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Arne Slot became the first manager in Liverpool’s history to win the Premier League in his first season at Anfield since the inception of the division in 1992.

There were concerns about what life would look like after Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the Reds at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, having been at the club for nine years.

Slot came in to replace a legend and had huge shoes to fill, arriving from Feyenoord last summer, and was not heavily backed in the summer transfer window.

Federico Chiesa was the only signing of the summer, joining on a permanent deal from Juventus, and the forward only made six appearances in the Premier League.

Slot, instead, won the division with the same players that he inherited, given Chiesa’s lack of involvement, which speaks to the quality of the recruitment work done in recent years.

You could pick so many members of the squad as examples of excellent recruitment by Liverpool, but Alexis Mac Allister stands out as a particularly impressive deal.

Why Liverpool struck gold with Alexis Mac Allister

The Reds swooped in to sign the World Cup winner from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £35m, which could rise to £55m in total, in what has turned out to be a bargain deal.

In that same summer, Chelsea spent £115m to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Arsenal splashed the cash to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United for £105m, which illustrates how expensive it can be to land top talent from other Premier League teams.

This shows how much of a bargain Liverpool got with their deal for Mac Allister because they did not have to pay over the odds for him, spending less than half as much as Chelsea and Arsenal did on their midfield signings with the initial fee of £35m.

The Reds have hit the jackpot with the Argentina international because he has proven to be well worth the money, playing 35 times out of 38 matches in the Premier League this season to help the team to the title.

Appearances

35

Goals

5

Big chances created

6

Assists

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

Ball recoveries per game

4.2

As you can see in the table above, the former Brighton star delivered quality in and out of possession throughout the campaign, scoring and assisting goals whilst also being reliable defensively.

Mac Allister ended the season with a squad-leading 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League, which proves how effective he was at winning the ball back to regain possession for his side, whilst cutting out opposition attacks.

Liverpool could, now, repeat their Mac Allister masterclass, as they are reportedly interested in another bargain deal from a Premier League rival.

Liverpool eyeing move for Brighton star

According to a report in Spain, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs that are eyeing up a potential swoop for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh in the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business on Sunday.

The report claims that the Premier League champions have set their sights on a deal for the Gambia international, but they are facing competition from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for the attacker.

Transfer Focus

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

It reveals that all three clubs are monitoring the 20-year-old forward, previously of Newcastle United, as a possible signing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The outlet adds that the left-footed dynamo, who typically plays on the right flank, is valued at around £35m by Brighton, which is the same fee that Liverpool paid them for Mac Allister.

With this in mind, Minteh could arrive at Anfield this summer to bolster Slot’s squad in a deal that could be very similar to the one that brought the Argentine star to Merseyside.

Why Yankuba Minteh could be Alexis Mac Allister 2.0

Of course, the two players play in different positions, one in midfield and one on the wing, but there are also a lot of similarities in the sense that they would both have been signed from Brighton and both signed for a bargain £35m fee.

As aforementioned, it can be incredibly expensive to shop in the Premier League market because teams do not want to strengthen their rivals, which is why a £35m fee for Minteh could be a big bargain for Liverpool if they were able to get a deal over the line in the coming months.

At the age of 20, though, he may not be a signing to instantly become a starter like Mac Allister was, and the youngster could be more of a signing with the long term in mind, whilst also being able to make an impact immediately as a squad option.

That being said, Minteh has delivered some exciting performances, including the one against Chelsea in the clip above, in the Premier League this season, and shown signs of being a top player at that level.

The left-footed star, who was described as “extremely dangerous” by Pierre van Hooijdonk, only started 20 of his 32 appearances in the division, but delivered quality in those outings.

Appearances

32

Starts

20

xG

4.11

Goals

6

Big chances created

8

xA

5.02

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, he outperformed his xG by almost two goals and was let down by wasteful finishing from his teammates as a creator, as they failed to make the most of the ‘big chances’ that he created for them.

Now, imagine Minteh in a dominant and free-scoring Liverpool team that would be able to make the most of his creativity, whilst also creating more opportunities for him to show off his finishing skills. That could increase his output of goals and assists and lead to him becoming a very valuable member of the squad.

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Liverpool face the summer sale of one of their most important players.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 1, 2025

The 20-year-old could, in theory, take his game to the next level with such a move, which is why this could be a brilliant signing for the Reds and be a repeat of the Mac Allister deal due to the finances involved.

Celtic are thriving on the field under Brendan Rodgers, but they may now be set for an unexpected turn of events behind the scenes following recent developments.

Brendan Rodgers aims to maintain Celtic winning culture

Evaluating the landscape of Scottish football, Celtic find themselves head and shoulders above the rest as they close in on another domestic treble.

Brendan Rodgers knows his side only need to defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month to achieve that feat, while he is also the third-most successful manager in the club’s illustrious history behind Willie Maley and Jock Stein.

However, there has been some speculation surrounding the Celtic boss as he heads into the final year of his contract at Parkhead with little to no update on a potential extension.

Like any manager worth his salt, Rodgers wants full backing from the Hoops hierarchy before his side take on the challenge of facing whoever they draw in the final round of Champions League qualifying.

