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Chelsea’s “poor” defeat against Leeds United will end up costing them in the Premier League title race, according to club legend John Terry. The Blues icon has bemoaned his former side’s lack of experience as they slipped to a damaging 3-1 loss which leaves them nine points behind leaders Arsenal, who they held to a 1-1 draw in their previous match.

• Chelsea had been in fine form before surprise Leeds defeat

  After picking up a point following an admirable 10-man performance against Arsenal last Sunday, Chelsea travelled to struggling Leeds just six points behind Mikel Arteta’s Gunners on Wednesday.

  However, while Arsenal got back to winning ways against Brentford on the same night, Chelsea suffered a surprise defeat at Elland Road. Enzo Maresca’s men found themselves 2-0 down at the interval following efforts from defender Jaka Bijol and midfielder Ao Tanaka, before Blues winger Pedro Neto pulled a goal back early in the second half.

  But Chelsea were unable to find an equaliser in an abject performance which was capped off by centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo’s costly mistake in the build up to Leeds’ third goal through striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

  The result was Chelsea’s first loss in their last eight games in all competitions, but the manner in which the defeat was registered has caused frustration amongst a fanbase who are hoping to see their side improve upon last season’s fourth-place finish.

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  Blues legend Terry could not hide anger after final whistle

  Deflated after the final whistle, Chelsea icon Terry could not hide his anger at a display which – in his opinion – will come back to haunt the west Londoners towards the business end of the title race.

  Speaking on TikTok, Terry – who won 15 major trophies including five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown after 19 seasons at Chelsea – said: “What a poor performance that was.

  “Everything I said about Leeds, they were going to be aggressive, fans were going to be up for it, it was going to be a hostile place to go. You either go there and match them or you take the sting out of it completely, and by looks of it we certainly didn’t do that in the first half.

  “We cannot follow up two unbelievable performances with a performance like that, it’s certainly not going to make you title contenders. Unfortunately that’s what’s going to cost us, we are inexperienced and if you can’t go Leeds away and know what to expect then…”

  @johnterry26

  We can’t follow two great performances with that performance tonight. Some tough away games coming up and we need to be better than that tonight. 💙 #chelsea #chelseafc #premierleague #cfc

  ♬ original sound – John Terry

• Former England captain urges Maresca to end rotation policy

  Still irritated by both the result and the performance, Terry also criticised what he perceived to be a lack of “fight” from Chelsea, urging manager Maresca to end his rotation policy and stick with players who he believes will dig in every week.

  “You need to go there and show the fight, match Leeds in every single way and then earn your right to play,” former England captain Terry added. “After 15, 20 minutes you play your football once you’ve earned that right.

  “Set piece, individual mistakes defensively, clearly not good enough, maybe that’s an opportunity for the manager to look at the squad and go ‘okay rotations not for me moving forward, I know my best 11-14 players and I’ll stick with that and the other players are just going to have to deal with it.”

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  Chelsea head coach expected better performance against Leeds

  Chelsea will look to bounce back when they travel to out-of-form Bournemouth in the league on Saturday afternoon. Maresca’s men then head to Serie A side Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, 9 December.

  Looking ahead to the Bournemouth match, Maresca said after the Leeds game: “I think they [Leeds] were better than us in all the aspects. They deserved to win the game.

  “There’s nothing we can take from the game. The only thing we can do is try to understand the mistakes we’ve made and try to reset. In 48 hours we’ve another game [against Bournemouth].

  “When you play the way we have in the last two games against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect a better performance. But for many reasons it’s not going to be possible. We changed players and when you change players the level drops because the reality is they’re important players for us.”

