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DC needed Rahul to anchor their innings and take apart CSK’s best bowler, and he did both with aplomb

Deivarayan Muthu05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

At 11am on Saturday, four-and-a-half hours before of the start of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk, the team management learned that Faf du Plessis might not be fit to take the field. DC coach Hemang Badani then asked KL Rahul, who had batted at No. 4 on his franchise debut last Friday, if he could slide up the order and take up du Plessis’ spot.”Happy, coach. I’m happy to go up the order,” was Rahul’s immediate response, according to Badani.Rahul is used to moving up and down the order across formats. He’s a shape-shifting object that is capable of turning himself into whatever the team needs. On a tricky, red-soil surface in Chennai, they needed Rahul to first anchor the innings and then dismantle the opposition’s best bowler. Rahul aced both roles during his 77 off 51 balls – and then even kept wicket in Chennai’s inhospitable heat – to carry DC to their third successive win.Related

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He had started slowly. He was on 29 off 23 balls at the halfway mark of DC’s innings. But he had sussed out the conditions intelligently and understood that the pitch was offering extra bounce, of the tennis-ball variety. So, he refrained from hitting over the top. He also needed some time to ease himself in.”Yeah, it’s more the mental [adjustment] and just the process of just getting in and just getting used to walking at a particular stage,” Rahul said after the match. “There are a few routines that I do, and I’d like to get used to doing the same thing and then your body gets used to doing that.”But since I’ve been going up and down the order, I just feel like a little unsettled when I walk in and the first few balls it takes me a few minutes to just get used to it. That’s been the most challenging part for me. Once I get through those initial nerves, and just getting used to being in the middle – or whatever is my routines if I can get settled with that – then it’s just bat and ball again.”Against Noor Ahmad, the left-arm wristspinner who is the highest wicket-taker this season so far, Rahul had a plan, and he committed to it. It’s hard to pick which way a left-arm wristspinner is turning the ball, especially at the high speeds Noor bowls at, but Rahul was ready to pounce on any error in length. When Noor pushed one full enough for the sweep, Rahul slog-swept him away over midwicket for six.KL Rahul slog sweeps Noor Ahmad for a six•BCCILeaving the crease against Noor is fraught with immense risk, so Rahul took the less risky option of sweeping the wristspinner because whichever way the ball turns, the arc of the bat covers for it as long as you pick the length.Expecting Rahul to sweep him once again, Noor then hid a wrong’un away from Rahul’s reach in his third over. Rahul, who had originally shaped for the sweep, picked the length, which wasn’t full enough for the shot, and ended up flat-batting it on one knee over Noor’s head. It forced Noor to change his length again, and Rahul nailed the sweep again. His plan to take Noor down was a sweeping success: 20 off nine balls at a strike rate of 222.22. Noor had looked unstoppable until Saturday, when Rahul stopped him from bowling his full quota of overs.”I think what we have spoken as a side is not to settle or not to let any bowler settle,” Badani said at his post-match press conference. “Now, a certain batter will have their own game plan. And as you mentioned, Rahul was clear enough that he was not going to let Noor settle down. Because he felt that Noor was a crucial bowler for CSK. And he wanted to make sure that once you put the opposition’s best bowler down, it becomes difficult for the opposition to keep coming back after that and I thought he did that well.”Rahul then went about lining up the weakest link in CSK’s attack on the day, reverse-scooping left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary for four between the keeper and short third. Even before the ball had passed Khaleel Ahmed at short third, the bowler had his hands on his head. Rahul ran out of gas in the end overs – he managed just nine off his last ten balls – but he had already done enough to push DC to an above-par total.1:36

Jaffer: ‘Things are falling in place for Delhi Capitals’

In the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Rahul was unable to make a decision under pressure. He wasn’t sure if he should attack Mitchell Starc when he came back for the death, or if he could play him out and find runs elsewhere. Rahul took no half-measures against Noor, though, on Saturday. He took no half-measures against Mitchell Santner either in the Champions Trophy final last month.DC were initially looking to have Rahul open the batting for them but after Harry Brook pulled out of the tournament, they decided to slot him in at No. 4. In his first game for DC at that position, he hit Mohammed Shami, no less, for two fours and a six off his first three (legal) balls in a cameo. In his next match against CSK, he seamlessly moved up to the top and played a starring role for them on a challenging Chepauk track.”He is somebody who has been around long enough to understand the need of the hour,” Badani said of Rahul. “He has opened for India. He has opened in Test cricket recently for India. He has batted at No. 4 or 5 in the Champions Trophy, and he is somebody who can play spin well, who can play pace well.”Wake up in the morning, become a shape-shifting object, and win the Player-of-the-Match award in the evening. It’s just another day in the life of KL Rahul.

