All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur’s much-needed 2-0 win against Brentford yesterday could be the victory Thomas Frank needed to kickstart his career in charge in North London.

Xavi Simons and Richarlison’s first-half efforts were enough to secure all three points for the Lilywhites, subsequently securing the first league win since the end of October.

The win was just the club’s second home triumph of the campaign, with the only previous three points coming against Burnley way back on the opening day of the Premier League season.

However, it’s given the Dane the platform he needs to be a success in the role, especially after the pressure has ramped up on his shoulders over recent weeks.

Despite the win, numerous players once again struggled within Frank’s side, which could lead to the manager finally discovering his best starting eleven at the club.

Spurs’ poor performers against Brentford

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has fallen way below his usual high standards over the last couple of weeks, with his showing against Brentford yet another disappointing one.

The Uruguayan international featured for 65 minutes before being withdrawn after losing possession on six separate occasions – just over once every ten minutes.

He also failed to complete any dribbles and was also dribbled past on one occasion, with youngster Archie Gray managing to outperform him during the meeting.

However, he wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with full-back Djed Spence also enduring an uncharacteristically poor performance on home soil against the Bees.

The full-back featured for the entirety of the win, but only managed to achieve a 40% success rate from the ten duels that he entered down the left-hand side.

He also failed to make any tackles, whilst not finding a teammate with any of his four crosses – subsequently highlighting his struggles at both ends of the pitch.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Brentford

Since Frank’s appointment as Spurs manager, he’s often tinkered with his squad to try and stumble across his best starting eleven to lead the club up the Premier League.

Whether it be various different partnerships across the squad, or players operating in unnatural positions, the Dane has tried it all to push the side in the right direction.

Undoubtedly, the first home win since August yesterday demonstrated glimpses of a successful side, with the Lilywhites restricting the visitors to limited opportunities throughout.

However, that didn’t stop numerous players from struggling to make a positive impact, as seen with the aforementioned pairing of Bentancur and Spence.

They weren’t alone in struggling, with Randal Kolo Muani, another who was unable to produce his best performance of the season against Keith Andrews’ side.

The Frenchman was asked to operate off the left wing rather than his usual centre-forward position – something which no doubt affected his lack of impact on proceedings.

He featured for 74 minutes before being replaced, but his hard work and work rate only merely covered up his lack of tangible impact during the 2-0 victory against the Bees.

Minutes played

74

Touches

40

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

0

Big chances missed

1

Duels lost

88%

Duels won

12%

Fouls committed

2

The 27-year-old only registered a total of 40 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch – with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario managing more with his total of 45.

He also failed to complete any of his five attempted dribbles, whilst none of his crosses were able to find the men in white – showcasing his lack of impact in the final third.

When he did have the chance to find the back of the net, Kolo Muani did squander his opportunity, resulting in the loanee registering a missed big chance.

Out of possession, he was just as lacklustre in North London, subsequently winning just two of the 15 duels he entered – resulting in a total of 88% of duels lost.

There’s little denying that Kolo Muani has been a decent option for Frank’s men this season, but his showing was one to forget yesterday – which could lead to him being dropped from the side.

It was certainly a positive afternoon for Frank’s men, but one that has raised another issue for him, with the manager desperately needing to utilise the Frenchman in a more central role going forward.

Better than Kudus: Spurs leading the race for "world-class" £70m superstar

Tottenham are looking to seal an audacious signing for Frank’s side this January.

ByAngus Sinclair 6 days ago

Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger is expected to opt out of his contract in New York and test free agency this offseason, according to a report from ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

The Yankees lost their ALDS tilt with the Blue Jays earlier this week, ending their season. The news regarding Bellinger's future is the first to trickle out of the Bronx since the franchise's postseason elimination.

Bellinger posted the second-highest wins above replacement (WAR) of his nine-year career in 2025, as he hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI. He also stole 13 bases and posted an .813 OPS.

The 30-year-old Bellinger spent the first six seasons of his career with the Dodgers, before two seasons with the Cubs and this season with the Yankees.

Mikel Arteta has built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent at Arsenal.

