Leeds United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, but they are far from alone in the race to snap him up with as many as 16 Premier League clubs eyeing up a move.

Daniel Farke is feeling the heat at Elland Road after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League, even though he was in defiant spirits after the game.

Farke would love new signings in the January transfer window or next summer, should he still be in charge of Leeds at that point, and either way the 49ers Group are expected to be active this winter.

Leeds in 16-club battle to sign Conor Gallagher

According to a new report from Sky Sports, Leeds are one of 16 Premier League sides making enquiries for Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in 2026.

It is claimed that Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only top flight sides not showing interest, meaning the Whites could look to seal a deal for the England midfielder, who cost the Madrid outfit £34m last summer.

Atletico are unwilling to let Gallagher, who has publicly commented on his need for more game time ahead of the World Cup, leave on loan, meaning the 49ers will have to stump up a significant fee to seal a deal in January.

Gallagher would be a high-profile signing for Leeds, considering he is playing for one of the biggest teams in Spain and is a Europa League winner from his time at Chelsea. The 25-year-old is also a 22-cap England international, scoring once for his country, while Atletico manager Diego Simeone has heaped praise on the tenacious edge to his game.

He wants to join: Leeds choose number one manager candidate as Farke nears sack

The Whites have a Premier League-experienced boss ready to come in at the expense of Farke.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Leeds will know that being in a strong position for Premier League survival is paramount if they are to have a chance of signing him, but whether that influences their decision to stick or twist with Farke remains to be seen.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was pictured holding up a shirt with Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell little more than a month ago, and now he is the only one of those three men remaining at Ibrox.

The Light Blues announced on Monday that they have parted ways with their sporting director and CEO after the club’s dismal start to the season, and the failure of Russell Martin’s appointment.

Despite coming in after Martin won five of his 17 matches in all competitions, Rohl has won all four of his Scottish Premiership matches in the dugout so far, which is no mean feat.

The Gers had only won one league game before the German’s arrival at Ibrox, and goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande against Livingston claimed a fourth straight victory for Rohl on Saturday.

Despite those four wins in four games for the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, there is still plenty of work for the tactician to do to make sure that the Light Blues are competing for silverware moving forward.

For example, summer signing Oliver Antman failed to deliver once again in the win over Livingston and should be dropped from the starting line-up.

Why Danny Rohl must drop Oliver Antman for Rangers

Thelwell swooped to sign the Finland international for a fee of up to £4m from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer in an attempt to bolster Martin’s options on the flanks.

Unfortunately, the 24-year-old flanker has failed to deliver much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch since his move to Ibrox in the summer, with no goals and three assists in 18 matches, per Transfermarkt.

In fact, Antman has no goals and one assist in 17 games since his two assists on his debut against Viktoria Plzen, which illustrates just how much he has struggled in front of goal in recent weeks and months.

The Finnish forward, as shown in the graphic above, scored for his country during the recent international break, to go along with an assist, which means that he has been more productive for his national side than for Rangers this season.

Rohl provided the former Eredivisie star with a chance to shine from the start on the right wing against Livingston on Saturday, possibly due to his international form, but he did not reward the manager with a strong performance to justify his inclusion.

Minutes

64

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Crosses completed

0/3

Dribbles completed

3/7

Duels won

5/13

As you can see in the table above, Antman made little impact at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues, whilst he was also dominated by the Livingston defenders in physical contests.

With games against Braga in the Europa League and Falkirk in the Premiership coming up this week, Rohl must ruthlessly ditch the Finland international from the starting line-up to provide other players with an opportunity to impress.

Chalkboard

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

Antman has simply not done enough in the final third to suggest that he deserves a continued run of games in the team, as he has gone seven matches without a goal contribution in all competitions for the Gers.

With this in mind, the German head coach should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami from the start against Falkirk at the weekend, whilst he is unable to feature against Braga because Martin did not add him to the Europa League squad list.

Why Danny Rohl should finally unleash Nedim Bajrami for Rangers

Former sporting director Thelwell attempted to bolster the club’s options at the top end of the pitch with the signings of Djeidi Gassama, Thelo Aasgaard, Antman, Youssef Chermiti, Mikey Moore, and Bojan Miovski in the summer.

