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Paul Scholes might be of the bizarre opinion that he “takes too many touches”, but is there truly any reason to suggest why Arsenal’s Declan Rice isn’t one of the top five midfielders in the world right now?

There really isn’t anything that the Englishman can’t do, be it from whipping in a delicious corner, or rifling home a free-kick from range, having also been an ever-present fixture this season, prior to missing the trip to Bruges through illness.

He’s always up and at ’em, tearing from box-to-box in almost a Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane style of yesteryear. The true all-round midfielder.

It does boggle the mind that this was once a player shackled to a centre-back role in his youth at West Ham, before emerging as something of a safe and steady defensive-minded midfielder under David Moyes – scoring just 15 times in 245 games for the Hammers.

In the red and white of Arsenal, however, the 26-year-old has been a man unleashed, with Mikel Arteta’s handling of the all-action star proving to be something of a masterstroke.

Declan Rice's record as a No.6 vs a No.8

For all the attention surrounding West Ham’s Conference League captain, having emerged as a leading target for both Manchester clubs prior to 2023, there were still eyebrows raised at the £105m figure that the Gunners forked out to get their man just over two years ago.

Indeed, as already stated, the Three Lions star had only provided 28 goals and assists in total at the London Stadium, with the aforementioned Keane one of the more vocal sceptics at the time:

A solid, albeit unspectacular, debut season followed in north London, with 31 of Rice’s 51 games in all competitions coming in a number six role, as per Transfermarkt, with Arteta experimenting with Kai Havertz in the first half of the season in that left-sided number eight role.

Those 31 games yielded just three goals and four assists, although with the likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey deployed more frequently heading into 2024, Rice’s 19 games as more of a box-to-box central midfielder saw him register ten goals and assists.

Indeed, that shift became something of a permanent one in 2024/25, with the one-time Chelsea youth man registering 16 goals and assists from his 37 games as a central midfielder, while providing just three goal involvements from 15 games in his deep-lying berth.

Central midfield

Games

69

Goals & Assists

13 & 17

Defensive midfield

Games

55

Goals & Assists

5 & 9

Centre-back

Games

1

Goals & Assists

0 & 0

Total

Games

125

Goals & Assists

18 % 26

Of course, shifting into a more attacking role has aided that increase in final third contributions, although plaudits should fall to Arteta for spotting his attacking potential from the off.

Perhaps, a similar scenario could lie in store for Rice’s midfield colleague, Martin Zubimendi…

Arsenal's new Declan Rice

Part of the Gunners’ success again this term has been the continued deployment of Rice as a number eight, with the arrival of an orthodox midfield metronome, in the form of Zubimendi, bringing real balance to Arteta’s midfield unit.

Signed for a fee of around £60m from Real Sociedad, following prior interest from Liverpool, the Spaniard has taken to Premier League life like a duck to water, starting every league game to date this season.

As Rice has said himself, his new teammate is “so easy to play with”, with the pair seemingly hitting it off right from the start, rather than needing any period of adaptation.

Sitting in that role in front of the back four, Zubimendi is a master at pulling the strings, both for club and country, currently ranking in the top 11% of Premier League midfielders for pass completion, as well as in the top 9% for attempted passes per 90, as per FBref.

Also ranked in the top 16% for aerial duels won, the 26-year-old mops up so effectively in the centre of the park, rubberstamping the opinion that he is something of a ‘Rodri clone’, in the view of Spanish football expert, Graham Hunter.

Like 2023 Champions League final goalscorer, Rodri – and like Rice too – might there be more to Zubimendi’s game than just prioritising his defensive work? Could Arteta also get a tune out of him in an attacking sense, too?

Indeed, Zubimendi’s midweek performance away in Bruges showed flashes of what he can do in the final third, having provided two assists in Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 victory.

Of course, with Rice already the all-action figure in the midfield, it’s not as Zubimendi would suddenly join him in bombing forward at every opportunity, albeit with Wednesday highlighting that Arteta should allow his compatriot to let the handbrake off on occasion.

