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It’s been a crazy few weeks for Tottenham Hotspur.

After delivering the North Londoners their first piece of major silverware for 17 years, it was announced that Ange Postecoglou was sacked on Friday afternoon.

While the timing of the decision may feel harsh, it’s not that difficult to see why Daniel Levy and Co made it, as the Australian had won just 47 of 101 games in charge of the club.

While nothing has been officially announced at the moment, it is looking more and more likely that the next man in the Lilywhites hot seat will be Thomas Frank, and based on other reports, he’s already told the club to sign someone who’d be a dream Brennan Johnson upgrade.

Tottenham's transfer targets

Now that Spurs appear to have identified their new manager, it’s worth looking at some of the talented players they’ve been linked with in recent weeks and months, such as Eberichi Eze and Xavi Simons.

Transfer Focus

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

The former enjoyed a superb season with Crystal Palace this year in which he helped the team win the FA Cup and racked up a tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in just 43 games, in turn, more than justifying the £68m release clause reportedly in his current deal.

Likewise, Simons managed to score 11 goals and provide eight assists in 33 games for RB Leipzig this season and would cost around as much as the Englishman at £65m.

However, to really upgrade on Johnson this summer, Tottenham would need to sign an out-and-out rightwinger, someone like Bryan Mbeumo.

Well, according to a recent report from the Mirror, that might be what they end up doing.

The report claims that Frank has instructed Spurs that he wants the club to sign the Cameroon international and make him his first summer acquisition.

To do that, the North Londoners would have to stump up a fee of around £60m and, more crucially, hijack Manchester United’s now well-documented efforts to bring him to Old Trafford.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but one well worth fighting for, as Mbeumo would be the ideal upgrade on Johnson.

How Mbeumo compares to Johnson

Now, while Mbeumo can play up top or even as a second striker, his most played and unquestionably best position is off the right, which would put him in direct competition with Jonnson next season.

So, with that said, who comes out on top when we compare the two?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, it’s actually the often “unplayable” Brentford star, as dubbed by Frank, who comes out on top, with 20 goals and nine assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3577 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or every 123.34 minutes.

In contrast, the former Nottingham Forest star scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances, totalling 3316 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.04 games, or every 132.64 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Welsh international, the one-sided nature of this comparison only grows when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.58

0.58

Progressive Passes

3.72

2.93

Progressive Passes Received

9.26

8.14

Progressive Carries

3.43

2.48

Shots

2.08

2.23

Shots on Target

0.90

0.83

Passing Accuracy

66.1%

70.4%

Expected Assists

0.25

0.08

Key Passes

1.85

0.79

Passes into the Final Third

1.66

1.03

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.56

1.45

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.50

0.25

Live Passes

30.7

25.8

Shot-Creating Actions

3.80

1.90

Goal-Creating Actions

0.53

0.29

Tackles

1.29

1.61

Successful Take-Ons

1.37

0.79

Ball Recoveries

4.12

2.60

For example, the “incredible” Bees star, as dubbed by Frank, comes out ahead in the vast majority of relevant metrics, such as progressive passes and carries, shot and goal-creating actions, shots on target, successful take-ons, expected assists and many, many more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though Johnson enjoyed a decent campaign for Spurs this season, Mbeumo is the superior winger in every measurable way.

Therefore, the club should do everything possible to sign the Brentford star this summer and reunite him with their soon-to-be-manager in North London.

He's another Bergvall: Spurs enter race to sign "extraordinary" wonderkid

The promising youngster could be a star at Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 7, 2025

Arsenal head into the summer with a new sporting director, Andrea Berta, and given the volume of work expected to be carried out, it’s just as well they’ve acted swiftly to appoint Edu’s successor.

Given Arsenal’s domestic plight this season, this summer is a crucial one for the Gunners as they go in search of adding the bodies required to help them lift their first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Top of Berta’s priority list must be a striker. Kai Havertz has been a solid signing, but he’s not your 20-goal-a-season man.

The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, and of course, Alexander Isak continue to be linked with moves to north London.

Yet, this summer won’t all be about incomings. The Gunners need to get rid of a few bodies too.

Arsenal's exit dilemmas this summer

There are a few players definitely expected to depart this summer with Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney set to bring his association with the club to an end when his contract expires.

It’s expected that Tierney will head to former club Celtic, the side he swapped Arsenal for in a £25m deal in 2019.

Midfielder Jorginho is also expected to depart upon the conclusion of his contract but against all odds, Thomas Partey looks set to stay.