This shows that he attempted to replace Bajrami, who played in the attacking midfield and wide areas for Philippe Clement, as four of those players play in the Albania international’s main positions.

Per Transfermarkt, the £3.5m signing from Sassuolo has only played 196 minutes in all competitions. 24 players have played more minutes for the club, including players like Jeft and Cyriel Dessers, who left in the summer.

Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, which now perfectly sums up his situation at Ibrox this season, as he has been so rarely used.

Now, though, Rohl should unleash the Albanian flop from the start in the Premiership because he has the potential to be an upgrade on Antman at the top end of the pitch, based on his form at times for Clement last season.

Whilst it would be disingenuous to suggest that Bajrami had an amazing debut campaign with Rangers, there were some promising signs in his performances domestically and in Europe that suggest that he has more to offer to the team.

Starts

15

8

Goals

2

1

Big chances missed

2

0

Key passes per game

1.0

1.3

Big chances created

4

6

Assists

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the versatile attacker was not fairly rewarded for his creativity in the 2024/25 campaign, as his teammates only scored one of the ten ‘big chances’ that he created.

This season, Antman has only created two ‘big chances’ and delivered one assist in 12 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League combined, per Sofascore, which suggests that Bajrami could provide more creativity than the Finnish flop.

Thelwell attempted to replace the former Serie B playmaker in the summer with a host of new signings, but these statistics suggest that the former Rangers chief failed to do so successfully.

This is why Rohl should ditch Antman to unleash Bajrami, who could offer more quality in the final third, when the Gers face Falkirk in the Premiership on Sunday, to see if he can ignite his Ibrox career under the German boss.

Better than any Thelwell transfer: Rangers submit bid for "incredible" star

Rangers are reportedly the frontrunners to sign this star who would be a better addition than any Kevin Thelwell signing.

ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

Manchester City have entered the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, triggering what is expected to become a fierce three-way transfer battle with rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. The 23-year-old has rapidly evolved into one of England’s most complete young midfielders, and interest in him has escalated to the point where Forest now privately value him at £100 million ($132m).

Premier League heavyweights prepare for bidding war

According to City’s director of football Hugo Viana and manager Pep Guardiola are understood to be long-standing admirers of Anderson’s game intelligence. Club scouts have attended multiple Forest matches this season, keeping a close eye on the midfielder’s development as he cements himself in the England setup. Forest, for their part, have no intention of allowing him to leave in January. However, senior figures at the City Ground acknowledge that a substantial bid ahead of next summer’s World Cup could force their hand.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCity’s midfield reshuffle & Anderson’s appeal

City are targeting wide reinforcements for the January window, with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo under serious consideration at around £65m ($86m). Yet internally, plans for a midfield signing next summer are well underway, and Anderson is at the top of their list. His ability to operate as a No.6, No.8, or even in an advanced midfield role has impressed Guardiola, who sees him as a long-term addition capable of integrating seamlessly into City’s possession-based system. The Englishman’s adaptability is viewed as a major asset, especially with Rodri’s workload increasing and with the club seeking a younger midfielder who can mould into Guardiola’s philosophy.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has been discussed, but insiders now believe Anderson offers a more complete package. Liverpool and United, meanwhile, have been tracking Anderson for months. Both clubs anticipate heavy midfield turnover in the coming windows and regard the Forest star as a cornerstone signing for the next generation.

Tuchel's glowing praise on Anderson

Anderson has grown into one of the most dynamic midfielders in the league, earning six England caps since September. Thomas Tuchel, his national team manager, offered glowing praise during the September break.

"He’s just a very, very good football player," Tuchel said after the 2-0 qualifying win over Andorra. "He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see.

"I think the team around him made it as easy as possible for him and he had a very strong performance. I think he showed today that he adapts to the situation. Can he show what he showed in training? Can he show what he showed with Nottingham and the under-21s? He played with a lot of freedom. He was very quickly in the flow. I think he has the physicality and he has the mindset to play in more difficult games."

