وجه إبراهيما كوناتي، لاعب فريق ليفربول، رسالة قوية إلى جماهير النادي الإنجليزي قبل مباراة يوم الأحد المقبل ضد نظيره فريق وست هام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستضيف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ووست هام، في الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هامان: صفقة ليفربول قد ترحل في يناير.. لا يبدو سعيدًا ولديه مهلة قصيرة

ويعاني ليفربول من فترة سيئة للغاية في مختلف المسابقات، بعدما تعرض للهزيمة في 9 من أصل آخر 12 مباراة، مما يمثل أمرًا كارثيًا لكتيبة آرني سلوت.

وكتب كوناتي عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع “إنستجرام”: “علينا أن نتقبل هذه اللحظة بصدر رحب، النقد جزء لا يتجزأ من كرة القدم، وسنقاوم في كل مرة ونتجاوز هذه المحنة”.

وأضاف: “جماهيرنا هي الأهم في هذه اللحظات، من يقفون بجانبنا في السراء والضراء، من يغنون لنا حتى في أصعب اللحظات! صوتكم ودعمكم يعنيان لنا كل شيء، نعلم أننا بحاجة إلى التحسن، وسنواصل النضال من أجلكم، دائمًا”.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is on a tear like none other. It's almost weird to watch a Mariners game where he doesn't hit a home run.

Although he didn't go yard until late in Seattle's 12–3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park Friday evening, he ended the night with two home runs for 38 total thus far on the season. And we haven't even hit the All-Star break yet.

The first came in the top of the eighth on a fly ball to left field that looked fairly effortless off the bat. It ended up clearing the wall for a solo shot that gave the Mariners an insurance run in a tight game.

Seattle opened the game up in the ninth, highlighted by a no-doubter off Raleigh's bat to deep left. This time, a grand slam became his 38th long ball of the year.

With the two-homer game, Raleigh moved one home run shy of San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds's record 39 home runs before the break, which he set in 2001. Per the Mariners, Raleigh became the first player with 38 or more homers and 80 or more RBIs before the All-Star Game since 1933—the same year the first All-Star Game was played.

Bonds hit 73 homers once his record-setting '01 campaign was all said and done, which remains the record for the most in an MLB season. Raleigh has the rest of the series in Detroit, two more contests, to potentially tie and pass Bonds for the most long balls before an All-Star break.

He's set to participate in the Home Run Derby in Georgia Monday before he starts at catcher for the American League in the All-Star Game.

The international break has provided Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank with a two-week break to prepare for the North London derby clash with Arsenal next weekend in the Premier League.

Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United last time out in the top-flight, thanks to a last-gasp Matthijs de Ligt goal, and they have only won one of their last four matches in all competitions.

This means that the Lilywhites will need to improve their performance if they want to come away with a result against their bitter rivals, and the Premier League’s current leaders.

Whilst the international break has provided the coaching staff with more time to prepare for the match, it has also thrown up a potentially disruptive injury to one of Frank’s key players.

Pape Matar Sarr had to go off in the second half of Senegal’s clash with Brazil, ironically, at The Emirates with an injury, and it remains to be seen how serious a blow that is.

The latest Spurs injury news ahead of the North London derby

It is fair to say that the Lilywhites have had their fair share of injury issues in the 2025/26 campaign, as they currently have 11 players who are either out or about to return from injury, not including Sarr.

James Maddison is the one player who will certainly not be returning to action any time soon, as the England international suffered an ACL injury in pre-season that will keep him out until next year.

James Maddison

Cruciate ligament tear

01/06/2026

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee injury

28/11/2025

Radu Dragusin

Cruciate ligament tear

21/11/2025

Kota Takai

Foot injury

21/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Knee injury

21/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle injury

21/11/2025

Ben Davies

Hamstring injury

21/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf injury

21/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Head injury

21/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Unknown

21/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Head injury

21/11/2025

As you can see in the table above, Tottenham have a host of players who Transfermarkt suggests could return for the North London derby, but that is their prediction and has yet to be confirmed by Frank or the club.

It has been reported, for example, that Randal Kolo Muani could be out for up to eight weeks with his jaw injury, which means that it would be surprising to see him return next weekend.

Senegal boss Pape Thiaw claimed that the injury was not a “big deal”, suggesting that there will be no long-term lay-off, but Spurs must prepare for the possibility that they will not have Sarr available, or at least ready to start, against the Gunners.

