Nottingham Forest chief Evangelos Marinakis is set for crunch talks with under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou over the tactician’s long-term future, coming after a dismal start to life for Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement at the City Ground.

Ange Postecoglou's job under threat after 2-0 Newcastle defeat

Reports in the build up to their 2-0 loss to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park claimed that Postecoglou’s job could be under threat if Forest tasted defeat up north, and this could now be realised.

Second-half goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade slapped Postecoglou with his fifth loss from seven games in charge, and the Australian remains winless after making the worst start of any Forest manager for 100 years.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

The pressure is well and truly on Forest’s new manager after stepping into the shoes of fan favourite Nuno, who guided the Tricky Trees back to Europe for the first time since 1995 last season.

Since Nuno’s departure, Forest have been on a downward trajectory, with Postecoglou confirming that he’s set for crunch Marinakis talks over the international break.

It is believed that Marinakis already has potential replacements in mind for Postecoglou, who could become the shortest-reigning manager in Premier League history if Forest decide to take action immediately after Newcastle.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is emerging as a “prime candidate” to succeed the 60-year-old, according to TEAMtalk, but it is very debatable whether the Austrian would leave Selhurst Park midway through 2025/2026 for what appears to be a volatile project.

Glasner is out of contract at the end of this season, as is Fulham’s Marco Silva, and The Mail’s Tom Collomosse also reports that the latter is a long-term target for Forest.

However, any approach for Silva is apparently unlikely to happen before the conclusion of 2025/2026.

Marinakis pictured close to Benitez amid Nottingham Forest manager search

That being said, another coach who’s readily available now and wants a return to England is former Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton boss Rafael Benitez.

As reported by Collomosse, Marinakis was spotted in “close proximity” to Benitez during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over OIympiacos last week, and while the Spaniard was there in his role as a technical observer for UEFA, he’s apparently keen on coming back to Britain for work.

Clubs

Tenure

Matches in charge

Titles/achievements

Real Valladolid

1995-96

25

Osasuna

1996

9

Extremadura

1997-99

92

Segunda promotion

Tenerife

2000-01

46

Segunda promotion

Valencia

2001-04

162

La Liga X2

UEFA Cup

Liverpool

2004-12

350

Champions League

FA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

Internazionale

2010

25

FIFA Club World Cup

Supercoppa Italiana

Chelsea

2012-13

48

Europa League

Napoli

2013-15

112

Coppa Italia

Supercoppa Italiana

Real Madrid

2015-16

25

Newcastle United

2016-19

146

EFL Championship

Dalian Professional

2019-21

38

Everton

2021-22

22

Celta de Vigo

2023-24

33

Benitez also has good relations with the Marinakis family, so this could be one to watch, even if the Champions League-winning boss hasn’t worked in management since leaving Celta Vigo in 2024.

His last job in the Premier League was also his disastrous spell at Everton, though you can make a case that it was always doomed to fail given Benitez’s ties to Liverpool.

Benitez, after a glittering career at some of Europe’s top clubs, is regarded as a “world-class manager” by his peers, but he’d be taking on an almighty task to steer Forest back up the table amid the toxicity right now.

Heading into their showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford at the weekend, Sunderland might well be judged as the favourites to pick up another early Premier League win over their hosts, despite the stature of their opponents.

Whilst it has been well documented in recent years, the drastic slide at the Theatre of Dreams, the Black Cats will still feel amazed that they’re four points ahead of Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils when making the trip down to Manchester, with just one defeat from their opening five league clashes lifting them all the way up to fifth in the early standings.

Regis Le Bris has managed to turn the one-time promotion nearly-men into a well-oiled unit in the daunting top-flight, with the defence – in particular – gaining many a plaudit, even so soon into the 38-game marathon.

Sunderland's incredible defence

Glancing at the Premier League table briefly, only two teams in the entire rest of the division have a sterner defensive record than Le Bris’ men, with Arsenal and Manchester City only leaking three goals so far this season.