Citing the need for signings, Celtic are very interested in Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic, potentially laying down a marker with regard to what supporters can expect from their club in the summer market.

Fewer minutes than Nawrocki: Celtic must axe flop who's "not good enough"

Celtic must finally part ways with this player who has played fewer minutes than Maik Nawrocki.

ByDan Emery May 9, 2025

Stability at Parkhead has led to a steady stream of success. That hasn’t just come from the manager, but the rank and file department members that exist below his sphere of influence.

Nevertheless, everyone at one point will look to strike out on their own should the opportunity present itself. That is just the reality of career progression in the cold light of day.

With that in mind, Celtic could face a fight to hold onto one of their trusted coaches after the club were approached over his availability, per recent developments.

Swansea City approach Celtic to land Darren O'Dea

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph on X, Swansea City have approached Celtic as they look to appoint Darren O’Dea as their assistant manager following Alan Sheehan’s appointment as head coach at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Former Republic of Ireland international O’Dea is currently the Bhoys’ Professional Player Pathway Manager, though he could now be set to swap Glasgow for the EFL Championship side if all parties agree on a deal.

O’Dea has also managed Celtic’s B Team in conjunction with Stephen McManus, and his departure may come as something of a surprise despite his ambitions of entering the dugout at senior level.

Either way, Hoops fans and figures from inside the club will wish him well if he were to take up Swansea on their offer, given his reputation as a bright young coach who has worked his way up the Lennoxtown ranks.

It’s no secret that a striker will be at the top of Arsenal’s transfer wishlist this summer.

However, with Liverpool having scored 17 goals more than them in the Premier League alone this season, a centre-forward won’t be enough; the Gunners will also need a new winger to complement Bukayo Saka.

Fortunately, there have been more than a few reports linking the club to a whole host of sensational wide talent in recent weeks, but perhaps the most consistent since last year has been to Nico Williams.

The Spanish superstar is an incredibly exciting player, but the North Londoners might be after a more sure bet, as recent reports have linked them with a Premier League star who’s like a better version of the Athletic Bilbao star.

Arsenal's summer transfer window

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other stars Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing this year, with one of the leading names still being Viktor Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

The Swedish international has been in sensational form this term, scoring 44 goals and providing 11 assists in 45 appearances for Sporting CP, and, according to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, remains a firm target for the Gunners.

Another attacker who seems to be on the North Londoners’ radar is Kingsley Coman, who looks set to leave Bayern Munich in the summer and could be available for around £39m.

However, given the Frenchman’s injury record and lack of involvement this term, he’s not a player that’s likely to excite the Emirates faithful, which couldn’t be said about Anthony Gordon.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Arsenal hold a ‘strong interest’ in the former Everton star.

However, there are a couple of problems, with the first being interest from Liverpool and the second being the fact that Newcastle United will not want to let one of their star players leave, and should they qualify for the Champions League, it’s unlikely that they’d have to.

Moreover, reports from last year claimed that he’d cost at least £100m, meaning it would require a near club-record offer from the Gunners.

However, while it would be an expensive and complicated transfer to get over the line, Gordon would be worth it, as he’s a better version of Williams.

How Gordon compares to Williams

So, before we get into their output, it’s worth examining where the comparisons between the two wingers come from, beyond their positional similarities, of course.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Spaniard is the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Englishman.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot and shot on target, expected assists, passing accuracy, progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.47

0.35

Progressive Passes

3.73

3.14

Goals per Shot

0.10

0.10

Goals per Shot on Target

0.33

0.26

Passing Accuracy

72.1%

70.4%

Expected Assists

0.20

0.20

Key Passes

2.08

1.86

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.62

Successful Take-On %

37.6%

36.6%

However, while they do rank closely for many of those metrics, it’s important to note that the Newcastle United gem actually does slightly better in the majority.

This superiority over the Pamplona-born international extends into their output as well.

For example, in his 35 appearances this term, the “exceptional” Toon ace, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has scored nine goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.18 games.

In contrast, the 22-year-old has scored ten goals and provided seven assists in 41 games for Bilbao, which comes out to a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.41 games.

Finally, while both players would undoubtedly improve Arteta’s squad, it might take the La Roja ace some time to get used to the Premier League, whereas the Liverpool-born maestro has already proven himself in the league and could make a real difference from the word go.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive and complicated transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do all they can to sign Gordon this summer, as he’d be an even better signing than Williams.

