Rachel Trenaman backed up her first-innings 77 with an unbeaten 58, as she and Charli Knott stood firm to stumps to hamper England A’s victory hopes in the unofficial women’s Test at Cricket Central.By the close, Australia A led by 115 runs with seven wickets standing, with Trenaman and Knott (40 not out) unbeaten in a 69-run stand for the fourth wicket.Related

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Earlier, England A had been bowled out for 407, a lead of 64, with Paige Scholfield converting her overnight 138 to an innings of 164 before she edged Tess Flintoff to Nicole Faltum midway through the morning session, shortly after overhauling Australia A’s first innings of 343.Jodi Grewcock had already top-edged a pull to fine leg off Maitlan Brown to fall for 32, and England pushed their total past 400 thanks to some handy contributions from the tail, not least Georgia Davis, who was last out for 23 as she drove a return catch to give Lilly Mills her second wicket of the innings.In reply, Australia A started confidently through Tahlia Wilson and Maddy Darke, who added 32 for the first wicket before Darke pulled Alexa Stonehouse to Grace Potts at fine leg for 18.Wilson then fell with Australia still in arrears, as she cut Potts to Scholfield at point, and when Anika Learoyd missed a sweep off Mady Villiers to be pinned lbw for 29, England sensed a chance to turn the screw at 110 for 3.Trenaman and Knott, however, backed up their first-innings efforts, to leave everything to play for going into the final day on Tuesday.

Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness has not minced words about the club's "risky" decision to sell star striker Nick Woltemade late in the summer window without securing a replacement. The decision to sell the forward late in the summer transfer window has resulted in a drop in quality, the coach argued. With top scorer Ermedin Demirovic now sidelined by injury, Hoeness says the task has become "significantly more challenging".

Stuttgart still coping with Nick Woltemade's last-minute sale

Woltemade joined Necastle this summer in a deal worth £69 million (€79m/$91m) after Stuttgart rejected multiple bids from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich. Now two months into the campaign, Stuttgart head coach Hoeness has not fully come to terms with losing star striker Woltemade. The 48-year-old, who had earlier criticised the club selling the striker late in the window, calling it a "bitter loss," now claims they have not found his replacement yet. The Bundesliga club are missing Woltemade's goal-scoring prowess and are finding it hard to convert chances this season, with most of their league wins coming by a one-goal margin, compounded by a 2-0 loss against Basel in the Europa League.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHoeness calls out club for "risky" Woltemade sale

Hoeness is clearly unimpressed by losing his team's ferocity in front of goal this season. The Stuttgart boss claims there was always a risk associated with the deal, and having failed to find his replacement, the campaign has become more challenging for him and his team.

"It's not about whether my fears were confirmed. We all knew that we were taking a risk by selling Nick and the Hyeon Gyu Oh transfer not coming to fruition," Hoeness said in an interview with . 

He further explains the club's failed plan to rely on backup striker Ermedin Demirovic: "There was great hope that he would make it through the season, as has been the case in recent years. But injuries are unfortunately a part of competitive sport.

"[Demirovic] is the only true centre-forward in the squad. For us, this means that we as a coaching staff have to work with the players on solutions. We were already doing this before Medo's absence due to the large number of games, but now the task is obviously significantly more challenging."

Speaking about losing Woltemade, the coach says: "I've always said that I could understand the financial implications of selling Nick. But I'm not a bank director, I'm a coach. Of course, the sporting quality of the squad is paramount. It was clear that we would lose a lot of quality by selling Nick, especially since his striker profile is so exceptional. We all recognised the need to sign a replacement for Nick, but unfortunately, the transfer couldn't be realised at this late stage for the reasons already explained."

Injury concerns further puts pressure on Hoeness

Despite a slight dip in form compared to last season, Stuttgart remains competitive, currently sitting fourth in the Bundesliga with three wins and two losses, having maintained a decent attacking output of eight goals in six league matches. However, the club is grappling with significant offensive challenges: the departure of key player Woltemade to Newcastle has left a noticeable gap in the attack after his 12-goal contribution last season, placing pressure on the remaining forwards. Adding to this trouble, top scorer Demirovic, who has scored three goals this season, is now sidelined for up to eight weeks with a fractured metatarsal. Without both Woltemade and their current leading striker, coach Hoeness must rely heavily on other attacking options and greater tactical flexibility to maintain Stuttgart's competitiveness during this critical transition and injury period.