South Africa’s Test captain looks back on the Pakistan Test series and ahead to the two-Test series against India in November

Temba Bavuma31-Oct-2025I think it would have been fitting to have had a third Test against Pakistan. I know we are going to have the same argument again about whether more Tests should be played and all that. However, it would have been nice to have had a series decider, because you now see a South Africa Test team close to our best, and you would’ve wanted to give Pakistan another opportunity to rectify their wrongs.After the drawn Test series against Pakistan, we have another two-Test series in the subcontinent coming up against India from mid-November. That series will probably be a bit more challenging than Pakistan, and it will be important for us that we start the preparation now and not when we get to India.From a personal point of view, my preparation will come in the form of playing for the South Africa A side against India A. I will play in the second four-day match as part of my return-to-play programme. I’m looking forward to it, though I will have to find my South Africa A training kit because I haven’t used it since 2017! I welcome any match practice and am looking forward to being out there again. I have seen the squad India A have picked, so it will be competitive and more than just a practice game.Related

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• South Africa are selecting based on character rather than just stats now

• Rabada: South Africa 'a young team that wants to do the dirty work'

• Stats – First-class Harmer enters elite wicket-takers' club

• Maharaj: 'Old-fashioned Test cricket' helped us claw back

When I talk about preparation, I’m not necessarily speaking about our batters and bowlers getting into the nets, but more from a mental point of view. It comes down to understanding the challenges that we are going to face in Kolkata and Guwahati, and subsequently it’s how we are going to go about dealing with them.After losing the first Test to Pakistan in Lahore, we came back strongly in the second Test in Rawalpindi to win on day four. I think in the grander scheme of things, we probably suffered one of our normal issues of starting slowly in the Test series. If we had played in the first Test like we did in the second, who knows what the end result would have been in terms of the overall series.Given that South Africa’s spinners took 35 of 40 Pakistan wickets – including Simon Harmer’s 13 – they should be well prepped for India’s spinning pitches•Associated PressI think I have to be careful because I’m speaking from the outside here, but the wickets in Pakistan’s Test series against England last year looked a lot more spinner-friendly and a lot more deteriorated. I think these ones in our series were your natural subcontinental ones, where in the first innings guys could bat. The track in Rawalpindi looked a bit slow, so the scoring rates weren’t as quick, but guys looked like they could trust their defences. Even in the first Test, it looked like you could trust your defence and kind of build your game around what the conditions were offering.When it comes to India, we hope that the wickets are on the good side. When I say “good side”, it’s about batters being able to get in in the first innings and set out their stall. Then, in the second innings, the spinners will come into the game.To be honest, I don’t see India being any different in terms of the wickets they will prepare. If you look at the series between India and New Zealand, which the latter won, conditions were a bit spinner-friendly so I guess you always want to prepare for the worst, especially as batters. The mantra we subscribe to as a team is to “prepare for the worst and hope for the best”. It’s about how we counter tactics in extreme conditions and come up on the right side of the result.In our shared Test series against Pakistan I think the playing conditions were fair, but naturally the spinners were the main threat and they took the most wickets. In fact, South Africa’s spinners took 35 of the 40 wickets on offer in the series, which set a new record for the team in a two-Test series. However, I do think there was something in there for the batters, evidenced by the century scored by Tony de Zorzi in the first Test. It was also underlined by the way in which Ricky [Ryan Rickleton] got in in the second innings. As well as a guy like Stubbo [Tristan Stubbs] who scored 76 in the first innings, and even Dewald Brevis. In terms of Brev, he’s a little bit different because of the way he plays. He can kind of make a bad wicket a good one because that is the talent of the boy.In terms of our stand-in Test captain and opening batter, Aiden Markram, he didn’t go on to get big scores across the series, but the way he goes about his batting, he sets a good foundation and platform for the other players to follow. He plays off the front foot and is always looking to take it on. We feed off it as batters when guys at the top play with so much freedom and confidence.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank, in particular, will have been delighted with Saturday’s 2-0 win over his former club Brentford in the Premier League.

Goals from Richarlison, signed for £60m, and Xavi Simons, signed for £52m, secured all three points for the Lilywhites, as two of their most-expensive signings start to show their quality.

An expensive signing who is not offering too much to the team at the moment, though, is £47.5m addition Brennan Johnson, who was an unused substitute against Brentford.

Why Brennan Johnson has not been a waste of money for Spurs

The Wales international has not scored in the Premier League since August, with four goals in all competitions this season, and has not been used off the bench in two of the last three matches, per Sofascore.