The Ghana midfielder’s deal ends at the conclusion of the season and it was widely thought that he would depart but the Athletic’s David Ornstein reported last week that talks are being held over a new deal.

So, who else could take their leave? Well, Oleksandr Zinchenko – who was linked with Dortmund last January – has seen decreased game time and will likely seek pastures new.

If Arsenal sign a new batch of forwards then don’t be surprised to see Leandro Trossard flee the Emirates either. There has been Saudi interest in the enigmatic Belgian who has found a recent run of strong form.

Chalkboard

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

The other forward who must leave Arsenal

Over the last two seasons, there has been a common theme with Arsenal’s summer business. They’ve seen a batch of homegrown attackers leave the club.

In 2023, it was the turn of Folarin Balogun who after a rip-roaring season on loan in France, headed to Monaco in a permanent deal.

Last summer, Eddie Nketiah left for Crystal Palace, Mika Biereth headed to Sturm Graz in Austria and infamously, Chibo Obi Martin left to Manchester United.

Well, in 2025, it must be the turn of Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.

The striker is out of contract in the summer and it’s unlikely Arsenal will take the opportunity to renew his terms.

Now aged 22, the forward has still only played 27 senior games of football in his career, and the returns he has to show for those appearances are non-existent, failing to find the back of the net.

While it might be a harsh assessment, one has to be realistic here. Butler-Oyedeji is just one year younger than Saka. He’s four years older than Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. While we wish him the best for the rest of his career, he’s not going to make it Arsenal, it’s as simple as that.

Butler-Oyedeji career to date
Team	Games	Goals	Assists
Arsenal U21	64	23	12
Arsenal U18	29	3	2
Cheltenham	14	0	0
Accrington	11	0	0
Arsenal first team	2	0	0
Stats via Transfermarkt.

Despite that, it has been a landmark campaign for the young attacker who must have learnt plenty from his regular appearances in the Arsenal matchday squad.

He made his first-team debut against Dinamo Zagreb, appearing off the bench in a Champions League dead rubber a few months ago and then finally earned his Premier League debut last weekend, coming off the bench against Ipswich.

He’s rated highly, particularly by the aforementioned Nwaneri, who revealed that his “finishing is so good”.

It was a lovely moment indeed, but for a 22-year-old it’s for the best of his career that he goes out and finds regular first-team football at a senior level next season.

Arsenal are yet to see much of that expert finishing, but there’s no doubt he’ll have a successful career elsewhere. As we always say, one a Gooner, always a Gooner.

Arteta's next Havertz: Arsenal make enquiry to sign £52m "monster"

Arsenal could be about to land a new fprward to end their issues in the final third.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 27, 2025

The solution to finding form as a Manchester United player? On current evidence, it would seem that sealing a move away is the perfect answer.

Having stepped out of the intense spotlight at Old Trafford, a number of individuals have rediscovered their groove elsewhere, with Marcus Rashford notably reaching double figures for goals and assists in just 17 games on loan at Aston Villa.

Even the much-maligned Antony – a player who arguably ranks among the worst signings in Premier League history, considering the limp return on his £86m investment – has dazzled for Real Betis in recent months, with five goals and four assists in 18 games out in Spain.

Perhaps the biggest success story, however, lies with Scott McTominay, with the towering midfielder spearheading Napoli’s Scudetto charge, having scored 11 Serie A goals in 2024/24 – including five in his last three league outings.

Were United and INEOS right to let him go?

Why Man Utd sold Scott McTominay

A miserable 2023/24 campaign under Erik ten Hag was one of few bright spots – excluding the FA Cup final triumph to round things off – although the displays of McTominay were one element to shout about, with the Scotland star scoring ten goals in all competitions.

That stellar impact included memorable efforts like his stoppage-time brace against Brentford to seal a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, as well as his opener in the 4-3 thriller with Liverpool, having become a figure whom the Dutchman could rely upon.

Having had just a year left on his deal heading into last summer, however – and with United feeling the need to comply with PSR regulations – the new INEOS regime took the decision to cash in on the 28-year-old, raking in £25m of ‘pure profit’.

That sale – which allowed the Red Devils to subsequently sign fellow midfielder, Manuel Ugarte – was one that Ten Hag certainly didn’t agree with, having later admitted that he “didn’t want” to sell a player who he labelled as having “Manchester United in his veins”.

Not only were there financial benefits to that decision to sell, but the problem for McTominay was the lack of an obvious starting berth in the side, having actually only started 27 games in that final campaign at the club.

The 6 foot 4 ace – as his goal return showcased – was not defensive-minded enough to operate as a deep-lying midfielder, while it was also unlikely for him to be able to dislodge captain Bruno Fernandes in a number ten berth.