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Getty ImagesCan Stuttgart compete at the top level without Woltemade?

Stuttgart face a tough test this season as they continue to adjust to the losses in the frontline. The German club's upcoming challenges include matches against Wolfsburg, Fenerbahce and Mainz. How head coach Hoeness manages these challenges tactically and keeps the team competitive will be vital, as consistency is paramount in this crucial phase of the season.

“There is a lot of responsibility and soul-searching and it certainly starts with me at the top, 100%”

Alagappan Muthu25-Apr-20253:11

Did CSK get it wrong at the auction?

Following a seventh defeat in nine games in IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming traced their struggles back to the auction.”It is hard to say we got it completely right with the performances that we have had,” he said after CSK’s batting struggled once again to put up a decent total against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They were bowled out for 154 and lost by five wickets. “So we have been looking over that in detail just around our style of play. Also looking at how the game is evolving.Related

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“And it is not easy. And that is why we are proud of our record today. We have been able to be consistent for so long and it doesn’t take much for it to go another way. Other teams have got better and that is the point of the auction. But we just haven’t been able to get it right.”CSK had tried to compensate for that by using players outside of their usual roles, having Ravindra Jadeja bat up the order, using Shivam Dube as a finisher, trying R Ashwin in the powerplay and asking MS Dhoni to bat a lot longer than he is able to given he is 43 years old and his knees aren’t perfectly right.”So you take responsibility from the top down and then you just ask a little more of the players,” Fleming said. “But yeah, that has to be an area where we need to reflect and say it wasn’t as good as what it could have been or it hasn’t worked out how we wanted.”Stephen Fleming felt Dewald Brevis was ‘excellent’ on his CSK debut•PTI

CSK are at the bottom of the table on run-rates and boundaries hit and are near the top of the table on dot-ball percentage. They came into this game having used 20 of 27 players and here they handed Dewald Brevis a debut and pushed their youngest ever player, Ayush Mhatre, up to open the batting. Unlike in past seasons, when CSK assembled numerous champion teams filled with players with clearly defined roles, they have been unable to settle on a combination this season.”It is also not perfect science,” Fleming said. “The auction is a very fluid beast. It’s like buying [for] 25 hours and see it come away at the end of it mentally and sometimes physically exhausted. And to be fair, I still think we have got a good squad. We are not far away.”A couple of key injuries, just a bit of a lack of form. And we have just struggled really to nail a gameplan. We’ve chopped and changed too much. I think it was trying to look for something that perhaps we felt wasn’t there. So yeah, there is a lot of responsibility and soul-searching and it certainly starts with me at the top, 100%”There is a feeling that CSK are too set in their ways – preferring experienced players, structuring their innings to start slow and finish strong – and this season might be pushing them towards new ways of thinking.”I’m a believer that the game hasn’t evolved that much,” Fleming said. “So just trying to be smart and trying to be positive and give evidence that percentages still work. But all around there is a bit of chaos, isn’t there, with teams playing well [by targeting boundaries and playing high-risk shots]. And I think I said it in a grumpy interview a few weeks ago that we’ll see towards the end of the tournament which team will come through.’When they come to play for Chennai, one of the things they look forward to is being yellow in front of a yellow crowd’•AFP/Getty Images

“And it’s an intriguing watch to see settled sides and teams with younger sort of flair battling it out and watching the cream rise. And I will watch with interest to see towards the end what the highest run-scorers are and what teams are doing well, because that’s part of the reflection as you move forward.”Some of that has already begun. “We’ve tried to bolt things on all the time,” Fleming said. “I thought Brevis was excellent today [making 42 off 25]. Mhatre has been refreshing. We’ve given guys opportunities and that’s something that often doesn’t come along in an IPL. You don’t want it to come along. It’s an unwanted bonus. So we’ll work very hard on every game to try and find some more answers for next year.”A strong crowd turned up in Chennai once again, just as they have all around the country to watch CSK play even though they have been struggling this season.”Well, we are aware of the support and it is not just at home, it extends throughout India,” Fleming said “We understand the effect that MS Dhoni has with our support, but when we see the amount of yellow that turns up game after game, certainly here at Chepauk, but when we are around the country experiencing that, there is a responsibility that we feel and it is a heavy one. And to not reward that with performances weighs very heavy on the group.”When they come to play for Chennai, one of the things they look forward to is being yellow in front of a yellow crowd and to not perform up to our expectations, but more importantly the fans’ expectations, leaves us very empty.”

