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Another Indian city, another capacity crowd. Another team dispatched to gleeful roars

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Oct-20231:57

Moody: India’s bowlers relentless with their lengths

Oh hello, opposition players. Who are you guys this time? We’ve already crushed Australia, bashed New Zealand… sooo you guys must be? Hah. Just kidding, we know who you are. Come through, come through. Welcome.We’ve seen a few of you around, right? Some of you play the IPL. Even do quite well at times, I think. Look, we’re sorry, and we don’t mean much by it, but for this tournament, we have basically forgotten you. How do we put this? Those at the top of the food chain tend to be errrr… indifferent, let’s say, to the day-to-day lives of their prey.Look at how many of us there are. We’ve come to Lucknow from all over. Some of us have taken trains east from Delhi and Gurugram. Others have driven from Kanpur, from Patna, from Indore. Busloads full of us have come. Planeloads full of us. In the business class section, an Indian-origin venture capitalist from the east coast of the US is chatting all flight long to a fintech guy from Mumbai. They’re waxing nostalgic about their childhoods in the same state, trading business notes, marveling at how much India has changed, giggling about how much has stayed the same.Related

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In the cities we pack out, the restaurants are all full, the streets are a whirl of blue, and the best biryani restaurants have queues out the door. You guys know all about queues in your country, right? Hahahah, you guys invented some decent stuff once.We all a bit about the cricket, because come on, that’s what we’re here for. But we don’t spend much time talking about how good the India team is. What is there to be discussed? We know India is ridiculous. The India team knows they are ridiculous. Deep down in your hearts know India is ridiculous.We spend more time talking about you guys and all the funny comments you make in the press. Like how your team is so allergic to the word “defence” your captain has said “we don’t defend anything”. You can say that again. No wonder Sri Lanka got an eight-wicket win against you, hahah. Too good.Don’t mind us, opposition players. We will only have you in our sights for a few days. Then it’s on to a next set of opposition players.At the match, the stands are filled from top to bottom, all the way around every stand, with people in light blue shirts. You’re in the ring, and you’re surrounded.We’re screaming for our guys. Emptying our lungs. This stadium especially must make you worried, right? The stands are so high, and the canvas roof over them keeps the noise rolling back in, and on the field, you have to be hearing every cascading decibel of our exultation.Listen to the roar. The match is only just starting. All of us aren’t even in yet. But when Shubman Gill square drives a four off one of your bowlers, it’s already at ear-splitting levels. The stadium DJ sounds out instructions – a drill sergeant to 50,000-plus. We raise our arms when he tells us, call-and-response when he tells us, scream at him that our enthusiasm is “high, sir!” when he asks us. If we want to have fun on command, who are you to argue? Maybe you should focus on your own stuff.The stands were a sea of blue in Lucknow•Associated PressWhen Virat Kohli, who is chasing a record-equaling 49th century by the way, gets out coming down the track and trying to bash to leg, almost every voice in the stadium is zipped shut. It takes 50,000 people to produce this much silence. People at the urinals have got to have stopped midstream, it’s that quiet. Maybe that’s getting to you too.Don’t take it personally, opposition players. You’re all just extras on our boys’ national tour of absolute domination. You’re playing your parts just fine. We wouldn’t worry about it. You have other games.And see? Look at that. You’re bowling okay, and you field just fine. Does that make you feel a bit better?But then you also have to bat. Oh boy. It wasn’t that long ago that our bowling wasn’t that good. Now? You’re in for some trouble. Ours is the best now. When our guys surround your batters, and our bowlers surge in, and we’ve got top-to-bottom coverage of all the stands, the stadium feels like a giant set of jaws, about to swallow your puny batters.This is a spin-friendly pitch apparently, and yah, we have Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav for just such tracks, but we also have fast bowlers who are bosses on them, and they are the ones who deck your top order this time. Jasprit Bumrah, our one-of-a-kind quick. Not just a soulless cricket factory, no? Not even close. Mohammed Shami, who goes hunting for that set of stumps better than most seamers on the planet, was always going to cause you so much trouble here wasn’t he. Oh, opposition players.Before long, you are 39 for 4. Then 52 for 5. Then 98 for 7 or something. Kuldeep is spinning them so big, so quickly, your captain didn’t even have time to form the gate he spun his ball through. It’s not your fault you suck. I mean, it might be. But anyone would suck against this. Everyone has so far.Then Bumrah and Shami come back into the attack, and your useless tail hits a few boundaries how cute. But, you know, our boys are wrapping things up now. All out 100 runs short of our target, in the 35th over. It’s all over.Farewell opposition players. Best of luck in all your endeavours for the remainder of this tournament. Ahmedabad next? Try the thali. We will follow you, I guess. Either way, we’ll see some of you at the IPL, and the rest of you will line up desperately at the auction for the chance of playing in India again. Ah, you guys. It’s been a good time. For us.