However, when it comes to picking the club’s most important player, their talisman, it’s impossible to ignore Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End superstar is still just 24years old and has already amassed a staggering tally of 76 goals and 71 assists in 277 games for the club.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to an up-and-coming talent who has been compared to Saka.

Arsenal target the next Saka

There is over a month to go until the transfer window actually opens, but that hasn’t stopped Arsenal from being linked with a plethora of exciting talents.

Transfer Focus

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

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, for example, has been touted for a £120m move to the Emirates, as has Crystal Palace’s equally exciting Adam Wharton.

However, as talented as the two midfielders are, neither one can really be compared to Saka, unlike Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.

Yes, according to a report from Germany, Arsenal are one of a few teams interested in the Eintracht Frankfurt gem.

However, on top of beating the competition, the Gunners would have to stump up a fee of around €80m, which is about £71m, to get their man.

That is a lot of money to spend on a young talent, but given Bahoya’s ability and potential, it might well be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s been compared to Saka.

Why Arsenal should sign Bahoya

So, first and foremost, the comparison between Bahoya and Arsenal’s talismanic number seven comes from analyst Spencer Mossman, who described him as being “like a younger Bukayo Saka.”

That might sound like a bold thing to say, because it is, but it does make sense.

For example, on top of being an “excellent wide area creator” who is “on a continuous upward trajectory”, he’s more than happy to track back and “do the dirty work.”

That ability to influence proceedings at the sharp end of the pitch, while also willing to do the less glamorous things, was one of the reasons Saka quickly became an essential part of the first team.

Another reason the young Frenchman is such an exciting prospect is that, in the words of Mossman, “he’s able to get quality crosses away with both feet.”

This means that he’d not only be able to cover for the Hale Ender on the right but also play on the left, in turn pushing the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to step up their games.

Finally, despite still being just 20 years old, Mossman has highlighted the winger’s physicality as a key strength, claiming that he’s like an “Olympic-level athlete.”

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.67

Top 1%

% of Dribblers Tackled

61.8%

Top 2%

Passes Blocked

1.54

Top 2%

Tackles

2.36

Top 3%

Dribblers Tackled

1.08

Top 3%

Blocks

1.64

Top 4%

Tkl+Int

2.77

Top 6%

% of Aerials Won

54.1%

Top 6%

Goals/Shot on Target

0.50

Top 7%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

0.82

Top 8%

Successful Take-On %

52.1%

Top 8%

Aerials Won

1.03

Top 15%

Finally, on top of passing the eye test, the former Angers gem has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name this season.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for blocks, the top 7% for goals per shot on target, the top 2% for successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though it wouldn’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Bahoya, as he could be another Saka in the making.

Arsenal have the next Gabriel and he's the "best CB Hale End has produced"

The incredible youngster looks like he could go to the very top for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

On a pitch better suited, on a day with more luck, he could have bowled exactly as he did on day two and finished with several wickets

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Jun-2025Nahid Rana took 0 for 97 in the only innings he bowled in Galle, has 0 for 54 at the end of day two at the SSC, but if you’re thinking of jumping off the Rana hype train over his Sri Lanka performances, hold up, stay close, this isn’t your stop. Those figures don’t necessarily correlate with his potential. There are things to consider here.Up first on the list of things to consider is the raw pace. Rana is almost certainly the fastest bowler Bangladesh has ever produced. He is not just fast in brief, fresh bursts; he can be fast late on difficult days too. Deep into session three on day two at the SSC, he was still breaching 145kph, still bowling bouncers, still rushing batters, even the supremely well-set. He has also been known to bowl faster than 150kph. Forget Bangladesh, for most of Test cricket’s history, it would not have had a bowler who could consistently bowl that quickly. Even now, around the world, there may only be a handful that fast.There are other virtues. Those bouncers, partly because of the pace, but also because it is one of his more accurate deliveries, can often be truly vicious. Pathum Nissanka, very arguably the batter of this series so far, found this out on 94 when he tried to hook Rana, and discovered the ball was on him already at 149kph – fast for a bouncer. It smacked his helmet hard by the badge, looped so high in the air that Rana could race forward in his follow-through and spring forward to intercept it centimetres above the grass. He appealed for that catch, but on replay, it was clear there was no way the bat could have touched it. The ball was too fast – already in Nissanka’s face by the time he pulled his bat through.Related