2025 US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz has weighed in on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, revealing which football ‘GOAT’ he is inspired by.

Alcaraz wins sixth major title in New York

Alcaraz picked up the sixth major title of his career with a victory in the US Open final against long-time rival Jannik Sinner on Sunday, winning the competition for the second time.

The Spaniard defeated Sinner 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the presence of Donald Trump, with the US president’s attendance causing the final to be delayed, before eventually starting in front of thousands of empty seats due to ramped-up security measures outside.

The 22-year-old may have a rivalry with the Italian on the court, but he took the time to praise the runner-up after clinching the victory in New York City.

Away from tennis, the World No.1 is well-known to be an avid supporter of Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants taking the time to congratulate the star on his recent success in the USA.

As such, it is no surprise Alcaraz’s list of the top five footballers of all-time may be considered a little Real Madrid-centric, with Ronaldo making the list, alongside Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Ronaldinho and Neymar, with Messi being omitted entirely.

The tennis star also said: “I love Cristiano Ronaldo. The confidence he has is unbelievable. He always believes in himself. When I hear he is the first player to go to training and the last one to go home, that shows the hard worker he is and that inspires me a lot.”

Ronaldo has one last chance to reignite GOAT debate

In many people’s minds, the GOAT debate was already settled prior to the 2022 World Cup, given that the Inter Miami star eclipses the Portugal legend in terms of Ballon d’Ors, but Argentina’s triumph out in Qatar arguably ended the conversation.

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With the Al-Nassr star now 40-years-old, the 2026 World Cup will almost certainly be his last, meaning he has one final opportunity to lead Portugal to glory, which would perhaps mean there is a debate there to be had once again.

Albeit in Saudi Arabia, the record-breaking 222-time Portugal international is showing few signs of slowing down, despite his age, maintaining a fantastic goal-scoring record throughout the three previous seasons he has spent with Al-Nassr in the Gulf state.

Ronaldo in Saudi

League appearances

Goals

2022-23

16

14

2023-24

31

35

2024-25

30

25

However, given that Messi led Argentina to 2022 World Cup glory, and has three more Ballon d’Ors to his name, it has become much more difficult to make a case for Ronaldo, and Alcaraz’s preference is likely due to the fact he is a Real Madrid supporter.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي نتيجة مباراة بيراميدز ونظيره التأمين الإثيوبي، في إطار منافسات ذهاب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

والتقى فريق بيراميدز مع نظيره التأمين الإثيوبي، في السادسة مساء اليوم على ملعب الدفاع الجوي، في ذهاب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتعادل فريق بيراميدز مع التأمين الإثيوبي بهدف لكل منهما، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم الأحد.

تقدم فريق بيراميدز بالهدف الأول في مرمى التأمين الإثيوبي في الدقيقة 12 من الشوط الأول، بعد خطأ دفاعي، ليمرر وليد الكرتي عرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء ويقابلها فيستون مايلي بتسديدة في الشباك، لينتهي الشوط الأول بتقدم الفريق السماوي بهدف نظيف. 

الشوط الثاني كانت بداياته هادئة من جانب بيراميدز، ولكن في الدقيقة 75 كاد مهند لاشين أن يتقدم بالهدف الثاني في مرمى التأمين الإثيوبي، بعد تسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء تمر بجوار المرمى.

طالع | الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا (محدث باستمرار)

وفي الدقيقة 83، من هجمة منظمة لفريق التأمين الإثيوبي من منتصف الملعب، وفي تحول هجومي مميز من لاعبي الفريق الإثوبي، ليدرك الفريق التعادل في مرمى بيراميدز من تسديدة رائعة خارج منطقة الجزاء تسكن شباك أحمد الشناوي.

