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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ByDominic Lund Oct 26, 2025

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.

Their captain looked underdone with the ball, and their fielding was patchy, as Australia had another bad day in Perth

Alex Malcolm23-Nov-20241:39

McDonald: ‘Second new ball could be our entry point back’

Mitchell Starc has never had a great poker face. Frustration was writ large all over it after Usman Khawaja was unable to grasp a rare low edge offered by Yashasvi Jaiswal at first slip.India were 104 without loss, leading by 150, on the same surface they had been bowled out on for 150 just 24 hours earlier. The same pitch which Australia had been bowled out for 104 on earlier in the day.It was the same exasperated look Starc had cut before tea when he was bowling around the wicket to Jaiswal with four men in the deep with a 22-over old ball.It was the same exasperation he had shown the night before in the post-day press conference, when he bristled at the idea that the pitch was too spicy to bat on.”The bowlers are allowed to bowl good balls,” Starc said. “There’s a lot spoken about when there’s a lot of runs, it’s like, the bowlers bowled badly. When there’s wickets, the [pitches] are tough. You’re allowed to bowl good balls. Maybe credit should go to both teams’ bowlers.”Despite 20 wickets falling in four sessions, the pitch was now deemed so flat that Starc was replaced by a batter to bowl bouncers with a 24-over old ball that still had a decent shine and Kookaburra’s gold lettering on it. The seam movement had diminished quite a bit in the middle session of day two, as the warm Perth sun and several extra rolls had helped settle the surface. But it hadn’t diminished so much as to warrant Pat Cummins abandoning all plans of standing the seam up on a good length and using Marnus Labuschagne to bowl bouncers after 24 overs.Australia had a bad day. They’ve had two bad days in a row. By the close, India’s lead had swelled to 218 and the opening partnership remained unbroken on 172. It was such a bad day that coach Andrew McDonald did the post-play press conference in a sure sign that things had gone rapidly awry after six months of careful planning.Starc was entitled to be frustrated by it all given he has been one of their standout performers over two poor days with both bat and ball. He had survived nearly the same number of deliveries as Australia’s entire top six combined while batting on this pitch.But it is rare to see this Australian unit so frazzled. Calm and consistent is their mantra. They have been anything but. They will never say it publicly, but there is no doubt Starc and his fellow bowlers were frustrated at the batting unit. These types of tensions happen all the time in cricket teams all over the world. It was clearly there today, exacerbated by the wonderfully controlled partnership between Jaiswal and KL Rahul who deserve an enormous amount of credit for grinding some excellent bowling down over a long period with outstanding decision-making and execution.But truthfully, Starc and Josh Hazlewood aside, Australia’s side have not looked particularly sharp overall.Related

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Cummins has epitomised that lack of sharpness. He came in deliberately undercooked. He was the only one of the three fast bowlers not to play a Sheffield Shield game before the Test series. He said before the Test that he prefers to be underdone ahead of a big series.It has shown across two days. He has been the most expensive of the quicks and the least threatening.The opposing captain, Jasprit Bumrah, had hardly overpitched in 18.2 overs of flawless bowling to tear through Australia’s batting line-up. Cummins’ lengths were nowhere near as precise by comparison. He is one of the few bowlers in the game to have been driven down the ground on multiple occasions.He dropped Rishabh Pant on 26 on the first day and failed to take a review that would have dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy on 11, having burnt two reviews earlier on frivolous appeals.He bowled a bouncer late on the second afternoon that went for five wides. It is rare to see Cummins perform so far below his high benchmark.The pressure mounted on Pat Cummins and Australia on day two in Perth•Getty ImagesAustralia’s fielding has not been flawless either. Khawaja has dropped two chances across two days. One cost very little, the cost of the other is still counting.Just after his miss, Steven Smith had a run-out chance following a mix-up between Jaiswal and Rahul. But Smith’s throw to the non-striker’s was wide and wild, giving Nathan Lyon no chance of gathering cleanly.McDonald presented a picture of calmness, despite how his team had performed.”Morale is always good,” McDonald said. “It’s a pretty level team, whether it’s a good day or a bad day. We’ve got some problems to solve ahead of us. There’s no doubt we’re clearly well behind the game at this stage.”McDonald showed sterner defence than his batter’s had the day before, dead-batting questions around his team’s body language and the fact that his bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, was on the other side of the world preparing for the IPL auction with another employer after the bowlers had gone wicketless through 57 overs.”In terms of the way that we bowled, I don’t think was too dissimilar [to yesterday],” McDonald said. “Potentially, early on, we may have been a fraction short if I was to be critical, but I thought they went about their work well.”Beneath that calm exterior, it is clear though that the change in pitch conditions have flummoxed a team that is meticulous in its planning, with the ball-tracking data they base a lot of their plans around suggesting the swing and seam movement had all but disappeared by the end of day two.”The surface looked considerably drier today, it dried out fairly quickly,” McDonald said. “We thought there may have been a little bit more there. I suppose, if you want to say that we’re a little bit surprised, yeah, there wasn’t as much seam movement or swing, and I think the bowlers were presenting the same in a similar fashion to the way they were yesterday.”Australia have three days to avoid exasperation turning to despair and there is a lot of cricket left in this series to fight their way back.But cracks are appearing in Perth. Just not the kind they were hoping for.

