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Chelsea were able to put their poor run of form behind them and secured a huge three points in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca’s men had previously failed to win their last four games, but got back on track with their first victory of the festive period.

On his return to action at Stamford Bridge, it took Cole Palmer just 21 minutes before he found the back of the net. Teed up by Malo Gusto, the England star made a well-timed run between the Everton centre-back and left-back before firing past international teammate Jordan Pickford.

Gusto got in on the action himself just moments before half-time to double Chelsea’s lead. The Frenchman finished off a clinical counterattack from the Blues, with Pedro Neto putting the ball on a plate in the penalty area. Gusto obliged and doubled their lead.

It was a professional performance from the West Londoners, who saw off the Toffees in a controlled manner. Chelsea dominated the ball, with 58% possession, and had 17 shots, five of which found the target.

As well as the Blues played, there were a couple of players who struggled, however. Alejandro Garnacho was one of those.

Garnacho’s game in numbers vs Everton

Since his summer move from Manchester United, things have been up and down for Garnacho in a Chelsea shirt. The Argentina international has only managed two goals and two assists in 16 appearances for the London outfit.

Well, his performance against Everton was certainly one of his more disappointing ones for Chelsea.

The 21-year-old had three huge chances to give Maresca’s side a comfortable lead, but squandered them. That included this opportunity in the first half.

Indeed, his stats from the game show just how poor he was against David Moyes’ side. Aside from the three big chances he missed, Garnacho lost the ball seven times and failed to win either of his attempted duels.

His showing against the Toffees was enough to earn him a rating of just 6/10 from Goal journalist Richie Mills. He explained that the Chelsea 49 can take on a defender well in one-vs-one scenarios, but ‘his shooting needs work’.

As disappointing as Garnacho was on Saturday afternoon, there was a Chelsea attacker who was worse.

Chelsea’s most disappointing player vs. Everton

It was certainly a tough day at the office for another Blues summer signing, Joao Pedro.

The Chelsea number 20 led the line in Liam Delap’s absence, but was isolated and struggled to have any sort of impact on the game.

That was perhaps personified in his stats at full-time. The Brazilian had just 37 touches, fewer than Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s 48.

He lost the ball ten times, could only manage one shot on goal and won just seven out of 17 duels.

Touches

37

Number of times ball lost

10

Passes completed

17/21

Duels won

7/17

Chances created

1

Shots

1

Expected goals

0.07xG

Indeed, his poor showing up front stood out to Mills, who gave him a lower rating than Garnacho, a 5/10. The journalist said Pedro is ‘going through a difficult spell’ at the moment and ‘things are not falling into place for him’ like they did at the beginning of his Blues career.

It might well be the case that Maresca decides to drop Pedro from the side ahead of Chelsea’s next game in the Premier League, away to Newcastle United next weekend. That will be a tough assignment for the Brazilian, coming up against the in-form Malick Thiaw.

There are options for Maresca, too, even with Delap sidelined. Pedro Neto has played up front at times this season, doing so against Barcelona in the Champions League. He could also play youngster Marc Guiu from the start.

Chelsea travel to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup next midweek, which could give the Spaniard an opportunity to stake his claim in the league if he gets the nod in the Welsh capital.

Either way, it would not be a surprise to see Pedro out of the side following his poor performance against Everton.

Chelsea's next star: BlueCo have signed a talent who's like Estevao & Caicedo

The hugely exciting wonderkid has been compared to two of Chelsea’s best players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Nearly a calendar year has passed since the Atlanta Braves lost right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to an ACL injury—a devastating end to the 2024 season for one of baseball's brightest stars.

Now, however, it looks like the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching for Braves fans.

Acuna is beginning a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Florida Complex League Braves in North Port, Fla., Atlanta announced Tuesday morning. The 27-year-old is in his eighth season since debuting for the Braves in 2018.

News of his continuing recovery will come as a breath of fresh air for Atlanta fans, whose team is 20-21 and 6.5 games back of the first-place New York Mets in the National League East Division.

Acuna is a lifetime .289 hitter with a .379 on-base percentage and .525 slugging percentage. He's struggled to stay healthy at times, but his 162-game averages are an impressive 37 home runs, 94 RBIs, 130 runs, and 44 stolen bases.