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Getty Images SportHowe regrets Anderson sale

For Newcastle fans, Anderson’s success elsewhere remains bittersweet. Eddie Howe has openly admitted that selling him was "a decision the club had no choice but to make," and still maintains hope that the midfielder could one day return.

“I don’t know (if the move will happen), but certainly from my perspective I would love him to,” he said. “It is very regretful a player from the academy who had given so much, and the club had given so much to for him not to be utilised here is a real shame. We had no choice but to make the sale, but it was not one we wanted to do. It didn’t sit right with me then and doesn’t sit right with me today.”

Speaking about his versatility, Howe added: "It is very difficult to define one position for him. There are not many players I can say that about. He has got unique strengths. He is very good deeper, but I can definitely see him playing higher up as an 8 or a 10, because he is very good in central areas.  But he's also good wide, like he was for us at wide left. He's a very talented technical player and can do anything he wants with the ball. Those players are very precious."

Despite the noise, Anderson is keeping his head down. Speaking to , he outlined his goals for the season in typical understated fashion.

"My biggest aim this season is to add some numbers [goals and assists] to my performances, that will probably take me to the next level," he said.  "I’m focusing on the next game and then the game after that, to try and make an impact. But obviously, all eyes are on the World Cup."

Liverpool are breaking records for all the wrong reasons following their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven. Arne Slot's side were looking to bounce back from their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest at the weekend but they found no mercy in the Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday. With that defeat, they claimed some unwanted records, too.

• Questions mount for Slot

  Not many would have thought Liverpool could follow up their 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest with a 4-1 defeat at Anfield to PSV, but they did on Wednesday night. The Reds seem a million miles away from the side that romped to the Premier League title last season, something that is all the more remarkable as they have spent more than £400 million on players this summer. After the game, manager Arne Slot said he is not doubting his players but that cannot be said for himself.

  He told beIN Sports: "I'm not questioning the players, because I know that we have very good players. Their mentality after us going 1-0 down was also what I was hoping for, but also what you have to expect if you are a Liverpool player. So it's something normal for me that you're questioning your line-ups, you're questioning your tactics, you're questioning the substitutions you make, but that's also what you do if you don't lose every single time. But it's normal for me to question the choices I make, because I've said many times that I'm responsible for this situation. But the players have so much quality that this cannot continue like this. And I think again today, especially the first half, we showed how many chances we can create, but it's not for the first time this season that we don't score them." 

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• Liverpool make unwanted history

  According to OptaJoe, Liverpool have now lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions – their most defeats over a 12-match spell since November 1953 to January 1954 (nine). Moreover, the Reds have now lost three consecutive games in all competitions by a margin of three or more goals for the first time since December 1953.

  Slot also told TNT Sports: "The emotions are very negative and disappointing. The way we conceded the 1-0. I want to be positive about the reaction of the players when we went 1-0 down. We came back into the game and had chances to go 2-1 up. I don't think anyone thought we would lose 4-1."

• Liverpool 'not in a crisis'

  While things are almost unimaginably bleak for Liverpool right now, club legend Steven Gerrard does not think the club are in a "crisis". But he did say that confidence amongst the team will be at an "all-time low". 

  He said on TNT Sports: "Crisis is a very strong word and disrespectful to some of the players that have delivered for this football club, and for the manager that's delivered three months ago. If this was six months down the line, a year down the line and we're further away from that success, maybe you can use that word. But you can't deny the team is struggling massively, they're on a terrible run, confidence is at an all-time low and they just keep bleeding. Unless the managers can find answers and stability in the team it's going to continue."

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  Liverpool to stick with Salah?

  Questions have also been asked about Mohamed Salah's place in the team after an unusually slow start to the season for the Egypt international. Amid calls for Slot to drop the 33-year-old, Gerrard says he can see why the Dutchman sticks by him.

  The ex-Rangers manager added: "They're in a real difficult moment. Whoever is managing Liverpool right now would pick Mo Salah. Liverpool need all the good players on the pitch to try and find some stability. They're conceding too many goals, they're wide open in transition. Look very vulnerable and unstable soon as the ball turns over. Anfield tells a story, the seats were empty with 10 minutes to go, as soon as the third goal went in the game was over. Liverpool's problems become deeper, the pressure intensifies even more. There needs to be a lot of soul searching tonight for sure."