Not everyone has been a hit, but Chelsea have built up quite a reputation for signing incredible young talents in recent years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were all 21 or younger when they secured their moves to Stamford Bridge.

However, the best young signing the club have made has to be Cole Palmer, although with how he’s playing, Estevao could take that title from him.

With that said, Chelsea have just secured the services of a hugely exciting prospect who could end up being a bigger star than both of them.

Palmer and Estevao's debut campaigns

When it comes to recent debut campaigns at Chelsea, it would be hard to deny that Palmer’s was the best in quite some time.

The former Manchester City gem arrived at the club without too much fanfare, but within a few games showed the fans and the rest of the league that he was not an ordinary signing.

He provided his first assist in the Third Round of the League Cup and then scored his first goal a couple of weeks later against Burnley in the league.

By the end of the season, the versatile international had scored 25 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances, totalling just 3613 minutes.

That works out to an extraordinary average of a goal involvement every 1.12 games, or one every 90.32 minutes, which would be incredible for a seasoned veteran, let alone a 21-year-old.

Now, while it is unlikely that Estevao will beat that this year, he is certainly giving it a good go.

For example, in 16 mostly substitute appearances, totalling 657 minutes, the 18-year-old has scored four goals and provided one assist.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.2 games, or more crucially, every 131.4 minutes.

In all, it’s clear that, so long as they remain fit, Palmer and Estevao will continue to impress for Chelsea, but the club might have just signed another brilliant youngster who could be held in the same regard as them in the future.

Chelsea's next superstar in the making

Chelsea’s ambition to sign incredible young talents in the hopes they become global superstars is showing no signs of slowing down.

In The Pipeline

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

The latest prospect who could eventually be a game-changer for the Blues is Deinner Ordonez, who signed a pre-contract agreement with the club on Friday.

It had to be a pre-contract, as the Ecuadorian wonderkid is still just 16 years old and, due to rules on foreign-born youngsters, won’t be able to join Enzo Maresca’s squad until January 2028.

Moreover, he’s yet to even make a senior appearance for his club, Independiente del Valle.

However, that didn’t stop the West Londoners fighting off three other top European clubs for his signature, and based on what those in the know say about him, it’s easy to understand why.

For example, while he’s yet to play in the first team, the incredible prospect has been making waves in the youth system for some time now and was promoted to the u17s when he was just 14 years old.

Described as “an absolute alien of a talent” and someone who will “be one of the best CBs in the world” by Como scout Felix Johnstone, the Esmeraldas-born gem has also made a massive impression at the international level.

He is already playing for Ecuador’s u20 side and became the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year.

It certainly feels like his senior debut is going to come sooner rather than later, especially as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “huge potential CB with physicality and athleticism way beyond his age.”

He’s not just a youngster who has got ahead with impressive physicality, though, as Mattinson also points out his “outstanding range of passing” and the fact that he is “completely both-footed.”

Ultimately, it’s still so early in his career, but just like with Estevao, it’s already clear that Ordonez is a truly special prospect, and one that could be as effective for Chelsea as the Brazilian and Palmer.