In 2023, his most recent full season, he was named the NL MVP.

Manchester City are the closest challengers to Arsenal in the 2025/26 Premier League title race. We are only 11 games into the new season, with Pep Guardiola’s side four points behind that of his protege Mikel Arteta.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium was a performance which emphasised how deadly the Citizens can be at their best. It was certainly a statement to the Gunners, who might not have as much of easy a run at the title as one might think.

With the January transfer window around the corner, City might well look to add to their squad to boost their title hopes. Here is a look at their dream lineup if they manage to bring a few new faces into the club in January.

1 GK – Gianluigi Donnarumma

One of City’s marquee summer signings was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite signing James Trafford as well, the Euro 2020 winner has been Guardiola’s first choice.

He’s played 12 times so far for the East Mancunian outfit, keeping an impressive six clean sheets and conceding just seven goals. Standing at six-foot-five, he has a large wingspan, which makes it nigh on impossible to score past him.

This save against Bryan Mbeumo’s strike in the Manchester Derby, his debut for the club, was an example of how colossal he is.

2 RB – Ben White

The first hypothetical new addition to this City side comes at right-back, and, interestingly, from their title rivals Arsenal. Journalist Graeme Bailey recently revealed that City are “keeping tabs on his situation” at the Emirates Stadium. A price was not named by Bailey.

It has not quite been the season the England international may have expected. White has struggled for regular game time under Arteta, with Jurrien Timber the first-choice at right-sided full-back.

White has only played six games across all competitions, with just one of those appearances coming in the Premier League. The 28-year-old is incredibly comfortable on the ball, averaging 5.99 progressive passes per game in the last 365 days. He seems like an archetypal Guardiola full-back and could bring plenty of quality in that position.

3 CB – Ruben Dias

One of the two first-choice centre-backs under Guardiola this season has been Ruben Dias. The Portuguese star has played 15 games across all competitions, and it is no secret the quality that he brings.

Composed on the ball, exceptional out of possession, and a brilliant leader, the 28-year-old has long been one of Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants. City Director of Football, Hugo Viana, called him “the ultimate professional” in the summer, highlighting his importance to City.

4 CB – Josko Gvardiol

The other half of City’s centre-back pairing is Josko Gvardiol. The Croatian star can also operate left-back, but this term, he has found himself alongside Dias at the heart of the Citizens’ defence.

It is a role he has excelled in, too. Gvardiol is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the league, averaging 5.62 progressive passes and 1.03 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which really highlights his on-ball quality.

5 LB – Nico O’Reilly

It has been a breakthrough campaign for the versatile Nico O’Reilly. He has cemented his place in the City side at left-back, despite being a number ten by trade, and has made 14 appearances across all competitions.

Naturally an attacking player, the City academy graduate has chipped in with one goal and four assists, so he is having a productive season going forward.

This might be one of the things that caught the eye of Thomas Tuchel. The defender has been named in the last two England squads, amid hopes of securing a World Cup place next summer.

6 DM – Nico Gonzalez

Figuring out how to cope without Rodri in the side has been a conundrum for Guardiola over the last year. However, the form of Nico Gonzalez over the past few weeks has been a huge bonus. The Spaniard is finally starting to show why City paid £50m to get him from Porto last winter.

Once the best midfielder on the planet, the last 12 months have not been easy for Rodri, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of last season. He’s only played 415 minutes this term as he continues to be plagued by injuries.

Gonzalez has stepped up in his countryman’s absence. Guardiola clearly sees a lot in his talent, having described him as a “mini Rodri” last season. The former Porto star has played 16 games across all competitions, and it will be hard to displace him from a side in great rhythm.

7 CM – Phil Foden

This season, one of City’s academy graduate gems, Phil Foden, is thriving in a new role. Previously operating as a winger, the England star has excelled in a deeper number eight berth, with Guardiola giving him more responsibility in build-up and from deeper areas of the pitch.

In that deeper role, BBC Sport analyst Umir Irfan said he has “been one of the best players this season.”

Foden in 25/26 (all comps)

Stat

Per 90

Season total

Goals & assists

0.5

7

Key passes

3.1

38

Dribbles completed

0.8

10

Tackles and interceptions

1.5

19

Expected goal involvements

0.44xGI

532xGI

Stats from Sofascore

The stats from this season highlight how well the midfielder has played. For example, he averages 3.1 key passes and 1.5 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes.

