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In the span of five madcap hours at Perth Stadium, England went from a position of strength to crashing to a calamitous eight-wicket defeat as the first Ashes Test remarkably finished inside two days.Somehow topping a 19-wicket opening day, Australia turned the series-opener on its head with quicks Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc, who finished with 10 wickets for the match, tearing through a ham-fisted England batting effort in the middle session.Needing 205 runs for victory, makeshift opener Travis Head plundered 123 off 83 balls as Australia chased down the total in just 28.2 overs. They scored at more than seven runs an over, with recalled No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne finishing unbeaten on 51 from 49 balls.Skipper Steven Smith hit the winning run to trigger scenes of jubilation for an Australian team that was staring down the barrel earlier in the day.Related

• Khawaja's back issues to be examined as Australia float flexible batting order

• McCullum backs Crawley; calls on England to show greater 'conviction'

• A generational flaying takes its place in England's Ashes lore

• Head adds to career catalogue of mind-blowing knocks on the biggest stage

• Smith stalls talk on Head's permanent role as Ashes opener

Head’s cavalier batting gave England a taste of their own medicine, as he reached his ton off 69 balls – the equal third fastest by an Australian in Tests. England’s all-out pace attack, so ferocious just 24 hours earlier, appeared shell-shocked as Head continually flayed wayward bowling through the off-side much to the delight of many in the 49,983 crowd.Head opened the batting after Usman Khawaja had been continually off the ground in England’s innings due to back spasms. He had previously opened the innings for Australia eight times, but all had been in South Asia.Head clearly enjoyed his promotion and helped ease the pressure on debutant Jake Weatherald, who fell for a second-ball duck in the first innings. Weatherald was able to play himself in and unfurled several attractive strokes of his own before falling on 23 to a short ball from Brydon Carse.Head was unstoppable and fearless, taking on the short-pitched bowling from Mark Wood, while he also bludgeoned Ben Stokes for four boundaries off an over. Head’s century was met with mighty applause from the Australian fans, but his own celebration was fairly low-key although punctuated by several steely fistbumps.He finally holed out with Australia needing just 13 runs to win, but the result had long been a formality.Scott Boland picked up three wickets in the space of 11 balls•Getty Images

It was an astonishing turn of events after England were 65 for 1 in their second innings, with a lead of 105, before Boland triggered a collapse with the tourists losing 4-11 in 19 balls.England lost 9-99 during the second session that may ultimately haunt them in their quest to regain the Ashes. Four of England’s top six nicked off, while Joe Root completed a double failure after inside edging Starc, having attempted an extravagant drive.The pressure had been on Boland after he was collared in England’s first innings, finishing with 0-62 from 10 overs. He pulled back his length in the second innings and had Ben Duckett caught at second slip to end his 65-run stand with Ollie Pope – the biggest partnership to that point of the match.Boland then had Pope and Harry Brook edging behind the wicket in his next over as he displayed the type of inimitable rhythm that has propelled him to scythe through numerous batting line-ups over the years.Starc had been unable to consistently summon his top speed, backing up so quickly after recording his career best figures of 7-58 in England’s first innings. Sensing the shift in momentum, Smith wisely brought Starc back on and he responded by knocking over Root before continuing his domination of Stokes.Starc decked a menacing delivery away from Stokes, whose outside edge flew to second slip as he fell to his nemesis for the 11th time in Tests. Jamie Smith, who had been dropped by Khawaja at slip early in his innings, fell caught behind off a short ball from Brendan Doggett after an interminable review overturned the original not out decision.Mitchell Starc roars after claiming Ben Stokes for his 10th wicket of the match•Getty Images