All the key stats from the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh in Gqeberha

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Apr-20222 Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer became only the second pair to take all ten wickets while bowling unchanged on two occasions as South Africa beat Bangladesh in Gqeberha. They had achieved this feat for the first time during the first Test in Durban. Australia’s Charlie Turner and JJ Ferris are the only other pair to do so on two different instances.3 Seven-plus wicket hauls for Maharaj in Test cricket, the second-most by a South Africa bowler, behind Hugh Tayfield (4). Maharaj is also the second bowler to pick up a seven-for in successive Tests for South Africa after Tayfield (vs England in 1957).150 Number of Test wickets for Maharaj, the second South Africa spinner to achieve the milestone. Tayfield was the first, finishing with 170 wickets in 37 Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd27 Number of wickets between the South Africa and Bangladesh spinners in the second Test. These are the most wickets picked up by spinners in a Test in South Africa. The previous highest was 23 during the 1936 Durban Test between South Africa and Australia.141 Balls needed for the South Africa spinners to pick up all ten wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings. Only once did the spinners bowl fewer balls in a Test innings for all ten wickets – 114 balls by Maharaj and Harmer against Bangladesh in the previous Test in Durban.15 Wickets between Maharaj and Harmer in Gqeberha, the joint-most by South Africa spinners in a home Test. Their spinners had shared 15 wickets on two occasions previously – against England in Gqeberha in 1949 and against Australia in Durban in 1950. Overall, the most their spinners took in any Test was 16 against Australia in Melbourne in 1952.2 Instances of a half-century and a five-for in the same Test for Maharaj; both came at the St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Shaun Pollock (3) and Jacques Kallis (2) are the only other South Africa players to achieve this double more than once.

Taylor Rogers had an extremely short-lived tenure in Pittsburgh.

Just one day after being sent from the Reds to the Pirates in a package that saw Ke'Bryan Hayes go to Cincinnati, Rogers has now been traded to the Chicago Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal.

It's been quite the few days for Rogers, who also saw himself traded on the same day as his twin brother, Tyler, on Wednesday.

Rogers is an MLB journeyman having logged stints with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, the Reds, the Pirates and now the Cubs. The 34-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 has posted a 2.45 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings of relief this season. He now heads to a Cubs team sitting at 63–45, one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

It would be fair to say that the last week or so hasn’t been ideal for Arsenal.

Yes, Mikel Arteta’s side are still top of the Premier League, but a draw away to Chelsea and then a defeat at the hands of Aston Villa have diminished their lead to just two points.

Moreover, while they certainly weren’t terrible against the Villans, they failed to make the most of their chances.

One player who has received quite a bit of criticism from the fan base in the aftermath is Martin Odegaard, and if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to bring someone in who could be bad news for his place in the team.

Arsenal target Odegaard upgrade

With the transfer window now less than a month away from reopening, Arsenal have a chance to reinforce their squad, and the good news is that they’ve already been linked with a host of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has once again been touted for a £70m move to the Emirates, as has Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo.

However, while both Brazilians would undoubtedly have an impact on Arteta’s side, neither one could be described as a potential rival, upgrade or replacement for Odegaard, unlike Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to recent reports from Italy, Arsenal have reignited their interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Gunners have once more made contact to find out what would be needed to make this deal happen.

However, while a potential price is not mentioned in the story, other reports from last month claim that a fee of around £88m could be enough to tempt Juventus into selling.

It would therefore be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, Arsenal should fight for him, especially as he could provide real competition for Odegaard, if not outright replace him.

