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The home defeat by Aston Villa and a dire performance away at Monaco means the clash with Everton has taken on significant importance for Tottenham. And the Spurs boss Thomas Frank has identified the player who is most likely to pull the strings for the hosts as the visitors look for their first win at Everton since back in 2018.

• Mersey showdown awaits Spurs

  In-form Everton, unbeaten at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, host Spurs who are looking to regain momentum this Sunday. The Toffees, bolstered by the return of loan star Jack Grealish, pose a significant threat, especially given Spurs' current injury concerns and inconsistent form. Frank is feeling the heat after a Champions League draw against Monaco and a home league defeat by Aston Villa, despite having the league's best away record. The north Londoners have injuries to key players like captain Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie along with long-term absentees James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

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  Reborn midfielder tipped to shine

  Spurs' Danish boss is wary of Jack Grealish, who is excelling on a season-long loan at Everton after falling out of favour at Manchester City. He’s scored one goal and registered four assists in his first seven league matches, going some way to replicating the form he showed at Aston Villa. His impressive start earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.

• High praise from Spurs boss Frank

  Frank said: "He (Grealish) is their main creator, no doubt about that. He’s so dangerous, he can create something out of nothing in every game. So, of course, we need to be aware of him. Beto has been good up front and (Illiman) Ndiaye has been very good. I think (Kiernan) Dewsbury-Hall has been good after maybe not being on top at Chelsea. And then a good colleague and friend of mine, David Moyes, is in charge and his team as a whole is very, very competitive. He’s a manager that I admire and a person I respect massively in the game."

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  Injury woes continue for Spurs

  On the mounting injury list, Frank said: "Cuti just walked out on the grass running, some of the performance guys, so positive, progressing, no time frame, but I don't expect it to be a longer one. Destiny is not on the grass yet, but still progressing, so again, not a longer one. With Dominic, it's positive, he's taking steps in the right direction every day, was on the grass again today on his own, but has now a sustainable amount of pitch sessions in him on his own, so it's progressing forward.

  "Every head coach, manager wants all the players fit, and we get that, then we complain about the squad being too big, and then you need to disappoint players, but anyway, I rather want that, of course. It is what it is, you're right, I very, very rarely say anything about injuries, because it is what it is, I need to deal with it, and it's my job to put the best possible available team on the pitch and get it hopefully clicking. Of course there's some of these, especially Kulusevski and Maddison, proven players that prove in this club for goals and assists and creating things, so they would have been lovely to be able to use, but I think we have some very talented players who are growing.

  "Wilson, Xavi, I think Mo has been very good for us as well and I think Richie had a good start to the season, he tried to get up to pace, but the reality is that we are working very hard on getting the flow with the front four, and hopefully it will be better bit by bit. I think it's fair to say, I can't remember the amount of games we played, but there have definitely been some good games and good spells where we have been looking very good, so we'll keep working on it."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called a Hoops transfer target “brilliant” ahead of their Champions League qualifier with Kairat Almaty.

Rodgers addresses Celtic transfers before Champions League qualifier

So far in the 2025 summer transfer window, those at Parkhead have signed seven new players and still have time for further incomings and outgoings ahead of the September 1 deadline.

It has been two weeks since their most recent arrival, 19-year-old Manchester City loan defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Rodgers is focused on getting past the Kazakh opposition with familiar players.

Rodgers was asked if he would get the signings he was looking for when the board discover whether they have Champions League income.

“I’m not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players that I have, and those guys have been brilliant.

“If we get somebody in, great. If not, then we’ll go with what we’ve got. We’ll do everything we can to try and ensure all the details are right for the game and see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again.

“I’ve had no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But these games will always be tough games.”

Forrest upgrade: Celtic "pursuing" deal to sign "exciting" £5m star

Celtic are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a winger who would be an upgrade on James Forrest.

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By
Dan Emery

Aug 18, 2025

Rodgers responds to Vardy joining Celtic rumours

One player who has been linked with Celtic is free agent Jamie Vardy. The forward has his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester City, and Rodgers called the forward “brilliant” when quizzed on a potential move.

Rodgers also wanted to ensure uncertainty over potential outgoing transfers also does not affect players.

“I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players, I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end.

“I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying, are they going, but in the midst of that you’ve got really important games.