The Senegal international has started six of his ten appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and his absence would leave a hole to fill in the middle of the park.

Lucas Bergvall would have been in contention to take Sarr’s place in midfield after returning to the Sweden squad for the international break, but he was excused from international duty after suffering a setback in his return from a concussion.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This suggests that the 19-year-old central midfielder will either be unavailable for selection or lacking in match fitness, having not played since the clash with Chelsea on the first day of the month.

With this in mind, Spurs could ease the blow dealt by this potential injury to Sarr by unleashing experienced campaigner Rodrigo Bentancur alongside Joao Palhinha against Arsenal.

Why Spurs must unleash Rodrigo Bentancur against Arsenal

Playing the Uruguay international alongside the summer signing from Bayern Munich may not be the most popular suggestion, as there have been complaints from some supporters that it is a bit of a negative pairing.

Bentancur ranks within the bottom 38% of midfielders in the top five leagues and European competitions for progressive passes per 90 (4.13) over the past 365 days, whilst Palhinha ranks in the bottom 7% with 2.92 progressive passes per 90, per FBref.

This suggests that the perception that this midfield pairing lacks progression in possession is a fair one, but it is defensive quality that Spurs will need against Arsenal, who are top of the Premier League and have scored 20 goals in 11 matches.

Therefore, playing the £75k-per-week star next to Palhinha could be the way to go next weekend, particularly if Sarr and Bergvall are not 100% ready to start after their respective issues.

The former Juventus midfielder, described as a “mentality monster” by one analyst, came off the bench against Manchester United last time out, but started eight of his first nine appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, which shows how much Frank has relied on him.

Tackles

2.14

Top 43%

Interceptions

1.83

Top 2%

Tackles + interceptions

3.97

Top 14%

Blocks

1.52

Top 16%

Passes blocked

1.02

Top 27%

Clearances

2.64

Top 8%

Aerial duels won

1.92

Top 10%

As you can see in the table above, Bentancur ranks very highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in the top five leagues in Europe and European competitions over the past year.

These statistics illustrate the defensive quality that he can provide in front of the back four alongside Palhinha, which is further evidenced by the club’s return of seven clean sheets in the 16 games that they have been on the pitch at the same time this season, per FBref.

This suggests that Spurs may have their best chance of keeping Arsenal at bay by playing Bentancur and Palhinha at the base of the midfield to protect Cristian Romero and Micky van De Ven next weekend.

Whilst they may not provide the youthful energy that Bergvall and Sarr bring to the team, the experienced midfield pairing could be a solid option to go with if the aforementioned duo are not available or fit enough to start.

Frank must sell £55k-per-week Spurs flop who was looking "like Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur must now look to offload one player who has failed to deliver in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 16, 2025

The Delhi Capitals medium-pacer talks about his most memorable final overs in T20 cricket, the guidance he has received from Ashish Nehra, and more

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi15-Apr-20254:56

‘Preparation is my greatest strength’

Mohit Sharma corrects me and points out he is not 34 but 36 years old. “I will take it as a compliment, though,” he says, chuckling, during our meeting in Chennai earlier this month. Despite his international career falling off the map due to a combination of back injuries and the emergence of younger, fitter, highly skilled fast bowlers, Mohit, who last played for India in 2015, has managed to find a second wind in his IPL career. In 2022, eight years after he topped the IPL wickets table for Chennai Super Kings, he joined Gujarat Titans as a net bowler, and the following season was the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He delivered the eventful last over in the 2023 IPL final, where his former CSK team-mate Ravindra Jadeja denied Mohit and Titans what would have been their second title in a row.The backbone of Mohit’s fast bowling has been his variations, delivered with a grunt. Cutters, slower balls and slow bouncers are the weapons he uses to counter the batting carnage in the second half of T20 innings, where he normally operates. In this interview, he speaks of having only gratitude and no regrets about that 20th over in the 2023 final, and opens up on a career that is now limited to just domestic T20s and the IPL.How’s life at the moment?
My life is in peace right now. It is going good. Pressure is part of the process, and personally, I feel it is important to have pressure. Even if, at times, the pressure can be too much, it always teaches you something.Related

• Versatile GT seek first win against well-rounded DC at home

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• Mohit Sharma: Use of saliva is 100% helping the ball reverse swing

• 'My confidence goes up when Dhoni throws me the ball in tough situations' (2014)

• Almost-forgotten Mohit is back, and he's the same bowler he used to be

When I say “last over”, what comes to your mind?
A lot of things have been associated with the last over for me ( [Ashish Nehra, the head coach] was repeating the same things from sidelines throughout the match: “Pandit [Mohit’s nickname], breathe, relax.” He always says when you are at the top of your bowling mark, you need to be clear about what you are going to do. The ball is in your hand. It doesn’t matter what others come and tell you. You have to execute it, so there shouldn’t be two things in your mind.