Allrounder completes set of international caps with first List A appearance in four years

Matt Roller02-Mar-2023Twenty-six hours and fifty-two minutes. That is the length of time between Jimmy Anderson strangling Neil Wagner down the leg side to give New Zealand a one-run win in the second Test at the Basin Reserve, and Chris Woakes beating Tamim Iqbal on the outside edge some 7000 miles away in the first ODI at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka.International teams playing on consecutive days has become all too common in the post-Covid era: last year, I was among the handful of people present as England won their third ODI against the Netherlands in Amstelveen on the evening of June 22, and then again for the first day of their Headingley Test against New Zealand on the morning of June 23. This time, it was physically impossible to be at both the denouement of the Wellington Test and the start of the Mirpur ODI – at least, while using commercial airlines.History will show that one player managed the improbable feat of being in England’s squads for both games. Will Jacks made the journey to Bangladesh on Saturday after he was left out of England’s team for the second Test; he was officially added as cover for the injured Tom Abell, but the ECB had discussed the possibility of him joining the ODI squad even before Abell strained his side in Sri Lanka.Related

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On Wednesday, Jacks was presented with his ODI cap by his Surrey team-mate Jason Roy, completing his full set five-and-a-half months – but only four games – after making his England debut in a T20I in Karachi. In that time, Jacks has started to resemble the personification of English cricket’s scheduling crisis.In September, he played two T20Is in Pakistan while Liam Livingstone was injured and Ben Stokes was being rested, on a tour which represented preparation for a T20 World Cup he would play no part in. In December, he played two Tests in Pakistan, in part because Moeen Ali had retired from the format due to England’s schedule.A month later, he thrived at the SA20 – then missed the final stages in order to travel to New Zealand with England’s Test squad. Now, he is in Bangladesh, again in part due to Livingstone’s injury-enforced absence – and pulled out of a planned three-match stint in the PSL to make himself available. “I’ve had six days at home since the start of November,” he told reporters in Bangladesh, also revealing that his luggage had arrived 48 hours after him.It is a bizarre itinerary, but hardly an unusual one among England’s players. More than 60 have been involved in overseas short-form leagues over the winter, and keeping track of England’s squads now requires close attention: they have played six matches across formats in 2023, and used 26 different players.Jacks made a solid impression on ODI debut. He bowled some hard-spun offbreaks in his role as England’s third spinner, conceding a solitary boundary and picking up a fortuitous wicket: Afif Hossain miscued him to mid-on while hacking across the line. Figures of 1 for 18 in five overs made him England’s most economical bowler.Jacks received his England ODI cap before play in Mirpur•Getty ImagesBatting at No. 6 in the chase, he was frenetic early in his innings: he managed 10 off his first 23 balls, including an edged four, a caught-and-bowled chance off Mustafizur Rahman, and a couple of ugly swipes as he struggled to find his rhythm. He picked up three boundaries in his next five balls, including a lofted six over cover, then picked out deep midwicket off Mehidy Hasan to fall for 26 off 31.The tempo of 50-over batting did not come naturally for him – and why should it have? This was Jacks’ first List A game in four years, a scenario that would have seemed unthinkable for an England ODI debutant in any previous era yet has now become a fact of life, such are the idiosyncrasies of the schedule.Ever since England’s World Cup win in 2019, their domestic 50-over competition has clashed with the Hundred. As a result, a generation of talented young white-ball players have had almost no exposure to one-day cricket since Under-19 level: in Sri Lanka last month, Tom Hartley (10 first-class appearances, 59 T20s) and Tom Lammonby (33 first-class appearances, 62 T20s) both made their List A debuts while playing for England Lions.Players like Jacks have been caught in the crosshairs: after this tour to Bangladesh, he will try to push his case for World Cup selection during two months with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL, then with Surrey and Oval Invincibles during the English summer. Like most of his team-mates, he will not play a 50-over game between the third ODI and England’s selection meeting for the main event.Clearly, the situation is far from ideal. England would not, ideally, be giving Jacks his debut seven months out from their title defence, even if his most likely role in their squad would be as a multi-talented back-up player who could be used as an opener or in the middle order.Ideally, he would be playing more 50-over cricket, too. Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review last year proposed moving the One-Day Cup from August to April. “For England to be winning 50-over World Cups, it needs to provide its highest-potential players opportunities to play the format. This is not possible in today’s schedule,” the review said. But the proposals were rejected by the counties, and the status quo will prevail.And yet, Jacks’ cameo represented a valuable contribution to a scrappy England win, giving them two opportunities to inflict Bangladesh’s first home ODI series defeat since England’s most recent tour in 2016. England’s ODI results have been poor in the last 12 months, but as Moeen Ali said before this series: “We have lost 8 in the last 10 – but we are also the champions of the world.”Even while fielding a half-strength team for most of this cycle, England are second in the ICC’s Super League and are second-favourites for the World Cup behind the hosts, India. It would be a major surprise if they failed to reach the semi-finals.Jacks’ ODI debut is emblematic of the format’s diminished status within English cricket since that day at Lord’s four years ago. Yet he possesses the qualities – adaptability, versatility and, above all talent – which underpin England’s confidence that, come October, everything will fall into place once again.