Despite their newly promoted status having the potential to work against them, the Wearsiders have only given up four goals themselves, with both Omar Alderete and Robin Roefs sticking out as two standout aspects of this water-tight defence.

Alderete’s tough approach to proceedings – which has seen him average a commanding 4.3 duels won per league clash away from powering home this header against Nottingham Forest – has already resulted in Sunderland-based journalist Andy Tomlinson heralding him as an “unbelievable” signing, with the Paraguayan making his transition to the testing English game look effortless so far.

He has undoubtedly been backed by Roefs, constantly putting in game-changing displays, with the Dutchman coming up trumps with six huge saves last time out to deny Forest a goal in a 1-0 away win.

Slight rumours are swirling in the air that Mukiele, who is yet another sterling defensive signing, could be ruled out of the Black Cats’ upcoming trip to Old Trafford, with injury concerns being spoken of.

Yet, even if this gossip is proved to be true, Le Bris will know he does have some substantial depth to call upon, in the form of another particularly valuable defensive titan…

The "stunning" star worth more than Alderete & Roefs

With Luke O’Nien returning back to the squad at the City Ground after injury, it does feel as if Sunderland have strong reinforcements all across their backline, in case the newly formed unit does have to be unfortunately broken up.

Daniel Ballard also coming back into the first team fold only heightens the depth at Le Bris’ disposal, with the Northern Ireland international not looking out of place whatsoever this season when thrown into Premier League action as one of the more long-standing servants at the Stadium of Light.

Before Alderete and Roefs could properly settle into their new environment, Ballard was already leaving his mark on the intense division with this bullet header finding the back of the net on the opening day.

Amazingly, this commanding effort was the 26-year-old’s seventh goal for the club, with the ex-Arsenal man pulling on Sunderland red and white now a colossal 93 times, having been hailed as “stunning” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Purchased for just £2m back in 2022 as Sunderland regularly settled for mediocrity in the Championship, it’s staggering to see the journey the authoritative number five has gone on with the club, with his value now far exceeding his modest initial price tag.

Games played

93

Games missed with injury

71

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Promotions

1x

Value when signed

£2m

Value now

£9.4m

Even with the centre-back’s injury setbacks seeing him miss a whopping 71 games over his four seasons to date on Wearside, Ballard’s value – as per Football Transfers – currently sits at a healthy £9.4m.

To further add to the intrigue, both Alderete and Roefs, despite taking to English shores like a knife through butter, have worths that come in slightly under Ballard’s bumped-up valuation, with the South American just shy of his defensive counterpart at £9.3m, while Roefs sits at £6.6m as a shrewd pick-up.

Therefore, while all the new defensive purchases continue to steal the limelight, Le Bris will have full faith in Ballard remaining resolute at the back throughout the challenging season to come when thrown into action.

Not Isidor: Sunderland "monster" is becoming the club's modern day Phillips

Regis Le Bris could now have his very own Kevin Phillips at Sunderland in this monster.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 30, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Bahia anunciou nesta semana a saída do meio-campista Hiago. O atleta de 21 anos tinha contrato com o clube até o final de 2025, mas houve acordo amigável para a recisão. O jogador estava no clube há quatro anos e inclusive chegou a ser capitão do time em diversas oportunidades.

>Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

No ponto de vista de Hiago, um dos pontos que acabaram pesando para que ele ficasse mais inclinado a deixar o Esquadrão foi o desejo de receber mais chances de atuar:

– Todo jogador quer estar jogando. É o que amamos e sabemos fazer. Infelizmente, não estava tendo as oportunidades que desejava no Bahia e, por isso, abri mão do restante do contrato para buscar novos ares. O que eu quero, agora, é desenvolver minha carreira profissional junto com minhas habilidades. Mas sou muito grato ao clube por tudo o que ele me proporcionou durante esses quatro anos. Foi um tempo em que amadureci muito como jogador e aprendi a ser resiliente. Além de ter tido grandes experiências que acrescentaram tanto na minha vida pessoal quanto profissional.