“I thought there is no bigger thing than education. I started reading up on biomechanics of fast bowling. Then I started dabbling in a course on sprint mechanics. If you want to pursue coaching, you need to understand what coaching is, because it is totally different to playing”

Before 2023, you had last played a full IPL season in 2018. In 2019 and 2020, you played one match each. In 2022, you went unsold in the auction, but Nehra called you to train with the Titans squad. Is it true that around this point you were thinking of ending your career but that Nehra advised you not to?
A lot happened for me between the end of the 2018 IPL and the start of the 2022 season, including having back surgery. I had a good domestic season [in 2021-22], including the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. My body was responding well post-surgery. When I went unsold, Ashu videos of my bowling. Ashu ). He is like an older brother in my life and has always guided me. If not for that chat, I might have taken a call on my career that year or the following season. After that I thought I will continue playing till my body supports me.I have been lucky that in the second phase of my career, the coaches I have encountered have been like my older brothers more than coaches. They don’t think it is my decision, so I should take it [alone]. They jump in to guide me to the right path. They have experienced more in life. If I have encountered such a situation once or twice in my life, some of these coaches might have been through it 20 times.Mohit chats with his Titans captain Hardik Pandya during the 2023 IPL final against CSK. At the start of the final over, CSK needed 13. Mohit conceded only three from the first four balls, but Ravindra Jadeja hit him for a six and a four off the last two balls•Associated PressLike, the Delhi Capitals coaching staff – Hemang [Badani] bhai, Munna [Munaf Patel] nicknamed me “Maria Sharapova” [the former Grand Slam champion known for her loud grunt]. I’d say: “With the grunt, batsmen will feel the ball will come at 145-150kph even though the ball comes slower, so it is a plus point for me!”What is the fastest you have ever bowled?
After the 2015 World Cup, in the T20 series against South Africa, I clicked 145.4kph once. At that World Cup, Umesh [Yadav], Shami and myself were consistently operating at 140kph.One has to accept things change with age, and in T20 cricket speed is not everything.
Absolutely. You have to accept that. You can’t have an ego. Cricket will not stop for you. You will have to adapt yourself according to the way cricket is evolving.When we spoke back in 2014, you mentioned that you write down your positive and negative feelings on two separate sheets and bin the one with the negative thoughts. Do you still do that?
Yes, I still do that. I tear up the negative ones. Regardless of the result, I have ensured the work ethic that I have had since my Under-19 days does not change. As long as I’m playing I will continue doing things the way I did when I started.”When I am bowling at the death now, my options include bowling a dot ball, but I also have an option to get a wicket every second ball”•Deepak Malik/BCCIDoes doing those things keep you sane?
[stillness, stability] is probably the right word. I get clarity on what I should focus on and what I should not focus on. In current times, our minds get scattered even if nothing much has happened in two balls. So my work ethic has taught me that if I have only three things, then I need to stick to those three rather than thinking that if I get hit for a six off a bouncer with pace then I ) The bowler runs in saying: I will get you out; the batsman says: I will hit you for a six. When there’s nothing to lose, a person learns a lot. If you disregard some of the early matches of this IPL [as of April 3], and three-four matches from the last IPL, the bowlers have started to dominate.If you noticed last evening [in the RCB vs Titans game], how brilliantly [Mohammed] Siraj bowled [against RCB] and Prasidh [Krishna] too. Our bowlers are also learning how to execute the plans more accurately so that [the carnage] that starts from the first ball, we can delay that a bit and at least we [bowlers] get some breathing space.Has the planning changed or have the pitches also become more supportive of bowlers?
It sounds nice hearing such a thing, but with the bounce, you also get hit for sixes! The wicket in [the RCB-Titans] match was good, but it was not like it was seaming or there was extra bounce. It was RCB’s home ground, they provided that wicket. But how GT’s bowling unit executed plans was magical for me. They were bowling in such good areas and the ball was swinging amazingly. If you saw, Siraj was not just swinging the ball, he was also bowling cross-seams and other variations, and his plans were very clear. I am not saying the wicket should not be supportive, but whatever pitches we get, our plans need to be clear.