While his first assist for Noni Madueke was nothing to shout about, the new man’s second was far more eye-catching, bursting down the left wing before producing a delightful back-post cross on his weaker foot.

In all, in the absence of Rice, the £60m man registered six key passes in total on the night, while creating three big chances, as per Sofascore, indicating that he can emulate the Englishman, if and when he is needed.

Already, he looks like the greatest success story of the Gunners’ summer recruitment, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring just four league goals, while Eberechi Eze was notably hooked at the break against Aston Villa, following arguably his poorest display to date.

That viewpoint is reinforced by his rising market value too, with Zubimendi now deemed to be €75m (£66m), according to Transfermarkt, while Gyokeres and Eze are deemed to be valued at €70m (£61m) and €65m (£57m), respectively.

Unlike that attack-minded pairing, the Euro 2024 winner has hit the ground running at the Emirates. As Wednesday indicated, however, there’s plenty more to his game still be discovered.

£45m star who plays a "bit like Henry" could end Gyokeres' Arsenal career

The incredibly talented Arsenal star could spell trouble for Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 4 days ago

Pat McAfee primarily focuses on the NFL and college football and professional wrestling, but decided at the last minute this year that he wanted to be involved in the MLB All-Star festivities. ESPN did not hesitate as they put him front and center to have him introduce the participants on Monday night and let him host a Q&A panel earlier in the day.

Some baseball fans may have been surprised to find McAfee so prominently involved, but regular ESPN viewers barely batted an eye. As (at least) one person on social media pointed out, at this point ESPN is mostly made up of McAfee and Stephen A. Smith noting, "Kids today don't realize it, but you used to be able tot urn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee."

One ex-ESPN employee agreed as former NFL Primetime host Trey Wingo added that "it used to be a glorious buffet when you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it's like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?"

Wingo worked at ESPN for more than two decades from 1997 to 2020. Chicken and fish were available when he worked there, but not quite to this extreme.

Real Madrid's crisis escalated on Sunday as Endrick was sent off from the bench during the defeat to Celta Vigo, sparking a furious reaction from his father. With the Brazilian forward starving for minutes under manager Xabi Alonso, his parent turned to the bible to find encouraging words for the teenager, intensifying rumours of a January loan exit just months before the World Cup.

Bernabéu boiling point: Red card from the sidelines

The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu was already toxic as Celta Vigo raced into a 2-0 lead, but the frustration on the Real Madrid bench spilled over in spectacular fashion. Endrick, who had been left out of the starting XI yet again by Xabi Alonso, did not even need to step onto the pitch to make headlines. In the dying moments of the match, the Brazilian teenager was shown a straight red card by the referee for dissent, reportedly launching a verbal tirade at the fourth official as tempers flared.

It was the third dismissal of the night for Los Blancos, following red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, but the striker's expulsion is symbolic of a deeper malaise. Having played fewer than 20 minutes of La Liga football under Alonso, the 19-year-old’s discipline snapped. The suspension will likely rule him out of the upcoming clashes, further alienating a player who was supposed to be the future of the club but currently finds himself as a spectator to their implosion.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEndrick's father vents his fury

The fallout from the match was immediate, with the player's father, Douglas Ramos, taking to social media to defend his son and fire a not-so-subtle dig at the Madrid hierarchy. He posted a picture of his son sitting on the Madrid bench and cited a bible verse as encouragement for the 19-year-old. He wrote: "Matthew Chapter 23:12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

This "poisoned dart" appears squarely aimed at the management. It is not the first time the Brazilian's camp has hinted at dissatisfaction. Previously, he had accused Madrid of trying to "dim" the striker's spark. He wrote on social media: "I know, my son, how hard you work and how much you dedicate every minute of your day. I know everything you're capable of. You're a winner and you're showing everyone that you're a true warrior. Your star will continue to shine, even though some try to dim your light. I believe your future lies right there."

