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Rashid also stars as Bangladesh target of 222 is overhauled with ease

Mohammad Isam08-Oct-2025Azmatullah Omarzai’s allround performance took Afghanistan to a five-wicket win against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Omarzai picked up three wickets before he contributed with an aggressive 40 when Afghanistan lost set batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in their 222-run chase.Afghanistan completed the win in the 48th over, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi unbeaten on 34, while the veteran Mohammad Nabi struck the winning runs with a six off Saif Hassan.It turned out to be a day of milestones for the Afghanistan side. After Rashid Khan became the first from his team to reach 200 wickets in ODIs, Rahmat also became the first from Afghanistan to reach 4,000 runs in the format. Rashid is the second fastest spinner to reach 200 wickets, having taken 115 matches.Rashid also took three wickets in the match, removing top-scorer captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan at a crucial stage in the Bangladesh innings. When Afghanistan bowled them out for 221 runs in 48.5 overs, it gave them the momentum going into the chase.Afghanistan began their reply brightly too. Ibrahim Zadran struck the first three boundaries, before Rahmanullah Gurbaz blasted Taskin Ahmed down the ground for a six. The opening pair raised their 50-run stand in the ninth over, before Tanvir Islam broke through with an excellent delivery. The left-arm spinner got the ball to turn well away from Zadran who walked past the delivery, before Nurul Hasan completed the stumping.Tanzim Hasan then got one to rear at Sediqullah Atal, who tried to move away from the line of the ball, but it took his outside edge, to nestle into Tanzid Hasan’s grasp in the slips.Similar to how Mehidy and Hridoy batted for Bangladesh after they lost three quick wickets, Rahmat Shah and Gurbaz lowered their run-rate significantly. When Rahmat smashed Tanvir inside-out for a boundary in the 21st over, it was their first for 73 deliveries.He struck one more boundary in the next ten overs, before Tanzim had him caught at midwicket for exactly 50. Four balls after the 78-run third wicket stand was broken, Mehidy got one to spin through Gurbaz, who also fell for 50.Afghanistan however landed in the safe hands of their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai. The pair added 59 runs for the fifth wicket, with Omarzai picking apart two Bangladesh bowlers at a crucial stage. He blazed Mehidy in his last over, for a four and a six, before spanking Tanzim for three fours in a row in the 43rd over.Omarzai fell later in the same over, caught at short midwicket for 40 off 44 balls, with six fours and a six. Afghanistan though had turned the corner in the chase, as Omarzai left with the team needing 27 runs to win in the last seven overs. Shahidi and Nabi turned it into a cakewalk, as they won with 17 balls to spare.Bangladesh though couldn’t get going with the bat despite a 101-run fourth wicket stand between captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy. Both reached fifties but fell shortly afterwards too. Mehidy and Hridoy had rescued Bangladesh after they lost three wickets in the first 11.5 overs. Saif Hassan was striking the ball cleanly for his five boundaries, but when he fell for 26, Bangladesh had to rebuild.Mehidy and Hridoy batted out nine overs with just one boundary, before hitting three sixes in consecutive overs. Hridoy however was run out after a mix-up with Mehidy, having made 56. When Mehidy fell lbw to Rashid Khan for 60, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan followed him back to the pavilion in the same way, to the same bowler. Omarzai also took three wickets, having given Afghanistan the early breakthroughs.

Rain seems to be following NZ at this World Cup and there is more expected in Visakhapatnam

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Oct-20254:21

Preview: Will England’s middle order step up?

Big picture: Can New Zealand salvage some pride?

