good stability I’m guessing,” Howard explained. “I haven’t seen the exact numbers yet but it’ll give him good financial stability moving forward. And then again, protects the club because he’s on the rise, right? There’s not a ton of good goalkeepers out there in the world, and if he’s on the world stage playing and does well, people are going to be interested.”

Donovan celebrates MLS evolution

Donovan also framed Freese's contract as evidence of MLS's positive development. The former Galaxy star expressed enthusiasm about how the league has transformed from its earlier iterations to now properly rewarding players who perform at a high level.

“I love this in MLS now…If a guy does well, you reward him and listen, it’s smart business by NYCFC," he said. “If he blows up, if he has a Tim Howard tournament or game like you did in 2014 against Belgium, like the world’s his oyster, and they can sell him for a lot of money. So it’s great for him…I’m just happy that a guy is getting rewarded in the right way, and kudos to NYCFC for taking care of a player who has been good to them.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportRoad ahead

Freese and NYCFC will face Inter Miami on Wednesday night,  followed by a derby against New York Red Bulls on Sept. 27.

Captain says the league will help players fine-tune their game and improve their fitness in the free window after the tournament

Vishal Dikshit05-Feb-2025India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes the upcoming WPL will “play a very big role” in the lead up to the home ODI World Cup later this year, as the T20 league will help the India players fine-tune their game and “raise” their fitness levels in the free window after the tournament. This year’s World Cup will be the first time Harmanpreet will lead India in the 50-over tournament.The five-team WPL will run from February 14 to March 15 across four cities in India for 20 league matches and two knockout games. The India players will then have a gap of over three months before they head to England for five T20Is and three ODIs. They will then have another gap for nearly two months. As per the FTP, their next assignment will be of three homes ODIs against world champions Australia in late September and then the 50-over World Cup at home in October.Related

Harmanpreet Kaur: 'If a player can handle the pressure in the WPL, they can handle it anywhere'

WPL 2025 FAQs: Fixtures, players to watch, injury updates, and everything else

Aggression, clarity, fearlessness – coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

Chinelle Henry replaces injured Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz

Gardner replaces Mooney as Gujarat Giants captain

Some of the India players are nursing injuries and could also use the WPL to regain and prove their match fitness.”I think this WPL is going to play a very big role because this year we have ODI World Cup,” Harmanpreet said at a press conference in Mumbai. “After the WPL, we have a very good window where we can work on our fitness and raise our fitness level. I think that gap will really help us to work really hard on ourselves.”India had failed to make the semi-finals in the last ODI World Cup, in early 2022 in New Zealand, under the captaincy of Mithali Raj.Harmanpreet was asked about India’s busy schedule at the turn of the year when they played back-to-back series against Australia (away), West Indies (home), and Ireland (home) and if that might have played a role in players having to manage their workload.Harmanpreet herself sat out of two of the three T20Is against West Indies followed by the three ODIs against Ireland. India also played all those series, after the T20 World Cup, without the injured Pooja Vastrakar whose fitness is being monitored by Mumbai Indians for her participation in the WPL. Some other players such as Yastika Bhatia, Shreyanka Patil and Priya Punia had also missed the West Indies games in December because of injuries, and have not played since then. Like Harmanpreet, India had also rested their lead fast bowler Renuka Singh for the Ireland ODIs last month.”See, as a cricketer, we really want our schedule to be packed and injuries are something which is part of the game and sometimes these are not under your control,” Harmanpreet said. “But as a cricketer, we don’t want to miss any tournament. But really happy [with] the way we are getting our schedule really packed and playing back-to-back cricket and that is something as a player, as a captain I’m enjoying. And good to see the last series went really well.”A few young players got opportunity and they did really well, played very impressive cricket. This season and this year is going to be very exciting because [of the] home World Cup and then we have really exciting cricket in front of us after the WPL. Hopefully we gel well as a team and do what a team requires and play some good cricket.”