This is far from a golden era of slip catching, but there are still some players who make a habit of taking stunners in the cordon

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2021Steven Smith

There are few better sights in cricket than a packed slip cordon – well, maybe it’s just me. But does this feel like a golden era of slip catching? I’m not going to delve into the percentage of dropped catches right here, but the gut feeling is no. A recent social media poll by our digital gurus posed the question of the dream cordon: Darren Gough’s was Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff. It’s an all-timer, for sure.The best of the current players? I’ve gone for Smith, who snaffles them pretty safely, and sometimes spectacularly, either against the quicks or the spinners (when he isn’t standing too deep and getting Shane Warne riled up). One of the more recent ones to stick in the memory is a full-stretch dive to remove Kane Williamson – should there be extra marks for the quality of the batter? – in Perth two seasons ago. Williamson edged Mitchell Starc in a day-night Test with the lights taking hold, and Smith was horizontal at second slip when he took it almost behind him. Would he make an all-time cordon? I might check the replies to that social post.#OhmyBroad: Ben Stokes’ grab at Trent Bridge in 2015, is an unforgettable Ashes moment•Getty ImagesBen Stokes

There’s probably a distinction to be made between great slip catchers and takers of great slip catches. Some of those vying for the all-time cordon pouched almost everything that came their way with soft-handed surety, but may have been less likely to fling themselves bodily for the one-percenters. And if there are fewer in the never-drop-a-chance category these days, perhaps it’s because the modern cricketer is more likely to get close to ones that would have zipped straight through in the past.Related

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Anyway, while Stokes does put down more than the odd one, there’s no doubting his ability to pluck ’em from thin air – and it’s spectacular snags that do it for me. Exhibit A is, of course, the Aussie-scuppering, #OhMyBroad-inspiring, claw-assisted snatch of Adam Voges’ outside edge from fifth slip at Trent Bridge in 2015 – aerial, horizontal, behind him. But we’ve subsequently discovered this is just what Stokes does. See four grabs in a day in Cape Town (three of them full length, one an absolute screamer), or a regulation flying one-hander to dismiss Jasprit Bumrah in Chennai that he barely celebrates.My other candidate was Faf du Plessis, who might edge Stokes on reliability and could also pull off a worldie but was deemed ineligible having retired from Tests.Big ticket: Rakheem Cornwall can make the long journey down to take some outstanding low catches•AFP/Getty ImagesRahkeem Cornwall