8 CM – Aleksandar Pavlovic

Partnering Foden in this City dream lineup could be Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, the second new signing. The 21-year-old is reportedly a key target for City, as they look to boost their midfield stocks, amidst Rodri’s injury issues and Bernardo Silva’s contract, which will expire this summer.

The midfielder, who could be worth as much as £43m, is well thought of around Europe. Journalist Manuel Veth has even suggested he can follow in the footsteps of a German legend and be “the next Toni Kroos,” which would surely appeal to City fans.

Despite being so young, he is well-trusted by City great and current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany. The Belgian has played Pavlovic 14 times this season. As for the Kroos comparison, well, that stems from his excellent passing ability. In the last year, Pavlovic has averaged 7.59 progressive passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in Europe’s top 8%.

9 RW – Rayan Cherki

The summer was a busy period for City, who looked to enhance the quality of the squad. In signing Rayan Cherki, it is fair to say they did just that. The Frenchman only cost £34m from Lyon, but has taken to life at City like a duck to water.

The France international is a versatile attacker who can play as a number 10 or off the right. Wherever he is operating, though, Cherki has shone this season despite injury issues. He already has six goals and assists in nine games, averaging a goal involvement every 535 minutes.

10 LW – Jeremy Doku

Last Sunday, against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, the Etihad Stadium witnessed one of the best performances in a long while from Jeremy Doku. He scored the third goal and completed seven dribbles, terrorising the Liverpool defence.

Already this season, the tricky Belgian winger has chalked up seven goals and assists this term. He has shone under Guardiola, with Irfan even going as far as saying he is “one of the best in the world” right now.

Teams to play three T20Is and three ODIs, starting four days after the Asia Cup final

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2025Afghanistan will host Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in the UAE in October, shortly after the conclusion of the Asia Cup on September 28.The T20Is are on October 2, 3 and 5 in Sharjah while the ODIs are on October 8, 11 and 14 in Abu Dhabi.ESPNcricinfo understands the Bangladesh squad could stay back in the UAE after the Asia Cup to play the bilateral series. Both teams are part of Group B in the Asia Cup, along with Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, and play each other on September 16 in Abu Dhabi. Only the top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Fours stage of the tournament. India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE are in Group A.The Afghanistan-Bangladesh bilateral series is the second part of what was supposed to be an all-format tour in July 2024, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. The schedule was revised to include only white-ball matches while that series, due to be played in Greater Noida in India, was postponed due to weather conditions and Bangladesh’s packed schedule.The two teams have a rivalry brewing. Bangladesh and Afghanistan have played four bilateral ODI series, with the head-to-head record level at 2-2. Bangladesh won in 2016 and 2022, while Afghanistan won the two most recent series in 2023 and 2024. It’s level in bilateral T20I series too, with Afghanistan winning in 2018, Bangladesh in 2023, and a tied series in 2022.