Australia are likely to have to alter their top order for the Champions Trophy semi-final after Matthew Short picked up a quad injury against Afghanistan which is expected to rule him out.Short suffered the injury late in Afghanistan’s innings and though he did open the batting alongside Travis Head, laboured between the wickets and was largely restricted to trying to hit boundaries.He managed to club his way to 20 off 15 balls in what became a useful opening stand of 44 in 4.3 overs before being caught at mid-on but captain Steven Smith admitted time wasn’t on Short’s side.”I think he’ll be struggling,” Smith said at the post-match presentation. “I think we saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well. I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover.”Related

• Steven Smith withdraws run-out appeal against Noor Ahmad

• Australia seal semi-finals spot after rain spoils Head's party

• Travis Head, Australia's everyman, enters his box-office era

Jake Fraser-McGurk, himself a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, is the spare batter in the squad and would be a like-for-like swap for Short at the top of the order. However, there are other options Australia could consider with allrounder Aaron Hardie a possibility if someone else is moved up to open.”We’ve got a few guys there to come in and we’ll be able to fill a job,” Smith said.Cooper Connolly, the left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, is a travelling reserve and could come into the squad if Short was officially ruled out for the rest of the tournament.Matt Short injured himself in the field•AFP/Getty Images

Short’s absence would also remove a spin-bowling option from the attack. He did an excellent job against Afghanistan with his seven overs costing just 21. However, Australia do have a number of batters who can bowl spin with Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who took two wickets against England, not used on Friday.Australia suffered a number of injuries leading into the tournament with Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all missing while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement.A complicating factor for both the teams who qualify from Group B – South Africa are favourites to join Australia – is that they won’t know whether they are playing the semi-final in Dubai or Lahore until the conclusion of the India-New Zealand game on Sunday night.Group B finishing positions will be known after South Africa play England on Saturday but while India (Dubai) and New Zealand (Lahore) are locked into their venues for the semi-finals their final group position will determine who they face.If South Africa beat England and top the group, Australia will play the winner of New Zealand-India; if England win, Australia will face the loser of that game.Both qualified teams will fly to Dubai early, to give whoever plays the first semi-final an extra day to prepare, but one side will then have to return to Pakistan*. Conditions in Dubai, where India play all their matches, have provided some assistance for the spinners. Australia do have legspinner Tanveer Sangha as another frontline option in their squad.Playing in Lahore would provide more familiar conditions for Australia with two of their group matches having taken place there including the one victory when they chased 352 against England. But there would still be a chance of them needing to travel to Dubai with the final hosted in the UAE should India qualify, otherwise it will be played in Lahore.10.30am GMT: This story was updated after confirmation of travel schedules

Arsenal have submitted a “proposal” to sign a “fast and agile” new player for Mikel Arteta in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal and Berta targeting more signings after Eze

It has been an extremely busy summer for Andrea Berta in his first transfer window as sporting director, with the club’s spending now over £260m after successfully hijacking Tottenham Hotspur’s attempts to land Eberechi Eze.

The Gunners secured the services of the England international, with a deal worth a total of £67.5m from Crystal Palace. Eze was unveiled as an Arsenal player before Saturday’s 5-0 win over Leeds United in the Premier League.

Incomings	From	Fee
Eberechi Eze	Crystal Palace	£67.5m
Viktor Gyokeres	Sporting CP	£63.5m
Martin Zubimendi	Real Sociedad	£55m
Noni Madueke	Chelsea	£48m
Christian Norgaard	Brentford	£15m
Cristhian Mosquera	Valencia	£13m
Kepa Arrizabalaga	Chelsea	£5m

Arteta has praised the work that has gone on behind the scenes at the Emirates, however, he and Arsenal are still staying “very alert” to the prospect of more arrivals.

Staying alert they are, with Arteta, Berta and co working to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen. The centre-back has a €60m (£51.8m) release clause in his current contract, however, the Gunners are looking at a fee under that figure.

It isn’t just the Ecuadorian, though, with Arsenal wanting to bolster their defensive options even further before September 1, and an update on another target has now emerged.

Arsenal make £8m+ "proposal" to sign Martinez

According to journalist Santi Aouna, Arsenal have made an approach and proposal to sign Arnau Martinez from Girona. The offer on the table from the Gunners is worth a total of €10m (£8.6m).