He's like Saka & Yamal: Arsenal in talks to sign "world-class" £39m star

The incredible winger would bring so much experience and quality to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 15, 2025

Foot fracture may delay first-class debut, but Smeed targets trophies after club’s triple near-miss last year

Valkerie Baynes29-Mar-2025Will Smeed’s plans for a first-class debut – three years after his retirement from red-ball cricket – have taken a minor stumble, but that has done nothing to deter him from targeting a major role in Somerset’s Championship campaign this year.A foot fracture suffered in South Africa, where he played four games for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 at the start of the year, could rule him out of the first match of the Division One season, home to Worcestershire from Friday.”I got it scanned when I got back and I’m just trying to make sure it heals properly before we up the workloads,” Smeed told ESPNcricinfo during Somerset’s pre-season media day. “I should be back playing in no time. I might miss the first week, but it should be fine.”It feels fine. I managed to play on it in South Africa so it’s a case of it would be fine to play on, but they just want to make sure I don’t do any proper damage though.”Related

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Those workloads are indeed set to increase after it was revealed earlier this month that Smeed had backflipped on his fledgling career move to become a white-ball specialist.Smeed announced in 2022 that he would play only white-ball cricket as franchise opportunities beckoned, a move considered groundbreaking given that he had just turned 21 at the time. But after a hamstring injury ruled him out of last year’s Hundred, he found himself playing for Somerset in the Second XI County Championship and enjoyed it which, along with opening the door to more cricket, made a reversal “a bit of a no-brainer”.An explosive batter, who became the first player to score a century in the Hundred three years ago, Smeed doesn’t want to smother that part of his game too much when he finally makes his first-class debut. So far, he has played 105 T20s and just one List A game.Smeed is set for a first-class debut this summer•Getty Images”I definitely think keeping [aggression] as part of your game, but you probably have to be a bit smarter with how you use it and when you use it and obviously then tightening up my defence and things like that,” Smeed said. “A lot of red-ball cricket is about adapting to the ebbs and flows, figuring out when to put your foot down, when to hold back and soak up a bit of pressure. So there needs to be a big learning experience this year, but I’m really looking forward to it.”From a mindset, I’m just more keen to score runs now. I’m just desperate to spend time in the middle and I think that’s why the games at the end of last summer went okay. I think I just put more value on my wicket. I’m still figuring out my game in white-ball stuff, so that’ll be even more prevalent in the red-ball stuff. There might be a technical tweak here or there, but I think a lot of it’s just going to be the way I approach it and the mindset and the options I take and figuring out what works for me.”Somerset came close to a trophy in all three competitions in 2024, but ended up with none. Their loss to Lancashire in the penultimate round of the Championship ensured Surrey finished top of Division One and then Hampshire won their final-round game to seal second place, leaving Somerset in third.On Blast Finals Day, Somerset beat Surrey in the semi-finals but then lost to Gloucestershire in the final, with Smeed scoring a duck and 8 in those games respectively. Somerset also lost the final of the One-Day Cup to Glamorgan.Smeed was the first batter to make a hundred in the Hundred•ECB/Getty ImagesNow, Smeed says his main aim is to win trophies with Somerset, with their 2023 Blast title “still the highlight of my career”, while scoring plenty of runs, with four-day cricket offering ample opportunity for that.”It means I’m here all summer,” Smeed said. “That was a big thing I made clear to Somerset, that I wanted to commit to the whole summer here and I wasn’t going to flip off somewhere if the opportunity came about. I’m here now and it means I can just get stuck into the English summer and really get my head down and try and win some games for Somerset.”The last couple of years with my contract, I’ve been able to take anything that came my way, whereas now, having just fully committed to the summer with Somerset takes that distraction away I guess – or it’s one more decision that I don’t have to make should something come up.”It’s just going to be I’m here with Somerset and that’s me for the summer. Then in the winter hopefully there’s opportunities to go away again and play some stuff overseas.”And if the Blast doesn’t fully satisfy those white-ball urges, there is always the Hundred window in August, when Smeed will return to Birmingham Phoenix, who are still searching for their first title.Having gone all-or-nothing down one career path, perhaps now Smeed really can have it all.

What does the XI – or XII – look like? Did the highest run-getters and wicket-takers make it? Take a look

S Rajesh31-May-20231:13

Manjrekar: Gill’s game built on strong fundamentals

Faf du Plessis
Du Plessis was the MVP of IPL 2023 according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, which gives a contextual rating to every batting and bowling performance. The standout aspect of du Plessis’ season was his consistency: eight 50-plus scores, only one dismissal under 20, and a lowest score of 17. And he did all this without compromising on strike rate, going at 153.68 over the tournament, and 162 in the first ten balls of his innings.His opening partnership with Virat Kohli was batting combination of the tournament: the pair scored 939 runs for the first wicket, equalling the record for any pair in any IPL edition, after Kohli and AB de Villiers had also scored as many runs together in 2016. To add to that, du Plessis was outstanding in the field with his athleticism and agility, and led the team with calm authority.Related

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The trinity that wrote CSK's script for their fifth IPL title