“So I’ve already mentioned this to players about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season, however, the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic and whilst it is, you need to perform. And in fairness to the players, they’ve been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games.”

Women’s Blast will also see reduction from 14 games to 12 amid reshuffle of white-ball competitions

Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Aug-2025The men’s Vitality Blast will be reduced from 14 to 12 group-stage matches next season as part of a broad overhaul of English domestic white-ball cricket in the men’s and women’s game. However a mooted revamp of the men’s first-class cricket has yet to be agreed upon, with parties hopeful of a decision before the end of the month, ahead of the return of the County Championship in September.Following agreements from the required two-thirds majority of the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCCs) and in collaboration with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the men’s county T20 competition will shift from two groups of nine to three six-team regional groups, as it was during the Covid-affected summer of 2020.Each county will play the others in their group home and away (a total of 10 matches), with an additional home-and-away fixture against a side from the two other groups. The top two teams in each group plus the best two third-placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals will progress to Finals Day. The competition will be played in a block and completed in July, before the start of the Hundred.Related

• Croft bemoans 'stupid' schedule as county review gathers pace

• Players want cut to 12 County Championship games, says PCA

• Reduced County Championship on agenda for latest domestic review

The reduction in group matches follows recommendations from the county-led men’s Domestic Playing Programme (DPP) review. While the limited-overs portion of the review has been heeded, the PCCCs are yet to agree upon a preferred layout of the County Championship.It is understood that at present there are three red-ball options on the table, with no clear favourite. There is a strong desire out of necessity to establish a preferred option by the end of August to ensure counties know what they are playing for in the final rounds of this season.The most innovative would see a 12/6 split between Division One and Two, with the top-tier made up of two groups of six. Each Division One team would play home and away plus two further fixtures against teams in the other group. The top two will then go into a final for the County Championship title, mooted for the middle of September.The bottom team in each Division One group would subsequently be relegated, replaced by the team that finished top of Division Two, with the last promotion spot determined by a play-off between second and third. Despite only having six teams, Division Two sides will also play 12 fixtures; home and away against the other five teams, followed by home-and-away fixtures against two others.The other alternatives are a two-division split (10 in Division One, eight in Division Two) with 12 matches played; or a continuation of the existing 14-match set-up. At present, four counties – Middlesex, Somerset, Surrey and Yorkshire – have publicly stated their preference to retain a 14-match County Championship season.In a statement released by the ECB on Tuesday, Mark McCafferty, chair of the Professional Game Committee (PGC), which was set up in 2023, lauded the changes confirmed so far. He said: “These changes to the men’s Vitality Blast will be a springboard to further investment in a historic and much-loved domestic T20 competition which is recognised as one of the world’s best.”The new group format intensifies the importance of many of these local derbies, and brings the quarter-finals and the iconic Finals’ Day back into July, so improving the sporting and commercial narrative for sponsorship and TV partners, as well as meeting player wellbeing objectives by improving the group-stage schedules and travel demands to allow players to perform at their very best.”The revamp is part of the current work to further strengthen all our men’s and women’s domestic competitions and on behalf of the PGC, I’d like to express my thanks and appreciation to the counties and to the PCA for their ongoing collaboration on this work, as we progress in the next phase to the Rothesay County Championship and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.”The women’s Vitality Blast will also reduce to 12 matches next season in Tier 1, the result of a separate vote from the 18 PCCCs that was not linked to the men’s changes. With Yorkshire moving up from Tier 2 in 2026, making nine teams in the top tier, each county will play six home and six away matches, playing four counties twice and four counties once.Tier 1 Finals Day will expand to house two semi-finals and the final, meaning the top four teams progress to the showpiece event. Previously the team finishing first went through to the final automatically, to play the winner of second versus third earlier in the day. The Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 (Tier 2) will maintain eight group-stage matches, but move to a single group – changing from North and South Groups in 2025 – with a second-versus-third eliminator before the final.The Tier 1 Metro Bank One-Day Cup competition will increase to 16 matches from 14, with a shift to an eliminator instead of two semi-finals. League 2 will be reduced from nine to eight group-stage games with each county playing each other once. The top four at the end of the group stage will progress to the knockouts stages. The winners of the two semi-finals progress to the final.”The changes for 2026 were developed in consultation with the game and the players,” Beth Barrett-Wild, ECB director of the women’s professional game, said. “The player representatives did voice a desire to increase the volume of cricket, to allow an even home-and-away Vitality Blast in Tier 1, but also recognised the scheduling challenges that would cause.”There was always going to be a settling-in period across Tiers 1 and 2 during these first few seasons, and these changes are set to be for next summer only with a planned review again ahead of the 2027 season, when Glamorgan will move from Tier 2 into Tier 1. This will also follow another phase of learning as the new women’s competitions embed into the overall county structure.”Speaking on the overall changes to limited overs cricket, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: “County cricket in England and Wales has long been the gold standard and it has been important that the counties have led the discussion in consultation with the game as we look to make all of our men’s and women’s county competitions the best they can be.”

