Manchester United dropped yet more points at Old Trafford after another lacklustre performance under Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Ham United, failing to create many substantial chances despite having the lion’s share of the possession.

Indeed, the first half went by without the home side creating too many chances of note. The closest they came was thanks to an effort from Joshua Zirkzee.

The Dutchman, who was one of the best players in Red on the night, saw his well-directed effort cleared off the line by former United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

It took United until the second half to break the deadlock. It was a rare Premier League goal from Diogo Dalot, which was enough to put Amorim’s side ahead, and what a strike it was.

The ball dropped to the wing-back in the penalty area, and after a superb first touch, he fired the Red Devils ahead.

United never looked like doubling their lead, with Amorim making substitutions but once again opting against bringing Kobbie Mainoo on.

They paid the price with seven minutes left. The Hammers equalised thanks to a late strike from player of the match Soungoutou Magassa.

Indeed, Amorim’s underwhelming substitutions did not help United’s cause.

Amorim’s in-game management vs. West Ham

One of the biggest criticisms against the United manager throughout his 12-month tenure has been his in-game management. Well, the substitutions he made against the Hammers on Thursday night were underwhelming.

Zirkzee, who was linking up play nicely, was replaced by Mason Mount, and Manuel Ugarte was also brought on. That meant there was once again no place for Mainoo, who still cannot get the chance to showcase his skills for an extended period in the Premier League.

Lisandro Martinez also came on with the score at 1-1. It was a positive thing to see the 2022 World Cup winner coming stepping onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since February, but bringing a centre-back on when your side is chasing a goal to win the game is a strange call.

United social media presence, Alice said, the manager’s “subs and in-game management is shocking time and time again.” She also called out the decision to take Zirkzee off, and bringing Ugarte on over Mainoo when the Red Devils “need control” to help get over the line.

However, there was one substitution Amorim did get right, taking off one player who struggled.

The United star who's been overhyped

It was not the return from injury that Matheus Cunha may have hoped for. He was replaced by Ugarte on the 77-minute mark, after a performance which was “ineffective”, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

Indeed, the Brazilian struggled to get into the game against the East Londoners. He only had 46 touches across the 90 minutes, losing the ball 18 times and failing to create a chance in that time.

Off the ball, United’s number ten won just three from 11 duels.

Touches

46

Number of times ball lost

18

Pass accuracy

69%

Duels won

3/11

Key passes

0

Crosses completed

0

Expected goal involvements

0.29xGI

His disappointing performance earned him a 5/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He noted that Cunha failed to make any sort of impact, describing his efforts at Old Trafford as ‘underwhelming’.

It remains to be seen if Amorim will keep Cunha in the starting lineup for the next game, a trip to his former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian has not really hit the ground running for the Red Devils so far, with just one goal and no assists in 11 Premier League games.

Whilst that is not necessarily just his fault, United fans may well have wanted more from one of their marquee summer additions. Perhaps there was an element of Cunha getting overhyped, with CEO Omar Berrada suggesting he could be “Cantona-esque” for the club.

That is a lot of pressure for someone to have placed on them immediately after joining a huge club, despite the Brazilian’s obvious confidence.

Things have not really gone that way for Cunha so far in a United shirt, and his performances have certainly left a little to be desired, as the game against West Ham showed.

With other options, such as Mount and Mainoo, at Amorim’s disposal, he may well make the bold decision to rotate his number 10 out of the starting 11 next Monday. Cunha can certainly add a little bit extra in the final third to make him a more dangerous option going forward.

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1 ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 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.

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.

Jules Kounde was the unlikely hero for Barcelona on Tuesday in the Champions League. Eintracht Frankfurt silenced the Camp Nou by taking a shock lead in the first half through Ansgar Knauff. but were pegged back after the break. Marcus Rashford was the catalyst for the hosts, coming off the bench and teeing up Kounde to level matters minutes after the break, and the French full-back then sealed the 2-1 win with his second of the game from a Lamine Yamal cross.

Barcelona have made a habit of conceding first this season and did so again at Camp Nou midway through the first half. Nathaniel Brown clipped a superb ball over Barca’s backline to find Knauff running through on goal, and the winger managed to fend off Alejandro Balde and fire past Joan Garcia to hand Eintracht a shock lead.

Hansi Flick's side enjoyed plenty of possession after the goal, but struggled to create clear-cut chances, meaning it was no surprise to see the German coach tweak his side at the half-time break. The ineffective Fermin Lopez was replaced by Rashford as Flick sought more cutting edge and threat in attack.