There is very nearly nothing on the line. If England win, they finish No. 2, which does not change their semi-final tie – they will play South Africa regardless. But that little bump up the table will certainly help them progress if the Guwahati knockout is subsequently rained out.New Zealand leave themselves at risk of slipping down to No. 7 or 8 if they lose, but even that is unlikely – Bangladesh having to beat India by a significant margin. The White Ferns will nevertheless be intent on salvaging a victory from an otherwise disappointing campaign. They had had to endure two washouts in Colombo, but have only beaten Bangladesh in their completed matches, going down comfortably to South Africa, India, and Australia.It is also Sophie Devine’s last match in the ODI format, with New Zealand’s captain having announced her retirement at the end of this World Cup. Devine is 36. Team-mate Suzie Bates, who is 38, could also be playing her last World Cup match, though she has not herself announced a retirement.England, meanwhile, may use this as an opportunity to tune up ahead of the final. They have consistently put up the same XI most of the way through the campaign. Perhaps they will give some tired bodies a rest.New Zealand have lost eight of their last nine ODIs against England•ICC/Getty Images

Form guide

England: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand: LWLLW

In the spotlight: Sophie Devine and England’s spin trio

One-hundred-and-fifty-eight matches, 4,256 runs, 110 wickets – whichever way you slice it, Sophie Devine‘s numbers are immense. She had been the form batter of the tournament weeks ago, when she hit 112 against Australia, 85 against South Africa, and 63 against Bangladesh. The back-to-back washouts might have broken a litttle of her rhythm however. Can she regain it for her final ODI innings?Between Sophie Ecclestone (11), Linsey Smith (9), and Charlie Dean (7), England’s frontline spinners have 27 wickets in the tournament. None of these bowlers have gone at more than five an over (Dean has been by a distance the most expensive, with an economy rate of 4.73). They’d mostly had a quiet game in the loss to Australia. They will attempt to reimpose themselves.

Team news: Will England rest key players?

England may ring in the changes. With Sophia Dunkley not having made a major impact this tournament, could Danni Wyatt-Hodge come in? Could legspinner Sarah Glenn give one of the frontline spinners a rest?England (possible): 1 Amy Jones (wk), 2 Tammy Beaumont, 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley/Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone/Sarah Glenn, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren BellFor New Zealand, there’s a little scrutiny on the place of Eden Carson, who has taken two wickets in the tournament.New Zealand (possible): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine, 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Rosemary Mair, 10, Lea Tahuhu, 11 Eden Carson4:19

Healy, Knight, Mandhana, Devine, Dottin – analysing the best six-hitters

Pitch and conditions: Can the rain please stop?

You won’t believe this, but there are rains forecast for Visakhapatnam on Sunday, with a cyclone supposedly brewing in the Bay of Bengal. So far this venue has seen medium-to-high scores during this World Cup, with India and Australia both having made more than 330 here in one match.

Stats and trivia: NZ’s poor record vs England

• Sophie Ecclestone has taken at least one wicket in every match she has played so far this World Cup.
• Although she’s played only four innings, Devine is still among the tournament’s top five run-scorers, with 266 runs at an average of 66.50.
• New Zealand have lost eight of their last nine ODIs against England – a stretch that goes back to September 2021.

Keeper-batter’s first List A century for Durham was followed by Will Rhodes’ maiden List A five-for