Contratado junto ao Palmeiras, em 2019, o atleta somou 80 jogos pela equipe sub-20 desde que fez sua estreia, marcando seis gols e anotando duas assistências.

O jogador foi titular em diversas competições como a Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior bem como o Campeonato Brasileiro e a Copa do Brasil Sub-20 além de ter ajudado o time na conquista de dois títulos estaduais da categoria. Em 2022, Hiago chegou a ser integrado ao time profissional, treinando todos os dias com a equipe principal.

– Ainda não tenho um destino certo, mas já vieram algumas sondagens de outros clubes. Junto com meu empresário, estamos decidindo o que é o melhor para a sequência da minha carreira. Busco minha consolidação no futebol profissional para cada vez mais alcançar objetivos maiores – finalizou.

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Former Brazil manager Emerson Leao has launched a fierce attack on Neymar, calling him “not an example to anyone” and claiming the forward is “past his prime”. Leao criticised the 33-year-old's lifestyle, fitness and declining form, reigniting debate over the Santos star’s place in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup plans.

• Neymar’s legacy questioned after harsh criticism

  Former Brazil coach and 1970 World Cup winner Emerson Leao openly criticised Neymar’s attitude, fitness and leadership. In an interview with , Leao branded the Santos forward “not an example for anyone” and insisted he is no longer the player he once was. His comments have reignited long-standing debates about Neymar’s professionalism and commitment to the national team.

  The former goalkeeper explained that his criticism was not just about Neymar’s football, but also his behaviour off the pitch. He claimed that the 33-year-old “hasn’t looked after himself” and no longer influences games the way he used to. Leao also rejected the idea that Neymar can still be the solution for Brazil, adding that he does not believe the forward will make an impact at the 2026 World Cup.

  Leao went further, saying the biggest issue was not Neymar’s skill, but his physical decline. According to him, the Brazilian thinks faster than his body can now respond: "In his head, when he's about to start a play, he knows what he's going to do, but he can't do it anymore. He can't do it anymore. He no longer has the same muscular reaction. The training sequence is gone. He's not the same athlete. It's no use.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'He's not the same athlete' – Emerson Leao

  Before delivering his harshest comments, the former goalkeeper explained he always believed Neymar had the potential to become a national hero. He recalled advising the forward early in his career to take care of himself because Brazil would need him. However, he claims Neymar ignored that advice and is now paying the price physically and mentally.

  "I have few words for Neymar," he said. "I think one thing depends on the other: the man outside and the man inside. And so, he doesn't serve as an example for anyone."

  He added: "He hasn't stopped playing football. It's just that he's being asked to perform the same kind of sprints he used to have and no longer has because he's unprepared. So what happens? Injuries and problems happen.

  "He started out as a wonderful player. I remember one day when I played against Santos, he was leaving, and I walked past him and said: 'Look, kid, we're going to need you at the World Cup. Take care of yourself.' That's the only thing he doesn't do."

  Leao admitted his criticism comes with disappointment rather than anger, saying Brazil “missed a great opportunity” to build around Neymar. Despite that, he doesn’t believe the forward should face hatred but insists fans must accept the reality that he is no longer the same player who dazzled in Europe.

• Can Neymar return to Brazil's plans?

  The ex-Barcelona and PSG star's future with the national team remains uncertain. He has not played for Brazil since October 2023 against Uruguay in World Cup qualifying. Although he has returned to Santos, injuries have limited him to just 21 appearances this season, with six goals and three assists. His latest setback, a rectus femoris muscle injury has sidelined him since September.

  Despite Leao’s criticism, current Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has not ruled Neymar out completely. The Italian believes that “when he’s fit”, the forward can still play at the highest level for both club and country. However, he also made it clear that Neymar must first prove his fitness and consistency with Santos before being considered again.