In the end, McTominay was parachuted in as something of a makeshift striker or false nine in the final weeks of the season, albeit with that hardly representing a long-term solution.

As it is, despite being a reliable presence loved by his manager and a player who had starred last term, a permanent place in the side looked unlikely moving forward. Could the same now be set to occur with one of his former colleagues?

The Man Utd star facing McTominay repeat

As alluded to, McTominay lacked that real quality in a defensive sense to thrive at the base of the midfield, having ranked in the bottom 31% of midfielders in the Premier League for interceptions made per 90 in 2023/24, as well as in just the top 35% for tackles made per 90, as per FBref.

Equally, his ability on the ball, particularly creatively, could also be brought into question, as he ranked in just the bottom 8% for shot-creating actions, the bottom 8% for passes attempted and the bottom 17% for progressive passes.

In essence, despite his role as a box-crashing game-changer, McTominay couldn’t truly settle on a regular position under Ten Hag, with that a fate that could befall Noussair Mazraoui heading into next season.

First and foremost, the £12.9m arrival from Bayern Munich has proven to be an “outrageous bargain” amid a promising debut season in Manchester, in the words of journalist Liam Canning, having become the club’s ‘Mr Consistent’ due to his impressive availability and reliability.

Indeed, the Moroccan star has played 51 games in all competitions, with 34 of those coming under Ruben Amorim’s watch – the joint-most of any player since the Portuguese coach took charge.

Like McTominay was under Ten Hag, Mazraoui is a player beloved by his manager, with Amorim describing the 27-year-old as the “future of our team” back in December, while also later lauding the defender’s “amazing” work ethic.

Like McTominay too, however, there could be a case that in the new manager’s 3-4-3 set-up, the versatile asset is potentially too much of a jack of all trades, having floated between right wing-back, left wing-back or one of the centre-back berths.

With Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven all in contention to feature at centre-back when fit – as well as the stricken Lisandro Martinez – there are more suitable long-term options than Mazraoui in those roles.

Equally, at wing-back, the former Ajax man’s lack of genuine attacking threat could also be his undoing in the long term, considering he has only registered three assists while failing to score this season.

Most tackles – Premier League (2024/25)

Player

Tackles

Idrissa Gueye

123

Daniel Munoz

109

Noussair Mazraoui

102

Moises Caicedo

100

Joao Gomes

99

Alexis Mac Allister

95

Victor Kristiansen

85

Tyrick Mitchell

85

Antonee Robinson

84

Youri Tielemans

82

Stats via Premier League

There’s no denying that Mazraoui – like McTominay before him – has been something of an unsung hero this term, not least considering he ranks third in the division for tackles made, but there does need to be questions asked over what his role will be on a permanent basis moving forward.

At present, the £135k-per-week star is proving invaluable due to his ability to cover up the club’s lingering injury woes with his positional flexibility, although once Amorim has been handed a summer to spend and settle on a side, will Mazraoui feature quite so prominently?

Again, in a similar mould to McTominay, such a valued squad member might not be afforded the starring role that his quality deserves.

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Apr 29, 2025

Arsenal are “ready to pay” the price needed to sign a Premier League star who manager Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta both want at the Emirates, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

Arsenal face PSG in all-important Champions League semi-final

With no games to worry about this weekend, Arsenal are currently anticipating their most important game of the season so far – a blockbuster Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Ligue 1 champions PSG.

Arsenal demand major Thomas Partey concession in talks over new deal

The Ghanaian has arguably enjoyed his best campaign at Arsenal.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 25, 2025

Arsenal blew away Real Madrid in the last round, knocking Carlo Ancelotti’s 15-time European champions out in the quarter-finals via a 5-1 aggregate scoreline, and they’ll take plenty of encouragement from what was a truly dominant display over two legs against one of the continent’s most feared sides.

Luis Enrique’s side pose an equally tough test, if not more so, having enjoyed an excellent Champions League campaign to date whilst remaining unbeaten in Ligue 1.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

PSG are the media’s favourites to win this year’s Champions League, but you can never discount an Arsenal side absolutely brimming with quality.

Arsenal's transfer plans for this summer

Away from the pitch, Berta and co are already planning for next season by identifying the club’s preferred summer signings. According to some reports, Arsenal want to reinforce the goalkeeping department, full-back area and in midfield, whilst also potentially signing a new left-winger, right-winger and striker (GiveMeSport).

A new centre-back to rotate with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba isn’t out of the question either, with Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen reliably believed to be a top target for the Gunners.