Martinez is primarily a right-back who can play as a centre-back or higher up the pitch as a right midfielder if required.

The 22-year-old has come through Girona’s youth system and has already made 163 senior appearances for his current employers, even turning out in the Champions League.

Jacek Kulig has also been impressed with what he has seen from Martinez when he was coming through, calling him a “complete full-back” who is “fast and agile”.

Now, it looks as if we may see Martinez in an Arsenal shirt, should things go the Gunners’ way, with the Spaniard rivalling the likes of Jurrien Timber and Ben White at right-back.

Sir Alex Ferguson was rarely afraid to spend big to improve his historic Manchester United sides, from welcoming Rio Ferdinand to splashing the cash on Robin Van Persie. But there was one player that he decided against spending big on, going on to dub his transfer “ridiculous”.

Whilst the modern Man United have often got things wrong in the transfer market, there was a time when they got almost every incoming spot on. The same club that recently spent big on Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and others previously secured transfer coups such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov. It was the well-oiled machine that those at Old Trafford can only dream of in 2025.

Rio Ferdinand

£40m

Sebastian Veron

£37m

Dimitar Berbatov

£33m

Wayne Rooney

£32m

Anderson

£27m

Out of his five most-expensive arrivals, only Anderson failed to impress under Ferguson. The legendary manager got the best out of Ferdinand, Veron, Berbatov and Rooney, who are all now Old Trafford legends.

Those deals also highlighting just how much the market has changed. The five most expensive signings in that era total just over £150m, which is less than Man United spent this summer to welcome Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens.

Whether those four arrivals signal a change in fortune for Old Trafford arrivals is the big question. If they get any near the legacies of Berbatov, Rooney, Veron and Ferdinand then Ruben Amorim’s side may finally find themselves back in European contention and more.

Of course, though, that’s not to say that Ferguson always got things right. Looking back, he may have at least one transfer regret after he dubbed one deal “ridiculous”.

Ferguson slammed "ridiculous" £6m agent fee

As the tide was changing around 2012, the Red Devils had the chance to sign what proved to be a game-changing signing for Chelsea in none other than Eden Hazard, only for Ferguson to slam the transfer as “ridiculous”. Hazard’s agent, John Bico, demanded a larger than usual payment of £6m, seperate from Hazard’s roughly £30m club-to-club fee, to which Fergie refused. The Red Devils signed Shinji Kagawa instead.

Of course, as we now know, Hazard went on to become a Premier League legend and one of the most exciting players that Stamford Bridge has ever seen.

Moreover, if there were any concerns that the Belgian was not worth the £6m agent fee, then the fact that Chelsea sold him to Real Madrid for as much as £89m should put those to bed, albeit that fee is one of the transactions the Blues may yet face punishment for after a recent FA charge.

It's not Mbeumo: Man Utd sensation is now their best signing since Bruno

Manchester United conducted excellent business by landing the signature of one talent.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 13, 2025

Indeed, Chelsea have been hit with 74 charges related to agent payments, and whether the legality of the siutation was the reason United did not match Chelsea in the race to sign Hazard will now be a prominent question.