There was little resistance from England, evoking many such collapses on Australian soil over the years, until Carse and Gus Atkinson counterattacked for a 47-run partnership. They took advantage of Australia resorting to a short-ball tactic in the only bright spot for England in a miserable session.But the short-ball strategy finally paid off as Doggett wrapped up the innings and finished with five wickets in his Test debut.In what felt like an eternity ago, England had started the second day in the ascendency. Under overcast skies, Australia resumed on 123 for 9 and were still reeling from England’s sustained pressure that blew them away on day one. But Doggett and Nathan Lyon did manage to hang around for 26 minutes, whittling the deficit by nine runs.Wood bowled too short and was unable to muster the same hostility he produced on day one marked by a ferocious delivery that battered the helmet of Cameron Green.Stokes turned to Carse who claimed his third wicket by dismissing Lyon in the gully as England claimed a 40-run advantage on the first innings even though Australia batted 12.3 overs longer.After tearing through England’s tail in the first innings, Starc entered on a hat-trick and charged into Zak Crawley who he dismissed for a duck on the sixth ball of the match.Crawley could only last five balls after spooning an attempted drive to Starc, who showcased extraordinary athleticism to stick out his left-hand and pluck a return catch.Sharfuddoula, the third umpire, had a long look but Starc’s fingers were underneath the ball as Crawley walked off having made a pair. There will be much focus on Crawley’s haste in driving on the up, a risky proposition against the new ball in Perth.Crawley’s wicket meant that for the first time in Test cricket the opening partnership did not score a run in each of the first three innings.Starc was on a roll and conjuring menacing swing with the new ball, but Duckett and Pope survived the onslaught, frustrating Australia with proactive running between the wickets. Much like England’s first innings, Starc was playing a lone hand with Boland continuing to be expensive with 15 runs off his first three overs.Boland started to get his tail up in his second spell and beat the bat of Pope on numerous occasions as England ended the session well placed. But Boland’s luck soon changed as the series-opener dramatically turned on its head.

They have made more than their fair share of poor signings over the last few years, but Chelsea have also got their hands on some incredible players.

One of those who falls into the latter category has to be Moises Caicedo, who has gone from up-and-coming gem to arguably the best six in the Premier League.

The Ecuadorian monster is almost unmatched when it comes to breaking up play, and with every passing game, seems to get better and better in attacking phases of play.

Therefore, Chelsea fans should be delighted about their most recent signing, as the youngster could well be their next Caicedo.

The exciting youngsters set to join up with Chelsea

Chelsea already have a squad full of exciting talents, and they are set to add even more talented youngsters in the summer.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

For example, Brazilian left-back Denner put pen to paper on a contract with the club back in March, but due to rules regarding under-18s, he must wait until the summer to join the senior squad.

He looks like a player worth waiting for, though, as, on top of being more than capable at the defensive side of the game, he is also a “marauding LB with so much quality in the final third,” per respected analyst Ben Mattinson.

Further up the pitch, someone who could cause havoc on the opposite flank for the Blues is Portuguese wonderkid Geovany Quenda.

The Sporting CP gem cost around £44m in March, and while that is an enormous sum of money, it looks like he will be more than worth it.

For example, despite still being just 18 years old, the Bissau-born dynamo has scored four goals and provided six assists, with two of those goal involvements coming against Kaira Almaty in the Champions League.

Speaking of the Kazakh side, their most exciting prospect, Dastan Satpayev, will make his way to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Described as “a future Ballon d’Or winner” and “a future rival to Lamine Yamal” by one analyst, to say there is some hype around the 17-year-old would be an understatement.

It’s easy to see why, though, as in 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

On top of that, he also became the youngest player to score a senior goal for the Kazakh national team last week, scoring the side’s only goal in their 1-1 draw with Belgium.

With all that said, potentially the most exciting prospect of them all isn’t going to join Chelsea next year, but could still be their next Caicedo.

Chelsea's next Caicedo

What makes Caicedo such an incredible player? Most would agree that it is a combination of his excellent reading of the game, anticipation and technique.

These three things make him exceptional at shielding the back four and brilliant at kick-starting attacking moves.

Fortunately, based on the sentiment of those in the know, those appear to be traits shared by Deinner Ordonez, who just signed a pre-agreement with the Blues.

For example, Como scout Felix Johnstone has described the youngster as “an absolute alien of a talent” who is “physically top, so good in the air” and capable of producing “excellent carries.”

Likewise, Mattinson has described him as a “pacy aggressive defender off the ball who’s able to defend big spaces with a level of dominance rare for his age.”

He’s not just a defensive powerhouse, though, as Mattinson also points out his “outstanding range of passing” and the fact that he is “completely both-footed.”