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Nissanka 146*, Chandimal 93 put Sri Lanka in control

Bowling short was a big part of Rana’s day. When he bowled bouncers, he generally forced the batters to duck, or he hit them. There was a short leg in place, plus a catching fine leg, and catchers out to the off side, so balls that skewed off the shoulder or handle of the bat could be gobbled up. In first-class cricket, he had frequently blasted batting orders out this way, averaging 19.81 across 19 innings for Rajshahi Division.The easy critique to make here is that Test batters are not first-class batters, and that you need more than raw pace to get Test batters out, but this is not necessarily the case. Test batters frequently get out to sheer pace and bounce, but this SSC pitch – slow off the deck and with modest bounce and carry – is almost exactly wrong for Rana, so he can only make so much of his height and pace.Pathum Nissanka was pinged in the helmet by a Nahid Rana bouncer•AFP/Getty ImagesOne theory about Rana’s present state is that he is most effective as a third seamer, not as a new-ball bowler. There is evidence to back this up. In his first outstanding Test performance, Rana was the second-change bowler, and took 4 for 44 to seal a historic series win in Pakistan. Three months later – in Kingston – his only five-for came when he was first change. Four of those wickets were with the old ball.On day two at the SSC, he was frequently bowling cross-seam short balls, which is a deeply third-seamer move. Swing bowlers tend to like preserving that shiny side of the ball, for conventional swing first, and reverse swing later. Even spinners like one side of the ball to be in smooth condition, because they can get more drift that way. It is the fast bowlers who revel in the shorter lengths and exploit the chaos, the uneven bounce created by cross-seam deliveries.Nahid beat plenty of cross-batted shots with cross-seam deliveries on day two, but they never took an edge. Both Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal looked most uncomfortable against Rana’s bowling late in the day, but he had been wayward in his two new-ball overs, conceding 20. “Rana didn’t bowl well with the new ball initially, but found his rhythm again and looked good towards the end” is what coach Phil Simmons said.He is 22, and still developing skills, having had no serious cricket coaching till being discovered late in his teens. But pace is pace and height is height, and as long as you stay fit, those things can get you pretty far in a fast-bowling life. On a pitch better suited, on a day with more luck, Rana could have bowled exactly as he did on day two and finished with several wickets.

Bangladesh have faced England only once in the format, at the 2022 World Cup

S Sudarshanan06-Oct-20253:40

Dean: ‘Having Nat and Lottie feels like a fresh start’

Big picture – a rare meetingEngland take on Bangladesh in an ODI World Cup match.The sentence itself is an event. Despite qualifying for back-to-back ODI World Cups – in 2022 and now in 2025 – Bangladesh have faced England only once in the format, and that too in the previous edition.”This is the stage where we show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us,” Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana said on match eve.Related