Signed for £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in 2023, Johnson does not currently look like good value for money, given his struggles this term, but he has not been a waste of money on the evidence of his overall time at the club so far.

The 24-year-old attacker has delivered 27 goals and 18 assists in 104 games for the Lilywhites, per Transfermarkt, including the winner in the Europa League final last season.

You could argue that his winning goal in that final was worth the £47.5m on its own because of the memories that it created, as the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

Meanwhile, there is another expensive signing in the Spurs squad who should be sold, as he has been a bigger flop than Johnson and has yet to justify his price tag.

The Spurs player who should be sold in January

Dominic Solanke has been out with an ankle injury since August, with no return date given by Frank, but he should be ruthlessly sold in the January transfer window.

Spurs splashed a club-record transfer fee of £65m to sign the English striker from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, and his performances on the pitch have not reflected that huge outlay.

For a 27-year-old, now 28, who was brought in as a Premier League-proven star in the prime years of his career, Solanke has not offered enough in front of goal to suggest that he has been worth the money, with just nine league goals for the club to date, per Sofascore.

In April, pundit Micah Richards claimed that the £65m signing had “been a disappointment all season” in the 2024/25 campaign, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you look at his statistics, notably costing them around £4m per goal so far.

As you can see in the table above, Solanke underperformed against his xG in both the Premier League and the Europa League last term, missing more ‘big chances’ than he scored goals in the former.

Johnson, meanwhile, hit double figures for goals with 11 Premier League strikes for the Lilywhites, which means that he has scored four more league goals for Spurs than Solanke since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

This shows that the Welshman, who plays on the wing rather than as a striker, has been more productive than the ex-Bournemouth man in the Premier League, whilst also being more impactful overall, given his trophy-clinching goal.

Solanke has simply not done enough on the pitch since signing for the club to prove that the Lilywhites were right to splash £65m on him, which is why they should cut their losses and cash in on him in January.

His current injury issues only add further fuel to the fire because Spurs now do not know if they can rely on him to be fit and available, whilst they also do not know if they can rely on him to be efficient in front of goal as their number nine.

Richarlison’s return of six goals and two assists in nine Premier League starts so far this season, per Sofascore, also suggests that Solanke will not be the first-choice number nine when he is back fit.

Fewer touches than Vicario & 88% duels lost: Spurs flop must now be dropped

One Tottenham Hotspur player may need to be dropped despite yesterday’s win over Brentford.

By
Ethan Lamb

5 days ago

That is further reason for the club to cash in on the big-money flop in January to invest in a new signing in that position, as the Englishman’s move to North London has not worked out so far.

Bangladesh return to Tests after five months; Ireland will hope to make another splash after their win against Zimbabwe in February

Mohammad Isam10-Nov-2025

Big picture: Two sides return to red-ball cricket

Two sides that haven’t played Test cricket in a long time converge in Sylhet as Bangladesh host Ireland on Tuesday. They have only played one Test against each other with this series representing an opportunity to not just renew ties but also regain form.Bangladesh have been up-and-down in white ball cricket. That may not have too big an impact on this game, especially in Sylhet where the conditions will be different than Abu Dhabi and Dhaka, venues that have hosted plenty of matches recently. What may be pertinent though is the fact they haven’t played any Test cricket in almost five months.Bangladesh will rely on their bowling attack to get them ahead, particularly the spin duo of Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Sylhet’s pitch having a bit of bounce would also mean the likes of Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud will always be in the picture. Bangladesh also have Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad up their sleeve.Related

• Injured Ross Adair ruled out of Bangladesh T20Is

Najmul Hossain Shanto will have to lead a batting unit that has lacked confidence in recent times. Bangladesh have brought back Mahmudul Hasan Joy in the opening position, while Shadman Islam will be expected to carry forward some of his recent form (Test average of 40.57 this year). Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das will add experience to the middle-order, much needed if they are going to play with five bowlers contributing to a long tail.Ireland will be aware that coming into an away game with very little preparation behind them is a huge challenge. They’ve played only one Test in 2025 and they’ve brought over a squad that looks light on experience.Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling form key parts of Ireland’s line-up•AFP/Getty Images

Four of the 15 members – top-order batters Cade Carmichael and Stephen Doheny, allrounder Jordan Neill and left-arm seamer Liam McCarthy – are first-time call-ups. Legspinner Gavin Hoey, who has travelled with the team previously, is also uncapped.Ireland would depend heavily on captain Andy Balbirnie, and the experienced duo of Paul Stirling and Harry Tector. Others like Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine will also add value to the playing XI. If the newcomers can combine well with the established players, Ireland can spring a surprise against an almost similarly under-prepared Bangladesh.

