Tyler Morton scored his first goal for Lyon to secure a 1-0 victory and continue his bright start to life in Ligue 1. The former Liverpool midfielder, making his return after serving a suspension for a red card against Rennes, praised coach Paulo Fonseca for his tactics and highlighted team-mate Nicolas Tagliafico’s assist for the decisive strike.
Morton’s winner against Lille
Morton, making a box-crashing run into Lille’s penalty area, slipped between two defenders to finish off Tagliafico’s cross. It was his first game back from suspension after being sent off in Lyon’s 3-1 defeat to Rennes, where he had received a red card for what he described as a typically ‘English’ tackle.
AdvertisementMorton's praise for coach and teammates
In his post-match interview, Morton praised coach Fonseca for the clearly defined roles within the team, saying: "The coach helps us enormously with tactics. Everyone knows exactly what they have to do and when they have to do it."
He also credited Tagliafico for his assist and explained the reasoning behind his celebration: "Nico gave me an incredible cross, I'm very happy. I also remembered that there were the fans, so I went to celebrate in front of them."
Taking to Instagram afterwards, he wrote: "Massive 3 points away against difficult opposition! We fought until the end thanks to our fans. A very proud moment to score my first goal for this club."
Morton’s praise for Klopp
Morton left Liverpool at the end of the summer window to join Lyon in search of playing time after current coach Arne Slot. However, he was full of praise for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who believed in him, handed him his league and Champions League debuts, and sent him out on loan to aid his development.
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Getty Images SportMorton’s mid-week test against Salzburg
Morton hopes to use his time at Lyon to further develop his game after a lack of minutes stalled his progress at Liverpool. His goal will have given him a confidence boost, and he will now be eager to face RB Salzburg on Thursday in the Europa League.
Aston Villa have been limited by the Premier League’s ill-famed Profit and Sustainability rules this summer, but Unai Emery remains in charge and the club have spent wisely to ensure they have the tools to tackle the season ahead.
And while roadblocks have been swerved over the past few months, with the recent £40m sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United an example of how the Midlands outfit have been hamstrung this term, one or two further additions may yet be made before the September 1st deadline.
That sale, poignant as it is, could lead to the signing of Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, with Emery personally driving the potential deal. He’s full of untapped potential, but the Spanish tactician might just be the perfect man to lift him toward that high ceiling.
But it’s not just the frontline Emery is mulling over, with a deal in the works for a new defensive player too.
Aston Villa eyeing new defender
Aston Villa welcomed 19-year-old centre-back Yasin Ozcan to their fold this summer after a pre-contract agreement, but the former Kasimpasa star has headed straight out on loan to Anderlecht.
However, a right-sided and versatile player remains of interest to the Villans, with Emery interested in signing an up-and-comer skilled across defence and in a number six berth.
Indeed, according to Foot Mercato, Villa have been buoyed in their summer-long bid to sign teenager Jaydee Canvot after the Toulouse star rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia, and may be preparing a new offer for him in the final days of the window.
Jaydee Canvot in action for Toulouse against PSG.
The £17m-rated youngster has already been the subject of one Aston Villa bid this summer, and it would appear Emery is persisting in his chase, and maybe that will pay off.
Why Villa want Jaydee Canvot
Canvot only broke into Toulouse’s senior set-up last season, starting 12 Ligue 1 matches in total, having featured for only five minutes across the opening 15 fixtures of the term.
Shifting between central defence and an anchoring midfield role, Canvot showed why there’s such excitement around him, assuredly completing 87% of his passes and also completing 70% of his dribbles, denoting control and purpose when carrying the ball forward.
His precision and adeptness in reading the game suggest he would be perfect for life in the Premier League, already framed at 6 foot 2 besides.
This versatile defensive style even suggests that Canvot could emulate his countryman Boubacar Kamara and play a similar role at Villa Park. Data-driven platform FBref has actually recorded Kamara to be one of Canvot’s most statistically similar players, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90.
Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara in action with Club Brugge's ArdonJashari
His passing and natural predilection for forward play further underscore his potential in Emery’s system, and that also substantiates the claim that he could be the next version of Kamara, who has been described by the boss in the past as being “very important” to the side’s build-up and link-up play.