Shubman Gill
You can’t argue with a season that produced 890 runs and three hundreds. Gill’s tournament was the stuff of dreams: seven times he passed 50, and in six of those innings his strike rate topped 160. In terms of impact numbers, his 60-ball 129 against Mumbai Indians was the second best in terms of batting impact points (164.45), next only to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century against the same opposition.But while that hundred against Mumbai Indians in a knockout game was terrific, it was Gill’s sheer consistency and all-round strokeplay – all done with artistry and elegance – that marked him out as a batter for the ages.ESPNcricinfo LtdCameron Green
After a slow start to the tournament, Green came into his own with an unbeaten 64 off 40 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and never looked back. In his last 12 innings, Green averaged 59.57 at a strike rate of 161.62, and was only once dismissed under 20. His bowling returns were underwhelming, but he more than made up for that with the bat. Five times he had an impact score of more than 50 in a game, and thrice more than 100.Green’s 161 runs in the powerplay were the most by a non-opener, while his strike rate of 175 in that phase was second-best among the 31 batters who faced more than 60 balls.Suryakumar Yadav
Like Green, Suryakumar had made a sluggish start to IPL 2023, scoring 16 runs in his first three innings, and 66 in his first five. But then he struck form and batted like only he can, and Mumbai Indians looked a completely different batting unit. In his last 11 innings, Suryakumar averaged 59.88 at a strike rate of 187.8, with six 50-plus scores, suggesting that normalcy had returned. Thanks to Green and Suryakumar, Mumbai were the only team whose Nos. 3 and 4 aggregated more than 1000 runs this season; they totalled 1195, with the next best being 921.
Mumbai had a patchy start with the bat this season, but the one batter who started and finished strong was Tilak. He began the tournament with a stunning unbeaten 46-ball 84 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, contributing 49% of the total from No. 5, and finished with a 14-ball 43 that threatened an imposing target of 234 in the second qualifier against Gujarat Titans. Had he not missed five games because of an injury in the second half of the tournament, those numbers might have looked even better.2:42

Moody: Rinku a certainty for 2024 T20 World Cup if he performs like this

Heinrich Klaasen (wk)
Klaasen missed the first couple of games as he was on national duty, but made an immediate impact in the middle order for Sunrisers as soon as he came in. Batting at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 in T20s in India isn’t easy, but Klaasen showed superb consistency and urgency. His lowest dismissed score in 11 innings was 17, and in eight of those innings he had a strike rate of over 150, including four over 200. No batter dominated spin as Klaasen did: he struck at a rate of 191.3, and an average of 132. Among the 40 batters who faced at least 75 balls of spin, no one did better.Rinku Singh
Five sixes from five balls in the last over against Titans made Rinku a household name. But even outside of that, Rinku had a remarkable tournament: he passed 40 seven times in 14 innings, no mean feat for a batter in the lower half of the middle order. He couldn’t always go at fifth gear from the start because of Kolkata Knight Riders’ relatively weak top order – their top four had the lowest average among the ten teams – but despite that handicap, Rinku adapted wonderfully.His last two innings were perfect examples of his impact: a 43-ball 54 in a tricky run chase in Chennai after KKR had slipped to 33 for 3, followed by an unbeaten 33-ball 67 which nearly pulled off a requirement of 41 from 12 balls.Ravindra Jadeja
Only three spinners took more wickets than Jadeja in the tournament. In the middle overs, though, Jadeja’s 20 wickets were the joint highest with Piyush Chawla. He was the go-to spinner for MS Dhoni, especially in the favourable home conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where his 11 wickets came at an average of 16.45 and an economy rate of 6.7. With Maheesh Theekshana having a relatively disappointing run, Jadeja’s four overs became even more crucial, and he delivered more often than not.Jadeja was lethal against right-handers, dismissing them 12 times at an average of 16.91 and an economy rate of 6.65. Among the 66 bowlers who sent down at least 60 balls to right-handers, no-one had a better economy rate. Jadeja the batter had a relatively quiet tournament, but chipped in with crucial 20s, and the six and four he hit off the last two balls of the final was the difference between a fifth title and a sixth runners-up finish for CSK.ESPNcricinfo LtdRashid Khan
Rashid wasn’t his usual thrifty self in IPL 2023. His economy rate of 8.23 was easily the poorest of his seven IPL seasons; he had never gone beyond 6.73 in his previous six. He twice conceded more than 40 runs in a game, including a forgettable final where he was hit for 44 in three overs. However, Rashid exchanged economy for wickets this time – his 27 wickets was much better than his previous best of 21, and he struck every 14.8 balls (previous best being 18.6).He struggled in the powerplays – with figures of 2 for 114 in 12 overs – but relished the death-overs challenge, with 8 for 90 in ten overs. He was also more than handy with the bat, striking at over 200. Rashid’s all-round performance in the league game against Mumbai – 4 for 30 and 79 not out off 32 balls – fetched 192 impact points, the second highest for any player in a match this season.Mohammed Shami
Shami was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, and an absolute terror in the powerplay. The 17 wickets he took in that phase – at an average of 19.41, and an economy of 7.5 – is the highest that any bowler has taken in the powerplays in any season in IPL history. His relentless hard lengths, seam movement and pace tested batters’ techniques in a format where they are used to making room and hitting through the line.Sixteen of Shami’s 28 wickets were of top-three batters. According to Smart Stats, which takes into account the quality of batters dismissed as well as the match context, those 28 wickets were worth 34 Smart Wickets. Shami was a nightmare, especially for the right-handers, dismissing them 20 times at an average of 14.25.
Eight bowlers took more wickets than Siraj, but in terms of Smart Wickets, he was ranked fourth, with his 19 wickets being worth 26. Like Shami, Siraj too was terrific in the powerplay: his ten wickets came at an average of 17.8, and an economy rate of 5.93. Among the 57 bowlers who delivered at least five overs in the powerplay, Siraj is the only one to concede fewer than a run a ball.Siraj also has two entries among the top-six most impactful bowling performances this season: his 3 for 22 in a high-scoring match against Lucknow Super Giants – where they had chased down 213 – ranked second, while his 4 for 21 against Punjab Kings is sixth.2:25