Somerset returned to winning ways in the Men’s Vitality Blast and cemented their place at the top of the South Group with a last-over win over Hampshire Hawks.Sean Dickson led Somerset’s chase of 179 with a sublime 52, having been accompanied by Tom Abell in an 89-run fourth wicket partnership.But a spree of wickets made sure the visitors still required 23 off two overs and then 11 off the last, but Ben Green and Lewis Goldsworthy reached the winning line with a ball to spare.Earlier, James Vince and Joe Weatherley had ravaged 82 and 60 in a massive 141-run stand but it wasn’t enough.Somerset were miserly with the new ball, after stand-in captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore had chosen to bowl first, as they forced the Hawks to flounder in the first eight overs.Ali Orr turned to short leg second ball, and while Toby Albert tried hard to inject some impetus into the innings he was caught and bowled by Riley Meredith for a 19-ball 27.Hampshire were 39 for two at the end of the eighth over, with Vince stumbling to just six runs – having already been one off 10 and five off 16 balls.But from that point Vince and the hosts started scoring runs and barely stopped for the remaining 12 overs.Vince kicked into gear with back-to-back boundaries off Ben Green to start the ninth over before roaring through his repertoire of bat cracking strokes.The tortoise-esque start was long forgotten as sixes became an overly sight off Vince and Weatherley’s bats.Vince reached his fifty in 41 balls, having been one off 10, before further accelerating to end up with a strike rate of almost 144.Weatherley had been equally important to the resuscitation of the innings and ended up with five sixes, to one four, having whacked his half-century in 38 balls – brought up with a huge pulled maximum.In total, the Vince and Weatherley alliance put on 141 in 85 balls, just three runs shy of the all-time record partnership for Hampshire against Somerset. And even though Vince picked out long on with a ball to go, the Hawks reached 178.Somerset were more even paced in their chase, but lost wickets just as batters started to click.Tom Banton flew a six before slapping to mid off next ball, Will Smeed inside-edged behind, and Kohler-Cadmore had his stumps dismantled by Liam Dawson.But they found stickability in Dickson and Abell – who put on 89 in 57 balls.Dickson naturally took the aggressor role with a quartet of square sixes as Abell rotated strike and found boundaries when they were provided.Dickson reached his second fifty of the campaign in 30 balls but within five balls of each other he and Abell had departed. Dickson holing out before Abell was incredibly caught and bowled by Scott Currie with 36 still required.Tom Lammonby picked out cover in the penultimate over but Goldsworthy and Green took it down to 11 from the final six balls.Sonny Baker stood up against his former club but a Green six with the third ball over midwicket turned the tide in Somerset’s favour.

Sunderland are yet to lose at home this season in the Premier League, with the Stadium of Light’s reputation as a fortress only being strengthened when an out-of-sorts Wolverhampton Wanderers travelled to Wearside on Saturday.

Indeed, the top-flight’s basement club did have a few half-chances here and there – particularly in an open second half – but it was Regis Le Bris’ men who picked up a third home success of the season when the scoreline read 2-0 in their favour come full-time.

It was very much a day to remember for new Sunderland recruit Nordi Mukiele, as the marauding number two was rewarded for one notable burst of energy when grabbing his first Black Cats’ goal during the comfortable victory.

Mukiele's standout performance for Sunderland

Heading into Saturday’s clash, Mukiele had only exclusively played as a commanding centre-back for his new employers.

That changed against Vitor Pereira’s challengers on Saturday, with Le Bris drafting his adaptable number 20 out to the right-back spot, in what was an inspired switch by the ex-Lorient boss.

The former RB Leipzig defender bombing forward and gambling on an opportunity opening up handed the Black Cats that decisive first goal in the contest, with Mukiele’s perseverance – and a slice of fortune that the Wolves goalkeeper fumbled it over the line – giving Le Bris and Co the platform to extend their unbeaten home record in league action.

It wasn’t just his attacking performance that put a smile on the face of everyone associated with the Wearside giants, though, with Mukiele still switched on defensively when winning a dominant 15 duels across the entire clash.

Statistician Statman Dave hailed the 27-year-old as “monstrous” when the dust had settled on the 2-0 win.

With Daniel Ballard also winning ten duels in the heart of defence, it could be that Mukiele gains more chances in the first-team ranks from this full-back spot moving forward.

Unfortunately, not every team selection decision from Le Bris paid off in the same manner, with one Black Cats star now in danger of being axed after amassing fewer touches throughout than Robin Roefs.

Sunderland's biggest underperformer vs Wolves

Sunderland did have a last-gasp own goal to thank for all three points being secured, as some attacking faces struggled to be potent in front of goal as the game dragged on.

Chalkboard

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

Wilson Isidor couldn’t add to his three-goal tally for the Wearside outfit this season in league action despite his best efforts, with the offside flag denying him another strike at the Stadium of Light.

Away from any offside interventions, Chris Rigg struggled full stop to get going with zero shots at Sam Johnstone’s goal and a lacklustre 22 touches accumulated, making his first-team spot now look shaky.

Yet, it could be Mukiele’s partner for the day on the left-hand side, in Bertrand Traoré, that is most fearful, with the Burkina Faso international only lasting 63 minutes on the pitch during his first top-flight start for Le Bris’ men.

While Traoré did complete two successful dribbles to try and unlock Wolves, the 30-year-old attacker trudged off on the 63rd minute mark without firing a single shot at the Old Gold goal, despite getting into some promising positions, with the numbers when you dig even deeper not painting the number 25 in a positive light.