Form guide

Bangladesh: LDWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland: WWWLL

In the spotlight: Najmul Hossain Shanto and Andy McBrineNajmul Hossain Shanto will continue as Bangladesh’s Test captain even though he stepped down after their last Test against Sri Lanka in June. Shanto said that he didn’t believe in a team having three different captains, but the BCB has convinced him to stay on till 2027. For a player who has always wanted long-term security, this could be a fresh start.Andy McBrine the only Ireland allrounder with 500 runs and 25 wickets in Test cricket. He will bat in the middle-order and bowl long spells of accurate offbreaks, both roles equally crucial to compete in the subcontinent. McBrine was Ireland’s best performer in their only Test this year, against Zimbabwe, when he earned the Player-of-the-Match award for scoring an unbeaten 90 and backing that up with four wickets. Ireland will expect him to continue the good form, and remember his six-for against Bangladesh in their last Test here, in 2023.

Team news: Murad, Hoey could make debuts

Bangladesh will swap out Anamul Haque with Mahmudul Hasan Joy who returns to the side. Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad could make his Test debut.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Hasan Murad, 10 Ebadot Hossain, 11 Hasan MahmudAmong Ireland’s uncapped players, batters Cade Carmichael and Stephen Doheny are prime candidates for the playing XI, while legspinner Gavin Hoey could also enter the fray.Ireland (probable): 1 Cade Carmichael/Stephen Doheny, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Curtis Campher, 4 Harry Tector, 5 Paul Stirling, 6 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7 Andy McBrine, 8 Barry McCarthy, 9 Craig Young, 10 Gavin Hoey, 11 Matthew Humphreys

Pitch and conditions: Batting first has advantages in Sylhet

Sides batting first average 266 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium which has been enough to win three out of four Tests at this venue. Bright sunshine and cooler late afternoon temperatures are expected in Sylhet.

Stats and trivia: Taijul needs ten for Bangladesh record

• Bangladesh have played 28 white-ball matches since their last Test in June. Ireland have played nine white-ball matches since their last Test in February.
• Taijul Islam is nine wickets short of Shakib Al Hasan’s 246 wickets, which is Bangladesh’s all-time highest among wicket-takers.
• Mominul Haque has the most centuries for Bangladesh, but his last one came in September last year.

For the first portion of Tuesday night's Blue Jays-Yankees showdown, it felt like Toronto was gonna run away with it and handily eliminate New York from the postseason in just three Division Series games, a prediction strongly supported by the Blue Jays' 6–1 lead after the top of the third.

But the pinstripes eventually battled back and not a moment too soon, fueled entirely by a well-timed and momentum-shifting three-run homer from Aaron Judge that tied the game. Shortly after, New York took the lead and didn't lose it again, ultimately forcing a Game 4 and keeping their postseason hopes alive for at least another day.

Adding some more grandeur to the victory, the night's five-run recovery is tied for the second-largest comeback in Yankees' postseason history, on par with the 2010 ALCS Game 1 and the 1997 ALDS Game 1 (both of which are series that New York would go on to lose), per MLB researcher Sarah Langs.

The team's largest postseason rally, however, came in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, which the Yanks won 8–6 vs. the Braves. They would then go on to win the championship that year in six games.

Outside of the Bronx, the largest comeback win to avoid postseason elimination specifically happened in Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS, when the Red Sox came back from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Rays and force a Game 6 (Tampa Bay would later eliminate Boston in Game 7).

After that, you have a six-run Cardinals rebound in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS, then various five-point rallies from the 2002 Angels (WS Game 6), the 1995 Mariners (ALDS Game 4), and—you guessed it—the 2025 Yankees in ALDS Game 3.