  After this demoralising loss, Liverpool travel to lowly West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. Not many would be surprised by a defeat in east London this weekend.

Richard Gould talks about how five-Test series have led to a resurgence of Test cricket, and why the WTC isn’t the “be-all and end-all” for England

Matt Roller17-Jun-2025″We know how big it is,” says Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, as cricket vies to take centre stage in English sport over the next six weeks. “It is a huge summer.”English cricket struggled for any level of cut-through last year. It was the Paris Olympics and the men’s football European Championships that drew the attention of the casual sports fan and an underwhelming international summer of cricket fell flat: the abiding image was the backdrop of thousands of empty seats at Lord’s when England wrapped up their series win over Sri Lanka.But the next six weeks will provide a rare chance to capture the imagination of the British public, against a relatively quiet set of rival events. India are in town for men’s, women’s, A team, age-group and Disability series, and after England swatted aside Zimbabwe’s men and two underperforming West Indies teams, Friday’s first Test at Headingley marks the start of the main event.”Last summer, there were all sorts of things happening all over the place, weren’t there?” Gould says at Lord’s. “I think that is one of the great things about a five-Test series: it is a proper long-read; it’s something that people can get really into. There will be subplots, and sub-subplots. There will be all sorts of issues over that six-week period.”Related

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India’s men have not won in England since 2007, and three of their all-time greats – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin – have quit Test cricket in the last six months. But their off-field dominance of the global game is such that the ECB now considers a Test series against India on par with the Ashes. “Certainly, in terms of commercial importance,” Gould says.Most tickets were sold before the end of last year, and Gould was buoyed by India’s recent tour to Australia – their first five-Test series there since 1991-92. “There’s been lots of discussion about short formats, but Test cricket is doing quite a resurgence in its own way,” he says. “Particularly with the five-Test series: we’re seeing more of those than we have done for a long time.”England’s next two Test series – at home to India, then away in Australia – will be the sixth and seventh five-match series of the decade, after nine in the 2010s. For the last 20 years, five-Test series have been the preserve of the Big Three, but for the 2027-31 Future Tours Programme, the ECB is exploring the viability of playing another opponent across five Tests.The most compelling candidates are South Africa, not least after their victory over Australia to win the World Test Championship. England have not embraced the tournament as wholeheartedly as many of their opponents, but the freshly minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will mark the start of a new cycle for both teams – though perhaps not a new attitude towards it.”The WTC, for us, is not the be-all and end-all,” Gould says, speaking before last week’s final, “because we also enjoy the Ashes and we will enjoy the India series.”Pragmatically, financially, those are things that underpin the sport in England, and I don’t see that changing. We’re very fortunate in that we are able to contribute to the ICC model, but we also have a really strong game here in our domestic market.India last played a Test series in England in 2021 and 2022, and drew 2-2•PA Photos/Getty Images”For Australia, India and England, those three Test series [against one another] are the very first things that go into the FTP, bar none.”There is no immediate prospect of them happening more regularly. “Those are scheduled out to 2031 already, and we’ll probably try to get them scheduled out to 2035 as soon as we can.”The ECB lobbied unsuccessfully for changes to the WTC’s model, proposing changes to the penalties for slow over-rates, and advocating for a sliding-points scale based on the quality of opposition. “Test cricket is richer for the event, despite its peculiarities,” Gould says. Until England qualify for a final, their complaints will sound like sour grapes.Last week’s final was the third in a row staged in England, and the ICC is expected to confirm at July’s annual conference that England will retain hosting rights despite interest from India. “We don’t think that we’ve got any absolute right to be the continual host of the WTC [final], but there are advantages to having it here,” Gould says.”Irrespective of who gets into the final, we will sell it out… We’re probably the only member nation within the ICC that could deliver that. We recognise that perhaps others would like to take it around the world at some point… But the worry is if you move it, end up with two neutral teams, and don’t get a crowd, the whole thing could devalue and deflate pretty quickly.”India’s commercial heft means that Gould is always conscious of his relationship with the BCCI, never more so than during a bilateral series between the two teams. He has a new counterpart in Devajit Saikia, who