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Hazlewood has been outstanding in the IPL following injury and indications from last season are that the hierarchy remains

Andrew McGlashan01-May-20252:12

What makes Hazlewood a much-improved T20 bowler?

Plenty of Australian cricketers are currently plying their trade overseas, and Josh Hazlewood is going as well as any of them for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL in what has been an encouraging return from injury and shapes as bad news for Scott Boland’s hopes of featuring in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.As of Thursday, Hazlewood was the leading wicket-taker in the IPL – with 18 wickets in ten matches – and while the role and requirements of T20 are considerably different to a Test match, his trademark back-of-a-length mode of attack has been key to a number of his dismissals.Two years ago, Boland was the beneficiary when the selectors opted to preserve Hazlewood for the Ashes that followed the WTC final against India as he returned from a side injury picked up in that season’s IPL. Boland went on to bowl brilliantly at The Oval, claiming five wickets in the match, as Australia won the mace by 209 runs. This time, barring any setbacks for Hazlewood over the next month, it looks like going the other way.Related

• Boland: 'I just want to make their decision as hard as possible'

• Webster set for Warwickshire debut ahead of WTC final

• Green's return brings into focus Australia's big selection calls

• Finch: Selectors may have to 'cherry pick' Hazlewood's Tests

• RCB have the (Hazle)wood on their opponents now

For all Boland’s success that sees him sit with a Test record of 56 wickets at 17.66 from 13 matches he has only once been a first-choice selection when the big three quicks have been fit or not rotated: that was the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes when he was selected ahead of Mitchell Starc at Edgbaston. The two matches Boland played in that series have been the only occasion when a team has consistently dominated him – he finished with two wickets at 115.50 and an economy rate of 4.91 – as England’s Bazballers used his metronomic length to their advantage.Last season against India, Boland was the ultimate super sub. He replaced an injured Hazlewood in Adelaide where he zipped the pink ball around but then immediately made way in Brisbane only for Hazlewood to then suffer a calf strain. Boland took 16 wickets in the next two matches at the MCG and SCG, but the pace-bowling hierarchy remained clear. Again, Boland will likely need someone else’s misfortune to make the XI at Lord’s.Josh Hazlewood had an interrupted series against India•Getty ImagesHazlewood cut a distraught and frustrated figure as he walked off the Gabba after a ginger one-over spell on the fourth day after he tested the extent of the calf strain. Having emerged from an injury-hit period between 2021 and 2023, where he played just four Tests, he featured in 12 out of 13 matches after the WTC final, only missing at Headingley in the Ashes when he was rested.As Hazlewood recovered from the calf injury, a hip problem emerged, which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy. Through the various setbacks – both the recent ones and during 2021-2023 period – Hazlewood has remained adamant that it’s largely been bad timing rather than an indication that his body is becoming a genuine concern although Aaron Finch has previously suggested the selectors may need to start cherry-picking the Tests he plays.”I’ve had a little history of sides and calves, they are probably the two things that have kept me out for the majority of the last four years, but I [can] sort of just keep adding another layer to the defence hopefully,” he said late last year. “I’ve ticked a lot of boxes in the last 12 months and it’s just the timing again – they are only little two or three-week injuries, it’s just the timing of it and missing big games so that’s probably the frustrating thing.”Hazlewood has the 300-wicket mark in his sights should he be able to string appearances together this year, currently sitting on 279 at 24.57. There are landmarks approaching for all the big three: Pat Cummins is on 294 Test wickets, while Starc has 382 and is four games away from reaching 100 caps.There will be a couple of training camps in Brisbane during May for the Australian players who are based at home, which includes Boland who opted not to play county cricket after finishing the domestic season with a knee niggle.Initial WTC final squads, which will be 15 players, need to be submitted to the ICC by May 11 but can be amended until the end of the month. After that, the technical committee’s approval will be required for any injury replacements. Australia are expected to have a couple of travelling reserves with them in England, from where they head straight to the West Indies for a three-Test series.

Newcastle United will be looking to win their fourth game in succession across all competitions, with the Magpies set to travel down to London to face West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

Eddie Howe’s men go into the game in excellent form, having beaten Fulham, Benfica and, most recently, Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup.

There is not really a better time to be playing the Hammers than this week. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are in abysmal form, not winning since the 31st of August. They’ve lost six on the bounce, with little sign of their form improving.

Anthony Gordon, who was rested in midweek, could pose a huge threat to the Hammers.