Tait: Jaiswal has shown he is confident and assured of what he is doing

Mohit SharmaIf Mumbai Indians dominate the batting line-up of this XII, then Titans have a stranglehold over the bowling, with their top three wicket-takers all finding a place. Mohit was one of the revelations of the tournament. His exceptional control over his length and pace made him an extremely difficult bowler to get away in middle overs, where he got 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.07, as well as at the death, where he took 13 wickets at an economy of 8.10.In a cruel twist of fate, Mohit ended up conceding ten runs off his last two balls of the tournament to concede the IPL to his former team. But that shouldn’t overshadow what was a splendid tournament for him.Those who narrowly missed outYashasvi Jaiswal
In a tournament dominated by some standout performances by openers – six of them scored 590 or more runs, and all of them at strike rates greater than 139 – it was obvious that some of them would miss out. Jaiswal was probably the unluckiest of them. His 625 runs came at a tremendous strike rate, but he was third in terms of impact among all batters, behind the two most prolific openers of the season.Shivam Dube
Dube had a wonderful tournament as a middle-order hitter, but he lost out to Tilak, another left-hander with slightly better numbers. Dube was terrific against spin, striking at 176.47 and hitting them for 22 sixes, the most by any batter in the tournament. Similarly, Ajinkya Rahane was in contention too, but lost out narrowly to Green.2:59

Bishop can’t wait to see Pathirana in three years’ time

Piyush Chawla
Like Mohit, Chawla surprised most pundits with a stellar season and was in contention for the main spinner’s slot, but Rashid pipped him to that spot with more wickets and crucial contributions with the bat.Matheesha Pathirana
Not yet 21, Pathirana did the toughest job in T20 cricket – bowling in the death overs consistently in the biggest league – but he pulled it off, taking 18 wickets in that phase at an economy rate of 8.01. He lost out to a resurgent Mohit, but his time will surely come.Axar Patel
Axar had a slightly better overall impact than Jadeja, but Jadeja won the spin allrounder’s slot on the basis of his better bowling numbers; his bowling impact was 37.79 compared to Axar’s 28.18. So in a team which has Rinku at No. 7, it made sense to select the stronger bowler of the two (based on numbers from this tournament).

From Wellington 1978 to Lord’s 2015, we pick some of the most memorable England vs New Zealand encounters

Andrew Miller31-May-2021Trent Bridge, 1973 – Congdon scales the heights
England had won 20 and drawn the rest of their 42 previous encounters with New Zealand going into the 1973 series, so when they rolled their opponents for 97 in the first innings at Trent Bridge, it seemed like business as usual. But then, without warning, the worm began to turn. Despite being hit in the face by a John Snow bouncer, New Zealand’s captain Bev Congdon endured for 377 balls and the best part of seven hours, grinding his way towards a target of 479 so ethereal it felt like “climbing Mount Everest without thinking you’ll need more oxygen”. He was finally prised out by Geoff Arnold for a career-best 176, but Vic Pollard joined forces with the wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, whose intermittent swings for the fences encouraged New Zealand’s belief that glory was within their grasp. They carried the chase past the 400 mark, but then dared to look at the scoreboard and lost their footing. The last five wickets tumbled for 38, a figure that matched their eventual margin of defeat. A fortnight later, New Zealand came agonisingly close once again, Congdon making 175 this time, only for Keith Fletcher’s rearguard 178 to spare England’s blushes at Lord’s. Order was restored with an innings win in the third Test at Headingley, but New Zealand had dropped a hint that that elusive win was not far off.Bev Congdon cuts a ball from Geoff Arnold•PA PhotosWellington, 1978 – Hadlee delivers elusive maiden win
That 1973 near-miss had featured a tearaway fast bowler who returned figures of 1 for 143 in his maiden overseas Test. But five years later, Richard Hadlee was a very different beast – a lithe, whippy, channelled operator with effortless pace and a despotic command of seam and swing. His first-innings figures of 4 for 74 eked out a 13-run lead in a low-scoring tussle, and as John Wright and Geoff Howarth dragged that advantage towards three figures with just one wicket down, the Wellington crowd dared to think the unthinkable. Cue an England fightback that ought to have been decisive. Bob Willis harnessed a wind that had swirled all match long to wreck the innings with figures of 5 for 32, as New Zealand lost their nine remaining wickets for 41. On an increasingly uneven surface, however, Richard Collinge made a target of 137 look improbably daunting as he reduced England to 18 for 3, his scalps including the crucial road-block of Geoff Boycott, England’s new and soon-to-be-deposed captain, for 1. Brian Rose then retired hurt with a bruised forearm, whereupon Hadlee rounded up the stragglers with 6 for 26, and match figures of 10 for 100. England had been rolled aside for 64, and after 48 years, and at the 48th time of asking, New Zealand had secured their maiden victory over the Mother Country.Related