It’s obviously no hindrance to be a natural athlete, but you don’t have to be one to be a good slip fielder. Think Mark Taylor.Several large men have fielded there – Warwick Armstrong and Inzamam-ul-Haq, to name two – so it’s perfectly natural for Rahkeem Cornwall to do so, blessed as he is with bucket hands and the meditative temperament of one who will always let the ball come to him rather than go snatching at it. It’s no surprise when he pulls off nonchalant catches like this one, when Rory Burns top-edged a full-blooded square cut his way at Old Trafford, but his unlikely party trick is the low catch, by his bootlaces – surely the most difficult feat for a man of his size to pull off. Have a look at this effort to send back Rashid Khan in Lucknow (at the 17-second mark here), or the famous low tumble to his right to end Mehidy Hasan’s resistance and complete West Indies’ 2-0 Test series triumph in Bangladesh. Is Cornwall the best slip catcher in world cricket? Who knows? Is he the most fun to watch? Most definitely.Ajinkya Rahane makes the tough catches look simple because of his soft hands•AFPAjinkya Rahane

I wonder if there’s a happy coincidence between being a good slip fielder and wearing either a cool floppy hat or a worn-out cap that has absorbed buckets of sweat over the years. Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh come to mind in the 1990s. In the 2000s, it’s hard to look beyond Mahela Jayawardene and Rahul Dravid.My pick from the current era is Ajinkya Rahane. Hat aside, I’ve picked Rahane because when he stands at slip to the spinner, he makes difficult catches look easy. Look at the ones he took to dismiss Steven Smith in the 2017 Dharamsala Test or Adelaide 2020. Whether Rahane is dealing with the turn of the subcontinent that needs him to stay low or the bounce of Australia and England, which calls for positioning further back, his anticipation, the ability to stay light on his feet to allow him to move either way, and his sound judgment of where he should stand means he takes most chances.

علق محسن صالح، عضو اللجنة الفنية في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، على توديع منتخب مصر بطولة كأس العرب من دور المجموعات، بعد احتلال المركز الثالث في ترتيب مجموعته.

وخسر منتخب مصر أمام الأردن، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في مباراة الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة التي أقيمت مساء الثلاثاء، ليودع بطولة كأس العرب، بهزيمة وتعادلين.

وقال صالح خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” لبرنامج “اللعيب”: “سأتحدث كرياضي مصري وكمشجع مصري، خسارتنا اليوم مؤلمة وتمس المشاعر وتاريخ كرة القدم المصرية، بغض النظر أن هذا المنتخب الأول أم الثاني”.

وأضاف: “في هذا المعترك لا يصح أن نخسر، ممكن نخسر كرة ولكن خسرنا كرة ونتيجة، لم نقدم العرض المنتظر، أعتذر بصفتي رياضي مصري ومدرب مصري وبصفتي عضو في اللجنة الفنية باتحاد الكرة”.

طالع | محمد بركات بعد خروج منتخب مصر من كأس العرب: لدينا مشكلة كبيرة.. والجمهور على آخره

وأكمل: “أحب أن أوضح قبل أي أن يشمل الاتهام للجميع، اللجنة الفنية في اتحاد الكرة ليس من مهامها التدخل في المنتخبات الصف الأول أو التعامل مع المنتخب الأول وليس من مهامها الإشراف على المنتخب الثاني لحلمي طولان، لأن اللجنة تكونت وتوجد أجهزة فنية متواجدة”.

وواصل: “لم نقم بتغيير أي من الأجهزة، بسبب أن المنتخبات كلها مقبلة على أدوار نهائية ولديها أجهزة فنية تعمل معها وكان من الصعب إجراء تغيير، ورأينا أن نؤجل المعايير لتطبيقها في وقت لاحق”.

واستمر: “إذا كانت استقالتي أو اللجنة تريح بعض الناس فنحن مستعدين، اللجنة غير مسؤولة عن المنتخب الأول والثاني، مسؤوليتها عن قطاعات الناشيئن والأكاديميات والكرة النسائية والشاطئية”.

واستطرد: “لم نختار أسامة نبيه كمدير فني أو حلمي طولان، اللجنة الفنية متواجدة للتخطيط للمستقبل، وبالفعل وضعنا خططًا مستقبلية ومنتظرين أن نبحث في الاختيارات”.