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025A brilliant century from Ollie Robinson and an excellent all-round effort from Will Rhodes led Durham to a 51-run victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robinson’s counter-attacking century, which was his first List A ton for Durham, supported by a gutsy innings from Rhodes fired Durham to a total of 310 for 7 from their 50 overs, with Archie Lenham the pick of the Sussex bowlers.Sussex’s chase of 311 got off to a poor start as they found themselves 86 for 4 at one point, but middle order runs from Danny Lamb dragged his side back in the game.However, Rhodes secured Durham the opening day victory with his first ever List A five-wicket haul.Sussex won the toss at a sunny Roseworth Terrace and elected to bowl first and they got off to a great start as Alex Lees edged a Fynn Hudson-Prentice delivery behind to Charlie Tear in the opening over.Rhodes and Emilio Gay settled Durham down after the early loss and reached 50 in the powerplay as the former produced a crunching straight drive for four.Rhodes then reached his half-century from 43 balls on his List A debut for Durham, while Gay started to show some aggression as he took the aerial route to find the cover boundary.Gay then tried to launch a Jack Carson delivery down the ground for six, but he was caught well by Ari Karvelas for 34.
Sussex then struck again as Lamb bowled Colin Ackermann for 14 to leave things finely poised.Robinson joined Rhodes at the crease and looked to be proactive as he pulled a Lenham ball for four and he followed that up with a cut shot on the back foot that went for four.Rhodes then hit the first maximum of the day as he gave a Carson ball the treatment with a beautiful slog sweep.Robinson then got his fifty from 47 balls, getting to the milestone with a six, but Rhodes fell four short of his century as Lenham got him caught at deep square. Wickets then came like buses for Sussex as Lamb got Ben Raine for six.
Despite the wickets, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking over and picked up another maximum as he pulled a Henry Crocombe ball over the ropes.Haydon Mustard, making his first appearance of the season, also looked to move Durham towards 300 as he picked up a couple of boundaries including a lovely cut shot.Mustard then fell for a lively 36, but Robinson reached his century off 78 balls to take his side to a big total.
The centurion fell for 100 exactly, Ari Karvelas picking up the wicket, but Durham reached 310 for seven at the end of their 50 overs.Tom Haines and Danial Ibrahim started Sussex’s chase of 311, but it got off to a bad start as Ibrahim was caught behind off the bowling of Codi Yusuf for two.Durham cranked up the pressure as George Drissell got Tom Clark caught behind for 14.Haines showed a glimpse of some aggression as he reverse swept Drissell for four, however, Tear departed for nine after he pulled a Mitch Killeen delivery straight to Yusuf in the deep.Killeen then struck again as he got Haines for 23 as he chipped one straight to Ackermann at mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was frustrating Durham and he took a liking to James Minto’s bowling as he smashed one over the square boundary and out of the ground.Durham got the big wicket of Hudson-Prentice for 43 as he went for a second run, but a throw came in from Yusuf and Robinson whipped the bails off with aplomb.Oli Carter then hammered one from Drissell down the ground for six and followed that up with a four off Minto.
Danny Lamb then hit Ben Raine for six to boost his team’s hopes and he backed that up with a tidy flick off his legs for four a few balls later.Lamb continued his charge, dragging his side back into the game with some powerful strokes and reached his fifty from 35 balls.However, Carter departed for 38 as Rhodes got him caught behind to halt Sussex’s momentum. Lamb continued his assault on the Durham attack as he pulled a Yusuf ball for four, but Rhodes got another wicket, getting Carson caught and bowled for four.Rhodes got his third, removing Lamb for an excellent 74 to leave Durham on the verge of victory.
Rhodes then wrapped things up for Durham to bowl Sussex out for 259 and he finished with figures of 5 for 30.

Idrissa Gueye was shockingly sent off for Everton after striking the face of team-mate Michael Keane in their Premier League game at Manchester United. Seconds after the Red Devils shot narrowly wide, the veteran angrily confronted the defender, before appearing to hit out at him. Referee Tony Harrington immediately issued a red card as the Toffees went down to 10 men after just 13 minutes.

Early drama at Old Trafford

In shades of Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dier for Newcastle United in 2005, Gueye clashed with Everton team-mate Keane on Monday night. The former was soon giving his marching orders, with the Premier League quickly moving to explain the decision.

The Premier League match centre posted on X: "The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane."

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On Sky Sports' commentary, United legend Gary Neville expressed his shock at what he had just seen, while praising Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for trying to diffuse the situation.

He said: "There's a coming together between him and Michael Keane. It always looks unsavoury when it is team-mate on team-mate. Idrissa Gueye has gone towards Michael Keane, who hasn't really reacted. He just pushes them, and then there is not much in it. I think Jordan Pickford does a very good job, to be fair to him."

'Game's gone'

@agbnufc_ wrote on X: "Shades of Bowyer vs Dyer you love to see it."

@ChelsChris03 tweeted: "That is the softest red card I’ve ever seen. Let’s just say if that was 2 united players it’d never be a red card."

@0xJonnyDee commented: "What a moron. Slapping your own teammate and getting sent off for it. Not seen that in a long time."

@ViscogliosiLuca mused: "Is that really worthy of a red card?. A bit of handbags, nothing more than that."

@brxdzQPR quipped: "Get a camera in that half time dressing room and interview Gueye at half time immediately. Only time I’ll advocate a half time interview."