How Newcastle can hurt West Ham

It seems almost guaranteed that Gordon will come straight back into the Newcastle starting lineup for their game against the East Londoners. He has been in strong form this season, dominating in the Champions League and could reall pose a big threat to the Irons.

Amongst Europe’s elite, the former Everton star has four goals and one assist in just three games. One of those strikes came against Barcelona, attacking the ball at the back post to fire home a cross from Jacob Murphy.

Incredibly, Gordon is yet to score or assist in the Premier League. He’s played six games and accumulated an expected goal involvement tally of 0.42 xGI. However, he has yet to chip in with a goal or assist.

The game against the Hammers could be the ideal opportunity for the England international to break his Premier League duck this season. His pace and direct nature could prove to be a huge threat against Nuno’s side, which has looked incohesive at the back this season, to say the least.

However, it is not only the final third threat of Gordon that could trouble West Ham. Howe has some dangerous options in midfield, too.

Howe's midfield star could terrify West Ham

Against Spurs in midweek, the Magpies rotated their midfield. Sandro Tonali was the only first-choice player who started, with Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock operating either side of the Italian.

Bruno Guimaraes was on the bench, as was a man who could be hugely important against West Ham; Joelinton.

The Brazilian has played an important role in the middle of the park alongside Tonali and Guimaraes, and he could well slot back into the side against the Hammers.

The Brazil international is not enjoying his finest campaign, with Toon blogger Thomas Hammond even suggesting it’s the “start of the end” for the 29-year-old, who has been “honking” for some time.

That said, the number of minutes he has played shows just how important he is to Howe’s side. He’s featured 12 times across all competitions, with seven of those appearances coming in the Premier League.

One of the key reasons why the former Hoffenheim star could be pivotal against West Ham is his physicality. One described as a “dominant” midfielder by Statman Dave, Joelinton is notorious for his crunching tackles and his aerial prowess.

An excellent example of this strength came against Manchester United in the top flight last season. The Brazilian got himself on the scoresheet, outjumping and physically dominating Lisandro Martinez at the back post to head home a cross from Gordon.

This is particularly important against Nuno’s side. After their 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford a couple of weeks ago, Jamie Carragher said he can’t remember a “less athletic team I’ve seen for a very, very long time in the Premier League.”

It is easy to see why someone with the physicality of Joelinton can bully the Hammers side. However, he also offers quality on the ball. This term, the midfielder averages 0.9 chances created per game, and played an average of 11.1 forward passes per 90 minutes last season.

Chances created

0.8

0.9

Opposition half passes completed

19.3

17

Forward passes

11.1

7.8

Duels won

6.3

5.9

Ball recoveries

5.6

4.6

Joelinton could quite easily slot into the Magpies’ side as a replacement for Ramsey. His physicality will be important against what is a weak Hammers side, according to Carragher. However, you don’t lose the creative influence of Ramsey, given what the Brazilian can offer in the final third.

If this is a decision Howe makes at the London Stadium weekend, it could be crucial to helping his side secure their fourth win in a row.

He'd surpass Tonali: Newcastle rivalling Real Madrid for £120m "powerhouse"

Newcastle are in the process of succession planning in the middle of the park.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 31, 2025

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.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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.

Best signing since Raphinha: Leeds star is one of "the best" players in PL

Leeds look to have struck gold with one of Farke’s summer signings.

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 4, 2025

Leeds United are already pursuing some January transfer targets in a bid to turn around their declining season in the Premier League.

At the start of the campaign, there looked to be promising green shoots for Daniel Farke’s men in their attempts to instantly clinch survival, with two victories picked up from their opening five fixtures back in the gruelling division.

However, since a 2-2 draw was picked up versus AFC Bournemouth at the tail-end of September, the wheels have started to fall off alarmingly, with four defeats from their last five Premier League games certainly highlighting why Leeds need some game-changing purchases this January.

Rumours have already begun to circulate that AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott is on their agenda, with just one goal scored across their last two away-day defeats, really bringing into focus why they need such a deadly finisher in their ranks.

It would take an alleged £25m bid or even more to tempt AZ into getting rid of their 30-goal hero from last season, with Leeds not always coming out the other side of an expensive capture full of glee, which might see them err on the side of caution over a statement deal.

Still, if the Whites are serious about survival, they might well have to put their money where their mouth is and land the potent Irishman.

After all, the West Yorkshire giants have forked out similar wads of cash in January before when landing Georginio Rutter back in early 2023, with the £35.5m splashed out on the skilful Frenchman proving to be somewhat worthwhile, as he went on to score eight goals and pick up 18 assists as a memorable entertainer under Farke’s wing.

Sold for £40m to Brighton and Hove Albion, as well, it’s fair to say Leeds’ most expensive capture goes down as a hit.

The same cannot be said, however, for the likes of Jean-Kevin Augustin, who Leeds wanted to return to RB Leipzig after an unsuccessful loan stint in 2020.

Yet, Leeds would still have to pay up £18.4m for the Paris-born flop two years later, after failing to make the loan permanent, which had been previously agreed. In short, it was labelled as an “absolute disaster” of a transfer by journalist James Marshment.

Still, while Illan Meslier certainly did a great deal more in Leeds colours than Augustin, he has also been something of a disaster.

Why Illan Meslier was such a disaster at Leeds

Arguably, in the here and now, the £5m deal to secure Meslier could also be viewed as a blunder with hindsight on side, even if he was also a recipient of some glowing comments when Marcelo Bielsa still occupied the helm.

It does feel like an awfully long time ago, now, since Meslier was being heralded as a ‘keeper that “transmits security” by Bielsa, and would also come up trumps with top saves, with 72 Leeds clean sheets in his back pocket.

Unfortunately, in more recent times, he could be viewed as a waste of money with the amount of errors that seeped into his game last season as Leeds went for the glory of automatic promotion, which saw Meslier make three errors in total that directly led to an opposition goal.

To make matters worse for Meslier’s long-term future, Karl Darlow – who cost just £400k – would come up trumps in his place with an important tally of four clean sheets from his seven stand-in second-tier appearances, helping to make their promotion dreams a reality.

The reliable Welshman has since lined up for five Premier League games this campaign, while his £5m counterpart now routinely sits on the substitutes bench, presumably planning an exit route out of the club he has made 214 appearances for.

Yet, while Farke has been cutthroat with his former number one by also buying Lucas Perri, he still sticks by this other underperformer week in, week out, who is a far bigger waste of cash than the error-prone stopper.

Leeds flop is a bigger waste than Meslier

Meslier did – at one point – hold down the number one goalkeeper position rather comfortably.

Indeed, during Leeds’ first season back in the big time under Bielsa, the 6-foot-6 ‘keeper would help himself to a weighty 11 clean sheets from 32 top-flight outings, before things started to unravel. In the case of Brenden Aaronson, though, he has never been able to fully settle under the intense spotlight of the top division.

Thankfully, for Aaronson’s sake, he did turn on the style on occasion last season as the Championship title was lifted, with nine goals and two assists collected, which included this wonderfully constructed team goal away at Derby County being finished off by the up-and-down American.

Meslier also chipped in with 21 clean sheets, in all fairness, before it was deemed necessary for a change in between the sticks.

But, he still leaves a lot to be desired with his mediocre Premier League output, with the aforementioned Marshment’s comments about the ex-Union Berlin playmaker falling victim to “anonymous” displays very much ringing true this season, and throughout his playing days in the elite league to date.

Games played

47

Minutes played

3098 mins

Goals scored

2

Assists

4

Goal conversion %

9%

Big chances missed

3

Big chances created

8

For £28.5m, which remains Leeds’ second most expensive capture of all time, you would have anticipated a lot more than what Aaronson has offered up over 47 games in the intense division, with a measly six goal contributions amassed from those 47 games, very much strengthening arguments that he can go missing in crunch moments.

At least when it comes to the other high-profile signings, such as Rodrigo, he came away from his disappointing spell with the club with 28 strikes next to his name, despite costing £2.5m less.

Even Meslier has more to write home about from his Premier League adventures in West Yorkshire, with Aaronson’s output this season of just one goal and one assist from 11 games not exactly encouraging Leeds fans that he can change his ongoing Elland Road tale for the better.

There were faint glimmers of hope when he scored against West Ham United to close out October, with one Leeds-based content creator even dubbing it his “best game in a Leeds shirt”, off the back of Aaronson completing all 100% of his dribbles and winning eight duels to be a livewire throughout.

Yet, that was then followed up by two unmemorable displays on the bounce, as the “lightweight” version of Aaronson – as he was once branded by ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome – reared its ugly head once more.

These inconsistent performances would likely be more excusable if he didn’t cost such a bomb at the £28.5m mark, with it being very clear now that he is a far bigger waste of money than Meslier, and – arguably – one of the club’s poorest pursuits in recent Premier League history.

Leeds stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt in January as Hull eye Harry Gray

He’s been on fire in the Championship.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 19, 2025

“This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. We need to take responsibility.”

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2025

Pakistan’s head coach was left to bemoan a familiar flaw with the team’s performance, pointing to his side’s first-innings collapse as the turning point in the game. After the Test, which South Africa won by eight wickets, Azhar Mahmood said Pakistan had specifically discussed this at their training camps, and that it was “not acceptable” that this kept happening.”The first innings collapse was where it started,” he said at the post-match press conference. “We lost 5 for 17. We should have posted 400-425 there, which was the position we’d put ourselves in. Agha and Rizwan were building a partnership which we couldn’t utilise.”This is the fourth time in two Tests that we’ve lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. This is not acceptable, and we need to take responsibility. We spoke about this at our two camps. Whenever your top players score 270-300, the contribution from the lower order really matters.”Related

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Harmer's six-for helps South Africa ease to series-levelling win

The only thing more reliable than Pakistan’s late-order collapses this series has been a senior player or coach criticising those collapses. Midway through the first Test, Mahmood was fiercely criticial of Pakistan’s first innings collapse which saw then lose their last 5 for 16, slumping from 362 for 5 to 378. Following the game, captain Shan Masood highlighted the issue once more after Pakistan lost their final six for 17 in the second innings.But forewarned has not proved forearmed. The second Test saw the same issues prop up in each innings. On Thursday, Pakistan began at 94 for 4, but soon crumbled to 105 for 8, losing their final six for 43 to set South Africa up for a straightforward chase.”You also have to give credit to opposition,” Mahmood said. “South Africa were much better than us in this department. We could have taken the lead but credit goes to Muthuswamy, the way he played; his shot selection was perfect. He put on 70 with Maharaj and 98 with Rabada. If you play with a quality team and you give them several chances in a brief period of time, they will punish you. That’s what happened and we allowed them extra runs.”You have to work on your game and know your scoring shots. You can learn from the opposition. Muthuswamy scored primarily from the sweep and reverse sweep. You should know your scoring options. When we went to bat, we started blocking early. If we had rotated the strike and put pressure on them, we could have pushed them off their lengths. The way they did – though of course a low target made it easier. You need mental toughness; international cricket is all about how you cope with pressure.”Shan Masood and Aiden Markram pose with the shared trophy after the series ended in a draw•AFP/Getty Images

It was that innings from Muthuswamy which turned the Test around from one Pakistan controlled to one South Africa ran away with. With South Africa reduced to 235 for 8, 98 shy of Pakistan’s first innings total, it looked like a repeat of the Lahore Test. But Muthuswamy, who finished unbeaten on 88, struck a 70-run stand with Keshav Maharaj, and another 98-run partnership with Kagiso Rabada to give South Africa a 71-run lead.It set Pakistan up for what has now become a familiar phenomenon – the third innings implosion. In several Tests last cycle, Pakistan’s third innings turned Tests which were relatively evenly poised to ones the opposition dominated by crumbling late on, leaving them with innings defeats or straightforward chases for the opposition. That was a feature in each of the three Tests Pakistan lost before their turn to spin wickets – two against Bangladesh and one against England – and it reared its head once more.Mahmood admitted that was a concern, though believed Pakistan’s calendar didn’t help. “It is a concern that we have a poor record in our third and fourth innings. But if you play four Tests in a year and the team only gets together every six months, you don’t have time to work on your game. We last played in January and our next Test is in March. These gaps are too long, and we’ll have to play regular Test matches to cope with these situations.”

Having made the decision to sack Alan Sheehan after just six months in charge earlier this week, Swansea City have now reportedly opened talks with Kim Hellberg.

The South Wales outfit felt a change was needed following a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town on Saturday which left them as low as 18th in the Championship. Sheehan lasted just six months at the club and ended his tenure with 17 wins in 39 games.

Ultimately, despite a positive start to life at Swansea last season, it was Sheehan’s recent four-game losing run which acted as the nail in the coffin for his tenure. The international break also hands the club some much-needed time to get their next appointment right.

Swansea owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen told the club website after announcing their decision: “Alan has been instrumental in helping improve the club through two periods of time. Alan has a tireless work ethic, an honest approach and a positive attitude.

“He has put his full effort into the job on behalf of the club. The club would like to place on record its thanks to Alan for all of his hard work during his time at Swansea City. We wish Alan and his family all the best for the future.”

Those in Wales will hope to have an appointment through the door by the time that they return from the international break to face Bristol City on 22 November. They’ll also be desperate to hire a manager that lasts longer than six months and can provide a long-term solution to their current struggles in the Championship.

Swansea hold talks with Kim Hellberg

As reported by Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Swansea have now held talks with Hellberg, who is currently in charge of Swedish side Hammarby IF. The Swans are reportedly “keen” to hire the 37-year-old and have identified him as one of the early leading candidates to take their vacant role.

Whilst Hellberg isn’t the most experienced manager that Swansea could find, he is impressive in his own right.

The young manager has earned plenty of praise from those in Sweden, including IFK Varnamo sporting director Enes Ahmetovic, who worked with Hellberg at the club and said: “An incredibly skilled football coach. He spends a huge amount of time on every detail. I’m completely convinced that Hellberg will coach much bigger clubs than IFK Värnamo.”

Operating in a 4-2-3-1 system, Hellberg would also suit Swansea’s current squad who are used to the formation thanks to their time working under Sheehan.

Every Premier League and EFL manager sacked in the 2025/26 season

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.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

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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AFPSubs & Manager

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.

The pressure is really ramping up on Liverpool boss Arne Slot after losing nine of the last 12 matches and now the Dutchman has been warned former boss Jurgen Klopp could be ready and poised to return to the Anfield dugout. It's been claimed Klopp and would be carried "shoulder high" by Reds fans who are desperate for the team's current disastrous run to finally come to an end.

Klopp backed for sensational return

The boos rang out around Anfield after yet another defeat, another poor performance and another four goals conceded as Liverpool slumped to a 4-1 defeat to PSV on Wednesday evening, the latest chapter in a horror show of a season for the English champions. Defeat in the Champions League came after back-to-back 3-0 defeats by Nottingham Forest and Manchester City and followed the Reds' 3-0 capitulation to Crystal Palace which dumped them out of the League Cup. Slot has stated the club hierarchy still support him, but the wolves are circling a manager who is failing to fix defensive frailties or improve the form of summer signings who are still struggling to integrate into the team. And prominent German journalist Michael Reif has backed Klopp to make a sensational return to Merseyside, if Slot fails to end the dismal run of results. The German boss enjoyed a trophy-laden nine years at Anfield, winning multiple domestic and European titles before leaving in 2024 and is currently the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull Group. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReif: 'Klopp's hovering over Anfield like a UFO'

Reif told : "Liverpool isn’t just in a mess. It’s practically burned to the ground!. The timing of this statement (Klopp's appearance on Diary of a CEO) is terrible for Slot. He's hovering over Anfield like a UFO. All of Liverpool would carry him back on their shoulders. And it would be negligent if they didn’t try to bring Klopp back. In Liverpool, the scar from his departure is far from healed. I don’t know what it’s like being Global Head of Soccer, and whether you ever start to wonder, ‘Is this really me?’ He was exhausted after that time. It took its toll. Now he looks very rested. Almost as if Arne Slot has to watch out…"

Under-fire Slot on borrowed time

Anfield legend Jamie Carragher has weighed in on the debate and handed a stark warning to the Dutch boss, saying he has as little as seven days, across three fixtures to save his job. 

Carragher told : "Arne Slot has a week to save his job. It is hard to believe that sentence is being written, but Liverpool’s next three games are against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds United. Anything fewer than seven points will make an already unacceptable situation untenable. No matter how much goodwill the manager has, Liverpool Football Club cannot sustain the drop in standards witnessed over the past three months. No one knows better than me how much that reality will be hurting everyone connected with my old club. Liverpool do not willingly sack coaches, especially those that bring great success."

He added: "Nobody saw this drop-off coming, and there must always be caution about making statements with the benefit of hindsight. However, there were hints that the team was going in the wrong direction from March last season onwards, most notably in the performance away to Paris St-Germain and in the Carabao Cup Final loss to Newcastle United."

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Getty Images SportLondon calling for beleaguered Reds boss 

Slot knows he can buy himself some breathing space if his side can secure three points when they head to West Ham on Sunday afternoon. But the Hammers are on an upward curve after the dreadful start to the season under previous boss Graham Potter, and are unbeaten in their last three under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. But history is on the Reds’ side; West Ham have won just one of their last 18 Premier League games against Liverpool. Slot will be desperate for that run to continue at the London Stadium.

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.