IPL 2025 has brought back positive memories for Prasidh Krishna, marking his return to competitive T20 cricket after multiple injury layoffs. His previous T20 appearance was a tough outing against Australia in November 2023, conceding 68 runs in four wicketless overs. His most recent IPL game was in 2022, when he played 17 matches for Rajasthan Royals, which is perhaps why a strong start to this season was imperative.After a challenging time against Punjab Kings, Prasidh proved to be the point of difference in the middle overs, picking 2 for 18 in a match-winning effort against Mumbai Indians. Now, he returns to the Chinnaswamy, hoping to give his Gujarat Titans colleagues intel at a ground he’s played a lot of his cricket at.”It’s great to come back home and play in the stadium that we’ve grown up playing,” Prasidh said. “It is exciting, first game in Bangalore as well, so we’re looking forward to how it’s going to be. And yes, the team is excited about how the tournament has started. We’ve done quite a few things well; we’re trying to get better at a few things. So yeah, it is going to be exciting.”Prasidh admitted he felt some nerves upon his return to the IPL after two seasons. But feeling in great shape physically, after coming back from a lengthy back and quadriceps injury, has alleviated a lot of his fears.”As much as I try to tell myself that it’s just another tournament, just another game, I did feel that I’m coming in after a few years and especially coming in not having played a lot of T20s in the last two years,” Prasidh said. “Because the pace of the game has changed from 2022 to 2025.”So, it did take some time, but that’s the game, I think. It keeps moving forward and you have to keep up with the game. And not much has changed for me physically. I have thankfully been playing some cricket now [he was with India on their Test tour of Australia in 2024-25] and the body is letting me do what I want to do.Prasidh Krishna picked up 2 for 18 in his last game for Gujarat Titans•Getty Images

“Having played a lot of cricket here, you have an idea of what the pitch is going to be like. But no matter how well you know, I think that it comes down to execution that day. It comes down to how the game momentum goes and if you’re able to execute your plans well, I think you’ll be more or less doing well most of the time.”Prasidh has also enjoyed connecting with Ashish Nehra, the GT head coach. Among the areas he’s working on, apart from using his height to extract disconcerting bounce, are variations in the death overs.”Having played for so long and been so successful, I think it’s really important for me to pick his brain,” Prasidh said of Nehra. “The conversations have been on similar lines about the decisions that you make as a bowler, the preparation that you would go into games with.”Handling the situation, handling pressure, what would you do when you’re coming up against a challenge. So those are the kind of things that he’s been talking to me about, and it is great. You learn different things from different people and this is what I get to learn from Ashish Nehra.”Nehra aside, there’s also a boisterous energy in the fast-bowling group that was evident at training. There’s Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and a big-brother-like figure in Ishant Sharma, who has been seen working with a lot of their young uncapped players.”That’s one lovely thing about the IPL. We have a lot of great bowlers in the team. We have a lot of youngsters that have a lot of potential. So, every time we get into the net session, there’s so much for us to watch and learn from each other.”And when you’re together, you build a relationship where you go and speak to people, find out how they approach the game, what they are thinking, what differently do they do compared to everybody that we play along with. So it is great to be rubbing shoulders with such experienced guys and also the new guys that are coming on.”

Everton manager David Moyes has responded to his opening-day defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Leeds United in the Premier League by striking a deal for a top transfer target.

Yes, a £40m deal has been agreed for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder who has been described as a “world-class talent” by former Saints academy manager Andy Goldie.

It fixes a gaping hole on the Toffees’ attacking right flank, though there remains a desperate need for greater depth, if Moyes is to pull it all together and ensure his side challenge for a place at the higher end of the league table.

In particular, Everton need a right-back.

Everton pushing to sign new right-back

Everton released the 40-year-old Ashley Young at the end of his contract last season, retaining club legened Seamus Coleman. However, the skipper is into the twilight of his career, and so Jake O’Brien continued to deputise as a right-back at Elland Road.

Nathan Patterson, after all, was sidelined through injury once again.

O’Brien, 24, is a talented, tenacious defender, but he’s naturally a centre-back, and so it’s clear that Everton need to make a signing who could add a bit more dynamism and impetus to the side.

Well, according to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are preparing for the departure of young prospect Hector Fort, with the 19-year-old at the centre of a loan approach from West Ham United.

The report continues to suggest that the Premier League is the likely destination for the up-and-comer and that other teams, such as Everton, remain in the running.

Just last summer, Barca rejected an offer north of £30m so it would not be a surprise if the Toffees had to pay big to secure his services.

What Hector Fort would bring to Everton

Fort, a versatile full-back, would join a list of players to have made the move from La Blaugrana to the blue half of Merseyside, but his ability to play across both flanks, his technical gifts and his ball-playing acumen suggest he could become Everton’s next version of cult hero Gerard Deulofeu.