Men’s Vitality Blast from 2026

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire
Group B: Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids
Group C: Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks

Women’s Vitality Blast (Tier 1)

Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire

Women’s Vitality Blast League 2 (Tier 2)

Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids.

Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup (Tier 1)

Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire

Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup League 2 (Tier 2)

Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids

This summer is shaping up to be one to remember for Arsenal.

The Premier League season is still over a week away from getting back underway, and Mikel Arteta has already got most of the players he would’ve wanted through the door.

Crucially, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres are now with the team and getting to grips with what the manager wants them to do, as the former’s control and the latter’s goals could play a massive part in the Gunners’ fortunes next season.

With that said, there is still time for the club to go out and make another statement signing, and while Eberechi Eze has been the name in the headlines for the North Londoners, they might be better off going for another star they’ve been linked with, a star who’d be an Alexander Isak-level acquisition.

Arsenal's pursuit of Eze

There are still plenty of options on the market for Arsenal to bolster and improve their squad this summer, but it would be fair to say Eze seems to be the player Arteta and Co are most interested in.

Transfer Focus

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

There were links to the Englishman as far back as last summer, but they really began to pick up steam earlier this window.

It was several weeks ago that we learned the North Londoners had been in contact with the player and his camp. Shortly after, it was revealed that he was set on moving to the Emirates.

However, the Crystal Palace star has a release clause worth around £67.5m in his current contract, and according to reports from late last month, the Eagles want at least £30m of it in an upfront payment.

Understandably, the Gunners aren’t particularly keen on spending such a sum of money in one go this summer, and are now waiting until the release clause expires on August 15th to make their move.

It could end up being quite the complicated transfer to get over the line, so instead, Arsenal might be better off going all out for Morgan Rogers in an Isak-esque deal.

Why Rogers would be an Isak-level transfer

Now, while Rogers is not being heavily linked with Arsenal at this moment in time, he has been touted for a move to the Emirates multiple times already this summer.

In fact, the Aston Villa star has been touted for moves to several sides since the window opened, although with a price tag of potentially up to £100m, it would be a difficult transfer to get over the line.

Moreover, this lofty price is one of the many reasons Rogers’ potential move could be described as being Isak-like, as at the moment, it does feel like the Newcastle United star could be on his way to Liverpool for anything from £120m all the way up to £150m.

Another key similarity is that, like the Magpies’ superstar striker, the former Middlesbrough gem is undoubtedly one of Villa’s most important players, and just as his exit would seriously damage their team, his arrival would massively bolster the Gunners.

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, put the ball in the back of the net 14 times and provided 15 assists for good measure.

That means the 23-year-old game-changer was able to maintain a goal involvement every 1.86 games, or every 155.03 minutes, which is a supremely impressive effort, especially as just a couple of years ago he was plying his trade in the Championship.

Finally, while he’s not won anywhere near as many caps as the Swedish international, the phenomenal Villa star is starting to become a regular in senior English squads and has already won six caps, with plenty more on the horizon.

Ultimately, it would be a seriously difficult and costly transfer to get over the line this summer, but if the Reds are able to sign Isak, then we see no reason why Arsenal couldn’t pull off a comparative deal for Rogers.

Saka & Rodrygo hybrid: Arsenal in contact to sign "amazing" £61m sensation

The talented international would add some real class to Arsenal’s squad.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 4, 2025

David Beckham and Gary Neville have stunned English football by completing the signing of former Liverpool and Sunderland forward Fabio Borini for Salford City. The 34-year-old Italian, who was a free agent after leaving Sampdoria in the summer, has penned a short-term deal until January with the League Two club, marking a remarkable return to English football.