  Neymar’s contract with Santos expires in December 2025, and he is expected to become a free agent after that. His agent, Pini Zahavi, maintains strong ties with clubs like Napoli and Inter, keeping the door open for a potential return to Europe. But any move and a possible return to the national team depends entirely on his ability to stay fit.

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• Getty Images
  

  What next for Neymar?

  The 33-year-old's immediate goal is returning from injury, with expectations that he could be back by November. With his Santos contract entering its final year, he faces a crucial period that could decide his long-term future in football. A strong finish to the season would strengthen his chances of securing a European move and earning back his spot in the Brazil squad.

  Missing out on international football for two years has clearly affected Neymar’s legacy, especially for a player once considered the heir to Pele. As Brazil prepare for the 2026 World Cup across the USA, Mexico and Canada, competition for attacking roles is fierce. Young stars like Endrick, Rodrygo and Gabriel Martinelli are all pushing for permanent roles in the squad.

  Still, Neymar remains motivated by one final chance to shine on the world stage. If he can regain fitness and form, Ancelotti may yet give him an opportunity. But with critics like Leao saying his time is up, Neymar must now prove to fans, coaches and himself that he can still make a difference.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim now personally holds a strong interest in signing an “unbelievable” star, who is open to a move to the Premier League.

Amorim looking to improve squad amid mounting pressure

Amorim was given the benefit of the doubt after a poor first season at Old Trafford, perhaps in light of the fact the manager was working with a squad that wasn’t really his own, having replaced Erik ten Hag in November.

However, the 40-year-old is running out of excuses after spending big in the summer transfer window, with Owen Hargreaves bemoaning the fact that a lot of problems still remain.

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Hargreaves said: “Where do you want to start? There are a lot of issues. How Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t play in this team I’ll never know. He came on for that game and in half hour he was probably their best player, by a country mile. So first of all he’s got to play.

“Sesko is not ready. He scored a lot of goals in Germany but he didn’t look ready today. You look at Haaland, the way he ran about and pressed, he just wasn’t active enough, I know he didn’t get much service but he’s got to be more active.”

Sesko is yet to get off the mark in a Man United shirt, which raises concerns over the signing of the 22-year-old, while it is also very strange that Mainoo isn’t receiving much game time, given that he is a more natural central midfielder than Bruno Fernandes.

The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this season, but rather than reintroducing the youngster to the side, it now appears as though the United boss is looking to strengthen his midfield.

According to The Daily Briefing (via Football365), Amorim is a fan of Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, and holds a strong interest in signing the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man, who could be available for as little as €20m (£17m).

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also named as potential suitors for the central midfielder, who is said to be willing to return to the Premier League.

"Unbelievable" Neves could excel at Old Trafford

Man United have made a point of signing proven Premier League players in recent times, having signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, and the Al-Hilal maestro fits the bill in that regard, having impressed during his time with Wolves.

The 60-time Portugal international has also caught the eye at Al-Hilal over the past year, particularly impressing with his passing and tackling, while also finding the back of the net on a regular basis.

Statistic	Average per 90
Non-penalty goals	0.19 (91st percentile)
Tackles	3.21 (94th percentile)
Passes attempted	74.89 (93rd percentile)
Pass completion %	91.8% (97th percentile)

At 28-years-old, Neves may still have a lot left to give in the Premier League, and at just £17m, he could be a bargain addition to Amorim’s squad.