Frozen out by the manager

The relationship between the forward and his manager appears to be non-existent. Since taking over the reins, Alonso has largely ignored the Palmeiras academy graduate, preferring to utilise Kylian Mbappe centrally or even turning to academy product Gonzalo García as a backup option. The data is damning: the teenager has not started a single league game under the coach and has often been left warming the bench even when the team is chasing a game.

Tactically, the manager seems unconvinced by the youngster's discipline and positional play, favouring more versatile forwards who can drop deep. However, with the attack looking blunt against Celta, the decision to leave a prolific goalscorer unused – and then watch him get sent off for frustration – has raised serious questions about Alonso’s man-management. The "dimming of the light" quote suggests that the player believes this exclusion is personal rather than tactical, a dangerous narrative for a coach already under pressure.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

With the situation becoming untenable, a January departure now looks inevitable. The red card may have been the final straw for both parties. Reports in France and Italy indicate that Lyon, Juventus, and even Manchester United are monitoring the situation closely, ready to offer a six-month loan deal.

For the player, a move is essential. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, he cannot afford to spend a season in the shadows. Real Madrid may be reluctant to weaken their squad depth given their injury crisis, but keeping an unhappy, suspended, and vocal teenager in a fracturing dressing room might be a luxury they can no longer afford.

His efforts handed India their biggest defeat in men’s Tests, and their second whitewash at home in three series

Sidharth Monga26-Nov-20256:06

Karim: ‘Harmer’s variations upset India batters’

In front of empty stands in India’s newest Test venue, South Africa competed their utter domination of the hosts with a whitewash and their heaviest Test defeat in terms of runs. More than just the order of session breaks was turned upside down in India’s eastern-most Test ground where South Africa sealed their first series win in India in 25 years and India’s second series defeat in 12 months after 12 years of spotless record.Simon Harmer out-bowled by miles the home spinners in a country, whose ordinary tour in 2015 resulted in a seven-year hiatus for him in Test cricket. No one has now taken more wickets at a better average in a series in India than his 17 wickets at 8.94. Marco Jansen was a little behind with 12 at 10.08, but he ended the series with yet another thing about which we can say: “only Marco could have done that”. A sensational catch over the shoulder, running back, diving and taking it one-handed. Just the kind of wicket Harmer won’t mind being denied a maiden 10-for by.This was the farthest result on India’s minds when Shubman Gill joked after losing yet another toss in Kolkata that it seems he will win only in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Since then, India lost Gill to injury three balls into his work, and then both the Tests to leave themselves a hill to climb if they want to entertain thoughts of the WTC final. They now have 48.15% points halfway into their league matches. Historically at least 60% has been needed to get through to the final.Related

South Africa prove again they can win the hard way, and anywhere

Gambhir: 'This is exactly what transition is'

Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

'Can't take anything for granted' – Pant rues missed chances after 2-0 clean sweep