With all that, it’s not hard to see why Johnston has dubbed the teenager a future “world-beater,” nor is it hard to see the technical traits he shares with Caicedo.

In addition to these physical and technical similarities, the youngster is also Ecuadorian, becoming the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year.

Moreover, while he is yet to make a first-team appearance, he is also at the midfielder’s old club, Independiente del Valle.

Ultimately, he might play in a different position, but Ordonez shares plenty of traits with Caicedo and is certainly looked at as someone who could become as important for Chelsea in the future.

Chelsea ready club-record £133m bid for "monster", Enzo Fernandez may be key

The Blues are readying an offer for a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

He is the only addition to their squad from their last series, which they lost 1-0 in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025

Top-order batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy has returned to the Bangladesh squad that will face Ireland over two Test matches in Sylhet and Dhaka later this month.Joy has played 18 Tests and was seen as a highly promising addition to the team after scoring the first-ever Test match century by a Bangladesh batter in South Africa, in 2022. He lost his place in the side after averaging 14.92 in seven Tests since the start of 2024 but good form in the new season of the National Cricket League, during which he scored 127 and 51 for Chattogram Division against Rajshahi Division, has helped him mount a comeback.Najmul Hossain Shanto leads the 15-member team. He had quit as captain at the end of Bangladesh’s last Test series in June, which they lost 1-0 to Sri Lanka, but the BCB has reinstated him and said he will remain in charge until the end of this World Test Championship cycle in 2027. Anamul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon and Nayeem Hasan, who were part of that Sri Lanka tour, have been left out.Related

Ashraful named Bangladesh's batting coach

Ireland name five uncapped players in Test squad for Bangladesh

Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle

Mushfiqur Rahim, should he play both matches against Ireland, will become the first Bangladesh cricketer to play 100 Tests. The 38-year-old made his debut back in 2005 and is already their most capped player and their highest scorer in the format. He is also in form having made 115 for Sylhet Division at the same ground where the first Test against Ireland will take place.Bangladesh have picked four fast bowlers in Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed to complement their three spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Hasan Murad, who is still awaiting his Test debut. Murad picked up a match haul of 9 for 135 for Chattogram in the NCL in October. Taijul, meanwhile, is 10 short of going past Shakib Al Hasan and becoming Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in Tests.The two matches against Ireland are scheduled for November 11-15 in Sylhet and November 19-23 in Dhaka. They are not part of the WTC.Bangladesh Test squad for Ireland seriesNajmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Hasan Murad.

Sadio Mane says he rejected a move to Manchester United a year before signing for Liverpool. When the forward was impressing at Southampton, the Red Devils were keen on signing the Senegal international. But Mane has revealed he was "not convinced" by then-manager Louis van Gaal's assertion that he would be a first-team regular.

• Mane wanted by Premier League giants

  Mane joined Southampton from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 for just under £12 million ($15.5m), which was a club record fee at the time, and went on to score 25 goals in 75 appearances. But before he headed to Anfield for a fee worth up to £36m ($47m) in June 2016, Mane had the chance to move to Van Gaal's United the year prior. However, he seemingly had doubts that he would play ahead of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, and Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford. The decision to bide his time proved to be a good one as he went on to become one of Liverpool's all-time greats, guiding them to Premier League and Champions League glory in a six-year spell.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Mane unconvinced by Van Gaal's pitch

  In addition to Rooney, Van Persie, and Di Maria, United also had attackers such as Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial – which planted more seeds of doubts in Mane's mind.

  The Al-Nassr star said, via ESPN: "Manchester United called me that time, I was talking to Van Gaal. I was talking to Van Gaal that time. Rooney was there. And Di María was there. And … and [Memphis] Depay was there. When they failed to get me, they bought [Anthony] Martial. Van Gaal called me and he said, 'Mané, how are you? What are you doing?' He said, "I want you to come to Manchester United. I said, 'Really?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'OK. Now I'm talking to my agent. [Van Gaal said] 'We'll see what is the best, because I know you're a good player and you can help the team, and we can help you also to become better players'.