How Yıldız compares to Odegaard

So, the first thing to point out is that while Yıldız is primarily viewed as a winger, he could easily become more of a ten over time.

After all, while he has spent plenty of time out wide, his most-played position is second striker, and given his third-most-played position is attacking midfield, the idea of him dropping a little deeper does not feel far-fetched.

Moreover, the youngster already possesses one of the key characteristics of the best tens: the ability to both score and assist goals with relative ease. There is a reason European football writer Danny Corcoran has suggested the youngster has “Mbappe-like ability.”

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

He has somehow become even more dangerous this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1533 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 139.36 minutes.

Yıldız’s vs Odegaard
24/25	Yıldız	Odegaard
Appearances	52	45
Minutes	3520′	3447′
Goals	12	6
Assists	9	12
25/26	Yıldız	Odegaard
Appearances	18	11
Minutes	1457′	516′
Goals	5	0
Assists	5	2
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For comparison’s sake, Odegaard scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, last season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

This season, in the period he has been available, the Norwegian international has provided two assists in 11 appearances, totalling 516 minutes, which is an average of one every 5.5 games, or every 258 minutes.

With it clear that the Turkish gem is more of an attacking threat than the Gunners’ captain, what else makes him a player that Andrea Berta and Co cannot miss out on?

Well, as his output would suggest, he is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, someone “capable of the spectacular.”

Whether that’s a goal from distance, a mazy run that ends in a chance or just some tidy footwork that gets his team on their way, the Regensburg-born talent is an attacker who can seemingly do it all.

This is unsurprisingly reflected in his underlying numbers as well.

Yıldız’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Goal-Creating Actions	1.22	Top 6%
Shot-Creating Actions	6.10	Top 8%
xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals	0.46	Top 9%
Carries into Penalty Area	3.41	Top 11%
Shots on Target	1.46	Top 12%
Successful Take-Ons	3.17	Top 12%
All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 UCL

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Champions League for goal-creating actions, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for expected assisted goals, the top 11% for carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Yıldız, as he’s got the ability and potential to replace Odegaard and become a world-class ten.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 6, 2025

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic lost a no-hit bid during Monday's 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in the most unfortunate way possible: After an official scoring change.

Bubic was cruising along, sitting at 74 pitches through 5 2/3 innings pitched. On his 75th pitch, he got Giants designated hitter Wilmer Flores to hit a grounder to Royals second baseman Michael Massey. Massey slipped as he prepared to field the ball, which then rolled underneath his glove and into the outfield. Initially, the play was scored as an E4, or an error on Massey, preserving Bubic's no-hitter.

One inning later in the seventh, official scorer Michael Duca reversed the call from an error to a hit, ending Bubic's no-hit bid. As it stands, the no-no would have been relaitvely short-lived anyway, given that Bubic surrendered a double in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But it was still a rather painful way to lose a no-hitter. It's also not the first time a MLB pitcher has lost a no-no after an official scoring change. New York Yankees starter Max Fried saw his no-hitter become a one-hitter after a scoring change was made in between innings, three frames after the initial play had occurred during an April 20 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bubic went on to earn his fifth win of the season after tossing seven shutout innings. And the southpaw can take solace in the fact that he's pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. He ranks fourth in MLB in ERA (1.47) and his 61 strikeouts are tied for 12th.

Manchester United have received a major boost after scans confirmed Benjamin Sesko has avoided a serious knee injury, despite the striker being forced to withdraw from Slovenia duty last week. The former RB Leipzig striker is expected to miss no more than a month, easing fears of a long-term absence as the Red Devils enter a crucial winter schedule.

• Sesko will miss 'at most' a month

  Sesko sparked alarm at Manchester United when he was forced to leave the pitch late in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham before the international break. The striker, who had only been introduced as a second-half substitute, went down clutching his knee after a collision and was unable to continue after United had used all of their changes. Amorim admitted afterwards that any knee issue "you never know", leading to concern that the summer signing could be facing an extended layoff.

  Sesko subsequently withdrew from Slovenia's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden and returned to Carrington for further assessment. United's medical team conducted scans to determine the extent of the damage and the results have now confirmed that he has avoided major ligament issues. He did not travel with Slovenia and instead completed rehabilitation work in Manchester while awaiting the full recovery plan.