However, the 25-year-old has suffered his share of injury problems since joining Aston Villa from Marseille in 2022, and so while Canvot would replicate him in jumping to England over the Channel and settling in Aston, Birmingham, he would also ease the worries around another setback to Kamara, providing a similar presence and absorbing the fruits of his more experienced peer’s teachings.
Boubacar Kamara – Aston Villa Career (by season)
Season
Apps
Games Injured
25/26
1
0
24/25
42
14
23/24
30
20
22/23
26
8
Data via Transfermarkt
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has noted that Canvot is “viewed as a [sic] top prospect,” and Villa would provide him with the perfect nurturing ground to grow into his skin and reach the level of first-team stars such as Kamara.
Dentro de seu padrão, o Palmeiras teve um dia agitado no mercado. Enquanto seu alvo principal, Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG, ficou mais longe por conta de entraves além do financeiro, o Verdão encontrou um novo foco no futebol argentino: Santiago Hezze, do Huracán-ARG. Nesse caso, a negociação parece ser menos complexa e os dirigentes palmeirenses devem fazer uma oferta em breve. Enquanto isso, a base continua dando show e eliminou o Botafogo, no Brasileirão sub-20, com direito a gol olímpico. Confira as notícias!
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasListasFlamengo se assusta com valores por Claudinho, Palmeiras tem novo alvo para ‘camisa 5’… O Dia do Mercado!Listas25/07/2023PalmeirasCom gol olímpico de Kevin, Palmeiras elimina o Botafogo no Brasileirão Sub-20Palmeiras25/07/2023PalmeirasSem Dudu em campo, Palmeiras se reapresenta com foco no América-MGPalmeiras25/07/2023
ANÍBAL MORENO FICA MAIS LONGE
Apesar de ter o jogador com alvo principal definido, o Verdão continua com sérias dificuldades para entregar para Abel Ferreira o “camisa 5” tão esperado desde a saída de Danilo. Aníbal Moreno é o principal nome na lista alviverde, mas os entraves junto ao Racing-ARG vão além das condições financeiras. Prazo e Libertadores estão no caminho dos palmeirenses, já que os argentinos estão irredutíveis. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)
SANTIAGO HEZZE É O NOVO ALVO PARA CAMISA 5
O Palmeiras partiu para o seu “plano B” na busca por um “camisa 5” na Argentina. Após ver Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG, ficar cada vez mais longe, o Verdão abriu conversas com o Huracán-ARG para contratar Santiago Hezze. Apesar de ainda não ter enviado uma oferta oficial aos argentinos, o entendimento é de que a negociação não será tão complexa. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)
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CLASSIFICAÇÃO NO SUB-20 COM DIREITO A GOL OLÍMPICO
O sub-20 do Palmeiras goleou o Botafogo por 4 a 0 nesta terça-feira (25), em Santo André e garantiu a sua vaga para a semifinal do Brasileirão da categoria. A equipe contou com o reforço de Kevin, que foi recém promovido ao profissional do clube e, logo no seu retorno à base, fez um golaço olímpico, ajudando o Verdão a eliminar os cariocas. (Clique e leia a matéria completa)
علق البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، على الفوز على ديكاداها الصومالي بسداسية في كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.
وقال يانيك فيريرا لقناة “أون سبورتس”: “بالطبع، عندما تكون في نادي الزمالك، يكون الهدف دائمًا الفوز في جميع المباريات، بغض النظر عن البطولة”.
وتابع: “ندخل كل لقاء بعقلية الانتصار، ونعمل طوال الأسبوع للاستعداد الذهني والبدني بأفضل شكل ممكن، الحمد لله، اليوم توجنا مجهود الأسابيع الماضية بأداء جيد ونتيجة مرضية، ونتمنى أن نواصل هذا المستوى في المباريات القادمة”.
طالع | يانيك فيريرا: أداء لاعب الزمالك كان مشجعًا لي.. ولسنا أفضل فريق في العالم
وأضاف فيريرا: “سجلنا الهدف الأول مبكرًا، وتبعه الهدفان الثاني والثالث سريعًا، ما أثر نفسيًا على الخصم، لكن بعد الهدف الثالث، لاحظنا بعض التراخي في نهاية الشوط الأول”.
وكشف: “في الشوط الثاني، استعدنا الحماس وصنعنا فرصًا كثيرة، وكان من الممكن أن تنتهي المباراة بنتيجة كبيرة، ربما 10 أو 12 هدفًا”.
