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For the first time this World Cup, South Africa will be playing in Colombo. While this is going to be a fairly significant change in conditions as far as batters are concerned with the pitches at the Khettarama having shown to be tougher to score on, South Africa are banking on the knowledge gained on their recent tour of Sri Lanka to help them manage.”I think now we as a team, we kind of know the players, especially me as a bowler. I know there are ways to bowl, their strengths and their weaknesses,” stated Nonkululeko Mlaba on the eve of their match against Sri Lanka. “So yeah, it was very important for me to actually read and to know the players.”Mlaba is likely going to play a crucial role if South Africa are to come away victorious, with the left-arm spinner having picked up eight wickets across the first four games of the tournament. With those wickets coming in India, she would have been forgiven for being excited by the prospect of bowling on the spin-friendly surfaces in Colombo, however she’s happy to focus on keeping things simple. After Sri Lanka, South Africa will face Pakistan in Colombo on Monday, before moving to Indore to meet Australia.Related

• Rain, redemption and a race for the semis: SL face SA in crucial Colombo clash

“I think it’s my second time playing here. Because we had a tri-series against Sri Lanka and India, and yeah, it’s always good to come back here and hopefully this time around I’ll just do well for the team.”One thing that I normally do best is just sticking to my good lines and lengths, and the rest will take care of itself.”South Africa have faced some tough challenges already across this tournament, most notably in their heavy opening game loss to England. But even in their three wins, they have been forced to work hard for the results.Against India and Bangladesh, it was a strong rearguard that saw home two tricky chases, while it was only against New Zealand where the win was relatively comfortable. Mlaba believes there are no easy games in this tournament”I just feel like each and every team is very hard to play against because we played against Sri Lanka in a tri-series and also played against them at home, and they beat us in a few games.”They definitely have a good team – the spinners, they’re very good. And [Chamari] Athapaththu herself, she’s quality. So as a team we don’t underestimate any team, we just play our own game and try our best to win the game.”One running theme across South Africa’s matches this tournament has been a tendency to allow teams back into the contest from a position of strength, most recently when Bangladesh fought back from 78 for 5 to post a total of 232. Mlaba, however, is not unduly concerned.”That’s obviously part of the game,” she said. “You know we as a team, you start off well and then sometimes you just lack here and there, but then it’s just a matter of trying to bring the team together and just try and focus and do well in that certain period.”I’ve watched a lot of games and a lot of teams, they’ve also been going through the same as us. So, it’s just part of the game, it’s cricket.”

He rescues visitors from 87 for 4 in their second innings before rain ensures a draw at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025Brooke Guest’s unbeaten half-century steered Derbyshire to safety against Middlesex and kept their promotion hopes alive ahead of next week’s vital Rothesay County Championship meeting with Glamorgan.Guest finished on 65 at Lord’s, having added 66 with Martin Andersson (31 not out) after third-placed Derbyshire had slumped to 87 for 4 in their second innings, an advantage of just 72 over their hosts.An afternoon downpour brought the contest to a premature close and left Derbyshire 27 points adrift of second-placed Glamorgan, who they host in the penultimate round of Division Two fixtures.Middlesex, a further three points behind Derbyshire, still retain a slim chance of promotion following the draw, which was also enough to confirm Leicestershire’s elevation to the top flight after 22 years.The home side’s hopes of forcing a victory were boosted after the opening four overs of the day, in which they captured two wickets to leave Derbyshire three down with a slender lead of 31.Luis Reece added just five to his overnight 17 before he was given out lbw to a Ryan Higgins delivery that zoomed some way back down the slope and Wayne Madsen soon followed in similar fashion to Toby Roland-Jones.Guest rode his luck at the start of his innings, with two inside edges off Higgins (2 for 49) that zipped just past the stumps and rolled to the rope, as well as surviving a persuasive lbw appeal by Olly Stone to a ball that kept low.The England pace bowler, in the first of a two-match loan from Nottinghamshire, was unlucky not to gain greater reward for an impressive pre-lunch spell, although he did remove Harry Came with a beauty that cannoned in to send middle stump flying.Having given away just six runs in his first eight overs, Stone conceded the same from one short-pitched delivery after the interval as Andersson pulled him into the Mound Stand to stretch Derbyshire’s lead to three figures.A brief rain stoppage with Guest on 47 could not derail the Derbyshire wicketkeeper, who punched Stone through the covers for four to complete a fifth half-century of the campaign soon after play resumed.Although Guest got away with a mistimed pull off Higgins that looped up and fell to safety, his work was already done and the dark clouds menacing the ground duly unloaded an hour into the afternoon session to confirm a stalemate.