@Alexander_divi exclaimed: "MICHAEL KEANE CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HE JUST WITNESSED. HE GOT SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY HIS OWN TEAMMATE WHO THEN GOT SEND OFF."

@mevans_11 agreed with Neville, writing: "Think a yellow would’ve been fine. If that’s against an opponent, I think it’s a yellow 50% of the time. The fact that it’s his own teammate should see it even more likely to be a yellow."

@ftbIdxniel put: "Game's gone," and @Ash_LFC7 added: "So pushing your own team mate gives you a red card now. Honestly the PGMOL are an utter embarrassment. Football is a dying sport."

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Getty Images SportEverton make unwanted history

According to BBC Sport, Arsenal, and now Everton, have been shown more red cards than any other side in Premier League history at 110. Moreover, Gueye became the first player to be red carded in the division for fighting with a team-mate since Stoke City duo Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin in December 2008.

Incidentally, the laws around 'violent conduct' state: 'Sending off offence – Striking an opponent or any other person on the head or face with their hand or arm, unless the force used was negligible."

And according to Neville, it could have easily been avoided if the correct card was dished out. 

"Was it negligible? That's the question. I think it was negligible. I don't think there was much in that at all," he said. "They were not fighting, it wasn't a scrap. It could have been dealt with by a yellow. I don't think it needed to be a red. I'm now trying to imagine what Gueye and Keane say when they get to the dressing room. How is that one going to go?"

Things just keep getting better and better for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side remain undefeated in the Champions League going into their game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and, following their 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, are six points clear atop the Premier League table.

The star of their derby win was unquestionably hat-trick hero Eberechi Eze, but there was also another stellar performance from Leandro Trossard, who scored and assisted a goal.

The Belgian has been in sensational form so far this year, but based on recent reports, his long-term place at Arsenal could be in danger.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

Towards the end of last season, it felt like there was a strong chance that Trossard would be one of the players sold by Arsenal in the summer.

A move away seemed even more likely when reports touting him to sides in Turkey and Germany started to pop up in July.

However, the club opted to keep him and hand him a pay rise instead, which, following his return of ten goal involvements in 15 appearances, is a decision that has been more than justified.

With that said, it now looks like the Gunners are looking to sign an upgrade on the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem.

At least that is according to a report from Spain, which claims Arsenal have reignited their intense interest in Rodrygo.

The report has revealed that the North Londoners have held internal talks over the potential move and, according to other sources, are preparing a proposal of €80m, including add-ons, which comes to around £70m.

The good news is that Real Madrid would consider selling the Brazilian international, though the bad news is that Liverpool are also said to be keen.

Therefore, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrugo’s ability, one worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Trossard.

How Rodrygo compares to Trossard

Now, it would be fair to say that so far this year, Trossard has been unreal and is arguably performing at a level Arsenal fans have not seen from him before.

At the same time, Rodrygo is struggling for game time and to make any sort of impact at all at Real Madrid.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Belgian is massively outperforming the Brazilian so far this season.

However, that does not mean the former Brighton star is a better player than the multiple Champions League winner, as when looking back over the last few years, it becomes apparent that the opposite is true.

For example, in 54 appearances across all competitions last season, the former Santos gem produced 25 goal involvements, which comes out to an average of one every 2.16 games.

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 11 produced 20 goal involvements in 56 appearances, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games.

It was the same story the year before as well.

For example, the Real Madrid star produced 26 goal involvements in 51 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.96 games.

Rodrygo vs Trossard

24/25

Rodrygo

Trossard

Games

54

56

Goals

14

10

Assists

11

10

23/24

Rodrygo

Trossard

Games

51

46

Goals

17

17

Assists

9

3

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Waterschei-born gem, on the other hand, produced 20 goal involvements in 46 appearances, which again came out to a less impressive average of one every 2.3 games.

In other words, Los Blancos’ dynamic attacker, whom analyst Spencer Mossman has dubbed “one of the best wingers in the world,” is generally far more of a goal threat than the North Londoners’ £27m man.