We'll see what the Yanks can pull off next come Game 4, slated for Wednesday, Oct. 8, with first pitch at 7:08 p.m. ET.

Bavuma and Esterhuizen also struck half-centuries in what was the sixth-highest successful chase in India

Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2025Connor Esterhuizen showcased his impressive game against spin in a bludgeoning 52 not out that helped South Africa A beat fading light to chase down 417 five wickets in hand against India A at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This was the highest fourth-innings chase in a first-class game in India since 2016, and the sixth-highest ever in the country.Esterhuizen’s innings comprised eight fours and a six, as he helped South Africa A convert a tricky chase in the final hour into a cruise. His unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Tiaan van Vuuren was worth 65 off just 52 balls.While Esterhuizen delivered the knockout blow to India A, the chase was set up by Lesego Senokwane and Jordan Hermann. The openers put on 156, much of it during the course of a wicketless morning session where they took the attack to Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.Even Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t spared, but it also helped South Africa A that he was far from his best on a surface that didn’t aid spin as much as he would have hoped for. With the surface showing no signs of breaking down, Kuldeep hardly found turn and was easily picked off as Senokwane and Hermann didn’t allow him to settle. When he went full, he was imperiously driven. When he bowled shorter, the turn was so slow that it gave batters enough time to play him comfortably off the back foot.Hermann did the early running when he hammered an off-colour Akash Deep for four boundaries – an off-drive, two cover drives, and a square drive behind point. He soon got to his half-century, off 73 deliveries. India A’s frustration stemmed from the edges not carrying. The lateral movement that was there on the first two days and a bit also went missing.Jordan Hermann scored 91•PTI

Senokwane soon followed suit, albeit sedately, getting to his half-century off 113 deliveries. Having played cautiously against the fast bowlers, he was severe on left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, whom he welcomed with a superb slog sweep. Hermann was equally punishing, using the paddle sweep as Dubey struggled to vary his pace – he was guilty of bowling too quickly.Hermann had a slice of luck on 66 when a rip-roaring bouncer that rushed him for pace lobbed off the glove only to land behind Rishabh Pant as he ran backwards. But even half-chances like those were far and few in between.Prasidh provided the breakthrough when Hermann smashed a full toss back towards the bowler. Fortunately for India A, it got stuck in Prasidh’s hand and Hermann had to walk back for 91. The wicket briefly fired India A’s seamers, Siraj, in particular, as he delivered a telling spell in the afternoon, beating Senokwane a handful of times and then exchanging some words with him.All that seemed to have affected Senokwane as he was lulled into a sweep that he missed and was lbw to Dubey on 77. This brought Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma to the crease – the only two batters from this squad to feature in the Test squad – and they added 107 for the third wicket to bring the target in the double digits.Having bagged a first-ball duck in the first innings, Bavuma was more sedate and copybook in his approach; Hamza was a bit more enterprising and looked to take the bowlers on from the get-go to make a push for the target.In between, India A had a scare when Siraj hurt himself trying to stop the ball at mid-off and immediately rushed off the field for treatment. Pant too didn’t keep for two sessions with Jurel taking over the gloves. It was established much later that the decision to take Pant off the field was keeping in mind the workload he has had over the past two games – with both bat and gloves.Hamza fell when he got an inside edge onto the stumps off Prasidh, and Bavuma fell soon after. India A had an opening with the visitors needing 89 when Marques Ackerman was bounced out by Siraj, only for replays to confirm the bowler had overstepped. Ackerman was eventually caught behind for 24 to bring Esterhuizen to the crease. The mood of the game changed considerably thereafter as he took the attack to Kuldeep and Dubey to seal victory in fading light.

The Champions League remains the pinnacle of the European game, showcasing the very best that the continent has to offer, both collectively and on an individual basis.

Paris Saint-Germain romped to the title in emphatic fashion last time around, yet with talisman – and Ballon d’Or winner – Ousmane Dembele seeing his impact limited this time around due to injury, who else is now leading the way instead?

Ranking factors

• Current form
• Importance to team
• Reputation and honours

50-41

A fair few new entrants to our top 50 this week, with Xavi Simons notably securing that final spot following his standout display against Slavia Prague, while Rayan Cherki also gets a nod following his stellar performance as Man City saw off Real Madrid.

Perhaps the performance of the week, at least from a Premier League perspective, came from Arsenal’s Noni Madueke, however, with the Englishman’s first of the night against Club Brugge an early contender for goal of the competition.

40-31

A fresh face also emerges in this next batch of names, with Bayern Munich’s teen sensation, Lennart Karl, deserving of a first inclusion, having now scored in three Champions League games in a row – the youngest player to have achieved that feat.

Elsewhere, Madueke’s ever-reliable teammate, David Raya, also surges up our list, having kept yet another clean sheet away at Brugge – his fifth in just six outings in this year’s edition.

30-21

It’s a bit of an Arsenal theme this week, with a word also needing to be said for Gabriel Martinelli, following his stunning second-half effort. The Brazilian speedster already has five goals in this season’s Champions League, despite making just three starts.

It also proved to be another positive outing for Bayer Leverkusen’s talisman, Alejandro Grimaldo, with the in-form left-footer denying Newcastle all three points late on in the BayArena.

20-11

The top 20 sees Anthony Gordon retain his place, having now scored five times himself this season, while Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez also deserves his own surge up this list after netting the opener against PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s shock defeat away to Atalanta sees Enzo Fernandez drop out of the top ten, with the Serie A side coming from behind to win 2-1 in Bergamo.

So, who is included in the top ten after match week five?

10

Pedri

Taking Enzo’s place in this top ten is Barcelona genius, Pedri, with the Spaniard again putting on a midfield clinic in the 2-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.

108 touches. 100% of his dribbles successfully completed. 100% of his tackles won. Need we say more?

9

Jurrien Timber

Heralded by some as the best right-back in the world after helping Arsenal beat Bayern at the end of November, Timber has showcased himself to be a phenomenal signing by the Gunners.

The Dutchman may have missed the clash with Brugge, but it would be harsh to dislodge him from his place in this top ten.

8

Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen has stormed into the top ten following his stunning hat-trick away at Ajax in match week four.

He didn’t play in game week five, and failed to fire this time around against Monaco, but still sits second in the scoring charts, now up to six goals from just four appearances in 2025/26.

7

Marcus Rashford

There can be a perceived lack of interest or importance placed on these league phase fixtures, although Marcus Rashford has already served up reasons to be entertained, notably lashing home that stunner at St James’ Park, while producing an early contender for assist of the season after picking out Ferran Torres against PSG.

With two more goals under his belt against Olympiacos, having also picked out Jules Kounde in stunning fashion in midweek, the 27-year-old is finally looking back to his brilliant best.

6

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich must be rubbing their hands with glee at having prised Michael Olise from Crystal Palace for ‘just’ £50m, with the France international going to new heights at the Allianz Arena.

With four goals and assists already in this year’s competition, the fleet-footed winger is already looking deadly again.

5

Declan Rice

Last season, Rice powered Arsenal to the Champions League semi-finals courtesy of two remarkable free-kicks against Real Madrid, deserving of the Puskas award. If you didn’t think he couldn’t get any better, think again.

He may have sat out Brugge through illness, although he memorably rocked up against Bayern Munich in match week five to deliver a virtuoso man-of-the-match display.

Is there a better midfielder in world football? Perhaps there’s one.

4

Vitinha

From struggling against Chorley in the FA Cup for Wolves, the Portuguese midfielder has come a long way since. He’s a Champions League winner and arguably delivered his finest performance in the competition to date against Tottenham in match week five, scoring a stunning hat-trick which included a cracking equaliser in the first half.

Thomas Frank remarked after the game that he is “the next Ballon d’Or winner”. Any complaints? Very few.

3

Harry Kane

The fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for one club, the England skipper is in the form of his life right now, notching up five goals already to kickstart his – and Bayern’s – bid for an elusive Champions League crown.

He was the finest player in the competition to date until he came up against Arsenal in match week five, having also failed to fire against Sporting in Bayern’s comeback 3-1 win.