The new Caicedo: Chelsea want to sign "one of the best CMs in the league"

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a Premier League star who is valued at up to £120m.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 17, 2025

Major League Soccer and Apple are reportedly set to make significant revisions to their landmark streaming partnership, with the agreement now scheduled to conclude in 2029 – three-and-a-half years earlier than originally planned. The restructured deal, which includes increased payments and aligns with MLS’s upcoming calendar shift, marks a substantial evolution of the partnership.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What the revised financial terms look like

  Under the revised arrangement, MLS will reportedly receive $200 million for the 2026 season as per Sportico. The report added that they will then earn $107.5 million for the shortened 2027 “sprint” season, followed by $275 million payments for each of the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, according to people briefed on the agreement.

  Those figures yield an average roughly in line with the original per-season economics but bring more cash forward and represent a roughly $50 million increase in aggregate receipts through mid-2029 versus the old schedule, the report said. Apple has also waived its contractual right to terminate the deal after 2027.

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• Getty
  

  Why both sides renegotiated now

  According to the report, MLS officials and Apple pushed changes in the wake of two related strategic shifts: the league's decision to fold the separate Season Pass into Apple TV’s main bundle for 2026 and the league’s plan to flip to a fall–spring calendar in 2027.

  Bringing MLS into the core Apple TV product increases potential reach and helps the platform bundle sports with other high-value content; the revised payment profile accelerates league revenue ahead of the post-World Cup media cycle, when MLS will be able to test the market sooner. Apple’s concession on the opt-out clause limits its short-term exit flexibility and signals a willingness to lock in the revised path for the next few seasons.

• Getty
  

  Strategic timing aligns with World Cup

  The shortened agreement provides MLS with an opportunity to re-enter the media rights marketplace sooner than initially planned, potentially capitalizing on increased interest in soccer following the 2026 World Cup. This timing could prove advantageous as the league anticipates heightened attention and engagement with the sport in North America. The original 10-year agreement, announced in 2022, represented an unprecedented move for a major American sports league, placing all matches on a single streaming platform without local blackouts.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next for MLS and Apple

  With the revised timetable in place, MLS will complete its transition to Apple TV’s main offering in 2026 and run on the updated schedule through the 2028–29 season under the new payment terms. The league can now accelerate market testing after the World Cup and may negotiate a new rights deal or extend with Apple when the term expires. Apple continues to add to their sports portfolio after recently adding F1, starting next season. 

New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Michael Bracewell will lead a 14-man squad that includes returning pace duo Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears but is missing Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne due to injury.Santner underwent abdominal surgery last month and was hopeful of being fit for the three-match series that will be played on October 1, 3, and 4 in Mount Maunganui but has not recovered in time.”Never nice to lose your skipper,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “But these things do happen. And Michael has already been the captain of this team and did a great job against Pakistan. So fully confident in how he will lead the team.”Ferguson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury while Milne has a foot injury. Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin) and Finn Allen (foot) had already been ruled out of New Zealand’s first home series of the season while Kane Williamson made himself unavailable but is expected to return for the white-ball series against England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jamieson and Sears have been named after missing the tri-series in Zimbabwe in July. Jamieson missed the tour due to the birth of his first child while Sears was ruled out with a side injury. Walter was pleased to see Sears back fully fit.”He’s worked incredibly hard over the last 12 weeks to be back on the park and done some awesome work there,” he said. “So we’re excited to see him back in the competitive fold.”We’re building a bigger base of fast bowlers, because we understand that the program is so busy these days, but fast bowling is a key requisite for performance. So we want to make sure we’ve got as many options as we possibly can have.”Related

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Santner’s absence means legspinner Ish Sodhi is retained in the smaller squad. Sodhi played only two of New Zealand’s five matches in the Zimbabwe and missed out on the final despite taking 2 for 34 and 4 for 12 in the two games he played.Devon Conway, who signed a casual playing agreement with New Zealand this week alongside Williamson, Allen, Seifert and Ferguson, retains his place after being a late call-up to Zimbabwe where he opened alongside Seifert.New Zealand will face a relatively strong Australian side who are coming off two T20I series wins in recent months.”[They play a] very aggressive brand, which is cool,” Walter said. “I think that puts you under pressure. It certainly allows us to explore a few different options as to how we want to play against them, because it seems like they are coming with a very specific way that they want to play. So it’ll be a lovely test.”Australia will only be missing three first-choice players in Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis and Cameron Green. Cummins has a hot spot in his lower back while Ellis will remain at home for the birth of his first child. Green is staying home to play first-class cricket for Western Australia where he will bowl for the first time since back surgery last year in preparation for the Ashes series starting in November.Mitchell Starc has retired from T20I cricket, however he had not played for Australia since the 2024 World Cup.