The England international made an instant impact after being played through by Pedri down the left. Rashford could have gone for goal himself, but cut the ball back to Raphinha, who could only blaze wildly over the crossbar. Minutes later and Rashford's impact really was felt by the visitors, as the Manchester United loanee's deep cross from the left was headed home by Kounde to make it 1-1.

Kounde may have been an unlikely goal-scorer for Barcelona, but the France international was celebrating again just three minutes later. This time it was Yamal who swung in a cross from deep for Kounde to head Barcelona in front. The goals seemed to drain the belief out of Eintracht as Barca went on to dominate proceedings and secure the win that keeps alive their hopes of automatic qualification from the league phase.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Joan Garcia (7/10):

Couldn't do too much about the goal but dealt confidently with everything else thrown at him.

Jules Kounde (8/10):

Still looks miles below his best form but popped up with two crucial headers to seal the win. He also becomes the first Barca player to score two headers in a Champions League match.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10):

Looks far happier with Martin alongside him. Put in a super challenge to deny Eintracht midway through the second half.

Gerard Martin (6/10):

Stretched out a leg but couldn’t block the pass to Knauff for the opening goal. Had a great effort in the first half which flew just over.

Alejandro Balde (6/10):

Chased back desperately with Knauff but could not prevent him opening the scoring.

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Eric Garcia (6/10):

Should have closed down Brown quicker for the opener, but otherwise put in another solid shift. Much better in the second half.

Pedri (8/10):

The classiest operator on the pitch by some distance and helped Barcelona take control of the game after half-time.

Fermin Lopez (5/10):

Looked lost on his return to the team. Struggled to connect with his team-mates and his usual goal threat was missing. No surprise to see him hooked at half-time.

Getty Images SportAttack

Lamine Yamal (7/10):

Looked isolated in the first half and lost the ball in the build-up to Frankfurt's goal. He was better after the break and grabbed an assist for Kounde to make it 2-1, but picked up a booking which rules him out of Barca's next Champions League game.

Robert Lewandowski (5/10):

Scored an early goal which was ruled out for offside but otherwise offered very little. Taken off for Ferran just after the hour.

Raphinha (6/10):

Back in the starting XI but never really got going and was hooked early in the second half.

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Marcus Rashford (8/10):

Made the difference off the bench at half-time. Was really lively throughout and bagged an assist for Kounde. Could have scored himself but saw an effort deflected over the bar.

Ferran Torres (7/10):

Added more energy and invention to the attack. 

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Came on to firm things up and help Barcelona see out an important win. Not afraid to attack the box.

Andreas Christensen (N/A):

Late sub for Yamal.

Roony Bardghji (N/A):

Another late sub.

Hansi Flick (7/10):

Made changes to his team and they simply didn't pay off as Barca struggled in the first half. Made the right decision to send on Rashford at half-time which helped spark the comeback.

Leeds United picked up a crucial win on Wednesday night, as they beat Chelsea 3-1 to go outside of the relegation zone. With 14 points to their name in as many games, it has certainly been a struggle for Daniel Farke’s side this season.

However, they are in good form. Of course, they beat the Blues this week at Elland Road, and last Saturday were unlucky to drop points away to Manchester City.

Only a goal in the 92nd minute from Phil Foden could sink Farke’s team, who were close to the ideal week in their relegation fight.

Indeed, there have been some standout players over the past few days for the West Yorkshire side.

Leeds’ best players in their last two games

It is hard to pinpoint just a couple of players who have excelled for Farke’s side against two of the Premier League’s title challengers, with the whole squad impressing. However, one player who shone was defender Jayden Bogle.

Against City, he played as a right-back, and won 100% of his tackles and three ground duels coming up against Jeremy Doku. On Wednesday, he had more of an advanced role and made great use of it.

Operating as a wing-back on the right flank, Bogle assisted Ao Tanaka, who made it 2-0 to Leeds on the stroke of half-time.

Another standout from the impressive performances this week was summer signing Lukas Nmecha. The German striker has been in good form this term and added to his goal tally at the Etihad Stadium last weekend. He’s now bagged four times in the top flight this season.

Whilst he didn’t find the back of the net against the Blues, Nmecha still made a real nuisance of himself for the Chelsea backline.

The German was not the only Leeds attacker who stood out in the last week.

From "Bang average" to undroppable

The Whites are not short of attacking options after a busy summer. They already had the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Joel Piroe and Wilfried Gnoto, three of the players at Farke’s disposal, who all played a big role in their promotion.