وواصل: “سيف الجزيري أحرز هدفًا رائعًا، مكافأة على التزامه وجهده في الفترة الماضية، كذلك سيف جعفر قدم مباراة قوية، وواصل تطوره، محمد السيد وبارون في أول مشاركة له أظهرا أداءً طيبًا، وشارك اللاعبون الشباب بشكل مميز، وهو أمر يسعدنا كثيرًا”.
واختتم: “بشكل عام، معظم اللاعبين قدموا أداءً رائعًا، ونحن راضون عن النتيجة والمستوى”.
Manchester United and Chelsea both continued their unbeaten starts to the Women's Super League season as a stunning Anna Sandberg strike earned the Red Devils a well-deserved 1-1 draw against the champions, who dropped points for the first time this season. Wieke Kaptein scored an early opener for the Blues and both sides could have gone on to clinch victory in an entertaining encounter between the two early pace-setters.
Man United came into the game having never beaten Chelsea in the WSL, but had the better of much of the first half as they showed just why they have begun the new season unbeaten. Marc Skinner's Red Devils could have gone to the summit of the table with victory, and played like a team with a point to prove.
United striker Elisabeth Terland forced the game's first save early on, before Ella Toone freed Jess Park on the break but she could only clip the ball over. The early signs of encouragement were there, though, until Chelsea took the lead against the run of play in the ninth minute. It was a moment of undoubted quality. Catarina Macario back-heeled the ball into the onrushing Kaptein, who calmly passed the ball beyond Phallon Tullis-Joyce and into the back of the net.
The home side would soon be level, though, and what a goal it was. Receiving a knock-down from Toone, left-back Sandberg hit the ball first time on the volley and saw her strike nestle perfectly into the corner of the net. It was a goal which even the champions could do nothing about.
United were the better side for much of the second period, Fridolina Rolfo seeing a deflected strike rebound off the top of the crossbar while Toone struck just over on a couple of occasions. If any side would win, it looked like the Red Devils – until a couple of nervy moments late on, where Keira Walsh forced a smart save while Dominique Jansen caused a nervy moment for her goalkeeper. One final cross by Blues substitute Alyssa Thompson sailed agonisingly out of play and the referee blew the final whistle after an enthralling encounter.
GOAL rates Manchester United's players from Progress with Unity Stadium…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (7/10):
The Red Devils shot-stopper made several important saves, including one top-class stop from Wieke Kaptein in the first half which she had no right to make from point-blank range. Got down low to keep out Walsh, while sliding at the feet of Thompson to prevent the Blues striker getting in on goal after a defensive error.
Jayde Riviere (6/10):
Did her job admirably as Chelsea's forward line were frustrated. Her opposite number Aggie Beever-Jones ended her impressive five-game goalscoring streak, which is always a bonus for the full-back.
Maya Le Tissier (8/10):
The United captain made history by becoming the first WSL player to start 71 consecutive league matches for one club. She led by example as ever, marshalling the back line and making crucial blocks at either end of the 90. A brave double block almost created a goal for her side on the break early on, before Le Tissier put her body on the line in stoppage time to preserve the result.
Dominique Jansen (6/10):
Had a tough task dealing with the Chelsea front line and was largely solid until a short back-pass late on, with her goalkeeper needing to come out and save Jansen's blushes at the feet of Thompson. Also could have been tighter on Macario before her audacious back-heel for the Chelsea goal.
Anna Sandberg (8/10):
What a goal it was by the full-back to get her side level. Her very first goal for United, you would have never been able to tell as the 22-year-old volleyed home from long range.
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Midfield
Hinata Miyazawa (7/10):
Kept things ticking in midfield, while looking to play incisive passes to set United away on the attack. Did not allow the Blues to dominate in the middle of the park.
Julia Zigiotti Olme (6/10):
The Swede joined from Bayern Munich in the summer and looks at ease alongside her new team-mates. Did both sides of the game well against a tough Chelsea midfield.
Ella Toone (8/10):
The Lionesses hero showed her combination of industry and technical quality to drive United into attacking positions and create chances. She could have had a goal herself but could only shoot over the crossbar from a couple of presentable positions on the edge of the area. Also grabbed the assist for Sandberg's stunning strike.
Getty Images Sport
Attack
Jess Park (8/10):
Park was a bright spark in attacking areas, looking to take the game to her full-back and get shots off on goal. Though she did not provide the finish necessary to get herself on the scoresheet, her enthusiasm was clear to see.