New Zealand T20I squad vs Australia

Michael Bracewell (capt), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Brevis, Mhatre and Urvil have given a flagging team some positive vibes

Sreshth Shah07-May-20252:40

Moody: ‘Brevis could be one of CSK’s best signings of the decade’

Wins have been hard to come by for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this season, and reversing a losing trend is rarely straightforward. But adversity often presents unexpected openings. In recent games, the inclusion of Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, and Dewald Brevis has reignited CSK’s batting firepower. The narrow two-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru hinted at a revival, and the emphatic win over Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed it.What makes the turnaround even more remarkable is that none of the trio were part of CSK’s original auction plans. All three were signed as injury replacements after April 15, yet they’ve leapfrogged several players from the 25-member post-auction squad to break into the playing XI. While the franchise had publicly backed its auction strategy in earlier press conferences, there’s since been an implicit acknowledgment that they fell short in identifying emerging talent early on. The initial blueprint – built around Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and the now-injured Ruturaj Gaikwad – failed to click. With playoff hopes extinguished, CSK have shifted their focus toward IPL 2026, though not without showing signs of finishing the current season on a high, if not a triumphant, note.Batting coach Michael Hussey shed light on the thinking behind introducing the new trio.”When it got to a stage where we were going to struggle to make the playoffs, there was an opportunity to maybe look at what our future looks like,” Hussey said after CSK’s third win of the season. “Yes, obviously, we’ve got those players that were picked in the auction, but this was an opportunity to do some scouting, to have a look at some younger talent that was coming through, to inject them into the games and get to see them in pressure situations and see if they can handle the pressure of IPL.”Related

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Each of the three newcomers has shown, in different ways, that they belong. Mhatre’s 94 against RCB was one of the finest IPL innings by a teenager. Brevis has brought electric energy in the field and backed it up with a blazing 22-ball half-century at Eden Gardens. Urvil, too, lit up his IPL debut with a dazzling 31 off just 11 balls. But beyond their individual numbers, Hussey credited them with lifting the overall mood of the squad.”They’ve had a positive impact on the team,” he said. “They’re highly motivated to do well. They’ve created energy around the group, because when you’re in this position, sometimes the energy of the players can just go downhill very quickly. But this injection of some youth has really invigorated everyone.”It’s not just their runs that have changed CSK’s fortunes, it’s the intent behind those runs. Ahead of the KKR match, CSK had the lowest powerplay run rate this season at 8.1. Their top-order had either batted too cautiously for the modern T20 game or struggled to play with freedom, often leaving the middle and lower-order with too much to make up, whether batting first or second.1:23