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Nmecha was brought in to add to that depth, as was Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The former Everton star made the move to West Yorkshire upon the expiry of his contract on Merseyside. It was a tough start to life at Leeds, though.

The 28-year-old did not exactly set the world alight with his start in a Leeds shirt. He’d only managed one goal in his first ten Premier League games, and that was away to bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It meant the England international had to face some criticism for the lack of form in front of goal.

Earlier in the campaign, defender-turned-pundit Michael Dawson said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday he was looking “bang average”, following the defeat to Fulham.

However, that form has recently taken a huge upturn. In what have arguably been his side’s two toughest games so far this season, Calvert-Lewin got himself on the scoresheet against both City and Chelsea.

It wasn’t just his goals that made these performances impressive, but the manner in which he played. He was a handful off the ball, winning 15 duels on Wednesday night, and six at the weekend.

He won three fouls in each game, too, making an impact despite having minimal touches.

Touches

15

35

Shots

1

3

Duels won

6

15

Fouls won

3 (1 penalty)

3

Goals

1

1

His performances were enough to earn him a pair of 9/10 ratings from journalist Graham Smyth. Against the Citizens, he praised Calvert-Lewin for the fact that he ‘gave Leeds much more presence’ and said he ‘brought others into play’ superbly against the West Londoners.

With two goals in as many games and some good centre-forward performances outside of that, it is easy to see why Calvert-Lewin could be considered undroppable for Leeds. After a tough start, it seems like he has finally begun to show his best form.

It does seem unlikely that Farke will omit the striker from his starting XI ahead of the game against Liverpool on Saturday. Instead, he will be hoping he provide further troubles for Virgil van Dijk and the rest of the Reds’ defenders.

If Calvert-Lewin can replicate such a performance again, it will go a long way to helping Leeds achieve their goal of Premier League survival.

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ByJoe Nuttall Dec 4, 2025

Stand-in skipper pleased with Michael Neser’s maiden Test five-for, says Alex Carey keeping performance “one of the best” he’s seen

Alex Malcolm07-Dec-2025Australia’s stand-in captain Steven Smith has described Michael Neser’s performance as exceptional and Alex Carey’s keeping display as one of the best he’s ever seen as the duo combined to help Australia take a 2-0 Ashes lead following an eight-wicket triumph in Brisbane.Neser took his maiden five-wicket haul on Sunday, finishing with 5 for 42 in the second innings having broken the key partnership between Ben Stokes and Will Jacks that had given England hope on day four.Stokes and Jacks batted through the entire first session and produced the longest partnership by any pair in the series to-date, grinding for 36.4 overs to add 96 against a disciplined Australia attack and raised hopes of England setting a fourth-innings target that might trouble the home side.Related

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But Neser snuffed it out with an outstanding spell with a 69-over-old pink ball. He had Jacks superbly caught by Smith at slip before Carey took a less dramatic but no less difficult catch off Stokes up the stumps to dash England’s hopes within three overs.”What he [Neser] did today and in the first innings, was exceptional, I think,” Smith said at the post-match presentation.”He offers something different to the other guys. We can bring the keeper up to the stumps and change the game that way. And the way he bowled today and last night was exceptional. Really pleased for him to get his first five. He’s been on a lot of tours. He’s worked really hard.”He obviously made our batting a little bit longer as well at number eight.”Smith also heaped praise on his wicketkeeper Carey who was flawless across the match. He took three catches in the first innings, including a stunner back with the flight while being interfered with by Marnus Labuschagne. He also nearly stumped Harry Brook off Scott Boland, showcasing some sharp takes up the stumps from both Boland and Neser.Carey’s glovework was impressive across the match•Getty Images

Carey made a crucial 63 with the bat, sharing a 54-run stand with Neser that got Australia through the night session on day two and into the daytime to allow player of the match Mitchell Starc and Boland to combine for two hours in the daylight when batting was at it’s easiest.In the second innings he completed four catches, including an incredible catch up to the stumps off Neser to remove Stokes.”He’s a freak,” Smith said. “Honestly, up to the stumps, the ball just seems to end up in his hands. It hits the batter’s pad or something, and still ends up in his hands. He’s got no fear up there. He moves so well, and his gloves are just sensational. That was one of the best keeping performances, I think I’ve ever seen.”Smith wasn’t to be outdone in the field, though, and rated his slip catch off Jacks was among the best he had ever taken. Smith took three catches in the innings and four in the match to equal Rahul Dravid for the second-most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper.”It’s got to be up there, I reckon,” he said. “They’re pretty tough when you got a pink ball, the lights are on, I’m blindsided by Alex. I’m standing quite wide because Alex covers so much room and then, yeah, just fortunately saw it late and got down to it and it’s stuck. It was obviously at a crucial time to break that partnership. So, yeah, I’ll remember that one.”