Minutes played

63

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

23

Shots

0

Accurate passes

11/16 (69%)

Successful dribbles

2/3

Possession lost

7x

Total duels won

3/9

Traore only amassing 23 touches of the ball meant Sunderland shot-stopper Roefs actually managed more across the duration of the match, with the Dutchman ending the game with a superior 42 touches.

He would also eclipse the Ajax loanee’s accurate pass count by seven, with Traoré also looking weak when challenging for duels compared to Mukiele, losing six of his contests.

To further pile on his personal misery, his replacement in Chemsdine Talbi played a key role in the match-winning strike, with a quick surge forward resulting in a Ladislav Krejčí own-goal.

Handed a 5/10 post-match rating by Roker Report’s Andy Tomlinson, too, it does appear now that Traoré is in danger of the chop, even if his high-flying team were ultimately victorious against Wolves.

Agent pushing "composed" star to join Sunderland after £2.6m salary offer

Sunderland could finally get their man…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 18, 2025

Manchester United fell to a disappointing defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, and Roy Keane didn’t mince his words when reviewing one Red Devils star’s performance.

Manchester United come unstuck in comprehensive derby defeat

Truthfully, the Red Devils were second-best by a considerable margin as they begin to deal with the fallout of a derby loss that has left them sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

Ruben Amorim will be the man who cops the majority of criticism, something that seems only natural as he has now won just eight of his opening 31 matches in the English top-flight, which isn’t a run of form that bodes well when factoring in the size of Manchester United.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, former Red Devils midfielder Owen Hargreaves was stunned that Kobbie Mainoo wasn’t chosen to start against Pep Guardiola’s men, claiming that he ended up being the best player on the pitch for the visitors in the end.

He stated: “Where do you start? There are a lot of issues. How Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t play in this team I’ll never know. He came on for that game and in half hour he was probably their best player, by a country mile. So first of all he’s got to play. Sesko is not ready. He scored lots of goals in Germany but he didn’t look ready today.”

The damage had already been done by that point, and plenty of Manchester United stars have come in for criticism after an unceremonious display.

Altay Bayindir and Manuel Ugarte were two culprits, though football is a team game and everyone needs to take their share of the blame as Manchester United look to bounce back against Chelsea this weekend.

While there is still every chance Amorim’s men can turn around their fortunes, Roy Keane was frank in his assessment of one star’s performance at the Etihad Stadium.

Luke Shaw earns the brunt of Roy Keane criticism after Man Utd defeat

Live on Sky Sports, Roy Keane indicated that Luke Shaw’s performance fell below expectations against Manchester City, citing his role in Phil Foden’s opening goal during proceedings, which the Irishman feels he could’ve done more to prevent.

He stated via The Mirror: “Very good from City, Doku and Foden. Timing perfect not getting in there too early. But United’s defending, the two midfielders beforehand are too square, and Shaw just gives up.

Wayne Rooney scores goal like Man Utd 2011 Champions League final in Seoul

Some players never lose their ability even after retirement…

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 14, 2025

“It’s a nice bit of skill, but Shaw’s an England international player. He’s got hundreds of games under his belt, he doesn’t even get his body position right. It’s like he has thrown the towel in.

“We know people can run off the back of Bruno, that’s been going on for years. But my goodness, even before that, you’ve got two midfielders – they are too square. One pass takes them out. Far too easy. Shaw just throws the towel in there.”

Although criticism of evidently talented players is sometimes harsh, Manchester United were culpable of lapses defensively and came up against a ruthless opponent who dispatched three of their four ‘big chances’ created to claim three points.

Ultimately, Manchester City are a side likely to contend for the title, and conceding countless opportunities is always likely to result in punishment, something that Shaw and his teammates will now hope to rectify.

Aakash Chopra feels they shouldn’t have spent 25 crore on retaining Jurel and Hetmyer

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20255:35

What all went wrong for Rajasthan Royals this IPL?