2

Erling Haaland

Excluding the obvious duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the modern era hasn’t witnessed such a prolific presence as Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian already ripping it up in the new campaign.

A star for club and country, the 25-year-old arguably only ranks behind a certain Harry Kane as the continent’s finest number nine, scoring for the sixth time in the Champions League this season against Madrid.

1

Kylian Mbappe

Having somewhat upset the apple cart after joining then-holders Real Madrid last summer, Kylian Mbappe is back in the groove again under Xabi Alonso.

He may have missed the Man City clash through injury, but with nine goals in just five games, there’s no one better for the top spot.

Yamal this, Yamal that. The Frenchman is the greatest in the world right now.

Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 6, 2025

He’s bowled three overs in the powerplay in each of their first two games – a marked difference in how Bumrah’s overs are usually deployed

Shashank Kishore16-Sep-20259:02

Talking T20: How innovations in the format have evolved over time

Two games into their Asia Cup campaign, India have used Jasprit Bumrah differently from the norm.Instead of bowling the majority – or at least half – of his overs at the death, Bumrah has been given three of his four overs inside the powerplay in both matches. Against UAE, it may have been to get him acclimatised to match conditions, having been on a break since the fifth Test against England ended in the first week of August. But India repeated the tactic against Pakistan too.In 244 T20s prior to the Asia Cup, Bumrah had bowled three overs in the powerplay only 11 times, and not once in T20Is since 2019. For context, even in IPL 2025, he averaged just one over in this phase. India have gone spin-heavy in this Asia Cup, and by opting for batting until No. 8, they are playing just one specialist fast bowler with Hardik Pandya taking the new ball. The plan to front load Bumrah’s overs is for him cause the damage that Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy can capitalise on.Related

• Fun and banter but no drop in intensity at India training

• SKY: Spinners come prepared so things move 'on autopilot'

• Kuldeep, Axar and Abhishek lead India to thumping win

“We’re very happy using him as an attacking option,” captain Suryakumar Yadav had said after the seven-wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday. “If he picks two wickets, even if he bowls a tight spell of his overs, later on we can have a good cushion for all the spinners to come over and make our job a little easier.”With Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana on the bench, the question is who India will turn to at the death if stretched at the Asia Cup and Bumrah doesn’t have many overs left? If Arshdeep gets into the XI at some stage, he’s the obvious choice for the death overs, having made the role his own in Bumrah’s absence from the T20I side following the 2024 T20 World Cup.The other question is whether any of their opponents can stretch India at the Asia Cup? Their next game is against Oman in Abu Dhabi on Friday – a game of no consequence considering India have already qualified for the Super Four round.None of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel or Varun Chakravarthy are regular bowlers in the death overs. In T20Is since 2023, Kuldeep has bowled only 8% of his overs in this phase. For Varun it’s 4% and Axar 6%. While dew hasn’t been a factor so far, it could be later in the tournament, making it trickier for the spinners later in the evening.Jasprit Bumrah has bowled three overs in the powerplay in both matches at the Asia Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesOn Sunday, Shaheen Shah Afridi was able to score a career-best 33 off 16 balls at the death, lifting Pakistan to 127 when they had looked like being restricted for less. Kuldeep conceded seven runs in the 17th over, Varin 9 in the 18th, Bumrah 12 in the 19th and Hardik 16 in the final over.”I think Bumrah should bowl two overs with the new ball. That gives you flexibility later,” former India fast bowler Varun Aaron told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously, the spinners are bowling really well, but if one of them has an off day and you desperately need a wicket, Bumrah is the guy who can break through in the middle. Or be your death overs king.”When you hold him back for two overs at the end, you’re almost guaranteed he won’t go for more than 10 an over. Imagine a scenario where opponents need 50 off five overs. With only one Bumrah over to play [in the death], opponents can afford to play him out and still chase down 43 or 44. With two overs of Bumrah up their sleeve, the equation shifts dramatically.””Having said that, the team management must have thought it through, maybe believing he could get the top batters early by bowling three up front. But personally, I feel two at the start is ideal. Then you have the flexibility of either two at the death or splitting it one in the middle and one at the end. When it gets to the business end, they’ll probably switch to a 2-2 split.”