The St Lucia Kings power-hitter has turned into an all-weather T20 batter who is especially dangerous against spin

Deivarayan Muthu16-Sep-2025Since July 2024, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has been living out of a suitcase, enjoying stints in eight different T20 leagues around the world besides playing for the Black Caps. From Galle in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) to Guyana in the Caribbean Premier League, in which his team have got to the elimination stage, Seifert has stamped his authority in different parts of the world.Weeks or months of play-sleep-travel-repeat can be challenging but Seifert has embraced it. He is now gearing up to bring home back-to-back CPL titles for St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, I have enjoyed it [being a T20 globetrotter],” Seifert says before the CPL knockouts. “It can be a bit tough on the family at times as well, being away for so much. But it’s also good to bring them away on certain tours. On the whole, it’s been great. Not only T20 competitions but international cricket as well with the Black Caps.”When Seifert burst onto the international scene in 2018, he was billed as the next Brendon McCullum. Like McCullum, he was adept at charging at bowlers and playing a number of funky shots, including the reverse sweep and scoop.Related

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McCullum himself was so impressed with Seifert that he brought him into the Trinbago Knight Riders team when he was their head coach in 2020. Seifert was part of the TKR side that enjoyed an unbeaten run to the CPL title that season, and he also had a spell as New Zealand’s main keeper-batter, but he needed a bit more time to mature.That growth was achieved by playing T20 cricket around the world. Seifert has expanded his range of shots in the past 14 months, and more specifically in this CPL, he has emerged as the best spin-hitter. He has smashed 200 off 103 balls from spinners at a strike rate of 194.17 – the highest among batters who have faced at least 50 balls of spin in this edition. It’s not common for an opening batter to be this proficient against spinners in spin-friendly conditions, and only highlights Seifert’s rise as an all-weather T20 batter.”No matter how good you are, you’re always looking to grow as a player,” Seifert says. “But most importantly, you’re learning. And one of these great opportunities that these [T20] tournaments give you is that you play with the world’s best players and learn from them and be in the same dressing room as well away from the guys back home in New Zealand.”When I first joined TKR, I think that was my first franchise competition. That was amazing. Not only to be coached by McCullum but to be in the same dressing room as the likes of [Kieron] Pollard, [Nicholas] Pooran and then [Andre] Russell. The CPL is not an easy place to come to, from an overseas point of view, for your first couple of years, but I’ve learnt off those guys, and with the Kings as well. Now into my fifth season at the CPL.”ESPNcricinfo LtdSeifert 2.0 can take down mystery spin too. When his former team, TKR, threw Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein at him in the powerplay in Tarouba, he took 36 off 17 balls from them. He could have opted to sit back and play them out in what was a modest chase, but Seifert was keen to throw the first punch.”They are some of the best spinners in the world. Especially Narine, I rate him probably as one of the best spinners in the world still. But yeah, because we bowled first, we knew what the wicket was. I was hoping to get off to a good start and make the run chase easier. One thing I’ve tried to be working on is not try to think of Narine bowling at you. It’s just trying to watch the ball and reacting.”I’ve always had the square game – my hockey background helps me play those sweeps. I think over the past, those used to be my go-to shots. But now it’s actually just trying to pick the right times, right conditions, right situations of the games to play those shots. And if you are on a good wicket, you can look to hit straight more often. Batting against spin has definitely been one of my areas of focus over the last two years and it’s paying off.”Last month Seifert reached his zenith against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at home in Gros Islet, when he cracked a 40-ball century, drawing level with Russell for the fastest in the league. He finished with an unbeaten 125 off 53 balls, the highest score by an overseas player and second-highest overall in the CPL. Seifert rates that innings as “one of the best knocks” in his career.”I just want to go out there and do my thing. Obviously, we were chasing 200 [205],” Seifert says. “Probably when I got to about 80-odd, I said: right, when it’s your day, make it your day and finish the job for the team. And I wanted to make sure I was there at the end, being that batter that helped win the game for the team rather than getting out on 80 and making someone else come in and finish the game. So that was probably one of my biggest ticks from that knock: getting the job done.”

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