واستكمل: “اللجنة الفنية عندما تولت المسؤولية وجدت أن هناك خلاف شديد جدًا قائم بين حسام حسن وحلمي طولان، عملية اختيار الأخير تمت لأسباب معينة، المفروض من سيشارك في كأس العرب المنتخب الأول وهذا الرأي السليم”.

وتابع: “حسام حسن رأى أن مشاركة الفريق الأول واستمراره في كأس العرب ممكن يصل للنهائيات، وبالتالي يدخل على كأس أمم إفريقيا وتكون الأيام قليلة للإعداد للبطولة، فاعتذر عن المشاركة”.

وأردف: “تم اتخاذ قرار بتشكيل منتخب ثاني ومشاركته في كأس العرب، وجدنا صعوبة في التعاقد مع مدير فني يأتي لمدة 3 أشهر لو كنت فعلنا ذلك، الإعلام كان “هيدبحك”، ويقول إهمال للمال العام”.

واختتم: “خروج منتخب مصر بهذا الشكل من كأس العرب، يتحمل مسؤوليته، حلمي طولان وحسام حسن من الدرجة الأولى، لأن لا بد أن يُنظر للمصلحة العامة ولم يكن هناك تنسيق، رابطة الأندية ومجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة أيضًا يتحملون المسؤولية”.

اتخذ نادي برشلونة الإسباني لكرة القدم قرارًا صادمًا يتعلق بنجم فريق أتلتيكو مدريد، جوليان ألفاريز، بعدما تواجد على رادار الفريق الكتالوني في الفترة الأخيرة من أجل تعزيز صفوف الفريق.

وارتبط جوليان ألفاريز بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف أتلتيكو مدريد والانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة العام المقبل، في ظل اهتمام بطل الدوري الإسباني بضمه، رغم الصعوبة المالية المتعلقة بتلك الصفقة.

ولكن صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية ذكرت أن إدارة برشلونة قررت صرف النظر عن صفقة جوليان ألفاريز، حيث تراجع النادي عن قرار اهتمامه بضم الأرجنتيني في الساعات الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: مباراة أتلتيكو أعادتني للموسم الماضي.. ولاعب برشلونة يستحق تجديد عقده

وأوضحت أن السبب وراء ذلك يعود إلى كون أداء ألفاريز يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد، لم يُقنع إدارة البارسا، حيث وصل إلى اللقاء باعتباره صفقة أحلام الرئيس خوان لابورتا، ولكن أدائه لم يكن على مستوى التوقعات.

وأفادت أنه حتى اليوم لا يُعد جوليان ألفاريز الهدف الرئيسي لـ برشلونة، إذ يعتبره النادي باهظًا، حيث يمتلك شرطًا جزائيًا بقيمة 500 مليون يورو، ويرتبط بعقد مع أتلتيكو مدريد حتى عام 2030، لذلك، لم يعد اسمه يُذكر في مكاتب النادي.

وأشارت إلى إنه بخلاف ذلك، يبحث النادي عن لاعبين يُظهرون رغبتهم في اللعب بقميص برشلونة إلى جانب لاعبين كبار مثل بيدري ولامين يامال.

وشددت من جديد على توقف قصة جوليان ألفاريز مع برشلونة، بشكل مؤقت على الأقل، حيث لم يعد من أولويات النادي في الوقت الحالي، ولن تُقدم الإدارة على أي خطوة للتعاقد معه حاليًا.

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Appearances

14

7

Minutes

331′

294′

Goals

4

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

N/A

Minutes per Goal Involvement

55.16′

N/A

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

Bad news for Garnacho: Chelsea submit bid to sign £62m "level-raiser"

The game-changing forward could be brilliant for Chelsea but bad news for Garnacho.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

As far back as September, concern was raised that Leeds United simply lack any sort of potent threat going forward. The Whites are seemingly going to end up in the relegation scrap, with just 11 points in as many games and ten goals scored.

Daniel Farke’s side have been lacking in the final third since the off and that hasn’t changed much in the last two months or so, as the number of goals scored this season shows. Only bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers have bagged fewer.

With that in mind, it is surely no surprise that Leeds are targeting a new attacker to help enhance their final third quality.