Moody: Urvil’s stability at the crease stood out

Against KKR, just like in the RCB game, CSK showed early aggression. Despite losing five wickets, they powered to 62 runs in the first six overs. Brevis then lit up the 11th over, taking down Vaibhav Arora for 30 runs with a sequence of 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, 4. That onslaught gave CSK the breathing room they needed. The experienced middle order did the rest, with Shivam Dube’s 45 off 40 and MS Dhoni’s 17 off 18 finishing the chase with calm authority.While Hussey admitted that the lack of intent in the powerplay had been a concern, he also pointed to the home conditions in Chennai as a contributing factor. Still, he acknowledged that this stretch might mark the beginning of a tactical transition for CSK.”I mean, we weren’t playing in Hyderabad, you know. We weren’t playing in Delhi where the ground is smaller and the pitch is better,” Hussey said. “But I agree with you, it has been an area that we were below par on, particularly in the early stages of the season. The injection of youth, they bring that, I guess, youthful exuberance, that freedom, that lack of fear.”So yeah, it’s an area that we’re putting a fair bit of time into is that sort of talent identification. Trying to find some gold nuggets, I guess, if you like. Hopefully it pays dividends in the future years to come. Transitions are always difficult to manage, especially in a competition like IPL.”Hussey reserved special praise for Mhatre, even though he was dismissed for a two-ball duck in Kolkata. In ESPNcricinfo’s studios, Tom Moody praised Urvil’s technique and went as far as to call Brevis a game-changing CSK signing for the next ten years.”Mhatre’s a special talent, but he’s also a special young man,” Hussey said. “He’s got a great support network around him with his coach back in Mumbai, his parents. So I feel as though he’s got a great foundation to hopefully have a very successful career, and hope it’s with CSK for a long time.””Brevis could be one of Chennai’s best signings of the decade. He is an exceptionally talented player and he’s just starting to realise his talent. The one blip he will have to overcome is his cricket smarts,” Moody said on Time:Out. “And the thing that stood out with Urvil was his stability in the crease. One of the key things to power-hitting is a stable base, and for a young man to come into his first game and stay true to that and to be able to execute like that tells me a hell of a lot that this guy has a future.”The batting flourish in the last two games has offered CSK enough positives to suggest that all is not lost, even if the points table says otherwise. IPL 2026 may still be a while away, but some clarity around key personnel for the future makes even these small victories feel significant.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have been handed a transfer boost, with a La Liga star now open to an Old Trafford move.

Man Utd midfield options heading into 2026

It feels as if Amorim’s midfield is the one area that may need the most work in 2026. The Man Utd boss has gone with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes more often than not this season, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte falling out of favour.

Mainoo has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, whereas Amorim criticised Ugarte in front of his Man Utd teammates following the Europa League final against Tottenham.

Casemiro is also out of contract in 2026, and it has been suggested that there is a real possibility he will leave for free at the end of the season.

This comes despite the fact Amorim wants to keep the Brazilian, however, INEOS are looking to cut the wage bill and could do just that with the £350,000-a-week top earner.

A number of midfielders have been linked with arriving in Manchester, and one name that won’t go away is Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher.

There was speculation over a deadline day move in the summer, but the English “machine” remained at the Wanda Metropolitano, where he has made just two La Liga starts in 2025/26 under Diego Simeone.

Forget Sesko: Man Utd's "terrible" dud is now becoming INEOS' worst signing

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It has been suggested that Amorim has already given the green light for Man Utd to bring Gallagher back to the Premier League in 2026, and another promising update has now emerged.

Gallagher open to Man Utd move

According to United in Focus and transfer expert Graeme Bailey, Gallagher “has become increasingly frustrated at Atletico” and appears to be open to the idea of moving to Man Utd to improve his chances of making the England squad.

On around £150,000-a-week in Spain, Gallagher has been compared to some impressive midfielders across Europe in 2025, including former Red Devils man Scott McTominay.

Midfielders similar to Conor Gallagher

Club

Gavi

Barcelona

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle

Scott McTominay

Napoli

Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle

Boubacar Kamara

Aston Villa

Now, United and INEOS need to decide whether or not to firm up their interest in the Englishman, amid rumours of a £44m January offer being lined up.

Man Utd now leading Barcelona & Liverpool in race to sign "absolute beast"

Mohindru was recently disbarred over allegations that he had lied on his CV

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Essex chair, Anu Mohindru, has stepped down from his position in the wake of allegations that he lied on his professional CV.Mohindru, who was appointed chair in 2023, was disbarred by the Barristers’ Tribunal Service last week after a five-day hearing, at which he was ordered to pay £55,000 in costs. Claims that he “deliberately exaggerated his academic achievements and qualifications” when applying for work dated back to 2012-13.Essex announced that Jason Gallian, the former England batter who currently chairs the club’s cricket committee, would step up as interim chair of the board, with Vicky Ford acting as his deputy.Related

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“Essex County Cricket Club can confirm that club chair Anu Mohindru has stood down as a board member with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement. “He informed the board of his decision at a meeting on Sunday.”Following the meeting the board has decided that Jason Gallian will act as interim chair whilst Vicky Ford will assume the position of interim deputy chair.”Essex County Cricket Club would like to place on record its thanks to Anu for his leadership and significant contribution during his time as chair of the club.”Mohindru’s appointment came in the wake of John Faragher being forced to step down as chair in 2021 over allegations that he had made a racist comment during a board meeting – for which the club was fined £50,000 by the ECB.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that the north Londoners will soon benefit from a “very unpredictable” weapon that is set to add something new.