Julian Nagelsmann revealed that he did not shout at his players after a lacklustre first-half performance against Luxembourg, as the manager claimed that the squad could not have handled being attacked at that point. Germany eventually clinched the tie 2-0 thanks to a brace from Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade as they continued to remain favourites to seal a direct World Cup berth from Group A.

• Germany edged out Luxembourg

  Four-time world champions Germany survived an unsettling evening on Friday as Nick Woltemade's brace proved decisive in a match that will raise far more questions than it answers for Nagelsmann. A 2-0 win over minnows Luxembourg was ultimately enough to keep the Germans on track in their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, but the performance itself was scattered, lethargic and lacked cohesion, particularly in the first half.

  With the three points, Germany head into the final group game as favourites to book their tickets to North America next year. They are currently tied on 12 points with Slovakia, which means that Nagelsmann's side will directly qualify for the flagship competition with a win or a draw.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Nagelsmann reveals half-time team talk

  Nagelsmann was asked how, after such a shaky and goalless first-half, he knew what to say to bring out the best of his players in the second period. 

  Speaking to reporters, the Germany head coach said: "I asked myself the same question at the end of the first half, how I should dribble up there. In the end, I do get the feeling that the team can't handle it when you go at it really hard. Honestly, we all want to be successful together. I've already engaged the players and simply demonstrated some things again, staying focused on the content. I also announced beforehand that I wouldn't raise my voice. We implemented the game better in the second half, focusing on winning through our tactics."

  Nagelsmann added: "Luxembourg caused us a lot of problems, especially in the first 30 minutes. It was more difficult than you sometimes hope for. We're under pressure in the group. In the end, we have to win the games. First and foremost, we need to win games; that's crucial because it builds self-belief. We simply have to win the game on Monday, and then we can discuss everything else."

• Nagelsmann spoke highly of Sane

  Leroy Sane contributed with the assist for Woltemade's opening goal at the start of the second half, before setting up a perfect pass for Ridle Baku, who, in turn, fed the Newcastle star for his second goal. 

  Praising Sane's performance after the match, Germany coach said: "He had two good actions that led to two goals. He had a few moments in the first half. He played a good game, had two decisive actions, and that's what it's all about in the end." 

  Sane, on the other hand, told the media: "I'm happy that I was able to repay Julian's trust to some extent. We had very good talks. Julian knows how I tick. That's normal, that's football, it's part of the game. I can't complain, I can only do my own thing. The World Cup is my big goal."

  Before the game the 38-year-old head coach had issued a warning to the winger as he said: "If we had six or seven players to choose from in that position, then it would be significantly more difficult for him. He knows that there aren't an unlimited number of opportunities to prove himself at the national team level. I told him that openly. Profile-wise, he has everything we need in that position. That's why he has this opportunity now. His scoring rate and performances have improved significantly compared to the beginning, both in the Super Lig and in the Champions League. But he still has steps to take to improve even further – both here and at the club."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Do-or-die game for Germany

  Germany stars need to work on their shortcomings in the next couple of days as there will be no scope for mistakes in their final group game against Slovakia on November 17. It's a must-win game for European giants to book their direct berth in the World Cup next year, although a draw will also suffice. 

Bangladesh took the series 2-0 after rain ended the third T20I with only 18.2 overs played

S Sudarshanan03-Sep-2025Match abandoned Scott Edwards finally won the toss and wanted Netherlands’ bowlers to, for once, bowl without dew around. But rain that fell as early as the fifth over ensured they had to contend with wet conditions anyway. They had bowled second in the first two T20Is of the three-match series and had lost both times.Netherlands fared better on Wednesday and managed to rein Bangladesh in after the first rain stoppage. But rain returned about two hours later to have the final say.Bangladesh posted 164 for 4 in 18.2 overs, in an innings replete with stoppages. Their captain Litton Das got off to a rapid start. There was a lull in the middle, before Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan injected momentum at the death. Netherlands quick Kyle Klein travelled the distance, going for 53 in his four overs, but also picked up three wickets. None of that mattered in the end, and the no-result meant Bangladesh took the series 2-0, Netherlands’ consolation coming from avoiding a clean sweep.