Arsenal have held talks with Huijsen’s representatives ahead of the summer window, according to multiple media sources, after his excellent debut season in the Premier League where he’s seriously impressed under Andoni Iraola.

The 20-year-old, who actually scored against north London rivals Tottenham earlier this season, will be allowed to leave for £50 million – the value of his release clause.

Arsenal "ready to pay" release clause for Dean Huijsen

Now, as per Ornstein in a Q&A for The Athletic, Arsenal are “ready to pay” Huijsen’s release clause after negotiating with his camp recently. It is also believed that Arteta and Berta are both huge fans of the ex-Serie A centre-back, but they still face stiff competition from rivals.

“It is strong and they remain in contention,” said Ornstein on Arsenal’s interest in Huijsen.

“They are among the clubs (with Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham) who have met his representatives, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta keen to sign the Spain international. Whether or not Arsenal win the race is unclear because it’s still open and I’m not aware of a front-runner between them, Chelsea and Liverpool to date. Real Madrid has always carried huge appeal to Huijsen, we hear, but so far they haven’t moved on this situation, and I’m sure he is philosophical about that. Previously, I think Kiwior exiting Arsenal was highly possible… that might be less certain following his recent rise to prominence.

“Either way, Huijsen would play a lot of football at Arsenal, and they can now show him many examples of how, under Arteta, players have developed extremely well and become top-level talents. Now, this doesn’t mean he will opt for them; there are pros and cons to each of the suitors, all of whom are ready to pay the release clause. Huijsen and Bournemouth want it sorted sooner rather than later. Let’s see what he decides.”

The Spain international was handed his first senior caps in a very competitive national team as well this season, highlighting just how well he’s performed, and Huijsen now looks set to be one of this summer’s most in-demand defenders.

As the chance to complete a league double over Manchester City arrives, Manchester United have reportedly held talks with the representatives of one particular target worth as much as £68m this summer.

Man Utd looking to shock Guardiola once again

Scoring twice in the final two minutes to defeat Manchester City at the Etihad back in December, Manchester United will be hoping to find something to salvage from a disastrous campaign by completing a double over their rivals this weekend. Last time out, Amad Diallo was Ruben Amorim’s hero. This time, however, his side must look towards a fresh attacking spark amid the winger’s absence.

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ByTom Cunningham Apr 4, 2025

Speaking ahead of the Manchester derby, Amorim spoke about his side’s ambitions for the rest of the season and their problems compared to City’s. The former Sporting CP boss told reporters: “We want to win this game, we want to improve in the league table and especially we want to win games.

“We are going to have full focus on this game. I don’t see one win as a special moment. Special moments are to win titles. Even if the third division, you can beat the best team in the division.

“I am more focused on our problems; I think we have bigger problems than Manchester City. They had problems in that run. They have improved. They have maybe the best coach in the world. They have top players. It will be a difficult match. I am so focused on improving my team, I am not focused on City’s improvements.”

Season

Competition

Match

2024/25

Premier League

Man City 1-2 Man Utd

2024/25

Community Shield

Man City 1-1 Man Utd

2023/24

FA Cup

Man City 1-2 Man Utd

2023/24

Premier League

Man City 3-1 Man Utd

2023/24

Premier League

Man Utd 0-3 Man City

The Manchester United boss also admitted that the focus is to improve his side, saying: “The focus must be on how to improve our team in every aspect. Of course, the Premier League is so different.

“People say Sir Alex Ferguson took two or three times to win something… it is completely different nowadays. The pressure is different. No matter the context, we need to be there [at the top]. We will have to say a lot of adversity and big teams.”

That is, of course, likely to come in the form of summer reinforcements, which could yet include the arrival of a much-needed, big-money goalscorer when the transfer window opens.

Man Utd hold positive talks with Ekitike

According to Anfield Watch, Manchester United have now held positive talks with the representatives of Hugo Ekitike over a potential summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt. However, the deal won’t come cheap, with the German club set to remain firm on their €80m (£68m) asking price in the coming months.

With competition from Liverpool for the Frenchman’s signature, the Red Devils should go all out to sign what would be an instant solution to their attacking problems.

Dubbed “strong” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Ekitike has scored 19 goals in all competitions so far this season and looks like he’s only just getting started on Europe’s top stage.

Left out, written off, then crowned Player of the Final in a tournament Shafali Verma wasn’t even meant to play. If that’s not destiny, what is?