Leeds’ latest attacking target

Reports have already begun to break about some of Leeds’ January transfer targets. One of those could see them make an ambitious move for Chelsea star Raheem Sterling, who has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge this season.

In recent days, they have also been linked to Brazilian attacking midfielder Gabriel Sara.

According to a report from Turkish news outlet Takvim, the Whites are strongly considering ‘making a move’ to sign the 26-year-old from Galatasaray.

The former Norwich City star is said to be unhappy with his playing time for the Turkish giants, perhaps coinciding with the signing of Ilkay Gundogan.

He could ask to leave the club, which is where Leeds could swoop in with an offer of £17m, thought to be enough for Galatasaray to sell him.

Why Leeds could be targeting their next Raphinha

It has perhaps not been the season Sara might have expected in 2025/26. The Brazilian has played 16 times this term, but has only racked up one goal and two assists in that time.

His form last season was far better, scoring and assisting 12 times in 45 games.

Of course, Sara has already experienced English football, plying his trade for the Canaries. His best campaign for the East Anglian club came in 2023/24, when his 13 goals and 12 assists in the Championship helped them reach the play-offs, where, ironically, they lost to Leeds.

Goals like this were a real feature of his impressive form that season.

His underlying stats from that campaign highlight why Leeds want him to add a creative influence in midfield.

For example, Sara averaged 2.61 key passes and an expected assist tally of 0.26xA per 90 minutes, which placed him in the top 4% and 3% for Championship midfielders that season.

Key passes

2.61

96th

Progressive passes

6.67

91st

Expected assists

0.26xA

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.96

95th

Goal-creating actions

0.61

97th

Analyst Ben Mattinson is someone who has spoken highly of Sara in the past, praising him for boasting a “magical left foot.”

He wouldn’t be the first Brazilian Leeds player who fits that description, with Raphinha also falling into the category.

The Elland Road faithful will look back fondly on Raphinha’s time at the club. He was sensational in that famous White shirt, bagging 17 goals and assisting 12 in just 67 games.

Strikes like this one against Everton were the sort of class he provided on a game-by-game basis.

Well, if Sara could have close to that level of impact on the club, he’d be a huge success. It is easy to see the comparison, both flair attackers who hail from Brazil, with a tricky left foot and lots of final third productivity.

Since Raphinha left Elland Road, he hasn’t really been replaced, and Farke certainly has not had his own version. Well, Sara, a player described as “technically gifted” by Mattinson, could be the guy they’ve been looking for.

Raphinha had so much quality on the ball, and Sara possesses that in abundance, as the stats show. He could be Farke’s own Raphinha, and the man to add a creative spark to Leeds’ attack.

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ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2025

The 2026 World Cup draw takes place on Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and promises to be a star-studded event. Global icon Heidi Klum will host the show alongside comedian and actor Kevin Hart. The glitzy affair will also feature music and performances from Nicole Scherzinger as well as Robbie Williams, the Village People and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Get ready for the World Cup draw

Nations across the world will be watching on eagerly on Friday as the draw for the World Cup finals takes place in the United States. The expanded tournament means that 48 teams from across the world will feature and will discover who they will meet next summer in the tournament, which takes place across the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA president Gianni Infantino will once again be in attendance, with the draw scheduled to kick off at 9am local time / 12pm ET (5pm GMT) on Friday, December 5, 2025.

AdvertisementAFPKlum 'honoured' to host draw

Supermodel and global icon Klum is back to host the tournament after taking on duties in Germany back in 2006. The Emmy-winning television personality says it's an honour to host the draw. 

“To be hosting the final draw again, after having been involved in this show 20 years ago in my home country, is truly extraordinary,” she said. “The World Cup brings the world together like nothing else, and being part of that magic again, on an even bigger stage involving three host countries and 48 teams, is an incredible honour.”

Actor and producer Danny Ramirez will also feature at the event, interviewing the football greats in attendance, and is thrilled to be involved. He said: "As someone who grew up playing football, getting to co-host the draw and meet and speak with World Cup legends at such a high-profile event is a dream. With this tournament coming to the United States, where I was born, and Mexico, where some of my roots lie, it is even more special – and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this show.”