Timor-Leste’s Suhail Sattar, 50, and Yahya Suhail, 17, are the first father and son duo to play together in an international match. They achieved the unique feat, and batted together, in Timor-Leste’s first international match, against hosts Indonesia in Bali on November 6.Yahya and Sattar, though, are not the first parent and child to play together in an international match. The Switzerland women’s team had a mother-daughter duo – Metty Fernandes and Naina Metty Saju – playing six T20Is together this year.There are other instances of father-son duos playing with each other – as well as against each other – in domestic cricket. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine played 11 first-class games together for Guyana, with Shivnarine even captaining his son in a game against Windward Islands at Providence Stadium in March 2014.More recently, in the 2025 Shpageeza Cricket League final, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi played against his son Hassan Eisakhil.Timor-Leste have had a rough start to international cricket, suffering ten-wicket defeats in each of their first three games.

Henil Patel, Naman Pushpak and Udhav Mohan finish Australia off for 116 in their second innings to set up 81-run chase, which is knocked off in 12.2 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2025Bowlers, faster ones and spinners alike, held sway right through the second four-day match between Australia Under-19s and India Under-19s in Mackay, which ended inside two days with the visiting side running out convincing victors.The Australian batting unit didn’t give a particularly strong account of its abilities in familiar conditions in Brisbane in the first game, scoring 243 and 127 to go down by an innings and 58 runs, but there were pockets of resistance. In Mackay, that was never really in evidence. It was only Alex Lee Young, the wicketkeeper, who showed his batting chops, but there was little to nothing around him.He scored the only half-century of the match, 66 in the first innings where Australia put up 135, while the second dig was even more abject, Australia folding for 116. That left India, who had taken a 36-run first-innings lead – handy in a low-scoring contest – with just 81 to knock off, which they did for the loss of three wickets.The second – and as it turned out, last – day began with India at 144 for 7 in their first innings after having bowled Australia out in 43.3 overs. Henil Patel and Deepesh Devendran, the overnight batters, were separated quickly in the morning when Henil fell, becoming Kasey Barton’s fourth wicket of the innings. But Devendran added 22 to his overnight 6 to take India to 171. For Australia, Charles Lachmund, Will Byrom and Julian Osbourne picked up two wickets apiece to go with Barton’s four.Alex Lee Young was the best batter across the two teams•Getty ImagesAustralia batted again, and were 9 for 3 inside seven overs, Henil picking up two of the wickets to fall and Udhav Mohan one. It never really got better for Australia, the 32-run stand for the sixth wicket between Jayden Draper (15) and Young (again the top-scorer with 38) their best as they lasted just 40.1 overs. Henil and Naman Pushpak picked up three wickets each, while Mohan got two as only four Australians got into double-digits.The chase to the finish wasn’t a big one, but with conditions giving the bowlers confidence, there was still a job to do. Vaibhav Suryavanshi couldn’t, falling for a first-ball duck to Lachmund in the first over. Ayush Mhatre, the captain, also didn’t last long, bowled by Barton for 13 off just six balls, including three boundaries. But Vihaan Malhotra and Vedant Trivedi, who have both had such a good series across formats on the tour, stitched together a 39-run stand in just over six overs, scoring quickly and not allowing the bowlers to get any kind of grip on the game.Malhotra fell to Barton with India still 29 away from victory, having scored a-run-a-ball 21 with five fours, but Trivedi (33 not out in 35 balls) and Rahul Kumar (13 not out in 14) took India home in just 12.2 overs, and to a 2-0 series sweep after India had swept the preceding one-day series 3-0 too.While Barton was the most impressive of the Australian bowlers, picking up six wickets with his right-arm medium, for India, quick bowlers Henil (six wickets) and Mohan (four) were on target, as were spinners Khilan Patel, the left-arm orthodox, and Pushpak, the legspinner, who picked up seven wickets between them and had a three-for apiece.

Arne Slot’s Anfield is peopled with a variety of top-class talent, but Liverpool have still struggled to click into gear this season.