The defending champions, who had to deal with some elitist sniggering about their schedule in the last cycle, now have 75% of their points. Temba Bavuma, the captain who brought home the mace, was still undefeated in Tests after 12 matches at the helm.That Bavuma wouldn’t lose this one had been clear halfway into this Test. Since then, South Africa played India out ruthlessly and started the fifth day needing eight wickets to take the full 12 WTC points from this match. This classic Indian Test pitch was now offering consistent turn and natural variation.Simon Harmer picked up his second Test five-for•BCCISo a combination of Harmer and Jansen, who took a five-for and a 93 in the first innings, was always going to test India’s resolve to bat the day out. The overnight batters, B Sai Sudharsan and nightwatch Kuldeep Yadav, enjoyed some luck with one wicket denied by a no-ball and another by a drop at slip by Aiden Markram, who took five catches in the first innings.The luck ended around half an hour into the day. It had always looked a matter of time against Harmer’s guile and persistence. Kuldeep was the first one to go, bowled by an offbreak that didn’t turn. You can’t quite make an offbreak not turn, but you can give it every chance to do so by changing the seam orientation, which Harmer did.In the same over, Harmer completed the brace of dream dismissals for an offspinner. He had bowled KL Rahul through the gate on the fourth evening; now he took Dhruv Jurel’s outside edge with drift and less turn than expected.Rishabh Pant is often criticised for taking too many risks, but this innings provided a counterpoint. Against a really slow offbreak from Harmer, Pant was a sitting duck the moment he decided to offer a forward-defensive. The extra bounce took the catch to Markram at slip, who was now moving rapidly towards the world record for most catches in a match.Sai Sudharsan enjoyed another dropped catch as he and Ravindra Jadeja took India into tea. Sai Sudharsan’s luck ran out in the first over after the break with Harmer getting a rest having bowled through the entire first session. He defended a Senuram Muthusamy half-volley. It didn’t turn, and Markram took another catch.South Africa registered their first Test series win in India in 25 years•BCCIAdequately rested, Harmer came back from the other end than the one that had been giving him wickets and took out Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy in quick succession. With a softer ball now, he started to bowl quicker and took the edge from Washington with a 90kmph offbreak. Markram took a sharp catch to go past Ajinkya Rahane’s world record of eight in a match.The right-hand batters were always going to struggle more now with three dismissals in play: bowled through the gate, outside edge and bat-pad catches. Reddy introduced the glove on the reverse sweep to give Harmer his best match figures, making him South Africa’s most successful bowler in India and the most prolific South Africa bowler after 14 Tests.Jadeja was the one India batter who swept well from the length that had other batters in trouble. He scored a consolatory half-century, read the room and shelved his sword celebrations, and was stumped when trying to take Keshav Maharaj on.The final moment, fittingly, belonged to Jansen. He scored quick runs when India were in control of South Africa’s scoring in the first innings, when it seemed no one could dominate the bowling. His long levers, which made this possible, also created the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first innings, then India’s only half-centurion. Then he unleashed bouncers when the pitch was still flat, taking more wickets with bouncers than anyone has taken in an innings in India.By the time South Africa bowled the second time around, the pitch offered consistent turn and didn’t call out for a superhuman effort from Jansen. Then again, why deny us when you can nonchalantly take an impossible catch to end the match and the series? Lest we forget.

Wolves are now expressing an interest in signing a Man City player, with one of their squad members potentially set to leave in January.

Wolves nailed on for relegation barring Rob Edwards miracle

The Old Gold face the most perilous situation in the Premier League, rooted firmly to the bottom of the table with just two points from 14 games.

Wolves appear destined for Championship football unless Rob Edwards can orchestrate an almighty turnaround during the second half of the campaign.

Edwards arrived from Middlesbrough in mid-November, leaving a promotion-chasing outfit second in the Championship to tackle one of football’s most daunting rescue missions.

Wolves still remain winless, sitting 12 points adrift of safety – a margin that already carries significant historical weight.

No team has ever survived relegation after collecting merely two points from their opening 14 games, and at their current rate, they would finish the season with just seven points — threatening to eclipse Derby County’s infamous 11-point record from the 2007-08 campaign.

Huddersfield Town (18/19)

16

Sheffield United (23/24)

16

Sunderland (05/06)

15

Southampton (24/25)

12

Derby County

11

The appointment of Edwards represents a desperate gamble by chairman Jeff Shi, who acknowledged the club needs a complete philosophical refresh.

Edwards’ deep connections to Molineux — having made over 100 appearances as a player before serving in various coaching capacities — offer hope that he understands the DNA required to navigate this crisis.

Wolves plotting January bid for "prolific" £17.5m striker with 29 G/A last season

The Old Gold are looking to bring in a centre-forward this winter, in order to bolster their survival hopes.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

However, his task is monumental. Vitor Pereira managed just a 36.8 per cent win rate before his sacking in early November, inheriting a squad stripped of its best talent through successive transfer windows.

The pattern has become devastatingly familiar.

After selling Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes in 2023, then Pedro Neto and Max Kilman in 2024, Wolves lost Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri last summer without securing adequate replacements.