Beth Mead's early strike secured a vital Champions League victory for Arsenal on Tuesday, as the reigning European champions saw off Twente in a narrow but comfortable 1-0 win. It's a scoreline that doesn't reflect the dominance the Gunners enjoyed as they crept up the league-phase standings, moving to within one point of automatic qualification for the knockout rounds with one game left to play, while securing at least a play-off berth.

When Mead found the back of the net after 10 minutes, it felt like Arsenal could score quite a few. Two minutes before that, only some heroic Twente defending had prevented Mariona Caldentey, who fired not far off target even earlier on, and then Mead from scoring, with the Gunners' high and aggressive press working a treat and forcing the visitors into turning the ball over plenty in dangerous areas.

As it transpired, though, that would be the only goal of the game. It wasn't for a lack of trying; Alessia Russo would go close with three headers, including one which hit the bar late on, and the outstretched leg of Diede Lemey prevented her from scoring when she did get one on target. The goalkeeper's best save, however, might have been to prevent her own team-mate from netting an own goal, when she reacted brilliantly at her near post after Victoria Pelova's flick was inadvertently directed towards goal by Lieske Carleer.

Chances at the other end were few and far between, with Sophie Proost's header well over the bar, meaning the biggest scare Anneke Borbe, Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper, had in the home goal was when she was caught by the onrushing Eva Oude Elberink, almost forcing the Gunners to hand a senior debut to 17-year-old Amy Liddiard. Fortunately, with Daphne van Domselaar and Manuela Zinsberger already sidelined, Borbe was able to continue and preserve the clean sheet that ensured her team's victory, their second in a row after three games without one.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Anneke Borbe (6/10):

  Essentially a spectator for this one. Made just 13 touches all game and her only call to action saw her bravely dive at the feet of Oude Elberink when she was put through one-on-one.

  Taylor Hinds (6/10):

  Another solid, if unspectacular, performance from one of England's most recent debutantes.

  Lotte Wubben-Moy (7/10):

  Calm and composed in possession and assured in her defending, helping the Gunners to restrict Twente to little in attack.

  Steph Catley (7/10):

  A little looser in possession than her centre-back partner, but only just. Always switched on and helped organise the defence well.

  Katie McCabe (7/10):

  Provided some quality service with that left foot of hers and nearly got on the scoresheet, too, through a clever free-kick.

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  Midfield

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (7/10):

  Started a little sloppily but got better as the game went on, showing plenty on both sides of the ball and delivering some good set pieces.

  Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

  Moved the ball well enough in deeper areas and looked a real goal threat early on, but her accuracy on the ball dropped off in the final third. 

  Victoria Pelova (7/10):

  Set up essentially as a second striker out of possession and was crucial to Arsenal's high press working so well.

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  Attack

  Beth Mead (8/10):

  Made the decisive contribution just 10 minutes in and could've added to her tally were it not for some heroic Twente defending. A classy display.

  Alessia Russo (6/10):

  Had several chances but couldn't find the back of the net, hitting the bar and forcing a good save out of the goalkeeper with her best efforts. She was able to get involved still with some nice moments in Arsenal's build-up play, though.

  Olivia Smith (7/10):

  Caused Twente all sorts of problems with her quick feet and direct approach, getting kicked plenty for her troubles. Unlucky to be booked for a good tackle.

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  Subs & Manager

  Caitlin Foord (6/10):

  Full of running down the left, delivering a couple of great balls in her 30 minutes or so on the pitch.

  Frida Maanum (7/10):

  Provided a real goal threat after coming on before the hour and created for others, too, in an impactful performance.

  Kim Little (6/10):

  Added plenty of energy to the middle of the park, aiding defence and attack.

  Emily Fox (N/A):

  Helped Arsenal see the win out as a late sub.

  Stina Blackstenius (N/A):

  Only came on in stoppage time.

  Renee Slegers (7/10):

  Set up her team to press Twente aggressively and it worked a treat, leading to the only goal of the game. Subs were proactive to ensure the levels didn't drop and her team could see the win out.