This will be his first captaincy stint at any level
Edited PTI copy13-Nov-2025
Varun Chakravarthy is currently the No.1-ranked T20I bowler•AFP/Getty Images
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been named Tamil Nadu captain for the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, beginning November 26. Narayan Jagadeesan will be the vice-captain.Varun played a handy role in India’s recent T20I series win in Australia, taking five wickets across three completed matches. This will be his first captaincy stint at any level. He replaced M Shahrukh Khan in the role and was appointed ahead of R Sai Kishore and Jagadeesan, both of whom have prior captaincy experience.India left-arm seamer T Natarajan is also part of the squad, as is his fellow left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh. Two more left-armers, Sai Kishore and M Siddharth, will lead the spin attack.Tamil Nadu are having a modest run in the ongoing Ranji Trophy and are placed sixth in their group after two losses and two draws in four games.In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, they are in Elite Group D alongside Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tripura, Jharkhand and Saurashtra. They will open their campaign against Rajasthan in Ahmedabad.Tamil Nadu squadVarun Chakravarthy (capt), Narayan Jagadeesan (vice-capt, wk), Tushar Raheja (wk), VP Amit Sathvik, M Shahrukh Khan, Andre Siddarth, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Shivam Singh, R Sai Kishore, M Siddharth, T Natarajan, Gurjapneet Singh, A Esakkimuthu, R Sonu Yadav, R Silambarasan, S Rithik Easwaran (wk)
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has set his sights on a Real Madrid target who Mikel Arteta personally thinks is perfect for his system, according to a new report.
Arsenal prepare for Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea
The mood around N5 could hardly be more positive right now after a phenomenal week.
Arsenal dismantled North London rivals Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend and immediately followed that up by inflicting Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the entire campaign on Wednesday.
It was the perfect few days to set up a tantalising encounter with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Arsenal now having the chance to go nine points clear of Enzo Maresca’s side.
Chelsea pose yet another tough test for Arsenal, especially after the Blues thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, but Arteta’s side go into the contest on an all-time high.
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham
Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich
Arsenal have also welcomed back Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard from injury, with the former two getting on the scoresheet against Bayern to round off a superb win.
Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus missed the victory over Bayern, alongside star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, but young defender Cristhian Mosquera did a ‘superb’ job filling in for the latter.
Arsenal’s strength in depth is testament to Berta’s excellent recruitment drive last summer, with their near-£270 million outlay on new signings paying dividends for Arteta.
The Gunners could hardly be any stronger right now, but Berta will be paying close attention to unmissable market opportunities.
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He’s responded to the speculation around his future.
ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025
One of them could be Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, who is rumoured to have a tempting £17.5 million release clause in his contract amid comparisons to Pedri and Barça legend Sergio Busquets.
Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Rodrigo Mendoza from Elche
That is according to TEAMtalk, who also report that Arsenal have positioned themselves as the frontrunners to sign Mendoza in January.
Arteta has apparently identified the 20-year-old as an ‘ideal’ addition to strengthen his title-chasing squad, with Arsenal already holding ‘initial talks’ to sign Mendoza after ‘exploratory’ contact.
TT sources indicate that Arsenal are prepared to test Elche’s resolve before Christmas as they look to bolster their midfield options for the second half of the campaign.
However, Arsenal face significant competition for his signature. Three other Premier League heavyweights have all made contact with the player’s representatives too, setting up a four-way English battle, and Real Madrid are believed to be targeting Mendoza too.
Sources close to Mendoza’s camp apparently state that, while multiple English clubs have registered interest, Arsenal’s early moves give them a distinct advantage.
The modest release clause represents exceptional value in today’s inflated market, particularly for a Spain Under-21 international who has progressed through every youth level.
Mendoza has nine La Liga appearances and one goal to his name so far this season, and helped Elche achieve promotion back to the Spanish top flight last season.
For just £17.5m, Arsenal could sign one of Spain’s newest rising stars, with Arteta’s apparent eagerness making this transfer one to watch.
Chelsea are now considering a marquee transfer double deal to bolster Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of 2026, according to reports.
Chelsea tipped as Premier League title contenders ahead of Arsenal
On the pitch, their Premier League title credentials are set for a stern evaluation as they prepare for a blockbuster face-off against frontrunners Arsenal this weekend.
Sunday’s heavyweight clash between the London rivals at Stamford Bridge will provide the clearest indication yet of whether Maresca’s youthful side genuinely belong in the conversation, or if they still remain a year away from challenging for football’s ultimate prize.
The debate surrounding Chelsea’s title credentials has intensified following their impressive recent run, with Maresca himself refusing to rule out the possibility, in stark contrast to last year.
Tuesday’s 3-0 dismantling of Barcelona in the Champions League demonstrated their ability to deliver against Europe’s elite even without superstar Cole Palmer, with Estevao taking all the headlines after his masterclass against the Catalans.