The series win over Bangladesh is Pakistan’s first at home in three years

Mohammad Isam30-May-2025

Sahibzada Farhan’s 74 helped Pakistan get to 201•Associated Press

Pakistan won their first T20I series at home after three years when they beat Bangladesh by 57 runs in the second game in Lahore. Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz struck fifties to set up Pakistan’s 201 for 6, before Abrar Ahmed’s three wickets sparked a collapse that saw Bangladesh go from 44 for 0 to 56 for 5 in three overs.Tanzim Hasan Sakib, in at No. 9, struck his maiden T20I fifty to finish as the innings’ top scorer for the visitors. He became the first batter to score a half-century from No. 9 or lower in T20Is for a Full Member nation. Tanzim’s 50 came off 31 balls, with five sixes, after he came to bat with the side reeling on 77 for 7 in the tenth over.It was Pakistan’s batting that was more entertaining, with Farhan hitting a superb 74 off 41 balls, that included six sixes. He added 103 runs for the second wicket with Mohammad Haris who made a 25-ball 41, before Nawaz struck the ball cleanly for his unbeaten 51.Farhan rides on PSL waveFarhan had a bit of luck in the first over when Tanzid Hasan couldn’t latch on to his top edge running back from cover. He would enjoy another piece of luck after he completed his first T20I fifty, but it was a memorable knock from the opener who had just top-scored with 449 runs at a strike rate of 152.20 in the PSL.Litton Das was part of a spectacular collapse•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan also got some luck when left-arm quick Shoriful Islam left the field after bowling three balls with a groin injury. Farhan launched Mehidy Hasan Miraz for two successive sixes in the third over, before slamming Hasan Mahmud for two fours and a six in the following over. Another six came off Tanzim, before Haris struck Mahmud for three fours in a row in the sixth over. Their 67 runs in the powerplay equaled Pakistan’s highest in the powerplay against Bangladesh, from a game in Nairobi in 2007.Farhan struck two more sixes off Rishad, before Tanzim broke the 103-run second wicket stand. He removed Haris (41 off 25 balls) with a slower legcutter that he struck straight to point. Farhan was caught behind in the next over, when he under-edged Rishad, who was otherwise quite expensive.Bangladesh slow the tideBangladesh were in danger of conceding a big 200-plus score, especially seeing how Pakistan captain Salman Agha and Hasan kept finding the big hits after the two set batters fell in quick succession. Salman timed Rishad for two fours, before Nawaz managed to toe-end a six off Mehidy. He slammed Rishad for a four and six in the 14th over, but they relatively slowed down in the last five overs.Pakistan got only two fours and a six in this period. Mahmud yorked Salman who was trying to play a ramp shot, before Shadab fell trying to clear long-on. Nawaz got to his half-century in the last over, but Tanzim finished well with the wicket of Faheem Ashraf.Abrar Ahmed picked three quick wickets•Associated Press

Pakistan stave off quick startTanzid got Bangladesh off to a flyer with 17 runs from the first over of their 202-run chase. He struck Salman for two fours, before slamming him for a six over extra cover to end the over. Tanzid kept up the pressure against Hasan Ali who went for 15 in the second over, before striking Ashraf through point for another boundary.Haris Rauf struck back in his first over, removing Parvez Hossain Emon for 8. Hasan took a good catch tracking back from mid-on, as Parvez skied the ball quite high over his head. Ashraf then removed Tanzid with a half-tracker, which the left-hander just swung into short fine leg Abrar’s lap in the fifth over.The onus was on captain Litton Das to build on the rapid start but he first lost his cool at his batting partner Towhid Hridoy for refusing a single. Next ball, he toe-ended a pull straight to mid-on. Bangladesh had given away a good start, and it was about to get much worse.Abrar rips through middle-orderAbrar was struck for two sixes in his first over in the first T20I, but this was a different story. He spun one through Hridoy’s to trap him lbw for 5. Hridoy had a word with the umpire, but replays showed it was quite adjacent to the stumps. Abrar got another lbw decision next ball, a much easier one for the umpire, when Jaker Ali failed to read his googly. It was a rare failure for Jaker, who is Bangladesh’s form batter in the middle order.Shamim Hossain staved off the hat-trick ball but struck one down Saim Ayub’s throat at deep midwicket in Abrar’s next over. Rishad was gone next over, caught behind chasing a wide one from Shadab. From there, it was just about damage control for Bangladesh.