Swiftly asserting himself as he joined Everton from Barcelona on loan for the 2013/14 season, Deulofeu notched eight goal contributions across 29 matches for the club, with the manager at the time, Roberto Martinez, going on to hail him as a “real diamond” of a player.

He spent two-and-a-half years at Goodison Park, all told, playing with a point to prove, and though he ebbed and flowed, none can contest the winger’s skilful style.

The same could be attributed to Fort, who, hailed for his “immense” talent by journalist Antonio Mango, would be determined to showcase his qualities and unleash some of his Catalonian flair on the Premier League, be that at right-back or on the left.

Right-back

43

2

1

Left-back

11

–

3

As per FBref, Fort ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 26% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.

In La Liga, he might have only featured 17 times last term, but he played his part in winning the title, with Sofascore recording that the teenage talent completed 92% of his passes and avoided making a single error, bespeaking his cultured style even at this stage of his career.

Fort would certainly present Everton with a welcome contrast on the right side of defence, and with a point to prove on a short-term deal, the Spaniard might even find himself enjoying the same success as Deulofeu when his 31-year-old compatriot was in his pomp.

And as a natural right-back, he would surely mark an upgrade on O’Brien too, allowing the Irishman to shift into his own natural berth and enrich the dynamism and fluency that Moyes is trying to achieve.

Better move than Grealish: Everton open talks to land Premier League star

Everton are interested in a deal to sign a star who could be even better than Jack Grealish.

ByWill Miller Aug 23, 2025

Victor Osimhen fired Galatasaray to a stunning 1-0 Champions League win over Liverpool and declared the Turkish giants “the best team in the world” after the final whistle. The Nigeria striker’s first-half penalty settled a raucous contest in Istanbul, piling pressure on Arne Slot after back-to-back defeats for the Premier League champions.

• Osimhen penalty downs Liverpool

  Gala shocked Liverpool on a deafening night at Rams Park, securing a 1-0 victory thanks to Osimhen’s calm finish from the spot in the 16 minute. The forward, back from a three-week layoff, seized the moment after Dominik Szoboszlai was penalised for catching Baris Alper Yilmaz. Liverpool pushed late but saw an 89th-minute penalty overturned by VAR, confirming defeat.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Gala the best team in the world, says Osimhen

  The match-winner was full of pride when reflecting on the result. “I want to congratulate the team. It was a tough opponent for us. The odds seemed stacked against us. We managed to pull together,” Osimhen said. The Nigerian international added: “I was sidelined for three weeks, but for me, Galatasaray is the best team in the world. Thanks to the constant chanting of my name here and our fans, I’m playing better.”

• Rams Park roars in big Champions League win

  The win was only Galat’s second in their last 19 Champions League group games, but the atmosphere made it feel like a seismic moment. Rams Park shook from 45 minutes before kick-off as deafening whistles greeted Liverpool at every touch. The 51,000-plus fans embodied Galatasaray’s determination to bounce back after their opening 5-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt. 

  Gala’s triumph coincides with their 120th anniversary year, a symbolic win that further boosts confidence as they chase a fourth consecutive Super Lig crown. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• AFP
  

  Liverpool struggles put Slot under pressure

  Liverpool, meanwhile, face scrutiny with consecutive defeats raising doubts about Slot’s tactical calls. Liverpool’s second straight defeat will trouble Arne Slot, who rested Mohamed Salah until the hour mark but saw little improvement when the Egyptian was introduced. The Premier League champions looked sloppy in possession, vulnerable defensively, and wasteful in the final third. The Reds return to domestic duty against West Ham this weekend before hosting Ajax in the Champions League.

Can you hear it, the din from the summer transfer window? Newcastle United’s tumultuous market has been placed in the background, now, and Eddie Howe must be delighted that he can crack on and write another chapter into this wonderful story.

But there’s no denying the events of recent months have taken a toll on the Tyneside outfit, who have started their Premier League campaign with just two points from three games, losing that ridiculous clash against Liverpool and blanking in stalemates against Aston Villa and Leeds United.

Still, United are organised and efficient, and having signed forwards such as Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa among a host of other signings, there is hope that the disappointing departure of Alexander Isak can be offset and that targets might still be hit.