Moreover, the 37-capped international also has far more experience in Europe’s top competition, the Champions League, and has played a pivotal role in the Spanish giants winning it twice in recent years.

For example, in 67 games in the competition, he has scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists, and eight of those goals have come in the knockout rounds.

Ultimately, while he’s not in the best of form at the moment, Rodrygo is an undeniably sensational footballer, and if Arsenal have the chance to sign him, they should do so, even if it would be bad news for Trossard’s place in the side.

Related Gabriel 2.0: Arsenal enter £79m race to sign "one of the best CBs in the PL"

Mikel Arteta and Co could sign Arsenal another defensive monster like Gabriel.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 25, 2025

The Cincinnati Reds took on the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. In the bottom of the first inning Matt McLain hit a home run to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. And yet McLain didn't even get the biggest cheer in the Cincinnati dugout during the half-inning.

That honor went to pitcher Andrew Abbott, who wasn't even scheduled to pitch until Wednesday. The reason? The news reached the dugout that Abbott was going to his first All-Star game.

The news was made official in a tweet from MLB less than an hour later.

Abbott made his MLB debut in 2023 and started 46 games in his first two seasons. This year he is 7-1 with a 2.15 ERA and has thrown one of the only six complete game shutouts in MLB this season. He's given up one or fewer runs in 12 of his 15 starts this year.

Rangers’ winning streak continues, albeit in far from convincing fashion.

On Saturday, the Gers battled to a 2-1 victory over bottom of the table Livingston at Ibrox, with Emmanuel Fernandez marking his first start since August by scoring a towering header, only for Tete Yengi to equalise soon after, but Mohamed Diomandé’s goal 12 minutes from time, Bojan Miovski putting it on a plate for him, enough to snatch victory.

This makes it four Premiership wins out of four since Danny Röhl was appointed manager, the Gers’ longest streak since February, albeit they remain fourth, given that Hibernian beat Dundee 2-0 at Easter Road simultaneously.

Next up, Röhl’s team will take on Braga in a must win Europa League tie on Thursday and, despite victory on Saturday, which starter should be axed ahead of this one?

Rangers' current injury crisis

After some very underwhelming summer recruitment, most Rangers supporters agree that their squad lacks quality, so, when that is the situation, the last thing a coach needs is a lengthy injury list.

First-choice centre-back pairing John Souttar and Derek Cornelius are both expected to be sidelined until after Christmas, after suffering serious injuries while on international on the same evening, doing so within hours of one-another but more than 4,200 miles apart in Glasgow and Miami.

Meantime, just as he had started to click into gear, Mikey Moore suffered a muscle injury in training, so is set to spend weeks on the sidelines.

The Tottenham lonaee had made an inconspicuous start to life in Glasgow, but had started to show glimpses of his talent in recent weeks, scoring his first goal for the club at Dens Park in the last game prior to the international break.

In the absences of the teenager, Röhl’s team lacked dynamism, panache and flamboyance in attacking areas, with the player tasked with deputising certainly not earning rave reviews.

The Rangers star Röhl must axe after Livingston

Röhl went for a more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation for Livingston’s visit on Saturday, with Thelo Aasgaard given the free role as the central number ten.

Chalkboard

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

The Merseyside-born midfielder helped Norway qualify for a first World Cup since ’98 during the break, coming off the bench as his country crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro last Sunday.

Thus, Aasgaard was handed a first club start since being sent off during the League Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Celtic at Hampden.

Well, he certainly did not grasp this opportunity with both hands, as the table below documents.

Shots

Zero

12th

Successful dribbles

1

11th

Accurate passes

12

16th

Key passes

1

4th

Duels won

2

24th

Touches

19

23rd

SofaScore rating

6.4

21st

The statistics underline that Aasgaard was generally pretty anonymous during Saturday’s victory, completing just 12 passes and only one dribble, not registering a single attempt.

The most galling number is the fact that the Norwegian international touched the ball only 19 times before being hooked at half time, nine fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland and six less than Livi scorer Yengi.

Writer Kai Watson asserted that Aasgaard went “missing” in the first half, adding that he “needs to offer something” and is “capable of much more than we’re seeing”.