• Salford sign ex-PL star

   Salford City, co-owned by football icons Beckham and Neville, have completed a surprise move for ex-Premier League striker Borini. The Italian has joined the League Two side on a deal until January after training with the team over the past month. His arrival provides vital experience for Karl Robinson’s side, who are currently dealing with a long-term injury to striker Jay Bird.

  Borini, who has represented Chelsea, Liverpool, and Sunderland during his career, returns to England more than six years after his last spell in the country. The 34-year-old forward left Serie B club Sampdoria in the summer and has since been keeping fit by joining training sessions with Salford’s first team. The deal, finalised this week, is seen as a major coup for the League Two outfit as they aim to push higher up the table this season.

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  Borini ready for new 'challenge'

  “It’s been great, I came in to train to keep myself fit in this transition between contracts and Salford, the Gaffer, Alex Bruce, were kind enough to allow me to use the facilities and train here,” Borini said after the announcement. “Experience is one thing that I can bring, but it’s not just about the experience that I have on the pitch, it’s outside of the pitch so leading by example in training, outside training, how to manage a game. I’ve never played League Two football so I need to learn as well from my team mates the main characteristics of this league, but I will bring myself as an open book for my team mates to use me, learn from me or help me, so I’m very open to this challenge.”

  He added: “It’s a challenge that I’m embracing and I chose to embrace because I needed the real football, something that warms my heart for football, not for anything else.” The Italian’s comments underline his passion for the game and his excitement at taking on a new test in the latter stages of his career. Borini’s leadership and top-flight pedigree could prove crucial as Salford look to strengthen both on and off the pitch.

• Borini's nomadic career

  Borini’s career has spanned more than a decade at the highest levels of European football. After coming through Bologna and Chelsea’s youth systems, Borini made his name with Roma before moving to Liverpool, where he scored in the Premier League and netted in the 2014 League Cup final. Spells with Sunderland, AC Milan, and Verona followed, alongside a brief adventure in Turkey with Karagumruk, reflecting a career filled with top-tier experience across multiple countries.

  His signing not only boosts Salford’s forward options but also adds an experienced figure to the dressing room — something manager Robinson has openly valued since his appointment. Salford sit ninth in the League Two standings with six wins in their opening 12 matches.

  Borini’s arrival at Salford continues a pattern of ambitious moves by Beckham and Neville’s ownership group, who remain determined to elevate the club beyond League Two. Since completing a fresh takeover earlier this year, the pair have reportedly committed significant financial backing to strengthen the team’s infrastructure and playing staff. Their goal is to establish Salford as a competitive force capable of challenging for promotion and eventually securing a stable position in the Championship.

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  What comes next?

  Borini is expected to make his debut for Salford City later this month, pending match fitness with registration already cleared by the EFL and the FA. The club’s next fixtures could provide the perfect opportunity for him to ease into League Two football while mentoring younger players around him. For Beckham and Neville, this move signals their continued ambition to blend experience with youth in pursuit of steady, long-term progress at the Peninsula Stadium.

  Salford’s management have already made clear that Borini’s short-term deal could be extended if he adapts well and makes a meaningful impact. Given his experience, the Italian could become an integral part of Robinson’s system as the club aims for a late playoff push.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

Thank you, Estevao, for giving us a title race. This needed to happen. Liverpool had to lose. Someone else had to win. Those around them also had to play their part. It has not been a pretty week on Merseyside. The Reds have dropped three in a row. Arsenal and Man City have responded with wins.

But that's kind of what it's all about. You shouldn't be able to walk to the title. This should be hard. The Premier League is on. 

The same goes for La Liga. Barca were good. Madrid were bad. Then the roles reversed. Neither side is particularly convincing, and no one really deserves to be top of the table – which is why Madrid have a two-point lead. The good news? This is now far more compelling. Wins there and losses for Barca all amounted to a fun weekend in Spain, too.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

• AFP
  

  11Crisis time on Merseyside?

  It was always going to be a tricky weekend for Liverpool. The Reds had lost two in a row going into their match at Chelsea. The Blues had their injury issues, but Arne Slot's side had hit a bump. A win would have been a vital reset. A loss, and, well, welcome to crisis.

  After 95 minutes, an agreeable draw seemed on the cards. Everyone goes home happy. 