Elisabeth Terland (6/10):
The Norwegian striker had a shot saved early on but had a largely quiet evening. Replaced just before the hour mark.
Fridolina Rolfo (6/10):
The versatile former Barcelona ace was playing further forward down the left and caused the away defence her fair share of problems. She saw a deflected strike rebound off the bar while combining well with Toone to create opportunities.
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Subs & Manager
Melvine Malard (7/10):
Brought on for Terland after an hour and posed a threat to the Chelsea defence, cutting in on one occasion to force a save from Hannah Hampton.
Celine Bizet (N/A):
Replaced Riviere for the final exchanges as United looked to make an attacking change and take the game to their visitors. Though this meant they had to withstand a final late siege at the other end.
Rachel Williams (N/A):
Showed enterprise when she came on late on, looking to drive forward and make things happen on the break.
Marc Skinner (8/10):
Set up his side not only to contain the champions, but to take the game to them. United were very well deserving of a point, and could have had all three on another day.
It is CSK’s third-lowest total ever and their lowest at Chepauk
Alagappan Muthu11-Apr-2025Right from the very start, spin dictated terms at Chepauk. Except these bowlers weren’t wearing yellow. Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Moeen Ali strangled the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), their combined figures 12-1-55-6. CSK avoided being all out for their lowest total (79) in IPL history but only just. The 24 additional runs they managed do not seem match-winning; 103 is still their lowest T20 score at home.MS Dhoni was back as captain of his team with Ruturaj Gaikwad injured and out of the season. He got what he wanted at the toss, for his team to bat first, but everything else played out according to Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) script. They brought in Moeen for the match-ups against CSK’s left-handers. That worked. He bowled a maiden over as he took Devon Conway down.They gave pace on for only five of the first 17 overs on a black soil pitch where the ball didn’t come onto the bat. Even those guys concentrated on bowling slower balls into the wicket. This discipline was the reason CSK just couldn’t break free no matter how often they tried. They recorded the second-lowest powerplay score in IPL 2025 – 31 for 2 – behind their own 30 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They hit just three boundaries after the eighth over (one of them a top edge). They had to bring in Deepak Hooda as an Impact Player, accepting the risk of going in with a bowler short when they would have to defend this total but even that gamble backfired. Hooda fell for a duck and one of their key players, Matheesha Pathirana will not be able to take part in this game.MS Dhoni walked out at No. 9 and was crowded by a slip and short leg. He had to face only Narine and Chakravarthy against whom he has a poor record and that match-up paid off as well. KKR dismissed Dhoni for 1 off 4, although he reviewed the lbw decision and there seemed to be a spike as the ball passed the bat. The third umpire Vinod Seshan, though, upheld the on-field decision and coach Stephen Fleming seemed to take issue with that as he left the dugout in search of the reserve umpire. To cap it all off, Shivam Dube seemed to have picked up a leg injury in the last over of the innings.
One of the biggest concerns emerging among the fanbase at Leeds United at the moment appears to be the lack of goal threat in the team in recent games.
The Whites have failed to score a goal from open play in the first four matches of a league season, failing to score in any of their last three games in the division.
Lucas Nmecha’s penalty in the 1-0 win over Everton on the opening day of the 2025/26 campaign is the only league goal that has been scored by the Whites since they won the Championship title.
Leeds scored a whopping 62 goals to avoid relegation in their first season back in the top-flight under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2020/21 campaign, with Patrick Bamford’s 17-goal haul standing out as the headliner from that attack.
Daniel Farke has to find a way to platform his attackers in a way that allows them to be as effective as Bamford was that season, because one of his forwards does have the potential to be a big threat in front of goal.
Leeds swooped to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer from Everton this summer and one of the reasons why they moved to bring him in was because he is a proven Premier League player.
Why Calvert-Lewin could be the goalscorer Leeds need
Despite his experience in the league, signing the 28-year-old centre-forward was a risky move by the Championship champions because he has not been at his best in front of goal for several years.
Per Understat, Calvert-Lewin only scored three goals from 8.85 xG in the Premier League for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign, which led to them deciding to allow him to depart from the club on a free transfer.
The 11-cap England international also missed 21 matches through injury in the 2024/25 and 2023/24 seasons combined, per Transfermarkt. This means that Leeds are banking on being able to help him avoid injuries in a way that he has been unable to do in recent years.
Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League career
Season
xG
Goals
24/25
8.85
3
23/24
13.63
7
22/23
6.50
2
21/22
6.22
5
20/21
18.21
16
19/20
16.11
13
18/19
6.17
6
17/18
5.44
4
16/17
1.25
1
Stats via Understat
As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin did score an eye-catching 29 goals in the Premier League between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns for the Toffees, which shows that he does have the capability to score plenty of goals in the top-flight.
It is down to Farke to find a way to get the best out of the striker, though, and down to the player to take his chances when they come to build his own confidence back up.
If Leeds can get Calvert-Lewin firing at his best, then they could have their next version of Bamford from the 2020/21 season to fire them to safety in the Premier League.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
To help the former England international, Farke could revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation that served him so well in the Championship. The Whites scored 95 goals in 46 matches and racked up 100 points with that formation, before switching to a 4-3-3 in the Premier League to provide more stability in midfield.
It seems to have gone too far the other way, though, with the lack of attacking threat in the team at present, which is why the manager must go back to a 4-2-3-1 and unleash Wilfried Gnonto in a lesser-seen role for him to get the best out of Calvert-Lewin.
Why Gnonto could get Calvert-Lewin firing again
The bulk of the Italy U21 international’s appearances for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign came on the left or the right flank, as he only played centrally in three of his 46 outings in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
Gnonto has also started this season as a wide option in the 4-3-3 formation, starting the first three matches on the left wing, but he has yet to deliver a shot on target or a ‘big chance’ created.
The move back to a 4-2-3-1 system could help to get the best out of the Italian forward whilst also providing Calvert-Lewin with more support and more creativity around him at the top end of the pitch.
As you can see in the graphic above, Gnonto would slot in behind the striker with Dan James on the right and Noah Okafor on the left flank, which would mean that Leeds have three attackers supporting the forward instead of two wingers and three central midfielders who are not specialist attackers.
The reason why Farke should unleash the Italian youngster, who Statman Dave once described as “electric”, in a central position behind Calvert-Lewin is that his career statistics suggest that he is at his best playing off a number nine.
Position (appearances)
Goals
Assists
Right wing (62)
14
10
Second striker (48)
20
7
Left wing (38)
7
4
Attacking midfield (18)
4
1
Right midfield (9)
2
0
Left midfield (7)
0
1
Striker (6)
2
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Gnonto’s best return of goals and assists combined per appearance in his career is as a second striker, which is a role he could play in a 4-2-3-1 in the hole behind Calvert-Lewin.
The former Zurich star scored nine goals and created ten ‘big chances’ in 26 starts in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, whilst playing as a winger, so imagine what he could produce as a regular starter as a second striker, which appears to get the best out of him.
Gnonto’s ability to score and create goals from central positions could benefit Calvert-Lewin in multiple ways, because the Italian’s goal threat could take some of the pressure off the striker and his creativity could provide the Englishman with the chances he needs to score.
As aforementioned, Calvert-Lewin needs plenty of chances to score and unleashing Gnonto as a second striker as part of a formation change that would improve the team’s attacking set-up could be exactly what Farke needs to do to get him firing.
Leeds messed up selling James & Gnonto upgrade who'd solve Farke's big issues
A star sold by Leeds United last year would solve the club’s current attacking problems as an upgrade on Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto.
Leeds United have had to recover quickly in recent times when notable players have exited Elland Road.
Last summer, after heartbreakingly losing the Championship playoff final, the eventual promotion winners had to wave goodbye – through gritted teeth – to both Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville as Premier League moves awaited the entertaining duo.
Not even the added security of being in the elite division has saved Leeds from having to part ways with some star assets, however, with Kalvin Phillips leaving his boyhood club behind for Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
Unfortunately, the one-time £40m buy has struggled ever since leaving West Yorkshire behind, but there might well be some green shoots appearing at the Etihad now for the forgotten midfielder…
Phillips' turbulent stay at City
Amazingly, despite last featuring for Pep Guardiola’s men way back in October of 2023, Phillips could now have been gifted a chance at redemption.
Indeed, it has emerged that the Leeds-born midfielder has now been included in City’s Premier League squad for the rest of the 2025/26 season, having presumably impressed in flashes out on loan at Ipswich Town last campaign.