In truth, this was always going to be a testing year for the Reds after the events of the summer, and the squad deserve a measure of leeway.

But the football will just keep coming, and Liverpool know that they cannot allow their wretched Premier League form to rage on, having lost five of their past six matches in the division.

Regardless, Liverpool can be optimistic for the future. The likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may not have found form yet following record-breaking summer moves, but these are two of the most talented players in England, and their success at the club is a matter of when, not if.

No such misfortune for Hugo Ekitike, though, who has been thriving since completing a £69m move to the club from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.

The numbers behind Hugo Ekitike's start at Liverpool

Looking even deeper into the Merseysiders’ squad, though, we can see that Liverpool are raising a school of youngsters with so much potential, and despite the bump in the road this year, there’s one who has the capacity to end up outstripping Ekitike at number nine.

Some felt Liverpool’s hijack of Newcastle United’s move for the France forward was needless as they pushed ahead to land Isak’s signature this summer, but Ekitike has responded emphatically on the pitch.

So mobile and creative, Ekitike offers far more than just goals. Data from FBref tells of his protean quality, ranking among the top 8% of Premier League strikers this term for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.

Across all competitions, he has scored more than any other Redman this term, and this, having joined a loose-wired tactical machine from overseas.

Hugo Ekitike

16

6 + 1

Mohamed Salah

15

5 + 3

Cody Gakpo

16

4 + 3

Federico Chiesa

12

2 + 3

Alexander Isak

8

1 + 1

Florian Wirtz

16

0 + 3

Rio Ngumoha

6

1 + 0

The 23-year-old’s ability to chop and change his attacking outlook is one of his biggest strengths. He is tactically malleable, and this will serve him well over the coming years.

He’s been the cream of the attacking crop this season, for sure, and looks set for a propitious future on Merseyside. That said, he will continue to tussle with Isak for minutes, and the Sweden striker is bound to hit his world-class stride at some stage.

Moreover, Liverpool are developing an academy star who has the potential to go all the way.

The Liverpool teen who could surpass Ekitike

When ‘Klopp’s Kids’ helped steer Liverpool’s iconic manager to silverware in his final season, fans thought the club had unearthed a treasure trove of up-and-coming talent.

Most of those stars have since moved on, but Liverpool’s academy system has continued to evolve and several stars are showing themselves to have real potential.

Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha are the biggest names, but Keyrol Figueroa is on the road toward making himself known, for sure. The 19-year-old striker has scored seven goals from nine league outings in Rob Page’s development side this season, meaning he is currently the club’s top scorer across all levels, ahead of Ekitike.

In October, Slot named Figueroa among his substitutes in the Carabao Cup at Anfield. Liverpool were thrashed 3-0 by Crystal Palace, but this stood as a testament to the regard the teenager, son of former Premier League star Maynor Figueroa, is held in.

A powerful runner, strong in the duel and tenacious across all phases of play, Figueroa is on the cusp of breaking onto the major stage, and while he will find opportunities hard to come by in a Reds side chock-full with attacking talent, Slot is clearly a fan.

It’s probably worth noting that Liverpool U21s have not been at their best this year. After nine matches, Page’s outfit are 21st in the 29-team league.

They have only won three games, but in each of these fixtures, Figueroa has scored. He has started only five of nine outings this season. It’s clear to see why Page has said he has the making of a “lethal, ruthless number nine”.

This is a remarkable, clinical run for the prospect, and if he manages to prove that he has unlocked a sustainable attacking quality, there’s every chance he could be knocking on Slot’s door sooner than many would have anticipated, frankly.

There has been a clear emphasis over the past several years at Liverpool on keeping a clear pathway open, running from the academy set-up to the senior squad.

Figueroa deserves a shot, especially since all the shots he is taking right now are finding the back of the net. Of course, we have seen already this season the benefits that can be found from giving hungry youngsters a chance (looking at you, Ngumoha).

Given Liverpool’s struggles at the highest level over the past several months, Figueroa’s inclusion in the months ahead might not be a bad thing, should he continue to score at such a clinical rate.

He might not be on Ekitike’s level at the moment, but his physicality and natural-born eye for goal suggest he could become a real star on Merseyside, perhaps even going on to eclipse the Frenchman down the line.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 20, 2025

Southampton are now two wins from two in the Championship without Will Still occupying the Saints’ hot seat.