Cunha’s departure to Man United for £62.5 million removed their most reliable goalscorer, 17 goals in all competitions last season, while Ait-Nouri joined Manchester City for £31 million.

The club’s attacking output has obviously collapsed as a result, with just seven goals scored so far — the division’s worst record and only team failing to reach double figures.

However, according to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Shi and Fosun do have a succession plan for goalkeeper Jose Sa.

Wolves express James Trafford interest with Jose Sa set to leave

Indeed, it is believed that Wolves have expressed interest in signing Man City’s James Trafford on loan in January as Edwards searches for solutions.

The 23-year-old England youth international finds himself behind Gianluigi Donnarumma in Pep Guardiola’s pecking order after the Italian’s summer arrival, which is bad timing ahead of the World Cup next year.

After starting the campaign as City’s number one following Ederson’s departure to Fenerbahçe, Trafford has managed just three appearances since August and is eager to continue his development elsewhere.

Wolves face mounting concerns between the posts, with current number one Sam Johnstone enduring a difficult spell.

His error against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday proved costly, failing to connect properly with Omari Hutchinson’s cross and allowing the winning goal.

Meanwhile, second-choice Sa is ‘potentially set to leave’ next month, with West Ham monitoring the Portuguese ahead of a potential winter swoop.

Trafford enjoyed an outstanding 2024-25 Championship campaign with Burnley before returning to City, keeping 29 clean sheets in 45 appearances with an impressive 84.6 per cent save percentage.

His promotion-winning pedigree under Scott Parker could prove invaluable as Edwards desperately seeks reinforcements capable of mounting an unlikely survival bid during the second half of the season.

However, they’ll have to contend with competition for Trafford’s services, with Tottenham also believed to be exploring a move for the ‘top talent’.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Civale has requested a trade from the organization after the coaching staff elected to move him to the bullpen.

The 30-year-old Civale, who is in his second year with the organization, has posted a 4.91 ERA in 22 innings this season. He didn't pitch until late May due to a pulled hamstring suffered in spring training.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy was asked on Thursday about Civale's trade request and whether or not it bothered him as the manager.

"I mean, we deal with players being unhappy all the time," Murphy said on Thursday evening. "That's their right to do and Aaron's got a great history. He's performed well for this organization. He's got a right to feel how he wants to feel, but now it's time for him to go behave. He's got to go pitch for us if we ask him to pitch for us, and I think he will. He's that type of guy and I respect him a great deal. I think he'll go pitch for us. It doesn't matter whether he likes the decision or not…we can't be concerned with that. It's his behavior that we've gotta be concerned with and I'm confident he'll behave well."

Murphy went on to call Civale a "first-class guy" and said he didn't expect any issues in the locker room in the aftermath of the trade request.

The Brewers are 36-33 on the season and in third place in the NL Central. They host the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Paris Saint-Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani shone against his parent club with two goals and an assist, but his heroics ultimately counted for nothing as Tottenham slumped to a comprehensive 5-3 defeat at the reigning European champions. Spurs went ahead twice in the game. but were undone by some dismal defending as PSG scored five times and took home all three Champions League points.

Tottenham took a shock lead on 35 minutes with a well-worked goal. Archie Gray did well to get down the left flank and dig out a cross for Kolo Muani, who rose well to power a head back across goal and give Richarlison the simple task of nodding into an empty net.

The goal looked to have stunned the visitors, but they were back on level terms before the break. A corner in from the left was only cleared as far as Vitinha on the edge of the box, and the Portugal midfielder was not closed down quickly enough and smashed home a ferocious strike that flew past Guglielmo Vicario and in off the underside of the bar.

The two sides traded goals again at the start of the second half. Kolo Muani volleyed home from inside the penalty area after PSG failed to clear a corner, before Vitinha grabbed his second of the match three minutes later with a curling effort that beat Vicario. 