A Litton knock of two moods

With the series already sealed, Bangladesh looked at the opportunity to rotate their players ahead of next week’s Men’s T20 Asia Cup. They rested both their openers, Pervez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan, among the five changes to their XI, and Litton walked out to open. He made his intentions clear with a clinical assault against Daniel Doram’s left-arm spin in the third over. Litton launched a four over mid-off before ending the over with 4, 4, 6 – the second of them coming off an outside edge that evaded the keeper.The first stoppage came during the next over, after Litton deposited Klein over deep midwicket. One of the floodlights at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium had malfunctioned, and play was suspended for 11 minutes. Once play resumed, Litton hit two more fours, one each off Klein and offspinner Aryan Dutt, before rain arrived. He was on 42 off 16 then but couldn’t find his touch when play resumed 37 minutes later. When he was dismissed in the 15th over, he had scored only 31 off his last 30 balls.One of the characteristics of Litton’s 46-ball 73 was how well he held his shape while hitting big shots. Netherlands may have seen a lot less of this had Shariz Ahmad held on to a chance at deep midwicket in the fourth over when Litton was on 37. He was dropped again on 68 by Tim Pringle, but that did not cost Netherlands much.Litton Das scored 42 off his first 16 balls, and only 31 off his last 30•AFP/Getty Images

A glimmer of hope in Netherlands’ bowling

The Shariz drop came in Klein’s second over. It might have given him an inkling of how his evening would turn out. He bowled his heart out but struggled for consistency. Even with a dry ball, he slipped in a beamer in the fourth over of the game. By the end of that over, he had gone for 26 in two, and Bangladesh were 56 for 1.But Netherlands managed to pull things back after the rain break.Dutt and Pringle managed to extract purchase from the surface and kept even a set Litton in check. Towhid Hridoy’s patience ran out after he had scored just nine off his first 13 balls, and he holed out to long-on in an attempt to charge at Pringle. In the first 35 balls after the rain interval, Netherlands gave away just 28 runs and picked up a wicket.Bangladesh found the boundary in just four of the ten overs after their powerplay, and lost three wickets in that period. Then Nurul, playing his first T20I since the T20 World Cup of 2022, and Jaker joined forces to take 22 off the 18th over, bowled by Klein. They added 42 off just 23 balls before heavens opened again.

Unlike some of their rivals, Arsenal have not had too much trouble integrating their summer signings so far this season.

The standout addition has probably been Martin Zubimendi, but despite the criticism he received a few weeks ago, Viktor Gyokeres isn’t too far behind.

After all, before his recent injury, the Swedish international had scored six goals in 14 appearances, which makes him the club’s joint top scorer.

With that said, Arsenal still appear to be looking for someone who could one day replace him, and who better than someone compared to both Erling Haaland and Jean-Philippe Mateta?

Arsenal target Haaland & Mateta hybrid

While Gyokeres is having a decent season with Arsenal so far, he is being outscored by both Haaland and Mateta.

Transfer Focus

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

The former, for example, has already amassed a frankly ridiculous tally of 19 goals and one assist in 15 appearances for Manchester City, while the latter has a tally of eight goals and nine assists in 19 games for Crystal Palace.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why Arsenal would be interested in signing a young striker who has been compared to both international superstars.

According to a recent report from Spain, the young striker in question is Etta Eyong.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are more than just interested in the Levante gem, and have now decided to activate the youngster’s £40m release clause.

The story claims that, should everything go as planned, an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

It’s a lot of money to spend on a young player, but Eyong could be the ideal heir to Gyokeres, especially as he’s won comparisons to both Haaland and Mateta.

How Eyong compares to Haaland & Mateta

The first thing to note is that, given he only turned 22 last month, Eyong is still a work in progress.

However, even in his short career, he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to score, and that is just one of the qualities he shares with Haaland and Mateta.

For example, in 30 appearances for Villarreal B last season, the Cameroon international scored 19 goals and provided six assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

Then this season, upon taking the step-up to La Liga, the exciting forward has racked up a tally of five goals and one assist in nine appearances for Levante.