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Nov-20258:05

‘What dream? We’re living it’

If there’s one place where destiny writes its most dramatic scripts, it’s the sports field. For Shafali Verma, the story unfolded on one of the most historic days in Indian cricket.It wasn’t supposed to be Shafali’s tournament. She wasn’t part of the 15-member World Cup squad, and she didn’t even make the reserves. For a player whose name has been synonymous with fearless strokeplay, her omission raised eyebrows when the squad was announced.Yet, in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, fate had other plans for her. Shafali had made the tournament hers. She finished as India’s highest scorer in the final and, remarkably, also picked up two wickets – the same Shafali who had bowled just six times in her 31-match ODI career – earning the Player-of-the-Match award and cementing her place in World Cup lore.Related

• Shafali Verma: 'Last year was tough, but I kept working hard'

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• Team of the tournament: Mandhana, Wolvaardt, Gardner, Ecclestone and…?

• Harmanpreet tries to grasp enormity of India's greatest day

• Stats – Deepti in a league of her own in World Cups

For those who have followed her journey since she burst on to the scene at 15 as India’s youngest T20I debutant, this felt like fate merely catching up. The same confidence, the same audacity and the same ability to bend a game before anyone realised it. But this innings showed something more: a new calm beneath the aggression, a maturity that didn’t need much recklessness to dominate. And it arrived, fittingly, on the biggest stage.After being left out of the white-ball squads last year, Shafali had returned to domestic cricket, searching for the rhythm that once made her India’s most feared opener. She fought her way back into the T20I side but not ODIs. Then came the bittersweet twist.An untimely injury to Pratika Rawal opened a door for her return to the ODI squad. It was right before the World Cup semi-final. “I think it’s all destiny, I really believe in that. We didn’t want her to feel that she [Shafali] came in under an injury cloud,” Harmanpreet Kaur said at the press conference after the final. Shafali played the semi-final without much impact but on Sunday, she turned it around.When Shafali walked out to bat, she was unmistakably herself – a brisk jog to the crease, a look around the field, a slight adjustment of the helmet, that familiar swagger. The first few strokes carried intent and authority: coming down the track to slice, drive and flick boundaries that sent South Africa’s fielders sprinting to the rope. After a crisp cover drive, she strolled down to Smriti Mandhana, shaking her head with a smile that probably meant “we’ve got this”.Shafali Verma hit seven fours and two sixes•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen the field spread after the powerplay, Shafali miscued one playing across the line and Mandhana gestured towards her, seemingly urging patience. For a moment, it seemed the young opener would heed the advice. There was a period where she did not hit a single boundary for 20 balls.But could Shafali really be contained for long?Waiting and watching had never quite been her thing.When Nadine de Klerk returned to bowl, Shafali advanced down the pitch and lifted her straight back over the head for six. She held the pose – a picture of audacious control – as she walked down the pitch, eyes following the trajectory of the ball. The Navi Mumbai crowd roared twice as loud for her as for anyone else that night. Many had perhaps only heard tales of her boldness; now, they were seeing it in front of them.It wasn’t a century, but her 87 – scored at better than a-run-a-ball – was pure Shafali. It powered India to 298 and set the tone for what would happen.Then came the twist no one saw coming. In the 21st over of South Africa’s chase, with Laura Wolvaardt in full flow and Sune Luus finding rhythm, Harmanpreet threw the ball to Shafali. India’s spinners had toiled without much success. But the gamble didn’t just come out of instinct, it was part of a plan, as Harmanpreet later revealed.Shafali had been bowling regularly in domestic cricket. She has eight wickets in seven games in the 2024-25 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, another eight in six innings in the recent domestic T20 Trophy, both tournaments where she also finished as the top run-getter. But this was a World Cup final.Shafali Verma celebrates with her captain after delivering a breakthrough•ICC/Getty ImagesHer first delivery was a 95kph dart, and the next, a teasing 84.2kph offbreak. Luus, looking to work it fine, ended up chipping it straight back. Shafali was smiling even before the ball settled in her hands. The stadium erupted, and soon, chants of “Sha-fa-li, Sha-fa-li” echoed throughout.In her next over, she produced one that spun back into Marizanne Kapp, who edged to the keeper. The breakthrough shifted momentum in India’s favour – the crowd roared, the team surged, and once again, Shafali was at the heart of it all, revelling in the moment.”When Shafali joined the team, we were missing the overs from Pratika,” Harmanpreet said. “So, when Shafali came in, we saw that she was bowling a lot of overs in domestic cricket. So, [Amol Muzumdar, head coach] sir and I spoke to her about it, and she [Shafali] said, ‘Sir, I’m ready for ten overs.’ That shows how confident she was to bowl.”Today, when that partnership started in the middle, suddenly I got the thought that I should give Shafali a try to see what happens. It was a gut feeling. I thought it could be risky too, but at the same time, I was positive because she had shown confidence when we spoke to her. I didn’t want to go back to the room later thinking, ‘Why didn’t I try?’ because they were looking good. And when I gave her that over and she got back-to-back breakthroughs, that was the turning point for us.”Shafali Verma was the Player of the Final after not being in the original squad•ICC/Getty ImagesIt was a night that defied any script. A match-winning knock, a game-changing spell, and a Player-of-the-Final performance in a tournament she wasn’t even meant to play. If that’s not destiny, what is?What remains to be seen is where Shafali will fit into India’s ODI plans once Rawal returns from injury. Will it be at the top of the order, or a more flexible role, or someone who contributes more frequently with the ball? In all of this, one thing is certain: Shafali has stamped her authority, and India will have to find a way to fit her in without disrupting the cohesion that carried them to the trophy.During the victory lap, Shafali trailed just behind her captain, grinning, waving to the crowd that refused to leave. When her turn came to hold the trophy, she lifted it as though it had been waiting for her all along.Her World Cup call-up wasn’t planned. Her performance in the final wasn’t planned. Even India’s title wasn’t planned with her in mind. But she wasn’t just a late replacement who rose to the occasion. She was, in every sense, destiny’s child, summoned when the team needed her most and crowned on a night India will never forget.