  Sky Sports report that the forward is expected to be sidelined for "at most" a month. That timeframe means he will miss upcoming Premier League fixtures including Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, and potentially Wolves and Bournemouth if there are any delays. However, the club view the outcome as a positive one, given the possibility he could have been ruled out longer.

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  Sesko's injury gives Amorim another Man Utd headache

  The timing of the injury is far from ideal, with Manchester United entering one of the most intense periods of the season. Ruben Amorim’s squad has remained relatively fortunate with injuries so far, but the forward line could become stretched without Sesko available. The 22-year-old was beginning to gain rhythm and earn increased minutes after a modest start to life in English football, and his absence means the attacking burden falls more heavily on others.

  United also have midfield availability issues and limited depth in the No.9 role, making Sesko’s contribution even more important heading into December. His physical profile, aerial presence and ability to attack space have already provided a different dynamic to the team’s attacking structure this season. Losing that option during a key run of fixtures from now into the New Year puts added pressure on Amorim to rotate carefully and avoid further injuries up front.

• Sesko's inconsistent start at Man Utd

  Sesko's start at Manchester United has mixed sharp flashes of ability with a need for greater consistency. He has scored two goals in 12 appearances so far, adjusting to the Premier League's physicality and the tactical demands of Amorim's setup. Despite some missed chances in big moments, the Portuguese coach has publicly backed him to settle fully and deliver more regularly once confidence and familiarity increase.

  The injury also comes at a moment when Sesko was beginning to grow into key match situations. His cameo against Tottenham featured determined pressing and strong link-up play before he was forced off in visible discomfort. The medical team were encouraged that early swelling quickly subsided and stability tests showed no significant damage to the joint. With proper recovery management and no unexpected setbacks, Sesko is projected to resume full training toward the latter stages of December. That would allow him a chance to rejoin the squad at a critical time for fixture congestion.

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• Getty Images
  

  When will Sesko return to action for Man Utd?

  Manchester United resume Premier League action against Everton on November 24, a match Sesko will sit out as his recovery continues. Should the one-month timeframe hold, the striker could target a return for the trip to Aston Villa on December 21 or the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle at Old Trafford.

  Amorim will rely on other forwards to step up in the meantime while ensuring Sesko is not rushed back into action prematurely. The priority is a full recovery that stabilizes his knee and prevents recurrence during the busiest stretch of the season. United are relieved that their summer signing avoided the worst-case scenario.

  If the progress remains as expected, Sesko could re-enter the squad just as the stakes intensify, giving United a timely boost ahead of a demanding second half of the campaign.

With the USMNT set to kick off their first match of the November break this Saturday, GOAL's writers discuss the biggest storylines revolving around the team.

It’s camp time. The USMNT have reported for training, leaving their clubs behind to strut their stuff for the national team. And because this is the USMNT, there’s always a bit of drama. Injuries have hit hard, with Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards all out – and Malik Tillman missing as well. If this window ever felt like “must win,” that mood feels even further away now.

So, what can we make of all of this? Paraguay and Uruguay are good teams – certainly better than Australia and Ecuador. This will be a very difficult pair of fixtures.

Perhaps it’s all down to individual performances. There are a few players fighting for a spot on the World Cup roster. Some of the chosen absentees – looking at you, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah – also speak volumes. And then there’s the Gio Reyna conversation, with the attacking midfielder brought into the fray unexpectedly. There are plenty of storylines here, and GOAL US’s writers break them all down in the USMNT edition of… The Rondo.

Thoughts on the squad overall

Tom Hindle: Well, it’s about as full-strength as possible, given who Pochettino rates and the injuries he has. Sure, he’d love to have Pulisic, Adams, Tillman, and Richards, but if none are fully fit, there isn’t much that can be done. It’s good to see Christian Roldán back, and Ricardo Pepi certainly deserves another shot to prove he can be either the main man or the No. 2 behind Folarin Balogun. Honestly? Also, welcome back, Reyna.