  But then a lovely bit of play from Chelsea changed things. Enzo Fernande slipped through to Marc Cucurella, who squared to the far post. Estevao – a Brazilian teenager who has shown immense yet little end product – slid in at the back post to send the Bridge into raptures. Chelsea are still imperfect. Liverpool certainly are no longer perfect. 

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  10Can Chelsea now deal with adversity?

  More on those tricky Blues for a second. Chelsea's transfer strategy reads like this: buy everyone. And it does a nice job, at times. When you have a load of good footballers, you have a good chance of winning games. But there are issues here.

  Chief among them? There's not tons of experience. The result is a brittle unit that snaps when the pressure cranks up. That can only be learned over time. It's a game-by-game thing. 95th minute win over Liverpool might just be a perfect example. 

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  9Erling Haaland, evil space demon

  Here are Erling Haaland's stats so far in the Premier League this season: seven games, nine goals, one assist. 

  That's just a bit unfair. 

  Man City, once again, were unconvincing at the weekend. They're still lacking in a bit of fluidity, perhaps even short on attacking ideas. Turns out that in good ol' English style you can just 'oof it up to the big man up front. Haaland scored one. City didn't need another. 1-0 win, title race loading. 

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  8Arsenal keep it calm

  "Arsenal are too emotional to win the league."

  That was the criticism of the Gunners for the last three years (second-place finishes: three). This was a team that didn't quite get over the line, were too frantic in the big moments. In American sporting terms: they often choked.

  And that may yet be the case this year, but Arsenal, so far, have done all of the right things. They have conceded just once from open play this season, and made it all look very easy with a 2-0 win over West Ham on the weekend. Bukayo Saka is healthy. We've got a title race, guys. 

Ten-wicket victory belies anxiety of hosts as England now await in semi-finals

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2023In a sport where strange things tend to happen – albeit not that many at this World Cup – the strangest would have been if South Africa had found a way to lose to Bangladesh for the first time in more than 10 years and second in as many meetings. But, remember, stranger things have happened.It was less than four months ago that the men’s team, on the cusp of a T20 World Cup semi-final, crashed out in improbable fashion at the hands of Netherlands. It was only a little more than a week ago that the women’s team lost their World Cup opener to Sri Lanka, a team they dismissed for their lowest T20I score – 46 – in Birmingham six months ago. South Africa’s tournament campaign got back on track when they caught New Zealand on a second successive off-day but the manner in which the hosts were outplayed by Australia showed signs of a side who get overawed by big occasions. Strangely, the match against Bangladesh will go down as one of the biggest.On a breezy Tuesday night, 6,623 people packed into Newlands, the second-biggest crowd for a women’s international in this country. Among them was Graeme Smith, now lauded as the person who single-handedly breathed life back into the country’s game thanks to his role in putting together the SA20. Imagine the burden of continuing his summer of success. Also present were groups of people who clearly knew some of the players. A Laura Wolvaardt fan club had taken up residence in one stand, and a Nadine de Klerk one in the other. Imagine the feeling of having your nearest and dearest watching on one of your biggest nights. South African flags were spotted in all parts. Imagine the expectation which hung thick in the air. South Africa played like a team who were feeling it.Right from the start, they handled pressure like a hot potato. Wolvaardt, their best fielder, dropped Shamima Sultana off the ninth ball of the match, on three. She was stationed at backward point, where she had pulled off some stellar stops, but the ball spilled out of her hands. Immediately after that happened, Shabnim Ismail, who was bowling, scowled; in the field shoulders dropped, and all around tension simmered. “It can be difficult when you miss one,” Wolvaardt said. “You just have to stay positive.”At first, they didn’t. Tazmin Brits put the simplest of catches down on the midwicket boundary, to let Shobhana Mostery off the hook on 25. Between that, Marizanne Kapp and de Klerk collided on the boundary to ultimately save a four that they could have kept to a single if one of them had collected cleanly. Happily, no-one was hurt but worryingly, they were clearly rattled.Kapp’s kick to deep midwicket in her final over cost two runs. Her wild throw to the non-striker’s end in the next over conceded another one. In the same over another careless throw ricocheted off Farghana Hoque’s bat and allowed the batters to take two. At one point Sinalo Jafta ran to square leg to field a Hoque missed flick, Brits had to back up behind the stumps and a single became two. Off the next ball, another wild throw allowed two more. Nonkululeko Mlaba let a ball go through her fingers at short fine leg and allowed a run. Between the 17th and 20th over, South Africa gave six runs that they shouldn’t have. It was only six, but then they lost to Sri Lanka by three.A unique celebration after Tazmin Brits completes her half-century•ICC/Getty ImagesDespite a strangling bowling performance, an obviously disappointed team left the field in bit-parts. Ismail covered her face with her pullover as Kapp and Khaka appeared in deep conversation. “It was our worst fielding performance of the competition,” Wolvaardt conceded, as the team body language remained riddled with a tension that carried over into the chase.Brits sent Wolvaardt back at the end of the first over, when a single was probably on but she decided she didn’t want it. Then at the end of the second over, Brits offered mid-off a simple chance and was fortunate that Bangladesh, too, were struck by a bout of butterflies. Not content with surviving twice, Wolvaardt chanced her third life, when she hit Marufa Akter to short cover and ran even though Brits unmoved. Wolvaardt was at Brits’ end when the throw came in to Marufa, who anxiously flung to the keeper, by which time Wolvaardt had made her ground. There was no run off that ball, the middle of a series of nine dots, and the pressure built.Wolvaardt broke it in the fifth over with a charge against Nahida Akter and a six over long-on. South Africa finished the powerplay on 26 without loss, with less than 90 to get, but Wolvaardt was worried. “When I looked at our score after the powerplay I thought it was not that good and this is a crunch match for us,” she said.There was a crack of light in the door to the semi-finals but it took a shift in mindset to open it completely. “We were making it look a lot harder than it was and losing our shapes a bit but we realised we can’t leave it for the last over,” Wolvaardt added.After the 10-over drinks break, the next over went for eight runs and the one after that for nine, and the next two for 17 runs combined. Eventually they walked through with increasing confidence as Bangladesh began to fray, Wolvaardt and Brits reached their highest scores of the tournament and put on South Africa’s fourth-highest opening stand in T20Is.Brits even had time for a light-hearted moment when she celebrated her half-century by placing both hands on her helmet and standing on one leg, like a tree. Wolvaardt said she had “no idea” what the symbolic meaning of that gesture was. When Wolvaardt hit the winning runs, Mlaba and Masabata Klaas got a dance going which involved holding their hands behind their backs like a bunny rabbit’s tail and in the stands, the 6,623 people partied with the gusto of a full house.Related