Luckily for Maresca, Palmer is back to full fitness and available to play Arsenal, with Maresca handed the desired conundrum of fitting both the England international and Estevao into the same team.
Chelsea’s boss has grown adept when it comes to tinkering with his side, having made more first eleven changes than any other manager in the Premier League by far this season.
However, they could hardly ask for a tougher test on paper than Arsenal, who are currently 16 games unbeaten in all competitions and fresh off a statement Champions League performance themselves.
Chelsea have already signed "the next Cristiano Ronaldo" for half of his release clause
He could be their next Estevao-esque talent.
By
Emilio Galantini
Nov 27, 2025
Mikel Arteta’s side have established themselves as the benchmark to beat, and their unbeaten seven-game run against Chelsea will gift the Gunners major confidence heading into their west London tie.
Off the field, BlueCo are devising yet more plans to strengthen the Chelsea squad in future windows, despite spending nearly £300 million in the summer.
Chelsea considering £120m double deal for FC Porto's Aghehowa and Froholdt
As per reports from Spain, Chelsea are considering an ambitious £120 million deal for two talented FC Porto players, with Victor Froholdt and Samu Aghehowa emerging as top targets.
Froholdt, a 19-year-old midfielder, has captured Chelsea’s attention through his exceptional composure in possession from deep positions. The west Londoners are apparently fans of the teenager’s technical ability, and believe he could slot in seamlessly alongside Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.
Meanwhile, Aghehowa also appeals to Chelsea’s recruitment team after his stellar 2025.
The 21-year-old striker has established himself as a consistent goalscorer in Portugal, bagging 27 goals in 45 games last term, and has continued that fine form by hitting double figures this season.
Aghehowa is a familiar name to Chelsea, having once come close to signing the Spain international back in 2024.
Both players align with their transfer strategy when it comes to recruiting world football’s most exciting young talents, but the competition for Aghehowa’s signature alone means this won’t be easy by any means.
Are things in danger of unravelling at Tottenham Hotspur?
Let’s cast our minds back to the Ange Postecoglou era. It all began at a rip-roaring pace before the Aussies’ chaotic team were found out.
Is the same now happening to Thomas Frank’s team? The Dane was enjoying a pretty perfect first few months in the hot seat and with Daniel Levy gone, a promising new era beckoned.
Yet, in recent months, results have not been up to scratch. Spurs have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions, and since their impressive 3-0 win over Everton a week ago, have endured a wretched week.
The Lilywhites crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Newcastle and then turned in arguably their worst performance of the Frank era to date in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
So bad were Spurs that Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher simply said as the game neared its end that they had been “absolutely awful”.
To make matters worse, clips emerged post-game showing two Spurs players walking straight past the manager at full-time.
That being said, at the front of their woes is the marquee summer signing, Xavi Simons.
Why Xavi Simons is struggling at Spurs
What a peculiar summer Spurs had. The big focus, particularly after James Maddison’s injury, was to sign a creative force.
They missed out on Premier League-proven talents in the shape of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze and were forced to turn their attentions elsewhere. How they must wish they’d got one of Gibbs-White or Eze.
Simons has been a wonderful talent out in the Bundesliga but much like fellow attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, has really struggled to make an impact in English football.
The Dutchman has failed to score across 12 outings in Spurs colours and has just one assist to show for his efforts.
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While there have been flickers of brilliance, he is clearly struggling with the physicality of the league and is suffering from the lack of time you are given on the ball.
That was particularly notable during the 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday evening, perhaps the nadir of Simons’ time in north London to date.
The Netherlands international wasn’t initially selected to start the game but was thrust into the action after just seven minutes when Lucas Bergvall went off injured.
To sum up his woes, Simons was then withdrawn from the action with 17 minutes of normal time to go.
He trudged off the pitch having not completed a key pass or provided an accurate cross. He also gave away possession 15 times and completed a solitary dribble from three attempts.
Aged just 22, Simons does at least have time on his side but he will need to improve quickly. Another of Spurs’ big underperformers may not be quite so fortuitous as far as time is concerned.
Spurs underperformer is as big of a problem as Simons
While the summer signing has become a large issue for Frank in recent weeks, so has one of the club’s most experienced players; Pedro Porro.
Donning the captain’s armband, more should be expected of the Spaniard but the fact of the matter is that his form is waning under the new regime.
While Porro has never been the most awe-inspiring from a defensive point of view, it’s not just been that aspect of his game to let him down in 2025/26.
Handed a 4/10 rating post-game by football.london, they wrote that he ‘struggled to make things happen with his passing loose for much of the encounter’.
Minutes played
73
Accurate passes
18/30 (60%)
Key passes
0
Accurate crosses
0/6
Touches
51
Possession lost
23x
Shots
0
Tackles
0
Interceptions
0
Recoveries
2
Duels won
3/7
That was certainly showcased in the stats with the full-back not impressing in many of his duties at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He dismally completed just 60% of his passes, ceding possession on 23 occasions. The Spain international also failed to complete a tackle or make an interception.