Ryan Tolmich: It's fine, given the situation. There’s no navigating injuries at the moment, so Pochettino was forced to confront the reality that this team, despite all intentions, was never going to be as strong as it could be. In that sense, yes, it makes sense to take a look at Reyna and Scally to see if they've learned anything. Yes, it makes sense to sort out the center-back pool without Richards to see what that looks like. And yes, it makes sense to take a different path with McKennie, who always plays his best when he’s in that sweet spot of being under pressure and playing at Juventus. For all of those reasons, the squad is fine – even if there are a few things many of us would have done differently.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWho are you must looking forward to seeing this camp?

TH: Pepi. Haji Wright and Balogun are known quantities at this point. Where does Pepi fit? Sure, the U.S. will take three strikers to the World Cup; Pepi isn't going to lose his spot. But is he the No. 1 guy? Or the backup’s backup? This camp could offer a few clues as to where exactly he stands in this setup.

RT: The center backs, for sure. We know one of the three World Cup starters will be Richards. The other two? Pretty up in the air. With no Richards in camp, it’s up to everyone else to brawl for those spots. Will it be a familiar face like Tim Ream? Can Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson convince? Will Auston Trusty make a late push? With so many positions accounted for, center back is still a question mark. Maybe we'll get some answers this camp.

GettyWho is under the most pressure to perform?

TH: It’ll have to be one of the center backs. Any errors at the back can prove costly – not only to results, but to reputation. Trusty is very much on the bubble and will need a solid camp to prove he deserves a spot.

RT: All eyes are on the strikers, right? For the first time post-Copa America, the U.S. have what seems to be the top three strikers in the pool all in camp together. Now that that’s happening, the race for the starting job can truly begin. Balogun, Pepi and Wright are all directly competing – may the best man win!

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GettyWho could make a case to start with a good couple of performances?

TH: Gio flipping Reyna. Do it, Mauricio.

RT: Tanner Tessmann is in a spot where he could really convince. The U.S. are seemingly still searching for an Adams partner and, at the moment, Tessmann seems to be in pole position. If he can perform – especially without Adams next to him as a safety blanket – he could do a whole lot to convince Pochettino that he can be the guy in midfield.

Chelsea are seemingly starting to build some serious momentum.

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues swatted aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground; Josh Acheampong breaking the deadlock, Pedro Neto firing home a free-kick and then Reece James making the points secure.

This result saw Ange Postecoglou sacked as Forest manager mere moments after full-time, ending his 39-day tenure.

Meantime, that’s now back-to-back league wins for Enzo Maresca’s team, who will take on Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, but the Blues boss will be concerned by his growing list of absentees.

Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Dário Essugo, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap all missed out due to injury, while Malo Gusto’s stoppage-time red card means he will sit out next weekend’s clash with Sunderland suspended, with João Pedro already banned for the Champions League tie.

Of course, one of these absentees is significantly more noteworthy than the others, so how should Maresca fill the void of his talisman?

The latest on Cole Palmer's injury

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca confirmed that Cole Palmer will be sidelined “for another six weeks”.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injury issues throughout this season already, withdrawing following the warm-up at West Ham in August, before hobbling off inside 20 minutes at Old Trafford last month, not seen since.

With fierce London derbies against both Tottenham and Arsenal to come in November, as well as a Champions League clash against Barcelona, not having Palmer available for these games would be a major blow.

Palmer 2024/25 PL statistics

Statistics

Palmer

Chelsea rank

Minutes

3,191

2nd

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

1st

Shots

121

1st

Shots on target

44

1st

Key passes

87

1st

Progressive passes

214

2nd

Shot-creating actions

202

1st

Goal-creating actions

15

2nd

Big chances created

24

1st

Attempted take-ons

113

1st

As the table emphasises, in the Premier League last season, Palmer ranked first for pretty much every available attacking metric; the second and third-highest goal-scorers, namely Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, have both been sold.

This time round, despite only starting two matches, accumulating 235 minutes, Palmer has already scored twice, on target against Brentford and Bayern Munich, both on the road.

Maresca added, during his aforementioned press conference, that “to replace Cole is difficult, because Cole is a very important player for us, probably one of the best players in the Premier League, so to replace that kind of player is always difficult… we don’t have another player like Cole, because Cole is unique”.

Of course, he is right, no current member of the Chelsea squad is at Palmer’s level just yet, but which player could get there soon and appears best-suited to start in his absence?