• Tahlia McGrath blitz seals small chase to put Australia in semi-finals

• Nat Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt, Jones break Women's T20 World Cup record in win over Pakistan

• Wolvaardt and Brits haul South Africa into semi-final after bowlers' show

• Nat Sciver-Brunt: England wanted to 'show everyone what we're about'

But this is only part of the job. The team that chased 114 now has to face the side who, an hour before them, beat their opposition by 114 runs and made it look simple. If the growing gap between cricket’s haves and have-nots could be measured, 114 on Tuesday night tells the story. England are unbeaten from the group stage and eyeing up a final against one of Australia or India. South Africa still need to own their home World Cup but still believe the semi-finals is the place where it will happen.”We’re going to have to play a very good game of cricket,” Wolvaardt said. “England are a very explosive batting side. They play a very attacking brand of cricket. We are going to have to have some good discussions about how we use that against them and we are going to have to put a lot of runs on the board against them, especially in the powerplay.”It’s not lost on Wolvaardt that South Africa have lost their last three semi-finals, all to England. The last one, at the 2022 50-over World Cup, came after South Africa beat England in the group stage and Wolvaardt called it a “mental lapse” which must be avoided this time. “We have to stay mentally strong,” she said.South African teams have often said that. Imagine how strangely exciting it would be if they’re able to do it.