It’s safe to say he didn’t leave a strong impression on the fanbase with one Spurs content creator describing it as Porro’s “worst performance in a long time.” Quite.
So, as Frank’s side get ready to face Copenhagen in midweek, perhaps it would be advantageous to drop Porro, moving Djed Spence to right back and bringing Destiny Udogie back in at left-back.
Years from now, as the greatest comeback team in the history of World Series clinchers gathers for reunions, no one will have to lie, exaggerate or stretch the facts like taffy. The truth is wildly entertaining enough.
The Los Angeles Dodgers really did come from five runs down against a Cy Young Award winner working on a no-hitter. Freddie Freeman really did go all Kirk Gibson on one good leg. Shohei Ohtani did play with one good arm while keeping the other in an invisible sling. And Dave Roberts really did make critical strategic decisions once by feeling a man’s heartbeat and once by letting his first baseman make the call with a hand signal.
But when the 2024 Dodgers talk about how they won the World Series, especially with a 7–6 win in absolute lollapalooza of a Game 5 Wednesday, they must begin with the story of the team bus that afternoon. Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler strutted onto that bus as it departed for Yankee Stadium and told Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, and Brandon Gomes, the general manager, “Hey, if things get wonky tonight, I’m good to go.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s great,” Friedman said with an eye roll.
“No, seriously,” Buehler said.
Friedman was thinking to himself,
Buehler had one day of rest after throwing 76 pitches in a Game 3 start, this in his first season back after missing almost two years after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery. He is a free-agent-to-be. In other words, he is the last guy anyone should expect to be cranking his arm voluntarily with such little rest. (His mound counterpart from Game 3, Clarke Schmidt, spent Game 5 in the New York Yankees dugout in sneakers.)
“Well,” Buehler continued, “but what if things get wonky?”
By the sixth inning, the Dodgers had scored five of the zaniest unearned runs the World Series has ever seen and Roberts, the Dodgers manager, had already called on all six of his high-leverage relief pitchers—with nine outs still to go.
At that point Buehler walked into the Dodgers clubhouse and found Friedman, who had been on a telephone trying to find a flight that night to Los Angeles with a lay-flat seat for Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, given the likelihood of a Yankees win that would force the series back to Dodger Stadium.
“Um, is this the definition of wonky?” Buehler asked.
Yes. Most definitely yes.
Vincent van Gogh had the south of France. Georgia O’Keeffe had New Mexico. Ernest Hemingway had Spain. The 2024 Dodgers will always have World Series Game 5. Their last game was their signature game, not only because it clinched their second championship in five seasons, but also because it defined their trademark feistiness. When everything went wonky, including a 5–0 deficit to Gerrit Cole and a bullpen quickly running out of pitchers, the Dodgers were at their best.
“In years past we would have lost this game,” Roberts said. “We lost in 2017 in [World Series] Game 7. We were down 4–0 in the second inning. Look what they did now. I’m proud, especially of the little things this team did.”
Friedman has talked about building a “golden era” of Dodgers baseball. Don’t look now, but we are smack in the middle of it already. Over the past 12 years the Dodgers have posted a .613 winning percentage and won two World Series. No other franchise has played that well and won multiple titles over a dozen years.
This Dodgers team, Roberts admitted, trafficked in feistiness unlike the others he has managed. Buehler with a twice-repaired elbow volunteering to walk into the teeth of wonkiness defines that grit. But to find the real beginning of the bus ride story you must go back to Sept. 15 in Atlanta. The Dodgers had lost the first two of four games against the Atlanta Braves. They were 5–7 in their past 12 games. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres were making a run at them. The Dodgers had just found out that pitcher Tyler Glasnow was out for the year. Roberts, who generally disdains team meetings, called a meeting.
“The message basically was, I can’t believe more in them than they believe in themselves,” Roberts said.
Then he remembered the cardinal rule of team meetings: always check that day’s starting pitcher before you call a team meeting. The Dodgers’ starter that day was Buehler, who had a 5.95 ERA in 13 starts and was so bad coming back from his Tommy John surgery the Dodgers began to think he might not make their postseason roster.
So Roberts doubled down. He held a private meeting with Buehler.
“Hey, man,” Roberts told Buehler, “I need you to go on a heater. And it has to start now.”
“That’s about the extent of what he said,” Buehler said. “And I did.”
Buehler takes in the scene after recording the final out of the Series. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Buehler threw six innings that night and gave up one earned run. In his last seven games he would finish with a 3.45 ERA while finding the swing-and-miss magic on his four-seam fastball. The Dodgers won 9–2 that night. They won the next night, too. They finished the year 22–7 after that meeting.
“This team,” Roberts said, “learned what it takes to fight. It wasn’t always the Dodgers’ reputation. But we learned to be street fighters. It’s been the Padres’ M.O. Their reputation is like the UFC. We started playing like that, like brawlers in a street fight. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of about this team.”