Amazingly, this is the first time the South Coast titans have won back-to-back league contests since April 2024, with a miserable bottom-of-the-table finish last season not helping this dismal record, which was then being followed up by Still, unfortunately, looking out of his depth at St. Mary’s.

Now only seven points off the Championship playoff spots, it does feel as if the Saints could mount a promotion push if they can get their next managerial appointment spot on.

All signs are pointing to Gary O’Neil being Still’s successor, as the 42-year-old attempts to put his previous Portsmouth ties to one side as a player, to potentially take over Pompey’s fierce rivals…

The latest on Southampton's manager hunt

The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is the current frontrunner for the Saints vacancy, with reports in recent days noting that they were trying to conclude a deal having established contact with O’Neil.

However, the unemployed head coach is also being considered by Southampton’s Championship rivals, Norwich City, with the Canaries previously having O’Neil on their books as a midfield star before he retired.

Southampton haven’t just been linked with O’Neil. A return for Russell Martin to the St. Mary’s dugout is also being speculated, after his disastrous time at Rangers was cut short.

Moreover, the current interim manager steering the ship steadily in Tonda Eckert shouldn’t be ruled out, either.

As the German made it two wins from two in a caretaker position, it was reported by Football Insider that he is one of the ‘main’ and ‘key’ contenders under consideration to be given the job.

It would be a risky appointment, with Eckert more used to coaching U21s football than managing in the senior game.

But, to get a disgruntled fanbase back on side, it might well be a better move than going after O’Neil’s services.

Why Eckert could be a better appointment than O'Neil

Of course, in O’Neil’s favour, he has managed at the very top of the English game and succeeded in flashes.

He managed to galvanise the Old Gold during the 2023/24 season, even as the likes of Ruben Neves and Nathan Collins jumped ship, with 13 league wins helping Wolves to a comfortable 14th spot in the unforgiving division. Could he be that same stabilising force on the South Coast that pushes Southampton out of their current mess?

However, when the going got tough at Molineux after a bright 23/24 campaign, everything unravelled at a worryingly quick pace, with just two wins from 16 games in charge the following season – which saw Wolves leak 40 goals – seeing him be unsurprisingly put out of his misery.

Chairman Jeff Shi even stated that he cut ties “too late”, with the mood around St. Mary’s no doubt souring if Southampton’s form was to fall off a cliff under his guidance, owing, again, to his strong Fratton Park loyalties.

Southampton could look to continuity instead, in bumping Eckert up to first-team managerial duties, with the 32-year-old much in the same mould as Still before him in being a new and exciting breed of head coach.

Eckert’s record at Saints (U21/interim)

Stat

Eckert

Games managed

12

Wins

7

Draws

4

Losses

1

Goals scored

26

Goals conceded

18

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Said to favour a 3-4-2-1 formation, Eckert has also largely been a success at the Saints to date, away from picking up two wins from two as the interim fill-in, with five wins and four draws also collected, working closely with the rising stars coming through at Southampton in the U21 ranks.

He has also been a transformative figure for the senior players to latch on to as well, with Adam Armstrong already picking up an assist against Queens Park Rangers and a goal against the Owls under his short reign to date, with statement summer signing Finn Azaz also on the scoresheet under Eckert last match to pick up his first strike in Southampton red and white since late August.

Azaz would even publicly praise the 32-year-old after that 3-1 victory for being a “very detailed” boss, with the feel-good times hopefully continuing if he can collect more wins.

Surely, if more wins are secured, Eckert will be handed the permanent gig.

After all, the promotion-winning Martin was just a year older than Eckert when he was given his first main job at Milton Keynes Dons, with a move for O’Neil just feeling a lot more stale.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 8, 2025

Ireland will have to forget a rough Test in Sylhet if they are to spoil Bangladesh and Mushfiqur’s party

Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2025

Big picture: Bangladesh look for series sweepThe second and final Test between Bangladesh and Ireland in Dhaka will start off as a celebration of Mushfiqur Rahim’s 100th Test match. Mushfiqur is the first Bangladesh cricketer to reach the milestone, and tributes poured in from current and former team-mates and coaches. Ireland, meanwhile, will no doubt try to spoil the party.Ireland were no match for Bangladesh in the first Test in Sylhet, where they went down by an innings and 47 runs. Only when Paul Stirling and Cade Carmichael batted well on the first day did Ireland look in the game. They crumbled for the rest of the game.Related