Chelsea's perfect Palmer deputy

Against Nottingham Forest, Maresca deployed a starting lineup surely no one could’ve foreseen, with Gusto alongside Roméo Lavia at the base of midfield, while Andrey Santos, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho were deployed in-behind João Pedro.

He then made a triple alteration at half-time, Moisés Caicedo, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu all introduced, but there was still no room for Estêvão Willian, not brought on until the 78th minute, as he continues to be under-utilised.

In the previous game, the 18-year-old had announced himself to the world by scoring the injury-time winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, connecting with Marc Cucurella’s low cross at the back post.

Despite his tender age, Estêvão arrived in West London with a big reputation, not least after he scored against Chelsea during the Club World Cup quarter-finals for Palmeiras in July.

Even before that, he had been touted as a future global superstar.

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson has labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, while Brazil’s all-time top-scorer Neymar believes the teenager “will be a genius”, adding that he is a “big talent that is surging in Brazilian football”.

Before joining Chelsea for a reported fee of £29m, Estêvão scored 27 goals and registered 15 assists in only 89 appearances for Palmeiras, winning the Brasileirão title in 2024.

At international level, he scored his first senior goal for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against Chile at the Maracanã in September, before netting twice as the Seleção smashed Korea Republic 5-0 in Seoul just last week.

Across his final season and a half in the Brasileirão, the youngster scored 13 goals, registered 12 assists, created 12 big chances and completed an average of 2.3 dribbles per 90.

Of course, moving to the Premier League is a step-up, but these numbers should not be dismissed because, according to Global Football Rankings, the top division in Brazil is the ninth-strongest league in the world.

Thus, both in terms of the eye test but also the statistics, Estêvão appears to be, stylistically, the best fit to replace Palmer.

His talent certainly warrants more than the four starts from ten matches he has enjoyed to date, not starting any of the last four matches.

So, with Chelsea’s next three games against Ajax, Sunderland then Wolves in the EFL Cup, Maresca must make Estêvão a central figure in his team as he seeks to find a way to fill Palmer’s void.

Related Worse than Garnacho: Maresca must axe 4/10 Chelsea flop who had 55% passing

Chelsea were 3-0 winners away to Forest but this star struggled

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 18, 2025

It is all change at Tottenham Hotspur at boardroom level.

Last month, it was announced that Daniel Levy was stepping down as the club’s executive chairman after a quarter of a century in the role.

Levy certainly divided opinion among Spurs supporters, but will, undeniably, forever be one of the most influential figures in the club’s history, overseeing the construction of the new training ground and stadium, catapulting the club into the ‘big six’, something that would have been fanciful a decade or so ago.

Now, Peter Charrington has succeeded him as non-executive chairman while Vinai Venkatesham, formerly of Arsenal, was appointed chief executive officer in April.

It will be interesting to see what these changes mean for Spurs going forward, while another noteworthy appointment, or should we say re-appointment, was made this week.

Fabio Paratici's Tottenham return

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Fabio Paratici has returned to Tottenham Hotspur as sporting director.

He previously held the role between June 2021 and April 2023, before serving a 30-month ban from all footballing activities handed to him by FIFA, one of 11 Juventus executives punished in this way following the plusvalenze scandal, also given a suspended 18-month sentence.

Despite this, Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport believes his re-appointment is a major coup, considering his excellent reputation, boasting ‘one of the most extensive contacts books in the game’.

Paratici will be joint sporting director alongside Johan Lange, stating “I’m convinced that working in partner­ship with Johan we can build a special future for the club and our supporters.”

The table below documents all the players signed when Paratici was in situ the first time.

Paratici’s signings at Tottenham

Players

Fee

Spurs apps

Bryan Gil

£21.6m

43

Pape Matar Sarr

£14.6m

113

Emerson Royal

£25.8m

101

Rodrigo Bentancur

£15.9m

123

Cristian Romero

£42m

133

Dejan Kuluševski

£30m

146

Pierluigi Gollini

Loan

10

Clément Lenglet

Loan

35

Pedro Porro

£40m

116

Arnaut Danjuma

Loan

12

Fraser Forster

Free

34

Ivan Perišić

Free

50

Yves Bissouma

£25m

100

Djed Spence

£19m

51

Richarlison

£60m

101

Destiny Udogie

£15m

74

All info via Transfermarkt

As the table documents, many of Paratici’s Spurs signings made little impact in North London; looking at you Bryan Gil!