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Gary Stead excited by New Zealand's depth ahead of Lord's opener

Christchurch, 1984 – England disappear in a puff of smoke
Rumours and innuendo stalked England’s tour of New Zealand in 1983-84, which in a previous era might have been far enough out of sight to be out of mind to the wider British public. But with Ian Botham approaching his mid-1980s zenith of tabloid notoriety, the squad’s burgeoning tendency to generate newspaper headlines meant they were pursued even to the land of the Long White Cloud – a cloud, on this occasion, that was widely reported to include a puff of cannabis smoke. Whatever their off-field recreations, the effect on England’s batting in the Christchurch Test was catatonic. “An exhibition that would have shamed a side in the lower reaches of the County Championship,” harrumphed a nonplussed Wisden, as Hadlee, that man again, claimed match figures of 8 for 44 to rout England for 82 and 93 in consecutive innings. His most telling contribution on this occasion, however, came with the bat – a blistering innings of 99 from 81 balls in New Zealand’s only innings that left the debutant Surrey seamer Tony Pigott wondering exactly why he’d agreed to postpone his wedding to shore up England’s bowling stocks.Christchurch 1997 – Atherton’s redemption seals the spoils
Plenty has been written about the one that got away on England’s 1996-97 campaign – the first Test at Auckland, where New Zealand’s No. 11 Danny Morrison belied his world-record haul of 24 ducks to dig in for 133 balls in the final two sessions to guide his side to a scarcely credible draw. The best contest by far, however, was the third Test at Christchurch – a personal triumph for England’s besieged captain Mike Atherton, who had faced calls for his resignation after a miserable first leg of the winter in Zimbabwe, but whose match tally of 212 runs for once out put a very personal seal on a 2-0 series win. Atherton’s first task was a familiar one: rescue England’s batting from a habitual malfunction, after New Zealand had posed a handy but hardly decisive 346. He duly carried his bat for an unbeaten 94, limiting the deficit to 118, and was soon back at the crease for the run-chase after Phil Tufnell and Darren Gough had combined to limit England’s target to a tantalising 305. Throughout the final day, all four results were distinctly possible, as New Zealand’s teenaged spinner Dan Vettori bowled with precocious discipline to finish with 4 for 97 in 57 overs. He was too young even for Harry Potter jibes (the first book would not be published for another four months), but at 231 for 6, with Atherton finally extracted for 118, he seemed odds-on to deliver a share of the series in only his second Test. John Crawley, however, found typically indomitable support from Dominic Cork at No. 8, as their unbeaten 76-run stand sealed England’s first overseas series win for five years.Mike Atherton carried England’s batting effort at Christchurch in 1997•EMPICS via Getty ImagesThe Oval, 1999 – England hit rock-bottom at long last
The final summer of the 1990s, and the final fiasco from an England team that was about to reach rock-bottom after a decade in which they’d been pummelled by allcomers without ever quite facing up to their structural inadequacies. Intermittent triumphs – a Barbados win here, a Melbourne win there – had masked the team’s overall woefulness, and something similar seemed to be on the cards after the first Test at Edgbaston, when nightwatchman Alex Tudor blasted a matchwinning 99 not out to gloss over the fact that England had been 45 for 7 in their first innings. By the fourth Test at The Oval, however, all the pretence was done. England really were the worst Test team in the world, as a disgruntled crowd confirming by booing the new captain Nasser Hussain during the post-match presentations. The iconic aspect of their 83-run loss was the selection of surely the most inept tail in Test history – a nine, ten, Jack of Alan Mullally, Phil Tufnell and Ed Giddins was bad enough even without Ronnie Irani as a not-very-pivotal No. 7. But the decisive aspect was the flourish of a genuine Test allrounder in New Zealand’s ranks. Faced with a collapse to 39 for 6 on the third afternoon and the potential for another fourth-innings scalping, Chris Cairns crashed onto the offensive, slamming eight fours and four sixes in a 93-ball 80. He had set his side up with 5 for 31 in England’s first dig; and now their target of 246 was simply too daunting. Mike Atherton, as so often, held the line for a three-and-a-half-hour 64, but as soon as he was extracted, the last seven wickets tumbled in eight overs.Christchurch, 2002 – Astle’s astonishing onslaught
Drop-in pitches have had a bad rap in recent times – blame the MCG’s despicably dull surfaces for that. But no one could quibble with the entertainment on offer at Christchurch in March 2002, lopsided though it may have been, when the Lancaster Park authorities popped a fresh green sod of grass in the middle of their rugby stadium and left England and New Zealand to squabble for four extraordinary days. Days one and two were as wild as a white-water ride – England were 0 for 2 after five balls and looking par for the course, yet chiselled an 81-run lead thanks to Nasser Hussain’s mind-over-matter 106, and a howling display of swing bowling from the greenhorn Matthew Hoggard, who racked up a then-best of 7 for 63. But then, overnight, the grass died, the mud dried, and the contest became a two-innings turkey shoot. Graham Thorpe cracked 200 not out from 231 balls, which seemed fairly brisk in the circumstances, as he and Andrew Flintoff set a target of 550. Cue Nathan Astle, and the most preposterous day’s tonking ever witnessed in Test history. His 222 from 168 balls went into overdrive as England claimed the new ball with New Zealand seemingly done at 302 for 8. Flintoff and Hoggard were clubbed for six fours in nine balls, each of them a golf swing through the line, but his most murderous blows were reserved for Andrew Caddick, who at one stage was clattered for five sixes and three fours in eight legal deliveries. Cairns, at No. 11 due to injury, was the ideal sidekick as England’s anxieties reached fever-pitch. But then, just as the requirement dipped below 100, Hoggard lured one wipe too many, and that was the end of that.Wellington 2008 – Anderson and Broad take the stage
Peter Moores’ twin stints as England coach both ended in ignominy, but his reputation for bringing out the best in young players was eternally vindicated at Wellington in 2008, with his backing of two men who may yet find themselves sharing the stage at Lord’s this week for the 122nd time. Three years on from the 2005 Ashes, the time was ripe for new England heroes, though it took a spineless defeat in the series opener at Hamilton to prove it. While their batting was ultimately to blame as they slumped to 110 all out in the second innings, the vacant displays of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were the most troubling aspects, especially given that Ryan Sidebottom had carried the fight single-handedly with 10 wickets in the match including a hat-trick. So Moores bit the bullet, and pushed both men to the margins. In their places, came James Anderson – an England cricketer for five years already but never yet trusted to be the attack leader – and Stuart Broad, whose beanpole seam had been limited to a solitary Test on a Colombo featherbed before Christmas. The pair gelled from the outset – Anderson claiming five first-innings wickets to set up the series-leveller, as Broad slotted into an unlikely enforcer’s role, pushing New Zealand on to the back foot in a series of aggressive displays that had Michael Vaughan hailing him as the “most intelligent bowler I’ve ever worked with”. The series was sealed with another doughty display in Napier, as the framework for England’s Test revival was hoisted into place.Ben Stokes inspired England the last time they met New Zealand at Lord’s•Getty ImagesLord’s 2015 – The start of something new
Quite possibly one of the finest England team performances of all time, and unquestionably one of the most timely. The roar of acclaim as Moeen Ali snaffled the catch at third man to deliver a 124-run victory on the fifth afternoon was like nothing that England had heard for months. It marked the team’s emergence from an 18-month slump, encompassing the 2013-14 Ashes debacle and the subsequent sacking of Kevin Pietersen, and culminating at the disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign, in which New Zealand’s crushing victory at Wellington had been the unquestionable nadir. The need to reconnect with the English public was overwhelming, but it seemed unlikely to happen at the first time of asking as England slumped to 30 for 4 on the opening morning. In response, New Zealand were at one stage 403 for 3 in reply. But in between whiles, something extraordinary stirred within the England dressing room. Ben Stokes followed up his first-innings 92 by slamming an 85-ball century in the second – the fastest at Lord’s in Test history – and while Joe Root twice missed out on three figures, his twin innings of 98 and 84 reaffirmed his status as England’s coming man. And then, in response to a deficit of 134, there was the captain, Alastair Cook, chugging along to a magnificent, unflustered, nine-hour 162, keeping the beat while his young guns riffed around him. Stokes sealed the turnaround with three key wickets on a pulsating final day, as news of the impending appointment of Trevor Bayliss as head coach confirmed the sense that this was the start of a new chapter for English cricket – one that would culminate, four years later, on the very same ground against the very same opponents.