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Stirling and Carmichael hit fifties, while Andy McBrine also fought hard to get a half-century in the second innings. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys took an expensive five-wicket haul. But all told, Ireland had a forgettable outing.Bangladesh had plenty of strong performers including Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who returned to the Test side with 171. Mahmudul looked compact at the crease, and opened up his shoulders once he reached his second Test century. Najmul Hossain Shanto also struck a century, his eighth in Tests and fourth as the captain. It was a rapid knock, aided by Litton Das’ stroke-filled 60. Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque also made eighties.It was Bangladesh’s bowling that put them on top in the first place. The spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Hasan Murad took 14 wickets among them. Murad, making his Test debut, bowled tight lengths with found subtle turn from time to time. Fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud too contributed with wickets in both innings.Mushfiqur was the only one in the Bangladesh top five who didn’t get a fifty. Perhaps he is saving one for the big occasion.Form guideBangladesh WLDWL
Ireland LWWWLMahmudul Hasan Joy celebrates his hundred in Sylhet•BCB

In the spotlight: Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Paul StirlingMahmudul Hasan Joy returning to Test cricket with an innings 171 is an encouraging sign for the young batter. He is said to have corrected his technique and worked on his mental make-up after he was dropped earlier this year. He played mainly in front of square on the off side, and struck a few good-looking drives. He looked focused and clearly wanted to play a long innings, which was the promise on which he was brought into the Test side in his debut four years ago.Paul Stirling looked comfortable in both innings in Sylhet, though he couldn’t quite make either a big one. He was enterprising in his handling of Rana in the first innings, cutting and square driving with ease. He had a tougher role in the second innings in Balbirnie’s absence from the top order and was later run out for 43. Stirling will have another major role in Dhaka, particularly because of his ability to handle low, spinning deliveries.Andy McBrine was one of the Ireland batters to give a good account of himself in Sylhet•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Team news: Teams likely to make one change eachEbadot Hossain could take Rana’s place in the only change in the Bangladesh playing XI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Murad, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Ebadot HossainGavin Hoey could enter the fray for Ireland, replacing Craig Young in the spinners’ paradise that is Dhaka.Ireland (probable): 1 Cade Carmichael, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Paul Stirling, 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7 Andy McBrine, 8 Jordan Neill, 9 Barry McCarthy, 10 Gavin Hoey, 11 Matthew HumphreysPitch and conditions: A spin test as alwaysThe spin fest during the Bangladesh vs West Indies ODI series in Dhaka last month could continue into this Test match. The weather is on the drier side.Stats and trivia: Mahmudul takes second spot Mahmudul’s 171 is the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi opener in Test cricket. Jordan Neill was Ireland’s youngest Test debutant in Sylhet, at 20 years and 69 days. During the Sylhet Test, Taijul became the third Bangladesh bowler after Abdur Razzak and Enamul Haque to reach 500 first-class wickets.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggests the Gunners could be without a key player until 2026 after a pre-Chelsea injury update.

Arsenal set for Premier League six-pointer against Chelsea

The Gunners face a brief period of assessment ahead of Sunday’s Premier League blockbuster at Stamford Bridge, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of a few key players following Wednesday’s triumphant Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

Their commanding 3-1 victory over the German champions came at a cost, with Leandro Trossard forced off in the first half through injury.

The Belgian’s withdrawal was a fairly worrying sight given his excellent form this season, though substitute Noni Madueke stepped up brilliantly in Trossard’s stead to score his first goal for the club.

Arteta played down fears surrounding Trossard’s injury in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision to withdraw him was precautionary rather than enforced by serious damage.

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

However, the manager’s cautious approach means Trossard’s participation against Chelsea remains uncertain, with Arsenal’s medical staff set to analyse his condition ahead of Sunday.

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are also doubts for this weekend, with Arteta refusing to confirm their involvement against Chelsea following their spells out through injury.

Havertz has been nursing a knee problem which required surgery, keeping him out since the very start of 2025/2026, while Mikel Merino has deputised well in place of Gyokeres, who hasn’t featured since their 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

Gabriel Jesus continues to work his way back to full fitness after 11 months out with an ACL injury, with the Brazilian participating in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week.