The Padres pushed the Dodgers to the brink of elimination in the National League division series. One more loss would have sent Los Angeles to a fourth straight postseason series loss. The Dodgers responded by winning 8–0 and 2–0 and posting 33 consecutive scoreless innings.
“This group definitely had a special thing about them,” Friedman said. “Obviously, it's easy to say it sitting here drinking champagne winning the World Series. But it was very palpable when we were down 2–1 in San Diego. It was, . And there was an edge to the guys calling each other out in good, healthy, productive ways. It was all about making sure that we won the next two games. And it was different.”
Roberts is the renewable energy source of that fight.
“He is relentlessly optimistic,” Friedman said. “Obviously, we went through a lot this year, and a lot of adversity, and his ability during some of our more difficult times to breathe optimism into the group and remind them to look around and see just how talented the guys are that are around them, I think was very significant.”
Privately, the Dodgers liked the World Series matchup against the Yankees. They knew New York cut corners when it came to the finer points of the game. The Yankees did not defend well. Their baserunning was lackluster; the Dodgers scouts wrote up reports about a consistent lack of strong primary leads and fundamental secondary leads. Limit the Yankees’ home runs, the Dodgers knew, and you could out-execute them.
The difference between the two clubs showed at the start. Before Freeman launched the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history to win Game 1, the Yankees facilitated Dodger rallies with stumbling play. Outfielders Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto allowed extra bases by taking poor routes to balls. Second baseman Gleyber Torres carelessly kicked a throw by playing it off the side. A pattern emerged: If the games remained close, the Dodgers would win on a huge edge in fundamentals.
APSTEIN: Yankees’ Obvious Flaws Surface in Ugly Fashion to End World Series
Freeman homered again in Games 2, 3 and 4, becoming the first player to homer in four straight games to open a series. Roberts punted Game 4, a bullpen game and a 11–4 defeat, by using two rookies, Ben Casparius and Landon Knack, and injury-plagued veterans Daniel Hudson and Brent Honeywell. The plan only made sense if he won Game 5. Nobody expected it would happen in such an outrageous manner.
After Buehler told Friedman and Gomes he was good to go out of the pen in Game 5, Gomes relayed the news to Roberts, who was already at Yankee Stadium.
“Tell him no thanks,” Roberts replied in a text.
When Buehler arrived at the ballpark, Roberts told him, “Dude, we're not going to use you in a f—ing Game 5.”
Roberts, front left, guided the Dodgers to their second World Series title in five years. / Wendell Cruz-MLB
That was before wonkiness ensued. Cole and the Yankees led 5–0 in the fifth when Enrique Hernandez lined a fastball for a single, the Dodgers’ first hit. Tommy Edman then hit a routine, weakly hit liner toward Aaron Judge in center field. As Judge put his glove in front of his face to catch it, he averted his eyes toward Hernandez. Why he checked the runner is a mystery. There was no possible advancement. By taking his eye off the ball, Judge dropped it.
Judge is a competent center fielder, and in the previous inning had made a leaping, acrobatic catch at the wall. But at 6' 7", 282 pounds, he should not be playing as much center field as the Yankees ask of him.
The next batter, Will Smith, rolled a grounder to the right of shortstop Anthony Volpe. Hernandez, in serpentine style, smartly skewed his route to disrupt the sightline of Volpe toward third base, where a force play was in order. A distracted Volpe spiked his throw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm. When Cole struck out Gavin Lux, the inning should have been over. But the errors by Judge and Volpe forced Cole to continue to labor.
Cole did strike out the clearly compromised Ohtani, who went 1-for-12 after suffering a subluxation of his shoulder in Game 2. Cole was huffing and puffing, pawing at the dirt with his spikes and trying to find any kind of breaks by often asking for a new baseball. Suspects in dimly lit interrogation rooms look more comfortable than Cole as this inning of endless would-be outs continued.
Mookie Betts tapped a weakly hit grounder toward first base that looked like yet another easy out. But Cole, withered by the length of the inning and the Yankees’ squandering of outs, made no effort to cover first base. Anthony Rizzo, the first baseman, had no one to throw to after catching the spinning baseball. Cole, plain and simple, suffered from a form of battle fatigue that caused a huge mental lapse. A run scored.
“[With] all that he went through in that inning,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “he was kind of spent and kind of almost working his way out of it. He just didn't react quick enough to get over.”
Freeman slashed a two-run single. Teoscar Hernandez blasted a two-run double. The game was tied as Cole, as if sinking in quicksand, labored through 38 pitches over about 20 minutes on the mound. The Yankees gave Los Angeles three extra outs in that inning alone.
New York recovered, however, with a run in the sixth to take a 6–5 lead. In the seventh, Roberts felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Buehler.
“I'll be in the pen if you need me,” the pitcher told Roberts.