Rajasthan Royals (RR) became the second side to be eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoffs race after they lost to Mumbai Indians (MI) by 100 runs in Jaipur on Thursday. Of the 11 matches they have played so far, they have won only three, and Aakash Chopra and Abhinav Mukund felt their problems started with their retention and auction strategy.RR retained Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Sandeep Sharma for a combined 79 crore out of a total purse of 120 crore. Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Avesh Khan were some of the big names they let go of and didn’t buy back at the auction.”I am thinking that once they decided to go with an all-Indian batting line-up,” Chopra said on ESPNcricinfo Time Out, “in which Samson was the most experienced and the oldest, with Shimron Hetmyer lower down the order – the only overseas batting option – is that even a viable option?Related

MI go top with sixth straight win and knock out RR

Rohit sends a warning to the bowlers with an un-Rohit knock

Parag bemoans 'a lot of small errors'

Stats – Mumbai Indians' first win in Jaipur in the IPL since 2012

Race to IPL 2025 playoffs: SRH become third team to get knocked out

“We say it’s a young man’s game, fine but if you put all of them together – they’re all talented, they’re all skilful – but there’s not a senior stateman in the side, something that Jos Buttler used to do till last year, is that even a viable option? Even in the Indian T20 team, you still need a Suryakumar Yadav to handle whoever else is around him, before and after him. Hardik Pandya comes in and gives you some amount of stability.”This kind of performance almost represents what the youth can give you on a day when everything goes wrong. Of course, what Vaibhav Suryavanshi will give you is also what youth can give you one day, but there are two very drastically opposite ends of performances that can happen with this team and you do not really have a senior guy to hold it together.”Chopra felt RR spent too much to retain Jurel (14 crore) and Hetmyer (11 crore), which handcuffed them when it came to assembling a good bowling attack. They did buy Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana but all three have had a below-average season.Jofra Archer has ten wickets in 11 games at an economy of 9.66•BCCI

“I don’t think Dhruv Jurel would have fetched 14 at the auction,” he said. “I don’t think Shimron Hetmyer would have got 11. So that’s 25 crore, and if you think those two are worth 15, 16, or 17 in the auction put together, you still free up 8 crore. In fact, I would also invest in the two Indian spinners. Your spinners have to be Indians most of the time, unless there is Rashid [Khan]. Most [Indian] spinners are generally very expensive. If you’re looking at Chahal, you can’t get him again. He went for 18 crore. Noor Ahmad was one guy they should have, could have gone for. They didn’t really target him. They went for Wanindu. See, Wanindu has been a phenomenal bowler for Sri Lanka but his returns in the IPL are very middling.”Abhinav agreed with Chopra. “Their one good bowler and the one whom they spent the most money on is Archer,” he said. “Unfortunately, their Indian picks didn’t go right. Tushar Deshpande was benched for this particular game; he was bought for a lot of money, 6.5 crore.”But then again, you invested in two more batters: Nitish Rana [4.2 crore] and Vaibhav Suryavanshi [1.1 crore]. How much ever I think, I would not have bought them [for that money]. I would have invested that money in a couple of good bowlers.”The last time they had Avesh Khan, Chahal, Ashwin, Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma. These are five proper, bankable bowlers. That’s a well-rounded bowling line-up. You should eventually get at least two or three. But you decided not to retain any bowler [barring Sandeep] and now they are facing the wrath of it.”Another hole that RR failed to plug at the auction table was that of an allrounder. That meant, despite the Impact Player rule, they often lacked depth in both batting and bowling.”The only team that was not having a sixth bowling option despite Impact Player was Rajasthan Royals,” Chopra said. “Now Riyan Parag is giving you a couple of overs but is he your best sixth bowling option? No, he is not.”I thought they would fix that problem, that, okay, we need a bridge, somebody who can bat and bowl, we will get an allrounder in the auction. Again, they didn’t go in that direction either. So, what they didn’t have, they didn’t try to acquire. What they did have, they thought they would get it in the auction, but they didn’t, which is their bowling department.”