  "And then I said, 'OK, so my question: you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di María, you have Van Persie, I think the same. 'So where am I going to play?' That was my question, because me, I want to play. He said, 'I know your talent, you're good. But if you do good training, good impression, you will play. But we have another player which is also good'.

  "I was not convinced about his explanation. I talked to the coach, but he told me that I will play if I'm good; if not. But at the time, me, I was not ready, I can say. I was young. I still needed someone to help me more. And one or two more years to become what I want to be. Because I was still in Southampton; I was not consistent. And then we said, 'OK, we'll see'."

• Mane could have joined Liverpool's rivals

  Mane also revealed he spoke to Tottenham the same summer that United tried to sign him. In fact, the pitch that Spurs put to the Senegalese was more tempting. 

  He said: "I have a meeting with Tottenham. At the same time, Mauricio Pochettino called him [my agent] and he said, 'I want to have Sadio to come to Tottenham training ground. And then I go to Tottenham training ground one week after. I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him, and I was more convinced than the Man United project. Because Man United was too many… the problem was too many big players."

  What might have been for Mane…

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  What comes next for Mane?

  Since leaving Liverpool, where he scored 120 goals in 269 matches, Mane has played for Bayern Munich, before joining current club Al-Nassr in 2023. Now, he is targeting winning trophies for Cristiano Ronaldo's team. 

  He added: "It’s normal to dream big because Al Nassr is one of the best teams in the league. The title, we know [that it’s a target], so we don’t need to talk about it. And, of course, having new players like Kingsley [Coman] and Joao [Felix], which is a dream for us to get them because we need them and we are really happy to have them. For sure, the fans and the club expect a lot, but I have no doubt about it that they will deliver for us. It’s going to be a really exciting season for all of us. We can’t wait to achieve the best things that we want."

The last time MLB staged a Players' Weekend in 2019, it was monochromatic. It's back in 2024 and will be a stark contrast with a flood of color.

Players' Weekend makes its return this season, and it'll bring character and personality to the basepaths in new ways.

Players' Weekend Theme Days

Each day of Players' Weekend is themed differently. Friday is deemed fun day, Saturday is deemed cause day, and Sunday is apprecation day.

Here's how the MLB laid out the importance of each day:

Hesson plans to rebuild Pakistan’s white-ball team with flexible roles, sharp fielding, and team-first mindset

Danyal Rasool06-Jun-2025

Pakistan’s new white-ball coach Mike Hesson said he believes that the concept of specialist batters in T20 cricket is “outdated.” In a wide-ranging in-house interview with the PCB, Hesson suggested the building blocks laid during Pakistan’s commanding 3-0 T20I win against Bangladesh were indicative of the brand of cricket he will challenge his side to play in future.”You have to be multi-skilled,” Hesson said. “The idea of just specialist batters is very much outdated. Not everyone can read a pitch to a point where you know that these five bowlers are going to be perfect. If you’ve got 6, 7, 8 options that the captain can turn to, then, say, you’ve got two right-handers at the crease, you can bring on your left-arm spinner. You’ve got offspinners, who, if you get particular matchups, can do a job.”They might only be one or two overs, but that gives the captain the flexibility then at the back end to pick his best bowlers on that day. And that’s why I look at it both ways. You’ve got to cover both areas. You’ve got to be above par with the bat and you’ve got to be below par with the ball and that’s the way we’ll be trying to operate.”Related

Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE gear up for Asia Cup rehearsal

There's a value to making Shaheen Afridi feel loved and the PSL has shown that

'Fearless without being careless' – Salman Agha lays down marker for Pakistan in T20Is