Jesus is actually set for an ‘earlier than expected’ return from injury, but uncertainty continues to surround his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

The star defender injured his thigh on international duty with Brazil and is set to miss the trip to Chelsea, with Arteta also asked if he’ll return before the end of 2025.

Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star Gabriel could be out until 2026

When asked by reporters if Gabriel would make a return to the field this year, Arteta’s answer cast doubt.

This suggests that the £100 million defender may not be back until 2026, thrusting summer signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera right into the spotlight.

Hincapie was given the nod for Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Spurs last weekend, and the Ecuadorian performed very well alongside William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s backline.

Mosquera was then chosen to partner Saliba against Bayern, and again earned plaudits for his display, so Arsenal’s boss has a key selection decision to make against Enzo Maresca’s side.

Liverpool are reportedly considering a move for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, whose contract with the club expires in 2029. Despite splashing a mind-boggling $595 million on transfers over the summer, including back-to-back British record transfer fees on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, the club's collapse has forced them to enter the market once again.

Liverpool's title defence in danger

It was all smiles in the Liverpool camp just six months ago, when Arne Slot  – in his debut campaign at Anfield after leaving Feyenoord – comprehensively guided the Reds to their first Premier League title since the 2019-20 season, and only their second league title in the Premier League era. 

As if the league title wasn't enough, Liverpool splashed almost $600m on transfers over the summer. They broke the British transfer record – twice – first by signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a move worth $153m, before pulling out all the stops to capture Alexander Isak's signature from Newcastle United under controversial circumstances. The deadline day operation cost the Merseyside giants $165m. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez were acquired to succeed one of the most lethal full-back pairings to have ever graced the English top-flight in Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid, and the gradually ageing Andy Robertson.

While the adaptation period of almost all summer signings wasn't immediate, Slot's troops conjured a five-game winning streak to begin the defence of their league crown. However, they have since fallen apart like a house of cards. The season began with a Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, but that only proved to be a minor blip as they won the next seven games across all competitions. But things went downhill. Before Sunday's 2-0 win over West Ham, Liverpool lost nine of their previous 12 games. The highs of finishing the summer with an all-timer transfer window quickly turned into the lowest of the lows, even calling into question whether Slot is good enough to steer the seemingly sinking ship of England's champions.

AdvertisementAFPCamavinga catches Liverpool's attention

Amidst all the chaos at Anfield, have been informed by sources that Liverpool are reportedly plotting an ambitious move to sign Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga. Per the report, Slot deems Camavinga to be an absolutely necessary signing to bolster the midfield. While Los Blancos are in no mood to entertain thoughts of a possible Camavinga departure, the club's hierarchy has reportedly held talks over the Frenchman's long-term future at the Bernabeu. Some even believe Camavinga, currently valued at $70m, could free up funds for future transfers if he is cashed in on. 

However, the reigning Premier League champions are likely to face stiff competition. Reportedly, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are the other Premier League heavyweights keeping tabs on Camavinga's situation in the Spanish capital. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, too, are believed to be in the mix should a potential transfer race ignite. 

Camavinga 'very happy' at Real Madrid

Camavinga has won everything there is to win at club level. Arriving from Rennes in 2021, the 23-year-old established himself as a key player under Carlo Ancelotti, playing a pivotal role in Madrid's Champions League and La Liga double. He was once again instrumental when Madrid replicated the feat in the 2023-24 season. 

But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the versatile midfielder. Persistent injuries have prevented Camavinga from truly taking off at Madrid, leaving many to wonder whether he’ll ever reach the heights he once seemed destined for. That being said, he is contracted to Madrid until June 30, 2029, and the club views him as a key player for both the present and the future, despite his fitness issues. 

Head coach Xabi Alonso is also believed to be a huge admirer of Camavinga's qualities. He has featured in 14 games across all competitions, clocking 563 minutes. He hasn't received as many starts, being named in the XI just five times, but he seems to be a player who could become influential under Alonso. "I know him from watching him, from how he interprets the game. He has enormous potential, a lot of qualities, and there’s a place for him within the project. He’s eager, he’s willing," Alonso said in September while describing Camavinga.

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Getty Images SportLiverpool face tricky schedule in December

Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash will see them welcome newly-promoted Sunderland to Anfield, with Regis Le Bris’ side emerging as one of the season’s surprise packages. The Reds will also take on Brighton and Tottenham in the coming weeks – fixtures that could provide a real test of their mettle as they look to turn their season around in the second half of the campaign.