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As per the new future tours programme which will run from 2025-29, Bangladesh are scheduled to tour England for three ODIs and as many T20Is in September 2027. That is perhaps when the fixture will stop being an event.On the field, both teams are coming on the back of comfortable wins. England’s multi-pronged attack could pose a tough challenge for Bangladesh, whose batters often struggle to force the pace. Conversely, if the track assists spin, Bangladesh’s spin-heavy attack led by Nahida Akter could be more than just a handful for England. Their batters were hardly challenged in the opening game.Form guideEngland WLWLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WLLWWIn the spotlight: Lamb and MarufaShe is just 21 ODIs old, but Emma Lamb is already adapting to a second role in England’s batting unit. A natural opener, she scored her only century at the top of the order and was the leading run-scorer in the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup while opening for champions Lancashire. At the start of this English summer, though, Amy Jones was promoted to open, and Lamb was moved to No. 3 when Heather Knight was recovering from a hamstring injury. Now, with Knight back for the World Cup, Lamb is set to take on an altogether different role – batting in the lower-middle order and chipping in with a few overs of offspin. She wasn’t needed with either bat or ball in England’s tournament opener, but could get her first go in this new role against Bangladesh if her team bats first.Marufa Akter will be key for Bangladesh•ICC/Getty ImagesMarufa Akter just loves to bowl. After setting the tone in Bangladesh’s win over Pakistan, she lit up their first practice session in India. With rain forcing the team indoors, Marufa was full of energy, bowling at full tilt two days out from the contest. She constantly troubled captain Sultana in the nets, eventually bowling her once. With her ability to move the new ball and generate sharp pace, Marufa could be a real handful for England’s openers – Tammy Beaumont tends to struggle against the incoming angle early on, while Jones prefers a cautious start.Team newsGiven England’s line-up was hardly tested against South Africa, expect them to go in with an unchanged XI.England (probable XI): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren BellAgainst England’s right-hand heavy line-up, Bangladesh could look to play left-arm spinner Sanjida Akter Meghla for an offspinner in Nishita Akter Nishi.Bangladesh (probable XI): 1 Fargana Hoque, 2 Rubya Haider, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Nahida Akter, 9 Rabeya Khan, 10 Marufa Akter, 11 Nishita Akter Nishi/Sanjida Akter MeghlaPitch and conditionsA fresh pitch will be used for the game. But it may not behave too differently from the first two tracks. Both the pitches assisted spin as the afternoon wore on but against fast bowling, the ball came nicely onto the bat.As for the weather, there is slight chance of rain. There was rain predicted for the England-South Africa game on Monday, but it stayed dry, while Bangladesh were forced indoors two days before this match due to an unexpected shower.Stats and trivia Bangladesh’s only ODI against England came at the previous World Cup. Only Fargana Hoque, Fahima Khatun and Ritu Moni from the current Bangladesh squad have played an ODI in India before. England’s win/loss ratio of 1.0 in 2025, their worst in a calendar year since 2007. They have won three games against West Indies, one each against India and South Africa. England will play their 94th ODI World Cup game to be on par with Australia for the joint-most. Quotes”With sub-continent conditions comes the offer of extra spin. So, [I am] trying to really make sure that you’re hitting with the spin and going through all your different options. I’ve been sweeping quite a lot, reverse sweeping, which is something that I might not get out in a game straight away, but it’s something that I’ve put a lot of hours into to make sure that when I do, hopefully it goes well.”
“We have a lot of information on them because of our analysts. We want to play our “A” game and don’t want to go by just names. We will try to make lesser mistakes and take confidence from the win over Pakistan.”

Major League Baseball features one of the most grueling schedules in sports, with 162 games spread out over six-plus months. Players who can perform when everyone else is worn down are worth their weight in gold to contending teams.

As we turn to September and October, teams in the playoff hunt will lean on those with extensive track records of success to lift them into the postseason. What follows is a look at each player on a National League contender with the best and worst September track records. We've lumped October numbers from the regular season into these calculations since the sample sizes are too small to warrant their own category.

It's fascinating to see which guys step up when the games matter most.

Milwaukee BrewersBest: William Contreras

Contreras is having another excellent season, and he could really put the hammer down in the season's final month, judging by his past track record. In 80 career September/October games, Contreras is slashing .305/.402/.462 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. That on-base percentage is his highest in any month, his .864 OPS is excellent, and his wRC+ of 139 is stellar for a catcher.

Worst: Andrew Vaughn

Vaughn has been great for the Brewers since they traded for him in June. That said, he's traditionally been pretty bad late in the season. In 91career games in the season's final month, Vaughn is slashing .235/.279/.372, with 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and 76 strikeouts against 19 walks. Only his March/April OPS of .647 is worse than his September/October mark of .651. His wRC+ of 81 is also brutal, though he rebounded last September with a mark of 131. So maybe things are looking up.

Philadelphia PhilliesBest: Bryce Harper

Like Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. While Harper got a run for his money from Kyle Schwarber, his late-season track record is the best on the team. In 329 career September/October games, Harper is slashing .274/.390/.509 with 61 home runs and 167 RBIs. The future Hall of Famer boasts an OPS of .900 and a wRC+ of 139. Last season, that mark was 157, so he may overperform his career numbers again.