They came into the final as underdogs but dispatched India’s greatest ODI side ever – just like they always do

Osman Samiuddin19-Nov-20231:56

Moody: Cummins’ field placements were a masterstroke

Australia.That’s it. If I’m being perfectly honest, that is the piece. In years to come, when somebody asks how Australia won the ODI World Cup in 2023, or any World Cup hereafter, that’s the answer. They won the World Cup because Australia.Of course, that feels like a cop-out. Maybe you need more than that. How? Why? You need a dissection. It’s understandable that there are questions. We can talk about all of that but, I’m warning you now, you’ve heard all of this before. Not with the same characters, with slightly different scenarios and circumstances, but you know this story. The quickest, shortest and indeed most credible answer remains: Australia.They were absolute underdogs, perhaps for the first time in a modern World Cup final, against a team that had dominated a tournament in the way Australia have dominated two World Cups this century. That side was playing at home, in front of over 90,000 fans, almost all of whom were their own, in conditions in which they commanded impenetrable mastery. In conditions – a slow pitch, with little bounce, taking turn – which may as well have been designed to douse Australian strengths.Related

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Rohit Sharma: 'We were not good enough today'

Australia player reactions: 'I think this is bigger than 2015'

Not least their fast-bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Two things about this trio. One, they are all-time guys. They’d already won an ODI World Cup, a T20 World Cup, a World Test Championship and were holders of the Ashes before they even stepped out on to the field.Two, they are Australian fast bowlers and, as a species, are rarely bettered. If anyone was going to find a way to work this pitch out, there was a good chance it’d be them. So they cut out width. They shortened lengths. They took pace off as often as they could. They bowled cutters. They found reverse. In short, they sacrificed conventional, more glamorous methods and bowled a little ugly. It wasn’t always stirring viewing – like that matters – but they kept a batting order that had hit 397, 410, 326 and 357 in their last four games to four boundaries in total after the first powerplay. . It’s so incredible it bears repeating. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, four boundaries after the powerplay.Naturally, Cummins the captain took on Kohli, the tournament’s highest run-getter, its biggest star, on the biggest stage, and took him out. Cummins, who had, before the tournament began, captained in four ODIs and who had, until now, had a low-voltage bowling World Cup.How did they take out Rohit Sharma, India’s most impactful batter of the tournament and their tone-setting captain, amidst the absolute pummelling he was administering them in the powerplay? How do you reckon? As that ball went up and Travis Head started sprinting back, you probably remembered Mitchell Marsh dropping that catch off Kohli all those weeks ago. And as the ball came down in Ahmedabad and Head dived, you knew as everyone else did there was no way he was going to drop it. Not in a final. Not Rohit. Not when it mattered the most.Presenting Australia, World Cup champions of 2023!•Getty ImagesThey began this tournament fielding like they couldn’t catch a cold and capped it with one of the catches of the tournament. They ended it as a fielding side – not a batting side or bowling side – that won two powerplays in a row, David Warner in particular diving and hurtling after balls in these games like he was chasing a lost youth.They then came out in the powerplay against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, 44 wickets between them in the tournament at an average of 14.32, conceding less than 4.5 runs per over combined. There was swing. There was pace. There was adrenaline. It was under lights. There was noise. And they tore into them. Australia lost a wicket but had hit a sixth of the target by the end of the fourth over. They came so hard that it was beginning to look a little careless, but they rode their luck and by the end of the first powerplay were a quarter of the way to the target.Sometimes they must laugh to themselves. England have changed their entire cricket culture to bat like this. They’ve told county cricket it needs to bat like this. They’ve had a name put on it (in Tests, at least). India too have changed their entire batting culture so they could play like this and win this world title. You know who hasn’t done diddly? Australia. Because this is how they are born playing. Head’s innings wasn’t Bazball. It wasn’t a change from an old, tired approach. Head batted, in broad outline, like you remember Ponting, Hayden and Gilchrist. Attack and keep attacking is literally one of the nucleotides (no, I didn’t either) in their DNA.Head was here in the first place because they took a pretty outrageous punt on him, keeping him in the squad despite a broken hand. Not a finger, Cummins would point out later, but a hand. What does this broken-handed Aussie do? He comes in and wins three Player-of-the-Match awards, including in the semi and the final. It may not have occurred exactly in this detail before but you’ve probably joked up a similar scenario about an Australian player before, it’s that believable.2:23