Scherzinger part of star-studded line up

Fans can also enjoy live performances from some big stars, including former Pussycat Doll Scherzinger. The American singer and Tony Award winner features on a bill that also includes British superstar and FIFA ambassador Robbie Williams and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Legendary act the Village People will also perform their global hit YMCA after the draw has taken place.

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How does the draw work?

The World Cup draw will see 12 teams divided into four pots, with Pot 1 including all three host nations along with the top nine FIFA-ranked teams. The remaining three pots are decided by FIFA rankings. It's worth noting that there are still six qualification places to be decided, with play-offs set to take place in March, and all six of those teams have been placed in Pot 4.

The draw proceeds with one team taken from each pot. There is also an additional change for 2026, as the top four FIFA-ranked nations –  Spain, Argentina, France and England – cannot face each other until the semi-final stage.

Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.

Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.

Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.

Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff teams, two intercontinental playoff teams.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lavished praise on a Gunners who’s done something he never expected.

Arsenal look to extend unbeaten run against Brentford

Arsenal return to the Emirates tonight seeking to rebuild momentum against Brentford following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Arteta’s side failed to capitalize on their one-man advantage despite playing almost an hour against ten men.

The north Londoners have also seen their five-point lead atop the Premier League table reduced to two after Man City’s thrilling 5-4 win away to Fulham on Tuesday, so nothing but a win will do against one of the worst away teams in the division this evening.

Arteta faces selection dilemmas ahead of Brentford’s visit, with defensive concerns persisting following the unexpected absence of both first-choice centre-backs at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

William Saliba suffered a training ground injury in the build up to Chelsea, compounding Gabriel Magalhaes’ absence and marking only the second occasion in 162 matches both defenders have missed simultaneously.

It could well be the third time in 163 matches against Brentford, with Saliba a doubt for tonight’s clash and Gabriel still weeks away from returning to the field.

Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten streak has now reached 17 matches across all competitions, yet Arteta demands improvements following the Chelsea stalemate. The Gunners managed just eight shots at Stamford Bridge – their lowest total in any Premier League fixture this season.

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Leandro Trossard, who’s been in excellent form with 10 goal contributions already this term, looks set to miss the Brentford game with Havertz also suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

Mikel Arteta says Merino has took him by surprise at Arsenal

Bearing this in mind, if Arteta doesn’t start Viktor Gyokeres, then makeshift number nine Mikel Merino could well be handed another chance to impress.

The Spain international has been nothing short of extraordinary in a very unfamiliar role, scoring 20 goals this calendar year for club and country, and Arteta has now had his say on the matter.

When asked by reporters whether he thought Merino could become a striker like this, Arteta admitted the 29-year-old has taken him completely by surprise.

Merino’s equaliser ensured that Arsenal’s unbeaten streak didn’t end in west London on Sunday, and the former Newcastle star has fast become a fan favourite.

2025 has been a real year to remember for the midfielder, who was one of Edu’s final signings before his departure as sporting director late last year.

Arteta can take a lot of the credit for transforming Merino into an attacking powerhouse and having the initiative to experiment with him up front, but the versatile star has seized that opportunity with both hands.

India must win this contest to avoid making their next two games a knockout

S Sudarshanan18-Oct-20254:09

India face another challenge vs left-arm spin

Big picture – High stakes for IndiaPeople selling replica jerseys outside a stadium is one of the signs that a big game is coming up. Outside Holkar Stadium in Indore, vendors selling caps, flags and jerseys with “Smriti 18” and “Harman 23” among others, were spotted as early as Friday afternoon, a full two days before the India vs England match of the Women’s World Cup 2025.India must win this contest to avoid making their next two games a knockout. They go into it on the back of successive defeats to Australia and South Africa, with just four points in four games. England, on the other hand, are yet to lose a match in this tournament (although Pakistan did give them a mighty fright)India have had a week-long break since their last match. After they reached Indore on Monday, they had one day off when they went to Ujjain and attended full-tilt training sessions on Wednesday and Friday. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana opted to train on optional days in between as well.Related