“And he had his game face on,” Roberts said. “So, I was like, ‘Oh f–.’ And then you're looking at counting outs and who we got available. And it was a little bit of that Clayton Kershaw [NLDS] Game 5 in D.C. And I guarantee that was on his mind, right?”
“Hey, Walker is going to the pen,” Roberts told pitching coach Mark Prior.
A few minutes later Prior called Buehler on the bullpen phone.
“How do you feel? Did you throw today?” Prior asked.
“Yeah,” Buehler said. “I feel good.”
“I lied,” Buehler said. “I hadn’t thrown yet.”
Only two days earlier Buehler had thrown 76 pitches to shut out the Yankees over five innings. That game alone was a testament to his willpower. The night before his start he canceled a dinner with family and friends because he was feeling awful with flu-like symptoms.
“He was like, ‘I’m staying in bed,’” said his father, Tony. “He was sick as a dog.”
By the seventh inning of Game 5, Roberts knew he might need to take up Buehler on his offer to pitch. He brought in Blake Treinen, his last available high-leverage reliever, in the sixth and pushed him back out for the seventh and eighth.
The Dodgers scored two in the eighth to take a 7–6 lead, thanks to more ugly baseball by New York. Reliever Tommy Kahnle retired none of three batters he faced: two singles and a four-pitch walk. Gavin Lux tied the game with a sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver and Betts put Los Angeles ahead with another sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers needed six outs for the title, but Roberts had no known path to get there. Predictably, Treinen wobbled from fatigue. The Yankees put runners at first and second in the eighth with one out and Giancarlo Stanton coming up. Roberts bounded from the dugout to check on his pitcher.
Roberts put his hand on Treinen’s chest.
“I wanted to feel his heart,” Roberts said. “I wanted to look in his eyes and see. And I wanted him to tell me he had more in the tank.”
“Hey, dude, how are you feeling?” he asked Treinen.
“I got you,” Treinen replied. “I want him.”
Treinen recorded seven invaluable outs to earn the win in the Dodgers’ World Series clincher. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Roberts returned to the dugout. On the next pitch, Treinen retired Stanton on a pop-up. Two outs. Rizzo was due next. Roberts stood up and began to lurch toward the mound. He had a weary Daniel Hudson ready to face Rizzo.
Suddenly, Roberts looked across the field and Freeman, his first baseman, was staring right at him. Freeman was slowly pushing both hands toward the ground, the universal symbol indicating “stand down.”
“He’s like, ‘Let him go,’” Roberts said. “And I go, .”
Treinen somehow had enough left in his tank to strike out Rizzo. Roberts sent word to the bullpen that Buehler had the ninth. Friedman saw him warming up.
“This is crazy,” Friedman said aloud. “It is wonky. But Walker is such a competitor that it's not shocking to see.
“I think a lot is going to be written about what Blake did. But it won't do it justice. Those guys are free agents, Blake and Walker. For them to do what they did, the way they put their teammates up on a pedestal, the way they competed and laid it all out there for their teammates, for the fans in Los Angeles, for Dodger Nation, I just don't think enough is going to be written and said about it.”
Buehler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
“I actually felt really good out there,” he said. “I was pretty surprised. I didn't do so much with my elbow. As weird as it sounds, it's gotten more black and white after every surgery. You know, he can do it, or he can't.”
The ball did not leave the infield. Ten of his 16 pitches were curveballs, including the last one, a swinging strike three from Verdugo.
“This is the only reason I play, for games like this,” Buehler said. “The whole year—the offseason, spring training, the regular season—it doesn’t matter. Well, it matters, but not like these games. To win championships is why I play. It’s the best feeling in the world. I live for this.”
Buehler has allowed only one run in 19 World Series innings. Only Madison Bumgarner (0.25) and Jack Billingham (0.36) have a lower World Series ERA than Buehler (0.47) among the 177 pitchers with at least 19 innings in the Fall Classic.
As soon as Buehler fanned Verdugo, the righthander turned to his dugout on the third base side and threw his hands out to the side and let his face remain calm as the joy and bedlam erupted around him. He had the pose of .
Later, in the clubhouse, Buehler was asked if this was his best day in baseball.
“Yeah, I think so,” he replied. “Two days ago was pretty fun, too.”
Hernandez then grabbed him around the neck and shouted at Buehler, “Everybody is going to watch this highlight. You're going to be on the mound getting the last out of the World Series for the rest of your f—ing life.
“For the rest of your life you're going to be the guy who got the last out of the World Series. On the mound on one day rest! Who the f— else, huh? Walker, thank you, man.”
Londrina e Sampaio Corrêa se enfrentam nesta quinta-feira, às 21h30, no Estádio do Café, pela 30ª rodada do Brasileiro Série B. O time paranaense segue em penúltimo, com 21 pontos, enquanto a Bolívia Querida, com 34, é 13º, abrindo seis de vantagem para o Z-4.
+Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00
O Londrina vê sua situação ficar ainda mais complicada após dura derrota de 4 a 0 para o Sport. O Tubarão está a nove pontos do Avaí, primeiro fora do Z-4, com nove rodadas por disputar. Contra o Sampaio Corrêa, Ezequiel, que cumpriu suspensão, volta a ficar disponível e a esperança de gols, curiosamente, é o volante João Paulo, autor de sete no torneio.
Já o Sampaio Corrêa chega embalado após duas vitórias consecutivas – contra Chapecoense e Vila Nova – resultados que aumentam as chances da equipe maranhense permanecer na Série B em 2024. Sem qualquer desfalque, Fernando Marchiori deve repetir a formação que superou os goianos, com destaque para Ytalo, ainda na briga pela artilharia.
ONDE ASSISTIR/TRANSMISSÃO: SporTV e Premiere
+Confira a tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão Série B
LONDRINA X SAMPAIO CORRÊA 30ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO SÉRIE B 2023
Data: 28 de setembro de 2023 Horário: 19h30 Local: Estádio do Café, Londrina (PR) Árbitro: Rafael Rodrigo Klein (RS) Assistentes: Jorge Eduardo Bernardi (RS) e Thayse Marques Fonseca (RJ) VAR: Diego Pombo Lopez (BA) Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
Possível escalação do Londrina: Neneca; Lucas Mendes (Ezequiel); Gabriel, Rafael Vaz e Marcos Pedro; João Paulo, Rodrigo Alves e Ariel; Paulinho Moccelin, William Barbio e Iago Dias. Técnico: Edson Vieira.
Possível escalação do Sampaio Corrêa: Luiz Daniel; Matheus Pivô, Ícaro, Rafael Jansen e Pará; Mikael, Neto Paraíba, Robinho, Vitinho e Pimentinha; Ytalo. Técnico: Carlos Azevedo.
With Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba retiring and Luis Suarez' slowing, its time for Messi and Miami to deliver
Lionel Messi bringing together the remnants of great Barcelona teams past in Miami was a beautiful thing. It was a side for the football romantics. Many who watched Messi in Barca would have seen him connect, play and win with his compadres.
Jordi Alba was the left back who had assisted Messi more than anyone else. Luis Suarez developed the kind of attacking chemistry that many can only ever dream of. And Sergio Busquets was at the base of midfield, winning everything and metronomically ticking the game over.
That quartet was the spine of one of the best sides in the history of the sport. Their reunification in Florida just right. You can imagine the "We're getting the band back together" style meeting. It was probably over WhatsApp. Maybe there was a Zoom call involved. Honestly, it may have gone through agents.
They reunited, and the assumption was that they would win, early and often. The reality has been far from the case. The vibes are immaculate. The romanticism is clear to see. Their desire to continue to perform at a high level cannot be questioned, either. But results have remained elusive.
And time, it seems, is running out. Alba and Busquets are retiring at the end of the season. Suarez may yet do the same. And even if Messi just signed a three-year extension with the club, there is a sense that this is the last ride for the Catalonian boys in Miami. The band is breaking up, and on the dawn of MLS playoffs, they have one last chance at a big hit.
Imagn
The Barcelona connection
There is a beautiful circularity to the story of these four. They last played for the same Barca team in 2020. That iteration of Barca underperformed slightly, in the sense that they had the sheer audacity to win La Liga. Still, the currency of playing for is trophies, and the quartet ultimately failed.
After that, they dispersed. Suarez bolted for Atletico Madrid once it became clear that Barca were going through something of a transition. Messi, unthinkably, left soon after, starting the strange fever dream era in which he played for PSG (a saga that was defined by him skipping a couple games, scoring some outrageous goals, and ultimately winning a World Cup with Argentina). Then the move to Miami in 2023.
Alba and Busquets stuck around, the elder statesmen on what was a strange era of La Liga. Barca and Real Madrid were both in transition. Xavi – if only to complete the old-teammate vibe – came in as manager. They won La Liga in 2023, and then both bolted for Miami.
Suarez did the same, albeit after a sabbatical in South American soccer with Gremio. His signature was surprising; he had spoken openly about his body breaking down in real time. But the appeal of Miami – and reunification with his old friends – was too much to turn down.
Miami, in turn, were a strange outfit. They barreled their way through the 2024 regular season, making a mockery of the league, setting a new points record and claiming the Supporters' Shield. They were, by extension, playoff favorites. And they failed to live up to that tag in quite remarkable fashion, losing in the first round to eighth-seeded Atlanta United.
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The challenges of a new season
Heading into this campaign, the writing was on the wall. There was scattered talk that Suarez could retire at the end of last season, but he stuck around. Busquets and Alba were playing on expiring contracts. All of the signings Miami made over the winter – Tadeo Allende, Telasco Segovia, Maxi Falcon – seemed shrewd options, the kind of foreign talent that, in theory, makes a win-now MLS team.
The addition of Javier Mascherano as manager, meanwhile, was a massive keep-Messi-happy move.