MLB Franchise Oakland Athletics’ former home will be modified to host cricket

Matt Roller26-Mar-2025

Oakland’s Coliseum, the recent home of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise Oakland Athletics, will host nine Major League Cricket (MLC) fixtures in 2025. It will become the league’s third venue, with the first two seasons split between Grand Prairie, Texas and Church Street Park, Morrisville.The Coliseum, which has hosted baseball and American football since 1966, will be modified to host cricket, with a reduced capacity of 12,000 and the planned installation of drop-in pitches to meet international standards. Athletics left the venue at the end of last season, with the franchise’s owners planning a relocation to Las Vegas.San Francisco Unicorns, the losing finalists in 2024, will play three home games at the Coliseum. “The Bay Area has a deep and growing love for cricket,” David White, the franchise’s CEO, said. “This move allows us to create an unforgettable match-day experience in one of the region’s most iconic venues.”The Coliseum was considered as a potential venue for last year’s men’s T20 World Cup, but the idea was eventually ruled out due to logistical challenges. The stadium was a prominent feature in the 2011 film , based on Michael Lewis’ book which documented the Athletics’ success following data-driven strategies in the early 2000s.It will host the opening match of the 2025 season on June 12, a rematch of last year’s final between the Unicorns and Ricky Ponting’s Washington Freedom. MLC said on Wednesday that the league would deliver “a $3 million [USD] direct economic boost” to the city, which will become the first west-coast venue to host top-level cricket.”The Coliseum is a fantastic location for Major League Cricket, and we are thrilled by the prospect of some of the world’s biggest cricket stars playing in such an iconic Californian venue,” said Johnny Grave, who became the league’s chief executive earlier this year.”Coming to the West Coast, and being here in Oakland, is an historic move for cricket globally. It reinforces our commitment to growing the game in the United States and providing fans with an exceptional cricket experience.”ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this year that MLC has avoided a clash with the Hundred in 2025, with the final scheduled for July 12. Several international stars have been retained by their franchises, including Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen, though Pat Cummins will miss this season due to Australia’s Test tour of West Indies.The league is set to expand in the coming years, with Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Toronto all considered as potential new venues. Broward County Stadium, in Florida, will also host games in 2025.

After a controversial exit from Marseille, Adrien Rabiot is thriving at AC Milan, crediting coach Max Allegri for quickly building a "top-notch" team. The France international discusses his seamless integration after being frozen out at his former club and looks ahead to crucial clashes with Napoli and his old side Juventus.

• Rabiot enjoys Milan colours

  Rabiot has revealed he is "pleasantly surprised" by how quickly a quality AC Milan side is being built, crediting coach Massimiliano Allegri for his seamless integration into the team. After losing their first Serie A game of the season to Como, the Rossoneri have won four games in a row and sit three points behind league leaders Napoli in what has been a bright start to the campaign.

  The positive results come after a midfield rebuild following Allegri's summer arrival. They signed Real Madrid legend Luka Modric, promising star Ardon Jashari and 24-year-old Samuele Ricci from Torino before the arrival of Rabiot, and the Frenchman was quizzed on whether or not they have the strongest midfield in the league.

  He told reporters: "It's definitely a top-notch team. Then there are teams like Inter, Juventus, and Napoli who have quality, but we'll focus on ourselves without looking at the other teams. We'll see where we are later, but for now, I'm happy with what I'm seeing."

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  What Rabiot said about Milan's quality

  Rabiot's move to Milan came after he was frozen out at Marseille following a dressing room fight with Jonathan Rowe, who was also sold in the aftermath, but the Frenchman's start in Italy has been overwhelmingly positive. He highlighted his reunion with former Juventus boss Allegri as a key factor in the team's rapid progress. 

  "I am honestly surprised in a positive way at how quickly that has happened, as the team changed quite a lot, but is doing very well," Rabiot said. "He is a strong coach and there are quality players here… This is what the coach excels at, creating a unit and having everyone feel involved. I hope it is the start of something big."

• Instant impact after Marseille departure

  The 30-year-old has been thrust straight into the action, starting both of Milan's Serie A matches since his arrival, where he has registered one assist, as well as the 3-0 win against Lecce in the Coppa Italia. 

  "I am happy because everyone gave me such a good welcome, from my teammates to the staff and the fans," Rabiot stated. "I know the coach and his staff well, I know their mentality, and I think the players are starting to learn it, which we can see on the field."

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  What next? Napoli test and Juventus reunion

  Milan's strong start to the season faces a major test on Sunday against reigning Serie A champions Napoli, a match Rabiot views as a key benchmark. "I wouldn’t say this is a Scudetto test, as there is such a long way to go this season, but we can test ourselves and see how far we’ve come," he commented. 

  Following that fixture, Rabiot will face his former club of five years, Juventus. "Obviously, the game with Juventus is not like the others, but I am a Milan player and want to win every match," he said. "I have fond memories of my five years there."