This weekend, Sunderland are next in line to try and break down Arsenal’s imperious defence, which hasn’t been breached since their dramatic 2-1 win away to Newcastle back in September.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

The Black Cats, led by their arguable player of the season so far in ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka, are no easy customers and have made one of the best starts by a newly-promoted side in Premier League history.

However, the numbers suggest Regis Le Bris’ side might have their work cut out for them at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Arsenal haven’t just kept eight clean sheets in a row across all competitions, but they also boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues and have marked themselves out as England’s set piece specialists in that time.

No other Premier League side has scored more goals from dead ball situations than Arsenal so far this season (12), with Arteta’s side bringing the dark acts back into fashion.

While Arsenal have been criticised by some for their perceived ‘boring’ style of play, especially from ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara, Arteta won’t be fussed in the slightest as his team sit pretty at the top of the table.

Arsenal’s water-tight backline and threat from set pieces are undoubtedly the two main reasons why they’re currently in pole position to win their first Premier League title in 22 years, but speaking ahead of their clash with Sunderland, Arteta revealed they’re about to have another weapon at their disposal.

Mikel Arteta says "very unpredictable" Gabriel Jesus will add something new to Arsenal

£265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus hasn’t played since Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United back in January after rupturing his ACL, and reports once claimed that the Brazilian might not be back in action until next year.

However, Jesus has now returned to training, so his comeback is nigh, as Arteta explains how “thrilled” he is by the news.

The 28-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a January exit following the arrival of summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to return from injury in time for the North London derby at the end of November.

That being said, it appears Arteta still has big plans for Jesus at Arsenal, with the forward capable of playing out wide as well as at centre-forward.

It will be very interesting to see how the former Man City star fits into Arteta’s tactical set-up, especially once their full complement of attackers in Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke return from injury too.

Hasaranga took 2 for 25 upon his return from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2025

They began their high-stakes contest against Sri Lanka miserably, slipping to 0 for 2 after Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera bowled back-to-back wicket maidens with the new ball. But Bangladesh went into the innings break with the match still alive in tricky batting conditions, thanks to an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 86 between Shamim Hossain and Jaker Ali.They came together at 53 for 5 in the tenth over, and walked off together at the end of the innings, unbeaten on 42 and 41 respectively. That both went at strike rates in the 120s, and both struggled to find the boundary for long stretches – including a barren spell of 21 balls – indicated both the excellence of Sri Lanka’s defensive bowling, particularly that of Chameera whose yorkers achieved a rare level of precision in overs 18 and 20, and the two-paced nature of this Abu Dhabi surface.Shamim hit the only six of the innings, a pick-up shot over midwicket off Matheesha Pathirana in the 19th over, and that shot and Pathirana’s figures – 0 for 42 in four overs – indicated that pace onto the bat was one quantity batters could feed off in these conditions.Sri Lanka’s other frontline bowlers were exceptional, however, with Thushara and Chameera finding swing with the new ball and mixing up their pace nicely with the old ball to finish with identical figures of 4-1-17-1. Wanindu Hasaranga, meanwhile, made a big impact in his comeback game, taking two wickets and nearly having another when a wrong’un burst through Jaker’s defences and brushed the off stump, only for the bails to stay put.That Bangladesh managed to set Sri Lanka a target of 140 was remarkable given how they began, with their left-handed openers Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon struggling to find the middle of the bat against the new ball and perishing when they tried to hit out, scoring a combined 0 off 10 between them. Litton Das helped them recover somewhat with a 26-ball 28 that included three fours in the sixth over when he went after Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s fifth bowler, but Bangladesh didn’t do their cause any good by losing Towhid Hridoy to a run-out when he attempted a risky third run.They could have lost Shamim in this manner too, when he was on 11 in the 13th over, but a superhero dive ensured he just about beat keeper Kusal Mendis’ between-the-legs flick onto the stumps.