It was a tactic visible throughout Pakistan’s recently concluded series against Bangladesh. In the second game, the hosts used eight bowlers in defence of their total, the joint-highest in their T20I history. In the other two games, they used seven bowlers, something they have done just 14 times in 261 T20I matches. A number of players, primarily in the team for their ability with the bat, most notably Salman Agha and Saim Ayub, put in bowling shifts.It is a tactic Hesson has applied in the PSL, too; in two seasons with Islamabad United, the franchise used an average of 6.25 bowlers per innings, a shade behind Lahore Qalandars at 6.29 and well ahead of the rest of the pack.It is part of a wider shift that Hesson, who was appointed head coach of the Pakistan white-ball side last month, hopes to implement during his time at the helm. During the interview, Hesson outlined an aim to overhaul the culture within Pakistan cricket in undertones of what Mickey Arthur attempted to do in his first stint as head coach between 2016 and 2019.Between 2016 and 2018, Arthur, along with fielding coach Steve Rixon, put in a concerted effort to improve Pakistan’s fitness and fielding, systematically excluding players who did not meet their benchmarks. The efforts were phenomenally successful, and Pakistan became a world-class fielding side. Following Rixon’s acrimonious departure, those standards dropped sharply, and have never since recovered.”You’ve got to understand what the team culture is and then try and [improve upon] that,” Hesson said. “There’s no doubt there are some skills that need to be developed with all of our players and that’s just part of evolution for me. Fielding is critical in white ball cricket; there’s no room in a squad for somebody that can’t. You just can’t hide people in the field these days. So that’ll be a real push for me.”Hesson said he had accepted the job in Pakistan with “eyes wide open”, given the challenges foreign coaches have recently had in Pakistan after the short-lived appointments of Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten failed spectacularly. After turning down an approach from the PCB a year earlier due to personal reasons, Hesson sought to ensure the PCB was on the same page as him, and clarified they viewed his appointment as medium-term rather than one producing immediate results.”There was a shift in terms of the PCB recognising that they needed to make change around the way that they wanted to play white ball cricket. That was important because for someone new to come in and make that shift could take time,” Hesson said. “The concept of playing aggressive cricket versus the concept of playing measured, smart cricket with intent is what makes the difference.”I thought I can add a little bit of structure there and I’m pretty good at identifying those that can be successful in white ball cricket. There’s some really good players who probably aren’t maximising their talent at the moment, that hopefully we can draw that out.”The results won’t come instantly. People must be aware that we will have some ups and downs, but if we’re aware of where the pinnacle events are and where we want to peak, there’s a process to that. I needed to understand that everyone in key roles were aware of that, whether that be the NCA, the chairman, the selectors, or senior players, we all need to be on the same page in terms of where we want to get to.”Hesson: ‘I don’t shut the door on anybody’•AFP/Getty Images

While not naming anyone, Hesson said the door “was not shut” on anyone looking to break into the Pakistan side, but any players who aspired to find a way into the team needed to be clear about what was required of them. He said he aimed to speak directly to players who were dropped or left out, citing it as a key role of being the head coach of a national side. That would appear to include Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, the three highest profile Pakistan players who were not in Hesson’s first squad.”I don’t shut the door on anybody and I think that once you’re a good player, you’re a good player, but sometimes you need to just stretch yourself a little bit,” he said. “Those that aren’t in future squads, I’ll be having those communications. I’ll be talking with all those players that have a desire to play for Pakistan and being really clear around the expectations we have.”Part of that, for Hesson, is making clear that personal milestones only retain value in a certain context. “It becomes pretty apparent to everybody [if someone’s playing for personal milestones] that that’s what’s happening and it’s been happening for years. I think personal milestones will just happen if you’re trying to do the right thing by the team and then the team will celebrate them.”If we need 14 an over, a single down the ground is not going to make a big difference. If you’re looking to hit it somewhere for four and you can’t – no problem. But if we can tell you’re not picking the bat up and you’re just trying to bunt it for one to get your milestone, those milestones don’t really matter if you end up losing by 20. It’s all about context and doing whatever you can to help the team win the game.”

Enzo Maresca is an imperfect head coach, but there’s no denying the progress he has made at Chelsea since replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Last season, Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League and recovered their place in the Champions League, having gone two years without a taste of top-drawer European action.

The Blues are rebuilding, and their sights are set on the biggest prizes out there, aforementioned. The transfer strategy has been polished in the windows since those turbulent early BlueCo days, but there is work still to be done, even with exciting additions across the summer.

It’s not just ensuring Chelsea get bang for their buck with incomings, but getting it right when selling a first-teamer too. There have been a few to frustratingly slip through the Stamford Bridge turnstiles over the years.

Chelsea's worst modern sales

Chelsea typically sell well. While the Londoners catch their rivals’ frustrations with big-money transfer windows, this is enabled through the calculated and extensive impetus on the exit front, raking in hundreds of millions each year.