PSG then took control of the game, although they were given a helping hand by Spurs. Cristian Romero's ball to Pape Matar Sarr saw the midfielder gift possession away in a dangerous area, allowing Fabian Ruiz to sweep home and put the visitors in front for the first time. More disastrous defending allowed Willian Pacho to make it 4-2 from a corner, before Kolo Muani grabbed his second of the night after a rare poor moment from Vitinha.

However, the Portuguese had the last laugh by walking off with the match ball. Romero conceded a penalty for handball as he tried to block a shot, allowing Vitinha the simple task of completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot. PSG were reduced to 10 men in added time when Lucas Hernandez elbowed Xavi Simons in the face, but it was too late for Spurs to capitalise on this advantage.

GOAL rates Tottenham's players from Parc des Princes…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Guglielmo Vicario (6/10):

Conceded five goals but couldn't do anything about Vitinha's first two strikes and was let down by his team-mates for the other three

Pedro Porro(6/10):

Put some great deliveries into the box going forwards and kept Barcola fairly quiet but, like the rest of the Spurs defence, was guilty of some poor moments after the break.

Cristian Romero (4/10):

Sloppy second half from the captain. Put Sarr in trouble for the third goal that saw PSG finally take the lead and gave away the penalty for the fifth.

Micky van de Ven(6/10):

The pick of the bunch when it comes to Tottenham's defence, but that's not saying much.

Djed Spence (5/10):

Came up against Kvaratskhelia and did a good job in the first half, though did have a few lazy moments after the break.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Rodrigo Bentancur (6/10):

Should have blocked Vitinha's shot for PSG's second goal but seemed to move out of the away and could only watch in dismay as it flew past Vicario. Made amends somewhat by robbing Vitinha and finding Kolo Muani for Spurs' third.

Archie Gray (7/10):

Put in a strong display and covered so much ground. Played a key role in two of Tottenham's goals and showed why he should be playing more.

Lucas Bergvall (7/10):

Back in the team and made a real difference. His flair and quality on the ball has been badly missed and he was excellent, particularly in the first half.

Pape Matar Sarr (4/10):

Disastrous second half from the midfielder. Caught in possession just outside the box for PSG's third goal and failed to clear the ball as the hosts made it 4-2.

AFPAttack

Richarlison (7/10):

Nodded home an easy finish from two yards for his third goal in three games. Also played a big part in the second goal, heading the corner back across goal and causing panic in the PSG defence.

Randal Kolo Muani (8/10):

Showed up against his parent club with two goals and assist. Teed up Richarlison with a great jump and header and then reacted quickly to fire home the second. Made Vitinha pay for a poor moment with Tottenham's third of the night.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Joao Palhinha  (6/10):

Brought on to freshen the team up but the game was already gone.

Mohammed Kudus (6/10):

Also arrived too late to make an impact.

Destiny Udogie (N/A):

A late sub who contributed little.

Xavi Simons (N/A):

A few lively moments after arriving late in the day. Also took a painful-looking elbow to the face that saw Hernandez sent off in stoppage time.

Wilson Odobert (N/A):

Didn't see much of the game as a late sub.

Thomas Frank (6/10):

Made five changes to his team from the dismal derby defeat to Arsenal and saw his team give it a good go. Twice Spurs went in front, but they were left down by some really poor defending which will be a major source of frustration for the boss. 