Manchester City cruise through to yet another Carabao Cup quarter-final.

On Wednesday night, despite actually falling behind early in South Wales, the Citizens ultimately swatted aside Swansea City 3-1, thanks to goals from Jérémy Doku, Omar Marmoush and then Rayan Cherki.

This is the 11th time in 19 seasons that the Citizens have reached the quarter-finals, hoisting the trophy aloft on six occasions since 2014, firm favourites to beat Brentford at home in the last eight just before Christmas.

As Manchester City, largely, motor on impressively this season, has Pep Guardiola found his new Lionel Messi, but it is not someone who caught the eye at the Swansea.com Stadium?

Rayan Cherki's importance

Having sat out eight matches due to a thigh issue, Rayan Cherki started for the first time since August on Wednesday night, putting in a sparkling, man of the match display, capped off by firing home the clinching third.

The table below documents just how impressive the Frenchman was in the EFL Cup.

Goals

1

1st

Assists

1

1st

Shots on target

1

1st

Shots off target

4

1st

Attempted dribbles

4

2nd

Accurate passes

74

3rd

Key passes

6

1st

Ground duels won

5

5th

Possession lost

31

1st

Touches

119

2nd

As the table highlights, Cherki was the outstanding player on the pitch in mid-week.

He ranked first for shots and second for attempted dribbles, behind only Jérémy Doku, while his tally of six key passes is off the scale; normally a player would not register that many in a month!

The Frenchman did lose possession on 31 occasions, almost twice as often as anyone else, which obviously isn’t ideal, but underlines that he is always trying to make something happen.

The 22-year-old arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m too much excitement, given that Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball”.

Upon his arrival in Manchester, Guardiola said that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, high praise from a manager who has coached Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Thierry Henry, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Thiago Alcântara, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, oh and a certain Lionel Messi.

Despite their stylistic similarities, Cherki is not the new Messi in this Manchester City side, that acclaim goes to a rather more high-profile “monster”.

Guardiola's new Lionel Messi at Man City

By scoring twice against Nashville in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in round one of the MLS Cup play-offs, Messi has taken his tally to 891 senior goals for club and country.

Of these, 672 were scored for Barcelona, with 211 coming during Pep Guardiola’s reign, most notably bagging 91 goals in just 69 appearances for club and country in 2012, featuring hat-tricks against Switzerland, Brazil, Bayer Leverkusen, Málaga twice, Valencia, Granada, Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruña.

This is surely a calendar year record that will never be beaten but, if there is one player who could come close, it is of course Erling Braut Håland.

Already this season, the Norwegian striker has scored 15 goals for Man City, which accounts for 65% of all goals they have managed across the Premier League and Champions League.

Former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gómez labelled Håland a “monster”, adding “I think every team on the planet has to fear” him, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian describes him as “the complete centre-forward” who is more than just a goal machine.

Nevertheless, right now, Håland’s goals are perhaps masking Manchester City’s issues, over-reliant on him to score in every game, but if you’re going to be over-reliant on someone, he isn’t a bad choice!

In 2025 so far, he has scored 43 goals for club and country, while his most productive year was 2023, netting 50 times overall, four more than he managed in 2022.

This merely underlines how mind-boggling it is that Messi reached 91 in 2012, but with Norway almost guaranteed to return to the World Cup next summer, their first appearance since France ’98, an injury-free Håland could trouble that record in 2026.

Back in 2010/11, when Guardiola’s Barcelona won La Liga and the Champions League, Messi scored 53 goals across all competitions, just one fewer than Barça’s next three highest scorers that season combined, namely David Villa, Pedro and Iniesta.

Well, considering Håland has 15 goals this season, while Man City’s second-highest scorers, namely Cherki and Doku, have just two goals, the Sky Blues are even more reliant on their superstar forward than Guardiola ever was in Catalonia.

Nevertheless, this is a recipe that has proved fruitful before, if Guardiola has the right ingredients of course, so Håland could well fire the Sky Blues to the game’s biggest trophies pretty much all by himself.

The Norwegian requires another 72 goals to become the highest scorer under Guardiola, a record held by Messi of course, but one that he could break in double quick time.

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