But it doesn’t always go to plan, and more historical cases would reveal the rueful sales of Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom left Chelsea in the early stages of their careers and built themselves up in Europe before returning and cementing their legacies.

It would not be outrageous to claim that both would get into the Premier League all-time 11. Not outrageous, only contestable.

Romelu Lukaku also falls into that bracket, having left the young for Everton when young and since becoming one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. The fact that the Blues re-signed him for £97.5m and then he flopped emphasises the bungled club-player relationship.

Salah might be the most egregious of the lot, though, leaving for Roma in a £15m deal before returning to England two years later and going on to achieve greatness on Merseyside. Now he’s 33, still starring for an indomitable Liverpool team.

And there may be fears in the Chelsea offices that they have repeated that former mistake.

Why Chelsea sold Noni Madueke

Madueke arrived at Chelsea as an untested and unknown prospect. He had found regional acclaim in Holland with PSV Eindhoven and made the leap back to his homeland to form part of a new world order at Stamford Bridge.

It was a testing period for the club, and Madueke, at times, toiled, but that was to be expected; the winger was 20 years old at the time, after all.

Described as a “mentality monster” by personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst during his younger days, the 23-year-old struggled to maintain a consistent clinical level across his two-and-a-half years at Chelsea, but his attitude was right and the talent was there for all to see.

Arsenal certainly saw it, snapping him up this summer for £55m. A healthy sum, and one Maresca’s side can be forgiven for accepting, especially when considering the wave of attacking signings welcomed to the Bridge.

It was only last season, of course, that the England international scored a hat-trick in his favourite place, underscoring his potential in the Premier League.

And his start to life over in north London has shown Chelsea the error of their ways, with Madueke already making startling headway in Mikel Arteta’s system, even hailed by ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker as being “better than Bukayo Saka.”

Some might take offence to that one, but it does underscore the player within, now coming into his own.

Madueke’s potential was always a lofty thing, and it’s telling that he has played six times for Arsenal and has yet to register a goal contribution. Even so, the consensus is unanimous: he’s been great.

According to data-led platform FBref, Madueke ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, highlighting an incredible well of athleticism and pace from which he draws on each match.

Might Chelsea have a Salah repeat on their hands? Let’s hope not. It’s worth remembering that the Egyptian only left Italy and signed for Liverpool after he had turned 25, and eyebrows were raised in a similar fashion to Madueke’s cross-London switch.

Now, he’s an all-timer in the English game. Like Madueke, Salah is a right-sided forward, and he’s one of the greatest goalscorers to do it.

His is a tale which hammers home the fact that development in football is not linear. He came into his own at a later age, but, as with Madueke, both were talented enough as youngsters as to warrant Chelsea’s attention.

Chelsea have more than enough quality in the locker to ensure this does not detrimentally hamper them in their ambitions, but there’s no question that, if Madueke makes considerable progress over the next few years, this might become another sale to join the rueful departures of Salah, De Bruyne and the like.

Roman Abramovich, at least, didn’t sell Salah to a direct rival, and instead shipped him out to Italy, where he developed and grew the fundamentals that allowed him to return to the Premier League and become a superstar.

But Madueke already looks like a more polished and incisive player over at the Emirates, and while Arsenal have swept up so much of Chelsea’s rubbish over the years, it’s beginning to look like Madueke will buck that trend.

Maresca has a bigger talent than George who's "the future of Chelsea"

The sensational youngster looks the real deal for Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 26, 2025

England captain hints that winter debutant is likely first-choice to bat at No.3 for five Tests against India

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-May-20251:36

Stokes: Cook has the skills to complement our attack

Ben Stokes has given a strong indication that Jacob Bethell will return as England’s No.3 against India despite his absence for the first Test of the summer against Zimbabwe.Though the international season kicks off at Trent Bridge on Thursday, Bethell will be more than 4,000 miles away in Lucknow preparing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s penultimate fixture in the IPL league stages against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. It will be his last appearance for the franchise before returning to the UK to report for the first ODI against West Indies at Edgbaston next Thursday (May 29).Bethell was always due to miss the Zimbabwe Test, as per the agreement the ECB had in place with its IPL stars, with the competition originally due to finish on Sunday, prior to the competition’s suspension following unrest between India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, he is expected to return to the Test XI at first drop, after impressing Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum during his maiden Test series against New Zealand at the end of last year.Related