became secretary after Jay Shah’s uncontested election as ICC chair. And Gould says that ties between the boards are “really very strong and deep”.Recent cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan indirectly tested that dynamic. The ECB brought Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks home from the IPL before the tournament’s rescheduled playoffs, for an ODI series against West Indies, despite the misgivings of those players’ franchises, though Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson were granted no-objection certificates as replacements.All three WTC finals have been held in England so far•Getty ImagesThe political situation has also led the ECB to increase India’s security detail during their tour. “It is something that is constantly at the forefront of our mind,” Gould says. “Additional provisions have been made ready, just to provide the confidence and the comfort that everybody requires… We plan for all eventualities.”The true extent of India’s dominance at the ICC level will become clear at next month’s annual conference, the first of Shah’s tenure. The BCCI already takes home 38.5% of the ICC revenue under the model devised for the 2024-27 cycle, over five times more than the ECB; an Indian chair is only likely to further ensconce its power within the sport’s global body.But Gould insists that India are responsible global citizens, arguing that the share of ICC revenues they retain is far smaller than the proportion they create through lucrative broadcast deals. “The dominance comes from the fact that most of the product that is purchased comes from the Indian market,” he says.”One of the beauties and frustrations of membership organisations is, they are very democratic. Those checks and balances are largely in play through that democratic basis, and it is one member, one vote. Clearly when there are big things in play, there’s lobbying, but it is essentially run along democratic lines.”Having all ICC events in India would drive a lot of value, but all of the members know that they want to take cricket on a more global journey than that, and that’s why you see events in Pakistan, West Indies, and even New York. These are all significant statements in terms of cricket being a global game, while understanding that much of the revenue comes from India.”Yet cricket’s financial inequities provide obvious challenges. While the ECB can retain its best male players thanks to lucrative central contracts and has invested heavily in the women’s game, opponents with fewer resources are struggling.”The most important thing is to make sure that we’ve got competitive tours and tournaments, and that’s not always possible,” Gould says.Gould expects the revenue generated from the sale of the Hundred franchises to filter down and fund the development of the wider game in England•Getty Images”At times, we will end up playing against countries where there’s a mismatch – and that may be us, or it may be them. The investment we are putting into the women’s game is going to have an accelerating effect in terms of the quality of cricket we’ve got here. We need to acknowledge that we’re lucky in terms of the resources we’ve got, and not all members are sufficiently lucky.”Those boards may roll their eyes in frustration at the ECB, with private investment – and subsequent salary increases – in the Hundred only likely to accelerate the talent drain away from international cricket. The £520 million sales of stakes in the eight franchises are not yet complete, but the board remains confident that they will be signed off soon.Gould predicts “a layering or tiering” of short-form leagues in the coming years: “The PSL and the IPL is a very good example of that, and we’ll see more of that. It happens in other sports. Look at European soccer: everybody is tiered, but then there is competition within those tiers – can the Bundesliga overtake the Premier League or La Liga?”He also believes that the first-class counties are “starting to grasp” the scale of opportunity that funds from the Hundred’s sale will create. “Normally, if a sporting investment is sold, somebody trousers some money and ends up buying a yacht somewhere,” Gould says. “That’s not happening here: every single pound that’s coming in is going to strengthen the sport.”You’ll have the Hundred sitting there as ostensibly an apex of the sport, but all the money that’s coming in is within the pyramid further below. Whether it’s women and girls’ participation, marketing, quality of pathway pitches, facilities, floodlights, all of that is going to receive a huge investment, which, in the end, will also add value to what the investors are buying into.”The Hundred will again dominate the month of August in English cricket, with a clear window and no clashes against international fixtures this summer. But for now, the focus falls squarely on Test cricket and a series that rarely fails to deliver.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed what he told defender Riccardo Calafiori right before his immediate impact off the bench against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Arsenal cruise to statement win over Bayern Munich

The Gunners enjoyed a night to remember in Europe on Wednesday after putting Vincent Kompany’s side to the sword over what was a phenomenal second-half display.