Meantime, Aheed Abrar of Ibrox News exclaimed that the midfielder was “embarrassing” on Saturday, awarding him a 3/10 rating, while Let’s Talk Rangers believes he should not be an “automatic starter” over Nedim Bajrami, Lyall Cameron and others.

Thus, despite their ongoing injury issues, Röhl does appear to have better attacking options than Aasgaard, who did little to stake a claim for a start against Braga this weekend.

Rohl's own Maeda: Rangers begin talks to sign "very pacy" sensation

With Rangers set to heavily invest in January, they have reportedly began talks to sign a “very pacy” star who would be Danny Röhl’s own Daizen Maeda.

Nov 21, 2025

West Ham have emerged as favourites to sign a highly-rated striker in January as manager Nuno Espírito Santo scours the market for more firepower.

West Ham begin striker search ahead of January

The east Londoners, according to widespread reports, are intensifying their search for attacking reinforcements ahead of the winter transfer window, with Niclas Fullkrug’s impending departure forcing Nuno to prioritize forward additions during the crucial mid-season period.

The German international has made his intentions clear, informing the club he wishes to leave when the window reopens in a bid to revive his career, not to mention boost his chances of making Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Fullkrug’s disastrous spell at the London Stadium has yielded zero goals this season across seven appearances, with persistent injury problems severely limiting his availability ever since his £27 million move from Borussia Dortmund last year.

In terms of the 32-year-old’s possible replacements, a few intriguing targets have been mooted already.

AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez has emerged as a reported target for West Ham, with Nuno learning the Mexican international would cost approximately £30 million.

Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee represents another option being explored by the Hammers. The Dutchman has reportedly grown frustrated with his limited playing time under Ruben Amorim, and is seeking regular minutes to maintain his own international prospects ahead of the World Cup.

West Ham 'sound out' £30m striker with Fullkrug 'determined' to leave in January

The Irons are making plans to replace him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 6, 2025

Real Madrid youngster Endrick has also been mentioned as a possible loan target, but the Brazilian now looks set to join Lyon instead.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley
Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

Meanwhile, former Brentford striker Ivan Toney could be tempted to return to England from Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli on a temporary basis, with West Ham said to be in the mix for his signature.

They’ve also been linked with Juventus’ Jonathan David, FC Midtjylland forward Franculino Dju and even former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott recently, as chairman David Sullivan casts his net far and wide in pursuit of solutions.

West Ham now in pole position to sign Promise David

Now, as per TEAMtalk, West Ham are emerging in pole position to sign Union Saint-Gilloise forward Promise David after already making contact.

USG are apparently ready to entertain offers of around £17.5 million for the Canadian international, and West Ham are fully aware of this.

The towering 24-year-old has captured attention following his impressive performances in Belgium, where he netted 24 goals in his debut campaign last season to help USG end a remarkable 90-year wait for a Jupiler Pro League title.

Standing at 6 ft 4, David offers the physical presence and aerial threat that West Ham desperately require up front, with Nuno potentially targeting his own version of Chris Wood in east London.

Nuno helped to transform the colossal Wood into a clinical marksman at Nottingham Forest, and while that is an obvious comparison to make with David, there are gaping similarities.

However, West Ham face competition from fellow relegation battlers Leeds and Wolves, who both recognize David’s potential value as well.

The striker’s Champions League experience adds further appeal, having recently scored a winner against Galatasaray to announce himself on Europe’s biggest stage — ending the Turkish champions’ 33-game unbeaten run in the process.

For just under £18m, he could be a fine candidate to strengthen West Ham’s forward line, especially considering how teammates have described him as “the monster”.

Chris Sale has been named an All-Star for the second straight year. This is quite the accomplishment for the 36-year old who hadn't been an All-Star since 2018 and missed the entirety of the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery.

Sale isn't quite where he was last year when he won his first Cy Young, but it's still an impressive showing considering where he was just a few short years ago. Even more importantly, it's a chance for Sale to prove to his youngest kids that he's pretty good. Sale explained what his kids thought of him as a baseball player using a joke he stole from Jake Peavey.