What makes Travis Head so good? Cummins explains

Marnus Labuschagne kept Head company nearly all the way through and was there at the very end. That is Marnus Labuschagne, who was playing in the final having said two months ago that he didn’t deserve to be in Australia’s World Cup squad. Who first got into it in a pre-tournament series because a player got injured, then another got concussed and he scored an unbeaten 80 to win a game; then another player got injured and he slipped into the World Cup squad; who ended up playing all of Australia’s games without ever disproving his own original assessment. And yet, when he found himself in the final with a situation tailormade for his batting, did he blink and mess it up? Did he hell.India threw their greatest ODI side ever at Australia in Ahmedabad. Just as Pakistan had thrown their greatest ODI side ever at Australia at Lord’s in 1999. Just as Sri Lanka had thrown their greatest ODI side ever at Australia at Bridgetown in 2007. Just as New Zealand had thrown their greatest ODI side ever at Australia in 2015. What have we learnt happens when you throw your greatest ever side at Australia in a World Cup final? And is it ever even close?Ahead of the final, I had searched for the German word that perfectly describes Australia turning up for World Cup finals time and again. A word that holds true no matter the state of Australian cricket, no matter the style of it, no matter the quality of their players, no matter their form, or the way they made it to the final. With some help I found one which has been applied to Bayern Munich’s dominance of the German Bundesliga. Turns out it isn’t very long and actually has a direct, one-word English translation. It’s . It means inevitable.As in, Australia, world champions, inevitably.

A mega auction is around the corner and things are bound to change, but on Friday night it was all refreshingly familiar

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Oct-20213:26

Steyn: ‘Faf outstanding, Uthappa the game-changer’

When you type Faf on your phone, it autocorrects to Dad. Sometimes, the joke literally writes itself.On Friday, when he played his 100th game for Chennai Super Kings, there were times when Faf du Plessis looked a little like Dad du Plessis. By the time Super Kings’ innings was into its final stages, he was doubling over to catch his breath after running twos, and when he swung at slower balls, he swung with tired legs and a wobbly base, and struggled to impart the power he desired.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch match highlights of the final here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

This, of course, was mostly because du Plessis batted through the Super Kings innings on a 36-degree day in Dubai, but let’s stay with the dad narrative for a bit. du Plessis was one of five over-35s in the Super Kings XI, and one of four players to have played at least 100 games for the franchise. Another player who fulfilled both those criteria was sitting in the dugout.As the 2021 IPL final approached its end, and as Super Kings closed in on their fourth title, an era seemed to be ending. MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, du Plessis. One or more of them could still be in yellow next season, but never again all of them, together.A mega auction is around the corner, and with the tournament set to feature two extra teams, it’s unlikely Super Kings will be able to reassemble a squad full of familiar faces as they’ve done on previous occasions. And it’s unclear whether they’ll want to, given that these players were already being called Dad’s Army when Super Kings reunited them at the 2018 auction.”Well, look, maybe. We don’t know,” Stephen Fleming, the Super Kings head coach, said at his post-match press conference, when asked if this was indeed the end of an era. “Yeah, there is emotion around it. Whenever you get to the end of [an auction] cycle you’re not going to get some players back. There is some emotion around these last games, and when you win it it’s a celebration but also a recognition of what players have put in.”Chennai has always had a system, or a belief that if you can maintain players and keep them with you for a long time, you get the best out of them, and yeah, there are some players here that have been with us for a long time, and it’ll be interesting to see over the next few months how it pans out. Most teams are probably going to have a bit of change to them, and we will be one, but how that looks like, it’s too early to tell.”Faf du Plessis scored over 600 runs this season•BCCIIt must be gutting for a coach to have to disassemble a group of players that he knows this well. It’ll be especially hard given that they’ve reached three finals and won two titles in this four-year auction cycle. All teams go through transitions, but the IPL demands transitions more abrupt than in any other league.There’s a chance, therefore, that du Plessis may never play for Super Kings again – this after scoring over 600 runs this season and ending it with a match-winning 86 in the final.If this was his final innings in yellow, it was quite a sign-off. Before fatigue slowed him down – he only scored 34 off his last 24 balls – he had played his specific role in the top order to perfection, and the batters around him had played theirs just as well.Related