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Going by the intensity and the meticulousness of their practice, India are aware of how big this game is with only two of the four semi-final spots still up for grabs. But their recent record against England should act as a confidence-booster. Since the 2022 World Cup, India have won five of the six ODIs the two sides have played against each other.Under the new leadership of head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England have punched above pre-tournament expectations. Their spinners have picked up 24 of the 30 wickets the team has at this World Cup. The batting though remains a problem with only Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt showing the kind of mettle needed to win these events.England’s batters have not coped with conditions at the World Cup as well as the bowlers have•ICC/Getty ImagesStill “if someone had said to me a few weeks ago, we’d be in the position we are in, having been unbeaten, I would have taken it,” Edwards said on Saturday. “Our best cricket is in front of us. These are the occasions you want to play or be a part of as a player and as a coaching staff.”A sellout crowd in Indore is about to be treated to a high-profile game with lots of jeopardy.Form guideIndia LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWLWIn the spotlight – Mandhana and Harmanpreet vs Smith and EcclestoneIn this World Cup so far, India have lost 15 wickets to left-arm spin. That is the most by any team. They have also faced the most overs against this style of bowling. And England have two left-arm spinners in Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.Ecclestone has dismissed Smriti Mandhana four times in 12 innings while Smith dismissed her in the rain-affected ODI at Lord’s in July. Harmanpreet has also fallen three times in ten innings to Ecclestone and once to Smith.Some of these numbers may stem from India’s preference to attack left-arm spin (5.01 runs per over). Only England (5.44) and Australia (5.25) have scored quicker against this type of bowling since 2023. However, those two teams appear to be managing the risks that come with this kind of aggression better. Australia (45.63) and England (37.19) average much higher than India (27.79)One of the India top order’s focus in their training on Friday was hitting with the spin and using their feet. A delicious contest awaits us on Sunday.Team news – Renuka in for India?There were questions raised about the absence of the sixth-bowling option after India’s defeats to South Africa and Australia. But they are set to go into Sunday’s clash with the same balance, with Harmanpreet chipping in with a few overs if needed. India could also bring in Renuka Singh for Amanjot Kaur, who did not train on each of the two days before the game.India (possible XI): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Pratika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Renuka SinghBoth Ecclestone and Lauren Bell have recovered from the illness that ruled them out of the Pakistan game and are available for selection. So expect them to slot back into place ahead of Sarah Glenn and Em Arlott.England (possible XI): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell2:41

Edwards: ‘Ecclestone is bowling as well as I’ve seen’

Pitch and conditions – Red-soil pitchThe game will be played on a red-soil pitch, which tend to have bounce and carry. This will be a fresh pitch as well and given the 13-day gap between games in Indore, the curator has had enough time to prepare it. The surface had a greenish look to it two days out but on match eve, a lot of the grass was shaved off.The weather on Sunday is expected to be hot and humid. No rain is in forecast, although it did drizzle a little on Friday and Saturday. Expect a high-scoring contest.Stats and trivia: Deepti eyes 150 ODI wickets Since the 2022 World Cup, no player has scored more ODI runs against England than Harmanpreet’s 347. She has hit two centuries and a fifty in this period. Mandhana is third on the list with 296 runs Deepti Sharma is just one wicket away from being just the second Indian bowler with 150. Deepti has dismissed Sciver-Brunt four times in 12 ODI innings. Only Jess Jonassen and Afy Fletcher have dismissed her more often (five times) Mithali Raj is currently the only Indian with 1000 ODI runs against England; Harmanpreet and Mandhana are 45 and 58 runs away from the mark Since 2024, Tammy Beaumont has been especially vulnerable to dismissals inside the first 10 overs of an ODI. She’s been out 12 times in this period – same as Mandhana and Alyssa Healy – but her average (36.25) and strike rate (81.61) are the lowest among the three. Beaumont also averages 19.29 in 29 matches against India, much lower than her ODI career average of 40.69.Quotes”It is not that if we lost, we should keep talking about that game. Even before that we played a lot of good games. Had we won [against Australia], our small errors would not have been magnified like this. We have trust in our team and are backing everyone.”
“We’ve been lucky to have played a lot against India in the last 12 months. But this is a one-off game in a World Cup in India. A massive game which we are looking forward to and we will be preparing for it like any other game. We know the threats of India but equally we have got some wonderful players in our group.”