Worst: Bryson Stott

While Harper is outstanding late in the season, Stott is not. The 27-year-old former first-rounder has played in 77 career games in September and October and is slashing .242/.295/.335, with four home runs and 26 RBIs. His OPS of .630 is only five points better than his worst month (.625 in May) and that .295 on-base percentage is his worst. His wRC+ of 75 is woeful and the bad news is that it is buoyed by one average season. He posted a mark of 100 in 2022, then dropped to 52 in 2023 and 72 in 2024.

Los Angeles DodgersBest: Shohei Ohtani

Shocking that the best player on the planet would be L.A.'s best player in the final month of the season. The three-time MVP has a career September slash line of .291/.385/.551 with 29 home runs, 87 RBIs and an OPS of .936 in 136 games. His wRC+ for the month is 151, and he was even better in 2024 when he posted a ridiculous OPS of 1.225 and a wRC+ of 232. Of course, Ohtani will be on the mound in September for the first time since 2022, and his track record is stellar. In 65 2/3 career September innings, he's 5–3 with a 2.47 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and opposing hitters have a .581 OPS.

Worst: Tyler Glasnow

It's tough to find a Dodger with a truly bad track record in the season's final month, but Glasnow gets the nod here. In 29 career games in September/October, Glasnow is 7–8 with a 4.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts against 56 walks in 123 1/3 innings. Those are his highest ERA and WHIP totals in any month. The 2023 season was the last time he saw action in September, and he posted a 4.86 ERA. We'll see if he can bounce back this season.

Chicago CubsBest: Seiya Suzuki

Researching articles like this is always fascinating because you learn unexpexted things. Like how I had no idea Suzuki is an absolute monster in September. In 71 career games, the 31-year-old is slashing .333/.422/.564, with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. His OPS of .986 is his highest in a month by 107 points, and his wRC+ of 172 is only two points behind Aaron Judge as the best among active players. What did to Gen Z brains this summer, Suzuki does to pitching in September.

Worst: Carson Kelly

I'll admit some of these were difficult to parse, going through long track records to compare players. This was by far the easiest selection on this list because Kelly has been in September throughout his career. In 147 career games in the season's final month, Kelly is slashing .186/.252/.299, with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs. His .551 OPS in September is 132 points lower than any other month, and his wRC+ is 50, meaning he’s half as good as the average major league hitter in September.

The veteran catcher has revitalized his career in Chicago, so maybe this year will be different.

San Diego PadresBest: Luis Arraez*

Arraez is at his best to open and close the season. The three-time batting champion consistently struggles in August only to turn it on in September and finish strong. In 126 career games, he's slashing .336/.371/.458 for an OPS of .829, his best of any month. His career September wRC+ of 128 is excellent and is buoyed by an incredible finish to 2023 when he hit .384 with a 1.038 OPS and a 175 wRC+.

Worst: Jake Cronenworth

Cronenworth has quietly had a solid season for the Padres, but given his track record, that could come to a screeching halt this month. The 31-year-old has consistently tailed off in September during his career. In 96 career games, she's slashing .208/.294/.341, all of which are his lowest numbers for any month. His .636 September OPS is brutal, as is his wRC+ of 82. His wRC+ has never topped 93 in September during his five-year career.

New York MetsBest: Juan Soto

Given that Soto is a generational hitter, you'd expect to find him here. He doesn't necessarily get better as the season goes along, but he certainly stays consistent. In 188 career games in the season's final month, the $765 million man is slashing .290/.440/.528, with 36 home runs, 126 RBIs and 169 walks against 134 strikeouts. That OBP is his best in any month, his .969 OPS is tied as his second-best monthly mark and his 160 wRC+ is one of the best among active players. It's not hard to see why the Mets handed him all that money.

Worst: Mark Vientos

While Vientos doesn't have a ton of late-season experience, he certainly hasn't been at his best in the home stretch. In 63 games during the season's final month, he's slashing .217/.274/.419 with 13 home runs, 28 RBIs, and 77 strikeouts against 15 walks. His .694 OPS is his worst of any month, and his wRC+ of 92 is pretty dismal.