Manchester United are looking to kick on under Ruben Amorim after the win against Sunderland and could now look to beat Manchester City to a statement signing in the January window.

Manchester United look to elevate themselves in Premier League

Undoubtedly, the Red Devils have taken time to get going this season, and their start hasn’t been plain sailing as they integrate new signings and try to find their best starting line-up.

Nevertheless, a victory over Sunderland has restored morale at Old Trafford and has relieved some pressure on Amorim’s situation at the club, which will give supporters some cause for optimism as Manchester United head for the international break.

Oliver Glasner has been linked to the Red Devils’ hotseat, and there will be other names mentioned if results begin to take another dip, but Amorim appears safe for now and will hope his side can kick on over the coming weeks.

With international breaks splitting the season into mini-blocks, the January transfer window isn’t actually too far down the line and rumours are already beginning to circulate regarding who could come in to improve Manchester United’s squad.

Reports suggest that the Red Devils are fighting Manchester City to sign Atletico Madrid full-back Nahuel Molina in a deal that could be worth in the region of £26 million.

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Truthfully, it remains to be seen if spending power is there after a summer window that saw £250 million shelled out at Old Trafford. PSR rules will need to be respected, and January is a notoriously hard month to conclude business.

Still, Manchester United may not be done in their quest to pip Manchester City to signings if recent developments are to evolve.

Man Utd look to pip Man City to sign Aleksandar Pavlovic

According to SportBild’s Tobias Altschäffl, Manchester United have made an approach via intermediaries for Bayern Munich star Aleksandar Pavlovic and he is now firmly on their radar alongside rivals Manchester City, who have been strongly linked with the player for weeks.

He said when asked by Christian Falk about his situation: “Juventus Turin and Paris are not yet so moving. With the English, this is absolutely true. It is known that the Pavlović side was approached via intermediaries. They would like to get Pavlović. At City, he’s even higher on the list.”

Five similar players to Aleksandar Pavlovic (FBRef)

Jordan Ferri

Sampdoria

Benjamin Bouchouari

Trabzonspor

Manu Morlanes

Mallorca

Remo Freuler

Bologna

Valentin Rongier

Rennes

Making his presence felt at the Bundesliga holders, Pavlovic has made seven appearances across all competitions this term, scoring once against Hamburg.

Primarily a holding midfielder, the Germany international could well be a long-term replacement for Casemiro. Still, the Red Devils will need to convince him that their project is worth investing in, amid a run of inconsistent results this term.

Showing ambition hasn’t been a problem so far for INEOS, though this could be their most important capture yet amid strong interest from their rivals.

Heather Knight’s unbeaten half-century steered England to a 17-run victory and a 3-0 sweep of the T20I series against West Indies.Knight arrived at the crease with England 21 for 2 batting first for the first time in the series after being sent in by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews.She batted with superb placement and timing to reach an unbeaten 66 off 47 balls with seven fours and a six, but she pulled up with a tight right hamstring late in her innings was replaced in the field by substitute Tammy Beaumont.Nat Sciver-Brunt, Knight’s successor as captain, was England’s next best with 37 in the first test of their batting all series, having chased down 147 and 82 in the first two games for the loss of just two wickets and one respectively.Matthews led the way for her side with the ball and latterly the bat, just as she had done in the first match, scoring a century in a losing cause at Canterbury. Her three wickets for 32 in four overs helps contain England while Jahzara Claxton, on debut, was also excellent with 1 for 15 from her four overs.Matthews’ 71 off 54 balls kept her side in pursuit of 145 in a match briefly interrupted by rain but, as has been a theme of the tour, no one from her side could match her.Lauren Bell struck with the first ball of the innings•ECB via Getty Images