But it hasn’t all been sunshines and rainbows. Isak is bound to carry his prolific nature over to Anfield, but perhaps more frustrating is the recent success of Elliot Anderson, who was sold to Nottingham Forest over a year ago to ease the strain of PSR regulations.

Why Newcastle sold Elliot Anderson

The way Isak forced his way out of Howe’s Newcastle will sting for many years. Never again will the Sweden striker receive the ball at St. James’ Park without being the recipient of a venomous chorus of boos.

But Anderson was one of the club’s own, homegrown and sold for pure profit to avoid financial ramifications. His success with Nottingham Forest over the past two years has been quite a thing, and his recent performances for the Three Lions have underscored his value.

Newcastle sold the centre-midfielder to the Tricky Trees for around £35m in 2024, but he has since become something more, hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as a “do-it-all midfield warrior” and regarded in the Premier League as one of the driving forces of Nuno Espirito Santo’s success last season.

The 22-year-old could have been something special for Newcastle, and now serves as a reminder to keep onto those top talents who show such promise but perhaps aren’t yet equipped to maintain the consistency of their more experienced peers.

Take, for example, Anderson’s countryman Lewis Hall, who has lulled of late but remains one of the most exciting up-and-comers within the Premier League scene.

Newcastle have struck gold on Lewis Hall

Hall has spent more time than he would have liked in 2025 in the infirmary, with the full-back’s fitness problems taking away from him the building noise after an emphatic start to life at Newcastle.

It was not that long ago that Toon reporter Dominic Scurr declared Hall to be “the best left-back in the country, bar none.”

Likewise, talent scout Jacek Kulig called the 21-year-old “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League” in December 2024, with Hall firing on all cylinders and instrumental in building the form that would lead United back toward the gates of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup title.

But injury struck in the days before that Wembley meeting with Liverpool, and Hall would be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

Matches (starts)

18 (8)

27 (24)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

4

Touches*

39.2

70.6

Pass completion

83%

85%

Key passes*

0.2

1.3

Dribble success

55%

61%

Ball recoveries*

3.1

4.4

Tackles*

1.6

2.1

Interceptions*

0.7

0.7

Clearances*

0.9

1.9

Duels (won)*

2.9 (53%)

4.4 (54%)

Hall has also featured twice in the Premier League this season, but both times as a substitute and for a total of 43 minutes as he gets back up to speed. He will hope to reclaim his starting berth in the weeks to come, and on the basis of the evidence, his improvements last season suggest Howe will soon deploy him from the opening again.

Data-led platform FBref reveal Hall to rank among the top 12% of positional peers in the Premier League last year for passes attempted, the top 15% for assists and the top 20% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, so it’s clear that his technical quality is crucial to erecting the build-up patterns that define Howe’s transitional approach.

It’s also clear that this ball-playing skill aligns with the methods of some of England’s finest. Indeed, Caught Offside revealed in the months preceding the summer transfer window that Liverpool and Manchester City had both registered their interest in the young England international, who Newcastle valued at a floor of £60m.

Of course, this puts Hall above a former Toon talent such as Anderson, who left for £35m and has since seen a market growth toward the ballpark of £45m, as per Football Transfers.

The aforementioned Premier League giants both signed left-backs this summer, which perhaps signals the strength of Newcastle’s response when Hall’s name was discussed in negotiations.

Hall is a defender who can do it all. After all, he played most regularly as a robust central midfielder during his younger days, since refashioned into a wide defender. Perhaps there is a future for him in the middle of the park, where he might rival players such as Anderson for a prominent role in England’s national squad.

Newcastle might have entered something of a transitional campaign, but Howe will remain steadfast in his belief that last year’s success can be used to prop up the riches still to come at St. James’ Park.

In any case, with such exciting talents as Hall set to star for years to come, there’s every reason for excitement.

New Isak: Newcastle have "one of the best teenage prospects in the world"

Newcastle will need to replace Alexander Isak’s goals with a range of different attacking talents.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 3, 2025