Miami have gone about their business admittedly well – especially given the flaws. There was always going to be a hefty workload, with CONCACAF Champions Cup, Club World Cup and Leagues Cup added to an already packed MLS schedule. Across all competitions, they played 57 matches, won 31, lost 12 and drew 14.
They are scoring more than two goals per game, possess the best attack in MLS and, crucially, have managed to stay relatively healthy throughout.
Some midseason transfer activity was smart. Benjamin Cremaschi openly criticized his coach, and was swiftly sent to Parma – his Miami future seemingly over. Rodrigo De Paul's signing was an immense upgrade in the midfield, and also perhaps a signifier of Busquets' impending retirement.
Sure, they missed out on a centerback that they badly needed. But zoom out, consider the angles and think about the scope of MLS – a league in which playoff success is everything – and they are better set up for a run than last year's group.
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What would success be?
It's important to consider, though, what exactly success for Miami would look like. The numbers suggest that this is a good MLS side, led by someone who is, to say the least, a clear difference-maker. But their finish in the Eastern Conference – third, and one point off first – is indicative of where they are as a team.
FC Cincinnati (second) are more well-rounded and have plenty of weapons. First-place Philadelphia Union are wonderfully consistent and will likely be able to deal with the rough and tumble of three-game playoff series.
In truth, Miami are right where they should be – especially given they have played 16 games more than Cincinnati and 18 more than Philadelphia with the other competitions. This is an older team being asked to play more games, and still came within one point of first place. In abstract, by the normal variables of modern soccer, this is effectively an overperformance.
Miami don't have the time to recover, regroup, coach and train. They take it game-by-game . Anyone else would struggle. But of course, none of that really matters. Miami cannot point to heavy workloads, or make the "excuses" other clubs routinely use. Talent alone renders all of that irrelevant.
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Nashville and the realities of a tough matchup
On MLS Decision Day, Miami looked something close to their scintillating best. They turned in a very Miami performance. They were battered for 20 minutes, and really should have gone down a goal or two. And then, the main men woke up. Alba found Messi, who scored. Nashville responded twice and went up 2-1 at halftime.
Then, the Blaugrana boys turned it on properly. Messi scored twice more in the second half, and set up a third. Alba purred up the left wing. Suarez was a constant irritant and saw a couple of shots well denied. Still, 5-2 wins don't always keep coaches happy. Sure, it's nice to score five. But conceding twice isn't the hallmark of a team in control.
Control, however, has never been Miami's thing. And that's why they are so dangerous. This side can wake up in an instant, and rattle off four second-half goals without breaking a sweat. They sacrifice defense in the name of a rip-roaring attack. Is it borderline reckless, and the kind of thing that might see them undone? Sure, but it's the way they play.
Nashville, Miami's opponent in this rematch from Decision Day, will be tricky. Last's week's loss notwithstanding, they are structured, disciplined, well coached, and have excellent attacking players, Hany Mukhtar and the ruthless Sam Surridge. There likely won't be any more 5-2 Miami wins here.
يخوض النادي الأهلي مباراة قوية ضد نادي بتروجيت، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب استاد الكلية الحربية.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع بتروجيت، في منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري، إذ ينطلق اللقاء في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.
طالع | تشكيل الأهلي الرسمي أمام بتروجيت في الدوري المصري.. طاهر يقود الهجوم
ويسعى النادي الأهلي، إلى تحقيق الفوز الرابع على التوالي مع الجهاز الفني الجديد بقيادة ييس توروب، بالإضافة إلى العودة إلى صدارة ترتيب الدوري المصري.
النادي الأهلي يخوض المباراة، وهو يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 21 نقطة، من 10 مباريات، إذ حقق الفوز في 6 مباريات وتعادل في 3 وخسر في لقاء.
ومن المتوقع أن يشهد تشكيل الأهلي حسب التدريبات الختامية، أن يعود المدرب الدنماركي ييس توروب بالدفع بمحمد الشناوي في مركز حراسة المرمى بعد غيابه عن المباراة الماضية للإصابة.
ومن المنتظر أن تتواجد القوة الضاربة للنادي الأهلي، المكونة من أحمد سيد زيزو وأشرف بن شرقي ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه والمهاجم السلوفيني جراديشار. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام بتروجيت اليوم في الدوري المصري
حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.
خط الدفاع: محمد هاني، ياسر إبراهيم، ياسين مرعي ومحمد شكري.
خط الوسط: أليود ديانج، محمد علي بن رمضان ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه.
Arsenal scouts have watched a “world-class talent” in action a number of times already this season, and they could be set to battle Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.
Gunners looking to bolster options in midfield
Mikel Arteta made major improvements to his squad in the summer transfer window, and Martin Zubimendi is already looking like a very astute signing, having been singled out for praise after scoring twice in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Former Watford striker Troy Deeney said: “The technique on the first of his two goals against Nottingham Forest was frightening. It would have been so easy to get over that and put it into Row Z, and his header was nice as well.