Heading into the game, Bayern were unbeaten in all competitions and had reigned victorious in every single game bar one, with Arsenal inflicting their first defeat of 2025/2026.

On paper, it was perhaps Arsenal’s toughest test of the season against Europe’s most in-form team, but the north Londoners still found a way to win and extend their own unbeaten run to an incredible 16 matches on the trot.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Bukayo Saka directed a corner towards the near post and Jurrien Timber glanced his header past the flapping Manuel Neuer to open the scoring, but out of nowhere Bayern conjured up an equaliser.

Joshua Kimmich pinged the ball out to former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned it first time into the path of Lennart Karl. Cool as you like, the teenager – who became Bayern’s youngest Champions League goalscorer against Brugge last month – did not break stride as he crashed his first-time volley into the roof of the net.

Moments later a Kane pirouette in the area had Arsenal flustered until William Saliba hacked the ball clear at the second attempt.

After the break, Saka, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino all threatened for the hosts before the second goal arrived in the 69th minute.

Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano gave the ball away, substitute Calafiori swung in a low cross and Madueke pounced from six yards out – scoring his first ever goal for Arsenal.

Neuer then suffered a horrible moment as he came out to deal with Eze’s long ball, only for another sub, Gabriel Martinelli, to waltz past him and finish into an empty net.

Related "Magnificent" – Ally McCoist hails "out of this world" Arsenal star in Bayern Munich win

He was truly exceptional on a night to remember for the Gunners.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

‘Are you Tottenham in disguise?’ and ‘Harry, what’s the score?’ were the predictable chants from the home fans as they revelled in their old foe’s misery, all while celebrating a deserved, statement win against the Bundesliga champions.

Declan Rice put on a man of the match display against Bayern, one of his best ever performances since joining the club, but Arteta’s substitutions were inspired and a key part of why they won the blockbuster clash.

Mikel Arteta reveals key Riccardo Calafiori message before Arsenal assist

Just one minute after being introduced by Arteta, left-back Calafiori, who replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly, put the ball on a plate for Madueke after darting in behind to whip in a low cross.

The Italy international played a major role in putting Arsenal back into the ascendancy, with Arteta revealing what he told Calafiori right before his game-changing assist against Bayern.

The £42 million signing from Bologna has further staked his claim as Arsenal’s undisputed number one left-back, and contributions like last night highlight exactly why Lewis-Skelly has struggled for minutes.

In the background, reports suggest that Chelsea are making a bold attempt to convince Lewis-Skelly to join them amid his lack of match action, but the Hale End sensation is determined to battle his way back into the starting eleven.

Unfortunately for him, the teenager might have a hard time doing so with Calafiori proving so instrumental for Arteta right now.

Australia 98 for 3 (Mooney 42) beat South Africa 97 (King 7-18) by seven wicketsAlana King reigned supreme as defending champions Australia finished the Women’s World Cup group stage in dominant fashion with a crushing seven-wicket win over South Africa in Indore. Australia will now take on hosts India in the second semi-final in Navi Mumbai on October 30, while South Africa will travel to Guwahati to face England in the first semi on October 29.King claimed Australia’s best figures in women’s ODIs, and the first seven-wicket haul at a Women’s World Cup, as South Africa were rolled for 97 with a whopping 26 overs to spare. Across the men’s and women’s game, King’s figures of 7 for 18 put her second only to Glenn McGrath (whose 7 for 15 came against Namibia in 2003) in the history of 50-over World Cups.Related

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• Two Australian players molested in Indore during Women's World Cup