In what was quite a shocking turn of events, superstar New York Mets slugger Juan Soto was not selected for the National League All-Star team this year despite boasting a tenth-best OPS (0.908), fourth-best tally of runs scored (66), and tenth-best home run total (21).

By his standards, the outfielder had somewhat of a down year so far, but it's safe to say he is still All-Star-caliber (and thank god for the Mets, considering Soto agreed to a $765 million contract in December). But sadly, for reasons outside of his control, he didn't get the nod (at least initially; a replacement nomination is always an option).

Speaking after the Mets' win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, during which Soto had three hits, one run and one RBI, the slugger gave a funny but curious response when asked about the snub—specifically, if he would have wanted to make the All-Star team, anyway.

"What do you think?" Soto replied. "I think it's a lot of money on the table [if I make it]."

Watch that below:

As previously mentioned, Soto only months ago signed the most lucrative deal in professional sports history, so he really shouldn't be jonesing for cash. I guess every little bit helps? But if that's the main reason he's bummed about the snub, I might remind him to just check his bank account to feel better.

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto has been under quite the microscope this week.

Upon boos that rang in from the New York Yankees crowd in the Bronx this weekend, the $765 million man was criticized for not running out a grounder to second base. Then, on Monday night in Boston, he followed his lack of hustle up with a high fly ball to left field—one he clearly thought was gone—and decided to walk it out instead of running. The result? A clang off the Green Monster for a single that could have easily been a double.