It was far from a standout loan experience for the 29-year-old, but he did hammer home this effort at Portman Road during his 22-game stay to be remembered somewhat fondly, away from also winning 3.5 duels on average across his 17 Premier League outings in Suffolk, as per Sofascore.
While Guardiola’s surprise inclusion of Phillips will give the 31-time England international some hope that he can rewrite his City narrative, it’s far from being conclusive proof that he will start plenty of City games moving forward, having only ever completed a full 90 minutes in the Premier League for his current employers a meagre two times.
Phillips will just have to hope his ordeal in Manchester doesn’t get any bleaker, with a worry now that this other ex-Leeds ace is experiencing a similar fall from grace to that of the 29-year-old, as his first-team minutes also continue to be minimal in the tough division.
The ex-Leeds star in danger of being the next Phillips
Thankfully, for both the aforementioned Rutter and Summerville, they have taken to the pressures of the Premier League a lot more steadily than Phillips.
Rutter is already up to eight goals and five assists for his new employers Brighton and Hove Albion, whilst his Dutch counterpart has also managed to successfully battle back from injury difficulties at West Ham United to collect two assists during the infancy of the new season.
On the contrary, former Leeds homegrown product Archie Gray has found the leap from the EFL to the Premier League to be a daunting one, having moved to Tottenham Hotspur just last summer after a whirlwind ascent into the Whites’ first-team spotlight.
Daniel Farke, who still occupies the Elland Road dug-out, would be the first manager to get a tune out of the adaptable 19-year-old in the senior ranks, with Gray previously being branded as a “very intelligent” talent by ex-Leeds great Marcelo Bielsa when he was just 15 years of age.
He would be showered with further elaborate praise after making a name for himself in the first team at his boyhood club, as seen in Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe heralding the teenage sensation as “extraordinary” during his breakout 2023/24 season, which saw him make 52 appearances in total.
Missing out on promotion that same season, then saw Premier League clubs unsurprisingly line up for his coveted services, with the £30m eventually forked out by Spurs to land Gray not looking like a rash amount to spend, either, considering analyst Ben Mattinson was wildly suggesting that the 19-year-old could go on to be a “future £100m” asset.
Games played
29
Games started
20
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
At the moment, Mattinson’s praise hasn’t been backed up by Gray’s performances in North London, with new Spurs boss Thomas Frank only handing him one league start so far this season, having started 19 league contests under Ange Postecoglou. He wasn’t even named as a substitute for Spurs’ big 3-0 win over West Ham United, either.
It does feel now that Gray jumped ship from Leeds to pastures new in the Premier League a bit prematurely – especially as Farke’s men are now competing alongside Spurs – with an additional worry that the teenager is already being swallowed whole by the pressures of his top-flight environment, in a similar way to Phillips.
Gray will hope he can live up to his previous high praise down the line, but if his minutes continue to deplete, he might well just be viewed as another forgotten figure of Leeds’ past that struggled to cut it in the big time.
£2.5m Leeds player now house-hunting to seal permanent Elland Road exit
The Whites appear set to swiftly offload the man in question.