King, who took four wickets without giving up a run in her first 15 balls, proved almost impossible for South Africa to play on a surface that gripped from an early stage. She conceded only nine scoring shots across seven overs of mesmerising control, hitting the stumps four times in a bewitching display that took her to third on this edition’s wicket-taking list.Only three South Africa batters managed to reach double-figures in an innings that provided uncomfortable reminders of the collapse for 69 in their opening group game against England, whom they will play again in the semi-final.Australia lost two early wickets – Phoebe Litchfield edging an expansive drive to slip before Nadine de Klerk’s flying catch saw off Ellyse Perry – but the result was never in doubt thereafter as Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney put on a stand of 76 in 65 balls. Mooney departed with 11 still needed but Voll finished unbeaten on 38 as Australia romped home with more than 33 overs unused.Asked to bat in muggy, overcast conditions, South Africa were given a good start by captain Laura Wolvaardt, who looked in excellent touch while striking seven boundaries in her 31 off 26 balls. She had scored all but one run of the opening stand, and South Africa imploded spectacularly after her dismissal to Megan Schutt in the seventh over.From 42 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, they were 43 for 4 after King’s first over, and then 60 for 6 midway through her third. De Klerk survived the hat-trick by edging another sharp legbreak for four, and Sinalo Jafta counterpunched with a brisk knock of 29 off 17. But King cleaned up Jafta to complete a five-wicket haul, then removed Masabata Klaas’ off stump as a bamboozled South Africa slipped to 88 for 8 and then 97 all out. King, appropriately, finished the innings by spinning one through de Klerk for her seventh.Alana King bagged her second ODI five-for•ICC/Getty Images

King’s haul showcased her supreme command of flight and turn. She was, however, aided and abetted by South Africa’s seemingly unwavering commitment to attacking shots. Sune Luus tried to take her on second ball, only managing to top-edge a slog-sweep to mid-on, while Annerie Dercksen saw her leg stump uprooted when aiming an expansive drive down the ground.Marizanne Kapp was almost dismissed twice in the space of her four balls from King, lucky initially to see a leading edge clear the bowler before slashing limply to backward point. Chloe Tryon flipped her first ball to midwicket, after the dismissal of Dercksen; having taken King for back-to-back fours down the ground and through third (accounting for 40% of the runs King conceded), Jafta’s off stump was toppled as she went for another heave across the line.King’s rampage was briefly interrupted by Ashleigh Gardner getting in on the act, having Ayabonga Khaka bowled playing down the wrong line. Nonkululeko Mlaba survived when nicking King behind, the catch deflecting over slip off Mooney’s gloves, but Australia’s spin queen was not to be denied.Both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals, but South Africa’s rapid demise meant they bookended the group stage with two of the four shortest completed innings at Women’s World Cups.Tahlia McGrath, who again deputised for Alyssa Healy as Australia’s captain continued her recovery from a calf strain, said at the toss the group leaders were “getting closer” to their best after a hard-fought win over England at Holkar Stadium in midweek. This performance suggested they are ominously close.Wolvaardt, having admitted she, too, would have preferred to bowl, did her best to stand up with the bat. She capitalised on a poor second over from Schutt to peel off four boundaries, and looked in serene touch – in contrast to her partner, Tazmin Brits, who was 1 off 14 balls when Wolvaardt spooned to midwicket. King, in her first act of wizardry for the day, did brilliantly to get her fingers under the ball.Luus got off the mark with a toe-ended boundary and Brits found her timing to flick Kim Garth through midwicket, but 42 for 1 was about as good as it got for South Africa. In the final over of the powerplay, Brits was pinned in front of the stumps by a Garth legcutter that stayed low – and then it was over to King to crown proceedings with a regal display.

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty Images

Nitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

Mariners outfielder Victor Robles is working his way back to MLB after suffering a shoulder injury while making a phenomenal catch in the outfield earlier this season.

Currently rehabbing at Triple-A Tacoma, Robles was ejected from Sunday's game after a truly wild outburst stemming from him getting hit by a pitch. The first pitch of Robles' at-bat in the third inning ran up and inside, prompting Robles to chop at it in order to avoid getting hit.

Irate, Robles retaliated by launching his bat in the direction of the pitcher's mound, immediately resulting in the home plate umpire signaling for his ejection. Robles had some words for the opposing pitcher before attempting to charge the mound, though he was ultimately held back by the umpire and some of his teammates.

The meltdown didn't end there, however. After exiting the field, Robles continued his tirade into the dugout where he proceeded to litter the field with some snacks before eventually retreating into the locker room.

A truly shocking meltdown from the veteran outfielder.