“We see so many players that can’t head a ball any more and it was really calm. He ran the show and that is why Arsenal brought him in. They want him to be that maestro when they have loads of the ball.”
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Christian Norgaard also arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, meaning Arteta should be very well-stocked in the engine room this season, but the north Londoners have now joined the race for another central midfielder.
That is according to a report from journalist Ahad Shaukhat for the Daily Briefing, who states Arsenal scouts have now watched Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi on a number of occasions already.
Bouaddi is being targeted by a number of top clubs from across Europe, with bitter rivals Tottenham also in the race for his signature, but there have been suggestions a deal could be on the expensive side.
The 17-year-old has been widely reported to have a price tag of £40m, which would be a huge amount to pay for a teenager.
"World-class talent" Bouaddi is one for the future
Despite his age, the young Frenchman has already established himself as a regular starter for Lille, making a total of 58 senior appearances for the French club, including four in Ligue 1 so far this season. Already he has emerged as “one of the best young midfielders in Europe”, in the words of football writer James Brooke.
Earlier this year, the Lille starlet also received very high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded him as a “world-class talent”, while also describing the youngster as having “excellent technical capacity & ball carrying ability.”
That is underlined by the fact the Senlis-born ace ranks in the 90th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders, and the 85th percentile for tackles over the same timeframe.
Having already started to make a name for himself in Ligue 1, Bouaddi clearly has a lot of potential, and may not be too far off first-team level for a top Premier League club, so Arsenal should undoubtedly look to win the race for his signature.
Arsenal are a club that have been blessed with an abundance of genuinely world-class players over the years.
In the current side, you have the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, and then go back to the last Premier League-winning side, and it’s impossible to look past the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pirès.
However, there is another superstar from the club’s past that many view as the most technically gifted player to wear the red and white: Dennis Bergkamp.
So, fans should be excited about reports linking the club with a player who could become Mikel Arteta’s own version of the Non-Flying Dutchman.
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Arsenal target their new Bergkamp
It’s been a good summer for Arsenal so far this year, as while they suffered two defeats in pre-season, they won their other three games and have been unusually busy in the market.
Transfer Focus
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New Sporting Director Andrea Berta has made six additions to the first team, with goalscoring phenomenon Viktor Gyokeres and midfield maestro Martin Zubimendi the marquee signings.
However, while that would have been more than enough business for the Gunners in summers past, it now looks like they’re trying to make at least one more addition to the team, someone who could be the new Bergkamp.
Dennis Bergkamp
At least that’s according to a recent report from Ben Jacobs, who has claimed that Arsenal are still very much interested in Eberechi Eze.
Moreover, Jacobs has revealed that while the Crystal Palace ace is open to a move to Tottenham Hotspur, he’s been in talks with Arteta and would “welcome an Arsenal bid.”
It’s not entirely clear how much the £100k-per-week star would cost, as reports from earlier this month claimed that his £68m release clause is set to expire on Friday.
It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Eze’s incredible ability, he’d be more than worth it, especially as he could be the club’s new Bergkamp.
Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Bergkamp
So it’s worth pointing out that we aren’t necessarily saying Eze is as good a player as Bergkamp was during his pomp, but he could be, and on top of that, there are some similarities between their transfers, or potential in the Palace ace’s case.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzereacts
The first point is that, should this move happen, the 27-year-old Englishman would be joining the Gunners at a similar stage in his career to the Dutchman, who was 26 when he moved to Highbury from Inter Milan in 1995.
Moreover, as his move helped to usher in a period of incredible success for the North Londoners, it also feels like the Eagles star has the ability and could be that missing piece that finally brings success to Arteta’s project.
However, away from the similar circumstances around the moves, the other key similarity between the two players is their immense technical abilities.
For example, when he was at his best, the Amsterdam-born maestro was a joy to watch, someone who wouldn’t just score a goal or provide an assist, but do something so utterly brilliant with the ball at his feet that would often leave fans speechless.
The most famous example of this would undoubtedly be his goal against Newcastle United, but there are so many other instances during his time in England when he’d make the improbable seem blasé.
Now, while we are yet to see the former QPR gem score a goal quite as spectacular as that one at St James’ Park, he remains one of the most entertaining players to watch in England today and has a catalogue of strikes most could only dream of.
Eze’s recent form
Season
23/24
24/25
Appearances
36
43
Minutes
2285′
3303′
Goals
11
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.47
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
134.41′
132.12′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, on top of scoring wonder goals, the “superstar” attacker, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is just as proficient at setting them up or completing the crucial action that leads to one of his teammates setting up a goal.
Finally, after goals and assists, the most exciting thing a player can do is beat an opposition defender with the ball at their feet, and that’s something the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, can do with ease.
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons in the Premier League last season.
Ultimately, even if it’s a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Eze this month, as he could turn into Arteta’s Bergkamp.
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