Cincinnati RedsBest: Ke'Bryan Hayes

Again, research leads to shocking outcomes, and this one ranks up there. You'd expect this result to be flipped, but I assure you it's correct. Hayes is a below-average hitter, but for some reason, he's great late in the season. In 93 career games, he's slashing .299/.344/.475, his best monthly marks across the board. His .819 OPS in September is remarkable considering his career mark is .677. Likewise, his wRC+ in September is 118, while his career mark is 85. It's mind-boggling.

Worst: Elly De La Cruz

De La Cruz remains one of baseball's most electric players, but not during the month of September. In 50 career games, the dynamic shortstop is slashing .219/.308/.374, with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 76 strikeouts against 23 walks. His .682 OPS is his second-worst of any month, and his 85 wRC+ is well below his talent level. Those numbers are ominous for the Reds as they try to make a late-season playoff push.

A relieved Pep Guardiola joked that he lost his hair after Manchester City held on to beat Fulham in a nine-goal thriller. City escaped with a 5-4 victory at Craven Cottage in a match so chaotic, that even a comfortable four-goal cushion was not enough to calm Guardiola. And when he walked into his post-match press conference, the City boss was wearing the look of a man who had just survived a major life scare.

City cruise, then collapse, then somehow hang on

For the first 55 minutes, City were operating in ruthless form. Erling Haaland celebrated his 100th Premier League goal, shattering yet another record after reaching the milestone in just 111 appearances, and his team-mates followed with a flurry of strikes that suggested the contest was settled before the hour mark. Tijjani Reijnders added a second, Phil Foden curled home a stunning third, and Emile Smith Rowe clawed one back for Fulham before halftime. Foden scored again just after the restart, and when Jeremy Doku’s shot looped in via Sander Berge to make it 5-1, the away fans relaxed into their celebrations. This, it seemed, was routine. Another day, another five-goal haul under Guardiola; the 41st time his side had done so in the Premier League. 

But what followed bordered on chaos. Alex Iwobi unleashed a 20-yard curler to reduce the deficit, and suddenly Fulham discovered a fire they had lacked all afternoon. Substitute Samuel Chukwueze, then transformed the closing stages into something close to a fever dream. His first strike rattled City’s composure. His second arrived six minutes later and sent the home crowd into a frenzy, urging their team towards an unlikely equaliser. In the final moments, only a desperate clearance off the line from Josko Gvardiol prevented one of the most improbable comebacks of the season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola: 'It was survival!'

Laughing in disbelief, Guardiola opened his press conference with a quip: "Did you enjoy it? Nice, huh?!"

But when a reporter asked whether he had enjoyed it, the City manager threw his hands up. "Me?! My god, I lost my hair! My god!" he exclaimed, half-joking about the ninety minutes he had just endured. 

Guardiola admitted that, during those frantic final minutes, City were simply trying to keep themselves afloat. 

"It's the Premier League, you can't control, it's the Premier League," he said. "I know you're going to ask what happened, and I don't have an answer. It's the emotion, it's the football. Why you do this, why you do that? But I'm sorry to tell you, we made incredible things today, incredible, because I know how difficult that team is.

"We proved it and scored the goals that we score and the quality we have done. Erling had a chance for 6-3 and immediately later, 5-4. And when that happens, it's just a question of survival. Don't tell me how, the players don't know either. At the end we take it."

City are now just two points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Brentford next, yet their sloppiness at the back poses uncomfortable questions for a side chasing a sustained title charge.

"Arsenal are so strong and so solid. So I know what we have to do," added Guardiola. "It will be difficult, but at the same time, the Premier League is so long. And I promise you that I have enough experience to make long, long runs to try to fight to win the Premier League."

History made but defensive worries linger

The match produced a catalogue of statistical firsts. It was Fulham’s first top-flight game with nine or more goals since 1968 and their first such home fixture since 1965. For City, it marked the first time since December 1957 that they had won a league match while conceding four goals. It also became the sixth Premier League match involving Guardiola’s City with nine or more goals, a tally bettered only by Manchester United (7).