وفي الدقيقة 85، كاد أن يتقدم بيراميدز بالهدف الثاني في مرمى التأمين الإثيوبي، ولكن رأسية وليد الكرتي يتصدى لها حارس مرمى التأمين الإثيوبي ببراعة. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز والتأمين الإثيوبي اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وبذلك، التعادل، ستكون مباراة العودة المقرر لها يوم الخميس المقبل، هي الحاسمة للتأهل إلي دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وستقام مباراة العودة، يوم الخميس 30 أكتوبر الجاري، على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة أيضًا، ذلك ووفقًا لاتفاق الناديين بإقامة المباراتين ذهابًا وإيابًا في القاهرة.

تجدر الإشارة إلي أن المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، يعد الفريق الإثيوبي هو المستضيف للقاء، حيث يكفي بيراميدز التعادل سلبيًا للتأهل في مباراة العودة.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin is under immense pressure heading into the clash with Hibernian at Ibrox in the latest round of the League Cup.

It feels like a huge game for the former Scotland international after a tricky start to life in Glasgow, losing 2-0 to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox last weekend.

As the title of the highlights above suggests, the pressure is mounting on the Rangers manager due to the poor start to the season, with no wins in their first five league games.

The Scottish giants were also knocked out of the Champions League at the play-off phase with a 9-1 defeat to Club Brugge, which did little to help supporters warm to the new head coach.

On top of the poor results on the pitch, both domestically and in Europe, Martin has ousted Nicolas Raskin from the first-team squad for the last two matches.

The Belgium international did not feature at all in the 0-0 draw with Celtic or the 2-0 defeat to Hearts either side of the international break, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will get any minutes against Hibernian this weekend, although it has been confirmed that he will be a part of the squad.

Why Russell Martin is making a mistake with Nicolas Raskin

Before the defeat to Hearts, Martin said: “Nico is back training with the group but he won’t be in the squad. He has a duty to make sure he earns the trust of all his other team-mates.”

Of course, we are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes. Martin could be in the wrong. Raskin could be in the wrong. Both parties could be in the wrong. What is for sure, though, is that this situation does not benefit the football club.

Legendary Rangers striker Ally McCoist said “you cannot bite your nose off to spite your face” when asked about the situation with the midfielder. He is spot on.

Raskin has proven that he can be a difference-maker for the Gers, as shown in the clip above, after a return of five goals and 11 assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Rangers have scored two goals in their last five matches in all competitions, failing to score in any of their last three, and this shows that they are lacking his quality in possession at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

33

12

Tackles per game

2.8

3.7

Interceptions per game

0.6

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

7.4

Ground duel success rate

57%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin also brings defensive quality to the pitch that could have helped the Gers in their 2-0 loss to Hearts and the first half against Club Brugge, when they conceded five before only letting in one with him on the pitch in the second half.

Ultimately, performances and results have not been good enough for Rangers. Another loss, particularly if Raskin is not involved as a starter, should force the board to part ways with the boss.

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With this in mind, Kevin Thelwell and the board must consider swooping to appoint Kevin Muscat, whose contract at SH Port expires at the end of this year, per Transfermarkt.

Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson described the English-born head coach as a “perfect” choice and one the fans have “wanted” for several seasons earlier this month. He has been linked with the Ibrox post in previous years as well.

Why Rangers should appoint Kevin Muscat

Unless Martin can turn things around, starting against Hibernian on Saturday, the Light Blues should fire their head coach to appoint Muscat because he could resurrect Raskin’s Ibrox career and get the team back on track this season.

Above all else, the 52-year-old manager has proven that he can win trophies. He has won a league title and a domestic cup with SH Port, on top of two league titles and one cup with Melbourne Victory and one league title and a super cup with Yokohama F. Marinos, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that he knows how to build teams that can win major trophies. Perhaps the most impressive part of his record is that he has done it in three different countries: Australia, Japan, and China. This shows that he can adapt to different cultures and ways of playing and still build a side to win consistently.

2025 (24)

2.13

2nd

2024 (30)

2.60

1st

2023 (34)

1.88

2nd

2022 (34)

2.00

1st

2021 (18)

1.83

2nd

As you can see in the table above, Muscat has won two league titles in the last four seasons, and still has six games left of the current campaign to make it three in four.