Moreover, one of those goals came against Real Madrid – and he nabbed one against Arsenal in pre-season – so he cannot be accused of simply being a flat-track bully.

However, while his output is hugely encouraging, the comparisons to Haaland and Mateta primarily come from elsewhere, from FBref.

They have compared the 22-year-old to every forward across Europe’s top five leagues and have determined that the Frenchman is the most similar, and the Norwegian is the eighth.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.63

0.63

Progressive Carries

0.73

0.56

Progressive Passes Received

4.04

4.39

Shot-Creating Actions

1.74

1.50

Live Passes

12.8

12.7

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Cameroonian has ranked closely to the two internationals.

In the Palace star’s case, these metrics included non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, live passes, and more, all per 90.

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.32

Goals per Shot on Target

0.46

0.54

Expected Assists

0.07

0.09

Shot-Creating Actions

1.74

1.72

In the case of the City monster, the underlying numbers included metrics such as shot-creating actions, expected assists, and most interestingly, goals per shot and goals per shot on target, all per 90 minutes.

These last two statistics are particularly encouraging, as they suggest that when the “incredible” Levante star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is in a dangerous situation, he is almost as clinical as the Norwegian goal machine.

Ultimately, it is still early in Eyong’s career, but as things stand, he looks to be an excellent young striker and someone who could be the perfect Gyokeres heir for Arsenal.

Major injury update now emerges on Arsenal star Gabriel before Tottenham

The centre-back suffered an injury on international duty with Brazil.

ByDominic Lund Nov 17, 2025

Aston Villa defender Matty Cash has been hailed for his incredible defensive form after shutting down Bournemouth winger

Antoine Semenyo on Sunday.

Villa cruised to a fourth straight home Premier League victory, brushing Bournemouth aside 4-0 at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side had only scored nine goals in the league coming into the match but put their goalscoring woes to bed to dispatch Andoni Iraola’s below-par Cherries with ease.

Emiliano Buendia’s sublime free-kick put them on track for a fifth win from six before Amadou Onana’s cracker from range doubled their lead. Villa had to withstand a spell of Bournemouth pressure but Emiliano Martinez produced a string of fine saves to keep their lead intact, including a one-handed stop to deny Semenyo from the penalty spot after Morgan Rogers handled the ball.

Villa then made the match safe as substitutes Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen struck to wrap up victory and deliver a first four-goal haul of the campaign. During the game, though he didn’t get onto the scoresheet, one Villa player had a stellar performance.

Cash shone in dominant win over Bournemouth

Writing on X, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic was full of praise for Cash, touching on his contributions over the 2025/26 season which rank him amongst the best defenders in the English top flight.

Cash, along with his Villa teammates, endured a slow start to the current campaign, far from a norm under Emery’s tenure at Villa Park. Picking up their first win of the season only in late September against Bologna, Villa have since lost just two of their last 10 matches, a run to which Cash has been a major contributor.

Interceptions per Game

0.8

Tackles per Game

1.6

Clearances per Game

2.8

Blocked Shots per Game

0.7

Errors Leading to Goals

0

(All stats are from SofaScore)

In what has been a thunderous start to the season for Bournemouth, Semenyo has shone as one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Premier League. As Tanswell noted, Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola wanted the Ghanian international to be charging at Lucas Digne rather than Cash, given his form.

Semenyo was limited to a quiet game in a thrashing win, with Cash maintaining the exceptional standards he has had across the campaign as Villa look to, once again, qualify for European football under Emery.

Villa exploring deal for exciting striker

Rahul Chahar, the India spinner, has joined Surrey for their season-ending fixture against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl this week, as the club bids for their fourth County Championship title in a row.Chahar, 26, was registered to play for Surrey at the start of September, in line with ECB regulations, but was not required to play in the club’s home matches against Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. That latter fixture ended in a thrilling 20-run loss that has handed Notts control of the title race going into the final week.Chahar has regularly featured for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, and also made a one-off appearance in this season’s IPL, as an impact substitute for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Overall, he has taken 87 wickets in 24 first-class matches at 26.12, with best match figures of 9 for 148.He also played one ODI and six T20Is for India between 2019 and 2021, around the same time that he played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ twin IPL titles in 2019 and 2020.”I’m excited to join Surrey for this week’s match,” Chahar said. “I’m coming here to have an impact and help the team in their final match of the season.”His call-up comes after Surrey lost both of their current spinning options, Will Jacks and Cam Steel, to injury. Alec Stewart, the club’s high-performance advisor, said: “Adding Rahul to the squad gives us another spin option at the Utilita Bowl.”We always knew that we would be missing players for the final period of the season and try to plan accordingly given the potential surfaces and the opposition we’re playing.”We had originally earmarked for Sai Kishore to return for the latter stages of the season but he unfortunately has a finger injury resulting in an operation has meant he was unavailable.”Surrey trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points going into the final round of matches, meaning that they must win their fixture, and hope that Notts accrue fewer than 11 points in their own final match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.