Bashir shows he belongs despite all evidence to the contrary

Stokes blames media 'agenda' for pre-match pressure on Pope

England find value in mismatch to get the gang back together in style

Ben Curran on his journey with Zimbabwe: 'Everyone's got their own path'

Sam Cook confirmed for Test debut as England name XI to face Zimbabwe

An average of 52.00 from 260 runs, with three half-centuries among six innings, was underpinned by a level of flair and maturity that earned the 21-year-old rave reviews. McCullum was particularly enamored by how Bethell dealt with the last-minute circumstances of his promotion, following an injury to Jordan Cox on the eve of first Test. With Cox set to keep wicket with Jamie Smith on paternity leave, a rejig saw vice-captain Ollie Pope take the gloves and drop down the order. That opened the door for Bethell to state his case at three, having never batted in that position in the 20 first-class matches prior to his debut in the first Test. He eventually steered England to victory with an unbeaten 50 off 37 deliveries in the fourth innings.Speaking at the end of the series, McCullum credited both Bethell and Pope for their work during the series, but acknowledged the former had made the future a little less clear for the latter: “He’s [Bethell’s] definitely given us a good headache and we’ve got a couple of months to work out what we’re doing.”It seems England have now worked out what they are doing. Speaking in the pre-match captain’s press conference, Stokes more or less confirmed Bethell will slot back in.”If you’re smart enough, the series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he’s going to be back in the UK for that India series,” Stokes said, when asked about Bethell. “I think you put 2 and 2 together, you probably know what’s going to happen.”You look at what Beth did in the winter for us, if you talk about nailing down a position, Beth has done himself the world of good by the performances he put in there with being part of our plans going forward.”Jacob Bethell seized his chance in the New Zealand Tests•AFP via Getty Images

Stokes’ backing of Bethell, on the eve of the first of 11 Tests in a legacy-defining nine months for the team, dials up the pressure on Pope and indeed Zak Crawley. Both have failed to score consistently at the top of the order, with Crawley in particular found wanting in New Zealand, averaging 8.66.Yet the Kent opener feels the more secure of the two, particularly given his recent exploits against this summer’s opponents India, and Australia, finishing as England’s leading runscorer in the 2024 and 2023 series against both. Nevertheless, both players have a chance to complicate matters with big runs over the coming days.That Stokes has willingly heaped pressure on two of his top three batters reflects a broader desire to take his team to the next level. England are now second in the ICC Test Rankings having moved up in May, a jump that prompted the skipper to send a message to McCullum and men’s managing director Rob Key saying “one more place to go”. There is scope, he feels, for much more.England have not been No.1 in the world since 2011, off the back of a 2010-11 Ashes success Down Under that they hope to replicate later this year. And though they were knocked off top spot by South Africa in 2012, Stokes believes greater focus and more fine-tuning could bring about a return to the top of the tree should progression and results trend in the right direction.”If we win what we’ve got coming up, the likelihood is that we will be at the top of that leaderboard. There’s no doubt in my mind we have the ability to be that team.”A change of mindset, a change of what we think about going out there – it’s something both me and Baz felt was needed. We’ve taken all good things that we’ve felt we’ve built over the last three years, but adding to all the good stuff we’ve managed to achieve and all the good things we’ve created in that dressing room, it’s something we felt this time was the perfect time to do that.”Baz uses this phrase a lot – we’re starting from a place of strength. So for us to be able to build on that, and everyone knows that we have got improvement to do, it’s very very exciting that we are where we are as a team at the moment. Everyone understands and knows we’ve definitely got another level to go to.”

Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to prevent the injured Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from joining the Georgia national team after he was called up for their World Cup qualifiers. The French champions, already frustrated after Ousmane Dembele's recent injury on international duty, will attempt to prevent their star winger from travelling.