"I remember Jake Peavy telling me one time and I felt like this a few years when I was going through it I remember him telling me when he had three sons at the time he's like my oldest son knew I was a bad—. My middle son knows I played baseball. My youngest son thinks I stink. I stole that joke from him a few years ago. It's cool to let the boys in the house know dad's still got it a little bit."

Peavy retired when he was 35, four years after his last All-Star appearance. By the time Sale retires, hopefully all his kids know he was a bad—.

Despite flying high in the Premier League and Champions League, it feels like Arsenal can’t catch a break this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have played far better football than they did last year, but have been just as unlucky, if not more so, when it comes to injuries.

For example, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke are just some of their stars who have been forced to sit on the sidelines, or still are.

And then, if things couldn’t get any worse, the Gunners are now going to be without Gabriel Magalhães for up to two months, although Arteta might just have a surprising replacement in mind for the Brazilian.

Arsenal's record when Gabriel does not play

It’s no secret that, thanks to his impact in both penalty areas, Gabriel has become one of Arsenal’s most important players in recent years.

In fact, it’s this ability that led Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher to suggest he could “be seen as the most influential player in the Premier League” only last month.

However, how essential is the big Brazilian to Arteta’s side? While that’s a pretty tricky question to answer, a decent way of approaching it would be to look at how the team have fared when he’s not been in the side over the last two and a bit years.

Starting with the 23/24 season, then, and across all competitions that year, the former LOSC Lille star made 50 appearances, 48 of which were starts, in which he scored four goals, provided one assist and averaged 2.16 points per game.

There were only two matches in which he didn’t appear: a draw against Fulham and a win over Sheffield United, meaning the team averaged just 2 points per game without him.

However, a two-game sample size is rather paltry, unlike last season, when he was absent for 16 games, of which the club won just eight, drew five and lost three, meaning the Gunners averaged just 1.81 points per game without the Brazilian in the team.

How did they fare when he was playing? Well, across all competitions, the Sao Paulo-born titan made 42 appearances, in which he scored five goals, provided three assists and averaged 1.98 points per game.

Games

50

2

Wins

34

1

Draws

6

1

Losses

10

0

Points per Game

2.16

2

Games

42

16

Wins

24

8

Draws

11

5

Losses

7

3

Points per Game

1.98

1.81

Therefore, while there is not a massive drop in points per game for Arsenal without Gabriel in the side, there is still a noticeable one, and with games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea coming up, that is a worry.

However, Arteta has more than enough replacements for his monster centre-back, including one who could come as a bit of a surprise.

Arsenal's surprise Gabriel replacement

The consensus among most Arsenal fans at the moment seems to be that either Riccardo Calafiori or Cristhian Mosquera would be the ideal replacements for Gabriel this weekend.

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The former has been in fine form all season, and the latter has shown glimpses of real talent when he’s stepped in.

However, while either player would make total sense, another, more surprising option Arteta could go with is Ben White.

Yes, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man does feel like something of a forgotten man at the moment, and has spent most of his time at the club playing right-back, but the £50m signing could come in and do a job on Sunday.

After all, while he hasn’t played there consistently for some time – his last start in the middle was back in October 2024 – the Englishman was signed as a centre-back and spent the entirety of the 21/22 season playing there, and playing well.

In fact, the only reason he was moved to the right was because William Saliba was finally given a go, and Gabriel was not at all suited to playing at full-back.

Moreover, by playing the Poole-born ace there, Calafiori won’t have to vacate a position he has been incredible in all year, a young Mosquera won’t be thrown into one of the most tense games of the season, and the same could be said for Piero Hincapie.

Finally, and this is particularly pertinent for the game against Spurs, the 28-year-old is, in the words of journalist Charles Watts, a “master of the dark arts.”

In other words, he could be the perfect player to get under the skin of the Spurs players and either throw them off their game or even get them sent off.

Furthermore, he has a track record of making life particularly difficult for Guglielmo Vicario.

Ultimately, it would be a surprise and something of a risk, but even so, Arteta should look to start White at centre-back for Arsenal while Gabriel is out.

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