Four-wicket hauls from Murphy and Sangha in vain for Australia A

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2025Prabhsimran Singh’s 68-ball 102 was backed up by half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag as India A chased down 317 to clinch the three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A 2-1 in Kanpur.India A were placed comfortably on 262 for 3 in the 35th over during their chase, but they lost five for 39 to lose grip. Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh then took them over the line, adding an unbroken 21 for the ninth wicket and helping India A win the decider by two wickets.Prabhsimran had set the tone for the victory by adding 83 for the first wicket with Abhishek Sharma in just 11.2 overs. Abhishek and Tilak Varma fell in quick succession but Prabhsimran continued to bat aggressively. He struck eight fours and seven sixes before falling to legspinner Tanveer Sangha in the 20th over.Iyer and Parag launched from the platform Prabhsimran had set, adding 117 off 92 balls for the fourth wicket. While Iyer hit 62 off 58 balls, his second fifty-plus score in three one-dayers ahead of the Australia tour, Parag smashed 62 off 55.However, Sangha dismissed both batters in successive overs, bringing Australia A back into the game. Sangha proceeded to remove allrounder Nishant Sindhu before Todd Murphy struck twice in two balls, sending back Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana in the 42nd over. Nigam (24*) and Arshdeep (7*), though, ensured that India A closed out the chase with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Arshdeep and Rana had Australia A in trouble, reducing them to 44 for 4. While Arshdeep removed openers Mackenzie Harvey and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rana dismissed Harry Dixon and Lachlan Hearne. Cooper Connolly’s 49-ball 64 then resurrected Australia A’s innings, but the hosts found themselves in trouble again at 135 for 6 in 21 overs.Captain Jack Edwards and Liam Scott then added a 152-run stand off 123 balls for the seventh wicket to take Australia A forward. Some useful runs down the order helped Australia cross 300 before they were bowled out for 316 in 49.1 overs. Arshdeep and Harshit picked up three wickets apiece for India A.

Southampton have found their feet again in the Championship and could now be drawing closer to securing a permanent replacement for Will Still.

Southampton look to enter hunt for promotion

Despite a rocky start to the campaign that saw Still relieved of his duties on the South Coast, Southampton have since bounced back under Tonda Eckert and have recorded four straight victories in the second-tier, placing them narrowly outside the playoff slots.

Ultimately, the 32-year-old is only in caretaker charge at the moment. Still, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is enjoying working under his tutelage and praised his attention to detail after Saints’ consecutive victories over Charlton Athletic and Leicester City.

He said via BBC Sport: “I think he (Eckert) has given us everything. The meetings are so detailed with what he wants. There is detail in there that you wouldn’t even think about when you’re on the pitch. That’s a big thing about Tonda, he wants to help you. Against Charlton, the goals we scored were walked through the day before.

“We knew there would be space on the break if we sat off a little bit deeper [against Leicester] and that happened. Obviously there are going to be bumps in the road, we know that. It’s not only going to be plain sailing, but it’s down to us to keep the level now.”

Several names have been mentioned in connection with the post, including former boss Russell Martin, who is available after an ill-fated spell with Rangers.

Either way, the search for a new boss is now seemingly coming to an end, and Southampton supporters may soon know the identity of the head coach tasked with leading the club forward at St Mary’s.

Southampton could appoint Tonda Eckert permanently

According to Football Insider, Eckert is in pole position to be appointed as Southampton’s permanent manager following his successful caretaker stint on the South Coast, and there is now a growing clamour from fans to see the 32-year-old remain on a full-time basis.

Now the clear favourite after guiding Saints to four league wins on the trot, the German is the leading candidate to land the role, even if several other managers have been identified as a long-term successor to Still.

Tonda Eckert in charge of Southampton

Will Still in charge of Southampton

Matches: 4

Matches: 16

Wins: 4

Wins: 4

Draws: 0

Draws: 6

Losses: 0

Losses: 6

Momentum is critical when it comes to influencing public opinion, and it appears that may have seeped into Sport Republic’s way of thinking as they look to map out a path to earning promotion after a rocky few months.

Labelled a “really great coach” by Caspar Jander, Eckert clearly retains the backing of his group and appears to have the trust of figures both inside and outside of the club to lead Saints into positive new beginnings following an acrimonious start to the season for all involved.

The 2025 MLB season is just a few days old but its safe to say we saw what will be the strangest walk of the entire year Saturday night in Seattle.

The Athletics' Seth Brown was at the plate when everyone, including the umpire, seemed to forget the count. Usually you're awarded first base after four balls in at at-bat. Brown, however, took five balls before making his way down to first.

Somehow Brown, the ump, the pitcher, the announcers, and everyone else involved in this game just let it happen as everyone missed that the count had been screwed up.

This was just wild to see at the MLB level:

Fans were rightfully very confused by this: