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The MLB playoffs are quickly approaching, and there has been a lot of movement in the wild card standings — and the playoff odds — in the last week.

For the rest of the season, the SI Betting team is going to break down the playoff odds for every team to open each week, as there may be a team just outside the wild card mix that has some value in the betting market.

In the American League, a half game is all that separates the Boston Red Sox (the No. 1 wild card) from the New York Yankees (the No. 3 wild card) with the Seattle Mariners tied with Boston record wise. 

New York has rebounded from a rough stretch to win seven of 10 games and create a 3.5-game cushion over the chasing Cleveland Guardians.

Meanwhile, in the National League, the San Diego Padres remain just out of first place in the NL West, but they’re the No. 2 wild card behind the Chicago Cubs. 

The No. 1 record in the NL and in MLB belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers, who are 33 games over .500 entering Aug. 18’s action.

There are a few close division races, as San Diego and Seattle are both within two games of the top spot.

Plus, the NL East may have opened a bit for the New York Mets with Zack Wheeler (blood clot) landing on the IL for the Philadelphia Phillies.

With so much at stake over the final weeks, let’s take a look at the playoff odds for each team, and a few teams to consider betting on to make the final field.

American League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Toronto Blue Jays: -20000
• Detroit Tigers: -20000
• Houston Astros: -1800

The Blue Jays and Tigers both have sizable leads in their division races, but the Astros are far from a guarantee to win the NL West.

Even with Yordan Alvarez potentially returning for the final stretch of the regular season, the Astros hold just a 1.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the division. 

Houston does have the fifth-easiest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, which should help it finish atop the NL West. Still, it’s worth noting that oddsmakers aren’t nearly as bullish on the Astros making the playoffs as they are Toronto or Detroit. 

Wild Card Race

• New York Yankees: -1100
• Seattle Mariners: -900
• Boston Red Sox: -350
• Cleveland Guardians: +425
• Kansas City Royals: +425
• Texas Rangers: +550
• Tampa Bay Rays: +1300
• Minnesota Twins: +4000
• Los Angeles Angels: +4000

All it took was a 7-3 stretch from the New York Yankees to completely flip this market.

New York is now just a half-game back of the top spot in the AL wild card, and it has gone from -330 to -1100 to make the playoffs this season. The Yanks have the fourth-easiest remaining schedule, so it’s not a surprise that oddsmakers are high on them in the AL.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have fallen from -450 to -350 to make the playoffs, despite the fact that they hold the top wild card spot in the AL. Boston is just five games out of the AL East lead as well, but it has dropped six of its last 10 games.

As for the chasing pack, Texas, Kansas City and Cleveland are all in the mix – although the Guardians (3.5 games back) and Royals (four games back) are in the best position. Texas has fallen off by dropping eight of its last 10 games.

Of those chasing teams, only the Guardians (15.4 percent chance) have better than 15 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. 

National League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Philadelphia Phillies: -20000
• Los Angeles Dodgers: -20000
• Milwaukee Brewers: N/A

The three division leaders in the NL remain the same, although the Padres have made a push for the NL West crown with the Dodgers. 

After winning 14 games in a row before a loss on Sunday, the Brewers (33 games over .500) are viewed as a lock to make the playoffs and their odds have been taken off the board. 

One thing to watch here is the Phillies’ pitching staff with Wheeler on the injured list. While Philadelphia should be able to at least secure a wild card spot, the team’s five-game lead in the NL East is a little shakier today than it was before Wheeler went down. Still, I’d be surprised if the Phils blew this lead over the final weeks of the regular season. 

Wild Card Race

• Chicago Cubs: -3500
• San Diego Padres: -3500
• New York Mets: -370
• Cincinnati Reds: +280
• San Francisco Giants: +2500
• St. Louis Cardinals: +2500
• Arizona Diamondbacks: +3000
• Miami Marlins: +5000

Unlike the AL wild card race where there are multiple teams pushing for a playoff spot, only the Cincinnati Reds (+280) seem to have a real chance in the NL.

Cincy is just 1.5 games back of a Mets team that has struggled in recent weeks, but FanGraphs has given the Reds just a 14.5 percent chance to make the postseason. A big reason why? Cincy has the third hardest strength of schedule (.522 winning percentage) left this season, including 14 combined games against the Dodgers and Padres.

However, if the Reds are able to come out on top against one of those teams, it could give them another team to pass in the wild card race. For now, it seems like the betting market is higher on Cincy than FanGraphs and ESPN, who are both giving the Reds less than a 15 percent chance to make the final playoff field.

Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox to debut against Australia as part of white-ball overhaul

Matt Roller10-Sep-20241:51

Ehantharajah: ‘Perfect time’ for Bethell’s England T20I debut

Twice this year, England captains have seen their decision to throw the new ball to a fingerspinner backfire. Their responses to similar gambles which didn’t pay off told a story.In Hyderabad in January, Ben Stokes gave Tom Hartley the second over of India’s first innings of the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal promptly hit his first and fifth balls for six. In Bridgetown, five months later, Jos Buttler gave Will Jacks the second over against Australia. Travis Head and David Warner ruthlessly targeted the short leg-side boundary, and the over cost 22.Stokes stuck with Hartley even as he went the distance, keeping the field up and giving him eight further overs on the first evening of the Test: “I lost no confidence,” he said. In the second innings, he was England’s match-winner, taking 7 for 63. Jacks, by contrast, was immediately whisked out of the attack, not used again with the ball, and was dropped two games later.In part, this contrast reflected the difference between Tests and T20 as formats. The second chance is a fundamental part of Test cricket’s fabric: across four innings and five days, there is always the opportunity to recover from a mistake. In T20, one error – or even one moment of bad luck – is often terminal: the format’s brevity is what makes it so punishing.Related

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Yet the difference in how Hartley and Jacks were handled also revealed the attitudes of their respective teams towards young players. Under Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England have backed youth: eight players have featured for them in Tests this year while aged 25 or younger. In T20Is, under Buttler and Matthew Mott, it is only Jacks and Harry Brook.It has been a reflection of England’s previous success. Buttler has been fiercely loyal to the generation of players with whom he created history, becoming the first men’s team to hold both the 50-over (2019) and T20 (2022) World Cups simultaneously. England have lent towards giving their golden generation of white-ball talent one game too many, rather than one too few.At last year’s 50-over World Cup, England picked a team in which every player was at least 30 years old for their defeats to Sri Lanka, India and Australia; they even left Brook out of their provisional squad, though he eventually replaced Jason Roy. In June, they backed Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Jordan to come good in the Caribbean, but with little return.That will change on Wednesday night, in the first of eight white-ball games – three T20Is and five ODIs – against Australia at the Utilita Bowl near Southampton. England will give T20I debuts to two young players in Jacob Bethell (20), Jordan Cox (23), with Jamie Overton (30) also winning his first cap in the format. John Turner, Dan Mousley (both 23) and Josh Hull (20) could come into contention later in the series.Jordan Cox is set to make his T20I debut•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThe old guard are now moving on: at 36, Adil Rashid is five years older than anyone else in this week’s squad, with Moeen Ali recently joining Dawid Malan in announcing his retirement. “I did my job, and it’s time for the next guys to come in,” Moeen said on Sunday. “The team needs to go in that direction… it probably just needs that cycle to start again.”McCullum has already shown as Test coach that he can blood younger players, though will not take over as England’s white-ball coach until January’s tour to India. But Marcus Trescothick, who will deputise as coach in this series and on November’s tour of the Caribbean, has worked with the Test set-up under McCullum and is conscious of helping young players flourish.”We’re looking at the next generation because we have a bit of time to prepare and expose them so that we can see how they react,” Trescothick said on Tuesday. “We know that there’s great talent within the county game. It’s picking and choosing the right ones that we think will succeed at international cricket, because it is a slightly different game.”It is really exciting when you see these youngsters coming through [aged] 19 or 20, fresh-faced and quite innocent when they come into the team, and to know what they could do and what they can achieve. The opportunity we have as coaches – within the Test group, and now in this group – is to harness those players.”There is plenty of excitement around the new generation within English cricket, and Bethell in particular. Trescothick worked with him at Under-19s level, and was immediately impressed: “It was really evident to me that he’s going to be a superstar,” he said. “I think you’re going to enjoy watching him going forward over the next few years.”That Hartley does not feature in England’s Test squad to tour Pakistan next month is evidence that players’ progress is not always linear; so too is Overton, at 30, winning his T20I debut as a specialist batter. But what is clear is that Wednesday’s T20I marks the start of a new era for England’s white-ball teams, one in which youth will no longer be treated with suspicion.

Manchester United have reportedly launched a €28 million (£25m) bid for Olympiacos youngster Christos Mouzakitis. The offer, however, has been deemed far below Olympiacos’ expectations, opening the door for rivals Real Madrid, Arsenal and Brighton to potentially force their way ahead.

United make first move for Mouzakitis

Mouzakitis has captured the attention of scouts across the continent after a sensational breakthrough season in Greece, one that culminated in him winning Tuttosport’s Golden Boy Web Award with more than one million fan votes. The accolade placed him ahead of celebrated young names such as Arda Guler and Jobe Bellingham. Emerging from Olympiacos’ academy as one of their brightest talents in a generation, Mouzakitis has combined composure on the ball with athleticism and has shown surprising defensive intelligence, which are notable qualities given that he began his football journey as a goalkeeper. 

His performances last season thrust him into the continental spotlight, as he emerged as a key figure for a team that not only excelled domestically but also broke historic ground. Alongside fellow academy star Babis Kostoulas, Mouzakitis helped deliver Olympiacos the UEFA Youth League title in 2024, the first time a Greek club had ever lifted a European trophy at youth level. That achievement was followed by Olympiacos’ senior team winning the Europa Conference League months later, further fuelling international attention towards the youngster. 

AdvertisementGOALInterest intensifies as United, Arsenal, Brighton and Madrid circle

According to United have been tracking Mouzakitis for more than a year, with club scouts alert to his potential since he began surfacing in Greece’s top flight. Brighton, meanwhile, have also monitored him closely, especially after signing Kostoulas for nearly £30m ($40m) last summer. Real Madrid have likewise been proactive. Xabi Alonso, who was on the touchline overseeing Madrid during their 4-3 Champions League victory in which Mouzakitis featured for the full 90 minutes, praised the teenager’s maturity beyond his years. 

That match was reportedly watched closely by representatives from United and Chelsea, reaffirming the midfielder’s ability to hold his own against elite opposition. Arsenal, too, have entered the equation and are believed to be assessing their options ahead of the summer window. With Mikel Arteta reshaping his midfield dynamics, a versatile, press-resistant talent such as Mouzakitis fits the type of long-term profile the club has targeted in recent years.

Olympiacos reject early bids as valuation battle begins

While interest is overwhelming, Olympiacos are in no hurry to sell. The Greek champions are demanding a sum close to €40m (£35m/$47m) for any January move, placing the bar well beyond both Manchester United’s €28m bid and Real Madrid’s marginally higher offer. Sources close to Olympiacos insist the club will not entertain negotiations unless an offer surpasses €30m (£26m/$35m). The club views him as a cornerstone for the next stage of their sporting project, especially given his contract status, influence and trajectory. Mouzakitis’ value continues to rise, bolstered by his seven caps for the Greek national team and his strong involvement for Olympiacos this season, where he has registered two assists in 10 league appearances and featured five times in the Champions League.

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Getty ImagesUnited’s long-term midfield puzzle complicates the chase

United's midfield is expected to undergo a substantial rebuild by 2026, with significant uncertainty surrounding the futures of several players. Casemiro’s contract expires at the end of the season, while Bruno Fernandes is expected to strongly reassess his position at Old Trafford following the 2025-26 campaign. The club are also open to letting Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte leave in January should appropriate offers arise.

Alongside this, United have been linked with a series of midfield options like Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, among them. Mouzakitis sits high on their list, but club executives believe the most sensible window to complete a deal would be the summer of 2026, giving them time to plan a full integration strategy and avoid inflated mid-season prices.

For now, the Greek club hold all the leverage. Unless a club steps forward with a bid approaching €40m, the teenager is expected to remain in Piraeus for the foreseeable future. But with three of Europe’s heavyweights circling, it will be difficult for Olympiacos to hold on to their prized asset beyond the summer of 2026.

While this season is shaping up to be a spectacular one for Arsenal, Sunday was a disappointment for Mikel Arteta and Co.

The Spaniard’s team looked second best in their Premier League game against then-second-placed Chelsea, and then failed to capitalise when the Blues went down to ten men.

With that said, while it was a poor showing from the Gunners, they were without a number of the best players, like William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and just as important, Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian has been in scintillating form for Arsenal in recent months, and yet, if reports are to be believed, the club are looking to sign someone who’d be a significant upgrade.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

During the summer, it looked like Trossard would be leaving Arsenal, as he didn’t have a great campaign and was linked with clubs like Bayern Munich.

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However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem stayed, was handed a pay rise, and since then has played like a man possessed.

For example, it was his thunderous effort against Sunderland that ensured the Gunners left with a point, and then against Tottenham Hotspur, he scored and assisted a goal.

However, even with performances such as these, it looks like the North Londoners are looking to sign an upgrade on the 30-year-old.

At least that is according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are interested in Michael Olise.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the club have placed the Frenchman at the top of their wishlist for next year and, with Sporting Director Andrea Berta, are already laying the groundwork for the deal.

However, it won’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, with the report claiming that it will cost in excess of £100m to convince Bayern Munich to sell their star attacker.

Even so, given Olise’s immense ability and further potential, this is a deal Arsenal should be going all out for, especially as he’d be a significant upgrade on Trossard.

How Olise compares to Trossard

So the first thing to get out of the way is that, yes, Olise is primarily a right-sided player, and Trossard plays mostly on the left.

However, Arteta has made it quite clear with the signing of Noni Madueke that he is more than happy to play wingers on the opposite flank, and given the Frenchman’s immense ability, it feels like he should have no problem playing out there.

Moreover, when the former Chelsea ace has played in the team, he and Bukayo Saka have swapped sides back and forth during games, which suggests the manager has almost moved beyond the idea of a wide player starting and sticking to a position as matches progress.

With all that said, why would the former Crystal Palace star, who shone with Eberechi Eze in South London, be an upgrade on the Belgian?

Well, the first and most important reason is the simple fact that he is a far more potent goal threat, be that through scoring or assisting them.

A “magician” – according to Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano – in 20 appearances this season, totalling 1583 minutes, he’s scored nine goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.05 games, or every 83.31 minutes.

In contrast, the former Brighton star has scored five goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances, totalling 948 minutes, which averages out to a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 94.8 minutes.

The second reason is that, at just 23 years old, the 13-capped international has far more upside than the 30-year-old and should even improve in the coming seasons.

Finally, on top of his better output, the former Reading man also comes out on top when you take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Olise vs Trossard

Statistics

Olise

Trossard

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

1.00

0.38

Progressive Carries

5.70

2.63

Progressive Passes

6.40

3.63

Shots on Target

1.99

0.62

Passing Accuracy

81.4%

69.3%

Key Passes

2.60

1.38

Shot-Creating Actions

6.68

3.25

Goal-Creating Actions

1.10

0.37

Successful Take-Ons

2.40

0.88

All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 League Season

For example, he comes out ahead in the most critical metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, successful take-ons, goal and shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Trossard is a brilliant player, but Olise is clearly superior in practically every way and more than justifies Oliver Glasner’s claim that he’s “one of the best talents in the world.”

Therefore, even if it costs a king’s ransom, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him in 2026.

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Leeds United “would sell” Wilfried Gnonto in the January transfer window, with it being revealed they would reinvest the money raised into a different key area of the squad.

The Whites may need to reshuffle their squad somewhat this winter, given that results have gone downhill considerably over the past few weeks, suffering defeats in four of their last five matches in the Premier League.

Losing games is one thing, but it will be particularly concerning for Daniel Farke that his side were beaten by fellow strugglers Burnley and Nottingham Forest, with Sean Dyche’s side running out 3-1 winners at the City Ground last time out.

There are some difficult fixtures on the horizon before Christmas, with the 2024-25 Championship winners set to take on Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, which means they are at real risk of being cut adrift by the time the transfer window opens.

Leeds willing to sell Wilfried Gnonto to fund move for new striker

Consequently, Leeds may have to take drastic measures in an attempt to preserve their Premier League status, with top source Dean Jones revealing they are prepared to cash in on Gnonto, saying: “This is going to be a transfer window of opportunism and there are clubs who have been tracking Gnonto, wondering if he is finally going to leave. I expect someone to try their luck, and I have a feeling the player will have his head turned if a big enough side comes in for him.

“Leeds would sell him at the right price, I’m pretty sure of that.

“I get the feeling he’s a player they would now sell and then reinvest because they really are looking for some new life in their attack.

“Primarily that would be in the shape of a striker, but I wouldn’t rule out any player with attacking nous at this point because the club’s hierarchy know they have left the team short of options up top.”

The £40k-a-week winger has struggled on the injury front this season, being ruled out due to a calf issue, but he was unable to make a real impact even prior to being ruled out, failing to register a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

At 22-years-old, the Italian is still young, and he has previously received high praise from Junior Firpo, who said: “Nobody expected it, when he first came in. He is a shy guy, didn’t talk too much; on the pitch, too. But unbelievable from day one.”

However, Leeds clearly need to bring in a new striker, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin failing to hit the ground running, having scored just once in nine Premier League games, so it may be worth cashing-in on Gnonto to fund a move for a centre-forward.

Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January Leeds and 49ers keen to sign Troy Parrott in January after Ireland heroics

This would be much-needed for Daniel Farke.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 17, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have now joined the race to sign a “special” £70m attacker, who has made a fantastic start to the season.

Spurs return to form with victory at Everton

Tottenham became the first visiting team to defeat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, emerging as 3-0 winners courtesy of a Micky van de Ven brace and a late Pape Matar Sarr effort, which saw them rise to third in the Premier League table.

Spurs returned to form on Merseyside, but they have struggled to create chances at times this season, and Thomas Frank is very fortunate his side managed to come away with a point from the trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League.

It would also be fair to say Xavi Simons hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in north London, chipping in with just one goal contribution in six Premier League games, and the Lilywhites have since set their sights on a new attacking midfielder.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which reveals Tottenham were one of the clubs to scout Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun in the German side’s recent 5-1 defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Uzun is attracting interest from a whole host of clubs, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey revealing scouts from English sides have taken a liking to the youngster, saying: “This boy is ‘special’ was the comment I received from a scout attached to one of the Premier League’s top clubs.

“Uzun might be considered under the radar to some but he is a huge talent. He has become one of the most talked about players in the Bundesliga and he really is a huge talent.

“There is not a major club who doesn’t have him on their radar.”

Uzun has made flying start to the 2025-25 season

Signing the Frankfurt star could be a costly operation, with it widely being reported they value him at the €80m (£70m) mark earlier this month, but there are clear indications he could go on to be a top-level player.

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Spurs have taken the lead in the race for an “intelligent” midfielder

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The 19-year-old scored in each of his opening five Bundesliga games this season, and he has already amassed ten goal contributions in 12 matches across all competitions, catching the eye of scout Jacek Kulig in the process.

In fact, the Germany-born maestro places in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, having averaged 0.62.

Uzun has proven he has an incredibly exciting future ahead, so it is promising news that Tottenham are tracking his progress, although their interest appears to be tentative at this stage.

Spinner completes memorable match after first-innings hundred as visitors continue upturn in form

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025Lancashire 557 (Green1 60, Hartley 130, Hurst 106) and 110 for 1 (Jennings 57*) beat Gloucestershire 381 (Charlesworth 160, Phillips 64, Hartley 6-116) and 285 (Charlesworth 71, Phillips 56, Hartley 5-99) by nine wicketsMan-of-the-match Tom Hartley produced another career-best performance to propel Lancashire to a hard-earned nine-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham and keep alive their hopes of winning promotion back to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.Having previously staged his highest score of 130 and taken 6 for 116 to put his team in control, the England slow left-armer claimed 5 for 99 on the final day of an entertaining match at the famous old College Ground as the red rose county made it two wins out of three in the red-ball format under the new leadership team of interim head coach Steve Croft and captain James Anderson.Made to follow on, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 285 in 98 overs in their second innings, Hartley finishing with match figures of 11 for 215 after Ben Charlesworth and Joe Phillips had scored 71 and 56 respectively for the home side. Chris Green weighed in with 2 for 62 as spin accounted for seven wickets on a surface offering some assistance.Set 110 to win in 26 overs, Lancashire chased down their target for the loss of Luke Wells with five overs to spare, courtesy of an authoritative unbroken second wicket partnership of 103 between Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon. Confronted by four spinners as Gloucestershire dispensed with seam, Jennings top-scored with a brisk 57 not out from 67 balls, while the equally forthright Bohannon faced 50 deliveries in raising an undefeated 45 as the visitors eased to victory in the final hour.Lancashire took 22 points to move into fourth place in Division Two, in the process leapfrogging Gloucestershire, who settled for five points after sustaining their third defeat of the season.Gloucestershire resumed their second innings on 98 without loss, still 78 in arrears and potentially vulnerable to a repeat of the collapse that undermined their first innings. It was incumbent upon openers Cameron Bancroft and Charlesworth to build upon their good start on a pitch that was offering some assistance to spin, but which was not expected to break up.If Gloucestershire’s minimum requirement was to bat two sessions, Lancashire were reading from an altogether different script, Anderson claiming the prized scalp of Bancroft in the opening over, the Australian edging to midwicket without adding to his overnight score of 35.Having seen off Anderson, Charlesworth was no doubt disappointed to then succumb to George Balderson in his first over from the Chapel Lawn End. Attempting a back-foot flick, Gloucestershire’s first-innings centurion found Marcus Harris at short midwicket and departed for 71 with the score 129 for 2. Guilty of poor shot selection, Ollie Price then pursued a wide delivery from Hartley that bounced off a length and edged to Luke Wells at slip, at which point Gloucestershire were 134 for 3, still 42 in arrears, having lost three wickets in the first hour.They came close to losing another in the next over, Miles Hammond standing his ground and being afforded the benefit of the doubt when Jennings claimed a catch at short square leg off the bowling of Hartley. The reprieve proved temporary, Green pinning Hammond lbw for 22 in the final over before lunch, which was taken with the score 168 for 4. Representing Gloucestershire’s best chance of saving the game, Phillips remained unbeaten on 35.He was joined by James Bracey and these two wiped out the remaining arrears early on in the afternoon session, Phillips going to a hard-earned 50 from 91 balls with his eighth four. But Lancashire continued to take wickets, Jack Blatherwick angling a short delivery into the body of Bracey, who was unable to get his bat out of the way and edged behind. His departure was a blow for Gloucestershire, who were in effect 21 for 5 with 57 overs left in the day.An even bigger blow befell the home side when Phillips’ vigil came to an end soon afterwards, the Cornishman held by the safe hands of Jennings at short leg off the bowling of the ubiquitous Hartley. Phillips had faced 110 balls, accrued eight fours and defied the red rose bowlers for three hours. Hartley then extracted additional spin to remove Graeme van Buuren, who stretched forward and was caught behind for 8 to leave the home side between a rock and a hard place at 210 for 7.Todd Murphy led a Gloucestershire counterattack, going for his shots, pushing the field back and sharing in a useful stand of 41 in eight overs with Zaman Akhter, who scored a breezy 20 before offering a return catch to Green as the home side slipped to 251 for 8. Ajeet Singh Dale survived a searching examination at the hands of Anderson and the new ball, he and Murphy digging in to reach tea on 268 for 8. Gloucestershire had a slender lead of 92 with a minimum 35 overs remaining.Lancashire’s go-to man, Hartley returned to bowl Murphy for a 56-ball 33 and complete the first 10-wicket match haul of his career as an enthralling contest entered its final session. He then accounted for last man Marchant de Lange, held at short square leg as Gloucestershire’s resistance with the bat finally came to an end in the early-evening sunshine.

One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim is who will play at wing-back. The right-hand side seems much clearer, with Amad seemingly securing that spot for himself.

The Ivorian – who netted at the City Ground a week ago – has impressed at right wing-back in recent outings.

However, the other flank is proving to be a bit more of a conundrum for Amorim. Patrick Dorgu is only 21 years of age and has great promise, but is not being rushed. Luke Shaw has played that role before for England, but is thriving on the left of United’s back three.

The first choice left wing-back this season has been Diogo Dalot.

Dalot’s struggles at left wing-back

26-year-old Dalot has certainly struggled at times as a left wing-back. It might not be a surprise, given that he is a right-back by trade.

At times, he is operating as the highest player on the pitch, on the opposite flank to where he is most comfortable.

Amorim has placed a lot of trust in the former FC Porto academy player as a left wing-back. This season in the Premier League, he has picked his countryman nine times, with six of those appearances coming from the left flank.

Dalot has struggled, too. In those six games from the left-hand side of United’s midfield, their number two has registered just a solitary assist. He does pose an attacking threat from that area, though, and got an assist for Bruno Fernandes in the FA Cup last season.

Generally speaking, though, it has not been easy for the 26-year-old. Blame can be given to Amorim for playing a right back as the furthest player in United’s attack on the wrong side.

United content creator Dev Bajwa says the Portugal star has “got to be dropped.”

In United’s most recent game, a 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur, Dalot was actually dropped from the side. Amorim chose to bring Dorgu into the starting lineup, with the United number two having to settle for a 10-minute substitute cameo.

If Amorim does decide to rotate Dalot out of the side again in the future, there could be a homegrown star waiting in the wings.

United’s in-house Dalot replacement

There are definitely options for Amorim if he thinks the time is right for a more permanent change at left wing-back. Danish international Dorgu could keep his place, or Shaw could move further up the pitch, coinciding with the return of Lisandro Martinez.

However, if the Red Devils boss decides to lean into the DNA of the club, then he could call upon Bendito Mantato. The 17-year-old has impressed for United’s academy over the past few years, and could be the attacking option Amorim needs at wing-back.

The England under-17 international, who is currently on national team duty at the Under-17 World Cup, is a winger by trade. However, he plays as a left-back for the Three Lions, and has done so for United, too.

One thing that you can guarantee from Mantato is that he will add a creative spark at left wing-back. His record for the under-18s side at Carrington is exceptional, with 15 goals and three assists in just 25 appearances.

Mantato u18S PL record
Stat	2023/24	2024/25
Games	7	11
Minutes	602	833
Goals	6	7
Assists	2	0
Mins per G/A	75	119
Stats from Transfermarkt

Speaking of that inventiveness in the final third, the Manchester-born attacker has great instinct in attacking areas.

This goal he scored in the FA Youth Cup away to Arsenal last season, where he darted in between two defenders to fire home, really sums up his quality.

Mantato has already been involved with the first team under Amorim. Not only has he trained with the seniors, but he’s been on the bench twice in last season’s Europa League.

That certainly shows how highly he is rated by the Red Devils manager.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Academy Scoop, a page on X dedicated to United’s academy, was full of praise for the 17-year-old. He called Mantato “one of the biggest talents at the club,” highlighting his excellent ability.

It will be fascinating to see whether Amorim takes a risk and brings him into the first team fold at the expense of Dalot on the left flank.

Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their own Gabriel & it's not De Ligt

This Man Utd star has been crucial for his side this season

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By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 5, 2025

Who have the teams retained? Who have they released? And what do they need at the auction?

Hemant Brar, Shashank Kishore, S Sudarshanan15-Nov-2025 • Updated on 09-Dec-20256:53

Samson-Mhatre CSK’s new opening pair?

Chennai Super KingsPlayers released: Ravindra Jadeja (traded to RR), Andre Siddarth, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran (traded to RR), Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi, Shaikh Rasheed, Vansh Bedi, Vijay ShankarPlayers retained: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (traded in from RR), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul KambojPurse remaining: INR 43.40 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 9 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: A gun overseas allrounder to replace Curran. They have the purse to go hammer and tongs for Livingstone or Green. They will also look to sign a seam-bowling back-up for Ellis.Delhi CapitalsPlayers released/traded out: Donovan Ferreira (traded to RR), Darshan Nalkande, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Manvanth Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sediqullah AtalPlayers retained/traded in: Nitish Rana (traded in from RR), Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh KumarPurse remaining: INR 21.80 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 8 (5 overseas)What they need at the auction: DC need top-order options after they let go of Fraser-McGurk and du Plessis. Plus more overseas players since they are left with only three.Gujarat Titans traded Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians•Associated PressGujarat TitansPlayers released/traded out: Sherfane Rutherford (traded to MI), Dasun Shanaka, Gerald Coetzee, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya, Mahipal LomrorPlayers retained/traded in: Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshad Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, M Shahrukh Khan, Shubman Gill, Washington SundarPurse remaining: INR 12.90 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 5 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: A finisher, now that they are without Rutherford. They could also look at adding at least one allrounder to the mix.Kolkata Knight RidersPlayers released/traded out: Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Spencer Johnson, Venkatesh IyerPlayers retained/traded in: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun ChakravarthyPurse remaining: INR 64.30 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 13 (6 overseas)What they need at the auction: KKR could go in search of a wicketkeeper as well as an opening batter, since they have left out de Kock and Gurbaz. Them leaving out Iyer and Russell means they could well do with an allrounder. And their huge purse will allow them to do that.8:52

Who saw the Russell release coming?

Lucknow Super GiantsPlayers released/traded out: Aryan Juyal, David Miller, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Ravi Bishnoi, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shardul Thakur (traded to MI), Akash Deep, Shamar JosephPlayers retained/traded in: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Akash Singh, Arjun Tendulkar (traded in from MI), Arshin Kulkarni, Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami (traded in from SRH), Mitchell Marsh, Mohsin Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Prince Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shahbaz AhmedPurse remaining: INR 22.95 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 6 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: They need replacements for Miller and Bishnoi. Apart from that, they will be keen to have an allrounder.Mumbai IndiansPlayers released/traded out: Arjun Tendulkar (traded to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Karn Sharma, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh PuthurPlayers retained/traded in: Shardul Thakur (traded in from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (traded in from GT), Mayank Markande (traded in from KKR), AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Will JacksPurse remaining: INR 2.75 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 5 (1 overseas)What they need at the auction: They seem to have all bases covered with the current squad. Given they have just INR 2.75 crore left, don’t expect any big buys either.ESPNcricinfo LtdPunjab KingsPlayers released/traded out: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen DubeyPlayers retained/traded in: Arshdeep Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Musheer Khan, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Yuzvendra ChahalPurse remaining: INR 11.50 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 4 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: Given their first XII looks quite settled and they have only 11.5 crore left, expect a quiet auction for them as well.Rajasthan RoyalsPlayers released/traded out: Sanju Samson (traded to CSK), Nitish Rana (traded to DC), Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu HasarangaPlayers retained/traded in: Donovan Ferreira (traded in from DC), Ravindra Jadeja (traded in from CSK), Sam Curran (traded in from CSK), Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Nandre Burger, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir SinghPurse remaining: INR 16.05 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 9 (1 overseas)What they need at the auction: Spin-bowling options since they have left out all of Theekshana, Hasaranga and Kartikeya and only have Jadeja on that front. They can also look towards an experienced fast bowler.8:23

Do SRH see themselves as a settled XI?

Royal Challengers BengaluruPlayers released: Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, Mohit RatheePlayers retained: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil SinghPurse remaining: INR 16.40 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 8 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: An overseas fast bowling back-up for Hazlewood, especially with his workload likely to be stretched if he features in both the Ashes and T20 World Cup back-to-back. They may also need a back-up for Dayal, who has not played any cricket since the IPL 2025 final.Sunrisers HyderabadPlayers released/traded out: Mohammed Shami (traded to LSG), Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Abhinav Manohar, Wiaan Mulder, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Rahul ChaharPlayers retained/traded in: Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, R Smaran, Travis Head, Zeeshan AnsariPurse remaining: INR 25.50 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 10 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: Having released Zampa and Chahar, they need a couple of spinners. They also need an allrounder and probably an Indian fast bowler.

Beau Webster has done everything in his power to keep his Test spot, taking five wickets for Tasmania against South Australia with Alex Carey making 59

AAP11-Nov-2025

Beau Webster took 5 for 50•Getty Images

Beau Webster has taken his first five-wicket haul of the summer for Tasmania – but it came on a day when his chances of keeping his Test spot took a hit.Webster claimed 5 for 50 for the Tigers in Hobart on Tuesday to help dismiss South Australia for 177 in reply to the hosts’ first-innings 209. Tasmania then collapsed by losing nine wickets in an extended last session to reach stumps on day two at 177 for 9, with Henry Thornton taking two wickets in the final over to keep the hosts’ lead to 209 with a tight finish looming.Webster was out for eight as Tasmania crumbled, but was still the star of the day and did everything in his power with the ball to keep his Test spot.Related

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However, his wickets came just as Cameron Green was returning to bowl for Western Australia for the first time in six weeks, after battling side soreness.Green bowled with good pace and bounce at the WACA, taking an early wicket and dispelling any concerns over his fitness. If Green is fit to bowl in the first Test from November 21, selectors will be left to decide between keeping Webster or picking a specialist opener in Tasmania teammate Jake Weatherald.A key consideration will also no doubt be that Weatherald’s inclusion would allow Marnus Labuschagne to bat in his preferred position of No.3. Weatherald looked in touch for his 30 on Tuesday, before edging a ball back onto his own stumps off Liam Scott for a pair of squandered starts in this match, after a first-innings 23. He hit Nathan McAndrew for three boundaries in one over, pulling him twice to the rope before a glorious cover drive to the fence.Earlier, Webster was easily Tasmania’s best bowler on Tuesday after having Travis Head caught behind on the opening evening. The seamer bowled Liam Scott through the gate with a ball that swung back in at the right-hander, then also drew Jake Doran’s edge soon afterwards.Beau Webster celebrates his fourth career five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Nathan McAndrew followed in a similar fashion, before Brendan Doggett was the last to go when Webster took the tailender’s off stump.Webster has taken eight wickets at 23.25 since debuting for Australia at the SCG, while also proving a reliable man with the bat at No.6.”Beau does what Beau does, just gets in a nice area,” Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey said. “In conditions like that he gets a lot out of it, and that’s what I’ve seen in his Test career so far.”With wickets that have a bit in it, he comes to the fore and got his five-wicket haul today.”Jake Weatherald, I think, is a really quality player and looked really good for his 30.”Alex Carey drives through cover•Getty Images

Carey (59) was the only South Australian to pass 50, as he played a counter-attacking role in a low-scoring game. On a day when rain, storms and even hail stopped play, the Australian Test wicketkeeper regularly charged the quicks. He used his feet to hit Jackson Bird over the mid-wicket fence, and played another cracking cover drive against Webster.But when Carey guided Gabe Bell to Webster at second slip on 59, it kick-started a collapse of 6 for 33 to end South Australia’s innings.South Australia then went through the Tasmanians by taking nine wickets in an extended final session, with Ben Manenti taking 3 for 26.