"Of course I was concerned [Fulham could come back], but this will help us in future games," Guardiola said. "Every game is a new team for some players. You have to make a process to start to correct. There were some really positive things in what we have done – to come here, to score five goals, and the way we played in that first half.

"In the end, it was a question of character, resilience and defence. They did what they had to do."

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GettyWhat comes next for Man City?

City will have little time to recover from the mayhem. They return to action on December 6, when they welcome Sunderland to the Etihad, and Guardiola will hope for something considerably calmer than the madness he survived on Tuesday.

Former allrounder had been in interim role since Dale Benkenstein’s departure

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2025Lancashire have confirmed Steven Croft as their new head coach after a successful period in the interim role.Croft stepped up after the departure of Dale Benkenstein in May. Lancashire did not win a game during the first half of the County Championship season, but rallied to finish fifth in Division Two, as well as reaching T20 Blast Finals Day.”It means so much to have the honour of being named head coach of this great club,” Croft said. “Lancashire has been a huge part of my life – from joining the academy as a young player, to captaining the team, and now stepping into this role off the field.”I’m incredibly proud of how the lads responded last season, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. We have a talented, driven squad who are passionate about representing the Red Rose and I believe there is much more to come.”My focus now is on building on the second half of last season’s progress, helping each player improve, and bring success back to the club for our members and supporters at Emirates Old Trafford.”Croft, 41, was part of the team when Lancashire last won the Championship in 2011. He retired in 2023 after playing more than 600 times for the club.Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said: “We are thrilled that Steven has accepted the role permanently after making such a strong impression this summer.”Taking over during a challenging period in May, Steven displayed outstanding leadership throughout this summer. His passion for Lancashire Cricket, knowledge and understanding of the game, and ability to connect with players made him the outstanding candidate.”He will take a hands-on role in the leading of day-to-day coaching of the first team and will be supported by a restructured cricket department – including assistant coach Will Porterfield – with further appointments to follow.”

They were once two of the most marketable teams, but now low ticket sales offer a damning a verdict of the state of the two nations

Danyal Rasool31-Jul-2025What a difference a few decades make. Through the 1980s and ’90s, these two sides were arguably the most marketable in world cricket, the three drawn Test series they contested during West Indies’ famous 15-year unbeaten run among the more iconic ones in cricketing history. Now, West Indies and Pakistan are fine-tuning their warm-ups ahead of a T20I series in Lauderhill, Florida, reportedly dogged by poor ticket sales amid last-minute slashed prices.Each side is coming off torrid T20I series. West Indies found themselves swept aside 5-0 at Australia’s hands over the last fortnight, while Pakistan spent that time losing 2-1 to a Bangladesh team that has struggled for T20 form leading up to those games. Both teams have been dragged down to the lower ends of the cricketing food chain, and with institutional problems plaguing each of them, the fear is that they look set to stay there for the foreseeable future.The lopsided scoreline against Australia perhaps does not quite do justice to West Indies’ top order batting, which made up in explosiveness what it lacked in consistency. However, injuries to Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer, two of the hosts’ better batters against Australia, threaten to expose West Indies’ relative lack of depth. Alick Athanaze – with a T20 strike rate of 116.52 – and 36-year old Johnson Charles – whose best days are well behind him – have been called up to replace the pair.Related