Rangers could tempt him to give up on a chance to turn things around and win the league title with SH Port by offering him the job at Ibrox, should they decide to part ways with Martin.

As well as being a winning manager, Muscat also has a style of play that could get the best out of Raskin. The aforementioned Kai Watson claimed that the manager plays “fast attacking football” with “relentless pressing”.

This suggests that he would be the perfect head coach to get the best out of Raskin because that combines the two parts of his game that he thrives on, fast attacking play and pressing to win possession back.

As aforementioned, the Belgium international is a creative midfielder who can set his teammates up for high-quality chances on a regular basis, but he is also a combative and tenacious defender who wants to get stuck in and win the ball back high up the pitch.

Putting him in Muscat’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, per Transfermarkt, could allow him to thrive both in and out of possession at Ibrox once again, rather than having to sit at the base of a ball-dominant Martin side that does not give him as much freedom to burst forward or to get up the pitch to be combative off the ball.

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Therefore, Rangers could revive Raskin’s Ibrox career by firing the underperforming Martin and appointing a head coach whose system and style would maximize the midfielder’s potential, while also enhancing the team’s overall winning culture.

Glasgow Rangers have struggled to score goals in the Scottish Premiership under Russell Martin so far this season, with three goals scored in five matches.

Only Aberdeen, who have failed to score any goals in their four outings in the division, have scored fewer goals than the Light Blues, which speaks to how impotent they have been in the final third in the opening weeks of the campaign.

It is not good enough, hence why the Gers have not picked up a single win yet, and Martin must find a way to get his strikers firing in front of goal if he wants to turn his fortunes around at Ibrox.

How the strikers have performed for Rangers this season

None of the club’s centre-forward options have got off the mark in the Premiership so far this season for the Light Blues, which is a cause for concern.

Highest xG for Rangers strikers this season

25/26 Premiership

xG

Goals

Bojan Miovski

0.55

0

Danilo

0.5

0

Cyriel Dessers

0.0

0

Youssef Chermiti

0.0

0

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, only Bojan Miovski and Danilo have accrued any xG, as Dessers did not before his exit, and Chermiti has only had a cameo against Hearts so far.

This suggests that Rangers need to create more for their strikers, or that the strikers need to start making better runs, because they do not have a reliable goalscorer at the moment.

Given their lack of potency up front, Rangers may still regret the fact that Michael Beale and the club allowed Alfredo Morelos to move on from Ibrox on a free transfer.

Rangers fumbled their own Harry Kane

Back in 2019, former Light Blues striker Jermaine Defoe compared the Colombia international to his former teammate Harry Kane, who went on to become Tottenham Hotspur and England’s all-time top scorer, with 280 goals for Spurs and 74 for England, per Transfermarkt.

Defoe told the Daily Record: “I remember at Tottenham, when we had Harry Kane as a youngster, he went out on loan to different clubs. I remember saying to one of the players that I believed he should play more and that, at some point, he would go on to score a lot of goals for this football club.

“What he has done is unbelievable and Alfredo’s got that. He’s a goalscorer. When you’re a goalscorer, you score goals at any level in any league.”

Morelos certainly was a goalscorer. The prolific forward scored 30 goals in 48 matches in the 2018/19 campaign, per Transfermarkt, which led to that comparison to Kane from Defoe, and rightly so after that incredible return.

He went on to score 124 goals and provide 67 assists in 269 appearances in all competitions for Rangers, per Transfermarkt. This shows that he was consistently reliable in front of goal for the Scottish giants.

Morelos, whose physicality was hailed by former boss Steven Gerrard, recorded 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, which turned out to be his final season at the club.

The Colombian number nine’s contract at Ibrox expired in the summer 2023 and Beale, who was the manager at the time, did not offer him a new contract at the club.

Beale decided to go in a different direction with the striker department at the club, signing Sam Lammers, Danilo, and Dessers after releasing Morelos, who was the club’s own version of Kane.

Two years on, Lammers and Dessers have been sold by Rangers and Danilo currently finds himself behind Miovski and Chermiti in the pecking order to be the first-choice number nine at Ibrox.

This suggests that Beale had a howler by deciding not to attempt to convince Morelos to stay at Ibrox because he was a proven goalscorer who had shown that he could score goals at an impressive rate for the Gers in Scotland.