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Over the last two seasons, du Plessis has been Super Kings’ designated pace hitter in the top order, striking at 154.45 against the quicker bowlers and at 109.19 against spin. Their other top-order batters in this time have all tended to score significantly quicker against spin than pace.On Friday, du Plessis took down Kolkata Knight Riders’ main pace threat, hitting Lockie Ferguson for 40 off 16 balls. He only managed 29 off 29 against Knight Riders’ three spinners, but the rest of the top order took care of that part of the job, with Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali taking a collective 66 off 38 balls against Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.Had Knight Riders’ chase not fizzled out like it did, this piece may have been obliged to look at du Plessis’ late slowdown with a critical eye. But Super Kings won, and won convincingly, so we can put the result aside and talk about the pleasure of watching him bat.The Chennai Super Kings players’ kids join in the celebrations•BCCIRewind to the 11th over of Super Kings’ innings – specifically the third ball of the over. This is one of those days when nothing goes right for Ferguson, and this ball isn’t a good one. It’s shortish and it’s wide, and du Plessis puts it away like he should, but not quite like most batters would. Rather than slap it through point, du Plessis shifts his left leg away from leg stump, opens up at the hip, and hits a flat-bat drive over extra-cover. The ball clocks 147.6kph, and he hits it like an inside-out Andre Agassi forehand, meeting the ball early and well in front of his body, using his hips to generate power.It’s the shot of an unusually bottom-handed player, and he plays another soon after, a drive for six over long-off, with his bat twisting in his grip. You’d think it’s a mis-hit if it were anyone else, but you’ve watched du Plessis hundreds of times and this is how he drives. It’s idiosyncratic, and you might even call it ungainly, but it’s full of the warmth of the familiar.As the match goes on, these moments keep coming. Dhoni collects a ball down the leg side, and almost in the same motion passes it to mid-on with a mighty underarm flick. Jadeja raps Shakib on the front pad and sets off towards square leg in celebrappeal. You’ve seen them do these things a thousand times, but now you’ve properly noticed them.And noticing these things only reminds you more forcefully of their transience.

The Boston Red Sox are heading to the postseason.

After trailing 3-1 heading into the seventh inning in the first contest of the regular season's final three-game set at Fenway Park against the Tigers, Boston scored a run in the seventh, eighth, and finally in the bottom of the ninth, when centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela drove a Tommy Kahnle fastball off the top of the centerfield wall, scoring Romy Gonzalez from first base and sending the Red Sox to the playoffs.

Boston's magic number has been one since Wednesday, when the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays and the Astros lost to the Athletics. But it took until Friday for Boston to officially punch its ticket to the postseason after the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays on Thursday and the Astros beat the A's.

The Tigers, Astros and Guardians are now battling for the final two playoff spots in the American League playoff picture with two games to go.

In 2005, the Atlanta Braves were winning the National League East Division title, center fielder Andruw Jones was hitting 51 home runs, and a Braves starting pitcher was busy being born.

Atlanta is set to start pitcher Didier Fuentes on Friday against the Miami Marlins, the Braves announced Friday afternoon. Fuentes, a native of Tolu, Colombia, celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Fuentes will be the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Braves since 19-year-old Mike McQueen started June 23, 1970, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McQueen wound up spending five years in the major leagues with Atlanta and the Cincinnati Reds.

Fuentes is 0-7 with a 4.81 ERA in the minors in 2025, and Bowman indicated that "this will likely be just a spot start."

The Braves, recovering from a poor start to '25, are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They currently hold a 34-39 record and sit 10 games behind the first-place New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.