Leeds United travelled to the City Ground on Sunday with just one away win under their belt this season in the Premier League.

Thankfully, they were about to do battle with a Nottingham Forest side who had only won once on their patch all season long in league action.

But, come the end of the frantic affair, the Tricky Trees collected their first home victory since August, as Sean Dyche’s men comfortably got the better of Daniel Farke’s visitors in a 3-1 win, having notched up 14 efforts at Lucas Perri’s shaky goal.

Journalist Graham Smyth labelled Leeds’ overall performance at the final whistle as “desperately poor” as the West Yorkshire side now hang precariously above the dreaded relegation zone.

Jaka Bijol – in particular – had another afternoon to forget in the heart of the away team’s leaky defence.

Bijol's poor performance vs Forest

Bijol’s day wasn’t completely pitiful, with the Slovenian centre-back coming away from the 3-1 defeat with four of his six duels being successfully won.

Unfortunately for the £15m summer recruit, regardless of having some positives to latch on to, he was still caught out by a moment of ball-watching to hand the hosts the decisive 2-1 lead, as Morgan Gibbs-White evaded his marker to head home.

It was a nicely executed move by Forest, with Omari Hutchinson getting the better of Gabriel Gudmundsson’s lax marking, before putting it on a plate for Gibbs-White.

But, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers playmaker was given far too much room to head past Perri, off the back of Bijol being caught in no man’s land.

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Having also struggled against Brighton and Hove Albion on the road, before this slip-up in Nottinghamshire, when winning zero tackles and just one duel, it could well be time for Farke to move the former Udinese man back to the bench, for the more Premier League-ready Pascal Struijk to take over.

Bijol isn’t the only defensive option who could now be dropped by Farke, however.

Leeds dud had his worst game of the season

In all fairness, nobody donning Leeds’ changed strip of blue was trudging off at the end of the 3-1 loss, overjoyed with what they offered up.

Ethan Ampadu definitely won’t have been thrilled with what he conjured up as Farke’s supposed midfield anchor, with the Welshman both uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball at his feet and surprisingly weak when launching himself into duels.

Ampadu’s performance in numbers
Stat	Ampadu
Minutes played	90
Shots	2
Key passes	0
Dribbles	0
Touches	57
Accurate passes	31/41 (76%)
Possession lost	15x
Tackles won	1/2
Fouls	3
Total duels won	4/9
Stats by Sofascore

The promotion-winning captain fell way below the standards he had previously set when lining up for the West Yorkshire giants, with Ampadu coming away from the 3-1 loss with only 76% of his passes reaching their chosen target. On average, this season, so far, he typically completes 86% of his passes.

Moreover, the below-par number 4 would lack his usual bite and drive, with only one of his tackles being successfully won, which led to Ampadu barely laying a glove on the tricky Dan Ndoye early on, before his quick feet down the flank led to Ibrahim Sangare firing home the equaliser.

Ampadu also didn’t help Bijol out when Gibbs-White sent the City Ground into raptures, with the former Chelsea midfielder also guilty of idly watching the ball, before the match-winning effort was prodded home.

For a defensive option that usually prides himself on winning duels and being energetic – as seen in him averaging 4.3 duels won this season – it really did feel like a low point for him against the Tricky Trees on Sunday afternoon, as Farke now contemplates whether dropping one of his “indispensable” promotion heroes, as he was once labelled by scout Jacek Kulig, is the correct call.

Ampadu faced the media after, calling for togetherness as Leeds attempt to navigate the choppy seas of a relegation battle, with his concrete starting spot now up for grabs, as the likes of Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev eye up a spot in defensive midfield, instead.

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