Instead, the manager released a pure goalscorer, who was like Kane, and went with a clutch of strikers who failed to bring success, with no league titles won, back to Ibrox in the last two years.

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You could forgive Liverpool supporters for having been concerned that Jurgen Klopp’s departure in the summer of 2024 would lead to a period of decline at Anfield.

The German led the club back to glory during his spell that lasted more than nine years, winning the Premier League and the Champions League during his tenure.

You only have to look at Arsenal and Manchester United since the departures of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson to see how an exit like that can be tough to recover from, as neither of those clubs have won a Premier League title without Wenger or Ferguson.

However, Arne Slot arrived from Feyenoord to replace Klopp in the dugout and hit the ground running by winning the league title in his first year at Anfield.

The Dutch head coach was a breath of fresh air in the Premier League last season with his side’s gung-ho approach to matches. They were incredibly fun to watch.

One of the players who has benefitted the most from the managerial change from Klopp to Slot is defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has been transformed over the past 18 months or so.

How Arne Slot saved Ryan Gravenberch's Liverpool career

Liverpool signed the Netherlands international from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 to bolster their options in the middle of the park, but he endured a frustrating first season at Anfield.

Gravenberch only started 12 of his 26 appearances in the Premier League under Klopp and mainly played as the left-sided central midfielder, tasked with getting forward to support the attack.

It was a role that did not suit the Dutch midfielder and his performances in that position led to his future at Anfield being thrown into doubt. Turkish giants Galatasaray were even linked with a move for his services in April 2024.

However, Slot’s arrival at the club later that summer saved Gravenberch’s career at the club, because the head coach correctly profiled where he would be best, at the base of the midfield as a number six.

Appearances (starts)

26 (12)

37 (37)

Pass accuracy

83%

89%

Assists

0

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.5

3.4

Clearances per game

0.4

1.5

Ground duel success rate

47%

56%

Aerial duel success rate

42%

65%

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman started all 37 of his appearances in the Premier League after being moved to a defensive midfield role, and his statistics show that it was a tactical move that paid off in a big way.

Gravenberch started all 49 of his appearances in the 2024/25 campaign for the Reds and earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year for his performances as a number six.

The 23-year-old star looks set to be a key player for Slot and Liverpool for many more years to come, after a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign with two goals and two assists so far, per Sofascore.

As well as having the man himself, Liverpool also have an impressive teenage central midfielder who has the potential to be a homegrown version of Gravenberch in the future.

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Trey Nyoni started in the middle of the park for the Reds against Championship side Southampton on Tuesday night and the contrast in his performance in the first half to the second half was akin to Gravenberch’s development throughout his career at Anfield.

Why Trey Nyoni may be Liverpool's next number eight

As an academy graduate who plays in central midfield, the 18-year-old star may have his eyes set on grabbing the number eight shirt from Dominik Szoboszlai in the future.

The Hungary international is the star who currently wears it, but it was academy graduate Steven Gerrard who really gave it meaning with his 186 goals in 710 matches for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Nyoni has mainly donned the number eight shirt at youth level for Liverpool, which suggests that he is a fan of the number, and as a homegrown talent from the academy, he may want to emulate even a small percentage of what Gerrard achieved with the number eight shirt at Anfield.

Despite this, it is the number six position where Nyoni’s future may lie after what he showed on the pitch against Southampton in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

The England U19 international started the game as a number ten behind Alexander Isak, but did not look suited to playing that position. However, when Curtis Jones came off for Conor Bradley after 57 minutes, Nyoni dropped deeper and took control of the game.

Minutes

90

Pass accuracy

96%

Passes completed

43/45

Key passes

0

Duels won

2/4

Clearances

3

Blocks

1

Tackles + interceptions

3

Dribbled past per game

0x

As you can see in the table above, his statistics looked much more like what you would expect from a defensive midfielder than a number ten, playmaker, type.

Nyoni did not register any shots on target or create any chances for his team whilst playing as a number ten, but his defensive contributions and reliability as a passer when dropped into a deep-lying role proved that he has a future as a number six.

As Liverpool-focused writer Lewis Bower noted after the match, the 18-year-old talent looked far more “influential” when he dropped into a deeper midfield position, rather than as an attacking midfielder.