Others though remain key figures in Thomas Frank’s team to this day, including Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie and more.

However, one in particular was infamously not wanted by then-manager Antonio Conte, but Paratici can feel truly vindicated by his decision to sign him.

Paratici's greatest transfer market triumph

Back in July 2022, Djed Spence joined Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £19m.

The full-back had been an integral part of Nottingham Forest’s promotion-winning team during a very memorable loan spell from Middlesbrough, leading to Daniel Taylor of the Athletic describing him as the best loan player he’d ever seen at the City Ground.

Despite this, upon his arrival, manager Conte instantaneously labelled him an “investment of the club” and “not my signing”, which Spence later revealed “shattered my confidence”.

Thus, following loan stints at Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa, he made his first start for Spurs away at Southampton last December, 881 days after signing for the club.

Well, since then, the 25-year-old has not looked back, starting 24 of Spurs’ last 30 Premier League fixtures, as well as both in the Champions League so far this season.

A hugely versatile asset, given that Spence has been deployed in both full-back positions, Ian Wright also describes him, at his best, as a “swashbuckling” presence. In the words of Harry Redknapp, he’s been a “revelation” in north London.

Meantime, current manager Frank asserted that Spence is “exceptionally good” is one-on-one defensive situations adding, “he’s a great type, can play both sides… big credit to Djed. He truly deserves it. It has been a tough”.

The Tottenham manager was referencing Spence’s international breakthrough, making his senior England debut against Serbia at Stadion Rajko Mitić last month, replacing Reece James for the final 20 minutes or so in Belgrade.

This month, Spence started both of England’s matches against Wales and Latvia, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane giving this emotional speech when presenting his team-mate with his maiden cap.

Given Thomas Tuchel’s dearth of left-back options, Myles Lewis-Skelly the other leading contender for that spot, it is far from inconceivable that Spence will be starting at the World Cup next year.

Back at Tottenham, his exponential improvement over the last 12 months is vindication for Paratici, who always believed in him, and proves that all it takes is the right environment for a player to thrive, one that clearly did not involve Conte.

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Wayne Rooney has named a “brilliant” former England star as his toughest-ever opponent, given both his tackling ability and skill in possession of the ball.

Rooney reveals toughest-ever opponent

Very few defenders were able to get the better of Rooney on a regular basis, as evidenced by the fact the Manchester United legend is the third-highest scorer in Premier League history, with a whopping 208 goals to his name.

The Liverpool-born forward spent the majority of his career at Old Trafford, where he enjoyed a great deal of success, playing a part in the Red Devils winning five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, one FA Cup and one Champions League.

During the Sir Alex Ferguson era, United were extremely dominant, but they did go three seasons without winning the title in the early noughties, given the emergence of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, who finished top back-to-back in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

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The likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech all cemented themselves as Blues legends in the process, but it is their former captain who was named as Rooney’s toughest-ever opponent when speaking on The Overlap. The 39-year-old said:

“I’ve always said John Terry was one of the toughest defenders to play against. On the ball he was very good – he was brilliant, and he could tackle. I also used to like playing against big centre-backs because I wanted a challenge and wanted that body contact – I could spin them all and come off them, then take them on. John Terry was the toughest though.”

Terry was part of the greatest-ever Premier League defence

It should come as no surprise that Rooney regards Terry as his most difficult opponent, given everything the former England star achieved at Chelsea, most notably playing a key role in the west Londoners setting the record for fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season.

During the 2004-05 campaign, Mourinho’s side shipped just 15 goals across the entire season, with the 78-time England international missing just two games, and he has since gone on to lavish the Portuguese manager with praise.

Not only was the ex-Chelsea captain a rock at the back, but he is also the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history, scoring 41 goals in 492 appearances.

With Levi Colwill set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury, Chelsea are in need of a new centre-back, but it will be extremely difficult to find one capable of coming close to replicating the impact Terry had at Stamford Bridge.