England went to lunch on 83 for 2

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Jasprit Bumrah in action•Getty Images

Nitish Kumar Reddy removed both England openers in his first over but the hosts escaped the first session only two wickets down after choosing to bat first at Lord’s. Reddy struck twice in four balls after Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley scraped through the first hour unscathed. Ollie Pope and Joe Root then led England’s recovery with an unbroken stand of 39 before lunch.Duckett was repeatedly struck on his body in a probing first spell from Jasprit Bumrah, who replaced Prasidh Krishna in India’s only change from the side that won at Edgbaston last week. But England reached the drinks break at 39 for 0, despite a frenetic start from Crawley which featured four boundaries – one via the outside edge – and several plays-and-misses.Reddy’s double-strike opened up both ends for India. His first wicket was a freebie, a long-hop down the leg side which Duckett under-edged through to Rishabh Pant on the pull, but his second was a beauty. He angled the ball into Crawley, then found late movement away off the seam to take the outside edge, as India sensed an opportunity.Pope was dropped between those two wickets, edging his first ball – a full outswinger – to gully, where Shubman Gill could not hold onto a tough, low chance, diving to his right. But after his early life, he grew in confidence alongside Root, and they saw off Bumrah’s third spell to reach the lunch interval at 83 for 2.Ben Stokes’ decision to bat first on winning the toss – for the third time in a row – was met with cheers at Lord’s, after bowling first had backfired at Edgbaston. Gill admitted he was “a bit confused” about what he would have done but said that he would have leaned towards bowling in the belief that the only assistance from the pitch would come early on the first day.

There are nerves in the air at Leeds United at the moment as the brand new Premier League season gets closer and closer by the day.

The newly promoted Whites have been very active in the transfer window so far, as seen in seven fresh faces joining Daniel Farke’s ranks this summer to date, but the German is still hesitant about his side’s top-flight acumen heading into the anxious opening run of matches.

In particular, the German is concerned about the options he has at his disposal up top, with both Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford out of his first-team plans.

Whilst adding in more depth up top looks to be crucial, Leeds wouldn’t say no to additions elsewhere, as a fresh midfielder is now also eyed up.

Leeds pushing for move for £100k p/w star

Before exploring further as to who Leeds could add to the midfield department, it’s clear that the Whites want more Premier League-capable striker options, and fast.

Beto, who Leeds were linked with earlier in the transfer window, has reportedly come back onto their shopping list as he weighs up moving away from Everton, with the Whites’ interest in Fulham ace Rodrigo Muniz also long-standing.

Away from the plethora of names filtering through in the centre-forward areas, Leeds have also been credited with interest in free agent midfielder Josh Brownhill, as per a new report by GIVEMESPORT.

The report further reveals that Everton is also trying to push through a deal for the ex-Clarets captain, but a tricky stumbling block has emerged for both parties.

The hurdle both sides will have to try and overcome is the spending power of MLS side Toronto FC, who are willing to offer the Manchester-born star a £100k-per-week deal to leave England behind for Canada.

It remains to be seen what Brownhill’s short-term future looks like, but if he does decide to relocate from Lancashire to Elland Road, over pastures new in Canada, he could be just what Leeds need in terms of an attacking outlet centrally, away from the more defensively sound members of the squad from the middle of the park.

Why Brownhill's addition could be perfect for Stach

Indeed, out of all the midfielders at Farke’s disposal, new £17.4m recruit Anton Stach is the most content with just sitting back and doing his defensive dirty work.

So much so, Stach can even line up as a centre-back if needed – as seen in his 16 career appearances from this part of the pitch – alongside the fact that the Whites number 18 singled out his “aggressive” nature as one key attribute to his game when speaking just after his move to Leeds had been confirmed.

The German’s aggressive approach on the pitch is certainly more evident when looking at the table above, with Stach greatly trumping Brownhill when it comes to tackles made, ball recoveries made, and total duels won per match last season in their respective leagues.

Having such a lively, fierce anchor in the side means Brownhill will be able to focus even more on his explosive attacking game at Elland Road, with the 29-year-old’s stunning output of 18 goals and six assists last season for Burnley clinching automatic promotion out of the Championship, alongside Farke’s title-winners.

With six goals and six assists already next to his name in the Premier League, too, both Brownhill and Stach could be components of a new-look midfield that just work alongside each other, as the EFL “superstar” – as he was once dubbed by former manager Lee Johnson – attempts to become a top-flight regular wearing Leeds white.

Of course, the £100k-per-week salary at Toronto might prove to be too tempting to turn down.

But, with steady teammates such as Stach next to him, Brownhill could shine as a gung-ho midfield presence up a division, as Leeds attempt to make survival less of a chore with entertaining displays.

Aston Villa in pole position to sign £35m Brazilian ahead of Man City and Leeds

The Villans desperately need to get moving this summer.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 2, 2025

Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

Transfer Focus

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This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.