Now, on Wednesday night—after being moved down the lineup by manager Carlos Mendoza—Soto struck out on three straight pitches in his first at bat against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. To make matters worse, he didn't swing at a single one.

Take a look:

in his at bat of the night, Soto again failed to swing—this time striking out on four pitches.

Perhaps he's boycotting his move down the lineup. Either way, it's not a good look.

The 26-year-old Soto is in the midst of a brutal 10+ day stretch in which he's failed to hit a home run or an extra base hit, and has also seen his batting average drop over 20 points. He's currently hitting .244 on the young 2025 season. The Mets are 29-20 though 49 games.

The BCB has appointed Salma Khatun as the country’s first woman selector. The former Bangladesh captain will join Sazzad Ahmed in the women’s selection panel. Bangladesh are in the last stage of preparation ahead of the Women’s World Cup next month.Salma was Bangladesh’s first captain in international cricket. She went on to lead the country in 65 WT20Is and 18 WODIs. At the time of her last WT20I, she was Bangladesh’s most-capped women’s T20I cricketer, having played 95 matches. She has also played 46 WODIs.Salma was also the ICC’s No 1 bowler in WT20Is in 2014 and 2015. She took 84 T20I wickets with her offspin at an average of 18.57, with best figures of 4-6 against Sri Lanka.”I think this is a revolutionary decision by our [BCB] president [Aminul Islam], as having someone like Salma involved will provide great support for women’s cricket,” Iftekhar Rahman, the BCB’s media committee chairman, said. “This is the first time such an appointment has been made in Bangladesh.”The board has also promoted Hasibul Hossain to the senior men’s selection panel. He will join chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain and Abdur Razzak. The third position had been vacant since Hannan Sarkar left the role in February this year.Hasibul, the former fast bowler, played five Tests and 32 ODIs. He played in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test match against India in 2000, and was involved in the famous leg-bye that won Bangladesh the ICC Trophy final in 1997.Hasibul had been a junior selector in the BCB since July 2016, having worked closely with the Bangladesh Under-19 side that lifted the World Cup in 2020.

This weekend might be the first one in a long time that West Ham United fans are actually looking forward to.

The East Londoners have been subjected to some terrible football and even worse results over the last year or so, but finally, the London Stadium was treated to an impressive win over Newcastle United last week.

It was Nuno Espírito Santo’s first win in charge, but he’s not got an altogether different challenge to face in Scott Parker’s Burnley.

The Clarets’ manager is still a firm fan favourite among West Ham fans, and it could be argued that one of their current players is now emulating him – and no, it’s not Freddie Potts.

West Ham's record against Burnley

West Ham’s game against Burnley this afternoon will be the 97th competitive meeting in all competitions.

Chalkboard

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

The two claret and blue sides first met back in November 1923, in a league game that the Hammers sadly lost 5-1.

However, while their first meeting didn’t end well for the East Londoners, they have won 40 games, drawn 21 and lost 35.

Moreover, the last five meetings between the two teams have been more fruitful for the Irons, with them winning twice and sharing the spoils three times.

Their last meeting was a Premier League match on March 10th, 2024.

The game ended 2-2 courtesy of goals from Lucas Paqueta, Danny Ings, David Datro Fofana, and an own goal from Dinos Mavropanos.

While another draw wouldn’t be the end of the world, Nuno and Co. will be looking to make the most of last weekend’s win and go on something of a run.

While the whole team will have to play their part to make that happen, much of the goalscoring burden will fall on the player who’s something of a modern-day Parker for West Ham.

West Ham's modern-day Parker

Parker joined West Ham from the Toon in the summer of 2007, and while he had to deal with a number of injuries early on, he established himself as one of the team’s most important players.

In fact, he was so crucial that he was named Hammer of the Year for three consecutive seasons and was even named England’s Player of the Year in 2011.

Unfortunately, when the Irons were relegated at the end of the 11/12 season, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur to keep his place in the national side.

Now, when it comes to a modern player who could be talked about in a similar way, there is only one who comes to mind: Jarrod Bowen.

Yes, he plays in an entirely different position, but over the last few years, he has been just as, if not more, important to the club.

For example, in 249 appearances, totalling 19881 minutes, the incredible “game changer,” as dubbed by journalist Roshane Thomas, has scored 77 goals and provided 53 assists.

That comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.91 games, or every 152.93 minutes, over a period of more than five years.

On top of that, he has also taken the responsibility of the captaincy, which, as things stand, must be a particularly heavy burden.

Finally, not only has he been a constant source of goals and assists for the club, but he is also the scorer of the goal that secured them their first European trophy.

Bowen’s West Ham Record
Appearances	249
Minutes	19881′
Goals	77
Assists	53
Goal Involvements per Match	0.52
Minutes per Goal Involvement	152.93
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, while someone like Potts might come to resemble Parker’s style of play more, Bowen embodies his spirit and truly is the current Mr West Ham.

West Ham's "supreme" star is going to be their biggest talent since Kudus

The incredible talent will become more important to West Ham than Kudus ever was.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 7, 2025