PSG show concern for Kvaratskhelia

PSG are heading towards another club-versus-country dispute after the injured Kvaratskhelia was named in Georgia's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. According to a report from Spanish outlet , the French champions will attempt to prevent their star forward from joining his national team as he recovers from a thigh injury.

AdvertisementKvaratskhelia called up despite thigh injury

Georgia coach Willy Sagnol included Kvaratskhelia in his squad for crucial matches, starting with a fixture against Spain on October 11. However, the winger is currently sidelined after picking up a thigh injury in last Saturday's Ligue 1 match against Auxerre. The problem forced him to miss the midweek Champions League clash with Barcelona, and he has also been ruled out of Sunday's trip to Lille. Medical reports suggest a recovery period of at least 10 days, making his availability for international duty highly unlikely.

Getty Images SportDembele dispute fuels PSG's frustration

PSG's firm stance is influenced by a recent negative experience during the September international break. The club alerted the French Football Federation (FFF) that Dembele was not fully fit, but the player was used by Didier Deschamps and subsequently suffered a thigh injury. That incident created a dispute between the club and the FFF and has made PSG particularly cautious about releasing players who are carrying injuries.

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PSG's stance on Georgia's 'crucial' qualifiers

While Georgia are keen to have their most important player available for what they consider vital qualifying games, PSG's medical staff are focused solely on his recovery. The Parisian club is expected to make contact with their Georgian counterparts to insist that Kvaratskhelia remains in the French capital to complete his rehabilitation. According to reports, the club's staff are not considering "any scenario other than him completing his recovery in Paris."

Leeds United are looking to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch before the transfer window officially slams shut for another year this evening.

The Whites were reportedly looking to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week to add to their attacking midfield ranks, after he spent last season on loan at Leicester City.

Unfortunately, Chelsea decided to pursue a loan move for the Argentine playmaker and are now closing in on a deal to add him to their squad at Stamford Bridge.

Leeds were, of course, unable to compete with the Champions League football that Enzo Maresca’s side have on offer, and look set to miss out on Buonanotte.

Leeds have playmaker on their radar

The Championship champions are still in need of another option in the frontline after missing out on the Brighton youngster, and are reportedly looking further afield for an alternative.

Transfer Focus

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According to LeedsLive, Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan has emerged as a potential option for Leeds United on deadline day, as they could make a last-gasp move for the star.

The report claims that the Armenia international is one of a number of playmakers on the club’s radar as they look to bolster their options in that position before the window slams shut.

It adds that Bilal El Khannouss, Dilane Bakwa, and Manor Solomon are also being looked at by the Whites, as they look at traditional number tens and natural wingers on both sides.

Daniel Farke, though, worked with Spertsyan, who was linked with an £11m move to Southampton earlier this summer, and he may be a shrewd addition to the squad.

Why Leeds should sign Eduard Spertsyan

The West Yorkshire outfit should look to pursue a deadline day deal for the Armenian star because he could be an even better option than Buonanotte as an attacking midfielder.

Spertsyan has not experienced English football before, so it would be a risk in that respect, but his form for Krasnodar suggests that he has the potential to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad.

The 25-year-old star, who was described as an “elegant” player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is heading into the prime years of his career and could offer a huge threat at the top end of the pitch if he can adapt to the Premier League.

Spertsyan (Russian Premier League)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

28

7

Goals

11

4

Big chances missed

5

1

Key passes per game

2.1

3.9

Big chances created

6

5

Assists

6

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Spertsyan has delivered 15 goals and 14 assists in his last 35 appearances in the Russian Premier League, including eight assists in seven games this season.

These statistics show that the £11m-rated star is an incredibly creative player who looks to play key passes constantly each match, whilst he can also provide a significant threat as a goalscorer.

Meanwhile, Buonanotte has produced eight goals and three assists in 58 outings in the English Premier League in the last two seasons for Leicester and Brighton combined, per Sofascore.

This suggests that Spertsyan would be an even better signing for Leeds if they can get him to translate his performances for Krasnodar over to English football this season.

It would be a risky addition, given his lack of experience in England, but his immense form in Russia suggests that it could be worth the risk as an alternative to Buonanotte, who has not delivered consistently in the final third in his career to date.

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Aug 31, 2025