England’s opening stumbleDanni Wyatt-Hodge was bowled off the first ball of the innings for the second match in a row and third consecutive time by Zaida James. It took her tally for the series to just 17 at 8.50 and compounds a disappointing start to the international season after being dropped for the ODI leg of West Indies’ visit which follows from Friday in Derby.In contrast, Sophia Dunkley had entered the match with an unbeaten scores of 81 and 24 to her name, but Matthews made it two-down for England when Dunkley’s attempted cut resulted in an edge behind and the hosts ended the powerplay on 24 for 2, their lowest for the series by a long shot.Knight’s knock comes at a costSciver-Brunt and Knight settled into a rhythm, Knight’s superb reverse-sweep off Matthews racing away for four followed by two more boundaries from Sciver-Brunt, who advanced down the pitch to despatch Afy Fletcher over mid-off and three balls later timed one perfectly through the leg side.Sciver-Brunt survived on 36 when she skied a Matthews delivery over the covers but a back-pedalling Fletcher couldn’t hold on. Knight slog-swept the next ball for six and, when Sciver-Brunt holed out two balls later, it fell to her predecessor to marshal the innings.She did so beautifully as Amy Jones, required to bat for the first time all series at No.5, chimed in with four fours on her way to a 17-ball 22 although she couldn’t convert her start, flummoxed by the flight of a Matthews delivery which clattered into her stumps.Alice Capsey fell cheaply in her only chance of West Indies’ visit, having been overlooked for the ODIs, giving Claxton her maiden international wicket when she chipped straight to Realeanna Grimmond at deep extra cover.Knight brought up her eighth T20I fifty with a reverse-paddle for four off Ashmini Munisar and a wristy shot over short third off Aaliyah Alleyne also flew to the boundary. At that point Knight was in obvious pain, down on her haunches taking deep breaths between facing and clearly hobbling between the wickets. But she punched through it to face the final ball of the innings, going inside-out over the covers to find the boundary once more.WI trip up earlyLike Wyatt-Hodge, Qiana Joseph fell early to the same bowler for the third consecutive time when she was bowled first ball by a Lauren Bell inswinger.A four and a six in two balls off Charlie Dean suggested Matthews was in similar mood to last Wednesday when her unbeaten 100 off 67 balls came in a losing cause. Amid the constant threat of rain, she kept her side in touch while Dean saw three chances go begging off her bowling in the 11th over.In echoes of the infamous T20 World Cup meeting between these sides, Sciver-Brunt put down a straightforward chance off Grimmond – on 12 at the time – at midwicket, Dean couldn’t hold a return catch and Jones failed to gather a faint outside edge behind the stumps.Hayley Matthews notched a 41-ball fifty•PA Photos/Getty Images

Matthews leads once moreWest Indies and England fans alike gasped when Matthews flicked an Em Arlott delivery off her pads towards deep midwicket, where Wyatt-Hodge did well to parry the ball back inside the rope to save a boundary, but Matthews ran two to raise her half-century.Matthews followed that immediately with a one-bounce four over mid-on and she struck back-to-back boundaries off Sarah Glenn so that she was on 66 by the time the rain finally set in to force the players from the field for about 25 minuntes.Linsey Smith claimed two wickets in as many deliveries during the first complete over after the resumption: Shabika Gajnabi bowled for a run-a-ball 14 and Claxton held at midwicket by Sciver-Brunt. Alleyne survived the hat-trick ball but the momentum had swun firmly in England’s favour with West Indies needing 32 runs off the last three overs. When Matthews launched the next ball down Arlott’s throat at long-on to give Bell her second wicket, it was all over, Bell closing with an economical 2 for 11 from four overs.