His metronomic passing in the middle of the park coupled with his defensive strength suggests that he may have the potential to develop into the next Gravenberch in the future, as he is five years younger than the Dutchman.

Gravenberch’s Liverpool career took lift-off after being moved from an attacking or central midfield position to being a number six. Nyoni’s attributes suggest that a similar positional change could forge a future for him in the first-team at Anfield.

That could, therefore, set him on his path to earn the number eight shirt at Liverpool, as he looks to follow in Gerrard’s footsteps from the academy to first-team fame.

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ByDan Emery Sep 24, 2025

Arjun Menon, Cricket Malawi’s operations director, has died aged 48. Police are reported to be investigating the circumstances of his death in Blantyre, Malawi’s financial and commercial capital, on Sunday.Menon played for Singapore and held coaching roles with various international teams including Chile, Botswana, Indonesia and Singapore before taking on the Malawi role in 2020.”As Cricket Malawi, we are devastated by this loss because Arjun did so much to the our transformative agenda,” Vivek Ganesan, the president of Cricket Malawi, told . “All the successes we have so far are attributed to him. This is a very painful loss.”Dr. Henry Kamata, CEO of the Malawi National Council of Sports, also conveyed his condolences in a statement. “Arjun was a dedicated coach and a passionate advocate for the development of cricket in Malawi,” he said. “His contributions to the sport were immense and far-reaching, playing a pivotal role in the growth and success of the Malawi cricket team on regional and international platforms.”His commitment, professionalism, and vision were truly inspirational, and his loss is a devastating blow to the sporting fraternity in Malawi and beyond.”During Menon’s tenure, the Malawi men’s team were runners-up behind Tanzania in Group A of the T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier in September 2024. The Under-19 women’s team, meanwhile, topped Division 2 of the 2025 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, gaining entry to Division 1 where they achieved a seventh-place finish.

In one of his final acts as chairman, Daniel Levy signed Mathys Tel in a cut-price £30 million deal for Tottenham, but it’s been far from plain sailing for the Frenchman thus far.

Initially, Spurs agreed a £45 million buy-option in the January loan deal which saw him join from Bayern Munich. However, Levy managed to re-negotiate a lesser fee to make Tel the Lilywhites’ first signing of the summer bar Kevin Danso.

The arrival of Bayern’s former prodigy brought plenty of excitement with it, especially after Julian Nagelsmann once tipped the 20-year-old to bag 40 goals a season one day.

Whilst Tel garnered a fearsome reputation as a hot commodity during his time in Bavaria, it’s been a mixed start to life in north London.

He grabbed back-to-back Premier League goals against Southampton and Wolves in April last season, and an assist against both West Ham and Brighton, but is yet to get off the mark since Thomas Frank took charge.

Tel also missed a penalty in the UEFA Super Cup shoot-out against PSG, with Frank ultimately sacrificing the forward for Europe by omitting him from Spurs’ 22-man Champions League squad alongside the likes of Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Mathys Tel’s career at Tottenham so far in all competitions	Stats
Appearances	24
Goals	3
Assists	2
Bookings	3
Minutes played	1,366
via Transfermarkt

He therefore won’t be eligible to make a single Champions League appearance until after the league phase, if they even get that far, with pundit John Wenham suggesting that the north Londoners may be regretting the type of deal they’ve secured for Tel.

Tottenham could be regretting Mathys Tel deal as "frustrating" claim made

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham hints that Tottenham will be looking back on the permanent deal for Tel with hindsight, asking themselves whether they should’ve just gone for another loan.

Of course, there is still time for him to come good, and that is far more likely than not.

Why Mathys Tel could prove people wrong at Tottenham

Tel is still raw, but Frank has been very impressed by the attacker since his Champions League snub, not least for a hard-working display against West Ham.

The France Under-21 starlet’s main strengths lie in his athleticism and versatility. Comfortable through the middle or out wide, he gives Frank multiple options in attack. His pace allows him to stretch defences, while his ability to play with his back to goal offers a different profile to Spurs’ other forwards. That adaptability will be key in a side competing across several competitions this season.

His finishing, movement and composure are still maturing, but those are qualities that can sharpen with experience.