Sophie Devine has revealed that she contemplated international retirement during her recent break from cricket but says the lure of this year’s ODI World Cup played a big part in prolonging her New Zealand career.Devine took a step back from the sport at the start of 2025 to prioritise her well-being, pulling out of WPL 2025 after being retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and missing two home white-ball series against Sri Lanka.Related
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Voll gets Phoenix deal in Women's Hundred draft
Devine, Kerr, Tahuhu return to New Zealand squad for Australia T20Is
Asked on Wednesday whether the thought of not returning to international cricket had run through her mind during her time off, Devine told reporters: “Completely honest? Yep. Certainly.”To be able to have to process through a few of those things, obviously I’m unfortunately not getting any younger, so they naturally sort of came into mind. But for me, yeah, look, just really excited to be here, just going to be focusing on each day as it comes and just really enjoying every day with the White Ferns.”Speaking ahead of her return for the T20I series against Australia starting in Auckland on Friday, Devine – who last week was picked up by Southern Brave for GBP 36,000 (NZD 80,000) with their first pick in the Women’s Hundred draft – said franchise opportunities and, chiefly, T20 World Cup champions New Zealand’s attempt to secure the double at the 50-over version in India later this year left her feeling that she had more to give.Devine captained New Zealand to the T20 World Cup in October 2024•ICC/Getty Images
“I’ve been playing cricket for a very long time and probably looking ahead in terms of what am I going to do when my time does come to hang up the boots,” she said. “Those opportunities are still something that really excites me, being able to go overseas and play in franchise cricket, but most importantly, it’s to play for the White Ferns. We’ve got a pretty big World Cup coming up later this year, which – all going well – hopefully I’ll be at.”Certainly the World Cup was probably the biggest one. I still felt like I’ve got a little bit more to give in the black shirt. So for me, I guess that opportunity was there, but also being okay with the fact that if I was done, I’ve had a pretty good run of it. But certainly watching the girls over the last couple of weeks, there’s certainly a big itch there that’s still to scratch.”Devine hasn’t played a competitive match since January 24, when she took 5 for 13 for Wellington against Canterbury in the Women’s Super Smash in Christchurch. Her last international appearance was during the home ODI series against Australia on December 23, capping a gruelling schedule which included tours of England and India either side of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai. She also played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL through November.Devine has encouraged other players to to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being•ICC via Getty Images
“The last 12, 18 months have been massive for me personally, but also the White Ferns group, the amount of cricket that we’ve played, obviously winning the World Cup and things like that,” Devine said. “It probably hit me a little bit harder than I realised and for me, with the support of New Zealand Cricket, family, friends, I’ve been really fortunate to be able to have that time away.”Something that I’m really big on is that mental health and making sure that you do take the time, so I’m really thankful for the support that I’ve received.”Now aged 35, Devine has taken mental-health breaks fairly regularly during the latter stages of her career. She missed a large chunk of the 2023-24 Super Smash and she took an extended break during the New Zealand winter of 2021.She referred to her latest stretch of time out as “hibernation”, saying that she “went into hiding a little bit”, but in recent weeks had started watching her team-mates again as they drew their T20I series with Sri Lanka 1-1 and won the ODIs 2-0.Now feeling refreshed, Devine continued to encourage other players to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being.”Speak up, talk to people,” she said. “That’s probably been one of the biggest things, the support I’ve had around me and the professionals that I’ve had to help me. Everyone goes through their struggles and it might look different, it might feel different to each individual, but certainly to reach out, it doesn’t matter whether you are an athlete, whether you’re a student, it doesn’t matter who you are, to make sure that you get that support around you.”
Axar was retained by DC ahead of the mega auction for this season, and replaces Rishabh Pant – who went back into the auction – as captain
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2025
“It’ll be good for us that he’ll be there as a big brother”•Associated Press
Delhi Capitals (DC) will have a new captain in Axar Patel this season, and he’s got the backing of his team-mates. Axar was retained by DC ahead of the mega auction, and has replaced Rishabh Pant – who went back into the auction – as captain.”I think just having him in the team is a huge bonus. He’s one of the best players around at the moment,” Tristan Stubbs, who was also retained by DC, said. “He captained the game last year [against RCB when Pant was suspended for slow over-rate], and he was really calm out in the middle, made the bowlers feel really calm. So hopefully he can do that this year, and we can feed off his energy.”Abishek Porel, another one of the four players DC retained (Kuldeep Yadav was the fourth), felt that Axar’s long association with DC would help him settle into the new role. Axar has been representing DC since 2019, and has played 82 games for them.Related
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“It’s great that Axar will be leading the side. He has been playing for DC for three or four years [six years] now, so he understands the environment,” Porel said. “It’ll be good for us too that he’ll be there as a big brother. He’s quite funny off the field, but at the same time, just as focused on it. So I’m really excited to play under his captaincy, and hopefully, we’ll win the trophy.”Axar being named DC captain came after he was named India’s vice-captain in T20Is ahead of the five-match series against England at home in January. He also led his domestic team Gujarat during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25.”Axar has been around for a long time now, and he is going to be a great captain,” Karun Nair, one of Axar’s new team-mates at DC, said. “He is someone who knows all the facets of the game, and understands everyone’s situation and roles. He will be versatile like he is always. [I’m] looking forward to meeting him, and know a lot of things.”DC, who are yet to win the IPL, had finished sixth last season with seven wins and seven losses. This year, they start their campaign by hosting Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Visakhapatnam on March 24. That will be the first of two home games they play in Visakhapatnam before they shift to Delhi for their remaining five home matches.