Charles, Athanaze replace injured King and Hetmyer for Pakistan T20Is

Afridi back for T20Is, Nawaz earns maiden ODI call-up for West Indies series

However, that series against Australia certainly falls in line with the larger trend of a dismal T20 record for the side that, remember, is the joint-most successful in T20 World Cups. It is the 2026 edition of that tournament that this series is in service to as each side looks to mould themselves into their best version by that time.West Indies have won one just one of their 12 T20Is since December 2024, against Ireland. They were whitewashed 3-0 in a home series against Bangladesh last December as complete wipeouts have become the norm; it would be followed up by three losses against England in June before Australia made it five more.Pakistan’s situation isn’t quite as dire, but the picture isn’t rosy, either. The new coach Mike Hesson has attempted to rejuvenate the T20 side with a focus, theoretically anyway, on more aggression with the bat, and though it was realised in a trouncing of Bangladesh at home on pliant surfaces, Pakistan were reminded of the frustrating non-linearity of progress as they fell apart in the corresponding away series.West Indies will be without the services of the injured Shimron Hetmyer•AFP/Getty ImagesThat the T20 side needed an overhaul was obvious enough. Pakistan have been a bad T20 side for a long time, with the numbers to back it up. Since May 2024, they have won one fixture against one of the traditional top eight sides out of a possible 13 – a solitary win in a 4-1 series loss against New Zealand. Moreover, there have been losses against Ireland, USA, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in this time, with off-field mayhem closely tracking on-field performances. Four different men have taken the T20I captaincy in this time, three different coaches have attempted to lead them, and they have the squad turnover to show for it.While a wide variety between the ceiling and floor of the big-hitting batters is expected, Pakistan continue to wrestle with how to go about balancing their bowling line-up. Against Bangladesh, they almost tried to do away with full-time bowlers altogether, no fewer than six part-time bowlers available to make up the overs alongside Abbas Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal. Hesson has appeared to view the importance of specialist bowlers in T20 cricket almost as anachronistic, valuing the importance of “six, seven, eight bowlers…who if you get certain matchups can do a job”.It did mean leaving out all of Pakistan’s three biggest-name quicks – Shaheen Shah Afridi, the injured Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Perhaps with West Indies’ big hitting ability in mind, Pakistan have now walked that back somewhat, recalling Afridi and Haris, as well as Hasan Ali, who spent the last two months playing T20 cricket for the Birmingham Bears in England.In a way, though, this series is less about the sides playing as about where it is being held. For years, cricket has attempted to break into the United States’ colossal domestic market. That ambitious goal, however, is nowhere close to being realised.In its absence, cricket administrators have settled for the more modestly achievable aim of capitalising on a wealthy South Asian diaspora starved of live cricket in the region, with match and hospitality tickets orders of magnitude pricier than they’d be for equivalent packages in the Caribbean. Lauderhill has emerged as the most appropriate venue, owing to its mix of warm weather, proximity to the West Indies and sizeable South Asian and Caribbean diaspora.But in the nation that declared the customer always right in matters of taste, the relatively sluggish ticket sales offer as damning a verdict of the state of these two nations’ cricket as any win-loss chart.

The Yankees bullpen sunk to a historic new franchise low in an 11–1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

New York's 'pen surrendered nine earned runs for the second consecutive game, the first time that's occurred in Yankees franchise history, according to Katie Sharp.

Consider this: So poor was the Yankees bullpen on Wednesday night that each of the four relief pitchers Yankees manager Aaron Boone sent to the mound surrendered an earned run—except for outfielder Austin Slater, who entered the game in the ninth inning and slow-tossed 36-mph eephus-esque meatballs as New York waved the white flag.

Wednesday's game eerily resembled Tuesday's loss for the Bronx Bombers, who played Detroit to a 2–2 tie through six innings before the bullpen came undone in a nine-run implosion in the seventh inning.

But as poor as the results have been in the two-game postseason litmus test against the Tigers thus far, Boone, ever the optimist, believes the results are a blip on the radar rather than a concerning trend.

"Track record. Stuff. Who they are," Boone said when asked what gives him confidence the bullpen can turn things around. "Obviously, we got to get a couple guys on track so we can create that depth that we can have down there. A bullpen ERA in short samples like that can be a little misleading, like when you have a handful of games where it really gets away and it gets blown up.

"I feel like through this stretch of games, where over the last month we started winning, we've closed out a lot of good games, too, with guys capable of shutting people down. This is what we have. I've had a lot of confidence in their ability and their stuff, but we got to bring it together. We haven't done that consistently enough yet. Can we do it? That's what we're going to find out. That's what we're going to need to do if we're going to make a big run at this."

The Yankees play one more game against Detroit on Thursday before traveling to Boston for a three-game series against the Red Sox beginning on Friday.