Sanjay Bangar is hoping Vaibhav Suryavanshi can handle “all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him” after his smashing debut in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20253:08

Chopra: Suryavanshi has already shown maturity

Rajasthan Royals’ campaign never really took off in IPL 2025, where they won just four out of 14 games and finished second last on the table. But one of the brightest sparks of this season – across teams – came from the RR camp: Vaibhav Suryavanshi.On Tuesday, Suryavanshi signed off with 57 off 33 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In the seven matches he played this season, 14-year-old Suryavanshi accumulated 252 runs at an impressive strike rate of 206.55. This included his hundred off just 35 balls in his third IPL game.”Initially when you saw him – and I’ve seen a lot of his clips and the clips that you end up seeing before the guy actually plays the IPL – [the videos] were all of him hitting sixes, just standing and just delivering, fast bowlers, spinners alike,” Aakash Chopra said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “And then you start thinking maybe he’s a bit of a slogger, who just sees the ball and hits the ball and he’s got no other gear. He has scored a lot of runs, but again, let’s say it’s [age] group cricket and all of that.Related

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“And then he scored that century, takes centre stage and in that century also, he was just hitting. But now when you see him waiting patiently at the non-striker’s end and that’s exactly what happened today. When Yashasvi Jaiswal was hitting every ball for a four, he was patiently at the other end. He was, okay, 37-run partnership where he contributed only one. And then he waited and then he batted and he’s happy to now rotate strike as well.”Even in the previous game, when Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh were bowling to him, he had a clear-cut plan that ‘if the ball is slightly short, I’m going to play it safely; but if it comes into my range, then it does not matter whether your name is Marco Jansen or Arshdeep Singh, you’re getting deposited into the stands’. So, there is some amount of maturity already for us.”

“The real challenge for him would be to deal with matters, non-cricketing matters. At this stage, how can he stay away from all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him. So, that is a major challenge”Sanjay Bangar

Now that Suryavanshi is done with RR for the IPL season, Sanjay Bangar wants him to focus fully on the cricket and not the external hype.”The real challenge for him would be to deal with matters, non-cricketing matters,” Bangar said. “At this stage, how can he stay away from all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him. So, that is a major challenge.”Apart from that, can he maintain the same sort of game plan? Because this is something which is god-gifted. Or maybe he’s worked very hard but there is apparent talent there. And he has to stay true to it. Because there will be whispers that, ‘okay, bat a little bit differently, understand the game, understand the situations’. But all those things will come with time. And I think if he continues in this fashion, you have a guy who can dominate both space and spin.”And what I loved about this particular innings is that we saw a lot of off-side shots as well. We saw a couple of shots over covers. We saw some off-side cover drives, copybook style. So, it means that it’s not just on-sided here, which came to the fore when they played against GT [Gujarat Titans]. But here you had a greater range of shots. And I think he has to stay true to his game and stick to the game that works well.”

أدلى آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول الإنجليزي بتصريحات أعقبت هزيمة فريقه أمام كريستال بالاس، في كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية ليلة الأربعاء.

وتعرض ليفربول للهزيمة بثلاثية نظيفة أمام كريستال بالاس، ليودع بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية “كأس كاراباو” من دور الستة عشر.

ونشر موقع ليفربول الرسمي، تصريحات سلوت عقب اللقاء، والتي أعلن خلالها عودة أحد لاعبيه المصابين بعد غياب، حين سُئل عن أي لاعبين محتملين للعودة أمام أستون فيلا في مباراة السبت المقبل.

وقال سلوت: “أعتقد أن ريان جرافينبرخ لديه فرصة جيدة، اللاعبون الآخرون سيشاركون، دعونا ننتظر ونرى غدًا والجمعة”.

وأضاف: “لا أعرف وضعهم جميعًا، لكنني أعتقد أن ريان لديه أفضل فرصة من بينهم جميعًا”.

ويغيب لاعب خط الوسط جرافينبرخ عن الملاعب منذ إصابته بالتواء في الكاحل خلال مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد في 19 أكتوبر.

وسيلاقي ليفربول نظيره أستون فيلا السبت المقبل، ضمن مباريات الجولة العاشرة لبطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز السابع في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 نقطة، ويأتي أستون فيلا في المركز الثامن بـ 15 نقطة أيضًا، فيما يتصدر آرسنال الترتيب بـ22 نقطة.